and my soule forsake his earthly habitation You knowe my Lorde how that the King my Father dooth beare you no good will but doth hate you from hys soule which wil be the occasion that we cannot enioy our harts contentments for the which I haue determined if you thinke well thereof to leaue both my Father and my natiue Countrey and to goe and liue with you in a strange Land And if you denie me this you shall verie quickly sée your welbeloued Ladie without life but I know you will not denie me it for thereon consisteth the benefite of my welfare and my chéefest prosperitie And therewithall shedding a few teares from her christall eyes she held her peace The Magitian as one halfe rauished with her earnest desires answered and said My Loue and swéete Mistres wherefore haue you anie doubt that I will not fulfill and accomplish your desire in all things therefore out of hand put all things in a readines that your pleasure is to haue done for what more benefite and contentment can I receaue than to enioy your sight continually in such sort that neither of vs may depart from the others companie till the fatall Destenies giue end vnto our liues But if it so fall out that fortune frowne vpon vs that wee bee espied and taken in our enterprise and suffer death together what more glorie can there be vnto my soule than to dye with thée and to leaue my life betwixt thy armes Therefore doo not trouble your selfe my swéete Ladie and Mistres but giue me leaue for to depart your presence that I may prouide all things in a readines for our departures And so wyth this conclusion they tooke leaue one of the other and departed away with as great secrecie as might possibly bee deuised After this within a fewe dayes the Magitian by hys inchauntments caused a Chariot to bee made that was gouerned by two flying Dragons into the which without being espied by anie one they put themselues in companie of their trustie wayting Maid and so in great secret they departed out of the Kings Pallace and tooke theyr iourney towards the Countrey of Armenia in the which Countrey in a short time they arriued and came without anie misfortune vnto a place whereas deepe riuers doo continually strike vpon a mightie rocke vpon the which stood an olde and ancient building wherein they intended to inhabit as a most conuenient place for their dwellinges whereas they might without all feare of beeing found liue peacefullie in ioying in each others loue Not farre from that place there was a small Uillage from whence they might haue necessarie prouision for the maintayning of their bodies great ioy and pleasure thâ—se two Louers receiued when they founde themselues in such a place wheras they might take their ease and inioy their loues The Magitian delighted in no other thing but to goe a hunting with certaine Countrie dwellers that inhabited in the next Uillage leauing his swéete Angellica accompanied with her trustie Fidela in that stronge house so in this order they liued together foure yeares spending their daies in great pleasure but in the end time who neuer resteth in one degrée did take from them their rest and repayed them with sorrow and extream mizerie For when the King her father found her missiing the sorrowe and griefe was so much that he receiued that he kept his chamber a long time and would not be comforted of anie bodie Foure yeares he passed away in great heauinesse filling the Courte with Ecchoes of his beloued daughter and making the skies to resound his lamentations sorrowe was his foode salte teares his drinke and griefe his chiefe companion But at last vppon a time as he sate in his Chayre lamenting her absence with great heauinesse and beeing ouercharged with griefe he chanst to fall into a troublesome dreame for after quiet sléepe had closed vp the closets of his eyes he dreamd that he saw his daughter standing vppo a Rocke by the sea side offring to cast her body into the waues before she would returne to Babylon and that he beheld her Louer with an Armye of Satyrs and wilde men ready furnished with habiliments of warre to pull him from his Throane and to depriue him of hys Kingdome Out of this vision he presently started from his chaire as though it had béen one frighted with a legion of spirits and caused foure of the chéefest Péeres of his Land to bee sent for to whom he committed the gouernement of hys Countrey certefying them that he intended a voyage to the Sepulcher at Memphis thereby to quallifie the furie of his Daughters ghost whom he dreamed to be drowned in the seas and that except he sought by true submission to appease the angrie heauens whom hee had offended by his vnnaturall sorrowes hee should be deposed from hys Kingdome None could withdraw him from this determination though it was to the preiudice of his whole Land therefore within twentie dayes he furnished himselfe with all necessaries as well of armour and martiall furniture as of golde and treasure and so departed from Babylon priuately and alone not suffering anie other though many desired it humbly and were verie earnest to beare hym companie But he trauelled not as he told his Lords after any ceremonious order but like a bloud-hound serching Countrey after Countrey Nation by Nation and Kingdome by Kingdome that after a barbarous manner hee might be reuenged vpon his Daughter for her disobedience And as he trauelled there was no caue den wood nor wildernesse but he furiously entered and diligently searched for his Angelica At last by strange fortune he happened into Armenia néere vnto the place whereas his Daughter had her residence where after he had intelligence by the Commons of that Countrey that she remained in an olde ruynated Building on the top of a rocke néere at hand without anie more tariance hee trauelled vnto that place at such a time as y e Magitian her louing Husband was gone about his accustomed hunting where comming to the gate and finding it lockt hee knockt thereat so furiously that hee made the noyse to resound all the house ouer with a redoubling Eccho When Angelica heard one knocke she came vnto the gate and with all spéed did open it And when she thought to imbrace him thinking it to be her Louer she saw that it was her Father and with a sodain alteration she gaue a great shrike and ran with all the spéed she could backe into the house The King her Father being somewhat angrie like a furious Lion followed her saying It dooth little auayle thée Angelica to run away for that thou shalt dye by thys reuengefull hand paying me with thy death the great dishonour that my royall crowne hath now by thy flight receaued So he followed her till he came to the chamber where her wayting Maid Fidela was who likewise presentlye knew the King vpon whose wrathfull countenance appeared the image of pale death
