renewed by fire when all the elements shall be purified when this great house of nature going out from the last consumption by fire as from a furnace shall appeare more resplendent then ever to the eyes of it's workeman What a spectacle to behold the Saviour of the world so long expected to come upon the chariot of clouds accompanied with so many Saints and intelligences to command over the heads of Emperours who have persecuted his Saints in all the parts of the world What rejoycing of Angels what glory of bodies raised againe what City of peace what kingdomes of the Elect Then shal be the time when fathers mothers who haue had the happinesse to become of the number of the blessed shall embrace their Children so much desired and deplored not as this Clodoaldus to desire and bewaile them once more againe but to see them for ever triumphant over death in that glorious immortallity which shall cause all our torments to die to make all our glories survive Then shall be the time when chast lovers who have affected each other so entirely in conjugall amities and who were separated by deaths so dolorous that they as it were forced their eyes to dissolve with their hearts over the Tombes of their deare consorts shall recover their losses and shall behold those persons they so much esteemed encompassed round about with inestimable glory what embracements then what profusions of hearts what entertainments what discourses when all that which we shall see of the earth we being seated over those vast Temples of starres lights and intelligences shall seeme little and unworthy to possesse a heart made for eternity There it is great Countesse where I hope we shall behold that wel-beloved and so worthy to bee beloved sonne of yours there it is where we shall see that brave Duke of Frons sac issuing out out of his Tombe as out of the enkindled pile of the Phoenix out of a chariot of glory from an Altar of immortality The bloud of the most illustrious house of Orleans which ranne in his veines those rayes of Majesty which his celestiall spirit imprinted on his forehead that grace of speach which dwelt on his lips that valour which possessed his heart that piety which entertained all the powers of his soule all those gifts of God which waited on his person shall bee much fairer then ever since they shall never desist to be faire The mountaine of Gelboa hath taken away from us this Ionathas yet mortall and the mountaines of Sion will restore him us immortall Hee hath printed the earth with his courage and loyalty with the characters of his bloud voluntarily sacrificing himselfe for the glory of God the service of the King the repose of France in an age wherein the most deplored die but in a manner whereof none are fit to die but the most glorious At this great day he shall impresse on the firmament of lights which shall issue from his body the excellent beauties of his soule and shall appeare to our eyes more lustrous then the brightest of starres Lift up the eyes of hope and faith above all that is mortall to behold him now in this state of immortality Prevent your joyes by the stability of your beliefe Let weake mothers weepe who thinke they have enclosed in a Tombe all they possessed and confidently take palmes and lillies to crowne his image and honour his ashes oft-times repeating this noble saying which so worthily replenished your lips in the most vehement smarts of your wounds My God thou hast broken my fetters I wil sacrifice an hoast of praise unto thee Let us preserve our selves wholy pure for this great day Let us sigh after it in the fervour of so many miseries Let us anticipate its splendors amongst so much darkenesse Let us looke upon it thorough so many obstacles with an eye mingled with teares and love And that we may leave the mind satisfied in these discourses Take good Reader three notable instructions where in this whole History is concluded The first shal be upon the subject of these reacknowledgements and Christian accidents to adore the divine providence with a most humble reverence to be willing to depend on it in all the parts of our life to commit all the time to come thereof to it 's direction and to condemne the vanity of those who are ready to maintaine this History was an effect of the starres We have now a dayes in the World too many spirits ill rectified which make no scruple to impute these great vicissitudes to Heavenly constellations and to appoint the starres to be as the distributors of all the fortunes in the world These discourses were tollerable among Pagans borne with a yoake on their necks under the servitude of Divels But to see Christians dig into the sepulchres of Gentiles to draw from thence superstitions observations figments and Chimeraes how can this be tolerable to those who beare as much reverence towards Truth as they have otherwise prudence in their carriage It is not my purpose in this worke to combat long against such-like opinions I will not enlarge my selfe upon that Oracle of Ieremy which saith The faithfull are