The first part of the nature of a Woman Fitly described in a Florentine Historie Composed by C. M. LONDON Printed by Valentine Simmes for Clement Knight and are to be sold at his shop at the little North doore of Paules 1596 To my very good friend Maister T. A. Gentleman of the middle Temple SIR the Authour of this Booke willing to shrowde his vnperfect worke vnder the couert of some suche well minded Gentleman that might defend it from the greedy gripe of such bolde-faced bussards as commonly vse to prey vpon the workes of yong wits and of himselfe altogether vnprouided for that purpose hath entreated mee to make some meanes for his helpe herein at whose instant request I haue presumed to commit to your selfe this vnperfect worke which please it you but to accept in part of payment for that debt of duetie wherein I stand bound vnto you it shal incourage me when his idle houres shall better furnish some more substantiall subiect to pleasure you with that who now am bolde to presume vppon your patience with this I cease being I am that I am and while lliue wil liue to loue you Yours in all loue C. K. The life and death of the old Duke The first Chapter BEfore the many spacious parts of the wide Romaine Empire had subiected themselues to the gouernement of one principall head there liued in those parts of Italy which nowe men call Florence a Duke named Radulpho one whom nature had beautified in euerie externall part of the bodie and wisdome adorned with all internall gifts of the mind who from the first spring of his happy birth to the ripe yeares of his hopefull age so effectually prospered as that hee liued no lesse renowmed for his worthie atchieuements abroade then admired for his wise gouernment at home being generally for them both accounted the principall Péere that then that part of the world did affoord So that as from the heart the beginning of life proceedeth vigore to euerie seuerall organ of the bodie so from him as the fountaine of matchlesse honour dayly issued such Christal streams of magnanimous behauiour towards his foes and courteous humanitie to his friends as made him the wonder of that worlde being then but newly reduced from the barbarous behauiour of the sauage Satires to the ciuil gouernement of obedient subiects This blessed prince in the prime of his prosperous yeares chose to wife a Ladie of his owne Countrie called Dorabella a woman as vertuous as beauteous and as plentiously replenished with commendable behauiour as gloriously adorned with matchlesse feature so that it might bée iudged howe gods and nature had in these two onely excéeded themselues in affoording none whose loue might counteruail the matchlesse liniaments of that more then earthly creature he onely excepted nor any beautie of such power as to conquer his maiden affections if she to that purpose had not especially béene selected Many sunshine dayes full of blessings ouer their heads and euerie yeare séemed to excéed another in heaping still renuing pleasures into their plentifull lappes walling them rounde about with impregnable felicitie that they might proudlie oppose themselues against the hardest brunts of Fortunes extremitie Amongest all which fauours one especially not the least though almost the last was this that at one birth this worthie dutches brought into the worlde two male twins the right patrons of their royal parents whose comming was not a little welcom to the secure inhabitants of that very wel gouerned Dukedome In that heauens and their happie starres had so effectually aunswered their longing hopes in the issue of those louing princes These ioyfull parents carefully foreseeing that their forwarde children might answere their toward growth in commendable qualities fitting such royall pesonages thought it most conuenient when the stealing houres of euer running time had made them able to conceiue the principals of learning and knowledge to prouide for them such men of skill as well in good letters as arts and sciences as also fit directers as might tutor their tender yeares in the timely practise of such worthy exercises as are best in estéeme with men of so high estate which done they spent the proces of their pleasant dayes fauoured of gods and beloued of men blessing that golden age wherein they liued for that no former dayes had felt so fauourale aspects of smiling heauens to eternish their memorie through all succéeding posterities vntill the date of their smiling dayes gan to growe out and the forerunners of ensuing death gins to admonish them of the spéedie ende of their so pleasant life Whenas now the olde king spending those pleasant hours in melancholy contemplation as best fitting the humour of gray heades which he was wonted to ouerpasse in delightsom contentation fitly agréeing with the vnripened thoughts of yong wits calles to his drowping minde the fickle estate of this worldly felicity of which men perswade themselues there is no certaintie but this that is vncertaine soone sprowting like a summers flower after the spring dew of a pleasant morning prowdly spreading the swéet leaues to the warme beams of the comfortable Sunne and when the heate of one day is ouerworne faintly decayes and blots the former shew as though it had neuer béene