fight as the Lacedemoniās were wont to do In this wise increased more more the same of those women and so continued vntill the tyme that Hercules Theseus and many other valiāt men liued in Graecia The said Hercules king Euristeus of Athenes cōmanded to procede with great force of people against the Amazons and that he shold bring vnto him the armures of the two Quéenes which then wer two sisters that is to say Antiopa and Oritia At this cōmandemēt Hercules incoraged with desire of honor and glorie accōpanied with Theseus other his frends sailed 〈◊〉 Pontus and arriued in most conuenient place vpon the shoare of Thermodon wher he lāded in such secret maner with such oportunity of time as Oritia one of the two Quenes was gone out of the coūtrey with the greatest part of hir women to make warre conquere newe Countreyes in so much that he founde Antiopa which doubted nothing ne yet knewe of his comming Upon which occasiō Hercules and his people surprising the Amazones vnwares and although they entred into field and did put them selues in defense with suche diligence as the tyme serued yet they were ouercome and put to flight and many of them slain the rest taken amongst whom were the two sisters of the Quéene the one named Menalipe which was Hercules prisoner and the other Hipolita the prisoner of Theseus Certain Historiās do say that they wer vanquished in a pitched field and appointed battaile And that afterwards the two 〈◊〉 sters wer vanquished in singular Combat The Quéene Antiopa then séeing this ouerthrow and the taking of hir sisters cam to composition with Hercules to whom 〈◊〉 gaue hir armure to carie to Euristeus Upon charge that he should rendre vnto hir hir sister Menalipe But Theseus for no offer that she could make would deliuer Hipolita with whom he was so farre in loue that he caried hir home with him and afterward toke hir to wife of whom he had a sonne called Hipolitus Hercules satisfied of his purpose returned very ioyfull of his victorie Oritia certified of these news being then out of hir 〈◊〉 conceiued no lesse shame than sorrow who fearing greater damage returned spedily with hir women the greter part wherof being of hir opiniō persuaded 〈◊〉 opa to be reuēged vpon the Grekes For which purpose they made great preparation of warre And afterwards leuying so great a numbre of that Amazons as they could they sent to Sigillus kyng of Scythia for succour who sent them his sonne Pisagoras with a great numbre of horsmen by whose helpe the Amazones passing into Europa and countrey about Athenes they greatly 〈◊〉 their 〈◊〉 But Pisagoras entred in quarell against the Quene and hir women by meanes wherof the Scythians could not fight but withdrew them selues aside whereby the Amazones not able to supporte the force of the Greekes were ouercome and vanquished the gretest part of thē cut in pieces Those which did escape ranne to the Scythians campe of whome they were defēded Afterward being returned into their coūtrey they liued in lesse force and suretie than before In processe of time the Greekes passed into Asia and made a famous conqueste of the Citie of Troy when Penthesilea was Quéene of the Amazones who remembring the iniuries receiued by the Grekes went with a great armie to help the Troians Where that Quene did things worthie of remembraunce but the Troianes vanquished in many skirmishes al the Amazones wer almost slain And Penthesilea amongs other was killed by the hand of Achilles Wherefore those that remained returned into their countrey with so litle power in respect of that they had before as with great difficultie they susteined and defēded their olde possessions and so continued till the time that Alexander the great wēt into Asia to make warre againste the Hircanians In 〈◊〉 tyme one of their Quéenes named Thalestris accompanied with a great numbre of the Amazones went out of hir coūtrey with great desire to sée knowe Alexander And approching the place where hée was she sent hir Ambassadour vnto hym to the ende that shée might obtaine safeconducte to sée him makyng him to vnderstande howe much the 〈◊〉 of his personage had inflamed hir hart to sée him Whereof Alexander béeing 〈◊〉 graunted hir his 〈◊〉 By means wherof after she had chosen out some of hir principal womē leauing the rest in a certain place in verie good order she wente towardes Alexander of whom she was curteously entertained then with very good countenance she offred vnto him the effect of al hir abilitie Who prayed hir to tel him if he were able to do hir pleasure promised that hir request shold be accōplished She answered that hir cōming was not to demand either lands or dominions wherof she had sufficiēt but rather to knowe and be acquainted with such a famous Prince as he was of whome shée had heard maruellous and strange report But the chiefest cause of hir cōming was to pray him of carnal copulation that she might be conceiued with childe and haue an heire begotten of so excellent a prince telling him that she was come of noble kinde and of high parentage that he ought not to disdain hir vse Promisyng him that if it pleased the Gods that she should haue a daughter she wold nourish it hir selfe and make it hir vniuersall heire and if it were a 〈◊〉 she woulde sende it vnto him Alexander asked hir if she woulde go with hym to the warres and if she woulde he promised hir his companie But she excusing hir selfe answered that she coulde not go with him without great shame and daunger of losse of hir kingdome Wherfore she prayed him againe to satisfie hir request Finally she kept company with Alexander by the space of xiij dayes in publike and secrete sorte which béeing expired she toke hir leaue and returned home to hir prouince But as it is the propertie of time to consume all things euen so the kingdom power of the Amazones grew to vtter decay no one such nation at this day to be foūd For what monstrous Sexe was this that durst not onely by many armies encountre with puissant nations but also by such single Combate to fight with that terrible personage Hercules whose vnspekable and incredible labours and victories are by antiquitie reported to be such as none but he duxst euer aduenture the like Whose nation was comparable to the Greekes or the nian citie and yet these mankynde women for reuenge shronke not to pierce their prouince What like besieged towne as that of Troy was and yet Penthesilea one of their Nuéenes with hir maynie woulde goe aboute to raise the Greekes that so many yeares had lien before the same What Quéene nay what Stalant durste sue for companie of meanest man and yet one of these presumed to begge the match of the mightiest Monarch that euer ruled the world The maners qualities of which nation bicause they were women of no common
beare this present seruitude It lieth only in your handes how we shal be delt withall and whether you will make vs notable to the worlde thorough your clemēcie or crueltie The King comforted them all he might and willing them to be of good chéere toke Darius sonne in his armes Therat the child was nothing afraid hauing neuer séene him before but toke imbraced him about the neck He was so moued with the constancie of the childe as he behelde Ephestion and sayde Oh I would that Darius had had some part of this childes gentlenesse Which mercy continencie humilitie and cōstancie of minde in Alexander if he had still kept to his latter daies might haue bene accompted much more fortunate than he was when hauing subdued all Asia from Hellespont to the Occean sea he did counterfait the 〈◊〉 of Bacchus Or if amongs the residue of his cōquests he would haue trauailed to ouercome his pride and wrath being vices inuincible Or in his dronkennesse abstained from the slaughter of his Nobilitie and not to haue put to deathe those excellent men of warre without iudgement which helped him to conquer so many Nations But at this time the greatnesse of his Fortune had not yet altered his nature although afterwards he could not beare his victories with that Uertue wherwith he wanne them For when he gaue him self to 〈◊〉 and banketting he vsed the companie of harlots Amonges whome there was one Thais who vpon a day in hir dronkennesse affirmed to Alexander that he should wonderfully winne the fauour of the Greekes if he commaunded the Palace of Persepolis to be set on fire The destruction wherof she said they greatly desired for so much as the same was the chief seat of the kings of Persia which in times past had destroyed so many great Cities When the dronken harlot had giuen hir 〈◊〉 there were other present who being likewise dronken confirmed hir woordes Alexander then that had in him more inclinacion of heat than of pacience said Why doe we not then reuenge Greece and set this Citie on fire They were all chafed with drinking and rose immediatlie vpon those wordes to burne that Citie in their dronkennesse which the men of warre had spared in their furie The king himself first and after his guestes his seruauntes his Concubines set fire in the Pallace which being builded for the most part of Cedre trées 〈◊〉 sodenly in a flame When the armie that was encamped néere vnto the Citie saw the fire which they thought had ben kindled by some casualtie they came running to quenche the same againe But when they sawe the king there present increasing the fire they poured downe the water which they brought and helped likewise the matter forwardes Thus the palace that was the head of the whole Orient from whence so many nacions before had fetched their laws to liue vnder the seat of so many kings the only terror sometime of Greece the same that hath ben the sender forth of 9000. ships and of the armies that ouerflowed all Europa that made bridges ouer the Sea and vndermined mountaines where the Sea hath nowe his course was consumed and had his ende and neuer rose againe in all the age that did ensue For the kings of Macedon vsed other Cities which be now in the Persians hands The destruction of this Citie was such that the foundation therof at this day could not be 〈◊〉 but that the riuer of Araxes doth shew where it stode which was distant from Persepolis xx furlongs as the inhabitants rather doe beleue than know The Macedonians were ashamed that so noble 〈◊〉 was destroyed by their king in his dronkennesse yet at length it was turned into an earnest matter and were content to thincks it expedient that the Citie should haue ben destroyed after that maner But it is certain that when Alexander had taken his rest and was become better aduised he repented him of his doing And after he had kept companie with Thalestris aforesaid which was Quéene of the Amazones he tourned his continencie and moderation being the most excellent vertues appearing in any kind of estate into Pride and voluptuousnesse not estéeming his countrie customes nor the holsome temperance that was in the vsages and discipline of kyngs of Macedon For he iudged their ciuill vsage and maner to be ouer base for his greatnesse but did counterfaite the height and 〈◊〉 of the kings of Persia represēting the greatnesse of the Goddes He was content to suffre mē there to fal down flat vpō the ground worship him 〈◊〉 the victorers of so many nacions by litle litle to seruile offices coueting to make thē like vnto his captiues He ware vpon his head a Diademe of purple interpaled with white like as Darius was accustomed fashioned his aparell after the maner of the Persians without 〈◊〉 of any euil token that is signified for the 〈◊〉 to change his habite into the fashion of him whom he had vanquished And althoughe he vaunted that he ware the spoyles of his enimies yet with those spoyles he put vpon him their euil maners and the insolencie of the mynde folowed the pride of the apparell Besides 〈◊〉 sealed such letters as he sent into Europa with his accustomed seale but all the letters he sente abroade into Asia were sealed with Darius ring So it appered that one minde coulde not beare the greatenesse that appertained to two He aparelled also his frēds his captains and his horsemen in 〈◊〉 apparell whereat though they grudged in their mindes yet they durste not refuse it for feare of his displeasure His courte was replenished with Concubines for he still mainteined thrée hundred and thrée score that belonged to Darius and among them were flocks of Eunuches accustomed to performe the vse of women The old souldiers of Philip naturally abhorring such things manifestly withstode to be infected with such voluptuousnesse and strange customes Whervpon there rose a generall talke and opinion thoroughoute the Campe that they had loste more by the victorie than they had wonne by the warres For when they sawe them selues ouercome in suche excesse and forain customs so to preuaise they iudged it a simple guerdon of their long béeing abrode to returne home in prisoners maner They began to be ashamed of their king that was more like to such as wer subdued than to them that were victorious and that of a King of Macedon was become a Prince of Persia and one of Darius Courtiers Thus this noble prince from continencie and mercie fel into all kind of disorder the originall whereof he toke by delite in women which being vsed in sort lawful be great comforts and delights otherwise the very spring of all crueltie and mischiefe Timoclia of Thebes 〈◊〉 a Gentlewoman of 〈◊〉 vnderstanding the couetous desire of a Thracian knight that had abused hir and promised hir mariage rather for hir goodes than loue well acquited hir self from his falshode The third Nouel QVintus
house Upon this Anniuersarie day of Artaxerxes coronation when all things were disposed in order the King desirous to accomplishe a certaine conceiued determination cōmaunded one of his faithful chamberlains spéedily to seke out Ariobarzanes which the sayde faithfull chamberlaine did and telling him the kings message sayd My lord Ariobarzanes the King hath willed me to say vnto you that his pleasure is that you in your owne person euen forthwith shall cary your white stéede and Courser the mace of gold and other 〈◊〉 due to the office of Senescall vnto Darius youre mortall enimie and in his maiesties behalfe to say vnto him that the king hath giuen him that office and hath clearely dispossessed you thereof Ariobarzanes hearing those heauie newes was like to die for sorowe and the greater was his griefe bicause it was giuen to his greatest enimie Notwithstanding like a Gentleman of noble stomacke woulde not in open apparance signifie the displeasure which he conceiued within but with merrie cheare and louing countenance sayde vnto the chambrelaine Do my right humble cōmendations vnto the kinges maiestie and say vnto him that like as he is the soueraigne lorde of all this lande and I his faithfull subiect euen so myne office my life landes and goods be 〈◊〉 his disposition and that willingly I will performe his 〈◊〉 When he had spoken those wordes he rendred 〈◊〉 his office to Darius who at dinner serued in the same And when the king was set Ariobarzanes with comely countenaunce sat downe amongs the rest of the Lordes Which sodaine deposition and depriuation did 〈◊〉 lously amaze the whole assemblie euery man secretly speking their minde either in praise or dispraise of that fact The king all the dinner time did marke note the countenance of Ariobarzanes which was pleasant and merie as it was wont to be whereat the king did greately maruell And to attaine to the ende of his purpose hée began with sharpe wordes in presence of the nobilitie to disclose his discontented minde and the grudge which he bare to Ariobarzanes On the other side the king suborned diuers persons diligently to espie what he sayde did Ariobarzanes hearing the kings sharpe wordes of rebuke and stimulated by the persuasion of diuers flatterers which were hired for that purpose after he perceiued that his declared pacience preuailed nothing that his modest talke his long and faithful seruice which he had done vnto the king his losse and hinderance sustained the perill of his life which so many times he had suffered at length banquished with disdaine he brake the Bridle of Pacience and sorted out of the boundes of his wonted nature for that in place of honor he receiued rebuke in stede of reward was depriued of his office begā in a rage to cōplain of that king terming him to be an vnkind prince which amongs the Persians was estéemed a worde of great offence to the maiestie wherefore faine he would haue departed the court and retired home to his coūtrey which he coulde not doe without speciall licence from the king and yet to craue the same at his handes his heart would not serue him Althese murmures and complaintes which secretely he made were tolde the king therfore the king commaunded him one day to be called before him vnto whome he sayde Ariobarzanes youre grudging complaints and enuious quarels which you disparcle behinde my backe throughout my Courte and your continuall rages outragiously pronounced through the verie windowes of my Palace haue 〈◊〉 myne eares whereby I vnderstande that thing which hardly I would haue beleued But yet being a Prince as wel inclined to fauour and quiet hearing of al causes as to credite of light reports would faine know of you the cause of your lamentation and what hath moued you thervnto For you be not ignorant that to murmure at the Persian King or to terme him to be vnkinde is no lesse offence than to blaspheme the Gods immortall bicause by auncient Lawes and Decrées they be honored and worshipped as Gods And among all the penalties conteined in our lawes the vice of Ingratitude is moste bitterly corrected But leauing to speake of the threates and dangers of our lawes I pray you to tell me wherin I haue offended you For albeit that I am a king yet reason persuadeth me not to giue offence to any man which if I shoulde doe and the Gods forbid the same I ought rather to be termed a tyrant than a King Ariobarzanes hearing the King speake so reasonably was abashed but yet with stoute countenaunce he feared not particularly to remembre the wordes which he had spoken of the King and the cause wherefore he spake them Well sayd the King I perceiue that you blushe not at the words ne yet fear to reherse the same vnto my face wherby I doe perceiue and note in you a certaine kinde of stoutenesse which naturally 〈◊〉 from the greatnesse of your minde But yet wisedome would that you shoulde consider the reason and cause why I haue depriued you from your office Doe you not knowe that it appertaineth vnto me in all mine affaires and déedes to be liberall curteous magnificent and bounteous Be not those the vertues that make the fame of a Prince to 〈◊〉 amongs his subiects as the Sunne beames do vpon the circuit of the worlde Who ought to rewarde well doers and recompence eche wight which for any seruice and aduantage haue all the dayes of their life or else in some particuler seruice vsed their painful trauaile or aduentured the perill of their life but I alone béeing your soueraigne Lord and Prince To the vertuous and obedient to the Captaine and Souldier to the politike and wise to the lerned and graue finally to eche well 〈◊〉 wight I know how to vse the noble princely vertues of Curtesie and Liberalitie They bée the comely ensignes of a King They be the onely ornaments of a Prince They bée my particuler vertues And will you Ariobarzanes béeing a valiant souldier a graue counsailer and a politike personage goe aboute to dispossesse me of that which is mine Will you which are my seruant and subiect of whom I make greatest accompt and haue in dearest estimation vpon whome I did bestowe the greatest dignitie within the compasse of my whole Monarchie grate benefite at my hands by abusing those vertues which I aboue other do principally regard You do much abuse the credite which I repose in your greate wisedome For hée in whome I thought to finde moste graue aduise and déemed to bée a receptacle of all good counsell doth seke to take vpon him the personage of his Prince and to vsurpe the kingly state which belongeth only vnto him Shall I be tied by your deserts or bound by curteous dedes or else be forced to rendre recompēce No no so long as this imperiall crown shall rest on royall head no subiecte by any curteous déede of his shall straine vnwilling minde which meant it not
two was péerelesse without comparison older than the other by one yeare The beautie of those fair Ladies was bruted throughout the whole Region of Persia to whome the greatest Lordes and Barons of the countrey wer great and importunate suters He was not in his countrey resiant the space of iiij monethes which for salubritie of aire was most holsome and pleasant full of lordelike liberties and gentlemanlike pastimes as well to be done by the hounde as by the spaniell but one of the Kings Haraulds sent from the Court appeared before him with message to this effect saying My lord Ariobarzanes the King my soueraigne Lorde hath commaunded you to send with me to the Court the fairest of your two daughters for that the report of their famous beautic hath made him hardly to beleue them to be such as common brute would fayn do him to vnderstande Ariobarzanes not wel able to conceiue the meaning of the kings commaundement reuolued in his minde diuers things touching that demaunde and concluding vpon one which fel to his remembrance determined to send his yonger daughter which as we haue sayd before was not in beautie comparable to hir elder sister whereupon he caused the maiden to be sent for and sayd vnto hir these words Daughter the King my maister and thy soueraigne Lorde hath by his Messanger commaunded me to send vnto him the fairest of my daughters but for a certain reasonable respect which at this time I purpose not to disclose my mynde is that thou shalt goe praying thée not to say but that thou thy selfe art of the twaine the fairest the concealing of which mine aduise will bréede vnto thée no doubte thy greate aduauncement besides the profite and promotion that shall accriue by that thy silence and the disclosing of the same may happe to engendre to thy dere father his euerlasting hindrance and perchance the depriuation of his life but 〈◊〉 so be the King doe beget thée with childe in any wise kéepe close the same And when thou 〈◊〉 thy 〈◊〉 begin to swel that no longer it can be closely kept then in conuenient time when thou séest the King most merily disposed thou shalt tell the King that thy sister is farre more beautifull than thy self and that thou art the yonger sister The wise maiden well vnderstanding hir fathers minde and conceiuing the summe of his intent promised to performe his charge so with the Haraulde and honorable traine he caused his daughter to be conueyed to the Courte An easie matter it was to deceiue the King in the beautie of that maiden For although the elder daughter was the fairest yet this Gentlewomā séemed so péerelesse in the Court that without comparison she appeared the most beautifull that was to be 〈◊〉 either in Courte or countrey the behauiour and semblance of which two daughters were so like that hard it was to iudge whether of them was the eldest For their father had so kept them in that seldome they were séene within his house or at no time marked when they walked abroade The wife of the King was deade the space of one yere beforé for which cause he determined to marie the daughter of Ariobarzanes who although shée was not of the royall bloud yet of birthe she was right noble When the King saw this Gentlewoman he iudged hir to be the fairest that euer he sawe or heard of by report whom in the presence of his noble mē he 〈◊〉 did marrie seut vnto hir father to appoint the 〈◊〉 of his married daughter out of hande and to returne the same by that messanger When Ariobarzanes herd tell of this vnhoped mariage right ioyefull for that 〈◊〉 cesse sent vnto his daughter that dowrie which he had promised to giue to eyther of his daughters Many of the Courte did maruell that the King béeing in aged yeares would mary so yong a maiden specially the daughter of his subiect whome he had vanished from the Courte Some praised the Kings disposition for taking hir whom he fansied Eche man speakyng his 〈◊〉 minde 〈◊〉 to the diuers customes of men Notwithstanding there were diuers that moued the King to that mariage thereby to force him to confesse that by taking of the goodes of Ariobarzanes he might be called Courtenus and Liberall The mariage being solemnized in very 〈◊〉 and princely guise Ariobarzanes sente to the King the like dowrie which before he had sent him for mariage of his daughter with message to this effect That for so much as hée had assigned to his daughters two certain dowries to marie them to their equal 〈◊〉 and seing that he which was without exception was the husbande of the one his duetie was to bestow vpon his grace a more greater gift than to any other which shold haue bene his sonne in lawe But the King woulde not receiue the increase of his dowrie déeming him self well satisfied with the beautie and good cōdicions of his new spouse whome he entertained honored as Quéene In the meane time she was great with childe with a sonne as afterwardes in the birth it appered which so wel as she coulde she kept close and secrete but afterwards perceiuing hir bellie to ware bigge the greatnesse whereof she was not able to hide being vpon a time with that King and in familiar disporte she like a wise and sobre Lady induced matter of diuers argumēt amongs which as occasion serued she disclosed to the King that she was not the fairest of hir fathers daughters but hir elder sister more beautifull than she The King hearing that was greatly offended with Ariobarzanes for that he had not accomplished his commaundement and albeit he loued well his wife yet to attaine the effect of his desire he called his Haraulde vnto him whome he had firste sent to make request for his wife and with him returned again his new maried spouse vnto hir father cōmaunding him to say these words That for so much as he knewe him self to be vanquished and ouercome by the Kings humanitie his grace did maruell that in place of Curtesie he would vse such contumacie and disobedience by sending vnto him not the fairest of his daughters whiche he required but such as he himselfe liked to sende A matter no doubt worthy to be sharpely punished and 〈◊〉 For which cause the King being not a litle offended 〈◊〉 home his daughter againe and willed him to sende his eldest daughter and that he had returned the dowrie which he gaue with his yonger Ariobarzanes receiued his daughter and the dowrie with willing minde sayd these words to the Harauld Mine other daughter which the King my soueraigne Lord requireth is not able presently to go with thée bicause in hir bed she lieth sick as thou mayst manifestly perceiue if thou com into hir chāber but say vnto the King the vpon my faith allegiance so soone as she is recouered I will sende hir to the court The Haraulde séeing the maiden lie sicke