and fearing the harme that should happen vnto her Ladie she put her selfe ouer her bodie and gaue most terrible lowd and lamentable shrikes The King as one kindled in wrath and forgetting the naturall loue of a Father towards his Childe hee laid hand vppon his sword and said It dooth not profite thee Angelica to flie from thy death for thy desert is such that thou canst not escape from it for heere mine owne arme shall be the killer of mine owne flesh and I vnnaturally hate that which Nature it selfe commaundeth me especily to loue Then Angelica with a countenaunce more red than scarlet answered and said Ah my Lord and Father wil you be now as cruell vnto me as you had wont to be kind and pittifull appease your wrath and withdraw your vnmercifull sword and hearken vnto this which I saye in discharging my selfe in that you charge mee wthall you shall vnderstand my Lord and father that I was ouercome and constrained by loue for to loue forgetting all fatherly loue and my dutie towardes your Maiestie yet for all that hauing power to accomplish the same it was not to your dishonour in that I liue honorablie with my husband then the King with a visage fraught with terrible ire more liker a dragon in the woods of Hercania then a man of méeke nature answered and said Thou viperous brat degenerate from natures kinde thou wicked Traitor to thy generation what reason hast thou to make this false excuse when as thou hast committed a crime that deserues more punishment then humaine nature can inflicte and in saying these wordes he lift vp his sword intending to strike her vnto the harte and to bathe his weapon in his owne daughters blood whereat Fidela being present gaue a terrible shrike and threw her selfâ— vpon the body of vnhappy Angeâ—lica offring her tender brest to the furie of his sharpe cutting sword onely to set at libertie her déere Lady and Mistresse But when the furious King sawe her in this sorte make her defence he pulled her off â—y the haire of the hed offring to trample her delicate body vnder his féete thereby to make a way that he might execute his denermined purpose without resistance of any Fidela when she sawe the King determined to kill his daughter like vnto a Lyonesse she hung about his necke and said thou monstrous murtherer more crueller then mad dogs in Egipt why dost thou determine to slaughter the moste chaste and loyallest Ladye in the worlde euen she within whose lappe vntamed Lyons will come and sléepe Thou arte thy seâ—fe I say the occasion of all this euill and thyne onely is the faulte for that thy selfe wert so malicious and so full of mischiefe that shee durst not let thée vnderstand of her sodaine loue These wordes and teares of Fidela did little profite to mollifie the Kings heart but rather like a wylde Boare in the Wildernes beeing compassed about with a companie of Dogges doth shake his members euen so did thys King shake himselfe and threw Fidela from him in such sort that he had almost dasht her braines against the chaÌ„ber walls and with double wrath hee did procure to execute his furie Yet for all this Fidela with terrible shrikes sought to hinder him till such time as with his cruel hand he thrust the poynt of his sword in at her breast so that it appeared foorth at her backe whereby her soule was forced to leaue her terrestriall habitation and flye into Paradice to those blessed soules which dyed for true loues sake Thus this vnhappie Angelica when shee was most at quiet and content with her prosperous life then Fortune turned her vnconstant Whéele and cast her from a glorious delight to a sodaine death The yrefull King when he beheld his daughters blood sprinkled about the chamber and that by his own hands it was committed he repented himselfe of the déede and accursed the hower wherein y e first motion of such a crime entered into his minde wishing the hand that did it euer after might be lame and the heart that did contriue it to be plagued with more extremities than was miserable Oedipus or to be terrified with her ghastly spirit as was the Macedonian Alexander with Clitus shadow whom he causeles murthered In this manner the vnfortunate King repented hys Daughters bloodie Tragedie with this determination not to stay till the Magitian returned from his Hunters exercise but to exclude himselfe from the companie of all men to spend the remnant of his loathsome life among vntamed beasts in some wilde wildernes Upon this resolution he departed the chamber and withall said Farwell thou liuelesse bodie of my Angelica and may thy blood which I haue spilt craue vengeance of the Gods against my guiltie soule for my earthly bodie shall indure a miserable punishment Likewise at his departure he writ vppon y e chamber wals these verses following in his daughters blood For now to hills to dales to rockes to caues I goe To spend my dayes in shameful sorrow griefe woe Fidela after the departure of the King vsed such violent fury against her selfe both by rending the golden tramelles of her hayre and tearing her Rosie coloured face with her furious nayles that shee rather seemed an infernall Furie subiect to wrath than an earthly creature furnished with clemencie She sat ouer Angelicaes bodie wiping her bléeding bosome with a damaske scarffe which shee pulled from her waste and bathing her dead bodie in luke-warme tears which forcibly ranne downe from her eyes like an ouerflowing Fountaine In this wofull manner spent y e sorrowfull Fidela that vnhappie day till bright Phoebus went into the westerne seas at which time the Magitian retourned from his accustomed hunting and finding the doore open he entered into Angelicaes chamber where when he found her bodie weltring in congealed blood and beheld how Fidela sate wéeping ouer her bléeding wounds he cursed himselfe for that he accompted his negligence y e occasion of her death in that he had not left her in more safetie But when Fidela had certefied him how that by the hands of her owne Father she was slaughtered he began like a franticke tyrant to rage against heauen and earth and to fill the ayre with terrible exclamations Oh cruell murtherer said he crept from the womb of some vntamed Tyger I wil be so reuenged vpon thée O vnnaturall king that all ages shal wonder at thy misery And likewise thou vnhappie Uirgin shalt indure like punishment in that thy accursed tung hath bruted this fatall déed vnto my eares the one for committing the crime and the other for reporting it For I will cast such deserued vengeance vpon your heads and place your bodies in such continuall torments that you shall lament my Ladies death leauing aliue the fame of her with your lamentations And in saying these words he drew a Booke out of his bosome and in reading certaine charmes and inchauntments that was therein contained he made
