heade as though hee had bene moued The Lyonesse his mother madde for anger for hir sonnes griefe why then bicause thou wilt not punish a traitor doest thou not beleue me doest thou not credit thy Mother that telleth thee here before them all and affirmeth to his face that he is a traitour to thee THen the King called a certaine fierce beast and vgly monster to beholde begotten of a Satire and of a Griffin and he made him take a chaine and chaine the Moyle The Moyle seing so horrible a borned beast come towardes him let fall his tayle for feare and sorrow both and thus of this hellish furie he was chained and caried to prison and as ye shall heare safely kept and examined WHen the Moyle was thus apprehended the Lyonesse went to the Kinge hir sonne and sayde to him The imprisonment of this wicked member hath greatlye reioyced all the Court knowinge that nowe the tyme is come thys malefactor shall bee punished and receyue iust rewarde for his treasons God if thou diddest but heare what they talke of hym in Court of his naughtie tongue of his carying of tales from one to another of spreading abrode quarrels contentions strifes debates and suspitions in euery place where he cometh thou wouldest blesse thee and thine eares woulde glowe in thy head O cursed Moyle Neuer agree to heare him neuer giue him audience but referre his matter to the counsell and then let iustice procede Now I thinke thy lyfe safe and dare boldelye saye thy Realme shall lyue in peace syth the Moyle is forth-comming and I hope shall be quite dispatched And bicause I would not haue thee thinke I speake obscurely I wil tell thee what reason I haue to speake it And here the Lionesse reciteth from point to point what the Lybbarde had tolde hir and how she heard the whole matter of him The King vnderstanding his fact from the mouth of so credible a person as that of the Libbarde then he knewe it to be true and that he had offended which yet was not altogither to be beleued and depended somewhat vpon the Moyle And thus determined to punish the Moyle he withdrewe himselfe from the counsell as all such like Princes doe NOwe when Fame had blowne abrode the Moyles imprisonment and comming to the Asses eares his brother hée ranne vnto the prison and his heart panted and bet marueylously as that Asse that knewe howe this geare was brought about and he tolde the Moyle Our playe nowe is like to the playe of the two brethren that hauing two Balles in their handes they gaue them ech into others handes and they were both made of one fashion and bignesse so that in the ende to choose this or that they saw it was all one there was no choyce in neyther To haue thée in prison alas it troubleth me and to haue thée abrode also it grieueth me All commeth to one reckening And with that for kindenesse he burst out in teares and wept bitterly But afterwardes seing him with the chaine about his necke he quaked for feare and layde him downe on the grounde crying out in his Asses maner and sayde O brother Moyle what case art thou in now Alas there is no more time to reproue thée now bicause there is no remedie as fewe dayes agoe there was when thou mightest haue cancelled all but thou like an Asseheaded foole that mightest haue cléered the countrie knowing thy selfe to be guilty why didst thou not take thée to thy legs Thou despisedst my counsels to thée yet they were good if thou hadst had grace to haue taken them It is true that is spoken by the mouth of beasts that haue vnderstanding That the false and vntrue man dyeth before his time As me thinketh I sée by the Element will happen to thée And this for none other but for thine insolencie and naughtinesse and thy craftes and deceytes hath brought thée to this trouble O how happie haddest thou bene if thou haddest dyed in thy birth Cursed and wo worth be thy false knowledge and enuye of others weale and prosperitie which onely is it hath brought thée to this infamous ende Then the Moyle relented and breaking out in teares also aunswered O My good Brother Asse no liuing creature howe wise and discreete so euer hee be can shunne his mishappes and yll fortune and therefore I despised a thousande of thy good counsels for so was it giuen me from aboue And if pride and ambition had not traueiled me still I could haue withdrawne mee but the enuie of others dignitie and estimation had to much power ouer mee O blind vnderstanding of mans knowledge It happeneth to me as to the sick man who hauing prepared for him most wholesome meates hee refuseth them and giueth hymselfe ouer to his will and appetite takinge them that are hurtfull for him and filleth himselfe which doth in dede both hinder his health and continue his sickenesse He knoweth