that was resident in Palermo and desired that he might see the Gentleman that had done the murther but the Gayler would not suffer him but inquired what country man he was he answered a Uenetian and that is the reason quoth hee that I am desirous to haue a sight of him Philomela hearing that he was a Uenetian asked him what newes from Uenice The Sayler for so hee was discoursed vnto her what late had chaunced and amongst the rest he discouered the â—ortunes of Philomela and how she was wrongfully accused by her husband the Earle how her Father came to Uenice and hauing her accusers two slaues examined they confest the Earle suborned them to the periurie wherupon Philippo was banished and now as a man in dispaire sought about to finde out his wife Philomela hearing these newes thanking him tooke her leaue of the Sailer and went home where getting alone into her chamber she began thus to meditate with her selfe now Philomela thou maist see heauens are iust and God impartiall that though he defers he doeth not acquit that thogh he suffer the innocent to be wronged yet at last hee persecuteth the malicious with reuenge that time hatcheth trueth and that true honor maye be blemisht with enuye but neuer vtterly defaced with extremitie now is thy lyfe laid open in Uenice and thy fame reuiued in spight of Fortune now maiest thou triumphe in the fall of thy Ieliouse husband and write thy chastitie in the characters of his bloode so shall he die disgraced and thou returne to Uenice as a wonder Now shal thine eie see his end that hath sought to ruinate thee and thou liue content and satisfied in the iust reuenge of a periured husband Oh Philomela that worde husband is a high tearme easily pronounced in the mouth but â—euer to be banished from the hart knowest thou not that the loue of a wife must not end but by death that the tearme of marriage is dated in the graue that wyues should so long loue and obey as they liue and drawe breath that they should preferre their husbands honor before their owne life and choose rather to die then sée him wronged Why else did Alcest die for Admetus Why did Portia eate coales for the loue of Brutus if it were not that wiues ought to end their liues with their loues Truth Philomela but Philippo is a traytour hée hath imblemisht thy fame sought to ruine thine honour aimde at thy life condemnd thée both to diuorce and banishment and lastly hath stainde the high honors of thy Fathers house And what of all this Philomela hath not euerie man his fault Is there any offence so great that may not bee forgiuen Philippo did not woorke thée this wrong because he loued some other but because he ouerloued thee t'was Ielousie not lasciutousnes that forst him to that follie and suspition is incident onely to such as are kind hearted louers Hath not God reuengde thy iniurie and thy Father punisht him with the like penaltie that thy selfe doest suffer and wilt thou now glorie in his miserie No Philomela shew thy selfe vertuous as ere thou hast béene honorable and heape coales on his head by shewing him fauour in extremitie If he hath slain the Dukes sonne it is through despaire and if hee had not come hither to séeke thée hee had not fallen into this misfortune The Palme trée the moreit is prest downe the more it sprowteth vp the Camomill the more it is troden the swéeter smell it yéeldeth euen so ought a good wife to be kind to her husband midst his greatest discourtesies and rather to venture her life then suffer him incur any preiudice and so will I doe by Philippo for rather then hée shall die in the sight of Philomela I wil iustifie him with mine owne death so shall my ende bee honorable as my life hath béene wonderfull With this shee ceased and went to her rest till the next day morning that the Dukes and the states gathered togither to sit in iudgement whether came Lutesio and the Duke of Millaine disguised to see what he was that being a Uenetian committed the murther there also was Philomela and the saylers wife At last the County Philippo was brought foorth whome when the Duke of Millaine sawe iogging Lutesio with his hand he whispered and said see Lutesio where man fauours yet God doth in extremitie reuenge now shal we see the fall of our enemie yet not touched with his bloode whispering thus amongest themselues At last the Duke of Palermo began to examine him if he were he that slew his sonne he answered that hee was the man would with his blood answer it what moued you saies the Duke to do the murther an oulde grudge quoth he that hath béene betweene him and me euer since he was in Uenice and for that cause reuenge was so restles in my minde that I came from thence purposly to act the tragedy and am not sory that I haue contented my thoughts with his bloode at this his manifest confession the Duke full of wrath arose and said it was booteles further to impannell any Iurye therefore vpoÌ„ his words he would pronouÌ„ce sentence against him Then Philomela calling to the Duke and desiring she might be heard began thus to plead O mighty Duke staye the censure least thy verdict wrong the innocent thou condemne and earle through his owne disparing euidence I see and with trembling I feele that a guiltye conscience is a thousand witnesses That as it is vnpossible to couer the light of the Sunne with a Curtaine so the remorse of murther