and the wanton whelp must be taught to carrie a gloue before he diue at a Ducke I Eubulanus had I beene restrained like a Coult I had not prooued my selfe such an asse and had my liberty bene lackinge as wisedome would it should my dooinges had not prooued so foolishe nor my pretences so vaine but as I pay deare for my learning so is my sorrow the greater and as my coste was chargeable so is my minde mooued with the spending of my lyuing but time already passed cannot bée called backe and the Tide tarieth not the leysure of any man Well quoth Eubulanus your fall wil prooue your felicitie and better now bee taught your tricke of training then hereafter haue prooued your painefull repenting In déede answered Narbonus first wit and then wisedome to haue is good hap and to hold fast a great vertue for Narbonus could haue sayd thou hast it but now he can not say thou holdest it Truely Sir replied the other Your Unckles careful consideracion will be the cause of your consolation and to submitte your selfe duetifully will both purchase you pardon and make you bee deemed of as your selfe will desire In déede answered Narbonus hée that yéeldeth is often saued but I will not onely submit my selfe but also duetifully doo whatsoeuer my good Unckle shall commaund mee With these prety propoundings and pleasant replies their iourney seemed shorter and their trauaile not so tedious but when they ariued at their iourneyes end and came into the house of Henricus Narbonus was doubtfull what to say how to frame his wordes or in what order to vtter them in what manner to submit him selfe and how his Unckle would take the matter but spying in the end his Unckle comming towards him could not hold his eyes from weeping and his hearte from throbbing to whome he spake Sir the prodigall childe after the riâ—tous spending and wilfull wasting of his carelesse goodes humbly submitting himselfe and crauing pardon for his faults was receyued into fauour as before and obteyned pardon that deserued for euer to be reiected Alexander the great neuer put any to the sword that yéelded to his person or asked mercie at his hands Anthony submitting himselfe and offering to die before the Emperour that sought hys death and pronounced his punishment was receyued into former fauour and restored to his auntient dignities My merites déere Uncle deserue no lesse than for euer to be reiected out of your fauour and my doings if right were rewarded with iustice haue gayned me your euerlasting displeasure but presuming vpon youre patience and suing my pardon before so mercifull a Iudge I néede no solicitor to moue my case or any Atturney to answere but my selfe but that your goodnesse hath gayned me vndeseruedly that my vngratiousnes shoulde neuer haue merited and with those words the teares trickled so fast downe his chéekes and his thoughts so troubled his giltie conscience as he could not speake any more or vtter the effect of his meaning His good Unckle at the sight whereof was so moued with compassioÌ„ and touched at the quicke as his inward griefe did counteruayle Narbonus outwarde teares hée therefore embracing him and holding him betwéene his armes saide Déere Nephew that which is passed already can not now be called backe to bee amended and that whiche is done can not be vndone againe to record them therefore in order or turne them ouer from poynt to parcel would be a great gréefe to you not any pleasure to me My selfe I know was sometimes yong as thy selfe and no doubt those pleasures then liked me which now do delight thee but let herafter my wisdome rule thée being vnresonable and my instructions perswade thée being holesom for thy health for that which is past I drowne it in the floud of forgetfulnesse and neuer pretend to make rehearsal of it again coÌ„fort therfore thy wéery spirits be careful of thy own safegard so shalt thou find me a faithful freend and one that séeketh thy wished desires as wel as thy self Thus was his good Unckle pacified with his humble submissioÌ„ and him selfe contented to heare his pardon pronounced Thus is Narbonus now in Vienna againe free from the checkes of any and cleare of the penalties done to his creditours where hee turneth ouer his time and accompanieth some of equall disposition to his owne and some contrary his callinge yet some flatterers some foysters some coggers some cauellers some brablers some brawlers some dissemblers some daungerous some Caterpillers some courteous some faithfull some faithlesse some honestly disposed some maliciously minded some sure fréends some rancke rebels There resorted to him as well the Droane as the Bée as well the Spider as the Flie as well the Kyte as the Dooue but Narbonus had learned his stop Galiarde and could as satiably sooth as soberly solace for hée payd for his practise and lent liberally for small vsury Among the rest of the fragrant flowers and sweet Uiolets that folowed Narbonus and accompanied him alwaies there was a Gentleman named Phemocles of behauiour honest and of grace grateful for Parentage one of the best and for wit sufficiently stored with lyuinge well furnished and with good qualities very well indued These two Youths grew into acquaintance and familiarity and so into lykinge and loue and from well lykinge to such amity and confederacy of fidelity as they missed not one daye where there was not some gratulation or a litle feruency of fidelity demonstrated from eache to other On a time taking the holesom ayre walking in the wilde féelds where not so much as a bush should be partaker of their praiers or a bird be acquainted with their doings Narbonus spake vnto Phemocles as foloweth My beloued Phemocles as there is not any weale which is not mixed with some wo no felicity but some way federated with instabilitie no auncient amity but tyed together with some trechery by reasoÌ„ of some freendly foes or by the mutability of fickle fortune so we whose weale is not the worst whose happines not the lest whose freendship not faithles must fortify our fantasies against dangerous dealings as we neither be drawne with their drugs nor inticed with their trumperies neither allured to their lustes nor infranchised to their follyes neither won to their wiles nor wedded to their wantoÌ„nes neither trusting to their trifles nor tied to their toyes If they assault vs with societie we wil kepe them company dissemble our amitie if they seke vs wee will shun them if they follow vs wee will fly from them if by chaunce against our choice we willingly walke with them we may protest our olde profession fained some fickle excuse to depart and auoyd them for where there are many there is maliciousnesse where great company small constancie When we are in the Towne we must walke ciuely when in the Féelds disport our selues with honesty wheÌ„ in the streats talke soberly wheÌ„ close in our Chambers vse mirth and melodie when
any so woorthy my duety reserued I obediently bowe to the knees of your courtesie and yeeld my selfe alwayes at your commaund wishing you the greatest happinesse your hart desireth and that beatitude post funera which your soule delighteth Your Worships duetifully to obey and moste willingly to be commaunded A. S. ¶ To the Gentlemen Readers I Stood maruailing Gentlemen after the vvriting of this troublesome trashe and the finishing of this tedious trauaile and fared like Alexanders man who shiuered in the Sunne and svvet in the shadovv or like the Thessalian Ladie that wept when she beheld her protrated Picture and vvas sorrovvfull vvhen she vvrote any letter fering it should be disliked I doubted vvhether best present this to the Printer to be put in the Presse or giue it the Painter to pinne on a Poste but remembring that the Painter if a maÌ„ be bald he paints him bare then thought I this beeing nothing nice he vvill dravv it starke naked yet let the Printer haue any booke and it shall be bought though but a bable and let the Painter haue any Picture and it shall be stared on though but a Beast Seeing therfore Vulcan to be drawen with his foule foote so well as Venus to be painted vvith her faire face I thought my booke might as well lie in a shop as other ballads which stand at sale yet he that puts any thing in Print to the end to haue it praised is like him that coms into a Church to haue his brauery noted But Tullie I remember the most eloquent pleased not al vvith his svveete sayings and Crassus so broade mouthed as any was liked of some with his sowre sothings The solacing strings of Orpheus could not saue his life vvith his sweete Musick yet the Pipe of Pan was liked vvith his rusticall melodie he vvas regarded in the countrie and I happely shal be read in the Court he vvas a stale to many and I looke to be a laughing stock to moe If the best vvriters haue not beene liked of some wantons should my selfe thinke mutch to be loathed of many that are vvilfull I looke not that Fortune vvhich was neuer fauourable in woords of small vvaight should novv be freendly in workes of great wisedome And as my ill happe hath hetherto beene so hard as anies so looke I not to haue it amended by this heereafter The old saying is he that liues in hel thinkes there is no other heaueâ— and he that daunceth with the Diuell careth not so he bee loued of his Damme Augustus sayd he had rather be a Pigge in Herodes countrey then a child in his Court for all the male children he put to the sword but Svvines flesh amongst the Ievves was loathesome and vnsauerie and he that shall write to please the faculties of all fancies must either reache beyond the Moone or misse of his marke And if any thinge be vvorthy blame reprooue Narbonus vvho knovves you not and if Saker any way haue merited shame let him be repayed vvith such sauce though he hate you not Yet had not I liked to loue you this should neuer haue come foorth of my Libertie and had I not beene willing to saluted you courteously I should expected to beene revvarded as carelesly and the moste that I aske is but Bona verba for my willing minde and good vvill for my honest meaning if you repay me with lesse I must liue by the losse but if you graunt me so much it is the vttermost I looke for And GentlemeÌ„ if you pardon me for this same beeing the first I vvill excuse my selfe vvhen I present you the second vvhich if you denie me I vovv it shall be the last And if you gaine saie me this reasonable request I vvill neuer offend your eares vvith so vnseasonable a sute As for the verdite of fooles I plead not for their pardons and for the sottish sort I meane not to prooue them vvith protestations I knovv some will grinne but not take hould of my flesh and other vvill snap but not touche my finger Gentlemen I knovv vvill be ruled with reason as for others I feare not their rigour for vvho so likes of my doings I shall be bound to commend their demeanours but who pretends me faithlesse fauour I must of force requite vvith flattring freendshippe Farewell NARBONVS THere dwelt neare the Cittie of Vienna a Gentleman named Narbonus of personage beautiful and in behauiour bountiful in substance not superiour to any yet 〈◊〉 wit inferiour to many in goodnes gratefull and to his power beneficiall He had left him by thâ— death of his father some small possessions a litle landâ— to maintain his calling wherwith had hée bene so wisely disposed as hée was wantonly delighted hée might haue bragged with the best and accompanied the greatest and had his wit bene so well imployed as his will was euely occupied hée had néeded no counsailer for his commodity nor any schoolemaister for his humanitie But as he was younge so was he wilde and as he was wealthy so was hée disposed