so euer you haue wronged forgeeuing and desiring of all the worlde forgiuenesse When you come to take your Othe sweare that you receiued Baptisme by vertue whereof you are a Christian in which Fayth you determine to liue and die and which quarell you do most willingly offer your present body to mainteyne against your aduersarie who not satisfied with the desolution of your body will also with tempting and frightfull suggestion seeke the destruction of your soule Presently will your aduersarie come foorth and sweare full of hopefull assurance that you are the childe of Adam and subiected vnto Death Which ransome for the remedie of original sinne it pleased Christ the sonne of God by taking on him our humanitie him selfe to pay And as the warie Champion when he beginneth to fight will as neare as he can take his aduantage of the Sunne so likewise be you circumspect so to appeare within the Listes that you be no way offensiue to the glistering of the diuine goodnesse The Iudge of this your Combat shalbe the euerliuing Righteousnesse and therefore looke that you be vnto him fearefully Obedient firmlie and constantlie Beleeuing in him with a true Worship and adoration of his sacred name That shalbe vnto you a strong Shielde of defence against all whatsoeuer inconuenience and with such a securitie any feeblenesse is strong and forcible If you finde your selfe ouertaken with any sodaine faintnesse confusion or amazement of your senses flie presently to the blessed refuge of his infinite and endlesse Mercy wherein assure yourselfe you shall finde all refreshing contentment and quiet consolation of your vnrestfull senses for who so in that passage of Terror forgeteth not but remembreth with due honor and reuerence his maker and redeemer can neuer be ouerthrowen or vanquished such is his owne promise witnessed in the holy Scriptures which we must firmely and stedfastly beleeue And withall note this that the first steppe to true Life is a godly Death Be not rashe in your fight but mooue yourselfe with a wel aduised and leisurely Resolution See that you employ well your blowes strike not any of them vainely at the winde and then though your breath chaunce to faile you feare not for if you obserue these precepts of mine I assure you the Glory of the day shalbe yours But first for a sure safe conduct and protection against all mischieues I would haue you reuerently to receyue the blessed Sacrament of Christ his supper and so shall you be assured to conquer your enemie at whose sight be not terrified or amazed but with a patient magnanimitie obey your good Angell whom God hath appointed for your garde I haue now no more to say but if you do beleeue effectually follow these my counsells you shalbe eternally safe if not you will incurre the daunger of a double death both in bodie and soule Thus did the reuerend Hermite with zealous instructions teach me the way to euerlasting life when yet in my minde did arise a new doubt and question which but for feare to haue bin accōpted ouer-curious I would haue entreated him to explane vnto me which hee perceyuing willed me not to be dismayed but boldly and freely to vtter my conceipt Whereuppon I earnestly entreated him to tell me if there were not any certaine signes or tokens to foreknow the time that Atropos should appoint for triall of this combat Debilitie sayd he will shortly send you warning hereof by his messengers and Accident likewise by his But as I tolde you before there is in this no certentie for they perchance will take you so short and so of a sodaine that you shall haue no leysure to put on your armour The best therefore is to haue a watchfull eye and to be euer redy The first Vant-currors that commonly will bring you tidings hereof wilbe your eyes when you must be fayne to supply their decayed sight with Spectacles For nothing more euidently foresheweth the nights approching darknesse then the dayes decreasing cleernesse Your eares likewise when they must be furred and stopt with cotten may serue in steede of an Alarum bell or Trumpet to sommon you to present your selfe vnto the fielde Your head also and your handes like trustie seruants will by their feeblenesse and trembling giue you warning of your approaching danger Neither will your legs once so well proportioned and with such delicate streightnesse supporting the stately burthen of your so much beloued body be behind hereof to giue you aduertisement when they must craue the assistance of a staffe to performe their office The decaying of these limmes senses and members is an assured token that you cannot long holde out Therefore still I aduise you as neere as you can to seeke with your soule those ioyes that will neuer faile nor corrupt as for the body the ende thereof is corruption and the truest repose the graue Besides these rehearsed messengers there are thousands of griefes sickenesses woundes mischances and infirmities that will serue for heralds to sommon and chalenge you to this deadly point and sorowful passage you speake of Herewith the aged father ending his discourse tooke his leaue of me and departed leauing me though greatly comforted with his encouragements instructions