that see how this beast did runne A wicked race and woxe his mothers foe Note how the heauens made leuell yet at last And plagude by dâ—ath his blooddy dealings past Aut sero Aut citius The argument to the third Historie GEntile loude one Nicoluccios wise Faire Catiline a matrone graue and wife Whom to corrupte sith he might not deuise He parted thence to leade a grauer life For she was bent to scorne such masking mates As houerd still about her husbands gates Within a while this Nicoluccio His Ladie great with childe was forst to ride In haste from home and leaue her there as guide Whome sodayne griefe assaylde by fortune so As Phisicke friends and all that sawe the chance Did yelde her dead she lay in such a traunce The senslesse corse was to the Church coÌ„ueide And buried there with many a weeping eye The brute was blowne abrode both farre nye Reporte once spread is hardly to be stayde Gentile hearing how the matter went His Ladies losse did bitterly lament At length when teares had well dischargde his woe And sorrowe slakte a friend of his and hee Tooke horse rode by night that none might see Whether they ment or wherabout to goe To Church he came dismounted from his horse He entred in and vp he tooke the corse With full intent to dallie with the dead Which he in life by suite could neuer winne He colde he kist he handled cheeke and chinne He left no limme vnfelte from heele to ehad So long he staide at last the infant steerd Within her wombe whereby some life appeerde By fellowes helpe he bore the body thence Home to his aged mother where she dwelt Who moude to ruthe with her so frendly delt As to reuiue her sparde for expence She could not vse her owne with greater care So choyse her cheere so daintie was hir fare VVhen time was come for nature to vnfolde Her coferd ware this dame was brought a bed And by Gentiles meanes had happily sped And he forthwith a solemne feast did holde VVhere to the husband both the wife and boy Sâ—rrendred were to his exceeding ioye BOlogna is a towne of Lumbardie you know A citie very brauely builte and much set out to shewe Where as in auncient dayes a famous knight there dwelde Who for good giftes and linage both all others farre excelde A man commended much Gentile was his name This worthy gallant fell in loue by fortune with a dame That Catilina hight one Nicoluccios wyfe A passing faire and featurde wenche and ledde an honest life And loude her husband so as she did little waye The frendship of enamored youthes nor ought that they could say This Gentleman that sawe the Ladies faithfull breast And how he might by no deuice to him her fansie wrest Nor enter in her grace whom he did loue so well Nor by good seruice gaine good will to déepe despaire he fell And hereupon vnto Modena he retyrde And bore an office in the towne as one there to desyrde It fortunde on a time when Nicoluccio rode From home as touching his affaires and that his wife abode A thrée myles off the towne where he had buylte a graunge To make her mery with her friendes and eke the ayre to chaunge Then being great with childe not many wéekes to goe This Lady had a great mishap as here my pen shall showe A griefe I wote not what with such a sodayne force And monstrous might befell the dame and conquerde sore her corse As in the Ladies limmes no sparke of life appéerde And more than that an other thing there was that most discheerde Her kinsfolkes then in place for such as had good sight And skill in Physike déemde her dead and gaue her ouer quight And thereupon her friends that wiste howe matters went By her report in time of life and howe that she had spent Not full so many monthes as giue a babée breath And make it vp a perfect childe when once they sawe her death Not making farther searche in case as there she laye Vnto a Church not farre from thence the carkasse did conuay And gaue it there a graue as Ladies vse to lye The bodie being buried thus a friende of his did hye Him to Gentile straight to tell him of the newes Who though was fardest froÌ„ her grace yet could none other chuse But sorrowe at her death When greatest gréefe was past And that he had be thought awhile thus out he brake at last Loe Lady lo quoth he nowe art thou dead in graue Nowe Madame Catilina I who during life could haue Not one good frendly looke nor sweete regarding eye VVill be so bolde to steale a kisse as you in coffin lie Nowe booteth do defence you cannot now resist VVherefore assure thée Lady nowe thou shalt be sweetely kist Howe dead soeuer thou arte nowe will I take delight And â—â—uing tolde his tale the day withdrewe and made it night Then taking order howe he mought that none might sée Dispatche and goe vnto the place his trustie freud and hee Vpon their geldings mounte and neuer made a staye Vntill they came vnto the Church where dead the Ladie laye Where being lighted off their horses in they goe And vp they brake the coffyn straight and he that loude her so Laye by the Ladies side and clapte his face to hers And lent her many a louing kisse and bathde her breast with teares Lamenting very sore But as we daily sée The lust of man not long content doth euer long to bée Proceeding farther on but moste of all the rest The fonde desire of such as are with raging loue possest So he that had resolude no longer there to staye But doe his feate and home agayne thus to himselfe gan saye Oh sith I nowe am here why should I idle stande Why doe not I this breast of thine imbrace and féele with hande I neuer after this shall touch it so againe Nor neuer mynde Gentile thus proceeding in his vaine Into her bosome thrust his hande beneath her pappe And staying there a little space did féele a thing by happe Within her wombe to wagge and beat against her brest VVhereof at first he woxe amazde but after repossest Of wittes and sense againe a further triall hee Did make and then he found the corse not thorough dead to bee Though little were the life yet some he knew for trouth To rest within the Ladies limmes wherefore the gallants both From out the coffyn tooke this lately buried corse And vp they leapte in all the poast and layde her on the horse Before the saddle bowe and home in haste they ride Both to recouer life againe and fearing to be spyde Thus closely was she brought within Bologna walles Vnto Gentiles house where he vpon his mother calles Requesting her to helpe the case required haste His mother being graue and wyfe receiude the corse as fast As she good matron mought which déede of pitie done Both
had beheld She watred straight her eyes And out alasse to Stramba and Lagina lowde she cries The louers left the déep discourse And to the place they runne Where as so late this chaunce befell And deadly déed was done Ariuing there and sinding dead The weauer in the grasse And more than this perceiuing how His body swollen was And séeing all his face bespaugde With spots as black as cole And that in all the body was Not any member whele Then Stramba cried out aloude Oh vile vnthriftie wench what hast thou done why hast thou giuen Thy friend a poysoned drench What meanst thou by this déed of thine Which words were spoke so hie That all the neighbours heard the same That were the dwellers by And in they pressed all in hast Into the garden where The showte was made and being come They found the body there Both void of life and fouly swolue An valy sight to sée And finding Stramba shedding teares And blaming her to be The only cause of Pasquines death The wench vnable eke For verie griefe of heart a worde In her defence to speake Though shée in déed were not the cause Yet they that came to view Did apprehend the girle and thought That Strambas wordes were true When thus the wench arested was Shée wrong and wept a pace And so from thence was brought before The common Iudge his face Vnto the pallace where hée dwelt The maidens accusers were Excéeding earnest in the case Both Stramba that was there With Pasquine as his faithfull friend And other moe beside That came into the garden when The faithfull virgin cride And hereupon the Iustice fell To question of the fact Debating with the witnesses Who hauing throughlie rackt The matter and not finding her As giltte of the déede Nor any proofe of malice that Might from the maide procéede As touching murther of the man Hée thought it good to stay His iudgement and himselfe to goe Where dead the carkasse lay To view the partie and the place To beace the matter out For all the other euidence Might not remoue the doubt Within his head the Iudge conceivde In this so strange a case The men that knew the garden brought The Iustice to the place Where Pasquines carkasse puffed lay And strouting in such wise As made the Iudge himselfe am azde Hée could not well deuise How such a mischiefe might bée done Which made him aske the maide Symona how the murther hapt To whom the virgin said Renowmed Iustice after talke Betwixt this man and me Hée stept aside vnto the bed Of Sage that here you sée And with a leafe thereof he rubd His gummes as I do nowe And therewithall shée tooke a leafe To shew the Iustice how Her friend had done and this quoth she He did and died than Whereat this Stramba and the rest That records were began To scorne and laugh in presence of The Iudge and earnestly Made sute that fire might bée fet Wherein the wench to trie To féele the penance of her fact Which like a wicked wretch She had deuisde shée earned death That would her friend dispatch The virgin wofull for the death Of him that latelie died And fearefull at the earnest sute Which Stramba made beside Thus hauing rubd her tender iawes With Sage before them all Without suspect of such mishap Bereft of life did fall Vnto the ground where Pasquine lay And in like sort did swell From louely lookes to loathsome limmes A monstrous chaunce to tell And thus to shew the meane how earst Her louer lost his breath This sillie giltlesse wench her selfe Euen there did die the death O happy soules whose hap it was In one ielfe day to laue So faithfully and in selfe day The pangs of death to proue And happter had you both ybin If you had had the grace Some other where to spent the time And not within that place But farre more blessed are yée nowe If in this death of yours You loue ech other as in life Your likings did endure But thou Symona happiest art For ending so thy dayes If we that liue may iudge aright And yeeld the dead their praise VVhose innocent and giltlesse ghost Dame Fortune did denie By Strambas false surmised proofs VVithout iust cause to die I count thée treble blest of God For Fortune found I say A meane for thée by selfe same death That rid thy friende away To set thee frée from misreports And slaunder that did growe And gaue thée leaue by losse of life Vnto thy loue to goe The Iudge that saw this sodain chance And all others eke That present were amazed stood And wist not what to speake Or to comecture in the cace The wisest tongues were domme At last the Iudge as soone as hée Was to his senses comme Thus said by this it doth appeare The Sage that here you sée Infected is and venim strong Though Sage by nature be A very soneraigne holesome hearbe The proofe hath made it plaine But for because we will be sure It shall not hurt againe Do delue it vp and burne it here It may offend no more The Gardner therewithall was come Who digd it vp before The Iudge and all the standers by He had not parde the ground Farre in but that the cause of both Those louers banes he founde For vnderneath this bed of Sage The fellow that did dig Turnd vp a toade a loathsome sight A worme excéeding big The toade was of a monstrous growth Then euery man could tell And iudge the cause of that mishap Which both those friends befell Then could they say the venomd worme Had bealchd his poyson out And so infected both the roote And all the bed about Where grewe the Sage that bred their deaths Then sawe they playne the cause And reason why the weauer dyde By rubbing of his lawes They made no more adoe but forst The gardner by and by To make a fyre to burne the Sage And eke the Toade to frie That was the cause of double spoyle The Iudge had nought to say When this was done but parted home The people went their way Straight Stramba and his other mates That gaue in euidence Against Symona brought a Beare And bare the bodies thence So vgly swollen as they lay Vnto Saint Paules and there Within one Tombe did burie both For of that Church they were Lenuoy AS noble mindes to loue are kindly bent And haughty harts to fancie homage yeelde As upâ—â— makes the stoutest states relent And martiall men that daunt the foe in fielde So meanest mates are masht within the net That wily loue to trappe his trayne hath set What Prince so prowde what King for al his crown What sage so sadde or solemne in his sawes What wight sowise but Cupid brings him downe And makes him stoupe to nature and her lawes Both poore and rich doe loue by course of kinde The proofe whereof in all degrees we finde That Hector sterne that stroue to mayntayne Troy And
glister passing bright Amids her lylye chéekes the Rubie lyes Her téeth of pearle lippes louely red and white All other limmes doe aunswere well the same Now iudge of both which is the brauer dame La mia donna bella è buona To his frend promising that though her beautie fade yet his loue shall last I Wotte full well that bewtie cannot laste No rose that springs but lightly doth decay And feature like a lillie leafe doth waste Or as the Cowslip in the midst of May I know that tract of time doth conquer all And beuties buddes like fading floures do fall That famous Dame fayre Helen lost her hewe Whē withred age with wrinckles chaungd her chéeks Her louely lookes did loathsomnesse ensewe That was the A per se of all the Gréekes And sundrie moe that were as fayre as shee Yet Helen was as freshe as fresh might bée No force for that I price your beautie light If so I finde you stedfast in good will Though fewe there are that doe in age delight I was your friend and so doe purpose still No change of lookes shall bréede my change of loue Nor beauties want my first goodwill remoue Per gentilezza Tanto Non per bellezza From the citie of Mosqua to his friend in England GO burning sighes and pierce the frozen skie Slack you the snow with flames of fancies fire Twixt Brutus land and Mosqua that doe lie Goe sighes I say and to the Phenix flie Whome I imbrace and chieflie doe desire Report of me that I doe loue her best None other Saint doth harbour in my brest Tell her that though the colde is wont by kinde To quench the cole and ffames do yéeld to frost Yet may no winters force in Russia binde My heart so heard or alter so my minde But that I still imbrace her beautie most I went her friend and so cotinue still Frest cannot freat the ground of my good will Ardoe ghiaccio To his mistres declaring his life only to depend of her lookes THe Salamander cannot liue without the help of flaming fire To hath his limmes in burning coales it is his glée and chiefe desire The litle fish doth loue the lake dame nature hath assigned him To liue no longer then he doth amid the siluer channel swimme Chameleon féedes but on the ayre the lacke whereof is his decay These thrée doe perish out of hand take fire flouds and ayre away Iudge you my déere the danger then of very force that must ensue Vnto this careful heart of mine that cannot liue withouten you I am the fish you are the flood my heart it is that hangs on hooke I cannot liue if you doe stoppe the floudhatch of your freudly brooke I silly Salamander die if you maintaine not frendships fire Quenche you the coale and you shal sée me pine for lack of my desire You are the pleasant breathing ayre and I your poore Chameleon Barre me your breath and out of hand my life and sweete delight is gone Which sith t is so good mistresse then doe saue my life to serue your turne Let me haue ayre and water stil let me your Salamander burne My death wil doe you litle good my life perhaps may pleasure you Rewe on my case and pitie him that sweares himself your seruant true I beare the badge within my brest wherin are blazde your colours braue Loue is the only liuery that I at your curteous hand doe craue I doe desire no gréedy gaine I couet not the massye golde Embrace your seruant mistres then