the deth of Laureola the whiche I will shewe she hathe deseâ—uyd by iust causes determyned acordyng to honour and iustice and yf her errour shulde be lefte vnpunnisshed I shulde then be no lesse culpable then Lereano As tochyng my dishonour and shame yf it were publisshed that I shulde perdone such a case of my neigbours I shuld be dispraised and of myne owne subgettes disobeyed and of euery man smally eâ—â—â—ed And also I might well be accused y t I haue euil conserued the generosite of my predecessours And this faulte myght be so far exstemed that it might spotte defowle the fame of myne auncettours passed blemysh y e honour of them that be present and steyne y e blud of them that be to come for one spotte in our lignage myght confounde all our generacion The perdonynge of Laureola shuld be cause of other great euils the whiche shulde folow by reasoÌ„ of my perdonyng wherfore I hadde rather to cause feare by reasone of my crueltie then to cause boldnes to do euil by reasone of my pitie And in my so doing I shal be estemed as a kinge ought to be by reason of doing iustice Be holde how many reasons there be that shlude lede y t she ought to haue sentence ye knowe well our lawes hath stablisshed that a woman accused in such causes shuld suffre deth and ye se well how it were better for me to be called a kyng in mynystrynge iustice then to perdone the culpable And it ought well to be noted y t in stede of consernyng the lawe if I do breke it my selfe y e whiche I ought not to do then I coÌ„demne my self The righte waye oughte equally to be kept obserued for the hart of a iuge ought not to be mouede for fauoure for loue nor couetyse nor for none other accideÌ„t folowing the right iustyce is laudable And yf it be fauourable then it is abhorred Iustice ought neuer to go oute of the ryght way syne it is cause of so moche goodnes It cansith feare to them that be euyll and it susteynyth them that be goode It pacefyeth all differences it determynyth al questions it expelith all stryues and contensions it agreith all debates it assurith the wayes it honourith the people it fauourith the small people and of base condicion it bridilith the myghty men and to the comon weale it is ryght profytable Then to conserue such a welthe and that the lawes susteynyth it It is ryght that I shuld vse iustice yf ye desire so moch the helth of Laureola and prayse so moche her goodnesse brynge forth one witnes of her innocensy as I haue .iii. to charge her then she shall be perdonyd with reasone and praysed with trouth Also where as ye say that I shulde gyue faith to the iudgemente of god aswell as to the wytnes of other men it is no meruayll thought I do not so for I se the wytnes certayne at myne eye and as for the iudgment is not yet endyd For thoughe Lereano hadde the better of the batayll we may iudge the myâ—â—es but we know not the ende I will not aunswere to al your alegasyons and sayenges bycause I wyll make no longe proces and at the ende sende you away without hope I desire moche to accept your requestes bycause of your well deseruyng therof and if I do not yet I requyre yon take it for none euyll for ye ought no lesse to desyre the honour of the father then the saluacion of his doughter ¶ The Auctor THe desperate aunswere of y e kyng was to the herers great heuynes And when I saw that this remedy was to me contâ—ary then I sought for a nother way trustyng that shulde be more profitable And y t was I thought to go to the quene that she shuld desyre the kyng for the saluacyoÌ„ of her doughter Laureola So I wente to her who was partaker of her doughters sorow And I founde her in an hall acoÌ„panyd with many noble ladyes and other who were suffycyente to haue atteygnyde theyr desyres other iuste or vniuste though the mttaer hadde ben neuer so greate yet theyr desyres ought not to haue ben refused bycause of y e auctorite of the quene who knelyd downe and spake wordes to the kyng aswel leyeng charge to hym for his ire as also wordes of pitie to apeace hym And she shewed hym the moderacyon that a kyng ought to haue and reprehendyd the perceueraÌ„ce of his ire and shewyng hym how he was a father and allegyd reasones ryght dyscrete to note and full of sorow sayng that if he wolde nedes execute his cruell iudgemente to do it rather vpoÌ„ her selfe seyeng great parte of her yeres were passyd then vppon Laureola in her yonge age aprouyng that by her owne deth the fame of the iudge shulde be sauyde and the lyfe of her that is iudgyd and the mynd of the desyrer fulfylled But the kynge styll was indurate in his fyrst purpose All the quenes rasones could not serue nor yet her bytter wepynges And therwith the quene went in to her chamber with small strength sore wepyng and as redy to dye And when I sawe that the quene could gette no grace of the kyng I went to the kyng withoute any feare of his fersâ—es and sayd how he ought to gyue his senteÌ„ce with clere iustice for Lereano shulde fynde a man to fyght agaynst all those .iii. false wytnesses orelles to do it his owne proper person and to pay them accordynge to theyr desertes and then god shall shew where the ryght is Then the kyng aunswered me that I shuld leue myne ambassade for Lereano sayeng how the heryng of his name encresyd his passyon and ire And when the quene knewe there was no remedy to saue the lyfe of Laureola She went to the prisone and kyssed her dyuerce tymes and sayde as folowith ¶ The quene to laureola O Bountie by malice accusyd O vertue by ire coÌ„demnyd O doughter borne of thy mother to sorow thou shalte dye withoute iustice and I must wepe by reason Thyne vnhappe hath more pusance to condempne the then thyn innoceÌ„cy to saue the without the I shall lyue accompanyed with doloures the whiche in thy stede thou shalt leue me Thy deth shal ende .ii. lyues the one is thyne without cause and myne by good reasone and ryght To lyue after y â— shuld be to me a sorer deth then that thou shalte receue for it is farre greatter tormente to desyre the deth then to suffre it Wolde to god thou myghtest be called the doughter of the mother y t shuld dye rather then to be she y t I shuld se dye Of euery maÌ„ thou shalte be bewailedâ— as long as the worlde endureth all that of the haue any knowledge wyll sette litle by this realme y â— whiche thou shuldest enheryte accordyng to thy desertes for all that y u art fallen in to thy fathers displeasour yet all suche as knowith the affyrmyth that
there is none in all this land that deserue thy merytes suche as be blynde desyre to se y â— the dome desyreth to speke with the the powre and y e ryche to serue y â— all the world is wel content with the y u arte be hatyd w t no creature but alonely with Persio yf I may lyue a seasone he shall receue for his demerites iuste rewarde And thouhe I haue noone other strength but to desyre his dethâ— and to be reuengyd of hym yf I coulde the euill will I bere hym shuld then soone be vtteryd yet this can not satysfye me for I can not heale the dolour of the spotte of the execucion of the vengeans O my dere doughter thy honesty hath prouyd thy vertue why doth not the king gyue more credence to thy presence then to the wytnes of thy false enemyes In thy wordes deades and thoughtes all wayes thou hast shewyd a vertuous harte Why then shulde god suffre the to dye I can fynde none other cause but by reason of my synnes that I haue coÌ„myttyd rather then for any meryt of thy ryghtwisnes I wold my deades myght be coÌ„paryd to thyne innocency Dere doughter lyfte vp thyne harte to heuyn take no sorow to leue that must nedes ende for that thyng that is permanent I assure the our lord god wyll that thou shalt suffre as a marter to thentente y t thou shalte ioye in his beatitude In me haue none other hope but that and I were worthy to go thyther as thou arte suer to go I wolde shortely bere the company Thynkyst thou not that it is a harde trouble to me to remember how many supplicacions hathe ben made to the kynge for thy lyfe and yet they can not obteyne And at this houre a sharpe knyfe may rydde and make an ende of thy lyfe and therby leue the father in faulte and the mother in sorow and the doughter withoute helthe the realme withoute an herytour O the lanterne of myne eyen I say to the these feareful wordes to the entent they shuld breke thyne harte a sonder for I hadde rather thou shuldeste dye in my power by sorow then to se the dye by iustice for though I shuld shede thy bludde yet my handes shulde not be so cruell as is the condicion of thy father O virgyne immaculate syn I can not accomplysh my desyre and that I muste deperte fro the yet receyue the dolorous laste kyssynge and blyssyng of thy sorowfull mother And thus I wyll go fro thy syght and fro thy lyfe most desyring to go fro myne owne lyfe ¶ The Auctor WHen the quene hadde endyde her wordes she wolde not abyde the aunswere of y e innocent her doughter Laureola bycause she wolde not receyue doble sorow Thus the quene and suche lordes as were in her coÌ„pany departed with the grettest lameÌ„tacions that euer was made And when she came in to her chamber she sent to Laureola a messenger aduysing her to wryte to y e kyng her father Thynkyng that he wolde take more compassion by reasone of her piteous wordes rather then by the peticious of any other that trauellyde for her liberte Who at the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t of her dolorous mother â—oke penne and inke and wrote with greater turbacioÌ„ then hope of remedy Her letter specyfyed as folowith ¶ The letter of Laureola to the kynge DEre father I vnderstande that ye haue gyuen sentence vpon me to dye and that the terme of my lyfe shal be accomplyshede within these .iii. dayes I knowe well the innocentes ought no lesse to feare theyr fortune then suche as be culpable to feare the lawe And syn it is so that my mysfortune hath brought me in to this parell that I ame in and not for any defaute that I haue done the which lyghtly ye moght know if the furour of your ire wolde suffer you to se the trouth ye are not ignorante of the vertue that the auncyante cronicles historyes manyfestith of the kynges and quenes fro whome I do procede Then why was I borne of suche a blodde that wyll byleue rather the false informasion then the bounte naturall yf it pleace you to slee me for your pleasur ye may well do it But as toching iustice ye haue no cause therto The deth that ye will gyue me though I refuce it for feare yet by reasone of obedience I do coÌ„sent therto as she that louyth better to dye vnder your obedyence rather then to lyue in your dyspleasure Howbeit I requyre you or ye determyne take good aduyse for as sure as god is true I neuer dyd thyng to deserue to suffre any payne But syr I say to you it is as coÌ„uenient the pitie of the father as the rygoure of iustice Withoute dought I desyre aswell my lyfe because it tocheth your honour so nere as I do bycause it perteyneth to my selfe for at the ende I ame your doughter Coâ—sidre syr who soeuer vsith crueltie serchith for his owne perell more surer it is to be belouyd for vsynge of pitie and clemence rather then to be fearyd by crueltie He that wyll be fearyd muste