sawe before me on the most highest place of y e mountayne a tower so hygh that me semyd it atteynyd to the heuyn Hit was made by suche artifice that of the strangnes therof I began to meruayll I ioyned my selfe to the foote therof The tyme offeryd me more to feare then to regard or note it beholding the strange ouerage newelte of the edefice The fundacioÌ„ wheron it was foundyd was of a stone clere and stronge of nature wherupoÌ„ was reysed .iiii. great pillers of violet marble so fayre and so hygh beyonde the comon forme that it was meruayll how they were systeynyd Aboue the whiche was fabricate a tower iii. square the most strongest that could be deuised on euery square therof on y e height there stode an humayn Image made of metall paynted w t theyr owne colours one tawny a nother blacke the thirde gray eche of them holding a chayne in theyr handes made of great force And on the heyght of the tower ther was a pynacle full of great clerenes light comyng fro a raye of light issuyng out of the tower I harde .ii. watches who neuer seaced but still wakyd Of these thynges greatly I mernayled could not tell what to thynke or to say Thus beyng in great dought and confusionâ— I sawe ioynynge to the marbell a stayre mountyng to the gate of the tower wherof the entre was so darke that to mount vp semyd impossible how be it I deliberyd wyllynge rather to go to my perdicyon in mountyng then to saue my self with tarieng Thus takyng harte I began to mouÌ„te and when I was vp .iii. steppes I found a dore of Iron the which satisfied me rather to tast w t my handes then to attayne therto by syghte by reason of y â— darknes that I was in And when I came to the gate I founde ther a porter of whome I demaundyd licens to entre He aunswered how he was content so that fyrst I shuld leue behynde me myne armure I grauntyd hym to leue suche as I bare customably vpon me Then he sayd My ffrend it aperith well that of the vsage custome of this house thou knowest but lytleâ— The armoure that I demaunde and those that it behoueth the to leue are suche as the harte is wonte to be defendyd withall fro heuynes sorowe as are hope rest contentacion for to haue those condicions ther may none ioy of the demaunde that thou desyrest And when I knew his entension withoute any further aduyse I aunswered assâ—â—ryd hym that I was come thyther with out any of those armours TheÌ„ he grauÌ„tyd the openyng of the gate so with greate trauaill and sore trouble I aryuyd to the height of the tower where I found a nother porter who demaundyd of me as y e other dyd And when I had made hym lyke aunswere he gaue me place to entre Then I went all the length of the tower and enteryd in to a halle where in y e myddes therof stode a chayre brennynge full of fyre in the whiche satte he who made to me the request and causer of my perdicion And myne eyen were so chargyd w t regarding of this ouerage my tonge was so oppressed that I could demaund no questioÌ„ of all these meruails And as I regardyd them I sawe the .iii. chaynes that the Images held on the height on y â— tower were fast tyed about this poore captyue prysoner who alwayes brent and neuer consumyd Then I saw two sorowful women theyr faces ful of wepynges and dolours They ordeyned to sette on his hed with greate crueltieâ— a crowne full of sharpe poyntes of steale without pyte persyng his hed to the brayne Also ther was a blacke morion vestured in yelowe who came often tymes w t a great fawchon to strike hym and euer I saw how the pacient receyued the strokes with a shelde subtilly iâ—suyng out of his hedde the which couered hym to the feete I saw other .iii. seruauÌ„tes ryght diligent who brought hym meate on a blacke cloth and with great fury gaue him mete of bitter tast And on the one syde of the table I sawe an olde man syt in a chaire lenynge his hedde in one of his handes lyke a man solitary in thought pensyfenes All these thynges I could scant se for the darkenes of the towre but by reason of a clere shynynge lyght that issuyd out of the prisoners harte which gaue clere lyghte ouer all And when this prisoner saw me so astonyd to se thinges of suche mystery And that he saw tyme to pay me w t his wordes though he were not in my det yet to gyue me some rest solacious comforte with his discrete reasons medlyd with piteous wepynges he began to say in this maner The prisoner SOme parte of my harte I shall discouer as I oughte to do for the sorowe that I haue of the accordyng to thy deserte how be it thou seist well that in my trybulacioÌ„ I haue no powre to feale any other mans euil myne owne is so great I pray the take for satisfactioÌ„ not that I do but that I desire of thy comyng hyther I ame the cause I ame he whome thou sawest led as a prisoner bycause of the tribulacioÌ„ that thou arte in thou knowest me not Torne agayne to thy spirites and take rest and quyet iudgement to th entent thou mayst be ententyue to that I wyll say Thy comyng was to remedy me my wordes shall be to aduertyse y â— who I ame I shall shew the and of the mysteryes that thou hast seene I shall infourme the. The cause of my prison I wold thou knewdest and I requyre the to delyuer me if it be in thy puissaunce knowe for certayne I ame Lereano sonne to duke Guerro whome god perdon of the duches Colerea my byrthe was in this realme where thou arte present named Macedonia my fortune ordeynyd that I became amorous of Laureola doughter to kynge Guallo who at this present tyme reygneth whoÌ„ I shuld rather haue fledde fro then to haue fallen in to the trace of loue and specially in so hygh a place but as the fyrst mouynge maye not excuse me in stede of forsakynge therof by reason I haue confermyd it by good wyl Also loue hath vanquyshed me brought me in to this howse namyd the Castell of loue who neuer perdonyth for he seing displayed the vailes of my desyre hathe broughte me in to y e state that thou seist me in and to the entent thou shuldest the better note and marke the fundacion of this and of al that thou hast sene thou shalt know that the stone wheron the pryson is foundyd is my fayth who determineth vtterly to suffre the dolour of this payne for the welth of his euill The great pyllers that are assysted to this stone ary my vnderstandynge my reason my memory my wyll whom amours commaundyd to apere before his presence or he wolde gyue
so great affeccion I bere to the so moche I ame bound to loue thy noblenes that if I myght remedy thy trybulacions I shuld repute my selfe well rewardyd for all my trauyls so that in the meane tyme thou wylt bere al maner of assautes pacyently in trustyng vpon me that when I returne and bryng y â— any remedy y t thou mayste take suche corage in thy lyfe that thou mayst feale the sparkels therof The Auctor WHen I had endyd myne aunsewre to Lereano then I deptyd fro hym and lernyd the waye to the cytie of Suria where as lay y e kyng of Mazedonia which was halfe a iourney fro y â— prisone fro whence I deptyd Thus I came to the courte wente to y e palays to treat and to se y e maner of the people of that courte and to regarde the forme and situacion of the palayce and how I myght resorte goo come or abyde to entre in to the enterprice that I had in hand And this I dyd dyuers dayes to lerne and to se what way shulde be best moste couenable to my purpose the more I studyed the lesse disposycion I found to attayne to that I desyryd when I had serched al maner of wayes I thought most auayleable to my purpose to acquaynte my selfe w t the yong courters and with the principall of y e courte for generally among them is found good maner and curtesye and thus I drew so longe to theyr company with in a breue tyme I was estemydde among them as though I had bene one of theyr ppre nacion and at last I fell in aquayntance among the ladyes and lytle and lytle I fell in acquayntance with the ladye Laureola and dyuerce tymes I recountyd to her of the meruayls of spayne and of other places where as I had bene The whiche she gretly delyghtyd to here Then I seyng my selfe in maner with her as a seruant I thoâ—ght then I myght shewe her that thyng that I desyryd and on a day as I saw her aparte fro other ladyes I knelyd downe and sayd as folowith The Auctor to Laureola IT is lesse goodnes to perdone the great puyssante persones when they haue dseruyd trespace then to be reuengyd vpon the symple small psonages when they haue done iniury for y â— one wyll make amendes by reason of theyr honour and the other are perdonyd by vertue the whiche is due to be vsyd amonge greate personages and most specyally to noble ladyes gentle women hauing noble hartes according to theyr birth they ought naturally to haue pyte in theyr condicions Lady I say thys for peraduenture in shewyng to you myne entent I shal be reputyd to bolde not hauyng respecte to your great magnyficens In the begynnyng or I was determyned to speake to you I was in great doubt But at the ende I thoughte it for the best that yf ye entreate me inhumaynly to suffre y e payn for my speakyng rather then to endure in dolour for beynge styll Lady ye shal knowe that rydynge on a daye amonge sharpe mountayns I sawe by the commandement of Amours how Lereano sonne to duke Guerro was taken led to prison as a prisoner who prayed me to ayde hym in his trouble and besynes By whose occasion I lefte the waye of my reste and toke the daungerous way of his trauayle and after that I hadde longe gone with hym I sawe howe he was put in to a swete prisone as toward his wyll but it was ryght bytter as to his lyfe for there he susteyneth all the euyls and paynes of the world Dolour turmenteth hym passyoÌ„ foloweth hym dispaire distroieth him deth manasheth hym payne executeth hym thoughtes waketh hym desyre troubleth hym heuynes coÌ„demneth hym his fayth wyll not saue hym I knewe by hym that all this ye are the cause And I iudge by that I sawe hym his dolour whiche he kepethe secrete in his mynde to be more greater then he hath discouered to me by wepinges but by reason of the syghte y t I se of your presence I fynde that his torment is not without a iuste cause And w t sore syghes issuynge fro his harte he desyred me to gyue you knowledge of his euyl his request was with payne dolour my obedience of pure coÌ„passyon of his payne torment though I iudge you cruelâ— yet by y e frequeÌ„tatioÌ„ of your geÌ„tlenes I se thinke ye be piteous not w tout reason for by reasou of your excelleÌ„t fayrenes dignite he beleueth the one by your noble coÌ„dicion hopeth on y e other his payne wherof ye be causer yf ye wyll remedy w t pitie accordyng to his deseruinge ye shal be theÌ„ praised aboue al other womeÌ„ y t euer were Remembre nowe behold whether it is better to be praysed for gyuynge remedy orels to be blamyd for sleyng of hym CoÌ„syder how moch ye be bouÌ„d to hym y â— for al his passioÌ„ aduersite yet he doth serue you if ye remedy hym theÌ„ he is y e occasioÌ„ to cause you to do as moch as god maye do for it is of no lesse esteme the redemer then is y e creator for in takynge fro hym the deth ye shall do as moche as god to gyue hym lyfe I knowe not what excuse ye can make not to remedy hym without ye beleue that sleynge is a vertue I desyre of you none other good but to be sory for his euyll and payne This desyre shall be to you nothynge greuable for he had rather endure in hym selfe styll payne and aduersite then to cause you to feale any payne displeasour This my bolde speakynge condemneth me but the dolour of hym that hathe sente me assoyleth me agayne his payne is so great that none euyll can come to me to be equall to his payne I requyre your gentlenes let your aunswer be coÌ„fortable to your vertue and not to the fercenes that ye shew by your regardes And in your so doynge ye shal be praysed and I reputyd a good messenger and the paynefull prisoner Lereano delyuered quyte fro all payne◠¶ The aunswer of Laureola to the auctourâ— Lykewyse as thy reasons be temerous and fearefull to declare semblably they are great and greuous to perdone yf thou were of Macedonia as thou arte of Spaygne thy reasons and thy lyfe shuld fynishe together but thou beynge a straunger shalte not receyue the payne that thou deseruyste And as for the pytie that thou thynkest to be in me I wolde thou knewest that in suche lyke cases doubtefull iustice crueltie is as ryue and dewe as is clemence or pitie the whiche yf I shulde execute vpon the shulde be cause of .ii. welthes The one therby al other shuld take ensample of feare And the other all noble women shulde be estemed and reputed accordynge to theyr demerites How be it if thy fole hardynes requyre punycion yet my mekenes and benignite consenteth to
