of the towne their Prince and Bishoppe being his kinseman spoyling their countrie and taking their townes and bringing them to such extremitie that they were constreined to receiue their Bishoppe againe withal to appease the Duke with great summes of Money Comming thence there fell out new occasion of warres betweene him and the French king for pacification of which differentes it was agreed that the king and he should meete at Peronne there to expostulat their greefes in freendly sort one with another And that he should geue vnto the king a letter of assurance vnder his hand and seale which he did But the conclusion hereof was that the Duke being aduertised how the King had by his Embassadours secretly practised with those of Lyege to rebell tooke him prisoner and led him with him to the Citie of Lyege which being by streight confederation allyed to the King he caused after all maner of rigorous crueltie executed vpon the inhabitantes to be saccaged and burnt and then vpon new agreementes to his owne aduantage he dismissed the King In the yeere 1474. the olde Duke of Guilders being vilanously and vnnaturally taken by his Sonne Adolph and imprisoned in a dungion mooued sundry Christian Princes to compassion among the rest D. Charles who earnestly laboured to make an attonmēt betweene them but his sonne arrogantly refusing to heare of pacification was by the D. of Burgundie retayned in prison whose father shortly after dying gaue his Dukedome by Testament to Duke Charles who tooke thereof vnder this title forcible possession and those which are discended of him do yet enioy it Sweetned with this Dutchie and aspiring to greater matters in Germanie he went besieged the citie of Nuz which was succoured by the Germans and Swissers vnder the conduct of Frederike the Emperour so that he was constrained to raise his siege In despite of which assistance geuen by the Swissers he entred their Countrey with his Armie but was by them ouerthrowen and vanquished at a place called Granson This day was the first of the Dukes misfortunes with which euen vntill his dying day he was perpetually pursued Encouraged with which victorie on euerie side new forces came out of Germanie to the Armie of the Swissers the D. of Lorayne him selfe in person Yet all this dismayed not the D. of Burgundie who hauing refreshed his Armie set vpon them the seconde time at a place called Morat but was as before vanquished againe and was constreyned to flie with the losse of 8000. of his men slayne in the Feelde Presently the Duke of Lorayne marched in all expedition to Nansie that helde for the Duke of Burgundie which rendred vnto him vpon composition Within two dayes after the D. Charles arriued with an vndismayed courage and full resolution to attempt Fortune agayne Among the rest that had credite about him was one Campobache an Italian Counte at home in his countrey poore and of no reuenew but by the D. aduaunced to great commaundement in his Armie and made Captaine of 400. men at armes who seeing the cruel misfortunes befallen to his Maister began presently to enter into practise with the D. of Lorayne about the merchandize of his Maisters lyfe the price of which he made 20000. Crownes and an Earldome this he promised and the same being accepted he did as villanously performe it For this battayle of Nansie was no sooner began but he with his 400. Italian Horsemen fled to the other side the amazement of which did so terrifie the Duke of Burgundies Armie being twise alredie beaten and discouraged that they presently fledde and the Duke him selfe was found in the feeld slaine mangled with many woundes for the villaine Campobache had hired 14. or 15. of his cutthrote traytors to watch the Duke at an inch to the ende that he would be sure he should not escape Mary his onely daughter and heire succeding her father in the Dukedomes of Burgundie and Brabant and the Earledomes of Flaunders Henault Artois Holland Zeland Frizland c. was by the consent of her Subiectes especially those of Gaunt in whose hands since her fathers death she had remained maried to young Maximilian Archduke of Austria and sonne to Frederike the Emperour of that name the third to whom hauing borne three children Philippe Margaret Francis who in his infancie deceassed she died in the fairest springing blossom of her youth being not aboue .xxiij. yeeres of age lies buried at Bruges Some do attribute her death to the fal of an Horse true it is she fell but the Author who was of great authoritie about her doth rather attribute it to some greeuous impression of sorow Philippe de Comines likewise seemeth to doubt whether she died of that fall or no. Don Iohn second of that name king of Castile had in first mariage Mary daughter to Ferdinand K. of Arragon by her he had a sonne called Henrie that succeded him and a daughter that died young His wife dying he tooke in second marriage