miserable Duchesse But hearken now the most sorowfull scene of all that tragedie The litle children which had séene all the furious game done vpon their mother and hir maide as nature prouoked thē or as some presage of their mishap led them therunto kneled vpon their knées before those tyrants and embracing their legs wailed in such wise as I think that any other except a pitilesse heart spoiled of all humanitie wold haue had cōpassion And impossible it was for them to vnfold the embracemēts of those innocent creatures which séemed to forethink their death by the wilde lokes and countenāce of those roisters Wherby I think that néedes it must be cōfessed that nature hath in hir self and vpon vs imprinted some signe of diuination and specially at the hour and time of death in such wise as that very beasts féele some cōceits although they sée neither sword nor staffe and indeuor to auoyde the cruell passage of a thing so fearful as the separation of two things so néerely vnited euen the body and soule which for the motion that chaūceth at the very instant she weth how nature is constrained in that monstruous separation more than horrible ouerthrow But who can appease a heart determined to do euil hath sworn the death of another forced the runto by some special cōmaundement The Aragon brethrē ment hereby nothing else but to roote out that whole name race of Bologna And therfore the two ministers of iniquitie did like murder slaughter vpon those two tender babes as they committed vpon their mother not without some motion of horror for doing of an act so detestable Behold here how far the crueltie of man extēdeth whē it coueteth nothing else but vengeance and marke what excessiue choler the minde of thē produceth which suffer themselues to be forced ouerwhelmed with furie Leaue we apart the crueltie of Euchrates the sonne of the king of Bactria of Phraates the sōne of the Persian Prince of Timon of Athens of an infinite nūbre of those which were rulers and gouerners of the Empire of Rome and let vs match with these Aragon brethrē one Vitoldus Duke of Litudnia the crueltie of whom constrained his own subiects to hang thēselues for fear least they shold fall into his furious bloudy hands We may confesse also these brutal brethrē to be more butcherly thā euer Otho erle of Monferrato prince of Vrbin was who caused a yeoman of his chamber to be wrapped in a shéete poudred with sulpher brimstō afterwards kindled with a candle was scalded cōsumed to death bicause only he waked not at an hour by him apointed Let vs not excuse them also frō some affinity with Maufredus the sonne of Henry that second Emperor who smoldered his own father being an old mā betwene y. couerleds These former furies might haue some excuse to couer their crueltie but these had no other cause but a certain beastly madnesse which moued thē to kil those litle childrē their neuews who by no meanes could preiudice or anoy the duke of Malfi or his title in the successiō of his Duchie the mother hauing wtdrawn hir goods was assigned hir dowry but a wicked hart must néedes bring forth semblable works according to his malice In the time of these murders the infortunate 〈◊〉 kept himself at Millan wyth his sonne Federick and vowed himself to that Lord Siluio Sauello who that time belieged the Castell of Millan in the behalf of Maximilian Sforcia which in the end he conquered and recouered by composition with the French within But that charge being archieued the generall Sauello marched from thence to Cremona with his campe whither Bologna durst not folow but repaired to the Marquize of Bitonte in which time that Aragon brethren so wrought as his goods were confiscate at Naples and he driuē to his shifts to vse the golden Duckates which the Duchesse gaue him to relieue him self at Millan whose Death althoughe it was aduertised by many yet hée coulde not be persuaded to beleue the same for that diuers which went about to betray him and feared he should flie from Millan kept his beake in the water as the Prouerbe is and assured him both of the life welfare of his spouse and that shortly his brethren in law wold be reconciled bicause that many Noble mē fauored him well and desired his returne home to his Countrey Fed and filled with that vaine hope he remained more than a yeare at Millan frequenting the companie and well entertained of the richest Marchants and Gentlemen of the Citie and aboue all other he had familiar accesse to the house of the Ladie Hippolita Bentiuoglia where vpon a day after dinner taking his Lute in hand wheron he could exceedingly wel play he began to sing a certain Sonnet which he had composed vpon the discourse of his misfortune the tenor whereof is this The song of Antonio Bologna the husband of the Duchesse of Malfi If loue the death or tract of time haue measured my distresse Or if my beating sorrowes may my languor well expresse Then loue come sone to visit me which most my heart desires And so my dolor findes some ease through flames of fansies fires The time runnes out his rolling course for to prolong mine ease To th end I shall enioy my loue and heart himself appease A cruell Darte brings happy death my soule then rest shall finde And sleping body vnder tombe shall dreame time out of minde And yet the Loue the time nor Death lokes not how I decrease Nor giueth eare to any thing of this my wofull peace Full farre I am from my good happe or halfe the ioy I craue wherby I 〈◊〉 my state with teares draw full nere my graue The courteous Gods that giues me life nowe moues the Planets all For to arrest my groning ghost and hence my sprite to call Yet from them still I am separd by things vnequall here Not mēt the Gods may be vniust that bredes my chāging chere For they prouide by their foresight that none shall doe me harme But she whose blasing beuty bright hath brought me in a charm My mistresse hath the powre alone to rid me from this woe whose thrall I am for whome I die to whome my sprite shall goe Away my soule go from the griefs that thee oppresseth still And let thy dolor witnesse beare how much I want my will For since that loue and death himself delights in guiltlesse bloud Let time trāsport my troubled sprite where destny semeth good His song ended the poore Gentleman could not forbeare frō pouring forth his luke warme teares which aboundantly ran downe his heauie face and his panting sighes truely discouered that alteration of his mind which moued eche wight of that assembly to pitie his mournefull state and one specially of small acquaintaunce and yet knew the deuises which the Aragon brethren had trained and conspired against him that vnacquainted Gentleman
part of a faithfull companion to deceiue his friend But in end pleasure surmounting reason and the beautie ioyned with the good grace of the Lady hauing blinded him and bewitched his wits so wel as Ardizzino he toke his way towards hir house who waited for him with good deuotion whither being arriued hée failed not to vse like spéeche that Valperga did either of them after certain reuerences and other fewe words minding and desiring one kinde of intertainment This practize dured certaine months and the Countesse was so farre rapt with hir newe louer as she only employed hir selfe to please him and he shewed himselfe so affected as she thought to bridle him in all things whereof she was afterwards deceiued as you shall vnderstād the maner Ardizzino seing himself wholly abandoned the presence and loue of his Ladie knowing the she railed vpon him in all places where she came departed Pauia halfe out out of his wits for anger and so strayed from 〈◊〉 order by reason of his rage as hée displayed the Countesse thrée times more liuely in hir colours than she could be painted and reproued hir with that termes of the vilest and most 〈◊〉 strumpet that 〈◊〉 ran at rouers or shot at randon Bianca Maria vnderstoode hereof and was aduertised of the good reporte that Ardizzino spread of hir throughout 〈◊〉 which chafed hir in suche wise as she fared like the Bedlem furie ceasing night nor day to plaine the vnkindnesse and follie of hir reietted Louer Sometimes saying that she had iust cause so to doe then flattering hir selfe alledged that men were made of purpose to suffer such follies as were wrought by hir and that where they termed themselues to be womens seruauntes they ought at their mistresse hands to endure what pleased them In the end not able any longer to restrain hir choler ne vanquish the appetite of reuenge purposed at all aduēture to prouide for the death of hir aūcient enimy and that by meanes of him whome she had now tangled in hir nettes Sée the vnshamefastnesse of this mastife bitche and the rage of that female Tiger how shée goeth about to arme one friend against an other and was not content onely to abuse the Counte Gaiazzo but deuised to make him that manqueller And as one night they were in the midst of their embracements she began pitifully to wéepe and sigh in such wise as a man wold haue thought by the vexation of hir heart that the soule and body wold haue parted The yonge Lord louingly enquired the cause of hir heauinesse and sayd vnto hir that if any had done vnto hir displeasure hée would reuenge hir cause to hir contentation She hearing him say so then in studie vpon the deuice of hir enimies death spake to the Counte in this manner You know sir that the thing which moste 〈◊〉 the Gentle heart and minde that can abide no wrong is defamation of honoure and infamous reporte Thus much I say by reason the Lord of Massino who to say the trouth hath bene fauored of me in like sort as you be now hathe not vene ashamed to publishe open 〈◊〉 against me as thoughe I were the arrantest whoore that euer had giuen hir selfe ouer to the Galley slaues alongs the shore of Sicile If he had vaunted the fauoure which I haue done him but to certaine of his friendes I had incurred no whit of slaunder much lesse any little suspition but hearing the common reports the wrongfull woords and wicked brute that he hath raised on me I beséeche you syr to doe me reason that he may féele his offence and the smart for his committed fault against hir that is all youres The Lord Sanseuerino hearing this discourse promised hir to doe his best and to teache Valperga to talke more soberly of hir whome he was not worthy for to 〈◊〉 but in thought Notwithstanding he sayde more than he ment to do for he knew Ardizzino to be so honest sage and curteous a personage as hée would neyther doe nor say any thing without good cause and that Ardizzino had 〈◊〉 quarell against him by taking that from him which he loued althoughe it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 discontinuance from that place and vpon the only request of hir Thus he cōcluded in mind stil to remain the friend of Ardizzino and yet to spend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Countesse which he did and vsed certaine months without quarrelling with Valperga that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 with whom he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 liued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commonly vsed one table bed togither Bianca Maria séeing that the Lord of Gaiazzo cared not much for hir but onely for his pleasure determined to vse like practise against him as she did to hir former louer and to banish him from hir house So that when he came to sée hir either she was sicke or hir affairs were such as she could not kéepe him company or else hir gate was shut vpon him In the end playing double or quit she prayed the sayd Lord to shewe hir such pleasure and friendship as to come no more vnto hir bicause she was in termes to goe home to hir husband the Counte of Celant who had sent for hir and feared least his seruaunts should finde hir house ful of suters alleaging that she had liued long inough in that most sinfull life the lightest faultes whereof were to 〈◊〉 for dames of hir port calling concluding that so long as she liued she would beare him good affection for the honest companie and cōuersation had betwene them and for his curtesie vsed towards hir The yong Erle were it that he gaue credit vnto hir tale or not made as though he did beleue the same and without longer discourse forbare approche vnto hir house and droue out of his heade all the amorous affection which he caried to that Piedmont Circes And to that end hée might haue no cause to thinke vpon hir or that his presence 〈◊〉 make him slaue againe to hir that first pursued him he 〈◊〉 in good time to Millan by which retire hée auoided that mishap wherwith at length this 〈◊〉 woman wold haue cut him ouer the shinnes euen 〈◊〉 his mind was least thereon Such was the malice and mischief of 〈◊〉 heart who ceasing to play the whort applied hir whole 〈◊〉 to murder Gaiazzo being departed from Pauie this Venus once againe assayed the 〈◊〉 of hir Ardizzino and knew not well how to recouer him againe bicause she feared that the other had discouered that enterprise of his murder But what dare not she attempt whose minde is slaue to sinne The first assaies be hard the 〈◊〉 in doubt and conscience gnawing vpon the repentance worme but the same once nousled in vice roted in the heart is more pleasant and gladsome for the wicked to 〈◊〉 than vertue familiar to those that folow hir So that shame separate from before the eyes of youth riper age noursed in 〈◊〉 their sight is so daseled as they can see nothing that either
