diuines may be as well taken as I. This Infant whome I pray you receiue as hys highnesse doth merit may shew you by mouth the torment and anoyance that I am in Thus I pray you not to denie me your comfort the which I aske not but with an honest intention the which is of one true and perpetuall alliance of vs two And in thys hope I will pray the Almightie to gyue you his grace presenting my most humble recommendations to yours He that cannot be long without your succour the diuine Anaxartes Letters from prince Anaxartes to the Infant Oriana coÌ„tinuing notwithstanding hir answer the burning affection that he doth beare hir and aduertising hir of the daunger into the which he may fall if she refuse him In the .9 booke the .65 Chapter RIght vertuous Princesse I perceyuing the answer that ye haue made to the Infant Artimire by whome I sente you my letters I know that ye find it nother good nor decent that I haue apointed my selfe to come to you for the reason meÌ„tioned in them that is bicause ye are vnder the power of your father and mother vnto whome ye will obey and do nothing but their pleasure the which thing I agrée with you to be reasonable and honest to all persons be they neuer so high and noble but if ye knew what power this little God of loue hath vpoÌ„ men I wil say also vpon the diuines I am assured ye shuld not haue found my humble request so strange for your highnes would haue coÌ„sidered that he doth so blinde men that who so it pleaseth him to smite with his golden dart he for the most part and most often taketh froÌ„ them all discretion as we haue infinite examples by the histories the which at the present I will not recite fearing to trouble you with â—oo long letters but onely pray you to beléeue that your excellent beautie hath brought me to suche a statâ— that if it please you not shortly to shew me some beningne fauour I â—eare me very sore that ye shall sée me fall into the greatest misfortune that may chaunce to any knighte presenting in this behalfe my righte humble commendation to your good grace of the which I desire to be participant considering the meane how that I may demaunde you of the King your father seing that ye wil promise me nothing vntill ye knowâ— his will. The very same that is more yours than his owne the diuine Anaxartes Letters of the Infant Helen to the King of Apolonia hir father by the which she dothe praye him to excuse hir that she is maried without his leaue seyng that the destination woulde so haue it and that the Prince that she hath taken hath deserued much more In the .9 booke the .70 Chapter SYr your most humble daughter Helen doth pray you or euer ye reade these letters at length to consider what power loue hath evpon men otherwise ye woulde Iudge the fault that I haue committed against your goodnesse greater than it isâ— if ye measure the obligation of obedience that all children ought to haue to fathers and mothers Well syr to the end that I disguise nor hide nothing from you I thinke that ye do it for the best to kéepe me farre off from amorous affections separating me from your court and to set mée in this solitarie place with my Aunte and my cousin Tymbria of Boetia but I ensure you that loue hath so assayled me representing to me in fansâ—e the beautie good grace valiantnesse and magnanimitie of Prince Florisel of Niquea that fortune so fauouring me that I haue séene him and knowen the singular vertues that are in him and the vnspeakable loue that he heareth me I haue bene inforced afterwardes that I had promised him mariage by present words to folow him and hereof is witnesse my cousin Tymbria the which hath kepte me companie fearing that ye would haue giuen hir some euill countenance she presenteth hir humble recommendations vnto your good grace prayeth you I also asmuche as I may possible to excuse hir vnto my Lorde hir father assuring you that she is not the cause of the thing that I haue done but contrariwise resisted it with all hir power but ye know syr that no wisedome nor yet no humaine force nor strength can resiste the fatals destinies Thorefore syr ye ought to beléeue suerly that it was the will of God nor ye can not say that I haue offended my honour nor yet yours taking an husbande not agreable vnto my highnesse for he whome I haue chosen doth merite one of a greater stocke than I am for the goodnesse that he doth possesse aswell of fortune as of the spirite yea a great deale more than the Prince Lucidor vnto whom I pray you to excuse me and to consider that I neuer promised him any thing so that he néede not be greatly gréeued with me nor offended with the thing that I haue done in as muche truely as this hath not béene to disdaine his aliance for I acknowledge that he did me much honour willing to take me for such a one as I am nowe to Dom Florisel of Niquea the which hath conducted me to Constantinople accoÌ„panied with Prince Falanges of Astre a Prince as wise and as valiant as he is vertuous and of good grace praying in this behalfe the soueraine creator of al things to giue you health good fortune and long life Your most humble daughter Helen of Apolinia Prince Lucidor of Vengeances letter to the Infant Alastraxeree giuing hir knowledge of the iust occasion that he hathe to reuenge him of Dom Florisel and praying hir not to let him to do it In the .9 booke the .72 Chapter MAdame were it not that I thinke that ye haue bene misinformed of the great wrong that Prince Florisel of Niquea hathe done mée I estéeme that your diuine excellence would not haue béene in battaile against me to haue lefted the effect of the iust execution of the vengeance that I oughte to take vpon him as well in my owne name as vpon the occasion of the iniurie that Amadis of Greece his father hathe done to my sister Lucelle the which is here with me But to the ende Madam that ye may knowe what hath moued me to assaile him in such order as ye haue séene ye shall vnderstande that he rauished and ledde away Helen the Infant of Apollonia the which hath beene promised me of long time to be my wife and for such I haue accepted hir and will haue hir I pray you then to consider how much that thing should gréeue me and shewe not your selfe to be so great an enimie of your owne highnesse and good renoume as to let so iust a vengeance but rather to shewe fauour and ayde to him that foloweth it thus doyng ye shall obserue and keepe the integritie of your iustice Thus Madame presenting my humble recommendations to your good grace I shall pray the soueraine to gyue
¶ The moste excellent and pleasaunt Booke entituled The treasurie of Amadis of Fraunce Conteyning eloquente orations pythie Epistles learned Letters and feruent Complayntes seruing for sundrie purposes The vvorthinesse vvhereof and profite dothe appeare in the Preface or table of this Booke Translated out of Frenche into English. Imprinted at London by Henry Bynneman for Thomas Hacket And are to be solde at his shoppe in the Royall Exchaunge at the signe of the greene Dragon ¶ To the righte worshipfull â—ir Thomas Gressam knight Tâ—omas Hacket vvisheth the fauoure of God long lyfe increase of worship continuall health and felicitie WHEN I call to my remembraÌ„ce right vvorshipfull Sir vvhat our merciful and good God hathe doone for vs by his vnspeakeable omnipotencie and also what giftes hee hathe indued man vvithall vvee can not chuse but be thankful to him for his vvorthie benefites bestovved vpon vs vvho so noteth substaÌ„cially from time to time vvhat vvorthie instrumentes God hath raised vp in all artes and sciences as some passing in singlenesse of gifts as Aristotle Galen Ptolome Plinie vvith other vvith those vvorthie Oratours the Grecians as Demosthenes Isocrates and that vvorthie Romaine the Prince of Eloquence Marcus Tullius Cicero vvhose excellencie hath surpassed all others and bene leaders and scholemasters to all others It vvas not vvithout great cause right vvorshipful that man is called Mycrocosmos that is to say a little vvorlde it vvas not vvithout great consideration that Aristotle calleth him the sercher of secretes for vvhat thing is there in this vvorld but man hath sought it out be it neuer so harde or obscure vvhat vertue in stone or plant or any grovving thing yea the vertue of beasts fishes fovvles and serpentes and vvhatsoeuer is conteined in the earth aire vvater or fyre mettals mynes of golde siluer leade tinne yron c. In fine how excelleÌ„t in al philosophie asvvell naturall as morall as Arithmetike Geometrie Astronomie Cosmographie besides all these those moste excellent historiographers and yet in my mynd this surpasseth all others that is to say to be an excellent Oratour singular in orations pythie and ingenious in vvriting Epistles for therby is brought to passe the moste excellent things for publike gouernment as also for euery mannes priuate cause and vse for vvho knovveth not vvhere learning and good gouernement consisteth their orations bee of moste excellent force to set foorth hovve tymes haue bene passed vvith the tyme present and also to giue vvarning and foresee for time to come hovve the good and vertuous haue merited and receyued perpetuall fame as to the ouerthrovve of the vvicked too their reproche and ignomie So right vvorshipfull this booke vvhich I present vnto you is stufte vvith pleasant orations fine epistles singular complaintes vvith matter mixt so fitly and aptly to serue the turne of all persons not curious nor filled full of obscure and darke sense but playne and pleasant depending and ansvvering one an other vvith most delectable matter for all causes as vvell incouraging the bashfull person and covvarde to bee valiant as the vvorthie ladies and damselles in their amorous Epistles feruente complaintes of iniuries handled moste excellently And yet I confesse not so graue and vvorthie matter as your vvoorship deserueth to haue Therfore I craue pardon at your hands for this my rashe enterprise trusting in God you vvill receiue it in good part as a token of my good vvill tovvards you and though it yeld not so pleasant a grace in the Englishe toung as it dothe in the Frenche the vvhiche it vvas vvritten in I knovve youre vvoonted maner and good nature is to take smal thinges in good part vvhich hath imboldened me at this present to dedicate this booke of the Treasurie of Amadis of France vnto your vvorship vvhen god sendeth to my hand any other I do intend to make ye partaker therof And therfore least at this present I shoulde seeme to be ouer tedious vnto you I coÌ„mit you to God vvith my good Ladie your vvife vvith all youre familie praying to God for your prosperous and good succesâ—e in all youre affaires and enterprises From London by yours for euer THOMAS HACKET To the gentle Reader A VERY frend of myne most gentle reader instantly desired me to english him this french booke intituled the Treasurie of Amadis the whiche when I had well perused it pleased me not a little as wel for the elegant phrase thereof as for the diuersities and arguments therin wrapped and inclosed For truly it aboundeth with such eloquent orations and wyse counsels with such swéete and delicate Epistles and letters especially of loue so curteously and annably handled with suche exhortations and admonitions so prudently penned with suche lamentations complaints so sorowfully and mournfully expressed with suche consolations and comforts in aduersitie so frendly and louingly pronounced with such answers and replications so ingeniously inuented with reproches and tauntes so bitingly and bitterly spoken with requâ—sts so humainly and ciuilly demaunded with excuses so craftily and subtilly painted and coloured with defyances so stoutly and courageously sente to the aduersarie and receiued that if a man were astonied much amazed it woulde quicken him and sodeynly reuiue his spirites againe For what a dullarde is he that wise counsell vertuous exhortations friendly admonitions wittie and subtill persuasions shall not quicken and reuiue and how farre without sense is he whom amiable fine and beautifull ladies with their ticklyng and flatteryng wordes shall not awake stirre vp and call to their lure wanton fansie feruent louâ— What stonie and harde hearte hath he that with the glittering and twinkeling of the eye the abundant teares the dulcet and swéete parolls of his paramour wherwith this fine flattering booke is infarced will not be mollifyed and melted And how depely are they drowned in sorrowe that with godly and vertuous consolation will not be comforted What weake and cowardly heartes and stomackes haue they that will not be stirred or moued with the rhetorical eloquent orations the vehement persuasioÌ„s and liberall promises and rewards of wise noble worthie capitains pluck vp their harts inuade their enimies for worthie renoume sake immortall glorie fight stoutly and corageously as Amadis the king of England France Florâ—an with other did as this proper booke in diuers places reciteth most cordially Wherout men may learne to be noble oratours wise and prudent counsellours excellent Rhethoricians expert captains amorous companions feruent honest louers secrete messengers obedient seruaÌ„ts elegant enditers of louely Epistles swéete pronouncers true ortographers of the french tong so pleasant so highly coÌ„mended and so imbraced of all men Wherfore gentle Reader let it not lothe thée I pray thée to reade this fine and fruitfull booke nor to ensue the honest and vertuous lessons the prudent admonitions and good counsels of the same for thou shalt not at any tyme as I thinke repent thée more for the reading of it than I for
