that after this it may be called a place of dead mens wandring ghosts But fond wretch why doo I thus lament in vaine and bathe her bléeding bodie with my teares when gréefe by no meanes will recall her life Yet this shall satisfie her soule for I will goe a Pilgrimage vnto Ierusalem offer vp my teares to Iesus Christ vpon his blessed Sepulcher by which my stained soule may be washt from this bloody guilt which was the causer of this sorrowfull dayes mishappe These sorrowfull words were no sooner ended but hée tooke her bléeding limmes betwéene his fainting armes and gaue a hundred kisses vpon her dying coloured lips retayning yet y e colour of Alablaster new washt in purple blood and in this extasie a while lying gaue waye to others to vnfold their woes But his Sonnes whose sorrowes wer as great as his protested neuer to neglect one day but duly wéepe a sea of teares vpon their Mothers graue till from the Earth did spring some mournfull flower to beare remembrance of her death as did the Uiolet that sprung from chast Adonis blood when Venus wept to sée him slaine Likewise the other sixe Champions that all the time of their lamentations stood like men drownd in the depth of sorrow began now a little to recouer themselues and after protested by the honour of true Knighthood and by the Spur and golden Garter of S. Georges leg to accompanie him vnto the holy Land bare footed without either hose or shoo onely clad in russet gaberdines like the vsuall Pilgrimes of the world and neuer to returne till they haue payd their vowes vpon that blessed Sepulcher Thus in this sorrowful manner wearied they the time away filling the woods with Echoes of their lamentations and recording their dolors to the whistling windes but at last when blacke Night began to approach and with her sable mantles to ouer-spred the christall firmament they retyred with her dead bodie backe to the Citie of London where the report of this tragicall accident drowned their friends in a sea of sorrow for the newes of her timelesse death was no sooner bruted abroad but the same caused both olde and young to lament the losse of so swéete a Ladie The siluer headed age that had wont in scarlet gownes to méete in Councell sat now at home in discontented griefes the gallant youths and comely virgins that had wont to beautefie the stréetes with costlye garments went drouping vp and downe in blacke and mournfull vestures and those remorcelesse hearts that sildome were opprest with sorrow now constrained their eyes like fountaines to distill a floud of brinish and pearly teares This generall griefe of the Citizens continued for the space of thirtie dayes at the ende whereof Saint George with his Sonnes and the other Champions interred her bodie verie honourably and erected ouer the same a â—ith and costly Monument in sumptuous state like the toomb of Mausolus which was called one of the Wonders of the World or like to the Pyramides of Greece which is a staine to all Architectures for thereon was portrayed the Quéene of Chastitie with her Maydens bathing themselues in a christall Fountaine as a witnesse of her wondrous Chastitie against the lustfull assailements of manie a Knight Thereon was also most liuely pictured a Turtle-doue sitting vpon a trée of gold in signe of the true loue that she bore to her betrothed husband Also a siluer coloured Swan swimming vpon a Christall riuer as a token of her beautie for as the Swan excelleth al other fowles in whitenes so she for beautie excelled all Ladies in the world I leaue to speake of the curious workmanship of the pinacles that were framed all of the purest â—eat the pummels of siluer and Iasper stones Also I omit the Pendants of gold the Scutchions of Princes the Armes of Countreyes that beautefied her Toombe the discourse whereof requires an Oratours eloquence or a penne of golde dipt in the dew of Hellicon or Pernassus Hill whereas the Muses doo inhabit Her Statue or Picture was carued cunningly in alablaster and layd as it were vppon a pillow of gréene silke like vnto Pigmalâ—ons yuorie Image and directly ouer the same hung a siluer Tablet whereon in letters of golde was this Epitaph written Here lies the vvonder of this vvorldly age For beautie vvit and princely maiestie Whom spitefull death in his imperious rage Procurde to fall through ruthlesse crueltie In leauie sports within a fragrant wood Vpon a thornie brake she spilt her blood Let Virgins pure and Princes of great might With siluer perled teares imbalme this tomb Accuse the fatall sisters of despight For blasting thus the pride of natures bloom For here she sleeps within this earthly graue whose worth deserues a golden tomb to haue Seauen yeares she kept her sweet Virginitie In absence of her true betrothed Knight When thousands did perceiue her chastitie Whilst he remaind in prison daye and night But yet we see that things of purest prize Forsakes the earth to dwell aboue the skies Maidens come mourne with dolefull melody And make this monument your setled bower Here shed your brackish teares eternally Lament both yere month week day hower For here