was driuen into great admiration and thought it very straunge that a woman which al the days of hir life had liued in greate honour and estimation shold vpon light cause or occasion poison hir self sith it was naturally giuen to eche breathyng wyght to prolong their liuing dayes with the longest thréede that Atropos could draw out of dame Natures webbe Wher vpon he commaunded the sayd matrone to be brought before hym whose death for hir vertue was generally lamented by the whole countrey When the Gentlewomā was before him and had vnderstāding that she was fully resolued and determined to die he began by greate 〈◊〉 to exhort hir that she should not wilfully 〈◊〉 hir selfe away vpon consideration that she was of lusty yeares riche and 〈◊〉 of the whole countrey how greate pitie it were but shée shoulde renue hir minde and giue hir selfe still to liue and remayne til naturall course did ende and finish hir life howbeit his 〈◊〉 and earnest persuasion could not diuert hir from hir intēded purpose But Pompeius 〈◊〉 to haue hir die ceassed not still to 〈◊〉 his former talke with newe reasons and stronger arguments All which she paciently heard with fired 〈◊〉 til at length with clere voice and 〈◊〉 cheare 〈◊〉 answered him in this maner You be greatly deceiued my lord Pompeius if you do beleue that I without very great prouidence and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 goe about to end my days for I do know and am 〈◊〉 persuaded that eche creature naturally craueth the prolongation and lengthning of life so much abhorreth to die as the desirous to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the poison whiche I haue prepared for consummation of my life Wher vpon I haue diuers times thought considered and discoursed with my selfe and amongs many considerations 〈◊〉 debated in my minde there came into the same the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 change of Fortune whose whir 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neuer 〈◊〉 ne yet remaineth 〈◊〉 It 〈◊〉 dayly séene how she doth exalt and aduance some man from the lowest and bottomlesse pitte euen to the 〈◊〉 of the hygh Heauens endowyng hym wyth so much substaunce as he can desire An other that was moste happie honoured in this worlde lyke a God vnto whom no goodes and welfare were wantyng who myghte well haue bene called in his lyfe a thrée tymes happie and blessed wyght sodaynly from his honoure and 〈◊〉 depriued and made a verie poore man and begger Some man also that is bothe riche and lustie accompanied wyth a faire wife and goodlye children lyuyng in greate myrth and ioylitie this wicked Ladie Fortune the deuourer of all oure contentacions depriueth from the inestimable treasure of health causeth the fayre wife to loue an other better than hir husbande and with 〈◊〉 venomous tooth biteth the children that in shorte space myserable deathe catcheth them all within hys dreadfull clouches whereby hée is defrauded of those chyldren whome after his deathe hée purposed to leaue 〈◊〉 his heires But what meane I to consume tyme and words in declaration of fortunes vnsteady staye which is more clere than the beames of the Sunne of whome dayly a thousande thousande examples bée manifest All histories be full of them The myghtie countrey of Graecia doeth render ample witnesse wherein so many excellent men were bredde and brought vp Who desirous with their fynger to touche the highest heauen were in a moment throwen downe And so many famous Cities whiche gouerned numbers of people nowe at this presente day wée sée to bée thrall and obedient to thy Citie of Rome Of these hurtefull and perillous mutations O noble Pompcius thy Romane Citie may bée a 〈◊〉 cleare glasse and Spectacle and a multitude of thy noble Citizens in tyme paste and present may gyue plentyfull witnesse But to come to the cause of this my death I say that fyndyng my selfe to haue lyued these many yeares by what chaunce I can not tell in verie greate prosperitie in all whiche tyme I neuer dyd suffer any one myssehappe but styll from good to better haue passed my time vntil thys daye Nowe fearyng the frownyng of Lady Fortunes face and that shée will repente hir long continued fauoure I feare I saye leaste the same Fortune shoulde chaunge hir stile and begynne in the middest of my pleasaunt life to sprinckle hir poysoned bitternesse and make mée the 〈◊〉 and Quiuer of hir sharpe and noysome arrowes Wherefore I am nowe determined by good aduyse to ridde my self from the captiuitie of hir force from all hir misfortunes and from the noysom and grieuous infirmities which miserably be incident to vs mortall Creatures And beleue me Pompcius that many in theyr aged dayes haue left their life with litle honour who had they ben gone in their youth had died famous for euer Wherefore my Lorde Pompeius that I may not be tedious vnto thée or hinder thyne affaires by long discourse I beséeche thée to gyue me leaue to follow my deliberate disposition that frankely and fréely I may bée 〈◊〉 of all daunger for the longer the life doth growe to the greater discommodities it is subiect When shée had so sayde to the greate admiration and compassion of all those whiche were present with tremblyng handes and fearefull cheare shée quaffed a greate cuppe of poysoned drynke the whyche shée broughte wyth hir for that purpose and within a while after dyed This was the strange vse and order obserued in 〈◊〉 Whiche good counsell of that dame had the noble and valiaunt captaine followed no doubt he would haue ben contented to haue ben brought to order And then he had not lost that bloudie battell atchieued against him by Iulius Cesar at Pharsalia in Egypt Then he had not sustained so many ouerthrowes as he did then had he not ben forsaken of his trendes and in the ende endured a death so miserable And for somuch as for the most part 〈◊〉 therto we haue intreated of many tragical and bloudie rhaunces respiring nowe from those lette vs a little touche some medicinable remedies for loue some lessons for gouernement and obediēce some treaties of amorous dames and hautie 〈◊〉 of Princes Quéenes and other persons to variate the chaungeable diet wherewith dyuers bée affected rellishyng their Stomackes wyth some more pleasant digestions than they haue tasted Faustina the Empresse ¶ The dishonest Loue of 〈◊〉 AVSTINA the Empresse and vvith vvhat remedie the same loue vvas remoued and taken avvay The tenth Nouell TRue and moste holie is the sentence that the ladie gentlewoman or other wighte of Female kinde of what degrée or condition soeuer she bée be she saire fowle or ylfauoured can not be endewed with a more precious Pearle or Jewell than is the 〈◊〉 pure vertue of honesty which is of such valour that it alone without other vertue is able to render hir that 〈◊〉 in hir attire moste famous and excellent Be she more beautifull than Helena be she mightier than the Amazon better learned than Sappho rycher than Flora more louing than Quéene Dido or more noble than
the beame placed a stoole vnder the same and beganne to tie the halter aboute the beame 〈◊〉 doing wherof she espied the casket and reached the same vnto hir who féelyng it to be heauie and weightie immediatly did open it and found the bil within which Chera had written with hir owne hand agreable to that which she had deliuered to hir daughter wherin were particularly remembred the Jewels and other riches inclosed within the casket And disclosing the bagges wherein the golde and Jewels were bounde vp and seeing the great value of the same wondred therat and ioyfull for that fortune hid the rope which she had prepared for hir death in the place where shée found the casket and with great gladnesse and mirth wēt vnto hir father and shewed him what she had found wherat the father reioyced no lesse than his daughter Elisa did bicause he sawe himselfe thereby to be discharged of his former poore life and like to proue a man of inestimable wealthe and substance and saw like wise that the poore wench his daughter by the addicion of those riches was like to attaine the partie whome she loued When hée had taken forth those bagges and well 〈◊〉 the value to the intent no man might suspect the sodeine mutation of his state toke his daughter with hym and went to Rome where after he had remained certaine monethes he returned to Carthage and began very galantly to apparell himselfe and to kéepe a bountifull and liberall house His table and port was very delicate and sumptuous and his stable stored with many faire horsse in all points shewing him selfe very noble and rich By which sodein chaunge and mutation of state the whole Citie beléened that he had brought those riches from Rome And bicause it is the cōmon opinion of the vulgar people that where there is no riches there is no nobilitie and that they alone make the noble and Gentleman a foolishe opinion in déede proceeding from heades that be rash and light the people séeing such a port and charge kepte by the Souldier conceiued and thought that he was of some noble house And thoroughout the whole Citie greate and solemne honour was done vnto him wherevpon the yong Gentleman with whome Elisa was in loue began to bée ashamed of himselfe that he had disdained such a maiden And then the yong maiden séeing hir fathers house to be in such reputation made sute to hir father that he would procure the Gentleman to be hir husband But hir father willed hir in any wise to 〈◊〉 secrete hir desire and not to seme hir selfe to be in loue and wisely told hir that more méete it was that she shoulde be solicited by hym than she to make sute or request for mariage alleaging that the lesse desirous the Gentleman had bene of hir the more deare and better beloued she was to him And many times whē his daughter was demaunded to wife he made answere that Matrimonie was a state of no little importance as enduring the whole course of life and 〈◊〉 ought wel to be considered and wayed before any 〈◊〉 were made But for all these demaundes and answers and all these stops and stayes the maiden was indowed with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in the ende hir louer and she were maried with so great pleasure and satisfaction of them both as they 〈◊〉 them selues happie In the meane time while these things were done at Carthage Philene in Scicilia toke thought how she might recouer hir goodes giuen to hir by hir mother destrous by their meanes also to sorte hir earnest and ardcnt loue to happie successe And debating with hir self as we haue sayd before how she might obteine them bicause the house was in possession of an other thought it to bée against reason and order that although she had lost hir house yet that hir goodes ought to be 〈◊〉 vnto hir whiche were hir onely maintenance and reputation and the fittest instruments that should conduct hir loue to happie ende And hearing tell that the father of Elisa the possessour of hir mothers house liued at Carthage with greate royaltie and 〈◊〉 thought that if by some sleight policie she found not meanes to enter the house without suspicion hir attempt would be in vaine determined therfore to goe to Carthage and to séeke seruice in that house counterfaiting the kinde and habite of a Page For she considered that if she went thither in order and apparell of a maiden she should incurre the perill of hir virginitie and fall into the lapse of diuers other daungers purposed then to goe thither in maner of a page and lackie And when she had in that sort furnished hir self she passed the seas and arriued at Carthage And séeking seruice about the citie at length chaūced to be retained in a house that was next neighbour to the Souldier and bicause this wench was gentle and of good disposition was well beloued of hir maister who being the friend of Elisa hir father many times sent vnto him diuers presēts and gifts by Philene wherevpon shée began to be acquainted familiar with the seruants of the house and by hir oft repaire thither viewed marked euery corner and vpon a time entred the chamber wherin hir mother Chera tolde hir that she had bestowed hir goods and looking vpon the beames espied by certaine signes and tokens one of them to be the same where the casket lay And therwithal well satisfied and contented verily beleued that the casket still remained there and without further businesse for that time expected some other season for recouerie of the same In the ende the good behauiour and diligence of Philene was so liked of Elisa as hir father and she made sute to hir master to giue hir leaue to scrue them who bycause they were his friends preferred Philene vnto them and became the page of that house And one day secretly repairyng into the chamber where she thoughte the treasure lay mounted vpon a stoole and sought the beame for the casket where she founde no casket but in place 〈◊〉 that lay the halter wherwithal Elisa woulde haue strangled hir self And searching all the parts of the chamber and the beames and finding nothing else but the halter she was surprised with such incredible sorrow as she 〈◊〉 like a stocke without spirite voice or life After Wardes being come againe to hir selfs she began pitifully to lament and complaine in this maner Ah wretched Philene vnder what vnluckie signe and planet was thou begotten and borne with what offense were the heauens wroth when they forced thée to pierce thy mothers wōbe Coulde I poore creature when I was framed within the moulde of nature and fed of my mothers substance within hir wombe and afterwards in due time brought forth to light commit such crime as to prouoke the celestiall inpressions to conspire agaynst my Natiuitie to bryng mine increased age into such wretched state and plighte wherein it is nowe wrapped and intangled No
recouer the 〈◊〉 which hir mother had hidden there to 〈◊〉 she might obtaine if not by other meanes with some rich dowrie the yong Gentleman to husband whome she so derely loued And then re-enforcing hir complaint she said that 〈◊〉 Fortune had 〈◊〉 hir of that which might haue accomplished hir desire resting no cause why she shoulde any longer liue the halter was prepared for hir to ende hir dayes and to rid hir life from troubles And therfore she prayed hir to be cōtented that she might make that end which hir misaduenture and wicked fortune had predestinate I doubt not but there be many which vnderstading that the treasure did belong to Philene if they had 〈◊〉 the like as Elisa did would not only not haue forbidden hir the deth but also by spéedie méanes haue 〈◊〉 the same for so much as by that occasion the hidden tresure should haue bene out of strife and contention so great is the force of Couetousnesse in the minde of man But good Elisa knew full well the mutabilitie of Fortune in humaine things for so much as she by séeking death had founde the thing which not onely deliuered hir from the same but made hir the best contented woman of the worlde And Philene séeking hir contentation in place therof and by like occasion found the thing that would haue ben the instrumēt of hir death And moued with very greate compassion of the mayden desired to haue better aduertisement howe that treasure could belong to hir Then Philene shewing forth hir mothers writing which particularly remēbred the parcels within the casket and Elisa séeing the same to be agreable to the hand wherwith the other was writen that was founde in the casket was assured that all the gold and Iewels which she had found did belong vnto 〈◊〉 and sayde vnto hir selfe The Gods defende that I should prepare the halter for the death of this innocent wench whose substance hath yelded vnto me so gret contentation And comforting the maiden in the end she sayd Be contented Philene and giue ouer this thy desperate determination for both thy life shal be prolonged and thy discontented minde appeased hoping thou shalte receyue the comforte thou desirest And with those words she losed the halter from hir neck and taking hir by the hande brought hir to the place where hir father and husbande were and did them to vnderstand the force terms whervnto the fier of loue and desperation had broughte that amorous maiden telling them that all the treasure and Iewels which she had found where she left the halter and wherwith Philene was minded to hang hir self did by good right and reason belong to hir then shée did let them sée the counterpaine of that bil which was in the 〈◊〉 in all pointes agreable thervnto declaring moreouer that very mete and reasonable it were like 〈◊〉 should be vsed vnto hir as by whome they had receyued so great honor contentation Hir husband which was a Carthaginian borne very churlish and couetous albeit by conferring the writings together he knewe the matter to be true and that Philene ought to be the possessor therof yet by no meanes wold agrée vnto his wines request but fell into a rage calling hir foole and 〈◊〉 and saying that he had rather that she 〈◊〉 ben a thousand times hanged than he would giue hir one peny and although she had saued hir life yet she ought to be banished the Citie forsomuch as the same and all the 〈◊〉 therof was brought into the Romanes handes and amongs the same hir mothers house and all hir goodes in possession of the victors and euery part therof at their disposition pleasure And moreouer for so much as hir mother and shée had departed Carthage and would not abide the hazarde and extremitie of their countrey as other Citizens did and hauyng concealed and hidden those Riches whiche ought to haue ben brought forth for the common defense of their countrey and gone out of the citie as though she had ben a poore simple woman poorely therfore she ought to liue in Scicilia whither she was fled Wherfore he was of opinion that she in this maner being departed when the citie had greatest nede of hir helpe was disfranchised of all the rightes and customes of the countrey and that like as a straunger can recouer nothing in that citie except he haue the priuiledge and fréedom of the same euen so Philene for the considerations before sayde ought to be compted for a stranger not to participate any thing within the citie accordingly as the lawes forbid When he had so sayd he was like by force to 〈◊〉 the sorowful maiden out of the house These wordes greatly grieued Philene who doubted least his father in law would haue toyned 〈◊〉 him and agrée vnto hys alleaged reasons which séemed to be of great importaunce and effect and therfore thought newly to returne to the halter for 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 griefs but it otherwise chaunced for the father of Elisa whiche was a Romane borne and affected with a Romane minde and therfore of a gentle and well disposed nature knew full well that although the house was giuen vnto him by the cōsent of Scipio and other the captains yet he knew that their pleasure was not to 〈◊〉 on him the treasure hidden in the same and therefore ought to be restored to the true owner or else 〈◊〉 and proprely due to the Romane 〈◊〉 or cōmon treasure house of the same And albeit that it was true that hir mother went out of Carthage in the time of the siege and therfore had forfaited the same yet he determined to shew some 〈◊〉 vnto the yong mayden and to be thankful to fortune for the benefite which by hir meanes he had receyued thynkyng that she would be displeased with him if he with vngratefull minde or dishonourable intent should receiue hir giftes For in those dayes the Romanes highly reuerenced lady Fortune and in hir honor had directed Temples and dedicated Aultars and in prosperous time and happy aduentures they 〈◊〉 vowes and did sacrifices vnto hir thinking although supersticously that like as from God there proceded none euill euen so from him all goodnesse was deriued that all felicitie and other good happes which chaunced vpon the Romane common wealth proceded from Fortune as the fountaine and moste principall occasion and that they which would not confesse hir force and be thankfull vnto hir godhead incurred in the ende hir displeasure and daungers very great and heinous This Romane then hauing this opinion being as I sayd before of a gentle 〈◊〉 would at one instant both render thankes to Fortune and vse curtesie vnto that maiden by 〈◊〉 ches and goodes from lowe degrée he was aduaunced to honourable state Wherefore turning his face vnto hir with louing countenance he spake these wordes Kight gentle damosel albeit by the reasons alleged by my sonne in lawe none of the treasure hidden by thy mother and founde by my
¶ The life and gestes of the most famous Queene Zenobia with the letters of the Emperour 〈◊〉 to the sayd Queene and hir stoute answere therunto The. xv Nouel ZENOBIA Quéene of Palmyres was a right famous gentlewoman as diuerse historiographers largely do report write Who although she was a gētle quéene yet a christian princesse so worthie of imitation as she was for hir vertues 〈◊〉 facts of 〈◊〉 praise She by hir wisdome stoutnesse subdued all the empire of the Orient resisted the inuincible 〈◊〉 And for that it is méete and requisite to alleage and aduouche reasones by weight wordes by measure I will orderly beginne to recite the historie of that most famous Quéene Wherefore I say that about the. 284. Olimpiade no long time after the death of the vnhappie Emperour Decius Valerian was chosen Emperour by the Senat and as Trebellius Pollio his historian doth describe hée was a well learned prince indued with manifolde vertues that for his speciall praise these wordes be recorded If all the world had bene assembled to chose a good Prince they would not haue chosen any other but good Valerian It is also written of hym that in liberalitie hée was noble in words true in talke warie in promise constant to his frendes familiar and to his enimies seuere and which is more to bée estemed he could not forgette seruice nor yet reuenge wrong It came to passe that in the. 〈◊〉 yeare of his raigne there rose such cruell warres in Asia that forced hée was to goe thither in his 〈◊〉 persō to resist Sapor king of the Persians a very valiant man of warre and fortunate in his enterprises which happinesse of his not long time after the arriuall of Valerian into Asia hée manifested and shewed For being betwene them such hot cruell warres in a skyrmish throughe the greate faulte of the Generall which had the conduct of the armie the Emperour Valerian was taken and brought into the puissance of King Sapor his enimie which curssed tyrant so wiekedly vsed that victorie as hée would by no meanes put the Emperour to raunsome towardes whom hée vsed such crueltie that so ofte and so many 〈◊〉 as hée was disposed to gette vp on horsebacke hée vsed the bodie of olde Valerian to serue him for aduantage setting his féete vppon the throate of that aged gentleman In that miserable office and vnhappie captiuitie serued and dyed the good Emperour Valerian not without the greate 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 that knew him and the ruefull compassion of those that fawe him which the Romans considering and that neyther by offre of golde siluer or other meanes they were able to redéeme Valerian they determined to choose for Emperour his 〈◊〉 sonne called Galienus which they did more for respect of the father than for any mynde or corage they knewe 〈◊〉 bée in the sonne Who afterwardes shewed him selfe to bée 〈◊〉 different from the conditions of his father Valerian being in his entreprises a cowarde in his promisses a lyer in correction cruell towardes them that serued him vnthanckfull and which is worse hée gaue hymselfe to his desires and yealded place to sensualitie By meanes wherof in his time the Romaine Empire more than in any other raigne lost most prouinces and 〈◊〉 greatest shame In factes of warre hée was a cowarde and in gouernement of common wealth a verie weake and séeble man Galienus not caring for the state of the Empire became so miserable as the Gouernors of the same gaue ouer their obedience and in the time of his raigne there rose vp thirtie tirantes which vsurped the same Whose names doe followe Cyriades Posthumus that yonger Lollius Victorinus Marius Ingenuus Regillianus Aureolus Macrianus Machianus the yonger Quietus Odenatus Herodes Moenius Ballista Valens Piso Emilianus Staturninus Tetricus 〈◊〉 the yonger Trebelianus 〈◊〉 Timolaus Celsus Titus 〈◊〉 Claudius Aurelius and Quintillus of whom eightene were captens and seruiters vnder the good Emperour Valerian Such delighte had the Romanes in that auncient worlde to haue good Capteins as were able to bée preferred to bée 〈◊〉 Nowe in that tyme the Romanes had for their Captein generall a knight called Odenatus the prince of Palmerines a man truelie of greate vertue and of passing industrie hardinesse in factes of warre This Captain Odenatus maried a woman that descended of the auncient linage of the Ptolomes sometimes kings of 〈◊〉 named Zenobia which if the historians doe not deceiue vs was one of the most famous Women of the worlde She hadde the hearte of Alexander the greate she possessed the riches of Croesus the diligence of Pyrrhus the trauell of Haniball the warie foresight of Marcellus the iustice of Traiane When Zenobia was maried to Odenatus she had by hir other husband a sonne called Herodes by Odenatus she had two other wherof the one was called 〈◊〉 and the other Ptolomeus And when the Emperour Valerian was vanquished and taken Odenatus was not then in the Campe. For as all men thought if he had bene ther they had not receued so great an ouerthrow So sone as good Odenatus was aduertized of that defaict of Valerian in great haste he marched to that Roman Campe that then was in great disorder Which with greate diligence hée reassembled and reduced the same to order and holpen by good Fortune 〈◊〉 dayes after he recouered all that which Valerian had loste making the Persian king to 〈◊〉 by meanes wherof and for that Odenatus had taken charge of the armie hée wanne amonges the Romans great reputation truely not without cause For if in that good time hée had not receiued the 〈◊〉 the name and glorie of the Romans had taken ende in Asia During all this time Galienus liued in his delightes at Millan without care or thought of the common wealth consuming in his wilfull vices the money that was 〈◊〉 for the men of warre Which was the cause that the gouernours of the prouinces and Captens generall seing him to be so vicious and negligent 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 and armies which they had in charge Galienus voide of all obedience sauing of the Italians Lombards the first that rose vp against him were Posthumus in Fraunce Lollianus in Spaine Victorinus in Africa Marius in 〈◊〉 Ingenuus in Germanie Regillianus in Denmark Aureolus in Hungarie Macrianus in Mesopotamia Odenatus in Syria Before Odenatus rose against Valerian Macrianus enioyed Mesopotamia the greatest part of Syria wherof Odenatus hauing intelligence hée marched with his power against him and killed him and discomfited all his armie The death of the Tyran Macrian being knowen and that Galienus was so vicious the armies in Asia assembled and chose Odenatus Emperour which election although the Sonate publicklie durst not agrée vpon yet secretlie they allowed it bycause they receiued dailie newes of the great exploites and dedes of armes done by 〈◊〉 and sawe on the other syde the great cōtinued follies of Galienus Almost thrée yeares and a halfe was
the fault to conceiue no sinister suspicion of thy running away crauing thyne acquaintaunce and is contented to sacrifice him self vnto thyne anger to appease and mitigate thy rage Nowe to speake no more hereof but to procede in that which I began to say I offer vnto thée then bothe death and loue choose whether thou liste For I sweare againe by hym that séeth and heareth al things that if thou play the foole thou shalt féele and proue me to be the cruellest enimie that euer thou hadst and such a one as shall not feare to imbrue 〈◊〉 handes with the bloode of hir that is the deathe of the chiefest of all my friendes Gineura hearing that resolute answere 〈◊〉 hir selfe to be nothing afraide nor declared any token of feare but rather 〈◊〉 to haue encouraged Roderico in braue and mannish sort farre diuers from the simplicitie of a yong and tender maidē as a man wold say such a one as had neuer felt the assault es and troubles of aduerse fortune Wherfore frouncing hir browes and grinning hir téeth with closed 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 very bolde she made hym aunswere Ah thou knight which once gauest assault to cōmit a villanie treason thinkest thou now without remorse of conseience to cōtinue thy mischief I speake it to thée villain which 〈◊〉 shed the blood of an honester mā thā thou art fearest not nowe to make mée a companion of his death Which thing spare not hardily to 〈◊〉 to the intent that I liuing may not be such a one as thou falsly iudgest me to be for neuer man hitherto 〈◊〉 and neuer shall that he hathe hadde the spoyle of my virginitie from the frute whereof lyke an arrant thiefe thou hast depriued my loyall spouse Nowe doe what thou list for I am farre better content to suffer death be it as cruel as thou art mischeuous borne for the 〈◊〉 vexation of honest maidēs not withstanding I humbly beséech almightie God to gyue 〈◊〉 so muche pleasure contentation and ioy in thy loue 〈◊〉 thou hast done to me by hastening the death of my dere husbande O God if thou be a iust God suche a one as from whome wée thy poore creatures do beleue all 〈◊〉 to procéede thou I say which art the rampire and refuge of all iustice poure downe thy vengeance and plague vpon these pestiferous thieues and murderers which haue prepared a worldely plague vpon me thine innocent damsell Ah wicked Roderico thinke not that death can be so fearefull vnto mée but that wyth good heart I am able to accept the same trusting verily that one daye it shall be the cause of thy ruine and ouerthrowe of hym for whom thou takest all these pains Dom Roderico maruellously rapte in sense imagined the woman to be fully bent against hym who then had puissaunce as he thought ouer hir owne hearte and thynkyng that he sawe hir moued with like rage against hym as she was against Dom Diego stode still so perplered and voyde of righte minde that hée was constrained to sitte downe so feeble he felt him self for the onely remembrance of hir euill demeanor And whilest this was a doing the handemayde of Gineura and hir Page inforced to persuade their mystresse to haue compassion vpon the knight that hadde suffered so muche for hir sake and that she would consente to the honest requestes and good counsell of Roderico But she which was stubbornly bente in hir foolishe persuasions sayd vnto them What fooles are you so much be witched either with that fained teares of this disloyal knight which colorably thus doth torment himself or els ar ye inchāted with the venomous honie tirānical brauerie of the thief which murdered my husband and your master Ah vnhappie caytife maiden is it my chaunce to endure the 〈◊〉 of suche Fortune when I thoughte to liue at my beste case and thus cruelly to tomble into the handes of hym whome I hate so much as he fayneth loue vnto me And morcouer my vnluckie fate is not herewith content but redoubleth my sorrowe euen by those that be of my frayn who ought rather to incourage me to die than consente to so vureasonable requests Ah loue loue how euil be they recompenced which faithfully do homage vnto thée why should not I forget al 〈◊〉 neuer hereafter to haue mind on mā to proue beginning of a pleasure which tasted and 〈◊〉 bringeth more displeasure than euer ioy engendred 〈◊〉 Alas I neuer knewe what was the frute of that which so straungely did attache me and thou O 〈◊〉 and thieuishe Loue haste ordeined a banket 〈◊〉 with such bitter dishes as forced I am perforce to taste of their egre swéetes Auaunt swéete foly auant I doe henceforth for euer let thée 〈◊〉 to imbrace the death wherein I hope to finde my greatest reste for in thée I fynde noughte else but heapes of straynyng 〈◊〉 Auoyde from me all my myssehap 〈◊〉 from me ye furious ghostes and 〈◊〉 most vnkynde whose gaudes and toyes dame loue hath wrought to kéepe occupied my louing minde and suffer me to take ende in thée that I may lyue in an other life without thée being now charged with cup of grief which I shal 〈◊〉 in venomous drink soaked in the soppes of 〈◊〉 Sharpen thou thy selfe O death vnkinde prepare thy darte to strike the corpse of hir that she may voyd the quarels shot against hir by hir aduersarie Ah pore hart strip thy self from hope and qualifie thy desires Cease henceforth to wishe thy lyfe séeing and féeling the appointed fight of loue and life combattyng within my minde elsewhere to séeke my peace in an other world with him to ioy which for my sake was sacrificed to the treason of varlets hands who for the persite 〈◊〉 of his desires nought else didde séeke but to soile his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the purest bloode of my loyall friend And I this abundance of teares do sheade to saciate his felonous moode which shall be the iuste shortenyng of my doleful dayes When she had thus complained she began horribly to torment hir selfe and in furious guise that the cruellest of the companie were moued wyth compassion séeing hir thus strangely straught of wits 〈◊〉 they did not discontinue by duetie to sollicite hir to haue regarde to that whiche poore fayntyng Dom Diego dyd endure Who so sone as with fresh 〈◊〉 water hée was reuiued 〈◊〉 stil the heauinesse of his Ladie and hir incresed disdain and choler against him vanished in diuers soundings which moued Roderico frō studie 〈◊〉 wherin he was to ryse wherevnto that rage of Gineura had cast him down bicause forgetting all imaginarie affection of his Ladie and proposing his dutie before his eyes which eche Gentleman oweth to gentle damsels and women kind stil beholdyng with honourable respect the griefe of the martyred wyldernesse Knight sighyng yet by reason of former thought he sayde vnto Gincura Alas is it possible that in the heart of so yong and delicate a maiden there
care or more prouident héede ought to be taken in iesting with a Scholer than with any other cōmon person nor wel remembring how they 〈◊〉 know not all I say but the greatest part where the Diuell holdeth his taile and therfore take héede good wiues and widowes how you giue your selues to mockes and daliaunce specially of Scholers But now turne we to another widowe that was no amorous dame but a sober matrone a motherly gentlewoman that by pitie and money redemed raūsomed a Kings sonne out of miserable captiuity being vtterly abandoned of all his friendes The maner and meanes how the Nouel ensuing shall she we Camiola and Rolande ¶ A Gentlewoman 〈◊〉 widowe called CAMIOLA of hir owne minde raunsomed ROLANDE the kings sonne of Sicilia of purpose to haue him to hir husband who when he was redemed vnkindely denied hir against whome very 〈◊〉 she inueyed and although the 〈◊〉 proued him to be hir husband yet for his vnkindenesle she vtterly refused him The. xxxij Nouel BVsa a Gentlewoman of Apulia maintained ten thousand Romaine souldiers within the walles of Cannas that were the remnaunt of the armie after that ouerthrow ther and yet hir state of richesse was safe and nothing deminished and lefte thereby a worthy testimonie of liberalitie as Valerius Maximus affirmeth If this worthy woman Busa for liberalitie is commended by auncient authors if she deserue a monument amonges famous writers for that splendent vertue which so brightly blasoneth the Heroicall natures of Noble dames then may I be so bolde amongs these Nouels to bring in as it were by the hand a widow of Messina that was a gentlewoman borne adorned with passing beautie and vertues Amongs that rank of which hir comely qualities the vertue of liberalitie glistered like the morning starre after the night hath cast of his darke and cloudie mantell This gentlewoman remaining in widowes state and hearing tell that one of the sonnes of Federick and brother to Peter that was then king of the sayd Ilande called Rolande was caried prisoner to Naples and there kept in miserable captiuitie and not like to be redéemed by his brother for a displeasure conceiued nor by any other pitying the state of the yong Gentleman and moued by hir gentle and couragious disposition and specially with the vertue of liberalitie raunsomed the sayd Rolande and 〈◊〉 no interest or vsury for the same but him to husbād that ought vpon his knées to haue made sute to be hir slaue and seruaunt for respect of his miserable state of imprisonment An affiaunce betwéene them was concluded and he redéemed and 〈◊〉 he was returned he falsed his former faith and cared not for hir For which vnkinde part she before his friends inueyeth against that ingratitude and vtterly for saketh him when sore ashamed he would very faine haue recouered hir good will But she like a wise Gentlewoman well waying his inconstant minde before mariage lusted not to tast or put in proofe the fruites successe thereof The intire discourse of whome you shall briefly and presently vnderstand Camiola a widow of the Citie of Siena that daughter of a gentle Knight called Signor Lorenzo 〈◊〉 was a woman of great renoume fame for hir beautie liberalitie shame fastnesse and led a life in Messina an auncient Citie of 〈◊〉 no lesse commendable than famous in the cōpany of hir parents contenting hir self with one only husband while she liued which was in the time when Federick the third was king of that 〈◊〉 and after their death she was an heire of very great wealth and richesse which were alwayes by hir cōserued and kept in maruellous honest sort Now it chaunced that after the death of Federick Peter succeding by his commaundement a great armie by sea was equipped from 〈◊〉 vnder the conduct of Iohn Countie of Chiaramonte the most renewmed in those dayes in feats of warre for to aide the people of Lippari which were so strongly and earnestly besieged as they were almost all dead and cōsumed for hunger In this army ouer and besides those that were in pay many Barons and Gentlemen willingly went vpon their owne proper costes and charges as wel by sea as land onely for fame and to be renowmed in armes This Castell of Lippari was assaulted by Godefrey of Squilatio a valiant man and at that time Admiral to Robert 〈◊〉 of Ierusalem and Sicile which Godefrey by long siege assault had so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 people within as daily he hoped they would surrender But hauing aduertisement by certain Brigandens which he had sent abrode to scour the seas that the enimies armie which was farre greater than his was at hand after that he had assembled al his nauie togither in one sure place he expected the euent of fortune The enimies so soone as they were seased possessed of the place without any resistaunce of 〈◊〉 places abandoned by Godefrey caried into the city at their pleasure all their victualles which they brought with them for which good hap and chaunce the saide Counte Iohn being very much encouraged and puffed vp with pride offred battell to Godefrey Wherefore he not refusing the same being a man of great corage in 〈◊〉 night time fortified his army with boordes timber and other rampiers and hauing put his nauie in good order he encoraged his men to fight and to doe valiantly the next day which done he caused the Ankers to be wayed and giuing the signe tourned the prowesse of 〈◊〉 shippes against 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 armie but Counte Iohn who thought that Godefrey would not fight and durst not once loke vpon 〈◊〉 great army of the Sicilians did not put his fléete in order of fight but rather in readinesse to pursue the ennimies But séeing the courage and the approche of them that came against him began to feare his heart almost failing him and 〈◊〉 him that he had required his enimie to that which he thought neuer to haue obtained In such wise as mistrusting the battel with troubled minde chaunging the order giuen and notwithstanding not to séeme altogither fearefull incontinently caused his ships to be put into order after the best maner he could for so little time himselfe giuing the signe of battell In the meane while their enimies being approched néere vnto them and making a very great noise with cries and shoutes furiously entred with the prowesse of the shippes amongs the Sicilians which came slowly forthe hauing first throwne their 〈◊〉 and grapples to stay them they began the fight with Dartes Crossebowes and other shot in such sort as the Sicilians being amazed for the sodaine mutacion of Councell and all enuironned with feare and the souldiers of Godefrey perceiuing 〈◊〉 same entred their enimies ships and comming to blowes euen in a moment all was filled with bloud by reason whereof the Sicilians then despairing of them selues and they that feared turning the 〈◊〉 fled away but neuerthelesse the victorie reclining towardes Godefrey many of their shippes were drowned
