was a glad woman who having therewith acquainted Polimero caused both him and his brother to be cald in to the Councell as though she had told him nothing thereof where having extolled his noble exploits in the wars taking occasion to fall in speech of his last proffer she told him That although the Councell was somewhat loth to make use of the kingdome of Mauritania yet notwithstanding that in respect of the knowne good correspondencie ever held betweene that and the Sardegnan crowne it had now resolved to accept of the troopes by him offered to the end that hee might with them and those of Sardegna proceede in his Corsan enterprize as hee had proposed Then turning her selfe towards Metaneone when she had made a great Encomio on the Fleete won her by his meanes shee confest that the King her father her selfe and the whole kingdome were exceedingly obliged to the one and the other for which all of them together would be ready at all occasions to serve them the King their father and kingdome whereunto the brothers having answered each for himselfe gave in courteous termes such assurance of their good intentions there was not any that doubted of their sinceritie The Princesse had already posted a Currier to advertize the King her father of the victories and now determined shee to send him the Councels resolution and withall the King Epicamedo with the other prisoners much had he desired to see the Princesse whereto shee would by no meanes condiscend pretending to detaine him not as a prisoner of warre but as a Traitor guilty of injured Majestie because her brothers murtherers had never attempted to take away his life had they not beene back't by him so as he indeede was the author of that murther those warres and all other ils that thence proceeded Many dayes staid the Princesse in Terranova expecting the comming of the rest of the army from Villapetres to march thence onwards to the next countrey of Luogodori which lies in the utmost point of Sardegna in the sight of Corsica to the end she might assure her selfe of those countries formerly possessed by the Rebels and might also thence with more conveniency at the arrivall thither of the Mauritanian troopes transport them over into Corsica Aretia in the meane time had used all possible diligence to restore to her former being the weake woman whom they had saved from the mercilesse sea which for her bodily plight was not very difficult but for the state of her minde seemed a thing impossible in that she found her weaker every day than other and as it were repenting that she died not The Princesse now disentangled of publike affaires and desirous to know who shee was went in person to visite her who having by this time understood that this was the famous Princesse Eromena received her with profound humilitie by the Physitians direction shee kept as yet her bed though much against her will where the Princesse sitting downe by her joyed much to see her a living woman hoping that as she had already gotten this point so shee might in time also come to gaine the other which was to bring her to some degrees of comfort by entertaining her with mirth and pleasant company wherein shee was neverthelesse very much deceived because a refined melancholy having first beene an infirmitie of the minde and then come to be a bodily disease and so growne to be a residence of different substance is wont to prove for the most part mortall and incurable I had come sooner unto you said the Princesse but that I thought good to give you first time to recollect your spirits and yet wot I not well how I ought to entertaine you because the outward expressions of your fortune shew you to be otherwise than your proper conditions discover you to be I beseech you to cleare me of that doubt assuring you on the faith of a noble maiden that the curiositie to know it tends to no other end than to assist you which I will doe without sparing any thing I have Here is no body present but Aretia for whose secrecie I undertake as for my selfe The woman standing awhile in a muse without making any answer fetching at length a deepe sigh not without teares said unto her Royall Princesse your requests are commands to me and although to satisfie your Highnesse therein bee but as it were to draw fresh bloud out of greene wounds and to fester an old long sithence inulcerated sore yet can I for all that doe no lesse than obey you My name is Eleina my Nation the Narbon Gaule my Countrey Arelate where my father is he that beares both Crowne and Scepter My mother was the daughter of the Celtan King know her did I never because she presaging my misfortunes lest she should see so unhappy a burthen died in childbirth of me With such quaint tendernesse was I bred up as children of my birth and qualitie are wont to be but much more fondly for being the only child of my father who although a Widdower at foure and twentie yeares of age would never condiscend to marry againe for all that his subjects earnestly besought him thereto so much overswayed