did One that loued him more than the rest sayd vnto him Syr so soone as she knewe of your comming immediately she withdrew hir selfe into hir Chamber He that was wise and well trained vp dissembled what he thought imagining that it was for some little fantasie whereunto women willingly be subiecte And therefore when he thought time to departe he tooke leaue of the widowe and as hée was going downe the staires of the great Chamber he met one of the maides of Gineura whome he prayed to commend him to hir mistresse Gineura during all this time toke no rest deuising how she might cutte of cleane hir loue entertained in Dom Diego after she knew that he caried the Hawke on his fist which was the only cause that did put hir into that frensie And therefore thinking hir selfe both despised and mocked of hir Knight that he had done it in despite of hir she entred into so great rage and choler as she was like to fall mad She being then in this trouble of minde behold hir Gentlewoman came vnto hir and did the Knights message Who hearing the simple name of hir supposed enimy begā to sigh so strangely as a man wold haue thought hir soule presently wold haue departed hir body Afterwards when she had vanquished hir raging fit which stayed hir speach she gan very tenderly to wéepe saying Ah traitor vnfaithful louer is this the recompense of the honest and firme amitie which I haue borne thée so wickedly to deceiue me vnder the colour of so faint and detestable a friendship Ah rashe and arrant Théese is it I vpon whome thou oughtest to vende thy wicked trumperies Doste thou thinke that I am no better worthe but that thou prodigally shouldest wast mine honor to bear that spoiles thereof to hir that is in nothing comparable vnto me Wherin haue I deserued this discurtesie if not by louing thée more than thy beautie fained loue deserue Diddest thou dare to aduenture vpon me hauing thy conscience wounded with suche an abhominable and deadly treason Durst thou to offer thy mouth to kisse my hand by the mouth of another to whome thou haddest before dedicated thy lying lips in thine owne proper person I praise God that it pleased him to let me sée before any other worse chaunce hath happened the poyson by thée prepared for the ruine of my life and honor Ha foole hope not to take me in thy trap nor yet to deceiue me through thy sugred and deceitful words For I sweare by the almighty God that so long as I shall liue I wil accompt thée none other but as the most cruel and mortal enimy that I haue in this world Then to accomplish the rest of hir careful minde she wrote a letter to giue hir farewell to hir olde friend Dom Diego And for that purpose instructed hir Page with this lesson that when the Knight should come he should be ready before hir lodging and say vnto him in the behalfe of hir that before he passed any further he should reade the letter and not to faile to doe the contents The Page which was malicious and ill affectioned to Dom Diego knowing the appointed day of his comming waited for him a quarter of a mile from the Castle where he had not long taried but beholde the innocent louer came against whome the Page went bearing about him more hurtfull noisome weapons than all the Théeues and robbers had in all the Countrey of Catheloigne In this manner presenting his mistresse letters he sayde vnto him My Lord Madame Gineura my mistresse hath sent me vnto you bicause she knoweth how fearfull you be to displease hir prayeth you not faile to reade this letter before you passe any further and there withall accomplishe the effecte of the same The Knight abashed with that sodaine message answered the Page God forbid my friend quod be that I shold disobey hir by any meanes vnto whom I haue giuen a full authoritie and puissance ouer mine affections So receiuing the letters he kissed them thre or foure times and opening them found that he hoped not for and red that which he thought not off The cōtents wherof were these The Letters of faire Gineura to the Knight Dom Diego THere shall passe no day of my life from making complaintes of thée disloyall and periured Louer who being more estemed and better beloued than 〈◊〉 diddest deserue hast made so small accompte of me whereof I will be reuenged vpon my selfe for that I haue thus lightly beleued thy wordes so full of crafte and guile I am in 〈◊〉 that thou from hence for the shalt flye to buzze and beate the bushes where 〈◊〉 suspectest to catche the pray for héere thou art like to be deceiued Goe varlet goe I say to 〈◊〉 hir which holdeth thée in hir nets and snares and whose Presentes althoughe of small value haue 〈◊〉 thée more than the Honest vertuous and 〈◊〉 Loue that vertue hir selfe began to knitte betwéene vs. And sith a carrion Kite hath made thée 〈◊〉 further off than the winde of the aire was able to beare thée God defend that Gineura should goe aboute to hinder thy follies and much lesse to-suffer hir selfe to be beguiled through thine excuses 〈◊〉 rather God defend except thou desirest to sée me die that thou shouldest euer be in place where I am assuring 〈◊〉 of this my minde neuer to be chaunged so long as my soule shall rest wythin my body which giuing breth vnto my panting breast shall neuer be other but a mortall enimie to Dom Diego and such one as euen to the Death will not faile to prosecute the 〈◊〉 of the most traiterous and vnfaithfull Knighte that euer was girte with girdle or armed with sword 〈◊〉 beholde the last fauour that thou canst or oughtest to hope of me who liueth not but onely to martir and 〈◊〉 thée and neuer shall be other but The greatest enimie that euer thou hast or shalt haue Gineura the faire The miserable louer had no sooner red the contents of the letter but lifting vp his 〈◊〉 to the 〈◊〉 he sayd Alas my God thou knowest well if euer I haue 〈◊〉 that I ought to be banished from the place where my contentation is chiefly fixed from whence my heart shall neuer departe chaunce what missehappe and fortune so euer Then tourning himself towardes the Page he sayd Sir Page my friend say vnto my Ladie most humbly commending me vnto hir that for this present I will not sée hir but heareafter she shall heare some newes from me The Page well lessoned for the purpose made him aunswere saying Sir she hath willed me to say thus much by mouthe that ye cannot do hir greater pleasure than neuer to come in place where she is for so much as the Daughter of Dom Ferrando de la Serre hath so 〈◊〉 you in hir nettes that loth she is your faithfull heart should hang in ballance and expect the vncertaine loue of two Ladies at
which secretely they thought was about to escape away giuing them straight charge that by no meanes they shoulde returne without hir When the 〈◊〉 drew neare the shippe Poris bent him self to encourage the mariners to hoyse by saile againe and to make way with their oares into the sea if it were possible to auoide the imminent and present danger to saue the life of him selfe his wife children then he erected his handes vp vnto the heauens to implore the healpe and succor of the Gods which the stoute Gentlewoman Theoxena perceiuing and manifestly séeing the daunger wherein they were callyng to hir mynde hir former determinate vengeance which she ment to do and beholding 〈◊〉 in his prayers she prosecuted hir intente preparing a poysoned drinke in a cuppe and made redie naked swordes All which bringyng forth before the childrens face she spake these words Death alone must bée the reuēge of your siely liues whervnto there be two wayes poison or the sworde Euery of you choose which ye list to haue or of whether of them your heart shall make the frankest choyse The Kings crueltie and pride you must auoyde Wherfore dere children be of good 〈◊〉 raise vp your no ble courage ye the elder aged boyes shew now your selues like men and take the sword into your handes to pierce your tender hearts but if the bloudie smart of that most dreadfull death shal feare and fright your gréene and vnripe age then take the venomed cuppe and gulpe by sundrie draughts this poisoned drinke Be franke and lusty in this your destenied death sith the violence of Fortune by sea doeth let the lengthning of your life I craue this request of choise and let not the same rebound with fearful refuse of this my craued hest Your mother afterwardes shal passe that straight wherof she prayeth hir babes to bée the poastes yée the vaunt currours and shée with your louing 〈◊〉 shall ende and finishe Philips rage bent agaynst vs. When shée had spoken these wordes and 〈◊〉 the enimies at hand this couragious dame the 〈◊〉 of the death egged prouoked these yong 〈◊〉 childrē not yet wel resolued what to do with hir encharmed words in such wise as in the ende some dranke the poison and other strake them selues into the bodie and by hir commaundement were throwen ouer boorde not altogether dead and so she set them at libertie by death whom tenderly she had brought vp Then she imbracing hir husbande the companion of hir death both did voluntarily throw them selues also into the sea And when the Kings espials were come aboorde the ship they found the same abandoned of their praye The crueltie of which fact did so moue the cōmon people to detectation and 〈◊〉 of the king as a generall cursse was pronounced against him his children which heard of the Gods aboue was afterwardes terribly reuenged vpon his stock 〈◊〉 This was the end of good Poris and his stout wise Theoxena who rather than she would fall into the lapse of the Kings furie as hir father Herodicus and hir other husbande did chose violently to die with hir owne handes and to cause hir husbands children and hir owne to berieue them selues of life which although agaynst the louing order of naturall course and therefore that kinde of violence to be abhorred as horrible in it selfe yet a declaration of a stoute minde if otherwise she had ben able to reuenge the same And what coward heart is that that dare not vpon such extremitie whé it séeth the mercilesse ennimie at hand with shining blade redie bent to strike the blowe that without remedie muste ridde the same of breath specially when it séeth the trembling babe naturally begotten by his owne kinde and nature before the face imploryng fathers rescue what 〈◊〉 heart dare not to offer himself by singular fight though one to twētie either by desperate hardinesse to auoide the same or other anoyance aduenture what he can which in Christians is admitted as a comely fight rather than with that Pagane dame to doe the death it selfe But now returne we to describe a facte that passeth all other forced déedes For Theoxena was compelled in a maner thus to do of méere constraint to eschue the greater torments of a tyrants rage and thought it better by chosen death to chaunge hir life than by violent hands of bloudie butchers to bée haled to the slaughter But this Hidrusian dame was wearie of hir life not for that shée feared losse of life but desperate to think of Fortunes 〈◊〉 staye which 〈◊〉 Fortunes darlings would regarde in time they would foresée their slippery hold A Gentlewoman of Hidrusa ¶ A Straunge and maruellous vse which in olde time was obserued in HIDRVSA where it was lawfull with the licence of a Magistrate ordeined for that purpose for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and woman that list to kill them selues The nynth Nouell BAndello amongs the company of his 〈◊〉 telleth this Historie and in his owne person speaketh these woords If I should begin to tell those things which I sawe in the time that I sailed alōgs the leuāt seas very tedious it would be for you to heare and I in reporting could not tell which way to ende bicause I saw and heard things right worthy to be remembred Notwithstanding for satisfaction of diuers that be my frendes I will not sticke to reherse some of them But first of all one straunge custom which in the Romans time was vsed in one of the Ilandes of the sea Aegeum called Hidrusa in these dayes by the trauailers called Cea or Zea and is one of the Ilandes named Ciclades whilome full of populous and goodly Cities as the rumes thereof at this day do declare Ther was in old time in that Iland a very strange lawe and ordinaunce which many hundred yeares was very well and perfectly kepte and obserued The Lawe was that euery person inhabitant within the sayde 〈◊〉 of what sexe and condition so euer béeing thorough age infirmitie or other accidents wearie of their life might choose that kinde of death which liked them best howbeit it was prouided that the partie before the dooing of the same shoulde manifest the cause that moued hym therevnto before the Magistrate elected by the people for that speciall purpose which they ordeyned bycause they sawe that diuers persons had volūtarily killed themselues vpon triflyng occasions and matters of little importance accordyng to whiche lawe very many men and women hardily with so mery chere went to their death as if they had gone to some bankette or mariage It chaunced that Pompeius Magnus that dreadfull Romane vetwene whō and Iulius Caesar were foughte the greatest battailes for superioritie that euer were Pompeius I say sailing by the sea Aegeum arriued at Hidrusa and there goyng a land vnderstode of the inhabitants the maner of that law and how the same day a woman of great worship had obteined licence of the Magistrate to poison hir selfe Pompeius hearing tell hereof
