you any the least griefe or sorrow At these words Marco Antonio opened his eyes and steadily fixed them on Leocadias face and having recollected himselfe and taken her in a manner into his knowledge more by the Organe of her voyce then by her countenance with a weake and feeble voyce as one that was full of paine hee sayd unto her say on Sir what you please for I am not yet so neare my end that I cannot listen unto you neither is this voyce of yours so harsh and unpleasing unto me that it should cause any fastidiousnesse or loathing in me to heare it To all this Dialogue Theodosia was most attentive and every word that Leocadia uttered was a sharpe Arrow that went athwart her heart and wounded likewise the very soule of Don Rafael who also heard her And Leocadia prosecuting what shee had begunne went on thus if some blow on your head or to speake more properly if one greater hath not lighted on my soule it could not Semor Marco Antonio beate out of your memory the image of her who not long since you were wont to say was your glory and your Heaven you may very well call to your remembrance who Leocadia was and what was the word that you gave her signed in a Schedule with your owne hand nor can you bee forgetfull of the worth of her parents the integritie of her retyrednesse and honestie and of the obligation wherein you stand bound unto her for having applyed her selfe to your gust and liking in all whatsoever you desired If you have not forgotten this howbeit you see me in this so different a habit you may easily know that I am Leocadia who being fearefull least new accidents and new occasions should quit me of that which is so justly mine as soone as I knew that you were gone out of the countrey treading under foote and sleighting all whatsoever though never so infinite inconveniences I resolved with my selfe to follow after you in this habit with intention to seeke you out in all parts of the earth till I had found you out whereat you ought not to marvaile if your selfe hath at any time felt the force of true Love and the rage of a deceived woman Some troubles I have passed in this my demande all which I account well bestowed with that discount which they have brought with them in making me so happy as to see you And considering the case wherein you are if that it shall please God to take you from this to a better life by your doing that which you ought as worthie your selfe before your departure out of this life I shall thinke my selfe the happiest woman in the world promising you to betake my selfe to such a course of life after your death that but little time shall be spent therein before I follow you in this your last and inforced journey And therefore first of all I beseech you for the love you beare unto God to whom my desires and intentions goe directed next for your owne sake who oweth much to your qualitie and therefore ought to bee the same you are And lastly for my sake to whom you owe more then to any other person in the world that now presently you will receive me for your lawfull spouse not permitting that justice should inforce you to that which with such and so many reall obligations reason ought to perswade you unto And here Leocadia stopt the current of her speach and sayd not a word more and all they that were in the roome were in a wonderfell still silence all the while that shee talked with him and with the same stilnesse and silenee they expected what answer Marco Antonio would make her which was this I cannot Leocadia deny my knowing of you for your voyce and countenance will not give me leave so to doe Neither can I deny how much I am bound unto you nor the great worth of your noble parents togeather with your owne incomparable honestie and retirednesse neither doe I nor will I esteeme you in lesse for that which you have done in comming to seeke me out in a habit so different from your owne but for this I do shall ever esteeme of you in the highest degree that may be imagined But since that my time you say is now come and that I likewise beleeve that this may be the last day of my life and since that such kinde of trances as these are the Chrysolls of truth purifying the Gold from the drosse truth from falsehood I will tell you a truth which if it shall not bee now pleasing unto you it may bee that hereafter it may turne to your good I confesse faire Leocadia that I lov'd you well and so did you mee and likewise I confesse that the schedule which I made you was more to comply with your desire then mine owne For many dayes before that I had signed it and set my hand thereunto I had delivered up my will and my soule to a Damsell of the same place where I live whom you very well know Her name is Theodosia the daughter bee it spoken without disparagement of as noble parents as yours are And if I gave you a schedule firmed with my hand I gave her my firmed hand and accredited with such workes and witnesses that I remaine impossibilited to give my libertie to any other person in the world That which passed betwixt my selfe and Theodosia was the obtaining of that fruit which shee could give mee and which I was willing shee should give me plighting my faith unto her that I would be as truly I am her husband And if at one