I perceiue you are ignorant in for if it had béene your fortune to come hither a little sooner being in your swéetest times of yeares your life would haue béene in very great danger For you shall vnderstaud that it is not long time since a Giant named Brauorant the Cruell was the Lord and possessor of this Island who delighted to set spies at all his Ports to informe him when any Knights or Damosels did arriue in this Island and when any such happened to come he would vse them extreame cruelly the Knights he would depriue of their liues and the Damosels he would villanously force and afterward send them away starke naked dispoyled of all their rich and costly cloathing And for this purpose he kept a great company of vassayles who did nothing else but imploy themselues in following his wicked humor and when as any Merchants by fortune came to cast Anker into this Isle his vassailes would compell them to ransome themselues with great extremitie before they would suffer them to depart hence but if they chanced to find fault with his tyranny and refused to pay their ransome which they knew to be laide on them without all right or reason then would he murther them or put them to some villainous death or other But the heauenly powers seeing the great oppression and crueltie which this bloody minded hel-hound continually vsed and chiefly towards them that neuer offended him in their diuine prouidence they thought good to cut off such a tyrant and so it fortuned this Giant died whose soule I thinke was carried to the place where his vnnaturall déeds deserued to haue recompence for that he could imploy his life no better He thus dying left behind him foure sons which he had in issue who were in all things to be compared to the Giant their father the two eldest of his sons were named Calfurnien Combaldam who being not content to liue on so smal teuenues as this Island yéelded went to inhabit another country but albeit they were thus departed hence the supreme authoritie would not long suffer them to liue in their vnsupportable crueltie and tyranny but made a dispatch of their cursed liues and that by the hand of one onely knight who was called as report hath here blazed the Knight of the Sauage man so named for that he beareth figured in his shield a Sauage man It may be you haue better knowledge of this Knight then I haue for that such a one as you séeme to be cannot chuse but be acquainted with those noble mindes as imploy themselues in séeking hautie aduentures whereby their fame is thundered through the whole world As for the two other Brethren they were nourished in this Island vnder their mothers wing against whose will after they iudged themselues able to endure armor they determined to depart hence to reuenge the death of their brethren Calfurnien and Camboldam The earnest desire they had to be gone would not suffer them to tary longer here but taking shipping away they went and after they had spent a great time in the bloody and horrible life their predecessours spent before them and in séeking the aforenamed knight of the Sauage man it so fell out that the good and hardy knight himselfe chanced to come where they were with them he entred the Combate and behaued himselfe so worthily against them as he likewise ended the liues of the other two Giants whose death deliuered the inhabitants of the countrey where they dwelled out of a great deale of feare and trouble so that it is to be iudged that the Knight was ordained to be the onely meane to defend the miserable afflicted people out of the life of flauish seruitude wherein they had remained long time by their cruel Giants The mother of these merciles hell-hounds before named who is called Collambra could not long endure the sorrow she suffered for the death of her children wherfore she practised compassed all deuises she could wherby to get the knight of the Sauage man into her custody that she might spéede the better in her close intent she ioyned with a Magitian a friend of hers one whom he loued well named Alfernao who is gone to the Emperors court of Constantinople hauing ten daies allowed him to accōplish his intent to worke so craftily as wel he can y◠the knight of the Sauage man must be brought hither And because no occasion shal want that may helpe any way a Damosell Giant named Arlencea who is the Daughter to this Collambra accompanied with a certaine nūber of knights and Damosels is ioyned in company with this Enchauntor vpon whose promises such assurance is made here as the Knight of the Sauage man shall bée brought hither In this great hope which the cruell Collambra hath to reuenge her deuillish will on this good knight she is gone to a Citie foure leagues distance hence being accompanied with a great many of her friends as also with one of her brethren who though he be young yet is he maruailous bloody and cruell and reputed for an especiall Knight at Armes who is also a Giant and named Esponuautable who hath conuerted his countrey into as great cruelty as when it was gouerned by the Giant Brauorant the Cruell and to speake vprightly Brauorant was not altogether so terrible as hee is whom I lately named to you wherefore I hartily pray that the good Knight of the Sauage man fall not into the hands of this Giant neither that the treason may preuaile which is laide for him the ancient Knight knitting vp his tale with a sigh the Knight of the Tiger thus began My good friend it is hard for him to escape the daunger whom fortune hath determined to fall into it and séeing it is so I could wish that she would suffer the Brother to Colambra to séeke reuenge on me for the death of his Nephews perhappes he might fall into his handes who hath a good will to punish his wicked life and make him knowe the desert of crueltie as well as his kindred hath tasted it before him And for the Knight of the Sauage man hée is one that I knowe very well and I hope he wil escape the hands of his enemies as one that is reserued to bring to an end many worthy and hauty aduentures wherefore in respect that hee is my especiall good friend I desire to know the certaintie of that you haue rehearsed for if he spéede ill I cannot take it quietly and therefore because I wil satisfy my mind I am determined to morrow morning to goe seeke this Giant not doubting but if Fortune fauour me to repay his wicked and euill deserts with such recompence as is méete for such an offender I sée well Syr answered the ancient Knight that you are ignorant of the Giants force in presuming so to combate with him alas Sir hée will not make any account of the enterprise if ten such as you came and waged the
the Prince Platir answered the Esquire thus Trust me my friend I cannot thinke it méete to receiue thy Maisters armor which we thanke him for that he would so courteously send vs because I carry this mind with me that it is better for vs to loose our liues without his aid them hauing his armour to fall into his hands vanquished for our armour his not so much spoyled but we may very well endure the triall of this Combate wherefore we will trie our Fortune in this armor we haue considering skill must be vsed as well as defence which if we imploy as we ought there is no doubt but we shall haue the victory I am content to follow the aduise of Platir said Berolde And since you find it so conuenient quoth the Sage Aliart me thinkt it were good the messenger returned backe to his Maister and let him vnderstand that he may come when please him into the field I reioyce greatly saide the Esquire in the counsell of this young knight that you will not take this Armor which my Lord the Giant sendeth you therefore let him that hath the aduantagr boast of his winning in the end Thus the Esquire departed into the Castle of Collambra againe giuing the Giant to vnderstand what the Knights had said whereat he fumed and fretted greaely to sée what disdaine these Christian knights made of him wherevpon he tooke his leaue of his Sister in this maner Madame I pray you abide at this window all the while the Combate endureth for I shall be greatly iniuried if I want your presence So departing he went vnto his Couzins who were all in blacke armor conformable to their griefe and sorrow and bearing for their deuices in their shéelds the portraitures of Brocalon and Baleato their Couzins figured in a field of Sable they promising neuer to change their deuises vntill they had reuenged the death of the Giants the sons of Collambra who were déerely beloued of their vnckle the Giant Espouuantable With them he tooke his way to the place appointed for the combate the people reioycing when they saw him comming with his Couzins who were in stature able to deale with sixe such as the thrée knights were which made the Giant to ride very merily perswading himselfe that the knight of the Tiger and his companions should loose their liues in the field that day then comming somwhat néere them he began to vse these words In sooth my friends it were better for you to yéeld your selues then to abide the terrour of my combate Not so sir answered the Knight of the Tiger but albeit thy arcogant pride should séeme to fray vs in these peoples iudgements we are content to abide the vttermost not doubting God aiding vs but to bring downe thy haughty stomacke and these likewise that beare thée company Vpon these words the Giant ran against the knight of the Tiger and his Cozins against the other knights that the trampling of the horses made the earth to groane and they were not so quicke and spéedy in their course but the knight of the Tiger and his companions were as nimble as they méeting so brauely in the middest of the Carrire where the Giant broke his lance on the Prince Palmerins shéeld with so great force as he was constrained to catch hold on the mane of his horse otherwise he had fallen beside him neuerthelesse the Giant was cast out of his Saddle with great violence against the ground whereat he was maruailously offended but the knight of the Tiger reioyced that he had broken his lance so well The other six knights were all likewise dismounted except the Prince Flatir who kept his Saddle still yet was the charge so rough vpon him as he had almost borne his fellowes company but that he recouered himselfe gallantly hauing lost both his stirreps The knight of the Tiger séeing the Giant comming towards him cast himselfe beside his horse quickly because he feared the Giant would haue kiled his horse then being on his féete he spake to the Giant thus Content thy selfe a while thou counterfeit Monster and let thy Cozins procéede in that they haue enterprised for they that deale with him are such as they shall find sufficient to abate their lofty minds and after they haue tried their fortune because we will not hinder them neither do they the like to vs thou and I will quickly decide our controuersie when do not doubt but thou shalt perceiue the little regard I haue of thée and the vttermost thou canst doe I sée well answered the Giant that because thou hadst so good fortune to dismount me it makes thee so bold to speake thus brauely but I receiue greater contentment thē thou canst deuise to see thee here in this place where at mine owne pleasure I shall giue thee punishment and with my sword repay the shame of my fall Then drew he his sword forth of the scabbard saying to the Prince that he had caused that weapon to be made onely to take reuenge therewithall for the death of his Couzins Brocalon and Baleato with these words he ran fiercely on the Knight of the Tiger and gaue him such cruell and forcible stroakes as had he not defended them worthily his life would haue bene in great danger Verie rigorous was the blowes the Giant gaue the prince so that most part of his shield was cut in peeces and he had very little left to award his enemy and a great while it was before he could wound the Giant yet at length he gained such opportunitie as he wounded him grieuously in three or foure places which made the Giant to faint and waxe somewhat wearie both with the great losse of his blood and also with his extreame sweating and chafing to see himselfe so hardly matched by one knight but all his fretting the prince regarded not he followed his intent so worthily and redoubled stroake after stroake so roughly vpon him as the Giant was constrained to retire to take breathing awhile The knight of the Tiger was not sorry therat for that he as gladly desired rest of the giant though not by any such extreame occasion considering also he desired to see how his three friends continued the fight with the giants three Couzins who in sooth were brought to such a narrow point as they had not the power to defend their enemies for they both had and did charge them so worthily as the Prince did much delight himselfe in beholding them they being so couragious nimble and quicke as they were at the beginning of the Combate But the Prince Platir dealt so gallantly with him that was his enemy as he had the general praise and was iudged worthy the honour of that day aboue his other two companions The Giant beholding his Couzins in such danger and himselfe to haue lost the most part of his blood likewise that he had such a strong and puissant enemy his heart began to faint but because he would not haue them
the Esquires to leade him after him and so he rode to the City of Buda accompanied with the Duchesses and the Ladies who were very sorie for the death of Ditree and their other Knights but well pleased againe by the noble and hautie déeds of Palmerin CHAP. LXXIX Here shal be declared vnto you what and who the Giant Bracandor was wherfore he came to remaine in that place SVch report the History deliuereth vnto vs that in the Perilous Isle there remained a Giant named Bucarquant who ruled the Isle in such cruel maner that his subiects the did stand in more doubt of him the death So that to put him beside the gouernement of the Isle they concluded to conspire his death by poyson As for his Sonne Bracandor who was innocent of the wicked and diuillish déedes of his Father yet fearing that gouernement would prick him to the like cruelty they chased him out of the Isle giuing him no other company then his Nephew Astapardo These twaine went into the Kingdome of Hungaria where they purposed to people a little Mountaine to which they had giuen the name of the Inhabited Rock for in no other place might they be suffered to liue in quiet because reuenge would be sought for the cruell déeds of Bucarquant There they had gotten a company of bloody minded and dishonest knights liuing by robbery deflowring faire Virgins and Ladies and all villainous déeds that might be deuised till at last they heard of these Duchesses who went to sée King Frisol their Father in law accompanied with the Prince Ditree and other Knights Suddenly they came and set vpon them so that the Prince and the Knightes were slaine as also fiue of them belonging to Bracandor till to their rescue came the Prince Palmerin who behaued himselfe as you haue heard before When they were come to the Citie of Buda the King Frisol vnderstanding the death of his Sonne tooke it so heauily as such a great losse did forceable constraine him yet hee dissembled his griefe and came with the Duchesse to the Prince Palmerin giuing very great thankes for his courtesie and commanded he should be vsed with maruellous good respect till his wounds were healed and his strength somewhat better increased The Citizens tooke the giant Bracandor without the kings leaue they put him to death burning his bones that nothing might be left to be séene of such a cruell villaine Soone after King Frisol not able to withstand the extremitie of his griefe méekely yéelded his daies to the stroke of death which was no smal griefe to his noble Linage but as well to his loiall obedient subiects who greatly lamented the losse of such a gratious Prince His Obsequies and Funerales most magnifically finished Estrellant the Son of the Prince Ditree receiued the name of their rightfull and renowned king who committed the gouernment of the Scepter to one of the most noble Lords in all Hungaria because his time of ease was not as yet come but would follow the exercise of a valiant Knight at Armes And Palmerin staied a while in the Citie of Buda till his strength would permit him to beare Armour and then hee followed his intent which was alwaies to sée the places of greatest aduenture CHAP. LXXX How Don Florian being in the Court of the great Turke entred the fight with the Bastard Arduramet and vanquished him HEere must we remember Arduramet and the Prince Florian who being landed came to the Turkes Court where Arduramet receiued great thankes of the Turke himselfe for the Prisoners he had taken in his fortunate voyage Then comming to the Princes Targiana whose gentle nature afforded him a gracious welcome Arduramet deliuered his speeches in this manner My gracious Lady since the time I departed from your excellencie I haue endured along and tedious trauell to recouer my Lord and Brother Albayzar And albeit it was not my Fortune to méete with him yet haue I heard such report of his déeds as my heart is contented and my labours finished assuring you that he hath woone such renown against the Christians that they which haue no knowledge of him doe daily desire both to sée him and to make proofe of their puissant behauiour against him Beside I haue heard that he hath conquered the Shield of the faire Miragarda wherewith he is gone to the Court of the Emperor Palmerin to maintaine against all knights that dare auouch the contrarie your séemely selfe to be the onely Goddesse of beautie on the earth And during the time I was in his search it happened I tooke certaine prisoners among whom I found this Knight who both told mee newes of my Lord Albayzar and how hee had assigned to fight against him in the Emperours Court wherupon such words arose betwéen vs that we haue appointed a Combat to be tried and ended in this Court Florian séeing the great pride of Arduramet was stricken with such coller that hée began to vtter his mind in these spéeches Arduramet we are arriued in this place where I must entend the meane to accomplish my promise And albeit Albayzar is a valiant knight at Armes as the effect of his déeds do manifest no lesse yet will I maintaine and prooue against you that he hath not won the Shield by any manner of Conquest As for the Prince Targiana her beautie I both estéeme and confesse of such authoritie as he that ventureth the field in her fauour cannot chuse but spéed happily in all his déedes But if it shall please her to licence mee the Field I will defend against you Albayzar and all the Knights of your law that I rather deserue to be receiued in her seruice then you all or any that you can estéeme of Arduramet who could not suffer these braue words especially of one that was his prisoner in a rage cast his Helmet on the ground began to raile in these tearmes that follow Oh Mahomet why doest thou suffer in my presence a Christian to presume in so vile and presumptuous brags My gratious Lady I desire you to assure this miscreant the Field for I vow not to leaue him til I haue reuenged this rare and monstrous iniury Targiana commanded Florian to take of his helmet to whose will in gentle manner he presently obeyed but he was so offended with the words of Arduramet that his beauty was farre otherwise then it was alwayes accustomed for which cause the Princesse commanded Arduramet to depart and to make himselfe ready to enter the combate As for the Prince Florian her affection was so greatly placed on him that she tooke him prisoner vnder her protection and the better to assure him safe from danger she commaunded fiftie Knights should be presently armed to sée that none might come neare to hurt him during the time he should combate with Arduramet Then Florian kissing her hand departed to the place appointed for the fight and she vp into the Chamber to see how euery thing happened and
fortune the enemy to their good hap discouered their good liking to the displeasâ—re of both It chanced that this Princesse being named Brandisia esteemed chiefly the seruice of Artibel which her Father misdoubting kept her close in a Tower but Loue had woon such a perfection betwéen them that Artibel accomplished a deuise without suspition as oftentimes to visite sollace with his faire Brandisia for by a Ladder of Ropes he climed so often to the window of the Princesse that time conuerted the issue of their delights to vna bellae figliola Brandimar passing oftentimes by the tower of Brandisia desirous to sée his delight which these walles enclosed one night by chance saw when Artibel came downe by his accustomed Ladder of ropes which made him so offended that forgetting the league of amity between theÌ„ he set vpon him where with their cloaks wrapped about their armes and their rapieâ—s drawn after a few words they fel to strokes which by fortune the king heard and comming thither with his gard he found Brandimar almost slaine Whereupon Artibell was committed to prison and Brandimar hauing declared all to the King shortly after yeelded his life The king knowing that his daughter was conceiued with child kept Artibell in prison till time of her deliuerance vpon which day hee caused him to be beheaded and in this Cup he sent her the hart of her beloued Artibell The Princesse perceiuing the cruell reuenge of her father and desirous to accompany her déere friend in death tooke the Cup and making a thousand complaints ouer the heart of Artibel she continued mourning so long till she had filled this Cup with her teares Afterward thinking this not sufficient to manifest the faithful loue she bare to the knight she tooke the Cup and sent it to her Father vttering to the Messenger these speeches Tell my Father that it may be he hath sent mee this true and faithfull token of my most affectionate loyall friend only that I should shew in the massaring of mine owne life my hart was iointly vnited with this harmelesse heart of my deare Artibell whom since I loued in life I wil not forsake in death neither for my Fathers rigor to him and cruelty to me but will honour his death with losse of my life my Father being the Author of all this euill So taking out the heart and the messenger departed with the Cup she tricked her selfe in her brauest apparel putting the heart of her friend Artibel between her brests with these words Oh Artibel receiue thine own Brandisia she cast her self headlong out of the chamber window where death tooke his due of this faithfull and constant Princesse The king sorrowfull for his Daughters death solemnized her Funerals with great honour and dignity and taking the Child whom he hath named Leonarda he put her in the self same tower accomâ—anied with Ladies gentlewomen where she was nourished for the space of foure yeeres At the end wherof he made an Enchantment halfe a mile from his place in a Valley wherein he likewise Enchaunted the yong princesse Leonarda which Enchantment he had vsed in such order that none might sée her nor yet come neare vnto her for a far off might be discerned a goodly Fortresse but when any endeuoured to come neare it it vanished away nothing could be séene When he had so done he tooke this Cup wherein he had congealed frozen the teares vsing his Art so vpon them that he hath brought them into this ougly blacknesse which you now behold And at the houre of his death seeing his kingdome should remaine destitute of an heire to succéed him he commanded this Cup should be carried into all Princesse Courts in the world to passe the hands of many noble Knights vntill the teares came to the first estate and condition So should the knight be found that surpasseth al other in worthinesse and constancy of Loue as also that is able to expell and end the enchauntment of the princesse Leonarda who ioyning mariage with her shall gouerne the scepter and Diademe of Thrace But if so be the Knight who hath the power to accomplish this aduenture shall haue vowed his faith to some other so that the princesse cannot marry with him the commandement of the king is such that the Princesse Leonarda shall ioyne in Mariage with him that this aforesayde Knight shall command Aud one thing more you shall vnderstand that if any knight may equal himselfe in faith and loyalty with him that hath the power to molifie these teares the aduenture is such as they wil turne to their former obscure estate againe but if such a one come as may not in that excellent gift be comparable to the Knight then is there nothing can cause them to to change their colour So that if any knight aduance himselfe to this cup and is not a faithfull and constant Louer the teares shall remaine as darke as you sée them at this present Likewise after the Enchantment shal be fully finished that the Lady and the Knight may beheld themselues in the teares they shall sée the perfect forme of those persons who are their dearest friends and their greatest enemies And if any will knowe those that are least in fauour vpon the taking of this Cup they shall féele a sauour so strong that they shall hardly be able to endure it and to the contrary he that is more beloued then his fellow by higher degrée in affection shall cause a greater brightnesse to be in the Cuppe Wherefore most redoubted Emperour I desire you that your Knights may try this aduenture and your selfe to giue the first attempt because you may the better declare the loue you beare to your gratious Lady the Empresse Lady quoth the Emperor you desire me to fall into troublesome extreames by desiring me to aduenture so great a matter Neuertheles I will once hazard vpon Fortune to please them that cannot finish this hard accident albeit I thinke my selfe not able to do it For the like matter haue I enterprised trying my selfe with the Glasse of the King Tarnaes being the like aduenture as this and ended by the vertuous and noble Prince Don Edward and â—s I thinke not to end this so shall the Empresse excuse me considering my ancient time Then arose a great noyse among the Knightes who desired to try the Cup beause their Ladies should bee the better assured of their constant Loue. CHAP. XCI Of those that came to try the aduenture of the Cuppe and of that which happened vnto them GReat affection had the Emperour to shewe somewhat his constant loyaltie in the aduenture of his Cup wherefore receiuing it at the hands of the Damosel he turned him toward the Empresse and said Trust mée Madame if it be true that faithful loue may conuert these teares then I perswade my selfe to haue some title in it So holding the Cuppe a great while and perceiuing that it changed not the colour he
Constantinople DVring the the time this great ioy was in the Court of Constantinople for the comming of the prince Palmerin the Emperour had tidings brought him how the Prince Albayzar had leuied a great and mighty Armie to come and besiege the Cittie and assure the Messenger that the Lord who was the Soldane Bellagris was preparing himselfe in a readinesse to come and aide him The Emperour being at this time ouercharged with age found himselfe farre vnable to deale in these affaires the consideration whereof did not a little displease him Neuerthelesse he fayled not to make prouision as wisedome willed to entertaine the enemy whereupon he writ to the Soldane Bellagris sending him heartie thankes for the good forwardnesse hâ— saw in him especially in a time so néedfull and when the messenger to the Soldane was dispatched the Emperour sent presently to informe of these newes Arnedes the King of France his Sonne in law Recinde the king of Spaine Don Edward the Prince of England the Emperour Vernar of Allemaigne Maiortes and many others The Armie of the Turkes was no sooner heard of but the Knights who followed their noble aduentures returned to Constantinople knowing they shuld make better trial of their valour there then in any other places and such was the rumour spread abroad to the Turks intention as in short time the Citie of Constantinople was furnished with many noble and redoubted knights where aduentures was presented to them day by day but the Emperour would not suffer them to pursue after such occasions because they were nothing else but deceite and villany wayting still for the time when he should be assaulted by Albayzar who was now setting forward on the Seas being accompanyed with diuers approoued knights at armes as also a number of cruell and bloody minded Giants intending to make a generall spoyle of all the Emperors Dominions But till we haue better occassion we will leaue them a while and returne to the Prince Palmerin who during the brute of the Turkes Army was aduertised of the death of Satrafort the gouernor of the Perillous Isle being taken by Trofolant the Fearefull who was descended to the giants kindred And as it is rehearsed in the first volume of this History that Trafolant was vanquished in the Tournament by the Prince Florendos and had the like mishap the day following by the prowesse of the Knight of the Sauage man who guarded the shéeld of the Palme Tree in the forrest of the Cleere Fountain which the Damosell from the Sage Aliart brought to the Emperour Palmerin that he might deliuer it to the Knight his Nephew who had woone the honour of the day in the Tournament It was likewise his fortune after when he trauailed to the Castle of the Giant Almaroll to be vanquished there by the Prince Florendos who guarded the shéeld of the faire Miragarda and returning thence he met with the Damoselles Knight when offering to take one of his Ladies from him they fell to the Combate and in the end was likewise vanquished The conceit of his so many and sundry foyles and all by the Knights of the Emperours Court caused him to deuise by what meanes he might worke some iniurie to them that belonged to the Emperour in respect he was so seuerely bent against them as he would take vpon him to reuenge the death of Calfurnien and his brethren But to the ende he might the better execute his treacherous enterprise hée tooke his way to the Profound Isle thinking there to inuent some treason by the aide of Collambra but his intent was there disapointed for it was told him that she was brought to the Emperours Court of Greece Then he determined to goe visit the Perillous Isle being accompanied with two Knights that were his kinsemen with whom he knewe well how to dissemble the treason on his stomacke and Satrafort thinking them to be of the Emperours Court of Constantinople entertained them very louingly into his Castle where when they had soiourned for certaine daies they murthered Satrafort and all his houshold But the pleasure of this victorie was very short to them for Argentao the gouernour of the Profound Isle came by a secret wile suddenly on them with his power and taking Trofolant in the Forrest sent him presently to the Emperours Court where was no little ioy of his comming in that he saued Palmerin a iourney who was taking his leaue of his friendes because he would goe to take the Traitors that had done such villanie Trofolant was condemned by the lawe and publiely executed according as his trecherous dealings deserued and Argentao was honourably recompenced that he might haue the better occasion to be carefull and circumspect in his office So soone as Trofolant was put to death the Sage Aliart arriued at the Court of Constantinople whose presence gaue greater assurance to the Emperour and his Knightes and he gaue them heartie thankes in that they were so ready to goe recouer the Perillous Isle After the Sage Aliart there came to the Court the Prince Floraman Albanis of Frieze Reccamon Leyman of Burgunuy beside many other princes and knights who had euery one forsaken their seuerall countries to assist the Emperour of Constantinople with their aide because they had heard of the Turks preparation The very same day was tydings brought to the Court how Fredericke the king of England was dead which newes caused â—o small griefe among the Princes especially to the Emperour himselfe who being as aged as King Fredericke was iudged himselfe not of long continuance behind him in that this was a speciall president for him to regard King Fredericke being one he made most chiefe and high account of Prince Edward was then crowned King of England to the great ioy of all his subiects he being such a vertuous and magnanimous Prince and the funerals of king Frederick was solemnized in Greece with very great state their Beacons burning and Bonfires made through the whole Empire according as it was the custome in that Countrey CHAP. XXXVI Of an aduenture which happened during the troubles at Constantinople in the Realme of France and after what manner it chanced THe History reporteth that certaine Ladies in the Realme of France enuying the renowned of Polinarda of Greece Miragarda of Spaine and Leonarda of Thrace whose beauties defaced greatly the Ladies in all other Countries began to complaine very much on the French knightes that either by the want of courage or their little regard of loue their beauties remained vnknowne in other Realmes Countries and Prouinces Vpon this occasion they found themselues somewhat agréeued and to the end they would remedie the cause foure Ladies of the king of France his Court thinking to excell all other in beauties enterprised to establish an aduenture to mooue the mindes of many Knights to come endure their triall against such as would maintaine their beauties The first of these Ladies was called Mansia the second Telanfia the third Latrania and tge fourth