she rests whose like can nere be fouÌ„d Her beauties pride lyes buried in the ground Her wouÌ„ded hart that yet doth freshly bleed Hath causd seuen knights a iourny for to take To faire Ierusalem in Pilgrimes weed The furie of her angrie ghost to slake Because their siluane sports was chiefest guilt And onely cause her blood was timeles spilt Thus after the Toomb was erected and the Epitaph ingrauen in a siluer Tablet and al things performed according to Saint Georges direction he left his Sonnes in the Cittie of London vnder the gouernment of the English King and in companie of the other sixe Champions he tooke his iourney towards Ierusalem They were attired after the manner of Pilgrimes in russet gaberdines downe to their foote in their hands they bore staues of Ebon wood tipt at the endes with siluer the pikes whereof were of the strongest Lydian stéele of such a sharpnes that they were able to pierce a target of Tortoys shell vppon their breasts hung Crosses of crimson silke to signifie that they were Christian Pilgrimes trauelling to the Sepulcher of Christ. In this manner set they forward from England in the Spring time of the yeare when Flora had beautefied the earth with Natures tapestrie and made their passages as pleasant as the Gardens of Hesperides adorned with all kinde of odoriferous flowers When as they crossed the seas the siluer waues séemed to lye as smoothe as christal yce and the Dolphins to daunce aboue the waters as a signe of a prosperous iourney In trauelling by land the wayes séemed so short and easie and the chirping melody of birdes made them such musique as they passed that in a short season they arriued beyond the borders of Christendome and had entred the confines of Africa There were they forced
no sooner ended but the Temple in their conceites séemed full strangely to resound like the melodie of celestial Angels or the holy harmony of the heauenly Rubens as a signe that the Gods were pleased at their procéedings then the twelue Uirgins arose from their diuine contemplations and conducted the seauen Champions to the farther side of mount Syon and there bestowed franklie vppon them seauen of the brauest Stéedes that euer they beheld with Martiall furniture answerable therunto befitting knights of such estéeme then the christian Champions beeing proude of their good fortunes attyred them selues in rich and sumptious corselets and after mounted vppon their warlike coursers kindly bidding the Ladies adiew they betooke them to the worlds wide iourney This trauell began at that time of the yeare when the Sommers quéene began to spread her beauteous mantles amongst the gréene and fresh boughes of the hye and mightie Cedars when as all kinde of small birds flewe round about recreating themselues in the beautie of the day and with their well tuned notes making a swéete and heauenlye melodye at that time I say these mightie and well estéemed knights the seauen Champions of Christendome tooke the way from Ierusalem which they thought to be most vsed in which they had not many daies trauelled through the deserts and euer many a mountaine top but they were meruailously troubled for lacke of their accustomed and dayly victuals and could not hide nor dissemble their great hunger so that the warre which they sustayned with hunger was farre greater then the battels that they had fought against the enemies of Christ as you heard discoursed in the first part of this Historye So vpon a Sommers euening when they had spent the day in great extreamitie and night grewe on being in a thicket of mightye trées where as the siluer Moone with her bright beames glistred most cléerly yet to them it séemed to bee as darke as pitch for they were very sore troubled for lacke of that which shoulde sustaine them and their faces did showe and declare the perplexities of their stomackes So they sate them downe vppon the gréene and freshe hearbes very pensiue of their extreame necessitie procuring to take their rests that night but all was in vayne for that their corporall necessities would not consent thervnto but without sléeping they walked vp and downe for that night till the next day in the morning that they turned to their accustomed trauell and iourney thinking to finde some food for the cherishing of their stomackes and had their eyes alwayes gazing about to espye some Uillage or house wherein they might satisfye their hunger and take their restes Thus in this helplesse manner spent they away the next day till the closing in of the euenings light by which time they grewe so faint that they fell to the ground with féeblenesse Oh what a sorrowe was it to Saint George not only for him selfe but to sée the rest of the Champions in such a miserable case beeing not able to helpe themselues and so parting a little from them he lamented in this manner following Thou God of Iudea in whose handes both life and death remaines and at whose frownes the lowe foundation of the fastened will tremble and quake the outragious Seas swell and rise aboue theyr boundes the woods and wildernes rose with tempestious guses and the