entent that with good wyll thou shuldest bere it to her I wyll begynne it in thy presence wherof the mater shal be as folowith ¶ The letter of Lereano to Laureola Syn that the sepulture is the rewarde of all myne euels I ame redy now to receyue it beloue that deth shall not dysplease me for he is of small wytte that abhorryth that thyng y t gyueth libertie but one thyng dyspleaseth me that is in dyeng I shal lose all my hope euer to se you agayn the whiche sore greueth me It may be sayd in so shorte a space as I haue ben your seruant how shuld I so sone lose my puyssance ye ought not to meruail therat for y e hope that ye haue brought me in and smalle comeforte with my greate passyon suffyseth to put away to destroy greater force then myne yet I can not beleue that ye are cause therof without your workes do certifie the same but alwayes I haue beleuyd that your coÌ„dycyon piteous shulde surmouÌ„t your obstynate wyl but sin ye wyll that my life shal receue this domage y e faute therof is myne owne mysfortune I am sore abasshyd that ye sorow not in your selfe your owne ingratitude I haue gyuen you my liberte intyerly haue gyueÌ„ you my harte nothyng retaynyng to my selfe for all that I can haue no rewarde of loue yet I desyre to serue you Who wold thynke that ye shulde dystroy that thyng that is your owne certaynly ye are your owne enemy with oute ye fynde some remedy to saue me This ye onght to do orels ye coÌ„demne your selfe for my deth perdycyon can not profyght you But I desyre that ye wold sorowe for myne euyll yet yf your sorow shuld do you any payne then I desyre it not syn that lyuyng I neuer dyd ye seruyce It were no ryght that dyeng I shuld cause you to haue trouble They that loke agaynst the sonne y e more they regard it the blynder they be And so the more I remember your fayrenes the blynder is myne vnderstandyng This I say to th entent that of this my rude wrytyng ye shuld haue no meruayll for in the hard case that I ame in accordyng to my wyll I am better dysposed to ende my lyfe then to make any reasones yet I wolde that thyng that ye ought to regarde were so orderyd that ye shuld not occupye your vnderstandyng on a thyng so fayre fro your condycioâ— yf ye consent that I shall dye bycause ye wold haue it publyshed ye haue the power to slee meâ— then be ye euyll cousayled for without hope your beautie hath sertyfyed me therof And if ye esteme my deth to be good bycause I ame not worthy to receyue your grace the whiche I haue â—â—â—pyd to wynne by reasone of my true fayth the which I lese for lacke of deseruyng and w t this thought I thynk to suffre all my payne And if it seme to you that the paynes that I endure for your sake can not be remedyed with oute offence to your honor Thyuk that I wyll neuer desyre y e thyng that shuld torne you to blame what profyght shuld any thyng do to me that shuld be euyll to you Allonely I desyre your aunswere for my fyrst last reward to be brefe I requyre you syn ye make an ende of my lyfe yet at lest honor my deth for in the place where as the desperate sowles becometh yf ther be any welth There I desyre to feale none other ioy but y t ye wyll honor my dede bones that I may ioy a lytle with that great glory ¶ The auctor THe wordes and letter of Lereano finyshed In stede of wordes mynâ— eyen were satysfyed with greate wepyng so withonte power to speke I departyd thynkynge my iudgement y t it shuld be the last tyme that I had any hope to se hym agayn alyue And as I was on my way I wrote a superscâ—ypcion vpon the letter to th entent that Laureola shuld be in doubt fro whence it came And when I came in to her presence I delyuered her the letter who beleuyng that it had come frome some other persone receyuyd it and began to rede it And all the season that she was redyng I regardyd styll her vysage when she hadde made an ende I saw well she was sore troubelyd as though she had sufferyd a great euyll yet the regardyng of her turbacyon excusyd not my trouble Then to assure my selfe I demaundyd of her other questyons no thyng concernyng to that purpose And to delyuer her selfe fro company y t whych in suche case is perelous lesse that the manyfest mutacions discouer not the secrete thoughtes of the harte Therfore she withdrew her selfe a parte and all that nyghte she was without spekyng of any word to me as tuchyng that purpose And the next day she sent for me shewed me many vertuous resons to dyscharge her selfe fro any thyng consentyng to release y e payne of lereano howbeit she sayd y t she thought great inhumanite to lese suche a man as Lereano for so small a pryce as in wrytyng of a letter how be it in the redyng of his letter I take but smal pleasour Therfore here I haue wrytten a letter not w t so pleasant and swet wordes as be in his reasons for who so euer here the wordes in this my letter may well knowe y t I haue lytle studyed in the arte of eloquence So for shamefastnes sodenly her face was inflamyd and as sodenly agayne pale she was so sore alteryd and shorte wyndyd that in maner she brethed for y e deth her harte voyce so sore trymbled that her dyscrecion could not enforce her selfe to speke therfore her aunswere was shorte and also the place requyred no lenger tyme. So she toke me the letter and kyst her hand and I receyuyd it The tenour wherof ensuyth ¶ The letter fro Laureola to Lereano THe deth that thou lokest for by reasone of thy payne I haue rather deseruyd it yf I shulde put my wyll to thyne but that is not so for this my wryttyng is more to redeme thy lyfe then to satisfy thy desyre what shulde it profytte me to accomplysh it for yf I were accusyd therof I coulde haue no wytnes to salue me but alonely my pure entensyon which is so pryncypall a pertye that his wordes shulde not be taken nor beleued And with this feare I haue put to my hande to this paper my harte mynde beyng in heuyn makyng hym iudge of my mynde to whome the trouthe of all thynges is manyfest knowen The cause why y â— I doubtyd to aunswere the was bycause withoute my condemnacion thou canst not be assoyled as thou mayst well se for though no creature know of this letter but thy selfe the berer yet I know not what iudgement any of you may make vpon me though it be but good yet I ame spottyd with y e suspecte therof Therfore
at one tyme then to deserue so many dethe So the kyng in purpose to punysh y e innocensy of Laureola by reasone of the treasone of the false wytnes ordeynyd y t his doughter Laureola shuld haue the sentence of iustyce The whiche when it came to the knowledge of Lereano he was ther with nere oute of his wytte and wiâ—h great fury and passion desperate determynyde to go to the courte to delyuer Laureola and to slee Persyo orels to lese his owne lyfe in the quarell And when I saw hym wyllyng to folow that fantasye wherin was more perell then hope Then I desyryd hym to worke sagely and so by reasone of the alterasyon that he was in he was in a great perplexite And when I saw hym stande in suche a dysmayde trance I thought then to serue hym with my counsayll to th entent he shuld not do that thyng in haste wherby to repent hym after And consyderynge the way that I thoâ—ght moste sure I sayd to hym thus ¶ The auctor to Lereano SIr I desyre you to be dyscrete to th entent that I may prayse your wytte that ye may so deale to remedy your euyll that ye may be ioyfull as I desyre and praysed as ye deserue This I say for the sage pacience that thou shuldest shew in the tyme of thyne aduersyte for though I se well y e thyne vnderstandyng be occupyed w t passion yet thou shuldest consyder what thou wylt do and with what dyscrete knowledge Thou shuldest rather folow my symple counsayll then to put to execucion thy foresayde wyll Thus thou shuldest do by thyne owne naturall in tysemente Moche haue I studyed on that thou oughtest to do in this thy greate fortune And accordyng to my power iudgement The fyrst thyng to accomplysh it for the to take reste the lack therof trowblâ—th the in thy present case And after myne opynion thy fyrste determynacioÌ„ shal be the laste to put to execucion for as thyne enterprice is great and weyghty accordyng ther to demuer delyberacion shulde be determynyde or yt were executyd all wayes in a thyng doughtfull The most surest way wolde be taken And yf thou be disposede to slee Persyo or to delyuer Laureola Fyrste thou muste coÌ„syder by what wayes thou mayste do it skape away with both your honours for her honour is more to be estemyd then the lyfe For yf thou caâ—ste not accoÌ„plyshe thyne enterpryce thou shalte leue her coÌ„dempnyd and thy selfe dyshonouryd Thou knowyst that men workyth and fortune iudgith And if thynges passe well then they be praysed yf they fortune euyll then they be dyspraysed and taken for euyll If y u delyuer Laureola thou shalte be callyde valyant yf thou assay and fayle then y u shalt be reputyd a fole Cary here a .ix. dayes for then shal be y â— execusioÌ„ of the sentence agaynst Laureola In the meane seasone let vs proue assay all other remedyes that any hope is in And if we fynde no remedy in that then execute thyne entent though thou lese thy lyfe therby yet it shal be to thyne honour and fame One thynge thou shuldeâ—te prouyde for or thou begynne I putte case thou haddeste now broken the prisone taken oute therof Laâ—reola and caryed her away into thyne owne lande yet she shulde be condempnyd and reputyd culpable and wher soeuer thou shuldest sette her yet she shuld suffre payne the which then shuld be gretter euyll then y e fyrst Therfore the best way as semeth me is to do after this maner I wyll go in thy name to Galleo brother to the quene who for parte desyreth