wold set vpon him to sée him and heare him speake made toward him and catching him by that band vpon his 〈◊〉 said vnto him Did 〈◊〉 thou art dead Wherevnto Nathan made none other an̄swere but I haue then deserued it When Mithridanes heard his voyce and looked him in the face he knewe by by that it was he which had courteously receiued him familiarly kept him company and faithfully had giuen him counsel Wherupon his fury asswaged and his anger conuerted to shame By meanes wherof throwing downe his sword which he had drawne to strike him he lighted of from his horsse and did prostrate himselfe at Nathan his fathers 〈◊〉 sayd vnto him wéeping Imanifestly perceiue right louing father your great liberalltie and by what policie you be come hyther to render to me your life Whereunto I hauing no right declared my self desirous to haue the same But our Lord God more carefull of my deudir than my self hath euen at the very point when it was moste néedefull opened the eyes of mine vnderstanding which curssed spite and cancred enuie had closed vp and therfore the more you were ready to gratifie my desire the greater punishmēt I knowledge my selfe to deserue for my fault Take then of me if it please you such vengance as you thynke méete for mine offence Nathan caused Mithridanes to rise vp kissing and imbracing him tenderly then he sayde vnto him 〈◊〉 sonne thou nedest not to demaund pardon for the enterprise done good or euill as thou list to name it For thou diddest not goe about to rid me of my life for any hatred thou didst beare me but only to be accompted the better Be assured then of me and verily beleue that there is no liuing man that I loue better than thy selfe considering the greatnesse of thine heart not inclyned to hoorde or gather togither the drossie mucke of Syluer as the myserable doe but to spende that whych is gathered Be not ashamed for hauing a will to kill me thereby to gette renowme For Emperoures and greatest kings neuer streatched forthe their power and racked their Kealmes and consequently aspired fame for other purpose but to kill not by murdering one man as thou 〈◊〉 meane but of an infinite number bysides the burning of Countries and rasing of Cities Wherefore if to make thy selfe more famous thou wouldest haue killed me alone thyne enterprise was not new to be wondred at but a thing in daily practise Mithridanes no more excusing his wicked intent but praising the honest excuse which Nathan had deuised drewe neare vnto hym to enter into further talke wyth him which was howe he greatly maruelled that he durst approche the place with so little rescue where hys deathe was sworne and what he meant him selfe to tell the waye and meanes wherein he required him to say his minde for disclosing of the cause Whereunto Nathan replied maruell not Mithridanes of mine intent and purpose for 〈◊〉 I was at age disposed to mine owne frée will and determined to doe that which thou hast gone about to doe neuer any came to me but I haue contented them so farre as I was hable of that they did demaunde Thou art come hyther with desire to haue my life wherefore séeing that thou diddest craue it I forthwith did meane to giue it that thou alone mightest not be the man that shoulde departe from hence wythout atchieuing thy request and to bring to passe that thou myghtest haue the same I gaue thée the best Counsell I coulde aswell for bereuing of my life as for enioying of thine owne And therefore I saye to thée againe and praye thée for to take it thereby to content thy selfe if thou haue anie pleasure therein I doe not knowe whiche way better to imploye it I haue all readye kepte it foure score yeares and haue consumed the same in pleasures and delyghtes and doe knowe by course of nature in other men and generallye in all things that long it can not reast in breathyng dayes Wherefore I thinke good that better it is to giue as I haue dailye done and departe with my Treasures than kéepe it till nature carye it awaye in despite of my téethe and maugre that I haue It is a little gifte to giue one hundred yeares howe much lesse is it then to giue 〈◊〉 or eighte of those I haue to liue Take it then if it please thée I thée beséeche For neuer yet found I mā that did desire the same ne yet do know when I shall finde such one if that thy selfe which 〈◊〉 desire it doe not take it And if it chaunce that I do finde some one I know ful well that so much the longer as I shall 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 the lesse estéemed it shal be and therfore before the same be vile and of little price take it I beséeche thée Mithridanes sore ashamed sayd God 〈◊〉 that by separating so dere a thing as is thy life that I should take it or only to desire the same as I did erst from which I would not diminish yeares but willingly would of mine owne adde therto if I could Whereunto Nathan by and by replied And if thou couldest wouldest thou giue them And woldest thou cause me doe to 〈◊〉 that which I neuer did to any mā that is to say to take of thy things which neuer I did of any liuing person Yea verily answered Mithridanes Then sayd Nathan Thou shouldest do then that which I wil tell thée Thou shouldest remaine here in my house so yong as thou art and shouldest haue the name of Nathan and I wold goe to thine and still be called Mithridanes Then Mithridanes answered If I had also so great experience as thou hast I would not refuse that which thou dost offer but bicause I am assured that my déedes would diminish the renoume of Nathan I will not marre that in another which I can not redresse in my self and therefore I 〈◊〉 not take it After this talk a great deale more betwene them they repaired to the Palace vpon the request of Nathan wher many dayes he did great honor to Mithridanes incoraging counselling him so wel as he could daily to perseuere in his high great indeuor And Mithridanes desirous to returne home with his company Nathan after that he had let him wel to know that he was not able to surpasse him in liberalitie gaue him leaue Mistresse Katherine of Bologna ¶ Master GENTIL of CARISENDI being come from MODENA toke a woman out of hir graue that was 〈◊〉 for deade who after she was come againe broughte forth a sonne which Master GENTIL rendred 〈◊〉 with the mother to master NICHOLAS 〈◊〉 hir husband The. xix Nouel REading this Historie I consider two straunge rare chaunces the one a lyberall and courteous acte of an 〈◊〉 louer towardes his beloued hir husband in leauing hir vntouched and not dishonored although in full puissance to doe his pleasure to hir husband or presenting him with 〈◊〉 whome he
giue To louing man that here on earth doth liue This great good turne which I on hir pretende Of my conceites the full desired ende Proceedes from thee O cruell mystres mine Whose froward heart hath made me to resigne The full effect of all my libertie To please and ease thy fonde fickle fansie My vse of speach in silence to remaine To euery wight a double hellish paine Whose faith hadst thou not wickedly abusde No stresse of paine for thee had bene refusde Who was to thee a trustie seruaunt sure And for thy sake all daungers would endure For which thou hast defaced thy good name And there vnto procurde eternall shame I That roaring tempest huge which thou hast made me felt The raging stormes whereof well nere my heart hath swelt By painefull pangs whose waltering waues by troubled skies And thousand blastes of winde that in those seas do rise Do promise shipwracke sure of that thy sayling Barke When after weather cleare doth rise some tempest darke For eyther I or thou which art of Tygres kinde In that great raging gulfe some daunger sure shalt finde Of that thy nature rude the dest'nies en'mies be And thy great ouerthrow full well they do foresee The heauens vnto my estate no doubt great friendship shoe And do seeke wayes to ende and finish all my woe This penance which I beare by yelding to thy hest Great store of ioyes shall heape and bring my minde to rest And when I am at ease amids my pleasaunt happes Then shall I see thee fall and suarlde in Fortunes trapes Then shall I see thee banne and cursse the wicked time Wherin thou madest me gulpe such draught of poysoned wine By which thy mortall cuppe I am the offred wight A vowed sacrifice to that thy cruell spight Wherefore my hoping heart doth hope to see the daie That thou for silence nowe to me shalt be the praie I O blessed God most iust whose worthy laude and praise With vttered speach in Skies aloft I dare not once to raise And may not wel pronoūce speak what suffrance I sustain Ne yet what death I do indure whiles I in life remaine Take vengeance on that traitresse rude afflict hir corps with woe Thy holy arme redresse hir fault that she no more do soe My reason hath not so farre strayed but I may hope and trust To see hir for hir wickednesse be whipt with plague most iust In the meane while great hauinesse my sense and soule doth bite And shaking feuer vexe my corps for grief of hir despite My mynde now set at libertie from thee O cruell dame Doth giue defiance to thy wrath and to thy cursed name Proclamyng mortall warre on thee vntill my tongue vntide Shall ioy to speake to Zilia fast wepyng by my side The heuēs forbid that causelesse wrōg abrode shold make his vaūt Or that an vndeserued death forget full tombe shoulde haunt But that in written boke and verse their names should euer liue And eke their wicked dedes should die and vertues still reuine So shall the pride and glorie both of hir be punisht right By length of yeares and tract of time And I by vertues might Full recompense therby shall haue and stande still in good fame And she like caitife wretche shall liue to hir long lasting shame Whose fond regarde of beauties grace contemned hath the force Of my true loue full fixt in hir hir heart voide of remorse Esteemed it selfe right foolishely and me abused still Vsurping my good honest faith and credite at hir will Whose loyall faith doth rest in soule and therin still shall bide Vntill in filthie stincking graue the earth my corps shall hide Then shal that soule fraught with that faith to heuēs make his 〈◊〉 And rest amōg the heuenly rout bedeckt with sacred aire paire And thou for thy great crueltie as God aboue doth know With rufull voice shalt weepe and waile for thy great ouerthrow And when thou wouldest fain purge thy self for that thy wretched No kindnesse shal to thee be done extreme shal be thy mede dede And where my tongue doth want his will thy mischief to display My hande and penne supplies the place and shall do so alway For so thou hast constrainde the same by force of thy behest In silence still my tong to kepe t' accomplishe thy request Adieu farewell my tormenter thy friend that is full mute Doth bid thee farewell once againe and so he ends his sute He that liueth only to be reuenged of thy cruelty Philiberto of Virle Zilia like a disdainfull woman made but a iest at the letters and complaints of the infortunat louer saying that she was very well content with his seruice And that when he should performe the time of his probatiou she should sée if he were worthy to be admitted into the felowship of them which had made sufficient proofe of the order and rule of loue In the meane time Philiberto rode by great iourneys as we haue sayd before towards the goodly and pleasant Countrey of Fraunce wherein Charles the seuenth that time did raigne who miraculously but giue the French man leaue to flatter speake vvel of his ovvne Countrey according to the flattering and vaunting nature of that Nation chased the English men out of his lands and auncient Patrimonie in the yeare of our Lord. 1451. This king had his campe then warfaring in Gascoine whose lucke was so fortunate as he expeld his enimies and left no place for thē to fortifie in the sayd Countrey which incouraged the king to folow that good occasion and by prosecuting his victorious fortune to profligat out of Normandie to dispatch himself of that enimy into whose handes and seruitude the Coūtrey of Guiene was rightly deliuered and victoriously wonne and gottē by the Englishmen The king then being in his Campe in Normandie the Piedmont Gentleman the Lord of Virle aforesayd repaired thereunto to serue him in his person where hée was well knowne of some Captaines which had séene him at other times and in place where worthy Gentlemen are wont to frequent and in the Duke of Sauoyes court which the Frenchmen did very much 〈◊〉 bicause the Earle of Piedmont that then was Duke of Sauoy had maried Iolanta the second daughter of Charles the seuenth These Gentlemen of Fraunce were very much sory for the misfortune of the Lord of Virle and knowing him to be one of the brauest and lustiest men of armes that was in his time within the Country of Piedmont presented him before the King commending vnto his grace the vertue gentlenesse and valianee of the man of warre Who after he had done his 〈◊〉 according to his duetie which he knew ful well to doe declared vnto him by signs that he was come for none other intent but in those warres to serue his maiesty whom the king heard and thākfully receiued assuring himself and promising very much of the 〈◊〉 Gitlemā for respect of his personage which was comely
tourne but his greatest fame rose of his clemencie and curtesie In such wise as he shewed hym selfe to be gentle and fauourable euen to them whome he knewe not to loue him otherwise than if he had bene their mortal enimie His successors as Augustus Vespasianus Titus Marcus Aurelius Flauius were worthily noted for clemencie Notwithstandyng I sée not one drawe néere to great courage and gentlenesse ioyned with the singular curtesie of Dom Roderigo Viuario the Spaniarde surnamed Cid towarde Kyng Pietro of Aragon that hyndred his expedition againste the Mores at Grenadoe For hauyng vanquished the 〈◊〉 King and taken hym in battell not only remitted the reuenge of his wrong but also suffered hym to goe without raunsome and toke not from him so much as one forte estéeming it to be a better exploite to winne such a king with curtesie than beare the name of cruell in putting hym to death or seazing vpon his lande But bicause acknowledging of the poore and enriching the small is more cōmendable in a Prince than when he sheweth himselfe gentle to his like I haue collected thys discourse and facte of Kyng Mansor of Marocco whose children by subtile and fained religion Cherif succéeded the sonne of whome at this day inioyeth the kingdoms of Su Marocco and the most part of the 〈◊〉 confinyng vpon Aethiopia This historie was told by an Italian called Nicholoso Baciadonne who vpon this accident was in Affrica and in trafike of marchandise in the land of Oran situated vpon the coast of that South seas and where the Geneuois and Spaniards vse great entercourse bicause the countrey is faire wel peopled and where the inhabitaunts although the soile be barbarous lyue indifferent ciuilly vsing greate curtesie to straungers and largely departyng their goodes to the poore towards whome they be so earnestly bente and louing as for their liberalitie and pitifull alinesse they shame vs Christians They mainteyne a greate numbre of Hospitalls to receyue and intertaine the poore and néedie which they doe more charitably than they that be bounde by the lawe of Iesus Christe to vse charitie towardes their brethren wyth that curtesie and humaine myldnesse These Oraniens delight also to recorde in writing the successe of things that chaunce in their tyme and carefully reserue the same in memorie whiche was the cause that hauyng registred in theyr Chronicles which be in the Arabie letters as the moste parte of the Countreys do vse thys present historie they imparted the same to the Geneuois marchauntes of whome the Italian Author confesseth 〈◊〉 haue receyued the Copie The cause why that Geneuois marchaunt was so diligent to make that enquirie was by reason of a citie of that prouince built through the chaunce of this Historie and which was called in theyr tongue Caesar Elcabir so much to say as A great Palace And bycause I am assured that curteous mynds will delight in déedes of curtesie I haue amongs other the Nouells of Bandello chosen by Francois de Belleforest and my selfe discoursed thys albeit the matter be not of great importance and greater thyngs and more notorious curtesies haue bene done by our owne kings and Princes As of Henry the eyght a Prince of notable memorie in his progresse in to the Northe the xxxiij yeare of his raigne when he disdained not a pore Millers house being stragled from his traine busily pursuing the Hart and there vnknown of the Miller was welcomed with homely chere as his mealy house was able for the time to minister and afterwards for acknowledging his willing minde recompenced him with dainties of the Courte and a Princely rewarde Of Edward the thirde whose Royall nature was not displeased pleasauntly to vse a 〈◊〉 Tanner when deuided from his company he mette him by the way not farre from Tomworth in Staffordshire and by cheapening of his welfare stéede for stedinesse sure and able to cary him so farre as the stable dore grewe to a price and for exchaunge the Tanner craued 〈◊〉 shillings to boote betwene the Kings and his And whē the King satisfied with disport desired to shew himself by sounding his warning blast assembled al his train And to the great amaze of the pore Tanner when he was guarded with that 〈◊〉 he well guerdoned his good pastime and familiare dealing with the order of 〈◊〉 and reasonable reuenue for the maintenaunce of the same The like examples our Chronicles memory and report plentifully doe auouche and witnesse But what this History is the more rare and worthy of noting for respect of the people and Countrey where seldome or neuer curtesie haunteth or findeth harboroughe and where Nature doth bring forth greater store of monsters than things worthy of praise This great King Mansor then was not onely the temporall Lord of the Countrey of Oran and Moracco but also as is saide of Prete Iean Bishop of his law and the Mahomet priest as he is at this day that 〈◊〉 in Feze Sus and Marocco Now this Prince aboue all other pleasure 〈◊〉 the game of Hunting And he so muche delighted in that passetime as sometime he would cause his Tentes in the midde of the desertes to be erected to lie there all night to the ende that the next day he might renewe his game and 〈◊〉 his men of idlenesse and the wilde beastes of rest And this manner of life he vsed still after he had done iustice and hearkened the complaintes for which his subiectes came to disclose thereby their griefes Wherin also he toke so great pleasure as some of our Magistrates doe seke their profite whereof they be so squeymishe as they be desirous to satisfie the place whereunto they be called and render all men their right due vnto them For with their bribery and sacred golden hunger Kings and Princes in these dayes be yll serued the people wronged and the wicked out of feare There is none offense almost how villanous so euer it be but is washed in the water of bribery and clensed in the holly drop wherewith the Poetes faine Iupiter to corrupt the daughter of Acrisius faste closed within the brasen Toure And who is able to resist that which hath subdued the highest powers Now returne we from our wanderings This great King Mansor on a day 〈◊〉 his people to hunt in the not marish fenny Countrey which in elder age was farre off from the Citie of Asela which the Portugalles holde at this present to make the way more frée into the Isles of Molncca of the most parte whereof their King is Lord. As he was attentife in folowing a Bear his passe-time at the best the Elementes began to darke and a great tempest rose such as with the storme violent wind scattred the train far of from the King who not knowing what way to take nor into what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 retire to auiode the tempest the greatest the he felt in all his life would wyth a good wyl haue ben accōpanied as the Troiane 〈◊〉 was
when being in like pastyme and feare hée was constrayned to enter into a caue wyth his Quéene Dido where he perfourmed the ioyes of hys vnhappie mariage But Mansor béeyng withoute companie and withoute any Caue at hande wandered alongs the Champayne so carefull of his life for feare of wylde beastes which flocke together in those desertes as the Curtiers were 〈◊〉 for that they knewe not whether their Prince was gone And that which chiefly grieued Mansor was hys being alone without a guide And for all he was well mounted he durste passe no further for feare of drownyng and to be destroyed amiddes those Marshes whereof all the countrey was very full On the one side he was frighted with thunderclaps which rumbled in the aire very thicke terrible On the other side the lightning cōtinually flashed on his face the roring of the beastes appalled him the ignorāce of the way so astoonned him as he was afraid to fal into the running brookes which the outragious raines had caused to swel rise It is not to be doubted that orisons and prayers vnto his great prophet Mahomet were forgotten whether he were more deuout than when he went on pilgrimage to the Idolatrous Temple of Mosqua Hée complayned of yll lucke accusyng Fortune but chiefly hys owne follie for giuing himselfe so much to hunting for the desire whereof he was thus straggled into vnknowen Countreyes Sometimes he raued and vomyted his gall agaynst his gentlemen and houshold seruants and threatned death vnto his garde But afterwardes when reason ouershadowed his sense he sawe that the time and not their negligence or litle care caused that disgrace He thought that his Prophet had poured downe that tempest for some Notable sinne and had brought him into suche so daūgerous extremity for his faults For which cause he lifted vp his eyes and made a thousand Mahomet mowes and Apish mocks according to their manner And as he fixed his eyes a lost vp to the heauens a flashe of lightning glaunced on his face so violently as it made him to holde downe his head like a little childe reproued by his master But he was further daunted and amazed when he sawe the night approche which with the darknesse of his cloudy mantel stayed his pace from going any further brought him into such perplexitie as willingly he wold haue forsaken bothe his hunting and company of his seruauntes to be quitte of that daunger But God carefull of good minds with what law so euer they be trained vp and who maketh the sunne to shine vpon the iust and vniust prepared a meanes for his sauegarde as ye shall heare The Africane King being in this traunce and naked of all hope necessity which is the clearest thing of sight that is made him diligently to loke about whether he could sée any persone by whom he might attaine some securitie And as he thus bent himselfe to discry all the partes of the Countrey he saw not farre of from him the glimpse of a light which glimmered out at a little window whereunto he addressed himself perceiued that it was a simple cabane situate in the middest of the sennes to which he approched for his succor defense in the time of that 〈◊〉 He reioysed as you may think and whither his heart lept for ioy I leaue for them to iudge which haue assayed like daungers how be it I dare beleue that the sailers on the seas féele no greater ioy whē they ariue to harborough thā the king of Marocco did or when after a Tempest or other perill they disery vpon the prowe of their shippe the brightnesse of some cliffe or other land And this king hauing felt the tempest of winde raine haile lightening and Thunder claps compassed round about with Marshes and violent streames of little rieurs that ran along his way thought he had found a Paradise by chauncing vpon that rusticall lodge Now that Cotage was the refuge place of a pore Fisher man who liued and susteined his wife and children with Eeles which he toke alongs the diches of those déepe and huge Marshes Mansor when he was arriued to the dore of that great palace couered and thacked with Réede called to them within who at the first would make no answer to the Prince that taried their cōming at the gate Then he knocked again and with louder voice than before which caused this fisher man thinking that he had bene some Rippier to whom he was wont to sel his ware or else some straūger strayed out of his way spedily wēt out and séeing the King wel mounted and richly clothed and albeit he toke him not to be his soueraigne Lord yet he thought he was some one of his Courtly Gentlemen Wherefore he sayd what fortune hathe driuen yeu sir into these so desert and solitary places and such as I maruel that you were not drowned a hundred times in these streames and bottomes whereof this Marrish and 〈◊〉 Countrey are full It is the great God answered Mansor which hath had some care of me and will not suffer me to perish without doing greater good turnes better déedes than hitherto I haue done The kings cōming thither séemed to Prognosticate that which after chaunced and that God had poured downe the tempest for the wealth of the Fisher man and commodity of the Countrey And the straying of the King was a thing appoynted to make voyde those Marshes and to purge and clense the Countrey Semblable chaunces haue happened to other Princes as to Constantine that great besides his Citie called New Rome whē he caused certaine Marshes and Diches to be filled vp and dryed to build a faire and sumptuous Temple in the honor and memory of that blessed Uirgin that brought forth the Sauior of the world But tel me good mā replied Mansor cāst thou not shew me the way to the Court and whether the King is gone for gladly if it were possible would I ride thither Uerely sayd the Fisher man it will be almost day before ye can come there the same being x. leagues from hēce Forsamuch as thou knowest the way answered Mansor doe me so great pleasure to bring me thither be assured that besides the that good turne for which I shall be bound vnto thée I wil curteously content thée for thy paines Syr sayde the pore man you séeme to be an honest gentleman wherfore I pray you to light and to tary héere this night for that it is so late and the way to the Citie is very euill and combersome for you to passe No no said the King if it be possible I must repaire to the place whither the King is gone wherefore doe so muche for me as to be my guide and thou shalt sée whether I be vnthankefull to them that imploy their paines for me If King Mansor sayd the Fisher man were héere himselfe in person and made the like request I would not be so very a foole nor so presumptuous at
