Dolphin in his name and tell him that as a stranger he was come to see him and of meat humanity to visit him which the Dolphin kindly accepting as kindly regreeted and entertained him with all the gracious remonstrances he could Sirap bad him then ask what his country was howgreat by what lawes they were governed under what title they were subjected what Religion they observed and what God they chiefly adored unto which the Dolphin thus briefly answered France he said is my native nest both most populous and spacious as having in it 27 thousand Parish Churches It is most fertile and abounds in all plentifulness of fruits wines salt corn fish and wild fowl There are many Vniversities famous therein the nursing mothers of all vertue out of whose breasts youth draws out the knowledge of all arts It hath many large Provinces and divers bordering Principallityes owe homage thereunto The Cityes are great and many rich in treasure and fair and uniforme in building the chief whereof is Paris famous for beauty and bignesse the usuall residence of the King and great trassique of all kind of Merchandize Our Lawes are termed the civill Lawes wherein Justice is tempered and qualified by equity and conscience and equity and conscience are garded and maintained with Justice Our Monarch is entituled a King the most Christian King of France under whose protection his people live secure injoying their own and under whose Greatnesse his Subjects rest fearlesse of forraign foes Our Religion is built upon Gods sacred word Truth is the root thereof Charity the branch and good works the fruit Our Pastors are our Teachers who like Lamps consume themselves to enlighten others their Doctrine is examined by the twelve Apostles Our prayers by Christ taught six Petitions Our Faith by the generall Greed and our lives by Gods tenne Commandements And where the tongue of Aaron cannot perswade there the rod of Moses doth correct and compell We serve and worship one onely God in persons three not confused nor divided but distinct of one and the same divine Essence eternity power and quality God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost The father being the first chief and originall cause of all things The Sun his word and eternall wisedom and the Holy Ghost his power vortue and efficacy This is that God that by his Word made the glorious Globe his seat and the massie earth his footstoole that fed his servants the unprovided Israelites with food from Heaven forty yeares in the Wildernesse that divided the Waters and brought them dry-foot through the Red-Sea and drencht proud Pharoh therein that purlued them with a murdering heart To him we offer no burnt-offerings nor sacrifice of blood but the sweet intercession of devout prayers For those ceremonies ceased at the comming of Christ by whom we are called Christians and we are received into his Church by baptisme and continued and fed therein by the other Sacrament of his last Supper And such is our Country these our Lawes such our King this our Religion and this the God we onely serve love fear and adore Sirap thanked him for his good description and seemed to take pleasure in the knowledge thereof Then he demanded how he brookt his Captivity and he answered like a Prince and therefore like himself as one subject to chance and resolved in the change Then he bad him ask whether he had any children and he all sighing said but one onely daughter Then Sirap caused him to ask why he then so sighed and he replying said that his sole souls grief consisted in her memory and so made manifest his hard cruell and unnaturall dealing toward her and how he had left her a prisoner to his tyranny and therefore by divine justice made himself a prisoner to Tyranny Sirap being thus certified was well pleased that Vienna yet living lived his permanent friend and though he grieved much for her endurance yet did he smother up his conceived sorrow in the recordation of her love The thought of his exile and Vienna's thraldome awaked Hatred and Anger the ready Officers of Revenge to hasten his death but in the eye of his milder consideration knowing him to be his Lord and Vienna's father his relenting heart checked his repining humor and blew the coals of his hotter desire to seek and to effect his speedy deliverance To compasse which he seeming seemed of purpose to take pleasure in him and understanding of his Countries customes commodityes and government And therefore he requested the Soldan for the continuance of his contentment and for his further knowledge of forraign affairs to admitâ— and tollerate his thither repair that he might hereafter if cause so required reduce his learning to practice which the Soldan granting gave in charge for his free accesse and so they departed the one glad in that he had or could gratifie so worthy a friend the other proud in that he had laid a foundation whereon to build The two next dayes Sirap spent in covertly revealing wherin his expertnesse and carriage did both win respect and gave delight The third following day he with his Interpretour went to parley with the Dolphin who despairing of life they sound expecting death But after they had greeted and regreeted each other with kind salutes Sirap told him by his Interpreter that as a man he bewailed his fortune and as he was a Prince he lamented his fall Yet dismay not noble Lord said he since all corporall damages that happen to mortall men are either by means remedied by reason suffered by time cured or by death ended Malicious and violent storms may for the time cleave the bark from the tree and rent the branches of his body yet for all the furious blasts of wrathfull winds it cannot be pluckt up by the root If there be a power above the capacity of men then may there come comfort contrary to the conceit of men Expectation in a weak mind makes an evil greater and a good lesse but the resolved mind digests an evill being come and makes a future good present before it come Then expect the best since you know the worst at the worst will have an end The Dolphin conceiting the civill demeanour the Philosophicall discourse and the pious mind of the supposed impious and barbarous Moor honoured his mild inclination wondered at his regular admonitions ond thanked him for his human comforts and tender regard My mind mindfull said Sirap of Fortunes ficklenesse affects I know not how nor wherefore your deliverance what then will the Dolphin give if I affect the same The Dolphin whose smallest sayles of hope the least winds did blow offered the third part of his Principallity when he should come to Viennois Promises said Sirap of advancement are no assurances of enrichment and he hath a wit too short of discretion that will lose certain favours for uncertain fortunes Notwithstanding if you will but swear unto me by that same God which
