greater Finally he recounted to me froÌ„ poynt to poynt all things in manner forme as I haue made the narration thus hauing heard al I caused him to rest himself made him good chere for certaine daies And the whiles I writ an answere to my most welbeloued Priscaraxe willing her to maintaine her self alwaies in royall authoritie and maiestic with sure and ioyfull hope of my returne if death sicknesse or prison did not let me mary it was first requisit for me by force of my destinies to circuit and compasse the roundnes of land and sea vntill such time as by continual going forwards I was returned to the place where froÌ„ I departed which could not be done so shortly praying her the whiles to entertaine her selfe with her knights and people in peace and Iustice in vertue and honour norishing and bringing vp her sonne Alector well and nodly causing him diligently do exercise all honest and vertuous actions meet worthie for a young prince which should be the greatest pleasure that I could of her either looke for or receiue The letter after this tenour closed sealed I writ another shorter to the 24. Knights in generall willing and commanding them inuiolately to kéepe their faith and obedience promised sworne to their Quéene Priscaraxe to aid assist her in the maintenance of Peace Iustice honorably to kéep the noble estate of Cheuasry exercise of armes And for the better maintenance thereof I sent theÌ„ in a little barke for that cause expresty made apparresled 24. stéeled acomplet armors of double mettal so many triangled guilded shields azured painted with diuers coulors and figures of armory with proper â—…uises as many strong lances of Sapin headded with yron and therewithall 24. paire of spurres the vsage whereof they had not as yet experimented albeit they had seene a certaine forme of spurres borne with Alector As for the Quéene Priscaraxe I sent her a double coller of grosse round pearles so Alector a right faire sword of fine Chalybian azure forged by the Chalybes people in Hispania being singular workmen in yron and stéele damasked the gard and hilts being of hard stéele wrought with wreathed serpents by a most subtill linking amelled and guilded vpon the skale their eyes being of little cleere Saphirs the poygne being of of Lycorne the pommell of massie gold wrought with the head of a lyon the two eyes being two rubies heares of the fringe of fine gold wreathed hanging down the top of the pommell was fastned with a grosse diamond the scabard was couered with the skin of an Adder the fayrest and best remarked that a man might possibly fée all traced naturallie with lines of gold or at least séeming to bée guilt so blew as Azure so red as blood gréen like the emerald violet in flowre and white like the coulour of Iuorie and betwéene the lines in the black spot it was mayled with lesser skales like siluer whereby it appeared by-day so fayre and rich that no work of siluer and gold might compare to this naturall orfauorie and that which is more by night it was so cléere as a lampe rendring light and splendor sufficient to sée seauen paces round about it for such was the naturall proprietie of the Adder as I perceiued one night when to take my rest I was gone aland on the coast of Barbary where by the proper cléerenes and nightlie splendor thereof I discouered this kinde of serpent Wherewithall being after my first sléepe awakened and merueiling to sée in the sand such a strange remoouing lightning I drew neere it and beholding it to be a kinde of serpent I set my foote on her head and slew it neneuerthesesse for all it was slaine yet did not the skin thereof lose the splendor but remained shining albeit not altogether so liuely and farre off shining as it did being aliue yet was it of naturall substance so clere and shining that all the circumstances of the place by two great faddomes were lightned and easie to be séene Wherefore hauing reposed there al the night in the morning I beheld the Adder so shining by night and séeing the skin thereof so faire so variable speckled barred and mailed with gold siluer azure purple sindal and all other faire collours I caused it to be fleane clensed tanned in the barke of Cassia and Cinamom and afterwards made thereof a scabard for the good and rich sworde which I sent to my Sonne Alector with the other presents which being laid in chests of Sapin I caused theÌ„ to be put in a little barke well victualed and furnished with Marriners other things thereto necessarie So giuing to the messenger a rich Cassock of crimson veluet buttoned with gold a doublet of yellowe waterie silke chamblet and a hat of Albany couered with cléere blew silke veluet brodred and barred with circles in snares of loue and knit strings of thred of gold with a fair bowe of Bubalins horne and a quiuer of a TayzoÌ„s skin ful of arrowes fethered with rauens fethers I licensed him to depart and sent the letters verball answere by him with commandement to declare