yet sorowfull and heauie for his departure But seeing there was no other remedie gathering together in my memory all these passed discourses I arose and determined to write truely and sincerely the passages and aduentures of my life euen as I had felt and passed them and thereuppon I made this litle treatise which I hope will finde gentle acceptance though the stile be barren especially of all those that beare vertuous mindes and are according to the title of this litle booke true Resolued Gentlemen To them I offer it in charitable loue hoping that the vertue of my honest meaning shall ennoble the poorenesse of my guift Heauie thoughtes and most iustly conceaued griefe moued me first to beginne it now it is ended I beseeche the almightie that comfort profite and contentment may betide those that shall reade it I haue and in my iudgement not without some reason adorned it with the title of the true Resolued Gentleman whose aduentures I beseech you well to note that do vouchsafe the reading heereof for euen such wilbee the course of your encountres such the ende as heere vnder the name of an other you see represented For in fine all worldly pompe Beautie magnificence and what els soeuer the world hath goodly or admirable turneth to rottennesse and corruption and Death enemie to nature equalleth scepters with mattocks and king with beggers Once againe I beseeche you accept this litle Treatise in good parte if not for the worth thereof yet for his sake Qui taunt ha suffert Who so much hath suffred La Marche This Tretise was first written in French by Sir Olyuer de la Marche in the yeere of our Lord. 1483. A briefe explanation of some
husband was occasion both to him and her selfe of direfull and violent deathes and Accident hereof the onely executioner See heere the cruel poniardes wherewith in the heigth of his greatnesse most glorious Caesar hauing vanquished all publique enemies was by a priuate conspiracie of his dissembled freendes stabbed murthered in the senate house Accident did strangely bring him to this tragical end as most plainely the Romane histories do make manifest See heere the fatall Box wherein faithlesse Antipater kept the virulent poison wherwith he murthered admirable Alexander king of Macedone and conquerour of the worlde See heere the great and mightie trunchon of that deathfull speare wherewith fierce Achilles slew magnanimous Hector bulwarke of Troy and terror of the Grecians This was againe the fatall bow and stedie directed arrow wherewith effeminate Paris the firebrand of his country vnmanfullie reuenging the death of his noble brother traitorously to death wounded the glorie of the Grecian armie when full of ragefull loue he nothing lesse then death suspected This was the vnhappie sworde wherewith the honorable head of great Pompey was cut off by the vniust commaundement of the periured Egiptian traitor staining therewith his owne glorie and ouerthrowing the piller wherevpon Romes greatnesse was propped See heere the enuenomed ring out of which fearelesse Hanniball tooke his last draught of deadly poyson the greatnesse of his inuincible minde choosing by his owne handes rather to die then to yeld to any the least thought of captiuitie cursing as he died the head and kingdome of the disloial Bithinian Prince for hauing violated the lawes of hospitalitie See heere the bloodie Iaueline wherewith great king Agamemnon by the wicked consent of his detestable wife was trecherouslie slaine by Aegistus Ten yeeres had he warred in Asia commaunding all the vnited forces of the Grekish princes and lastly hauing burnt and razed Troy returning victoriously home in steede of glorious reposefull happinesse with hope of which he flattered him selfe was thus by Accident requited See here the well sharpned Cimitarre which guyded by the delicate hande of faire Iudith did deuide the brisled head of sleeping Holofernes from his huge giantlie carkas Great was the ioy of this deede vnto the Israelites and great was herein the successe of Accident This is the Hammer and therewith ioyntly the Nayle wherewith vertuous Iabel ended the vnworthie life of wicked Syzara geuing therewith ioy to the people and glorie to the greatnesse of Accident These were the fatall Lances of the two young Theban Princes Polinices and Etheocles either of which through ambitious desire to raigne did bereaue the other both of life and raigne whose bodyes as while they liued did harbour deuided and disagreeing soules so did their flames after death when with pompous solemnitie they were to be burned refuse to ioyne This was the sharpe piercing dagger wherewith dissembling Ioab mortallie to death wounded credulous Abner while he helde him in his armes embraced with a cheerefull disguysed shew of gladnesse This was the well directed Stone and this the farre reaching Sling out of which the feeble hande of young Dauid guyded it to the fall and death of great and puissant Golyas who alone was a terrour to the whole Israelites This was the well imployed Halter wherein proude Aman was strangled for endeuoring with damnable entent to murther and destroy the chosen and beloued people of God whereby the vertuous Queene