wonne her Christall Shield and Chaplet at her Fathers Court and well shee prayed that had so well her prayer for it was Sir Paris indeed who knowing that Emulation hath many eyes and that Observation might easily discover him fearing to be knowne by his white Armour had thus fadly arm'd himselfe sutable to his sable fortune and therefore he bare nothing in his Shield but Blacknesse for his Devise was still to be without Devise only his sad Armour was covered all over with mourning Clouds Many Knights there were overthrowne by La-nova but more then many did Sir Paris foyle For then if ever 3. and if ever then did he shew the verâ—â—o of his valour in the strength of his courage Now grew the hurly-burly great and many and great were the oncounters made on each side In so much that there rested but unoverthrowne one Valentia on the Lady Margarets part on eitherside three and all onely on Viennas but one which was the blacke clouded Knight who now was deem'd hardly bestead both in regard of his former travailes and the present advantage of the sixe fresh assailants who bent all theâ—r forces first against him Valentias hope was now a little revived and the Lady Margarets proud expectation fully answered Valentias hope Onely doubtfull Vienna neere dyed for feare least that her beauty should now be eclipsed in the losse of her gotten fame and that her fame should be buried in the dying renowne of her best esteemed beauty For as she wondred hee had so long resisted so shee held it unpossible hee should longer resist But Sir Paris onely weary in that there were no more to be wearied by him casting his eye the messenger of his heart on Vienna and seeing the shining lights of her transparent beauty over-shadowed with sorrow and dismay Desite so blew the fire of his new conceived rage that like an unmercifull and hunger-starved Lyon that runnes raging for his prey so he violently runne amongst them that with one staffe he overâ—hrew the first three he met and turning his Horse before Vienna could turne her dispaire he charg'd the fourth so forceably that hee sent both Horse and Man to the ground At the sight whereof tee people gave such applaudrng shoutes that Vienna lifting up her sad eye as waking from a carefull slumber she saw her Knight returning in the glory of theyr overthrowes So that hoping now for better hap a better hap did befall her then she did or could expect For no sooner made hee his last returne but hee returned againe from overturning of the other two Who triumphed then but Vienna Who now more sad then Valentia or who more gâ—â—eved then the Lady Margaret the Just thus ended the French Queene camâ—â—with a troope of attending Ladyes carying before her the Crowne of Artificiall Lillies richly stoned and setting it on Viennas head shee Crowned her for sole and Soveraigne Queene of absolute and matchlesse beauty Then came the King and tooke Sir Paris by the hand and lead him all the other Knights and Barrons following them witâ— tryumphing honour and sound of Trumpets to the three Mounts where with his owne hand hee gave him the three Banners with the three prizes on them which Sir Paris reverently taking re-delivered over to his friend La-nova secretly to convay them away while hee stayed the ending of all other the Ceremonies All which being accomplished The King the Daulphin and Vienna rendring Sir Paris thankes for his worthy and affectionate endeavours and most renowned and fortunate atchievemâ—nts requested him in the name of Vienna to discover himselfe and tell unto whom they were all so much bounden But Sir Parâ—â— humbling himselfe in all duty made reverent shew of his unwillingnesse therein which the King noting would not further importune him nor could the Daulphin in any wise over-treat him nor durst Vienna overmuch presse him So that he kissing her hand held it long and after drawing his sword sayd it at her feete and taking it vp againe kist it likewise and then holding it up seemed to threaten the world in her behalfe which added this Article to Viennas beleife that he undoubâ—edly was her white Knight and the same and non but the same that first so melodiously sang under her Chamber window and therefore her desires having now no end shee ever after though each houre an age till she knew him But Sir Paris withdrawing himselfe to the rest of the Knights retired with them still giving backe till he was the last of the troope and then taking a crosse-way separated and convayed himselfe from them and suddenly disarming himselfe hee speedied to finde out the Bishop of St. Lawrence with whom of purpose to prevent all surmises hee had a little before familiarized himselfe and no sooner had hee espyed him but that hee hasted to greet him and still kept in his company as if St. Marke had robb'd god Mars of a Martialist Such was his holy shew of devout Religion as that he made all men admire him and his father to be inwardly grieved at him But Vienna who now had greater cause to love him then meanes to know him wondring at his valour not to be valued and valuing his vertues by clouding the glory and