things went with the guyde eueÌ„ to the place where he saw the act playde that afterward was the death of the chiefe persoÌ„s in the Tragedy then sayth the spye vnto the Marques I beseeche you my Lord to contemplate a little through this creuise what lyfe they leade in your absence that sith you are present the disloyalty of theÌ„ that be most 〈◊〉 vnto you is so euidently shown The good Marques had no sooner looked through the 〈◊〉 then he spyed his sonne interlased â—â—foldeÌ„ about the neck of the Marchiones and the wantontoyes of the Ladye towardes the County the Father of whome was so constant that hee attended to what ende these imbrasementes and toyes wouldâ— come but when hee sawe the Game woulde redounde to his disaduantage and to the perpetual infamye of hys hoase with great payne he obserued himselfe from being ouercome wyth rage and that he had not broke open the dore of the Chamber vpon the Campe where were these couple of infortunate Louers to haue caused them to dye vpon the very fact alwayes the passyon of his mynde was so penetrable that he coulde not by a good space remooue from thence but remayned there wholy troubled and confused in teares running downe along hys bearde that now beginneth to waxe white in the end euaporating the order of hys harte he began to say Alas vnhappy olde man that I nowe shall be that notwythstanding the flower of thyne Age arte dishonoured by thyne owne bloud and the substaunce of thyne entrayles what is it the onely sonne amongest them that bee lawfull which hath vnlawfullye abused thy Spouse shal I be both the witnesse Party and Iudge in this cause and in executing of this iudgement that I must needes do both by law and iust displeasure I shall put to death two persons that I loue beste in this worlde No no the amitie of Maryage shaâ— ende here towards her that hath put oute the lighte of my honour and hath blotted the reputation common to vs both and the charitye of the father towardes the sonne shall lose his force in me syth the chylde in vsurping the Bed of the Father hath geuen coniecture of his will to take awaye the lyfe of hym of whome he had his owne and of whome hee hath stayned the honour What if once a Romaine Captayne hath punished as it might be to seuerelye hys sonne in that hee had surpassed his commandemente touching a certayne expedition in deedes of Armes whereof although hee had gloryously attayned the wyshed end of his desyres then what shall I doe beholding my self so vyly betrayed and so euill dishonoured by him whyche oughte to bee the reuenger of the cryme whereof my eyes haue seene the execution I beseech God that pytty may not moue my harte to pardon him of this fault or to dissemble this great and extreme hartebreache that lyuing causeth my death and so reuengyng a pryuate iniurye I shall punish the most abhomynable synne that a man can thinke Then for the quyetnesse of my mynde and example of Iustyce to the posteritye my sonne shall dye wyth the vnshamefast loue whiche was cause of all thys and by whych meanes I shall depart from my only lawfull begotten sonne and from my honour whych is more dere then chyldren riches or lyfe The sorrowfull and inraged father with this deliberation seekyng to execute his deuyse his sonne departed into the base Court of the Castle wythout thinking of the perrill or ruyne that hys mysfortune dyd prepare for him and their bandes the Ball with the GentlemeÌ„ of his age where was greater companye of people to see the playe then were there of long tyme before for I think that some coniecture of the future Spectacle had broughte thyther thys route to the ende that wyth more shame the County and hys incestyous Louer shoulde be imprysoned Also these be the Menaces wherewyth God threatneth the wycked that their pryuye sinnes committed in the obscurity of the night shall be one day punished openly and to the sighte of all the people duryng this then that the vnfortunate Prynce more braue and ioyfull then accustomed did contynue hys playe behold there comes the keeper of the Castle wyth a good troupe of Archers wel appoynted he in the presence and hearing of euery one addressing him to the Countye sayeth vnto him O Prince it is nowe full tyme that you make ready your selfe to come before other then these be where you must aunswere to the coniurations Fellonyes conspiracies facts agaynst the person of my Lord the Marques your Father by whose commandement sayth he putting his hand to his coller I make and coÌ„stitute you his Prisoner I am sorry for your misfortune more sorrowful that it should bee I that must keepe you in pryson always trust in your great simplicitie likewyse if it please you excuse that whych I doe being constrayned by him which hath power both ouer mee and you O extreme force and rygor of the conscience which moueste so lyuely the hartes of them that feele themselues guilty of any fault that the blast of euery wynd that blowes by the wagging of euery lefe that they see moue they thinke they behold