illusion that caused him so cruelly to séeke her death And the breaking out into this hurly burly grew first to head in this maner following Two yeres after the Kings departure these Deputies gouerned the publike State in great peace and with prudent policie til after no tidings of the King could be heard notwithstanding so manie messengers as were in euerie quarter of the world sent to enquire of him and then did Ambition kindle in all their hears each striuing to wrest into his hand the sole possession of the Babylonian Kingdome To this end did they all make seuerall frends for this had they contended in manie Fights and now lastly they intended to set all their hopes vpon this maine chaunce of warre intending to fight all till thrée fell and one remained victor ouer the rest whose head should bee beautifyed with a crowne But of traitors and treason the end is sodaine shamefull for no sooner had Saint George placing himselfe betwéene the Battells in a bréefe Oration shewed y e aduentures of the King and he himselfe to the people discouered his reuerend face but they all shouted for ioye and haled the Usurpers presently to death and reinsialled in his ancient dignitie their true lawfull and long lookt for King The King being thus restored married Fidela for her faithfulnes and after the nuptiall Feasts the Champions at the earnest request of Saint Anthonie departed towards Italy where in Rome the Emperour spared no cost honourably and most sumptuously to entertaine those neuer daunted Knightes the famous Wonders of Christendome At that time of the yeare when the Summers Quéen had beautefied the Earth with interchaungeable ornaments Saint George in companie of the Emperour with the rest of the Champions chanced to walke along by the side of the Riuer Tyber and to delight themselues with the pleasurable meades and beauteous prospect of the Countrey Before they had walked halfe a myle from the Cittie they approached an ancient Nunnerie which was right faire and of a stately building and likewise incompassed about with christall streames and gréene meddowes furnished with all manner of beauteous trées and fragrant flowers This Nunnerie was consecrated to Diana the Quéene of Chastitie and none were suffered to liue therein but such chast Ladies and Uirgins as had vowed themselues to a single life and to kéepe their Uirginities for euer vnspotted In this place the Emperours onely Daughter liued a professed Nunne and exempted her selfe from all companie except it were the fellowship of chast and Religious Uirgins This vertuous Lucina for so was shee called hauing intelligence before by the ouerséeers of the Nunnerie how that the Emperour her Father with manie other Knights were comming to visite their religious Habitation against their approach shee attyred her selfe in a gowne of white satten all layd ouer with gold lace also hauing her golden lockes of haire somewhat laid foorth and vpon her head was knit a garland of swéete smelling flowers which made her séeme celestiall and of a diuine creation Her bâ—autie was so excellent that it might haue quailed the heart of Cupide and her brauerie excéeded the Paphian Quéenes Neuer could Circes with al her cunning frame so much beautie in anie creature as was vpon her face nor neuer could the flattering Syrens more beguile the trauellers then did her bright countenaunce inchant the English Champion for at his first entrance into the Nunnerie he was so rauished with her sight that he was not able to withdrawe his eyes from her beauty but stoodszigag vppon her Rosie culloured chéekes like one bewitched with Me-dusaes shadowes but to bee shorte her beauty séemed so Angellicall and the burning flames of loue so fieres his heart that he must either inioy her companye or giue ende to his life by some vntimely meanes Saint George beeing wounded thus with the darte of loue dissembled his griefe and not reuealed it to any one but departed with the Emperor back againe to the Citie leauing his heart behinde him cloased in the stonye Monastery with his louely Lucina All that ensuing night he could not enioy the benifit of sléepe but did contemplate vpon the diuine beautye of his Lady and fraughted his minde with a thousand seuerall cogitations how hee might attaine to her loue beeing a chaste virgin and a professed Nun. In this manner spent hee away the night and no sooner appéered the mornings brightnesse in at his chamber window but he arose from his restlesse bed and attyred him selfe in watchet veluet to signifie his true loue and wandred all alone vnto the Monastery wher he reuealed his déepe affection vnto his Ladye who was as farre from graunting to his requests as heauen is from earth or the déepest seas from the highest Elements for shee protested while life remayned within her bodye neuer to yeild her loue in the way of mariage to anye one but to remaine a pure virgin and one of Dianaes traine No other resolution could Sa. George get of the chaste Nun which caused him to departe in great discontent intending to séeke by some other meanes to obtaine her loue so comming to the rest of the Christian Champions he reuealed to them the truth of all things that had hapned who in this maner counsailed him that hee should prouide a multitude of armed Knightes euery one bearing in their handes a sword ready drawen and to enter the Monastery at such a time as she little mistrusted and first with faire promises and flattering speeches to entice her to loue then if she yéelded not to fill her eares with cruell threatnings protesting that if she will not graunt to requite his loue with like affection he would not leaue standing one stone of that Monastery vppon an other and likewise to make her a bloudy offering vppe to Diana This pollicy liked wel Saint George though he intended not to prosecute such cruelty so the next morning by break of day he went vnto the nunnery in company of no other but the christian champions armed in bright armour with their glistering swordes ready drawen the which they caried vnder their side cloakes to prâ—uent suspition But when they came to the Monastery and had entered into the chamber of Lucina whom they found knéeling vpon the bare ground at her ceremonious orasons Saint George first proffered kindnes by faire promises and afterward made knowne his vnmercifull pretended cruelty and therewithall shaking their bright swordes against her vertuous brest they protested though contrary to their mindes that except he would yéeld vnto Saint George her vnconquered loue they would bathe their weapone in her dearest bloud At which wordes the distressed Uirgin being ouercharged with feare sunke down presently to the ground and lay for a time in a dead agony but in the ende recouering her selfe she lifted vp her angelicall face shrowded vnder a cloude of pale sorrow and in this maner declared her minde Most renowned and well approoued Knights said she it is as difficult
