sea and there left him to the rule and gouernment of Fortune and to the dispositioÌ„ of God and mercie of the waues and windes The boate was a long while beateÌ„ and tossed by the rage and furie of the Seas and poore Fineo vnder diuerse and sondrie stormes and shapes had before his eyes a thousande times the presence of Death Yet in that fearfull and mortall perill he ceased not to call vpon the name of his deare Fiamma and in that extreamitie and imminent daunger did he yet in maner glorifie himself and thinke himself happie that he should ende his life for the loue of his Ladie Whiles he was thus tossed and tormented still lookyng for none other but present death the Tempest began to cease and the storme and rage of Seas to bee asswaged When loe he discouered a Fregate of Moores that went a roauyng and were then 〈◊〉 gone abroade to spie whether the Storme which was then past had not happely prepared for them some occasion of gaine and bootie These Moores had no sooner discouered this little boate thus fleetyng at all aduentures but hoping to finde therein some prey for their prfiote thei made toward it And hauing at the boordyng thereof founde Fineo bounde hande and foote and perceiuing by his countenaunce and apparell that he was no verie base persone thei vntied hym and sette hym in their Fregate as a slaue to rowe vntill suche time as thei should determine further what to doe with hym who although that seruitude and captiuitie were greeuous vnto him yet consideryng with himself that it was better for hym to be in the power of men though thei were Infidells then in the power of Seas and Windes he comforted hymself that yet if he liued he might still hope throngh the goodnesse of God one daie to be so hapie as to enioye his Ldie and Loue he framed himself to beare with pacieâ—t minde that heauie yoke of his captiuitie Fiamma hauing vnderstoode the vnfortunate accident happened to her Louer beleeuyng certainly that he was dedde and that she should neuer see hym againe Wherefore she her self resoluyng that she would no longer liue gaue her self to deuise what kinde of death she were best to chuse and in doubt thereof she passed some fewe daies dissemblyng still in the house her sorrowe and greef with a merie and chearfull countenance as though she had cleane forgotten and not once remembred her Louer Fineo But in the ende after long debatyng with her self she resolued to dye thesame kinde of death and to make that ende whiche she imagined Fineo had doen. There was an other Gentleman of the Citee who was no lesse enamoured of this Gentlewoman then Fineo was who supposing that now since she sawe there was no remedie for her to recouer her louer whom bothe she and all the Citee accoumpted certainly to be dedde he might perchaunce by sute obtaine her good will and so procure her to bee his wife with the consent of her freendes And therefore not long after the mischaunce of Fineo he caused her father to bee dealt withall for the bestowyng of his daughter vpon hym and the Father beeyng willyng enough to agree therevnto and hauyng questioned with his daughter therevpon and findyng her to giue sober and obedient answere with fewe wordes presupposing that she was willyng to doe as he would haue her made promise of her vnto this yong Gentleman and agreed vpon the dowrie and all other circumstaunces necessarie for the coupling of twoo suche persones together The night that wente before the daie appoincted for their Marriage Fiamma callyng vnto her a Moore that was slaue in her fathers house and had the keepyng of a small Boate of the Gentlemans wherein when he liste to disport hymself he was wont to take the aire vpon the sea in tyme of faire weather and to goe to their houses of pleasure whereof that coast is verie plentifull and theim of exceadyng beautie Whiche Moore had liued so many yeres in that thraldome that he was now become so old as she thought she needed not to feare any force or violence at his handes she began to perswade hym to putte on a desire to deliuer hymself out of Captiuitie so as he might liue the reste of his yeres in libertie and at his ease wherevnto findyng hym readie and willyng if the meanes or occasion were offred hym she gaue him in hand a good round somme of money whiche she had laied together and made hym promise to carrie her into the Sea in the Boate whereof he had the custodie and afterwardes to doe that whatsoeuer it were that she should commaunde hym This wicked and faithlesse Moore seyng himself not onely to purchase his libertie but also make so greate againe of readie money that he was not like at any tyme after to liue in want or pouertie was onely thankfull in his minde towarde the yong Gentlewoman but straight waie began to purpose and to deuise to make a greater gaine of her