secretly conceale and surely effect what she was now about to commit vnto his charge which for that the slaue was as bloudilie affected to performe anie vilanie as she boldly addicted to deuise this treacherie he did not onelie sweare to conceale this her counsel and effect her deuise but also offered himselfe as most ready to spend limme and life in anâ—â— sort that might do her seruice This pleasing answere so pleased the working humour of this wicked woman as that taking aside this readie prepared varlet for the execution of her bloudy deuise begins thus to instruct him in hir intent Many quoth she are like to be the calamities likely to ensue vpon our stocke and of-spring which in time to preuent I haue thus timely inuented a meane to preuent their beginnings and so quite remooue the feareful euent of so vnluckie an end as is likely to ensue thereof Doest thou not quoth she obserue the vnequal hope of our future happinesse in the possession of this present kingdome I meane in our heires and thinkest thou not I haue reason with timely preuention to resist their vntimely purpose would it not gréeue thée when the vncertaine houre of most certaine death shal cut the golden thréed that holdeth the liues of these two kings to sée thy masters and my husbands daughter who should equally inioy the succession of this crowne disinherited from the possession therof by our brothers son If this so inwardly touch a straunger ah would it not much more grieue me that am her mother Our sorrowes are more then our wordes are any wise able to expresse And therfore greater then the common helpe of ordinarie comfort can in any part redresse Woes shewed in teares are washed away with the same sorrow painted forth by the tongue vanishes to aire with the words But the incarnate care of almost remedilesse euill cannot so liuely be in outward action expressed as in the inward closure of a true sorrowful heart they are fully possessed which care the vnhappie course of euer ruling heauen hath throwne heauilie vpon my head whereof to discharge my selfe there is no remedie but one and no one can effect it but thy selfe vpon whose trust must I build as great 〈◊〉 foundation as containes the quiet good end of al this nation More perswasions and they more perswasiue too then these could I vse to thée that might induce thée with more alacrity to do what I shal deuise but relying vpon the readie endeuour in the execution of this secret busines I wil thus acquaint thée with my purpose Thou knowest how heauen hath blessed our brother Perseus with a goodly son to whom I could wish much good if it were not to mine owne harme He when the course of al outliuing time shal take away his father and my husband must of necessitie alone possesse that which they now ioyntly enioy then shal the issue of our bodies liue in subiection to him who else should performe as much dutie to them which no wayes we can eschew But and there she suddenly stopt as though her faltring tongue had denied to proclaime the hellish practise she had plotted Which when her seruant perceyued imagining somewhat should folow that interrupt period boldly attempted to continue her almost repentant spéech Nay quoth he let not your Maiestie be afraid to commit to my secresie any thing that shal tend to your acceptable seruice For so fast hath the much meriting bond of your bounteous liberalitie tied me to the dutiful obeysance of your Maiestie that should you impose a greater labour to my performaunce then Iuno to her Hercules lay a farre more heauie burthen on my necke then the heauens to supporting Atlas commit a greater charge to my watchful care then Iupiter to his all eied Argus I would spend al my dayes in trauailing with Alcides my strength in bearing with Atlas mine C. eyes in watching with Argos but I would fullie effect whatsoeuer you should thus faithfully commit to my diligent endeuour So great is the loue that I bear both to your selfe the plentiful patrone of my present estate and your faire childe of whom I expect as much succéeding happinesse as I possesse present hope that were it to rid both your brother and his hateful son I should not onely thinke my labour imployed to a good end but also my toyle easie to be performed and hope my soule should be euerlastingly rewarded for my no more then dutiful seruice At which wordes the Quéen now fully fleshed to aduenture vpon his so vilde an indeuour begins now in plaine words to discouer what before vnder a Curten she had somewhat coloured vnripping the hidden thoughts of her self-known heart to the longing eares of her readie attendant thus began to enforme him in her fore-plotted mischiefe Then quoth she since thou so willingly offerest what I did more then halfe feare to ashe and hast so rightly met with mine owne meaning I presume vpon thy trust to tel what is the secretest wish of my vnquiet wil. My brother quoth she hath a sonne which I wish either he had not or my selfe were not and yet not hate to him but loue to my selfe is it that vrgeth me to do that to him which else his life would effect in me His moyst blood is the liquour which