more by force than by his will. And as touching this that he purchaseth my enmitie assure him that he shall haue it so that he shall forget the thing that I and mine haue done in his defence And yet say vnto him that although I alone haue conquered the I le of Mongase that I will neuer set my foote to cause him to léese it nor in place where I maye anoy and trouble the Quéene for the honor of hir Amadis taking leaue of his companions doth exhort them to be vertuous and strong in battell excusing himselfe of hys departing and praying them â—o be continually vnited togither In the .1 Chapter of the .3 booke I Beséech you my fellowes and companions to succoure and to helpe one another and to thinke that the glorie for asmuch as ye go against a mightie king that ye shall get and obtayne if ye ouercome him shall be the greater I know wel that there is not he of you all that is not bound to the wise man and hardie knight the which giueth me good hope that with the helpe of God and the good right of him that dothe conduct you ye shall remit and set a poore damsell disherited in hir first goodes and estate againe I was neuer in my lyfe so enuyedâ— to leaue so good a company as I am at this present but there is not he that ought not to haue and to holde me excused and yet it hath pleased God that the occasioÌ„ hath prepared another meane not to separate vs Of one thing I would pray you that is not to haue any discord among you buâ— to liue togyther as felowes and friendes otherwise yâ— may be sure that the ruine and destruction shall fall on your side A letter of the infant Celinde to king Lisuard commending hir sonne vnto him that proceeded of the loue of king Lisuard and of hir In the .3 Chapter MOst mightie and excellent Prince reading this letter ye may peraduenture remember that when ye traue led as a wandring knight farre and strange countries bringing many perilous and daungerous aduentures to an ends fortune did send and did leade you to my fathers kingdome the which was lately departed and ye found me withdraweÌ„ into one of my castels named the great Rosiâ—r where the braue Antifon besieged me bycause I disdained not being equall to me in nobilitie and lesse a friend of vertue to marrie him And well he could shew it for he had euen then vsurped by force and tirannie vpon me a poore Damsell Orpheline the most part of my countrey when that ye at your comming presented to fyght with him and to sustaine the right that I had the whiche thing he accepted more for the confidence that he had in the strength of his armes than for any other iust quarell vnto whome our Lord shewed hys iust iudgement for you lesse than he of body but in magnamitie of courage greatly exceeding him vaÌ„quished him By the meanes whereof I awhyle after was restored to all my goodes the whiche I will holde of you euen as they were yours and my selfe also for euer to whome at that time and houre ye did so great honor as to come and refresh you in this my great Rosier where afterwards you and I deuising together among my pleasant orchaâ—ds ye gathered roses euen as we sported vs togyther and the floure of my virginitie of the which the place was and is yet very rich and plenteous Therefore I cannot say whether loue woulde it should be so or whether my beautie was the cause but I know well that ye had so great power vpon me and that in me was so little resistance that before ye departed from thence ye left me great with this yong gentleman whome I send vnto you so faire and of so good grace that nature as me thinketh hath taken all hyr pleasure to make him perfect in all excellencie to deface both our sinnes if any sinne was committed Therefore Sir receiue him as yours being of the séede royall of you and mâ— the which thing causeth me to esteeme thâ—t he shall be a prudent man and retaining in him selfe part of the noble actes that are in you and part of the great loue in the which he was engendred on that day when ye gaue me this ring the which I send vnto you agayne in witnesse of the promise that ye made to your huÌ„ble seruant Celinde king Hegides daughter the which kisseth the handes of your royall maiestie The coÌ„plaint of Oriane for the soden departing of hir sonne foreseeing the euill entreating that should happen vnto him The .3 Chapter ALas little creature God giue thée grace to be so vertuous and so good a knight as thy father and to do thée if it please hym so muche good as to sende thée euen at the beginning a more fortunate prosperitie than his was Alas I am constrained to sende thée away and to shew my selfe to thée more cruell than the Tiger or the Leopard to their little ones And bycause I knowe not whether thou goest nor when I shall méete wyth thée agayne it causeth in my soule such heauinesse that fortune caÌ„not prepare such danger that doth not present it selfe before my eyes yet if I at least wayes knew the Nurse that should giue hym sucke I woulde pray hir to take care for him but it may so chaunce that she will take little care for thee and that she before thou haue the power and be able to keepe thy selfe shall leaue thée oftentimes alone being occupied about hir small businesses and deuising with hir neighbours of small matters vnprofitable fables and lyes in the daunger of beasts For I esteeme and iudge that she and other likewise shall repente and thinke thée to be the childe of some simple damsell and to do for thée the best she can shall be to nourish thée in the féelds amoÌ„g the shepherds the which oftentimes cannot so diligently giue héede to their shéepe but that the Wolfe the Lyon against their willes do passe ouerthwart rauishing the thing that they thynke good The complaynt of the damsel of Denmarke after that she had lost Orianes little sonne the which she esteemed shoulde suffer muche euill In the .3 Chapter O Lord God howe hath it pleased you to suffer that thys little creature should perish the whiche neuer offended you Ah ah certesse I am wel worthy to be gretly punished of my owne will his misfortune might fall vpon my owne person for my life is to me very noysome Alas little infant your father being as little as ye are began to proue the dangers of this worlde and yet our Lord of his great goodnesse preserued him but your misfortune euill honoure is farre straunger than his was for notwithstanding they cast hym into the waues and surges of the Sea yet Gandales met him in a good houre and afterwards as euery man doth knowe he tooke him vp but thou little poore one art fallen
or euer ye my Lord and cousin arriued and came hither we were gathered togither in thys place to prouide for the same and now that we fynde you so conformable to our willes I am sure that there is none of vs that thinketh any other thing but that fortune doth call vs to performe it and end it promising vs certen victorie being pensife sory for the fauor that she hath borne thus loÌ„g to king Lisuard the which at this present in no wise doth know himselfe and that it is so what hath he to do to sende my sister against hir will into a straunge countrey hath the king my father giuen hir vnto him to do his pleasure with hir ye knowe that a little after our departing out of Englande I sent to the Quéene for hir but she refused me that sending me word by Gandales that she would sée hir intreated nourished as hir proper person Is this the good intreating that she hath kept for hir at the last to destroy hir hath Mabile no nother place to conuey hir selfe vnto but to the Emperours house Is not the Realme of Scotland rich ynough to nourish and to bring hir vp by God this manner of doing of king Lisuard is so vnfortunable and so farre out of reason that I had rather die a huÌ„dreth fold if it were possible than not to be reuenged and already I haue sent to my father to prouide therefore In the meane while I pray you all my Lords to ayde me and you specially whome this iniurie doth touch in a manner as well as me being done not only to my sister your cousin and nigh parente but to Olinda and other of whome folowing the thing that we haue promised and sworne as my Lorde Amadis hath saide we ought to be the protectors and defenders The Oration of Grasind to those of the enclosed I le praising their enterprise going to succoure Oriane and hir damsels In the .3 booke and .17 Chapter BY my God your enterprise is high and worthy of very greate laude and prayse considering that besides the good that ye do to them that ye go to help and succcoure ye shall ensue and follow the other good knights the whiche are of this countrie or strangers so that from hencefoorth men shal not suffer folowing you that any man should do wrong to any Lady or to any other damsell And therefore ye shal so indet them that both they and these that be and that shal come a hundred yeares and mo hereafter shall thanke you King Lisuards Oration to my Lady Oriane his daughter exhorting hir to allow the mariage to be good that he hathe vndertaken to make of hir with the Emperoure In the 3. booke the .18 Chapter MY welbeloued ye haue alwayes shewed your selfe obedient to my will without any contradiction and will ye not continue still as reason willeth you ye melancoly your selfe as farre foorth as I see for the mariage that I haue found out for you whereof I do greatly maruell Estéeme you that I would once thinke to do any thing that shoulde not turne to your honoure and profite Thinke you that I am of so euill a nature towardes you I sweare vnto you by my faith that the amitie that I beare you is so certein and sure that I haue no lesse heauinesse for your departing from hence than â—e haue But ye know that it should be impossible to prouide for you so well as vnto my selfe Therfore I pray you vsing your accustomable wisedom to make better cheere and to reioice your selfe of the goodnesse that is chanced vnto being the wife of the greatest prince of all the world And if ye do that ye shall besides that ye shall be esteemed receiue and comfort your father the which is as heauy of your anoyance as nothing more The answer of Oriane to king Lisuard hir father declaring vnto him the great wroÌ„g that he doth hir to marrie hir against hir will. In the .3 booke the .17 Chapter MY Lord ye haue theÌ„ as farre foorth as I sée resolued the mariage of me and the Emperoure It may be that ye haue made one of the greatest faults that any Prince can do for first of all I will neuer loue the husband that ye gyue me and I am well assured and certaine as I haue declared vnto you not long since that Rome shall neuer sée me willing rather to fall into the mercie of fishes than to dwell in a place wherevnto I haue no desire or affection Now I cannot thinke what hath induced you or perswaded you to do this but the loue that ye beare to my sister and the desire that ye haue to leaue hir your sole heyre and me the moste miserable damsell of all the world but God that is iust wyll not suffer that your intention so vnreasonable shall come to effect but rather shal send death vnto me if it so please him Amadis Oration to his companions admonishing them to take good courage to succoure in so great neede so many noble damsels In the selfe same Chapter MY companions and friends were it not for the assuraÌ„ce that I haue of the vertue and magnanimitie that is in you all I without doubt would refraine to put in aduenture the battell that we sée is ready if we would take it in hande But yet I knowing you to be such as ye are indéede and also the iust occasion for the which we are entred and haue taken the sea I thinke that we shuld not delay it but to cast away all feare to deliuer froÌ„ captiuitie so many desolate damsels the whiche call vnto vs to succoure and to help them by the only obligation and band that we haue to defend their libertie Therefore I beséech you let vs so liuely set vpon these shippes in such sort y setting these ladies out of danger their coÌ„ductors shal neuer bring newes to their Emperour The complainte of Queene Sardamire for the Prince Salust Quide complayning of the euilles and miseries that were to come In the .4 booke the .1 Chapter ALas fortune doth now shew that she will go not only to the ruine and destruction of vs miserable captiues but of the Emperoure and of al his Empire Ah ah poore prince euill lucke hath méetely well runned vpon thee Alas what losse and what heauinesse shall they haue for euer that loued thée when they shall know thy sodein end I cannot tell how thy master may support it and beare it but I beléeue that he shal not so soone heare the newes but that he shal die throgh great anger hauing a good cause for the losse at once of so many great vessels and good men and specially for you my Lady que she to Oriane whome he desired much more than any thing of this world and for whome from hencefoorth shall be moued so strange warres that néedes it must be for many good knights most cruelly to finish and to ende their dayes
vpon the Giantes your cruell tyrants and rulers whose deathe and correction ye shoulde not estéeme to procéede from anye other than from the gods immortall wherof they will gyue you very swifte witnesse seing that two onely persons haue destroyed and brought to ruine suche and so fearefull mâ—nsters notwithstanding the situation of the very strong and inaccessible places the Gigantine forces and all their puissance and might both craftie and subtill Againe my deare and good friendes we counsell and admonishe you that ye giue no place to your affections so that the anger of God fâ—ll not vpon you if ye disobey the children of Mars sent hither to be soueraines and to set peace in your countrey As touching the rest ye shall come vnto vs to vnderstande the â—uerplus of our will. Arlande the Princesse of Thrace letter to Dom Florisel of Niquea praying him to come to see hir to vnderstande and to reuenge the wrong done by Amadis of Greece to Balarte his brother In the .9 booke the .14 Chapter ARlande Princesse of Thrace to the Knight of the shée shéepeheard gréeting The renoume of your excellent beautie and glorious actes of armes that runneth not only throughout all this countrey of Thrace but almoste throughout the world hath drawne me into so great admiration and desyre to know the truth that after I had consulted with our goâ—â— vpon these affaires and matters and that they answered 〈◊〉 after the common brute and rumour I was well willing to sende you this presente and to praye youre Lordshippe to come hither to vnderstande and to perceiue the wrong that the vnfaithfull and traitour Armadis of Greece did to my verie déere and onely brother Balarte Prince of Thrace by whose death the succession of this Realme after the decease of my heauie father shall pertaine to me yet with this charge to pursue and reuenge the death of my foresaide Lorde and brother Therfore if it please you to come hither to execute this reasonable vengeance I haue purposed and doe promise you in recompence of the duetie that ye shall doe to make you Lord and master of my selfe and of all that I possesse in this worlde aduertising you moreouer that the gods haue reuealed vnto me that ye onely are he to whom this great iustice and glorious vengeance is reserued Obeyng then the diuine prescieÌ„ce of the gods leaue off from henceforth to pursue the vengeance of a sort of euill iniuries and quarrels of Damsels of to base qualitie and come to take the possession and enioying of great goods and honors the which are prepared here for you thus doing ye shall content me and make me ioyfull She that desireth to remaine for euer in your good grace and remembrance Arlande The answere of Dom Florisel of Niquea to the letters of Arlande graciously refusing hir demaunde aswell bicause that Balarte was iustly slaine as that Amadis of Greece was his father In the .9 booke and the .14 Chapter DOm Florisel of Niquea the sonne of the