Isabell daughter to Don Iohn infant of Portingale by whom he had a sonne called Alonso that died young and a daughter called Isabell and then dying in the yeere 1454. was by his sonne Henrie the. 4. succeeded in the royaltie who maried Iane daughter to Edward King of Portingale who bare vnto him a daughter likewise called Iane who though she proued a Princesse of much wisedome great beautie and many other excellent partes yet through a rumour of the Kinges impotencie in matter of generation Isabel sister to the king was by her faction proclaimed Heire apparant to the Crowne the young Princesse declared to be a bastard begotten vpon the Queene by Don Beltran D. of Abuquerque and by and by a mariage motioned betweene young Ferdinand Prince of Arragon and the Lady Isabell which was effected priuately in Duenas These matters were greeuous vnto the king but remedie it he could not In the ende he died and Ferdinand and Isabell were without contradiction obeyed in Castile which reprochfull iniurie the poore Princesse bearing with exceeding patience though many great mariages were offered her refused them all and betooke herselfe to a Monastery wherin she ended peaceably her dayes They began their reigne in the yeere 1474. and continued the same many yeeres in great glorie both of warre and peace They expelled the Moores out of Spaine and subdued the kingdome of Naples deliuering thereof a quiet possession to their successors which yet do enioy it They had betweene them a sonne whose name was Iohn a Prince of exceeding towardnes or rather singular perfection They maried him to Margaret daughter to Maximilian of Austria by the Lady Mary the before remembred Dutchesse of Burgundy but soone after the marriage he dyed for whom there was made such exceeding lamentation as by report of sundry Authors the like in the worlde was neuer heard of for besids the dolefull mourning of the Nobilitie Gentlemen so generall a greefe was
reputation then in defence of this poore Treatise whose harmlesse innocencie shalbe a sufficient shielde agaynst whatsoeuer calumniation to forbeare to censure amysse thereof for though perchaunce the basenesse of the style the shallownesse of the inuention yeelde no harmonie to delight their delicate eares yet it woulde be moderately iudged of in regarde that it conteyneth nothing but most effectual and moouing examples of great pietie laying open to our eyes the vaine and deceitfull instabilitie of this most wretched and miserable worlde and finally teacheth nothyng more then how to lyue vertuously and dye blessedly Besides it maketh honorable mention of sundy excellent Princes some of which though long agon deceassed yet such was their noblenesse and pietie that their names are styll entertayned of the worlde in all honor and reuerence Others yet lyuing who through the inestimable blessing wherewith God and nature hath adorned them are of all the worlde most worthyly honored with admirable applause As for me lyke a well mounted Cowarde in a skyrmish that relyeth more vpon the goodnes of his Horse then his owne valour So I hope the worthynesse of my Author and the zelous integritie of his discourse shall how faynt soeuer I finde myne owne desert be able to free me from the reprehension of those that are wyse and well iudgeing whom I chiefly desire to please and to whose censure I wyllyngly submit my selfe and this poore Pamphlet L. Lewk To the sacred Catholique and Imperiall Maiestie of great Caesar. I know not whether be greater the hardinesse of the Resolued Gentleman of whom this booke entreats in his combates or my presumption in dedicating it vnto your Maiestie for so small a seruice caryeth with it so great a disproportion that I feare my good intention shalbe accompted rashnesse in presenting so meane a trauayle to so high a greatnesse But two thinges did chiefly encourage mee to publish it vnder the glorious name of your Maiestie The one in respect of the conformitie of the discourse vnto your Maiesties vertues in whom aboue all the Princes of your tyme the profession and practise of true Christian and militar discipline chiefly florisheth The other of communicating vnto those of my nation these my poore paynes in translation of this Treatise which though it be lytle yet yf they do attentiuely reade and marke it they shall therein finde an excellent hydden treasure shewing in deede the very marke whereto the perfection of all vertue tendeth It was first written in French by a Gentleman of great worthynesse noble aswell in letters as in armes His intention was to discourse of the dangerous warres made vnto vs by our Senses touchyng diuers passages of age thorow which we runne or rather to speake more properly are by disorders violently caried And so vnder the figure of bodily combates he layeth the spirituall so lyuely before our eyes as cannot but draw the well-iudging Reader to great consideration