onely must quench my dry thirst and the end of his daies ad new date to the decaying number of my yeares which if thou wilt but effect as I wil aduise I wil clearlie acquit thée of his death and richly reward thée for that déed Remember to what I may preferre thée from which his life doth deferâ—e thée what profit thou maist gaine by the one and what miserie thou art like to incurre by the other For assure thy selfe that it thou now denie the performance of my request when I haue vncouered the effect of my drift I wil not onely worke thy vtter disgrace but hasten thy shamefull decay At which words the fellow standing as one in a traunce loath as it should séeme so heynously to offend though he had rashly made so readie an offer would neither affirmatiuely at the first answer her demaund nor negatiuely denie her desire til she waking him out of his drowsie dumpe asked him if hée would boldly goe forwarde with his fore-pretended purpose which for that his promise afore past as hée thought though wickedly concluded yet could not wel be recalled made him againe after she had rowsed his drowsie spirits with the golden sound of rich rewards make a solemne vow to effect what busines soeuer she shuld appoint him And she taking hir time to strike vpon an hote iron thus followed her fore-purpose This night quoth she for longer we may not delay it I haue deuised readie meanes howe the boy should be deliuered into thy hand and yet thou neuer suspected as any way accessarie to this priuie massacre A Gentlewoman here attendant vpon me whom I also haue sworne to our purpose
The first part of the nature of a Woman Fitly described in a Florentine Historie Composed by C. M. LONDON Printed by Valentine Simmes for Clement Knight and are to be sold at his shop at the little North doore of Paules 1596 To my very good friend Maister T. A. Gentleman of the middle Temple SIR the Authour of this Booke willing to shrowde his vnperfect worke vnder the couert of some suche well minded Gentleman that might defend it from the greedy gripe of such bolde-faced bussards as commonly vse to prey vpon the workes of yong wits and of himselfe altogether vnprouided for that purpose hath entreated mee to make some meanes for his helpe herein at whose instant request I haue presumed to commit to your selfe this vnperfect worke which please it you but to accept in part of payment for that debt of duetie wherein I stand bound vnto you it shal incourage me when his idle houres shall better furnish some more substantiall subiect to pleasure you with that who now am bolde to presume vppon your patience with this I cease being I am that I am and while lliue wil liue to loue you Yours in all loue C. K. The life and death of the old Duke The first Chapter BEfore the many spacious parts of the wide Romaine Empire had subiected themselues to the gouernement of one principall head there liued in those parts of Italy which nowe men call Florence a Duke named Radulpho one whom nature had beautified in euerie externall part of the bodie and wisdome adorned with all internall gifts of the mind who from the first spring of his happy birth to the ripe yeares of his hopefull age so effectually prospered as that hee liued no lesse renowmed for his worthie atchieuements abroade then admired for his wise gouernment at home being generally for them both accounted the principall Péere that then that part of the world did affoord So that as from the heart the beginning of life proceedeth vigore to euerie seuerall organ of the bodie so from him as the fountaine of matchlesse honour dayly issued such Christal streams of magnanimous behauiour towards his foes and courteous humanitie to his friends as made him the wonder of that worlde being then but newly reduced from the barbarous behauiour of the sauage Satires to the ciuil gouernement of obedient subiects This blessed prince in the prime of his prosperous yeares chose to wife a Ladie of his owne Countrie called Dorabella a woman as vertuous as beauteous and as plentiously replenished with commendable behauiour as gloriously adorned with matchlesse feature so that it might bée iudged howe gods and nature had in these two onely excéeded themselues in affoording none whose loue might counteruail the matchlesse liniaments of that more then earthly creature he onely excepted nor any beautie of such power as to conquer his maiden affections if she to that purpose had not especially béene selected Many sunshine dayes full of blessings ouer their heads and euerie yeare séemed to excéed another in heaping still renuing pleasures into their plentifull lappes walling them rounde about with impregnable felicitie that they might proudlie oppose themselues against the hardest brunts of Fortunes extremitie Amongest all which fauours one especially not the least though almost the last was this that at one birth this worthie dutches brought into the worlde two male twins the right patrons of their royal parents whose comming was not a little welcom to the secure inhabitants of that very wel gouerned Dukedome In that heauens and their happie starres had so