right vertuous and stout Prince Amadis of Greece to Arlande the Princesse of Thrace salutatioÌ„s eueÌ„ such as hir excelleÌ„cy deserueth Madam I haue receiued the letters which it hath pleased you to send me by this your Damsell and reading them I knowe the great desire that ye haue to reuenge the deathe of Prince Balart your brother slaine as I haue vnderstanded most valiantly in the campe of the battell by the handes of my right déere father Amadis of Greece for a good and a iust quarrell a thing that should diuert and turne you to make any such suteâ— for the more that the cause of his death shall be published the more dishonor shal fall both vpon him vpon those that shal enforce themselues to reuenge him euerie man euidently knowing his vnrighteousnesse for the mischeuous turne that he purposed to doe vnto him that with all graciousnesse and good intreating receiued him into his house Therfore Madam finde it not strange at al if in this I satisfie not your desire not for the regarde of the honour and reuerence that I ought to haue naturally to him that hath begotten me but for as much as I should greatly offende God and my honour yea I should do against all reason to reuenge so vertuous an acte putting the case that another than my father had done it And I well assure you that who so euer woulde obey you in tâ—at he shall finde himself iustly smitten of God augmenting the shame and dishonour of him that deserueth to be buried in the darkenesse of obliuiousnesse As concerning the goods that ye promise me that is to make me possessour and to enioye your excellent beautie and all your possessions ye may vnderstande by these present letters that I vnder the condition that ye damaund haue a iust occasion to refuse theÌ„ neuerthelesse I thanke you as much as I caÌ„ possible for your good wil and affection that ye beare me in recompence wherof I promise you to employ me to be your seruaunt and to serue you in all that honour and vertue shall commaund me Thus much Madam praying the creator of al things vnto whom vengeance ought to be reserued to giue you his holy grace and after that I may be affectuously recommended â—o yours He that desireth you all goodnesse and encrease of honour the knight of the she shepherde A letter from Dom Florisell of Niquea to fair Helen princessâ— of Apolonia excusiâ—g himselfe of the boldnesse that he taketh to write vnto hir and to present hir his heart In thâ—â—â— booke the .33 Chapter MAdame if ye wil measure your highnesse and aduise you vpon the kingdome that ye possesse in respect of me that am but a wandring knighte and yet vnknowen vnto you I thinke well that ye would maruell of my temeritie and foolish boldnesse that durst write vnto you at this present but if ye would consider how great the force of loue is I am wel assured that your benignitie and sweetenesse shal excuse me and accuse this diuine beautie and good grace the which yesterday did so rauish me of my libertie that I had not the power nor the will neuer to loue or to serue any other but you For this cause I tooke boldnesse to pray you as humbly as I may possible to receiue my faithfull heart the whiche hathe left me to be wholly yours and doth suffer me to keepe and to name me your knight and very affectionate â—eruant the which shall little estéeme all his misfortunes that are past if ye would do him so great honor as that he might one of these dayes tell you by mouth that he feareth to write vnto you bicause of the little aquaintance that ye haue of him praying the creator and maker of all things the which hath mâ—ued you with so great beautie to giue you the increase of honor and felicitie You re most humble and obediente the knight of the she shepherde The princesâ—e of Apolonia doth
him that hath destroyed Garadan suffer me to fight with him and prepare your selues towardes the other for I ensure you if our hearts be good we shall ouercome them and recouer the thing that they thinke to haue receiued alreadie by the mischaunce that hapned to our companion let vs therefore fight with them and let vs all die rather than to delaye it considering that for vs it is much better to chuse suche an honorable death than hereafter to liue in perpetuall shame and in so vnfortunate a life as ours shall be Therefore I pray you my Lordes and friendes â—o remember that we goe fight not only to obtaine lande for the Emperor or to entertaine and kéepe the promise that Garadan hath made but for the honor of all the Empire of Rome Finally I haue saide and prayed you to suffer me to fight with him that had yesterday the victorie of our companionâ— I sâ—e him go first and also he shall be the first that as I hope shall be ouerthrown The Oration of the Knight of the greene sworde to King Tasinor taking his leaue of him In the .3 booke the .7 Chap. SYr you are nowe thankes be to God in peace and rid of your businesses therefore if it shall please you to giue me leaue I am purposed to depart to morowe in the morning and to followe my fortune whither it shall séeme and please hir to conducte and to guide me assuring you syr that whersoeuer I bâ— I shall remaine and be your humble seruant as the goodnesse and honor that you haue done and shewed me â—oth â—ynde me Amadis sorowes seeing himselfe absent and so farre from his louer Oriane In the .3 booke the .7 Chap. ALas my louer when shall I sée the time that I may yet haue the good fortune to holde you in my armes Ah ah loue you haue lifted me vp to the greatest honor and fortune wherein any faithfull louer at any time may be But what In as muche as this my glorie had none like it in fauour so much the more it is turned concerning me into tribulation and anoyance feeling my selfe to be so farre from hir that I most desire to sée and to hold And the thing that doth most torment me is the feare least that my absence be the cause that she forgette me or that she besides me haue a newe loue After this he sodainly reprehended himselfe and sayd Alas whereof should this foolish opinion come Ah ah my louer I finde you too stedfast and constant and also I know wel that I haue faulted and sinned against you for my pain and great fidelitie haue so oftentimes giuen me good hope and assurance that I am to blame to haue any doubt of you Furthermore as I know wel I neuer thought but to obey you and shall do all my life long thus you shal haue no occasion to will me euil nor to desire any vengeance vpon me if you thinke not to be offended that I loue you more feruently and constantly than any other could doe Yet I can not tell whether loue will punishe me or no bycause I haue disdayned all other and giuen my selfe so much to you and haue euill intreated many and rigorously refused them But I know well that my thoughtes be so familiar in your heart and your great beautie so caracted and printed in my soule that I must hold and beléeue for a troth that with the time my paynes shall be quenched either by my ende or by your accustomed faythfulnesse The little Oration of Amadis being sore wounded by Andriague the which doth turne him to God to haue pitie vpon him In the .3 booke the .10 Chap. AH ah Lorde God that to redéeme me tokest humaine flesh in the Uirgins wombe and afterwarde iuduredst so grieuous so abhominable a Passion I beseech thée to haue pitie on my soule for I know wel that my body is but earth Amadis giuing thankes to Master Elisabet dothe thanke him for his good intreating In the same Chapter AH my great friende sayde the Knight I may well saye that next vnto God you are he to whom I am most bouÌ„d deliuering me from the great daunger that I was in Also I do assure you that as long as I haue a soule in my body you shal haue a Knight of me readie to do for you without reseruing of any perill or danger considering that you haue done so much for me not knowing me but for a simple Knight nor hauing in all his goods but an yll broken and an vnnailed harneys that there shall not be a day of all my life that I shall not assay to recognise it Master Elisabets answere to Amadis excusing himselfe to â—â—m of his thankfulnesse In the selfesame booke the â—10 Chap. MY Lord sayde Elisabet you shall say what pleaseth you but so much there is that I estéeme my selfe more happy than other like vnto me in as much as I haue saued the life next vnto God of the most gentle Knight that euer did bestride noble horse the which thing I dare saye openly for I haue seene you take in hande and make an end of things vnto all men incredible Likewise I am well assured that froÌ„ henceforth many vnto whome iniurie and wrong hath bene done shall be sustained by you the which shoulde otherwise remaine without any hope And thus being the cause of such goodnesse I shall hold and think me better recompensed than if I had all the treasure of the world together Amadis answere to the Emperor the which would haue retayned him in his Court giuing him thanks for the fauor that he bare him In the .3 booke the .11 Chapter SYr sayde the Knight you haue already done me so great honor that I beléeue as long as I shal liue not to be in my power to do you seruice that may merit the least of the goodnesses I haue receiued of you yet I am so far from my libertie being submitted into the bondage of one alone that I caÌ„ not nor wil not disobey him to please you withal being sure that doing the contrarie death shall not suffer me to be yours long and shall depriue me for euer to be his no more Amadis Oration to the Emperor taking his leaue of him In the same Chapter SYr you haue done me so much honor and goodnesse that euery where I shall be your seruant and readie at all times and as ofte as it shall please you to vse me to obey you And for asmuch as I am appointed folowing the thing that I haue promised to be shortly in the Marches of Rome I beséech you most humblie to giue me leaue to depart Thâ— answere of the foresayde Emperor to Amadis graciously giuing him the leaue that he demauÌ„ded In the same Chap. MY great friende quoth he if it were possible that you might soiourne here any longer you should do me great pleasure But séeing that your wordes haue so bounde you God forbid that I
same man continuing hys complaynt dothe saye In the .3 booke the .12 Chapter Ah my great friende Angriota of Estrauauxâ— where are ye now and how haue ye forsaken me hauing so long time mainteined this company togither and when need is ye leaue me without any ayde or succoure not that I wil blame you for I my selfe haue bene the cause to separate vs thys day to our great misfortune the which shall also separate vs one from another for euer The Oration of Oriane to Florestan declaring vnto him that the absence of him and of Amadis hath caused great harme to many damsels In the .3 booke the 12â— Chapter IN good fayth my Lord Florestan it is loÌ„g ago since we saw you in this countrey whereof I greatly mused as well for the good will that I do beare you as for the néede that manye poore creatures haue suffered the whiche were wont to fynde and to haue succour of you of Amâ—dis and of many other that haue folowed him Cursed be ther that are cause of so long a separation And beléeue that I speake not thys wythoute greate occasion for I know a poore Damsell that is verye néere to be dishorited bycause she hathe not one to defende the wrong that men haue done hir And if Amadis were â—ere agayne and likewise the other whyche are farre from hence she might be sure that hir right should not as it is be taken from him but seing they be abseÌ„t she hath no better hope nor no other recourse but vnto death Florestans answer to Oriane certifying hir that Amadis maketh good cheere and that his name is dayly diuulgate thorough his fortunable conquests In the .3 booke the .14 Chapter MAdame God that is mercifull doth neuer forget those that put their trust in him and if it please him he shall not begin with the damsell that is so desolate As touching my Lord Amadis be ye assured that he is in very good health searching continually strange aduentures and in such wise that for the great feates of armes that he doth in farre countreys where he is his renoume doth diuulgate it selfe in all the coasts of the world King Lisuards Oration to Galaor concerning the mariage of Oriane and the Emperour desiring him to giue his aduise In the .3 booke the .14 Chapter MY great friend I haue alwayes knowen so great fidelitie in you and haue found it so profitable that I ofteÌ„ times haue beleeued your counsell and am purposed neuer to conclude any matter of importance without it Ye knowe the honor that the Emperoure doth me and the embassade that he newly hath sent vnto me desiring me to giue him my daughter Oriane to be his wife And ye shall beléeue me I thinke that the Lord in this thing dothe muche for hir and me for he is at this present the most mightie and redoubted Prince of all chiâ—tendome And being thus well alyed wyth him I from hencefoorth shall haue no neighboure nor enemie that shall dare once lift vp his hornes to hurt or to enuie me and I shal be more feared and obeyed than euer was any king of England Furthermore it shall be in a manner impossible to prouide better for hir than she shall be being the wife of suche an Emperoure and thus Leonor shall remaine after me sole Lady of my landes and countries the which otherwise might be deuided and a thing very hurtful But yet I am purposed to do nothing without the aduice of the Lords and knights of my Court and specially yours the which I pray you by the amitie that ye haue alwayes borne me to tell me freely and frankly and without any dissimulation The answer of Galaor to king Lisuard the which doth tend to disswade to turne him by the reasons that he bringeth in from the foresaid mariage In the .3 booke the 14â— Chapter SYr ye say that marying my Lady Oriane to the Emperoure ye shall prouide so well for hir that it should be impossible to prouide better The whiche thing séemeth to me cleane contrary for she being your principall heire and to send hir into a farre countrey to cause hir to leese hir realme the which is hirs already ye shall make hir poore without men and in subiection to a people not agreing with the maners and conditions of this countrie And if it séeme to you that she to be the Emperours wife to beare the name of an Empresse shall be in more authoritie in time to come by God Syr ye do abuse your selfe and here is the reason therof Suppose that it may chaunce hir to haue male children by the Emperoure hir husband if she remaine widow the first thing that hir sonne shall do vnto hir shall be to cause hir retire and to haue the rule of the Empire alone and if he marrie it will be worse for the new princesse will be inferior to none And therefore it is most sure that my Lady your daughter shall fall into a thousand inconueniences and extreme sorowes hauing forsaken this countrey the which certenly is hir natiue land to liue in a straunge countrie from hir parents subiects and seruants And as conceâ—ning ye say that thorough his fame you shall be succoured feared and redoubted truly sir ye haue thanks be to God so many friendes and knightes at your commaundement that without the ayde of the Romaines ye may easely if ye think it good extend your limits and I beléeue that in the steade to haue any support they shall rather assay to bring you to ruine and to destroy you than as ye estéeme to ayde and succour you for they will haue no egal vnto them nor none greater nor aboue them And furthermore this is certaine that they would demaund nothing more than to haue an occasion to set you in their Chronicles to your confusion and their glory vnder the shadow of some little fauor that they haue borne you the which thing should be the greatest euill that might happen to you and yours And also Syr what reason should it be to put my Lady Oriane your daughter and principall inheriter so farre from you to aduantage so much the princesse Leonor the whiche is the yonger by my soule for a righteous king and that is taken throughout all the world for an author of iustice ye shall make peraduenture the greatest wound in your renoume that euer did prince or mightie king And God neuer giue not only to you the will so farre out of reason but also to the poorest knight of your court beséeching you sir most humbly to beléeue that I would not haue bin so foolish hardy to declare vnto you so freely the thing that I thought good if ye had not expressely commaunded me and also bicause I am minded and apointed to kéepe vnto you all my life the fidelitie that I haue promised as he that doth feele him bound vnto you for the goodnesse and fauor that ye haue done for me Oriane complayning to
