and wel proportioned and therfore represented some force and great dexteritie and that which made the king the better to fantasie that gentlemā was the report of so many worthy mē which extolled euen to that heanēs the prowesse of that Piedmont knight Wherof he gaue assured testimony in that assault which that king made to deliuer 〈◊〉 the chief Citie defense of all 〈◊〉 in the yeare of our Lord. 1451. wher Philiberto behaued himself so 〈◊〉 as he was that first that moūted vpon that wals by his dexteritie inuincible force made way to the soldiers in the breche wherby a litle while after they entred sacked the enimies driuing thē out of that Citie wherin not long before that is to say 1430. that Duke of Somerset caused loane that Pucelle to be burnt The King aduertised of that seruice of the dūbe Gentleman wold recōpense him according to his desert and bicause he knewe him to be of a good house he made him a Gentlemā of his chābre and gaue him a good pension promising him moreouer to cōtinue his liberality whē he shold sée him prosecute in time to come that towardnesse of seruice which he had so haply begon The dūbe Gentleman thanking the king very hūbly both for that present princely reward for promise in time to come lifted vp his hād to heauē as taking God to witnesse of the faith which inuiolable he promised to kepe vnto his Prince which he did so earnestly as hardely he had promised as well appered in a skirmish betwene that French their auncient enimies the English men on whose side was the valiāt hardy Captain the Lord Talbot who hath eternized his memory in the victories obtained vpon that people which sometimes made Europa Asia to trēble appalled the monstrous warlike Countrey of Affrica In this conflict the Piedmont knight ioyned with the lord Talbot against whō he had so happy successe as vpō that shock 〈◊〉 he ouerthrew both man horse which caused the discōfiture of that English mē who after they had horssed again their captain 〈◊〉 amain leauing the 〈◊〉 bespred with dead bodies and bludshed of their cōpaniōs This victory recouered such 〈◊〉 boldnesse to that Frēch as from that time forth the English mē began with their places and forts to lose also their hearts to defēd themselues The king excedingly wel cōtented with the prowesse valiāce of the dumbe gentlemā gaue him for seruice past the charge of v. C. men of armes indued him with some possessions attending better fortune to make him vnderstand howe much the vertue of valiance ought to be rewarded cherished by Princes that be aided in their necessitie with the diligence of such a vertuous Noble Gentleman In like manner when a Prince hath something good in himself he can do no lesse but cherish that which 〈◊〉 himself by Princely conditions sith that vertue in what so euer place it taketh roote can not choose but produce good frute that vse wherof far surmounts them all which aproche that place where these first séedes were thrown Certaine dayes after the king desirous to reioyee his Knights and Captaines that were in his train and desirous to extinguish quite the wofull time which so 〈◊〉 space helde Fraunce in fearful silence caused 〈◊〉 triumph of Turney to be proclaimed within the City of Roane wherin the Lord of Virle was déemed and estemed one of the best which further did increase in him the good wil of the king in such wise as he determined to procure his health and to make him haue his speache againe For he was very sory that a gentleman so valiāt was not able to expresse his minde which if it might be had in councel would serue the state of common wealth so well as the force and valor of his body had til then serued for defense and recouery of his places And for that purpose he made Proclamation by sound of Trumpet throughout the Coūtreis aswel within his owne kingdome as the regions adioyning vpon the same that who so euer could heale that dumbe Gentleman shold haue ten thousande Frankes for recompense A man might haue then séene thousandes of Physitians assembled in field not to skirmish with the English mē but to combate for reward in recouery of the Pacients speache begon to make such warre against those ten thousand Franks as the King was afraide that the cure of that disease could take no effect and for that cause ordained furthermore that who so euer would take in hande to heale the dumbe and would not kepe promise within a certaine prefixed time shold pay the sayd summe or for default thereof should pledge his head in gage A man might then haue séene those Physicke maisters aswell beyond that Mountaines as in Fraunce it self retire home againe bléeding at the nose cursing with great impiety their Patrones Galen Hypocrates and Auicen and blamed with more than reprochful words the Arte wherwith they fished for honor and richesse This brute was spred so far and babbling Fame had already by mouth of Trumpe published the same throughout the most part of the Prouinces Townes and Cities neare and far off to Fraunce in such wise as a man wold haue thought that the two yong men which once in the time of the Macedonian warres broughte tidings to Vatinius that the King of 〈◊〉 was taken by the Consull Paulus Emilius had bene vagant and wādering abrode to cary newes of the Kings edicte for the healing of the Lord of Virle Which caused that not only the brute of the Proclamation but also the credite and reputation wherin the sayd Lord was with the French King came euen to Montcall and passed from mouth to mouth til at length Zilia the principall cause thereof vnderstoode the newes which reioysed hir very much séeing the firme amitie of the dumbe Lord and the sincere faith of him in a promise vnworthy to be kept for so much as wher 〈◊〉 and feare beare swinge in hearts of men religion of promise specially the place of the giuen fayth giueth ouer his force and reuolteth and is no more boūd but to that which by good will he would obserue Now thought she thought nay rather she assured hir selfe that the Gentleman for all his wrytten letter was so surprised with hir loue and kindled with hir fire in so ample wise as when he was at 〈◊〉 and therfore determined to goe to Paris not for desire she had to see hir pacient and penetenciarie but rather for couetise of the ten thousand Frāks wherof already she thought hir selfe assured making good accompt that the dumbe Gentleman séeing himself discharged by hir of his promise for gratifying of hir wold make no stay to speak to the intent she might beare away both the 〈◊〉 and money which all others had 〈◊〉 till that time Thus you sée that she whome honest amitie and long seruice could little induce to
before Tel me I beséech you what rewarde and gift what honour and preferment haue I euer bestowed vpon you sithens my first arriuall to this victorious raigne that euer you by due desert did binde me therunto Which if you did then liberall I can not bée termed but a slauishe Prince bounde to do the same by subiects merite High mightie Kings doe rewarde and aduaunce their men hauing respect that their gift or benefite shal excede desert otherwise that preferment can not bée termed liberall The great conquerour Alexander Magnus wanne a great and notable Citie for wealth and spoile For the principalitie and gouernment wherof diuers of his noble men made sute alleaging their painefull seruice and bloudie woundes about the getting of the same But what did that worthie King was he moued with the bloudshead of his Captaines was he stirred with the valiance of his men of warre was he prouoked with their earnest sutes No truely But calling vnto him a poore man whome by chaunce he founde there to him he gaue that riche and wealthie Citie and the gouernement thereof that his magnificence and liberalitie to a person so poore and base might receiue greater fame estimation And to declare that the cōferred benefit did not procede of 〈◊〉 or duetie but of mere liberalitie very curtesie true munificence and noble disposition deriued from princely heart and kingly nature Howbeit I speake not this that a faithfull seruant shoulde be vnrewarded a thyng very requisite but to inferre and proue that rewarde should excell the merite and seruice of the receiuer Now then I say that you going about by large desert and manifold curtesie to binde me to recompence the same you séeke next way to cut of the meane whereby I shoulde be liberall Doe you not sée that through your vnaduised 〈◊〉 I am preuented and letted from mine 〈◊〉 liberalitie wherwith dayly I was wont to reward my kinde louing and loyall seruants to whome if they deserued one talent of gold my maner was to giue them two or thrée If a thousande crownes by the yeare to giue them fiue Do you not know that when they looked for least rewarde or preferment the sooner did I honour and aduaunce them Take héede then from henceforth Ariobarzanes that you liue with suche prouidence and circumspection as you may be knowen to be a seruaunt and I reputed as I am for your soueraigne Lorde and maister All Princes in mine opinion require 〈◊〉 things of their seruants that is to say Fidelitie Loue which being had they care for no more Therfore he that list to contend with me in curtesie shall finde in the end that I make small accompt of 〈◊〉 And he that is my trustie and faithfull seruaunt diligent to execute and doe my commaundements faithfull in my secrete affaires and duetifull in his vocation shall trulie witte and most certainly féele that I am both curteous and liberall Which thou thy selfe shall well perceiue and be forced to confesse that I am the same man in déede for curtesie and liberalitie whom thou indeuorest to surmount Then the king held his peace and Ariobarzanes very reuerently and stoutly made answer in this maner Most Noble and victorious Prince Wel vnderstanding the conceiued griefe of your inuincible minde pleaseth your sacred maiestie to giue me leaue to answer for my selfe not to aggrauate or heape your wrath and displeasure which the Gods forbid but to disclose my humble excuse before your maiestie that the same poized with that equall balance of your rightful mind my former attemptes may neither seme presumptuous ne yet my wel meaning minde well measured with iustice ouerbold or malapert Most humbly then prostrate vpon my knées I say that I neuer went about or else did thinke in minde to excéede or compare with your infinite and incomprehensible bountie but indeuored by all possible meanes to let your grace perceiue and the whole worlde to know that there is nothing in the worlde which I regarde so much or estéeme so deare as your good grace and fauour And mightie Ioua graunte that I doe neuer fall into so great errour to presume for to contende with the greatnesse of your mind which fond desire if my beastly minde should apprehend I might be likened to the man that goeth about to berieue and take away the clerenesse of the Sun or brightnesse of the splendant starres But euer I did thinke it to be my bounden duetie not onely of those fortunes goods which by your princely meanes I do inioy to be a distributer and large giuer but also bounde for the profite and aduauncement of your regal crowne and dignitie and defence of your most noble person of mine owne life and bloude to be both liberall and prodigall And where your maiestie thinketh that I haue laboured to compare in curteous déede or other liberall behauior no déede that euer I did or fact was euer enterprised by me for other respect but for to get continue your more ample fauour and dayly to increase your loue for that it is the seruants part with all his force and might to aspire the grace and fauor of his soueraine lord Howbeit most noble Prince before this time I did neuer beleue nor heard your grace cōfesse that magnanimitie gentlenesse and curtesie wer vertues worthie of blame correction as your maiestie hath very 〈◊〉 done me to vnderstād by words seuere taunting checks vnworthy for practise of such rare and noble vertues But how so euer it be whether life or death shall depende vpon this praiseworthie honorable purpose I mean hereafter to pelde my dutie to my souerain lord then it may please him to terme my déedes courteous or liberall or to think of my behauior what his own princely mind shall déeme iudge The King vpon those words rose vp said Ariobarzanes nowe it is no time to continue in further disputation of this argumēt cōmitting the determination and iudgement hereof to the graue deliberation of my Councell who at conuenient leisure aduisedly shall according to the Persian lawes and customes conclude the same And for this present time I say vnto thée that I I am disposed to accompte the accusation made against thée to be true and confessed by thy selfe In the means time thou shalte repaire into thy countrey and come no more to the Court till I commaunde thée Ariobarzanes receiuing this answere of his soueraigne Lorde departed and to his greate contentation went home into his countrey merie for that he shoulde be absent out of the dayly sight of his ennimies yet not well pleased for that the King had remitted his cause to his Councell Neuerthelesse minded to abide and suffer all fortune he gaue him selfe to the pastime of hunting of Déere running of the wilde Boare and flying of the Hauke This noble Gentleman had 〈◊〉 only daughters of his wife that was deceassed the most beautifull Gentlewomen of the countrey the eldest of which
not gone sarre but the Gentleman the 〈◊〉 wyth his Companions vnderstanding that the Duke hunted there aboutes came to doe hym 〈◊〉 and his Fortune was such as hée nor any of his friends perceiued the olde man by meanes wherof the Duke pursued the praie whereof they nothyng doubted For that cause the sayd 〈◊〉 sayd to his Prince My Lord if fortune had so much fauoured me as I myght haue knowen of your commyng into these quarters I would haue done my duetie to entertaine you not as appertayneth to the greatnesse of your excelléncie but according to the abilitie of the least and yet the most obedient of your 〈◊〉 To whome the Duke dissembling his anger sayd Sir I dined héere hard by within my tentes not knowing that your house was so néere vs but sith that I haue met you vpon your 〈◊〉 Marches and 〈◊〉 I will not goe hence before I sée your lodging for so farre as I can iudge by the outwarde parte of this goodly building me thinkes the workeman hath not forgotten any thing that should serue for the setting forthe and ornament of this parte of the house which for the quantitie is one of the fairest plottes that I haue sene So approching the Castel that Duke lighted to view the commodities of the place and specially the image for which alone he was departed from his City wherof the Maister of the house dronke with the sodaine pleasure to sée the Duke there thought nothing So descending into the 〈◊〉 Court they sawe a Marble fountaine that discharged the water in foure greate gutters receyued by foure naked Nymphes and by them poured forth into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wrought with 〈◊〉 where was an armed Knight lying vnder an highe and broade trée which ouershadowed the Fountaine And hard by they espied a litle dore which shewed the way into 〈◊〉 singulare and well planted a Garden as euer the delicious and pleasant Gardens were of Alcinoe For in the same bysides the Artificiall 〈◊〉 and ordinary trauel of the gardener nature produced foure Fountaines in the foure corners making the place and plaine of the Garden equally parted in fouresquare forme Now these fountaines watered all the fayre knots of the same wythout any paine to the gardener except to open certaine little 〈◊〉 whereby the water sprang and ran where hée thoughte it néedefull I will héere leaue to speake of the Trées frutes deuided in flue forme order the Laberynthes subtilely finely made the swéete Herbers yelding such contentation to the eye as if the Duke had had no greater respect to the wrong done to the Millers daughter than incited wyth the gentlenesse of the maister of the house and the singularitie of the place perchaunce hée might haue forgotten himselfe within that little earthly Paradise And to performe the excellencie of the place the working hande and industrie of man holpen by the benefite of Nature had wrought a 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 verye déepe wherein were bestowed a good numbre of 〈◊〉 and wherin the immortall voyce of an Eccho answered their talk with a triple voyce in that profound and earthly place which moued the Duke to call the Gentleman vnto hym vnto whome hée sayd If it be so that the rest of the house doe mat 〈◊〉 wyth that which I haue already séene I am out of doubte it is one of the 〈◊〉 and moste delectable 〈◊〉 at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole compasse of Italy Wherefore my friend I pray thée that we may sée the hole 〈◊〉 