him the exceeding great love he bare to my mother for whose sake he also tendered me the dearer for the fuller expression whereof he grew more obstinate in his intended resolution so as I was esteemed and honoured of the world as undoubted heire of that Kingdome My childhood spent I in many noble disciplines for being borne to a Crowne I was educated not as a woman but as a Soveraigne Prince and withall to make my present state more fully miserable with the memorie of passed glories the Knights errant deemed themselves not worthy of the seeking adventures ere they had first had the adventure of seeing me which came to passe either because things a far off had a greater priveledge of opinion than things more at hand or because there was in me some esteeme-worthy thing which I knew not my selfe suffice it that such was the effect whether the cause deserv'd it or no. Being arrived to sixteene yeares of age such was my misfortune that there came to Arelate as a Knight errant the son of the King of Catalogna whose name was Don Peplasos This Prince making a shew of being enamored of me speake and wrought so far as I drawne on rather by my destinie than by any love I bare him perswaded my father to give me him for wife which he did being not used to contradict me though sore against his will and with the teares in his eyes protesting he did it meerely to satisfie me himselfe for his owne particular liking not well of such hasty weddings and much lesse of the bridegrooute But I over-tired with the great number of Suitors without knowing which of them to chuse detained in this ignorance by the tendernesse of age but much more by my simplicitie in not knowing what manner of thing
Oliui a palace of the Queene his Mother gave order publikly to Carasio to come thither to him with the furniture of his chamber Got out of the City and fetching a great compasse he return'd againe at night and finding Carasio in the place appointed went aboord the shippe who having waied up her anchors hoyst up her sailes before a pleasant and gentle gale of winde As soone as the King had dined he sent secretly a Gentleman of his chamber to spie for Polimerâ— and understanding what order he had given Carasio was thereof well pleased imagining that by that meanes he might avoide occasion of new broiles And lest the Prince should resolve to pursue him wroth perhaps that his brother went away triumphant with the horse escaped from his anger he entertained him all that day in counsell The day following came to court the housekeeper of Poggio who seene of the King and questioned of the cause of his comming to the City whilest he ought to have beene an assistant in the service of the Infante Polimero answered He was come for some service of the house And that as touching the Infante Polimero he understood not his Maiesties meaning How understandest thou me not replied the King what I would tell thee is that when any of my sonnes come to Poggio thou depart not thence but serve them as cause shall require Even so doe I my Leige answered the housekeeper and acknowledge my selfe blame-worthy if I did otherwise But my Lord the Infante Polimero is not at Poggio How is he not there said the King very angrily and having espied the Gentleman that had told him he was gone thither he said Did you not tell me that Polimero was gone to Poggio I did so my Liege answered the Gentleman citing with that his authors who were some of the Infante's servants there present who joyntly protested that they saw him mount on horseback and that he would not suffer any man come with him but gave order to Carasio to bring that night to Paggio the furniture of his chamber The keeper amazed at so many affirmations turning towards the King My dread Soveraigne said he my Lord the Infante Polimero parted yesterday in the evening to goe to Poggio I know not where he may be he came not the last evening nor this last night much lesse this morning for I dined there neither is it above an houre since I parted thence The King fixing his eyes on the table knew not what to imagine he thought first hee might be gone to his uncle in Numidia but that seemed impossible considering the discommodity of the journey because of the sands it being not likely he would undergoe that journey secretly with so much danger and besides he would have feared to be pursued and overtane Afterwards reasoning on the old desires he had to travell even in that also appeared difficulty being he could not doe it without a great provision of monies But the remembrance of his sister the Queene of Ireland come into his fancy he imagined that for certaine he was imbarqued to goe to her and therefore commanded to see what manner of shipping had set out of the Port that night and whither they went and from whence they were but finding that there parted no other than a ship of Sardegna he remained more confused than before not judging it a thing likely that he was gone for Sardegna but that the ship had rather 〈◊〉 course of the straight of 〈◊〉 supposing