desperate man and releeued the distressed estate of his almost starued family which we leaue now in groat ioy and speake of the wofull calamitte tyed vppon the backe of this couetous ladie who imediately after this poore means departure came vnto the aforesaide tree to looke vppon her gould whereby her heart might leape at the topfull sight thereof but no sooner found she her hopes frustrate her gould gon and an instrument of death left hanging vppon the tree in place thereof she grew into such a violent dispaire that without either care of her liues safetie orpreuention of her soules damnation in the same corde she strangleb herself her bodie being thus made breathlesse exempted from the sight of people had no other buriall but in the rauening mawes of hunger-starued so wies whose straunge confusion had neuer bin knowne but through the voice of her troubled ghoast which walked many yeares after betwirt those two hils and reuealed it to the country inhabitants thus was her couetousnes scourged for a grieuous sin both by heauen and hell Gluttonies Tragedie Or the life and death of Iouina the drunkard the fist daughter to the inchanted queene CHAP. 8. IOuina now the subiect of our tragick storie and fist daughter to this inchanted Queene as fate and chaunce ordained was matcht in marriage to the rich Cardinall of Lorraine whose court for magnificéce equallizd and any prelates before his time for euery day vprising and downe lying he had a thowsand officers in his pallace and prouision for the mainteinance thereof were the customes of three riche dukedomes this haughtie and prowd Cardinall was in his life so vitious that he accounted drunkennes a deed of manhood and he that could best deuise new feruises to pamper vp gluttonie he aduanced to great authoritie and his riotous table was accounted the treasurie of earth aire and sea of beastes soules and fishes but God owing him a grieueus shame in the middle of his magnificence when he feasted at one time in the honour of his greatnes three christian kings to the wonder of them all he was choakt with a grape huske hapning in a cup of Arabian wine this his sodaine death not onely amazed the whole company but draue such a discontent into the minde of Iouina that she purposed a present reuenge vpon the whole countrie and as the customes of the natiōns are that by the death of such an imperious prelate all the land reuenews fals from the wife so she to make aspoile thereof made such a funerall banquet as Spaines chronicles to this day speaks of for no sooner had the earth closed vp the Cardinalls perfumed bodie and deliuered the same to the fary of consuming wormes but this gluttonous woman by sound of drum and trumpets caused a proclamation to be made throughout all the country of a free banquet for the space of seauen daies awarding to him or her that could rate or drinke the moste a hoepe of pure gould to compasse in their bellies she report of this deadly prize of sin being no soouer bruted abroad but of rioters spendthrists gluttons and drunkards from al parts arriued such numbers that the walles of Lorraine could hardly conteine them the tables whereat they sat were as natures storehouse variably yeelding all kinde of delicacies and their pampred wombes as the insatiate gulfe of hell neuer suffized some there were that had their bellies split in sunder by ouerfilling them some in the midle of their gluttony choakt with superfluities some by ouercharging themselues with wine vomited out their inward partes and some fell into such deadly sleepes as they neuer wakened againe and of all these multitudes of people the tenth man departed not away with life so consuming a tragedie brought this vile déed of gluttonie and drunkennes vpon that country Now Iouina her selfe seeing the earth almost strewd ouer with stifeled carkasses began to enuy at the powers of heauen and in contempt thereof drew foorth a sharpe knife and threw it vp toward the aire saying I wil wound fate and dismember the destinies in crossing thus the glory of my magnificent banquet but the knife she cast vp neuer more descended but instead thereof fell downe thrée drops of bloud directly before her vppon the table where she sat which strange and dismall sight stroake terror and remorse into her conscience and such a dispairing repentance into her cogitations that from that time forward as the angry heauens had appointed she consumed the remnant of her life which was but short in bitter lamentations Nou blacke vengeance quoth she hath doomd me with a thowsand calamities and the scarlet canopie of destruction is euen readie to close in my hated life in moste vile courses haue my loathed steps wandred in and now the reward thereof is shame confusion me thinks I heare succourles people calling for that food I so gluttonously haue spent me thinks I heare the vnpittied widdow and the hungry orphant challendging my destruction me thinks I hears the decrepit and aged wretches soliciting heauen for reueuge me thinks I heare the pining prisoners in deepe dungeons exclayming againe my riotous gluttony and me thinks the troubled earth bellowes vp reuenging ecchoes against my sinne drowned bodie thus mourned her relenting tongue till her vnstanchable wombe grew as it were starued with hunger and then striuing to suffize nature could not for the pipes of her lieus mainten̄ce were clunged vp and by the iust powers of mortallitie had a heauier iudgement laide vppon her for that foode which heauen and nature ordained for her liues sustinance were congerted into a cōtrary snbstance her bread heauen changed into stoues her