not to beleeve stars and signes of Heaven in that manner as Pagans doe as if they had any superiority over our lives and fortunes I will not cite the counsell of Braga nor Tolledo against the Priscillianists nor likewise borrow armes from the sixt homily of S. Basil upon Genesis nor from St. Chrysostome nor St. Gregory the great upon St. Mathew nor from Eusebius in the booke of preparation to the Gospel nor from an infinite number of others I onely say with St. Ambrose for instruction of those who shall vouchsafe to read these lines that the Astrologie of these ill composed spirits and the webbs of spiders are two things of like nature they are fit to entangle flies not soules well grounded in the sincerity of ancient beliefe They who undoubtedly promise themselves vain haps from their Horoscopes those who deceive them are so much unfurnished of reason as disposed to a coldnesse in Religion And of this there are cleere pertinent proofes For first of all those who deale with setting Horoscopes as much understand the great Oeconomy of Heaven and the pretended signification of so many stars as we know the Canadois since we find their most knowing masters are as it were involved in perpetuall contradictions not upon articles indifferent but things meerely essentiall upon principles as it appeareth by the writings of Ptolomy Albumazar Abenezra Cardan and others much later In such sort that these contradictions destroy all experience which notwithstanding is the onely foundation of judiciary Astrologie These great Temples of light are now reserved to God and Angels the soveraigne Creator hath spred over a Cypres of night and darknes to cast a veyle on our curiosity He who cannot perfectly know the slip of an hearbe nor
no sooner dispatched him but behold a voyce dreadfull and menacing came out of this Idoll which condemned me to blindnesse and the whole Countrey to a most meager sterility if this fault were not speedily repaired and verily I in an instant became blind and my companions saw the grasse dryed and withered up under their feet whereat I being much amazed most humbly prostrated my selfe at the feet of this god beseeching to know of him what satisfaction he desired of me he then appointed I should offer that thing in sacrifice which first presented it selfe unto mee in my returne homeward which I most willingly assented unto not thinking on the sequell of this unhappy promise When behold poore Iacinthus mine onely son whom I with so much care had bred and who alone was able to comfort me in all my losses vpon the report that I was hunting in the groue of Irminsul came out to meet me with unspeakable ioy So soone as I heard the voyce of this tender lambe I was so surprised in all my sences that I knew not what to say he on the other side bemoaned my blindnesse and enquired with all his endevours some remedy for my disaster when by chance having understood the knot of the businesse this imcomparable sonne hastned to present himselfe at the altar of Irminsul where I verily am perswaded the sacrificers who will not mittigate any thing of their cruelty have offered up and torne in pieces this little body as flesh in the shambles But Sir at the least revenge the bloud of my poore victime since you are the worlds arbitrator and if there yet remaine any part of his ashes or bones I beseech your Maiestie they may be restored me that I may bury them in my bosome and powre out my soule upon them The King bitterly wept when hee heard these Tragicall accidents and promised to affoord him all possible comfort for which Clodoaldus lifting his hands up to Heaven gave thankes to the gods and when a Bishop there present told him hee must take away this plurality of gods and beleeve in one God soveraigne Monarch of Heaven and Earth who had sanctified the world by the incarnation of his Word hee required to bee instructed in our Religion which was quickly granted and so soone as his minde was enlightned with the rayes of faith this mist which the Devills had caused was dissolved to the admiration of all the World and foorth-with hee disposed himselfe to prayse and thanke God never leaving the King from whom he began to hope much and that beyond all expectation Charlemaigne entring into the Castle saw the gods of the Saxons and among other the Idoll of Crodon whom Historians thinke to bee the Saturne of the Grecians which verily was an Idoll of bloud and massacres and to which they offered in many places sacrifices of men and children as wee understand from the relation of Pagan Antiquities There likewise stood Irminsul all armed from head to foot holding in one hand a standard with a rose figured in it and in the other a ballance having besides a Beare engraven on his Cuirasse and a Lion on his Target Wherupon Crantzius and other Historians give sundry explications easie to bee observed Moreover there was a statue of Venus which shewed it was no extraordinary matter for these Idolaters to ad homicides and slaughters to the ordures of the impurity whereof this Irminsul