〈◊〉 of one of their Queenes called THALESTRIS to visit ALEXANDER the great and the cause of hir 〈◊〉 The first Nouel WHere the first boke began with a Cōbate foughte and tried betwene two mighty cities for principalitie and gouernment the one hight Rome after called the heade of the world as some thinke by reason of a mans head foūd in the place where the Capitole did stand the other Alba. To which Combat 〈◊〉 gentlemen of either citie wer appointed and the victorie chaunced to the Romaine side In this second parte in the forefront and first Nouel of the same is described the beginning continuaunce and ende of a Womans Common wealth an Hystorie 〈◊〉 and straunge to the vnlearned ignorant of the 〈◊〉 fickle ruled stay which contended with mighty Princes and puissant Potentates for defense of their kingdome no lesse than the Carthaginians and Romaines did for theirs But as it is no wōder to the skilful that a whole Monarche and kingdom should be inticrly peopled with that Sexe so to the not wel trained in Hystories this may seme miraculous Wherfore not to stay thée from the discourse of those straunge and Aduenturous women diuers be of diuers opinions for the Etimologie of the word wher of amonges the Grecians 〈◊〉 diuerse iudgementes These Amazones were moste excellent warriers very valiant and without mannes aduise did conquer mighty Countreyes famous Cities and notable Kingdomes continuing of long time in one Seigniorie and gouernment These people occupied and enioyed a great part of Asia Some writers deuide them into two Prouinces one in Scithia in the North parte of Asia other by the hill Imaus which at this day is called the Tartarian Scithia different from that which is in Europa the other sort of the Amazones were in Libia a prouince of Africa But bicause the common sort of Authors doe vnderstand the Amazones to be those of Asia I meane to leaue off the differēce The Scithians were a warlike people and at the beginning of theyr kingdome had two kings by whome they were gouerned Notwithstanding the nature of dominion being of it self ambicious cannot abide any companion or equal Which caused these two Kinges to beat variance and afterwardes the matter grew to ciuill warres wherein the one being Uictory two of the principal 〈◊〉 of the contrary faction called Plinius and Scolopithos were banished with a great number of their 〈◊〉 all which did withdraw themselues to the limites of Cappadocia in the lesser Asia in despite of the Countrey Pesantes dwelled alonges the riuer of Thermodon which entreth into the sea Euxinum otherwise called Pontus And they being made Lordes of the countrey of the places adioyning raigned for certain yeres vntill the peasantes and their confederates made a conspiracie against them and assembling by policie ouercame them and slewe them all The newes of their deathe knowen to their wiues dwelling in their countrey caused them to cōceiue great heauinesse and dolor extreme And although they were womē yet did they put on māly courage and determined to reuenge the death of their husbandes by putting their handes to weapons wherwithall they did exercise themselues very ofte And that they might all be equal their sorow commō they murdred certain of their husbands which remained there after the other were banished Afterward being all together they made a great army and forsoke their dwelling places refusing the mariage of many suters And arriuing in the land of their enimies that made smal accōpt therof although foretolde of their approache they sodenly came vpon them vnprouided and put them all to the sword This being done the women toke the gouernāce of the Countrey inhabiting at the beginning along the Riuer of Thermodon where their husbands wer stain And although many Authors do differ in the situaciō of the place where the Amazones did dwel yet the truth is that the beginning of their kingdome and of their habitacion was vpon that Riuer But of their manifolde conquestes be engendred diuers opinions declared by Strabo and others They fortified them selues in those places and wanne other countries adioyning chosing among them two Quenes the one named Martesia and and the other Lampedo Those two louyngly deuided the armie and men of warre in two parts either of them defending with great hardinesse the Lands which they had conquered and to make them selues more dreadfull such was the credite and vanitie of men that time they fained themselues to be that daughters of Mars Afterward these miraculous womē liuing after this maner in peace iustice considered that by succession of time for wante of daughters that might succéede warres and time wold extinguishe their race For this cause they treated mariage with their neighbors named Gargarians as Plinie sayeth with condition that vpon certaine times of the yeare their husbands shold assemble together in some appointed place and vse them for certaine dayes vntill they were with childe which being done and knowen they shoulde returne home againe to their owne houses If they brought forth daughters they norished and trained them vp in armes and other manlyke exercises and to ride great horsse They taught them to run at base to follow the chace If they were deliuered of males they sent them to their fathers And if by chaunce they kept any backe they murdred them or else brake their armes and leggs in suche wyse as they had no power to beare weapons and serued for nothing else but to spin twist and to doe other feminine labour And for as much as these Amazones defēded themselues so valiantly in the warres with Bowe and Arrowes and perceiued that their breasts did verie much impech the vse of that weapon and other exercises of armes they seared vp the righte breastes of their yong daughters for which cause they were named Amazones which signifieth in the Gréeke tong without breasts although that some other do giue vnto that name an other Etimologie Afterwardes increasing by course of time in numbre force they made great preparation of weapons and other 〈◊〉 for the warres and leauing their coūtrey which they thought was very small in the keping of some whom they specially trusted the rest marched abrode cōquering subduing all those which they foūd rebellious And hauing passed the riuer of Tanais they entred Europa where they vanquished many countreys directing their way towardes Thracia from whence they returned a whyle after with great spoile and victorie and comming again into Asia they brought many prouinces vnder their subiection proceding euen to Mare Caspium They edified and peopled an infinite numbre of good cities amōgs which according to the opinion of diuers was the famous Citie of Ephesus the same béeing the chiefe of all their Empire and the principal place that stoode vpon Thermodon They defended them selues in warres with certaine Tergats made in fashion of a half Moone and entring into battaile vsed a certaine kinde of flutes to giue the people corage to
of such a pleasant prisoner exchanged loue for golde But note hereby what force the puritie of minde vnwilling of beastly 〈◊〉 doth carie in it self A simple woman voide of helpe not backed with defence of husbandes aide doeth bring a mightie captaine a strong and loftie lubber to enter into a caue and when she sawe hir best aduauntage thacked him with stones vntill he groned forth his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suche is the might and prowesse of chastitie No charge too burdenous or weightie for such a vertue no enterprise too harde for a mynde so pure and cleane Ariobarzanes ¶ ARIOBARZANES great Stuarde to 〈◊〉 king of Persia goth about to excede his soueraine Lord and maister in curtesie wherin be conteined many notable and pleasaunt chaunces besides the greate pacience and loyaltic naturally planted in the sayd ARIOBARZANES The fourth Nouell AQuestion is moued many times among learned men and Gentlemen addicted to the seruice of the Courte whether cōmendable déede or curteous and gentle fact done by the gentlemā or courtier towardes his soueraigne lord ought to be called Liberalitie Curtesie or rather Bād and Duetie Which question is not proponed without greate reason For so much as eche man doth know that a seruant doe what he can for his maister or lette him imploye the vttermoste of his indeuour all the labour and trauaile he bestoweth all trouble and daunger which he susteineth is too litle yea and the same his verie bounden duetie Haue wée not red of many and knowen the lyke that to gratifie their prince and maister haue into a thousand dangers and like numbre of deaths aduentured their owne proper liues Marcus Antonius that notable orator being accused of incest and brought to the iudgement seat his accusers required that his seruant shoulde be called for bicause he bare the candell before his maister when he went to do the dede who séeing his maisters life death to depend vpon his euidence vtterly denied the fact and notwithstanding that he was whipped racked suffred other cruel torments would rather haue lost his life than accuse betray his maister I could alleage and bryng forth in place the example of Mycithus the seruant of one Anaxilaus Messenius the fidelitie of the seruantes of Plotinus Plancus the faithful maiden called Pythias that waited vpon Octauia the chast Empresse and wife of that Monster Nero with diuers other but that I thinke they bée to the learned well knowen and of the simple the vertue of seruants fidelitie is greatly liked and commended But if the faithfull seruant knowe that his deserts do gain the grace and fauor of his maister 〈◊〉 trauailes what pains ought he to suffer to maintain his reputation and to increase the fauour obtained For as the common 〈◊〉 and wise saying reporteth That the vertue is no lesse to conserue Frendship gotten than the wisedome was great to get and winne the same Other there be which do contrarily contend and with very strong arguments do force to proue that al which the seruant doth besides his duetie and beyonde the obligation wherin he is bounde to his maister is and oughte to be termed Liberalitie whiche is a matter to prouoke his patrone and maister to deuise new benefites for his seruant And that at all times when a man doth his duetie and seruice appointed by his mayster executing the same with all diligence and industrie requisite ther vnto that then he 〈◊〉 to be rewarded Which is not to be discommended For no true and honest seruaunt will refuse any trauaile for commoditie of his maister 〈◊〉 yet discrete and wise maister will leaue the same 〈◊〉 according to that porcion of abilitie wherwith he is possessed But leauing questions and disputation aside procéede we to that which this Nouell purposeth I say then that there was in the kyngdome of Persia a kyng called Artaxerxes a man of moste noble minde and of great prowesse in armes This was he which first being a priuate man of armes not hauing as yet obteined any degrée in the field killed Artabanus the last king of the Arsacides whose souldier he was recouered the Persian kingdom which was then in the Macedonians 〈◊〉 on by the deth of Darius which was vanquished by Alexander the great the space of 538. yeares This noble gētleman hauing deliuered al Persia created King kept a princely court wherin were many magnificent facts and vertuous déedes exercised and done and he himself most noble in all his affaires besides the titles which he worthily wanne in many bloudie battels was estéemed thoroughout the east part of the worlde to be the most liberall and magnanimous prince that in any age euer raigned In feastes and bankets he was an other Lucullus royally intertaining strangers that repaired to his court This king had in his court a Senescall or stewarde named Ariobarzanes whose office was that when the king made any pompous or publike feast to mount vpon a white Courser with a Mace of golde in his hand and to ride before the Esquiers Sewers for the Kings owne mouthe and those that bare the Kings meate in vessell of golde couered with fine naperie wrought and purled with most beautiful workmanship of silk golde This office of Senescall was highly estemed and cōmonly wont to be giuen to one of the chiefest Barons of the Realme Wherfore this Ariobarzanes besides that he was of moste noble Lignage and incomparable riches was the most curteous and liberall knight that frequented the Court whose immoderate expence was such as leauing the mean wherin al vertue consisteth by reason of his outrage which many times he vsed he fell into the vice of prodigalitie Whereby he séemed not only in curteous déedes to compare with the King but also contended to excéede and surpasse him One day the King for his disport and recreation called for the Chesseborde requiring Ariobarzanes to kéepe him companie Which game in those days amongs the Persians was in greate vse and estimation in such wise as a cunning gamster at that pastime was no lesse commended and honored than among vs in these dayes an excellent Drator or famous learned man Yea and the very same game in cōmon vse in the Courte and noble mens houses of oure tune no doubt very commendable and mete to be practised by all states degrées The King and Ariobarzanes being set down at a table in the great hall of the Palace one right against an other accōpanied with a great number of noble personages and Gentlemen looking vpon them and marking their play with great silence they began to encountre one an other with the Chessemen Ariobarzanes whether it was that he played better than the king or whether the king 〈◊〉 no héede to his game or what soeuer the occasion was he coursed the King to such a narrow straight as he could not auoide but within ii or iij. draughts he muste be forced to receiue the Checkemate whiche the King perceiuing and considering
excéeding faire crown of Gold apt and mete for the 〈◊〉 head Afterwards when he saw time conuenient he 〈◊〉 that in the market place of the Citie a pearche should be erected and 〈◊〉 with tapestrie Arras 〈◊〉 other costly furnitures suche as Princes palaces are 〈◊〉 decked withall Thither with sound of 〈◊〉 he caused the Falcon to be conueyed where the King 〈◊〉 ded one of his noble men to place the Crowne vpon his head for prise of the excellent pray atchieued vppon the Egle. Then he caused the hangman or common executioner of the Citie to take the Crowne from the Faucon and with the trenchant sworde to cut of his head Upon these contrary 〈◊〉 the beholders of this sight were amazed and began diuersly to talke thereof The King which at a window stoode to beholde this fact caused silence to be kepte and so loude opened his Princely voice as he was well hearde speaking these wordes There ought good people none of you all to 〈◊〉 and grudge at the present fact executed vpō the Faucon bicause the same is done vpon good reason and iust cause as by processe of my discourse you shall well perceyue I am persuaded that it is the office and duetie of euery magnanimous prince to know the valor and difference betwene vertue and vice that all vertuous actes 〈◊〉 thie attempts may be honoured and the contrary 〈◊〉 punished otherwise he is not worthy of the name of a King and Prince but of a cruell and traiterous tyrant For as the Prince beareth the title by principalitie and chief so ought his life chiefly to excell other whome he gouerneth and ruleth The bare title and dignitie is not sufficient if his condicions and moderation bée not to that supreme state 〈◊〉 Full well I knew and did consider to be in this dead Faucon a certaine generositie and stoutnesse of minde ioyned with a certaine fierce 〈◊〉 and nimblenesse for which I crowned and rewarded hir with this golden garland bicause of the stoute slaughter which she made vpon that mightie Egle worthie for that 〈◊〉 and prowesse to be honoured after that solemne guise But when I considered how boldly and rashely she assailed and killed the Egle which is 〈◊〉 Quéene and maistresse I thought it a part of iustice that for hir bolde and vncomely act she shoulde suffer the paine due to hir 〈◊〉 For vnlaufull it is for the seruaunte and vnduetifull for the subiecte to imbrue his handes in the bloud of his soueraigne Lord. The Faulcon then hauing slaine hir Quéene and of all other birdes the soueraigne who can with reason blame me for cutting of the Falcons head Doubtlesse none that hath respecte to the quiete state betweene the Prince and subiect This example the 〈◊〉 alleaged against Ariobarzanes when they pronoūced sentence And applying the same to him ordeined that first Ariobarzanes for his Magnanimitie and liberall Curtesie should be crowned with a Laurel Garland for the generositie of his minde and excéeding curtesie but for his great emulation earnest endeuour and continuall 〈◊〉 to contende with his prince and in Liberalitie to shew him selfe superior 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spéech vttered against him his hed ought to be striken of Ariobarzanes being aduertised of this seuere 〈◊〉 he purposed to sustain the 〈◊〉 darte of Fortune as he had endured other bruntes of that enuious inconstant Lady and in suche maner behaued and directed his 〈◊〉 and countenance as no signe of choler or dispaire appeared in him onely pronouncing this sentence with ioyful 〈◊〉 in the presence of many Glad I am that at length there resteth in me so much to be liberal as I employ my life and bloud to declare the same to my soueraigne Lorde which right willingly I meane to do that the world may know that I had rather lose my life than to saint and giue ouer in mine 〈◊〉 liberalitie Then calling a Notarie vnto him he made his will for so it was lawful by the Persian lawes and to his wife and daughters he increased the dowries and to his kinsfolk and frends 〈◊〉 bequethed diuers riche bountifull legacies To the King he 〈◊〉 a great numbre of most precious Jewels To Cyrus the Kings sonne and his by mariage bisides a great masse of money he bequeathed all his armure and 〈◊〉 with all his instrumentes for the warres and his whole stable of horsse Last of all he ordeined that if perhaps his wife shoulde be founde with childe and broughte to bed of a Sonne he should be his vniuersall heire But if a woman childe to haue the like dowrie that his other daughters had The rest of his goods and cattell he gaue indifferently to all iii. equally to bée deuided He prouided also that all his 〈◊〉 according to their degrée should be rewarded The day before he shoulde be put to death according to the custome of Persia his praises and valiant factes as well by Epitaphes fixed vpon 〈◊〉 as by 〈◊〉 were generally sounded 〈◊〉 the Realme in suche wise as eche wight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him to be the moste liberall and noble personage that was in all the Countrey and in the borders 〈◊〉 vpon the same And if there had not bene some enuious persones néere the King which studied and practised his ouerthrow all other would haue déemed him vnworthy of death Such is the enuie of the maliciously disposed that rather than they would sée their equals to be in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Prince than them selues studie and deuise all policie either by flatterie or false 〈◊〉 to bring them in discredite or to practise by false accusation their vtter subuersion by death or vanishement But whiles 〈◊〉 was disposing his things in order his wife and daughters with his friends and 〈◊〉 were affected with great sorow day and night complaining for the heauie 〈◊〉 of that noble Gentleman The eight day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the lawe allowed that space to the condemned for disposition of their things a skaffolde was made by commaundement of the King in the middes of the Market place all couered with blacke 〈◊〉 and an other righte ouer against the same with purple and 〈◊〉 where the King if he 〈◊〉 in the mids of the Judges should sitte and the inditement redde iudgement by the Kings owne mouth declared shoulde be executed or if it pleased him discharge and assoile the condemned And the King vnwilling to be present gaue to one of the 〈◊〉 Judges his full power and authoritie But yet sorrowfull that a Gentleman so noble and valiant his father and 〈◊〉 in lawe should finishe his life with a death so horrible would néedes that morning be presente him selfe at that execution as well to sée the continent and stoute ende of Ariobarzanes as also to take order for his deliuerie 〈◊〉 the time was come Ariobarzanes by the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 was brought vnto the Skaffolde and there apparelled in riche 〈◊〉 the Laurell Crowne was set vpon his head and so continuing for a certaine space the
garmente and Crowne was taken off from his head together with his other apparel The Executioner 〈◊〉 for commaundement to doe his office and lifting vp his sworde to do the facte 〈◊〉 King desired to sée the countenaunce of Ariobarzanes who neuer chaunged colour for all that terrour of death The King séeing the great constancie and inuincible minde of Ariobarzanes spake 〈◊〉 that all men might heare hym these wordes Thou knowest Ariobarzanes that it is not I whych haue wroughte thy condemnation ne yet by 〈◊〉 desyre haue soughte thy bloude to bryng thée to this extremitie but it hath bene thy yll disordred life and the statutes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which haue found thée guiltie and therevpon sentence and death pronounced and execution now redie to be done and the minister redie to aduaunce his arme to play the last acte of this tragedie And yet for that our holy lawes doe giue libertie that I may assoile and deliuer whome I list and them restore to their former state if nowe thou wilt acknowledge thy selfe vanquished and ouer come and accept thy life in gratefull part I will pardon thée and restore thée to thine offices and promotions Ariobarzanes hearing these wordes knéeled downe with his head declined and expecting the blow of the sworde lifted by himselfe and turning his face to the King perceiuing his malice not so sore bente against him as the enuie and malice of his ennimies desired he determined to proue and vse the pitifull liberalitie and fauor of his soueraigne Lorde that his foes by his death might not triumph ne yet attaine the thing for which so long they aspired Wherefore in reuerent wise 〈◊〉 before his maiestie with a 〈◊〉 perfect voice sayd these words Most victorious merciful soueraine Lord in equal worship and honour to the immortall Gods sith of thy abundant grace and mercie it hath pleased thée to graunt me life I do most humbly accept the same which if I wist should be prolonged in thy disgrace and wrath coulde not be pleasaunt vnto me and therfore do 〈◊〉 my self altogether 〈◊〉 ouercome I most humbly then do giue thée 〈◊〉 for preseruation of the same hoping hereafter to employ the vttermost of mine endeuoure for the benefite and honour of thy Crowne and dignitie as readily and without supplication made in my behalfe thou hast 〈◊〉 to restore the same And sith thy 〈◊〉 hath reuiued me thine humble 〈◊〉 I 〈◊〉 thy maiestie to giue me leaue to say my minde trusting thereby to doe thée to vnderstande the effecte and cause of that my former presumption The King made signes that he should rise and boldly speake the summe of his desire When he was vpon his féete silence was proclaimed who then began to speake these wordes Two things there bée most sacred Prince which doubtlesse doe resemble the raging waues of surging seas and the mutabilitie of vnstable windes and yet greate is the follie of an infinite numbre which imploy their whole care and diligence to séeke the same These two things wherof I speake and be so derely beloued of flattering courtiers are the grace and fauour of their soueraine Lord and the luring loue of Amorous dames which two things doe so often beguile the Courtly Gentleman that in the ende they engendre nought else but repentance And to begin with the loue of Ladies they as by common experiēce is proued most commonly do recline to their inferiours It is dayly sene by too much vnhappie proofe that a yong Gentlemā by birth comely and noble otherwise riche vertuous and indued with many goodly gifts shall choose and worship one for his soueraigne Ladie and maistresse and hir shall serue and honour with the same faith and fidelitie due to the immortall Gods and shal not sticke to employ for hir loue and seruice all the possible power and trauell be is able to doe and yet shée in despite of all his humble endeuour shal loue an other voide of all vertue making him possessour of that benefite after which the other séeketh and she not long cōstant in that minde afterwadrs will attend vnto the first suter but in such mouable and 〈◊〉 sort as the wandring starres through their naturall instabilitie be moued to and fro and him in the ende will suffre to fall headlong into the bottomlesse pit of dispaire and he that asketh hir the reason of this varietie she maketh none other answere but that hir pleasure is such and wilful will to dallie with hir suters that seldome times a true and perfit louer can fasten his foote on certaine holde but that his life is tossed vp and downe like the whirling blastes of the inconstant windes In like maner in the Courts of Kings and Princes he which is in fauour with his soueraigne Lord in al mens eyes so great and neare as it séemeth the Prince is disposed to resolue vpon nothing without his aduise coūsell when such fauoured person shall employ his whole care and industrie to maintaine and increase the cōmenced grace of his soueraigne Lorde beholde vpon the sodaine his mind and vaine is changed and an other without desert which neuer carked or laboured to win good will is taken in place cherished as though he had serued him an hundred yeares before and he that was the first minion of the Court in greatest grace and estimation is in a moment despised and out of all regarde An other within fewe days after shall be brought in place of the other twaine very diligent and carefull to serue trained vp in Courtly exercise whose mindefull minde shall bée so caring ouer his lordes affaires as vpon the safegarde and preseruation of his owne propre life But all his labour is employed in vaine and when the aged dayes of his expired life approch for the least displeasure he shall be thrust out without rewarde for former trauell that right aptly the Common Prouerb may be applied The common Courtiers life is like a golden miserie and the faithfull seruant an Asse perpetuall I haue séene my self the right wel learned man to 〈◊〉 in Court for want of meate and a blockish beast voide of vertue for lust and not for merite aduaunced and made a Gentleman But this may chaunce bicause his lorde is not disposed to lerning and vertue little estéeming those that be affected with good sciences for lacke of carefull trayning vp in youthfull days or else for that their mind can not frame with the gentle spirites of them the closets of whose brests be charged and fraught with infinite loades of lerning and haue not ben noscled in trade of Courtes ne yet can vse due courtly spéeche or with vnblushing face can shuffle them selues in presence of their betters or commen with Ladies of dame 〈◊〉 toyes or race of birth not mingled with the noble or gentle Sire For these causes perhaps that vertuous wight can not attain the happe of Fortunes giftes Which person though in Court he be not estéemed in
Schoolehouse of good arte yet déemed famous and for his worthy skill right worthy to be preferred aboue the heauens In semblable wise how oftentimes and commonly is it séene that the man perchance which neuer thou sawest before so soone as he is séene of thée sodainly he is detested like a plage the more earnest he is to do thée seruice and plesure the greater is thy wrath bent towards him Contrarywise some other vpon the first view shal so content and please thée as if he require the bestowing of thy life thou hast no power to denie him thou art in loue with him and let him twhart thy minde and will neuer so much thou carest not for it all is wel he doth But that these varieties doe procéede from some certaine temprement of bloud within the body conformed and moued by some inward celestiall power who doubteth And surely the foundation of these Courtly mutations is the pricking venomous 〈◊〉 of pestiferous Enuie which continually holdeth the fauour of Princes in ballance and in a moment hoisteth vp him whiche was belowe and poizeth downe againe him that was exalted So that no plague or poison is more pestiferous in Courtes than the hurtfull disease of Enuie All other vices with little paine and lesse labour may easily be cured and so pacified as they shal not hurt thée but rooted Enuie by any meanes is discharged with no pollicie is expelled ne yet by any drugge or medicine purged Uerily without great daunger I know not which way the poinaunt bittes of Enuie can be auoided The proude man in Courte the arrogant and ambicious the loftie minded foole more eleuate and lustie than Pride it selfe if reuerence bée done to him if he be honoured if place be giuen to him if he be praised and glorified aboue the heauens if thou humble thy selfe to him by and by he will take thée to be his frende and will déeme thée to bée a curteous and gentle companion Let the lasciuious and wanton person giuen to the pleasures and lust of women fixing his minde on nothing else but vpon fugitiue pleasures if his loue bée not impeached ne yet his wanton toyes reproued if he be praised before his Ladie he will euer be thy friende The couetous and gluttonous carle if first thou make him quaffe a money medicine and afterwardes byd him to thy 〈◊〉 the one and other disease is spéedily cured But for the enuious person what phisicke can be sought to purge his pestiferous humour Which if thou go about to heale and cure rather muste thou remedie the same by wasting the life of him that is so possessed than finde causes of recouerie And who knoweth not most 〈◊〉 Prince that in your Courte there bée some attached with that poisoned plague who séeing me your maiesties humble vassall in greater fauor with your grace than they my seruice more acceptable than theirs my prowesse and exercise in armes more worthy thā theirs my diligence more industrious than theirs my aduise and counsell more auaileable than theirs all mine other déedes and doings in better estimation than theirs They I say dallied in the lappe of the cancred witch dame Enuie by what meanes are they to be recouered by what meanes their infection purged by what meanes their malice cured If not to sée me depriued of your grace expelled from your court and cast headlong into the gulfe of death extreme If I shoulde bribe them with greate rewardes if I shoulde honour them with humble reuerence if I shoulde exalt them aboue the skies if I shold employ the vttermost of my power to doe them seruice all is frustrate and caste away They will not ceasse to bring me into 〈◊〉 they will not spare to reduce me to miserie they will not sticke to imagine all deuises for mine anoyance when they sée all other remedies impotent and vnable This is the poysoned plague which enuenometh all Princes Courtes This is the mischiefe whiche destroyeth all Kingdomes This is the monster that deuoureth al vertuous enterprises offendeth eche gentle spirit This is the dimme vaile which so ouershadoweth the cléerenesse of the eyes as the bright beames of veritie can not be séene and so obscureth the equitie of iustice as right from falshode can not be discerned This is the manifest cause that bredeth a thousand errours in the works of men And to draw nere to the effect of this my tedious talke briefly there is no vice in the worlde that more outragiously corrupteth Princes courtes that more vnfrendly vntwineth Frendships band that more vnhappily subuerteth noble houses than the poyson of Enuie For hée that inclineth his eares to the enuious person he that attendeth to his malignant deuises vnpossible it is for him to do any déede that is either good or vertuous But to finish and ende for auoiding of wearinesse and not to stay your maiestie from your weightie affaires I say that the Enuious man reioyceth not so much in his owne good turnes nor gladdeth him 〈◊〉 so greatly with his owne commodities as he doth insulte and laugh at the discōmoditie and hinderance of others at whose profite and gaine he sorroweth and lanienteth and to put out both the eyes of his companion the enuious man careth not to pluck out one of his owne These wordes most inuincible Prince I purposed to speake in the presence of your Maiestie before your garde courtlyke traine and in the vniuersall hearing of all the people that eche wighte may vnderstande howe I not of your maiesties pretenced malice or mine owne committed fault but through the venomous tongues of the ettuious fell into the lapse of your displeasure This most true oration of Ariobarzanes greatly pleased the noble Prince and although he felt him selfe somwhat touched therewith yet knowing it to bée certaine and true and that in time to come the same myght profite all sortes of people he greatly praised him in the presence of al the assemblie Wherfore Ariobarzanes hauing recouered his life and confessing himself to be vanquished ouercome by the King that knew the valour and fealtie of that noble Gentleman and louing him with heartie 〈◊〉 he caused him to come downe from the mournyng scaffolde and to ascende the place where he was hym selfe whome he imbraced and kissed in token that all displeasure was remitted All his auncient offices were restored to hym againe and for his further aduauncement he gaue him the citie of Passagarda where was the olde monument of King Cyrus and made him Lieuetenant generall of all his Realmes and 〈◊〉 commaunding euery of his subiectes to obey him as his owne person And so the Kingrested the honourable father in 〈◊〉 to Ariobarzanes and his louing sonne by Mariage crauing still in all his enterprises his graue aduise and counsell And there was neuer thing of any importance done but his liking or disliking was first demaunded Ariobarzanes then returned into greater grace and fauour of his soueraigne lorde than before and for his
that no one worde sounding of sorrow or womanly shrieche was heard to 〈◊〉 from hir delicate mouth Howbeit the poore father and miserable mother at that ruefull and lamentable sight moued with inward 〈◊〉 and naturall pitie cried out aloude But when they saw that neither plaint nor faire spéeche could deliuer their daughter out of the hands of that cruel monster they began with open cries and horrible exclamation to implore helpe and succour at the hands of the immortall Gods thinking that they were vnworthely plaged and tormented Then the proud and most barbarous wretch moued and 〈◊〉 by cholers rage and fume of chasing wine sodainely catched the most constant virgin by the haire of the hed and in hir fathers lappe did cut hir white and tender throte O 〈◊〉 fact right worthie of 〈◊〉 reuenge But what did this vnfaithful and cruell Tyrant Aristotimus when by the blustering bruite of peoples rage he hearde of this vengeable murder not only he shewed himself contented with the fact but had him in greater regard than before and towards them which made complaint hereof greater crueltie and mischief was done and executed For in open streat like beastes in the shambles they were 〈◊〉 and hewed in pieces which séemed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at this 〈◊〉 and vnlawfull acte the rest were banished and expelled the Citie Eight hundred of these exiled persons 〈◊〉 into Etolia a prouince adioyning to Epirus which nowe is called Albania Those people so banished out of they countrie made instant sute to Aristotimus to suffer their wiues children to repaire to them but theyr sute was in vaine their peticions and supplications séemed to be made to the deafe and dispersed into the windes Notwithstanding within few dayes after he caused by sound of trumpet to be openly proclaimed that it should be lawfull for the wiues children of the banished to passe with their baggage and furniture to their husbands in Etolia This Proclamation was exceding ioyfull to all the women whose husbands were exiled which at the leaste by common report were the numbre of vj. hundreds And for more credite of that Proclamation the wicked tyrant did ordaine that all the companie should depart vpon a 〈◊〉 daie In the meane time the ioyfull wiues glad to visite their poore husbands prepared horse and wagon to carie their prouisions The appointed day of their departure out of the Citie being come all of them assembled at a certaine gate assigned for their repaire who that time togither resorted with their little children in their hands bearing vpon their heads their garmēts and furnitures some on horsebacke and some bestowed in the wagons according as eche of their states required when al things were in readinesse to depart and the gate of the Citie opened they begā to issue forth They were no 〈◊〉 gone out of the Citie walles and had left behind them the soile of their natiuitie but the Tyrants gard and Sergeants brake vpon them and before they were approched they 〈◊〉 out to stay and goe no further vpon paine of their liues So the poore amazed women contrarie to the promise of the Tyrant were 〈◊〉 to retire Which sodaine countremaund was sorrowfull and wofull vnto that 〈◊〉 flocke But there was no remedie for procéede they could not Then those Termagants and villains caught their horse by the bridles and droue backe againe their wagons pricking the poore oxen and beastes with their speares and Iauelyns that horrible it is to report the tyrannie vsed towards man and beast in such wise as the poore miserable women God wot contrarie to their desires were forced in dispite of their téeth to retourne Some alacke fell off their horse with their little babes in their lappes and were miserablie troden vnder horse féete and ouerrunne with the whéeles of the wagons their braines and guts gushing out through the weight and comberance of the cariage and which was most pitiful one of them not able to helpe an other and muche lesse to rescue their yong and tendre sucking babes the vile sergeāts forcing eche wight with their staues wepons maugre their desirous mindes to réentre the Citie Many died by that cōstrained meanes out of hand many were troden vnder the horseféete and many gasping betwéene life and death but the greatest part of the little infants were slain out of hand and crusht in pieces those which remained aliue were committed to prison the goods which they caried with them altogether seased upō by the Tyrant This most wicked and cruell fact was most intollerable and greuous vnto the Citizens of Elis Whervpon the holy dames consecrated to the God Bacchus adorned garnished with their priestly garments and bearing in their handes the sacred mysteries of their God as Aristotimus was passing through the strete garded with his Souldiers and men of warre went in procession to finde him out The sergeants for the reuerence of those religious women disclosed themselues and gaue them place to enter in before the Tyrant He séeing those women apparelled in that guise and bearing in their hands the sacred Bachanal mysteries stoode stil and with silence heard what they could say But when he knew the cause of their approch that they wer come to make sute for the poore imprisoned women sodainly possessed with a diuelish rage with horible hurly burly bitterly reprehended his garrison for suffering of those women to come so neare him Then hée commaunded that they should be expelled from that place without respect and condemned euery of them for their presuming to intreat for such caitiue prisoners in y. 〈◊〉 a piece After these mischiefs 〈◊〉 by the tyrāt Hellanicus one of the principal best estéemed persōs of the Citie although that he was decrepite and for age very weake and féeble cared not yet to aduenture any attempt what soeuer so it might extend to the deliuerie of his countrey from the vnspeakable tyrannie of most cruell Aristotimus To this gray haired person bicause he was of aged yeares voide of children which were dead this tyrant gaue no great hede ne yet employed any care thinking that he was not able to raise any mutine or 〈◊〉 in the Citie In the mean space the Citizens which as I haue sayd before were banished into Etolia practised amongs them selues to proue their Fortune and to séeke all meanes for recouerie of their countrey and the death of Aristotimus Wherfore hauing leuied and assembled certain bands of Souldiers they marched forth from their banished seat and neuer rested till they had gotten a place hard adioyning to their Citie where they might safely lodge and with great 〈◊〉 and aduantage besiege the same and erpel the tyrant Aristotimus As the banished were 〈◊〉 in that place many citizens of Elis 〈◊〉 fled forth and ioyned with them by reason of which auriliaries and dayly assemblies they grew to the full numbre of an armie Aristotimus certified hereof by his espials was brought into a great chafe and furie and
But the prophet of the Citie whom the Citizens had wel tried and proued to be faithfull and trustie manifested vnto them the great daūger that hong ouer the tyrants head such as the like neuer before The confederats which had conspired with Hellanicus made great spéede to prosecute their enterprise and the nexte night to kill the tyrant The very same night Hellanicus dreamed that he sawe his dead sonne to speake vnto him these woords What meane you father this long time to slepe I am one of your sonnes whom Aristotimus hath slaine know you not that the same day you attempt your enterprise you shal be captaine prince of your coūtrie By this vision Hellanicus confirmed he rose bytimes in the morning and exhorted the conspirators that day to execute the benefit of their Countrie That time Aristotimus was certified how Craterus the tyran of another Citie with a great armie was comming to his aide against the banished people of Elis and that he was arriued at Olympia a Citie betwéene the Mounte Ossa and the mountaine Olympus With which newes Aristotimus being incouraged thought alreadie that he had put to flight and takē the banished persons which made him to aduenture himself abrode without guard or garrison accompanied only with Cilon and one or two of his familiar frends the very same time that the conspiratours were assembled to doe the facte Hellanicus seing the time so cōuenient to deliuer his beloued Countrie by the death of the traiterous Tyrant not attending any signe to be giuen to his companions although the same was concluded vpon the lusty old man lifting vp his handes and eies vnto the heauens with cleare and open voice cried out to his companions and said Whie stay ye O my Citizens and louing country men in the face of your Citie to finishe this good and commendable acte At which woords Cilon was the first which with his brandishing blade killed one of those that waited vpon the Tyrant Thrasibulus thē and Lampidus assayled Aristotimus vpon whose sodaine approch he fled into the Temple of Iupiter where he was murdred with a thousand woundes vpon his body accordingly as he deserued He being thus deseruedly slain his body was drawen vp downe the stréetes and proclamation of libertie sounded vnto the people Where vnto eche wight assembled amongs whome the imprisoned women also brake forth and reioysed with their countrey deliuerers of that egregious enterprise by fires and bankettes outwardly disclosing their excéeding great ioye within and in midde of their mirth the people in great throngs and companies ranne to the Tyrants palace whose wife hearyng the peoples noyse and certified of hir husbands death inclosed hir selfe in a chamber with hir two daughters and knowing how hatefull she was vnto the Citizens with a 〈◊〉 corde vpon a beame she hong hir selfe The chamber dores being broke opē the people viewed the horrible sight of the strangled ladie wherwithall not moued they toke the two trembling daughters of the tyrant and caried them away purposing to rauish violate the same firste to saciate their lust with the spoile of their virginitie and afterwards to kill them those Gentlewomen were very beautifull and mariageable and as they were about to do that shamefull déede Magistona was tolde therof who accompanied with other Matrons sharply rebuked their furie saying that vncomely it were for them which sought to establish a ciuile state to doe such a shamelesse act as tirants rage wold scarce permit Upon that noble matrons authoritie and interception they ceassed from their filthie fact and then the woman tooke the 〈◊〉 oute of the peoples handes and brought them into the chambre where their strangled mother was And vnderstandyng that it was decréed that none of the Tyrants bloud shoulde rest on liue she turned hir face to the two yong Gentlewomen and sayde The chiefest pleasure which I can doe to you resteth in this choise that it shall be lawfull for either of you to choose what kinde of death you list by knife or halter if you will to dispatche your liues from the hedlesse peoples greater furie vpon whose two white and tender bodies if they doe seaze the Gods doe know and we doe feare the crueltie and great abuse which they doe meane to vse I thinke not for despite of you but for the iust reuenge of your most cruell fathers actes for the tyrannous life of whom the Gods do thunder downe the boltes of their displeasure afflicting his nearest bloud and beste beloued wife and children wyth vengeance poured from heauens Upon the sentence of this their fatall ende the elder maiden of the twaine vnlosed a girdle from hir middle and began to tie the same to hang hir selfe exhortyng hir yonger sister to doe the like and in any wise to beware by sparing of hir life to incurre the beastly rage of the monstrous people which cared not to do eche vile and filthie acte vnworthie theyr estate The yonger sister at those wordes layed handes vpon the fastened corde and besought hir right earnestly first of all to suffer hir to die Wherevnto the elder aunswered So long as it was lawfull for me to liue and whiles we led our princely time in our fathers courte both were frée from enimies danger all things betwene vs two were common and indifferente wherefore the Gods forbidth at now the gates of death be opened for vs to enter when with the Ghostes of our dere parents our soules amids the infernall fieldes be predestined to raunge and wander that I shoulde make deniall of thy request Therfore go to good sister mine and shrink not when thou séest the vgly face of hir that must consume vs all But yet déere sister the deadly sight of thée before my selfe will bréede to me the woe and smart of double death When she had so sayd she yelded the coller to hir sister counselled hir to place the same so néere the neck bone as she could that the sooner the halters force might stop hir breath When the vnfearefull yonger sister was dead the trēbling hands of that dredlesse elder maid vntied the girdle from hir neck couering in comly wise hir senslesse corps Then turning hir self to Megistona she hūbly prayed hir not to suffer their two bodies to bée séene naked but so sone as she could to bury them both in one earthly graue referring the frutes of their virginitie to the mould wherof they came When she had spokē those wordes without any staye or feare at all with the selfe same corde the strangled hir self and so finished hir fatall dayes The guiltlesse death of which two tender maids there was none of the citizens of Elis as I suppose so stonie hearted voide of Natures force ne yet so wroth against the tyrant father but did lament as well for the constant stoutnesse and maner of their death as for their maydenlyke behauioure and right honest petitions made to that sobre matrone Megisthona who afterwardes