〈◊〉 of one of their Queenes called THALESTRIS to visit ALEXANDER the great and the cause of hir 〈◊〉 The first Nouel WHere the first boke began with a Cōbate foughte and tried betwene two mighty cities for principalitie and gouernment the one hight Rome after called the heade of the world as some thinke by reason of a mans head foūd in the place where the Capitole did stand the other Alba. To which Combat 〈◊〉 gentlemen of either citie wer appointed and the victorie chaunced to the Romaine side In this second parte in the forefront and first Nouel of the same is described the beginning continuaunce and ende of a Womans Common wealth an Hystorie 〈◊〉 and straunge to the vnlearned ignorant of the 〈◊〉 fickle ruled stay which contended with mighty Princes and puissant Potentates for defense of their kingdome no lesse than the Carthaginians and Romaines did for theirs But as it is no wōder to the skilful that a whole Monarche and kingdom should be inticrly peopled with that Sexe so to the not wel trained in Hystories this may seme miraculous Wherfore not to stay thée from the discourse of those straunge and Aduenturous women diuers be of diuers opinions for the Etimologie of the word wher of amonges the Grecians 〈◊〉 diuerse iudgementes These Amazones were moste excellent warriers very valiant and without mannes aduise did conquer mighty Countreyes famous Cities and notable Kingdomes continuing of long time in one Seigniorie and gouernment These people occupied and enioyed a great part of Asia Some writers deuide them into two Prouinces one in Scithia in the North parte of Asia other by the hill Imaus which at this day is called the Tartarian Scithia different from that which is in Europa the other sort of the Amazones were in Libia a prouince of Africa But bicause the common sort of Authors doe vnderstand the Amazones to be those of Asia I meane to leaue off the differēce The Scithians were a warlike people and at the beginning of theyr kingdome had two kings by whome they were gouerned Notwithstanding the nature of dominion being of it self ambicious cannot abide any companion or equal Which caused these two Kinges to beat variance and afterwardes the matter grew to ciuill warres wherein the one being Uictory two of the principal 〈◊〉 of the contrary faction called Plinius and Scolopithos were banished with a great number of their 〈◊〉 all which did withdraw themselues to the limites of Cappadocia in the lesser Asia in despite of the Countrey Pesantes dwelled alonges the riuer of Thermodon which entreth into the sea Euxinum otherwise called Pontus And they being made Lordes of the countrey of the places adioyning raigned for certain yeres vntill the peasantes and their confederates made a conspiracie against them and assembling by policie ouercame them and slewe them all The newes of their deathe knowen to their wiues dwelling in their countrey caused them to cōceiue great heauinesse and dolor extreme And although they were womē yet did they put on māly courage and determined to reuenge the death of their husbandes by putting their handes to weapons wherwithall they did exercise themselues very ofte And that they might all be equal their sorow commō they murdred certain of their husbands which remained there after the other were banished Afterward being all together they made a great army and forsoke their dwelling places refusing the mariage of many suters And arriuing in the land of their enimies that made smal accōpt therof although foretolde of their approache they sodenly came vpon them vnprouided and put them all to the sword This being done the women toke the gouernāce of the Countrey inhabiting at the beginning along the Riuer of Thermodon where their husbands wer stain And although many Authors do differ in the situaciō of the place where the Amazones did dwel yet the truth is that the beginning of their kingdome and of their habitacion was vpon that Riuer But of their manifolde conquestes be engendred diuers opinions declared by Strabo and others They fortified them selues in those places and wanne other countries adioyning chosing among them two Quenes the one named Martesia and and the other Lampedo Those two louyngly deuided the armie and men of warre in two parts either of them defending with great hardinesse the Lands which they had conquered and to make them selues more dreadfull such was the credite and vanitie of men that time they fained themselues to be that daughters of Mars Afterward these miraculous womē liuing after this maner in peace iustice considered that by succession of time for wante of daughters that might succéede warres and time wold extinguishe their race For this cause they treated mariage with their neighbors named Gargarians as Plinie sayeth with condition that vpon certaine times of the yeare their husbands shold assemble together in some appointed place and vse them for certaine dayes vntill they were with childe which being done and knowen they shoulde returne home againe to their owne houses If they brought forth daughters they norished and trained them vp in armes and other manlyke exercises and to ride great horsse They taught them to run at base to follow the chace If they were deliuered of males they sent them to their fathers And if by chaunce they kept any backe they murdred them or else brake their armes and leggs in suche wyse as they had no power to beare weapons and serued for nothing else but to spin twist and to doe other feminine labour And for as much as these Amazones defēded themselues so valiantly in the warres with Bowe and Arrowes and perceiued that their breasts did verie much impech the vse of that weapon and other exercises of armes they seared vp the righte breastes of their yong daughters for which cause they were named Amazones which signifieth in the Gréeke tong without breasts although that some other do giue vnto that name an other Etimologie Afterwardes increasing by course of time in numbre force they made great preparation of weapons and other 〈◊〉 for the warres and leauing their coūtrey which they thought was very small in the keping of some whom they specially trusted the rest marched abrode cōquering subduing all those which they foūd rebellious And hauing passed the riuer of Tanais they entred Europa where they vanquished many countreys directing their way towardes Thracia from whence they returned a whyle after with great spoile and victorie and comming again into Asia they brought many prouinces vnder their subiection proceding euen to Mare Caspium They edified and peopled an infinite numbre of good cities amōgs which according to the opinion of diuers was the famous Citie of Ephesus the same béeing the chiefe of all their Empire and the principal place that stoode vpon Thermodon They defended them selues in warres with certaine Tergats made in fashion of a half Moone and entring into battaile vsed a certaine kinde of flutes to giue the people corage to
spirite and boldnesse be thought good in the front of this second volume to be described bicause of diuers womens liues plentifull varietie is offered in the sequele And for that some mencion hath bene made of the greate Alexander and in what wise from vertue he fell to vice the seconde Nouell ensuing shall giue some further aduertisement Alexander the great ¶ The great pitie and cōtinencie of ALEXANDER the great and his louing entertainmēt of SISIGAMBIS the wife of the greate Monarch 〈◊〉 after he was vanquished The second Nouel GReat Monarches and princes be the Gods and onely rulers vpon earthe and as they be placed by Gods only prouidence and disposition to conquere and rule the same euen so in victorious battailes and honorable exploites they ought to rule order their conquests like Gods that is to say to vse moderate behauiour to their captiues and slaues specially to the weaker sorte feminine kinde whome like tyrants and barbarous they ought not to corrupt and abuse but like Christians and vertuous victors to cherish and preserue their honour For what can be safe to a woman sayd Lucrece when she was 〈◊〉 by the Romaine Tarquine hir chastitie being defiled Or what can be safe to a man that giueth him selfe to incontinencie For when he hath despoiled the virgin robbed the wife or abused the widow of their honor and good name they protrude them selues into many miseries they be impudent vnshamefast aduenturous and carelesse how many mischiefes they do And when a Prince or gouerner doth giue him self to licencious life what mischieues what rapes what murders doth he cōmitte No frende no 〈◊〉 no subiecte no enimie doth he spare or defende Contrarywise the mercifull and continent captaine by subduing his affections recouereth immortal fame which this historie of king Alexāder full well declareth And bicause before we spake of that great conquerour in the Nouell of the Amazones and of the repaire of Quene Thalestris for vse of his bodie at what tyme as Curtius sayth he fell from vertue to vice wée purpose in this to declare the greate continencie and mercie that he vsed to Sisigambis the wife of the Persian Prince Darius and briefly to touch the time of his abused life which in this manner doth begin Alexander the great hauing vanquished Darius and his infinite armie and retiring with his hoste from the pursute and slaughter of the Persians entred into their campe to recreate him selfe And being with his familiars in the mids of his bāket they sodenly heard a pitifull crie with straunge howling and crying out which did verie much astonne them The wife and mother of Darius with the other noble women newly taken prisoners wer the occasiō of that present noise by lamenting of Darius whome they beleued to be slaine which opinion they cōceiued through one of the Eunuches which standing before their tent doore sawe a souldier beare a piece of Darius Diademe For which cause Alexander pitying their miserie sent a noble man called Leonatus to signifie vnto them that they were deceyued for that Darius was liuing Repairing towards the tent where the women were with certaine armed men he sent word before that he was coming to them with message from the king But when such as stode at the tent 〈◊〉 saw armed men they thought they had ben sent to murder the Ladies for whiche cause they ranne in to them crying that their last houre was come for the souldiers were at hande to kill them When Leonatus was entred the pauilion the Mother and wife of Darius fell downe at his féete intreating him that before they were slain he wold suffer them to burie Darius according to the order and maner of his countrey after the performance of which obsequies they were content they sayd willingly to suffer death Leonatus assured them that both Darius was aliue and that there was no harme towardes them but shoulde remaine in the same state they were in before When Sisigambis heard those wordes she suffered hir selfe to bée lifted vp from the grounde and to receyue some comfort The next day Alexander with great diligence buried the bodies of suche of his owne men as coulde be founde and willed the same to be done to the noble men of the Persians giuing licence to Darius mother to burie so many as she liste after the custome of hir countrey She performed the same to a fewe that were next of hir kinne according to the habilitie of their presente fortune for if shée shoulde haue vsed the Persians pompe therin the Macedonians might haue enuied it which being victors vsed no great curiositie in the matter When the due was performed to the dead Alexander signified to the women prisoners that he him selfe would come to visit them and causing such as came with him to tarie without he onely with Ephestion entred in amongs them The same Ephestion of al men was best beloued of Alexander brought vp in his cōpanie from his youth and most priuie with him in al things There was none that had such libertie to speke his mynd plainly to the king as he had which he vsed after such sorte that he semed to do it by no authoritie but by suffrance And as he was of like yeares vnto him so in shape and personage he did somwhat excel him Wherfore the women thinking Ephestion to be the king did fall downe and worship him as their countrey maner was to do to kings till suche time as one of the Eunuches that was taken prisoner shewed which of them was Alexander Then Sisigambis fell downe at his féete requiring pardon of hir ignorance for somuch as she did neuer see him before The King toke hir vp by the hande and sayde Mother you be not deceiued for this is Alexander also Then he behaued him self after such a maner that he erceded in continencie and compassion al the kings that had ben before his time He entertained the two Quéenes with those virgins that were of excellent beautie so reuerently as if they had bene his sisters He not onely absteined from al violation of Darius wife which in beautie excelled all the women of hir time but also toke great care diligence that none other should procure hir any dishonor And to all the women he commaunded their ornaments and apparel to be restored So that they wāted nothing of the magnificence of their former 〈◊〉 sauing only the assured trust that creatures want in miserie which things considered by Sisigambis she sayd vnto the king Sir your goodnesse towards vs doth deserue that we should make the same prayer for you that whilome we did for Darius and we perceiue you worthie to passe so greate a king as he was in felicitie and good fortune that abounde so in iustice and clemencie It pleaseth you to terme me by the name of Mother and Quéene but I confesse my selfe to be your handmaide For both I conceyue the greatnesse of my state past and féele that I can
before Tel me I beséech you what rewarde and gift what honour and preferment haue I euer bestowed vpon you sithens my first arriuall to this victorious raigne that euer you by due desert did binde me therunto Which if you did then liberall I can not bée termed but a slauishe Prince bounde to do the same by subiects merite High mightie Kings doe rewarde and aduaunce their men hauing respect that their gift or benefite shal excede desert otherwise that preferment can not bée termed liberall The great conquerour Alexander Magnus wanne a great and notable Citie for wealth and spoile For the principalitie and gouernment wherof diuers of his noble men made sute alleaging their painefull seruice and bloudie woundes about the getting of the same But what did that worthie King was he moued with the bloudshead of his Captaines was he stirred with the valiance of his men of warre was he prouoked with their earnest sutes No truely But calling vnto him a poore man whome by chaunce he founde there to him he gaue that riche and wealthie Citie and the gouernement thereof that his magnificence and liberalitie to a person so poore and base might receiue greater fame estimation And to declare that the cōferred benefit did not procede of 〈◊〉 or duetie but of mere liberalitie very curtesie true munificence and noble disposition deriued from princely heart and kingly nature Howbeit I speake not this that a faithfull seruant shoulde be vnrewarded a thyng very requisite but to inferre and proue that rewarde should excell the merite and seruice of the receiuer Now then I say that you going about by large desert and manifold curtesie to binde me to recompence the same you séeke next way to cut of the meane whereby I shoulde be liberall Doe you not sée that through your vnaduised 〈◊〉 I am preuented and letted from mine 〈◊〉 liberalitie wherwith dayly I was wont to reward my kinde louing and loyall seruants to whome if they deserued one talent of gold my maner was to giue them two or thrée If a thousande crownes by the yeare to giue them fiue Do you not know that when they looked for least rewarde or preferment the sooner did I honour and aduaunce them Take héede then from henceforth Ariobarzanes that you liue with suche prouidence and circumspection as you may be knowen to be a seruaunt and I reputed as I am for your soueraigne Lorde and maister All Princes in mine opinion require 〈◊〉 things of their seruants that is to say Fidelitie Loue which being had they care for no more Therfore he that list to contend with me in curtesie shall finde in the end that I make small accompt of 〈◊〉 And he that is my trustie and faithfull seruaunt diligent to execute and doe my commaundements faithfull in my secrete affaires and duetifull in his vocation shall trulie witte and most certainly féele that I am both curteous and liberall Which thou thy selfe shall well perceiue and be forced to confesse that I am the same man in déede for curtesie and liberalitie whom thou indeuorest to surmount Then the king held his peace and Ariobarzanes very reuerently and stoutly made answer in this maner Most Noble and victorious Prince Wel vnderstanding the conceiued griefe of your inuincible minde pleaseth your sacred maiestie to giue me leaue to answer for my selfe not to aggrauate or heape your wrath and displeasure which the Gods forbid but to disclose my humble excuse before your maiestie that the same poized with that equall balance of your rightful mind my former attemptes may neither seme presumptuous ne yet my wel meaning minde well measured with iustice ouerbold or malapert Most humbly then prostrate vpon my knées I say that I neuer went about or else did thinke in minde to excéede or compare with your infinite and incomprehensible bountie but indeuored by all possible meanes to let your grace perceiue and the whole worlde to know that there is nothing in the worlde which I regarde so much or estéeme so deare as your good grace and fauour And mightie Ioua graunte that I doe neuer fall into so great errour to presume for to contende with the greatnesse of your mind which fond desire if my beastly minde should apprehend I might be likened to the man that goeth about to berieue and take away the clerenesse of the Sun or brightnesse of the splendant starres But euer I did thinke it to be my bounden duetie not onely of those fortunes goods which by your princely meanes I do inioy to be a distributer and large giuer but also bounde for the profite and aduauncement of your regal crowne and dignitie and defence of your most noble person of mine owne life and bloude to be both liberall and prodigall And where your maiestie thinketh that I haue laboured to compare in curteous déede or other liberall behauior no déede that euer I did or fact was euer enterprised by me for other respect but for to get continue your more ample fauour and dayly to increase your loue for that it is the seruants part with all his force and might to aspire the grace and fauor of his soueraine lord Howbeit most noble Prince before this time I did neuer beleue nor heard your grace cōfesse that magnanimitie gentlenesse and curtesie wer vertues worthie of blame correction as your maiestie hath very 〈◊〉 done me to vnderstād by words seuere taunting checks vnworthy for practise of such rare and noble vertues But how so euer it be whether life or death shall depende vpon this praiseworthie honorable purpose I mean hereafter to pelde my dutie to my souerain lord then it may please him to terme my déedes courteous or liberall or to think of my behauior what his own princely mind shall déeme iudge The King vpon those words rose vp said Ariobarzanes nowe it is no time to continue in further disputation of this argumēt cōmitting the determination and iudgement hereof to the graue deliberation of my Councell who at conuenient leisure aduisedly shall according to the Persian lawes and customes conclude the same And for this present time I say vnto thée that I I am disposed to accompte the accusation made against thée to be true and confessed by thy selfe In the means time thou shalte repaire into thy countrey and come no more to the Court till I commaunde thée Ariobarzanes receiuing this answere of his soueraigne Lorde departed and to his greate contentation went home into his countrey merie for that he shoulde be absent out of the dayly sight of his ennimies yet not well pleased for that the King had remitted his cause to his Councell Neuerthelesse minded to abide and suffer all fortune he gaue him selfe to the pastime of hunting of Déere running of the wilde Boare and flying of the Hauke This noble Gentleman had 〈◊〉 only daughters of his wife that was deceassed the most beautifull Gentlewomen of the countrey the eldest of which
euen now began to presage his fall and ruine But yet meaning to 〈◊〉 his best aduantage went vnto the prison where the 〈◊〉 of the banished were fast inclosed and bicause he was of a troublesome and tyrannicall nature he concluded with him self rather to vse intreate those wiues with hun and threates than with humanitie and fayre wordes Being entred the prison he sharpely and with great fiercenesse commaunded them to write vnto their husbandes that besieged him without earnestly to persuade them to giue ouer their attempted warres otherwise said he if ye do not folow the effect of my commaūdement in your owne presence I will first cause cruelly to be slaine al your little children tearing them by piece meale in pieces and afterwardes I will cause you to bée whipped and scoutged and so to die a most cruel shamfull death At which fierce and tyrannicall newes there was no one womā amōgs them that opened their mouthes to answer him The most wicked vile tyrant seing thē to be in such silence charged them vpon their liues to answere what they were disposed to doe But although they 〈◊〉 not speake a word yet with silence one beholding eche other in that face fared as though they cared not for his threates more readie rather to die thā to obey his commaundement Megistona then which was the wife of Timolion a matrone as well for hir husbands 〈◊〉 as hir owne vertue in great regard and estimatiō and the chiefe amongs all the women who at his comming in would not rise but kept hir place nor vouchsasing to do any reuerence or honor vnto him and the like she bad the rest In this wise sitting vpon the ground w e vnlosed tongue and libertie of spéeche stoutly she answered the tyrants demaunde in this maner If there were in thée Aristotimus any manly prudence wisedome or good discretion truly 〈◊〉 woldest not cōmande vs poore imprisoned women to write vnto our husbands but rather suffer vs to goe vnto them and vse more 〈◊〉 wordes and mylde behauiour than wherewith of late thou diddest entertaine vs by scoffing mocking cruelly dealing with vs and oure poore children and if nowe thou béeing voide of all hope dcest séeke to persuade by oure meanes likewise to deceyue oure husbandes that bée come hither to put their liues in perill for our deliuerāce I assure thée thou vainely 〈◊〉 thy self for wée henceforth do purpose neuer to be 〈◊〉 of thée we require thée also to thinke and stedfastly beléeue that our husbands heads be not so much bewitched with follie as despising their wiues and children neglecting their dueties towards them will béeing in this forwardnesse abandon their preseruation and gyue ouer the libertie of their cositrey Think also that they litle esteme or wey that regard of vs their childrē in respect of the great cōtentation they shal attaine by vnyoking the libertie of their countrey from thy pride intollerable bondage which is worst of all from that tyrannie whiche neuer people felt the like For if thou were a King as thou 〈◊〉 a tyrant if thou were a Gentleman borne of noble kinde asthou art a slaue proceding from the deuil thou 〈◊〉 neuer execute thy curssed crueltie against a féeble kinde such as women be werest thou alone ioyned in singular cōbat with my baliant dere beloued husbande thou durst not hande to hande to shew thy face for cōmonly it is séene that the Courtely 〈◊〉 backed on wyth such mates as he is him selfe careth not what attempt he taketh in hande and stareth with haire vpright looking as though he would kill the deuill but when he is preast to seruice of the sielde and in order to encountre with his Princes foe vpon the small sway by shocke or push that thaunceth in the fight he is the first that taketh flight last that standeth to the face of his ennimie Such kinde off man art thou for so long as our husbands were farre of absent from their Countrie not able to ridde vs from thy thrall thou wroughtest thy malice then against their wiues at home doing the greatest crueltie towardes thē and their sucking babes that euer deuill could doe vpon the 〈◊〉 sorte and now thou séest them arriued here vnder our countrie walles thou fliest and séekest helpe at womens hands whose power if it serued them according to their willes would make thée tast the fruit of thy committed smart And as she would haue proceded further in hir liberall talke the Caitife tyrant not able to abide anie further speache troubled beyond measure presently commaunded the little childe of hir to be brought before him as though immediatly he woulde haue killed him as his seruaunts sought him out the mother espied him playing amōgs other children not knowing for his small stature and lesse yeres where he was become and calling him by his name said vnto him My boy come hither that first of all thou maist loose thy life to féele the proufe and haue experience of the cruell tyrannie wherin we be for more grieuous it is to me to sée thée serue against the nobilitie of thy bloud than dismembred and torne in pieces before my face As Megistona stoutly and vnfearfully had spoken those woordes the furious and angrie tyrant drew forth his glistering blade out of his sheathe purposing to haue slaine the gentlewoman had not one Cilon the familiar friend of Aristotimus staid his hand forbidding him to commit an acte so cruell This Cilon was a fained and counterfeit frend of the Tyrant very conuersant with other his familiar friendes but hated him with deadly hatred was one of them that with Hellanicus had conspired against the tirant This Gentleman then seing Aristotimus with so greate furie to ware wood against Megistona imbraced him and said that it was not the parte of a gentleman procéeding from a race right honoble by any meanes to 〈◊〉 his handes in womans bloud but rather the signe token of a cowardly knight wherefore he besought him to stay his hands Aristotimus persuaded by Cilon appeased his rage and forsoke the companie of the women Not long after a great prodige and wonder appeared in this sort before supper the tyrant and his wife withdrue themselues into their chāber and being there an Egle was séene to soare ouer the tyrants palace and being aloft by little and little to descend and letting fall from hir tallands a huge and great stone vppon the toppe of that chamber wyth clapping wings and flying noyse soared vp againe so farre as she was cleane out of sight from them that did behold hir With the rumor and shouts of those that saw this sight Aristotimus was appalled and vnderstanding the circumstance of the chaūce he sent for his diuine to declare the signification of this Augurie which greatly troubled his minde The Southsayer bad him to be of good chere for that it did portend the great fauor and loue which Iupiter bare vnto him
