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
whiche boiled in you from your infancie to make Italie tributarie vnto you and to cause your self to be crouned at Rome Emperour aswel of Thorient as of the Occident This is not the waie to amplifie and inlarge your Empire but rather to restrain and diminishe the same This is not the mean to preserue it but to disposse it make it lesse If Ottoman the first tronke or stocke of your gentle familie and kindred hadde thus giuen hymself to be corrupted in idlenes you hadde not now inherited the noble kingdome of Grece nor gouerned the countries of Galatia and Bithinia and many other prouinces whiche enuironne the greate sea Semblablie his soonne Orcan a liuelie Image of his father and a folower of his valiant factes had not triumphed ouer Licaonia Phrigia Caria nor dilated the boundes of his Empire to Hellesponte What shall I speake of Amurates the successour of Orcan who was the firste that inuaded Europa conquered Thracia Syria Rasia and Bulgaria And Baiazet likewise did not he cutte of the hedde of the greate Tamburlain whiche called him self the scourge of GOD and brought into the fielde fower hundred thousande Scithians a horsebacke and sixe hundred thousande footemen Shall I shall passe ouer with silēce the vertuous exploites of your grandfather Mahomet who conquered Macedonia made the Countries to feele the edge of his sworde euen to the sea Ionicum lettyng passe many wonderfull expedicions and iourneis by hym made againste the Lidians and Cliecians But now I can not reuiue the memorie of your father Amurate but to my great sorowe and grief who by the space of .xl. yeres made the Sea and earth to tremble quake and with the furie of his strong hande vsed suche cruell reuengement ouer the Grekes that the memorie of the woundes doe remain at this presente euen to the Mountaines of Thomao and Pindus he subiugated the Phocians made tributarie Athenes Beotia Aetolia Caramania and al the barbarous naciōs from Morea to the straictes of Corinthe What nede I here to bring in the cruel battail that he had againste the Emperoure Sigismonde and Philippe Duke of Burgundie wherein he ouerthrewe the whole force of the Christians tooke the Emperour prisoner the Duke of Burgundie also whom he sent to Adrianopolis Or to remember other fierce armies whiche he sente into Hungarie whereof your maiestie is a faithfull witnesse your self beyng still there in your owne persone Iudge then my Lorde what diligence and intollerable trauell he vsed in his manifolde glorious enterprises and famous victories Doe you thinke that if he had béen idle in his pallaice emōges the ladies you had inherited your Empire or had now béen lorde of so many excellent Prouinces which he is not sufficient to rule that can not prouide to confirme and establishe the same There bee many of your subiectes and vassalles at this daie whiche doe obeye and honour your Maiestie more for feare then good loue thei beare you that would rebell against you if Fortune would tourne her backe The Christians of long time as you knowe haue sworne your ruine and distruccion Moreouer thei saie that their high bishop the Pope of Rome hath conuocated all his prelates to vnite and reconcile the Princes and Monarches of Christendome together to ouer runne you and to take the scepter out of your handes to dispoile you of your Empire But what knowe we whither thei wil ioine their force with the power of the Persian Sophi your capitall enemie or with the Souldan of Aegipte your aunciente aduersarie whiche if thei come to passe as God forbidde your Empire will be consumed Gather your wittes then together from hence forthe my lorde and call again Reason which so many yeres you haue banished from you Awake out of the depe slepe which hath sieled vp your eyes Imitate and folowe the trade of your aūcestors whiche euer loued better one daie of honor then an hundred liuyng yeres of shame and reproche Attende to the gouernement of your Empire Leaue of this effeminate life Receiue again the smell of your generositie and vertue And if you can not at one tyme cutte of remoue all that amourous heate whiche vndermineth so your harte moderate the same by litle and litle and giue some hope to your people whiche thinke you to bee vtterly loste and desperate of recouerie Or if so bee the Greke dooe delight you so muche who shall lette you to cary her with you in all your iourneis and expedicions Why can not you together bothe inioye her beautie and vse the practise of armes Me thinke that your pleasure shal be greater after you haue wonne some victory and subdued some countrie to inioye her in your armes then to remaine in a house with eternall infamie and continual grudgyng of your subiectes But proue I praie you to separate your self certain daies from her and you shall