Iupiter Stator and then spake to them in this wise Be of good chéere good people the King is but amazed with the sodainesse of the stroke the wound is not very depe for euen nowe he is come againe to him selfe and the wounde being opened and dressed there is good hope of life I trust within these fewe days you shall sée him In the meane time I pray you to 〈◊〉 your obedience to Seruius Tullius who is appointed to execute the lawes and to doe all other affaires in the absence of my husbande Seruius occupying the state and Authoritie of the Kyng executed the lawes in some cases in other some made the people beleue that he would consult with the King him self The death of the King was concealed and kept close a certaine space till such tyme as Seruius had gathered his force about him After the death of the King was disclosed Seruius being garded with a strong Garrison toke vpon him to be King not by the consent of the people but by the will of the Fathers The children of Ancus vnderstanding that the King was aliue and that Seruius power and force was greate conueyed them selues in exile to Suessa Pometia And least the children of Tarquinius shold attempt like enterprise against him as the children of Ancus did against Tarquinius hée maried 〈◊〉 of his daughters to Lucius and Aruns the children of Tarquinius But yet the deuise of man could not breake the necessitie of fate and constellation for the hatred conceiued in desire of Ambicious gouernment made all things vnstable and vnfaithfull amongs domestical frends But yet to quiet and pacifie the present time warre was renued with the Veientes and other Cities of Hetruria wherein the fortune and valiāce of Tullius excelled For when he had giuen an ouerthrow to the ennimie least the peoples and fathers good wil should be withdrawne he retourned to Rome who then attempted and brought to passe a notable woorke in the common wealth He instituted a certen yerely taxe reuenew to satisfie and discharge all charges susteined in the time of peace and warre with sundrie other notable lawes and deuises for the defense of the publique state After that he had mustered the whole numbre of the Citizens in the field called Martius the same amounted to lxxx M. And as Fabius Pictor saith there were so many that were able to beare armure Then the hilles of Quirinalis Viminalis and Exquiliae were added to the citie He compassed the town round about with a vamure enuironing the same with a double trench He deuided the Romanes into v. bands called Classes and into Centurias which be bandes of an hundred men He also builded a Temple to Diana with the helpe and assistance of the Latine people Amongs the Sabines there chaunced an Oxe in the house of an husbande man to be brought forth of an huge bignesse and maruellous shape the hornes whereof were placed at the porche of Dianas temple for a monument long time after The Soothsayers prophecied that where the same Oxe shoulde be first sacrificed to Diana there the chief Empire and principall gouernement should remain which prophecie came to the knowledge of the chiefe minister of Diana hir Temple One of that Sabins expecting for a day mete to be employed in that sacrifice brought the sayde Oxe to Rome to the Temple of Diana placing the same before the Altar The chiefe Minister calling to remembrance the oracle and saw that the greatnesse of that sacrifice should be famous spake to the Sabine these words What dost thou meane thou impure Straunger to prepare sacrifice to Diana before thou bée purified and clensed in the liuely Riuer of Tyber Here belowe in thys valley the sayde riuer doth runne Goe get thou hence and wash thée The Sabine attached with a religious feare goeth downe to that Riuer and while he is washing of himselfe a Romane doth offer the Sacrifice which was right acceptable both to the king and his countrie The king although that of long time he had raigned yet vnderstoode that the elder Tarquinius which was maried to one of his daughters did bragge and report 〈◊〉 that his father in law obteined the gouernmēt and kingdom without the consent of the people wherfore the king through his liberalitie by diuiding the conquest atchieued of the ennimy amōgs the common people conciliated their 〈◊〉 and good wils In so much as he affirmed that he would raigne in despite of them all and that there was no King at any time that raigned with a more generall consent All which did nothing diminish the hope and desire of Tarquinius He had a brother whose name was Aruns being of a quiete gentle disposition Both they maried two of the kings daughters which were of maners and conditions verie vnlike The yonger daughter being the wife of Aruns the sharper shrewe and fiercer of nature séeing that hir husband was nothing giuen or pliant to match with hir vngracious deuice or ambicious stomack attempted hir brother whose condicion was correspondent to hirs and sayd vnto him that he was a man in déede and one worthie to be accompted to be borne and procede of the bloud royall Then she began to contemne hir sister for that she hauing such a man to hir husband would suffer him to neglecte so mete and iust occasion for recouerie of the Kingdome Their natures being of one disposition as commonly one 〈◊〉 procureth an other al things began to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the attempt of that vngracious woman To be shorte they two deuised meanes that Aruns his brother and the Elder Tullia hir syster were 〈◊〉 which done they two maried together The wicked woman ceased not dayly to 〈◊〉 and prouoke hir husband from one 〈◊〉 to an other And amōgs all hir wicked talke and cruel 〈◊〉 she vsed these words If thou be that man vnto whom I thinke I am maried then I wil cal 〈◊〉 both husband and King But if thou be not he then the alteration is chaunged to the worse and crueltie is matched with cowardise But why doest thou not put thy selfe in a readinesse Why thou 〈◊〉 not nowe from 〈◊〉 or from the 〈◊〉 Tarquines to atchieue and conquere newe kingdoms as thy father did The 〈◊〉 Gods and the Gods of thy countrey the nobilitie of thy father and thy royal bloud thy stately seate within thine own house and thy name Tarquinius doe create and make thée Kyng But if in all these occasions thou dost wante stomacke why 〈◊〉 thou make the whole Citie conceyue a false opinion of thée Why dost thou not shewe thy selfe to be the sonne of a King Auoide hence I say and goe to the Tarquinians or to Corinth retire again to thy first linage thou dost rather resemble thy brothers effeminate heart than the valiant stomacke of thy father 〈◊〉 these wordes and such like she pricked forward hir husbande and shée hir selfe coulde in no 〈◊〉 bée quiet Then Tarquinius went forth to the fathers of
toke the poysoned cuppe and said vnto the messanger Giue the king thy maister right humble thankes in my behalfe and say vnto him that I receiue and drinke this poyson with a will so good as if he had commaunded me to enter in triumph with Laurell garlande ouer mine ennimies For a better gift a husband can not giue to wife than accomplishment of assured faith the funeralls whereof shall be done with present obsequie And saying nothing else vnto the Messanger she toke the cuppe and myngling well together the poyson within she vnfearfully 〈◊〉 it vp And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had dronke the same she deliuered the messanger his cuppe againe and layed hir selfe vpon hir bed commaūding hir Gentlewomen in comely wise to couer hir with clothes and without lamentation or signe of Feminine minde shée stoutly waighted for approching death The Gentlewomen which waited vpon hir bewaited the rufull state of their 〈◊〉 esse whose plaints and schriches were heard throughout the palace wherof the brute and rumor was great But the good Quéene vanquished with the strong force of the poyson remained not long before she died The Messanger returned these heauie newes vnto Massinissa who sorowfully complained the losse of his beloned wife in such wise as many tymes hée was like to kill him selfe that his soule might haue accompanied the ghost of hir which was beloued of hym aboue all the deerest things of the worlde The valiaunt and wise captaine Scipio vnderstanding hereof to the intent Massinissa shoulde not commit any crueltie against himselfe or perpetrate other vncomely déede called hym before him and comforted him with the swéetest wordes he could deuise and friendly reproued him for the little faith and trust that he had in him The next day in the 〈◊〉 of all the arinie he highly commended him and rewarded him with the Kingdome of Numidia giuing hym many rich iewels and treasures and brought him in great estimation amōgs that Romans which the Senate and people of Rome very well approned and cōfirmed with most ample priuileges attributing vnto him the title of King of Numidia and frend of the Romanes Such was the eude of the vnhappie loue of kyng 〈◊〉 and the faire and unluckie Quéene Sophonisba Poris and Theoxena ¶ The crueltie of a King of 〈◊〉 who forced a Gentlewomā called THEOXENA to persuade hir children to kill and poison them selues after which facte she and hir husband PORIS ended their life by drovvning The. viij Nouell BUt sith wée haue begon to treat of the stoutnesse of certaine noble Quéenes I will not let also to recite the Historie of a like vnfearefull dame of Thessalian lande called Theoxena of right noble race the daughter of Herodicus prince of that cūtrey in the time that Philip the sonne of Demetrius was king of Macedone tolde also by Titus Liuius as two of the former be This lady Theoxena first was a notable exāple of 〈◊〉 vertue afterwardes of rigorous crueltie For the said King Philip hauing through his wickednesse first murdred Herodicus and by succession of time cruelly done to death also the husbands of Theoxena and of Archo hir natural sister vnto either of them being widowes remaining a sonne afterwardes Archo beyng maried againe to one of the principall of their countrey named Poris of him she had many childrē But when she was dead that sayd ladie Theoxena hir sister who was of heart more cōstant and stoute than the other stil refused the second mariage although sued vnto by many great lordes and princes at length pitying hir nephewes state for scare they shold fal into the handes of some cruell stepdame or that their father would not bring them vp with such diligence as till that time they were was contented to be espoused again to Poris no lawe that time knowen to defend the same to the intent she might traine vp hir sisters children as hir owne That done she began as if they wer hir own to intreate and vse them louingly with great care and 〈◊〉 wherby it 〈◊〉 appeared that she was not 〈◊〉 againe to Poris for hir own commoditie and pleasure but 〈◊〉 for the welth and gouernement of those hir sisters children Afterwards Philip king of Macedon an vnquiete Prince determining to make new warres vpon the Romanes then throughout the worlde famous and 〈◊〉 for their 〈◊〉 fortune 〈◊〉 not onely the chief and noble men but almost all the auncient inhabi 〈◊〉 of the Cities along the sea coast of Thessalia and their whole and entier families into Peonia afterwards called Emathia a countrey farre distant from the sea giuing their voided cities for the Thracians to inhabite as most propre and faithfull for the Romains warres which he intended to make and hearing also the 〈◊〉 maledictions pronoūced against him by the banished people and vniuersally by all other thoughte hée was in no good suretie if he caused not likewise all the sonnes of them whome a little before he had 〈◊〉 to be put to death Wherfore he commaunded them to be taken and holden vnder good garde inprison not to do them all to be 〈◊〉 at once but at times now one and then an other as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theoxena vnderstanding the 〈◊〉 of this wicked and cruell King and well remembring the death of hir husband and of him that was husband to hir sister knew wel that hir sonne and nephew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be demaunded and greatly 〈◊〉 the Kings wrath and the rigour of his Guarde if once they fell into their handes to defende them from shame and crueltie sodeinly applied hir minde vnto a straunge deuice For shée durst to say vnto hir husband their fathers sace that sooner 〈◊〉 would kill them with hir owne handes if otherwise she coulde not warraunt 〈◊〉 than suffer them to bée at the will and power of King Philip. By reason wherof Poris abhorring 〈◊〉 erecrable crueltie to comforte his wife and to saue his children promised hir secretely to transporte them from thence and caried them himselfe to certain of his faithful friends at Athenes which done without long delay he made as though he would go from Thessalonica to Aenias to be at the 〈◊〉 of certaine sacrifices which yearely at an appointed time was done with great ceremonies to the honour of Aenêas the 〈◊〉 of that citie where spending the time amongs other in solemne bankets the. iij. watch of the night when euery mā was a slepe as though he woulde haue returned home to his countrey with his wife children priuily he embarketh him selfe and them in a shyppe hired of purpose to passe into Euboea and not to 〈◊〉 to Thessalonica But his entent was cleane altered chaunged for his shippe was no sooner vnder saile but at that instant a contrarie winde and tempest rose that brought him backe againe in despite of their labour and all the endeuour they were able to doe And when daye light appeared the Kyngs garrison descried that shippe and manned out a boate to bring in the same
which secretely they thought was about to escape away giuing them straight charge that by no meanes they shoulde returne without hir When the 〈◊〉 drew neare the shippe Poris bent him self to encourage the mariners to hoyse by saile againe and to make way with their oares into the sea if it were possible to auoide the imminent and present danger to saue the life of him selfe his wife children then he erected his handes vp vnto the heauens to implore the healpe and succor of the Gods which the stoute Gentlewoman Theoxena perceiuing and manifestly séeing the daunger wherein they were callyng to hir mynde hir former determinate vengeance which she ment to do and beholding 〈◊〉 in his prayers she prosecuted hir intente preparing a poysoned drinke in a cuppe and made redie naked swordes All which bringyng forth before the childrens face she spake these words Death alone must bée the reuēge of your siely liues whervnto there be two wayes poison or the sworde Euery of you choose which ye list to haue or of whether of them your heart shall make the frankest choyse The Kings crueltie and pride you must auoyde Wherfore dere children be of good 〈◊〉 raise vp your no ble courage ye the elder aged boyes shew now your selues like men and take the sword into your handes to pierce your tender hearts but if the bloudie smart of that most dreadfull death shal feare and fright your gréene and vnripe age then take the venomed cuppe and gulpe by sundrie draughts this poisoned drinke Be franke and lusty in this your destenied death sith the violence of Fortune by sea doeth let the lengthning of your life I craue this request of choise and let not the same rebound with fearful refuse of this my craued hest Your mother afterwardes shal passe that straight wherof she prayeth hir babes to bée the poastes yée the vaunt currours and shée with your louing 〈◊〉 shall ende and finishe Philips rage bent agaynst vs. When shée had spoken these wordes and 〈◊〉 the enimies at hand this couragious dame the 〈◊〉 of the death egged prouoked these yong 〈◊〉 childrē not yet wel resolued what to do with hir encharmed words in such wise as in the ende some dranke the poison and other strake them selues into the bodie and by hir commaundement were throwen ouer boorde not altogether dead and so she set them at libertie by death whom tenderly she had brought vp Then she imbracing hir husbande the companion of hir death both did voluntarily throw them selues also into the sea And when the Kings espials were come aboorde the ship they found the same abandoned of their praye The crueltie of which fact did so moue the cōmon people to detectation and 〈◊〉 of the king as a generall cursse was pronounced against him his children which heard of the Gods aboue was afterwardes terribly reuenged vpon his stock 〈◊〉 This was the end of good Poris and his stout wise Theoxena who rather than she would fall into the lapse of the Kings furie as hir father Herodicus and hir other husbande did chose violently to die with hir owne handes and to cause hir husbands children and hir owne to berieue them selues of life which although agaynst the louing order of naturall course and therefore that kinde of violence to be abhorred as horrible in it selfe yet a declaration of a stoute minde if otherwise she had ben able to reuenge the same And what coward heart is that that dare not vpon such extremitie whé it séeth the mercilesse ennimie at hand with shining blade redie bent to strike the blowe that without remedie muste ridde the same of breath specially when it séeth the trembling babe naturally begotten by his owne kinde and nature before the face imploryng fathers rescue what 〈◊〉 heart dare not to offer himself by singular fight though one to twētie either by desperate hardinesse to auoide the same or other anoyance aduenture what he can which in Christians is admitted as a comely fight rather than with that Pagane dame to doe the death it selfe But now returne we to describe a facte that passeth all other forced déedes For Theoxena was compelled in a maner thus to do of méere constraint to eschue the greater torments of a tyrants rage and thought it better by chosen death to chaunge hir life than by violent hands of bloudie butchers to bée haled to the slaughter But this Hidrusian dame was wearie of hir life not for that shée feared losse of life but desperate to think of Fortunes 〈◊〉 staye which 〈◊〉 Fortunes darlings would regarde in time they would foresée their slippery hold A Gentlewoman of Hidrusa ¶ A Straunge and maruellous vse which in olde time was obserued in HIDRVSA where it was lawfull with the licence of a Magistrate ordeined for that purpose for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and woman that list to kill them selues The nynth Nouell BAndello amongs the company of his 〈◊〉 telleth this Historie and in his owne person speaketh these woords If I should begin to tell those things which I sawe in the time that I sailed alōgs the leuāt seas very tedious it would be for you to heare and I in reporting could not tell which way to ende bicause I saw and heard things right worthy to be remembred Notwithstanding for satisfaction of diuers that be my frendes I will not sticke to reherse some of them But first of all one straunge custom which in the Romans time was vsed in one of the Ilandes of the sea Aegeum called Hidrusa in these dayes by the trauailers called Cea or Zea and is one of the Ilandes named Ciclades whilome full of populous and goodly Cities as the rumes thereof at this day do declare Ther was in old time in that Iland a very strange lawe and ordinaunce which many hundred yeares was very well and perfectly kepte and obserued The Lawe was that euery person inhabitant within the sayde 〈◊〉 of what sexe and condition so euer béeing thorough age infirmitie or other accidents wearie of their life might choose that kinde of death which liked them best howbeit it was prouided that the partie before the dooing of the same shoulde manifest the cause that moued hym therevnto before the Magistrate elected by the people for that speciall purpose which they ordeyned bycause they sawe that diuers persons had volūtarily killed themselues vpon triflyng occasions and matters of little importance accordyng to whiche lawe very many men and women hardily with so mery chere went to their death as if they had gone to some bankette or mariage It chaunced that Pompeius Magnus that dreadfull Romane vetwene whō and Iulius Caesar were foughte the greatest battailes for superioritie that euer were Pompeius I say sailing by the sea Aegeum arriued at Hidrusa and there goyng a land vnderstode of the inhabitants the maner of that law and how the same day a woman of great worship had obteined licence of the Magistrate to poison hir selfe Pompeius hearing tell hereof
as in opinions The Grekes putting their felicitie in eloquence and we in well doing I speake this right honorable Fathers to counsell and exhorteye that when ye bée assembled in Senate ye doe not consume tyme in disputing holdyng opinions for the verification of any thing For if you will iudge without parcialitie and affection without greate disputation ye may come to reason I do remember that being at a lesson of Appolonius Thyaneus I heard hym say that it was not so expédient that Senators and Emperors shold be skilful wise as if they suffred themselues to be gouerned by those that were of greate skill and knowledge and verely he 〈◊〉 truthe For by that meanes he prohibited forbad them not to arrest and stande vpon their owne opinion whereof they ought to be many times suspicious Likewise 〈◊〉 recommende vnto you the Censores who haue charge of iudgement and the Tribunes whose office is to attende the affaires of Common wealth that they bée wise and learned in the lawes expert in the Customes prouident in Iudgementes and ware in their trade of life For I say vnto you that a wise man is more auaileable in gouernement of a common welth than a man of ouermuch skill and experience The forme then which ye shall obserue in matters of iudgement shal be thus That in ciuile processe you kepe the law and in criminall causes to moderate the same bicause hainous cruel and rigorous lawes be rather made to amase and feare than to be obserued and kept When you giue any sentence ye ought to consider the age of the offendāt when how wherfore with whome in whose presence in what time and how long ago for somuch as euery of these things may either excuse or condenme whiche you ought to 〈◊〉 and vse towards them in like sort as the Gods towards vs who giue vs better helpe and succour and correct vs lesse than we deserue That cōsideration the iudges ought to haue bicause the offenders doe rather trespasse the Gods than men If then they be forgiuen of the Gods for offences which they commit reason it is that wée pardon those faultes done vnto others not vnto our selues In like maner we commaunde you that if your enimies do you any anoiance or iniurie not 〈◊〉 to take reuenge but rather to dissemble that same bicause many wrōgs be done in the world which were better to be 〈◊〉 than 〈◊〉 Wherin ye shall haue like regard touching that 〈◊〉 the Senate and Common wealth that they be not 〈◊〉 to ambicious or couetous 〈◊〉 For there is no beast in the world so pestiferous and benemotis as that 〈◊〉 of man is to the Common wealth the ambicious I say in cōmaunding and the couetous in gathering togither Other things we let passe for this time vntil we haue intelligence how these our commaundements be 〈◊〉 This Letter shall be red in the chiefess place within the Senate and afterwards pronoūced to the people that they may both know what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sée also what ye doe The Gods kepe you whome we pray to preserue our mother the Citie of Rome and to sende vs good 〈◊〉 in these our warres A notable Letter sent from the Romane Senate to the Emperour Traiane wherin is declared how sometimes the region of Spayne did furnish Rome with golde from their mines and nowe doe adorne and garnish the same with Emperours to gouerne their Common wealth THe sacred Roman Senate to thée the great Cocceius Traiane newe Emperor Augustus health in thy Gods and ours graces euerlastyng wée render to the immortall Gods for that thou art in health whiche we desire and pray may be perpetual We signified vnto thy maiestie the death of Nerua Cocceius our soueraigne Lorde and thy predecessor a man of sincere life a friende of his common wealth and a zealous louer of Justice wherin also we aduertised that like as Rome did wéepe for the cruell lyfe of Domitian so much the more bitterly doth she bewaile the death of thine vncle Nerua whose councell although hée was very olde and diseased which he gaue vs lying on his bedde we loued better and imbraced with greater comforte than all the enterprises and dedes done by his predecessors when they were in health and lustie And besides the ordinarie mourning vsed to be done in Rome for princes we haue caused all recreation and passetime to cease so well in the common wealth as with euery of vs particularly We haue shut vp the Temples and made the Senat to 〈◊〉 to doe the Gods to vnderstand how displeasantly we accept the death of good men The good old gentleman Nerua died in his house and was buried in the fielde of Mars he died in debt we haue paid his debts He died calling vpon the Gods we haue canonized him amongs their numbre and that which is most to be noted he died commending vnto vs the Common wealth and the Cōmon wealth recommending it selfe vnto him And a little before his latter gaspe the principal of the holy Senate and many other of the people standing about his bedside he sayde O ye Fathers I committe vnto you the cōmon wealth and my selfe also vnto the Gods vnto whome I render infinite thankes bycause they haue taken from me my children to bée mine heires and haue lefte mée Traiane to succéede You do remembre most dread soueraigne Lorde that the good Emperour Nerua had other successours than your maiestie of nerer alliance of greater frendship more bound by seruice and of greter proofe in warfare Notwithstandyng amongs other noble personages vpon you alone he cast his eyes reposing in you such opinion and confidence as to reuiue the prowes and valiant faicts of the good Emperor Augustus by suppressing in obliuion the insolent faicts of Domitian When Nerua came vnto the Crowne he found the treasure 〈◊〉 the Senate in dissention the people in commotion iustice not obserued and the Common welth ouerthrowen which you likewise presently shall finde although otherwise quiet and wholly reformed Wherfore we shall bée right glad that you conserue the common wealth in the state wherin your vncle Nerua left it considering specially that newe Princes vnder colour to introduce new customes do ouerthrow their common wealths Fourtene Princes your predecessours in the empire wer naturally borne in Rome and you are the first straunger Prince Wherefore we pray the immortall Gods sith that the stocke of our auncient Caesars is dead to sende 〈◊〉 good Fortune Out of the countrey of Spayne was wont to 〈◊〉 to this our Romane Citie great abundance of gold siluer stéele leade tinne from their 〈◊〉 but now in place therof she giueth vs Emperours to gouerne oure common wealths Sith then that thou cōmest of so good a countrey as Spayne is from so good a Prouince as is Vandolosia and from so excellent a citie as Cales is of so noble and fortunate a linage as is Cocceius and 〈◊〉 to so noble an Empire It
this loue was straunge which so mightie a Monarch as Demetrius was did beare vnto such a notable Curtizan a woman vtterly voyde of grace barren of good workes without any zeale or sparke of vertue as it should appere But sith we reade know that none are more giuen or bent to vnreasonable loue than mightie princes what shuld it be demed straunge and maruellous if Demetrius amongs the 〈◊〉 doe come in place for the loue of that most famous woman yf fame may stretch to eyther sorts both good and euill But let vs come to that second sort of this infamous gentle woman called Lais. She was of the Isle of Bithritos which is in the confines of Graecia was the 〈◊〉 of the great Sacrificer of Appollo his tēple at Delphos a man greatly experienced in the magike art wherby he prophecied the perdition of his daughter Now this 〈◊〉 Lais was in triumph in the time of the renowmed king Pirrhus a prince very ambicious to acquire honor but not very happie to kepe the same who being yong of sixtene or 〈◊〉 yeres came into Italie to make warres against the Romains He was the first as some say that aranged a campe in ordre and made the Phalanx the maine square and battell For before hys time when they came to entre battell they assailed confusedly and out of array gaue the onset This amorous Lais continued long time in the campe of King Pyrrhus and went wyth hym into Italie and wyth hym retorned from warre againe Notwythstanding hir nature was such as she would neuer bée mainteined with one man alone The same Lais was so amorous in hir conuersation so excellent faire and of so comely grace that if she would haue kept hir selfe to one and bene 〈◊〉 to one lord or gentleman 〈◊〉 was no prince in the world but would haue yelded himselfe and all that he had at hir commaundement Lais from hir retourne out of Italia into Grece repaired to the citie of Corinth to make hir abode there where she was pursued by many kings lordes and princes Aulus Gellius saith which I haue recited in my former part of the Palace of pleasure the fiftenth Nouell that the good Philosopher Demosthenes went from Athenes to Corinth in disguised apparell to sée Lais and to haue hir company But before the dore was opened she sent one to demaunde 〈◊〉 C. Sestercos of siluer 〈◊〉 Demosthenes answered I bye not repentance so dere And I beleue that Demosthenes spake those wordes by folowing the sentence of Diogenes who sayth that euerie beast after such acte is heauie and sad Some writers affirme of this amorous Lais that thing which I neuer reade or heard of woman which is that she neuer shewed signe or token of loue to that man which was desirous to doe hir seruice nor was neuer hated of man that knew hir Wherby we may comprehend the happe and fortune of that amorous woman She neuer shewed semblance of great loue to any person and yet she was beloued of all If the amorous Lamia had a good spirite and mynde Lais truely had no lesse For in the art of loue she excéeded all other women of hir 〈◊〉 art and science as well in knowledge of loue as to profite in the same Upon a day a yong man of Corinth demaunding of hir what hée should say to a woman whome hée long tyme had loued and made so great sute that therby he was like to fall into dispaire Thou shalt say sayd Lais vnto hir that sith she will not graunt thy request yet at least wise it might please hir to suffer thée to bée hir seruant and that she would take in good parte the seruice that thou shalt doe vnto hir Which request if she doe graunt then hope to atteine the ende of thy attempt bycause that we women bée of such nature as opening the mouth to gyue some myld and pleasant answere to the amorous person it is to bée thought that we haue gyuen our heart vnto the firste suter An other daye in the presence of Lais one praised the Philosophers of Athenes saying that they were very honest personages and of greate skyll and knowledge Whereunto Lais aunswered I cannot tell what greate knowledge they haue nor what science they studie ne yet what bookes your Philosophers doe reade bycause that I being a woman and neuer was at Athenes I sée them repaire hither and of Philosophers béecome amorous persons A Theban knight demaunded of Lais what he might doe to enioy a ladie wyth whose loue hée should bée surprised She aunswered thus A man that is desirous of a woman muste followe hys sute serue hir and suffer hir and sometimes to séeme as though hée had forgotten hir For after that a womans heart is moued to loue she regardeth more the forgetfulnesse and negligence vsed towardes hir than she doth the seruice béefore time 〈◊〉 vnto hir An other Gentleman of Achaia asked hir what hée shoulde doe to a woman whome hée suspected that she hadde 〈◊〉 hir fayth Lais aunswered make hir beleue that thou thinkest she is very faythfull and take from hir the occasions wherby she hath good cause to doe the same For if she doe perceiue that thou knowest it and dissemblest the matter she will soner dye than amēd A gētleman of Palestine at another time inquired of hir what he should doe to a woman which he serued and did not esteme the seruice done vnto hir ne yet gaue him thankes for the loue which he bare hir Lais sayed vnto him If thou be disposed to serue hir no longer let hir not perceiue that thou hast gyuen hir ouer For naturallie we women be tendre to loue and hard to hate Being demaunded by one of hir neighbours what she should doe to make hir daughter very wyse She saide Lais that will haue hir daughter to be good and honest she must from hir youth lerne hir to feare and in going abrode to haunte litle companie and that she be shamefast and moderate in hir talke An other of hir neighbors inquiring of hir what she might doe to hir daughter which began to haue delight to rome in the fielde wander abrode The remedy saide Lais that I finde for your daughter disposed to that condition is not to suffer hir to be ydle ne yet to be braue and sumptnous in apparell This amorous gentlewoman Lais dyed in the citie of Corinth of the age of lxxij yeares whose death was of many Matrones desired and of a great numbre of amorous persons lamented The third amorous gentlewoman was 〈◊〉 Flora which was not so aucient ne yet of so great renoume as Lamia Lais wer whose coūtrie also was not so famous For she was of Italie and the other two of Grecia and although that Lamia Lais exceded Flora in antiquitie 〈◊〉 Flora surmounted them in lineage generositie For Flora was of noble house although in life lesse than chast She was of the countrie of Nola in
Campania issued of certein Romans knights very famous in facts of armes and of great industrie and gouernement in the common wealth When the father and mother of this Flora deceased she was of the age of xb. yeares indued with great riches and singular beautie and the very orphane of all hir kynne For she had neyther brother left with whom she might soiourne ne yet vncle to gyue hir good councell In such wise that like as this yong maistres Flora had youth riches liberty and beautie euen so ther wanted neither bauds nor Pandores to 〈◊〉 hir to fal and allure hir to follie Flora seing hir selfe beset in this wise she determined to goe into the Affrick warres where she hazarded both hir person and hir honor This dame florished and tryumphed in the tyme of the first Punique warres when the Consul Mamillus was sent to Carthage who dispended more money vpon the loue of Flora than hée did vpon the chase and pursute of his 〈◊〉 This amorous ladie Flora had a writing and tytle fixed vpon hir gate the effect wher of was thys King Prince Dictator Consul Censor high Bishop and Questor may knocke and come in In that writing Flora named neither Emperor nor Caesar bycause those two most noble names were long tyme after created by the Romanes This amorous Flora wold neuer abandon hir person but wyth gentlemen of great house or of great dignitie and riches For she was wont to say that a woman of passing beauty should bée so much estemed as she doth esteme and sette by hir selfe Lais and Flora were of contrary maners conditions For Lais would first bée paide before she yelded the vse of hir bodie but Flora without any semblance of desire eyther of golde or siluer was contented to bée ruled by those with whom she committed the facte Wherof vpon a day being demaunded the question she answered I gyue my body to Princes and noble Barons that they may deale with me like gentlemen For I sweare vnto you by the Goddesse Venus that neuer man gaue me so little but that I had more than I loked for and the double of that which I could demaund This amorous lady Flora was wont many tymes to saye that a wise woman or more aptlie to terme hir a subtill wench ought not to demaund reward of hir louer for the acceptable pleasure which she doth hym but rather for the loue which she beareth him bicause that all things in the world haue a certain price except loue which cannot bée paide or recompenced but with loue All the Ambassadors of the worlde which had accesse into Italie made so great report of the beauty and generositie of Flora as they dyd of the Romane common wealth bycause it semed to bée a monstrous thinge to sée the riches of hir house hir trayue hir beautie the princes great lordes by whom she was required and the presents and giftes that were gyuen vnto hir This amorous Flora had a continuall regard to the noble house wherof she came touching the magnificence and state of hir seruice For albeit that she was but a common woman yet she was serued honored like a great ladie That day wherin she rode about the citie of Rome she gaue occasion to bée spoken of a whole month after one inquiring of an other what gret Roman lords they were that kept hir company Whose men they were that waighted vpon hir And whose liuery they ware What ladies they were that rode in hir traine the brauery of hir apparell hir great beautie port and the wordes spoken by the amorous gentlemen in that troupe were not vnremembred When this maistres Flora wared olde a yong and beautifull gentleman of Corinth demaunded hir to 〈◊〉 to whome she aunswered I know well that thou wilt not marie the thrée score yeares which Flora hath but rather thou 〈◊〉 to haue the twelue hundred thousand Sestercias which she hath in hir house Content thy selfe therfore my frende and get thée home againe to Corinth from whence thou 〈◊〉 For to such as bée of myne age great honor is borne reuerence done for the riches and wealth they haue rather than for mariage There was neuer in the Romane Empire the like amorous woman that Flora was indued with so many graces and quéenelike qualities for she was of noble house of singuler beautie of comly personage discrete in hir affaires and besides all other comly qualities very liberall This maistres Flora spent the most part of hir youth in Africa Almaine and Gallia 〈◊〉 And albeit that she would not suffre any other but great lords to haue possession of hir body yet she applied hir selfe to the spoile of those that were in place and to the praie of those that came from the warrs This amorous Flora died when she was of the age of 〈◊〉 yeares She left for the principall heire of all hir goods and 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 people which was estemed sufficiēt able to make newe the walles of Rome and to 〈◊〉 and redeme the common welth of the same And bicause that she was a Romaine had made the state thereof hir heire the Romanes buylded in hir honor a sumptuous Temple which in memorie of Flora was called 〈◊〉 and euery yeare in the memorie of hir they celebrated hir feast vpon the daye of hir death Suctonuis Tranquillus saieth that the first feaste which the Emperour Galba the second celebrated within Rome was the feast of the amorous Flora vpon which day it was lawfull for men women to doe what kinde of dishonestie they could deuise And she was estemed to be the greater saint which that day shewed hir selfe most dissolute and wanton And bicause that the temple Florianum was dedicated to amorous Flora the Romās had an opinion that all women which vpon the same day repaired to the Temple in whorish apparell should haue the graces and gifts that Flora had These were the sond opinions and maners of the auncient which after their owne making deuises framed Gods and Goddesses and bycause the proued vnshamefast and rich a Temple must bée erected and Sacrifices ordeined for hir whorish triumphes But that noble men and Kings haue bene rapt and transported with the lurements of such notorious strumpets is and hath bene common in all ages And commonly such infamous women bée indewed with greatest giftes and graces the rather to noosell dandle their fauorers in the lappes of their fading pleasures But euery of them a most speciall grace aboue the rest As of a king not long agoe we reade that kept thrée one the holiest another the crastiest the third the 〈◊〉 Two of which properties méete for honest women although the third so incident to that kinde as heat to a liuing bodie Cease we then of this kinde and let vs steppe forth to be acquainted with a ladie a Quéene the Godliest stoutest that is remembred in any aun cient monument or historie Zenobia Queene of Palmyres
Odenatus Emperour and lords of all the Orient during which time hée recouered all the landes and prouinces lost by Galienus and paide the Romane army all the arrerages of their wages due vnto them But Fortune full of inconstancie suffred not this good Prince very long to raigne For hauing in hys house a kinsman of his named Meonius to whom he bare great good will for that he sawe him to be a valiant man of warre although ignorant of his enuie and couetousnesse it chaunced vpon a daye as they two rode on hunting galloping after the pursute of a wilde Bore with the verie same bore speare which Meonius caried to strike the beast hée killed by treason his good cousin Odenatus But that murdre was not long time 〈◊〉 For the borespeare wherwith he had so cruelly killed the Emperor his cousin was incoÌ„tinently knowne by the hunters which folowed Odenatus whervpon that daye the heade of Meonius was striken off And Galienus vnderstanding the death of Odenatus gaue great rewardes presents to them that brought him the newes being so ioyfull as the Romans were angrie to vnderstand those pitifull tydings bycause through the good 〈◊〉 which Odenatus vsed in Asia they had great traÌ„quillitle peace thorowout Europa Now after the death of this good Emperour Odenatus the Armies chose one of his two sonnes to be Emperour of the Orient But for that hée was yong they chose Zenobia to bée Protector of hir sonne and gouerner ouer the said Orient Empire Who séeing that vpon the decease of Odenatus certain of the East Cuntries began to reuolt she determined to open hir Treasure reassemble hir men of warre and in hir owne person to march into the fielde where she did such notable enterprises as shée appalled hir enimies and made the whole worlde to wonder About the age of xxxv yeares Zenobia was widow being the Tutrix of hir children Regent of an Empire and Captain general of the armie In which weighty charge she vsed hir selfe so wiselie and well as she acquired no lesse noble name in Asia than Quéene Semiramis did in India Zenobia was constant in that which she toke in hande true in wordes liberall myide seuere where she ought to be discrete graue and secrete in hir enterprises albeit she was ambicious For not content with hir title of Gouernesse or Regent she wrote and caused hir selfe to bée called Empresse she loued not to ride vpon a Mule or in a littor but greatlie estemed to haue greate horse in hir stable and to learne to handle and ryde them When Zenobia went forth of hir Tent to sée the order and gouernement of hir Campe she continually did put on hir Armure and was well guarded with a bande of men so that of a woman she cared but onely for the name and in the facts of Armes she craued the title of valiant The Captains of hir Armie neuer gaue battell or made assault they neuer skyrmished or did other enterprise of warre but she was present in hir owne person and attempted to shewe hir selfe more hardie than any of all the troupe a thing almost incredible in that weake and feble kynde The sayde noble Quéene was of stature bigge and well proporcioned hir eyes black and quicke hir forehedde large hir stomake and breastes fayre vpright hir face white and ruddy a litle mouth hir téeth so white as they semed like a rancke of white pearles but aboue all things she was of such excellent spirit and corage as she was feared for hir stoutnesse beloued for hir beautie And although Zenobia was indued with so great beautie liberalitie riches puissance yet she was neuer stayned with the blemishe of vnchaste life or with other banitie and as hir husband Odenatus was wont to say that after she felt hir selfe with childe she neuer suffred him to come nere hir such was hir great chastitie saying that women ought to marie rather for children than for pleasure She was also excellently well learned in the Greeke and Latine tong She did neuer eate but one meale a day Hir talke was verie litle and rare The meate which she vsed for hir repaste was eyther that hanch of a wilde Bore or else the syde of a déere She could drinke no wine nor abyde the scent thereof But she was so curious in good and perfect waters as she would gyue so great a price for that as is ordinarilie gyuen for wyne bée it neuer so excellent So sone as the Kings of Egipte of Persia and the Greekes were aduertized of the death of Odenatus they sent their Ambassadours to Zenobia as well to visite and comforte hir as to bée hir confederats and frendes So much was she feared and 〈◊〉 for rare vertues sake The affaires of Zenobia being in such estate in Asia the Emperour Galienus died in Lombardie and the Romanes chose Aurelianus to bée Emperour who although hée was of base obscure lineage yet hée was of greate valiance in factes of armes When Aurelianus was chosen 〈◊〉 he made great preparacion into Asia to 〈◊〉 warres vpon Quéene Zenobia and in all his tyme hée neuer attempted greater enterprise for the Romanes When hée was arriued in Asia the Emperour proceded against the Quéene and she as valiantlie defended hir selfe continually being betwene them greate alarms and skirmishes But as Zenobia and hir people were of lesse trauell and of better skyll in knowledge of the CuÌ„trie so they did greater harme more anoiaÌ„ce vnto their enimie and therof receiued lesser damage The Emperour seing that hée should haue much adoe to vanquishe Zenobia by armes determined to ouercome hir by gentle wordes and faire promisses for which cause he wrote vnto hir a letter the tenor wherof ensueth Aurelianus Emperour of Rome lord of al Asia to thée the right honorable Zenobia seÌ„deth greting Although to such rebellious women as thou art it shold séeme uncomely and not decent to make request yet if thou wilt séeke ayde of my mercie and rendre thy selfe vnder mine obedience bée assured that I will doe thée honor gyue pardone to thy people The golde siluer and all other riches within thy Pallace I am content thou shalt enioye together with the kingdome of Palmyres which thou maiest kepe during thy life leaue after thy death to whom thou shalt think good vpon condition notwithstanding that thou abandone all thine other Realmes and Cuntries which thou haste in Asia and acknowledge Rome to bée thy superior Of thy vassals and subiects of Palmyres we demaund none other obedience but to bée confederats and frendes so that thou breake vp thy Campe wherwith thou makest warre in Asia disobeyest the citie of Rome we wil suffer thée to haue a certain number of men of warre so wel for the tuiâ—ion of thy person as for the defense of thy kyngdome And thy two children which thou haddest by thy husband Odenatus He whom thou louest best shal remaine with thée in Asia and the