feare Cruell kynges are of euery man behatyd and suche some tyme in serchynge to be avenged losyth them felfe for theyr subgettes rather desyre trouble change of the tyme then the conseruacion of theyr astates For good people feare suche condicions in a prince and suche as be euell feare theyr cruell iustice so that therby often tymes theyr owne seruantes study to put them downeâ— and to slee them vsynge with them the same condicion of cruelte suche as they vsyd them selfe before and gaue them ensample Syr I say this bicause I desyre to susteyne your honour and your lyfe Small hope your subgettes shall haue in you so cruell against me They shall feare the same and ther by haue you in a meruelous suspecte and he that is not sure can make no suretie O how frely delyueryd fro suche occasions are those pryncesâ— whose hartes are endeued with clemencye and pitie Theyr naturall subgettes careth not to dye in theyr quarels to saue them fro perell They will wake all nyght and defendâ— them on y e day More hope and strength these benynge and pitefull kynges hâ—ue by reasone that they be belouyd oâ—f theyr people then in the strenght of the walles of theyr stronge forteresses And other wyse if the kynge be behatyd of his subgiettesâ— if he hadde nede they that come most slackest to saue hym shall haue moste thanke of the people Therfore syr regarde well what hurte and dauÌ„ger crueltie causeth and what profyt gentlenes and pitie procureth Howbeit if ye thynke the opinyon of your furour better than good counsaill and naturall prudence then vnhappy is that doughter to be borne to bryng her fathers lyfe in to coÌ„dicioÌ„ of sclaunder prouyd with suche cruell deades Thus no man shall trust in you nor ye shall trust no man for if men procure your deth ye
vnkyndnes in his lyfe without the losse of lyfe I could not rewarde hym accordyng to his desire I wyll thou know that his deth causith me to lyue alwayes dyenge now shalte thou se how moche it sorowith me and how moche he pleasyde me now thou shalt iudge what loue I bare hym and know yf I dyd well to suffer hym to dye thou knowist well that with his lyfe he myght haue wonne that by his deth he dysparyd and lost it but syn I can not now paye nor rewarde hym I shall satisfye the make the bere witnes yf I rewarde not seruice as I ought to do ¶ The auctor SHe endyd her wordes with suche heuynes that she coulde scante make an ende for sorow then she went fro me subbyng and sore wepyng wherby her tonge was sore troubelyd chaunged colour and so went in to her chamber with sore inwarde lamenâ—acioÌ„ for feare she shuld haue ben hard Then I weÌ„t to my lodgyng w t so great sorow that often tymes I was desperate of my lyfe with myne owne deth I wold haue ben reuengyd if I coulde not puttynge my selfe in dyspayre And thus beynge alone withoute pleasure aswell as with oute frendes to speke vnto for werynes I layd me downe and as though I had sene Lereano before me presente I sayd to hym as folowith ¶ The auctor to Lereano O Lereano enemye to thy adueÌ„ture and frende to thy myshape who can be cause of thy lyfe with this ambassade as I was cause of thy deth w t my message for now if thou knewyst the repentance of Laureola thou woldest change the glory celostyall for thy lyfe temporal for by thy deth thou hast lost thy desyre if thou haddest sauyd thy lyfe without doubte thou shuldest haue wonne that by thy deth thou hast lost Dyd I nat say to the when thou lay a dyenge that by thy deth thou shuldest lese all and by thy lyfe thou myghtest attayne to thy desyre O vnhappy y t I am y t I were not in y â— place where as I myght shew the all that Laureola hath sayd to me and of the thought that she takâ—th for lesynge of thy lyfe though w t the deth thou hast wonne the desire of thy will by that she shewith now thou oughtest to thynke thy deth well bestowyd great ioy I shuld recene if I knew that thou dyddeste here me and beleue mâ— for thou maist se that alonely her repentance suffy seth to pay y â— thy reward yf thou haddeste lyuyde thou shuldeste haue had no cause to haue beÌ„ in trouble now thy payne shal be withoute hope of sufferance now thou nediste not to be troubly with thy lyfe nor take no ioy of thy deth O what welth shuld it be for me if god wold suffer me to lese my lyfe to recouer thyne why doth god leue me here without the. who can lese the and lyue after wold to god that the good will that I haue in thy lyfe that thou myghtest pay me with my deth y t which I hope thou shuldest do if thou haddest as good wyll to se me as I haue desire to serue y e. Thus I wyll leue any further to trouble the. ¶ The auctors dreme THus I was so wery that I left my talkynge and as he that wyst not what he dyd I fell in a slombere and amonge other thynges I beganne to dreme wherby I had more payn then pleasure I drempt that I saw Lereano before me aparelled after this maner he had on his hedde a bonet of scarlet with a grene ryband of an euyll colour with a worde enbrowdered saieng thus hope is dead with his colour slayne by your vnkyndnes and when he came nere me I sawe he had on a shyrte wrought with blak sylke with a border of letters sayenge encreasyng my stedfastnes at the ende I found deth Also he had a doblet of yeolow saten enbrowdered with this worde my passion with my ioye satisfied in doynge that I haue done Also he had on a iaket of blake veluyt with a border of saten of the same colour and theron a wrytynge that sayd in my stedfastnes shewed is myne euyll and your trespace Also he had a gerdell of golde with letters reportynge more rather was my dethe then lyfe if ye wolde be seruyd therwith He had also a dager y â— knyues and pomell of asure w t letters sayeng ryght sore was the passion that ye gaue me and yet ye neuer repentyde it Also he had a sworde with the sheth gyrdell of sylke enbrowderyde w t this worde gyuyn to my lyfe such torment that diyng and lyuyng I was content Also his hosen one white a nother blew w t this word chastite ielus of my lyfe could not be sufferyd to serue And ouer all this he had a cappe of blacke enbrowderyd with darke tawny with a worde that sayd heuynes can not so trauayll me that it shulde chaÌ„ge my stedfastnes His slippers were enbrowdered w t smal letters that sayde myne euyls are at an ende for my seruyce and denyed me is the benyfyte And on his gloues was writen thus begynnyth and endeth the name that most deseruyth So when I had at length regarded his aparell and the stedfaste thoughtes that by lykelyhod he enduryd I behelde his face and I saw his iesture so beautefull that it semed he had neuer taken thought and with an amorous semblant After he had curtesly salutyd me with the same voyce as he was wonte to speke me thought he began to say in this maner ¶ Lereano to the auctor O Thou my true frende thou hast thought that my presence hath bene longe fro the so that I could not tell what y u dyddest nor hard what thou hast spoken thynke not so for I shall neuer be so farre fro the but that I shall alwayes be ioyned with the for though by aduenture in my lyfe I deperted fro the neuer in the deth I shall deperte fro the I shall alwayes be ionyed with the. And all that thou hast sayd of Laureola and of me I was present and hard it god knowith if I myght I wold haue spoken to the but I could not nor feare wold not leue me for I certifie the that this that I do though my speche be short yet it tormenteth me and therfore acordynge to the trust that I haue in thy great vertue I wyll not put the to the payne with long wordes therfore I wyll goo to the effect of thy wordes and to my aunswere Thou sayest thou woldest gladly put me agayne in to life as thou puttedest me to deth beleue nat that thy message gaue me the deth nor I in the begynnynge can not be excused fro coming to this ende thou sayst thou woldest that I were in the dysposicion that I myght ioy me for the repentynge of Loureola I can not thanke the therfore bycause I can not make y â— a recompence for the gretest seriuce that
this lyfe then to haue taryed on the yerth alyue so with sighes I went my way and depertyd wyth wepyng and with lamentacion I sore complaynyde and with suche thoughtes I wente to my lodgynge And when I saw that the consentynge and desirynge of my deth could not remedy hym that was passyd nor could be no comforte to my selfe theÌ„ I determyned to deperte and to go in to myne owne countrey and yet fyrst I purposed to go to the courte to here and se what was sayd for y e deth of Lereano and to se how Laureola toke the mater Thus I thought to go thyther what for this cause for other busynes that I had ther to do with some of my freÌ„des also I purposyd to speke with Laureola if I myght to know if I myght se in her any repentance and to se what true louers wolde say of her crueltye vsyde against hym that deseruyd hygh reward And also I was glad to deperte fro the place wher as Lereano dyed to put parte of my sorow out of my mynde So I came to the courte more accompanyed with sorow then with any desire to lyue remembryng how he that made me begynne this mater was in his sepulture At the palayce I was receyuyde with moche heuynes of many that knew the deth of Lereano then I resyted to suche as were his frende the secretenes of his deth Then I went in to y e hall where I was acustumed to speke with Laureola to se if I myght se what chere she made And I who by reasone of sore wepynge had nere lost my syght I lokyd all abouteâ— but I culde not se her yet when she saw meâ— lyke a dyscrete ladye suspectynge that I wolde haue spoken with her wenynge that I hadde not seen her she turâ—ed towarde her chambre and as she came by me I spied well it was she who hadde brought Lereano fro his lyfe me almoste withoute knowledge then I with sore wepynge and payneful sighes began to speke to her in this maner ¶ The auctor to Laureola LAdy moche more it hadde bene better for me to haue lost my lyfe then to haue knowâ—n your cruelnes and small pytie I say this bycause I had rather with reason haâ—e praysed your gentlenes with â—einge you to haue satisfied the seâ—uyce that hath bene done to you by Lereano then to prayse your beautie great deseruynge gyuyuge dethe to hym that so often tymes with so good will to do you seruyce hath desyred to dye but syn your mynde was to gyue hym the deth ye haue not begyled hym nor me for ye haue payed hym ther with ye haue bleryd the clennes of your lynage Remembre that suche as be of so hygh blud as ye be are asmoch bouÌ„d to satisfy the lest seruyce that is done to them aswel as to kepe and defend theyr honour And certaynly I say that if ye had sene his deth all the dayes of your lyfe ye wolde wepe Remembre now what charge of conscience ye brought hym in for when he died where as he shulde haue had most memory vpon hys sowle and what shuld haue ben done with his body he then remembred more the letters that ye had sent hym the whiche he toke and tare in peces drank them in water because they shuld neuer be sene and bycause he wold cary with gym some thynge that had bene yours to the entent that ye shulde haue more compassioÌ„ of his deth then ye had of his lyfe I shew you for certayne