sollace thou must forsake passe the remainder of thy dayes in sorrow I rue thy case but can giue thée no comfort I sorrow to thinke on thy misery and can giue thée no remedie blood will haue blood againe and cruelty will haue the like rewarded thou shalt féele the force of my chollericke moode and by reuengement will bee so sharpe as will be trebble griefe for thée to sustaine it The Prince being vanquished with a sudden feare to heare the Giant vse such words of fury put vp his hand where heâ— thought to finde his Sword but failing of his purpose he presently sayd In the greenest grasse lyeth the most deceitfull Serpent and in the calmest waters the deepest whirlepoole so in those places where aman thinketh himselfe farthest of all mishaps he is soonest assayled by some sudden mischance Well quoth the Giant though my anger doth vrge me vnto great impatience and that I cannot brooke the open iniury done vnto to mee but am bent seuerely to reuenge me on thée and all thy Kindred as my after dealings shall make manifest to their great dishonour yet will I kéepe thée being first chaunced into my hands that thou mayest witnesse to the rest my his displeasure As for thy life I franckly and fréely giue thée séeing the Kingly Lyon disdaineth to vaunt on his conquered Prey and the Princely Eagle scorneth to stoupe to a Flye Besides thy life is not of sufficiencie in such a cause as this beeing first the death of my Father next the distresse of my Friends now the present griefe of my selfe and lastly euer hereafter to all my issue an eternall sorrow which to appease the life of one no not of tenne no nor yet of an hundreth is able to make recompence or suffice to quench my rigour Neuertheles in poore and meanest sort I minded to vse thee not as thou list and as I like not to thine owne choyse but as I shall finde occasion so that to recount thy posted pleasure and also to thinke on thy present ensuing paine though it be griefe to mee to vse it and so harde thy hap that thou canst nor mayst refuse it shall witnesse a world of miseries that thou art to abide and the rarest Misfortunes that euer man did taste This is thy lucke and this is my law this thy hard hap and this my heauy hatred as 〈◊〉 thou departest thou shalt sufficieÌ„tly vnderstand and by that time thou knowst what and who I am that haue this authoritie thou shalt feele to thy greater woo my pretended iniurie Hauing thus finished his talke he caused him to bee carried into his strongest Prison which was in the top of the Castle and clapped a great pair of Gyues on his legs minding in this furie neuer while hee liued to take them off againe Don Edoard thus suddenly chaunged from Princely pompe to present penurie from the Court of his Father to the Cabbin of his Foes from the presence of his Ladie to the loathing of his life enclosed in a Castle so admirable in a prison so vncomfortable and in a Dungeon so dispaireable closing his armes together entred into these sorrowfull moâ—es Oh poore Prince is thy hope thou haddest of so great courtesie and so soone chaunged into extreame crueltie Didst thou credite faire wordes to be such troth and now doest thou finde them quite turned to treason Alas who sooner deceiued then the well meaning man and who more quickly beguiled then he that means most honestly Hath Fortune hetherto allowed thée honour and will shee now leaue thée to taste this horror hath all thy life hetherto beene spent in delight and shalt thou now end thy dayes in this direfull distresse Alas then hast no helpe to the contrarie wherefore thou must holde thée content there is none néere to succour thée wherefore suppe vp thy sorrow Thy aged Father will misse thée thy louing Ladie will lacke thée and all thy Courtly companions will sorrow for thy want And what of that Bucephalus will stoupe to none but Alexander and Mercuries Pipe will be scunded by none but Orphaeus Euen so my proud soo may no wayes be intreated but either must be conquered in strength or craftily deceyued in sleights which how farre my thought is from deliuery so farre from comfort is my poore oppressed heart O my déere Florida when thou shalt call thy vnkindenesse into question and my last departure from thy presence into a Womans opinion I know the care will no lesse trouble thy minde then my want of thy comfort causeth my miserie Alas though I haue thus left thee by follie yet thinke not but I still loue thée faithfully and although thy griefe as I knowe is great for my losse yet thinke not but my sorrowe putteth me to extremity of my life in that this Prison so amateth me with sadnesse as I am of opinion neuer againe to sée you without whose companie my life cannot long endure but eyther to dispaire vpon my hard Aduenture or presently die in so sharpe an assault O inuincible Prince Primaleon what griefe will you abide for losse of your brother and what sorrow will you conceiue for your deare Friend whose misfortune I feare will cause you leaue your Parents and whose tryed friendship mooue you put your life in perill Except the Soldan of Niquâ—e Maiortes Gatterit the King Tranies by their friendly perswasion may otherwise determine your purpose And though their méere Loue kéepe you at home yet I thinke my mishap will enforce them to be sorry So that some of them will endeuour to heare of me againe although it be vnpossible to giue mee succour except fauour may plead their cause wiâ—h the Lady of this Castle whose crueltie I feare will no way be intreated In these and such like rufull complaints the Captiue Prince spent his time vntill earnest opinion of his Ladie to be present with him vrged him to breake foorth into these spéeches Alas my good Ladie this cruell Prison is not cause of my death but to sée your person accompanie me in distresse when the Court were more méete to shrowde your séemely selfe then this vncomfortable Dungion for you to set foote in Whose presence procureth so fierce an assault in my hart that the feare of your safety is more to my perill then a thousand torments might be to my paine Wherefore good Ladie content yourselfe and suffer mee to moane blemish not your faire face with rufull teares for me the one may endanger your prosperitie and the other may no way be to my profite Thus clasping his armes together and entring into a farther conceit in his minde I leaue the extremitie of his griefe to those that haue tasted the like mishappe that where before he was equal with any for good fortune he is now aboue all respecting his ill lucke CHAP. II. ¶ In this Chapter is declared why Eutrope the Enchauntresse procured thus the hard hap of the Prince Don Edoard and what the Gaint was
knights closed the dore so that Primaleon had not the meane to answer her neuerthelesse he staied to heare the sorrowfull clamors they made within which was no lesse irksome to his heart then had he séene the perfect interring of his brother Don Eodard At last hee departed dyrecting his course into such places where he thought soonest to heare tydings of his straied friend So trauayling on in good hope we wil leaue him a while And declare more at large the cause of Pandritia her great mourning as also what fortuned to the two yong Princes nourished in the Caue of the Sauadgeman CHAP. VII ¶ The cause why Pandritia led this solitary kind of life And how the yong Prince Florian straied from the Caue of the Sauadge man and by Sir Pridos was brought â—o the English Court and what further happened THe occasion why Pandritia bare such great affection to the Prince Don Edoard is at large declared in the Booke intituled Primaleon How that after the Prince had deliuered her Brother Tarnaes out of the Enchaunted Castle wherein his Father had deuised the way to enclose him and the came home with him into Lacedemonia Shee oftâ—â—â—â—emed to mooue good liking on her behalfe to the Prince Don Edoard but hee by no meanes could direct his fancy after her course for that his promise before passed to the Princesse Flerida withheld the consent she gladly looked for To auoyd therefore what might happen he refused to vse her company in talke as before hee was wont which very much displeased Bellagris who was SoldaÌ„ of Niquee after the death of Molerin his eldest brother For hee vnderstanding the secret affection and great good will that she entirely bare to the noble Prince Don Edoard aduentured to trie Fortune who so fauourably prospered his intent that vnder the tytle of Don Edoard he entred his sisters Chamber where acquainting himselfe with her to his desire and her deceit time brought thoâ—â— pleasure to a goodly Sonne named Blandidon of whom hereafter you shall be more largely certified But Pandritia giuing credite to her selfe that the noble Don Edoard had receiued the estimation of her honour grouuded such firme affection on him as was more then we ought and more then he would grant So kéeping his Picture in his absence and vnderstanding of his supposed death she vsed this soleunitie in honour of his Funeralles and attyred her selfe according as became her misfortune departing from the Garden of Damoselles to her House of sadnesse supposing thereto end her life with the losse of her loue So remaineth she in place where she shut the dore against the Prince Primaleon who is likewise endeuoring himselfe in his aduentures Returne we now to the two young Princesso whom the Sauage mans wife had carefully nourished vp as had they béene her owne Children she could not haue vsed more motherly compassion In short time they grew to such estate that their whole delight was to hunt the sauage Beastes in the Forrest wherevnto Florianâ— had more affection then his brother Palmerin for he vsed euery day to beare his bowe and leade the two Lyons that hee became more expert then the Sauage man himselfe and thus for ten yeares space liued these two young Princes beloued wâ—ll of him who before was their greatest enemie It fortuned on a Sunday morning the Princes Fletida walked forth into the Forrest as well to sorrow for her Luue as to lameÌ„t the estate of her infortunate life hauing accomplished what she desired she returned At this time Florian wandred about the forrest with his Lyons which he tyed vp meaning to take by force the first wilde Beast that should appeare in his sight Hauing long stayed without any prey he determined to returne but at last he espyed a mighty Hart in a groue of trées whereat he let slie an Arrow with such force that it passed cleane through the body of the beast The Hart féeling himselfe wounded prosently tooke flight which he perceiuing let slip the Lions after him but all in vaine for the swiftnesse of the Hart outreached the spéedy pace of the Lyons And Florian strayed so farre that he had lost the sight of the Lyons and the Harte as also the way to the Sauadge mans house which caused him to wander in heauinesse till the darke Night ouershadowed him when he espyed two Shepheards making a little Fire of stickes to warme them because the Night was excéeding colde Florian being there arriued hee sate him downe by a Riuers side in the very same place that his Mother brought him into the World where sitting a pretty while he espyed a Knight come ryding attyred in blacke Armor spotted with red bearing in his Shielde the figure of a Gryffon with a certaine Poesie which was vnknown to any his Lady and himselfe excepted This Knight was named Sir Pridos who still aduanced himselfe in the search of the noble Prince Don Edoard and he rode very pensiue and sad till casting his eyes vpon Floran his heart beganne somewhat to conceiue a maruellous inward Ioy for that his countenance bare the perfect Image of his noble Father Whereupon Sir Pridos fell in diuers demaundes with him which Florian very courteously answered So that Syr Pridos fell into great desire that he would beare him company to London wherein the Kings Court he would present him among the number of those whome renowmed Fame did euer accompany The young Prince Florian more desirous to leade his life among the braue Gallantes then so to passe his time so solitarie among the vnfrequenten places in the Wilde Forrest gaue his consent and iournyed with Sir Pridos to the English Court where he presented him to the King cloathed in the Skinne of an Harte a thing of no small admyration to the King yet did hee receiue him very graciously in that he supposed him to be one of the Sonnes of the Princesse Flerida vnto whose Chamber he walked with this young Prince and in this manner beganne to salute her Fayre Daughter among all the grieuous vexations that afflict your weake Nature loe heere the Honour Syr Pridos doeth present you withall who in searching your Noble Lord and my Sonne hath found this Iewell which hee offereth to you as the frustes of his labours And trust me the oftner I beholde his sweete countenance the more I conceyue Opinion of his Allyance to my Sonne Don Edoard The Princesse Flerida was not a little pleased with so glad a present in signe whereof shée imbraced her Sonne albeit vnknowen and went straight way to Sir Pridos who certified her that he found him sitting in the same place where the Sauadge man came with his two Lyons and tooke her two Children from her This mooued Flerida to suppose him for her Sonne but Fortune would not as yet suffer a perfect assuraunce that eyther hée should know her for his Mother or shee him for her Childe Neuerthelesse shée gaue him the name of Desart training him vp in the
of the Sauage man not staying for his answer thus shortly answered Sir if the apparance of my griefe take such desire in you to do me good you may do as you shal find occasion I remaine the more déepe in your debt But I iudge you are either ouerfond or else forgetfull of your selfe to offer such friendship to a stranger who doth neither desire it nor can any way deserue it you being as I suppose rather come to stay me then salue me Sir quoth Palmerin the estate I sée you in doth coÌ„mand me to vse this spéech constraine me if I might to be your succour neither fearing what you can doe or falling one iote from that I should doe But to tell you why I come is to desire you by intreaty or coÌ„pel you by force to restore a shield againe which you haue disloyally taken from a trauelling Lady Considering you might diminish your honour if you should deale with her so vngratefully séeme an enemy to knighthood in not regarding to helpe the wrong of any iniured Lady The knight of the Sauage man beholding the great courtesie of Palmerin estéeming his words to be spoken for his aduantage both conquered by his braue behauiour as also the inward affection that did naturally moue him gaue him this answere I haue often heard Sir knight that wordes can more déepely wound then weapons that courtesie can compell where cruelty may neuer conquer Such hath bin your high good fortune at this time such is the knightly demeanor that I haue séene as your gentle language hath entred where your lance cannot and your friendship woon more then either feare or force may constraine And séeing you haue takeÌ„ the paines to find me out and haue done more at this instant then before could any I deliuer you the shield as best worthy to weare it both for the gifts of Nature which florish in you abundantly gratious Nature which doeth adore you nobly With these words he imbracing the P. Palmerin presently mounted on horsebacke departed Then returned the Prince accompanied with his knights who were greatly delighted in beholding the Shield In the midst where in a Field of Azure was placed a very faire Palme Trée so liuely framed as if it had béene a naturall Trée and that which was most wondred at of them all was a certaine Poesie in Letters of Gold engrauen round about the sides so darkely placed that none in the company could iudge what they should meane At length they came to the Court when the Emperour was newly rysen from supper who being certified of al that had happened was very much displeased in mind because his whole desire was to haue had knowledge of this valiant Knight of the Sauage man Then taking the Shield and looking very earnestly vpon it hée sent for the Damosell to know the Poesie that was â—ngrauen about it The Damosell answered I would most gracious Emperour it were in my power to fulfill your request but being as ignorant therof as you or any other I must desire your gracious pardon When she saw the Emperor had giuen Palmerin the Shield who vowed to vse it as became a Knight at Armes Making her obeysance to his Maiesty and al the other Knights shee presently tooke her leaue and departed And the Emperor determined among all his Knights to consider more largely on this strange aduenture CHAP. XIIII In this Chapter is largely described who was the Sage Aliart of the Obscure Valley that sent the Damosell with the Shield of the Palme Tree to the Emperours Court to bestow the same on the valiant yong Prince Palmerin BEcause you shll bee resolued who was the Sage Aliart of the Obscure Valley and why hee tearmed himselfe by such an vncustomed name marke what this Chapter shall giue in relation and then consider of his procéedings afterward When the P. Don Edoard left the realme of Lacedemonia and as occasion willed him to stay in the Empire of Grrece after he had deliuered the king Tarnaes forth of the cruel enchanted Castle he entred a Galley and so departed on his voyage Not long had they bin on the seas but that a Damosell suddenly chanced into the Galley not vsing speech to any but taking the principall Ore in her hand turned their passage quite contrary to another Iland where Don Edward being landed deliuered a comely knight out of the hands of diuerse cruel tyrants who were leading him to abide an vnmercifull death The Damdsell conducted the Prince to the habitation of Argonida where being friendly entertayned and staying as a welcoÌ„med Guest such conuersation was betwéene them that they had two goodly Sonnes named Pompider and this Sage Aliart of whom wée meane to discourse Whose Grandmother being expert in the Science of Magicke nourished this Aliart out of popular conuersation that thorowe her meanes hee became maruailous ingenious of wit and very skilfull in her diuelish exercise so that he was esteemed the notablest Magitian in all the world whose memory being not touched in the booke of Primaleon I will declare in what order hee passed his whole life This Aliart reputed of no lesse fame then learning was not inferiour to any but bare the estimation aboue all so that none durst offer him iniurie albeit he deserued it nor none would contend with him they stood in such awe He seeing himselfe honoured of the mighty when they durst doe no other and loued of the most part for his excellent cunning beganne to exercise himselfe in Martiall exploytes which shewed him to bée the Sonne of the renowned Don Edward And hauing receyued his Knighthood at the handes of the Giant Garatie he behaued himselfe as famous in his exploites as he was estéemed singular in his practised Arte. And then hee vnderstood his Fathers imprisonment with the noble Primaleon in the Castell at Dramusiande who by the skill of his Aunt Eutropa endeuoured to haue all the flower of Chiualrie in like captiuitie But albeit the imprisonment of these Princes was vnknown to all the Knightes that laboured continually in their search yet this Aliart was so well acquainted with the matter as they that kept it most secrete for that his Arte gaue him the power to knowe what was done in all Countreyes in the world For when the Grecian knights whose affection to these two Princes caused them to leaue their natiue Countrey and were happened into the vnfortunate forrest of great Brittaine which was brauely replenished with many couragious hearts as also sundry gallant Ladies preparing many hard aduentures there were very fewe escaped but for the most part were all lost in this vnfortunate search Among which noble mindes was Recined Prince of Spaine Arnedes King of France Maiortes and Sir Pridos whose absence was greatly bemoned in the English Court The Princes Belcar Vernar Ditree and the Soldan Bellagris with the renowned Polendos All these for the honourable affection they bare to the strayed Princes left
giuing his verdicte on the Braueâ—â—e and strength of this Fortresse till at length to put them foorth of these thoughtes the Prince Don Edoard came vpon the Bridge in the same order as he fought with the noble Primaleon which vrged Polendos to this pause Me thinkes this Castle should be inuincible if it be well prouided within of such good Knights as this which wee sée without Vppon this accident the Prince Vernar preuailed by intreatie to haue the first Iouste with Don Edward where presently they Encountred onean other with such large appearance of Knighthood that Don Edward loste one of his Styrrops and the Prince Vernar was vnhorssed And hauing recouered himselfe he drewe his Sworde and came couragiously to him againe but Don Edward stayed deliuering him these spéeches Syr knight it may bee that your skill on Foote is more agreeable to your strength then the foresight you haue on Horsebacke the which I would it might haue beene my happe to trye but it hath not so pleased him to whâ—m I am subiect for that against euery Knight that commeth I am allowed but the first Exployte Then Belcar very desirous to enter the Combatet pacifie Prince Vernar with these fewe words Syr Vernar since the Knight hath fulfilled his first and we remaine to beginne a fresh Challenge you may not refuse to forbeare the Fight considering he hath obserued his dutie in the Field Wherevpon Don Edward and Belcar beganne the second Encounter whose hap was so hard to beare his friend Vernar companie Which Polendos peâ—ceyuing began the thirde Iouste very couragiously which remained a whilesome what doubtfull for that they had battered one an others Armour very much till at last Polendos was dismounted likewise Then came foorth the Giant Pandare commaunding Don-Edward to goein againe to whose commaund he obeyed very sorie that he might not speake to the knight he last ranne withall So entring into the Castle the Prince Vernar thrust in after him to whom Don Edward presently said Sir Vernar your will hath ledde you beyond your witte for that in this place you shall abide more distresse then in all your life time you cannot fall into like danger but he that is desperate of himselfe would little estéeme his Friends life Vernar hearing these words and not knowing who he was and halfe angry at his ill lucke made him this answere Syr I estéeme your witte as litle as my wisdome and your friendship so simple that I will scant impute any troth to your words And this vnderstand that neither year nor any shall withdraw my desire although I buy it with mine owne death At which words Pandare saluted him with his Mace so that betweene them twaine was a fierce skirmish and Primaleon leaning in his Chamber windowe tooke great pleasure to beholde the hautie courage of Vernan whose name being knowne vnto Dramusiande he was not a little glad of him for that his Father Trincus was also the causer of the death of his Father Frenaque Vernar so long assailed Pandare that he had broken his Sword to his hand and his Shielde câ—eane through the middle whereat Pandare being somwhat angry caught him in his armes aud shaking him very sore threwe him against the ground that it was doubtfull if he had any life left in him wherefore he was presently carryed into Don Edoards Chamber where prouision was made to relieue his owne estate Then was the Gate held open â—ill Belcar and Polendos were entred when it was presently shut againe and then came Pandare against Belcar who receyued him very couragiously but yet was brought vnder and carryed in to his friend Verner Polendos séeing hee must â—éeds enter Combate and that Pandare prepared himselfe against him first summoned him with these words Me thinkes it were for thy great honour as also expedient for reseruing thy health to yéelde thy selfe to mee who rather respect mercie then to enter fight on a man so cruelly mangled Doo but behold thine owne blood and then consider of my proâ—â—eâ—ad bounty so shall thy life be saued and mine honor reserued Sir said Pandare if I should submit my selfe to thy will thou mightst account my wit to be euer weake or if I would stand to thy mercie I should shewe mine owne cowardise and no manhood Wherefore resolue thy selfe that I will yéeld with thy death which is the suÌ„me of my desire With that they fell to their fight wherin Polendos preuailed so happily that Pandare was thought past all recouery Whervpon the cruell Alligan came foorth to defend him who finding himselfe also to be mated euery way in frustrate hope of victory any way he dispaired of himselfe and in fine they were both so faint and wearyed that they fell downe neyther gayning the Conquest of the other Don Edoard and Primaleon tooke Polendos into their Chamber where to their thrée Patients they both vsed wholsome and comfortable Physicke being very sorrie that the misfortune of them twaine should bring so many Noble Princes and Aduenturous Knightes into that cruell Castell Yet did they remaine in good hope which they found with as good hap in that at the appointed time they were deliuered by a strange Knight who was hardly knowne to any of them Then Dramusiande went about the Cure of his sicke personnes that they might be in good health when any other Knights should happen to come CHAP. XVI ¶ Howe Recinde King of Spayne and Aruiedes King of France left theyr Royall Dominions to wander in the searche strayed Prince Don Edoard And of the Aduenture that hapned betweene them the Black Knight and the Knight of the Dogge when they were arriued at the Castle of Dramusiande RECINDE King of Spayne hearing the great pursuite of many Noble Knights to make enquyrie of the two young Princes Don Edoard and Primaleon he absolutely determined with himselfe to trye the hazard of Fortune if that his employed paines might compasse any good lucke And leauing the whole Gouernment of his Estate to the Duke Orliande and the Marquesse Richard of no lesse Valiancie then true Nobilitie Departed with no body but his Esquyre attending on him through many Countreyes till he came to the Courte of France where he was Royallie and gratiously receiued by the King Arnedes Who vnderstanding the summe of his noble determination and being him selfe affected to those woorthie Princes commited his Kingdome to his Quéene Melitia and trauelled with Recinde in this hautie enterprise After long trauell they arriued at the English Courte being so disguised that they were not knowne to any where because they could not sée the Princesse Flerida they would not stay but departed on theyr Iourney And hearing that all the Knights were lost in the Forrest of great Brittaine and that they which entred there were not séent to returne they made theyr course that way till mishap brought them to this cruell Castle where on a sudden they met with two Knights excellently well mounted The one hauing his