daughter of CHERA goyng for that treasure and busily serching for the same found the halter wherwithal for despaire she woulde haue hanged hir selfe but forbidden by ELISA who by 〈◊〉 espied hir she was restored to parte of hir losse leading afterwards a happie and prosperous life The. xj Nouell FOrtune the ladie Regent gouernesse of mās life so altreth and chaungeth the state thereof as many times we se the noble born from that great mightie port wherin they be debased so farre as either infamously their life is spent in the hungrie lappe of dame penurie or else contriued in the vgly lothsom house of Wantonnesse the stepdame of all honestie and vertue Sometimes we make the vnnoble ladde that was nooseled in the homely countrey 〈◊〉 or rude ciuile shoppe attaine to that whiche the onely honorable and gentle do aspire and he againe that is ambicious in climbing vp the turning whéele throwen downe beneth the brinke of 〈◊〉 lucke whelmed in the ditche pit of blacke despaire We note also somtimes that the carelesse wyght of Fortunes giftes hath vnlooked for his mouthe and throte crammed full of promotion and worldes delights Such is the maner of hir fickle stay When of this Historie ensuing giueth some intelligence by remembring the destenied lucks of thou poore sorie girles that were left destitute of desired things both like to fall into despaire and yet both holyen with that thei most desired which in this sort beginneth In the time that Scipio Affricanus had besleged the Citie of Carthage Chera that was a widow dwelling there seing the daunger at hand wherin the Citie stode and doubtyng the losse and ouerthrowe of the same and that the honor of the dames and womankinde coulde vneths be safe and harmelesse determined not to abide the vttermoste and hauing a good quantitie of golde and precious stones she bestowed the same in a casquet and hid it vpon one of the beames of hir house purposing when the stirre and daunger was past to retourne to hir house againe for those hir hidden things Which done in the habite of a poore womā with hir onely daughter in hir hand that was aboute b. or bf yeares of age she went out of Caithage and passed ouer the seas into Scicilia where falling sick after she had ben there thre or foure yeares at length died But before she departed she called hir daughter before hir then about x. yeares of age and tolde hir the place where she had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 casket And by reason of the 〈◊〉 gotten by Scipio the citie was maruellously chaunged and amongs other things the house of Chera was giuen to a Roman 〈◊〉 that was so enriched with nobilitie of mynde as he was poore of Fortunes goods Which Chera vnderstanding was sorowfull and doubted of hir things secretly bestowed vpon the beame Whervpon she sayd vnto hir daughter that for so much as their house was in the posfession of an other she ought to be wise and circumspect in the recouerie of hir hidden goods and that hir death was the more sorowfull vnto hir bicause she must leaue hir so yong a maiden vnprouided of frendes for hir good gouernement But yet she incouraged hir and sayd that sith necessitie approched she must in childishe age put on a graue and auncient mind and beware how she bewrayed that casket to any person for that of purpose she reserued the knowledge thereof to hir self that it might serue for hir preferment and procure hir a husbande worthie of hir selfe And the maiden demaunding the value of the same she told hir that it was worth CC. 〈◊〉 and gaue hir in writyng the particulers inclosed within the Caskette and sayde that the lyke bill shée shoulde finde within the same written with hir owne hande And so the good woman wythin a while after dyed leauing behynde hir the yong mayden hir Daughter that maruellously lantented the death of hir mother accordingly as Nature taught hir and eche other reasonable wyght depriued from their dearest friends The maiden for hir yeres was very wise and would disclose to none what hir mother had sayd kéeping the writing very carefully and 〈◊〉 Not long after Philene which was the maidens name fell in loue with a Gentleman of Scicilia of greate reputation and authoritie who all bée it he sawe hir to be very faire and comely yet cared not for hir loue in respecte of mariage for that he knewe hir to be poore and without dowrie mete for a Gentleman iesting and mocking to sée hir fire hir mind on him for desire to haue him to hir husbande that was a personage so noble and rich which refusall pierced the heart of that tender maiden bicause she saw hir self forsaken for nothing else but for want of goods which made hir to think and consider howe shée myght recouer the riches that hir mother had layed vp in Carthage It chaunced as shée was in this thought that the daughter of him to whome the house of Chera was giuen called Elisa was likewise enamoured of a noble yong gentleman in Carthage who bicause Elisa was the daughter of a souldiour and not very rich in like manner laughed iested at hir loue no lesse than the other did at Philene Notwithstanding Elisa attempted all meanes possible to induce the yong man to loue hir but hir practise and attemptes tended to none effect And last of all desirous to haue a resolute answere and thereby vnderstode that he woulde rather die than take hir to wife she fell into despaire and curssed fortune and hir fate that she was not borne riche enough to match with hir chosen Gentleman and that she being poore must fal in loue with such a personage whervpon she miserably formented hir selfe styll bewayling hir vnhappie lucke that she could not win him to be hir husbande for which only intent and purpose she loued him And this amorous passion incredibly growing in hir the rootes whereof bée planted in the restlesse humor of melancholie and wanting all hope and comforte to stay that ranke and rāmishe wéede it so increased in hir as shée franticke in raging loue gaue hir self ouer to the spoile of hirself And to rid hir from that griefe she determined to kill hir selfe imagining which waye she might doe the same At length she was resolueb with hir fathers sword to pierce hir body But hir heart not seruing hir therevnto deuised by the halter to ende hir life saying thus to hir self that at lest wise my death shall doe me good bicause that cruel man shall know that for his sake I haue done this facte and shall performe my funerals with some teares or sighes And if his heart be not of yron or stéele he can not chose but sorowe and lament that one which loued him better than hir owne life hath made such wretched ende onely for his crueltie Elisa concluding vpon this intent prepared a halter And being alone in hir house in the chamber where the Casket lay vpon
a day greate talke was had in the court of King Philip surnamed Luscus bicause he was poreblinde who likewise was making preparation to depart out of Fraunce in the sayd iorney Reporte was made by a Knight whiche knewe the sayd Marquize that in all the worlde there was not the like maried couple as the Marquize and his wyfe were as well bicause the Marquize had the fame to bée an excellent Gentleman as also for that his wyfe amonges all the troupe of Ladies that liued in the world that time was the fairest and most vertuous which words so entred the French Kings head as sodainely neuer séeing hir in all his life he began to loue hir And for that purpose determined to imbarke him selfe at Genoua that by trauailing that way by lande he might haue good occasion to sée the Marchionisse thinking that hir husbande being absent he might easily obtein that he desired And as he had deuised he began his enterprise who sending al his power before toke his iorney with a meane train of Gentlemen and being within a days iourney of the Ladies house he sente hir worde that the next daye hée would visite hir at dinner The sage and discrete Ladie ioyfully answered the Messanger that she would accōpt his comming for a greate and singular pleasure sayde that his grace shuld be most heartily welcom Afterwardes she maruelled why such a King as he was would in hir husbāds absence come to hir house And in that maruel consideration she was no whit deceiued coniecturyng that the fame of hir beautie was the cause of his comming Neuerthelesse like a wise Lady and honest Gentlewoman she determined to do him honor caused the worshipful of hir countrey such as remained behinde to be assēbled for aduise in all things that were necessarie for his intertainement but the feast varietie of meats that should be serued she alone toke vpon hir to dispose and order Wherfore spedily sending about and making prouision for al the hennes that might be gottē throughout the countrey cōmaunded hir cookes of those hennes without other thing what so euer to prepare diuers seruices The Kyng failed not the next day to come accordingly as he had sent worde and was with great honor receiued of the lady and in beholding hir she semed vnto him bisides his imagination comprehended by the former wordes of the Knight to be farre more faire honest and vertuous than hée thought attributing vnto hir singular praise and commendation And so much the more his desire was kindled as she passed the estimation bruted of hir And after that the King had withdrawen him selfe into the chamber ordeined and made ready for him as appertained to a Prince so greate that dinner time was come the Kyng Madame the Marchionisse sat together at one boorde and other according to their degrées were placed at seueral tables The King serued with many dishes and excellent wines beholding some times the ladie Marchionisse conceiued greate delight and pleasure But viewing the seruice and meates although dressed in diuers sortes to be but hennes he began to wonder specially knowing the soile wherin they were to be so rich plentiful as by litle trauaile great abundance of foule veneson might haue ben prouided and thought that she had indifferent leisure to chase and hunt after that he had sent hir word of his cōming Notwithstanding he woulde not take occasion to enter into talke of those wants of better chere hir hennes only excepted who looking vpon hir with mery countenance he said vnto hir Madame wer al these hennes bred in this countrey without a cock The Marchionisse which full wel vnderstode the cause of his demaund thinking that God had sent hir an apt time for answere as she desired boldly answered the King No and it please your grace but of women albeit in honour and apparell there is some difference yet they be al made in this 〈◊〉 as they be else where The King hearing hir 〈◊〉 right well did know the occasion of the bankette of Hennes and whervnto hir wordes did tende and considred that to bestow any further talke to so wise a ladie it were in vaine and that force there could take no place Like as vnaduisedly he fell in loue so it behoued him of necessitie wisely to 〈◊〉 the fire for his honour sake without any more taunting wordes fearing hir reuenge he dined without hope to get other thing of hir And when 〈◊〉 had done to the intent by his sodaine departure he might couer his dishonest commyng thankyng hir for the honour which he had receiued and she recōmending him to God he departed to Genoua Here may be proued the great difference betwene wisedom and 〈◊〉 betwene vertue and vice The King more by lust than other desire by circumstances indeuoured to sounde the deapth of the ladies minde She by comely aunswer payde hym home for his follie A liuely representation of a noble creature so well bedecked with vertue as with beautie Mistresse Dianora ¶ Mistresse DIANORA demaunded of 〈◊〉 ANSALDO a Garden so faire in Ianuarie as in the moneth of May. Maister ANSALDO by meanes of an obligation whiche he made to a Necromancer caused the same to be done The husband agreed with the Gentlewoman that she should do the pleasure which maister ANSALDO required who hearing the liberalitie of the husband acquited hir of hir promise and the Necromancer likewise discharged maister ANSALDO The. xvij Nouell OF all things commonly accompanying the maner and trade of mans lyfe nothyng is more circumspectly to bée attended prouided for than regarde 〈◊〉 of honestie which attire as it is moste excellent and comely so aboue all other vain toyes of outward apparell to be preferred And as honestie hath al other good cōditions included in it self as the same by any meanes can not straye oute of that tract troden before by the steppes of that most excellent vertue Euen so impossible it is for the partie adorned with the same to wander one 〈◊〉 from that 〈◊〉 path Wherefore lette eche wight that traceth this worldly life foresée the due obseruation of all things incident to that which is honest Nothing in this life saith Tullie in his oration for the Poet Archias is so much to be desired as Honestie for the getting wherof all tormentes of bodie all perilles and daungers 〈◊〉 death bée not to bée regarded Honestie then beyng a treasure so precious what care not only for the atchieuing but for the conseruation ought to be employed In the practise wherof one speciall thing ought to be attended whiche is how a vowe or promise ought to be made or how the estimation of honestie oughte to bée hazarded for any thing séeme it neuer so impossible For what is it that loue and money hath not brought to passe What hard aduentures by Iason what sleight by Alexander the son of King Priamus what monsters slaine and labours susteined by Hercules