for the contētation of our mindes and also that I may make some vaunt that I haue séene the rarest and best furnished little house that is within all the iurisdiction of Florence The Gentleman bathed in ease and full of pleasure séeing that the Duke liked so well his house brought him from chamber to chamber which was enriched either with stately tapissarie of Turkey making or with rich Tables diuinely wrought with vtensils so neate and fit as the Duke coulde cast his 〈◊〉 vpon none of them but he was driuen into an admiration wonder And the further he went the greater he saw the increase almost a regeneration or as I may say a new birth of rare things which made that littlenesse of the place more stately and wonderfull wherefore he greatly estéemed him in his minde which had deuised the magnificence of such a furniture After then that he had visited the Portals Galleries Parlers Chambers Garrets Wardrobes Closets and chiefest places of that house they came into a gallerie which had a direct prospect vpon the Garden at the end whereof there was a chamber shut ouer which there was such Antike and Imbossed worke as it was maruell to behold and vpon the garden side in like workemanship ye might haue viewed a troupe of Nymphes flying à 〈◊〉 the side of a woode adioyning vpon a great riuer an hierde of Satires making as though they would haue ouerrunne them a pleasure it was to sée their 〈◊〉 mouthes their eyes fixed vpon the place where 〈◊〉 clouenfooted pursuters were and the countenance of them which so well expressed their feare as there 〈◊〉 nothing but spéech Moreouer a better sight it was to beholde the Satire Bucks with displayed throfe and their fingers pointing at the bast of those fearfull 〈◊〉 as though they mocked their 〈◊〉 flyghte Within a while after ye might haue séene Hercules lying a bed with his wife towards whom a Eaunus came thinking to inioy the beautie and embracemēts of the sléeping dame But fayrer it was to sée how that strōg 〈◊〉 gaue him the mocke and strained him so hard as he thought his belly wold burst The Duke beholding as he thought the fairest place of the house so shut by and by suspected the truthe of the cause For the Gentleman knowing the comming of the Duke had withdrawen his woman into the same for that it was the most secrete chamber of his house and the furdest from all ordinary seruice And therefore sayde the Duke wherefore is not this chamber opened vnto vs so wel as the rest I suppose the same to be your treasure house and the storehouse of your most delicat things but you may be assured that we be not come hither to trouble you but only as we think to do you pleasure My Lord sayd the Gentleman the place is to farre out of order at this time to shew your grace Moreouer I knowe not where the keyes be for thys morning the kéeper of my house is gone vnto the city I can not tell to whome he hath deliuered the same The Duke which heard the end of his excuse not accepting the same for the price which the courtier wold thought to haue solde it was sure then of that which before he did suspect Wherfore with furious countenaunce he sayd vnto him Goe too goe too either with the key or 〈◊〉 it let this doore be opened that I may sée all thy secretes within The rauisher seing that Duke to be earnest
sent for him vp into hir chamber as commonly she did for the affaires and matters of hir house and taking him a side vnto a 〈◊〉 hauing prospect into a garden she knew not how to begin hir talk for the heart being seased the minde troubled and the wittes out of course the tongue failed to doe his office in such wise as of long time she was vnable to 〈◊〉 one onely woord Hée surprised with like affection was more astōned by séeing the alteration of his Ladie So the two Louers stoode still like Images beholding one another without any meuing at all vntil the Ladie the hardiest of them bothe as féeling the most vehement and greatest grief tooke Bologna by the hād and dissembling what she thought vsed this or such like language If any other bisides your self Gentleman should vnderstand the secretes which now I purpose to disclose I doubt what spéeche were necessary to colour my woords But being assured of your discretion and wisdom and with what perfection nature hath indued you and Arte hauing accōplished that in you which nature did begin to work as one bred and brought vp in the royall Court of the second Alphonse of Ferdinando and Federick of Aragon my cousins I wil make no doubt at all to manifest to you the hidden secretes of my heart being well persuaded that when you shall both heare and 〈◊〉 my reasons and tast that light which I bring for the for me easily you may 〈◊〉 that mine 〈◊〉 cannot be other than iust and reasonable But if your conceits shall straye from that which I shal speak déeme not good of that which I determine I shall be forced to thinke say that they which estéeme you wise sage and to be a man of good and ready 〈◊〉 be maruelously deceiued Notwithstāding my heart foretelleth that it is impossible for maister Bologna to wandre so farre from equitie but that by and by he wil enter the lystes discerne the white from black and the wrong from that which is iust and right For so much as hitherto I neuer saw thing done by you which preposterated or peruerted the good iudgement that all the world estéemeth to shine in you the same well manifested declared by your tongue the right iudge of the mind you know and sée how I am a widow through the death of that noble Gentleman of good remembrance the Duke my Lord husband you be not ignoraunt also that I haue liued and gouerned my self in such wise in my widow state as there is no man so hard and seuere of iudgement that can blason reproche of me in that which appertaineth to the honesty reputation of such a Ladie as I am bearing my port so right as my conscience yeldeth no remorse supposing that no man hath where with to bite accuse me Louching the order of the goods of the Duke my sōne I haue vsed them with such diligence and discretion as bisides the dettes which I haue discharged sithens the death of my Lord I haue purchased a goodly Manor in Calabria and haue annexed the same to the Dukedom of his heire and at this day doe not owe one pennie to any creditor that lent mony to the Duke which he toke vp to furnish the charges in the warres which he sustained in the seruice of the Kings our soueraine Lords in the late warres for the kingdome of Naples I haue as I suppose by this meanes stopped the slaunderous mouth and giuen cause vnto my sonne during his life to accōpt himself bound vnto his mother Now hauing till this time liued for other and made my self subiect more than Nature could beare I am entended to chaunge both my life and condition I haue till thys time run trauailed remoued to the Castels Lordships of the Dukedome to Naples and other places being in mind to tary as I am a widow But what new affaires and new councel hath possest my mind I haue trauailed and pained my self inough I haue too long abidden a widowes life I am determined therefore to prouide a husband who by louing me shal honor cherish me according to the loue which I shal bear to him my desert For to loue a man without mariage God defend my heart should euer think shall rather die a hundred thousand deathes thā a desire so wicked shald soile my conscience knowing well that a woman which setteth hir honor to sale is lesse than nothing deserueth not that the cōmon aire shold breathe vpō hir for all the reuerence that men do beare or make them I accuse no person albeit that many noble women haue their forheds marked with the blame of dishonest life being honored of some be neuerthelesse the cōmon fable of the people To the intent then that such mishap happē not to me perceiuing my self vnable stil thus to liue being yong as I am God be thāked neither deformed nor yet painted I had rather be the louing wife of a simple féere than that Concubine of a king or great Prince And what is the mightie Monarche able to wash away the fault of his wife which hath abādoned him cōtrary to that duty honest which the vndefiled bed requireth no les thē Princesses that whilom trespassed with those which wer of baser stuffe than thēselues Messalina w e hir imperial robe could not so wel couer hir faults but that the Historiās do defame hir with that name title of a cōmon woman Faustina the wife of that sage Monarch Marcus Aurelius gained lyke report by rendring hir self to others pleasure bisides hir lawful spouse To mary my self to one that is mine equall it is impossible for so much as there is no Lord in all this Countrey méete for my degrée but is to olde of age that rest being dead in these later warres To mary a husband that yet is but a child is follie extréeme for the inconueniences which daily chaūce therby the euil intreatie that Ladies do receiue whē they come to age their nature waxe cold by reson wherof imbracements be not so fauorable their husbāds glutted with ordinary meat vse to rū in exchāge Wherefore I am resolued without respite or delay to choose some wel qualitied and renoumed Gentleman that hath more vertue than richesse of good Fame and brute to the intēt I may make him my Lord espouse and husband For I cannot imploy my loue vpon treasure which may be taken away where richesse of the minde do faile and shall be better content to sée an honest Gentleman with little reuenue to be praised and cōmended of euery man for his good déedes than a rich carle curssed and detested of all the world Thus much I say and it is the summe of all my secretes wherin I pray your Councell and aduise I know that some wil be offended wyth my choise the Lords my brothers specially the Cardinall will think it straunge and receiue
spirite and boldnesse be thought good in the front of this second volume to be described bicause of diuers womens liues plentifull varietie is offered in the sequele And for that some mencion hath bene made of the greate Alexander and in what wise from vertue he fell to vice the seconde Nouell ensuing shall giue some further aduertisement Alexander the great ¶ The great pitie and cōtinencie of ALEXANDER the great and his louing entertainmēt of SISIGAMBIS the wife of the greate Monarch 〈◊〉 after he was vanquished The second Nouel GReat Monarches and princes be the Gods and onely rulers vpon earthe and as they be placed by Gods only prouidence and disposition to conquere and rule the same euen so in victorious battailes and honorable exploites they ought to rule order their conquests like Gods that is to say to vse moderate behauiour to their captiues and slaues specially to the weaker sorte feminine kinde whome like tyrants and barbarous they ought not to corrupt and abuse but like Christians and vertuous victors to cherish and preserue their honour For what can be safe to a woman sayd Lucrece when she was 〈◊〉 by the Romaine Tarquine hir chastitie being defiled Or what can be safe to a man that giueth him selfe to incontinencie For when he hath despoiled the virgin robbed the wife or abused the widow of their honor and good name they protrude them selues into many miseries they be impudent vnshamefast aduenturous and carelesse how many mischiefes they do And when a Prince or gouerner doth giue him self to licencious life what mischieues what rapes what murders doth he cōmitte No frende no 〈◊〉 no subiecte no enimie doth he spare or defende Contrarywise the mercifull and continent captaine by subduing his affections recouereth immortal fame which this historie of king Alexāder full well declareth And bicause before we spake of that great conquerour in the Nouell of the Amazones and of the repaire of Quene Thalestris for vse of his bodie at what tyme as Curtius sayth he fell from vertue to vice wée purpose in this to declare the greate continencie and mercie that he vsed to Sisigambis the wife of the Persian Prince Darius and briefly to touch the time of his abused life which in this manner doth begin Alexander the great hauing vanquished Darius and his infinite armie and retiring with his hoste from the pursute and slaughter of the Persians entred into their campe to recreate him selfe And being with his familiars in the mids of his bāket they sodenly heard a pitifull crie with straunge howling and crying out which did verie much astonne them The wife and mother of Darius with the other noble women newly taken prisoners wer the occasiō of that present noise by lamenting of Darius whome they beleued to be slaine which opinion they cōceiued through one of the Eunuches which standing before their tent doore sawe a souldier beare a piece of Darius Diademe For which cause Alexander pitying their miserie sent a noble man called Leonatus to signifie vnto them that they were deceyued for that Darius was liuing Repairing towards the tent where the women were with certaine armed men he sent word before that he was coming to them with message from the king But when such as stode at the tent 〈◊〉 saw armed men they thought they had ben sent to murder the Ladies for whiche cause they ranne in to them crying that their last houre was come for the souldiers were at hande to kill them When Leonatus was entred the pauilion the Mother and wife of Darius fell downe at his féete intreating him that before they were slain he wold suffer them to burie Darius according to the order and maner of his countrey after the performance of which obsequies they were content they sayd willingly to suffer death Leonatus assured them that both Darius was aliue and that there was no harme towardes them but shoulde remaine in the same state they were in before When Sisigambis heard those wordes she suffered hir selfe to bée lifted vp from the grounde and to receyue some comfort The next day Alexander with great diligence buried the bodies of suche of his owne men as coulde be founde and willed the same to be done to the noble men of the Persians giuing licence to Darius mother to burie so many as she liste after the custome of hir countrey She performed the same to a fewe that were next of hir kinne according to the habilitie of their presente fortune for if shée shoulde haue vsed the Persians pompe therin the Macedonians might haue enuied it which being victors vsed no great curiositie in the matter When the due was performed to the dead Alexander signified to the women prisoners that he him selfe would come to visit them and causing such as came with him to tarie without he onely with Ephestion entred in amongs them The same Ephestion of al men was best beloued of Alexander brought vp in his cōpanie from his youth and most priuie with him in al things There was none that had such libertie to speke his mynd plainly to the king as he had which he vsed after such sorte that he semed to do it by no authoritie but by suffrance And as he was of like yeares vnto him so in shape and personage he did somwhat excel him Wherfore the women thinking Ephestion to be the king did fall downe and worship him as their countrey maner was to do to kings till suche time as one of the Eunuches that was taken prisoner shewed which of them was Alexander Then Sisigambis fell downe at his féete requiring pardon of hir ignorance for somuch as she did neuer see him before The King toke hir vp by the hande and sayde Mother you be not deceiued for this is Alexander also Then he behaued him self after such a maner that he erceded in continencie and compassion al the kings that had ben before his time He entertained the two Quéenes with those virgins that were of excellent beautie so reuerently as if they had bene his sisters He not onely absteined from al violation of Darius wife which in beautie excelled all the women of hir time but also toke great care diligence that none other should procure hir any dishonor And to all the women he commaunded their ornaments and apparel to be restored So that they wāted nothing of the magnificence of their former 〈◊〉 sauing only the assured trust that creatures want in miserie which things considered by Sisigambis she sayd vnto the king Sir your goodnesse towards vs doth deserue that we should make the same prayer for you that whilome we did for Darius and we perceiue you worthie to passe so greate a king as he was in felicitie and good fortune that abounde so in iustice and clemencie It pleaseth you to terme me by the name of Mother and Quéene but I confesse my selfe to be your handmaide For both I conceyue the greatnesse of my state past and féele that I can