owne persone by carriyng her vnto the kyng of Tunise and sellyng of her vnto hym at a verie high prise And with this entention the mischeeuous knaue assured her that he would doe in all pointes as she would haue hym Wherefore when all the reste of the house were in their firste fleape the Damsell with this wretched Moore went out of her fathers hous and gather into the Boate and the weather beyng verie faire the knaue began to rowe and make saile along the coaste toward Ligorno from whiche by breake of the daie thei were not verie farre When this yong gentlewoman sawe that she was now so farr from home that she needed not to feare to be driuen backe again to Genoua she willed the Moore to rowe to y â— shore and to land himself and then to shoue of the Boate againe for that her determination was so to dye swallowed vp with the waues of the sea as she supposed her Fineo to haue been But the wicked knaue who had a father fetche in his hed and thoughtes farre differed from the Gentlewomans made her beleeue that thei were yet nere vnto Genoua and aduised her to bee contente that thei might goe somewhat farther to the ende that her father if he sent after them might not ouertake them Neuerthelesse she hauyng often tymes vrged hym to doe as she erste bad hym and he still protracted the tyme and shiftyng her of with one tale or an other she began to suspect his drift The Mornyng therefore beyng well spent she made as though she would haue looked ouer the Boate side into the Water or haue washed her handes in the Sea and on the sodaine would haue caste her self ouer boarde But the craftie Moore suspectyng her intente caught holde of her aboute the middle and not onely held her from throwing her self into the Sea but also bound her faste hande and foote and wheras she of her courtesie had bothe set hym at libertie and liberally bestowed good
affectiou could not stay his teares in remembring her brother Aurelianus whom he deemed to be dedde These newes were sodainly spred throughout the Citie of Cherona in so muche that Arabianus hauyng now intelligeÌ„ce that Philene was the daughter of the noble Duke Sappho certifiyng his Mother the truthe whiche he had learned without any greate deliberation bothe the Mother and the sonne comming to visite the Duke and his companie where thei were verie well welcomed but especially to Messilina to whom the old Duches and her Soonne bothe had been verie bountifull And when a while thei had passed the tyme with pleasaunt discourses of all that had passed the Duches of Petrona craued Philene in Marriage for her Sonne The duke beyng made priuie to the matter knowyng Arabianus to bee come of greate discent and to bee indued with large and faire possessions seyng hym likewise to bee a toward yong Gentlemanne would not stande against it but referred the matter to his Daughters likyng Philene who had been greatly bound to the courtesie of the yong Duke and had receiued many giftes and good turnes at his handes would not do as a nomber of these nise Dames that will many tymes make daintie of that thei would fainest come by gaue her free consent There was then no more to dooe but to prepare for the Marriage whiche was presently solemnized with great pompe glory By this Valeria whom as you haue heard before the duke had sent for was come to Cherona who was priuely lodged by the Dukes commaundemente in a priuie place The daie now beyng come that Siluanus was brought to his answere he could not denaie the facte wherewith he was charged but that he had stolne Valeria from her father by whiche confessioÌ„ the Lawe condemned hym to dye There were many that knewe the noblenesse of Siluanus that began to entreat the Duke or Vasconia to remitt the facte but all in vaine for the more thei entreated the more he hastened to see execution The Duke of Mantona seeyng his greate obstinacie did thinke it hye tyme to finde a remedie for Siluanus if it might bee therefore he saied sir Duke were it possible that this condemned manne who is like so farre as I can see to beare the whole brunte and yet might bee enticed to this facte by your Daughters meanes or at the least your daughter muste bee halfe partner of this fault and yeelded with her good will to come awaie for otherwise it had been unpossible for hym to haue brought her from out your Courte whiche if it bee true if you will needes see Iustice so duely executed in the one I can not see how your daughter can goe quite but must bee as well partaker of the punishement as she was in the facte by yeeldyng her consent The Duke of Vasconia aunswered as it is the office and duetie of euery good Iusticer to knowe the valour and difference betweene vertue and vice to the ende that all vertuous actes maie be honoured and the contrarie chastised and punished Otherwise he