certainly iudge how farre greater the pleasures bée so differred then those that be daily vsed Yet one thing more and it please your maiestie there resteth to be declared whiche is that all the victories of your progenitours or the conquestes whiche your self hath made bee to small purpose if you doe not kepe them and increase them the keping of a thing gotten beyng of no lesse glorie and praise then the conquest Be now then a conqueror of your self humblie besechyng your Maiestie that if I haue spoken any thyng disagreable to your minde accordyng to your wonted clemencie to pardon the same and to impute the faulte to my bounden duetie and the care that I haue of your honor and sauftie Mahomet after he had heard the long discours of his Slaue stoode as still as a blocke and fixyng his eyes vpon the grounde with sodaine chaunge of coulour declared by outwarde signes the agitacions and vnquietnesse of his minde in suche wise that the poore slaue Mustapha seyng in hym those alteraciōs was in doubte of his life whose wordes so pricked the Emperours harte that he knewe not what to doe or wherevpon to bee resolued and seeiyng his conscience troubled with a furieus battaill knowyng euidently that Mustapha had spoken the truthe and that he vttered the same like a trustie seruaunt to his maister But on the other side the beautie of the Greke was still before his eyes and the minde he had to abandon her gaue hym suche alarme that he semed at that instaunte as though his harte had béen torne out of his bellie And thus moued with diuers tempestes without other thoughte hauyng his eyes inflamed with greate rage and furie he saied vnto hym Although thou hast spoken vnreuerently inough yet our educacion together and the fidelitie that I haue proued in thée in time past shalbée thy pardō for this time To the purpose Before the Sonne doeth cōpasse the Zodiacque I will let it be knowen to thée and to other what puissaunce and power I haue ouer my self or whether I am able to bridle mine affection or not
Take order in the mean time that all my noble menne the Baschats and the principall of my menne of warre bee assembled together to morowe in the middes of the greate halle of my pallace This determinacion finished the Emperor went into the Greke and reioysyng hymself all that daie and mighte with her he made more of her then euer he did before And the more to flatter her he dined with her and commaunded that after diner she should adorne her self with the moste precious Iewelles and decke her with more sumptuous apparel then euer she did weare before Whervnto the poore wenche obeied not knowyng that it was her Funerall apparell On the other side Mustapha vncertaine of the Emperors mynde at the hower appoincted caused all the nobilitie to bee assembled in the hall euery of them merueilyng what moued the Emperour so to doe sithens he had so long tyme shutte vp hymself without shewing his persone abrode Beyng thus assembled and euery manne talkyng diuersly of this matter accordyng as their affection serued beholde the Emperor entred into the pallace leadyng the Greke by the hande who beyng adorned otherwise then she was wonte to bee was accompanied and garnished with beautie so rare and excellente that she resembled rather an heauenlie Goddesse then a humaine creature The Turke came into the hall after that the lordes had made their reuerence accordyng to their wonted maner holdyng still the faier Greke by the left hāde he stode stil in the middest of the holle then lokyng furiously rounde aboute hym he saied vnto them So farre as I vnderstande all ye dooe mutine and grudge bicause I beyng vanquished with Loue can not separate and withdrawe my self daie nor nighte from the presence of this Greke But I dooe knowe none of you all so continente and chaste in Loue that if he had in his possession a thyng so rare and precious so amiable and beautie so excellente but before he could forgette her and giue her ouer he would three tymes be well aduised What say ye to the matter Euery of you shall haue frée libertie secretly to tell me your mynde But thei rapt with an incredible admiracion to see so faier a thyng saied that he had with greate reason passed his tyme with her Wherevnto the barbarous cruell Prince answered Well now then I will make you to vnderstande that there is no earthlie thyng that can binde vp or captiuate my sences so muche but that from hence forthe I will followe myne anncestours hauyng the glorie and valiaunce of the Ottomans so fixed in my breast that nothyng els but death is able to blot it out of my remembraunce Those wordes finished incontinently with one of his handes he catched the Greke by the heare of the heade and with his other hande he drewe out his falchion from his side and foldyng his handes aboute the golden lockes of her