bare the figure This brave Monarch breathed out a deepe sigh seeing these prodigious deities which had hitherto amused this miserable people and as he was about to cause them to be demollished one came to tell him there were prisoners of note in the dungeon reserved to be very speedily sacrificed Wherevpon hee in all haste appointed a commissary with guards about him to bring them foorth and to bee informed of the crimes wherewith they were to be charged The poore Hildegardis buryed in this deepe darknesse expected nothing but the pile and flames fearing the high Priest factious and enraged would draw to himselfe a reputation of honour signed with her bloud Wherevpon she wholly resolved for death but it extremely troubled her that together with life they sought to bereave her of the reputation of honor and honesty and endevoured to stamp an infamy on her Tombe If ashes which fly away with the wind may expect the funerall rites of a Tombe shee complayned that having so charily preserved her virginity of which fire it selfe had rendred a most solemne testimony yet did the rage of her enemies handle her as a harlot Shee deplored that her ashes should remaine in a barbarous Countrey her selfe to bee buried in oblivion as the most unknowne and abandoned creature of the World and that of so much kindred and allies there was not one would come to strew some silly flowers on the place impressed with the prints of her punishments And as wee are free in our desires shee in thought wished that some one at the least would one day carry the remainders of her ashes to her father and say unto him Behold here the lamentable reliques of that daughter whom you so much sought so much haue bewailed never giving end to your search or teares The poore creature is dead under most cruell torments leaving her life and memory in the flames of a burning pile prepared by her enemies but she is dead as a child of honour and hath not disgraced the example of her Mother nor the vertue of her ancestors Wee all of us retaine some love for the affection and estimation of posterity which is a great note of the immortality of our soules It seemed to her if some one would promise the accomplishment of this desire she should die with much satisfaction that her father would bee comforted therewith and willingly affoord the last obsequies to this slender portion of her body Having dreamed sometime thereupon shee bitterly bewailed the death of her deare Ischyrion of little Iacinthus and Faustinus fearing least this unhappy surprisall might redouble their punishments she desired yet once againe to speake with them before shee dyed to assist comfort and fortifie her selfe with them for this last passage shee intreated she might bee permitted to speake one word to her foster-father Araspus but it was told her hee was lately arested as being held guilty of the conspiracy shee had plotted which redoubled her sorrow with the more violence considering this innocent old man was involved in her ruines In the end the disastrous Maid mourned in the dungeon wholy absorpt in deepe miseries and being deprived the splendor of the day she saw in her imagination all the confusions of fortune and a million of the images of death which assayled her repose when shee desired to shut up her eyes for sleepe Then hearing the prison doore open she cryed out aloud Let us goe behold here the houre appointed by Heaven which must give an end to so many miseries as instantly turmoyle thee But
the furies of Hell both Priest altars and sacrifices to which shee had hitherto offered her service thorough a superstition which had therein as much infamy as credulity It was the time that all living creatures were involved in the veyle of night and charmed with the naturall sweetnesse of sleepe when the sad Hildegardis like a sick eie did nothing but watch weepe and tremble for her wel-beloved One while unable any longer to endure the disturbances of her bed as if it had beene the cause of her cares she walked up and downe her chamber like a ghost sometimes shee opened the window and seeing Heaven enameled with an infinite number of stars shee said to herselfe Amongst so many eyes which watch in this great Temple of God is there not some one that undertakes the commission of the events of the world which may command some ray to arise in the confusion of my affaires Then remembring within her selfe the contentment of her fathers house which she had tasted in her most innocent yeeres her taking away her fortune her imployment the tedious yeeres which saw her drenched in this miserable servitude she breathed foorth sighes and moystened her bosome with teares which seemed ought to be without measure as her evill was without remedy Sometime it came into her thoughts that perhaps some divine power had sent these two young gallants for her deliverance and that shee should not refuse the good fortune which now did as it were knocke at her dore then instantly shee smiled at her owne imagination and thorough an infinite care she had to preserve