caâ— not be concealed in the closet of the most secrete conspirator For standing by and hearing thée ready to pronouÌ„ce sentence against the Innocent I euen I that committed the déede though to the exigent of mine owne death could not but burst foorth into these exclamations to saue the sacklesse Knowe therefore that he which standeth héere before the Iudgement seate is an Earle though banished his name is Countie Philippo Medici my husband and once famous in Italie though héere he be blemisht by Fortune At this all the companye lookt vpon her Philippo as a man amazed stood staring on her face the teares trickling downe his chéeks to see the kindenes of his wife whome so deepely he had iniured and the Duke of Millaine her Father with Lutesio were in as great a wonder Last she prosecuted her purpose thus It were too long worthye Scicilians to rehearse the wronges this Philippo hath vsed against me distressed Countesse through his extreame iealousie onely lâ—t this bréefely 〈◊〉 hee suborâ—ed his 〈◊〉 to sweare I was séene in the act of Adultery they were beléeued I deuorced and banished and héere euer since I haue liued in contented patience But since my exile time that is the reuealer of truth hath made the slaues bewraye the effect of the matter so that this present Earle is found guiltye mine honour saued he banished and now
vnworthy of her as she is beyond my reach to compasse Philomela who straight found the knot in the rush began to imagine that it was some married wife that Lutesio aimed at and therfore charged him by the loue that he bare to Philippo Medico that he would tell her whether it was a wife or a mayd that hée thus earnestly affected Lutesio briefly tolde her that she was not onely a wife but maide to one whome shée almost as tenderly loued as he did the Earle her husband A Ladie of honour and vertue yet a woman and therefore hée hoped might be wonne if his heart woulde serue him to be a woer Philomela â—earing this began to finde a knot in the rush and to déeme that it was some familiar of hys that he was affected to and therfore with a gentle frown as if shee loued him and yet mislikte of his fondnesse in fancie taking him by the hand she began thus to schoolâ— him Lutesio nowe I sée the strongest Oake hath his say and his wormes that Rauens will bréed in the fairest Ash and that the musked Angelica beares a deaw that shining like pearle being tasted is most preiuditiall that the holiest men in shew are oft the hollo west men in substance and where there is the greatest florish of vertue there in time appeareth the greatest blemish of vanitie I speake this by all but apply it to them who seeming euery way absolute will proue euerie way dissolute Hath not Venice held thée more famous for thy good partes than for thy parentage and yet well borne and valued the more for liuing well than wealthely and yet thy patrimonie is not small Oh Lutesio darken not these honours with dishonâ—stie nor for the foolish and fading passion of lust reach not at an euerlasting pennancâ— of infamie As I mislike of thy choyce so I can but wonder at thy change to â—ée thée altered in maners that wert earst so modest who was estâ—â—med amongst Ladies for his ciuill conceites as Lutesio thou wert wished for amongest the chaâ—test for thy choyce qualities amongesâ— youth for thy wit amongest age for thy honest behauior desired of all because offensiue to none and nowe if thou prosecute this â—ad purpose intend this base loue to violate the honour of a Venetian Ladie looke to be hated of all that are vertuâ—us because thou aâ—t growne so sodainly vicious and to be banished out of the companie of all that are honest because thou séekest to make one dishohonest then as thou louest thy fame leaue off this loue and as thou valuest thine honour so vale the appetite of thy dishonest thoughtes Besides Lutesio enter into the consideration of the fault and by that measure what will be the sequell of thy folly thou attemptest to dishonour a wife nay the wife of thy friend in doing this thou shalt loose a swéete companion and purchase thy selfe a fatall enemie thou shalt displease God and grow odious to men hazard the hope of thy grace and assurâ— thy selfe of the reward of sinne adulterie Lutesio is commended in none condemned in all and punnished in the end either with this worldes infamie or heauens anger it is a desire without regard of honestie and a gaine with greater reward of miserie a pleasure bought with paine a delight hatched with disquiet a content possessed with feare and a sinne finished with sorrowe Barbarous nations punishe it with death mâ—â—re Atheistes in Religion auoid it by instinct of nature such as glory God with no honor couet to glorifie themselues with honesty and wilt thou that art a Christian than crucifie Christ anew by making the harbour of thy soule the habitation of Satan Oh Lutesio as thou blushest at my wordes so bannish thy bad thoughts and being created by God seeke not to despise thy creator in abusing his creatures A womans honestie is her honour and her honour the chiefest essence of her life then in seeking to blemishe her vertues with lust thou â—ymest at no lesse disgrace than her death and yet Lutesio this is not all for in winning her loue thou loosest a friend than which there is nothing more pretious as there is nothing more