recouer the 〈◊〉 which hir mother had hidden there to 〈◊〉 she might obtaine if not by other meanes with some rich dowrie the yong Gentleman to husband whome she so derely loued And then re-enforcing hir complaint she said that 〈◊〉 Fortune had 〈◊〉 hir of that which might haue accomplished hir desire resting no cause why she shoulde any longer liue the halter was prepared for hir to ende hir dayes and to rid hir life from troubles And therfore she prayed hir to be cōtented that she might make that end which hir misaduenture and wicked fortune had predestinate I doubt not but there be many which vnderstading that the treasure did belong to Philene if they had 〈◊〉 the like as Elisa did would not only not haue forbidden hir the deth but also by spéedie méanes haue 〈◊〉 the same for so much as by that occasion the hidden tresure should haue bene out of strife and contention so great is the force of Couetousnesse in the minde of man But good Elisa knew full well the mutabilitie of Fortune in humaine things for so much as she by séeking death had founde the thing which not onely deliuered hir from the same but made hir the best contented woman of the worlde And Philene séeking hir contentation in place therof and by like occasion found the thing that would haue ben the instrumēt of hir death And moued with very greate compassion of the mayden desired to haue better aduertisement howe that treasure could belong to hir Then Philene shewing forth hir mothers writing which particularly remēbred the parcels within the casket and Elisa séeing the same to be agreable to the hand wherwith the other was writen that was founde in the casket was assured that all the gold and Iewels which she had found did belong vnto 〈◊〉 and sayde vnto hir selfe The Gods defende that I should prepare the halter for the death of this innocent wench whose substance hath yelded vnto me so gret contentation And comforting the maiden in the end she sayd Be contented Philene and giue ouer this thy desperate determination for both thy life shal be prolonged and thy discontented minde appeased hoping thou shalte receyue the comforte thou desirest And with those words she losed the halter from hir neck and taking hir by the hande brought hir to the place where hir father and husbande were and did them to vnderstand the force terms whervnto the fier of loue and desperation had broughte that amorous maiden telling them that all the treasure and Iewels which she had found where she left the halter and wherwith Philene was minded to hang hir self did by good right and reason belong to hir then shée did let them sée the counterpaine of that bil which was in the 〈◊〉 in all pointes agreable thervnto declaring moreouer that very mete and reasonable it were like 〈◊〉 should be vsed vnto hir as by whome they had receyued so great honor contentation Hir husband which was a Carthaginian borne very churlish and couetous albeit by conferring the writings together he knewe the matter to be true and that Philene ought to be the possessor therof yet by no meanes wold agrée vnto his wines request but fell into a rage calling hir foole and 〈◊〉 and saying that he had rather that she 〈◊〉 ben a thousand times hanged than he would giue hir one peny and although she had saued hir life yet she ought to be banished the Citie forsomuch as the same and all the 〈◊〉 therof was brought into the Romanes handes and amongs the same hir mothers house and all hir goodes in possession of the victors and euery part therof at their disposition pleasure And moreouer for so much as hir mother and shée had departed Carthage and would not abide the hazarde and extremitie of their countrey as other Citizens did and hauyng concealed and hidden those Riches whiche ought to haue ben brought forth for the common defense of their countrey and gone out of the citie as though she had ben a poore simple woman poorely therfore she ought to liue in Scicilia whither she was fled Wherfore he was of opinion that she in this maner being departed when the citie had greatest nede of hir helpe was disfranchised of all the rightes and customes of the countrey and that like as a straunger can recouer nothing in that citie except he haue the priuiledge and fréedom of the same euen so Philene for the considerations before sayde ought to be compted for a stranger not to participate any thing within the citie accordingly as the lawes forbid When he had so sayd he was like by force to 〈◊〉 the sorowful maiden out of the house These wordes greatly grieued Philene who doubted least his father in law would haue toyned 〈◊〉 him and agrée vnto hys alleaged reasons which séemed to be of great importaunce and effect and therfore thought newly to returne to the halter for 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 griefs but it otherwise chaunced for the father of Elisa whiche was a Romane borne and affected with a Romane minde and therfore of a gentle and well disposed nature knew full well that although the house was giuen vnto him by the cōsent of Scipio and other the captains yet he knew that their pleasure was not to 〈◊〉 on him the treasure hidden in the same and therefore ought to be restored to the true owner or else 〈◊〉 and proprely due to the Romane 〈◊〉 or cōmon treasure house of the same And albeit that it was true that hir mother went out of Carthage in the time of the siege and therfore had forfaited the same yet he determined to shew some 〈◊〉 vnto the yong mayden and to be thankful to fortune for the benefite which by hir meanes he had receyued thynkyng that she would be displeased with him if he with vngratefull minde or dishonourable intent should receiue hir giftes For in those dayes the Romanes highly reuerenced lady Fortune and in hir honor had directed Temples and dedicated Aultars and in prosperous time and happy aduentures they 〈◊〉 vowes and did sacrifices vnto hir thinking although supersticously that like as from God there proceded none euill euen so from him all goodnesse was deriued that all felicitie and other good happes which chaunced vpon the Romane common wealth proceded from Fortune as the fountaine and moste principall occasion and that they which would not confesse hir force and be thankfull vnto hir godhead incurred in the ende hir displeasure and daungers very great and heinous This Romane then hauing this opinion being as I sayd before of a gentle 〈◊〉 would at one instant both render thankes to Fortune and vse curtesie vnto that maiden by 〈◊〉 ches and goodes from lowe degrée he was aduaunced to honourable state Wherefore turning his face vnto hir with louing countenance he spake these wordes Kight gentle damosel albeit by the reasons alleged by my sonne in lawe none of the treasure hidden by thy mother and founde by my
your rancor into the lap of your Countrey that she may put him in exile for euer who like a pitifull and louing mother would gladly sée all hir children of one accorde and minde Which if ye doe ye shall do singulare pleasure to your friendes ye shal do great discōfort to your foes ye shal do singular good to the cōmon wealth ye shal do greatest benefit to your selues ye shal make vs humble wiues ye shal encrease your posterity ye shall be praised of all men 〈◊〉 finally shall depart the best contented men that euer the world brought forth And now bicause ye shall not thinke that we haue piked out this tale at our fingers ends thereby to séeke your sauegard and our fame and praise beholde the letters which you sent vs beholde your owne hands subscribed to the same beholde your seales assigned therunto which shall rendre true testimonie of that which vnfainedly we haue affirmed Then both deliuered their letters which viewed and séene were wel known to be their own husbāds hāds and the same so wel approued hir tale as their husbāds were the gladdest men of the world and the Duke and seignorie maruelously satisfied contēted In so much as the whole assēbly with one voice cried out for their husbands deliueraunce And so with the consent of the Duke the whole seignorie they were clerely discharged The parents cosins and friends of the husbands wiues were wonderfully amazed to here this long historie and greatly praised the maner of their deliuery accompting the women to be very wise and mistresse Isotta to be an eloquent gentlewoman for that she had so well defended the cause of their husbands of themselues Anselmo and Girolamo openly in the presence of all the people embraced and kissed their wiues with great 〈◊〉 And then the husbandes shaked one an other by the hands betwene whome began a brotherly accorde and from that time forth liued in perfect amitie and friendship exchaunging the wanton loue that either of thē bare to others wife into brotherly friendship to the great cōtentation of the whole Citie Whē the multitude assembled to heare this matter throughly was satisfied the Duke with chéereful countenance loking towarde Gismonda sayd thus vnto hir And you faire Gentlewoman what haue you to say Be bolde to vtter your minde and we will gladly heare you Mistresse Gismonda bashful to speake began wonderfully to blush into whose chekes entred an orient rud intermixed with an Alablaster white which made hir countenaunce more 〈◊〉 thā it was wont to be After she had stode still a while 〈◊〉 hir eyes declined towards the ground in comly wise lifting thē vp again with shamfast audacitie she begā to say If I most noble prince in opē audiēce shold attēpt to speake of loue wherof I neuer had experience or knew what thing it was I should be doubtful what to say therof and peraduēture durst not open mouth But hering my father of worthy memorie many times to tel that your maiestie in the time of your youth disdained not to opē your hert to receiue the amorous flames of loue being assured that ther is none but that doth loue litle or much I do not doubt but for the words which I shal speake to obtain both pitie and pardon To come then to the matter God I thank him of his goodnesse hath not permitted me to be one of that sort of women that like hipocrites do mumble their Pater nosters to saincts appering outwardly to be deuout holy and in fruite do bring forth deuils and all kindes of vices specially ingratitude whiche is a vice that dothe suck drie vp the foūtain of godly pietie Life is deare to me as naturally it is to all next which I estéeme mine honor that peraduēture is to be preferred before life bicause without honor life is of no reputatiō And where mā woman do liue in shame notorious to the world the same may be termed a liuing death rather thā a life But the loue that I beare to mine onely beloued master Aloisio here present I do esteme aboue al that iewels treasures of the world whose personage I do regard more thā mine owne life The reson that moueth me ther to is very great for before that I loued him or euer mēt to fire my minde that way he derely regarded me continually deuising which way he might win obtain my loue sparing no trauell by night day to seeke the same For which tender affectiō shold I shew my self vnkind and froward God forbid And to be plaine with your honors he is more deare acceptable vnto me than that balles of mine owne eyes being the derest things that appertaine to that furniture of the body of man without which no earthly thing can be gladsom and ioyfull to the sense and féeling Last of all his amorous and affectionate demonstration of his loue towards me by declaring him self to be careful of mine honor rather more willing to bestow his owne than to suffer the same to be touched with the left suspicion of dishonestie I can not choose but so faithfully imbrace as I am readie to guage my life for his sake rather than his finger shold ake for that offense And where hath there ben euer foūd such liberalitie in any louer What is he that hath ben euer so prodigall to employ his life the moste speciall pledge in this worlde rather than he would suffer his beloued to incurre dishonoure Many histories haue I red and Chronicles of our time and yet I haue founde fewe or none comparable vnto thys Gentleman the like of whom be so rare and seldome as white crowes or swannes of color blacke O singular liberalitie neuer heard of before O fact that can neuer be sufficiently praised O true loue most vnfained Maister Aloisio rather thā he wold haue my fame any one iote to be impaired or suffer any shadow of suspition to blemish the same frankly hath confessed himself to be a théefe regarding me mine honor more than himselfe life And albeit that he might a thousand wayes haue saued himself without the imprisonment aduersitie which he hath sustained neuerthelesse after he had said being then past remēbrāce through the fal that he fel downe frō my window perceiued how much that confession would preiudice and hurt my good name and spotte the known honestie of the same of his good wil chose to die rather than to speake any words that might bréede yll opinion of me or the least thing of the worlde that might ingendre infamie slaunder And therefore not able to cal back the words he had spoken of the fal nor by any meanes could coloure the same he thought to saue that good name of another by his own hurt If he then thus redily liberally hath protruded his life to manifest dāger for my benefit sauegard preferring min honor aboue the care of himself shall not I
〈◊〉 of one of their Queenes called THALESTRIS to visit ALEXANDER the great and the cause of hir 〈◊〉 The first Nouel WHere the first boke began with a Cōbate foughte and tried betwene two mighty cities for principalitie and gouernment the one hight Rome after called the heade of the world as some thinke by reason of a mans head foūd in the place where the Capitole did stand the other Alba. To which Combat 〈◊〉 gentlemen of either citie wer appointed and the victorie chaunced to the Romaine side In this second parte in the forefront and first Nouel of the same is described the beginning continuaunce and ende of a Womans Common wealth an Hystorie 〈◊〉 and straunge to the vnlearned ignorant of the 〈◊〉 fickle ruled stay which contended with mighty Princes and puissant Potentates for defense of their kingdome no lesse than the Carthaginians and Romaines did for theirs But as it is no wōder to the skilful that a whole Monarche and kingdom should be inticrly peopled with that Sexe so to the not wel trained in Hystories this may seme miraculous Wherfore not to stay thée from the discourse of those straunge and Aduenturous women diuers be of diuers opinions for the Etimologie of the word wher of amonges the Grecians 〈◊〉 diuerse iudgementes These Amazones were moste excellent warriers very valiant and without mannes aduise did conquer mighty Countreyes famous Cities and notable Kingdomes continuing of long time in one Seigniorie and gouernment These people occupied and enioyed a great part of Asia Some writers deuide them into two Prouinces one in Scithia in the North parte of Asia other by the hill Imaus which at this day is called the Tartarian Scithia different from that which is in Europa the other sort of the Amazones were in Libia a prouince of Africa But bicause the common sort of Authors doe vnderstand the Amazones to be those of Asia I meane to leaue off the differēce The Scithians were a warlike people and at the beginning of theyr kingdome had two kings by whome they were gouerned Notwithstanding the nature of dominion being of it self ambicious cannot abide any companion or equal Which caused these two Kinges to beat variance and afterwardes the matter grew to ciuill warres wherein the one being Uictory two of the principal 〈◊〉 of the contrary faction called Plinius and Scolopithos were banished with a great number of their 〈◊〉 all which did withdraw themselues to the limites of Cappadocia in the lesser Asia in despite of the Countrey Pesantes dwelled alonges the riuer of Thermodon which entreth into the sea Euxinum otherwise called Pontus And they being made Lordes of the countrey of the places adioyning raigned for certain yeres vntill the peasantes and their confederates made a conspiracie against them and assembling by policie ouercame them and slewe them all The newes of their deathe knowen to their wiues dwelling in their countrey caused them to cōceiue great heauinesse and dolor extreme And although they were womē yet did they put on māly courage and determined to reuenge the death of their husbandes by putting their handes to weapons wherwithall they did exercise themselues very ofte And that they might all be equal their sorow commō they murdred certain of their husbands which remained there after the other were banished Afterward being all together they made a great army and forsoke their dwelling places refusing the mariage of many suters And arriuing in