soonne Perotto went into Wales not without greate labour and paine as one neuer accustomed to traueile on foote Where dwelte one other of the kyng of Englandes Marshalles that was of greate aucthoritie and kept a noble house To whose court the Erle and his sonne oftentymes repaired to practise begge their liuyng where one of the Marshalles sonnes and other gentlemennes children doyng certaine childishe sportes and pastymes as to runne and leape Perotto began to entermedle hymself emonges them who in those games did so excellently well as none was his better whiche thyng diuers tymes the Marshall perceiuing and well pleased with the order of the childe asked of whence he was It was told him that he was a poore mannes soonne whiche many tymes came thither to begge his almose The Marshall desiryng the childe the Erle whiche praied vnto God for nothyng els liberally gaue hym vnto hym although it gréeued hym to departe from hym The Erle then hauyng bestowed his sonne and his doughter determined no lōger to tarry in Englande but so well as he could he passed ouer into Irelande and when he was arriued at Stanford he placed hymself in the seruice of a man of armes belōging to an Erle of that countrie doing all thinges that did belong vnto a seruing man or page not knowen to any mā he cōtinued there a long time with great paine and toile Violenta named Gianetta that dwelte with the Ladie at London grewe so in yeres in beautie in personage and in suche grace and fauour of her lorde and Ladie and of all the rest of the house and so well beloued of all them that knewe her that it was meruailous to sée All men that sawe her maners and countenaunce iudged her to be worthy of greate honour and possessions by reason whereof the Ladie that receiued her of her father not knowyng what she was but by his reporte purposed to marrie her honourablie accordyng to her worthinesse But God the rewarder of all mennes desertes knowyng her to be a noble woman and to beare without cause the penaunce of an other mannes offence disposed her otherwise and to the intente that this noble gentlewoman might not come into the hādes of a man of ill condicion it must be supposed that that whiche came to passe was by Goddes owne will and pleasure suffred to be dooen The gentlewoman with whom Gianetta dwelt had but one onely sonne by her husbande whiche bothe she and the father loued verie dearly as well because he was a soonne as also that in vertue and good merites he greatly excelled For he surpassed all other in good condicions valiaunce goodnesse and beautie of personage beyng about sixe yeres elder then Gianetta who seeyng the maiden to bee bothe faire and comely became so farre in loue with her that he estemed her aboue all thinges of the worlde And bicause he thought her to be of base parentage he durste not demaunde her of his father and mother to wife But fearyng that he should lose their fauour he kepte his loue secrete whereby he was worse tormented then if it hadde been openly knowen And thereby it chaunced through Loues malice he fill sore sicke For whose preseruacion were many Phisians sente for and thei markyng in hym all signes and tokens of sickenes and not knowyng the disease were altogether doubtfull of his health whereof the father and mother tooke so greate sorowe and grief as was possible and many tymes with pitifull praiers thei damaunded of hym the occasion of his disease To whom he gaue for answere nothyng els but heauie sighes and that he was like to consume die for weakenesse It chaunced vpon a daie there was brought vnto hym a Phisicion that was verie younge but in his science profoundlie learned and as he was holdyng hym by the poulces Gianetta who for his mothers sake attended hym verie carefully entred vpon occasion into the chamber where he laie sicke and so sone as the yonge gentleman perceiued her and that she spake neuer a worde or made any signe or demonstracion towardes hym he felt in his harte to arise his moste amourous defire wherefore his poulces beganne to beate aboue their common custome whiche thyng the Phisicion immediatly perceiued and merualled stādyng still to se how long that fitte would continue Gianetta was no soner gone out of the chamber but the beatyng of the poulces ceased wherfore the Phisicion thought that he had founde out some parte of the gentlemannes disease and a litle while after seming to take occasiō to speake to Gianetta holdyng hym still by the armes he caused her to be called in and she incontinently came but she was no soner come but the poulces beganne to beate againe and when she departed the beatyng ceased Whervpon the Phisicion was throughly perswaded that he vnderstode the effecte of his sicknes and therewithall rose vp and takyng the father and mother aside saied vnto them The health of your sonne doeth not consist in the helpe of Phisicions but remaineth in the handes of Gianetta your maide as I haue perceiued by moste manifest signes whom the yonge man feruently dooeth loue And yet so farre as I perceiue the maiden doeth not knowe it you therefore vnderstande now what to doe if you loue his life The gentleman and his wife hearyng this was somewhat satisfied for so muche as remedie mighte bee founde to saue his life athough it greued them greatly if the thing wherof thei doubted should come to passe which was the marriage betwene Gianetta and their soonne The Phisicion departed thei repaired to their sicke soonne the mother saiyng vnto hym in this wise My soonne I would neuer haue thought that thou wouldest haue kept secrete from me any parte of thy desire specially seyng that without the same thou dooest remaine in daūger of death For thou art or ought to bée assured that there is nothyng that maie be gotten for thy contētacion what so euer it had been but it should haue been prouided for thée in as ample maner as for my self But sith thou haste thus doen it chaūceth that our Lorde God hath shewed more mercie vpon thée then thou hasle doen vpō thy self And to th ende thou shalt not die of this disease he hath declared vnto me the cause of the same whiche is none other but the great loue that thou bearest to a yonge maide wherso euer she bee And in deede thou oughtest not to bée ashamed to manifest thy loue bicause it is meete and requisite for thyne age For if I wist thou couldest not loue I would the lesse esteme thee Now then my good sonne be not afraied franckly to discouer all thyne affectiō Driue awaie the furie and thought whiche thou hast taken whereof this sickenes commeth And comfort thy self Beyng assured that thou shalt desire nothyng at my handes that maie be doen for thy contentacion but it shall bee accomplished of me that loueth thee better then myne owne life and
gentlewomans bedde and began to imbrace kisse her The mayden when she felte him sodaynelie dipped her finger in the colour stayned his face not perceyued of him when he had accomplished the thing he came for he retourned to his bedde And then began to imagine vpon the Dukes wordes and for what policie he spake them And lying a litle while stil musing vpon the same he went againe to the gētlewomans bed hauing disposed himselfe in the pleasures of this paradise lambe He perceyued her when she dipped her finger in the sawcer rubbed his face Ricciardo marking the fame toke away the sawcer from the beddes head and rounde about bestowed the colour vpon the faces of euery of his felowes who were to fast a slepe that they did not fele him Some he marked with two spottes some with six and some with .x. himself he painted but with foure besides those wherwith already he was berayed by the Gentlewoman Which done he set the saucer agayne vpon the beds head when he had bidden her farewel fayre softly he returned againe to his bed In the morning betimes the Damosels of the chāber came in to helpe the Lady to make her ready which done they waited vpō her to the Duke who asked her howe the matter stode She aunswered well for she had done his cōmaundement And tolde him how one came vnto her three times euery time she gaue him a taint in his face The Duke by and by sent for them that were of his counsell To whome he sayde Sirs I haue founde out this good fellowe and therefore I haue sent for you that we al together may goe to sée him They went all into the chāber and viewing them round about they perceyued all their faces coloured whereat they fell into a great laughter Then one of them sayde to a nother Suerlie this fellowe hath the subtilest head that euer was knowen and concluded the one of the company had set the colour in their faces The yong men beholding one another paynted in that sorte brake into a great sport and pastime Afterwardes the Duke examined euery of them séeing that he was not able by any meanes to vnderstande by whom it was done he determined to knowe the man before he departed and promised to him that shoulde confesse the truth to giue his daughter to him in mariage and with her a very great dowrie and a generall pardon Wherefore Ricciardo vnderstanding the Dukes minde toke hym asyde and tolde him the whole matter particularly from the beginning to the ende The Duke imbraced him and gaue him his pardon and with great ioy and triumph he solemnized the mariage betwene him his daughter Wherewithal Ricciardo encoraged proued a very stoute and valiaunt man in suche wise almost as the affaires of the whole state passed through his handes And liued a long time after with the loue good will of the whole cominaltie of Venice Philenio Sisterno Philenio Sisterno a Scholler of Bologna being mocked of three fayre Gentlewomen at a banket made of set purpose he was reuenged vpon them all ¶ The .xlix. Nouell AT Bologna which is the noblest citie of Lombardie the mother of studies and accomplished with all things requisite for such a florishing citie there was a yong scholler a gentleman of the cuntrie of Crete named Philenio Sisterno of very good grace and behauior It chaunced that in his tyme there was a great feast made in the citie wherevnto were bidden the fairest dames and best of reputation there There was likewise many gentlemen and schollers of Bologna amongs whome was this Philenio Who following the manner of yong men dallying sometime with one sometime with another and perceyuing them for his purpose determined to daūce with one of them And comming to one which was called Emerentiana the wyfe of sir Lamberto Bentiuoglia he prayed her to daunce Who being very gentle and of no lesse audacitie than beautifull refused not Then Philenio leading forth the daunce very softly sometimes wringing her by the hand spake somewhat secretely vnto her these words Madame your beautie is so great that without doubt it surmounteth all that euer I sawe and there is no woman in the worlde to whome I beare so great affection as to your person which if it were correspondent to me in loue I would think my self the best contented man in the worlde otherwise I shall in shorte time be depriued of lyfe and then you shall be the cause of my death And louing you Madame as I doe and as my duety requireth you ought to take me for your seruaunt vsing me and those litle goodes which I haue as your owne And I doe assure you that it is impossible for me to receyue greater fauour from heauen than to sée my self subiect to such a gentlewoman as you be which hath taken me in a net lyke a birde Nowe Emerentiana which earnestly had marked the swéete and pleasaunt wordes lyke a wise gentlewoman semed to giue no eare thervnto and made him no aunswere at all The daunce ended and Emerentiana being set downe in her place this yong scholler went to take another Gentlewoman by the hand and began to daunce with her which was not so sone begon but thus he sayde vnto her It néedeth not Madame that by wordes I doe expresse the feruent loue which I beare you and wil so doe so long as my poore spirite shall gouerne and rule my members and if I could obtaine you for my maistresse and singuler Lady I would thinke my selfe the happiest man on liue Then louing you as I doe and being wholly yours as you may easily vnderstand refuse me not I besech you for your humble seruaunt sith that my lyfe and al that I haue dependeth vpon you alone The yong gentlewoman whose name was Panthemia perceyuing his meaning did not aunswere him any thing at that tyme but honestlie procéeded in her daunce and the daunce ended smyling a little she sat downe with the other dames This done amorous Philenio rested not vntill he had taken the third by the hand who was the gentlest fayrest and trimmest dame in al Bologna and began to daunce with her roming abrode to shew his cunning before them that came to behold him And before the daunce was finished he sayd thus vnto her Madame it may so be as I shall séeme vnto you very malapert to manifest the secrete loue that I haue and doe beare you at this instant for which you ought not to blame me but your beautie which rendreth you excellent aboue al the rest and maketh me your slaue prisoner I speake not of your cōmendable behauior of your excellent maruellous vertues which be such of so great effect that it would make the Gods descend downe to contēplate the same If then your excellent beauty and shape so wel fauoured by nature and not by arte may séeme to contente the immortall Gods you ought not to be offēded
so many tymes for his sake to fetche so many sighes and with suche sweete woordes to bidde hym bet of good there aud that if he wanted any thyng to tell her and praied hym with pleasaunt wordes to call for that he lacked and that for his sake she would gladlie accomplish his desire who doubteth I saie but he was merueilouslie tormented with a thousande cogitacions now conceiuyng hope and by and by dispaire and still concludyng with hymself rather to die then to manifest his loue And if it be a grief to all yonge men bee thei neuer of so meane and base cōdicion in their youthlie tyme to lose their life what shall we thinke of Antiochus that beyng a yongman of freshe and flourishyng age the sonne of a riche and mightie kyng that looked if he might escape after the death of his father to be heire of al did willingly craue death of that small disease I am assured that his sorowe was infinite Antiochus then beaten with pitie with loue with hope with desire with fatherly reuerence and with a thousande other thynges like a ship tossed in the depe seas by litle and litle begā to growe extremelie sicke Erasistratus that sawe his bodie hole and sounde but his minde greuouslie weakened and the same vanquished with sundrie passiōs After he had with hymself considered this straunge case he for cōclusiō foūde out that the yong man was sicke through loue for none other cause Moreouer he thought that many tymes wise and graue menne through Ire hatred disdaine malinconie and other affections could easilie faine and dissemble their passions but loue if it be kept secrete doeth by the close kepyng thereof greater hurte then if it be made manifeste And albeit that of Antiochus he could not learne the cause of his loue yet after that imaginacion was entred into his hedde he purposed to finde it out by continuall abode with hym and by greate diligence to obserue and marke all his actions and aboue all to take heede to the mutacion of his poulses and wherevpon their beatyng did alter This deliberacion purposed he sat downe by the bedde side and tooke Antiochus by the arme and helde him fast where the poulses ordinarily doe beate It chaunced at that instant that the quene Stratonica entred into the chamber whom so sone as the yonge man sawe cōmyng towarde him sodainlie the poulce whiche were weake féeble began to reuiue through mutacion of the blood Erasistratus féelyng the renforcyng of the poulce and to proue how longe it would continewe moued not at the commyng of the Quene but still helde his fingers vpō the beatyng of the poulces So long as the Quene contiuned in the chamber the beatyng was quicke and liuelie but when she departed it ceased the wonted weaknes of the poulces retourned Not long after the quene came againe into the chāber who was no soner espied by Antiochus but that his poulces receiued vigor and begā to leape and so still continued Whē she departed the force and vigor of the poulce departed also The noble Phisicion seyng this mutacion and that still it chaunced vpō the presence of the Quene he thought that he had founde out the occasion of Antiochus sickenesse But he determined better to marke the same the next daie to be more assured The morowe after Erasistratus sat doun againe by the yonge gentleman and toke hym again by the arme but his poulce made no mociō at all The king came to se his sonne and yet for all that his poulses were still And beholde the Quene came no soner in but sodainlie thei reuined and yelded suche liuelie mouyng as if you would haue said yonder is she that setteth my harte on fire Beholde where she is that is my life death Then Erasistratus was well assured and certaine that Antiochus was feruently inflamed with his mother in lawe but that shame constrained hym to conceale the hotte firebrandes that tormented hym and to keepe them close and secrete Certified of this opinion before he would open the matter he considered what waie were best to giue knowledge therof to kyng Seleucus And when he had well debated of this matter he deuised this waie He knewe that Seleucus loued his wife beyonde measure and also that Antiochus was so dere vnto hym as his owne life Wherevpon he thus saied vnto the kyng Noble Seleucus thy sonne is affected with a grieuous maladie and that whiche is worse I deme his sickenesse to bee incurable At whiche wordes the sorowfull father began to vtter pitifull lamētacion and bitterlie to complaine of Fortune To whom the Phisicion saied If it please yon my lorde to vnderstande the occasion of his disease This it is The maladie that affecteth and languisheth your soonne is Loue and the loue of suche a woman whiche excepte he enioye there is no remedie but death Alas quod the Kyng weepyng with bitter teares and what woman is she but that I maie procure her for hym whiche am kyng of all Asia and maie with intreatie money giftes or other pollicie whatsoeuer make her obediente and willyng to my soonnes requeste Tell me onelie the name of the woman that I maie prouide for my soonnes healthe yea though it cost me all my goods and realme to if other wise she can not bee gotten For if he die what shall I doe with my kyngdome Wherevnto Erasistratus answered If it like your grace your sōne is in loue with my wife but bicause that loue semeth vnto him discōuenient he dareth not to manifest the same for shame but rather wisheth to die then to opē his minde Howbeit I by certaine euident signes doe wei perceiue it When Seleucus heard these woordes he saied O Erasistratus thou beyng so worthie a man to whom fewe in goodnesse and humilitie be comparable so dere and welbeloued of me and beareth the bruite to be the verie hauen and harborough of wisedome wilt thou not saue my sonne whiche is a yonge man now vpon the floure of his youth and most worthie of life for whom the Empire of all Asia is worthelie reserued O Erasistratus the soonne of thy frende Seleucus is thy kyng who through loue and silence is at the poineted death thou seest that for modestie and honestie sake at this his laste and doubtfull passage he had rather chose to die then by speakyng to offende thee and wilte thou not helpe hym This his silence this discrecion that his reuerence whiche he sheweth ought to moue thee to cōpassion Thinke my welbeloued Erasistratus that if he loue ardently that he was forced to loue For vndoubtedlie if he could not loue he would do the best he could not to loue yea and all his endeuour to resist it But who is able to prescribe lawes to Loue Loue I knowe not onelie forceth men but also commaūdeth the immortall Goddes and when thei bee not able to resist him what can mannes pollicie preuaile Wherfore who knoweth not what
gret force of a Princes arme iustly displeased and to others what fauor a King coulde vse towardes them whome he knewe to be loyall and faythfull giuing cause of repentance to them which at other times had done him displeasure And to say the truth he might be placed in the ranke of the most happie Princes that euer were if the priuate affaires of his owne house had so happyly succeded as the renowme which he wanne in the science of warfare and in the administration of the common wealthe But nothing being stable in the lyfe of man This Emperour had in him that thing that diminished the glorye of his wisedome and resembling an Octauius Augustus the vnhappie successe of his owne house did somewhat obscure the fame of his noble factes and those insolent doings serued vnto him as a counterpoyse to prosperous Fortune which may be easily perceyued by the progresse and continuation of this Historie This good Prince had one daughter in whome Nature had distributed hir giftes in such wise that she alone might haue vaunted hir selfe to attaine the perfection of all them which euer had any thing worthy of admiration were it in the singularitie of beautie fauour and courtesie or in her disposition and good bringing vp The name of this fayre Princesse was Adelafia And when this Ladie was very yong one of the children of the Duke of Saxone came to the Emperours seruice whose kinsman he was This yong Prince besides that he was one of the fayrest and comlyest gentlemeÌ„ of Allemaigne had therewithal together with knowledge of armes a passing skill in good scieures which mitigated in him the ferocitie bath of his warlike knowledge and of the nature of his Countrey His name was Alerane who seing himselfe the yongest of his house and his inheritaunce verie small indeuoured to conciliate euery mannes fauoure and good will to remoue his owne fortune and to bring himselfe in estimation with the Emperour where in all thinges he imployed so well his indeuoure that through his worthinesse he wanne comendation and report to be the moste valiaunt and stoutest gentleman in all the Emperours court which prayse did greatly coÌ„mende the tendernesse of hys yong yeares and was therewithal so sober and of so gentle spirit that although he excelled his companioÌ„s in al things yet he auoided cause of offence shewing himselfe familiar amongs all the Courtyers Euery maÌ„ which is a great matter rather praysed him and loued him and he thought himself most happie that by any meanes coulde fashion himselfe to imitate the vertue the made Aleranes name so renowmed And that which made him fuller of admiracion and brought him in fauour with his Lorde and Maister was that vpon a daye the Emperor being in an assemble in the middes of a laund and in a desert place it chaunced that a Beare issuing out of her caue was assayled of hunters the fierce beast auoiding the toyles and flying the pursute of the dogges came with great vehemencie spéede from a mountayne and was vpon the Emperour â—or he was ware separated from his company and without his sworde But Alerane by good fortune was at hande who more carefull for the safety of his Prince than for his owne life encountred with the Beare and killed him in the presence of the Emperour and many other All which beholding to their great astonishment the dexteritie and hardinesse of Alerane at those small yeares for then he was not aboue the age of .xvij. the Emperour imbrasing him did highly comende him telling them that were by that hys lyfe was saued chiefly by Gods assistaunce and next by the prowesse of Alerane The newes hereof was so bruted abrode that there was no talke but of the valiaunce and stoutnesse of this yong man of warre which caused faire Adelasia moued by naturall instigation and with the opinion and report of the vertue towarde in that yong Prince to feele a certayne thing I can not tell what in hir minde which inflamed her senses heart And she had no soner cast her eyes vpon Alerane but Loue which had prepared the ambushe so pearced her delicate breast that he tooke full possession of her in such wyse that the Princesse was so strangely in loue with the yong Prince that she neuer founde pleasure and contentation but in that which was done or sayde by her louer whome she accompted the chiefe of all the men of his time In this burning heate she felt the passions of loue so vehement and his pricks so sharpe that she coulde not euaporate the cloudes which darkened her spirites and continually tormented her minde And albeit that the little occasion which she sawe for their comming together in time to come did dissuade her from pursuing the thing which she most desired yet the tirant Loue shewed himselfe very extreme in that diuersitie of thoughtes and varietie of troubles which vexed the spirite of the Princesse For she coulde not so well dissemble that which honor age commaunded her to kéepe secrete but that Alerane which was as we haue already fayde well expert and subtile perceiued the inwarde disease of Adelasia Moreouer there was betwene them a naturall conformitie and likelyhode of condicions which made them to agrée in equall desires to féede of lyke meates their passionate mindes were martired with equall sorrowe and payne departed aswell in the one as in the other For Alerane by taking carefull héede to the lookes which the Princesse continually did stealingly cast vpon him saw the often and sodayne chaunges of colour wherein sometimes appeared ioy which by and by did ende with infinite number of sighes and with a countenance agreable to that which the heart kept secrete and couert wherby he assured himselfe vnfaynedly to be beloued which caused him to do no lesse for satisfaction of such like merite and desert done by Adelasia but to beare vnto her like affectioÌ„ forcing her by all diligence and seruice to continue still that good will toward him yelding himself as a praie to the self same loue Who ruling thaffections of the Princesse as braue and pleasaunt as she was made hir sorowfull and pensife and altered hir in such wise that shée thought the company wherein she was did impeach her ioye which she iudged to conceyue like pleasure that she did when at libertie and alone she reuolued her troubles and fansted her contentation in her minde Alerane on the other syde slept not but as though he had receyued the first wounde by the hands of the blinde little archer Cupide ceassed not to think of her whose Image ordinaryly appeared before his eyes as engrauen more liuely in his minde than any forme may be insculped vpon metall or marble And yet neyther the one nor the other durste discouer the least passion of a great number which oppressed their besieged hearts and which suffered not to liue in any rest this faire couple of loyall louers that durste not manifest their loue The eyes alone