thus I saw hym dye bycause ye shewyd hym no compassion Now ye shew your selfe to be sory that in the absence of your small loue was clene forgoten O how many now do wepe for his deth and yet they know not the cause But as to me fro whom the secretnes was not hiden then moche more it muste nedes greue me remembrynge how in your handes restyd his lyfe and seynge your crueltie and his small remedy ye caused hym to dye cause his mother to lyue in sorow bycause she can not dye and as for me lyuynge I ame alwayes dyeng and I beleue ye couytte not gretly your owne lyfe to remembre what ye haue done but that ye know well there be but few persons that know what ye haue done I thynke ye feare but litle the fame of your euyll name for ye se clerely how I ame lyke to dye therfore ye feare not y t I shuld publishe youe crueltie thynke not that I ame in feare to say thus to you for yf I trouble you with the qualitie content you then with the quantite syn I haue so greate reason to speake and not to ende properly and for this my boldenesâ— yf I deserue any punyshement cause me to be slain for ye shal better reward me with deth then to suffre me to lyue in this case ¶ The auctor Sore troubelyd stode Laureola yet for all that euery I sayd her face shewyd no alterasion of her hart howbeit lyke a discret lady refreynynge wepynge dissimuled her sorow and not blamyuge my boldenes with an heuy chere she aunswered me as foloweth ¶ Laureola to the auctor I wolde I had asmoche wisdome to satisfye the as I haue reasone to discharge my selfe and yf it were so thou shuldest fynd me aswel discharged as I repute the dylygent Thou sayest thou woldest thou haddest asmoche case to prayse my pytye as thou hast cause to blame my crueltie and on that condicion y â— desyryst no lenger to lyue thon blamyst me sayng how I thought to sle Lereano and that begylyde hym and weryde the. I wolde thou knewyste I neuer thought to gyue hym the deth for doyng as thou sayst what is it that I haue done I neuer brake any promise what do I owe the or hym that thou dyddest trawayll for or what dyde I to satisfye thyne entensioÌ„ I dyde put hym without doubte and the w toute charge if I had ben beleuyd then myne is but a small charge thou saist I ought to regarde the clennes of my lynage lokyng profoundly theron hath causyde me to do as I haue done thou knowyst well all women are more bounde to regarde theyr honors rather theÌ„ to accomplysh any amorous wyll or appetight Then syn all women are bounde to this how moche more then by reasone are those bouÌ„de that be dyscedyd of a blude roiall thynk not that I receyue any pleasure for the deth of Lereano nor beleue not that it caÌ„ somoch greue y â— as it sorowith me how be it the feare of my honour the feare of my father dyd more in me then the euyll wyll that I bare hym nor thynke not that the knowledge of his seruice was forgoten but that I gaue hym great thank and yf w t any reward I myght haue payed hym sauynge my honour it shuld haue ben done and cost hym nothyng then both he and thy selfe shulde asmoche haue praysede as now thou blamyste me for
I could make is not so greate but the lest deseruynge that I huae receyued of the is moche gretter As for her rewardes I desyre them not for I can haue as now no ioye of them though I desyre them neuer somoche and though now with her repentynge she thynk to satysfie me yet her cruelnes was so trobelous that though she dyd more yet I can not be rewardyd Thou sayst I shuld thynke my dethe well enployede syn I haue wonne by her that without her I lost now wold I do it if lyfe were lefte with me for though I myght ioy therwith what profyt shuld it be to me to beleue this without I myght se what she doth and I beleue if she myght se me agayne to lyue she wolde gyue me more payne and lesse hope but the best to be delyueryd fro hope is deth for it is better to suffer a good deth then to endure with an euyll lyfe beleue not but and I had beleuyd that I shuld haue seruyd her better lyuyng then to dye I wold not haue dyed yet but syn that with my lyfe I could not preuayll I thought then with deth to remedy me thynke not that I was so farre withoute wytte that I knew not that it was good to lyue to serue her though I coulde haue no ioy of her but I could neuer know by her aūswere that she was cōtēt w t my seruyce as y u knowist ryght well but she dyd let me dye for I desiryd lyfe to leue me also y u seist that y u desirest to recouer me to lese thy lyfe I beleue y ◠and I thāke y ◠therof though I cā do none other thyng y u desirist me to pray for thy deth bycause we myght lyke frendes ioy to gether syn we could not in our lyfe be not of y ◠beleue for I had rather her spekynge of thy lyfe withoute syght of the then to know thou shuldest be with me dede howbeit by thy deth thou shuldest but change thy lyfe for thy fame shuld neuer dye but euer lyue thus I wyll leue the not bicause I wyll go farre fro the. wherfore I requyre the take it for none euyll that I speke no more to the for though I wolde I can not ¶ The auctor WHen Lereano had made an ende of his wordes I thought to haue aunswerd hym but then in my dreme me thought I saw Laureola entre into my chambre as vysyble as though I had bene wakyng me thought she was in a strange aparel and with a new companyon and in y e regardynge of so new a vision I left aunswerynge Lereano and began to marke the maner of her aparell◠and I so regarded her◠that I left lokyng vpon Lereano She hadde vpō her hed a fresh atyer frete enbrowdered with letters sayeng my cruel condicion gyueth no deth to seruyce nor yet rewarde Her smocke wrought with whyte sylke tyed with letters sayeng thy deth is so fastened to my lyfe that I can not scape without deth Her kertell of blacke saten with a folyage of tawny w t letters sayeng thy stedfastnes myght haue gyuen me suche payne that at the ende it myght haue wonne me Her gyrdell was wrought with thredes of gold reportynge More rather shulde haue bene my glory with thy lyfe then with thy deth Her mantel was of .ii. colours the one parte red the other blew with a wrytynge that sayde now ioye can not enioye me without great thought She had a tabard of blew russet with letters sayeng with thy deth my memory is certayne so that lyuynge my glory is dede Also on her gloues was wryten thus with that I began I make an ende though I deserue no deth her slyppers were enbrowdered with this word I haue more payne for thy payne then for myne own yet more deserueth my shame So when I had well regarded her aparell and marked well the sygnificacions of the wrytynges I saw how w t moche sorow and smal pleasure by semblant more lykely to dye then to lyue she turned her face towardes Lereano wher as he stode and began to say in this maner ¶ Laureola to Lereano FRende Lereano neuer thynke that the force of thy strenght for so litle an incōuenience that I shuld consent to lose for as thou hast sayd to be desyrous to serue me more honour y u shuldest haue done me in lyuynge then I to gyue y ◠deth for surely thy wekenes nor thy payne nor yet thy loue coulde not make me beleue that thou shuldest haue died therfore thou maist clerely se what euyll thou hast done yf y u thynk that I dyd was to mocke the or to proue the what errour then I haue done to thy purpose yf true louers cane not suffre how shall they come to theyr desyrs he that can not suffre can not ioy nor but seldome attayne to his glory there is no vertue but in sufferynge of payne therby to haue ioye of theyr good aduenture thou oughtest more to be blamed beynge discrete for that thou hast done then to be praysed for a trew louer And beleue surely that yf I had not ben surer of thy fayth I wolde haue gyuen no credence to thy stedfastnes nor yet haue gyuen the none occasion at the begynnynge to haue come to this ende and more to shew the the trouth◠then to rewarde the of thy payne I make the sure yf I had beleued that y u shuldest haue died I wold rather haue taken the deth my selfe ◠then to haue consented to thy deth for it shuld haue bene greate conscience to me to haue sffuered the to dye for the trust that I had in that thou dydest for my seruyce caused me in maner to beleue thy wrytynge but then agayne the suretie y t I thought had ben in thy wysdome and dyscrecion caused me to doubte it and in this maner I gaue more credence to thy discrecion then to thy determyned deth Lereano it ought to haue suffysid the to remēber in what case myne honour stode in and perell of my lyfe and to haue ben cōtent to know that I ought the my fauour for thy euyll greuyd me worse thē myne owne though I shewyd it not to the if thou wylte denye this remember what I was and how small necessite I had of thy seruice ones writyng to the shuld haue sufficyd though I dyd not put the in no suretie for thou knewist well that my wrytyng procedyd of no feare but of myne owne good wyll thou canste not denye whan of my message thou dyddeste dispaire and dyed dyd I not put the in hope when I sayde that if I lyuyd lenger then my father then shuldest se how I wold rewarde thy deseruyng so that thou shuldeste not blame me for any vnkindnes I will speke no more syn I shall no more se the and by cause I can receyue no more passiō then I do for thy deth therfore I make short my wordes
any sentence apon me And the better to execute on me his true iustyce demaundyd of eche of them yf they consentyd that I shuld be taken prisoner bicause if any of them wolde not haue consentyd he wolde haue asoyled me fro payne and blame to the whiche demaunde all .iiii. aunswerd in this maner First vnderstaÌ„dynge said I consent to the euill of the payne for the welth of the cause wherfore my wyll is that he be taken Then sayd Reason I consent not allonely that he be in prison out I ordeyne that he there abyde and dye for it were better for hym the happy deth then to lyue in dispayre coÌ„sidering for whom he shal suffre it Then sayd Memory syn that vnderstanding reason coÌ„sentyth that without deth he can not be deliuered I then pinyse he shall neuer forget it but alwayes haue it in his remembraunce Then sayd wyll seyng it is thus I will then be the key of his prisone and determyne alwayes to be persecuter of wyll and desyre This seing the god of loue who ought to haue sauid mâ—e coÌ„demned me gaue this cruell sentence agaynst me As for y e .iii. images standing on y e walles of y e towre eche of them of a contrary colour as tawny blacke gray The one is heuynes the other anguish and the thirde trauaill The cheynes in theyr handes are their strengthes wher with they holde falte tyed the harte in such wyse that it can recouer none ease nor rest The great clerenes shynyng that the Egle hath in his bek wynges as thou hast sene in the hyghest parte of the towre whiche is myne inwardes thoughtes whiche hath so great clevenes in it selfe that it suffiseth to enlumyne y e darknes of this clowdy prison and the force therof is so great that the strength of the thick walles can not leâ— it but that it wyll attaigne to the Eglâ— in suche wyse y t they wyll go together in coÌ„pany bycause they are the thinges that mountyth and ascendyth hyghest for the which cause my