it yet can not abstaine I knew well ynough my peruerse vnderstandinge but I neuer had reason sufficient to bridle it Nowe to late I finde my fault and knowing the daunger I am in my sorrow redoubleth on me not so much for my selfe as for thy sake bicause thou hast alwayes bene with me Thou art my brother and consequentlye they will beleeue and imagine in deede that thou art priuie with mee and partaker of my doings The Kinges officers therefore may take thee and put thee on the racke and make thee confesse my fault and when they haue done execute thee For sure they shall neuer haue it of me and by thy confession punish mee without remission or pardon in this worlde For of thy wordes dependeth my death and of my wicked gouernement shall growe thy yll griefe trouble torment prisonment and extreeme punishment The Asse hearing his brothers wordes marked them well that he trembled euery ioynt of him and quaked like an Aspin leafe and a beastly feuer tooke him with which he went his way home But before he departed thence he sayde vnto the Moyle Brother if thou wey my life and wilt keepe me from perill as thou canst not any waye auoyde it confesse thy fault is worthy of death thus shalt thou free thee from the wrath of the Gods and after this corporall punishment of thine doubtlesse thy spirite shall forthwith be transported to the heauens Well sayd the Moyle the last and extreme remedie shall be this If there be no hope of remedie let it be as it will be for my bodie well I wote suffereth already to much Now get thee home hide thy selfe and let it light on me as the world Fortune the Gods will assigne The Asse departed from him verye sicke and sore troubled in his minde and his payne so helde him that the same night hee ended his sorrowfull dayes Whose death a Woolfe that dwelled harde by him greatly lamented and was a witnesse afterwarde that confirmed all the wicked fact who hearde in deede the
of his horrible committed murder So the Queene mother and he resolued to kepe it secret bicause they would not the Asse should haue anye hurt knowing hee was a good honest playne foolishe beast In the next morning betimes the Queene mother went to the Court to see the Kinge hir sonne and finding him perplexed and in heauy case she sayd vnto him What aylest thou my sonne that I see thee thus troubled and that these many dayes I sawe thee not mery If it be for any thinge thou hast lost assure thy selfe that neyther sighes nor sobbes will once restore it thee agayne This inwarde griefe doth vexe thy minde feebleth thy bodie and tormenteth thee much I see But yet giue it not waye so farre as thou canst not call it backe againe Impart at least thy deepe conceyued griefe vnto thy mother and familier friends such as best doe lyke thee If any helpe at all there bee wee all will put to our helping handes But if still thou doste burst out thus in teares and sighes thou wilt rather showe thy selfe a woman than a man For so doe women vse for euerye trifle when they liste to bring forth a teare Perhappes it grieues thee thou hast slaine Chiarino Out of doubt I can assure thee thou defiledst thy selfe in innocent bloude for without any crime faulte or liuing offence to thee thou laydest thy handes vpon him His mothers wordes at length drue these from him It is an olde saying and I haue heard it oft Thinges lost can neuer bee recouered and this thing goeth to the heart of me Naye see mother if I haue cause to sorrowe that since his death and before I neuer hard so much as an yll worde of my faithfull Chiarino Sure if he had ment yll to me it could not haue bene but I shoulde haue smelt it out and it woulde haue come to mine eares one waye or other And therefore to thee mother alone I confesse my faulte and I maye tell it thee the only worker of his mischiefe was his cruell enimie the Moyle which with practises inuentions and deuises hath supplanted me and killed him moouing mee to wrath Ah my sonne nowe I must needes tell thee agayne thou hast bene betrayed and deceyued both and this a trustie friende hath tolde me The Lyon would faine haue knowne of whom but the Queene mother would by no meanes at that time tell him ought But this she did assure him that there was no newe inuention nor alteration in hys Realme that shoulde offende him in worde or deede and bade him seeke well and in short time he should knowe all So the King since he coulde at that time get no more of his Mother determined to assemble all the beastes of his Realme and to call them to Parliament to consult vppon this matter and so he did WHen this generall Counsell was called where all the great Lordes of his Realme and the wysest of the Commons with all the souldiours were assembled