the daunger of the mate by and by there grew a greater colour in his face than was wont to be imagining howe he might auoide the checkemate besides his blushing he shaked his 〈◊〉 and fetched diuers sighes whereby the standers by that marked the game perceiued that he was driuen to his shiftes The Senescall espying the Kings demeanour and séeing the honest shamefastnesse of the King woulde not suffer hym to receiue suche foile but made a draught by mouing his Knight backe to open a way for the King to passe as not onely he deliuered him from the daunger of the Mate but also loste one of his Rocks for lack of taking héede whervpon the game rested equall The King who knew the good nature noble minde of his seruant by experience of the same in other causes faining that he had ouerséene the taking of his Rock gaue ouer the game and rising vp sayd No more Ariobarzanes the game is yours and I confesse my selfe ouercome The King thought that Ariobarzanes did not the same so much for curtesie as to binde his soueraigne lorde and king by benefite to recompence his subiectes like behauior which he did not very well like and therfore would play no more Notwithstanding the King neither by signe or dede ne yet in talk shewed any token of displeasure for that curtesie done Nowbeit the King would that Ariobarzanes in semblable act should abstaine to shew him selfe curteous or liberall except it were to his inferiours and equals bicause it is not connenient for a seruaunt to contende with his maister in those qualities Not long after the King being at Persepolis the principall citie of Persia ordeined a not able day of hunting of diuers beastes of that countrey bréede And when all things were in readinesse he with the moste part of his Court repaired to the pastime When they were come to the place the King commaunded a woode to be beset about with nettes and toiles and appointed eche man where he should stande in most conuenient place and he him selfe attended with the doggs and 〈◊〉 to cause the beastes to issue forth of their 〈◊〉 and holes And beholde they roused a wilde beast whiche with greate 〈◊〉 leapte ouer the nettes and ranne away with much spéede The King séeing that straunge beast purposed to pursue him to death And making a signe to certain of his noble men which he desired to kepe him companie he gaue the raine and spurre to his horse and followed the chace Ariobarzanes was one of those noble men that pursued the game It chaunced that day that the King rode vpon a horsse that was the swiftest in his stable which he estemed better than a thousand other as well for his velocitie as for his readynesse in factes of armes Thus followyng with bridle at will the flying rather than running beast they were diuided far from their companie and by reason of the Kings spéedinesse none was able to followe him but Ariobarzanes and behind him one of his seruants vpon a good horsse which alwayes he vsed in hunting inatters which horsse was counted the best in al the Court. And thus folowing the chace with galloping spede Ariobarzanes at length espied that the horsse of his soueraigne lorde had loste his shooes before and that the stones had surbated his hoofs wherevpon the King was driuen either to giue ouer the chace or else to marre his horsse But there was none of these two necessities but would haue greatly displeased the King that did not perceiue his horsse to be vnshodde The Senescall did no sooner espie the same but sodainely dismounted from his own caused his man to deliuer vnto him a hammer and nailes which for such like chaunces he always caried about him and tooke of two shooes from the 〈◊〉 of his good horsse to set vpon the Kings not caring for his own rather than the King should forgoe his pleasure Wherfore hallowing the King which was earnestly bent vpon the chace tolde him of the danger wherin his horsse was for lack of shooes The Kyng hearing that lighted from his horsse séeing two shooes in Ariobarzanes mans hande thinking that Ariobarzanes had brought them with him or that they wer the shooes whiche fell from his owne taried still vntill his horsse was shodde But when he sawe the notable horsse of his Senescall vnshodde before then he thoughte that to be the curtesie of Ariobarzanes so did let the matter passe studying by like meanes to requite him with Curtesie whiche forced him selfe to surmounte in the same And when his horsse was shod he gaue the same to Ariobarzanes in rewarde And so the king chose rather to lose his pleasure of hunting than to suffer hymselfe by his man to bée excelled in Curtesie well noting the stoutnesse of Ariobarzanes mynde which séemed to haue a will to contende with his Prince in factes renoumed and liberall The Senescall thoughte it not conuenient to refuse the gift of his liege Lorde but accepted the same with like good will as before he shodde his horsse still expecting occasion howe he might surpasse his maister in curtesse and so to binde him to requite the same They had not taried there lōg but many of those which came after had ouertaken them And then the King got vp vpon a spare horsse and returned to the citie with all his companie Within fewe dayes after the King by proclamation sommoned a solemne and pompous iust and triumph at the tilt to be done vpon the Kalendes of May next ensuing The rewarde appointed for the victor and best doer in the same was a couragious and goodly Courser with a bridle and bitte of fine golde richely wrought a saddle correspondent of passing greate price the furniture and trappers for the bridle and saddle of like cost and workemanship the raines were two chaines of golde very artificially made the barbe and couerture of the horsse of cloth of golde vpon golde fringed round about with like golde whereat depended certaine belles of golde ouer which horsse was placed a fine sworde the hiltes chape wherof together with the scaverde were curiously beset with pearles and precious stones of inestimable value On the other side was placed a very beautifull strong Mace very cunningly wroughte with damaskin The horsse was placed in fourme of triumph and besides the same all the Armures and weapons méete for a combatant Knight riche and faire without comparison The Placart was maruellous and strong the Launce was guilt and bigge as none greater in all the troupe of the chalengers and defendants And al those furnitures wer appointed to be giuen to him that should do best that day A great assemblie of strangers repaired to that solemne feast as wel to do déedes of Armes as to looke vpon that pompous triumph Of the Kings subiects there was neither Knight nor Baron but in rich sumptuous apparell appeared that day amongs whome of chiefest fame the kings eldest sonne was
house Upon this Anniuersarie day of Artaxerxes coronation when all things were disposed in order the King desirous to accomplishe a certaine conceiued determination cōmaunded one of his faithful chamberlains spéedily to seke out Ariobarzanes which the sayde faithfull chamberlaine did and telling him the kings message sayd My lord Ariobarzanes the King hath willed me to say vnto you that his pleasure is that you in your owne person euen forthwith shall cary your white stéede and Courser the mace of gold and other 〈◊〉 due to the office of Senescall vnto Darius youre mortall enimie and in his maiesties behalfe to say vnto him that the king hath giuen him that office and hath clearely dispossessed you thereof Ariobarzanes hearing those heauie newes was like to die for sorowe and the greater was his griefe bicause it was giuen to his greatest enimie Notwithstanding like a Gentleman of noble stomacke woulde not in open apparance signifie the displeasure which he conceiued within but with merrie cheare and louing countenance sayde vnto the chambrelaine Do my right humble cōmendations vnto the kinges maiestie and say vnto him that like as he is the soueraigne lorde of all this lande and I his faithfull subiect euen so myne office my life landes and goods be 〈◊〉 his disposition and that willingly I will performe his 〈◊〉 When he had spoken those wordes he rendred 〈◊〉 his office to Darius who at dinner serued in the same And when the king was set Ariobarzanes with comely countenaunce sat downe amongs the rest of the Lordes Which sodaine deposition and depriuation did 〈◊〉 lously amaze the whole assemblie euery man secretly speking their minde either in praise or dispraise of that fact The king all the dinner time did marke note the countenance of Ariobarzanes which was pleasant and merie as it was wont to be whereat the king did greately maruell And to attaine to the ende of his purpose hée began with sharpe wordes in presence of the nobilitie to disclose his discontented minde and the grudge which he bare to Ariobarzanes On the other side the king suborned diuers persons diligently to espie what he sayde did Ariobarzanes hearing the kings sharpe wordes of rebuke and stimulated by the persuasion of diuers flatterers which were hired for that purpose after he perceiued that his declared pacience preuailed nothing that his modest talke his long and faithful seruice which he had done vnto the king his losse and hinderance sustained the perill of his life which so many times he had suffered at length banquished with disdaine he brake the Bridle of Pacience and sorted out of the boundes of his wonted nature for that in place of honor he receiued rebuke in stede of reward was depriued of his office begā in a rage to cōplain of that king terming him to be an vnkind prince which amongs the Persians was estéemed a worde of great offence to the maiestie wherefore faine he would haue departed the court and retired home to his coūtrey which he coulde not doe without speciall licence from the king and yet to craue the same at his handes his heart would not serue him Althese murmures and complaintes which secretely he made were tolde the king therfore the king commaunded him one day to be called before him vnto whome he sayde Ariobarzanes youre grudging complaints and enuious quarels which you disparcle behinde my backe throughout my Courte and your continuall rages outragiously pronounced through the verie windowes of my Palace haue 〈◊〉 myne eares whereby I vnderstande that thing which hardly I would haue beleued But yet being a Prince as wel inclined to fauour and quiet hearing of al causes as to credite of light reports would faine know of you the cause of your lamentation and what hath moued you thervnto For you be not ignorant that to murmure at the Persian King or to terme him to be vnkinde is no lesse offence than to blaspheme the Gods immortall bicause by auncient Lawes and Decrées they be honored and worshipped as Gods And among all the penalties conteined in our lawes the vice of Ingratitude is moste bitterly corrected But leauing to speake of the threates and dangers of our lawes I pray you to tell me wherin I haue offended you For albeit that I am a king yet reason persuadeth me not to giue offence to any man which if I shoulde doe and the Gods forbid the same I ought rather to be termed a tyrant than a King Ariobarzanes hearing the King speake so reasonably was abashed but yet with stoute countenaunce he feared not particularly to remembre the wordes which he had spoken of the King and the cause wherefore he spake them Well sayd the King I perceiue that you blushe not at the words ne yet fear to reherse the same vnto my face wherby I doe perceiue and note in you a certaine kinde of stoutenesse which naturally 〈◊〉 from the greatnesse of your minde But yet wisedome would that you shoulde consider the reason and cause why I haue depriued you from your office Doe you not knowe that it appertaineth vnto me in all mine affaires and déedes to be liberall curteous magnificent and bounteous Be not those the vertues that make the fame of a Prince to 〈◊〉 amongs his subiects as the Sunne beames do vpon the circuit of the worlde Who ought to rewarde well doers and recompence eche wight which for any seruice and aduantage haue all the dayes of their life or else in some particuler seruice vsed their painful trauaile or aduentured the perill of their life but I alone béeing your soueraigne Lord and Prince To the vertuous and obedient to the Captaine and Souldier to the politike and wise to the lerned and graue finally to eche well 〈◊〉 wight I know how to vse the noble princely vertues of Curtesie and Liberalitie They bée the comely ensignes of a King They be the onely ornaments of a Prince They bée my particuler vertues And will you Ariobarzanes béeing a valiant souldier a graue counsailer and a politike personage goe aboute to dispossesse me of that which is mine Will you which are my seruant and subiect of whom I make greatest accompt and haue in dearest estimation vpon whome I did bestowe the greatest dignitie within the compasse of my whole Monarchie grate benefite at my hands by abusing those vertues which I aboue other do principally regard You do much abuse the credite which I repose in your greate wisedome For hée in whome I thought to finde moste graue aduise and déemed to bée a receptacle of all good counsell doth seke to take vpon him the personage of his Prince and to vsurpe the kingly state which belongeth only vnto him Shall I be tied by your deserts or bound by curteous dedes or else be forced to rendre recompēce No no so long as this imperiall crown shall rest on royall head no subiecte by any curteous déede of his shall straine vnwilling minde which meant it not
two was péerelesse without comparison older than the other by one yeare The beautie of those fair Ladies was bruted throughout the whole Region of Persia to whome the greatest Lordes and Barons of the countrey wer great and importunate suters He was not in his countrey resiant the space of iiij monethes which for salubritie of aire was most holsome and pleasant full of lordelike liberties and gentlemanlike pastimes as well to be done by the hounde as by the spaniell but one of the Kings Haraulds sent from the Court appeared before him with message to this effect saying My lord Ariobarzanes the King my soueraigne Lorde hath commaunded you to send with me to the Court the fairest of your two daughters for that the report of their famous beautic hath made him hardly to beleue them to be such as common brute would fayn do him to vnderstande Ariobarzanes not wel able to conceiue the meaning of the kings commaundement reuolued in his minde diuers things touching that demaunde and concluding vpon one which fel to his remembrance determined to send his yonger daughter which as we haue sayd before was not in beautie comparable to hir elder sister whereupon he caused the maiden to be sent for and sayd vnto hir these words Daughter the King my maister and thy soueraigne Lorde hath by his Messanger commaunded me to send vnto him the fairest of my daughters but for a certain reasonable respect which at this time I purpose not to disclose my mynde is that thou shalt goe praying thée not to say but that thou thy selfe art of the twaine the fairest the concealing of which mine aduise will bréede vnto thée no doubte thy greate aduauncement besides the profite and promotion that shall accriue by that thy silence and the disclosing of the same may happe to engendre to thy dere father his euerlasting hindrance and perchance the depriuation of his life but 〈◊〉 so be the King doe beget thée with childe in any wise kéepe close the same And when thou 〈◊〉 thy 〈◊〉 begin to swel that no longer it can be closely kept then in conuenient time when thou séest the King most merily disposed thou shalt tell the King that thy sister is farre more beautifull than thy self and that thou art the yonger sister The wise maiden well vnderstanding hir fathers minde and conceiuing the summe of his intent promised to performe his charge so with the Haraulde and honorable traine he caused his daughter to be conueyed to the Courte An easie matter it was to deceiue the King in the beautie of that maiden For although the elder daughter was the fairest yet this Gentlewomā séemed so péerelesse in the Court that without comparison she appeared the most beautifull that was to be 〈◊〉 either in Courte or countrey the behauiour and semblance of which two daughters were so like that hard it was to iudge whether of them was the eldest For their father had so kept them in that seldome they were séene within his house or at no time marked when they walked abroade The wife of the King was deade the space of one yere beforé for which cause he determined to marie the daughter of Ariobarzanes who although shée was not of the royall bloud yet of birthe she was right noble When the King saw this Gentlewoman he iudged hir to be the fairest that euer he sawe or heard of by report whom in the presence of his noble mē he 〈◊〉 did marrie seut vnto hir father to appoint the 〈◊〉 of his married daughter out of hande and to returne the same by that messanger When Ariobarzanes herd tell of this vnhoped mariage right ioyefull for that 〈◊〉 cesse sent vnto his daughter that dowrie which he had promised to giue to eyther of his daughters Many of the