bande of horsmen Wherefore Tarquinius sente to the Rammenses Titienses Luceres To the bandes that Romulus had conscribed hée added other new troupes of horsemen purposing that the same should continue in memorie of him after his death And bicause Romulus dyd the same without aduise of the Southsayers one Accius Nauius the notablest Prophecier in those daies withstoode that constitution 〈◊〉 that it was not lawsull for him eyther to appoint a newe order or to alter the olde except the birdes and auguries did assent thervnto Wherwith the king was displeased deluding that science said Go to M. Sothsayer tell me now quod he is it possible to bring that to passe which I haue now conceiued in my minde Yea quod the Southsayer if you tel me what it is Then quod Tarquinius I haue deuised that thou shalt pare thine owne skin with a Raser Therfore take this knife doe as thy birdes doe portend and signifie And as it was reported he pared his own skin in déede In memory wherof an Image of Accius was erected with his head 〈◊〉 After that time there was nothing attempted without those auguries Notwithstanding Tarquinius procéeded in his constitution and added to the Centurias an other number for that 1800. horsemen were conteined in the thrée Centuriae The later addition was called also by the same name which afterward were doubled into vj. Centurias Whē his numbre was thus increased once againe he ioyned battel with the Sabines who by a notable pollicie recouered a great victorie And bicause the Sabines doubled a freshe onset without any order of battell or good aduisement they were ouerthrowen and then constrained to make peticion for peace The citie of Collatia and the Coūtrie confining vpon the same was taken from the Sabines The Sabine warres being in this sortended Tarquinius in triumphant maner 〈◊〉 to Rome At that time a prodige and miraculous 〈◊〉 chaunced to be séene in the Palace The head of a childe whose name was Seruius Tullius lying a sléepe in the palace was séene to burne The king was brought to sée that miracle And as one of his seruants was going to fetch water to quēch the fire he was staid by the Quene who commaunded that the childe should not once be touched vntill he awaked of himselfe And so soone as he rose from sléepe the fire vanished Then she tooke hir husband aside and said doe you sée this childe whom we haue verie basely and negligently brought vp I assure you sir said she he wil be the only safegard and defender of this our doubtfull state and will be the preseruer of our houshold when it is afflicted Wherefore let vs make much of him that is like to be the ornament and a worthie stay to all our familie After that they had accompted him amongs the number of their children traded him vp in those Arts which excite all good dispositions to aspire vnto honoure the pleasure of the Gods appeared in short time For the child grew to a royal behauior in so much as among all the Romane youth there was none more méete to mary the daughter of Tarquinius This Seruius Tullius was the sonne of one Seruius Tullius that was a Captain of a towne called Corniculum at the apprehension whereof it chaunced that the sayd Tullius the father was 〈◊〉 leauing his wife great with child the mother being a captiue and bonde woman was deliuered of hir childe at Rome in the house of Priscus Tarquinius After Tarquinius had raigned xxxviij yeres the yong man began to growe to great honor and estimation aswell with the king himself as also with the Fathers Then the Romanes conceiued a hateful indignation against the king for that he being put in trust to be the Tutor gouernor of Ancus children displaced them from their right inheritance and specially for that he himself was a stranger fearing also that the kingdom should not return againe to the election of themselues but degenerat and grow into seruile bondage They also called to remembrāce that the Citie continewed one hundred yeres after the sublation of Romulus an intier kingdome within one Citie and that it was a shame for them to suffer a bondman borne of seruile kind to possesse the same and would rebound to their perpetual ignominie hauing the progenie of Ancus aliue to suffer the same to be open to straungers and bōdmen Wherfore they determined to defend the griefe of that iniurie and to be reuenged rather vpon Tarquinius than vpon Seruius In fine they committed the execution of that fact to two shepherds chosen out for that purpose Who deuised this pollicie Before the entrie into the Palace they fell togither by the eares vpon which fray all the kings officers assembled and repaired thither to know the cause of their falling out when they were parted they appealed to the king with such exclamation as they were heard to the Palace Being called before the king both of them fell to brawling and one of thē striued of purpose to hinder the tale of the other The kings sergeant rebuked them commaunding them to tel their tales in order Whē they were a litle quieted one of thē beginneth to discourse the tale And as the king was attentife to heare the plaintif the other toke vp a hatchet threw it at the king and leauing the weapon sticking in the wound they conueied themselues out of the dores Those that waited vpon the King made hast to relieue him and the sergeants followed to apprehende the malefactors With that a hurlie burlie rose amōgs the people euery man maruelling what the matter shoulde be Tanaquil commaunded the palace gates to be shut and séeketh remedie to cure hir husbande as though some hope of life had bene remaining When hope failed of his recouerie shée called Seruius before hir which maried hir daughter and shewed vnto him hir dead husbande holding him fast by the right hande shée intreated him that he would not suffer the death of his father in lawe to be vnreuenged to the intent he might not be ridiculous to the traitours saying to him further these words If thou be a man of thy hands O Seruius the kingdom is thine and not theirs which thus cruelly by the hands of other haue committed this abhominable facte Wherefore put forth thy selfe and the Gods be thy guide For they did portende this noble head to be the Gouernour of this citie at such time as they circumfused the same with a fire descendyng from aboue Let that heauenly 〈◊〉 excite thy courage Be throughly awaked We being straungers sometime haue raigned Thinke and consider what thou art not from whence thou camest If the strangenesse of the case doe affray thée my counsel from time to time shall relieue thée The crie and stirre of the people being vnmesurable that one could scarse heare an other Tanaquill opened the windowes that had their prospect to the new way for the King dwelt at the temple of
toke the poysoned cuppe and said vnto the messanger Giue the king thy maister right humble thankes in my behalfe and say vnto him that I receiue and drinke this poyson with a will so good as if he had commaunded me to enter in triumph with Laurell garlande ouer mine ennimies For a better gift a husband can not giue to wife than accomplishment of assured faith the funeralls whereof shall be done with present obsequie And saying nothing else vnto the Messanger she toke the cuppe and myngling well together the poyson within she vnfearfully 〈◊〉 it vp And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had dronke the same she deliuered the messanger his cuppe againe and layed hir selfe vpon hir bed commaūding hir Gentlewomen in comely wise to couer hir with clothes and without lamentation or signe of Feminine minde shée stoutly waighted for approching death The Gentlewomen which waited vpon hir bewaited the rufull state of their 〈◊〉 esse whose plaints and schriches were heard throughout the palace wherof the brute and rumor was great But the good Quéene vanquished with the strong force of the poyson remained not long before she died The Messanger returned these heauie newes vnto Massinissa who sorowfully complained the losse of his beloned wife in such wise as many tymes hée was like to kill him selfe that his soule might haue accompanied the ghost of hir which was beloued of hym aboue all the deerest things of the worlde The valiaunt and wise captaine Scipio vnderstanding hereof to the intent Massinissa shoulde not commit any crueltie against himselfe or perpetrate other vncomely déede called hym before him and comforted him with the swéetest wordes he could deuise and friendly reproued him for the little faith and trust that he had in him The next day in the 〈◊〉 of all the arinie he highly commended him and rewarded him with the Kingdome of Numidia giuing hym many rich iewels and treasures and brought him in great estimation amōgs that Romans which the Senate and people of Rome very well approned and cōfirmed with most ample priuileges attributing vnto him the title of King of Numidia and frend of the Romanes Such was the eude of the vnhappie loue of kyng 〈◊〉 and the faire and unluckie Quéene Sophonisba Poris and Theoxena ¶ The crueltie of a King of 〈◊〉 who forced a Gentlewomā called THEOXENA to persuade hir children to kill and poison them selues after which facte she and hir husband PORIS ended their life by drovvning The. viij Nouell BUt sith wée haue begon to treat of the stoutnesse of certaine noble Quéenes I will not let also to recite the Historie of a like vnfearefull dame of Thessalian lande called Theoxena of right noble race the daughter of Herodicus prince of that cūtrey in the time that Philip the sonne of Demetrius was king of Macedone tolde also by Titus Liuius as two of the former be This lady Theoxena first was a notable exāple of 〈◊〉 vertue afterwardes of rigorous crueltie For the said King Philip hauing through his wickednesse first murdred Herodicus and by succession of time cruelly done to death also the husbands of Theoxena and of Archo hir natural sister vnto either of them being widowes remaining a sonne afterwardes Archo beyng maried againe to one of the principall of their countrey named Poris of him she had many childrē But when she was dead that sayd ladie Theoxena hir sister who was of heart more cōstant and stoute than the other stil refused the second mariage although sued vnto by many great lordes and princes at length pitying hir nephewes state for scare they shold fal into the handes of some cruell stepdame or that their father would not bring them vp with such diligence as till that time they were was contented to be espoused again to Poris no lawe that time knowen to defend the same to the intent she might traine vp hir sisters children as hir owne That done she began as if they wer hir own to intreate and vse them louingly with great care and 〈◊〉 wherby it 〈◊〉 appeared that she was not 〈◊〉 againe to Poris for hir own commoditie and pleasure but 〈◊〉 for the welth and gouernement of those hir sisters children Afterwards Philip king of Macedon an vnquiete Prince determining to make new warres vpon the Romanes then throughout the worlde famous and 〈◊〉 for their 〈◊〉 fortune 〈◊〉 not onely the chief and noble men but almost all the auncient inhabi 〈◊〉 of the Cities along the sea coast of Thessalia and their whole and entier families into Peonia afterwards called Emathia a countrey farre distant from the sea giuing their voided cities for the Thracians to inhabite as most propre and faithfull for the Romains warres which he intended to make and hearing also the 〈◊〉 maledictions pronoūced against him by the banished people and vniuersally by all other thoughte hée was in no good suretie if he caused not likewise all the sonnes of them whome a little before he had 〈◊〉 to be put to death Wherfore he commaunded them to be taken and holden vnder good garde inprison not to do them all to be 〈◊〉 at once but at times now one and then an other as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theoxena vnderstanding the 〈◊〉 of this wicked and cruell King and well remembring the death of hir husband and of him that was husband to hir sister knew wel that hir sonne and nephew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be demaunded and greatly 〈◊〉 the Kings wrath and the rigour of his Guarde if once they fell into their handes to defende them from shame and crueltie sodeinly applied hir minde vnto a straunge deuice For shée durst to say vnto hir husband their fathers sace that sooner 〈◊〉 would kill them with hir owne handes if otherwise she coulde not warraunt 〈◊〉 than suffer them to bée at the will and power of King Philip. By reason wherof Poris abhorring 〈◊〉 erecrable crueltie to comforte his wife and to saue his children promised hir secretely to transporte them from thence and caried them himselfe to certain of his faithful friends at Athenes which done without long delay he made as though he would go from Thessalonica to Aenias to be at the 〈◊〉 of certaine sacrifices which yearely at an appointed time was done with great ceremonies to the honour of Aenêas the 〈◊〉 of that citie where spending the time amongs other in solemne bankets the. iij. watch of the night when euery mā was a slepe as though he woulde haue returned home to his countrey with his wife children priuily he embarketh him selfe and them in a shyppe hired of purpose to passe into Euboea and not to 〈◊〉 to Thessalonica But his entent was cleane altered chaunged for his shippe was no sooner vnder saile but at that instant a contrarie winde and tempest rose that brought him backe againe in despite of their labour and all the endeuour they were able to doe And when daye light appeared the Kyngs garrison descried that shippe and manned out a boate to bring in the same
was driuen into great admiration and thought it very straunge that a woman which al the days of hir life had liued in greate honour and estimation shold vpon light cause or occasion poison hir self sith it was naturally giuen to eche breathyng wyght to prolong their liuing dayes with the longest thréede that Atropos could draw out of dame Natures webbe Wher vpon he commaunded the sayd matrone to be brought before hym whose death for hir vertue was generally lamented by the whole countrey When the Gentlewomā was before him and had vnderstāding that she was fully resolued and determined to die he began by greate 〈◊〉 to exhort hir that she should not wilfully 〈◊〉 hir selfe away vpon consideration that she was of lusty yeares riche and 〈◊〉 of the whole countrey how greate pitie it were but shée shoulde renue hir minde and giue hir selfe still to liue and remayne til naturall course did ende and finish hir life howbeit his 〈◊〉 and earnest persuasion could not diuert hir from hir intēded purpose But Pompeius 〈◊〉 to haue hir die ceassed not still to 〈◊〉 his former talke with newe reasons and stronger arguments All which she paciently heard with fired 〈◊〉 til at length with clere voice and 〈◊〉 cheare 〈◊〉 answered him in this maner You be greatly deceiued my lord Pompeius if you do beleue that I without very great prouidence and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 goe about to end my days for I do know and am 〈◊〉 persuaded that eche creature naturally craueth the prolongation and lengthning of life so much abhorreth to die as the desirous to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the poison whiche I haue prepared for consummation of my life Wher vpon I haue diuers times thought considered and discoursed with my selfe and amongs many considerations 〈◊〉 debated in my minde there came into the same the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 change of Fortune whose whir 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neuer 〈◊〉 ne yet remaineth 〈◊〉 It 〈◊〉 dayly séene how she doth exalt and aduance some man from the lowest and bottomlesse pitte euen to the 〈◊〉 of the hygh Heauens endowyng hym wyth so much substaunce as he can desire An other that was moste happie honoured in this worlde lyke a God vnto whom no goodes and welfare were wantyng who myghte well haue bene called in his lyfe a thrée tymes happie and blessed wyght sodaynly from his honoure and 〈◊〉 depriued and made a verie poore man and begger Some man also that is bothe riche and lustie accompanied wyth a faire wife and goodlye children lyuyng in greate myrth and ioylitie this wicked Ladie Fortune the deuourer of all oure contentacions depriueth from the inestimable treasure of health causeth the fayre wife to loue an other better than hir husbande and with 〈◊〉 venomous tooth biteth the children that in shorte space myserable deathe catcheth them all within hys dreadfull clouches whereby hée is defrauded of those chyldren whome after his deathe hée purposed to leaue 〈◊〉 his heires But what meane I to consume tyme and words in declaration of fortunes vnsteady staye which is more clere than the beames of the Sunne of whome dayly a thousande thousande examples bée manifest All histories be full of them The myghtie countrey of Graecia doeth render ample witnesse wherein so many excellent men were bredde and brought vp Who desirous with their fynger to touche the highest heauen were in a moment throwen downe And so many famous Cities whiche gouerned numbers of people nowe at this presente day wée sée to bée thrall and obedient to thy Citie of Rome Of these hurtefull and perillous mutations O noble Pompcius thy Romane Citie may bée a 〈◊〉 cleare glasse and Spectacle and a multitude of thy noble Citizens in tyme paste and present may gyue plentyfull witnesse But to come to the cause of this my death I say that fyndyng my selfe to haue lyued these many yeares by what chaunce I can not tell in verie greate prosperitie in all whiche tyme I neuer dyd suffer any one myssehappe but styll from good to better haue passed my time vntil thys daye Nowe fearyng the frownyng of Lady Fortunes face and that shée will repente hir long continued fauoure I feare I saye leaste the same Fortune shoulde chaunge hir stile and begynne in the middest of my pleasaunt life to sprinckle hir poysoned bitternesse and make mée the 〈◊〉 and Quiuer of hir sharpe and noysome arrowes Wherefore I am nowe determined by good aduyse to ridde my self from the captiuitie of hir force from all hir misfortunes and from the noysom and grieuous infirmities which miserably be incident to vs mortall Creatures And beleue me Pompcius that many in theyr aged dayes haue left their life with litle honour who had they ben gone in their youth had died famous for euer Wherefore my Lorde Pompeius that I may not be tedious vnto thée or hinder thyne affaires by long discourse I beséeche thée to gyue me leaue to follow my deliberate disposition that frankely and fréely I may bée 〈◊〉 of all daunger for the longer the life doth growe to the greater discommodities it is subiect When shée had so sayde to the greate admiration and compassion of all those whiche were present with tremblyng handes and fearefull cheare shée quaffed a greate cuppe of poysoned drynke the whyche shée broughte wyth hir for that purpose and within a while after dyed This was the strange vse and order obserued in 〈◊〉 Whiche good counsell of that dame had the noble and valiaunt captaine followed no doubt he would haue ben contented to haue ben brought to order And then he had not lost that bloudie battell atchieued against him by Iulius Cesar at Pharsalia in Egypt Then he had not sustained so many ouerthrowes as he did then had he not ben forsaken of his trendes and in the ende endured a death so miserable And for somuch as for the most part 〈◊〉 therto we haue intreated of many tragical and bloudie rhaunces respiring nowe from those lette vs a little touche some medicinable remedies for loue some lessons for gouernement and obediēce some treaties of amorous dames and hautie 〈◊〉 of Princes Quéenes and other persons to variate the chaungeable diet wherewith dyuers bée affected rellishyng their Stomackes wyth some more pleasant digestions than they haue tasted Faustina the Empresse ¶ The dishonest Loue of 〈◊〉 AVSTINA the Empresse and vvith vvhat remedie the same loue vvas remoued and taken avvay The tenth Nouell TRue and moste holie is the sentence that the ladie gentlewoman or other wighte of Female kinde of what degrée or condition soeuer she bée be she saire fowle or ylfauoured can not be endewed with a more precious Pearle or Jewell than is the 〈◊〉 pure vertue of honesty which is of such valour that it alone without other vertue is able to render hir that 〈◊〉 in hir attire moste famous and excellent Be she more beautifull than Helena be she mightier than the Amazon better learned than Sappho rycher than Flora more louing than Quéene Dido or more noble than
daughter of CHERA goyng for that treasure and busily serching for the same found the halter wherwithal for despaire she woulde haue hanged hir selfe but forbidden by ELISA who by 〈◊〉 espied hir she was restored to parte of hir losse leading afterwards a happie and prosperous life The. xj Nouell FOrtune the ladie Regent gouernesse of mās life so altreth and chaungeth the state thereof as many times we se the noble born from that great mightie port wherin they be debased so farre as either infamously their life is spent in the hungrie lappe of dame penurie or else contriued in the vgly lothsom house of Wantonnesse the stepdame of all honestie and vertue Sometimes we make the vnnoble ladde that was nooseled in the homely countrey 〈◊〉 or rude ciuile shoppe attaine to that whiche the onely honorable and gentle do aspire and he againe that is ambicious in climbing vp the turning whéele throwen downe beneth the brinke of 〈◊〉 lucke whelmed in the ditche pit of blacke despaire We note also somtimes that the carelesse wyght of Fortunes giftes hath vnlooked for his mouthe and throte crammed full of promotion and worldes delights Such is the maner of hir fickle stay When of this Historie ensuing giueth some intelligence by remembring the destenied lucks of thou poore sorie girles that were left destitute of desired things both like to fall into despaire and yet both holyen with that thei most desired which in this sort beginneth In the time that Scipio Affricanus had besleged the Citie of Carthage Chera that was a widow dwelling there seing the daunger at hand wherin the Citie stode and doubtyng the losse and ouerthrowe of the same and that the honor of the dames and womankinde coulde vneths be safe and harmelesse determined not to abide the vttermoste and hauing a good quantitie of golde and precious stones she bestowed the same in a casquet and hid it vpon one of the beames of hir house purposing when the stirre and daunger was past to retourne to hir house againe for those hir hidden things Which done in the habite of a poore womā with hir onely daughter in hir hand that was aboute b. or bf yeares of age she went out of Caithage and passed ouer the seas into Scicilia where falling sick after she had ben there thre or foure yeares at length died But before she departed she called hir daughter before hir then about x. yeares of age and tolde hir the place where she had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 casket And by reason of the 〈◊〉 gotten by Scipio the citie was maruellously chaunged and amongs other things the house of Chera was giuen to a Roman 〈◊〉 that was so enriched with nobilitie of mynde as he was poore of Fortunes goods Which Chera vnderstanding was sorowfull and doubted of hir things secretly bestowed vpon the beame Whervpon she sayd vnto hir daughter that for so much as their house was in the posfession of an other she ought to be wise and circumspect in the recouerie of hir hidden goods and that hir death was the more sorowfull vnto hir bicause she must leaue hir so yong a maiden vnprouided of frendes for hir good gouernement But yet she incouraged hir and sayd that sith necessitie approched she must in childishe age put on a graue and auncient mind and beware how she bewrayed that casket to any person for that of purpose she reserued the knowledge thereof to hir self that it might serue for hir preferment and procure hir a husbande worthie of hir selfe And the maiden demaunding the value of the same she told hir that it was worth CC. 〈◊〉 and gaue hir in writyng the particulers inclosed within the Caskette and sayde that the lyke bill shée shoulde finde within the same written with hir owne hande And so the good woman wythin a while after dyed leauing behynde hir the yong mayden hir Daughter that maruellously lantented the death of hir mother accordingly as Nature taught hir and eche other reasonable wyght depriued from their dearest friends The maiden for hir yeres was very wise and would disclose to none what hir mother had sayd kéeping the writing very carefully and 〈◊〉 Not long after Philene which was the maidens name fell in loue with a Gentleman of Scicilia of greate reputation and authoritie who all bée it he sawe hir to be very faire and comely yet cared not for hir loue in respecte of mariage for that he knewe hir to be poore and without dowrie mete for a Gentleman iesting and mocking to sée hir fire hir mind on him for desire to haue him to hir husbande that was a personage so noble and rich which refusall pierced the heart of that tender maiden bicause she saw hir self forsaken for nothing else but for want of goods which made hir to think and consider howe shée myght recouer the riches that hir mother had layed vp in Carthage It chaunced as shée was in this thought that the daughter of him to whome the house of Chera was giuen called Elisa was likewise enamoured of a noble yong gentleman in Carthage who bicause Elisa was the daughter of a souldiour and not very rich in like manner laughed iested at hir loue no lesse than the other did at Philene Notwithstanding Elisa attempted all meanes possible to induce the yong man to loue hir but hir practise and attemptes tended to none effect And last of all desirous to haue a resolute answere and thereby vnderstode that he woulde rather die than take hir to wife she fell into despaire and curssed fortune and hir fate that she was not borne riche enough to match with hir chosen Gentleman and that she being poore must fal in loue with such a personage whervpon she miserably formented hir selfe styll bewayling hir vnhappie lucke that she could not win him to be hir husbande for which only intent and purpose she loued him And this amorous passion incredibly growing in hir the rootes whereof bée planted in the restlesse humor of melancholie and wanting all hope and comforte to stay that ranke and rāmishe wéede it so increased in hir as shée franticke in raging loue gaue hir self ouer to the spoile of hirself And to rid hir from that griefe she determined to kill hir selfe imagining which waye she might doe the same At length she was resolueb with hir fathers sword to pierce hir body But hir heart not seruing hir therevnto deuised by the halter to ende hir life saying thus to hir self that at lest wise my death shall doe me good bicause that cruel man shall know that for his sake I haue done this facte and shall performe my funerals with some teares or sighes And if his heart be not of yron or stéele he can not chose but sorowe and lament that one which loued him better than hir owne life hath made such wretched ende onely for his crueltie Elisa concluding vpon this intent prepared a halter And being alone in hir house in the chamber where the Casket lay vpon
