doo I purchase my fathers frowne the Diademe of Austria Now my right and patrimony doe I vtterly forsake changing all my natiue honours into forraine hopes and for thy sake make my selfe a stranger to my countrey euen in death springs my loue and being dead all earthly loues in me ends Cast me not off in disgrace but locke my true heart in thy Princely bosome there kéepe it as an inestimable Iewell pure vnspotted and vnstained and tender as the budding Rose blasted with the least winde of thy dislike As for thy liues danger swéet Prince feare not heauen I sée with a smiling countenance promiseth comfort and legions of Celestiall Angels stand ready armed to defend thée from that hunger-starued Lyon prepared for thy liues destruction a death dishonourable and vnfit for so royall a person In speaking these words shée tooke a gréene scarfe from about her iuory necke and gaue it to King Richard saying Take this swéet Prince as the maiden-like promise of my loâ—e and remembrance weare it for my sake it may proue thy liues preseruer and the onely instrument to glut vp the Lyons gréedy Iaw euen at that deadly minute when he seaseth vpon thy noble body Pardon my immodest presumption for desire and loue imboldens me and all my maiden like bashfulnesse is abolished by the delightfull presence of thy swéet selfe For thée and for thy loue haue I sold all my royall promotions Then equall it great King that my affection bee not blasted in the bloome and I made the most wofull and dispised Lady aliue More would shée haue spoken but that the gentle King tooke her from the ground yet knéeling and with the delightfull ioy of a curteous kisse sealed their lippes together and after gratified her kindenesse with this louing discourse Thou faire of all faires thou paragon of beauty in whose countenance I sée sits inthronised both vertue and modesty what vndeserued fauour hath true iudging Heauen graced me with in that thy inspiring loue hath eluminated my cloudy Fortunes now scowling with a dismall countenance Were the whole world mine and I commander of Monarchies yet should all my dignities inrich thee and my powerfull regalties aduance thee to the imperiall estate of all earthly graces This thy kindnesse hath inchanted me rauisht my sences eleuated my soule and of an earthly substance made my desires immortall Now flie I with the wings of good chance which nothing can clip but the sharpe sickle of despitefull death For death I know with his gasily visage walkes here inuisibly with his tirannous command ready to seaze vpon me now is the houre of my liues aduenture and the minute of that fearefull iudgement to be put in practise to the appeasing of Prince Phillips angry ghost At this word speaking came in the Lord Marshall with an armed guard hauing a commission to conduct King Richard to a square Court walled round wherein was a Shée-Lionesse newly bereaued of her Whelps to make her the more mankind about which Court sat the Duke and his Barrons in a gallery to behold this vnnaturall tradegy vnto which place being come attended on a farre off by the Princesse Clarabell who with teares and sighes did not a little solicet heauen for his strengthner all which forced pitty from the hearts of his enemies and might haue mollified euen Tygers to relent The two English Earles of Arundell and Oxford his approued friends in misery High spirited and full of resolution attended as before in their Friers habits feeding him as the beholders supposed with the food of diuine counsels but indéed with the animation of courage imbouldening him to take his fortunes patiently and to thinke of the honour of his Countrey by whose death England was widdowed and his subiects made Kinglesse These motions of incouragement bred in his manly heart an inconquerable strength committing his life to the disposing of fate He stripped himselfe from all Court-like habiliments and in his cambricke shirt with faire Clarabels scarfe wrapped about his arme he stood prepared for the entertainement of the remorslesse Lyon which at the sound of a Trumpet was let loose whose roares were as thunder from the clouds and in whose grim visage sat the fearefull president of destruction heart-breaking afflictions possest all his well willers and the quiuering feare of his confusion assailed euery gentle eye excepting Don Iohn and his associats To bee short the Lyon like the galfe of burning Acharon gaped to receiue the royal body of King Richard who neither fearing death nor the threatnings of tyranny with an vnknowne courage he most valiantly thrust his arme wrapped about with faire Clarabels silke scarfe into the gaping iawes of the ouer-furious Lyonesse and