hauing hir face all besprent with teares she said 〈◊〉 Rhomeo Syr Rhomeo I pray you not to renue those things againe for the only memory of such 〈◊〉 maketh me to coūterpoise betwene death life my heart being so vnited with 〈◊〉 as you cānot receiue the least iniury in this world wherin I shal not be so great a partaker as your self beséeching you for conclusion that if you desire your owne health 〈◊〉 to declare vnto me in fewe wordes what your determination is to attaine for if you couet any other secrete thing at my handes more than myne honour can well allow you are maruelously deceiued but if your desire be godly and that the friendship which you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to beare me be founded vppon vertue and to be concluded by mariage receiuyng me for your wyfe lawful spouse you shall haue such part in me as 〈◊〉 any regarde to the obedience reuerence that I owe to my parentes or to the auncient enimitie of our familie 〈◊〉 will make you the onely Lord maister ouer me and of all things that I possesse beyng prest and readie in all points to folowe your commaundement But if your intent be otherwise and thinke to reape the frute of my virginitie vnder pretense of wanton 〈◊〉 you be greatly deceiued and doe praye you to auoide and suffer me from henceforth to liue in rest amongs mine equals Rhomeo which loked for none other thing holding vp his handes to the heauens with incredible ioy and contentation answered Madame for somuch as it hath pleased you to do me that honour to accept me for such a one I accorde and consente to your request and do offer vnto you the best part of my heart which shall remaine with you for guage sure testimonie of my saying vntill such time as God shall giue me leaue to make you the entier owner and possessor of the same And to that intent I may begyn mine enterprise to morow I wil to Frier Laurence for 〈◊〉 the same who bisides that he is my ghostly Father is accustomed to giue me instruction in all my other secrete affaires and fayle not if you please to méete me againe in this place at this very hour to the intent I may giue you to vnderstande the deuise betwene him and me which she liked very wel ended their talk for that time Rhomeo receiuing none other fauor at hir hands for that night but only words This frier Laurence of whom hereafter we shal make more ample mention was an aūcient Doctor of Diuinitie of the order of the friers Minors who bisides the happy profession which hée had made in studie of holie writ was very skilful in Philosophy and a great searcher of nature secrets excéeding famous in Magike knowledge and other hiddē and secret sciences which nothing diminished his reputation bicause he did not abuse the same And this Frier through his vertue and pietic had so wel won the citizens hearts of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was almost the confessor to them all and of al men generally reuerenced and beloued and many tymes for his great prudence was called by the lordes of the Citie to the weightie affaires of the same And amonges other he was greatly fauored by the lord of 〈◊〉 that time the principal gouernor of Verona and of al that familie of 〈◊〉 and of the Capellets and of many other The yong Rhomeo as we haue alredy declared frō his tēder age bare a certein particle amitie to frier Laurēce departed to him his secrets by means wherof so soone as he was gone from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 straight to the Friers Frāciscans wher frō point to point he discoursed the successe of his loue to that good father the cōclusion of the mariage betwene him 〈◊〉 adding vpon the end of talk that he wold rather choose shameful death 〈◊〉 to faile hir of his promise To whō the good 〈◊〉 after he had debated diuers matters proposed 〈◊〉 the inconueniences of that secrete mariage exhorted hym to more mature deliberation of the same notwithstanding all the alleged persuasiōs wer not able to reuoke his promise Wherfore the Frier vanquished with his stubbornesse and also forecasting in his minde that the mariage might be some 〈◊〉 of recōciliatiō of those two houses in the ende agréed to his request 〈◊〉 him that he might haue one delayed day for 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 what was beste to be done But if Rhomeo for his part was carefull to prouide for his affaires Iulietta like wise did hir 〈◊〉 For seing that 〈◊〉 had none about hir to discouer hir passions she deuised to impart the whole to hir nurse which laye in hir 〈◊〉 apointed to 〈◊〉 vpon hir to whome she committed the intier secrets of the loue betwene Rhomeo hir And although that old womā in the beginning resisted Iu hetta hir intent yet in that ende she knewe so wel how to persuade and win hir that she promised in all that she was able to do to be at hir cōmandement And then she sent hir with al diligence to speake to Rhomeo and to know of him by what meanes they might be maried that he would 〈◊〉 hir to vnderstand the determination betwene frier Laurence him Whō 〈◊〉 answered how the 〈◊〉 day wherin he had informed frier Laurence of the matter the said frier deferred answer vntil the next which was the very same and that it was not past one houre 〈◊〉 he returned with final resolution that Frier Laurence he had deuised that she the Saterday folowing should desire leaue of hir mother to go to cōfession to repaire to the church of saint Francis where in a certain chapel secretly they shold be maried praying hir in any wise not to fail to be there Which thing she brought to passe with such discretion as hir mother agréed to hir 〈◊〉 and accompanied onely with hir gouernesse and a yong mayden she repaired thither at the determined day time And so soone as she was entred that church called for the good 〈◊〉 frier Laurence vnto whō answere was made that he was in the shriuing chapel 〈◊〉 aduertisement was giuē him of hir cōming So soon as frier Laurence was certified of Iulietta he went into the body of the Church willed the old woman and yong 〈◊〉 to go heare seruice and that when he had hearde the confession of Iulietta he would sende for them again to waite vpon hir Iulietta being entred a litle Cell with Frier Laurence he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the doore as he was wont to do where Rhomeo and he had bene together fast shut in the space of one whole houre before Then Frier Laurence after that hée had 〈◊〉 them sayde to Iulietta Daughter as Rhomeo here present hath certified me you be agréed and contented to take him to husband and he like wise you 〈◊〉 his espouse and wife Do you now still persist and continue in that minde The Louers answered that they desired
to asswage mine offended minde In the meane time I shall lament the rest of my heauie life with such store of teares as my body dried vp from all humiditie shall shortly search reliefe in earth And hauing made an ende of those hir woords hir heart was so grieuously strained as she could neither wéepe nor speake and stoode so 〈◊〉 as if she had bene in a traunce Then being somewhat come againe vnto hir self with 〈◊〉 voyce she sayde Ah 〈◊〉 tong of other mennes 〈◊〉 howe 〈◊〉 thou so 〈◊〉 to speake of him whome his very enimies doe commend and praise How presumest thou to impute the blame vpon Rhomeo whose vngiltinesse and innocent déede euery man alloweth Where from henceforth shal be his refuge sith she whiche ought to be the only bulwarke and assured rāpire of his distresse doth pursue defame him Receiue receiue then Rhomeo the satisfactiō of mine ingratitude by that sacrifice which I shall make of my proper life and so the fault which I haue committed against thy loyaltie shal be made open to the world thou being reuenged my self punished And thinking to vse some furder talke all the powers of hir body failed hir with signes of present death But the good olde woman which could not imagine that cause of Iulietta hir long absence doubted very much that she suffred some passion and sought hir vp and downe in euery place within hir fathers palace vntill at length she found hir lying a long vpon hir bed al the outward parts of hir body so colde as Marble But the good olde woman which thought hir to be dead began to cry like one out of hir wittes saying Ah deare daughter and 〈◊〉 how much doeth thy deathe now grieue me at the very heart And as she was séeling all the partes of hir body she perceiued some sparke of life to be yet within the same which caused hir to call hir many times by hir name till at length she brought hir out of hir sounde Then she sayd vnto hir Why Iulietta myne own deare dareling what meane you by this turmoiling of your self I can not tel from whēce this your behauior that immoderate heauinesse doe procede but wel I wote that within this houre I thought to haue accompanied you to the graue Alas good mother aunswered wofull Iulietta doe you not most euidently perceiue and sée what iuste cause I haue to sorrow and complaine losing at one instant two persons of the worlde which were vnto me moste deare Me thinke answered the good woman that it is not semely for a Gentlewoman of your degrée to fall into such extremitie For in time of tribulation 〈◊〉 shoulde most preuaile And if the Lord Thibault be dead do you thinke to get hym againe by teares What is he that doth not accuse his ouermuch presumption would you that Rhomeo had done that wrong to him his house to suffer himselfe outraged assailed by one to whome in manhode and prowesse he is not inferiour Suffiseth you that Rhomeo is aliue and his affaires in such estate who in time may be called home again from banishment for he is a great lorde and as you know wel allied and fauored of all men wherfore arme your self from henceforth with pacience For albeit that Fortune doth 〈◊〉 him from you for a time yet sure I am that hereafter shée will restore him vnto you againe with greater ioy and contentation than before And to the end that we be better assured in what state he is if you will promise me to giue ouer your heauinesse I will to day knowe of Frier Laurence whether he is gone To whiche request Iulietta agréed and then the good woman repaired to S. Frauncis where she foūd Frier Laurence who told hir that the same night Rhomeo would not faile at his accustomed houre to visite Iulietta and there to do hir to vnderstand what he purposed to doe in time to come This iorney then fared like the voyages of mariners who after they haue ben tost by great troublous tempest séeing some Sunne 〈◊〉 pierce the heauens to lighten the land assure them selues agayne and thynkyng to haue auoyded shipwracke and sodainly the seas begin to swell the waues do roare with such vehemence and noyse as if they were fallen againe into greater daunger than before The assigned houre come Rhomeo fayled not according to his promise to bée in his Garden where he found his furniture prest to mount the chamber of Iulietta who with displayed armes began so straightly to imbrace hym as it séemed that the soule woulde haue abandoned hir body And they two more than a large quarter of an houre were in such agonie as they were not able to pronounce one worde and wettyng eache others face faste closed together the teares trickeled downe in suche abundaunce as they séemed to bée thoroughlye bathed therein Whiche Rhomeo perceyuing and thynkyng to staye those immoderate teares sayde vnto hir Myne owne dearest friende Iulietta I am not nowe determined to recite the particulars of the straunge happes of frayle and inconstaunte Fortune who in a 〈◊〉 hoystethe a man vp to the hyghest degrée of hir whéele and by and by in lesse space than in the twynckelyng of an eye shée throweth hym downe agayne so lowe as more miserie is prepared for him in one day than fauour in one hundred yeares whyche I nowe proue and hauc experience in my selfe whiche haue bene nourished delicately amonges my friendes and mainteyned in suche prosperous state as you doe little knowe hopyng for the full perfection of my felicitie by meanes of oure maryage to haue reconciled oure parentes and friends and to conducte the residue of my lyfe accordyng to the scope and lotte determined by Almyghty GOD and neuerthelesse all myne enterprises bée put backe and my purposes tourned cleane contrarye in suche wyse as from henceforthe I muste wander lyke a vagabonde thorough dyuerse 〈◊〉 and sequestrate my selfe from my friendes withoute assured place of myne abode whiche I desyre to lette you wete to the intente you maye be exhorted in tyme to come pacientely to beare so well myne absence as that which it shall please God to appointe But Iulietta all affrighted with teares and mortall agonies woulds not suffer hym to passe any further but interruptyng hys purpose sayde vnto hym Rhomeo howe canst thou bée so harde hearted and voyde of all pitie to leaue mée héere alone besieged with so many deadly myseries There is neyther houre nor Minute wherein Death dothe not appeare a thousande tymes before mée and yet my missehappe is suche as I can not dye and therefore doe manyfestelye perceyue that the same Deathe preserueth my lyfe of purpose to delyghte in my griefes and triumphe ouer my euyls And thou lyke the mynister and tyrant of hir crueltie doest make no conscience for oughte that I can sée hauynge atchieued the summe of thy desyres and pleasures on me to abandon and forsake me Whereby I well perceyue