he also sent for his Mother Shée looking all the beastes in the face that were present missing the Moyle caused him streight to be sent for So he came forthwith But when he was come to the Pallace and saw the Parliament house furnished with all the Colledge of beastes then he knewe the Princes indignation when looking vpon him earnestly he saw his colour chaunge and that his conscience gnawed him for the death of the Bull. Now the Moyle knowing himselfe guiltie began to whet his wittes and drawing néere to certaine of the great Lordes that stoode rounde about the Quéene mother hée sayde vnto them Lorde what ayleth our noble King what is the cause of this conuention here how commeth it he is thus malencholy What is there any sodeine or straunge accident happened in the Court that we may knowe the cause the Counsell hath bene called very sodainly The Quéene mother aunswered streight Thou néedest not marueyle ywis at the Kings heauinesse For thou knowest well ynough hauing giuen him the cause his sadnesse which with thy swéete sugred wordes hast giuen him bitter gall Tell me I pray thée canst thou tell who was cause of the death of the most noble and worthie knight of our Court Was it thou perhaps But the Moyle as stoute as Golyas without any blushing aunswered streight NOw I know the saying which our olde auncient beastes vsed in times past is true and I am out of doubt of it That let one doe as much good as he can his rewarde I warrant yee shall be little ynough and that God onely is hee who rewardeth and giueth recompence for anye benefite or seruice done O what a marueilous matter is it that he that liueth well in this worlde cannot continue to liue well but is compelled to daunce after euery mans pipe to holde with the Hare and runne with the Hounde The true heart I haue alwayes borne to the Kinge thy sonne and sounde counsell which God I take to recorde I haue euer giuen him doe not deserue such rewarde For it is knowne well ynough that the Moyle his seruaunt hath deliuered him from many daungers and present death also and refused no traueyle for his safetie and that I make his Lordship iudge off Well I onely craue of his Grace but that hee will inquire of my life and doings For I knowe my proceedings will appeere better to him than is thought for and I woulde my troth and honestie were openlye knowen to the world And for my part if the least part of that were true that is spoken of me and that I were any maner of way to be touched his Maiestie may be assured I woulde not tarie an houre in the Court and much lesse haue come before these great Lords And besides that I woulde not thinke my selfe sure in any place of the worlde wheresoeuer I were if I had but once receyued suche a thought in mee and much lesse if I had commited the deede Therefore I pray thee noble Ladie lende not thy eares to the wordes of enuious persons nor suffer his Maiestie to laye handes on my innocencie For if that seeme a straunge thing to you this a fortiore were a wicked fact a fact without reason iustice and anye maner of equitie I doe not care to be counted wicked in that case if all the Court doe count me so For God himselfe knoweth well the troth in whome I only hope and am sure he will deliuer me from this suspition and daunger THis Moyle in his wordes séemed to be the best beast of the world and those that lyke straungers heard him and knew not his Moylish nature a vile traitour Moile a whoreson cankred Moyle that let a man kéepe him in the stable .xxv. yeares and make neuer so much of him in the end for a farewell and that on a sodeine when a man thinketh not of it he will yerke out behinde and put him in daunger of his life were very sorie for his trouble and did pitie his
haue learned such a wonderfull secrete in maner vpon his wordes assuring themselues in short time to be made verie rich The chiefe theefe apparelled like a woman got vp to the toppe of the house desirous to proue that in deedes which he had heard in words So he made his exorcisme and enchauntment repeting it seuen times then embracing the beames of the Moone his armes throwne abrode he cast himself on them thinking to haue gone from windowe to windowe and so hedlong he fell to the grounde in ieoperdie to breake his necke But the Moone for the first time fauored him so that he killed not himselfe but brake his legges and one of his armes as God would haue it so that oppressed with paine he cryed out alowde lamenting his missehap chaunced to him giuing to much credit to an others wordes And thus not able to creepe nor goe he pitifully lieth expecting death The knight leaping out of his bed ran to the crie and come to the place he found this vnfortunate and wretched