of my discourse to your gentle construction It is so that feeling in my selfe the desire of honour which I can no way attaine but by some hautie enterprise I haue thought good to venter among the Pikes of mischaunces either to encrease my renowne or ende my life in an infamous reproch For many wil send at large their spéeches of defame and on a priuate spight seeke to worke me discredite as lo there is the Knight that crept into his Fetherbed when Fame doth allure him into the Warlike field But he hath more minde to Maske with Venus then march with Mars wearing a Gloue for his Lady when he should vse a Gantlet for her loue These speeches faire Mistresse is more grieuous to your seruant then his patience can expresse or your gentle nature suffer to heare Which to auoide as well to proue my loyaltie which vnspotted I beare you as also to shew my dutie wherewith I honour your noble father I haue vowed to indeuour my selfe in this attempt which will be no lesse welcome vnto your séemely selfe then it hath been long wished â—f your vowed seruant For neither can any danger withdraw my mind nor any doubt cause me to thinke on mishap hauing your licence which is the courage of my trauaile and your gracious loue which awardeth al troubles So that in any accident which may annoy me or any oppression that may suddenly deceiue me I liued your Knight in fauour and will die your Knight in fame and as you onely haue the flower of my loue so shall it neuer fade till the latter end of my life The Princesse Polinarda perceiuing his intent her gentle heart loath to haue his absence so soone with the teares standing in her eyes thus made her answere Seruant such hath been the courtesie at your hands I haue found and so loyall the continuance of your promised faith that neither am I able to gratifie as I would or to giue you the honour that by dutie I should Your princely behauiour made me choose you for my seruant and your equiuolent bountie made you loued of my selfe so that I loued none more then you albeit none knewit so little as you Beside the estimation â—â—y father hath alwaies giuen you with the notable deserts hath euer been in your selfe increased the loue of all to you aboundantly but chiefly my loue which as yet flameth freshly But â—â—nce the desire of your departure groweth thorow mee and perhaps there is some occasion that grieueth you I would be glad to know my crime that I may make you recompence for I had rather giue you leaue to tarrie then grant you licence to depart Ladie quoth Palmerin though the cause be in you yet is it no crime and though I depart for your sake yet am I free from any such suspect for it is onely the fauour I haue found at your handes and the friendship you haue granted to my continuall honour that I can no way recouer you such duetie as I ought albeit I trauailed for your sake through my whole life And to sée such a gratious person vnrequited my selfe being now of yéeres to put recompence in proofe I might rightly deserue to be reproched of all men much more to be refused of so swéete a Saint The Princesse arising in a maruellous choller highly offended at his passed talke she gaue him this cooling to quaile his hot attempt I haue often trusted and béene rewarded with treason and where I placed stedfast affection I haue bin soonest beguiled which now I repent when it is too late and bridle my fancy when I sée mine owne folly Wherefore séeing my fault is such as you can rather afford me your roome then your company I giue you this command in your poasting voyage that as you wil thinke to honour me séeme not to presume into my presence which I both bind you by my duty and straightly command you to obserue So turning her back she flung away in a fume leauing Palmerin in such an alteration as one could hardly iudge if he had any life left in him But as happe was no body was present to descrie his heauy complaintes for that euery body had conducted his Lady to her Chamber sauing the Princesse Polinarda who stayed not to be intreated but went flinging through the Gallerie as greatly vexed as she had left her seruant passioned Palmerin departing to his lodging tossing and tumbling himselfe on his restlesse bedde and at euery thought of his Ladies discurtesie hee fell into an agonie as bitter as the death not suffering sléepe to enter into his head but still bewayled the estate of his aduerse hap At last when Aurora was risen out of the armes of olde Titan her husband hée determined to fulfill his Ladies commaund albeit to his great paine in graunting consent Then getting on his Armour which bare the colour of a Harte in the Forrest very thickly set with little golden shrubbes and bearing in his Shield Fortune holding her tottering and vnsteady whéele and naming himselfe the Knight of Fortune hee very secretly departed accompanied with Siluian the Sauage mans sonne whome he called brother because they were nourished together and hee bare the Shield of the Palme Tree that was sent him from the Sage Aliart neither taking leaue of the Emperor nor of any but in the vehemency of his griefe mounted on horsebacke so rode both away All the way as they rode Siluian endeuored himselfe by perswasion to driue away his heauinesse but he was as farre from his purpose as the Prince himselfe was deuoide of patience who rode on vsing no words he was ouercome with such an extreame melancholy Yet was his affection so earnestly grounded on his Lady as he vowed in her behalf to aduenture his life not doubting but the duety hee would shewe in her absence should win her fauour againe and grant him her presence CHAP. XVIII How Palmerin of England vnder the title and name of the Knight of Fortune still continued in his pensiue iourney till at last he happened on a Castle where in the honour of his faire Ladie and Mistresse the Princesse Polinarda hee conquered a Knight who tearmed himselfe the Knight of Death STill trauailed the valiant Prince Palmerin heauy sadde and greatly lamenting his so late misfortune neither resting in any plaâ—e or abyding in any place or abyding in any company but only his brother Siluian who he both loued and highly estéemed At last happening into a a Groue of Trées he espied a very faire Castle standing very solitary beset round about with a gréene bancke at sight whereof the Prince alighted which Siluian perceiuing alighted likewise aud ledde both the Steedes to pasture In which time Palmerin seeing no body néer and remembring the great vnkindnesse of his Ladie entred into these heauie mournings O Palmerin son to a poore Sauage man and borne in the vnfortunate forrest of great Britaine too soone preferred to honor and too late thrown
down into hatred What regard haddest thou of a Princesse thy selfe being a poore Pesant Or what estimation hadst thou of modestie to mooue so great offence in thy gracious Mistresse whose loue was the only state of thy life and whose fauour was the flower of thy prosperitie Ah sweet Ladie on your courteous pitie let passe my presumption and what hath been more then dutie impute to may rude behauiour which your clemencie may both punish and pardon And yet my good Ladie if you respect my trusty seruice with the constant loyaltie I haue alway borne to your Soueraigntie my fault committed rashly deserueth no such repulse in that this ingratitude is too much for you to shew and more then I can any way suffer For if you regard your owne beauty with the stayed assurance of your seruants bountie you shall perceiue my words to bee for your honour and not worthie any hate in that I will preferre your name aboue all Ladies in noblenesse And yet am I contented to abide your hard doome and according to your pleasure wast my daies in distresse till either you will mooue you to recant or my spotlesse loyaltie to relieue my mishap which the longer you deserre the more is my dolor and you remaining obstinate my paines are helpelesse but that your gentlenes giueth me hope your displeasure shall end with my eternall delight Thus hauing finished his complaintes he drew neare to the Castle where by good hap he heard the sound of Musicke which gaue him occasion to enter further And comming to a great Hall he espyed in one of the corners one sitting all in blacke with a fair long Beard and a very graue countenance shewing by his sad complexion that he had more minde to moane then to any myrth Palmerin would not as yet enter any further least he should break off his quiet exercise which was in singing many sadde Dittyes to his Lute that himselfe had framed in the prayse of his Ladie Palmerin hauing heard what singular reports he gaue his Ladie as that none might compare with her for beautie and brauerie was very much offended in that hee esteemed all Ladyes as counterfeite to his fayre Polynarda wherefore hee brake off the Knightes Sonnet with this kinde of Salutation Me thinkes Syr you either want manners or modestie to glorie in your Lady as thought there were none her like Syr your late comparison hath vrged me to great choller for that my Ladie is aboue all in beautie and for honour of her Name beside beyond all in Noblenes of Nature and therefore worthie all praise because she is superiour to any The auncient Knight seeing one entred vpon him so suddenly and to correct his pleasures with such sharpe words aduanced himselfe towards him with this answer Syr Knight your bolde entraunce into this place with the great offence you haue offered my person may happe to be set at so deare a price as shal cost the Blood you would be loath to spare Is there anie to bee equall with my Lady who is not méete to beare the comparison of any whose very remembrance maketh me liue in vnspeakable tormentes If thou darest stay till I am Armed I will make thée eyther denye thy bragges or buye my Ladyes honour with the losse of thy life and breath And I will so reward this thy presumption as shall teach thée thy dutie and winne me my hearts desire Syr said Palmerin cease these words and execute your wrath if I haue spoken any thing to your displeasure reuenge your selfe and there an ende The auncient Knight withdrewe himselfe into a Chamber where as his Esquire presently Armed him Palmerin went foorth where he mounted on Horsebacke and attended his comming At length came foorth the Knight attired in blacke Armour bearing in his Shield the portraite of griefly Death lying on a Toomb couered all with blacke Vsing no more words they fell straite to fight eache of them behauing themselus very valiantly but the Knight of Death was at length throwne to the earth Then dealing a while togither with their Swoords Palmerins lucke was so fortunate that he ouercame his enemy then comming to him and taking off his Helmet he entred into these spéeches Loe Sir Knight contrary to your expectation you are become my Prisoner Now must you gainsay what before you haue boldly said in extolling your Lady aboue her whoÌ„ I honour or prepare your selfe to the extreame rigour of death To whom the Knight of Death replyed Syr well may you estéeme your valoure and make account of your victorie in that you haue foyled him who had good hope neuer to be dismayed by any But concerning the harde choyce you put me to eyther to denye my Ladie or to leaue my life Suffice your selfe in this that no rigor can constraine me no not the death it selfe may or shall compell me for I rather choose to abide your cruâ—lty then I will offer my Ladie so great discourtesie this is my answer take it as you please Palmerin comparing the loyaltie of the Knight with the constancie of his owne Loue and his affection to be as surely planted as was the earnest desire in himselfe satisfying himselfe with the Conquest called Syluian and departed The Knight of Death returning into his Castle where he was carefully tended and looked vnto by his Esqâ—yre greatly contemning his fortune in that he was so suddenly foyled CHAP. XIX ¶ Here shall you vnderstand who was the Knight of Death that the renowned Palmerin of England had conquered and what was the cause he remained in his solitary Castle IT is registred in ancient Hysâ—ories that in Sardignia sometime Raigned a King named Euandrin who espowsed Quéene Emeralda Daughter to the Duke Armian of Normandie and Sister vnto the Noble Duke Drapos This King had one onely Sonne who was named Floraman of no lesse expertnes of capacity then Knightly behauiour in courage which made him liked of all that saw him loued of all yâ— knew him It so chaunced that this Floraman growing to ripenesse of yeares became enamoured of Altea Daughter to the Duke Charles of Cicilia who was subiect to the King Euandrin so that betwéene these twaine was ioyned such a league of perfect good liking and such a mutuall consent of faithfull loue that they supposed neither any accident could hinder their determination nor any extreamitie â—euer their plighted promise But as Fortune is enemie to the hauty courage and prepareth her malice against the well meaning minde so this Loue could not please the King his Father but by all meanes he could thought still to preuent it When the King perceiued he could hardly reclaime his Sonne but that his affection still increased to faire Aâ—tea he sent her home to the Duke her Father meaning to matche his Sonne to Adriana the Quéene of Cicilia whom Floraman denied to loue or in this to grant to his Fathers minde but rather endeuoured to follow his Lady whose absence procured the
languishing of his life The King well noting the intent of Floraman that he could not fancy his Fathers choise by secret treason in the Duke of Ciciliaes Court he found the meanes to poyson the fair Altea to the no smal griefe of her noble Father friends as also the Gentlemen that were in his Courte of whome her beauty was honored and the ciuility of her life greatly commended The Duke misdoubting that the vntimely death of his daughter was procured by some vnnaturall meane because she was so soone sicke and so suddenly gone sent for Allaricqua her bedfellow and by executing sundry torments on her she confessed that being hyred by the king of Serdignia she ministred the potion that cut off her flowring yeares When the duke hearde the discourse of his Lord and Soueraigns vnkinde dealing hee caused the Anatomie of his Daughter to be artificially figured which he placed vpon a Toomb representing her Funerals and thervpon in golden verses writ the Epitaph of her rare and vertuous life and by her was the image of Death very liuely drawn in perfect proportion This rare piece of workmanship he laid in a goodly fair Chariot and leuying a great army went against the King of Serdignia Of whose comming when Floraman heard he could not finde in his heart to enter Battel against his Ladies father but with a company of wel appointed knights he brake thorow the rankes and entred the Campe from whence he tooke the Chariot with the Picture of Altea So ryding presently to a Porte of the Sea he tooke shipping and coasted into the Turks Dominion and building there his solitary Castle he liued there bemoaning the vnkinde acte of his Father and the vnfortunate death of his faire Altea To whose Picture hee would often report the afflictions of his minde and with sundry Lamentable Sonnets discouer her praise and his owne paine which to his Lute hee often recorded as the onely meane to perswade him from any desperate intent In this place remained Floraman till such time as the Prince Palmerin visited him as you haue hearde and although it was the good Fortune of Palmerin to conquere him who was both wasted with mourning and growne into great debilitie by his excéeding sorrow yet was Floraman estéemed a Knight of singular Prowesse And when Palmerin was departed and hée entred into his Castle againe vnto his Ladyes Picture he appealed in this manner Alas my Altea impute not this Conquest to any right in mine Enemie but rather to the feeble and weake assaults of your seruant which extreame sorrow for your mishap hath caused and griefe of mine owne misfortune that so aduersly chanced Wherefore to make amends for this great mischaunce and that you may knowe your Knight estéemeth none but you I will in my aduentures so blaze your memorie that all Ladies shall report you are the onely Altea and cause them to know she is as yet vnborne that must be your equall Long he stayed in that comfortlesse place till at last the King his Father vnderstanding where he was sent for him and because hee would not shewe himselfe disobedient hee departed thence bearing with him his Ladyes Portraite still vsing his blacke Armour and the Shielde wherein Death was painted as the onely Sepulchre of his great sorrowes vsing no other name for himselfe but the Knight of Death And what rare Aduentures were by him atchieued in the honour of his Ladie and great reputation of himselfe you shall be at large certified in the sequell of this Historie CHAP. XX. ¶ Palmerin of England after hee was departed from Floraman the Knight of Death happened to come where he saw a combate fought betweene three Knights and the Knight of the Bull named Pompides who at the commandemens of a Lady kept the passage of a bridge and how the Knight of Fortune bare away the Victorie WHen the renowned Knight of Fortune had conquered Floraman the Knight of Death he with his brother Siluian procéeded on his iourney neuer shewing any signe of a liuely disposition but heauy and pensiue all the way as he rode which Siluian desirous if he might to remedy vsed these words vnto him Good sir wast not the time in woe that you should vse in pleasant recreation séeke not the ruine of your selfe for hee that regardeth so â—lenderly your profered courtesie rather extinguished her memory as she hath lightly left you or thinke on her when you iudge she is mindfull of you Vnto which words the knight of Fortune thus shaped an answere Siluian my deare Brother and friend if thou cauldest discerne the drops of blood that fall from my oppressed heart as thou perceiuest the moyst teares that issue from my head or if thou couldest iudge the world of woes I abide in my silent thoughts as thou doest perceiue some motion by outward appearance thou wouldest rather wish me in my graue then to sée me remaine in this remedilesse griefe which no way can be remedied but onely by the last extremity which is death And albeit as thou saist she estéemeth not my Passions but rather is merry when I mourne and laugheth when I languish yet shall it neuer be sayde but Palmerin liued without fraude and therefore dyed in faith preferring an honourable death before a haplesse life I would I had bene blinde when first I saw her beauty or that I had stayed with our Father then to enioy such an vngentle friend where wee might haue liued in quiet estate now not enioying one houre of rest for albeit I liue in spotlesse loyaltie yet am I rewarded with most vngentle loyaltie And what of that let it suffice she is vnkinde and thou vnhappie she bent to crueltie yet will thou liue and die in constancie desiring no longer life then I may be frée from any spotte in my promised Loue. And heereupon Syluian assure thy selfe her Beauty shall hazard my honour on a thousand Launces but she shall confesse her selfe Palmerin is aboue all in loyaltie Thus passing the time in talke one to an other the Knight of Fortune in great paine and Syluian still continuing his perswasion they arriued at a Bridge where they saw thrée knights before them who would haue passed ouer but were resisted by a Knight in fair white Armor who kept the Passage bearing in his Shield for his Deuise a Bulles head and was called the Knight of the Bull. One of the thrée Knights very couragiously gaue Combat to the Knight of the Bull but wan quickly set beside his saddle In fine the Knight of the Bull preuailed against them all thrée to their griefe and his glorie The Knight of Fortune knowing these thrée knights that had bene foyled to be of the Emperours Court as Luyman of Burgundie Germaine of Orleaunce and Tenebrant he was not a little sorrie for their mishappe and presently menaced his courage against the knight of the Bull who met so stoutly togither that they were both dismounted Then charging one another with
can not bee recounted for that all my life hitherto hath bin nothing but miserie and am threatned to spende all my life in infinite calamities which hath drawne my minde into such a debilitie that I can neither honour your Grace as I should nor behaue my selfe as gladly I would For first when I had appointed my minde to a quiet estate which I thought no mishappe could alter or any extreamitie chaunge but resolued my selfe on an infallible ioye Aye me one fling of Fortune ouerturned all and the Heauen of my happines became a hateful Hell When my youthfull yéeres allured me to Loue and fancie made choyce to mine owne good lyking I esteemed my self the happiest of any man aliue though my chance were more hatefull then my griefe can vnfolde For spight not onely berefte of my Ladie but allotted my poore selfe to exreame ill lucke when I forsooke all Courtly companie onely determining to waste my tune in a solitary kinde of life which I spent in remembrance of her who most regarded me and still lauding her Beautie which I estéemed aboue all there I remayned mee thought a merrie though indéede a mournfull time Yet was not Fortune satisfied but rubbeth a fresh gréefe vpon the gréene wound in sending a knight to breake off my silent deuotions who repining that I should extoll my Lady aboue his Saint that was vnknowne to me entred the fight which returned to my foile he bare away the victorie and I was vanquished Thus haue I bene euer indamaged euery way distressed and may say that no knight can say I am the onely man for mishap And because I will not be reputed so ingratefull to my Lady that one repulse shall make me forsake her swéete shrine I haue vowed in all Princes courts to extoll her beautie to whom referring comparisons I can estéeme none her equall And these Knights who honour their Ladies and dare contend with my Altea either for beautie or bountie I am ready to giue Combate to all for that I will allow the superioritie to none As concerning the order appointed in this fight which I would all to obey and none to break thus vnder your gratious leaue it is requested That those knights who esteeme their quarrell so good as to enter the field for the beautie of their Ladyes shall bring with them her Portrait for whose sake they aduenture which wil be to their own honour and fame of their Ladies Beside if my hap be so good as to gaine the victorie they must enter my tent to render their Armour and their names to be registred in my booke which I haue tearmed the Sepulchre of Louers But if my enemy preuaile contrary to my expectation he shall be Lord of the riches which remaineth in my tent beside my selfe as his vassaile to stand at his pleasure And this fauour I must request of your Grace that none shall not enter Combat with the sword with out he be able to mate me in the Iust This is the cause of my coming procured through the knight that gaue me the ouerthrow who protested himselfe to be of your Court for which cause I desire that I may here begin my knightly enterprise I will returne to my tent to expect the comming of him that dare first presume Thus with taking leaue he departed to his tent the Emperour remaining desirous to know of whence he was which was declared to him by some of his Court that he was Floraman Sonne to ancient King of Sardignia at which report the Emperour was very sorry that he had not entertained him according to his vallor and Nobilitie of birth On the next day the knights prepared themselues before the Tent of the Knight of Death and the Emperour with the Ladies of the Court standing ready to behold the Combate which was first enterprised the the prince Gracian for the loue of Claritia daughter to the king Polendos being gallantly mounted all in gylt Armour and in his shéeld bearing for his deuise a Damosell her face couered with a gréene shadow like vnto a Net The gentle Prince looking toward his Lady Claritia who stood in the window by the princesse Gridonia vnto himself vsed these spéeches Faire Mistres I desire you to continue your woonted affection toward me and not to let fal your fauour for that your loue doth encourage me to the fight in assurance whereof I shal cause mine enemy to know that his Altea is farre incomparable to my faire Claritia With these wards he ran against the knight of death encouÌ„tring one another with such knightly behauiour that both the Emperour and all the Ladies tooke great pleasure to behold them At their second pause the knight of Death turned him to the picture of Altea with these words Can my courage â—aint remembring you my good Lady or can any dismay me hauing embraced your fauour no the honour of your name hath called me to the field and your beautie is so perfect that none can cause me flye Then began they a fresh assault as doubtfull to the one as to the other but at length the knight of Death had vnhorsed the Prince Gracian to the great sorrow of his Loue and no lesse to himsefe Then was he ledde into the Tent wher he resigned his armor and his name was written downe in the Sepulchre of Louers Then approched Guerin brother to the Prince Gracian who for his Lady Clariana aduentured to the Combat whoÌ„ the knight of death brought likewise to the Sepulâ—hre of Louers After these came Flauian Rotandor and Emerauld the Faire whose strengthes were not to compare with the knight of Death and therefore were all vnarmed and brought to the Sepulchre of Louers The Emperour commanded the Tournament should end for that day and sent for the Knight of Death to a sumptuous banquet where the Ladies and gentlewomen made such estimation of him as his singular Prowesse and hauty courage deserued Which made him in sighes to thinke vpon his Altea whose commendation was euer best welcome to him yet hâ—eacute e dissembled his gréefe with a merry countenance because euery one should not be priuy to his extreame Passions So after the banquet was ended and their Dancing finished taking leaue of the Emperour as also the whole company he departed to his Tent and the Ladies to their Chambers CHAP. XXIII How the Knight of Death at his second Ioâ—st conquered the Prince Polinarda who aduentured himselfe in the behalfe of the faire Polynarda yet was he vanquished with diuers other knights And how Berolde Prince of Spaine and knight of the Sphere suddainly arriued there and maintained against the knight of Death the beautie of his Ladie Onistalda THe knight of Death on the next morning came foorch before his Tent attyped in blacke Armour whereon was painted in diuers places the resemblance of the faire face of Altea and in his Shéelde was figured a knight clasping his armes together in great heauinesse and by him stood yâ—
image of vgly death and standing stedfastâ—â—ke looking and beholding the Picture of Altea vnto himselfe the beganne in this manner I reioyce my déere Altea that Fortune hath not altogether forgotten mee but alloweth my in this place to reuenge the foyle I sustained at my sorrowfull Mansion in that by my good endeuour all the Ladies of this Court shall be forced themselues to confesse that I maintaine the quarrell of perfect beautie and therefore worthy to beare the prize away To breake off these imaginations Polinard the brother of the Prince Vernar presented himselfe before the tent when the Emperor and the Ladies were set in their appointed place his Armour being blew and his Shéelde the chéerefull countenaunce of a very beautifull Damosell which he bare in the honor of the Princesse Polinarda vnto whom he vowed great affection but bashfulnesse did hinder himm from making it knowne The regardents of the Joust willed him to beliuer his Ladies fauour because it was the order of the fight that he should doe so to whom he answered The fauour of my Lady which as yet I haue found very slender shall be brought on this knight whom I haue hope to conquer and I will deliuer him that small fauour I haue to her Fame and his eternall dishonour The knight of Death replying Many a good Knight had thought so and yet hath béene deceiued and although you bragge you so you may hap to haue as hard a bargaine So without mor words they encountred verie fiercely but Polynard was ouerthrown with his arme gréeuously broken with incensed him with such anger that he would haue bin at his enemie againe but the knight of Death gaue him this perswasion Syr you haue done enough for this time when your arme is in estate you shall haue a fresh combate These spéeches so vexed Polynard that he became so troublesome to them both in talke and behauiour that he would neither yéelde his Armour nor obey the orders that were appointed in the field which caused the Emperor to giue him a great check wherupon he departed giuing great offence to the knight of Death in denying that which was his right and tytle to haue Then dealt he with fiue knights more and vanquished them all sending them into his Tent to the Sepulchre of Louers by which time it drew toward Dinner and the Emperour with the Ladies withdrew themselues and euery one departed till they had refreshed them as nature required When dinner was endes the Emperour went to the stent to sée the knight of Death to whom he gaue no small commendations for the worthy behauior he had séene in him So continuing that after noone in their sport to the foyle of many a good knight among whom was Trusiande and Bellizart that bare company with other knights to the Sepulchre of Louers And when they were ready to leaue of their pastime there suddainly came ryding a very séemely knight whose Armour was beset with gréeue Spheres bearing in his Shéelde likewise a Sphere of the same collour he perceiuing the Emperor with the company of so many braue Ladies came prancing and shewing many trickes with his horse before the knight of Death At last he drew forth a little table with a circle of gold round about it wherein was liue Pictured the faire face of Onistalda Daughter to the Duke of Drapos of Normandie looking stedfastly vpon it began thus to vse his talâ—ke Swéet Mistresse I haue enterprised this iourney vnder the soueraign title of yourâ— singuler beautie not doubting but to vanquish him who as yet hath borne the prize from al. Therefore let not the fauour which was my accustomed reward he denyed me at this time for that your beautie maketh me enter the field which I will maintaine to my desire or sustaine thd death So deliuering the table to the Regardants who were appointed to receiue it they set the Spurres to the horses and met with such puissance together that they were both throwne to the earth when drawing their Swords they charged one another so brauely that this combate bare the commendation aboue all that had béene séene at that Tournament Great desire had the Emperour to know the knight of the Speere but their fierce encountring would not suffer any answer to be made Retiring a little to take breath the knight of Death beheld his Armour all flasht and broken on the faire face of Altea which caused him to fall into these complaints Ah my swéete Altea how can I desire your fauour or make account to enioy your loue suffering your blamelesse face to be thus offended in whose remembraunce I haue and do enioy the honour of all good Fortune On the other side the Knight of the Shpere complayned to his Lady saying How happy might I estéeme my self my good Lady if for the price of my wounds I might enforce my enemie to say you are the onely Goddesse of beauty which either I will do or die ere I depart out of the field But if you with draw your fauour then shall mine enemie be conqueror and I constrained to liue in eternall detriment of my life By this time it waxed very darke because they would not giue ouer the Emperour caused Torches to be lighted which gaue great cause of courage to them both to sée the good will of the Emperour and would not depart the field till one were conquerour At last ioyning themselues together through extreame faintnesse and wearinesse they fel both to the ground but the knight of the Sphere was vnderneath the Ragardaunts giuing the victorie to the knight of Death Then leading the knight into the Tent where he rendred his Armour and his name to the Sepulchre of Louers they knew him to be Berolde the prince of Spaine which when the Emperour heard he sent for him into his Pallace where he was carefully tended vntill his health was perfectly restored yet he was maruellously offended with himselfe that his Lady past without the honour of the day The knight of Death could beare no Armour a great while after for that he had found the puissance of the Prince Berolde of no lesse force then worthy commendations But when he had gained hs good estate of helth he stil maintained his quarell against many strangue knights of whom by his good Fortune he had alwaies the victorie replenishing his Sepulchre of Louers to his owne hearts content And the Emperor Palmerin gaue him such honour in the time he endured his aduentures that he was double encoured to maintaine the beauty of his Lady Altea CHAP. XXIIII How the Knight of Fortune hauing left Pompides chanced to meete with the Green Knight that accompanied the Knight of the Sauage man in the Turnament at Constantinople who was the sonne of Sir Pridos named Don Rosian De la Bronde in whose company the Knight of the Sauage man was nourished in the Court of England who trying their strengths together Don Rosiart was vanquished EEduring the
