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
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