that they could not 〈◊〉 land in Sardegna because of the warres which he knew to be there very hot Inveloped with so many coniectures he went to the Queene to whom hee related what till then no creature living durst have spoken of whereat shee orecome with an extreame hearts griefe beganne the pitifullest complaint that could be The King not able to endure the sight of her in that plight went out from her and having sent for the Count of Bâ—na charged him diligently to search Palimero's lodgings and study and to bring him word of all whatsoever he found there The Count obeyed and making a diligent search of all made an inventory thereof Being come to the study he caused it to be opened wherein the first thing he discovered was a letter sealed and placed on the midst of the table with inscription To the King my 〈◊〉 which the Count tooke and brought unto the King offering him also the inventory which hee refused But opening the letter hee found it said Sir Among all the misfortunes which I have hitherto in these my few yeeres partaked of the greatest is that I part without your Maiesties royall licence which if I had done in way of disobedience or other such like thing my life would be loathsome unto me neither could that joy be found that might any way case me But Royall Sir I hitherto ever have and henceforth ever will study to obey you whereof although the obligation takes away the merit yet bereaves it not me of that comfort which a noble minde receives in doing his duty I am gone away not for any curiosities sake to see my selfe free nor for any desire I had to exercise my selfe in the profession of armes Since that in the one I aspire to no greater liberty than to serve your Maiestie neither had your clemency denied me in its time fit in the other such reasonable satisfaction and in such an equipage as had beene answerable to the honor I have in being your sonne The sole cause of my going away is Because the small fortune I have in the favour of my LORD the Prince hath therto advised me Had I thought I could be able to have bettered the respect I owe him and so becom more gracious in his favor heavens be my witnesse I had never entertained such a resolution knowing that next your Maiestie he is that only one whom I ought to serve and honour But seeing my conscience doth not accuse me of misdoing I must needs confesse my behaviour to be such as cannot please him And if my duty be to please him but cannot then am I obliged to what I can which is to absent farre from him my presence which so much dislikes him Touching the last occasion of my departure I am not willing to say any thing not meaning to excuse my selfe by pretending that I could not find any reason in my LORD the Prince who indeed cannot doe amisse in any thing he doth against me But rather I humbly beseech your Maiestie to hold mee for faulty condemning 〈◊〉 for my absence though neither voluntary nor malicious for which I hope by the intercession of your gratious benignity to obtaine your royall pardon I write not to the Queen my Lady and Mother lest I thereby grieve her the more Assuring neverthelesse the one and the other that I part hence with an Indeliblememory of being of both your Maiesties a most humble and most obedient Sonne and servant Polimero The King
not sithence seene by whom they beleeved the Prince to bee betraied and so by the helpe of the rest murthered by the Admirall They sent suddenly to the gates where they understood that the Admirall with eight Companons all well horsed went out at the gate of Castlemuni They resolved to send after him and having to that end sent for the Count of Montereale Generall of the horse and shewed him the body of the Prince they committed to his charge what he was to doe The Count who adored him living and now being dead could not satisfie himselfe in bemoaning him considering that the present state of the businesse required somewhat else than teares went on his way most resolute to use all possible diligence to revenge his death The Lords of the Councell in the meane time after they had taken such order as was requisite touching the bodies of the Prince and of the guiltie Traitors returned to the Palace But the Citizens having I know not how understood of the accident and telling it one unto another were seene to shut up all their shops in an instant with lamentations so manifest that the King perceiving it asked the Marquesse what was the matter who answered him that he knew not but the King seeing it more and more increase bade him goe call the Prince and learne what the matter was Wherein whilst the Marquesse tooke on him to obey him there appeared in his presence the Privie Counsellors who when the King saw come thronging so many together he imagined that some great disaster had hapned for all of them pitifully lamented insomuch as the President who was to be the Speaker could not utter a word whereat the King impatient turning towards the Marquesse and seeing him make greater moane than any of the rest asked him angerly