had giuen him who being séene of the Emperour and all the Ladyes had the generall verdict to be the séemelyest Knight that entered there since the Tournament began The Knight of Death was somewhat offended to sée euery one such make estimation of this Knight against whom his malice so increased that he auouched to worke him the greatest iniurie he could It chaunced the knight of Fortune to lift his eyes to the Windowes where in the Empresse Chamber hee perceyued his faire Polynarda whose presence made him as it were cleane beside himselfe but Syluian being disguised that none should know him rounded him in the eare saying Syr you are now in place where you must vse your strength and not your studie be mindfull of your Ladie but not to the detriment of your owne life These wordes awaked him when hee thus talked to to himselfe My déere Mistresse I would thinke my selfe most happie if you would remember mee in courtesie not that I feare mine enimie but that it would giue me the greater courage to maintaine your Beautie These words thus ended the Regardaunts demaunded of him the Picture of his Ladie as it was the custome to which he thus answered I am loath to shew my Ladies fauour for that it is as daintie in sight as it is dangerous for me to showe Neuerthelesse if I be vanguished I will not bee hée that shall breake your Order but will shewe you that I estéeme aboue all Riches This answere was accepted and at the sounding of the Trumpets they encountred one another couragiously with such laudable behauiour in fight as was greatly commended of euery one At length the Knight of Fortune threw his enemie against the ground with such violence that euery one thought he had béene slayne downe right and sâ—epping to him hee would haue smitten off his head but the Emperour commaunded the contrarie graunting to him the Conquest with the Tentes of the knight of Death and the picture of Altea to vse at his pleasure Then came the Emperour and the Ladyes downe to see the knight that daâ— wonne this honour â—ut hee perceyuing them comming and fearing to be knowne called Syluian to him and slipt away among the Throng secretly which highly displeased the Emperour till hee vnderstood that he would not haue himselfe knowne Then the Knights triumphed the Ladies reioyced though ignorant of the Lady for whom the Knight of Fortune aduentured and so they accompanied the Emperor ioyfully to his Pallace the knight of Death being brought after them very sore wounded and lead by his Esquyres Thus may you sée fayre Ladies the vncertainty of Fortune who raiseth when she list and throweth downe when she list so that it is better to kéepe at her foote in a quiet estate then presume to her head and gaine so sore a fall CHAP. XXVI ¶ Howe the Emperour in honour of the good lucke that had chaunced ordained that night a braue Dauncing wherein he greatly gratified the Ladies And how on the next morning he went accompanied with the Empresse and all the Ladies to the Tent of the Knight of Death where the Ladies tooke the courage in the behalfe of their Knightes to ransacke and spoyle the Sepulchre of Louers AFter that the Emperour had séen this braue Conquest he desired the Ladies that Night to ende the Triumph with all Courtly pastimes both of Masking and of Dauncing which request all generally gaue consent vnto except the Princesse Bazilia who still mourned for the absence of her Lord Vernar When the knights that had bin vanquished by the Knight of Death heard of this generall ioy they to make theyr Ladyes amendes for the repulse they had sustayned came into the great Hall where Courting their Ladies they daunced and passed the Night with honest and decent talke in their delightfull exercise The Princesse Polinarda as by the mutuall consent of the Ladies she bare the superioritie of beautie from Altea so had she commendation for her stately behauiour in the Daunce which graced her person maruellously and made the more liuely apparaunce of her beautie On the morrow the Emperor was desirous to sée the Tent of the Knight of Death wherefore hee gaue commaundement that his Dinner should be there prouided and so walking thither with the Empresse Gridonia the faire Polinarda King Frisoâ— and Florendos with diuers of his Knights and Ladies where they were brauely and royallie feasted When Dinner was ended they went to beholde the whole Tent where at the first entrance was placed the Statue of the faire Altea whose beautie made excuse for all the Knights in that they were conquered by one whose fayre and splendaunt hewe was estéemed excellent and that the knight of Death had good occasion to take it heauily for her whose Beauty was comparable to any the Princesse Polynarda excepted Then went they to sée the Sepulchre of Louers where the Ladies beheld the names of their Knights with their Armour and Deuises they had made in the behalfe of their fauors a thing which displeased some of the Ladyes in that they should be thought Prisoners to the knight of Death which moued the faire Onistalda seeing the bashfulnesse of the Prince Berolde here Seruant to begin thus Faire Systers it séemeth we are beholding vnto none but onely the hardie Knight who hath done vs this honour to defend that by his valour which else had bene depriued from vs for euer And because we will no longer be subiect in this Prison of our Loue I will take the hardinesse vpon mee to set first hand to the spoyling of this Sepulchre Wherewith shee tooke vp the Table wherein was the Image of her own beauty which the Prince Berolde presently caught from her and hid it vnder his Gowne Then euery Lady began in such order that they had quickly defaced yâ— Sepulchre of Louers vsing such courage in their dealings as the Amazonians when they came to the ayde of the stately Towne of Troye where the Greekes were no more earnest in their desire then these Ladyes were in the destroying the Sepulchre of Louers The Emperour vpon this sight was very sorie that he could not gayne the knowledge of the knight nor for whose sake this honour was done therefore he knew not to which Ladie to impute it yet hee somewhat perswaded him selfe that inâ—time he should knowe him partly coniecturing that it was the Noble young Palmerin which caused him to vse comfortable spéeches to the knights that had to their great heauinesse bene captiues in the Sepulchre of Louers Then walking vnto his Pallace the Empresse caused the Image of Altea to be taken downe and brought into her Chamber where she placed it according as her rare perfections did deserue which was taken in very yll part by all the Ladyes that their Beauty should vs disgraced by a straunge Daine and shée so highly estéemed in the Empresse fauour The Knight of Fortune made great haste doubting least he should be sent for backe and so
haue discouered what hee was for that if the Emperor sent he durst not disobey his will which the better to preuent he rode till he resolued himselfe he was far enough from recalling But as he was greatly contented with his honourable Conquest so was hée heauily oppressed in thinking on his Lady whose angry countenance made a more déepe wound into his heart then the weapon of his Enemy had power to enter But Syluian who was Chyrurgian to his Maisters Passions vsed his good perswasions which was of more force with the Prince then any other that might offer to talke to him For Nature willed him to accept his intreaty when neyther courage nor crueltie in any other might compell him CHAP. XXVII How the knight of the Sauage man leauing Blandidon in the Tristfull Valley in the Realme of Lacedemonia tooke shipping to trie the aduenture of great Brittain but chancing to go on land in Ireland he came to the castle of the Giant Calfurnien who kept three Ladies prisoners in his Castle And how the knight of the Sauage man encountred Calfurnian and slew him HEre haue I thought good to remember the knight of the Sauage man who leauing Blandidon in the Tristfull Valley came to the cittie of Lambel where he imbarked himselfe toward the Forrest of great Brittaine minding to visite King Fredericke and the Princesse Flerida and then to séek the Castle of Dramusiande which was greatly talked on for the losse of the knights And now had Dramusiande set the Esquires of the knights at libertie but carryed them forth in such pollitique manner that they could neither returne againe to the Castle nor giue any report in what place it stood The knight of the Sauage man had such a prosperous winde that at last they had sight of the coast of England but on a sudden arose such a tempest as carryed them perforce vpon the coast of Ireland taking hauen at the mount of Saint Cyprian because they could not reach the port of Moricque The knight of the Sauage man had a great desire to land but the maister perswaded him to the contrary with these words I desire you Sir to take good respect in what you enterprise for well you know vnhappinesse dwelleth next doore to hardines and danger is the neighbour to earnest desire therefore in all your actions vse a good foresight so may you the better preuent any For on yonder Mountaine dwelleth a Giant of no lesse vglynesse of person then renowned in his puissance hee hath to name Calfurnien whose crueltie is such that if any chance into his hands it is their present death Wherefore good Sir be ruled by your friend who would be loath you should fall into so great folly Syr quoth the Knight of the Sauage man I giue you as great thankes as I perceiue your counsell tendeth to my welfare But it he be so cruell as you speake of it were good to teach him some courtesie if he can conceiue none of himselfe And so much trust do I repose in Fortune that shee will suffer me to deale with him albeit not to conquer him which if it returne the losse of my life I estéeme it the lesse in so much as he shall perceiue courage and courtesie in one that would wish as much in himselfe The maister seeing no perswasion might auaile sent him with his Esquire Artifer on land in the little Cocke committing him to the reward of all good Fortune The knight of the Sauage man accompanyed with his Esquire trauelled vp the Mountaine which was very thicke beset with Trées till at last he came to a little Pauilion before which lay a great many Trunchions of Speares and broken Armour belonging to such knights as were there foyled in seeking the Castle Walking on farder in a litlle path which he saw traced with very fresh blood he was lead by the droppes thereof to the sight of the Castle gate which was placed on such an vnmeasurable height that he was faine to alight and walk vpon foot his armour being very troublesome vnto him and walking thorow such a narrow passage that hee was very wearie When he had attained the top of the hill hee saw the Giant being such a man as the Master of the Ship reported before him stoode seuen well appointed men at Armes holding fowre knights on their knées before the Giant Thrée Ladies looking foorth at the Castle window which the Giantesse kept there as Prisoners perforce séeing the Knight of the Sauage man and sorrowing any good knight should come to such a Tyrant they all began a grieuous and sorrowfull lamentation The Giant espying the knight of the Sauage man sent thrée of his knights to take him and bring him to his presence who stood leaning vpon his Sword for that he was very wearie with comming vp the high hill then they came to him commaunding him to yéeld or else they would slay him The knight of the Sauage man hearing their rough wordes stoode not waiting for nice tearmes but made this answere I rather chuse to abide the danger in denying your command then to trust to your courtesie in yéelding my selfe for as I little estéeme your friendship so doâ— I make lesse account of your furie With these wordes he saluted one of them so friendly vpon the head that hee fell downe dead at his footâ— as for the other twaine he dealt with them so reasonably that hee paid them their debt in the same coine Then aduancing himselfe to the Castell gate Calfurnien who had knowledge of this mishap came foorth very stronglie armed with a mightie shield and a great Mace of Iron hauing the head very thicke beset with Azure nailes that no shield nor armour but it would enter into and in this manner he spake to the Knight of the Sauage man Alas poore knight Fortune was not ouermuch thy friend when she conducted thee hither but rather thought her selfe much cumbred with thée and that I should sacrifice thée to her for mine owne honour The abuse thou hast offered me in â—laying my knights hath prepared a rod so sharpe for thée as thou wilt wish thy boldnesse had béen better gouerned The courteous knight who had neuer séene any Giant before and maruelling at his mightie stature would not vse any perswasion to himselfe of prosperous successe but in this manner gaue him his answere Me thinks sir it were more commendation for you and greater honour euery way to disburden your heart of cruell attempts and embrace a courteous and ciuill kinde of life For as God hath made you more mighty then other men so to those that are your inferiours you should vse a gentle demeanour which would better agrée with Knighthood then with sauage qualities Calfurnien was in such a rage at these wordes that he presently returned him this answere I would there were before me tenne of the strongest Knightes on the earth that I might reuenge these taunting wordes on them because thy death can
was well able to beare Armour he desired Orianda to accept that Castle in recompence of the paynes shee had bestowed on him in his weakenesse promising both to her and her Sisters his Hand and Sword when any néede should require the Ladies vsed large thankes vnto him for his so great courtesie desiring him to make knowne his Name vnto them that they might commend his memorie who had bene so good a friend vnto them To which request he thus answered Ladies my name is as yet so little knowne that I am the more vnwilling to shew it to any till I deserue to be estéemed among those whose noblenesse is no lesse then their Name Desiring you to accept of this auswere as now and thinke not that my déedes shall reproue my word but that at any time I will imploy my selfe in your seruice But first I must hazarde my selfe in the Aduentures of great Brittaine wherein so many Noble and famous Knights haue receyued great aduantage which if I may finish or in tryall safely escape you shall knowe the small estimation I will repose of my life to trye the déepest doubtes for such Honourable Ladyes Syr quoth Artinarda if our Prayers may preuaile or our wishes returne to any good effect doubt not but we wil be earnest therein for your prosperous successe in great Brittaine And estéeme your poore handmaides not stretching beyond the boundes of modestie yours so farre as courtesse may and shall commaund After many gentle salutations the knight of the Sauage man departed accompanied with Artisar his Esquire leauing the Ladies in more seuerity then he found them not offering them once iniury or disloyaltie for that hée estéemed the small faults of the noble and famous were worthy as seuere punishment as their hauty déedes of Armes did rightly deserue eternall commendation So in this maner he left them taking shipping with all spéede toward the realme of England CHAP. XXIX How the Emperour walked to comfort the Knight of Death who remained in great heauinesse for his faire Altea who by the perswasion of the Emperour determined to leaue that sorrowfull kinde of life and to imploy himselfe in seeking strange aduentures And how the Damosel Lucenda returned vnto the Court where shee gaue knowledge of the Knight of Fortune which greatly reioyced the Emperour and all the noble Knights of the Court. IT hath béene already declared vnto you the great displeasure which the Emperour tooke for the departure of the knight who bare the honour away vnknowne in the Triumph wherefore now you shall vnderstand how the Emperour remembring the heauie and pensiue estate of the knight of Death went accompanied with his Princes and Lordes to giue him some occasion of comfort which might bee a meane to driue foorth of his memory the continuall mournings he vsed for his faire Altea The Knight of Death being aduertised how the Emperour was comming came to the gate attired in a long blacke gowne agréeable to his sad and ioylesse kinde of life where he receiued the Emperour according to his obedient duetie Then would the Emperour vse to giue him such pleasant spéeches as might constraine him to forget his rufull complaints but he giuing small attendance thereto made answere to his Grace cleane contrary to the no small amazement of his highnesse as also his Courtly attendance who greatly maruailed to sée how vnfortunate desteny had ahe power to bereaue a man both of reason vnderstanding which was amply verified in this sorrowfull prince of Sargignia The Emperor to perswade the extremity of his fits would rehearse diuerse perswasions of his owne knowledge who had béene subiect to the like infirmity and either cut off their time by desperation or continued in a life bemoned of all persons vpon which words he tooke occasion to vse this talke I would sir Floraman not onely coÌ„mend your loyaltie but likewise attribute high honor to your constancy if teares could call the dead to life or the rufull monâ—s recouer your great losse Yet doe I consider with my selfe loue compels you to this and your setled affection hath brought you to an immoderate euill but compare the impossibility with the state and condition of your griefe you shal find the one as needlesse as the other is helplesse and the extreame to be refused when the maine can not be recalled Consider if sorrowe eate into the heart it is not presently to be withdrawne againe if vexation haue woon the chiefest place perswasion may weare her tonge to her téeth ere she can bridle the impatient desire so that if wisdome be not in man to intollerate his griefe it may cost him the dearest him before he haue a quiet life Doe but thus remember your selfe impatience bring sorrow sorrow sickenesse sickenes consumation consumation the miserable Anatomy of himselfe which is at error to his kinred an eye sore to his friends the delight of his enemy and the continuall heart breaking of all that loue him so that the sooner he ends the better he mends On the other side if a man apply himselfe to any exercise as either trauaile for the honour of himselfe fame of his Countrey or spending his time in martiall exploytes or according as his estateis the poore to take paine the rich paine with pleasure the Artificer and such to their handie craft the noble minde the Courtly Gentleman either to the exploytes of the field or such exercise as may auoide idlenesse Then is the eye directed the sence quickened the minde preserued the heart quieted the conscience vnpolluted affection gouerned loue bridled and lust banished the good name perfected vertue established honour well exercised and Fame enternized Sée here the difference betwéene heauen and hell betwéene the contempt in this life and conteâ—t eternall to the Soule which who so séekes shall finde but they that will not are ouer fonde Thinke thus with your selfe Altea is dead though I shrinke her beauty on earth yet is her substance shouelled in the clay though I delight in her Image and Picture yet hath Death made an Anatomie of her fayre person while she liued I loued her being dead I remember her and in her loue I liue for her as the honour I will enterprise shall witnesse and the aduentures I will hazard shall manifest So drowne this dulled desire in remembrance of your knighthood which you enioy for manhood not for mourning to display your worthy deedes and not to play in amorous Dities but one moneths vsing this Medicine trust me will extinguish this mallady When Floraman perceiued she earnest wordes of the Emperour to be both for the honour of his name and noblenes of his life he replyed thus Most gratious Emperour I see chat Goates blood will molifie the Adamant and the little drops of raine pierce into the hard Marble s wisedome reproouing wilfulnesse sheweth him his follie and perswasion piercing into the obstinate doth more by friendship then others can doe with force I confesse
ill bestowed vpon you that imploy your selfe in the persecution of a faire Damosel when you are both bound by dutie and by law of armes to defend her Sir answered the strange knight I desire you let not the fained teares and vniust complauit of this Strumpet inueigle your minde for it is not troth that she reporteth neither am I so base minded to pursue her causlesse The knight of the Sauage man was so perswaded by the Damosell that he would not credite what he said bnt answered him thus Sir you shall rather disaduantage me then dishonour her and therefore prouide for your selfe The strange knight seeing him so egerly bent said I am content since you will enforce me to it and not rule your desire by reason Whereupon touching their Speares they met together couragiously so that the strange knight was cast and the knight of the Sauage man faine to leape off from his horse and drawing their Swordes they layde at each other very cruelly to the great hurt of them both In the meane time they were in figh the Damosell had left them and returned accompanied with two knights more shewing them the knight of the Sauage man and saide Behold Sir knights the man that hath slaine my Father and now would gladly worke the death of this my Brother pointing to the knight that before had pursued her wherefore I desire you to take reuengement on him At these words one of the knights alighted and perceiued the knight that the Damosell named her brother to be very sore wounded stepped betweene them saying to the knight of the Sauage man Come Traytour deale with me and not with him whose losse of blood and wearinesse beside desireth rather to take rest then the Combate The knight of the Sauage man was greatly offended at these wordes wherefore he left the other and went to him saying I will make thée either recant thy wordes or else I will leaue my life in this place So charging one another very puissantly the Knight of the Sauage man laide him at last along on the earth which the other knight séeing and also the Armor of the gentle knight to be greatly broken in many places began as followeth I sée Syr Knight you are brought into such debilitie both with the great expence of your blood as also wearinesse with long enduring the fight that I thinke it great dishonour to giue you a fresh assault and small manhood in mee to vrge you to such extremitie The knight of the Sauage man still incensed with furie for the vnkind wordes hee had receiued of them returned him presently this answere As I haue little cause to estéeme of your friendship so haue I lesse opportunity to craue your fauour and though my wounds be yrkesome in your sight yet can I endure the vttermost that you can charge me withall wherefore set apart these words and execute the extremitie of thy disloyall will Thus breaking off their talke they beganne to assault one another very rigorously so that the knight sitting on Horse-back conceiued great maruaile at the hauty courage of the knight of the Sauage man While he occupied his eies in beholding this noble exploit such féeblenesse entred the minde of his fellow that he could scarcely hold his Sword or kéepe himselfe from falling to the ground and fearing he could not escape the death being in such great disaduantage he alighted from his Horse and to the Knight of the Sauage man began in this manner Me thinkes Syr knight it were for your better assurance of health as also great gentlenes you might offer to these knights to satisfie your desire vpon this victory then to hope on a farder of me likewise so be depriued of that you might hardly spare which might yéeld you greater disaduantage then the conquest you haue gotten will enlarge your renowne Syr quoth the K. of the Sauage man except he recant the shrewde wordes he gaue me or confesse himselfe vanquished and to rest at my commaund I will finish his boldnesse by honour of my Sworde say you what you can and hee what he dare Trust me Sir answered the knight if you will not grant to such a small request as shall both extoll your Fame and manifest your friendship I shall be enforced to enter Combate with you which I am very loath to doo considering your present estate in so much as I would not be hée that should depriue you of your life Good Syr quoth the knight of the Sauadge man this care in you is more then I haue deserued or desire you should vse vnto me wherefore hereupon assure your selfe I am as able to deale with you as they haue found me indifferent to conquere them At these words the knight whom this noble Victor held in subiection fell along on the ground through faintnesse of much blood that had issued from him as also the grieuous wounds hee had so vnhappily sustained Which made this other knight to assaile the knight of the Sauadge man very rigorously in hope to haue reuenged his friends hurt with the detriment of his noble Enemies life but he found the knight of the Sauadge man so great of strength and so greatly affected to a farther Victorie that hee partly repented himselfe for entring such hazard Yet did he behaue himselfe with greater courage then the other knightes which made him endure Combat a longer time It chaunced the King of England to come on Hunting into this Forrest where espying these two knights so eager at their fight and commending both their expertnes and braue behauiour he entred betwéene them vsing great intreatie to leaue off their Combate which they presently did for that they would not disobey the kings request whom they knew and were very glad to sée The knight of the Sauadge man lifting vp his Beuer came and presented himself to the King who perceiuing him to be the knight was nourished in his Court as also the man hee had greatest delight in receyued him very graciously in signe whtreof he suffered him to kisse his hand When the King had knowledge that the other Knight was Gracian sonne to the noble Arnedes King of France he alighted from his Horse imbracing the Prince very louingly and desiring him to shewe the occasion of their discord as also what the other Knights were that lay on the ground The Prince Gracian after he had done his dutie to the King and to the Noble companie that then were there present beganne as thus If it shall like your Maiesty the knight that lieth hithermost and is nearest to your Grace is named Francian Sonne to the famous Polendos king of Thessaly In whose company to mine owne honour and eyther of our contents I trauelled from the Citie of Constantinople through many places where we haue approoued our Knighthoode and made manifest such déedes of Armes as our yeares and skill would suffer vs To this place wee were conducted by a Damosel who reported her selfe to bee
Syster to the other Knight that lyeth on the ground the gaue vs to vnderstand that this knight meaning the knight of the Sauadge man had cruelly slaine her Father and did his endeuour to kill her Brother likewise wherefore she desired vs to stande her Rescue and to deliuer her foorth of such griefe as shee might conceiue by his death Francian perceyuing her Brother in such estate as hee could not awarde the heauie blowes this Knight charged him withall entred betwéene them and in like manner was brought to as lowe estate himselfe Yea and I perswade my selfe had not your Grace come to ende the strife my selfe had bene partner of their hard mishap The knight of the Sauadge man hearing what the Prince Gracian had saide began in this order to discourse how it happened My grations Soueraigne the Damosell of whom this Knight hath spoken came Ryding towardes mee her haire dispearsed on her shoulders her Face all blubbered with teares her Garmentes torne and very much polluted all the way as she came crying how that this knight whome she after named to be her Brother did séeke to dishonour her and therefore desired mee to defend her in so great extremitie When I had ioyned Combat with the Knight soone after she came againe and brought these two knight reporting to them as hee hath informed your Maiestie so leaning vs in this strife she departed we know not whither The King well noting the deceyte of the Damosell which was onely to séeke the ruine of those Noble knights caused the Helmet of Francian and of the other knight to be taken off when féeling the ayre they came to themselues againe sauing that their wounds made them very féeble Then was the other Knight known to be Polinard son to the Emperor Trineus when presently the King caused Francian and Polinard to bée conueyed in a Chariot to the Citie of London And by the way the King questioned with Polinard for what cause be pursued the Domosel when this noble knight tooke in hand to defeÌ„d her By your gracious leaue answered Polinard I thinke shée was the most wicked and deceitfullest Damosell on the earth for through her perswasion Onistalde and Dramisian my friends were brought into such ignorance and such credite of her that they entred Combat and had almost slaine one another had not I arriued at their fight when they were hardly to be iudged if there were any recouery for their health At my request they ended their strife and rode together I know not well which way nor if they be aliue as yet but I followed the Damosel to know the occasion why my brethren were fallen to so great debate wheÌ„ this knight came and preuented me as your Grace hath heard The King was greatly displeased at this misaduenture and sent presently about to heare tydings of Onistalde Dramisian that if their bodies were found dead they might be interred according to the nobilitie of their birth But they were found liuing and by the king sent to the Monasterie of Cleare Victory where they were carefully cherished by the brethren of that Religion which was first found by Amadis de Gaule néere vnto Fenrisse thither were his bones carried after his death from the great Brittaine to witnesse the victory hee had got of the Kings in that place The king caused a great many of knights to pursue after the Damosell but their labour was in vaine for her Mistresse Eutropa who sent her kept her safe enough from them When the King was come to the Court hée caused the Princes to bée so prouided for as they recouered againe their health in short time and the knight of the Sauage man lying in his accustomed Chamber was diligently looked vnto by the Princesse Flerida and the King would often visite him because his minde did stil vse perswasion with him that he should be somewhat allyed to him in kindred To be resolued whereof he would intreate the Princesse and he himselfe would often question with him to make knowne vnto them what he was or of whence he iudged himselfe to descend but he would neuer by any meanes satisfie their request because indéed he could not gaine any knowledge of himselfe CHAP. XXXV How the Sage Aliert brought the bodies of Flâ—raman Platir Pompides and Blandidon in a Chariot to his Castle where he healed their wounds and set them againe in the place where they fought their Combat which made them know one another and ioyne together like friends And how a Damosell came talked with them and gaue them Horses and Armour with foure Esquires to attend on them so they all departed with the Damosell to finish an aduenture which made her liue in great sorrow And how the knight of Fortune departing froÌ„ the Castle of the Sage Aliart happened to lodge in the house of an ancient Gentleman neare London where a Damosel came to intreate him of an aduenture hee should take in hand on her behalfe against the noble knight of the Sauage man SAge Aliart of the Obscure Valley as the Historie declareth caused the bodies of Platir and the other knights to be brought in a Chariot to his Castle where separating them in sundry chambers â—ee vsed such great care and diligence for reâ—â—ring their health that in short time they had escaped the point of danger and were in as good constitution of body as they had beene before For this occasion vrged him to vse more circumspection to them that if their liues had failed thorow misaduenture then had not onely their noble kindred béene oppressed with griefe but also their Dominions remained destitute of their chiefe defence For which cause he had thus prouided for them albeit out of their knowledge whence such friendship should procéede neither how they left the place of their Combate and were brought into so strong a Castell Platir and Floraman were at last lodged in one Chamber in like manner were Pompides and Blandidon where they no lesse maruelled at their sudden recouerie of health then at the Princely attendance was daily vsed to them but which was more to their griefe they could gaine no knowledge of their Host either what he was or wherefore he vsed such great curtesie vnto them The knight of Fortune who as yet remained in the Castle of the Sage Aliart could neuer compasse the meane to find the Lodgings of these Knights but was very pensiue to thinke of their great hurts receiued in the Combate Neuerthelesse the perswasion that the Sage Aliart vsed with him as promising all should bee safely recured vrged him to exempt so great a debut When time serued according as the Sage Aliart thought conuenient by force of his charmes hee cast them in a dead slumber and brought them to the place where they sought their Combate where when they awaked they found the place bestrewed with the Trunchions of their Speares as also pieces of their armour and the grasse somewhat died with the effusion of