that which he had séen of mine estate So departed hee and went his way and sayled without any hard encountry torment or ill aduenture till hée arrined in Scythia where he hauing taken lande mounted vp into the pallace of the Quéene Priscaraxe to whom as I haue vnderstood since by my Sonne Alectors arriuall with me hee presented my letters presents and giftes sent to her to Alector and to the 24. Knights who were assembled in the Quéenes chamber to heare newes of Franc-Gal which is I my selfe whom they hold for their Soueraigne The letters vnderstood they accorded very gladly thereunto and receiued the presents most agréeably specially Alector who could not fill himselfe with pulling out beholding and shaking his excellent faire sword The messenger being in the order that I had apparrelled him in and ready in the audience of all the assistance recited all that hee had séen and vnderstood of mée with the great honors and praises of my vertues prowesse worthy reuengances meritorious liberalities Iustice good ensignements which he heard reported of me through all the places where I had passed and where he had followed mee whereof they were all most glad specially my Lady Priscaraxe who with a swéete remembrance mixed with sorrow and ioy could not absteine from weeper ing incessantly before all the knights who after the message declared comforted and consolated her and she the more to encrease her ioy put the rich double coller of Margarites which I had sent her about her neck and inuited the 24. Knights to supper who departing from thence went to arme themselues in the new harnesses which I had sent them and to put on their spurres which they neuer before had vsed and mounting on horsuark went to Iust and proue their new armours
her rains broad her belly round white and faire But her lower parts in stéed of thighes legs and féet finished in a long serpentlike taile of diuers colours like shining mayle wherewith she linked her selfe betwéene my legs and with her faire naked armes embraced me so about the neck body that I could scarce be rid from her without violence to so faire a creature as she séemed by her superiour parts so louingly kissing me which withdrewe me from giuing her anie outragious repulse But on the contrarie part this Serpentlike tayle wherewithall I felt my selfe interlaced gaue me hideous feare abhomination of a creature so monstrous wherefore tenderly I rid me of her embracements and linkings and taking her by the hand asked her what she was and what she would with me I am quoth the Maide right graciously daughter of Phoebus and Rhea created lately in this present place by vertue of the Sunne heating the earth as yet sumie with the late inundation and animated with a good ayrie spirite who by the first information rendred my Essence perfect except that forsomuch as the Sunne and man doo engender man in their proper and humane forme and that I being not engendred of the séede of man but onely of the Sunne and of the terrestrial humor heated by the Sunne could haue but onely the superiour part after the humaine forme and the inferiour part such as the earth could fashion in the forme of a Serpent neuertheles not venymous although they say that venym lyeth in the tayle but of good nature and not hurtfull as thou shalt wel know furthermore my name is written on my right arme which I neither knowe nor shall knowe but onely by thée for for thee and of thée to conceiue fruite I am newly sent into the world I vnderstanding this talke looked vppon her right arme wherein I perceiued her skin in certaine places gylded like the thigh of Pithagoras in form of Persian letters declaring this name Priscaraxe Of which name well vnderstanding the good signification and considering this so faire and gracious creature albeit monstrous but for good cause I spake vnto her in this sort My swéete hart Priscaraxe for so is your name written which I pray remember well I knowe now that in a luckie hower I haue met with you and for that good fortune I will not refuse you and forsomuch as I haue found such singular beautie good grace in your vpper parts without disdaine of your lowe terrestriall serpentlike vnvenimous parts I accept you for mine and will be wholly yours In saying thus I embraced and kissed her and for the pleasure kindnesse which I found in her I remained in her companie 32. daies at what time she felt her selfe to haue conceiued and to be with childe which was her chiefe and souereigne desire Of the leaue taken by Franc-Gal of Priscaraxe elected and constituted Queene in high Tartarie of the homages and fealties taken of the people assembled and of the creation of the order of her Knights CAP. 15. THe time being come that Priscaraxe felt herselfe to be with childe I determined to leaue her albeit that departure from pleasure be grieuous and notwithstanding her couersation companie was most agreeable and delectable to me yet neuerthelesse the earnest desire of