Hester procured great honor to Mardocheus and executed in Aman the mighty power of Accident We had not visited the fourth part of this place so many so strange and so diuerse were the instrumentes that Accident vsed to surprise mens liues withall when the good Hermite withdrew me from thence willing me not to forget but mindfully to consider of those his reliques which I had seene Being thence departed when I began with perfect iudgement to consider of the thinges which I had viewed though the strangenesse and varietie of them were somewhat delightful yet coulde I not but feele a great tendernesse and perplexitie in my minde to consider that so many great and excellent men had been by Accident so cruelly murthered and made away some euen at such instantes as the vayne frailtie of this deceauing worlde did promise vnto them a stable and firme estate in all glorie happinesse and contentment withall it was a griefe vnto me that I had not seene the rest which remayned the which in apparance was ten thousande millions of times more then that which I had seene But withall I wondred much that among so many remarkable trophees of Accidents victories I had not seene any of his companion Debilitie which my freendly Hoast perceiuing tolde me that if I did at my returne repaire vnto him he woulde likewise satisfie mee therein and make me acquainted with the wonderous puissance of Debilitie As for now he chieflie desired to prepare me against the violence of Accident as being of the two the more cruel and sodaine and then he discoursed vnto me of many great and mighty Princes that he had at vnawares surprised and murthered some tasting of delicious meates some riding and managing of proude horses some geuing audience to sutors some riding in triumph to the capitoll some by sea some by lande some by fire some by fall of houses some by thunder some by earthquakes some in dauncing some in singing yea and some fast embraced in the armes of their beloued mystres euen in the pleasingest action of their Loue. Herewith the aged Father being loth to retaine me any longer from my intended voyage with tearefull eyes embracing me recommended me vnto God willing me not to be vnmindfull of his counsails and withall requested me at my returne if I did escape with life to come visite him which promising him to do I presently put on my armour and taking the Lance of Good gouernment which he had geuen me I leapt a horsebacke and went foorth on my iorney I had not long trauailed when I entred into a vallie that did directly leade me to a plaine which in appearance seemed to be aboue measure great and spatious This plaine I speake of is called Time which though it be large farre extended yet scarcely doth the passenger come vnto it when he is alredie beyonde it and the nature thereof is such that pleasure contentment do passe through it so vnconstantly and with such swiftnesse that they leaue in celeritie the winds behinde them I was no sooner come thither but my Horse whose name as before I tolde you was Desire tooke so strongly the head that do what I could I was not able to stay him till he had brought me farre beyonde the middle of the playne where striuing to restraine his course I might espie before me a fierce Champion that seemed in guyse of skilfull warriour to bid me battaill His armour was of Trauaile
consisteth in fruitfully reading the sacred volume of the holy Scriptures the precious workes of those godly Doctors Fathers whose blessed pennes haue diuinely prescribed vnto vs the way of perfect repentance and vertuous perfection teaching vs nothing but that which still we ought to contemplate with the eyes of our mynde that is to lyue and die well For there is not any thing vnder heauen so happelesse heauie and miserable as for a soule sleeping carelesly in sinne to approch the dolorous passage of Death Of this desirable place I speake off the walles were all round about trimmed with Delight The Portal at which you entred figured foorth nothing but Pleasure The Dytches were secure deepe and well trenched curiously wrought in great conformitie by Good exercise The Chappel was of Zeale the Windowes of Charitable Loue the Gate wherein was the entrance and going foorth of Heedefulnesse and the Bridge of Industrious Trauaile The Vanes and Streamers of the house were of Pleasure which glystering aloft shewed all the passers by that there was the schoole and practise of Vertue and Learning No Idlenesse dared to approch this blessed Mansion for Diligence was the Porter Onely Emulation is suffered to enter who there serueth as a spurre to Vertuous operation In fine the time there bestowed is in the onely learning and exercise of that heauenly philosophie whereto whosoeuer arriueth may well be accounted happie and blessed That I was desirous to enter into this blisfull place no man needeth to doubt but in the end seeing the gates did not of themselues open vnto me I was bould to goe vnto the porter with earnest entreatie that I might by his fauour meanes be suffered to enter To which he answered this house said he which is the very Perfection of studie and enemy of ignorance is not to be dallied withall or to