the land of their enimies that made smal accōpt therof although foretolde of their approache they sodenly came vpon them vnprouided and put them all to the sword This being done the women toke the gouernāce of the Countrey inhabiting at the beginning along the Riuer of Thermodon where their husbands wer stain And although many Authors do differ in the situaciō of the place where the Amazones did dwel yet the truth is that the beginning of their kingdome and of their habitacion was vpon that Riuer But of their manifolde conquestes be engendred diuers opinions declared by Strabo and others They fortified them selues in those places and wanne other countries adioyning chosing among them two Quenes the one named Martesia and and the other Lampedo Those two louyngly deuided the armie and men of warre in two parts either of them defending with great hardinesse the Lands which they had conquered and to make them selues more dreadfull such was the credite and vanitie of men that time they fained themselues to be that daughters of Mars Afterward these miraculous womē liuing after this maner in peace iustice considered that by succession of time for wante of daughters that might succéede warres and time wold extinguishe their race For this cause they treated mariage with their neighbors named Gargarians as Plinie sayeth with condition that vpon certaine times of the yeare their husbands shold assemble together in some appointed place and vse them for certaine dayes vntill they were with childe which being done and knowen they shoulde returne home againe to their owne houses If they brought forth daughters they norished and trained them vp in armes and other manlyke exercises and to ride great horsse They taught them to run at base to follow the chace If they were deliuered of males they sent them to their fathers And if by chaunce they kept any backe they murdred them or else brake their armes and leggs in suche wyse as they had no power to beare weapons and serued for nothing else but to spin twist and to doe other feminine labour And for as much as these Amazones defēded themselues so valiantly in the warres with Bowe and Arrowes and perceiued that their breasts did verie much impech the vse of that weapon and other exercises of armes they seared vp the righte breastes of their yong daughters for which cause they were named Amazones which signifieth in the Gréeke tong without breasts although that some other do giue vnto that name an other Etimologie Afterwardes increasing by course of time in numbre force they made great preparation of weapons and other 〈◊〉 for the warres and leauing their coūtrey which they thought was very small in the keping of some whom they specially trusted the rest marched abrode cōquering subduing all those which they foūd rebellious And hauing passed the riuer of Tanais they entred Europa where they vanquished many countreys directing their way towardes Thracia from whence they returned a whyle after with great spoile and victorie and comming again into Asia they brought many prouinces vnder their subiection proceding euen to Mare Caspium They edified and peopled an infinite numbre of good cities amōgs which according to the opinion of diuers was the famous Citie of Ephesus the same béeing the chiefe of all their Empire and the principal place that stoode vpon Thermodon They defended them selues in warres with certaine Tergats made in fashion of a half Moone and entring into battaile vsed a certaine kinde of flutes to giue the people corage to
excéeding faire crown of Gold apt and mete for the 〈◊〉 head Afterwards when he saw time conuenient he 〈◊〉 that in the market place of the Citie a pearche should be erected and 〈◊〉 with tapestrie Arras 〈◊〉 other costly furnitures suche as Princes palaces are 〈◊〉 decked withall Thither with sound of 〈◊〉 he caused the Falcon to be conueyed where the King 〈◊〉 ded one of his noble men to place the Crowne vpon his head for prise of the excellent pray atchieued vppon the Egle. Then he caused the hangman or common executioner of the Citie to take the Crowne from the Faucon and with the trenchant sworde to cut of his head Upon these contrary 〈◊〉 the beholders of this sight were amazed and began diuersly to talke thereof The King which at a window stoode to beholde this fact caused silence to be kepte and so loude opened his Princely voice as he was well hearde speaking these wordes There ought good people none of you all to 〈◊〉 and grudge at the present fact executed vpō the Faucon bicause the same is done vpon good reason and iust cause as by processe of my discourse you shall well perceyue I am persuaded that it is the office and duetie of euery magnanimous prince to know the valor and difference betwene vertue and vice that all vertuous actes 〈◊〉 thie attempts may be honoured and the contrary 〈◊〉 punished otherwise he is not worthy of the name of a King and Prince but of a cruell and traiterous tyrant For as the Prince beareth the title by principalitie and chief so ought his life chiefly to excell other whome he gouerneth and ruleth The bare title and dignitie is not sufficient if his condicions and moderation bée not to that supreme state 〈◊〉 Full well I knew and did consider to be in this dead Faucon a certaine generositie and stoutnesse of minde ioyned with a certaine fierce 〈◊〉 and nimblenesse for which I crowned and rewarded hir with this golden garland bicause of the stoute slaughter which she made vpon that mightie Egle worthie for that 〈◊〉 and prowesse to be honoured after that solemne guise But when I considered how boldly and rashely she assailed and killed the Egle which is 〈◊〉 Quéene and maistresse I thought it a part of iustice that for hir bolde and vncomely act she shoulde suffer the paine due to hir 〈◊〉 For vnlaufull it is for the seruaunte and vnduetifull for the subiecte to imbrue his handes in the bloud of his soueraigne Lord. The Faulcon then hauing slaine hir Quéene and of all other birdes the soueraigne who can with reason blame me for cutting of the Falcons head Doubtlesse none that hath respecte to the quiete state betweene the Prince and subiect This example the 〈◊〉 alleaged against Ariobarzanes when they pronoūced sentence And applying the same to him ordeined that first Ariobarzanes for his Magnanimitie and liberall Curtesie should be crowned with a Laurel Garland for the generositie of his minde and excéeding curtesie but for his great emulation earnest endeuour and continuall 〈◊〉 to contende with his prince and in Liberalitie to shew him selfe superior 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spéech vttered against him his hed ought to be striken of Ariobarzanes being aduertised of this seuere 〈◊〉 he purposed to sustain the 〈◊〉 darte of Fortune as he had endured other bruntes of that enuious inconstant Lady and in suche maner behaued and directed his 〈◊〉 and countenance as no signe of choler or dispaire appeared in him onely pronouncing this sentence with ioyful 〈◊〉 in the presence of many Glad I am that at length there resteth in me so much to be liberal as I employ my life and bloud to declare the same to my soueraigne Lorde which right willingly I meane to do that the world may know that I had rather lose my life than to saint and giue ouer in mine 〈◊〉 liberalitie Then calling a Notarie vnto him he made his will for so it was lawful by the Persian lawes and to his wife and daughters he increased the dowries and to his kinsfolk and frends 〈◊〉 bequethed diuers riche bountifull legacies To the King he 〈◊〉 a great numbre of most precious Jewels To Cyrus the Kings sonne and his by mariage bisides a great masse of money he bequeathed all his armure and 〈◊〉 with all his instrumentes for the warres and his whole stable of horsse Last of all he ordeined that if perhaps his wife shoulde be founde with childe and broughte to bed of a Sonne he should be his vniuersall heire But if a woman childe to haue the like dowrie that his other daughters had The rest of his goods and cattell he gaue indifferently to all iii. equally to bée deuided He prouided also that all his 〈◊〉 according to their degrée should be rewarded The day before he shoulde be put to death according to the custome of Persia his praises and valiant factes as well by Epitaphes fixed vpon 〈◊〉 as by 〈◊〉 were generally sounded 〈◊〉 the Realme in suche wise as eche wight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him to be the moste liberall and noble personage that was in all the Countrey and in the borders 〈◊〉 vpon the same And if there had not bene some enuious persones néere the King which studied and practised his ouerthrow all other would haue déemed him vnworthy of death Such is the enuie of the maliciously disposed that rather than they would sée their equals to be in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Prince than them selues studie and deuise all policie either by flatterie or false 〈◊〉 to bring them in discredite or to practise by false accusation their vtter subuersion by death or vanishement But whiles 〈◊〉 was disposing his things in order his wife and daughters with his friends and 〈◊〉 were affected with great sorow day and night complaining for the heauie 〈◊〉 of that noble Gentleman The eight day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the lawe allowed that space to the condemned for disposition of their things a skaffolde was made by commaundement of the King in the middes of the Market place all couered with blacke 〈◊〉 and an other righte ouer against the same with purple and 〈◊〉 where the King if he 〈◊〉 in the mids of the Judges should sitte and the inditement redde iudgement by the Kings owne mouth declared shoulde be executed or if it pleased him discharge and assoile the condemned And the King vnwilling to be present gaue to one of the 〈◊〉 Judges his full power and authoritie But yet sorrowfull that a Gentleman so noble and valiant his father and 〈◊〉 in lawe should finishe his life with a death so horrible would néedes that morning be presente him selfe at that execution as well to sée the continent and stoute ende of Ariobarzanes as also to take order for his deliuerie 〈◊〉 the time was come Ariobarzanes by the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 was brought vnto the Skaffolde and there apparelled in riche 〈◊〉 the Laurell Crowne was set vpon his head and so continuing for a certaine space the
which secretely they thought was about to escape away giuing them straight charge that by no meanes they shoulde returne without hir When the 〈◊〉 drew neare the shippe Poris bent him self to encourage the mariners to hoyse by saile againe and to make way with their oares into the sea if it were possible to auoide the imminent and present danger to saue the life of him selfe his wife children then he erected his handes vp vnto the heauens to implore the healpe and succor of the Gods which the stoute Gentlewoman Theoxena perceiuing and manifestly séeing the daunger wherein they were callyng to hir mynde hir former determinate vengeance which she ment to do and beholding 〈◊〉 in his prayers she prosecuted hir intente preparing a poysoned drinke in a cuppe and made redie naked swordes All which bringyng forth before the childrens face she spake these words Death alone must bée the reuēge of your siely liues whervnto there be two wayes poison or the sworde Euery of you choose which ye list to haue or of whether of them your heart shall make the frankest choyse The Kings crueltie and pride you must auoyde Wherfore dere children be of good 〈◊〉 raise vp your no ble courage ye the elder aged boyes shew now your selues like men and take the sword into your handes to pierce your tender hearts but if the bloudie smart of that most dreadfull death shal feare and fright your gréene and vnripe age then take the venomed cuppe and gulpe by sundrie draughts this poisoned drinke Be franke and lusty in this your destenied death sith the violence of Fortune by sea doeth let the lengthning of your life I craue this request of choise and let not the same rebound with fearful refuse of this my craued hest Your mother afterwardes shal passe that straight wherof she prayeth hir babes to bée the poastes yée the vaunt currours and shée with your louing 〈◊〉 shall ende and finishe Philips rage bent agaynst vs. When shée had spoken these wordes and 〈◊〉 the enimies at hand this couragious dame the 〈◊〉 of the death egged prouoked these yong 〈◊〉 childrē not yet wel resolued what to do with hir encharmed words in such wise as in the ende some dranke the poison and other strake them selues into the bodie and by hir commaundement were throwen ouer boorde not altogether dead and so she set them at libertie by death whom tenderly she had brought vp Then she imbracing hir husbande the companion of hir death both did voluntarily throw them selues also into the sea And when the Kings espials were come aboorde the ship they found the same abandoned of their praye The crueltie of which fact did so moue the cōmon people to detectation and 〈◊〉 of the king as a generall cursse was pronounced against him his children which heard of the Gods aboue was afterwardes terribly reuenged vpon his stock 〈◊〉 This was the end of good Poris and his stout wise Theoxena who rather than she would fall into the lapse of the Kings furie as hir father Herodicus and hir other husbande did chose violently to die with hir owne handes and to cause hir husbands children and hir owne to berieue them selues of life which although agaynst the louing order of naturall course and therefore that kinde of violence to be abhorred as horrible in it selfe yet a declaration of a stoute minde if otherwise she had ben able to reuenge the same And what coward heart is that that dare not vpon such extremitie whé it séeth the mercilesse ennimie at hand with shining blade redie bent to strike the blowe that without remedie muste ridde the same of breath specially when it séeth the trembling babe naturally begotten by his owne kinde and nature before the face imploryng fathers rescue what 〈◊〉 heart dare not to offer himself by singular fight though one to twētie either by desperate hardinesse to auoide the same or other anoyance aduenture what he can which in Christians is admitted as a comely fight rather than with that Pagane dame to doe the death it selfe But now returne we to describe a facte that passeth all other forced déedes For Theoxena was compelled in a maner thus to do of méere constraint to eschue the greater torments of a tyrants rage and thought it better by chosen death to chaunge hir life than by violent hands of bloudie butchers to bée haled to the slaughter But this Hidrusian dame was wearie of hir life not for that shée feared losse of life but desperate to think of Fortunes 〈◊〉 staye which 〈◊〉 Fortunes darlings would regarde in time they would foresée their slippery hold A Gentlewoman of Hidrusa ¶ A Straunge and maruellous vse which in olde time was obserued in HIDRVSA where it was lawfull with the licence of a Magistrate ordeined for that purpose for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and woman that list to kill them selues The nynth Nouell BAndello amongs the company of his 〈◊〉 telleth this Historie and in his owne person speaketh these woords If I should begin to tell those things which I sawe in the time that I sailed alōgs the leuāt seas very tedious it would be for you to heare and I in reporting could not tell which way to ende bicause I saw and heard things right worthy to be remembred Notwithstanding for satisfaction of diuers that be my frendes I will not sticke to reherse some of them But first of all one straunge custom which in the Romans time was vsed in one of the Ilandes of the sea Aegeum called Hidrusa in these dayes by the trauailers called Cea or Zea and is one of the Ilandes named Ciclades whilome full of populous and goodly Cities as the rumes thereof at this day do declare Ther was in old time in that Iland a very strange lawe and ordinaunce which many hundred yeares was very well and perfectly kepte and obserued The Lawe was that euery person inhabitant within the sayde 〈◊〉 of what sexe and condition so euer béeing thorough age infirmitie or other accidents wearie of their life might choose that kinde of death which liked them best howbeit it was prouided that the partie before the dooing of the same shoulde manifest the cause that moued hym therevnto before the Magistrate elected by the people for that speciall purpose which they ordeyned bycause they sawe that diuers persons had volūtarily killed themselues vpon triflyng occasions and matters of little importance accordyng to whiche lawe very many men and women hardily with so mery chere went to their death as if they had gone to some bankette or mariage It chaunced that Pompeius Magnus that dreadfull Romane vetwene whō and Iulius Caesar were foughte the greatest battailes for superioritie that euer were Pompeius I say sailing by the sea Aegeum arriued at Hidrusa and there goyng a land vnderstode of the inhabitants the maner of that law and how the same day a woman of great worship had obteined licence of the Magistrate to poison hir selfe Pompeius hearing tell hereof