if the King of Corsica were in Caleri or if the Kingdome were lost My Soveraigne Leige answered then the President would to God I could bring you that newes in exchange of this other a thousand times more wofull for there might be hope to recover againe the Realme whereas the losse that both you and the Kingdome have now sustained is irrecoverable What can it then be replied the King Is Perosfilo dead At which demand all of them kneeling downe and pitifully lamenting him with grieuous sobs and mornefull cries answered that he was The King hereat astonished would have runne towards the Lodgings of the Prince thinking to see him there Whene the Queene comming out thence accompanied with Eromena with their heire hanging disorderly about their eares more like Bacchanals or mad women than themselves met him at a doore full-but The Queene strangely gazing on the standers by with reiterated words cried out Perosfilo Where is hee where is my Sonne Come give him mee withhold him not rom mee for I will have him This incounter was to the King even as a fire which come neere a dry tow-like matter fuming and halfe consumed puffs it up in a flame in an instant for seeing his wife and daughter in so strange a fashion his spirits and courage so failed him as he sunke downe to the ground But the Queene without taking any notice of him running about while here while there continued in calling out for her Sonne till become all hoarse with crying she held her eyes immoveably fixt where once she let fall her sight without shedding a teare Eromena the mirrour of beauty and Prudence stood in that instant with her faire eyes concentrated pale and wan She wept not and yet she wept for her weeping were exclamations and sighes she called on the beloved name of her brother she sought for him all over his Lodgings and hehind the Tapistrie as if she had hoped to have found him there hidden The King was raised up from the ground and laid in his bed so would the Ladies have likewise disposed of the Queene but she become frantike ran up and downe the Palace and round about the Lodgings complaining of the heavens and cursing men till she brought her selfe to that passe as she was not able any more either to move or crie The numerous companie of Ladies that pittifully wept about her had not beene able to re-conduct her to her Lodgings if Eromena fearing with her brother to lose also her mother had not with her presence and teares importuned and perswaded her to retire her selfe It boots me not to tell you of the revolt of the Citie when the corpes of the Prince were about midnight brought to the Palace The dolefull Eromena considering how her father was by reason of his great griefe fallen sicke of a Feaver and her mother growne distracted of her senses was not therefore willing to let them know any thing but went her selfe with a few others to veiw the body but then although all her vitall powers ran unto her heart although all her force and vertues whereof the heavens were unto her so graciously liberall united themselves together to fortifie her courage yet could not all this save or sustaine her spirits and almost her life from failing her at that instant she grew pale shee swounded she fell dead at least in all likelihood and died she had indeed if a spirit more feeble had given shape and being to a lesse generous heart In the end come to her selfe and sitting by the corps as she watered his breath-losse face with a fountaine of her teares she said Are these then the joyes Brother which we expected of thee Are these the hopes that the world had of thee which with all reason is expected of thy valour Is this the flourishing age by so short a space of life so cruelly cut off to bring therewithall to an end with no lesse crueltie the lives of those that brought thee into the world why did not thy resplendent vertues dazle the eyes of him that slew thee maugre the spectacles of envie O cruell starres To what end served such and so great influences of beautie and exquisite feature in a body peerlesse for prowesse and adorned with so divine a soule seeing a little blemish an error in youth so tender so excusable hath caused and proâ—ured the corruption and ruine of all those excellent perfections to give the whole world cause to lament the losse of them yet are they not lost for what ascends from above must returne to whence it came so as we have no cause to grieve for thy generous soule but yet can we not chuse as we are mortall but lament the dissolution of the perfectest composure that ever nature put together neither can we without death chuse but bewaile thy death depriving us of the life which from thy sweet life we received for in thee were indivisible all those graces which the Graces participate not to others but in such measure as is requisite for the delight of humane kind We cannot chuse but mourne seeing our selves threatned at home and abroad being since we are deprived of thee without