borne alluding his former life to the pleasant trauaile of a waifaring man that hauing ouerpassed a great deale of the day wandering in a pleasant dale at last must worke vp his way to the hie top of a wearie hil from whose height he may againe looke at the ouercome pleasures of his forenoones iourney And thus sighing to himselfe often recites in his aged memorie the pleasant daies of his youthful iolitie the very thought whereof had bin sufficient to haue drowned himselfe in a gulfe of sorrow had not his liuely picture perfectly pourtrayed in the youthful behauiour of his yong sonnes perswaded him that part of his soule was diuided into their bodies And thus feeding his olde conceit with the hope of his forward children he so pleasantly spent the painful daies of his vnpleasant age in the verie remembrance of his succéeding heires as though himselfe had shaken off the siluer cognisance of vnweldy age and felt againe the warme springing bloud of aduenterous youth til after the reuolution of many yéeres as euery beginning of necessitie hath his end euery day by course his night and euery spring by kinde his fal of leafe so attendant vppon his life was the all ending time of too timely death whose approch prefigured by many infallible tokens makes him wisely and warily prouide against his vncertaine comming lest at vnawares he might be sodainely taken in his secure liuing And as the first and greatest care that troubled his wearie minde he calles before him his two sonnes the pillers that were after to support the heauie burden of the good gouernement of that common wealth which yet lay vpon his own shoulders who comming to the bed side where their father lay performing
now in the bosome of al earthes blessings to become fellow mourners with her in these manie miseries she thus wrought meanes to effect her long framing forme These two princes in the beginning of their peaceful raigne had for their diuersity of delight about some two or thrée mile from the Citie planted a faire vineyard where for their disport themselues in the pleasant time of al pleasing Summer would oftentimes resort There besides the pleasant shades of broade leaued Vines laden with the heauie burdens of cluster bending Grapes the apish imitating workemen chosen from the chiefest partes of al that countrey had cunningly drawne in the many searching streames of neare adioyning riuers bounding each other in their crickling armes whose gliding currants ful fraught with many sorts of siluer coloured fishes and bankes bordered with al sortes of fruitful flourishing trées plains peopled with the curious work of mutating art as the luckelesse loue of learned Apollo compassing within the circle of his art framed armes the transformed substance of his déerest Daphne curiously out of a laurel bush By that on the side of a pleasant hil vnder the couert of an artificial rocke stands trembling Acteon viewing y e wel fashioned bodies of many naked nymphs whose liuely portrature shadowed vnder the transparant substance of the siluer coloured streame affright the wanton fishes at the sodaine sight Manie curious conceits as forrests of wilde beasts framed out of the big bushes timerous hares prosecuted with the spéedie course of wel fashioned greyhounds cut out of the swéete plants of still springing rosemarie that shaken with the cold breath of a swéet southerne blast beguile the dazeling eies of the stedfast beholder as though the fast rooted trées liuelily folowed the artificiall frames with their resembling forces there vpon Hebars swift streames swimmes Orpheus mourning harpe whose siluer strings softly touched with the easie stroke of the cunning conueyed water with manie tragicke strokes bewailes the vnfortuuate acte of her masters end manie curious arbours framed of the diuerse sorts of euer springing plants cuninglie ioyned and closely couered with their broad shady leaues and fresh blown buds whose ground richly spread with the faire wrought tapistrie of many swéete flowers might rauish y e vnacquainted senses of anie mortal beholder besides the seuerall musickes of sundry birdes seated vpon the tender sprayes that ouerspreades these heauenly houses in this earthly paradise whose skill excéeding the artificiall forme of swéete tuned strings féedeth the louing desire with continuall delight thither This wilie woman though enuying at anothers end yet vnder colour of recreation and desire of fresh aire perswaded her husband and his brother with all their trains to resort who as glad to satisfie hir plesant séeming conceit which not long ago had sustained the hard brunt of fel misfortune as also to driue away such melancholy matter as yet troubled all their moodie mindes soone assented to her desire where when they came she had foreappointed many seuerall kindes of sundry delights to draw away the earnest affection of their more serious affaires as at their first entrance stoode a sauage satyre trimmed vp in the broade leaues of an oake branch whose fierce countenance artificially framed as though he had meant to affright their sodaine approach naturally counterfeited what their Art had coloured and thus boldly beginnes to entertaine their first entrance Faire colored frames of fortunes better sort Whom