her virginity perpetually inviolable it seemed to her that her minde was too much employed on the image of her deare Ischyrion her young heart which had not learned to love any creature in this manner doubted her first flames and feared to trust her selfe with her owne secret Then she blamed her owne simplicity as too scrupulous being perswaded shee ought not to resist the inspiration of so holy an amity and that this fire was not unlike the rayes of the Sunne which enkindle the Phoenix his nest If in the agitation of her thoughts she strove to shut an eye her repose was presently assailed with affrightments and fantasies which figured unto her hideous images of her calamity sometimes shee thought she saw her best beloved cut in peeces in this most enormous sacrifice and that hee implored her aide with a dying voice One while she brake prison with him and found therein resistance that hindered her designes an other while shee ranne thorough frightfull forrests and wildernesses in the company of her Ischyrion another while she sayled vpon seas full of Monsters and Tempests and in an instant saw her selfe surprised by the high Priest who reproached her with ingratitude and infidelity His menacing countenance pursued her as a shadow of hell it shut her up in dungeons it put fetters on her feet and hands it in her opinion condemned her to dye in flames and to serue for a spectacle of terrour to all those who had adored her as a Divinity Amongst all these horrours shee had not any thought more sweet than death which shee began to reflect on with an amorous eye as the Haven of the perturbations of her minde She perswaded her selfe that who can no longer hope for ought should feare nothing and that the most undoubted remedy of all miseries was the extremity of those miseries which ended in the last period of their violence since the divine providence hath not made an immortall evill for things mortall So soone as shee saw the first rayes of day-light to breake forth she went to seeke out her faithfull Araspus who was at that time the only creature of the world into whose heart she might powre forth her thoughts with full security He was her foster father bred up formerly in her fathers house a man of extraction noble enough witty and couragious no whit degenerating from his Nobility Hee had ever bred the yong Mayd with unspeakable tendernesse and being in her company when she was surprized had put himselfe into defence and received some wounds which caused him stil to cary notable characters of his loyalty Afterwards hee being taken together with her by these theeves they seeing the childe was in danger of death if shee lost the company of this man thought it unfit to remove him from her And he being very discreet quickly got credit among the Barbarians mannaging with much dexterity the safety and repose of his Hildegardis untill such time as God sent some fayre occasion to worke her libertie Araspus then seeing her enter into his chamber well perceived she was not in any good tune and said unto her Daughter what brings you hither Hee who should behold your countenance would thinke your mind were full of discontent But she at that time laying aside all complements and thinking of nothing but to empty her heart of what surcharged it demaunded of him whither hee had thoroughly observed all that passed in the matter of these gallants and hee replying one must be without eyes if they were not open to behold so prodigious valour This word extremely pleased the faithfull Lover and gave her occasion to enlarge upon their praise with discourses superlative enough which she could not end but with compassion of their misery for she bitterly bewayled to see such eminent vertues under the knife of furies But Araspus seeking to comfort her and shewing that in a matter already passed we have no better remedy then forgetfulnesse and in case of impossibility no other power but the acknowledgement of our infirmities she wide opened her heart and said unto him Araspus you know you have beene obliged to all our family and by how many titles I may account you mine Needs must I confesse since my misfortune hath enthralled mee with captivity I have ever cast an eye on you as an Angel-guardian appointed by the gods for my safety I have made you the depository of all my crosses counsels all my thoughts and if in such confusion of affaires I have received any hope I no sooner felt it bud in my hart but have beene willing to make it bloome in your bosome You are not ignorant that since my captivity I have lived on gall and teares nor have found anything else then thornes in an age wherein Mayds of my condition use not to walke but on roses How often have you seene mee in the accesses of sorrow so violent as they were able to rend my soule foorth if my good Genius had not preserved it for a more prosperous fortune you used to tell mee I must bee patient and that a happy day would come which should breake my fetters and wipe away all my teares Now know my deare Araspus that day is come that if I once neglect my happinesse it will passe away nor ever shall I againe so much as touch the tips of its wings It is most undoubted that