before their eyes a torment and a contynuall punishment that wyll neuer suffer them to take any rest whereof comes the great griefe and the smal assurance that they haue of themselues whych are so troubled by the very interyour iudgemente of their owne spirite that they gyue sure wytnes of that thing whych as it might haue chaunced otherwyse had bene in doubte so the pore Countye seeing himselfe sommoned to go espouse and defyle another bed then that wherin heretofore he had receiued so much contentment fayled not then to thynke of the accrosyng of hys euils and the small hope that hee might or could haue to be delyuered therefore halfe attached wyth dispayre hee sayeth vnto the Prouest Go forward Captain whether it shall seeme good vnto you for of long tyme I haue attended no other intreaty of him then that whyche I now see prepared for me No no my Lord sayth the Prouest haue a good harte God is able to ayde you puissaunt to make euery one to know y right of your cause also my Lorde the Marques wyll doe nothing agaynst you without the couÌ„sel of y most wise and learned men of his house whych oughte to cause you to hope of some better hap then you thinke of then he conducteth the Prince into the great Tower of the Castle which standeth iust agaynst the Porte Delyon And duryng this tyme there were some gone in lyke sorte and by lyke commandment to seeke the Marchyones as they had done the Countye who then was amongest her Gentlewomen playing this song as the Prognostication of her misfortune and the Prophecy of the common Buryall that vnyted after their death the executed body both of her and the Countye THe man by councell of the Gods In this
you Madame if euer I haue done any thing in your seruice that meriteth recompence to do me this pleasure honor to tel me y occasion of your disquietnes to the end that if this power that is in me may do any thing for your conteÌ„tment I wil imploy it with the life that I haue vowed so long time to be obedient to your commandments Alas my friend sayth the Marchiones I am ashamed being such a one as I am so to tormeÌ„t my self beholding me so conteÌ„ned of my Lord y Marques I assure thee that if the hope of some allegeance did not comfort me thou shouldst behold what sacryfyce I would make of my life to the crueltys of him that hath made more accoumpt of one of these common despised women then of me that am his wyfe not inferiour in bewty to any of them What Madame answereth y Damsell haue you no other cause to disquiet your self then the foolish loue of my Lord the Marques truly this is a very small occasyon a cause more then fryuolous to vex your selfe lay away al this from you assay to liue ioyfully with them that loue esteme you attending til time shal cole his ardeÌ„t desyres cause him change his affectioÌ„ take good heede that he haue no cause of miscoÌ„tentment for to quite him of his passions apprehensions vnsemely companyes in the meane time ioy you only of y which is yours not vsing such foly as to stain your honor by vnlawful acquaintance with any other then of him which is giuen you for Lord Espouse with shortning of your life for suche a foolishe mistrust proceeding of that euill â–ª Ielosy O God sayth the Marchyones all bedewed wyth teares howe true is that which euery one speaketh in a common Prouerbe the whole caÌ„ easily giue councel to them that be sick Ah my friend if you felt the disquietues that wil not suffer me to take any rest in my mynd the cause of the bitternesse y doeth bereue me of my sences I am assured that hauing pittye of me thou wouldest councell mee of an other sorte or else helpe to execute that which shoulde serue for the intyre solace and contentmente of my spirite the Marques hath led this lyfe a long tyme and it is vnpossible that hee shoulde chaunge but by death or extreme age and in the meane tyme I passe my tyme in vayn accompanyed without comforts that procures me to ouerpasse the night with teares in steede of rest and the daye agaynst my will I am merry to contente hym that shewes me no pleasure no not that which he oughte by the sacred rightes of those bands which haue coÌ„ioyned vs togyther would God death had takeÌ„ away my lyfe in the Cradle to the end that not remayning vnto this present I should not haue felt of what force is the despighte of an honest Ladye being deceyued by her husbande Alas howe happye are they of base condicion that may wythout great conscieÌ„ce inaculate their blood that doth redound but to the shame of a fewe Ah honor and Nobillitie howe tyrannously doe you brydle the Ladyes that how much the preferment is before men the estate of all should not be alyke to the end that the people should not shadow our brightnesse more then the reâ—own of the common sorte of men and women which dye with the memory of their deedes that are buryed in the same tombe wyth their bodyes or if the Lawes did as well punishe the disloyaltye of the husband as the symple women that by a naturall vyce are sometymes forced to forget