discourse whiche setteth before your eyes what ende the fonde loue of them ordinarelie haue whiche without reason not measuryng their owne abilitie doe suffer themselfes to be guided and ledde into their sensuall lustes and appetites For ill successe faileth not in a beginnyng the grounde whereof abhorryng reason is planted and laied vpon the sandie foundacion of pleasure whiche is shaken and ouerthrowen by the least winde and tempest that Fortune can bluster against suche buildyng Didaco and Violenta Didaco a Spaniarde is in loue with a poore maiden of Valencia aud secretely marieth her afterwardes lothyng his firste mariage bicause she was of base parentage he marieth an other of noble birthe His first wife by secrete messenger praieth his companie whose request he accomplisheth Beeyng a bedde she and her maide killeth hym She throweth hym into the streate she in desperate wise cōfesseth the facte before the Magistrates and is put to death ¶ The .xlii. Nouell THere is no manne but doeth knowe that Valencia is at this daie the chief and onely Rampar of Spaine the true seate of Faithe Iustice and Humanitie And emōges all the rare and excellent-ornamentes that citie is wel furnished with so trimme Ladies and curteous gentlewomen as thei knowe how to baite and féede yonge men with foolishe daliaunce and idle passetyme So that if there be any beetle hedde or grosse persone the better to allure and prouoke him to those follies thei tell hym by a common Prouerbe that he must goe to Valencia In this citie there was in old tyme as it is at this daie a verie auncient stocke and familie called Ventimiglia out of whiche be descended a great nomber of riche and honorable knightes Emonges whom not longe tyme passe there was one named Didaco verie famous and renowmed to be the moste liberall and familer gentleman of the citie who for wante of better businesse walked vp and doune the citie and so consumed his youth in triūphes maskes and other expences common and apt for suche pilgrimes addressing his loue indifferently to all women without greater affection to one then to an other and continued that order till vpon an holy daie he espied a yong maide of smal yeres but of verie exquisite beautie whiche maiden sodainly castyng her eye vpon hym so pearced the knight Didaco with her looke that from that tyme forthe she entred more nere his harte then any other And after he had wel marked her dwellyng place he many tymes passed and repassed before the doore to espie if he might gette some looke or other fauour of her that began alredie to gouerne the bridle of his thoughtes and if it chaunced that the gentlemanne behelde her she shewed herself curteous and amiable indued with grace so good that he neuer departed ill contēted out of that streate The gentleman continuyng certaine tyme in those vanities was destrous to know a farre of what she was of what lineage and of what vocacion And after he had curiously serched out all her originall he vnderstoode by diuers reporte that she was a Goldsmithes doughter whose father was dedde certaine yeres before hauyng no more but her another aliue and twoo brethren bothe of their fathers occupacion Notwithstandyng of life she was chaste honeste defamed with none although she was pursued of many Her outwarde beautie did not so muche sette her forthe as her grace and order of talke who although brought vp in a citizens house yet no ladie or gentlewoman in the Citie was comparable to her in vertue and behauiour For from her tender yeres she was not onely giuen to her nedle a méete exercise for maides of her degrée but also was trained vp to write and reade wherin she tooke so great pleasure that ordinarilie she carried a boke in her hande whiche she neuer gaue ouer till she had gathered some fruicte thereof This knight hauing receiued that first impression of the valor and vertue of Violenta for that was her name was further in loue then before and that whiche added more oile to the matche was the continuall lookes wherwith she knewe how to delight him and with them she was so liberall that so oft as he passed through the streate she shotte them forthe so cruelly that his poore harte felyng it self so tormēted could not indure that newe onset By reason whereof thinkyng to quenche the fire that by litle and litle consumed hym he would attempt her chastite with giftes letters and messengers whiche he continued the space of halfe a yere or more Wherevnto Violenta giuyng no place in the ende he was constreined to assaile her with his own presence and one daie findying her alone at the doore after he had made a verie humble reuerence vnto her he saied Maistresse Violenta consideryng your order and the colde regarde that you haue to my letters and messages I doe remember the subtiltie that is attributed to the Serpente who with his taile stoppeth his eares bicause he will not heare the woordes whiche hath power to constraine hym to doe against his wil which hath made me to leaue to write vnto you to desire specially to speake vnto you that myne affectuous accentes my sorowfull wordes and feruente sighes might certefie you better then Paper the rest of my passion beleuyng verely that if the heauie sounde of my greuous complaintes maie come to your eares thei will make you to vnderstande a parte of that good and euill whiche I feele continually in my harte although the loue whiche I beare you be suche that I can not giue suche liuelie experience outwardly beyng but litle in comparison of them whiche maie be séen within And pronouncyng those wordes there followed so many teares sobbes and sighes that thei gaue sufficiēt testimonie that his tongue was the true and faithfull messenger of his harte Whereof Violenta somewhat ashamed with a constaunte grace said vnto hym Senior Didaco if you dooe yet remember your life past and mine honestie whiche peraduenture you haue thought either rude or cruell I doubte not that you haue any cause to maruaile of my presumpcion and to attribute that to vice whiche is familier with vertue For although that you haue sollicited me to loue you by an infinite nomber of letters and messages yet it is so that followyng the nature of maides of my degrée I haue neither allowed them nor yet cōdempned thē as where vnto accordinglie I haue made none answere not for despite or contempte but to lette you knowe more certainlie that by fauoryng your enterprises I should increase your grief whiche can receiue none ende by the waie you pretēde For although that I haue made the first proofe vpon my self and therfore of reason I ought to lamente them whiche bee in semblable paine yet I will not let slippe the bridle in suche wise to my passion that myne honestie shall remaine in an other mannes power and so it maie bée at the mercie and curtesie of them who not knowyng how dere
ouer the riuer of Tybre arriued at Rome in sauftie whiche beyng redemaūded by Porsenna wer sent backe againe The kyng driuen into a wōderfull admiracion for the desperate and manly enterprises doen by the Romane nacion retourned the maiden home againe to Rome In whose honour the Romanes erected an Image on horsebacke placed at the vpper ende of the strete called Sacra via And so peace was concluded betwene Porsenna and the Romanes Martius Coriolanus goyng about to represse the common people of Rome with dearth of Corne was banished For reuengemeut whereof he perswaded Accius Tullius Kyng of the Volscians to make warres vpon the Romanes and he hymself in their aide came in his own persone The citie brought to greate miserie the fathers deuised meanes to deliuer the same and sent into the Volscian campe the mother the wife and children of Coriolanus Upon whose cōplaintes Coriolanus withdrewe the Volscians And the Citie was reduced to qiuetnesse ¶ The .iiij. Nouell IN the yere that Titus Geganius Publius Minutius were Consuls when all thinges were quiet abrods and dissensiō at home appeased an other greate mischief inuaded the citie Firste a dearth of victuals by reason the lande was vntilled by the peoples departure then a famine suche as chaunceth to the besieged whiche had brought a greate destruccion of people had not the Consuls forséen the same by prouision in forren places Thei sent purueiors into Scicilia but the malice of the cities adioynyng staied the prouision that was made a farre of The Corne prouided at Cumas was staied for the goodes of Tarquinius by Aristodemus the tirant whiche was his heire The next yere folowyng a great masse of corne was transported out of Scicile in the tyme of the Consuls M. Minutius and A. Sempronius Then the Senate consulted vpon the distribucion of the same vnto the people Diuers thought that the tyme was then come to bridle and oppresse the people whereby thei might recouer those priuileges that were extorted from the fathers Emonges whiche Martius Coriolanus a yong gentleman was the chiefest who beyng an enemie to the Tribune aucthoritie said these wordes If the people will haue victualles and corne at that price whereat it was assised and rated in time past then it is mete and necessarie that thei rēder to the fathers their aunciente aucthoritie and priuilege For to what purpose be the plebeian Magistrates ordeined For what consideracion shall I suffer my self to bee subiugated vnder the aucthoritie of Sicinius as though I were conuersant emonges theues Shall I abide these iniuries any longer to continue then is necessarie I that could not suffer Tarquinius the kyng shall I be pacient with Sicinius Let Sicinius departe if he will let him drawe the people after hym the waie yet is open to the sacred hill and to the other mountaignes Let them robbe vs of our Corne whiche thei tooke awaie from our owne lande as thei did thrée yeres passe let them inioye the victualles whiche in their furie thei did gather I dare bée bolde to saie thus muche that béeyng warned and tamed by this present penurie thei had rather plowe and till the lande then thei would suffre the same to be vncultured by withdrawyng thē selues into Armure It is not so easie to bée spokē as I thanke it maie with facilitie bée brought to passe that vpon condicions the prices of victualles should be abated the fathers might remoue the aucthoritie of the Tribunes and disanull all those lawes whiche against their willes were ratefied and confirmed This sentence seemed cruell to the fathers and almoste had set the people together by the eares who would haue torne hym in péeces had not the Tribunes appoincted a daie for his apparance Wherevpon their furie for that tyme was appeased Coriolanus seyng the peoples rage to encrease and consideryng that thei should bée his Iudge when the daie of his apparance was come he absented hymself and for lacke thereof was condempned Then he fledde to the Volscians of whom he was gently interteigned and lodged in the house of Accius Tullius the chief of that citie and a deadly enemie to the Romanes Upon daily conference and consultacion had betwene theim thei consulted by what sleight or pollicie thei might comence a quarrell againste the Romanes And bicause thei doubted that the Volscians would not easely bee perswaded therevnto beyng so oft vanquished and ill intreated thei excogitated some other new occasion In the meane time T. Latinius one of the plebeian sorte perceiuyng that the Romanes went about to institute great pastimes conceiued a dreame wherin he sawe Iuppiter to speake vnto hym and saied that he liked not the towardnesse of those games and in case the same were not celebrated with greate roialtie and magnificence thei would ingender perill to the citie whiche dreame he declared to the Consuls Then the Senate gaue order that the same should bée addressed with great pompe triumphe wherevnto through thinstigacion of Accius a great nomber of the Volscians resorted But before the plates begonne Tullius accordyng to the compacte agréed vpon betwene hym and Coriolanus secretly repaired to the Consuls and takyng theim a side declared that he had to saie vnto them a matter iouchyng the publike wealthe of their citie vtteryng these woordes I am forced against my will to signifie vnto you a matter concernyng myne owne subiectes and countrie men I come not to accuse them for that thei haue alreadie admitted any thyng but I come to giue you a premonicion left thei should perpetrate some occasion contrary to the order of your citie The disposition of my countrie men is more inconstant then I would wishe whiche we haue felte to our greate losse and decaie The cause of our securitie at this presente is rather suffered by your patience then by our desert Here bée at this instaunte a greate multitude of Volscians Here be games prepared and the citie throughly bent to beholde the same I dooe remember what was doen vpon like occasion in this citie by the Romane youthe I tremble to thinke what maie be rashely attempted wherefore I thought good bothe for your own sakes and for auoidyng of displeasure to foretell you of these thinges And for mine own parte I purpose immediatly to returne home bicause I will auoide the daunger perill that maie chaunce by my presence When he had spoken those wordes he departed The Consuls immediatly recompted the request of Accius to the Senate who more estemyng the personage from whēce the same did procede then the matter that was spoken determined to prouide a remedy for the same and immediatly caused the Volscians to auoide the citie sendyng officers about to commaunde theim to departe that night vpon whiche sodein commaundemente at the first thei began to meruaile what should be the cause And afterwardes thei conceiued a greate grief and offence for that vnneighbourly enterteignement And as thei wer passyng out of the citie in a long traine Tullius beyng vpō
gentlewomans bedde and began to imbrace kisse her The mayden when she felte him sodaynelie dipped her finger in the colour stayned his face not perceyued of him when he had accomplished the thing he came for he retourned to his bedde And then began to imagine vpon the Dukes wordes and for what policie he spake them And lying a litle while stil musing vpon the same he went againe to the gētlewomans bed hauing disposed himselfe in the pleasures of this paradise lambe He perceyued her when she dipped her finger in the sawcer rubbed his face Ricciardo marking the fame toke away the sawcer from the beddes head and rounde about bestowed the colour vpon the faces of euery of his felowes who were to fast a slepe that they did not fele him Some he marked with two spottes some with six and some with .x. himself he painted but with foure besides those wherwith already he was berayed by the Gentlewoman Which done he set the saucer agayne vpon the beds head when he had bidden her farewel fayre softly he returned againe to his bed In the morning betimes the Damosels of the chāber came in to helpe the Lady to make her ready which done they waited vpō her to the Duke who asked her howe the matter stode She aunswered well for she had done his cōmaundement And tolde him how one came vnto her three times euery time she gaue him a taint in his face The Duke by and by sent for them that were of his counsell To whome he sayde Sirs I haue founde out this good fellowe and therefore I haue sent for you that we al together may goe to sée him They went all into the chāber and viewing them round about they perceyued all their faces coloured whereat they fell into a great laughter Then one of them sayde to a nother Suerlie this fellowe hath the subtilest head that euer was knowen and concluded the one of the company had set the colour in their faces The yong men beholding one another paynted in that sorte brake into a great sport and pastime Afterwardes the Duke examined euery of them séeing that he was not able by any meanes to vnderstande by whom it was done he determined to knowe the man before he departed and promised to him that shoulde confesse the truth to giue his daughter to him in mariage and with her a very great dowrie and a generall pardon Wherefore Ricciardo vnderstanding the Dukes minde toke hym asyde and tolde him the whole matter particularly from the beginning to the ende The Duke imbraced him and gaue him his pardon and with great ioy and triumph he solemnized the mariage betwene him his daughter Wherewithal Ricciardo encoraged proued a very stoute and valiaunt man in suche wise almost as the affaires of the whole state passed through his handes And liued a long time after with the loue good will of the whole cominaltie of Venice Philenio Sisterno Philenio Sisterno a Scholler of Bologna being mocked of three fayre Gentlewomen at a banket made of set purpose he was reuenged vpon them all ¶ The .xlix. Nouell AT Bologna which is the noblest citie of Lombardie the mother of studies and accomplished with all things requisite for such a florishing citie there was a yong scholler a gentleman of the cuntrie of Crete named Philenio Sisterno of very good grace and behauior It chaunced that in his tyme there was a great feast made in the citie wherevnto were bidden the fairest dames and best of reputation there There was likewise many gentlemen and schollers of Bologna amongs whome was this Philenio Who following the manner of yong men dallying sometime with one sometime with another and perceyuing them for his purpose determined to daūce with one of them And comming to one which was called Emerentiana the wyfe of sir Lamberto Bentiuoglia he prayed her to daunce Who being very gentle and of no lesse audacitie than beautifull refused not Then Philenio leading forth the daunce very softly sometimes wringing her by the hand spake somewhat secretely vnto her these words Madame your beautie is so great that without doubt it surmounteth all that euer I sawe and there is no woman in the worlde to whome I beare so great affection as to your person which if it were correspondent to me in loue I would think my self the best contented man in the worlde otherwise I shall in shorte time be depriued of lyfe and then you shall be the cause of my death And louing you Madame as I doe and as my duety requireth you ought to take me for your seruaunt vsing me and those litle goodes which I haue as your owne And I doe assure you that it is impossible for me to receyue greater fauour from heauen than to sée my self subiect to such a gentlewoman as you be which hath taken me in a net lyke a birde Nowe Emerentiana which earnestly had marked the swéete and pleasaunt wordes lyke a wise gentlewoman semed to giue no eare thervnto and made him no aunswere at all The daunce ended and Emerentiana being set downe in her place this yong scholler went to take another Gentlewoman by the hand and began to daunce with her which was not so sone begon but thus he sayde vnto her It néedeth not Madame that by wordes I doe expresse the feruent loue which I beare you and wil so doe so long as my poore spirite shall gouerne and rule my members and if I could obtaine you for my maistresse and singuler Lady I would thinke my selfe the happiest man on liue Then louing you as I doe and being wholly yours as you may easily vnderstand refuse me not I besech you for your humble seruaunt sith that my lyfe and al that I haue dependeth vpon you alone The yong gentlewoman whose name was Panthemia perceyuing his meaning did not aunswere him any thing at that tyme but honestlie procéeded in her daunce and the daunce ended smyling a little she sat downe with the other dames This done amorous Philenio rested not vntill he had taken the third by the hand who was the gentlest fayrest and trimmest dame in al Bologna and began to daunce with her roming abrode to shew his cunning before them that came to behold him And before the daunce was finished he sayd thus vnto her Madame it may so be as I shall séeme vnto you very malapert to manifest the secrete loue that I haue and doe beare you at this instant for which you ought not to blame me but your beautie which rendreth you excellent aboue al the rest and maketh me your slaue prisoner I speake not of your cōmendable behauior of your excellent maruellous vertues which be such of so great effect that it would make the Gods descend downe to contēplate the same If then your excellent beauty and shape so wel fauoured by nature and not by arte may séeme to contente the immortall Gods you ought not to be offēded