y e delyuerance of Laureola asmoche as thy selfe doste And I shall shewe hym what is thyne entent and desyre hym to the entente he sholde bere no charge nor blame that he wold be redy with a certayn nomber of men the same day that thou shuldest do thyne enterpryce that yf thou fortune to gette Laureola oute of prisone Then to put her in to his handes in the presence of eury man in wytnes of his ignorance and of thy clennes and so he to receyue her tyll the kyng haue prouyd the trouth in euery thyng and to kepe her in his castell wherby this busines may come to a good ende but as I haue sayde this way muste be y e laste shote ancre Therfore fyrste I wyll go to the court and speke with the cardynall of Gaula and w t other lordes prelates that I can fynde ther. And I shall desyre them to speke to y e kyng desyryng hym to grant Laureola her lyfe And yf we fynde no remedy in this then I wyll desire the quene that she with all other ladyes honest women of her courte and of the citie to go to the kyng and desyre perdone for her doughter To whose wepynges and peticions I can not beleue that pitie shal be denyed And yet if that can not auayll then I shall cause Laureola to wryte to the kyng her father certyfyeng hym of her innocency and if all these wayes wyll not serue then shall I offre to the kyng that thou shalt fynde a persone that shall do deades of armes agaynst those .iii. false witnesses and if none of these wayes can preuayll Then proue thy strength and therby peraduenture thou shalte fynde y e pitie in the kynge that thou sekeste for But yet or I deperte me thynkyth y u shuldest wryte to Laureola in strengthyng of her feare with suertye of her lyfe The whiche thou mayste well do syn heuyn dysposith that is wrought vpon the erthe it can be none other wyse but that god wyll receyue y e wepynges of innocentes and thy iuste petycions ¶ The auctor SO Lereano swaruyde no poynt fro myne aduyse bycause he thought it the moste sure way for the expedicion of his purpose Howbeit his harte was not sure for he doughâ—yd lest the kyng in his ire shuld haue gyuen sentence vpon Laureola or the day came How be it by the lawes of the lande she shulde haue .ix. dayes respyght Though his harte fearyd this it was no meruaill for they that be true louers all y t is contrary to them they lightely beleue it And that they desyre most they thinke them selfe therof most vncertayne How be it he concludyd to write to Laureola with greate dought that she wold not recyue his letter The tenour wherof was as folowith ¶ The letter of Lereano to Laureola RAther wolde I put my handes to rydde myne owne life then to begyn to write yf I knewe that my workes were cause of your prisone asmoch as myne euyll fortune is y e which is to me so contrary y t it can not cause me to dye well w toute I may saue you The whiche I purpose to do And if I dye in that quarell ye shal be delyueryd quite oute of presone and then I clene rydde fro all my mysaduentures and so the deth of one shal
the deth of Laureola the whiche I will shewe she hathe deseâ—uyd by iust causes determyned acordyng to honour and iustice and yf her errour shulde be lefte vnpunnisshed I shulde then be no lesse culpable then Lereano As tochyng my dishonour and shame yf it were publisshed that I shulde perdone such a case of my neigbours I shuld be dispraised and of myne owne subgettes disobeyed and of euery man smally eâ—â—â—ed And also I might well be accused y t I haue euil conserued the generosite of my predecessours And this faulte myght be so far exstemed that it might spotte defowle the fame of myne auncettours passed blemysh y e honour of them that be present and steyne y e blud of them that be to come for one spotte in our lignage myght confounde all our generacion The perdonynge of Laureola shuld be cause of other great euils the whiche shulde folow by reasoÌ„ of my perdonyng wherfore I hadde rather to cause feare by reasone of my crueltie then to cause boldnes to do euil by reasone of my pitie And in my so doing I shal be estemed as a kinge ought to be by reason of doing iustice Be holde how many reasons there be that shlude lede y t she ought to haue sentence ye knowe well our lawes hath stablisshed that a woman accused in such causes shuld suffre deth and ye se well how it were better for me to be called a kyng in mynystrynge iustice then to perdone the culpable And it ought well to be noted y t in stede of consernyng the lawe if I do breke it my selfe y e whiche I ought not to do then I coÌ„demne my self The righte waye oughte equally to be kept obserued for the hart of a iuge ought not to be mouede for fauoure for loue nor couetyse nor for none other accideÌ„t folowing the right iustyce is laudable And yf it be fauourable then it is abhorred Iustice ought neuer to go oute of the ryght way syne it is cause of so moche goodnes It cansith feare to them that be euyll and it susteynyth them that be goode It pacefyeth all differences it determynyth al questions it expelith all stryues and contensions it agreith all debates it assurith the wayes it honourith the people it fauourith the small people and of base condicion it bridilith the myghty men and to the comon weale it is ryght profytable Then to conserue such a welthe and that the lawes susteynyth it It is ryght that I shuld vse iustice yf ye desire so moch the helth of Laureola and prayse so moche her goodnesse brynge forth one witnes of her innocensy as I haue .iii. to charge her then she shall be perdonyd with reasone and praysed with trouth Also where as ye say that I shulde gyue faith to the iudgemente of god aswell as to the wytnes of other men it is no meruayll thought I do not so for I se the wytnes certayne at myne eye and as for the iudgment is not yet endyd For thoughe Lereano hadde the better of the batayll we may iudge the myâ—â—es but we know not the ende I will not aunswere to al your alegasyons and sayenges bycause I wyll make no longe proces and at the ende sende you away without hope I desire moche to accept your requestes bycause of your well deseruyng therof and if I do not yet I requyre yon take it for none euyll for ye ought no lesse to desyre the honour of the father then the saluacion of his doughter ¶ The Auctor THe desperate aunswere of y e kyng was to the herers great heuynes And when I saw that this remedy was to me contâ—ary then I sought for a nother way trustyng that shulde be more profitable And y t was I thought to go to the quene that she shuld desyre the kyng for the saluacyoÌ„ of her doughter Laureola So I wente to her who was partaker of her doughters sorow And I founde her in an hall acoÌ„panyd with many noble ladyes and other who were suffycyente to haue atteygnyde theyr desyres other iuste or vniuste though the mttaer hadde ben neuer so greate yet theyr desyres ought not to haue ben refused bycause of y e auctorite of the quene who knelyd downe and spake wordes to the kyng aswel leyeng charge to hym for his ire as also wordes of pitie to apeace hym And she shewed hym the moderacyon that a kyng ought to haue and reprehendyd the perceueraÌ„ce of his ire and shewyng hym how he was a father and allegyd reasones ryght dyscrete to note and full of sorow sayng that if he wolde nedes execute his cruell iudgemente to do it rather vpoÌ„ her selfe seyeng great parte of her yeres were passyd then vppon Laureola in her yonge age aprouyng that by her owne deth the fame of the iudge shulde be sauyde and the lyfe of her that is iudgyd and the mynd of the desyrer fulfylled But the kynge styll was indurate in his fyrst purpose All the quenes rasones could not serue nor yet her bytter wepynges And therwith the quene went in to her chamber with small strength sore wepyng and as redy to dye And when I sawe that the quene could gette no grace of the kyng I went to the kyng withoute any feare of his fersâ—es and sayd how he ought to gyue his senteÌ„ce with clere iustice for Lereano shulde fynde a man to fyght agaynst all those .iii. false wytnesses orelles to do it his owne proper person and to pay them accordynge to theyr desertes and then god shall shew where the ryght is Then the kyng aunswered me that I shuld leue myne ambassade for Lereano sayeng how the heryng of his name encresyd his passyon and ire And when the quene knewe there was no remedy to saue the lyfe of Laureola She went to the prisone and kyssed her dyuerce tymes and sayde as folowith ¶ The quene to laureola O Bountie by malice accusyd O vertue by ire coÌ„demnyd O doughter borne of thy mother to sorow thou shalte dye withoute iustice and I must wepe by reason Thyne vnhappe hath more pusance to condempne the then thyn innoceÌ„cy to saue the without the I shall lyue accompanyed with doloures the whiche in thy stede thou shalt leue me Thy deth shal ende .ii. lyues the one is thyne without cause and myne by good reasone and ryght To lyue after y â— shuld be to me a sorer deth then that thou shalte receue for it is farre greatter tormente to desyre the deth then to suffre it Wolde to god thou myghtest be called the doughter of the mother y t shuld dye rather then to be she y t I shuld se dye Of euery maÌ„ thou shalte be bewailedâ— as long as the worlde endureth all that of the haue any knowledge wyll sette litle by this realme y â— whiche thou shuldest enheryte accordyng to thy desertes for all that y u art fallen in to thy fathers displeasour yet all suche as knowith the affyrmyth that
can be in no suretie And the thyng that most greuith me is iâ— gyuyng sentence agaynst me ye do iustice against your owne honour the wiche all wayes shal be recoâ—dyd more for the cause then for iustice in it selfe My blode shall occupye but a small place but your crueltie shal sprede ouer all the yerth ye shal be callyd the cruell father and I the doughter innocent For syn god is iuste he shall clere my trouth for I shal be lefte w t oute faulte when I haue receyuyd the payne of dethe ¶ The Auctor WHen Laureola had endyd her letter she sent it to the kynge by one of her kepers who loued and fauoured her in suche wyse y t he wolde gladly she had bene at her libertie for he was asmoche moued te pytie her as to obey the kinges comaundement And when the kynge hadde receyued y e letter and redde it he coÌ„maunded streygthly that the berer therof shulde auoyde his presence And when I saw that then newly agayne I cursed my mysaduenture thought that my tormente was so great that it occupied my harte in dolour yet my mynde forgat not to do y t I ought And though I hadde more space to endure payne rather then to fynde remedy yet then I wente and spake with the lorde Gawlo her vncle and shewyd hym how Lereano was determynyd to take Laureola perforce out of presone wherfore I desyred hym to be redy with a certayne nombre of men that when Lereano hadde taken her oute of presoÌ„ then he wold delyuer her to his power to sette her in sauegarde Because that if Lereano shulde cary her away with hym it shulde veryfy the wytnes of the false accusers And bycause that y e deth of Laureola was as dere to hym as to the quene his suster he aunswered me sayde how he was content therwith And when his