of our frayle estate The translation hath not been altogeather without some hardnesse for that as the tongues are dyuers so is their style and maner of phrase exceedingly different I haue left out some thynges expressed by the Authour as being hystories peculiarly concernyng himselfe and his Countrey vtterly vnknowen and vnnecessary to vs and in their place haue inserted others of more moment and more famously knowen not onely to our owne nation but to all the worlde besides which I haue not done onely by myne owne aucthoritie but ioyntly by aduise of men of good iudgement and great skilfulnesse in eyther tongue But my intention being rather to prayse the Booke then to endeere the translation I say that it is such that both in myne and other mens iudgementes it deserueth your Maiestes protection And so with all humblenesse I kisse your Imperiall handes Your Maiesties humble seruant and subiect Don Hernando de Acun̄a THE RESOLVED GENTLEMAN IN the declining season both of the yeere and of my age trauailing farre from my natiue home countrie solitarie sorowfull all alone my thoughtfulnes did of a sodayne waken reuiue my slumbring memorie by renewing vnto her the time and historie of my passed youth and quickning my senses with a fresh and vnusuall vigor forcibly recalling my mynde to the consideration of my presente state by suggesting therevnto infinite and confused discourses of my many variable and dangerous forepassed fortunes did begin at length to argue with mee in this sort First quoth she Whosoeuer is forgetfull or carelesse of himselfe and his estate flyeth not the pitch of true honor neyther shall at any tyme see hymselfe beautified with the glorious bryghtnesse of her perfection in which miserable lethargie yf he perseuere then is his case most lamentable and vtterly desperate as not onely depriued of this worldes honor but also of that euerlasting glorie and eternall health to which blessed myndes with the winges of a vertuous industrie do aspire Seest thou not quoth she how miserable a face of thinges the now passed and gon sweete Sommer season hath left vnto vs The earth is now dispoyled of all her beautifull raymentes and glyttering ornamentes her greene and fruitefull florishing hearbes her so fayrely colored flowers and sweete odoriferous smelles are gone Both playnes and mountaynes are now depriued of all their passed pleasures hauing nothyng left them to delyght the beholders eyes but a bare and naked barrennesse The high stately Trees that lately so aloft florished all vigor and pleasing greennesse being lost haue now neyther fruite nor shadow hauing yeelded all their glorie to the nipping rigor of the colde that hath bereaued them of their fragrant humour Such as this of theirs is thy estate who hauing now ouergon the sundry degrees and seasons as the Spring Sommer and Autumne of thy age rest assured that thy Winter is at hande onely this is the difference that thou canst not be agayne renewed in this worlde as are these vegetatiue creatures for so is it by the eternall wisedome enacted that there is no going backe from that degree of age whereunto a man is once ariued It behoueth thee therefore well and wysely to ponderate with thy selfe that thou now drawest on towarde the exceeding dangerous horror of an ineuitable passage kept by an euer victorious enemie called DEATH who entertayneth in his dayly wages two myghtie and puissant Champions the one called Accident the other Debilitie the cumbate with one of which thou canst not by any meanes auoyde These two vnuanquished Champions do keepe the great forrest of Atropos agaynst all aduenturers the passage of which as it is most dangerous so is it full of horror and amazement For such is the nature of their chalenges that they neuer desist fyght tyll they see him whom they haue vndertaken conquered and dead them selues being free from death and carelesse of repose The elder of them and most terrible is Accident who with variable and vncertayne kindes of fight bereaueth for the most part the
liues of braue and lustie youthes in the prime strength of their vnmellowed yeeres yea and sometimes he sporteth himselfe in the death of olde men women and chyldren But hydeous Debilitie with inuisible blowes killeth onely those that are weake and languishyng They are so nusled in blood that their dayly exercise and practise is nothing but to murder and destroy mankinde neyther is their puissance by any pollicie to be deluded nor by any agilitie or stratageme to be auoyded This being so iudge then with thy selfe in how great degree these myghtie foes are to be feared Thou hast been long agone summoned to this battayle by Excesse their heralde at Armes and therefore the fyght being so full of perill and the matter of such importaunce I cannot but much maruell at this thy carelesse vnreadinesse especially seeing at thy very birth-day thou wert waged