frequent vse of mighty in countrie terrible shocke of shield Launce is familier in the Court famous in the towne and countrie In whom may pacient bearing of aduersitie and constant suffrance of Fortunes threates more duly to the world appere than in him that hath coÌ„stantly susteined quietly passed ouer the bruntes of the same To whom may be giuen a Theatre of the world and stage of humaine miserie more worthily than to him that hath with comely gesture wyse demeanor and orderly behauiour bene an actor in the same Who is he that more condignely doth deserue to be possesin a Palace of Pleasure than he that is daylie resiant in a pallace of renowmed fame guided by a Queene adorned with most excellent beautie and shape indewed and garnished with great learning passing vertues and rare qualities of the minde To whom I say may constancie of Ladyes and vertuous dedes of Dames nore aptly be applied than to him that hath in possession a Lady and Countesse of noble birth whose sire was the olde Earle of Bedforde a graue and faithfull councelor to her Maiesties most noble Progenitors and father is the same in deare estimation and regard with her highnesse vnder whoÌ„ he trustily honorably serueth whose curteous and couÌ„tesse like behauior glistereth in the court amongs the troupe of honorable Dames and for her towarde disposition first preferred by the Quenes Maiestie into her secrete chamber and after aduaunced to be Countesse of your noble Earledome Besides al which rare giftes by Nature ingrafted in your honor and by her bountifully bestowed vpon the same the perfect pietie and brotherly loue betwene you and the right noble and vertuous the Earle of Lecester your honorable brother is had in greatest admiration Whose noble courage in dedes of honor and passing humanitie to his inferiours is very commendable to the worlde But here I will stay my selfe lest whilest I goe about to extoll your fames I doe for wante of skill in due praise seme to diminishe that which among all men by daily experience is sufficiently renowmed And as your honor dothe with great prudence gouerne that office of the Ordinance wherof I am a member euen so the same hath with great care and diligence commended suche to the Quenes Maiestie to ioyne and serue in the same as officers right worthy their vocations specially the worshipfull Edwarde Randolfe Esquire Lieutenaunt of that office a man for his experience and good aduise rather fostred in the bosome of Bellona her selfe than nourced in kentish soyle although in the scholehouse of curtesie and humanitie he appeareth full carefully to haue bene trayned vp by his vertuous parents which is familiarly knowen vnto me and other that domestically as it were doe frequent his companie But alas my Lorde amonges the midde of my reioyce of those before remembred I can not pretermit the lamentable losse of the best approued gonner that euer serued in our time his Prince and countrie Robert Thomas the Maister Gonner who for skill and seruice both a title of Prince of Gonners iustlye did deserue And see the luck when he thought best to signifie his good will to honor Hymeneus bed at Nuptiall night a clap of that he neuer feared did ende his lyfe Such is the dradfull furie of Gonners arte and hellish rage of Vulcanes worke And therefore that daungerous seruice in skilfull men is specially to be recommended and cherished Wherevnto as your honor hitherto hath borne singuler affection by preferring to her Maiestie suche as from their infancie haue bene trained vp in that necessarie seruice and very painefully haue imployed the same in the time of the Quenes maiestie that nowe is and her progenitors euen so I humbly besech your honor for continuaunce of the same specially in those that be indewed with greatest experience in whome onely resteth the brunt of our defence A seruice so commendable and needeful as none more But what neede I to prouoke the willing mynde whose honor is more prest to cherish such than I am able by wishing heart for to conceyue Finallie yet once againe I humbly besech your honor gratefully to accept this boke at your leisure conuenieÌ„t time to reade peruse the same By reuoluing wherof your honor I trust shal be delighted with the rare histories good examples therin coÌ„tayned such as to my knowlege heretofore haue not ben made coÌ„mon to our countrimen which with al my good wil indeuor I duetifully exhibit Beseching Almighty God fauourably to defend and gouerne your honor prosperously to maintayne and kepe the same godly to direct my right honorable Lady in the steppes of perfect vertue bountifullye to make you both happie parentes of many childreÌ„ and after the expence of Nâ—stor yeares in this transitorie lyfe mercifully to conducte you to the vnspeakable ioyes of his kingdome Nere the Tower of London the first of Ianuarie 1566. By your L. moste bounden William Pamter ¶ A Recapitulacion or briefe Rehearsal of the Arguments of euery Nouell with the places noted in what Author euery of the same or theffect be reade and contayned Titus Liuius ¶ The Romanes and Albanes being at warres for iniuries mutually inferred Metius Suffetius the Albane Capten deuised a way by a Combat to ioyne both the Cities in one Uictorie falling to the Romanes the Romane victor killeth hys sister who notwithstanding is condempned to dye Afterwardes vpon his fathers sute he is deliuered The first Nouell Folio 1. ¶ Sextus Tarquinius rauisheth Lucrece who bewayling the losse of her chastitie killeth her selfe The .ij. Nouell Folio 5. ¶ The siedge of Rome by Porsenna and the valiaunt deliuery therof by Mntius Scoeuola The .iij. Nouell Folio 7. ¶ Martius Cortolanus going about to represse the common people of Rome with dearth of Corne was vanished For reuengement wherof he persuaded Accius 〈◊〉 King of the Uuolcians to make warres vpon the Romanes he himself in their ayde came in his owne person The citie brought to great miserie the fathers deuised meanes to deliuer the same and sent into the Uuolscian camp the mother the wife children of Cortolanus Upon whose coÌ„plaints Cortolanus withdrew the Uuolscians And the citie was reduced to quietnesse The .iiij. Nouell Folio 9. ¶ Appius Clandius one of the Decemuiri of Rome goeth about to rauish Virginia a yong maideÌ„ which indeuor of Appius when her father Virginius vnderstode being then in the warres he repayreth home to rescue his daughter One that was betrouthed vnto her doth clayme her wherevpon rose great contencion In the ende her owne Father to saue the shame of his stock killed her with a Butchers knife and commeth into the Forum and cryeth vengeance vpon Appius Then after much contencion and rebellion the Decemviri were deposed The .v. Nouell Folio 13. Herodotus ¶ Candiules king of Lydia shewing the secretes of his wiues beautie to Gyges one of his Guarde was by counsayle of his wife slayne by the saide Gyges and
in perusing of histories then fitly haue I intituled this volume with the Palace of Pleasure For like as the outward shewe of Princes Palaces be pleasaunt at the view and sight of ech mans eye bet decked and garnished with sumptuous hangings and costlie Arras of splendent shewe wherein be wrought and be with gold silke of sundrie hewes the dedes of noble states Euen so in this our Pallace here there be at large recorded the Princely partes and glorious gestes of renowmed wights represented with more liuely grace and gorgeous sight than Tapestrie or Arras worke for that the one with deadly shape doth shewe the other with speaking voice declare what in their time they were Vpon whō doe waite as meete it is inferior persons ech one vouchsafing to tell what he was in the transitorie trade of present lyfe VVherefore accept the same in grateful wise and thinke vpon the minde of him that did the same which fraughted is with no lesse plentie of good wil than the coafers of king Craesus were with store of worldly pelfe And so fare well Authors out of whome these Nouelles be selected or which be remembred in diuers places of the same Greke and Latine Authors Titus Liuius Herodotus Aetianus Xenophon Quintus Curtius Aulus Gellius S. Hierome Cicero Polidorus Virgilius Aeneas Syluius Paludanus Apuleius L Caecius Rhodoginus Italian French and English Pietro Messia de Siuiglia Boccaccio Bandello Ser Giouanni Fiorentino Straeparole The Quene of Nauarre A boke in French intitled Comptes du monde Francois Belleforest Pierre Boaistuau surnome Launay Froisarde Fabian ¶ THE PALACE of Pleasure The Romanes and the Albanes beyng at warres for iniuries mutually inferred Metius Suffetius the Albane capitain deuised a waie by a combate to ioigne bothe the cities in one Uictorie falling to the Romanes the Romane victor killeth his sister who notwithstādyng is condempned to die Afterwardes vpon his fathers sute he is deliuered ¶ The first Nouell NVma Pompilius the seconde kyng of the Romanes beeyng deade Tullus Hostilius succeded a lustie and couragious yong gentleman For as Numa was giuē to peace so was he to warres and valiance It chaunced in his tyme that certein peasantes of the Romane dition and the like of the Albanes was foragyng and driuyng of boties the one from the other At that tyme raigned in Alba one C. Cluilius Ambassadours from bothe places were sent to redemaūde the thinges stollen Tullus commaunded his people that thei should deliuer none til commaundement were giuen in that behalfe for he knewe right well that the Alban kyng would restore nothyng by whiche occasion be might vpon iust cause proclaime warres He receiued the Alban Ambassadours in verie courteous maner and thei as curteously celebrated his honourable and sumptuous interteignemente Amitie proceded on bothe partes till the Romanes beganne to demaunde the firste restituciō whiche the Albanes denied and summoned warres to bee inferred vpon them within thirtie daies after Wherevpon the Ambassadours craued license of Tullus to speake whiche beyng graunted thei firste purged themselues by ignoraunce that thei knewe no harme or iniurie doen to the Romanes addyng further that if any thyng were dooen that should not please Tullus it was against their willes hopyng he would remember that thei were but Ambassadours subiecte to the commaundement of their prince Their coming was to demaunde a restitucion without whiche thei wer straightly charged to proclame defiaunce Whervnto Tullus aunswered Tell your maister that the kyng of the Romanes doeth call the goddes to witnes whether of them first maketh the quarrell to thintent all menne maie expecte the reuenge of those warres Whiche answere the Albane Ambassadours retourned to their maister Greate prouision for the warres was made on bothe partes muche like to a ciuile contencion almost betwene the father and the sonne For the citie of Lauinium was builded by the Troians and Alba by the Lauinians of whose stocke the Romanes tooke their beginnyng The Albanes seyng that thei were defied of the Romanes beganne firste to enter in armes and with a maine power perced the land of the Romanes and encamped within fiue miles of the citie enuironyng their campe with a trenche whiche afterwardes was called Fossa Cluilia by the mean of their capitaine wherein Cluilius the kyng died Then the Albanes appointed one Metius Suffetius to bee their Dictator Tullus vnderstāding the death of their prince with greate expedicion marched into the countrie about Alba passyng by the Albanes campe in the night whiche by the watche and scoutes was skried Then he retired to lodge as nere the enemie as he could sendyng an Ambassadour before to require Tullus that he would come to Parle before thei fought wherein he had a thyng to saie no lesse profitable to the Romanes then to the Albanes Tullus not cōtempnyng that condicion agreed Wherevpon bothe did put themselues in readines and before thei foigned bothe the captaines with certaine of their chief officers came forthe to talke where Metius saied these woordes The mutuall iniuries that hath been dooen and the withholdyng and kepyng of thynges caried awaie contrarie to the truce and that our kyng Cluilius is the authour and beginner of these warres I do heare and assuredly vnderstande for a trothe And I doe not doubt Tullus but thou also doest conceiue the same to be the onely occasion of this hostilitie Notwithstandyng if I maie speake rather the truthe then vtter any glosyng woordes by waie of flaterie the ambicious desire of bothe the Emperes doeth moste of all stimulate and prouoke bothe the Cities beeyng of one affinite and neighbours to frequēt this force of armes But whether this my coniecture bee right or wrong thei ought to consider whiche first began the warres The Albanes haue created me their Capitaine of this their enterprise I come to giue aduertisement to thée O Tullus of this one thing Whiche is that the Thuscans beyng a greate nacion and of power right famous doth enuirone vs bothe rounde about and the nerer thei bée vnto you the more knowledge you haue of thē Thei bee mightie vpon the lande and of greate power vpon the sea Call to thy remembraunce and consider that when thou giuest the signe and watche woorde of the battell our twoo armies shall bee but a ridiculous spectacle to them So sone as thei doe perceiue vs twoe to be spent and weried with fightyng thei will bothe assaile the vanquished and hym also that dooeth ouercome Wherfore if the goddes doe fauour either of vs let vs not shewe our selfes to be wearie of our libertie and franchise that is certaine and hazarde the Dice to incurre perpetuall seruitude and bondage Theerfore lette vs deuise some otherwaie whereby the one of vs maie gouerne the other withont effusion of bloodde of either partes This condiciō nothyng displeased Tullus although in corage and hope of victorie he was more fierce and bolder then the other And beyng in consultaciō about that purpose fortune ministered an apte occasion to them
well doers in their glorie and triumphe to perpetrate thynges vnlawfull Sextus Tarquinius rauisheth Lucrece who bewailyng the losse of her chastitie killeth her self ¶ The seconde Nouell GReate preparacion was made by the Romanes against a people called Rutuli who had a citie named Ardea excellyng in wealth and richesse whiche was the cause that the Romane kyng beyng exhausted and quite voide of money by reason of his sumptuous buildynges made warres vpon that countrie In the tyme of the siege of that citee the yong Romane gentlemen bāqueted one an other emonges whom there was one called Collatinus Tarquinius the sonne of Egerius And by chaunce thei entred in communicacion of their wiues euery one praisyng his seuerall spouse At length the talke began to growe hotte where vpon Collatinus said that wordes wer vaine For within fewe howers it might be tried how muche his wife Lucrecia did excell the rest wherfore q he if there be any liuelihod in you Let vs take our horse to proue whiche of our wiues doth furmoūt Wherevpō thei rode to Rome in poste At their coming thei found the kynges doughters sportyng themselfes with sundrie pastymes From thence thei went to the house of Collatinus where thei founde Lucrece not as the other before named spendyng the time in idlenes but late in the night occupied and busie emonges her maides in the middes of the house spinning of Wolle The victorie and praise wherof was giuen to Lucretia who when she sawe her husbande gently and louingly interteigned hym curteously biddyng the Tarquinians welcome Imediatlie Sextus Tarquinius the sonne of Tarquinius Superbus that tyme the Romane kyng was attached and incensed with a libidious desire to construprate and defloure Lucrece When the yong gentlemen had bestowed that night pleasantlie with their wiues thei retourned to the Campe. Not long after Sextus Tarquinius with one man returned to Collatia vnknowen to Collatinus and ignoraunte to Lucrece and the reste of her houshold for what purpose he came Who beyng right hartely interteigued after supper was conueighed to his chamber Tarquinius burnyng with the loue of Lucrece after he perceiued the housholde to bee at reste and all thynges in quiet he with his naked sworde in his hande goeth to Lucrece beyng a slepe and kepyng her doune with his lefte hande saied Holde thy peace Lucrece q he I am Sextus Tarquinius my sworde is in my hande if thou crie I will kill thee The gentlewoman beyng sore a fraied newlie awaked out of her slepe and seyng iminent death could not tell what to doe Then Tarquinius confessed his loue and began to intreate her and therewithall vsed sundrie menacyng woordes by all meanes attemptyng to make her quiet when he sawe her obstinate and that she would not yelde to his requeste notwithstandyng his cruell threates he added shamefull and villanous woordes saiyng That he would kill her and when she was slaine he would also kill his slaue and place hym by her that it might be reported she was slain beyng taken in adulterie She vāquished with his terrible and infamous threat His fleshly and licencious enterprise ouercame the puritie of her chast harte whiche doen he departed