Earle Argamont to King Lisuarde declaring the misfortune that shall chaunce vnto him and to my Lady Oriane if he marrie hir to the Emperour In the .3 booke the .15 Chapter SYr haue you not marked the glorie of these Romains the which vnreuerently haue bene bold before you to do iniurie to the Knights of your Court what may they do in other places thinke you by God séeing that they had so litle discretion I feare greatly that they wil lightly estéeme my Ladiâ— Oriane incontinently after that you haue lost the sight of hir And that notwithstanding you haue alreadie as I haue vnderstanded accorded and agréed vnto them I can not perceiue whereof this your fantasie doth procéede considering that neuer Prince so sage and wise did euer forget himselfe so farre And it seemeth that you haue a certaine enuie and will to iniurie and prouoke fortune against you and to vnbinde misfortune that hath bene so long bound at your gate haue you forgotten the graces that the Lordâ— hathe done for you do you not fear at al his furie is not fortune mutable are you to know to learne that she when she is enuied and wearie to do him good whoÌ„ she hath lifted vp doth not afterwards chasten him with rods but with cruell diuers torments a hundred times worsse than death Pardon me syr for the faith and fidelitie that I beare you doth bolden me to saye thus vnto you for you knowe howe that these worldly things are transitorie and perillous and that the glory renoume that men get by long trauell in this life is ofteÌ„times put out and buried through litle and light occasioÌ„ if fortune do disfauor the person so that if there rest any help in the place of prayse he shal be blamed only that could not entertaine kéepe the good fortune wherein he was before Therfore sir think I pray you vpon the fault that you did not long since putting far from you so many good Knightes as Amadis his brothers parents and friends by the which you wer feared honored and redoubted throughout all the worlde and not being yet out of this euill you will enter into a worsse the which thing maketh me beleue that God hath forgotten you bicause you first forgatte him for if it were otherwise you would take their couÌ„sel that haue a desire to serue you faithfully But seing that I sée I am content to discharge me of my fidelitie and homage that I owe you And returne to my countrie to auoyde the sight if it be possible of the iust complaints and strange teares that my Lady Oriane shal make wheÌ„ you as you haue promised do deliuer hir And to do this you haue already sent to séeke Miresâ—â—ur the which hath constrained me to tel you the thing that you haue heard and vnderstanded alreadie Amadis Oration to the Erle Argamont shewing him that for his loue he will saue the life of a Romaine whomâ— he hath ouercome In the .3 booke the .16 Chapter FOr the honor of the good King and you I will saue for this time the life of this presumptuous Romaine yet if any other of his companions fall in like danger they may be sure that they shal pay the amends for him for I neuer heard speak of so extreme glory as of theirs by the whiche they make a matter a custome to dispraise one Knight to aduance theÌ„selues And furthermore I pray you to say vnto your King that for the goodnesse that I haue perceiued in him I neuer had will to disturbe him nor to doe any thing wherewith he should be displeased but I pray him that he will suffer me if any other present himselfe to fight to followe my victorie that hereafter they be not so prompte to speake and to saye euill folowing the fashion of their Emperor Patins doings thâ— whiche is accustomed dayly to threaten and most commonly to be beaten Oâ—ians complaint to King Lâ—suard hir father assuring him that if he marrie hir to the Emperor she shall sone die In the .3 booke and .17 Chapter ALas my Lorde behold in pitie for the honor of God your daughter so greatly desolate and be no lesse fauorable vnto hir than you haue bene all your life time to the most simple Damsels that asked and desired your helpe Ah ah my Lord when Archalaus led you away as a prisoner that waâ— vnder the title of your great goodnesse to go and to helpe hir that had required you And is it possible now that forgetting thâ—t vertue that hath bene alwayes familiar with you you will doe worsse to me than euer you did to any other liuing I haue learned that you will sende me to the Emperor of Rome to be his wife but if you constraine me to that you shall sinne too greatly for that shal be against my wil and I am determined that death shall soner take me Oriane doth yet complaine of hir fathers cruelnesse to marrie hir to a person whome she knoweth not In the .3 booke the .17 Chapter SYr quoth she or euer you send me farre from you I pray you aduise your selfe of the euil that shal follow for Rome shall neuer see me yea the Sea shall neuer deliuer me from this paine so shall you be the cause of two euilles togither The first of the disobedieÌ„ce that I shal commit against you and the other of the homicide that your daughter shall do on hir owne person And beléeuing by this meanes to make aliance and amitie with the Emperor estéeming me thus destroyed for the dispite of him he shall haue iust occasion to will you euill and not he onely but all they that in time to come shall heare it spoken and so whereas you are renoumed throughout all the worlde to be a Prince benigne mercifull ye shall be called vnpitifull and more cruell than any other may be pardon me sir the heauinesse that presseth me doth constrayne me to say all that I thinke and if ye sée that I speake vnto you to irreuerently take of my indiscretion what vengeance it shall please you for ye cannot gyue me so great payne and torment as that is the whiche I see is prepared for me depriuing me of your presence The Earle of Argamont Oration to king Lisuard intending as before to turne him from the foresaid mariage In the 3. booke the .17 Chapter MY Lord I would hold my selfe but too fortunate if I had not an occasion to tell you that reason dothe binde me knowing you to be a wise and a vertuous Prince easily to discerne the good with the euill neuerthelesse the sorow that my Ladie your daughter hath made vntâ— me not long since hath constrained me to put you in remembrance of the thing that I at other times haue tolde you of hir and I praye you as muche as I may possible or euer she depart far from you to thinke ripely and without affection vpon it For notwithstanding a wise man doth not
to â—e preferred aboue al persons and for whom I haue oftentimes put my body in hazard aud peril of death hauing no other hope of them but to please God and to augment my name in this world the which was the onely cause that last moued me to absent my selfe so from these câ—ntries to go serch among strange nations those that had néede of my helpe where I haue had many perillous aduentures the which thou hast séen and maist report them vnto him Also I comming to this Isle was aduertised how that King Lisuard forgetting the honoâ—r of God the right of men the counsell of his and the instinct of nature that euery good father dothe commonly beare to his childe woulde as it were by a certaine manner of extreme crueltie driue from his countreys my lady Oriane his owne daughter and principal inheritour gyâ—ing hir in mariage against hir will to the Emperour Patin Whereof she made her complainte not onely to those of the Realme of England but required also aide and succor of all knightes that beare armes aswell by letters messages as other wayes praying them with hir handes ioyned together and abundance of teares to haue pitie and compassion of hir miserie And so much she could do with prayers huÌ„ble Orations that the Lorde of all things hath loked mercifully from heauen vpon hir gyuing the addresse and helpe to the knightes that are nowe in this place to assemble them as it were by a miracle where I founde them as thou knowest purposing to aduenture their lyues to set hir and the other that perforce accompanied hir at libertie considering that doing otherwise they in time to come shoulde haue bene blamed giuing occasion to many to presume that cowardise only had turned backe this ayde so greatly recommended and for persons of the qualitie that they be By the meanes wherof the conflicte and battel chaunced vpon the Romanes â—uen suche as thou hast séene it of the which we haue many prisoners and the ladies out of their handes But to make a meanes for their appointment to King Lisuard Quedragant and my cousin Lorian of Moniaste departed lately with an expresse charge and commaundement from vs all to beséeche him take the thing that we haue done in good part and to receiue to his good grace and fauour my lady Oriane and those of hir companie being yet well minded if he will not receiue this offer audaciously boldly by the meanes of the aide of our good friends alies to defend vs against him of y which number Gandalm thou shalt say vnto him that all we together do estéeme him the first chiefest praying him most humbly that he will â—â—ccorâ—s when néede is 〈◊〉 thâ—â— the Quéene my mother also kisse hir hands in my name say 〈…〉 that I pray hir to send hitheâ— my siâ—ter Meâ—â—tiaâ—◠〈…〉 company with these other ladies with whom she may sée â—earne mâ—inie things But or euer thou depart know 〈◊〉 of my cousin Mabile whether it wyll please hir to sende anye thyng thither and therâ—with that thou aâ—ayâ— to speake to Oâ—iane the which will not be so straunge to thée that thou shalt not vnderstande of hir in what estate hir health is and the good will she beareth me Amadis letter to King Tafiner of Boeme praying him to succour him in his great affaires In the .4 booke the .4 Chap. SYr if euer I did you any seruice that any time contented you the honor and the good receyte that I receiued of you and of yours al the time that I soiournd in your Court haue caused me to remaine and as long as I shall liue to be readie not to spare my person to obey and to saue you Therefore I beséech you most humbly not to estéeme that this thing which hath caused me to dispatch this knight and bearer vnto you is to haue any recompence Neuerthelesse I remembring the honest offers that you made me at my departing from Boheme I haue boldned my selfe to send him vnto you to require you effectuously to helpe me in a certaine affayre that is nigh me of the which he shall certifie you beséeching you syr to beléeue him as my selfe and to commaunde his dispatch as sone as it shal be possible to put him out of paine that for you would hazarde his life the whiche is Amadis of Fraunce surnamed in many places the knight of the gréene sworde The deuice of Orian to Gandalin vncouering to him hir heauinesse and that he would finde meanes she might speake with Amadis whome she loueth so well In the .4 booke the .4 Chapter GAndalin my friende what thinkest thouâ— of fortune the which is to me so contrarie that it depriueth me of that person of all the worlde whose frequentationâ— I loue moste being so nigh me and I wholly in his power This notwithstandinge we can not haue the meanes priuily to speake togither without offending my honor and that greatly wherby my heart endureth such paine that if thou knewest it I beléeue certenly thou woldst haue more pitie on me thaÌ„ thou hast the which thing I pray thée shew him to the inâ—eÌ„t that complaying me he may reioyce of the greate affection that dayly increaseth in me to will him well also that he finde some fashion or meane that we may see one another repayring to some part with his companions vnder the collour of thy voyage and of my comfort Gandalins answer to Oriane aduertising hir that she be not deceiued in the singular loue that she beareth to Amadis for his amitie is stedfast as he dayly doth shew in all his actes In the .4 booke the .5 Chapter MAdame que GaÌ„dalin ye haue good cause to beare him such amitie and to remember also the remedie the which he desireth aboue al things for if ye knew the extremitie wherin I haue a hundred times found him ye would not beléeue with what power loue doth rule him I haue séene him dye a thousand timâ—s remembring the fauors that be past the whiche ye haue shewed him and as often times by the remembrance of them to recouer life And I haue séene him among the great dangers of the worlde do seates of armes caling vpoÌ„ you to succoure him so that it is not easy to be beléeued that any knight might haue in hym so great valiantnesse Therefore Madame I pray you to haue pitie on him and to entreat him as he deserueth assuring you that there was neuer a more faithfull knight nor more yours than he is nor there was neuer Lady that had such power vpon a man as ye haue vpon him for in your hands they may entreat of his death or of his life euen as it shall séeme good to you The Oration of king Lisuard to the Queene his wife declaring to hir the wrong that they do vnto him taking the Romanes that conducted his daughter and yet that she dissembled the matter as much as she might so doing he