rare as Corruptio vnius est generatio alterius so the losse of a friend is the purchase of an enemie and such a mortall foe as will apply all his wittes to thy wracks intrude all his thoughtes to thy ruine and passe away his daies cares and nights slumbers in dreaming of thy destruction For if brute beasts will reuenge such brutish wrongs as adultery then imagine no man to be so patient that will ouerpasse so grosse an iniurie assure thy selfe of this Lutesio if her husband heare of your loues he will aime at your liues he will leaue no confection vntempered no poyson vnsearcht no mynerall vntried no Aconiton vnbrused no hearbe trée roote stone simple or secret vnsought till reuenge hath satisfied the burning thirst of his hate so shalt thou feare with whom to drincke with whome to conuerse when to walke how to performe thy affaires onely for doubt of her reuenging husband and thy protested enemie If such vnlawull lust such vnkinde desires such vnchast loue procure so great losse and so many perils reuert it Lutesio as a passion most pernitious as a shine most odious and a gaine most full of deadly sorrowes Though this he much Lutesio yet this is not all for many loue that are neuer liked and euerie one that woes is not a winner Diuers desire with hope and yet their wishes are to small effect suppose the Ladie whome thou louest is honest then is thy loue as vnlikely as Ixions was to Iuno who aiming at the substaunce was made a foole with a shadow I tell thée it is more easie to cut a Diamond with a glasse to pearce steele with a fether to tye an Elephant with a thréed of silke than to alienate an honest womans loue from her husband their heartes be harbours of one louâ— closets of one contents Celâ—es whereinto no amorous Idea but one can enter as hard to be pearst with new fangled affâ—ction as the Adamant to be made soft with fire A Ladie Lutesio that regardeth her honour wil die with Lucrece before she agrée to lust she will eate coales with Portia before she prone vnchast she will thinke euerie miserie swéet euery mishappe content before she condiscend to the allurementes of any wanton leacher Imagine then her whâ—â—â— thou louest to be such a one then will it qualifie thy hope coole thy desires and quench those vnbridled thoughtes that leades thée on to such follies for if she be a wanton what doest thou winne her that many hath worne and more than thy selfe may vanquish a light huswife and a lewd minion that after she hath yéelded the flower of her loue Thesius will marrie with Menelaus and then runne away with Paris amorous to euerie one because shee is humorous to all Then Lutesio séeing if thou likest an honest
horror of thy conscience drawe thee into dispaire and paine thée with too late repentance So Philippo euer wishing thée well I wil euer intreat that neither God maye laye the wrong of myne innocency to thy charge nor my freÌ„ds triumphe in thy infortunate reuenge and so farewell With this shee stept foorthe of the Hall leauing Philippo greatly tormented in his conscience and the Duke and all the rest wondring at her patience saying it was pittie she was drawen on to wantonnesse by Lutesio The rumours of this spread through al Uenice of the lasciuious life of Philomela some said all was not gould that glistered that the fairest faces haue oft times the falsest harts the smoothest looks the most treacherous thoughts that as the Agate bee it neuer so white without yet it is full of black strokes within that the most shining sun bréedeth the most sharpe showres so women the more chastety they professe openly the les chary they are in secrete of their honesty others said it might bee a compacted matter by the Earle to be rid of his wife â—â—me said that the matter might be mistaken and made worse then it was Thus dyuersly they did descant while poore Philomela beeing gotten to a gentlemans house a fréend of hers sate sorrowfullye resoluing how she might best salue this blemish one while she thought to go homâ— to the Duke her father and incense him to reuenge that againe she misliked for by open Iarres and ciuile discention were she neuer so innocent yet her name should by such open brawlâ—s grow more infamous an other while she thought to perswade Lutecio against him and that he might procure the slaues by torture to bewraye the subornation of periurie and so bring her husband within the compas of open trecherye Thus the secrete loue she bâ—re still to Philippo would not suffice for she had rather beare guiltlesse shame then bring her husband to perpetuall infamie Thus did shee plot in her minde sundrie wayes of reuenge but at last this was her resolution sith her honor so famous through Italy was now so highly staind she would neither stayâ— in Italye nor yet returne to her father but go into some straunge countrie and there die vnknown that being absent from the rumour of her bad reporte she might liue though poorely yet quyet vpon this determination she set downe her rest and gathered all her cloathes Iewels togeather for the Earle sent her all whatsoeuer hee had of hers and she returned him by the messenger a ring with a Diamond whererein was written these words Olim meminisse dolebit The Earle tooke it and put it on his singer which after bred his further miseâ—ie But leauing him a contented man though with a trobled conscience