theefe lying on the grounde in womans apparell and hee gaue him many a faire wounde to lighten the paine of his broken legges and arme and forced him to tel what cause moued him to come to robbe his house Thys miserable theefe aunswered him fearing least hee would kill him and tolde him the whole cause of his comming But yet that that grieued him worst of all was saide hee that he was such a foole and beast to beleeue his words and besought him though he had at least hurt him to much with his wordes which he had dearly bought and repented both yet that he would vouchsafe not to hurt him in his deedes also IT is most true that lightly beleuing these worldly thinges hath made manye a man fall into sundrie daungers and hedlong to plunge himselfe into the déepe miseries of this worlde Sometimes men determine to obey the lawe At another time they contemne it and set it at naught following sensuall appetite Oft times they beléeue the counsell of their good friend but very often they follow the counsell of the flatterer To day we are pleased with true doctrine to morow we folow the false In euery wit and arte there is abuse and who runneth not to this riuer and the more they wéene to gaine the more they runne in daunger and losse of life and soule Behold here is one man pricked in his conscience there is another oppressed with passion and sorow and there neuer wanteth some that follow the continuall seruitude of this deceitfull life either for goodes fauor and estimation or else of their owne frée willes and there is neuer none or fewe at the least that in so short time of life can forget this knowne and manifest daunger For death assaulting vs we knowe not whither to retire and then with all our might we flie the force of his most piercing dart and thus wéening to hide our selues in sure place we hedlong runne to our shame and vndoing As is manifestly séene by sundrie examples happened like to this following A tale of a Louer and a Gentilwoman THere was in the Citie where I dwelled harde by my house a fayre yong Gentilwoman nobly borne the which was but euen in maner newly maried at least not long before when this chaunce happened This yonge spouse fell in loue with a proper Gentleman fayre condicioned well spoken and of good entertainement and fortune so fauoured hir that shee sweetely reaped the fruits of hir desire at all times when she liked to enioye it without let or annoy at all But to preuent hir husbandes sodein comming home at times vnlooked for this liuely yong wife deuised to worke a waye for hir louers safetie and the continuance of this second yea most blessed ioye She caused to be conueyed in a Well she had a proper vawte which should safely receyue hir yong louer leaping into the same if he were by mishap at any time distrest with hir husbandes soden comming vpon them The husband also much about that time called workemen to him and in a corner of the house made a great darke hole and vent verie deepe for the sincke of the house It happened so by chaunce one daye that hir yong Louer was no sooner entered into the house and the gate but newly put too but straight the husband of this wanton wife knocked also at the doore She knowing his knocke with heauie hart beckened to him to hide himselfe in the vawte that she had made in the Well and this while shee stoode still poynting him the place and woulde not open to hir husbande This yong man flight with feare which is euer at hand to amaze the offender ranne round about like a headlesse flie and missing the Well as one stricken blinde for sodeine feare leapt into the deepe darke vawte seruing the sincke of the house At which instant she had opened the dore to hir husband so as he saw the yong man when he went into it and then he knew his wife had born a man more than shee shoulde and that shee had beguiled him vnderstanding the late opening of the doore And ouercome with rage and hir faulte he fierslye laide handes on hir and cruellye slue both hir and hir Louer TO be vnaduised and to doe things rashly which we ought not bringeth many times death hurt and shame For no man should so entangle himselfe in these worldly toyles as he might not euer leaue them at his will. For so straunge and sodein chaunces fall vpon him as a man would neuer haue imagined and therefore he cannot vpon such a sodeine withstande it but is forced to yéelde Wherefore I would wish no man to be so caried awaye with these short pleasures and swéete sound of mans life that they shoulde cast behinde them the remembraunce of the right way to doe well as happened vnto him that would mende and set his Iewelles Of a Ieweller that forgot his profit and gaue himselfe to pleasure THere was a rich