Then Lucrece sente a poste to Rome to her father and an other to Ardea to her housbande requiryng them that thei would make speede to come vnto her with certaine of their trustie frendes for that a cruell facte was chaunced Then Sp. Lucretius with P. Valerius the soonne of Volesius Collatinus with L. Iunius Brutus made haste to Lucrece Where thei founde her sittyng verie pensife and sadde in her chamber So sone as she sawe theim she began pitiouslie to weepe Then her housebande asked her whether all thynges were well vnto whom she saied these woordes No dere housebande for what can bee well or safe vnto a woman when she hath loste her chastitie Alas Collatine the steppes of an other man be now fixed in thy bedde But it is my bodie onely that is violated my minde God knoweth is gililes whereof my death shal be witnesse But if you be men giue me your hādes and trouthe that the adulterer maie not escape vnreuenged It is Sextus Tarquinius who beyng an enemie in stede of a frende the other night came vnto me armed with his sworde in his hand and by violence caried a waie from me and tooke to himself a pestiferous ioye Then euery of thē gaue her their faith and comforted the pensife and languishyng ladie imputing the offence to the aucthor and doer of the same affirmyng that her bodie was polluted and not her mynde and where consente was not there the crime was absent Wherevnto she added I praie you consider with your selues what punishment is due for the malefactour As for my parte though I clere my self of the offence my bodie shall feele the punishemente for no vnchast or ill woman shall hereafter take example of Lucrece Then she drew out a knife whiche she had hidden secretly vnder her kirtle and stabbed her self to the harte Whiche doen she fell doune grouelyng vpon her wounde and so died Wherevpon her father and housebande made greate lamentacion and as thes were bewailyng the death of Lucrece Brutus plucked the knife out of the wounde whiche gushed out with abundance of blood and holdyng it vp saied I swere by the chaste blood of this bodie here deade and I take you the immortall goddes to witnesse that I wil driue and extirpate out of this Citie bothe L. Tarquinius Superbus and his wicked wife with all the race of his children and progenie so that none of them ne yet any others shall raigne any longer in Rome Then he deliuered the knife to Collatinus Lucretius and Valerius merueilyng at the straungenesse of his woordes And from whence he should conceiue that determinacion Thes al swore that othe And folowed Brutus as their capitaine in his conceiued purpose The bodie of Lucrece was brought into the markette place where the people wondred at the vilenesse of that facte euery mā cōplainyng vpon the mischief of that facinorous rape committed by Tarquinius Wherevpon Brutus perswaded the Romanes that thei should cease from teares and other childishe lamentacions and take weapons in their handes and shewe themselues like men Then the lustiest and moste desperate persones within the citie made theimselues presse and readie to attempt any enterprise And after a guarrison was placed and bestowed at Collatia diligente watche and warde was kepte at the gates of the citie to the intent the kyng should haue no aduertismente of that slurre The reste of the souldiours followed Brutus to Rome Whē he was come to Rome the armed multitude did beate a meruellous feare throughout the whole citie but yet because thei sawe the chiefeste personages goe before that thought that the same enterprise was not taken in vaine Wherefore the people out of all places of the citie ran into the marketplace Where Brutus complained of the abhominable Rape of Lucrece committed by Sextus Tarquinius whervnto
he added the pride and insolent behauiour of the kyng the miserie and drudgerie of the people and how thei which in tyme paste were victours and Conquerours were made of men of warre Artificers and Labourers He remembred also the infamous murder of Seruius Tullius their late kpng These and suche like he called to the peoples remembraunce whereby thei abrogated and deposed Tarquinius banishyng him his wife and childrē Then he leuied an armie of chosen and piked men and marched to the campe at Ardea committing the gouernemente of the citie to Lucretius who before was by the kyng appoineted Lieutenant Tullia in the tyme of this hurlie burlie fledde from her house al the people cursyng and criyng vengeaunce vpon her Newes brought into the Cāpe of these euentes the kyng with greate feare retourned to Rome to represse those tumultes And Brutus hearyng of his approche marched an other waie because he would not meete hym When Tarquinius was come to Rome the gates wer shutte against hym and he hymself commaunded to auoide into exile The cāpe receiued Brutus with greate ioye and triumphe for that he had deliuered the citie of suche a tiraunte Then Tarquinius with his children fledde to Caere a citie of the Hetrurians And as Sextus Tarquinius was goyng he was flain by those that premeditated reuengement of olde murder and iniuries by hym doen to their predecessours This L. Tarquinius Superbus raigned .xxv. yeres The raigne of the kynges from the first foundacion of the citie continued CC.xliiij yeres After which gouernement two Consuls wer appoincted for the order and administracion of the citie And for that yere L. Iunius Brutus and L. Tarquinius Collatinus The siege of Rome by Porsenna and the valiaunte deliuerie thereof by Mutius Scaeuola ¶ The .iij. Nouell WHen P. Valerius and T. Lucretius were created Consuls Porsenna kyng of Hetruria vpon the instigacion of the banished Tarquinians came before the Citie with an huge armie Whos 's same did wōderfully appail the Senate for the like occasion of terrour neuer before that tyme chaunced to the Romanes who did not onely feare their enemies but also their owne subiectes suspecting lest thei should be forced to reteine the kinges again All which afterwardes was through the wisedome and discreciō of the fathers quietly mitigated and appeased and the citie reduced to suche a vnitie and courage as all sortes of people despised the name of king Whē the enemies were approched the rurall people abandonyng their colonies fledde for rescue into the citie The citie was diuided into guarrisons Some kepte the walles and some the waie ouer Tybre whiche was thought verie saufe and defensible Although the woddē bridge made ouer that Riuer had almoste been an open waie for the enemies entrie whereof Horacius Cocles as fortune serued that daie had the charge Who so manfully behaued himself that after he had broken vp and burned the bridge and dooen other notable exploites he defended that passage with suche valiance that the defence thereof seemed miraculous to the great astonishemēt of the enemies In fine Porsenna seyng that he could little preuaile in the afsault retourned to the Campe determynyng neuerthelesse to continue his siege At whiche tyme one Caius Mutius a yong gentleman of Rome purposed to aduenture some notable enterprise saiyng to the Senators these wordes I determine to passe the Riuer and enter if I can into the campe of the enemies not to fetche spoile or to reuēge mutuall iniuries but to hazarde a greater enterprise if the Goddes be assistaunt vnto me The Senate vnderstandyng the effect of his indeuour allowed his deuise And then hauyng a sworde vnder his garmente went foorthe When he was come into the throng he conueighed hymself as uere to the kynges pauilion as he could It chaunced that he was paiyng wages to his souldiours by whom his Secretarie did sitte in suche apparell almoste as the kyng hymself did weare Mutius beyng a ferde to demaunde whiche of theim was the kyng lest he should betraie hymself sodainly killed the Secretarie in stede of the kyng and as he was makyng waie with his blouddie sworde to escape he was apprehended and brought before the kyng and with merueilous stoutnesse and audacitie spake these wordes I am a citizen of Rome and my name is Mutius and beyng an enemie I would faine haue killed myne enemie For whiche attempte I esteme no more to die then I cared to committe the murder It is naturally giuen to the Romanes bothe valiantly to doe and stootely to suffer And not I alone haue conspired thy death but a greate nomber of vs haue promised the like and hope to aspire to seblable praise and glorie wherefore if this beginnyng doe please thee make thy self redie euery hower to expecte like perill and to fight for thy self And make accompte that euery daie euen at the doore of thy lodgyng thy enemie armed doeth awaite for thée we alone yong gentlemen of the Citie dooe stande at defiance and pronounce vpon thée this kinde of battaill Feare no armies or other hostilitie For with thée alone and with euery one of vs these warres shal be tried The king astoned with that holde and desperate enterprice fill into a greate rage and furie commaundyng Mutius presently to bée consumed with fire vnlesse he would out of hande tel him the order of the purposed and diuised treason Beholde O king q he how litell thei care for their bodies that dooe aspire and séeke for fame and glorie And then he thrust his right hande into the fire and rosted the same in the flame like one that had béen out of his wittes The kyng amazed with the straungenesse of the facte stepped doune from his seate and caused hym to be taken from the fire saiyng Awaie frende q the kyng thou hast killed thy self and aduentured hostilitie vpō thy self rather then against me Surely I would think my self happie if like valiance were to be found in my countrie Wherefore by lawe of Armes I sette thée at libertie vntouched and without harme wherevnto Mutius for acquilyng that deserte answered For as muche as thou hast thus honourably delte with me I will for recompence of this benefite saie thus muche vnto thée which by threates thou shouldest neuer haue gotten at my hādes Thrée hundred of vs that be yong noble men of Rome haue conspired thy death euen by the like attempt It was my lofte to come first the rest whē fortune shall giue oportunitie of tyme euery one his tourne will giue the aduenture Wherevpon he was dismissed and afterwardes was called Scaeuola for the losse of his right hande Then peace was offered to the Romanes who vpon cōdicions that the enemies guarrisons should be withdrawen from Ianiculum and that the countrie wonne of the Veientines should bee restored againe gaue hostages Emonges whom there was a gentlewoman called Cloelia deliuered into the handes of the Hetrurians who deceiuyng her keepers conueighed her self and the other pledges from their enemies and swimmyng
the top of the hille called Ferrentine to waite for the people as thei passed by called vnto hym the chief and principall personages to prouoke them to take that aduaūtage and then assembled the multitude in the valleie harde by the high waie to whom he pronounced these wordes Forgetting all iniuries and displeasures past doen by the Romane people against the Volsciās how can you abide the contumelte committed this daie wherein to our greate shame and ignomie thei begin to ostentate and shewe forthe their plaies Do not you beleue that euen to daie thei triumphe ouer you Is not your departure thinke ye ridiculous to al the Romanes to straungers and other cities adioynyng Bée not your wiues and children trowe ye now passyng homewardes laughed to scorne What thinke you your selues be whiche were warned to departe at the sounde of the trumpet What suppose ye will all thei thinke whiche dooe meete this multitude retiryng homewardes to their greate reproche shame Truely except there be some secrete occasion whereby wée should bee suspected to violate the plaies or committe some other crime and so forced to relinquishe the companie and fellowship of the houest I knowe not what should be the cause of this repulse Were wee liuyng when we made suche festinacion to departe If it maie bee called a departure and not a runnyng awaie and shamefull retire I perceiue ye did not accompte this to bee a citie of our enemies where I thinke if ye had taried but one daie longer ye had all béen slaine Thei haue denounced warres vpon you whiche if you bee men of corage shall redounde to the vtter destruccion of them whiche first gaue the defiaunce The Vollcians perceiuyng themselues greatly derided for consideracions before remembred determined by common accorde to inferre warres vpon the Romanes vnder the conduccion of Accius Tullius and Coriolanus After thei had recouered diuers of the Romane Cities thei proceded further and in sundry places spoiled and destroied the same encampyng theimselues fiue miles from Rome besides the trēches called Fossas Cluilias In the meane tyme contencion rose betwene the people and the fathers howbeit the fears of forren partes linked their myndes together in the bandes of concord The Consuls and fathers reposed their whole cōfidence in battaill whiche the common peoplem nowise could abide Wherefore thei were constrained to assemble the Senate wherein was determined that Ambassadours should bee sente to Coriolanus to demaunde peace who retourned them again with a frowarde answere to this effecte that first thei should restore to the Volscians their Countrie whiche thei had conquered that doen he willed them to seke for peace Yet thei sent again Ambassadours but in nowise thei wer suffered to come into their campe Then the priestes cladde in their ornamentes and other diuine furniture were sent humblie to make peticion for peace And yet thei could not perswade theim Then the Romane Dames repaired to Veturia the mother of Coriolanus and to his wife Volumnia But whether the same was dooen by common consente or through the feminine kinde it is vncertain It was appoincted that Veturia beyng an aunciente gentlewoman and mother of Coriolanus and Volumnia his wife with her twoo yong children should goe into the Campe to the intente thei by their pitifull lamentacion might defende the citie whiche otherwise by force was not able to be kept At their arriuall Venturia was knowen by one of her soonnes familier frendes standyug betwene her doughter in lawe and her twoo neuies who caried woorde immediatly to Coriolanus saiyng I am verie muche deceiued but that thy mother thy wife and children bee here in the Campe. Coriolanus hearyng him saie so descended from his seate like one not well in his wittes and went forthe to embrase his mother The olde gentlewoman from supplicacions fill into a greate rage speakyng these woordes Abide a while before I do receiue thy embracementes let me knowe whether I am comen to mine enemie or to my soonne or whether I am a prisoner in thy Campe or thy mother Alacke how long haue I prolonged these auncient yeres and hoare heares moste vnhappie that now firste I doe beholde thée an exile and then viewe thée myne enemie Canst thou finde in thy harte to depopulate and destroie this thy countrie wherein thou waste begotten and brought vp Could not thy rage and furie bee mitigated and appeased when thou diddest first put foote into the limites of this thy countrie Did not naturall zeale pearce thy cruell harte when thou diddest first cast thyne eyes vpon this citie Is not the house of thy mother and her domesticall Goddes conteined within the walles of youder citie Dooe not thy sorowfull mother thy deare wife and children inhabite within that compasse Wherefore O I cursed creature if I had neuer had childe Rome had not been now assailed If I had neuer brought forthe a sonne I should haue laied myne olde bones and ended my life in a frée countrie But I could neuer haue susteined or suffred more miserie then is now incident and fallen vnto me nor neuer more dishonour then to beholde thée in pitifull plight a traitour to thyne owne countrie And as I am the moste wretched wight of al mothers so I truste I shall not longe continue in that state If thou procede in this thine enterprise either sodaine death or perpetuall bondage bée thy reward When his mother had ended these woordes the whole traine of gentlewomen brake into pitifull teares bitterly bewailyng the state of their Countrie whiche at lengthe did mitigate the stomacke of Coriolanus And whē he had imbrased his wife and children he dismissed them Then he withdrewe the Volscian campe frō the citée and out of the Romane Prouince Upon the displeasure of whiche facte he died It is saied that when he was an olde manne he vsed many tymes to speake and vtter this sentence That verie miserable it is for an olde manne to liue in banishemente The Romanes disdained not to attribute to women their due praise For in memorie of this deliuerie of their Countrie Thei erected a Temple Fortunae Muliebri to womens fortune Appius Claudius one of the Decemuiri of Rome goeth about to rauishe Virginia a yonge maiden which indeuour of Appius when her father Virginius vnderstode being then in the warres he repaireth home to rescue his doughter One that was betrouthed vnto her doeth claime her wherevpon rose greate contencion In the ende her owne father to saue the shame of his stocke killed her with a Bochers knife and cometh into the Forum crieth vengeauce vpon Appius Then after muche contencion and rebellion the Decemuiri were deposed ¶ The .v. Nouell SPurius Posthumius Albus Aulus Manlius and P. Sulpitius Camerinus were sente Ambassadours to Athenes and cōmaunded to write out the noble lawes of Solon and to learne the Institucions orders and Lawes of other Greke citées Upon whose retourne the Tribunes were verie instāt that at length lawes should be enacted and