effectually aunswered their longing hopes in the issue of those louing princes These ioyfull parents carefully foreseeing that their forwarde children might answere their toward growth in commendable qualities fitting such royall pesonages thought it most conuenient when the stealing houres of euer running time had made them able to conceiue the principals of learning and knowledge to prouide for them such men of skill as well in good letters as arts and sciences as also fit directers as might tutor their tender yeares in the timely practise of such worthy exercises as are best in estéeme with men of so high estate which done they spent the proces of their pleasant dayes fauoured of gods and beloued of men blessing that golden age wherein they liued for that no former dayes had felt so fauourale aspects of smiling heauens to eternish their memorie through all succéeding posterities vntill the date of their smiling dayes gan to growe out and the forerunners of ensuing death gins to admonish them of the spéedie ende of their so pleasant life Whenas now the olde king spending those pleasant hours in melancholy contemplation as best fitting the humour of gray heades which he was wonted to ouerpasse in delightsom contentation fitly agréeing with the vnripened thoughts of yong wits calles to his drowping minde the fickle estate of this worldly felicity of which men perswade themselues there is no certaintie but this that is vncertaine soone sprowting like a summers flower after the spring dew of a pleasant morning prowdly spreading the swéet leaues to the warme beams of the comfortable Sunne and when the heate of one day is ouerworne faintly decayes and blots the former shew as though it had neuer béene borne alluding his former life to the pleasant trauaile of a waifaring man that hauing ouerpassed a great deale of the day wandering in a pleasant dale at last must worke vp his way to the hie top of a wearie hil from whose height he may againe looke at the ouercome pleasures of his forenoones iourney And thus sighing to himselfe often recites in his aged memorie the pleasant daies of his youthful iolitie the very thought whereof had bin sufficient to haue drowned himselfe in a gulfe of sorrow had not his liuely picture perfectly pourtrayed in the youthful behauiour of his yong sonnes perswaded him that part of his soule was diuided into their bodies And thus feeding his olde conceit with the hope of his forward children he so pleasantly spent the painful daies of his vnpleasant age in the verie remembrance of his succéeding heires as though himselfe had shaken off the siluer cognisance of vnweldy age and felt againe the warme springing bloud of aduenterous youth til after the reuolution of many yéeres as euery beginning of necessitie hath his end euery day by course his night and euery spring by kinde his fal of leafe so attendant vppon his life was the all ending time of too timely death whose approch prefigured by many infallible tokens makes him wisely and warily prouide against his vncertaine comming lest at vnawares he might be sodainely taken in his secure liuing And as the first and greatest care that troubled his wearie minde he calles before him his two sonnes the pillers that were after to support the heauie burden of the good gouernement of that common wealth which yet lay vpon his own shoulders who comming to the bed side where their father lay performing
such dutie as naturally belongeth to parents from the children and sorrowful to beholde their old father labouring so earnestly with the wearie assaults of neuer tired death swelling sorrowe plentifully flowes out at the christall condites of their starre like eies in pearle-like droppes of brinie salt teares Which when their old sire beheld giuing charge to some of his attendants there by to set him vp in his bed for by this had the bloody conflicts of al deuoring death almost druncke vppe al the moisture of his sometimes wel moistned members and vsing some perswasions to his gréeuing sonnes to desist from their wéeping he thus beginnes to dispose of his earthly riches Since quoth he the common course of continuall yéeres in the flourishing and fading fruits of our mother Earth daily decipher to our therfore gréeuing thoughts the vnconstant state of our here abode may sufficiently perswade and induce you to conceiue the occasion that hath brought me your old father to be a weake souldior as here you sée in the lists of death who haue past the spring of my growth the summer of my flourishing the Autumne of my fading must nowe like a dried leafe fal in the comfortlesse bosome of colde killing winter at whose end you must beginne whose death must be your life and whose fal the step wherein you must tread to arise then take truce a while with the vnbrideled course of nature and learne with patience to loose that which care can not kéepe your many teares may occasion some hurt to you but were they more then they are they could not al help me when this conquering captaine vnder whose cruel hand lieth vanquished your sometimes vanquishing father prowdly triumphed in the treble