daughter of CHERA goyng for that treasure and busily serching for the same found the halter wherwithal for despaire she woulde haue hanged hir selfe but forbidden by ELISA who by 〈◊〉 espied hir she was restored to parte of hir losse leading afterwards a happie and prosperous life The. xj Nouell FOrtune the ladie Regent gouernesse of mās life so altreth and chaungeth the state thereof as many times we se the noble born from that great mightie port wherin they be debased so farre as either infamously their life is spent in the hungrie lappe of dame penurie or else contriued in the vgly lothsom house of Wantonnesse the stepdame of all honestie and vertue Sometimes we make the vnnoble ladde that was nooseled in the homely countrey 〈◊〉 or rude ciuile shoppe attaine to that whiche the onely honorable and gentle do aspire and he againe that is ambicious in climbing vp the turning whéele throwen downe beneth the brinke of 〈◊〉 lucke whelmed in the ditche pit of blacke despaire We note also somtimes that the carelesse wyght of Fortunes giftes hath vnlooked for his mouthe and throte crammed full of promotion and worldes delights Such is the maner of hir fickle stay When of this Historie ensuing giueth some intelligence by remembring the destenied lucks of thou poore sorie girles that were left destitute of desired things both like to fall into despaire and yet both holyen with that thei most desired which in this sort beginneth In the time that Scipio Affricanus had besleged the Citie of Carthage Chera that was a widow dwelling there seing the daunger at hand wherin the Citie stode and doubtyng the losse and ouerthrowe of the same and that the honor of the dames and womankinde coulde vneths be safe and harmelesse determined not to abide the vttermoste and hauing a good quantitie of golde and precious stones she bestowed the same in a casquet and hid it vpon one of the beames of hir house purposing when the stirre and daunger was past to retourne to hir house againe for those hir hidden things Which done in the habite of a poore womā with hir onely daughter in hir hand that was aboute b. or bf yeares of age she went out of Caithage and passed ouer the seas into Scicilia where falling sick after she had ben there thre or foure yeares at length died But before she departed she called hir daughter before hir then about x. yeares of age and tolde hir the place where she had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 casket And by reason of the 〈◊〉 gotten by Scipio the citie was maruellously chaunged and amongs other things the house of Chera was giuen to a Roman 〈◊〉 that was so enriched with nobilitie of mynde as he was poore of Fortunes goods Which Chera vnderstanding was sorowfull and doubted of hir things secretly bestowed vpon the beame Whervpon she sayd vnto hir daughter that for so much as their house was in the posfession of an other she ought to be wise and circumspect in the recouerie of hir hidden goods and that hir death was the more sorowfull vnto hir bicause she must leaue hir so yong a maiden vnprouided of frendes for hir good gouernement But yet she incouraged hir and sayd that sith necessitie approched she must in childishe age put on a graue and auncient mind and beware how she bewrayed that casket to any person for that of purpose she reserued the knowledge thereof to hir self that it might serue for hir preferment and procure hir a husbande worthie of hir selfe And the maiden demaunding the value of the same she told hir that it was worth CC. 〈◊〉 and gaue hir in writyng the particulers inclosed within the Caskette and sayde that the lyke bill shée shoulde finde within the same written with hir owne hande And so the good woman wythin a while after dyed leauing behynde hir the yong mayden hir Daughter that maruellously lantented the death of hir mother accordingly as Nature taught hir and eche other reasonable wyght depriued from their dearest friends The maiden for hir yeres was very wise and would disclose to none what hir mother had sayd kéeping the writing very carefully and 〈◊〉 Not long after Philene which was the maidens name fell in loue with a Gentleman of Scicilia of greate reputation and authoritie who all bée it he sawe hir to be very faire and comely yet cared not for hir loue in respecte of mariage for that he knewe hir to be poore and without dowrie mete for a Gentleman iesting and mocking to sée hir fire hir mind on him for desire to haue him to hir husbande that was a personage so noble and rich which refusall pierced the heart of that tender maiden bicause she saw hir self forsaken for nothing else but for want of goods which made hir to think and consider howe shée myght recouer the riches that hir mother had layed vp in Carthage It chaunced as shée was in this thought that the daughter of him to whome the house of Chera was giuen called Elisa was likewise enamoured of a noble yong gentleman in Carthage who bicause Elisa was the daughter of a souldiour and not very rich in like manner laughed iested at hir loue no lesse than the other did at Philene Notwithstanding Elisa attempted all meanes possible to induce the yong man to loue hir but hir practise and attemptes tended to none effect And last of all desirous to haue a resolute answere and thereby vnderstode that he woulde rather die than take hir to wife she fell into despaire and curssed fortune and hir fate that she was not borne riche enough to match with hir chosen Gentleman and that she being poore must fal in loue with such a personage whervpon she miserably formented hir selfe styll bewayling hir vnhappie lucke that she could not win him to be hir husbande for which only intent and purpose she loued him And this amorous passion incredibly growing in hir the rootes whereof bée planted in the restlesse humor of melancholie and wanting all hope and comforte to stay that ranke and rāmishe wéede it so increased in hir as shée franticke in raging loue gaue hir self ouer to the spoile of hirself And to rid hir from that griefe she determined to kill hir selfe imagining which waye she might doe the same At length she was resolueb with hir fathers sword to pierce hir body But hir heart not seruing hir therevnto deuised by the halter to ende hir life saying thus to hir self that at lest wise my death shall doe me good bicause that cruel man shall know that for his sake I haue done this facte and shall performe my funerals with some teares or sighes And if his heart be not of yron or stéele he can not chose but sorowe and lament that one which loued him better than hir owne life hath made such wretched ende onely for his crueltie Elisa concluding vpon this intent prepared a halter And being alone in hir house in the chamber where the Casket lay vpon
custodie and sodainly assailed the Palace of Acharisto And finding the Gates open he entred the citie crying out vpon the wickednesse and treason of Acharisto At which words the whole Citie began to rise to helpe Philon in his enterprise For there was no state or degrée but abhorred the vnkind order of that variet towards the noble woman their Quéene Philon aided with the people assaulted the Palace and in short space inuaded the same and the Uarlet béeing apprehended was put to death The Corinthians séeing the noble minde of Philon and the loue which he bare to Euphimia and knowing that their late Kyng was disposed to haue matched hir with Philon were very willing to haue him to be their king and that Euphimia shold be his wife supposing that vnder the gouernement of a Prince so gentle and valiant they might liue very happily and ioyefully Execution done vpon that moste 〈◊〉 varlet Philon caused the Ladie to be conueyed home into hir royall Pallace And the people with humble submission began to persuade hir to marie with that yong Prince Philon. But shée which had lodged hir thoughts and fixed hir minde vpon that caytife who vnnaturally had abused hir would by no meanes consent to take a new husband saying that the seconde mariage was not to bée allowed in any woman And albeit that she knew howe greately she was bounde to Philon as during life not able to recompence his louing kindnesse and baliant exployte performed for hir safegarde yet for all hir vnhappie fortune shée was minded still to remayne a widowe and well contented that Philon shoulde possesse hir whole domynion and kingdome and she pleased to liue his subiecte Whiche state she sayd did like hir best Philon that not for desire of the Kingdome but for loue of the ladie had attempted that worthie and honourable enterprise sayd vnto hir Euphimia it was onely for youre sake that I aduentured this dangerous indeuor to ridde you from the slander that might haue ensued youre innocent death and out of the cruell hands of him whome unworthily you did so dearely loue No desire of kingdome or worldely glorie induced me herevnto No care that I had to enlarge the boundes of my countrey soile pricked the courage of my minde that is altogether emptie of ambition but the passion of carelesse loue whiche this long time I haue borne you in your happie fathers dayes to whome I made incessant sute and to your selfe I was so long a suter vntil I receiued extreme repulse For which I vowed a perpetuall single life vntill this occasion was offred the brute wherof when I heard first so stirred the minde of your most louing knight that drousie sléepe or gréedie hunger could not force this restlesse bodie to tarrie at home vntill I reuenged my self vpon that vilaine borne which went about with roasting flames to consume the innocent flesh of hir whom I loued best And therfore mustred together my men of armes and in secret sort imbarked our selues and arriued here Where wée haue accomplished the thyng we came for and haue settled you in quiet raigne frée from perill of traiterous mindes crauing for this my fact nought else of you but willing minde to be my wife which 〈◊〉 you do refuse I passe not for rule of your kyngdome ne yet for abode in Corinth but meane to leaue you to youre choise For satisfied am I that I haue manifested to the world the greatnesse of my loue which was so ample as euer King could beare to vertuous Quéene And so fare well At which wordes he made a signe to his people that they should shippe them selues for returne to Poloponessus But the Senatours and al the people of Corinth seing the curtesie of Philon how greatly their Quéene was bound vnto him fel downe vpon their knées and with ioyned hands befought hir to take him to husband neuer ceasing from teares and supplication vntill shée had consented to their request Then the mariage was solemnised with great ioy and triumphe and the whole Citie after that time lyued in great felicitie quiet so long as nature lengthened the dayes of those two noble Princes The Marchionisse of Monferrato ¶ The Marchionisse of MONFERRATO with a banket of hennes and certaine pleasant wordes repressed the fonde loue of PHILIP the French King The. xvj Nouel GOod Euphimia as you haue heard did fondly applie hir loue vpon a seruile mā who though bred vp in Court wher trayuyng and vse doth cōmonly alter the rude condicions of suche as bée interteyned there yet voyde of all gentlenesse and frustrate of natures swéetenesse in that curteous kinde as not exchaungyng natiue 〈◊〉 for noble aduauncement returned to his hoggish soile and walowed in the durtie filthe of Inhumanitie whose nature myght well with Forke or Staffe bee expelled but home againe it would haue come as Horace pleadeth in his Epistles O noble Gentlewoman that mildly suffred the displeasure of the good King hir father who woulde faine haue dissuaded hir from that vnséemely matche to ioyne with a yong Prince a King a Gentleman of great perfection And O pestilent Carle being beloued of so honourable a pucell that for treason discharged thy head frō the block of a donghill slaue preferred thée to be a King wouldest for those deserts in the ende frame 〈◊〉 matter to consume hir With iust hatred then did the noble Emperor Claudius Caesar prosecute those of bonde seruile kinde that were matched with the frée and noble Right well knew he that some tast of egrenesse wold rest in such sauage frute therfore made a law that the issue of them shold not haue like libertie and preheminence as other had which agréeably did couple What harme such mariage hath inferred to dyuers states and persons to auoide other exāples the former Nouel teacheth Wherfore to ende the same with bewailing of Euphimia for hir vnluckie lot begin we now to glad our selues with the wise and stoute aunswere of a chaste Marquesse a Gentlewoman of singular beautie and discretion made to the fond demaunde of a mightie Monarch that fondly fell in loue with hir and made a reckenyng of that which was doubtfull to recouer This King by louing hir whome he neuer saw fared like the man that in his sléepe dreamed that hée had in holde the thing furthest from him For the King neuer saw hir before he heard hir praised and when he hearde hir praised for purpose to winne hir he trauailed out of his way so sure to enioy hir as if he had neuer séene hir This historie although briefe yet sheweth light to noble dames that be pursued by Princes teacheth them with what regard they ought to interteine such suters The Marquesse then of Monferrato a citie in Italie beyng a Gentlemā of great prowesse and valiance was appointed to transfrete the Seas in a generall passage made by the christians with an huge Armie and great furniture And as it chaunced vpon
〈◊〉 loued and a newe borne childe bothe supposed to be dead by hir friendes and therefore intombed in graue The other chaunce a singular desire of a gentlewoman by hūble sute for conseruation of hir honour although long time pursued by a gentleman that reuiued hir almost frō 〈◊〉 and thought vtterly to 〈◊〉 voide of life To praise the one and to leaue the other not magnified it were a part of discurtesie but to extoll bothe with shoutes and acclamations of infinite praise no dout but very commēdable If comparisons may be made with Princes of elder yeres and not to note those of later truely Maister Gentil by that his fact 〈◊〉 not much inferior to Scipio Affricanus for sparing the wife of Indibilis ne yet to king Cyrus for Panthea the 〈◊〉 of Abradatas although both of them not in equal state of loue as wholy 〈◊〉 from that passion like to master Gentil who in dede for subduing that griefe and motion deserueth greater praise For sooner is that torment auoided at the first assault and pinche than when it is suffred long to flame raigne in that yelding portion of man the heart which once fed with the 〈◊〉 of loue is seldome or neuer loosed To do at large to vnderstand the proofe of those most 〈◊〉 persones thus beginneth the historie At Bologna a very notable Citie of Lombardie there was a Knight of very great respect for his vertue named maister Gentil Carissendi who in his youthe fell in loue with a gentlewoman called mistresse Katherine the wife of one maister Nicholas Chasennemie And bicause during that loue he receiued a very yll coūterchange for his affection that he bare vnto that gentlewoman he went away like one desperate to be the iudge potestate of Modena wherunto he was called About that time the husband being out of Bologna and the gentlewomā at 〈◊〉 Manor in the country about a mile a halfe from the Citie whither she went to remaine bicause she was with childe it chaunced 〈◊〉 she was 〈◊〉 surprised with a sicknesse which was such and of so great force as there was no token of life in hir but rather iudged by all Phisitians to be a dead woman And bicause that hir 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayd that they heard hir say that she could not be so long time with childe 〈◊〉 that the infant must be perfect and ready to be 〈◊〉 and therefore 〈◊〉 wyth some other disease and 〈◊〉 that would bring hir to hir end as a 〈◊〉 or other swelling rising of grosse humors they thought hir a dead woman and past recouerie wherfore vpō a time she falling into a 〈◊〉 was verily supposed and left for dead Who after they had mourned hir death bewailed the 〈◊〉 expiration of 〈◊〉 soul caused hir to be buried wtout 〈◊〉 of recouery euen as she was in that extasie in a graue of a church adioyning harde by the house where she dwelt Which thing 〈◊〉 was aduertised