ambiguous and doubtfull causes therefore I will neither consume tyme in accusyng hym before you frō whose crueltie ye haue by force defended your selues nor yet I will suffre hym to ioyne to his former wickednesse any impudente answere for his defence Wherefore Appius all those thinges whiche he wickedly and cruelly one vpon an other thou haste dooen these twoo yeres paste I dooe fréely forgiue thee But if thou canste not purge thy self of this one thing that against the order and forme of Lawe thou thy self beyng Iudge wouldest not suffer the freman to enioye the benefite of his freedome during the processe made of seruitude I will presently commaunde thee to prison Appius Claudius beyng now a prisoner and perceiuyng that the iuste complaintes of Virginius did vehemētty incite the people to rage and furie and that the peticions and praiers of his frēdes in nowise could mollifie their hartes he began to conceiue a desperacion And within a while after slewe hymself Spurius Oppius also an other of the Decemuiri was immediatly sent to prison who before the daie of his iudgemēte died The reste also of that order fled into exile Whose goodes were confiscate Marcus Claudius also the Assertor was condempned howbeit Virginius was contented he should be banished the citie and then he fled to Tybur Thus vpon the filthie affeccion of one nobleman issued parricide murder rebellion hatred depriuyng of magistrates and greate mischiefes succedyng one in an others necke Wherevpon the noble and victorious citie was like to be a praie to forren nacions A goodlie documente to men of like callyng to moderate themselues and their Magisterie with good and honeste life thereby to giue incouragemente of vertue to their vassalles and inferiours who for the moste parte doe imitate and followe the liues and cōuersacion of their superiours Canduales kyng of Lydia shewyng the secretes of his wiues beautie to Gyges one of his Guarde was by counsaile of his wife slaine by the said Gyges and depriued of his kyngdome ¶ The .vj. Nouell OF all follies wherwith vaine men be affected the follie of immoderate loue is most to be detested For that husband whiche is beautified with a comely and honeste wife whose rare excellēcie doeth surpasse other aswell in lineamentes proporcion and feature of bodie as with inwarde qualities of minde if he can not retaine in the secrecie and silence of his breast that excellyng gifte and benefite is worthie to be inaugured with a laurell croune of follie Beautie eche man knoweth is one of natures ornamentes by her wisedome ordeined not to enter in triumphe as victours vse vpon gaine of victorie with brauerie to ostentate their glorie by sounde of Shalme Dromme but thankfully for the same to proclaime the due praise to the aucthour of Nature For there is nothyng more fraile and fadyng then the luryng lookes of Dame beauties eyes altogether like the flaryng Marigolde floure whiche in the moste feruent heate of the Sommers daie doeth appere moste glorious and vpō retire of the nightes shadowe appereth as though it had neuer been the same And therefore he that conceiueth reioyse in her vncertaine state is like to hym that in his slombryng dreame doeth imagine he hath founde a perelesse iewell of price inestimable besette with the glistering Diamonde and perfectly awaked knoweth he hath none suche If God hath indued a man with a wife that is beautifull and honest he is furnished with double pleasure suche as rather thankes to hym then vaine ostentacion is to bee remembred Otherwise he doateth either in Ielosie or openeth proude vauntes thereof to suche as he thinketh to be his moste assured frendes What ioye the sequele thereof doeth bryng let the historie insuyng reporte Candaules kyng of Lydia had a merueilous beautifull gentlewoman to his Quene and wife whom he loued very dearly and for that greate loue whiche he bare her thought her the fairest creature of the world Beyng in this louing concept he extolled the praise of his wife to one of his guarde called Gyges the sonne of Dascylus whom he loued aboue all the reste of his housholde and vsed his counsaile in all his weightie causes with in a while after he saied vnto Gyges these woordes It seemeth vnto me Gyges that thou doest not greatly beleue the woordes whiche I speake vnto the of the beautie of my wife but because eyes be better witnesses of thynges then eares thou shalte see her naked With these wordes Gyges beyng amased cried out saiyng What wordes be these sir kyng me think you are not well aduised to require me to viewe and beholde the ladie my maistres in that sorte For a woman seen naked doeth with her clothes put of also her chastitie In olde tyme honest thinges were deuised for mannes instruction emonges whiche was vsed this one thing That euery man ought to behold the thinges that were his owne But sir I doe beleue assuredlie that she is the fairest woman in the worlde wherfore desire me not to thynges that bee vnlawfull In this sorte Gyges replied and yet feared lest some daūger might happen vnto hym Whom Candaules encouraged saiyng Be of good there and be not afraid that either I or my wife goe aboute to deceiue thee or that thou shalte incurre any daunger For I will take vpon me so to vse the matter as she by no meanes shal knowe that thou haste seen her I will place thee behinde the portall of our chamber When I goe to bed my wife commonlie dooeth followe And she beyng in the Chamber a chaire is sette redie vpon whiche she laieth her clothes as she putteth them of Which doen she sheweth her self a good tyme naked And when she riseth from her chaire to goe to bedde her backe beyng toward thee thou maiest easilie conueighe thy self out againe but in anywise take heede she doe not sée thee as thou goest out Wherevnto I praie thee to haue a speciall regarde Gyges seeyng that by no meanes he could auoide the vaine requeste of the kyng was redie at the tyme appoincted Candaules about the hower of bedde tyme went into the Chamber and conueighed Gyges into the same and after the Kyng the Quene followed whom Gyges behelde at her goyng in and at the puttyng of her clothes When her backe was towardes hym as he was goyng out she perceiued hym The Quene vnderstanding by her housbande the circumstance of the facte neither for shame did crie out ne yet made countenance as though she had séen Gyges but in her minde purposed to reuenge her husbandes follie For emōges the Lydiās as for the most parte with all other nacions it is coumpted a greate shame to sée a naked man The gentlewoman counterfaited her grief and kepte silence In the mornyng when she was redie by suche of her seruauntes whom she moste trusted she sent for Gyges who thought that she had knowen nothyng of that whiche chaūced For many times before he vsed to haue accesse to the quene when he was
required his Eunuches to take the present and to putte it into a Cuppe of golde The kyng when he was lodged in his pauilion sente to the man a Persian robe a Cuppe of golde and a thousande Darices which was a coigne emōges the Persians whervpon was the Image of Darius willyng the messenger to saie vnto hym these woordes It hath pleased the kyng that thou shouldest delight thy self and make merie with this golde because thou diddest exhilarate his minde in not suffryng hym to passe without the honour of a present but as necessitie did serue thee diddeste humblie salute hym with water His pleasure is also that thou shalte drinke of that water in this cuppe of golde of whiche thou madest hym partaker Artaxerxes hereby expressed the true Image of a princely mynde that would not disdaine cherefully to beholde the homelie gifte in our estimacion rude and nothyng worthe at the handes of his poore subiecte and liberally to reward that ductifull zeale with thinges of greate price and valour To the same Artaxerxes ridyng in progresse through Persia was presented by one called Mises a verie greate Pomegranate in a Siue The kyng merueilyng at the bignesse thereof demaunded of hym out of what garden he had gathered the same He answered out of his owne Whereat the kyng greatly reioysyng recompenced hym with princely rewardes saiyng By the Sōne for that was the common othe of the Persian kynges this manne is able with suche trauell and diligence in my iudgement to make of a litle citie one that shal be large and greate Whiche wordes seme to declare that all thynges by care sufficiente paine and continuall labour maie against nature be made more excellent better The loue of Chariton and Menalippes ¶ The .x. Nouell I Will rehearse a facte of the tyrant Phalaris farre discrepante from his condictons For it fauoureth of greate kindnes and humanitie and seemeth not to bee dooen by him Chariton was an Agrigentine borne and a greate louer of beautie who with ardente affection loued one Menalippus whiche was also borne in the Citie of honeste condicions and excellent beautie This Tyrant Phalaris hindred Menalippus in a certaine sute For when he contended in iudgement with one of Phalaris frendes the tyraunte commaunded hym to giue ouer his suite wherevnto bicause he was not obediente he threatned to put hym to death except he would yelde But Menalippus ouer came hym in lawe and the noble men whiche wer the frendes of Phalaris would giue no sentence brought the same to a Nonesuite Whiche the yong manne takyng in ill parte saied he had receiued wronge and confessed to his frende Chariton the wronge he had susteined requiryng his aide to reuenge the same vpon the Tirant He made other yong menne priuie to that conspiracie suche as he knewe would be redie and apt for that enterprise Chariton perceiuyng the rage and furie of his frende knowyng that no man would take his parte for feare of the tyraunte began to disswade hym saiyng that he hymself went about the like attempt a litle before to deliuer his countrie into libertie out of presente seruitude but he was not able to sorte the same to any purpose without greate daunger Wherefore he praied hym to committe the consideracion thereof vnto him and to suffre hym to espie a tyme apt and conuenient Menalippus was contente Then Chariton reuoluyng with hymself that deuise would not make his dere frende a partaker of that fact lest it should be perceiued but he alone toke vpon hym to doe the deede that onely hymself might susteine the smarte Wherefore takyng a sworde in his hande as he was sekyng the waie to giue the assaulte vpon the Tiraunte his enterprise was disclosed and Chariton apprehended by the Guarde whiche for the Tirantes defence diligentlie attended about hym From thence he was sent to the Iaole and examined vpon interrogatories to bewraie the reste of the conspiratours For whiche he suffered the racke and the violence of other tormētes Afterwardes Menalippus remembryng the constancie of his frende and the crueltie by him stoutly suffered wente to Phalaris and confessed vnto hym that not onely he was priuie to that treason but also was the aucthour thereof Phalaris demaundyng for what cause he did it told hym the consideracion before rehersed whiche was the reuokyng of sentence and other iniuries doen vnto him The Tirant merueiling at the constante frendship of these twaine acquited thē bothe But vpon condicion that bothe should departe out of the citie and countrie of Scicilia Neuerthelesse he gaue them leaue to receiue the fructes and commodities of their reuenues In recorde and remembraūce of whose amitie Apollo sange these verses The Raisers vp of heauenly loue emonges the humaine kinde VVere good Chariton and Menalippe whose like vnneths we finde This Phalaris was a moste cruell Tyrant of the citie of Agrigentine in Scicilia who besides other instrumētes of newe deuised tormentes had a Bulle made of brasse by the arte and inuencion of one Perillus. Into whiche Bulle all suche as were condempned to death were put and by reason of extreme heate of fire made vnder the same those that were executed yelled forthe terrible soundes and noyses like to the lowyng of a Bulle For whiche ingine and deuise Perillus thinkyng to obteine greate reward was for his labour by commaundemente of the Tyrante throwen into the Bulle beyng the firste that shewed the proofe of his deuise Within a while after also Phalaris hymself for that his greate crueltie could bee susteined no longer was by a generall assault made vpon hym by the people haled into the same Bull and burned And although this Tyrant farre excelled in beastlie crueltie yet there appered some sparke of humanitie in him by his mercie extended vpon Chariton and Menalippus the twoo true louers before remembred the same Phalaris wrote many proper and shorte Epistles full of vertuous instructions and holsome admonicions Kyng Cyrus perswaded by Araspas to dispose hymself to loue a ladie called Panthea entreth into a pretie disputacion and talke of loue and beautie Afterwardes Araspas hymself falleth in loue with the saied Ladie but she indued with greate chastitie auoydeth his earnest loue And when her husband was slaine in the seruice of Cyrus she killed her self ¶ The .xj. Nouell BEfore the beginnyng of this historic I haue thought good by waie of a Proeme to introduce the wordes of an excellent writer called Lodouicus Caelius Rhodoginus Saincte Hierome saieth he that moste holy and eloquent father affirmeth that vertues are not to bee pondered by the sexe or kynde by whom thei be doen but by the minde Wherewith if euer any woman was affected truly it was the faire ladie Panthea wherin I would no man should blame me of vngodlines or indiscrecion for that I doe remēber a woman mencioned in profane aucthours beyng not mynded at this presente to make a viewe of Christe his secretes whiche are his diuine scriptures wherein bee conteined the
monumente also accordyng to his worthinesse shal be erected vpon his graue Sacrifice shal be offred méete for a manne so valiaunt and puissaunt Thou likewise shalt not be left comfortles For in consideration of thy great chastitie and vertue I will honour thee and appoincte a garrison to conuey thee into what place thou art disposed to goe To whom Panthea saied Be of good chere Cyrus I will not hide from you the place wherin I am determined to bestowe my self Cyrus hearyng her saie so went awaie pitiyng the woman that was bereued of suche a housebande and lamentyng the manne that had lefte suche a wife behinde hym and was like no more to sée her againe But Panthea commaunded her Eunuches to goe out of the place till she had satisfied her self with teares and lamentacions for her housebande For the prepared to kill her self requiryng her Nursse to tarie by her cōmaundyng her that when she was deade she should shroude her and her husbande in one garment The Nursse perswaded the Ladie with humble wordes and supplicacions from her determinaciō But she could not preuaile and when she sawe that her maistres toke her wordes in ill parte she satte downe and wept But Panthea with a sworde which she had prepared a long tyme for that purpose killed her self and laiyng her heade vpon her husebandes breaste she yelded from her chaste bodie her innocente ghoste The Nursse seyng that cried out and couered them bothe as she was cōmaunded Cyrus vnderstandyng the womans facte was amazed and spedelie went to sée if she might be holpen The Eunuches beyng three in nomber seyng their maistres dead thei likewise drewe out their swordes killed themselues in the place where thei were cōmaunded to stand For memorie of which facte Cyrus created a noble monumēt to the perpetuall praise of chastitie honest loue Whiche as Xenophō reporteth remained to his daies with their names ingrauen in Syrian letters Abdolominus is from poore estate aduaunced by Alexander the greate through his honest life to be kyng of Sydone ¶ The .xij. Nouell ALexander the mightie and noble Emperour after he had subdued Darius the Persian kyng at length came to Sydone a famous citie by reason of the auncient fame of the first founders The same citie was vnder the gouernment of Strato and mainteined by the puissance of Darius who yelding more by force of the people then by free will was thought vnworthie to raigne and rule there Alexander at the request of his frende Ephestion willed him to appoinct one to be king whom the Citizens should thinke moste worthie of that state After profers of Ephestion to diuers of the yonge gentlemen of that citie and refusall made of their partes thei alledged that none ought to enioy the dignitie of their king but suche as were descended of the royall bloodde Thinking none to be more mete for that state then one Abdolominus who being of the roiall race for pouertie was inforced to inhabite a litle cotage without the citie His good life was the cause of his pouertie as it is to many other labouryng in his daiely trauell vnderstoode not the brute of the warre that troubled all Asia Ephestion and the yong gentlemen repaired to his garden with garmētes to garnish hym like a kyng and founde hym makyng cleane his garden whom thei saluted and saied You muste exchaunge your homelie clothes with these riche robes wherewith wée here presente you Washe your bodie that now is foule and vncleane take vpon yon the corage of a kyng and in this state whereof you be worthie expresse the same sobrietie and continencie you dooe presentlie vse And when you sitte in your regall seate vsyng the aucthoritie of life death of your subiectes Doe in no wise forgette the fortune wherin you were before you were made king ne yet for what purpose you did receiue it The matter semed to Abdolominus like a dreame and demaunded of theim if their wittes were founde that did deride hym in that sorte But when he sawe them binde by othe their doynges to be of trouth he washed himsef and takyng the garment whiche was purple and golde went with them into the palace The fame was diuerslie bruted of this facte Some fauoured the cause and some did froune against it But suche as were riche did reproue his pouertie and base estate to those that were nere about Alexander whiche made the kyng to sende for him And when he had long be holden his maner and order said Your personage doeth not degenerate from the fame of your progenitors But I would faine knowe how paciēt you were in the time of your pouertie I would to God q Abdolominus I could beare my prosperitie in like case now I am kyng These handes did get that I desired And hauyng nothing I lacked nothing Whiche wordes made Alexander conceiue a good opinion of hym To whom he restored the riches of the kyng before and diuers other thynges taken awaie by the Persians The oracion of the Scythian Ambassadours to Alexander the greate reprouyng his ambicion and desire of Empire ¶ The .xiij. Nouell TVllie in the first booke of his Offices saieth that verie miserable is ambicion and desire of honour and that moste men whiche be giuen to cupidite of gouernement honor and glorie be forgetfull of Iustice. The truthe of whiche graue woordes vttred by a Prince of eloquence the rude and barbarous Ambassadours of Scythia in plain and homelie talke boldlie did pronounce to kyng Alexander surnamed Magnus when he was aboute to inuade their countrie For when he hadde within three daies finished twelue thousande boates to transport his armie ouer the famous riuer of Tanais whiche deuideth Asia from Europa against the poore Scythians twentie Ambassadors of the Scythians came to Alexanders cāpe to speake with him to proue if thei could by wordes withdrawe his entended purpose Before whom when thei were placed the eldest of them spake these woordes If the goddes had giuen thee a bodie accordyng to the immoderate desire of thy minde the whole worlde could not be able to hold thée With one of thy handes thou wouldest touche the Oriente and with thy other hande the Occident And when thou haste gotten that thou wilte desire to knowe where the brightnesse of the Diuine Maiestie is placed Thus thou couetest after the thing thou art not able to receiue Out of Europa thou marchest into Asia and out of Asia thou passest into Europa Afterwardes if thou doest vanquishe all mankinde thou must make warre with wooddes and snowes with riuers and wilde beastes What Doest thou not knowe that greate trees growe long and yet be rooted out of the grounde in a moment He is a foole that looketh after the fruict and doeth not measure the height of the Tree whereon it groweth Take hede lest while thou doest contende to clim to the toppe thou fallest downe with the bowes whiche thou doest imbrace The Lion also somtyme is made the