heare at one blowe he strake of her bedde to the great terrour of them all When he had so dooen he saied vnto them Now ye knowe whether your Emperor is able to represse and bridle his affectiōs or not Within a while after meanyng to discharge the rest of his cholere he addressed a Campe of fower score or an hundred thousande men with whom percyng Boussine he besieged Belgrade where Fortune was so cōtrary vnto hym that he was put to flight and loste there a notable battaile against the Christians vnder the conducte of Ihon Huniades surnamed le Blanc who was father of the worthie and glorious kyng Mathie Coruin A Ladie falsely accused of adulterie was condemyned to be deuoured of Lions the maner of her deliuerie and howe her innocencie beyng knowen her accuser felt the paines for her prepared ¶ The .xlj. Nouell IN the countrie of Aquitane there was sometime a lorde whose landes and lorshippes laie betwene Limosine and Poictou and for the antiquitie of his house was renowmed bothe for bloodde and wealthe emonges the chief of all the Countrie Beyng allied in kinred with the beste and had full accesse and fauour aswell in the houses of the auncient Dukes of Guienne and Countes of Poictou as in the royall Courtes of the Frenche Kynges This Lorde whom Bindello the aucthour of this historie affirmeth to be Signor de la Rocca Soarda but the translator and augmentator of the same in Frenche called Francois de Belle Forest leaueth out his name for good respecte as he allegeth kepte a greate Courte and liberall householde and singularlie delighted after the maner of the Frenche nobilitie in huntyng specially in hawkyng His house also was had in greater admiracion the rudenesse and ignoraūce of that tyme was suche bicause he had gotten beastes of straunge Countries chieflie Lions wherein he had greate pleasure aswell for the rarenesse of that beast in Fraunce as for a certaine generositie that he knewe to bee in the same whiche resembled the magnanimitie and courage of noble men whose mindes and spirites dooe not esteme thynges that be vaine and cannot be affraied in doyng of thinges wherevnto honour is offred for rewarde This Lorde maried a Ladie the doughter of one his neighbours a woman worthie for suche a husbande whose beautie was suche as there was none comparable vnto her whiche the more increased for that she was indued with perfite vertue and furnished with so good behauiour that right good mindes and wittes should bee occupied naie rather put to their shiftes to decide whether gift were greatest either the exquisite workemanship of her excellyng beautie or whether Nature had imploied all her cunnyng to frame a bodie to appere before menne miraculous or els her honest port her good grace curtesie and graue mildnesse accompanied with vertue not vulgare or common to many mē whiche made his ladie to shine like the glistering Planet of Mars emonges other the wanderyng starres In suche wise as the verie sauage and brute were formed with splendent fame to praise her to be suche a woman whose equall thei neuer knewe to bee in all their Countrie who made the house of her husbande glorious and hym a contented manne to beholde suche a Starre to lie by his side whiche suffised to illustrate and beautifie a whole countrie by her onely presence and to nobilitate a race although the bloodde of auncestours did faile for the accomplishement of their perfection Suche is the great force of Uertue whiche not onely did aduaunce her aboue them that dooe her imbrase but rather did cōstraine the enuious to haue her in admiracion But these admiratours and praisers of Uertue dooe not vse suche indeuour for the merites whiche thei attribute to the thyng rather thei imploie their onely industrie to gather some profite of her and then followyng the nature of the dogge doe retourne to their vomite and bestowe their venime hidden in their Serpentes breaste As it came to passe and was euidente in a certaine manne that was Stewarde of this noble mannes house truely a verie happie house aswell for
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
by fortune bee denied hym yet he doeth excell him bicause he neuer hath experience of thē he liueth in good prosperous helth he neuer feleth aduersitie he doeth nothing that is wicked he is a father of good childrē he is indued with formosttie beautie who if besides al those things he die welt It is he whō you demaunde that worthely maie be called blessed happy For before he die he can not be called blessed But fortunate he maie bee termed For to obtein al whiles you be a liuyng mā it is impossible For as one countrie is not able to serue it self with all comodities but hauing one it lacketh an other Yet the same countrie that hath moste comodities is the beste And as a mans bodie hauing one prefecciō is not perfect bicause