as it seemed to promise her much facility in a project which was otherwise impossible It also happened very fortunately that the execution of offenders was put off till another day for certaine customes of antiquity and religion that are strong chaines among people and which gave her full scope to accomplish her desires Wee daily see among many occurrents of affaires that to be verified which an ancient Author said who having made a large recitall of all the naturall armes which God giveth creatures he affirmes a women eminently hath them all and that there is neither fire nor sword which yeeldeth not either to beauty or cunning wyles which with them are very frequent She is able to walke thorough a Corps-du-guard to pierce Rockes and to seat her selfe in places where nothing can penetrate but lightning Hildegardis so mannaged her businesse in a short time that a hundred iron gates were all-most ready to fly open at her command Shee having disposed so many affections to her service failed not to visite the prisoners whom she knew naturally much to desire their liberty Shee went about mid-night into the dungeon accompanied only with a trusty maid-servant and a page who bare a Torch before them The poore gentlemen extremely weary with the labours of the former day and who after so great a perplexity of thoughts began to sleep upon their sadnesse hearing the great dore to open with a confused noise they suddenly awakened but when they beheld this heavenly face which promised more day-light to their affaires then the torch could afford to their eyes it seemed unto them some Divinity favourable to their affections was descended into the dungeon to comfort them but perceiving it was the she-Priest of the Temple which had charge to attend the sacrifices they were somewhat astonished But the generous Ischyrion cried out aloud Madame what is the matter come you then to leade us out to butchery Shee desirous to sound them answered Sir trouble not your selfe but as you have fought valiantly dispose your selves to die bravely To which he replyed he was already thoroughly prepared and asked her if it were she must do the deed To which she answered That never had she learned the trade to cut mens throats but that she was onely to assist in the sacrifice and to cut off the tipps of the victimes haire to throw the first fruits into the flames I at the least render thankes to my fortune saith Faustin that we are fallen into so good a hand and that since wee must needes die our death shall be honoured with the eyes of such a beauty Vpon this Hildegardis felt her heart surprized and stood some distance of time without speaking one word casting her eyes on the yong Iacinthus kept in the same dungeon and who notwithstanding the light and voice still slept securely Behold saith Ischyrion how this child doth allie the brother to the sister that is sleepe to death Why should wee so much feare death since to speake truly it is as it were nothing else but to performe once for all what Iacinthus now doth and what wee daily doe many times Then turning himselfe with a smiling countenance to the vestall Madame saith he should wee dare to hope a favour from you we would not beg life For wee know wee are accounted in the number of the most wretched sacrifices and that the people must be appeased by our death Doe then but save this little innocent pardon the tendernesse of his age take pity on the sorrow of his father verely we may vaunt even in these dungeons hee is our deare conquest and that we have purchased him in a sharpe combat at the price of our bloud which causeth his death to afflict us more sensibly then our owne At this word Hildegardis breathed foorth a deepe sigh which shee notwithstanding sought to smoother yet turning to her companion she said Verely this heart is truly generous what could hee doe more should hee pleade his brothers cause Behold what contempt of death what resolution It is fittest for such to live since they so well know how to use life Therevpon drawing neere vnto him Sir said shee Doe me the honour to tell me your name and what you are He replyed there needed in him for sacrifice but body and soule as for his name it served for no other use That all which miserable men can doe is wisely to conceale themselves and that among disasters the most secret were ever the best for generous soules This answere more enkindled the curiosity of the Lady to enquire after that which he was willing to dissemble so that seeing himselfe pressed on all sides he said Madame I am called Ischyrion since you must needs know it and I intreat you to thinke I doe not now begin to fight with Monsters for my whole life resembleth those pieces of Tapistry where Dragons are seene among golden apples It is a perpetuall web of miseries and glories there was never any thing so various I have beene told I sprang from regall bloud but