an hundred thousand deathes did stande about hir haling hir on euery side and plucking hir in pieces féelyng that hir forces diminyshed by litle and litle fearing that through to great debilitie she was not able to do hir enterprise like a furious and insensate womā without further care gulped vp the water within the viol then crossing hir armes vpon hir stomacke she lost at that instant al the powers of hir body and remained in a traunce And when the mornyng light began to thrust his head out of his Orient hir chamber woman which had lockte hir in with the key did open the doore and thinking to awake hir called hir many times and sayde vnto hir Mistresse you sléepe to long the Counte Paris will come to raise you The poore olde woman spake vnto the wall and 〈◊〉 a song vnto the deafe For if all the horrible and tempestuous soundes of the worlde had bene canoned forth oute of the greatest bombardes and sounded through hir delicate eares hir spirits of lyfe were so fast bounde and stopt as she by no meanes coulde awake wherewith the poore olde woman amazed beganne 〈◊〉 shake hir by the armes and handes which she founde so colde as marble stone Then puttyng hande vnto hir mouthe sodainely perceyued that she was deade for she perceyued no breath in hir Wherfore lyke a woman out of hir wyttes shée ranne to tell hir mother who so madde as Tigre bereft of hir faons hyed hir selfe into hir daughters chaumber and in that pitifull state beholdyng hir daughter thinking hir to be deade cried out Ah cruell death which hast ended all my ioye and blisse vse thy laste scourge of thy wrathfull ire against me least by suffering me to lyue the rest of my woful dayes my tormente do increase then she began to fetchsuch straining sighes as hir heart dyd séeme to cleaue in pieces And as hir cries beganne to encrease beholde the father the Counte Paris and a greate troupe of Gentlemen and Ladies which were come to honour the feast hearing no soner tell of that which chaunced were stroke into such sorowfull dumpes as he whiche had behelde their faces wold easily haue iudged that the same had bē a day of ire pitie specially the lord Antonio whose heart was frapped with such surpassing wo as neither teare nor word could issue forth knowing not what to doe streight way sēt to seke that most expert phisitians of the towne who after they had inquired of the life past of Iulietta déemed by common reporte that melancolie was the cause of that sodaine death then their sorowes began to renue a 〈◊〉 And if euer day was lamentable piteous vnhappie and fatall truely it was that wherin Iulietta hir death was published in Verona for shée was so bewailed of great small that by the cōmon plaintes the common wealth séemed to be in daunger not without cause For besides hir natural beautie accompanied with many vertues wherewith nature had enriched hir she was else so humble wise and debonaire as for that humilitie and curtesie she had stollen away the heartes of euery wight and there was none but did lamente hir misfortune And whilest these things were in this lamented state Frier Laurence with diligence dispatched a Frier of his Couent named Frier Anselme whome he trusted as himselfe and deliuered him a letter written with his owne hande commaunding him expressely not to gyue the same to any other but to Rhomeo wherein was conteyned the chaunce which had passed betwene him and Iulietta specially that vertue of the pouder and commaunded him the nexte ensuing night to spéede him self to Verona for that the operation of the pouder that time would take ende that he should cary with him back again to Mantua his 〈◊〉 Iulietta in dissembled apparell vntill Fortune bad otherwise prouided for them The frier made such hast as too late he ariued at Mantua within a while after And bicause the maner of Italie is that the Frier trauailing abroade oughte to take a companion of his couent to doe his affaires within the Citie the Frier went into his couent but bicause he was entred in it was not lawfull for him to come out againe that day for that certain dayes before one religious of that couent as it was sayd did die of the plague Wherefore the magistrates appointed for the healthe and visitation of the sicke commaunded the warden of the house that no Friers shold wander abrode the Citie or talke with any citizen vntill they were licenced by the officers in that behalfe appointed which was the cause of the great mishap which you shal heare hereafter The Frier being in this perplexitie not able to goe forth and not knowing what was cōtained in the letter deferred his iorney for that day Whilest things were in this plight preparation was made at Veronna to doe the obsequies of Iulietta There is a custome also which is common in Italie to place all the beste of one lignage and familie in one Tombe wherby Iulietta was layde in the ordinarie graue of the 〈◊〉 in a Churcheyarde harde by the Churche of the Friers where also the Lorde Thibault was interred And hir obsequies honourably done euery man returned whereunto Pietro the seruant of Rhomeo gaue hys assistance For as we haue before declared his master sente him backe againe from Mantua to Verona to do his father seruice and to aduertise hym of that whiche shoulde chaunce in his absence there who séeing the body of Iulietta inclosed in tombe thinkyng with the rest that she had bene dead in déede incontinently toke poste horse and with diligence rode to Mantua where he founde his maister in his wonted house to whome he sayde with his eyes full of teares Syr there is chaunced vnto you so straunge a matter as if so bée you do not arme your selfe with constancie I am afrayde that I shal be the cruell minister of your death Bée it knowne vnto you syr that yesterday morning my mistresse Iulietta left hir lyfe in this world to seke rest in an other and wyth these eyes I saw hir buried in the Churchyarde of S. Frauncis At the sounde of which heauie message Rhomeo began wofully to 〈◊〉 as though his spirites grieued with the 〈◊〉 of his passion at that instant woulde haue abandoned his bodie But strong Loue whiche woulde not permitte hym to faint vntill the extremitie framed a thoughte in his fantasie that if it were possible for hym to dye besides hir his death shoulde be more glorious and 〈◊〉 as he thought better contented By reason whereof after 〈◊〉 had washed his face for 〈◊〉 to discouer hys sorrow he went out of hys chamber and commaunded hys man to 〈◊〉 behynde hym that hée might walke thorough oute all the corners of the Citie to fynde propre remedie if it were possyble for hys griefe And 〈◊〉 others beholdyng an Apoticaries shoppe of lytle furniture and lesse store of boxes and other thynges requisite
Rhomeo but began to breake the fountaine pipes of gushing teares which ran forth in such aboundance as not able to support the furor of hir grief she breathed without ceasing vpō his mouth and then throwing hir self vpon his body 〈◊〉 it very hard séemed that by force of sighs and sobs she wold haue reuiued and brought him againe to life and after she had kissed and rekissed him a million of times she cried out Ah the swete rest of my cares the only porte of all my pleasures and pastymes hadst thou 〈◊〉 sure a heart to choose thy Churchyarde in this place betwene the armes of thy perfect louer and to ende the course of thy life for my sake in the floure of thy youth whē life to thée shold haue bene most dear delectable how had this tender body power to resist the furious cōbat of death very death it self being here present How could thy fēder delicate youth willingly permit that thou shouldest approch into this filthy infected place where frō henceforth thou shalt be the pasture of worms vnworthy of thée Alas alas by what meanes shall I now renew my plaints which time and long pacience ought to haue buried and clearly quenched Ah I miserable and caitife wretch thinking to finde remedie for my griefs I haue sharpned the knife that hath 〈◊〉 me this cruel blow whereof I receiue the cause of mortall wound Ah happy and fortunate graue which shalt serue in world to come for witnesse of the most perfect aliāce that euer was betwene two most fortunate louers receiue now the last sobbing sighes intertainment of the most cruel of all the cruell subiects of ire death And as she thought to cōtinue hir cōplaints Pietro aduertised Frier Laurence the he heard a noise bisides the citadel wherwith being afraid they 〈◊〉 departed fearing to be taken And then Iulietta seing hir self alone in full libertie toke againe Rhomeo betwene hir armes kissing him with such affection as she semed to be more attainted with loue thā death and drawing out the dagger which Rhomeo ware by his side she pricked hir self with many blowes against the hart saying with feble pitiful voyce Ah death the end of sorow and beginning of felicity thou art most heartily welcome feare not at this time to sharpen thy dart giue no longer delay of life for fear that my sprite trauaile not to finde Rhomeos ghost amonges such numbre of carion corpses And thou my deare Lord and loyall husbande Rhomeo if there rest in thée any knowledge receiue hir whome thou hast so faithfully loued the only cause of thy violent death which frankely offreth vp hir soule that none but thou shalt ioy the loue wherof thou hast made so lawfull conquest And that our soules passing from this light may eternally liue together in the place of euerlasting ioy and when she had ended those words she yelded vp hir gost While these things thus were done the garde watch of the Citie by chāce passed by séeing light wtin the graue suspected straight the they were Necromācers which had opened the 〈◊〉 to abuse the dead bodies for aide of their arte desirous to know what it mēt wēt downe into the vaut where they 〈◊〉 Rhomeo Iulietta with their armes imbracing 〈◊〉 others neck as though there had ben some tokē of life And after they had well viewed them at leisure they knew in what case they were And thē all amazed they sought for the theues which as they thought had done the murder and in the end found the good father Frier Laurence and Pietro the seruaunt of dead Rhomeo which had hid themselues vnder a stall whome they caried to prison and aduertised the Lord of Escala and the Magistrates of Verona of that horrible murder which by and by was published throughout the Citie Then flocked together all the Citezens women children leauing their houses to looke vpon that pitifull sight and to the ende that in presence of the whole Citie the murder should be knowne the Magistrates ordained that the two deade bodies should be erected vpon a stage to the view and sight of the whole world in such sort and maner as they were found within the graue and that Pietro and Frier Laurence should publikely be examined that afterwardes there might be no murmure or other pretended cause of ignorance And this good olde Frier being vpon the scaffold hauing a white beard all wet bathed with teares the iudges cōmaūded to declare vnto them who were the authors of that murder sith at vntimely houre he was apprehended with certaine irons bisides the graue Frier Laurence a rounde and franke man of talke nothing moued with that accusation sayd vnto them with stoute and bolde voyce My masters there is none of you all if you haue respect vnto my forepassed life and to my aged yeres and therewithall haue cōsideration of this heauy spectacle whervnto vnhappy fortune hath presently brought me but doeth greatly maruell of so sodaine mutation change vnlooked for for so much as these thrée score and ten or twelue yeares sithens I came into this world and began to proue the vanities thereof I was neuer suspected touched or found gilty of any crime which was able to make me blush or hide my face although before God I doe confesse my self to be the greatest and most abhominable sinner of al the redéemed flock of Christ. So it is notwithstanding that sith I am prest ready to render mine accompt and that death the graue and wormes do daily summō this wretched corps of mine 〈◊〉 appeare before the iustice seate of God still waighting and 〈◊〉 to be caried to my hoped graue this is the houre I say as you likewise may thinke wherin I am fallen to the greatest damage preiudice of my life and honest port and that which hath ingēdred this sinister opinion of me may peraduēture be these great teares which in abundance trickle downe my face as though the holy scriptures do not witnesse that Iesus Christ moued with humane pitie and compassion did wepe and pour forth teares that many times teares be the faithfull messengers of a mans innocency Or else the most likely euidence and presumption is the suspected houre which as the magistrate doth say doe make me culpable of the murder as though all houres were not indifferently made equall by God their creattor who in his owne person declareth vnto vs the there be twelue houres in the day shewing therby that there is no exception of houres nor of minutes but that one may doe either good or yll at all times indifferently as the partie is guided or forsaken by the sprite of God touching the yrons which were found about me néedefull it is not now to let you vnderstand for what vse Iron was first made and that of it self it is not able to increase in man either good or euill if not by the mischeuous minde