pryson is in the hyghest place of the lande The .ii. watches that thou heâ—est so dilygently watchyng be Mishap Hate They be of that deuise y t no hope nor remedy shuld entre into me y e darke stayres to mount on is anguysh wheron I mountyd as thou seyst The fyrst porter was desyre who to all heuynes openyth the gate Therfore he sayd to the y t thou shuldest leue al thyne armure of pleasoure The other porter was tormeÌ„t who brought me hyther who is of the same coÌ„dicyoÌ„ The chayre of fier wherin thou seist me syt is my iuste affection whose flames alwayes brynneth in myne entrayles The .ii. women y t gaue me the crown of martyrdom are called payne passyon who satisfyeth my fayth with this present reward The olde man y t thou seyst syt in so great study representeth great thought pensyfenes w t greuous care soliâ—itude The which ioyned with y e other euyls manisheth my poore lyfe The blacke more veâ—â—uryd in yelowe who traueyleth to take awaye my lyfe is named dispayre the sheld that issueth out of my hed defending me fro his strokes is my wytte who seynge y e dispayre wold slee me coÌ„mandeth me to defende my lyfe coÌ„syderyng the deserte of Laureola he coÌ„maundeth me to desyre long life w t sufferance rather then with deth to make an ende The black boord for me to eate on is ferme stedfastnesse wheron I eate Thynke slepe theron are the heuy meates of myne conteplatioÌ„s The .iii. diligeÌ„t seruaÌ„tes y t serueth me are named euyl payne and dolour One bereth the meat of doubtfulnesse wherof I eate a nother bereth dispayre wherin y e meat is brought another bereth y e cup of tribulatioÌ„ wherin I drink drawing water fro y e hart to the eyen from y â— eien to the mouth Now iudge thy self if I be wel serued if I haue nede of remedy y u seyst I requyre the syn y u arte here aryued that thou wylt serche for me some remedy sorow myne euyll I desyre of the none other good but that Laureola may be aduertysedâ— knowe by the state how thou seyst me and peraduenture thou wylt excuse the bycause thou seyst me fayle power to make the a recompence I requyre the let it not be vndone for that cause for more vertue it is to remedy them that be in tribulation then to susteyne them that be in prosperite let thy workes be suche that thou repente not thy selfe for lacke of doynge it when thou myghteste haue done it ¶ The aunswer of the auctour to Laureola THy wordes shewe well that loue hath taken and occupieth thy lybertie but not thy vertue the whiche I proue by that I se in the to be more redyer to dye then to speke how be it thou hast forcyd thy wyll to proue the werynes of my lyfe iudgynge what for trauels passyd for my solycitude present that I haue but small hope to lyue without doubt so it is for thou causest my perdicion desyrynge doughtes remedy and yet thou doest remedy the same as a perfight iudge And surely I haue hadde no lesse pleasour to heare the then I haue had sorowe to se the. For by thy persone is well sene thy payne by thy reasons knowen is thy bountie in gyuynge socour and ayde to the nedyâ—lyke as thou hast doâ—e now to me For I consyderynge the strange mysteries of this thy pryson I doubted of my saluacyon beleuynge all had ben but illusions done by arte diabolycke rather then by any coÌ„dycyon amorous For this thou hast shewed me I thanke the and nowe I knowe what thou arte I thynke well enployed the trauayll that I haue enduryd for thy sake the knowledge of the moralite of these figures hath ryght well pleased me for though I well regardyd them yet for lacke of knowledge my harte was in captyuyte and prisone and now I ame out of doubt feare And where as thou hast coÌ„maundyd me that I shuld gyue knowlege to Laureola in what casâ— I haue sene y â— the which to do I fynd gret perel for a man of a strange nacioÌ„ what maner forme shuld he fynde to execute such a message I haue not alonely this doubt but dyuerce other The rudenes dulnes of my wytte the dyfference of oure speche tonge the noblenes of Laureola and the grauite of this be synes so that in this case I fynde but small remedy but alonely my good will whiche vanquyssith all other inconuenientes and daungers for to thy seruice I offre my selfe as moche as though I hadde bene thyne owne seruant all the dayes of my lyffe And I promyse the y t with good hart I shal accoÌ„plish to my power al thy coÌ„mandemeÌ„tes I pray to god I may be as happy as I ame desyrous to serue the so that thy deliuerance may bere witnes of my true dilygence
perdone the though it be agaynst the ryght waye of iustice for not alonely for thy fole hardynesse thou oughteste to dye but also for the offence that thou hast done agaynst my bountie and vertue y t which thou haste sette in the balance of doubt bycause this that thou haste sayde to me yf it came to knowledge of sundry persons some wolde beleue that thou foundeste me redy aparelled to accomplyshe thy desyre as in hauyng pytie of the payne of Lereano Thou oughtest to thynke that my dignyte shulde haue put the in feare rather then his fole hardines to haue made the so bolde yf thou entend any further to procure his liberte thou mayst well seke for his remedy and fall thy selfe in perell therfore I aduyse the seynge thou arte a straunger seke for thy naturall sepulture and not in Macedonia and to comon with the in such maters I offende my tonge therfore I wyll say no more but I wyl thou know that this that I haue sayde is suffycyent and yf any hope be in the to speake any further in this case thy lyfe shal be shorte or if thou thynke to come to me with any mo such ambassades ¶ The Auctor WHen Laureola had endyd her wordes I sawe well her reasons were short but longe was her trouble displeasour So I departed fro her thought vpoÌ„ many thynges the which greuously tormentyd me I remembred how farre I was out of Spayne of my longe taryeng thence Also I callyd to my mynd y â— great dolour of Lereano sore mistrutyng his helthe I perceyued well I could not accoÌ„plysh that I was purposyd to do as to bryng Lereano to lyberte w tout great perel yet I determyned to folow myne enterpryse duryng my lyfe orels to brynge Lereano some hope of relefe And w t this purpose the next day I went to y e palays to se what couÌ„tenance Laureola made and wheÌ„ she saw me she entreated me as she was accustomyd to do before without changynge of her porte or chere whose sure demeanour brought me in greate suspecte I thought she dyd it to proue yf I wolde returne agayne to entre in to my fyrste reasons I fearyd leste she hadde dissimuled to cause me to take corage to haue spoken agayne for Lereano and then to haue punysâ—hed me for my folyshe enterprice So I coulde not tell wherto to truste thus I passed that daye and dyuerce other and euer me thought by the apparence that I could se by her that I hadde more cause to be bolde then reason to feare And in that byleue I wayted a tyme conuenient spake with her agayne shewynge my selfe fearefull though I was not so indede For in such besynes and with suche persons it is behouable to fynde some doubtfull turbation for in suche cases to moche boldenes is reputyd folye for therby myghte be thought that the dignyte nor auctorite of the persone were not estemed Therfore to saue me fro that errour I spake to her with no great audacite but in a fearefull maner So I shewed her all that I thought coÌ„uenient for the remedy of Lereano but her aunswer was accordyng to the fyrst sauyng she was not so force nor in such displeasour with me as she was before How be it in her wordes she gaue me knowledge that I shulde be styll and holde my peace but yet me thought her continance gaue me lycence to speake And thus euer when I founde tyme place I requyred her to haue pitie vpoÌ„ Lereano And so diuers tymes I found her aunswers sharpe in wordes meke in countenance And when I had well aduysed al her demeanour I hoped vppon some profytte scynge in her dyuers thynges wherby an amorous harte myght be knowen for euer when I saw her alone she was pensyfe and full of study And when she was amonge compauy she wolde not be mery she abhorred company and to be alone was her pleasour often tymes she wolde fayne her selfe syke to eschewe other pleasurs and if she were espyed she wolde fayne some dolour or payne and often tymes she wolde gyue sore sighes And if Lereano hadde bene named in her presence she wolde sodeynly starte and leue her comynge and blushe redde as a rose agayne pale her voyce wolde change and her mouth waxe drye and though she coueryd her thoughtes as moch as was possyble yet her piteous passyon surmounted her discrete dissimulation I say pitefulnes for without doubte accordyng as she shewed after she receyued these alterations more of pytie theÌ„ of loue Howbeit I thought otherwyse in her seynge the tokens that I sawe in her I thoughte my selfe halfe spedde of some good hope and therwith I spedde me to Lereano and after that I hadde shewed hym all y t was passyd bytwene me and Laureola Then I counsayled hym to wryte to her offerynge my selfe to bere the lettre and though he was as then more redyer to remeÌ„bre what was best for hym to do to write or not At last he toke ynke and paper and wrote suche reasons as foloweth ¶ The lettre fro Lereano to Laureola IF I hadde as good reason to write to you as I haue to loue Then w tout feare I durste be bolde to do it but to thynke to wryte to you troubleth my wytte so that I lese myne vnderstaÌ„dynge Therfore or I begynne I fynde my selfe at a greate confusyon My beleue sayth I may do it boldly and your hyghnes putteth me in feare doubte In the one I fynde hope in the other dispayre at the ende I agreed to wryte but myne vnhap is to begyn in y e houre of sorow for ouerlate it is now to complayne meâ— for I am now in y t case if I haue deseruyd any grace or merite ther is nygh no thynge lefte lyuynge in me to fele it sauyng alonely my true fayth whiche can not dye as for my harte is without strength and my soule without power and my wytte without memory How be it yf it wold please you to shewe me so moche mercy as to these my presente reasons to make some aunswer the true fayth that I bere you shulde then suffice to restore agayne in me all the partes that are destroyed I repute my selfe culpable to demaunde of you any reward and neuer dyd you seruyce and though ye take my seruyce payne in good gree yet ye paye me alwayes with doubtfull thoughtes ye may say how ame I so bolde to write to you yet haue no meruayl therof for your beautie causeth myne affection and the affection myne desyre and desyre y e payne and the payne causeth the boldnes And for this that I haue done yf ye thynke I haue deserued deth coÌ„maund to gyue it me For it were better for me to dye for your cause then to lyue without the hope of your good wyll And to say the trouth without ye gyue me the deth I shall gyue it my selfe to fynd therby the lybertie the