for the satisfying of his ielious reuenge Againe to Philomela who hauing packt vp al her iewels and treasures listned for a shippe and heard of one that made to Palermo in Sicilia As the poore Countesse was careles of her selfe as a woman halfe in dispair so she little regarded to what port of ChristeÌ„dom the bark made and therefore hired passage in y â— ship so secretly that nonâ— but her own selfe and a page did know when or whether shee ment to make her voyage so that on a sodaine hauing certaine intelligence at what houre the ship would warpe out of the Hauen shee slipt awaie and her Page with her and getting aboorde vnder saile commit her selfe to God the mercie of the Seas and to the husband of manie hardfortunes The Shippe had not gone a Leage vpon the Seas but Philomela began to be sicke wherevpon the Maister of the Shippe comming in to comforte her found her in his eie one of the fairest creatures that euer he saw and though her colour were somthing pale through her present sicknes yet he could compare it to no worse shewe then the glister of the Moone in a silent night and a cléere skie so that the poore Shippers conscience began to bee prickt and loue beganne to shake him by the sléeue that he sat downe by her and after his blunt fashion gaue her such swéet comfort as such a swaine could affoord Philomela thanked him and tould him it was nothing but a passion that the roughnesse of the Seas had wrought in her who heretofore was vnacquainted with any other waters then the riuer Po and such small creekes as watered Italie Heâ—revppon the Maister departed but with a Flea in his eare and loue in his eie for he had almost forgot his Compasse he was so farre out of â—ompasse with thinking howe to compasse Philomela in this amorous humour hee began to visite often the Cabin wherein Philomela laie which was a meanes rather to encrease his furie then to qualifie the â—â—re of loue that began to heat him For as hee that playeth with a Bee may sooner feele her sting then taste of her honie so hee that acquainteth himselfe with loue maie more easilie repent him then content him and sooner inthrall himselfe in a Laborinth then get an houre of quiet libertie So it fell out with Tebaldo for so was the Maister of the ship called for he by conuersing priuatelie and familiarlie with Philomela became so farre in loue that he held no happinesse like the obtaining of this loue he noted the excellencie of her beautie the exquisitnes of her qualities and measured euerie part with such precise iudgement that the smal heat of desire grew to a glowing fire of affection But for all this hee durst not reueale his mind vnto her least happily by his motion she should be mooued vnto displeasure But as by time smal sparks grow into great flames so at last he waxed so passionate that there was no way with him but death or dispair if he didnot manifest his thoughts vnto her resoluing thus damnably with himselfe that howsoeuer loue or fortune dealt with him he would haue his mind satisfied for if she granted then he would kéepe her in Palermo as his Paramor if she denied seeing he had her within the compas of his barke he would haue his purpose by force and so becom Lord of his content by conquest Thus resolute he went towards the cabin of Philomela to bewray his affection vnto her when drawing néere the doore he heard her playing most cunningly vpon a lute certaine lessons of curious descant slaying a while least he might interrupt so swéet musick at last she left of fel from her lute to this lamentable complaint Oh poore woman woorthy so tearmed being brought to thy woe by a man now dost thou sée that as such as are stung by the Tarentula are best curâ—d by Musicke so such minds as are vexed by sorrow finde no better reliefe then a swéete relish of comforting melodie Ah Abstemia for so she now called her name the more to disguise herselfe if musicke should bee answerable to thy martirdome or the excellencie of descant comformable to the intent of the
applause and Philippo there with teares in his eyes took leaue protesting to spend his exile contentedly in séeking out of Philomela and when he had found her then in her presence to sacrifice his bloode as a satisfaction for his Lecherie Lutesio likewise swore to make a queast for her and so did the Genouayes and the Duke her father was as forward and the Senate broke vpp and the Duke of Millaine forthwith daparted home to his own countrey where leauing him going homeward and Philippo Lutesio and the Genouais séeking for Philomela Once againe to the innocent Lady who béeing arryued in Palermo was not onely courteously intertained of the M. of the Shippe but also of his wife who noting her modesty vertue silence and other good properties rare qualities was so far in loue with her that she would not by any meanes let her departe out of her house but with a simpathie of sweete affectiones did loue like two sisters in somuch that Philomela was brought ot bedde and had a yong Sonne called Infortunatus because he was borne in the extremitie of his mothers miserie The M. of the shippe and his wife being pledges of his Christendome liuing thus obscure and yet famous in Palermo for her vertues she found that of all musicke the meane was the merriest that quiet rested in lowe thoughts and the safest tontent in the poorest cottages