Merchant of Surria that brought from the Cair a great summe of precious stones and bicause they wanted setting in Golde with curious work to pullish them hee agreed with an excellent artificer most skilfull in such workes to giue him daily a certaine summe of money bicause that during the time he wrought in his Iewelles he shoulde worke with no other but onely attende his busynesse This cunning workeman went euerye morning to thys merchants house to worke carying his tooles wyth him and working all the daye at his desire at night he receyued his dayes wages agreed vpon It happened there was brought to this merchant a goodly instrument and excellent to playe vppon muche like to a Harpe to see if he would buye it The next morning betimes came this workemaister to follow his worke and the first thing that the merchant did was to shewe him the Harpe The workeman takyng it in his hande being an excellent Musition and playing well of
oft is â—â—…ue That a thing oft thought vpon can seldome misse but it falleth out true YOur Lordshippe sayde this wicked Moyle shoulde not thus sorow and bewayle the losse of him which made thee lyue in continuall feare and torment For wyse Princes oft times doe both punishe and cut off many worthie persones and those whom they dearely loue and esteeme and why all for their owne safetie and the preseruation their Realme And Sir of two euils they choose the least to kill one rather than to make a thousand die Lo here is an example Doe ye not see my Lord when one is bitten with a venimous serpent that streight he cutteth off the member that is bitten not suffering it to infect and poyson the whole bodye by meanes whereof hee saueth his life which else hee should lose The Kinge seemed to graunt him and the Moyle thought these wordes had cleared the Lions hart and he craftily made much of the worshipfull Moyle and like a brother intreated him The Moyle sate him downe on a forme in the Chamber of presence a whyle and began of himselfe to thinke vpon the miserie of Princes of light credit and of the malice of these vile tale bearers which set stryfe and contention betwixt partie and partie of their tyrannie of their opinions and fonde fantasies in thys maner LArge great wonderfull and infinite are the wayes to offende and innumerable are the snares and deuises that one wicked and naughtie disposed person may deuise and spread abrode to ketch a good and true meaning man to ouerthrow him quite And there is not so straight a friendship but is easie to be broken with the hand of naughty procéeding As I haue proued it If I coulde but write all the things that haue happened the tales that haue bene tolde and the long wouen cloth I should teache Princes howe they shoulde doe in all their matters and woulde make them sée the discretion that many haue lost and what waye they should take not to fall into these Courtly flatterers Those that beare office and haue charge ouer others ought diligently to searche out the troth of thinges and not to goe as Flies without heades and lightly to turne and chaunge as the wauering weather Cock with euery winde Truely it is a fowle fault in meane men to giue easie eare to flatterers but in great persons it is a farre greater fault in Princes chiefly a thing of most detect and slaunder and of extréeme crueltie Nowe I come to knowe plainlye what a great burden is layde on the peoples backes that are gouerned by a Prince of small consideration and iudgement and in what daunger their persons are besides the griefe their conscience giueth them for their state O poore people how many thousands of ye recommended vnder the scepter of such iustice Ought not Princes to be like vnto God and if God will take account of all things at his will be they neuer so little why should not the Kynge among his subiectes also doe the lyke The wickednesse of Ministers and officers if so it were woulde not then runne on so farre as it doth vnpunished O little faith to Gods lawes O little labor for a man to knowe himselfe Where we thinke goodnesse only harboreth thence procéedeth all vice and wickednesse and where we beléeue troth is lodged there sléepeth deceyt Who would not haue beléeued that in this Court vertue had remayned but alas here is the only Court of vice In outwarde lookes euerie one séemeth to carie troth but in the inwarde brests is hid all dissimulation and vntroth Thrée things there are which are vnite togithers and should neuer be out of the Princes minde To wit. To loue God his neighbour and to gouerne himselfe And thrée other things also there are for the subiects to obserue vnto their Prince Loue fayth and obedience But euery one I sée hath forgotten them from high to lowe This world