and the same time I left both her and you you suspensefull and deceived and shee fearefull and as shee thought robbed of her honour I did therein unadvisedly and undescreetly and as a young man as I am without any discourse or judgement Thinking with my selfe that all those things of this nature were but tricks of youth and of little or no importance and that I might doe them without any scruple at all Accompanied with other the like thoughts which came then in my head which did solicite me to doe that which I did which was to goe for Italy and to imploy therein some few of my youthfull yeares and afterwards to returne home to see what was become of you and of my true Spouse But heaven as it should seeme being offended and having complayned of mee to the highest power there I verily beleeve that God hath permitted given way to put me into that condition wherein you see me to the end that by confessing these truths arising from my many sins I may pay in this life that which I owe and you remaine dis-deceived and free being at your owne liberty to doe that which shall seeme best in your eyes And if at any time Theodosia shall come to have notice of my death shee shall know both by your â—elfe and by these that are here present how
adverse part thou lyest in thy throate for here is no traytour but for the recovering of a mans lost honour it is lawfull to take this or any other advantage whatsoever There passed no more words betweene them because the haste which they made to offend and wound their enemies would not give them leave to talke who were to Don Iuans seeming some six of them They did presse so hard upon his companion that at two home thrusts which they made at him at once full in his brest they layd him flat on the ground Don Iuan thought that they had kild him and with strange nimblenesse and valour hee bestird him and set upon them all whom hee made to give ground by the force of a shower which hee rayned downe upon them of blowes and thrusts But all his diligence had not beene able for to offend them and defend himselfe if good fortune had not offered him her ayde by causing the neighbours thereabouts in that streete to open their windowes and come forth with lights and to call out aloud to the Iustice Which they of the contrary part perceiving forsooke the street and turning their backs went their way Now by this time hee that was fallen had got up againe for those Stocados and thrusts that were made at him lighted on a privy coate which he had that was as hard and impenetrable as if it had beene a rock of Diamonds Don Iuan in this fray had let fall his hat and seeking for it in stead of his owne lighted by chance on another which he clapt on his head without looking whether it were his owne or no. His fellowe that was fallen came unto him and sayd Sir whosoever you be I confesse that I am indebted to you for my life the which with all that my estate besides can reach unto I will spend in your service Let me intreate you to doe me the favour to tell mee who you are and what is your name to the end that I may know to whom I owe so much that I may manifest my thankefulnesse Whereunto replyed Don Iuan I will not Sir seeing my selfe now disinteressed be discourteous with you To cumply therefore with your desire and to fulfill your pleasure I shall onely tell you that I am a gentleman a Spaniard and a student in this Vniversitie if the knowing of my name may any whit import you I shall tell it you But if happily you shall bee pleased in any other thing to make use of my service I would then Sir have you to know that my name is Don Iuan de Gamboa You have done mee a great favour herein replyed hee that was fallen But I Senior Don Iuan de Gamboa will not tell you who I am nor my name because I am willing you should rather know it from another then my selfe and I will take care that both shall bee made knowne unto you Don Iuan had but a little before asked of him whether or no he had not received some hurt because hee saw that they had given him two great stocadas whereunto he answered that the goodnesse of his privy coate next under God had defended him But that yet notwithstanding his enemies had made an end of him if hee had not stuck so close unto him By this time there came towards them a company of people more in number then those they had before to doe withall whereupon Don Iuan sayd if these bee those our enemies stand Sir upon your guard and behave your selfe like your selfe I beleeve replyed the other that they are not enemies but friends which make towards us And it was so indeed For they that came were in all eight persons who compassed him round that was fallen and whispered some few words in his eare but they were so soft and so secret that Don Iuan could not heare them The partie defended turned presently aside from them to Don Iuan and sayd unto him had not these my friends come in unto me I would by no meanes Senior Don Iuan have left you till you had finished this your well begun worke by setting mee in some place of safetie But now with all the indearingnesse that I can I shall intreate you that you will leave me for it much importeth mee that you yeeld to my requeste Having sayd this hee put his hand to his head and