meat into venemous toads and crawling wormes and her drinke into a puddle of poyso ne liquor the stench sauour whereof no nosthril could induro thus exempted both from heauens grace and earths pittie she languished many daies hated of God and man till the fatall sisters finished her wearisome life this was the heauens scourage for gluttonie and drunkennes as black a sin and as deadly as any of the seauen Letcheries Tragedie Or the life and death of Veneria the lustfull the sixt daughter to the inchaunted queene Chap. 8. STill followes one misfortune vppon a nothers necke woe vppon woe calametie vpon calametie and this seed so wickedly sowne could not chuse but be blassed in the bloome now to our sad discourses no sooner had Veneria the sixt daughter of this inchanted queene yeelded vp the tender bud of her virginitie changing her mayden head for a wiues honour being then conioynd in mariage with the Princely king of Bohemia before one month had consumd thirtie daies grew inamord vppon a bace groome one of the kitchen scullions whom in her lustfull eye seemd to be a iewell of knightly behauiour though a deformed vassell of humble seruitude therefore as the temptations of sin had deluded her careles of her princely husbands honour and regardles of her owne reputation vppon a time in
I will onely be thy wife Vpon these strict conditions or rather Nerculian labours these three gallants without any further reply departed each one his seurall way striuing which of them should accomplish the taske proposed vnto them where we will leaue them for a while trauailing straunge cuntries dilligently seeking to bring these their straunge labours to an end and speake of the woful miseries that the heauen aflicted this prowd Ladie withall Many months passed ouer the head of this hated woman after their departures and as she grew in age so did her pride increase in somuch that for the mainteinance of her vaine beautie she had atending vppon her a hundred of faire and yong wiues that once euerie day with the milke of their breasts fild a cestern of fine gould with the which euery morning she bathed her bodie onely to make her beawtiful faire and white skin more smooth and amiable and that foode which nature gaue for the nourishment of young infants according to Gods will she wickedly abulediu the mainteinance of pride and in the seruice of the deuill This vile course of life she long wandred in loosing herselfe in the wildernesse of blacke iniquitte till the all-seeing seeing eies of wrath descended heauen and in a moment strooke this prowd exeature into such on ovious leaprosie that neither eye could indure her sight nor nostrellavide her corrupting sauours now that bodie so finely framd of natures chiefest mould that lately would not indure the whistling of the gentle windes were now more lothsome then the spotted adder and that cleare celestiall face that disdaind to entertaine the comfortable heate of the warme sunne was now more ovious to mans sight then the swelling toad and all those Ladies that had wont to atend vppon her forsooke her company and fled her chamber as from adenne of snakes they that kept nearest to her were distressed people and vile malefactors such as were lately deliuered from loathsome prisons and deepe dungeons and these in contempt of heauens iudgement caused she with sharpe rasers to flea off the vpper skinne from her spotted face and leaprous bodie in hope that a new young and fresh skinne would againe growe and that her beawtte in a liuely manner would againe be replenished and not as now blemished with one stained spot or soule vlcer all this according to her will was imediately performed but to small purpose for the enuy of heauen cloathed with red vengeauce had doomed her to a miserable death for neither art nor nature by any practise could euer after couer her hated bodie with any kind of skin but that all hir flesh contine wed rawe and loathsome and putrified vnto her bones in this torment as a iudgement of hir pride remained she desiring death but could not dye til the moone had twice twelue times renewd her brightnes and that the earth had twice put on her spring times liuery and twice frostie bearded winter disrobd dame natures Gardens then oh then returnd the three wandring louers with conquest of their straunge adventures earth one hoping to reape the deserts of their true merrits The Soldier whose taske was to finde a bedde fild with a solter substance then the downe feathers of swans in this daungerous manner brought he his labour to an end First after his departure from this prowd Lady Sola he trauelled many strange countries meeting with many straunge people and in searching many strange places he happend into a caue where liu'da Satyr of such bignes as mans eye had hardly seene this Satyr liu'd vppon the spoile of traueliers within whose Caue lay the signes of such as he had murthered and deuowred the number of the dead bones and sculles which lay heaped there together draue such an admiration into the soldiers heart that for a time his feare so abounded that hee stood as it were senceles but at last being ornefied with the bould courage of manhood hee drew foorth his short semiter and with one blow smote of the Satyrs head whilst he lay sleeping vppon a bedde stuffed with nothing but winde the which the soldier no sooner perceiued but he verily beleeued his taske to be ended and that a bedde stuffed close with winde were farre more softer then the downe of signets so taking vp the same bedde and packing it vppon his Bennet behinde him he arriued as you heard at the pallace of this