Apish art hath deckt with others plumes Drawen with delight dainties to resort Vnto this sweete balmed aier with earths perfumes Where nature formed in fashion of these springs Braues colouring skill in richest courts of kings How may the hope of countries power content Feede the selfe pleasing soules of clownish swaines When ciuill kings leaues citties meriments To solace them vpon the pleasant plaines Where the greene beautie of the fading grasse Presents their shades as through transparent glasse That when they looke their inward soules may see Their bodies borne of earth as well as we And when the course of nature cuttes the threed Of this times seruant soone decaying state Then kings and base borne beggar being dead Princes and pesants prized at one rate Where by succeeding ages shal be found Al bodies buried in one selfe same ground Whose dust decayed bodies wanting breath Telles the sure sentence of impartiall death Thus as this discontented resembling sauage was about to extend the vaine of his satyricall verse the company as it should séeme not affecting that melancholie methode departed And iournying further into the pleasant walks of that flourishing field at the turning corner of a musicke murmuring spring were sodainely encountered with a troupe of Trytons finely flourishing in their siluer sounding trumpets till the master Neptune was behinde them egerly inticing strongly strugling with faire Andromeda vppon the sencelesse side of a ruthles rocke From this they were conueyed into a spatious Arbour scituate in the midst of many shady trées whose sheltering boughes serued as a couering curtaine to kéepe away the parching heate of the summers sunne then at his highest meridionall zenith where was a curious table richly spred and fully furnished with all manner of seuerall seruices where after they were orderly placed had somewhat satisfied their hungrie appetites sodainely they were presented with the natural shew of nine almost naked virgins representing the nine Muses who decently placed vpon the swéete side of a flowerie banke gan tune their solemne instruments vnto the swéete straines of their angelicall voices amongst whome a goodly faire creature whose more than earthly semblance containing in her faire countenance more carnation coloured beautie than graced all the goddesses in the vale of Ida when they prowdly apparelled set foorth the richest formes of their inticing faces whose golden tresses curled in cunning knottes dangling downe her cherrie-stained chéekes wauing abroade with the swéete blast of the mildely moouing aire séeming cunningly to kisse her vermillian countenance whose maiesticall moouing lookes forcibly drew all the idle eies of that present assembly to wonder at that so welframed beauty til she with hir fingers the delightful organs of al ruling fancie swéetely ginnes strike the trembling strings of an iuorie lute and ecchoing with her angelicall voice to the siluer sound of her wel tuned instrument sung this following Ditie The soone inticed Graecian Dame Whose lustfull loue with Priams ioy Kindled the fire where grew the flame That after burnt faire blooming Troy When brine-salt teares had burnt away That pleasant baite of sweete delight Which made the youthfull prince assay To steale her from her husbands sight Looking within a mirrours view Vpon her withered wrinckling skinne Then all too late gins to renew The sorrow for her former sinne And sending out as many showers Of teares that swiftly trickled downe As would haue quenched the flaming towers Which lighted Pirrhus to the towne That night when Troy was ouerturned And Graecians swanne in Troians gore When Ilions buildings all were burned
such dutie as naturally belongeth to parents from the children and sorrowful to beholde their old father labouring so earnestly with the wearie assaults of neuer tired death swelling sorrowe plentifully flowes out at the christall condites of their starre like eies in pearle-like droppes of brinie salt teares Which when their old sire beheld giuing charge to some of his attendants there by to set him vp in his bed for by this had the bloody conflicts of al deuoring death almost druncke vppe al the moisture of his sometimes wel moistned members and vsing some perswasions to his gréeuing sonnes to desist from their wéeping he thus beginnes to dispose of his earthly riches Since quoth he the common course of continuall yéeres in the flourishing and fading fruits of our mother Earth daily decipher to our therfore gréeuing thoughts the vnconstant state of our here abode may sufficiently perswade and induce you to conceiue the occasion that hath brought me your old father to be a weake souldior as here you sée in the lists of death who haue past the spring of my growth the summer of my flourishing the Autumne of my fading must nowe like a dried leafe fal in the comfortlesse bosome of colde killing winter at whose end you must beginne whose death must be your life and whose fal the step wherein you must tread to arise then take truce a while with the vnbrideled course of nature and learne with patience to loose that which care can not kéepe your many teares may occasion some hurt to you but were they more then they are they could not al help