countenance they make they in a manner woulde be content that ye had the worse bycause ye followed not thryr fantasie notwithstanding that I doubt not but that there is none of them but wyll serue you faythfully Arcalaus Oration to King Arauigne inducing him to make war and to runne vpon King Lisuard and vpon Amadis in such suche places of theirs where they might be beste offended without succour and to make warre there where they be most letted and troubled In the .4 booke the .18 Chapter SYr a foure dayes past I certainely vnderstoode that King Lisuard and Amadis of Fraunce two the most greatest enimies that ye may haue are in such quarrell and strife that there is no hope that euer they shall haue peace together they gather greate companies of men to fighte and to giue battell whereof there cannot ensue and follow but the finall destruction of the one or other and peraduenture of both together And bicause the occasion doth nowe call you aswell to reuenge you of the losse that you haue had by them in times past as also to extende your limites borders making your selfe peaceable King of England I thinke ye should defer no longer to gather your people together and to call for all your friendes that whilest they be letted ye may easely enter into their countrey being far off from their aide and succour and if it chaunce that they méete together and fight then not gyuing the Uictor any leysure to refreshe his men ye must sodeâ—ly take him and geue him so sore a battell that neither of them both escape And ye shall vnderstand syr that the occasion of their enmitie doth procéede bicause that King Lisuard sent his eldest daughter to Rome giuyng hir in mariage to the Emperour but Amadis of Fraunce one of them that caused himselfe to be named in the battel that we lately lost the knight of the serpentes the which had if ye may remember it the gilded harneis with many other met the Romanes vpon the field whom they inuaded and finally destroyed and flew the Prince Salust Quide the Emperours nigh knisman the other taken prisoners with the Ladies and Damsels the which they haue caried and conueyed into the enclosed Iland where they retaine them as yet and yet I cannot well declare you the cause why they beganâ—e this warre but I am sure that King Lisuard to reuenge his iniurie prepareth the greatest armie that he can and that Amadis in like case hath sent into all partes to gather men to defende him if he be assayled And therefore Syr during this trouble ye shall haue if ye will a meane to giue them both the greatest ouerthrow of all the world taking them vnawares as I haue tolde you And to the end and intent that ye may at your eye know the victorie to be certaine I will doe so much that Bersimen Lord of Sanguese the sonne of him that the King caused to be burnt at London and likewise all those of the linage of Dardan the proude whom Amadis destroyde at Windesor shal come and helpe you with the King of the profounde and déepe I le and thus beyng with so great a number of good knightes ye shall not néede to doubte but that ye shall come to your intent and purpose King Arauignes answere to Arcalaus by the which he is purposed to follow his counsell In the .4 booke the .8 chapter My great friend quoth Arauignes ye tel me great things although that I had purposed not to tempt fortune any more shewing me so litle fauor in times past so it should be great fâ—lly as me thinketh to leaue those things which bâ— so many meanes offer themselues to augment my honour great profit for if in suche a case y enterprises guided by reason come to the issue that men desire he receiueth such fruit of his labor as he deserueth And if it chaunce otherwise meÌ„ at the least wayes do eâ—ecute the thing to the which vertue doth hind them to maintaine their authoritie the which ought not so greatly to esteme the misfortunes which are past that they when the houre presenteth it selfe shoulde delay to receiue it not losing their courage nor continuing all the rest of their life as fearefull faint hearted Seing therfore that I am in these termes I wil beleue you praying you whilest that I shall prepare my armie to order the rest to go to Barsinan and the other and to cause them to ioyne with vs. Agraies Oration to the knights of the inclosed Isle vpon the enterprise of the warre inciting them to shew themselues vertuous and strong in the businesse that doth offer it selfe In the fourth booke the .10 chapter MY lords I cannot tell how that we with honestie may delay to take vpon vs this warre seing the iust occasioÌ„ that we haue and that our enimie euen now maketh as though he would come to finde vs but yet who so wil beleue me he shall neither get nor obtaine the honor but yet let vs doe our diligence to assemble our strength and let vs go into his cuntrey and cause our selues to be knowne for such men as we be for once if we suffer them to come hyther we shal set theÌ„ in such a pride that he which of his nature is presumptuous shall thinke to haue already the vpper hand of vs and so we shal be in diuers maner of sorts yll estemed giuing occasion to many to doubt as much of our right as of my lady Orianes for whoÌ„ we are fallen into these matters As touching my selfe I sware vnto you vpon my honor that if it had not béen for the instant and great prayer and request that she made vnto me to haue peace I had neuer consented that they shoulde haue sente any Ambassadours into Englande béeyng so outrageously vsed as we be But feyng that our enimie doth declare so muche vnto vs I am quited of my promise and resolued neuer to enter into amitie or aliance with him vntill he hath felt howe greatly we may anoye him or helpe him séeing that we haue the wayes to recouer as warlikemen of warre as they be which he shall bryng with him Thus my maisters I am of this mind that we prepare our selues to war without any longer delaye and that we assone as our aide is aryued go straight to London if he come forwards to fight with vs to giue him battell Amadis Oration to Agraies vpon the resolution of the warre beyng readie to doe his duetie and to followe Agraies aduise In the .4 booke the .13 Chapter MY cousin I as yet haue séene none but that is ready to do that you haue said and if any haue â—ebated the inconueniences that may commonly chaunce in warre that is not yet to saye that they will exempt themselues but to prouide for the same as reason would they shoulde And as concerning that they thinke it good we shoulde enter into King Lisuardes land nor
forwards by our Ambassadors specially for the estate of my Lady Oriane whoâ—e he would haue disherited regarded it not presuming so much of him selfe that by the ayde of the Emperoure of Rome he shoulde drawe vnto him all the world By the meanes whereof he refused not only to put thys that we deferred into iustice but disdayned to heare it spoken of And yet if he will nowe submit himselfe to reason I haue suche a hope in myne that they will follow myne aduise the whiche hath alwayes aspyred to shorten these discords whyche proceede not but by the thynges wherevnto he is bounde to his owne bloud by the right of nature and so that if he will repeale my Lady his daughter to hys good grace and fauoure and not marrie hir to any personage little or nothing agreable not onely to hys people but to all those that dothe knowe hym or that shall heare it spoken of we will render hir to him agayne continuing hys good friendes if he desire it or to suche as he willeth The Oration of king Perion to the principall of his armye wherein he reciteth vnto them the purpose of Nascian and that they should not be so affectionate to warre not to procure peace if it may be obtayned and he giueth them the meanes howe to haue it In the same booke the .19 Chapter MY masters and great friendes euen as we be bound to put our goodes and persons in daunger not only for the defence of our honour but also to mainteine equitie and iustice so are we bound to leaue off all passions and hatred and to reconcile our selues to our enimie when that of him selfe he presenteth the peace For notwithstanding that waâ— at the beginning may be conducted and made without sinne and offending of God yet for all that at the end if by fantasie and little knowledge we remoue farre from reason the thing that at the firste was reasonable dothe conuert it selfe to iustice nor ye shall not thinke that without a cause I hold you with this purpose Nascian the holy man whome the most part of you doth know came to me not long since as ye might haue séene to assay to set and to make peace betwene vs and our enimies wherevnto king Lisuard is ready to harken if there be no fault in vs and yet I would giue him no resolute answer vntill I had firste knowen youre mind and deliberations for it semeth to me very reasonable that as ye haue made your selues partakers of the trauell strife so ye should be also of the rest and tranquilitie therefore I pray you that euery one of you without dissimulation do say that he shall thinke best and afterwards God as touching the rest shall counsell vs And as concerning me following the aduice that Nascian hath giuen me I shall fynde it and thinke it good that we choose two of our knightes vnto whome we shall giue all and full power to determine wyth those other two that king Lisuard shall name all the differences for the which this warre tooke his beginning notwithstanding yet that I alone will not be beléeued in this case but follow the aduise that ye shal finde proper and méet for the wealth of all togither The answer of Angriot of Estrauaux to king Perion the which doth prayse him for his good counsell that following the same it shall be more reasonable to obtayne peaceâ— than to sustayne the daunger of the warre In the selfesame booke the .19 Chapter SYr ye haue bin chosen the head of this enterprise as well for the dignitie of a king whiche is in you as for the estimation and fauoure that euery man beareth you by the meanes whereof ye may resolue the affayres of this warre as ye shall thinke best But yet seing it is your pleasure that I first before all other shall say and shew mine aduise it séemeth to me I speake vnder correction that if the peace be offered vs by our enimies that we should accept it for it cannot come at thys tyme but to your aduantage hauing not onely the ouerhand of him but also my Lady Oriane as yet in youre puissance and power for whose sake we haue brought this host into the féeld And as concerning too name two of our companions to accord as ye say all differences I know none more méete for this businesse than sir Quedragant and sir Brian of Moniâ—st the which at the beginning had in a manner a lyke charge when they were in Englande to excuse vs to king Lisuard for rescuing of his daughter taking hir out of the power of the Romaynes and I beleeue that willingly they will take the payne if they be apoynted to finish this mater Arquisill being asked of king Lisuard of his deliberation and mynde doth answer that he with his men is ready to obey him and that it shall be more expedient to purchace peace than warre In the same booke the .20 Chapter MY Lord if the Emperoure were nowe aliue we that were his vassals should be constrayned to serue hym as well in warre as in peace but being departed and dead â—s he is with the ende of his life the power that he had to commaund vs is ended and yet we will do for you at thys time as for him so that our seruice as touching vs shall in no wise be slaked as long as ye shall thinke it good to vse vs yet if king Perion will draw to peace I beléeue that they which loue your honoure as they ought will continually counsell you to accept it so it be not too hurtfull vnto you Ye may know by the sight of the eye that fortune at this present is not yours and at length peraduenture we shall yet haue worse than we haue had before The king of Suesse his resolution vpon the former purpose hauing for a conclusion that the goodnesse of peace is to be preferred aboue the trauelles of warre In the .4 booke the 20. Chapter MY Lorde quoth the king of Suesse if peace may be intreated with your enimie I counsell you not to refuse it seing that the most part of your men be hurt and sicke yet at the least way make a good long truce and in the meane whyle that it continueth ye may make your selfe strong and afterwardes begin againe if you thinke it good King Lisuards answer to the king of Suesse by the whiche he declareth that he desireth but peace and doth promis to send men to make it In the .4 booke the .20 Chapter IF it be possible for me quoth the king we shall be no more in this payne and trouble â—or king Perion hath chosen on his partie two of his knights to accord our differences and strifes and I will name two other quoth he to king Arban of Norgales that is you and Guillan the pensife that vnderstandeth the thinges and howe they be past ouer and done bicause he was continually and dayly present In the meane while I