other I will carrie with me to Rome not as prisoner but as hostage pledge from thée The prisoners which thou haste of ours shal bée rendred in exchange for those which we haue of thyne without ransome of eyther parts And by théese meanes thou shalt remaine honored in Asia and I contented will retorne to Rome The Gods bée thy defense preserue our mother the citie of Rome from all vnhappie fortune The Quéene Zenobia hauing reade the letter of the Emperour Aurelianus without feare of the contentes incontinently made such answere as followeth Zenobia Quéene of Palmyres and Ladie of all Asia and the kingdomes thereof to thée Aurelianus the Emperour helth and consolation c. That thou doe intitle thy selfe with the Emperour of the Romanes I do agrée but to presume to name thy selfe lorde of the East kingdomes I saye therein thou doest offende For thou knowest well that I alone am Lady Regent of all the Orient the onely dame maistres of the same The one part wherof descended vnto me by lawfull inheritaunce from my predecessors and the other part I haue wonne by my prowesse and dedes of armes Thou sayest that if I rendre obedience vnto thée thou wilt doe me greate honor To that I answere that it were a dishonest part of me and a déede moste vniust that the Gods hauing created Zenobia to comaunde all Asia she should nowe begyn to be slaue thrall vnto the citie of Rome Semblablie thou sayest that thou wilt gyue and leaue me all the golde siluer and other riches which I haue Whervnto I answer that it is a wicked and fonde request to dispose the goodes of another as they were thine owne But thine eyes shall neuer sée it ne yet thy handes shal touch it but rather I hope in the Gods aboue to bestow and crye a larges of that which thou haste at Rome before thou finger that which I haue possesse in Asia Truely Aurelianus the warres which thou makest against me and thy quarell bée most vniust before the supernall Gods and verie vnreasonable before men and I for my part if I haue entred or doe take armes it is but to defend my selfe and myne Thy comming then into Asia is for none other purpose but to spoyle make hauocke of that which an other hath And thinke not that I am greatly afrayde of that name of Roman Prince nor yet of the power of thyne huge armie For if it bée in thy handes to gyue battell it belongeth onely to the gods to giue eyther to thée or me the victory That I remaine in field it is to me greate fame but thou to fight with a widdowe oughtest truely to bée ashamed Ther be come vnto myne ayde and Campe the Persians the Medes the Agamēnonians the Irenees the Syrians and with them all the Gods immortall who bée woont to chastice such proude princes as thou arte and to helpe poore widows as I am And if it so come to passe that the Gods doe permit suffre my lucke to bée such as thou doe bereue me of life and dispoile me of goods yet it wil be bruted at Rome and published in Asia that the wofull wight Zenobia was ouerthrowne and slaine in defense of hir patrimonie and for the conseruation of hir husbandes honor Labor no more then Aurelianus to flatter and pray me nor yet to threaten me require me no more to yelde and become thy prisoner nor yet to surrender that which I haue for by doing that I can I accomplish that I ought For it will be saide and noysed through the world may it so come to passe as Fortune doe not fauor me that if the Empresse Zenobia bée captiue she was not yet vanquished The sonne which thou 〈◊〉 to carie with thée to Rome truely that request I cannot abide and much lesse doe meane to 〈◊〉 the same knowing full well that thy house is stored full of manyfolde vices where myne is garnished with many notable Philosophers Wherby if I leaue vnto my children no great heapes of goodes yet they shal be well taught and instructed For the one halfe of the day they spende in Learnyng and the other halfe in exercise of Armes For conclusion of thy demaunde and finall answer thervnto I pray thée trauell no more by letters to write vnto me ne yet by ambassage to spende any 〈◊〉 talke but attend vntill our controuersie bée decided rather by force of armes than by vttered wordes The Gods preserue thée It is said that Aurelianus receiuing that answere did reioyce but when he had redde it hée was greatly offended which incontinently hée made to bée knowne by gathering together his Campe and besieging the Citie wherin Zenobia was And Aurelianus wroth and outraged with that answere although his armie was werie and halfe in dispaire by reason of the long warres yet hée vsed suche diligence and expedition in the siege of that place as the 〈◊〉 was taken and the citie rased which done the Emperour Aurelianus retourned to Rome carying wyth hym Zenobia not to doe hir to death but to tryumphe ouer hir At what tyme to sée that noble Ladie goe on foote and marche before the triumphing Chariot bare 〈◊〉 charged wyth that burden of heauie chaūce and hir two children by hir side truly it made the Roman Matrons to conceiue great pitie being well knowen to all the Romanes that neither in valo rous dedes nor yet in vertue or chastitie any mā or woman of hir time did 〈◊〉 hir The dayes of the triumph being done al the noble Ladies of Rome assembled and repaired to Zenobia and vsed vnto hir greate and honorable enterteinement giuing hir many goodly presents and rewardes And Zenobia liued in the companie of those noble matrones the space of x. yeares béefore she dyed in estimation like a Lucrecia and in honor lyke a Cornelia And if Fortune had accompanied hir personage so well as vertue and magnanimitie Rome had felt the egrenesse of hir displeasure and the whole world tasted the swetenesse of hir regiment Euphimia of Corinth ¶ EVPHIMIA the King of 〈◊〉 daughter fell in loue with ACHARISTO the seruant of hir father and besides others which required hir to mariage she disdained PHILON the king of PELOPONESVS that loued hir 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ACHARISTO conspiring against the king was discouered tormented and put in prison by meanes of 〈◊〉 deliuered The king promised his daughter and kingdome to him that presented the heade of ACHARISTO EVPHIMIA so wrought as he was presented to the King The King gaue him his daughter to wyfe and when he dyed made him his heyre ACHARISTO began to hate his wyfe and condemned hir to death as an adulteresse PHILON deliuered hir vpon the sute of hir subiects she is cōtented to marie him therby he is made king of Corinth The. xv Nouel COnstancie in Honeste loue beyng a perfect vertue and a precious ornament to the beloued indewing 〈◊〉 besides ioy and contentacion
was authour of the enterprise or partaker of a treason so wicked Then the king incontinently caused the foure Gentlemen of his chamber 〈◊〉 be rewarded according to the worthinesse of their offense and wer put to death and Acharisto to be repriued in sharpe and cruell prison vntill with tormentes he should be forced to confesse that which he knew to be most certain and true by the euidēce of those that were done to death Euphimia for the imprisonment of Acharisto conceiued incredible sorrow and vneths coulde bée persuaded that he woulde imagine much lesse conspire that 〈◊〉 fact as well for the loue which Acharisto séemed to beare vnto hir as for the greate good will wherewith he was assured that shée bare vnto him and therfore the death of the 〈◊〉 to be no lesse griefe vnto him than the same would be to 〈◊〉 self the king being hir naturall and louyng father Acharisto thoughte on the other side that if he might speake with Euphimia a way woulde be founde eyther for his escape or else for his deliuerie Wherupon Acharisto being in this deliberation founde meanes to talke with the Iailors wife intreated hir to shewe him so much fauor as to procure Euphimia to come vnto him She accordingly broughte to passe that the yong gentlewoman in secret wise came to speake with this traiterous varlet who so sone as he sawe hir sheding from his eyes store of teares pitifully complaining sayde vnto hir I knowe Euphimia that the King your father doth not inclose me in this cruell prisō ne yet afflicteth me with these miserable tormēts for any suspicion hée conceiueth of me for any intended facte but onely for the loue which I beare you and for the like for which I rendre humble thankes that you do beare to me bicause that I am werie of this wretched state knowe that nothing else can 〈◊〉 me from this painful life but onely death I am determined wyth mine owne propre hands to cut the thréede of lyfe wherwith the destinies hitherto haue prolonged the same that this my brething ghost which breatheth forth 〈◊〉 dolefull plaintes maie flée into the Skies to rest it selfe amonges the restfull spirites aboue or wandre into 〈◊〉 pleasant hellish fieldes amongs the shadowes of Creusa Aeneas wife or else with the ghost of complaining Dido But ere I did the same I made myne humble prayer to the maiestie diuine that hée would vouchsafe to shewe me somuch grace as before I dye I might fulfyl my 〈◊〉 eyes with sight of you whose ymage still appereth before those gréedie Gates and 〈◊〉 representeth vnto my myndefull heart Which great desired thing sith God aboue hath graūted I yelde him infinit 〈◊〉 and sith my desteny is such that such must bée the end of loue I doe reioyce that I must dye for your sake which only is the cause that the King your father so laboureth for my death I néede not to molest you with the false euidence giuen against me vp those malicious vilaines that bée alreadie dead which onely hath thus incensed the Kyngs wrath and heauie rage against me whereof I am so frée as woorthily they bée executed for thesame For if it were so then true it is and as lightly you might beleue the I neuer knewe the loue you beare me and you likewise did neuer know what loue I bare to you and therfore you maye thinke that so impossible is the one as I did euer meane thinke or ymagine any harme or perill to your fathers person To bée short I humbly doe besech you to beleue that so faithfully as man is able to loue a womā so haue I loued you that it may please you to bée so myndfull of me in this fading life as I shal be of you in that life to com And in saying so with face all bathed in teares he clyped hir about the myddle and fast imbracing hir said Thus taking my last farewell of you myne onely life and ioye I commende you to the gouernment of the supernall God my selfe to death to be disposed as pleaseth him Euphimia which before was not persuaded the Acharisto was guiltie of that deuised treason now gaue ful beliefe and credite to his wordes and weping with him for company comforted him so wel as she coulde and bidding him to bée of good chere she sayde that she would seke such meanes as for hir sake and loue he should not dye And that before long time did passe she would help him out of prison Acharisto although hée vttered by ruful voice that 〈◊〉 talke for remedie to ridde him selfe from prison yet he didde but 〈◊〉 all that he spake addyng further Alas Euphimia doe not incurre your fathers wrath to please my minde suffer me quietly to take that death which sinister Fortune and cruell fate hath prouided to abridge my daies Euphimia vanquished with inspeakable griefe and burning passion of loue saide Ah Acharisto the onely ioye and comfort of my lyfe doe not perce my heart with such displeasant wordes For what should I doe in this wretched worlde yf you for my sake shold suffre death wherfore put awaie the cruel thought and be content to saue your life that hereafter in ioye myrth you may spend that same Trusting that yf meanes maye be founde for your dispatche from hence we shall liue the rest of our prolonged life together in swete and happie daies For my father is not made of stone of flint nor yet was nourced of Hircan Tigre he is not so malicious but that in tyme to come hée may 〈◊〉 made to know the true discourse of thyne innocent life and hope thou shalt atteyne his fauour more than euer thou 〈◊〉 before the care wherof onely leaue to me and take no thought thy self for I make promise vpon mine assured faith to bring the same to passe Wherefore giue ouer thy conceiued griefe and bende thy selfe to liue so merie a life as euer gentleman did trained vp in court as thou hast bene I am content sayd Acharisto thus to doe the Gods forbid that I should declyne my heart and mynde from thy behest who of thy wonted grace dost seke continuance of my life but rather swete Euphimia than thou shouldest suffre any daunger to performe thy promise I make request for the common loue betwene vs both to leaue me in this present dangerous state Rather wold I lose my life than 〈◊〉 shouldest hazard the least heare of thy heade for my reliefe We shal be both safe ynough answered Euphimia for my deuise proceding from a womans heade hath alreadie drawen the plotte of thy deliuerance and wyth those wordes they both did ende their talke whose trickling teares did rather finishe the same than willing myndes and eyther of them gyuing a kysse vnto the Tower walle wherein Acharisto was faste shutte Euphimia departed turmoiled with a thousand amorous prickes and ceased not but first of all to corrupte and wynne the Iaylers wife whose husband
was sent forth on businesse of the kings The conclusion of which practise was that when she caried meate to Acharisto according to the ordre appointed she should faine hir selfe to bée violentlie dispoyled of the prison-key by Acharisto who taking the same from hir should shut hir in the prison and escape and wheÌ„ hir husband did returne she should make compl 〈…〉 of the violence done vnto hir according to which deuise the practise was accomplished And when hir husbande returned home hearing his wife crie out within the Tower was meruellously amazed and vnderstanding that Acharisto was deade ignorant of the pollicie betwene his wyfe and Euphimia hée fell into great rage speâ—delie repaired to the king and tolde him what had chauÌ„ced The King thinking that the breache of prison was rather through the womans simplicitie than purposed malice did mitigate his displeasure 〈◊〉 forthwith he sent out Scoutes to spie and watche in to what place Acharisto was gone whose secrete flight made all their trauell to be in vaine Then the King when he saw that hée coulde not be found made proclamation throughout his realme that who so would bring vnto him the hed of Acharisto should haue to wife his onely daughter and after his decease should possesse his Kingdome for dowrie of that mariage Many knightes did put themselues in redinesse to themselues that enterprise aboue al Philon was the chiefe not for gredinesse of the kingdome but for loue which hée bare vnto the Gentlewoman Wherof Acharisto hauing intelligence and perceuing that in no place of Europa he coulde be safe and sure froÌ„ daunger for the multitude of them which pursued hym vnto deth caused Euphimia to vnderstand the miserable estate wherin he was Euphimia which bent hir mind employed hir studie for his safegarde imparted hir loue which she bare to Acharisto to an aged Gentlewoman which was hir nurse gouernesse besought hir that she wold intreat hir sonne called Sinapus one very wel beloued of the King so reach his help vnto hir desire that Acharisto might return to the court again The Nurse like a wise woman lefte no persuasion vnspoken nor counsell vnremembred which she thought was able to dissuade the yong gentlewoman froÌ„ hir conceiued loue but the wounde was so déepely made and hir heart so greuously wounded with the thrée forked arrows of the litle blinde archer Cupide that despising all the reasons of hir beloued nurse she sayde howe shée was firmely bente eyther to runne from hir father and to séeke out Acharisto to sustaine with hym one equall fortune or else with hir owne handes to procure death if some remedie were not founde to recouer the Kynges good grace for the returne of Acharisto The Nurse vanquished with pitie of the yong mayden fearyng bothe the one and the sorte daunger that myght ensue sent for Sinapus and vpon their talke together Euphimia and hée concluded that Acharisto shoulde bée brought agayne vnto the Courte and that shée hir selfe should present him to the Kyng wherin should want no kinde of diligence vntill the Kyng did enterteyne him againe for his faithfull seruaunt as hée was woont to doe Upon which resolution Acharisto was sente for and being come Sinapus and Euphimia together wyth the Nurse tolde hym in what 〈◊〉 they thrée had concluded touching his health and safegarde Which of him being well lyked did giue 〈◊〉 humble thankes And then Sinapus went vnto the Kyng and tolde him that there was one newely arriued at Corinth to make a present vnto his grace of the hed of Acharisto At which newes the King shewed him selfe so ioyful as if he had gotten an other Kingdome and being placed vnder his cloath of state with his Counsell and Princely trayne about him telling them the 〈◊〉 of that assemblie coÌ„maunded hym that brought those newes to bring the partie forth newely come vnto the Citie to presente the head of Acharisto Then Sinapus broughte Acharisto before the presence of the King who no sooner looked vpon hym but fell into such a rage as the fire séemed to flame out of his angrie eyes and commaunded hym presentlye to bée taken and put to death But Acharisto fallyng 〈◊〉 vpon his knées humbly besoughte his Maiestie to gyue hym leaue 〈◊〉 speake But the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufferyng hym to vtter one woorde 〈◊〉 him away Then the Counsellours and other Lordes of the Courte intreated his grace to heare him At whose requestes and supplications hée 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 contente Then Acharisto began to say Most sacred Prince and redoubted Soueraigne Lord the cause of thys my presumptuous repaire before your Maiestie is not to shew my selfe guiltie of the late beuised conspiracie ne yet to craue pardon for the same but to satisfie your Maiestie with that contented desire whiche by proclamation ye haue prondunced through your highnesse 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 whiche is to offer this heade for reuenge of the fault vniustly laid vnto my charge by those foure which woorthily haue tasted the deserued pame of their 〈◊〉 Whersore I am come hither of mine owne accorde to shewe the loue and greate desire whiche euer I had to serue and please your Maiestie And for that I would not coÌ„sume my lyfe in your displeasure I make offer of the same to your mercifull will and disposition chosing rather to die and leaue your maiestie satisfied contented than to lyue in happie state your princely minde displeased But desirous that hour maiestie shuld know myne innocencie I humbly besech your grace to heare what I can say that my fidelitie may bée throughly vnderstanded the wickednesse of the 〈◊〉 myne accusers wel wayed and considered Then hée began to rehearse all the things done by him for the seruice of his crowne and maiestie and finally into what daunger he did put himself when he killed the Lacedemonian king that went about by treason to murder him which enterprise might appere vnto him to be 〈◊〉 sure and euident testimonie that he ment nothing hurtfull or preindicial to his highnesse And that hée cstemed not his life when he aduentured for his seruice sauegarde to employ the same after these alleaged causes he added briefly that the loue which his maiestie knew to bée betwene him Euphimia his daughter ought to 〈◊〉 persuaded him that 〈◊〉 had rather haue suffered death himselfe than commit a thing displeasant to Euphimia And knowing that a more 〈◊〉 thing could not chauÌ„ce to hir than the 〈◊〉 death of hir father he might wel thinke that he wold haue deuised the death of a thousand other rather than that horrible 〈◊〉 déede such as his greatest enimie would neuer haue done much lesse 〈◊〉 which was bounde vnto him by so many receiued benefits for whose service preseruacion he had dedicated vowed his life and soule But if so be his maiesties rancor and displeasure could not bée mitigated but by doing hym to death hée desired that none of his alleaged reasons should bée accepted and
〈◊〉 loued and a newe borne childe bothe supposed to be dead by hir friendes and therefore intombed in graue The other chaunce a singular desire of a gentlewoman by hūble sute for conseruation of hir honour although long time pursued by a gentleman that reuiued hir almost frō 〈◊〉 and thought vtterly to 〈◊〉 voide of life To praise the one and to leaue the other not magnified it were a part of discurtesie but to extoll bothe with shoutes and acclamations of infinite praise no dout but very commēdable If comparisons may be made with Princes of elder yeres and not to note those of later truely Maister Gentil by that his fact 〈◊〉 not much inferior to Scipio Affricanus for sparing the wife of Indibilis ne yet to king Cyrus for Panthea the 〈◊〉 of Abradatas although both of them not in equal state of loue as wholy 〈◊〉 from that passion like to master Gentil who in dede for subduing that griefe and motion deserueth greater praise For sooner is that torment auoided at the first assault and pinche than when it is suffred long to flame raigne in that yelding portion of man the heart which once fed with the 〈◊〉 of loue is seldome or neuer loosed To do at large to vnderstand the proofe of those most 〈◊〉 persones thus beginneth the historie At Bologna a very notable Citie of Lombardie there was a Knight of very great respect for his vertue named maister Gentil Carissendi who in his youthe fell in loue with a gentlewoman called mistresse Katherine the wife of one maister Nicholas Chasennemie And bicause during that loue he receiued a very yll coūterchange for his affection that he bare vnto that gentlewoman he went away like one desperate to be the iudge potestate of Modena wherunto he was called About that time the husband being out of Bologna and the gentlewomā at 〈◊〉 Manor in the country about a mile a halfe from the Citie whither she went to remaine bicause she was with childe it chaunced 〈◊〉 she was 〈◊〉 surprised with a sicknesse which was such and of so great force as there was no token of life in hir but rather iudged by all Phisitians to be a dead woman And bicause that hir 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayd that they heard hir say that she could not be so long time with childe 〈◊〉 that the infant must be perfect and ready to be 〈◊〉 and therefore 〈◊〉 wyth some other disease and 〈◊〉 that would bring hir to hir end as a 〈◊〉 or other swelling rising of grosse humors they thought hir a dead woman and past recouerie wherfore vpō a time she falling into a 〈◊〉 was verily supposed and left for dead Who after they had mourned hir death bewailed the 〈◊〉 expiration of 〈◊〉 soul caused hir to be buried wtout 〈◊〉 of recouery euen as she was in that extasie in a graue of a church adioyning harde by the house where she dwelt Which thing 〈◊〉 was aduertised master Gentil by one of his frēds who although he was not likely as he thought to attaine hir fauor in vtter dispaire therof yet it grieued him very muche that no better héede was taken vnto hir thinking by diligence and time she would haue come to hir self againe saying thus in the end vnto him self How now 〈◊〉 Katherin that death hath wrought his will with you and I could neuer obtein during your life one simple looke frō those your glistering eies which lately I beheld to my great ouerthrow and decay wherfore now when you cānot defend your self I may be bold you being dead to steale from you some desired kisse When he had said so being already night and hauyng taken order that none should know of his departure he 〈◊〉 vpon his horse accompanied with one only seruaūt without tarying any where arriued at the place wher his Lady was buried and opening the graue forthwith he entred in and laying him self down bisides hir he approched 〈◊〉 hir face and many times kissed hir pouring forthe great abundance of teares But as we sée the appetite of man not to be content except it procéede further specially of such as be in loue being determined to tarye no longer there and to departe he sayd Ah God why should I goe no further why should I not touche hir why shold I not proue whither she be aliue or dead 〈◊〉 then with that motion he felt hir 〈◊〉 and holding his hand there for a certeine time perceiued hir heart as it were to pant thereby some life remaining in hir Wherefore so softly as he could with the helpe of his man he raised hir out of the graue and setting hir vpon his horsse before him secretely caried hir home to his house at Bologna The mother of maister Gentil dwelled there which was a graue and vertuous gentlewoman who vnderstanding by hir sonne the whole effect of that chaunce moued with compassion vnknowne to any man placing hir before a great fire and cōforting hir with bathe prepared for the purpose she recouered life in the gentlewoman that was supposed to be deade who so soone as she was come to hir selfe threwe forth a great sigh and said Alas where am I now To whom the good olde woman 〈◊〉 Be of good chéere swete hart ye be in a good place The gentlewoman hauing wholly recouered hir senses and looking roūd about hir not yet well knowing where she was and séeing 〈◊〉 Gentil before hir prayed his mother to tell hir howe she came 〈◊〉 To whome maister Gentil declared in order what he had done for hir and what meanes he vsed to bring hir thither Whereof making hir complaint and lamenting the little regard and negligence of hir frends she rendred vnto hym innumerable thankes Then she prayed him for the loue which at other times he bare hir and for his 〈◊〉 that she might not receiue in hys house any thing that should be dishonorable to hir person ne yet to hir husband but so soone as it was daye 〈◊〉 suffer hir to goe home to hir owne house wherunto 〈◊〉 Gentil answered Madame what so euer I haue desired in time 〈◊〉 nowe I purpose neuer to demaunde of you any thing or to do here in this place or in any other 〈◊〉 but that I would to mine 〈◊〉 sister sith it hath pleased God to doe me suche pleasure 〈◊〉 from death to life to render you to me in consideration 〈◊〉 the loue that I haue borne you heretofore But this good woorke which this nyght I haue done for you well deferueth some recompence Wherfore my desire is that you deny me not the pleasure which I shall demaund whome the gentlewoman curteously answered that she was very redy so the same were honest in bi r power to doe Then said maister Gentil Mystresse all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and all they of Bologna doe beleue for a trouthe that you be deade wherfore there is none that loketh for you at home and the pleasure then which I demaund is
purpose he was not able to remoue but rather the more difficult and daungerous his enterprise séemed to be the more grew desire to prosecute and obiect him selfe to all dangers If peraduenture the Quéenes for their disport and pastime were disposed to walke into the fieldes or gardens of the Citie of Hispurge he failed not in company of other Courtiers to make one of the troupe being no houre at rest and 〈◊〉 if he were not in the sight of Quéene Anne or néere that place where she was At that time there were many Gentlemen departed from Lombardie to Hispurge which for the most parte followed the Lord Francesco Sforza the second by whom they hoped when the Duchie of Milane was recouered to be restored to their Countrey There was also Chamberlain to the said Lord Francesco one master Girolamo Borgo of Verona betwene whome and master Philippo was very néere friendship familiaritie And bicause it chauncethvery seldome that seruent loue can be kept so secrete and couert but in some part it will discouer it selfe master Borgo easily did perceiue the passion wherwith master Philippo was inflamed And one master Philippo Baldo many times being in the company of master Borgo and Philippo did marke and perceiue his loue yet was ignorant of the truthe or voide of coniecture with what Gentlewoman he was inamored But séeing him contrary to wonted custome altered from vsual mirth transported fetching many sighes strainings from his stomake and marking how many times he wold steale from the cōpany he was in withdraw him self alone to muse vpon hys thoughts brought thereby into a melancholy and meane estate hauing lost his sléepe and 〈◊〉 of eating meat iudged that the amorous wormes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bitterly gnawe and teare his heart wyth the nebs of their forked heads They three then being vpon a time togither debating of diuers things amōgs them selues chaunced to fall in argument of loue and 〈◊〉 Baldo Borgo the other gentlemen said to master Philippo how they were well assured that he was straūgely attached with that passion by marking and considering the new life which lately he led contrary to former vse intreating him very earnestly that he would manifest his loue to them that were his déere and faithful frends telling him that as in weightie matters otherwise hée was alredy sure what they were euē so in this he might hardily repose his hope and confidence promising him all their helpe and fauoure if therein their indeuor and trauaile might minister ayde and comfort He then like one raised from a traunce or lately reuiued from an 〈◊〉 after he hadde composed his countenaunce and gesture with teares and multitude of sobbes began to say these woordes My welbeloued friendes and trusty companiens being right well assured that ye whose sidelitie I haue already proued whose secrete mouthes be recómmended amongs the wise and vertuous will kéepe close and couert the thing which you shall heare me vtter as of such importaunce that if the yong 〈◊〉 Gentleman Papyrius had bene héere for all hys silence of graue matters required by hys mother I would vnnethes haue disclosed the same vnto hym In déede I cannot deny but must néedes consesse that I am in loue and that very ardently which I cannot in suche wise conceale but that the blinde must néedes clearely and euidently perceiue And although my mouth would 〈◊〉 kéepe close in what plight my passions doe constraine my inwarde affections yet my face and straunge manner of life which for a certayne time and space I haue led doe witnesse that I am not the man I was 〈◊〉 to be So that if shortly I doe not amend I trust to arriue to that ende whereunto euery Creature is borne and that my bitter and paynefull life shall take ende if I may call it a life and not rather a liuyng death I was resolued and throughly determined neuer to discouer to any man the cause of my cruell torment being not able to manifest the same to hir whome I doe only loue thinking better by conceling it through loue to make humble sute to Lady Atropos that shée would cutte of the thréede of my dolorous lyfe Neuerthelesse to you from whome I ought to kéepe nothyng secrete I will disgarboile and 〈◊〉 the very secretes of my minde not for that I hope to finde comfort and reliefe or that my passions by declaration of them wil lessen and diminishe but that ye knowing the occasion of my death may make reporte thereof to hir that is the only mistresse of my life that she vnderstanding the extréeme panges of the truest louer that euer liued may mourne and waile his losse which thing if my séely ghost may know no doubt where so euer it doe wander shall receiue great ioy and comforte Be it knowne vnto you therefore the first daye that mine eyes beheld the diuine beautie and incomparable sauer of that superexcellent Lady Quéene Anne of Hungarie that I more than wisdom required did meditate and consider the singular behauior and notable 〈◊〉 and other innumerable gifts wherwith she is indued the same beyònde measure did so inflame my heart that impossible it was for me to quenche the feruent loue or extinguish the least parte of my conceiued torment I haue done what I can to macerate and mortifie my vnbridled desire but all in vayne My force and puissaunce is to weake to matche wyth so mightye an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I knowe what ye wyll obiecte against me ye will say that mine ignobilitie my birth and stocke be no méete matches for such a personage and that my loue is to highly placed to sucke relief And the same I do 〈◊〉 so well as you I doe acknowledge my condition state too base I confesse that my loue nay rather I may terme it folly doth presume beyond the bounds of order For the first time that I felt my selfe wrapped in those snares I knew hir to beare the port amōgs the chiefest Quéenes to be the 〈◊〉 princesse of Christendom Againe I knew my selfe the poorest Gentleman of the world and the most miserable exile I thought moreouer it to be very vnséemely for me to direct my minde vpon a wight so honorable and of so great estate But who can raine the bridle or prescribe lawes to loue What is he that in loue hath frée will and choyse Truely I beleue no man bicause loue the more it doth séeme to accord in pleasure and delight the further from the marke he shooteth his bolte hauing no respect to degrée or state Haue not many excellent and worthy personages yea Dukes Emperours and Kings bene inflamed wyth the loue of Ladies and women of base and vile degrée Haue not most honorable dames and women of greatest renoume despised the honor of their states abandoned the companie of their husbāds and neglected the loue of their children for the ardent loue that they haue borne to men of inferiour sort All Histories
Prince or Lord which in times passed did commaund or rule the Common wealthe in all the Countrey of Thuscan In this wise that modestie made him worthy of the Principalitie which almost against all right hée had vsurped and of a praise which shall no lesse continue than the memorie of man is able to extende the same from one generation to an other and which Couetous of the praise of a Prince so vertuous iust and modest shall not cease to illustrate and gloriously aduance him in open euidence to the end that hys like exercise the same in like things or of greater consequence for not sufferyng venemous and vnprofitable herbes to grow in their Common wealth Within the Garden wherof a little nuldew or vntimely raine is able to marre and corrupt all the good séedes plants sowen and grifted before Considering that wycked wéedes and daungerous impes take déeper roote than those that beare a good and sauorous frute for the conseruation whereof the diligent husbandman imployeth almost all the seasons of the yeare The Duchesse of Malfi ¶ The Infortunate mariage of a Gentleman called ANTONIO BOLOGNA with the Duchesse of MALFI and the pitifull death of them bothe The. xxiij Nouel THe greater Honor and authoritie men haue in this world the greater their estimation is the more sensible notorious are the faultes by them committed the greater is their 〈◊〉 In lyke manner more difficult it is for that man to tolerate and sustaine Fortune which all the dayes of his life hathe liued at his 〈◊〉 if 〈◊〉 chaunce hée fall into any great necessitie than for hym which ncuer felt but woe mishappe and aduersitie Dyonisius the Tyrant of Sicilia felte greater payne when hée was expelled his kingdome than Milo did being vanished from Rome For so muche as the one was a Soueraigne Lord the sonne of a King a Iusticiarie on earth and the other but a simple Citizen of a Citie wherein the people had Lawes and the lawes of Magistrates had in reuerence So likewyse the fall of a high and loftie Trée maketh a greater noyse than that whiche is lowe and little Highe Towers and stately Palaces of Princes be séene further off than the poore Cabans and hontely shephierds Shéepecotes The Walles of loftie Cities salute the viewers of the same farther of than the simple caues which the poore doe dig belowe the Mountaine rocks Wherefore it behoueth the Noble and such as haue charge of Common wealth to liue an honest lyfe and beare their port vpryght that none haue cause to take ill example vpon dyscourse of their déedes and naughtie life And aboue all that modestie ought to be kept by women whome as their race Noble birth authoritie and name maketh them more famous euē so their vertue honestie chastitie and continencie more praise worthy And behouefull it is that like as they wishe to be honoured aboue all other so their life do make them worthy of that honour without disgracing their name by déede or woorde or blemishing that brightnesse which may commende the same I greatly feare that all the Princely factes the exploits and conquests done by the Babylonian Quéene Semyramis neuer was recōmended with such praise as hir vice had shame in records by those which left remēbrāce of ancient acts Thus I say bicause a woman being as it were the Image of swéetenesse curtesie shame fastnesse so soone as she steppeth out of the right trade and leaueth the smel of hir duetie and modestie bisides the denigration of hir honor thrusteth hir self into infinite troubles and causeth the ruine of such which should be honored and praised if womens allurement solicited them not to follie I wil not here indeuor my self to séeke for examples of Samson Salomon or other which suffred thē selues fondly to be abused by women and who by meane of them be tumbled into great faults and haue incurred greater perils Contenting my self to recite a right pitifull Historie done almost in our time when the French vnder the leading of that notable 〈◊〉 Gaston de Foix vanquished the force of Spaine and Naples at the iourney of Rauenna in the time of the French king called Levves the twelfth who married the Lady Marie daughter to king Henry the seuenth and sister to the victorious Prince of worthy memory king Henry the eight wife after the death of the sayd Levves to the puissant Gentleman Charles late Duke of Suffolke In that very time then liued a Gentleman of Naples called Antonio Bologna who hauing bene Master of houshold to Federicke of Aragon sometime King of Naples after the French had expelled those of Aragon out of that Citie the sayde Bologna retired into Fraunce thereby recouered the goods which hée possessed in his countrey The Gentleman bisides that he was valiant of his persone a good man of warre wel estemed amongs the best had a passing numbre of good graces which made him to be beloued cherished of euery wight for riding managing of great horse he had not his fellow in Italy he could also play excéeding well and trim vpon the Lute whose faining voyce so well agréed therunto that the most melancholike persons wold forget their heauinesse vpon hearing of his heauenly noise and bisides these qualities hée was of personage comely and of good proportion To be short Nature hauing trauailed and dispoyled hir Treasure house for inriching of him he had by Arte gotten that which made him most happy worthy of praise which was the knowledge of good letters wherin hée was so well trained as by talke and dispute thereof he made those to blushe that were of that state and profession Antonio Bologna hauing left Federicke of Aragon in Fraunce who expulsed out of Naples was retired to king Levves went home to his house to liue at rest and to auoyd trouble forgetting the delicates of Courtes and houses of great men to be the only husband of his owne reuenue But what It is impossible to eschue that which the heauēs haue determined vpon vs and lesse the vnhappe whych séemeth to followe vs as it were naturally procéeding from our mothers wombe In such wise as many times he which séemeth the wisest man guided by misfortune hasteth himself wyth stouping head to fall headlong into his deathe ruine Euen so it chaūced to this Neapolitane Gentleman for in the very same place where he attained his aduācement he receiued also his diminution and decay and by that house which preferred hym to what he had he was depriued both of his estate and life the discourse whereof you shall vnderstand I haue tolde you already that this Gentleman was Maister of the King of Naples houshold being a gentle person a good Courtier wel trained vp and wise for gouernment of himself in the Court and in the seruice of Princes the Duchesse of Malfi thought to intreat him that hée would serue hir in that office which he serued the king This Duchesse