my little great heart that cōtented and satisfied I can be with that which your abilitie can beare and pleasure commaund But to come to the point I say that debating with my selfe of our state as you ful wisely do I doe verily thinke that you being a yong Gentleman lusty and valiant no better remedy or deuise can be found than for you to aspire séeke the Kings fauor and seruice And it must néedes rise and redounde to your gaine and preferment for that I heare you say the Kings maiestie doeth alreadye knowe you Wherefore I doe suppose that his grace a skilfull Gentleman to way and estéeme the vertue valor of eche man cannot choose but 〈◊〉 recompense the wel doer to his singular cōtentation comfort Of this mine opinion I durst not before this time vtter word or signe for feare of your displeasure But now sith your self hath opened the way meanes I haue presumed to discouer the same do what shal séeme best vnto your good pleasure And I for my parte although that I am a womā accordingly as I said euē now tha thy nature am desirous of honor to shew my self abrode more rich and sumptuous than other yet in respect of our fortune I shal be cōtented so long as I liue to continue with you in this our Castle where by the grace of God I will not faile to serue loue and obey you and to kéepe your house in that moderate sorte as the reuenues shall be able to maintaine the same And no doubt but that poore liuing we haue orderly vsed shal be sufficient to finde vs two and. v. or 〈◊〉 seruants with a couple of horsse and so to liue a quiet and mery life If God doe send vs any children til they come to lawfull age we will with our poore liuing bring them vp so well as we can and then to prefer them to some Noble mennes seruices with whome by Gods grace they may acquire honoure and liuing to kéepe them in their aged dayes And I doe trust that we two shall vse such mutuall loue and reioyce that so long as our life doeth last in wealth and woe our contented mindes shal rest satisfied But I waying the stoutnesse of your minde doe know that you estéeme more an ounce of honor than all the golde that is in the world For as your birth is Noble so is your heart and stomacke And therefore many times séeing your great heauinesse and manifolde muses and studies I haue wondred with my selfe whereof they should procéede and amongs other my conceits I thought that either my behauior and order of dealing or my personage did not like you or else that your wonted gentle minde and disposition had bene altered and transformed into some other Nature many times also I was content to thinke that the cause of your disquiet minde did rise vpon the disuse of armes wherein you were wont daily to accustome your self amongs the troups of the honourable a company in déede moste worthy of your presence 〈◊〉 many times these and such like cogitations I haue sought meanes by such louing allurements as I could deuise to ease and mitigate your troubled minde and to withdrawe the great impietie and care where with I saw you to be affected Bicause I doe estéeme you aboue all the world déeming your onely griefe to be my double paine your aking finger a 〈◊〉 feuerfit and the least woe you can sustaine most bitter death to me that loueth you more dearely than my selfe And for that I doe perceiue you are determined to serue our Noble King the sorowe which without doubt will assaile me by reason of your absence I will swéeten and lenifie with contentation to sée your commendable desire appeased and quiet And the pleasant memorie of your valiant factes shall beguile my penfife thoughts hoping our next méeting shal be more ioyful thā this our disiunction departure heauy And where you doubt of that confluence repair of the dishonest which shal attempt the winning subduing of mine heart vnspotted body hitherto inuiolably kept from that touch of any person cast from you that feare expel frō your minde that fonde conceit for death shall sooner close these mortall eyes than my chastitie shall be defiled For pledge wherof I haue none other thing to giue but my true and simple faith which if you dare trust it shall héereafter appeare so firme inuiolable as no sparke of suspition shall enter your carefull minde which I may well terme to be carefull bicause some care before hand doth rise of my behauior in your absence The triall whereof shall yelde sure euidence and testimony by passing my careful life which I may with better cause so terme in your absence that God knoweth wil be right 〈◊〉 and carefull vnto me who ioyeth in nothing else but in your welfare Neuerthelesse all meanes and wayes shall be agreable vnto my minde for your assurance and shal breede in me a wonderfull contentation which lusteth after nothing but your satisfaction And if you list to close me vp in one of the Castell towers till your returne right glad I am there to cōtinue an Ankresse life so that the same may ease your desired minde The Knight with great delite gaue eare to the answer of his wife and when she had ended hir talke he began to say vnto hir My welbeloued I doe like wel and greatly commende the stoutnesse of your heart it pleaseth me greatly to sée the same agreable vnto mine You haue lightened the same frō inestimable woe by vnderstāding your conceiued purpose and determination to garde preserue your honor praying you therin to perseuere still remembring that when a woman hath lost hir honor she hath forgone the chiefest iewell she hath in this life and deserueth no lōger to be called woman And touching my talke proposed vnto you although it be of great importaunce yet I meane not to depart so soone But if it doe come to effect I assure thée wife I will leaue thée Lady and mistresse of all that I haue In the meane time I will consider better of my businesse and consult with my friends and kinsmen and thē determine what is best to be done Till which time let vs liue spend our time so merely as we can To be short there was nothing that so much molested the Knight as the doubt he had of his wife for that she was a very fine and faire yong Gentlewoman And therefore he still deuised and imagined what assurance be might finde of hir behauior in his absence And resting in this imagination not long after it came to passe that the Knight being in company of diuers Gentlemen and talking of sundry matters a tale was told what chaunced to a gentleman of the Countrey which had obtained the fauoure and good will of a woman by meanes of an olde man called Pollacco which had the name to be a famous enchaunter
pangs of death by remēbring the glory of my thought sith the recitall bringeth with it a tast of the trauails which you haue suffred for my ioy contentation It is therfore quod she that I think my self happy for by that meanes I haue knowne the perfect qualities that be in you haue proued two extremities of vertue One consisteth in your cōstancie and loyaltie wherby you may vaunt your self aboue him that sacrificed his life vpō the bloudy body of his Lady who for dying so finished his trauails Where you haue chosen a life worse than death no lesse painfull a hundred times a day than very death it self The other cōsisteth in the clemency wherwith you calme and appease the rage of your greatest aduersaries As my self which before hated you to death vanquished by your curtesie do confesse that I am double bound vnto you both for my life and honor and hearty thankes doe I render to the Lord Roderico for that violence he did vnto me by which meanes I was induced to acknowledge my wrong the right which you had to complaine of my folish resistance All is wel sayd Roderico sith without perill of honor we may returne home to our houses I intend therefore sayd he to send woord before to my Ladies your mothers of your returne for I know how so wel to couer and excuse this our enterprise and secrete iorneis as by Gods assistāce no blame or displeasure shal ensue therof And like as sayd he smiling I haue builded the fortresse which shot into your campe and made you flie euen so I hope Gentlewoman that I shall be the occasion of your victory when you combat in close cāpe with your swéete cruel enimy Thus they passed the iorney in pleasant talke recompēsing the. 〈◊〉 louers with al honest vertuous intertainmēt for their 〈◊〉 and troubles past In the meane while they sent one 〈◊〉 their seruants to the two widow ladies which were 〈◊〉 great care for their childrē to aduertise them that Gineura was gone to visite Dom Diego then being in one of the castles of Roderico where they were determined if it were their good pleasure to consūmate their mariage hauing giuen faith affiance one to the other The mother of Gineura could not here tel of more pleasant newes for she had vnderstāded of the folish flight escape of hir daughter with that steward of hir house wherof she was very sorowful for grief was like to die but assured recōforted with those news she 〈◊〉 not to mete the mother of Dom Diego at the apointed place whither the y. louers were arriued two days before There the mariage of that fair couple so long desired was 〈◊〉 with such magnificence as was requisite for the state of those two noble houses Thus the torment 〈◊〉 made the ioy to sauour of some other taste than they do feele which without pain in that exercise of loues pursute attain the top of their desires And truly their pleasure was altogether like to him that nourished in superfluous delicacie of meates can not aptely so well iudge of pleasure as he which sometimes lacketh that abundance And verily Loue without bitternesse is almost a cause without effectes for he that shall take away griefs and troubled fansies from louers depriueth them of the praise of their stedfastnesse and maketh baine the glorie of their perseuerance for he is vnworthie to beare away the price and garlande of triumph in the conflict that behaueth himself like a coward and doth not obserue the lawes of armes and manlike dueties in the combat This historie then is a mirrour for loyall louers and chaste suters and maketh them detest the vnshamefastnesse of those which vpon the first view do folowe with might and maine the Gentlewoman or Ladie that giueth them good face or countenāce wherof any gentle heart or mind noursed in the scholehouse of vertuous education will not bée squeymish to those that shal by chast salutation or other incountrie doe their curteous reuerence This historie also yeldeth contempt of them which in their affection forget them selues abasting the generositie of their courages to be reputed of fooles the true champions of Loue whose like they be that desire such regarde For the perfection of true Loue consisteth not in passions in sorowes griefes martirdomes or cares and much lesse arriueth he to his desire by sighes exclamations wepings and childish playnts for so much as vertue ought to be the bande of that indissoluble amitie which maketh the vnion of the two seuered bodies of that woman man which Plato describeth causeth man to trauell for his whole accomplishment in that true pursute of chast loueIn which labor truly fondly walked Dom Diego thinkyng to finde the same by his dispaire amidde the sharp solitarie deserts of those Pyrene mountains And truly the duetie of his perfect friende did more liuely disclose the same what fault so euer he dyd than all his countenances eloquent letters or amorous messages In like maner a man dothe not know what a treasure a true friend is vntil he hath proued his excellencie specially where necessitie maketh him to tast the swetnesse of such delicate meate For a friend being a second himself agréeth by a certaine natural 〈◊〉 attonement to the affections of him whō he loueth both to participate his ioyes and pleasures and to sorrowe his aduersitie where Fortune shall vse by some misaduentures to shewe hir accustomed moblitie Salimbene and Angelica ¶ A Gentleman of SISNA called ANSELMO SALIMBENE curteously and gently deliuereth his 〈◊〉 from death The condemned partie seing the kinde parte of SALIMBENE rendreth into his hands his sister ANGELICA with whome he was in loue which gratitude and curtesie SALIMBENE well marking moued in conscience woulde not abuse hir but for recompense toke hir to his wife The. xxx Nouel WE do not mean here to discouer the sumptuositie magnificence of Palaces stately won derfull to the viewe of mē ne yet to reduce to memorie that maruellous effects of mās industry to build and lay foúdations in the déepest chanel of the maine sea ne to describe their ingenious industrie in breking the craggy mountaines and hardest rocks to ease the crooked passages of wearie wayes for armies to marche through inaccessible places Onely now do we pretende to shewe the effects of loue whiche surmount all opinion of cōmon things and appere so miraculous as the founding and erecting of the Collisaei Colossaei Theatres Amphitheatres Pyramides and other workes wonderful to the world for that the hard indured path of hatred and displeasure long time begoon and obstinately pursued with straunge crueltie was conuerted into loue by theffect of loue and concorde suche as I know none but is so much astoonned as he may haue good cause to wonder consideryng the stately foundations vpon which kings and great monarches haue employed the chiefest reuenues of their prouinces Nowe like as Ingratitude is a vice of