fruitfull earth growe barren Oh pitty mee thou most gratious God thou mightiest amongst the powers of heauen thou that hast giuen me so many victories thou that hast made me conqueror of Kinges and kingdomes and thou by whose inuinsible power I haue tamed the black-faste furyes of darke Cositus that maskte abroad the worlde in humaine shapes looke downe I say from thy Imperiall seate euen by my Pilgrimage vnto thy Sacred shrine showe mee some fouor and doe not consent that I and my companie perish for hunger want of victualls make no delay to remedie our great necessitie let vs not be meat for birds houering in the aire nor our bodies cast as a pray for rauenous beasts ranging in thâ—se woods but rather if we must néedes perish let vs dy by the hands of the strongest warriers in the vniuersal world and not â—asely to loose our liues with cowardlye hunger These and such like reasons vttered this valiaunt Champion of England till such time as the day appeared and the sable curtaines of coale blacke night were withdrawen Then returned he to the rest of his Companie where he found them verie weake and féeble but he encouraged them in the best manner he could deuise to take their horses and to trie the chaunce of their vtmost vnkinde fortune Although Saint George as they trauelled was readie to dye by the way and in great confusion of minde yet rode he first to one then to another comforting them and making them ride apace which they might verie well doo for that their horses were not so vnprouided as theyr Masters by reason of the goodly grasse that grew in those Woods wherewith at pleasure they filled themselues euerie night The golden Sunne had almost mounted to the top of heauen and the glorious prime of the daye began to approch when they came into a great field verie plaine and in the middest of it was a little Mountaine out of the which there appeared a great smoake which gaue them to vnderstand that there should be some habitation in that place Then the Princely minded Saint George said to the other Champions Take comfort with your selues and by little and little come forward with an easie pace for I will ride before to sée who shall be our hoast this ensuing night And of this braue Knights and Companions bée all assured whether hee be pleasde or no yet shall hee giue vs lodging and entertayne vs like to trauelling Knights and therewithall he set spurres to his horse and swiftly scowred away like to a ship with swelling sailes vpon the marble coloured Ocean his hast was so spéedy that in a short time he approached the mountaine where at the furie rushing of his horse in running there arose from the ground a mightie and terrible Giant of so great height that he séemed to bee a bigge growne trée and for hugenes like to a rocke of stone but when he cast his staring eyes vpon the English knight which seemed like two brazen plates or two torches euer flaming he layde hand vpon a mightie club of Iron which lay by him and came with great lightnesse to méete Saint George but when he approached his presence he thought him to bee a Knight but of small vallor and fortitude he threw away his Iron bat and came towards the champion intending with his fistes and buffets to beat out his braines but the courage of the English champion so exceeded that he forgot the extremity of hunger for like a couragious knight he raised himselfe in his stirrops otherwise hee coulde not reach his head and gaue him such a blowe
the ioyful bankes of Elizian fields but wander vp and downe the worlde filling each corner of the earth with fearefull clamors of murder and reuenge nor neuer shall the furies of my angry soule bee pacified vntill my eyes beholde a streame of purple gore run trickling from the detestable brest of that accursed rauisher and that the bloud may issue from his guiltie heart like a fountaine with a hundred springes whereby the pauements of his Castle may be sprinckled with the fame and the wals of his Turrettes colored with a crimson hew like to the stréetes of Troy when as her chanels ran with bloudâ— at the end of this sorrowfull lamentation what for griefe and what for want of natural rest my eyes closed together and my sences fell into a heauy sléepe But as I say slumbring in the gréene meadowes I dreamed that there was a great and fierce wilde man which stood before me with a sharp faushion in his hand making as though he would kill me wherat me thought I was so frighted that I gaue in my troublesome dreams many terrible shréekes calling for succour to the emptie ayre Then me thought there apperred before my face a company of curteous Knightes which saide vnto mee feare not old man for we be come from the soules of thy daughters to aide and succour thée but yet for all this the wilde man vanished not away but stroke with his faushion vppon my brest whereat it sâ—â—med to open and howe that the wilde centaure put his hande into the wounde and pulled out my heart so straight at the same instant mee thought that one of the Knightes lykewise layde hold vpon my hart and stroue together with much contention who should