be entred with sportfulnesse and scorne For within it is enclosed the Treasure of life and the Riches of the Worldes wisedome it is kept and gouerned by a beautifull Princesse whom it hath pleased the highest to blesse with a Happy euer-during youth shee neuer changeth estate liuing free from deaths subiection her proper name is Memorie of all the worlde highly honored and esteemed From her are deriued all the chiefe pleasures wherewith Olde age is honored whom through wisedome and experience shee ennobleth with regard and worship Where shee is enterteined shee neuer breedeth weerinesse making him blessed with whom shee pleaseth to harbour Some there are whom shee flieth though they labour neuer so earnestly to be acquainted with her for in her operations is so great strange a secret of nature that neither Socrates nor Plato noral the deepe pearcing wits of the passed Philosophers haue bin able to define whence or how this corruptible body of ours is beautified with so pure and excellent an ornament as this of Memorie But for my part I do verily beleeue without any doubt or question that this being so singular a good procedeth onely from the miraculous working of God and not from any setled habite or ingrafted guift of nature for as the soule hath by God her habitation domicile appointed her in the body so hath Memorie hers in the soule it selfe whence she springeth vsing her qualities and operations And seeing the soule is an inuisible peculiar frame and workmanship of God as a sparke of his diuinitie It foloweth then also that my Ladie and Mistresse must needes be a seuered work of God alone without hauing any relation to Nature 〈…〉 Her excellence nobilitie and byrth considered and withall the notable comforts and sweete sauouring vertues that she in her selfe conteyneth she hath euer bin of all wise men honored in high degree as one of the chiefest beauties and ornaments of lyfe Since I first came acquainted with her seruice I haue bin in stead of her seruant as it were her gardian My name is Diligence and I continually accompanie her in respect of the vehement loue I beare vnto vertuous studie whose true perfection without her helpe is not to be obteyned The onely way to see her perfectly is through Vertuous industrie first by exercising our mindes to learne and know and then fastly to reteine that which we haue once learned and knowen But because I see you are arriued to this vncomfortable soyle of Olde Age taking compassion of your weakened forces I will accomplish your desire hoping somewhat therewith to refresh and comfort the languishing of your spirites Whereupon being by this industrious Porter brought to the presence of Memorie I was of her saluted with a most pleasing and gentle behauiour Her attire was sumptuous and rich embrodered in meruailous art by Cogitation rounde about strangely presenting vnto my view a large course and historie of Time both past and present And withall the more to subtilize my remembrance she made me smell to a Garlande of Knowledge which she ware whose excellent and delicious odour did so refresh the vigour of my senses that me thought I was not halfe so earthly as before After some few conferences I requested her to fauour me with the sight of her librarie which I imagined could not be but rare magnificent But she briefly answered me that whosoeuer determined to studie there may not vse any other bookes or lessons then such as Remembrance yeeldeth him for it were labour lost and meere vanitie for old men to begin first then to studie Their exercise ought rather to be in well keeping and reteyning that which before time they had seene and learned and therewith in shewing the fruites of their wysedome to recreate them selues and to counsell others But now tell me sayd she what is the thing that you do demaunde of me you shall finde me redy to yeelde you satisfaction Being comforted with her courteous and gentle language I did without delay acquaint her with the circumstances of my aduenturous enquest telling her how that my thought-fulnesse had instantly mooued me to visite the forest of Atropos which voyage I had now resolued and withall to enter in single combat with eyther of the two famous Champions Debilitie or Accident to whose garde the place is committed beseeching her earnestly to tell me if she had heard read or founde in any ancient bookes writinges or recordes hidden figures or long remembrance of times that any of these Champions had bin put to the foyle by any of those worthy men that at sundry ages haue liued so puissant and conquering in their times For yf any one had at any time or in any age vanquished them I woulde not doubt but by Gods assistance to goe as farre as he that had gon farthest But in fine howsoeuer the matter shoulde goe I tolde her that I was resolued to winne eyther glorie with my sworde or with my body death Memorie hauing with attention heard my speaches I will not sayd she smilingly enterteine you with long discourses but geuing