by the force of his manhood to are out his sauage heart yet leaping warme in his hand and threw it at Don Iohns face saying Take that thou monster of humanity thou vnprincely Potentate heauen thou séest hath defended me to the wonder of ages and thy vile disgraces Generall was the applause the intollerable vexation of the wrathfull Duke who like an vntamed Panthar rose from his seat and in great wrath departed King Richard séeing the Lionesse heartlesse and liuelesse lying on the ground to the great amasement of all the beholders yéelded the glory of this victory to the all-seeing praises of Heauen No little ioy had the two English Earles at this lucky successeâ— but espeâ—ially the heart of diuine Clarabell danced in delights Neuer had Lady the like cause of content nor neuer Lady more bound to thanke the Almighty powers of heauen The relieued King as the ignorant Lambe newly escaped from the bloody fury of the Wolie with a countenance of a crimson blush declared the like gladnesse and in most kinde manner cast the reflecting beames of his eyes toward Clarabell that shee well perceiued his curteous thoughts and that gratefull thankes harboured in his Princely heart After the Dukes departure the whole company soone broke off bearing a secret fauour to the English King who by faire Clarabell the Earles of Arundell and Oxford with some few other attendants of England conducted him to a priuate chamber where after some refreshing repast they prepared for England but not meaning discourteously to leaue faire Clarabell behind caused her to be attired in the habit of a Court Page in a sute of watched coloured veluet to signifie the trunesse of her loue for his sake in refusing both Countrey Parents and Kindred and in this sort to become estranged from al her acquaintance Such an imperious God is loue and so commanding The next day vnknowne of any of the Dukes Court but the Lord Marshall who assisted them in all their procéedings they tooke leaue of Austria and iournied toward England where by the way King Richard and faire Clarabell so secretly closed in affections that her blooming bud of virginity was cropt and the quittance of his loue-stroake sealed in her wombe a condition of such content as both pleasure and
barren that therein they found no other thing to succour their distresses and preserue them from famishment but onely fresh water with the which they sufficiently stored their ship giuing Heauen thankes for so blessed a fauour But this suffised not the desires of noble Faukonbridge hoping to find better reliefe for him and his men resolutely aduentured further vp into the Iland to discouer if he could wherewithall to vittaile his ship But woe is me to report it this aduenturous Gentleman trauelled so farre that he lost his way not being able to returne backe vnto his company by which meanes he was constrained to stay all night vpon the top of a trée for feare of wilde beasts whereof the Iland was full But now marke how vnlucky all things fell out the same night the wind rose and so violently droue the ship from the shore that the Pilot was inforced to leaue Lord Faukonbridge a Land and commit his Fortunes to the Sea where before day light they were cast vpon the coast where Saint Peters charitable Hermitage was scituated they being Infidels and Moorish natured people neuer expected the safety of Lord Faukonbrdge being a Christian but left him comfortlesse in the barren Iland and cast a shore where faire Clarabell abode where comming a Land desired her for his sake that created her to affoord them some reliefe whereby their liues might be saued and their ship sufficiently replenished with food fitting their intended voyage Pittifull Clarabell good Lady shée greatly reioiced that it lay in her power to furnish their wants most willingly gaue them entertainement and yéelded them such refreshing comforts as preserued both their ship and liues from perishing Likewise they meaning to expresse no vngratefull thankes for so kinde a fauour as an humble signe of good will curteously bestowed vpon her the twelue barrels of gold which Lord Faukonbridge reported to be red lead all which according to her gentle nature noble minded Clarabell receiued So parting with thankes to each other the Pilot returned to Morocco very ioyfull for the riddance of Lord Faukonbridge their Countries supposed enemy and shée no lesse delighted in the performance of her bountifull charity extended to the preseruation of so many dying men All this while Lord Faukonbridge remained in the barren Iland almost hunger-starued for want of food in which place was nothing found to satisfie his gentle nature but the flesh of wilde