the same with ill digesture that muche a do shall I haue to be agréed with them and to remoue the grief which they shall conceiue against me for this mine enterprise wherefore I would the same should secretely be kept vntil without perill and daunger either of my self or of him whome I pretende to mary I may publish and manifest not my loue but the mariage which I hope in God shall soon be consummate and accomplished with one whome I doe loue better than my self and who as I full well do know doeth loue me better than his owne proper life Maister Bologna which till then harkned to the Dration of the Duchesse without mouing féeling himself touched so néere and hearing that his Ladie had made hir approche for mariage stode stil astonned his tongue not able to frame one word only fantasied a thousand 〈◊〉 in the aire and formed like numbre of imaginations in his minde not able to coniecture what hée was to whome the Duchesse had vowed hir loue the possession of hir beauty He could not thinke that this ioy was prepared for himself for that his Ladie spake no woord of him and he lesse durst opē his mouth and yet was wel assured that she loued him beyōd measure Not withstāding knowing the ficklenesse and vnstable heart of women he sayd vnto himself that she would chaunge hir minde for seing him to be so great a Cowarde as not to offer hys seruice to a Ladie by whome he saw himself so manie times bothe want only looked vpon intertained with some secresie more thā familiar The Duchesse which was a fine and subtile dame séeing hir friend rapt with the passion and standing stil vnmoueable through feare pale amazed as if hée had bene accused and condempned to die knew by that countenaunce astonishment of Bologna that she was perfectly beloued of him and so meaning not to suffer hym any longer to continue in that amaze ne yet to further fear him wyth hir dissembled and fained mariage of any other but with him she toke him by the hand and beholding him with a wāton and luring eye in such sort as the curious Philosophers themselues would awake if such a Lāpe and torch did shine within their studies she sayde thus vnto hym Seignor Anthonio I pray you be of good chéere torment not your self for any thing that I haue said I know well and of long time haue perceyued what good and faithfull loue you beare me with what affection you haue serued me sithens first you vsed my companie Thinke me not to be so ignorant but that I know ful wel by outward signes what secretes be hid in the inner heart and that coniectures many times doe giue me true and certaine knowledge of concealed things And am not so foolish to thinke you to be so vndiscrete but that you haue marked my countenaunce maner and therby haue knowen that I haue bene more affectioned to you than to any other For that cause sayd she straining him by the hād very louingly with cherefull coloure in hir face I sweare vnto you doe promise that if you so thinke méete it shall be none other but your self whom I wil haue desire to take to husband and lawfull spouse assuring my self so much of you as the loue which so long time hath ben hidden couered in our hearts shal appeare by so euident proofe as only death shal end vndoe the same The gentleman hearing such sodain talk the assurāce of that which he most wished for albeit he saw that daunger extréeme wherunto he laūched himself by espousing this great Ladie the enimies he shold get by entring such aliance notwithstanding building vpon vaine hope and thinking at length that the choler of the Aragon brother would passe away if they vnderstoode that mariage determined to pursue that purpose not to refuse that great preferment being so prodigally offred for which cause he answered his Lady in this maner If it were in my power madame to bring to passe that which I desire for your seruice by acknowledging of the benefits fauors which you depart vnto me as my mind presenteth thāks for the same I wold think my self the happiest Gentlemā that lyueth you the best serued Princesse of the world For one better beloued I dare presume to say and so long as I liue wil affirm is not to be found If til this time I delayed to opē that which now I discouer vnto you I beséeche you Madame to impute it to the greatnesse of your estate and to the duetie of my calling office in your house being not séemely for a seruant to talk of such secretes with his Ladie and mistresse And truely that pain which I haue indured to holde my peace and to hide my griefe hath bene more noysome to me than one hundred thousand like sorowes together although it had ben lawfull to haue reuealed thē to some trusty friend I do not deny madame but of long time you did perceiue my follie and presumption by addressing my minde so high as to the Aragon bloud and to such a Princesse as you be And who cā beguile the eye of a Louer specially of hir whose Paragon for good minde wisedom gentlenesse is not And I cōfesse to you bisides that I haue most euidently perceiued how certain loue hath lodged in your gracious heart wherwith you bare me greater affection thā you did to any other within the compasse of your familie But what Great Ladies hearts be fraught with secretes conceits of other effects than the minds of simple womē which caused me to hope for none other guerdon of my loyal faithfull affection than death the same very short Sith that litle hope accompanied with great nay rather extreme passion is not able to giue sufficiēt force both to suffer to stablish my heart with constancie Now for so much as of your motion grace curtesie liberalitie the same is offred that it pleaseth you to accept me for yours I hūbly beseche you to dispose of me not as husband but of one which is shal be your seruaunt for euer such as is more ready to obey thā you to cōmaund It resteth now Madame to consider how in what wise our affairs are to be directed that things being in assurāce you may so liue without peril and brute of slaunderous tongues as your good fame honest port may continue without spot or blemish Beholde the first Acte of the Tragedie and the prouision of the fare which afterwardes sent them bothe to their graue who immediately gaue their mutuall faith and the houre was assigned the next day that the fair Princesse shold be in hir chamber alone attended vpon with one only Gentlewoman which had ben brought vp with the Duchesse frō hir cradle was made priuie to the heauy mariage of those two louers which was consummate in hir presence And
for the present time they passed that same in words for ratificatiō wherof they wēt to bed togither But that pain in the end was greater than the pleasure and had ben better for them bothe yea and also for the third that they had shewed them selues so wyse in the déede as discrete in keping silence of that which was done For albeit their mariage was secrete and therby politikely gouerned them selues in their stelthes and robberies of loue and that Bologna more oft held the state of the steward of the house by day than of Lord of the same and by night supplied that place yet in the end the thing was perceiued which they desired to be closely kept And as it is impossible to till and culture a fertile ground but that the same must yelde some frute euen so the Duchesse after many pleasures being ripe and plentiful became with child which at the first astonned the maried couple neuerthelesse the same so well was prouided for as the first childbedde was kept secrete and 〈◊〉 did know thereof The childe was nourced in the towne and the father desired to haue him named Federick for remembraunce of the parents of his wife Now fortune which lieth in daily waite and ambushment liketh not that men shold long loiter in pleasure and passe-time being enuious of such prosperity cramped so the legges of our two louers as they must néedes change their game and learne some other practise for so much as the Duchesse being great with childe again and deliuered of a girle the businesse of the same was not so secretely done but that it was discouered And it suffised not that the brute was noised through Naples but that the sound flew further off As eche mā doth know that rumor hath many mouthes who with the multitude of his tongues and Trumps proclaimeth in diuers and sundry places the things which chaunce in al the regions of the earth Euen so that babling foole caried the newes of that second childbed to the eares of the Cardinall of Aragon the Duchesse brother being then at Rome Think what ioy and pleasure the Aragon brothers had by hearing the report of their sisters facte I dare presume to say that albeit they were extremely wroth with this happened 〈◊〉 with that dishonest fame whych that Duchesse had gotten throughout Italie yet farre greater was their sorrow grief for that they did not know what hée was that so courteously was allied to their house and in their loue had increased their ligneage And therfore swelling wyth despite rapt with furie to sée themselues so defamed by one of their bloud they purposed by all meanes whatsoeuer it cost them to know the lucky louer that had so wel tilled the Duchesse their sisters field Thus desirous to remoue that shame from before their eyes and to be reuenged of a wrong so notable they sent espial round about and scoutes to Naples to view and spy the behauior talk of the Duchesse to settle some certaine iudgement of him whych stealingly was become their brother in law The Duchesse Court being in thys trouble shée dyd continually perceiue in hir house hir brothers men to mark hir countenance and to note those that came thither to visite hir to whom she vsed greatest familiaritie bicause it is impossible but that the fire although it be raked vnder the ashes must giue some heat And albeit the two louers vsed eche others companie without shewing any signe of their affectiō yet they purposed to chaūge their estate for a time by yelding truce to their pleasures Yea although Bologna was a wise and prouidēt personage fearing to be surprised vpon the fact or that the Gentlewoman of the Chamber corrupted with Money or forced by feare shold pronoūce any matter to his hinderance or disauantage determined to absent himself from Naples yet not so sodainly but that hee made the Duchesse his faithfull Ladie companion priuie of his intent And as they were secretely in their chāber togither hee vsed these or such like woords Madame albeit the right good intent and vnstained conscience is free from fault yet the iudgement of men hath further relation to that exterior apparance than to vertues force and innocencie it self as ignorant of the secrets of the thought and so in things that be wel done we must of necessitie fall into the sentence of those whom beastly affection rauisheth more than ruled reason You sée the solempne watch and garde which the seruaunts of the Lords your brothers do within your house the suspicion which they haue cōceiued by reason of your secōd childbed by what meanes they labor truely to know how your affaires procéede and things do passe I feare not death where your seruice may be aduaūced but if herein the maiden of your chāber be not secrete if she be corrupted and if she kepe not close that which she ought to do it is not ignorant to you that it is the losse of my life and shall die suspected to be a whoremonger varlet euen I I say shall incurre that perill which am your true and lawfull husband Thys separation chaunceth not by Iustice or desert sith the cause is too righteous for vs but rather your brethrē will procure my death when I shall thinke the same in greatest assurāce If I had to do but with one or two I wold not change the place ne march one step from Naples but be assured that a great band and the same wel armed will set vpon me I pray you madame suffer me to retire for a time for I am assured that when I am absent they will neuer soile their hands or imbrue their sweards in your bloud If I doubted any thing at al of perill touching your owne person I had rather a hundred hundred times die in your companie than liue to sée you no more But out of doubt I am that if the things were discouered they knew you to be begottē with childe by me you should be safe where I shold sustaine the penaunce of that fact committed wtout fault or sinne And therfore I am determined to goe from Naples to order mine affaires and to cause my Reuenue to be brought to the place of mine abode and from thence to Ancona vntil it pleaseth God to mitigate the rage of your brethren and recouer their good wils to consent to our mariage But I meane not to doe or conclude any thing without your aduise And if this intent doe not like you giue me councell Madame what I were best to doe that both in life and death you may knowe your faithfull seruaunt and louing husband is ready to obey and please you This good Ladie hearing hir husbands discourse vncertain what to doe wept bitterly as wel for grief to lose his presence as for that she felt hir self with child the third time The sighes and teares the sobbes and heauie lookes which she threwe forth vpon hir
be ne more faithful more affectionate or otherwise moued than the rest yet I am contēt for respect of your honor somewhat to beleue you and to accept you for mine owne sith your discretion is such I trust as so Noble a Gentleman as you be will himself declare in those affairs and whē I sée the effect of my hope I can not be so vnkinde but with all honesty shall assay to satisfie that your loue The Counte seing hir alone and receiuing the Ladies language for his aduauntage and that hir countenance by alteration of hir minde did adde a certaine beautie to hir face and perceiuing a desire in hir that hée shold not vse delay or be too squeimish she demaūding naught else but execution tooke the present offred time forgetting all ceremonies and reuerence he embraced hir and kissed hir a hundred thousand times And albeit she made a certain simple and prouoking resistance yet the louer séeing thē to be but preparatiues for the sport of loue he strayed from the bounds of honestie and threw hir vpon a fielde bed within the Chambre where he solaced himselfe with his long desired sute And finding hir worthy to be beloued and she him a curteous gentleman consulted together for continuance of their amitie in such wise as the Lord Ardizzino spake no more but by the mouth of Bianca Maria and did nothing but what she commaunded being so bewrapped with the heauie mantell of beastly Loue as hée still above night and day in the house of his beloued whereby the brute was noised throughout the Citie and the songs of their Loue more common in eche Citizens mouthe than the Stanze or Sonnets of Petrarch played and sained vpon the Gittorne Lute or Harpe of these of Noble house more fine wittie than those vnsauery 〈◊〉 that be tuned and chaunted in the mouthes of the foolish common sort Behold an Earle well serued and dressed by enioying so false a woman which had already falsified the faith betrouthed to hir husbād who was more honest milde and vertuous than she deserued Beholde ye Noble Gentlemen the simplicitie of this good Earle how it was deceiued by a false and filthy strumpet whose stincking life and common vse of body woulde haue withdrawen each simple creature from mixture of their owne with such a Carrion A lesson to learne all youth to refraine the whoorishe lookes and light conditioned Dames a number the more to be pitied shewing forthe them selues to the portsale of euery cheapener that list demaunde the price the grosenesse whereof before considered were worthy to be defied and loathed This Ladie séeing hir Louer noussed in hir lust dandled him with a thousande trumperies and made hym holde the Mule while other enioyed the secrete sporte which earst hée vsed himself This acquaintance was so daungerous to the Counte as she hir self was shamelesse to the Counte of Celant For the one bare the armes of Cornwall and became a second Acteon and the other wickedly led his life lost the chiefest of that he loked for in the seruice of great princes by the treason of an arrant common 〈◊〉 Whiles this Loue continued in all pleasure and like contentation of either parts Fortune that was ready to mounte the stage and shew in sight that hir mobilitie was no more stable than a womans will For vnder such habite and sere Painters and Poets describe hir made Ardizzino suspecte what desire she had of chaunge and within a while after sawe himself so farre misliked of his Ladie as though he had neuer bene acquainted The cause of that recoile was for that the Countesse was not contented with one kinde of fare and whose eyes were more gredie than hir stomake able to digest and aboue all desired chaunge not séeking meanes to finde him that was worthy to be beloued and intertained of so great a Ladie as she estéemed hir selfe to be and as such women of their owne opinion thinke themselues who counterfaicte more grauitie and reputation than they doe whome nature and vertue for their maiestie and holinesse of life make Noble and praise worthie That desire deceiued hir nothing at all for a certaine time after that Ardizzino possessed the forte of this faire Countesse there came to Pauia one Roberto Sanseuerino Earle of Gaiazzo a yong faire and valiant Gentleman whose Countrey lieth on this side the Mountaines and very familiar with the Earle of Massino This vnfaithful Alcina and cruell Medea had no sonet cast hir eye vpon Signor di Gaiazzo but was pierced with his loue in such wise as if forthwith shée had not attained hir desires she would haue run mad bicause that Gentleman bare a certaine stately representation in his face promised such dexteritie in his déedes as sodainly she thought him to be that man that was able to staunch hir filthy thirst And therfore so gentlely as she could gaue ouer hir Ardizzino with whome she vtterly refused to speake and shunned his cōpanie when she saw him and by shutting the gates against him the Noble man was not able to forbeare from throwing forth some words of choler wherby she tooke occasion both to expell him and also to beare him such displeasure as then she cōspired his death as afterwards you shall perceiue This great hatred was the cause that she being fallen in Loue as you haue heard with the Counte of Gaiazzo shewed vnto him all signe of amitie and séeing that hée made no great sute vnto hir she wrote vnto him in this manner The Letter of Bianca Maria to the Counte of Gaiazzo SIr I doubt not by knowing the state of my degrée but that ye be abashed to sée the violēce of my mind when passing the limites of modestie which ought to guard such a Ladie as I am I am forced uncertain of the cause to doe you vnderstand the griefe that doeth torment me which is of such constraint as if of curtesie ye doe not vouchsafe to visite me you shall commit two faultes the one leauing the thing worthy for you to loue and regard and which deserueth not to be cast off the other in causing the death of hir that for Loue of you is bereft of rest And so loue hath very little in me to sease vpon either of heart or libertie but that ease of grief procéedeth from your only grace which is able to vanquishe hir whose victorious hap hath conquered all other and who attēding your resolut answer shall rest vnder the mercifull refuge of hope which deceiuing hir shall sée by that very meanes the wretched end of hir that is all your owne Bianca Maria Countesse of Celant The yong Lorde much maruelled at this message were it for that already hée was in loue with hir and that for loue of his friend Ardizzino wold not be known thereof or for that he feared she would be straught of wits if she were despised he determined to goe vnto hir yet stayed thought it not to be the
any kynde gentle subiect findeth no resistance to serue for a rāpart to 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of his course by litle litle vndermineth melteth 〈◊〉 that vertues of natural powers in such wise as the sprite yelding to the burden abandoneth that place of life which is verified by the pitifull and infortunate death of two louers that surrendred their last breath in one 〈◊〉 at 〈◊〉 a Citie of Italy wherin repose yet to this day with great maruel the bones and remnantes of their late louing bodies An history no lesse 〈◊〉 than true If then perticular affection which of good right euery man ought to beare to the place where he was borne doe not deceiue those that trauaile I thinke they will confesse with me that few Cities in Italie can surpasse the said Citie of Verona aswell for the Nauigable riuer called 〈◊〉 which passeth almost through the midst of the same and therby a great trafique into Almaine as also for the prospect towards the fertile Mountains and plesant valeis which do enuiron that same with a great numbre of very clere and liuely fountains that serue for the ease and commodity of the place Omitting bisides many other singularities foure bridges and an infinite numbre of other honorable antiquities daily apparant vnto those that be to curious to view loke vpon them Which places I haue somewhat touched bicause this most true Historie which I purpose hereafter to recite depēdeth therupon the memory wherof to this day is so well knowne at Verona as vnneths their blubbred eyes be yet dry that sawe and behelde that lamentable sight When the Senior Escala was Lord of Verona there were two families in the Citie of farre greater fame than the rest aswell for riches as 〈◊〉 the one called the Montesches and the other the Capellets but like as most commonly there is discord amongs them which be of semblable degrée in honor euen so 〈◊〉 hapned a certaine 〈◊〉 betwene them and for so much as the beginning therof was vnlawful and of 〈◊〉 foundation so likewise in processe of time it kindled to such flame as by diuers and sundry deuises practised on both sides many lost their liues The Lord Bartholomeu of Escala of whome we haue already spoken being Lord of Verona and seing such disorder in his cōmon weale assayed diuers and sundry wayes to recōcile those two houses but all in vaine for their hatred had taken such roote as that same could not be 〈◊〉 by any wise councell or good aduise betwene whome no other thing could be accorded but giuing ouer 〈◊〉 and weapon for the time attending some other season more cōuenient and with better leisure to appease the rest In the time that these things wer adoing one of the familie of Montesches called Rhōmeo of the age of xx or xxi yeres the fairest and best conditioned Gentleman that was amongs the Veronian youth 〈◊〉 in loue with a yong Gentlewoman of Verona in few dayes was so attached with hir comely good behauiour as he abandoned all other affaires and businesse 〈◊〉 serue honor hir And after many letters 〈◊〉 and presents he determined in the end to speake vnto hir to disclose his passions which he did without any other practise But she which was vertuously brought vp knew how to make him so good answer to cutte of his 〈◊〉 affectiōs as he had no lust after that time to return any more and shewed hir self so austere 〈◊〉 sharpe of speach as she vouchsafed not with one loke to beholde him But the more that yong Gentleman 〈◊〉 hir whist and silent the more he was inflamed and 〈◊〉 hée had 〈◊〉 certaine months in that seruice without remedy of his griefe he determined in the end to depart Verona for proofe if by change of that place he might alter his affection and sayd to himself What doe I meane to loue one that is so vnkinde and thus doeth disdaine me I am all hir owne and yet she flieth from me I can no longer liue except hir presence I doe enioy And she hath no contented minde but when she is furthest from me I wil then from henceforth 〈◊〉 my selfe from hir for it may so come to passe by not beholding hir that thys fire in me which taketh increase and nourishment by hir faire eyes by little and little may die and quench But minding to put in proofe what hée thought at one instant hée was reduced to the contrarie who not knowing whereuppon to resolue passed dayes and nights in maruellous plaintes and Lamentacions For Loue 〈◊〉 him so neare and had so well fixed the Gentlewomans beautie within the Bowels of his heart and minde as not able to resist he fainted with 〈◊〉 charge and consumed by little and little as the Snow against the Sunne Whereof his parents and kinred did maruell greatly bewayling his misfortune but aboue all other one of his companions of riper age and counsell than he began sharply to rebuke him For the loue that he bare him was so great as hée felt his Martirdome and was partaker of his passion which caused him by ofte viewing hys friends disquietnesse in amorous pangs to say thus vnto him Rhomeo I maruel much that thou spendest the best time of thine age in 〈◊〉 of a thing from which thou 〈◊〉 thy self despised and 〈◊〉 without respect either to thy prodigall dispense to thine honor to thy teares or to thy miserable life which be able to moue the most constant to pitie Wherefore I pray thée for the Loue of our ancient amitie and for thine health sake that thou wilt learn to be thine owne 〈◊〉 and not to 〈◊〉 thy liberty to any so ingrate as she is for so farre as I can coniecture by things that are passed betwene you either she is in loue with some other or else determined neuer to loue any Thou arte yong rich in goods and fortune and more excellent in beautie than any Gentleman in this Citie thou art well learned and the only sonne of the house 〈◊〉 thou cōmest What grief wold it 〈◊〉 to thy pore old father other thy parents to sée thée so drowned in this dongeon of vice specially at that age wherein thou oughtest rather to put them in some hope of thy vertue Begin then frō henceforth to acknowledge thine error wherein thou hast hitherto liued doe away that amorous vaile or couerture which blindeth thine eyes and letteth thée to folow the right path wherein thine ancestors haue walked or else if thou do 〈◊〉 thy 〈◊〉 so subiect to thine owne will yelde thy heart to 〈◊〉 other place and choose 〈◊〉 Mistresse according to thy worthinesse and henceforth doe not sow thy paines in a soile so 〈◊〉 whereof thou receiuest no frute the time approcheth when all the dames of the Citie shall assemble where thou maist beholde such one as shall make thée 〈◊〉 thy former griefs This yong Gentleman attentiuely hearing all the persuading 〈◊〉 of his frend
hauing hir face all besprent with teares she said 〈◊〉 Rhomeo Syr Rhomeo I pray you not to renue those things againe for the only memory of such 〈◊〉 maketh me to coūterpoise betwene death life my heart being so vnited with 〈◊〉 as you cānot receiue the least iniury in this world wherin I shal not be so great a partaker as your self beséeching you for conclusion that if you desire your owne health 〈◊〉 to declare vnto me in fewe wordes what your determination is to attaine for if you couet any other secrete thing at my handes more than myne honour can well allow you are maruelously deceiued but if your desire be godly and that the friendship which you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to beare me be founded vppon vertue and to be concluded by mariage receiuyng me for your wyfe lawful spouse you shall haue such part in me as 〈◊〉 any regarde to the obedience reuerence that I owe to my parentes or to the auncient enimitie of our familie 〈◊〉 will make you the onely Lord maister ouer me and of all things that I possesse beyng prest and readie in all points to folowe your commaundement But if your intent be otherwise and thinke to reape the frute of my virginitie vnder pretense of wanton 〈◊〉 you be greatly deceiued and doe praye you to auoide and suffer me from henceforth to liue in rest amongs mine equals Rhomeo which loked for none other thing holding vp his handes to the heauens with incredible ioy and contentation answered Madame for somuch as it hath pleased you to do me that honour to accept me for such a one I accorde and consente to your request and do offer vnto you the best part of my heart which shall remaine with you for guage sure testimonie of my saying vntill such time as God shall giue me leaue to make you the entier owner and possessor of the same And to that intent I may begyn mine enterprise to morow I wil to Frier Laurence for 〈◊〉 the same who bisides that he is my ghostly Father is accustomed to giue me instruction in all my other secrete affaires and fayle not if you please to méete me againe in this place at this very hour to the intent I may giue you to vnderstande the deuise betwene him and me which she liked very wel ended their talk for that time Rhomeo receiuing none other fauor at hir hands for that night but only words This frier Laurence of whom hereafter we shal make more ample mention was an aūcient Doctor of Diuinitie of the order of the friers Minors who bisides the happy profession which hée had made in studie of holie writ was very skilful in Philosophy and a great searcher of nature secrets excéeding famous in Magike knowledge and other hiddē and secret sciences which nothing diminished his reputation bicause he did not abuse the same And this Frier through his vertue and pietic had so wel won the citizens hearts of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was almost the confessor to them all and of al men generally reuerenced and beloued and many tymes for his great prudence was called by the lordes of the Citie to the weightie affaires of the same And amonges other he was greatly fauored by the lord of 〈◊〉 that time the principal gouernor of Verona and of al that familie of 〈◊〉 and of the Capellets and of many other The yong Rhomeo as we haue alredy declared frō his tēder age bare a certein particle amitie to frier Laurēce departed to him his secrets by means wherof so soone as he was gone from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 straight to the Friers Frāciscans wher frō point to point he discoursed the successe of his loue to that good father the cōclusion of the mariage betwene him 〈◊〉 adding vpon the end of talk that he wold rather choose shameful death 〈◊〉 to faile hir of his promise To whō the good 〈◊〉 after he had debated diuers matters proposed 〈◊〉 the inconueniences of that secrete mariage exhorted hym to more mature deliberation of the same notwithstanding all the alleged persuasiōs wer not able to reuoke his promise Wherfore the Frier vanquished with his stubbornesse and also forecasting in his minde that the mariage might be some 〈◊〉 of recōciliatiō of those two houses in the ende agréed to his request 〈◊〉 him that he might haue one delayed day for 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 what was beste to be done But if Rhomeo for his part was carefull to prouide for his affaires Iulietta like wise did hir 〈◊〉 For seing that 〈◊〉 had none about hir to discouer hir passions she deuised to impart the whole to hir nurse which laye in hir 〈◊〉 apointed to 〈◊〉 vpon hir to whome she committed the intier secrets of the loue betwene Rhomeo hir And although that old womā in the beginning resisted Iu hetta hir intent yet in that ende she knewe so wel how to persuade and win hir that she promised in all that she was able to do to be at hir cōmandement And then she sent hir with al diligence to speake to Rhomeo and to know of him by what meanes they might be maried that he would 〈◊〉 hir to vnderstand the determination betwene frier Laurence him Whō 〈◊〉 answered how the 〈◊〉 day wherin he had informed frier Laurence of the matter the said frier deferred answer vntil the next which was the very same and that it was not past one houre 〈◊〉 he returned with final resolution that Frier Laurence he had deuised that she the Saterday folowing should desire leaue of hir mother to go to cōfession to repaire to the church of saint Francis where in a certain chapel secretly they shold be maried praying hir in any wise not to fail to be there Which thing she brought to passe with such discretion as hir mother agréed to hir 〈◊〉 and accompanied onely with hir gouernesse and a yong mayden she repaired thither at the determined day time And so soone as she was entred that church called for the good 〈◊〉 frier Laurence vnto whō answere was made that he was in the shriuing chapel 〈◊〉 aduertisement was giuē him of hir cōming So soon as frier Laurence was certified of Iulietta he went into the body of the Church willed the old woman and yong 〈◊〉 to go heare seruice and that when he had hearde the confession of Iulietta he would sende for them again to waite vpon hir Iulietta being entred a litle Cell with Frier Laurence he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the doore as he was wont to do where Rhomeo and he had bene together fast shut in the space of one whole houre before Then Frier Laurence after that hée had 〈◊〉 them sayde to Iulietta Daughter as Rhomeo here present hath certified me you be agréed and contented to take him to husband and he like wise you 〈◊〉 his espouse and wife Do you now still persist and continue in that minde The Louers answered that they desired
of his Parents and alies were committed and after he had well aduised beholden many wounded hurt on both sides he sayd to his companions My friends let vs part thē for they be so flesht one vpon an other as they wil all be 〈◊〉 to pieces before the game be done And saying so 〈◊〉 thrust himself amids the troupe and did no more but part the blowes on either side crying vpō them aloud My friends no more it is time henceforth that our quarel cease For bisides the prouocation of Gods iust wrath our two families be slaunderous to the whole world and cause this common wealth to grow vnto disorder But they were so egre and furious one against the other as they gaue no audience to Rhomeo his councel and bent themselues to kill dismēber and teare eche other in pieces And the fight was so cruell and outragious betwene them as they which looked on were amased to sée them endure those blowes for the ground was al couered with armes legges thighs and bloud wherein no signe of cowardnesse appeared and maintained their fight so long that none was able to iudge who had the better vntill that Thibault cousin to Iulietta inflamed with ire and rage turned towards Rhomeo thinking with a foine to run him through But he was so well armed and defended with a priuie coate which he wore ordinarily for the doubt hée had of the Capellets as the pricke rebounded vnto whom Rhomeo made answer Thibault thou maist know by the pacience which I haue had vntill this present time that I came not hither to fight with thée or thine but to 〈◊〉 peace and attonemēt betwene vs and if thou thinkest that for default of corage I haue failed mine endeuor thou doest great wrong to my reputation And impute this my suffrance to some other perticular respect rather than to wāt of stomake Wherfore abuse me not but be content with this great effusion of bloud and murders already committed and prouoke me not I beséeche thée to passe the bounds of my good wil mind Ah Traitor sayde Thibault thou thinkest to saue thy self by the plot of thy pleasant tong but sée that thou defend thy selfe else presently I will make thée féele that thy tong shall not garde thy corpse nor yet be the buckler to defend the same from present death And saying so he gaue him a blowe with such furie as had not other warded the same he had cut of his head from his shoulders And the one was no readier to lend but the other incontinently was able to pay againe for he being not only wroth with the blow that he had receiued but offended with the iniurie which the other had done began to pursue his enimie with such courage and viuacitie as at the third blow with his sweard he caused him to fall backewarde starke deade vpon the grounde with a pricke vehemently thrust into his throte which he followed till his swearde appeared through the hinder parte of the same by reason whereof the conflict ceased For bisides that Thibault was the chief of his companie he was also borne of one of the Noblest houses within the Citie which caused the potestate to assemble his Soldiers with diligence for the apprehension and imprisonment of Rhomeo who séeing yl fortune at hand in secrete wise conueyed him self to Frier Laurence at the Friers Franciscanes And the Frier vnderstanding of his facte kept him in a certaine secrete place of his Couent vntil Fortune did otherwise prouide for his safe going abrode The brute spred throughout the Citie of this chaunce done vpon the Lord Thibault the Capellets in mourning wéedes caused the dead body to be caried before the signory of Verona so well to moue them to pitie as to demaund iustice for the murder before whome came also the Montesches declaring the innocencie of Rhomeo and the wilful assault of the other The Counsel assembled witnesses heard on both parts a straight cōmaundement was giuen by the Lord of the Citie to giue ouer their weapons and touching the offense of Rhomeo bicause he had killed the other in his owne 〈◊〉 he was banished Verona for 〈◊〉 This cōmon misfortune published throughout the Citie was generally sorowed and lamented Some complained the death of the Lord Thibault so well for his dexteritie in armes as for the hope of his great good seruice in time to come if he had not bene preuented by such cruell death Other bewailed specially the Ladies and Gentlewomen the ouerthrow of yong Rhomeo who bisides his beautie good grace wherwith he was enriched had a certaine naturall allurement by vertue whereof he drew vnto him the hearts of eche man like as the stony Adamant doth the cancred iron in such wise as the whole nation and people of Verona lamented his mischance but aboue al infortunate Iulietta who aduertised both of the death of hir cosin Thibault and of the banishment of hir husbande made the aire sound with infinite numbre of mornefull plaints and miserable lamentations Then féeling hir selfe too much outraged with extreme passion she went into hir chamber and ouercome with sorow threw hir self vpon hir bed where she began to reinforce hir dolor after so strange fashion as the most constant would haue bene moued to pitie Then like one oute of hir wittes she gazed héere and there and by Fortune beholding the window whereat Rhomeo was wont to enter into hir chamber cried out Oh vnhappy windowe Oh entry most vnlucky wherein were wouen the bitter toyle of my former missehaps if by thy meanes I haue receiued at other times some 〈◊〉 pleasure or transitorie contentation thou now makest me pay a tribute so rigorous and painefull as my tender body not able any longer to support that same shall henceforth open the gate to that life where the ghost discharged from this mortall burden shall séeke in some place else more assured rest Ah Rhomeo Rhomeo when acquaintance first began betwéene vs and I reclined mine eares vnto thy suborned promisses confirmed with so many othes I wold neuer haue beleued that in place of our continued amitie and in appeasing of the hatred of our houses thou 〈◊〉 dest haue sought occasion to breake the same by an acte so vituperious and shamefull whereby thy fame shall be spotted for euer and I miserable wretch desolate of spouse and companion But if thou haddest bene so greadie after the Capellets bloud wherefore didst thou spare the deare bloud of mine owne heart when so many times and in such secrete place the same was at the mercie of thy cruell handes The victorie which thou shouldest haue gotten ouer me had it not bene glorious inough for thine ambitious mind but for more triumphant solempnitie to be crowned with the 〈◊〉 of my dearest kinsman Now get thée hence therefore into sonte other place to deceiue some other so vnhappy as my selfe Neuer come againe in place where I am for no excuse shall héereafter take holde
parents doe not care for hir Wherefore deare husband I heartely beséeche you for our rest and hir quiet that hereafter ye be carefull to prouide for hir some mariage worthy of our state whereunto the Lord Antonio willingly agréed saying vnto hir Wife I haue many times thought vpon that whereof you speake notwithstāding sith as yet she is not attained to the age of 〈◊〉 yeares I thought to prouide a husbād at leisure Neuerthelesse things being come to these termes knowing that virgins chastitie is a dāgerous treasure I wil be mindful of that same to your contentation and she matched in such wise as she shall thinke the time hitherto well delayed In the meane while mark diligently whither she be in loue with any to the end that we haue not so gret regard to goodes or to that nobilitie of that house wherin we meane to 〈◊〉 hir as to that life helth of our daughter who is to me so dere as I 〈◊〉 rather 〈◊〉 a begger wtout lands or goods than to bestow hir vpon one which shal vse intreat hir yll Certain dayes after that the Lord Antonio had bruted the mariage of his Daughter many Gentlemen were suters so wel for that excellencie of hir beautie as for hir great richesse reuenue But aboue all others the aliance of a yong Earle named Paris the Counte of Lodronne liked the Lord Antonio vnto whome liberally he gaue his cōsent told his wife the party vpō whom he did mean to bestow his daughter The mother very ioyful that they had found so honest a Gentlemā for their daughter caused hir secretly to be called before hir doing hir to vnderstand what things had passed betwene hir father the Counte Paris discoursing vnto hir the beauty good grace of that yong Counte that vertues for which he was commended of al men ioyning therunto for conclusion that great richesse fauor which he had in the goods of fortune by means wherof she hir friēds shold liue in eternall honor But Iulietta which had rather to haue bene torne in pieces than to agrée to that mariage answered hir mother with a more thā accustomed stoutnesse Madame I much maruel therwithal am astōned that you being a Lady discréete honorable wil be so liberal ouer your daughter as to cōmit hir to that plesure wil of an other before you do know how hir minde is bent you may do as it pleaseth you but of one thing I do wel assure you that if you bring it to passe it shal be against my will And touching the regarde and estimation of Counte Paris I shall first loose my life before he shall haue power to touch any part of my body which being done it is you that shall be coūted the murderer by deliuering me into the hands of him whome I neither can wil or know which way to loue Wherfore I pray you to suffer me henceforth thus to liue wythout taking any further care of me for so muche as my cruell fortune hath otherwise disposed of me The dolorous mother whiche knewe not what iudgement to fire vpon hir daughters aunswere like a woman confused bisides hir self went to seke the Lorde Antonio vnto whome without conceyling any part of hir daughters talke she did him vnderstand the whole The good olde man offended beyonde measure cōmanded hir incontinētly by force to be brought before him if of hir own good wil she wold not come So soon as she came before hir father hir eyes ful of teares fel downe at his féet which she bathed with the luke warm drops that distilled from hir eyes in great abundance thinking to open hir mouth to crie him mercie the sobbes and sighes many times stopt hir speach that she remained dumbe not able to frame a worde But the old mā nothing moued with his daughters teares sayde vnto hir in great rage Come hither thou vnkynde and disobedient daughter hast thou already forgotten howe many times thou hast heard spoken at the table of the puissance and authoritie our auncient Romane fathers had ouer their children vnto whome it was not onely lawfull to sell guage and otherwise dispose them in 〈◊〉 necessitie at their pleasure but also whiche is more they had absolute power ouer their death lyfe With what yrons with what tormēts with what racks wold those good fathers chasten and correct thée if they were aliue againe to sée that ingratitude misbehauor and disobedience which thou vsest towards thy father who with many prayers and requestes hath prouided one of the greatest lords of this prouince to be thy husbande a gentleman of best renoume and indued with all kinde of vertues of whome thou and I be vnworthie bothe for the notable masse of goodes and substance wherwith he is enriched as also for the honour and generositie of the house whereof hée is discended and yet thou playest the parte of an obstinate and rebellious childe against thy fathers wil I take the omnipotencie of that almightie God to witnesse whiche hath 〈◊〉 to bryng thée forth into this worlde that if vpon Tuesday nexte thou failest to prepare thy selfe to be at my castel of 〈◊〉 where the Coūte Paris purposeth to mete vs and there giue thy consent to that which thy mother I haue agréed vpon I will not onely depriue thée of my worldly goodes but also will make thée espouse and marie a prison so strayght and sharpe as a thousande times thou shalt curse the day and tyme wherin thou wast borne Wherfore frō hence forth take aduisement what thou dost for except the promise be kept which I haue made to the Counte Paris I will make thée féele how great the iust choler of an offended father is against a childe vnkinde And without staying for other answer of his daughter the olde man departed the chamber and 〈◊〉 hir vpon hir knées Iulietta knowing the furie of hir father fearing to incurre his indignation or to 〈◊〉 his further wrath retired for that day into hir chamber and contriued the whole night more in wéeping than sléeping And the next morning faining to goe heare seruice she went forth with the woman of hir chamber to the friers where she caused father Laurence to be called vnto hir and prayed him to heare hir confession And when she was vpon hir knées before him shée began hir confession with teares tellyng him the great mischief that was prepared for hir by the mariage accorded betwéene hir father and the Counte Paris And for conclusion said vnto him Sir for so much as you know that I can not by Gods law be maried twice and that I haue but one God one husbande and one faith I am determined when I am from 〈◊〉 with these two hands which you sée ioyned before you this day to end my sorowful life that my soule may beare witnesse in the heauens and my bloode vpon the earth of my faith and loyaltie preserued Then hauyng ended