prowd Ladie whose misfortunes with fatall newes no sooner gaue him intertainement but he fell into a melaucholly dispaire and now seeing his long and dangerous trauailes reaping no better successe as one wearied both of life and good chaunce conuaide the saide windie bedde into a field vp to the toppe of a high mountaine where vppon he laide his brused bodie and was by the saide winde imediatiely carried away for euer The Scholler whose long tranells and deepe studdie nothing inferiour to the Soldier after he had spent two yeares practice in framing a Fountaine that should yeelde such a Water that neither rayned from heauen nor sprung from the conduits of the earth a taske as he thought impossible yet good chaunce so directed his steps that he ariued in the I le of Delphos at the Dracle of Apollo who after his deuine sacrifice had this pleasing answere reuealed to him The dew of heauen is neither water from the clowds nor water springing from the earth replenith a fountaine therewith and so conquer fate for inded he conquered fate for at his returne to the prowd Ladies court in hearing of heauens iudgement laid vppon her and how that he had consumed two yeres labor to no effect he presently fell lunaticke and dyed Lastly the marchant tasted of deaths cup as dearly as the others did for after he had brought a bread far better then the bread of wheat which is the bread of saluation the sacred bible of God which he fetcht from the temple in Ierusalem but when he saw the end of his hopes rewarded with a vision of calamitie he departed to a desert wildernesse onely inhabited with wilde beastes where for want of foode he famished himselfe to death Then Sola after she had inteligēce of the liues ruins of those 3. gallāt gentlemen whom she had so cruelly doomed to miserable trauailes and that for her sake they all three lost their liues she in great dispaire of eternall happinesse breathed her soule into the aire wishing her sir sisters by her example to imbrace humilitie Enuies Tragedie The life and death of Lucina the enuious the second daughter to the inchanted queene Chap. 5. LVcina being the second daughter to the inchanted queene bearing in her breast the burning fier of enuy neuer differed from that deadly sinne all the date of her wretched life for after the dicease of her prowd sister no long time passed on before Iulianus then king of France tooke her in mariage whose nuptiall rights these two countries solemnized in most princely manner and the chiefest delights and pleasures belonging
why in a milde womans breast haue you placed a Tigers heart why haue you suffered kinde to worke against kinde nature against nature and reason against reason one woman thus cruelly to betray another oh where is gentlenes become whether is mercy fled one beast will not hurt each other the vilest worme the earth breedes will by nature pittie one another but here is a woman that hath shamd her sex distaind nature poluted woman kinde an enemie both to heauen and earth she hath made me husbandlesse and childlesse and imediately will make me liuelesse oh thou celestiall tower where iustice sits enthroaned open thy glorious gates toe utertaine a widows curse strike downe with a heauy hand let shame and distruction persue her to death let some miracle of her tirany be the worlds mark till doomes day some strange confusion finish vp her life to appease the soules of three vnfortunate wretches onely made miserable through the enuy of a malicious queene and now thou earth farwell thou nurse and mother of my life adiew let three liues in two bodies be in thy bosome intombd for now I feele deaths wrath tearing my heart in sunder and the verry minute of my life fading and gentle death now art thou welcome thus with a groane I close thee in my bosome and in speaking these wordes the braunches of her life witheced The enuious queene thus triumphing in the victorie of their destructions not any whit relented at the pitteous moane of this good Ladie but like an vntamed Panther deuised new cruelties against their dead bodies which she performed in this vile maner Contrary to good nature and all humanitie she caused a furnace to be heat red hot and therein consumed the substance of these dead bodies into pale ashes from whences flew sparckling flames of fire like flakes of bloud vp towards heauen as it were chalendging vengeance at the throne of maiestie These tirannicall deedes both against life and death were no sooner effected but news came vnto her of her Princely husbands returne from quieting the cōmons tumults whom she purposed with a disembling countenance of ioy to entertaine so atiring herselfe in her richest ornaments attended on with a troope of honourable Ladies some mile distant from her blood-stained pallace she gratulated the king with a princely welcome home but as the angry fates had iustly decreed before the word of welcome could proceed from her mouth the heauens cast such a darke clowd ouer that earth with such a feareful tempest and thunder that the fruites of the earth flamed the leaues of trées were scortched to satisfie the angry wrath of heauen wherat the king afrighted in minde challenged the queene of some black misdeed by her committed beauy in the sight of heauen in being thus offended with the world but she whose heart blushies sinne had hardned grew impatient at his speaches and wisht that beauen might make her one of the worlds wonders if euer she wrought or consented to any deede of shame other then what vertue put her in minde to d ee this presumptious wish of hers so displeased the al-seeing powers that imediately