Courte did maruell that the King béeing in aged yeares would mary so yong a maiden specially the daughter of his subiect whome he had vanished from the Courte Some praised the Kings disposition for taking hir whom he fansied Eche man speakyng his 〈◊〉 minde 〈◊〉 to the diuers customes of men Notwithstanding there were diuers that moued the King to that mariage thereby to force him to confesse that by taking of the goodes of Ariobarzanes he might be called Courtenus and Liberall The mariage being solemnized in very 〈◊〉 and princely guise Ariobarzanes sente to the King the like dowrie which before he had sent him for mariage of his daughter with message to this effect That for so much as hée had assigned to his daughters two certain dowries to marie them to their equal 〈◊〉 and seing that he which was without exception was the husbande of the one his duetie was to bestow vpon his grace a more greater gift than to any other which shold haue bene his sonne in lawe But the King woulde not receiue the increase of his dowrie déeming him self well satisfied with the beautie and good cōdicions of his new spouse whome he entertained honored as Quéene In the meane time she was great with childe with a sonne as afterwardes in the birth it appered which so wel as she coulde she kept close and secrete but afterwards perceiuing hir bellie to ware bigge the greatnesse whereof she was not able to hide being vpon a time with that King and in familiar disporte she like a wise and sobre Lady induced matter of diuers argumēt amongs which as occasion serued she disclosed to the King that she was not the fairest of hir fathers daughters but hir elder sister more beautifull than she The King hearing that was greatly offended with Ariobarzanes for that he had not accomplished his commaundement and albeit he loued well his wife yet to attaine the effect of his desire he called his Haraulde vnto him whome he had firste sent to make request for his wife and with him returned again his new maried spouse vnto hir father cōmaunding him to say these words That for so much as he knewe him self to be vanquished and ouercome by the Kings humanitie his grace did maruell that in place of Curtesie he would vse such contumacie and disobedience by sending vnto him not the fairest of his daughters whiche he required but such as he himselfe liked to sende A matter no doubt worthy to be sharpely punished and 〈◊〉 For which cause the King being not a litle offended 〈◊〉 home his daughter againe and willed him to sende his eldest daughter and that he had returned the dowrie which he gaue with his yonger Ariobarzanes receiued his daughter and the dowrie with willing minde sayd these words to the Harauld Mine other daughter which the King my soueraigne Lord requireth is not able presently to go with thée bicause in hir bed she lieth sick as thou mayst manifestly perceiue if thou com into hir chāber but say vnto the King the vpon my faith allegiance so soone as she is recouered I will sende hir to the court The Haraulde séeing the maiden lie sicke
times and places doth brighten the Starres and maketh the Moone to shine Euen so the woman dependeth of the man and of him doth take hir nobilitie The King therefore thoughte the matche not mete for Ariobarzanes to marrie his daughter and 〈◊〉 red he shoulde incurre some blemishe of his house But for all respect and feare of shame the emulation whiche he had to be victorious of his forced curtesie did surpasse Wherefore he sent for Ariobarzanes to come vnto the Court. And he vpon that commaundement came And so soone as he was entred the Palace he repaired to do his reuerence vnto the king of whome he was welcomed with glad and ioyfull entertainement And after they had a while debated of diuers matters the King sayde vnto him Ariobarzanes for so much as thou art without a wife we 〈◊〉 to bestowe vpon thée a Gentlewoman which not onely we well like and loue but also is suche a one as thou thy selfe shalt be well contented to take Ariobarzanes answered that he was at his commaundement And that such choyse as pleased his Maiestie shoulde very well content and satisfie him Then the King caused his daughter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 attired to come before him and there openly in presence of the 〈◊〉 Courte commaunded that Ariobarzanes shoulde marrie hir Which with séemely ceremonies being 〈◊〉 Ariobarzanes shewed litle ioy of that parentage and in apparance made as though he cared not for his wife The nobles and Gentleman of the Court 〈◊〉 to sée the straunge 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 consideryng the great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of their Prince towards his subiect by taking him for his father and sonne in lawe and greatly murmured to sée the obstinacie and rudenesse of Ariobarzanes towardes the King and the faire newe maried spouse much blaming and rebuking his vnkinde demeanour Ariobarzanes that day fared as though he were besides him selfe voide of ioy and mirth where all the rest of the Courte spent the time in sport and triumph the Ladies and noble women together with the King and Quéene them selues dauncing and 〈◊〉 vntill the time of night did force 〈◊〉 wight to retire to their chambers Notwithstanding the King did marke the gesture and countenance of Ariobarzanes and after the bankette the King in solemne guise and greate pompe caused his daughter to bée accompanied with a great train to the lodging of Ariobarzanes and to be caried with hir hir princely dowrie where Ariobarzanes very honourably receyued his wife and at that instant in the presence of all the noble men and Barons that waited vpon the Bride he doubled the dowrie receyued and the same with the ten hūdred thousand crownes giuen him by the King he sent backe againe This vnmeasured Liberalitie séemed passing straunge vnto the King and bredde in him such disdaine as doubtfull he was whether to yelde or to condemne him to perpetual banishment The King thought that the greatnesse of Ariobarzanes minde was inuincible and was not able paciently to suffer that a subiect in matters of Curtesie and liberalitie shoulde compare with his King and maister Herewithall the King conceiuing malice coulde not tell what to say or do An easy matter it was to perceiue the rage and 〈◊〉 of the king who was so sore displeased as he bare good looke and coūtenance to no man And bicause in those days the Persian kings 〈◊〉 honored and reuerenced as Gods there was a lawe that when the king was driuen into a 〈◊〉 or had conceiued a iust displeasure he shoulde manifest vnto his counsellers the cause of his anger who afterwards by mature diligēce hauing examined the cause 〈◊〉 finding that king to be 〈◊〉 displesed shold seke means of his appeasing But if they founde his anger displeasure to be iustly cōceiued the cause of the same according to the qualitie of the offence little or great they shoulde punishe either by banishment or capital death The sentence of whome should passe and be pronounced without appeale Howbeit lawfull it was for the kyng the pronounced sentence either in all or in part to diminishe the paine or clearely to assoile the partie Wherby it euidently appeared that the Counsellers sentence once 〈◊〉 termined was very iustice and the kings will if he pardoned was mere grace and mercy The King then was constrained by 〈◊〉 statutes of his kingdom to disclose 〈◊〉 to his Counsell the cause of his displeasure which parti cularly he recited The Counsellers when they heard the reasons of the king sent for Ariobarzanes of whome by due examination they gathered that in diuors causes he had prouoked the kings offence Afterwards the lords of the Counsell vpon the proposed question began to argue by inuestigation serch wherof in the end they iudged Ariobarzanes worthy to lose his head For that he woulde not onely compare but also goe about to 〈◊〉 him in things 〈◊〉 and to she we him self discontented with the mariage of his daughter vnthankfull of the benefites so curteously bestowed vpon him A custome was obserued among the Persians that in euery act or enterprise wherin the seruant endeuored to surpasse and vanquishe his lorde and maister albeit the attempt were commendable and praise worthy for 〈◊〉 of want of duetie or contempt to the royall Maiestie he 〈◊〉 lose his best ioynt And for better confirmation of their iudgement the Counsellers alleaged a certain 〈◊〉 sentence registred in their Chronicles 〈◊〉 done by the Kings of Persia. The cause was this One of the Kings of that Region disposed to disporte with certain of his noble men abrode in the fields went a Hanking and with the 〈◊〉 to flie at diuers gante Within a while they sprang a Hearon and the Kyng commanded that one of the Faulcons which was a notable swift and soaring Hauke shold be cast off to the Hearon which done the Hearon began to mount and the Faucon spéedily pursued and as the Hauke after many batings and intercourses was about to seaze vpon the Hearon he espied an Egle. The stoute Hauke séeing the Egle gaue ouer the fearfull Hearon and with swift 〈◊〉 flewe towards the Egle and fiercely attempted to 〈◊〉 vpon hir But the Egle very stoutly defended 〈◊〉 self that the Hauke was forced to let go hir hold In the end 〈◊〉 good Hauke with hir sharpe talands again seazed vpon the Egles neck with hir beake strake hir starke dead wherwithall she fell downe amidde the companie that waited vpon the King All the Barons and Gentlemen highly cōmended and praised the Hauke affirming that a better was not in the worlde attributing vnto the same such praise as they thought mete The King for all the acclamations and shoutes of the troupe spake not a worde but stode musing with him selfe and did neither praise nor blame that Hauke It was very late in the euening when the Faucon killed the Egle and therefore the King commaunded eche man to depart to the Citie The next day the King caused a Goldsmith to make an
bande of horsmen Wherefore Tarquinius sente to the Rammenses Titienses Luceres To the bandes that Romulus had conscribed hée added other new troupes of horsemen purposing that the same should continue in memorie of him after his death And bicause Romulus dyd the same without aduise of the Southsayers one Accius Nauius the notablest Prophecier in those daies withstoode that constitution 〈◊〉 that it was not lawsull for him eyther to appoint a newe order or to alter the olde except the birdes and auguries did assent thervnto Wherwith the king was displeased deluding that science said Go to M. Sothsayer tell me now quod he is it possible to bring that to passe which I haue now conceiued in my minde Yea quod the Southsayer if you tel me what it is Then quod Tarquinius I haue deuised that thou shalt pare thine owne skin with a Raser Therfore take this knife doe as thy birdes doe portend and signifie And as it was reported he pared his own skin in déede In memory wherof an Image of Accius was erected with his head 〈◊〉 After that time there was nothing attempted without those auguries Notwithstanding Tarquinius procéeded in his constitution and added to the Centurias an other number for that 1800. horsemen were conteined in the thrée Centuriae The later addition was called also by the same name which afterward were doubled into vj. Centurias Whē his numbre was thus increased once againe he ioyned battel with the Sabines who by a notable pollicie recouered a great victorie And bicause the Sabines doubled a freshe onset without any order of battell or good aduisement they were ouerthrowen and then constrained to make peticion for peace The citie of Collatia and the Coūtrie confining vpon the same was taken from the Sabines The Sabine warres being in this sortended Tarquinius in triumphant maner 〈◊〉 to Rome At that time a prodige and miraculous 〈◊〉 chaunced to be séene in the Palace The head of a childe whose name was Seruius Tullius lying a sléepe in the palace was séene to burne The king was brought to sée that miracle And as one of his seruants was going to fetch water to quēch the fire he was staid by the Quene who commaunded that the childe should not once be touched vntill he awaked of himselfe And so soone as he rose from sléepe the fire vanished Then she tooke hir husband aside and said doe you sée this childe whom we haue verie basely and negligently brought vp I assure you sir said she he wil be the only safegard and defender of this our doubtfull state and will be the preseruer of our houshold when it is afflicted Wherefore let vs make much of him that is like to be the ornament and a worthie stay to all our familie After that they had accompted him amongs the number of their children traded him vp in those Arts which excite all good dispositions to aspire vnto honoure the pleasure of the Gods appeared in short time For the child grew to a royal behauior in so much as among all the Romane youth there was none more méete to mary the daughter of Tarquinius This Seruius Tullius was the sonne of one Seruius Tullius that was a Captain of a towne called Corniculum at the apprehension whereof it chaunced that the sayd Tullius the father was 〈◊〉 leauing his wife great with child the mother being a captiue and bonde woman was deliuered of hir childe at Rome in the house of Priscus Tarquinius After Tarquinius had raigned xxxviij yeres the yong man began to growe to great honor and estimation aswell with the king himself as also with the Fathers Then the Romanes conceiued a hateful indignation against the king for that he being put in trust to be the Tutor gouernor of Ancus children displaced them from their right inheritance and specially for that he himself was a stranger fearing also that the kingdom should not return againe to the election of themselues but degenerat and grow into seruile bondage They also called to remembrāce that the Citie continewed one hundred yeres after the sublation of Romulus an intier kingdome within one Citie and that it was a shame for them to suffer a bondman borne of seruile kind to possesse the same and would rebound to their perpetual ignominie hauing the progenie of Ancus aliue to suffer the same to be open to straungers and bōdmen Wherfore they determined to defend the griefe of that iniurie and to be reuenged rather vpon Tarquinius than vpon Seruius In fine they committed the execution of that fact to two shepherds chosen out for that purpose Who deuised this pollicie Before the entrie into the Palace they fell togither by the eares vpon which fray all the kings officers assembled and repaired thither to know the cause of their falling out when they were parted they appealed to the king with such exclamation as they were heard to the Palace Being called before the king both of them fell to brawling and one of thē striued of purpose to hinder the tale of the other The kings sergeant rebuked them commaunding them to tel their tales in order Whē they were a litle quieted one of thē beginneth to discourse the tale And as the king was attentife to heare the plaintif the other toke vp a hatchet threw it at the king and leauing the weapon sticking in the wound they conueied themselues out of the dores Those that waited vpon the King made hast to relieue him and the sergeants followed to apprehende the malefactors With that a hurlie burlie rose amōgs the people euery man maruelling what the matter shoulde be Tanaquil commaunded the palace gates to be shut and séeketh remedie to cure hir husbande as though some hope of life had bene remaining When hope failed of his recouerie shée called Seruius before hir which maried hir daughter and shewed vnto him hir dead husbande holding him fast by the right hande shée intreated him that he would not suffer the death of his father in lawe to be vnreuenged to the intent he might not be ridiculous to the traitours saying to him further these words If thou be a man of thy hands O Seruius the kingdom is thine and not theirs which thus cruelly by the hands of other haue committed this abhominable facte Wherefore put forth thy selfe and the Gods be thy guide For they did portende this noble head to be the Gouernour of this citie at such time as they circumfused the same with a fire descendyng from aboue Let that heauenly 〈◊〉 excite thy courage Be throughly awaked We being straungers sometime haue raigned Thinke and consider what thou art not from whence thou camest If the strangenesse of the case doe affray thée my counsel from time to time shall relieue thée The crie and stirre of the people being vnmesurable that one could scarse heare an other Tanaquill opened the windowes that had their prospect to the new way for the King dwelt at the temple of