of the chaire sayd vnto him Goe quickely and fetche me some good vineger Which the gentleman did Then Florinda began to saye vnto him Amadour what follie hath inchaunted your wisedome And what is that which you woulde haue done vnto me Amadour that through the force of loue had lost al reason sayd vnto her Doth my long seruice merite a recompence of such crueltie And where is the honesty then sayde Florinda which so many times you haue preached vnto me Ah Madame sayde Amadour I beleue it is impossible your selfe more faythfully to loue your owne honor than I doe For when you were vnmaryed I coulde so well subdue my heart and affection that you did neuer vnderstande my will and desire And nowe that you be maryed to the intent your honor may be in couert what wrong doe I to aske that which is mine owne For by force of loue I haue wonne you He that first inioyed your heart hath so yll followed the victorie of your body that he hath deserued to lose altogether He that possesseth your bodie is not worthy to haue your heart wherefore your bodye is none of his ne yet he hath no title in the same But I Madame these fiue or sixe yeares haue susteyned such paynes and trauel for your sake that you are not ignorant but to me appertayneth both your bodye and heart for whose sake I haue vtterly forgotten mine owne And if you can finde in your heart to defende me frō my right doubte ye not but they which haue proued the forces of Loue will laye the blame vpon you which hath in this sorte robbed me from my libertie and with your heauenlye graces hath obscured my senses that not knowing hereafter what to doe I am constrayned to goe withoute hope for euer yto sée you againe Notwithstanding warrant your selfe that in what place so euer I am you shall still possesse my heart which shall continue yours for euer be I vpon the lande or water or betwene the handes of my moste cruell enemies But if I had before my departure the suretie of you which the greatnesse of my loue deserueth I shall be strong ynough paciently to beare the griefes of long absence And if it please you not to graunt me my request you shall shortlye heare tell that your rigor hath rendred vnto me a most vnhappy and cruel death Florinda no lesse astonned than sorie to heare such words procéede from him of whome she neuer had any suche suspicion weping sayde vnto him Alas Amadour is this the meaning of those vertuous wordes which sithens the beginning of my youth ye haue vttered vnto me Is this the honor of the cōscience which you haue many times persuaded me rather to die than to lose the same Haue you forgotten the good examples recyted vnto me of vertuous dames that haue resisted foolish Loue And is this the contempt which ye daylie made of Ladyes that were foolish vaine I can not beleue Amadour that you are so madde that God your owne cōscience and mine honor shoulde be altogether oute of your minde and memorie But if it so be as you saye I doe prayse the goodnesse of God which hath preuented the mishap that now I am fallen into in shewing me by your wordes the heart which I did not know For hauing loste the sonne of the Infant Fortune who not onely is maryed into another place but also loued another and I nowe maryed to him which I cannot loue I thought and determined wholly with all mine heart and affection to loue you founding the same vpō that vertue which I knewe to be in you which loue by your meanes onely I haue conceyued and therfore did more esteme my honor and conscience than mine owne life Upon assurance of this stone of honestie I am come hither thinking to builde a moste sure foundacion But Amadour in one moment thou hast declared that in place of a pure foundacion thy building is reared vpon a light sande and vnconstant ground or else vpon a filthy and foule quamire And where I began to erect a good part of the lodgings of this building hoping to dwell there for euer sodainly thou hast ouerthrowen the whole Wherefore you must immediately breake in sunder the hope and credit that euermore you haue founde in me and determine that in what place soeuer I be not to séeke after me eyther by wordes or countenaunce And doe not thinke that I can or will at anye time hereafter chaunge mine opinion which wordes I speake with great sorrowe and griefe But if I had made an othe of this perfect amitie and loue I knowe mine heart would haue dyed vpon this breache although the astonishement in that I am deceyued is so great that I am well assured it will make my lyfe eyther short or sorrowfull And therefore I bidde you farewell and that for euer I purpose not to tell you of the sorrow which Amadour felt by hearing these wordes Bicause it is impossible not onely to write them but also to think them except it be of such as haue had experiēce of the lyke And seyng that vpon this cruell conclusion she woulde haue gone away he caught her by the arme knowing wel that if he did not remoue that yll opinion which by his owne occasion she had conceyued he should lose her for euer Wherefore he sayde vnto her with a verye faynt there Madame all the dayes of my lyfe I haue desired to loue a woman endued with honestie and vertue And bicause I haue founde so fewe I would fayne haue tryed whether your person had bene worthy of estimacion and loue whereof nowe I am well assured and humblie doe prayse God therfore bicause mine heart is addressed to suche perfection beseching you to pardon this fond and bolde enterprise sith you do see that the ende doth redounde to your owne honor and contentation Florinda which began to know the malice of men by him like as she was harde to beleue the euill where it was euen so she was more difficile to credit the good where it was not and sayde vnto him I praye to God your wordes be true Yet I am not so ignorant but that the state of mariage wherein I am hath made me euidentlie to perceyue that the strong passion of blinde loue hath forced you to this attempt For if God had losed my hande I am wel assured you would not haue pluckt backe the bridle They that attempt to séeke after vertue will not take the waye that you doe But this is sufficient if I haue lightlie beleued any honesty in you it is time for me nowe to know the truth that I may ridde my selfe from you And in saying so Florinda went out of the chamber and all the night long she neuer left wéeping who felt such great griefe in the alteracion that her heart had much to doe to sustaine the assaults of sorrowe the loue had made For although reason thought neuer to loue
him agayne yet the heart which is not subiect vnto vs would not accord to that crueltie For which consideracion she loued him no lesse than she was wont to doe and knowing that loue was the cause of that faulte she purposed for satisfaccion of Loue to loue him with all her hearte and yet throughe obedience and fealtie due to her honor she thought neuer to make other semblance In the morning Amadour departed in this sorte troubled as you haue heard neuerthelesse his coragious heart entred not in dispaire but renued a fresh hope once againe to sée Florinda and to winne her fauour Then he toke his iourney towards the court of Spaine which was at Tolledo taking his way by the Countesse of Arande where late in an euening he arriued and founde the Countesse very sicke for the absence of her daughter Florinda When she sawe Amadour she kissed and imbraced him as if he had bene her owne childe aswell for the loue she bare vnto him as for the lyke which she doubted that he bare to Florinda of whome very earnestly she inquired for newes who told her the best that he could deuise but not the whole truth and confessed vnto her the loue betwéene Florinda and him which Florinda had stil conceled kept secrete praying her ayde to bring him agayne into her fauour and the next morning he departed And after he had done his businesse with the Quéene he repaired to the warres so sadde and chaunged in all his conditions that the Ladyes Captaines and all they that were wonte to kepe him companie did not know him His apparel was all black mourning for the death of his wyfe whereby he couered the sorrowe which was hid in his heart In this wise Amadour passed thrée or foure yeares before he returned to the Court. And the Countesse of Arande which heard tell that Florinda was so sore chaunged that it would haue moued any mans heart to beholde her sente for her hoping that she would haue come but her expectatiō was frustrate for when Florinda vnderstode that Amadour had told her mother the good wil betwene them and that her mother being so wise vertuous giuing credit to Amadour did beleue his wordes she was in meruellous perplexitie bicause of the one side she saw that her mother did esteme him so wel that if she declared vnto her the truth Amadour might conceyue some displeasure Which thing she had rather dye than to doe wherefore she thought her selfe strong ynough to chastise him of his folly without helpe of her friends On the other side she perceyued that by dissembling the euill which she knew by him she shoulde be constrayned by her mother and her friendes to speake vnto him and to beare him good countenaunce whereby she feared his euill opinion would be the more encoraged But seing that he was far of she passed the lesse of the matter And when the Countesse her mother did commaund her she wrote letters vnto him but they were suche as he might wel gather that they were written rather vpon obedience than of good will the reading whereof bred sorrow vnto him in place of that ioye he was wont to cōceyue in her former letters Within the terme of two or thre yeares after he had done so many noble enterprises that all the paper of Spaine could not contayne them he deuised a newe inuention not to winne and recouer the hearte of Florinda for he déemed the same quite lost but to haue the victorie ouer his enemye sithens she had vsed him in that sort and reiecting all reason and speciallye feare of death into the hazarde whereof he hasted himselfe he concluded and determined his enterprise in suche sorte that by reason of his behauiour towardes the Gouernor he was deputed sent by him to treate with the king of certayn exploites to be done at Locates sparing not to impart his message to the Countesse of Arande before he tolde the same to the king to vse her good aduise therin And so came in poste strayght into the Countie of Arande where he had intelligence in what place Florinda remayned and secretly sent to the Countesse one of his frends to tel her of his comming to pray her to kepe it close and that he might speake with her that night in such secret wise as no man might haue knowledge thereof The Countesse very ioyful of his coming told it to Florinda sent her into her husbandes chamber to put of her clothes that she might be ready when she should sende for her after euery man was gone to bed Florinda which was not yet well boldened by reasō of her former feare making a good face of the matter to her mother withdrewe her selfe into an orato rieor chappel to recōmend her selfe to God praying him to defend her hart from all wicked affection considered howe often Amadour had praysed her beautie which was not impaired or diminished although she had bene sick of long time Wherfore thinking it better to doe iniurie to her beautie by defacing it than to suffer the heart of so honeste a personage by meanes thereof wickedly to be inflamed she toke vp a stone which was within the Chappell and gaue her selfe suche a great blow on the face that her mouth eyes and nose were altogether deformed And to the intent no man might suspect what she had done when the Countesse sent for her in going out of the Chappell she fell downe vpon her face vpon a great stone and there withall cried out so loud that the Countesse came in and found her in that pitious state who incontinently dressing her face and binding it vp with clothes conueyed her into her chamber and prayed her to goe into her closet to enterteigne Amadour til she were weary of his cōpanie Which she did thinking that there had bene some body with him But finding him alone and the dore shut vpon her Amadour was not so wel pleased as she was discontented Who nowe thought eyther with loue or force to get that which he had so long tyme desired And after he had spoken a fewe wordes vnto her and founde her in that minde he left her and that to die for it she woulde not chaunge her opinion desperately he sayde vnto her By God Madame the fruit of my labour shall not be thus taken from me for scruples and doubtes And sith that Loue pacience and humble desires can not preuaile I will not spare by force to get that which except I haue it will be the cause of my destruction When Florinda sawe his face and eyes so altered that the fayrest die and colour of the worlde was become so red as fyer and his most pleasaunt and amiable loke transformed horrible and furious that very hote burning fyer séemed to sparkle within his heart and face and in that furie with one of his strong fiftes he griped her delicate and tender handes On the other side she séeing all her defences
he neuer saw a better in his lyfe You haue reason sayde the king And I beleue that if a gentleman were determined to kill me and did knowe the force of myne armes and the goodnesse of my heart accompanied with this sword he would be twice well aduised before he attempted the enterprise Not withstanding I would accompte him but a cowarde we being alone without witnesses if he did not attempt that which he were disposed to doe The Counte Guillaume with bashfull and astonned countenaunce answered Sir the wickednesse of the enterpâ—ise were very great but the folly in the execucion were no lesse The King with those wordes fell in a laughter and put the sworde into the skaberd againe And hearing that the chase drew nere him he made to the same so fast as he could when he was come thether he sayde nothing of that which had passed betwéene him and the Counte verely thought that Counte Guillaume althoughe that he was so strong and stoute a gentleman as was in that tyme yet he was no man to doe so great an enterprise But the CouÌ„te Guillaume fearing to be bewraied or suspected of the facte next day morning repayred to Robertet the Secretarie of the Kings reuenewes and sayd that he had well wayed the giftes and annuities which the king woulde giue him to tarrie but he perceyued that they were not sufficient to interteigne him for halfe a yere that if it pleased not the king to double the same he should be forced to depart praying the sayd Robertet to knowe his graces pleasure so sone as he coulde who sayde vnto him that he himselfe coulde without further commission coulde disbirsse no more vnto him but gladlie whithout further delaie he would presentlye repayre to the king which he did more willingly bicause he had séene the aduertisements of the Gouernor aforesayde And so sone as the king was awake he declared the matter vnto him in the presence of MoÌ„sier Trimouille and Monsier Bouiuet Lord Admirall who were vtterly ignorant of that which the king had done To whom the king sayd Loe ye haue bene miscontented for that I woulde not put away the Counte Guillaume but now ye sée he putteth away himselfe Wherefore Robertet tell him that if he be not conteÌ„t with the state which he receyued at his first entrie into my seruice wherof many GeÌ„tlemen of good houses would think themselues happy it is mete that he seke his better fortune and tell him that I woulde be loth to hinder him but wil be very well contented that he seke where he may liue better accordingly as he deserueth Robertet was so diligent to beare this aunswere to the Counte as he was to present his sute to the king The Counte sayde that with his licence he woulde gladly goe forthwith And like one that feare forced to departe was not able to beare his abode .xxiiij. houres And as the King was sitting downe to dinner fayning to be sorye for his departure but that necessitie compelled him to lose his preseÌ„ce he toke his leaue He went likewise to take leaue of the kings mother which she gaue him with so great ioye as she did receyue him being her nere kinsman friende Then he went into his Countrie And the king séeing his mother and seruants astoned at that his sodayne departure declared vnto them the Al Arme which he had giuen him saying that although he was innoceÌ„t of the matter suspected so was his feare great ynough to depart from a maister with whose condicions hitherto he was not acquainted A straunge punishment A punishment more rigorous than death of a husband towarde his wyfe that had committed adultery The Lvj. Nouell KIng Charles of Fraunce the .viij. of that name sent into Germany a Gentleman called Bernage Lorde of Cyure besides Amboise Who to make spéede spared neyther day nor night for execution of his Princes commaundement In such wise that very late in an euening he arriued at the castle of a Gentleman to demaunde lodging which very hardly he obtayned Howbeit wheÌ„ the gentleman vnderstode that he was the seruaunt of such a king he prayed him not to take in ill part the rudenesse of his seruaunts bicause vpon occasion of certaine his wiues friendes that loued him not he was forced to kepe his house so straight At what tyme Bernage told him the cause of his iourney wherein the Gentleman offered to doe to the King his Maister al seruice possible Leading him into his house where he was feasted lodged very honorably When supper was ready the Gentleman conueyed him into a parler well hanged with fayre Tapistrie And when the meate was set vpon the table he perceyued a woman comming forth behinde the hanging which was so beautifull as might be sene sauing that her heade was all shauen and apparelled in Almaine blacke After both the Gentlemen had washed water was brought to the gentlewoman who when she had washed she sat downe at the table without speaking to any man or any word spokeÌ„ vnto her The Lord Bernage beholding her wel thought her to be one of the fayrest Ladies that euer he sawe if her face had not bene so pale her countenaunce so sad After she had eaten a little she called for drink which one of the seruants brought vnto her in a straunge cup. For it was the head of a dead man trimmed with siluer Whereof she drancke twice or thrice When she had supped and washed her handes making a reuerence to the Lorde of the house she retourned behinde the hangings without speaking any worde Bernage was so muche amazed at that strauÌ„ge sight that he waxed very heauie and sad The gentleman that marked him sayd vnto him I sée wel that you be astonned at that you saw at the table But seing your hnoest demeanor I wil not kepe the thing secret froÌ„ you bicause you shall not note that crueltie to be done without gret occasion This gentlewoman which you sée is my wife whome I loued bettter than any gentleman could loue his wife In such sort that to marry her I forgat all feare and brought her hither in dispite of her parents She likewise shewed vnto me such signes of loue that I attempted a thousand wayes to place her here for her ioy and myne where we liued a long tyme in suche rest and contentation that I thought my selfe the happiest Gentleman in Christendome But in a iourney which I made which to attempt mine honor forced me she forgot both her selfe her conscience and the loue which she bare towardes me and fell in loue with a Gentleman that I brought vp in this house which vpon my returne I perceyued to be true Notwithstanding the loue that I bare her was so great that I had no mistrust in her til such tyme as experience did open myne eyes and saw the thing that I feared more than death For which cause loue was tourned into furie and dispaire in suche wise that I
well doers in their glorie and triumphe to perpetrate thynges vnlawfull Sextus Tarquinius rauisheth Lucrece who bewailyng the losse of her chastitie killeth her self ¶ The seconde Nouell GReate preparacion was made by the Romanes against a people called Rutuli who had a citie named Ardea excellyng in wealth and richesse whiche was the cause that the Romane kyng beyng exhausted and quite voide of money by reason of his sumptuous buildynges made warres vpon that countrie In the tyme of the siege of that citee the yong Romane gentlemen bāqueted one an other emonges whom there was one called Collatinus Tarquinius the sonne of Egerius And by chaunce thei entred in communicacion of their wiues euery one praisyng his seuerall spouse At length the talke began to growe hotte where vpon Collatinus said that wordes wer vaine For within fewe howers it might be tried how muche his wife Lucrecia did excell the rest wherfore q he if there be any liuelihod in you Let vs take our horse to proue whiche of our wiues doth furmoūt Wherevpō thei rode to Rome in poste At their coming thei found the kynges doughters sportyng themselfes with sundrie pastymes From thence thei went to the house of Collatinus where thei founde Lucrece not as the other before named spendyng the time in idlenes but late in the night occupied and busie emonges her maides in the middes of the house spinning of Wolle The victorie and praise wherof was giuen to Lucretia who when she sawe her husbande gently and louingly interteigned hym curteously biddyng the Tarquinians welcome Imediatlie Sextus Tarquinius the sonne of Tarquinius Superbus that tyme the Romane kyng was attached and incensed with a libidious desire to construprate and defloure Lucrece When the yong gentlemen had bestowed that night pleasantlie with their wiues thei retourned to the Campe. Not long after Sextus Tarquinius with one man returned to Collatia vnknowen to Collatinus and ignoraunte to Lucrece and the reste of her houshold for what purpose he came Who beyng right hartely interteigued after supper was conueighed to his chamber Tarquinius burnyng with the loue of Lucrece after he perceiued the housholde to bee at reste and all thynges in quiet he with his naked sworde in his hande goeth to Lucrece beyng a slepe and kepyng her doune with his lefte hande saied Holde thy peace Lucrece q he I am Sextus Tarquinius my sworde is in my hande if thou crie I will kill thee The gentlewoman beyng sore a fraied newlie awaked out of her slepe and seyng iminent death could not tell what to doe Then Tarquinius confessed his loue and began to intreate her and therewithall vsed sundrie menacyng woordes by all meanes attemptyng to make her quiet when he sawe her obstinate and that she would not yelde to his requeste notwithstandyng his cruell threates he added shamefull and villanous woordes saiyng That he would kill her and when she was slaine he would also kill his slaue and place hym by her that it might be reported she was slain beyng taken in adulterie She vāquished with his terrible and infamous threat His fleshly and licencious enterprise ouercame the puritie of her chast harte whiche doen he departed Then Lucrece sente a poste to Rome to her father and an other to Ardea to her housbande requiryng them that thei would make speede to come vnto her with certaine of their trustie frendes for that a cruell facte was chaunced Then Sp. Lucretius with P. Valerius the soonne of Volesius Collatinus with L. Iunius Brutus made haste to Lucrece Where thei founde her sittyng verie pensife and sadde in her chamber So sone as she sawe theim she began pitiouslie to weepe Then her housebande asked her whether all thynges were well vnto whom she saied these woordes No dere housebande for what can bee well or safe vnto a woman when she hath loste her chastitie Alas Collatine the steppes of an other man be now fixed in thy bedde But it is my bodie onely that is violated my minde God knoweth is gililes whereof my death shal be witnesse But if you be men giue me your hādes and trouthe that the adulterer maie not escape vnreuenged It is Sextus Tarquinius who beyng an enemie in stede of a frende the other night came vnto me armed with his sworde in his hand and by violence caried a waie from me and tooke to himself a pestiferous ioye Then euery of thē gaue her their faith and comforted the pensife and languishyng ladie imputing the offence to the aucthor and doer of the same affirmyng that her bodie was polluted and not her mynde and where consente was not there the crime was absent Wherevnto she added I praie you consider with your selues what punishment is due for the malefactour As for my parte though I clere my self of the offence my bodie shall feele the punishemente for no vnchast or ill woman shall hereafter take example of Lucrece Then she drew out a knife whiche she had hidden secretly vnder her kirtle and stabbed her self to the harte Whiche doen she fell doune grouelyng vpon her wounde and so died Wherevpon her father and housebande made greate lamentacion and as thes were bewailyng the death of Lucrece Brutus plucked the knife out of the wounde whiche gushed out with abundance of blood and holdyng it vp saied I swere by the chaste blood of this bodie here deade and I take you the immortall goddes to witnesse that I wil driue and extirpate out of this Citie bothe L. Tarquinius Superbus and his wicked wife with all the race of his children and progenie so that none of them ne yet any others shall raigne any longer in Rome Then he deliuered the knife to Collatinus Lucretius and Valerius merueilyng at the straungenesse of his woordes And from whence he should conceiue that determinacion Thes al swore that othe And folowed Brutus as their capitaine in his conceiued purpose The bodie of Lucrece was brought into the markette place where the people wondred at the vilenesse of that facte euery mā cōplainyng vpon the mischief of that facinorous rape committed by Tarquinius Wherevpon Brutus perswaded the Romanes that thei should cease from teares and other childishe lamentacions and take weapons in their handes and shewe themselues like men Then the lustiest and moste desperate persones within the citie made theimselues presse and readie to attempt any enterprise And after a guarrison was placed and bestowed at Collatia diligente watche and warde was kepte at the gates of the citie to the intent the kyng should haue no aduertismente of that slurre The reste of the souldiours followed Brutus to Rome Whē he was come to Rome the armed multitude did beate a meruellous feare throughout the whole citie but yet because thei sawe the chiefeste personages goe before that thought that the same enterprise was not taken in vaine Wherefore the people out of all places of the citie ran into the marketplace Where Brutus complained of the abhominable Rape of Lucrece committed by Sextus Tarquinius whervnto