in hauing one he lacketh an other Euē so he that hath most vertue is indued with greatest nōber of the aforesaied comodities so quietly departeth his life he in mine opinion is worthie to be intitled with the name of a king A mā must expect th ende of euery thing whervnto it tendeth For God plucketh vp by the rootes many men to whō he hath giuen abundance of welth treasure Craesus misliking the wordes of Solō suffred him to depart saiyng he was a foole that measured present pleasures no better After whose departure the goddes begā to bend their indignaciō displeasure vpon him bicause he thought himself the happiest of al men Long time after Craesus receiuyng corage cōfort frō Apollo at Delphos Attēpted warrs against Cyrus king of Persia. Who in those warres was ouerthrowen and taken prisoner after he had raigned .xiiij yeres and was broughte by the Persians to Cyrus Then Cyrus caused a stacke of woodde to be piled vp and Craesus fettered with giues was sette vpon the same Who then remēbryng the saiyng of Solon that no liuyng man was blessed or in all poincted happie cried out in lamentable wise O Solon Solon Solon whiche Cyrus hearyng caused his interpreters to demaūde of him what the same Solon was Craesus with muche difficultie tolde what he was and declared all the talke betwene hym and Solon Whereof when Cyrus heard the reporte he acknowledged hymself to be also a man and sore repented that he went aboute to burne hym whiche was equall vnto hym in honor and richesse confessyng nothyng to bee stable and certaine in the life of man Wherevpon he commaunded the fire to be taken awaie whiche then began to flame And so with muche a do he was deliuered Then Cyrus asked hym who gaue hym counsaill to inuade his countrie to make his frēde his foe Euen my self saied Craesus through vnhappie fate by the perswasiō of the Grekishe GOD whiche gaue me counsaill to make warres vpon thee For there is no man so madde that had rather desire warre then peace For in peace sonnes hurte their fathers but in warres fathers hurte their children But that these thinges be come to passe I maie thanke the Deuels good grace Afterwards Cyrus interteigned hym verie honorablie and vsed his counsel whiche he founde very holsome good Of a father that made suite to haue his owne soonne putte to deathe ¶ The .viij. Nouell THere was a man borne in Mardus whiche is a Countrie adioynyng vnto Persia called Rhacon that had seuen children The yongest of theim named Cartomes afflicted diuerse honest menne with greate harmes and mischifes For whiche cause the father began to reforme hym with wordes to proue if he would amende But he litle waiyng the good discipline of his father It chaunced vpon a time that the Iustices of the countrie repaired to the Sessions in that Toune where the father of that childe did dwell Who takyng his sonne and bindyng his handes behinde hym brought him before the Iudges To whom he remēbred by waie of accusacion all the mischiefes whiche his soonne from tyme to tyme hadde committed and desired the Iudges that he might bee condēpned to die The Iudges amased at that request would not them selues giue sentence against hym but brought bothe the father and the soonne before Artaxerxes the kyng of Persia In whose presence the father stil persisted in the accusacion of his sonne Why q the kyng canste thou finde in thy harte that thyne owne soonne should be putte to death before thy face Ye truely q the father For at home in my garden when the yonge Lactuse beginne to growe I cutte of the bitter and sower stalkes from the same For pitie it were the mother Lactuse should sustaine any sorowe for those bastarde and degenerate shrubbes Whiche beyng taken awaie the prospereth and encreaseth so greate swetenesse and bignes Euen so O kyng if he be hanged that hurteth my whole familie and offendeth the honest conuersacion of his brethren bothe my self shal bee increased and the reste of my stocke and ligneage shall in like sorte prospere and continue The Kyng hearyng those woordes did greately praise the wisedome of Rhacon and chose hym to bee one of his Iudges speakyng these wordes before the multitude He that dare thus seuerely iustly pronounce sentence vpon his owne childe doubtles he will shewe hymself to bee an incorrupt and sincere Iudge vpon the offences of other Then the kyng deliuered the yonge man from that present fault threatenyng hym with moste cruell death if after that tyme he were apprehended with like offence Water offred of good will to Artaxerxes the kyng of Persia and the liberall rewarde of the kyng to the giuer ¶ The .ix. Nouell THere was a certaine Persian called Sinaetas that farre from his owne house mette king Artaxerxes and had not wherewith to present him For it was an order emonges the Persians instituted by Lawe that euery man whiche