charged each other with such pollitique behauiour in their fight that it was maruellous to heare what commendations were generally giuen When they had well wearied themselues on Horsebacke they alighted and endeuored to endanger each other with such rigorous blowes that it was thought the Combat would not long last ere one of them were slaine For their shéelds were shiuered all in péeces their Armour so broken that the blood trickled downe their sides then fell they to wrastling one with another their gripes made the blood to issue foorth aboundantly yet neither had the aduantage of the other in strength but both so equall that it could not be iudged who was likest of victorie The Princesse Flerida gréeuing at their great effusion of blood departed in such heauinesse as if she had known it to be the blood of her sonnes that was so cruelly spilt The king with all his Courtly attendaunts was stroken into such a maze when he saw them take their swords againe that he thought the flower of all Chiualrie was there present before him and was in great heauinesso for that they would not giue ouer by no meanes The knight of the Sauage man séeing himselfe destitute of Sword sheeld and Armour began somewhat to feare that his life would stand in great hazard but yet he contented himselfe that if as then his death were ordained he should sustaine the lesse reproch in that a knight of such honour had giuen him the ouerthrow wherefore at a pause he thus began Why should I discourage my selfe at the death séeing I shall depart in the flower and prime of mine age and end my dayes at his hande who is onely estéemed for good Fortune Yet the oath I haue made to the Princesse Flerida with the great duty I find in my selfe as her desert constrains mée to wish a longer time if it might be as well to exalt her honour as to trie the aduenture which hath endamaged so many good knights whereto I did euer bend mine affection as the onely enterprise in all my life to win me renowne But séeing I am falne into so great mishap as both Fortune doth deny me and mine owne manhood faile me I will yet so behaue my selfe vpon mine enemy as when he hath woon the vttermost he shall not boast of his Conquest and such a writ will I deliuer him to seale as I hope shall craue no other signet but his heart blood In like manner the knight of Fortune stood debating with himselfe as well vpon his present danger as also his passed dollour not forgetting his Ladie and Mistresse Polinarda to whom as had she bene present he began this complaint Madame behold now the time wherein your anger doth kill me and your fauour reuiue me which except you will beare the cruell mind to worke my Tragedy restore in wonted clemencie the encouragement of my haplesse labours which since it lyeth in your handes cast a friendly looke on the man that in all extremities is none but yours onely If you deny me this small request neither shall I aduenture the enterprises of great Brittaine nor doe that honour to you which my heart hath euer desired so shall the flower of Chiualrie remaine in their great misfortune and you through your obstinacie accounted the losse of them all This knight hath put mee in more danger then euer did any yet neither of vs both enioyeth the Conquest and if the infortunate death returne to my share I shall thinke my selfe honourably failed at his handes but my poore heart cruelly martyred through your hard dealing Then fell they to the Combate againe not able to charge one another so fiercely as at the first yet labouring earnestly to end their strife one way or other which mooued the king to discend accompanied with his Knights and fearing the losse of theyr liues sought to set them at vnitie But such was their desire of victorie and so couragious their mindes in middest of most doubt that the King was faine to returne because they would giue no eare to his perswasion Then went hee to the Chamber of the Princesse Flerida where in this manner he began to vse his spéech Fayre Daughter if my noble Sonne Don Edward your Lord be liuing and that he may be deliuered by the valour of any earthly creature I perswade my selfe that one of these Knights shall be the meane to relieue his aduerse estate But if in this Combate as I greatly feare they shall ende their liues vpon this hautie attempt then farewell all hope that I euer reposed for both you shall lose him and my selfe shall euer lacke him where by them I might assure my selfe both to heare of my Sonne and enioy him in my Court in his woonted estate againe Wherefore if you beare such loue to him as you haue alway protested and fauour me in this my earnest desire vouchsafe the paines to walke vnto them for that one word of of your mouth wil enfore them leaue the combate so shall you possesse what you haue long wished and I be honoured in so great a courtesie The Princesse who since the absence of her Lord had seldome come abroad but alway kept her Chamber in her wonted lamentations at the request of the aged king came walking downe with him and foure Damosels attired all in blacke attending on her her selfe apparrelled in the same manner sauing that the vaile on her head shadowed all her face so that none could haue full view to behold her beautie When she was entred the place of the Iust to the great amazement of all that were present she came to the Knight of Fortune and tooke him by the arme with these words Sir knight if either you make account of the honour of Ladies or will manifest in your déedes that you owe them any duty then at my request I intreate you to leaue off the Combate as well to auoyd the hazard of your liues as to content this noble company who are satisfied with your famous exployts The knight of Fortune wel eying the Princesse and perceiuing her to resemble the countenance of his faire Polinarda he humbled himselfe on his knée with these words Faire Lady my desire hath bene greatly bent to end this Combate and to render this Knight the victory as he hath well deserued but séeing you haue charged me with such a curteous command I rather desire the death then to yéeld any deny all Sir quoth the knight of the Sauage man if I should report the estimation I haue of your knighthood with the forceable charges I haue receiued at your hands I might say that iustly which you haue rightly deserued you are the onely knight to whom I will grant my Conquest But séeing you haue made grant to her whom in duty I must alway reuence and that her intreaty hath moued you to end our debate if I should contrary what she and you haue appointed I might worthily be reproched among all knights much more
pure in modesty so precise of her personage and so exquisite in her vsuall behauiour that many noble Gentlemen haue put their liues in hazard to deserue her good liking that was liked of all Great hath bin the intreaty of many Honorable personages to haue her in mariage which I haue alwaies denied till now making choyse of one aboue all the other I haue agréed to accomplish his importunate desire This being knowne to a knight who had long time béene a Suter yet neuer so fortunate as to gaine his intent now presumeth vpon his strength to take her from me perforce to iniure him that hath obtained my consent to espouse her In signe wherof pointing to the Pauillions of the other knight on the farder side of the riuer behold where he hath placed his Tents to inuade my Castle and through the helpe of his friends purposeth to ruinate this mine ancient dwelling to vse violence to her who is betrothed to another When I considered there was no meane to remedy the necessity of my case but eiter to kéepe my Hold and there be famished or yéeld me selfe to my foes and so be dishonoured I sent one of my Damosels to the English Court at whose request you are here arriued in this place where you may behold my vsurping enemy and the great danger I stand in of the hard award of fortune And once more haue I sent by way of intreaty to will them breake vp their siege and not to trouble me for her whom they cannot haue though they vse neuer such violence But such is the great mallice of this knight and his intent linked to such an extreme purpose that neither gentlenesse may intreate him nor faire demeanour serue to perswade him Wherfore noble Gentlemen as you respect the honour of an oppressed Virgin and the oath that your knighthood hath auouched in this behalfe stand now her friend who is voyd of all defence and maintaine her cause which is both for your renowne and her good fame for euer She hauing thus ended her coined protestation they stood debating with themselues what answer they ought to make herat last the prince Gracian they hauing referred all to his disposition tooke the Damosell by the hand and thus shaped his answer Faire Lady since this honorable company haue appointed me vn worthy to answer on their behalfe and that we are perswaded you would not informe vs of any misreport thus I dare awareant for them all that you shall finde them as ready to defend you as your enemy dare presume any way to molest you The Damosell hearing the answer of the Prince Gracian to be such as serued fit for her purpose gaue theÌ„ all hartg thanks and calling her teares againe into remembraunce vrged the knights to such pittie that they greatly desired to enter Combate with the other company Then returned the Damosell that had beene with the other knights informing them likewise of such a false report when being entred the Pauillion to the Damosel with curtesie she gaue forth these spéeches Mathe enemy to your honour and friend to his owne damage wil not be perswaded but will follow his enterprise and in derision scoffeth at this noble assembly reporting them to be so weake that they dare not shew themselues These words vrged Onistalde vnto such anger that he presently brake forth into these spéeches I beléeue that had they tryed those whom they haue aduentured to dare they should finde the chastisement of their peremptory bragges to be aunswerable in effect as they haue iustly deserued Tush quoth Polinarda it is easie for our enemy to talke his pleasure but when he shall find his trechery rewarded with due recompence hee will wish he had vsed himselfe more fréendely to this Ladie whom he hath so greatly iniuryed Then Francian was desirous to send them defiance which the Damosell would not suffer lest her dealings should be espyed but to worke the surer in her deceite she sent the other Damosell once more to will them to depart presently whereto if they made denyall that she should summon them in armes to prepare for the fight In maane while she was gone on her message this other craftie Gyrle vsed such familiaritie with the Prince Gracian and the other Knights that their heats were enflamed against them beyond the Riuer To whom the other Damosell had reported that the Prince Gracian and his company did endeuour themselues to take the Castle from her Mistresse perforce whereupon shée requested them to defend her Mistresse right and to cause them know they went about a disloyall enterprise The Prince Floraman hauing well pondered the words of the Damosell returned her presently this aunswer Albeit out duettie is to defend any distressed person and so gainsay the mishap of any iniuried Lady yet reason willeth vs ere we presume too hastily to be acquaiâ—ted with the cause and well aduised ere we begin such a rash attempt else may our enemie iudge we come more vpon a brauerie then Knighthood may awarrant our behauiour and so runne into danger our selues for that the rightful cause hath alwaies the victory Wherfore thus resolue your selfe wee will first know if your reportes be of trueth or no least we enter into such defectes as we may perhappes repent vs. With that the Demosell began to rehearse their promise at such time as she deliuered them Horses and Armour in their great necessitie for which cause she desired then to accomplish their promise threatning them that their Nobility might be defaced in denying their words Trust me answered Platir I haue such a good opinion in her dealings that she would not vse perswasion to vs of an vntroth Wherfore tell vs faire Lady doth your enemy still remaine resolute in his determination albeit my Companions deny to ayd you as they haue auouched yet will I abide by you to the death in what I haue promised Then the Prince Berolde coming to the Damosel began as thus Can we faire Lady sée you in such great hazard and not Imploy our selues to giue you succour No assure your selfe for mine owne part and so I dare auouch for the rest of my company that we will pawne the blood of our hearts ere we will sée you remaine in such a heauinesse The Damosel at these words returned to the Prince Gracian certifying them of their willingnesse to the fight and not long she stayd but returned to them againe her face all be sprent with teares which was chéefe vaile to couer her treason and thus she spake Now Gentlemen your quarrel is of more force then before for they haâ—ing my Lady and Mistres in their hold haue vowed not to let her depart without she will render to them her castle And moreouer they send you word by way of defiance that they are so ready to deale with you as they iudge you dare not come forth to them either to defend the cause of my Lady or to make proofe of your loyaltie
place where these knights were assembled and entring into the Campe like an ancient olde man hauing a rodde in his hand where about was wound a Serpent he strooke vpon the ground with it when presently the knights fell all to the earth in such a strange and marueilous alteration that one would haue iudged they had béene depriued of their liues After he had there finished what pleased him he weÌ„t vp to the Castle of Dramusiande sending such a darke smoke ouer all the Valley wherein might be perceiued great flashes and flames of fire that the Princes in the Castle were marueilously affrighted This moued Eutropa to such great anger because shée could not gaine the knowledge how this had hapned no worke her will on â—he knights as she had certainly purposed that shée went raging all about the Castle mooued to such disquietnesse that no body could perswade her At last this great darknes vanished away and nothing could bee séene but the Knights that lay all grouelling vpon the ground which caused Dramusiande with his noble Prisoners to goe foorth and fetch them all into his Castle When they had taken off their Helmets the King Recinde knew his children and the king Arnedes his sonnes Polendos knewe Francian his sonne and Bazilliart and Don Rosuel were visited by the valiant Belcar Dridan was carried the armes of Maiortes and Platir was borne in by his noble Father Primaleon who because he had left him wheÌ„ he was somewhat yong did hardly knowe that it was his sonne In briefe they all lamented to sée their kindred and friendes in such great misfortune and conueyed them into the Castle where they were so honorably vsed that in short time they had good hope to recouer them from this danger When they had attained some part of their former health they reioyced greatly that they had happened into the company of their dearest friends and declared in what maner they were deluded by the two Damosels which was not strange to them who perceiued the daily practises of Eutropa to be grounded on such trecherous deceits Now did Dramusiande greatly commend his good Fortune in gaining so many couragious and well approoued knights as he was fnlly resolued he should now easily conquere the Isle of the Lake which as yet hee would not make knowne to any of the Knights but vsed himselfe so pleasant in their company and frequented them daily with such delightfull exercises that generally they bare him great good will and affection For this opinion he conceiued that vsing them with gentlenesse and shewing himselfe curteous in all attempts he should winne their good wils which hée made more account off then all the riches in the world As it is alwaies séene that friendship sooner winneth the gentle minde theu the rich promises and deliuery of Coyne can purchase any faithfull perswasion which craueth a more couetous interest then the persons estéeming vertue will straine their mindes to amount vnto CHAP. XXXIX How Eutropa after she had obtained all the Knights prisoneners in her Castle began a new trechery to bring to ruine the Emperour and Citie of Constantinople by sending Letters to the Soldan of Babylon declaring how the Emperour was destitute of his chief knights how he might easily ouercome the citie And how the noble knight of the Sauage man after he was healed of the wounds he had receiued by the knight of Fortune left the Court of England and trauelled to seeke the aduentures of great Brittaine in which endeuour he arriued at the castle of the Giant Dramusiand where he vnhorsed the Prince Primaleon and his noble Father the Prince Don Edward Likewise how he preuailed against the kings Arnedes and Recinde and foiled the Gâ—ants Pandare and Alligan so that he entred combate with the Giant Dramusiande each of them fore wounding the other yet neither could enioy the victory And how the Sage Aliart came againe and made such a maruellous darkenesse that the knight of the Sauage man was carried away no body could whither GLad was Eutropa that she had gotten these Knights her prisones whom she stood in great feare of and Christendome in most néed of and yet not contenting her selfe with this extreame crueltie would practise another mischiefe to bring to destruction all the noble knights on the earth It so fortuned that by politike meanes she was aduertised of the death of Olorique Alchediane the great Soldan of Babylon and deere friend to the Emperour Palmerin who had a sonne remaind aliue not of the gentle nature of his father but a great enemy to the whole estate of Christendome This seruing for fit her diuellish purpose she gaue him by Letters to vnderstand what great and gréeuous mischances his Progenitors had receiued by the Emperours of Greece in that many Princes of his blood and linage had béene cruelly slaine before the walles of Constantinople which naturall loue and dutie did inforce him to reuenge else should he be iustly contemned and reproched of the whole world where if now he would vexe his enemy vpon so iust occasion vrge him to the small defence he had left for his succour he might be Monarch of the whole world and haue more at command then all his Predecessours had As for a conuenient time he could with for no better then was at that present when if he would lay siege to Constantinople it had no other Rampier of defence then the aged Emperour whose yeares forbad him to enter the field and whose dominions lay ready at his owne appointment As for the noble couragious knights whom all the world feared and were the onely safegard to that famous City were in such place where they had more néed of succour themselues then come to defend the aged Emperour Yea and all other realmes were so vnprouided of those that were the meane to let this determination that neither could they helpe him or promise safety to themselues so that if he would he might bring vnder his obeysance the most of all Christendome There letters were conueyed to the Soldan of Babylon who prouide for the attempt which Eutropa had willed him where to his determination we will forsake him at this time till we gaine more fit occasson to discourse of procéedings The hardy knight of the Sauage man was purposed now to sée the aduentures of great Brittaine for which cause when his wounds were perfectly healed he tooke leaue of King Fredericke and the Princesse Flerida procéeding in his trauell till fortune brought him to the Valley of Perdition where he presently espoed the Castle of Dramusiande Not long had he stood to take view of this Castle but hee perceiued to issue forth a braue company of well appointed knights among whom were Giants of a monstrous stature which gaue him occasion to suppose that hée was arriued at the place where so many famous Knights were detained Prisoners yet was ge driuen into a great doubt in that such comely Knights should kéepe company with
sore hurt and ouertrauailed I haue small pleasure to be thought I would deale with such a one sauing that your fond words doth withhold my pittie and denying my gentle offer doth vrge me to exact the vttermost The knight of the Sauage man would make him no aunswer but taking vp the Shield of the Giant Alligan which was in much more better estate then his owne he aduaunced himselfe to Dramusiande shewing such agility and nimble behauiour in his fight as though he had not bene so wearied as he was but yet his dexteritie and magnanimitie of courage had not the power to abash the hardy Dramusiande who was both esteemed and aporooued to beene of the strongest knights vnder the Sunne The Knight of the Sauage man found this enterprise the worst that he had yet attempted the happy ending whereof were sufficient to win him perpetuall renowne wherefore he did endeuour himselfe with such goodforesight as all the Princes receiued good occasion to commend his valour For oftentimes the desired hope of victory doth encourage one to aduenture the greatest danger so that receiuing but a good opinion of successe doth so animate the courage that he followeth his purpose with an inuincible pretence Don Edward Primaleō maruelling at this hautie exployte séeing Dramusiande neuer gaue blow but it was so fiercely rewarded verily supposed the perfect nobility of Knighthood to remaine in thy neuer dismayning knight of the Sauage man which after a long times fight caused Dramusiande to vse these spéeces Trust mée sir Knight the perfect proofe of your infallible minde constraineth me to lament your present approching daunger in that the gréeuous expence of your blood cannot long sustaine you from the vnhappy death But if Fortune appoint the ruine of your dayes at my hands and that as it is no other like but it must of force be so I shall condemne my selfe of monstrous ingratitude in that such a hardy knight shall be cut off in his flowring yeares Wherefore let me intreate you that our Combate may here take conclusion and to venter no more the daunger being imminent which it selfe will may not suffer you to grant yet the ruine of your Armour the sore wounds on your body and the blood that hath coloured the ground vnder your féete me thinks should prouoke you to satisfie my request Good counsell is better late followed then neuer where it tendeth to the aduancement of honour and maintenance of the spotlesse estate of knighthood Sir quoth the knight of the Sauage man your request doth aske such a scope of argument that I rather desire to renue the Combate then consume time in making you aunswer And hereupon assure your selfe that neither your eloquence can allude or your force compell to hinder my enterprise but I wil haue it or else resigne thée my carkasse to glut vp thy gréedy minde With these words they went to it againe chéerely deliuering such forceable blows to each other that in short time their weakenesse withdrew them from any more hurt For though the Knight of the Sauage man were in great debilitie Dramusiande was brought into as great danger that the Redants knew not to whom to impute the most hurt so that the Giant would gladly that the knight had made acception of his offer because he felt himselfe to haue receiued small aduantage in this fight But no maruell if the Knight of the Sauage man were weake indéede hauing iusted and dealt with so many before net did he alway beare such a courage that they who beheld him supposed the contrary Primaleon and the Prince Don Edward came aud were uery desirous to separate them asunder because they feared the death of the knight of the Sauage man but they laboured in vaine for no perswasion could withhold the hardy knight who saluted Dramusiande with such a mighty stroke vpon the Crest that he cleft his Helmet and wounded him very dangerously on the head wherewith his sword brake in a great many péeces Dramusiande séeing his sword was broken and himselfe lie likewise vnprouided of weapon came and caught the knight about the middest who receiued him in like maner that they threw ech other to the ground with great violence being iudged as men depriued of their liues so that it could not be said whether had the victorie The night approching very hastily on the Sage Aliart knowing of this Combat addressed himselfe thither in all the hast who made such an obscurity ouer all the Valley as he had done before at the other battaile in which darknesse he departed and the knight of the Sauage man was taken away no body could imagine how or which way so that theregardants who thoght to haue carried him into the Castle could not tell themselues in what he was gone Dramusiand was conducted into his fortresse where he was diligently tended by his Aunt Eutropa who fearing least at thie time the knights would séeke meanes to escape away she locked them into a great hall all together where they had no light but what came in at a very small window at which likewise they receiued such things as was néedefull for them In this order she vsed them till Dramusiande and his Giants had recouerd their former health when she brought them forth againe into their accustomed chambers greatly displeased that Dramusiande would behaue himselfe so friendly to them as he did But such was the conference he reposed in their oath in that they would not attempt any thing contrary to his wil and pleasure that he exempted all discourtesie from his heart continuing his wonted friendlinesse to the captiue Princes For on this he alwayes grounded his perswasion that it were a point of marueilous ingratitude to breake the vowed oath a man had made to his friend and hée that would so greatly dishonour himselfe should bée estéemed and reputed as one that alienated and estranged himselfe from the course of all vertuous déedes CHAP. XL. How the Knight of Fortune staying in the house of the ancient Gentleman his Hoste had his woundes very well recouered and his body established in sound and perfect estate of health which moued him to depart from thence to seeke the aduenture of great Brittaine And how in trauaile he arriued at a little Pauillion wherein he found the Knight of the Sauage man lying sore wounded on a Knightly Beere and Don Rosiran de la Bronde standing by him vsing many sorrowfull and heauy lamentations And how the Knight of Fortune by markes he perceiued in the face of the Knight of the Sauage man and by conferring with Don Rosiran about him had knowledge that it was his brother Florian whom when he thought to take further view of was presently carried away by the art of the Sage Aliart And how the Knight of Fortune departed on his iourney and Don Rosiran carried the Armour of the knight of the Sauage man to the English Court where he manifested the death of the hardy knight and presented his
the Giant Dramusiande to whom Don Rosiran replied Credite me Syr I thinke few or none can accomplish your demand such incantations and exorcismes are spread ouer all the wayes but as it should séeme by this good knight it cannot bée farre hence as you might iudge by his wounds Thus with sundry embracings they departed the knight of Fortune which way pleased him and Don Rosian with all spéede rode to London bearing before him the Armour of the Knight of the Sauage man which he could not put vpon his body because it was so cruelly martired Being come to the court he found the king sitting very solitary for want of the noble knights that were woont to kéepe him company and comming into his presence with dutiful reuerence he began in this manner Most gracious soueraigne I neither thought my heart in quiet nor the time so happy as it should be till I had presented your Maiestie with the Armour of the couragious knight of the Sauage man whereby you may perceiue although the more misfortune hée maintained his life in honour and with Fame ended his dayes in the face of Fortune proouing himselfe no lesse then he was the man that deserued most the name of a Champion And in reward of his taken paines he craueth no more of your Maiestie but that his Armour may beautifie some place of honour to witnesse the vertuous behauiour he was woont to employ it in After hee had certified the King of the whole request hee declared at large the aduentures of this hardy knight against the Gyant Dramusiande and his noble Company not forgetting to tell him how hée mette the knight of Fortune at the Pauillion who tooke such great griefe for this mishappe that hee is gone to reuenge his death on him and all his The King thinking on this froward mischance and breaking foorth into diuerse passions expressing the great dolour of his minde he commended the valiant attempt of the Knight of Fortune and bemoned the losse of his son Don Edward with his princely children attributing this mishap to bée procured through his search and how many aduenterous Knights were lost to finde him Now hée began to vespayre that he should neuer heare of him againe since the Knight of the Sauage man was dead in whom he placed sure trust for his deliuery yet againe hée remembred the Knight of Fortune iudging the aduenture such as none but he could finish Then went he into the Chambers of the Quéene and the Princes Flerida shewing them the Armour of the Knight of the Sauage man and by what misfortune hée had lost his life As concerning theyr heauines for these vnhappy tydings because I will not Gentlewoman that you should conceiue any sorrow thorow their dealings I referre their lamentations to your gentle iudgements The King commaunded the armour of this good knight to whom he gaue the name of the Fatherlesse to be placed where the auncient Kings of England kept their Armour so that their worthy déedes should not growe into obliuion and this place was called the House of Ensignes which they alwayes vsed to adore their Triumphes and wherein was registred the perpetuall renowne atchieued by such as vsed their Armour to the aduancement of vertue Here was the Armour of the valiant Marlot and also of the aduenterous Syr Launcelot du Lake as also of diuerse of the Knights of the round Table in this place the Armour of the knight of the Sauage man was royally hanged vp to witnesse what aduentures he had knightly discharged The Knight laboured in deuotion to put out of memory the losse of this hardy knight the Fatherlesse setting his minde on euerlasting true and permanent things as for the other as they were transitory and vaine so to their frailtie hee gaue them ouer For Nature hath bestowed so great a benefit vpon vs that shee hath left vs iudgement to discerne betwéene good and euill and by what meanes we shal purchase our eternal heritage which is the chiefest and best riches she could indue vs withall and the onely direction wherein to spend the whole course of my life CHAP. XLI How the Knight of Fortune being departed from Don Rosiran de la Bronde arriued in the Valley of Perdition at the Castle of Dramusiande where a Damosell brought him the shield of the Palme Tree which was taken from Siluian when he was Captiue to the Giant Camboldam And how the Knight of Fortune Iusted with his Father the Pricne Don Edward vanquished Pandare and cut the head of the Giant Alligan entring Combate with Dramusiande whom he likewise conquered setting all the captiue Princes at libertie And how an aged man came with two Domosels and healed the wounds ot the knight of Fortune AFter the knight of Fortune had taken leaue of Don Rosiran de la Bronde he had not trauailed long before he arriued in the Valley of Perdition when because it was night and he knewe not well which way to take he alighted sitting downe at the roote of a Trée where he determined to sléepe vntill the next morning but such was the griefe he receiued at the wounds of the knight of the Sauage man with sundry other cogitations that tormented his minde being all this while ignorant of whence or what he was so that hee could not suffer his eyes to receiue any sléepe nor his troubled thoughts to enioy any rest For stil desired to be at the Castle where so many noble knights were held as Prisoners vowing to redéeme them from that aduerse estate or hee would leaue his life there as pledge of his valure In the morning Siluian brought him his stéed when presently they mounted on horsebacke and rode on which way he thought soonest to ende his pretence Eutropa hauing now brought Dramusiande and all his Knights to their woonted health that they could beare Armour and resist their enemy suffered the knight of Fortune to come before the Castle where he perceiued the knights newly come foorth making a shew of resistance if he durst offer to venture This sight caused him presently to couch his speare when on sodaine a Damosell came riding on Horsebacke with a shield vpon her arme and this staied him sir knight I desire you before you begin your Combate to take this Shield for your better defence because this is the day you shal haue most néed of it and this day it shal stand you in cheefest stéede Here ending her talke deliuering him the shield immediately she departed in such great hast that he could not haue the leisure to speake vnto her or to giue her thanks for her so great courtesie Then he deliuered his Shielde of Fortune to Siluian fastening the other vpon his arme when he knew it to be the Shield of the Palme Tree that was taken from Siluian when he slew the Giant Camboldam of Mulzella which made him to expect some good aduenture for the wordes the Damosel spake when she tooke it from Siluian how yâ—