with Princely pallaces very sumptuous to behold likewise they discouered from the Hill a fayre fountaine wrought all of marble like vnto a Pillâ—r out of which did proceede foure spoutes running with water which fell into a great Cesterne and comming to it they washed their handes and refâ—eshed their faces and so departed After they looked round about them on euery side and toward their right handes they espied amongst a company of gréene trées a small Tent of blacke cloth towards which these yong Princes directed their courses with an easie pace but when they had entred the Tent and sawe no bodie therin they remained silent a while harkning if they could heare any sturing but they could neither see nor heare any thing but onely they found the print of certain little féete vpon the same which caused them more earnestly to desire to know whose foote steps they were for that they séemed to be of some Ladies or Damsels so finding the trace they followed theÌ„ and the more the knights followed the more the Ladies séemed to hast so long they persued after the trace that at the end they approached a little mountain wheras they found scattered about certaine lockes of yellow haire which séemed to be thrids of golde and stooping to gather them vp they perceiued that some of them were wet with spots of blood whereby they wel vnderstood that in great anger they were pulled from some Ladies head lik wise they saw in diuers places how the earth was spotted with droppes of crimson blood then with a more desire then they had before they went vp to the top of that litle mountaine and hauing lost the footesteps they recouered it againe by gathering vp the hayre where they had not traueled far vp the mountaine but towards the waters side they heard a gréeuous complaint which séemed to be the voice of a woman in great distresse and the woordes which the knights did vnderstand were these O loue now shalt thou no more reioyce nor haue any longer dominion ouer me for death I sée is ready to cut my thrid of life and finish these my sorowful lamentations how often haue I askt reuengement at the powers of heauen against that wicked wretch that hath bene the causer of my banishment but yet they will not hear my request how ofte haue I made my sad complaints to hell yet hath the fatall furies stopt their eares against my woful cryes And with this she held her peace giuing a sorowful sighe which being done the thrée christian knights turned their eyes to the place from whence they heard this complaint and discouered amongst certaine gréene trées a Lady who was endued with singuler beautie being so excellent that it almost depriued them of their harts captiuated their sences in the snares of loue which libertie as yet they neuer lost she had her haire about her eares which hung defusedly downe her comely sholders through the violence she vsed against her selfe and leaning her chéeke vpon her delicate white hand that was all to be spotted with blood which was constraind by the scratching of her nailes vpon her Rosie colored face by her stood another damsel which they coniectured to be her daughter for she was clad in virgin colored silk mor whiter then the Lillyes of the fields and as pleasante to beholde as the glistring Moone in a cleare winters fréezing night yet for all this delectable sight the thrée princly knights wold not discouer theÌ„selues but stood closely behinde the thrée pine trées which grew néere vnto the mountaine to heare the euent of this accident but as they stoode cloaked in silence they heard her thus to confer with her beautiful daughter Oh my Rosana quoth she the vnhappie figure of him that without pitty hath wounded my heart and left me comfortles with the greatest cruelty that euer knight or gentleman left Lady how hath it béen possible that I haue had the force to bring vp the child of such a father which hath bereaud me of my libertie O you soueraigne gods of heauen grant y t I may establish in my minde the remembrance of the loue of thy adulterous father oh girle borne to a further griefe héere doe I desire the guider of thy fortunes that thy glistring beautie may haue such force and power whereby the shining beames thereof may take reuengement of the dishonor of thy mother giue eare deare childe I say vnto thy dying mother thou that art born in the dishonor of thy generation by the losse of my virginity héere doe I charge thée vpon my blessing euen at my houre of death swear thée by the omnipotent God of heauen neuer to suffer thy beauty to be enioyd by any one vntill thy disloyal fathers head bee offered vp in a sacrifice vnto my graue thereby somewhat to appease the furie of my discontented soule and recouer part of my former glorie These and such like words spake this afflicted quéene to the wonderfull amazement of the thrée yong Knightes which as yet intended not to discouer themselues but to marke the euent for they coniectured that her woful complaintes were the induction of some strange accedent Thus as they stoode obscurely behinde the trées they sawe the young and beautifull Damsell giue vnto her dying mother paper penne and Inke the which shée pulled from her Iuorie bosome wherewith the gréeued quéene subscribed certain sorrowful lines vnto him y t was the causer of her banishment and making an end of her writing they heard her with a dying breath speake vnto her daughter these sorrowfull words following Come daughter quoth shee beholde thy Mother at her latest gaspe and imprint my dying request in thy heart as a table of brasse that it neuer may be forgotten time will not giue me longer respit that with wordes I might shewe vnto thée my déepe affâ—ctions for that I féele my death approaching and the fatall sisters ready to cut my thrid of life a sunder betwéene the edges of their shieres insomuch that I moste miserable creature do féele my soule trembling in my flesh and my heart quiuering at this my last and fatal houre but one thing my swéet and tender child doe I desire of thée before I dye which is that thou wouldest procure that this letter may bee giuen to that cruell knight thy disloyall father giuing him to vnderstand of this my troublesome death the occasion whereof was his vnreasonable crueltie and making an end of saying this the miserable Quéene fell downe not hauing any more strength to sit vp but let the letter fall out of her hand the which her sorrowfull daughter presently tooke vp and falling vpon her mothers brest she replyed in this sorrowfull manner O my swéete mother tell me not that you will dye for it ads a torment more gréeuous vnto my soule then the punishments which Danaus daughters féele in hell I would rather be torne in péeces by the fury of some merciles monster or to