framing himselfe high fortunes began to despise such meane preferments as might bee pretended from Don Eleimo Nay so great was his presumption that thinking one day to unhorse his master himselfe out of the Prince his favour he grew by this imagination both to envie and hate him so useth fortune to sport her selfe in humane things as in a noble minde one generous act prevailes more than all wordly interesses and on the contrary in a base minde one sole interest can doe more than all the ties of vertue the one to save the innocent contemnes his Lords favour and the other to obtaine it by betraying the guiltlesse makes himselfe guilty Now when the Prince thought hee had sufficiently prepared him hee found one day opportunitie to speake unto him in this wise Catascopo I purpose to receive thee into my service but charge thee not to speake a word thereof to any man living especially to Don Eleimo from whom ere thou part thou must for a businesse that imports me observe whothose of my wives family be that frequent him most and in this and every other action of his penetrate the deepest thou canst possibly wherein if thou servest me well I promise to make thy fortune such as thou shalt not neede envie thy Masters greatnesse Catascopo who joyed not a little to become thus the Princes favorite promised to serve him with all observant diligence wherein he could already assure him how Don Eulavio used to come often to visite him and that for the most part by night locking themselves in privately both alone very circumspect that no man over-heard them and that one evening among the rest when Don Eulavio was gone Don Eleimo stood a long while looking on a Iewell which the other had left him The Prince thinking he had now gotten all that he desired bade him in any case steale away that Iewell which hee promised to doe well knowing how to filtch away the key of the study wherein it was laid up This Iewell was my mothers being a triangle of three rich diamonds each angle whereof was enriched with a great pearle I sent it him by Don Eulavio in token of gratitude and he as Don Eulavio told me accepted it very unwillingly his heart seeming to presage unto him his ensuing evils seeing that he abhorring it as a thing mortiferous praid him sundry times after he had received it to bring it me backe againe which I beleeve he did not that his imagination stucke in what his heart presaged him but because he blemisht his nobilitie as he thought in doing mercenarily that action which had no other end than it selfe It was an easie matter for Catascopo to satisfie the ill intended curiositie of the Prince Don Eleimo concealing not himself from him for that he deemed him to be as faithful a servant as himselfe was an affectionate Master so as he made a shift to steale away the key and then filtching away the Iewell brought it forthwith to the Prince who knowing it to be mine looked after no other evidence but condemning me unheard would by no means let slip a season so opportune to his villanies Being then risen out of his bed causing himself to be followed by those of his guard he went towards Don Eleimo's house that adjoyned to the Court intending to surprize him there but that the heavens permitted not because having occasion to call to Catascopo who lay in his chamber without receiving any answer he was forced to rise himself when not finding him there whereat he was much amazed til having sent for a candle he perceived at the first sight the studie doore open and finding not therein the Iewell he suddenly suspected the cause wherefore the Prince favoured the Traytor What to resolve of in that instant hee knew not seeing that to stay there was dangerous and to get him gone would bee judged a signe of manifest guilt Whileft thus his troubled minde enclined while to the one and while to the other resolution behold hee perceived through a window which by good fortune stood the open a great glimmering of lights and no small crowde of people among whom were also the Archers of the Court whereupon examining in his judgement in the twinckling of an eye the crueltie of the Prince who was both head-strong and inexorable he resolved to shun his owne ruine as the lesset evill reserving a place and time more proper for the clearing of his innocency which was mine by consequence taking with him therfore some coine and Iewells from out his study by the being there wherof he comprehended that the robberie tended not to the filtching away of a Iewell but to the murthering of him in his life and honour leaving unstirred his family who little suspected any such accident he slipt him out by a secret doore that leade to his lodgings whilst the Prince caused the streete doore to be furiously beaten downe to the ground The confusion of the poore servants which then lay in a deepe sleep cannot be expressed no more than the fury of the Prince who because he found him not tooke on him like a mad man whilst those of his traine not beleeving that he could be fled away in so short a time in causing him to be sought for all over the house gave him the more time