she would restore it again when he should haue most neede to imploy it in seruice This moued him to approoue the shield because of the spéeches of the Damosell before the Emperor of Constantinople whē the Sage Aliart sent her as you haue heard before likewise because this was the most dangerous aduenture that in all his life time he enterprised he could not wish for a more fit occasion then at this instant to make not wish for a more fit occasion then at this instant to make triall of his shield Don Edward being ready prouided menaced his corage to that knight of Fortune who receiued him with such exquisit behauior of fight that Don Edward was sore hurt but the good knight by receiuing his stroke vpon the shéeld escaped the force of the lance The knight of Fortune vpon this good lucke would haue entred the combate with the sword but Pandare comming forth of the Castle commanded the Prince toreturne so that he could not satisfie his request Don Edward entring the castle the knight made such spéed that he entred with him which when Pandare perceiued he shut the gate and came vanting with his sword toward the good knight who in short time dishartned Pandare because his blows could not pierce the shéeld but he so spoiled the armor of the giant that in short time he brought him vnder his obeysance being greatly cōmended of Dramusiand Don Edward Primaleon for his noble exployt The Grecian knights had partly knowledge of him in that some of them were at Constantinople when the damsel broght the shéeld which they knew by the beautie and the braue deuice and such was their opinion of this knight that if he fayled to end the aduenture they doubted they should neuer get deliuery from that cruell Castle Yet so great was the pleasure they conceiued of him as they could not tell wether they should go to welcome him or enter the combate and so deliuer him but seeing how he vsed Pandare vrged them to beléeue he should haue good successe in this hautie enterprise Alligan séeing Pandare was néere losing his head came and fiercely assailed the knight of Fortune but he welcommed him with such a pure paiment as he made him quickely retyre to take his breath Dramusiande séeing Alligan so shrewdly handled was so vexed he knew not well what to say for he thought it vnpossible to conquer this hardy knight hauing such a shéeld as could not all this while be pierced so that he began vtterly to denounce Fortune that had fauoured him so long and would now leaue him at the last Alligan albeit very vnwilling began againe to assaile the knight but such was his reward for his trauaile that he was brought vnder his subiection and left his head on a gage to the knight of Fortune When Dramusiande saw that Alligan was slaine in a great rage he called for his Armour vowing to execute seuere reuenge on the good knight in the meane time the Prince Don Edward came vnto him requesting such friendship at his hands as he would suffer him to haue a sight of his face Floraman séeing he was vnwilling to discouer himselfe saide to him that he ought not to deny such a small request to so noble a Prince as Don Edward was When he heard Don Edward named who was reported to be such a singular knight in Prowesse and for whose sake so many valiant Princes had left their countrey and kindred to finde him who was lost none could tell where he caused Siluian to take off his helmet when the Prince delighted with his comely contenance presently said I hope Sir knight as God hath endued you with such a séemely and honourable shape so he hath reserued you to finish this perillous and strange aduenture for that your behauiour doth eneourage vs all to so good an opinion Neuerthelessee if Fortune do allow you the victorie I desire you to vse curtesie to this Giant who prepareth himselfe to encounter with you for that his gentle vsage to vs doth constraine me to speake so fauourable in this case The knight of Fortune had not not the leysure to make him answer because he perceiued Dramusiande comming towardes him when Siluian hauing armed his head they began to charge each other very furiously so that now began the proofe of the fight for al that had passed before was nothing in respect of this present exployts The strokes of Dramusiande entred the knight of Fortuns shéeld as easily as it would haue done in any other which vrged the good knight to think that the promise made of the shéeld was false and of no truth séeing it failed when he stood in most extremitie But then he perswaded himselfe againe that if he gained the victory it should not be attributed to the vertue of the shéeld but rather to the gotten by the valour of his person which should be estéemed of more renowne then to atchieue the conquest by such a prouided meane Wherefore reposing no longer confidence in his shéelde he trusted to his strength and the good successe he did assure himselfe off vsing Dramusiande in such sort as he had little cause to boast of his bargains But to speake vprightly small was the aduantage on either side for they were both sore wounded both alike wearied and both in great danger of the present death which made all the Princes heauy and the regardants sorrowfull to sée such an vnfriendly spectacle Dramusiande retyring to take pause beganne to suspect that this was the Knight should bring him and all his vnder obeysanue of whose comming his Aunt Eutropa alway cast a great doubt which to preuent hee thought best to render him some of the Princes and so to will him leaue off his enterprise but when he considered that to present such a condition to his enemie might expresse his cowardise and extinguish the good report of his woonted knightly déedes he determined to end his life with so good a champion rather then to be reproched by continuall infamy The knight of Fortune walking vp and down communing with him selfe in this manner If doe loose my life to deliuer so many of my deare friends I account it the chiefest honor of my life and the best aduenture that euer I enterprised Then suddainly turning his thoughts to his faire Polinarda in this manner he began to vtter his amourous complaints Madam if at any time you respected the vowed dutie of your seruant then at this time vouchsafe to remember me in your Princely fauor so that if the victory returne according as I wish I may manifest the honour of mine attempt to your soueraigne bounty by which I liue and in which I haue hope to confound my enemy Then they began againe in such wrathfull manner that all supposed there was no other remedie but the death of them both such was their féeble estate and so great the losse of their blood that Dramusiande was constrained to fall downe hée
casting his eye about hee espied the knight setting behinde a Trée attyred in blacke Armour and in his hand the Shielde with the Portraite of his Lady whereto hée vsed many amorous complaints which Primaleon desirous to heare alighted and deliuering his Horse to his Esquire drewe néere vnto the Knight who was so farre rauished with beholding his Ladies counterfaite that he perceiued not the comming of Primaleon but thinking no body to be néere continued his discourses after this manner Madame if the desire of him who hath but once had the sight of your swéete face can be quallified by no meanes till he come againe into your presence how happy may they estéeme themselues who not onely haue the continuall view of your heauenly beauty but are partakers of your incomparable courtesie which being sufficient to inueigle the mindes of the gods hath larger force to intrap the heart of any earthly Gallant How often doe I imbrace your Picture with an vnfained heart And how after powre foorth my complaints in the middest of all mishaps liuing by the nobilitie of your name as the Elephant doeth by the Ayre and reioycing in your Shrine when God knowes I am too far from the substance Oh Florendos borne to great happinesse if thou estéeme thy Parentage but brought into infinite mishaps through thine owne perswasion in that thou doest contemplate a thought without end and beginnest to loue her who endeth in likeing thée Well mayst thou call thy selfe Miragarda and good occasion had he that gaue thée that name for which my poore heart hath paide indifferently but more shall do if thou vse me with rigor Continuing these and a great many such like spéeches Primaleon well knew that it was sonne Florendos whose gréeuous passions caused him to call to memory the like sorrowes which himselfe had endured when he spent his trauayles for the Princesse Gridonia wherefore drawing néere vnto him he would not as yet take any knowledge of him but saluted him in these tearmes Sir Knight would you not impart some of your gréefes to him who sorroweth to sée you ouercharged with such heauinesse Truly Sir aunswered the Tristfull Knight I receiue such contentation in my troubled thoughts and haue vsed them so long to my good liking that I would bée loath any should be priuie to my passions but onely my selfe to whom they are alway welcome But what are you that make your selfe so hardy as to disturbe me from my contended exercise certainly if you dare expect a while I will either force you to repent this discourtesie or bring you as a vassaile to my Lady and Mistresse So calling his esquire to arme him Primaleon mounted presently on horsebacke so greatly offended at his Sonnes words that he would make him no answer but stayed his comming a pretty way from him When the Tristfull Knight was ready prouided and had bethought himselfe of his vngentle wordes he came vnto Primaleon with these spéeches Sir Knight pardon me I pray you if I haue forgotten my selfe towards you assuring you that I am sorry for the wordes I gaue you in my choller Tush Sir answered Primaleon that is nothing to me to whom you may vse what talke you please but prouide your selfe for I am determined to trie your courage because you would attempt to giue me the dare At these words they couched their Speares which were deliuered on either side with such force that the Tristfull Knight was sent to the earth Primaleon bearing him company because the girts of his Saddle were broken Being either of them greatly abashed they drew their Swords and charged one another with very fierce strokes Primaleon vsing no pittie vnto his sonne but hacked his armour as eagerly as had he bene his greatest enemy in the world By this you may perceiue that furie little regardeth fréendship or affinitie but is so extreame both in the Father and in the Childe that it stretcheth beyond reason or the limits of nature Long was the fight and very dangerous on either part their armour spoyled their bodies sore wounded and their strengths so much altered that one would haue supposed death to be the next remedie Then withdrawing themselues to pause a little they cast their eyes vpon the House of Sadnesse the windows being couered with blacke where Pandritia and her Damosels stâ—â—d to behold the Combate which was a great gréefe to them to sée as to the two Champions to endure it so long Primaleon being greatly afflicted to behold the Ladyes as also angred at the hautie courage of his sonne stayed his hand and entred into these spéeches Sir knight I will trie at this very instant if the Portraite of your Lady will stand you in any more néed or the deuotions that you vse vnto her to deliuer you out of my hand which if she faile you beyond your expectation you shall know how vaine it is to spend your time in such foolish cogitations Trust me sir replyed the Tristfull Knight if I stood in néed of her ayde to make resistance against you I thinke she would as willingly grant thereto as you are witlesse to moue such a rash presumption which ere long I haue no doubt but you shall déerely know the price of After they had fought a good while againe and Primaleon séeing what sore wounds he had giuen his sonne beganne to rue his daungerous estate whereupon he vsed these spéeches following I thinke it best Sir Knight to leaue our weapons and for to end our Combat with some louing words which may returne to our greater honour then so to séeke the spoile of one anothers life Not so Sir sayd the Tristfull Knight for at first you might haue remedied all this mishappe but séeing you would not estéeme of it then my selfe thinkes scorne to graunt it now During the time of their talke Pandritia came foorth of her Castell accompanied with the Damoselles being desirous to pacifie the daungerous strife wherein they perceyued these two Champions to remaine so Primaleon seeing the courtesie of Pandritia left the Tristfull Knight and thus saluted her Madame I trust ere long you shall receiue more contentation then the griefe you were in at the first entrance of this Castle which cannot be more welcome to you then it hath alwaies bin desired of me Sir answerered Pandrita pardon me because I haue no knowledge of you but for your good wil I giue you harty thaÌ„ks being vrged by the great distresse I sée you in to make entreatance that you would leaue the Combate and vpon the report of your name if I may without blemish to mine honour you shall enter my Castell where I will doe the best for the relieuing your weake estate Credite me Madame sayd Primaleon I haue so earnestly desired to doe you seruice that I haue not spared the trauaile of my person from a farre Countrey to bring you such tydings as I hope shall agrée with your good nature and because you shall not remaine in
excepted to whō she was accustomed to disclose her secrets Great was the pleasure for the returne of Primaleon whom the nobles and gentlemen of the cittie came dayly to welcome but to their greater content within a while after the Prince Vernar with a great many of the Princes knights of Greece arriued at the Court whose company was not so long desired as now they were ioyfully and hartily embraced In the middest of this great triumphing and solace a Messenger sent from the Soldane Belagris presented himselfe before the Emperour who disclosed his message in this manner Illustrious Prince the Soldan Bellagris my Lord and master in humble duty kisseth the hand of your excellency giuing you to vnderstand that so soone as he was arriued at his court he was aduertised how the Soldon of Babilō hauing with him a great and puissant armie prepared himselfe to ouerrunne your country and Empire and to make a generall spoile of your people and Dominions your estate being weakned through the losse of those knights who haue left your Court to séek the aduentures of great Brittain But when he was taking Ship and his Army at poynt to hoyse their sailes word was presently brought him how certaine Lords in his Realme had leuied a number of his owne subiects to enter armes against him for that they were able no longer to suffer his oppressing tyranny Vpon this occasion he stayed his armie to bring them in obeysance that had béene so hardie to rebell against him which thing he can hardly do without the losse of 20000. Pagans but when he shall finish with them thou he intendeth to visite you Which that you might preuent my Lord thus willed me to make knowne vnto you wishing to sée the houre of his own death before your imperiall estate should be any way be distressed Gramercy my good friend said the Emperour at this instant I perceiue the great good wil which the Soldane thy Lord hath alwaies borne vnto me to whom I pray thée commend me with honourable thankes protesting to do as much for him if as God forbid he stand in the like néede I thinke it best for you to take your rest a while because hauing endured so long trauail you cannot else chuse but be very sore laboured yet first I desire thée to rehearse how fareth thy Lord since his coming home My Lord answered the Messenger euer since his arriual hath delighted to discourse of the strange aduentures which not long since are brought to ende in great Brittaine which how rare they be I know your highnesse hath heard wherfore I néed not to reherse them You say true quoth the Emperour and assure your selfe that the imprisonment of the English Prince Don Edward will cause the Castle of Dramusiande to remaine in perpetuall and renowned memory Thus concluding their talke the Emperour went to the Empresse chamber where in the presence of the Ladies he rehearsed the Message from the Soldan Bellagris and on the morrow the messenger departed bearing with him the Emperours letters to his Lord. Now was the Court and Citizens replenished with as great ioy as before they were filled with heauinesse when they stood in feare of the Armie of the Soldan of Babylon CHAP. LIII Here the History discourseth at large of the Tristfull Knight who after hee was departed from Constantinople in the company of the other Princes and knights that went to pursue the search of the Prince Don Edward through occasion of ill weather on the scas landed vpon the Coast of Spaine And how in trauaile he came to the Castle of the Giant Almarol where he became enamoured of the faire Miragarda for whose loue he foyled the Giant and kept the passage there a great while in the honour of her picture BEcause the Authour hath all this while made no mention of the prince Florendos who at this present tearmeth himselfe the Tristfull Knight and endeuoured himselfe likewise in the search of Don Edward now as well to excuse his owne negligence as also to fauour the hard Fortune of this Knight in trauayle you shall bée perfectly resolued of all his procéedings At such time as he departed from Constantinople in the company of diuers Knights who pursued the Prince Primaleon euery one taking a contrary way his course directed him to a hauen of Sea where imbarking himselfe in a Merchant of England time and occasion so serued that they tooke their departure Hauing endured so long on the seas that they knew themselues to be within a ken of England on a suddaine a contrarie winde came vpon them and held them in such danger betwéene hope and feare that at last in great hazard of their liues they chanced vpon the Coast of Spaine where they tooke landing on a Rocke which at this day is called Lisbone Florendos séeing himselfe so farre from the place whither he directed his course and would haue so gladly attained rode on ouercharged with extreme heauines complaining on fortune for his vnlucky trauaile After he had passed through the Prouince of Portingall and by his hautie Chiualrie obtained a generall commendation he happened to come to the Riuer Thesin where ryding on contemplating his amorous thoughts he espied a goodly Castle scituated vpon a Rocke which gaue him great occasion of pleasure to behold it This Castle vrged him to aduance his course thither but there lay a blocke in his way which was a great let to his former pretence for vnder the gréene shade as he rode he perceiued three Ladies of such singular beautie as in all his life time he supposed neuer to haue séene the like These Ladies continued a very serious discourse among themselues so that they tooke no héede to the arriuall of Florendos who gaue a great good liking to them all but especially shée that sat in the middest to whom the other twaine shewed very great reuerence being of most stately beautie as also of a singular and erquisite behauiour But shall we say that Florendos was enamoured at this faire spectacle O no hee could as well eschew it as the Bird fast caught in the Fowlers snare and he liked her no better then he that did most honour and heartily loue her so that hee changeth his mirth into mones his talke into teares and his whole cogitations to a Louers complexion aiming the whole course of his affection on the Lady whose face had the power to detaine his fréedom and her behauiour the operation to be chiefe starre within the compasse of his Sphere Still he stroue with himselfe to goe backe againe and shun the blaze that had set on fire his sences but affection had hung such a clog on his conceits and one looke brought his heart into such a Labyrinth that Ariadnes thread could do him no good but only the saint that had giuen him this glaunce While he remained in these muses such occasion the Ladies receiued that they leaue the field and walke into their
two Knights swiftly pursuing after vs stood our defence in such order that they would not suffer vs to bee lead into the Castell Then Dramaco séeing these Knights preuailed so well against his seruants came himselfe to accomplish what they could not fulfill but then how well you stood our friend the happy effect remaineth as a substantiall witnesse When Palmerin had well marked the discourse of the Lady theyr great misfortune and the monsterous crueltie of Cramaco hée reioyced that he found Gracian in such a luckie time by whose meanes he had brought the aduenture to such a good and happy conclusion Then Gracian rehearsed how in the time hée stayed at the trée Platir Floraman came that way after the knights that conducted the Ladies had taken his horse and left him there in the order as you haue heard to whom he declared the mishap of the Ladies whereupon they rid hastily after them and continued the Combat as you haue already heard vntill such time as one of the Ladies escaping away met the Prince Palmerin and brought him to defend their oppressed cause After they had sifted euery matter according as themselues desired to knowe the Prince Palmerin gaue the Castle to both the Ladies taking his farewell very gently of them all he mounted on horsebacke leauing them at the cure of their woundes at the Castle The Ladies were very carefull to helpe the Princes who at length were brought to their former strength where they passed away the time pleasantly with the Ladies recounting the strange aduenture which they had happily passed But the death of Dramaco comming to the eare of these Ladies mother caused her to come thither to sée her daughters who when she was there arriued gaue great thankes to the Princes for their imployed paines and gratified them with such honour as shée could deutie expedient for the time and place When the Princes saw euery thing in due and desent order they determined to depart from thence desiring the Ladies to vse courtesie to the ancient mother of Dramaco because shee was innocent and not culpable in his mischieeous practises At their request the Ladies willing to shewe that liberalitie is a vertue of great commendation gaue her the castle of her sonne Dramaco for which she rewarded them with very courteous thankes So the Princes going into the Armoury of Dramaco where they prouided themselues each one of a notable Armour and from his stable likewise tooke three of his fairest Stéeds which might better serue their necessitie then to abide there and put to no exercise Then leauing the ladies there in the Castle readie to depart to their owne abiding they vowed to stay in no place till they had attained the Citie of Constantinople where how they sped you shall heare more hereafter CHAP. LVI How Palmerin after he had left the Princes and the two Ladies in the Castle rode on accompanied with Siluian his Esqure til at last he arriued on the sea shore where finding a ship lying at Anker he entred into it when presently so sonne as he was in the ship the Cable burst in the middest and the billowes of the Seas brought the ship to a strange Iland in which Palmerin went on land and encountred a strange and hardy aduenture as a Fountaine And how Siluian met with Francian and Onistalde to whom he declared the mishap of his Maister for which cause they betooke them presently to his search In like manner Siluian arriuing at the Castle of the Giant Dramusiande vrged him vpon his report to aduance himselfe presently in trauaile WHen Palmerin was departed from the Castle where he left the Princes and the Ladies with their Mother he rode without any aduenture for the space of thrée dayes together till at last comming to the Sea side which by reason of distemperature made a great raging he alighted and gaue his Horse to Siluian desirous to looke a while on the surges which would driue other pensiue matters foorth of his minde Walking along on the side of a Rocke he espied a Shippe hard by him which lay at Ancker but no Marriners nor any body else hee could perceiue in it or neare it which made him desirous to goe aboard to see if there were any body there of whom hée might be resolued from whence the vessel was and wherfore they strooke on land in such an vnfrequented place A while he stayed supposing they had bin all gone on land to fetch fresh water or such necessaries as was néedfull for their vse but when he saw no body came in all that space neither could he perceiue whether any had bin gone there on land he prepared himselfe to enter the ship But Siluian desired him to change his minde from so fond an enterprise and that in an aduenture of no better countenance it was but méer folly to hazard his person but when he saw his words might attaine no perswasion from his attempt he suffered him to enter the ship according to his own desire No sooner was the prince fully entred but the Cable rope which held the Ship burst in the midst when Siluian presently cried to his master who offred to cast himselfe on land againe by the boughs of y◠Trees but all was in vaine for that Ship lanched forth in the déepe and with a full gale of wind rode merily vpon the surges In short time Palmerin had lost the sight of the shore stil thinking what fortune did intend by this sodain aduenture not dishartning himselfe but iudging all for the best he reposed on the mercy of God and fauour of the waues expecting some good issue of this vnlooked for chance Siluian remained in such he auinesse for the losse of his maister that he thought to stay in that place till he had heard some tidings of him either good or bad but séeing that in thrée dayes no news would happen he rede sadly frō thence leading his Maisters Horse in his hand when he espyed two knights in white Armour beset with Pellicans of red Carnation colour Siluian presently knew them to be Francian and Onistalde who demanded of him what was become of his master but when Siluian had declared the manner of his mishap how he entred the ship and the Cable brake on such a suddaine they feared some mischance would annoy their deare friend whose happinesse they wished as their owne health Wherfore they concluded that Siluian should not go strait to London because king Fredericke would conceiue great gréefe if he should know of this vnlucky chaunce but desired him to shew them which way he thought they might soonest find him and on pain of death he should not go to London nor reherse the losse of the Prince to any but such a one as he knew to beare his maister great affection Siluian promised to accomplish their pleasure and so they departed from him vowing not to spare any labour by Sea or land vntill they might heare of the
will so taking leaue of the Princesse Florenda and all her noble company he posted apace that way as the Prince Palmerin tooke standing in great feare lest any mischance should happen vnto him CHAP. LXVIII How the Damosell hauing brought Palmerin from the faire Florenda conducted him to the Castle of the Duke of Ronsillion where he enterprised the Combat to redeeme three Ladies whom the Duke kept as prisoners there to put them to death GReat hast made the Lady that conducted Palmerin all the way vsing no words till they came to a litle village in the Dukedom of Ronsillion where she desired the Prince to stay a while and she would go in the village where shée would not stay but returne to him presently In the meane while Palmerin tooke off his Helmet and sat him downe to rest him because he was somewhat weary with trauaile when the Damosell returning and beholding him to be so young and beautifull she despaired with herselfe that he was not able to fulfill her earnest desire for which cause she presently fell into teares Palmerin not knowing the cause of her sorrow desired her that she would expresse it to him whereupon she began to answere him thus Alasse Sir Knight no other cause haue I to lament in this order but that I am the onely infortunate woman in the world who haue trauelled through the whole kingdome of France thinking to find a valiant and renowned Knight but now I perceiue I am greatly deceiued For when I thought to intreat the Princesse Florenda to giue me one of her most strong and hardy Knights I finding you in the company of those who vnhorsed her Lords with great valiancie I had so good an opinion of you that I intreated you to follow me not rehearsing the perillous danger I should bring you too So that now being at the place where you should put your déedes in proofe I finde you so young and of such small force that I am voyde of all hope to haue any good successe Faire Lady answered Palmerin I shall not faile to doe as much as my power will permitte and perhappes cause you to haue a better opinion of me then I see as yet you are willing to vse Therefore I desire you to tell me to what intent you haue caused m◠to trauaile with you and doubt not but I will aduenture my life to doe you seruice in what thing soeuer O Sir quoth she how happy were I if the effect of your deedes would agrée with your wordes for in this Village there remaineth three Ladies Prisoners the Daughters of one of the most noble Lordes in this Countrey who because their Father would not giue them in Mariage to the Duke of Ronsilion and his two Brethren they found the meanes to murther him and these three Ladies they kept here in a Castle to whom they haue graunted the commodity to finde a knight that can preuaile in the Combat and then they shall be restored to their former libertie So that this is the prefixed and appointed day when the Combat must first be tried against Bramerin the chiefe gentleman belonging to the Duke and one of the most renowned knights in all this Countrey If it chance that he be vanquished then must you hazard your self against Cliaster and Alfarin his two kinsmen yet all these being conquere will not returne this victorie for then must you deale with the Duke and his two brethren who are knowen to be such stoute and noble Knightes that no one will conceiue the courage to deale with them Yet must the Ladies this day finde a knight to auenge their quarrell or else the Duke hath sworne they shall loose their heades and to put the Ladies in some hope I went and told them I had brought a knight who would vndertake to deale in their cause which the Duke no sooner hearing but hee began to be greatly offended Surely saide Palmerin I must néedes venture my selfe again those that will take vpon them to vse cruelty to any faire Lady and will alwaies disallow that a King or Prince should suffer any iniury to be vsed to a Lady within his Dominions and in token that my deeds shall agrée with my words I will goe presently to the abiding of the Duke where I will inuay so much against him that his owne wicked will shall worke his ouerthrow The Damosell perceiuing the noble minde of Palmerin and the little doubt he had to deale with his enemy vsed better affectition to him now thē she had before whereupon she broght him to the Castle where the Duke made his abode to sée the ende of this noble enterprise CHAP. LXIX How Palmerin being come to the Castle entred the fight on the behalfe of the three Ladies wherein hee vanquished Bramerin and slew Cliastar Alfarin And how he fought with the Duke and his two brethren against whom hee preuailed and restored the Ladies THe Prince and the Gentlewoman being come to the Castle where where were assembled a great multitude of people to sée the Combate the drawe-Bride was let downe by the Dukes commaundement when Palmerin prepared to enter the Castle but Bramarin being prouided and seeing his enemy before his face came vnto him with these wordes Abide Sir Knight and before you approach any farther you must deale with me but I belieue you haue made such an ill bargaine that when you see your ware you will not bragge of your peny worthes Trust me Sir answered Palmerin how euer it happen I must hold me content but I am of this opinion that to whom the right belongeth to them will returne the best aduantage and therefore I am fully determined to the fight because I feare I shall lacke day-light to finish mine enterprise Syr sayde the Knight you shall not néede to complaine on the lacke of time for I warrant you wee shall ende and that right soone at least wise if so be that I chance to faile you shall deale with such fellowes in the Castle as will be loth to prolong the time with you So giuing scope to their Horses they met with their speares so nobly together that Bramerin was throwne to the ground void of any féeling which Palmerin perceiuing alighted from his Horse and set his Sword to his throate with these words Yéeld Varlet and sweare henceforth neuer to iniury any oppressed Lady or by my Sword thou shalt die the death Bramerin séeing his life to stand in such a ieopardy deferred not to fulfill his desire When Palmerin mounting on Horseback again entred the Castle and in the Court espied Chaster and Alfarin each of them in a very faire gréene Armour thicke beset with Azure flowers who when they beheld Palmeria they ran both at once against him very fiercely but with his Sword hee saluted one of them so soundlie on the head that he made him sure enough for doing any more harme Which his fellow perceiuing came behaued himselfe with very great courage against