pull it from the others handes but in the end each of them remained with a péece in his hand and my heart parted in two Then the péece which remained in the wilde mans power turned into a hard stone and the péece which remained in the power of the Knight conuerted into redde bloud and so they vanished away Then straight after this there appeared before my eyes the Image of my murthered daughter in the selfe same manner and forme as you behold her héere portrayed who with a naked bodie all besmear'd in bloud reported vnto mee the true discourse of her vnhappie fortunes and tolde me in what place and where her body lay in the woods dishonored for want of buriall Also desiring me not of my selfe to attempt the reuengement for it was impossible but to intombe her corpes by her mother and cause the picture of her body to bee moste liuely portraied and wrought of fine christall in the same manner that I found it in the woods and after errect it néere vnto a common passage where aduenterous Knights do vsually trauaile Also assuring mee that thether shoulde come certaine christian Champions that should reuenge my iniuries and inhumane murther Which words being finished me thought she vanished away with a gréeuous and heauie grone leauing behinde her certaine droppes of bloud sprinkled vpon the grasse Whereat with great perplexitie and more sorrow I awaked out of my dreame bearing it in my greeuous minde not reuealing it not so much as to the brittle ayre but with all expedition performing her bléeding soules request Where euer since most curteous and noble Knights I haue héere lamented her vntimely death and my vnhappie fortune spending the time in writing her doleful Tragidy in bloud red lines the which I knowe to your great griefe you haue read in this book of gold Therfore most curteous Knights if euer honor incouraged you to fight in Noble aduentures I now most earnestly intreate you with your magnanimious fortitudes to assist me to take reuengement for the greate crueltie that hath béene vsed against my vnfortunate daughter At the reading of this sorrowfull historie Saint George with the other Champions did shed many teares wherewith there did increase in theÌ„ a further desire of reuengement and being moued with great compassion they protested by their promisses made to the honor of Knighthood to perseuer spéedily on their vowed reuenge and determined purpose also calling heauen to be witnesse to their plighted oathes protesting that sooner shoulde the liues of all the famous Romaines bee raised from death from the time of Romulus to Caeser and all the rest vnto this time then to be perswaded to returne from their promisses and neuer to trauell backe into Christendome till they had performed their vowes and thus burning with desire to sée the end of this sorrowfull aduenture Saint George clapped vp the bloudy written booke and gaue it againe to the Shepheard and so they procéeded forwards towards the Iland where the Knight of the black Castle had his residence guided onely by the direction of the old man whose aged limbes séemed so lusty in traueling that it prognosticated a luckie euent In which iorney wee will leaue the Champions for a time with the wonderfull prouision that the Knight of the blacke Castle made in his defence the successe whereof will be the strangest that euer was reported and returne and speake of Saint Georges thrée Sonnes in the persute of their Father where we left them as you heard before traueling from the Confines of Barbarie where they redéemed the Normaine Lady from the Tawny Moores CHAP. VI. A wonderfull and strange aduenture that hapned to Saint George his Sonnes in the persute of their Father by finding certaine droppes of bloud with Virgins hayre scattered in the fieldes and how they were certified of the iniurious dealing of the Knight of the blacke Castle against the Queene of Armenia MAny and dangerous were the aduentures of the thrée valiant Princes in the persute of their father Saint George and many were the Countries Ilands and Princes Courts that they searched to obtaine a wished sight of his martiall countenance but all to small purpose for fortune neither cast them happilie vpon that coast where he with his famous Champions had their residence nor luckily sounded in their eares the places of their arriuals In which persute I omit and passe ouer many Noble aduentures that these thrée Princes atchiued as well vpon the raging ocians as vpon the firme Land and wholie discourse vppon an accident that hapned to them in an Iland bordering vpon the confines of Armenia néere vnto the Iland where the Knight of the blacke Castle remained as you heard in the last Chapter vpon which coast after they were arriued they trauelled in a broad and straight path vntill such time as they came to a verie faire and delectable forrest where as sundry chirping birdes had gathered themselues together to refreshe and shrowd themselues from the parching heat of the golden Sunne filling the ayre with the pleasures of their siluer tuned notes In this Forrest they trauelled almost two howers and then they went vp to a small mountaine which was at hand from the which they discouered very faire and wel towered townes