the bowels of the earth cleaued and swallowed her vp aliue into her gaping wombe and directly in the same place where in sinking she gaue the world a farwell sprung vp a blood red statue of stone seeming to haue weeping eies and wringing hands which to this day there still stands and is recorded in the french Annalls to be one of the seauen wonders of Fraunce the king hauing a confetence touched with remorce and dreading least the heauy wrath of Heauen should for her blood-stained sinne light vppon the whole country therefore after he had searched out the whole faction of this blacke misdeed and put them to execution as a pilgrime bare legd bare footed clothd in bairecloth be wandred to Ierusalem and at the Sepulcher of Iudaes God craud remission for this his dead queenes offence by which meanes he washt away this stayned spot from his countries browe and after spent his daies in tranquillitis and peace Wraths Tragedie The life and death of Marsia the wrathfull the third daughter to the inchanted queene Chap. 6. THe third sister of this fatall generation might in the right of nature challenge as great supremasie of beautie as the other her two former sisters and not onely an amiable countenance and comely proportion ornefied hir outward shape but an excellent gift of art and nature beautified her inward parts for her minde being replenished with artificial misreries so indiciall in the tongues of learning so persit in eloquence so curtons in needle-workes the only excercise of prinees that the world eseemed her one of the muses darlings and the verry parragon of woman kinde in her the whole lands happines consisted the onely excellent artist of her time hauing a supernaturall gift in the noble science of Limming Wherein she greatly delighted and the more to make her fame glorious in the world she with a pencell portraied in a map or picture the frame of the creation of the world euery thing in his right shape so liuely set foorth as both beastes fowles and sishes seemed to retatine life the sunne moone and starres as it were gaue a kinde of light so artificially shaddowed she their quallities woods fieldes and forests appeared properly gréene and flourishing and the watry sea gliding thorough the earths bosome glistereb like christall and her swelling billowes seemd to rise and fall that no earthly eye could make a diffrence betwirt them and the surges of the vastocean This excellent peece of workmāship being to her hearts content finished was set to the open vew of all eies challenged a superioritie in that miserie aboue all others of the time but now amongst many that came from al parts of the kingdome to behold this race peece of workmanship there came one whose skill therein the whole earth admired the which in former times had bin tutor to this Princesse and first instructed her in the principles of this delightfull arte this reuerent man for his milke-white head claimd reuerentnesse after he had in the presence of many noble personages circumspecty vewed euery secret of this rare worke and marking euery curyous shadow how it was laide lastly found a deformitie in the portraiture of man and to this Princesse disgrace as she tooke it found great fault therewith at which Marsias wrath so inkindled and with such flames fiered her whole bodie that in presence of all the nobilitie with a siluer bodkin striking in the goulden trammuels of her haire she furiously stabbed the good old man vnto the heart so greatly her wrath preuailed this bloodie and inraged fact by the whole assembly was generally lamented and by her wrathfull hand no sooner done but repented for wrath being of nature sodaine a little ouerpassed conuerts into remorse so happened it with this Ladie for when her eye beheld the purple goare of his liueles heart
THE Famous renowned History of Morindos a King of Spaine Who maryed with Miracola a Spanish Witch and of their seauen daughters rightly surnamed Ladies with bleeding hearts their births their liues and their deaths A History most wonderfull strange and pleasant to the reader LONDON Printed for H R. and are to be solde at his Shop in the Poultrie vnder Saint Mildreds Church 1609. How Morindos a King of Spaine married with Miracola a Witch and how he was transformed without shape for polluting the Temple of God CHAP. I WHen Spaine was nursed with the milke of paganisme vertue not knowne nor God honoured there liued a people so ripe in sin that the kéene edge of shames sickle lay euen ready whetted to reape them downe for confusions haruest yet the subiects then liuing where not so wicked as the King vitious a King we name him if illustrious title of maiestie may grace so pernitious a foe to nature with so royall a stile his birth was fatall for when the midwife pulled him from the cradle of his conception the earthquake and heauen rained blood his parents ominous the one deuoured by wolues the other burnt to death by thunder his youth full vnlucky chances his age tirannous and mischieuous and all his life subiect to blacke misdéedes When his parets by heauens wrath had ended thus their dates he raigned King and wore the imperiall Diademe but such a King good men thought neuer sprong from womans wombe Morindos for so we name him being seated vpon the throane of maiestie ruled not in loue but by force making his nobles flaues to his sinne and their wiues feeders of his lust for every day in the yeare hee had a seuerall concubine all young beawtifull and louely nature framed their bodies faire though sinne made their soules blacke for both art and riches indeuored to delight his insatiate desires