remaine in one Knight and he neuer to haue assayed a more perillous aduenture Often they staied and fell to it againe the Prince hauing slaine two of them and the Lady vsing reprochfull wordes vnto them that they fiue had not the power to preuaile against one which set the other in such a chafe that they began to charge him with vnmercifull blowes seeing they had no way to escape from him because on the one side the sea hindered them and into the Castell they could not retyre for the lady within had commanded the gate to be made fast Wherefore two of them fell downe dead before him when the last Knight séeing the danger he stood in tooke the point of his Sword in his hand and humbled himselfe before the Prince as thus Most worthy Knight since fortune hath allowed you the honour of this victorie and that you haue preuailed against all my companions let pitty enter into your heart to saue the life of him who most humbly submitteth himselfe to your mercy I grant thée thy life said Florendos because I will not bée thought of such a bloody mind to kill him that is not able to resist me Then sat he downe to rest himselfe the Lady vsing great care to bind vp his wounds when the Lady within the Castle standing in feare lest her stubbornnes might procure the greater iniury sent one of the damsels who opened the gate which Florendos séeing tooke the Lady by the hand and entred the castel where they met the Lord that had béen prisoner so long who imbraced his Lady with very great thankes for bringing the Knight that had won him his liberty to whom he began in this order Worthy sir your Knightly déedes haue gained such honour that I cannot make estimation of them according as they haue worthily deserued but if it shall please you to rest here a while we will yéeld you what courtesie we can and then we will depart together Florendos gaue him great thankes and stayed there to sée the Lady that kept the castle but he could not attaine to his desire because she had made her selfe fast in her Chamber so that no one might come to haue a sight of her Then went he to sée the place where the Lady vsed to imprison the Knights amongst whom he found the Prince Guerin who reioyced maruelously to see Florendos and knowing that he had finished this hard aduenture he accounted himselfe happy to be in his company After that eight daies were expired they departed in a Galley from thence to the house of the Knight and the Lady where Guerin and hee found themselues so gratiously vsed as if they had béen in the Court of Constantinople Within a while after they tooke their leaue of the Knight and the Lady who gaue to each of them a very good Horse and in their trauelling together they parted from one another because Florendos desired to iourney alone that he might better approoue the aduenture which Fortune had reserued for him CHAP. LXXV How Palmerin Florian and Pompides in their trauaile met with a Damosell who brought them to the Castle of Dramorant the Cruell where they found Albayzar with the shield of Miragarda who had vanquished twelue knights and slew Dramorant the Lord of the Castle PAlmerin and his brethren continuing in their trauaile towardes Constantinople riding thorow a Forrest saw a Lady come riding towards them in very great feare who being come somewhat neare them Florian staied her Palfray saying Faire Lady I pray you to shewe vs the cause of your feare Alas sir quoth she how can I stay to report any thing séeing I dare scant assure my selfe in your company for when I enterprised my iourney to the Court of the French Quéene two knights came and resisted me endeuouring them selues to abuse mine honour But Fortune was so fauourable to me that at my cry a Knight came who defended my cause and behaued himselfe so worthily against them that in open fight he slew them both Then passing by a Castle at the end of this stone wal he was assailed by twelue Knights who I feare me will be the death of him if he be not spéedily holpen by some good rescue and trust me Gentlemen the losse of him would be very great being one of the most hardy knights in al the world I pray you Lady said Florian bring vs to the Castle where the knight remaineth in such danger as you seeme to report for it were great pittie to suffer such a knight to die for lacke of helpe Although quoth she I was otherwise determined yet will I bring you to the place as well to try your worthinesse as also shew my good will to the Knight who in his owne danger hath pleasured me so much This said they rode on together in short time they heard the clattering of the weapons where they found the knight to haue slaine fiue or sixe of the Knightes behauing himselfe also very manfully against the other whereat the Prince fell into great admiration which the Lady séeing how they sate still and looked on began to enter into these wordes Why Gentlemen if you determined to doe nothing when you came it had béene more honour for you to haue kept on your iourney rather then to suffer so good a knight to be slaine in your presence and you stand by refusing to aid him which maketh me iudge that your weapons are very ill bestowed on you Faire Lady answered Palmerin the Knight doeth so well discharge his dutie that we should offer him great wrong if we presumed to aid him for so might we cut off the praise which he should worthily beare in the obtaining the victory which is the only cause of our stay Mary if we should perceiue the Knights to haue any dangerous aduantage ouer him then would we shewe him such ayde in their resistance that you should recall your words and haue a better opinion of vs. While they continued this Parle the Knight who was the famous Albayzar of the twelue knights had left but foure aliue which vrged Florian to this opinion in words I belieue that this knight is ordained to darkē the déeds of all Knights yours onely accepted déere Brother Palmerin wherevnto I know he neither can nor may approch neuerthelesse I know not any one that professeth knightly Armes but would striue to exalt his déeds seeing the behauiour of so noble a Champion In fine they perceiued all the Knights to be slaine except two who were constrained to yéelde themselues to this noble conquerour when presently came forth Dramorant himselfe very brauely mounted strongly armed which Albayzar seeeing mounted on his horse came to the prince Palmerin and his Brethren in this manner I pray you gentlemen to bestow one of your speares vpon me to receiue the knight that prepareth himselfe against me assuring you that I will not forget to remēber your courtesie in so doing Sir said Palmerin
approached the Coach and lifting vp the cloath he beheld a knight lying in gréene armor so imbrued with blood that one could hardly iudge of what colour it was This mooued Florian to great heauines and being desirous to know the cause of his misfortune he came to one of the Esquires willing him to report by what mischance the Knight was slaine The Esquire hauing small leisure to stay made him shortly answere in this sort If you desire to vnderstand the infortunate hap of this knight follow me and I shall bring you to the aduenture where you may atchieue such rare renowne that neither death nor time is able to extinguish out of memorie Surely quoth Florian I haue alwayes desired to imploy my selfe where I supposed to be the greatest danger yet could neither feare dismay me nor any doubt hinder me And thus concluding his spéeches he followed the Coach desirous to sée the ende of that the Esquire had told him Palmerin and Pompides séeing him gone so soone walked softly along the valley when in a while a Damosel presented her selfe before them mounted on a blacke palfray and saluted them in this manner I desire you gentlemen that one of you would so much fauour me as to goe with me to the succour of a Lady whom thrée knights endeuour to abuse to put herto death in most cruel maner Pompides hearing the coÌ„plait of the Damosell began as thus to the Prince Palmerin Séeing this present enterprse doth not require your force to be showne therein I pray you giue me leaue to accompany the Damosell that I may try how Fortune wil assist me in this cause Palmerin who desired to be alone in the company of Siluian was very glad that Pompides should assist the Damosell so taking leaue of each other Pompideâ— departed about his enterprise and Palmerin to the accustomed remembrance of his Lady Polinarda wherein he wasted so much time that he could not repaire to any place of lodging but was glad for that night to take his rest in a little thicket of trées Where he had sooner laid him downe but he heard one complaine in very doleful maner when drawing neare the better to heare him the night being so darke as they could not descrie one another he heard the heauy waight begin as thus O fond Florendos why doest thou thus complaine of thy griefe séeing thy Lady Miragarda doeth take such delight therein that she forceth not of his vtter ruine who submitteth himselfe chiefely vnder her gratious regard I knewe right well that all trauaile may be ended in the desire of one to doe you seruice but what shall he doe to whom you vse such entertainment that you may not permit him leasure that doeth you most honour nor will suffer him to be forgotten and depriued of life whereby hee might haue lesse occasion to complaine of your crueltie So ending his moâ—es with a grieous sigh he sate him down and fel asléepe then Palmerin perceiuing it was the prince Florendos determined oftentimes to make himselfe knowne but fearing to hinder him of his enterprise changed his minde bewailing as much the heauines of Florendos as he did the extreame case of his owne misfortune And when the day appeared hee departed as secretly as he could thence away desiring to attaine the Emperours court where he might conclude the seuerall motions of doubt and feare which Loue presented to his oppressed minde CHAP. LXXVII How Florian accompanying the Coatch with the dead knight met on the Seas with Arduramet the bastard Brother of the valiant Albayzar where they defied each other to the Combate And what haphened to Pompides following the Lady FLorian of the Desart kéeping company with with the Coach the three Esquires being a great way out of sight from his brethren one of them began thus to conferre with him Syr seeing you desire so much to knowe the Knight who is slaine and that you seeme affectionate to reuenge his wroÌ„g if neede were giue eare and I wil discourse thereof to you at large You shall vnderstand that this Knight is named Sortibran the eldest Brother of the famous King Frisol whose worthinesse hath 〈…〉 beene such that hée euer bare the name of the most 〈…〉 in all his kingdome So it is that Fortune very little 〈◊〉 to him as yester-day conducted an Esquire 〈…〉 who with wéeping teares desired Soâ—â—bran to 〈…〉 doubtful cause wherto he courteously gaue his consent not thinking on the trecherous intent of the Esquire who brought him into a place wherefoure of his enemies awaighted his comming and setling himselfe against them all in the ende Sortibran was there cruelly slaine We being aduertised of this great mishappe came to fetch him to his Castle where he might see his wounded body honourably interred meane while one of his young Sonnes is gone to the Court to sooke some knight that will reuenge his Fathers death Therefore if you desire to Dsisist and succour him in this case you shall not onely enlarge your eternall renowne but also shall worke such occasion that none may or dare presume to commit any such Treason Florian promising the Esquires to accomplish them request rid on with them till they came to the Sea coast where they entred a Galley that attended their comming and hauing there shâ—â—â—ed the body of Sortibran they sailed away with a pleasant gale of winde Not long had they been on the Seas but they were discouered by foure Turkish Galleyes 〈…〉 presently and borded them when 〈…〉 who was a Moore 〈…〉 into their vessell where beholding 〈…〉 Florian and iudging him to be a noble Knight he entertained him very courteously commanding the Esquires to cast the dead body of their Lord into the Sea and the next morning they heysed sailes to goe on their iourney This Arduramet was the bastard brother to the Prince Albayzar who was trauailing to seeke him to giue him to vnderstand that the Soldane of Babylon his Father was dead after whom it was his right to succeede his place Arduramet in talking with Florian demanded of him that any time he had heard of the Prince Albayzar and reported such marks and tokens to him that he knew well it was he that had vanquished Dramorant the Cruell Then bethinking him of the Combat assigned betwéen him and Albayzar to be performed in the Emperours Court and that his businesse had so chanced as he could not meete him there at the appointed time he begaÌ„ to be greatly offeÌ„ded with himself in so much that Arduramet desired him to shew the cause of his heauinesse But when he had vnderstood each seuerall clause in a great anger hée began this to rage Thinkest thou there is any Knight in the World that may or dare attempt against my Lord and Brother Albayzar certainely thou art much beholding to Fortune from deliuering thée from so great a danger Neuerthelesse if thou hast so great a desire to shew thy prowesse as here thou dost séeme to vse
in protestation let vs now goe to the Court of the great Turke where I will make thée confesse before the Princesse Targiana that Albayzar is the most honorable knight liuing on the earth and she the onely and perfect Goddesse for beauty Beside if thou thinkest he hath offred thée any wrong if thy stomacke serue thée thereto reuenge thy selfe on me who will die in his cause for proofe wherof receiue there my Gloue if thou dare Florian who desired to manifest his valour in strange countries receiued very gladly the challenge of Arduramet who thinking to honour his Brother with the Conquest of Florian went to the Court of the great Turke where to their determination at this time we will leaue them Let vs now remember Pompides who trauailed with the Damosel till they came to a thicket of Trées where he heard one make a very great clamour and looking aside beheld a Knight offering monstrous dishonour to a Lady and two Knights sitting by on Horsebacke laughing at the simple shift she made to defend her selfe from the villainous intent of the knight Pompides not able to suffer so great shame in his sight couched his launce against him that abused the Lady so that he ran him cleane thorow the head and laid him dead on the ground before him and dealing roughly a while with the other twaine he serued them both of the same sauce as the iust desert of them that would abuse themselues in so vile a sort Then came the Lady and submitted her selfe at the féete of Pompides but the feare she sustained by their crueltie would hardly suffer her to vse any spéech wherefore Pompides taking her in his armes and seing the heauy estate and great perplexitie he comforted her in this manner Faire Lady let no feare as now séeme to dismay your mind for here is no body but such as will imploy themselues in your defence My Lord quoth shee these bloodie minded men haue brought me into such feare that albeit I sée dead before my face yet the remembrance of their crueltie doeth still make me afraide wherefore I desire you to depart and leaue me to mourne my great mishap else shall I still be fearefull as the Bird on the branch in danger of the Fowler Pompides began to smile to sée the little trust the Lady reposed is his company neuerthelesse minding to satisfie her desire who was very beautifull as also of a vertuous and honest disposition he departed from her accompanied with the Damosel that had brought him thither Who reported to him how the Knights that would haue rauished the Lady met with her as she trauailed toward the Court of king Frisol who were newly come from the slaughter of Sortibran and méeting with her endeuoured by their faire spéech to allure her to their lust but when they sawe she would not consent they would vrge her to it perforce So Pompides departing from her followed after Palmerin because he desired to trauell still in his company CHAP. LXXVIII Of that which happned to Palmerin of England after he was departed from the Prince Florendos and how while hee was fighting with the Giant Bracandor Albayzar arriued there and holpe him to ouercome his enemies AFter that Palmerin had left Florendos sléeping at the Trée he came into a Forrest halfe a mile from the Citie of Buda where the King of Hungaria lay and there he perceiued a company of Knights and Ladies by a Fountaine wherefore fearing least their company might bee some hinderance to is trauaile he turned his Horse to ride an other way for it was all his intent to abandon place of resort because hee might the better commune and dispute of his Loue. As he was ryding he turned his head and espied these pleasant company by the Fountaine to be very fiercely fighting together wherfore he turned againe to goe thither where he sawe this great conflict but before he came all was done and quiet because the enemy had takē them that gladly stroue with resistance who were the Duthesses of Pontus and Duracā trauailing to the Court of their noble Father in the company of the prince Ditree who in this vnfortunate skirmish was slain Which vrged Palmerin to great heauinesse when he saw him as also the heauy cry the Ladies made being in the hold of Bracandor a mightie Giant inhabiting there in a Rocke and had ten Knights there daily waiting on him Palmerin pitying the Ladies mishap couched his speare and ran against the Giant with such force that he laid him along on the earth in manner as though he were starke dead which the ten Knights standing by séeing came altogether running vpon him but he defended himselfe so wel that they had not the power to vnhorse him for his hardy blowes made them quickly coole their courage Bracandor being risen vp againe commanded the knights to retire because he would reuengo his iniury himselfe wherevpon they gaue ouer when the Giant and Palmerin sternly dealing with one another Bracandor in the ende began greatly to faint The Knights seeing the danger he was in forced not of their Maisters commaund but came and beset the Prince Palmerin who albeit he receiued many dangerous hurts paide them their due but little to their profit The Ladies continued in prayers for his good assistance estéeming him the best knight that euer they had seene and Bracandor seeing the maruellous force of one onely knight beganne to blaspheme his God and ran in such violent manner against the Prince that had not God indued him with great pollicie and force the least of his blowes was sufficient to haue slaine him Bracandor beholding six of his knights slaine through his dangerous woundes and dispaire of himselfe fell to the ground Palmerin being well pleased to be rid of such an enemy in short time sent the other foure to beare their Maister company to whom he came offering to take off his Helmet that hée might haue presently cut off his head But Astapardo came foorth accompanied with ten knights and charged him so sudainly that he had not leisure to commend himselfe to his Mistreffe Palmerin was reduced into very great perplexitie yea and his death appointed in this furious skirmish had not the puissant Albayzar presently arriued there who seeing the great iniury was offered to one knight and that it was he which gaue him his speare when he fought against Dramorant the Cruell he ran against Astapardo in such manner that his speare went quite thorow his body and Armor and the other behaued themselues so well that the most part were slaine the rest saued their liues by flight Palmerin séeing himselfe deliuered from so great a perill came offered great thanks to the Prince Albayzar but he not suffering him to vse any such courtesie without making knowne what or who he was set spurres to his Horse and rid away in great haste Then Palmerin returned to Bracandor and finding him to be as yet aliue he commanded
gladly wish them to enioy some ease CHAP. LXXXII Of that which happened to Don Florian departing out of the Valley where he vanquished the foure Knights WHen the cleare morning had awaked the Princesse Targiana and her company they packed vp their prouision and departed on their iourney greatly desiring to be in the Court of the Emperour Palmerin In the afternoone they came into a goodly forrest where stood an excellent faire fouÌ„taine very ingeniously framed it was reported that the Emperor Marcellus who in his time was curious to cause rare edifices and braue inuentions to be framed had erected this faire fountain in the forrest Which séemed to be true for two causes the first that this Emperor was very much affectioned to haue his dwelling in a solitary place néere to some pleasant spring or some such faire and costly Fountaine and the second because the name of Marcellus was in many places about the Fountaine néere whereunto was two Knights who suffered their Stéeds to receiue the water Targiana seeing such a singular prospect in a place so conuenient for repose desired the Prince Florian to pause there a while whereto he presently agréed when the Princesse taking off her Maske the two Knights who very well regarded her affirmed that it was shee for whom Albayzar maintained his valiant Iouste Wherefore they consented betweene themselues to take her with them to their Ladies through whom their shame might be the better couered which they had attained by receiuing the infortunate foile in the Iust so putting their Helmets on their heades they approched néerer to the Princesse when one of them began as thus Madam you ought not to wish ill to chose who receiuing a sharpe repulse by your beautie conceiue the courage of minde to séeke a remedie for you shall vnderstand that a Knight hath vanquished vs at Constantinople who maintaining the excellent state of your beauty hath woon the shields whereon were figured our Ladies and hath honoured you with placing them at your féet Wherefore to let our fault passe with the more méeke penance it behoueth you to depart with vs so shall our offence be the lesse esteemed of those that both may and must command vs. Me thinketh sir quoth Florian that you should not blame the innocent but the little defence in your selues to keepe your Shieldes without further presuming on Fortune who may happen to prouide you a farre worsse inconuenience I perceiue then said the Knight againe that this Ladies beautie causeth you to vse your tearmes so bluntly which I doubt you are not able to maintaine albeit you may make good account of your manhood That shall you trie sir quoth Florian and so closing his Helmet he charged them in such order as thy were both ashamed against the dutie of Knighthoode to assaile him whose stoutnesse still detained Targiana with the death of one of theÌ„ which the other séeing fell on his knees before the Princesse with these words Madame I desire you to appease your anger with the death of my fellow and the grieuous woundes that I haâ—d receiued and let mercy pleade my cause though I be vnworthy yet thinke I that my life would but little pleasure you Targiana beholding his repentance desired Florian that hée would forgiue him who presently granted commanding him that the dead body should bo caried away whereto the Knight not daring to gainsay willed his esquire to lay him ouerthwart before him vpon his Horse and so they departed together the Knight more grieued with himselfe then he was before he had séene Targiana Who walking on with Florian said that shee thought there was no place of assurance in all the Countrey Trust me said Florian I neuer before sawe it in this order but yet it ought not to be maruailed at for one the one side the shield of Albayzar the other side your beauty causeth these aduentures to happen as they do For those that haue bin vanquished gaining the sight of your excellent feature cannot chuse but threaten themselues with greater danger for Nature framed you onely to bring all those to extremity that dare conceiue the hardinesse to behold you Targiana séeing Florian so déepe in his praises of her stayed him with a Conge ouer the lippes and séeing a very faire Trée not farre from them she tooke him by the hand saying Let vs goe walke a while vnder yonder faire 〈◊〉 for my minde assureth me that things will happen more strange then any we haue yet séene Madame quoth Florian I would wish to come where is the greatest danger that you might know how little I estéeme â—â—neritie being accompanied with her who is the onely shield of my safety And if Albayzar hauing but your picture ouercoÌ„meth the most puissant knights in the world what might I do hauing the séemely persoÌ„ which maketh me to desire that Fortune would send a hazard aboue all other then should you see the forceable magnanimity of your beauty engraned in this heart of mine with such a hauty disposition that death no nor a thousand deaths is able to withstaÌ„d him who preferreth the title of your excellencie as the chiefest honour vpon my Knightly Sword These two Louers thus walking talking found the words of the Princesse Targiana to be true indéede for at the foote of this Trée they espied a goodly knight laid along no company with him for his Esquire was accompanied to depart froÌ„ him that his Maister might the better report the amorous coÌ„plaints which were alwayes resident in his pensiue minde and this knight had one very faire blew Armour his helmet seruing vnder his head the office of a Pillow where he lay without receiuing any rest but gaue forth sighes complaints in very dolefull manner Which Targiana Florian desirous to heare and loath to disturbe him being so seriously busied withdrew themselues a litle so closely as they could when the knight not thinking any to be so neare him began to vnfold his griefe after this order My Lady how haue I béene offensiue to you that you should offer me so great vngentlenesse leauing me aliue to wish daily for death and yet you are so obstinate that you will not suffer me die onely that I might passe my time in vnestimable opinion of endles torments And to my greater griefe I often wish to prolong my life in doing you seruice wherto you vse such vnfriendly meanes that you will not permit me to be imployed therein but as the onely Authour of mine euill and daily occasion of my mercilesse Passions forget the extremitie I abide for your loue and in a neuer dying death compell me to wast 〈◊〉 course of my life Which trust me serueth very strange for that I neuer saw affliction in any man but there was some meane whereby to tollerate it as for mine it kéepeth at one certaine stay and when it commeth to the best change it falleth from an Ague Quartaine to a Quotidian as if all
