congratulate the happie mariage betwéene him and the faire Princesse Eglantine as their Countries and kingdomes did afford Some presented him with stately coursers and Iennets of seruice some with ships of huge and mightie burthen some with Pearles and Iuels of inestimable valure And to be short euery one though at first his foe and vtter enemie yet in fine veiwing his maiesticall and princely corage became his true and faithful fréends estéeming him worthy of greater honor then either their personages presents or the obtaining of the beautifull Quéene of Tormaday could afford And on the next morning the beautifull Quéene was royally led to and from the Church where she was espoused to Blanchardine by two Kings Sadony and the king of Frize and the same day crowned King and Quéene of Tormaday to the excéeding comfort of all their subiectes and friendes After their returne from the Church to the Court they were feasted withall possible chéere that could bee deuised and after dinner the Trumpets sounded to the Iustes and tiltings vntill supper And after supper maskes playes and Princely deuises spent the time till they went to bed On the morrow the feast began a fresh and continued for the space of twentie daies After all which arroyalties were finyshed by the commandement of Blanchardine was Subyon and all his accomplices brought to execution now the newes being caried with the swift wings of fame into Frizeland the Lords of Frize repaired to Tormaday to accompany home their aged King and to congratulate this happy marriage of Blanchardine and his new Quéene After the aged King of Frize Father to Blanchardine had séene the espousalls of this beautifull Quéene and his noble Sonne being decrepit stiffe with age hauing liued to fourscore and vpward vnto whome although his late enlargement from captiuitie and this new come ioy of his déere sonne Blanchardine being now married to the beautifull Quéene of Tormaday bred delight Yet through debillitie of nature which was sore inféebled by his hard imprisonment he was surprised with an vncoth malladie and extreame contagion of dangerous sicknes in the which he had not long remained but in the view of all life began to vade and death approche And more to hasten on deathes spéedy pace to this sencles olde man the nobles of Frizeland hauing receiued sure and certaine inteligence from Tormaday of the life and fréedome of their King at that time there and the princely mariage which now was fully concluded betwéene his successiue heire their naturall leige Blanchardine with the renouned Lady and Quéene of Tormaday they came thither at whose approche this fainting olde man hoping to receiue glad tidings from his aged wife the Quéene of Frize began with chéerefull countenance to lift himselfe vp in his bed as though no kinde of deadly malladie or aged griefe had attainted his withered limbes But wheÌ„ he had a while listened to the swéet harmonie of their sugred speach which presaged no kind of disaster but all pleasure and sollace that might be at the length he demaunded of the welfare of the aged Queene his wife vnto whome reply being made that long time since vpon the vnfortunate report and tragicall tidings of his captiuitie by Darius sonne to the Pagan king Alimodes shee fell sicke and died hee listening to this impittious tale fell as one distraught into a sound But comming to himselfe powred forth these spéeches the true testimonies of his faithfull loue and is she gon the comfort 〈◊〉 â—…y youth the staffe of my age the day of my night the sonâ—… of my blisse the sollace of my soule and the life of my death Ah to â—…o well I suspected though alas I knew not the certentie that my captiuitie would bring her callamity and my imprisonment her death But since all humane flesh is mortall and nothing vnder the Sunne permanent what auailes my sorrowful groâ—…es and passions to weake alas to recall her againe or any way to remedie my misfortune with these or the like exclaimes thâ—…s silly aged King panting betweene life and death lay still a while till finding his heart ouer charged with an other passion he prosecuted his first complaint O sacred Ioue searcher of al secret thoughts whose eternall dietie raigneth within the highest heauens who from my cradle hast destined me to perpetuall miserie now shew thy selfe a righteous iudge and reuenge my wrongs vppon the accursed broode of infidels who so irreligiously prophane thy blessed name suffer them not to escape thy reuenging powre but at thy pleasure consume and confound the workers of this my woe and now dissolue my daies and weary life leade me through th' unknowne passages to my deere and sweetest wife that though our daies on earth did finde small coÌ„fort yet our soules in heauen may finde consolation And with this orizon he yeilded himself to God and died WheÌ„ the brute of this heauie tidinges came to the eares of Blanchardine and his faire Quéene although they swinne before in the hauen of happines and floted on the floodes of al felicitie as they thought yet in that very instant and moment of time a cloudie mist began to obscure