value of his prowis held now his love an honour to her affection and vowed her affection a guerdon for his love But when she heard of his secret departure and that no one knew what he was from whence he came nor to what place he had ret red himselfe Then impatient desire made her the child of passion and feare to loose that she never had made her feele what before she neither knew nor feared And so much the more she held her selfe miserable in that she knew not for whom she was so miserable nor how to seeke an end to end her misery As Viennas sad conceit thus overshaded the glory of her beautifull Conquest so was Sir Iaques flattering hope made blacke with foule dispaire For missing his sonne Sir Paris out of two so Royall and honorable Assemblies where renowne eternized each deserving Knight with never dying fame and seeing him still associating the Bishop hee feared least his businesse of over-superstitious Zeale had abandoned all desire and regard of Knightly Chivalry And therefore hot in his repining conceit hee hastened to find La-nova unto whom in griefe he manifested the cause of his griefe Requesting and conjuring him by the sacred lawes and name of friendship and by the honour he owed to Arnies to perswade his sonne to a more beâ—tting respect of his unregarded honour La-nova hearing Sir Iaques worthy complaint and seeing his frosted beard all bedewed with the teares of his sorrow pittyed his lament but durst not disclose the mistery of the truth but commending his honourable care hee comforted him with promise of assured and present remedy and so left him better satisfied then truely certified And no sooner where they parted but La-nova departed to impart to
pitty pleading eyes humbled her selfe at his feete and told him that for shame of her first flying fault she had vowed her chastity to Diana and sworne her selfe a Vestall to Vesta And therefore had she so separated her selfe a side because she would not give fire to his fancie nor wrong his better deserts with forlorne desires In consideration whereof she humbly prayed that none but her selfe might enioy her selfe since none but her selfe could or should content her selfe The Daulphin perceiving light though a small crevis began in milde pollicy by gentle entreaties and rich perswasions to weane her from her will telling her that vnlawfull vowes were to be violated since the first cause ceasing and a new succeeding both might be altered neither had she any such power in her selfe that was not to be disposed of by a Father And to honour and obey Parents is the first Commandement that hath any reward promised on earth Besides it is an enuious wrong to Nature to suffer her fairest worke like a sweet fragrant odoriferous Rose to dye upon the stocke that being pluckt in the bloome might yeeld both pleasure and profit to others therefore renounce this beliefe if thou meanest to be saued or to haue any fauour For by course of kinde all thinges were made to increase and by increase to benefit another and she is a Divell amongst men that profiteth no man This did the Daulphin thinke by his smooth words to build a Castle in the ayre that had no hope of foundation on the earth For Viennas vnremoueable resolution being bent to shoote at her first marke could not be wonne to leuell at another ayme which made the Daulphin failing like a Foxe to deceiue with kindnesse to play now the Lyon by compulsion And therefore gnashing his teeth together for anger like the Sea that waxeth mad when the windes doe rage he commanded both her and Izabella to close prison The young Prince meruailing beyond all measure that he could not see amiable Vienna the eye of France the miracle of her sex the wonder of time and the pride of Nature demanded of her Father what ominous cloud shadowed the brightnesse of France his second Sunne that she appeared not in her all-admired glory The Daulphin fearing least he should distast the Prince by vnderstanding the matter framed and faigned this excuse That sicknesse had attached her and made her a prisoner to her bed and therefore prayed his patience a while till her hoped recouery might better please his fancy The young Prince holding his words for Oracles held himselfe contented and thought to weare and weary out the wearinesse of time with other Courtly and more Knightly sports wherein hee was so fortunate that Fame was the Herauld of his Heroicall deedes This did so enflame the love of the Daulphin towards him that no eye-water could ever after quench the same Desert did now double his desire and his desire had no end in gayning his daughters consent which he againe now vainely laboured Sometimes laying before her the Riches Glory and Dignities of Iuno sometimes painting forth the Honour Respect and Happinesse shee should receiue by such another Hector and then pleading the sweet content that growes by enjoying so pleasing and compleat a Prince But when he found his wasted wordes dye in their owne sound and all his hopes vtterly ship-wrackt his better consideration was then forfeited further to hate and rancour then either nature or pitty could redeeme it Then began he to thunder out fearefull threats cruell chastisements and most insupportable miseries Commanding the Keeper in his ouer-awfull justice that sad solitarinesse should onely attend her imprisonment and that eager hunger should daily waite on her Table and so he departed hopelesse of reclayming her and therefore resolued to chasten her obstinacie with all severity But No force can Fancie force nor crosses Love expell For Rivers stopt above their bankes will higher swell The young Prince hauing now-spent many dayes and not seene her whom onely he came to visite importuned the Daulphin that he might but visite her both to comfort her in her malady and somewhat to satisfie his starved eyes in their more then greedy desires But the doubling Dalphin pleaded her mislike so to be seene assuring him that shee daily requested that he