was driuen into great admiration and thought it very straunge that a woman which al the days of hir life had liued in greate honour and estimation shold vpon light cause or occasion poison hir self sith it was naturally giuen to eche breathyng wyght to prolong their liuing dayes with the longest thréede that Atropos could draw out of dame Natures webbe Wher vpon he commaunded the sayd matrone to be brought before hym whose death for hir vertue was generally lamented by the whole countrey When the Gentlewomā was before him and had vnderstāding that she was fully resolued and determined to die he began by greate 〈◊〉 to exhort hir that she should not wilfully 〈◊〉 hir selfe away vpon consideration that she was of lusty yeares riche and 〈◊〉 of the whole countrey how greate pitie it were but shée shoulde renue hir minde and giue hir selfe still to liue and remayne til naturall course did ende and finish hir life howbeit his 〈◊〉 and earnest persuasion could not diuert hir from hir intēded purpose But Pompeius 〈◊〉 to haue hir die ceassed not still to 〈◊〉 his former talke with newe reasons and stronger arguments All which she paciently heard with fired 〈◊〉 til at length with clere voice and 〈◊〉 cheare 〈◊〉 answered him in this maner You be greatly deceiued my lord Pompeius if you do beleue that I without very great prouidence and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 goe about to end my days for I do know and am 〈◊〉 persuaded that eche creature naturally craueth the prolongation and lengthning of life so much abhorreth to die as the desirous to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the poison whiche I haue prepared for consummation of my life Wher vpon I haue diuers times thought considered and discoursed with my selfe and amongs many considerations 〈◊〉 debated in my minde there came into the same the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 change of Fortune whose whir 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neuer 〈◊〉 ne yet remaineth 〈◊〉 It 〈◊〉 dayly séene how she doth exalt and aduance some man from the lowest and bottomlesse pitte euen to the 〈◊〉 of the hygh Heauens endowyng hym wyth so much substaunce as he can desire An other that was moste happie honoured in this worlde lyke a God vnto whom no goodes and welfare were wantyng who myghte well haue bene called in his lyfe a thrée tymes happie and blessed wyght sodaynly from his honoure and 〈◊〉 depriued and made a verie poore man and begger Some man also that is bothe riche and lustie accompanied wyth a faire wife and goodlye children lyuyng in greate myrth and ioylitie this wicked Ladie Fortune the deuourer of all oure contentacions depriueth from the inestimable treasure of health causeth the fayre wife to loue an other better than hir husbande and with 〈◊〉 venomous tooth biteth the children that in shorte space myserable deathe catcheth them all within hys dreadfull clouches whereby hée is defrauded of those chyldren whome after his deathe hée purposed to leaue 〈◊〉 his heires But what meane I to consume tyme and words in declaration of fortunes vnsteady staye which is more clere than the beames of the Sunne of whome dayly a thousande thousande examples bée manifest All histories be full of them The myghtie countrey of Graecia doeth render ample witnesse wherein so many excellent men were bredde and brought vp Who desirous with their fynger to touche the highest heauen were in a moment throwen downe And so many famous Cities whiche gouerned numbers of people nowe at this presente day wée sée to bée thrall and obedient to thy Citie of Rome Of these hurtefull and perillous mutations O noble Pompcius thy Romane Citie may bée a 〈◊〉 cleare glasse and Spectacle and a multitude of thy noble Citizens in tyme paste and present may gyue plentyfull witnesse But to come to the cause of this my death I say that fyndyng my selfe to haue lyued these many yeares by what chaunce I can not tell in verie greate prosperitie in all whiche tyme I neuer dyd suffer any one myssehappe but styll from good to better haue passed my time vntil thys daye Nowe fearyng the frownyng of Lady Fortunes face and that shée will repente hir long continued fauoure I feare I saye leaste the same Fortune shoulde chaunge hir stile and begynne in the middest of my pleasaunt life to sprinckle hir poysoned bitternesse and make mée the 〈◊〉 and Quiuer of hir sharpe and noysome arrowes Wherefore I am nowe determined by good aduyse to ridde my self from the captiuitie of hir force from all hir misfortunes and from the noysom and grieuous infirmities which miserably be incident to vs mortall Creatures And beleue me Pompcius that many in theyr aged dayes haue left their life with litle honour who had they ben gone in their youth had died famous for euer Wherefore my Lorde Pompeius that I may not be tedious vnto thée or hinder thyne affaires by long discourse I beséeche thée to gyue me leaue to follow my deliberate disposition that frankely and fréely I may bée 〈◊〉 of all daunger for the longer the life doth growe to the greater discommodities it is subiect When shée had so sayde to the greate admiration and compassion of all those whiche were present with tremblyng handes and fearefull cheare shée quaffed a greate cuppe of poysoned drynke the whyche shée broughte wyth hir for that purpose and within a while after dyed This was the strange vse and order obserued in 〈◊〉 Whiche good counsell of that dame had the noble and valiaunt captaine followed no doubt he would haue ben contented to haue ben brought to order And then he had not lost that bloudie battell atchieued against him by Iulius Cesar at Pharsalia in Egypt Then he had not sustained so many ouerthrowes as he did then had he not ben forsaken of his trendes and in the ende endured a death so miserable And for somuch as for the most part 〈◊〉 therto we haue intreated of many tragical and bloudie rhaunces respiring nowe from those lette vs a little touche some medicinable remedies for loue some lessons for gouernement and obediēce some treaties of amorous dames and hautie 〈◊〉 of Princes Quéenes and other persons to variate the chaungeable diet wherewith dyuers bée affected rellishyng their Stomackes wyth some more pleasant digestions than they haue tasted Faustina the Empresse ¶ The dishonest Loue of 〈◊〉 AVSTINA the Empresse and vvith vvhat remedie the same loue vvas remoued and taken avvay The tenth Nouell TRue and moste holie is the sentence that the ladie gentlewoman or other wighte of Female kinde of what degrée or condition soeuer she bée be she saire fowle or ylfauoured can not be endewed with a more precious Pearle or Jewell than is the 〈◊〉 pure vertue of honesty which is of such valour that it alone without other vertue is able to render hir that 〈◊〉 in hir attire moste famous and excellent Be she more beautifull than Helena be she mightier than the Amazon better learned than Sappho rycher than Flora more louing than Quéene Dido or more noble than
¶ The life and gestes of the most famous Queene Zenobia with the letters of the Emperour 〈◊〉 to the sayd Queene and hir stoute answere therunto The. xv Nouel ZENOBIA Quéene of Palmyres was a right famous gentlewoman as diuerse historiographers largely do report write Who although she was a gētle quéene yet a christian princesse so worthie of imitation as she was for hir vertues 〈◊〉 facts of 〈◊〉 praise She by hir wisdome stoutnesse subdued all the empire of the Orient resisted the inuincible 〈◊〉 And for that it is méete and requisite to alleage and aduouche reasones by weight wordes by measure I will orderly beginne to recite the historie of that most famous Quéene Wherefore I say that about the. 284. Olimpiade no long time after the death of the vnhappie Emperour Decius Valerian was chosen Emperour by the Senat and as Trebellius Pollio his historian doth describe hée was a well learned prince indued with manifolde vertues that for his speciall praise these wordes be recorded If all the world had bene assembled to chose a good Prince they would not haue chosen any other but good Valerian It is also written of hym that in liberalitie hée was noble in words true in talke warie in promise constant to his frendes familiar and to his enimies seuere and which is more to bée estemed he could not forgette seruice nor yet reuenge wrong It came to passe that in the. 〈◊〉 yeare of his raigne there rose such cruell warres in Asia that forced hée was to goe thither in his 〈◊〉 persō to resist Sapor king of the Persians a very valiant man of warre and fortunate in his enterprises which happinesse of his not long time after the arriuall of Valerian into Asia hée manifested and shewed For being betwene them such hot cruell warres in a skyrmish throughe the greate faulte of the Generall which had the conduct of the armie the Emperour Valerian was taken and brought into the puissance of King Sapor his enimie which curssed tyrant so wiekedly vsed that victorie as hée would by no meanes put the Emperour to raunsome towardes whom hée vsed such crueltie that so ofte and so many 〈◊〉 as hée was disposed to gette vp on horsebacke hée vsed the bodie of olde Valerian to serue him for aduantage setting his féete vppon the throate of that aged gentleman In that miserable office and vnhappie captiuitie serued and dyed the good Emperour Valerian not without the greate 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 that knew him and the ruefull compassion of those that fawe him which the Romans considering and that neyther by offre of golde siluer or other meanes they were able to redéeme Valerian they determined to choose for Emperour his 〈◊〉 sonne called Galienus which they did more for respect of the father than for any mynde or corage they knewe 〈◊〉 bée in the sonne Who afterwardes shewed him selfe to bée 〈◊〉 different from the conditions of his father Valerian being in his entreprises a cowarde in his promisses a lyer in correction cruell towardes them that serued him vnthanckfull and which is worse hée gaue hymselfe to his desires and yealded place to sensualitie By meanes wherof in his time the Romaine Empire more than in any other raigne lost most prouinces and 〈◊〉 greatest shame In factes of warre hée was a cowarde and in gouernement of common wealth a verie weake and séeble man Galienus not caring for the state of the Empire became so miserable as the Gouernors of the same gaue ouer their obedience and in the time of his raigne there rose vp thirtie tirantes which vsurped the same Whose names doe followe Cyriades Posthumus that yonger Lollius Victorinus Marius Ingenuus Regillianus Aureolus Macrianus Machianus the yonger Quietus Odenatus Herodes Moenius Ballista Valens Piso Emilianus Staturninus Tetricus 〈◊〉 the yonger Trebelianus 〈◊〉 Timolaus Celsus Titus 〈◊〉 Claudius Aurelius and Quintillus of whom eightene were captens and seruiters vnder the good Emperour Valerian Such delighte had the Romanes in that auncient worlde to haue good Capteins as were able to bée preferred to bée 〈◊〉 Nowe in that tyme the Romanes had for their Captein generall a knight called Odenatus the prince of Palmerines a man truelie of greate vertue and of passing industrie hardinesse in factes of warre This Captain Odenatus maried a woman that descended of the auncient linage of the Ptolomes sometimes kings of 〈◊〉 named Zenobia which if the historians doe not deceiue vs was one of the most famous Women of the worlde She hadde the hearte of Alexander the greate she possessed the riches of Croesus the diligence of Pyrrhus the trauell of Haniball the warie foresight of Marcellus the iustice of Traiane When Zenobia was maried to Odenatus she had by hir other husband a sonne called Herodes by Odenatus she had two other wherof the one was called 〈◊〉 and the other Ptolomeus And when the Emperour Valerian was vanquished and taken Odenatus was not then in the Campe. For as all men thought if he had bene ther they had not receued so great an ouerthrow So sone as good Odenatus was aduertized of that defaict of Valerian in great haste he marched to that Roman Campe that then was in great disorder Which with greate diligence hée reassembled and reduced the same to order and holpen by good Fortune 〈◊〉 dayes after he recouered all that which Valerian had loste making the Persian king to 〈◊〉 by meanes wherof and for that Odenatus had taken charge of the armie hée wanne amonges the Romans great reputation truely not without cause For if in that good time hée had not receiued the 〈◊〉 the name and glorie of the Romans had taken ende in Asia During all this time Galienus liued in his delightes at Millan without care or thought of the common wealth consuming in his wilfull vices the money that was 〈◊〉 for the men of warre Which was the cause that the gouernours of the prouinces and Captens generall seing him to be so vicious and negligent 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 and armies which they had in charge Galienus voide of all obedience sauing of the Italians Lombards the first that rose vp against him were Posthumus in Fraunce Lollianus in Spaine Victorinus in Africa Marius in 〈◊〉 Ingenuus in Germanie Regillianus in Denmark Aureolus in Hungarie Macrianus in Mesopotamia Odenatus in Syria Before Odenatus rose against Valerian Macrianus enioyed Mesopotamia the greatest part of Syria wherof Odenatus hauing intelligence hée marched with his power against him and killed him and discomfited all his armie The death of the Tyran Macrian being knowen and that Galienus was so vicious the armies in Asia assembled and chose Odenatus Emperour which election although the Sonate publicklie durst not agrée vpon yet secretlie they allowed it bycause they receiued dailie newes of the great exploites and dedes of armes done by 〈◊〉 and sawe on the other syde the great cōtinued follies of Galienus Almost thrée yeares and a halfe was
wyth immortall same fame glorie hath in it self these only marks and propertyes to bée knowne by Chastitie toleration of aduersitie For as the mynd is constant in loue not variable or giuen to chaunge so is the bodie continent comely honest and 〈◊〉 of Fortunes plagues A true cōstant mynd is moued with no sugred persuasions of friendes is diuerted with no eloquence terrified with no threates is quiet in all motions The blustering blastes of parents wrath can not remoue the constant mayde from that which she hath peculiarly chosen to hir selfe The rigorous rage of friendes doth not dismay the louing man from the embracement of hir whom he hath amongs the rest selected for his vnchanged féere A goodly exāple of constant noble loue this history ensuing describeth although not like in both yet in both a semblable cōstancie For Euphimia a Kings daughter abandoneth the great loue borne vnto hir by Philon a yong Prince to loue a seruant of hir fathers with whome she perseuered in greate constancie for all his 〈◊〉 and ingrateful dealings towards hir Philon séeyng his loue despised neuer maried vntill hée maried hir whome afterwardes hée deliuered from the false surmised treason of hir cancred and malicious husbande Euphimia fondly maried against hir fathers wil and there fore deseruedly after wards bare the penaunce of hir fault And albeit she declared hir selfe to bée constant yet dutie to louing father ought to haue withdrawen hir rashe and headie loue What daungers doe ensue such like cases examples be 〈◊〉 and experience teacheth A great dishonour it is for the 〈◊〉 and Gentlewomā to disparage hir no 〈◊〉 house with mariage of hir inferior Yea and great grief to the parents to sée their children obstinate wilfull in carelesse loue And albeit the 〈◊〉 Propertius describeth the vehemente loue of those that be noble and haue wherwith in loue to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in these verses Great is the 〈◊〉 of Loue the constant mynde doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And he that is well fraught with wealth in Loue doth much preuaile Yet the tender damosell or louing childe be they neuer so noble or riche ought to attende the fathers time and choise and naturally encline to their 〈◊〉 liking otherwise great harme and detriment ensue For when the parents sée that disobediēce or rather rebellious minde of their childe their conceiued sorowe for the same so gnaweth the rooted plante of naturall loue as either it hastneth their vntimely death or else ingēdreth a heape of melancholie humors which force them to proclaime 〈◊〉 and bitter cursse against their 〈◊〉 fruite vpon whome if by due regarde they had 〈◊〉 ruled they woulde haue pronounced the swéete blessyng that Isaac gaue to Iacob the mothers best beloued boye yea and that displeasure may chaunce to dispossesse them of that which should haue bene the only comfort and stay of the future age So that negligence of parents 〈◊〉 and carelesse héede of youthful head bréedeth double woe but specially in the not aduised childe who tumbleth him selfe first into the breach of