you the best aduise I may let you with your eyes beholde the certaine euent of this most dangerous enterprise in which you are engaged And opening therewith a Posterne gate she placed me in a great immense and spatious playne called the Vniuersal Sepulcher of mankind open and discouered on euery side without eyther Rocke or Mountaine so that there was no limit nor restraint to the eye but that it might boldly and frankly throw his view so farre as the sharpenesse thereof coulde pearce or discerne and as the playne was infinite so was the number of Graues Monumentes vpon most of the which of those of the right side were Epitaphes and famous Figures of the name and being of humane creatures whom Death had swallowed and deuoured Marke now there sayd she yf you can and note vp the number of those enterred bodies who sometimes florished with such applause of the worlde in great pompe honorable estate But yf your wittes be not able to comprehende them nor no wysedome learning or retentiue able to register them then rest assured that the force of your aduersaries are mightie and to be feared for they are all the spoyles of Debilitie and Accident See there the Churchyarde of Memorie wherein you shall finde buried al those whose names are in the sacred historie of the Bible mentioned Enoch and Elyas only excepted of whom it pleased the heauenly wisedome otherwyse to dispose There shall you finde all those whose names Homers heroicall verse or Liuies maiesticall prose hath made glorious to the worlde Those that Valerius and Orosius spake off lie here all in a reckoning Olde young rich poore fayre and foule lie heere altogeather encoffined The great warriours of Babylon the learned Philosophers of Athens the vanquishing Graecians and the ouercome Troyans the Amazonian Viragos and the Romane Matrons being summoned by DEATH haue all accomplished her commandement heere their carkases do rest I saw there of Queenes and Princesses Ladyes and Gentlewomen of high degree such a number that it passed imagination of which though some had bin glorified with regall diademes some shined with admirable beautie some adorned with infinite wysedome and incomparable vertue yet had no one of them all bin able to defende her selfe against the Neuermissing Dart of Liues enemie There were Popes and parish Clarkes Cardinals and Carters Bishops and Beggers Patriarkes and Pedlers though before time in degree vnequall yet now to the woormes alike who found no difference in their flesh Their bones being confusedly put togeather of such likenes that one was not to be knowen from another Emperours and slaues Kinges and Ploughmen Lordes and vacabondes Law-giuers Louts were there all vnder Deaths clapnet None of them escaped nor euer shall thence bring newes to the worlde of the good or euyll enterteinment he there receiued Retyred Virgins new professed Nunnes and aged Abbesses vertuous Matrones and wanton Curtizanes all had there yeelded vp their lyues to Deaths commandement In fine such was the infinitnesse of the number that my eyes were weeried with viewing and my spirits dulled with meditating vpon them Of all those whose carkases I there behelde I woulde gladliest yf I knew which way entreate of those of this present age of ours But though it shoulde please God to graunt vnto me the lyfe of Mathusalaem and I shoulde in all that time do nothing els but write yet should I want space to reckon vp the number of the dead inhabitantes that this playne possessed Cruell Accident woundeth Debilitie ouerthroweth and Atropos in her forest geueth them free campe and there all humane creatures do ende their lyues For so victorious is the violent hand of Consuming Death that whatsoeuer Nature buyldeth and maketh he breaketh and dissolueth and from this lot no mortall creature is free Herewith Memorie seeing me at these tragical sightes oppressed with exceeding sadnesse with a chearefull countenance bad me not be dismayed For Feare quoth she befitteth not a noble minde but yf you will folow my aduise take with you a magnanimious resolution to die constantly and with patience and so to order your soule that it may not be subiect to a seconde death but rather be receyued into that euerlasting ioy where it shall liue eternally in glorious rest And therewith leading me into an inner mansion and enterteining me still with good and vertuous counsell I tolde her that though my cause of Feare were greater then any hope of Comfort yet in fine come what woulde I was resolued to proue the vnauoydable aduenture let lyfe or death ensue as vnto the diuine Almightinesse should be most pleasing Of which my so resolued courage she did conceiue such liking that she offered her selfe to be my guyde which I thankfully accepted and without delay she tooke her Palfrie and bad me follow her Such was the speede we made that of a sodaine before I was well aware we were arriued neere the fatall place where the cruell dreadfull combat to which I hasted was to be ended and determined At our verie arriuall I heard a great noyse and clattering of men and armour as though it had bin of some well fought Turney or warlike iusting but the sounde thereof seemed rather plaintfull and discomfortable then signifiyng any pleasant triumph Approching neerer I might see certaine great letters of Golde ingraued in a fayre register or table of Stone