recouer the 〈◊〉 which hir mother had hidden there to 〈◊〉 she might obtaine if not by other meanes with some rich dowrie the yong Gentleman to husband whome she so derely loued And then re-enforcing hir complaint she said that 〈◊〉 Fortune had 〈◊〉 hir of that which might haue accomplished hir desire resting no cause why she shoulde any longer liue the halter was prepared for hir to ende hir dayes and to rid hir life from troubles And therfore she prayed hir to be cōtented that she might make that end which hir misaduenture and wicked fortune had predestinate I doubt not but there be many which vnderstading that the treasure did belong to Philene if they had 〈◊〉 the like as Elisa did would not only not haue forbidden hir the deth but also by spéedie méanes haue 〈◊〉 the same for so much as by that occasion the hidden tresure should haue bene out of strife and contention so great is the force of Couetousnesse in the minde of man But good Elisa knew full well the mutabilitie of Fortune in humaine things for so much as she by séeking death had founde the thing which not onely deliuered hir from the same but made hir the best contented woman of the worlde And Philene séeking hir contentation in place therof and by like occasion found the thing that would haue ben the instrumēt of hir death And moued with very greate compassion of the mayden desired to haue better aduertisement howe that treasure could belong to hir Then Philene shewing forth hir mothers writing which particularly remēbred the parcels within the casket and Elisa séeing the same to be agreable to the hand wherwith the other was writen that was founde in the casket was assured that all the gold and Iewels which she had found did belong vnto 〈◊〉 and sayde vnto hir selfe The Gods defende that I should prepare the halter for the death of this innocent wench whose substance hath yelded vnto me so gret contentation And comforting the maiden in the end she sayd Be contented Philene and giue ouer this thy desperate determination for both thy life shal be prolonged and thy discontented minde appeased hoping thou shalte receyue the comforte thou desirest And with those words she losed the halter from hir neck and taking hir by the hande brought hir to the place where hir father and husbande were and did them to vnderstand the force terms whervnto the fier of loue and desperation had broughte that amorous maiden telling them that all the treasure and Iewels which she had found where she left the halter and wherwith Philene was minded to hang hir self did by good right and reason belong to hir then shée did let them sée the counterpaine of that bil which was in the 〈◊〉 in all pointes agreable thervnto declaring moreouer that very mete and reasonable it were like 〈◊〉 should be vsed vnto hir as by whome they had receyued so great honor contentation Hir husband which was a Carthaginian borne very churlish and couetous albeit by conferring the writings together he knewe the matter to be true and that Philene ought to be the possessor therof yet by no meanes wold agrée vnto his wines request but fell into a rage calling hir foole and 〈◊〉 and saying that he had rather that she 〈◊〉 ben a thousand times hanged than he would giue hir one peny and although she had saued hir life yet she ought to be banished the Citie forsomuch as the same and all the 〈◊〉 therof was brought into the Romanes handes and amongs the same hir mothers house and all hir goodes in possession of the victors and euery part therof at their disposition pleasure And moreouer for so much as hir mother and shée had departed Carthage and would not abide the hazarde and extremitie of their countrey as other Citizens did and hauyng concealed and hidden those Riches whiche ought to haue ben brought forth for the common defense of their countrey and gone out of the citie as though she had ben a poore simple woman poorely therfore she ought to liue in Scicilia whither she was fled Wherfore he was of opinion that she in this maner being departed when the citie had greatest nede of hir helpe was disfranchised of all the rightes and customes of the countrey and that like as a straunger can recouer nothing in that citie except he haue the priuiledge and fréedom of the same euen so Philene for the considerations before sayde ought to be compted for a stranger not to participate any thing within the citie accordingly as the lawes forbid When he had so sayd he was like by force to 〈◊〉 the sorowful maiden out of the house These wordes greatly grieued Philene who doubted least his father in law would haue toyned 〈◊〉 him and agrée vnto hys alleaged reasons which séemed to be of great importaunce and effect and therfore thought newly to returne to the halter for 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 griefs but it otherwise chaunced for the father of Elisa whiche was a Romane borne and affected with a Romane minde and therfore of a gentle and well disposed nature knew full well that although the house was giuen vnto him by the cōsent of Scipio and other the captains yet he knew that their pleasure was not to 〈◊〉 on him the treasure hidden in the same and therefore ought to be restored to the true owner or else 〈◊〉 and proprely due to the Romane 〈◊〉 or cōmon treasure house of the same And albeit that it was true that hir mother went out of Carthage in the time of the siege and therfore had forfaited the same yet he determined to shew some 〈◊〉 vnto the yong mayden and to be thankful to fortune for the benefite which by hir meanes he had receyued thynkyng that she would be displeased with him if he with vngratefull minde or dishonourable intent should receiue hir giftes For in those dayes the Romanes highly reuerenced lady Fortune and in hir honor had directed Temples and dedicated Aultars and in prosperous time and happy aduentures they 〈◊〉 vowes and did sacrifices vnto hir thinking although supersticously that like as from God there proceded none euill euen so from him all goodnesse was deriued that all felicitie and other good happes which chaunced vpon the Romane common wealth proceded from Fortune as the fountaine and moste principall occasion and that they which would not confesse hir force and be thankfull vnto hir godhead incurred in the ende hir displeasure and daungers very great and heinous This Romane then hauing this opinion being as I sayd before of a gentle 〈◊〉 would at one instant both render thankes to Fortune and vse curtesie vnto that maiden by 〈◊〉 ches and goodes from lowe degrée he was aduaunced to honourable state Wherefore turning his face vnto hir with louing countenance he spake these wordes Kight gentle damosel albeit by the reasons alleged by my sonne in lawe none of the treasure hidden by thy mother and founde by my
as in opinions The Grekes putting their felicitie in eloquence and we in well doing I speake this right honorable Fathers to counsell and exhorteye that when ye bée assembled in Senate ye doe not consume tyme in disputing holdyng opinions for the verification of any thing For if you will iudge without parcialitie and affection without greate disputation ye may come to reason I do remember that being at a lesson of Appolonius Thyaneus I heard hym say that it was not so expédient that Senators and Emperors shold be skilful wise as if they suffred themselues to be gouerned by those that were of greate skill and knowledge and verely he 〈◊〉 truthe For by that meanes he prohibited forbad them not to arrest and stande vpon their owne opinion whereof they ought to be many times suspicious Likewise 〈◊〉 recommende vnto you the Censores who haue charge of iudgement and the Tribunes whose office is to attende the affaires of Common wealth that they bée wise and learned in the lawes expert in the Customes prouident in Iudgementes and ware in their trade of life For I say vnto you that a wise man is more auaileable in gouernement of a common welth than a man of ouermuch skill and experience The forme then which ye shall obserue in matters of iudgement shal be thus That in ciuile processe you kepe the law and in criminall causes to moderate the same bicause hainous cruel and rigorous lawes be rather made to amase and feare than to be obserued and kept When you giue any sentence ye ought to consider the age of the offendāt when how wherfore with whome in whose presence in what time and how long ago for somuch as euery of these things may either excuse or condenme whiche you ought to 〈◊〉 and vse towards them in like sort as the Gods towards vs who giue vs better helpe and succour and correct vs lesse than we deserue That cōsideration the iudges ought to haue bicause the offenders doe rather trespasse the Gods than men If then they be forgiuen of the Gods for offences which they commit reason it is that wée pardon those faultes done vnto others not vnto our selues In like maner we commaunde you that if your enimies do you any anoiance or iniurie not 〈◊〉 to take reuenge but rather to dissemble that same bicause many wrōgs be done in the world which were better to be 〈◊〉 than 〈◊〉 Wherin ye shall haue like regard touching that 〈◊〉 the Senate and Common wealth that they be not 〈◊〉 to ambicious or couetous 〈◊〉 For there is no beast in the world so pestiferous and benemotis as that 〈◊〉 of man is to the Common wealth the ambicious I say in cōmaunding and the couetous in gathering togither Other things we let passe for this time vntil we haue intelligence how these our commaundements be 〈◊〉 This Letter shall be red in the chiefess place within the Senate and afterwards pronoūced to the people that they may both know what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sée also what ye doe The Gods kepe you whome we pray to preserue our mother the Citie of Rome and to sende vs good 〈◊〉 in these our warres A notable Letter sent from the Romane Senate to the Emperour Traiane wherin is declared how sometimes the region of Spayne did furnish Rome with golde from their mines and nowe doe adorne and garnish the same with Emperours to gouerne their Common wealth THe sacred Roman Senate to thée the great Cocceius Traiane newe Emperor Augustus health in thy Gods and ours graces euerlastyng wée render to the immortall Gods for that thou art in health whiche we desire and pray may be perpetual We signified vnto thy maiestie the death of Nerua Cocceius our soueraigne Lorde and thy predecessor a man of sincere life a friende of his common wealth and a zealous louer of Justice wherin also we aduertised that like as Rome did wéepe for the cruell lyfe of Domitian so much the more bitterly doth she bewaile the death of thine vncle Nerua whose councell although hée was very olde and diseased which he gaue vs lying on his bedde we loued better and imbraced with greater comforte than all the enterprises and dedes done by his predecessors when they were in health and lustie And besides the ordinarie mourning vsed to be done in Rome for princes we haue caused all recreation and passetime to cease so well in the common wealth as with euery of vs particularly We haue shut vp the Temples and made the Senat to 〈◊〉 to doe the Gods to vnderstand how displeasantly we accept the death of good men The good old gentleman Nerua died in his house and was buried in the fielde of Mars he died in debt we haue paid his debts He died calling vpon the Gods we haue canonized him amongs their numbre and that which is most to be noted he died commending vnto vs the Common wealth and the Cōmon wealth recommending it selfe vnto him And a little before his latter gaspe the principal of the holy Senate and many other of the people standing about his bedside he sayde O ye Fathers I committe vnto you the cōmon wealth and my selfe also vnto the Gods vnto whome I render infinite thankes bycause they haue taken from me my children to bée mine heires and haue lefte mée Traiane to succéede You do remembre most dread soueraigne Lorde that the good Emperour Nerua had other successours than your maiestie of nerer alliance of greater frendship more bound by seruice and of greter proofe in warfare Notwithstandyng amongs other noble personages vpon you alone he cast his eyes reposing in you such opinion and confidence as to reuiue the prowes and valiant faicts of the good Emperor Augustus by suppressing in obliuion the insolent faicts of Domitian When Nerua came vnto the Crowne he found the treasure 〈◊〉 the Senate in dissention the people in commotion iustice not obserued and the Common welth ouerthrowen which you likewise presently shall finde although otherwise quiet and wholly reformed Wherfore we shall bée right glad that you conserue the common wealth in the state wherin your vncle Nerua left it considering specially that newe Princes vnder colour to introduce new customes do ouerthrow their common wealths Fourtene Princes your predecessours in the empire wer naturally borne in Rome and you are the first straunger Prince Wherefore we pray the immortall Gods sith that the stocke of our auncient Caesars is dead to sende 〈◊〉 good Fortune Out of the countrey of Spayne was wont to 〈◊〉 to this our Romane Citie great abundance of gold siluer stéele leade tinne from their 〈◊〉 but now in place therof she giueth vs Emperours to gouerne oure common wealths Sith then that thou cōmest of so good a countrey as Spayne is from so good a Prouince as is Vandolosia and from so excellent a citie as Cales is of so noble and fortunate a linage as is Cocceius and 〈◊〉 to so noble an Empire It
black coale or rather their memorie raked vp in the dust and cindres of the corpses vnpure But as all histories be full of lessons of vertue and vice as bokes sacred prophane describe the liues of good and bad for example sake 〈◊〉 yelde meanes to the posteritie to ensue the one 〈◊〉 the other so haue I thought to intermingle amongest these Nouels the seuerall sortes of either that eche sexe and kinde may pike out like the Bée of eche floure honie to store furnishe with delightes their well disposed minde I purpose then to vnlace the dissolute liues of thrée amorouse dames that with their graces 〈◊〉 the greatest princes that euer were enticed the noble men and sometimes procured the wisest and best learned to craue their acquaintance as by the sequele hereof shall well appere These thrée famous women as writers doe witnesse were furnished with many goodly graces and giftes of nature that is to say great beautie offace goodly proporcion of bodie large and high forheads their brestes placed in comly order small wasted fayre hands of passing cunning to play vpon Instruments a heauenlie voice to faine and sing 〈◊〉 their qualities and beautie were more famous than euer any the were borne within the coūtries of Asia and Europa They were neuer beloued of Prince which did forsake them nor yet they made request of any thing which was denied them They neuer mocked or flouted man a thing rare in women of their cōdition ne yet were mocked of any But their speciall propreties were to allure men to loue thē Lamia with hir pleasant looke and eye Flora with hir eloquent tongue and Lais with the grace swetenesse of hir singing voyce A straunge thing that he wich once was 〈◊〉 with the loue of any of those thrée eyther too late or neuer was deliuered of the same They were the richest Courtizans that euer liued in the worlde so long as their life did last after their decease great monumentes were erected for their remembraunce in place where they dyed The most auncient of these thrée amorous dames was Lamia who was in the tyme of king Antigonus that warfared in the seruice of Alexander the great a valiant gentleman although not fauored by Fortune This king Antigonus lefte behinde hym a sonne and heire called Deinetrius who was lesse valiant but more fortunate than his father and had bene a 〈◊〉 of greate estimation if in his youth 〈◊〉 had acquired frendes and kept the same and in his age had not bene giuen to so many vices This king Demetrius was in loue with Lamia and presented hir with riche giftes and rewardes and loued hir to affectionatly and in such sort as in the loue of his Lamia he semed rather a 〈◊〉 than a true louer for forgetting the grauitie and authoritie of his person he did not onelie gyue hir all such things as she demaunded but bysides that he vsed no more the companie of his wife Euxonia On a time king Demetrius asking Lamia what was the thing wherewith a woman was sonest wonne Ther is nothing answered she which sooner ouer commeth a woman than whē she séeth a man to loue hir with all his hart to susteine for hir sake great paines and passions with long continuance and entier affection for to loue men by collusion causeth afterwards that they be mocked againe Demetrius asked hir further tell me Lamia why doe diuerse women rather hate than loue men whervnto shée answered The greatest cause why a woman doth hate a man is when the man dothe vaunte boaste himselfe of that which he doth not and performeth not the thing which he promiseth Demetrius demaunded of hir Tell me Lamia what is the thing wherwith men doe content you best when we see him sayde she to be discrete in wordes secrete in his dedes Demetrius asked hir further Tell me Lamia how chanceth it the men be ill matched bicause answered Lamia It is impossible that they be well maried when the wife is in néede the husband vndiscrete Demetrius asked hir what was the cause that amity betwene two louers was 〈◊〉 Ther is nothing answered she that soner maketh colde the loue betwene two louers than when one of them doth straye in loue and the woman louer to importunate to craue He demaunded further Tell me Lamia what is the thing that most 〈◊〉 the louing man Not to attaine the thing which he desireth answered she and thinketh to lose the thing which he hopeth to enioy Demetrius yet once againe asked hir this question What is that Lamia which most troubleth a womans hart Ther is nothing answered Lamia wherwith a woman is more grieued and maketh hir more sad than to be called yll fauored or that she hath no good grace or to vnderstand that she is dissolute of life This ladie Lamia was of iudgement delicate and subtill although yll ymployed in hir therby made all the world in loue with hir and drew all men to hir through hir faire spéech Now before she lost the heart of king Demetrius she haunted of long time the Uniuersities of Athenes where she gained great store of money and brought to destruction many yong men Plutarch in the life of Demetrius saith that the Athenians hauing presented vnto him 〈◊〉 C. talents of money for a subsidie to pay his men of warre he gaue all that 〈◊〉 to his woman Lamia By meanes wherof the Athenians grudged were offended with the king not for the losse of their gift but for that it was so euill employed When the king Demetrius would assure any thing by oth he swore not by his Gods ne yet by his predecessors but in this sort As I may be still in the grace of my lady Lamia and as hir life mine may ende together so true is this which I say doe in this this sort One yere two monethes before the death of king Demetrius his frend Lamia died who sorowed so much hir death as for the absence death of hir he caused the Philosophers of Athenes to entre disputation Whether the teares and sorow which he shed and and toke were more to be estemed than the riches which he spent in hir obsequies funerall pompes This amorous gentlewoman Lamia was borne in Argos a citie of Peloponnesus by 〈◊〉 nes of base parentage who in hir first yeres haunted the countrie of Asia maior of very wild dissolute life in the end came into Phaenicia And when that king Demetrius had caused hir to be buried before a wyndow ioyning to his house his chiefest frendes asked him wherfore he had entombed hir in that place His answere was this I loued hir so well she likewise me so hartily as I knowe not which way to satisfie that loue which she bare me the duetie I haue to loue hir againe if not to put hir in such place as myne eyes may wepe euery daye mine hart still lament Truely
this loue was straunge which so mightie a Monarch as Demetrius was did beare vnto such a notable Curtizan a woman vtterly voyde of grace barren of good workes without any zeale or sparke of vertue as it should appere But sith we reade know that none are more giuen or bent to vnreasonable loue than mightie princes what shuld it be demed straunge and maruellous if Demetrius amongs the 〈◊〉 doe come in place for the loue of that most famous woman yf fame may stretch to eyther sorts both good and euill But let vs come to that second sort of this infamous gentle woman called Lais. She was of the Isle of Bithritos which is in the confines of Graecia was the 〈◊〉 of the great Sacrificer of Appollo his tēple at Delphos a man greatly experienced in the magike art wherby he prophecied the perdition of his daughter Now this 〈◊〉 Lais was in triumph in the time of the renowmed king Pirrhus a prince very ambicious to acquire honor but not very happie to kepe the same who being yong of sixtene or 〈◊〉 yeres came into Italie to make warres against the Romains He was the first as some say that aranged a campe in ordre and made the Phalanx the maine square and battell For before hys time when they came to entre battell they assailed confusedly and out of array gaue the onset This amorous Lais continued long time in the campe of King Pyrrhus and went wyth hym into Italie and wyth hym retorned from warre againe Notwythstanding hir nature was such as she would neuer bée mainteined with one man alone The same Lais was so amorous in hir conuersation so excellent faire and of so comely grace that if she would haue kept hir selfe to one and bene 〈◊〉 to one lord or gentleman 〈◊〉 was no prince in the world but would haue yelded himselfe and all that he had at hir commaundement Lais from hir retourne out of Italia into Grece repaired to the citie of Corinth to make hir abode there where she was pursued by many kings lordes and princes Aulus Gellius saith which I haue recited in my former part of the Palace of pleasure the fiftenth Nouell that the good Philosopher Demosthenes went from Athenes to Corinth in disguised apparell to sée Lais and to haue hir company But before the dore was opened she sent one to demaunde 〈◊〉 C. Sestercos of siluer 〈◊〉 Demosthenes answered I bye not repentance so dere And I beleue that Demosthenes spake those wordes by folowing the sentence of Diogenes who sayth that euerie beast after such acte is heauie and sad Some writers affirme of this amorous Lais that thing which I neuer reade or heard of woman which is that she neuer shewed signe or token of loue to that man which was desirous to doe hir seruice nor was neuer hated of man that knew hir Wherby we may comprehend the happe and fortune of that amorous woman She neuer shewed semblance of great loue to any person and yet she was beloued of all If the amorous Lamia had a good spirite and mynde Lais truely had no lesse For in the art of loue she excéeded all other women of hir 〈◊〉 art and science as well in knowledge of loue as to profite in the same Upon a day a yong man of Corinth demaunding of hir what hée should say to a woman whome hée long tyme had loued and made so great sute that therby he was like to fall into dispaire Thou shalt say sayd Lais vnto hir that sith she will not graunt thy request yet at least wise it might please hir to suffer thée to bée hir seruant and that she would take in good parte the seruice that thou shalt doe vnto hir Which request if she doe graunt then hope to atteine the ende of thy attempt bycause that we women bée of such nature as opening the mouth to gyue some myld and pleasant answere to the amorous person it is to bée thought that we haue gyuen our heart vnto the firste suter An other daye in the presence of Lais one praised the Philosophers of Athenes saying that they were very honest personages and of greate skyll and knowledge Whereunto Lais aunswered I cannot tell what greate knowledge they haue nor what science they studie ne yet what bookes your Philosophers doe reade bycause that I being a woman and neuer was at Athenes I sée them repaire hither and of Philosophers béecome amorous persons A Theban knight demaunded of Lais what he might doe to enioy a ladie wyth whose loue hée should bée surprised She aunswered thus A man that is desirous of a woman muste followe hys sute serue hir and suffer hir and sometimes to séeme as though hée had forgotten hir For after that a womans heart is moued to loue she regardeth more the forgetfulnesse and negligence vsed towardes hir than she doth the seruice béefore time 〈◊〉 vnto hir An other Gentleman of Achaia asked hir what hée shoulde doe to a woman whome hée suspected that she hadde 〈◊〉 hir fayth Lais aunswered make hir beleue that thou thinkest she is very faythfull and take from hir the occasions wherby she hath good cause to doe the same For if she doe perceiue that thou knowest it and dissemblest the matter she will soner dye than amēd A gētleman of Palestine at another time inquired of hir what he should doe to a woman which he serued and did not esteme the seruice done vnto hir ne yet gaue him thankes for the loue which he bare hir Lais sayed vnto him If thou be disposed to serue hir no longer let hir not perceiue that thou hast gyuen hir ouer For naturallie we women be tendre to loue and hard to hate Being demaunded by one of hir neighbours what she should doe to make hir daughter very wyse She saide Lais that will haue hir daughter to be good and honest she must from hir youth lerne hir to feare and in going abrode to haunte litle companie and that she be shamefast and moderate in hir talke An other of hir neighbors inquiring of hir what she might doe to hir daughter which began to haue delight to rome in the fielde wander abrode The remedy saide Lais that I finde for your daughter disposed to that condition is not to suffer hir to be ydle ne yet to be braue and sumptnous in apparell This amorous gentlewoman Lais dyed in the citie of Corinth of the age of lxxij yeares whose death was of many Matrones desired and of a great numbre of amorous persons lamented The third amorous gentlewoman was 〈◊〉 Flora which was not so aucient ne yet of so great renoume as Lamia Lais wer whose coūtrie also was not so famous For she was of Italie and the other two of Grecia and although that Lamia Lais exceded Flora in antiquitie 〈◊〉 Flora surmounted them in lineage generositie For Flora was of noble house although in life lesse than chast She was of the countrie of Nola in
Odenatus Emperour and lords of all the Orient during which time hée recouered all the landes and prouinces lost by Galienus and paide the Romane army all the arrerages of their wages due vnto them But Fortune full of inconstancie suffred not this good Prince very long to raigne For hauing in hys house a kinsman of his named Meonius to whom he bare great good will for that he sawe him to be a valiant man of warre although ignorant of his enuie and couetousnesse it chaunced vpon a daye as they two rode on hunting galloping after the pursute of a wilde Bore with the verie same bore speare which Meonius caried to strike the beast hée killed by treason his good cousin Odenatus But that murdre was not long time 〈◊〉 For the borespeare wherwith he had so cruelly killed the Emperor his cousin was incoÌ„tinently knowne by the hunters which folowed Odenatus whervpon that daye the heade of Meonius was striken off And Galienus vnderstanding the death of Odenatus gaue great rewardes presents to them that brought him the newes being so ioyfull as the Romans were angrie to vnderstand those pitifull tydings bycause through the good 〈◊〉 which Odenatus vsed in Asia they had great traÌ„quillitle peace thorowout Europa Now after the death of this good Emperour Odenatus the Armies chose one of his two sonnes to be Emperour of the Orient But for that hée was yong they chose Zenobia to bée Protector of hir sonne and gouerner ouer the said Orient Empire Who séeing that vpon the decease of Odenatus certain of the East Cuntries began to reuolt she determined to open hir Treasure reassemble hir men of warre and in hir owne person to march into the fielde where she did such notable enterprises as shée appalled hir enimies and made the whole worlde to wonder About the age of xxxv yeares Zenobia was widow being the Tutrix of hir children Regent of an Empire and Captain general of the armie In which weighty charge she vsed hir selfe so wiselie and well as she acquired no lesse noble name in Asia than Quéene Semiramis did in India Zenobia was constant in that which she toke in hande true in wordes liberall myide seuere where she ought to be discrete graue and secrete in hir enterprises albeit she was ambicious For not content with hir title of Gouernesse or Regent she wrote and caused hir selfe to bée called Empresse she loued not to ride vpon a Mule or in a littor but greatlie estemed to haue greate horse in hir stable and to learne to handle and ryde them When Zenobia went forth of hir Tent to sée the order and gouernement of hir Campe she continually did put on hir Armure and was well guarded with a bande of men so that of a woman she cared but onely for the name and in the facts of Armes she craued the title of valiant The Captains of hir Armie neuer gaue battell or made assault they neuer skyrmished or did other enterprise of warre but she was present in hir owne person and attempted to shewe hir selfe more hardie than any of all the troupe a thing almost incredible in that weake and feble kynde The sayde noble Quéene was of stature bigge and well proporcioned hir eyes black and quicke hir forehedde large hir stomake and breastes fayre vpright hir face white and ruddy a litle mouth hir téeth so white as they semed like a rancke of white pearles but aboue all things she was of such excellent spirit and corage as she was feared for hir stoutnesse beloued for hir beautie And although Zenobia was indued with so great beautie liberalitie riches puissance yet she was neuer stayned with the blemishe of vnchaste life or with other banitie and as hir husband Odenatus was wont to say that after she felt hir selfe with childe she neuer suffred him to come nere hir such was hir great chastitie saying that women ought to marie rather for children than for pleasure She was also excellently well learned in the Greeke and Latine tong She did neuer eate but one meale a day Hir talke was verie litle and rare The meate which she vsed for hir repaste was eyther that hanch of a wilde Bore or else the syde of a déere She could drinke no wine nor abyde the scent thereof But she was so curious in good and perfect waters as she would gyue so great a price for that as is ordinarilie gyuen for wyne bée it neuer so excellent So sone as the Kings of Egipte of Persia and the Greekes were aduertized of the death of Odenatus they sent their Ambassadours to Zenobia as well to visite and comforte hir as to bée hir confederats and frendes So much was she feared and 〈◊〉 for rare vertues sake The affaires of Zenobia being in such estate in Asia the Emperour Galienus died in Lombardie and the Romanes chose Aurelianus to bée Emperour who although hée was of base obscure lineage yet hée was of greate valiance in factes of armes When Aurelianus was chosen 〈◊〉 he made great preparacion into Asia to 〈◊〉 warres vpon Quéene Zenobia and in all his tyme hée neuer attempted greater enterprise for the Romanes When hée was arriued in Asia the Emperour proceded against the Quéene and she as valiantlie defended hir selfe continually being betwene them greate alarms and skirmishes But as Zenobia and hir people were of lesse trauell and of better skyll in knowledge of the CuÌ„trie so they did greater harme more anoiaÌ„ce vnto their enimie and therof receiued lesser damage The Emperour seing that hée should haue much adoe to vanquishe Zenobia by armes determined to ouercome hir by gentle wordes and faire promisses for which cause he wrote vnto hir a letter the tenor wherof ensueth Aurelianus Emperour of Rome lord of al Asia to thée the right honorable Zenobia seÌ„deth greting Although to such rebellious women as thou art it shold séeme uncomely and not decent to make request yet if thou wilt séeke ayde of my mercie and rendre thy selfe vnder mine obedience bée assured that I will doe thée honor gyue pardone to thy people The golde siluer and all other riches within thy Pallace I am content thou shalt enioye together with the kingdome of Palmyres which thou maiest kepe during thy life leaue after thy death to whom thou shalt think good vpon condition notwithstanding that thou abandone all thine other Realmes and Cuntries which thou haste in Asia and acknowledge Rome to bée thy superior Of thy vassals and subiects of Palmyres we demaund none other obedience but to bée confederats and frendes so that thou breake vp thy Campe wherwith thou makest warre in Asia disobeyest the citie of Rome we wil suffer thée to haue a certain number of men of warre so wel for the tuiâ—ion of thy person as for the defense of thy kyngdome And thy two children which thou haddest by thy husband Odenatus He whom thou louest best shal remaine with thée in Asia and the