diuine lawes to the cursses of the same to parents wrath to orphans state to beggers life and into a sea of manifold miseries In whome had obedience ruled and reason taken place the hearte mighte haue bene 〈◊〉 the parent well pleased the life ioyfully spent and the posteritie successiuely tast the fruits that elders haue prepared What care and sorrow 〈◊〉 what extremitis the foresayde noble Gentlewoman 〈◊〉 for not yelding to hir fathers minde the sequele shal at large declare There was sometimes in Corinth a Citie of 〈◊〉 a King which had a daughter called Euphimia very tenderly beloued of hir father and being arriued to the age of mariage many noble men of Grecia made sute to haue hir to wife But amongs all Philon the yong king of Peloponessus so fiercely fell in loue wyth hir as hée thought he coulde no longer liue if hée were maried to any other For which cause hir father knowing him to be a King and of singular beautie and that he was far in loue with his daughter woulde gladly haue chosen him to be his sonne in law persuading hir that she shold liue with him a life so happie as was possible for any noble lady matched with Gentleman were he neuer so honorable But the daughter by no meanes woulde consent vnto hir fathers will alleaging vnto him diuers sundry considerations wherby hir nature by no means woulde agrée nor heart consent to ioyne with Philon. The king aboue al worldly things loued his fair daughter and albeit he woulde faine haue broughte to passe that she should haue taken him to husband yet he wold not vse the fathers authoritie but desired that Loue rather than force should match his daughter and therfore for that tyme was contented to agrée vnto hir will There was in the Court a yong mā borne of hir fathers bondman which hight Acharisto and was manumised by the King who made him one of the Esquiers for his bodie and vsed his seruice in sundry enterprises of the warres and bicause he was in those affaires very skilfull of bolde personage in conflictes and 〈◊〉 verie hardie the King did very much fauor him aswell for that hée had defended him from manifold daungers as also bycause he had deliuered hym from the 〈◊〉 pretended against him by the king of the Lacedemonians Whose helpe and valiance the king vsed for the murder and destruction of the sayde Lacedemonian King For which valiant enterprise hée bountifully recompenced him with honorable prefermentes and stately reuenues Upon this yong man Euphimia fired hir amorous eyes and fell so farre in loue as vpon him alone she bent hir thoughtes and all hir louing cogitations Wherof Acharisto béeing certified and well espying and marking hir amorous lookes nourished with like flames the fire wherewith she burned Notwithstandyng his loue was not so 〈◊〉 bent vpon hir personage as his desire was ambicious for that she shoulde be hir fathers onely heire and therfore thought that he shold be a most happie man aboue all other of mortall kynde if hée might possesse that inheritance The king perceuing that loue told his daughter that she had placed hir mynde in place so straunge as hée had thought hir wisdome wold haue more warely forséen and better wayed hir estate birth as come of a princely race and would haue demed such loue farre vnworthie hir degrée requiring hir with fatherly words to withdraw hir settled mynde to ioyne with him in choise of husbande for that he had none other worldly heire but hir and tolde hir howe he meant highly to bestowe hir vpon such a personage as a moste happie life she should leade so long as the destenies were disposed to weaue the webbe of hir predestined life And therefore was resolued to espouse hir vnto that noble Gentleman Philon. Euphimia hearkned to this vnliked tale with vnliked words refused hir fathers hest protesting vnto him such reasons
a day greate talke was had in the court of King Philip surnamed Luscus bicause he was poreblinde who likewise was making preparation to depart out of Fraunce in the sayd iorney Reporte was made by a Knight whiche knewe the sayd Marquize that in all the worlde there was not the like maried couple as the Marquize and his wyfe were as well bicause the Marquize had the fame to bée an excellent Gentleman as also for that his wyfe amonges all the troupe of Ladies that liued in the world that time was the fairest and most vertuous which words so entred the French Kings head as sodainely neuer séeing hir in all his life he began to loue hir And for that purpose determined to imbarke him selfe at Genoua that by trauailing that way by lande he might haue good occasion to sée the Marchionisse thinking that hir husbande being absent he might easily obtein that he desired And as he had deuised he began his enterprise who sending al his power before toke his iorney with a meane train of Gentlemen and being within a days iourney of the Ladies house he sente hir worde that the next daye hée would visite hir at dinner The sage and discrete Ladie ioyfully answered the Messanger that she would accōpt his comming for a greate and singular pleasure sayde that his grace shuld be most heartily welcom Afterwardes she maruelled why such a King as he was would in hir husbāds absence come to hir house And in that maruel consideration she was no whit deceiued coniecturyng that the fame of hir beautie was the cause of his comming Neuerthelesse like a wise Lady and honest Gentlewoman she determined to do him honor caused the worshipful of hir countrey such as remained behinde to be assēbled for aduise in all things that were necessarie for his intertainement but the feast varietie of meats that should be serued she alone toke vpon hir to dispose and order Wherfore spedily sending about and making prouision for al the hennes that might be gottē throughout the countrey cōmaunded hir cookes of those hennes without other thing what so euer to prepare diuers seruices The Kyng failed not the next day to come accordingly as he had sent worde and was with great honor receiued of the lady and in beholding hir she semed vnto him bisides his imagination comprehended by the former wordes of the Knight to be farre more faire honest and vertuous than hée thought attributing vnto hir singular praise and commendation And so much the more his desire was kindled as she passed the estimation bruted of hir And after that the King had withdrawen him selfe into the chamber ordeined and made ready for him as appertained to a Prince so greate that dinner time was come the Kyng Madame the Marchionisse sat together at one boorde and other according to their degrées were placed at seueral tables The King serued with many dishes and excellent wines beholding some times the ladie Marchionisse conceiued greate delight and pleasure But viewing the seruice and meates although dressed in diuers sortes to be but hennes he began to wonder specially knowing the soile wherin they were to be so rich plentiful as by litle trauaile great abundance of foule veneson might haue ben prouided and thought that she had indifferent leisure to chase and hunt after that he had sent hir word of his cōming Notwithstanding he woulde not take occasion to enter into talke of those wants of better chere hir hennes only excepted who looking vpon hir with mery countenance he said vnto hir Madame wer al these hennes bred in this countrey without a cock The Marchionisse which full wel vnderstode the cause of his demaund thinking that God had sent hir an apt time for answere as she desired boldly answered the King No and it please your grace but of women albeit in honour and apparell there is some difference yet they be al made in this 〈◊〉 as they be else where The King hearing hir 〈◊〉 right well did know the occasion of the bankette of Hennes and whervnto hir wordes did tende and considred that to bestow any further talke to so wise a ladie it were in vaine and that force there could take no place Like as vnaduisedly he fell in loue so it behoued him of necessitie wisely to 〈◊〉 the fire for his honour sake without any more taunting wordes fearing hir reuenge he dined without hope to get other thing of hir And when 〈◊〉 had done to the intent by his sodaine departure he might couer his dishonest commyng thankyng hir for the honour which he had receiued and she recōmending him to God he departed to Genoua Here may be proued the great difference betwene wisedom and 〈◊〉 betwene vertue and vice The King more by lust than other desire by circumstances indeuoured to sounde the deapth of the ladies minde She by comely aunswer payde hym home for his follie A liuely representation of a noble creature so well bedecked with vertue as with beautie Mistresse Dianora ¶ Mistresse DIANORA demaunded of 〈◊〉 ANSALDO a Garden so faire in Ianuarie as in the moneth of May. Maister ANSALDO by meanes of an obligation whiche he made to a Necromancer caused the same to be done The husband agreed with the Gentlewoman that she should do the pleasure which maister ANSALDO required who hearing the liberalitie of the husband acquited hir of hir promise and the Necromancer likewise discharged maister ANSALDO The. xvij Nouell OF all things commonly accompanying the maner and trade of mans lyfe nothyng is more circumspectly to bée attended prouided for than regarde 〈◊〉 of honestie which attire as it is moste excellent and comely so aboue all other vain toyes of outward apparell to be preferred And as honestie hath al other good cōditions included in it self as the same by any meanes can not straye oute of that tract troden before by the steppes of that most excellent vertue Euen so impossible it is for the partie adorned with the same to wander one 〈◊〉 from that 〈◊〉 path Wherefore lette eche wight that traceth this worldly life foresée the due obseruation of all things incident to that which is honest Nothing in this life saith Tullie in his oration for the Poet Archias is so much to be desired as Honestie for the getting wherof all tormentes of bodie all perilles and daungers 〈◊〉 death bée not to bée regarded Honestie then beyng a treasure so precious what care not only for the atchieuing but for the conseruation ought to be employed In the practise wherof one speciall thing ought to be attended whiche is how a vowe or promise ought to be made or how the estimation of honestie oughte to bée hazarded for any thing séeme it neuer so impossible For what is it that loue and money hath not brought to passe What hard aduentures by Iason what sleight by Alexander the son of King Priamus what monsters slaine and labours susteined by Hercules
could not tell at the first face of what woode to make his arrowes and stode 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and surprised with a newe feare In the end notwithstanding playing the good fellowe hée went vnto 〈◊〉 Duke in whose 〈◊〉 smiling he whispered bicause he knew right well that the Duke was an indifferent good companion and loued so well his neighbors wife as his owne And sayd My Lord there is a prety wich within whome I do kepe and would not shewe hir to any liuing man but to you That is the cause I aske sayd the Duke let vs sée hir that I may giue iudgement of hir beautie tell you whither she be worthy of kéeping or not The maister of that house opened the chambre dore thinking to haue gained much and supposed to insummate himselfe the better into the fauor of the Duke but immediatly he saw himself farre deceiued of his accompt For the rauished and shamefast maiden comming for the of the Chamber with hir hair about hir eyes and hir garments berent and torne hir stomake and breast all naked and discouered hir face and eyes all blubbered with teares like a desperate woman threw hir selfe at the Princes féete saying Ah my Lord beholde héere and haue pitie vpon the moste vnfortunate wenche of all most wretched caytife women who shamefully and 〈◊〉 hathe bene abused and defloured by hym which impudently dareth to bring you into the place the wytnesse of his abhominable and wycked life The Duke séeing thys sight and hauing compassion vpon the maiden turned his face towardes the Gentleman and hys Companions which by chance were come thither as the Duke was entred into the Gallerie not wyth milde and pleasant countenaunce as hée shewed from the beginning but with a looke so graue and seuere as the hardest of the company could not tell what to do or what answer to make him Upon them then began the righteous Prince to vomit his displeasure saying 〈◊〉 this the 〈◊〉 of the bloud wherof thou art descended to rauishe thy neighbors daughters vnder mine obeysance and protection Doest thou thus abuse the familiaritie which hitherto I haue shewed vnto thée Thinkest thou that the lawes be peruerted by séeing some chaunge in the common wealth of Florence No I assure thée for so long as the soule shal reside within my body I will be hée that shall pursue the wicked wyth all extremitie and shall not indure the oppressyon of the poore enough afflicted with their owne proper misery O God could I haue thought that a Gentléman of my house would haue bene so prodigall of his honoure as to soyle his handes so 〈◊〉 by rauishing of them which ought to be required and to dishonoure them in place where their vertue ought to serue for a generall example I cannot tell what stayeth me from cutting of those curssed heads of yours from your shoulders like arrant traytors and théeues as you be Get ye hence ye infamous villaines and beastly Ruffians the troublers of your neighbours rest and the spoylers of the same of hir that is more worth than all ye together Then speaking to the Maide hée sayd Rise vp my wench and on me repose thy comfort for I promise thée by the Faithe of a Gentleman that I will doe thée such reason and vse thée so vprightly as bothe my Consciente shall be quieted thou contented and thine honoure restored for the wrong and iniury which it hathe receiued of these Gallantes And by and by hée commaunded the Miller to come before hym and all those whome hée had brought wyth him to assist his doings before whome hée caused to bée brought bothe the rauished mayden and the condempned of the rape vnto whom he said This is the praie my friends that I determined to take which I haue done without toyles nets or chaunting of the Dogs Behold I pray you the honor which my housholde seruauntes doe vnto my house as to ouerrun the simple Countrey people and rauish their daughters betwene the armes of their proper parents as to breake beate downe and ouerthrow the doores of their houses who liuing vnder the lawes of our city ought to enioy like priuiledge of libertie franchize If one respect which I will not disclose did not impeche stay me I wold doe such cruel iustice vpon the offenders as the posteritie should make report thereof Notwithstanding it shal suffise that they receiue this shame before you all by 〈◊〉 themselues banquished of a crime whych for expiation and reuenge deserueth most shameful death and to receiue of me for proofe of my mercy an vndeserued pardon of their fault with condition neuerthelesse that thou speaking to the Gentleman rauisher shalt take this maiden to wife for otherwise thou art not able to repaire the honor thou hast taken from hir and shalt loue hir so dearely as fondly 〈◊〉 she was beloued of thée I giue hir vnto thée to esteme and loue hir so much as if she were the very sister of me the Duke of Florence who commaundeth thée for the raunsome redemption of thy head presently to marry hir I will moreouer and ordaine by reason of hir fathers pouerty that for the wrong which he hath receiued of you thrée his daughter shal be indowed with two thousand Crownes by him that marrieth hir and with a thousand of either of the two other to the intēt that if hir husband die without heire she haue wherwith honestly to mainteine hir degrée and the honest port of hir house And hereof I will that without delay a contract be made and a publike instrument of good recorde in rolled swearing once again before thée that if I vnderstand that thou vse hir otherwise thā a wife ought to be by hir husband I wil deale such punishmēt and correction ouer thée as all men in time to come shal take example The Gentleman which expected no better méede than death ioyfull of that sentence fell downe prostrate before the Duke in signe of consent and the like did his Companions But the ioy of the Miller and his daughter can not be expressed who extolled the vertue iustice of their Prince vp into the heauens to whome wyth such humilitie they rendred their humble thanks as he wold doe that saw him self in so great calamitie and brought to such dishonor as earst they were sene to be by meanes of him that acknowledged one of them for his sonne the other for hir lawful spouse Thus was the mariage made in presence of the Duke with so great ioy and contentation of all partes as there was rage and trouble for that rape of the Bride The Duke being retourned to Florence the brute of this acte incontinently was 〈◊〉 almost throughout the Region of Italy this iudgement no lesse praysed than the sentēce which king Salomon gaue vpon that controuersie of the two harlots for the liuing childe which either of them claimed for hir own And for this cause was hée cōmended aboue any other