dissolue his soule from his bodie and therewithal putting forth his hand somewhat trembling he tooke the Letter set him verie sorrowfully downe vpon the gréene grasse without anie power to the contrarie his gréefe so abounded the bounds of reason No sooner did he open the letter but he presently knew it to be written by the hands of his wronged Ladie y e Armenian Quéene who with great alteration both of hart minde he read the sorrowfull lines the which contayned these words following The Queene of Armenia her Letter TO thée thou disloyall Knight of the Blacke Castle the vnfortunate Quéene of Armenia can neither send nor wish salutations for hauing no health my selfe I cannot send it vnto him whose cruel mind hath quite forgotten my true loue I cannot but lament continuallye and complain vnto the Gods incessantly considering that my fortune is conuerted from a crowned Quéene to a miserable and banished caytiue where the sauage beasts are my chiefe companions the mournfull biâ—ds my best solliciters Oh Leoger Leoger why didst thou leaue me comfortlesse without all cause as did Aeneas his vnfortunate Dido what second loue hath bereaued me of thy sight and made thée forget her that euer shall remember thée Oh Leoger remember the day when first I saw thy face which day bee fatall euermore and counted for a dismal day in time to come both heauy blacke and full of foule mischances for it was vnhappie vnto me for in giuing thée ioy I bereaued my selfe of all and lost the possession of my libertie and honour althogh thou hast not estéemed nor tooke care of my sorrowfull fortunes yet thou shouldst not haue mockt my perfect loue and disdained the feruent affâ—ction that I haue borne thée in that I haue yéelded to thée that precious iewell y e which hath béen denied to manie a noble King Oh Loue cruel and spitefull Loue that so quickly didst make mee blinde and depriuedst mee of the knowledge that belonged vnto my royall Highnesse Oh vncurteous Knight beeing blinded with thy loue the Quéene of Armenia denied her honestie which shee ought to haue kept and preserued it from the biting canker of disloyall lâ—ue Hadst thou pretended to mocke me thou shouldst not haue suffred me to haue lost so much as is forgone for thy sake Tell me why didst not thou suffer mee to execute my will that I might haue opened my white brest with a pearcing swoord and sent my soule to the shady banke of swéete Elizium Then had it béene better for me to haue died than to liue still and dayly die Remember thy selfe Leoger and behold the harm that will come héereof haue thou a care vnto the pawn which thou leftst sealed in my wombe and let it bee an occasion that thou doost after all thy violent wronges retourne to sée me sléeping in my tombe that my childe may not remaine fatherlesse in the power of wilde beastes whose hearts be fraughted with nothing but with crueltie Doe not consent that this perfecte loue which I beare thée should be counted vaine but rather performe the promise the which thou hast denied me O vnkinde Leoger O cruell and heard heart is alshoode the firme loue that so faindedly thou didst professe to me what is he that hath béene more vnmercifull then thou hast béene There is no furious beast nor lurking Lion in the deserts of Libia whose vnmercifull pawes are all besmearde in bloud that is so cruell harted as thy self els wouldst thou not leaue me comfortles spending my dayes in solitarie woods where as the Tigers mourne at my distresses and chirping birdes in their kindes grieue at my lamentations the vnreasonable torments and sorrowes of my soule are so many that if my penne were made of Lidian stéele and my Inke the purple Ocean yet could not I write the number of woes But nowe I determine to aduertise thée of my desired death for in writing this my latest testament the fates are cutting a sunder my thrid of life and I can giue thée knowledge of no more but yet I desire thée by the true loue which I beare thée that thou wilt read with some sorrow these fewe lines and héere of the powers of heauen I do desire that thou maist dye the like death that for thée I now dye And so I ende By her vvhich did yeeld vnto thee her life Loue Honor Fame and Liberty WHen this sad and heauie knight had made an end of reading this dolorous letter hee could not restraine his eyes from distilling salte teares so great was the griefe that his hart sustaned Rosana did likewise beare him company to solemnize his heauines with as manye teares trickling from the Conduite of her eyes The greate sorrowe and lamentation was such and so much in both their hartes that in a great space the one coulde not speake vnto the other but afterwardes their griefes being somewhat appeased Leoger began to say Oh Messenger from her with the remembrance of whose wronge my soule is wounded being vndeseruedly of me euill rewarded tell me euen by the nature of true loue if thou dost knowe where she is showe vnto me her abiding place that I may goe thither