whom she onely vpon sole report entirely affected should not in any case see her so sore impaired So great said hee is her care to seeme pleasing unto you such her shamefastnesse at first so to bee seene of you And therefore let me entreat your further patience for your willing returne vntill her better health may better countervalle your taken paines which once recovered you shall be speedily informed In the meane time salute in my name your thrice noble royall Father and tell him that J hold my selfe so much honoured in his desired affinity that my selfe and what is the Daulphinis rests wholly at his pleasure and further pray him that the lawfull cause of this unwilling stay may stand for satisfaction till better payment The young Prince thus smoothed up with words of fairest dye held himselfe well appeased though not throughly pleased and holding the Daulphins words for written verity hee implored the firme continuance of his found favours and protested kindnesses and so commending himselfe to the good grace of his adored Lady he humbly and friendly tooke his leave and returned to Burbon The Prince departed The Daulphin who had no more remorce then the cruell Judge hath mercy gave in charge that no one should visite or repaire to his Daughter but onely Mounsieur Maux a right Saturnist by nature and an unrelenting Tyrant in life him hee commanded under paine of death to give her nothing but Bread and the worst wine twice a day which this enemy of vertue and staine of all mankind so barbarously performed that his cruell usage too soone impared poore Vienna and distressed Izabella who had unkindly and untimely pined and perished in that loathsome solitary Prison had not La-nova found out a meanes as hereafter shall bee showne to succour and relieve them But now the Daulphinis who had many times washed her aged face in the teares of her consuming griefe for her afflicted Child having neither knowledge of any meanes to relieve her nor hope of her delivery knowing the Daulphin to be as resolute in his rigur as he was absolute in opinion Advised with her nearest friends and obliged dependants what was to be done in so desperate and grievous a case Where by the concurrance of advises it was concluded that she should send unto the Delphian Oracle there to learne what should be done and become of her enthralled Daughter This Counsell being imbraced and the journey undertaken the winds gave speed and the Messenger arrived at Delphar where after all Ceremonies were religiously performed hee received a scrowle to carry unto the Daulphinis with charge not to looke therein The Daulphinis whose feare made her thinke all
good to be too good for her thought yet each houre an age till his returne Misfortune so blindeth those wee will overthrow as that she gives their desires wings to draw on and hasten their owne decayes At last hee came and humbly delivered the scrowle importing this much Viennois hoyre to thraldome still belongs untill her Fathers bonds shall set her free Who captiv'd is in place confus'd with tongues by Ismaels brood detayn'd shall be Both shall live in doubt in care and wee untill the banisht Sonne of forlorne Troy Shall succour give unto his greatest foe and bring him home with hope with love with joy Then shall Vienna wed a fable Moore And happie live in Peace and not before The Daulphinis whose ever sad surcharged heart was unable to disgest such heavie and bitter Cates found this sawce too sharpe for her dyet For it was no sooner read but that finding as she thought all the gates of comfort shut up with vntricate threats and impossibilities being too weake a 〈◊〉 stell to beare so sharpe a liquor she shrunke under the weight of her sad burthen and fell suddenly dead and so left the Daulphin a eruell Father and a carelesse Widower This mournfull accident rather exasperated his irefull displeasure towards his Daughter in making her disobedience the originall cause of her death then in any wise extenuated his execrable resolution against her determined endurance But hee had not lived many dayes in dolour but that burying the remembrance of his dearest Spouse in the hope of future happinesse his obdurate heart became as unsenceable of her losse as of his Daughters misery Love found love and the madnesse of age made him such a slave unto his slave that before one yeares period he married one of his Wives meanest Attendants One who knowing her owne unworthinesse having neither Vertue to strengthen her fortune nor good nature to incite her to pittie or goodnesse nor any merit to winne applause was notwithstanding so potent over him that she guided the sterne of his flinty and unpennitrable heart And though she feared the scorne of abject basenesse yet to maintaine the stolne pride of her enhansed heart shee cunningly gave fewell to her Husbands enraged will and covertly blew still the coales of his displeasure For feare shee did least that her Daughters liberty should in the aspect of true honour could both her swelling conceited glory and detract from her proud insulting greatnesse To frustrate which she cautely one day leaning on his brest and stroking his frosted beard thus sadly sayd When my deerest Lord I looke upon the breach of the Princesse your Daughters obligation I finde the penaltie you take to be most just though severe Since the just Judger of all did for the sole disobedience of onely one cast both him and all his Posteritie out of Paradice How like unto him you shew your selfe herein your unpartiall Justice well demonstrates who rightfully punisheth the sinne of disobedience in your owne members as God did in his owne creatures Justice is the badge of vertue the state of peace and maintenance of honour and the will of a Father should be a religious law unto the Child And they that preferre theyr owne lustes before theyr Parents pleasures looseth the benefit both of natures right and a Fathers regard For reason would not we should respect those that