themselues euen till they bee ouercome by the appetytes of the flesh how ioyfully woulde I reuenge my selfe of the iniury which that periured and vnlouing husband hath done to me because that euery couple should equallye receyue the payne and punishmente according to their demerites But after the Lawes were made they were Tyrauntes ouer vs the inquyetors of our rest and the common Ennymyes of oâ—â— perfectioÌ„ who did authoryse them without the â—yde helpe or consente of any of vs After that she exclaymeth as one halfe inraged saying wyth a voyce that declared the vehemencye of her torment and the mutacyon of her mynd But syth I must dye a thousand tymes if so be I let this paâ—se without punishmente I would he wel knew it that I intend not to lyue wyth such griefe and sorrow as he hath geuen me cause a good tyme and then let chaunce what may for this is a torment great ynough as I beleeue to abyde such a Tyranny and to feele the puissaunte prickes of loue the better whereof is no lesse to bee wyshed then death hauing sayde so the Marchiones holdeth her tongue attending the aunswere of the Damsell who hauing a long tyme bethought her selfe aunswereth in this sorte Madame as yet I neuer had experyence of what might the force of loue is and by that meanes I haue neuer felt what is the disdayn and sorrow of them that perceyue themselues deceyued of him of whome she oughte to bee the intyre and onely beloued yet I beleeue neuerthelesse that the passion both of the one and the other is so great and vnmeasurable that the surplusage of the alterations that trouble greeue the spirite are nothing in respect of this inexplicable distresse The argument of this I take of you Madame the Constaucye of whome is so troubled by the outrage and fury of Ielosy that heretofore hath â—â—uer giuen suspition of chaunge or miscontentmente of harte But O God I beholde and perceaue the imbecillity of humayn mynds how well they are disquyeted of dyuers vnlawfull desyres which take rest no more in the stomack thoughts â–ª then the sea Sandes instate with a whyrle wynde in an extreame hote daye Ah Madame where is the great Chastity y made you once renowned before al the Ladies of Italy I beseech you assay to contayn your selfe in that honest reputation wherin hytheâ—to you haue lyued to the great contente of your Parents friends What if reason haue so little force in you that you deliberate to followe the vyce of wantonesse and to search another for the accomplishment of your desyres then the Marques your husband by all meanes do the thing so secretly that the house wherof you are come receyue no dishonour and your selfe merite infamy greuous punishment The Marchiones answereth nothing to the sage admonition of the wyse Damsel beginning to think with herselfe not by what meanes she mighte wythdraw her husband from the disordered wanton lyfe that he led but rather howe shee might reuenge her selfe and with whome shee might giue him y counter change in punishing him by the same faulte But reason doeth not extend herselfe to this end that sinne and vertue should be placed alyke for vertue is the superlatiue aboue her contrary which is put vnder her as a subiect for the instruction of anye that knowes not what
perchauÌ„ce lacketh not here and there his imperfections so had God lent to the Authour longer lyfe would haue bene better poolyshed as voyde of faults and escapes in the prynting as his mynd was frée froÌ„ iustly giuing occasioÌ„ of offeÌ„ce to any Which courtesye if accordingly there appeare to remayne wythin thee then doubtlesse is his paynes fully rewarded and my expectation suffycyentlye satysfyed Farewell ¶ CERTAINE STRANGE and Lamentable Tragicall Historyes ¶ A iust Fact but to cruell of Iohn Maria Duke of Myllayne towarde a Priest extreme couetous IOhn Maria Vicont sonne of Iohn Galeas vnto whome the Emperour Ladisilaus gaue the tytle and name of Duke of Myllayne was he that succeeding in the estate and dignity of Duke made himselfe knowne and renowned before all the Princes of his tyme not in shewing himselfe more vertuous then they or in surpassing the good Fortune of that good Galeas his Father who I thinke neuer committed any other notable euill then that he lefte behynde him a plague so great and daungerous as his sonne the successyon of whome was no more fortunate for the Milinois then was once the Romayne Monarch of Marcus Aurelius leauing for the inheritour of the Empyre that Butcher â–ª and Sworde player Commodus a lyuelye example of creweltye and mischiefe and truelye hys Countrey myghte well haue coniectured their Misfortune in that Iohn Maria was called to the Dignitye of the Dukedome after that all Italye had seene the Orygynall of the Ciuill warres so often wrytten of by the Hystoryans whiche so muche weakened the strength of Italye and abased the glorye of those thinges whiche remayned to them as Reliques escaped from the handes of so manye Barbaryans and Straungers that hadde foyled with their feâ—te the honour of