their brightest sonshine and a frost of cares to ouer runne their summers blisse Now began Blanchardine to accuse and condemne himselfe of vnnaturall ingratitude and disobedience to his parentes to whome both nature and dutie bound him to bee submissiue and kind now he begâ—…n to maligne the time the place and the cause of his departure and priuie escape from his fathers Court. But all in vaine for as teares praiers nor vowes can recall the dead so had I wist and time abused and mispent is in vaine to be desâ—…red And yet quoth he how vnnaturall was I to forsake them whome nature charged me to loue and obey now I may iustlie accuse my self of the murther of these my louing parents alas I cannot excuse my selfe neither can I plead ignoraunce that I knew not that my departure would be the finishing of my parentes ioyes and cause of their death which now to my open shame I finde most true And should I nay could I suffer my selfe to be led and carried away with such vaine fantasies as leaue them comfortles to whome I was the greatest comfort Die Blanchardine die and the rather die that art the cause of thy parents death alas to kill a man is hainous murder but to murder my parentes a sinne against Sanctitie all creatures haue â—…are to foster those that gaue them life and I careles in killing my father The Storke when he séeth his sire olde ready to die with famine taketh him vpon his shoulders and féedeth him by his trauaile But I instéede of féeding haue famisht and in place of trauelling haue traiterously ouerthrowne my parents The Lordes of Tormaday seeing this soddaine and vnexpected chaunce of the death of the aged King the heauie plight of Blanchardine and his beautifull Quéene humbly on their â—…nées began to
led him I wil make mention what pittifull complaintes were made in the Court after his departure for his absence Chap. 4. The pittifull complantes made in the Court for the absence of Blanchardine AFter the silent night had taken her pitchie Car to runne to our Antipodes Phoebus being mounted on his glorious coatch entred the Horizon the Groomes according to custome comming into the stable and missing the Kings Courser ran heer and there making most pittiful acclamations which being suddainly brought to the eares of the King the whole Courte grew in an vâ—…rore what might betide of him till being farther enfourmed that his sonne Blanchardine was no wher to be found present scoutes postes were sundry waies dispatched to make inquirie after him but all in vaine for Blanchardine being wel mounted rode so fast that before day he had gone abooue twentie miles from his Fathers Court The Messengers desperate of his inquest in all places of their returne gaue straight charge to the inhabitants that diligent search should forthwith be made throughout the Realme of Frize for Blanchardine and hee that could bring first tidings of him to the Court should be most amply rewarded for his paines But when a moneth was past and no tidings brought to the King of his sonne Oh the pittie full outcries and continuall laments that both the King the Queene and all the Court made was farre eâ—…ceeding my capacitie to conceiue much more my pen to write But the Queene whose tender care of her only sonne was greater then the rest vpon the prâ—…sent returne of the postes sounded with greif and remaining in this extaâ—…e the â—…ace of an houre at length comming to her self beganne her exclaimes in â—…his 〈◊〉 Oh vngentle heauens by whose mightie 〈◊〉 all terrestiall things are gouerned what disasters doe you coÌ„tinually â—…ap vpon our heads oh accursed nature that thus vnnaturallye thou shouldest bâ—…reaue mee of the ioy of my soule when my only sâ—…lace rested in the happie sight of my 〈◊〉 and thou accursed earth why hast thou giuen him leaue to walke on thee from the sight of his Parents whose solace is turnd to sadnes whose mirth to mourning whose blisse to bale whose happines to heauines whose life to dismall death But ah fond Woman what boote these bootelesse teares these vncoth passions and tragicall complaints when there rests no hope of 〈◊〉 In these and such like extreames the King the Queene and all the Court did spend great part of their time and in these agonâ—…es I will leaue them to recount whâ—…t the aduenture of 〈◊〉 was Chap. 5. How Blanchardine hauing rode all night â—…ound an armed Knight sore wounded lying on the ground c. BLanchardine hauing rode all the night and finding both him selfe and his horse begin to be wearie and not any aduenture woorthy recounting 〈◊〉 tho rough a large forrest by many bye paths for feare of espialls chaunced at last to finde a man armed lying groueling on the gâ—…ound all 〈◊〉 in his owne gore being by a knight moste 〈◊〉 encountred who not only had be mangled his limbes but also bereft him of his looue and Mistresse which he had carried away perforce when Blanchardine beheld this moste heauie spectacle alighting from his horse comforting the dismaid knight holpe to binde vp his bleeding wounds withall inquiring of him y e cause of his mishap the man that so inhumain like had left him in this distresse