theÌ„selfes to keepe and defende that none within the Pinnas excepte he would be shot through was able to escape Then retiryng into their skiftes with helpe of the Tide thei approched Landolpho his barke which without any great difficultie in a smalle space thei tooke with all the companie not losyng so muche as one manne And cariyng Landolpho aborde one of their cockes and all within borde his litle Pinnas thei soncke the same and all the Mariners kepte Landolpho sufferyng him not to haue about him any kinde of armure not so muche as an haberion The next daie the winde chaunged and the shippes hoisted vp sailes toward Leuant and all that daie prosperouslie sailed on their voiage But vpon the closyng of the night a storme rose again and separated the twoo shippes one from an other And by force of the winde it chaunced that the Shippe wherein poore Landolpho was strake with greate violence vpon a sande in the Islande of Cephalonia And as one would throwe a glasse against a wall euen so the shippe opened and fill in peces whereby the sorowfull Mariners that stoode aboue the seas beyng couered with gooddes coaffers and planckes of the shippe that swaÌ„me aboue water whiche chaunceth many tymes in suche like accidentes the night beyng darke the billowes goyng high and â—â—â—â—â—â—ble suche as were able to swimme began to take holde of those thinges whiche Fortune gaue vnto theÌ„ Emonges whoÌ„ wretched Landolpho seyng death before his face whiche he so greatlie desired and so many tymes craued the daie before rather then to retourne home in that poore estate was afraied and taught holde of a borde amonges the reste trustyng it might chaunce that God would pardon hym of drownyng and sende hym some refuge for his escape And as he was horsebacke and fletyng vpon a plancke so well as he could driuen here and there with the sea and winde he helde fast the fame till it was daie light whiche when he perceiued he looked aboute hym and sawe nothyng but the cloudes the Seas and a coaffer swimmyng aboue water whiche was driuen so nere hym that it made hym many tymes to feare that it would bee his ouerthrowe And the nerer it came the more he laboured to putte it backe so well as he could with his hande although his force and power was gone But how so euer it chaunced a gale of winde blewe out of the skies and strake the coaffer againste the borde wherevpon Landolpho was who by that meanes driueÌ„ backe was forced to giue ouer the plaÌ„ck and with a billowe was beaten vnder the water and afterwardes remountyng a lofte againe he swamme more through feare then force And seyng the borde caried a farre of from hym fearyng lest he should not bee able to fasten the same again he drewe toward the coafer whiche was nere inough vnto him And laiyng his breast vpon the couer thereof he made it goe so right as he could with his armes And in this maner driueÌ„ by the sea now here now there without eating as hauyng not wherewithall and drinkyng more then he would he continued all that daie and night folowing not knowyng where he was for he sawe nothyng but sea The nexte mornyng either by the will of God or through the windes force LaÌ„dolpho whiche was then transformed into a Sponge holdyng faste with bothe his handes the brimme of the coafer like as we se theÌ„ that feare to bee drouned dooe take holde of the nexte thyng that cometh to hande arriued at the shore af the Isle of Corfu where by fortune a poore woman was scowryng her vessell with Sande and salte water who seyng hym drawe nere and perceiuing in him no forme or fashion of a man was afraied and criyng out ranne backe He not able to speake and se but verie litle could saie nothyng but as the Sea droue hym nere the shore the woman discried the likenes of a coafer and beholdyng the same more aduisedlie sawe at length his armes vpon the same and therewithall his face merueilyng with her self who it should be wherfore moued with compassion she went into the sea a litle waie whiche then was calme and catchyng hym by the heare The pluckte him and the coafer to lande And with muche a doe vnfolded his armes that were about the coafer causyng her maide that was with her to carrie the coafer vpon her bedde And she bare hym to lande like a litle childe whiche dooen she put hym into a hotte house and with warme water by frotting and rubbyng hym his naturall heate and other his senses loste began to come againe into their former course And when he sawe tyme she toke hym out cherishing and comforting him with wines and brothes and so well as she could made him at length to recouer his force in suche wise that he knewe where he was Then the woman deliuered hym his coafer whiche she had saued and hadde hym to seke his aduenture And thus this good wife delte with Landolpho Who litle estemed the coafer but yet he considered that it could not be of so small valour but that it was able to beare his charges for certaine daies But feelyng it light he was cleare voide of hope to haue any succour and relief thereof Neuerthelesse when the good wife was out of the doores he brake open the same to see what was within where he founde many precious Iewelles some bounde together and some lose wherin he had pretie skill And knowyng theÌ„ to be of greate value giuyng thankes to God whiche had not yet forsaken hym was wholie recomforted Howbeit for so muche as in a litle space he had been twise cruellie distressed and tormented by Fortune fearyng the third tyme he thought that it was nedefull for him to take hede how to dispose his thinges in sauftie till he came home to his owne house Wherefore hauing bestowed those precious iewelles in certaine ragges and cloutes so well as he could he saied to the goodwife that he had no neede of the coafer but if she would giue hym a bagge he would bestowe the same vpoÌ„ her Whiche the good wife willinglie did And Landolpho giuyng her so greate thankes as he could for the kindnes whiche he had founde at her handes tooke his leaue and imbarking himself he passed to Branditio and froÌ„ thence froÌ„ place to place till he came to Tranj where finding diuers of the Citie wherein he dwelte that were Drapers he was apparelled of them in a maner of Gods sake to whom he tolde the discourse of all his fortune except the coafer who leÌ„t hym a horse and sent diuers in his companie to bryng hym home to Rauello And when he was in sauftie arriued he thanked God that had brought hym thither where he searched his bougette with more leasure then he did at the firste and founde that he had many stones of so great valoure that selling them at price reasonable for lesse then thei were worthe his substaunce did
of all Christian Princes of his tyme did winne Constantinople and tooke awaie the Easte Empire form Constantine a Christian Emperour the yere of our Lorde 1453. Mahomet then hauyng obteined so greate victorie at Constantinople emonges the spoil of that riche citie there was founde a Greke maiden of suche rare and excellent beautie that she allured the eyes of euery wight to wonder and beholde the same as a thyng miraculous whose name was Hirenee of the age of sixtene or seuentene yeres Whom a Capitaine to gratifie his Lorde did present a Iewell as he thought moste acceptable to hym aboue all thynges of the worlde The Emperour Mahomet yonge and wanton beyonde measure after he had cast his eye vpō the maiden and had grauen her beautie in his harte gaue a straight charge that she should be kept for him hopyng after the tumulte of the warre was ended to bestowe conuenient tyme vpon her The retract sounded and the affaires of the Empire reduced to sure estate remembring hymself of the beautie of Hyrenee whiche had made a breache entrie into his hart commaunded that she should be brought forthe vnto hym and hauyng viewed her at his pleasure he felt himself so surprised with that newe flame that he conceiued none other delight but to plaie and dallie with her in suche sorte that his spirites beyng in Loues full possession Loue dealt with hym so cruellie that he could take no rest daie nor night Who yelded hymself suche a praie to his darlyng Hyrenee that he felt none other contentacion in his minde but that whiche he receiued of her And this amorous passiō indured the space of thrée continuall yeres takyng suche vigor and increase by litle and litle that he began to forgette that whiche apperteined to the ornamente and honor of his Empire leauyng the whole administraciō of publique causes to his Baschats he hymself beyng so necligent that he reposed in them all matters concernyng the state of the Empire Duryng this disorder the vulgar people began secretly to grudge aswell for the confusion and disorder of the Empire as for the ill gouernement of the same and specially because the Baschats corrupted with auarice imploied themselfes to their particuler profite and to inriche themselfes with the spoile of the people The Ianissaries on the other side a warlike people and brought vp in continuall exercise of armes began with open voice to detracte and slaunder their Lorde commonlie complainyng how he consumed his life like an effeminate persone without inferryng or doyng any profite to the Empire To be shorte the matter came to suche desolacion that it might rather haue been called a sedicion then a murmure and yet there was none so hardie as durste attempt to declare the same to the Emperour knowyng hym to bee of nature so terrible cruell and rigorous that with a woorde he would put hym to death that went aboute to withdrawe him from his desire Therwithall he was so drōke with the beautie of the Greke that the leste matter wherewith thei might giue occasion to withdrawe hym from his necligent life was enough to driue hym into a rage and furie This poore Emperour was so bewitched that not onely he consumed daies and nightes with her but he burned with continual Ialousie whose beautie was so liuely painted in the inwarde partes of his harte and mynde that he remained thus ouerwhelmed in beastly pleasure euery man in particuler and all in generall conspired against hym with one determinate minde to yelde no more obedience vnto hym in tyme to come and purposed to chose some Emperour that were more marciall and warlike through whose succour and counsaile thei might not onely conserue the thynges gotten but also amplifie the boundes and limites of their Empire Mustapha whiche was broughte vp with the Emperour a gentle personage franke of talke and so nere to his maiestie that he might goe into his chamber although the Greke was present when he perceiued conueniente tyme suche as he desired to haue repaired to the Emperour vpon a daie who likyng wel his deuises walked with hym alone in his Gardein to whom after he had made greate reuerence accordyng to their custome he saied vnto hym My soueraigne lorde and maister if I might speake fréelie without seruile feare whiche staieth me or if the terrour of your displeasure might not abashe me I would willinglie declare vnto your maiestie that whiche concerneth not onely your securitie and saufgarde but whiche is more the sauftie of your whole Empire Whō Mahomet answered with merie countenaūce saiyng Cast a waie suche cold feare as staieth thee and speake hardely thy mynde Shewe me what it is that toucheth me I doubt and it shall please your maiestie lest I shall séeme ouer presumptuous and rashe vnto you if I dooe discouer the secretes of my harte but our auncient educacion the duetie of my cōscience with the experience that you haue alwaies had of my fidelitie haue so muche forced me that being no longer able to rule my self I am constrained by what vertuous prouocacion I knowe not to manifest thinges vnto you that bothe tyme and necessitie wil make you to thinke them good and necessarie Although it maie so bée that now your eyes be so bounde vp in the vaile of your disordinate affection that you can not digest or take the same in good part The life my lorde whiche you haue ledde sithens the taking of Constantinople and the excessiue pleasures wherein you haue plūdged your self these thrée yeres is an occasion that not onely your souldiours and the rest of your popular people but the moste faithfull lordes of your Empire doe murmure conspire and coniure against you And pardon me my Lorde if I speake so vnreuerently in thynges touchyng your preseruacion For there is no manne but doeth verie muche merueile of this great and newe alteraciō that appereth in you whiche doeth so abase you and maketh you to degenerate from your auncient generositie and valiaunce Your owne self hath giuen ouer your self to bée a spoile and praie to a simple woman that you wholie depende vpon her flattries aud allurementes reason or counsaill cā take no place in your passionate and afflicted harte But I humblie beseche your Maiestie to entre a little into your self and make a suruey of your life that you haue sedde these thrée yeres past The glorie of your auncestours and predecessours acquired and wonne by sheadyng of so muche bloudde kept by so greate prudence conserued by so happie counsaill haue thei no representacion or shewe before your face The remembraūce of their memorable victories doeth it not touch the depthe of your conscience The magnanimite and valiaunce wherby thei be immortalized and their fame registred through the whole worlde is it extinguished in you Their Trophées and monumētes grauen and aduaunced in all the corners of the earth be thei throwen doune and defaced from the siege of your remembraunce But where is now the ardent desire
coste requisite for suche a matter In this sort thei spent the daie in great ioye and mirthe whiche thei can conceiue that bee of base birthe and exalted to some high degree of honor till night was come and then euery man withdrewe themselfes leauyng the bride and her husbande to the mercie of Loue and order of the night Who beyng alone receiued equall ioye and like contentacion which thei fele that beyng pressed with ardent and greuous thirst doe in th ende afterwardes with liuely ioye and all kinde of libertie quenche that cruell discommodite and continued in those pleasures till mornyng that daie began to appere to whom Violenta saied My honourable Lorde and dere husbande sithe that you bee now in possession of that whiche you haue so greatlie desired I humbly beseche you to consider for the tyme to come howe and what wise your pleasure is that I shall vse my self For if God graunte me the grace to be so discrete in pleasyng you as I shal be redie and desirous to obeye you in all that you shall commaunde me there was neuer gentle mannes seruaunte that did more willingly please his maister then I hope to do you Wherevnto Didaco answered My sweete and welbeloued wife Let vs leaue this humblenesse and seruice for this tyme to them whiche delight in those thynges For I promis you of my faithe that I haue you in no lesse reuerence estimacion then if you had come of the greateste house in Cathalongne as I will make you vnderstande some other tyme at more leasure But till I haue giuen order to certaine of myne affaires I praie you to kepe our Mariage secrete and bee not offended if many tymes I doe resorte home to myne owne house although there shall no daie passe by my will but at nighte I will keepe you companie In the meane tyme to buie you necessaries I will sende you a thousande or twelue hundred Ducates to imploie not vpon apparell or other thynges requisite to your degrée for I will prouide the same my self at an other tyme but vpon small trifles suche as be apt and conuenient for housholde And so departed Senior Didaco from his wiues house who did so louyngly interteigne hym that by the space of a yere there was no daie wherein he was content without the viewe and sight of his wife And vpon his oft resort to their house the neighbours began to suspect that he kept the maiden and rebuked her mother and brethren but specially Violenta for sufferyng Didaco to vse their house in suche secrete wise And aboue all thei lamented the ill happe of Violenta who beyng so well brought vp till she was twētie yeres of age and a maiden of suche beautie that there was none in all the citie of Valencia but greatly did esteme her to bee of singuler honestie and reputacion Notwithstandyng degeneratyng from her accustomed vertue thei iudged her to be light of behauiour giuen to lasciuious loue And albeit that very many times suche checkes and tauntes were obiected and that she vnderstode that murmur and talke yet she made small accompt of them knowing that her consciēce by any meanes was not charged with suche reproche hoping therewithall that one daie she would make them to giue ouer that false opinion when her Mariage should be published and knowē But certain tymes féelyng her self touched and her honestie appaired could not conteine but when she sawe tyme with her husbande she praied hym very earnestly to haue her home to his owne house to auoide slaūder and defamacion of neighbors But sir Didaco knewe so well how to vse his wife by delaies and promises that she agreed vnto hym in all thynges had rather displease the whole worlde together then offende hym alone Beyng now so attached with the loue of the knighte that she cared for nothyng els but to please and contēt hym in all thinges wherevnto she sawe hym disposed and like as in the beginnyng she was harde and verie slacke in loue now she became so seruent earnest in her affections that she receiued no pleasure but in the sight of Didaco or in that whiche might contente and please him best Whiche the knight did easely perceiue and seyng himself in full possession of her harte began by litle and litle to waxe cold and to be grieued at that which before he compted deare and precious perswadyng himself that he should doe wrong to his reputacion if that Mariage vnworthie of his estate were discouered and knowē in the citie And to prouide for the same he more seldome tymes repaired to visite his wife Violenta yea and whē so euer he resorted to her it was more to satisfie his carnall pleasure then for any loue he bare her And thus forgettyng bothe God and his owne consience he frequēted other companies in diuerse places to winne the good will of some other gentlewoman In the ende by sundrie sutes dissimulacions and hipocrisies he so behaued hymself that he recouered the good will of the doughter of Senior Ramyrio Vigliaracuta one of the chiefest knightes and of moste auncient house of Valencia And as we haue declared before bicause he was riche and wealthie and issued of a noble race her parentes did easely agrée to the Mariage And the father hauyng assigned an honourable dowrie to his doughter The Nuptials were celebrated publikely with greate pompe and solempnitie to the greate contentacion of all men The Mariage doen and ended sir Didaco and his newe wife continued at the house of his father in lawe where he liued a certaine tyme in suche pleasure and delectaciō as thei dooe that be newly maried Whereof the mother and brethren of Violenta beyng aduertised conceiued like sorowe as accustomablie thei dooe that sée the honour of them that be issued of their owne bloodde vniustly and without cause to bée dispoiled And these poore miserable creatures not knowyng to whom to make their complainte liued in straunge perplexitie bicause thei knewe not the Prieste whiche did solempnise their Mariage On the other side thei had no sufficient proofe of the same And albeit thei were able to verifie in some poinctes the first Mariage of Didaco yet thei burste not prosecute the lawe against twoo of the greateste Lordes of their Citie And knowyng the stoute harie of Violenta thei thoughte to conceale the same from her for a time but it was in vaine For not longe after she was certified thereof not onely by the nexte neighbours but by the common brute of the citie whiche reported that in tēne yeres space there was not seen in Valencia a Mariage more honourable or roiall nor better frequented with a noble companie of gentlemen and Ladies then the same was of the yong knight Didaco with the doughter of Senior Ramyrio Wherwithall Violenta vexed beyonde measure pressed with yre and surie withdrewe her self into her chāber alone and there beganne to scratche and teare her face and heare like one that was madde and