that the highest trées abide the sharpest stormes and the greatest personages the sorest frownes of Fortune therefore with patience she brookt her homely course of lyfe and had more quiet sleepes now in the ship-masters house in Palermo then she had in her pallace in Uennice onelye her discontent was when she thought on Philippo that he had proued so vnkinde and on Lutesio that for her sake hee was so déeply iniuried yet aswel as she might she salued these sores and couered her hard fortunes with the shadow of her innocencye While thus she liued honorablie in Palermo not for her excellent behauiour and good qualitie It fortuned that the Duke of Milaine and Lutesio both disguised like two palmers had passed throgh many places to séeke Philomela and to reduce her from banishment and at last aryued in Palermo intending to soiourne there for a while and then ot passe vp to Samagossa and so through all Sicilia to haue intelligence of the destressed Countesse While thus they stayed inquiring diligently of her and not hearing anye newes sith she was seldome séene abroad and beside that her name changed and called Abstemia It chaunced that either by Fortune or destanie there arryued at the same time in Palermo the County Philippo Medici who hauing trauailed through diuers countreyes to finde out his innocent Countesse wearied at last not so much with trauaile as with the gnawing worme of a guiltye conscience that still tormented him he beganne more and more to enter into dispaire and to thinke his lyfe loathsome vnto him wishing daylye for death so it might not come through the guilt of his own hand yet resoluing rather to bée the murtherer of him selfe then thus to linger out his daies in dispaire In this perplexed passion hee gat him into a thicke groue there the better to communicat in his melancholie vowing if hee hearde not of Philomela in that cittie to make that groue the monumeÌ„t of his graue thus desirous of death or of the recouery of his wife It fortuned that Arnoldo Frozzo sonne and heire to the Duke of Palermo being in loue with a young gentlewoman whose lodging was distaunt some three leagues from the Citie pricked forward by the extremitie of affection thought to go visite her although he was not onely forbidden by his father but watched least priuilye he might steale vnto her yet as loue can finde starting hoales he deuised this pollicie hee carried a slaue that remained in his Fathers housâ— abroad to the groue with him where Philippo lay lurking and there chaunging apparell with him he got him to his desired Mistres and bad the slaue returne couertly into the Cittie and meet him the next day at the same place parting thus as he was going homewarde hee was met by a young Sicilian gentleman named Petro Salino who bearing a mortal grudge to the Dukes son in that he affected the Gentlewoman whome hee so tenderly loued seeing him alone and thinking him to bee Arnoldo Strozzo by his apparell and déeming hee came now from his beloued Mistres set vpon him and slewe him and with his rapeir so mangled his face that by no meanes he could be discerned and thereupon fled Arnaldos page missing his M. seeking abroad for him in the fieldes for that he desired oft times to be solitarie light vpon the dead body of the slaue and iudgeing it to be his M. because he was in his apparell cried out ran home and carried newes therof to the Duke his Father who as a man distraught of his wits coÌ„manded straight search to be made to finde out the actor of the Tragedye causing the dead corps to be conueyed with muche gréefe and many teares All the Courtiers gentlemen and others sought abroad to séeke out the author of this murther and not far of where the slaue was slain found Philippo walking vp downe vntrust his hat lying by him and his rapier in his hand the courtiers séeing a maÌ„ thus suspitious made inquirie what he was why quoth the Countie I am the man you looke for Art thou then said the Cousin of Arnaldo that bloudy traitour that haste slaine the Dukes sonne The Countie glad he had so swéete an occasion to be rid of his lyfe resolute and bréefely said I Marry am I and I will kill his father too if euer I reache him with that they laide hould vppon him and carried him to prison and as he went by the way they examinde what hee was but that by no meanes hee would reueale vnto them onely he said he was an Italian purposelye come from Uenice to act it Newes straight was carried to the Duke that the murtherer was taken who was highly glad thereof and resolued the next daye with the states of the countrey to â—it in iudgement as fame and reporte cannot be silent so it was straight noysed abroad through Palermo that the Dukes sonne was slaine by a Uenetian and how he was taken and should the next day be arraigned and executed Philomela hearing that hee was a Uenetian that had doone the déede desirous to sée him tooke the Maister of the ships wife with her and went to the prison and there by fauour of the Gayler sawe him through a windowe assone as Philomela had a viewe of him she sawe it was Philippo Medici her husband disguised hauing in his face the very signes of dispair This sight of her husband droue her into a maze yet to conceale the matter to her felfâ— she said she knewe not the man As thus she was standing talking with the Gayler there came a UenetiaÌ„