cōpassion and desire to giue some ease vnto hir most earnest louer yelded hir selfe to couetous gain and gredinesse for to encrease hir richesse O curssed hunger of Money how long wilt thou thus blinde the reason and sprites of men Ah perillous gulfe how many hast thou ouerwhelmed within thy bottōlesse throte whose glory had it not bene for thee had surpassed the clouds and bene equal with the brightnesse of the Sunne where now they be obscured with the thicknesse of thy fogges and palpable darknesse Alas the fruites which thou bringest forth for all thine outwarde apparance conduce no felicitie to them that be thy possessors for the dropsey that is hidden in their mind which maketh them so much the more thirsty as they drinke oft in that thirsty Fountaine is cause of their alteration and most miserable is that insaciable desire the Couetous haue to glut their appetite which can receiue no contentation This only 〈◊〉 somtimes procured the death of the great and rich Romane Crassus who through Gods punishment fell into the hands 〈◊〉 the Persians for violating and sacking the Temple of God that was in Hierusalem Sextimuleus burning with Couetousnesse and gredinesse of money did once cut of the head of his patron and defender Caius 〈◊〉 the Tribune of the people incited by the Tyrant which tormenteth the hearts of the couctous I will not speake of a good number of other examples in people of all kindes and diuers nations to come againe to Zilia Who forgetting hir vertue the first ornament and shining quality of hir honest behauior feared not the wearinesse and trauaile of way to commit hir self to the danger of losse of 〈◊〉 and to yeld to the mercy of one vnto whom she had done so great iniury as hir conscience if she hadde not lost hir right sense ought to haue made hir thinke that hee was not without desire to reuenge that wrōg 〈◊〉 done vnto him specially being in place where she was not knowne and he greatly honoured and esteemed for whose loue that Proclamation and searche of Physicke was made and ordained Ziha then hauing put in order hir affairs at home departed from Montcall and passing the Mountes arriued at Paris at such time as greatest dispaire was had of the dumbe Knights recouery When she was arriued there within fewe dayes after she inquired for them that had the charge to entertaine such as came and would take vpon them the cure of the sayd pacient For sayd she if there be any man in the world through whome the Knight may get his health I hope in God that I am she which shal haue the praise Héereof the Commissaries deputed hereunto were aduertised who caused the faire Physician to come before them and asked hir if it were she that wold take vpon hir to cure this dumbe Gentleman To whome she answeared my masters it hath pleased God to reueale vnto me a certain secrete very proper and meete for the cure of his malady wherewithall if the pacient will I hope to make him speake so well as he did these two yeres past more I suppose sayd one of the Commissaries that you be not ignorant of the 〈◊〉 of the Kings Proclamation I know ful quod she the effect therof therfore do say vnto you that I wil loose my life if I doe not accomplish that which I doe promise vpon condition that I may haue licence to tary with him alone bicause it is of no lesse importance than his health It is no maruell sayde the Commissary considering your beauty which is sufficiēt to frame a new tong in the most 〈◊〉 person that is vnder the heauens And therefore do your indeuor assuring you that you shall doe a great pleasure vnto the King and besides the prayse which you shall acquire gette the good wil of the dumbe gentleman which is the most excellent man of the world and therefore shall be so wel recompensed as you shal haue good cause to be routented with the Kings liberalitie But to the intent you be not deceiued the meaning of the Proclamation is that within xv dayes after you begin the cure you must make him hole or else to satisfie the paines ordained in the same Wherunto she submitted hir self blinded by Auarice and presumptiō thinking that she had like power ouer the Lord of Virle as when she gaue him that sharpe and cruel penance These conditions promised the Commissaries went to aduertise the Knight how a Gentlewoman of Piedmont was of purpose come into Fraunce to helpe him whereof he was maruellously astonned Now he would neuer haue thought that Zilia had borne him so great good wil as by abasing the pride of hir corage would haue come so farre to ease the grief of him whome by such great torments she had so wonderfully persecuted He thought againe that it was the Gentlewoman his neighboure which sometimes had done hir endeuor to helpe him and had prouoked Zilia to absolue him of his faithe and acquite him of his promise Musing vpon the diuersitie of these things not knowing wherupon to settle his iudgement the deputies commaunded that the woman Physitian shold be brought to speake with the patient Which was done and brought in place the Commissaries presently with drew themselues The Lord of Virle seeing his enimie come before him whom sometimes he loued very 〈◊〉 iudged by and by the cause wherefore she came that onely auarice and gredy desire of gaine 〈◊〉 rather procured hir to passe the mountains trauail than due and honest amitie wherwith she was double boūd through his perseuerance and humble seruice wherby hée was estraunged of himselfe as he fared like a shadowe and image of a dead man Wherfore callyng to mynd the rigour of his Ladie hir inciuilitie and fonde commandement so long time to forbidde his speache the loue which once he bare hir with a vehement desire to obey hir sodainly was so cooled and qualified that loue was turned into hatred and will to serue hir into an appetite of reuenge whervpon he determined to vse that present fortune and to playe his parte with hir vpon whom he had so foolishly doted and to pay hir with that mōney wherwith she made hint féele the fruites of vnspeakable crueltie to giue example to fonde and presumptuous dames how they did abuse Gentlemen of such degrée whereof the Knyght was and that by hauing regarde to the merite of such personages they be not so prodigall of themselues as to set their honoure in sale for vile rewarde and filthy mucke which was so constantly conserued and defended by this Gentlewoman against the assaultes of the good grace beautie calour and gentlenesse of that vertuous and honest suter And notwithstanding in these dayes we sée some to resist the amitie of those that loue for an opinion of a certaine vertue which they thinke to be hidden within the corps of excellent beautie who afterwards do set them selues to sale to him that giueth
most and offreth greatest reward Such do not deserue to be placed in ranke of chast Gentlewomen of whom they haue no smack at all but amongs the throng of strumpets kynde that haue some sparke and outward shew of loue for she which loueth money 〈◊〉 hunteth after gaine will make no bones by treasons trap to betray that vnhappie man which shall yelde himselfe to hir hir loue tending to vnsensible things and such in dede as make the wysest sorte to falsifie their faithe and sell the righte and equitie of their Judgemente The Lorde of Virle séeing Zilia then in his companie and almost at his commaundement fayned as though hée knew hir not by reason of his small regarde and lesse intertainment shewed vnto hir at hir first comming Which gretly made the poore Gentlewoman to muse Neuerthelesse she making a vertue of necessitie and séeing hir selfe to bée in that place from whence 〈◊〉 coulde not departe without the losse of hir honor and lyfe purposed to proue Fortune and to committe hir selfe vnto his mercie for all the mobiltie whiche the auncient attribute vnto Fortune Wherfore shutting fast the doore shée went vnto the Knight to whom she spake these words And what is the matter sir knight that now you make so litle accompte of your owne Zilia who in tymes past you sayde had greater power and authoritie ouer you What is the cause that moueth you herevnto Haue you so soone forgotten hir Behold me better and you shal sée hir before you that is able to acquite you of youre promise and therefore prayeth you to pardon hir committed faultes done in tymes past by abusing so cruelly the honest and 〈◊〉 loue which you bare hir I am she which through follie and temeritie did stoppe your mouth and tied vp your tong Gyue me leaue I beséeche you to open the same agayne and to breake the lyne which letteth the libertie of your speache She séeyng that the dumbe Gentleman woulde make no aunswere at all but Mumme and shewed by signes that hée was not able to vndoe his tong wéepyng began to kysse hym imbrace hym make much of him in such wyse as he whiche once studied to make eloquent orations before his Ladie to induce hir to pitie forgat then those ceremonies and spared his talke to shewe hymselfe to bée suche one as shée had made at hir commaundement mused and deuysed altogether vpon the execution of that whiche sometyme hée hadde so paynefully pursued both by words and continuall seruice and coulde profite nothyng Thus waked agayne by hir whiche once had mortified hys mynde assayed to renue in hir that whyche long tyme before séemed to bée a sléepe She more for feare of losse of lyfe or the price of the rewarde than for any true or earnest loue suffered hym to receyue that of hir which the long suter desireth to obtaine of his mistresse They lyued in this ioy and pleasure the space of xv dayes ordayned for the assigned terme of hir cure wherein the poore Gentlewoman was not able to conuert hir offended frend to speake although she humbly prayed hym to shewe so muche fauour as at least she might go frée from eyther losse tellyng hym howe litle regarde shée hadde to hir honour to come so farre to doe hym pleasure and to discharge hym of his promise Muche other gay and lowlye talke shée hadde to moue the Knyghte to take no regarde of that she sayde for he determined to bryng hir in suche feare as he had bene heaped full of heauinesse whiche came to passe at the expired time For the cōmissaries seing that their pacient spake not at all summoned the gentlewomā to pay the penaltie pronounced in the edict or else to lose hir lyfe Alas howe bytter séemed this drinke to thys poore Gentlewoman who not able to dissemble the grief that prest hir on euery side beganne to say Ah I wretched and Caitife woman by thinkyng to deceiue an other haue sharpened the sworde to finishe mine owne life 〈◊〉 it not enough for me to vse such crueltie towardes this myne enimie which moste cruelly in double wise taketh reuenge but must I come to be thus tangled in his snares and in the hands of him who inioying the spoiles of mine honour will with my life depriue me of my fame by making me a common fable to all posteritie in time to come O what hap had I that I was not rather deuoured by some furious and cruell beast when I passed the mountains or else that I brake not my neck down some stéepe headlong hil of those high and hideous mountaines rather than to be set here in stage a pageant to the whole citie to gaze vpon for enterprising a thing so fondely done of purpose by hym whome I haue offended Ah Signior Philiberto what 〈◊〉 rewardest thou for pleasures receiued and fauors felt in hir whom thou didst loue somuch as to make hir die such shamefull and dreadfull death But O God I know that it is for worthie guerdon of my foolishe and wicked life Ah disloyaltie and fickle trust is it possible that thou be harbored in the hearte of hym whiche hadde the brute to bée the moste loyall and curteous Gentleman of his countrey Alas I sée well nowe that I must die through mine only simplicitie and that I muste sacrifice myne honoure to the rigour of hym which with two aduantages taketh ouer cruel reuēge of the litle wrong wherwith my chastitie touched him before As she thus had finished hir complaint one came for hir to cary hir to prison whether willingly she wēt for that she was already resolued in desire to liue no longer in that miserie The gentlemā contented with that payne and not able for to dissemble the griefe whyche hée conceyued for the passion which he sawe his welbeloued to endure the enioying of whome renued the heate of the flames forepast repaired to the kyng vnto whom to the great plesure of the standers by and exceding reioyse of his maiestie to heare him speake he tolde the whole historie of the loue betwene him and cruell Zilia the cause of the losse of his spech and the summe of his reuenge By the faith of a Gentleman sayd the King but here is so straunge an historie as euer I heard and verily your faith and loyaltie is no lesse to be praised and cōmended than the crueltic and couetousnesse of the woman woorthye of reproch and blame which truly deserueth some greuous and notable iustice if so be she were not able to render some apparant cause for the couerture and hidyng of hir follie Alas sir sayde the Gentleman pleaseth your maiestie to deliuer hir although she be worthy of punishment and discharge the reste that be in prison for not recouerie of my speache sith my onely helpe did rest either at hir comandement which had bounde me to that wrong or else in the expired time for which I had pledged my faith To whiche request the Kyng very
to point the particulers of this intended iorney this poore deceiued Baron in short time proued a very good Spinner by exercise wherof he felt such solace as not onely the same was a comfortable sporte for his captiue tyme but also for wante of better recreation it séemed so ioyfull as yf he had bene pluming and 〈◊〉 his Hauke or doing other sportes belongyng to the honourable state of a Lorde Whiche his well arriued labour the maiden recompensed with abundance of good and delicate meates And although the Ladie was many tymes required to visite the Baron yet she woulde neuer to that request consent In whiche time the Knight Vlrico ceased not continually to viewe and reuewe the state of his image which appeared still to bée of one well coloured sorte And although thys vse of his was diuers times marked and séene of many yet being earnestly demaunded the cause thereof hée would neuer disclose the same Many coniectures thereof 〈◊〉 made but none coulde attaine the trouthe And who would haue thought that a Knight so wise and prudent had worne within his pursse any inchanted thing And albeit the King and Quéene hadde intelligence of thys frequent practise of the Knight yet they thoughte not mete for any priuate and secret mysterie to demaund the cause One Moneth and a halfe was passed nowe that the Lord Alberto was departed the Court and become a castle knight and cunning spinster which made the Lord Vladislao to muse for that the promise made betwene them was brokē and heard neither by letter or messanger what successe he had receiued After diuers thoughts imagined in his mind he conceiued that his companion had happily enioyed the end of his desired ioy and had gathered the wished frutes of the Lady and drowned in that maine sea of his owne pleasures was ouerwhelmed in the bottome of obliuion wherefore he determined to set forwarde on his iourney to giue onset of his desired fortune who without long delay for execution of his purpose prepared all necessaries for that voyage and mounted on horsebacke with two of his men he iourneyed towards Boeme within few dayes after arriued at the Castle of the faire and most honest Lady And when he was entred the Inne where the Lord Alberto was first lodged he diligently enquired of him and hard tell that he was returned into Hungarie many dayes before wherof much maruelling could not tel what to say or thinke In that end purposing to put in proofe the cause wherefore he was departed out of Hungarie after diligent inquirie of the maners of the Lady he vnderstoode the general voyce that she was without comparisō the most honest wise gentle and comely Ladie within the whole Countrey of Boeme Incontinently the Ladie was aduertised of the arriuall of this Baron and knowing the cause of his cōming she determined to pay him also with that money which she had already coyned for the other The next day the Baron went vnto the Castle knocking at the gate sent in woord how that he was come from the Court of King Mathie to visite and salute the Lady of that Castle and as she did entertain the first Baron in curteous 〈◊〉 and with