an hundred thousand deathes did stande about hir haling hir on euery side and plucking hir in pieces féelyng that hir forces diminyshed by litle and litle fearing that through to great debilitie she was not able to do hir enterprise like a furious and insensate womā without further care gulped vp the water within the viol then crossing hir armes vpon hir stomacke she lost at that instant al the powers of hir body and remained in a traunce And when the mornyng light began to thrust his head out of his Orient hir chamber woman which had lockte hir in with the key did open the doore and thinking to awake hir called hir many times and sayde vnto hir Mistresse you sléepe to long the Counte Paris will come to raise you The poore olde woman spake vnto the wall and 〈◊〉 a song vnto the deafe For if all the horrible and tempestuous soundes of the worlde had bene canoned forth oute of the greatest bombardes and sounded through hir delicate eares hir spirits of lyfe were so fast bounde and stopt as she by no meanes coulde awake wherewith the poore olde woman amazed beganne 〈◊〉 shake hir by the armes and handes which she founde so colde as marble stone Then puttyng hande vnto hir mouthe sodainely perceyued that she was deade for she perceyued no breath in hir Wherfore lyke a woman out of hir wyttes shée ranne to tell hir mother who so madde as Tigre bereft of hir faons hyed hir selfe into hir daughters chaumber and in that pitifull state beholdyng hir daughter thinking hir to be deade cried out Ah cruell death which hast ended all my ioye and blisse vse thy laste scourge of thy wrathfull ire against me least by suffering me to lyue the rest of my woful dayes my tormente do increase then she began to fetchsuch straining sighes as hir heart dyd séeme to cleaue in pieces And as hir cries beganne to encrease beholde the father the Counte Paris and a greate troupe of Gentlemen and Ladies which were come to honour the feast hearing no soner tell of that which chaunced were stroke into such sorowfull dumpes as he whiche had behelde their faces wold easily haue iudged that the same had bē a day of ire pitie specially the lord Antonio whose heart was frapped with such surpassing wo as neither teare nor word could issue forth knowing not what to doe streight way sēt to seke that most expert phisitians of the towne who after they had inquired of the life past of Iulietta déemed by common reporte that melancolie was the cause of that sodaine death then their sorowes began to renue a 〈◊〉 And if euer day was lamentable piteous vnhappie and fatall truely it was that wherin Iulietta hir death was published in Verona for shée was so bewailed of great small that by the cōmon plaintes the common wealth séemed to be in daunger not without cause For besides hir natural beautie accompanied with many vertues wherewith nature had enriched hir she was else so humble wise and debonaire as for that humilitie and curtesie she had stollen away the heartes of euery wight and there was none but did lamente hir misfortune And whilest these things were in this lamented state Frier Laurence with diligence dispatched a Frier of his Couent named Frier Anselme whome he trusted as himselfe and deliuered him a letter written with his owne hande commaunding him expressely not to gyue the same to any other but to Rhomeo wherein was conteyned the chaunce which had passed betwene him and Iulietta specially that vertue of the pouder and commaunded him the nexte ensuing night to spéede him self to Verona for that the operation of the pouder that time would take ende that he should cary with him back again to Mantua his 〈◊〉 Iulietta in dissembled apparell vntill Fortune bad otherwise prouided for them The frier made such hast as too late he ariued at Mantua within a while after And bicause the maner of Italie is that the Frier trauailing abroade oughte to take a companion of his couent to doe his affaires within the Citie the Frier went into his couent but bicause he was entred in it was not lawfull for him to come out againe that day for that certain dayes before one religious of that couent as it was sayd did die of the plague Wherefore the magistrates appointed for the healthe and visitation of the sicke commaunded the warden of the house that no Friers shold wander abrode the Citie or talke with any citizen vntill they were licenced by the officers in that behalfe appointed which was the cause of the great mishap which you shal heare hereafter The Frier being in this perplexitie not able to goe forth and not knowing what was cōtained in the letter deferred his iorney for that day Whilest things were in this plight preparation was made at Veronna to doe the obsequies of Iulietta There is a custome also which is common in Italie to place all the beste of one lignage and familie in one Tombe wherby Iulietta was layde in the ordinarie graue of the 〈◊〉 in a Churcheyarde harde by the Churche of the Friers where also the Lorde Thibault was interred And hir obsequies honourably done euery man returned whereunto Pietro the seruant of Rhomeo gaue hys assistance For as we haue before declared his master sente him backe againe from Mantua to Verona to do his father seruice and to aduertise hym of that whiche shoulde chaunce in his absence there who séeing the body of Iulietta inclosed in tombe thinkyng with the rest that she had bene dead in déede incontinently toke poste horse and with diligence rode to Mantua where he founde his maister in his wonted house to whome he sayde with his eyes full of teares Syr there is chaunced vnto you so straunge a matter as if so bée you do not arme your selfe with constancie I am afrayde that I shal be the cruell minister of your death Bée it knowne vnto you syr that yesterday morning my mistresse Iulietta left hir lyfe in this world to seke rest in an other and wyth these eyes I saw hir buried in the Churchyarde of S. Frauncis At the sounde of which heauie message Rhomeo began wofully to 〈◊〉 as though his spirites grieued with the 〈◊〉 of his passion at that instant woulde haue abandoned his bodie But strong Loue whiche woulde not permitte hym to faint vntill the extremitie framed a thoughte in his fantasie that if it were possible for hym to dye besides hir his death shoulde be more glorious and 〈◊〉 as he thought better contented By reason whereof after 〈◊〉 had washed his face for 〈◊〉 to discouer hys sorrow he went out of hys chamber and commaunded hys man to 〈◊〉 behynde hym that hée might walke thorough oute all the corners of the Citie to fynde propre remedie if it were possyble for hys griefe And 〈◊〉 others beholdyng an Apoticaries shoppe of lytle furniture and lesse store of boxes and other thynges requisite
Rhomeo but began to breake the fountaine pipes of gushing teares which ran forth in such aboundance as not able to support the furor of hir grief she breathed without ceasing vpō his mouth and then throwing hir self vpon his body 〈◊〉 it very hard séemed that by force of sighs and sobs she wold haue reuiued and brought him againe to life and after she had kissed and rekissed him a million of times she cried out Ah the swete rest of my cares the only porte of all my pleasures and pastymes hadst thou 〈◊〉 sure a heart to choose thy Churchyarde in this place betwene the armes of thy perfect louer and to ende the course of thy life for my sake in the floure of thy youth whē life to thée shold haue bene most dear delectable how had this tender body power to resist the furious cōbat of death very death it self being here present How could thy fēder delicate youth willingly permit that thou shouldest approch into this filthy infected place where frō henceforth thou shalt be the pasture of worms vnworthy of thée Alas alas by what meanes shall I now renew my plaints which time and long pacience ought to haue buried and clearly quenched Ah I miserable and caitife wretch thinking to finde remedie for my griefs I haue sharpned the knife that hath 〈◊〉 me this cruel blow whereof I receiue the cause of mortall wound Ah happy and fortunate graue which shalt serue in world to come for witnesse of the most perfect aliāce that euer was betwene two most fortunate louers receiue now the last sobbing sighes intertainment of the most cruel of all the cruell subiects of ire death And as she thought to cōtinue hir cōplaints Pietro aduertised Frier Laurence the he heard a noise bisides the citadel wherwith being afraid they 〈◊〉 departed fearing to be taken And then Iulietta seing hir self alone in full libertie toke againe Rhomeo betwene hir armes kissing him with such affection as she semed to be more attainted with loue thā death and drawing out the dagger which Rhomeo ware by his side she pricked hir self with many blowes against the hart saying with feble pitiful voyce Ah death the end of sorow and beginning of felicity thou art most heartily welcome feare not at this time to sharpen thy dart giue no longer delay of life for fear that my sprite trauaile not to finde Rhomeos ghost amonges such numbre of carion corpses And thou my deare Lord and loyall husbande Rhomeo if there rest in thée any knowledge receiue hir whome thou hast so faithfully loued the only cause of thy violent death which frankely offreth vp hir soule that none but thou shalt ioy the loue wherof thou hast made so lawfull conquest And that our soules passing from this light may eternally liue together in the place of euerlasting ioy and when she had ended those words she yelded vp hir gost While these things thus were done the garde watch of the Citie by chāce passed by séeing light wtin the graue suspected straight the they were Necromācers which had opened the 〈◊〉 to abuse the dead bodies for aide of their arte desirous to know what it mēt wēt downe into the vaut where they 〈◊〉 Rhomeo Iulietta with their armes imbracing 〈◊〉 others neck as though there had ben some tokē of life And after they had well viewed them at leisure they knew in what case they were And thē all amazed they sought for the theues which as they thought had done the murder and in the end found the good father Frier Laurence and Pietro the seruaunt of dead Rhomeo which had hid themselues vnder a stall whome they caried to prison and aduertised the Lord of Escala and the Magistrates of Verona of that horrible murder which by and by was published throughout the Citie Then flocked together all the Citezens women children leauing their houses to looke vpon that pitifull sight and to the ende that in presence of the whole Citie the murder should be knowne the Magistrates ordained that the two deade bodies should be erected vpon a stage to the view and sight of the whole world in such sort and maner as they were found within the graue and that Pietro and Frier Laurence should publikely be examined that afterwardes there might be no murmure or other pretended cause of ignorance And this good olde Frier being vpon the scaffold hauing a white beard all wet bathed with teares the iudges cōmaūded to declare vnto them who were the authors of that murder sith at vntimely houre he was apprehended with certaine irons bisides the graue Frier Laurence a rounde and franke man of talke nothing moued with that accusation sayd vnto them with stoute and bolde voyce My masters there is none of you all if you haue respect vnto my forepassed life and to my aged yeres and therewithall haue cōsideration of this heauy spectacle whervnto vnhappy fortune hath presently brought me but doeth greatly maruell of so sodaine mutation change vnlooked for for so much as these thrée score and ten or twelue yeares sithens I came into this world and began to proue the vanities thereof I was neuer suspected touched or found gilty of any crime which was able to make me blush or hide my face although before God I doe confesse my self to be the greatest and most abhominable sinner of al the redéemed flock of Christ. So it is notwithstanding that sith I am prest ready to render mine accompt and that death the graue and wormes do daily summō this wretched corps of mine 〈◊〉 appeare before the iustice seate of God still waighting and 〈◊〉 to be caried to my hoped graue this is the houre I say as you likewise may thinke wherin I am fallen to the greatest damage preiudice of my life and honest port and that which hath ingēdred this sinister opinion of me may peraduēture be these great teares which in abundance trickle downe my face as though the holy scriptures do not witnesse that Iesus Christ moued with humane pitie and compassion did wepe and pour forth teares that many times teares be the faithfull messengers of a mans innocency Or else the most likely euidence and presumption is the suspected houre which as the magistrate doth say doe make me culpable of the murder as though all houres were not indifferently made equall by God their creattor who in his owne person declareth vnto vs the there be twelue houres in the day shewing therby that there is no exception of houres nor of minutes but that one may doe either good or yll at all times indifferently as the partie is guided or forsaken by the sprite of God touching the yrons which were found about me néedefull it is not now to let you vnderstand for what vse Iron was first made and that of it self it is not able to increase in man either good or euill if not by the mischeuous minde
of 〈◊〉 bicause they lay lōg a bed in the mornings commonly seruice in that church was said somwhat late their pewes also somwhat distant one frō an other Whether their y. amorous husbāds cōtinually vsed to folow thē 〈◊〉 off to place themselues wher either of thē might 〈◊〉 view his beloued by which custome they seemed to the cōmon people to be iealous ouer their wiues But they prosecuted that matter in such wise as either of thē weout shipping sought to send other into Cornouale It came to passe then that these 〈◊〉 beloued gētlewomē one knowing nothing of another determined to cōsider better of this loue bicause the great good wil lōg time borne shold not be interrupted Upō a certain day when their 〈◊〉 were abrode resorting together to talk at their garden hedge according to their wōted maner they 〈◊〉 to be 〈◊〉 mery and after louing salutations mistresse Lucia spake these words vnto hir companion Isotta my dear beloued sister I haue a tale to tel you of your husband that perchanuce wil seme stranger thā any newes that euer you heard And I answered mistresse Isotta haue a story to tel you that will make you no lesse to wōder thā I at that which you haue to say and it may be wil put you into some choler chafe What is that quod that one and other In the end either of thē told what 〈◊〉 loue their husbands wēt about Wherat although they were in great rage with their husbands yet for that time they laughed out the matter and thought that they were sufficient as in very déede they were a thing not to be doubted and able to satisfie their husbands hūger and therwithal began to blame them and to say that they deserued to learn to play of the Cornets if they had no greater feare of God and care of honesty thā their husbands had Then after much talke of this matter concluded that they shold do well to expect what their husbands would demaunde Hauing taken order as they thought méete they agréed daily to espie what shoulde chaunce and purposed first with swéete and pleasant lookes to baite and lure eche other féere to put them in hope there 〈◊〉 that they should satisfie their desires which done for that time they departed And when at the Church of Sanfantino or other place in Venice they 〈◊〉 to méete their louers they shewed vnto them chearefull and mery countenaunce which the louers well noting were the gladdest men of the worlde and séeing that it was impossible in speache to vtter their mindes they purposed by letters to signify the same And hauing founde Purciuaunts to goe betwene parties whereof this Citie was wont to be full either of them wrote an amorous letter to his beloued the content whereof was that they were very desirous secretely to talke with them thereby to expresse the burning affectiōs that inwardly they bare them which without declaration and vtterance by mouthe in their owne presence woulde bréede them torments more bitter than deathe And within fewe dayes after 〈◊〉 great difference of time betwéene they wrote their letters But Girolamo Bembo hauing a pregnant wit who coulde wel endite both in prose and 〈◊〉 wrote an excellent song in the praise of his darling in Italian Meter and with his letter sent the same vnto hir the effect wherof both folow ALiuely face and pearcing beautie bright Hath linkt in loue my sely sences all A comely porte a goodly shaped wight Hath made me slide that neuer thought to fall Hir eyes hir grace hir dedes and maners milde So straines my heart that loue hath wit begilde But not one darte of Cupide did me wounde A hundred shafts lights all on me at ones As though dame kinde some new deuise had founde To teare my flesh and crash a two my bones And yet I feele such ioy in these my woes That as I die my sprite to pleasure goes These new found fits such change in me doe breede I hate the day and draw to darknesse lo Yet by the lampe of beautie doe I feede In dimmest dayes and darkest nights also Thus altring state and changing diet still I feele and know the force of Venus will The best I finde is that I doe confesse I loue you dame whose beautie doth excell But yet a toy doth brede me some distresse For that I dread you will not loue me well That loue ye wot shall rest in me alone And fleshly brest shall beare a heart of slone O Goddesse mine yet heare my voyce of ruthe And pitie him that heart presents to thee And if thou want a witnesse for my truthe Let sighs and teares my iudge and record be Vnto the end a day may come in hast To make me thinke I spend no time in wast For nonght preuailes in loue to serue and sue If full effect ioyne not with words at nede What is desyre or any fansies newe More than the winde that spreades abrode in 〈◊〉 My words and works shall bothe in one agree To pleasure hir whose seruant would I bee The subtill dames receiuing those amorous letters and song disdainfully at the first 〈◊〉 to take them at the bringers hands as they had determined yet afterwardes they shewed better countenaunce These letters were tossed one from an other whereat they made great pastime and thought that the same would come to very good successe either of them keping styll their husbandes letter and agréeing withoute iniurie done one to an other trunly to deceiue their husbands The maner how you shal perceiue anone They deuised to sende worde to their louers that they were readie at all times to satisfie their sutes if the same might be secretely done and safely might make repaire vnto their houses when their husbands were absent which in any wise they sayde muste be done in the night for feare least in the day time they were discried Againe these prouident and subtill women had taken order with their maydes whome they made priuie to theyr practise that through their gardens they should enter into others house and be shut in their chambers without light there to tarie for their husbands and by any meanes not to be séene or knowne This order prescribed and giuen Mistresse Lucia first did hir louer to vnderstand that the night insuing at iiij of the clock at the posterne dore which should be left open he shoulde come vnto hir house where hir maide should be redy to bring him vp into the chaumbre bicause hir husbande maister Girolamo woulde that night imbarke himselfe to goe to Padoua The like mistresse Isotta did to maister Girolamo appointing him at v. of the clock which she sayd was a very conuenient time bicause maister Anselmo that night would sup and lie with certaine of his friendes at Murano a place besides Venice Upon these ne wes the two louers thought them selues the most valiant and fortunate of the world no enterprise now there was but séemed
as the ground therewith was greatly imbrued and arayed and euery one that saw him thought him to be void of life Mistresse Gismonda excéeding sorowful for this mischaunce doubted that he had broken his necke but when she saw him depart she comforted him so wel as she could and drew vp the ladder into hir chāber Such chaunces happen to earnest louers who when they think they haue scaled the top of their felicity sodainly tōble down into the pit of shame or reproche that better it had bene for them leisurely to expect the grace of their Ladies at conuenient place and hour thā hardily without prouidēce to aduenture like desperate soldiers to clim the top of the vamure without measuring the height of the wals or viewing the substāce of their ladders do receiue in the end cruel repulse fall downe hedlong either by presēt death or mortal woūd to receiue euerlasting reproche and shame But turne we againe now to this disgraced Louer who lay gasping betwéene life and death And as he was in this sorowful state one of the captaines a Noble man apointed to sée orders obserued in the night with his bande which they call Zaffi came thither And finding him lying vpon the grounde knew that it was Aloisio Foscari causing him to be taken vp from the place where he lay thinking he had bene dead commaunded that he should be conueyed into the Church harde adioyning which immediately was done And when he had well considered the place where he was founde he doubted that either Girolamo Bembo or Anselmo Barbadico before whose dores he thought the murder cōmitted had killed him which afterwards he beleued to be true bicause he heard a certaine noise of mennes féete at one of their doores Wherfore he deuided his company placing some on the one side of their houses and some on the other besieging the same so wel as he could And as fortune wold he found by negligence of the maids the dores of the. ij houses open It chaunced also that night that the two louers one in others house were gone to lie with their Ladies who hearing the hurly burly stur made in the house by the sergeants sodainly the women lept out of their beds bearing their apparel vpō their shoulders wēt home to their houses throughtheir gardeins vnséene of any and in fearful wise did attēd what should be the end of the same Girolamo Anselmo not knowing what rumor noise that was although they made hast in the darke to cloth themselues were by the officers wtout any field fought apprehended in eche others chamber remained prisoners at their mercy wherat the captaine and his band did greatly maruell knowing the hatred betwene them But when Torches and lights were brought and the two Gentlemen caried out of doores the wonder was the greater for that they perceiued them almost naked and prisoners taken in eche others house And besides this admiration such murmur and slaunder was raised as the qualitie of euery vulgar head could secretely deuise or imagine but specially of the innocent women who how faultlesse they were euery man by what is sayd before may conceiue and yet the cancred stomakes of that troupe conceiued such malice against them as they 〈◊〉 and brawled against them like curres at straunge Dogges whome they neuer saw before The Gentlemen immediately were caried to prison ignorant vpon what occasion Afterwards vnderstāding that they were committed for the murder of Aloisio Foscari and imprisoned like theues albeit they knew themselues guiltlesse of murder or Theft yet their griefe and serowe was very great being certaine that all Venice shoulde vnderstand howe they betwéene whome had bene mortall hatred were nowe become copartners of that which none but the true professours ought to 〈◊〉 And although they coulde not abide to speake together like those that deadly did hate one another yet both their mindes were fixed vpon one thought In the end cōceiuing fury despite against their wiues the place being so dark that no light or sunne could pierce into the same whereby without shame or disdaine one of them began to speake to another and with terrible othes they gaue their faith to disclose the trothe in what sort either of them was taken in others chamber and frākly tolde the way and meane how eche of them enioyed his pleasure of others wife wherupon the whole mater according to their knowledge was altogether by little little manifest and knowne Then they accōpted their wiues to be the most arrant strūpets wtin the whole Citie by dispraising of whome their olde rācor began to be forgotten they agréed together like two friends who thought that for shame they shold neuer be able to looke mē in the face ne yet to shew thēselues openly within the City for sorow wherof they déemed death the greatest good turne and benefit that could chāce vnto them of any thing in that world To be short séeing no meanes or occasion to cōfort relieue their pensiue and heauy states they fell into extréeme dispaire who ashamed to liue any longer deuised way to rid themselues of life concluding to make themselues guilty of the murder of Aloiso Foscari And after much talke vttred betwene them of that cruell determination still approuing the same to be their best refuge they expected nothing else but when they should be examined before the Magistrates Foscari as is before declared was layd into that Church for dead and that Priest straitly charged with the keping of the same who caused him to be cōueyed into the mids of the church setting 〈◊〉 torches a light that one at his head the other at his féete when the cōpany was gon he determined to goe to bed the remnant of the night to take his rest But before he went séeing that the Torches were but short and could not last past ij or iij. houres he lighted two other and set them in the others place for that it shoulde séeme to his friends if any chaunced to come what care and worship he bestowed vpō him The priest readie to depart perceiued the bodie somewhat to moue with that looking vpon his face espied his eyes a litle to begin to open Wherewithal somewhat afraid he crying out ran away Notwithstāding his courage began to come to him again and laying his hand vpon his breast perceiued his heart to beate and then was out of doubt that he was not dead although by reason of losse of his blood he thought litle life to remain in him Wherfore he with one of his felow priestes which was a bed and the clerke of the parishe caried maister Foscari so tenderly as they coulde into the priests chamber which adioined next the church Then he sent for a surgeon that dwelt hard by and required him diligently to search the wounde who so wel as he coulde purged the same from the corrupte blood and perceiuing it not to be mortall so dressed it with
presence of that honourable assemblie cōceiued courage and crauing licence of the Duke to speake with mery countenance and good vttrance began thus to say hir minde Most excellent Prince and ye right honorable lordes perceiuing how my deare husband vncomely and very dishonestly doth vse himselfe against mée in this noble companie I do thinke maister Girolamo Bembo to be affected with like rage minde against this gentlewoman mistresse Lucie his wife although more tēperate in wordes he do not expresse the same Against whom if no replie be made it may séeme that he hath spoken the trouthe and that we by silence should séeme to condemne our selues to be those moste wicked women whom he alleageth vs to be Wherfore by youre gracious pardon and licence moste honourable in the behalfe of mistresse Lucie and my selfe for our defense I purpose to declare the effect of my mind although my purpose be cleane altered from that I had thought to say beyng now iustly prouoked by the vnkinde behauiour of him whome I doe loue better than my selfe which had he bene silent and not so rashly runne to the ouerthrow of me and my good name I wold haue conceiled and onely touched that which shoulde haue concerned the purgation and sauegard of them both which was the onely intent meaning of vs by making our hūble supplication to your maiesties Neuerthelesse so so farre as my féeble force shall stretch I will assay to do both the one and the other although it be not appropriate to our kinde in publike place to declame or yet to open such bold attempts but that necessitie of matter and oportunitie of time and place dothe bolden vs to enter into these termes wherof we craue a thousād pardons for our vnkindely dealings and rēder double thanks to your honors for admitting vs to speake Be it knowne therfore vnto you that our husbandes against duetie of loue lawes of mariage and against all reason do make their heauie complaints which by by I wil make plaine and euident I am right well assured that their extreme rage bitter heartes sorow do procéede of y. occasions The one of the murder wherof they haue falsly accused thē selues the other of iealosy which grieuously doth gnawe their hearts thinking vs to be vile abhominable womē bicause they were surprised in eche others chāber Concerning the murder if they haue soiled their hāds therin it appertaineth vnto you my lords to rēder their desert But how can the same be layd to our charge for somuch as they if it wer done by thē cōmited the same without our knowlege our help coūsel And truly I sée no cause why any of vs ought to be burdened with that outrage and much lesse cause haue they to lay the same to our charge For méete it is that he that doth any vnlawful act or is accessarie to the same shold suffer that due penaltie seuere chastisement accordingly as the sacred lawes do prescribe as an example for other to abstein from wicked facts But herof what néede I to dispute wherin the blind may sée to be none offense bicause thanks be to God Maister Aloisio liueth which declareth the fond cōfession of our vngitle husbands to be cōtrary to trouth And if so be our husbāds in dede had done such an abhominable enterprise reason and duetie had moued vs to sorowe and lament them bicause they be borne of noble blood and be gentlemen of this noble citie which like a pure virgin inuiolably doth cōserue hir laws customs Great cause I say had we to lamēt them if like homicides murderers they had spotted their noble blood with such fowle 〈◊〉 therby deseruing death to leaue vs yong womē widowes in woful plight Now it behoueth mée to speake of the iealoufis they haue conceiued of vs for that they were in ech others chāber which truly is the doubtful knot scruple that forceth al their disdaine griefe This I knowe well is the naile that pierceth their heart other cause of offense they haue not who like men not well aduised without examination of vs and oure demeanour bée fallen into despaire and like men desperate 〈◊〉 wrongfully accused themselues But bicause I may not consume words in vain to stay you by my long discourse from matters of greater importāce I humbly beséech you right excellent prince to cōmaunde them to tel what thing it is which so bitterly doth tormēt them Then the Duke caused one of the noble men assistant there to demaund of them the question who answered that the chiefest occasion was bicause they knew their wiues to be harlots whō they supposed to be very honest for somuch as they knew them to be such they conceiued sorow and grief which with suche extremitie did gripe thē at that heart as not able to sustain that great infamy ashamed to be sene of mē wer induced through desire of deth to cōfesse that they neuer did Mistresse Isotta hering thē say so begā to speke againe turning hir self vnto them Were you offended then at a thing which ye thought incōueniēt not mete to be done We then haue greatest cause to cōplaine Why then 〈◊〉 husbande went you to the chamber of mistresse Lucie at that time of the night What had you to do there what thyng thought you to finde there more than was in your own house And you master Girolamo what cōstrained you to forsake your wiues bed to come to my husbands wher no man euer had or at this present hath to do but him self were not that shetes of the one so white so fine neat swéet as the other I am moste noble Prince sorie to declare my husbands folie and ashamed that he should forsake my bed to go to an other that did accompt my selfe so wel worthy to entertaine hym in myne owne as the best wife in Venice and now through his abuse I abstaine to shewe my selfe amongs the beautiful and noble dames of this Citie The like misliking of hir selfe is in mistresse Lucie who as you sée may bée numbred amongs the fairest Either of you ought to haue ben cōtented with your wiues not as wickedly you haue done to forsake them to séeke for better bread than is made of wheate or for purer golde than whereof the Angel is made O worthy dede of yours that haue the face to leaue your owne wiués that be comely faire honest to séeke after strange carrion O beastly order of men that can not content their lust within the boūdes of their owne house but must go hunt after other women as beasts do after the next of their kinde that they chaunce vpon What vile affection possessed your harts to lust after others wife You make complainte of vs but wée with you haue right good cause to bée offended you ought to be grieued with youre owne disorder and not with others offense and this youre affliction paciently to beare bycause you wente about
your rancor into the lap of your Countrey that she may put him in exile for euer who like a pitifull and louing mother would gladly sée all hir children of one accorde and minde Which if ye doe ye shall do singulare pleasure to your friendes ye shal do great discōfort to your foes ye shal do singular good to the cōmon wealth ye shal do greatest benefit to your selues ye shal make vs humble wiues ye shal encrease your posterity ye shall be praised of all men 〈◊〉 finally shall depart the best contented men that euer the world brought forth And now bicause ye shall not thinke that we haue piked out this tale at our fingers ends thereby to séeke your sauegard and our fame and praise beholde the letters which you sent vs beholde your owne hands subscribed to the same beholde your seales assigned therunto which shall rendre true testimonie of that which vnfainedly we haue affirmed Then both deliuered their letters which viewed and séene were wel known to be their own husbāds hāds and the same so wel approued hir tale as their husbāds were the gladdest men of the world and the Duke and seignorie maruelously satisfied contēted In so much as the whole assēbly with one voice cried out for their husbands deliueraunce And so with the consent of the Duke the whole seignorie they were clerely discharged The parents cosins and friends of the husbands wiues were wonderfully amazed to here this long historie and greatly praised the maner of their deliuery accompting the women to be very wise and mistresse Isotta to be an eloquent gentlewoman for that she had so well defended the cause of their husbands of themselues Anselmo and Girolamo openly in the presence of all the people embraced and kissed their wiues with great 〈◊〉 And then the husbandes shaked one an other by the hands betwene whome began a brotherly accorde and from that time forth liued in perfect amitie and friendship exchaunging the wanton loue that either of thē bare to others wife into brotherly friendship to the great cōtentation of the whole Citie Whē the multitude assembled to heare this matter throughly was satisfied the Duke with chéereful countenance loking towarde Gismonda sayd thus vnto hir And you faire Gentlewoman what haue you to say Be bolde to vtter your minde and we will gladly heare you Mistresse Gismonda bashful to speake began wonderfully to blush into whose chekes entred an orient rud intermixed with an Alablaster white which made hir countenaunce more 〈◊〉 thā it was wont to be After she had stode still a while 〈◊〉 hir eyes declined towards the ground in comly wise lifting thē vp again with shamfast audacitie she begā to say If I most noble prince in opē audiēce shold attēpt to speake of loue wherof I neuer had experience or knew what thing it was I should be doubtful what to say therof and peraduēture durst not open mouth But hering my father of worthy memorie many times to tel that your maiestie in the time of your youth disdained not to opē your hert to receiue the amorous flames of loue being assured that ther is none but that doth loue litle or much I do not doubt but for the words which I shal speake to obtain both pitie and pardon To come then to the matter God I thank him of his goodnesse hath not permitted me to be one of that sort of women that like hipocrites do mumble their Pater nosters to saincts appering outwardly to be deuout holy and in fruite do bring forth deuils and all kindes of vices specially ingratitude whiche is a vice that dothe suck drie vp the foūtain of godly pietie Life is deare to me as naturally it is to all next which I estéeme mine honor that peraduēture is to be preferred before life bicause without honor life is of no reputatiō And where mā woman do liue in shame notorious to the world the same may be termed a liuing death rather thā a life But the loue that I beare to mine onely beloued master Aloisio here present I do esteme aboue al that iewels treasures of the world whose personage I do regard more thā mine owne life The reson that moueth me ther to is very great for before that I loued him or euer mēt to fire my minde that way he derely regarded me continually deuising which way he might win obtain my loue sparing no trauell by night day to seeke the same For which tender affectiō shold I shew my self vnkind and froward God forbid And to be plaine with your honors he is more deare acceptable vnto me than that balles of mine owne eyes being the derest things that appertaine to that furniture of the body of man without which no earthly thing can be gladsom and ioyfull to the sense and féeling Last of all his amorous and affectionate demonstration of his loue towards me by declaring him self to be careful of mine honor rather more willing to bestow his owne than to suffer the same to be touched with the left suspicion of dishonestie I can not choose but so faithfully imbrace as I am readie to guage my life for his sake rather than his finger shold ake for that offense And where hath there ben euer foūd such liberalitie in any louer What is he that hath ben euer so prodigall to employ his life the moste speciall pledge in this worlde rather than he would suffer his beloued to incurre dishonoure Many histories haue I red and Chronicles of our time and yet I haue founde fewe or none comparable vnto thys Gentleman the like of whom be so rare and seldome as white crowes or swannes of color blacke O singular liberalitie neuer heard of before O fact that can neuer be sufficiently praised O true loue most vnfained Maister Aloisio rather thā he wold haue my fame any one iote to be impaired or suffer any shadow of suspition to blemish the same frankly hath confessed himself to be a théefe regarding me mine honor more than himselfe life And albeit that he might a thousand wayes haue saued himself without the imprisonment aduersitie which he hath sustained neuerthelesse after he had said being then past remēbrāce through the fal that he fel downe frō my window perceiued how much that confession would preiudice and hurt my good name and spotte the known honestie of the same of his good wil chose to die rather than to speake any words that might bréede yll opinion of me or the least thing of the worlde that might ingendre infamie slaunder And therefore not able to cal back the words he had spoken of the fal nor by any meanes could coloure the same he thought to saue that good name of another by his own hurt If he then thus redily liberally hath protruded his life to manifest dāger for my benefit sauegard preferring min honor aboue the care of himself shall not I
no more although I sée my 〈◊〉 happe otherwise to ende than my desert required and that good lucke hath cause to worke againste me But yet against Fortune to contend is to war against my self wherof the victorie can be but 〈◊〉 Thus he passed al the day which séemed to last a thousand yeres to him that thought to receiue some good intertainmēt of his lady in whose bonds he was catched before he thought that womās malice could so farre excede or display hir venomous sting And truly that mā is void of sense whych suffreth him selfe so fondly to be charmed 〈◊〉 the peril of the abused ought to serue him for example They be to the masculine kinde a great confusion and vnwares for want of due forsight the same 〈◊〉 suffer it self to be bound taken captiue by the very thing which hath no being to worke effecte but by his own fréewil But this inchantmēt which riseth of womens beautie being to men a pleasant displeasure I thinke to be decked with that drawing vertue and allurement to punish and torment the faults of men for they once fed and baited with a fading fauor poisoned swetenesse forget their owne perfection and nousled in their foolishe fansies séeking felicitie and soueraigne gyfte in the matter wherein dothe lie the summe of their vnhappes In like maner the vertuous and shamfast dames haue not their eyes of mynd so blindfolde but that they sée whervnto those franke seruices 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faithes and vices coloured and stuffed with exterior vertue do tende and doubt not but those louers do imitate the Scorpion whose venome lyeth in hys taile the ende of such loue beyng the ruine of good renoume and the decay of former vertues For whych cause the heauens the friende of their sexe haue gyuen them a prouidence which those gentle vnfauoured louers terme to be rigor that by those meanes they may proue the desert of a suter both for their great contentation and praise and for the rest of them that do them seruice This iuste right and modeste prouidence that cruell Gentlewoman vsed not to the good and faithfull louer the Lord of Virle who was so humble a seruant of his vnkinde mistresse as his goodnesse redounded to his great 〈◊〉 and folie as manifestly may appere by that which foloweth Sir Philiberto then thinkyng to haue gained muche by hauing made promise liberally to speake to 〈◊〉 Ladie went vnto hir at the appointed time so wel a contented man truely of that grace as al the vnkindnesse past was quite forgot Nowe being come to the lodging of mistresse Zilia he found hir in the deuised place with one of hir maides wayting vpon hir When shée saw him after a litle colde entertainement she began to say vnto hym with fained ioy that neuer moued hir within these wordes Nowe syr I sée that youre late 〈◊〉 was not so straunge as I was giuen to vnder stande for the good state wherin I sée you presently to be which from henceforth shall make me beleue that the passions of men endure so long as the cause of their affections continue within their fansies much like vnto looking glasses which albeit they make the equalitie or 〈◊〉 of things represented to apere yet when the thing séene doth passe vanish away the formes also do voide out of remembraunce like the wind which lightly whorleth too fro through the plain of some depe valey Ah madame answered he how easie a matter it is for the 〈◊〉 person to counterfait both ioy dissimulatiō in one very thing which not only may forget that conceit that moueth his affections but the obiect must 〈◊〉 remaine in him as painted and 〈◊〉 in his mind Which truly as you say is a loking glasse not such one for all that as the counterfaited apparance of represented formes hath like vigor in it that the first and true 〈◊〉 shapes can so soone vanish without leauing the trace of most perfect impression of such formes wtin the mind of him which liueth vpon their only remembrance In this mirror then which by reason of the hiddē force I may wel say to be ardent burning haue I loked so wel as I can thereby to forme the sustentation of my good 〈◊〉 But the imagined shape not able to support suche perfection hath made the rest of the body to faile weakned through the minds passions in such wise as if that hope to recouer this better part half lost had not cured both the whole decay of the one had folowed by thinking to giue some accōplishmēt in the other And if you sée me Madame attain to some good state impute not the same I beséeche you but to the good will fauor which I receiue by seing you in a priuate place wherin I cōceiue greater ioy than euer I did to say vnto you the thing which you would not beleue by woords at other times procéeding from my mouth ne yet by aduertisemēt signified in my 〈◊〉 letters Notwithstāding I think that my Martyrdome is known to be such as euery man may perceiue that the summe of my desire is only to serue and obey you for so muche as I can receiue no greater comfort thā to be cōmaunded to make repaire to you to let you know that I am hole although 〈◊〉 ouer by 〈◊〉 whē you vouchsafed to employ 〈◊〉 in your seruice and thinke my self raised vp againe 〈◊〉 one 〈◊〉 thousande deathes at once when it shall please you to haue pitie vpon the grief passion which I 〈◊〉 Alas what causeth my 〈◊〉 to sée that 〈◊〉 beautie of yours to make the proofe of a crueltie so great 〈◊〉 you determined Madame thus to 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 gentleman that is ready to sacrifice himself in your 〈◊〉 whē you shal depart to him some fauor of your 〈◊〉 Do you thinke that my passions be 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 Alacke alacke the teares which I haue shed the losse of 〈◊〉 to eate and drinke the weary passed nights the long contriued sléepelesse time the restlesse turmoile of my self may well assure that my 〈◊〉 heart is of better merite than you estéeme Then séeing hir to fire hir eyes vpon the groūd and thinking that he had already wonne hir he reinforced his faire talke sighing at 〈◊〉 betwéene not sparing the 〈◊〉 which trickled 〈◊〉 alongs his face he prosecuted his talke saying Ah faire amongs the fairest would you blot that diuine beautie with a cruelty so furious as to cause the death of him which loueth you better thā him selfe Ah mine eyes which hitherto haue bene 〈◊〉 with two liuely springs to expresse the hidden griefes within my heart if your vnhappe be such that the only dame of your contemplatiōs and cause of your teares doe cause the humor to encrease which hitherto in such wise hath emptied my braine that there is no more in me to moisten your drouthe I am content to endure the same vntill my hearte shall féele the laste pangue 〈◊〉 thēe of