ouer the riuer of Tybre arriued at Rome in sauftie whiche beyng redemaūded by Porsenna wer sent backe againe The kyng driuen into a wōderfull admiracion for the desperate and manly enterprises doen by the Romane nacion retourned the maiden home againe to Rome In whose honour the Romanes erected an Image on horsebacke placed at the vpper ende of the strete called Sacra via And so peace was concluded betwene Porsenna and the Romanes Martius Coriolanus goyng about to represse the common people of Rome with dearth of Corne was banished For reuengemeut whereof he perswaded Accius Tullius Kyng of the Volscians to make warres vpon the Romanes and he hymself in their aide came in his own persone The citie brought to greate miserie the fathers deuised meanes to deliuer the same and sent into the Volscian campe the mother the wife and children of Coriolanus Upon whose cōplaintes Coriolanus withdrewe the Volscians And the Citie was reduced to qiuetnesse ¶ The .iiij. Nouell IN the yere that Titus Geganius Publius Minutius were Consuls when all thinges were quiet abrods and dissensiō at home appeased an other greate mischief inuaded the citie Firste a dearth of victuals by reason the lande was vntilled by the peoples departure then a famine suche as chaunceth to the besieged whiche had brought a greate destruccion of people had not the Consuls forséen the same by prouision in forren places Thei sent purueiors into Scicilia but the malice of the cities adioynyng staied the prouision that was made a farre of The Corne prouided at Cumas was staied for the goodes of Tarquinius by Aristodemus the tirant whiche was his heire The next yere folowyng a great masse of corne was transported out of Scicile in the tyme of the Consuls M. Minutius and A. Sempronius Then the Senate consulted vpon the distribucion of the same vnto the people Diuers thought that the tyme was then come to bridle and oppresse the people whereby thei might recouer those priuileges that were extorted from the fathers Emonges whiche Martius Coriolanus a yong gentleman was the chiefest who beyng an enemie to the Tribune aucthoritie said these wordes If the people will haue victualles and corne at that price whereat it was assised and rated in time past then it is mete and necessarie that thei rēder to the fathers their aunciente aucthoritie and priuilege For to what purpose be the plebeian Magistrates ordeined For what consideracion shall I suffer my self to bee subiugated vnder the aucthoritie of Sicinius as though I were conuersant emonges theues Shall I abide these iniuries any longer to continue then is necessarie I that could not suffer Tarquinius the kyng shall I be pacient with Sicinius Let Sicinius departe if he will let him drawe the people after hym the waie yet is open to the sacred hill and to the other mountaignes Let them robbe vs of our Corne whiche thei tooke awaie from our owne lande as thei did thrée yeres passe let them inioye the victualles whiche in their furie thei did gather I dare bée bolde to saie thus muche that béeyng warned and tamed by this present penurie thei had rather plowe and till the lande then thei would suffre the same to be vncultured by withdrawyng thē selues into Armure It is not so easie to bée spokē as I thanke it maie with facilitie bée brought to passe that vpon condicions the prices of victualles should be abated the fathers might remoue the aucthoritie of the Tribunes and disanull all those lawes whiche against their willes were ratefied and confirmed This sentence seemed cruell to the fathers and almoste had set the people together by the eares who would haue torne hym in péeces had not the Tribunes appoincted a daie for his apparance Wherevpon their furie for that tyme was appeased Coriolanus seyng the peoples rage to encrease and consideryng that thei should bée his Iudge when the daie of his apparance was come he absented hymself and for lacke thereof was condempned Then he fledde to the Volscians of whom he was gently interteigned and lodged in the house of Accius Tullius the chief of that citie and a deadly enemie to the Romanes Upon daily conference and consultacion had betwene theim thei consulted by what sleight or pollicie thei might comence a quarrell againste the Romanes And bicause thei doubted that the Volscians would not easely bee perswaded therevnto beyng so oft vanquished and ill intreated thei excogitated some other new occasion In the meane time T. Latinius one of the plebeian sorte perceiuyng that the Romanes went about to institute great pastimes conceiued a dreame wherin he sawe Iuppiter to speake vnto hym and saied that he liked not the towardnesse of those games and in case the same were not celebrated with greate roialtie and magnificence thei would ingender perill to the citie whiche dreame he declared to the Consuls Then the Senate gaue order that the same should bée addressed with great pompe triumphe wherevnto through thinstigacion of Accius a great nomber of the Volscians resorted But before the plates begonne Tullius accordyng to the compacte agréed vpon betwene hym and Coriolanus secretly repaired to the Consuls and takyng theim a side declared that he had to saie vnto them a matter iouchyng the publike wealthe of their citie vtteryng these woordes I am forced against my will to signifie vnto you a matter concernyng myne owne subiectes and countrie men I come not to accuse them for that thei haue alreadie admitted any thyng but I come to giue you a premonicion left thei should perpetrate some occasion contrary to the order of your citie The disposition of my countrie men is more inconstant then I would wishe whiche we haue felte to our greate losse and decaie The cause of our securitie at this presente is rather suffered by your patience then by our desert Here bée at this instaunte a greate multitude of Volscians Here be games prepared and the citie throughly bent to beholde the same I dooe remember what was doen vpon like occasion in this citie by the Romane youthe I tremble to thinke what maie be rashely attempted wherefore I thought good bothe for your own sakes and for auoidyng of displeasure to foretell you of these thinges And for mine own parte I purpose immediatly to returne home bicause I will auoide the daunger perill that maie chaunce by my presence When he had spoken those wordes he departed The Consuls immediatly recompted the request of Accius to the Senate who more estemyng the personage from whēce the same did procede then the matter that was spoken determined to prouide a remedy for the same and immediatly caused the Volscians to auoide the citie sendyng officers about to commaunde theim to departe that night vpon whiche sodein commaundemente at the first thei began to meruaile what should be the cause And afterwardes thei conceiued a greate grief and offence for that vnneighbourly enterteignement And as thei wer passyng out of the citie in a long traine Tullius beyng vpō
the top of the hille called Ferrentine to waite for the people as thei passed by called vnto hym the chief and principall personages to prouoke them to take that aduaūtage and then assembled the multitude in the valleie harde by the high waie to whom he pronounced these wordes Forgetting all iniuries and displeasures past doen by the Romane people against the Volsciās how can you abide the contumelte committed this daie wherein to our greate shame and ignomie thei begin to ostentate and shewe forthe their plaies Do not you beleue that euen to daie thei triumphe ouer you Is not your departure thinke ye ridiculous to al the Romanes to straungers and other cities adioynyng Bée not your wiues and children trowe ye now passyng homewardes laughed to scorne What thinke you your selues be whiche were warned to departe at the sounde of the trumpet What suppose ye will all thei thinke whiche dooe meete this multitude retiryng homewardes to their greate reproche shame Truely except there be some secrete occasion whereby wée should bee suspected to violate the plaies or committe some other crime and so forced to relinquishe the companie and fellowship of the houest I knowe not what should be the cause of this repulse Were wee liuyng when we made suche festinacion to departe If it maie bee called a departure and not a runnyng awaie and shamefull retire I perceiue ye did not accompte this to bee a citie of our enemies where I thinke if ye had taried but one daie longer ye had all béen slaine Thei haue denounced warres vpon you whiche if you bee men of corage shall redounde to the vtter destruccion of them whiche first gaue the defiaunce The Vollcians perceiuyng themselues greatly derided for consideracions before remembred determined by common accorde to inferre warres vpon the Romanes vnder the conduccion of Accius Tullius and Coriolanus After thei had recouered diuers of the Romane Cities thei proceded further and in sundry places spoiled and destroied the same encampyng theimselues fiue miles from Rome besides the trēches called Fossas Cluilias In the meane tyme contencion rose betwene the people and the fathers howbeit the fears of forren partes linked their myndes together in the bandes of concord The Consuls and fathers reposed their whole cōfidence in battaill whiche the common peoplem nowise could abide Wherefore thei were constrained to assemble the Senate wherein was determined that Ambassadours should bee sente to Coriolanus to demaunde peace who retourned them again with a frowarde answere to this effecte that first thei should restore to the Volscians their Countrie whiche thei had conquered that doen he willed them to seke for peace Yet thei sent again Ambassadours but in nowise thei wer suffered to come into their campe Then the priestes cladde in their ornamentes and other diuine furniture were sent humblie to make peticion for peace And yet thei could not perswade theim Then the Romane Dames repaired to Veturia the mother of Coriolanus and to his wife Volumnia But whether the same was dooen by common consente or through the feminine kinde it is vncertain It was appoincted that Veturia beyng an aunciente gentlewoman and mother of Coriolanus and Volumnia his wife with her twoo yong children should goe into the Campe to the intente thei by their pitifull lamentacion might defende the citie whiche otherwise by force was not able to be kept At their arriuall Venturia was knowen by one of her soonnes familier frendes standyug betwene her doughter in lawe and her twoo neuies who caried woorde immediatly to Coriolanus saiyng I am verie muche deceiued but that thy mother thy wife and children bee here in the Campe. Coriolanus hearyng him saie so descended from his seate like one not well in his wittes and went forthe to embrase his mother The olde gentlewoman from supplicacions fill into a greate rage speakyng these woordes Abide a while before I do receiue thy embracementes let me knowe whether I am comen to mine enemie or to my soonne or whether I am a prisoner in thy Campe or thy mother Alacke how long haue I prolonged these auncient yeres and hoare heares moste vnhappie that now firste I doe beholde thée an exile and then viewe thée myne enemie Canst thou finde in thy harte to depopulate and destroie this thy countrie wherein thou waste begotten and brought vp Could not thy rage and furie bee mitigated and appeased when thou diddest first put foote into the limites of this thy countrie Did not naturall zeale pearce thy cruell harte when thou diddest first cast thyne eyes vpon this citie Is not the house of thy mother and her domesticall Goddes conteined within the walles of youder citie Dooe not thy sorowfull mother thy deare wife and children inhabite within that compasse Wherefore O I cursed creature if I had neuer had childe Rome had not been now assailed If I had neuer brought forthe a sonne I should haue laied myne olde bones and ended my life in a frée countrie But I could neuer haue susteined or suffred more miserie then is now incident and fallen vnto me nor neuer more dishonour then to beholde thée in pitifull plight a traitour to thyne owne countrie And as I am the moste wretched wight of al mothers so I truste I shall not longe continue in that state If thou procede in this thine enterprise either sodaine death or perpetuall bondage bée thy reward When his mother had ended these woordes the whole traine of gentlewomen brake into pitifull teares bitterly bewailyng the state of their Countrie whiche at lengthe did mitigate the stomacke of Coriolanus And whē he had imbrased his wife and children he dismissed them Then he withdrewe the Volscian campe frō the citée and out of the Romane Prouince Upon the displeasure of whiche facte he died It is saied that when he was an olde manne he vsed many tymes to speake and vtter this sentence That verie miserable it is for an olde manne to liue in banishemente The Romanes disdained not to attribute to women their due praise For in memorie of this deliuerie of their Countrie Thei erected a Temple Fortunae Muliebri to womens fortune Appius Claudius one of the Decemuiri of Rome goeth about to rauishe Virginia a yonge maiden which indeuour of Appius when her father Virginius vnderstode being then in the warres he repaireth home to rescue his doughter One that was betrouthed vnto her doeth claime her wherevpon rose greate contencion In the ende her owne father to saue the shame of his stocke killed her with a Bochers knife and cometh into the Forum crieth vengeauce vpon Appius Then after muche contencion and rebellion the Decemuiri were deposed ¶ The .v. Nouell SPurius Posthumius Albus Aulus Manlius and P. Sulpitius Camerinus were sente Ambassadours to Athenes and cōmaunded to write out the noble lawes of Solon and to learne the Institucions orders and Lawes of other Greke citées Upon whose retourne the Tribunes were verie instāt that at length lawes should be enacted and
confirmed And for that purpose certaine officers wer appoincted called Decemuiri with soueraigne aucthoritie and power to reduce the same into writyng whiche were thought méete and profitable for the common wealth The principall and chief of whiche nomber was Appius Claudius who committed no lesse filthie fact then was doen by Tarquinius for the rape of Lucrece The said Appius conceiued a libidinous desire to rauishe a yonge virgine the doughter of one Lucius Virginius then a capitain in the warres at Algidum a manne of honest and sober life whose wife was also of right good behauiour and their children accordingly brought vp and instructed Thei had betrouthed their doughter to one L. Icilius of the order of the Tribunes a manne of greate stoutnesse and tried valiance in the cause of the people This yong maide beyng of excellent beautie Appius at the firste began to woe by giftes and faire promises but when he sawe that she was impregnable he deuised by wicked and cruell pollicie to obteine her committyng the charge of that enterprise to one of his frendes called Marcus Claudius who went about to proue and maintaine that the maide was his bond-woman and in nowise would giue libertie to her frēdes to haue tyme to answere the processe made in that behalfe thinkyng by that meanes in the absēce of her father he might at his pleasure enioye her As the virgine was goyng to schole in the Forum thesaid Claudius the minister of mischief laied handes vpon her claimed her to bee his bondwoman for that she was borne of a seruile woman and commaunded her to folowe hym The maide béeyng afraied was amazed and the Nursse that waited vpō her cried out Wherevpon the people ran out of their doores to knowe the cause of that sturre Claudius seyng the maide like to be rescued by the multitude that was assembled said that there was no neede of that hurlie burlie for that he attempted nothing by force but that he was able to proue by lawe Wherevpon he cited the maide to appere her frendes promised that she should accordyng to the lawe make her apperance beyng come before the consistorie where Appius sat in iudgement Claudius began to tell a tale and processe of the cause whereof Appius beyug the deuiser vnderstoode the effect The effecte of the tale was that the maide was borne in his house and was the doughter of his owne bondwomā who afterwardes beeyng stolen awaie was caried to the house of Virginius and supposed to bee his childe whiche thyng he saied he was well able to proue and would referre the iudgement of his cause to Virginius hymself vnto whom the greater part of his iniurie did appertaine In the meane tyme he saied that it was meete the maide should followe her master wherevnto the aduocates of the maide replied and saied that Virginius was absent about the affaires of the Common wealthe but if he were aduertised of the matter thei knewe well he would bee at home within twoo daies after wherefore thei saied that it were againste equitée and Iustice that processe and suite should bee made for claime of children in the absence of the parentes requiryng them to deserre the suite till the retourne of the father Appius not regardyng the iustice of the case to the intent he might satisfie his owne luste and pleasure ordeined in the meane tyme that Claudius the assertor and plaintife should haue the kepyng and placyng of the maide till the father wer returned Againste whiche wrong many did grudge although none durste withstande it But as fortune chaunced immediatly after that decrée and order was so pronoūced Publius Numitorius the maides vncle by her mothers side and Icilius her beloued were comen home vpon whose retourne incontinently Icilius approched nere to Appius and being put backe by the Sergeant he cried out a loude in these woordes Thou oughteste to put me backe from hence O Appius with a sworde that thou mightest without let enioye the thyng thou wouldest haue kept close and secrete It is I that dooe purpose to marie this maide who I doubt not is right honest and chaste and also a pudique and pure virgin Wherfore call together thy Secgeantes and cause the roddes and ares to be made prest and redie For I assure thée the spouse of Icilius shall not remaine out of her fathers house No although thou hast taken awaie from the Romane people their Tribunes aide and appeales whiche be twoo stronge fortes and holdes of their common libertie Is aucthoritie giuen thée libidinously to abuse our wiues and childrē Excercise thy crueltie behind our backes and vpon our liues if thou liste so that thou dooe not contaminate and defile the the vertue of chastitie Wherevnto if thou inferre any damage or iniurie I will for myne owne part and for the loue of my beloued crie out for the aide of the Romanes that he present and Virginius shall doe the like of the souldiours in the quarrel of his owne doughter And al we together wil implore for the succour of the goddes and menne And truste to it that thou shalt not enioye thy purpose before some of vs haue lost our liues Wherefore Appius I aduise thee take héede in time For when Virginius doeth come he will seke remedie to defende his doughter and will knowe in what condicion and sorte she is ordred if she bee referred to the seruitude of this man And for my parte my life shall soner faile in defending her libertie then my faithe to her betrouthed Appius perceiuyng the constancie of Icilius and that the people was in a greate mutine and sturre differred the cause of Virginia till the nexte daie whose frendes hoped by that tyme that her father would be at home wherefore with all expedicion thei addressed messengers vnto hym into the campe for that the saufgarde of his doughter consisted in his presence In the meane time the Assertor required the maide offeryng to put in sureties the like offer made Icilius of purpose to contriue and spende the tyme till the arriuall of Virginius The multitude of their owne accordes helde vp their handes promisyng to become suretie for Icilius vnto whom he gaue thākes wepyng for ioye to sée their kinde behauiour and saied I thanke you moste hartely my beloued frendes to morowe I will vse your frendely offer but at this present I haue sureties sufficient Whervpō Virginia was bailed Then Appius repaired home and wrote to his frendes in the campe that in nowise thei should giue Virginius leaue to come to Rome whiche vngracious deuise came to late and tooke none effecte Wherevpon Virginius retourned home and in poore and vile apparell repaired into the Forum after whō followed a greate nomber of matrones and aduocates Then he began to require them all of succour and aide alledgyng that he was a souldiour and one that aduentured hymself for the saufgarde and defence of thē all with suche like perswasions to the multitude Semblable wordes were vttered by
should be sent to the mount Auentine to perswade the people but thei vtterly refused the message vnlesse the Decemuiri wer first deposed The Decemuiri made answere that thei would not giue ouer their aucthoritie till suche tyme as those Lawes were ratified whiche were treated vpon before thei were elected to that office Of all these contencions the people was aduertised by M. Duillius their Tribune And when bothe the armies were ioyned at the moūt Auentine aforesaied All the multitude of the citie mē women and children repaired thither in sorte that Rome was like a forlorne and abandoned place The fathers seyng the citie thus relinquished Horatius and Valerius with diuers of the fathers exclamed in this wise What doe ye expecte and looke for ye fathers cōscripte Will ye suffer all thynges to run to extreame ruine and decaie Shall the Decemuiri still persiste in their stubberne and froward determinacions What maner of gouernmente is this O ye Decemuiri that ye thus laie holde vpon and enioye Will ye pronoūce and make lawes within your owne houses and the limites of the same Is it not a shame to sée in the Forum a greater nomber of your Catchpolles and Sergeantes then of other sober and wise Citizens But what will ye doe if the enemie vpon the sodaine doeth approche the walles What will ye doe if the people vnderstandyng that wee care not for their departure doe in armes assaile vs Will ye finishe your gouernment with the ouerthrowe of the citie But either we muste expell and abandon the people or els we must admitte the Tribunes Wee shall soner wante our fathers and Senatours then thei their plebeian officers Thei bereued and tooke awaie from vs the Fathers a newe kinde of aucthoritie whiche was neuer seen before who now feelyng the swetenesse thereof will neuer giue it ouer For wee can not so well tēper our aucthoritie and gouernemente as thei bee able to seke helpe and succour The Decemuiri perceiuing that thei wer hated so well of the Senate as of the people submitted themselues And thervpon Valerius and Horatius were sent to the campe to reuoke the people vpō suche condicions as thei thought moste meete Then the Decemuiri were commaunded to take heede of the peoples furie So sone as the Ambassadours were come to the campe thei were receiued with greate ioye and gladnesse of the people because thei wer the beginners of that sturre and supposed that thei would make an ende of the commocion for whiche cause thei rendred to them their humble thankes Then Icilius was appoincted to speake for the people who required to haue the aucthoritie of the Tribunes restored and their appeale renewed with restitucion of those lawes whiche before the erection of the Decemuiri were ratefied and confirmed Thei demaunded also an impunite and frée pardon to those that firste encouraged and incited the souldiours to that enterprise and the restoryng of their liberties Thei required to haue their enemies the Decemuiri to be deliuered into their handes Whom thei threatened to put to death by fire Whervnto the Ambassadours answered in this wise Your requestes bee so reasonable that thei ought willinglie to bee graunted All whiche ye desire to obtaine as a defence and comforte for your libertie and not to persecute and infest others Your furie and anger ought rather to bee pardoned then permitted or graunted Ye beare a face and séeme to detest and hate seueritie and ye your selues incurre and runne hedlong into all kinde of crueltie and before ye be made free your selues ye desire to be lordes ouer your aduersaries Shall our citie neuer bée voide of tortures and oppressions sometyme of the fathers towardes the people some tyme of the people towardes the fathers You had more néede of a shilde to defende you then of a sworde to fight That manne is of a base state and courage we suppose that liueth in a Citie and beareth hymself so vprighte as neither he inferreth iniurie to others ne yet suffereth wronge hymself If ye shewe your selues so terrible then it is to bee supposed that after ye haue recouered your lawes and magistrates and be placed againe in your former aucthoritie and preeminence ye will also ordeine and appoincte Lawes ouer vs that shall concerne our liues and goodes and euery other lightmatter But for this present I would wishe you to be contented with your former fréedome After the Ambassadours had willed theim to consulte vpon some determinate answere thei retourned to Rome to make reporte to the Senate of the peoples requestes The Decemuiri perceiuyng that contrary to their expectacion no likelihode was of any persecucion to be doen vpon them condescended to those demaūdes Appius beyng a man of nature cruell and malicious measuryng the malice of others by his owne maligne disposicion spake these woordes I am not ignoraunte what fortune is now imminente For I dooe plainlie sée that whiles weapons bee deliuered to our aduersaries the combate is deferred againste vs. With bloodde enuie muste bee rewarded I will not any longer delaie the tyme but depriue my self of the Decemuirate When the Senate was aduertised by the Ambassadours Valerius and Horatius of the peoples aunswere thei decreed that the Decemuiri should bee deposed and that Q. Furius the chief bishoppe should create the plebeian Tribunes Wherein also was enacted that the departure of the people and mutine of the souldiours should bee pardoned When these lawes were renewed the Decemuiri wente foorthe and openly in the assemblie deposed themselues to the greate ioye and comforte of them all All whiche beyng reported the people bothe the souldiours and the reste of the multitude repaired before the Ambassadours vnto whom the Ambassadours spake these wordes We now beseche you all to retourne into your countrie to your domesticall Goddes your wiues and children whiche wée trust shal be right good happie and profitable vnto you and to the common wealth But your modeste and sober behauiour for that no mannes grounde is violated and destroied considering many thinges could not suffice the hugenesse of this multitude that parte of modestie I saie carie with you into the Citie to your immortall fame and glorie Gette ye therefore to the mounte Auentine from whence ye departed whereas in a place moste happie ye renued the foundacions of your auncient libertie and there ye shall create your Tribunes The chief bishoppe shal be presente to kepe the Comirialles Then the Romane people made Aulus Virginius Lucius Icilius and P. Numitorius the Tribunes who with their assistauntes first aduannced and confirmed the libertie of the people Afterwarde Virginius was appointed to bee the accuser and Appius chosen to be the defendant At the daie appointed Appius resorted to the Forum with a greate companie of yonge gentlemen of the patriciall order where Virginius began to renewe the cruell and abhominable facte whiche Appius committed in the tyme of his authoritie and saied Oracion was first deuised founde out for
