of the towne their Prince and Bishoppe being his kinseman spoyling their countrie and taking their townes and bringing them to such extremitie that they were constreined to receiue their Bishoppe againe withal to appease the Duke with great summes of Money Comming thence there fell out new occasion of warres betweene him and the French king for pacification of which differentes it was agreed that the king and he should meete at Peronne there to expostulat their greefes in freendly sort one with another And that he should geue vnto the king a letter of assurance vnder his hand and seale which he did But the conclusion hereof was that the Duke being aduertised how the King had by his Embassadours secretly practised with those of Lyege to rebell tooke him prisoner and led him with him to the Citie of Lyege which being by streight confederation allyed to the King he caused after all maner of rigorous crueltie executed vpon the inhabitantes to be saccaged and burnt and then vpon new agreementes to his owne aduantage he dismissed the King In the yeere 1474. the olde Duke of Guilders being vilanously and vnnaturally taken by his Sonne Adolph and imprisoned in a dungion mooued sundry Christian Princes to compassion among the rest D. Charles who earnestly laboured to make an attonmēt betweene them but his sonne arrogantly refusing to heare of pacification was by the D. of Burgundie retayned in prison whose father shortly after dying gaue his Dukedome by Testament to Duke Charles who tooke thereof vnder this title forcible possession and those which are discended of him do yet enioy it Sweetned with this Dutchie and aspiring to greater matters in Germanie he went besieged the citie of Nuz which was succoured by the Germans and Swissers vnder the conduct of Frederike the Emperour so that he was constrained to raise his siege In despite of which assistance geuen by the Swissers he entred their Countrey with his Armie but was by them ouerthrowen and vanquished at a place called Granson This day was the first of the Dukes misfortunes with which euen vntill his dying day he was perpetually pursued Encouraged with which victorie on euerie side new forces came out of Germanie to the Armie of the Swissers the D. of Lorayne him selfe in person Yet all this dismayed not the D. of Burgundie who hauing refreshed his Armie set vpon them the seconde time at a place called Morat but was as before vanquished againe and was constreyned to flie with the losse of 8000. of his men slayne in the Feelde Presently the Duke of Lorayne marched in all expedition to Nansie that helde for the Duke of Burgundie which rendred vnto him vpon composition Within two dayes after the D. Charles arriued with an vndismayed courage and full resolution to attempt Fortune agayne Among the rest that had credite about him was one Campobache an Italian Counte at home in his countrey poore and of no reuenew but by the D. aduaunced to great commaundement in his Armie and made Captaine of 400. men at armes who seeing the cruel misfortunes befallen to his Maister began presently to enter into practise with the D. of Lorayne about the merchandize of his Maisters lyfe the price of which he made 20000. Crownes and an Earldome this he promised and the same being accepted he did as villanously performe it For this battayle of Nansie was no sooner began but he with his 400. Italian Horsemen fled to the other side the amazement of which did so terrifie the Duke of Burgundies Armie being twise alredie beaten and discouraged that they presently fledde and the Duke him selfe was found in the feeld slaine mangled with many woundes for the villaine Campobache had hired 14. or 15. of his cutthrote traytors to watch the Duke at an inch to the ende that he would be sure he should not escape Mary his onely daughter and heire succeding her father in the Dukedomes of Burgundie and Brabant and the Earledomes of Flaunders Henault Artois Holland Zeland Frizland c. was by the consent of her Subiectes especially those of Gaunt in whose hands since her fathers death she had remained maried to young Maximilian Archduke of Austria and sonne to Frederike the Emperour of that name the third to whom hauing borne three children Philippe Margaret Francis who in his infancie deceassed she died in the fairest springing blossom of her youth being not aboue .xxiij. yeeres of age lies buried at Bruges Some do attribute her death to the fal of an Horse true it is she fell but the Author who was of great authoritie about her doth rather attribute it to some greeuous impression of sorow Philippe de Comines likewise seemeth to doubt whether she died of that fall or no. Don Iohn second of that name king of Castile had in first mariage Mary daughter to Ferdinand K. of Arragon by her he had a sonne called Henrie that succeded him and a daughter that died young His wife dying he tooke in second marriage Isabell daughter to Don Iohn infant of Portingale by whom he had a sonne called Alonso that died young and a daughter called Isabell and then dying in the yeere 1454. was by his sonne Henrie the. 4. succeeded in the royaltie who maried Iane daughter to Edward King of Portingale who bare vnto him a daughter likewise called Iane who though she proued a Princesse of much wisedome great beautie and many other excellent partes yet through a rumour of the Kinges impotencie in matter of generation Isabel sister to the king was by her faction proclaimed Heire apparant to the Crowne the young Princesse declared to be a bastard begotten vpon the Queene by Don Beltran D. of Abuquerque and by and by a mariage motioned betweene young Ferdinand Prince of Arragon and the Lady Isabell which was effected priuately in Duenas These matters were greeuous vnto the king but remedie it he could not In the ende he died and Ferdinand and Isabell were without contradiction obeyed in Castile which reprochfull iniurie the poore Princesse bearing with exceeding patience though many great mariages were offered her refused them all and betooke herselfe to a Monastery wherin she ended peaceably her dayes They began their reigne in the yeere 1474. and continued the same many yeeres in great glorie both of warre and peace They expelled the Moores out of Spaine and subdued the kingdome of Naples deliuering thereof a quiet possession to their successors which yet do enioy it They had betweene them a sonne whose name was Iohn a Prince of exceeding towardnes or rather singular perfection They maried him to Margaret daughter to Maximilian of Austria by the Lady Mary the before remembred Dutchesse of Burgundy but soone after the marriage he dyed for whom there was made such exceeding lamentation as by report of sundry Authors the like in the worlde was neuer heard of for besids the dolefull mourning of the Nobilitie Gentlemen so generall a greefe was
THE RESOLVED Gentleman Translated out of Spanishe into Englyshe by Lewes Lewkenor Esquier Nel piu bel vedere Cieco Imprinted at London by Richarde Watkins 1594. OMNE â—† BONVÌ„ â—† SVPERNE Maur. Kyffin to the Reader SEe heere layd open to thy sight and sence Th' Error and Terror of this wretched Life Thy many Foes the meanes for thy Defence The glorious End succeeding all this strife Learn to redeeme the precious Time heere lent thee Shunne false allurements and Courts subtilitie Resolue herein Of thine amisse repent thee So maist thou vanquish Chance and Debilitie This Allegorie shaped first in French And thence transferd into Castilian verse Conteining Rules our follies to retrench Lewknor by Metaphrase doth heere reherse Him vertue Armes and Languages adorn Hatefull reproouers he may iustly scorn Le Temps s'en va INforced cause vnfayned Loue proue both constaints in mee To raise my Muse Oh worthlesse Muse to sing the worth of thee But what I sing is that I see what I assured euer Hopes of your freends are springing stil sweete Lewes do stil perseuer And though nor Armes oh losse of Arme nor Muses now are minded Dispayre not freend men worthy know that now the time is blinded And as this perfect subiect shewes the subiect of thy minde So this pretends vnto thy frends more resteth yet behinde Thou leaust the Warres so wills thy freends leaue not the Muses name All is not lost though now likd least what left is vnto fame And rest not heere but still run on we longing are for more Great are thy guiftes yet geue vs still thou lesnests not thy store Rob. Dillington TO THE MOST HONORABLE AND VERTVOVS LADY THE LADY ANNE COVNTESSE OF WARWYCKE GReat Alexander excellent Lady in nothyng more delyghted then in the reading of warlyke discourses especially and aboue the rest with greatest affection he embraced the Iliades of Homer beholdyng therein as in a cleere looking glasse lyuely set foorth and deciphred in the person of Achilles the excellent vertues of his owne inuincible minde Traian lykewyse founde nothyng that so much pleased him as the morall preceptes and phylosophicall discourses of Plinie Neither is this affection peculiar onely to Princes but in a maner to the most part of men chiefly to delight in those discourses that to the qualitie of their humors are best agreeing In which regarde consideryng the sympathie betweene the noble vertues of your worthy minde and the most pure intentions of the Authour expressed in this Treatise I thought I coulde not to any more worthyly offer the patronage of this my poore translation entreating of a minde vertuously resolued then to your Ladyship whose pietie zeale religion and vertue haue placed you in that high seate of the worldes opinion that there is nothyng among all degrees sortes and sexes more honored