master Gentil by one of his frēds who although he was not likely as he thought to attaine hir fauor in vtter dispaire therof yet it grieued him very muche that no better héede was taken vnto hir thinking by diligence and time she would haue come to hir self againe saying thus in the end vnto him self How now 〈◊〉 Katherin that death hath wrought his will with you and I could neuer obtein during your life one simple looke frō those your glistering eies which lately I beheld to my great ouerthrow and decay wherfore now when you cānot defend your self I may be bold you being dead to steale from you some desired kisse When he had said so being already night and hauyng taken order that none should know of his departure he 〈◊〉 vpon his horse accompanied with one only seruaūt without tarying any where arriued at the place wher his Lady was buried and opening the graue forthwith he entred in and laying him self down bisides hir he approched 〈◊〉 hir face and many times kissed hir pouring forthe great abundance of teares But as we sée the appetite of man not to be content except it procéede further specially of such as be in loue being determined to tarye no longer there and to departe he sayd Ah God why should I goe no further why should I not touche hir why shold I not proue whither she be aliue or dead 〈◊〉 then with that motion he felt hir 〈◊〉 and holding his hand there for a certeine time perceiued hir heart as it were to pant thereby some life remaining in hir Wherefore so softly as he could with the helpe of his man he raised hir out of the graue and setting hir vpon his horsse before him secretely caried hir home to his house at Bologna The mother of maister Gentil dwelled there which was a graue and vertuous gentlewoman who vnderstanding by hir sonne the whole effect of that chaunce moued with compassion vnknowne to any man placing hir before a great fire and cōforting hir with bathe prepared for the purpose she recouered life in the gentlewoman that was supposed to be deade who so soone as she was come to hir selfe threwe forth a great sigh and said Alas where am I now To whom the good olde woman 〈◊〉 Be of good chéere swete hart ye be in a good place The gentlewoman hauing wholly recouered hir senses and looking roūd about hir not yet well knowing where she was and séeing 〈◊〉 Gentil before hir prayed his mother to tell hir howe she came 〈◊〉 To whome maister Gentil declared in order what he had done for hir and what meanes he vsed to bring hir thither Whereof making hir complaint and lamenting the little regard and negligence of hir frends she rendred vnto hym innumerable thankes Then she prayed him for the loue which at other times he bare hir and for his 〈◊〉 that she might not receiue in hys house any thing that should be dishonorable to hir person ne yet to hir husband but so soone as it was daye 〈◊〉 suffer hir to goe home to hir owne house wherunto 〈◊〉 Gentil answered Madame what so euer I haue desired in time 〈◊〉 nowe I purpose neuer to demaunde of you any thing or to do here in this place or in any other 〈◊〉 but that I would to mine 〈◊〉 sister sith it hath pleased God to doe me suche pleasure 〈◊〉 from death to life to render you to me in consideration 〈◊〉 the loue that I haue borne you heretofore But this good woorke which this nyght I haue done for you well deferueth some recompence Wherfore my desire is that you deny me not the pleasure which I shall demaund whome the gentlewoman curteously answered that she was very redy so the same were honest in bi r power to doe Then said maister Gentil Mystresse all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and all they of Bologna doe beleue for a trouthe that you be deade wherfore there is none that loketh for you at home and the pleasure then which I demaund is
shall not make me beleue at this tyme that ye be marchantes and so I bid you farewell Saladine hauing taken his leaue of all them that were in companie with maister Thorello aunswered him Syr it may come to passe that we may let you sée our marchandise the better to confirme your belefe And fare you also heartily well Saladine then and his companions being departed assuredly determined if he liued and that the warres he looked for did not let him to doe no lesse honor to master Thorello then he had done to him fell into great talke with his companions of him of his wife of his things actes and déedes greatly praising all his entertainment But after he had serched by great trauaile all the West parts imbarking him self and his company he returned to Alexandria and throughly informed of his enimies indeuors prepared for his defence Master Thorello returned to Pauie and mused a long time what these thrée were but he neuer drew nere ne yet arriued to 〈◊〉 truth When the time of the appointed passage made by the Christians was come and that great preparation generally was made master Thorello notwithstanding the 〈◊〉 and prayers of his wife was fully bent to goe thither and hauing set all things in order for that voyage and ready to get on horsbacke he sayd vnto hir whome he perfectlye loued Swéete wife I am going as thou séest this iourney aswell for mine honoure sake as for health of my soule I recommende vnto you our goodes and honoure And bicause I am not so certaine of returne for a thousand accidents that may chaunce as I am sure to goe I pray thée to do me this pleasure that what so euer chaunceth of me if thou haue no certaine newes of my life that yet thou tarie one yeare one moneth and one day before thou marry againe the same terme to begin at the daye of my departure The Gentlewoman which bitterly wept answered I know not deare husbād how I shal be able to beare the sorow wherein you leaue me if you goe away But if my life be more strong and sharpe than sorow it self and whether you liue or die or what so euer come of you I will liue and die the wife of master Thorello and the onely spouse of his remembrance Whereunto master Thorello sayd Swéete wife I am more than assured that touching your selfe it will proue as you doe promise But you be a yong woman faire and well allied and your vertue is great and wel knowne throughout the Countrey by reason wherof I doubt not but that many great personages Gentlemen if any suspition be conceiued of my death wyll make requestes to your brethren and kinred from whose pursute although you be not disposed you can not defend your selfe and it behoueth that of force you please their will which is the onely reason that moueth me to demaund that terme and no longer time The Gentlewoman sayd I will doe what I can for fulfilling of my promise And albeit in end that I shal be constrained to doe otherwise be assured that I will obey you in the charge which now you haue giuen me I humbly thanke almightye God for that he neuer brought vs into these termes before this tyme. Their talke ended the Gentlewoman wéeping embraced master Thorello and drawing a ring from hir finger she gaue it him saying If it chaunce that I die before I sée you remember me when you shall beholde the same He receiuing the ring got vp vpon his horsse and taking his leaue went on his voyage and arriued at Geuoua he shipped him selfe in a Galley and toke his way whereunto winde and weather so fauoured as within fewe dayes he landed at Acres and ioyned with the armye of the Christians wherein began a great mortalitie and Plague during which infection what so euer was the cause eyther by the industrie or fortune of Saladine the rest of the Christians that escaped were almost taken and surprised by hym without any fighte or blowe stricken All which were imprysoned in many Cities and deuided into diuers places amongs which prisoners master Thorello was one who was caried prisoner to Alexandria where being not knowne and fearing to be knowne forced of necessitie gaue himselfe to the kéeping of Hawkes a qualitie wherein he had very good skill whereby in the end he grewe to the acquaintance of the Souldan who for that occasion not knowing him that time tooke him out of prison and retained him for his Fawconer Master Thorello which was called of the Souldan by none other name than Christian whome he neyther knewe ne yet the Souldan hym had none other thing in his minde and remembraunce but Pauie and manye times assayed to escape and run away But he neuer came to the point Wherfore diuers Ambassadoures from Genoua being come to Saladine to raunsome certaine of their prisoners and being ready to returne he thought to wryte vnto his wife to let hir know that he was aliue and that he would come home so soone as he coulde praying hir to tarie his retourne Which was the effect of his letter very earnestly desiring one of the ambassadoures of his acquaintance to doe so much for him as safely to deliuer those letters to that hands of the Abbot of S. Pietro in ciel Doro which was his vncle And master Thorello standing vpon these termes it chaunced vpon a day as Saladine was talking with him of his Hawkes master Thorello began to smile and to make a 〈◊〉 with his mouth which Saladine being at his house at Pauie did very wel note by which act Saladine began to remember master Thorello and earnestly to viewe him and thought that it was he in déede Wherefore leauing his former talke he sayd Tell me Christian of what countrey art thou in the West parts Spy sayd master Thorello I am a Lombarde of a Citie called Pauie a poore man and of meane estate So soone as Saladine heard that as assured wherof he doubted said to him selfe God hath giuen me a time to let thys man know how thankfully I accepted his curtesie that he vsed towardes me and without any more woords hauing caused all his apparell in a chamber to be set in order he brought him into the same sayd behold Christian if amongs al these roabes there be any one which thou hast séene before Master Thorello began to looke vpon them and saw those which his wyfe had giuen to Saladine but he could not beleue that it was possible that they should be the same notwithstanding he answered Sir I know them not albeit my minde giueth me that these twaine do resemble the roabes which sometimes I ware caused them to be giuen to thrée marchaunt men that were lodged at my house Then Saladine not able to forbeare any longer tēderly imbraced him saying you be master Thorello de Istria and I am one of the thrée marchantes to whome your wife gaue those roabes and nowe
the same with ill digesture that muche a do shall I haue to be agréed with them and to remoue the grief which they shall conceiue against me for this mine enterprise wherefore I would the same should secretely be kept vntil without perill and daunger either of my self or of him whome I pretende to mary I may publish and manifest not my loue but the mariage which I hope in God shall soon be consummate and accomplished with one whome I doe loue better than my self and who as I full well do know doeth loue me better than his owne proper life Maister Bologna which till then harkned to the Dration of the Duchesse without mouing féeling himself touched so néere and hearing that his Ladie had made hir approche for mariage stode stil astonned his tongue not able to frame one word only fantasied a thousand 〈◊〉 in the aire and formed like numbre of imaginations in his minde not able to coniecture what hée was to whome the Duchesse had vowed hir loue the possession of hir beauty He could not thinke that this ioy was prepared for himself for that his Ladie spake no woord of him and he lesse durst opē his mouth and yet was wel assured that she loued him beyōd measure Not withstāding knowing the ficklenesse and vnstable heart of women he sayd vnto himself that she would chaunge hir minde for seing him to be so great a Cowarde as not to offer hys seruice to a Ladie by whome he saw himself so manie times bothe want only looked vpon intertained with some secresie more thā familiar The Duchesse which was a fine and subtile dame séeing hir friend rapt with the passion and standing stil vnmoueable through feare pale amazed as if hée had bene accused and condempned to die knew by that countenaunce astonishment of Bologna that she was perfectly beloued of him and so meaning not to suffer hym any longer to continue in that amaze ne yet to further fear him wyth hir dissembled and fained mariage of any other but with him she toke him by the hand and beholding him with a wāton and luring eye in such sort as the curious Philosophers themselues would awake if such a Lāpe and torch did shine within their studies she sayde thus vnto hym Seignor Anthonio I pray you be of good chéere torment not your self for any thing that I haue said I know well and of long time haue perceyued what good and faithfull loue you beare me with what affection you haue serued me sithens first you vsed my companie Thinke me not to be so ignorant but that I know ful wel by outward signes what secretes be hid in the inner heart and that coniectures many times doe giue me true and certaine knowledge of concealed things And am not so foolish to thinke you to be so vndiscrete but that you haue marked my countenaunce maner and therby haue knowen that I haue bene more affectioned to you than to any other For that cause sayd she straining him by the hād very louingly with cherefull coloure in hir face I sweare vnto you doe promise that if you so thinke méete it shall be none other but your self whom I wil haue desire to take to husband and lawfull spouse assuring my self so much of you as the loue which so long time hath ben hidden couered in our hearts shal appeare by so euident proofe as only death shal end vndoe the same The gentleman hearing such sodain talk the assurāce of that which he most wished for albeit he saw that daunger extréeme wherunto he laūched himself by espousing this great Ladie the enimies he shold get by entring such aliance notwithstanding building vpon vaine hope and thinking at length that the choler of the Aragon brother would passe away if they vnderstoode that mariage determined to pursue that purpose not to refuse that great preferment being so prodigally offred for which cause he answered his Lady in this maner If it were in my power madame to bring to passe that which I desire for your seruice by acknowledging of the benefits fauors which you depart vnto me as my mind presenteth thāks for the same I wold think my self the happiest Gentlemā that lyueth you the best serued Princesse of the world For one better beloued I dare presume to say and so long as I liue wil affirm is not to be found If til this time I delayed to opē that which now I discouer vnto you I beséeche you Madame to impute it to the greatnesse of your estate and to the duetie of my calling office in your house being not séemely for a seruant to talk of such secretes with his Ladie and mistresse And truely that pain which I haue indured to holde my peace and to hide my griefe hath bene more noysome to me than one hundred thousand like sorowes together although it had ben lawfull to haue reuealed thē to some trusty friend I do not deny madame but of long time you did perceiue my follie and presumption by addressing my minde so high as to the Aragon bloud and to such a Princesse as you be And who cā beguile the eye of a Louer specially of hir whose Paragon for good minde wisedom gentlenesse is not And I cōfesse to you bisides that I haue most euidently perceiued how certain loue hath lodged in your gracious heart wherwith you bare me greater affection thā you did to any other within the compasse of your familie But what Great Ladies hearts be fraught with secretes conceits of other effects than the minds of simple womē which caused me to hope for none other guerdon of my loyal faithfull affection than death the same very short Sith that litle hope accompanied with great nay rather extreme passion is not able to giue sufficiēt force both to suffer to stablish my heart with constancie Now for so much as of your motion grace curtesie liberalitie the same is offred that it pleaseth you to accept me for yours I hūbly beseche you to dispose of me not as husband but of one which is shal be your seruaunt for euer such as is more ready to obey thā you to cōmaund It resteth now Madame to consider how in what wise our affairs are to be directed that things being in assurāce you may so liue without peril and brute of slaunderous tongues as your good fame honest port may continue without spot or blemish Beholde the first Acte of the Tragedie and the prouision of the fare which afterwardes sent them bothe to their graue who immediately gaue their mutuall faith and the houre was assigned the next day that the fair Princesse shold be in hir chamber alone attended vpon with one only Gentlewoman which had ben brought vp with the Duchesse frō hir cradle was made priuie to the heauy mariage of those two louers which was consummate in hir presence And