beasts which hee killed with his owne hands which for want of fire hee rosted in the sun and with the same to his content made more pleasinger banquets then when he feasted in the Morocco Court onely patience chiefly guided him but being thus lost and exiled from the society of humane creatures he liued a long time in the woods in such penurie and want that his strength began to faile sicknesse grew on and danger of life tormented him for want of naturall sustenance caused a grieuous kind of leprosie to grow quite ouer his body in such sort that his Princely countenance was suddenly changed into a most vgly visage and pale death as it were sate perching vpon his heauie brow betwixt life and death hee sate him down vpon the root of a dead withered trée making this complaint vnto himselfe If euer pitty quoth he entred the celestiall gate of Heauen or euer remorsfull mercy tenderly lookt into the poore estate of a miserable Gentleman then by this my liues ruine may be séene the true patterâ—e of calamity woe vpon me crosse vpon crosse and extremity vpon extremity makes a vnity and all conspires together to worke my good Fortunes confusion Here am I now left in a wildernesse of desolation friendlesse without comforter not knowing which way to get forth but committed to the vile tyranny of vntamed Tygers euen ready to intombe my dying body within their blood-thirsting bowels a graue most vnfit to close vp my new created life In speaking these words he heard from a farre as it were out of a hollow vaute a voice sounding forth these spéeches Faulkonbridge rise vp and follow me Fate and good chance will prosper thée This séemed to be the voice of the Fairy Quéene his old Nurse being still most carefull of his liues preseruation as it was indéed which no sooner ecchoed in the eares of Lord Faukonbridge but he arose from vnder the trée where he lay and being ready to goe forward all weake and sickely as he was he espied before one of the Fairy Instruments which was an Ignis Fatuis the fire of destiny or a going fire which by nature fully leadeth wandring trauellers out of the way This as his guide went still before him he with a slow pace followed after not intercepted by any misaduenture till hee came to the Sea side where being ioyfully arriued in good time he beheld a Barke sailing by to which he made shew of entertainement as one desirous to be taken into their ship and to be conducted in to some better resting place both his motions and his intent the Mariners soone perceiued whereupon they satisfied his desire and within few â—aies set him safely vpon the next inhabited kingdome which was the happy place where Clarabell affoorded such bountifull liberality Being thither come the Countrey people and such as beheld his perplexed estate led him as diseased as he was vnto Clarabels Monastery where being arriued and standing shaking at the gate he desired for his sake that pardoneth all sinnes and requiteth all good déeds that shée would with the oyle of her skill balme his grieued paines and with the mercy that shée fréely bestowes vpon distressed soules cure his malady Gentle Clarabell at this his humble request called him in leading him vp inio a close chamber prepared onely for the comfort of such wofull creatures in which place after shée had receiued his drooping sences and by the vertues of the same ring he in former times had bestowed vpon her recouered his wonted health shée séeming in his face that beauty replenished againe which before that time shee supposed to haue séene and calling to remembrance his former Fauour shee perfectly knew him whereupon seeking to imbrace him shee sounded in his armes and for the sudden ioy that he receiued by his strange returne lay for a good season in a dying trance but being by great diligence recouered they recounted each to other the wonderfull Fortunes passed betwixt them from the first loosing of one another to that houre Likewise he spake how hee neither knew Father nor Mother nor from whence he descended and withall opening his bosome he shewed her the golden Faulkon by nature pictured vpon his breast which when shee beheld her very soule as it were eleuated it selfe to Heauen and more then mortall ioy possest her heart By this shee knew him to bee her onely Sonne begot by King Richard Cordelion King of England and so made it knowne vnto him Which when good Lord Faukonbridge vnderstood he in the true duty of a Sonne newly created downe vpon his knées craued her blessing and in great humility of mind gaue thankes to heauen in that it was his Fortune to defend his mother in an vnknowne Land from so many dangers and shee likewise made many deuout Orizons to God that in his mercy had so preserued them and in this manner brought them most strangely together FINIS