forsake us The Husband man cuttes and loppes off all unkindly Branches from the good Vine Iove held his Children part of his substance of whom hee did and might dispose and the noble Romans deprived their Sonnes of life that infringed but theyr commaunds I alleadge not this most worthy Lord to aggravate your Daughters foule offence whose other deserts I honour whose wellfare I affect and whose merited punishment I condole Nor yet to detract from the worth of your thrice worthy chasticement which all men commend and justice allowes But feare of I know what and the love of your safety enforceth me in love and duty to manifest what I feare and to prevent what I doubt Vienna you know my endeered Lady is the immediate apparent Heyre to this Principalitie and the unjust desires that waite upon a Crowne begets oft most inhumane unnaturall and unlawfull Acts Nature in that expectation looseth her sight Vertue her strength Dutie her obedience and Love her respect Nothing can out-ballance ambitious desire either in the reach of dignity or revenge Nor is there any limitation in the adventurers Her restraint is I feare like fire raked up in embers that covertly will kindle and openly burst foorth into a flame For the harder she deemes her selfe handled the more will she seeke after her release if not after revenge Nor can she want instigators thereunto Since all men like and preferre the rysing of the Moone before the setting of the Sunne And to win advancement in that hope they will contrive practise and execute whatsoever and howsoever Such occasions gives fire to corrupt Humorists and such grounds sets repugnant Malecontents a worke I would my death might free you from such dangerous intendments or that my life could acquit you from such heavie accidents And therewithall her heart having taught her eye to weepe she threw her selfe into his bosome the more to endeere her selfe unto him and without any sorrow she sighing said Ah what shall become of me when I shall loose my loving Lord Graft gave her teares Deceit shew'd griefe Fraud forcit a feare to win beleife Thus to nourish debate after she had fedde on slander and instil'd in his eates a fearefull jealousie which over-credulous mindes easily apprehends and covetously entertaines The better to acquit her selfe from all suppose of malice or detraction She weeping told him That the night before her Mothers Ghost appeared unto her all in white her unsmoothed haire displayed about her shoulders her ruefull falne face pale her eyes hollow and in eyther hand a Taper burning dimme which so affrighted her that had she not comfortably spoken to me when I had no power to call to you I had awaked you and cryed for helpe But sodainely with a feeble voyce she mildly said Feare not my Daughter to looke upon thy Mothers harmelesse Ghost who in tender care of thee and espoused Lord have left my bed of rest to come to premonish thee of your ensuing â—ll Treason doth threaten the Daulphin Subjects mislikes workes upon Viennas discontentments Her liberty will be his death and in his destruction shalt thou finde thy grave Now thou knowest it looke to it and so farewell With that she gave a wimpe darkenesse possest the place and I lay wounded and affrighted with remembrance both of her sight and of her words This Apparision the happy Angell of our God for visions are cleere revelations where dreames are but delusions hath moved me out of an affectionate feare of you to deliver what I saw heard and have said which otherwise in my love to your Princely Daughter I would willingly
unhappy Haunce got into his Fathers house But now the next neighbours that had heard the wretched womans shrieking cries were risen and having gotten lights speedily came to see and know the cause of their outcryes And finding the Master of the house and the Fryer whom fear had entranced half dead on the floor and the Frier all bloudied by his fall they supposing that they were slain instantly cried out Murther murther The dismayed women that all this while lay over their heads in the bath of their sweating feare doing pennance for their stolne pleasures having their fear both renewed and redoubled by these their cries cryed out as fast the Devill the Devill at the hearing whereof all the neighbours runne out of the house again and Mal Fiance grew upon this dreadfull allanim so fearfully timerous that hee durst not moove though he were more then moved In this agony of terrour did they all lye till break of day when light the comfort of dark dismay emboldned the chief Officer who of purpose was sent for to enter into this house of horrour where raising them from the place of purgatory they found upon examination that the devill had been there and was the cause of all their disturbances But Mal Fiance who now had made peace with his distracted thoughts not onely found his own error but easily apprehended the shift and enforced subtilty of the other For remembring he had disfurnished Haunce of his black Mantle and so prevented him of his infernal shape he conceited that he had no other means to free himself then by taking one of the sheets and so by appearing like a ghost to make way for himself In the belief of this conceit he vowed that Haunce should wel pay both for terrifying him and for his planting in anothers Vineyard And to this end he seeking found him and told him that he had a very good Bulls hide to sell him Haunce knowing well where he lay was much astonisht thereat and thanking him said he had no need of any Then quoth Mal Fiance shall my Host have it to make him a Night-gown but you shall pay for the horns though you were so liberall as freely to give them For in brief Mr. Tanner the abuse that you have offered mine Host and the scandall that you have raised on his house is so injuriously great and so shamefully injurious that unlesse you will give me ten pounds I will unease the Devill and both reveal his adulterous dealing and tell of your ghostly escape