hee answered braue young Lord I trauelling along these plaines tending my 〈◊〉 â—…o my house distant from hence not past two leagues was on the suddain encountred by a vilain who not only hath left me mangled and wounded as you see but also hath caried by force from me my wife whose absence will be the preseÌ„t cause of my death and whose daunger brings greater sorrow to my heart then all these woundes which I endure Why quoth Blanchardine how long since departed hee hence and left you thus distressed the wounded Knight replyed scarce half an houre agoe he tooke his way towards yonder wood and caried my looue with him then replyed Blanchardine I neuer yet vntil this day haue vndertaken armes but let mée request you to honor me with the order of knight-hood and I will pawne my life to dye or to recouer againe your looue Then said the wounded man I will not only make you knight but withall if you please arme you with this my armour and launce that shall adde more strength to your courage and besides I will â—…rorate the Gods to send you all happines not only in this but in all other your honorable attemptes Sir quoth Blanchardine I thinke me sufficiently honored by this your offer therefore disarme your selfe speedily that he may not be past recouerie before I ouertake him So the wounded Knight armed him and invested him with the order of Knighthood when Blanchardine saw himselfe thus arraied his youthly courage prickt him on who taking his horse mounted the Saddle wher brauely managing him vpon the plaine to proue how well he could rule his Launce found himselfe as he thought fit for this enterprize And so with valiant câ—…rage and cheerefull countenance hée tooke his leaue of the 〈◊〉 Knight and posted after the other that had carried away his wife He had not ridden long but he perceiued the tracktes footsteps of a horse that had lately gon that way and following those steps with a spéedy pace he heard the pittifull complaint that a Lady made to appease the raging lust of a villaine who sought perforce to rauish her whom presently hée found hid vnder the shadow of a leafye trée beating y e poore distressed Lady the wife of the wounded knight to whom making spéedy approch vassail quoth he desist from this cruell and damnable enterprize for I sweare by heauen I will make thée repent this absurd vilany The Knight seeing Blanchardine to be young greatly gréeued for his sodaine approch made semblance of much wrath but Blanchardine with austere countenance Princely voice commaunded him presently to frée the Lady whom most wrongfully he had caried away from her husband whom hee left almost ready to yéeld vp the ghost The knight disdaining to be so vpbraid by so yong a knight bestirred himselfe presently and made him ready to the fight But withall commaunded Blanchardine to desist from his enterprize and leaue him to his pleasure or if not it should cost him his life Blanchardine not able to endure these cruell menaces willed him to addresse him to the combat quickly or he would send him body and soule to hell wherevpon hee furnished himselfe to the fight The combate betweene Blanchardine and the Knight THese braue caualiers being mounted encountred ech other with such agility that their speares shiuered in the ayre each of them admiring the valure of his foe and finding their launces broken they betooke them selues to their swords long remained the fight doubtfull till Blanchardine remembring
his armes seizing vpon her rosial lips with a swéete kisse had a little reuiued her then comming to her selfe shee woulde faine haue spoken but yet was tung-tide onely suffering her eyes to bée the true messengers of her thought But Blanchardine breaking silence began in this manner Most bewtifull Quéene and my redoubted loue and mistres as health doth bring most sollace to the sicke libertie to the prisoner and foode to the hungry so doth your Angelicall presence reuiue mée who euen now the extremitie of sorrow had almost confounded The Sunshine of my blisse was turned to a cloudie fogge my mirth to mone my sollace to sadnes and my day to night in loosing the man whome heauen adores whome earth admires and men doe reuerence O that the dismall day had bin obscured when first this hellish Tirant Alimodes bent his bloody forces against this royall Towne wherein although he hath acquired small aduantage yet hath subdued his Conquerer in surprising that most heroick Prince Sadony whome nowhe leadeth prisoner to Cassidony but what auailes sorrowe where sadnes cannot helpe and though I now enioy your companye which is a heauen vnto my soule and a paradice vnto my mind yet since the cause was mine the quarrell mine and he himself was mine with what honor or iust excuse can or may I suffer him to endure imprisonment and liue my selfe free and out of bondage pardon me O gracious Quéene and with your pardon ioyntly giue me leaue to recouer him again without whom neither may my hart receiue content neither my soule comfort and the time shall not be long vntill I make my speedy returne to visite you whom aliue aboue all wights I honor and whome after