mette with the king should giue hym a present Wherefore the poore man bicause he would not neglecte his duetie ranne to a Riuer called Cyrus taking vp bothe his handes full of water spake to the kyng in this wise I beseche God that your maiestie maie euermore raigne emonges As occasion of the place and myne abilitie at this instant serueth I am come to honour your maiestie to the intente you maie not passe without some presente For whiche cause I giue vnto you this water But if your grace had ones incamped your self I would goe home to my house for the best and derest things I haue to honour your maiestie withall And peraduēture the same shall not be muche inferiour to the giftes whiche other now dooe giue you Artaxerxes delighted with this chaunce saied vnto hym Good followe I thanke thee for this present I assure thee the same is so acceptable vnto me as the most precious gift of the worlde First bicause water is the best of all thynges then bicause the Riuer out of the whiche thou diddest take it dooeth beare the name of Cyrus Wherefore I commaunde thee to come before me when I am at my Campe. When he had spoken those wordes he
Pallace among whome was the Archebishop of Yorke a man of great reputation singuler learning to whome with the knife in his hande he recyted particularlie the discourse of hys Loue. And after he toke the Countesse by the hand and sayd vnto her Madame the houre is come that for recompence of your honest chastitie and vertue I wyll and consente to take you to Wife if you can finde in your heart The Countesse hearing those wordes began to recolour her bleake and pale face with a vermelion teint and Roseal rudde and accomplished with incredible ioye and contentacion falling downe at his fete sayd vnto him My Lord forasmuch as I neuer loked to be aduaunced to so honorable state as Fortune nowe doth offer for merite of a benefite so hyghe and gret which you present vnto me vouchsauing so much to abase your selfe to the espousal of so pore a Lady your Maiesties pleasure being suche beholde me ready at your commaundement The King taking her vp from the ground commaunded the Bishoppe to pronounce with a hyghe voyce the usuall wordes of Matrimonie Then drawing a riche Diamond from his fynger he gaue it to the Coūtesse and kissing her said Madame you be Quene of Englande and presently I doe giue you thyrty thousande Angelles by the yeare for your reuenue And the Duchie of Lancastre being by confiscation fallen into my handes I giue also vnto you to bestowe vpon your self and your frendes All which inrolled according to the maner the King accomplishing the mariage rewarded the Countesse for the rigorous interestes his so long Loue with such hap and contentation as they may iudge which haue made assay of like pleasure and recouered the fruite of so long pursute And the more magnificently to solemnize the mariage the King assembled al the Nobilitie of Englande and somoned them to be at London the first day of Iuly to beautifie and assiste the Nupcialles and coronation of the Quene Then he sent for the Father and brethren of the Quene whom he embraced one after an other honouring the Earle as his father and his Sonnes as his brethren whereof the Earle wonderfullye reioyced séeing the conceyued hope of his Daughters honor sorted to so happy effecte as well to the perpetuall fame of him and his as to the euerlaseing aduauncement of his house At the appointed day the Quene was brought from her fathers house apparelled with Royall vestures euen to the Pallace and conducted with an infinite number of Lordes and Ladies to the Church where when seruice was done the King was maried againe openly and the same celebrated she was conueyed vp into a publike place and proclaimed Quéene of Englande to the exceding gratulation and ioy incredible of all the Subiectes ¶ An Aduertisement to the Reader AFter these tragicall Nouelles and dolorous Histories of Bandello I haue thought good for recreatiō of the readers to refresh their minds with some pleasaunt deuises and disportes Least their spirites and senses should be appalled and astōned with the sundrie kinds of cruelties remembred in the .vij. of the former Nouelles Which be so straunge and terrible as they be able to affright the stoutest And yet considering that they be very good lessons for auoyding of lyke inconueniences and apt examples for continuation of good and honest lyfe they be the better to be borne with and may with lesse astōnishment be read and marked They that folow be mitigated and swetened with pleasure not altogether so sower as the former be Praying thee most heartely paciently to beare with all thing that shal occurre eyther in these that follow or in the other that be past before Galgano A Gentleman called Galgano long tyme made sute to Madonna Minoccia her