part of a faithfull companion to deceiue his friend But in end pleasure surmounting reason and the beautie ioyned with the good grace of the Lady hauing blinded him and bewitched his wits so wel as Ardizzino he toke his way towards hir house who waited for him with good deuotion whither being arriued hée failed not to vse like spéeche that Valperga did either of them after certain reuerences and other fewe words minding and desiring one kinde of intertainment This practize dured certaine months and the Countesse was so farre rapt with hir newe louer as she only employed hir selfe to please him and he shewed himselfe so affected as she thought to bridle him in all things whereof she was afterwards deceiued as you shall vnderstād the maner Ardizzino seing himself wholly abandoned the presence and loue of his Ladie knowing the she railed vpon him in all places where she came departed Pauia halfe out out of his wits for anger and so strayed from 〈◊〉 order by reason of his rage as hée displayed the Countesse thrée times more liuely in hir colours than she could be painted and reproued hir with that termes of the vilest and most 〈◊〉 strumpet that 〈◊〉 ran at rouers or shot at randon Bianca Maria vnderstoode hereof and was aduertised of the good reporte that Ardizzino spread of hir throughout 〈◊〉 which chafed hir in suche wise as she fared like the Bedlem furie ceasing night nor day to plaine the vnkindnesse and follie of hir reietted Louer Sometimes saying that she had iust cause so to doe then flattering hir selfe alledged that men were made of purpose to suffer such follies as were wrought by hir and that where they termed themselues to be womens seruauntes they ought at their mistresse hands to endure what pleased them In the end not able any longer to restrain hir choler ne vanquish the appetite of reuenge purposed at all aduēture to prouide for the death of hir aūcient enimy and that by meanes of him whome she had now tangled in hir nettes Sée the vnshamefastnesse of this mastife bitche and the rage of that female Tiger how shée goeth about to arme one friend against an other and was not content onely to abuse the Counte Gaiazzo but deuised to make him that manqueller And as one night they were in the midst of their embracements she began pitifully to wéepe and sigh in such wise as a man wold haue thought by the vexation of hir heart that the soule and body wold haue parted The yonge Lord louingly enquired the cause of hir heauinesse and sayd vnto hir that if any had done vnto hir displeasure hée would reuenge hir cause to hir contentation She hearing him say so then in studie vpon the deuice of hir enimies death spake to the Counte in this manner You know sir that the thing which moste 〈◊〉 the Gentle heart and minde that can abide no wrong is defamation of honoure and infamous reporte Thus much I say by reason the Lord of Massino who to say the trouth hath bene fauored of me in like sort as you be now hathe not vene ashamed to publishe open 〈◊〉 against me as thoughe I were the arrantest whoore that euer had giuen hir selfe ouer to the Galley slaues alongs the shore of Sicile If he had vaunted the fauoure which I haue done him but to certaine of his friendes I had incurred no whit of slaunder much lesse any little suspition but hearing the common reports the wrongfull woords and wicked brute that he hath raised on me I beséeche you syr to doe me reason that he may féele his offence and the smart for his committed fault against hir that is all youres The Lord Sanseuerino hearing this discourse promised hir to doe his best and to teache Valperga to talke more soberly of hir whome he was not worthy for to 〈◊〉 but in thought Notwithstanding he sayde more than he ment to do for he knew Ardizzino to be so honest sage and curteous a personage as hée would neyther doe nor say any thing without good cause and that Ardizzino had 〈◊〉 quarell against him by taking that from him which he loued althoughe it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 discontinuance from that place and vpon the only request of hir Thus he cōcluded in mind stil to remain the friend of Ardizzino and yet to spend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Countesse which he did and vsed certaine months without quarrelling with Valperga that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 with whom he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 liued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commonly vsed one table bed togither Bianca Maria séeing that the Lord of Gaiazzo cared not much for hir but onely for his pleasure determined to vse like practise against him as she did to hir former louer and to banish him from hir house So that when he came to sée hir either she was sicke or hir affairs were such as she could not kéepe him company or else hir gate was shut vpon him In the end playing double or quit she prayed the sayd Lord to shewe hir such pleasure and friendship as to come no more vnto hir bicause she was in termes to goe home to hir husband the Counte of Celant who had sent for hir and feared least his seruaunts should finde hir house ful of suters alleaging that she had liued long inough in that most sinfull life the lightest faultes whereof were to 〈◊〉 for dames of hir port calling concluding that so long as she liued she would beare him good affection for the honest companie and cōuersation had betwene them and for his curtesie vsed towards hir The yong Erle were it that he gaue credit vnto hir tale or not made as though he did beleue the same and without longer discourse forbare approche vnto hir house and droue out of his heade all the amorous affection which he caried to that Piedmont Circes And to that end hée might haue no cause to thinke vpon hir or that his presence 〈◊〉 make him slaue againe to hir that first pursued him he 〈◊〉 in good time to Millan by which retire hée auoided that mishap wherwith at length this 〈◊〉 woman wold haue cut him ouer the shinnes euen 〈◊〉 his mind was least thereon Such was the malice and mischief of 〈◊〉 heart who ceasing to play the whort applied hir whole 〈◊〉 to murder Gaiazzo being departed from Pauie this Venus once againe assayed the 〈◊〉 of hir Ardizzino and knew not well how to recouer him againe bicause she feared that the other had discouered that enterprise of his murder But what dare not she attempt whose minde is slaue to sinne The first assaies be hard the 〈◊〉 in doubt and conscience gnawing vpon the repentance worme but the same once nousled in vice roted in the heart is more pleasant and gladsome for the wicked to 〈◊〉 than vertue familiar to those that folow hir So that shame separate from before the eyes of youth riper age noursed in 〈◊〉 their sight is so daseled as they can see nothing that either
to asswage mine offended minde In the meane time I shall lament the rest of my heauie life with such store of teares as my body dried vp from all humiditie shall shortly search reliefe in earth And hauing made an ende of those hir woords hir heart was so grieuously strained as she could neither wéepe nor speake and stoode so 〈◊〉 as if she had bene in a traunce Then being somewhat come againe vnto hir self with 〈◊〉 voyce she sayde Ah 〈◊〉 tong of other mennes 〈◊〉 howe 〈◊〉 thou so 〈◊〉 to speake of him whome his very enimies doe commend and praise How presumest thou to impute the blame vpon Rhomeo whose vngiltinesse and innocent déede euery man alloweth Where from henceforth shal be his refuge sith she whiche ought to be the only bulwarke and assured rāpire of his distresse doth pursue defame him Receiue receiue then Rhomeo the satisfactiō of mine ingratitude by that sacrifice which I shall make of my proper life and so the fault which I haue committed against thy loyaltie shal be made open to the world thou being reuenged my self punished And thinking to vse some furder talke all the powers of hir body failed hir with signes of present death But the good olde woman which could not imagine that cause of Iulietta hir long absence doubted very much that she suffred some passion and sought hir vp and downe in euery place within hir fathers palace vntill at length she found hir lying a long vpon hir bed al the outward parts of hir body so colde as Marble But the good olde woman which thought hir to be dead began to cry like one out of hir wittes saying Ah deare daughter and 〈◊〉 how much doeth thy deathe now grieue me at the very heart And as she was séeling all the partes of hir body she perceiued some sparke of life to be yet within the same which caused hir to call hir many times by hir name till at length she brought hir out of hir sounde Then she sayd vnto hir Why Iulietta myne own deare dareling what meane you by this turmoiling of your self I can not tel from whēce this your behauior that immoderate heauinesse doe procede but wel I wote that within this houre I thought to haue accompanied you to the graue Alas good mother aunswered wofull Iulietta doe you not most euidently perceiue and sée what iuste cause I haue to sorrow and complaine losing at one instant two persons of the worlde which were vnto me moste deare Me thinke answered the good woman that it is not semely for a Gentlewoman of your degrée to fall into such extremitie For in time of tribulation 〈◊〉 shoulde most preuaile And if the Lord Thibault be dead do you thinke to get hym againe by teares What is he that doth not accuse his ouermuch presumption would you that Rhomeo had done that wrong to him his house to suffer himselfe outraged assailed by one to whome in manhode and prowesse he is not inferiour Suffiseth you that Rhomeo is aliue and his affaires in such estate who in time may be called home again from banishment for he is a great lorde and as you know wel allied and fauored of all men wherfore arme your self from henceforth with pacience For albeit that Fortune doth 〈◊〉 him from you for a time yet sure I am that hereafter shée will restore him vnto you againe with greater ioy and contentation than before And to the end that we be better assured in what state he is if you will promise me to giue ouer your heauinesse I will to day knowe of Frier Laurence whether he is gone To whiche request Iulietta agréed and then the good woman repaired to S. Frauncis where she foūd Frier Laurence who told hir that the same night Rhomeo would not faile at his accustomed houre to visite Iulietta and there to do hir to vnderstand what he purposed to doe in time to come This iorney then fared like the voyages of mariners who after they haue ben tost by great troublous tempest séeing some Sunne 〈◊〉 pierce the heauens to lighten the land assure them selues agayne and thynkyng to haue auoyded shipwracke and sodainly the seas begin to swell the waues do roare with such vehemence and noyse as if they were fallen againe into greater daunger than before The assigned houre come Rhomeo fayled not according to his promise to bée in his Garden where he found his furniture prest to mount the chamber of Iulietta who with displayed armes began so straightly to imbrace hym as it séemed that the soule woulde haue abandoned hir body And they two more than a large quarter of an houre were in such agonie as they were not able to pronounce one worde and wettyng eache others face faste closed together the teares trickeled downe in suche abundaunce as they séemed to bée thoroughlye bathed therein Whiche Rhomeo perceyuing and thynkyng to staye those immoderate teares sayde vnto hir Myne owne dearest friende Iulietta I am not nowe determined to recite the particulars of the straunge happes of frayle and inconstaunte Fortune who in a 〈◊〉 hoystethe a man vp to the hyghest degrée of hir whéele and by and by in lesse space than in the twynckelyng of an eye shée throweth hym downe agayne so lowe as more miserie is prepared for him in one day than fauour in one hundred yeares whyche I nowe proue and hauc experience in my selfe whiche haue bene nourished delicately amonges my friendes and mainteyned in suche prosperous state as you doe little knowe hopyng for the full perfection of my felicitie by meanes of oure maryage to haue reconciled oure parentes and friends and to conducte the residue of my lyfe accordyng to the scope and lotte determined by Almyghty GOD and neuerthelesse all myne enterprises bée put backe and my purposes tourned cleane contrarye in suche wyse as from henceforthe I muste wander lyke a vagabonde thorough dyuerse 〈◊〉 and sequestrate my selfe from my friendes withoute assured place of myne abode whiche I desyre to lette you wete to the intente you maye be exhorted in tyme to come pacientely to beare so well myne absence as that which it shall please God to appointe But Iulietta all affrighted with teares and mortall agonies woulds not suffer hym to passe any further but interruptyng hys purpose sayde vnto hym Rhomeo howe canst thou bée so harde hearted and voyde of all pitie to leaue mée héere alone besieged with so many deadly myseries There is neyther houre nor Minute wherein Death dothe not appeare a thousande tymes before mée and yet my missehappe is suche as I can not dye and therefore doe manyfestelye perceyue that the same Deathe preserueth my lyfe of purpose to delyghte in my griefes and triumphe ouer my euyls And thou lyke the mynister and tyrant of hir crueltie doest make no conscience for oughte that I can sée hauynge atchieued the summe of thy desyres and pleasures on me to abandon and forsake me Whereby I well perceyue
an hundred thousand deathes did stande about hir haling hir on euery side and plucking hir in pieces féelyng that hir forces diminyshed by litle and litle fearing that through to great debilitie she was not able to do hir enterprise like a furious and insensate womā without further care gulped vp the water within the viol then crossing hir armes vpon hir stomacke she lost at that instant al the powers of hir body and remained in a traunce And when the mornyng light began to thrust his head out of his Orient hir chamber woman which had lockte hir in with the key did open the doore and thinking to awake hir called hir many times and sayde vnto hir Mistresse you sléepe to long the Counte Paris will come to raise you The poore olde woman spake vnto the wall and 〈◊〉 a song vnto the deafe For if all the horrible and tempestuous soundes of the worlde had bene canoned forth oute of the greatest bombardes and sounded through hir delicate eares hir spirits of lyfe were so fast bounde and stopt as she by no meanes coulde awake wherewith the poore olde woman amazed beganne 〈◊〉 shake hir by the armes and handes which she founde so colde as marble stone Then puttyng hande vnto hir mouthe sodainely perceyued that she was deade for she perceyued no breath in hir Wherfore lyke a woman out of hir wyttes shée ranne to tell hir mother who so madde as Tigre bereft of hir faons hyed hir selfe into hir daughters chaumber and in that pitifull state beholdyng hir daughter thinking hir to be deade cried out Ah cruell death which hast ended all my ioye and blisse vse thy laste scourge of thy wrathfull ire against me least by suffering me to lyue the rest of my woful dayes my tormente do increase then she began to fetchsuch straining sighes as hir heart dyd séeme to cleaue in pieces And as hir cries beganne to encrease beholde the father the Counte Paris and a greate troupe of Gentlemen and Ladies which were come to honour the feast hearing no soner tell of that which chaunced were stroke into such sorowfull dumpes as he whiche had behelde their faces wold easily haue iudged that the same had bē a day of ire pitie specially the lord Antonio whose heart was frapped with such surpassing wo as neither teare nor word could issue forth knowing not what to doe streight way sēt to seke that most expert phisitians of the towne who after they had inquired of the life past of Iulietta déemed by common reporte that melancolie was the cause of that sodaine death then their sorowes began to renue a 〈◊〉 And if euer day was lamentable piteous vnhappie and fatall truely it was that wherin Iulietta hir death was published in Verona for shée was so bewailed of great small that by the cōmon plaintes the common wealth séemed to be in daunger not without cause For besides hir natural beautie accompanied with many vertues wherewith nature had enriched hir she was else so humble wise and debonaire as for that humilitie and curtesie she had stollen away the heartes of euery wight and there was none but did lamente hir misfortune And whilest these things were in this lamented state Frier Laurence with diligence dispatched a Frier of his Couent named Frier Anselme whome he