that you will 〈◊〉 secretely to tary here with my mother vntill I returne from Modena which shall be with so great expedition as I can and the cause why I desire the same is for that I intend to make a faire and acceptable present of you vnto your husband in the presence of that principal of this Citie The gentlewoman knowing hirself to be greatly bound to the Knight and that hys request was honest disposed hir self to doe what he demaunded Albeit she desired earnestly to reioyce hir frendes 〈◊〉 hir recouered life and so promised vpon hir faith And vnnethes had she ended hir talke but she felt the payne of childbirth wherfore with the aide of the mother of master Gentil she taried not long before she was deliuered of a faire sonne which greatly augmēted the 〈◊〉 of master Gentil and hir Maister Gentil commaunded that she should haue all things that were necessary ministred vnto hir and that she should be vsed as though she wer his owne wife Then he 〈◊〉 returned to Modena where when he had a while supplied his office he returned to Bologna and prepared a great feast at his house the same morning that he arriued for diuers gentlemen of the citie amongs 〈◊〉 Nicholas Chasennemie was one When the cōpany of the 〈◊〉 guests 〈◊〉 the gentlewoman in so good helth liking as 〈◊〉 she was and hir childe wel and lusty he sate downe amongs thē doing vnto them incomparable mirthe and pastime and serued them bountifully wyth diuerse fortes of meates When dinner was almost done hauing before tolde the Gentlewoman what be ment to doe and in what manner she shoulde behaue hir selfe he began thus to saye My maisters I do remember that whilom I haue heard tell that in the Countrie of Persia there was a goodly custome as me séemeth that when some one was disposed to doe great honoure vnto his friend he bad hym home to his house and there shewed him the thyng which he loued best were it wyfe woman daughter or what so euer it were affirming that like as he disdained not to shewe the same which outwardly he loued best euen so he wold if it were possible willingly discouer his owne heart which custome I purpose to obserue in this citie Ye of your 〈◊〉 haue 〈◊〉 to doe me so greate honor as to repair vnto this my simple 〈◊〉 which 〈◊〉 I wil recompēce after the Persian maner by shewing vnto you the thing which I loue most déerely aboue any in this world or hereafter shal be able to loue so long as my life endureth but before I do the same I pray you to tell me your opinion in a doubt which I shall propose There was a certaine person which in hys house had a good faithful seruaunt who became extremely sick that person without attending the end of his diseased seruāt caused him to be caried into the midst of the 〈◊〉 without any further care for him In the meane time there 〈◊〉 a straunger by who moued by compassion of the sicke seruaunt bare him home to his owne house where with great care and diligence sparing no cost or charge made him 〈◊〉 recouer his former helth I wold now fain know of you whither for 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 the seruice of that seruaunt his first maister by good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cōplaine vpon the second 〈◊〉 he should demannd him again or by demaunding of him againe the second not disposed to restore him might 〈◊〉 any damage The gentlemen after many opinions and arguments debated too 〈◊〉 amongs them and at lengthe all concluding in one mind gaue charge 〈◊〉 Nicholas Chasennemie bicause he was an eloquent talker to make the answer who first 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 custome sayde that he was with the rest of this opinion that the first maister had no further title in hys seruaunt hauing in such necessitie not only forsaken him but throwen him into the 〈◊〉 and that for the good turnes which the secōd master had done him he oughte by good right to be his wherefore by keping him he did no wrong 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 to the first All the rest at the Table whith were right honest persones sayde all togither that they were of his opinion The Knight content with that answer and specially bicause Nicholas Chasonnemie had pronoūted it affirmed that he was likewise of that minde and afterwardes he sayd Time it is then that I render vnto you the honor which you haue done me in manner accordinglye as I haue promised Then he called vnto him two of his seruauntes and sent them to the Gentlewoman whome he had caused to be apparelled and 〈◊〉 very gorgeously praying hir by hir presence to content and satisfie all the companie And she takyng in hir armes hir little faire sonne came into the hall accompanied wyth the two seruauntes and was placed as it pleased the Knight bisides a very honest Gentleman and then he sayde 〈◊〉 beholde the thing whyth I loue best and purpose to loue aboud all worldly things whither I haue occasion so to doe your eyes may be iudges The 〈◊〉 doing 〈◊〉 reuerence vnto hir greatly praised hir said to the Knight that there was good reason why she ought to be beloued Upon which commendations they began more attentiuely to beholde hir and many of them would haue sayd and sworne that it had bene she in déede if it had not bene thought that she had bene dead But Nicholas behelde hir more than the rest who very desirous to know what she was could not forbeare when he saw that the Knight was a little departed from the place to aske hir whyther she was of Bologna or a straunger When the gentlewoman sawe hir husband to aske hir that question she coulde scarce forbeare frō making answere notwithstanding to atchieue that which was purposed she helde hir peace Another asked hir if that little Boy was hirs and another if she were the wife of master Gentil or any kin vnto him vnto whome she gaue no answer at all But when master Gentil came in one of the straungers sayd vnto him Syr this gentle womā is a very goodly creature but she séemeth to be 〈◊〉 Is it true or not Sirs sayd maister Gentil that is but a litle argument of hir vertue for this time to hold hir peace Tel vs then sayd he what is she That will I doe very gladly sayd the Knight vnder condition that none of you shall remoue out of his place for any thing I speake vntill I haue ended my tale which request being graunted and the table taken vp maister Gentil which was set downe by the gentlewoman said My maisters this gentlewoman is the loyall and faithfull seruant of whome 〈◊〉 I propounded the question whome I haue relieued from amids the strete whither hir kin litle caring for hir threw hir as a vile and vnprofitable thing haue by my greate care brought to passe that I haue discharged hir from death vpon an affection which God knoweth
shall not make me beleue at this tyme that ye be marchantes and so I bid you farewell Saladine hauing taken his leaue of all them that were in companie with maister Thorello aunswered him Syr it may come to passe that we may let you sée our marchandise the better to confirme your belefe And fare you also heartily well Saladine then and his companions being departed assuredly determined if he liued and that the warres he looked for did not let him to doe no lesse honor to master Thorello then he had done to him fell into great talke with his companions of him of his wife of his things actes and déedes greatly praising all his entertainment But after he had serched by great trauaile all the West parts imbarking him self and his company he returned to Alexandria and throughly informed of his enimies indeuors prepared for his defence Master Thorello returned to Pauie and mused a long time what these thrée were but he neuer drew nere ne yet arriued to 〈◊〉 truth When the time of the appointed passage made by the Christians was come and that great preparation generally was made master Thorello notwithstanding the 〈◊〉 and prayers of his wife was fully bent to goe thither and hauing set all things in order for that voyage and ready to get on horsbacke he sayd vnto hir whome he perfectlye loued Swéete wife I am going as thou séest this iourney aswell for mine honoure sake as for health of my soule I recommende vnto you our goodes and honoure And bicause I am not so certaine of returne for a thousand accidents that may chaunce as I am sure to goe I pray thée to do me this pleasure that what so euer chaunceth of me if thou haue no certaine newes of my life that yet thou tarie one yeare one moneth and one day before thou marry againe the same terme to begin at the daye of my departure The Gentlewoman which bitterly wept answered I know not deare husbād how I shal be able to beare the sorow wherein you leaue me if you goe away But if my life be more strong and sharpe than sorow it self and whether you liue or die or what so euer come of you I will liue and die the wife of master Thorello and the onely spouse of his remembrance Whereunto master Thorello sayd Swéete wife I am more than assured that touching your selfe it will proue as you doe promise But you be a yong woman faire and well allied and your vertue is great and wel knowne throughout the Countrey by reason wherof I doubt not but that many great personages Gentlemen if any suspition be conceiued of my death wyll make requestes to your brethren and kinred from whose pursute although you be not disposed you can not defend your selfe and it behoueth that of force you please their will which is the onely reason that moueth me to demaund that terme and no longer time The Gentlewoman sayd I will doe what I can for fulfilling of my promise And albeit in end that I shal be constrained to doe otherwise be assured that I will obey you in the charge which now you haue giuen me I humbly thanke almightye God for that he neuer brought vs into these termes before this tyme. Their talke ended the Gentlewoman wéeping embraced master Thorello and drawing a ring from hir finger she gaue it him saying If it chaunce that I die before I sée you remember me when you shall beholde the same He receiuing the ring got vp vpon his horsse and taking his leaue went on his voyage and arriued at Geuoua he shipped him selfe in a Galley and toke his way whereunto winde and weather so fauoured as within fewe dayes he landed at Acres and ioyned with the armye of the Christians wherein began a great mortalitie and Plague during which infection what so euer was the cause eyther by the industrie or fortune of Saladine the rest of the Christians that escaped were almost taken and surprised by hym without any fighte or blowe stricken All which were imprysoned in many Cities and deuided into diuers places amongs which prisoners master Thorello was one who was caried prisoner to Alexandria where being not knowne and fearing to be knowne forced of necessitie gaue himselfe to the kéeping of Hawkes a qualitie wherein he had very good skill whereby in the end he grewe to the acquaintance of the Souldan who for that occasion not knowing him that time tooke him out of prison and retained him for his Fawconer Master Thorello which was called of the Souldan by none other name than Christian whome he neyther knewe ne yet the Souldan hym had none other thing in his minde and remembraunce but Pauie and manye times assayed to escape and run away But he neuer came to the point Wherfore diuers Ambassadoures from Genoua being come to Saladine to raunsome certaine of their prisoners and being ready to returne he thought to wryte vnto his wife to let hir know that he was aliue and that he would come home so soone as he coulde praying hir to tarie his retourne Which was the effect of his letter very earnestly desiring one of the ambassadoures of his acquaintance to doe so much for him as safely to deliuer those letters to that hands of the Abbot of S. Pietro in ciel Doro which was his vncle And master Thorello standing vpon these termes it chaunced vpon a day as Saladine was talking with him of his Hawkes master Thorello began to smile and to make a 〈◊〉 with his mouth which Saladine being at his house at Pauie did very wel note by which act Saladine began to remember master Thorello and earnestly to viewe him and thought that it was he in déede Wherefore leauing his former talke he sayd Tell me Christian of what countrey art thou in the West parts Spy sayd master Thorello I am a Lombarde of a Citie called Pauie a poore man and of meane estate So soone as Saladine heard that as assured wherof he doubted said to him selfe God hath giuen me a time to let thys man know how thankfully I accepted his curtesie that he vsed towardes me and without any more woords hauing caused all his apparell in a chamber to be set in order he brought him into the same sayd behold Christian if amongs al these roabes there be any one which thou hast séene before Master Thorello began to looke vpon them and saw those which his wyfe had giuen to Saladine but he could not beleue that it was possible that they should be the same notwithstanding he answered Sir I know them not albeit my minde giueth me that these twaine do resemble the roabes which sometimes I ware caused them to be giuen to thrée marchaunt men that were lodged at my house Then Saladine not able to forbeare any longer tēderly imbraced him saying you be master Thorello de Istria and I am one of the thrée marchantes to whome your wife gaue those roabes and nowe
the time is come to make you certenly beleue what my marchandise is as I tolde you when I departed 〈◊〉 you that it might come to passe Master Thorello hearing those woordes began to be bothe ioyfull and ashamed ioyfull for that he had entertained such a guest ashamed that his fare and lodging was so simple To whome Saladine sayd master Thorello 〈◊〉 it hathe pleased God to send you hither thynke from henceforth that you be Lorde of this place and not I and making great chéere and reioysing one with an other he caused him to be cloathed in royall vestures and brought him into the presence of all the Noble men of his country and after he had rehersed many things of his valor and commendation commaūded him to be honoured as his owne person of all those which desired to haue his fauor Which thing euery mā did from that time forth but aboue the rest the two Lords that were in company with Saladine at his house The greatnesse of the sodein glory wherin master Thorello sawe him selfe did remoue out of his minde his affaires of Lombardie and specially bicause he hoped that his letters shold trustely be deliuered to the hands of his vncle Now there was in the camp of the Christians the day wherein they were taken by Saladine a Gentleman of Prouince which died and was buried called master Thorello de Dignes a man of great estimation wherby master Thorello of Istria knowne throughout the whole army for his nobility and prowesse euery mā that heard tell that master Thorello was dead beleued that it was master Thorello de Istria and not he de Dignes by reason of his taking the truth whether of them was deade was vnknown Wherfore many Italians returned with those newes amongs whome some were so presumptuous as they toke vpon them to say and affirme that they sawe him deade and were at his burial Which knowne to his wife his friends was an occasion of very great and inestimable sorow not only to them but to all other that knew him Uery long it were to tell in what sort and how great sorow heauinesse and lamentings hys wife did vtter who certaine moneths after she had continually so tormented hir self and when hir griefe began to decrease being demaunded of many great personages of Lombardie was counselled by hir brothers and other of hir kin to mary againe Which thing after she had many times refused in very great anguishe and dolor finally being constrained thereunto she must néedes folow the mindes of hir parents But yet vpon condition that the nuptials shold not be celebrate vntill such time as she had performed hir promise made to master Thorello Whilest the affaires of this Gentlewoman were in those termes at Pauie and the time of hir appoyntment within eight dayes approched it chaunced that master Thorello vpon a day espied a man in Alexandria which he had séene before in the company of the Ambassadors of Genoua going into the galley that was bound with them to Genoua wherefore causing him to be called he demaunded what voyage they had made and asked him when they arriued at Genoua To whome he sayd Syr the Galley made a very ill voyage as I heard say in Creta where I remained behinde them for being néere the coast of Dicilia there arose a maruellous tempest which droue the galley vpon the shoare of Barbarie and not one of them within borde escaped amongs whome two of my brethren were likewise drowned Master Thorello giuyng credite to the woords of this fellow which were very true and remembring him selfe that the terme which he had couenaunted with his wife was almost expired and thinking that they could hardly come by the knowledge of any newes of him or of his state beleued verily that his wife was maried againe for sorow wherof he fel into such melancholy as he had no lust to eate or drinke and laying him downe vpon his bed determined to die which so soone as Saladine who greatly loued him did vnderstand he came to visite him and after that he had through instant request known the occasion of his heauinesse and disease he blamed him very muche for that he did no sooner disclose vnto him his conceipt And afterwards prayed him to be of good chéere assuring him if he would so to prouide as he should be at Pauie iust at the terme which he had assigned to his wife and declared vnto him the order how Master Thorello geuing credit to the woords of Saladine and hauing many times heard say that it was possible and that the like had bene many times done began to comfort him selfe and to vse the cōpany of Saladine who determined fully vpon his voyage and returne to Pauie Then Saladine commaunded one of his Necromancers whose science already he had well experienced that he should deuise the meanes how master Thorello might be borne to Pauie in one night vpon a bed Whereunto the Necromancer answered that it should be done but that it behoued for the better doing thereof that he should be cast into a sléepe And when Saladine had giuen order therunto he returned to master Thorello and finding him fully purposed to be at Pauie if it were possible at the terme which he had assigned or if not to die sayd thus vnto him Master Thorello if you doe heartily loue your wife and doubt least shée be married to an other God forbyd that I should stay you by any manner of meanes bicause of all the women that euer I sawe she is for maners comely behauiour and decent order of apparell not remembring hir beautie which is but a fading floure me thinke most worthy to be praysed and loued A gladsome thing it wold haue bene to me sith fortune sent you hither that the tyme which you and I haue to liue in this world we might haue spent together and liued Lordes of the kingdome which I possesse if God be minded not to doe me that grace at least 〈◊〉 sith you be determined either to die or to returne to Pauie at the terme which you haue appointed my great desire is that I might haue knowne the same in time to the intēt you might haue bene conducted thither with such honor and traine as your vertues do deserue Which sith God wil not that it be brought to passe and that you will néedes be there presently I will send you as I can in manner before expressed Wherunto master Thorello said Sir the effect bisides your woordes hath done me sufficient knowledge of your good will which I neuer deserued that which you told me I can not beléeue so long as life is in me and therefore am most certaine to die But sith I am so determined I beséeche you to do that which you haue promised out of hand bicause to morrow is the last day of the appointmēt assigned to my wife Saladine said that for a truthe the same should be done And the next
vpon the Lute desired him to giue awake vnto his Ladie that then for iealousie was harkening at hir window both the sound of the instrument and the words of hir amorous Knight wher the gētleman soong this song THe death with trenchāt dart doth brede in brest such il As I cannot forget the smart that therby riseth stil. Yet ne erthelesse I am the ill it self in dede That death with daily dolours depe within my breast doth brede I am my mistresse thrall and yet I doe not kno If she beare me good will at all or if she loue or no. My wound is made so large with bitter wo in brest That still my heart prepares a place to lodge a careful guest O Dame that bath my life and death at thy desire Come 〈◊〉 my mind wher facies flames doth burn like Ethna fire For wanting thee my life is death and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And finding fauor in thy sight my dayes are happy heere Then he began to sighe so terribly as if already she had gyuen sentence and definitiue Judgement of his farewel disputed with his felow in such sort with opinion so assured of his contempt as if hée had bene in loue with some one of the infants of Sp 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which cause he begā again very pitifully to sing these verses THat God that made my soule knowes what I haue felt Who causeth sighes and sorowes oft the sely soule to swelt Doth see my torments now and what I suffer still And vnderstands I tast mo griefs than I can shew by skill He doth consent I wot to my ill hap and woe And hath accorded with the dame that is my pleasant foe To make my boyling brest abound in bitter blisse And so bereue me of my rest when heart his hope shall misse O what are not the songs and sighs that louers haue When night and day with swete desires they draw vnto their graue 〈◊〉 grief by friendship growes where ruth nor 〈◊〉 raines And so like snow against the sunne thei melt away with pains My dayes must finish so my destnie hath it set And as the candle out I goe before hir grace I get Before my sute be heard my seruice throughly knowne I shal be laid in tombe full lowe so colde as Marble stone To thee faire Dame I cry that makes my senses arre And plātest peace 〈◊〉 my brest then makes sodain war Yet at thy pleasure still thou must my sowre make sweete In graunting me the fauor due for faithfull louers meete Which fauor giue me now and to thy Noble minde I doe 〈◊〉 Galley slaue as thou by proofe shall finde And so thou shalt release my heart from cruell bandes And haue his fredome at thy wil that yelds into thy handes So rendring all to thee the Gods may ioyne vs both Within one lawe and league of loue through force of constant troth Then shalt thou mistresse be of life of limme and all My goodes my golde and honour loe shall so be at thy call This gentle order of loue greately pleased the Lady and therefore opened hir gate to let in the 〈◊〉 Lorde who séeyng himself fauoured beyond all hope of his Ladie and cherefully intertained and welcommed wyth greate curtesie stoode so stil astonnied as if he had bene fallen from the cloudes But shée whyche coulde teache hym good maner to make him the minister of hir mischiefe takyng him by the hande made him sitte downe vpon a gréene bedde besydes hir and séeing that he was not yet imboldened for all he was a souldier she she wed hir selfe more hardie than he and first assayled him wyth talke saying Syr I praye you thinke it not strange if at this houre of the night I am bolde to cause you enter my house béeyng of no greate acquaintaunce with you but by hearyng your curteous salutations And we of this countrey be somwhat more at libertie than they in those partes from whence you come Besides it liketh me well as I am able to honor strange gentlemen and to retaine them with right good willing heart sith it pleaseth them to honor me with repaire vnto my house so shall you be welcome stil when you please to knocke at my gate which at all times I will to be opened for you wyth no lesse good will than if ye were my natural brother the same with all the thinges therein it maye please you to dispose as if they were your owne Dom Pictro of Cardonne well satisfied and contented with this vnlooked for kyndnesse thanked hir very curteously humbly praying hir besides to dayne it in good parte if he were so bolde to make request of loue and that it was the onely thyng which hée aboue all other desyred moste so that if shée woulde receyue hym for hir friende and seruaunt shée shoulde vnderstand him to be a Gentleman whiche lyghtly woulde promise nothing excepte the accomplishment did followe she that sawe a greater onset than shée looked for answered hym smilyng with a very good grace Syr I haue knowne very many that haue vouched slipperie promyses and proffered lordly seruices vnto Ladies the effecte wherof if I myght once sée I would not thinke that they coulde vanishe so soone and consume lyke smoake Madame sayde the Scicilian yf I fayle in any thyng whichs you commaunde mée I praye to God neuer to receyue any fauour or grace of those Curtesies whyche I craue If then quod shée you wyll promyse to employe youre selfe aboute a businesse that I haue to doe when I make requeste I wyll also to accepte you for a friende and graunt such secrecie as a faythfull louer can desyre of hys Ladye Dom Pietro whyche woulde haue offered hym selfe in Sacrifice for hir not knowyng hir demaunde toke an othe and promysed hir so lightly as madly afterwardes he did put the same in proofe Beholde the preparatiues of the obsequies of their first loue the guages of a bloodie bedde the one was prodigal of hir honoure the other the tormenter of his reputation and neglected the duetie and honor of his state which the 〈◊〉 wherof he came commaunded hym to kepe Thus all the night he remained with Bianca Maria who made him so wel to like 〈◊〉 good entertainement and imbracementes as he neuer was out of hir companie And the warie Circes fained hir selfe so farre in loue with him and vsed so many toyes gametricks of hir filthie science as he not onely esteemed him selfe the happiest Gentleman of Scicilia but the most fortunate wight of al the world and by biubing of hir wine was so straungely charmed with the pleasures of his faire mistresse as for hir sake he wold haue taken vpon him the whole ouerthrow of Milan so well as 〈◊〉 of Cumes to set the Citie of Rome on fire if Tyberius Gracchus the sedicious woulde haue gyuen hir leaue Such is the maner of wilde and foolish youth as which suffreth it self to be caried beyond the boundes of