armor and to search about the Castle to sée if hee might finde the place that harbored the Knight that made such sorrowfull lamentation So going vp and downe she by corners of the Castle all the latter part of the night without finding the aduenture of this strange voice or disturbance by any other meanes but that he was hindred from his naturall and quiet sléepes but by the breake of day when the darke night bâ—gan to withdraw her sable curtaines and to giue Aurora libertie to explayne her purple brightnesse he entred into a foure square parlor hunge rounde about with blacke cloth and other mournfull habiliments where on the one side of the same he sawe a tombe all couered likewise with blacke and vppon it there lay a man with a pale colour who at certaine times gaue moste meruelous and gréeuous sighes caused by the burning flames that procéeded from vnder the tombe being such that it séemed that his body therewith should bee conuerted into coales the flame thereof was so stincking that it made Saint George somewhat to retyre himselfe from the place where hee sawe that horrible and fearefull spectacle He which lay vpon the tombe casting his eyes aside espied Saint George and knowing him to be a humane creature with an inflicted voyce he said Who art thou Sir Knight that art come into this place of sorrow where nothing is heard but clamors of feare and terror But tell me said Saint George who art thou that with so much griefe dast demaund of me that which I stand in doubt to reueale to thée I am the King of Babilon answered hee which without all consideration with my cruell hand did pearce through the white and dilicate brest of my beloued daughter woe be to me and woe vnto my soule therefore for shee at once did pay her offence by death but I a most mizerable wretch with many tormentes doe dye lyuing When this worthy Champion Saint George was about to answere him he saw come foorth from vnder the tombe a damsell who had her hayre of a yellow and wan colour hanging downe about her shoulders and by her face she séemed that she should be verie strangely afflicted with tormentes and with a sorrowfull voyce shee said Oh vnfortunate Knight what doest thou séeke in this infernall lodging where cannot be giuen thée any other pleasure but mortall torment and there is but one thing that can cleare thée from them and this cannot be tolde thée by any other but by me yet I will not expresse it except thou wilt graunt mee one thing that I will aske of thée The English Champion that with a sad countenaunce stood beholding of the sorrowful damsel and being greatly amazed at the sight which he had séene answered and said The Gods which are gouernours of my liberty wil doe their pleasures but touching the graunt of thy request I neuer denied any lawfull thing to either Lady or Gentle woman but with all my power and strength I was ready to fulfill the same therefore demaunde what thy pleasure is for I am readie in all thinges that toucheth thy remedie And with that the damsell threw her selfe into that sepulcher and with a gréeuous voice she said Nowe moste curteous Knight performe thy promise strike but thrée stroakes vpon this fatall tombe and thou shalt deliuer vs from a world of mizeries and likewise make an ende of our continuall torments Then the inuincible knight replyed in this order whether you be humane creatures said he plaâ—st in this sepulcher by inchauntment or furies raisd from fiery Acheron to worke my confusion or no I know not and there is so little truth in this infernall Castle that I stand in doubt whether I may beléeue thy words or not but yet discourse vnto me the truth of all your passed fortunes and by what â—â—anes you were brought into this place and as I am a true Christian Knight and one that fights in the quarrell of Christ I vow to accomplish whatsoeuer lyeth in my power Then the Damsel began with a gréeuous and sorrowfull lamentation to declare as strange a tragedie as euer was told And lying in the fatall Sepulcher vnséene of Saint George that stood leaning his backe agaynst the wall to heare her discourse and lamentable Storie with a hollow voice like a murthered Ladie whose bléeding soule as yet did féele the terrible stroke at her death shée repeated this pittifull tale following CHAP. XI Of a tragicall Discourse pronounced by a Ladie in a Toombe and hovv her Inchauntment vvas finished by saint George vvith other straunge accidents that hapned to the other Christian Knights IN famous Babylon somtimes reigned a King although a Heathen yet adorned with noble and vertuous customes and had onely one Daughter that was verie faire whose name was Angelica humble wise and chast who was beloued of a mightie Duke a man man wonderfull cunning in the Blacke arte This Magitian had a seuere graue countenance and one that for wisedome better deserued y e gouernment than anie other in the kingdome and was verie well estéemed throughout all Babylon almost equally with the king for the which there ingendred in the kings heart a secret rancour and hatred towards him Thys Magitian cast his loue vppon the yong Princesse Angelica and it was the Gods will that shee should repaye him wyth the same affection so that both theyr hearts beeing wounded with loue the one to the other in such sorte that the fire kindled dayly more and more and neither of them had any other imagination but onelye to loue and not knowing how to manifest their griefes they indured sundry great passions Then loue which continually séeketh occasions did on a time set before this Magician a wayting maid of Angelicaes named Fidela the which thing séemed to be wrought by the immortall power of the Goddesse Venus oh what feare this Magitian was in to discouer vnto her all his heart and to bewray the secrets of his louesicke soule but in the end by the great industrie and diligence of the waighting Maid whose name was answerable vnto her minde there was order giuen that these two louers shuld méete together This faire Angelica for that she could not at her ease enioy her true Louer she did determine to leaue her own naturall Countrey and Father and with this intention being one night with her Loue she cast her armes about his necke and said Oh my swéete and welbeloued Frend séeing that the soueraigne Gods haue béen so kinde to me as to haue my heart linked in thy breast let me not finde in thée ingratitude for that I cannot passe my time except continually I enioye thy sight and doo not muse my Lord at these my words for the entyre loue that I beare to you dooth constraine me to make it manifest And this beléeue of a certaintie that if thy sight be absent from mée it will bée an occasion that my heart will lacke his vitall recreation