his wages wil be quickly tolde As you are faire so let me finde your bountie equall to your face I cannot thinke that kinde so néere to beauties bower would rigor place Your comely hewe behight me hope your louely lookes allow mee life Your graue regard doth make me déeme you fellow to Vlisses wife Which if be true then happy I that so in loue my fancie set In you doth rest my life my death by slaying me no gaine you get The noble minded Lion kils no yeelding beast by crueltie And worthie dames delight to saue their seruants liues by curtesie Virtu ti comes inuidia MY Spencer spite 〈◊〉 vertues deadly foe The best are euer sure to beare the blame And enuie next to vertue still doth goe But vertue shines when enuie shrinkes for shame In common weales what beares a greater sway Than hidden hate that hoordes in haughtie brest In princes courtes it beares the bell away With all estates this enuie is a guest Be wise thy wit will purchase priuie hate Be rich with rents flocke in a thousand foes Be stout thy courage will procure debate Be faire thy beautie not vnhated goes Beare office thou and with thy golden mace Commes enuie in and treades vpon thy traine Yea be a Prince and hate will be in place To bid him stand aloofe it is in vaine So that I see that Boccas wordes be true For ech estate is pestred with his foe Saue miserie whom hate doth not ensue The begger only doth vnspited goe Yet beggers base estate is not the best Though enuie let the begger lie at rest Sola miseria esenza inuidia Boccacio That though he may not possible come or send yet he liues mindfull of his mistresse in Moscouia WHo so hath read Leanders loue which he to Ladie Hero bore And how he swamme through Aelles flood twixt Abydon and Sestus shore To gaine his game to liue at lust to lay him in the Ladies lap Will rue his paines and scarce exchange his case to haue Leanders hap But happy I account hi◠case for hauing past those narrow Seas He was assured to lodge alost with Hero in the towre of ease He neuer went but did enioy his mistres whom he did desire He seldome swamme the foming floud but was assured to quench his fire The torch it hung vpon the towre the lampe gaue light to shew the way He could not misse the darkesome night it shone as cléere as sunny day Thus happy was Leaders lot but most vnhappy mine estate For swimming wil not serue my turne to bring me to my louing mate The flouds are frozen round about the snow is thick on euery side The raging Ocean runnes betwixt my frend and me with crueltide The hilles be ouerwhelmde with hoare the countrey clad with mantels white Each trée attirde with flakes of yee is nothing els faue snow in sight The mighty Volgas stately streame in winter slipper as the glasse Abides no boate how should I then deuise a meane a way to passe And Suchan that in summer time was casie to be ouergone With Boreas blast is bound as harde as any flint or marble stone Frée passage Dwina doth deny whose streame is stopt and choakt with snow There is no way for any barge much lesse for any man to goe I cannot for my life repaire to thée to ease my present paine There is no passage to be had til summer slake the
foulers bée Who had the bird in hand and let her flée More wise then you the have that féeling flame And once indangerd of the burning blaze Doth straight refuse the touching of the same But you much like the guat doe loue to gaze And flée so long about the candle light As both wil seare your wings and carcasse quight The slaue that serues his prentiship in paine Not halfe so much a wretch as wretched I For he doth end his yéeres with certaine gaine Where I haue leaue the hardest hap to trie And hopelesse quite of what by due was mine To grone in gréefe and with my paines to pine Wel wel content sith chaunce and you agrée I take my hap though cleane against my wil Enforst by you my faith and frend I flée You must by kinde remaine a woman stil Who lookes to haue the crowe to change his blacke Before it chaunce perchance his eyes may lacke Sith you can rule as by report you may And that to rule is it you women craue Begin your raigne God graunt he doe obey That long in yoke hath kept you like a slaue I feare I wish I hope the time wil bée When Louedaies made for lucre wil not grée Sticke fast to him who bolsters your estate Forgiue the faults that haue béen done amisse Forget reports cling closely to your mate But thinke on him sometime that wrote you this If euer chaunce doe make your bondage frée God send your second choyce like this to bée And as for him whose helping hand hath done The best it might to worke my cruel woe I trust in time when all the thréede is sponne Shall déepely rewe that he abusde me so That womans spite all other spites excéedes It doth appéere by both your cursed deedes If my desert to him had béen so ill Then could I not on him haue laid the blame If mine abuse to you had crackt good will Yours were the praise and mine the open shame I loued you both and yet doe reape at last But hate from both for all my frendship past 1. Due volte me haiing annato 2. Supplicio al mondo none dato Maggior quanto pate vn che inamorato 3. Qual lieni foglie le dome sono ecrude piu che tasse Piu che Tigre inclementi disdegnose Piu che orse piu che luge empie erabbiose Hanno piu inganni che non hanno capelli in capo 4. O quante arte inganni ha il sesso feminino O quanti lacci O quanti nodi e groppi Per far huomini venir debolie zorpi A lio ingrata troppo amata An Epitaph vpon the death of Henry Sydhnam and Giles Bainpfield Gentlemen AS rife as to my thought repaires that dreatie doleful day And most vnluckie houre alas that hent my friend away So oft my brest is like to burst and ribs to rend in â—waine My liuer and my lungs giue vp my hart doth melt amaine And to decipher inward griefs that crush my carcasse so The sluces of mine eyes do slip and let these humor go Out flies the floud of brackish teares whole seas of sorow swell In such abundance from my braine as wo it is to tell Why do I then conceale their names what means my sluggish pen To hide the haps and lucklesse lot of these two manly men Sith silence bréeds a smothering smart where sundry times we sée That by disclosing of our mindes great cares digested bee When fore my mournfull Muse begin c. So Fortune would the cankred Kernes who seldom ciuil are Detesting golden peace tooke armes and fell to frantike war Vp rose the rude and retchlesse rogues with dreadfull darts in hand And sought to noy the noble state of this our happy land Whose bedlam rage to ouerrule and fury to confound The L. of Essex chosen was a noble much renownd Away he went awaited on of many a courtly knight Whose swelling harts had fully vowed to daunt their foes in fight Among the rest I rue to tell my Sydnham tooke the seas Gyles Bampfield eke aboord he leapt his princes wil to pleafe Whose martial minds and burning brests were bent to beare the broile Of bloodie wars and die the death or giue the foe the foyle And treble blessed had they béen if fortune so had willed That they with hawtie sword in hand had died in open field For fame with garland of renowne vndoubted decks his hed That in defence of Prince and Realme his life and bloud doth shed But out alas these gallant imps before they came to land To shew their force and forward harts by dint of deadly haud Before they fought amid the field or lookt the foe in face With sodain storme in Irish streame were drownd a wofull case Vp rose with rage a tempest huge that troubled so the surge As shipmen shrunke and Pylot knew not how to scape the scourge And yet no dread of doubtfull death no force of fretting fome Nor wrath of weltring waues could stay those martiall mates at home Not angry Aeols churlish chaffe that scoules amid the skies Nor sullen Neptunes surging suds mought daunt their manly eyes Vnworthy they O gods to féed the hungry fish in flood Or die so base a death as that if you had thought it good But what you will of force befals your he auenly power is such That where and how and whom you lift your godheds daily tuch And reason good that sithence all by you was wrought and done No earthly wight should haue the wit your wreakefull scourge to shonne Well Sydhnam Bampfield and the rest sith wailing doth no good Nor that my teares can pay the price or ransome of your blood Sith no deuise of man can make that you should liue againe Let these my plaints in verse suffise your soules accept my paine If ought my writing be of power to make your vertues known According to your due deserts which you in life haue shown Assure your selues my mournfull Muse shall do the best it can To cause your names and noble minds to liue in mouth of man And so adue my faithfull friends lamenting lets my quill I loued you liuing and in death for euer so I will Accept my writing in good worth no fitter means I find To do you good now being dead nor ease my mourning mind No better life than you haue led vnto my selfe I wish But happier death if I might chuse than so to féed the fish The gods allow my lims a tombe and graue wherein to lye That men may say thrise happy he that happened so to die For kindly death is counted good and blessed they be thought That of their friends vnto the pit vpon the béere are brought But for my felfe I reckon those more blest a thousand fold That in the quarel of their prince their liues and blood haue fold As you mine ancient mates did meane for which the mightie Ioue In heauen shal place your souls
although your bones on rocks do roue A letter begun to a Gentlewoman of some account which was left of by means of the aduise of a friend of his who said she was foresped YOur beautie madame made mine eye to like your fare And now my hart did cause my hand to sue to you for grace The ground of my good wit by feature first was cast Which your good noble nature hath for euer sealed fast When psants be surely pight than lightly will they proue No trée can take so déep a â—oote as grifts of faithfull loue If I had feared disdaine or thought that hawtie pride Had harbourd in that brest of yours which is the pecocks guide Then should I not haue durst these verses to indite But waying well your curteous kind I tooke the hart to write In hope that Venus gifts are matcht with Pallas goods And that true frendship floures wil spring of blasing beauties buds For seldom shal you find a dame of your degrée And of such features but hir lookes and maners do agrée Which if in proofe I find as I presume I shall Then happy others but I compt my fortune best of all And to expresse my ioy my hands I mean to clap As who would say loe I am he that haue this blessed hap Let not my hopes be vaine in your hand lies my life And if you list to cut my throte you haue the fatall knife For wholy on your lookes and mercy stayes the thréed That holds my lims togither now the gods haue so decréed I am your bounden thrall and euer mean to be I will not change my choice c. To his friend not to change though iealousie debarre him hir company CHange not thy choyce my déere stand stable in good will Let ancient faithful loue appeete betwixt vs louers still A wisdom friends to win as great a wit againe A gotten friend that faithfull is in friendship to retaine Thou seest how hatred hewes the chips of our mischance And iealousie doth what it may the Viper to aduance Whose prying eyes are prest to hinder our intent But malice oft doth misse his marke where two good wils be bent So carefull Argus kept the faire well featured cowe Whose watchful eies fol soldome slept according to his vowe And yet at length he lost his head and eke his hire For Mercury his cunning crost to further Ioues desire So curst Acrisius closde the mayden in the mewe Where he assuredly supposed to kéepe the virgin true Yet Danac did conceaue within the secret towre And did in lap receiue the god that fel in golden showre Way what good wil he beares that liues in such distrust He fares as doth the wretch that feares his golde and lets it rust Whose hungry heaping minde for all his looking on Is oft abusde and made as blinde as any marble stone I craue but your consent when time and place agrée And that you wil be wel content to yelde your selfe to me Who euer wil regard the honor of your name And looke what pleasure may be sparde wil only craue the same No checke shall taint your chéekt by proofe of open acte I neuer wil vnwisely séeke to haue your credit crackte My loue excels his lust my fancy his good wil My trueth doth farre surmount his trust my good deserts his il Wherfore my deare consent vnto my iust request For I long sith haue loued you wel and euer meant you best So shal you haue my heart stil redy at your call You cannot play a wiser part then cherish such a thrall To his frend not to forget him WHere liking growes of lust it cannot long endure But where we finde it graft on loue there frend ships force is sure Where wealth procures good wil when substance slides away There fancy alters all by fittes and true loue doth decay Where beutie bindes the band and feature forceth loue With crooked age or changed face there frendship doth remoue No one of these my deare that fickle thus doe fade Did bend my brest or forst thy frend to follow Cupids trade But méere good wil in déede not graft on hope of gaine I lovde without regard of lust as proofe hath taught you plaine I way no wauering wealth I force not of thy face No graunt of pleasure prickes me on thy person to embrace No hope of after hap ingenders my good wil I lovde thée when I saw thée first and so I loue thée stil Wherfore requite with care the man that meanes you so It lies in you to yeld him ease or plague his hart with woe You were not bred of rockes no marble was your meate I trust I shal so good a dame to loue me best intreate You know I beare the blame your selfe are nothing frée He loues me not for louing you nor you for louing me Consider of the case and like where you are lovde It is against your kidde to please where you are so reprovde His frendship is in doubt you stand assured of me He hates vs both I cannot loue the man that hateth thée His frantike words of late bewraide his folly plaine Assure your seife he loues you not his glosing is for gaine Which purpose being brought to his desired passe The sotte wil shew himselfe a beast and prooue a wayward Asse By reason rule his rage by wisdome master wil Embrace your frend in spite of him that meanes you no good wil. A time in time may come if gods wil haue it so When we each other shalinioy to quite each others woe Which time if time agrée to pleasure vs withall Our honie wil the swéeter séeme that we haue tasted gall Till when vse womans wit therein you know my minde I neuer was nor neuer wil be found your frend vnkinde A vowe of Constancie FIrst shal the raging flouds against their course runne By day the moone shal lend her light by night the golden sunne First fickle fortune shall stand at a stedy stay And in the sea the shining starres shal moue and kéepe their way First Fish amid the ayre shal wander to and fro The cloudes be cléere in beuty eke the cole excéede the snowe First kinde shal alter all and change her wonted state The blind stal sée the deafe shal heare the dumbe shal fréely prate Before that any chaunce or let that may arise Shal be of force to wrest my loue or quench in any wise The flame of my good will and faithful fancies fire Saue cruel death shal nothing daunt or coole my hote desire Desire that guides my life and yeldes my hart his foode Wherfore to be in presence stil with thée would doe me good Which presence I presume thou neuer wilt deny But as occasion serues so thou to frendship wilt apply Til when I giue thée vp to good and happy chaunce In hope that time to our delights wil séeke vs to aduance Adue deere frend to thée that art my only ioy More faire