pleasantly as hée was ritche so was hée ryotous and yet as hée was wanton so was hée curteous But wit is neuer good before it be bought youth neuer brydled before hée haue bidden the brunt and as the tender twigge will easely be bowed where the olde trée wil not by any â—eanes be bente as the yonge Coult will be reclaymed with a snaffle when the olde Iade will neuer be manaced with any brydle as the yonge Fawne will be made take bread at a mans hand when the old Bucke will not by any meanes looke vpon a man so as yet this Impe was to bée grafted to beare the first fruit and now began the spring when it should yéeld the brauest blossom now was the sap come into the hart and now such séede as was sowen such fruit should be found such as was the plant such would prooue the peare how the ground was tilled such fruit would come from it and as the fertillest fields not wel husbanded will yéelde the thickest thistles so contrary wrought as it should bée giueth greatest encrease of corne the more perfect memory in any man the apter to delight in vile vice which once reclaimed to honesty the one blotted out great goodnes quickly insueth who then Paule a greater persecutor who then hée a more godly professour Samuell first called by God after chosen his Chaplaine Caesar first a slauish Souldiour after a great and valiaunt Conquerour as the yeares doo encrease so should a mans goodnes grow and as strength entereth into a mans armes so should wisedome enter into the braynes Why doth a man grow in greatnesse but that also hée should waxe in goodnes this youth was acquainted with many vices the which hée accustomed and nozled in some vertues which he not greatly frequented some of his blossoms were blasted and some séedes prospered perfectly some of his vertues were bitten with â—rost which made no shew til they
came to the ripenesse but then flourished fresh and gréenâ— other of his plantes prospered wel and made a goodly shew on so perfect a trée as nature her selfe saw the growth therof The Riuer Nilus ingendreth the foule Crocadile and castes vp the precious perles the filthy Toade hath a faire stone in hir heade the Serpents skin is very medicinable for sundry things where contrary the Bée hath Hony in her mouth and a sting in her tayle the swetest rose hath some pricke the clearest Well some dyrte in the bottom so the most deformed man may haue some good condicion the vylest nature some good imaginacion the greatest pretended mischiefe some spot of mercy the stinging Netle is salue for some sore the poysoned Hemlocke retayneth some vertue and the Poppy séede is excellente good for many thinges but the purest perfection may haue some spot of suspicion the clearest complexion some fault of fauour the best wit stayned with some diuelish deuice Narbonus was neither voyd of humility nor ouerladen with amity not troubled with more honestly then he néeded to occupy nor charged with more goodnes then his body could carry nor filled with more feruencie then his stomacke could digest yet his condicions not to bee blamed nor his vnconstancy any wayes reproued beeing in the Countrey hee wanted no companions to court him and spendingâ— his time so lewdly lacked no Louers to entice him to folly and though the rusticall Countrey be not so stuffed out with swaâ—hers as the Cittie is fortified with swearers yet their fruite is often eaten with Caterpillers more full fraughted then néedeth with flatterers not so full of good nurture as infected with vile nature better fed then taught and better manned then mannered This curteous crue that followed his humor enticed him sumtimes to follow the houndes then to flye with the Hawke now to rowse the bristlinge Boare from out his drowsie den then to haue the bouncing Bucke in chase sometimes to vse the Tilte yardes and then againe to exercise their weapons here was neyther practised Geomitry nor studied Philosophy neither Musicke vsed nor Diuinity loued nothinge seene in Arithmeticke and as litle knowledge in Astrology neyther the Law lyked nor so much as a booke looked on but all began to goe to wracke and euery good motion no sooner thought on but as speedily forgotten Hee had dwellinge in Vienna an Unckle of great estimacion and his credite no lesse theÌ„ hée deserued for hee was beloued of his Neighbours and fauoured of his fréendes commended of his acquaintance and honoured of those that knew him lyked of the most and hated but of few for wisedome hee was furnished to serue his turne and his wit any way merited no blame for his substance sufficient to satisfie his estate and his goods so many as suffised his callinge for his courtesie he wanted no instructor and for good entertainement to few inferiour and for that hée was without any Sonne and vnlikely euer to haue a Daughter neuer a childe by nature nor any kinsman to his knowledge except his Nephew Hee therfore behouldinge the life that hee led and the folly hée folowed the litle gouernment hee had of his lyuing and as small regarde to employ it the best way not regarding any study and caringe not whither euer he tumbled ouer his Bookes or neuer looked on them againe but apt to follow any wilfulnesse and not regardinge to apply any goodnesse waying more the pleasure of his companions then the furtheraunce of his owne felicity and an yuche of pastime was woorth an ell of profite His Unckle therfore on a time sente for him to Vienna the messenger certefiyng him of great businesse who willingly condiscended to awayte on his good Unckle glad to bee at the commaunde of his fauourable freendshippe and in deede repaired accordinge to promise vnwillinge to displease him whom aboue all others hee fauoured but well contented to heare the cause of his sending for Where no sooner come but entertained as courteously as him felfe desired where after a fewe matters of course and common thinges of custome the good man his Unckle vttered the occasion of his sendinge for and wherfore hee was cyted to arriue at his house by these wordes followinge Nephew Narbonus the longest Sommers day hath but his limited time of common course then the Sunne draweth towardes the westerne Mountaynes cleane from our sight and wee enioy the vncomfortable night againe the weary winters night lasteth but the appoynted time and wee beholde the ioyfull dawning as before the pleasaunt springe sweetly beginneth and flyeth againe like a shadow the wallowinge Waues hauinge attained their highest retire to their former place as before the grene Grasse once growen to the ful perfection withereth to nothing but earth as at the first The greatest Monarche that euer liued ranne but his race and so his name grew againe to nothinge hauinge the time of his death appointed as well as other men The happiest felicity hath some fall the greatest goodnes some dram not very dainty the fruitfullest trees are not free from some Caterpillers the most fortunate Weale wrought with some woe and how longe doth this tickle state indure or this fluttinge fortune remaine when Empires are subuerted Kingdomes ouerthrowne when Dukedomes goe to wracke and Princes pine in pouerty when the ritchest fall to decaye and the prowdest stoupe to the yoake of fortune who will reioyce in his welfare and trust the vncertainty of his time who therfore can think hée sayleth safely that is alwayes in danger of the rocks who can imagine hee trauaileth surely that is alwayes amongst theeues who is safe in warfare whither he flie or follow the greatest certainty is not sure and the best vncertainty vnstedfast Who so prowde as Lucifer who sooner throwne downe into Hell who so highe minded as Nabuchodonozer but who so changed from so mighty a Prince to a brute Beast who so wicked as Ahab who more seuerely punished the strongest cannot boste of his happinesse nor the mightiest crake of the length of his life the prowdest cannot brag of his tiranny nor the rychest reioyce that hée liued euer the longer the greatest that euer liued hath felt the force of fortune the highest hath beene made to stoupe though Cacus were a Gyant yet was Hercules stronger and though Goliah were high yet was hée made shorter by the head and if Samson were the stowtest that euer liued yet met hée with his match if not by strength yet by pollicie if not by might yet by slight if not by greatnes of bodye yet by the sleightes of subtill deuices Vlisses was valiaunt yet won to be a seruile subiecte Achilles was gallaunt yet met hee with his péeres though Lemnon were feared yet was hée vanquished Alas the most fortunate is but fickle and the gretest subiecte to slauery thraldome hath happened to the noblest and bondage to the brauest the yoake hath beene layde on the neckes of
not so presume to loke wtout licence or droupe down his head as being sorie if he had offeÌ„ded then musing by what meanes he might haue occasion of parleaÌ„ce or vse the meanes to bewray his woes suddainly loking that way was not fully in the face stil pierced farther than at the first for drincking too often he wanted no cuppes for alwayes being carued vnto no meate on his treÌ„cher and amoÌ„gst other that troubled his treÌ„chers Fidelia for so was the Gentlewoman nominated reached him the wing of a Partrich laid it before him which he so gratefully accepted thankefully receiued as if it had bin Manna sent from Heauen or some of the meate that the Goddesses fed on had it bin poyson coÌ„ming froÌ„ hir haÌ„ds or some deadly draught she giuing it I thinke he would neither refuse to eate the one or denied to drink the other for he who as yet neuer laid his lips on the law of loue nor neuer before felt one fit of Cupids craft was now limed like the litle bird or takeÌ„ in the snare of hir beuty Thus sate Nar. as though he had looked on the head of Medusa bin turned to stone or as if he had always bin fainting neuer falleÌ„ But if Nar. were rauished Fidelia was also betraid for his lookes as much procured hir delights as hir eyes fed his greedie desires for euerie looke she repayed him a liking and for euery signe she gaue him a crosse greeting for euerie glance she gaue him a gléeke and for euery cast she requited him with a conge for euery sigh she yéelded him a blush and for euerie looke of loue she reanswered him a dramme of desire This feast ended and the clothes taken away thankes giuen to God for his goodnesse and curtesie yéelded for their friendly fauour the old Gentlemen and most antient company fell first to disporting themselues and to vse their recreations some to Chests some to Cardes some to heare musicke some to sober talking some questioned of their estates some talked of strange Countreys The yonger sort vsed other exercises and deused more youth-like pastimes some passing the day with pleasant discourses some with propounding queint questions some with fine songs some with tattling tales some fell to playing and some settled themselues to dauncing amongst which company Narbonus made vp the number and serued as one not to be spared amongst the rest by which meanes he thought to find oportunitie to talke and time to vtter his mind to hir that he serued and the séemely Saint that he held his Candle vnto the instruments sounding and the Musicke beginning to moue them the other yong Gentlemen in order tooke euery man his mistresse and Narbonus amongst the rest woulde not stande to straine curtesie but led Fidelia by the faire fist who séemed not greatly vnwilling nor striued much to refuse his ientle curtesie the Almaine ended and the Musicke ceasing to sound Narbonus could not restraine any loÌ„ger but spake as foloweth Mistresse Fidelia presuming vpon your courtesie and nothing doubtfull of your