earths chiefest pleasures were at his command and all the lullabies of content rockt him in the cradle of securitie thus careles of heauens wrath he more honoured the Deuill then he loued God and what was the vilest to nature he most doted vppon But now after al these pleasures of his wanton youth the kind imbraces of his fayre concubines which like earthly Angells made him happy in natures sports he wickedly fell inamored vppon one of the Deuills blacke saints one Madam Miracola a Witch of damnation now burning in heli for her blacke deedes this Madam Miracola borne of noble parentage brought vp in the deepest artes skilfull in Magick charmes and incantations who hauing spent seauen yeres in that déepe mistery of coniuration sildome sleeping without the sosciety of spirrits fayries goblins or nigtly shapes hir chiefest studie and ayme was at principallitie to rule sole Queens and gouernour of the Kingdome and no way was there to attaine to that imperial seat but by marying with king Morindos though not a match fit he being discended royally she but nobly yet by sorceries witchcrafts and magicke deuises shee obtained hir purpose and in this manner obtained it Vppon a time when King Morindos in the height of his reuelles whilst some of his fairest concubines daunced before him naked in their cambrick smockes the more to inkindle lustes fire shee entred the chamber of their licentious sports with a maske of wonder the like neuer seene in Princes court for all the Maskers except hir selfe were infernall spirrits vissible but not tangable all in the shape of young Ladis attired in more changeable silkes then the collours of the Rainebowe hir selfe in a robe of such richnes as it sémed to exceede the glorie of the sunne for brightnes hir owne bodie shee imbathed and supled with a water of such inchantment that what man soeuer first set eye vppon her either present loue or present death had destinie allotted him for well knew she that no man presumed his presence during this time of pleasure This Madam Miracola asisted by the blacke states of hell by delusions won the kings loue whose vnconstant eyes no sooner firt their inflecting beames on this killing cokatrice but all on a sodaine fire his loue inflamed that nothing could quench it but hir loue ioyned to his which were imediately sealed togither loue desire and lust so conspired against his bewitched heart that he presently avoided the chamber of his intifing damsels and shee of hir deluding spirits remaining then but two bodies two hearts and two tongues he began to reueale loues secresie in this manner Madam quoth he knowing hir to be a long attender in his court good or euill fortune hath inchanted me and now thy present loue or hate must either glorifie me with earthly happinesse or send me wandring to the dark some walkes of death where no soscietie but crawling wormes and dead mens benes are resident deny me not therefore good Madam I am this countries Potentate I can commaund both wealths and power cities towers and townes Statesmen stoope and humly kneele vnto my soote royalties dignitles and al other kingly promotions are at my disposing vnto my pleasurs all the land submits delights are my vassels both land sea as subiects striue to make me happy I am an earthly God be thou my Goddesse take all these honours I will attend on thee I le bee thy subiect thy seruant I will kisse thy foote deny not my loue for thou hast bewitcht my heart inchaunted me fired mee with a quenchlesse flame all my boddie burnes and nothing but the sweete Dewe of the graunt can quallifie it make mee either vnfortunate or happy sweet Madame This being breathed from his longing soule she farre more tractable to loues motions then he made a full conclusion of a willing acceptance in this fort I haue a minde imperious monarche said she soaring vp to the batlements of heauen no bace desires nor lowebred thought shall any whit aspire my princely will I ayme at a kingly bed where maisstie sleepes whose chamber is imperious garded with commanding statesmen seauen weary winters and as many sommers haue my hopes bene climing vp this kingly ladder and now on the top of fortunes wheele am I fallen into a princes bosome in louing me great King thou conquerest fate thou subiectest hell thou maist by my assistance commaund legions of the black hoast to houer ouer thy Pallace and in the twinkling of an eye blast vp all thy wicked consperators if our mindes but once proue equall in the cheare of soueraingty the earth shall be farre too little for thy gouernement my magick charmes shall vnbowell the earth rip vp her bosome ransack her rich treasures for thy vse my magicke charmes for thee and for thy pleasure shall empty the vast Drean and cram thy kingdome with those riches that mans eye hath not séene since the worlds creation my charmes for thy content shall paue thy Court with pearles emrodes and Diamonds commaund great king and the marble stones that now compase thy pallace shal daunce and the ayer