trusted as himselfe and deliuered him a letter written with his owne hande commaunding him expressely not to gyue the same to any other but to Rhomeo wherein was conteyned the chaunce which had passed betwene him and Iulietta specially that vertue of the pouder and commaunded him the nexte ensuing night to spéede him self to Verona for that the operation of the pouder that time would take ende that he should cary with him back again to Mantua his 〈◊〉 Iulietta in dissembled apparell vntill Fortune bad otherwise prouided for them The frier made such hast as too late he ariued at Mantua within a while after And bicause the maner of Italie is that the Frier trauailing abroade oughte to take a companion of his couent to doe his affaires within the Citie the Frier went into his couent but bicause he was entred in it was not lawfull for him to come out againe that day for that certain dayes before one religious of that couent as it was sayd did die of the plague Wherefore the magistrates appointed for the healthe and visitation of the sicke commaunded the warden of the house that no Friers shold wander abrode the Citie or talke with any citizen vntill they were licenced by the officers in that behalfe appointed which was the cause of the great mishap which you shal heare hereafter The Frier being in this perplexitie not able to goe forth and not knowing what was cōtained in the letter deferred his iorney for that day Whilest things were in this plight preparation was made at Veronna to doe the obsequies of Iulietta There is a custome also which is common in Italie to place all the beste of one lignage and familie in one Tombe wherby Iulietta was layde in the ordinarie graue of the 〈◊〉 in a Churcheyarde harde by the Churche of the Friers where also the Lorde Thibault was interred And hir obsequies honourably done euery man returned whereunto Pietro the seruant of Rhomeo gaue hys assistance For as we haue before declared his master sente him backe againe from Mantua to Verona to do his father seruice and to aduertise hym of that whiche shoulde chaunce in his absence there who séeing the body of Iulietta inclosed in tombe thinkyng with the rest that she had bene dead in déede incontinently toke poste horse and with diligence rode to Mantua where he founde his maister in his wonted house to whome he sayde with his eyes full of teares Syr there is chaunced vnto you so straunge a matter as if so bée you do not arme your selfe with constancie I am afrayde that I shal be the cruell minister of your death Bée it knowne vnto you syr that yesterday morning my mistresse Iulietta left hir lyfe in this world to seke rest in an other and wyth these eyes I saw hir buried in the Churchyarde of S. Frauncis At the sounde of which heauie message Rhomeo began wofully to 〈◊〉 as though his spirites grieued with the 〈◊〉 of his passion at that instant woulde haue abandoned his bodie But strong Loue whiche woulde not permitte hym to faint vntill the extremitie framed a thoughte in his fantasie that if it were possible for hym to dye besides hir his death shoulde be more glorious and 〈◊〉 as he thought better contented By reason whereof after 〈◊〉 had washed his face for 〈◊〉 to discouer hys sorrow he went out of hys chamber and commaunded hys man to 〈◊〉 behynde hym that hée might walke thorough oute all the corners of the Citie to fynde propre remedie if it were possyble for hys griefe And 〈◊〉 others beholdyng an Apoticaries shoppe of lytle furniture and lesse store of boxes and other thynges requisite
for that science thought that the verie pouertie of the mayster Apothecarye woulde make hym wyllyngly yelde to that whych he pretended to demaunde And after hée hadde taken hym aside secretely he sayd vnto hym Syr if you bée the mayster of the house as I thynke you be beholde here Fiftie Ducates whych I gyue you to the intent you delyuer me some strong and 〈◊〉 poyson that within a quarter of an houre is able to procure death vnto hym that shall vse it The couetous Apothecarie entised by gayne agréed to hys request and saynyng to gyue hym some other medicine before the peoples face he spéedily made ready a strong and cruel poyson afterwardes hée sayd vnto hym softely Syr I 〈◊〉 you more than is needefull for the one halfe in an houres space is able to destroye the strongest manne of the worlde who after he hadde receyued the poyson retourned home where he commaunded his man to depart with diligence to Veronna and that he should make prouision of candels 'a tynder boxe and other instrumentes méete for the openynge of the graue of Iulietta and that aboue all things he shoulde not faile to attende hys commyng besides the Churchyarde of S. Frauncis and vpon paine of life to kéepe his intente in scilence Which Pietro obeyed in order as his master had commaunded hym and made therin such expedition as he arriued in good tyme to Verona taking order for all thinges that were commaunded him 〈◊〉 in the meane whyle beyng solicited wyth mortall thoughtes caused incke and paper to be broughte vnto hym and in fewe wordes put in writing all the 〈◊〉 of his loue the mariage of hym and Iulietta the meane obserued for consummation of the same the helpe that he hadde of Frier Laurence the buying of his poyson and last of all his death Afterwardes hauing finished his heauie tragedie hée closed the letters and sealed the same with his seale and directed the Superscription thereof to hys father and puttyng the letters into his pursse he mounted on horsebacke and vsed suche diligence that he arriued vppon darke night at the Citie of Veronna before the gates were shut where he found his seruant tarying for him there with a Lanterne and instruments beforesayd méete for the openyng of the graue vnto whome hée sayde Pietro helpe mée to open this Tombe and so soone as it is open I commaunde thée vpon payne of thy lyfe not to come néere me nor to stay me from the thyng I purpose to doe Beholde there is a letter which thou shalt present to morow in the morning to my father at hys vprisyng which peraduenture shall please him better than thou thynkest Pietro not able to imagine what was his maisters intent stode somewhat aloofe to beholde his maisters gestes and 〈◊〉 And when 〈◊〉 hadde opened the vaulte Rhomeo descended downe two 〈◊〉 holdyng the candell in his hande and beganne to beholde wyth pitifull eye the body of hir which was the organ of his lyfe and washt the same with the teares of his eyes and kyst it tenderly holding it harde betwene his armes and not able to satisfie him selfe wyth hir 〈◊〉 put his fearefull handes vpon the colde stomacke of Iulietta And after he had touched hir in manye places and not able to féele any certaine 〈◊〉 of lyfe he drewe the poyson out of his boxe and swalowyng downe a greate quantitie of the same cried out O Iulietta of whome the worlde was vnworthie what death is it possible my heart coulde choose out more agreable than that whiche it suffereth hard by thée What graue more glorious than to bée buried in thy tombe What more woorthie or excellente Epitaph can bée vowed for memorie than the mutuall and pitifull sacrifice of our lyues And thinking to renue his sorowe his hearte began to frette thorough the violence of the poyson which by litle and little assayled the same and lookyng aboute hym espyed the bodie of the Lorde Thibault lying nexte vnto Iulietta whyche as yet was not altogether putrified and speakyng to the bodye as though it hadde bene alyue sayde In what place so euer thou arte O cousyn Thibault I moste heartily doe crye thée mercy for the offense whyche I haue done by depriuyng of thy lyfe and if thy ghost 〈◊〉 wyshe and crye oute for vengeaunce vpon mée what greater or more cruell satisfaction canste thou desyre to haue or henceforth hope for than to sée hym which murdered thée to bée empoysoned wyth hys owne handes and buryed by thy syde Then endyng hys talk feling by litle and litle that his life began to faile falling prostrate vpon his knées with féeble voice hée softly said O my Lord God which to redéeme me didst 〈◊〉 from the bosome of thy father tokest humane flesh in the wombe of the virgine I acknowledge and cōfesse that this body of mine is nothing else but earth and dust Then seased vpon with desperate sorow he fell downe vpon the body of Iulietta with such vehemēce as the heart faint and attenuated with too great torment not able to beare so hard a violence was abādoned of all his sense and naturall powers in such fort as the siege of his soule failed him at that instant and his membres stretched forth remained stiffe and colde Frier Laurence which knew the certaine time of the pouders operation maruelled that he had no answere of the letter which he sent to Rhomeo by his fellow Frier Anselme departed from S. Frauncis and with instruments for the purpose determined to open the graue to let in air to Iulietta which was redy to wake and approching that place he espied a light within which made him afraid vntill that Pietro which was hard by had certified him that Rhomeo was within had not ceased there to lament and complaine the space of half an houre And then they two were entred the graue finding Rhomeo without life made such sorow as they can well conceiue which loue their deare friend with like perfection And as they were making their complaints Iulietta rising out of hir traunce and beholding light within the tombe vncertaine whether it were a dreame or fantasie that appeared before hir eyes comming againe to hir selfe knew Frier Laurence vnto whom she sayd Father I pray thée in the name of God 〈◊〉 perfourme thy promise for I am almost deade And then Frier Laurence concealing nothing from hir bicause he feared to be taken through his too long abode in that place faithfully rehearsed vnto hir how he had sent Frier Anselme to Rhomeo at Mantua frō whome as yet he had receiued no answer Notwithstanding he foūd Rhomeo dead in the graue whose body he pointed vnto lying hard by hir praying hir sith it was so paciently to beare that sodaine misfortune that if it pleased hir he wold conuey hir into some monastery of women where she might in time moderate hir sorow and giue rest vnto hir minde Iulietta had no sooner cast eye vpon the dead corpse of
by the cōsent of the whole state as euery of thē were about to rise vp sayd vnto them My Lordes there resteth one thing yet to be moued which peraduenture hitherto hath not bene thought vpon There are before vs two complaints the effect whereof in my iudgement is not throughly cōceiued in the opinions of diuers Anselmo Barbadico and Girolamo Bembo betwene whome there hath bene euer continuall hatred left vnto them as a man may say euen by fathers enheritance both of thē in either of their chambers were apprehēded in a maner naked by our Sergeants and without torments or for feare to be racked vpon the onely interrogatories of our ministers they haue voluntarily confessed that before their houses they killed Aloisio our Nephew And albeit that our sayd Nephew yet liueth was not striken by them or any other as shold apeare yet they 〈◊〉 themselues guiltie of the murder What shall be sayd thē to the matter doth it not séeme doubtfull Our Nephew againe hath declared that in going about to robbe the house of Mistresse Gismonda Mora whome he ment to haue slaine he fell downe to the ground from the toppe of a window wherefore by reason so many robberies haue bene discouered within the Citie it may be presumed that he was the 〈◊〉 and malefactor who ought to be put to the torments that the truthe may be knowne and being found guiltie to féele the seuere punishment that he hath deserued Moreouer when he was founde lying vpon the ground he had neither ladder nor weapon whereupon may be thought that the fact was otherwise done than hitherto is confessed And bicause amongs morall vertues temperāce is the chiefest and worthy of greatest commendation and that iustice not righteously exercised is iniustice wrong it is méete and conuenient for vs in these strange accidents rather to vse temperāce than the rigor of iustice And that it may appere that I do not speake these words without good ground mark what I shal say vnto you These two most mortal enimies do cōfesse that which is impossible to be true for that our Nephew as is before declared is a liue and his wounde was not made by sworde as hée himself hath confessed Nowe who can tell or say the contrary but that shame for being taken in their seuerall Chambers and the dishonesty of bothe their wiues hathe caused them to despise life and to desire death We shall finde if the matter be diligently inquired and searched that it will fall out otherwise than is already supposed by common opinion For the contrariety of examinations vnlikelihoode of circumstances and the impossibility of the cause rendreth the matter doubtful Wherfore it is very néedful diligētly to examine these attempts and thereof to vse more aduised consideration On the other side our Nephew accuseth himself to be a 〈◊〉 and which is more that he ment to kill mistresse Mora when he brake into hir house Under this grasse my Lords as I suppose some other Serpent lieth hidden that is not yet thought of The Gentleman ye know before this time was neuer defamed of such outrage ne suspected of the least offēse that may be obiected Besides that all ye doe knowe thanks therefore be giuen to almightie God that he is a man of great richesse and possessions and hath no néede to robbe For what necessitie should driue him to robbe a widowe that hath of his owne liberally to bestow vpon the succour of widowes Were there none else of substance in the Citie for him to giue attempt but to a widowe a comfortlesse creature contented with quiet life to liue amongs hir family within the boundes of hir owne house What if hir richesse Iewels and plate be great hath not Aloisio of his owne to redouble the same But truely this Robberie was done after some other manner than he hath confesfessed To vs then my Lords it appertaineth if it so stande with your pleasures to make further inquirie of the same promising vnto you vppon oure Faith that we shal imploy our whole diligence in the true examination of this matter and hope to bring the same to such good ende as none shall haue cause to blame vs the finall sentence whereof shall be reserued to your iudgement This graue request and wise talke of the Duke pleased greatly the Lords of the Councel who referred not only the examination but also the finall sentence vnto him Wherupon the wise Prince being fully enformed of that chaunce happened to his Nephewe attended only to make search if he could vnderstand the occasion why Bembo and Barbadico so folishly had accused thēselues of that which they neuer did And so after much counsaile sundry deuises examined and made his nephew then was wel recouered and able to goe abrode being set at libertie After sundry examinations I say he also had learned the trothe of the case touching the other two prisoners which he cōmunicated to the Lords of the aforesaid councel called Dieci Then he caused with great discretion proclamation to be made throughout Venice that Anselmo and Girolamo should be beheaded betwene the two Pillers and Aloisio hanged wherby he thought to know what sute the women wold make either with or against their husbands what euidence mistresse Gisinonda would giue against Aloisio The brute hereof dispersed throughe Venice diuers talke therupon was raised no communication of any thing else in open streats and priuate houses but of the putting to death of those men And bicause all thrée were of honorable houses their kinsmē friends made sute by all possible meanes for their pardon But their confessions published that rumor was made worse as it daily chaūceth in like cases than the mater was in déede the same was noised how Foscari had confessed so many theftes done by him at diuers times as none of his friends or kin durst speake for him Mistresse Gismonda which bitterly lamented the mischaunce of hir louer after she vnderstode the confession hée had made and euidently knew that bicause he would not blemish hir honor he had rather willingly forgo his own and therwithall his life felt hir self so inflamed with feruent loue toward him as she was ready presently to surrēder hir ghost Wherfore 〈◊〉 sent him word that he shold comfort himselfe bicause she was determined to manifest the very trouth of the matter and hoped vpon hir declaration of true euidence sentence shoulde be reuoked for testimonie wherof she had his louing letters yet to 〈◊〉 written to hir with his owne hands and would bring forth in the iudgement place the corded ladder which she had kept still in hir chamber Aloisio hearing these louing newes and of the euidēce which his Ladie would giue for his defense was the gladdest man of the world and caused infinite thanks to be rendred vnto hir with promise that if he mighte be rid and discharged out of prison he woulde take hir for his louing spouse and wife Wherof