which lyuynge I haue serchyd for This wolde I do and it were not that I shulde leue you defamyd as to be renomyd a murtherer Unhappy shulde be that remedye to delyuer me out of payne and to cause you to bere blame Therfore in eschewynge of all such incoÌ„uenientes I requyre you send me your lettre as a reward for all myne euyls that I slee not my selfe for I can not lyue with that I suffre my deth shuld so toche your honor that all the dayes of your lyfe ye shuld be defamyd And yf it maye please you to do me any relefe tary not nor be not slowe lest ye shall haue no tyme to repent you nor no place to redeme me ¶ The auctor ANd where as Lereano accordyng to the grauite of his passyoÌ„s wold further haue executed his wrytyng but then vsyng prudent discrecioÌ„ for all hiâ— payne wrote no larger for that he had wryten was sufficyeÌ„t to cause Laureola to knowe hys euyll and payne for when letters be wryten at length that is vsyd when the writer thynketh that the redeâ— hath as good wyll to rede them as thâ— sender hath to write them but Laureola was quyte deliuered fro that pÌ„sumpcioÌ„ wherfore he extendyd hys letter no larger The which when it was endyd I receyuyd with greate heuines to se the sore wepyng that Laureano made the which I felt more then I can expresse Then I went fro hym and spedde me to Laureola when I came ther as she was I found a tyme propyse to speke to her and or I delyuered the letter I said to her as foloweth ¶ The auctor to Laureola Ryght excellent Lady fyrst or I say any thynge to you I require you to receyue the dolour payne of me your poore kaytiue for the discharging of myne importunat suet for wher so euer ye shall fynde me of custome I shal be euer more redy to serue you theÌ„ to be importunate And surely Lereano endureth more payne for the trouble that ye receyue then for the passioÌ„ that he suffreth wherof he wold excuse hym selfe though his wyll desire to suffre it to the eutent that it shuld not trouble you yet his sowle desireth not to suffre but rather to be in reste The one coÌ„maundeth hym to be styll and the other byddeth hym put oute his voyce But trustyng in your vertue his dolour is oppressyd desyryng to put all his euyll in to your presence beleuyng on the one parte ye shuld be dangerous on the other parte that it shulde cauâ—e you to haue compassyon Beholde now many wayes he deseruyth meryte to forget his trouble he desyreth the deth and not withoute ye consent therto and bycause it shuld not be said that ye consent therto he desyreth the life in that he receued his payne to be happy and for lacke of his desyre he loseth his vnderstandyng and to prayse your beawte he desyreth ayde of all the worlde Beholde how moche ye are bounde to him for he prayseth them that distroyeth him he hath all his remembrance vpon that thyng that is the occasyon of all his euyl and by aduenture I shuld be so vnhappy that he shuld lese his loue by my intercession which he hath deseruyd by reason of his faythfull harte yet I had rather I were dede wherfore I requyre you to receyue this letter fro hym and in the redyng therof to shew hym some mercy for the payne that he hathe sufferyd and yf ye blame hym ye are more culpable then he for that ye haue sufferyd hym to endure payne so longe ye perceyue well the sorow that he is in by the wordes in his letter the which though his mouth spake them his hand wrote them yet his dolour dydde ordeyne and deuise them as god sende you parte of heuen as ye haue deseruyd in the erth that ye will receyue this his letter make hym an aunswere and alonely with this reward ye maye redeme hym and therby do away his debilite mynysh hys torment and fauor his sykenes and brynge hym in to that state that he wyll desyre no more welth nor endure no more payne and if ye wyll not thus moch do for hym to whom ye are so moch bounde nor at my request I maye then well repute you cruell but I hope so moche in your vertue y t accordyng to yuor olde custome ye can do no thyng but vertue ¶ Thanuswere of Laureola to the Auctor THe perseuerance in thy pursewt bryngeth me to so streyght a case that many tymes my thought is dought what to do other to banysh the owt of this lande orels to Ieobarde my fame in gyuyng the place leysure to say what thou lyst yet I ame agreyd not so to do nor to put the to that extremyte by reason of the compassyon that I haue of the for though thyne ambassade be euyll yet thyne entensyoÌ„ is good as to fynd remedy for y e sorowfull And the other way I wyll not take bycause of myne honor for he can not be delyuered fro payne without I be defamed yf I could remedy his euyll withoute daunger or blottyng of myn honour I wold do it with no lesse affeccyon then thou desyrest but thou knowest well how that women are bound to preserue theyr good fame rather then theyr lyfe at the lest they shuld esteme it more then theyr bounte for though y e lyfe of Lereano shuld fynysh by deth yet iudge thy self whether I ought rather to be piteful to me self or to his euyll And if all women ought thus to do then specially such as be of noble blod ought so to do for al peple soner regardeth a smal spot in noble persons then a great fawte in low psonages Therfore in thy wordes conferme the to reason for thy demauÌ„d is vniust y u thynkest I ame pleased w t thy comoniÌ„g which is coÌ„trary though thy demauÌ„d trouble me yet thy coÌ„dycioÌ„ pleaseth me I haue pseasour to shew the myne escuse w t iust reasons to saue me fro charge blame sclaunder The letter that thou woldest haue me to receyue maye well be excusyd for my defence is of no lesse power than the perceuerance of his hope but syn thou haste brought it I ame pleasyd to receyue it but hope not of any aunswere trauayll no more to desyre it nor at lest speke no more therof lesse that my dysplesure trowble y t not asmoche as thou now prayseste my pacyence sufferyng I blame my selfe that in ii thynges bycause I comon so longe w t the. The one is bycause y e qualyte heate of the cause hath brought me in trouble The other is bycause thou mayst thynke y t I ame well pleasyd to speke with the in this mater and beleuest how I shuld agre to Lereano though thou thynke so I haue no meruayll for wordes is the Image of the harte Go thy way coÌ„tent the with thyne owne Iudgement and cary with the
entent that with good wyll thou shuldest bere it to her I wyll begynne it in thy presence wherof the mater shal be as folowith ¶ The letter of Lereano to Laureola Syn that the sepulture is the rewarde of all myne euels I ame redy now to receyue it beloue that deth shall not dysplease me for he is of small wytte that abhorryth that thyng y t gyueth libertie but one thyng dyspleaseth me that is in dyeng I shal lose all my hope euer to se you agayn the whiche sore greueth me It may be sayd in so shorte a space as I haue ben your seruant how shuld I so sone lose my puyssance ye ought not to meruail therat for y e hope that ye haue brought me in and smalle comeforte with my greate passyon suffyseth to put away to destroy greater force then myne yet I can not beleue that ye are cause therof without your workes do certifie the same but alwayes I haue beleuyd that your coÌ„dycyon piteous shulde surmouÌ„t your obstynate wyl but sin ye wyll that my life shal receue this domage y e faute therof is myne owne mysfortune I am sore abasshyd that ye sorow not in your selfe your owne ingratitude I haue gyuen you my liberte intyerly haue gyueÌ„ you my harte nothyng retaynyng to my selfe for all that I can haue no rewarde of loue yet I desyre to serue you Who wold thynke that ye shulde dystroy that thyng that is your owne certaynly ye are your owne enemy with oute ye fynde some remedy to saue me This ye onght to do orels ye coÌ„demne your selfe for my deth perdycyon can not profyght you But I desyre that ye wold sorowe for myne euyll yet yf your sorow shuld do you any payne then I desyre it not syn that lyuyng I neuer dyd ye seruyce It were no ryght that dyeng I shuld cause you to haue trouble They that loke agaynst the sonne y e more they regard it the blynder they be And so the more I remember your fayrenes the blynder is myne vnderstandyng This I say to th entent that of this my rude wrytyng ye shuld haue no meruayll for in the hard case that I ame in accordyng to my wyll I am better dysposed to ende my lyfe then to make any reasones yet I wolde that thyng that ye ought to regarde were so orderyd that ye shuld not occupye your vnderstandyng on a thyng so fayre fro your condycioâ— yf ye consent that I shall dye bycause ye wold haue it publyshed ye haue the power to slee meâ— then be ye euyll cousayled for without hope your beautie hath sertyfyed me therof And if ye esteme my deth to be good bycause I ame not worthy to receyue your grace the whiche I haue â—â—â—pyd to wynne by reasone of my true fayth the which I lese for lacke of deseruyng and w t this thought I thynk to suffre all my payne And if it seme to you that the paynes that I endure for your sake can not be remedyed with oute offence to your honor Thyuk that I wyll neuer desyre y e thyng that shuld torne you to blame what profyght shuld any thyng do to me that shuld be euyll to you Allonely I desyre your aunswere for my fyrst last reward to be brefe I requyre you syn ye make an ende of my lyfe yet at lest honor my deth for in the place where as the desperate sowles becometh yf ther be any welth There I desyre to feale none other ioy but y t ye wyll honor my dede bones that I may ioy a lytle with that great glory ¶ The auctor THe wordes and letter of Lereano finyshed In stede of wordes mynâ— eyen were satysfyed with greate wepyng so withonte power to speke I departyd thynkynge my iudgement y t it shuld be the last tyme that I had any hope to se hym agayn alyue And as I was on my way I wrote a superscâ—ypcion vpon the letter to th entent that Laureola shuld be in doubt fro whence it came And when I came in to her presence I delyuered her the letter who beleuyng that it had come frome some other persone receyuyd it and began to rede it And all the season that she was redyng I regardyd styll her vysage when she hadde made an ende I saw well she was sore troubelyd as though she had sufferyd a great euyll yet the regardyng of her turbacyon excusyd not my trouble Then to assure my selfe I demaundyd of her other questyons no thyng concernyng to that purpose And to delyuer her selfe fro company y t whych in suche case is perelous lesse that the manyfest mutacions discouer not the secrete thoughtes of the harte Therfore she withdrew her selfe a parte and all that nyghte she was without spekyng of any word to me as tuchyng that purpose And the next day she sent for me shewed me many vertuous resons to dyscharge her selfe fro any thyng consentyng to release y e payne of lereano howbeit she sayd y t she thought great inhumanite to lese suche a man as Lereano for so small a pryce as in wrytyng of a letter how be it in the redyng of his letter I take but smal pleasour Therfore here I haue wrytten a letter not w t so pleasant and swet wordes as be in his reasons for who so euer here the wordes in this my letter may well knowe y t I haue lytle studyed in the arte of eloquence So for shamefastnes sodenly her face was inflamyd and as sodenly agayne pale she was so sore alteryd and shorte wyndyd that in maner she brethed for y e deth her harte voyce so sore trymbled that her dyscrecion could not enforce her selfe to speke therfore her aunswere was shorte and also the place requyred no lenger tyme. So she toke me the letter and kyst her hand and I receyuyd it The tenour wherof ensuyth ¶ The letter fro Laureola to Lereano THe deth that thou lokest for by reasone of thy payne I haue rather deseruyd it yf I shulde put my wyll to thyne but that is not so for this my wryttyng is more to redeme thy lyfe then to satisfy thy desyre what shulde it profytte me to accomplysh it for yf I were accusyd therof I coulde haue no wytnes to salue me but alonely my pure entensyon which is so pryncypall a pertye that his wordes shulde not be taken nor beleued And with this feare I haue put to my hande to this paper my harte mynde beyng in heuyn makyng hym iudge of my mynde to whome the trouthe of all thynges is manyfest knowen The cause why y â— I doubtyd to aunswere the was bycause withoute my condemnacion thou canst not be assoyled as thou mayst well se for though no creature know of this letter but thy selfe the berer yet I know not what iudgement any of you may make vpon me though it be but good yet I ame spottyd with y e suspecte therof Therfore