is not worthie the name of a righteous Iudge but of a cruell and traiterous Tiraunt wherefore sir Duke you sittyng here in the place of Iustice to minister equitie and right to euery one that calleth Then I desire that I maie haue the Lawe extended vpon this wretche Siluanus as for my daughter that you speake of as I knowe not where she is so I doe not desire to learne what is become of her but this I protest that if euer I maie finde her rather then she should escape vnpunished I will not let with mine owne handes to do execution vpon her according to her demerites and the filthinesse of her fact from henceforthe denouncing her to be any childe of mine and make no better accoumpt of her otherwise then to be a filthie strompet vnworthie of me her father or to chalenge her descent from suche a stocke The Duke of Mantona was now troubled worse then before for where as he had some hope that the humble sute of Valeria should something haue moued her father to compassion 〈◊〉 thought that her sight would rather increase his rage and furie Againe he thought that to bring her into his presence if he continued in one moode he might woorke Valeria so greate preiudice as hee would be hartelie sorie to see Yet thinking with himself that it was impossible that a Father should bee voide of good Nature to see the vtter ruine of his childe without any remorse He caused Valeria to bee sent for who beyng conducted to the place seyng her Father and the reste of the companie she beganne to coniecture that all was not well But when Siluanus sawe his Valeria wondering by what meanes she was brought to so euill a banquett remembryng what wordes her father before had protested she began with a piteous voice to crie out O my deare beloued wife the onelie cause of my ioye and quiet what euill Fortune hath conducted thee to this place what froward Faates haue forced thee that thou shouldest be made companion of my mishappes O fraile and inconstaunt Fortune how hast thou fronted my honest desires with suche crooked spight that where I couet the countenance of greatest credite there I am forced to hazard the losse of life and alwhat crooked aspecte hath gouerned my proceadinges that the hoped time I spente in this Warlike seruice should thus conclude with his contrarie and I forced as it were by Faate to followe the vnhappie euent of the same wherein I doe confesse my Predestinate follies But suche are the soâ—derie dealinges of this life as those that tende their steppes to monsterous mountaines doe sometime scarce conclude with meane Moole hilles the sondrie conflictes of Fortune masking my hope with a shewe of happie rewarde hath not onelie wracked me but it threateneth the sequell of worse successe That instead of happie and quiet life my daies shalbee a bridged with moste shamefull and vile Death O Valeria Valeria the ioye and comfort of my life I shall no more see that incomparable beautie of thine whiche darkeneth and obserueth the Raies and Beames of the Sunne Then tourning himself to the Duke of Vasconia he saied I moste humblie beseeche your Grace to haue compassion vpon me not for that I would consume my life in your displeasure I make offer of the same to your mercifull will and disposition choosing rather to die and to leaue your Grace satisfied and contented then to liue a happie life your Princelie minde displeased and albeit the right good intent and vnstained conscience is free from faulte yet the iudgement of men hath farther relation to the exteriour apperance then to vertues force Is it a sinne to Marrie Is it a faulte to flie and auoide the sinne of Whoredome What Lawes bee these then where the Marriage bed and ioyned Matrimonie is pursued with like seueritie as Murther Thefte Adultrie But seyng the fault of this mishap to a rise by
people whiche the Kyng had sent out to apprehende them came and boorden their Fregate and tooke theim bothe whom thei bounde in Chaines and brought on lande to the presence of the kyng Who as sone as he behelde the beautie of Fiamma felt his former wrath and crueltie entended to relente and in muche milder maner then the twoo Captiues hoped or looked for he saied vnto her tell me what moued you I praie you faire Damsell to run awaie and flie from me at whose handes you had no cause to looke for any other entreatie then louing and freendly Fiamma who in that yere and a halfe that she had been in the Cube had learned the language indifferently well made aunswere vnto him That no cause or meanyng to flie from hym but her earnest desire to enioye Fineo whom she had loued and chosen for her housband many yeres before had forced her to doe that whiche she had doen And herewith she told hym the beginnyng of their acquaintance and loue and how many perilles and daungers thei had run through still