well trained vp in other things A case so straunge as declaring the singular force of nature in that matter wherin the séemeth to haue giuen the prefermēnt aboue all things in earth Examples hereof is the effemination of Hercules the depriuation of Samsons strength the losse of sense and the idolatrie of the famous and wise king Salomon and the simplicitie of a warelesse and vncircumspect Gentleman of whom ye shal reade the Historie Thurin as is well knowne to them that haue trauelled Piedmont is the ornament bulwarke of al the countrey so well for the naturall site of the place as for the artificial and industrious worke of mans hand which hath instaured and furnished with great magnificence that which nature had indifferently enriched for the rudenesse and litle knowledge of the time past Now besides this stately strong citie there standeth a litle town named Montcall a place no lesse strong and of good defense than well plāted in a faire and rich soyle In this towne there dwelt a Gentlewoman a widowe called Zilia beautifull amongs the most excellent faire Gentlewomen of the countrey which countrey besides the other happie heuenly influences semeth to be specially fauoured for hauing the most fairest and curteous Gentlewomē aboue any other within the compasse of Europa Notwithstanding this faire Zilia degenerating frō the nature of hir climate was so haggarde and cruell as it might haue ben thoughte she had bene rather nourished and brought vp amidde the most desert mountains of Sauoy than in the pleasant and rich champayn countrey watered and moistned with Eridanus the father of riuers at this day called the Pau the largenesse whereof doth make men to maruel and the fertilitie allureth euery man to be desirous to inhabite vpon the same This faire rebellious widow albeit that she was not aboue xxiiij or xxv yeres of age yet protested neuer more to be subiecte to man by mariage or otherwise thinking hir self wel able to liue in single life A minde truly very holy and cōmendable if the pricks of that flesh do obey the first motions and adhortations of the spirite but where youth pleasure and multitude of suters do addresse their endeuour against that chastitie lightly enterprised the Apostles counsell ought to be followed who willeth yong widowes to marie in Christ to auoide the temptations of the flesh and to flée offensiue slaunder and dishonor before men Now mistresse Zilia hir husbād being dead only bent hir selfe to enrich hir house and to amplifie the possession of a litle infant which she had by hir late departed husbande After whose death she became so couetous as hauing remoued and almoste cut off quite the wonted port she vsed in hir husbandes dayes imployed hir maids in houshold affairs thinking nothing to be well done that passed not through hir owne handes A thing truely more praise worthy than to sée a sorte of effeminate fine and daintie fingred dames which thinke their honor diminished if they holde but their nose ouer their housholde matters where theyr hande and diligence were more requisite for so much as the mistresse of the house is not placed the chiefe to heare only the reasons of them that labor but therunto to put hir hands for hir present eye séemeth to giue a certaine perfection to the worke which the seruauntes do by hir commaundement Which caused the historians in times past to describe vnto the posterity a gentlewoman called Lucretia not babbling amongs yong folish girles or running to feastes and Maigames or Masking in the night without any regard of the honor and dignitie of hir race and house but in hir Chamber sowing spinning and carding amids the troupe of hir maiden seruants wherin our mistresse Zilia passed the most parte of hir time spending no minute of the day without some honest exercise which she did for that she liked not to be séen at feasts and bankets or to be gadding vp and downe the streats wandring to gardeins or places of pleasure although to suche places youth sometimes may haue honest repaire to refreshe their wearied bodies with some vertuous recreation therby to reioyce the heauinesse of the minde But this Gētlewoman was so seuere in following the rigorous and constrained maners of our auncients that impossible it was to sée hir abrode except it were when she went to Mattens or other deuine seruice This Gentlewoman séemed to haue studied the diuinitie of the Egiptians which paint Venus holding a key before hir mouth setting hir foote vpon a Tortus signifying vnto vs therby that duety of a chast woman whose tong ought to be locked that she speake not but in time and place and hir féete not straying or wādering but to kéepe hir self within the limits of hir owne house except it be to serue God and sometimes to render our bounden duty to them which haue brought vs into light Moreouer Zilia was so religious I wil not say superstitious and rigorous to obserue customs as she made it very squeimish and straunge to kisse Gentlemen that met hir a ciuilitie which of long time hath bene obserued and yet remaineth in the most part of the world that Gentlewomen doe welcome straungers and guestes into their houses with an honest and chaste kisse Notwithding the institution and profession of this widow had wiped away and deferred this poynt of hir youthe whither it were for that she estéemed hir self so faire as all men were vnworthy to touche the vtter partes of so rare and precious a vessell or that hir great and inimitable chastitie made hir so strange to refuse that which hir duetie and honor would haue permitted hir to graunt There chaunced about this time that a gentleman of the Countrey called Sir Philiberto of Virle estéemed to be one of the most valiant Gentlemen in those partes repaired vpon an holy day to Montcall whose house was not very farre off the Towne and being at diuine seruice in place of occupying his sense and minde in heauenly things and attending the holy woords of a Preacher which that day declared the woorde of God vnto the people hée gaue himselfe to contemplate the excellent beautie of Zilia who hadde put off for a while hir mourning vaile that she might the better beholde the good father that preached and receiue a little aire bicause the day was extreame hotte The Gentleman at the first blushe when hée sawe that swéete temptation before his eyes thought hym selfe rapt aboue the third heauen and not able to withdraw his looke he fed hymselfe with the venome which by litle and litle so seased vpon the soundest partes of his minde as afterwards béeing liuely rooted in heart the Gentleman was in daunger still to remaine there for a guage without any hope of ease or comforte as more amply this folowyng discourse shall giue you to vnderstande Thus all the mornyng hée behelde the Gentlewoman who made no more accompt of them that with great admiration did beholde hir
most and offreth greatest reward Such do not deserue to be placed in ranke of chast Gentlewomen of whom they haue no smack at all but amongs the throng of strumpets kynde that haue some sparke and outward shew of loue for she which loueth money 〈◊〉 hunteth after gaine will make no bones by treasons trap to betray that vnhappie man which shall yelde himselfe to hir hir loue tending to vnsensible things and such in dede as make the wysest sorte to falsifie their faithe and sell the righte and equitie of their Judgemente The Lorde of Virle séeing Zilia then in his companie and almost at his commaundement fayned as though hée knew hir not by reason of his small regarde and lesse intertainment shewed vnto hir at hir first comming Which gretly made the poore Gentlewoman to muse Neuerthelesse she making a vertue of necessitie and séeing hir selfe to bée in that place from whence 〈◊〉 coulde not departe without the losse of hir honor and lyfe purposed to proue Fortune and to committe hir selfe vnto his mercie for all the mobiltie whiche the auncient attribute vnto Fortune Wherfore shutting fast the doore shée went vnto the Knight to whom she spake these words And what is the matter sir knight that now you make so litle accompte of your owne Zilia who in tymes past you sayde had greater power and authoritie ouer you What is the cause that moueth you herevnto Haue you so soone forgotten hir Behold me better and you shal sée hir before you that is able to acquite you of youre promise and therefore prayeth you to pardon hir committed faultes done in tymes past by abusing so cruelly the honest and 〈◊〉 loue which you bare hir I am she which through follie and temeritie did stoppe your mouth and tied vp your tong Gyue me leaue I beséeche you to open the same agayne and to breake the lyne which letteth the libertie of your speache She séeyng that the dumbe Gentleman woulde make no aunswere at all but Mumme and shewed by signes that hée was not able to vndoe his tong wéepyng began to kysse hym imbrace hym make much of him in such wyse as he whiche once studied to make eloquent orations before his Ladie to induce hir to pitie forgat then those ceremonies and spared his talke to shewe hymselfe to bée suche one as shée had made at hir commaundement mused and deuysed altogether vpon the execution of that whiche sometyme hée hadde so paynefully pursued both by words and continuall seruice and coulde profite nothyng Thus waked agayne by hir whiche once had mortified hys mynde assayed to renue in hir that whyche long tyme before séemed to bée a sléepe She more for feare of losse of lyfe or the price of the rewarde than for any true or earnest loue suffered hym to receyue that of hir which the long suter desireth to obtaine of his mistresse They lyued in this ioy and pleasure the space of xv dayes ordayned for the assigned terme of hir cure wherein the poore Gentlewoman was not able to conuert hir offended frend to speake although she humbly prayed hym to shewe so muche fauour as at least she might go frée from eyther losse tellyng hym howe litle regarde shée hadde to hir honour to come so farre to doe hym pleasure and to discharge hym of his promise Muche other gay and lowlye talke shée hadde to moue the Knyghte to take no regarde of that she sayde for he determined to bryng hir in suche feare as he had bene heaped full of heauinesse whiche came to passe at the expired time For the cōmissaries seing that their pacient spake not at all summoned the gentlewomā to pay the penaltie pronounced in the edict or else to lose hir lyfe Alas howe bytter séemed this drinke to thys poore Gentlewoman who not able to dissemble the grief that prest hir on euery side beganne to say Ah I wretched and Caitife woman by thinkyng to deceiue an other haue sharpened the sworde to finishe mine owne life 〈◊〉 it not enough for me to vse such crueltie towardes this myne enimie which moste cruelly in double wise taketh reuenge but must I come to be thus tangled in his snares and in the hands of him who inioying the spoiles of mine honour will with my life depriue me of my fame by making me a common fable to all posteritie in time to come O what hap had I that I was not rather deuoured by some furious and cruell beast when I passed the mountains or else that I brake not my neck down some stéepe headlong hil of those high and hideous mountaines rather than to be set here in stage a pageant to the whole citie to gaze vpon for enterprising a thing so fondely done of purpose by hym whome I haue offended Ah Signior Philiberto what 〈◊〉 rewardest thou for pleasures receiued and fauors felt in hir whom thou didst loue somuch as to make hir die such shamefull and dreadfull death But O God I know that it is for worthie guerdon of my foolishe and wicked life Ah disloyaltie and fickle trust is it possible that thou be harbored in the hearte of hym whiche hadde the brute to bée the moste loyall and curteous Gentleman of his countrey Alas I sée well nowe that I must die through mine only simplicitie and that I muste sacrifice myne honoure to the rigour of hym which with two aduantages taketh ouer cruel reuēge of the litle wrong wherwith my chastitie touched him before As she thus had finished hir complaint one came for hir to cary hir to prison whether willingly she wēt for that she was already resolued in desire to liue no longer in that miserie The gentlemā contented with that payne and not able for to dissemble the griefe whyche hée conceyued for the passion which he sawe his welbeloued to endure the enioying of whome renued the heate of the flames forepast repaired to the kyng vnto whom to the great plesure of the standers by and exceding reioyse of his maiestie to heare him speake he tolde the whole historie of the loue betwene him and cruell Zilia the cause of the losse of his spech and the summe of his reuenge By the faith of a Gentleman sayd the King but here is so straunge an historie as euer I heard and verily your faith and loyaltie is no lesse to be praised and cōmended than the crueltic and couetousnesse of the woman woorthye of reproch and blame which truly deserueth some greuous and notable iustice if so be she were not able to render some apparant cause for the couerture and hidyng of hir follie Alas sir sayde the Gentleman pleaseth your maiestie to deliuer hir although she be worthy of punishment and discharge the reste that be in prison for not recouerie of my speache sith my onely helpe did rest either at hir comandement which had bounde me to that wrong or else in the expired time for which I had pledged my faith To whiche request the Kyng very
foolyshe mothers are to be accused which suffer their daughters of tender and chyldishe age to bée 〈◊〉 red of theyr seruantes not remembryng 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fleshe is howe prone and redy men be to doe euill and how the seducing spirite waiting still vpon vs is procliue and prone to surprise and catche vs within his snares to thintent he may reioyse in the ruin of soules washed and redéemed with the blood of the son of God This troupe drawyng nere to the caue of Dom Diego Roderico sent one of his men to 〈◊〉 hym of their commyng who in the absence of hys friende 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 wyth hope shortely to sée the onely Ladie of hys hearte accompanyed wyth a merie 〈◊〉 ioyfull traine so soone as he had somewhat 〈◊〉 hys wylde maner of lyfe he also by litle and litle 〈◊〉 a good parte of his lustie and freshe colour and almoste hadde recouered that beautie whiche he hadde when he first became a Citizen of those desertes Now hauing vnderstanded the message sent vnto him by Roderico God knoweth yf wyth that 〈◊〉 tydyngs he felte a motion of bloode such as made all hys membres to leape and daunce whyche rendred hys mynde astoonned for the onely memorie of the thyng that poysed hys mynde vp and downe not able to stande wyth equall balaunce whyche rather hée ought to haue made reioyse than complaine being assured to sée hir of whome hée demaunded onely grace and pardon but for recouerie thereof he durst not repose any certaine Iudgement In the ende hoystyng vp his head like one rysen from a long and sonnd sléepe hée sayde Praise be to God who yet before I dye hath done me that pleasure to suffer me to haue a sight of hir that by causing my martirdome continueth thys disordered lyfe which shall procure in like sort mine vtter ruine and decay Upō the approch wher of I shall goe more ioyful charged with incomparable loue to visite the ghostes beneath dead in the presence of that cruel swete and who tormenting me with ticklish tentation hath made me taste honie sugred with 〈◊〉 gall more dangerouse than the sucke of poison and vnder the vermilion rudde of a new sprouted rose 〈◊〉 blowen forthe hath hidden secrete thornes the prickes whereof hath me so liuely touched as my wounde can not well be cured with any baulme that maye be therevnto applied without enioying of that mine owne happie missehap or without that remedie which almost I féele the same only resting in death that so long and oftenymes I haue desired as the true remedie of my paines and griefe In the meane whyle Dom Roderico whiche tyll that tyme was not known vnto Gineura drewe néere vnto hir by the way as he rode and talked with hir in thys sorte I doubte not Gentlewoman but that you thynke youre selfe not well contented to sée me in this place in such company and for occasion so vnséemely for my degrée and state and moreouer knowing what iniurie I séeme to do vnto you that euer was and am so affectionate and frendly to that whole stock of your race linage am not ignorant that vpon that first brūt you may