panting vpon the ground she striued in reuenge thereof to teare out her own eies and would haue committed that bloody crueltie vppon her selfe had not the standers by preuented her wherevpon in great agonie she vttered foorth this inraged complaint Oh why will not heauen quoth she take my blood stained life and breath into his breathles bodie new aire or why may not my eyes forsake their hated cels within his eies to giue a seeing power oh the this breast of mine were now vnbowelled and this my wrathfull heart torne from my bosomes closset and sacrifised vppon that carkasse which my cruell hand hath vntimely slaine be therefore of thou fatal hand for euer lame deny to giue sustenance to this my vile bodie harboring now nothing but cogitations of reuenge graunt this oh heauen that from hencefoorth I may neuer tast one bit of foode in ioy nor walke abroad but in discentent nor steepe but in frightfull feares nor dreame but of melancholly dispaire for my sodain hand hath slaine the miracle of humanitie within whose head whilst life lasted dwelled true wisedome a tongue tipt with eloqnence and a voice resounding reports of celestial vnderstanding these and such like passions vttered shee from the fury of her repentant soule which imediately had broake her heart strings had not the care of her Ladies then there atending conducted her to her chamber where they with the harmony of musique and melodie of voices rockt her grieued sences into a silent flumber in which quiet rest as they imagined they left this distressed princes but far otherwise happeneth still to a troubled minde for as she lay sighing and sobbing vppon her bed greeuing at the blood she so wrathfully spilt there appeared before her face the gastly shape of the murthered old man wan pale in visage breathing forth hollow groanes to the déepe terror other sonle and seemd to her affrighted eies to open the closset of his bleeding breast as it were thirsting for reuenge and desiring blood for blood This fearefull and strange sight so deepely molested her conscience that from that time forward she banished away al thoughts of terestialliay and delighted in nothing but her owne confusion so heauy lay the guilt of murther vppon her soule for after that time not any foode would she euer take into her bodie nor euer after indure the fellowship of people nor neuer suffer one small flumber to close vp her eye lids but in great woe and miserie ouerwatched and pined her selfe to death to the great discomfort and sorrow of the whole land who by a generall consent intombed both their bodies in one graue and erected there vppon a sumptuous sepulcher the which to this day standeth in great glory in the citie of Paris Auarice her Tragedie Or the life death of Mercuria the couetous the fourth daughter to the inchanted queene Chap 7. THe fourth of these vnhappy children bearing the name of Mercuria the couetous esteeming the countries content beyond the glories of the court banishing from her selfe alprincely desires accoūting thē the brāds of ambitiō the onely spurs of distruction so making her three former sisters a memoriall example of princip allities downefall she purposed to spend her daies as a shepheardisse in the countrie where in stead of a royall court she had the siluaine fieldes and mountaines to liue in in piace of her princely attendance she had her flocks of sheeps to delight in whose plentifull increase of wooll wereas the treasures both of land and sea her imperiall diadem was her sheepshooke her pleasurable musique the chirping melodie of birds her guard the pretty watchfull curre that with his shirle barking gaue notice of insuing daungers and the treasons complotted against her were the tiranny of deuowring wolues but snch was her siluaine care and countrie dilligence that her flocks sustained small hurt by the bloody rage of this spoiler by which means in short time her riches grew vnualuable and her treasures without number but the greedy thirst of her wealths further increase so bewitched her insatiate desires that her verry soule grew sotted with vile couetousnes and the smallest losse thereof drew drops of blood from her heart she feared to trust the aire with her mony least the winde should consume it away nor the earth least the wormes should consume it nor the sea least fishes should purloine it but in a more securermanner as she thought the intended to hide it betwirt heauen and earth that both months weeks daies and howers she might with the sight thereof glutte the sight of her thirstie eies so hauing a huge some of pure gould closed in an Iorne truncke the which in a darke gloomy night the secret concealer of all blacke deedes she conuaide and hid in the hollow trucnk of an old withered oake standing betwirt two steepy hills where the tracking steps of man sildome treadeth in which hollow tree almost rotten with age she secretly hid this rich iewell of her soule intombing it therein with these speeches Lie thou there qurth shee my sweet gould thou great commaunder of mankinde my desires content my earths happines my heart rauither by seeing thee I am rauished with joy in possessing thee I feede vppon the pleasures of the world what is it not but gould can bring to passe gould can purchace kingdomes and betray Princes gould can buy preferment and make men mightie gould can make the smitsh wife and curb authoritie gould can win faire Ladies and wrong the mariage bed gould can tempt the chastest and sack virginitie nay goulde can change vice into vertue falshood into troth and vile villany into pure honestie then be thou sweet gould my second soule for in loosing thee the world ends with me in this manner left she this corrupting gould lying in the hollow tree purposing euery day once to feed her eies with the bewitching sight thereof bnt now marke what happend to this couetous woman the next morning by the opening of the daies windows there came vnto the same place where this gould lay a pooreman a disiressed wretch with a rope in his hand vppon the same tree to end his wearisome life the reason was that the pittiful cries of his wife and children complayning for bread at his hands he not being able to satisfie their wants came thether to hang himselfe and so by that meanes rid himselfe from the complayning cries of his poore wife and néedy children but as the good chaunce of smiling heauen was in tying the roap about an arme or braunch of the same tree making a noose to put ouer his head and in giuing the vnkinde world a dolefull adew he espied this coffer of gould at which he staid from that selfe wild murther and being ioyfull of so rich a purchase left the rope there still hanging and rarried ried the coffer home to the comfort of his wife children thus you see heauen by good meanes sand the deare soule of this