to save himselfe who being suffered to passe through the gate of the watch not so much for giving them the militarie signe as because they knew who he was went aboord a Galley feining some businesse for the Prince wherewith he got himselfe to the King my father in Arelata The Prince in the meane time having sent all over found out at length the way of his escape when though he speeded all the Galleyes after him sundrie wayes and to diverse places yet was it not possible for any of them to over-take him because hee having chosen the best Galley never suffered the Ghinge to repose their oares till he arrived in Aquamorta Don Eleimo being thus escaped there remained yet Don Eulavio Now there served Don Eleimo a slave given him by Don Eulavio who having beene well used by both and seeing the misfortune of the one ranne instantly to the other thinking it his best course to save himselfe in the house of his first Master ere the Officers feazed on him for a chattle with the goods of the second Now Don Eulavio used gaming very much and as fortune would have it he then was at play when seeing the slave appeare before him he rising off the table with a great heart-beating asked him what he would have And having understood the cause though not the occasion suspecting what was indeede and judging his stay to quit himselfe thereof would prove dangerous hee loding the slave with a ladder of cords made in his youth for his stolen love-sports and taking his way towards a part of the citie formerly perhaps observed by him for such like occurrences speedily descended the walls leaving
were they plaid upon by those murdering engines The Princesse Eromilia whom feare had caused to strain courtesie with her religious vow stood o'recharged with griefe looking out through a window of the Tower a wailfull Spectatrix of the unhappy conflict repenting now too late her obstinacy knowing now by a feeling experience her fathers reasons to be true Perseno's persuasions good and the Countesse her counsell both wholsome and holy But alas what comfort or help can repentance bring in a season when it can doe no good The Countesse that stood by her albeit moved and griev'd to think that the Princesse her selfe was the sole cause of all these evils omitted not for all that that reverence which a faithful servant in all respects owes his Lord nor yet lost she the occasion of giving her a gentle touch and feeling of her errors by telling her that Princes how prudent soever should never deliberate of any thing of themselves alone especially when affection makes them become passionate and therefore apt to deceive themselves which as she then told her she thought good to put her in minde of not for the present when the evill could not be remedied but rather to fore-warne her from incurring the like danger in succeeding times I would to God answered the Princesse that it might doe mee good hereafter whereof I much doubt because I see no way to shunne this present ruine The Gods will there-from deliver you answered the Countesse whereof I conceive already an assured hope See you those Galleyes there If my sight beguile mee not they are the Prince of Mauritania's your Highnesse hath better eyes than I I beseech you looke if the Admirall hath three Lanters for if it hath then sure they are his The Princesse who had stood all the while with her eyes fixed on her owne danger fetching a deepe sigh turned her looke to the seawards and spying there the Galleyes she all joyfull cried out that one of them bare such lanternes but this consolation lasted not a moment when she now saw thei wall battered downe the enemie enter in and her men flie upwards towards the house Perseno seeing the case thus irrepairable being resolved to die retired himselfe fighting with his unhurt arme without lending any eare to the Catalan who had by publike proclamation granted life to such as laide aside their armes yet were there for all that but very few that followed not Perseno's example In the beginning of this service were found to be neere about five hundred fighting men betweene such as were sent thither from the King and those that were taken out of the two Galleyes whereof lay dead almost three hundred and of them the greatest part slaine by the Machines with the rest went Perseno retiring though alwayes fighting but the steepinesse of the rocke making for their great disadvantage by discovering to the Catalognian Archers the reare as well as the front was cause that he lost many of them so that at length his feeble self wounded again with the push of a pike and then trampled under foote gave occasion to such as remained to yeeld themselves to the enemies discretion whom the Tingitans would have put all to the sword but Don Peplasos who aspired to Eromilia's favour would by all meanes have them all spared giving them withall leave to gather up Perseno who lay though not dead yet dangerously wounded by whose fatall ruine were utterly overthrowne the nowruined hopes of the poore distressed assiedged the