and giue a discharge of this my great fault by yeilding vnto death Oh cruell and without loue answered Rosana what discharge canst thou giue vnto her that alreadye thorow thy crueltie is dead and buryed onely by the occasion of such a forsworne knight This penitent and payned knight when he vnderstood the certaintie of her death with a sodaine and hastie fury he strooke him selfe on the 〈◊〉 with his fist and lifting his eyes vnto the heauens in manner of exclamation against the Gods giuing déepe and sorrowfull sighes he threwe him selfe to the ground tumbling and wallowing from the one part vnto the other without taking any ease or hauing anye power or strength to declare his inward griefe which at that time he felt but with lamentations which did torment his hart he called continually on the Armenian Quéen and in that deuilish furye wherein he was dreâ— out his dagger and lifting vp the skirt of his shirt of 〈◊〉 he thrust it into his body and giuing himself this vnhappy death with calling vpon his wroÌ„ged Lady he finished his life and fell to the ground This sad and heauie Ladie when she beheld him so desperately to gorge his martiall breast and to fall liuelesse to the earth she greatly repented her selfe that she had not discouered her name and reuealed to him how that shee was his vnfortunate Daughâ—er whose face before that time he neuer had beheld and as a Lion though all too late who seeing before her eyes her yong Lionâ—sse euil intreated of the Huâ—ter euen so she ran vnto her welâ—eloued Father and with great spéed pulled off his helme froÌ„ his wounded head and vnbraced his armour the which was in colour according to his passion but as strong as anie Diamond made by Magicke arte Also she tooke away his
shéeld which was of a russet field and in y e middest thereof was portrayed the God of Loue with two faces the one was verie faire and bound about with a cloth his eyes and the other was made meruailous fierce and furious This being done with a faire linnen cloth shee wyped off the blood from his mortal face And when she was certaine that it was him after whom she had traueled so manie wearie steps and that he was without life with a furious madnes she tore her attyre from her head and all so rent her golden haire tearing it in péeces and then returned again and wyped that infernall face making such sorrowfull lamentation that whosoeuer had séene her would haue been mooued to compassion Then shee tooke his head betwixt her hands procuring to lift it vp and to lay it vpon her lap and seeing for al this that there was no moouing in him she ioyned her face vnto his pale and dead chéeâ—es and with sorrowfull words she said Deare Father open thine eyes and behold me open them swéete Father and looke vppon mee thy sorrowfull Daughter if fortune be so fauourable let me receiue some contentment whilest life remaineth 〈…〉 thy selfe to looke vpon me wherein such delight may come to me that we may either accoÌ„pany other Oh my Lord and onely Father sâ—â—ing that in former times my vnfortunatâ— Mothers tears were not sufficienâ— to reclaime thée make me satisfaction for the great trauell which hath béen taken in séeking thee out Come now in death and ioye in the sight of thy vnhappie Daughter and dye not without séeing her open thine eyes that she may gratefie thée in dying with thée This being said Rosana began again to wipe his face for that iâ— was agâ—â—n all to be bathed in blood and with her white hands she felt his eyes and mouth and all hys face and head till such time as she touched his breast and put her hand on the mortall wound where she held it still and looked vpon him whether he mooued or no. But when she felt him withoâ—â— sense or féeling she began anew to complayne and crying out with most terrible exclamations she said Oh my haplesse Father how manie troubles great trauells hath thy Daughter passed in séeking thée watering the earth with her teares and alwayes in vaine calling for thée Oh how manie times in naming thy name hath she béen answered with an Eccho which was vnto her great dolour and griefe and now that Fortune hath brought her where thou art to reioice her selfe in thy presence the same Fortune hath conuerted her wishes into greefe and doâ—or Oh cruell and vnconstant Quéene of Chaunce hath Rosana deserued this to bee most afflicted when she expected most ioy Oh Leoger if euer thou wilt open thine eyes now open them or let the glasses of my eyes be cloased eternally Herewith she perceiued his dim eyes to open and hys senses now a little gathered together aâ—d when hee saw himselfe in her armes and vnderstood by her words that she was his Daughter whom hee had by the vnfortunate Quéene of Armenia he sodainly stroue against weaknes and at last recouering some strength he cast hys yéelding armes about the milke white necke of the faire Rosana and they ioyned their faces the one with the other distilling betwixt them many salte and bitter teares in such sort that it would haue moued the wilde beasts vnto compassion and with a féeble and weake voice the wounded knight said Ah my daughter