a great verie blacke clowde appeare in the skies which was broght by terrible and hastie windes in the which he tooke them vp both and brought them into this inchaunted Castle where euer since they haue remained in this Tombe cruelly tormented with vnquenchable fire and must eternally continue in the same extremitie except some curteous Knight will vouchsafe to giue but thrée blowes vpon the Tombe and breake the inchauntment Thus haue you heard you magnanimious Knights the true discourse of my vnhappie fortunes For the virgine which for the true loue she bore vnto her Ladie was committed to this torment is my selfe and this pale body lying vpon the Tombe is the vnhappie Babylonian King which vnnaturally murthered his owne Daughter and the Magitian which committed al these villanies is that accursed wretch which by his charmes and diuellish Enchauntments hath so strangely withstood your valiant incounters These words were no sooner finished but Sa. George drew out his sharpe cutting sword and gaue thrée blowes vpon the inchaunted Tombe whereat presentlye appeared the Babylonian King standing before him attyred in rich robes with an Emperiall Diadem vpon his head the Ladie standing by him with a countenance more beutifull than the damaske Rose When Saint George beheld them he was not able to speake for ioy nor to vtter his minde so excéeding was the pleasure that he tooke in their sights So without anie long circumstance he tooke them betwixt both his hands and led them into the chamber whereas hee found the other Knights newly risen from their beds To whom hée reuealed the true discourse of the passed Aduenture and by what meanes he redéemed the King and the Lady from their inchauntments which to them was as great ioye as before it was to Saint George So after they had for some sixe dayes refreshed themselues in the castle they generaly intended to accompany the Babilonian King into his Countrey and to place him againe in his Regiment In which trauel we wil leaue the Christian knights to the conduction of Fortune and returne againe vnto Rosana whom as you heard before departed from the Castle in the pursute of her disloyal father of whose strange accidents shall be spoken in this following Chapter CHAP. XII How the Knight of the Blacke Castle after the conquest of the same by the christian chaÌ„pions wandred vp and downe the vvorld in great terror of conscience and after hovv he was found in a wood by his own daughter in whose presence he desperately slew himselfe with other accidents that after hapned YOu doo well remember when that that the Christian champions had slaine the seuen Giants in the inchanted castle and had made conquest thereof disloyall Leoger being lord of the same secretly fled not for anie anger of the losse but for the preseruation of his life So in great gréefe and terror of conscience he wandred like a fugitiue vp and downe y e world sometimes remembring of his passed prosperitie other times thinking vpon the rapes he had committed how disloyally in former times he had left the Quéene of Armenia big with Childe bearing in her wombe the staine of her honour and the confusion of his reputation Sometime his guiltie minde imagined that the bléeding ghosts of the two Sisters whom he both rauished and murthered followed him vp and downe haunting his ghost with fearfull exclamations and filling each corner of the earth with clamours of reuengement Such feare and terrour raged in his soule that he thought all places where he trauelled were filled with multitudes of of Knightes and that the strength of Countries pursued him to heape vengeance vpon his guiltye head for those wronged Ladyes Whereby hee curssed the hower of his birth and blamed the cause of his creation wishing the Heauens to consume his bodye with a flashe of fire or that the earth would gape and swallowe him In this manner trauelled he vp and downe filling all places with Ecchoes of his sorrowes and griefe which brought him into such a perplexitie that many times hee would haue slaine himselfe and haue ridde his wretched soule from a worlde of mizeries But it happened that one morning very early by the first light of Titans golden toarch he entred into a narow and straight path which conducted him into a very thicke and solitarie Forrest wherein with much sorrowe he trauelled till suche time as glistring Phoebus had passed the halfe parte of his iorney And beeing wearye with the longe waye and the greate waighte of his Armour hee was forced to take some rest and ease vnder certaine freshe and gréene Myrtle trées whose leaues did bathe themselues in a faire and cleare Fountaine whose streame made a bubling murmure on the pebble Béeing set he began a newe to haue in remembrance his former coÌ„mitted cruelty and complaining of Fortune he published his great griefe and although he was weary of complaining and séeing hinselfe without all remidy he resolued like vnto the Swan to sing awhile before his dâ—ath and so thinking to giue some ease vnto his tormented heart he warbled forth these verses following Mournfull Melpomine approach with speed and shew thy sacred face with teares bespreÌ„t Let all thy sisters harts vvith sorrovv bleed To heare my plaints and rufull discontent And vvith your moanes svveet Muses all assist My vvailfull song that doth on vvoe consist And then I may at large paint out my paine Within these desert groues and vvildernesse And after I haue ended to complaine They may record my vvoes and deep distres Except these myrtle trees relentles bee They vvill vvith sobs assist the sighes of mee Time vveares out life it is reported so And so it may I vvill it not denie Yet haue I tride long time this do knovve Time giues no ende to this my miserie But rather fortune time and heauens agree To plague my hart vvith vvoe eternally ye siluan nimphs that in thes wods do shroud To you my mournfull sorrovves I declare You sauage satyrs let your eares be bound to heaare my woe your sacred selues prepare Trees herbs flowrs in rural fields that groe While thus I morne do you some silence sho Sweet Philomel cease thou thy songs a vvhile And vvill thy mate their melodies to leaue And all at once attend my mournfull stile vvhich vvil of mirth yor sugred notes bereaue If you desire the burthen of my Song I sigh and sob for Ladies I did vvrong You furious Beasts that feed on montains hye And restlesse run with rage your pray to find Dravve nere to him vvhose brutish crueltye Hath cropt the bud of Virgins chaste kind This onely thing yet rests to comfort mee Repentance comes a while before I dye Since heauens agree for to increase my care What hope haue I for to enioy delight Sith fates and fortune do themselues prepare To vvork against my soule their full despight I know no meanes to yeild my hart reliefe But only death which can desolue my