then being so full of daungers and deceytes as it is what man is he alyue so wyse can keepe himselfe from them THe Lyon returned into the Chamber where the Moyle was hee lycensed him to depart and the Moyle with due reuerence tooke his leaue of the king Now the King left all alone beganne agayne to lament and to repent him a thousande tymes that hee was thus ouertaken with the Moyles perswasion and it grieued him so muche more bicause he remembred the Bulles wyse counsels wonderfull behauior and noble conuersation And to banishe this inwarde conceyued griefe that gryped him at the heart he lyked to be amongst hys Lordes and familiers whom diuersly hee entertained And amongst this rowte was the Lybberd one of the noblest of bloud of all his kynne and him the King trusted with many secrete thinges of hys lyfe This Lybbarde one daye going out of the pallace to walke passed bichaunce by the house of the Moyle and Asse and hearde the Asse crying out vppon the Moyle and bitterlye reproouing him for that vyle treason he vsed to the Bull and so hee hearde from poynt to poynt euery act and dede he did With these wordes the Lybbard felt a thing touch his heart as one had spoken to him and bade him marke well what Gods iustice will doe So that he saw certainly the Moyle could not long scape the Kings wrath and that he should dearely buye the Princes griefe falling into that snare he had layde for many others Nowe as all curious searchers doe that desire to heare other mens doings hee layde hys eare to the doore and hearde the Asse his brother speake these very words vnto him O thou wouldest needes follow thine owne fantasie I coulde not rule thee All is well that endeth well saye I. Marke the ende Thou reiectedst my counsell it skilleth no matter I say naught but mum If any mischiefe light on thee at thy perill be it if the King doe punishe thee thou hast but well deserued it and God is iust if hee poure it on thee O goodly act of thine to betraye an innocent creature and thy faithfull friende Brother mine sayde the Moyle no mo wordes I praye thee that that is done cannot be vndone And it is easier to reprooue than to amende When the Steede is stollen it is to late to shut the stable dore I knowe Chiarino is slayne and that guiltlesse and I confesse I was cause of his death But let vs leaue off this vayne talke and deuyse some waye to driue out the suspition the Kinge hath taken in his heade that he thinketh there hath bene some trechery vsed towards him The Libbard hauing hearde ynough and as much as serued his turne departed his way and hied him to the Pallace of the Queene mother whither the King had sent him for other affaires of his After hee had done his message from the King hir sonne he tolde the Queene mother al the circumstaunce of that he had hearde and of the rebukes of the Asse to the Moyle and
case He that by nature was borne subtill and craftie perceiuing a little parcialitie amongst them and that he had reasonable audience went about streight to intricate the house and so began a tale Coram populo like vnto this still drawing water to his Myll A tale of the Ioyners wife and the Painter THere was sometime in the countrie of Catalogna a Ioyner of Tharsia and hee had a verye faire woman to his wife as any that came into that citie a thousand yeares before hir Thys faire woman became in loue with a Painter and bicause the neighbours shoulde not be priuie of his accesse vnto hir she prayed the Painter to make him a garment to bee knowne from others So that by hir eye and feelinge if there were no light she might yet streight wayes know him This deuise and request pleased the Painter well wherevpon hee made him a white garment paynted with Pecocks eies and wrought vpon it and so with this robe in the night hee went to hir without calling to any or knocking at the doore hee went to a place appointed where he founde hir hidden and there he swetely sollaced him selfe to his great contentation At this compact betweene them for their meeting one of hir seruauntes had closely put himselfe into a corner and hearde all that was sayde and done who cunningly dissembled that hee knewe ought where his Mystresse hid hir This Painter with his white robe continued his haunt vnto hir a great while before the seruaunt coulde come to beare halfe of his labor It hapned yet on a night as fortune woulde that this Painter had occasion to goe oute of the towne for certaine businesse he had abrode the seruant when he knew it hied him immediatly vnto the Painters house and bade his wyfe deliuer hym hir husbandes white robe And when he had it he put it on his back and so went to his Mistresse with all who when she sawe it and knew it and