.19 Chapter VRgand of Cognue gréeteth thée knighte of the burning sword know thou that to retire to another place out of prison thou or euer it belong shalt enter into a more and a greater captiuitie where neuer slaue was put and thy soule and body shal be so afflicted that this same sword the whych hath oftentimes saued the place that thou art issued of shall thorough pierce thy body and within a while it shall bée pluct out by his hands that thinking to saue himselfe shall restore thée a life worsse than a thousand deathes togyther thys martirdome shal endure vnto the time that thy fathers house being at a point to fall downe be holpen and saued by his first possessioner and beléeue me for it shall so come to passe as I haue foretold thee And to the intent thou mayest credit it vnderstand that to saue thée froÌ„ one misâ—ortune into the which thou shouldest fall this day fighting with the knight of Quay I gaue thée a white shâ—eld and did aske thée the gifte that afterwardes thou didst graunt me and didst kéepe it whereof thou shouldest thanke me bycause that without my prouidence thou shouldest haue falne into a repentance as long as thou hadst liued as by the time thou shalt know better and rather trauell not thy selfe to thinke to knowe nothing for that should be but lost payne and labour as wel as to search it of me let it suffise thée that I know thée better than thou knowest thy selfe and for the hope of a help and succoure that I trust once to haue of thée I did beare and shew thée such fauor Go on with the residue of thy enterprise without delay of any occasion that should present it self perceiuing that it is the will of him whose man thou shalt be in time to come Zirfee being praysed by the knight of the burning sword doth answer that he did but his dutie seing that the propertie of noble men is to do noble actes In the .7 booke the .30 Chapter IN good fayth sir knight ye giue me great prayses for the thing that hath not deserued it and the which I coulde not but do without leauing off thrée principall points the which all required of mine estate whereof the first is to knowe in time of aduersitie the pleasure that we haue receyued of our enimie causing euery man to know that he whome a man may graciously recompeÌ„ce in season hath also a meane and a way to reuenge iniuries suffered during his misfortune The second doth shew it selfe in all ciuill season and of pitie after as the case doth offer it selfe And for the thirde not to trouble the minde at no time for the noyances and troubles that chance but that reason and discretion may continually haue dominion and rule And these three poynts are notoriously necessary to all noble men continually to maynteine â—irmâ—ly and vnmouably their high and great estate for vertue that dothe not perishe causeth a man to be muche more noble and exalted than all the corruptible goodes of fortune and subiect to hir passions and mobilitie seing also that often times and too much they are giuen to suche as neuer deserue them But it goeth farre otherwise with vertue for he alone doth obtaine it that doth a déede worthie to haue it Also men by vertue onely ought to be estéemed and honored yea and reputed more ritcher thaÌ„ if they had all the ritches of the world bicause that the true ritches which perishe not are the renoume of the good and the noble actes of a vertues man. The Oration of Maudan to the King requiring his pardon for the treason that he had committed promisyng so doyng to obey him more than euer he dyd In the seuenth booke the 46. Chapter SYr ye may sée in me how that fortune doth play with such euill men as I am nor it was neuer séene but that one sinne draweth vnto him another and the second many moe in so much that at the last they blind men so well that thinking to goe the great way they fall into the dytch that they made whereout afterwards they cannot draw themselues The which doth nowe manifest it selfe in me that enuying the honour that ye dyd to the knight of the burning sworde found and inuented the thing that I tolde you of him and the Queene to driue him from your court to haue and to obtaine his place Well I was cause of that great euill and I know that I merite an excéeding great torment yet Syr I beséech you preferring pitie mercie aboue the rigour of your iustice that it wil please you to pardon me causing euery man therby to know that my sinne and fault is gréeuous and your clemencie and goodnesse very extreme and great the which shal turne to your great laude and praise I and mine remaining for euer bound to serue you more than any other of your subiectes in as much as ye shall pardon and forgyue me more than all other The Oration of Queene Baruca to the King of Saba hir husband praying him to receiue hir into his good grace and not to be no more so light to beleeue without hearing of bothe partes In the .7 booke the .46 Chapter MY Lord seyng this my innocencie is open and knowen I beseeche you to receiue me into your good grace as I was before and to remember another time not to beléeue so lightly without vsing your power vpon the accused or euer ye heare his iustificatioÌ„s considering how ye haue procéeded rigorously not onely against my chastitie but against my honor and the honor of the house that I come of The Oration of Magadan King of Saba to the knight Amadis of Fraunce excusing himselfe that he receiued him not as he deserued praying him not to take it in euill part In the 7. booke the .46 Chapter MY great friende if I had knowen you aswell yesterday as I do at this present I would haue borne and shewed you more honor but the griefe that I had of the euil words that were tolde me oâ— the Quéene caused me to forget all curtesie yea and my owne nature the which is to receiue all straungers that come to my court graciously So I pray you not to take this faulte in yll part but to excuse it and wyth this charge that from henceforth I will take payne and labour to amend it The Oration of the Duke of Buillon to those of his linage prouoking them to take vengeance for the death of his sonne and to recouer their honour so abused In the .7 booke the 48. Chapter MY masters my good friends and alies ye haue séene and knowen the dishonor that the Emperour our Prince hath purchased not only to me but to you all aswell in particular as in generall and in such a sort that hauing no regard to vs which are so great and mightie he as euery man doth know hath onely caused him most villaine to be taken that next vnto
the moderatour of all things continually to maynteyne you in his protection Your humble seruaunt Anaxenes Philosopher and Magitian A letter from the Princesse Arlande to the infant Alastraxereâ— quyting hir of hir promise to the end she should not leese hym that she loueth and hateth more In the nynthâ— booke the .56 Chapter MAdam Alastraxeree the dolour accompanyed with an extreame anger that I haue had to see me abused by you â— Dom Florisell of Niquea hath so much preuailed vpoÌ„ me that to reuenge me of such a wrong I was willingâ— to procure his death and yours together you making request to goe to the Vniuerse Towre to fighte with him thinking that â—â—e medling of you twoâ— woulde make no ende without the deathe of one or of other or of bothe of you together but yet afterwardes I bethoughte and consydered in my selfe that hys deathe shoulde bée the cause of myne For the greate and extreme loue as ye doe knowe that I bare hym then I thought it best to desist from this vengeance and to vse humanitie and swéetenesse towards him the whiche he hath not deserued And therefore madame my will was to send this my damsell vnto you to pray you to ceasse and desist from the promis that ye haue made me of the whiche I do quite you by this present letter wherein ye shall finde my humble recommendations to youre good grace praying the soueraigne God to giue me so much grace and fauor that Dom Florisell may once know the entier loue that I beare him and the great wroÌ„g that he disdayning my aliance hath done me Your Arlanda princesse of Thrace Dom Florisell of Niquea excuseth himselfe in his letters that he hath not kept his promis the which he made to the princesse Helen of Apolonia In the .9 booke the .57 Chapter MAdame since my departing from Apolonia where youre grace did me so much good and so well receiued me I haue bin in diuers and many strange aduentures being so farre from you otherwise than I trusted so that I had not the meane nor way to accomplish the promis that I taking my leaue of you at the Abbay of Rois made you whereof I haue bin and am in such a perplexitie that it is impossible for me to declare it by letters assuring you for all that that no other thing hath constrayued me to absent me so long time from your presence but the honor that all knights are bound vnto Therefore I beseech you most humbly not to put me in any fault and to thinke that assoone as I may haue the ways and meane to come to you there shall be no fault nor let but that I will come the which thing I trust surely to do when I depart from hence where I am constrayned by promisse to remayne for a time as Darinell thys present bearer maye shewe you whome ye knowe to be faythfull and secret the whych shall let me at this time to write any longer letters praying you in the meane while to do me so much pleasure as to write me newes of you for there is nothing in thys world that I desire more to know Thus much madame after that I prayed most humbly the Lord to maintaine and to kéepe you in his grace and fauor recommending me with good heart to yours and to that of my Lady Timbria You re faithfull and very affectionate seruant the knight of the she shepeherde The Princesse Helen of Apolonia making an answer to Dom Florisels letters doth send him word that the amitie that she doth beare him cannot suffer hir to keepe hir faith that she hath promised Dom Lucidor In the .9 booke the .58 Chapter LOrd Dom Florisell I haue receiued the letter that it hath pleased you to write me by Darinell the whiche hath certified me of a great part of the aduentures that haue chanced vnto you since ye departed out of this conntrey and therwith of the enterprise that ye haue done in kéeping the toure of Vniuerse for a certaine time the which I desire to be shortly accâ—mplished that ye might shortly come hither to gyue consolation vnto my féeble spirite the which hath bin continually in wrapped since your absence in melancolie heauinesse Alas how oftentimes haue I bene at a point to put my selfe in ieopardy to recouer you Certenly if I coulde haue founde any good meane to haue come thether where ye were be you assured I woulde not haue shewed my selfe slouthfull to haue departed nor the honoure nor reuerence that I owe vnto my father shoulde haue turned me and the fayth much lesse that I haue promised to Dom Lucidor the whiche by my consente shall neuer haue anye part in me for the extreame loue and affection that I beare you cannot suffer it Consider therefore my déere friende the thyng that I doe in your fauor and be not vnthankfull to acknowledge it as I do not mistrust you considering the purpose that ye make me by your letters and the thing that Darinell hath told me praying you in the meane season to kéepe secret the loue that is betwéene vs two and to be a faithfull kéeper of my honor considering that fortune shall shew hir selfe to you and me hereafter more fauorable than she hath done in time past And in this hope I shall pray the creator to giue vs grace to come to our affectionate desire after that I haue presented my most humble recommendations vnto your good remembrance of the whiche my cousin Timbria doth desire to be partaker Your perfect louer Helen of Apolonia The Prince Anaxartes by letters doth shew fayre Oriana the loue that he dothe beare hir and so doing he forgetteth not to prayse hymselfe In the .9 booke the .64 Chapter RIght excellent princesse the diuine Anaxartes the sonne of Mars God of battels doth giue you such salutations as he desireth for himselfe Madame the wound and dolour that I haue receiued by the regard and sighte of your excellente beautie is so great and so vehement that it hath not onely subdued my naturall force and strength that my glorious mother Zahara Quéene of Caucase hath giuen â—e but also they haue so féeblished my diuine vertue whereof I take part of my fathers side that I am coÌ„sâ—rayned to draw vnto you to haue health remedie for my wound for euen as they y be pricked stinged with a Scorpion do vse to take remedie of theÌ„ likewise seing that ye haue bin the cause of the euill that I suffer I search remedie of you the which ye shuld not denie me considering the place of my birth and the power that the mightie Gods haue giuen me of the which the most part of them haue bin smitten with the dartes of loue as I am at this present and so that by no meanes I can resist it And therefore madame do not wonder seeing me to be partaker of the diuinitie that my heart is kindled with youre loue for they which are entierly
you the accomplishemente of your desyres Your cousin and intier good friend Lucidor of Vengeances Alastraxeree dothe answere the letters of Prince Lucidor of Vengeances and dothe shewe him that she hath done hir duetie in helping Dom Florisel and doth praye him to be at one with him In the .9 booke the .72 Chapter EXcellent Prince Lucidor the diuine Alastraxaree the daughter of the mightie Mars the God of battells and of the triumphant Zahara Quéene of the Mount Caucase and of the mountaines of the Orient dothe sende you salutation and amitie Ye shall vnderstande that I haue receiued and read your letter by the whiche ye complaine greatly that I haue holpen Dom Florisel of Niquea by whoÌ„ ye maintaine that ye haue been greatly and sore offended For an answere thereof I pray you to consider how much I am bounde as all other Princes ought to be to fauour and minister iustice to those that haue good right so it is that I am no lesse bounde also to acknowledge a good déede and seruice for I am as muche bound to Dom Florisel as any person may be to any other that for many causes the which to make you vnderstande at this present time I haue no leysure And it séemeth to me that ye should put me in no fault nor be miscontent with the thing that I haue done in his right and if I had or this knowen perceiued your difference yet my highnesse doth binde me to succour him in suche necessitie as I founde him in so that ye ought not to procure your vengeance and iustice by inequalitie of force as I haue séene by experience but to summon him aduertise him to repaire the iniurie that ye maintaine he hath done you and if he refuse to content you and to make you amendes then ye should procéede by good counsell and moderate deliberation Thinke estéeme therfore that I haue not done but my dutie to Dom Florisel nor I will not leaue of to satisfie you and to maintaine your right euen against him the thing being well knowen and examined Yet in the meane space I pray you that ye will enforce your selfe to agrée and accord your differeÌ„ce without sheading of bloud iâ— it he possible and not to folow the impotuositie and hastinesse of your choler that hath caused you to take and to haue the surname of vngeances not coÌ„uenient truly for a Prince for the gods would that we should leaue vnto them all vengeance bicause we cannot kéepe a meane in the executing punishing of those that haue offended vs As touching me I will take paine and praie him for peace betwene you assuring my selfe that he will not denie it me And in this hope I will make an ende at this time wherin you and all my lords of your companie shall finde my recommendations to your good graces beséeching the Gods to maintayne you all in health Wholy yours and readie to doe you pleasure the diuine Alastraxeree A letter from Dom Florisell of Niquea to the Princesse Arland excusing him of this that he cannot beare hir the amitie that he desireth being in loue in another place In the .10 booke the .4 Chapter MAdame the prayses of the warlike victories published in euery place by the cleare trumpet séeme to me of little valure in comparison of him that doth deserue it the which by wisedome is an ouercommer