friendly fauour more boldly perhappes than wisedome would I should yet not more earnestly than reason willed or woulde mouing you to take a little paines and to walke after your late receiued appetite which may it proue to your contentment and be gratefull to your goodnesse Narbonus sufficiently satisfyed and in mind passng well pleased as for the curtesie of your father the procurer of my comming I stand bound to do him seruice howsoeuer or to pleasure him after my small power Alas good Sir replyed Fidelia this small pittance and little alowance which you haue héere tasted and fed perhappes a little will suffice where there is no better or hold life and soule togither for the time but for any deinties or plentie of fine cates if you did eyther expect or looke for you were deceiued of the one and missed of the other I the more sorowfull and my father the worse contented but my fathers willing minde and great desire to gratifie his friends is in déede to be excepted before superfluitie of fare or choyse of dishes which séeing it hath pleased you so curteously to take so gratefully to except hee I am assured is sufficiently requited and repaid with aduantage as for my courtesie it is so small and my gratitude so simple neither framed after the finest nor vsed any way more than ordinarily but that you are content to yéeld me more commendations than I deserue or more praise than I am worthy to haue whiche séeing it hathe pleased you to bestow so bountifully I accept them as willingly as they were meant honestly Then the Uialles sounded a new Measure which forced them to stay their talke and to leaue in the middle of their bargaine which ended and that the other company also talked Narbonus spake as foloweth Mistrisse Fidelia to yéelde you ingratitude for your kindenesse or frowardnes for your fréendlines smal curtesy for your great liberality and litle thankes for your great deserts were the part of an vnmannerly mate and a certaine shew of small gentilitie and as litle honesty for the greatnes of courtesie is not mixed with any quantity of curiositie neither is honest behauiour to be requited with faithles fidelity neyther assured affiaunce to bee measured with so slender sinceritye if the cause bee commendable the qualitye cannot bee but reasonable by boulâ—ly vntertakinge this venterous voyage and comminge to your Fathers house I haue gayned that which I neuer expected and found that by chaunce which of frée will I should neuer looked for seeing that by the force of fortune which I hope will breede my blisse and graunt it bringe not my bale if happely I obtaine it I gaine my life if vnfortunately I loose it I gette my death the ende whereof will yeelde mee either euerlastinge happines or seale mee a quicke dispatche of my vnfortunate luckines If Fortune bee so fauourable that by happe I possesse it I passe into the earthly Paradise amidst the greatest ioyes that maye bée if contrary my willinge desires not inioy it I shall sinke to the bottom of dispaire and so ende my vnhappy dayes Alas Sir replyed Fidelia I am not a litle sorowfull but greatly greeued that your comming hath beene so vncomfortable and my fathers house such a harbour of your vnhappines your entertainment so vnprofitable your small courtesie to breede your great perplexitie your paines so preiudiciall to your profite and your pleasure to be enterlaced with the losse of liberty for looke by how much the more your care is increased by the meanes of my Fathers homely house by so much the more will hee bee discontented to bee the occasion of your manifolde miseries or the first founder of your happlesse infilicitie If any thinge whatsoeuer haue beene offensiue or by misordringe disliked it shall be amended with reason or corrected to the fashion of your fancy if hee haue hurte you vnwittingly
way then on that side now on this dish then on that deuice now she marked the place where Narbonus sate and then the spoone he eate withall now the cup he drancke of and then the trencher he was carued vpon now she remembred his dancing and then his dalying now his parling and last of all his departing hir eyes ranne in euery place and she eate as much as would suffice a Sparow she thought that supper longest of any that euer she was at when hir dinner was foure times so long The Table therefore taken vp and hir obediēce done to hir father she departed to hir Chamber thinking to banish these toyes lying on hir soft bed and resting hir head on hir comfortable pillow but no sooner laid but assailed in like maner as before then séeing no sléepe would enter into hir eyes and that perforce she must yeeld to hir fancie she vttered these words folowing to hir selfe in like maner as ensueth The toyle is set to take the Déere the hooke to hang the Fish the trappe to begile the Mouse the limetwigge for the Bird the net for the Foxe and was not Narbonus thē a sufficiēt baite to take so simple a mayd as my selfe how should I auoid it or how should I not be taken that haue already yéelded and neuer striued to make my flight hauing yéelded my selfe prisoner abādoned my body to the enimies courtesie no doubt but my life shall be redéemed without ransome and frée libertie yéelded at my entreating as if thy life were at his courtesie and thou receyuest thy death without his loyaltie But why denyedst thou him at the first motion and didst not graunt when he offered thée so faire to yéeld at the first sight had bin the part of a light huswife and yet in making deniall I feare his life be denied him where the Towne is yeelded at the first assault there are but fainthearted Souldyours and had Fidelia consented at the first demanding he might haue iudged me common that Colte that will take the bitte at the first manacing is likely to proue but a iade and the Tassell reclaimed at the first lure will proue but a Haggard in the ende and had Fidelia condiscended at the first request he would surely imagined hir a Strumpet after drouping cloudes the Sunne breaketh out into a blaze after my soure sauce he should haue had swéete suger the frost lasteth but in the night and in the day the thaw commeth my heart was not so frosen nor my mind so congealed but had the Sunne of sufferance stayed a tide or the heate of his desire bidden the brunt of his bargaine but it would melt like waxe and thaw like Snow the grasse must haue a night to grow and I one day to loue But as the ill fauoured Horse séemeth fattest in his maisters eye so séeme I most faire that do best féede his fancie and as the grounde sheweth rich in the maisters sight when but barren in the eye of another man so doth my face please his fauoure although he dislike anothers feature yes doubtlesse my triall is too true and my proofe too playne but loyaltie is my life and chastitie my choyce if I leaue the one I can not liue with the other Lucretia mighte haue dissembled hir rauishmente and so saued hir life had she yéelded she had not bin forced and had she not bin forced she might haue condiscended and in yéelding procured the death of him that caused the losse of hir owne life but as she yéelded to lust so did she also yéelde to death she dyed why should I liue and had not she died should not I therfore dye yes surely and dye I would but for doing him seruice whose health wil cause me to liue in happines whose death wil cause me to die in desperatenesse Alas how I fade how I fall how I looke how I lacke how I loue how I like how I dying faint for feare how I fainting am readie to fall to remēber his wanne face with his pale lippes his cold chéeks with his staring eys his dying head lolling down my hand held hard in his fingers with my heart in his habitatiō which I could willingly consented should haue departed with his yet durst I not bewray my thoughtes yet durst I not crie yet durst I not scritch yet durst I not complaine outwardly yet durst I lament inwardly did I not quake did not my heart droupe yes surely I would not haue liued to his losse nor die to his hinderance I thinke he would neither request the one nor desire the other he fell like the blossome faded like the floure he died like the Daisie fainted like as a babe sléepeth he dyed like the cōdemned that layeth his head on the blocke and dieth before the blow come but Narbonus dyed before he had his condemnation pronounced he dyed betwéene thy armes in thy lappe When the Rose is blowē to the full it falleth frō the stalke but Narbonus died before he came to the ful perfection and yéelded before his life was in dāger But reape vp thy remēbrance pull vp thy sprights did not these hāds stay him falling and these eyes behold him recouering these eyes indéede and these handes but from such holdings God graunt I be deliuered and from such sights defended Could I blush to sée my owne heart bloud or could I languish to sée my life linger for the graue could I wéepe to wāt the greatest welfare in this world or could I lament to behold so pitiful a tragedie In séeing thee despaire I saw my owne death and in seeing thee breathlesse I saw my owne bane in seeing thee pine I saw my greatest paine and in seing thee go to the graue I saw my selfe giuing vp the ghost Could Phillis hang hir selfe and couldest not thou kil thy selfe could Andromeda dreame so pitifully and canst not thou bewaile thy fancie as lamentably could Prolixena prolong hir life after the losse of hir louer and canst thou draw forth thy dayes thy desires being detained could Bacchir bath hir selfe in the boule of hir bloud and canst thou blesse thy selfe in the beatitude of thy bargaine was Dido content to die the death for yeelding to the deapth of hir desires and canst not thou be content to sacrifice thy soule for the satisfactiō of that swéete Saint But how did he withdraw himselfe out of my danger and how faded his face from my fancie with heauie cheere and with moorning melodie with mestfull ioy and with little iolitie though he came in the common Cockes path yet went he home by weeping crosse how did he looke when he badde me farewell and what a countenance he did cast on me most sorowful O those eyes his eyes Narbonus eyes nay my eyes my weeping eyes the eyes of Fidelia were they not mine yet he gaue them me but where then are they my hearte harboureth them I beare them in my brest But