therunto Thou doest not exceede Sampson in inuincible strength Hercules in valorous courage Salomon in profound wysedom Tullie in powerful perswading eloquence Diomedes in vigorous vnderstanding nor Absolon in delicious beautie yet no one of these was able to resist these death-bringing Champions that euen now attende thee in the lystes The farther that the vncertayne race of thy miserable lyfe lyngreth on the nearer approcheth the houre of thy ineuitable conflict to which attende no other trumpet then the dolefull knowlling of a deadly Bell. Therefore with all instance I aduise thee to looke well about and to call well all thy wittes tegeather that thou mayst be the better prepared agaynst the hard brunt of so terrible a reckoning Herewith my thoughtfulnesse ending I awaked as it were out of a drowsie traunce or dreame thanking her in the highest degree for these her carefull admonitions and withal tolde her that for mine owne part I was redy to performe as much as to a true resolued Gentleman did appertaine and therewithall presently without delay put on my armour and lyke a Knight aduenturous passed foorth onward on my way My horses name was Desire my harnesse tempred in the water of Puissance my shielde of Hope my launce of Aduenture and my sworde of Courage In this equipage I entred into the quest of my so much renowned aduersaries at the ende of two dayes trauaile in which I had not found any aduenture worthy the wryting I came into a very greene and florishing Medowe the name whereof was Worldly pleasure The outwarde shew whereof presented vnto my senses such pleasure and delyght that rauished with contentment forgetfull of my iourney and vndertaken enterprise I euen determined to remayne there But sodainely I myght espie a galant Ruffler that came fiercely coursing along the Medow bidding me defende my selfe for without farther delay he meant to iust with me I was much moued with the roughnesse of his speach and iesture as also that he had interrupted me in the sweetenesse of those delyghtes wherein my senses were lulled a sleepe I askt hym yf he were a Gentleman and withall of what name and Countrey My name quoth he in an ill tuned harsh and queasy voyce is Ill Diet My office is to put all out of order where I come My linage is noble for Gluttonie is my mother and I am her eldest sonne I am maynteyned with ryches norished in delices and hyghly esteemed in the court of Princes Are you then quoth I eyther of these warriours that do with such vnuanquished puissance keepe the forest of vnmercifull Atropos Neyther of them quoth he but yet their great familiar friende and lyue by the same chase which they do which is by persecutyng of lyfe And therewithall he gaue me such a blow with his launce of lytle witte vpon the bosse of my guylded target that I do yet full well feele the weight of his encounter neuerthelesse pullyng my spirites vnto me with an eagre desire of reuenge with a full carrere I brake my Lance on his bosome and foorthwith we both layde handes on our swordes with which being tempered in folly we gaue one an other mightie blowes of banquettes bathings quaffings watchings wantonnesse and such lyke wherein Time the treasure of life is consumed and nothing hoorded vp but griefe and repentance When he had almost weeried me with these kindes of blowes then he let driue at me a freshe with many disorderly strokes of dauncyng running leaping playing at tennis immoderate exercise sweatyng sodayne colde takyng and other such lyke so deadly and dangerous greetings that without all doubt he had then made an ende of my daies had not a Lady called Reliquia iuuentutis commen to my succour who though in a maner tyred with often helpyng me in such lyke combates yet did in defence of my health put foorth the vttermost of her force and vertue requestyng my aduersarie to leaue the fyght and to geue me respit to see yet somewhat farther on in the worlde I am contented quoth he for the farther he runneth on in the worlde and the more trust he putteth in his owne forces the more certaine is his destruction yet before he depart because he hath behaued himselfe so stoutely with me I wyll bestow a Cappe vpon him dyed in my colours of such operation and vertue that it shall distyll a fountayne of rhewmes and humors into his eyes legges thyghes armes and ioynts so that in one part or other of his bodie while he liues go where he will he shall haue cause to remember my acquantance In geuing me which present he departed with exceeding haste leauing me extreamely turmoyled and sore in my bones with the weerinesse of this combate But my greatest griefe was that wheras in this last conflict I had beene relieued through the helpe of that litle youth that was remaining in me the same also being my chiefest comfort did now of a sodaine abandon me bidding me hereafter gouerne my selfe well for of her I neyther coulde nor shoulde