found that he was without a hat and turning himselfe to those that came to him he spake unto them to give him a hat for his owne was in fighting falne from him He had scarce spoke the word but that Don Iuan put that which he had found upon his head He that fell felt it with his hand and returning it to Don Iuan sayd unto him this hat is none of mine As you love me Don Iuan take it and carry it away with you as a Trophee of this skirmish and keepe it well for I beleeve it is knowne They gave him another hat and Don Iuan for to comply with that which he had intreated of him interchanging some other but shorte compliments he left him not knowing who he was and came home to his owne house without offering to goe to that doore where they had given him the babe because he perceived that all the whole street was up being awakened out of their sleepe and in a kinde of tumult and uproare by reason of this quarrell It so then happened that in his returning to his lodging he met in the mid way with Don Antonio de Ysunca his Comrade and knowing him Don Antonio sayd returne with me Don Iuan a little up this way and as we walke along I shall recount unto you a strange story which hath befallen mee and I beleeve in all your life you never heard such passages as I shall now acquaint you with Whereunto Don Iuan replyed come let us goe whither you will and tell me this your strange story Don Antonio led the way and sayd You shall understand that little more then an houre after that you were gone out of the house I went forth to seeke you and not 30. paces from this place I saw comming as it were to meete me the black bulke of some person which came in great haste and the party approaching nearer unto me I knew it was a woman clad in a long habit who with a voyce interrupted with sighes and sobs sayd unto me are you Sir a stranger or one of the Cities I replyd a stranger and a Spaniard Are you wounded Lady or doe you beare about you some evill presages of death It may be quoth shee that the evill I bring with me will be my death if I have not speedy remedy By that courtesie which is alwayes wont to raigne in those of your Nation I beseech you noble Spaniard that you will take mee our of these streets and bring mee to your lodging with the greatest speed you can and there if it please you you shall know the evill I beare about me and who
heate of choller doth increase courage and an injury whilst it is frosh doth rouze and stirre up revenge Lorenzo rose up from the forme whereon hee sate and with close imbracements claspt Don Iuan in his armes and sayd having so generous a brest as yours is Senor Don Iuan it is needlesse to move it by setting before it any other interest then that of that honour which you shall gaine in this action the which shall be wholly yours in case we come off happily with this businesse And for an addition I offer unto you all whatsoever I have hold or possesse as farre as I am or can bee able And if you like of it I would willingly that wee should take our journey to morrow morning for I shall be able to day to provide all things necessary for it I like very well of it replyed Don Iuan But I pray give me leave Senor Lorenzo that I acquaint therewith a gentleman my companion and friend of whose valour and silence you may be bolder to build upon then on mine Since that you Senior Don Iuan have as you say taken my honour to your charge dispose thereof as you please and speak thereof what you will and to whom you will how much more to your companion and friend who be he what he will bee being of your choyce cannot choose but be good This said they imbraced each other and tooke their leave Signor Lorenzo telling him that he would send one unto him the next morning to call him and that they would take horse without the Citie and goe on their pretended journey in some disguise that there might no notice be taken of them Don Iuan came home and gave an account to Don Antonio and Cornelia of that which had passed with Lorenzo and the agreement made betweene them Lord blesse me said Cornelia great Sir is your courtesie and as great your confidence How and so suddainly have you put your selfe into a businesse so full of inconveniences And how do you know Sir whether my brother will carry you to Ferrara or some other place But whither soever hee shall carry you you may assure your selfe that there goes along with you faithfulnesse it selfe though my selfe I confesse as a wretched and unfortunate woman doe stumble at the motes of the Sunne and am afrayd of overy shadow and can you blame mee for being afrayd since that my life or my death dependeth on the Dukes answer And what doe I know whether or no hee will answer so temperately that my brothers choller may containe it selfe within the bounds and limits of his discretion And say it should breake out doe you thinke that he is to deale with a weake enemy And doe not you likewise thinke that all the while that you shall be absent I shall remaine hanging betwixt heaven and hell fearefull and suspensefull expecting the sweete or bitter newes of the successe of this businesse Doe I love so little either the Duke or my brother that I doe not dread the disgrace and misfortunes of them both and feele the