dissolue his soule from his bodie and therewithal putting forth his hand somewhat trembling he tooke the Letter set him verie sorrowfully downe vpon the gréene grasse without anie power to the contrarie his gréefe so abounded the bounds of reason No sooner did he open the letter but he presently knew it to be written by the hands of his wronged Ladie y e Armenian Quéene who with great alteration both of hart minde he read the sorrowfull lines the which contayned these words following The Queene of Armenia her Letter TO thée thou disloyall Knight of the Blacke Castle the vnfortunate Quéene of Armenia can neither send nor wish salutations for hauing no health my selfe I cannot send it vnto him whose cruel mind hath quite forgotten my true loue I cannot but lament continuallye and complain vnto the Gods incessantly considering that my fortune is conuerted from a crowned Quéene to a miserable and banished caytiue where the sauage beasts are my chiefe companions the mournfull biâ—ds my best solliciters Oh Leoger Leoger why didst thou leaue me comfortlesse without all cause as did Aeneas his vnfortunate Dido what second loue hath bereaued me of thy sight and made thée forget her that euer shall remember thée Oh Leoger remember the day when first I saw thy face which day bee fatall euermore and counted for a dismal day in time to come both heauy blacke and full of foule mischances for it was vnhappie vnto me for in giuing thée ioy I bereaued my selfe of all and lost the possession of my libertie and honour althogh thou hast not estéemed nor tooke care of my sorrowfull fortunes yet thou shouldst not haue mockt my perfect loue and disdained the feruent affâ—ction that I haue borne thée in that I haue yéelded to thée that precious iewell y e which hath béen denied to manie a noble King Oh Loue cruel and spitefull Loue that so quickly didst make mee blinde and depriuedst mee of the knowledge that belonged vnto my royall Highnesse Oh vncurteous Knight beeing blinded with thy loue the Quéene of Armenia denied her honestie which shee ought to haue kept and preserued it from the biting canker of disloyall lâ—ue Hadst thou pretended to mocke me thou shouldst not haue suffred me to haue lost so much as is forgone for thy sake Tell me why didst not thou suffer mee to execute my will that I might haue opened my white brest with a pearcing swoord and sent my soule to the shady banke of swéete Elizium Then had it béene better for me to haue died than to liue still and dayly die Remember thy selfe Leoger and behold the harm that will come héereof haue thou a care vnto the pawn which thou leftst sealed in my wombe and let it bee an occasion that thou doost after all thy violent wronges retourne to sée me sléeping in my tombe that my childe may not remaine fatherlesse in the power of wilde beastes whose hearts be fraughted with nothing but with crueltie Doe not consent that this perfecte loue which I beare thée should be counted vaine but rather performe the promise the which thou hast denied me O vnkinde Leoger O cruell and heard heart is alshoode the firme loue that so faindedly thou didst professe to me what is he that hath béene more vnmercifull then thou hast béene There is no furious beast nor lurking Lion in the deserts of Libia whose vnmercifull pawes are all besmearde in bloud that is so cruell harted as thy self els wouldst thou not leaue me comfortles spending my dayes in solitarie woods where as the Tigers mourne at my distresses and chirping birdes in their kindes grieue at my lamentations the vnreasonable torments and sorrowes of my soule are so many that if my penne were made of Lidian stéele and my Inke the purple Ocean yet could not I write the number of woes But nowe I determine to aduertise thée of my desired death for in writing this my latest testament the fates are cutting a sunder my thrid of life and I can giue thée knowledge of no more but yet I desire thée by the true loue which I beare thée that thou wilt read with some sorrow these fewe lines and héere of the powers of heauen I do desire that thou maist dye the like death that for thée I now dye And so I ende By her vvhich did yeeld vnto thee her life Loue Honor Fame and Liberty WHen this sad and heauie knight had made an end of reading this dolorous letter hee could not restraine his eyes from distilling salte teares so great was the griefe that his hart sustaned Rosana did likewise beare him company to solemnize his heauines with as manye teares trickling from the Conduite of her eyes The greate sorrowe and lamentation was such and so much in both their hartes that in a great space the one coulde not speake vnto the other but afterwardes their griefes being somewhat appeased Leoger began to say Oh Messenger from her with the remembrance of whose wronge my soule is wounded being vndeseruedly of me euill rewarded tell me euen by the nature of true loue if thou dost knowe where she is showe vnto me her abiding place that I may goe thither and giue a discharge of this my great fault by yeilding vnto death Oh cruell and without loue answered Rosana what discharge canst thou giue vnto her that alreadye thorow thy crueltie is dead and buryed onely by the occasion of such a forsworne knight This penitent and payned knight when he vnderstood the certaintie of her death with a sodaine and hastie fury he strooke him selfe on the 〈◊〉 with his fist and lifting his eyes vnto the heauens in manner of exclamation against the Gods giuing déepe and sorrowfull sighes he threwe him selfe to the ground tumbling and wallowing from the one part vnto the other without taking any ease or hauing anye power or strength to declare his inward griefe which at that time he felt but with lamentations which did torment his hart he called continually on the Armenian Quéen and in that deuilish furye wherein he was dreâ— out his dagger and lifting vp the skirt of his shirt of 〈◊〉 he thrust it into his body and giuing himself this vnhappy death with calling vpon his wroÌ„ged Lady he finished his life and fell to the ground This sad and heauie Ladie when she beheld him so desperately to gorge his martiall breast and to fall liuelesse to the earth she greatly repented her selfe that she had not discouered her name and reuealed to him how that shee was his vnfortunate Daughâ—er whose face before that time he neuer had beheld and as a Lion though all too late who seeing before her eyes her yong Lionâ—sse euil intreated of the Huâ—ter euen so she ran vnto her welâ—eloued Father and with great spéed pulled off his helme froÌ„ his wounded head and vnbraced his armour the which was in colour according to his passion but as strong as anie Diamond made by Magicke arte Also she tooke away his