receiue any farther assistance Being thus forsaken I folowed on my way desolate and comfortlesse not knowyng whither Onely my thoughtfulnesse still suggested vertue and valour vnto my minde animating me to perseuere on in this important voyage But as my mynde doubtfully wauered in sundry and diuers thoughts amidde this vncertaine way the night drawing on I might espie an aged fatherly Hermite not farre off standing before the doore of his Cell whose graue and courteous aspect encouraged me to acquaint him with my wandering vncertaine voyage and in frendly sort to entreate him of harbour for that nyght The good Hermite bade me from his hart welcome and by his countenance worde assured me that I should finde him a most freendlie and comfortable Hoste He himselfe disarmed me and bringing me into the inwarde part of his lodging did cast a warme mantle about my shoulders Me thought I did neuer beholde a man of more pleasing behauiour nor one whose conuersation did more delight me After that he had called for water to
refresh me he led me into a litle Chappel exceedinglie full of beautie and euen with the very sight moouing to deuotion in which kneeling downe at my prayers I saw sundry workes of pietie and repentance curiously wrought and garnished round about with sundry examples of Reformed life all set foorth in so comelie a sort and in so liuely colours that I was euen in a maner rauished with the sight thereof if the good Hermite considering my passed trauaile and the latenesse of the nyght had not by calling me to supper withdrawen my minde from the infinitenesse of contemplation whereunto the rare vertue of these glorious sightes had mooued it As we sate at the table I coulde not withdraw mine eyes from beholding his face His age was not lothsome but florishyng in vertue and himselfe wise though not according to our common worldly conceyte yet in the deapth of that wisedome that leadeth the soule to saluation I coulde not refrayne from asking his name and withall the cause that did mooue him being so notable a man to liue retired in so solitarie a place To satisfie your demaunde quoth he You shall vnderstande that I do well know both you and your estate which did the more moue me to geue you entertainement As for me I am called Vnderstanding a name in the worlde well worthie of honour though it be of the most part wrested turned and misdeemed I haue retired my selfe vnto this place to the ende that by Gods grace and goodnesse I might leaue the wyde way of the worlde that leadeth to euerlasting perdition The bread I feede vpon is seasoned with sobrietie and the wine I drinke is watred with the pure liquor of sincere liuing That which suffiseth susteyneth me No passion enuie or dissention hath entrance into this house of mine which is called Reason Here I hope to leade the rest of my life and to ende my dayes in flying the allurementes of the fleshe and the worlde and seeking with my soule him that did with his blood redeeme it Onely the thought of sinne is bitter and greeuous vnto me from occasion of the which as I do now liue sequestred so I beseech the guyder of the heauens to encrease in me perseuerance in this life which I haue vndertaken As for your estate linage name and condition I am thereof well informed likewise of the aduenturous enquest which in this dangerous voyage of yours you haue vndertaken Neither am I ignorant of your natiue countrie the marches of Burgundie in the miserable affliction of which with warre desolation and bloodshed vnweeried fortune seemeth to take such pleasure As for your selfe seeing like a valiant Martire you haue determined to bestow your life vpon these two tyrannizing Champions whose cruell handes neuer any of your foregoers that contended with them how famous or warlike soeuer coulde escape without bodily death and dissolution I will geue you the best and most expedient aduice I can First you must know that Accident is alwayes and at all houres redy mounted and armed attended vpon with all sortes of mischiefe and pernitious engines to bereaue mortall men of their liues Debilitie helpeth him as neede requireth so that betweene them they suffer none to escape But notwithstanding all this the greatnesse of your enimies puissance and your danger yet such is the condition of mankinde and such the course and poynt whereunto you are now arriued that flie backe or retire by any meanes you may not Therefore proceede on a Gods name with a resolued courage for as the danger is great so great wilbe your glorie if you do but withstande Accident alone yea so much that you may aduance your armes and set foorth your trophees equally with the most famous conquerour that euer was And insomuch therefore that heedefulnesse and warie circumspection is the chiefest meane to the accomplishment of great thinges I will bestow vpon you a Lance so surely steeled with a head of good gouernement