by fortune bee denied hym yet he doeth excell him bicause he neuer hath experience of thē he liueth in good prosperous helth he neuer feleth aduersitie he doeth nothing that is wicked he is a father of good childrē he is indued with formosttie beautie who if besides al those things he die welt It is he whō you demaunde that worthely maie be called blessed happy For before he die he can not be called blessed But fortunate he maie bee termed For to obtein al whiles you be a liuyng mā it is impossible For as one countrie is not able to serue it self with all comodities but hauing one it lacketh an other Yet the same countrie that hath moste comodities is the beste And as a mans bodie hauing one prefecciō is not perfect bicause in hauing one he lacketh an other Euē so he that hath most vertue is indued with greatest nōber of the aforesaied comodities so quietly departeth his life he in mine opinion is worthie to be intitled with the name of a king A mā must expect th ende of euery thing whervnto it tendeth For God plucketh vp by the rootes many men to whō he hath giuen abundance of welth treasure Craesus misliking the wordes of Solō suffred him to depart saiyng he was a foole that measured present pleasures no better After whose departure the goddes begā to bend their indignaciō displeasure vpon him bicause he thought himself the happiest of al men Long time after Craesus receiuyng corage cōfort frō Apollo at Delphos Attēpted warrs against Cyrus king of Persia. Who in those warres was ouerthrowen and taken prisoner after he had raigned .xiiij yeres and was broughte by the Persians to Cyrus Then Cyrus caused a stacke of woodde to be piled vp and Craesus fettered with giues was sette vpon the same Who then remēbryng the saiyng of Solon that no liuyng man was blessed or in all poincted happie cried out in lamentable wise O Solon Solon Solon whiche Cyrus hearyng caused his interpreters to demaūde of him what the same Solon was Craesus with muche difficultie tolde what he was and declared all the talke betwene hym and Solon Whereof when Cyrus heard the reporte he acknowledged hymself to be also a man and sore repented that he went aboute to burne hym whiche was equall vnto hym in honor and richesse confessyng nothyng to bee stable and certaine in the life of man Wherevpon he commaunded the fire to be taken awaie whiche then began to flame And so with muche a do he was deliuered Then Cyrus asked hym who gaue hym counsaill to inuade his countrie to make his frēde his foe Euen my self saied Craesus through vnhappie fate by the perswasiō of the Grekishe GOD whiche gaue me counsaill to make warres vpon thee For there is no man so madde that had rather desire warre then peace For in peace sonnes hurte their fathers but in warres fathers hurte their children But that these thinges be come to passe I maie thanke the Deuels good grace Afterwards Cyrus interteigned hym verie honorablie and vsed his counsel whiche he founde very holsome good Of a father that made suite to haue his owne soonne putte to deathe ¶ The .viij. Nouell THere was a man borne in Mardus whiche is a Countrie adioynyng vnto Persia called Rhacon that had seuen children The yongest of theim named Cartomes afflicted diuerse honest menne with greate harmes and mischifes For whiche cause the father began to reforme hym with wordes to proue if he would amende But he litle waiyng the good discipline of his father It chaunced vpon a time that the Iustices of the countrie repaired to the Sessions in that Toune where the father of that childe did dwell Who takyng his sonne and bindyng his handes behinde hym brought him before the Iudges To whom he remēbred by waie of accusacion all the mischiefes whiche his soonne from tyme to tyme hadde committed and desired the Iudges that he might bee condēpned to die The Iudges amased at that request would not them selues giue sentence against hym but brought bothe the father and the soonne before Artaxerxes the kyng of Persia In whose presence the father stil persisted in the accusacion of his sonne Why q the kyng canste thou finde in thy harte that thyne owne soonne should be putte to death before thy face Ye truely q the father For at home in my garden when the yonge Lactuse beginne to growe I cutte of the bitter and sower stalkes from the same For pitie it were the mother Lactuse should sustaine any sorowe for those bastarde and degenerate shrubbes Whiche beyng taken awaie the prospereth and encreaseth so greate swetenesse and bignes Euen so O kyng if he be hanged that hurteth my whole familie and offendeth the honest conuersacion of his brethren bothe my self shal bee increased and the reste of my stocke and ligneage shall in like sorte prospere and continue The Kyng hearyng those woordes did greately praise the wisedome of Rhacon and chose hym to bee one of his Iudges speakyng these wordes before the multitude He that dare thus seuerely iustly pronounce sentence vpon his owne childe doubtles he will shewe hymself to bee an incorrupt and sincere Iudge vpon the offences of other Then the kyng deliuered the yonge man from that present fault threatenyng hym with moste cruell death if after that tyme he were apprehended with like offence Water offred of good will to Artaxerxes the kyng of Persia and the liberall rewarde of the kyng to the giuer ¶ The .ix. Nouell THere was a certaine Persian called Sinaetas that farre from his owne house mette king Artaxerxes and had not wherewith to present him For it was an order emonges the Persians instituted by Lawe that euery man whiche mette with the king should giue hym a present Wherefore the poore man bicause he would not neglecte his duetie ranne to a Riuer called Cyrus taking vp bothe his handes full of water spake to the kyng in this wise I beseche God that your maiestie maie euermore raigne emonges As occasion of the place and myne abilitie at this instant serueth I am come to honour your maiestie to the intente you maie not passe without some presente For whiche cause I giue vnto you this water But if your grace had ones incamped your self I would goe home to my house for the best and derest things I haue to honour your maiestie withall And peraduēture the same shall not be muche inferiour to the giftes whiche other now dooe giue you Artaxerxes delighted with this chaunce saied vnto hym Good followe I thanke thee for this present I assure thee the same is so acceptable vnto me as the most precious gift of the worlde First bicause water is the best of all thynges then bicause the Riuer out of the whiche thou diddest take it dooeth beare the name of Cyrus Wherefore I commaunde thee to come before me when I am at my Campe. When he had spoken those wordes he
yonge ones went to inhabite in some other place And the corne accordingly was cut downe by the owner This fable Aesope reporteth premonishyng men to beware of light hope and vaine truste to be reposed in frēdes and kinsfolke And the same Q. Ennius in his Satyres verie elegantly in trimme verses hath set out whereof the twoo laste worthie to bée had in harte and memorie I haue thought good to remember Alwaies fixt fast in breast in prompt and redie wise This Prouerbe olde and true a sentence of the wise The thyng doe not expecte by frendes for to achieue VVhiche thou thy self canst doe thy self for to relieue A merie ieste vttered by Hannibal to kyng Antiochus ¶ The .xxj. Nouell ANtiochus makyng greate preparacion furniture to inferre warre vpon the Romanes decked his armie with Siluer and Golden ansignes and Pendentes wherein he had plentie of wagons chariottes and Elephantes with towers his bande of horsemen glittered gloriouslie with Golden bridles trappers barbes and suche like The king beholdyng in glorious and reioysyng wise his gaie and beautifull armie loked towardes Hannibal and saied How saiest thou Hannibal Thinkest thou that these thynges be not inough and sufficiente to matche with the Romanes Hanibal mocking and deluding the cowardnesse and weakenesse of his souldiors cladde in those precious and costlie furnitures saied All these thynges be inough and inough againe for the Romanes although thei were the moste couetous men of the worlde The kyng vnderstoode Hannibal that he had meant of the nomber of his souldiers and of their brauerie But he meant of the praie and spoite whiche the Romanes should winne and gette The merneilous knowledge of a Lion beyng acquainted with a man called Androdus ¶ The .xxij. Nouell THere chaūced to be certain plaies and games at Rome where were many monstruous and cruell beastes But emonges all those beastes the hugenesse and cruell aspectes of the Lions were had in greatest wonder specially of one Whiche Lion was of an huge and greate bignesse hauyng a terrible voice his clawes stretched for the his bristelles and heare vpright beholding with his fierce and dedly eyes all the multitude stādyng by There was brought in to fight with the Lion emonges all the reste one Androdus a Dacian borne the bondman of a greate personage of the Consular order whom the Lyon beholdyng a farre of sodainlie stoode still And afterwardes by litle and litle in gentle sorte he came vnto the man as though he had knowen him Waggyng his taile like a Spaniell fawnyng vpō his maister and licked the handes and legges of the poore felowe whiche for feare was almoste dead This Androdus perceiuyng the flateries of this fierce beast recouered comforte and earnestlie viewed and marked the Lion Then thei beganne to entre into mutual acquaintaunce one reioysyng at an others metyng Upon whiche straunge euent the people raised greate shoutes and acclamaciōs wherevpon Androdus was called before the Emperor and demaunded the cause why that moste cruell beast did in that sort fawne and fauour hym aboue all other Androdus tolde a merueilous and straunge historie of the cause thereof saiyng If it please your Maiestie when my Lorde and Maister did by the office of Proconsul gouerne Africa I through his causelesse stripes and daily whippynges was forced to runne awaie And when I had gotten pardon of the lieutenāt of that countrie to remaine there I withdrew my self in to the desertes and voide places And lacking meate to ease the paine of hūger I determined by some meanes to séeke mine owne death It chaunced aboute the midde of the daie whē the Sonne was feruent and hot I entred into a Caue whiche was farre from habitacion very wide and large Whervnto within a while after this Lion resorted hauyng one of his féete bloodie hurte For paine whereof he vttred muche mone and sorowe bewailyng the griefe and anguishe of the sore When I sawe the Lion my hart began to quake for feare but beyng come in as it were into his owne habitacion for so it should appere perceiuyng me to go aboute to hide my self a farre of he like a milde and gentle beast came vnto me holdyng vp his foote reachyng the same to me as though he desired helpe and relief at my handes Where withall I plucked out of his foote a stubbe whiche stucke betwene the pawes thereof and takyng a litle salue whiche I had in my bosome I thruste it into the bottome of the wounde and diligently without any further feare I dried the wounde and wiped awaie the blood thereof Wherewith the Lion beyng eased restyng his foote in my hādes he laie downe to refreshe hymself From that daie duryng the space of three yeres the Lion and I continued together and liued with like fare The lattest and beste morselles of those beastes whiche he praied he did euer brynge me into the caue whiche meate bicause I had no fire I rosted in the heate of the Sonne and did eate the same with good stomacke But when I began to waxe wearie of that kinde of meate vpon a tyme the Lion beyng abroade I forsoke the caue and traueilyng almoste the space of three daies I was espied and taken of the souldious and brought home to my maister out of Africa to Rome who immediatlie condempned me to be deuoured of beastes And now I perceiue that this Lion sithens I left his companie is taken and dooeth acquite that good tourne and cure whiche I shewed hym them The people hearyng the discourse of this straunge facte made suite that the felowe might bée pardoned and sette at libertie and the Lion by generall voice was giuen vnto hym for reward Afterwardes Androdus caried the Lion abrode the Citie in a litle corde and had muche money giuen vnto hym the Lion was decked and beautified with flowers And euery manne that mette them did vse to saie This is the Lion the frende of this man and this is the man the Phisicion of the Lion A pretie disputacion of the Philosopher Phanorines to perswade a woman not to put forthe her childe to Nursse but to nourishe it her self with her owne Milke ¶ The .xxiij. Nouell IT was tolde to the Philosopher Phauorinus that the wife of one of his Sectators and scholers was brought a bedde of a sonne Let vs go quod Phauorinus to visite the childwife and to gratulate the father for the ioye of his soonne When thei were entred the house after he had saluted the goodman accordyng to the custome he asked the wife how she did and praied the Goddes to sende her good footyng and then inquired of her trauell and painfull panges whē he vnderstode that her trauell was greate and her bodie weake with watchyng howbeeit somewhat comforted with slepe whiche she had taken he determined to enter into further talke I doubte not gossip q he but that you purpose to nourishe your sonne your self The mother of the woman hearyng him saie so began to praie pardon and
Alexandria and thought he had to serue his tourne whē he would but he was so coueteous that with his good will he would not doe it and to force hym he was verie lothe Howbeit compelled by necessitie he cast his willes about hym to finde a meanes howe the Iewe mighte serue his tourne and founde out a sleight and waie by a colourable force And causyng hym to bee called before hym interteignyng hym familierly he made him to sit doune by hym and saied to hym these woordes Sir I doe learne by reporte of diuers menne that you are verie wise and well learned in thynges touchyug God For whiche cause I would gladly knowe of you whiche of the three lawes you iudge to bee moste true The Iewishe lawe the Saracene lawe or the Christiā lawe The Iewe whiche in deede was verie wise perceiued well that Saladine went about to intrappe him in wordes to raise some quarrell against him thought that it was not good for hym to praise one of those lawes more then an other that Saladine might take no aduantage of hym Wherefore to make a wise and discrete answere that he might not bée taken he sharpened his wittes and sodainlie there came into his remēbraunce this answere My lorde the questiō which you haue proponed vnto me is excellēt and to declare vnto you that whiche I knowe I must tell you a tale which if it shall please you to heare is this I do remember if I be not deceiued that many tymes I haue heard tell how vpon a tyme there was a noble manne whiche was verie riche and had emōges his other treasure a verie beautifull rynge of greate price and estimacion which for the valor and beautie he was verie desirous perpetuallie to leaue vnto his successours who willed and ordeined that the same soonne whiche should haue that rynge by the gifte of his father after his decease should bee taken and reputed for his heire and should be honoured and magnified of the rest as the chiefest He to whom the same ringe was left obserued semblable order in his posteritie and did the like that his predecessor had doen before hym In short tyme this ring succeded frō hande to hande to many successours And last of all it came to the handes of one that had thrée goodly sonnes vertuouse and verie obedient to their father Who for that cause loued them al indifferentlie and in equall maner whiche knowinge the order for the disposicion of that Ringe curiouse to be beste estemed and beloued euery of them praied their Father so well as they coulde which then was aged that when he died he would giue him the Ringe The good man whiche loued one no better then another knewe not which of them to chose to whome be might dispose it and thought best to promisse the same to euerie of them to satisfie all thrée And secretlie he procured an excellent Goldesmith to make two other whiche were so like vnto the first that the owner himselfe vnethes knew one from the other And when he was vppon his deathe bedde he secretlie gaue to euerie of his sonnes a Ring Who after the death of their father desirouse to entre the Inheritance and honour one going about to displace another euery of them to declare what title he had to enioy the same brought forthe his Ringe And the Ringes were founde so like that the true ringe could not be knowen Therefore the processe for the title remained in doubte and yet continueth till this daie And so I saie vnto you my Lorde of the thrée lawes giuen by God the father to those thrée people whereof you haue made the question euerie of those nations thinketh to inioie the inheritance of God and to obserue the true lawe and his commaundementes but whiche of them hath the lawe that remaineth in doubte like the question of the Ringes Saladine perceiuyng that Melchisedech knewe right well how to auoide the snare whiche he hadde laied before his féete Determined therefore to open and disclose vnto him his necessitie to proue if he would doe him that pleasur And so he did tellinge him his intent meaning if he had not made him that wise answer The Iewe liberallie lente him the some of money that he demaunded Whiche Saladine holie repaied vnto him againe besides other verie greate rewardes that he gaue him vsinge him still for his frende and afterwardes mainteined him next his person in great and honorable state One celled Gugllelmo Borsiere with certen woordes well placed taunted the couetouse life of Ermino Crimaldi ¶ The .xxxj. Nouell LOnge sithens there was a gentle man at Genoua called M. Ermino Grimaldi who as all men iudged was the richest of possessions and redy money and therin farre excelled all other citizens whiche then were knowen in all Italie And as he did surpasse all other Italians in substances welth euen so in auarice and wretchednes he surmounted beyonde measure the most couetouse and miserable of the worlde For he kepte his purse so close that he did not onelie neglect to doe good to other but also to himselfe by sparinge in many thinges necessarie for his owne person he indured muche hardnes in meate and drinke bicause he would spende nothinge contrarie to the commen custome of the Geneuois Who be wont very nobly and honorablely to mainteine themselues in apparell and fare For whiche cause his surname Grimaldi deseruedlie was giuen vnto him and was called of euery man nothing elles but M. Ermino the Couetouse It chaunced in those daies that as he by spendinge nothinge multiplied his goodes There arriued at Genoua an honest gentleman and well spoken a Courtier of good interteigmente named Guglielmo Borsiere nothinge like the Courtiers in these daies that to there greate shame for there corrupt and rude manners would be called and reputed gentlemē whiche in déede maie be counted asses brought vp and noseled rather in the filthie condicions of the vilest men then in courtes In those daies Courtiers occupied themselfes in treatinge of peace and endinge of quarrels that bred strife and dissension amonges gentlemen or in makinge of Mariages amities and attonementes and with merie woordes and pleasant did recreate troubled mindes exhilarated with pastimes other Courtiers with sharpe reprehencions like fathers rebukinge the liues of the wicked and that for litle gaine or rewarde Where the Courtiers of our age doe imploy there time in ill reportes one of another and doe disseminate debate and strife vttering a thousande vnhappie and vile woordes yea and that whiche is woorst of all in common audience There maner is to reproue and checke one another of there iniuries shames and mischiefes true and vntrue and with false and deceiuable flatteries and inuentions to committe against Gentlemen villanouse and vngraciouse factes He is also the proprest man and best beloued of some great men of ill condicions and of them best rewarded that can vse the vilest and most abhominable talke or can doe semblable déedes