decked with fine flowers and hir gloues perfumed with swéet waters As for those things which were néerer hir body I trust lacked neither Muske nor wanted Ciuet nor any swéete smelles to delight hir dearling and to féede his fancie As for other deinties fitte for such a banquet and other delightes perteyning to a louely feast shee conueyed in hir bosome a Casket full of kindnesse the Till filled with temperance and the sides paynted with securitie the bottome full of embracings and both endes full of honest enticings the hinges hanged with harmonie and about that place delighted with melodie within the locke stoode loyaltie and hard by chastitie hande in hande on the hookes happinesse and the inner sides lined with libertie on the toppe was trust who helde truth by the toe on the féete was fancie looking in the face of fidelitie vnderneath was Venus sitting in the lappe of poultfooted Vulcane and not farre from thence was Diana dancing with hir naked Nimphes and a little from them were placed Faith Hope and Charitie Faith was paynted with a smiling countenance and friendly fauour looking so feruentlye vpon Hope and so sweetelie as though the blowing breath had proceeded foorth of hir mouth giuing the one hand to Hope and with the other hand she beckned that Charitie should come to hir Hope held a Hauke vpon hir fist which séemed as if it had bin flying away and with the other hand she caught it againe from one eye ranne downe the trickling teares and the other looked liuely and hir countenance as though she had laughed Charitie looked full in both their faces and in one hande she helde a Doue and a Dogge the whiche she presented to Faith as hir fée and in the other hande shee helde a Sword and a golden Apple the which she gaue to Hope Hard by these was Enuie with a knife in the one hand and a rodde in the other then next to him was placed Disdeyne who stoode vomiting and slaâ—ering out of his mouth then was there Dispaire who fared as if he had bin running amongst the Nimphes naked and Death folowing him with a great many dartes and one of them he threwe which did sticke in the buttock of Dispaire This was hir Casket of conceytes and this she caried to proue which of them woulde represente hir purpose as for Rings and Bracelets Iewels and Cheynes Tablets such like I trust she rifled hir cofers left none of the best behind hir And if Fidelia were so â—â—ne in hir fancies Narbonus was as trimme in his trumperies and by that time hée was throughly furnished of his attire and fitted of his necessaries the long desired guestes approched who were not so soone come as welcome and farre better welcome was Fidelia than eyther hir Father or any other friend Narbonus curteously saluted them all enterteyning them with so good grace as shewed him to be no Nouice that way or needing any tutor to teach him trickes he gaue to the Father of his Sainct great thankes for their late receyued gratulations then saluted he the Gentlewomen orderly so came he to Fidelia and kissing his hand layd it on the faire fist of Fidelia and then kissed hir hand as for his eyes he layde them vnder the eye liddes of hirs and gaue hir this salutation Mistresse Fidelia mighty Princes and great Monarches are of duetie bound and in conscience ought doe no lesse then yéelde thankes to God for their dignities and praise him for their receiued ritches but much more I for inioying this benifite and be holdinge this body your only swéete selfe to the which all earthly thingâ—s are in respect but lothsome but I prefer it before my owne life but for suspicion hee neither durst stay to speake any further nor abide to heare the reply of her answere Henricus shortly after placed this courteous crue in such order as hee iudged best and allotted euery one their places according to their callinge Narbonus was content for that time to beare the office of Gentleman Sewer and I thinke could haue béen contented to haue held a Candle at the trencher of the Sainct hee serued but so soone as the first course was in hee tooke his place appointed by the Maister of the Feaste where hee fed on a daintie dish that he would rather haue bestowed in an other place then there if shée looked merily then did hée laugh if shée lowred hee frowned if shée scowled hee was coy if shée were pleasant then was hee merry hee fed neither on spoone meate nor boyled dish neither on baked nor rosted neither the Partridge nor the Plouer neither Crane nor Quaile neither Heathcocke nor Mallarde shée looked on her lust and hée beheld his life for her lust was his loue and his loue her life the other spent the dinner time with eating and drinking but they with lookinge and lyking But when the feaste was finished and the clothes taken from the Table after duety done and courtesie yéelded they arose to passe the rest of the day in pleasant pastimes in dauncings and dallyinges euery one was busied with talkinge or communicating of some matter and Narbonus was talking with one of the Gentlewomen about common matters and of small importaunce where after a small season and a ltile time spent hee espyed Fidelia without any to kéepe her company and leaninge out at a window wherupon hée left off with aduantage and departed where he beganne then taking Fidelia by the hande as she stoode leaning he spake as foloweth Mistresse Fidelia to stand vpon tackes of tattling and tearmes of long discourses were but the prolonging of a painefull pilgrimage and the spending of time without profite now so good an occasion is offered and that this place will permitte vs a little to speake and yet the Harbinger cries hast hast and the messenger biddes post post I could aleadge many circumstances and make manye protestations vse many faire flatterings and giue many gléeking gloses much curtesie and more curiositie in the working of my words and the placing of my parleance know you therefore that the heauenly vertues with the which God hath adorned you nature hath decked you haue at the first view of your beautifull personage and the first sight of your faire fauoure so rauished my minde stolne my heart as I who before was neuer subiect to any such suggestion nor neuer assayled with any suche maladie was so entangled with the heauenly hue of your bright burning beautie and so rapt with the superexcellencie of your swéete selfe as come all the torture and all the tormentes that euer were deuised by any humayne motion or inuented by any notorious Tirant I will die the secret seruant of faithfull Fidelia and awaite on your person so long as I liue will you will you I will eyther loue you liuing or follow you dead pleaseth you therefore to retaine so simple a seruant as my selfe and to commaund me your slaue I shal be bound to you
yet knoweth not who shall reape his profite or geather his grayne the Gardener grafteth his plantes and settteth his Hearbes proyneth them and wéedeth them cleane soweth them best for the Sunne and bestoweth them out of the shadow yet eateth not one Apple him selfe nor smelleth to one flower The Marchant maketh a masse of money and prepareth for his Marte furnisheth a ship and sendes her on the Seas yet knoweth hee not whyther hee shall enioye any of his Marchandize or euer see his fraught come home are not our dooinges manifest and our miseryes common our daungers not dayntye and our infelicitie plenty but happe what may come and let fortune do hir worst the worst is but death and the greatest but the losse of my life and in dying my soule may wayte on thée and my ghost follow thy fancie therefore Fidelia as you haue regard of your health and as you beare loyall loue vnto me comfort your aduersitie with consolation and assist your desperate desaster with the hope of spéedie returne for you may assure your selfe that my gaynecome shall be as speedie as is possible and my hast with so great desire as may be meane while I wish you all the ioyes that this lingering life can giue you and desire all the happinesse that this earthly pilgremage can affoord you Farewell the secret seruant of faithfull Fidelia THis Letter sealed with sorow and deliuered with danger he gaue to a man of his Uncles whose faith he credited and whose trust in other matters before he tryed The next day his Unckle had ocâ—asion to send him into the Countrey and to spéede him about some businesse not farre from the place where she lay nor greatly out of the way as she should go who glad to pleasure Narbonus and contente to perfourme his request strayned a little courtesie with his Maister and deliuered the letter Fidelia receyued the Letter and rewarded the seruant asking if it required answere or if naught but the deliuerie who answered not that he knewe of and saide none that he heard of The Seruant departed better pleased than she was afterward contented she therefore hasted to hir Chamber expecting some newes and posted to open it hoping for better then she found therein for there was that comforted hir like the pangs of death and that written which delighted hir like the Diuels daunce but reading it and pervsing it well she looked on hir aperne strings and hir minde was on hir maydenhead she construed euery worde and reconstrued euery letter sometimes she laughed though not hartelie sometimes shée wept but that bitterly now she imputed hirselfe the first of this follie and then she condemned him for a Traytour doing hir that iniurie now she lamented the departure of suche a friende and then she blamed his staying in the Towne now shee confessed that hée entirely loued her and dearely lyked her with the greatest affection and the most good will of any that loued or any that enioyed this worlde then she doubted his loyalty was not correspondeÌ„t to his property nor his loue so great but his lust was greater for theÌ„ would he haue deuised a thousand shifts to procured his staying and inuented a number of meanes to haue bidden at home Now she persuaded hir fancie to find no more fault and entreated hir desires to be content for purchasing hir libertie he woulde gaine his owne infelicitie and get his owne death rather than she shoulde be frustrated of hir wish then she wished hir wauering will to let fall those fancies and moued hir minde to banish those doubts to comfort hir selfe so well as she could and to take the matter as merrie as she might for that to say is not to do and to promise faire is not to perfourme plentie for he spared not for speaking but cared not for doing dayned not to promise but denyed to perfourme therfore his meaning was but to wrest his wanton will and so bid hir good night And this last presumption and fine imagination tooke such firme roote in the ground of hir heart that there it grewe so long as she liued and there it remained vntill she was buried for she stayed still vpon these poynts and had alwayes these sayings by the end to tarrie at home is cowardlike and to lurke in a corner the part of a dastard for said she had his loue bin so affectionate as his lust was outragious he would haue cropen in a bench hole before gon in such order and line in some darke corner before haue gone in such manner is it dastardlike and the parte of a momard in gaining a little credite and perhappes with losse of his life to leese the purest propertie in this life and to obteyne the onely felicitie in this worlde He was no dastarde for he durst deceyue so simple a mayden as my selfe neyther was hée a dotard for he could beguile me to whome he had plighted his faith but let him spurne at the Spanish péeces and trie them with their trumpeâ—ies as for my wooll it is but weatherbeaten yet too fyne for his wearing or too good for his handling are these thy swéete Cirenes songs are these thy paynted protestations to sell thy safetie to trust a Stranger and to bestow thy loue vpon some outlandish broode they that tryed thée must not first trust thee and shée that enioyeth thée must weare thée first a yeare about hir necke but who will weare thée that art not woorthie to be wedded and who will wedde thée that art more wanton than wise the Drumme sounds and thou must bée gone the Captayne calles and thou must away if Vienna haue neuer more wante then to lacke so lustie a Lubber as thy selfe nor neuer more distressed then being bereaft of so rancke a Rebell the Towne will neuer repente thy departure nor wish thy welcome home How happie is thy good Unckle depriued of such an vnthrift and how fortunate I Fidelia in forgoing so faithlesse a freend thy Unckle may ioy thy speedie posting and I be glad of thy happie hasting thy Unckle is well lightened of a licentious loyterer and I well deliuered from so false a flatterer But happie it was that my oare was stricken no farther in the bancke and blessed was I that my Torch was burnte no further fortunate was I that my Trée was not grafted fauourable was my felicitie that hée was in my hande but out of my hearte God graunt that I may as easilie remoue him as I was willing to entertayne hym but my warrante shall bée written with water and sealed with sauce put into the Paper of obliuion and deliuered with the hande of forgetfulnesse And arte thou indéede gone Narbonus then farewell faithlesse friend and adue false Iason thou sayest by séeing me thou shalte see thy death and beholding my face thou shalte forgoe thy owne fauour then shalte thou neuer die by my consente and my countenance shall neuer seduce thee into thy owne destruction am I a Basalike