anguish of them in my very soule You discourse much and feare more Lady Cornelia said Don Iuan. But let me perswade you amongst so many feares to leave some place for hope Put your trust in God in my industrie and good desires I doubt not but you shall see yours fulfilled with all felicitie and happinesse Our going to Ferrara is not to be excused as little my desisting to assist your brother as yet wee doe notknow the Dukes intention as little whether he know that you be missing And all this we must know from his owne mouth no man can better put this question unto him then my selfe And Lady Cornelia I would have you to know that the welfare and content of your brother the Duke I have placed in the apples of mine eyes and will be as carefull of them as I am of these Heaven prosper you Senior Don Iuan replyed Cornelia and give you the power to bring this businesse to a good issue and me a thankfull acknowledgment for the good comfort I receive from you In the midst of these my troubles thanks to your goodnes I hold my selfe very fortunate Now however feare may afflict me in your absence or hope hold me in suspence me thinkes I would faine see you gone and as faine see you quickly returne Don Antonio approved the determination of Don Iuan and commended the good correspondence which Lorenzo Bentivogli's confidence had found in him Morecover hee told him that hee would goe to accompanie them in regard of that which might happen not knowing whether things would bee fairey carried and so for feare of the worst would be ready if occasion served to see how the game went and to prevent all foule play O by no meanes said Don Iuan as well because it is not meete that the Lady Cornelia should be left alone as also that Signor Lorenzo may not thinke that I would as if I wanted true valour underprop mine owne weakenesse with the strength of others What concernes you concernes mee answered Don Antonio and therefore though unknowne and keeping aloofe off I meane to follow you and I presume my Lady Cornelia will bee well pleased therewith Neither will shee remaine so all alone that shee shall want one to serve attend and keepe her company Whereunto Cornelia answered it will be a great comfort to me gentlemen that yee goe both together or at least in such sort that if need should require you may ayde and helpe each other and since that to my seeming you goe upon a peece of service which may be subject to much perill and danger doe me the favour Gentlemen to carry these reliques along with you and shee had no sooner said so but shee tooke from out her bosome a Crosse of Diamonds of inestimable valew and an Agnus Dei They looked both of them on these rich Iewells and did valew them in more then they had the hatband But they returned them backe againe unto her saying That they did carrie reliques with them though not so well set forth and richly adorned yet at least as good in their qualitie Cornelia was very sorry that they would not accept of them but in fine shee must doe as they would have her The woman tooke great care and paines in tending and cheering up Cornelia and knowing the departure of her masters for they had acquainted her therewith but not what they went about nor whither they went she tooke it to her charge to looke well unto the Lady whose name as yet shee did not know so that they might not at their returne have any just cause to finde fault The next day betimes in the morning Lorenzo came to the doore and found Don Iuan ready for his journey in a handsome riding suite his rich hat making somewhat the more gracefull show by reason of its intermingled blacke and yellow feathers but the hatband hee
he had knit a knot upon his tongue But within a very little while before that any other spake recollecting himselfe he said Oh Heavens how do pinching troubles disturbe the understanding I gentlemen out of the desire which I have to doe good have not weighed well what I sayd For it is not possible that a man should shew himself liberall of that which is anothers not his owne What jurisdiction or power have I in Leonisa for to give her unto another or how can I make offer of that which is so farre from being mine Leonisa is his and so much his that were her Parents dead but long may they live her affection would finde no opposition And if there may stand perhaps in her way those obligations which being as she is discreet she ought to thinke she owes me from this day forward I disclaime them cancell them and acknowledge them to be wholy voyd and of none effect and therefore unsay what I sayd before I give then to Cornelio nothing because I cannot onely I confirme the grant of my goods made to Leonisa without desiring or looking for any other recompence save that shee esteeme for true my honest thoughts and that she will have this beliefe of them that they were never directed nor looked towards any other point save that which stood with her incomparable honestie her great worth and infinite beauty And here Ricardo ended his speech Whereunto Leonisa answered in this manner if any favours oh Ricardo you imagine I did Cornelio when as you were enamoured and jealous of mee imagine likewise that it was both meete and honest as being guided by the will and order