conteyning these following wordes Heere all vayne worldly deuises and the life of all humane Creatures maketh an ende This is the dolorous passage where the strength beautie wysedome puissance and valour of mankinde is vanquished and ouerthrowen Atropos is Ladie of this place who mainteyneth heere in garrizons two mightie Champions whose incomparable valour hath bereaued of lyfe all those that euer liued in the worlde heretofore and shall do the like with those that liue at this present Accident commonly beginneth the fight against whose sundry stratagems and strange kindes of fight no worldly strength preuayleth but yf at any time he chaunce to misse then commeth the Prince of sorow called Debilitie whose heauie comfortlesse blow no Armour of proofe withstandeth So that heere in fine all humane flesh endeth leauing to the worlde their possessions vanities pursuites and fonde desires wherein while they lyued they did set such pleasure flattering them selues with a foolish conceipt of longer enioying them But hearing a great rumor noyse within the Steccada I stayed no longer heere but got me to the listes where I found a great number of people assembled to beholde a strange dreadfull combat that was there to be tryed so that there was a great whispering and confused noyse of voyces Atropos beholding all sate aloft in a stately skaffolde queintly clothed with a garment embrodered rounde about with Putrified earth and Wormes Her gesture full of Ire and threatning and in her hande a Death-bringing Dart with which she first defieth them that least thinke of it Cruelty
from sorow But returning to my discourse at the ende of the combat when I had seene the death of these three my so dearly honored soueraignes my eyes being drowned with teares and my soule with sorow vnwilling to ouer-liue so great a desastre I pulled downe my beuer and dreadlesse and carelesse what might happen nor looking nor fearing who came against me I rushed into the listes defying my aduersaries to come both or one or how they listed or dared Memorie seeing me thus altred feared least I had bin troubled with some passion of Despaire and therefore willed me to recommende my selfe vnto God which I did and constantly attended the comming of my aduersaries But by and by came vnto me a felow like a Heralde of litle stature with a blazon of prolongation his name was Sommons Great Atropos saith he that heere gouerneth hath commaunded me to tell thee that thy houre is not yet come and therefore willeth thee to stay till thou be called which shall not be long first In the meane time rest contented for there are now many other combats to be determined of greater worth and among the rest especially of fiue famous aduenturers whose names and particularities I desiring him to recount vnto me though sayd he some of these be things to come and the secretes of the destinies are not to be reuealed yet for this once I will satisfie thy request Know then that these fiue dismall conflictes I speake off heere to be tryed are such that the onely thinking of them breedeth an astonishing terrour both to Atropos and her Champions who hearing of the victorious conquestes that are and shalbe by these excellent aduenturers atchiued are fore-possessed with an incredible feare and amazement I will therefore tell thee first what each of the aduenturers is and then how prepared and armed they will come to this the last combat that euer they shall make And do not thinke that I do fable with thee in telling thee of things to come for I doe certeinly assure thee that the euent shalbe as I doe tell thee for Atropos is well acquainted with the Destinies who haue discouered the whole vnto her But because it greeueth me exceedingly to see thee so sorowful and sad I would yeeld willingly some comfort to thy perplexed minde And this assure thy selfe the heauens doe neuer denie consolation to the comfortlesse and distressed As for the three ended princes whose vntimely deaths haue brought thee to such excessiue and immoderate sorow and these other with the particularitie of whose combats I haue promised to acquaint thee they shall leaue behind them such and so noble a succession that their losse shalbe to the whole worlde restored But especially the great English Monarch who among the rest of his royal issue shal leaue one so excellent a daughter so highly of the heauens blessed that besides the glorifying of the frozen poles and the fiery equinoctials with the trophes of her inuincible armes such shalbe the worldes wonder and admiration of her vertue that the greatest kings princes and estates of the worlde shall thinke it the greatest happinesse that may befall them to be shrowded vnder the faire spreading wings of her Imperious gouernment some of them falling downe at her sacred feete and flying into her realme for refuge as to an vnblemished Azyle and inuiolable sanctuarie But now to enterteine thee no longer with circumstances know that the first which in these listes is by Atropos so fearefully expected is the great and mighty princes Dōna Isabella Queene and enheritrix of Castile Her am I ere long time ouerpasse to sommon to the aduenture of this