was marching vp the highest parte of the Citie by chaunce he sawe twoo men before hym with a lanthorne light in one of their handes comyng towardes hym for auoidyng of whō bicause he feared that it was the watch or some other ill desposed persones he hidde hymself in an old house harde by But thei as of purpose wente to the verie same place Where one of them dischargyng hymself of certaine instrumentes of yron whiche he bare vpō his backe bothe of them did viewe and surueie those yrons debatyng of diuers thinges touchyng the same and as thei were talkyng togethers one of them said what meaneth this I smell the foulest stenche that euer I felt in all my life And whē he had saied so he lifted vp the Lanthorne and espied miserable Andreuccio couchyng behinde the wall being afraied asked who it was Andreuccio helde his peace But thei approchyng nere him with their light demaunded what he made there so filthely arraied To whom Andreuccio rehersed the whole aduenture as it chaūced Who consideryng the cause of that misfortune saied one to an other this no doubt was doen in the house of Scarabone Butta Fuoco and tournyng towardes Androuccio one of them saied vnto hym Good manne although thou hast loste thy money yet thou hast greate cause to praise God that it was thy chaunce to falle and not to entre again into the house For if thou haddest not fallen assure thy self that when thou haddest been a slepe thy throte had been cutte and so with thy money shouldest haue lost thy life But what auaileth it now to wepe and lamente For thou shaite so sone plucke the starres out of the elemente as euer recouer one penie of thy losse And without doubt he will kill thee if he vnderstande that thou make any woordes thereof When thei had saied so and had giuen hym that admonicion thei cōforted hym in this wise Good felowe we doe lament thy state And therefore if thou wilte ioyne thy self with vs about an enterprise whiche we haue in hande we warraunte thee thou shalte gette a great deale more then thou hast lost Andreuccio like one in extreame despaire was contente The date before was buried one Messer Philippo Minutulo an Archebishoppe of Naples in riche pontificalles and ornamentes with a Rubie vpon his finger that was worthe fiue hundreth Ducattes of golde whom thei purposed to robbe and dispoile telling Andreuccio the whole order of their intente who more coueitous then well aduised went with them And going towardes the greate churche Andreuccio his persume began so sente verie stronge wherevpon one of them saied Is it not possible to deuise awaie that this shitten beaste maie washe hymself in some place that he stincke no more thus filthelie Yes quod the other There is a pitte here harde by ouer whiche there hangeth a pulley and a greate bucket where we maie presently washe hym When thei were come to the pitte thei founde the rope hangyng still vpō the pulley but the bucket was taken awaie wherefore thei thought beste to tye hym to the rope and to lette hym doune the pitte to washe himself And that when he was washed he should wagge the rope and thei would hoiste hym vp again Whiche thei did But it chaunced that whiles he was thus clensyng himself in the pitte The watche of the citie because thei swette and the nighte was verie hot being drie thirstie came to the pitte to drincke The other twoo perceiuyng the watche at hande left Andreuccio in the pitte and ranne awaie The watche whiche was come thither to drinke perceiued not those twoo that were fledde And Andreuccio beyng still in the bottome when he had clensed hymself beganne to wagge the rope The watche sittyng doune by the pittes side caste of their clokes and laied doune their halbardes and other weapons and began to drawe vp the rope thinkyng that the bucket full of water was tiede to the same When Andreuccio was haled vp to the brincke of the pitte he forsoke the rope and cast hymself with one his handes vpon the side of the same When the watche sawe that thei for feare ranne awaie so faste as thei could without speakyng any worde Whereof Andreuccio did meruaile very muche And if he had not taken good holde he had fallen again doune to the bottome to his greate hurte and peraduenture not without perill of his life Notwithstandyng beyng out of the pitte and findyng halberdes and other weapons there whiche he knewe well his fellowes brought not with them he then began muche more to wonder But betwene feare and ignoraunce of that whiche happened complainyng hymself of his harde Fortune without touchyng of any thing he determined to goe from thence and wente he could not tell whether But as he was departyng from that place he mette his fellowes retiryng backe to drawe hym vp And when thei perceiued hym alredie haled out of the pitte thei were wonderfully abashed and asked who drewe hym out Andreuccio made answere that he could not tell rehearsyng to them in order what had chaunced and of the thynges he founde without Thei vnderstandyng the matter laughed and tolde hym again the cause wherfore thei ranne awaie and what thei were that drewe hym vp And without further talke beyng then about midnight thei repaired to the greate churche Into the whiche thei easely entred And wente to the Tombe whiche was of Marble verie huge and weightie The couer whereof beyng verie greate with their crowes of yron and other tooles thei lifted it vp so farre that one man was able to entre whiche doen one asked an other who should goe in Not I quod one and not I quod the other No nor I quod Andreuccio Thother twoo hearyng Andreuccio saie so stepped vnto hym saiyng Wilte thou not goe in By the faithe we owe to God if thou goe not in we will so beate thee with one of these yron barres that thou shalte neuer sturre againe out of this place Andreuccio beeyng made their common ridyng foole greatly fearyng when he heard them saie so went in And when he was in the graue he saied vnto hymself These good felowes doe make me goe in bicause thei would deceiue me For when I haue giuen them all that is here and I redie to come out thei meane to runne awaie to saue them selfes and to leaue me behinde without any part therof Wherefore he purposed first to take his owne porcion to hymself And remembryng the Rynge of great valour whereof thei tolde hym so sone as he was in the graue he pulled it of from the Archbishops finger and putte it vpon his owne And afterwardes taking the Crosse the Miter and the Gloues dispoiling hym euen to his shurt he gaue them all saiyng That there was nothyng els But thei pressyng vpon hym that there was a Ring behinde willed hym throughly to make serche for it howbeit he still answered that he could not fiude it And bicause he would make thē tary
a litle longer he fained as though he had made a further searche The other so subtill and malicious as he badde hym to séeke still and when thei sawe tyme thei toke awaie the proppes that staied vp the Tōbe and ran awaie leauyng poore Andreuccio fast shutte in the Graue Whiche when Andreuccio perceiued what chaunced to hym then eche man maie consider Then he assaied sometymes with his shulders sometyme with his hedde to remoue the couer but all was in vaine Wherefore euen for verie sorowe he fill in a sownde vpon the deade bodie of the Bishoppe And if a man had seen them bothe at that instaunt it could not well haue béen discerned whether was the dead corps the Archebishoppe dedde or poore Andreuccio diyng But after he was come to hymsef he began piteouslie to complaine seeyng he was arriued to one of these twoo endes either in the Tombe to die for hunger and with the stenche of the dedde body putrifiyng with wormes if no manne came to open it or els to be hanged as a Thiefe if he were founde within And as he was in these consideracions tormented with sorowe he heard a noyse in the churche of diuerse menne who as he thoughte came to dooe the like facte that he and his fellowes had doen before wherewith his feare began muche more to augment But after thei had opened the graue and staied it vp it came in question emōges them who should goe in And when thei had contended a good space about the same A Priest that was in the companie saied Why are ye afraied Dooe ye thinke that he will eate you The dedde neuer eate men I will goe in my self And when he had saied so he laied hym downe upon his breaste at the drinke of the graue and thrustyng his feete in before he wente doune Andreuccio seyng that erected himself vpright and caught the Prieste by one of the legges makyng as though he would haue drawen hym in whiche when the Prieste perceiued he cried out a loude spéeding himself out so fast as he could Wherewithall the reste dismaied almoste out of their wittes leauyng the graue open tooke their legges and ranne as though a hundred thousande deuelles had béen at their tailes whiche seyng Andreuccio more ioyfull then he looked for lepte out of the graue and ranne as fast as he could out of the Churche at the place where he came in At what tyme daie light beganne to appere and he with the ryng on his finger wandred he wist not whether till he came to the sea side and at lengthe recouered his Inne where he founde his companie and his hoste all that night takyng greate care for hym To whom recomptyng that whiche chaunced his hoste gaue hym aduise incontinently to gette hym out of Naples whiche presently he did and retourned to Perugia hauyng bestowed his v. C. crounes vpon a Ryng whiche he thought to haue imploied vpon horsses For whiche cause he made that iorney The Erle of Angiers beyng falsly accused was banished out of Fraunce and lefte his twoo soonnes in sundrie places in Englande and retournyng vnknowen by Scotlande founde them in greate aucthoritie afterwardes he repaired in the habite of a seruaunte to the Frenche kynges armie And beyng knowen to be innocent was againe aduaunced to his firste estate ¶ The .xxxvii. Nouell THe Romane Empire beyng transferred frō the Frenche menne vnto the Almanes there rose a great discencion betwene bothe the nacions and in the ende a cruell and continual warre For which cause as well for the defence of his kingdome as to offede his enemies the Frenche king and one of his soonnes with all the power of their owne realme and of their frendes and allies assembled a greate hoste of menne to encountre with their enemies and before thei proceded bicause thei would not leaue their realme with out a gouernor knowyng Gualtieri Erle of Angiers to be a gentle and sage knight and their moste trustie frende and that he was a man moste expert in the arte of warfare semyng vnto thē notwithstandyng more apt to pleasure then paine lefte hym Lieutenaunt generall in their place for the gouernement of the whole kyngdome of Fraunce and proceded in their enterprise The Erle then began with greate knowledge and by good order to execute his office committed vnto hym dooyng nothyng without the consente of the Quene and her faire doughter in lawe although thei were lefte to be vnder his custodie and gouernement yet neuer tholesse he honoured them as his maistresses and superiours This Erle Gualtieri was a beautiful personage about the age of fourtie yeres so familier and well condicioned as any gentleman could be and besides that he was the moste excellent and trimmest knight that was knowen in those daies and one most comelie in his apparell It chaunced that the kyng and his soone beyng at the warres aforesaied the wife of the Erle died in the meane while leauyng hym onely twoo little yonge children a soonne and a doughter whiche he had by her He then frequentyng the courte of the aforesaied Ladies talkyng many tymes with them aboute the affaires of the realme the wife of the kynges sonne fixed her eyes vpon him and with great affection for his persone and vertues feruentlie imbraced hym with secrete loue And knowing herself to be yonge and freshe and hym to bee without a wife thought sodainly to bring to passe that whiche she desired and thinkyng that nothyng could lette the same but onely shame to discouer it she purposed vtterly to abandone the same And vpon a daie beyng a lone she sente one to seeke the Erle as though she would haue communicated with hym of other matters The Erle whose minde was farre different from the Ladies incontinently came vnto her who beyng sette doune together vpon a bedde which she desired alone in a chāber he asked her twise vpon what occasion she sent for hym and she hauyng nothyng to sate vnto him pressed in the ende and rapte with loue waxed verie shamfast and almoste wepyng quakyng for feare with fainte wordes began to saie as foloweth My derely beloued and louyng frende and Lorde you maie easelie knowe beyng a wise manne as you bee the frailtie of menne and women and by diuers consideracions the weakenesse to bee more in the one then in the other Wherefore before a iust iudge one fault of diuerse qualities ought not of reason to receiue one like punishemente Moreouer who is he that will saie that a poore man or woman whiche getteth their liuing with the labor of their bodie ought not more to bee reprehended if thei become amourous and subiect to their lustes then the riche Ladie whiche taketh no care for her liuyng or wanteth any thyng that she desireth Truely I beleue there is none suche that will saie so for whiche reason I suppose that the thinges before saied ought to serue the greatest part of the excuse to the aduauntage of her that doeth possesse thē If
curteous demaunde gaue her .v. C. poundes and so many faire and costly Iewels whiche almoste amounted to like valer For whiche the gentlewoman more then contented gaue moste hartie thankes to the Countesse who departed from the gentlewoman and retourned to her lodging The gentlewoman to take occasion from the Counte of any farther repaire or sendyng to her house tooke her doughter with her and went into the coūtrie to her frendes The Counte Beltramo within fewe daies after beyng reuoked home to his owne house by his subiectes hearyng that the Countesse was departed frō thence retourned The Countesse knowynge that her housband was gone from Florence and retourned into his countrie was verie glad and contented and she continewed in Florence till the tyme of her child bedde was come and was brought a bedde of twoo soones whiche were verie like vnto their father and caused thē carefullie to be noursed and brought vp and whē she sawe tyme she toke her iourney vnknowen to any manne and arriued at Monpellier and restyng her self there for certaine daies hearyng newes of the Counte and where he was and that vpon the daie of all Sainctes he purposed to make a great feast and assemblie of ladies and knightes in her pilgrimes wéede she wente thither And knowyng that thei were all assembled at the pallace of the Counte redie to sitte doune at the table she passed through the people without chaunge of apparell with her twoo sonnes in her armes And whē she was come vp into the hall euen to the place where the Counte was fallyng doune prostrate at his feete wepyng saied vnto him My Lorde I am thy poore infortunate wife who to thintent thou mightest returne and dwel in thine owne house haue been a great while beggyng about the worlde Therefore I now beseche thée for the honour of God that thou wilt obserue the condicions whiche the twoo knightes that I sent vnto thée did commaunde me to doe for beholde here in myne armes not onelie one soonne begotten by thée but twaine and likewise thy Kynge It is now tyme then if thou kepe promis that I should be receiued as thy wife The Counte hearyng this was greatly astonned and knewe the Kynge and the children also thei were so like hym But tell me q he howe is this come to passe The Countesse to the great admiraciō of the Counte and of all those that were in presence rehearsed vnto them in order all that whiche had béen doen and the whole discourse therof For whiche cause the Counte knowyng the thynges she had spoken to be true and perceiuyng her constaunt minde and good witte and the twoo faier yonge boies to kepe his promisse made and to please his subiectes and the Ladies that made sute vnto him to accept her from that time forthe as his lawfull wife and to honour her abiected his obstinate rigour causyng her to rise vp and imbraced and kissed her acknowledgyng her againe for his lawfull wife And after he had apparelled her according to her estate to the great pleasure and contentacion of those that were there and of all his other frendes not onely that daie but many others he kepte greate chere and from that tyme forthe he loued and honoured her as his dere spouse and wife Tancredi Prince of Salerne caused his doughters louer to be slaine and sente his harte vnto her in a cuppe of golde whiche afterwardes she putte into poisoned water and drinkyng thereof died ¶ The .xxxix. Nouell TAncredi Prince of Salerne was a curteous Lorde and of a gētle nature had he not in his age imbrued his handes with his owne proper bloud It chaunced that this prince in al his life time had but one onely doughter but he had been more happie if she had neuer been borne That doughter he loued so well as a father could loue his childe and for the tender loue he bare her he was not able to suffer her to bee out of his sighte And could not finde in his harte to marie her although she had many yeres passed the tyme that she was mariage able notwithstandyng in the ende he gaue her to wife to one of the soonnes of the Duke of Capua with whom she continued no long tyme but was a widowe and then retourned vnto her fathers house againe This Ladie was verie faire and comely of bodie and face as any creature could be yonge lustie and more wise peraduenture then a woman ought to be And thus dwelling with her louing father she liued like a noble Ladie in greate pleasure And seing that her father for the loue he bare vnto her had no minde or care to marie her againe and also she thinking it skarce honest to require him therevnto deuised with her self secretly if it were possible to retain some valiaunt man to bée her louer And seyng many gentlemen and others frequentyng her fathers court as wée commonlie sée in the Courtes of Princes and markyng the behauiour and order of many emonges all there was a yonge man one of her fathers seruaūtes that liked her well whose name was Guiscardo of verie base birthe but in vertue and honeste condicions more noble then the reste and many tymes when she sawe him she wonderfully delited in him alwaies praisyng his dooynges aboue all others The yonge manne not hauyng good consideracion of hymself perceiuyng her feruente affeccion so fixed his minde that he disposed the same vppon nothyng elles but to loue her One louing an other secretly in this sort and the ladie verie studious to finde occasiō that she might talke with hym unwillyng to commit the secrecie of hre loue to any manne she imagined with her self a new deuise to giue him knowledge therof And wrote a letter signifiyng vnto hym what he should dooe the nexte daie and how he mighte vse hymself to come to talke with her then puttyng the letter into the Cane of a rede she gaue it vnto Guiscardo in sportyng wise and saied Thou shalt this night make a paire of Bellowes for thy seruaunt wherwith she maie kindle the fire Guiscardo tooke it thought that she did not giue it vnto him without some speciall purpose whervpon he went to his chamber and loking vpō the Cane perceiued it to be hollowe and openyng it founde the letter within whiche she had written And when he had well perused it vnderstandyng the tenour and effecte thereof he thought hymself the happiest manne in the worlde and began to put hymself in redinesse to mete with his Ladie by suche waies and meanes as she had to hym appoincted There was in a corner of the princes pallace a Caue longe tyme before made vnder the side of a hille whiche Caue receiued light by a certaine vente made by force within the saied mountaine and bicause the same was not frequented and vsed it was ouer growen with busshes and thornes Into whiche Caue was a discente by a secrete paire of staiers that was in one of the lowest chambers of the
haue proued that mischiefe and am yet in the greatest excesse and pangues of my disease I féele alas a diuersitie of anguishes a Sea of troubles whiche tormente my minde yet I dare not discouer the occasiō seing that the thing which is the cause of my grief to be of suche desert that my seruice past all that is to come is not able to giue the proofe if one speciall grace and fauor doe not inlarge the litle power that is in me to counteruaile the greatenesse and perfection of that cause whiche thus doeth variat and alter bothe my thoughtes and passions Pardon me madame if I doe speake obscurely for the confusion of my mynde maketh my wordes correspondent to the qualitie of the same Notwithstandyng I will not kepe silente from you that whiche I dooe suffre and muche lesse dissemble what passiō I indure beyng assured aswel for your vertue gentlenes that you moued with compassion will succour me so much as shal lie in you for preseruacion of the life of hym that is the best and moste obedient seruaunt emōges them all that doe you humble seruice The Ladie whiche neuer thought of the wickednesse whiche this insensate man began to imagine answered him very curteously I am sory truely for your mishappe and doe merueile what should be the effecte of that passion whiche as you saie you fele with suche dimunicion of that whiche is perfecte and accomplished in you For I doe sée no cause that ought to moue you to so straunge infirmitie whereof you tolde me wherwith I had alredie found fault although you had said nothyng I would to GOD I knewe whiche waie to helpe you aswel my lorde my husbandes sake who I am sure doeth beare you good will as for the honestie which hetherto I haue knowen to be in you which as I thinke all men resemblyng you for vertue and good condicions doe deserue that accōpt and consideracion He that thought her alredie to be taken in his nettes seyng so faire a waie open and cleare to disclose that whiche he had kept couert so long tyme in the depth of his harte answered Ah madame are ye ignoraunt of the forces of Loue how much his assaultes can debilitate the liuelihode of the bodies and spirites of men Knowe ye not that he is blinde and naked not caryng whether he goeth manifestyng hymself there where occasion is offred Alas madame if you haue not pitie vpon me and doe not regarde that whiche I doe suffer for the loue of you I knowe not how I am able to auoide Death whiche will approche so sone to cutte of and abridge my yeres as I shall vnderstande a refusal of that whiche the extreme Loue that I beare you madame forcethe me to require whche is to receiue a newe seruice of your aunciente and faithfull seruiture who inflamed by the bright beames of your diuine face knoweth not now how to chaunge the affeccion muche lesse to receiue helpe but of that place where he receiued the pricke Excuse madame I beseche you my rashenesse and pardon my follie accusyng rather either your celestiall beautie or els that tiraunt Loue who hath wounded me so luckelie that I esteme myne euill fortunate and my wounde happie sithe by his meane my thoughtes and cogitacions doe onely tende to doe you seruice and to loue you in myne harte whiche is the Phenix of the faireste and moste curteous ladies within al our Prouince Alas that excellencie whiche thus maketh me your seruasit shall one daie be my ruine if by your good grace speakyng it with wepyng teares you doe not fauor hym whiche liueth not but to obeie you and whiche lesing your good grace will attempte to depriue hymself of life whiche being depriued through your crueltie will goe to complaine himself of his bolde attempt and also of your rigor emonges the ghostes and shadowes of thē that be alredie dedde for like occasions The chaste Ladie was so rapt of wittes for the straungenes of the case and for the grief whiche she conceiued to sée the vnshamefast hardinesse of the varlette that she could not tell how to make hym answere But in the ende breakyng silence and fetchyng a great sighe from the bottome of hec harte her face slained with a fresh Uermilion rudde whiche beautified her colour by reason of disdaine conceiued against this impudent Orator she answered hym verie seuerely O God who would haue thought that from a hart nobly brought vp and deriued from an honourable race a villanie so greate could haue taken roote and spryng vp with suche detestable fruicte What maister Stewarde Haue ye forgotten the duetie of a seruaunt towarde his lorde and maister Haue ye forgotten I saie the duetie of a vertuous gentleman well nourished and trained vp towarde suche and so greate a Ladie as I am Ah These and Traitour that thou art Is this the venime whiche thou kepest so couert and secrete vnder the swetenesse of thy counterfaicte vertue A vaunte varlette a vaunte Goe vtter thy stuffe to them that be like thy self whose honour and honeslie is so farre spent as thy loialtie is lighte and vaine For if I heare thee speake any more of these follies bee assured that I will mortifie that ragyng flame whiche burneth thy light beleuyng harte and will make thée feele by effecte what maner of death that is wherein thou reposeste the rest of thy trauell As this deceued Oratour was framyng his excuse and aboute to moderate the iuste wrathe of his Ladie displeased vpon good occasion she not able to abide any more talke saied further And what signes of dishonestie haste thou séen in me that moue thée to perswade a thing so wicked and vncomely for myne estate yea and so preiudiciall to me to my frendes the house of thy maister my lorde and spouse I can not tell what it is that letteth me from causyng thée to bée caste for the emong the Lions cruell and capitall enemies of adulterie emonges thē selfes sithe thy pretence is by violatyng my chastite to dishonor the house wherevnto thou owest no lesse then all the aduauncemente thou haste from the taste whereof thou haste abandoned Uertue the best thyng wherewith thou were affected Auoide now therefore let me heare no more of this vpon paine of thy life otherwise thou shalt féele the rewarde of thy teinerite and vnderstande the bitternesse of the litle pleasure whiche I haue conceiued of thy follies So the good ladie helde her peace reseruyng in her harte that whiche should be her helpe in tyme and place howbeit she said nothyng hereof vnto her husbande aswell for raisyng offence or slaunder as for prouokyng her husbande against him whiche susteined the punishement himself sithe that this refuse did more straungely pinche hym more nere at the harte then euer the Egle of Caucasus whereof the Poetes haue talked so muche did tier the mawe of the subtil these Prometheus And yet the vnhappie