vnfortunate by my disloyaltie let me recreate and comforte my selfe in enioying this thy mouth the time that I shall remaine aliue and before my sillie soule doth departe the company of my dying bodie I do confesse that I haue béene pittilesse vnto thy mother and vnkinde to thée in making thée to trauell with great sorrow in séeking me and now thou hast found me I must leaue thée alone in this sorrowfull place with my dead body pale and wanne yet before my death swéet girle giue me a thousand kisses this onely delighte I craue for the little time I haue to tarrie and afterward I desire thée to intombe my body in thy mothers graue though it be far in distance from this vnluckie Country O my déere Lord answered she dost thou request of me to giue thy body a Sepulcher well I sée that it is requisit to séeke some to giue it vnto vs both for I knowe my life can not continue longe if the angry fates depriue me of your liuing companye and without strength to procéed any further in speaches she kissed his face with great sobbing and sighes making within her selfe a terrible conflicte tarying for the answere of her dying Father who with no lesse paine and anguish of death said Oh my Childe how happy should I be that thus imbracing one in the others armes we might depart togeather then should I be ioyfull in thy company and account my selfe happy in my death and here vppon I leaue thée vnto the worlde daughter farwell the Gods preserue thée and take me to their mercies And when he had said these wordes hee enclyned his necke vppon the face of Rosana and dyed When this sorrowfull Ladye sawe that the soule had got the victorie and departed from the body she kissed his pale lippes and giuing â—éepe and doloâ—ous sighes shee beganne a merualous and heauy lamentation calling her selfe vnhappie and vnfortunate and layde her selfe vpon the dead body cursing her destinies so that it was lamentable to heare O my déere father sayd she what small benefite haue I receiued for all my trauell and paine the which I haue suffered in séeking of thée and nowe in the finding of thée the more is my griefe for that I came to sée thée dye Oh most vnhappie that I am where was my minde when I saw that fatall dagger pearce thy tender brest whereon was my thought wherefore did I stand still and did not with great lightnes make resistance against that terrible blow If my strength would not haue serued me yet at the least I shoulde haue borne thée companie you furious beastes that are hid in your dens and déepe caues where are you now why doe you not come and take pittie vpon my griefe in taking away my life in doing so you shewe your selues pittifull for that I doe abhorre this dolorous life yet she did not forget the promise that shee made him which was to giue his body burial in her mothers tombe This was the occasion that she did somewhat cease her lamentation and taking vnto her selfe more courage then her sorrowfull griefe would consent vnto she put the dead bodie vnder a mightie pine Apple trée and couered it with leaues of gréene grasse and like wise hung his armor vpon the bowes in hope that the sight thereof would cause some aduenturous knight to approach her presence that in kindenes would asist her to intombe him heere we will leaue Rosana wéeping ouer her fathers body
presently by his Arte he prepared his yron Chariot with his flying dragons in a readines wherein they layd the murthered bodye of Leoger vppon a pillowe of mystle-toe and likewise placed themselues therein wher in they were no sooner entred with necessaries belonging to their trauelles but they flewe thorowe the ayre more swifter then a whirl-wind or a shippe sayling on the seas in a stormye tempest The wonders that he performed by the way be so many and miraculous that I want an Orators eloquence to discribe them and a Poets skil to expresse them But to bee shorte when Rosana was desirous to eate and that her hunger increased by his charmes he would procure birdes of their owne accordes to fall out of the skyes and yeild themselues vnto their pleasures with all things necessary to suffice their wantes Thus was Rosana with her fathers dead body caryed through the ayre b◠Magicke arte ouer hilles and dales mountaines and valleys wooddes and forrestes townes and Citties and through many both wonderfull and strange places and countries And at the last they arriued néere vnto the confines of Armenia beeing the place of their long desired rest But when they approached néere vnto the Queene of Armenias groue they descended from their inchaunted Chariot and bore Leogers body to his burying place the which they found since Rosanaes departure ouergrowne with mosse and wythered brambles yet for all that they opened the Sepulcher and layd his bodie yet freshly bléeding vpon his Ladies consuming carcasse which beeing done the Magitian couered againe the graue with earth and laid thereon gréene turues which made it séeme as though it neuer had béen opened All the time that the Magitian was perfourming the ceremonious Funerall Rosana watered the earth wyth her teares neuer withdrawing