wyll and my desyre were confyrmable together then I depertyd secretly bycause that or any brute were made y e dead myght be executyd sodeÌ„ly And when I came to Lereano I shewyd hym all that I hade done and of the small effect therof And then I delyuered hym Laureolas letter and what for the compassion of the wordes therin and with the thoughtes that he determyned to do his harte therwith was so oppressyd y t he wist not what aunswere to make me He wepte for compassion any coulde not refrayne his ire and was sore discomefortyd by reasone of his euyll fortune and yet he hopyde accordyng to iustice When he thought to reskew Laureala he was ioyfull And agayne when he doughtyde to brynge it aboute his harte changyde Fynally leueng al doubtes knowyng the aunswere of Galleo then he began to study what waye to accomplishe his enterprice And lyke a wyse knyghte well prouydyde whyle I hadde ben in the courte he had assemblyd to gether of his own seruaÌ„tes .v. C. men of armes without knowledgyng of any of his kynne or frendes Some peraduenture wolde haue agreyd with hym with discrete consideracion suche as were made priuy Some of them sayd y e kyng dyd euil And some sayd it was a ieopdous enterprice and perilous to accomplysh Therfore to exchew al such incoÌ„uenieÌ„ts he thought to execute his dead alone w t his owne men So the day before that Laureola shuld haue bene iudged Lereano callyd before hym all his seruantes and sayde to them how the good vertuous men were more bounde to feare theyr shame then the perell of theyr lyues Also sayenge how yet lyueth the fame of them that be passyd by reasone of theyr deades that they haue done And he desired them that for couetyse of worldly goodes y e whiche shall haue an ende that they shulde not for that lose the glory of them that liueth perpetually And he desyred them to haue in theyr memory the rewarde of well dyeng he shewyd theÌ„ what folyshnes it was to feare deth And in theyr so doyng he promysed them great gyftes rewardes And when he hadde made to them a long sermon then he declaryd y e cause that he sent for them and all they with one voice proferyd to lyue and dye with hym And when Lereano saw theyr good wylles he thought hym selfe then well accompanyd and so depertyd in the nyght and came in to a valey nere to the citie ther he taryed all the nyght and infourmyd his meÌ„ what they shulde do He apoyntyd one capitayne with a. C. men of armes that they shuld go streyght to the lodging of Persyo and to slee hym and asmany as dyd resyst them Then he apoyntyde other .ii. capitayns with eche of them .l. footemen to go vp the two principall streates goyng to the presone where as Laureola was `coÌ„maundyng them that when they came to the preson then they to torne theyr faces to the citie warde kepe defende that no person shulde entre in to the castell vntyll suche tyme as he with other .iii. C. men came to take oute Laureola And the capitayne that he hadde coÌ„maundyd to sle Persio he chaâ—gyd hym that when he had done to come and mete with hym at the presoÌ„ and they to defende the passage yf any came to entre in to the castell whyle he were taking oute of Laureola And all this thus agreyd coÌ„cluded when the gates were opened in the â—ornynge sodenly he and all hys men entered in to the citie and euery capitayneâ— toke hede to his charge The capitayne that had the charge to sle Persio executed his coÌ„maundemente for he slew Persio all other that were in his way to lette hym Ther Persio endyd his myserable lyfe and Lereano went to the preson and what with the furour of his ire with the vertue of his force fought so fercely with the kepers of the presone and slew so many that he could not get for dede bodyes but with moâ—he payne But as iâ— al peâ—els the bountie encrea seth by force of armes So by clene force he came in to the preson wher as Laureola was and there he toke her with as greate seremony and honour as thought hit hadde bene in tyme of peace he knelyd downe to the yerth and kylâ— her hande lyke the doughter of a kynge and with that present turbacion she stode without strenght so that she coulde not moue her selfe Her harte dismayd her colour faylyd litle parte of any lyfe was lefte in her Then Lereano tooke and caryed her oute of prisone and then mette with Galleo her vncle accordynge to his promyse who came thyther with a certayn nomber of men and there in the presence of euery man Lereano delyueryd Laureola in to his handes and still his men fought against them that came againste hym but he set Laureola vpon an hakeney that Galleo had ther redy and agayne kyste her hande and then went to ayde his men that were styll fyghtyng and still he regardyd after Laureola till he hadde loste
vnkyndnes in his lyfe without the losse of lyfe I could not rewarde hym accordyng to his desire I wyll thou know that his deth causith me to lyue alwayes dyenge now shalte thou se how moche it sorowith me and how moche he pleasyde me now thou shalt iudge what loue I bare hym and know yf I dyd well to suffer hym to dye thou knowist well that with his lyfe he myght haue wonne that by his deth he dysparyd and lost it but syn I can not now paye nor rewarde hym I shall satisfye the make the bere witnes yf I rewarde not seruice as I ought to do ¶ The auctor SHe endyd her wordes with suche heuynes that she coulde scante make an ende for sorow then she went fro me subbyng and sore wepyng wherby her tonge was sore troubelyd chaunged colour and so went in to her chamber with sore inwarde lamenâ—acioÌ„ for feare she shuld haue ben hard Then I weÌ„t to my lodgyng w t so great sorow that often tymes I was desperate of my lyfe with myne owne deth I wold haue ben reuengyd if I coulde not puttynge my selfe in dyspayre And thus beynge alone withoute pleasure aswell as with oute frendes to speke vnto for werynes I layd me downe and as though I had sene Lereano before me presente I sayd to hym as folowith ¶ The auctor to Lereano O Lereano enemye to thy adueÌ„ture and frende to thy myshape who can be cause of thy lyfe with this ambassade as I was cause of thy deth w t my message for now if thou knewyst the repentance of Laureola thou woldest change the glory celostyall for thy lyfe temporal for by thy deth thou hast lost thy desyre if thou haddest sauyd thy lyfe without doubte thou shuldest haue wonne that by thy deth thou hast lost Dyd I nat say to the when thou lay a dyenge that by thy deth thou shuldest lese all and by thy lyfe thou myghtest attayne to thy desyre O vnhappy y t I am y t I were not in y â— place where as I myght shew the all that Laureola hath sayd to me and of the thought that she takâ—th for lesynge of thy lyfe though w t the deth thou hast wonne the desire of thy will by that she shewith now thou oughtest to thynke thy deth well bestowyd great ioy I shuld recene if I knew that thou dyddeste here me and beleue mâ— for thou maist se that alonely her repentance suffy seth to pay y â— thy reward yf thou haddeste lyuyde thou shuldeste haue had no cause to haue beÌ„ in trouble now thy payne shal be withoute hope of sufferance now thou nediste not to be troubly with thy lyfe nor take no ioy of thy deth O what welth shuld it be for me if god wold suffer me to lese my lyfe to recouer thyne why doth god leue me here without the. who can lese the and lyue after wold to god that the good will that I haue in thy lyfe that thou myghtest pay me with my deth y t which I hope thou shuldest do if thou haddest as good wyll to se me as I haue desire to serue y e. Thus I wyll leue any further to trouble the. ¶ The auctors dreme THus I was so wery that I left my talkynge and as he that wyst not what he dyd I fell in a slombere and amonge other thynges I beganne to dreme wherby I had more payn then pleasure I drempt that I saw Lereano before me aparelled after this maner he had on his hedde a bonet of scarlet with a grene ryband of an euyll colour with a worde enbrowdered saieng thus hope is dead with his colour slayne by your vnkyndnes and when he came nere me I sawe he had on a shyrte wrought with blak sylke with a border of letters sayenge encreasyng my stedfastnes at the ende I found deth Also he had a doblet of yeolow saten enbrowdered with this worde my passion with my ioye satisfied in doynge that I haue done Also he had on a iaket of blake veluyt with a border of saten of the same colour and theron a wrytynge that sayd in my stedfastnes shewed is myne euyll and your trespace Also he had a gerdell of golde with letters reportynge more rather was my dethe then lyfe if ye wolde be seruyd therwith He had also a dager y â— knyues and pomell of asure w t letters sayeng ryght sore was the passion that ye gaue me and yet ye neuer repentyde it Also he had a sworde with the sheth gyrdell of sylke enbrowderyde w t this worde gyuyn to my lyfe such torment that diyng and lyuyng I was content Also his hosen one white a nother blew w t this word chastite ielus of my lyfe could not be sufferyd to serue And ouer all this he had a cappe of blacke enbrowderyd with darke tawny with a worde that sayd heuynes can not so trauayll me that it shulde chaÌ„ge my stedfastnes His slippers were enbrowdered w t smal letters that sayde myne euyls are at an ende for my seruyce and denyed me is the benyfyte And on his gloues was writen thus begynnyth and endeth the name that most deseruyth So when I had at length regarded his aparell and the stedfaste thoughtes that by lykelyhod he enduryd I behelde his face and I saw his iesture so beautefull that it semed he had neuer taken thought and with an amorous semblant After he had curtesly salutyd me with the same voyce as he was wonte to speke me thought he began to say in this maner ¶ Lereano to the auctor O Thou my true frende thou hast thought that my presence hath bene longe fro the so that I could not tell what y u dyddest nor hard what thou hast spoken thynke not so for I shall neuer be so farre fro the but that I shall alwayes be ioyned with the for though by aduenture in my lyfe I deperted fro the neuer in the deth I shall deperte fro the I shall alwayes be ionyed with the. And all that thou hast sayd of Laureola and of me I was present and hard it god knowith if I myght I wold haue spoken to the but I could not nor feare wold not leue me for I certifie the that this that I do though my speche be short yet it tormenteth me and therfore acordynge to the trust that I haue in thy great vertue I wyll not put the to the payne with long wordes therfore I wyll goo to the effect of thy wordes and to my aunswere Thou sayest thou woldest gladly put me agayne in to life as thou puttedest me to deth beleue nat that thy message gaue me the deth nor I in the begynnynge can not be excused fro coming to this ende thou sayst thou woldest that I were in the dysposicion that I myght ioy me for the repentynge of Loureola I can not thanke the therfore bycause I can not make y â— a recompence for the gretest seriuce that