house not being any whit fortified but depending altogether on the fortune of the walls below The Princesse all this while never stirred off the window where having cald one unto her shee caused him by waving about a sheete fastened to a pole to make signes to the Galleyes to hasten their course insomuch as Metaneone with all the rest saw it and grieving at the slownesse of the winde though favourable hee caused the Ghing to plunge their oares a-new in the foaming deepe by meanes whereof he quickly appeared so neere the view of Eromilia as hee might plainely discerne her dolorous gesture in the act of imploring his succour and the Countesse with her hands beckning unto him to make all possible haste The defendants a little before when they saw the enemie got in had lock'd fast the Tower and fortified its gate with chests and coffers though it was of it selfe sufficiently strong being barr'd all over with iron bands hoping to keepe themselves free untill the arrivall of Metaneone which fell out indeede as they expected for Don Peplasos unwilling to offer any violence being alreadie assured that hee had her in his hands and well knowing that for want of provision and men to defend her she must needs at last have yeelded came himselfe in person to the gate using the most humble and loving termes that could be But the Princesse when she came to know him growne no whit dejected to see her selfe thus penn'd up by one she abhorred more than death it selfe up-braided him his treacheries so disdainefully that he thereupon re-assuming his naturall disposition and laying by all fained courtesies was now a preparing his engines to beate downe the gate when newes was brought him of the arrivall of six Galleyes The Princesse not regarding him any more when once she heard the trumpets sound returned with the Countesse backe to the window whence perceiving Metaneones saluting her all armed as he was she answered him by doing the like in a maner expressing her gratitude as courteously as possibly shee could by which favour he thought his courage so multiplied as hee would to doe her any service have resolutely fought against all the world The Countesse with signes made knowne unto him the best she could the state they were in But the Prince assailing the Galleyes which were left almost unmann'd because of every ones running to the sacke tooke them without any great adoe and understanding whose they were thanked the gods that hee came time enough to thwart those his mischievous designes Don Peplasos giving over his late intention of throwing downe the gate ranne with his whole squadron downe towards the sea-shore confused in minde to thinke of what he were best to doe and astonished at the suddenesse of the enemies arrivall without being described on the maine sea being that not onely his Centrees but even he himselfe might have easily discovered him thirtie miles off At last he resolved to stay in the Fort and there to make good his ground against the enemy for that he thought himselfe too weake to keepe from landing Metaneone who no whit regarded the hazard of his owne person growne now furious with love but more enraged with anger hotly assaulted the ruines of the wall not so well defended as assailed till seeing he therein spent too much time having placed an hundred souldiers to the Ram he made them give against that part of the wall that lay next the breach which being already much shaken
mountaine and comming towards us was without spying us discovered by us When I straight knowing him to be Calaplo was thereof exceeding joyfull deeming it the happiest encounter that could possibly betide me for I knowing the cause of his going away being my selfe the man that hatch'd the invention of sending him packing in that manner hoped to bring the Prince good newes of his being slaine for we having at first concluded to deale so with him did not execute it for not multiplying of too many Ministers in the fact and by consequence of dangers in discovering him the rather in that we hoped that he would for feare have kept himselfe secret Imparting the businesse unto my companions they resolved to murther him not so much to serve and please thereby the Prince as for love of the Iewels and coine which I told them hee had about him Wherefore as soone as we got to the path we dogg'd him without being able to overtake him almost all the day long In the end passing downe a deepe steepy bottome and getting up another mountaine he held not on his way one houres space till he stood still so as we might at our pleasure overtake him and comming stealing-wise upon him for feare of being espied we might perceived him talke with some body afarre off and in his speech heare him say Your Highnesse which gave us cause to imagine it was the Princesse he spake to there we set upon him unawares but found him so valiant that what by retiring and defending himselfe were could never come once to fasten a blow on him the difficulty of the mountaines steepinesse serving him for a great