her eyes from looking vppon the Graue and when it was finished shee fell into this most sorrowfull and distresfull lamentation following Oh cruell Destinies said she sith your rigours haue bereaued me of both my Parents left me to the world a comfortlesse Orphane receaue the sacrifice of my chastitie in payment of your vengeaunce and let my blood here shed vpon this Graue shewe the singlenesse of my heart And with the like solemnitie may all their hearts be broken in péeces that séeke the downfall and dishonor of Ladies As she was vttering these and such like sorrowes shee tooke foorth a naked sword which she had readie for the same effect and put the pummell to the ground and cast her breast vpon the poynt The which shee did with such furious violence and such excéeding hast that the Magitian although he was there present could not succour her nor preuent her from committing on her selfe so bloodie a fact This sodaine mischaunce so amazed him and so gréeued his soule that his heart for a time would not consent that his tung should speake one word to expresse hys passion But at last hauing taken a truce with sorrowe and recouering his former speach he tooke vp the dead bodye of Rosana bathed all in blood and likewise buried her in her Parents Graue and ouer the same he hung vp an Epitaph that did declare the occasion of all their deathes This being done to expresse the sorrowes of his heart for the desperat death of such a Magnaminious Lady and the rather to exempt himselfe from the company of all humaine creatures he erected ouer the graue by magicke arte a very stately Tombe the which was in this order framed First there was fixed foure pillors euery one of a very fine Rubie vpon the which was placed a Sepulcher of Cristall within the sepulcher there seemed to be two faire Ladyes the one hauing her breste peirced thorowe with a sword and the other with a Crowne of golde vpon her head and so leane of body that she séemed to pine away and vpon the sepulcher there lay a knight all along with his face looking vp to the heauens and armed with a coarselet of fine stéele of a russet enamelling vnder the sepulcher there was spread abroad a great carpet of gold and vpon it two pillors of the same and vpon them lay an olde sheapheard with his shéep hooke lying at his feete his eyes were shut and out of them distilled manye pearled teares at euery pillor there was a gentlewomā without any remembrance the one of them séemed to be murthered and the other rauished And néere vnto the sepulcher there lay a terrible great beast headed like a Lyon his brest and body like a wolfe and his tayle like a scorpion which séemed to spitte continually flames of fire the sepulcher was compassed about with a wall of yron with foure gates for to enter in therat the gates were after the manner and cullour of fine Diamonds and directly ouer the top of the chiefest gate stood a marble pillor whereon hung a table written with red letters the contentes whereof were as followeth So long shall breath vpon this brittle earth The framer of this stately Monument Till that three children of a wondrous birth Out of the Northerne climate shall be sent They shall obscure his name as fates agree And by his fall the fiendes shall tamed bee This Monument being no sooner framed by the assistance of Plutos legions and maintained by their deuillish powers but the Nigromancer enclosed himselfe in the walles where he consorted chiefly with furyes and walking spirits that continually fed vpon his blood and left their damnable seales sticking vnto his left side as a sure token and witnes that he had giuen both his soule and body to their gouerments after the date of his mortall life was finished In which inchaunted sepulcher we will leaue him for a time conferring with his damnable mates and returne to the christian knightes where we left them trauelling towardes Babylon to place the King againe in his Kingdome CHAP. XIII How the seauen Champions of Christendome restored the Babylonian King vnto the Kingdome and after how honourably they were receiued at Rome vvhere Saint George fell in loue with the Emperours Daughter being a professed Nunne Of the mischiefe that insued thereby and of the desperate ende of yong Lucius Prince of Rome THe valiant Christian Champions hauing as you heard in the Chapter going before perfourmed the Aduenture of the inchaunted monument accompanied the Babylonian King home to his kingdom of Assiria as they had all verie solemnly and faithfully promised to him But when they approached the Confines of Babylon and made no question of peacefull and princely entertainment there was neither signe of peace nor likelihood of ioyfull or frendly welcome for all the Countrey raged with intestine warre foure seuerall Competitors vniustly striuing for what to the King properly and of right belonged The vnnaturall causers and stirrers vp to thys blood-deuouring controuersie were the foure Noblemen vnto whom the King vnaduisedly committed the gouernment of his Realme when hee went in the tragicall pursute of his faire daughter after his dreaming