The castell of loue translated out of Spanishe in to Englyshe by Iohan Bowrchier knyght lorde Bernis at the instaunce of the lady Elizabeth Carew late wyfe to syr Nicholas Carew knyght The whiche boke treateth of the loue betwene Leriano and Laureola doughter to the kynge of Masedonia ¶ Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum ¶ The Prologe FOr the affeccyant desyre and obligacyon that I ame bownde in towardes your ryghte vertuous and good lady as well for the goodnes that it hath pleased you to shewe me as for the nyrenesse of consanguinite hathe pleased me to accomplyshe your desyre as in translatynge this present boke And though my so doynge can not be correspondente any thynge to recompence your goodnes yet not beynge ignorante of your wyll and desyre the whiche in this cause I take for the hole effecte thynkynge thereby to do you some smale rememoracyon And also bycause the matter is very pleasante for yonge ladyes and gentle women Therfore I haue enterprysed to translate the same out of Spanyshe in to Englyshâ— not adorned with so freâ—she eloquence that it shulde meryte to be presented to your goodnesse For or I fyrste entred in to this rude laboure I was brought into greate doubtfulnesse and founde my selfe in dyuers ymagynacyons For seynge the quycke intellygence of your spyrit I feared and agayne the remembraunce of your vertue and prudence gaue me audacyte In the one I found feare and in the other suertie and hardynesse Fynally I dyd chose the moste vnuaylable for myne owne shame and most vtilitie in any reprehencion or rebuke for the moche boldenesse in that I haue not taken suche respyte as I oughte to haue done yet in consyderacyon of your gentlenesse myne affeccyoÌ„ is alwayes in truste to skape blameles I haue taken this entrepryce on me more be desyre to haue blame thereby then to atteyne by my prayse or laude wherfore ryghte vertuous lady maye it please you of your goodnes to accept this lytle presente treatyse and to receyue this my good wyll or ye condempne the faulte And also to haue the more affeccyon to the presenter then to the valewer of the thynge presented requyrynge you to holde and repute me alwayes as one of the nomber of them that alwayes shal be redy to do you pleasure And for the surplus I desyre the creatour of the fyrst cause long to indure and to encrease your happy prosperite Amen ¶ The ende of the prologe ¶ The Auctor AFter y e warres done and finyshyd in my countrey beynge in my poore mansion in a mornyng whan the sonne illuminyd the earthe in a shadowyde darke valey in the mountayne called Serua de Marenê° in the couÌ„trey of Masedonia as I walkyd in a strayte way shadowyd w t fayer trees Sodenly I mette with a knight fyers and furious whose presence was ferfull to regarde Coueryde all in here lyke a sauage creature In his lyfte hande he bare a bryght schilde of stele in his ryght hand a shynynge ymage entaillid in a clere stone of such plesure bewtle that y e clerenes troublyd the syghte of myne eyen out of the whiche there issuyde dyuers Rayes of fier enbransing enflaming y e body of a man The which the sayd knight forceably ledde behynd hym whâ—â—with dolorous playntes and sorowfull passions sayde By reason of my hope I suffre all this and wheir he aprochyd and that I was nere hym he sayd with mortall anguysh frende for the loue of god I pray the folow me and ayde me in this my great beâ—ynes and I as then had more cause of feare then reason to aunswere but I set myne eyen on this strange vision iudgyng in my hart dyuerce consideracionsâ— as to leue my way me thought it symplenes and to accomplysh the desire of the pacient I thought it dangerous to folow hym was perell and to leue hym in that turbacion was pite so that I wiste not whiche was beste to chose how be it after that feare had left myne alteracion in some ease and that my spirites began to respyre then I coÌ„syderyd well that I was more bounde to the vertue then to the lyfe And then determynyde for the dought that I was in to folow y e way of hym who desyred myne ayede and I hastyde me to go after in suche sorte that shortely I ouertoke them Do we went all .iii. a longe space with no lesse anoyance then to be solytary alone fro pleasur or company and though the desyre of the dolorous was cause of my folowynge yet to speke to hym that ledde the pacient I faylyde audacyte and to desire hym me thought nothynge auayleable nor I hadde not deseruyd it though in this case I fayled counsayll yet after I had reuoluyde my thoughtes in the remembrance of many thynges I thought it beste to put to hym some maner of purpose to th entent that accordyng to his aunswere I shuld determyne further And with this delyberacion I requyrede hym in the moste curtes wyse that to me was possible to shew me what he was who aunswered me sayd Frende certaynly accordyng to my naturall condycion I oughte to gyue the none aunswere bycause myne offyce is rather to assure euyll then to aunswere well how be it in that I haue bene alwayes norished among men of good nourture I shall vse to the of the gentylnes that I haue lernyd aâ—d not of the fercenes of my nature Thou shalt vnderstand sence thou wylt know it that I ame principall officer in the house of the god of loue and I ame namyd by my ryght name desire And with the force of this chylde I resyst defende all hoopes And with the beautie of this Image I cause y e affections wher w t I broyle and enflame the lyues as thou maist se by this prisoner whom I lede in to the prisone of loue who all onely by dethe hopeth his delyuerance Whan this tormentour hadde shewed me all these thynges we mountyd vp a sharpe an hygh mountayne that further to trauaylle my forâ—e fayled and with greate payne we aryuyd to the heyght In receyuynge this aunswer then I studyed how to thanke hym of the grace that he hadde shewed me and therw t sodenly he vanyshed fro my presence This was in the begynnynge of the night wherfore I coulde not kepe my waye nor knowe whether I shulde drawe for the darkenes of the nighte the small knowledge that I had of the couÌ„trey Howbeit I thought it best not to returne nor to departe fro the palce that I was in Then I began to course â—yne aduenture abandonyng my selfe fro all hope abiding there my pâ—rdicioÌ„ Thus in y e myddes of my tribulacyon I neuer repentyd of that I had done for I estemyd better to lese my lyfe accomplyshynge vertue then to saue it doing the contrary Thus I was all y e nyght in heuynes and trauelous contemplacion And when the light of the day discoueryd y e wayes I
any sentence apon me And the better to execute on me his true iustyce demaundyd of eche of them yf they consentyd that I shuld be taken prisoner bicause if any of them wolde not haue consentyd he wolde haue asoyled me fro payne and blame to the whiche demaunde all .iiii. aunswerd in this maner First vnderstaÌ„dynge said I consent to the euill of the payne for the welth of the cause wherfore my wyll is that he be taken Then sayd Reason I consent not allonely that he be in prison out I ordeyne that he there abyde and dye for it were better for hym the happy deth then to lyue in dispayre coÌ„sidering for whom he shal suffre it Then sayd Memory syn that vnderstanding reason coÌ„sentyth that without deth he can not be deliuered I then pinyse he shall neuer forget it but alwayes haue it in his remembraunce Then sayd wyll seyng it is thus I will then be the key of his prisone and determyne alwayes to be persecuter of wyll and desyre This seing the god of loue who ought to haue sauid mâ—e coÌ„demned me gaue this cruell sentence agaynst me As for y e .iii. images standing on y e walles of y e towre eche of them of a contrary colour as tawny blacke gray The one is heuynes the other anguish and the thirde trauaill The cheynes in theyr handes are their strengthes wher with they holde falte tyed the harte in such wyse that it can recouer none ease nor rest The great clerenes shynyng that the Egle hath in his bek wynges as thou hast sene in the hyghest parte of the towre whiche is myne inwardes thoughtes whiche hath so great clevenes in it selfe that it suffiseth to enlumyne y e darknes of this clowdy prison and the force therof is so great that the strength of the thick walles can not leâ— it but that it wyll attaigne to the Eglâ— in suche wyse y t they wyll go together in coÌ„pany bycause they are the thinges that mountyth and ascendyth hyghest for the which cause my pryson is in the hyghest place of the lande The .ii. watches that thou heâ—est so dilygently watchyng be Mishap Hate They be of that deuise y t no hope nor remedy shuld entre into me y e darke stayres to mount on is anguysh wheron I mountyd as thou seyst The fyrst porter was desyre who to all heuynes openyth the gate Therfore he sayd to the y t thou shuldest leue al thyne armure of pleasoure The other porter was tormeÌ„t who brought me hyther who is of the same coÌ„dicyoÌ„ The chayre of fier wherin thou seist me syt is my iuste affection whose flames alwayes brynneth in myne entrayles The .ii. women y t gaue me the crown of martyrdom are called payne passyon who satisfyeth my fayth with this present reward The olde man y t thou seyst syt in so great study representeth great thought pensyfenes w t greuous care soliâ—itude The which ioyned with y e other euyls manisheth my poore lyfe The blacke more veâ—â—uryd in yelowe who traueyleth to take awaye my lyfe is named dispayre the sheld that issueth out of my hed defending me fro his strokes is my wytte who seynge y e dispayre wold slee me coÌ„mandeth me to defende my lyfe coÌ„syderyng the deserte of Laureola he coÌ„maundeth me to desyre long life w t sufferance rather then with deth to make an ende The black boord for me to eate on is ferme stedfastnesse wheron I eate Thynke slepe theron are the heuy meates of myne conteplatioÌ„s The .iii. diligeÌ„t seruaÌ„tes y t serueth me are named euyl payne and dolour One bereth the meat of doubtfulnesse wherof I eate a nother bereth dispayre wherin y e meat is brought another bereth y e cup of tribulatioÌ„ wherin I drink drawing water fro y e hart to the eyen from y â— eien to the mouth Now iudge thy self if I be wel serued if I haue nede of remedy y u seyst I requyre the syn y u arte here aryued that thou wylt serche for me some remedy sorow myne euyll I desyre of the none other good but that Laureola may be aduertysedâ— knowe by the state how thou seyst me and peraduenture thou wylt excuse the bycause thou seyst me fayle power to make the a recompence I requyre the let it not be vndone for that cause for more vertue it is to remedy them that be in tribulation then to susteyne them that be in prosperite let thy workes be suche that thou repente not thy selfe for lacke of doynge it when thou myghteste haue done it ¶ The aunswer of the auctour to Laureola THy wordes shewe well that loue hath taken and occupieth thy lybertie but not thy vertue the whiche I proue by that I se in the to be more redyer to dye then to speke how be it thou hast forcyd thy wyll to proue the werynes of my lyfe iudgynge what for trauels passyd for my solycitude present that I haue but small hope to lyue without doubt so it is for thou causest my perdicion desyrynge doughtes remedy and yet thou doest remedy the same as a perfight iudge And surely I haue hadde no lesse pleasour to heare the then I haue had sorowe to se the. For by thy persone is well sene thy payne by thy reasons knowen is thy bountie in gyuynge socour and ayde to the nedyâ—lyke as thou hast doâ—e now to me For I consyderynge the strange mysteries of this thy pryson I doubted of my saluacyon beleuynge all had ben but illusions done by arte diabolycke rather then by any coÌ„dycyon amorous For this thou hast shewed me I thanke the and nowe I knowe what thou arte I thynke well enployed the trauayll that I haue enduryd for thy sake the knowledge of the moralite of these figures hath ryght well pleased me for though I well regardyd them yet for lacke of knowledge my harte was in captyuyte and prisone and now I ame out of doubt feare And where as thou hast coÌ„maundyd me that I shuld gyue knowlege to Laureola in what casâ— I haue sene y â— the which to do I fynd gret perel for a man of a strange nacioÌ„ what maner forme shuld he fynde to execute such a message I haue not alonely this doubt but dyuerce other The rudenes dulnes of my wytte the dyfference of oure speche tonge the noblenes of Laureola and the grauite of this be synes so that in this case I fynde but small remedy but alonely my good will whiche vanquyssith all other inconuenientes and daungers for to thy seruice I offre my selfe as moche as though I hadde bene thyne owne seruant all the dayes of my lyffe And I promyse the y t with good hart I shal accoÌ„plish to my power al thy coÌ„mandemeÌ„tes I pray to god I may be as happy as I ame desyrous to serue the so that thy deliuerance may bere witnes of my true dilygence