nothyng more admired nothyng more applauded Accept therefore good Madame with your wonted fauour this poore Translation the greatest part of whose best substance is your owne as lyuely though vnder the shadowe of other names representyng the innated vertues of your owne noble minde I owe you many other dueties aswell in regarde of your many honorable fauours and continuall redinesse to do me good in Court since my first commyng to her Maiesties seruice as also of the infinite obligations which not onely I but also my Father and sundry of my frendes do owe vnto the memory of your noble deceassed Husbande and his most worthy and euer memorable Brother which I wyll rather endeuour alwayes to witnesse with an euer duetifull and obsequious remembrance then to endeere with any vayne circumstances of enforcing wordes And thus good Madame wyshing you happines and honor to the full measure of your vertues and mee to my wyll occasion and ablenesse to do you seruice I take in all humblenesse my leaue Your Ladyships euer most faythfully at commaundement Lewes Lewkenor To the Reader THis Treatise was first written in French by an ancient Knight of Burgundy called Olyuer de La Marche a man that both in matter of warre and peace bare great sway with Philip Duke of Burgundy and after him lykewise with Duke Charles his sonne whom in all his warres he neuer abandoned and was lastly with him at the vnfortunate battayle of Nancy in the yeere 1476. where by the Duke of Lorayne and the Swyssers he was ouerthrowen and slayne After this he had great charge and authoritie vnder his daughter the Lady Mary sole inheritrix of all the Dukes great estates and Prouinces who maryed Maximilian Archduke of Austria afterwardes elected Emperour to whom leauing two chyldren a sonne and a daughter she dyed shortly after some say of the fall from a Horse But this Authour who bestought to know the trueth sayth that it was through the inwarde conceyte of an excessiue sorow But once such was the greefe that he conceyued of her death and of the two other before named Princes vnder whom he had been brought vp that he retyred himselfe from administration of great matters to a quiet lyfe and in his solitarinesse composed this Treatise It hath been since translated into sundry Languages and among the rest by Don Hernando de Acunia into Spanysh verse and dedicated vnto the Emperour Charles the fifth whose translation I do here folow because I coulde neuer yet lyght on any of the French originals It seemeth that the Spanyarde in some places much altered the Authors meaning adding taking away according to his owne fancy and fitnes of the tyme in which he translated it as both by the sequele of this discourse appeareth as also by his Epistle to the Emperour which I haue here prefixed Some perchaunce may blame me of hauing done the Author whom I folow wrong by translating into an vneloquent barren Prose his excellent conceyte expressed in such heroicall Verse and beautified with so many fayre Tables purtraictes marueylously delighting with the varietie of the one and the sweetnesse of the other both the eare and the eye of the reader To this I answere with the confession of my fault that it is true and withall that this matter being for the most part allegoricall had in deede been farre better to haue been handled in verse Neuerthelesse I doubt not but those that do more esteeme substance then shadowes wyll lyke neuer the worse of the matter for being delyuered in a playne speach Neyther had mine Authour yf he were alyue any great cause to be angry with me seeing I haue bestowed an Englysh habite vpon him such as it is though it be no way comparable to the beautie of that wherewith he was in his owne countrey language attyred As for new fangled fickle conceyted heads that whensoeuer they reade any thing neuer go farther then the rynde my sliking of euery thing how vertuous matter soeuer it conteyne that thundreth not into their eares with a lofty tempest of words I would earnestly request them and that more in regarde of their owne
But then twise wounded Accident enraged and betweene feare and furie desperate shall strike the triumphant King so cruel a blow with his Sworde of Distemperature that though styll remayning in courage inuicible yet shall he in his health and strength finde him selfe greatly impayred Neuerthelesse drawing the weakenesse of his body vp to the worthynesse of his mynde he shall enforce him selfe styll to mainteyne the fight tyll traytor Debilitie mercilesse like a preuayling cowarde shall while the King contendeth with Accident powre downe vpon him with all his violence so vnreliueable a blow of remedilesse Sicknesse that the neuer-before yeelding Prince shall now seeing such he knoweth to be the diuine pleasure with a quiet yet magnanimous resolution couering him selfe with his Target enrich the earth with the noble burden of his fallyng body and the heauens with his freed soule empouerishing onely the worlde whose griefe for his losse shalbe such as though the greatest pyller thereof being gone it coulde not but attende a speedie ensuing downefal and ruine But herewith as Sommons woulde haue proceeded in his wofull hystorie I feeling my very soule ouerburdened with an insupportable greatnesse of sorow entreated him to spare my alredie enough miserable eares and not to afflict them with hearing of further tragedies but yf euer he would do me pleasure then to shorten the time of my prolonged combat For alas what shoulde I miserable wretch that I am desire to lyue or wherein should life be sweete vnto me seeing the glorious lights of the worlde so soone extinguished no vertue no wysedome no loue no honour no beautie no conquest no nobilitie no goodlinesse no scepter no force no prayer being able to stay the stryking hand of vnmercifull DEATH Whereunto Sommons replying I had thought fayd he to haue reuealed vnto you two future Combats more of two great and Princely aduenturers The one of the most valourous and towardly young Prince of the worlde eldest sonne and successor to this great Englysh King The beames of whose sayre rising Sunne shall no sooner begin to glimmer in our Orizon but they shall warme the whole worlde with his loue The other of his eldest daughter lykewise succeding him in the royall Diademe who wereby Accident both soone depriued of their lyues and dispossessed of their thrones But seeing thee alredie of apprehensiue of forow and afflicted with such extremitie of passion I will forbeare to perplex thy eares with any farther griefe yet woulde not I haue thee to repine at the diuine ordinance For though the Almightie in his secrete iudgement shall thinke good to depriue the worlde of these most excellent Princes yet shal he not leaue it altogeather desconsolate and abandoned For he shal blesse the perished Princes with successors of such worthinesse that lyke true heyres as wel of the Vertues as Crownes of their predecessours they shal afresh brighten the worldes obscured face and with the goodly shyning of their wel deserued glorie returne the estate thereof into the former blisfulnesse But aboue all the rest so shall he ennoble the memorie of the late Englysh Monarch with so excellent and glorious a DAVGHTER that in her alone shalbe seene vnited all the seuerally dispersed Vertues that made so glorious the forenamed Princes in so much that all the worlde with one agreeing consent shal proclayme her to be the most admirable Princesse that euer lyued And which is a thing not of the lightest consideration but perchaunce one of the greatest wonders that euer any age hath seene In her onely shal not Fortune contende with Vertue but contrarie to her nature lyke a submisse and willing Handmayde attende vpon her noble desires constantly effecting them yea sometimes in things most rare and marueylous Likewise there shalbe so sweete a consent so fit a proportion betweene the great richesse of her minde and the fayre ornaments of her body that as the one shal atteine to the height and perfection of fortitude wisedome temperance iustice and all other diuine vertues wherewith a royall minde should be garnished so shall the other in goodly lyneamentes and beautifull features so without all degree of comparison surmount the rest of her sex that the worldes eye shal neuer more beholde a sweeter and more louely obiect as being in deede Delitiae humani Generis singular in her selfe and excellent beyonde al comparison And to make vp the full poynt of her happinesse as she shal both in rules of gouernment and vertue of gouerning serue to all Christian Princes as an excellent Paterne and example preseruing her Subiectes in a quiet estate full of reposefull blessednesse when round about her some through the tyranous exactions of their Prince and some through the vnskilful gouernment of their Prince and some through his negligent and contemptible loosenesse shall murther them selues with mutuall woundes and be torne within them selues to peeces As she I say shall by her princely care and prudent foresight maynteine her Subiectes in this calme securitie of vntroubled peace so shal they againe with so quiet and unmurmuring a course of faythful obedience loue and honour her that she if euer any Prince shalbe blessed in her Subiectes and they yf euer any Subiectes blessed in their Prince But which is strangest comming to the royal Diademe in the fayre youthful spring of her virgins yeeres she shall finde the estate of her Realme diuided in faction differing in religion and through the troubles of the late preceeding gouernement exceedingly discontented All which incōueniences being by the