bring hither my clothes that I may put them on cause me if it please thée to come downe from hence Then the Scholer began to laugh seing that it was a good while past 〈◊〉 of the clock he answered Well go to for that womans sake I cānot wel say nay or refuse thy request tell me where thy garments be and I wil go seke them cause thée to come down She beleuing that was somwhat comforted and told him the place where she had bestowed thē And the Scholer went out of the Toure cōmaunded his seruant to tarie there to take hede that none wēt in vntil he came againe Then he wente to one of hys friends houses where he wel refreshed himselfe and afterwards when he thought time he laide him downe to sléepe Al that space mistresse Helena which was stil vpon the Toure and recōforted with a litle foolish hope sorowfull beyond measure began to sit downe séeking some shadowed place to bestow hir self and with bitter thoughts heuy chere in good deuotiō waited for his cōming now musing now weping thē hoping sodainly dispairing that Scholers returne with hir clothes chāging frō one thought to an other like one that was werie of trauel had takē no rest al the night she fel into a litle 〈◊〉 But that sun which was passing hot being about 〈◊〉 glaūced his burning beames vpon hir 〈◊〉 body bare head with such force as not only it singed that flesh in sight but also did chip parch the same with such rosting heat as she which soundly slepte was constrained to wake féeling that raging warmth desirous somewhat to remoue hir self she thought in turning that al hir rosted skin had opened and broken like vnto a skyn of parchment holden against the fire besides which payne extreme hir heade began to ake with such vehemence as it séeme to be knocked in peces And no maruel for the pament of the Toure was so passing hotte as neyther vpon hir féete or by other remedie she could fynde place of reste Wherefore without power to abide in one place she stil remoued weping bitterly And moreouer for that no winde did blow the Toure was filled with such a swarme of Flies and Gnats as they lighting vpon hir parched flesh did so cruelly bite and sting hir that euery of them semed worsse than the pricke of a néedle which made hir to bestirre hir hāds incessantly to beate them off cursing still hir selfe hir life hir frend and Scholer And being thus and with such pain bittē and afflicted with the vehement heat of the Sun with the flies and gnats hungrie much more thirsty assailed with a thousād greuous thoughts she arose vp began to loke about hir if she could hear or sée any per son purposing whatsoeuer came of it to call for helpe But hir yll fortune had taken away al this hoped meanes of hir reliefe for the husbandmen and other laborers wer all gone out of the fields to shrowde thēselues from heate sparing their trauail abrode to thresh their corne and do other things at home by reason whereof she neither saw or heard any thing except Butterflies humble bées crickets the ryuer of Arno which making hir lust to drink of the water quenched hir thirst nothing at all but rather did augment the same She saw be sides in many places woodes shadowes and houses which likewise did bréede hir double griefe for desire she had vnto the same But what shall we speake any more of this vnhappy woman The Sunne aboue and the hot Toure paiment below with the bitings of the flies and gnats had on euery part so dressed hir tender corps that where before the whitenesse of hir body did passe the darkenesse of the night the same was become red all arayed and spotted with gore bloud that to the beholder and viewer of hir state she semed the most ill fauored thing of the world remaining in this plight without hope or councel she loked rather for death thā other comfort The Scholer after the clocke had sounded thrée in the after noone awaked and remembring his Ladie went to the Toure to sée what was become of hir sent his man to dinner that had eaten nothing all that day The Gentlewoman hearing the Scholer repaired so féeble and tormented as she was vnto the trap doore and sitting vpon the same pitifully wéeping began to say Rinieri thou art beyond measure reuenged on me for if I made thée fréese all night in mine open court thou hast tosted me to day vpō this Toure nay rather burnt and with heat consumed me and besides that to die sterne for hunger and thirst Wherfore I pray thée for Gods sake to come vp and sith my heart is faint to kill my self I pray thée heartely to doe the same For aboue all things I desire to die so great and bitter is the torment which I endure And if thou wilt not shew me that fauor yet cause a glasse of water to be brought vnto me that I may moisten my mouth sith my teares be not able to coole the same so great is the drouth heat I haue within Wel knew the Scholer by hir voice hir weake estate and sawe besides the most part of hir body all tosted with the Sunne by the viewe whereof and humble sute of hir he conceiued a little pitie Notwithstanding he answered hir in this wise Wicked woman thou shalt not die with my hands but of thine owne if thou desire the same and so much water shalt thou haue of me for cooling of thine 〈◊〉 as dampned Diues had in hell at Lazarus handes when he lifted vp his cry to Abraham holding that saued wight within his blessed bosome or as I had fire of thée for easing of my colde The greater is my griefe that the vehemence of my colde must be cured with the heat of such a stincking carion beast and thy heat healed with the coldnesse of most soote and sauerous water distilled frō the orient Rose And where I was in daūger to lose my limmes and life thou wilt renewe thy beautie like the Serpent when he casteth of his skin Oh I miserable wretche sayd the woman God giue him such beautie gotten in suche wise that wisheth me such euill But thou more cruel than any other beast what heart hast thou thus like a Tyrant to deale with me What more grieuous paine could I endure of thée or of any other than I doe if I had killed and done to death thy parents or whole race of thy stocke and kin with most cruell torments Truely I know not what greater cruelty could be vsed against a Trayter which had sacked or put a whole Citie to the sword than that thou hast done to me to make my flesh to be the foode rost meat of the Sunne and the bait for licorous flies not 〈◊〉 to reache hither a simple glasse of water which would haue
foloweth The Captaine then hauing sente his message and being sure of his intent no lesse than if he already had the brethren within his hold vpon the point to couple them together with hys wife to sende them all in pilgrimage to visite the faithfull sorte that blason their loues in an other worlde with Dido Phyllis and suche like that more for dispaire than loue bée passed the straictes of death caused to be called before him in a secrete place all the souldiers of the Fort and such as with whome he was sure to preuaile to whom not without sheading forth some teares and she wyng heauie countenance he spake in this maner My Companions friends I doubt not but ye be abashed to sée me wrapt in so heauie plight and appeare in this forme before you that is to say bewept heuy panting with sighes and al contrary to my custome in other state and maner than my courage and degrée require But when ye shall vnderstande the cause I am assured that the case which séemeth strange to you shall be thought iust and right and so wil performe the thing wherein I shall employe you Ye knowe that the first point that a Gentleman ought to regarde consisteth not onely in repelling the 〈◊〉 done vnto the bodie but rather it behoueth that the fight begyn for the defense of his honor which is a thing that procedeth from the mind and resorteth to the bodie as the instrument to worke that which the spirite appointeth Now it is honour for conseruation whereof an honest man and one of good courage feareth not to put himself in al perill and daunger of death and losse of goodes referryng himselfe also to the guarde of that which toucheth as it were oure owne reputation In suche wyse as if a good Captaine doe suffer hys souldier to be a wicked man a robber a murderer and 〈◊〉 exacter he beareth the note of dishonor albeit in all his doings he gouerneth hys estate after the rule of honestie dothe nothing that is vnworthy his vocatiō But what he being a head vnited to such mēbres if the partes of that vnited thing be corrupt and naught the head must needes beare that blot of the faulte before referred to the whole bodie 〈◊〉 sayd he sighing what parte is more nere and dearer to man than that which is giuen vnto him for a pledge and comfort during his life and which is conioyned to be bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh to breath forth one minde and thinke with one heart and equall will It is of the Wife that I speake who being the moytie of hir husbande ye ought not to muse if I say that the honour of the one is the rest of the other and the one infamous and wicked the other féeleth the troubles of such mischief and the wife being carelesse of hir honor the husbands reputation is defiled and is not worthie of praise if he suffer such shame vnreuenged I must Companions good friends here discouer that which my heart would faine kepe secrete if it were possible and must reherse a thing vnto you which so sone as my mouth woulde faine kepe close the minde assayeth to force the ouerture And loth I am to do it were it not that I make so good accompt of you as ye being 〈◊〉 to me with an vnseparable amitie will yeld me your cōfort and aide against him that hath done me this villanie such as if I be not reuenged vpon him nedes must I be the executioner of that vengeance vpon my self that am loth to liue in this dishonor which all the days of my life without due vltion like a worme wil torment and gnaw my conscience Wherfore before I go any further I would knowe whether I might so well trust your aide and succour in this my businesse as in all others I am assured you wold not leaue me so long as any breath of life remained in you For without such assurance I do not purpose to let you know that pricking naile that pierceth my hearte nor the griefe that greueth me so nere as by vttering it without hope of help I shall open the gate to death and dye withont reliefe of my desire by punishyng him of whome I haue receyued an iniurie more bloodie than any man can doe The Souldiers whyche loued the Captaine as theyr owne lyfe were sorie to sée him in suche estate and greater was their dolour to heare woordes that tended to nothyng else but to furie vengeance and murder of himselfe Wherefore all with one accorde promised their healpe and maine force towardes and agaynst all men for the bringyng to passe of that which he dyd meane to require The Lieutenant assured of his men conceyued hearte and courage and continuing hys Oration and purpose determined the slaughter and ouerthrowe of the thrée Trinicien brethren for that was the surname of the Lordes of Foligno who pursued hys Oration in this manner Know ye then my companions and good frendes that it is my wife by whom I haue indured the hurt losse of mine honour and she is the partie touched and I am he that am moste offended And to the ende that I doe not holde you longer in suspence and the partie be concealed from you which hath done me this outrage Ye shal vnderstande that Nicholas Trinicio the elder of the thrée lordes of Foligno and Nocera is he that against al right and equitie hath suborned the wife of his Lieutenant and soiled the bed of him wherof he ought to haue ben the defēder the very bulwarke of his reputation It is of him my good frendes and of his that I meane to take suche vengeaunce as eternall memorie shall displaye the same to all posteritie and neuer lords shall dare to doe a like wrong to myne withoute remembrance what his duetie is which shall teache him how to abuse the honest seruice of a Gentleman that is one of hys owne traine It resteth in you bothe to holde vp your hande and kéepe your promise to the end that the Lorde Nicholas deceiuyng and mockyng me may not trust put affiance in your force vnto which I heartily do recommende my self The Souldiers moued and incited with the wickednesse of their Lord and with the wrong done to him of whome they receyued wages swore againe to serue his turne in any exploit he went about and required him to be assured that the Trinicien brethren shoulde be ouerthrowne and suffer deserued penance if they might lay hands vpon them and therfore willed him to séeke means to allure them thither that they might be dispatched The Lieutenāt at these words renuing a chéerefull countenaunce and she wing himselfe very ioyful for such successe after he had thanked his souldiers and very louingly imbraced the chiefest of them reuealed his deuised pollicie hoped shortly to haue them at his comaundement within the Fort alleaging that he had dispatched two messangers vnto them and