discourse whiche setteth before your eyes what ende the fonde loue of them ordinarelie haue whiche without reason not measuryng their owne abilitie doe suffer themselfes to be guided and ledde into their sensuall lustes and appetites For ill successe faileth not in a beginnyng the grounde whereof abhorryng reason is planted and laied vpon the sandie foundacion of pleasure whiche is shaken and ouerthrowen by the least winde and tempest that Fortune can bluster against suche buildyng Didaco and Violenta Didaco a Spaniarde is in loue with a poore maiden of Valencia aud secretely marieth her afterwardes lothyng his firste mariage bicause she was of base parentage he marieth an other of noble birthe His first wife by secrete messenger praieth his companie whose request he accomplisheth Beeyng a bedde she and her maide killeth hym She throweth hym into the streate she in desperate wise cōfesseth the facte before the Magistrates and is put to death ¶ The .xlii. Nouell THere is no manne but doeth knowe that Valencia is at this daie the chief and onely Rampar of Spaine the true seate of Faithe Iustice and Humanitie And emōges all the rare and excellent-ornamentes that citie is wel furnished with so trimme Ladies and curteous gentlewomen as thei knowe how to baite and féede yonge men with foolishe daliaunce and idle passetyme So that if there be any beetle hedde or grosse persone the better to allure and prouoke him to those follies thei tell hym by a common Prouerbe that he must goe to Valencia In this citie there was in old tyme as it is at this daie a verie auncient stocke and familie called Ventimiglia out of whiche be descended a great nomber of riche and honorable knightes Emonges whom not longe tyme passe there was one named Didaco verie famous and renowmed to be the moste liberall and familer gentleman of the citie who for wante of better businesse walked vp and doune the citie and so consumed his youth in triūphes maskes and other expences common and apt for suche pilgrimes addressing his loue indifferently to all women without greater affection to one then to an other and continued that order till vpon an holy daie he espied a yong maide of smal yeres but of verie exquisite beautie whiche maiden sodainly castyng her eye vpon hym so pearced the knight Didaco with her looke that from that tyme forthe she entred more nere his harte then any other And after he had wel marked her dwellyng place he many tymes passed and repassed before the doore to espie if he might gette some looke or other fauour of her that began alredie to gouerne the bridle of his thoughtes and if it chaunced that the gentlemanne behelde her she shewed herself curteous and amiable indued with grace so good that he neuer departed ill contēted out of that streate The gentleman continuyng certaine tyme in those vanities was destrous to know a farre of what she was of what lineage and of what vocacion And after he had curiously serched out all her originall he vnderstoode by diuers reporte that she was a Goldsmithes doughter whose father was dedde certaine yeres before hauyng no more but her another aliue and twoo brethren bothe of their fathers occupacion Notwithstandyng of life she was chaste honeste defamed with none although she was pursued of many Her outwarde beautie did not so muche sette her forthe as her grace and order of talke who although brought vp in a citizens house yet no ladie or gentlewoman in the Citie was comparable to her in vertue and behauiour For from her tender yeres she was not onely giuen to her nedle a méete exercise for maides of her degrée but also was trained vp to write and reade wherin she tooke so great pleasure that ordinarilie she carried a boke in her hande whiche she neuer gaue ouer till she had gathered some fruicte thereof This knight hauing receiued that first impression of the valor and vertue of Violenta for that was her name was further in loue then before and that whiche added more oile to the matche was the continuall lookes wherwith she knewe how to delight him and with them she was so liberall that so oft as he passed through the streate she shotte them forthe so cruelly that his poore harte felyng it self so tormēted could not indure that newe onset By reason whereof thinkyng to quenche the fire that by litle and litle consumed hym he would attempt her chastite with giftes letters and messengers whiche he continued the space of halfe a yere or more Wherevnto Violenta giuyng no place in the ende he was constreined to assaile her with his own presence and one daie findying her alone at the doore after he had made a verie humble reuerence vnto her he saied Maistresse Violenta consideryng your order and the colde regarde that you haue to my letters and messages I doe remember the subtiltie that is attributed to the Serpente who with his taile stoppeth his eares bicause he will not heare the woordes whiche hath power to constraine hym to doe against his wil which hath made me to leaue to write vnto you to desire specially to speake vnto you that myne affectuous accentes my sorowfull wordes and feruente sighes might certefie you better then Paper the rest of my passion beleuyng verely that if the heauie sounde of my greuous complaintes maie come to your eares thei will make you to vnderstande a parte of that good and euill whiche I feele continually in my harte although the loue whiche I beare you be suche that I can not giue suche liuelie experience outwardly beyng but litle in comparison of them whiche maie be séen within And pronouncyng those wordes there followed so many teares sobbes and sighes that thei gaue sufficiēt testimonie that his tongue was the true and faithfull messenger of his harte Whereof Violenta somewhat ashamed with a constaunte grace said vnto hym Senior Didaco if you dooe yet remember your life past and mine honestie whiche peraduenture you haue thought either rude or cruell I doubte not that you haue any cause to maruaile of my presumpcion and to attribute that to vice whiche is familier with vertue For although that you haue sollicited me to loue you by an infinite nomber of letters and messages yet it is so that followyng the nature of maides of my degrée I haue neither allowed them nor yet cōdempned thē as where vnto accordinglie I haue made none answere not for despite or contempte but to lette you knowe more certainlie that by fauoryng your enterprises I should increase your grief whiche can receiue none ende by the waie you pretēde For although that I haue made the first proofe vpon my self and therfore of reason I ought to lamente them whiche bee in semblable paine yet I will not let slippe the bridle in suche wise to my passion that myne honestie shall remaine in an other mannes power and so it maie bée at the mercie and curtesie of them who not knowyng how dere
it is to me shall thinke thei haue made a pretie conquest And that I maie haue no cause to repente to late I haue stopped myne eares for feare that I bée not a rested and staied with the violence of your charmes a thyng as you saie proper to Serpentes But I haue fortefied my harte armed my self in suche wise within that if God continue that grace in me whiche hitherto he hath doen I hope not to bee surprised Although that I must néedes confesse to my shame that I haue receiued merueilous assaultes of loue not onely for the common renowme of your vertues and through the curtesie and gentlenesse daiely imparted to me by your letters but speciallie by your presence whiche hath yelded vnto me experience and assurance of that whiche all the letters of the worlde could not doe nor all other messages were not able to conceiue And to the ende that I maie not bee vtterly ingrate and that you doe not departe from me altogether miscontent I doe promis you now that from henceforthe you shall inioye the firste place of my harte wherevnto an other shall neuer entre if so be you can bée contente with honest amitie wherin you shall finde me in tyme to come so liberall in al that whiche honestie shall permitte that I am contente to forgoe the name of a presumptuous or cruell Damosell for your sake But if you meane to abuse me or hope for any thyng of me contrary to myne honour you be merueilously deceiued Wherefore if you thinke your worthinesse to greate ta cary awaie a recompence so small you shall dooe very well bothe for me and your self in forgettyng that is past to cutte of all hope in tyme to come And she thinkyng to prolonge a further discourse the mother of Violenta whiche still stode at the windowe all the time that Senior Didaco was with her doughter came downe to the doore interruptyng their talke saied to Didaco Sir I suppose you take greate pleasure in the follie of my doughter bicause you cary and abide here rather to contriue your tyme then for any other contentacion you can receiue For she is so euill taught and of suche rude behauiour that her demeanour will rather trouble you then giue you cause of delight Maistresse saied Didaco although in the beginnyng I purposed not to tarie so long yet when I entred in more familier acquaintaunce and had well experienced her good graces I confesse that I haue staied here longer then I thought And were he neuer so greate a lorde that liueth at this daie I dare auouch that he might thinke his tyme well bestowed in hearyng suche sober and honest talke wherwith I thinke my self so well satisfied and instructed that all the dayes of my life I will witnesse that vertue curtesie and sober behauiour is to be founde aswell in meane degrées and houses and in them that bee right noble emonges whiche meane families although she be one it maie so be that one more illustre and noble cannot be more excellente and accomplished with better maners then she whiche is now well manifested to me in this litle discourse And after certaine other commō talke Didaco tooke his leaue and wente home to his house where he liued fourtene or fiftene monethes without any reste assaiyng by all meanes to mortifie his desires but it auaileth not For although he was riche a trimme courtiar and an eloquent gentleman and had opportunitie to speake vnto her many tymes and she gentle inough to heare him and to vnderstand his errantes and was assured by frendes that she for her parte was also in loue yet he was not able by humane arte and pollicie to conuerte her to his mynde Wherewithall he was longe tyme molested and at lengthe pressed with grief and anoiaunce he was aduised to sende sixe hūdred Ducates to the mother for a Relief to the mariage of her doughter promising besides that he would assigne her an honest dowrie when she founde a manne worthie to be her husbande vpon condicion that she would yelde to hym some comforte to ease his affection But she which could not be wōne with loue was not able to bée recouered with money and was offender that Senior Didaco had forgotten himself so muche as to thinke to gaine that for money whiche with so greate paine teares and sighes hadde been denied hym And to make hym vnderstande that she was offended she sent worde by hym that brought her the money that he should goe and proue hereafter to deceiue them that measured their honour with the price of profite and not to set trappes to deceiue other that would buye nothyng contrary to vertue And after Didaco was aduertised of her mynde and perceiued that he lost tyme in all his enterprises and was able no lōger to sustaine his extreme paine and sorowe whiche daily augmented and when he had debated in his minde all the successe of his loue he resolued in the ende vpon that whiche he thought moste profitable for the quiete of his mynde whiche was to marie her And although she was of no suche house and yet lesse indowed with substaunce as he deserued Yet her beautie and vertue and other giftes of grace wherewith she was inriched made her worthie of a great Lorde And resolued vpon this he repaired to Violenta to whom he saied Maistresse Violenta if the true Touchestone to knowe them that be perfect louers emonges other is mariage certainly you haue gotten a husbande of me if it please you to accept me for suche a one whom in tyme you shall make to vnderstande the difference betwene gooddes and vertue and betwene honestie and richesse Violenta then rauished with ioye and incredible contentacion somewhat abashed saied vnto hym Senior Didaco I knowe not whether you pretende by woordes to proue my constancie or els to bryng me into fooles paradise but of one thyng I can assure you that although I acknowledge myself inferiour to you in merites gooddes and vertue yet if that come to passe whiche you promis I will not giue place to you in loue trustyng if God sende vs life together you shall well vnderstande one daie that you would not exchaunge my persons for a great Ladie what so euer she be For confirmacion whereof Didaco plucked frō his finger an Emeralde of greate value which when he had kissed her he gaue vnto her in the waie of mariage praiyng her that she would not disclose it for a certaine tyme vntill he hymself had made all his frēdes priuie vnto it Notwithstandyng he willed her to impart the same to her twoo brethren and to her mother and he would gette some prieste of the Countrie to solempnize the Mariage within their house whiche was dooen in a chamber aboute fower of the clocke in mornyng beyng onely presente the mother the brethren the prieste and a sernuaunt of the house brought vp there from her youthe and his owne man without makyng any other preparacion or
her what she had doen. To whom Violenta answered Ianique is thou hast made a good beginnyng to our enterprise I likewise for my parte haue not slepts For I haue deuised that wee muste prouide for a strong roape whiche wée will fasten to the heddes hedde and when he shal bee a slepe I will cast the other ende of the rope to thée ouer thwarte the bedde that thou maieste plucke the same with all thy might and before thou beginnest to pull I will with a knife cutte his throate wherefore thou must prouide twoo great kniues whatsoeuer thei cost but I praie thée let me alone with doing of the fact that I maie dispatch him of his life whiche alone did make the first assault to the breache of mine honour Ianique knewe so well howe to prouide for all that was requisite for the execution of their enterprise as there rested nothyng but oportunitie to sorte their cruell purpose to effecte The knight six Didaco at the hower appointed tolde his newe wife that he must goe into the coūtrie to take order for the state of his lande and that he could not retourne till the next daie in the mornyng Which she by and by beleued And the better to couer his facte he caused twoo horsse to d ee made redie and rode for the whē the clock strake iiij And when he had riden through a certaine streate he saied to his manne whiche was went to serue his turne in loue matters cary my horse to suche a man out in the Countrie and tarrie there all this daie and to morowe Mornyng come seeke me in suche a place when I am gone from the house of Violenta In the meane time set my horsse in some Inne For in any wise I will haue no manne knowe that I dooe lie there whiche dooen the maister and the seruaunte went twoo seuerall waies The knight beyng come to the house of Violenta he found Ianique tariyng for hym with good deuocion to vse hym accordyng to his desert and conueied hym to the chamber of Violenta and then she retourned aboute her businesse The knighte kissed Violenta and badde her good morrowe askyng her howe she did Whom Violenta answered Sir Didaco you bid me good morrowe in woordes but in déede you goe to prepare for me a heauie and sorowfull life I beleue that your minde beareth witnes of the state of my welfare For you haue brought me to suche extremitie that you sée righte well how nothyng els but my voice declareth me too bee a woman and therewithall so féeble a creature as I still craue and call for death or for pitie although bothe of th one and of the other I am not heard at all And yet thinke not Didaco that I am so farre out of my wittes to beleue that the cause of my writyng the letter was for hope that you remembryng my bitter paines your owne hainous crime I could euer moue you to pitie For I am perswaded that you will neuer cease to exhauste and sucke the bloodde honor and life of them that credite your trumperies and deceiptes as now by experience I knowe by my self with suche deadly sorowe that I still attende and loke for the sorowfull ende of my life Didaco seyng hee thus afflicted fearyng that her cholere would further inflame beganne to cull her and to take her now into his armes tellyng her that is Mariage with the doughter of Vigliaracuta was cōcluded more by force then his owne will and minde bicause thei pretended to haue a gifte of all the lande and gooddes he had in succession after his father was dedde which if thei did obteine by lawe he should be a begger all the daies of his life and that the same was dooen to prouide for the quiet state of them bothe and nowithstanding he had maried an other wife yet he purposeth to loue none but her and meante in tyme to poison his wife and to spende the rest of his life with her And thus sewyng to remedie his former fault by surmised reportes chaunting vpō the cordes of his pleasaūt tongue he thought with Courtlike allurementes to appease her whiche had her wittes to well sharpened to be twise taken in one trappe howbeit for feare of driuyng hym awaie and to lose the meane to accomplishe that whiche she intended she saied vnto hym with forced smilyng Sir Didaco although you haue so ill vsed me in tyme paste that I haue no greate cause to beleue your present wordes yet the loue that I beare you is so rooted in my harte that the faulte muste bee very greate whiche should remous the same in consideraciō whereof I will constraine my self to beleue that your woordes bee true vpon condicion that you will sweare and promis to lie with me here ones or twise in a wéeke For me thinke that if I mighte at tymes inioye your presence I did remaine in some part of your grace and fauour and should liue the beste contented woman a liue Wherevnto he willingly agreed with a greate nomber of other like protestacious prompte and redie in them whiche meane deceipt But if the poore miserable woman had perced the same in the depthe of her harte and had credited all that he spake no doubte he would haue chaunged his mynde Thus either partes spente the daie in colde and dissembled flatteries till darke nighte with his accustomed silence did deliuer them the meane to exercise their cruell enterprise So sone as supper was dooen Didaco and Violenta walked vp and downe together talkyng of certaine common matters till the knight pressed with slepe commaūded his bedde to be made redie It neded not thento inquire with what diligence Violenta and Ianique obeied that requeste in whom onely as thei thought cōsisted the happe or mishappe of their enterprise To whom bicause Violenta might shewe her self more affectionat went firste to bedde and so sone as thei were laied Ianique brewe the curteines and tooke awais Didaco his sworde and makyng as thoughe she had a thing to doe vnder the bedde she fastened the rope and taked vp the fire whiche was in the chimney cariyng a stoole to the beddes side and laieth vpon thes ame twoo greate kechin knifes whiche doen she put out the candle and fainyng to goe out of the chamber she shut the doore and wente in againe And then the poore infortunate knight thinking that he was alone in the chāber with Violenta began to clepe and kisse her wher vnto she made no refusall but desirous to renewe his olde priuate toles she peased hym of all loue that he bare vnto her to kepe troce for twoo or thrée howers for that the night was long inough to satisfie his desires affirmyng that it was impossible for her to wake bicause fiue or sixe daies before by reason of her griefes she had not slept at all notwithstanding she saied that after her sixtie sléepe she would willinglie obeye him Whervnto the gentleman was easely perswaded
feared to thinke which was to haue her one day for friende if the name of spouse were refused Thus tormented wyth ioye and displeasure wandering betwene doubt and assurance of that he hoped The self same day that Adelasia practised with Radegonde for the obtayning of her ioy and secret ministerie of her Loue he entred alone into a garden into which the Princesse chambre had prospecte and after he had walked there a good space in an Alley viewing diligently the order of thé fruitfull trées of so diuers sortes as there be varietie of colours with in a faire meade during the vedure of the spring time and of so good and sauorous taste as the hearte of man coulde wyshe He repaired vnder a Laurel trée so well spredde and adorned with leaues about which trée you might hane sene an infinit number of Myrtle trées of smell odoriferous and swéete of Oringe trées laden wyth vnripe fruite of pliable Mastickes and tender Tameriskes And there he fetched his walkes along the thick grene herbs beholding the varietie of floures which decked beautified the place wyth their liuely and naturall colours He then rauished in this contemplation remembring her which was the pleasure and torment of his minde in sighing wise began to say O that the heauens be not propitious and fauourable to my indeuors Sith that in the middes of my iolities I fele a newe pleasaunt displeasure which doth adnihilate all other solace but that which I receyue throughe the Image paynted in my heart of that diuine beautie which is more variated in perfection of pleasures than this paradise and delicious place in varietie of enamell and paynting although that nature and arte of man haue workemanly trauailed to declare and set forth their knowledge and diligence Ah Adelasia the fairest Lady of all faire and most excellente Princesse of the earth Is it not possible for me to féede my self so well of the viewe and contemplation of thy heauenly and Angelicall face as I do of the sight of these faire and sundrie coloured floures May it not be broughte to passe that I may smell that swete breath which respireth through thy delicate mouthe béeing none other thing than Baulme Muske and Aumbre yea and that which is more precious which for the raritie and valor hath no name euen as I doe smell the Roses Pincks and Uiolets hanging ouer my head franckly offering themselues into my handes Ah infortunat Alerane there is no floure that ought to be so handeled nor sauor the swetenesse whereof ought not to be sented without desert merited before Ah Loue Loue that thou hast fixed my minde vpon so highe thinges Alas I feare an offence so daungerous which in the ende will bréede my death And yet I can not wythdrawe my heart from that smoke of Loue although I would force my selfe to expell it from me Alas I haue read of him so many times and haue heard talk of his force that I am afrayd to borde him and yet feare I shall not escape his gulfe Alas I knowe well it is he of whome is engendred a litle mirth and laughing after whiche doeth followe a thousande teares and weapings which for a pleasure that passeth away so sone as a whirle winde doth gyue vs ouer to greate repentance the sorrow wherof endureth a long time and sometimes his bitternesse accompanieth vs euen to the graue The pacients that be taynted with that amorous feuer althoughe continually they dye yet they can not wholy sée and perceiue for al that the defaut and lacke of their life albeit they doe wish and desire it still But alas what missehap is this that I do see the poyson that causeth my mischief and do know the way to remedie the same and yet neuerthelesse I can not or will not recouer the help Did euer man heare a thing so strange that a sick man seking help and finding recouery shoulde yet reiecte it Saying so he wepte and syghed so piteously as a little chylde threated by his mother the nourice Then roming vp and down vpon the grasse he séemed rather to be a man straught and bounde wyth chaynes than like one that had his wittes and vnderstanding Afterwardes being come againe to himselfe he retourned to his first talke saying But what am I more wise more constant and perfecte than so many Emperors Kinges Princes and greate Lordes who notwithstanding their force wisedome or richesse haue bene tributarie to loue The tamer and subduer of monsters and Tirants Hercules vanquished by the snares of loue did not he handle the distaffe in stead of his mighty mace The strong and inuincible Achilles was not he sacrificed to the shadowe of Hector vnder the color of loue to celebrate holy mariage wyth Polixena daughter to King Priamus The great Dictator Iulius Caesar the conqueror of so many people Armies Captaines and Kings was ouercome with the beautie and good grace of Cleopatra Quene of Egipt Augustus his successour attired like a woman by a yeoman of his chamber did he not take away Liuia from him that had first maried her And that cōmon enemie of man and of all curtesie Claudius Nero appeased yet some of his furie for the loue of his Lady What straunge things did the learned wise and vertuous Monarch Marcus Aurelius indure of his welbeloued Faustine And that great captaine Marcus Antonius the very terror of the Romaine people and the feare of strange and barbarous nations did homage to the childe Cupido for the beautie of Quéene Cleopatra which afterwardes was the cause of his whole ouerthrowe But what meane I to alledge remember the number of louers being so infinite as they be Wherfore haue the Poets in time past fayned in their learned and deuine bokes the loues of Iupiter Appollo Mars but that euery man may knowe the force of Loue to be so puissant that the Gods theselues haue felt his force to be inuincible ineuitable Ah if sometimes a gentleman be excused for abassing himselfe to Loue a woman of base birth and bloude why should I be accused or reprehended for loning the daughter of the chiefest Prince of Europe Is it for the greatnesse of her house and antiquitie of her race Why that is al one betwene vs two toke his originall of the place whereof at this day my Father is the chiefe and principall And admit that Adelasia be the daughter of an Emperoure Ah Loue hath no regarde to persons houses or riches rather is he of greater commendation whose enterpryses are moste famous and haute gestes extende their flyght farre of Nowe resteth then to deuise meanes howe to make her vnderstande my payne For I am assured that she loueth me sauing that her honoure and yong yeares doe let her to make it appeare more manifest But it is my propre duty to make request for the same considering her merites and my small desertes in respect of her perfections Ah Alerane thou must vnlose that tongue which