that Godlye Prouynce for it was after that the Guelfes and Gibilines had throughlye deuyded themselues leauyng no corner of Italye that was notte Dyed wyth the bloud of the poore Cittizens and was it not pittyfull to see the Nobillitye chased and wandring abroade there beyng no creature that felte not thys Tempeste and whyche perceyued not the vehemencye of a deuysyon so furyoâ—s so that all Natyons of Europe had their accesse to make their Rodes into Italye and there to pyll the Cittyes and Fertyle Fyeldes called into the country eyther by the one or the other of the Factions But this Duke was renowned for the moste cruell and inhumayne Tyraunte that euer was nouryshed in Christendome and I beleeue that Bucyrus Phalaris or that Thracian King which fostred his Horses with the bodyes of the dead did neuer surpasse him in crueltye and although his Predicessoures had bene Princes very mercifull and gentle and that by their modestye they had attayned to the place of suche Prehemynence yet this is he which forgetting the house wherof he came did degenerate from the bloud of his Ancestours being despightfull for that Fortune had bene otherwyse to him then she had bene towardes that excellent Iohn Galeas his Father and to Valentyne that was Wyfe to the Duke of Orleans shee whych was slayne at Paris by the Duke of Burgoyne his men doeth so accarnate hymselfe that hee caused to be deuoured in his presence by Mastyfes broughte vp to that ende those whyche for the leaste occasyon that hee fantasyed in his mynde dydde displease hym hauyng for the Mynyster of hys crueltye and in steade of Prouest Marshall a Gentleman named Squarce Gyrame as courteous as hys Lorde and who in the ende was also payde wyth the same paymente as was hys Mayster being both togyther as cruelly slayne as vnpittifull they had fleshed themselues vppon the myserable people of Millayne during the tyme then that this incorporate Deuill reioyseth himselfe and sheweth these tragicall and detestable actes of hys cruell lyfe this thing chaunced which I am now about to descrybe vnto you to the ende you may beholde the two great and extreame vyces the one of Auaryce in a Priest and the other of the crueltie of the Duke Iohn Maria ryding one day thorough his Cittye as commonly he did not onely for to beholde the faultes of his subiectes but more to search out if any one durst complayn of the detestable maners of his lyfe and the very hauty and tyrannical doings of his raygn to the end he might seeme to haue some reason to tormeÌ„t him that shoulde complayne without cause of his Lord that as yet had giuen him no occasyon Thus as he made these Iorneys he hard a farre of a great crye and the voyce of a woman complayning who clapping her hands did eleuate her voyce verye high thinking that GOD was deafe and that he will not heare our necessityes without such a sturre to whome he sent one of his seruaunts to know the cause of a crye so fearefull who found it at thedore of a pore woman whose husband was lately deceased that thus complayned as well for the losse of her companyon as also for that shee had not wherewith to bring him to the earth Alas sayth the woman half desperate whether may the pore haue their recourse syth the very Church hath denyde their duetyes to them vnto whome they be bounde to whome may I adresse my selfe not hauing wherewith to satisfye or glent the desyre of my vnsatiable Curat that is neyther content with the gayns which he hath suffring this body without life to remayne without Sepulture onely for the herytage of all the goods whiche he hath lefte me in this world for my comforte for if I wyll haue him interred of necessitye I must sell all my moueables and afterwards not knowing how to relieue my Infantes Ah false Pastor I beseech God to punish with some great persecution both thee and them which are of lyke condicions saying so with cryes teares sobs and sighes she pardoneth not her own cheekes and face but scratcheth the one she bepaynteth the others stryking herselfe vpon the stomack and shewing dyuers other sygnes of a woman distraught the Dukes man seeing her to shew such fashyons addrest him towardes her saying My friende what wrong is this that is done to you and wherefore shew you so great dule tell me because I may make the reporte to my Lord who hath sent me hyther to know the matter and assure your self if any one hath offended you he will extend such Iustice that you shall be contente and satisfyed and the authoures shall haue whereof to take example and withholden to doe iniurye to the poore in suche a Towne as thys where the Lorde wyll that Iustyce be done to euery one without respecte of estate The woman who knewe by his Lyuerye that hee was one of the Dukes Seruauntes whose presence although it were not verye agreeable vnto her in thynking that hee came there but onelye to seeke some praye yet not fearing anye worse aduenture then her owne nor anye Fortune more frowarde then the estate wherein shee was and also for that death to her woulde haue bene great solace ioying