passage to which as euery mortall creature is subiect so shall shee not be disobedient but presently come into the field armed and accompanied as followeth Shee shalbe mounted vppon a triumphall Chariot accompanied with innumerable vertues contending betweene them selues which of them shoulde haue the chiefe possession and presidence within the royall harbour of her thoughts They shall attende on eache side of her Chariot singing in her honour immortall prayses Fayth and pure Zeale shalbe her Chariots guyde Foure Horses exceeding the snow in whitenesse therein denoting her puritie shall draw the same their names Wisedome Religion Hope and Charitie all being blessings and especiall graces of the highest her armour shalbe of Magnanimitie her Helmet of good Counsayle assisting her in gouernment The Sworde she shalbe gyrt withall shalbe of an accustomed vertue of hers called Natural Pitie the which she shall employ put in vre against Crueltie Her Speare shalbe of good Desart steeled with a head of hating Errour all her workes and cogitations being thereunto incessantly bent and directed her Shielde of Honestie and her Coat-armour of Aucthoritie before which vayne Pleasure and worldly Vanitie neuer dare appeare Vpon her arriuall her King at armes called Gouernment shall proclayme all the particularities of her estate name condition and cause of coming Presently will weerilesse Accident come foorth armed with a new and fryghtfull Harnesse of Amazement his Shielde of Dispayre therewith to bereaue the defendant of all hope to escape his Dart of Crueliie his battle Axe of Impossibilitie whose blow no soundnesse of health nor vigorousnesse of force shalbe able to withstande his Sworde shalbe of Passion his Dagger of Sorow And thus furnished shall he begin the combat halfe dismayed at the vertue fame and estate of so great an enemie onely encouraged by the perswasion of Furie that still incenseth him forwarde The gentle Princesse seeing him come shall presently dismount off her Chariot and with a well resolued constancie attende him opposing against his fiercenesse her Speare of good Desart But inexorable Accident no whit at all thereof esteeming shall in such sort vexe and pursue this noble Ladie that notwithstanding all the defence of her infinite vertues he shall in the ende depriue her of lyfe and the worlde of his chiefe ornament So that heere shall be seene the ende of the mightie and puissant Queene the very thought whereof forepossesseth my minde with griefe But so firme and vnuanquished shall her vertue be that it shall perpetually retayne her name and memorie in lyfe in despite of Atropos that gaue her death Fame and Glorie shall geue her Sepulture and though her body be by death vanquished yet with a farre more worthy conquest shall her ioyfull freed soule by the grace of Gods goodnesse winne eternall rest in the heauens At the ende of this wofull conflict shall a noble and heroyicall aduenturer present him selfe in the lystes by name great Philip heyre to Austria Burgundie to which by mariage with Donna Iohanna daughter to Ferdinande and the late remembred Q. Isabelle he shall adioyne the riche and mightie kingdome of Spayne Sicily Arragon and Naples Accident vnderstanding the arriuall of this matchlesse Prince shall presently mount vpon a fresh Courser called Outrage his Armour shalbe of cruell Chaunce of a
wrongfully vsurped that no folowing vertue can promise securitie to him that therein sitteth for Caesar in the heigth of his glory when he knew no enemie to feare was of a sodaine ouertaken by a secret conspiracie of his freendes among which were also Brutus and Cassius the first of which he loued so well that he had in his testament ordeined him to be one of his heires in fine he was by them inhumanely murdered in the senate house directly vnder a piller whereuppon stoode the statue of Pompie he had receyued many aduertisements of this conspiracie but would not beleeue any nor yet regarde the pitifull teares of his wife Calphurnia who the night before the murder dreamed that he was slaine and murdered in her armes and therfore with al humblenesse on her knees besought him to stay at home that day which if he had done the conspiracie had been discouered and hee deliuered of danger To those that had warned him hereof he made answere that he had rather once aduenture all then still to stande in feare vsing this Latine sentence Satius est subire semel quam semper cauere When his bodie was according to the Romaine rites to be burned M. Antonius made his funerall oration which he mingled with so many passionate and pitifull speeches and at the conclusion therof with weeping eyes shewing his bloody shirt vnto the people did so stirre their mindes to so high a degree of commiseration that filling the ayre with lamentable outcries they tooke the flaming brands and ranne about the towne setting fire on the conspirators houses who fearing the furie of the enraged multitude betooke themselues to flight but few of them or none escaped punishment by one violent death or other Much more might bee saide of this worthie Prince but his story is so common that I feare me this which is alredy done