husbande Sir Stricca not knowing the same diuers times praysed and commended Galgano by reason whereof in the absence of her husbande she sent for him and yelded her selfe vnto him telling him what wordes her husbande had spoken of him for recōpence whereof he refused to dishonest her ¶ The .xlvij. Nouel IN the citie of Siena in Italie there was a riche yong Gentleman called Galgano borne of noble birth actiue and well trained vp in al kinde of exercise valiant braue stoute and curteous in the maners and orders of all cuntries very skilfull This Galgano loued a Gentlewoman of Siena named Madonna Minoccia the wife of sir Stricca a comely knight and wore in his apparel the colour and deuises of his Lady bearing the same vpon his helmet and armoure in all Iustes Tourneyes and triumphes obseruing noble feastes and banquettes for her sake But for all those costly sumptuous and noble practises this Lady Minoccia in no wise would giue eare vnto his sutes Wherfore Galgano at his wittes end was voyde of aduise what to doe or say seing the great crueltie and rigor raigning in her brest vnto whome he daylie prayed for better successe and fortune than to himselfe There was no feast banquet triumphe or mariage but Galgano was there to doe her humble seruice and that day his minde was not pleased and contented wherin he had not séene her that had his louing heart in full possession very many tymes like a Prince that coueted peace he sente ambassadours vnto her with presentes and messages but she a proude and scornefull Princesse dayned neyther to heare them or receyue them And in this state stode this passionat Louer a long tyme tormented with the exceding hote Loue fealtie that he bare her And many tymes making his reuerent complaints to Loue did say Ah Loue my deare and soueraigne Lorde howe cruell and harde hearted art thou how vumercifully dealest thou with me rather how deafe be thyne eares that canst not recline the same to my nightly complaintes and daylie afflictions How chaunceth it that I doe in this maner consume my ioyfull dayes with pyning plaintes Why doest thou suffer me to Loue and not to be beloued And thus oftentimes remembring the crueltie of Loue his Ladies tiranny he began in maner like a wyght replete with despaire But in fine he determined paciently to abide the good tyme and pleasure of Loue still hoping to finde mercy And daylie gaue himselfe to practise and frequent those thinges that might be acceptable and pleasaunte to his Ladye But she still persisted inexorable It chaunced that sir Stricca and his fayre wyfe for their solace and recreation repaired to one of their houses harde by Siena And vpon a time Galgano passed by the same with a Sparhauke on his fist making as thoughe he went a Hauking but of purpose onely to sée his Lady And as he was going by the house sir Stricca espied him and went forth to méete him and familiarly taking him by the hande prayed him to take parte of his supper with his wyfe and him For which curtesie Galgano gaue him thankes and sayde Sir I doe thanke you for your curteous request but for this tyme I pray you to holde me excused
the sparkes which flewe out of his eyes And to the intent that through long frequentation none might espie the same he interteigned a very fayre Lady called Paulina a woman in his time accompted so faire that few men which beheld her could escape her bonds This Lady Paulina vnderstanding how Amadour vsed his loue at Barselone Parpignon how he was beloued of the fayrest honest Ladyes of the coūtrie aboue all of the Countesse of Pallamons which in beautie was prised to be the fayrest in all Spaine of many other sayde vnto him That she had great pitie of him for that after so many good fortunes he had maried a wife so foule and deformed Amadour vnderstanding well by those wordes that she had desire to remedy her owne necessitie vsed the best maner that he coulde deuise thinking that in making her beleue a lie he should hyde from her the truth But the subtile and wel experimented in loue contented not her selfe with talke but perceyuing right well that his hearte was not satisfied with her loue doubted that he coulde not serue his Lady in secrete wise therefore marked him so nere that dayly she had a respect and watch vnto his eyes which he coulde so well dessemble that she was able to iudge nothing but by darke suspicion not without great payne and difficultie to the gentleman to whom Florinda ignorant of all their malice did resorte manye times in presence of Paulina whose demeaner then was so familiar that he with maruellous payne refrayned his lokes against his heart and desire And to auoide that no inconuenience should ensue one day speaking to Florinda as they were both leaning at a windowe sayde these wordes Madame I beseche you to tell me whether is it better to