her husband absence she caused this hated night-owle the scullion to be sent for touching as she dissembled some serious busines to be imploid in who being no sooner priuatly come into her presence but reuealing the burning heat of her lust she gaue him this vnlookt for intertainement Little thinkst thou good Antonio quoth she for so was he named what high promotions are heaped vppon hty head for nature in thy first creation ordained thee to enioy the pleasures of a princely bedde though enuious time now burthens thee with flanery yet fate and good fortune crownes thee with happines then knowe thou iewell of mine eye that my bosome containes a heart dauncing at thy presence and without the fruition of thy loue it will quight consume away I being a Princesse am more hapies then the country milke-maide for she may challenge that same loue that fācy leads her to but I dare not claime the least interest of my pining passions be not hard hearted then deere Antonio be as gentle as the clasping vine hem in my bodie with thy manly armes take the pleasures of my honours sacke feede on content if content be in my yeelding bodie for I am impatient of delay my husbands armes are like vnto she twinding imbraces of serpents his kisses as the crokadils and his bed more loathsome then a den of snakes oh that nature had made me humble as thy selfe partner in thy fortunes and thy second selfe either now yeeld to my desires or I vow by him that made both heauen and earth I will pursue thee with a vengeance more terrible then euer mans icefull heart imagined and conclude on this that either continuall happines or euerlasting misery is put vnto thy hearts choyce now this poore wretch vnacustomed to these demaunds stood for a time as one new dropt from the clowdes not knowing what to resolue vppon but at last as it were rauished with all celestiall blessednes and seeing time as he thought fit for euer to make himselfe happy by inioying the delightsome sauours of so great a princesse condescended to satisfie the desires of her barning lust and according to her pleasure with blacke misdeeds distaind the whight honours of her mariage bed Veneria hauing thus wonne him to her wishes caused his bace affires to be stripped off and his bodie to be clothed in rich vestures the more to feede lustes gluttonie and appointed him the next night to set foote within her adulterous bedde which in moste wicked manner was accomplished But now marke how shame cannot lye long hid nor the concealer of sinne darke night couer this polluted crime but as confusions watchbel seunded these her dishonours abroad through the faithfull beautie of the kings chamber-keepers he had intelligence thereof so chusing to himselfe a selected number to effect his reuenge at the middle hower of night when nothing disquiesed the sleepes of humaine creatures but the gentle blustering of windes and the musicall murmurings of running waters he entred the chamber of this his lustfull and adulterous queene who securely lay them sleeping in the bosome of this bace scullion droue such a rage into the heart of the vnquiet king as flesh and blood could hardly indure it therefore drawing a short semiter from his side he sheathed it in the breast of his wiues minion whose blood with such fury gushed from his poluted bosome as it wakened the sinne-stained queene who at the first sight of her husbands presence in her smock all to be sprinckled with the scullions blood fell downe vppon her knees crauing remission for that crime which she so long had thirsted after but the inraged king to her penitent contrition was as remorseles as the dease adder and as far from graunting her life as the soules in hell bee from saluation yet being his second selfe a collop of his owne flesh and his ownely mariage choice he would not desfils his cleare hands with her detested blood therefore as a pining pennance for this lustfull fact for this mariage bed so distaind for this nuptiall promise broken for this worlds scandall this mariedmans dishonour and for this euerlasting spot of disgrace he inflicted vppon her a lingring punishment which in this manner was imediately effected First he caused a large coffen to be brought wherein he put the murthered bodie of the scullion then to the same dead bodie beginning now to peutrifie and stinck he tyed the liue bodie of his queene and so in the coffen closed them vp both together that as she inioyd his fellowship in life so might she consume with him being dead by which meanes the verry wormes that bred vppon the dead carkasse in a manner deuowred vp her liue bodie and thus were the sinnes of lust and adulterie scourged with a plague but fildome heard of Sloths Tragedies Or the life and death of Saturnia the sluggard the seauenth and last daughter of the inchanted Queene Chap. 9 SAturnia the last but not the vnhappiest of these sisters had the gentlest fortune of them al allotted her yet in striuing to preuent fate was taken in her owne trap and when she least dreamed on tasted of