cōpassion and desire to giue some ease vnto hir most earnest louer yelded hir selfe to couetous gain and gredinesse for to encrease hir richesse O curssed hunger of Money how long wilt thou thus blinde the reason and sprites of men Ah perillous gulfe how many hast thou ouerwhelmed within thy bottōlesse throte whose glory had it not bene for thee had surpassed the clouds and bene equal with the brightnesse of the Sunne where now they be obscured with the thicknesse of thy fogges and palpable darknesse Alas the fruites which thou bringest forth for all thine outwarde apparance conduce no felicitie to them that be thy possessors for the dropsey that is hidden in their mind which maketh them so much the more thirsty as they drinke oft in that thirsty Fountaine is cause of their alteration and most miserable is that insaciable desire the Couetous haue to glut their appetite which can receiue no contentation This only 〈◊〉 somtimes procured the death of the great and rich Romane Crassus who through Gods punishment fell into the hands 〈◊〉 the Persians for violating and sacking the Temple of God that was in Hierusalem Sextimuleus burning with Couetousnesse and gredinesse of money did once cut of the head of his patron and defender Caius 〈◊〉 the Tribune of the people incited by the Tyrant which tormenteth the hearts of the couctous I will not speake of a good number of other examples in people of all kindes and diuers nations to come againe to Zilia Who forgetting hir vertue the first ornament and shining quality of hir honest behauior feared not the wearinesse and trauaile of way to commit hir self to the danger of losse of 〈◊〉 and to yeld to the mercy of one vnto whom she had done so great iniury as hir conscience if she hadde not lost hir right sense ought to haue made hir thinke that hee was not without desire to reuenge that wrōg 〈◊〉 done vnto him specially being in place where she was not knowne and he greatly honoured and esteemed for whose loue that Proclamation and searche of Physicke was made and ordained Ziha then hauing put in order hir affairs at home departed from Montcall and passing the Mountes arriued at Paris at such time as greatest dispaire was had of the dumbe Knights recouery When she was arriued there within fewe dayes after she inquired for them that had the charge to entertaine such as came and would take vpon them the cure of the sayd pacient For sayd she if there be any man in the world through whome the Knight may get his health I hope in God that I am she which shal haue the praise Héereof the Commissaries deputed hereunto were aduertised who caused the faire Physician to come before them and asked hir if it were she that wold take vpon hir to cure this dumbe Gentleman To whome she answeared my masters it hath pleased God to reueale vnto me a certain secrete very proper and meete for the cure of his malady wherewithall if the pacient will I hope to make him speake so well as he did these two yeres past more I suppose sayd one of the Commissaries that you be not ignorant of the 〈◊〉 of the Kings Proclamation I know ful quod she the effect therof therfore do say vnto you that I wil loose my life if I doe not accomplish that which I doe promise vpon condition that I may haue licence to tary with him alone bicause it is of no lesse importance than his health It is no maruell sayde the Commissary considering your beauty which is sufficiēt to frame a new tong in the most 〈◊〉 person that is vnder the heauens And therefore do your indeuor assuring you that you shall doe a great pleasure vnto the King and besides the prayse which you shall acquire gette the good wil of the dumbe gentleman which is the most excellent man of the world and therefore shall be so wel recompensed as you shal haue good cause to be routented with the Kings liberalitie But to the intent you be not deceiued the meaning of the Proclamation is that within xv dayes after you begin the cure you must make him hole or else to satisfie the paines ordained in the same Wherunto she submitted hir self blinded by Auarice and presumptiō thinking that she had like power ouer the Lord of Virle as when she gaue him that sharpe and cruel penance These conditions promised the Commissaries went to aduertise the Knight how a Gentlewoman of Piedmont was of purpose come into Fraunce to helpe him whereof he was maruellously astonned Now he would neuer haue thought that Zilia had borne him so great good wil as by abasing the pride of hir corage would haue come so farre to ease the grief of him whome by such great torments she had so wonderfully persecuted He thought againe that it was the Gentlewoman his neighboure which sometimes had done hir endeuor to helpe him and had prouoked Zilia to absolue him of his faithe and acquite him of his promise Musing vpon the diuersitie of these things not knowing wherupon to settle his iudgement the deputies commaunded that the woman Physitian shold be brought to speake with the patient Which was done and brought in place the Commissaries presently with drew themselues The Lord of Virle seeing his enimie come before him whom sometimes he loued very 〈◊〉 iudged by and by the cause wherefore she came that onely auarice and gredy desire of gaine 〈◊〉 rather procured hir to passe the mountains trauail than due and honest amitie wherwith she was double boūd through his perseuerance and humble seruice wherby hée was estraunged of himselfe as he fared like a shadowe and image of a dead man Wherfore callyng to mynd the rigour of his Ladie hir inciuilitie and fonde commandement so long time to forbidde his speache the loue which once he bare hir with a vehement desire to obey hir sodainly was so cooled and qualified that loue was turned into hatred and will to serue hir into an appetite of reuenge whervpon he determined to vse that present fortune and to playe his parte with hir vpon whom he had so foolishly doted and to pay hir with that mōney wherwith she made hint féele the fruites of vnspeakable crueltie to giue example to fonde and presumptuous dames how they did abuse Gentlemen of such degrée whereof the Knyght was and that by hauing regarde to the merite of such personages they be not so prodigall of themselues as to set their honoure in sale for vile rewarde and filthy mucke which was so constantly conserued and defended by this Gentlewoman against the assaultes of the good grace beautie calour and gentlenesse of that vertuous and honest suter And notwithstanding in these dayes we sée some to resist the amitie of those that loue for an opinion of a certaine vertue which they thinke to be hidden within the corps of excellent beautie who afterwards do set them selues to sale to him that giueth
sight the Ladie brought the seruauntes of these Noble men willing them to marke and beholde the diligence of their maisters and to imitate the industry of their goodly exercise who neuer attained meat before by laboure they had gained the same Which done she made thē take their horse furnitures of their Lords and to depart otherwise if by violence they resisted she wold cause their choler to be calmed with such like seruice as they sawe done before their eyes The seruaunts séeing no remedy but must néedes depart toke their leaue Afterwards she sent one of hir seruauntes in poste to the Court to aduertise hir husbād of all that which chaunced The Boeme Knight receiuing this good newes declared the same vnto the King and Quéene and recited the whole story of the two Hungarian Barons accordingly as the tenor of his wiues letters did purporte The Princes stoode stil in great admiration and highly commended the wisdome of the Lady 〈◊〉 hir for a very sage and politike woman Afterwardes the Knight Vlrico humbly besought the King for execution of his decrée and performance of the bargaine Wherupon the King assembled his counsell and required euery of them to say their mind Upon the deliberation whereof the Lord Chauncelor of the kingdome with two Counsellers were sent to the Castle of the Boeme Knight to enquire and learne the processe and doings of the two Lords who diligently accomplished the Kings commaundemēt And hauing examined the Lady and hir maiden with other of the house the Barons also whome a little before the arriual of these Cōmissioners the Lady had caused to be put together that by spinning réeling they might cōfort one an other Whē the Lord Chaūcelor had framed digested in order the whole discours of this history retourned to the court where the King Quene with the Pieres Noble men of his kingdom caused the actes of the same to be diuulged bruted abrode and after much talke and discourse of the performance of this cōpact pro cōtra the Quéene taking the Ladies parte and fauoring the Knight the King gaue sentēce that sir Vlrico shold wholy possesse the lands and goods of the two Barons to him and to his heirs for euer and that the Barons shold be banished out of the kingdoms of Hungarie Boeme neuer to returne vpon paine of death This sentēce was put in execution the vnfortunat Barōs exiled which specially to those that wer of their consanguinitie and bloud séemed too seuere rigorous Neuerthelesse the couenaunt being most plaine euident to most men the same séemed to be pronounced with great Iustice and equitie for example in time to come to lessō rash wits how they iudge déeme so indifferētly of womēs behauiors amōgs whom no doubt ther be both good bad as there be of men Afterwardes the. y. Princes sent for the Lady to that Court who there was courteously intertained for this hir wise politike fact had in great admiration The Quéene then appointed hir to be one of hir womē of honor estemed hir very déerely The knight also daily grew to great promotion well beloued and fauored of the King who with his Lady lōg time liued in great ioy felicitie not forgetting the cunning mā Pollacco that made him the image and likenesse of his wife whose frendship and labor he rewarded with money and other benefites very liberally Dom Diego and Gineura ¶ DOM DIEGO a Gentleman of Spaine 〈◊〉 in loue with faire GINEVRA and she with him their loue by meanes of one that enuied DOM DIEGO his happie choise was by default of light credite on hir part interrupted He constant of minde fell into despair and abandoning all his 〈◊〉 and liuing repaired to the Pyrene Mountains where he led a sauage life for certain mōths and afterwardes knowne by one of his friendes was by maruellous circumstaunce reconciled to hys 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and maried The. xxix Nouel MEnnes mischaunces occurring on the bruntes of diuers Tragicall fortunes albeit vpon their first taste of bitternesse they sauor of a certaine kinde of lothsome relish yet vnder the Kinde of that vnsauerouse sappe doeth lurke a swéeter honie than swéetenesse it selfe for the fruite that the posterity may gather and learne by others hurtes howe they may 〈◊〉 and shunne the like But bicause all things haue their seasons and euery thing is not conuenient for all times and places I purpose now to shewe a Notable example of a vaine and superstitious Louer that abandoned his liuing and friendes to become a Sauage desert man Which Historie resembleth in a manner a Tragical comedie comprehending the very same mater and argument wherewith the greatest part of the 〈◊〉 sortearme them selues to couer and defende their follies It is red and séene too often by common custome and therfore 〈◊〉 héere to display what rage doeth gouerne and headlong hale fonde and licentious youthe conducted by the pangue of loue if the same be not moderated by reason and cooled with sacred lessons euen from the Cradle to more mature and riper age For the Tiranny of loue amongs all the deadly foes that 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 our mindes glorieth of his force vaunting himselfe able to chaunge the proper nature of things be they neuer so sounde and perfect who to make them like his lustes 〈◊〉 himself into a substance qualified diuersly the better to intrap such as be giuen to his vanities But hauing auouched so many examples before I am content for this present to tel the discourse of two persons chaunced not long sithens in Catheloigne Of a Gentleman that for his constancy declared two extremities in him selfe of loue and follie And of a Gentlewoman so fickle and inconstant as loue and they which waited on him be disordered for the trustlesse ground wherupon such foundation of seruice is layed which ye shall easely conceiue by well viewing the difference of these twaine 〈◊〉 I meane to 〈◊〉 to the listes by the blast of this 〈◊〉 trumpe And thus the same beginneth Not long after that the victorious Noble prince yong 〈◊〉 the sonne of Alphonsus King of Aragon was dead Levves the twelfth that time being Frenche King vpon the Marches of Catheloigne betwene Barcelona and the Mountaines there was a good Lady then a widow which had bene the wife of an excellent and Noble knight of the Countrey by whome she had left one only daughter which was so carefully brought 〈◊〉 by the mother as nothing was to deare or heard to be brought to passe for hir desire thinking that a creature so Noble and perfecte could not be trained vp too delicately Now bisides hir incōparable furniture of beautie this yong Gentlewoman was adorned with haire so faire curle and yealow as the new fined gold was not matchable to the shining lockes of this tender infant who therefore commonly was called Gineura la Blonde Halfe a dayes iorney from the house of this widow lay the lands of
starre most bright Now sith my willing vow is made I humbly pray hir grace To end th'accord betwene vs pight no longer time to tracte Which if it be by sured band so haply brought to passe I must my self thrice happy coūt for that most heauenly fact This song made the company to muse who commided the trim inuention of the Knight and aboue al Gineura praised him more than before could not so well refraine hir lokes from him he with countre change rendring like againe but that the two widowes their mothers conceiued great héede therof reioysing greatly to sée the same desirous in time to couple them together For at that present they deferred the same in cōsideration they were both very yong Notwithstāding it had bene better that the same coniunction had bene made before fortune had turned the whéele of hir vnstablenesse And truely delay and prolongation of time sometimes bringeth such and so great missehaps that one hundred times men cursse their fortune and little aduise in foresight of their infortunate chaunces that commonly do come to passe As it chaūced to these widowes one of them thinking to loose hir sonne by the vaine behauior of the others daughter who without that helpe of God or care vnto his will disparaged hir honor and prepared a poyson so daungerous for hir mothers age that the foode therof prepared the way to the good Ladies graue Nowe whiles this loue in this maner increased and that desire of these two Louers flamed forth ordinarily in fire and flames more violent Dom Diego all chaunged and transformed into a newe man receiued no delite but in the sight of his Gineura And she thought that there could be no greater felicitie or more to be wished for than to haue a friend so perfect and so wel accomplished with all things requisite for the ornament and full furniture of a Gentleman This was the occasion that the yong Knight let no wéeke to passe without visiting his mistresse twice or thrice at the least and she did vnto him the greatest curtesie and best entertainment that vertue could suffer a maiden to doe who is the diligent treasurer and carefull tutor of hir honor And this she did by consēt of hir mother In like manne rhonestie doth not permit that chaste maidens should vse long talke or immoderate spéeche with the first that be suters vnto them much lesse séemely it is for them to be ouer squeimishe nice with that man which séeketh by way of marriage to winne power and title of the body which in very dede is or ought to be the moitie of their soule Such was that desires of these two Louers which notwithstanding was impéeched by meanes as hereafter you shal heare For during the rebounding ioy of these faire couple of loyall louers it chaunced that the daughter of a noble man of the Countrey named Ferrando de la Serre which was faire comely wise and of very good behauior by kéeping daily company with Gineura fel extréemely in loue with Dom Diego and assayed by all meanes to do him to vnderstand what the puissance was of hir loue which willingly she meant to bestowe vpon him if it wold please him to honor hir so much as to loue hir with like 〈◊〉 But the Knight which was no more his own man 〈◊〉 rather possessed of another had lost with his libertie his wits and minde to marke the affection of this Gentlewoman of whome he made no accompt The Maiden neuerthelesse ceased not to loue him and to 〈◊〉 al possible wayes to make him hir owne And knowing how much Dom Diego loued Hawking she bought a 〈◊〉 the best in all the Countrey and sent the same to Dom Diego who with all his heart receiued the same and effectuously gaue hir thanks for that desired gift praying the messanger to recommend him to the good grace of his Mistresse and to assure hir selfe of his faithfull seruice and that for hir sake he would kepe the hauk so tenderly as the balles of his eyes This Hauk was the cause of the ill fortune that afterwards chaunced to this pore louer For going many times to sée Gineura with the Hauke on his fist bearing with him the tokens of the goodnesse of his Hauke it escaped his mouthe to say that the same was one of the things that in all the world he loued best Truely this worde was taken at the first bound contrary to his meaning wherwith the matter so fell out as afterwards by despaire he was like to lose his life Certaine dayes after as in the absence of the Knight talke rose of his vertue and honest conditions one prainsing his prowesse valiaunce another his great beautie and curtesy another passing further extolling the sincere 〈◊〉 and constācy which appeared in him touching matters of loue one enuious person named Gracian spake his minde thē in this wise I wil not deny but that Dom Diego is one of the most excellent honest and brauest Knightes of Catheloigne but in matters of Loue he séemeth to me so waltering and inconstant as in euery place where he commeth by and by he falleth in loue and maketh as though he were sick and wold die for the same Gineura maruelliing at those woords sayd vnto him I pray you my friende to vse better talke of the Lorde Dom Diego For I do thinke the loue which the Knight doth beare to a Gentlewoman of this Countrey is so firme and assured that none other can remoue the same out of the siege of his minde Lo how you be deceiued gentlewoman quod Gracian for vnder coloure of 〈◊〉 seruice he and such as he is doe abuse the simplicitie of yong Gentlewomen And to proue my saying true I am assured that he is extremely enamored with the daughter of Dom Ferrando de la Serre of whome he receiued an Hauke that he loueth aboue all other things Gineura remembring the words which certaine dayes before Dom Diego spake touching his Hauke began to suspect and beleue that which master Gracian alleaged and not able to support the choler which colde iealosie bred in hir stomake went into hir Chamber full of so great grief and heauinesse as she was many times like to kill hir self In the end hoping to be reuenged of the wrong which she beleued to receiue of Dom Diego determined to endure hir fortune paciently In the meane time she conceiued in hir minde a despite and hatred so great and extreame against the pore Gentleman that thought little héereof as the former loue was nothing in respect of the reuenge by death which she then desired vpon him Who the next day after his wonted maner came to sée hir hauing to his great damage the Hauke on his fiste which was the cause of all that iealosse Nowe as the Knight was in talke with the mother séeing that his beloued came not at all according to hir custome to salute him and bid him welcome inquired how she
obscure and birth of no aparant reputation Behold what maketh me beleue that 〈◊〉 so well as Fortune is not onely blynde but also dazeleth the syghte of them that hée imbraceth and captiuateth vnder hys power and bondage But I make 〈◊〉 vowe false woman that it shall neuer come to passe and that thys maister Biskaye shall neuer enioye the spoyles whiche iustely bée due vnto the trauaple and faythfull seruice of the valyaunt and vertuous 〈◊〉 Dom Diego It shall be hée or else I will dye for it whyche shall haue the recompense of his troubles and shal féele the caulme of that tempest whych presently holdeth hym at anker amydde the moste daungerous rockes that euer were By thys meanes Roderico knewe the way howe to kéepe promyse wyth hys friende whyche lyued in expectation of the same The two dayes paste whereof the Page hadde spoken the beloued of Gineura sayled not to come and wyth hym two Gallauntes of Biskaye valyaunt Gentlemen and well exercised in armes That nyghte Roderico wente to sée the olde wydowe Ladye the mother of the mayden and syndyng oportunitie to speake to the Page he sayde vnto hym I sée my friende accordingly as you told mée that you 〈◊〉 vpon departing the Steward of the house béeing nowe returned I praye thée tell mée yf thou haue néede of mée or of anye thyng that I am able doe for thée assuryng thée that thou shalte obtayne and haue what so euer thou requirest And therewithall I haue thought good to tell thée and gyue thée warnyng for thyne owne sake specially that thou kéepe all thyngs close and secrete that no 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 doe followe to blotte and deface the fame and prayse of thy Mistresse And for my selfe I hadde rather dye than once to open my mouthe to discouer the least intente of this enterpryse But tell mée I praye thée when do you depart Syr quod the page As my mystresse sayth to morow about ten or eleuen of the clocke in the euenyng when the Ladye hir mother shall bée in the sounde of hir fyrst sléepe The knyght hearyng that and desirous of no better time tooke hys leaue of the Page and wente home where hée caused to bée sente for tenne or twelue Gentlemen hys neyghboures and tenauntes whom he made priuie of his secretes and partakers of that he wente about to delyuer out of captiuitie and miscrie the chiefest of all hys friendes The nyghte of those twoo louers departure beyng come Dom Roderico which knewe the waye where they shoulde passe be stowed hym selfe and hys companye in Ambushe in a little groue almoste thrée myles off the lodgyng of this fugitiue Gentlewoman where they hadde not long taried but they hearde the trampling of horsse and a certaine whispring noyse of people rydyng before them Nowe the nyghte was somewhat cléere whych was the cause that the Knyght amongs the throng knewe the Gentlewoman besides whome rode the miserable wretche that hadde 〈◊〉 hir away Whome so soone as Roderico perceyued full of despite moued with extreme passion welding his launce into his rest brake in the nerest way vpon the infortunat louer with 〈◊〉 vehemencie as neither coate of maile or placard was able to saue his lyfe or warraunt him to kéepe companie with that troupe which banded vnder loues Enseigne was miserably slaine by the guide of a blynde naked and thieuish litle boye And when he saw he had done that he came for he sayd to the rest of the companie My friends this man was carelesse to make inuasion vpon other mens ground These poore Biskayes surprised vpon the sodaine and séeyng the ambushment to multiplie put spurres to their horsse to the best aduantage they coulde for expedition leauing their 〈◊〉 or gaping for breth gyuing a signe that he was dead Whiles the other were making them selues readie to runne away two of Roderico his men couered wyth skarfes armed and vnknowne came to sease vpon sorowfull Gineura who beholding hir friend deade began to wepe and crie so straungely as it was maruell that hir breath fayled not Ah traiterous théenes sayd she and bloodie murderers why do ye not addresse your selues to execute crueltie vpon the rest 〈◊〉 you haue done to death him that is of greater value than you all 〈◊〉 my dere friend what crooked and greuous fortune haue I to sée thée groueling dead on the grounde and I abyding in life to be the praie of murderous theues thou so cowardly bereued of life Roderico with his face couered drewe nere vnto hir and sayde I beséeche you gentlewoman to forget these strange fashions of complaint sith by them ye be not able to reuiue the deade ne yet make your ende of griefs The maidē knowing the voice of him that had bereued hir freinde began to crie out more fiercely than before For which cause one of the Gentlemen a companion of Roderico hauyng a blacke counterfait bearde with two lunets in maner of spectacles very large and greate that couered the most part of his face approched nere the basheful mayden and with bigge voice and terrible talke holdyng his dagger vpon hir white and delicate breast said vnto hir I sweare by the Almightie God if I heare thée speak one word more I wil sacrifice thée vnto the gost of that varlet for whome thou makest thy mone who deserued to ende his dayes vpon a gallowe trée rather than by the hands of a gentleman Hold thy peace therfore thou foolish girle for greater honour and more ample benefite is meant to thée than thou 〈◊〉 deserued Ingratitude onely hath so ouerwhelmed thy good nature that thou art not able to iudge who be thy friends The Gentlewoman fearing deth which as she thought was present held hir peace downe alongs whose eies a riuer of teares dydde runne and the passion of whose heart appeared by 〈◊〉 sighes and neuer ceassing sobbes whiche in ende so qualified hir chéere that the exteriour sadnesse was wholly inclosed in the mynde and thought of the afflicted Gentlewoman Then Roderico caused the body of the dead to be buried in a little Countrey chappell not farre oute of their way Thus they trauailed two dayes before Gineura knew any of them that had taken hir away from hir louer euen so they permitted none to speake vnto hir nor to any of hir companie whiche was none else but a waytyng mayde and the page that hadde discouered all the secretes to Dom Roderico A notable example surely for stolne and secrete mariages whereby the honour of the contraded partes is moste commonly blemyshed the commaundement of God violated who enioyneth obedience to our parents in all rightfull causes who 〈◊〉 for any light 〈◊〉 they haue power to take from vs the 〈◊〉 which otherwise naturall lawe woulde giue vs 〈◊〉 ought they of duetie to doe where rebellious 〈◊〉 abusing their goodnesse do consume without feare of 〈◊〉 bertie the thyng whiche is in the hande and wyll 〈◊〉 their fathers In like manner dyuers vndiscréete 〈◊〉
pangs of death by remēbring the glory of my thought sith the recitall bringeth with it a tast of the trauails which you haue suffred for my ioy contentation It is therfore quod she that I think my self happy for by that meanes I haue knowne the perfect qualities that be in you haue proued two extremities of vertue One consisteth in your cōstancie and loyaltie wherby you may vaunt your self aboue him that sacrificed his life vpō the bloudy body of his Lady who for dying so finished his trauails Where you haue chosen a life worse than death no lesse painfull a hundred times a day than very death it self The other cōsisteth in the clemency wherwith you calme and appease the rage of your greatest aduersaries As my self which before hated you to death vanquished by your curtesie do confesse that I am double bound vnto you both for my life and honor and hearty thankes doe I render to the Lord Roderico for that violence he did vnto me by which meanes I was induced to acknowledge my wrong the right which you had to complaine of my folish resistance All is wel sayd Roderico sith without perill of honor we may returne home to our houses I intend therefore sayd he to send woord before to my Ladies your mothers of your returne for I know how so wel to couer and excuse this our enterprise and secrete iorneis as by Gods assistāce no blame or displeasure shal ensue therof And like as sayd he smiling I haue builded the fortresse which shot into your campe and made you flie euen so I hope Gentlewoman that I shall be the occasion of your victory when you combat in close cāpe with your swéete cruel enimy Thus they passed the iorney in pleasant talke recompēsing the. 〈◊〉 louers with al honest vertuous intertainmēt for their 〈◊〉 and troubles past In the meane while they sent one 〈◊〉 their seruants to the two widow ladies which were 〈◊〉 great care for their childrē to aduertise them that Gineura was gone to visite Dom Diego then being in one of the castles of Roderico where they were determined if it were their good pleasure to consūmate their mariage hauing giuen faith affiance one to the other The mother of Gineura could not here tel of more pleasant newes for she had vnderstāded of the folish flight escape of hir daughter with that steward of hir house wherof she was very sorowful for grief was like to die but assured recōforted with those news she 〈◊〉 not to mete the mother of Dom Diego at the apointed place whither the y. louers were arriued two days before There the mariage of that fair couple so long desired was 〈◊〉 with such magnificence as was requisite for the state of those two noble houses Thus the torment 〈◊〉 made the ioy to sauour of some other taste than they do feele which without pain in that exercise of loues pursute attain the top of their desires And truly their pleasure was altogether like to him that nourished in superfluous delicacie of meates can not aptely so well iudge of pleasure as he which sometimes lacketh that abundance And verily Loue without bitternesse is almost a cause without effectes for he that shall take away griefs and troubled fansies from louers depriueth them of the praise of their stedfastnesse and maketh baine the glorie of their perseuerance for he is vnworthie to beare away the price and garlande of triumph in the conflict that behaueth himself like a coward and doth not obserue the lawes of armes and manlike dueties in the combat This historie then is a mirrour for loyall louers and chaste suters and maketh them detest the vnshamefastnesse of those which vpon the first view do folowe with might and maine the Gentlewoman or Ladie that giueth them good face or countenāce wherof any gentle heart or mind noursed in the scholehouse of vertuous education will not bée squeymish to those that shal by chast salutation or other incountrie doe their curteous reuerence This historie also yeldeth contempt of them which in their affection forget them selues abasting the generositie of their courages to be reputed of fooles the true champions of Loue whose like they be that desire such regarde For the perfection of true Loue consisteth not in passions in sorowes griefes martirdomes or cares and much lesse arriueth he to his desire by sighes exclamations wepings and childish playnts for so much as vertue ought to be the bande of that indissoluble amitie which maketh the vnion of the two seuered bodies of that woman man which Plato describeth causeth man to trauell for his whole accomplishment in that true pursute of chast loueIn which labor truly fondly walked Dom Diego thinkyng to finde the same by his dispaire amidde the sharp solitarie deserts of those Pyrene mountains And truly the duetie of his perfect friende did more liuely disclose the same what fault so euer he dyd than all his countenances eloquent letters or amorous messages In like maner a man dothe not know what a treasure a true friend is vntil he hath proued his excellencie specially where necessitie maketh him to tast the swetnesse of such delicate meate For a friend being a second himself agréeth by a certaine natural 〈◊〉 attonement to the affections of him whō he loueth both to participate his ioyes and pleasures and to sorrowe his aduersitie where Fortune shall vse by some misaduentures to shewe hir accustomed moblitie Salimbene and Angelica ¶ A Gentleman of SISNA called ANSELMO SALIMBENE curteously and gently deliuereth his 〈◊〉 from death The condemned partie seing the kinde parte of SALIMBENE rendreth into his hands his sister ANGELICA with whome he was in loue which gratitude and curtesie SALIMBENE well marking moued in conscience woulde not abuse hir but for recompense toke hir to his wife The. xxx Nouel WE do not mean here to discouer the sumptuositie magnificence of Palaces stately won derfull to the viewe of mē ne yet to reduce to memorie that maruellous effects of mās industry to build and lay foúdations in the déepest chanel of the maine sea ne to describe their ingenious industrie in breking the craggy mountaines and hardest rocks to ease the crooked passages of wearie wayes for armies to marche through inaccessible places Onely now do we pretende to shewe the effects of loue whiche surmount all opinion of cōmon things and appere so miraculous as the founding and erecting of the Collisaei Colossaei Theatres Amphitheatres Pyramides and other workes wonderful to the world for that the hard indured path of hatred and displeasure long time begoon and obstinately pursued with straunge crueltie was conuerted into loue by theffect of loue and concorde suche as I know none but is so much astoonned as he may haue good cause to wonder consideryng the stately foundations vpon which kings and great monarches haue employed the chiefest reuenues of their prouinces Nowe like as Ingratitude is a vice of
was called Angēlica a name of trouth without offense to other due to hir For in very déede in hir were harbored the vertue of curtesy and gentlenesse and was so wel instructed and nobly brought vp as they which loued not the name or race of hir could not forbeare to commend hir and wish that their daughter were hir like In suche wise as one of hir chiefest foes was so sharpely beset with hir vertue and beautie as he lost his quiet sléepe lust to eate drinke His name was Anselmo Salimbene who wold willingly haue made sute to marry hir but the discord past quite mortified his desire so sone as he had deuised the plot within his braine and fansie Notwithstāding it was impossible that the loue so liuely grauen and 〈◊〉 in his minde could easily be defaced For if once in a day he had not séene hir his heart did fele the tormēts of tosting flames and wished that the Hunting of the Bore had neuer decayed a familie so excellent to the intent he might haue matched himself with hir whome none other coulde displace out of his remembraunce which was one of the richest Gentlemen and of greatest power in Siena Now for that he ourst not discouer his amorous grief to any person was the chiefest cause that martired most his heart for the auncient festred malice of those two families he despaired for euer to gather either floure or fruit of that affection presupposing that Angelica would neuer fire hir loue on him for that his Parents were the cause of the defaite ouerthrow of the Montanine house But what There is nothing durable vnder the heauens Both good and euill 〈◊〉 their reuolution in the gouernement of humane affaires The amities and hatreds of Kings and Princes be they so hardned as commonly in a moment he is not 〈◊〉 to be a hearty friend that lately was a 〈◊〉 foe and spired naught else but the ruine of his aduer farie We sée the varietie of humane chaunces and then 〈◊〉 iudge at eye what great simplicitie it is to stay settle certain and infallible iudgemit vpon 〈◊〉 vnstayed doings He that erst gouerned a king made all things to tremble at his word is sodainly throwne downe dieth a shamefull death In like sort another which loketh for his owne vndoing séeth himselfe aduaunced to his estate againe and vengeaunce taken of his enimies Calir Bassa gouerned whilom that great Mahomet that wan the Empire of Constantinople who attempted nothing without the aduise of that Bassa But vpon the sodain he saw himself reiected the next day strangled by commaundement of him which so greatly honored him without iust cause did him to a death so cruell Contrariwise Argon the T artarian entring armes against his vncle Tangodor Caui when he was vpon the point to lose his life for his rebellion and was conueyed into Armenia to be executed there was rescued by certain T artarians the houshold seruaūtes of his dead vncle and afterwards proclaimed king of T artarie about the yere 1285. The example of the Empresse Adaleda is of no lesse credit than the former who being fallen into the hands of Beranger the vsurper of that Empire escaped his fury and cruelty by flight in the end maried to Otho the first saw hir wrong reuenged vpō Beranger and al his race by hir sonne Otho the second I aduouch these histories to proue the mobility of fortune the chaunge of worldly chaunces to the end you may sée that the very same miserie which followed Charles Montanine hoisted him aloft again when he loked for least succor he saw deliueraunce at hād Now to prosecute our history know ye that while Salimbenc by little litle pined for loue of Angelica wherof she was ignorāt carelesse and albeit she curteously rendred health to him when somtime in his amorous fit he beheld hir at a window yet for al that she neuer gessed the thoughts of hir louing enimy During these haps it chaūced that a rich citizen of Siena hauing a ferme adioyning to the lāds of Montanine desirous to encrease his patrimonie annere the same vnto his owne and knowing that the yong gentleman wanted many things moued him to sel his inheritaunce offring him for it in redy mony a M. Ducates Charles which of all the wealth substaunce left him by his auncester had no more remaining but that countrey ferme a Palace in the Citie so the rich Italians of eche city terme their houses and with that litle liued honestly maintained his sister so wel as he could refused flatly to dispossesse himselfe of that porcion which renewed vnto him that happy memory of those that had ben the chief of al the cōmon wealth The couetous wretch seing himself frustrate of his pray conceiued such rancor against Montanine as he purposed by right or wrōg to make him not only to for fait the same but also to lose his life following the wicked desire of tirannous Iesabel that made Naboth to be stoned to death to extorte and wrongfully get his vineyarde About that time for the quarels cōmon discordes raigning throughout Italy that nobilitie were not assured of safety in their countreis but rather the cōmon sort rascall nūber were that chief rulers and gouerners of the cōmon wealth whereby the greatest part of the nobilitie or those of best authoritie being banished the villanous band and grosest kind of common people made a law like to the Athenians in the time of Solon that all persons of what degrée cōditiō so euer they were which practized by himselfe or other meanes the restablishing or reuocation of such as wer banished out of their Citie shold lose forfaite the sum of M. Florens and hauing not wherewith to pay the condempnation their heade should remaine for gage A law no dout very iust and righteous scenting rather of the barbarous cruelty of the Gothes and 〈◊〉 thā of true christians stopping the retire of innocents exiled for particular quarels of Citizens incited one against another and rigorously rewarding mercy and curtesie with execution of cruelty incomparable This citizen then purposed to accuse Montanine for offending against the lawe bicause otherwise he could not purchase his entent and the same was easy inough for him to compasse by reason of his authority and estimation in the Citie for the enditement and plea was no sooner red and giuen but a number of post knightes appeared to depose against the pore gentleman to beare witnesse that he had trespassed the lawes of the Countrey and had sought meanes to introduce the banished with intent to kill the gouerners and to place in state those 〈◊〉 that were the cause of the Italian troubles The miserable gentleman knew not what to do ne how to defend himself There were against him the Moone the. vy starres the state of the Citie the Proctor and Iudge of the court the witnesses that gaue