Oliues as for their Wynes they wante none that wee haue neyther haue wee any but they haue so good They eate but twice in a day and banquet often after supper Their drincking not so immoderate as oures and their quaffing not so common And in my minde the order of their diet is excellent such as I could very well like of Then replyed he trust me sir they are greatly to be commended and deserue muche praise for drunckennesse with vs is iested at and gluttonie is no matter of conscience the one infecteth the body with diseases the other drowneth the sences froÌ„ all knowledge both no doubt are no salue for the soule but a baite for the Diuell Hell must be their inheritance and not thinke scorne to daunce with his dam But sir for their Magistrates I beséech you speake a little for the Laitie I pray you say somewhat The offices of their Magistrates and duties of their Iustices is executed in so good order so seuerely punished as I sée no one thing woorthy faulte or any other that can be amended A man may put his money to the greatest gaine so it be priuelie and take what interest he can get so it be not knowen Murther there is death and Fellonies very seldome escape Treason executed with terrible tortures and offending the Magistrates prestrictly punished The Laitie deale nothing with the Spiritualtie nor at any time meddle with their matters for the Spiritualtie are greatly honoured and dutifully reuerenced Replied the other these vices of whoredome are great and this sinne of Usurie is not tollerable but let vs search our owne consciences and examine our thoughts and we shal be found farre more culpable and much more enclined to wicked desires As for the Priests they are the elect people of God or the graund Captaines of their Maister the Diuell they may lie by authoritie and steale without checke robbe without rigour of the law commit Uenerie by the Statute These Caterpillers may rauish as well Maidens as defile Widowes they can quickly sue their dispensatioÌ„ spéedely purchase the Popes Bul. The Women are very great Uotaries and deuout Templers worshippers of superiall Saints and honourers of the celestiall powers If maried she neuer walketh to Church or goeth in the stréets without the coÌ„pany of her husband or some one of her kinsmeÌ„ for yâ— prince Iealousy is a great man amongst theÌ„ and I thinke naturally they are all iealous It is a hard matter for a man to talke with a mayde except in the Church or at some feast they are so dayntie to be talkt withall and so straight laced that way as forsooth they wyll not be found vnchast or counted light yet méeting them by chaunce and not séene of any others they may haply geue you the hearing of some toy or lend the harkning to your talke But my curious Curtizans knowing you to be a stranger and of any callyng to play vnder your wyndow when you are newly layde or the mornyng followyng to féede your fancy with some â—ne song and rather than fayle passing along the stréetes or as by chance you walk by their dores yf she sée you enclyned that way or giuen after her wyll by signes they séeke to win you their subiectes or by lookes allure you to bee their louers but if with none of these beckes shee can bow you to her bent then beware of her words for otherwise she will win you to her wyles Then Sir they broke theyr name for theyr curtesie and are not curious in that lyberalitie and I haue heard the men to be verye iealous ouer theyr wiues and very doubtfull of their honesties If hée sée a man looke vpon his wyfe suspected by him or talke with her if he know not the man very well he wyll vse him very curteously and make an outwarde shewe of great frindship when hee wyll present hym some dayntyâ— deuice and closely conuey in it the Letter P. which eating it hee shall neuer be troubled with the wyndcollicke nor infected with any other disease Truly Sir sayd the other you wanted I think no companyons nor néeded any partners howsoeuer you woulde dispose your selfe or what exercise amongst others you would choose to vse No truelye replyed hée let a man haue money and hee shall not want friendes or a good purse and he shall lacke no good companyons protesting great friendship and offerynge great curtesie but a man must bee lauishe of hys purse and spende francklye speake faire and vse great curtesye offer very much though a man perfourme but lyttle and they looke that a Stranger shoulde geue them place and be careâ—ull how he handle his toâ—ng otherwise a man may boult out some foolyshe worde or speake some â—ond phrase that he may euer after repent and perhaps losse of his life To dissemble is a vertue and he that can not lie must not there liue he that vseth one of them offendeth God but who so loueth them both the Diuell will catch him Why then a man must be courteous and curious louing though but little proffer faire words what eare he professe in déedes proude protestations and double doings two faces in one hoode and two toungs in one mouth lie for libertie and dissemble to auoyde danger then his pennie must be best siluer and his groate best golde his wordes most woorth though his déedes least woorthy he crowes well on his owne dunghill but in another place he will crie creake But Sir I thinke your departure was not procured with so great hast but your desire homeward desireth as much spéede and if you likeâ— there well of your companyons yet those at home will be farre better loued for if in a strange place a man haue health and libertie wealth and riches pleasure and pastaunce whateuer his heart desireth and any thing that his soule wisheth yet his owne Countrey is more déere and his naturall fréendes better fauoured so as a man will choose to liue poorelie at home rather than Lordlike in a strange place Trust me replyed the other you haue diuined like a Doctour and hitte the nayle full on the head shotte as streight as a thréede and leuelled as with a line for when I was in surest safetie and no danger to be dreaded when feare might haue fledde and no malice was meant me yet my heart séemed heauie and my senses were not frée from suspition so that for a season after my arriuall my boulster the procurer of my sléepe and my bedde my only resting place so filled my eares with franticke fits and beguiled so my thoughts with vaine imaginations that my couche of sléepe was my Cabin of care and my meanes of rest my author of disquietnesse Truly said the other my mind doth meditate no lesse and my senses would be seduced into those opinions the absence is not so gréeuous nor the tract of time so intollerable as the fraile feare conceyued from the sincke of suspition
one cannot bee made without the other so must the best bee a helper to the worser I thy Father neuer trauayled out of my Countrey thou my Sonne hast trauayled and desirest more I a great Marchaunte thou ignoraunte of the Marte thou desirest that I neuer wished and crauest that which were it in my case should neuer bee desired Aristippus saith wee are borne for pleasure but Cato saith wee are begotten for the vtilitie of our Countrey wee are borne in deede for the pleasure of GOD and created to doe the will of oure heauenlye Father Anaxagoras sayeth wee are borne to looke vp to Heauen and Naso willeth vs to pleasure all men And as the aforesayde Anaxagoras sayeth in that respecte wee are Angell like and do resemble the doings of our maâ—â—r in that all other Creatures do looke downewarde and haue no regarde to beholde the Heauens and man is the onely thinge in this worlde that other beastes doo feare and they tremble to beholde his countenaunce but let that passe and come to the purpose Thou desirest the life of a Trauailer and imployest thy minde that waye which to thy profite to make denyall and to thy vtilitie not to perfourme were but the parte of an vncourteous Father and the déedes of an yll disposed parente There is no reason I shoulde disdayne thy doings being good and no cause why I shoulde blame thy bargaines béeing honest One desireth the life of a Souldyoure another requireth the lyfe of a Merchante One séeketh the life and libertie of a frée man another regardeth to liue in forraigne Countreys one delighteth to trauell by Sea another more reioyceth to iourney by Land Fabritius greatest ioy was by pouertie and that onely life he desired for he that had nothing was certayne not to léese any thing Rutilius reioyced of his exile and Cato was not sorowfull of his death Socrates thought his greatest felicitie to be by poyson and that noble Captayne who to saue Rome disdeyned not to ride into the gaping gulfe Thy desire is to mainteyne a Uoyage into Spayne and to haue the full sighte of that noble Armye and thy purpose shall take effecte and thou not deceyued of that thou desirest but I feare me thou wilte hardly away with the nature of the Soyle and I am doubtefull that the Countrey lyeth full of Souldyoures yet vpon this condition that thy returne be so spéedie as thou sayest and so thou promise me to come agayne in that time thou hast sette downe I am contâ—nt to graunte thy request and willinglye consente to what thou desirest But whilest thou arte there be carefull of thy dyet and haue a regard whome thou choosest thy companyon for in that thou knowest not whome to trust héere thou mayest perforce be deceyued in a strange place For the fatherlie affection I haue ouer thée dothe wishe thée so well as my selfe and without thy health what happinesse can I haue Therefore I charge thée héere vpon payne of my displeasure and commaunde thée as thou wilte purchasse my blessing that thou be carefull of thy owne safetie and make so spéedie returne as thy selfe hast promised His father immediately furnishing him with euerie thing apperteyning to suche a voyage and willing him to be mindfull of his promises committed him to the gouernemente of the highest and betooke him to the fauour of the Flouds there to trie his Fortune amidst the foming froath and to march in the middle of the saltishe Seas where we must leaue him to them vpoÌ„ his chance and betake him to his close cabbin in the steade of his choyse Chamber I Haue thus finished the first parte of NARBONVS and gyuen PHEMOCLES for a tyme his farewell you shall shortlye heare what newes in Spayne and of the successe of the Emperoures Armie where he that before neuer walked in the warres is now wedded to some woe and he that earst was neuer ouer the shoes in fortunes despight is now ouer the bootes in enuies disdeyne I commende him to the Spanyardes courtesie whome I doubt will entreate him not curiouslie yet careleslye FINIS The ende of the first part NARBONVS The seconde parte of the Lust of Libertie Wherin is conteyned the hap of Narbonus beeing a Souldioure his returne out of Spayne and the successe of his loue betvveene him and Fidelia And lastly his life at the Emperoures Court with other actions which happened to his freend Phemocles By the same Authour A.S. ¶ Imprinted at London by VVillyam How for Richard Iohnes 1580. The seconde part NArbonus hauing escaped the dauÌ„ger of the Flouds arriued very well on shoare where hée was growen to beâ— such a Souldiour as hée could shifte with the best and dissemble with the most It happened that when hee had beene in the Campe by the space of thrée Monethes or