calleth hee to the others that they shoulde dispatch that the good Synger should not trouble him any more with his prayers theÌ„ all at once they began to laye downe the two bodyes to couer them with earth when as the Priest cryed Alas my Lorde if you haue no pitty of the bodye yet haue compassyon of the saluation of the soule as much as is in your power and suffer me not to dye without confessing my faultes before some Minister of God according to the institution of the church Go go sayth the Duke thou hadst more neede to appease the Porter of Hell with thy Orations synce thou canst not get a Priest at thys present they be all fled away from thee seeing thee already conuerted into a nightspright to afray Children in the Churchyarde and therfore thou shalte be put into the earth with the absolucyon that thou haste geue him whom thou imbracest that may serue for the alegeance of the heape of all thy offences Wyth such rayling the inhumayn Prince caused the two bodyes to be cast into the pit with no lesse abashment of al men then as a thing that they had neuer seene done before which thoughte not that the Duke so vnaduysedly and of such a beastly maner would haue put men to deth but his lyfe was no lesse detestable then the lyfe of the Emperour Macryne who vsed lyke manners and punished more cruelly then he did syth the Prieste was prest and choked as well by the smell of the dead bodye as by the earth that was cast vppon him the graue being verye deepe whereas the Emperour wythout pyttye caused such as hee had condemned to bee bounde lykewyse to the deade carcases that putrifyed the Ayre not suffering them to be buryed but let them so remayne till that eyther by fayntnesse or stinche of the dead body and the multitude of Vermyn they cruelly departed out of this lyfe Nor more curteous was Maximiniam who caused such as he hated to be thrust into the empty belly of an Oxe vnto the head where they ended their misery by y blood that ran out of the beast but the barbarous tyme doth excuse these GallaÌ„ts that being Panims and without knowledge of God which are not so much to be maruailed at if they did their workes acording to the desyre of the deuill that was their guyde who is a murderer from the beginning but a christyan Prynce come of a good stocke broughte vp amongest men of learning and dwelling in so ciuill a Countrey ought to make the case more straunge syth that the earth once cryed vengeaunce to GOD vppon Cayne for that hee had vyolated the Bright of kynred in sleaing that iust Abell his Brother I beleeue that within a little tyme after Iohn Maria for so pernicious a cryme was slayne by his owne Cittizens and I thinke that in our tyme there be some that haue made sacryfyce of heads other members who lyke Diomedes haue caused their Horses to eate the bodyes of men But I beleeue that God will not leaue suche crueltyes vnpunished although for a whyle he attendeth and is pacyent in his doinges yet in the end he wil cause theÌ„ to feele the strength of his arme and to feele the inuytable yre of his iust displeasure Now to retourne to the matter the Duke hauing accomplyshed these Tragical and sorrowful Funerals he dispatched sodenly one of his men to the house of the Priest from wheÌ„ce he caused all his moueables to be caryed and giuen to the poore wyddow the wyfe of hym that was dead with whome the Priest was companyon in the graue This last sentence was as iust as the fyrst was vniust cruell and horrible syth it was good reason that he should be punished in hys goods that for Aâ—aryce and desyre of Money had forgotten hymselfe and the duety requysyte in a publique man such a one as is the Pastoure of a Churche bee not offended you that beare the Ecclesyasticall Offyces of that whyche I haue sayde but take Example by the myserable ende of one of your estate thinking that the persecutions and the euill that God hath seÌ„t you procedeth of your ambicion auaryce ignorance and whoredome I tel you truly I am sorry for that the aduersarye of the Church suppresseth the good men throweth down them that ought to be honored wheras the foolish the slow bellyes the ignorant the whoremoÌ„gers feele no such scourges but God which is iust hath by these meanes called you to repentaunce because you should acknowledge your faultes and lyue more Godly then the Abbot Guensaldo and this myserable Myser intreated so cruelly by the moste detestable tyraunt that euer was seene in Italy synce the Lombardes gaue the name to that Lande ⸫ FINIS ¶ A Gentleman Myllinois beeing amorous at the very end of his age for the extreame Ielosy of his Concubyne was cause of the death of his Sonne and of himselfe and lastly of the vnhappy ende of the Harlot whiche was cause of all AT the time when the french armies were discouered throughout Italy for the Conquest of Myllayne causing all the state of the Venetians to tremble â–ª when Lewis the seuenth had brought his affayres in such readynes that he pitched