vnfortunate successe of the former gouernment wherein the Sworde was more employed then the Scepter styrred vp and in apparance tending to some feareful and dangerous issue she shal with the sweete breathing gale of her well tempered Mildnesse so pacifie alay and vtterly extinguish that she shal reduce her Subiectes from the deepest degree of constreyned feare to the highest pytch of faythful loue and duetiful obedience that euer Prince was honored withal Neither shall her inuincible armes in iustly vndertaken Warres abrode be lesse glorious vnto her then this her admirable Peace and iustice in ciuill gouernment at home Neyther shall be most warlike nations of Europe onely as Spayne Portugall France Scotlande and Irelande but euen the remotest regions and concealed partes of either Tropique the frozen Poles and the middle burning Zone be constreyned to bow vnto the victorious Englishe Enseignes nothing being more rife in the mouthes of men yea as well of the farthest Indians and sauage people as of the proude neighbouring nations then the name of great ELIZABETH written in the blood of those that resist and the pardoned lyues of those that yeelde of all victories the fayrest register and best enduring monument To recount vnto you the seuerall egregious victories that shee shall giue both by sea and land to the most fierce and warlike nations that then shall possesse the world were fitter for the large relation of a Chronicle then this my short
sacrament of Baptisme in your forhead that your speede cannot be but good and glorious But now seeing you wel prouided of armes defensiue I thinke it not amisse to prouide you likewise of such as may hurt offende and terrifie your enemie Ordinarily whosoeuer is chalenged may choose to fight a foote or a horsebacke as he shal for his aduantage finde fittest But so diffrent is this your fight from the nature of other Combats that it is to be fought by your selfe alone and that on foote neither if it were otherwise would I haue you trust to your Horse or to any other helpe But euen that you do do it of your selfe I meane in doing workes of Charitie and bestowing Almes for your soules health while your selfe is liuing for when you are dead small auaile will the good workes done by your heires yeelde you neither as the worlde goeth will they be greatly carefull of any such performance Alwayes prouided that for the securer passage to the place appoynted you take Baptisme whom at your birth you vowed neuer to denie for your Padrine He will yeelde you valoure courage and contentment and to your enemie terrour sadnesse and amazement such and so preheminent is the force of this excellent Sacrament Let your Casting-dart be surely steeled with a head of feruent Deuotion your Speare Remembrance of his Death that with his Blood redeemed you your Dagger with a sharpe and wel pearcing point of a pure vigorous and true catholique Faith and your Targuet of vertuous Example witnessed by good Workes And seeing you want now nothing but a Sworde let the same be of Iustice keene and wel edged doing vnto others as you woulde be done vnto your selfe But especially and aboue all looke as I said that these your Harnesse and Weapons be without delay yea without the losse of one moment tempered by true and wel grounded Repentance who for such a conflict is of all others an armourer most excellent Stande not vpon Inconueniences nor be not pulled backe with Worldly lets nor terrified with Charges but be diligent and looke well about you it is no matter of mine it concerneth yourselfe neither is there any freende or kinsman in the worlde how deere soeuer vnto you that will or may fight this Combat for you Good father quoth I I hartely thanke you for these your so louing and zelous aduertisments which haue alredy taken so deepe an impression in my minde that I hope through Gods goodnesse I shalbe able in some part to execute and performe them Yet because there must be a preparation and meane while betweene this the time of my Combat I pray you tell me how I shoulde behaue and exercise my selfe to be the better able to withstande the dreadfull approche of my Death-bringing enemie Nay quoth he whether there shalbe any meane while or time of preparation giuen you that onely knoweth the Diuine prouidence For you may chaunce to be sommoned euen while you are now speaking Therefore I wish you not to be vnresolute or long in preparing but to put your selfe presently in redinesse seeing the thing that by delay you do put in hazarde is no lesse then the eternall weale or woe of your soule which is either to be glorified with blisfull and euer-during ioyes or els to be condemned to the ragefull neuer-ceasing tormentes of hell fire Woebe vnto them that making hereof but a skoffe and iest do hazarde so great a treasure as their soule vpon so hard a iumpe as to delay preparation in so important a matter especially the time and sodainnesse thereof being so vncertaine Yet if it so fall out that there be any space of preparation or amendement which the goodnesse of the heauens graunt you I would haue you to spende the same in vertuous exercise and practise of your fore-described weapons Adioyne vnto them the often vse of feruent Prayer not onely with an outward wagging of your lippes but also with an inwarde weeping of your hart Rise earely in the morning least the nights darknesse at vnawares ouertake you Stop as neare as you can your fiue sensual powers from hearing seeing touching tasting or consenting to any Wickednesse fraile sensualitie or blasphemous impietie Slumber not drowsilie in Sinne but watchfully arise by true Contrition and vnfeigned Repentance As your appetite so let your tongue be temperately vsed Besides for the better enabling of your body against the endurance of fight I woulde haue you still be wrestling and skirmishing against such Champions as haue the chiefest fame for strength and power such are Pride Enuie Gluttonie Couetousnesse Slouth Anger and Sensualitie which doing and keeping your body cleane in breath with the sober diet of a vertuous and harmeles Life doubt not but cheerefully go on to the Combat for by Gods grace howsoeuer if fareth with your bodily life your better part shall triumph in glorious victorie and in despite of raging Lucifer and all his adherents purchase eternall saluation If there be any warde or poynt of defence that you doubt off repaire vnto some godly Father reuerend Priest of Christ his Church and he will sufficiently aduise you for such are the Maisters of Fence whose counsayle in these cases you must vse Good Father quoth I I finde great consolation in your speeches but now you haue tolde me what maner of Armes I must vse and what exercise I shoulde enterteine my selfe withall till the time of my Combat I pray you tell me yet a litle more how I shall behaue my selfe when I come to the paynefull poynt within the List or Barrier You haue not made this demaunde quoth he without great cause and reason for in deede such shalbe in that perilous conflict the trouble of your senses and terrour of your enemie conspiring all his wilinesse and force to your ouerthrow that it wilbe hard for you to retayne a constant behauiour especially seeing your selfe frustrated of all worldly helpe No one of your tendrest harted frendes will excuse you nor helpe to fight on your side yea perchance your parentes children and neerest freendes shall not at such disaduantage may you be taken be present to be vnto you witnesses of combat or meanes of comfort Therefore reposing no trust or confidence in any other helpe or assistance flie onely vnto GOD with a fast and feruent Fayth imploring his grace through the precious death and blessed merites of his onely Sonne our Sauiour with the contemplatiue meditation of whose holy crosse and bitter passion yf you do fortifie your hart and senses be assured that you shall therewith easily daunt and confounde your enemie Alwayes desire of God to geue you firme stablenesse in Fayth whose assistance being ioyned with mine I trust that in strength we shalbe able to vpholde you But withall for your greater securitie and repose I woulde haue you take with you a resting seate of Satisfaction which is in making Restitution and doing Right to whom