can be in no suretie And the thyng that most greuith me is iâ— gyuyng sentence agaynst me ye do iustice against your owne honour the wiche all wayes shal be recoâ—dyd more for the cause then for iustice in it selfe My blode shall occupye but a small place but your crueltie shal sprede ouer all the yerth ye shal be callyd the cruell father and I the doughter innocent For syn god is iuste he shall clere my trouth for I shal be lefte w t oute faulte when I haue receyuyd the payne of dethe ¶ The Auctor WHen Laureola had endyd her letter she sent it to the kynge by one of her kepers who loued and fauoured her in suche wyse y t he wolde gladly she had bene at her libertie for he was asmoche moued te pytie her as to obey the kinges comaundement And when the kynge hadde receyued y e letter and redde it he coÌ„maunded streygthly that the berer therof shulde auoyde his presence And when I saw that then newly agayne I cursed my mysaduenture thought that my tormente was so great that it occupied my harte in dolour yet my mynde forgat not to do y t I ought And though I hadde more space to endure payne rather then to fynde remedy yet then I wente and spake with the lorde Gawlo her vncle and shewyd hym how Lereano was determynyd to take Laureola perforce out of presone wherfore I desyred hym to be redy with a certayne nombre of men that when Lereano hadde taken her oute of presoÌ„ then he wold delyuer her to his power to sette her in sauegarde Because that if Lereano shulde cary her away with hym it shulde veryfy the wytnes of the false accusers And bycause that y e deth of Laureola was as dere to hym as to the quene his suster he aunswered me sayde how he was content therwith And when his wyll and my desyre were confyrmable together then I depertyd secretly bycause that or any brute were made y e dead myght be executyd sodeÌ„ly And when I came to Lereano I shewyd hym all that I hade done and of the small effect therof And then I delyuered hym Laureolas letter and what for the compassion of the wordes therin and with the thoughtes that he determyned to do his harte therwith was so oppressyd y t he wist not what aunswere to make me He wepte for compassion any coulde not refrayne his ire and was sore discomefortyd by reasone of his euyll fortune and yet he hopyde accordyng to iustice When he thought to reskew Laureala he was ioyfull And agayne when he doughtyde to brynge it aboute his harte changyde Fynally leueng al doubtes knowyng the aunswere of Galleo then he began to study what waye to accomplishe his enterprice And lyke a wyse knyghte well prouydyde whyle I hadde ben in the courte he had assemblyd to gether of his own seruaÌ„tes .v. C. men of armes without knowledgyng of any of his kynne or frendes Some peraduenture wolde haue agreyd with hym with discrete consideracion suche as were made priuy Some of them sayd y e kyng dyd euil And some sayd it was a ieopdous enterprice and perilous to accomplysh Therfore to exchew al such incoÌ„uenieÌ„ts he thought to execute his dead alone w t his owne men So the day before that Laureola shuld haue bene iudged Lereano callyd before hym all his seruantes and sayde to them how the good vertuous men were more bounde to feare theyr shame then the perell of theyr lyues Also sayenge how yet lyueth the fame of them that be passyd by reasone of theyr deades that they haue done And he desired them that for couetyse of worldly goodes y e whiche shall haue an ende that they shulde not for that lose the glory of them that liueth perpetually And he desyred them to haue in theyr memory the rewarde of well dyeng he shewyd theÌ„ what folyshnes it was to feare deth And in theyr so doyng he promysed them great gyftes rewardes And when he hadde made to them a long sermon then he declaryd y e cause that he sent for them and all they with one voice proferyd to lyue and dye with hym And when Lereano saw theyr good wylles he thought hym selfe then well accompanyd and so depertyd in the nyght and came in to a valey nere to the citie ther he taryed all the nyght and infourmyd his meÌ„ what they shulde do He apoyntyd one capitayne with a. C. men of armes that they shuld go streyght to the lodging of Persyo and to slee hym and asmany as dyd resyst them Then he apoyntyde other .ii. capitayns with eche of them .l. footemen to go vp the two principall streates goyng to the presone where as Laureola was `coÌ„maundyng them that when they came to the preson then they to torne theyr faces to the citie warde kepe defende that no person shulde entre in to the castell vntyll suche tyme as he with other .iii. C. men came to take oute Laureola And the capitayne that he hadde coÌ„maundyd to sle Persio he chaâ—gyd hym that when he had done to come and mete with hym at the presoÌ„ and they to defende the passage yf any came to entre in to the castell whyle he were taking oute of Laureola And all this thus agreyd coÌ„cluded when the gates were opened in the â—ornynge sodenly he and all hys men entered in to the citie and euery capitayneâ— toke hede to his charge The capitayne that had the charge to sle Persio executed his coÌ„maundemente for he slew Persio all other that were in his way to lette hym Ther Persio endyd his myserable lyfe and Lereano went to the preson and what with the furour of his ire with the vertue of his force fought so fercely with the kepers of the presone and slew so many that he could not get for dede bodyes but with moâ—he payne But as iâ— al peâ—els the bountie encrea seth by force of armes So by clene force he came in to the preson wher as Laureola was and there he toke her with as greate seremony and honour as thought hit hadde bene in tyme of peace he knelyd downe to the yerth and kylâ— her hande lyke the doughter of a kynge and with that present turbacion she stode without strenght so that she coulde not moue her selfe Her harte dismayd her colour faylyd litle parte of any lyfe was lefte in her Then Lereano tooke and caryed her oute of prisone and then mette with Galleo her vncle accordynge to his promyse who came thyther with a certayn nomber of men and there in the presence of euery man Lereano delyueryd Laureola in to his handes and still his men fought against them that came againste hym but he set Laureola vpon an hakeney that Galleo had ther redy and agayne kyste her hande and then went to ayde his men that were styll fyghtyng and still he regardyd after Laureola till he hadde loste
the syght of her So Galleo her vncle ledde her to a castell of his owne not farre thence and when y e brute of this dead came to the heryng of the kynge he callyd for his armure and sownyd trompettes and causyd all the men of his courte to be armyd many of the citie And when Lereauo saw that of necessite it was tyme for hym to get oute of the towne in to the feldes then he comfortyd his men with swete and hardy woordes And all wayes in his reculynge he defendyd the multitude of his enemyes with a valiante harte and to kepe an honest maner in his reculynge he went in good order and not with so great haste as the case requiryd Thus lesyng some of his men and sleyng of many of his enemyes he came thither where he had left al theyr horses So suche order as he had sette before was well and truely kepte and so without perel he his lept vpoÌ„ theyr horses the which was hard to haue ben done if he had not wysely prouidyd the remedy therof before hand Then the horsemen put before them theyr foremeÌ„ and toke the way to Suria fro whence they cam And when Lereano saw .iii. bandes of the kynges aproche nere hym then he wente oute of the waye and conductyd so wisely his company by wayes of a vauntage that he scapyd with as great honour in his reculynge as he hadde wonne in the fightynge so he enteryde agayne in to the towne of Suria withoute losse of any of his men which was greate meruayll for the kyng was ther in propre person with .v. M. men of armes who was inflamyd with ire and so beset the towne about in purpose not to depert thence till he had taken vengeance of Lereano when Lereano saw how he was besegyd he sette his men lyke a wyse man of warre to the walles where as was most feblyst parte there he sette most defence and where as he myght best issue out in to the feld there he sette such men as were mete for that purpose and there as he fearyd other crafte or treasone there he sette such as he trustyd best Thus he vsyd hym selfe lyke a wyse capitayne The kyng thynkyng to bryng his enterprice to an ende coÌ„maundyd to fortefy his campe and to prouyde for all thynges necessary perteynynge to a campe royall as engyus bastides and bulwerkes to beat the citie with artilery and made greate dykes that none shuld issue oute when the kynge saw so longe tariynge at this siege his ire encreasyde for he hadde thought to hade taken Lereano by reasone of famyne and for all that he saw the towne ryght stronge yet he determynyd to sawte it the whiche he prouyd with suche fercenes that they within had great nede to put to theyr strength and dilygence to resiste Then Lereano went visytyd his men with a C. men suche as were deputyd for that purpose and euery where he saw any fyghtyng he euer encoragyd them and where as he saw valiantnes he praysed them and where he saw any euyll order he founde remedy Fynally the kynge caused to sowne the retrayte with losse of many of his knyghtes specially of the yonge lusty courteers who euer sekyth for perelâ—s to wynne therby glory Lereano at the same assaulte was hurte in the face and also loste many of his princpal men This assaulte past the kyng gaue other .v. assaultes within the space of iii. monethes so that in maner men beganne to fayle on bothe parties so that Lereano was doubteous of that enterprice how be it in his wordes and countenance nor in his deades nothynge of feare coulde be aspied so that y e corage of the capitayne incoragyd all the other capitayns and then to gyue corage to his men suche as were lefte he sayde to them as folowith ¶ Lereano to his company CErtaynly syrs as ye be but fewâ— in noÌ„ber