louing countenaunce euen so she did the seconde who thought thereby that he had attained by that pleasant entertainment the game after which he hunted And discoursing vpon diuers matters the Lady shewed hir self a pleasant and familiar Gentlewoman which made the Baron to thinke that in short time he shold win the price for which he came Notwithstanding at the first brunt he would not by any meanes descend to any particularitie of his purpose but his words ran general which were that hearing tel of the fame of hir beautie good grace and come linesse by hauing occasion to repaire into Boeme to doe certaine his affaires he thought it labor well spent to ride some portion of his iourney though it were besides the way to digresse to doe reuerence vnto hir whome fame aduaunced aboue the skies and thus passing his first visitation he returned againe to his lodging The Ladie when the Baron was gone from hir Castle was rapte into a rage greatly offended that those two Hungarian Lordes so presumptuously had bended them selues like common Théeues to wander and roue the Countreys not onely to robbe and spoile hir of hir honoure but also to bring hir in displeasure of hir husbande and thereby into the daunger and perill of deathe By reason of which rage not without cause conceiued she caused an other Chamber to be made ready next wal to the other Baron that was become suche a Notable spinster And vpon the next returne of the Lord Vladislao she receiued him with no lesse good entertainment than before and when night came caused him to be lodged in hir owne house in the Chamber prepared as before where hée slept not very soundly all that night through the continuall remembraunee of his Ladies beautie Next morning hée perceiued himselfe to be locked fast in a Prison And when hée had made him ready thinking to descend to bidde the Ladie good morrow séeking meanes to vnlocke the doore and perceiuing that he could not he stoode still in a dumpe And as hée was thus standing maruelling the cause of his shutting in so faste the Maiden repaired to the hole of the dore giuing his honor an 〈◊〉 salutation which was that hir Mistresse commaunded hir to giue him to vnderstand that if he had any lust or appetite to his breakefast or minded from thence for the to ease his hunger or conteine life that he should giue him selfe to learne to réele yarne And for that purpose she willed him to looke in such a corner of the Chamber and he shoulde finde certaine spindles of thréede and an instrument to winde his yarne vpon Wherefore quod she apply your self thereunto and lose no time He that had that time beholden the Baron in the face woulde haue thought that hée hadde séene rather a Marble stone than the figure of a man But conuerting hys colde conceiued moode into madde anger he fell into tenne times more displeasure wyth himselfe than is before described by the other Baron But séeing that hys madde béhauioure and beastly vsage was bestowed in vaine the next day he began to réele The Ladie afterwardes when she hadde intelligence of the good and gainefull spinning of the Lorde Alberto and the well disposed and towardly réeling of the Lorde Vladislao greately reioyced for making of suche two Notable woorkemen whose woorkemanship excéeded the laboures of them that hadde béene apprentyzes to the occupation seuen yeares together Suche be the apte and ready wittes of the Souldioures of loue Where in I would wishe all Cupides dearlings to be nousled and applied in their youthly time thē no doubt their passions would appease and rages assuage and would giue ouer their ouer bolde attemptes for which they haue no thank of the chast and honest And to this goodly
an other Lady a widow also that was very rich and so wel allied as any in all the land This Lady had a sonne whom she caused to be trained vp so wel in Armes and good letters as in other honest exercises proper and méete for a Gentleman and great Lord for which respect she had sent him to Barcelona the chiefe Citie of all the Countrey of 〈◊〉 Senior Dom Diego for so was the sonne of that widow called 〈◊〉 so well in all things that when he was 〈◊〉 yeares of age there was no Gentleman of his degrée that did excell him ne yet was able to approche vnto his perfections and commēdable behauior A thing that did so wel content that good Lady his mother as she could not tell what countenaunce to kéepe to couer hir ioy A vice very commen to fonde and folish mothers who flater them selues with a shadowed hope of the future goodnesse of their childrē which many times doth more hurt to that wanton and wilfull age than profit or aduauncement The persuasion also of such towardnesse full oft doth blinde that sprites of youth as that faults which folow the same be far more vile thā before they were wherby the first Table made in his first coloures of that imagined vertue cā take no force or perfection and so by incurring sundry mishaps the parent childe commonly eskape not without equall blame To come againe therefore to our discourse it chaunced in that time that the Catholike king deceased Philippe of Austrich which succéeded him as heire passing through Fraunce came into Spaine to be inuested and take possession of al his seigniories and kingdomes which knowen to the Citizens of Barcelona they determined to receiue him with such pompe magnificence and honor as duely appertaineth to the greatnesse and maiestie of so great a Prince as is the sonne of the Romane Emperour And amongs other things they prepared a triumphe at the Tilt where none was suffred to enter the listes but yong Gētlemen such as neuer yet had folowed armes Amongs whome Dom Diego as that Noblest person was chosen chiefe of one part The Archduke then come to Barcelona after the receiued honors and Ceremonies accustomed for such entertainment to gratifie his subiects and to sée the brauery of the yong Spanish Nobilitie in armes would place himself vpon the skaffolde to iudge the courses and valiance of the runners In that magnifique and Princely conflict all mens eyes were bent vpon Dom Diego who course by course made his aduersaries to féele the force of his armes his manhode and dexteritie on horsebacke and caused them to muse vpon his towarde 〈◊〉 in time to come whose noble gests then acquired the victory of the campe on his side Which moued King Philip to say that in al his life he neuer saw triūph better handled and that the same séemed rather a battell of strong hardy men than an excercise of yong Gentlemen neuer wōted to support the dedes of armes trauaile of warfare For which cause calling Dom Diego before him he sayd God graūt yōg Gentleman that your ende agrée with your goodly beginnings hardy shock of 〈◊〉 done this day In memory wherof I wil this night that ye do your watch for I mean to morow by Gods assistance to dub you knight The yong gentlemā blushing for shame vpō his knees kissed the Princes hāds thanking him most hūbly of the honor and fauor which it pleased his maiestie to do him vowing promising to do so wel in time to come as no mā shold be deceiued of their conceiued opinion nor the king frustrate of his seruice which was one of his most obedient vassals subiectes So the next day he was made Knight receiued the coller of the order at the handes of King Phillip who after the departure of his prince which toke his iourney into Castille retired to his owne 〈◊〉 house more to sée his mother whōe long time before he had not séene than for desire of pleasure that be in fieldes which notwithstāding he exercised so well as in end 〈◊〉 perceiued 〈◊〉 in townes cities to be an imprisōment 〈◊〉 respect of that he felt in Countrey As the Poets whilom fained loue to shote his arrows amid that 〈◊〉 forrests fertile fields sea coasts shores of great riuers and fountaine brinkes and also vpon the tops of huge and high Mountaines at the pursute of the sundry sorted Nymphes and 〈◊〉 dimigods déeming the same to be a meane of libertie to folow loues tract without suspition voide of company and lothsome cries of Cities where 〈◊〉 enuy false report and ill opinion of all things haue pitched their camp and raised their tents 〈◊〉 contrariwise frākly and without dissimulation in the fieldes the friend discouering his passion to his Mistresse they enioy the pleasure of hunting the naturall musike of birds and somtimes in pleasant herbers 〈◊〉 with the murmur of some running brookes they communicate their thoughts beautifie the accorde and vnitie of louers and make the place famous for that first witnesse of their amorous acquaintance In like manner thrice foure times blest 〈◊〉 they there who leaning the vnquiet toile that ordinarily doeth chaunce to them that abide in Cities do rendre 〈◊〉 y of their studies to the Muses whereunto they be most minded 〈◊〉 Dom Diego at his owne house loued cherished of his mother reuerenced and obeyed of his subiects after he had imployed some time at his study had none other ordinary pleasure but in rousing the Déere hunting the wilde Bore run the Hare somtimes to flie at the Heron or fearfull Partrich alongs the fields Forrestes pondes and stepe Mountaines It came to passe one day as hée Hunted the wilde Mountaine Goate which he had dislodged vpon the Hill toppe he espied an olde Harte that his dogges had found who so ioyfull as was possible of that good lucke followed the course of that swift and fearefull beast But suche was his Fortune the dogges lost the foote of that pray and he his men for being horssed of purpose vpon a fair Iennet could not be followed and in ende loosing the sight of the Déere was so farre seuered from companie as hée was vtterly ignoraunt which way to take And that which grieued him most was his horse out of breth skarse able to ride a false galloppe For which cause he putte his horne to his mouthe and blewe so loude as he could But his men were so farre off as they could not heare him The yonge Gentleman being in this distresse could not tel what to doe but to returne backe wherin he was more deceiued than before for thinking to take the way home to his Castle wandred still further off from the same And trotting thus a long time he spied a Castle situated vpon a little Hill wherby he knew himself far from his owne house Neuerthelesse hearing a certaine noyse of hunters thinking they had bene his people resorted
this time of the night to take vpon me without daunger to bring him to his Palace Wherfore said the King Wherefore quod you bicause the Marshes be so daungerous as in the day time if one knowe not well the way the 〈◊〉 be he neuer so strong and lusty may chaunce to sticke fast tary 〈◊〉 for gage And I wold be sory if the King were héere that he shold fall into my perill or sufler anoyance therwithal wold deme my self vnhappy if I did let him to incur such euil or incōbrance Mansor that delighted in the cōmunication of this good mā and desirous to know the cause that moued him to speake with such affection sayd vnto him And why carest thou for the life health or preseruation of our king What hast to do with him that art so sory for his state and carefull of his safety Ho ho sayd the goodman doe you say that I am careful for my prince Uerily I loue him a hundred times better than I do my self my wife or children which God hath sent me and what sir doe not you loue our Prince Yes that I doe replied the King for I haue better cause than thou for that I am many times in his company and liue vpon his charge and am entertained with his wages But what 〈◊〉 thou to care for him Thou knowest him not he neuer did thée any good turne or pleasure nor yet thou nedest not hope henceforth to haue any pleasure at his hands What sayd the fisher man must a Prince be loued for gaine and good turnes rather than for his iustice curtesie I sée wel that amongs you master Courtiers the benefits of kings be more regarded and their gifts better liked than their vertue and nobility which maketh them wonderful vnto vs and ye do more esteeme the gold honor and estates that they bestow vpon you than their health and sauegarde which are the more to be considered for that the King is our head and God hath made him suche one to kepe vs in peace and to be careful of our states Pardon me if I speak so boldly in your presence The King which toke singulare delite in this Coūtrey Philosopher answered him I am not offended bicause thy woords aproche so neare the troth but tel me what benefit hast thou receiued of that king Mansor of whome thou makest suche accompte and 〈◊〉 so wel For I cannot thinke that euer he did thée good or shewed thee pleasure by reason of thy pouerty and the little furniture within thy house in respecte of that which they possesse whom he loueth and fauoreth and vnto whome he she weth so great familiaritie and benefite Doe 〈◊〉 me sir replied the good man for so much as you so greatly regard the fauoures which subiectes receiue at their Princes handes as in déede they ought to doe What greater goodnesse 〈◊〉 or benefite ought I to hope for or can receiue of my King being suche one as I am but the profit and vtilitie that all we which be his vassalles doe apprehend from day to day in the iustice that he rendreth to euery wight by not suffering the puissant and riche to suppresse and 〈◊〉 the feeble and weake and him that is 〈◊〉 of fortunes goodes that indifferency be maintained by the officers to whome he committeth the gouernment of his prouinces and the care which he hathe that his people be not deuoured by exactions and intollerable tributes I do esteme more his goodnesse clemency and loue that he beareth to his subiects than I doe all your delicates and ease in following the court I most humbly honor and reuerēce my king in that he being farre from vs doeth neuerthelesse so vse his gouernment as we féele his presence like the Image of God for the peace and vnion wherein we through him doe liue and enioy without 〈◊〉 that little which God and fortune haue giuen vs. Who if not the King is he that doeth preserue vs and defend vs from the 〈◊〉 and pillages of those Theues and Pirates of Arabie which make warre and inuade their neighbors and there is no frend they haue but they wold displease if the King wisely did not forbio preuent their villanies That great Lord which kepeth his Court at Constantinople and maketh himselfe to be adored of his people like a God brideleth not so muche the Arabians as our King doeth vnder the Protection and sauegarde of whome I that am a pore Fisher man do ioy my pouertie in peace and without 〈◊〉 of théeues do norish my little familie applying my selfe to the fishing of Eeles that be in these diches and fenny places which I cary to the market townes and sell for the sustenaunce and féeding of my wife and children and 〈◊〉 my selfe right happy that returning to my cabane and homely lodge at my pleasure in what so euer place I do abide bicause albeit farre of from neighboures by the bene 〈◊〉 and diligence of my Prince none staye my iourney or offendeth me by any meanes which is the cause sayd he lifting vp his hāds and eyes aloft that I pray vnto God and his great Prophet Mahomet that it may please them to preserue our King in health and to giue him so great happe and contentation as he is vertuous and debonaire and that ouer his ennimies flying before him 〈◊〉 may euermore be victorious for norishing his people in peace and his children in ioy and Nobilitie The King séeing that deuout 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 and knowing it to be without guile or 〈◊〉 would gladly haue discouered himself but yet willing to reserue the same for better oportunitie he sayd vnto him For somuch as thou 〈◊〉 st that king so wel it is not impossible but those of his house be welcome vnto thee and that for thy Mansors sake thou wilt helpe and doe seruice to his Gentlemen Let it 〈◊〉 you replied he that my heart is more inclined to the King than to the willes of those that serue him 〈◊〉 hope of preferment Now being so affectionate to the King as I am thinke whither his housholde seruaunts haue power to commaund me and whither my willing minde be prest to doe them good or not But me thinke ye néede not to stay héere at the gate in talke being so wet as you be wherefore vouchsafe to come into my house which is your own to take such simple lodging as I haue wher I wil entreat you not according to your merite but with the litle that God and his Prophet haue departed to my pouertie And to morow morning I wil conduct you to the Citie euen to that royal Palace of my Prince Truely answered the King albeit necessitie did not prouoke me yet 〈◊〉 honestie deserueth wel other reputation than a simple Countrey man and I do thinke that I haue profited more in hearing thée speake than by hearkening to the flattering and 〈◊〉 tales of Courting triflers which daily imploy thēselues to corrupt the eares