so euer you haue wronged forgeeuing and desiring of all the worlde forgiuenesse When you come to take your Othe sweare that you receiued Baptisme by vertue whereof you are a Christian in which Fayth you determine to liue and die and which quarell you do most willingly offer your present body to mainteyne against your aduersarie who not satisfied with the desolution of your body will also with tempting and frightfull suggestion seeke the destruction of your soule Presently will your aduersarie come foorth and sweare full of hopefull assurance that you are the childe of Adam and subiected vnto Death Which ransome for the remedie of original sinne it pleased Christ the sonne of God by taking on him our humanitie him selfe to pay And as the warie Champion when he beginneth to fight will as neare as he can take his aduantage of the Sunne so likewise be you circumspect so to appeare within the Listes that you be no way offensiue to the glistering of the diuine goodnesse The Iudge of this your Combat shalbe the euerliuing Righteousnesse and therefore looke that you be vnto him fearefully Obedient firmlie and constantlie Beleeuing in him with a true Worship and adoration of his sacred name That shalbe vnto you a strong Shielde of defence against all whatsoeuer inconuenience and with such a securitie any feeblenesse is strong and forcible If you finde your selfe ouertaken with any sodaine faintnesse confusion or amazement of your senses flie presently to the blessed refuge of his infinite and endlesse Mercy wherein assure yourselfe you shall finde all refreshing contentment and quiet consolation of your vnrestfull senses for who so in that passage of Terror forgeteth not but remembreth with due honor and reuerence his maker and redeemer can neuer be ouerthrowen or vanquished such is his owne promise witnessed in the holy Scriptures which we must firmely and stedfastly beleeue And withall note this that the first steppe to true Life is a godly Death Be not rashe in your fight but mooue yourselfe with a wel aduised and leisurely Resolution See that you employ well your blowes strike not any of them vainely at the winde and then though your breath chaunce to faile you feare not for if you obserue these precepts of mine I assure you the Glory of the day shalbe yours But first for a sure safe conduct and protection against all mischieues I would haue you reuerently to receyue the blessed Sacrament of Christ his supper and so shall you be assured to conquer your enemie at whose sight be not terrified or amazed but with a patient magnanimitie obey your good Angell whom God hath appointed for your garde I haue now no more to say but if you do beleeue effectually follow these my counsells you shalbe eternally safe if not you will incurre the daunger of a double death both in bodie and soule Thus did the reuerend Hermite with zealous instructions teach me the way to euerlasting life when yet in my minde did arise a new doubt and question which but for feare to haue bin accōpted ouer-curious I would haue entreated him to explane vnto me which hee perceyuing willed me not to be dismayed but boldly and freely to vtter my conceipt Whereuppon I earnestly entreated him to tell me if there were not any certaine signes or tokens to foreknow the time that Atropos should appoint for triall of this combat Debilitie sayd he will shortly send you warning hereof by his messengers and Accident likewise by his But as I tolde you before there is in this no certentie for they perchance will take you so short and so of a sodaine that you shall haue no leysure to put on your armour The best therefore is to haue a watchfull eye and to be euer redy The first Vant-currors that commonly will bring you tidings hereof wilbe your eyes when you must be fayne to supply their decayed sight with Spectacles For nothing more euidently foresheweth the nights approching darknesse then the dayes decreasing cleernesse Your eares likewise when they must be furred and stopt with cotten may serue in steede of an Alarum bell or Trumpet to sommon you to present your selfe vnto the fielde Your head also and your handes like trustie seruants will by their feeblenesse and trembling giue you warning of your approaching danger Neither will your legs once so well proportioned and with such delicate streightnesse supporting the stately burthen of your so much beloued body be behind hereof to giue you aduertisement when they must craue the assistance of a staffe to performe their office The decaying of these limmes senses and members is an assured token that you cannot long holde out Therefore still I aduise you as neere as you can to seeke with your soule those ioyes that will neuer faile nor corrupt as for the body the ende thereof is corruption and the truest repose the graue Besides these rehearsed messengers there are thousands of griefes sickenesses woundes mischances and infirmities that will serue for heralds to sommon and chalenge you to this deadly point and sorowful passage you speake of Herewith the aged father ending his discourse tooke his leaue of me and departed leauing me though greatly comforted with his encouragements instructions yet sorowfull and heauie for his departure But seeing there was no other remedie gathering together in my memory all these passed discourses I arose and determined to write truely and sincerely the passages and aduentures of my life euen as I had felt and passed them and thereuppon I made this litle treatise which I hope will finde gentle acceptance though the stile be barren especially of all those that beare vertuous mindes and are according to the title of this litle booke true Resolued Gentlemen To them I offer it in charitable loue hoping that the vertue of my honest meaning shall ennoble the poorenesse of my guift Heauie thoughtes and most iustly conceaued griefe moued me first to beginne it now it is ended I beseeche the almightie that comfort profite and contentment may betide those that shall reade it I haue and in my iudgement not without some reason adorned it with the title of the true Resolued Gentleman whose aduentures I beseech you well to note that do vouchsafe the reading heereof for euen such wilbee the course of your encountres such the ende as heere vnder the name of an other you see represented For in fine all worldly pompe Beautie magnificence and what els soeuer the world hath goodly or admirable turneth to rottennesse and corruption and Death enemie to nature equalleth scepters with mattocks and king with beggers Once againe I beseeche you accept this litle Treatise in good parte if not for the worth thereof yet for his sake Qui taunt ha suffert Who so much hath suffred La Marche This Tretise was first written in French by Sir Olyuer de la Marche in the yeere of our Lord. 1483. A briefe explanation of some
Histories but obscurely touched by the Author in this Treatise which I thought fitte to annex for the greater delight of those that shall reade it especially Gentlewomen and those that are vnacquainted with such historicall discourses There are some sacred Histories which I do but brieflie touch referring the Reader for the better vnderstanding them to the holy Bible whence they are taken imagining that they are or at least ought to be familiarly knowen to all CAIN through enuie that the offering of his brother Abel was more pleasing and acceptable vnto God then his murdered him and was the first that embrewed his handes with humane blood Sampson being by Delilah entreated to tell him wherein the greatnes of his strength consisted discouered it vnto her and was by her betrayed vnto the Philistians who tooke him and put out his eyes brought him downe to Azzah bound him with fetters and made him to grinde in the prison house and when they were merrie in a banket they called him one day foorth in derision and set him betweene two Pillars which grasping in his armes he pulled downe and together with the same the Pallace burying vnder the ruines thereof himselfe and an innumerable number of the Philistians Hercules the famous Grecian begotten by Iupiter vpon Alcumena wife of Amphitrion extreamely louing the beautifull virgin Deianira daughter to Oeneus King of Calidonia comming to her fathers Court to demaunde her in mariage with the terrour of his presence caused sundrie youthful Princes that pursued her loue to desist their suite Onely K. Achelaus preferring his loue to the delicious Princesse before all death and danger whatsoeuer refused to yeelde his clayme and interest to youthfull Hercules but after scornefull wordes vpbrayding him of bastardie came to ioyne with him in Armes but being wounded ouerthrowen was constreined to yeelde and to leaue the young Ladie as a rewarde to the victorie of Hercules who rauished with extreamnesse of ioy returning with his beloued pray to his fathers Kingdome was retarded by the ouerflowing of the Riuer Euenus about the shoares of which as he walked to see if he coulde finde any Foorde or passage he met with Nessus a Centaure who bearing from the girdle vpwarde the shape of a Man and thence downwarde of an Horse was exceedingly enflamed with the loue of Deianira and with an humble dissembled looke offered so Hercules coulde make shift to swimme or passe the riuer himselfe that he would vppon his backe safely transport his Lady Hercules thankfully accepted his offer committing vnto him his fearfully trembling Lady and throwing off his quiuer and bowe to the farther side of the riuer betooke himselfe vnto the streame which hauing past and taken vp againe his bow and arrowes he heard his Lady in lamentable accent cry for helpe with whom the trayterous Centaure ran away with all possible speede but Hercules taking heedfully his leuell pursued him in such sort with an Arrow that he strake him in the chine of the backe a mortall wound which Nessus feeling in the instant of death meditating reuēge gaue vnto Deianeira the shirt which he ware bestained and infected with his owne blood which issued out of his body mingled with poyson because the arrow with which he was wounded had bin by Hercules dipped in the contagious blood of the serpent Hydra which shirte he tould her that if she should at any time send vnto her husband when he should be in loue with any other Lady would reclame his loue from the other to her alone The Lady receiued it and with secrecie many yeeres did keepe it as a iewell of rare and singular price It happened after that Hercules amid his great victories with fame of which he filled the world chaunced to beholde the admirable Iole the fairest and most goodly virgin that the world in that age affoorded Her he honored and loued and at length obteined The greefe of which so deeply wounded the gentle hart of Deianeira that neuer poore Lady liued more abandoned ouer to sorow One day it chaunced that her husbande being to doe sacrifice to Iupiter vpon the mountaine Ceneus sent vnto her his faithfull and trusty seruant Licas for certaine rich and sacred garments that of