the bitter cup of death the worlde she accounted the wildernes of iniquitie and the verry puddle of misery therefore hating the fellowship of mankinde she purposed to forsake all princely glories courtly delights and worldly pleasures and betake her to the solitary life of Diana and to spend remnant of her daies in some desert wilderness where no sinne abounded So vppon an euening without copmpany she stole from the court guided by the pale light of the moone and the twinckling star-light of heauen she happened into a thicke groue of trees as it were inhabited onely by fayeries elues and the ghoastes of dead men day and night there seemd all one the glorious sunne as a straunger there shewd his face and the voices of humaine creatures were accounted fatall to be there heard night-rauens howlats battes with leather wings flying griffens and kokatrises couered quight ouer these thickets vpon the ground lay red bellied worms speckled snakes hissing adders venemous toads lothsome spiders and sleeping doremice so that neither heath nor grasse was there to be seene onely heaps of browne mosse vppon the which she rested her discontented bodie twice twelve moneths without waking slept she therevpon onely fed by the gentle meanes of greene-capt fairies in which long sleepe her dreames were of the torments of hell and the manner of her six sisters punishments in that damned region First in her sleepe she beheld her eldest sister bearing the name of Pride attired in a garment boyled in molten lead with a neckercher about her necke of flaming fire and her dainty feete seemed to walke vppon red burning coals Next she Beheld her second sister called Enuy grasping in her hands a paire of fiery stinging snakes which as it were lay feeding vppon her flesh euen readie to burst with the aboundance of blood suckt from her bosome
Then she beheld her third sister called Wrath wading into a boyling caldron of fire brimstone vp to the very chin and in brazen ladels casting the same vp and downe in great fury Then fixt the her eye vpon her fourth sister named Couetousnes feeding on melted gould and euery part of her bodie behung with burning pearles saphirés diamonds which seemed to seare the verry flesh from her bones After this she beheld her fist sister which was Gluttony sitting in a flaming chaire at a table of red hotte yorne serued by deuils with broiled loads vppon grid-yorns and drinking downe challices of boyling mettles The next vision was her sixt sister named Letchery lying in a bed of smoking sulpher deliuered of a brood of vipers who with their fiery teeth fed vppon her bowels and as it were had her bodie spread all ouer with vile leaprosie These were her scarefull dreames and continuall apparitions in which vnquiet sleepe she remained without waking till her bodie grew shapeles hauing no proportion as then made the shelter for toads frogs and venemous wormes to breed in the excrements of the earth and the deformities of nature thus vanished her life away in sleepe being no way able to withstand the scuaere indignation of heauen Of the inchanted queenes dispaire and how she was caried away aliue by deuils CHAP. 9. IFter the death of all these seauen deadly sisters now brought to confusion by the blacke doome of mortallitie our tragick story bids vs returne to the inchaunted queene lying all this while in childbed fightles and lame hauing no feeling in any part of her members which miracle of misery after she had intelligence of her seauen daughters tragicall ends asuredly beleeued that then her life was at the last period and the time of fearefull death drew néere according to her conditions made to the deuil who promised she should liue till the seauen daies of the weeke were forgotten which she aluded to her seauen daughters so named now feare terror and pining dispaire assailed her on all sides now dreaded she euery minute her soules departure to that burning furnace whose fire is ten times more hotte then this earthly fire and now euery small noise she heard she supposed to be the hurring of deuils that came to take possession both of soule and bodie euery minute wished she now to be whole yeares howers millions and daies endles time to stand still or the world to end now she repented her ambition her aspiring dignities and all those desires of a kingdome now repented she the selling of her soule her bands sealing with her owne blood and all her agreements with blacke hell euery time the clocke struck put her in minde of eternall damnation and how that hels gaping mouth stood readie to receiue her cursing the begetters and causers of her creation thus in deepe remorse of conscience suent she out the tiresome day the last day of her worldly life till the clowdy euening with her pitchy manlie aproached the onely comparatiue of gloomy hell the which had no sooner shut vp the bright eye of heauen but clowdes more darke then darknes itselfe checked the world with motions of pale death such tempests of lightning and thunder broake from heauens christall portalls that it euen blasted the beautie of the earth and atired both trees hearbes and flowers in a mournfull liuery this night so al mankind was a night of feare a night of relentles terror a night of confused desolation in which extremitie of horror it continued till the mid-nights hower at which instant time with a clamorous roaring that seemd to shake both heauen and earth the wrathfull powers of blacke hell fetcht away both her bodie and soule the which being done the heaues cleared the earth replenished and after followed a time of plentie peace and prosperitie FINIS