hopyng one daie to come vnto that happie hower wherin their troubles should haue an ende and that thei might bee honestly vnited and enioye one an other And finallie castyng her self doune at his feete with aboundaunce of teares she besought hym with all humilitie to pardone her if she had offended him and withall to forgiue Fineo since that long and faithfull loue had made them to procure the accomplishement of their desires The teares of Fiamma and the onely name of Loue were of suche force and vertue in the harte of the kyng though he were barbarous and cruell of Nature that the Ire and hatered whiche he had conceiued against theim before was then conuerted and chaunged into pitie and compassion of their misfortunes and where before he had appointed a cruell death to bee their punishementes he now determined to ouercome with his courtesie the frowardnesse of their peruerse Fortune and to make theim after so many perilles and daungers contented and happie and to see an ende at laste of their miseries by makyng theim to enioye their longe hoped for desires Wherfore hauing caused thē to be bothe forthwith vnbound he tooke from his owne finger a meruailous faire and precious Rubie and giuyng it vnto Fineo he saied vnto him since your Fortune hath been suche that after so many straunge aduentures and through suche daungers you are fallen into my handes I for my parte will not bee he that will extinguishe or quenche the flames of so feruent and constaunt Loue or vnloose or dissolue the bandes wherewith your hartes be bounde and knitt together And therefore Fineo I doe not onely pardon you bothe but also I will haue thee before thou departe hence to wedde this Damsell with this Ring and to cake her for thy wife and that she henceforthe enioye thee for euer as her housebande It is not to be demaunded whether the twoo Louers who looked for none other of the kynges courtesies then death were glad to heare hym vse those speeches yea or no. But bothe beeyng fallen on their knees and in humblest maner hauyng yeelded their thankes vnto his Maiestie Fineo in his presence Wedded Fiamma and tooke her for his wife to the vnspeakable ioye and contentation of bothe their hartes and mindes And the kyng to honour their Mariage caused a sumptuous feast to bee prepared with no lesse charge and aboundaunce of all thynges then if he had Married a Daughter of his owne to some greate Lorde or cheef manne of that Countrey And after certaine daies the twoo yong Maried Louers beyng desirous to returne into their owne Countrey he gaue theim verie riche and costlie presentes and sent theim honourablie accompanied home to Sauona Whose arriuall was no lesse meruailous then ioyfull to the Father and Brother of Fineo and to all the Citee thei hauyng been assuredlie esteemed and accoumpted as dedde Afterwardes thei sent to Genoua to Fiammas Father and Brother certifiyng of all that had happened who then perswadyng themselues that God Nature had created those twoo yong folke to be matched and ioyned together in Wedlocke were wel contented with that whiche thei sawe was Gods will should bee And beyng gone bothe to Sauona the Father embraced and accepted Fineo for his Sonne in Lawe and the Brother for his Brother in law And the twoo yong Louers liued euer after in greate happinesse and felicitie giuyng by this successe of their hard Fortune an assured argumente and a notable example whereby we maie learne that though froward Fortune doe for a while crosse and molest the desires and trauailes of menne yet in the ende she can not let but that of necessitie those thynges must come to passe whiche GOD by his Diuine prouidence wherewith he ruleth the whole worlde hath appoincted shall take effecte FINIS Of twoo Bretheren and their wiues The Argument of the fift Historie ¶ Twoo brothers making choise of their wiues the one choose for beautie the other for riches it happened vnto them after thei were married the one of their wiues proued to bee of light disposition the other a common scolde in what maner thei liued with their housbandes and how in the ende the first became to liue orderly and well but the other could be brought by no deuise to any reason or good maner GEntlewomen before I will proceade any farther in this Historie I muste desire you to arme your selues with pacience in readyng hereof that if you finde any thyng that might breede offence to your modeste myndes take it in this sorte that I haue written it onely to make you merrie and not to sette you a snarryng or grudgyng against me for although I meane to present you with a Chapter of Knauerie yet it shall be passable and suche as you maie verie well permit and the matter that I mynde to write is vpon this question whither a man were better to be maried to a wise Harlot or to a foolishe