mishappes to flie I yéelde my brayne too barraint farre my verses all too vyle My pen too playne with metre méte to furnith Lucans style Whose déepe deuise whose filed phrase and Poets péerelesse pen Would cloye the cunningst head in court and tyre the Iustiest men But yet sith none of greater skill and ryper witte would write Of Caesar and Pompeius warres a woorke of rare delight I thought it good as well to passe the idle time away As to the worlde to set to vewe howe discorde bréedes decay To turne this princely Poets verse that simple men might sée Of Ciuill broyles and breach at home how great the mischeiues bée But sith it standes not with your wills who lady Muses are That one so dull as I should deale in case concerning warre I am content to plie vnto your pleasures out of hande It bootes me not against the will of heauenly states to stande Yet being that my present plight is stufte with all anoye And late mishaps haue me bereft my rimes of roisting ioye Syth churlish fortune clouded hath my glée with mantell blacke Of foule mischaunce wherby my barke was like to bide the wracke Good ladie giue me leaue to write some heauy sounding verse That by the vewe thereof my harmes the readers heart may perse With that the Goddesse gaue a becke and yeelded my request And vanisht streight without offence and licenste me to reste Then I to reading Boccas fell and sundrie other moe Italian Authours where I found great stoare of states in woe And sundrie sortes of wretched wights some slayne by cruell foes And other some that through desire and Loue their lyues did lose Some Tyrant thirsting after bloud themselues were fowly slayne And some did sterue in endlesse woes and pynde with bitter payne Which gaue me matter fitte to write and herevpon it grewe That I this Tragicall deuise haue sette to open viewe Accept my paynes allow me thankes if I deserue the same If not yet lette not meaning well be payde with checke and blame For I am he that buylde the bowre I hewe the hardened stone And thou art owner of the house the paine is mine alone I burne the bée I holde the hyue the Sommer toyle is myue And all bicause when winter commes the honie may be thine I frame the foyle I grane the golde I fashion vp the ring And thou the iewell shalt enioye which I to shape doe bring Adieu good Reader gaze thy fill if aught thine eyes delight For thee I tooke the woorke in hande this booke is thine of right The argument to the first Historie THrough wilful loue and liking ouermuch Nastagios state did melt and without returne Of like good will Euphymiuâ— minâ—e was â—uel She felt no flame when he gâ—od man did buâ—â—â— But made hiâ— griefe her glâ—◠〈◊〉 bitter â—marre Might nothing rize or pierce her marble harte By friendes aduise at last he parted thence Though greatly greeâ—â—ed remouing racke him sore To quit the cause of al his fond expence And purchase case which he had lost before A death no doubâ— it was to put away And yet no life with her in place to stay Beholde the happ as he ful pensiue stoode Amyd a groue adioyning to his tent Recounting former toyes athwart the wood With cruell curres an armed knight there went That had in chace a frotion fresh of hewe Whom he by force of sword and mastiues â—lewe And after death this lady liude againe Vp start away she ran before the Knight For thus the Goddes alotted had her paine Bycause she slewe by scorne that â—â—uing wight In death he was her plague whâ— me â—â—e in life Enforst to slay himselfe with mutthering knife Nastagio pondering in his restlesse thought As wel the requely as the cause of all Seing that skorne the ladies penance wrought For dealing earst so hardely with hir thrall Bethought him howe to make a my â—rour right Both of the mayde and eke the cursed knight His plat was thus he byd in friendly sort Vnto his tente to feast and banket there His auncient loue that made his payne hir sporte Whose mother came and diuers friendes I feare Amyds the feast the knight pursude the mayde And slevve hiâ— there as I before haue sayde Which sight amazde the route but most of all That virgin coye so carelesse of the man Be gonne to quake it toucht her to the gall And therevpon hir liking first began For after that she woxe hâ—s wife at last Dreading the gods reuenge for rigour past IN Italie there is a Citie hight Rauenna by report as braue a place As may be found both fresh fair to sight Wherein of yore there was a noble race Of gallant wights great choise of men of fame But one in chief Nastagio by name The father of this forward ympe did dye Forespent with yéeres and load with siluer locks VVhose laud and fee descended orderly Vnto the Sonne with store of other stocks Few fathers of this aged mans degrée In so good case did leaue their sonnes as hée This might suffice to make Nastagio rich But where wealth is there lightlie followes more For hée an vncle had who gaue as mych At time of death as father left before The wealth of thefe two rych renowmed wights Iu little space vpon Nastagio lights Not one in all Rauenna might compare With him for wealth or matcht him for his muck He liude at full not tasting any care But tooke his time and vsde his golden luck Not wanting ought that fitted for his state By meane of flowing wealth full warme he sate This youth his wanton prime without a wife Retchlesse consumde and liude in single sort Estéeming that to be the blessed life Because he found it stuft with glée and sporte As yonkers that at randon vse to range Refuse to wed because they loue to change Vntill at length his roauing eies hée kest Vpon a wench and tooke so perfect view Of Graces that did harbour in her brest As streight to liking of this maid he greâ—â— His fansie fed vpon hir featurde lookes In sort as none saue her this gallant brâ—kes Who doublesse was a neate and noble Dame Trauersar cleaped was her worthir Sire And she herselfe Euphymia cald by name As fresh of hewe as men might well desire With her I say Nastagio fell in loue Whose setled choyse no reason might remoue Her christall eyes had lurcht his yéelding heart And razde his bending hreast by often glaunce Her glittering locks so queyntly coucht by art Had brought this youth to such a louing traunce As all his care was how to compasse grace From her whom he so derely did imbrace Then as it is the trade of Cupids â—â—nghts He fell to feast where lackt no daintie fare To come be forraine cates that breede delights For no expence this courtly wight would spare Hée vsde the tilt on Ienate trapt with gold To please his Donnas eyes with courage bold For if
she be a noble Dame in déede Shée pleasure takes to view a manâ—â—e knight In armour â—lad bestriding of his stéed And doth detest the base and coward wight For that the valiant will defend her fame When carpet squires will hide their heads withshame Thus wasted he the day in Loue deuice And spene the nights with costly musikes found In hope at length this virgin to entice To salue his â—ore and care his couert wounde Nothing was left in any point vndone VVhereby the loue of Ladies might be wonne By letters he vnfolder all his fittes By message eke imparted all his paine His moiumfull lines beâ—â—aid his mazed wits His songs of loue declarde his passions plaiue The rockiest heart aliue it would haue movde To sée how well this noble man had loude Yet eruell shée when he had done and saide The most he might to moue her stonie heart To like of him might not at all be waide For shée was struck with Cupids Leaden dart Whose chilling cold had bound her bowels so As in no wise she could abridge his wo. But how much more the louer made his mone Suing for ruth and well deserued grace The more shée sate vnmoued like the stone Whom waues do beat but wag not from his place Either beauties pride or stately flocke did force This haughtie dame from pitie and remorce Shée rigorouslie refusde and tooke disdaine So much as once to yéeld him friendlie cheare Who for her sake had bid such bitter paine As any tender heart would bléed to heare And in reward of all his friendship past Shée gaue him leaue to spoile himselfe at last Wherto through déep dispaire his mind was beÌ„t In hope thereby to end his wretched woe Because he saw her malice not relent Who for good will became his deadlie foe For in such cuse aye death is counted light Where men may not enioy their sweete delight His wilfull hand was armde with naked knife And euen at point to giue the fatall stroke By short dispatch of loathed lingring life To ridde his wearie neck of heauie yoke But life was swéete and he to liue would leaue The Dame from whom he might no ruth receiue When Fansie saw his raging humour cease And Reason challenge rule and charge againe Whereby his fond affection woulde decease And hée be quit of all his former paine To kéepe him in and hold his louer fast She gaue him Hope to come by loue at last Thus diners thoughts did soiourne in his brest Sometimes he meant himselfe with sword to slay An other time to leaue to loue was best Some other while affection bare the sway VVas neuer man belowe the starrie skie So loth to liue and yet so woe to die For why in life he found himself a thrall Vnable aye to compasse his delight And yet by death there was no hope at all For then he was assurde to loose her quight So neither life nor death might ease his minde That by the Gods was thus to loue assignde VVhilst thus Nastagio sought his owne decay By liquorous lust his friendes and nearest kinnâ— Perceiuing how his wealth did wast away And that his bodie pinde and waxed thinne Did diuers times their friendly counsell giue That from Rauenna he abroade should liue For change of place perhaps wold purchase helth And absence cause his foolish fancies weare They did not leaue to tell him how his wealth And all things els consumde and melted there But scornefull he did scoffe their good aduise And had their grauest wordes in slender price As louers wont who fancie nothing lesse Than speeches tending all to their auaile Not much vnlike the lame for whose redresse When counsell commes they lightlie turne their taile Loathing to lend an eare to holsome lore Of such as seeke to salue their lingring sore Yet they like friends would neuer blin or stint To shew him meanes to better his estate VVhereby As often drops do pearce the flint So they at length by many speeches gare His frée consent to trauell for a space To trie what chaunce would hap by change of place Judge you that loue and can discerne aright How great annoy departure bredde in minde To him that loude a passing proper wight Though not belovde now must leaue behinde The idoll that was shrinde within his brest Whose rife remembrance lowde him little rest But yet away for promise sake he would All needfull things were ready for the saius Both cates and coyne with plate of beaten gold And for his better comfort kinsmen came Who ioyed to see him part away from thence VVhere she abode that causâ— his lewde expence To foâ—â—aâ—nâ— coast Nastagio now was bent But not resolode what speciall place to see Eyther Flounders France or Spaine I think he ment For that these seates of ciuile nature be To make it short hée tooke his horse in peast And so departs the soyle he fansied most They had not trauailde farre before they came Vnto a place that from Rauenna stood Three miles or thereaboue the village name VVas Classye there Nastagio thought it good To make aboâ—de for ease and solace sake VVherefore he pight his tent and thus bespoke In thank you friends quoth hée with all my hart I hold my selfe indebted for your paine Now here you may if so you list depart And to Rauenna shape returne againe For I and mine will respite here a spare I like the seate and fancie well the place Here doe I meane to make assured stay Vntill the rufull Gods doe ease my woe And Capide chase my sorowes cleane away I purpose not a foote from hence to goe Lo here I pledge my faith to come no more Vnto the soyle where I receiude my sore VVhich promise if I hold you haue your willes VVho gaue aduise and counsell to the same There restes no more your pensine friend fulfils A beauie charge to flee so faire a Doine As to my doâ—â—ne there are not many moe To match with her whose beautie breedes my woe But well content I am aâ— your request To liue exilde in manner as you see I will â—o more procure mine owne burest By louing her that leatâ—es to pitte me And hauing thus at full doclard his minde They tooke their leaues he pausde and staid binde Thus he al plasure lodge did banket more And led his life at greater libertie Than in Ranenna he had done of yore Hée did excéede for courtly iolitie There wanted no delight that youth doth craud VVhich he for coyne or any cost might haue And whylom as his auncient custome was For diuers of his friendes he vsde to send In gladsome ioyes the wearie day to passe VVhereby no loue care might his ease offend VVas neuer wight that liude in greater glée Nor spent his time in brauer sort than hée VVhen May with motly robes began his raigne A lustie time for euery louing lad Nastagio pondering in his busie braine The slender hyre that he receiued
to her he loued best Whom he without offence had put to cruell paine Wherefore within a space the king began to loue againe And fansie her as fast deuising sundry shiftes To winne her olde good will he gaue her many goodly gifts She could not want the thing the tyrant had in store Who then but Aretafila whom he had rackt before And she that was full wise by countnance and by the are Did make as though she did embrace and helde the tyrant deare But still in store she kept within her wrathfull minde Remembrance of reuenge till she fit time and place might finde And in her head she cut the patterne of his paine How if occasion servde she mought auenge her husbande slaine By Fedimus she bare whilste he yet liuing was A daughter that for honest life and beautie braue did passe And so befell it that the king a brother had Leander namde a wilfull youth and eke a wanton lad Much giuen to the loue of light alluring dames To whom as to a byting fish a bayte this mayden frames To take him by the â—â—ppe by sorcerie she wrought And cuppes that cause a man to loue whereby this youth she brought Into her subtil net thus was Leander caught By loue deuises that the Quéene vnto her daughter taught This damsel hauing woonne Leander to her lure So traynde him on as she at last the Princesse did procure The tyrant to request to yéelde him his desire As touching mariage of the Mayde that set his minde on fire Who when Leanders loue and purpose vnderstoode To Aretafila to breake the same he thought it good She willing was thereto as one that wrought the wile Nicocrates perceiuing that denying it a while Yet graunted at the length not willing to be seene An enemie vnto the mayde the daughter of the Quéene When all good willes were got the mariage day drew neare Vntill Leander wedded was he thought it twentie yéere To make the matter thord I leaue for you to scan Both of the maydens rich attyre and iewels of the man I leaue the musike out I let the banket go I speake not of the noble men that were at wedding tho I write not of the wine nor of the daintie cates Assure your selues there waÌ„ted naught that fitted royal states When wedding day was done the wife to chamber went And after her Leander came where they in pleasure spent The night as custome is and maried folkes do vse And selfe same pleasure night by night from that day forth ensues The lately wedded wise behaude her selfe so well That still Leander tén times more to doting fansie fell Which when she vnderstâ—de a wench of wily witte To set her purpose then abroch she thought it passing fit A fyled tale she framde and thus begun to speake Mine own quoth she the great good wel I beare you makes me breake My minde and meaning nowe The carke and care I haue Is causer that I will you from your brothers sword to saue Your life whilste yet you may you sée his monstrous miude And how his hatefull tyrants heart is all to blood inclinde You know his cruell déedes I shall not néede recite The sundry men that he hath slaine vpon a meere despight You viewe the gorie ground where yet the bodies lie You sée how tyrant like he deales you sée with daily eye Such vndeserued deathes as wo it is to tell In my conceite if you should séeke his spoyle you did but well It were a worthie déede and well deseruing prayse To murther him and reaue his realme that so his subiects slayes To rid your natiue soyle of such a monster may Not onely gaine immortall fame that neuer shall decay But winne you such good will in countrie and in towne As by the meanes thereof you may attaine the royall crowne Which now your brother weares against the peoples