Haunce seeing he was discovered bought his concealment with his coin which made Mal Fiance so wanson that being so well silver-shod for travell he discharged all his debts and in the innocency of his thought not dreaming after any danger he made more hast then good speed to Viennois And no sooner was he come and known to be iâ— Vienna but that the Lord Vray Esperance sent for him demanded where his Soveraign Lord the Dolphin was who being unable to answer thereunto was presently deemed either to have murthered him or to have betrayed him to his enemies For it is a rule by observation true that they that fear not to be thought faulty will neither be afraid to commit the fault nor ashamed to be seen after the fact His leaving howsoever of his Liege Lord was held worthy of death And therefore was he sent bound hand and foot to prison till rigour of justice should by speedy sentence award him condigne punnishment But the bruit hereof begat such tumultuous uproares and brought forth such mischievous factions both in Court and City that hardly could the tempest be allayed without the utter subversion of the State For how should the low shrubs stand in rebellion when the high Cedar was thought to be blown down by treason In this combustion some stood for the indubitate heir the Princesse Vieuna whose liberty they proudly required amongst whom Sir Iaques and La-nova were most forward Some for the malicious ano proud Dolphinis whose Regency many affected but all malecontents repugnant humorists disordered men decaied persons servile Peasants that thrive best in mutation of States and live by others falling as swine do by the dropping of Acorns flocked about Monsieur Maligne the reputed bastard of the Delphin who ambitiously would needs according to the wicked disposition of illegetimates deprive others by ruin and rapine of their rights and appropriate to himself the Crown The fired factions began to break out into flaming sedition and masked Rebellion wayted but on time and advantage to use open force against each other The Common-Weale did well to see her destruction in this triumviry Among these briers and brambles that sought to over-top the stately Oak awfull Justice had no powerfull place Law was of no force and authority lost all command For where alteration threatens Warre there the sword maketh all things lawfull But when the Lord Vray Esperance who was an Anthony in clemency a Trajan in bounty and another Augustus in wisdom beloved of most and respected of all saw this tripertite and dissentious division growing to such monstious heads and hearing that many of the giddy-headed multitude were already assembled together in the Market place in a most confused manner according to the mutinous natures of the mutable Commons fearing their aptness to innovation and the sad effects of civill broyls or some sudden overture leaving because wanting all time of further consideration even in the assurance of his vertue and strength of his zeal to his Country he suddenly went to the Market-place where all men notwithstanding their distemperatures gave way to his merit and in love followed after him So powerfull was he in popular affection which he perceiving stayed and turning himself towards them with tears in his eyes and his Hat in his hands more like an humble Suppliant then a regall Ruler he made a sign for audience which granted he mildly after some few sighs said What moves my fast friends loving favourites and more then dear Counntry-men to this threatning mutiny What disturbs your quiet peace or what seek you by the hurtfull Arms Do you want a Prince Why the Dolphin your liege Lord for ought any knows liveth and the Princess his apparent Heir is not dead Doth any usurp your rights or oppress you with wrongs Why Justice shall give to every one his own and I am here ready to shed my bloud in your behalfs Or doth the bare suppose of your Soveraigns death thus untimely move you to create and invest a new because Mal-Fiance is returned without his Lord A project trust me that will bring forth some notable deceitfull design If needs he must be dead because none can hear tell that he is alive Why then should he not be as well living because here no one knows that he is dead But admit that our sins have which God forbid deprived us of him doth it follow that the ambitious Dolphin's or that degenerat
But before he went he advised thereof with his politick and sworn confederate friend Monsieur Meschant whose false semblable minds ever made such a full connexion of wills betwixt them as what the one perniciously contrived the other most traiterously put in practise And therefore Moschant seeing him already over the shooes in danger perswaded him to wade up to the chin For said he there can never be any perill in the adventure where the Foord promiseth so good a passage Danger now only dwels at home and the Savoy Duke may both fortifie your hope and raise your fortunes Offer him but interest in the Dolphin and you shall find that his avarice and pride will in that hope greedily work on our broken and disturbed state So then happily with speed and most powerfully and successively may you return and as prevailent may your successe be as your going is most pertinent And therewithal he took a sheet of clean paper and laying both sides straight together he cut divers rowes through them both and after cutting them a sunder he kept the one halfe himself and gave the other saying By this and through this shall you without either danger to me or perceivance of any other still know what is here done and what I would have you further to do For though I writ my Letters directly and most distastfully against your Apostacy and combination with the publique foe and advise you to betray that noble Duke which for safety I must still do lest in the portage or otherwise my Letters should miscarry yet shall you at all times unmask my intended intelligence and find out both my fallacy and true