great amitie that he beareth me that if I did but fauorably behold him fyue or sixe times with plesaunt lokes adding thervnto a few kisses he would hazard a thousand lyues for my sake if he had them to content me And forasmuch as I know him to be a diligent man learned and of great reputation and one that may stande vs to great steade in this businesse I thought good not to cōceale or kepe from your knowledge my aduise herein The Duchesse vnderstanding all this pretie discourse so apte for her affections rauished with great ioy embraced hard Emilia and sayd vnto her Emilia my deare friende if thou diddest know in what wise I doe esteme thée and what I meane in tyme to come to bestow vpon thée I am wel assured albeit thou hast hitherto sufficiently shewed thy good will yet thou wilt hereafter doe me great pleasure promising thée by the fayth of a Princesse that if our enterprise doe wel succéede I wil not vse thée as a seruant but as my kinswoman and the best beloued friend I haue For I hold my self so satisfied wyth that thou hast sayd vnto me that if Fortune be on our side I sée no maner of impediment that may let our enterprise Goe thy way entertaine thy Phisitian as thou thinkest best for it is very expedient that he be a party and for the rest let me alone For neuer was ther any Lazar that better could dissemble his impotency thā I know howe to counterfayt to be sicke The Duchesse being departed from Emilia began to plaine her selfe bitterly fayning sometime to fele a certayne payne in her stomacke sometyme to haue a disease in her head in such sort that after diuers womanly playntes propre to those that fele themselues sicke she was in the ende constrayned to lay her selfe downe and knewe so wel how to dissemble her sickenesse that after she had certaine dayes kept her bed there was much doubt of her health And during this time Emilia had layed so many amorous baytes to féede her Phisitian that he which knewe very wel the most happy remedies for the body coulde not nowe finde any to heale the malady of his owne minde Emilia hauing noseled Maister Appian with amorous toyes began to make him vnderstand the originall of the Duchesse sickenesse the effectes of her passion the order that she had vsed during the furious course of the same Adding thervnto for conclusion that if he would kéepe the matter secrete and ayde them with his counsell she would by and by promise him mariage by wordes for the present tyme and that from thence forth she would neuer denie him any fauour or priuitie That onely reserued which no man can honestly demaund til the mariage be solempnized in the face of the Church In witnesse wherof she kissed him with great affection The Physitian more eased there withall than if he had sene his Hippocrates or Galen raysed agayne fro death promised rather to lose his life thā she should want his help And for the better beginning of this enterprise they went presently to visite the Duchesse In whom they found her pulse so to beate the tongue so charged the stomake so weakned by a continual suffocation of the matrice that the pacient was in very great perill of death Whervnto euery man did easly giue credite for the reputation and great experience of the Phisician And master Appian hauing cōmaunded al the chābre to be voyded made the Duchesse to vnderstand in few words how it behoued her to gouerne her self And the better to cloke her cause he brought her at that instant a little perfume by receyuing the sauour wherof she shoulde often tymes fall into certayne lyttle Soundings and by often vsing the perfume it would eate away her colour for a time that it shoulde séeme as though she had not gone out of her bed in half a yeare Neuerthelesse it should doe her no other displeasure that in thrée or foure dayes with certayne other drugges he would restore her colour as liuely as it was before Which the Duchesse lyked best of any thing in the world And they thre togither played their parts so wel the the common brute throughout at the citie was that the Duchesse would dye The Duke being aduertised of these things caused al the Phisitians of Thurin to assemble to prouide for the health of the Duchesse Who being come togither with the Duke into her bedchāber a little after she had receyued Master Appians perfumes and seing her to sowne diuers times before them were in great dispayre of her health And after they had somwhat debated the matter with Master Appian not knowing whervpon to resolue they sayd vnto the Duke that it behoued him to prouide for her soule for that they saw in her the ordinarie tokens and messangers of death The poore Duke being sorrowfull beyonde measure for that he loued the Duchesse entierlie sent for the Suffragane of the Byshop of Thurin a mā of very holy life to thintent he might giue her good councel To whom she confessed her selfe with a voyce so féeble that it séemed to be more than halfe dead Her talk was not long but yet she made him beleue that nature failed her and that by little and little she drewe towardes her ende Desiring him to haue her in remēbraunce and her poore soule in his orisons and prayers The Suffragane being gone the Duke and others with a great number of Gentlemen and Ladies went into the chambre But she began then to enter into so greate rauing that euerye bodye was afeard of her And after that she had tossed her self in her bed lyke a senselesse creature her speache fayled her Wherat those present striken with no small wonder thinking the soule would strayght wayes haue departed the body some of them cryed vpon her Madame remember Iesus some other sainct Barbara But wylie Emilia more priuy of her counsel than the rest taking her tenderly by the arme cried vpon her with a loud voice Madame call vpō sainct Iames who hath so often succoured you in your aduersities And with that the Duchesse awaked as it were out of a heauy sléepe and rowling her eyes to and fro wyth a straunge trembling of al her members began to pronounce with an interrupted voyce O glorious Apostle in whome from my tender youth I haue euer had my stedfast trust and hope be now mine intercessor in this cruell assault of death to Iesus Christ. And I make a vowe nowe to thée that if I may recouer my health I will my selfe in person goe honour thy sacred body in the proper place where it reposeth And hauing ended her fayned Prayer she coūterfayted a sléepe and so continued the space of .ij. or .iii. houres which caused all the companye to withdrawe themselues except the poore Duke who would not depart from her vntill she waked and in the meane time ceassed not to pray to God for the health of his loyall
olde Earle which neuer thought that a request so vniust and dishonest would haue procéeded oute of the mouth of a King with frank and open hart offred that liberall graunt The king then thinking that he had sounded the depth of the Earles affection chaunging colour his eyes fixed on the ground sayde vnto him Your daughter the Countesse of Salesburie my Lorde is the onely medicine of my trauayles whome I doe loue better than my owne life and doe féele my selfe to inflamed with her Heauenly beauty that without her grace and fauour I am not able hereafter to lyue for thys consideration syth you desire to doe me seruice and to preserue my lyfe I praye you to deale so with her that she with compassion may looke vpon me Crauing this request at your handes not without extreme shame considering aswell your honorable state as your auncient merites imployed vpon me and my progenitoures But according to your modestie and accustomed goodnesse impute the faulte vpon amorous loue which in such wise hath alienated my libertie and confounded my heart that now ranging out of the boundes of honor reason I féele my selfe tormented vexed in minde Wherby I am prouoked to make this request and not able to expell the mortal poyson out of my heart which hath diminished my force intoxticated my sense and hath depriued my minde from all good counsell that I can not tell what to do but to séeke to you for helpe hauing no kinde of rest but when I sée her when I speake of her or think vpō her And I am at this present reduced into so pitifull state that being not able to winne her by intreaties offers presents sutes ambassages and letters my onely and last refuge and assured port of all my miseries resteth in you eyther by death to ende my lyfe or by force to obtayne my desire The Earle hearing the vneiuile and beastlye demaunde of his soueraigne Lorde blushing for shame and throughlie astonned filled also with a certayne honest and vertuous disdayne was not able to dissolue his tongue to render a worthy aunswere to the afflicted Prince Finally lyke one awaked from his deade sléepe he sayde vnto him Sir my wittes fayle my vertue reuolteth my tongue is mute at those words that procéede from your mouth wherby I fele my self brought into two so straunge and perillous poyntes that passing eyther by one or other I muste néedes fall into very great daunger But to resolue my selfe vpon that which is moste expedient hauing giuen vnto you my fayth in pledge to succour and helpe you euen to the abandoning of honor and lyfe I will not be contrarie to my wordes And touching my daughter for whom you haue made request I will reueale vnto her the effect of your demaunde yet of one thing I muste tell you sir power I haue to entreate her but none at all to force her Inoughe it is that she vnderstande of me what heart and affection you beare vnto her But I doe maruell yea and complayne of you pardon me most dradde soueraigne and suffer me without offence to discharge my griefe before your presence rather than to your shame and myne eternall infamie it should be manifested and published abrode by other I saye that I maruell sir what occasion moued you to commit such reproch in my stocke bloude and by an acte so shamefull and lasciuious to dishonor the same Which neuer disdayned to serue both you and yours to the vttermost of their powers Alas vnhappy father that I am is this the guerdon and recompence that I and my children shal expect for our trusty and faithfull seruices Oh sir for Gods sake if you liste not to be liberal of your owne seke not to dishonour vs and to inflict vpon our race suche notable infamie But who can loke for worse at the hands of his mortall and cruell enemie It is you euen you it is most noble Prince that doth rauishe my daughter of her honor dispoyle me of my contentation ye take from my children hardinesse to shewe their faces from all our whole house the auncient fame and glory It is you that hath obscured the clearenesse of my bloude with an attempt so dishonest and detestable that the memorie thereof shall neuer be forgotten It is you that doth constraine me to be the infamous minister of the totall destruction of my progenie and to be a shamelesse Pandarus of my daughters honor Thinke you sir that you meane to helpe and succoure me when others shal attempt to obiect before my face this slaunder and reproch but if your self doe hurte me where shall I hereafter seke reliefe and succour If the hand which ought to helpe me be the very same that doth giue me the wound where shall the hope be of my recouerie For this cause may it please your Maiesty whether iustlie I doe make my complaynt and whether you giue me occasion to aduaunce my cryes to the heauens your selfe shall be the Iudge For if like a Iudge in dede you doe giue ouer your disordinate affectiō I then appeale to the iudgement of your inuincible mynde accomplished with all curtesie and gentlenesse On the other side I doe lamente your Fortune when I thinke vpon the reasons which you haue alleaged and the greater cause I haue to complayne bicause I haue knowen you from your youth and haue alwayes déemed you at libertie and frée from suche passions not thrall or subiect to the flames of Loue but rather giuen to the exercise of armes And nowe seing you to become a prisoner of an affection vnworthy your estate I can not tell what to thinke the noueltie of this sodayne chaunce semeth to be so straunge Remember sir that for a little suspicion of adulterie you caused Roger Mortimer to be put to death And being skarce able to tell it without teares you caused your own mother miserably to die in prisō And God knoweth how small your accusacions were and vpon howe light ground your suspicion was conceyued Doe not you knowe how wonderfully you be molested with warres and that your enemies trauell daye and night to circumuent you both by sea lande Is it now time then to giue your selfe to delightes to captiuate your minde in the pleasures of Ladies Where is the auncient generositie nobilitie of your bloud Where is the magnanimitie valour wherewith you haue astonned your enemies shewed your selfe amiable to your friendes and wonderful to your subiects Touching the last point wherby you threaten that if my daughter doe not agrée to your desire you will forcibly enioy her I will neuer confesse that to be the fact of a valiaunt and true king but of a vile cowardly cruell and libidinous tyraunt I trust it be not the pleasure of God that nowe at the age you be of you will begin to force Gentlewomen that be your humble subiectes which if you do this Iland shal lose the name of a Realme and hereafter
sorrowe The nightes and dayes were all one to him for he coulde take no reste giuing ouer vse of armes administration of iustice hunting and hauking wherein before that time he had great delight And all his study was many tymes to passe and repasse before the gate of the Countesse to proue if he might attayne to haue some sight of her And things were brought to so pitifull state that within fewe dayes the Citizens and other gentlemen began to perceyue the raging loue of their Prince euery of them with common voice blaming the crueltie of the Countesse that was vnmaried who the more she proued the king inflamed with her loue the more squeymishe she was of her beautie The Peres and noble men seing their king reduced to such extremitie moued with pitie and compassion began secretely to practise for him some with threatnings some with flatteries persuasions some went to the mother declaring vnto her the eternall reste and quiet prepared for her al her friendes if she woulde persuade her daughter to encline to the kings minde and contrarywise the daunger iminent ouer her head But all these deuises were in vaine for the Countesse moued no more than a harde rocke beaten with diuers tempestes Notwithstanding at length seing that euery man spake diuersly as their affections did leade them she was so troubled and penfife in heart that fearing to be taken and that the king vanquished with his strong passion by successiō of time would vse his force and violently oppresse her founde meanes to gette a great sharpe knife which she caryed about her secretly vnder her gowns of purpose that if she sawe her self in peril to be defloured she might kill her selfe The Courtyers offended with the martirdome of their Maister and desirous to gratifie him and to seke meanes to do him pleasure conspired all in general against the Earles familie letting the king to vnderstand that it were most expedient sith that things were out of hope to cause AElips to be brought to his Palace to vse her by force Whervnto the king being dronke in his owne passion did willingly agrée Notwithstanding before he passed any further for that he faythfullye loued the Countesse he determined to aduertise the mother of the Countesse of that whiche he intended to doe and commaunded his Secretarie to goe séeke her with diligence and without concealing any thing from her knowledge to instructe her of the whole The Secretarie finding the mother of the Countesse sayd vnto her Madame the King hath willed me to say vnto you that he hath done what he can and more than his estate requireth to wynne the grace and Loue of your daughter but séeing that she hath despised his prayers disdained his presence and abhorred his griefes and complaintes knowing not what to doe any more his last refuge is in force letting you to vnderstande hereof to the intent that you she may consider what is to be done in this behalfe For he hath determined whether you will or no to fetch her out openly by force to the great dishonour slaunder and infamie of al your kinne And where in time past he hath loued fauored the Earle your husbande he trusteth shortly to make him vnderstande what is the effecte of the iuste Indignation of such a Prince as he is The good Lady hearing this sodaine and cruel message was astōned in such wise that she thought how she saw her daughter already trained by the heares of the head her garments haled and torne in pieces with a rufull and lamentable voyce crying out to him for mercy For this cause with blubbering teares trembling for feare she fell downe at the Secretaries féete straightly imbracing his knées sayd vnto him Maister Secretarie my deare and louing frende Beseche the King in my name to remember the paine and seruice done vnto him by mine Anncestors Intreate him not to dishonour my house in the absence of the Earle my husbande And if you be not able by your persuasion to molifie his harde heart desire him for a while to take pacience vntill I haue aduertised my daughter of his wil and pleasure whome I hope so to persuade that she shall satisfie the kings request When she had made this answere the Secretarie declared the same to the King who madde with anger Loue was contente and neuerthelesse commaunded his gentlemen to be in a readynesse to seke the Countesse In the meane time the mother of faire AElips went to her daughters chamber and after she had commaunded all her maydes which accompanied her to withdrawe themselues out of the chamber she began in fewe wordes to recite vnto her the message done vnto her by the Secretary Finally with sobbing sighes she sayde vnto her The dayes haue bene deare daughter that I haue séene thée to kéepe thy state amonges the chiefest of all the Ladyes of the Realme And I haue counted my selfe happie that euer I did beare thée in my wombe and thought by meanes of thy beautie vertue one day to sée thée to become the ioy and comfort of all thy frendes But now my cogitacions be tourned cleane contrarie thorowe thyne vnluckie fate Now I thinke thée to be borne not only for the vniuersall ruine of all our familie but also which grieueth me most to be an occasion and instrument of my death and the desolation of al thy frends But if thou wilt somewhat moderate thy rigor all this heauinesse shortly shall be tourned into ioy I or our King and soueraigne Lorde is not onely in Loue with thée but for the ardent affection and amitie that he beareth vnto thée is out of his wittes and nowe doth conspire againste vs as thoughe we were Traitors and murderers of our Prince In whose handes as thou knowest doth rest the lyfe honor and goodes both of thy selfe and vs all And what glory and tryumphe shall be reported of thée to our posteritie when they shall knowe that by thy obstinate crueltie thou hast procured the death of thyne olde father the death of thy hore headed mother and the destruction of thy valiant and coragious brethren and dispoyled the rest of thy bloude of their possessions and abilitie But what sorrowe and griefe will it be to sée them wander in the worlde like vagaboundes banished from their liuings and remaine in continuall pouertie without place and refuge in their miserie who in steade of blessing or praysing the houre of thy birth will cursse thée in their mynde a thousande times as the cause of all their ouerthrowe and yll fortune Thinke and consider vpon the same deare daughter for in thée alone consisteth the coseruation of our liues and hope of al our frendes This lamentable discourse ended the afflicted Coūtesse not able any longer to resist that pangue but that her heart began to waxe so faynt that with her armes a crosse she fel downe halfe dead vpon her daughter who seing her without mouing and without any apparaunce of
sonne of the Infant Fortune is brought vp in the courte who is one of the goodliest and moste perfecte yong gentlemen in al christendome And if the mariage doe procede according to our opinion which be her maids he shall be assured to haue Madame Florinda And then shall be ioyned together the goodliest couple in the worlde And you must vnderstande that although they be both very yong she of .xij. yeares of age and he of .xv. yet it is thrée yeares past since their loue first began And if you be disposed aboue other to obtaine her fauour myne aduise is that ye become friende and seruaunt vnto him Amadour was very ioyful to heare tel that his Lady loued some man trusting that in tyme he shoulde wynne the place not of husbande but of seruaunt For he feared nothing of all her vertue but a lacke of disposition to loue And after this communication Amadour bent himself to haunt the society of the sonne of the Infant Fortune whose fauour he sone obtained For all the pastimes which the yong Prince loued Amadour could doe right well And aboue all other he was very cunning in ryding of horsses and in handling all kindes of armes and weapons and in all other pastimes and games méete for a yong Gentleman Warres began in Languedoc and Amadour must néedes retire with the Gouernour to his great sorrowe and griefe For he had there no meane to retourne to the place where he might sée Florinda For which cause he spake to his owne brother which was Stuarde of the King of Spaines householde and declared vnto him what courtesie he had founde in the house of the Countesse of Arande and of the Damosell Auenturade praying him that in his absence he woulde doe his indeuour that the maryage might procéede and that he woulde obtayne for him the credite and good opinion of the King and Quéene and of all his friendes The Gentleman which loued his brother aswell for Natures sake as for his great vertues promised him his trauaile and industrie to the vttermost Which he did in suche wyse that the olde man her father now forgetting other naturall respect began to mark and behold the vertues of Amadour which the Countesse of Arande and speciallye fayre Florinda paynted and set forth vnto him and likewise the yong Earle of Arande which began to growe to yeares and therewithall to loue those that were vertuous giuen to honest exercise And when the mariage was agréed betwéene the parents the sayd Stuarde sent for his brother whilest the truce endured betwéene the two Kings Aboute this tyme the King of Spaine retired to Madric to auoide the euill ayre that was in many places where by the aduise of diuers of his Counsell and and at the request of the Countesse of Arande he made a maryage betwene the yong Duchesse the heyre of Medina Celi and the yong Earle of Arande as well for the vnion of their house as also for the loue he bare to the sayde Countesse And this mariage was celebrated in the castell of Madric whervnto repayred Amadour who so well obtayned his suite that he maried her of whome he was muche better beloued than his small loue towarde her did deserue sauing that it was a couerture and meanes for him to frequent the place where his minde and delight incessantly remayned After he was maried he became so well acquainted and familiar in the house of the Countesse that he was so conuersant amongs the Ladyes as if he had bene a woman And although he was then but .xxij. yeares of age he was so wise and graue that the Countesse imparted vnto him all her affayres commaunding her sonne and daughter to intertayne him and to credite all things wherein he gaue counsell Hauing wonne this great estimation he behaued himselfe so wise and politike that euen she whome he loued knewe no part of his affectiō But by reason of the loue that Florinda bare to the wyfe of Amadour whome she loued more than any other she was so familiar with him that she dissembled no parte of her thought declaring vnto him all the loue that she bare towards the sonne of the Infant Fortune And he that desired nothing more thā throughly to winne her ceassed not from continuance of talke not waying wherof he spake so that he might holde her with long discourse Amadour had not after his maryage continued a moneth in that companye but was constrayned to retire to the warres where he remained more than two yeares without retourne to sée his wyfe who still abode in the place where she was brought vp During this time Amadour wrote many letters vnto his wyfe but the chiefest effect of the same were commendations to Florinda who for her parte fayled not to render like vnto him many tymes writing some preue poesie with her owne hand in the letter of Auenturade Which made her husbande diligent many times to write againe vnto her but in al this doing Florinda knew nothing but that she loued him as if he had bene her brother Many times Amadour went and came but in the space of fiue yeares he neuer saw Florinda two monethes together in the whole time Not withstāding Loue in despite of their distaunce and long absence ceassed not to increase And it chaunced that he made a voyage home to sée his wyfe and founde the Countesse farre from the Court bicause the king of Spaine was gone to Vandelousie and had taken with him the yong Earle of Arande which then began to beare armes The Countesse was retired to a house of pleasure which she had vpon the frontiers of Arragon and Nauarre and was right ioyful when she saw Amadour who almost thre yeres had bene absent He was very well receyued of euery man and the Countesse commaunded that he shoulde be vsed and intreated as her owne sonne During the time that he soiorned with her she communicated vnto him al the affayres of her house and committed the moste parte thereof to his discretion who wanne suche credite in the house that in all places where he list the dores were opened vnto hym Whose wisedome and good behauiour made him to be estemed as though he had bene a Saincte or Aungell Florinda for the loue and good will which she bare vnto his wife and him made much of him in al places wher she sawe him knowing nothing of his intent Wherfore she did not refrayne her selfe or take hede of anye countenaunce for that her hearte as yet felt no passiō but that she felt a great contentacion in her selfe whē she was in the presence of Amadour of any other thing she thought not Amadour to auoide the iudgement of them that haue proued the difference of Louers countenances was very ware and circumspect For when Florinda came to speake vnto him secretely like one that thought no hurt the fier hidden in his brest burned so sore that he coulde not staye the blushing colour of his face nor