before him by a naked Indian all agréeable to his blacke desires for the stéeled point of his Launce and the kéen edge of his sword were both impoisoned his motto was True honour hath no equall Immediately after entered Richard of England mounted vpon a Spanish Gennet as milke white and spotles as were his thoughts his Armor bright and glistering his Helmet of the fashion of a sunne sparkeling fire expressing both malice and mercy Vpon his breast he had the honorable red crosse of England platted with Arabian silke his Motto was Honour tainted in vaine repented Thus all things in readines for this royall turnament the chéerefull reports of relentlesse Drums and Trumpets thundred a charge whereupon the two couragious Princes fired with resolution so fiercely assailed each other that a strange admiration of their man-hoods possessed all the beholders The old Duke Don Iohn himselfe sitting with a longing desire of his sonnes victory was immediatly discontented wich the spight of Fortune for after he had wounded the English Prince with his impoisoned weapons to the great danger of life couragious Richard expressing his Lion-like nature closed Prince Phillip with such a manly power that with his heauy courtelax at one blow he broke his necke Folly it were to resist destiny for euen at that instant he yéelded vp the ghost and in the sight of his old father imbraced death This sudden accident aduanced not so much the honours of King Richard as it setled fury in Don Iohns heart for hauing lost the hopes of his Kingdome his onely sonne and glory of his age like a man desperate of all good fortune ioy and consolation he raged both against heauen and earth blaspheming his Creator swearing both by God and the world that the treasures of Europe should not redeeme King Richards life nor the vnknowne treasures of the déepe Ocean were they laid at his féet preserue him from a dishonourable death for quoth he in loosing my Sonne the sight of the World displeaseth me I will pine in griefe I will famish with woe I will liue foodlesse féeding vpon nothing but desires of vengeance Assist me thou spirit of destruction that in wrath I may confound the murtherer of my sonne in whose life I more delighted then in my royall crown for in wanting him I liue as a forlorne wofull and deposed King exild and banisht from this worlds royalty my second soule adores the smallest drop of thy déere harts blood shal be quittanced with the purple goaâ—e of King Richards bosome Hauing spoken these or such like wordes he commanded the Marshall of Austria to take the English Prince vnto his charge and to kéepe him close prisoner in a square Tower of Marble stone adioining to the vttermost part of his Court and likewise to discharge all the followers of his Countrey vpon paine of death not any one of them to bée séen in his territories after the date of seuen daies All which according to the angry Dukes command was by the Marshall spéedily accomplished the wofull King he to prison and his sorrowfull followers to their natiue countrey where his loyall Subiects made not a little moane for his hard misfortunes Don Iohn with his Nobility mourned as grieuously for Prince Phillip whom in most solemne manner they enterred in a Princely Tombe where we will leaue him sleeping in peace and perseuere in this our wofull History King Richard hauing now neither Crowne Kingdome nor liberty but by his late receiued wounds from Prince Phillips poisoned weapons lay bléeding in prison to his liues greatest danger and being destitute of friends and all hopes of recouery he dolefully breathed out this lamentation Oh vniust Fortune said hee why in the prime of youth hast thou thus deceiued me and by thy flattering promises of aduancement thus betraied my Knightly aduentures Those blessed warres where the standard of Christ by their incouraging flourishes makes cowards inconquerable must by mee bee forsaken and my vnhappy daies by Don Iohns vnprincely doome haue ending sweat with teares Oh you ingrateful wals that with your pittilesse bounds claspes in a royall Prince mercilesse woe like a cruell tyrant féedes vpon my heart and the sunne shine of delightfull consolation is now for euer dimmed with the blacke cloudes of despaire banisht be all hopes of liberty and the freedome that attends on Kings is curbed with the base pennance of captiuity Farre more fortunate is the humble estate of the Plow-mans life he suffers onely the crosse of priuate disgraces when principalities indure the generall scandall of dishonour wherein Kingdomes and the