accomplishing a vniuersal peregrination which of long time I had enterprised moued me the more specially beeing so well accommodated with my good horse Durat Hippopotame verie proper to passe the seas and hugie streames being sure to finde enough of others to passe on firme land and trauerse the regions For estéeming the whole earth giuen to the sons of men for habitation by the souereigne Lord who for himselfe hath reserued the Heauen of Heauens to be but a house and domicile of humane creatures I accompted my selfe vnworthie of the name of a man and of the houshold of mankinde if I shuld not haue seene and knowne all the parts of this vniuersall house and for that cause had I enterprised the circuite and passing about the whole terrestriall world For the performance whereof it was vnnecessarie for me to arrest my self at pleasures but rather the most swéetly I could to depart from my welbeloued Priscaraxe wherfore one day being alone with her after accustomed solace I began this talke with her My most deare Priscaraxe there is no companie howe faire and good soeuer it be but it must in the ende finallie depart either by death or otherwise but mortal departure is more grieuous than any other because it is without any hope of returne but voluntarie departure is alwaies consolatorie amongest vs that liue in hope they shall once againe see and be vnited together Wherefore the separation of vs twaine being once necessarie will we or nill wee it seemeth to mee that it bee better voluntarily made betweene vs being now liuing in good health and in perfect amitie than to abide till wee bee constrained to depart by death in grief sadnes And for that cause I haue thought good to signifie thus much vnto you that within these few daies I must depart from your most louing companie At this word Priscaraxe touched to the heart like a sauage beast wounded to the quicke cried out O God! who would haue thought it wherwith shee enclined her selfe vpon my breast her voice and spirit through anguish halfe cleauing a sunder and after a long preclusion gathering together of her spirites which of sodaine dolour were vanished away she thus pursued her talke who would haue beléeued alas that from so noble nature could haue issued such inhumanitie that after these pleasures by thée receiued thou woldst haue left her who begins but now to féele them O Franc-Gal is this the franchise whereof thou bearest the name For pleasure to render me grief for honour dispraise for graciousnesse ingratitude and for loue death Alas my deare Lord and friend if thou wilt permit me to vse this name consider and beléeue for certaine that by thee I am with childe yea that of a merueilous Son as the destinies of my originall haue pronounced Consider then that a better part of thée remaineth enclosed and cōioyned with my bodie which being not able to liue without thée must of force die so shalt thou be a murtherer both of me and partly of thy selfe But I beléeue not most dear Lord and friend that thou hast so hard a heart wherefore telme I beseech thée in truth whether these be thy words or but dreamed by my fearfull imagination which would the Gods it were And in saying this shee cast her armes about my necke in embracing familiar kissing bedeawing my face with the teares which she shed Then albeit I was greatly compassioned yet permanent and constant in mine intention I said thus vnto her Priscaraxe my most deare friend although my departure from thée bee as sorrowful as my conuersation with thée pleasant yet is it so that there is nothing
agast babled against him certaine barbarous and sauage speeches of â—urious threatning and gaue him such a waightie blowe with his Club that made Alector who receiued it vppon his shield to bowe his knee but hastily getting vp againe hee restored it him so fiercely with a blowe of his sword so rudely set vpon his humaine haâ—…h which was his horsely shoulder that hee discouered his sinewes with great dolor and effusion of bloud wherewith the monster cast foorth a crie so hidious that all the wood rang of it and the wilde beasts for feare ran to hide themselues and after that lift vp his massie Club and let driue a lurdie blow sufficient to fell an Elephant But Alector both light and nimble easilie shunned his great stroake which fell in vaine and so rudely that the Centaure therewithall had his arme and hand astonned so as with great paine could hee lift vp his massie Club any more The which Alector perceiuing with his good sworde cut off one of his hands hard by the ioynt which fell to the ground with his massie Club which cauled the Centaure to cast foorth a more horrible crie than before and seeing himselfe disarmed and dismembred with the feare which hee had of the shining sworde of Alector turned his hinder horsely parts yerking out such strokes that the aire seemed to sparkle with fire But the valiant Esquire prompt and quick to turne himselfe shunning alwaies the blowes or else