his Campe euen in the sight of their next Citie breaking down their walles and ouerthrowing with the force of his Canons their Towers of defence that Venis neuer felte any greater or more mightyer force The Venetians not knowing howe or by what meanes to quyet their bondes and to appease the displeasure of a King iustly incensed agaynste their infydelitie and arrogancie about that tyme I saye there was a Gentleman Milinois which for the troubles coÌ„ming doth conuay himselfe to a Castle that hee had before Monse as lykewyse did the moste parte of them that coulde not brooke the chaunging of their Lord or who as it might bee were not able to indure the insolencye and crueltye of the French Souldyers This Gentleman of whome I intreate was a Wyddower to whome there was remayning onely two chyldren the one of the Age of seuen or eyghte yeares the other approaching neare to the age of twentye the olde man seeing hymselfe wythoute a wyfe although hee hadde almoste passed the age of threescore yeares neyther hauing regarde to hys Age nor to hys approaching death doeth become amorous of a gyrle the Daughter of a Messenger both fayre and well fauoured of whome hee had his pleasure by the meanes of the onely Father of the Gyrle which solde her vnto him This is a marke very certayne to bewayle any man which we see in his age to become a Father whose youth hath geuen him no sygne thereof yet thys is moste detestable that Chrystyans beare the iniquitie of Fathers and Mothers so impudente and euill as to sell prostytute and corrupte their owne Daughters and commonly the Maiestrates of our tyme wyll see nothing the Kinges shutte their eyes they that fayne them selues to be most
the chamber where he behelde the stretched Corps of Cayme and where yet was the Emperour with a smal company who seing Mahometh although hee was surprysed with feare seeing hym in such array yet making a vertuâ— of necessitye comming to incounter with him sayth Ah Villayne sonne of a Villayne art thou yet liuing Yea sayth Mahometh I liue in despight of thy Menaces and false â—â—â—entions ready to send thee to all the diuils to serue for their pray trusting in God that he will geue me strength to reuenge vpon thee most disloyal of al disloyals the death of thy innocent parentes of whome thou haste bene the inhumayne bloodshedder In saying these wordes putting their handes to their â–ª weapons they ioyned togythers and although the Souldan defended himselfe alwayes veryâ— brauely yet the slaue a man very stroÌ„g braue hardy and always brought vp in warres and who for his good deede had the ayde and fauour of the God of that Coast acquyteth himselfe so well in lesse then an howe 〈◊〉 at the Tyraunt was able no longer to supporte the strength of the blowes of Mahometh but in the ende began to declyne towarde the earth the slaue by little and little became victoryous setting his shield vpon his throat to make him to yeelde himself which being done he causeth him to be streightly bound and deliuered vnto the people who sodaynly rente him into a hundred thousand peeces so that he was not esteemed to be the chyld of a good mother that had not done some iniury to the car cases of the miserable tyraunt O iust iudgemente of God he that tofore neuer thoughte himselfe ynough worshipped of his subiectes is now slayne by their sedicions handes to the ende that euerye one shoulde euidently perceyue that goods vniustly gotten alwayes geue the salary of their vniustice to the greedy desyrer the vyolater of right and of all religion After the death of the Souldan they made dilligent inquisytion of the complicis and executers of his cruell murders who being accused and conuicte were rygorously punished according to their lawes and ordinances The people perceyuing themselues so bound to Mahometh for that he had beene the deliuerer of all their Countrye and the punisher of such an offence which they dissembled by constraynt gaue vnto him the gouernment of the I le and woulde absolutelye haue inuested him in the seignory But the sage olde man knowing very wel both the inconstancy of fortune and the vndurable good will of a multitude and not ignorant also that he which vnder the tytle of good fayth occupyeth the goods of another cannot choose otherwyse then ingender the ruine of his successours and commonly giue cause of his infamy and totall dishonor therfore hauing set the affayres of the I le in good order hee causeth vpon a day all the estates of the countrey to be called in counsell before whome he made this Oration There is none of you my good Lords which are ignoraunt that I was borne in this your Iland and much lesse of the blood and race of them which ought to raygne ouer the people I haue bene brought vp and nourished as a slaue in the Court of the former Souldan father of this wicked parracyde of whome and vpon whome you haue taken condigne vengeance for his wickednesse I beseech you refer all that which I haue done or yet shal do to the honour and obedience of the