instructions if you but take this your cut pattern and lay it on my Letter where you shall plainly and formally read through the same no more then what I purposely in truth do write unto you and would willingly enfeoffe you with In like manner as I will teach you may you safely by the same illusion certifie me of all your projects and designs Maligne thanked him prayed his remembrance thereof and so bad him farewell For fear sent him post away and hope gave him such speed and in short time he came to the Dukes Court where after he had most respectively saluted him he related how that the Dophin his father was dead and that the L. Vray Esperance affecting government most ambitiously sought to retain his usurped rule That the Princesse Vienna was in prison unregarded oâ— all and that he had himself many strong and assured favourites that would stand for his fortune In furtherance whereof he was come to pray his assistance and for guerdon thereof he would interest him in that half of Dolphin thet lay next unto him Thus did he seek his own ruine with great labour and buy repentance with bloudy cost Thus did he make himself a bridg for the incroaching Duke to enter upon his Country and this gap did he open that the Savonian forces might like an inundationsubmerg and overwhelm both himself and the whole body of the State For the Duke who ever wayted on opportunity and still watched how the Market went finding now the Mine discovered he thought good to make profit thereof and to take the benefit of the Tide while the floud served And therefore he embraced the person for the occasion and premising him help but with Iudas subtilty to make himself rich he leavyed forty thousand men well appointed with whom with all affected expedition he instantly in person went to fish in Vieanois troubled water without making a Conscience of thrusting his Sickle into anothers Harvest The opinion of possibility so redoubled his unbounded desires that he thought that time too long that he spent in going But it had been better for him with the Tertoise to have kept his head within his own shell then by seeking so abroad to raise his fortunes out of anothers ruines For that carefull Shepheard the ever watchfull Governour being now summoned by wastfull Warre to defend both his Flock and his Fold stood not like a doubtfull Chyrurgion to consult of the ripenesse of the sore but like an expert Captain that at the first would prevent fury by force he suddenly raised 3000. men whom in pride of his aged age he himself led into Dolphin to encounter with the injurious and intruding Duke Now Mescant hearing that the Duke and Maligne were entred into Dolphin and seeing the present preparation and hasty march that the governour now made against them He instantly writ unto Maligne thereof and thus deceitfully disguised his subtile intelligences MY Lord your speed to ruine I appland and I joy in your approaching fall which I wish if you seek to waste your Native and distressed Country with Forraigne strength The terrour of Warre you your Snvonian forces hath yet known But be you assured that God will confound those that strive to dispossesse others of their rights War never yet appaled the hearts of the true and valiant Viennonians Our Governor is wise powerfull and practive in Martiall discipline His Allies great his adheres many and his followers nothing fearfull of the event and though his Army cannot make 30000. strong yet hath he leavied many more Troops which are now marching on apace to his ayd Betray that hatefull Duke and you shall find many that yet are your harmiless enemies and some that will in that merit procure your pasdon Trust not a Forraign Conqueror For he will be absolute and remove you and your assured friends Loose no occasion nor time in giving baltest wherein you may best work their overthrow and redeem your lost Honour Be secret in your intended stratagems lost you find more hazard and resistance by greater and more dangerous opposition If you will repair your fortunes send me like notice thereof and you shall be secured by our supplies Bend your forces chiefly against the Generall For dead men bite not It matters not how so it be well done Take but away the chieftain and the Army will scatter For in his fall the field is lost and the honour yours Far ewell MESCHANT Thus in a fair cup of gold did this pestiferous Meschant utter his hidden poyson And under the apparent shew of honest loyalty did he give both treacherous intelligence and dangerous instructions to the hostile enemy For Maligne upon the receit of this Letter laid his patern thereon and so read his subtil and cloked advertisements through the same as by laying down and covering this his Letter with this exampled pattern you may plainly perceive By this time had the Dolphin and Sir Sirap after teadious travail recovered Marcolles in Prevince through which they past unknown into Dolphin where the Dolphin finding his Country in his declining days covered over with Campes Carriages barbed Horses and armed Souldiers he amazedly asked and asking learned the unexpected cause therof which made him beway his sinister fortunes and envy no little against that impious abject his accussed