not greatly at his ease and quiet who neded no torments to force him confesse the fact for of his owne accorde 〈◊〉 he disclosed the same but he sayde he was prouoked thervnto by the persuasion of Bianca Maria telling the whole discourse as you haue heard before She had already intelligence of this chaunce might 〈◊〉 fled and saued hir selfe before the fact by the confession of Dom Pietro had bene discouered and attended in some secrete place til that stromie time had ben calmed appeased But God which is a rightful iudge would not suffer hir wickednesse extend any further fith she hauing founde out such a nimble wilfull executioner the Coūte of 〈◊〉 could not long haue 〈◊〉 aliue who then in good time and happie houre was absent out of the Citie So soone as Dom 〈◊〉 had accused the Countesse the Lorde of 〈◊〉 sente hir to prison and being examined confessed the whole matter trusting that hir infinite numbre of crownes would haue corrupted the Duke or those that represented his person But hir crownes and hir life passed all one way For the day after hir imprisonment she was condemned to lose hir heade And in the meane time Dom Pictro was saued by the diligence and sute of the captaines was employed in other warres to whome the Duke gaue him for that hée was 〈◊〉 to lose so notable a souldier and the aide of his brother the Counte of Colisano The Coūtesse hauing sentence pronoūced vpon hir but trusting for pardon she wold not prepare hir self to die ne yet by any means craue forgiuenesse of hir faults at the handes of God vntill she was conueyed out of the Castell and ledde to the common place of execution where a scaffold was prepared for hir to play the last acte of hir tragedie Then the miserable Ladie began to know hir self and to cōfesse hir faultes before the people deuoutely praying God not to haue regarde to hir demerites ne yet to determine his wrath against hir or enter with hir in iudgement for so much as if the same were decréed according to hir iniquitie no saluation was to bée looked for She besought the people to praye for hir and the Counte of Gaiazzo that was absent to pardon hir malice and treason which she had deuised against him Thus miserably and repentantly dyed the Countesse which in hir life refused not to imbrace and folow any wickednesse no mischiefe she accompted euill done so the same were imployed for hir pleasure and pastime A goodly example truely for the youth of oure present time sith the most part indifferētly do launch into the gulfe of disordred life suffring them selues to be plunged in the puddles of their owne vain conceipts without consideration of the mischieues that may ensue If the Lord of Cardonne had not ben beloued of his generall into what calamitie had he fallen for yelding him selfe a praie to that bloodie woman who had more regarde to the light and wilfull fansie of hir whome he serued like a slaue than to his duetie and estimation And truely those be voide of their right wittess which thinke them selues beloued of a whoore For their amitie endureth no longer than they sucke from their pursses and bodies any profit or pleasure And bicause almost euery day semblable examples be séene I will leaue of this discourse to take mée to a matter not farre more pleasant than this although founded vpon better grounde and stablished vpon loue the first onset of lawfull mariage the successe wherof chaunced to murderous end and yet the same intended by neyther of the beloued As you shall be iudge by the continuance of reding of the historie ensuing Beare with me good Ladies for of you alone I craue this pardon for introducing the whoorish life of this Countesse and hir bloodie enterprise bicause I know right well that recitall of murders and bloodie facts werieth the mindes of those that loue to liue at rest and wish for faire weather after the troublesome stormes of ragyng seas no lesse than the pilote and wise Mariner hauing long time endured and cut the perillous straicts of the Ocean sea And albeit the corruption of our nature be so great as folies delite vs more than ernest matters full of reason and wisedome yet I thinke not that our mindes be so peruerted and diuided from frouthe but sometimes we care and séeke to speake more grauely than the countrey Hynde or more sobrely than they whose liues do beare the marke of infamie and be to euery wight notorious for the only name of their vocation Suffiseth vs that an historie bée it neuer so full of sporte and pleasure do bring with it instruction of our lyfe and amendement of our maners And wée ought not to be so curious or scrupulous to reiect merrie and pleasaunt deuises that be voide of harmefull talke or without such glée as may hinder the education of youth procliue and redie to choose that is naught and corrupte The very bookes of holy Scriptures do describe vnto vs persons that be vicious so detestable as nothyng more whose factes vnto the symple may séeme vnséemely vpon the leaste recitall of the same And shal we therfore reiect the reading and eschue those holy bookes God forbid but with diligence to beware that we do not resemble those that be remembred there for example for somuch as spéedily after sinne ensueth grieuous and as sodaine punishement For which cause I haue selected these histories of purpose to aduertise youth howe those that folowe the way of damnable iniquitie faile not shortely after their greate offenses and execution of their outragious vices to féele the iuste and mightie hande of God who guerdoneth the good for their good workes and déedes and rewardeth the euill for their wickednesse and mischese Nowe turne we then to the Historie of two the rarest louers that euer were the performaunce and 〈◊〉 whereof had it ben so prosperous as the begynnyng had ioyed 〈◊〉 the fruictes of their intente and two noble houses of one Citie reconciled to perpetuall friendship Rhomeo and Julietta ¶ The goodly Historie of the true and constant Loue betwene RHOMEO and IVLIETTA the one of whom died of poison and the other of sorow and 〈◊〉 wherin be comprised many aduentures of loue and other deuises touching the same The. xxv Nouel I Am sure that they whiche measure the greatenesse of Gods works according to the capacitie of their rude simple vnderstanding wyll not lightly adhibite credite vnto this historie so wel for the va rietie of strange accidēts which be therin described as for that noueltie straungenesse of so rare and perfect amitie But they that haue redde Plinie Valerius Maximus Plutarche and diuers other writers doe finde that in olde tyme a greate numbre of men and women haue died some of excessiue ioye some of ouermuch sorrowe and some of other passions and amongs the same Loue is not the least which when it seaseth vpon
the rare excellencies wherewith the Citie is furnished there is none more famous than the monument of Rhomeo Iulietta Two Gentlewomen of Venice ¶ Two Gentlemen of VENICE were honourably deceiued of their wiues whose notable practises and secrete cōference for archieuing their desire occasioned diuers accidentes and ingendred double benefite wherin also is recited an eloquent oration made by one of them pronounced before the Duke and state of that Citie with other chaunces and actes concerning the same The. xxvj Nouel HEre haue I thoughte good to summon y. gentlewomen of Venice to apeare in place and to mount on stage amonges other Italian dames to shewe cause of their bold incountrie against the follie of their two husbandes that vncharitably against order of neighbourhode wente about to assayle the honestie of eythers wife and wéening they had enioyed others felicitie by the womens prudence foresyghte and ware gouernement were bothe deceiued and yet attayned the chiefest benefite that mariage state doth looke for so that yf searche bée made amonges antiquities it is to be doubted whether greater chastitie and better policie coulde bée founde for 〈◊〉 of an intended purpose Many dedes haue bene done by women for sauegarde of their husbands liues as that of Minyae a sorte of women whose husbands wer imprisoned at Lacedaemon for treason cōdemned who to saue their husbāds entred into prison the night before they shold die by exchange of apparell deliuered them and remained there to suffre for them Hipsicratea also the Quene wife of 〈◊〉 king of Pontus spared not hir noble beautie and golden lockes to manure hir self in the vse of armes to kéepe hir husbād company in perils and daungers and being ouercome by Pompeius and flying away neuer left him vnaccōpanied ne forsoke such trauel as he him self sustained The like also of Aemilia Turia 〈◊〉 Portia other Romane dames But that such haue preuēted their husbands follie seldome we reade sauing of Quéene Marie the wife of Don Pietro king of Arragon who marking the folie of hir husband and sorie for his disordred life honest iealousie opening hir cōtinēt eyes forced hir to seke meanes to remoue his wanton acts or at lestwise by policie wise foresight to make him husband culture his own soile that for want of seasonable tillage was barren voide of fruite Wherefore consulting with the lorde Chamberlain who of custome brought whom the King liked best was in place of his woman bestowed in his bed and of hir that night begate the yong Prince Giacomo that afterwardes proued a valiaunt and wise King These passyng good policies of women many times abolish the frantik lecherous fits of husbands giuen to superfluous lustes when first by their chast behauior womāly pacience they 〈◊〉 that whiche they bée lothe to sée or heare of and then demaunding counsell of sobrietie and wisedome excogitate sleightes to shunne follie and expell discurtesie by husbandes carelesse vse Suche practyses and deuises these two Gentlewomen whome I now bring forth disclose in this discourse ensuing In the Citie of Venice whiche for riches and faire women excelleth al other within the region of Italie in the time that Francesco Foscari a very wise Prince did gouerne the state there were two yong gentlemē the one called Girolamo Bembo and the other Anselmo Barbadico betwene whome as many times chaunceth amongs other grew such great hatred and cruel hostilitie as eche of them by secrete and al possible means deuised to do other shame and displeasure which kindled to such out rage as it was thought impossible to be pacified It chaunced that at one time both of them did marie two noble yong Gentlewomen excellēt faire both brought vp vnder one nurse and loued eche other like two sisters and as though they had ben both born of one bodie The wyse of Anselmo called Isotta was the daughter of Messer 〈◊〉 Gradenigo a mā of great estimation in that citie one of the procuratours of San Marco whereof there were not so greate numbre in those dayes as there be now bicause the wisest men best approued of life were chosen to that great and noble dignitie none allotted therevnto by bribe or ambition The wife of Girolamo Bembo was called Lucia that daughter of Messer Gian Francesco Valerio Caualiere a Gentleman very well learned and many times sent by the State ambassador into diuers countreyes and after he had bene Drator with the Pope for his wisedome in the execution of the same was in great estima tion with the whole citie The two Gentlewomen after they were maried heard of the hatred betwene their husbandes were very sorowfull and pensiue bicause they thought the friendshyppe and loue betwene them twaine continued from their tender yeres could not be but with great difficulty kept or else altogither dissolued broken Not withstāding being discrete and wise for auoiding occasion of their husbands offēce determined to cease their accustomed conuersation louing familiaritie not to frequent eche others cōpany but at places times conuenient To whome Fortune was so fauorable as not only their houses were néere together but also ioyning in the backsides wherof their gardens also cōfined seperated only with a litle hedge that euery day they might sée one another many times talke togither Moreouer the seruāts people of either houses were friendly familiar which did greatly cōtent the two louing Gētlewomen bicause they also in the absence of their husbāds might at pleasure in their gardens disport thēselues And continuing this order that space of iij. yeres neither of thē both were with childe In which space Anselmo many times vicwing and casting his eyes vpō Madonna Lucia fel earnestly in loue with hir was not that day wel at ease wherin he had not beholden hir excellēt beautie 〈◊〉 that was of sprite and wit subtil marked the lokes maner of Anselmo who neither for 〈◊〉 ne other cause did render like lokes on him but to sée to what end his louing chéere countenāce wold 〈◊〉 Not 〈◊〉 she séemed rather 〈◊〉 to behold him thā elswher to imploy hir lokes On the other side the good 〈◊〉 the wise order and pleasant beautie of Madonna Isotta was so excellent plausible in the sight of master Girolamo as no louer in the world was better pleased with his Ladie than 〈◊〉 with hir who not able to liue without the swete sight of Isotta that was a crafty wily wēch was 〈◊〉 hir quickly perceiued She being right honest wise and louing hir husband very dearly did beare that 〈◊〉 to Girolamo that she generally did to any of the 〈◊〉 or to other stranger that she neuer saw before But hir 〈◊〉 more more inflamed hauing lost that liberty of him self wounded pierced with the amorous arowes of Loue could not conuert his minde to any other 〈◊〉 to mistresse Lucia These two womē wonted to heare seruice euery day ordinarily at the church
well trained vp in other things A case so straunge as declaring the singular force of nature in that matter wherin the séemeth to haue giuen the prefermēnt aboue all things in earth Examples hereof is the effemination of Hercules the depriuation of Samsons strength the losse of sense and the idolatrie of the famous and wise king Salomon and the simplicitie of a warelesse and vncircumspect Gentleman of whom ye shal reade the Historie Thurin as is well knowne to them that haue trauelled Piedmont is the ornament bulwarke of al the countrey so well for the naturall site of the place as for the artificial and industrious worke of mans hand which hath instaured and furnished with great magnificence that which nature had indifferently enriched for the rudenesse and litle knowledge of the time past Now besides this stately strong citie there standeth a litle town named Montcall a place no lesse strong and of good defense than well plāted in a faire and rich soyle In this towne there dwelt a Gentlewoman a widowe called Zilia beautifull amongs the most excellent faire Gentlewomen of the countrey which countrey besides the other happie heuenly influences semeth to be specially fauoured for hauing the most fairest and curteous Gentlewomē aboue any other within the compasse of Europa Notwithstanding this faire Zilia degenerating frō the nature of hir climate was so haggarde and cruell as it might haue ben thoughte she had bene rather nourished and brought vp amidde the most desert mountains of Sauoy than in the pleasant and rich champayn countrey watered and moistned with Eridanus the father of riuers at this day called the Pau the largenesse whereof doth make men to maruel and the fertilitie allureth euery man to be desirous to inhabite vpon the same This faire rebellious widow albeit that she was not aboue xxiiij or xxv yeres of age yet protested neuer more to be subiecte to man by mariage or otherwise thinking hir self wel able to liue in single life A minde truly very holy and cōmendable if the pricks of that flesh do obey the first motions and adhortations of the spirite but where youth pleasure and multitude of suters do addresse their endeuour against that chastitie lightly enterprised the Apostles counsell ought to be followed who willeth yong widowes to marie in Christ to auoide the temptations of the flesh and to flée offensiue slaunder and dishonor before men Now mistresse Zilia hir husbād being dead only bent hir selfe to enrich hir house and to amplifie the possession of a litle infant which she had by hir late departed husbande After whose death she became so couetous as hauing remoued and almoste cut off quite the wonted port she vsed in hir husbandes dayes imployed hir maids in houshold affairs thinking nothing to be well done that passed not through hir owne handes A thing truely more praise worthy than to sée a sorte of effeminate fine and daintie fingred dames which thinke their honor diminished if they holde but their nose ouer their housholde matters where theyr hande and diligence were more requisite for so much as the mistresse of the house is not placed the chiefe to heare only the reasons of them that labor but therunto to put hir hands for hir present eye séemeth to giue a certaine perfection to the worke which the seruauntes do by hir commaundement Which caused the historians in times past to describe vnto the posterity a gentlewoman called Lucretia not babbling amongs yong folish girles or running to feastes and Maigames or Masking in the night without any regard of the honor and dignitie of hir race and house but in hir Chamber sowing spinning and carding amids the troupe of hir maiden seruants wherin our mistresse Zilia passed the most parte of hir time spending no minute of the day without some honest exercise which she did for that she liked not to be séen at feasts and bankets or to be gadding vp and downe the streats wandring to gardeins or places of pleasure although to suche places youth sometimes may haue honest repaire to refreshe their wearied bodies with some vertuous recreation therby to reioyce the heauinesse of the minde But this Gētlewoman was so seuere in following the rigorous and constrained maners of our auncients that impossible it was to sée hir abrode except it were when she went to Mattens or other deuine seruice This Gentlewoman séemed to haue studied the diuinitie of the Egiptians which paint Venus holding a key before hir mouth setting hir foote vpon a Tortus signifying vnto vs therby that duety of a chast woman whose tong ought to be locked that she speake not but in time and place and hir féete not straying or wādering but to kéepe hir self within the limits of hir owne house except it be to serue God and sometimes to render our bounden duty to them which haue brought vs into light Moreouer Zilia was so religious I wil not say superstitious and rigorous to obserue customs as she made it very squeimish and straunge to kisse Gentlemen that met hir a ciuilitie which of long time hath bene obserued and yet remaineth in the most part of the world that Gentlewomen doe welcome straungers and guestes into their houses with an honest and chaste kisse Notwithding the institution and profession of this widow had wiped away and deferred this poynt of hir youthe whither it were for that she estéemed hir self so faire as all men were vnworthy to touche the vtter partes of so rare and precious a vessell or that hir great and inimitable chastitie made hir so strange to refuse that which hir duetie and honor would haue permitted hir to graunt There chaunced about this time that a gentleman of the Countrey called Sir Philiberto of Virle estéemed to be one of the most valiant Gentlemen in those partes repaired vpon an holy day to Montcall whose house was not very farre off the Towne and being at diuine seruice in place of occupying his sense and minde in heauenly things and attending the holy woords of a Preacher which that day declared the woorde of God vnto the people hée gaue himselfe to contemplate the excellent beautie of Zilia who hadde put off for a while hir mourning vaile that she might the better beholde the good father that preached and receiue a little aire bicause the day was extreame hotte The Gentleman at the first blushe when hée sawe that swéete temptation before his eyes thought hym selfe rapt aboue the third heauen and not able to withdraw his looke he fed hymselfe with the venome which by litle and litle so seased vpon the soundest partes of his minde as afterwards béeing liuely rooted in heart the Gentleman was in daunger still to remaine there for a guage without any hope of ease or comforte as more amply this folowyng discourse shall giue you to vnderstande Thus all the mornyng hée behelde the Gentlewoman who made no more accompt of them that with great admiration did beholde hir
It chaunced in this time that a knight of 〈◊〉 the vassall of King Mathie for that he was likewise king of that countrey borne of a noble house very valiant and well exercised in armes fel in loue with a passing faire Gentlewoman of like nobilitie and reputed to be the 〈◊〉 of all the countrey and had a brother that was but a poore Gentleman not luckie to the goods of fortune This Boemian knight was also not very rich hauing onely a castle with certaine reuenues 〈◊〉 which wer 〈◊〉 able to yeld vnto him any gret maintenance of liuing Fallyng in loue then with this faire Gentlewoman he demaūded hir in mariage of hir brother with hir had but a very litle dowrie And thys knight not wel forseeing his poore estate broughte his wife home to his house there at more leisure cōsidering that same begā to fele his lack penurie how hardly scant his reuenues wer able to maintein his port He was a very honest gentle person one that delited not by any meanes to burden fine his tenants cōtenting himself with the reuenue whiche his auncesters left him the same amounting to no great yerely rent Whē this gentlemā perceiued that he stode in nede of extraordinarie reliefe after many diuers cōsiderations with himself he purposed to folow the court to serue king Mathie his souerain lord master there by his diligence experience to seke meanes for abilitie to sustain his wife him self But so great feruent was that loue that he bare vnto his lady as he thought it impossible for him to liue one houre 〈◊〉 hir yet iudged it not best to haue hir with him to the court for auoiding of further charges 〈◊〉 to courting ladies whose delite 〈◊〉 plesure resteth in the toys tricks of the same that cānot he wel auoided in poore gētlemē without their names in the Mercers or Drapers Iornals a heauy thing for them to consider if for their disport they like to walk that stretes The daily thinking thervpon brought that poore Gentlemā to great sorow heauinesse The lady that was yong wise discrete marking the maner of hir husband feared that he had some 〈◊〉 of hir Wherfore vpon a day she thus said vnto him Dere husband willingly wold I wish desire a good turne at your hand if I wist I should not displease you Demaund what you will said the knight if I can I wil gladly performe it bicause I doe estéeme your satisfaction as I doe mine owne lyfe Then the Ladie very sobrely prayde hym that he wold open vnto hir the cause of that discontenment whiche he shewed outwardly to haue for that hys mynde and behauiour séemed to be contrary to ordinarie custome contriued day and night in fighes auoidyng the companie of them that were wont specially to delight him The Knight hearing his ladies request paused a while and then sayd vnto hir My welbeloued wyfe for so much as you desire to vnderstand my thoughte and mynde and whereof it commeth that I am so sad and pensife I will tell you All the heauynesse wherwith you sée me to be affected dothe tend to this ende Fayne would I deuise that you and I may in honour lyue together according to our calling For in respect of our parentage our liuelode is very poore the occasion whereof were our parentes who morgaged their lands consumed a great part of their goods that our auncesters left them I daily thinkyng herevpon and conceiuing in my head diuers imaginations can deuise no meanes but one that in my 〈◊〉 séemeth best which is that I go to the Court of our souerain lord Mathie who at this present is inferring warrs vpon the Turk at whose hāds I do not mistrust to receiue good 〈◊〉 being a most liberal prince and one that estemeth al such as be valiant and actiue And I for my parte will so gouerne my selfe by Gods grace that by deserte I will procure suche lyuyng and 〈◊〉 as hereafter we may liue in our olde dayes a quiet life to our great stay and comfort For although Fortune hitherto hath not fauored that state of parētage wherof we be I doubt not with noble courage to win that in despite of Fortunes teeth whiche obstinately hytherto shée hath denied And the more assured am I of thys determination bycause at other tymes I haue serued vnder the Lorde Vaiuoda in Transsyluania against the Turk where many times I haue bene required to serue also in the Courte by that honorable Gentleman the Counte of Cilia But when I dyd consider the beloued companie of you dere wife the swéetest companion that euer wyght didde 〈◊〉 I thought it vnpossible for mée to forbeare your presence whych if I should do I were worthy to sustayne that dishonour which a great number of carelesse Gentlemen doe who followyng their priuate gayne and will abandon their yong and faire wyues neglecting the fyre whyche Nature hath instilled to the delicate bodyes of suche tender creatures Fearing therwithall that so soone as I shoulde depart the lustie yong Barons and Gentlemen of the countrey woulde pursue the gayne of that loue the price wherof I doe esteme aboue the crowne of the greatest emperour in all the worlde and woulde not forgoe for all the riches and precious Iewels in the fertile soilt of Arabie who no doubte woulde 〈◊〉 together in greater heapes than euer dydde the wowers of Penelope wythin the famouse graunge of Ithaca the house of wanderynge Vlisses Whyche pursuite yf they dydde attayne I shoulde for euer hereafter bée ashamed to shew my face before those that be of valour and regarde And this is the whole effect of the scruple 〈◊〉 wife that hindreth me to séeke for our better estate and fortune When he had spoken those woords 〈◊〉 held his peace The Gentlewoman which was wise and stout perceiuing the great loue that hir husbande bare hir when he had stayed himselfe from talke with good and mery countenaunce answered hym in thys wise Sir Vlrico which was the name of the Gentleman I in like manner as you haue done haue deuised and thought vpon the Nobilitie and birth of our auncestors from whose state and port and that without our fault and crime we be farre wide and deuided Notwithstanding I determined to set a good face vpon the matter and to make so much of our painted sheath as I could In déede I confesse my self to be a woman and you men do say that womens hearts be faint I féeble but to be plaine with you the contrary is in me my heart is so stoute and ambitious as paraduenture not méete and consonāt to power and abilitie although we women will finde no lacke if our hearts haue pith and strength inough to beare it out And faine wold I support the state wherin my mother maintained me Now be it for mine owne part to God I yeld the thanks I can so moderate and stay