Knights that were present at this vnhappie mischance so great it was that the walles of the Monasterie ecchoed and their pittifull shrikes ascended to the heauens But none was more gréened in mind than the afflicted English Champion who like a man distraught of sense in great furie rushed amongst the people throwing them downe on euerie side till he ascended vpon the scaffold approaching the dead bodie of Lucina hee tooke her vp in his armes and with a sorrowfull and passionate voyce he said O my beloued ioy and late my only hearts delight is this the Sacrifice wherein through thy desperatenes thou hast deceiued me who loued thée more than my selfe is this the respite that thou requiredst for seauen dayes wherein thou hast concluded thy own death and my vtter confusion Oh noble Lucina and my beloued Ladie if this were thy intent why didst not thou first sacrifice mee thy Seruant and Loue wholly subiected vnto thy deuine beautie Woe be vnto mee and woe bee vnto my vnhappie enterprise for by it is she lost who was made souereigne Ladie of my heart Oh Diana accursed by this chaunce because thou hast consented to so bloodie a tragedie by the eternall powers of heauen that neuer more thou shalt be worshipped but in euerie Countrey where the English Champion commeth Lucina in thy stead shall be adored For euermore will he séek to diminish thy name and blot it from the golroll of heauen yea and vtterly extinguish it in eternitie so that there shall neuer more memorie remaine of thée for this thy bloodie Tyrannie in suffering so lamentable a Sacrifice No sooner had he deliuered these speaches but incensed with furie he drew out his sword and parted the image of Diana in two péeces protesting to ruinate the Monasterie within whose walls the deuice of this bloodie Sacrifice was concluded The sorrow and extreame gréefe of the Romane Emperour so excéeded for the murther of his Daughter that he fell to the câ—rth in a senselesse swâ—und and was carried halfe dead with gréefe by some of his knights home to his Pallace where he remained spéechles by the space of thirtie dayes The Emperour had a Sonne as valiant in armes as anie borne Italian except Saint Anthonie This young Prince whose name was Lucius seeing his sisters timeles death and by what meanes it was committed he presently intended with a traine of a hundred armed Knightes which continually attended vpon his person to assaile the discontented Champions and by force of armes to reuenge his sisters death This resolution so incouraged the Romaine Knyghtes but especially the Emperors sonne that betwixt these two companies began as terrible a battle as euer was fought by any knights the fearcenes of their blowes so excéeded the one side against the other that they did resounde ecchoes and they yeelded a terrible noyse in the great woods This battell did continue betwixt them both sharp and fierce for the space of two houres by which time the valor of the encensed Champions so preuailed that most of the Romaine knights were discomfited and slaine some had their handes pared from their shoulders some had their armes and legs lopped off and some lay breathles wâ—ltring in their owne blouds in which incounter many a Romaine Ladie lost her husband many a widowe was bereaud of her Sonne and many a childe was left fatherles to the great sorrow of the whole country But when the valiant young Prince of Roome sawe his knightes discomfited and hee lefte alone to withstand so many noble Champions he presently set spurs to his horse and fled from them like to a heape of oust forced by a whirlewinde After whom the Champions would not persue accountting it no glory to their names to triumph in the ouerthrow of a single knigâ—â— but remained still by the scaffolde where they buried the sacrificed Uirgin vnder a marble stone close by the monasterie wall The which being done to their contentments Saint George ingraued this Epitaph vppon the same stone with the point of his dagger which was in this wise following Vnder this marble stone interd doth lye Luckles Lucina of beautie bright Who to maintaine her spotles chastitie Against the assailment of an English Knight Vpon a blade her tender breast she cast A bloodie offering to Diana chast SO when hee had written this Epitaph the Christian Champions mounted vpon their swift foote stéedes bad adieu to the vnhappie Confines of Italy hoping to finde better fortune in other Countries In which trauell wee will leaue them for a time and speake of the Prince of Rome who after the discomfiture of the Romane knights fled in such hast from the furies of the warlike Champions After which hee like a starued Lion trauersed along by the Riuer of Tybris filling all places with his melancholy passions vntill such time as hee entred into a thicke groue wherein he purposed to rest hys wearie limbes and lament his misfortunes After he had in this solitarie place vnlaced his Helmet and huried it scornfully against the ground the infernal Furies began to visite him and to sting his breast with motions of fierie reuenge In the end he cast vp his wretched eyes vnto heauen and said Oh you fatall torches of the elements why are you not clad in mournâ—full abiliments to cloake my wandring steps in eternall darknes shall I be made a scorne in Rome for my cowardise or shall I return and accompanie my Romane frends in death whose bloodes me thinkes I sée sprinkled about the fields of Italy Mee thinks I heare their bléeding soules fill each corner of the earth with my base flight therefore will I not liue to bée tearmed a fearfull coward but dye couragiously by mine owne hands wherby those accursed Champions shall not obtaine the conquest of my death nor triumph in my fall This being said he drew out his dagger and ryued hys heart in sunder The newes of whose desperate death after it was bruted to his Fathers eares hée interred hys bodie with his Sister Lucinaes and erected ouer them a stately Chappell wherein the Nunnes and ceremonious Monkes during all their liues sung Dirges for his Childrens soules After this the Emperour made proclamation through all his Dominions that if anie Knight were so hardie as trauell in pursute after the English Champion by force of armes bring him backe and deliuer his head vnto the Emperour he should not onely be held in great estimation through the Land but receaue the gouernment of the Empire after his decease Which rich proffer so encouraged the mindes of diuers aduenterous Knightes that they went from sundry Prouinces in the pursute of Saint George but their attempts were all in vaine CHAP. XIIII Of the triumphs tilts and turnaments that were solemnly held in Constantinople by the Grecian Emperour and of the honorable aduentures that wer there atchiued by the christian champions with other strange accidents that happened IN the Easterne Parts of the world the fame