beleeued it had bene the Painter perhaps too shee lyked to be deceiued begā to pursue Venus sport togithers His errand delyuered hee went and rendered thys robe agayne vnto the Paynters wyfe who good soule knewe not what hir husbande ment to weare that robe euery night Anone after midnight as the Deuill would haue it the Painter came home agayne whether the sprite mooued hym that he must needes goe coniure the Deuill or that his busynesse framed not that hee went for or what it was I cannot tell ye it is ynough home he came and putting on his white robe on his backe he flong out of the doores agayne in haste and to the Ioyners wyfe hee trudged But when he came there he founde all fast shut vppe and no noyse at all so that hee was driuen to daunce attendaunce without doores and blowe hys nailes as the Phisitions Moile that waiteth for his maister and still chaweth on the bridle Howbeit the next night hee returned and at pleasure discouered the countrie And being hastie in his iourney what man quoth she remember your self you rode farre yesternight and you are not yet at your iourneyes ende I perceyue you haue yet a Coltes tooth in your heade Well wanton well you will tyer your horse and with such lyke harlottrie louing wordes she entertained hir friende the Painter The Painter hearing these wordes beganne to smell a Ratte and thought streyght shee had taken in more horses into hir stable than two So he tooke his leaue and home he went and when he came home examining the matter his wife tolde him there came one in his name for his robe Then were they both at an afterdeale and woorse than euer they were for none of them knewe nor could gesse what hee should be insomuch as after he had well fauouredly ribbe rosted his poore innocent wife he threwe his robe into the fire And so shee sielye woman bare the blame that made no fault The King therefore shoulde not so lightly beleeue it before hee be iustly informed that anothers fault bee not punished by my innocencie My Lords and beasts think not I pray you that I speake this for feare of death but to purge my selfe of that ye haue hearde For death is common to all and I knowe I cannot shunne it therefore I feare it not But this I feare that dying falsely accused my name and house should for euer be defamed and to this I take great heede The mother of the Lion that was the very daughter of impacience coulde not abyde to heare anye more fables but cast vp hir head and turned hir about at those words and halfe in a rage and in choler sayde thus to the Moyle IF thy déedes were as good as thy wordes my sonne shoulde not be thus grieued nor offended nor the poore Bull had bene nowe deade But thy double dealings and prittle prattle who did but giue eare vnto thée and beléeued thée not knowing thée are ynough to turne the Court topsie turuie As thou diddest heretofore to Pannonia who come home thou madest him beléeue bicause his wife woulde not graunt thy vnhonest desire that she was naught so that vpon thy wordes he fell vppon hir with his féete and pashed hir to death Then to late repenting his fault he heaped one yll on another for he made all his Concubines to bée burnt And all this came of thy cursed wordes Therefore it is best for euerye man not to haue thy friendship With that he lifted vp his eares and with open mouth thus aunswered IT becommeth not Madame the Kinges mother to heare the causes reasons contentions obiections and wronges of the subiect with two eares at once but with one alone For your iudgement ought to be vpright equall if affection or partialitie carie ye not away And if the matter be for Chiarino the Moyle will not for that forget that the King doth yet trust him and that he is a true seruant to his Maiestie And be yee assured Madame that to trouble my innocencie and to molest me that to all this Court is so true a slaue it is an offence to pitie Imagine how the Lionesse hart did rise marueylously against him bicause she knew the wickednesse of the Moyle and turning to hir sonne she said How thinkest thou of the boldnesse of this most cruel vncurbed traytor that as many as heare him think he hath reason See I praye yee how he playes the Foxe Beholde I beseech ye his lookes what kinde of iestures he makes Thinke ye hee cannot hit one on the knee at a pinch and neede be with his heeles Yes I warrant ye when ye looke not for it O subtill beast how he hangeth downe his heade O what a traytours looke see his false leering eyes Lorde how terribly he lookes on vs Dismember my sonne this cursed beast and henceforth neither for friends Courtiers nor kynsefolkes requestes euer keepe Moyles any more The Lion for al these words stirred not a whitte neyther once cast vp his