iudge my cause vniust to cary you away from the handes of your friende to bring you into these 〈◊〉 wylde and solitarie places But yf ye considered the force of that true amitie whiche by vertue sheweth the common bondes of hearts and mindes of men shall measure to what ende this acte is done without to muche staying 〈◊〉 the light apprehension of choler for a beginnyng somwhat troublesom I am assured then that yf you be not wholly depriued of reason I shall not bee altogether blamed nor you quite of faulte And bycanse 〈◊〉 drawe néere vnto the place whether by the helpe of God I meane to conduct you I beseeche you to consyder that the true seruaunt whiche by all seruice and duetie studieth to execute the comaundementes of him that hath 〈◊〉 ouer hym dothe not deserue to bée beaten or driuen away from the house of his master but to be fauoured and cherished and ought to receyue equall recompense for his seruice I speake not this for my selfe my deuotion being 〈◊〉 elsewhere and not to you sauing for that honest affection which I ought to beare to all vertuous and chaste persons The 〈◊〉 whereof I will not denie vnto you in tyme and place where I shal vse such 〈◊〉 towards you as is mete for a maiden of your age and state For the gretnesse of noble men puisant doth most appeare shew forthit self when they vse mildenesse gentlenesse vnto those to whō by reson of their authoritie they might do 〈◊〉 tie malice Now to that end that I do not make you doutful long Al that which I haue done yet do mean to do is for none other purpose but to ease the greuous paines of that most faithful louer that liueth at this day vnder that circle of the Moone It is for the good Knight Dom Diego that loueth you so derely stil worshippeth your noble fame who bicause he wil not shew him self disobedic̄t liueth miserably amōg brute beasts amid the craggy rocks and mountaines and in the déepe solitudes of comfortlesse dales valleis It is to him I say that I doe bring you protesting vnto you by othe Gentlewoman that that misery wherin I saw him little more than vj. wekes past toucheth me so neare the heart as if the Sacrifice of my life sufficed alone without letting you to féele this painefull voyage for the solace of his 〈◊〉 I wold spare it no more than I do mine owne endeuor and honor besides the hazarding of that losse of your good grace and fauoure And albeit I wel perceiue that I do grieue you by causing you to enter this painfull iourney yet I beseche you that that whole displeasure of this 〈◊〉 may be imputed vnto my charge and that it wold please you louingly to deale with him who for your sake vseth such cruell misdemeanor against himselfe Gineura as a woman halfe in despaire for the death of hir friend behaued hir self like a mad woman voide of wit and sense and the simple remembraunce of Dom Diego his name so astonned hir which name she hated far more than the pāgs of death that she staide a long time hir mouth not able to shape one word to speake In the end vanquished with impacience burning with choler and trembling for sorow loked vpon Dom Roderico with an eye no lesse furious than a Tigresse caught within the net and séeth before hir face hir yong Fawnes murdered wringing hir handes and beating hir delicate brest she vsed these or such like words Ah bloudy traitor and no more Knight is it of thée that I ought to looke for so detestable a villanie and treason 〈◊〉 darest thou be so hardie to entreate me for an o ther that hast in mine own presence killed him whose death I wil pursue vpon
maye bée harbored so straunge furie and vnreasonable rage O God the effecte of the crueltie resting in this woman paintyng it selfe in the imaginatiue force of my minde hath made me feare the like missehappe to come to the cruell state of this disauenturous gentlemā Notwithstanding O thou cruell beast thinke not that thys thy furie shall stay me from doyng thée to death to ryd thée from follie and disdaine this vnfortunate louer from dispaire and trouble verily beleuing that in time it shall be knowne what profite the worlde shal gaine by purging the same of such an infected plague as is an vnkinde and arrogant heart and it shall féele what vtilitie ryseth by thyne ouerthrow And I do hope besydes that in time to come men shal praise this dede of mins who for preseruing the honour of one house haue chosen rather to doe to death two offenders than to leaue one of them aliue to obscure the glorie and brightnesse of the other And therefore sayd he tourning his face to those of his traine Cut the throte of this 〈◊〉 and froward beast doe the like to them that be come with hir shewe no more fauor vnto them all than that curssed strumpet doeth mercy to the life of that miserable Gentleman who dieth there for loue of hir The maiden hearing the cruel sentence of hir death cried out so loude as she could thinking reskue would haue come but the pore wenche was deceiued for the desert knewe none other but those that were abiding in that troupe The Page and the woman seruaunt exclamed vpon Roderico for mercie but he made as though he heard them not and rather made signe to his men to do what he commaunded When Gineura sawe that their deathe was purposed in déede confirmed in opinion rather to die thā to obey she said vnto the executioners My friends I beséeche you let not these innocentes abide the penaunce of that which they neuer committed And you Dom Roderico be 〈◊〉 on me by whome the fault if a womans faith to hir husband may be termed a faulte is done And let these 〈◊〉 depart that be God knoweth innocent of any crime And thou my frend which liuest amongs the shadowes of faithfull louers if thou haue any féeling as in déede thou prouest being in another world beholde that purenesse of mine heart sidelitie of my loue who to kepe the same inuiolable doe offer my self voluntarily to the death which this cruell tyrant prepareth for me And thou hangman the executioner of my ioyes and murderer of the immortall pleasures of my loue sayd she to Roderico glut thy gluttonous desire of bloud make dronke thy minde with murder 〈◊〉 of thy little triūphe which for all thy threats or persuasible words thou 〈◊〉 not get frō the heart of a simple maiden ne cary away the victory for all the battred breach made into the rāpare of hir honoure When she had so sayd a man would haue thought that the memory of death had cooled hir heate but that same serued hir as an assured solace of hir paines Dom Diego come to himself seeing the discourse of that tragedie being now addressed to the last 〈◊〉 end of that life and stage of faire golden locked Gincura making a vertue of necessitie recouered a little corage to saue if it were possible the life of hir that had put his owne in hazard miserably to end Hauing stayed them that held the maidē he repaired to Dom Roderico to whom he spake in this wise I sée wel my good Lord and great friend that the good will you beare me causeth you to vse this honest order for my behalf wherof I doubt if I should liue a whole hundred yeares I shall not be able to satisfie the least of the bondes wherein I am bound the same surpassing all mine abilitie and power Yet for all that deare friend sith you 〈◊〉 the fault of this missehap to arise of my predestinate ill lucke and that man cannot auoide things once ordained I beseech you do me yet this good pleasure for all the benefits that euer I haue receiued to send back again this gentlewoman with hir traine to the place frō whence you toke hir with like assuraūce 〈◊〉 as if she were your sister For I am pleased with your endeuor cōtented with my misfortune assuring you sir besides that the trouble which she endureth doth far more grieue my hart than al that paine which for hir sake I suffer That hir sorowe then may decrease and mine may renue again that she may line in peace and I in warre for hir cruel beautie sake I will wait vpon Clotho the spinner of the threden life of mā vntill shée breake the twisted lace that holdeth the fatal course of my doleful yeares And you Gentlewomā liue in rest as your pore suppliāt wretched Dom Diego shal be citizen of these wild places vaunt you 〈◊〉 that you were that best beloued maiden that euer liued Maruellous truely bée the forces of Loue when they discouer their perfection for by their meanes things otherwise impossible be reduced to such facilitie as a mā woulde iudge that they had neuer bene so harde to obtaine and so painefull to pursue As appeared by thys damsell in whome the wrathe of fortune the pinche of iealosie the intollerable rage of hir friendes losse 〈◊〉 ingendred a contempt of Dom Diego an extreme desire to be reuenged on Dom Roderico and a 〈◊〉 of longer life And now putting of the 〈◊〉 of blinde appetite for the esclarishyng of hir vnderstanding eyes and breaking the Adamant rock planted in the middes of hir breast she beheld in open 〈◊〉 the stedfastnesse pacience and perseueration of hir greate friende For that supplication of the Knight had greater force in Gineura than all his former seruices And full well 〈◊〉 shewed the same when throwing hir selfe vpon that neck of the desperate Gentleman and imbracing hym very louingly she sayd vnto him Ah syr that youre felicitie is the beginning of my great ioy of minde which 〈◊〉 now of swéetenesse in the very same in whome I imagined to be the welspring of bitternesse The diminution of one griefe is and shall bée the increase of 〈◊〉 bonde such as for euer I wil cal my self the most humble slaue of your worshyp lowly beséeching you neuerthelesse to pardon my follies wherewith full fondely I haue abused your pacience Consider a while sir I beseech you the nature and secrecie of loue For those that be blinded in that passion thinke them selues to be perfecte séers and yet be the first that commit most 〈◊〉 faultes I doe not denie any committed wrong trespasse and doe not refuse therfore the honest and gentle correction that you shall appointe mée for expiation of mine offense Ah my noble Ladie aunswered the knight all rapt with pleasure and half way out of his wits for ioy I humbly beséeche you inflicte vpon my pore wretched body no further
haue 〈◊〉 to present with too excéeding prodigall liberalitie and I would to God that life might satisfie the same then be sure it should so soone be imployed as the promise made thereof Alas good God I thought that when I 〈◊〉 my brother out of prison the neare distresse of death wherunto vniustly he was throwne I thought I say and firmely did beleue that fortune the enimy of our ioy had vomited al hir poison and being despoiled of hir fury and crabbed nature had brokē the bloudy and venemous arowes wherewith so long time she hath plaged our family and that by resting of hir self she had giuen some rest to the Montanine house of al their troubles misaduētures But I O miserable wight do see féele how far I am deuided from my hope and deceiued of mine opinion sith that furious stepdame appereth before me with a face more fierce thretning then euer she did sharpening hir selfe against my youth in other sorte than euer against any of our race If euer she persecuted our auncesters if she brought them to ruine and decay she now doth purpose wholly to subuert the same and throw vs headlong into that bottomlesse pit of all miserie exterminating for all togither the remnaunt of our consumed house Be it either by losse of thée good brother or the violent death of me which cannot hazard my chastitie for the price of mine vnhappie life Ah good God into what anguishe is my minde exponed how doe I féele the force and violence of frowarde fortune But what speake I of fortune How doth hard lucke insue that is predestinated by the heauens vpon our race Must I at so tender yeres and of so féeble kinde make choise of a thing which woulde put the wisest vpon earth vnto their shifts My heart doth faile me reason wanteth and iudgement hangeth in ballaunce by continuall agitations to sée how I am driuen to the extremitie of two daungerous straits enuironned with fearefull ieoperdies forcibly compelled either to be deuided and separated frō thee my brother whome I loue aboue mine owne life in whom next after God I haue sixed and put my hope and trust hauing none other solace comfort and helpe but thée or else by keping thée am forced to giue vnto another know not howe that precious treasure which being once lost cānot be recouered by any meanes for the garde and conseruation wherof euery woman of good iudgement that loueth vertue ought a thousand times to offer hir self to death if so many wayes she could rather than to blot or soile that inestimable iewell of chastitie wherewith our life is a true life contrariwise she which fondly suffreth hir self to be disseazed and spoiled of the same looseth it without honest title albeit she be a liue yet is she buried in the most obscure caue of death hauing lost the honoure which maketh Maidens marche with head vpright But what goodnesse hath a Ladie gentlewoman maiden or wife wherein she can glory hir honor being in doubt and reputation darkened with infamie Wherto serued the imperiall house of Augustus in those Ladies that were intituled with the Emperours daughters when for their vilany their were vnworthy of the title of chaste and vertuous What profited Faustina the Emperiall crowne vpon hir head hir chastitie through hir abhominable life being rapt and despoiled What wrong hath bene done to many simple women for being buried in the tombe of darke obliuion which for their vertue and pudique life merited eternall praise Ah Charles my brother deare where hast thou bestowed the eye of thy fore séeing minde that without foresight and care of the fame due to the honest dames and chast damosels of our family hauing lost the goods fathers inheritaunce wilt haue me in like sort sorgoe my chastitie which hitherto I haue kept with héedeful diligence Wilt thou dear brother by the price of my virginity that Anselmo shal haue greater victorie ouer vs than he hathe gotten by fight of sword vpon the allied remnaunt of our house Art thou ignorant that the wounds and diseases of the minde be more vehement than those which afflicte the body Ah I vnhappy maiden and what yll lucke is reserued for me what destiny hath kept me till this day to be presented for Venus Sacrifice to satissie a yong mannes lust which coueteth peraduenture but the spoile of my virginitie O happy the Romane maid slain by the proper hands of hir wofull father Virginius that she might not be soiled with infamie by the lecherous embracements of rauenous Appius which desired hir acquaintaunce Alas that my brother doe not so rather I would to God of his owne accord he be the 〈◊〉 minister of my life ready to be violated if God by 〈◊〉 grace take not my cause in hand Alas death why 〈◊〉 thou not throwe against my heart thy most pearcing darte that I may goe waite vpon the shadowes of my thrice happy parents who knowing this my grief wil not be void of passion to help me waile my woful state O God why was not I choaked and strangled so sone as I was taken forth the secrete imbracements of my mothers wombe rather thā to arriue into this mishap that either must I lose the thing I déeme most deare or die with the violence of my proper hands Come death come and cut the vnhappy thréede of my wofull life stoppe the pace of teares with thy trenchant darte that streame outragiously downe my face and close the brething wind of sighs which hinder thée from doing thine office vpon my heart by suffocation of my life and it When she had ended those words hir spéeche did faile and waxing pale and faint sitting vpon bi r stoole she fared as though that very death had sitten in hir place Charles thinking that his sister had bene deade 〈◊〉 with sorow and desirous to liue no longer after hir seing he was the cause of that sowning fell downe dead vpon the ground mouing neither hand nor foote as though the soule had bene departed from the bodie At the noise which Montanine made by reason of his fall Angelica reuiued out of hir sown and seing hir brother in so pitifull plight and supposing he had bene dead for care of his request for being berieued of hir brother was so moued as a little thing wold haue made hir do as 〈◊〉 did when she viewed Pyramus to be slaine But conceiuing hope she threw hir selfe vpon hir brother cursing hir fortune banning the starres of cruelty and hir lauash spéeche and hir self for hir litle loue to hir brother who made no refusal to die to saue his land for relief of hir wher she denyed to yeld hir self to him that loued hir with so goodaffection In the end she applied so many remedies vnto hir brother sometimes casting cold water vpon his face sometimes pinching and rubbing the temples and pulses of his armes his mouth with vineger that she made him to