meruayll why the kyng delte so with hym Then they were conueyede oute of the feld with lyke seremonyes how be it they were not lyke in fame honour So they were brought to theyr lodgynges and there taryed all nyght The next day in the mornyng Lereano determynyd to go to y e palace to desyre the kyng in presence of all his courte to restore his honour to do vpon Persio ryghtwyse iustyce But Persyo who was malycyous of his condycion and sharpe wyttyd to th entent y t he myght by some meanes attayn to his purpose whyls y t Lereano spake w t the kyng he callyd to hym .iii. false men lyke to his own condycions toke theyr othe that they shuld shew them To y â— which they agreyd Then he gaue to them moche money so that they shuld say and swere to the kyng that they had sene Lereano spekyng w t Laureola in places suspect and in tyme dyshonest which they proferyd to afferme and to swere it to the lefyng of theyr lyues I leue to speke of the doloure that Laureola sufferyd by cause the passyon shuld not trouble so my wytte but that I myght make an ende of y t I haue begonne for I haue no lesse payne to remembre her sorowe beyng absent then as thought I were present and saw it with myne eyen but I wyll torne to Lereano who had more sorow for her prysonement then glory of his victory When he knew that the kyng was ryson he went to the palayce in the presence of the knyghtes of the courte he sayd to the kyng as folowith ¶ Lereano to the kyng SIr of suertie with better wyllâ— I wold haue sufferyd the chastisement of your iustice then y â— shame to haue come to your presence if I had not atteygned yesterday the better of the batayll The which yf ye had taken well I shulde haue bene clene quyte delyueryde fro the false accusacion of Persyo for in the syght of euery man I shuld haue gyuen hym the rewarde that he deseruyd It is great dyfference to haue power to do a thynge and to do it in deade Great auauntage ye shewyd hym y â— reason why I can nother thynke nor imagineâ— ye coÌ„mauÌ„dyde to deperte vs and specially syn our debate tochyd your selfe so nere as he that shuld desyre to be reuengyd for the loue of Laureola lyke a pytefull father and I beleue well that as now ye be well satysfied of her dycharge and ignorance And syr yf ye dyd it for compassion ye hadde of Persyo ye ought as iustely to haue regardyd myne honour aswell as his lyfe seyng I ame your naturall subget And yf ye dyd is by reasone of the inportunateâ— suet of some of his frendes ye ought aswell to haue remembryde the seruyce that I myne haue done you syn ye know w t what constauÌ„ce of hart many of them in dyuerce bateyls haue loste in your seruyce theyr lyues which none of them haue done the .iii. parte Therfore syr I requyre you that by uistice ye wyll satysfye the honour that I haue wonne w t my handes Syr kepe your lawes if ye thynke to conserue your naturall subiectes nor syr consent not that so false a man shuld lyue that kepith so euyll preemynence of his predecessours to the entent that his venyme do not corrupte them that be his parte takers Certaynly I ame culpable in no thyng but in that I haue bene so good a frende to my wrongfull accuser and if for this I haue deserued payne lette me haue it yet my clere innocency shall assoyll me I haue conseruyde his amyte beleuyng he had bene good and not iudgyng his euyll nor falsenes If ye suffre hym to serue you I say he shal be the beste seruaunt to make dyscorde and lyes that shal be in all your courte Syr remember in your selfe how ye be bounde to do ryght to eury man Wherfore determyne this cause with prudence and gyue sentence with your acustomed iustice Syr the thynges of honour ought to be clere and if ye perdone hym for any request though yt be by the pryncipall of your realme or for any other thyng at your pleasur I wyll not then abyde y e iudgement of dyuerce of your meÌ„ to be taken as clene dyscharged For thought some beleue the trouth by reasone yet some wylbe troubelyd and say the worste And though in all your realme the trouth be not knowen yet comenly the fame of the trouth by reasone of fouour of the partye wyll not be borne farre of so y t I can not be clene dyscharged out of all mennys fantasyes yf this man scape withoute open punyshemeÌ„t Syr for goddessake sette myne honour with oute any dysputacion as for my lyfe ordeyne at your pleysour ¶ The auctor TO the sayng of Lereano the kyng gaue good entent and aunswered that he wold take counsayll what was best to do and sayde that in suche a case delybercion wold be taken or any sentence shuld be gyuyn Of trouth the kynges aunswere was not so swete as it ought to haue ben for by that I saw yf the kyng hadde put Laureola at her lybertie Lereano hadde enduryde no trouble For he thought to serue her for all y t he was reputyd culpable though his entent were clere withoute faulte Thus the kyng to eschewe the rumour and besynes that was lykely to fall bytwene Lereanos frendes Persius coÌ„maundyd Lereano to go to a towne of his owne a .ii. leages fro y â— court callyâ— Susa and there to tary tyll he had set a dyrection in y e mater The which Lereano dyde with a ioyful hart thynkyng that â—aureola was clerely dyâ—chargyd whiche was y e thyng he mooste desirydâ— But then Persyo who alwayes trauelyde to offend and to shame his honour and to defende it by malyce he sente for ii of his complyses or Laureola was delyuerede and sayde to them That eche of them a parte shulde go to the kyng and of them selfe to shew hym how that the accusacion of Persio was trew and to bere wytnes that they had â—een Lereano dyuerce tymes speke with Laureola aloone suspyciously The which wytnes and affyrmacion wheâ— the kyng hard it he was sore trowbelyd therwith and examynyd eche of them a parte by subtyle sharpe perswasions to se yf they any thyng swaruyd in ther sayenges But they were such persons that if a man shulde haue wastyde all his lyfe in falsenes coulde not be lyke them They were so sure of theyr wordes the more they were examynyde the surelyer they fortefyed theyr false lyes So that therby the kyng gaue to theyr false sayenges fayth and beleue And by reasone of theyr informacioÌ„ y e kyng reputyd Persyo for trew seruant and beleuyd that it was more by reasone of his fortune rather then by his vntrw quarell that he lost the batayll O Persyo better it hadde ben for the to haue sufferyd the deth
be cause of .ii. liberties I requyre you take me not as your enemy for any thing that ye suffre syn my merites are nat the cause but rather it is myne euell fortune And ye may well beleue that though your dolours be neuer so great yet I fele more torment in y e thinkyng vpon them then ye do in the suffrynge Wolde to god that I hadde neuer knowen you and yet therby I shulde haue lost the sight of you the which to me is the gretest welth of this worlde I shulde haue ben ryght happy and I hadde neuer sene nor harde of the dolour that ye suffre and I ame so accustumyd to lyue in heuynes that I ame fayne to take counsaill for your cause but in the payne y t I fele now I take no counsayl nor I haue no rest nor my harte can not be quyt for the payne that ye suffre Feare not the deth for my propre handes shal saue you therfro I shall serche all the remedies that I cane fynde to apeace y e kynges ire And if y t faylle trust in me that for your liberte I shall deale in such wyse that as long as the world endureth there shal be remembrance and ensample of hardy valiantnes For this that I say is no great thyng to be done for besilde your excellent valeure The cruell Iustice of your presone causeth my hardynes who caÌ„ resist my strength syn I haue it by your meanes What thing is it that the harte dare not enter price your beaute being fixed therin Ther is allonely but one euyll in your saluasion the which may be bought w t an easy pryce accordyng to your deserte that is losynge of my lyfe And though I so do it is but a smalle losse so it may delyuer you With my good hope strengh your febleâ—es for and ye shuld sette your thoughtes vpon al ieoperdes ye myght sone therby ende your life wherby .ii. greate inconuenientes shuld ensue The fyrst and principall is your deth The .ii. is I shuld theÌ„ be preuatyd fro the gretest honour that any man myght haue as in that I shulde not then saue you Lady beleue in my wordes and trust my promyse do not as some other women do to take great feare for a small cause If your femynyne condycion accuse you with feare Then lete your discrecion strength you agayne which ye may well do by myne assurance and bycause this that I say shal be wel prouyd Therfore I requyre you beleue me I wryte not to you at length as I wold do but I shall proue to further your lyfe ¶ The auctor WHyle Lereano wrote his letter I made me redy to deperte and receyuyd his letter and made all the dylygence that I coulde tyll I came to the courte and dyd my deuour that in me was to haue spoken with Laureola to haue gyuen her some comeforte but I was denyed to se her Then I was enfourmyde of the chamber wher she laye wher was a wyndow with a great grate of irone And at nyghte I came thyther wrappyd the letter together and sette it on a spere poynte so with moche trauaill I dyd cast the letter in at the wyndowe in to her chamber and y e next mornyng I came thyder agayne and saw the wyndow open and I saw wher Laureola stode but the latyse was so thycke y t I cowlde haue no perfyght syght of her Fynally I aprochyd nerer to the wyndowe and when she saw me marchyng for by y e wyndowe She cast sodenly oute a letter withoute spekyng of any worde