ouerthwarte and brauiyng woman this question I knowe will seme very doubtfull vnto some and yet in my opinion verie easie to be answered and to speake my minde without dissimulation of bothe those euills I thinke the first is least and therefore is to bee chosen and herein I could alledge for my better proofe an example of the auncient Romaines who in al their gouernmentes were moste wise and politique emongst whom the infirmitie of the first was borne withall because it proceeded of the frailtie of the fleshe but the courage of the second was euer condemned for that it did abound frō a wicked and mischeuous mynde And in common reason it is not lesse noysome for a man to liue accompanied with a wife who although she will some tyme flie out can so wisely dissemble with her housbande that he shall neuer so muche as suspecte her whereby he shall receiue no discontentment in his minde then to be bedfellowe with Xantippa a cōmon scold who
blinde Lanterns because thei tourne them and hide their light when thei liste And because he was a yong manne of verie good strengthe and had brought with him instrumentes of Iron to open the Toumbe and lift vp the stone that couered it he gat it open and hauyng vnder propped it surelie He went into the Vaute and tooke the woman straight waie in his armes mindyng to bryng her out and carrie her awaie so a sleape as she was But the force and vertue of the pouder beeyng finished and spent assone as he moued her she awaked out of her sleape and seeyng her self clad in that sorte emong ragges and dedde bones she began to tremble and to cry alas where am I Or who hath brought me hether wretche that I am Marie that hath your cruell and vnfaithfull housebande aunswered the Scholer who hauyng poisoned you to Marrie a common Strumpet hath buried you here whether I come to trie if by my skill I could reuiue you and call backe your soule by those remedies which I had deuised vnto your bodie againe Whiche if I could not haue doen as I intended I was resolued to haue died hereby you and to haue laied my dedde bodie here by yours to reste vntill the latter daie hopyng that my Spirite should in the meane while haue come and enioyed yours where euer it had been But since the Heauens haue been so fauorable vnto me as in this extreame daunger wherein you were to graunte suche vertue vnto the remedies whiche I haue vsed towarde you as the whiche I haue been able to kepe vndissolued your gentle Spirite with your faire bodie I hope my deare that you will henceforthe consider what the affection of your wicked housebande hath been toward you and how greate good will and by consideration thereof discerne and resolue which of vs twoo hath beste deserued to be beloued of you Agatha findyng her self in that sort buried in deede did easily beleeue the truthe whiche the Scholer told her and to her self concluded that her housebande had shewed hymself in her behalf a man of all other moste cruell and disâ—â—all Wherfore tournyng her self toward the Scholer she saied vnto hym Alonso I can not deny but that my housebande hath been to me not onely vnkinde but cruell also nor I can not but coÌ„fesse that you haue declared your self to be moste louyng and affectioned toward me and of force I must acknowledge my self beholding vnto you of no lesse then of my life since alas I se my self here emong dedde bodies buried aliue But for as muche although my housebande haue broken his vowe to me I haue not yet at any tyme failed my faithe to hym I doe require you that if you desire that I should esteme this kind and louing office of yours as it deserueth to be esteemed or make accompt of this life whiche you haue giuen me you will haue due regard and consideration of myne honestie and that you will not by offering me any villanie whiche neuerthelesse I can not any waie missedoubt where I haue alwaies found so muche and so great courtesie make this your courteous and pitifull acte to be lesse commendable and praise worthie then it is Whiche if you do bridle your vnlawfull and sensuall appetite and desire will remain the moste vertuous and worthie of honor and fame that euer courteous Gentleman hath doâ—n for a miserable woman since the worlde beganne Alonso failed not with affectuall and manifest argumeÌ„tes to perswade her that her housebande had now no more right or title to her at all and that although he had yet if she were wise she should not commit her self vnto his courtesie again since by this mortall token he had giuen her a sufficient testimonie of his ranckor and euil will towardes her whereby she might well enough bee assured not to escape when soeuer she should resolue to put her self againe into his handes and that therefore she was not to make any accoumpte of hym but to shewe her self thanckfull for so greate a