vertuous deceased Lord and to the memory of those goods which I haue receyued of him and also to establish and pacifye the Signory to the yongest sonne of hym who as you know is fugitiue in the Mosque sith the day that his brother the Tyraunt made the horrible slaughter of them of his blood I therefore am of thys mynde if you also shall thinke it good that the successyon he being of the right ligne shoulde be by you rendered vnto him for I haue not at all purposed to vsurpe anye Lande from the sonne of him to whose name during my lyfe I haue borne such honour as the seruaunte to his mayster and the Vassall and subiecte to his Lorde Therefore I resygne and remyt into your handes the supremidence whiche of your good wils you haue giuen me both ouer you and ouer the Landes of my Lorde and your Prince vnto whome by your meanes I maye serue to gyue counsell in all his affayres by which if hee will gouerne himselfe I will assure you that you shall vnderstande you haue oâ—elye chaunged a man and not a vertuous and gentle Prince alwayes thanking you for the amitye and good affection which you haue borne me which if God gyue me lyfe I hope to satisfye by all kynde of humanitie and duety of a good friend and as an obedyent seruaunt of your commynaltye The people abashed of the vertue and continencie of the good olde man who forsaking the honours vnte which their election had called him louing better to lyue a pryuate lyfe then to enioye a whole countrey wythout hauing iust tytle of possessyon doe easily accorde to the counsell and sage opynyon of Mahometh So the yong Prince was fetched from the Temple and placed in the seate of his father wyth thys condicyon that hee should haue alwayes the olde man for assystaunte and counceller and by whose handes shoulde passe all the affayres of importaunce that might chaunce wythin the I le Beholde a notable and rare example of two great extremities in the vertue of one man the assuraunce and Magnaminitye to reuenge a publique iniurye vpon one that of him selfe was publique if by his vyce he had not made himselfe more abiect then the leaste of the common and popular multytude and the modestye conioyned wyth great reason and foresyghte to despyse that wherefore almoste all men at these dayes doe take and adresse for what occasyon soeuer it bee the bloody battayles profayning the sanctitude of Religyon peruerting the order of iudgementes redusyng and rendryng all thinges into wynd and adnychylatyng the charity that euery one oweth to hys Neighboure for wyth a huge heape of sinnes curses they aâ—tayn their Lordships and within a whyle they forget the effusyon of bloud of the good cittizens not appeasing the incursyoâ—s that in the end they ouerthrow themselues as is the flower by the heate of the Sonne in his full force and as was latelye seene in the tyrannous rule of the Myllinois of our tyme and once in the raygn of the Persians and Greekes the Monarchie of whome was lyke a flame that vanisheth away quickly as did their domynyons after their establishement FINIS ¶ The Marques of Ferraria without hauing regarde to fatherly loue caused his owne Sonne to be beheaded for that he was found in Adultery with his faire Mother in law who lykewyse lost her head in Pryson by his commaundement IN the lyfe of Phillip Vicont Duke of Millayne sonne of Iohn Galeas he y so often made warres against the Florentynes and their Lyne then
the Countye is hee O GOD the onelye remembraunce makes me blushe in wytnesse whych is the Liefetenant of the bedde â— and the incestyous â—â—â—yuall of hys owne Father it is hee that for your sake bryngeth vengeaunce vppon hymselfe and which thinkyâ—g to remedye youâ— greefes hath composed a mediâ—yne so bytter that the onely smell will cause such an horrour that hee wyll curse the hower a hâ—â—dered tymes â–ª wherein he began that whyche as I perceyue he hath executed Alas woulde God that I were a false Dâ—â—ynatresse in this But as for you Madame hold you assured of my fayth by whiche I sweare vnto you that what torment soeuer shall happen whether it be sorrowe or death how ignominyous soeuer it be shall not force me to say any thing that may denigrate the honour of my Mistresse conserued hitherto with so great good reputatioÌ„ Moreouer Madam imploy me in what it shall please you for syth the thing is done the counsel thereof is alredy taken you shal see by experience effect how I am mynded to do you seruyce in that it shall please you to imploy me Ah my dere friend theÌ„ sayth y Marchyones how your wordes haue pierced my harte â–ª whereby I knowe you haue told me the truth but what the force of loue is so great vehement that I cannot tell how to withdraw myself now from it that I thynke my desteny hath done it for my contentment also because amongst all the humayn passions this is it that hath the preference that cannot be auoided with any forcâ— or study that one bestowes therfore I desâ—re you to talk no more of this misfortune vnto me for we wil vse such prouidence that