purpose he kept to were at such times as he did sacrifice vnto the gods The innocent Lady sent him those superstitious ornaments which he required and withall bethinking herselfe of the dying Centaurs gift sent him by Licas the enuenomed shirt beseeching him for her sake to weare it which he had no sooner put on but the venom so ragingly pearsed euen to his very intrals that thinking to teare it of he pulled therewith away great gobbets of his owne flesh and so furiously laying handes vpon guiltlesse Licas and tearing him to peeces bequeathing to his deare freend Philoctetes his bowe and fatall arrowes he threw himselfe into a fire which he had made vpon the mountaine Oeta and there sacrificed him selfe which Deianeira hearing after many detestations and maledictions of her selfe concluded with a violent and desperat death her miserable and hated life Iulius Caesar hauing victoriously brought vnder the yoke of the Romane empire Germanie Fraunce England Scotland and Spaine and filled the whole circuit of the world with the greatnes of his renowne demaunded by letters the Consulship suborning and brybing with money in that behalfe sundry great personages in Rome but so formidable grew the report of his ambitious greatnes to the Romaine senate that they sent him worde that if he would leaue his forces behinde and come vnarmed and peaceable to the citie they would graunt that or any other his lawful request but perticularly they commaunded him not to passe the riuer of Rubicon with his armie threatning him if he should otherwise do to holde him as an enemie to his countrie but he scornefully disdaining this commaundement of theirs and exceedingly enuying the greatnesse of Pompeis glory who bare the greatest sway and gouernment at Rome passed the Riuer with his armie and came still conquering vp into Italy the terror of whose approche wrought such astonishment in Rome that Pompie with the greatest part of the Senatours and nobilitie fledde whom Caesar after hauing taken possession of Rome pursued and finally ouerthrew at the battaile of Pharsalia and thence passed conquering into Fgipt where he subdued young Potolome the K. that rose in armes against him he placed faire Cleopatra in the royall seate with whom he liued a while in amorous delights and had by her a sonne called Casario who was afterwardes murdered by Octauian thence hauing taken order with matters of the Orient he returned in triumph to Rome where he vsed incredible liberalities to the people pardoning his greatest enemies and those that had been sharpest in warre against him yea and some of them he honored with great dignities as among others Cassius and Brutus who were both made Pretors But so vnsure is the seat of honor especially being
wrongfully vsurped that no folowing vertue can promise securitie to him that therein sitteth for Caesar in the heigth of his glory when he knew no enemie to feare was of a sodaine ouertaken by a secret conspiracie of his freendes among which were also Brutus and Cassius the first of which he loued so well that he had in his testament ordeined him to be one of his heires in fine he was by them inhumanely murdered in the senate house directly vnder a piller whereuppon stoode the statue of Pompie he had receyued many aduertisements of this conspiracie but would not beleeue any nor yet regarde the pitifull teares of his wife Calphurnia who the night before the murder dreamed that he was slaine and murdered in her armes and therfore with al humblenesse on her knees besought him to stay at home that day which if he had done the conspiracie had been discouered and hee deliuered of danger To those that had warned him hereof he made answere that he had rather once aduenture all then still to stande in feare vsing this Latine sentence Satius est subire semel quam semper cauere When his bodie was according to the Romaine rites to be burned M. Antonius made his funerall oration which he mingled with so many passionate and pitifull speeches and at the conclusion therof with weeping eyes shewing his bloody shirt vnto the people did so stirre their mindes to so high a degree of commiseration that filling the ayre with lamentable outcries they tooke the flaming brands and ranne about the towne setting fire on the conspirators houses who fearing the furie of the enraged multitude betooke themselues to flight but few of them or none escaped punishment by one violent death or other Much more might bee saide of this worthie Prince but his story is so common that I feare me this which is alredy done will rather breede tediousnesse then delight Antipater beeing by Alexander the great left in Macedon with the Queene Olympias in maner as vizroy and gouernour of the kingdome behaued himselfe with such insolence seueritie that sundry cōplaints were brought to Alexander of him of which Antipater hearing sent his sonne Cassander into Asia to make his excuses who vpō his first arriual seeing certaine Persians prostrating themselues at the feete of Alexander adoring him as a god fel into an extremitie of laughter being himselfe nourished in the strict discipline of Greece and vtterly vnacquainted with the Persian ceremonie in honoring their kinges at which Alexander who now accompted his country maner vnciuill and barbarous and delighted exceedingly in the honors done him by the Persians was kindled with so great a fury that taking Cassander in his armes he did beate his head against the walles rebuking him with many bitter taunting checkes did not admit the excuses which he alleaged in his fathers behalfe and withall grew into a great diffidence and dislike both of Antipater and his two sonnes Yolas and this Cassander which Antipater hearing and therefore mortally fearing the returne of Alexander prepared a poyson of such deadly violence that it could not in any thing els be conteined then in the hoofe of an Asse At length Alexander after his innumerable victories in Asia and India hauing vtterly ouerthrowen the Persian Empire vpon his returne allured with the delicacies of Babylon betooke himselfe there to quaffing and banqueting and to al maner of voluptuousnesse geuing thereby oportunitie to Yolas to present him with the deadly potion which his father had prepared which he had no sooner receiued but that he felt him-selfe seazed ouer his whole body with an intollerable torment yet such was the constant greatnes vertuous courage of his minde that he neuer so much as once complained or groned but with an incredible courage suppressing the rage of his inward horrible panges died as he had alwayes liued with a magnanimitie amazing the beholders in the verie pride of his youth Yolas was afterwardes taken by Olympias the mother of Alexander and put to death by exquisite tormentes Young Paris sonne to Priamus K. of Troy being by his father sent as Ambassadour to the Grecian Princes about the restitution of his Ant Hesione was by the way enterteined at the Court of Menelaus K. of Sparta where fixing his eyes vpon the marueilous beautie of Helena the new maried Queene grew so farre surprised with her loue that forgetting the lawes of hospitalitie alluring her aboorde his Shipp he hoysed vp sayles and caried her thence to Troy Which indignitie the Greekish Princes not enduring ioyning their forces togeather and making Agamemnon K. of Micene brother to Menelaus their generall sayled towardes Troy and among the rest young Achilles Prince of the Myrmidons and Epirots who by the way surprized the Townes of Tenedos Lesbos Chryse and Lyrnessus taking therein among other Captiues two young Maidens of excellent and singular beautie the one called Briseis and the other Chriseida daughter to Chriseis the Priest of Apollo Her he deliuered to Agamemnon reseruing Briseis to him selfe But presently there ensued a great and miserable mortalitie in the Armie which as Calcas the Prophet assured them should neuer ceasse till the daughter of Apollos Priest should be restored To which deliuerie of so faire and so beloued a pray Agamemnon would not by any meanes consent vnles Achilles in her steede woulde yeelde Briseis vp vnto him But so vnpatiently did Achilles brooke that vnprincely and discourteous demaunde that with his sworde he woulde presently haue slaine Agamemnon had not he bin by the other Greekish Peeres restrained who what with sweete perswasions and other practises at length so much with him preuayled that though extreamely against his will they made him deliuer his faire and dearely beloued Briseis to the pleasure of the Greekish Emperour But when she was once gon then began her absence to strike and wounde his hart with so excessiue a sorow and deadly a discontentment that full of irefull melancholy he retired him-selfe into his Tent refusing to come abrode to weare Armes as he was accustomed though euery day he saw fierce Hector come murdering and chasing the Grecians euen to their Tentes Manie meanes were made by the Greekish Lordes to remoue him from this setled and obstinate determination Agamemnon offered to returne Briseis vntouched with the interest of many other rich presentes but nothing preuailed till one day as Hector came victoriously beating downe the Greekish Quadrons his deare freende Patroclus thinking with the dissembled presence of Achilles to terrifie the Troian troupes armed him-selfe in the rich and gorgious Armour of Achilles but so cruell were his destinies that at his first entrie into the battayle he was by Hector encountred and slaine Which cruell tidinges had no sooner touched the eares of sorowfull Achilles but awaked with reuenge forgetting all other passions he called for his Armour and like an enraged Lion rushed into the thickest of the Troians presse in which verie