the sparkes which flewe out of his eyes And to the intent that through long frequentation none might espie the same he interteigned a very fayre Lady called Paulina a woman in his time accompted so faire that few men which beheld her could escape her bonds This Lady Paulina vnderstanding how Amadour vsed his loue at Barselone Parpignon how he was beloued of the fayrest honest Ladyes of the coūtrie aboue all of the Countesse of Pallamons which in beautie was prised to be the fayrest in all Spaine of many other sayde vnto him That she had great pitie of him for that after so many good fortunes he had maried a wife so foule and deformed Amadour vnderstanding well by those wordes that she had desire to remedy her owne necessitie vsed the best maner that he coulde deuise thinking that in making her beleue a lie he should hyde from her the truth But the subtile and wel experimented in loue contented not her selfe with talke but perceyuing right well that his hearte was not satisfied with her loue doubted that he coulde not serue his Lady in secrete wise therefore marked him so nere that dayly she had a respect and watch vnto his eyes which he coulde so well dessemble that she was able to iudge nothing but by darke suspicion not without great payne and difficultie to the gentleman to whom Florinda ignorant of all their malice did resorte manye times in presence of Paulina whose demeaner then was so familiar that he with maruellous payne refrayned his lokes against his heart and desire And to auoide that no inconuenience should ensue one day speaking to Florinda as they were both leaning at a windowe sayde these wordes Madame I beseche you to tell me whether is it better to speake or to die Wherevnto Florinda answered readily saying I will still councell my friends to speake and not to die For there be fewe wordes spoken but that they may be amended but the life lost cannot be recouered Promise me then sayde Amadour that not onely ye will accept those words which I will saye but also not to be astonned or abashed till ye heare the ende of my tale To whom she answered Say what it please you for if you doe affraye me none other shall assure me Then he began to saye vnto her Madame I haue not yet bene desirous to disclose vnto you the greate affection which I beare you for two causes The one bicause I attende by my long seruice to shewe you the experience thereof The other for that I doubted you woulde thinke a great presumption in me which am but a poore gentleman to insinuate my selfe in place whereof I am not worthye And althoughe I were a prince as you be the loyalty yet of your heart wil not permit any other but him which hath already taken possession the sonne I meane of the Infant Fortune to vse any talke of loue with you But Madame like as necessity in time of great warre constrayneth men to make hauoke of their owne goodes and to consume the gréene corne that the enemy take no profit and reliefe therof euen so do I hazard to aduaunce the frute which in time I hope to gather that your enemies mine may inioye thereof none aduauntage Knowe ye Madame that from the time of your tender yeares I haue in such wise dedicated my selfe to your seruice that I ceasse not still to aspire the meanes to achieue your grace and fauour And for that occasion I did marry hir whō I thought you did loue best And knowing the loue you beare to the sonne of the Infant Fortune I haue indeuored my selfe to serue him as you haue sene And all wherein I thought you did delight I haue accomplished to the vttermoste of my power You doe sée that I haue gotten the good will of the Countesse your mother of the Earle you brother and of all those that doe beare you good will In such sort as in this house I am estemed not like a seruaunt but as a sonne And al the labour which I haue sustayned these fiue yeares past was for none other cause but to lyue all the dayes of my lyfe with you And vnderstande you well that I am none of those which by these meanes doe pretend to receyue of you any profite or pleasure other than that which is good and vertuous I doe knowe that I can neuer marry you and if I could I would not to withstand the loue that you beare vnto him whome I desire to be your husbande likewise to loue you in vicious sorte like them that hope to recompence their seruice with the dishonor of their Ladies I am so farre of from that affection that I had rather be dead than to sée you by desert worthy of lesse loue and that your vertue shoulde by any meanes be diminished for any pleasure that might happen vnto me I doe pretende and craue for the ende and recompence of my seruice but one thing Which is that you woulde continue my loyall and faithfull maystresse that you will neuer withdrawe from me your good grace and fauour and that you will maintayne me in that estate and degrée wherin I am Reposing your trust and fidelitie in me more than in any other making your selfe so assured of me that if for your honor or any cause touching your person you stand in néede of the lyfe of a Gentleman the same shall right willingly be employed in your seruice In like maner all things vertuous and honeste which euer I shall attempt I beseche you to thinke the same to be done onely for the loue of you And if I haue done for Ladyes of lesse reputation than you be any thing worthy of estimation be you assured that for suche a maystresse as you are my enterprises shall increase in suche sorte that the things which I found difficult and impossible shall be easelie for me to accomplishe But if you do not accept me to be wholly yours I determine to giue ouer armes and to renoūce valiance bicause it hath not succoured me in necessitie Wherefore Madame I humblie beseche you that my iust request may not be refused sith with your honour and conscience you cannot well denie the same The yong Lady hearing this vnaccustomed sute began to chāge her colour and to cast downe her eyes lyke an amased woman not withstanding as she that was wise and discrete sayde vnto him If Amadour your request vnto me be none other than it is wherefore haue you discoursed vnto me this long oration I am afrayde that vnder this honest pretence there lurketh some hidden malice to deceyue the ignoraunce of my youth in such wise that I am in great perplexitie how to make you aunswere for to refuse the honest amitie which you haue offered I shall doe contrarie to that I haue done hitherto which haue reposed in you more truste than in al the men of the world My conscience or mine honor can
not gainesay your demaunde nor the loue that I beare to the sonne of the Infant Fortune which is grounded vpon mariage Where you pretend nothing I can not tell what thing should let me to make you aunswere according to your requeste but a feare that I haue in my heart founded vpon the small occasion that you haue to vse that talke for if you haue that already which you demaunde what doth constraine you to speake so affectuously Amadour that was not with out an answere sayd vnto her Madame you speake very wisely and you do to me so much honor for the confidence and trust which according to your saying you doe repose in me that if I doe not content my self with such a benefite I were the vnworthiest creature liuing But vnderstand Madame that he which goeth about to builde a perpetuall mansion ought to haue regarde to a sure and firme foundation Wherfore I which desire perpetually to remaine in your seruice doe seke not onely the meanes to kepe my selfe nere about you but also to foresée that none do vnderstand the great affection which I doe beare you For although my minde be so vertuous honest that the same may disclose it selfe before the whole worlde yet there be some so ignorant and vnskilfull of louers hearts that many times will iudge contrary to the truth whereof procedeth so ill brute and reporte as if the effectes were wicked The cause which hath made me so bolde to say and declare vnto you thus much is the suspiciō that Paulina hath conceyued in her minde for that I can not loue her Who doth nothing else but marke and espie my countenance in euery place and when you vse your familiar talke with me before her I am so afrayed to shew any signe wherby she may grounde or verifie her iudgement that I fall into that inconuenience which I woulde willingly auoyde Wherefore I haue thought good to besech you before her and those which you doe knowe to be so malicious to abstayne from talking with me so sodainly for I had rather dye than any liuing creature shoulde haue knowledge therof And had it not bene for the loue which I beare vnto your honor I had not yet declared the same vnto you for I doe hold my self sufficient happie and content of the loue and affiance that you do beare me crauing nothing else but the continuance of the same Florinda so well satisfied with this answere began to fele in her heart a further thing to grow than euer she did before And hearing the honest reasons alleadged by him sayd that her honestie and vertue should make aunswere for her and there withall assented to his demaunde Whereof whether Amadour were ioyfull Louers néede not doubt But Florinda credited more his counsell than he would haue had her For she being fearefull and timerous not onely before Paulina but in all other places vsed farre other countenaunce than she was wont to doe And in this altenation of her former familiaritie she misliked the conuersation that Amadour had with Paulina whose beautie was suche that she could not otherwise beleue but that he loued her And Florinda to passe ouer he heauinesse daylie vsed the companie of Auenturade that began meruellously to be ialous betwéene her husbande and Paulina whereof she made complaint many times to Florinda who comforted her so well as she could like one attached with the same disease Amadour coniecturing by the countenaunce of Florinda that not onely she was estraunged from him through his former aduertisement but also that there was some other displeasure conceyued comming vpon a tyme from euensong out of the Monasterie he sayd vnto her Madame what countenaunce doe you make me Suche as I thinke doth please you best answered Florinda Then Amadour suspecting a matter to know whether it were true began to say Madame I haue so vsed the matter that Paulina beginneth to giue ouer her opinion of you She answered him Ye can not doe a better thing either for your self or for me For in doing your self a pleasure you doe honor vnto me Amadour iudged by these wordes that she thought he toke pleasure to talk of Paulina wherewith he became so desperat that he coulde not forbeare to saye vnto her in anger Madame you begin very sone to torment your seruaunt There was neuer payne more greuous vnto me than to be forced to speake to her whome I loue not And sithens all that which I doe for your seruice is taken in ill parte I wil neuer speake againe vnto her whatsoeuer happen And to dissemble mine anger and contentacion I will addresse my selfe to some place hereby till your fansie be past But I hope I shal receyue newes from my Captayne to retourne to the warres where I will so long continue that you shall knowe and vnderstande that none other thing but you alone doth force me to carry here And in saying so without attending for her aunswere he incontinently departed and she remayned so sadde and pensife as any woman coulde be And Loue beganne to shewe his great force in such wyse as she knowing her wrong incessantly wrote to Amadour praying him to retourne home which he did within fewe dayes after that hys choler was past And to tell you what businesse there was to interrupt and breake the ialousie conceyued it were superfluous But in the ende he wanne the fielde so that she promised him not onely to beleue that he loued not Paulina but also helde her selfe assured that it shoulde be to him a martirdome intollerable to speake vnto her or anye other excepte it were to doe her seruice After that Loue had vanquished this present suspicion and that the two Louers began to take more pleasure in their mutuall talke than euer they did before newes came that the King of Spaine was aboute to addresse his Armie to Saulse wherefore he that was wont to be there with the first was not lyke nowe to fayle to augment his honour But true it is that his griefe was nowe more great than at other tymes before aswell for losing the pleasure whiche he enioyed as for feare to fynde some mutation and chaunge at his retourne bicause he saw Florinda pursued by great Princes Lordes and already come to the age of .xv. yeares thinking that if she were maried in his absence he should neuer haue occasion to sée her againe except the Countesse of Arande woulde appoint his wife to wait vpon her For accomplishment whereof he made suche friendes that the Countesse and Florinda promised him that into what so euer place she were maried his wife Auenturade should attende vpon her And although it was in question that Florinda should be maried into Portugal yet it was determined that his wife shoulde neuer forsake her And vpon the assurance not without vnspeakeable sorow Amadour departed left his wife with the Countesse When Florinda was alone after the departure of her seruant she gaue her selfe
to fayle her and that her fete and handes were caught in suche captiuitie that she could neyther run away nor yet defend herselfe knew none other remedie but to proue if he had yet remayning in him any griftes of the former loue that for the honor therof he might forget his crueltie Wherfore she sayde vnto him Amadour if now you doe accompt me for an enemie I besech you for the honestie of the loue which at other times I haue found planted in your heart to giue me leaue to speake before you doe torment me And when she sawe him reclining his eare she pursued her talke in this wise Alas Amadour what cause haue you to seke after the the thing whereof you shall receyue no contentation inflicting vpon me suche displeasure as there can be no greater You haue many tymes proued my will and affection in the tyme of my youthfull dayes and of my beautie farre more excellent than it is nowe at what tyme your passion might better be borne with and excused than nowe In suche wise that I am amased to sée that you haue the heart to torment me at that age and greate debility wherwith I am now indued I am assured that you doubte not but that my will minde is such as it was wont to be Wherefore you cannot obtayne your demaunde but by force And if you sawe how my face is arraied you woulde forget the pleasure which once you receyued in me and by no meanes would forcibly approche nere vnto me And if there be left in you yet any remnantes of loue it is impossible but that pitie may vanguishe your furie And that to pitie and honestie whereof once I had experience in you I doe make my plainte and of the same I doe demaund grace and pardon to thintent that according to your persuasion and good aduise you maye suffer me to liue in peace honesty which I haue determined during my life And if the loue which you haue borne me be cōuerted into hatred that more for reuengement than affection you doe purpose to make me the most vnhappy wight of the worlde I assure you you shall not be able to bring your intent to passe besides that you shall constrayne me against my determination to vtter and reueale your villany disordinate appetite towards her which did repose in you an incredible affiance by discouering whereof thinke verely that your life cannot continue without perill Amadour breaking her talke sayde vnto her If I die for it I wil presentlie be acquieted of my torment But the deformitie of your face which I thinke was done by you of set purpose shall not let me to accomplishe my will For since I can get nothing of you but the bones carcasse I wil holde them so fast as I can And when Florinda sawe that prayers reason nor teares coulde not auaile but that with crueltie he woulde néedes followe his villanous desire which she had stil auoided by force of resistance she did helpe her selfe so long til she feared the losse of her breath and with a heauy and pitious voice she called her mother so loude as she coulde crye who hearing her daughter calling with such rufull voyce began gretly to feare the thing that was true Wherfore she ranne so fast as she could into the warderobe◠Amadour not being so nere death as he sayd he was left of his hold in such good time as the Lady opening her closet founde him at the dore and Florinda farre ynough from him The Countesse demaunded of him saying Amadour what is the matter Tell me the truth Who like one that was neuer vnprouided of excuse with his face pale and wanne and his breath almoste spente sayde vnto her Alas Madame in what plight is my Lady Florinda I was neuer in all my life in that amase wherein I am now For as I sayde vnto you I had thought that I had inioyed part of her good will but now I know right well that I haue nothing at all I thinke Madame that sith the time she was brought vp with you she was neuer lesse wise and vertuous than she is but she is very daungerous and squeimish in speaking and talking and euen now I woulde haue loked vpon her but she woulde not let me And when I sawe that countenaunce thinking that it had bene some dreame or vision I desired to kisse her hand according to the fashion of the countrie which she vtterly refused True it is Madame I haue offended her wherof I craue pardon of you but it chaūced only for that I toke her by the hande which I did in a maner by force kissed the same demaunding of her no other contentation But she like one as I suppose that hath sworne my death made an outery for you as you haue heard for what cause I know not except that she were affrayde that I woulde haue forced some other thing Notwithstanding Madame what so euer the matter be I protest vnto you the wrong is mine and albeit that she ought to loue all your honest seruants yet fortune so willeth that I alone the most affectioned of thē all is clearelye exempt out of her fauour And yet I purpose still to continue towardes you her the same man I came hither beseching your good grace and fauour sithens that without my desert I haue lost hers The Countesse which partelye beleued and partelye mistrusted his talke went vnto her daughter and demaunded of her wherefore she cried out so loude Florinda aunswered that she was affrayd And albeit the Countesse subtilly asked her of many things yet Florinda would neuer make other answere for that hauing escaped the hands of her enemie she thought it punishment ynough for him to lose his labor After that the Coūtesse had of long time cōmuned with Amadour she left him yet once againe to enter in talke with Florinda before her to sée what coūtenaūce she would make him To whō he spake few words except they were thanks for that she had not cōfessed the truth to her mother praying her at least wife that seing he was dispossessed out of her heart she would suffer none other to receiue his place But she answering his former talke sayd If I had had any other meanes wherwith to defend my self from you than by crying out she shoulde neuer haue heard me and of me you shall neuer heare worse except you doe constrayne me as you haue done and for louing any other man you shal not néede to feare For sith I haue not founde in your heart which I estemed the moste vertuous in all the worlde the good successe that I desired I will neuer beleue hereafter that vertue is planted in any man And this outrage shal make me frée from all passions that Loue can force and in saying so she toke her leaue The mother which behelde her countenaunce could suspect nothing and after that tyme she knew wel that her daughter bare
ambiguous and doubtfull causes therefore I will neither consume tyme in accusyng hym before you frō whose crueltie ye haue by force defended your selues nor yet I will suffre hym to ioyne to his former wickednesse any impudente answere for his defence Wherefore Appius all those thinges whiche he wickedly and cruelly one vpon an other thou haste dooen these twoo yeres paste I dooe fréely forgiue thee But if thou canste not purge thy self of this one thing that against the order and forme of Lawe thou thy self beyng Iudge wouldest not suffer the freman to enioye the benefite of his freedome during the processe made of seruitude I will presently commaunde thee to prison Appius Claudius beyng now a prisoner and perceiuyng that the iuste complaintes of Virginius did vehemētty incite the people to rage and furie and that the peticions and praiers of his frēdes in nowise could mollifie their hartes he began to conceiue a desperacion And within a while after slewe hymself Spurius Oppius also an other of the Decemuiri was immediatly sent to prison who before the daie of his iudgemēte died The reste also of that order fled into exile Whose goodes were confiscate Marcus Claudius also the Assertor was condempned howbeit Virginius was contented he should be banished the citie and then he fled to Tybur Thus vpon the filthie affeccion of one nobleman issued parricide murder rebellion hatred depriuyng of magistrates and greate mischiefes succedyng one in an others necke Wherevpon the noble and victorious citie was like to be a praie to forren nacions A goodlie documente to men of like callyng to moderate themselues and their Magisterie with good and honeste life thereby to giue incouragemente of vertue to their vassalles and inferiours who for the moste parte doe imitate and followe the liues and cōuersacion of their superiours Canduales kyng of Lydia shewyng the secretes of his wiues beautie to Gyges one of his Guarde was by counsaile of his wife slaine by the said Gyges and depriued of his kyngdome ¶ The .vj. Nouell OF all follies wherwith vaine men be affected the follie of immoderate loue is most to be detested For that husband whiche is beautified with a comely and honeste wife whose rare excellēcie doeth surpasse other aswell in lineamentes proporcion and feature of bodie as with inwarde qualities of minde if he can not retaine in the secrecie and silence of his breast that excellyng gifte and benefite is worthie to be inaugured with a laurell croune of follie Beautie eche man knoweth is one of natures ornamentes by her wisedome ordeined not to enter in triumphe as victours vse vpon gaine of victorie with brauerie to ostentate their glorie by sounde of Shalme Dromme but thankfully for the same to proclaime the due praise to the aucthour of Nature For there is nothyng more fraile and fadyng then the luryng lookes of Dame beauties eyes altogether like the flaryng Marigolde floure whiche in the moste feruent heate of the Sommers daie doeth appere moste glorious and vpō retire of the nightes shadowe appereth as though it had neuer been the same And therefore he that conceiueth reioyse in her vncertaine state is like to hym that in his slombryng dreame doeth imagine he hath founde a perelesse iewell of price inestimable besette with the glistering Diamonde and perfectly awaked knoweth he hath none suche If God hath indued a man with a wife that is beautifull and honest he is furnished with double pleasure suche as rather thankes to hym then vaine ostentacion is to bee remembred Otherwise he doateth either in Ielosie or openeth proude vauntes thereof to suche as he thinketh to be his moste assured frendes What ioye the sequele thereof doeth bryng let the historie insuyng reporte Candaules kyng of Lydia had a merueilous beautifull gentlewoman to his Quene and wife whom he loued very dearly and for that greate loue whiche he bare her thought her the fairest creature of the world Beyng in this louing concept he extolled the praise of his wife to one of his guarde called Gyges the sonne of Dascylus whom he loued aboue all the reste of his housholde and vsed his counsaile in all his weightie causes with in a while after he saied vnto Gyges these woordes It seemeth vnto me Gyges that thou doest not greatly beleue the woordes whiche I speake vnto the of the beautie of my wife but because eyes be better witnesses of thynges then eares thou shalte see her naked With these wordes Gyges beyng amased cried out saiyng What wordes be these sir kyng me think you are not well aduised to require me to viewe and beholde the ladie my maistres in that sorte For a woman seen naked doeth with her clothes put of also her chastitie In olde tyme honest thinges were deuised for mannes instruction emonges whiche was vsed this one thing That euery man ought to behold the thinges that were his owne But sir I doe beleue assuredlie that she is the fairest woman in the worlde wherfore desire me not to thynges that bee vnlawfull In this sorte Gyges replied and yet feared lest some daūger might happen vnto hym Whom Candaules encouraged saiyng Be of good there and be not afraid that either I or my wife goe aboute to deceiue thee or that thou shalte incurre any daunger For I will take vpon me so to vse the matter as she by no meanes shal knowe that thou haste seen her I will place thee behinde the portall of our chamber When I goe to bed my wife commonlie dooeth followe And she beyng in the Chamber a chaire is sette redie vpon whiche she laieth her clothes as she putteth them of Which doen she sheweth her self a good tyme naked And when she riseth from her chaire to goe to bedde her backe beyng toward thee thou maiest easilie conueighe thy self out againe but in anywise take heede she doe not sée thee as thou goest out Wherevnto I praie thee to haue a speciall regarde Gyges seeyng that by no meanes he could auoide the vaine requeste of the kyng was redie at the tyme appoincted Candaules about the hower of bedde tyme went into the Chamber and conueighed Gyges into the same and after the Kyng the Quene followed whom Gyges behelde at her goyng in and at the puttyng of her clothes When her backe was towardes hym as he was goyng out she perceiued hym The Quene vnderstanding by her housbande the circumstance of the facte neither for shame did crie out ne yet made countenance as though she had séen Gyges but in her minde purposed to reuenge her husbandes follie For emōges the Lydiās as for the most parte with all other nacions it is coumpted a greate shame to sée a naked man The gentlewoman counterfaited her grief and kepte silence In the mornyng when she was redie by suche of her seruauntes whom she moste trusted she sent for Gyges who thought that she had knowen nothyng of that whiche chaūced For many times before he vsed to haue accesse to the quene when he was