of himselfe For of the first the great part is done to fortune the which is commoÌ„ among vs our Lieutenants and souldiours on the other no man may haue any right but he alone vnto whom all the honour doth perteyne The déed alreadie past betwéene you and me doth summon and inuite you to this conquest of glorie that hath no péere considering the assaultes that your owne will doth both day and night deliuer you the whâ—ch you ought vertuously to susteyne and by your great wisdome to quiet for ye know that on my syde and part I may not obey the law of your true loue hauing lost my entire liberty of the which there remayneth no part that I maye bestowe in your seruice I woulde although I may not I confesse and knowledge the deite but I haue not wherewithall to satisâ—ie bicause of a former obligation and band that doth binde and ingage both the bodie and soule therefore ye must néedes take my good will in payment without complayning vpon me as touching the fault of loue to you wardes in as much as my vnablenesse doth excuse me séeing I had placed it before in another stead nor vnfaythfulnesse considering that my fayth and promise was alreadie set and arested in another place from whence I coulde not retire it Considering therefore that loue no lesse than other naturall things doth continually retaine his propertie the which is to exercise tyrannie agaynst his vassals as he did agaynst Quéene Dido and diuerse great Ladies the which did sacrifice to this cruell God with their pure bloud and at last with theyr lyfe Take an example and looke vpon me to obey his force as ye sée that I could not resist him and ye shall winne aboue me that doth liue in continuall warre this vauntage to remaine in peace and quitnesse of spirite the which I wish you with the encrease of glorie prosperitie with as good an heart as I doe present these most humble recommendations to your good Grace The selfe same which is wholy yours euen as he is his owne Florisell of Niquea Prince of two Empyres The Oration of Prince Lucidor desiring ayde of the King and Princes Apolloniens to reuenge him of the Princes of Grece In the .10 booke the .5 Chapter SIr and you Princes Barons Captaines and Souldiours Apolloniens if our sage auncetours which the worldes that are past did beare had left vs in the succession of so many good documents the certaine knowledge of the traine and gouernment of fortune hir inconstancie shoulde not giue me at this time occasion to blame hir nor hir certaintie a lawe to saye this that I say but forasmuch as she hir selfe hath prescribed the authoritie to execute hir owne minde the Princes of this worlde shall winne much lesse to will to resist hir might than to obey and acquite themselues of the obligation that she often tymes doth lay and intangle them withall Not sir that I will vnder this colour denie in any poynt that I owe vnto your honour nor likewise leaue of to exacte of you in iustice that ye owe vnto mine being disposed to make of two lyke things one or other in the case of the rauishment and rape of your daughter Helen and my spouse In whome no lesse force hath béene done to you than to me the which thing induceth me presently to require that your will conforme it self to mine for our mutuall satisfaction in the enterprise of this iust vengeance Not that I doubt Lorde Birmates or haue any mistrust in this case of your franke and noble courage but feare
ye should beare me For it séemed to me if ye had loued me so much as I loued you ye would not haue deferred the healing of my sickenesse so long as ye haue done Alas Madame howe farre are ye deceiued if ye thinke that I at any time haue the power to repent or to go farre from the great loue that I haue borne you and shall beare you as long as the spirite shall breath within my body for truely there is nothing in the world that was more impossible for me Think not at all Madame louing you as I doe loue you that euerâ— I coulde fall into any repentance of your loue considering the glorie and pleasure that I finde in louing of you I pray you then to giue me life through your fauour to my great ioye or shortly to send me death through your disfauour to make an ende of my anoyance and of the dolour in the which I shall continually remaine vntil ye giue me rest and the tranquillitie that your letter dothe promise mée and looking for so great and good and houre I kisse a thousand times your fayre and delicate handes A letter from Filisell of Montespin to Marfira complayning of the long terme and time that she hath set him to haue the ioyfull pastime whereof he had alreadie tasted and he prayeth hir to alleage it In the twelfe booke the .14 Chapter DOm Filisell of Montespin doth sende to the faire and gracious Marfira health the which he hathe losâ—e by the moste gréeuous sickenesse that he as yet hath proued Alas Madam if euer I loued you with good affection nowe I die wholly for your loue and if euer I had any hope to reioâ—ce of your diuine beauties now I am at the last in desparation bicause the long time that I must tarie without hauing any more the ioy of the goodnesse and pleasure whereof through your good grace I haue tasted and sauored the tranquilitie and gracious swéetenesse If before this I haue had any desyre I haue desired it after such a fashion that I knew not the thing that I desired But now being learned by experience I know that I desire the most pleasure and goodnesse that is possible to desire sauing one other that I knowe but ye maye not know it although the pleasure that I desire be extréeme Hitherto Madame I haue tormented my selfe to sée and to beholde the apparant graces of your beautie by the whiche yé◠maye make subiect to your seruice the fierce heartes of men more than barbarous but nowe I torment me to reioyce and play with your graces secretes of the which I among all other haue merited the pleasure Alas Madame cause I beséech you that so great goodnesse as ye haue shewed me turne me not to greater euill and denie me not the remedie which kissing your fayre and white handes I pray you to graunt me as soone as the dolorous passion in the whiche I am doth requyre it Filisels letter to Marfira reioysing himselfe and giuing hir thankes for the good houre that shee caused him to haue praying hir to continue vnto him hir grace and fauour In the .12 booke the .15 Chapter DOn Filisel of Montespin doth sende to the fayre and gracious Marfira the salute whereof he enioyeth to his great contentation The glorie wherein I am is so great that I can not tell with what wordes I ought to prayse it so that the prayse may be compared to his greatnesse O I the most happiest of all knightes of the worlde séeing it hath pleased you Madame to make me worthie through your fauours of the thing that I by my selfe could in no wise decerne This letter is onely to cause you to vnderstand my great ioy by the which ye are now indetted to me for the thing that hath caused me to merit it that is that I returne very shortly vnto you to take and to haue the selfe same pleasure of your beautie that it pleased you the last night to graunt me so that by this newe ioy I may rewarde the anoyance that I endure in the time that I cannot finde the oportunitie of so great a pleasure Wherefore Madame I pray you continually to intertaine me in such a good houre that if ye haue béene the cause that I am nowe exalted to so high a degrée that hereafter ye be not the cause of my miserable fall and ruine But to the entent ye shall not reprehend me of too great importunitie I will make an ende of my letter kissing a thousande tymes your white and delicate hands in remembrance of the peace that folowed the warre that is past I recommend me to my deare Caria praying hir shortly to purchase me the tyme so greatly desyred in the whiche I maye renue the fortunate occasion of my glorie The complaint of Queene Sidonis In the .12 booke the .21 Chapter O Graue honour of my high and royall lynage howe hast thou conducted me to an euill fortune whereof I may receyne a iust rewarde of my folly O loue howe doest thou cause to appeare in me thy deceytfull force and strength causing mée to vse hatred and crueltie vnto him that I loued much more than my selfe O Fortune with what inconstancie and lightnesse art thou chaunged putting me then in such desperation when I beganne to haue hope shortly to accomplish the thing that I desired most in this worlde O Gods immortall with howe much rigour haue ye willed to recompence the flerce pride and the prowde presumption of the Quéene Sidonia O my deare daughter and yet the daughter of him that robbed the holy rites of my chastitie Alas howe woulde ye haue payed me for the thing that ye denyed anâ— for the loue that ye bare continually to your father in recompence of the outrages and iniuries that I dayly sought for him O my daughter the first of the worlde and none like in beautie to the ende to make and to render like vnlike the delour that I endure nowe for thy death O cruell death howe doest thou leaue me in so miserable a life O cruell life howe doest thou leaue me in so miserable a death O Gods immortall wherefore doe ye suffer so great an iniurie as is that which I receyue by my life séeing my daughter Diana is dead But what do I say It is iust that ye as ye are iust doe shewe me to rigorous iustice to cause me to take vengeance vpon my selfe confounding me in a certaine dolour and heauinesse the which I haue procured to my selfe Alas Daraide howe doest thou giue to me and my daughter the dutie whereof thou wast indetted vnto vs to me giuing me with thy ende the ende of the folly of my vengeance in killing againe by thy death the hope and confidence that I had in thy life to my daughter recompencing hir death by thine the which is the last payment whereof thou wast bounde to the loue that thou didst beare hir and to that that she did
beare thée O fortunate Damsell that by thy death hadst might to pay the thing thou diddest owe to my Diana for thy loue althoughe that hir mother coulde not doe so muche for hir owne O faint Moraisell howe arte then nowe well reuenged of mée and well satisfyed of the vengeance that I of so long time haue sought for O Gods immortall séeing that ye denie me iustice leauing me in this miserable life I will not refuse it nor denie it to my owne handes and I will kepe the priuiledge of my franke and frée will the which I haue receyued of you from the time that I was borne Well then and killing my selfe with my owne handes I giue my selfe life the which ye haue denyed me bicause ye promptly and readily ynough gaue me not to death The Oration of Daraide giuing and causing himselfe to bee knowne and taken of Diana for Agesilan of Colcbos â— In the 12. booke the .22 Chapter IF the great enterprises were not accompanyed with daunger beléeue this Madame that the prayse of those that shoulde chaunce to haue the victorie shoulde be verie little and for this reason and cause the greater that the perill is so much the more is the honour the glorie and the mortall renowne Thinke not the great thinges can be ended by small things nor with little trauayle men can not wynne muche prayse Thus Madame ye may knowe this that to conquere and get you must be put in aduenture séeing that I assaying nowe to winne you put my selfe in hazarde to léese you Alas sée this is the occasion that so greatly giueth feare vnto my wordes bycause that willing to haue and get a great gaine I am in daunger of a great losse and fearing that séeking you too muche that I léese you not the more for why to aduenture my selfe to léese my selfe in this praye I aduenture but little seeyng that it is nowe so long ago that I am left in youre loue althoughe yet that in parte of the worlde I haue not had so great gayne as in one fortunable losse The cause of my amorous passions is manyfest by the excellencye of your beautie The dolours past the which I haue suffered in your seruice doe giue you a sure testimonie of the regarde and reuerence that I haue had alwayes to youre highnesse The boldenesse that I nowe doe take doth sufficiently excuse it selfe by my payne and the prowdnesse of my thoughtes throughe my royall and noble lynage accompanyed wyth chaste and lawfull desyre wherewyth I haue alwayes kepte the reuerence due to youre honour and shall kéepe it all my lyfe wythoute desyring or praying you to gyue mee anye remedye for my anguyshes and paynes if it bée not vnder the tytle of faythfull maryage and kéeping in you youre chastitie euen suche as ye nowe maye haue it Or else Madame with these conditions it may please you to knowe that vnder the name and vnder the habite of Dariade ye haue in your presence Agesilan the sonne of the great Prince the prudent Phalanges of Astre and of the strong Princesse Alastraxeree Maruell not that I haue thus disguised me and couered my self with such armes to winne your good grace for in any other habite but in one like vnto yours I could not haue hazarded my selfe in an enterprise at least way so perilous with any hope of victory Ye know now Madame the thing that hitherto I haue continually kepte secrete from you ye sée the dolorous woundes wherewith in this cruell warre of loue your excellent beautie hath cruelly wounded me I haue nowe defended my selfe long inough couering me vnder the shielde of onâ— Daraide disguised nowe Madame I confesse that ye are victorious and to you I render my armes to set vp a triumphe at and in the strength force of your immortall beautie beséeching you to take me to mercie kéeping the fidelitie and reuerence that I owe vnto your highnesse and the which I promise you and do sweare by my immortall God to kéepe it all my life vnder the title of mariage But if by the rigour of your answere ye wil refuse and denie me the pitie that I require beleue Madame that very long ye cannot be rigorous vnto me and that shortly my pitifull death shall cause you sorow it to whome as long as he liued ye were so cruell So my vnfortunate soule shall hitherto comfort hir selfe after that the body be buried by your lamentations O I most fortunate that hath set my heart in so noble a place that the ioyfulnesse of my desires doe make me the most fortunatest of al the earth and the last of my misfortunes doe promise me yet a certaine consolation Nowe Madame ye haue hearde the litle that I can say of the great dolour that I suffer and the lest of the trauell whereof I féele that I haue trauelled But if I cannot sufficiently inough expresse vnto you the euill that I indure ye may easily comprehende it if yée estéeme it so great in me as your beauties and your excellencies he great in you seyng then that by this meane ye may know by your selfe the immortall anguishes that torment me and if yée cannot perceyue it by your selfe I beseeche you againe by the iuste pitie that the victor shoulde haue vnto him that is ouercome to receyue me to mercie seing that I â—oe yéelde me and to intreate me in your seruice as him whose death and life doth depende vpon your crueltie or vpon the fauours of your good grace The cruell answere of Diana to Daraida bycause shee was declared to be an other than a damsell In the .12 booke the .22 Chapter KNow Daraida that by chaunging your name ye haue also changed into hatred the loue of the whiche by your deceiptfulnesse ye haue had so long a pleasure and if the nexte parent that is betwéene you and my accustomed benignitie resisted not the execution of my courage I woulde cause you to be chastened with suche a torment as the deceyte wherewith yée haue abused me doth merite But to leaue no occasion to any man nor not to thinke that your proudenesse hath founde any fragilitie in me I will not vse vnto my honour the pitie that I owe vnto it to defende it by your death from the offence that yée haue committed for I will not â—haâ— men shoulde publishe that your temerarious â—oly shoulde by the onely sight of mee cause so greate glorye neyther I will that yée shall remayne without any punishment although that the payne be too much vnegall for your offence whereof yée shall excuse you And therefore I prohibite and forbidde you to be at any time in my presence wheresoeuer I be for my honour in asmuch as it cannot be done as Daraide and as Agesilan doth not suffer it The complaynte of Daraide In the twelfth booke the .22 Chapter O Swéete death why doest thou suffer me yet to returne to lyfe agayne O miserable lyfe why doest thou denie me