bearing off with his shield the furious yerkes of his heeles stroke him ouerthwart in his yerkings with such a cutting blowe that notwithstanding the hardnes of his skin and bruskled haires he cut a sunder the sinewes of his leggs euen to the discouerie of his bones which as yet were whole Which the Centaure dolefullie feeling turned againe his face and with great ire lept vpon Alector thinking to haue beaten him downe with his forefeete But the gentle Squire seeing so faire a marke forgat not himselfe but with a thrust into his horsely breast pierced vnto his humaine heart And so this byformed monster beeing stroken to death fell downe to the earth with all his foure feete tumbling in his black bloud and giuing vp his last crie not altogether in humaine voice nor altogether in horsly gneyng but mixed with both like a man gnaying or like a horse brutally speaking vntill such time as hee was cleane dead and at that instant the Heauens began so to powre with Lightning Thunder and great Raines which as I thinke were the Diuels carying awaie the soule of this monster that necessitie constrained my Ladie Noëmia and mee at the perswasion and assurance of Alector to retire our selues into the hollow of the Rock which was the habitation of the Centaure where we entred in not without great feare agast at the merueilous combat and of the hardines and prowesse of the valiant Squire who comforted and assured vs right humainely And there within we found much Venison and diuers fruites of the wood which wee vsed that night for the present necessitie And whiles they were eating my Ladie Noëmia in whose heart loue had alreadie taken place by regarde and admiration of the beautic hardines prowesse and graciousnes of this yong Esquire whome shee beheld with great admiration by the light of a most meruailous scabberd of his sworde which hee caried so cleere in the night and in an obscure place that it gaue so much light as a flaming brand demaunded him what good aduenture had brought him so happelie for hir deliuerance My faire Ladie saide Alector who on his part was no lesse attaint with the grace and beautie of Noëmia than shee of his I knowe not well by what way I am come hether more to my happines than your owne but this I am certaine that either by some Hyperborian winde or spirite I haue been since one moneth past rauished vpon the Septentrionall Seas from the top of the wings of Durat Hippopotame the great swimming and flying horse of my Father Franck-Gall and carried by him ouer Lands and Seas by many iournies to the great discomfort and sorrowe of my said Father whome I knowe searcheth mee throughout the Worlde vntill at length this windie spirite reposed mee in a faire Garden of a Castle not farre from hence where a young Damosell like you but not so faire and somewhat more aged found me and vnderstanding my name mounted mee on horseback vppon that condition that I should followe you virto this wood and giue you aide if you needed the same For an olde Witch the same morning had told her that if you were not recouered by Alector you would be vtterly lost And that the first man which shee found called bv my name shee should without delay send after you Now thus it is that I was no sooner reposed in the Garden but the Spirite who had carried mee about so farre at his departure seemed to say to mee after a whispering manner in my left eare entring into my braines these words following Alector rise and goe to saue the snowie Hinde From monsters hands then trudge Franck-Gall thy sire to find Who doth thee seck on lofty seas ytost with many a wind And thereupon entered into the Garden a right godly Ladie faire yong and of great grace but notwithstanding sorrowfull and lamenting her owne Cousen Noëmia lately departed from the Castle of Greene-head for so was the place named froÌ„ whence I came for the words which the old witch had told her This yong dame thinking her selfe to be alone and vnproudied finding me in the garden which was closed on euerie side with high walles beyond the compasse of a ladder was not a little abashed but after assuring her selfe demanded of me who had let me in What I was And what I would haue And I answered I could not tell Alector a horse She hearing this name of Alector without demanding me other thing led me into the Esquurie gaue me leaue to choose the horse which pleased me best vpon the foresaid conditions The which most agreeably accepted I chose this faire apple grey which you see now had he because of the tempest put his horse vnder couert amongst the trées which Noëmia and I incontinently knewe to bee the horse of my Lord Spathas And wee vnderstoode that shee who sent him after vs was my Lady Callirhoa of the castle of Greene-head Continuing than his purpose I chose quoth hee this faire apple grey who presently was sadled and bridled for mee and whiles that hee was making readie the Ladie of the Castle aduertised mee of a certaine monster Thus being mounted with leaue taken of the Ladie I promised to accomplish her commaundement And vpon this horse euer since from that place for my former iournies I could neiter marke norknow no more than the waie which the bird maketh in the aire the serpent on the ground or the ship on the sea yea on this horse haue I been brought hether without finding any man