much about that time his Captayne with certayne others went to doo a péece of seruice against the ennemy and an exployt which happened not so well for Narbonus as it might haue doone where they had such happy successe and fortune séemed so to fauour them as they returned with Triumphe and brought away the goale with them Retiringe homeward all the Captaynes wente through a little Towne to make merry and the Souldiours marched on the backeside of the Towne neuer staying till they came at the Campe Narbonus with certayn others wente with their Captaynes and accompanied theÌ„ through the Towne The cariages went also through the Towne for that it was somewhat the nearest waye béeing in the Towne a certaine space some fell to drinkeinge some to quarrelling from quarrelling to blowes and from blowes to bloodshed for with their quarrelling and the coyle they kept they set all the Towne in an vproare all were togeather by the eares now the Wine was in the head and the wit was out of the braine This broyle continued so longe till some were hurte and some were wounded some loste their apparrell out of the cariages and some lost all they had some went home with one legge and some lefte their liues for a Monument Narbonus amidst this thronge and in as great daunger as the most had discharged his Péece laden with two Bullettes full in the brest of one his owne companions had not an other that saw his meaning bobbed vp the nose of his Gunne This drunken fray was in the ende pacified and the matter taken vp amongst themselues but the cariages were so rifled and the Wagons so spoyled as hee that escaped best lost something and Narbonus lost iust all that hée had and had not so much left as a shirte to chaung him or any apparrell more then hee woare on his backe to shift him As for his purse that was light his money was al gone long before now therfore began his misery and then began hee to misse his owne Countrey beefore hée lacked a litle but now hée began greatly to lament his mishap finding a conuenient place and time where none should
espie him hee powred forth his plaintes and vttered these wordes folowing Alas Narbonus what a Metamorphists art thou made and how can thy tongue expresse the inward greefe of thy hart Can thy tongue vnfolde the miseries thou art fallen into or thy hart imagine the tormentes thou sustainest the one were an endles toyle and the other without the compasse of my capassitie First the death of thy Father and the losse of so good a freend the memory wherof hath taken so déepe roote in my hart as I shall neuer put it out of my stomacke whose fatherly affections and whose entire loue were so great as any coulâ— wish and as much as any one could imagine whose carefull cogitations were alwayes on my well dooinge and whose minde was often mooued with my lyfe to come How great had been thy happinesse hadst thou accompanied him to the graue and how fauourable had béene thy fortune hadst thou departed when hee dyed Were he now here to wayle my want and to beare a parte in this my perplexed passion whose Ghost to awaite on would my soule were set to watch on as I vnfortunate wretch am ouerwearied with watching though nolente and as my soule is like to be drowned in dispaire with the memory of forepassed things though against my will Can the tender trée the earth taken from the roote grow gréene any longer and can Narbonus the sustainer of his life detained liue any longer Can the fléeting fishe liue out of the wallowing water can the flickering foule flye without his winges to beate the weather Can Narbonus liue not hauinge bread to sustayne his hunger and can I prosper not hauing any foode to feede on no no I must pine in penury weare away my dayes in misery leaue my life in my lustinesse and die in the best time of my sprouting beautie O had I stayed still at Wittenberge yet how can I wish my soule more harme the originall of my sorowes and the prime of my penalty the beginninge of my bitternes the first of my friuolous fortune My Unckle forsooth would vnneathes procure mee thyther vnder pretence of my profit where I spent all that was lefte mée and consumed away my liuinge there began my want and here will end my misery there Fortune began to frowne and here shee will spit her spite This was the affection of my Unckle and this the proud pleasure of his mightie minde Had I stayed still in the Countrey and had I not come to Wittenberge my goods had béene encreased and my lyuinge augmented where now my patrimony is spente and I like here to pine But doost thou vniustly condemne thy deare Unckle and vnaduisedly blame thy faithfull fréend whose health dependeth vpon thy hap and whose goods consist vpon thy well dooinge O were these my miseries manifested vnto him or he acquainted with the greatnes of my distres some meanes would be wrought to sustayn my want some subtil shift deuised to helpe my calamity Hee tolde me my chéere would be cold my lodging would séeme hard my dainties not many but my dauÌ„gers plenty which I haue proued by experieÌ„ce though he spake but by heresay Had my God béen so contented my life might haue lasted no longer nor I sustained more misery but the other day bin slaine with my companions left my life wher they got their deaths But I was preserued to a farther incoÌ„uenieÌ„ce my life proloÌ„ged to a greter mischéefe the spaniel is far happier theÌ„ I the barking dog in better case then my selfe for they are rewarded for their brawlinge but I like to sterue for my good seruice O how happy are these creatures whose bellies are alwayes filled with grasse and whose paunches haue euer that suffiseth their hunger who feede them selues fatte and then are slayne but I am likely to dye beeinge but carion and to pay my raunsom béeing no faire flesh My Unckles seruauntes thinke much to take a little toyle to feede on what they list and thinke they are wronged in labouring for their vittailes where the worst morsel they haue would preserue my life and the least péece of bread prolonge my dayes can death it selfe bée worse then this nay how can it bee so bad if death were layd in my dish my woes would quickly ende and were my destinies now ended my miseries would grow no farther O had God giuen man that secrecy to ende his daies when hee would or had hee graunted him that liberty to cut a sunder the thread of his life when it pleased him should my life then be prolonged one houre and my dayes not ended at this instant But Fidelia in what place resteth thy sweet soule and where now is thy delicate body Thou once sawest mee dying but now shalt shortly heare that I am dead would now thou wert here to hasten my death and to giue mee that ende which is my due to dispatche my bloominge breath and to holde my heauy head to wipe these teares from off my moyst eyes and to close them vp after my Ghoste is once gone O Fidelia had my hap beene so good I might haue séene thee againe and challenged thee for my owne or had fortune béene so fauourable I might haue inioyed thy company the happiest in the world Had my harte foreseene this and my minde imagined these â—aungers I would haue barked like the Dogge in his kennell and lurked like the Foxe in his hole I would haue lyen close like the Lyon in his denne and beene hidden like the Bee in the Honny combe But my carckinge was on my credite and my boasting on my brauery O Fidelia could I haue had but one farewell before my departure and one kisse to haue caried to my graue thou the most faithfull I the vnfaithfullest thou the most freendly I the vnfreendlyest thou the most louing I the most vnloyall could not I recouered the Countrey so might I had thy companie could not I that way gayned thy good graces and found thy fréendly fauoure where now banished thy presence and bereaued of thy sight I once embraced thy body and once kissed thy swéete face and once should haue gotten the heauenlyest thing in this world and once woonne thée for my wedded wife But seeing my simple seruice could not be séene in this my lingering life my death shal make it manifest to all the world and my soule in despight of fortune shall awayte on thy blessed body I die to thinke that some vnworthie shall possesse thée and feare that one which not deserueth so pretious a iewell shall weare thée knew I by what meanes to present thée my heart the most loyall in this Kingdome of Spayne no other shoulde haue the bestowing of it but thy sweete selfe nor any other buy it but thy heauenly hands The Théefe hath his deserued hire and the Traytour for his treacherie punished with payne would God I were the one or could not escape the other But why do I
hold my hands from so dying and stay my knife from executing my selfe were it not offensiue to God and contrarie his commaundes my heart shoulde quickly consent and my hand soone strike the stroke Of all the Creatures that God hath made and all the features he hath formed Man is eyther most vnfortunate or in greatest vnhappinesse All other creatures regarde nought but their foode to fill their paunches and care for nothing but meate to serue their turnes and they all haue sufficient and neuer any of them that perish with hunger but we want and we wayle we wéepe and wée lament we crie and we craue The firste signe of our life after our procreation is bitter teares and the formost motion of our liuing soules is wéeping a sure signe of our miserie to come a token that our life shall continue with lamēting my money is spent long since my apparel al lost freends héere are none that wil releeue me and who wil succour me in this deepe distres but if my backe hee colde is not my bellie also bare yes I sée nought but death before my face and my lingering life beginneth to wast and this death is most miserable in this kinde of dying I shal seeme the most vile creature that euer liued and to sterue thus with hūger the most loathsome of any that héertofore hath breathed but in so dying do there not a great nūber leade the daunce before thée and in beeing so miserable are there not many that pine in like perplexitie if I steale any thing to sustein my pining paūch or filch ought to gorge my gréedy gut death thē is my due no cōpassion shal be shewed me O my beloued Phemocles that I were now at thy courtesie and that my plaints were poured forth before thée that thou didst behold these watrie eyes that thou didst looke vpon these blubbred chéekes that thou didst sée this throbbing hearte so miserably afflicted that thou didst behold my soule so drowned in despaire but to be hold héere my deformed face to sée thus these eyes suncke into my head thou wouldest beare a part I am assured of these my inwarde miseries and were ther any heere to poure foorth some teares with me or to bewaile my want so much as my selfe my heart would quickly yéeld to the furie of death my soule giue cōsent to yéeld vp my ghost And gaineth not death a great iewell and getteth he not a mightie rewarde to haue me his owne yes trust me a loathsome body and a stincking carcasse a rotten trée and a consumed carion But O good God are these the fruites of all warres and are these the liues of all Souldiours is this the life of all those forced by their Princes and is this the case of all such as go out of their owne Countrey the soule Beare findeth somewhat to teare on and the hungrie Tigre getteth something to mainteine hir life the Wolfe hath some what to pray vpō and the wilie Foxe doth not perish with hūger Thou feedest O Lord the yong Rauens with the dew of Heauen wilt thou suffer vs to go into Hell for wāt of sustenance we must eyther pay pence for that we take or render our liues in pawne giue gold or gaine our graue