shall faile in performance of your commaundement for were it the strongest poyson or moste 〈◊〉 venome rather would I thrust it into my body than to consent to fall in the hands of him whome I vtterly 〈◊〉 with a right strong reason then may I for 〈◊〉 my self and offer my body to any kinde of mortal danger to approche and draw neare to him vpon whome wholly dependeth my life al the contentation I haue in this world Go your wayes then my daughter quod the Frier the mighty hand of God keepe you and his surpassing power defend you and confirme that will and good mind of yours for the accomplishment of this worke Iulietta departed from Frier Laurence and returned home to hir fathers palace about xi of the clock where she founde hir mother at the gate attending for hir and in good deuotion demaūded if she continued stil in hir former follies But Iulietta with more gladsome chéere than she was wont to vse not suffering hir mother to aske againe sayde vnto hir Madame I come from S. Frauncis Church where I haue taried longer peraduenture than my duetie requireth how be it not without frute and great rest to my afflicted conscience by reason of the godly persuasions of our ghostly father Frier Laurence vnto whome I haue made a large declaration of my life And chiefly haue communicated vnto him in confession that which hath past betwene my Lord my father and you vpon the mariage of Counte Paris and me But the good man hath reconciled me by his holy woords and commendable exhortations that where I had minde neuer to mary now I am well disposed to obey your pleasure and commaundement Wherefore 〈◊〉 I be séeche you to recouer the fauor good will of my father aske pardon in my behalfe and say vnto him if it please you that by obeying his Fatherly request I am ready to méete the Counte Paris at Villafranco and there in your presence to accept him for my Lord and husband in assurance wherof by your pacience I meane to repair into my closet to make choise of my most pretious iewels that I being richly adorned and decked may 〈◊〉 before him more agréeable to his minde and pleasure The good mother rapte with excéeding great ioy was not able to answer a word but rather made spéede to séeke out hir husband the Lord Antonio vnto whome she reported the good will of hir daughter and how by meanes of Frier Laurence hir minde was chaunged Wherof the good olde man maruellous ioyfull praised God in heart saying wife this is not that first good turne which we haue receiued of that holy man vnto whom euery Citizen of this Common wealth is dearly 〈◊〉 I wold to God that I had redemed xx of his yeres 〈◊〉 the third parte of my goods so grieuous is to me his extreme olde age The self same houre the Lord Antonio went to séeke the Counte Paris whome he thought to persuade to goe to Villafranco But the Counte tolde him againe that the charge would be to great and that better it were to reserue that cost to the mariage day for the better celebration of the same Notwithstāding if it were his pleasure he would himself goe visite Iulietta and so they went together The mother aduertised of his comming caused hir Daughter to make hir self ready and to spare no costly iewels for adorning of hir beautie against the Countes cōming which she bestowed so wel for garnishing of hir personage that before the Counte parted frō the house she had so stolne away his heart as he liued not frō that time forth but vpon meditation of hir beautie and slacked no time for acceleration 〈◊〉 that mariage day ceasing not to be importunate vpon father and mother for the ende and consummation thereof And thus with ioy inoughe passed forth this day and many others vntill the day before the mariage against which time the mother of Iulietta did so well prouide that there wanted nothing to set forth the magnificence and nobilitie of their house Villafranco wherof we haue made mention was a place of pleasure where the lorde Antonio was wont many times to recreate him self a mile or two from Veronna there the dynner was prepared for so muche as the ordinarie solemnitie of necessitie muste be done at Veronna Iulietta perceiuing hir time to approach dissembled the matter so well as shée coulde and when time forced hir to retire to hir chambre hir woman wold haue waited vpon hir and haue lyen in hir chambre as hir custome was But Iulietta sayde vnto hir Good and faithfull mother you know that to morow is my mariage day and for that I would spende the most parte of the night in prayer I pray you for this time to let me alone and to morow in the morning about 〈◊〉 of the clocke come to me againe to helpe me make me redie The good olde woman willing to folow hir mind suffred hir alone and doubted nothing of that whiche she did meane to do Iulietta being within hir chambre hauing an eawer ful of water standing vpon the table filled the viole which the Frier gaue hir and after she had made the mixture she set it by hir bed side went to bed And being layde new thoughts began to assaile hir with a conceipt of grieuous death which broughte hir into such case as she coulde not tell what to doe but playning incessantly sayd Am not I the most vnhappie and desperat creature that euer was borne o◠woman for me there is nothyng lefte in this wretched worlde but mishap miserie and mortall woe my distresse hath brought me to such extremitie as to saue mine honor and consciēce I am forced to deuoure the drinke wherof I know not the vertue but what know I sayd she whether the operation of this pouder will be to soone or to late or not correspondent to the due time and that my faulte being discouered I shall remayne a iesting stocke and fable to the people what know I moreouer if the serpents and other venomous and crauling wormes which commonly frequent the graues and pittes of the earth will hurt me thinkyng that I am dead But how shal I indure the stinche of so many carions and bones of myne auncestors which rest in the graue if by fortune I do awake before Rhomeo Frier Laurence doe come to help me And as she was thus plunged in the déepe contēplation of things she thought that she sawe a certaine vision or fansie of hir cousin Thibault in the very same sort as she sawe him wounded and imbrued with blood and musyng howe that she must be buried quicke amongs so many dead carcases and deadly naked bones hir tender and delicate body began to shake and tremble and hir yelowe lockes to stare for feare in suche wise as frighted with terrour a colde sweate beganne to pierce hir heart and bedew the rest of all hir membres in suche wise as she thought that
maye bée harbored so straunge furie and vnreasonable rage O God the effecte of the crueltie resting in this woman paintyng it selfe in the imaginatiue force of my minde hath made me feare the like missehappe to come to the cruell state of this disauenturous gentlemā Notwithstanding O thou cruell beast thinke not that thys thy furie shall stay me from doyng thée to death to ryd thée from follie and disdaine this vnfortunate louer from dispaire and trouble verily beleuing that in time it shall be knowne what profite the worlde shal gaine by purging the same of such an infected plague as is an vnkinde and arrogant heart and it shall féele what vtilitie ryseth by thyne ouerthrow And I do hope besydes that in time to come men shal praise this dede of mins who for preseruing the honour of one house haue chosen rather to doe to death two offenders than to leaue one of them aliue to obscure the glorie and brightnesse of the other And therefore sayd he tourning his face to those of his traine Cut the throte of this 〈◊〉 and froward beast doe the like to them that be come with hir shewe no more fauor vnto them all than that curssed strumpet doeth mercy to the life of that miserable Gentleman who dieth there for loue of hir The maiden hearing the cruel sentence of hir death cried out so loude as she could thinking reskue would haue come but the pore wenche was deceiued for the desert knewe none other but those that were abiding in that troupe The Page and the woman seruaunt exclamed vpon Roderico for mercie but he made as though he heard them not and rather made signe to his men to do what he commaunded When Gineura sawe that their deathe was purposed in déede confirmed in opinion rather to die thā to obey she said vnto the executioners My friends I beséeche you let not these innocentes abide the penaunce of that which they neuer committed And you Dom Roderico be 〈◊〉 on me by whome the fault if a womans faith to hir husband may be termed a faulte is done And let these 〈◊〉 depart that be God knoweth innocent of any crime And thou my frend which liuest amongs the shadowes of faithfull louers if thou haue any féeling as in déede thou prouest being in another world beholde that purenesse of mine heart sidelitie of my loue who to kepe the same inuiolable doe offer my self voluntarily to the death which this cruell tyrant prepareth for me And thou hangman the executioner of my ioyes and murderer of the immortall pleasures of my loue sayd she to Roderico glut thy gluttonous desire of bloud make dronke thy minde with murder 〈◊〉 of thy little triūphe which for all thy threats or persuasible words thou 〈◊〉 not get frō the heart of a simple maiden ne cary away the victory for all the battred breach made into the rāpare of hir honoure When she had so sayd a man would haue thought that the memory of death had cooled hir heate but that same serued hir as an assured solace of hir paines Dom Diego come to himself seeing the discourse of that tragedie being now addressed to the last 〈◊〉 end of that life and stage of faire golden locked Gincura making a vertue of necessitie recouered a little corage to saue if it were possible the life of hir that had put his owne in hazard miserably to end Hauing stayed them that held the maidē he repaired to Dom Roderico to whom he spake in this wise I sée wel my good Lord and great friend that the good will you beare me causeth you to vse this honest order for my behalf wherof I doubt if I should liue a whole hundred yeares I shall not be able to satisfie the least of the bondes wherein I am bound the same surpassing all mine abilitie and power Yet for all that deare friend sith you 〈◊〉 the fault of this missehap to arise of my predestinate ill lucke and that man cannot auoide things once ordained I beseech you do me yet this good pleasure for all the benefits that euer I haue receiued to send back again this gentlewoman with hir traine to the place frō whence you toke hir with like assuraūce 〈◊〉 as if she were your sister For I am pleased with your endeuor cōtented with my misfortune assuring you sir besides that the trouble which she endureth doth far more grieue my hart than al that paine which for hir sake I suffer That hir sorowe then may decrease and mine may renue again that she may line in peace and I in warre for hir cruel beautie sake I will wait vpon Clotho the spinner of the threden life of mā vntill shée breake the twisted lace that holdeth the fatal course of my doleful yeares And you Gentlewomā liue in rest as your pore suppliāt wretched Dom Diego shal be citizen of these wild places vaunt you 〈◊〉 that you were that best beloued maiden that euer liued Maruellous truely bée the forces of Loue when they discouer their perfection for by their meanes things otherwise impossible be reduced to such facilitie as a mā woulde iudge that they had neuer bene so harde to obtaine and so painefull to pursue As appeared by thys damsell in whome the wrathe of fortune the pinche of iealosie the intollerable rage of hir friendes losse 〈◊〉 ingendred a contempt of Dom Diego an extreme desire to be reuenged on Dom Roderico and a 〈◊〉 of longer life And now putting of the 〈◊〉 of blinde appetite for the esclarishyng of hir vnderstanding eyes and breaking the Adamant rock planted in the middes of hir breast she beheld in open 〈◊〉 the stedfastnesse pacience and perseueration of hir greate friende For that supplication of the Knight had greater force in Gineura than all his former seruices And full well 〈◊〉 shewed the same when throwing hir selfe vpon that neck of the desperate Gentleman and imbracing hym very louingly she sayd vnto him Ah syr that youre felicitie is the beginning of my great ioy of minde which 〈◊〉 now of swéetenesse in the very same in whome I imagined to be the welspring of bitternesse The diminution of one griefe is and shall bée the increase of 〈◊〉 bonde such as for euer I wil cal my self the most humble slaue of your worshyp lowly beséeching you neuerthelesse to pardon my follies wherewith full fondely I haue abused your pacience Consider a while sir I beseech you the nature and secrecie of loue For those that be blinded in that passion thinke them selues to be perfecte séers and yet be the first that commit most 〈◊〉 faultes I doe not denie any committed wrong trespasse and doe not refuse therfore the honest and gentle correction that you shall appointe mée for expiation of mine offense Ah my noble Ladie aunswered the knight all rapt with pleasure and half way out of his wits for ioy I humbly beséeche you inflicte vpon my pore wretched body no further