will Who would no doubt elect you prince if you the tyrant kill To quit so good a turne and noble deede withall But if you let him raigne a while I feare at last you shall Repent your long delay your state is neuer sure As long as he the mouster lines he will your bane procure What thraldome like to yours howe wretched is your life Haue you forgotten how you sude to him to take a wife Fie shame Leander fie I greatly disalow That you who are his brother should vnto your brother bow Put case he owe the crowne is that a cause that you May not go marry where you list but must be forst to sue So like a boy for leaâ—â— to choose your selfe a make Oh that I were a man I would enforce the beast to quake Leander if you loue or make account of me Bereaue the monster of his life my mother longs to sée The slaughter of her so that siue my father earst VVith these her wordes Leander felt his heart so throughly pearst As vp from bed he flew with minde to murther bent To sucke his brothers blood ere long this wilfull marchant ment Leander had a friend whom he did loue as life Callde Danicles to whom he rode and tolde him what his wife Had willde him take in hande wherein his ayde he must In whom especially he did repose assured trust Leander with his friend when time and place did serue Nicocrates the tyrant slue as he did well deserue And hauing done the déed achieude the kingly Crowne He strake the stroke and ruler was and gouernde all the towne Thus he in office plaste puft vp with princely might Not forcing Aretafila his mother law awhit Nor any of hir blood once hauing got the raigne Did all the worlde to vnderstande by that his high disdaine That he his brother slue for rancour and despight Not for desire his Countrey soyle from tyrants handes to quight So loath some all his lawes so straunge his statutes were Such folly in his roysting rule as made the people feare Their former foe to haue bene raysde to life againe VVho was not many dayes before by this Leander slaine VVhen Aretafila sawe howe the game did go And that Leander in his sway did vse the matter so And proudly rulde the realme estéeming her so light VVho hoped by his brothers death the countrie had bene quight Releast of tyrants rage when she perceiude I say Howe haughtily his heart was bent she meant her part to play In ridding of the realme of such a cruel king That kept his subiects so in awe and vnder yoke did wring A fresh report was blowne of one Anabus bred In Libie lande a Martial man that all his life had led In face of foraine foes with him this wily dame Did practise and such order tooke as he with army came Leander to subdue who being nigh at hand With mightie troupe of warlike wights to ouercom the laud The Quéene his mother lawe as one that were dismaide To worke her wile Leander â—alâ— and thus to him shée said Loe here good sonne
saue her life to thée I sweare That neither with her friends nor with thy parents shée No not with thée her spouse she coulde in greater suretie be As touching honest life than with my mother deare Assure thy selfe shée neuer was abusde nor tempted héere This processe being tolde Gentile turnde him rounde Vnto the Ladie dame quoth he you know I had you bounde By faith and lawfull oath I quit you héere of all And set you frée aboorde againe and goe againe you shall To Nicoluccio and with that both wife and brat To Nicoluccios handes he gaue and downe Gentile sate The husbande did receiue his wife with willing hande And eke the babe and how much more he in dispayre did slande Of hauing her againe whom hee accounted dead The greater was his ioy and mirth when he so happily sped In recompence whereof he yeelded to the Knight Gentile for his great good turne the greatest thankes he might And all the rest beside that were to pitie moude Gentiles nature did commend hée dearely was beloude Of all that heard the case and feasted there that day Thus will I leaue the matron and her sonne at home to stay These matters ended thus ech guest his horse did take And parted from Gentiles house that did the banket make Home rode the man and wife vnto their grange with spéede The cheare which was at her returne and welcome did excéede The people maruailde much that shée who buried was Cuuld liue againe and euer as shée through the stréetes should passe In Bolyne men did gaze and greatly view the dame And from that day Gentile still a faithfull friend became To Nicoluccio and the parents of his wife VVhom hee by vertue of his loue had raisde from death to life Lenuoy VNbrideled yonth is prickt to pleasure aye And led by lust to tollow fanâ—â—es fyts Vnsaufull heads runne retchlesse on their way Like wylfull coltes that broken haue their bats Not lookyng backe till foultring foote doe faile And all consumde that was for their auaile Vnhappy they by scathe that purchase skyll And learne too late how youth dyd lead awrie Vnluckie men for wit that follow wyll And foule delights in golden prime apply More wisedome were ech one to wed a wife Than marryed daines to lure to lewder life For though that nature let vs runne at large And all things made by kynde to common vse Yet man must lende an eare to ciuill charge That points a baine for euery foule abuse And bids beware pollute no marriage bed Without offence let single life be leed As honest loue by custome is allowde Both law and reason yeelding to the same In single wyghts so parties being vowde To marryage yoke assaulted are with shame Both God and man such sluttysh sutes detest The lawfull loue is euer couâ—ted best Which makes me blame Gentiles rash assault On Carilina fayre from former vowe Whom he pursude to tharge with heauie fault And sought to linne to make this matron bowe Yet grace at last preuailde in both so well As shee stayd chaste and he to vertue fell His foule dessre his lewde and lustfull mynde Was cause of lyfe and wrought a double pleasure This bâ—ried danâ—e in pit to death had pynde Had he not lâ—ude and like her out of measure Thus â—â—l sometime is cause of good successe And vvicked meanings turne to happines Had some rash yinpe beene in Gentiles case So farre inflamde wyth Beaurie of a danie And after that had had so fyt a place To worke his will and done a deed of shame I doubt inee much hee would haue reapt the frule By leaue of force of all hys paynefull sute Here all were blest the mother well reuiude The infant borne the matron full of ruth Thrice happy he for bring so truly winde Gentile worthie praise for ioyall truth All louers may hereby example take And learne of him blind fansies to forsake The argument to the fourth Historie TWo Knightes did linke in League of great goodwill At length the one corrupts the others wife And traitourlike procurde her vnto ill Which vile abuse bred deadlie hate and strife And was the cause this leacher lost his life For why the Knight to whome this wrong was wrought This tratour slue when he full little thought The murther done he gaue his Cooke the hearte Of him that had conspirde this filthie feate And made him dresse it curiouslie by arte And gaue his wife the same at night to eate VVho fed thereof and thought it passing meate But when she knew the heart the hap and all She loathde to liue and slue her selfe by fall Quid non cogit amor VVHilome in Prouance were as they that knew the same Doe make report two Courtly knightes both men of worthie fame Ech knight his Castle had well furnisht euery way With store of seruants at a becke their pleasures to obey The tone Rossilion calde a bold vndaunted knight The second egall to the first sir Guardastano hight VVho being men at armes and passing well approude For valiant courage in the fielde like faithfull brothers loude They dayly vsde to ride to Turneies both yfeare To tilt to iust and other feates perfourmde with sworde and speare Their garments eke agréee and were of egall sise To shew the concorde of their mindes vnto the lookers eys And thus though either knight his seuerall maner held And either ten myles at the least from others Castle dwelde Yet hapneth it at last that Guardastano fell In liking wyth Rossylions wife and loude her verie well A dame of beautie braue renowmed very much Whose featurde face and goodly grace the knight so neere did touch As hee reiected quight the faith he should haue borne Her husband and his trustie friend that was his brother sworne Hée vsde his gestures so vnto this gallant dame At sundrie times that she at length his friend in loue became And liked well the knight and so began to place Her fansie as shée nought so much did tender or imbrace As Guardastanos loue Shee euer lookt when he Would frame his humble sute and craue her secrete friende to be Which fortunde in a while for he bewraide his case And she lesse wise than wanton streight did yéeld the Louer grace There neaded flender force so weake a fort to winne For she as willing was to yeelde as he to enter in And thus for twice or thrice the lustie louers delte In Venus sport whose frying hartes with Cupids coles did melte But in this loue of theirs they did not vse so well The matter but the husband did the smoke by fortune smell Of that their silthy flame who highly did disdaine That such outrage and soule abuse his honour should distaine Whereby his former loue to mortall hate did growe And then he purposde with himselfe to slay his deadly foe That fowlie so abusde a Knight that gaue him trust Meane while came tidings that in France the Lystes were made The Trump
and eke the murthres knight before And being then adrad and standing in a doubt Of Counte Prouince and the rest that bordred thereabout He sadled vp his horse and roade in post away The night did fauour his intent As soone as it was day T was all the countrey through that such a dame was dead And presently vpon the fact the knight him selfe was fled Then they that seruants were of eyther castle came With bitter teares and tooke the dead the knight and take the dame And in the castle Church in marble hewde for twaine They buried both the murthered knight and eke the Ladie slaint With verses on the graue to shew both who they were And what was cause that Guardastan and she were buried there The Lenuoy THE Poet that to Loue did pen the path And taught the trade Cupidos yinpes to traine Within his second booke aduised hath That who so lookes and would be willing taine To keepe his loue vnto himselfe he must Neither brother friend nor yet companion trust And hereupon his grounded reason growes That ech man seekes to serue himselfe in chiefe And he to sight that friendliest countenance showes Yet for his flesh will soonest play the theefe As stolne Deare in taste exceedes the gift So gallantst gaine is that which commes by shyft In greatest trust the greatest treason lyes Where least we feare there harme we soonest finde In open foe each man full quickly flyes Hee woundeth most that strikes his blowe behinde But little hurt the open Adder workes The Snake stings sore that in the couert lurkes The barking Hound hath seldome hap to bite His mouth bewrayes his meaning by his crie No byrde vpon the open twigâ— doth light The naked Net ech foolish foule doth fiye The hidden hooke is hee that doth the feate Of sugred bane the wiliest mouse will eate Who feares no fraude wyth ease you may biguyle The simple minde will soone be ouergone He takes least barme that doubtes deceyt and wile And dreading thornes doth let the Rose alone The Trumpets sound bewrayes the Foe at hand And warning giues his furie to withstand The glewing grome that fyghts before becommes Is eyther voyded or by sleight subdued The way to wynne is not to beate the drummes For threatning throates are easily eschued The surest meane to worke anothers woe Is fayre to speake and be a fryend in showe Had not this knight reposde assured trust Vpon his fryend that loude him as his life Could he so well haue serude his fylthie lust Or leysure had so to abusde his wife No had he thought such treason hyd in breast He would haue lookte more nearely to hys guâ—st But louing well and meaning not amish He lowde him scope without suspect of ill To come and goe to vse the house as hys A perfect shewe of very great good wyll Both purse and plate both lands and lyfe and all Saue wife alone lay pledge at euery call Which makes his fault and foule offence the more That dyd this deede and wrought this trechery Against his friend that loude him euermore And thought him void of vice of lechery Good nature deemd that Guardastan could not For fleshly iust so deare a friend forgot But see how synne once seasing on the minde Doth muffle man and leades him quight aâ—â—ay It makes him passe beyoud the boundes of kynde And swerue the trade where truth and vertues lay Refuling friendes reiecting lawes and right For greedy care to compasse foule delyght And as the man herein deserueth shame For stoupyng so to base and beastly vice So are those dames exceedingly too blame Whose glaueryng glee to lewdnesse doth entice Who frame their lookes their gesture tongs and tale To serue their turne in steede of pleasant stale Two sorts I fynde deseruing trust aleeke The mounting minds that sue for hygh estate And such againe as sensuall pleasures secke And hunt the haunt of euery louyng mate Both which to come by what they like and loue Renounce theyr friends and scorne the Gods aboue But marke yet well the sause that doth ensue Such stoine flesh is bytter as the gall Great are the plagues to such disorders due From skyes reuenge and fearefull scourge doth fall The dome diuine although it suffer long Yet strikes at last and surely wreakes the wrong For Heleus rage king Menelaus wife The Stories tell how Priam and his towne Confounded were and how for broyle and strife In wrongfull cause the walles were battered downe Full many a knyght in battayle spent his blood And all because the quarrell was not good So when this Traitor knight had fed his fyll Vpon Rossilions wyfe and wrongde his friende By foule abuse in guerdon of his ill The wrathfull Gods brought him to wretched end To quit hys glee and all his former sport He dyed the death in most vnhappie sort And shée who falst hée faith and marriage heste And double penance for her pleasure past For fyrst she eate his heart she fansied best And desperately did kill her selfe at last Note here the fruttes of treason and of lust Forbeare the like for God is euer iust Nihil proditore tutum Amore Puo piu che ogni amicitia et che ogni honore The Argument to the fift Historie THe Lumbard Albyon conquered Cunimund And after death of him inioyd the state And married with the Ladie Rosamund The Princes daughter whom he slue so late Whose skull he did conuert into a pot Because his conquest should not be forgot His custome was at euerie feast hee made To drinke therein for pompe and foolish pride And on a time his Queene he gan perswade To doe the like whereto she nought replide But so much scornd his offer of disdaine As straight she drew a plot to haue him slaine A noble man that Don Ermigio hight With on Parradio by the Queenes deceate Were wrought to kill this mouster if they might And by the sworde they meant to doe the feare And so they did within little while VVhen least the king mistrusted anie guile Vpon his death Ermigio out of hand Espousde the ladie Rosamand to his wife Which when longums chaunst to vnderstand He practisde with the Queene to reaue his life To th end that he might marrie with his dame Who gaue consent to do this deade of shame With venim vile to worke she thought it best Which when Ermigio dranke and found the drist By force be draue the Queene to drinke the rest Who seeing that there was none other shift The pay son supt and took it patientlie As iust rewarde for both their villanie Parradio eke whose helping hand did further The Lumbards baue and brought him to his death For guerdon due to him to quit the murther First lost his eies and after that his breath That men might see how trulie God doth And plague offences lightlie with the like AMong those warlike wights That earst from Almaine came And other northly parts besides Those men that