to vnderstād the trouth of his death as his father in Lawe his wife and other kinsmen I would in their presence if it please you to cause them to bee called hither declare that I knowe The magistrates amased to se so greate a lorde to cruelly slaine commited her to warde till after diner and commaūded that al the before named should be somoned to appere Who assembled in the pallace with suche a number of people as the Iudges could skante haue place Violenta in the presence of them all with out any rage or passion first of all recompsed vnto thē the chaste loue betwene Didaco and her which he cōtinued the space of fowertene or fiftene monethes without receiuyng any fruicte or comoditie thereof Within a while after he being vanguished with leue maried her secretly at her house and solempnized the neptialles by a Prieste vnknowen declaryng moreouer how thei hadde liued a yere together in housholde without any occasion of offence on her part giuen vnto hym Then she rehersed before them his second mariage with the doughter of suche a manne being there presente addying for conclusion that sithe he hadde made her to lose her honestie she had sought meanes to make hym to lose his life Whiche she executed with the helpe of Ianique her maide who by her aduise beyng lothe to liue any longer had drouned her self And after she had declared the true state of the matter passed betwene them she saied for conclusion that all that she had rehersed was not to incite or moue thē to pitie or compassion thereby to prolonge her life wherof she iudged her self vnworthie for if you qoud she doe suffer me to escape your handes thinkyng to saue my bodie you shal be the cause and whole ruine of my soule for with these myne owne handes whiche you see before you I will desperately cutte of the threde of my life And with those woordes she helde her peace whereat the people amased and moued with pitie let fall the luke warme teares from their dolorouse eyes and lamented the misfortune of that poore creature imputyng the faulte vpon the dedde knighte whiche vnder colour of mariage had deceiued her The magistrates determinyng further to deliberate vppon the whole matter caused the dedde bodie to be buried and committed Violenta againe to Warde taking awaie from her kniues and other weapons wherewith thei thought she might hurte her self And vsed suche diligent searche and inquirie that the Prieste whiche maried them was founde oat and the seruaunt of Didaco that was presente at the mariage of Violenta beyng examined deposed how by his maisters commaūdement he caried his horsse into the countrie and how he commaunded him to come to hym againe the next mornyng to the house of Violenta And all thynges were so well throught to light as nothyng wanted for further inuestigacion of the truth but onely the confession of hym that was dedde And Violenta by the common opinion of the Iudges was condepned to bée behedded not onely for that she had presumed to punishe the knightes tromperie and offence but for her excessiue crueltie doen vpon the dedde bodie Thus infortunate Violenta ended her life her mother and brethren beyng acquited And was executed in the presence of the Duke of Calabria the soone of kyng Federic of Aragon whiche was that tyme the Viceroy there and afterwardes died at Torry in Fraunce who incontinently after caused this historie to be registred with other thinges worthie of remembraunce chaunced in his tyme at Valencia Bandell doeth write that the maide Ianique was put to death with her maistres but Paludanus a Spaniard a liue at that time writeth an excellent historie in Latine wherein he certainly declareth that she was neuer apprehended whiche opinion as moste probable I haue folowed Wantones and pleasaunt life being guides of insolencie doeth bring a miserable ende to a faier Ladie of Thurin whom a noble mā aduannced to high estate as appereth by this historie wherein he executeth greate crueltie vpon his said Ladie taken in adulterie ¶ The .xliij. Nouell THE auncient and generall custome of the gentlemen and gentlewomen of Piedmonte was daiely to abandon famous cities and murmures of common wealthes for to withdrawe themselfes to their Castles in the countrie and other places of pleasure of purpose to begile the troublesome turmoiles of life with greateste reste and contentacion whiche troubles and griefes thei dooe féele that intermedle with businesse of common wealthe whiche was with greate care obserued before the warres had preposterated the order of auncient gouernement that muche a doe you should haue had to finde a gentleman idle in a citie Who rather did resort to their countrie houses with their families whiche were so well gouerned and furnished that you should haue departed so well satisfied and instructed from a simple gentle mannes house as you should haue dooen from a greate Citie were it neuer so well ruled by some wife and prudent Senatour But sithens the worlde began to waxe olde it is come againe to very infancie in suche sorte that greatest nomber of Cities are not peopled in these daies but with a many of idle gentlemen that make their resiance and abode there not to profite but to continewe their delicate life and thei doe corrupte not onely themselfes but whiche is worste thei infecte them that keepe them companie whiche I will discourse somewhat more at large for so muche as the gentlewoman of whom I will describe the historie was brought vp all the tyme of her youthe in one of the finest and moste delicate Cities of Piedmonte And féelyng as yet some sparke of her former bringing vp she could not be reformed beyng in the countrie with her husbande but that in the ende she fill into greate reproche and shame as you shall vnderstande by the content of this historie In the tyme that Madame Margaret of Austriche doughter of Maximilian the Emperour went in progresse into Sauoie towardes her husbande there was a greate Lorde a valiaunte and curteous gentleman in a certaine Countrie of Piedmonte whose name I will not disclose aswell for the reuerence of hisneresse kinne which doe yet liue as for the immoderatee ruell punishemente that he deuised towardes his wife when he toke her in the faulte This greate Lorde although he had goodlie reuenues and Castelles in Piedmonte yet for the moste parte of his tyme he followed the Courte by commaundemente of the Duke that interteined hym nexte his owne persone vsyng commonly his aduise in al his greatest affaires This lorde at that time maried a maidē in Thurin of meane beautie for his pleasure not estemyng the place from whence she came And bicause he was well nere fiftie yeres of age when he married her she attired her self with suche modestie that she was more like a widowe then a maried woman and knewe so well howe to vse her husband the space of a yere or twoo that he thought hymself the happiest manne a
grauity which once made hir maruelous and singuler aboue all them that lyued in her dayes In the time that this ioly company had furnished and prepared themselues in readinesse Gunfort sent a gentleman of that troupe toward the Emperour to aduertise him of the successe of his iourney Wherof he was exceding ioyful and attended for the comming of his children with purpose to entertayne them in louing honorable wise When al things were in readynesse and the traine of Adelasia in good order according to the worthyuesse of the house whereof the came they rode towarde Sauonne which iourney séemed to them but a sport for the pleasure mixt with compassiō that eche man conceyued in the discourse the Alerane made vpon his misfortunes chaunces aswell in his iourneys as of his abode and continuance in the desertes Which William calling to remembraunce praysed God yelded him thankes for that it had pleased him to inspire into his minde the forsaking of his parentes considering that the same only fault was the cause of their restitution and of his aduauncement and glory being the sonne of such a father and the neuewe of so great a Monarche The fame of whose name made al men quake and tremble and who then had cōmaunded al the troupe of the gentlemen of his court to goe and seke the forlorne louers so long time lost and vnknowen To be short their entrie into Sauonne was so royal and triumphant as if the Emperour himself would haue receyued the honor of such estate pomp Which he commaunded to be done aswell for the ioy that he had recouered the thing which he accompted lost as to declare and acknowledge to euery wyght that vertue can not make her self better knowen than at that time when the actions and dedes of great personages be semblable in raritie excellence to their nobilitie For a Prince is of greater dignitie and admiration than he comonly sheweth himselfe which can neuer enter into the head of the popular sorte that déemeth the affections of other according to their owne rude and beastely fansies As the Gréeke Poet Euripides in his tragedie of Medea doth say Ill luck and chaūce thou must of force endure Fortunes fickle stay needes thou must sustaine To grudge thereat it booteth not at all Before it come the witty wise be sure By wisedomes lore and counsell not in vaine To shunne and eke auoyd The whirling ball Of fortunes threates the sage may wel reboūd By good foresight before it light on ground The Emperoure then hauing forgotten or wisely dissembling that which he coulde not amende met his daughter and sonne in law at the Pallace gate with so pleasant chéere and ioyfull countenance as the like long time before he did not vse Where Alerane and Adelasia being light of from their horse came to kisse his hands and both vpon their knées began to frame an oration for excuse of their fault and to pray pardon of his Maiestie The good Prince rauished with ioy satisfied with repentance stopped their mouthes with swete kisses and hard embracinges O happy ill time sayde he and sorowfull ioy which now bringeth to me a pleasure more great than euer was my heauy displeasure From whence commeth this my pleasant ioy O well deuised flight by the which I gaine that by preseruing my losse once made and committed which I neuer had yf I may so say considering the ornament of my house and quietnesse of my lyfe And saying so he kissed embraced his litle Neuewes and was lothe that Adelasia should make rehersal of other talke but of mirth and pleasure For sayde he it sufficeth me that I haue ouerpassed and spent the greatest parte of my lyfe in heauinesse vtterly vnwilling nowe to renewe olde sores and woundes Thus the mariage begon vnknowen against the Emperours wil was consummate celebrated with great pompe and magniffcence by his owne commaundement in the Citie of Sauonne where he made Sir William Knight with his owne hand Many goodly factes at the Tourney and Tilt were done and atchieued wherat William almost euery day bare away the prise victory to the great pleasure of his father contentation of his graundfather who then made him Marques of Monferrat To the second sonne of Alerane he gaue the Marquisat of Sauonne with al the appurtenances and iurisdictions adioyning of whome be descended the Marqueses of Caretto The thirde he made Marques of Saluce the race of whom is to this day of good fame and nobilitie Of the fourth sonne sprange out the originall of the house of Cera The fift was Marques of Incise whose name and progeny liueth to this day The sixt sōne did gouerne Pouzon The seuenth was established Senior of Bosco vnder the name and title of Marques And Alerane was made and constituted ouerséer of the goods and dominions of his children and the Emperours Lieutenaunt of his possessions which he had in Liguria Thus the Emperour by moderating his passion vanquished himselfe and gaue example to the posteritie to pursue the offence before it doe take roote but when the thing can not be corrected to vse modestie and mercy which maketh kings to liue in peace and their Empire in assurance Hauing taken order with all his affaires in Italie he toke leaue of his daughter and children and retired into Almaigne And Alerane liued honorable amōgs his people was beloued of his father in lawe and in good reputation and fame arriued to olde yeares still remembring that aduersitie ought not to bring vs to dispaire nor prosperity to insolencie or ill behauiour and contempt of things that seme small and base sith there is nothing vnder the heauens that is stable and sure For he that of late was great and made all men to stoupe before him is become altogether such a one as though he had neuer bene and the pore humble man aduaunced to that estate from whence the first did fal and was deposed making lawes sometimes for him vnder whom he liued a subiect And behold of what force the prouidence of God is and what poyse hys balance doth contayne and howe blame worthy they be that referre the effectes of that diuine counsell to the inconstant and mutable reuolucion of fortune that is blind and vncertaine The Duchesse of Sauoie The Duchesse of Sauoie being the King of Englandes sister was in the Duke her husbandes absence vniustlie accused of adultery by a noble man his Lieutenāt And shoulde haue bene put to death if by the prowesse and valiaunt to combate of Don Iohn di Mendozza a Gentleman of Spaine she had not bene deliuered With a discourse of maruellous accidents touching the same to the singuler prayse and commendation of chaste and honest Ladies ¶ The .xlv. Nouell LOue commonly is counted the greatest passion amongs all the most greuous that ordinarily do assault the spirites of men which after it hath once taken hold of any gentle subiecte followeth the nature of the