being very young and unknowne was stolne away by Pirates and then recovered againe by shepherds whereof Thoas the most eminent among them was pleased to breed mee with his owne sonne Faustin here present with whom I have vowed a most faithfull and strict amity After that I had a vehement desire to travell all the world over with him and to make enquiry into my birth which I have hitherto done nor is there any place of fame in the habitable world to which in this my youth I have not travelled and ennobled it with some conquest wee together have seene above a hundred times the gates of death wide open to receive us but still our good Genius found some way for our deliverance untill now I see no helpe at all verely in my opinion death alone must shew mee the place where my parents are He cut off these words very short unwilling to seeme either vaine-glorious in recitall of his owne adventures or suppliant to purchase life by the history of his travels But shee who considered these discourses like unto Pictures which tell more then they expresse not being able any longer to dissemble her heart which shee seemed to distill with her teares having broken some very deepe sobs said unto him Worthy sir and friend God hath not created me a rocke to be insensible of humane miseries I plainly see your atchievements very neere approach the fortunes of our house and it seemes the web of our destinies hath passed thorough the one and the same hand For my father had a sonne taken from him when he was very young a while after the death of his wife my thrice honoured Mother which drenched him into so deep a sorrow that thorough griefe he expected death Hee notwithstanding comforted himselfe in me beholding me in most innocent yeeres of a nature very cheerefull and doubted not but that I in time might bring him a
one comming who opened a little window to give day-light to the darkenesse of the dungeon she much amazed to behold other countenances of men then such as shee had knowne plainly discovered them by their habits and fashions to be strangers They commanded her to follow them wherevpon she replyed Sirs whither will you lead mee and instantly shee understood shee was no longer to give answere to a company of Priests who had forsaken the place but before the throne of the prime Monarch of the world This newes made her conceive at first great hope of liberty imagining with her selfe she should plead her cause before a benigne Prince who would give sentence with all equity But hearing some to murmure round about her who spake what fame published that shee must bee burnt as a sorceresse and that it was she who had lent her hand to so many enormous sacrifices committed in this cursed place this greatly amazed her But forgetting her proper danger for the love shee bare to Ischyrion shee asked whither those gentlemen shut up in the next prison were already put to death or no to which it was answered they were alive and should bee sentenced with her and even at the same time they were taken out of prison to bee brought before the King who called for them and it happened they both met upon the way Verily this was a very heavy meeting for the noble Ischyrion perceiving his dearest Hildegardis led along enchayned and knowing shee had no other crime but for obliging him felt his heart so seized with griefe that he thought to yeeld up the ghost betweene the armes of Faustinus and Iacinthus who supported him although bound as well as they could So soone as he a little had recovered his spirits and got liberty of speech he cryed out What Madame am I then the instrument of your death There needs no question be asked whither I be criminall since I see my selfe defiled with bloud and am guilty of the murder of a person in whom nothing may bee desired but immortality Where shall I find limbs enow in my body to expiate such a guilt I from hencefoorth defie Wheeles Gibbets keene Razors and flames and if it bee true which is said that the burning pile is already prepared for us I will mount to the top of it without bands or fetters I wil first of all try the violence of the fire I wil render an honorable payment before the eyes of Heaven and earth I most faithfully promise when my soule shall bee separated from my body it shall every where waite on your most purified spirit as the shadow of it but if it must be condemned to darkenesse for eclipsing so divine a light I will onely begge of thee oh great intelligence that from the sphere of splendors due to thy merrit thou wilt some times deigne to send forth a ray of thy clemency to enlighten the dusky nights of my miseries and offences Hildegardis answered this speech with her weeping eyes the dart whereof was not so blunted by teares but that they made impression on the heart of her beloved and so much as her voyce might cleaue a sunder the sharpe sighes of her heart she said Sir accuse not your innocency but my unhappinesse which hath made mee become so unfortunate that even meere benefits have power enough to make mee criminall If death