supposed Sonne Grief now made him weep at his Countries calamity and fear made him doubt his own deprivation The Harvest of his sins yielded him now more increase of woes then the lusts of his youth afforded him pleasures But how should said the sorrowfull Dolphin he that is begotten in my full sin and born in his own shame live without doing villany or dy without making mischief If his being be from me why then should he seek to take from me my being And if he be none of mine what then hath he to do with it which is mine but he is not mine but the Son of iniquity and scorn of nature and therefore knows neither his shameless self nor his â—â—â—full father I nourished him as a Snake in the bosome of my love and now he would sting me to death in the poyson of his hate O how just are the judgments of God that pays our amiss in the amiss of our offences and makes our wicked pleasures our just punishments In this bemoaning fury did he call for vengeance to be powred down on Maligne which Sirap seeing could not but grieve at his sad lamentations though otherwise he rejoyced that occasion presented unto him both a means to shew there his prowess and a way to make his Country indebted to his valour For as a stranger he knew he should win honour and after gain being made known more respect The wruth of War he did not fear nor made he any doubt of his Countries safety And therefore he chearfully commanded Boufoy to comfort the distressed Dolphin and to assure him that the God of the Viennoians had brought him thither in justice both to punish the treachery of his degenerate Son and also to correct the insulting pride of the intruding Duke in both whose ambitious blouds he vowed to bath his revengefull Sword and by force of the Viennontan forces to overthrow all the Savonians Only entreat him to take up the heat of his indignation in the embers and to keep himself unknown that thereby he might receive a true try all of his subjects forces and fidelities and the easier escape and support himself after with forraign supplyes if the Viennonians should unhappily bee vanquisht As for himself he would when they were hottest in battell suddenly thrust himself amongst them where he would write such Tragedles in his enemies blood that weeping repentance should teach them what it is to invade anothers right and to displant the true Vine His Highnesse and Bonfoy I would have them like two peaceable Pilgrims to stand safely aloof and to view the hazard of the game till the last chance be cast and then secretly to convey themselves to some cave in the near adjoyning Wood whither in the darke of night I will undescryed repaire and further consult what after will bee done To this the animated Dolphin subscribed For in his vertuous valour and practive knowledge did he build his new raised hope and on his unresistable force and most fortunate aâ—chievements did his comfort depend Now Sirap having about him his never failing Semitar wherewith he vanquisht Turbuleut the fierce and being furnished with the Shield and armour that he forceably took from the Captaine of the Pyrats in the Affrick Seas he made all things in readinesse and instantly sent Bonsoy to the next Town with his Shield to cause a Painter to draw on it a disturbed waved Sea and in the middest thereof a crowned Dolphin driving other Fishes before him and striking many under the waves with his tayl with this Impresse under Crowned to Conquer Thus did the Dolphins unknowne Knight in honour of the Dolphin make himself the Knight of the Dolphin But by this time the two Armies marching both on â—ffronted each other in sight which made the Savoy Duke to make a stand and to set his men in good array of battell which he divided into two parts The first were his troops of Horse which he assigned to be conducted by the Bastard Maligne The other consisting of Foot he led himself In this equipage he soberly marcht till he came to a spacious Plain neer to Andre where he preparedly stay'd the comming on of the Viennonians who being well marshelled in one mean Battell Cressat-wise with two wings of Horse on either side came on apace by the Command of their good Generall the Lord Vray Esperance unto whom honour gave spurs his place faithfulness and the love of his Country courage Maligne hearthed on the Duke with the false assurance of the Viennonians revolt and the hope to incorporate that Principality to his own haled him on the more to that bloudy bargain For the charge being given Desire and Revenge encountred each other with such fury that the Battell was long in suspence Victory inclining to neither side till at last the Troop of the Savonian Horses disranked both the Wings of the Viennonians and brake in upon the Squadron of the Foot with such violence that they began to staggerand give back When the all-valorous and invincible Sirap the Knight of the Dolphin came fortunatly in who finding where danger dwelled most there he opposed himself and like to a suddain Tempest bare down all before him His desire to approve himself in his countries defence and his implacable wrath against those that sought to defeat Vienna of her right and to defraud him of the comfort of his hope made his blows fall like thunder and his sword to cut like the Executioners Ax. None could stand before him nor durst there any come neer him which so encouraged the disheartned remainder of the Viennonian Cavality that they ranked themselves again and came up to second him This fresh and new assault disordered and dismayed the Savonian troops who now fought fearfully and confusedly which Maligne perceiving purposely and fatally brought up all his forces and begirt him round thinking so to end the battell by making ann end of him that both had ended so many of their lives and onely maintained the battell In this danger did the undanted Knight of the Dolphin fight so long that his horse was slain under him which he with great agillity wel and quickly avoyded and being on foot perceived his other self his entire deer friend La-nova whom he knew by his coat-armor to lye in the dust This sight was such an alarum to waken revenge that he grew now more suriously wrathfull and more irefully impatient then before and being desirous to recover his body he desperately strid over him and like valiant Hector amidst the begirâ—ing Myrmidons he stood to withstand all assaylers La-nova being thus freed from the smothering feet of his enemies having had time of breathing came to himself for he was not mortally wounded and began to stirre which being found and perceived by the Knight of the Dolphin maugre all the force of his swarming and pressing foes hee tooke him up and bare him to the Lord Vray Esperance unto whom kissing him of in