of my Parents who intending to make a match betweene us laid their command upon me to do him those favours If you rest satisfied with this well may you satisfie your selfe with that which experience hath made knowne unto you of my honestie and reservednes I speake this for to give you Ricardo to understand that my will was alwaies subject to anothers will to wit my Parents whom I now most humbly as is meet beseech and earnestly entreat that they will give me leave and libertie freely to dispose of that which your valour and Liberalitie hath bestowed on mee Her Parents with a very good will gave her their leave so to do relying on her discretion that she would make use thereof in such sort as should redound alwaies to her owne honour and their profit Having obtained this licence discreet Leonisa proceeded thus I shall entreate you as many as be here present that you will beare me witnesse that I had rather incurre the censure of lightnesse and inconstancie which none of you all can or shall ever be able to charge me therewith then to bee taxed which is hatefull both in the sight of God and man of unthankfulnesse and ingratitude And therefore oh valiant Ricardo my good will and affection hitherto so reserved so perplexed and doubtfull shall now declare it selfe in your favour To the end that you men may know that all women are not ingratefull by my expressing of my thankfulnesse to you I am thine Ricardo and will bee thine till death if some better knowledge move thee not to deny me thy hand for I desire nothing more then to have thee to be my Husband Ricardo hearing these words was so transported with joy and in a manner so besides himselfe that hee neither knew how nor could not answer Leonisa in any other language then humbling himselfe on his knees before her and kissing her hands which hee held fast by force bathing them often with his tender and loving teares Cornelio did shed teares too but of griefe and sorrow so did Leonisa's Parents but of joy and gladnesse and of admiration and contentment all the standers by The Bishop of that Citie was then there present and with his Benediction and Licence brought them to the Cathedrall Church and dispensing with the time instantly married them The joyfull newes of this wedding was quickly spread over all Trapana and that very night in token of rejoycing infinite lights were set up and great bonfires made accompanied with ringing of bells and divers loud musicall instruments And for many daies after there were Maskings Commedies sporting with Canes running of Bulls and solemne invitations and feastings made by the Parents of Ricardo and Leonisa Mahamut and Halima were reconciled to the Church who impossibilited of fulfilling her desire in being Ricardo's wife contented her selfe in matching with Mahamut To Halima's Parents and kinsmen Ricardo gave liberally of those spoyles which he had taken wherewith they might be enabled to live not onely sufficiently but plentifully In conclusion all of them remained fully contented and satisfied and the fame of Ricardo going beyond the bounds of Sicily spread it selfe through all the parts of Italy and many other places under the name of the Liberall Lover And even to this very day continueth fresh in those many Children which he had by Leonisa who was a rare example of discretion honestie reservednesse thankfulnesse and beautie The end of the third Booke THE FORCE OF BLOOD THE FOVRTH BOOKE IN a hot summers night there returned from recreating themselues at the river of Toledo an ancient gentleman accompanied with his Wife a little young sonne a daughter of the age of 17. yeares and a maid-servant The night was cleare and bright the houre eleven the way open and their pace slow that they might not loose through wearines those pleasures which the meadowes lying along the river side of Toledo did afford them And relying on the security which the strict course of Iustice and the well disposed people of that City did promise the good old gentleman went walking leasurely along with his small family farre from any thought of the least disaster that might befall them But forasmuch as misfortunes commonly then come when wee least thinke on them contrary wholly to his thought and quite beyond all imagination there happened one which disturbed their present pleasure and gave them occasion to weepe many yeares after There was a gentleman of that City about the age of 22. whom his great wealth his noblenes of blood his depraved disposition his too much assumed liberty and the loose and licentious company that hee kept made him to doe such insolent and extravagant actions as did ill beseeme his quality and gave him the attribute of impudent and insolent This gentleman then whose name for good respects wee shall conceale and call Rodolpho with foure other friends of his all young men full of iollitie and aboue all exceeding insolent was comming downe the same hill which the old gentleman was going up These two companies met each other that of the sheepe with that of the wolves and in a most uncivill kind of manner voyde of all shame and honestie covering their owne faces they discovered those of the mother daughter and Mayd the old man and I cannot blame him was somewhat