where he had remained for a certaine time and passing before the house of his Ladie according to his custome heard the voice of women maidens which mourned for Montanine therwithal stayd the chiefest cause of his stay was for that he saw go forth out of the palace of his Angelica diuers women making mone lamentation wherfore he demaūded of that neighbors what noise that was whether any in those quarters were dead or no. To whom they declared at length all that which ye haue heard before Salimbene hearing this story went home to his house being secretly entred into his chāber begā to discourse with himself vpon that accident and 〈◊〉 a thousand things in his head in the ende thought that Charles shold not so be cast away wer he iustly or innocently condemned and for the only respect of his sister that she might not be left destitute of all the goodes and inheritance Thus discoursing diuers things at length he sayd I were a very simple person now to rest in dout sith Fortune is more curious of my felicitie than I could wish and séeketh the effecte of my desires when lest of all I thought vpon them For behold Montanine alone is left of al the mortal enimies of our house which to morow openly shall lose his head like a rebell seditious person vpon whose auncesters in him shall I bée reuenged and the quarell betwene our two families shall take ende hauing no more cause to feare renuing of discorde by any that can descend from him And who shall let me then from inioying hir whom I do loue hir 〈◊〉 being dead and his goodes confiscate to the segniorie and she without all maintenance and relief except the aide of hir onely beautie and curtesie What maintenance shall she haue if not by the loue of some honest Gentleman that for his pleasure may support hir and haue pitie vpon the losse of so excellent beautie Ah Salimbene what hast thou sayd Hast thou alreadie forgotten that a Gentleman for that only cause is estemed aboue all other whose glorious factes oughte to shine before the brightnesse of those that force themselues to folow vertue Art not thou a Gentleman borne and bredde in noble house ssued from the loines of gentle and noble parents Is it ignorant vnto thée that it pertaineth vnto a noble and gentle hearte to reuenge receiued iniuries himself without séeking aide of other or else to pardon them by vsing clemencie and princely curtesie burying all desire of vengeaunce vnder the tombe of eternall obliuion And what greater glorie can man acquire than by vanquishing himself and chastising his affections and rage to bynde him whiche neuer thought to receiue pleasure or benefite at his hand It is a thing which excedeth the cōmon order of nature and so it is mete and requisite that the most excellent do make the effects of their excellencie appeare and séeke means for the immortalitie of their remembrāce The great Dictator Caesar was more praised for pardoning his 〈◊〉 and for shewing him selfe curteous and easie to be spoken to than for subduing the braue and valiant Galles and Britons or vanquishing the mightie Pompee Dom Roderico Viuario the Spaniard although he might haue ben reuenged vpon Dom Pietro king of Aragon for his infidelitie bicause he went about to hinder his voyange against the Saracens at Grenado yet wold not punishe or raunsom him but taking him prisoner in the warres suffered him to go without any tribute or any exaction of him and his 〈◊〉 The more I folowe the example of mightie personages in things that be good the more notorious and wonderful shal I make my self in their rare and noble déedes And not willing to forget a wrong done vnto me whereof may I cōplain of Montanine what thing hath hée euer done against me or mine And albeit his predecessors were enimies to our familie they haue therfore borne the penance more hard than the sin deserued And truly I shold be afrayd that God wold suffer me to 〈◊〉 into some mishap if séeing one afflicted I shold reioyse in his affliction take by his decay an argument of ioy plesure No no Salimbene is not of minde that such fond imagination should bereue good will to make himselfe a friend to gaine by liberalitie curtesie hir which for hir only vertue deserueth a greater lord than I. Being asiured that there is no man except he were 〈◊〉 of al good nature humanitie specially bering the loue to Angelica that I do but he woulde be sory to see hir in such heauinesse and dispaire wold attempt to deliuer hir from such dolorous grief For if I loue hir as I do in dede must not I likewise loue al that which she earnest ly loueth as him that is now in daunger of death for a simple fine of a thousand Florens That my heart doe make appere what the loue is which maketh me tributarie and subiect to faire Angelica that eche man may know that furious loue hath vanquisht kings greate monarches it behoueth not me to be abashed if I which am a man subiect tapassiōs so wel as other do submit my self to the seruice of hir who I am assured is so vertuous as euē very necessitie cannot force hir to forget the house wherof she toke hir original Uaunt thy self then 〈◊〉 Angclica to haue forced a heart of it selfe impregnable giuen him a wound which the stoutest lads might sooner haue depriued of life than put him out of the way of his gentle kind And 〈◊〉 Montanine thinke that if thou wilte thy selfe thou wynnest to day so heartie a friende as onely death shall separate the vnion of vs twaine and of all our posteritie It is I nay it is I my selfe that shall excell thée in duetie poynting the way for the wysest to get honor and violently compell the moued myndes of those that be oure aduersaries desiring rather vainly to forgo mine own life than to giue ouer the vertuous conceipts whiche be alreadie grifted in my minde After this long discourse séeing that the tyme required diligence he tooke a thousande Ducates and went to the Treasurer of the fines deputed by the state whom he fonnd in his office and said vnto him I haue brought you sir the Thousand Ducates which Charles Montanine is bounde to pay for his deliuerance Tell them and giue hym an acquittance that presently he may come forth The Treasorer woulde haue giuen him the rest that excéeded the summe of a Thousand Florens but Salimbene refused the same and receiuing a letter for his discharge he sent one of his seruants therwithall to the chiefe Gailer who séeing that the summe of his condemnation was payd immediatly deliuered Montanine out of the prison where he was fast shutte and fettred with great and weighty giues Charles thinkyng that some Frier had ben come to confesse hym and that they had shewed hym 〈◊〉 mercy to do him to
a Storke in cold nights perceiuing himself to be mocked assayed to open the doore or if he might goe out by some other way and seeing it 〈◊〉 stalking vp and downe like a Lion curssed the nature of the time the wickednesse of the woman the length of the night and the folly and simplicitie of himself and conceiuing great rage and despite against hir turned sodainly the long and feruent loue that he bare hir into despite and cruell hatred deuising many and diuers meanes to be reuenged which he then farre more desired thā he did in that beginning to lye with his Widow After the prolixitie and length of the night day approched and the dawning therof began to appeare wherefore the maide instructed by hir mistresse went downe into that Court and séeming to haue pitie vpon the Scholler sayd vnto him The Diuell take him that euer he came hither this night for he hath bothe let vs of sleepe and hath made you to be frosen for colde but take it paciently for this time some other night must be appointed For I know well that neuer thing could chaunce more displeasantly to my mistresse than this But the Scholler ful of disdaine like a wise man which knewe wel that threats and menacing words were weapons without hands to that threatned retained in his stomake that which intemporate will wold haue broken forth and with so quiet words as he could not shewing himself to be angry sayd In décde I haue suffred that worste night that euer I did but I knowe the same was not through your mistresse fault bicause she hauing pitie vpon me came downe to ercuse hir self and to comfort me and as you say that which cannot be to night may be done another time commend me then vnto hir and fare wel And thus the pore Scholler stiffe for colde so well as he could retourned home to his house where for extreme colde and lacke of 〈◊〉 being almost dead be threw himselfe vpon his bed and when he awaked his armes and legges were benoommed Wherfore he sent for physitions and tolde them of the colde which he had taken who incontinently prouided for his health and yet for al their best and spedie remedies they could scarce recouer his sinewes wherin they did what they could and had it not ben that he was yong the Sommer approching it had ben to much for him to haue endured But after he had recouered health and grewe to be lustie secrete malice still resting in his breast he thought vpon reuenge And it chaunced in a litle time after that Fortune prepared a newe accident to the Scholer to satisfie hys desire bycause the yong man which was beloued of the Gentlewoman not caryng my longer for hir fell in loue with an other and gaue ouer the solace and pleasure he was wont to do to mystresse Helena for which she consumed in wéepings and 〈◊〉 But hir maide hauing pitie vpon hir sorowes knowing no meanes to remoue the melancolie which she conceiued for the losse of hir friend and seing the Scholer dayly passe by acording to his common custome conceiued a foolish beliefe that hir mistresse frēd might be brought to loue hir againe and wholly recouered by some charme or other sleight of Necromancie to be wrought and broughte to passe by the Scholer Which deuise the told vnto hir mistresse and she vndiscretely and without the due consideration that if the Scholer had any knowledge in that science he woulde helpe himselfe gaue credite to the words of hir maide and by and by sayd vnto hir that she was able to bring it to passe if he woulde take it in hande and therwithall promised assuredly that for recompense he shoulde vse hir at his pleasure The maide diligently tolde the Scholer hereof who very ioyfull for those newes sayd vnto him self O God praised be thy name for now the time is come that by thy helpe I shall requite the iniuries done vnto me by this vngracious woman and bée recompensed of the great loue that I bare vnto hir and sayd to the maid Go tel thy mistresse that for this matter she néede to take no care for if hir friende were in India I could presentely force him to come 〈◊〉 and ask hir forgiuenesse of the thing he hath cōmitted against hir will And the maner and way how to vse hir self in this behalfe I will giue hir to vnderstand when it shal please hir to appoint me and faile not to tell hir what I say comforting hir in my behalf The maide caried that answer it was concluded that they should talk more hereof at the church of S. Lucie whither being come resoning together alone not remembring that she had brought the Scholer almost to the point of death she re ueled vnto him all the whole matter the thing which he desired praying him instantly to helpe hir to whom the Scholer sayd True it is Lady that amongs other thyngs whiche I learned at Paris the Arte of 〈◊〉 whereof I haue very great skill is one but bycause it is much displeasant to God I haue made an othe neuer to vse it eyther for my selfe or for any other howebeit the loue which I beare you is of such force as I can not denie you any request yea and if I shoulde be damned amongs all the deuils in hell I am readie to perform your pleasure But I tel you before that it is a harder matter to be doue than peraduēture you beleue and specally when a woman shall prouoke a man to loue and a man the woman bycause it can not be done but by the propre person whome it dothe touche and therefore it is méete what so euer is done in any wyse not to bée afrayde for that the coniuration must bée made in the night and in a solitarie place without companie Which thing I know not how you shall bée disposed to doe To whome the woman more amorous than wise aunswered Loue pricketh mée in such wise as there is nothing but I dare attēpt to haue him againe that causelesse hath forsaken me But if it be your pleasure tel me wherein it behoueth that I bée so bold and hardie The Scholer subtil ynough said I must of necessitie make an image of brasse in the name of him that you desire to haue which being sente vnto you you must when the Moone is at hir full force bath your self alone stark naked in a running riuer at the first hour of sléepe 〈◊〉 times with the same image and afterwards being still naked you must go vp into some trée or house vnhabited and turnyng youre selfe towardes the northside thereof with the image in your hand you shall say 〈◊〉 times certain words that I will giue you in writing which when you haue done two damsells shall come vnto you the fairest that euor you saw and they shall salute you humbly demaunding what youre pleasure is to commaundé them to whome you shall willingly declare in good
while vnder a bush awaked one espied the other to whom the Scoler sayd Good morow Lady be the damsels yet come The woman séeing and hearing him begā again bitterly to wéepe and prayed him to come vp to the Toure that she might speake with hym The Scholer was therunto very agreable and she lying on hir belly vpō the terrasse of the Toure discouering nothing but hir head ouer that side of the same said vnto him wéeping Rinieri truly if euer I caused thée to endure an il night thou art now well reuenged on me for although it be the moneth of 〈◊〉 I thought because I was naked that I shold haue frosen to death this night for cold besides my great and continual teares for the offense which I haue done thée and of my folly for beleuing thée that maruel it is mine eyes do remaine 〈◊〉 my head therfore I pray thee not for the loue of me whom thou oughtest not to loue but for thine own 〈◊〉 which art a gentleman that the shame paine which I haue sustained may satisfy the offense wrong I haue cōmitted against 〈◊〉 cause mine aparel to 〈◊〉 brought vnto me that I may go towne frō hēce take not that frō me which 〈◊〉 thou art not able to restore which is mine honor for if I haue depriued thée of being with me that night I cā at all times when it shall please thée render many for that 〈◊〉 Let 〈◊〉 suffise thée then with this and like an honest mā content thy self by being a little reuēged on me in making me to know what it is to hurt another Do not I pray thée practise thy power against a woman for the Egle hath no fame for conquering of the Doue Then for the loue of God and for thine honor sake haue pitie and remorse vpon me The Scholer with a cruel heart remembring the iniury that he had receiued and seing hir so to weepe and pray conceiued at one instant both pleasure griefe in his minde pleasure of the reuenge which he aboue all things desired and grief moued his manhode to haue compassion vpon the miserable woman Notwithstanding pitie not able to ouercome the fury of his desire he answered Mistresse Helena if my prayers which in 〈◊〉 I could not moisten 〈◊〉 teares ne yet swéeten them with sugred woordes as you doe yours now might haue obtained that night wherein I thought I should haue died for colde in the Court ful of snowe to haue bene conueyed by you into some couert place an easie matter it had bene for me at this instant to heare your sute But if now more than in times past your honor doe ware warme and be so greuous for you to stande starke naked make your prayers to him betwene whose armes it grieued you not at all to be naked that night wherein you heard me trot vp downe the court my téeth chattering for colde and marching vpon the snow and at his hands séeke reliefe and pray him to bring your clothes and fetche a ladder that you may come downe force your self to set your honoures care on him for whome bothe then and nowe besides many other times you haue not feared to put the same in perill why doe you not cal for him to come and help you and to whome doth your helpe better appertaine than vnto him You are his owne what things will he not prouide in this distresse of yours or else what person will hée séeke to succour if not to helpe and succour you Cal him foolish woman and proue if the loue which thou 〈◊〉 him and thy wit together with his be able to deliuer thée from my folie wherat whē both you were togethers you toke your pleasure And now thou hast experiēce whether my folly or the loue which thou diddest beare vnto him is the greatest And be not now so liberall and curteous of that which I go not about to séeke 〈◊〉 thy good nightes to thy 〈◊〉 friend if thou chaunce to escape from hence aliue for from my selfe I cléerely discharge you both And truely I haue had to much of one and sufficient it is for me to be mocked once Moreouer by thy craftie talke vttered by subtill speache and by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praise thou thinkest to force the getting of my good will and thou callest me Gentleman valiant man thinking thereby to withdrawe my valiant minde from punishing of thy wretched body but thy flateries shal not yet blear mine vnderstanding eyes as once with thy vnfaithfull promises thou diddest beguile my ouerwening wit I now too well do know and thereof 〈◊〉 thée well assure that all the time I was a scholer in Paris I neuer learned so much as thou in one night diddest me to vnderstande But put the case that I wer a valiāt man yet thou art none of them vpon whom valiance ought to shewe his effectes for the ende of repentance in such cruel beasts as thou art and the like reuenge oughte to be death alone where amongs men thy pitifull plaintes whiche so lamētably thou speakest ought to suffise But yet as I am no Eagle 〈◊〉 no Doue but a most venomous serpent I intende so well as I am able so persecute thée mine auncient enimie with the greatest malice I can deuise which I can not so proprely call reuenge as I may terme it correction for that the reuēge of a matter ought to surmount the offense yet I wil bestow no reuenge on thée for if I wer disposed to applie my mynde thervnto for respect of thy displeasure done to me thy life shoulde not suffise nor one hundred more like vnto thine which if I tooke away I shold but rid a vile mischeuous wicked woman out of the world And to say the 〈◊〉 what other deuill art thou to 〈◊〉 passe a litle beautie 〈◊〉 thy face which within few yeares will be so riueled as the oldest cribbe of the world but the most vnhappie and wicked woman the dame of the diuell himselfe for thou tookest no care to kill and destroy an honest man as thou euen now diddst terme me whose life may in time to come bée more profitable to the worlde than an hundred thousande suche as thyne so long as the worlde indureth I wil teach thée then by the pain thou suffrest what it is to mock such men as be of skil and what maner of thyng it is to delude and scorne poore Scholers giuyng thée warning hereby that thou neuer fall into such like follie if thou escapest thys But if thou haue so great a wil to come downe as thou sayest thou haste why doest thou not leape and throwe downe thy selfe that by breaking of thy necke if it so please God at one instant thou ridde thy selfe of the payne wherin thou sayest thou art and make me the beste contented man of the worlde For this time I will saye no more to thée but that I haue done inough for thée by making thée
bring hither my clothes that I may put them on cause me if it please thée to come downe from hence Then the Scholer began to laugh seing that it was a good while past 〈◊〉 of the clock he answered Well go to for that womans sake I cānot wel say nay or refuse thy request tell me where thy garments be and I wil go seke them cause thée to come down She beleuing that was somwhat comforted and told him the place where she had bestowed thē And the Scholer went out of the Toure cōmaunded his seruant to tarie there to take hede that none wēt in vntil he came againe Then he wente to one of hys friends houses where he wel refreshed himselfe and afterwards when he thought time he laide him downe to sléepe Al that space mistresse Helena which was stil vpon the Toure and recōforted with a litle foolish hope sorowfull beyond measure began to sit downe séeking some shadowed place to bestow hir self and with bitter thoughts heuy chere in good deuotiō waited for his cōming now musing now weping thē hoping sodainly dispairing that Scholers returne with hir clothes chāging frō one thought to an other like one that was werie of trauel had takē no rest al the night she fel into a litle 〈◊〉 But that sun which was passing hot being about 〈◊〉 glaūced his burning beames vpon hir 〈◊〉 body bare head with such force as not only it singed that flesh in sight but also did chip parch the same with such rosting heat as she which soundly slepte was constrained to wake féeling that raging warmth desirous somewhat to remoue hir self she thought in turning that al hir rosted skin had opened and broken like vnto a skyn of parchment holden against the fire besides which payne extreme hir heade began to ake with such vehemence as it séeme to be knocked in peces And no maruel for the pament of the Toure was so passing hotte as neyther vpon hir féete or by other remedie she could fynde place of reste Wherefore without power to abide in one place she stil remoued weping bitterly And moreouer for that no winde did blow the Toure was filled with such a swarme of Flies and Gnats as they lighting vpon hir parched flesh did so cruelly bite and sting hir that euery of them semed worsse than the pricke of a néedle which made hir to bestirre hir hāds incessantly to beate them off cursing still hir selfe hir life hir frend and Scholer And being thus and with such pain bittē and afflicted with the vehement heat of the Sun with the flies and gnats hungrie much more thirsty assailed with a thousād greuous thoughts she arose vp began to loke about hir if she could hear or sée any per son purposing whatsoeuer came of it to call for helpe But hir yll fortune had taken away al this hoped meanes of hir reliefe for the husbandmen and other laborers wer all gone out of the fields to shrowde thēselues from heate sparing their trauail abrode to thresh their corne and do other things at home by reason whereof she neither saw or heard any thing except Butterflies humble bées crickets the ryuer of Arno which making hir lust to drink of the water quenched hir thirst nothing at all but rather did augment the same She saw be sides in many places woodes shadowes and houses which likewise did bréede hir double griefe for desire she had vnto the same But what shall we speake any more of this vnhappy woman The Sunne aboue and the hot Toure paiment below with the bitings of the flies and gnats had on euery part so dressed hir tender corps that where before the whitenesse of hir body did passe the darkenesse of the night the same was become red all arayed and spotted with gore bloud that to the beholder and viewer of hir state she semed the most ill fauored thing of the world remaining in this plight without hope or councel she loked rather for death thā other comfort The Scholer after the clocke had sounded thrée in the after noone awaked and remembring his Ladie went to the Toure to sée what was become of hir sent his man to dinner that had eaten nothing all that day The Gentlewoman hearing the Scholer repaired so féeble and tormented as she was vnto the trap doore and sitting vpon the same pitifully wéeping began to say Rinieri thou art beyond measure reuenged on me for if I made thée fréese all night in mine open court thou hast tosted me to day vpō this Toure nay rather burnt and with heat consumed me and besides that to die sterne for hunger and thirst Wherfore I pray thée for Gods sake to come vp and sith my heart is faint to kill my self I pray thée heartely to doe the same For aboue all things I desire to die so great and bitter is the torment which I endure And if thou wilt not shew me that fauor yet cause a glasse of water to be brought vnto me that I may moisten my mouth sith my teares be not able to coole the same so great is the drouth heat I haue within Wel knew the Scholer by hir voice hir weake estate and sawe besides the most part of hir body all tosted with the Sunne by the viewe whereof and humble sute of hir he conceiued a little pitie Notwithstanding he answered hir in this wise Wicked woman thou shalt not die with my hands but of thine owne if thou desire the same and so much water shalt thou haue of me for cooling of thine 〈◊〉 as dampned Diues had in hell at Lazarus handes when he lifted vp his cry to Abraham holding that saued wight within his blessed bosome or as I had fire of thée for easing of my colde The greater is my griefe that the vehemence of my colde must be cured with the heat of such a stincking carion beast and thy heat healed with the coldnesse of most soote and sauerous water distilled frō the orient Rose And where I was in daūger to lose my limmes and life thou wilt renewe thy beautie like the Serpent when he casteth of his skin Oh I miserable wretche sayd the woman God giue him such beautie gotten in suche wise that wisheth me such euill But thou more cruel than any other beast what heart hast thou thus like a Tyrant to deale with me What more grieuous paine could I endure of thée or of any other than I doe if I had killed and done to death thy parents or whole race of thy stocke and kin with most cruell torments Truely I know not what greater cruelty could be vsed against a Trayter which had sacked or put a whole Citie to the sword than that thou hast done to me to make my flesh to be the foode rost meat of the Sunne and the bait for licorous flies not 〈◊〉 to reache hither a simple glasse of water which would haue
foloweth The Captaine then hauing sente his message and being sure of his intent no lesse than if he already had the brethren within his hold vpon the point to couple them together with hys wife to sende them all in pilgrimage to visite the faithfull sorte that blason their loues in an other worlde with Dido Phyllis and suche like that more for dispaire than loue bée passed the straictes of death caused to be called before him in a secrete place all the souldiers of the Fort and such as with whome he was sure to preuaile to whom not without sheading forth some teares and she wyng heauie countenance he spake in this maner My Companions friends I doubt not but ye be abashed to sée me wrapt in so heauie plight and appeare in this forme before you that is to say bewept heuy panting with sighes and al contrary to my custome in other state and maner than my courage and degrée require But when ye shall vnderstande the cause I am assured that the case which séemeth strange to you shall be thought iust and right and so wil performe the thing wherein I shall employe you Ye knowe that the first point that a Gentleman ought to regarde consisteth not onely in repelling the 〈◊〉 done vnto the bodie but rather it behoueth that the fight begyn for the defense of his honor which is a thing that procedeth from the mind and resorteth to the bodie as the instrument to worke that which the spirite appointeth Now it is honour for conseruation whereof an honest man and one of good courage feareth not to put himself in al perill and daunger of death and losse of goodes referryng himselfe also to the guarde of that which toucheth as it were oure owne reputation In suche wyse as if a good Captaine doe suffer hys souldier to be a wicked man a robber a murderer and 〈◊〉 exacter he beareth the note of dishonor albeit in all his doings he gouerneth hys estate after the rule of honestie dothe nothing that is vnworthy his vocatiō But what he being a head vnited to such mēbres if the partes of that vnited thing be corrupt and naught the head must needes beare that blot of the faulte before referred to the whole bodie 〈◊〉 sayd he sighing what parte is more nere and dearer to man than that which is giuen vnto him for a pledge and comfort during his life and which is conioyned to be bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh to breath forth one minde and thinke with one heart and equall will It is of the Wife that I speake who being the moytie of hir husbande ye ought not to muse if I say that the honour of the one is the rest of the other and the one infamous and wicked the other féeleth the troubles of such mischief and the wife being carelesse of hir honor the husbands reputation is defiled and is not worthie of praise if he suffer such shame vnreuenged I must Companions good friends here discouer that which my heart would faine kepe secrete if it were possible and must reherse a thing vnto you which so sone as my mouth woulde faine kepe close the minde assayeth to force the ouerture And loth I am to do it were it not that I make so good accompt of you as ye being 〈◊〉 to me with an vnseparable amitie will yeld me your cōfort and aide against him that hath done me this villanie such as if I be not reuenged vpon him nedes must I be the executioner of that vengeance vpon my self that am loth to liue in this dishonor which all the days of my life without due vltion like a worme wil torment and gnaw my conscience Wherfore before I go any further I would knowe whether I might so well trust your aide and succour in this my businesse as in all others I am assured you wold not leaue me so long as any breath of life remained in you For without such assurance I do not purpose to let you know that pricking naile that pierceth my hearte nor the griefe that greueth me so nere as by vttering it without hope of help I shall open the gate to death and dye withont reliefe of my desire by punishyng him of whome I haue receyued an iniurie more bloodie than any man can doe The Souldiers whyche loued the Captaine as theyr owne lyfe were sorie to sée him in suche estate and greater was their dolour to heare woordes that tended to nothyng else but to furie vengeance and murder of himselfe Wherefore all with one accorde promised their healpe and maine force towardes and agaynst all men for the bringyng to passe of that which he dyd meane to require The Lieutenant assured of his men conceyued hearte and courage and continuing hys Oration and purpose determined the slaughter and ouerthrowe of the thrée Trinicien brethren for that was the surname of the Lordes of Foligno who pursued hys Oration in this manner Know ye then my companions and good frendes that it is my wife by whom I haue indured the hurt losse of mine honour and she is the partie touched and I am he that am moste offended And to the ende that I doe not holde you longer in suspence and the partie be concealed from you which hath done me this outrage Ye shal vnderstande that Nicholas Trinicio the elder of the thrée lordes of Foligno and Nocera is he that against al right and equitie hath suborned the wife of his Lieutenant and soiled the bed of him wherof he ought to haue ben the defēder the very bulwarke of his reputation It is of him my good frendes and of his that I meane to take suche vengeaunce as eternall memorie shall displaye the same to all posteritie and neuer lords shall dare to doe a like wrong to myne withoute remembrance what his duetie is which shall teache him how to abuse the honest seruice of a Gentleman that is one of hys owne traine It resteth in you bothe to holde vp your hande and kéepe your promise to the end that the Lorde Nicholas deceiuyng and mockyng me may not trust put affiance in your force vnto which I heartily do recommende my self The Souldiers moued and incited with the wickednesse of their Lord and with the wrong done to him of whome they receyued wages swore againe to serue his turne in any exploit he went about and required him to be assured that the Trinicien brethren shoulde be ouerthrowne and suffer deserued penance if they might lay hands vpon them and therfore willed him to séeke means to allure them thither that they might be dispatched The Lieutenāt at these words renuing a chéerefull countenaunce and she wing himselfe very ioyful for such successe after he had thanked his souldiers and very louingly imbraced the chiefest of them reuealed his deuised pollicie hoped shortly to haue them at his comaundement within the Fort alleaging that he had dispatched two messangers vnto them and
Captaine to surrender and to tell the cause of his reuolt and at whose prouocation he had committed so detestable a Treason The Captaine well assured and boldned in his wickednesse answered that he was not so well fortified to make a surrender so good cheape for so smal a price to forgoe his honor reputation and furthermore that his wit was not so slēder but he durst deuise and attempt such a matter without the councel of any other that all the déedes and deuises passed till that time were of his owne inuention And to be euen with the wrong done to his honor by the Lord Nicholas Trinicio for the violation of his wiues chastity he had cōmitted the murders told to Braccio being angry that all the tirānous race was not in his hand to spil to the end he might deliuer his countrey and put the Citizens in libertie albeit that fōdly they had refused the same as vn worthy of suche a benefite and well deserued that the tyrants should 〈◊〉 them at their pleasure and make them also their common slaues and drudges The trumpet warned him also to rēder to him the Duke bicause he was guiltlesse of the facte which the Captaine regarded so little as he did the first demaundes which was that cause the company being arriued at Nocera and the Constable vnderstanding the little accompt the Castell gentleman made of his summones that the battry the very day of their arriuall was layd and shotte against the place with suche thunder and dreadful thumpes of Canon shot as the hardiest of the mortpayes within began to faint But the corage litle feare of their chief retired their hearts into their bellies The breache being made againe the Constable who feared to lose the Duke in the Captaines furie caused the Trumpet to summone them within to fall to composition that bloudshed might not stirre their souldioures to further crueltie But so much gained this seconde warning as the first for which cause the next day after the assault was giuen wher if the assailed was valiaunt the resistance was no lesse than bolde and venturous But what can thirtie or fortie men doe against the force of a whole countrey and where the general was one of the most valiant and wisest Captains of his time and who was accompanied with the floure of the Neapolitane footmē The assault continued iiij or v. houres but in the ende the Dead payes not able to sustaine the force of the assailants forsooke the breache and assaying to saue them selues the Lieutenant retired to the Ripe of the Fort where his wife continued prisoner from the time that the two brethren were slaine Whiles they withoute ruffled in together in heapes amongs the defendaunts the Duke of Camerino with his men founde meanes to escape out of prison and ther with all began furiously to chastise the ministers of the disloyall Captain whiche in litle time were cut al to peices Conrade being within founde the Captains father vpon whom he was reuenged and killed him with his own handes And not content with that caried into further rage and furie he flashed him into gobbets and threwe them to the dogs Truly a strange maner of reuenge if the Captens crueltie had not attempted like inhumanitie To be short horrible it is to repeate the murders done in that stirre and hurly burly For they that were of the Captaines part and taken receiued all the straungest and cruellest punishment that man coulde deuise And were it not that I haue a desire in nothing to belie the author and lesse will to leaue that which he hath written vpon the miserable end of those that were the ministers and seruants to the barbarous tirannie of the Captaine I would passe no further but conceyle that which dothe not deserue remembrance except to auoide the example which is not straunge the crueltie of reuenging hearte in the nature of man in all times growyng to such audacitie as the torments which séeme incredible be liable to credite as well for those we reade in auncient histories as those we heare tel of by heare say and chauncing in our time He that had the vpper hande of his 〈◊〉 not content to kill but to eate with his ranenous téeth the hart disentrailde from his aduersarie was he lesse furious than Conrade by making an Anatomie of the bodie of the Captains father And he that 〈◊〉 Galleazze Fogase into the mouth of a Canon tying his head vnto his knées and causing him to be caried by the violent force of gunpouder into the citie from whence he came to bribe and corrupte certaine of his enimies army did he shew himself to be more curteous than one of these Leaue we a part those that be past to touche the miserable ende wherewith Conrade caused that last tribute of the Captains souldiers to be payd Now amongs these some wer tied to that tailes of wilde horses trained ouer hedges bushes downe the stiepnesse of high rocks some were haled in pieces afterwards burnt 〈◊〉 great martyrdom some wer diuided parted aliue in four quarters other sowed naked within an oxe hide so buried in earth vp to the chin by which torments they finished their liues with fearful groninges Wil ye say that the Bull of Perillus or Diomedes Horsses wer afflictions more cruel than these I know not what ye cal crueltie if these acts may beare the title of modestie But all this proceded of wrath disdaine of either parts The one disdained that the seruāt shold be his head the other was offended that his soueraigne lord should assay to take that from him which his dutie cōmaunded him to kepe Conrade toke in yll part the treson of the Captain who beyond measure was angrie that the lord Nicholas had made him a brother of Vulcans order had registred him in the boke of husbands which know that they dare not speake In sūme the one had right the other was not without some reason notwithstanding both surmounted the bounds of mans mild nature The one ought to contente himselfe as I haue said for being 〈◊〉 on him that had offended him the other of the murder done during the assault without shewing so bloody tokens of his crueltie so apparāt 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 vpon that ministers of that brutal bloody capten who seing his father put to death with such martyrdom his men so strangely tormented was vanquished with choler dispaire impaciēce And albeit that he had no gret desire to hurt his 〈◊〉 yet was he surmounted with suche rage as aprehēding hir binding hir hāds feet she stil crying him mercy crauing pardon for hir faultes at the hāds of god him he threw hir down frō the hiest Toure of the kipe vpō that 〈◊〉 of the castle court not without tears abashmēt of al which saw that mōstrous dredful sight which the souldiers viewing they fired the Toure with fire
therfore was there redie to sacrifice his life at his maiesties disposition and pleasure Acharisto by nature coulde tell his tale excedyngly well and the more his tongue stode him in seruice the greater appered his eloquence Whiche so pierced the minde of the King and persuaded the Counsellers and other of the Court as he was demed giltlesse of the treason and the matter was so debated and the King intreated to graūt him pardon as he was accompted most worthie of his fauour Then the Kyng by the aduise of his Counsell was persuaded that by force of hys proclamation his daughter should be giuen to Acharisto in mariage and his Kingdome for a dowrie bicause hée had offered his owne head accordyng to the effecte of the same So the King repenting him self that he had offended Acharisto in the ende agréed to the aduise of his counsel and gaue him his daughter to wife Whereof Euphimia was so ioyful as they bée that atteine the summe of their heartes desire The father liued one whole yeare after this mariage and Euphimia so pleasant a life for a certaine time as was possible for any Gentlewoman Hir father was no sooner dead but the vnkind mā nay rather brute beaste had forgotten all the benefites receyued of his kinde and louing wise and hauing by hir only meanes gotten a Kingdom began to hate hir so straungely as he could not abide hir sight Such is the propertie of cancred obliuion which after it crepeth into ambicious heades neuer hath minde of passed amitie ne regardeth former benefite but like a monster and deadly enimie to humane nature ouerwhelmeth in his bottomlesse gulfe all pietie and kindenesse and determined in the ende for recompence of such great good turnes to despoile hir of hir life Howe thinke you faire Ladies was not thys a faire rewarde for the loue the trauailes and sorrowes susteined for this ingrate and villainous man by that royal ladie to saue his life and to take him to husband Here is manifest probatum that in a vile and seruile minde no vertue no duetie no receiued benefites can be harboured Here is a lesson for yong Gentlewomen to beware how they contemne and despise the graue aduise of their auncient fathers Here they maye sée the damage and hurt that vnaduised youth incurreth when neglecting their parentes holeseme admonitions they giue them selues to the loue of suche as bée 〈◊〉 their estate and calling For what should aile the gentle pucell borne of gentle bloud but to match hir self in like affinitie not to care for currish kind or race of 〈◊〉 Bée there no Gentlemen to be founde of personage and beautie woorthie to ioyne in loue with them Bée they so precious in nature or tēder in education as their like can not be vouchsafed to couple in mariage yoke Compare the glistering golde to drossie durte and such is the difference betwéene gentle and vngentle But perhaps bringing vp may alter nature and custome transforme defect of birth As Licurgus the lawemaker dyd trie betwene the Currish whelpe and the Spaniell kinde both by training vp running to their contraries the Spaniel not vsed to hunte eigre vpon the potage dishe the other nouseled in that pastyme pursuing his game But that Metamorphosis is seldome séene amongs humane sort and therfore I aduise the gentle kind to match them selues in equall lotte and not to trust sir Customes curtesie in choise of féere Returne we then to vnkind Acharisto who now in full possession of his desired praio reuerting to his puddle of carlish will and cancred nature after many thousande wrongs done to this moste noble and gentle Quéene accused hir to be an adulteresse and as one in déede although most innocent she was condemned to the mercilesse fire Philon King of Peloponessus which as we haue said before loued Euphimia as did the balles of his owne eyes vnderstanding the crueltie that this wicked mā vsed towards hir to whom both his life kingdome did belong moued with nobilitie of minde determined to declare to Euphimia the inwarde feruent loue which 〈◊〉 bare hir and to chastise Acharisto for his ingratitude with due correction Wherfore depely debatyng with hym selfe of this aduenture thus hée sayde Nowe is the time Euphimia that Philon shewe what faithful loue he hath euer born vnto thée and that he deliuer thée bothe from the present daunger wherein thou art and from the hands of that vnkynde wretche that is farre vnworthie of such a wife For if thou haddest agréed to thy fathers will and yelded to the pursute of him that loued thée best thou haddest no néede of rescue nowe ne yet bene in perill of the wastful flames of fire which be readie to consume thy nesh and tender corps full tenderly sometymes beloued of thy deare father and of thy louing friend Philon. When he had spoken those wordes he earnestly disposed him selfe vpon that enterprise There was in those days a custome in Corinth that they which were condemned to death were caried iii. miles forth of the Citie and there the sentence pronounced against them wer put to execution Philon hauyng intelligence hereof did put in readinesse a good troupe of horsemen and being secretely imbarked arriued at Corinth and closely the nyght before Euphimia shoulde be brought to the fire harde by the place where the miserable Ladie should be burnt into a wood he conueyed his people and so soone as the Sergeants and officers were approched nere the place with the ladie he issued forth and did set vpon the throng not suffering one of them to remaine aliue to carie newes When he had deliuered Euphimia from that prcsent daunger of hir life the companie dispercled he said to the Quene Now thou mayst sée faire Quéene the diuersitie betwene the disloyaltie and vnkindnesse of Acharisto and the faith and loue of Philon. But for that I meane not to leaue hys ingratitude vnreuenged thou shalte stays here vntill thou heare newes of the due 〈◊〉 whiche I shall giue him Those dire and cruell wordes foretolde of hir husbandes death moued hir honest and Princely hearte which by no meanes coulde be altered from the gentle nature which it had first tasted and receiued And although she had suffred mortall solemne iniurie of hir vnkinde husband for manifolde benefites yet she good Gentlewoman woulde permit no duetie of a trustie and faithfull wife vnperformed Wherfore she besoughte Philon vpon hir knées not to procéede to further reuenge of Acharisto telling him that enough it was for hir to haue escaped that presente perill from which he like a Princely Gentleman had deliuered hir and therfore during hir life was most bounde vnto him Philon greately wondred at the goodnesse of this Ladie howbeit the ingratitude of that 〈◊〉 by no meanes he woulde suffer to bée vnpunished And béeing aduertised that Acharisto remained in his Palace without any suspicion of this aduenture banded neither with Guarde or other assurance committed Euphimia to safe