separate our lives at the least I am glad it may perhaps unite our ashes and that wee shall preserve the immortality of our affections in the immortality of our soules This pleasing spectacle softned the heart of the Commissary and guards that they almost forgat themselves so transported they were In the meane time Charlemagine sate on his Throne covered over with a faire pavillion and appeared on that day resplendent in the attires of a Maiestie absolutely Royall encompassed with his Nobility which afforded him the same lustre that leaves doe roses He caused Clodoaldus to bee placed in his Throne that hee might finde out his sonne if happily hee were yet among the prisoners As they were put forward to be presented before the King it hapned Iacinthus who was very carelesly bound for the assurance they had of his liberty seeing his father instantly brake his cords and ranne to leape about his necke in the presence of Charlemaigne and all this goodly company The father tenderly imbracing him said with a confused voice How my sonne What come you now out of your Tombe Ah my poore sonne How were you to your father when you left him in the Forrest to goe to the altar of Irminsul Tell me who hath raised you up againe The son on the other side beheld his father with admiration a blinde man become cleere sighted and said unto him Father who hath restored you your eyes There upon both stood seized with so inexplicable joy that they were unable to expresse the cause of their happinesse but that the father distilling some teares of gladnesse spake thus Oh my sonne It is a worke of God and then perceiving he had done an act of a man transported not considering hee was in the presence of a King hee hastned to prostrate himselfe at the feet of Charlemaigne saying Sir excuse the power of nature otherwise this childe is more yours then mine Then turning to Iacinthus Sonne draw neere and kisse the feet of the chiefe Monarch of the World to whom you owe your happinesse and mine His God hereafter shall be yours his Altars shall be your Altars and you shall have no other Religion with me then his Vpon which the childe making a most lowly obeysance cast himselfe on the earth and the King causing him to be lifted up againe tooke him by the hand and gave him to the Bishop to bee instructed in the faith This matter for a long time entertained the eyes of all the company with his happinesse and this novelty untill Hildegardis was brought forth to take her turne then was the time when all the World shewed it selfe to bee mooved with much curiosity to know who this virgin was and for what offence shee was fettered in the dungeon shee was of a goodly stature and had a body well proportioned in all the parts thereof the lineaments of her face very delicate her colour bright and lively port grave and which sufficiently declared her to bee borne of some noble family And though her countenance was then deiected her eyes dull her haire negligently discheveled and attire very plaine yet all this did much grace her for her beauty failed not to shine thorow so many obstacles as the Sunne in a winters day which is ever constantly the Sunne though the sharpenesse of the season robbe us of the vigour and lustre of his rayes The King at the beginning was amazed seeing such a creature reduced to this state and commanded her to draw neere vnto him which she did with an excellent grace when prostrating her selfe at
of me whilst this noble gentleman is in fetters Bee your Majesty pleased to finish what you so prosperously have begun Forthwith the King caused Ischyrion and Faustine to be fetched commanding their chaines to bee taken off Ischyrion feeling himselfe unfettered lifted his hands to Heaven and said Now is the time oh Heavens I render you thankes that I once againe have my hands at liberty to die in some battaile if you shall please to deigne me this favour we at the least so farre as I perceive have escaped from these bloudy sacrifices where wee were to loose our lives not illustrating our deaths with one ray of honour but now if we needs must make an end wee will conclude on the theater of Kings in some glorious piece of service Charlemaigne hearing this yong Eaglet speake with so much generosity enquired his name race employment course and progresse of life But hee making a low obeysance said to the King Sir I beseech your Majestie to excuse me if I give you not upon this question that full satisfaction I could wish For fortune hath created me an imperfect man without Father or Mother kindred allyes Countrey house or riches casting me as an abortive of the sea risen out of the waves to arive on some unknowne shore All I can say of my extraction is that I was taken away in so tender yeares that I could not have any knowledge either of my selfe or mine It onely was told mee that Pirats stealing mee away from I know not what Countrey came to east anchor in a a part of Affrick where they were so hotly assayled that one of their vessels was left behind in which I was and every one running