Thou hast giuē to euery fowle of the aire séedes to the beastes of the field grasse to feede on to the fishes the wide sea to fleete in to the vile wormes the rotten earth to liue by These creatures sterue not for lack of foode nor perish being pined with hunger Is man the perfectest creature and the likenes of thy own image hast thou made him most excellēt giuen him the vilest cōdition the best fauoured and the worst beloued the most superial to loke vpō yet the most vnfortunate of all others Other thy creatures stand not one at the mercy of the other one is not forced to beg of the other one cōdēneth not the other none of thē giues cōsent to haue the other slaine The Oxe is cōtent his fellow shal feede by him the Shéepe craueth the cōpany of his cōpanions The Hart will not féede alone the ramping Lion neuer hurteth his fellow yet we suffer oure heéethrē to pine in pouerty sée our fellowes to die with hunger Is the shape of man so goodly and his condition so vile his face so amiable his nature so filthy his life so pure his déedes so detestable We haue séene that brute beastes haue fed yong children nourished their natures susteined their liues if they of nature be so gentle why should not we be more louing if their affection to vs be so great why shuld it not be far greater to our selues O miserable sexe O vile generatiō O most vnpure O most odious of al others Should our doings resemble God why then do we follow the Diuel should our works be perfect to our maker why then are we so vnperfect towards our selues if perfection worke such imperfectiō and if the inward motions worke such outward miserie if the secret things in nature manifest so great calamity why then O God hast thou made vs the way to excéede other creatures to excell thē al in these misteries as the heart the mind the soule regeneratiō nature yéelds thē al their generation works thē al a beginning their procreation their being and hath not nature wrought that in them as they al liue and are all susteyned they are all nourished and not one of them perish for wanting their foode Is then our gaine greater or our life larger our happinesse comparable to their felicitie and our goodnesse like to their pleasure no Narbonus thy dayes must be shortned for lacke of sustenance and thy life dried vp wanting reliefe Farewell that noble Countrey of Germanie and adue that famous Citie of Vienna farewell the Uirgins that vow vestalitie and adue thou my faithfull Fidelia farewell my déere Unckle with the rest of my fréendes and adue Phemocles of all the men the only floure But miser that I am to lament my losse doth but encrease my sorow and to renue my plaintes but augment my gréefe bestirre therefore thy selfe and walke abroade happilie thou mayest méete with some that will reléeue thy staruing state and by chaunce find out some fréend to giue thée some foode But alas whome shall I aske or whome shall I call to whome shall I bewayle my wante vnto or who will help me out of this miserie if I go out to séeke some pray or go about to gaine some bootie is not the enimie hard at our héeles and commeth he not close to our Camp If I be taken I die tenne thousand deaths and if my life be yéelded into his handes I were better suffer any torments perhappes be thrust into their Galleys which is woorse than thousands of deathes or put to a worse office whiche I were better yéeld my selfe
therefore more patiente and pittie will preserue thee hee ruled by reason the larger will bée thy redresse bee counsailed by instructions the surer thy safegarde And seeing thou art entred in these disputations and mooued the matter thy selfe thinkest thou much to fall when mighty Princes haue fled doost thou mourne in misery and haue not thy betters pined in penury may not thy state be stirred when Kinges seates haue béene mooued happely the Lord hath thus plagued thee to prooue thée and thy patient abyding may cause him loue thee thy sinnes haue bin innumerable why should not thy punishmentes bee many thy offences haue béene great why should not thy plagues be gréeuous Is not the offender punished by death why should not I be tormented liuinge though the Lorde bruse my boanes hee can make mee hole and though hee beate mee yet will hee not slay me Who better beloued of God then Dauid who more plagued for his offences hee a mighty Prince his offences great and therfore his punishmentes manye Was not Nabuchodonezer in his time the greatest Prince of the world and was euer any so punished for his pride his minde was beastly towards his God therfore was he vsed like a Beast hee a great Kinge hée a defiled member the greater his punishmentes the more his misery After the great conquestes of Alexander and that hee had gayned the third parte of the world he thought the name of a man not of sufficient callinge but would forsooth be saluted by the name of a God he was therfore payed his pasport with death and was it not due for such vsurping Rebel that thought not the name of Emperour sufficient but would bée called the Sonne of Iupiter That noble Pompey whose memory is yet fresh in our mindes and whose noble deedes shal neuer be put in obliuion his conquest was great but his misery was more and the multitude of his calamities were not so much but the remembraunce of his cruell death was greater and noble Pompey had thy good fortune beene coequall thy valiaunt minde thou hadst stayned thy predicessours and put out the name of thy progenitours If these with a thousand moe the noblest that euer were bred swam but a small time in securitie why should my hap passe theirs my fortune be preferred before their felicitie The dise are cast and each one hath his chance some winne some lose some spend some spare some haue some had all can not be rich and all shall not be poore some Kings some Beggers some of low estate some Princes of the world We can not all be happie neyther all haylesse and sith my haâ— is bad why should I repine not bycause my case is worse than theirs but that being badde I know not how to amend it The Dogge knoweth his clogge and the Horse is not ignorant of his saddle the Birde hir cage and the Beare his Maister What a secrecie therefore is this in nature and from whence commeth this motion that all other Beastes we can reclayme and make ientle but our owne fancies we can not ruâ—e neyther bridle our owne affections this is the weakenes of our imperfection and the vnstayednes of our desires CaÌ„ we gouerne al things and not rule our owne thoughts can we bind the braines of all other things and haue not the power to moderate our owne meditations O the imbecilitie of our nature and the weakenesse of our mindes so vile and so foolish so proude in our owne conceytes and so statelie in our tottering estates as wauering as the wind and as contrary as the weathercocke The Cocke croweth when it is day and the Sparrow chirpeth in the morning the Larke lifteth vp hir warbling notes and all Birdes reioyce in their kind they take no care nor are troubled with any thoughts no cogitations trouble their mindes nor anye fancies flie before their faces they loue and they laâ—ke not they reioyce and they sing they prayse God in their kinds and are neuer troubled with any losses they feare no robbing nor dread any spoyling they doubt no murthering neyther doe they feare fighting and I thinke they are neuer in loue but that only time of procreation But alas what auayleth these to the safetie of thy selfe or in what respect is this a furtherance to thy health if I die héere what shall I care to trie the faithfulnesse of my fréends and if I go not home againe what will their loue do me good I thinke one will wish me well and another will rue my hard hap one will be sorowfull and another would be glad to do me good but whilest the grasse groweth the Horse sterueth and whilest the salue is making the wound festereth whilest that pardon is suing the coÌ„demned is hanged and whilest they are prouiding for my prosperitie I may perish Whether shall I go or to what place shall I direct my steps the Camp is a place of smal comfort except I desire to sée the portrature of death or except I meane to dispatch away my life except I meane to be cut like the plant in the prime of his perfection and exâ—ept I meane to seeke my ioy by violating some dangerous diuination The Eagle houering in the aire and soaring in the winde ceasseth not to get some foode to fill the gaping mouthes of hir young ones and neuer stayeth till she haue prayed of some thing to ceasse their crying but who wil feede thée to cause thée ceasse lamenting or who will bring thée any thing to make thée ceasse thy playnts though the soule Rauen suffer hir brattes to liue certain dayes without foode in the whiche time they are nourished with the dew of heauen yet once perceiuing them to be hir owne she prouideth somewhat to make them ceasse crying bringeth theÌ„ foode to stop their yauling mouths but who will giue thee a morsell of bread to susteyne thy weake nature or who will minister a cup of wine to moderate thy thirst The fierce Tigres whose natures are counted most vile and whose substance most loathsome will suffer their young ones to teare their pappes pouring out the milke and rather suffer themselues to be slaine then that their young should want or not be reléeued but who will helpe thée with any thing or giue one little péece of siluer to saue thy life O that the celestiall powers haue giuen man that nature so excellent and yet to be so vilely abused when we are at the best our case is but bad must not then the woorst be miserable are we not borne erying and dye lamenting sorowfull that we are come into the world and then lamenting our so suddayne departure when the beginning is with weeping must not the ende be with wayling But why are we so borne weeping and for what cause so procreated waiting bycause our estate is so miserable and we so vile of our selues our sinnes like to be great and our offences like to offende God so farre as it is but