bycause of the prease that was nere hande And as I was goyng away she sayd Take there the reward of the pite that I haue shewed and by cause her kepers were nere aboute her I durst make none aunswere but her wordes dyd put me in to suche passion that who so hadde folowyd me by the trace of my wepynge myght well haue found me out The tenour of her letter folowith ¶ Laureolas letter to Lerea I Cannot tell the Lereano how to aunswer and where as euery man lawdith pite and reputith it for a vertue and in me it is taken for a vice And accordyng therto I ame chastysed I do as I ought to do accordynge to pitie I haue as I deserue accordyng to my mysfortune For surely thy fortune nor thy workes is no cause of my presone nor I complayne not of the nor of none other persone lyuynge but alonely vpon my selfe who to kepe the fro the deth charge my selfe culpable howbeit this compassyon that I haue of the is more paynefull then charge I do remedy as innocent and yet I ame punyshed as culpable How be it moche more pleasyth me this presone beynge withoute errour then to be at liberte infectyd therw t. And though yt be paynefull to suffre yet I ame easyd agayne that I haue not deseruyd it I ame she that amonge all lyuynge creatours ought leste to lyue without the kynge saue me I hope vppon no thinge but deth for yf thou delyuer me or any of thyne in what so euer maner it be I shal be dolorous And yf thou do not remedye me I ame sure to dye and yf thou delyuer me and take me awaye I shal be condempned as culpable Therfore I requyre the to trauayll to saue myne honoure and fame rather then myne lyfe for the one muste ende and the other wyll endure As I haue sayde serche to apeace the furour of the kynge my father for otherwyse I can not be saued without the destruction of myne honour How be it I remytte all to thy good counsayle and adnyse Thy wysdome can chose the beste waye thou mayste se the rewarde that I haue for the fauoure that I haue shewed the. I ame put in prisone where as murderers were wonte to be kepte and I ame tyed with cheynes and with sharpe tormentes my tendre flesshe is tormented and with force of armes I ame kepte as though I hadde the force and power to skape awaye Thus delicate is my sufferynge and my paynes so cruell that besyde y e sentence of deth my father myght otherwyse haue takeÌ„ vengeance vpon me then to suffre me to dye iu this cruell prisoÌ„ I haue great meruayle how of suche a cruell father shulde issue so pacyente a doughter yf I shulde be lyke hym in condicion I shulde not feare his iustice syn he wyll do it so vniustely As to that touched Persio I wyll make none aunswer bycause I wyll not defyle my tongue as he hath done my fame and renowne I had rather he wolde reuoke and denye his wordes that he hath sayde rather then he shuld dye for them but what so euer I say determyne thy selfe as thou lyste thou mayest not erre in that thou wylte do ¶ The Auctour Ryghte dowtious I was when I hadde receyued and redde the letter sent fro Laureola to Lereano whether I shulde sende it to Lereano orels kepe it styll
tyll I weut my selfe At last I determyned not to sende it for two consyderacyons and inconueniences The one was I feared to put our secretes in perell of discoueryng by reason of puttyng truste of any meane messenger The other was for feare lest the trouble that the letter shulde put hym vnto shulde cause hym to execute his purpose in hast before the tyme agreed betwene hym and me and therby all myghte haue ben lost So to tourne to my fyrst purpose The fyrst day I came to the courte I proued and tempted the wylles of suche as I thought wolde be of our opinion and I fouÌ„d none of the contrary desyre sauynge the frendes of Persio to whom me thoughte it but a foly to speake And then I went to the Cardynaâ—l and desyred hym y t it wolde please hym to make supplicacion to the king for the life of his doughter Laureola The which he grauntyd to do with no lesse loue and compassion then I desired it And so incontinent w t dyuers other prelates and greate Lordes together they wente to the kyng Then the cardynall in hys owne name and in all theyrs sayd to the kinge as folowith ¶ The cardynall to the kinge Syr it is not without reason that noble princes in tyme past ordyned theyr counsaillors to ordre by them what was to be done wherby they found great profytte And though couÌ„saill were stablished for many goode causes yet I fynde .vi. reasones that y e same law ought to be obserued The fyrst is bycause that men may moche better order other mens maters rather then theyr owne for the harte of hym that the mater tochyth can not be with oute some ire couetesnes affection or desire or some other lyke condicioÌ„ So that he shall not determyne the cause as he ought to do The .ii. is when maters be pleatyd and arguyd the traugth is the better knowen The .iii. yf the counsaylours ordeyne iustly and bryng the mater well to passe the glory and honour is to them that folowyth suche counsayll The .iiii. is yf by another mannes counsayll the besynes fayleth and takyth none effecte yet he that demaundeth the counsayll is oute of blame charge and they that gaue the counsayll muste bere the charge faulte The .v. ys bycause good couÌ„sayl often tymes assuryth thynges that be dobutious The .vi. is yf a man be faulen in euyl fortune yet in all aduersites good counsayll putteth the pertye in good hope Certaynely syr it is but a blynde counsayll a man to counsayll hym selfe knowynge hym selfe in any furour or passion Therfore syr blame vs not though in the fercenes of your ire we be come to trouble you for we hadde rather that ye shulde in your ire reprehende vs for our comynge to you Then that after ye shulde repent you and condempe vs bycause we gaue you no counsayll Syr thynges done by good delibercyoÌ„ and accord procurith profyt and prayse to them that so doth And thynges done in hast with fury repeÌ„tance must make amendes Suche wyse and noble men as ye be when they shulde do any warke fyrst they shulde determyne or they dyspose aswell in thynges present as in thynges to come and aswell in those thyuges that they hope to haue profyte by as in those thynges that they feare the contrary And if they fynde them selfe troublyde with any passion tyll they be cleryd therfro they shulde gyue no sentence And yf they debate and delaye ther deades then they do well for in all suche weighty maters hast is daungerouse and tariynge is suretie A wyse man that wyll do instly must thynke on all these thynges and or he do any thyng folow reasone and establish the execucion honestly It is the properte of them that be discrete to proue theyr counsailours and not to determyne vpon a lyght credence And there as a thyng femyth doâ—btefull holde then the sentence in balance for all thynges ys not of trouthe that semyth to be true The thought of the wyse man now agreeth now demaundeth and now ordeyn and all wayes cast in his minde what may fall and be ielous of his fame and kepe hym selfe fro erryng and for feare of fallynge therin wyll remember that is past and take the best therof and ordeyne for the tyme present with a temperance and to remember what is to come and in all these to take auysemente Syr all this that we haue sayd is that ye shulde remember your wysdome and ordeyne your deades not furyously but lyke a wyse man and torne the force of your natural wysdome against the accydent of your ire Syr we haue knowlege that ye wyll condemne your doughter Laureola to deth yf her bountie and goodnes haue not deseruyde to be iustyfyde Then of trouthe ye are not ryghtwyse iudge neuer trouble your gloryous fame w t suche a iudgement And we put case though she had deserued this punyshement yet in your so doyng ye shal be defamyde and reputyde rather for a cruell father then a ryghtwyse kynge ye gyue credence to .iii. euyll men of shamefull conuersacion certaynly as good reasone hadde it bene to haue shortyd theyr lyues as to haue gyuen credence to theyr wytnes They be men sore defamyd in your courte for they conferme them selfe to all iniquite They glorifye them selfe in theyr false reasones makynâ— in the begylynges that they make And syr why gyue you more fayth to theyr informacioâ— rather then to y â— iudgemente of god the which was clerely sene in the batayll bytwene Persio Lereano Be not the sheder of your owne blodde for then of all men ye shal be dyspraised and dispysed blame not the innocent for the couÌ„sayll of the enuyous And yf ye thynke that for all the reasons that we haue sayde that Laureola ought not to be sauyd yet for that ye ought to do for vertue bycause ye be bound of your royalnes for the seruice that we haue done you in our most humble wyse we requyre you to haue mercy of her lyfe And bycause that fewer wordes then we haue spoken shuld suffice to your clemency to conuerte you to pytie Therfore we wyll saye no more but that ye wyll remember how moche better it is that your iâ—e shuld peryshe rather then your noble fame ¶ The kynges aunswere Syrs I repute me well counsaylyd by you if I were not more bound to punyshe then to perdoneâ— ye nede not shew me the reasone how that great prynces ought to receyue conusayll as in that and in other thynges that ye haue shewed I knew them ryght well but ye know well when the harte is chargyd with passione then is it locked fro herynge of any counsayle and in y t tyme the fruteful wordes to mytigate the passion of ire causeth it the sorer to encrease bringing to the memory the cause therof wherfore I say yf I were quyte for that impedyment I thynke then I shuld dispose and ordeyn sagely for