death I vowe as my cheefest saint to adore When the proude Lady in loue faire Eglantine had till this instant remained as it were in a traunce yet listened to this sad and heauy discourse of Blanchardine where at the first a wan and pale hew had wholy possessed her amiable face by reason of her inward passions now the orient vermillion spreading on her cheekes stroue as it were with the Rose and Lillie for superiority in the perfection of colour she calling her sences together made this reply Ah poore and distressed Quéene how often in my greatest mishaps was I wont to alledge against fortune when she threatned vtterly to depriue me of honor liuing renowne yea life and all that none of al that was mine claiming onely a property in thy loue and loyaltie O noble Knight Blanchardine not caring to forgoe the whole worlde so I might enioy thée whome I thought that neither alteration of time distance of place mutation of manners change of estate no nor any thing whatsoeuer which either hell or fortune might procure could once haue seperated and withdrawne from me hauing now such liberty and freedome to stay but seeing that my expectation failes me and that I striue against the streame and east stones against the winde in reconciling you and opposing my selfe against fortune who long since hath vowed my vtter ruine ah too true I finde that the constellation of my starres with the calculation of my natiuitie haue still alotted me with Ixion to be rolled on the tormenting whéele dayly to turne the stone with Sisiphus and for euer to fill the bottomlesse tubs with the daughters of Belus the ashes of the olde Phenix ingender a new and with me the end of one sorrowe is the beginning of another if fortune looke on me she lowreth if she turne her face she threatneth if she but remember me she is enraged and if she smile she meaneth naught but deceit and slatterye And yet how can I so vehemently exclaime against fortune hath she not rescued me from the Pagans tirannies hath she not preserued my swéete Blanchardine from shipwrack imprisonment and death hath she not giuen me the conquest and ouerthrow of my enemies Alas she hath but so soone to depriue me of thy swéet company augmenteth my gréefes a thousand times more then these haue exhillerated me with pleasure yet since there is no remedy and that you needes will wend from hence to hazard your life and people in rescuing him whome I thinke they haue already put to death and leaue me to whom your absence will bring a discontentment worse then death goe Blanchardine goe and in your absence I will mourne wéepe and wring my hands but withall neuer cease to entreate the Gods for your speedy returne and yet before you goe let vs congratulate our selues as well as we may and so short a time will permit and after you haue put on the Princely Diadem of Tormaday and establisht all things according to your grauety and wisedome thē I say may you at your pleasure departe and leaue me héere to bewaile my hard misfortune Thus this poore passionate Quéene sometime with sighes sometime with teares solicited him to stay but his brotherly care of Sadony farre exceeded the Quéenes perswasions So pacing louingly with her into the Cittie which he found most sumptuouslye adorned against his comming he sported with his fayre Quéene a day or two till his shipping was in a readines and then with a warlike company of braue Caualiers he bent his course after the Pagan Alimodes and his miscreant company but before he ascended the Ship he in presence of the Queene and her Lords called vnto him a man whome as he thought was highest in the Princes fauour but yet of base and meane parentage onely aduanced to honor by the late deceased King of Tormaday Father to the Quéene whose aduice and councel he continually vsed before al the Lords of his kingdome his name was Subbyon whose pride and haughtye minde procured him much hatred among y e nobles but by reason of his offices which he helde vnder the Quéene by the appointment of her father the common and baser sorte of people more for feare then loue did reuerence whome Blanchardine by reason of his short abode chose rather by his eye then by experience to be vicegerent of the Cittie and kingdome till his returne this hee did as hee thought to please the Quéene appointed a hundreth knightes daily to attend his person and commaund When Blanchardine had disposed as ha thought all things according to the Quéenes desire after millions of kisses and sweet imbracements of the faire Eglantine with wéeping teares hee departed towardes his ships Then the aged king of Frize father to Blanchardine séeing the pitifull complaints of the Quéene recomforted her as well as he could promising after the obtaining of their enterprize to bring againe withall spéed his sonne vnto her Ah God graunt answered the Quéene that all thinges sort vnto your wils for in your absence is my death and in your presence is my ioy Then the King of Frize and all the rest went aboord their ships the ankers were halled the sayles were hoised and foorth they launcht into the déep where after a daies saile they