glory of Diadems lose their illustrious dignities Where are now all my courtly traines of starre-bright Nobility my attendant followers my gardiants and humble seruitors my pompous state roiall banquetings and delightful musicke all so my soules eternall griefe now vanished and conuerted into continuall lamentations no fellowship haue I to comfort me but discontent sighes and melancholy dispaire Care is my food and teares my drinke nothing but the imaginations of woe intercepts all hopes of fréedome Oh vnhappy England thou nurse and mother of my life dishonoured in thy Kings disgraces and made most miserable by this iniurious and most vnprincely dealings Heauen I hope with blacke vengeance deadlier then the feare of hell will in time spie out a most dreadfull quittance written in the bloody brow of a cursed Austria stained with inhumane murther of a King whose death the child as yet vnborne shall rew and after ages shall speake off pitty my distresses thou reuenger of mankind that my soule may sléepe in peace and rest in that blessed mansion prepared for Monarches These or such like heart-breaking complaints being breathed from his grieued bosome the paine of his impoisoned wounds so inraged and so furiously tormented his body yet bléeding that poore King he fell into a swound liuelesse and breathles sauing a little panting breath moued in his breast a signe that the sparkes of life were not quite extinguished But now euer as this sudden trance assailed King Richard there entered into the prison the Lord Marshall vnder whose charge he was then kept where when to his great amasement he beheld as he supposed the King bereft of life hauing a mind framed of a noble disposition began to pitty his misfortunes and to accuse his Lord and Master of iniustice whereupon according to his gentle nature hee dressed his wounds with a precious kind of balme by nature so excellent that it not onely recouered life but also health and in lesse then in three daies made him as sound as he was before his combat with Prince Phillip where we shall leaue King Richard making his praiers to heauen for his deliuery from death and speake of other accidents that followed hereafter CHAP. II. How the two English Earles of Arundell and Oxford disguisedly comforted King Richard in prison of the loue betwixt him and Clarabella the Dukes daughter how he how hee pulled out the Lyons heart and
runne madding vp and downe not knowing in what manner to answere this their negligence But yet this griefe of thiers was but the induction to the true maze of calamity the wofull mother vnhappy Clarabell made haplesse miserable and most wofull by the losse of this her swéet Babe this déere collop of her own flesh being so déerely fed with her owne blood forty wéekes cherisht in the Closet of her wombe and euen now contrary to all expectation by the losse of it to be bereaued of all worldly consolation Oh thou vniust guider of mans life quoth shée what secret sinnes haue I committed against thy commanding deity what blake offence hath now dimmed the cléere beames of mercy that her eluminating glory is thus with-holden from me Why had it not béene strangled in my wombe and made Deaths sacrifice before it had saluted the Worlds eye then for the want thereof had I not thus mourned nor the title of a mother thus vnhappily wrought my hearts discontent Wéepe eternally oh mine eyes till you grow blind with lamentations breake heart with swelling sobbes split and burst asunder Nothing but motions of crosse chances intercepts my imaginations consuming sorrow like a wasting tyrant reuels in my distresses Not any comfortable thought will in mercy seaze vpon my soule pitty is fled remorse banished and gentle relenting passions workes wonders in my griefe-tired heart Now this sudden losse of her young sonne gaue her an occasion to desire the presence of King Richard that in his company shée might a little ease her sobbing bosome and that an equall partition of griefe might be made betwixt them considering halfe of mischances spight belonged to him being the Father and begetter of this blooming Faukonbridge But when shée had intelligence of his departure for Austria and of his reuenge pretended against her Fathers Country and her natiue soile and birthplace a sorrow beyond humane imagination assailed her heart and a griefe beyond the misery of Hecuba Quéene of Troy hauing lost one and twenty sonnes seazed vpon her soule words were not sufficient teares of no force sighes sobbing in blood could not reueale the least part of her bitter anguish All the tongues that euer spake all the pens that euer writ nor all the bookes that euer was could more tell write