instant the valiant Hector disteyned in blood and bathing in swet was with his immoderate toyle welnigh sweltred in his Armour so that he withdrew him selfe out of the battayle and by the Riuers side disarmed him selfe to refresh his spirites and to take a litle ayre which Achilles perceyuing folowed him and at vnawares cruelly and dishonorably ran him thorow with his Lance and not yet therewith satisfied caused his body with thonges to be tied to a Horse tayle and so in derision to be thrise trayned about the walles of Troy Shortly after it fell out that either side being weerie with the dayly turmoyles of Warres agreed vpon certaine dayes of truice in which meane time it might be lawfull for the Troians to come into the Greekish Tents and the Greekes likewise to enter into Troy Among the rest Achilles entring the Towne chaunced one day to espie young Polixene daughter to K. Priam the sight of whose admirable beautie did so astonish him that laying all hostilitie apart from thence forwarde meditated on nothing but loue which Priamus and Hecuba the Parentes of the Virgin perceyuing enterteined him with hope to the end that they might with the more securitie entrap him to which his often repayre thither drawen with the violence of loue yeelded easie occasion So that one day among the rest Paris still watching his steppes slue him with an Arrow in the Temple of Apollo In reuenge of which trecherous and vnnoble acte afterwardes when Troy was taken and rased his sonne young Pyrrhus slue Priamus with his owne handes and sacrificed Polixene vpon his fathers Tombe Great Pompey after the vnfortunate battayle of Pharsalia wherein he was ouerthrowen by Caesar seeing all abandoned and lost fled out of his Campe comfortlesse and slenderly accompanied and disguysed with garments conuenable to his fortune went first to the Isle of Lesbos to see his faire and deare Cornelia who seeing her L. and Husbande that was wont to be wayted on when he went by Sea with 500. Sayle arriuing in a poore Barke and that not his owne altogeather sorowfull and vnhonored coulde not bridle the extremitie of her passion but fallyng downe at his feete with most pittifull and passionate lamentations imputing this great aduersitie of her noble Husbande to his vnhappie mariage with her did so intenerat the manly hart of Pompey that requesting her not to increase his miseries with her sorow he coulde not refrayne his eyes from bursting out into a riuer of vnused teares But seeing the speedie pursuite of his preuayling enemie gaue him no leysure long to determine he presently departed thence with his constant and most vertuous Cornelia and bended his course towardes Egipt no whit doubting but that young Ptolome the K. woulde receyue him with all courteous enterteynment and gentlenesse in regarde of the infinite fauours which he had done vnto his father Comming neare the shore he aduertised the King of his approch who was then in Pelusium with his Armie making warres against his sister Cleopatra The king was young and wholly gouerned by one Pothinus and Theodotus a Rhetorician who tolde him that the receipt of Pompey coulde not but be dangerous and that there was not any way more expedient to winne the good grace of Caesar then by bereauing Pompey of life To which vilanous and dishonorable counsell the youthfull abused King yeelded his consent and Achillas and one Septimius that had sometime serued vnder Pompey in the warres were sent to put in execution this dishonorable and bloodie decree They came vnto the galley wherein Pompey lay at ancher and pretending the coast to be full of flats and sandes and not to haue water inough for his galley they prayed him to come into their litle boat to which Pompey agreed though much in his minde amazed at this slender and honorles enterteinment Discending out of the galley he tooke leaue of his louing Cornelia with speech and gesture as it were presaging his ensuing desaster who with eyes full of teares and handes vp to heauen pursued him with her lookes till at length they were encountred with so dismall and horrible an obiect that if she had not been by the Mariners restreined she had throwen her selfe into the sea for when the boat euen now touched the brinke of the shore as Pompey reached out his hande to his seruant Philippus to helpe him to rise Septimius thrust him through the backe with a sword and then Achillas strake of his head which nowe whyte heares had made venerable throwing his body into the sea Soone after Caesar arriuing in Egipt was presented with this pitiful spectacle of Pompeys head But merciful magnanimous Caesar not enduring to beholde a sight of so great crueltie and horror turned with a wofull gesture his face watring his eyes with an infinite aboundance of teares shewing that he did abhorre both the vnnoblenesse of the deede and the barbarousnesse of the doers Achillas and Pothinus he caused presently to be slaine Theodotus fledde but fell afterwardes into the handes of M. Brutus who caused him to be put to a most cruell death and Ptolome himselfe shortly after was ouerthrowen in a battayle and slayne by the riuer of Nilus Anniball of Carthage the sonne of Amilcar noble in birth and great in puissance in his infancie was by his father made sweare vpon an altar whereon he was doing sacrifice that while he liued he should be a mortall enemie to the Romanes which he failed not to performe for after his fathers death beeing in Spaine created Captaine generall of the Carthaginian armie in the xxvi yeere of his age hee presently drewe downe his armie into Italy passing the Alpes with exceeding difficultie where he maintained warres xvi yeeres with the Romanes euen in the bowells of Italy taking from them all the plaine countrie and chasing them some times euen to the gates of Rome Besides many conflictes of lesse moment he ouerthrew them in foure famous battails at Ticine Trebia Thrasimene and Cannas sending to Carthage besides many other rich despoiles three whole bushels of rings taken frō the fingers of slaine Senatours and Romane knights For it was not lawfull for any els to weare them of gold But being in the ende called backe by the Senate of Carthage to the defence of his owne countrie he that was in Italy inuincible was in Africa fighting euen in the sight of his citie vanquished and ouerthrowen by Scipio Which brought him into such disgrace with his vnthankefull citizens who were now constrained to bow vnto the Romans yoke that fearing farther inconuenience he was constreined to flie vnto Antiochus king of Siria who newly entering into warre with the Romanes exceedingly reioyced at the happy arriuall of this famous and renowned Captaine wholy for a while vsing his aduise and counsell in all matters of greatest weight till at length abused with Romane practises and incensedby priuie whisperings of his Sirian nobilitie who grew exceedingly enuious at the familiar greatnesse
of Manasses decking her selfe in rich garmentes secretly issued foorth of the Towne into Holofernes Tent who allured with her beautie for she was exceeding faire gaue himselfe to mirth and much drinking so that through drunkennesse falling into a deadly sleepe Iudith being left with him in the Tent alone strengthned therein by the hand of God cut of his head with his owne Fawchion returning the same to Bethulia which thereby she deliuered from seruitude Sisera was Captaine general to Iabin the great king of Canaan and twentie yeeres together had vexed the children of Israell verie sore for he had with him 900. Charets of Iron at length being ouerthrowen by Barak the sonne of Abinoam he fledde into the house of Heber the Kenite whose wife Iaell taking a Naile of the Tent and a Hammer in her hand did smite the same into his temples and slue him After the death of Saule Dauid was annoynted King in Hebron but Abner that was Captaine of Saules hoste tooke Isbosheth the sonne of Saule and made him king ouer Israell Soone after Abner was ouer-throwen by Ioab the seruantes of Dauid who being in his flight pursued by Asahell the brother of Ioab turned backe and slew him For which occasion when Abner came afterwardes to reconcile himself with Dauid Ioab tooke him aside to the gate to speake with him peaceably and smote him vnto the hart with his dagger so that he died Goliath was a Giant in the Philistian armie of meruailous hugenesse and his weapons with which he was armed of vnspeakable terror in so much that there was no one in the armie of the Israelits that dared answere the prowd defiances and chalenges that he dayly made till at length young Dauid comming from the keeping of his Sheepe strengthned thereunto by the mightie hande of God encountred him with his Sling only into which putting a Stone which he pulled out of his bagge he smote the Giant therewith full in the forehead and ouerthrowing him with the blow stepped to him and with the Giants owne sword cut of his head Haman the Agagite standing highly in the fauour of great King Ahashuerus because Mardocheus the Iew did not reuerence vnto him when he passed by the Kings gate obteined of the King that all the Iewes through the Kings Prouinces might be put to death Which Ester the Queene vnderstanding made a banquet to the King inuiting Haman thereunto in which she pleased so the King with her behauiour and speeches that the King sent letters throughout all his Prouinces to reuoke the sentence which he had passed against the Iewes and caused Haman to be hanged vpon a paire of gallowes which he had made for Mardocheus