the most clere sighted shal not know what to think only insâ—ruct you y County of that he hath to do of the howers at which he may coÌ„modiouâ—ly come vnto my chamber it is now in your hands my friend that you may end both my lyfe honour and that yet holde the good or euill Fortune of the Countye in your power Thus there passed certayne Monthes that the two â—oners reioysed togyther wythoute any of the Coortyers suspectynge anye thyng of so detestable a Felonye and exeerable abhomynacyon who although they behelde the courtesyes that the Marchiones shewed to the County whom she then intertayned verye familliarlye But they thought that she did it to please the Marques to the end that hee should not thinke she hated the children of his fyrst wyfe and also for that as I sayde before the County was so honest and curteous that he rauished the hart of euery one towards him which did yet confyrm the opynyon of the Gentlemen that this amity of the Lady towards the yong Prince was extended onely for the sole vertue gentle nurture of the Countye But Fortune that cannot forget her Nobillitie and the heauens angry for an acte so infamous and an iniurye so detestably committed both agaynste God and agaynste the Father and husband of both the offenders styrred vp a more wyly and subtle discouerer of secrete faults which is Time who did the offyce of a good Seruaunt after that by the very foolishnesse of the two louers their folly was made euydent they gouerning themselues so vndiscretly togythers and with so small respecte of persons tyme and place that in the ende blynded in their pleasure and glutted in their ease they thought that Tyme woulde alwayes haue bene so fauourable as she had bene almoste the space of two yeares Now let alone the Marques of Ferraria that doubted nothing of the great dishonoure that his sonne did vnto him and of the false connaye of his wyfe which sent him vnto Cornouall wythout a Boate. It chanced that a yâ—oman of the chamber of the myserable County beganne to suspecte something of that whyche passed betwyxte the two infortunate â—onglinges for he saw ordinarilye that as soone as the Marques was gone anye nighte into the Towne to vysyte some of hys Concubynes the Countye fayled not to goe all alone oute of his Chamber whych was the cause that he assured him of his doubte and therefore purposyng to seeke out the truth beholde the iuste iudgements of God which seeing the mallice that men haue to commit euill and detestable sinnes often tymes giueth speech to yong Infantes or wysedome vnto Beastes to publishe it For this cause hee beginneth to spye all the deedes countenaunces actes and wordes of the Prince and the enterpryse of the gallant succeeded so well that after he had be thought of it beeing in a Wardrope adioyning to the Chamber of the Marchyones marke the dyuynâ— permissyon The sinne being come to the rypenesse of hys abhominatyon he espyed by chaunce a small hole in the wall whyche was iust ouer agaynst the Bed wherein she lay ordinarily by this Creuyse then the cleare eyed spye hoped to see that whych so long tyme he had desyred and imagyned and as he saw the enemy of nature before him he makes a thousand sygnes of the crosses â–ª with such an abashment that then hee woulde not beleeue that which he saw euidentlye with his eyes in the end beholding the thing more merely and perceyuing that he was not deceyued at all hee sayeth very soâ—tly to himselfe and by God it shall not be long before I will also make the Marques to vnderstand it to the end he may punish the one of hys foule temeritie and the other of her great wantonnes lasciuious incontynencye now he attending oportunitye to cause the Marques to view this pittyous and vâ—ruely Spectacle behold it chaunsed two or three dayes after the infortunate Prynce not doubting the treason which the yeoman of hys chamber did coÌ„mit that so sone as he saw hys father gone into the stable to view his Horses euen then he weÌ„t into the chaÌ„ber of the Lady to continue the way begon within the bed of his Lord father but his Argus which slepte not at al following him by little and little and hauing seene him enter the listes returneth towards the father to shew him that which so long tyme he had desyred to make him iudge of the vnfortunate Louers This Traytor although his fact hath some apareÌ„ce of Iustice arriued before the Marques saith vnto him al abashed astonied for that he had sene My Lord if time did suffer me to shew and declare one of the most wicked factes that euer chaunced in Italy I should cause you to maruayle and as it might be by resyting so straunge a thing I should make your cheekes to blush and inrage your hart so abhominable is the case but because I would not make you loose that discourse may it please your noble Lordship to come alone whether I will conduct you where you shall see with your eyes that which I cannot commodyously resyte vnto you in order The Marques which was a maÌ„ of a good corage desyrous to know rare strange