without any to talke withal and leaning at a Window began thus to assayle her and spake as foloweth Mistresse Fidelia Vlisses after the longe time of absence and the sharpe showers hee endured returned to his welbeloued Penelope and inioyed her at length whose seconde meetinge was as acceptable as their first mariage The Daughter of Iepthath had such an inward desire to haue the first sight of her Father as it cost her the best bloud in her belly and Tullie was more ioyfully receyued into Rome after the death of Scilla then in al his life time beefore and Narbonus hauinge gayned the sweete sight of his faythfull Fidelia is now contente to offer him selfe sacrifise to pleasure his beloued Mistresse the time of my absence hath beene tedious and my toylinge iourney not without daunger the greater my greefe and the harder my happe often at the bitter brincke of my gapinge Graue but now safely returned eased of my pensiuenesse and attayninge the type of my former felicitie surrenderinge my selfe to the curiousnesse of your courtesie and offeringe my selfe slaue to the brauery of your beauty which I offer not parte but all into your heauenly handes the helper of my happinesse and the redeemer of my fore lost libertie Whereof beeing depriued my life shall not long last nor my dayes any time endure But as my contagious cares could not bee counted nor my miseries manifested my dyinge deathes and yet lyuing In like case can now my heauenly graces be shewen or my earthly pleasures manifested gayninge your goodnesse and hauinge your happinesse Can the foule fly her feathers plucked away and her flickering winges left naked and bare doth shée not presently fall to the earth so pine away The sory shéepe depriued of her flouncinge fleece is subiect to the scorchinge of the Sunne and the bitinge of flyes seeking the shades and couetinge the couertes till the waighty wooll haue couered her bare backe and her fleece growen in such order as before The true Turtle hauinge lost the company of her Mate mourneth till shee die and neuer enioyeth any thinge Liuia sooner gayned Anthony his pardon then all the rest of the Romaynes could and Fidelia hath woonne Narbonus to loue her which beefore could not bée perswaded to like any and is he not tyed to the fayth of Fidelia and prest to die a thousand deathes to pleasure his swéete Mistresse Pleaseth you therfore to tarry no moe times nor to driue of no moe dayes to bid no moe bargaynes nor to looke for no other intreatinges but to ende this tractable Tragedy and finish the fulnes of our felicitie by protesting before God and answering béefore the patient audience our auncient amitie by ioyning of handes and vniting of two seuerall soules in one body and the Church rites vsed as the order is Pleaseth you therfore to will the time and appoynt the place I shall bée prest at your commaund and obedient to doo as you shall like As for my spéedy departure and the posting of my iourney I was hasted by a Harbinger that would not stay a time and mooued by such a messenger that would not awayte my leysure forced therefore frowardly to abandon your beautie and hasted to fly your fauourable face which had I made denyall my penalty should haue beene payed to my preiudicialitie and my punishment more greeuous then gaynefull my loue would haue lost the lyking of my loyalty and my liberty would haue cost me my life Had I come to taken my fréendly farewell and as dutie woulde to haue knowen your pleasure the sighes and the sobbes the teares and the kisses the farewels and the parting 's would haue bin so vnpleasant and the mutabilitie so hard to disgest the last adue so lamentable and my bewaylings more bountifull than were the sorowes of Orpheus leesing his Wife againe after he had recouered hir out of Hell In déede I confesse euery blotte is a fault and euery hole blame worthie Offensiue I was in departing and giltie in going without licence for the which my misdemeanour and voluntarie presumption I stande bounde at the barre of your beautie and appeale to your fauourable courtesie and if therein I did offende willingly I craue pardon earnestly I stay your fauourable answere and the pronouncing of your penaltie Small penaltie Sir replyed she but such as it is hath bin long sithence pronounced and it is neyther better nor worse but that from henceforth you neuer offer to moue one motion of such matter nor follow the pursuite of this your frustrate purpose any farther you know Narbonus the Eyas Hauke is soone reclaymed but if she be not fedde she will quickly away the Colte béeing well handled will be made to the Saddle but vse him not well and he will haue the tricke of a iade the bricke must be firste made before the house bee built and the Taylour must haue his cloath before he fashion the garmente the Shomaker must haue his leather before hée can fashion his lachet and the Apothecarie his confections before hee make his drugges you recken without your hostes therefore you are like to pay déere for your pennyworth you fishe before the nette and you haue found a Frogge you shotte your shaft before you set your marke therefore you were best to leuell againe Doth not the Sunne make the grasse grow and doth it not also drie vp the water the rayne breaketh the sprouting eares of Corne yet maketh the Béeche freshe and gréene doth not the running Riuer soften the dirt and harden the pitch hath the sight of my beautie so infected you that your senses are seduced out of your owne custodie The restreyning of your courtesie shall therefore hencefoorth be kept so close as you shall not find one eye to looke vpon me vaynely He that should tast the courtesie of so quicke a caruer should arise from Dinner so hungrie as he sate downe and she that should trust your talke so full of toyes should make a long haruest of a few thistles The running Riuer neuer returneth nor floweth as the walowing Sea the Westerne winde retireth not to the place from whence it came and the Rayne and Snow go not backe into the Skies againe If in this I haue spoken I turne my cappe or alter my mind count my words neuer to be woorth credite and my déedes to deserue double infamie Though I were as hote as Aetna yet now am I as colde as Cacasus and though I blazed like a hauin yet now I lie smothering like wette straw if at the first so hâ—te as a tost yet now so cold as a stone and neuer so hote in loue but now as colde in desire There are I know in Spayne proper péeces and pretie paragons daintie Damsels and trimme trulles more fitte for your feeding and more daintie for your diet more louely to looke on and more handsome in behauiour more daintie in their dealings and more faithfull in their fancies more beautifull in fauour and
my loyall likinge procured mee so louelesse a Lady and my flaming fire turned to so cold a corosiue thou wishest mée not to know the cause of this thy departure In déede the knowledge will doo mee small pleasure and the remembraunce lesse for my aduauntage hee that hath so faithfull a freend were better haue some faythlesse foe Fidelia is faithfull by interpretation but thou faithlesse in thy imagination thou banishest mee the presence of thy face and I commaund thee to auoyde my faith Thou puttest mee out of pay and neuer more to craue thy company I put thee out of my passion and will thee neuer to expect of mee any felicitie Thou wishest me neuer to mooue one worde more whatsoeuer and I put thée out of my Memento and giue ouer that which so earnestly I I did perseuer Thou saiest I waste my words in vaine and teare my time in trauaile where there is no gaine I ende therfore to speake more to Fidelia once thy faythful fréend but now thy sworne enemy once prest to pleasure thée now determined to hate thee once thy terestriall trust now thy earthly trouble Yet to quarrell with a woman or to fight with a shadow if I gaine the conquest I léese my credite and if I win the féeld I shall goe home without victory Therfore for euer I forsake thee and bid the euerlastingly adew wishing thee to be more loyall to him then faythfull to mee more constant for thy owne credite then trusty to mee for thy owne honesty and as thou hast giuen mee a gréeuous gratulation so giue I thée a faithlesse farewell Then Narbonus returned to the Gentlemen Fidelia sate down amongst the Gentlewomen thus passed they the time till night made them part company After they were all departed and had yéelded thankes to Henricus Narbonus entred into the inner parte of his cogitations and to the secrete thoughts of his minde which he found so contrary as hee knew not on whether to take holde The Supper ended hée departed to his bed where layd hée vsed these wordes to himselfe O good God when thou first madest Man thou also framedst a Woman out of his flesh to bee a helper in his tedious warfare and a partaker in his toyling trauaile a helper nay rather a plague for was not her minde straight mooued to mischéefe and her wanton wil quickly woonne to procure his fall and by nature I thinke all Women are subiecte to that same infection and follow the Line of their first leader how litle time doth their loue and loyalty laste and how small constâ—ncy hath their greatest time of felicitie how loose of their loyalty and how lauish of their liberty who will credite the gloâ—singes of a Woman and who will beleeue their faire faces their flatteringe features with diuelish deuises their sweete wordes with Sirenes Songes their mutabilitie and their vnconstancy lost thou hast Fidelia and forsaken Phemocles O Phemocles to enioy thy company I forsake all the faithlesse women in the worlde But conâ—emne not all Narbonus though some bee false thou knowest Lucretia was so chaste that it lost her this life and Susanna chose rather to yeelde to the fury of death then consent to wicked lust Dianira slewe her selfe and Hero drâ—wned heâ— selfe Virginia was content to be executed of her Father and the Daughter of Iepthath to fulfill her Fathers promise was sacrifised But Fidelia her liking was the greatest that might procéede from any woman and now her disloyalty comparable with the most faythlesse that euer breathed so soone entised to loue so quickly content to bestow her life on my loialtie now so hastely willing to woorke my woe by hate In deede the â—oylinge Leadâ— will bee no hoater then faire Water and the redde hâ—ate Iron so cold as a stone and her loue so hot as fire is now so colde as Yce But who could imagine that vnder so faire a face coulde lye so foule a fancy and that so sweet a tongue woulde stinge worse then a Serpente that vnder such paynted Cloathes coulde bee such ragged Walles and that so beautifull a body could nourishâ— so bitter bloud But who hath not tasted this that I feele or who hath not beene stunge if I am bitteâ— if I am in the bryers who hath not beene in the bushes and if I were taken who hath not beene caught did not Hercules wife sende him a poysoned shirte which no sooner on but it sticke fast to his backe and euer as hee would haue plucked it away it tore the flesh with it and neuer came off till he yéelded to death Did not Iesabell cause her husband to bee hated of the Lorde and his bloud to bée giuen to Dogges for her wicked lust Did not the wiues of the wisest Prince that euer was in the world cause him forsake his gracious God to follow their wicked lustes and did not the wife of Iobe wish him to curse God and dye O how vnsatiable are their wayes and how wanton their workes how dissemblinge their deedes and how false their faythes how lyinge their lippes and how contâ—â—â—y their vile motions and let a man go to the ground of his imagination and to their perfect substaunce what are they of their selues and how much inferiour to vs they cannot liue without our companyes nor doo any thinge without our helpes and what is that in them that wee so greedily gape after and what the cause that wee so desire their companies their beauty reserued and a litle fauour in their face All Women are alike and euery one hath so much as the other and yet a great number their faces but borowed and their fauours painted with paltry but take that away they are worse fauoured then wee and more loathsome in euery respecte worse shaped and worse complexions worse limmed and worse legged their condition is more vile and their state more filthy is not all that is in them their face al their other graces the foote the hand was not man first made is not his substance so much the purer is not she weake of nature why theÌ„ should shée be preferred before him is she not more vile of conditioÌ„ why theÌ„ should she be his coequal is not her birth baser why should her calling bée before his but she being inferiour desireth superioritie would willingly haue the souerainty yet in that she is weakest of nature and more vile of condition man is content to yeeld rather then gayne so simple a conquest â—â— take away their Ruffâ—s they look 〈…〉 they are â—â—â—ple to behold 〈…〉 of and they looke crabbeâ—â—â— their heair vntrust they look 〈…〉 They 〈◊〉 forsoothe haue their Ringes and their Bracelets their BuÌ„graces their Squares their Hoods and their Caps their Iuelles their knackes but take all these from them and turne them lyke a man into a single Coate and they looke lyke a new shorne shéepe or lyke a Fâ—wle pluckt 〈◊〉 of her