behâ—ld it but more griefe to him that hee had the patience to abide it For now he verily thought to consumate his daies and that the vexation of his life should end by this supportable meane which made him that he would not let go the Cup but kept it so constantly that euery one thought there was no remedy but death Trust me said the Damosell the vnfained loue of so true a knight deserueth not to be rewarded with so sharp a recoÌ„pence and with these words she offered to take the Cup from him but he gaue backe answering her thus Faire Ladie I desire you to suffer me abide the doome which my mishap hath alway ordeined for me and wherein I may end the troubles that are incident to a mourning and continual dispairing life The Emperor not able to abide so great crueltie executed in his presence arose caught the cup from him which was immediatly quenched as though it had neuer bin so violent whereat he receiued no small cause of amazemen Then the prince Florendos albeit he was weake yet desirous to be partner in constancy with the Knight of the Dragon receiued the Cuppe from the hand of the Emperour when presently the rigour that the Princes Miragarda vsed towards him caused him to suffer the selfe same torment as did the noble Prince Palmerin For the flame which arose out of the cup had so inuironed the body of the prince that he was séene sighing and lamenting in the midst thereof which mooued all the Ladies to shed aboundance of teares and to vse many extreame words against the cruelty of Miragarda which Florendos though he were in the midst of the flame could hardly suffer to hear her blamed for whose sake he was ready to make a sacrifice of himselfe The Emperor séeing many meanes applied to quench the flame yet none of them all had the power to preuaile put himselfe in the midst thereof and tooke the Cup from Florendos thinking that then it would presently bequenched but all their labor was to no effect for the flame continued about him as it did before The Empresse Gridonia with al the ladâ—es and knights fell into such rufull complaints that it was maruailous to heare the noyse that was made at which grieuous spectacle Polendos the king of Thessalie came to the Damosell of Thrace with these words I desire you faire Lady séeing you haue found the thing you sought for that you would vouchsafe the courtesie to succour the dangerous case of the Prince Florendos I am so agrieued quoth the damosel at this great tumult which is made wherein they wil not vouchsafe to heare me that I know not what to say but doe you giue order to appease this murmuring I wil work the meane to deliuer the Prince from danger By the Emperours commaundement the disturbance was quieted when the Damosell presented her selfe before the Emperor saying I aduertise you most dread and gratious Emperor that the adueÌ„ture of the Cup is already past and finished but the flame which doth compasse the prince Florendos can no way be extinguished but only by the vertue that consisteth in the teares which by the hand of the Knight who hath ended the Enchantment of the Cup must be sprinckled on the flame wherein he is enclosed and then I dare assure you the prince shall be brought into his former estate For the fire being ingendred by such a cruell woman as he loueth cannot be any way quenched but onely by the teares of such a pitiful Lady as was this constant and faithfull Brandisia Then she deliuered the Cup to the Knight of the Dragon who put his fingers therin and sprinckled a few of the teares vpon Florendos when presently the fire vanished away leauing Florendos whom all men thought verily to be dead aliue and in good estate to the great content of the Emperour and all the company CHAP. XCIII Of another aduenture that happened in the Court of the Emperour Palmerin and of that which after followed FLorendos being thus happily deliuered to the great ioy of the Courtty company wished that she who intreated his faithful Loue with so great cruelty had béene in place when she might haue séene the triall of his inuiolate faith The Emperor being desirous to know the Knight whose spotlesse loyaltie had ended this Enchantment but misdoubting that it was yâ— noble Palmerin of England desired very earnestly that he would make himselfe knowne vnto him when Palmerin putting his hand to his Helmet to discouer himselfe he was hindered by the aduenture which hereafter followeth On a sudden there entred the Hal a Lady accompanied with three mighty and ougly Giants whose Armour was of on colour and fashion their Helmets being carried after them by thrée men so that their swart and euill fauoured faces caused the Ladies to tremble as also many of the Knightes to change their colour These proud and stately Giants thronged through the middest of the Knightes aduancing themselues before the Emperour without shewing any courtesie or reuerence where they stayed for that the Damosell had in charge to declare who séeing so great Nobilitie about the Emperour was somewhat offended yet notwithstanding she seased her fury and began in this order I perceiue right noble Emperour that the renowne which is blazed all the world our of your Princely Court is too little respecting the honourable company I see at this present which vrgeth me to enter into due land therof as it hath rightly iustly deserueth so that I am of the opinion you might subdue gouern the whole world if you would distribute your force which as I iudge is no way able to be matched But yet fortune who in all your affaires hath hitherto prospered you may now vngently as enuious at your long quiet peaceable felicity turne her backe towards you so suddenly in her fury ouerturne your good Fortune that the glory you haue gained in the prime of your yeeres may now be defaced when your aged estate forbiddeth you to follow the trauaile of Armes and your long happinesse vnwilling to enter the warres wherewith I come to summon you from the Soldane of Persia principal Captaine of the Law of Mahomet as also from the great Turk and yâ— noble Gouernours of the CouÌ„trey belonging to the Soldane of Babilon named Albayzar who in strange aduentures hath put himselfe to make triall of his valour vpon hope of long expected good Fortune From all these before named I am to let you vnderstand that when time was there were certaine Heathen Princes here slaine before the walls of Constantinople whose death hath vrged them to great impatience and to séeke reuenge for the great wrong you haue offered them But the Gods the protectors and defendor of your welfare fauouring you beyond their expectation haue heretofore hindred the determination of these Princes for when they were prepared to the ruine of your kingdomes and vtterly to race out your fame
you send with all spéed to séeke the prince Albayzar through whom you may recouer the king Polendos and your knights other way I cannot perceiue that may pleasure them or profite you My Sonne answered the Emperour if the imprisonment of Polendos and my knights were perpetuall I would not séeke to set them at liberty by this meane for I had rather they should enioy the death then to accomplish that which might be my continuall reproach for this difference I alway craue betweene me and all the world that the good may be perfectly discerned from the euill Albayzer is not guilty in the iniury which the Turke doeth séeme to offer my Knightes therefore it were against honour that he should suffer for anothers offence but this is it whereat I am most amazed that Targiana will suffer this great discourtesie considering the honour she receiued in our Court. My deare Soueraigne quoth the Esquire there is no cause to complaine of her for her intreaty could no way preuaile with â—er Father whereupon hee rehearsed the whole discourse â—nd manner of their imprisonment which the Emperour haâ—ing heard departed with the Empresse into his Chamber very â—rie where we must forsake him and returne to the Prince â—lorendos He trauailed so long accompanied with the noble Albayzar â—â—at being in the Dominions of Spaine they came to a faire â—astell which Albayzar knowing very well began thus to open his intent Sir Florendos I haue heretofore passed this place in the greatest danger that euer I was in fror through giuing aide to a Damosell whom bloody minded wretches sought to dishonest I slewe them with ten more as also their Lord named Dramorant the Cruell who kept this Castell at which exployte the noble Palmerin of England Florian and Pompides his Brethren were present and can testifie what I haue spoken Therefore I pray you let vs goe to the Castell for that I assure my selfe the Lady to whom I gaue it at such time as I deliuered her out of danger will receiue vs with a courteous and friendly welcome I am content quoth Florendos séeing we haue no other place to lodge in this night that I can sée néere here about Thus breaking off their talke they had not rid two stones cast but they beheld foure armed Knights come towards them and an Esquire who came before them vttering these words to the Prince Florendos Sir Knight the great Astribor sendeth strait commandement that you and your companious do presentle yéeld your Armour vnder his obeysance the deniall wherof shall cause him vse more cruelty toward you then he would willingly offer to any good knight No other thing doth he request of you except you can report to him tydings of a knight who hath sâ—aine Dramorant his Brother sometime Lord and rightfull possessor of this castle which was giuen by that Knight to a Damosell whom he keepeth in prison till Fortune send the Knight hither to sacrifice them both to his Gods for reuenge of his brothers death Albayzar aduanced himselfe to make answere but because he was vnarmed Florendos thus replied to the Esquire Goe tell my Lord Astribor that I am not the Knight he would so gladly finde but I am well acquainted with him and am sure that hée hath slaine his Knightes deseruedly as for mine Armour because I cannot very well spare it I am câ—ntent he shall goe without it at this time except I had more knowledge of him how to haue it when I shall returne Well said the Esquire since you will not yéelde it by gentle meanes you must prepare your selfe against these Knights who are here appointed by sufficient authoritie to take their Armor away perforce who refused to yéeld it according to custome Florendos seeing the Knights prouided to Ioust he encountred with them and sent two couragiously to measure their length on the ground the one being slaine outright the other so sore wounded that he was not able to recâ—uer himselfe Then came foorth Astribor himselfe very brauely mounted and séeing Florendos destitute of a Launce he gaue his Horse the spurs and ran against him with such force that Florendos was constrained to fall to the ground but recouering himselfe he dealt with Astribor in such couragious manner that bringing him vnder his obeysance he cut off his head in recompence of his disloyall actes Certaine Knights that were in the Castell and had séene their Lord and Master so conquered lett their Armour coÌ„ming toward the Prince Florendos to whom in reuerent manner they yéelded themselues But he would not enter the Castell before the Lady might come soorth of Prison whereupon Albayzar entred and found her in a Dungeon very cruelly vsed so that a great while she could not remember him but at last shee fell on her knées and to reward his gentlenesse submitted her selfe to kisse his hand who would not suffer her but sustained her courteously in his armes willing her to thanke the Prince Florendos and not him because he was not suffered to beare Armour The Lady at these words fell into a great rage and as though she were distraight of her wits began thus to say Cursed be he that hath so dishonoured yon for credit me knightly Armes were better bestowed on you then on him or any of his linage wherefore I am thus perswaded that Ladies shall haue losse of so good a knight as you whose heart aud hand was euer ready to aide them Albayzar not suffering her to runne so farre in his praise framed his talke to another purpose desirous to knowe in what maner Astribor had happened thither Syr quoth she you shal vnderstand that this Astribor was brother to Dramorant the Cruell a man of more malicious nature then euer was the Giant his brother he was no sooner aduertised of his death but with ten knights he came vnto this Fortresse where finding small force to resist him he entred cauâ—ing all he found here to be put to the sword reseruing me in prison till he might chance to haue knowledge of you when then he intended to burne vs both together and till he might come by you he ordained this custome which is so worthily finished Albayzar being certified of euery thing at his pleasure caused the Prince Florendos to be vnarmed and his woundes were very carefully respected by the Lady who had good knowledge in the Art of Chirugery There they stayed longer then the Prince Florendos willingly would for no place were it neuer so pleasant could satisfie his fancy but onely the place where remained his best beloued CHAP. XCVII Of that which happened to Palmrin of England in the company of the Damosell of Thrace SVch spéede the noble Palmerin of England made in the company of the Damosel with whom he trauailed that without any aduenture to hinder them they quietly entred the kingdome of Thrace whereat the Damosell was very ioyfull séeing euery thing fell so fit as she desired and the labour she had
by friendly counsell as much as in him lay to cause her forget this fearefull motion and Arlencea at the request of Alfernao came presently out of her Chamber but when she beheld yâ— furiousnesse of the water sometime listing the Ship vp as it were to heauen and then throwing it downe againe to the depth of hell the water likewise beating in aboundantly her heart would not serue her to kéepe the Mariners any longer company but she went in againe to her Chamber so full of dispaire and fearefull frightings as being not able to sustaine her selfe she laid her downe vpon a pillow betwéene two of her Damosels when wéeping very bitterly she entred into these spéeches I sée well Alfernao the small recompence they shall receiue which enterprise such déeds as are dishonourable and far from dutie and I beléeue certainely that the Diuine powers are determined to punish vs for the great iniury and disloyaltie we offer in séeking the death of this good and hardy knight who slue my brethren one after another in plaine fight not offering or taking any aduantage of them which hautie derds albeit I cannot let them passe without great maruell yet do they make me verily thinke that he fought in a good and a lawfull cause in that he despised the exceeding crueltie and tyranny wherein my proud and presumptuous brethren liued which disorder of life being rightly chastised by the prowesse of this Knight we set our selues against all reasonable regard in my iudgement to practise his death for well doing And we being forgetfull to sift the iustnesse of the cause goe about to depriue this good Knight of his life in the reuenge of whose innocencie the wrathfull anger of the Heauens is fallen vpon vs wherefore to auoyde and flie the extremitie betime least wee fall into a woorse inconuenience I am resolued to chaunge my angrie moode thinking it better to take the Ring from him which caused him to sléepe so soundly then thus to abide the sharpe countenance of the wreakefull powers whome whether I will or no I must obey Arlencea hauing spoken what pleased her commanded the Chamber doore to be opened where the knight of the Sauadge-man lay and when she had taken the Ring from him hee was in as good estate as hee was before yet not without great maruell in himselfe when he perceiued he was in a ship on the Sea and so compassed about with faire Damosells who wept verie grieuously to see themselues in so great daunger The Prince in this amazement came foorth of his Chamber when he saw how the furious waues of the Water did tosse and turmoyle their Barke and how the Pilot the Marriners and euery one in the Ship theyr harts were dead because â—hey knew no way how to helpe themselues Wherupon he beganne with noble words to chéere and encourage them but the extream feare they had generally conceyued caused them to make small estimation of his words Then was he more and more abashed but especially to sée himselfe in such a place where it was the least parte of his thought to haue come and how he came so Embarqued from the Castle where the Damosells came and entertained him so exceeding friendly at the Gate thereof This strange aduenturs made him oftentimes desirous to demund how and after what sort he chanced thither but the danger which hee saw imminent before his eyes would not affoord him so much leisure but compelled him to settle his thoughtes on that which was more necessarie The Marriners by the often intâ—eaty and friendly behauiour of the Prince began somewhat to comfort themselues which when as he beheld hee went into the Chamber to Arlencea where sitting downe by her hée beganne his spéeches after this order Madame I would I might intreate you to forsake those fearfull passions and to regarde him who estéemeth maruellous well of your diuine Beautie the tempest beginneth by little and little to loose his force and therefore let my perswasion somewhat appease you for these teares wherewith you offend your gratious countenance is as grieuous for me to beholde as it is bootlesse for you so much to hurt your selfe Arlencea hearing the courteous language of the Prince and noting withall his séemely countenance reioyced that shee had so spared his life at the intreatie of Alfernao and the malicious reuenge which she sought before was now changed againe into good opinion of Loue whereat the Knight of the Sauadge-man was very well pleased but Alfernao remained most grieuously passionate knowing well that his enterprise could come to no good ende The Night being spent at the breake of day the tempest calmed when the Pilote gaue them to vnderstand that they were arriued on the Coast of Spaine which words displeased Alfernao in the hearing and while he sate vttering silent complaints to himselfe the Pilote discouered the Cittie of Malaga which then was helde and kept by the Turkes then the Prince tooke Arlencea by the hand and led her foorth on the hatches to shew her the land when causing her to sit downe he desired her that she would report vnto him after what manner he was brought into the Shippe wherein he had slept so long without knowledge of himselfe Worthie Syr aunswered Arlencea so that it shall please you to let all former angrie occasions passe and pardon what I say in your Knightly courtesie you shall be resolued in your earnest desire and therewith assuring you that Loue hath brought mee into such estate and hath mooued such a forcible affection in mée towardes you so as I will not conceale any iote of the trueth from you Then shée recounted at large the whole enterprise of Collambra and the aged Knight Alfernao whose treason did so astonish the Prince as hee brake foorth into these spéeches Madame the desire wherewith I came to doe you seruice did not deserue the vnkinde dealing wherewith you haue vsed me but since it is so that my trauaile hath béene imployed in vaine I desire you to affoord me so much fauour as to report the guile whereby Alfarnao brought me hither who I knowe was perswaded to commit me to the cruelty of your Mother which should be so great towardes me as nothing would content her but my death And let it not offend you that I goe into my chamber to arme my selfe because I will compell all these in your company vnder my obeysance and this you may perswade your selfe that I will not forget your gentlenesse in any trauaile whatsoeuer but will maintaine your excellency being so bound by your good desertes whereto Arlencea thus replyed My Lord I desire you to consider that your singular courtesie ioyned with the vnfained good will I beare you caused mee to discouer this damnable treason intended against you which I thought too vnkind for him to whom I could find in my hart to submit my selfe in recompence whereof I desire you would remember that I shall not onely loose the presence of Collambra
deliuered out of the grieuous passions wherein I haue long time remained for you shall vnderstand that the Knight whom you haue conquered is the very same that flew my brother Doriell for whose death the King my father liueth in extreame heauinesse The knight of the Tiger marking her words spake in this order to his friend Siluian I sée wel it is more dangerous to fall into the hands of a woman who is desirous of vengeance then to deale with a hundred good and hardy knights Wherefore I pray thée take my horse a while and I will goe sée if by my entreatance his life may be saued Then came he to the Bridge and desired the Knight of the Bull that would not offer the knight any more cruelty and turning to the Princesse Armisia he saluted her with these spéeches Madame if any anciant enmitie causeth you to desire the death of this Knight I pray you admit to memorie that a Lady of so great calling as you are ought not to be void of lenitie and pittie and chiefely at such a time when you haue most power to execute the extremitie of your will And if my reasons be not sufficient to appease your anger I pray you yet consider with your selfe that no persons vse crueltie where they may shew pittie but they repent themselues afterward when their collericke moode is ouerblowne and past The honest and vertuous language of the knight of the Tiger had not the power to mooue any pittie in the Princesse Armisia but she commanded the knight of the Bull that he should cut off the head of her enemie then the Prince gaue her these wordes I promise you Madame if neither pittie nor perswasion may preuaile with you I will stand such an eye-sore in your way my selfe as you shall not execute your malicious humour I would with all my heart said the Knight of the Bull that it might please the Princesse to grant this knight his life but since you presume so boldly to defend him I will not refuse albeit I am so sore wounded to let you vnderstand that you neither can nor shall hinder me in fulfilling what my Lady hath commanded The knight of the Tiger did not vse these wordes to the end that hee would enter the Combate with Pompides but onely to change the rigorous humour of Armisia and because he saw the Knight in such danger But such was the cruell minde of the Princesse as shée continued still in one song calling for the head of the vanquished knight Adraspe who with the great expence of his blood and griefe to sée the wreakefull will of Armisia ended his life while the knight of the Tiger and Pompides were preparing themselues to the Combat Armisia séeing Adraspes was dead could not be yet contented therewith because his head was not smitten off as she commanded Wherefore because Pompides did not accomplish what she willed him shée flang away in a furie and went into her Chamber Pompides who was brought into great extremitie for her loue did so grieue at her departure as he was constrained to set him downe vpon the bridge but the knight of the Tiger perceiuing his heauines tooke pitty on him and came to comfort him which Pompides séemed to disdaine because he iudged that his presence procured his misfortune Siluian séeing his maister not returne came walking with his horse before the bridge whom Pompides hauing espied he knew presently that the knight of the Tiger was the renowed Palmerin of England in which perswasion for the great ioy hee conceiued he came to him with these words I am well assured my gratious Lord that the comfort I receiued at this present instant will deface and extinguish all my former mishaps Palmerin tooke off his Helmet and hauing imbraced Pompides beganne to perswade him in good hope of his Lady who had no sooner forgotten her anger but shee reprooued her selfe of great vnkindnesse and then shee sent to intreate Pompides that he would pardon her and if so it were his pleasure to bring the knight into her house with him whoō she saw so familiar with him Pompides vnderstanding the will of the Princesse took his brother by the hand and walked into his Chamber where when they were vnarmed the Princesse came her selfe to visit them entring into these spéeches to the knight of the Tiger I beséech you Sir knight to excuse me in that I made no more account of your honest and courteous words for I assure you the great danger wherein I was at that instant would not suffer me to regard any perswasion whatsoeuer but onely to reuenge my selfe on my cruell enemy And because you shal not conceiue any ill opinion of me I will tell you for what cause I enuied the Knight so much You shall vnderstand Sir that I am the daughter of Meliadus the king of Scots in whose Court Adraspe the eldest son to the Duke of Sizana whom Pompides hath slaine beganne to waxe very amourous of me but because I knew him to bée one of very bad conditions I made no regard of his earnest suite Neuerthelesse he was so importunate and voyde of reason as he would not be answered Wherupon I was constrained to complaine to the Prince Doriell my Brother of whom when Adraspe perceiued himselfe to bee hated and despised he practised which way he might best be reuenged on him and following his secret trayterous intent it was not long after before he had the opportunitie for to execute his mallicious stomacke It so chanced that one day my brother and he had appointed to walke abroade together when Adraspe being priuily armed and hauing at hand such as prouided for his purpose he slew my Brother whose death the King my father could not accomplish to reuenge because hée should then deale with one of the chéefest Princes of his Realme and his best assured friend Yet was not his heart frée from continuall vexation in respect that nature could not otherwise chuse which I pittying and willing to assist my father to the vttermost I could I left the Court and caused this house to be erected in this place which being the chiefest passage in all this Realme I enterprised to haue some valiant Knight defend this Birdge promising to marry with him if he could be so happie as to kill Adraspe And he as he was alwayes accustomed bearing a proude and loftie minde would oftentimes come to show himselfe here onely to vexe me with the remembrance of my Brothers death and still hee would Combatte with my Knights being euermore so fortunate as to vanquish and kill them But after the knight of the Bull tooke this charge vpon him Adraspe who had heard of his noble prowesse remained two moneths before he could come hither againe yet at the last came to trie his Fortune against the Knight of the Bull who hath depriued him of his life as you sée and satisfied my wil that made me to ordaine this custome Madamy
in the Field beheld King Edward and his traine driuen to the retire for that Albayzar accompanied with thrée Giants and a number of knights séeing the Christians fore trauailed came vpon them with a fresh charge but king Edward met his proud enemie with such puissance as he was glad to draw backe to rest himselfe a while assuring you that the King of England behaued himselfe so nobly in the field as the whole Christian campe reposed themselues on him Pompides Basiliart the Sage Aliart Platir Frisol Germain of Orlnance Luyman of Burgundie Rodamont Albanis of Frize Dragonalt Don Rosiran de la Bronde Tremoran Tenebrant Don Rosuell Bellizart and diuers other of the Christian Knights resisted the enemy verie valiantly and followed so fast vpon Albayzar and his company as had not fresh supplies still come they had made a notable conquest of their aduersaries Primaleon left to gouerne these the Soldane Bellagris and Blandidon went with Florendos and Floraman to the noble King Edward of England and as they would haue approched to him they espyed the Emperour Vernar and Polinard his Brother on foote enclosed with such a number of Turkes as their liues were greatly to be feared for the King of Bythinia had slaine the Emperour Vernars Horse and falling to the ground brake one of his Maisters legges in the fall so that the Emperour was faine to stand vppon one legge to defend himselfe in which hard case hee was verie neare his death but that his Brother Polinard stept presently before him and defended him with such manly prowesse as the enemy could not any way come to hurt the Emperour Primaleon séeing the misfortune of the Emperour of Allemaigne and how the Turkes sought euery way to take his life from him was so ouercome with inward griefe as the teares trickled downe his chéekes and fearing now the vtter ruine of Constantinople he ran with such courage vpon the enemies as downe they tumbled dead to the groūd on euery side of him And Florendos thought his Armour was shiuered and he had no shéeld to defend himselfe yet accompanied with the Prince Floraman he folowed his father shewing incredible prowesse Floraman setled himselfe against the king of Bithinia and preuailed so well against him as he sent him headlong to the groūd depriued of his life but Primaleon séeing Floraman to bee somewhat sore hurt desired him to withdrawe himselfe out of the Battell When the Turkes that were conducted by the king of Bythinia sawe theyr Captain slaine they beganne to retire very speedily by which meanes Primaleon recouered and mounted Polinard on Horsebacke againe but hee could not imagine howe to got the Emperour Vernar out of the field which made him aduenture with his men in such daunger as it was doubtfull he should haue fallen into his enemies hands For the king of Armenia came vppon them againe with foure thousand men hoping to recouer that which the other Kings had lost so that Primaleon was faine to alight from his Horse for the defence of the Emperour Vernar in like manner did most of the Princes and Knights fearing least any harme should come vnto the Prince and the Emperour but many of them were slaiue in this newe assault and so was the king of Armenia with fiue hundred of his best tryed Soldyers The Emperour Vernar séeing Death ready to entertaine him and that there was no meanes for him to shun it embraced it mildely and patiently but when the young Princes saw the Emperour slaine they carryed him foorth of the Fielde and brought him with great heauinesse into the Cittie which was now become in a manner desolate The most vertuous and valiant King Edward séeing himselfe left alone with the Soldane Albayzar whome hee dealt so stoutly withall as Pompides Platir and the other Princes might rest themselues and cause their Friends that were there slaine to be transported thence in the ende hee brought Albayzar into such estate as he had kilde him in the Fielde if hee had not bene the sooner reskued by the Giants that came with him Neuerthelesse hee taught him his dutie so well as hée tooke the English Prince for a very sharpe Schoolemaister While King Edward and Albayzar continued theyr Fight the night drawing on apace the Trumpets sounded the retrait so that euery one hasted vnto his Ensigne the King Edward summoned his men together they all thinking so well on theyr Generall as they iudged themselues happy to be vnder his leading and gouernment Bellagris and Primaleon brought their traines likewise to him and after they were all places in array the Christians betooke themselues to the Cittie and the Turkes returend to theyr Campe. CHAP. LXIII ¶ Of that which they did at Constantinople before they gaue the Enemies the second Battell and of the great misfortunes which hapned in the Citty amongst which chanced the vntimely death of the aged Emperour Palmerin AFter that the Christian and Pagan Princes with theyr forces on eyther side were thus retyred to theyr seuerall holds by the consent of Albayzar Palmerin the Princes and Knights that were slaine in the battell were carryed thence to be interred and theyr funeralls to be performed but for the grieuous complaints made in the Cittie for the losse of so many noble and renowned Princes I leaue them to the iudgement of the courteous Reader who must néedes thinke the griefe to be great in that Christendome receiued such a losse as in many yéeres could not be recoured againe The consideration here of entred so déepe into the aged Emperours heart as he forsooke this earthly vale of misery yéelding his soule to God and his body to the bowelles of his mother from whence it came at first at which time the enchaunted bird that he kept in his pallace sung thrée times together with a very pittifull note so that both olde and young in the Court did not alittle maruaile thereat Of this birde you may reade more at large in the notable and famous History of the Emperour Palmerins life which Booke is called Palmerin d'Oliue a History plentifully stored with discourses of singular delight being for the worthinesse thereof estéemed of many Nations as this History is likewise and therefore for the excellency of this aforesaide History and in respect it dependeth on matters briefely touched in this booke so that it is accounted as a parcell of this History I entend God ayding me to publish it shortly when I doubt not but the Gentle reader shall finde it worthy of the commendations that I haue vsed of it in this place The Obsequies and Funeralles of the Emperour were solemnized with great pompe and dignitie in like manner did they honour the Emperour of Allemainge and the other Kings that were slaine in the battaile Not many dayes after the wounded Princes found themselues in good disposition againe weerevpon they determined to enter the field because the enemies demaunded the battaile but first of all they prouided for the safegard of