that thou hast begonne so vnwisely against the knighte that is entred into my land and countrey vnder the suretie and assuraunce of my faithe Arte thou hytherto ignorant that I for nothing that euer shoulde chaunce vnto me would not do contrarie to my promise but to my power kéepe it estéeming it more than thée or my owne lyfe by the faith that I owe vnto God it letteth very little that I cause thee not to be hanged at the corners of this place to be an ensample to suche naughtie fellowes as thou art enimyes to truth vertue Take take me this villaine and binde his handes and his féete and that afterwards they doe beare him to the knight saying vnto him from me that I send him the traitour that hath offended him and me much more and that I pray him to take the vengeance for vs both that he hath merited and deserued The Oration of Belan to the chiefest of the armie presentyng himselfe in Amadis name knowledging that vniustly he woulde haue warred agaynst him In the fourth booke the 37. Chapter MY Maisters if ye maruel of my coÌ„ming to you so greatly vnprouided I my self haue maruelled of that that I knowe hath chaunced vnto me beyng since the time and ageâ— of my knowledge in continuall deliberation to â—lea and kyll him whom I loue and estéeme thys day as my selfe and thus it is not to be doubted that the executions of mens wils are more in the hand of God than in the power of those that will execute them as I by my selfe haue experimented for there is none of you as I beléeue but knoweth me to be the sonne of the valiant and doutie Giant Madafabul the Lorde of the Isle of the tower Vermeile whom Amadis slewe in King Cildadans warres when he caused himselfe to be named the fayre Tenebreus And for asmuch as naturall reason did incite me to take vengeance the contrarie hath chaunced for he with his owne hande hath ouercome me and destroyed mée The lamentation of Queene Brisene for King Lisuarde which was lost declaring the mobilites of fortune In the .4 booke the .38 Chapter DEceitfull and fearefull fortune the hope of the miserable and cruell enimie of the prosperous haue I nowe occasioÌ„ to praise me of thée for if in time paste thou madest me ladie of many Realmes obeyed and honoured of so many people and aboue all marriedst me to a mightie and a vertuous King in one onely moment thou hast caused me to leese him thou hast taken from me all the ouerplus of my honour and goods seyng that vpon him hung all my ioy and honour anâ— my life And therefore I knowe well that thou reioysest to make me paye the interest of my pleasures the whyche in tyme paste thou hast lent me But why doe I complaine me of thée hauyng of so long tyme perceyued and knowne that this is thy fashion to doe at the furdest deathe shall make an end of al that thou canst inuent to hurt me and hauing this hope I will comfort my selfe and of thy selfe shall haue the victorie The consolation of Grumendan to the Queene Brifane beiâ—â— too much discomforted for the losse of King Lisuard Iâ— the .4 booke the .38 Chapter BY my trothe Madam ye do wrong thus to take the thingâ— to the worste seeyng that I haue hearde you recite a hundred tymes that the â—â—ertue of prudencie and wysedome cannot be knowen in any person except he be solicited and veâ—â—ed with tribulation and affliction so then the counsell that ye were wont to giue to other is nowe more than necessarie for your selfe And is it but nowe or to daye that ye knowe that fortune hath two daughters the one of many is called good and the other euill If the good haue accompanied you vnto this time and that the euill doth visite you in hir plaâ—e arme you as a vertuous princesse with the armour of constancie and wisedome to defende you against hir and ye shal see that she will be annoyed to followe you and shall leaue you or else I foresie as touching you two accidentes and chaunces nighe at hande and irreparable the one of the perdition and losse of your selfe and the other of the king if at his returne he doe finde â—ou deade To saye that he is loste are but wordes for he cannot be so hidden but we should â—ither sée him or haue some newes of him whether he be in this country or in anye other nor his prison or captiuitie can not bee so strong but by the ayde of your subiectes and the fauour of your friendes and aliance he maye be delyâ—â—red and very shortly if it please Godâ— And thus I beséeche you Madam that leauyng of the things that to you are hurtfull ye séeke for newe counsell and comfort to come to that that as concerning this maybe necessarie A leâ—er from Queene Brisane to Amadis praying him to succoure king Lisuard the which was prisoner In the .4 booke the .38 Chapter MY Lord my sonne if in times past the estate of king Lisuard your father hath bin defended and augmented by your meanes it is now a better time and season than euer it was to employ your selfe seing the ruine that is prepared to kéepe and to conserue him in his entire estate for not loÌ„g â—ince some of his enimies as it is very lyke haue conueyed him and imprisoned him so that neuer a one of vs can tell where nor wherfore the which thing causeth me to esteme that without occasion of any greater enterprise they haue not premeditated or forethought this treason And for as much as this thing toucheth you next vnto me more than any other I haue well willed to aduertise you by Brandonias this present bearer the wâ—ich hath séene and vnderstanded all and shall tell you the passion and trouble that I am in betâ—er than I can write it vnto you wherefore I pray you to beléeue him as my selfe and to aduise you of the rest Vrgand doth comfort Oâ—iane much troubled for the losse of hir father king Lisuard the which was taken exhorting hir to pacience and to put all to god In the .4 booke the .38 Chapter MAdame quoth Vrgand I pray you not to discomfort you so knowe ye not that the more that men be called to great roomes the more they be subiects to receiue great tribulatione for notwithstanding we be all of one mould all bound to vices and passions equall to death yet the Lordâ— omnipotent hath made vs diuers in the goodes of the worlde giuing to one authoritie to other subiection to some pouertie and miserie to other abundance and prosperitie and all as it pleaseth him And therfore madame compassing and comparing the goodnesse that ye haue had with â—â—e euils and troubles that ye are in the dolour and heauinesse with the pleasures paâ—times which are past ye shall haue no cause so to complayne you but to thanke the Lord seing it is hys
pleasure And as touching your father I know long since what should happen vnto him but yet I could not remediâ— it for it was so ordeined by the prescience and for knowledge of God the which shall suffer him with the time to returnâ— to his countrey as well content as euer he was The coÌ„plaint of Matroco vpon the body of Arcalaus his vncle whom Esplandian had slayne In the .5 boke the .5 Chapter ALas Arcalaus my good vnâ—le how hard is the losse of you to me in what place soeuer it should haue chaunced and by a more stronger reason in this my castel wher I thought to make you good chéere and long Alas aftâ—r ye had past the floure of your age and so many daungerous chaunces and infinite perilles should it come and chaunce you vpon the end of your old yeares to receiue such a death in my house the which I estéemed a sure place not only for you and me but for all my parents and friends What vengeance maye I take at any time of this traytor that so greatly hath offended me seing that if I shoulde put him to death a hundred times vpon a day yet it is lesse than nothing in respect of the euill that he hath wrought me At least wayes if it had bin Amadis of Fraunce so renoumed among men or one of hys two brothers or else al thrée togither my dolour might somwhat haue swaged for the euill that I shoulde haue caused them to suffer But what I must néedes eueÌ„ by reason fight with one and seing the force that he continually hath done he should already estéeme himselfe ouercomde What glory should I then obtaine of his victorie Certesse euen suche as if I had beaten or ouercomde a simple woman féeble as â—he is of nature And so he vnworthy of my presence shall if it chance that I make but a countenaÌ„ce only â—o outrage him increase in glory Yet chaunce what chaunce may to my honor or otherwise he must néedes die The Oration of Esplandian to his people being in the mountayne defended fighting agaynste king Armato to encourage them to fyght strongly considering that it is for the glory and libertie of a christian name In the .5 booke the 26. Chapter MY friends we be not at this present entred into the aduentures of England where men fight more for fantasie or vayneglory than vpon any iust occasion but this war that we make against the enimies of our fayth doth call vs not only to do our duetie but to defend the honour and libertie of a christian name And therefore I pray you my companions that euery one of vs do purpose to cast feare behinde and to prefer vertue and manhood aboue all inconueniences that may chance vnto vs assuring you if we so do that before it be day king Armato and his armie shall well féele that we be not so sleepâ—e as they thinke The Oration of king Lisuard to his vassales and friendes shewing the goodnesse and pleasures that he hath receiued of Amadis and for this reason and cause he gyueth vp vnto him his crowne and his Scepter and the right of his realme and that they for this cause should be his faithfull and true vassales In the .5 booke the .28 Chapter MY good vassals and frieÌ„ds first and or euer I make you vnderstande perceiue why wherfore I haue coÌ„manded you to come togither I wil shew you part of the dangers fortunes wherein I haue bin since the death of my brother king Falanges and since it hath pleased the Lord to call me to the gouernemente and rule of you and of this realme in thâ— whiche as I thinke there are yet many liuing that can remember the danger into the whiche â—oth I and my countries as we thought shoulde haue fallen when that by the meanes and subtiltie of Arcalaus the enchanter I was put in the power of those that long before had conspired my death of the which my sonne Amadia hath deliuered me And neuerthelesse awhyle after by euil counsel I made sore war against him the whiche being raysed as euery man dothe know fortune enuying my rest prepared after that suche a banket for me that without him being king Arauignes prisoner I had bin lost for euer And this yet hathe assonyed me more for when I esteemed me certenly out of all suche misfortunes a worse than the other chanced me the whiche I thought well considering the place I was brought vnto to be the consumination of my troubles and of my life togythâ—r But yet the Lord loking with pitie vpon me sent my little sonne Eâ—plandian into my heauy prison from whence as ye all might haue bin aduertised he deliuered me Nowe ye see that I am old and all white being already threscorâ— and ten yeares of age the which thing causeth me to thinke that from henceforth it is time and season to forget worldly things and to retourne to God that hath bound me so greatly vnto him And for this cause I am purposed from henceforth to leaue Amadis my sonne to be your king vnto whome euen now I giue ouer my crowne my Scepter and the right that I haue in thys realme praying you all as much as I may possible that from this time foorth ye be vnto him faithfull and obedient as ye haue bin to me And although he be maried to my daughter if I knew hym vnworthy to rule you beléeue me my friends I would sooner haue chosen one to succeede me that had bin lesse vnto me than he is but theâ— is none of you that knoweth not his merites and the lyne that he descendeth of the which may this day name himselfe one of the most noblest and most fortunate of all the world as descending of the Troyans whose memorie shall neuer peâ—ish he is a kings sonne the inheriter of the kingdome of France and at this present your Priâ—â—â— and Lord I leaue you him with my daughter your Quéene and lawfull princesse retayning to my selfe no other thing but the only castle of Mirefleur where that the Quéene and I by Gods help shal finish our days religiously seruing our God as we be bound The Oration of Cormellie to Esplandian the which was sore astonyed of the thing that Leonorine sent him word of aduising him not to take in euill part the answer that Leonorine had sent his father and that the dissimulation of the loue of Ladies ought not to be takeÌ„ as a refusing in asmuch as it signifieth most often perfyte and entire amitie In the 5. booke the .33 Chapter HOw now my Lorde be ye astonied of so little by my â—oule now I know well that the affections and loue of men do greatly differ from the passions that we simple women indure when we fal into this extremitie and know you wherein ye men do coÌ„monly take pleasure to open the thing that ye loue be it by word or by countenance and oftentimes ye fayne moreouer that there