had leaue to parte That vsually did wayte To yelde the king his ease Thus dealte the suttle dame And to be sure to haue her will She shifted thence with shame Her sleepie husbandes sworde VVho then in slumber lay For that he should by no deuise Haue powre to scape away This done the cruel wightes Of whome I spake before VVith bloudie mindes and armed hands Approched to the doore And vp they thrust the same And softly entred in And stole vpon the heauie prince That slumbring long had byn Yet wrought it not so well For all their théeuish pace But that king perceiude them when They came vnto the place Who mazed in his midde And chargde with sodaine feare To see these two suspected wights To prease in presence there Gate him vp with Lions rage From Cabbin where he slept And to his sworde for safegarde of His life and honour leapt But out alas the Quéene Had reft the weapon thence Which earst the Prince was wont to vse And weare for his defence The Ruffians that in rage For blood and mischiefe sought Bestowde their blowes vpon the kyng That no such practise thought And so bestirde themselues His weapons being bad As in a while they slue him there And so their purpose had Vnwist of any wight The murther was vnseene And knowne of none but of the two And of the cursed Queene When this deuise was wrought Ermigio out of hande Did seyze vpon the Pallace with Intent to rule the land And thought to wed the Quéene And so he did indeede Whereto the Quéene and all the rest That fauourde her agréede Imagine of their ioyes Whom filthie sinne did linke What pleasure they in kingdome tooke I leaue for you to thinke But sure in my conceite Where murther brings the wife There wealth is woe lust turnes to loath And liking growes to strife But turne I to my tale That plainly may appeare What hap befell and whether they Did buie their marriage deare The Lumbards paiute that Their king was fouly slaine And that by meane thereof they might Their purpose not aitaine But should bée forst to flee Or worser hap to haue By longer stay their chiefest goods And iewels for to saue Trusst vp in fardell wise And so conueide by stealth The Ladie Aluisenda thence And eke good store of wealth Who daughter to the king But lately murthred was Not by this wife but by the first Away the Lumbards passe Vnto Rauenna where As God and fortune woulde Longinus tho Licuetenant to Tyberius courte did holde Great Constantine his sonne Whose Empire stretched wide And vnder whom Longinus had In trust those Realines to guide This Captaine entertainde Them in good louing wise And did the greatest friendship vse That he mought well deuise It fortunde so at last The cause I wote not well Longinus to good liking of The Ladie Rosmonde fell Whose fausie grew so great Vnto the featurde wight As marrie out of hand he would To further his delight To bring this match about He practisde with the dame And gaue aduise that she shoulde take In hand a déede of shame The murther of the man That vsde her as his wife There was no choyce but shée must reaue Ermigio of his life The Quéene that cleane had cast The feare of God away And awe of men not weying what The world of her might say And thirsting for estate Whereto she hoapte to clime Preparde a poysoned drinke for him Against his bathing time And made in wise she gaue A holesome Gossups cup. Which he should finde excéeding good If he would drinke it vp Who hauing no distrust Of wife or diuelish drift With willing hands vnto his mouth The poysoned pot did lift And drank a gréedie draught His former heat to quell It was not long before the drinke Vnto his working fell VVhich when he felt to rage And boyle within his breast And knew himselfe vnto the death VVith venim vile possest He drew his desperate sworde In choler and despite And draue the Quéene to quaffe the rest And empt the vessell quite VVhich done at one selfe time Both he and eke his Quéene Did end their liues that hastners of King Albyons bane had béene Oue poysoned syrrupe slue This cursed couple tho VVhose beastly liues deserude so vile A death for lyuing so VVhich when Longinus heard And how that matters went The Ladie Aluisinda streight Vnto Tyberius sent And all her treasure eke That earst her fathers was VVithall Parradio who did ayde To bring these feates to passe Who heing there in place In eruell sort was slaine And ere he dyde was reft his eyes To put him more to paine Nullum peccatum impunitum Ogni peccato a morte a'l fin Ihuom meua The Lenuoy LO heere the fatall end of murther done Such blooddie factes deserue no better hyte 〈◊〉 the threede that of such wooll is spon Marke well their lot that mischtese doe conspire It lighthe doth vpon their heads retire And thâ—ie that are the workers of the deed Though long forborne at last no better speed See to reuenge when Rosmond once began Incenst there to vy wrath and deepe disdaine She could not stint by murther of a man Nor leaue although she saw her husoande slaine But thought she woulde attempt the like againe Her vise conceite was blinded all with blood She could not turne about to see the good Soldst once in sinne and washt in waues of ill She â—amsht ruth and pitie flong aside Yelding hey selâ—e to spoyle the flaughter still Whom she misukte should streight haue furehe dide 〈…〉 flames of wreake withyn her bowels fride 〈◊〉 being caid to hie and princelie state In foule attempts she could not want a mate Worth whyle to note how such as beare the sway And sit in seat of royall dignitie The righteous Gods without respect doe pay And plague them for their hellish crueltic With losse of honour liues and iolitie And such as are their ministers in ill Either gallowes eates or fatall sworde doth kill Crude'ltasta spesso in donna bella The Argument to the sixt Historie THE king of Thunise had a daughter faire Whose beauties brute through many countries ran This Lady was her fathers only heire Which made her loude and likt of eury man But most of all the king of Granate than Began to loue who for he was a king By little sute this match to cloth did bring The promise past betweene these noble states The rested nought but onlie her conuey In safetie home for feare of rouing mates Who would perhaps assault them by the way Wherefore the king Cicils pledge they pray Who gaue his word and Gantlet from his hand Not to be vext by any of his land Away they went the ships forsooke the shore And helde their couse to Granate warde amaine When sodeinly Gerbino who before Had lovde the Queen did his match 〈◊〉 VVith Galies came this royall prize to gaine The fight was fierce a cruell battaile
Faulcon is away I haue no vse to put it to But if without delay You doe not yéeld the Ladie vp Prep are your selues to sword For sure vnlesse I haue my will You shall hée layde aboord And presentâ—â— vpon the 〈◊〉 Without a farther talke The arrowes flewâ— from 〈…〉 The bullot stones did walkâ—â— A cruell fight 〈…〉 On eyther part a space But when Gerbâ—â—◠〈◊〉 at longth His force could take no place Helades a Lyter all 〈◊〉 And with his gallies went Full closely to the mighâ—ie ship They seeyng his intent And knowing this of verie force That they must yéeld or dieâ— Did make no more 〈◊〉 but causde The Princes by and by That vnder harthâ—â— sâ—bbing sate Gerbinos only lone To leaue her teares 〈…〉 her selfe Vpon the decke aboue Who as vpon the foreship stoâ—de In presence of them all The hellish houndes the Sarizens Vnto the Knight did call And ful before his face they sâ—uâ— With many a blooddie blow The Ludie crying out for grace And hauing done did throw Her carued carkasse from the ship Into the brackishe flood And to Gerbino therewithall Exclaymde and cryed a good Loe take sir Knight we yéeld her vp Vnto thy crauing handes In sort as lyes in vs to doe And as the broken bandes Which thou hast wretchlesse man despisde Deserue now doe thy best Gerbino hauing viewde the déed And wayed within his breast The tygres harts and bloudy mindes Of those that slue the dame Did make no more adoe but close With dreadlesse courage came A boord the ship and there begon Without respect of grace Full Lion like that lackes his pray When bullockes are in place To doe those wicked slaues to death He did not fauour one Some reâ—t he with his eger téeth He set his nayles vpon Some other breaking all their bones To glut his hungry hart That longd for vengeance of the fact Then gan he play his part With sharpe and cruell sword in hand As one without â—emorse He seard me one and scotcht an other And mangled euery corse Meanwhile the flame began to grow And kindle all about The bloudy barke and bodies slayne The sparkes began to spout The knight to saue the taken spoyle Did cause his water men To beare away such bootie as Serue their purpose then Which done he left the burning ship And to his gallies goes With wofull conquest of the Mores That were his mortall foes Then willd he all the Ladies limmes That in the water were To be vptaken péece by péece Not one to tarry there Which bones he long bewept with teares That in abundant wise For very griefe distilled were By lymbeckes of his eyes And after many dolefull plaintes And profes of louers paine Returning home vnto the Isle Of Cicille againe He causde her body to be tumbd In Vstica an yle Full sore against Traponus soyle And then within a whyle He hyed him to his natiue home A man of heauie hart Meanewhile the king of Tunise that Had tiding of the part That late was playde attyred all In blacke his legates sent To Cicill to the king to shew His grace how matters went And all the order of the fact And let him vnderstand How that his nephew broken had By rash attempt the band Whereof king William wrothfull wor And séeing that he must Of force or shew himselfe a Prince Or not be counted iust He made Gerbino to be tant And kept in yron gyues His nobles could not change his minde And purpose for their liues He iudged his nephew to the death And loosing of his lyfe There past not many dayes but that Gerbino felt the knife And did eudure his grandsires wrath Who rather wisht to sée His nephew murthred than him selfe A faithlesse King to be And thus these two vnhappy wights Without the fruites of loue Had shamefull deathes as you haue heard By this discourse aboue Lenuoy VVHo works against his soueraigne Priuces word And standes not of the penaltie in awe Well worthy is to feele the wrathfull sword And dye the death appointed hy the law No fauour is to such offendours due That eare they did amisse the mischiefe knew For Princes willes are euer to be wayde The statutes are the strength and stay of all When lawes are made they ought to be obayde What royall Peeres by pledge or promise shall At any time confirme to friend or foe Must stable stand the law of armes is so For they are second Gods in earth belowe Assignde to rule and strike the onely stroke Their crownes and scepâ—ers be of perfect shew That all estates are vnderneath the yoke What they shall say or doe in any case By dutie ought to take effect and place Wherefore who dares aduenture vp so hie And proudly presse to alter kings decres Not fearing what may light on them thereby Nor forcing what they shall by folly leese Of law deserue the hardest point to byde For scorning those whom God appoyntes to gyde When royal Rome dyd flourish in estate In auncient age the Senate bearing sway The lawes were so seuere as who forgate To liue vpright and doe as they did say Was presently committed to the blocke Without respect to blood or noble stocke Some in exile were sent to foreine landes Leauing their wyues and little babes behinde Some sonnes were slayne euen by the fathers handes Who fauouring right forgot the sawe of kinde Iustice in Rome bore then so great a sway As no man durst good orders disobay We reade of one a ruler graue and wyse Who made a law and that to this effect That he should be berest of both his eyes Whom any of adultery might detect And bring good profe that it was so in deede Vpon which acte the sages all agreed It so befell his sonne against the law Did first offend that first deuisde the same Which fortune when the wofull father sawe And that his sonne could not auoyde the blame For iustice sake did thus deuise to deale To giue example in the common weale Where as the law expressely willde that he Who did offend should be bereft his sight The father with his sonne did so agree As each did loose an eye the fauite to quite Wherein the father shewde himselfe seuere And yet as ruthfull as the law could beare O worthy wight O ruler fit to raigne That rather chose his chude to punish so And eake himselfe to byde some part of payne Than parciaily to let offences goe A double tumbe was due vnto his bones For being iust and ruthfull both at once King Romulus who let the citie builde And fonnder was of all that royall race That none should ouerleape his rampire wild Which Remus did the fortresse to disgrace Which when his brother saw in mockage ment With wrathfull sworde be fiue him ere he went So here this aged Prmes of Cicilie When he had plegd and pawnd his honor downe Though lesse offence to slay by crueltie His nephew than to stane his
that shée Should leaue that fonde and foolish trade But saw it booted not Did make no more adoe but hid Away the Basill potte Which when she hapt to come againe And not to finde it there Full earnestly began to craue The same with many a teare And being barde thereof begon To wexe diseasde and all Her sicknesse time for nothing but The Basill potte did call Her brothers not a little muzde To heare her strange request In crauing of the potte and ther. Vpon did thinke it best To sée the same and make a search Who hauing powred out The earth that was within the potte Est soone espyde a cloute And in the cloth the head inwrapte So freshe and fayre to vewe As it to be Lorenzos head By curled he are they knewe Which set them in a sodaine dumpe And made them greatly dread The murther would be brought to light By reason of the head And hereupon they hid the skull And layde it in a graue And from Messina went by stealth Them selues from death to saue Entending being fled the towne If they might passe vnspide From thence in poste vpon the spurte To Naples straight to ride And thus I leaue the merchant men Their iourney forth to take Who after sped I wote nere howe But thus an ende I make The silly wench amid her griefe Did neuer leaue to crye To haue the Basill pot againe But when shée did espie That all her calling was in vayne Her teares did neuer blin To issue from her cristall eyes Till timy the harte within For very anguish brast in twaine Then Clotho came to rid The mourning Damsell of distresse And brake her vitall thrid Loe here the lotte of wicked loue Behold the wretched end Of wilfull wightes that wholy doe On Cupides lawes depend Vn puoco dolce multo amaro appaga Lenuoy If all the earth were paper made to write And all the Sea conuerted into ineke It would not serue to shew Cupido might No head can halfe his bloudy Conquests therske Vnto his yoke he forceth euery wight No one away dares for his life to shrinke Who most contends the widest wound receaues For Cupid then by force his freedome reaues The sage who sayde that loue exceeded all Pronounst the troth and spake as we do fynde He wist full well that euery wight was thrail Vnto the God that feadreth is and blinde No Poet him but Prophet may we call For that of loue so derely he definde For Cupid with a looke doth wound moe hearts Then thousand speares or thousand deadly dartes Which Caesar sawe who fundrye Realines subdude Whereby his faine did reach the stately startes For when that he fayre Cleopatra vewde He fell to loue for all his ciuill warres In aged brest his youthfyll wounds renewde Where Cupids scourge had left him sundry scarred That learned Marcus so rendwinde for wit For Faustine fayre was rid with louing bit Eake Annybal of Carthage manly wight That past the Alpes to come to Italy Whose puissance put the Romane hoast to flight For all his force and prudent pollicy Did stoupe to loue surprisde with deape delight Of one a wench bred vp vnciuillâ—y And many moe as fierce as he in fielde Cupido forst with tender bowe to yeelde And not alone this Archer masters man But by this power doth pierce the golden skies And there subdues the greatest now and than Such subtill driftes the Godhead doth deuise As when that Ioue lodde Leda like a Swan And prickt his plumes to please his Ladies eyes Another time became