his quarel and the reward of his fight semed to redouble his force For euen then when euery mā thought that power must néedes fayle him it was the houre wherein he did best behaue himselfe In such sorte that hys enemie not being able any longer to endure hys puissaunte strokes being wounded in diuers partes of hys body did nowe no more but defende himselfe and beare of the blowes which were bestowed without intermission vpon al the partes of his bodie Which the Spanish knight perceiuing desirous to make an ende of the combat made so full a blowe with all his force vpon the top of his helmet that he wounded his heade very sore Wherwithall the heart of the Earle began very much to faynt and staggering here there like a dronken man or troubled in his senses was constrayned to fall downe from his horse And then the Lorde of Mendozza dismounting himselfe and taking holde vpon the corps of his shield plucked it so rudely to him that he ouerturned him on his other side Then with the pomel of his sword he did so swetely bumbast him that he made his helmet to flie of his head And serting his foote vpon his throte made as though with the point of his sword he wold haue killed him saying Counte the houre is now come that thou must go make an accompt with God of thine vntrouth and treason which thou hast cōmitted against the Duchesse Ah sir knight quod the Earle haue pitie vpon me and kill me not I beseche thée before I haue a little bethought me of my conscience Uillayne quod the Spaniarde if I had any hope of thine amendement I would willingly giue thée delay of lyfe But being a traytor as thou art thou wilt neuer ceasse to afflict innocents Neuerthelesse if thou wilt acknowledge thy fault publikely and require pardon of the Duchesse I will willingly leaue thée to the mercy of the Duke although that if I did obserue the rigour of the lawe I shoulde cause thée presently to receyue the payne prepared for the Duchesse To whome he obeyed for safegarde of his lyfe and knéeling on his knées before the Duchesse in the presence of all the people made a long discourse of his loue towardes her of the repulse that she gaue him and that for reuenge he ayded himselfe with his Nephewe thinking to ouerthrowe her chastitie Finally how he had slayne his Nephew to induce the Duke to iudge her to be culpable of the adulterry And then tourning his face towardes the Duchesse sayde vnto her Madame it behoueth me to confesse that the losse of thys one lyfe is to little to paye the tribute of the curelesse fault that I haue cōmitted against you Yet sith it is so I besech you by preferring pitie and mercy before the rigor of your iustice you will permit that I may liue yet certayne dayes to make a viewe of my lyfe paste and to prouide for the scruple of my conscience Then new ioye approched to garnishe the spirite of the Duchesse and both the soule and the heart began to shewe themselues ioyful in such wyse that she was a long tyme wythout power to speake did nothing else but ioyne her handes lift vp her eyes to Heauen saying O Lorde God praysed be thy holy name for that thou hast caused the bright beames of thy diuinitie to shine vpon the darknesse of my sorrowfull lyfe enforcing so well the minde of thys traytour the murderer of mine honor by the prickes of thy rigorous iustice openly to acknowledge before all men the iniurie that he hath done me And without speaking any more words she torned her face for feare lest she shuld make him any other answere Then all the people began to laude and magnifie God and to sing Psalmes for ioy of the deliueraūce of their Duchesse who was brought backe and reconducted into the citie with so great triumph as if she had made a seconde entrie Whilest these things were a doing the deputies for the suretie of the campe caused the wounded Earle to be borne to prison The knight Mendozza stale secretely away and after that he had in the nexte village dressed certaine smal woūds that he had receiued in the combat he toke his way to Spaine In the meane tyme the Duchesse caused him to be sought for in euery place but it was not possible to knowe any more newes of him than if he had bene neuer sene Wherat being grieued beyonde measure she made her mone to Emilia to know wherfore he should so absent himselfe from her Madame quod Emilia he is sure some French knight or else it may be some kinsman of your owne who is come out of Englande into these partes for certaine other affaires And fearing least he should be stayed here will not be knowen reseruing the manifestacion of himselfe til another tyme more apte for his purpose Let him be what he may be sayde the Duchesse for so long as my soule shall remayne wythin my bodye I will doe him homage during my life For the which I am so duely bound debtour vnto him as neuer subiect was to his soueraigne Lord. In this time whilest these matters went thus at Thurin the Duke of Sauoie who was Lieutenant general for the King agaynst the Almaines encountering with his enemies in a skirmishe by fortune was slayne Whereof the King of Englande being aduertised and specially of the deliuerie of his sister desirous to haue her about him sente for her to marry her agayne and to leaue vnto her the entier gouernement of his houshold And to grateste her at her first arriuall he gaue the rule of his daughter vnto her which was of the age of .xvi. or .xvij. yeares wyth whome by certayne meanes there was a mariage practized for the Prince of Spaine Let vs nowe leaue the Duchesse to liue in honor with her brother and retorne we to the Lord of Mendozza who being arriued néere vnto his citie vnderstode incontinently that they which had besiedged it had leuied their campe For that they of the towne had so well done their endeuour that not onely their enemies were not able to enter But also they had in a certaine skirmish taken the Lord Ladulphe their Chieftaine prisoner who was yet to that presente deteined bicause meanes were made for peace to be concluded on all sides Neuerthelesse they durst doe nothing without him Whereat the Lorde of Mendozza being replenished with great ioye to see hys affaires prosper so well in all partes entred the citie And the articles of the peace communicated vnto him he founde them very profitable for him And being cōcluded approued by him he began to solace himself in his owne house without taking care for any thing saue onely from thenceforth to thinke by what meane he might go to sée the Duchesse and recount vnto her the issue of his affaires But fortune prepared him a more readie occasion than he thought of For the King of
Spaine being aduertised of certayne talkes that had bene bruted of the mariage of his sonne with the daughter of the King of Englande determined wyth spéede to sende a greate companie of noble men thyther to demaunde hys daughter in mariage Of the whiche the Lorde of Mendozza as well for hys nobilitie as for the knoweledge whiche he had in languages and other good disciplines was elected chiefe with speciall commission to accorde the mariage in case it should so please the King The Ambassadours vsed such expedition that they arriued at London where the King for the present made his abode Who aduertised of their comming gaue cōmaundement to the Princesse his daughter to the Duchesse his sister to prepare thēselues to receiue a great company of Lordes of Spaine which that day would come to his courte to treate of the aforesayde mariage And God knoweth if the Ladyes spared oughte of that which they thought might augment their beautie The King also for his part to do them more honor went to méete them in person and at their arriual gaue them a most friendlye welcome But sodaynely as they presented themselues to doe their reuerence to the Ladyes the Duchesse who incontinently knew the Lorde of Mendozza began so to detest him that she was not able to rule her selfe but with a sodayne mutacion of colour she must néedes abandon the companie The Lorde of Mendozza knowing the originall of her griefe lefte not his dutie vndone towardes the Princesse and other Ladies which accompanied her dissembling to haue taken no regard to thabsence of the Duchesse And Emilia who had followed her mystresse into the chambre fearing least there were some sodayne mischaunce happened demaunded of her wherefore she was retired from a company so honorable and sayde that she did great wrong to her owne estimation To whome the Duchesse with extreme choler made aunswere Why Emilia thinkest thou that I haue the heart to suffer my hande to be kyssed by that moste trayterous and cowardely Knight of the worlde who made no conscience to abandon me in the moste greatest necessitie of my lyfe whereas I contrarie to the dutie of all the lawes of honor and contrarie to my sexe dyd so muche abase my selfe as to visite hym in Spaine Naye rather my dayes shall ceasse their course than mine affection shall euer reuiue in hym He shall neuer receyue any other fauoure of me but as of his most cruell and mortall enimye And then Emilia smiling sayde vnto her In good earnest Madame I thought that the sharpenesse of your imprisonment with the other torments paste which you haue indured might haue put all these matters quite in oblinion and would so haue mortifyed you that you had wholly lost all desire of reuenge But so farre as I can perceiue I am deceiued of mine accompt seing that sodainly so sone as you beheld the knight Mendozza you began to flye as if your ghostly enemie had come before you in hys moste hideous and horrible forme Yet coulde not Emilia perswade her to shew her selfe abrode before dinner tyll the King sente for her with worde that if she came not he woulde himselfe fetche her And then a little shamefast colour began to renew her Alablaster chéekes which rendred her so ruddie and fayre that the Spaniardes confessed neuer to haue séene in any part of the worlde where they had bene one so fayre and beautifull a wyddowe The tables couered for dinner the king tooke his place and for their more honourable entertaynement caused them to be set at his owne table and made the Lorde of Mendozza to be placed face to face with the Duchesse his sister Who was so inflamed and moued with choler that she durste not lifte vp her eyes for feare least vpon the sodaine she should be perceyued Which eyes sparkling sometymes with great yre resembled properly two starres of the night that shoote forth their brightnesse vpō the earth when al things be in silence And all this time the Lorde of Mendozza conceyued such pleasure at these pretie toyes that he would not haue chaunged his ioy for the best citie in all Englande And as the Duchesse in this order did firmely fixe her eyes she sawe by fortune a riche Diamonde that Mendozza ware vppon his finger Wherevpon hauing oftentymes cast her eyes she sodaynely knewe that it was the very same that she had gyuen to the good father that confessed her at Thurin the day before she was leadde to the piller and began then to imagine with her selfe howe it might be that he coulde come by the same And not knowing what to say immediately after she had dyned and the tables taken vp she caused Master Appian her Phisitian to be called vnto her whome she desired to know of the Lorde of Mendozza by what meanes he came by the Diamonde that he ware vpō his finger Which Appian did And after he had talked with the knight of certayne common matters he sayde vnto him My Lorde you haue a very fayre Diamonde theee which as I thinke I haue séene before this time wherefore Sir I pray you tell me where you had it To whome the Lorde of Mendozza aunswered in laughing wise Maister Appian where I had the ring is to secrete for you to knowe but tell my Lady the Duchesse that the knowledge thereof onely appartayneth vnto her Which answere Appian declared to the Duchesse And albeit that she toke no great pleasure in the answere Yet neuerthelesse very desirous to vnderstande the truth she repaired to the knight which the same tyme walked alone in a Gallerie who after he had kissed her handes began to discourse of his fortunes past declaring vnto her that he repented of the refusall that he made to Maister Appian for her succour and howe within a while after he rode to Thurin adding the deuise whereby he had heard her confession and howe the Diamonde came into his handes putting her in remembraunce from worde to worde of all his talke with her during the time that he was in Friers wéede then finally his victorie agaynst the Earle his secret flight and all the whole as before hath bene declared Whereat the Duchesse no lesse abashed than rapt with ioy and admiration fell downe in a swoune betwene his armes holding her mouth so faste closed against his that it séemed she woulde drawe the soule out of his body to ioyne and vnite with hers And after she had remained a while in this traunce she cried out O pore heart so long time plagued Which hast for the space of a yere nowe passed bene-tossed with so many tempestes and diuers assaults of Fortune Receyue at this present the medicine apte for thy health sithens thou enioyest him betwene thine armes that by the price of his bloud valiant force and extreme trauayles hath raysed thée from death to lyfe Let fortune from henceforth doe her will in that she is able to deuise against me And yet will I for this
long time make any aunswere When his passiō was moderated he sayd to his sister But be you well assured that he will receiue you for his wyfe Yea my Lorde quod she I ought well to be assured of it since he himself hath made the request And truely qoud the king God forbidde that I should be the cause to breake so holye an accorde For if the Lord of Mendozza were inferior in qualitie nobility and goodes than he is yet hath he so much done both for you me as we may not honestly refuse him How much more then be we bounde to him being a great Lorde as he is issued of noble and famous families of Spaine riche in goodes and hauing hazarded his lyfe for the conseruation of your honour and there withall seketh mine alliaunce Go your wayes dere sister and friende goe your wayes make muche of him and entreate him as you think best And when I haue walked two or thrée tornes here I will come vnto him to cōmunicate more amplie of these matters Scarce had the Duchesse leysure to aduertise the Lord of Mendozza of that which was concluded betwene the king and her but he came downe into the Hall where the most part of the Spanishe Gentlemen walked and with a very ioyfull countenance went to the knight To whome he sayde My Lorde Mendozza I praye you to embrace mée For so farre as I sée I haue a better interest in you than I thought And the Lorde of Mendozza thinking to embrace him his knée vpon the grounde was immediately desired to stande vp Whome the king cleping about the necke sayde vnto him so loud that euery man might heare Sir knight by the God of heauen since that I might commaund in the realme of England I haue not entertained gentleman nor Prince to whome I haue bene more endebted than to you nor neuer was there any dearer vnto me than you for the great gratitude and kindenesse wherewith you haue bound me whereby I shal not from henceforth be satisfied vntill I haue in some thing acknowledged the bonde wherein I am bounde vnto you When he had spoken those wordes he began to declare from poynt to poynt in the presence of all the assembly the contentes of the whole before declared historie Wherat ther was none in all the companie but that was greatly astonned at the prudence of Mendozza by so wel dissembling and accomplishing so great enterprises without making them manifest And the King of England commaunded that the mariage of him and his sister shoulde be published through out his realme that all his nobilitie might be assembled And for his greater honour the King did from thenceforth constitute him his highe Cunstable of England and reposed himselfe in him as vpon a firme piller for the administration of the wayghtiest affaires of his realme And the mariage solempnized consummate with the Duchesse he retourned into Spaine to accompanie the Prince into Englande whose mariage was celebrated at London in the King of Englandes daughter with suche pompe and solempnitie as semblable Princes be commonly accustomed to doe in lyke cases The Countesse of Salesburie A King of Englande loued the daughter of one of his noble men which was Countesse of Salesburie who after great sute to achieue that he coulde not winne for the entire loue he bare vnto her and her great constancie made her his Queene and wyfe ¶ The .xlvj. Nouell THys Historie ensuing describing the perfect figure of womāhode the naturall quality of Loue incensing the harts indifferently of all Natures children the liuely ymage of a good condicioned Prince the zealous loue of parents and the glorious reward that chastitie cōduceth to her imbracers I déeme worthy to be annexed to the former Nouell wherin as you haue heard be contained the straūge aduentures of a fayre innocent Duchesse Whose lyfe tryed lyke gold in the furnace glittereth at this day like a bright starry planet shining in the firmament with most splēdent brightnesse aboue all the rest to the eternall prayse of feminine kinde And as a noble Duke of Sauoie by heate of Loues rage pursued the louing trace of a King of Englandes syster married into Spaine euen so a renowmed and moste victorious Prince as the Aucthor of them both affirmeth thorowe the furie of that passion which as Apuleus sayth in the fyrst heate is but smal but abounding by increase doth set all men on fier maketh earnest sute by discourse of wordes to a Ladie her selfe a Countesse and Earles daughter a beautifull and faire wight a creature incomparable the wyfe of a noble man hys owne subiect who seing her constant forte to be impregnable after pleasaunt sute and milde request attempteth by vndermining to inuade and when wyth siege prolixe he perceiueth no ingenious deuise can achieue that long and paynefull worke he threateth might and mayne dire and cruell assaultes to winne and get the same and laste of all surrendred into his handes and the prisoner crying for mercye he mercifully is contented to mitigate his conceyued rigor and pitifully to release the Ladie whom for her womanly stoutnesse and coragious constancie he imbraceth and entertaigneth for his owne This great and worthy king by the first viewe of a delicate Ladie thorow the sappe of Loue soaked into his noble heart was transported into many passions and rapt into infinite pangues which afterwardes bredde him great disquietnesse This worthie Prince I saye who before that time lyke an Alexandre was able to conquere and gayne whole kingdomes made all Fraunce to quake for feare at whose approche the gates of euery Citie did flye open and fame of him prouoked eche Frenchmans knée to bowe whose helmet was made of manhodes trampe and mace well stéeled with stoute attemptes was by the weakest staye of dame Natures frame a woman shaped wyth no visage sterne or vglie looke affrighted and appalled whose heart was armed with no lethall sworde or deadly launce but with a Curat of honour weapon of womanhode and for al his glorious conquests she durst by singuler cōbat to giue refusall to his face Which singuler perseueration in defence of her chastitie inexpugnable esclarisheth to the whole flocke of womankynde the bright beames of wisdome vertue and honestie No prayers intreatie suplication teares sobbes sighes or other lyke humaine actions poured forth of a Princesse heart could withdraw her from the bounds of honestie No promise present practise deuise sute friende parent letter or counsellor could make her to straye out of the limits of vertue No threate menace rigor feare punishment exile terror or other crueltie coulde diuert her from the siedge of constancie In her youthly tyme till her mariage day she delighted in virginitie From her mariage day during her wydow state she reioyced in chastitie The one she conserued like a hardie Cloelia the other she kept like a constant Panthea This notable historie therefore I haue purposed to make common aswell for encouragement of