speake or to die Wherevnto Florinda answered readily saying I will still councell my friends to speake and not to die For there be fewe wordes spoken but that they may be amended but the life lost cannot be recouered Promise me then sayde Amadour that not onely ye will accept those words which I will saye but also not to be astonned or abashed till ye heare the ende of my tale To whom she answered Say what it please you for if you doe affraye me none other shall assure me Then he began to saye vnto her Madame I haue not yet bene desirous to disclose vnto you the greate affection which I beare you for two causes The one bicause I attende by my long seruice to shewe you the experience thereof The other for that I doubted you woulde thinke a great presumption in me which am but a poore gentleman to insinuate my selfe in place whereof I am not worthye And althoughe I were a prince as you be the loyalty yet of your heart wil not permit any other but him which hath already taken possession the sonne I meane of the Infant Fortune to vse any talke of loue with you But Madame like as necessity in time of great warre constrayneth men to make hauoke of their owne goodes and to consume the gréene corne that the enemy take no profit and reliefe therof euen so do I hazard to aduaunce the frute which in time I hope to gather that your enemies mine may inioye thereof none aduauntage Knowe ye Madame that from the time of your tender yeares I haue in such wise dedicated my selfe to your seruice that I ceasse not still to aspire the meanes to achieue your grace and fauour And for that occasion I did marry hir whō I thought you did loue best And knowing the loue you beare to the sonne of the Infant Fortune I haue indeuored my selfe to serue him as you haue sene And all wherein I thought you did delight I haue accomplished to the vttermoste of my power You doe sée that I haue gotten the good will of the Countesse your mother of the Earle you brother and of all those that doe beare you good will In such sort as in this house I am estemed not like a seruaunt but as a sonne And al the labour which I haue sustayned these fiue yeares past was for none other cause but to lyue all the dayes of my lyfe with you And vnderstande you well that I am none of those which by these meanes doe pretend to receyue of you any profite or pleasure other than that which is good and vertuous I doe knowe that I can neuer marry you and if I could I would not to withstand the loue that you beare vnto him whome I desire to be your husbande likewise to loue you in vicious sorte like them that hope to recompence their seruice with the dishonor of their Ladies I am so farre of from that affection that I had rather be dead than to sée you by desert worthy of lesse loue and that your vertue shoulde by any meanes be diminished for any pleasure that might happen vnto me I doe pretende and craue for the ende and recompence of my seruice but one thing Which is that you woulde continue my loyall and faithfull maystresse that you will neuer withdrawe from me your good grace and fauour and that you will maintayne me in that estate and degrée wherin I am Reposing your trust and fidelitie in me more than in any other making your selfe so assured of me that if for your honor or any cause touching your person you stand in néede of the lyfe of a Gentleman the same shall right willingly be employed in your seruice In like maner all things vertuous and honeste which euer I shall attempt I beseche you to thinke the same to be done onely for the loue of you And if I haue done for Ladyes of lesse reputation than you be any thing worthy of estimation be you assured that for suche a maystresse as you are my enterprises shall increase in suche sorte that the things which I found difficult and impossible shall be easelie for me to accomplishe But if you do not accept me to be wholly yours I determine to giue ouer armes and to renoūce valiance bicause it hath not succoured me in necessitie Wherefore Madame I humblie beseche you that my iust request may not be refused sith with your honour and conscience you cannot well denie the same The yong Lady hearing this vnaccustomed sute began to chāge her colour and to cast downe her eyes lyke an amased woman not withstanding as she that was wise and discrete sayde vnto him If Amadour your request vnto me be none other than it is wherefore haue you discoursed vnto me this long oration I am afrayde that vnder this honest pretence there lurketh some hidden malice to deceyue the ignoraunce of my youth in such wise that I am in great perplexitie how to make you aunswere for to refuse the honest amitie which you haue offered I shall doe contrarie to that I haue done hitherto which haue reposed in you more truste than in al the men of the world My conscience or mine honor can