a milke white Bull And all to steale away a countrie Erull Who hath not hearde how Phebus Daâ—hne lovde Bow mightie Mary was bound in Vulcans chaine And eke how Ioue his greatest cunning provde When be became a galden showre of rayne Endymion he was passingly belovde Of Phebe who with him had often laine On Latinus hyll the gastly God of hell Pluto him selfe did like Prolerpine well May Neptune boast or vaunt aboue the rest Dyd he not loue as other Gods haue done Hath Cupid neuer rasde his rockie breast Could he for all his waues dame Venus shunne No he hath been by pangs of loue opprest The water nymphs his godhead oft haue wonne No storme could stint nor frosen flood remoue Nor water wast his flames of burning loue To banish him no wile or wit anailes No heart so hard but melts as doth the waxe To cure his wound all learned Phisicke failes It burnes the breast as fire consumes the flaxe The fort of force must yeeld when loue assailes Ech rebels mind with lingering siege he sacks No towre so high no castle halfe so strong But loue at last will lay it quite along And looke who once is tangled in his net And beares his badge fast fixed in his brest By no deuise or gile away may get But foorth he must and march among the rest By nature so the law of loue is set As none hath will or power from him to wrest No griefe so great no toyle or trouble such That faithfull louers thinke to be too much No counsell giuen by friend no feare of foe No rulers rod no dread of threatning law No wracke of wealth nor mischiefe that may grow Can cause the wight that loues to stand in awe As flattly doth this former story show Where you a wench so deepe in fansie saw As naught saue death might bring her woes to end When she had lost her faitfull louing friend Wherefore this wrong was great they did this maide The brothers were a litle not too blame That would the weneh from fixed fansie staid And thought by force to quench her kinâ—â—ed flame Loues heate is such it skornes to be delaide With greater ease you may a Tiger tame Than win a wight whose liking once is set Either to forgoe a friend or to forget Amor vineâ— ogni cosa The Argument to the eight Historie VVHen Aristotimus did strike the stroke In Elyesus and did weld the Mace As King alone so heauie was his yoke That subiects thought themselues in wofull cace For greedie gustes that gapt for giltles blood Were best esteemde and most in fauour stood Ech villaine vile that vaunted of his vice Ech loathsome leacher longing for his lust Was mounted vp and held in hiest price Sinne sate at bench extortion counted iust The best might bear no palme whilst he did rain He banisht some some with sword were slain Till Gods at last detesting murthers done Iucenst the hearts of sundrie noble wights For due reueÌ„ge vnto his realm to ron where matchte with suche as were his housholde knights VVith one consent this blooddy beast they slew Amid the Church for Gods themselues to view The woful Queen the murthring moÌ„ster wife By fame assurde of dolefull husbands death To flee the force bereft her selfe of life Enuying that her foes should stop her breath Two Ladies eke the daughters of the king Had leaue to die who hung
themselues in string VVHat time the proude and puisant Prince Antigonus in hande The Macedonian Scepter held And gouernd all the land There livde one Aristotimus A beast of blooddie kinde That all to monstrous murther did Imploy his Tigres minde Who when by fauour and by force Of Antigon the King The state of Elyesus to His yoke and becke did bring Full tyrantlike he strake the stroke And hauing got the crowne Gaue vp himselfe to loathsome lust And brought the subiects downe That earst in fréedome long had livde So mightie was his raigne As to resist his cruell parts Men thought it all in vaine What foul abuse was then vnwrought What rigor left vntride What wicked prancks pageants plaide whilst he the realme did gide His cankred nature all inclinde To slaughter and to blood To kill the poore and giltlesse soules It did this monster good And to this murthring minde of his He ioynde the vile aduise Of barbarous people that to blood This tyrant did entise The beastliest men that liuing were Alone he did not place In office to controle the rest Which was a cursed case That such vnciuill brutish beasts Should rule a Princes land But choze them for his persons garde To haue them neare at hand Of all the vile vnkindlie partes That he aliue did play I note but one aboue the rest Wherein I minde to stay To set this viper out to viewâ— That all the world may see What plagues in store for cruell Kings By Gods reserued be Who though to drinke in golden cup And feast with daintie fare And for a time abound in blisse Yet end their liues in care And steed of former sugred sops They swallow bitter gall And from the top of kingly throne Abide the shamefull fall There dwelt within this tyrants realm A Citizen of fame A man of wealth and great estate Phylodimus by name Who father was vnto a wench For feature that did passe An A perse among the rest And nurtred well she was Faire Micca was this maidens name Whose beautie did excell This Tyrant had a Souldier who Did like the virgin well One Luzio a roysting Roague In fauour with the king That to the end he might the maid Vnto his bias bring A messenger dispatcht vnto The father straight to will Him yéeld his daughter to his hands His pleasure to fulfill He let him vnderstand his lust The father séeing such A foule demaund and shamefull sute Was vexed very much And gripte with anguish of the minde But hauing wayde the case And knowing that this ruffian stoode So in the princes grace And highly was estéemde of him Be gonne to be afraide And thereupon his wife and he Thought good to send the maide Whom they perswaded as they might For safetie of her life To yéelde the Souldier vp the fort Withouten farther strife But shée good heart that lesse esteemde Her life than spotlesse name Well nurtred vp from tender youth And aye in feare of shame Fell prostrate at her fathers foote Vpon her fainting knées Imbracing him with bitter teares The sutes she made were these That he would neuer see her spoilde Of such a varlet vile Nor let a cutthrote souldier so His daughter to defile But rather let her die the death With fathers willing knife Than yéeld her vp to Luzios lust To leade a strumpets life She was content with any lot So she might scape his hands Whilst hearing thus his daughters plaints The wofull father standes And with the mother wayles the hap And pities of the maide Not knowing what to doe therein The Leacher that had staide And lookt for Miccas comming long Impacient of his flame And beastly heat to fet the wench Himselfe in person came Puft vp with déepe distaine and wrath And fiild with enuious yre That she did linger there so long VVhom he did so desire VVho béeing come vnto the house VVhere did this damsell dwell And seeing her at fathers foote For rage began to swell And much misliking her delay VVith fierce and frowning face Controlde the wench and bid her rise And follow him a pace And must I Damsell come quoth hée Mought message not suffice Doe way delayes leaue of those teares And wype your wantons eyes Dipatch and come along with me Doe linger on no more VVhereat the wench renude her plaints As she had done before And made no hast at all to ryse But sate vpon her knées Which Luzio séeing all in rage Vnto the mayden flées And strips her naked as his nayle And beate her round about A thousand stripes he gaue the girle That had not on a cloute To saue the burthen of a blowe From off her tender corse But shâ—ée continde on her minde For all the villaynes force Not weying all his blowes a beane A mayde of manly harte For though the beast had beate her sore Shée made no shewe of smarte Nor yelded any sighing sobbes In proofe of inward payne But valiantly abid the scurge And ready was againe To doe the like more rather than To yelde to such a slaue Or make him owner of the holde Which he did long to haue The wofull parentes vie wing this With griefe and dewed eyes Were greatly tho to pitie moude And out they made their cryes With sute of Luzio there to leaue And beate the mayde no more But when they sawe they nought preuaild Their aged lockes they core And out on God and man they call Their daughter voyde of blame To succour being sore distrest Euen then at point of shame Which sute and yelling crye of theirs Did make the monster mad And set him farther in a rage That earst so plagued had The mayden Micca voyd of gilt With that he drawes his knife And in the aged fathers sight Bereaues the wench of life Out gusht apace the purple blood From Miccas tender limmes In such abundance as about The place the mayden swimmes A perfit proofe that all the zeale Which Luzio bore the wench Did only growe of Leachers lust Whom wrath so soone could quench For had he grounded lust on loue Or fanside Micca well He would not so haue slaine a mayd Whose bewtie did excell Farewell to thée Dianas Nimphe Thy vertue was so great As well thou didst among the gods Deserue to haue a seate For Lucrece could haue done no more Than yeld her selfe to dye And in defence of spotlesse fame A tyrants hand to trye What kingly hart what princely brest Nay more what manly mynde Could sée or suffer such a facte Against the lawes of kynde Would any man of womans milke Endure so foule a déede Not yelding him that playd the parte A gibbot for his méed And yet this butchers bloody rage This tyrant could not moue To hate him ought the more but eke The good that did reproue The filthy villayne for his vice The Prince did make away For some of them with cruell sworde He out of hand did slaye And other some he forste abrode
cruell crye Whereat the seruants meruelld much And made so great a dyn As therewithall the king awoke That had in slumber byn His seruants tolde him what they saw And how the rase did stande He all in poast vpon reporte Sent horsemen out of hand For one that was a déepe deuine In whom he did affye To shewe the case to heare his minde And what was ment thereby The Prophet made him answere thus O puisant Prince quoth be Disgorge thy care abandon feare Let nothing trouble thée Pluck vp thy manly harte for Ioue Doth tender thine estate And makes a speciaâ—â—re of thée The Egle that of late Thy seruants sawe his herald is Whom he in message sent To shew thée that the mightie God Is very greatly bent To ayde thy force against thy foes Who long with murthring knife To spoyle theyr countrie of their king And reaue the Princes life But boldly this presume that God Himselfe will stand with thée Gainst such as séeke thy death and who Thy mortall enemies bée The tale this cunning Calcar tolde Did ease the tyrants brest Of diuers doubtes wherewith he was By Egles meane opprest Hée soundly slepte not doubting death Nor fearing ciuill sworde But marke the end and what it was To trust a Prophets worde For hereupon the men that ment The murther of the king Ellanicus and all his mates Thought good to doe the thing Which they pretended out of hande Not making longer stay And so among themselues eft soone Concluded on the day That followed next to worke the feate And bring their drifte to passe And that selfe night Ellanicus As he in slumber was Dreamte that the elder of his sonnes Whom earst the tyrant flewe Presented him before his face With wordes that here ensue Why sléepe slugge you father deare VVhy doe you linger so That you to morowe shall subdue Doe you as yet not know And reaue this citie from the king VVho now enioyes the same Departe your pillow father mine And balke your bed for shame Wherewith Ellanycus reliude And hoping then in déede Of happie lucke in breake of day Sought out his crewe with spéede That were confedered in the facte Perswading them to caste All dread aparte and slat to fall Vnto their feate at laste And at the selfe same time the king As hapte a vision had That fed him with assured hope And made him passing glad This dreame presented to his thought That with a mightie trayne Craterus came to take his parte Resistance was in vayne There was no cause why he should care But be of courage stoute For that Craterus had beset Olympia rounde about This vision vayne of good successe Did so assure the king As in the dawning timely hée Not dreading any thing Departes the Pallace voyde of awe With whom there only went That Câ—lo which was one of those That all this mischief ment By one and one his other men Did followe somewhat slacke Which when Ellanycus perceiude How hée his trayne did lacke The time it fitted finely then The season séemed good Vnto this auncient foe of his To let this tyrant blood Without the giuing any signe For so deuisde he had VVith such as were his fellow friendes But being very glad Vp lifteth he his aged armes Vnto the azurde skies And with the lowdest voyce he could Vnto his mates he cryes VVhy doe you loyter valiant laddes And men of great renowne To doe so worthy déede as this Amid your noble towne VVhich worde us soner spoken was But Cylo first of all Set hand to sword and drewe it out And slewe me therewithall First one of those that issued with The tyrant him to garde VVho so should take a tyrants parte Deserues the like rewarde Then after that when Cylo thus The matter had begunne Lampydio and Trasybule VVith all their force did runne Vpon the monster fully bent Him out of hand to slay VVho then began to trust his legges For why he ran his way To scape the danger of his death And to the temple fled Of Iupiter the mightie God In hope to saue his hed But heathen gods mought nothing help His enemies were so hote As him amid the sacred Church With shining swordes they smote And there bereft him of his life That well deserude to dye And after dragde him blooddy thence In open stréete to lye There lay his loathsome tarkasse slaine For euery man to vewe The people did reioyce at harte For fréedome gotte anewe So glad were neuer hungrie houndes Pursuing of the hare To fasten on the fearefull beast Each dogge to haue his share As were the subiects eger then The tyrant to pursue With hatefull blood of such a beast Their wepons to imbrew Whilst thus the folkes debating stood Of matter hapt so late Ech wife began to gaze about And prie to finde her mate For now the banisht men were come Vnto the towne againe To tell the mirth at méeting the I thinke it were in vaine For as their care was common earst Whilst he the realme did gide So semblant was their ioy no doubt When such a monster dyde This done the people gan to preace Vnto their Pallaceward But ere they came how matters went The quaking Quéene had hard And of the flaughter of her King Full beauie newes God wot Wherefore mistrusting what would hap Eftsoone her selfe she got Into a priuie counting house Where to escape their force About a beame shée hting a shéete And strangled so her corse A dolefull case that any dame That was a Princes wife Should for her husbands sake be forst To rid herselfe of life But yet of both more happy she Than was her husband slaine For ventrously shée put her selfe To death not dreading paine But he the captiue cowardlike To Ioue for succour ran And tooke the temple like a wretch And dide not like a man But turne we to our tale againe The tyrant by this Quéene Two daughters had the fairest wights That lightly mought be séene And ripe in yéeres to match with men Who hauing heard report How that their father murthred was In such a cruell sort In minde to void the furious foes As virgins full of feare Conuaide themselues into a vawte To stay in safetie there But they that sought so many were And pryed so well about As in the seller where they lay They found the maidens out Whom thence without delay they drew And whet their eger knyues As fully bent 〈◊〉 men mought be To reaue the Ladies liues But there by hap Megesten was Of whom we spake before At whose entreatie and the sute Of other matrones more Those noble Nymphs wer tho forborn For thus Megesten said To such as sought to doe the déede In slaying of a maid You do the thing that Butchers hearts Would neuer vndertake Good faith it were a shamefull fact So vile a spoile to make As file your sisters with virgins blood Against your manly kinde Let gréedie lust to be