benefite as she had receiued and to requite hym so with her fauour and courtesie as he might now in the ende attaine to gather the frute of his long and constaunt good will and of his trauell sustained for the saffegarde of her life And with those woordes bendyng himself toward her he would haue taken a kisse of her lippes But Agatha thrustyng hym backe saied vnto hym againe If my housebande Alonso haue broken those bandes wherwith I was knitte vnto hym by Matrimonie through his wicked and leude demeanour yet haue not I for my parte dissolued them neither will I at any tyme so long as I shall liue As for committing my self vnto his courtesie or going any more into his handes therein I thinke it good to followe your aduise not that I would bee vnwillyng to liue and dwell with him if I might hope to finde hym better disposed but because I would bee lothe to fall eftsones into the like daunger and greeuous perill And as for requiting you for this your commendable trauaile in my behalf I knowe not what better recompence I am able to giue you then to rest bound vnto you for euer and to acknowledge my self beholdyng vnto pour courtesie for my life whiche obligation if it maie satisfie you I will be as glad and as content as I maie be in this miserable state wherein I am But if your meanyng perchaunce be that the losse of mine honestie should bee the reward and hire for your paines I doe beseche you to depart hence out of this tombe and to leaue me here inclosed for I had rather die here thus buried quicke through the â—rueltie of my housband then through any suche compassion or pitie to saue my life with the losse of mine honour and good name The Scholer by those wordes perceiued well enough the honest disposition of Agarha whiche he wondered at consideryng that the terror of death it self was not able once to moue her from her faithfulnesse and coÌ„stancie of mind And though it were greeuous vnto hym to finde her so stedfast yet hopyng that by tyme in the ende he might ouercome her chast and honest purpose aunswered that he could not but commende her for her disposition though he deserued a kinder recompence of his long and feruent loue and she a more louing and faithfull housband But since she was so resolued he would frame him self to be content with what she would and not craue of her any thyng that she would not willyngly graunt hym to haue And therewith helpyng her out of the Sepulcher he led her home vnto his house and left her there with an olde woman that kept his house to whom he recomended her and whose helpe he was assured of to dispose the good will of Agatha towardes hym and the next mornyng returned into the Citie Gonsales after a fewe daies seeming not to be able to liue without a wife to take care of his familie
and as he continued this determinatioÌ„ behold a contrary winde hath driuen vs on these parts where hearyng of the Fame of this Noble Citee of Tolosia he hath sent me vnto your grace desiryng nothing but your saffe conducte for hymself and certaine of his cheef Lordes and Counsailors that be about hym that in this noble Citee thei might be Baptized and receiue the Christian faithe promising hereafter not onely to ioyne in league and perfect amitie with the Christians but also to lincke with them in Religion hymself his Countries Kyngdomes and Prouinces This tale was not so smoothly told but there was greate doubte and suspition had in the matter in the ende thinkyng thei could receiue no preiudice by receiuing of so smal a nomber gaue safe condite for the Turke hymself and for fiue hundred of his companie suche as it pleased himself to appoincte The next daie the Turke was brought into the Citee on mennes shulders with his appointed companie where he was worthely receiued by the king himself with the rest of his lordes and brought into a Pallace of purpose very richely furnished where beyng laied doune vpon a bedde as though he had been able neither to stande nor sit and giuyng the King with the rest of his companie great thankes for his entertainment he desired him with the Duke his brother according to the custome to be his Godfathers when he should be Christened to whiche request thei bothe willyngly agreed the next daie the Turke hymself was the first that receiued Christendome and then all the rest of his noble men that wer with him the which beyng finished many godlie exhortations were preached vnto theim by learned menue The Turke seemed in verie gratefull maner to take this curtesie wherewith the King had vsed him and thus taking his leaue himself with all his companie departed againe aborde the shippes the Turke himself beyng caried vpon mennes backes making showe as though he had been so feeble and weake that he had not been able to haue moued or stirred any one ioynte without helpe