The present appointed cause in the criminall accusation of the Gratians against Alector being obscure and doubtfull aswell on the one part as the other to the iudgement of men is nowe by heauenly Oracle sent to the diuine iudgement who shall condemne his fault by death or showe his innocencie vp victorie at the proofe of combat against the Auenger Serpent of the Theatre in the plaine of the Sands onely with his sword shield and an arrowe without a bowe Whereunto wee will sende him within thrée daies at the furthess This sentence pronounced was right well allowed and receiued of all the assistance who demaunded not the death of this yong Esquire but bore him secret fauor in hope of some merueilous aduenture of the combat as it came after to passe as also of the two parties For the Gratians thought verely that their offendor should incontinently be swallowed vp of the most horrible Serpent who onely with his venemous breath did slaie those who approached him Alector on the other side trusting in his hardines legeritie and promesse demaunded nothing but that the third day were come and enquired after if his sword and shield were safe To whome it was answered that hee should not care but that they should bee deliuered him the day of the Combat Wherewithall he wonderfullie reioyced and thanked the Potentate of his clemencie to the great abashment of all the people who meruelled to see him so assured in such a mortall and present perill And so by commaundement he was caried back to the lodging of the Captaine Palatine to be kept in his guarde where without ceasing he lamented his Ladie Noëmia speaking to her as though she had been present and promising her reuenge And in this his great complaint which euerie night from thrée houres to thrée houres hee awaked hee woulde crie out with a loude veice O Noëmia O Noëmia O Noëmia and reclayming incessantly the Sunne to aduance the day and time of his Combat against the Serpent wherof his care was so small as the thought was great how to finde out the murthering Arther of his Noëmia so remained hee there for that time During the which the soueraigne and most iust Iudge Diocles caúsed diligent and secret enquirie to be made to knowe who it was which in that tumult shot the arrowe wherewith the faire gracious and vertuous Noëmia was so accursedlie slaine wherewith all in generall were sad and sorrowfull For in the death of this noble Maiden was buried the flower of beautie and grace of all the Maidens of the Citie of Orbe for the which cause she was deplored bewailed and lameueet in common dueil all the people with one voyce crying vengeance and penall iustice of the murtherer But for all the diligent enquirie that could be made nothing could be found sauing a light presumption and suspition of a yong springall called Coracton who had sometime greatlie wooed her and of her had gotten nought but a conquest of refusall for the vicious nature which abounded in him but this presumption was not sufficient chieflie because at her burying this gallant mourned aboue all the rest msomuch that with force of teares he washed away all suspition The Iudge perceiuing he could finde no other thing went himselfe in person before shee was permitted to be buried to see the bodie of the faire Noëmia lying before the piller of the 3. Charites with such grace albeit dead that shee séemed swéetelie to sléepe more whiter than her snowie garments purplesied in bloud wherewithall hee himselfe beeing a most seuere man was mooued to teares and commanded the bloudie arrowe to be deliuered him the which after hée had beheld it lift it vp aloft demanding if no man knew it but no answere would be giuen And lifting vp his eyes he beheld the Charites of alabastre and saw that from their slonie eyes distilled aboundance of teares lamenting the death of their fourth sister which he shewed vnto the people who of such a miracle began to wéepe and crie vengeance for the fact And amongst these enterprises Diocles aduised betwéene the hands of two Charites a little scroll rowled vp the which hee secretlie tooke without the knowledge of anie man and after he had read it he closed it in his hand with the arrowe and retired to his lodging giuing leaue to burie the dead bodie which in open mourning was enterred before the statues of the 3. Graces with the enscription of the Epitaph as hath been before declared And the sepulcher was couered with flowers and perfumes strowed by the people in lamentation of the faire Noëmia The reuelation by night to Croniel Archier The arriuall of Franc-Gal The foretelling of the blacke Bird