an other Lady a widow also that was very rich and so wel allied as any in all the land This Lady had a sonne whom she caused to be trained vp so wel in Armes and good letters as in other honest exercises proper and méete for a Gentleman and great Lord for which respect she had sent him to Barcelona the chiefe Citie of all the Countrey of 〈◊〉 Senior Dom Diego for so was the sonne of that widow called 〈◊〉 so well in all things that when he was 〈◊〉 yeares of age there was no Gentleman of his degrée that did excell him ne yet was able to approche vnto his perfections and commēdable behauior A thing that did so wel content that good Lady his mother as she could not tell what countenaunce to kéepe to couer hir ioy A vice very commen to fonde and folish mothers who flater them selues with a shadowed hope of the future goodnesse of their childrē which many times doth more hurt to that wanton and wilfull age than profit or aduauncement The persuasion also of such towardnesse full oft doth blinde that sprites of youth as that faults which folow the same be far more vile thā before they were wherby the first Table made in his first coloures of that imagined vertue cā take no force or perfection and so by incurring sundry mishaps the parent childe commonly eskape not without equall blame To come againe therefore to our discourse it chaunced in that time that the Catholike king deceased Philippe of Austrich which succéeded him as heire passing through Fraunce came into Spaine to be inuested and take possession of al his seigniories and kingdomes which knowen to the Citizens of Barcelona they determined to receiue him with such pompe magnificence and honor as duely appertaineth to the greatnesse and maiestie of so great a Prince as is the sonne of the Romane Emperour And amongs other things they prepared a triumphe at the Tilt where none was suffred to enter the listes but yong Gētlemen such as neuer yet had folowed armes Amongs whome Dom Diego as that Noblest person was chosen chiefe of one part The Archduke then come to Barcelona after the receiued honors and Ceremonies accustomed for such entertainment to gratifie his subiects and to sée the brauery of the yong Spanish Nobilitie in armes would place himself vpon the skaffolde to iudge the courses and valiance of the runners In that magnifique and Princely conflict all mens eyes were bent vpon Dom Diego who course by course made his aduersaries to féele the force of his armes his manhode and dexteritie on horsebacke and caused them to muse vpon his towarde 〈◊〉 in time to come whose noble gests then acquired the victory of the campe on his side Which moued King Philip to say that in al his life he neuer saw triūph better handled and that the same séemed rather a battell of strong hardy men than an excercise of yong Gentlemen neuer wōted to support the dedes of armes trauaile of warfare For which cause calling Dom Diego before him he sayd God graūt yōg Gentleman that your ende agrée with your goodly beginnings hardy shock of 〈◊〉 done this day In memory wherof I wil this night that ye do your watch for I mean to morow by Gods assistance to dub you knight The yong gentlemā blushing for shame vpō his knees kissed the Princes hāds thanking him most hūbly of the honor and fauor which it pleased his maiestie to do him vowing promising to do so wel in time to come as no mā shold be deceiued of their conceiued opinion nor the king frustrate of his seruice which was one of his most obedient vassals subiectes So the next day he was made Knight receiued the coller of the order at the handes of King Phillip who after the departure of his prince which toke his iourney into Castille retired to his owne 〈◊〉 house more to sée his mother whōe long time before he had not séene than for desire of pleasure that be in fieldes which notwithstāding he exercised so well as in end 〈◊〉 perceiued 〈◊〉 in townes cities to be an imprisōment 〈◊〉 respect of that he felt in Countrey As the Poets whilom fained loue to shote his arrows amid that 〈◊〉 forrests fertile fields sea coasts shores of great riuers and fountaine brinkes and also vpon the tops of huge and high Mountaines at the pursute of the sundry sorted Nymphes and 〈◊〉 dimigods déeming the same to be a meane of libertie to folow loues tract without suspition voide of company and lothsome cries of Cities where 〈◊〉 enuy false report and ill opinion of all things haue pitched their camp and raised their tents 〈◊〉 contrariwise frākly and without dissimulation in the fieldes the friend discouering his passion to his Mistresse they enioy the pleasure of hunting the naturall musike of birds and somtimes in pleasant herbers 〈◊〉 with the murmur of some running brookes they communicate their thoughts beautifie the accorde and vnitie of louers and make the place famous for that first witnesse of their amorous acquaintance In like manner thrice foure times blest 〈◊〉 they there who leaning the vnquiet toile that ordinarily doeth chaunce to them that abide in Cities do rendre 〈◊〉 y of their studies to the Muses whereunto they be most minded 〈◊〉 Dom Diego at his owne house loued cherished of his mother reuerenced and obeyed of his subiects after he had imployed some time at his study had none other ordinary pleasure but in rousing the Déere hunting the wilde Bore run the Hare somtimes to flie at the Heron or fearfull Partrich alongs the fields Forrestes pondes and stepe Mountaines It came to passe one day as hée Hunted the wilde Mountaine Goate which he had dislodged vpon the Hill toppe he espied an olde Harte that his dogges had found who so ioyfull as was possible of that good lucke followed the course of that swift and fearefull beast But suche was his Fortune the dogges lost the foote of that pray and he his men for being horssed of purpose vpon a fair Iennet could not be followed and in ende loosing the sight of the Déere was so farre seuered from companie as hée was vtterly ignoraunt which way to take And that which grieued him most was his horse out of breth skarse able to ride a false galloppe For which cause he putte his horne to his mouthe and blewe so loude as he could But his men were so farre off as they could not heare him The yonge Gentleman being in this distresse could not tel what to doe but to returne backe wherin he was more deceiued than before for thinking to take the way home to his Castle wandred still further off from the same And trotting thus a long time he spied a Castle situated vpon a little Hill wherby he knew himself far from his owne house Neuerthelesse hearing a certaine noyse of hunters thinking they had bene his people resorted
that nowe when our passetime of hunting might yelde some good recreation vnto your honour that you doe thus forsake vs notwithstanding sith it is your good plesure we wil cease the chase of the wilde Bore till your returne In the meane time I will make readie the coardes and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the takyng of the same that vpon youre comming nothing want for the furniture of our sport The Lord Nicholas seing his Lieutenant so pleasantly disposed and so litle bent to choler or iealous fantasie was persuaded that some other toy had rather occupied his minde than any suspition betwene his wife and him But the subtill husbande searched other meanes to be 〈◊〉 than by killyng him alone of whom he receyued that dishonour and was more craftie to enterprise and more hardie to execute than the louers were wyse or well aduised to preuente and wythstande his sleightes and pollicies And albeit that the wyfe after the departure of hir friende assayed to drawe from hym the cause of his altered chéere yet coulde shée neuer learne that hir husbande hadde any yll opinion of their loue For so many times as talke was moued of the Lord Nicholas he exalted his praise vp into the heauens and commended him aboue all his 〈◊〉 All whiche he didde to beguile the pollicies of hir whome he sawe to blushe and manye tymes change colour when she heard him spoken of to whom she bare better affection than to hir husband vnto whō in very dede she dyd owe the fayth and integritie of hir bodie Thys was the very toyle which he had laide to intrappe those amorous persons and purposed to ridde the worlde of them by that meanes to remoue from before his eyes the shame of a 〈◊〉 title and to reuenge the iniurie done to hys reputation The Mistresse of the Castell seing that hir husbande as shée thought by no meanes did vnderstande hir 〈◊〉 desired to continue the pleasure whiche either 〈◊〉 them desired and which made the thirde to die of phrenesie wrote to the Lorde Nicholas the letter that foloweth My Lorde the feare I had that my husband should perceyue our loue caused me to intreate you certaine dayes past to discontinue for a time the frequentatiō of your owne house wherby I am not a litle grieued that contrary to my will I am defrauded of your presence which is farre more pleasant vnto me than my husbandes 〈◊〉 who ceaseth not continually to talke of the honest behauiour and commendable qualities that be in you and is sorie for youre departure bicause he feareth that you mislyke youre entertainement which should be sayth he so grieuous and noysome vnto him as death it selfe Wherfore I pray you 〈◊〉 if it be possible and that your affaires do suffer you to come hither to the ende I may inioy youre 〈◊〉 presence and vse the libertie that our good happe hath prepared through the litle iealosie of my husband your Lieutenant who I suppose before it be long will 〈◊〉 you so great is his desire to make you passetime 〈◊〉 hunting within your owne lande and territorie Fayle not then to come I beséech you and we will so well consider the gouernement of our affaires as the best sighted shall not once discrie the least suspicion therof recommending my selfe most humbly after the best maner I can to your good lordship This Letter was deliuered to a lackey to beare to the Lorde Nicholas and not so priuily done but that Lieutenant immediatly espied the deceipt which the sooner was disciphred for so much as he dayely lay in waite to finde the meanes to reuēge the wrong done vnto him of purpose to beate the iron so long as it was hotte to execute his purpose before his wife toke hede and felte the indeuor of his enterprise And bicause that shée had assayed by diuers ways to sound his hart and fele whether he had conceiued displeasure against the Lorde hir louer the daye after wherein she had written to hir friende hée sente one of hys men in poste to the thrée Lordes to require them to come the nexte daye to sée the passetyme of the 〈◊〉 and greatest Wylde Bore that long tyme was bredde in the Forrestes adioynyng vnto Nocera Albeit that the Countreye was fayre for 〈◊〉 and that diuers times many fayre Bores 〈◊〉 bene encountred there But it was not for this that he had framed his errand but to trap in one toyle and snare the thrée brethren whome he determined to sacrifice to the aultar of hys vengeaunce for the expiation of their elder brothers trespasse and for soiling the nuptiall bed of his seruāt He was the wylde Bore whom he meant to strike hée was the praie of his vnsaciable and cruell appetite If the fault had ben generall of all thrée togethers he had had some reason to make them passe the bracke of one equall fortune and to tangle them within one net both to preuent therby as he thought his further hurt and to chastise their leude behauiour For many times as lamentable experience teacheth Noble men for the only respect of their nobilitie make no conscence to doe wrong to the honor of them whose reputation and honestie they oughte so well to regarde as their owne Herein offended the good prince of the Iewes Dauid whē to vse his Bersabe without suspicion he caused innocent Vrias to be slaine in lieu of recompense for hys good seruice and diligent execution of his behests The children of the proude Romane King Tarquinius did herein greatly abuse them selues when they violated that noble Gentlewoman Lucrece whome all histories doe so muche remembre and whose chastitie all famous writers doe commende Upon such as they be vengeance oughte to be doue and not to defile the handes in the bloode of innocentes as the parents and kinsemen of dead Lucrece did at Rome and this Lieutenant at Nocera vpon the brethren of him that hadde sent him into Cornewall without passing ouer the seas But what Anger procéeding of such wrong surmounteth al phrenesie and excedeth all the bounds of reason and mans so deuoide of wits by seing the blot of defamation to light vpon him as he séeketh al 〈◊〉 to hurt and displease him that polluteth his renoume All the race of the Tarquines for like fact were banished Rome for the onely brute whereof the husband of the faire rauished wife was constrained to auoide the place of his natiuitie Paris alone violated the body of Menelaus the Lacedemouian King but for reuenge of the rauished Greeke not onely the glorie and richesse of stately Troy but also the most part of Asia and Europa was ouerturned and defaced if credit may be giuen to the records of the auncient So in this fact of the Lieutenant the Lorde Nicholas alone had polluted his bed but the reuenge of the cruell man extended further and his furie raged so farre as the guiltlesse were in great daunger to beare the penance which shall be well perceiued by the discourse that
for the olde mannes woords hauing in hand his desired spoile cōmaunded his men to marche before with the maiden leauing behinde the pore olde man which thundred against them a thousand 〈◊〉 and cursses threatning and reuiling them by all the termes he could deuise desirous as I thinke to haue them turne backe to kill him But therunto they gaue so little héede as when hée demaunded to leaue his daughter behinde them to whom the amorouse courtier addressing himself began to make much of hir and kisse hir assayed by all meanes with pleasant words and many swéete promisses to comfort hir but that pore wench knowing ful wel that they went about to play the butchers with hir chastity and shamefastnesse and to commit murder with the floure of hir virginity 〈◊〉 to cry so piteously with dolorous voice as she wold haue moued to compassion the hardest harts that euer were except the same which craued nothing more thā the spoile of that his swetest enimy who hir self detected blasphemed hir vnhappy fate and constellation When she saw hir vertue ready to be spoiled by one who not in mariage ioyned went about to violat and possesse the same knew that afterwards he wold vaunt himselfe for the victory of such a precious price Alas sayde she is it possible that the soueraigne iustice of God can abide a mischief so great and curssed and that the voice of a pore wretched 〈◊〉 maide cannot be heard in the presence of the mighty Lord aboue Why may not I now rather suffer deathe than the infamie which I sée to wander before mine eyes O that good old man my déere and louing father how farre better had it bene for thée to haue slaine me wyth thy dagger betwene the hāds of these most wicked théeues than to let me goe to be the enimies pray of my vertue thy reputation O happy a hundred hundred times be ye which haue already passed the ineuitable tract of death when ye were in cradle and I pore vnhappy wēch no lesse blessed had I bene if partaker of your ioy where now I rest aliue to féele the smart and anguish of that death more egre to support than that which deuideth the body soule The Gentleman offended with those complaints began to threaten that hée wold make hir forget that hir disordered behauioure saying that she must change an other tune and that hir plaints were to no purpose amongs them which cared not or yet were bent to stay vpon those hir womanishe teares lamentations and cries The poore Mayden hearing that and séeing that she dysparckled hir voyce into the aire in vaine began to holde hir peace whych caused the Louer to speake vnto hir these woordes And what my wench do you thynke it now so 〈◊〉 or straunge if the heate of loue that I beare to you forceth me to vse such violence Alas it is not malice or euill will that causeth me to doe the same it is loue which cā not be inclosed but must néedes manifest his force Ah that you had felt what I do suffer and indure for loue of you I beleue then you wold not be so hard hearted but haue pitie vpon the griefe whereof you should haue proued the vehemencie Whereunto the maide answered nothing but teares and sighes wringing hir armes and hands somtimes making warrevpon hir fair hair But all these feminine fashions nothing moued this gallāt and lesse remoued his former desire to haue hir which he atchieued in dispite of hir téeth so soone as he arriued at his owne house The rēnant of the night they lay together where he vsed hir with all such kinde of flattering and louing spéeche as a louer of long time a suter could deuise to doe to hir whome at length he did possesse Now all these flattering follies tended only to make hir his owne to kepe hir in his Countrey house for his pleasure She that for hir age as before is sayd was of condition sage and of gentle minde began subtilely to dissemble and faine to take pleasure in that which was to hir more bitter than any Aloes or woode of Myrrha and more against hir heart than remembraunce of death which still she wished for remedy of hir griefe and voluntarily wold haue killed hir self like a Lucrece if the feare of God and dreadfull losse of body soule had not turned hir minde and also hoped in God that the rauisher should repaire the fault which hée had committed and beare the penaunce for his temeritie wherof she was no whit deceiued as well ye shall perceiue by that which immediatly doeth follow Nowe whilest the rauisher 〈◊〉 his pleasure with his rape the miserable father made the aire to sounde with his complaints accusing fortune for letting the whorish varlet so to passe wythout doing him to féele the lustinesse of his age and the force that yet reasted in his furrowed face and corpse withered with length of yeares In the end knowing that his plaintes curses and desire were throwne forthe in vaine perceiuing also his force vnequall to deale with such an enimy and to get againe by violence his stolne daughter or to recouer hir by that meanes wherby she was taken away hée determined the next day to go and complaine to the Duke and vpon that determination hée layd him downe to sléepe vnder the trées which ioyned to the fountaine where sometimes the Courtier had talked with his daughter And séeing that the element began to shew some bryghtnesse interpaled with coulours of White Yealow and Red signes preceding the rising of fresh Aurora started from his slepe toke his way to Florence whither he came vpō the opening of the City gates Then going to the Pallace of the Duke he taried vntil he saw the Prince goe forthe to seruice The good man seing him of whom he attended to receiue succoure fauour and iustice began to freat and rage for remembrance of his receiued wrong and was ashamed to sée himself in place not accustomed albeit it grieued his heart wyth hardy speache to presume in presence of so many yet the iust anger desire of vengeance emboldned him so much as kneling vpon his knées before the Maiestie of the Duke aloud he spake these woords Alas my soueraigne Lord if euer your grace had pitie vpon a desolate man and ful of dispaire I humbly beséeche the same that nowe you do regard the misory which on euery side assaileth me Haue pity vpon the pouerty of that vnfortunate olde man against whome one hath done such wrong as I hope by force of your vertue and accustomed iustice you wil not leaue a sinne so detestable without deserued punishment for respect of mischiefs that may insue where such wickednesse shal be dissembled and suffred without due correction Saying so the greate teares ran downe his grislye beard and by reason of his interrupted sighes and continuall sobbes the panting of his stomake might easily haue bene perceyued all
riueld for age and Sunneburned with heate and continuall Countrey trauaile and that which moued most the standers by was the ruefull looke of the good olde man who casting his lookes héere there beheld eche one with his holow dolorous eyes in such wise as if hée had not spoken any woord hys countenaunce wold haue moued the Lords to haue compassion vpon his misery his teares wer of such force as the Duke which was a wise man and who measured things by reasons guide prouided with wisedome and foreséeing not without timely iudgement wold know the cause which made that man so to make his playnt and notwithstāding assailed with what suspition I know not would not haue him openly to tel his tale but leading the olde man aside he sayd vnto him My friend 〈◊〉 that gréeuous faultes and of great importance ought grieuously and openly to be punished yet it chaunceth oftentimes that hée which in a heate and choler dothe execution for the guilt although that iustly after hée hath disgested his rage at leasure hée repenteth his rigor and ouer sodaine seueritie offense being natural in man may sometime where slander is not euident by milde and mercifull meanes forget the same without infringing or violating the holy and ciuil constitutions of Lawmakers I speake thus much bicause my heart doeth throbbe that some of my house haue done some filthy fault against thée or some of thine Now I would not that they openly should be slaundered and yet lesse pretend I to leaue their faultes vnpunished specially such as by offensiue crime the common peace is molested wherein my desire is that my people doe liue For which purpose God hath constituted Princes Potestates as shepheards and guids of his 〈◊〉 to the end that the 〈◊〉 fury of the vitious might not destroy deuoure and scatter the impotent 〈◊〉 of no valoure if it be forsaken and left forlorne by the mighty armes of Principalities and Monarchies A singuler modesty doubtlesse and an incredible example of clemency in him whome his Citizens thought to be a Tyrant and vniust vsurper of a frée Seigniorie who so priuely and with such familiaritie as the friend could wishe of his companion hearkened to the cause of a poore Countrey man and moreouer his modesty so great as hée would it not to be knowen what fault it was or else that the offenders should publikely be accused offering for all that to be the reuenger of the wrong done vnto the poore and the punisher of the iniurie exercised against the desolate a woork certainly worthy of a true christian Prince which establisheth kingdomes decayed conserueth those that be rendring the Prince to be beloued of God and feared of his Subiects The pore olde man seing the Duke in so good minde and that accordingly hée demaunded to knowe the wrong done vnto him the name of the factor and that also hée had promysed hym his helpe ryghtfull correction due vnto the deserued fault the good olde man I say conceiuing courage recited from point to point the whole discourse of the rape and the violence done vpon his poore vertuous daughter 〈◊〉 claring besides the name and surname of those which accompanied the Gentleman the author of that conspiracy who as we haue already sayd was one that was in greatest fauor with the Duke who not withstanding the loue that he bare to the accused hearing the vnworthinesse of a déede so execrable said As God liueth this is a detestable facte and well deserueth a sharp and cruell punishment Not withstanding 〈◊〉 take good héede that you doe not mistake the same by accusing one for an other for the Gentleman whome thou haste named to be the rauisher of thy daughter is of all men déemed to be very honest and doe well assure thée that if I finde thée a lyer thy heade shall answer for example to eche false accuser and slaunderer in time to come But if the matter be so true as thou hast sayd I promise thée by the faith I beare to God so well to redresse thy wrong as thou shalt haue cause to be throughly satisfied with my iustice To whome the good old man thus answered My Lord the matter is so true as at this day he kéepeth my daughter like a cōmon strumpet in his house And if it please your highnesse to send thither you shall know that I doe vse no false accusation or lying wordes before you my Lord and Prince in presence of whome as before the minister and lieuetenant of God man ought not to speake but truely and religiously Sith it is so sayd the Duke get thée home to thy house where God willing I will be this day at dinner but take hede vpon thy life thou say nothing to any man what so euer it be for the rest let me alone I will prouide according to reason The good man almost so glad for his good exploit as the day before hée was sorowfull for his losse ioyfully went home to his homely house Countrey cabaue which he 〈◊〉 to be made ready so well as hée could attending the comming of his deliuerer succor support and iudge who when he had heard seruice commaūded his horsse to be sadled for sayd he I heare say there is a wilde Boare haunting hereby so wel lodged as is possible to sée we will goe thither to wake him from his sléepe ease and vse that passe time til dinner be redy So departing frō Florence he rode straight vnto that Mil where his dinner was made ready by his seruauntes There he dined very soberly and vsing fewe wordes vnto his companie sate still all pensiue musing vpon that he had to doe For on the one side the grauitie of that 〈◊〉 moued him rigorously to chastise him which had committed the sante with all crueltie and insolencie On the other side the loue which he bare him mollifying his heart made him change his minde and to moderate his sentence The Princes minde thus wandering betwéene loue and rigor one brought him worde that the Dogs had rousde the great est Hart that euer he sawe which newes pleased him very much for by that meanes he sent away the multitude of his Gentlemen to follow that chase retaining with him his most familiar friends and those that were of his priuy and secrete councell whome he would to be witnesses of that which he intended to doe and causing his hoast to come before him he sayd My friend thou must bring vs to the place wherof this morning thou toldest me that I may discharge my promise The Courtiers wōdred at those words ignorant wherunto that same were spoken but the good man whose heart lept for ioy as already féeling some great benefit at hand and honour prepared for the beautifying of his house séeing the Duke on horsse backe ran bisides him in steade of his Lackey with whome the Prince helde much pleasant talke all along the way as they went togither 〈◊〉 they had