or containe the true manner of the disquietnes of this sorrowfull Lady the true patterne of griefe sat heauily vpon her cloudy brow and her eyes sparkeled as it were streames of afflictions day and night spent shée comfortlesse away food was as poyson to her body sléepe as strange company loathsome solitary silence wrought her the best case nothing but idle visions of discontent appeared before her sometime shée supposed that grim-fast death with legions of wormes sat deuouring the tender body of her yong bade Sometime againe shée imagined that an army of Angels conducted the pretty Impe into the blessed kingdome of heauen by and by againe that wilde beasts and rauing Foules banquetted with his tender limbes one while shée thought it lay staruing in the fields frozen to death with cold another while parched with the beames of the hot Sunne A thousand doubts had shée of the misaduenture of this yong babe beléeuing neuer to sée it more but that the doomes day of his liues ending had concluded all his Fortunes Vpon which resolution shée exempled her selfe from the company of all people excepting one ancient Gentlewoman that daily attended in her Chamber which brought her such necessaries as sufficed nature where like the picture of woe vnbrast and disrobde of all Lady-like attires with disheuelled haire hanging downe to the earth we will leaue her in this her Tower-royall so called by the reason of her royall beauty to the bitternesse of lamentations fitting so sorrowfull a Princesse and speake of the fearefull Fortunes that the three nurses had After young Faukonbridge was in the possession of the faire Queene the eldest of these vnhappy nurses was a widdowed Lady of the Court of a cleere complexion faire and beautifull whose face declared the lamentable shew of discontent Poore sorrowfull soule after the young Infant was thus taken away not knowing by what meanes nor by whom considering this her negligent care prooued a scandall to her reputation shee exempted her selfe wilfully from the society of people and gaue her selfe to trauell protesting by the sacred Maiesty of Heauen to leaue no kingdome vnsearcht nor no nation vnseene into till shee had found out young Faukonbridge and brought him againe safely vnto his carefull mother The second of these wofull nurses being a rich London Merchants wife in like manner in pennance for this her negligence put her selfe vnto a heauy taske which was to refuse all the ioyes of marriage not to take the fruition of her husbands loue not to sléep vppon downy beds but to rest her selfe vpon the hard ground making the dusty earth her pillow where sighes and sobbes were her only companions care her chamberlaine and griefe her gardian not any motion of delight could any more seaze vpon her heart but all her meditations were still made vppon the wished returne of young Faukonbridge The third and last but not the least woful of these grieued nurses was a plaine wholsome natured countrey-woman of a complexion like vnto the Shepheards of Idea Mountaines neuer more fairer were the tripping Nimphes of Diana sporting vpon Cipresse bankes nor neuer did nature frame woman more beautiful vpon her â—héekes the lilly and the rose stroue for supremacy and the Vermillion blush of her beauty wrought desire in all eyes euen loue himselfe danced in her countenance yet all these rich gifts of nature were quite blemisht by the sudden fright taken at the losse of this tender babe whose absence was as the bitter doome of death and transformed all her wonted graces into pale feare her face by it was changed into the shape of an ashy visage or the wan countenance of a long dead body all earthly consolation ended no hope had shée of her former ioy dispaire blacke melancholy deadly houres and vnlucky thoughts harboured in her pensiue bosome and by the losse of that sweete Infant at whose birt heuen the Muses danced all following good Fortune was quite from this Nurse exiled and as a punishment therefore for her negligence shée promised by a solemne vow made secretly with her owne heart neuer to tast other foode but rootes hearbes and such things as grew in the desart woodes nor neuer to drinke other liquour but cleere water taken from running riuers her companions were siluaine beasts and foules of the aire which in their natures séemed to assist her in this her languishing life long liued shée with the rest of her wofull partners making their daily orazons for the swéet returne of this royall babe for whom the whole land in great sorrow mourned whom we will leaue till another time and perseuer in these following euents that happened to King Richard being wading in Austria through