advantange And I in the meane while seeing how he had with a maine downeright blow cloven the head of one of my two companions thought it my best course to leave him hand to hand with the other their death little importing my ends which was the life of the Princesse or rather my owne which without her death could not subsist it grieving me too much to leave in an instant the fortunes of the Court by me only assayed but not fully tasked Thus was I flattered by ambition which prevailes more in an upstart than in one that being borne there hath it hereditarie from his ancestors and from the noblenesse of bloud Being freed then from that pittie which was instill'd in me by my companions I got me to the place where I had before seene Calaplo to assure my selfe whether the same was indeed the Princesse or that I was deceived where I saw it was she indeede and she also might well have seene me if hindred by her weeping shee had not in drying her eyes covered them with the sleeve of her gowne her good husband not having left her any thing else to drie them withall The seeing her then in such a plight bred in me such a compassion as made me quite contrarie to my intended resolution desire to comfort her but remembring how she would never have either beleeved or trusted me and that it was better to goe and finde her out crave her pardon bring her backe to her father in safetie and there leave her I descended the hill but could by no meanes possible for all my rambling about ever finde her out so as at length having also sought her the day following to no purpose I resolved to set my selfe on the way of my returne The Prince in the meane time had in this tragedie plaid his part with exceeding great artifice for returning to the Temple dropping wet with sweat making a shew of being as he was indeede though for a different cause profoundly afflicted sent folkes to search all there about for his wise taking on him to feare that shee losing her way were devoured of some wilde beast he sent first of all to the Inne to know if shee were retired thither But the Knight that was left there with the sicke woman comming thereupon up to the Temple and acquainting him how that Calaplo had bin there to fetch away the waller he began to display and ground on that act of his some token of suspition but when such as were sent aboade returned without any newes of her then told he them openly that he could beleeve no lesse than that she were runne away with Calaplo which he knew how to represent so feelingly with such naturall affects both of griefe and disdaine that the Knight whose imagination never dived to the depth of so foule a treason could not otherwise chuse than be of the same opinion nor could it indeede be otherwise conceived of any except of such as lighted pat on the very truth seeing that neither bloud nor any relique of any limbe of hers could possibly be found any where albeit the mountaine was for three dayes continuance search'd all over with most exquisite diligence Besides that in that part so well frequented was never seene any savage beast much lesse was it ever heard that any one was ever slaine or hur there The Prince with this occasion came to be discovered for so would he have it to the end that the fame of the accident might forerunne his arrivall in Barcelona and so for being afterwards conformably confirmed by him be the better credited whcih indeede succeeded him every way answerable to his expectation The King well deeming that his heavy-hearted sonne had neede of comfort sent of the gravest and wisest of the Realme to meete him when he taking on him to be uncapable of any comfort spake and did things with such an extreme compassion-meriting passion as there was not any that grieved not for his griefe For albeit by the qualities of the Princesse there was no reason to beleeve that any such a resolution could ever be fostered in her yet could he so cunningly dissemble that for some while he blinded the best sighted and most penetrating eyes My returne was neere about the same time as his though a little sooner for so had we before agreed on When I in taking on me at Court to have never heard any thing of these passages in wondring at such an accident in making as though I could not beleeve it and in such other circumstances wanted little of going beyond my Master himselfe yet to him told I that we had buried her a pikes depth under ground satisfying withall the rest of his demands at full I having studied by the way how to make answer to all whatsoever he could aske me but he that now could finde no more in his heart to fix his eyes on me my very presence upbrayding him of the foulenesse of his fault never spake to me more one word thereof Soone went I about preparing my selfe for my flight when hee faining to have heard some inckling of the Princesse went suddenly a-boord a Galley so as I was faine to doe the same where we were scarce setled a-boord her whenamong the Knights and Ghing was spread a rumor that we were bound for Affrique