that time he gaue him selfe to those affaires And Maister Stricca he cōtineallie obserued both with singuler loue and duetifull frendshippe Whereby it is vncertayne whether was most singuler in him his continency at the very instant by refrayning that vehement heate of loue which so long time with great trauayle cost he had pursued or his regarde of frendship to Sir Stricca vpon wordes of commendacion spoken behinde his backe Bothe no doubte be singuler vertues méete of all men to be obserued but the subduing of his affections surmounted and passed Of a Duke of Venice Bindo a notable Architecte hys sonne Ricciardo with all his familie from Florence went to dwell at Venice where being made citizens for diuers monuments by them done there through inordinate expences were forced to robbe the Treasure house Bindo being slayne by a pollicie deuised by the Duke and the State Ricciardo by fine subtelties deliuereth himselfe from foure daungers Afterwardes the Duke by his owne confession vnderstanding the sleightes giueth him his pardon and his daughter in mariage ¶ The .xlviij. Nouell IN the noble Citie of Venice there was once a Duke that was verye stoute and riche and therewithall of great experience wysedome called Valeriano di messer Vannozzo Accettani In the chiefest Churche of which Citie called San Marco there was a stéeple which was very fayre sumptuous and of greatest fame of any thing at that time that was in Venice which stéeple was lyke to fall downe by reason of certayne faultes and decayes in the foundation Wherefore the Duke caused to be searched thorowe out all Italie some cunning workeman that would take in hande the reparation amendment of the same With promise of so much money as he wold demaund for doing therof Wherevpon an excellent Architect of Florence named Bindo hearing tell of this offer determined to goe to Venice for the accomplishment of that worke and for that purpose with his only sonne and wife he departed Florence And when he had séene and surueyed the stéeple he went straight to the Duke and tolde him that he was come thither to offer his seruice for reparing of the same whom the Duke courteously interteygned and prayed him that he woulde so sone as he coulde begin the worke Whervnto Bindo accorded and with suche diligence and small time he finished the same in better forme and suretie than it was at the first Which greatly pleased the Duke and gaue Bindo so muche money as he demaunded making him besides a citizen of Venice for the mayntenaunce of whole state he allotted him a sufficient stripende Afterwards the Duke called him vnto him and declared that he woulde haue a Treasure house made wherein should be disposed and layde vp all the Treasure and common ornaments for the furniture of the whole Citie which Bindo by and by toke vpon him to doe and made it of suche singuler beautie as it excelled al the monumentes of the citie wherin al the sayde treasure was bestowed In which worke he had framed a stone by cunning that might be remoued in and oute at pleasure and no man perceyue it Meaning therby to go into the chamber when he list Whervnto none in all the worlde was priuie but himselfe When this Palace and Treasure house was done he caused all the furnitures of silkes hangings wrought with golde canapées clothes of state riche chayres plate and other ornamentes of golde and siluer to be caryed thither whiche he called La Turpea del doge was kept vnder fiue keyes wherof foure were deliuered to foure of the chiefe citizens deputed to that office and were called Chamberlaynes of the Treasure house and the fift key the Duke himselfe did kéepe so that the chamber coulde not be opened except they were all fiue present Now Bindo and his familie dwelling at Venice and he being a Citizen of the same began to spende liberally and to liue a riche and welthy lyfe and his sonne Ricciardo consumed disordinately wherby in space of time they wanted apparell to furnishe their bodyes whiche they were not able to maintayne for their inordinate expences Wherfore the father vpon a night called his sonne vnto him and got a ladder and a certaine yron instrument made for the purpose taking also with him a litle lime and went to the hole which Bindo artificially had made in that chamber taking out the stone wente in and toke out a fayre cuppe of Golde which was in a closet and afterward he went out and placed the stone agayne in his due place And when they were come home they brake the cup in peces caused it to be solde by pece meale in certayne cities of Lombardie And in this sort thei maintained their disordinate life begon It chaūced not long after that a Cardinall arriued at Venice about affaires with the Duke and the State who the more honorablie to receyue hym opened the Treasure house to take out certaine furnitures within as plate clothes of state other things When the dore was opened had taken out the sayde necessaries they found a cuppe lesse than ought to be wherwith the chamberlaines contended among themselues and wente to the Duke telling him that there wanted a cuppe Whereat the Duke maruelled and sayde that amongs them it must nedes be gone And after many denials and much talke he willed them to say nothing till the Cardinall was departed The Cardinall came aud was receyued with honorable interteignement and when he was departed the Duke sent for the foure Chamberlaynes being desirous to knowe howe the cuppe was gone And commaunded them not to departe the Pallace before the same was founde saying that amongs them it muste néedes be stolen These foure persones being together and debating amongs themselues howe and by what meanes the cuppe should be taken away were at their wittes ende At length one of them sayd Let vs consider whether there be any comming into the chamber in anye place els besides the dore and viewing the same they coulde not perceiue any entrie at all And to proue the same more effectuallie they strawed the chamber aboute with fyne chaffe and did sette fyre on the same which done they shut fast the windowes and dores that the smoke and smoulder might not goe out The force of which smoke was such as it issued through the hole that Bindo made wherby they perceiued the way howe the robberie was committed and wente to the Duke to tell him what they had done The Duke vnderstanding the fact willed thē to say nothing for that he woulde deuise a way to take the théefe who caused to be brought into the chamber a caldron of pitche and placed it directly vnder the hole aud commaunded that a fyre shoulde be kepte day and night vnder the caldron that the same might continually boyle It came to passe that when the money was spent which the father and the sonne had receyued for the cuppe one night they went againe to the
loue with her sent him a letter by an olde woman whereby she aduertized him that his beautie and good behauior so puissantlie did gouerne her affections that she coulde take no rest by night nor daye for the earnest loue that she bare him Wherefore she prayed him if it were his pleasure to come and speake with her Philenio receyuing that letter and perusing the contents thereof not considering the deceite prepared for him ne yet any longer remembring the iniuries past was more ioyfull and glad than euer he was before Who taking penne and paper answered her againe that he for his parte suffred no lesse tormentes for her sake yea and in respect of Loue that he loued her farre better than she did him and at al times when she pleased he woulde be at her commaundement to do her seruice The aunswere readde and oportunitie founde Simphorosia caused him to come home to her house and after many false sighes she sayde vnto him My deare frende Philenio I knowe none other in all the worlde that hath brought me into this state and plight wherein presently I am but you bicause your beautie good grace and pleasant talke haue so set my heart on fier that I féele it to kindle and burne lyke drie woode Which talke mayster Scholler hearing thought assuredly that she consumed for loue of him This pore Nodgecock contriuing the time with swéete and pleasant wordes with his dareling Simphorosia the tyme approched that he should goe to bed with his faire Lady who sayd vnto him My swete frend Philenio abide a while and let vs make some banket and collation and taking him by the hande she caried him into her closet adioyning where was a table ready furnished with exquisit conficts and wines of the best This Gentlewoman had made a composition in the wine to cause this yong Gallant to slepe for a certayn time Phileneo thinking no hurt toke the cup and filled it with the wine and dranke it vp at one draught His spirites reuiued with this refreshing after he had bene very wel perfumed and washed in swete waters he went to bed and within a while after this drink began to worke and the minion slepte so soundely that Canon shot or the greatest gonnes of the world were not able to wake him Then Simphorosia perceyuing the drinke beginne to worke called one of her sturdy maides that wel vnderstode the game of this pageant Both whiche carying this pore sléepy Scholler by the féete and armes and opening the dore very softly they faire well bestowed him in the middest of the streate a good stones cast of from the house where he lay all night But when the dawning of the day did appeare or an houre before the drinke lost his vertue and the pore Sot began to wake thinking that he had bene a bed with the Gentlewoman he perceyued himselfe brechlesse and in his shirte more deade than alyue through the colde that he had endured by lying starke naked vpon the earth The pore wretch was not able to helpe him self so much as with his armes legges and could not stand vpō his féete without great paine notwithstanding through creping and sprawling he got home to his house vnsene of any man and prouided so well as he could for recouery of his health And had it not bene for his youth which did helpe him at that instant his sinewes had bene benommed for euer In the ende hauing attained his former health and the state wherin he was before he stil remembred the iniuries past and without shewing any signe of anger or ill will made as though he loued them all thrée better than euer he did before and sometime semed to be in loue with the one and sometime with the other They againe for their parte nothing mistrusting the malice of Philenio set a good face on the matter vsing amorous chere and countenaunce towardes him but when his back was tourned with mockes and floutes they toke their pleasure He bearing in his brest secret despite was stil desirous with his hand to marke them in the face but he like a wise man wayed the natures of women and thought it woulde redound to great shame and reproche if he did them any hurt And therfore restraining the heate of his choler did let them alone And yet by deuising and practising how he might be euen with them and reuenged he was in great perplexitie Uery shortly after it chaunced that the scholler had deuised a meane easely to satisfie his desire so sone as he had determined vpon the same Fortune also therevnto was fauorable Who hired in the citie of Bologna a very faire house which had a large hall and commodious chambers and purposed to make a great and sumptuous feast and to inuite many Ladyes and gentlewomen to the same Amongs whome these thrée were the first that should be bidden which accordingly was done And when the feast day was come the thrée Gentlewomen that were not very wise at that instant repaired thither suspecting nothing In the ende a little to recreate the gentlewomen and to get them a stomake attending for supper time the scholler toke these his thrée louers by the hande and led them friendelie into a chamber somewhat to refreshe them When these thrée innocent women were come into the schollers chamber he shut fast the dore and going towardes them he sayde Beholde the time is come for me to be reuenged vpon you wicked and curssed creatures and to make you suffer the penaunce of the torment wherwith ye punished me for my great loue The gentlewomen hearing those cruell wordes rather dead than aliue began to repent that euer they had offended him and besides that they curssed themselues for giuing credit vnto him whome they ought to haue abhorred The scholler with a fierce and angry countenaunce commaunded them vppon paine of their lyues to strippe themselues naked Which sentence when these thrée Goddesses hearde they beganne to looke one vppon another wéeping and praying him although he woulde not doe it for their sakes yet in respect of his owne curtesie and naturall humanitie that he woulde saue their honor aboue all things This Gallant reioysing at their humble pitifull requestes was thus courteous vnto them that he would not suffer them to stande with their garments on in his presence The women casting themselues downe at the Schollers féete wept bitterly beseching him that he woulde haue pitie vpon them and not to be the occasion of a slaunder so great and infamous But he whose heart was hardened as the Diamond sayde vnto them that this fact was not worthy of blame but rather of reuengement The women dispoyled of their apparell and standing before him so frée from couering as euer was Eue before Adam appeared as beautifull in this their innocent state of nakednesse as they did in their brauerie in somuch that the yong Scholler viewing from top to toe those fayre and tender creatures whose
make any signe or semblance And kept that fier couered within his brest vntill his Master was ridden out of the towne and that his maistresse was at euensong at Sainct Florentines a church of the castle farre from her house Who now being alone in the house began to ymagine how he might attempt that thing by force which before by no supplication or seruice he was able to attaine For which purpose he brake vp a borde betwene his maystresse chamber and his But bicause the curteyns of his maister and maystresse bed and of the seruauntes of the other side couered and hid the walles betwene it could not be perceyued nor yet his malice discried vntill suche time as his maistresse was gone to bed with a little wenche of .xij. yeares of age And so sone as the pore woman was fallen into her first sléepe this varlet entred in at a hole which he had broken and so conueyed himselfe into her bed in his shirte with a naked sworde in his hand But so sone as she felt him layed downe by her she lept out of the bed going about to persuade him by such possible meanes as was mete for an honest woman to doe And he indued with beastly Loue rather acquainted with the language of his Mulets than with her honest reasons shewed himself more beastly than the beasts with whom he had of long time bene comiersant For séeing her so ofte to runne aboute the table that he coulde not catche her and also that she was so strong that twise she ouercame him in despaire that he shoulde neuer inioy her a liue he gaue her a great blowe with his sworde ouer she raynes of the backe thinking that if feare and force coulde not make her to yelde her selfe yet payne and smarte should cause her Howbeit it chaunced cleane contrarye For like as a good man of armes when he séeth his owne bloude is more chafed to reuenge himselfe vpon his enemies to acquire honor euen so the chaste hearte of this woman did reenforce and fortefie her courage in double wise to auoyde and escape the hands of this wicked varlet deuising by al meanes possible by fayre wordes to make the varlet to acknowledge his fault But he was so inflamed with fury that there was no place in him to receyue good coūcel And eftsones with his sword gashed her tender body with diuers and sundry strokes for the auoyding whereof so fast as her legges could beare her she ranne vp and downe the chamber And when through want of bloud she perceyued death approche lifting vp her eyes vnto heauē and ioyning her handes together gaue thanks vnto God whom she termed to be her force her vertue her pacience and chastitie humbly beseching him to take in good parte the bloude which by his commaundement was sheadde in honor of that precious bloud which from his owne sonne did issue vpon the Crosse wherby she did beleue firmely stedfastly that all her sinnes were wiped away defaced frō the memorie of his wrath and anger and in saying Lorde receyue my soule which was derely bought and redemed with thy bounty and goodnesse she fel downe to the ground vpon her face where the wicked villayne inflicted her body with manifolde blowes And after she had lost her speache and the force of her body this moste wicked and abhominable varlet toke her by force which had no more strength and power to defende her selfe And when he had satisfied his cursed desire he fledde awaye in suche hast as afterwardes for all the pursute made after him he could not be founde The yong wenche which lay with her for feare hid her self vnder the bed But when she perceyued the villayne departed she came vnto her maistresse and finding her speachelesse and without mouing she cried out of the window vnto the nexte neighboures to come to succour her And they which loued her and estéemed her so well as any woman in the Towne came presently vnto her and brought diuers Surgeons with them who finding vpon her body .xxv. mortall woundes they did so muche as in them laye to helpe her But it was impossible Howbeit she lay one houre without speache making signes with her eyes and handes declaring that she had not lost her vnderstanding being demaunded by the priest of the fayth wherein she died and of her saluation she aunswered by such euident signes that her speache and communicacion coulde not declare it better howe that her trust and confidence was in the death of Iesus Christ whom she hoped to sée in the celestiall city and so with a ioyful countenaunce her eyes erected vp to the heauēs she rendred her chast body to the earth and her soule to her creator And when she was shrowded ready to the buriall as her neighbours were attending to follow her to the church her pore husbād came home and the first sight he saw was the body of his deade wife before his dore whereof before that instante he had no newes And when he vnderstode the order of her death he then doubled his sorrow in such wise that he was also like to die In this sorte was this martir of Chastitie buried in the Church of S. Florentine where all the honest dames and wiues of the city endeuored themselues to accompany her to honour her with such reuerence as they were able to do accompting themselues most happye to dwell in that Towne where a woman of such vertuous behauiour did dwel The folish and wanton persons séeing the honour done to the dead body determined from that time forth to renew their former life and to chaunge the same into a better A King of Naples A King of Naples abusing a Gentlemans wyfe in the ende did were the hornes himselfe ¶ The Lj. Nouell IN the citie of Naples in the time of King Alphonsus in whose raigne wantonnesse bare chiefest sway there was a gentleman so honest beautifull and comely as for his good conditions an olde Gentleman gaue to him his daughter in mariage which in beautie and good grace was comparable to her husbande The loue was great betwéene them till it chaunced vpon a shoruetide that the King went a masking into the citie where euery man endeuoured himself to interteigne him the best he coulde And when he came to this gentlemans house he was best receyued of any place in all the towne aswel for banketting as for musical songs and the gentlewoman the fairest that the King sawe in al the citie to his contentation And vpon the ende of the banket she sang a song with her husband with a grace so good that it greatly augmented her beautie The King séeing so many perfections in one body conceyued not so great pleasure in the swéete accordes of her husband and her as he did howe to deuise to interrupt breake them And the difficultie for bringing that to passe was the great amitie that he saw betwéene them Wherfore he bare in his heart that