auengde Not make your eyes so blinde But rather if so be there is No nay but they must die Giue leaue at my request that they Their proper strength may trie Let them make choice vpon their death And scape your handie force Whereto they all agréed in one But no man tooke remoise It irckt them that the tyrants blood Shouldst rest so long vnshed There were appointed for the noueâ— That both the Ladies led Into an tuner lodging where When they arriued were The eldest sister like a Dame Vndaunted voyde of feare From off her waste did loose the scarâ—e That girt her loynes about And bid her yonger sister doe The like with courage stout Then to a rester of the house Their girdles both were tide The knots and all were fitly made To cause the silke to slide Who so had viewde those virgins then He would haue thought that they had not intended by and by Such break neck game to play Their faces were so fresh to fight Their eyes did neuer stare Their tungs pronounst their tales as though Their hartes had felt no care Their outward gesture shewde a ioy More rather than distresse When thus I say the knots were knit To do the feate the lesse Of both the Ladies tooke the elder Sister by the hand Requesting her that shée as then So much her friend would stand As first to let her die the death And play her part before To whom the elder answered thus As neuer heretofore I haue denyde thée Sister aughte In all my life So now Euen at my death I am content Vnto thy will to bow Thou shalt haue leaue to let me liue Till thou be dead and gone But that which gréeues me most of all And giues me cause of mone Is that I liue to see thy death before my losse of life The yonger Ladie thereupon Without a farther strife Conuaid her head into the scarfe The other standing there Gaue counsell so to place the knot Just vnderneath the eare As lightly she might loose her breath And rid her selfe of paine The yonger followed her aduise An easie death to gaine A wofull thing for me to write And loathsome eke to you Deare Ladies who to passe their time Shall hap my book to view To thinke that two such virgins borne And bred in Princely blisse Should be inforst in fine to make So hard a choyce as this But as the auncient Prouerbe goes Perforce obaies no law The crabbed carters whip will cause A stately steed to drawe The yonger sister thus hereft Of life the elder came And cut the girdle of the beame To hide her sisters shame As well as shée good Ladie might Then was her part to play Who putting on that other scarfe About her necke gan say Vnto Megesten noble Dame When thou shalt see me ded For honours sake vnto thy kinde Sée thou my carkasse led In place that is for maidens méete Let not my body lie Despoyld of robes to naked shew And view of euerie eye And with her saying downe shée slipte And by her bodies pease Though light it were did stop her pipes And so shée dyde with case The Lenuoy THose realmes right happy are where princes rainge That measure out by vertue all their deedes Abhorring with their vassals blood to staine Their sacred hands and gore their kingly weedes The subiects there with willing harts obay And Peeres be safe from fall and foule decay But out alas where awfull Tyrants hold In haughtie crucil hands the royall powre And mischiefe runnes by office vncontrolde There aye the great the lesser sort deuoure By daylie proote ech one may daily see That such as rulers are such subiects be Vnlesse the law forbid the lewde to sinne Vnlesse the Prince by rigor vices quell Disorders will by sufferance soone rush in Who striues not then in mischiefe to excell By nature man vnto the worst is bent If holesome statutes stay not his entent A hangrie wight is hardly harde from food The kindled straw is seldome when put out A Cyrant that hath tasted once of blood With much adoe forbeares the fillie rout So sweete is sinne as once from vertue fall And thou art lightly lost for good and all No looking backe no bending foote about No feare of fall for mauy a mischiefes past No ill reuockt no dreed of any doubt Till God by heapes powre downe his plagues at last As by this verse is planily set to view No matter tainde but auncient storie true Who would by might haue maintained Iuzios lust That â—ewe the childe before the fathers face Whaâ— King would wincke at matter so vniust Or fauour muffian in so foule a case The fact was vile and dreadfull vengeance dewe Vnto a Prince that such disorder knewe To bolster vice in others is a blame For such as may by power suppresse the deed But crowned kings incurre the greatest shame When they themselues on Subiects flesh do feede For Lions take no pleasure in the blood Of any beast vnlesse they bee withstood And when such states so fouly doe offend Not they alone doe bide the bitter scurge But subiects are for rulers vices shend Is when the Sea doth yeeld to great a surge The lesser brookes doe swell aboue their boundes And ouerflow like floods the lower grounds Lyacon lewde that fed on strangers blood Although himselfe were he that God forgate Yet causer was that loue with sodaine blood Drownde all the world saue 〈◊〉 and her mate Thus one ill yeere may worke ten thousands woe God hates yll kings and doth detest them so As heere we see this vgly Tyrants wife And giltlesse broode that neuer did offend Raunsomde the fathers faultes by losse of life And he him selfe was brought to wretched end Wherefore let Peeres and states vprightly stand Least they and theirs be toucht by Gods owne hande For he that guydes the golden globe aloft Bekoldes from hie and markes the deedes of man And hath reuenge for euery wicked thought Though he forbeare through mercy now and than He suffereth long but sharpely payes at last If we correct not our misdoings past He spares no more the Monarke than the Page No more the Reysars than the countrie Clownes He fauours not the auncieut for their age He cuts off Kings for all their costly Crownes No royall roabes no scepter no deuice Can raunsome those that fauour fylthy vice The Argument to the ninth Hystâ—rie SYâ—â—ona lilet of Pasquine passing well And he did frie as fast with egal slame In sorte as on a time these louers fell To make a match of purpose for the same With one coâ—â—ent where time and place was set This louing couple in a garden met There 〈◊〉 to other vttered their deuise To salue the fores that fancy fixt in brest They kist they â—olâ—d thus neither part was nice To take the time of both vvas compted best Amid their glee vvas Pasquines hap to spie A bed of sage that there vvas grovving by
slewe with-sword full many a â—reekish knight For al the warrâ—s yet loude â—ndronâ—ene With her he â—eâ—t in her he tooke delight His manly bâ—est that force of foe withstoode Was razde by loue his Curage did no good Vlisses â—â—ie for all his wilie wit Was lodgde in loue by Cyices sugred cuppe â—lato deuine whose stue the Starres dyd hit With learnedlips of Venus sauce did suppe His graue precepts stoode him in slender sted Whome lawe of kinde in lincke of fancie led Fell Dâ—onyse with Alexander great Duke Iason â—ariâ— â—irâ—hus Pompey take And he whome Dydo did so well entreate That to the curreous Queene his vowe did breake Yea soue him selfe Apollo Marâ— and all To Venus bowde each one was Cupids thrall The noblest Nimphes that euer were aliue The queyntest queenes the force of fancie felt The dayntiest dames durst not with loue to striue The haughtiest harts had Cupid made to mete Medea Phillis Helen Phedra flerce Crcuâ—a Oeuon Lucrece loue did pierce Laodamie Hermyon Hypsiphill Curst Cliremnestra Brisies Deyanire Semyramis and Progne prone to kill With Mirthâ— Biblis lust to loue did stirrée And thousands moe of whome the Poetes tell Prouokt by loue to flaming fancy fell Which sith is so I may with better face A pardon craue of you that Ladies be For dringing here a homely wenth in place And ranking her with danies of gallant glee Who sith did rage in fancie as the rest Why should she not be plast among the best Put case her byrth was base her linage lowe Herparynts poore her liuelod bare and shin Sith Cupid did his golden shaft bestowe Vpon her brest when liking entred in Let her receiue the guerdon that is dewe To faithfull loue and march with Cupids crewe Where leaue is lowed for each one to contend Where markes are made the cunningst hand to trie Without reproofe each one his bowe doth bend And arrowes there without contrâ—lement she Likewise sith loue at rendon roues his dartes We ought not scorne the meanest louing hartes When Cresus brings his gorgeous giftes in hand And slay an oxe to offer to the goddes A groome with gote by him may baldly stand In holy Church they little count of odd es Eâ—e minde is all that makes or marres the thing A Carter loues as whotly as a King The Argument to the tenth Historie AMerchants sonne that Girolanus hight Of tender age in great good liking fell VVith one Saluestra a damsell faire and bright A taylers daughter who there by did dwell The aged father did and left the boy Abounding welth his heyre and only ioy The carefull mother doubting least her sonne VVold make his choice marie with this maide Dispatcht him thence to Paris there to wonne Vntill his heate and humor were delaide To please his friends away this yonker rode And there a space vnwilling made abode Retires in fiue to Florence backe againe VVhen mothers feare doubts were layde aside His auncient loue aye sticking in his brayne But ere he came the wench was woxe a bryde VVhich greude him sore he wist not how to deale At last deuisde into her house to steale VVhere being plast vnwist of any wight He stayde his time till husband fel on sleepe Then out he gate defenst with darke of night And softly to Saluestras bed did creepe He sighde he sued he pleaded there for life In hope to had his pleasure of the wife But al for nought his winde did shake no come The womans will was bent another way VVhich when he found as one that was forlorne He wist not how to do nor what to say His griefe was such as by Saluestras side He laide him downe and there for sorow dyde The husbaÌ„d wakes the wife bewrayes the case The corse was streight conueyde away by night When morow came the beare was brought in place The graue was cast the body lay in sight The mother mournd and many matrons moe Bewayl the chaunce of him that died so Among the rest that present were to viewe This heauie hap Saluestra stoode as than She sawe her friend whom she vnkindly slewe And therewithall to rewe his death began So deepely sanke remorse into this dame As downe she fell and dyde vpon the same AS auncient men report there dwelt A Merchant man of yore In Plorence who by traficke had Increast his stocke to more Than any of his race had done A very wealthy wight Who on his wife begate a sonne That Girolamus hight And after time the babe was borne The father chaunst to die But as it bape be made his will Before and orderly Disposde his goods as men are wont The carefull mother then A widow left with good a duise And apde of loarned men The tutors of this merchants sonne Both vsde the infant well And gaue such eye vnto his stocke As nought to damage fell This childe as common order is Did vse to sport and play Among the other neighbors babes To driue the time away And as the childrens custome is Some one among the rest To fancy most euen so this boy Did like a mayden best A Taylers daughter dwelling by They daily vsde to méete With sundrie other babées moe Amid the open shreete This liking in their tender yéeres Shot vp and grew to more Euen as their liâ—â—s encreast by age The sparke which loue before Had kindled in his wanton brest Did growe to greater fire And Girolamus in his heart The mayden did desire Their daily custome came to kinde And looke what day that he Had past without the sight of her He thought it lost to be And that which set the flaxe on fire And bred the hoter flame Was that the boy did well perceiue The mayden ment the same And likte aswell of him againe The mother when she sawe This matter worke began to checke And kéepe the wagge in awe And whipt him now and then among But when she did perceiue The stubborne stripling set her light And that he would not leaue Those wanton trickes vnfit for youth She wexe a wofull daâ—e And to the tutors of her sonne This pensiue widowe came As one that of that reabtres thorne An Orenge trée would fayne Haue made because his stocke was great But all her toyle was vame And to the sages thus she said Vngracious graffe my sonne Scarce fourtéene yéeres of age as yet Already hath begonne And entred in the suare of loue The wagge begins to frie With one Saluestras liking lust A taylours daughter by So that vnlesse we wise by deale And warely seeme to watch At length perhaps this foolish else Will with the mayden match And make a rash contract with her Which if should happen so From that time foorth I should not liue A merrie day I knowe Or if he should consume and wast With thought or pine away To sée her matcht some other where Then woe were me I say Wherefore to voyde this present ill I thinke it best quoth
flakte his burning fire And made request withall that she Should graunt him his desire He promisde golden mountaynes then But all his sute was vayne No iote of friendship for his life The merchant mought attaine Wherefore desirous then to die Saluestra he besought That in rewarde of all his loue And all his former thought Which he had suffered for her sake She would but yelde him grace To warme himselfe within her bed Fast by her side a space Whose flesh 〈◊〉 maner frozen was With staying there so long He made her promise on his faith He would not offer wrong Vnto Saluastra at not once Let fall a worde so mutch Nor yet her naked carkasse with His manly members tutche But hauing taken there a heate And warmde himselfe in bed He would depart and déeme that he Sufficiently had sped Saluestra taking pitie then Of Gyrolamus case Vpon the promise made before Did yelde him so much grace As on her bed to stretch him selfe The youth thus being laid Besides his mistres toucht her not But with him selfe he waid The great good wil that he so long Within his brest had borne Vpon her present rigor eke He thought and shamefull scorne And being brought to déepe dispaire He purposde not to liue But die the death without delay And vp the ghost to geue And hereupon his sprices withdrew Themselues from outward parts His senses fled he stretcht him selfe And so the youth departs Fast by Saluestras sauage side To whom he sude for grace When Girolam thus dead had line Vpon her bed a space The wench did wonder very much That he was wore so chaste Whose flame of late so burning was And fancie fride so fast At length in feare her husband would Awake she gan to say Oh Gyrolamus how 〈◊〉 this When wil you packe away But hearing him no answere make She thought him sound asléepe Which made her reach her hand to wake The man that slept so déepe She felt and found him colde as yee Whereof she marueld much And therupon with greater force She gan his limmes to touch And thrust him but he stirred not With that within her head The wife conceaued and wistful wel That Girolam was dead Whereof she was the soriest wench That euer liued by breath She knew not what to doe to see So strange and sodaine death But yet at last she did deuise To féele her husbands thought In person of another not As though her selfe had wrought Or béen a party in the fact Put case good fir quoth she A yonker loued a maried wife As I my selfe mought be And comming to her chamber late In hope to winne the wife Were both begilde of all his hope And eke berefte of life By only force of franticke loue And lacke of his desire And want of pities water to Delay his scalding fire What would you doe in such a pinche How would you deale as than Whereto the husband answered that He weuld conuay the man Vnto his home without mistrust Or malice to the dame His wife that had resisted so The force of Cupides flame Which wheÌ„ she herd she answered thus Then husband doth it lye Vpon vs nowe to practise that And eake that tricke to trye And taking of his hand she put It on the coarse that laye Vpon the other side of her As colde as any kaye Wherat the wilfull wight dismayde And ierst with sodaine feare Lepte of the bed full sore amazde To féele