The mortall perrill of the Archier by a Lionnesse slaine by Franc-Gall The reincountrie and assemblie of the Archier and Franc-Gall with their deplorations CAP. 5. THE euening of that selfe same day the Archier Croniel beeing in the Temple at his nosturnall meditations as euerie night before he was accustomed to doo he receiued a certaine inward intelligence that the next daye after noone he should goe towardes the sea side by keeping the way of the sepulcher of Thanais and that hard by hee should finde a man who should saue his life him he should bring lodge in his house and of him should he learne much Croniel the next morning after sacrifice and dinner tooke his bowe and quiuer to passe the time at shooting chasing of beasts and birds in the field for seldome or neuer went he to the plaies at the Theatre by the occasion of his predecessor and taking with him same vinualls and a little wine if so he should noode it and so set forwards on the way toward the sea by the way of Portune to seeke out the beasts and birds of the field Now the same morning was arriued at the next Port the magnanimous Prince Franc-Gal Dysir Macrobe his men vpon a great Hippopotame being a huge merueilous sea horse swimming and Hying vpon the waters and flouds with the féete of Polype and wings called Durar This Franc-Gall through seas and lands went séeking his sonne Alector who on the Septentrion seas was rauished and carried from him by a horrible wind The whole proces hereof is showen in the 21 Cap he knew not whether and by fortune hauing taken land at the next hauen with his onely page held the high way to the great Citie of Orbe where appeared to him a blacke bird like a rauen but somewhat of lesser bodie with beacke and clées red who flying before him from trée to trée séemed to sing in humane voyce these words following Come with me come come come thou shalt goe to the Sands Where thou shalt finde thy Sonne come with me come come come For I a Prophet am whom thou no more shalt see Come with me come come come thou shalt goe to the Sands Franc-Gall hearkening to her and taking her song for an Augurie
Swan as white as snowe who rested her selfe hard by this celestiall fire and with the sweete blast of Zephyrus began her deadly song which shee is accustomed by nature to sing vpon the banks of the crooked riuer of Mcander when shee is reposed vpon the wet grasse and perceiueth her death at hand and in singing distilled from her eyes aboundance of teares which fell vpon the Starrie fire and quenched it by little and little the swanne likewise afféebling both in voyce and life according as the fire deminished in such sort that at the last teare which the swanne shed she died and the fire vanished flaming vp into heauen from whence it was descended By this vision the Archier incontinently vnderstood that the latter end of Franc-Gal was nere at hand and that hee should shortly dye through some dolorous or ioyfull cause Wherefore in the morning before his entrie into the Temple hee went to visit him but hee found him not in his chamber whereon looking out at the windowe he perceiued him walking in the garden very pensiue whereinto he went and saluted him Franc-Gal saluted him againe in a voyce very low and hidden Then the Archier asked him wherefore he was risen before day and had not taken his rest at his ease My rest quoth Franc-Gal is very nere so far as I vnderstand by many presages but chiefely this night through the phantasie of mine vnquietnes which haue not suffered me to repose to the end they might prepare a durable sléepe for mee without waking vntill the reuolution of the world And therefore let vs goe to the Temple to pray and giue thanks to him who hath permitted our being till this present so went these two good wise men right to the temple to accomplish the sacrifice such as hath alreadie been reested Which being done the greatest part of the people assembled thēselues at the great Basilique Dicaste where Diocles bore rule as Potentate of Orbe with all the Benchers Magistrates Lords and notable Citizens Before whome was brought this young Squire Alector who by the Gratians had béen accused of so many crimes whereby the death of their fayre sister Noëmia was happened the which Alector but thrée daies before had béene adiudged by sentence of the diuine Iustice to proue his innocencie by fighting with the great serpent of the Sands This young Squire comming before the face of the magistrates of the whole iustice and of the Potentate shewed himselfe so assured and braue as they séemed to bee seuere and graue demanding at that instant Iustice against the murthering Archer of his fayre and welbeloued Noëmia whome he bewailed without ceassing for the rest neither hauing nor showing any thought or care either of his proper person life or death sauing onelie that hée might reuenge his fayre Noëmia Then Diocles the Potentate showed to all the benchers of the counsaile the little bill which