that if you vse it rightly and make therewith resistance at any time when Accident shall distresse you he shalbe able to do you but litle greeuance But the surest preseruatiue I can geue you is euery day in the morning when you rise to commende your selfe deuoutely and zelously vnto almighty God desiring him to be a stedfast guide to your vncertaine steppes in the transitorie course of this your wandring mortalitie and forget not to be thankefull vnto him for the many benefites which for his part so plenteously without any desart of yours he hath bestowed vpon you With these such like speache we brought supper to an ende where after hauing giuen thankes vnto God he brought mee to my chamber the bed he appointed me was of Quiet securitie euen such as I my selfe would haue desired wherin I was no soner laied but that I fell into a sound sweetnesse of sleepe and so continued till the next morning being awaked with the sound of a litle bell that roung vnto diuine seruice hearing of which I arose quicklie and comming downe did finde the Alter called Perfection couered with the Ornamentes of Trueth and a chapleine whose name was Humilitie reuested in a Pure surples of perfect charitie beginning the holie seruice which after he had ended and my Hoast finished his orizons he saluted me and demaunded what rest I had taken to which I answered as I had cause that I neuer in my life had receiued the like contentment quiet repose With that he seeming wel appaide that I had so well liked of my lodging opened a back doore which to my seeming was of Remorse the lock a cleere Loking glasse and the key Desire of knowledge within the same was a cloyster or gallerie full of strange emblemes pictures and engines to marke vnderstand the particularitie and meaning of whose diuers maners formes I was with great wonder verie heedfull and attentiue which the gentle Hermite perceyuing did of himselfe offer to explane them vnto me to the end that he might make me the better acqueinted with the seueral kindes of death-bringing instrumentes that my aduersarie Accident doth accustomablie vse First quoth he see here this culter of a plowe with this did enuious Cain guided by Accident murther his innocent brother Abel He was the first that did till and delue the ground likewise the first that in the world did commit the cruell deede of mans-slaughter See here the statelie Marble pillars which mightie Sampson pulld downe and therwith the fundation of the Philistian pallace dying himselfe contented because with his ruine did also perish those his malicious enemies that had before so insolentlie triumphed at his miserable calamitie This did hee through a noble indignation and Accident was the onely contriuer of so great a mischefe See here the burning shirt the deadlie gift of a traiterous Centaure with which Deianeira pore deceaued Ladie thinking to procure wholly vnto her selfe the loue of Hercules her famous
husband was occasion both to him and her selfe of direfull and violent deathes and Accident hereof the onely executioner See heere the cruel poniardes wherewith in the heigth of his greatnesse most glorious Caesar hauing vanquished all publique enemies was by a priuate conspiracie of his dissembled freendes stabbed murthered in the senate house Accident did strangely bring him to this tragical end as most plainely the Romane histories do make manifest See heere the fatall Box wherein faithlesse Antipater kept the virulent poison wherwith he murthered admirable Alexander king of Macedone and conquerour of the worlde See heere the great and mightie trunchon of that deathfull speare wherewith fierce Achilles slew magnanimous Hector bulwarke of Troy and terror of the Grecians This was againe the fatall bow and stedie directed arrow wherewith effeminate Paris the firebrand of his country vnmanfullie reuenging the death of his noble brother traitorously to death wounded the glorie of the Grecian armie when full of ragefull loue he nothing lesse then death suspected This was the vnhappie sworde wherewith the honorable head of great Pompey was cut off by the vniust commaundement of the periured Egiptian traitor staining therewith his owne glorie and ouerthrowing the piller wherevpon Romes greatnesse was propped See heere the enuenomed ring out of which fearelesse Hanniball tooke his last draught of deadly poyson the greatnesse of his inuincible minde choosing by his owne handes rather to die then to yeld to any the least thought of captiuitie cursing as he died the head and kingdome of the disloial Bithinian Prince for hauing violated the lawes of hospitalitie See heere the bloodie Iaueline wherewith great king Agamemnon by the wicked consent of his detestable wife was trecherouslie slaine by Aegistus Ten yeeres had he warred in Asia commaunding all the vnited forces of the Grekish princes and lastly hauing burnt and razed Troy returning