hastily to the pillage of this booty the shepherds sought also to have their share in it whereof one of them seeing me whither mooved with compassion or whither he thought mee a childe of some good family and that one day restoring me he might gaine somewhat by it he resolved to lay hold on me and bred mee up with his son Faustine here present We both grew up under his wings like two yong Ashes planted by the favour of Heaven neere a rivers side and although I had then no other opinion of my selfe but that I was the son of Thoas my foster-father yet being among little Countrey boyes of my condition I played the Prince and was infinitely delighted to practise warres and combats wherein I almost everhad the upper hand from whence it came to passe the name of Ischyrion was given mee which is a tite of valour and glory The shepherd Thoas loved me tenderly as his owne son and plainely perceiving I was not borne to rest in sheep-coats all my life Being now upon the degrees of an age more vigorous he tooke me apart and said My deare Ischyrion I must now at this time unsold a secret unto you which I have hitherto been willing to conceale from you fearing least the greatnesse of your courage might prove your ruine in these greener yeeres but now when at this present you are come to more maturity and strength I would have you know you are no son of mine I found you in a ship of Pyrats and some Mariners did secretly whisper you were stollen away from a certaine port and that your Father was a great Prince whereof I could never learne any further Perhaps your good starres will shew you more I onely intreat you to take care of your person which shall be most deare to mee whilst I live and if you one day arrive to any fortune worthy your selfe forget not your poore foster-father not son that I beg ought of your abilities for God hath affoorded us contentments in our little Cottage but much it shall please me to be continued in your remebrance as one who greatly have desired to breed you well and if any thing were defective in your education excuse our poverty Heaven hath created 〈◊〉 such as you see full of good will though slender in fortune and meanes This discourse drew teares from mee and so farre penetrated my heart that in few daies I resolved to travell thoroughout the world and enquire out my birth But Faustin knowing what passed prayed me by all that I held most pretious not to forsake him but to make him the companion of all my dangers which was the cause I besought his Father to grant it mee which hee assented unto although the Mother very much opposed it Since we continually have lived together as one soule diuided into two bodies For our amity having taken roote in a mutuall temperature and great correspondence of humors hath been maintained with a perpetuall familiarity arriving to that height that neither death nor hell is of power to separate us Good and ill have ever beene common betweene us daily we obliged one another by all the wayes of friendly offices There was never any thing secret betweene us both our hearts and breasts were enter changeably transparent Dissimulation and contradiction could no more approach the sincerity of our love then serpents the blossome of the Vine Nor was there in so many yeeres as we lived together the least impression of inconstancy distaste or coldnesse in our affections but wee loued with the same ferver as if we daily began never to end When wee had travelled over some Proninces of Affricke we passed into Asia and from Asia are come into Europe where wee have borne Armes against the Sarazins and every where have opposed Monsters Pirats Robbers wild-beasts trampling under foot those plagues borne to afflict Mortals Finally we have here beene stayd by a most unworthy treason as your Majesty hath understood by the discourse made unto you I verily thinke good fortune now presents herselfe unto us and that wee here shall finde what is â—â—ine to search in any other part of the world The King well satisfied to heare this whole narration asked him whither whilst hee was in the Pirat-ship any marke were upon him which might one day discover his birth Thereupon he drew forth a little jewell that had been found about his necke and which Thoas having faithfully kept restored him at his departure The King taking it into his hand to see what it was perceived many out of our iosity lifted up their heads and cast their eyes upon it and among others Clodoaldus who said in his heart Ah what if the destinies bee pleased I this day recover all my losses good haps sometimes comes by heapes as well as bad The God whom I now worship is much greater then all my desires As he paused on this imagination and came so neere as hee could Behold saith Charlemaigne a very rich jewell I here among other things discover an Agat which beareth two javelins crossed one over another At these words Clodoaldus fetched a deepe sigh and said Sir these are my Armes from all antiquitie thereupon his speech was stopped by the deep resentments of his heart yet