the day before he had found betwéene the hands of the statues of Alablaster of the thrée Graces wherein these verses were written The Arrowe being in the hand Of vanquisher reuenger of His Ladies death the vengeance shall From Heauen aboue descend vpon The murtherer of Noëmia fayre And shortly after that shall end The Pilgrims life and voyage long Through fearefull fright and sudaine ioy This bill being first declared from whence it came and in whose hands it was found was taken for a diuine token and allowed of all with common sentence that the arrowe wherewith Noëmia was staine should bee put into the hands of Alector to see what would happen Who being called into the Iudgement place was demanded of Diocles if hee remembred not the condemnation of combat with the serpent whereto he had béen adiudged and whether he disposed not of himselfe to obay the sentence Yes quoth he most hardlie and assuredly and I thank you too for the honor which you doo mee neither wish I any better but that the traiterous murtherer of Noëmia were also ioyned with the serpent that of them both I might make a sacrifice of reuenge vnto the Spirite of my deceased Noëmia May it therefore please the heads of Iustice to garnish me with mine armes which are my good sword with the lyberian scabbard shining and my shield with the hardie Cock which I brought from the Trophie of Gallehault Showing thereby that all beasts by nature are muniated with their owne proper armes aswel for defence as offence The Lyons quoth hee haue their griping pawes the Elephants their trunkes the Harts and Bulls their hornes and foreféete the horses haue their biting before and yerking behind the Bores their tusks the Tortoyes and shell fishes their hardnes the Bées their sling the Scorpions their tailes the Serpents their venym tongue and deadly teeth onely man is borne without armes as a creature of peace vnles with their owne handie worke and labor they obtaine or conquer them as I haue gotten this sworde of my Fathers gift and therefore proper to me and my shield by mine owne conquest which armes onelie for others appertaine not to mée being but a simple Squire I require to be restored and put into my hands that I may not be found a naked man and vnarmed of all weapons aswel offensiue as defensiue against this terrestiall enemy of man armed with malice subtiltie force nimble lightnes piercing téeth dāgerous tail mortal poyson besides that with hard shayles on his lubrick skin whereas I being naked and vngarnished of all defence against such and so well armed an enemie if I be ouercome it shall be mine owne euill and damage in particular but in generall it shall be the shame reproach and coniusion of those men who heereafter shall bee staine and deuoured by the most wicked of all beasts whom Soueraigne God which you call Ioua hath condemned to be troden vnder the féete of man vnto whom power is giuen to tread vpon the Aspic and Basilisque and to foyle with his feete the Lyon and Dragon which you shall see come to passe GOD giuing mee the force if you restore mee mine armes which haue bin vniustly taken from me and the which I here demand before your Iustice The Potentate and all the Magistrates were amerueiled not onely at the braue hardines of Alector which naturally might come of the fire of his age but much more of his liberall eloquence and reasonable wisdome before age albeit he were farre yonger than they tooke him to bee Wherefore presently they caused his armes to be brought forth deliuering to him his good sword with the scabberd of the shining serpents skinne and his greene shield with the Cock of Golde which he recetued with so great ioy as they bad béene taken from him with great sorro we and lamentation And besides that the Potentate Diocles following the aduertisement of the Archier and the Oracle written by the Charites put into his hand an arrow being bloudy halfe way to the feathers which he tooke and after he had beheld
Neuerthelesse with the help of those who stoode by Alector came againe to himselfe beginning with hauty cries to lament his Father to the great commiseration of the whole multitude who thus dolorously heard him crie Alas Franc-Gal my Lord Father haue you brought mee into this World to haue no more acquaintance with you but only three dayes at Tangut and one onely day at Orbe Alas must it chance thus that hauing trauelled so many lands and Seas to séeke me who was carried away by the wind you must finde me here in mort all perrill to your griefe suddaine and short ioy and vnlooked for death O my most dere father wel haue I attended to be made knight of your haud for of a more worthie a man I can neuer bee made Wel I sée now that if I would be a sonne any longer I must goe séeke another Father this saying hée fell downe againe neuerthelesse he was by the Ministers spéedily taken vp and by the Archier consolated who showed vnto him the good and long life of Franc-Gal his Father tegether