a body there And out he ran to lightâ—â— linke Without debating more Of further matter with his wife Of what they spake before The candle light bewrayed the corse He sawe the partie playne He made no more a doe but put Him in his robes agayne And bore him on his shoulders thence And knowing verie well His lodging set him at the doore Where did his mother dwell When day was come and people sawe The carkasse of the dead Before the gate the fame thereof Throughout the citie spread Each one did wonder at the chaunce That passed by the way They knewe the partie passing well But wist not what to say Yet most of all the mother musde And vexed was in minde That hauing searchte the body coulde No wounded member finde Which made Phisitions flatly say That forowe stopte his breath With one assent they all agréede That griefe did cause his death As custome is the corse was borne Into a temple by Where merchant men of his estate And welthie wights did lie The mourning mother the ther came To waile her sonnes decease And with the matrone thousands moe Of neighbors more and lesse Were come to church to shed their teares Saluestras husband then Perceiuing that the preate was grent Of women and of men Ran home wilde his wife do on A kerchiefe on her head And throng amid the 〈◊〉 to beare What newes went of the dead And be him selfe thrustan among The men to learne what they Imaginde of the marchants death Where any one did say Or had him in suspect thereof Sâ—â—aestra hereupon Made hast to church and felt remorse Within her brest anone But all to late her pitie â—ame For she desired to vew Him being dead whom carst aliue She tooke disdatâ—e to râ—we Or recompence so much as with A kisse O wenche vnkind A maruels thing to thinke how hard It is for man to finde Or sounde the depth of louers thoughts Or knowe the force of loue For loe hir brest whom Gyrolams Good fortune might not moue Nor during life procure to ruth His death did raze hir harte His misaduentures did renewe The stroke of Cupides darte Hir auncient flame rekindled was And to such pitie grewe When as she did the carcasse dead Of Gyrolamus vewe That being but in simple wéede As meanest women were By one and one she gate before The richest matrons there Not stintyng till she came vnto The body where it lay And being there she gaue a shoute And yelded forth a bray So loude as for hir life she could And groueling with hir face On Gyrolamus carcasse fell His bodie to imbrace And bathde his limmes with brackish teares That issued from her eyes As long as life would giue her leaue Which done Saluestra dyes And looke how griefe hidden thought Had slayne her desperate friend Euen so remorse of couerte cares Her loathed life did ende Which when the mourning matrons saw Eache one in friendliest wise To comfort her in words began And willd her thence to rise As then not witting who she was But at the last when that She would not mount but lay me still Vpon the body flat They came to lift her vnber legges And rayse her from the grounde And then both that the wife was dead And who she was they founde Saluestra then she did appeare Then dubble woxe the woe Of all the wiues that mouruers were When they the dame did knowe Then gan they mourne as fast againe As ere they did before For euery sighe a
hundred sobbes For euery teare a score This brute no sâ—â—er out of Church Among the people came But out of hand per husband hearde The tidings of the same Who as I said was gone among The men to lend an eare And hearken what report there went Of them that died there Then like a louing husband that Imbrast Saluestra well From sobbing sighes to trickling teares For her misfortune fell And waild her ddath no little time And after that to some That were in place declard by night How Gyrolam did come Vnto his house through burning loue Which he Saluestra bore And tolde the tale from point to point As I haue pend before Where at the audience wofull woxe That vnderstood the case Then taking vp the carkasse of The wife that lay in place And hauing knit the shrowding shéete As common custome is They layd her body on the beare And set her side to his Thus hauing wept vpon the dead In proofe of inward paine And buried both together home The people went againe See lucke whom loue was not of force Aliue to linke in one Death found the meanes to couple close Within a marble stone Lenuoy VVHether stars doe stir good lykyng from aboue By hidden force and couert power deuyne Or câ—aunce breede câ—oyce leades vs on to loue â—nd fancy falses as fortune list assigne I cannot iudge nor perfectly defyne But this I know ouce let it ghther roote And to remoue it then is slender boote Let sicknes grow let cankers worke theyr wyl Seeke not at first their malyce to suppresse Scorne wholsome helpe doe floute at physikes sail In hope thy greefe wyl swage and vvaren lesse And thou at last shalt neuer haue redresse Diseases more admitte no cunning cure The cause by tyme is fastned on so sure When fire to once crept yn among the shaw And flame hath raught the rotten roose on hye T is hardly quencht hys fury hath no law It seldome sinkes tyl all on ground do ly The way to help is busily to ply The matter fyrst before it grow too far When steedes are stolne t ys bootles doores to darre Euen so it fares when fancy blowes the cole Of frend â—ipfâ—â—st and sâ—ts abroach good will I man may ympes with ease from loue controle Whilst feare dot force them stoupe to parents wyl But let them run their race at ryot styl And not rebukte by reason at the fyrst Along they go let parents doe their worst Too late comes salues to cure contyrmed sores When loue is linkt and choyce is chayned tast You may as soone plucke trees vp by the rootes As breake the knot or sunder promise past The tackle hangs so sure vnto the Mast When shypâ— from shore haue hopste vp all their saâ—les To bend about againe it little vailes So statelie is the stroke of Cupids bow So fell his force so huge his heauie hand No striuyng serues no shift to shun the blow No might nor meane his Godhead to withstand Who fastest runnes sinks deapest in the sands Wherefore I wish that parents giue consent And not repine when mindes to match are bent For barre the sick whom Feuer doth molest To drinke his fill gis thirst will be the more Restraine thy Ienates course thy bridle wrest The beast becouimes farre fiercer than before Where streames be stopt there riuers most doe rore Downe goe the banks and ouer flowes the flood Where swellyng waters feele themselues withstood No trauayle serues to sunder louing heartes No absence breedes in friendes forgetfull mindes The farther of that dely from other parts The botter ech his flaming fancie findes Who striues to stop doth most enrage the wynds No louer true but beares within hys brest The shape of her whom he doth fancie best As thunder showres whom weather calmes againe Gyue greater drought and helpes along the string By meanes of heate mixt with the blomiing raine So safe returne of absent friende doth bring Increase of loue and faster streames the spryng Respect of birth of state or ought beside Stops not the boat that driues wuh such a tide A folly then for parents to restraine For lucres sake their children â—th we see That both theyr care and labour is in vaine And sundrie times a thousand tiles there bee That doe ensue when they will not agree As in this tale the Florentine doth showe The great mishaps by such restraint that grow Could mothers threates or tutors taunts reucke This Marchants minde or make him alter loue Could Parris pleasure once this youth prouoke His auncient friend from fancie to remoue Yea though it were a thing for his behoue No backe he came the selfe same man he went He chaungde the ayre but not his first entent And loue to helpe him onward od his race Assisted with deuise and subtile sleight Eke Venus taught him how to come in place And shrowded him in cloudie cloke of night Whereby he might approch to his delight But all for nought The game that he pursude Was caught before and thence his haue ensude So Pyramus in Babylon of pore Faire Thisbe loued but parents disagreed They might not match but prisoned were therefore Yet loue at length this faithfull couple freed The time was set the place and all decreed When foule mishap bereft them both of life Who slue themselues with one vnluckie knife Had pitie lodge within Saluestras brest Would she haue forst so true a man to die Who chargde with loue and thousand woes distrest Did hazard life to presse in place so me Vnto a dame that with her spouse dyd lie O blooddie Beare nay rather Tygers whelp That would refuse her auncient friend to helpe O marble mynde O stayne of womans stocke Not fed with un â—e of kindly nurses pappe But hewed with toole out of some ruthles rocke And layd withyn some Lionesses lap Couldst thou alow thy frend so hard a hap As by thy syde amid his sute to see Him dâ—e the death and all for loue of thee Draw hether dames and read this bloody fact Note wei the fruite of frovvardnes in loue Peruse the plague of her that pyty lackt See how in that she pleasd the gods aboue Example take your xygoâ— to remous And you that are Cupydos knyghts taâ—e heede Bestovv no more good wil then shalde need Renounce the loue of such as are forsped Forgoe those frends vvhâ—m law forbids to lyke Courte no mans wyfe embrace no maryage bed Leaue of your luste by others harines to seeke No such good vvyl can last aboue a vveeke Looke vvhen you thynke your selues in cheefest pryce They set you by vvhylst others throvv the dyce When once regard of honor lyes asyde When credyt is respected nought at all Then shame ensues and follovves after pride From vertue then to fylthy vice they fall And to allure they vse a pleasant call And beyng once entangled in the tvvyg To make you fat they â—eede you vvith a fyg For one delyght ten
amisse Experto credere tutum est A gentlewomans excuse for executing vnlawfull partes of loue EArst Sylla tooke no shame for Minos sake Hir father Nysus purple pate to sheare Medea for the loue of Iason brake The bands of kind and slew hir brother deare Forwent hir worthy Sire and kingly crowne And followed him the rouer vp and downe For Theseus when in Labirinth he lay In dread of death the monster was so nie Faire Ariadna did deuise a way To saue his life vnlesse that Ouid lie And yet the beast hir brother was in déed Whom Theseus slue and sprang of Minos séed At siege of Troy whilest Agamemnon fought Aegistheus wan Quéene Clitemnestras hart So as when he returnd and little thought Of death this dame began to play hir part She slew the prince to folow former lust And thought the fact to be excéeding iust Faire Phyllis slew hire selfe vnhappy dame Through loue and did not Dydo do the like For Prince Aeneas who to Carthage came When he was forst by showres the shore to séeke What more vnkindly parts can man deuise Than Quéens for loue their honors to despise◠Now iudge my case my fault vprightly scan Déeme my desart by this it may be gest I am by nature made to loue a man As Sylla Phyllis Dido and the rest If they and I haue done amisse for loue Let kind be blamd that thereunto did mooue The wisest men as farre as I can see Haue been enthrald through loue as well as we Amor vince ogni cosa Of his Constancie WE way not waxe for all his gallant hew Bicause it vades and melts against the fire We more regard a rocke of marble blew For that no force doth cause it to retire The builder makes his full account that it Will firmly stand at a stay and neuer flit So may you swéete be sure that my good will Is no good will of waxe to waste away When fond desire of fansie hath his fill My loue is like the marble for his stay Build thereupon and you shall surely find No blast of chance to change my stedfast mind Blacke shall you sée the snow on mountains hie The fish shall féed vpon the barren sand The sea shall shrinke and leaue the Dolphins dry No plant shall prooue vpon the sencelesse land The Tems shal turne the Sunne shal lose his light Ere I to thée become a faithlesse wight I neither am nor meane to bee None other than I seeme to thee The Authors Epilogue LO here the end of all my worke behold the thréed I drew Is wrought to cloth accomplisht now you sée this slender clew A peece God wot of little price scarce woorth the Readers paine And in mine owne conceit a booke of barren verse and vaine I blush to let it out at large for Sages to peruse For that the common custome is in bookes to gape for newes And matter of importance great which either may delite By pleasure or with sad aduise the readers paynes requite But this of mine so maymed is for lacke of learned stile And stately stuffe as sure I shall the readers hope beguile Who doth expect some rare report of former ancient déedes Or new deuice but lately wrought that breatheth yet and bléedes But truely none of both in these my verses is to finde My slender ship hath kept the shore for feare of boystrous winde I bore my simple sayles but lowe I dreaded sodaine showers Which sundry times from hauty skies the puisant ruler powers I durst not stir amid the streame the chanel was too déepe Which made me haue the more regard about the bankes to kéepe It is for mighty hulkes to dare aduenture out so farre And barkes of biggest sise and such as builded be for warre I write but of familiar stuffe because my stile is lowe I feare to wade in weighty works or past my reach to rowe Which if I should the Reader might as boldly blame my quil As now I trust he shal accept my shew of great good wil. Though diuers write with fuller phrase and farre more hawty stile And burnish out their golden bookes with fine and learned file Yet meaner Muses must not lurke but each in his degrée That meaneth wel and doth his best must wel regarded be Though Nilus for his bignes beare away the greatest name Whose seuēfold stream hath gaind the gulfe of such a lasting fame Yet must not lesser lakes be lost nor had in vile account That serue for vse and ease of man though Nilus doe surmount Great Alexander mighty was and dreadful in the warre Yet that 's no cause why Rome should not of Caesar boast as farre The Planets are the pride of heauen and chéefest lampes of light Yet other starres doe yelde a shew and helpe to cléere the night Likewise though diuers write in verse and doe excéeding wel The remnant must not be refusde because they doe excell Ill may we misse the slender shrubs for all the princely Pine No more we scorne the baser drinkes though most we way the wine Which makes me hope that though my Muse doth yelde but slender sound And though my Culter scarcely cuts or breakes the marble ground Yet sithens that I meant with verse to féede the Readers eyes And to that purpose bent my braines these fancies to deuise I trust he takes it wel in worth and beares with what he findes And thereunto the Reader aye the writers trauaile bindes Which if he doe I haue my hire who happy then but I That wrote this worke for grateful men to vewe with thankfull eye And so I giue the congée now with wish that this my booke Be such as may thy sprites delight that hapnest here to looke Ill were my fortune if in all this treatise as it standes There should be nothing worth the vew when so it comes to hand Roscarockes warrant shal suffise who likle the writing so As did embolden me to let the leaues at large to goe If il succéede the blame was his who might haue kept it backe And frendly tolde me that my booke his due deuise did lacke But as it is loe there it goes for euery one to vew The man that each ones humor pleasde as yet I neuer knew Sufficeth if the courtly sort whose doome is déepe in déede Accompt it ought with baser wits I care not how it spéede The courtier knowes what best becomes in euery kind of case His nature is what so he doth to decke with gallant grace The greatest clarkes in other artes can hardly doe the léeke For learning sundry times is there where iudgement is to séeke The Authors excuse for writing these and other fancies with promise of grauer matter hereafter LOrdings allow my light and lewde deuise And Ladies ye that are of greatest state Beare with my bookes imputing nought to vice That I haue pende in youth nor now of late My prime prouokt my hasty idle quil To write of loue when