will rather breede tediousnesse then delight Antipater beeing by Alexander the great left in Macedon with the Queene Olympias in maner as vizroy and gouernour of the kingdome behaued himselfe with such insolence seueritie that sundry cōplaints were brought to Alexander of him of which Antipater hearing sent his sonne Cassander into Asia to make his excuses who vpō his first arriual seeing certaine Persians prostrating themselues at the feete of Alexander adoring him as a god fel into an extremitie of laughter being himselfe nourished in the strict discipline of Greece and vtterly vnacquainted with the Persian ceremonie in honoring their kinges at which Alexander who now accompted his country maner vnciuill and barbarous and delighted exceedingly in the honors done him by the Persians was kindled with so great a fury that taking Cassander in his armes he did beate his head against the walles rebuking him with many bitter taunting checkes did not admit the excuses which he alleaged in his fathers behalfe and withall grew into a great diffidence and dislike both of Antipater and his two sonnes Yolas and this Cassander which Antipater hearing and therefore mortally fearing the returne of Alexander prepared a poyson of such deadly violence that it could not in any thing els be conteined then in the hoofe of an Asse At length Alexander after his innumerable victories in Asia and India hauing vtterly ouerthrowen the Persian Empire vpon his returne allured with the delicacies of Babylon betooke himselfe there to quaffing and banqueting and to al maner of voluptuousnesse geuing thereby oportunitie to Yolas to present him with the deadly potion which his father had prepared which he had no sooner receiued but that he felt him-selfe seazed ouer his whole body with an intollerable torment yet such was the constant greatnes vertuous courage of his minde that he neuer so much as once complained or groned but with an incredible courage suppressing the rage of his inward horrible panges died as he had alwayes liued with a magnanimitie amazing the beholders in the verie pride of his youth Yolas was afterwardes taken by Olympias the mother of Alexander and put to death by exquisite tormentes Young Paris sonne to Priamus K. of Troy being by his father sent as Ambassadour to the Grecian Princes about the restitution of his Ant Hesione was by the way enterteined at the Court of Menelaus K. of Sparta where fixing his eyes vpon the marueilous beautie of Helena the new maried Queene grew so farre surprised with her loue that forgetting the lawes of hospitalitie alluring her aboorde his Shipp he hoysed vp sayles and caried her thence to Troy Which indignitie the Greekish Princes not enduring ioyning their forces togeather and making Agamemnon K. of Micene brother to Menelaus their generall sayled towardes Troy and among the rest young Achilles Prince of the Myrmidons and Epirots who by the way surprized the Townes of Tenedos Lesbos Chryse and Lyrnessus taking therein among other Captiues two young Maidens of excellent and singular beautie the one called Briseis and the other Chriseida daughter to Chriseis the Priest of Apollo Her he deliuered to Agamemnon reseruing Briseis to him selfe But presently there ensued a great and miserable mortalitie in the Armie which as Calcas the Prophet assured them should neuer ceasse till the daughter of Apollos Priest should be restored To which deliuerie of so faire and so beloued a pray Agamemnon would not by any meanes consent vnles Achilles in her steede woulde yeelde Briseis vp vnto him But so vnpatiently did Achilles brooke that vnprincely and discourteous demaunde that with his sworde he woulde presently haue slaine Agamemnon had not he bin by the other Greekish Peeres restrained who what with sweete perswasions and other practises at length so much with him preuayled that though extreamely against his will they made him deliuer his faire and dearely beloued Briseis to the pleasure of the Greekish Emperour But when she was once gon then began her absence to strike and wounde his hart with so excessiue a sorow and deadly a discontentment that full of irefull melancholy he retired him-selfe into his Tent refusing to come abrode to weare Armes as he was accustomed though euery day he saw fierce Hector come murdering and chasing the Grecians euen to their Tentes Manie meanes were made by the Greekish Lordes to remoue him from this setled and obstinate determination Agamemnon offered to returne Briseis vntouched with the interest of many other rich presentes but nothing preuailed till one day as Hector came victoriously beating downe the Greekish Quadrons his deare freende Patroclus thinking with the dissembled presence of Achilles to terrifie the Troian troupes armed him-selfe in the rich and gorgious Armour of Achilles but so cruell were his destinies that at his first entrie into the battayle he was by Hector encountred and slaine Which cruell tidinges had no sooner touched the eares of sorowfull Achilles but awaked with reuenge forgetting all other passions he called for his Armour and like an enraged Lion rushed into the thickest of the Troians presse in which verie