me when this conquering captaine vnder whose cruel hand lieth vanquished your sometimes vanquishing father prowdly triumphed in the treble victorie of your woorthie grandsire to whome my selfe was sole heire he though rich yet left me poore and though I succéeded in the possession of much wealth yet was I then but slenderly stored with wisedome so that what he had carefully got I at the first as carelesly spent til the experience of some few yéeres though it were somewhat long yet was it not too late enriched me with the one as he had stored me with the other both which I leaue more amply to you then I did plentifully receiue them of him Then taking in hand his crowne this heauen quoth hée which I like Atlas haue long supported must I nowe lay vpon your shoulders and on you two disloade this heauie burthen which hath so long béene onely borne by me Breake it I may not in twaine whose golden circle closeth so manie in one containing the welfare of as many people within this ring as the Atlantike sea compasses in her gréedie armes Diuision brings foorth discord discord confusion confusion desolation which woful end to preuēt by a good beginning I haue thus contriued Twins you are both and therfore in birth equal Thou quoth hee Perseus to his eldest son art a scholler richly adorned with the great gift of godlike learning and therefore mightest chalenge a prerogatiue aboue thy brother but that Theseus speaking then to his yongest sonne hath as farre excéeded thée in the practise of a souldiour as thou him in the profession of a scholler so that being ioyned togither you would make one perfect man but seuered are two maimed members It is reported of the Pelican that with her owne blood she reuiued her dead yong and so I though wanting blood to recall you from the dead pleasures of yoong secure delights yet shal my latest breath counsel you to the careful desire of vertuous déedes The Rauen so long as shée is able to prouide meate for her yong wil neuer let them flie from her sight and so fares it with me willing stil to enioy your desired companies as long as I might but sith I am now too weake to swim against so great a currant as is this sea of death that drowneth in eternall obliuion whatsoeuer the worlde hath brought forth since her first creation I must here vrged of necessitie leaue that which willingly I would prolong And therefore in a word I bequeath to you this crown and kingdom which your forefathers for many yéeres haue royally vpholden be as one soule in two bodies two men but one minde two hands gouerned by one head Let thy wit direct his weapon and his weapon defend thy wit There is a roote in Libia that beareth two bulkes which as long as they cleaue together prosperously flourish but being seuered they soone fade Great streames that forcibly breake forth of the bowels of mighty mountains kéeping their course togither within compas of two banks forcibly preuaile against al oppositions but being separated their force decreases and themselues in the end decay There are two friendly fishes alwayes kéeping companie together opposing themselues against the mightiest monsters that the sea affoords but when by any sinister occasion they are separated then are they easily ouercome by smaller creatures then themselues Be not proud least you be hated nor too humble for then will you be dispised heare the complaints of the poore and then shall you be beloued and punish the misdéedes of the wicked and so shall you be feared Surfet not with drinking much wine for that will bréed follie nor accompanie with many women for thence comes all iniquitie Vse your sports in measure and deferre not your weightie affaires for the loue of vaine pleasure Do iustice with all sinceritie and let not your punishment taste too much of seueritie Take héede of the crie of Orphans for that ascends to heauen and procureth speedie vengeance and incurre not the curse of widowes for that weyes downe to hell from whence there is no redemption Well could I wish that my now decaying breath were not so sore vrged by impartiall death to leaue this concaue castell of my panting breast that I might more enrich you with that good whereof you shall haue farre more néede then of much golde but what heauen prouides cannot by vs be preuented and therefore must I leaue you to your fortunes which proue as prosperously as your father wisheth it heartily And so kissing both his sonnes and making some signes still of more matter when his weake tong had denied any more to performe his office and shortly after turning his face to the wall ended his dayes The mutual succession of his sonnes in his Dukedome The second Chapter AFter whose death his sonnes carefully prouides to order all things in the best order for the adorning of their fathers funeral All which done the funerall rites solemnised and euerie thing fully brought to ende all which after they according to the solemne custome of their ciuil country sumptuously had performed they took order for their coronation which was also in euery part effectually discharged as they had orderly deuised so that now it rested for them ioyntly to goe forwarde in the peaceable gouernement of that quiet common wealth which their deceased father had left vnto their