victoriously home in steede of glorious reposefull happinesse with hope of which he flattered him selfe was thus by Accident requited See here the well sharpned Cimitarre which guyded by the delicate hande of faire Iudith did deuide the brisled head of sleeping Holofernes from his huge giantlie carkas Great was the ioy of this deede vnto the Israelites and great was herein the successe of Accident This is the Hammer and therewith ioyntly the Nayle wherewith vertuous Iabel ended the vnworthie life of wicked Syzara geuing therewith ioy to the people and glorie to the greatnesse of Accident These were the fatall Lances of the two young Theban Princes Polinices and Etheocles either of which through ambitious desire to raigne did bereaue the other both of life and raigne whose bodyes as while they liued did harbour deuided and disagreeing soules so did their flames after death when with pompous solemnitie they were to be burned refuse to ioyne This was the sharpe piercing dagger wherewith dissembling Ioab mortallie to death wounded credulous Abner while he helde him in his armes embraced with a cheerefull disguysed shew of gladnesse This was the well directed Stone and this the farre reaching Sling out of which the feeble hande of young Dauid guyded it to the fall and death of great and puissant Golyas who alone was a terrour to the whole Israelites This was the well imployed Halter wherein proude Aman was strangled for endeuoring with damnable entent to murther and destroy the chosen and beloued people of God whereby the vertuous Queene Hester procured great honor to Mardocheus and executed in Aman the mighty power of Accident We had not visited the fourth part of this place so many so strange and so diuerse were the instrumentes that Accident vsed to surprise mens liues withall when the good Hermite withdrew me from thence willing me not to forget but mindfully to consider of those his reliques which I had seene Being thence departed when I began with perfect iudgement to consider of the thinges which I had viewed though the strangenesse and varietie of them were somewhat delightful yet coulde I not but feele a great tendernesse and perplexitie in my minde to consider that so many great and excellent men had been by Accident so cruelly murthered and made away some euen at such instantes as the vayne frailtie of this deceauing worlde did promise vnto them a stable and firme estate in all glorie happinesse and contentment withall it was a griefe vnto me that I had not seene the rest which remayned the which in apparance was ten thousande millions of times more then that which I had seene But withall I wondred much that among so many remarkable trophees of Accidents victories I had not seene any of his companion Debilitie which my freendly Hoast perceiuing tolde me that if I did at my returne repaire vnto him he woulde likewise satisfie mee therein and make me acquainted with the wonderous puissance of Debilitie As for now he chieflie desired to prepare me against the violence of Accident as being of the two the more cruel and sodaine and then he discoursed vnto me of many great and mighty Princes that he had at vnawares surprised and murthered some tasting of delicious meates some riding and managing of proude horses some geuing audience to sutors some riding in triumph to the capitoll some by sea some by lande some by fire some by fall of houses some by thunder some by earthquakes some in dauncing some in singing yea and some fast embraced in the armes of their beloued mystres euen in the pleasingest action of their Loue. Herewith the aged Father being loth to retaine me any longer from my intended voyage with tearefull eyes embracing me recommended me vnto God willing me not to be vnmindfull of his counsails and withall requested me at my returne if I did escape with life to come visite him which promising him to do I presently put on my armour and taking the Lance of Good gouernment which he had geuen me I leapt a horsebacke and went foorth on my iorney I had not long trauailed when I entred into a vallie that did directly leade me to a plaine which in appearance seemed to be aboue measure great and spatious This plaine I speake of is called Time which though it be large farre extended yet scarcely doth the passenger come vnto it when he is alredie beyonde it and the nature thereof is such that pleasure contentment do passe through it so vnconstantly and with such swiftnesse that they leaue in celeritie the winds behinde them I was no sooner come thither but my Horse whose name as before I tolde you was Desire tooke so strongly the head that do what I could I was not able to stay him till he had brought me farre beyonde the middle of the playne where striuing to restraine his course I might espie before me a fierce Champion that seemed in guyse of skilfull warriour to bid me battaill His armour was of Trauaile