fainyng that he would haue departed with his companie into Turkie The King of Tolosia with all his people and Citezens seyng with what deuotion the Turke with the reste of his companie had receiued Christendome began to thinke assuredly that onely by the Diuine prouidence of God the Turke was so conuerted and doubted nothyng of the tale whiche Aramanthus before had told them whiche tourned in the ende to their vtter subuersion For the nexte daie Aramanthus commyng againe to the Kyng brought woorde of the death of the Turke and with a piteous discourse vttered with a nomber of fained sighes saied that about twelue a clocke of the night past the Turke deceased and desired at the houre of his death that as in this worthie Citee he had receiued the true and Catholike faithe so likewise that he might bee entoumbed and receiue Christian buriall in the Cathedrall Churche to the whiche he had giuen by his will fourtie thousande Frankes more to the common Treasure of the Citee an hundred thousande Frankes to the King himself as a president of his good will a riche Iewell whiche hymself did weare of greate estimation to the Duke his brother his owne Armour and furniture Item to the releef of the poore within the Citee tenne thousande Frankes Many other thinges ê™ Aramanthus he hath bequeathed that I haue not spoken of the whiche God willyng shalbe performed to the vttermoste The king semed greatly to lament the death of the Turke and began to coniecture assuredly that it was the will of God but to preserue his life till he had receiued Christendome but the time of his buriall was deferred for certain daies til thinges might be prouided and more readie for the pompe and solemnising of his Funerall and wonderfull cost was bestowed by Aramanthus who had the onely ordering of the matter hoping in the ende to receiue the whole commoditie and also to be rewarded with a large and bountifull intrest The daie of buriall beyng at hande Aramanthus desired the king that for so muche as the Turke had finished his daies in the middest of his armie emongst his Souldiers that he might likewise bee buried like a noble captain and according to the maner of the feeld he might be brought to his graue with certaine bandes trailing their weapons as the custome of souldiers is to burie their dedde This request seemed to bee verie conuenient and therefore was the readilier graunted but what should I stand with long circumstance to discipher all the Ceremonies that wer vsed in this treason The daie was come that this practise must be put in vre and an emptie coffin solempnly brought to the citee vnder shewe of greate sorrowe when thei were al filled with greate ioye and gladnesse to se what happie successe was like to followe of that thei had premeditated and accordyng as Aramanthus had giuen order 5000. of their chose men were appoincted to marche the one halfe before and the other half after the Coffin trailyng their Ensignes and weapons and in this maner thei entred the Citee where the king with his nobles and principalles of the Citee were readie in mournyng weedes to accompanie the Corse When AramaÌ„nthus sawe his tyme the Alarum was giuen and he hymself was the first that laied handes of the king his Father the rest of his nobles were so enclosed that there could not one of theÌ„ escape Defence there was none to bee made for the one side were in Armes killyng and murtheryng of as many as thei could see stirryng in the streates The other side vnprouided glad to hide theim selues for the sauegard of their liues The reste of the fleete were likewise in a readinesse and commyng a lande entred the Citee where there was no man to repulse them And thus the famous Citee of Tolosia was taken by the Turkes euen in a moment without any maner of resistance the churches and prisons were filled full of Christians where thei were whipped racked and tormented to the death vnlesse thei would forsake their Faithe The kyng hymself with his brother and all the Lordes were committed to prison there to bee fedde with breade and water and yet to be scantled with suche short allowaunce as it was not able to suffice Nature and so to be dieted vnlesse thei would forsake their Faithe Now the Turke who onely by the meanes of Aramanthus had coÌ„quered from the Christians so many citees and tounes for the loue he bare vnto hym and in respect of his seruice determined to make Aramanthus his sonne in lawe and to giue hym his daughter Florella for his wife and for her dowrie all suche partes as he had taken from the Christians by conquest and vnderstandyng that the father of Aramanthus was but a poore Fisherman he pretended likewise to make hym a duke and to giue hym liuyng to maintaine his estate The Turke therfore with allpossible speede hasted messengers with shippyng