the Iewe. A short discourse of the Princes of Burgundie and some other in honour of whom this Treatise was first written by the Author who bewayleth their Deaths but speaketh litle of their liues IOHN first of that name K. of France who was taken prisoner at the battaile of Poictiers by the Prince of Wales in the yeere 1356. had by his wife Bona daughter to the K. of Boheme foure sonnes and three daughters Charles which was King after him and fifth of that name Lewes Duke of Aniow Iohn Duke of Berrie and Philippe who being caried prisoner with him into England vpon his deliuerie returne thence he created Duke of Burgundie This Philippe maried Margaret daughter and heire to Malanus Earle of Flaunders and Arthois by whom he had three sonnes Iohn that succeeded him Anthony afterwardes Duke of Brabant and Philippe Earle of Neuers and Estamies which two younger were both slaine at the battaile of Agincourt by the Englishmen Duke Philippe died in the yeere 1404. Iohn succeded his father and maried Margaret daughter to Albert Duke of Bauiere and Earle of Hollande and Zeland by whom he had a sonne called Philippe which was he whom this Author serued This Iohn Duke of Burgundy caused Lewes Duke of Orleance to be murthered in Paris who was brother to Charles the sixth then K. of France In reuenge of which he was afterwarde slaine disloylly by the Dolphin of France at a solemne meeting appointed betwene them after othes and assurances taken of both sides at Montereau in the yeere 1419. Philippe surnamed the good Duke of Burgundy had three wiues the first was Michelet daughter to Charles the sixt king of France the second Bona daughter to Philippe of Arthois the thirde Isabelle daughter to Iohn first king of Portingale whom he maried at Bruges in the yeere 1429. and had by her Charles surnamed the Hardie The verie selfe same yeere of his mariage he instituted the noble order of knighthood of the golden Fleese which the king of Spaine his successor maynteineth yet in great reputation honour At this frst comming to the Dukedome which was about the latter end of the raigne of K. Henry the fifth he was a great fauourer and maynteiner of the English partie in France and did many notable seruices to the Crowne of England When the Duke of Bedford Vncle to king Henry the sixt was sent ouer to be Regent of France he met him in great loue at Amiens and hauing with him his two sisters he gaue the one of them in marriage to the Duke of Bedford But afterwards at the siege of Orleance they of the citie desired him to be a meane for them vnto the Duke of Bedford that the siege might be raised in regarde of the long emprisonment of their Lord the Duke of Orleance to whom the counsaile of England had promised in the meane time to leaue all and euerie part of his landes and townes vndisquieted whether it were so or no once Duke Philip dealt earnestly with the D. of Bedforde his brother in law in that behalfe but being therein absolutely refused he commaunded by a Heralde all the Gentlemen of his Countrey that were with the English men at that siege to depart thence from that time forwarde declined by litle and litle in affection and at length declared him selfe absolutely French He was a vertuous Prince and gouerned his Subiectes in great peace and quietnesse and finally in the extremitie of his age dyed in the yeere 1466. and was with great magnificence buried at Bruges in Flaunders Charles surnamed the Hardy sonne to Philip the good was borne at Dyion in the yeere 1433. he had likewise three wiues Katherine daughter to Charles the seuenth king of France Isabell daughter to Charles Duke of Burbon by whom he had the Lady Marie that inherited his dominions and lastly Margaret sister to Edward the fourth king of England He was a Prince that hated rest and was altogether enclined to vnquietnesse and warres His father yet liuing he ouerthrew in a bloody cruel fought feelde Lewes the. 11. king of France at the battaile of Montelhery in the yeere 1465. with whom making afterwards peace he warred vpon those of Lyege that had chased out
ouer the whole Realme that the very mechanical people abandoned ouer to sorow ceassed their trades for the space of fourtie dayes filling the ayre with pittifull cries and lamentations They had also foure daughters Isabel Ione Mary and Katherine Isabel died yong Ione was married to Philippe brother to the foresayd Lady Margaret and Katherine to Arthur prince of Wales eldest sonne to Henry the seuenth of England Queene Isabel after that by many noble and heroicall deedes she had ouer the whole world won vnto her selfe a reputation to bee one of the most vertuous and excellent princesses that euer liued in the fiue fiftieth yeere of her age ended her dayes at Medina del campo the .xxiiij. of Nouember in the yeere 1504. Twelue yeeres after died Ferdinand her Husband at a litle Vilage named Madrigalecio hard by Gaudalupe A Prince as of singular integritie and vertue so of a rare and wonderfull felicitie and happines in whatsoeuer he did vndertake Philip sonne to Maximilian and Mary being in Flaunders hearing of the death of Isabel Queene of Castile whose eldest daughter he had maried departed presently thence towards Spayne with his wyfe the Ladie Ione to take possession of the Crowne and Royaltie which at their arriuall was willingly by olde Ferdinand to them resigned Philip being now but .xxiiii. yeeres of age was with a firme constitution of body wel proportioned and beautiful and especially aboue the rest so courteous and affable in his speeches and behauiour that what with his beautie and his vertue he drue the eyes and loues of all men to him in so much that the Spanish Nobilitie and Courtiers forsaking Ferdinand who thirtie yeeres had been their King all folowed the rising sonne of young Philip so that the Court of Ferdinand was altogeather solitarie and vnfrequented no one of the Nobilitie keeping him companie saue onely the Duke of Alua who neuer did abandon him with which inconstancie of theirs he growing into an exceeding dislike and with all not pleased with his Sonne-in-lawes behauiour which by reason of whisperers that went betweene was not so kinde louing and reuerent as he expected taking with him his approued seruant the Duke of Alua he went without delay to Arragon and thence to Naples But scarsely was his backe turned when young Philip liuing in as great delitiousnesse honor and triumph as either the delight of a Crowne the pleasure of that Countrey or the dutifull loue of his Subiectes could yeelde him fell extreamely sicke of a violent hot burning Feuer of which notwithstanding the lustinesse and strength of his young floorishing yeeres he died at Burgos the .xxv. day of September in the verie yeere of his entry into Spaine Neuer Prince left behinde him a nobler issue for he had by his wife the Lady Ione two sonnes and foure daughters of which the least was adorned with a royall Diademe viz. Charles who besides his great succession of many Kingdomes and Prouinces was elected Emperour of the Romans 2. Ferdinande who after his brothers death succeeded him in the Empire and was besides created King of Hungarie 3. Leonore maried first to Emanuel King of Portugale and after in seconde mariage to Francis the French King 4. Marie maried to Lewes King of Hungarie who in a battaile against the Turkes died young and without issue 5. Katherine maried to Iohn the thirde King of Portugale and lastly Isabel maried to Christerne King of Denmarke Maximilian sonne to Fredericke the Emperour thirde of that name and Leonore daughter to Edwarde king of Portugale was in his fathers time made king of the Romanes and after his deceasse Emperour He was a Prince exceedingly well learned iust in gouernment at home and fortunate in Warre abrode He had sundry victories against Mathias Corunis King of Hungarie from whom he recouered Vienna and many other of the Prouinces of the lower Austria Likewise he recouered from the French King the Earldome of Artoys and many townes of Burgundie and ouerthrew a great Armie of his at Guignet whereby he recouered Cambray He ouerthrew harde by Regensberg in a memorable battaile a great Armie of the Bohemians that came to make warre vpon his brother in lawe Albert Duke of Bauaria He was with K. Henrie the. 8. at the siege of Terowan and receyued his wages during which siege he him selfe in honor of England ware the Rose and his men the S. Georges crosse He was an exceeding scourge vnto the Venetiās from whom when they were in the fulnesse of their glory he tooke Padwa Verona Vincentia and the greatest parte of Foro Iulio and lastly ouerthrew them in a notable battaile by Vincentia where he slue of them 5000. Taking 24. great Cannons and all their Enseignes and Standards from them In seconde mariage he tooke Blanca daughter to the Duke of Milan Finally in the. 59. yeere of his age he died in Austria some say by taking or rather mistaking a wrong Potion to preuent a sickenesse which he feared He lieth buried at Newstad in Austria 8. leagues from Vienna He left behinde him 2. children Philip whose historie you heard before and Margaret who beeing by her first husband Iohn prince of Castile left a widow was afterward maried to Philibert Duke of Sauoy It is written of Maximilian that in his sickenesse he would not suffer those that were about him to honor him with any title of dignitie but to call him simply by his name Maximilian protesting himselfe to be but a vile peece of Earth and Clay made of no better mettall then the poorest begger The last combat spoken of in this treatise is of Henrie the eyght of famous memory Whose noble and heroicall deeds being so fresh in the remembrance of all men I thinke it needlesse to make repetition of them neither if I woulde vndertake it were the labour of so high a taske in any proportion conuenient to the feeblenesse of my slender force Much lesse to speake of her Maiestie whose Princely name is lastly therein mentioned but will leaue the glorious storie of her happie reigne to those golden pennes that being dipped in the licour of the Muses may like Ariosto his siluer Swannes with a cleere flight beare vp her sacred name and in dispite of Time fasten the same to the faire pillars of Eternitie in the highest turret of the house of Fame That which I can do is to pray vnto the euerliuing Righteousnesse that as he hath with admirable goodlinesse made her shine in giftes both of body and minde aboue all the Princes of her time so he will preserue her vnto vs many long and flowrishing yeeres For so long as wee shall enioy this our precious and sacred Palladium we shall neede to feare neither the force of fierce threatning Agamemnon nor the wiles offals vndermining Sinon FINIS I haue in the margent of euerie Historie noted the names of those Authors which herein I do chiefly folow Philip de Comines in