hade loste neuer a maÌ„ This assaut endured fro y â— myddes of the day tyll it was nyght the which depertyd them there were slayne hurt of them withoute a .iii. M. and asmany of them within so that Lereano hadde lefet no mo with hym but. C.l. persones and yet by his contenance he semyd as though he had loste neuer a man how be it he was inwardly sory for them that he had loste All that nyght he buryed the dede bodyes and praysed and lawdyde the valiantnes of them that were lefte alyue and gyuing no lesse glory to them that were dede then to them that werâ— a lyue The next day at the relyefe in the morenynge Lereano determynyd that .l. of his menne with hym shulde issue oute and syt vpon a lodgyng that ioynede to the walles perteynynge to a kynnesmans of Persyos Lereano dyde this bicause the kynge shuld not thyâ—ke that he lacked men And this he dyde with ferme boldnes and so brente the sayde lodgynge and sleu many such as made defence And as god wolde in the same busynes there was taken one of them that hadde accusyde Laureola he was brought to Lereano and was put to payne till he was causyd to shewe all the trouth of the hole mater and so he confessed the hole circuÌ„stance of the mater And when Lereano was enfourmed of the trouth he sent hym to the kynge besechynge hym to dyscharge Laureola fro all blame and to do iustice vpon them for the payne that they haue caused Laureola to endure And when the â—yng knew the certaynte he was ryght gladde and thought it was reason that he requiryd and to make shorte proces The kinge dyd iustice vpon y â— .iii. falcâ— wytnesses accodynge to theyr desertes then incontynent he reised vp the siege and reputyd his doughter Laureola discharged Lereano withoute fawte and so went to his citie of Suria then sente for Laureola by y e grettest lordes of his court and she was brought with equall houour acordynge to her deseruynge and was ioyfully receuyd of the kyng of the quene who wepte for ioy and there the kinge discharged her fro blame and the quene kyst her and all other seruyd her Thus the payne passed was turned to great ioy present Then the kyng sent to Lereano coÌ„maundyng hym not to come to his court till he had apeased y e kynnesmen frendes of Persio the whiche coÌ„maundement he receyued w t greate sorow bycause he mighte not se Laureola And when he saw none other remedye he felte hym selfe in a strange maner and seynge hym selfe depertyd fro her He lefte the workes of chyualry and retourned agayne to his olde amorouse thoughtes and trowbles desyryng to know what case Laureola was in He desyrede me to fynde some honest maner how he myght se speke w t her and yet his desyre was so honest that he desyryd not to speke with her in suche wyse that any suspecte shulde be layde to her of the whiche he deseruyde to haue had great thanke And I who was glade to folowe his desire deperted fro hym and went to Suria and when I came there and had kyste Laureolas hande then I shewyd her Lereanos desyre And she aunswered me and sayde that in no wyse she wolde speke with hym for dyuerce causes that she alledgyde And though she was not content to grauÌ„t me at that tyme yet euer after as often as I myght speke with her I made styll my supplycacion and fynaly at laste she aunswerede me sayde ons for all that if I spake any more to her in that mater she wolde be vtterly displeasyd with me And when I harde her aunswere and saw her displeasure then I went to Lereano with greate heuynes and dolour and when I had shewyd hym how it was then he began newly to complayne and sorowe for hys mysaduenture so that with oute doubt he was in the condicion to haue dispayred And when I saw that yet to entertayne hym I sayde counsaylyd hym to write agayne to Laureola recordynge therin what he hadde done for her and maruaylynge of her change seynge she had rewardyd hym before with her writynge Then he aunswered and sayde how he was well content to write but not to recite therin any thyng that he had done for her the which he sayd was nothynge accordynge to her deseruynge Nor also he sayd he wolde make no remembrance in his letter of any rewarde y t he had receyuyd of her For he sayd the lawe of loue defendeth any suche thynge to be wryten What satisfacion shulde I receue therby for the greate perell that myght fall yf the letter were sene Thus not tochynge those maters I wyll wryte to Laureola The tenour of his letter folowith ¶ The letter fro Lereano to Laureola FAyre lady Laureola accordyng to your vertuous pytie synne ye know my passion I can not beleue but y t ye wyll coÌ„sente to my demaunde syn I desyre nothynge that shall be to your dishonour seinge ye knowe myne euill why do you dought withoute reason I dye ye know that great payne occupyeth so myne harte that I feale the euill and can not shewe it yf ye take it for good that I shuld dye thynking to satisfye me with the passion y t ye gyue me syn it procedeth fro you hit is the grettest welth that I can hope for and iustely I shall take it for the ende of my reward yf ye iudge me vncourteise in y t I shulde not be content with that ye do to me gyuinge me cause of so gloriouse thoughtsâ— yet blame me not for though the wyll be satisfyed The vnderstanding maketh quarell and yf my dolour do pleace you bycause I neuer dyd you seruice that might atteyne to the heighnes of your deseruyng wheÌ„ I remeÌ„bre these thynges many mo I thynke y t bycause that ye wyll not grauÌ„te my supplycacion bycause I can do nothynge that shuld deserue it yet hardynes hath causyd me to hope vpon mercy not according to my deseruing but according to your bountie that may gyue it And I thynk that your vertue coÌ„passyon pitie shulde ayde me bycause they be agreable to your condycion When a man hathe any busynes with a greate personage thynkyng to attayn to haue grace fyrste he must wynne the good wylles of the seruauntes wherby a man lightely shall come to his entent But as for me I can fynde no remedye I haue done my deuour to serche for ayde whome I haue found alwayes ferme stable for all they haue requyred you to haue mercy vpon me y e sowle bycause he sufferet hand the lyfe bycause it suâ—teyneth the harte bycause it endureth the vnderstandynge bycause it feleth And syn ye wyll gyue no reward for all these in that they desyre and by reasone haue deseruyd I ame the moste vnfortunat of all other vnhappy The water refressheth the yerth but my wepynges can not molefye your
this lyfe then to haue taryed on the yerth alyue so with sighes I went my way and depertyd wyth wepyng and with lamentacion I sore complaynyde and with suche thoughtes I wente to my lodgynge And when I saw that the consentynge and desirynge of my deth could not remedy hym that was passyd nor could be no comforte to my selfe theÌ„ I determyned to deperte and to go in to myne owne countrey and yet fyrst I purposed to go to the courte to here and se what was sayd for y e deth of Lereano and to se how Laureola toke the mater Thus I thought to go thyther what for this cause for other busynes that I had ther to do with some of my freÌ„des also I purposyd to speke with Laureola if I myght to know if I myght se in her any repentance and to se what true louers wolde say of her crueltye vsyde against hym that deseruyd hygh reward And also I was glad to deperte fro the place wher as Lereano dyed to put parte of my sorow out of my mynde So I came to the courte more accompanyed with sorow then with any desire to lyue remembryng how he that made me begynne this mater was in his sepulture At the palayce I was receyuyde with moche heuynes of many that knew the deth of Lereano then I resyted to suche as were his frende the secretenes of his deth Then I went in to y e hall where I was acustumed to speke with Laureola to se if I myght se what chere she made And I who by reasone of sore wepynge had nere lost my syght I lokyd all abouteâ— but I culde not se her yet when she saw meâ— lyke a dyscrete ladye suspectynge that I wolde haue spoken with her wenynge that I hadde not seen her she turâ—ed towarde her chambre and as she came by me I spied well it was she who hadde brought Lereano fro his lyfe me almoste withoute knowledge then I with sore wepynge and payneful sighes began to speke to her in this maner ¶ The auctor to Laureola LAdy moche more it hadde bene better for me to haue lost my lyfe then to haue knowâ—n your cruelnes and small pytie I say this bycause I had rather with reason haâ—e praysed your gentlenes with â—einge you to haue satisfied the seâ—uyce that hath bene done to you by Lereano then to prayse your beautie great deseruynge gyuyuge dethe to hym that so often tymes with so good will to do you seruyce hath desyred to dye but syn your mynde was to gyue hym the deth ye haue not begyled hym nor me for ye haue payed hym ther with ye haue bleryd the clennes of your lynage Remembre that suche as be of so hygh blud as ye be are asmoch bouÌ„d to satisfy the lest seruyce that is done to them aswel as to kepe and defend theyr honour And certaynly I say that if ye had sene his deth all the dayes of your lyfe ye wolde wepe Remembre now what charge of conscience ye brought hym in for when he died where as he shulde haue had most memory vpon hys sowle and what shuld haue ben done with his body he then remembred more the letters that ye had sent hym the whiche he toke and tare in peces drank them in water because they shuld neuer be sene and bycause he wold cary with gym some thynge that had bene yours to the entent that ye shulde haue more compassioÌ„ of his deth then ye had of his lyfe I shew you for certayne thus I saw hym dye bycause ye shewyd hym no compassion Now ye shew your selfe to be sory that in the absence of your small loue was clene forgoten O how many now do wepe for his deth and yet they know not the cause But as to me fro whom the secretnes was not hiden then moche more it muste nedes greue me remembrynge how in your handes restyd his lyfe and seynge your crueltie and his small remedy ye caused hym to dye cause his mother to lyue in sorow bycause she can not dye and as for me lyuynge I ame alwayes dyeng and I beleue ye couytte not gretly your owne lyfe to remembre what ye haue done but that ye know well there be but few persons that know what ye haue done I thynke ye feare but litle the fame of your euyll name for ye se clerely how I ame lyke to dye therfore ye feare not y t I shuld publishe youe crueltie thynke not that I ame in feare to say thus to you for yf I trouble you with the qualitie content you then with the quantite syn I haue so greate reason to speake and not to ende properly and for this my boldenesâ— yf I deserue any punyshement cause me to be slain for ye shal better reward me with deth then to suffre me to lyue in this case ¶ The auctor Sore troubelyd stode Laureola yet for all that euery I sayd her face shewyd no alterasion of her hart howbeit lyke a discret lady refreynynge wepynge dissimuled her sorow and not blamyuge my boldenes with an heuy chere she aunswered me as foloweth ¶ Laureola to the auctor I wolde I had asmoche wisdome to satisfye the as I haue reasone to discharge my selfe and yf it were so thou shuldest fynd me aswel discharged as I repute the dylygent Thou sayest thou woldest thou haddest asmoche case to prayse my pytye as thou hast cause to blame my crueltie and on that condicion y â— desyryst no lenger to lyue thon blamyst me sayng how I thought to sle Lereano and that begylyde hym and weryde the. I wolde thou knewyste I neuer thought to gyue hym the deth for doyng as thou sayst what is it that I haue done I neuer brake any promise what do I owe the or hym that thou dyddest trawayll for or what dyde I to satisfye thyne entensioÌ„ I dyde put hym without doubte and the w toute charge if I had ben beleuyd then myne is but a small charge thou saist I ought to regarde the clennes of my lynage lokyng profoundly theron hath causyde me to do as I haue done thou knowyst well all women are more bounde to regarde theyr honors rather theÌ„ to accomplysh any amorous wyll or appetight Then syn all women are bounde to this how moche more then by reasone are those bouÌ„de that be dyscedyd of a blude roiall thynk not that I receyue any pleasure for the deth of Lereano nor beleue not that it caÌ„ somoch greue y â— as it sorowith me how be it the feare of my honour the feare of my father dyd more in me then the euyll wyll that I bare hym nor thynke not that the knowledge of his seruice was forgoten but that I gaue hym great thank and yf w t any reward I myght haue payed hym sauynge my honour it shuld haue ben done and cost hym nothyng then both he and thy selfe shulde asmoche haue praysede as now thou blamyste me for