with his happie death in extreame ioy and felicitie without féele of paine or sorrowe his glory of immortall renowne gotten through the whole world which should redound perpetually to his successors For the better manifesting whereof tending onely to the end to consolation he turned his speach to the people and by manner of an oration funebrall hee declared what Franc-Gal was his noble race his vertuous acts and déeds his benefactions to all vniuersally in ripping vp his whole life and his strange aduentures as he had vnderstood them of Franc-Gal himselfe and as they haue béen before declared and shown This oration being well vnderstood all the people vniuersally merueiled at such a vertuous and heroycal personage making for him a publique and common mourning from the highest Magistrate to the lowest of the poore people who bore such reuerence to this most vertuous deceased Fran-Gal that they would not willingly loose the sight and presence of him nor hide so noble a body vnder the earthly darkenesses And therefore by the aduice of all the wise men and consent of all the people and at the common expence and charges was made a great Tabernacle of most fine christall in fashion of a tower wherein was enclosed the body of Franc-Gal scituated in a chayre the crowne on his head in the same forme habitude and countenance of ioy that he deceased in In this estate they eleuated him vppon foure pillers of guilt brasse on the north side of the Altar whereby they might alwaies haue him in their sight as a very Image of vertue where hee remayned whole in his former beautie for the space of 400. yeares after vntill such time as the world began to commit Idolatrie to him wherewithall the Soueraigne Ioue being â—…rited one day hee caused it to bee lift vp by foure angelicall spirits and transported into such a place that afterwards it was no more séene These funebrall things being accomplished the next day the Archier conducted Alector towards the Hauen where they found Franc-Gal his companie attending their Master to whom Alector who by them incontinently was knowne and cherished commanded to discharge al the goods being vppon the Hippopotame that they might bee conueyed to the towne of Orbe Which when they had done hée shewed vnto them this sorrowfull newes willing them no longer to attend their prince for that he was dead where at all of them being astonished demanded of him saying Is Franc-Gal dead't And hee answered them absolutely Franc-Gal is dead At these words Franc-Gal is dead the horse Durat Hippopotame began to moue as one hauing vnderstanding and intelligence of the death of his Master and shaked his wings féete tayle head and body with such a violence that the Sea arose round about and in this torment there issued out of the déepe Sea the olde man Protëus who cried aloud neuer man hensforth shall ride vpon thee In this saying he led the horse into the loftie Stas where in the sight and to the great sorrow of all the beholders hee sonke him in the deapth in such sort that neuer after hee was seene The people of Franc-Gal seeing what had happened and that they were both without conduct and meanes to ride on the Seas followed Alector as their Master till that they came to Orbe carrying with them the goods and riches of their late Master that they might present them to his entire body and sée him in his tabernacle and as they were thus ready to returne behold a bird passing by came and rested on the shoulders of Croniell who knowing this bird to be sent him by diuine ordinance tooke her in his hands and hauing written in a white leafe these verses Priscaraxe Queene of Tartary no longer dooattend The comming of Franc-Gal for why his life with ioy hath end The onelysecing of his childe Alector full of grace With honor crownd in vertue milde hath wrought this dolefull cace He bound it to her neck commanding her in the name of Ioua the name of the soueraigne God to be a faithfull messenger and to carrie this letter to Priscaraxe Quéene of Tartary and so let her flye with his benediction and the bird as one hauing vnderstood his commandements incontinently tooke her flight ouer the Seas and septentrionall parts in such sort that within a while the companions of Franc-Gal Alector and Croniell lost the sight of her and returned to Orbe where what they did shall bee declared in the Second part And how Alector was transformed by phantasie into a bird and afterwards restored to his former shape made Knight with his facts and heroycall déeds Likewise the message done by the bird to Priscaraxe of her dolors decliningand trasmigration into Aquitaine and all that happened to her there moreouer of the passage of Alector into France vnto the obscure valley afterwards called by him Vau ieur and of his notable and worthie dooings Finally his posteritie vntill the comming of the pensiue Pilgrime All this shal be shown in the Second part and thus shall ende the First Though long at length FINIS