so our strength is not greate I haue doubte in our enterprice accordyng to our euyll fortune but in that vertue is estemyde more then is greate nomber and consyderynge your noble deades passed I thynke I shuld haue more nede of good fortune then of greate noÌ„ber of knyghtes wherfore alonely in you is all my hope and syne our helthe is in our handes aswell for the sustentacion of our lyues as for the glory of good fame we ought valiaÌ„tly to fyght now y e case is offeryd vs orels to leue the profyt of our enherytance to them that wold disheryte vs. Thus we shulde be vnhappy if for feare faynte corage we shuld lese our herytage therfore lette vs fyght to delyuer our blude fro shame and dishonour and my name fro enfamy this day lette vs make an ende of our lyues orels conferme our honours lette vs defende our selfe and not to be shamyd for greater is the rewarde of vyctory then the occasions of perel This paynefull lyfe that we lyue in I know not why we shulde somoche desyre it the daies therof are but shorte and longe in trauayll y â— which for feare increseth not nor for hardynes shorteth not for when we be borne our tyme is lymyted the whiche we shal not passe thereby feare is subdued hardynes lawded we can not put our fortune in a better state then to hope of an honourable deth O glorious fame O couetyse laudable the auerise of honour wherby is ateyned greatter deades then this of ours is lette vs not feare the greate company that is in the kinges campe for at the fyrste encounter the weke â—hall fyrst fyght and ouercome them â—hey shall abashe the multitude the small nombre wyll enforce themselfe by vertue many thynges dryueth vs to be hardy bountie and vertue byndeth vs and iustice enforseth vs necessitie shall rewarde vs wherfore we ought not to feare for theyr is nothynge that shulde cause vs to dye Syrs all these reasones that I haue sayde is but superflew to enforce our strenght Syn we haue it naturally but I will say to you that in euery tyme our hartes onght to be occupied in noblenes our handes in deades of armes and our thoughtes in good workes good wordes amonge company as we do now I â—eceue equal glory aswel for the amorous good wyll that ye shew me as for the deades of armes that ye haue done and bycause I se our enmyes prepayre them to fight we be constrayned to leue our talkyng euery man to gette hym to his charge and defence ¶ The auctor LEreano was auÌ„swerd of his knightes w t greate constance and corage of harte whereof he thought hym selfe ryght happy that he hadde suche men in his company so euery man went to his defence where as they were apoyntyd and then anone they hard the trompettes blowe and wihtin shorte space there came to the walles a.l. M. men and began fresly to gyue assaulte Then Lereano shewed his vertue and by reasone of theyr defence the kynge thought they within
mortall paynes could not susteyne hym selfe no leÌ„ger but perforce coÌ„streynede to lye downe vpoÌ„ his bedde where he wolde nother eate drynke nor sâ—epe nor take any thyng for susteÌ„tacion of his lyfe euer calyng hym selfe happy to come to the case to do some seruice to Laureola as by his dethe to brynge her oute of all trouble so anone it was publyshed abrode in the realme and in the courte how Lereano was lyke to dye Theu his kynne frendes came to comforte hym and to torne his purpose they sayde and dyde asmoche as they coulde Imagyne to preuayle his lyfe bycause his infyrmite was to be curyd by holsome reasones euery maÌ„ sharpyd theyr wyttes to do the best they coulde And there was a knyghte callyd Teseo a greate frende of his he considerynge that his sekenes was for loue though he knewe not for whome it was he sayd and shewyde to Lereano all the euyls of women that he coulde deuise and to conferme his owne reasones he alegyd asmany thynges as he coulde in the defamyng of women thynkyng therby to haue restoryd Lereano to his heltheâ— when Lereano hadde well harde hym and consyderyde that Laureola was a woman he rebukyde greatly Teseo for spekynge of suche wordes and though as then his disposicion was not moche to speke yet he enforcyd his tonge and with the passion of greate iri sayde as folowith ¶ Lereano agaynst Teseo and agaynst all euell spekers agaynst women FRend Teseo yf another man that owed the not so good loue as I do hard my wordes it wolde cause the to receyue payne accordynge to thy deserte howbeit my reasons shal be to the suche an ensample to cause the to kepe thy tonge and it shal be a chastisement in stede of thy payne in the which I shall folow the condicion of a true frende for yf I shewyd the not thy fault by quyke reasons peraduenture thou woldest vtter forth agayne in other places suche like wordes as thou ryght now sayd it shal be most for thy profyt to amend thy self by my contradictions rather then to shame thy selfe with perseuerance the entent of thy wordes was as a frende the whiche I well considre thou sayedest them bycause I shulde abhorre them that hath brought me in to the case that thou seist me in And by reason of thy sayeng euyll of women thyne entension was therby to gyue me remedy of my lyfe and therby thou hast gyuen me the soner deth for the shamefull wordes that thou hast sayd putteth me to suche torment bycause it is a woman that hath put me to this payne therfore by reasone of herynge of thy wordes I shall lyue the lesse season wherby I shall receue a great welth for the receyuynge of this dolorous deth were better to be shortely then to susteyne y e lyfe any lenger for it is a thyng delectable to suffre and with a swet rest to make an ende of this lyfe the whiche swete ende shal be by reason that these my last wordes shal be in the prease of women and my wyl is somewhat to satisfye her in whome resith al the cause to begynne to shew the thyne errour I wyll alledge .xv. poyntes agaynste all them that erreth in spekynge euell of women and .xx. other reasones I shall lay wherby we are bound to say well of all women with dyuerce other samples of theyr bountie goodnes And as to the fyrst let vs found our reasone how that all thynges made by the hande of god are necessarily good for accordyng to the warkeman the warke ought to procede then knowynge that womeâ— are his creatures they that speke euyll of them offende not allonely them but also they blaspheme the workeman the which is god y e .ii. cause is y e before god man ther is not a more abhomynable synne nor harder to be perdoned then is ingratitude for where can ther be a greatter synne then to put out of knowledge and to forgette the welth that is to come to vs by reasone of the vyrgyn mary and dayly cometh she delyuered vs fro payne and causeth vs to meryte the glory of heuen she saueth vs she susteyneth vs she defeÌ„deth vs she gydeth vs she gyueth vs lyght of grace Then seynge she was a woman then all other for her sake ought to be crowned with lawde and prayse The .iii. is bycause it is defended to all men accordynge to vertue to shew any strength agaynst the weke sex femynyne And this is obserued amonge brewt bestes wherfore men shulde folow the same yet some suche as lyst to speke euyll say though that women can make but small resystence with theyr handes yet they haue no lesse liberte with theyr tonges The iiii is a man ought not to say euyll of womeÌ„ withoute he dishonour hym selfe bycause he was creatyde and noryshede in the wombe of a woman and is of her substance and also bycause of y e honour and reuereÌ„ce that euery child ought to do to his mother The .v. is bycause of the disobedience to god who sayde with his owne mouth that father mother shulde be honouryde therefor suche as do other wyse do serue sore punishemeÌ„t payne The .vi. is bycause noble men are bouÌ„de to occupye them selfe in vertuous deades aswell in woordes as in workes then yf fowle wordes defowle clenlynes then in perell of slander and defamy is the honour of suche persons that wasteth theyr lyfe in suche vayne wordes The .vii. is when that the ordre of chyuaylry was fyrste stablysshed among other thynges who soeuer shuld take the ordre of knighthod he shuld be bound to kepe defend all women and to gyue them all reuerence and honeste and who so doth the contrary breketh the lawe of noblenes The .viii. is to defend honour fro perell the auncyent noble men with greate deligence and study kepte and obserued alwayes such thynges as perteyned to bountie and they reputed that so great that they had no greater feare of any thynge in the worlde then they had to leue behynde them the remembrance of infamy and reproche y e which they kept not y e preferreth turpitud fowlnes before vertue putting spottes in theyr fame by reason of theyr euyll tonge For oftentymes a maÌ„ is iuged to be accordyng to his worâ—es The .ix. most princypal is for the condeÌ„nacioÌ„ of y â— sowle al thiges wrong fully takeÌ„ may be satysfyed but y â— fame robbyd and taken away the satisfaccioÌ„ thereof is doughtfull y â— which is more completly determynyde in our beleue The .x. is to eschew hatryd for suche as bestowe theyr tyme in euyll spekynge agaynst women they make them selfe not onely enemyes agaynste them but also to them that be vertuous for lyke as vertue vice are contrary and haue dyfferente propreties so the euyll speker can not be withoute hate and euyll wyll and many enemyes The .xi. bicause of the hurtes y t by suche malicious deades are encreasyde for
chaste gentiles Lucresia chefe crowne of the nacion romayne wyfe to Colatyne knowynge her selfe enforsed defowled by Traquyne she sayde to her husband Colatyne dere spouse know for trouth that a strange man hath defowled thy bedde Howbeit though my body be enforced my harte is innocent though I be fre fro the trespace I can not be assoyled fro y e payne and to th entent that no lady nor other woman hereafter by myne ensample shuld erre and so with speking of those wordes with a sharpe sword she ryd her owne lyfe Also Porcia who was doughter to the noble Catone and wyfe to the noble vertuos Bruto and when she knew the deth of her husband she tooke such greuous sorow that to the ende of her lyfe she dyd eate hote coles to make sacrefice of her selfe Penolope wyfe to Ulixes she knowyng that he went in to warre agaynst the Troyans knowyng that yonge men of Italy were sore enamored vpon her beautie in the absence of her husband dyuerce desyred to mary with her And she desyrynge to kepe her chastitie to defende her selfe agaynst them sayd how she wold make a webbe as ladies vsed in those dayes when it was finished she promysed her wowers then to accomplish theyr desyres And when she hadde graunted this by her subtile wyt asmoche as she made in the day she brake it agayn in y â— nyght And by that meanes she draue of the seasone xx yere and then Ulixes came home alone olde in greate pouertie yet the chast lady receued hym ad though he hadde come in greate prosperytie Also Iulia doughter to Cesar fyrst enperour beinge wyfe to Pompeye she loued hym so entierly that on a day she fyndynge his clothes bloudy beleuynge that he hadde bene dede fell sodenly to the erth and dyed for sorow Atrenisa amonge other mortayll creatures worthy to be