the first chapter of his commentaries maketh mention of Olyuer de La Marche to haue been a great cause of the warres betweene king Lewes the .xi. and the Count of Charoloys afterwardes called Charles the hardy which sheweth that he was a man of no small honour and dignitie Nothing so miserable as the man that lyueth careles of his estate The passage of death kept by two Champions Accident and Debilitie Author The fayre feeldes of worldly pleasure Yll Diet his propertie and parentage Yll diet encountreth the author in the playne of wâ—rldly pleasure The maner of their fight The author is foyled by Yll diet and succoured by Reliquia Iuuentutis Yll diet presenteth him with a cappe Reliquia iuuentutis doth abandon him The author amidds his wandring lighteth vpon the mantion of vnderstanding Reason the seate or mantion of vnderstanding The ende of true wisedome and vnderstanding whereto directed Accident alwayes ready to entrappe and bereaue life Good gouernment a sure defence against all casualties The surest preseruatiue against the violence of Accident The sleepes of true vnderstanding are secure Vnderstanding doth here represent vnto the author the infinite wayes and weapons wherwith Accident assayleth mankind and to make him haue the more apprehension therof doth lay before him the calamitous ends of sundry worthy personages perishing in diuers sortes sheweth him the wepons wherwith Accident bereaued them of their liues Cain the first manslear Sampson Deianeira Hercules Iulius Caesar stabbed with daggers Alexander the great poysoned by Antipater Hector slaine with a speare by Achilles Achilles slaine by Par is with an arrow Pompey beheaded by the commandement of young Ptolomee Hannibal poysoned out of a ring Agamemnon murthered by Aegistus by his wiues consent Holofernes slaine by Iudith with a Cimitarre Syzara slaine by Iabel with a nayle Etheocles and Polinices slaine with mutuall woundes of eithers Lance. Abner stabbed by Ioab Golyas slaine by Dauid with a sling and a stone Aman strangled with a halter Sundrie princes bereaued of their liues euen in the middest of their sweetest pleasures The playne of tyme. The nature thereof Desire hardly restrayned Heere the Author encountreth age and striueth mightyly to keepe him off but neuerthelesse in the end he is constrained to yeelde quietly vnto him Age striketh him with his sworde of many yeeres He yeeldeth vnwillingly to Age. Age enioyneth the authour to the accomplishment of some thinges vppon peine of periurie and dotage Loue. Mariage Amorous dssportes Courtly life The miserable estate of him that pursueth in court Nothing more rife in the court of Princes then veruous men honorlesse and vnregarded The vertuous man desireth aduancement onely thereby to be able to do his prince and countrie seruice Age presents the author with a siluer Gorget of maile He entrethinto the pathe of deceite Abusion the porter of loues pallace The pallace of Loue. The desert of olde Age. The Ilande of Decrepitude Sundry abusers of Age deceyuers of them selues Good Aduenture I take it that by this studie he meaneth Contemplation The Pallace of contemplation Memorie Ladie of the pallace of Contemplation Memorie is a thing celestiall and diuine deriued onely from God without hauing any relation to nature Diligence the porter of Memorie The attyre of Memorie The vniuersal sepulchre of mankinde The Churchyarde of Memorie All degrees alike to death Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat Feare befitteth not a noble minde Letters of gold engrauen in afaire table at the entry of the forest of Atropos The maner and attyre of Atropos Debilitie entreth the listes Philip surnamed the good Duke of Burgundie Accedent presenteth him selfe armed Charles Duke of Burgundie surnamed the hardie The Duke three times ouerthrowen by the D. of Lorayne and Swyssers and lastly slaine at the battaile of Naneie in the yeere 1476. Campobache an Italian Counte chiefe leader of the D. horse and of especial credite about him had agreed with the D. of Loraine to betray his maister which most Iudas-lyke he performed at this battell before Nancie The vayne instabilitie of the worldes iudgemne The surest anker is to trust onely in God Mary onely daughter and heire to Charles D. of burgundy and wise to the Archduke Maximilian who was afterwardes Emperour The Author offereth combat to the champion of Atropos The messenger or poursuiuant of Atropos called Sommons The combats of fiue famous aduenturers Sommons doth reueale vnto the Author the Secrets of the Destinies wonderfully among the rest foretelling the greatnesse of Queene Elizabeths glorie The Lady Isabell sister to Henrie the 4. of Castile and wife to Ferdinand of Aragon granmother to Charles the fifth In what sorte shee shal come to combat with death Philip sonne to Maximilian the Emperour and father to Charles the fifth His vertues Ferdinande K. of Spayne Aragon Naples and Sicilie Maximilian of Austria Emperour of the Romanes Great Henry king of England commeth to encounter the Champions of Atropos Paulus Giouius Martin de Bellay in his commentariâ—s writeth that K. Henrie the eight gaue the French K. towards his ransome 500000. crownes whiche the Emperour did owe him for not marying the Lady Marie accorning to couenantes betweene them and withall a Fleuredelice of golde vpon which Henrie the .7 had lent to Philip father to Charls the .5 50000. crownes at his being in Englande Moreouer whereas he had lent Charles 400000. crownes for which he should haue had the townes of Ayr S. Homer in gage he gaue vnto the French K. al those writings for it was one article of his fidelitie that he should pay al these sums vnto K. Henrie the. 8. King Edward the. 6. Queene Marie The prophesie of the Destenies coÌ„cerning Elizabeth the Queene of England Neuer Prince more blessed in her subiects Neuer subiects more blessed in their Prince He returneth to the mansioÌ„ of Memorie He is there visited by Vnderstanding Wherein consisteth the height of wisedome Death often striketh without warning Nothing so vncertaine as the houre of a mans death And therfore nothing so behouefull as to be alwayes in a redinesse What Armes are fit to encounter death withall Good workes done by others after a mans death nothing at al auailable Padrino in Spanish signifieth him that goeth with his freende into the feelde or doth accompany him vnto a iust or torney with meaning to defende him from wrong It signifieth also a Godfather AVTHOR How a man should exercise himselfe afore he commeth to the combat Who are the best maisters of Fence to instruct him that prepareth to fight this combat AVTHOR The miserable estate of a man dying The vertuous Champions othe The othe of the aduersary Iudge of the combat The blessed Sacrament of Christ his supper AVTHOR The best is to be euer redie The first vant-currors or messengers that sommon vs to this combat The ende of the bodie is corruption The Author alwayes vsed this Posie Cain Genesis Chap. 4. Sampson Iudges Cap. 16. Ouid. Seneca Centaures were young men in the time of Ixyon K. of Thessalia who being the first that tamed horses did vpon their backes many great exployts to the wonder of the bordering people who iudged them their horses to haue bin all of one peece thervpoÌ„ grew this fiction Plutarcb Appian Lucan Alexander Quintus Curtius Plutarch Appianus de rebus gestis Alexandri Homer Dares Ouid. Hector Achilles Pompey the great Plutarch Appian Lucan Anniball Plutarch Appian Titus Liuius Clytemnestra Agamemnon Quid. Eteocles and Polinices Princes of Thebes Sophocles Statius The two daughters were Antigone and Ismene Holofernes Iudith Chap. 12 13. Sisera Iudges Cap. 4. Abner 2. Sam. cap. 3. Goliath 1. Samuel Cap. 17. Haman Ester Cap. 3. Chronic. de Nicol. Gallis Michael Eisinger This was that Duke Philip whom the author serued and of whom he speaketh in this Treatise Chron. de Nicol. Gallis Philipp de Comines Michael Eisinger Charles the hardie Philip de Comines Michael Eisinger Nicol. Gallis The horrible treason of Campobache Marie daughter and heyre to Charles duke of Burgundy Philip de Comines 1578. Eisinger 1482. Isabell and Ferdenand Chronic. de Espania Fray Gonçalo de Yllescas Philip de Comines Philip of Austria Fray Gonçalo de Illescas 1506. Chronic. de Espania Michael Eisinger Surìus 1506. 1526. Maximilian Surius Gonçalo de Yllescas Michael Eisinger Henrie the eight Queene Elizabeth