victorie of your woorthie grandsire to whome my selfe was sole heire he though rich yet left me poore and though I succéeded in the possession of much wealth yet was I then but slenderly stored with wisedome so that what he had carefully got I at the first as carelesly spent til the experience of some few yéeres though it were somewhat long yet was it not too late enriched me with the one as he had stored me with the other both which I leaue more amply to you then I did plentifully receiue them of him Then taking in hand his crowne this heauen quoth hée which I like Atlas haue long supported must I nowe lay vpon your shoulders and on you two disloade this heauie burthen which hath so long béene onely borne by me Breake it I may not in twaine whose golden circle closeth so manie in one containing the welfare of as many people within this ring as the Atlantike sea compasses in her gréedie armes Diuision brings foorth discord discord confusion confusion desolation which woful end to preuēt by a good beginning I haue thus contriued Twins you are both and therfore in birth equal Thou quoth hee Perseus to his eldest son art a scholler richly adorned with the great gift of godlike learning and therefore mightest chalenge a prerogatiue aboue thy brother but that Theseus speaking then to his yongest sonne hath as farre excéeded thée in the practise of a souldiour as thou him in the profession of a scholler so that being ioyned togither you would make one perfect man but seuered are two maimed members It is reported of the Pelican that with her owne blood she reuiued her dead yong and so I though wanting blood to recall you from the dead pleasures of yoong secure delights yet shal my latest breath counsel you to the careful desire of vertuous déedes The Rauen so long as shée is able to prouide meate for her yong wil neuer let them flie from her sight and so fares it with me willing stil to enioy your desired companies as long as I might but sith I am now too weake to swim against so great a currant as is this sea of death that drowneth in eternall obliuion whatsoeuer the worlde hath brought forth since her first creation I must here vrged of necessitie leaue that which willingly I would prolong And therefore in a word I bequeath to you this crown and kingdom which your forefathers for many yéeres haue royally vpholden be as one soule in two bodies two men but one minde two hands gouerned by one head Let thy wit direct his weapon and his weapon defend thy wit There is a roote in Libia that beareth two bulkes which as long as they cleaue together prosperously flourish but being seuered they soone fade Great streames that forcibly breake forth of the bowels of mighty mountains kéeping their course togither within compas of two banks forcibly preuaile against al oppositions but being separated their force decreases and themselues in the end decay There are two friendly fishes alwayes kéeping companie together opposing themselues against the mightiest monsters that the sea affoords but when by any sinister occasion they are separated then are they easily ouercome by smaller creatures then themselues Be not proud least you be hated nor too humble for then will you be dispised heare the complaints of the poore and then shall you be beloued and punish the misdéedes of the wicked and so shall you be feared Surfet not with drinking much wine for that will bréed follie nor accompanie with many women for thence comes all iniquitie Vse your sports in measure and deferre not your weightie affaires for the loue of vaine pleasure Do iustice with all sinceritie and let not your punishment taste too much of seueritie Take héede of the crie of Orphans for that ascends to heauen and procureth speedie vengeance and incurre not the curse of widowes for that weyes downe to hell from whence there is no redemption Well could I wish that my now decaying breath were not so sore vrged by impartiall death to leaue this concaue castell of my panting breast that I might more enrich you with that good whereof you shall haue farre more néede then of much golde but what heauen prouides cannot by vs be preuented and therefore must I leaue you to your fortunes which proue as prosperously as your father wisheth it heartily And so kissing both his sonnes and making some signes still of more matter when his weake tong had denied any more to performe his office and shortly after turning his face to the wall ended his dayes The mutual succession of his sonnes in his Dukedome The second Chapter AFter whose death his sonnes carefully prouides to order all things in the best order for the adorning of their fathers funeral All which done the funerall rites solemnised and euerie thing fully brought to ende all which after they according to the solemne custome of their ciuil country sumptuously had performed they took order for their coronation which was also in euery part effectually discharged as they had orderly deuised so that now it rested for them ioyntly to goe forwarde in the peaceable gouernement of that quiet common wealth which their deceased father had left vnto their