praysed she beinge maried to Mansall kynge of Icaria she loued hym with so ferme a harte that when he was dede she gaue hym sepulture within her owne brest she brente his bones and y e asshes of them she dranke litle and litle and the seremonies made of his obsequy thinkinge that she wold go to hym slew her selfe with her owne handes Argea doughter to kynge Adastro and wyfe to Polymytes sonne to Egisto kynge of Thebes when Polimites was slaine in a batayll by the handes of his brother she knowinge therof withoute fearing of her enemyes or of any other wylde bestes nor fearynge the emperous law wente oute of Athenes in the nyght in to the felde and found oute amonge the dede bodies her husbandes body and caryed it in to the citie and caused it to be brent accordyng to the custome with bytter wepynge puttynge the asshes in to a cofer of golde and then promysed her lyfe to perpetuall chastite Ipola of Grece saylynge by thy see by her euyll fortune she was taken by her enemyes and they wolde haue enforsed her and she to conserue her chastite went to the one side of the shyp and wyllyngly fell ouer the boorde in to the see and there was drowned Howbeit the fame of her dead was not greatly laudable No lesse worthy of prayse was the wyfe of Amede kynge of Thesale she knoweng by y â— aunswere of the god Apollo that her huâ—bnad shulde receyue the deth withoute voluntaryly some other personne wolde dye for hym and so wyllyngly to saue the kynge she disposed her selfe to dye Now of the nacioÌ„ of the Iues. Sara wyfe of father Abraham when she was taken and in the power of kynge Pharao defendynge her chastitie with the armes of prayer desyred god to delyuer her oute of his handes And when the kyng thought to haue fulfylled his enyll dead god heryng her petecion the kynge waxyde seke in suche wyse that then he knew well it was for his wantoÌ„ desyre Then he commaydyd to delyuer her quyte w toute any spotte of vnclennis Delbora enduyd with so many vertues deseruyd to haue the spirite of prophesye she shewyd not alonely her vouÌ„te in artes femenyne but also in stronge batayles feyghtynge agaynste her eâ—emyes with a valyante and a vertuous harte And she was of suche excellence that .xl. yere she rulyd the people of the iues Hestere brought in captyuyte in to Babilone for her vertue fayernes she was takeÌ„ to wyfe to kyng Assuara who at that tyme rulyd a C.xxvii prouynces And by her merites prayers delyuered the iues fro theyr captyuyte Also the mother of Sampson desyrynge to haue a sonne deseruyd by her vertue that an angell shewyde the natyuyte of Sampsone Elisabeth wyfe to Sacarias as she was the very seruant of god for her deseruynge she had a sonne sanctified or he was borne which was saynte Iohn Now of olde stories of cristen women I can not wryte them at lenght but to be breue to shew some of a latter tyme of the nacion of Castile Don Marya Coronell by whome beganne y â— lynage of the Coronelles bycause her chastite was praysede and her bountie not hyd she was accusyde of a cryme wherfore wyllyngly she brente her selfe hauyng lesse feare of the deth then to be founde culpable Also Done Isabell mother to the mayster of the order of Calatrane Done Rodigo and mother to .ii. erles of Urema Done Alonso Don Iohn she beyng a widowe fell in to a sikenes and the phisycions to procure her helth sayd how she coulde not lyue withoute she maryed or had the company of man then her chyldren knowynge what case she was in desyryd and counsayled her to take an husbande she aunswerd and sayd by the grace of god that shall I neuer do for I had rather dye to be called mother to suche chyldren as ye be then to lyue and to be called wyfe to another husband And with this chaste consyderacyon and by the pleasoure of god when she dyed ther were mysteries sene of her saluacion Also Don Maria gracia the blessed woman borne in Tolledo of the gretest lynage in all the citie she wolde neuer mary kepynge her vyrginite .iiii. score yere at whose deth were sene dyuerce myracles the whiche yet in Tolledo be had in perpetuall remembrance O what may a man say of the pure vyrgyns of gentiles Atrisalya Sybela borne in the citie of Babilone for her merites she prophesied by diuyne reuelacion many thinges to come after always conseruinge her vyrginytie tyll she dyed Pallas Mynerua fyrst sene about the ryuer of Tritonia newe inueÌ„ters of many offices perteynynge to the femynyne sex and also to men alwayes lyuyng as vyrgins And so ended Atalanta she that fyrst strake the porke of Calydonia in virgynite and noblenes she coÌ„tynuyd Canulla doughter to Macabeo kyng of y e Bostos she dyd no lesse then other dyd in kepyng of her virgynite CalaÌ„dea Uesta Clodya Romayne they kepte the same law till theyr dethe yf it were not to length my trouble yf I shuld lyue this M. yere I coulde not resite
the ensaÌ„ples that I could reherce therfore Tesio accordyng as thou haste harde thou and suche other as do blaspheme the nature femenyne are well worthy of iuste punysion the which I counsaill the not to abide to receyue it of a nother but rather punyshe thy selfe yf thou do it of malyce condemne the shame therof ¶ The auctor ALl suche as were present had great maruayll of his wordes seynge by his spekynge to be so nere the deth as he was for when he had ended his wordes his tonge began to fayll and his syght nere lost then his seruauntes began to crye and wayle and his frend begane to wepe and his subiectes cryynge oute in the streates so that all ioy was turned to sorow and the lady his mother beynge absente for his sekenes was kept fro her knowledge howbeit she gyuynge more credyte to her feare then to that was shewyd her with boldnes of maternall loue she deperted fro her owne howse and came to Susa and when she entered the gate euery persone that she saw gaue her euydence of dolour with wordes of extreme passyon rather then with wordes well ordered she herynge how her sone Lereano was in the extremyties of deth her strenght fayled her so that she fell downe to the erth in a trance so longe she laye that euery man thought that y â— mother and the sonne shulde take theyr sepulture at one tyme howbeit with harde remedy she came agayne to her selfe and then went to her sone and when she saw hym in that astate with greate wepynge and passyon of deth she sayd as folowith ¶ The complaynte of Lereanos mother O Lereano the myrth comforte rest and supporte of myne olde dayes O swete companyon to my wyll this day I ame lyke to leue callyng the any more sonne nor thou to call me mother of this I haue greate feare by the sygnes that I se of thy shorte dayes often tymes I hadde suche dremes where with I haue bene in greate feare all the nyght durynge other tymes when I haue ben in my oratory prayng for thy helth my harte hath faylede me and a colde sweat hath taken me in suche maner that of along tyme I wyst not what to do also y e besâ—es haue cretified me of thyne euyll for on a day as I came out of my chamber ther came to me a dogge and made sodenly suche a howlyng that for feare ther of I lost the strength of my body and could not speke nor could not remoue oute of the place that I was in And therby I gaue more credence to my suspecte then to thy messengers and to satysfie my selfe I ame come to se the. O the lyght of my syghte and lyfe O blyndnes of the same if I se y â— dye I can se none occasioÌ„ of thy deth y u beyng in age to lyue y u hast alwayes ben fearefull of god louer of all vertues and enemye to all vyces freÌ„de to freÌ„des and belouyde thynke for certane this day y â— force of thyne euyll fortune takith away the ryght of reasoÌ„ syn thou dyest or thy tyme withoute any infyrmytie Happy be they that be of low and base coÌ„dicioÌ„ and rude of wytte for they feale no thynge but take euery thynge as it comyth And vnhappy be they that by subtyll wytte and sharpe vnderstaÌ„dyng know euery thynge wolde to god thou werte one of the rude and dull for I had rather to be callyd mother to a rude persone hauynge thy lyfe then to haue thy deth beyng neuer so wyse O cruell deth enemy to all mortal creatures thou wilt perdone no synners nor aâ—soyll the innocentes thou arte suche a traytour that no man can make defence agaynst the thou thretenyst age and takest awaye yough the one thou sleyste by malyce and y e other for enuy though thou tary longe yet thou wylte not forget to come at laste thou gouernyst thy selfe with oute law or reasone it had ben better for the to haue coÌ„seruyd my sonne beyng of xx yeres rather then to leue me his mother of .lxx. yeres of age why doste thou turne y e ryght vpse down I haue lyued longe inough and he is yong yet for to lyue perdon me y t I thus say to the for thou by thy cruell warkes causyste dolours yet agayne thou gyuist comforte takyng away them shortely that thou leuist behynde them that thou takest away for the which yf thou wylte so do with me I were moche bouÌ„d to the that I myght go with my sonne Lereano but yf he myght lyue and I to dye it shulde be my comeforte O sone what shall become of my age remeÌ„bryng the ende of thy yough yf I lyue it shal be rather to wepe and bewayll my synnes then by reasone to haue any wyll or desyre to lyue with what thyng coulde I receyue more cruell payne then to lyue long thyne euyll is very great that ther canne be found no remedye what auay lyth now the strength of thy body or the vertue of thyne harte or the hardynes of thy corage all these thynges that shulde auayll y e faylythe yf for the price of loue thy lyfe myght be bought I wolde desyre deth to do his offyce vpon me and to delyuer the quyte fro hym but thy fortune wyll not suffer it nor I caÌ„ not therfore sorow shal be my drynke and my mete and my thought my slepe vntyll the tyme that the force of dethe and my desyre shall brynge me to my sepulture ¶ The auctor THe wepyng that Lereanos mother made encreasyde the payne of all them that were presente and all wayes Lereano had Laureola in his remembrance of that was past he had but small memory and coÌ„syderyng that he shulde ioy but a shorte space with the syght of the .ii. letters that Laureola hadde sente hym he wiste not how to order them when he thought to breke them he thought he shuld offende ther by Laureola in castynge away suche wordes of so worthy price as was wryteÌ„ in them and when he thought to put in to any of his seruauÌ„tes haÌ„des he fearyd leste they shulde be seâ—e wherby perell myght folow then in all these doubtes he toke the sureste way he callyd for a cup of water and then brake the lettres in to small peces and so sette vp in his bed and dranke vp the water with the peces of the letters and so he satisfyde therby his wyll and then drawynge to his ende warde he cast his syght vpon me sayde freÌ„de now all myne euylles be endydâ— and therwith gaue vp his lyfe in witnes of his true fayth Then what sorow I felte and what I dyd is lyghtly iudged the wepynges that was there made of his deth are of suche esteme that me thynke it cruelty to wryte it theÌ„ his obsequyes and buryals were done most honourably accordyng to the deserdes of his vertues as for my selfe with a better wyll I wolde haue depertyd