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
of 〈◊〉 bicause they lay lōg a bed in the mornings commonly seruice in that church was said somwhat late their pewes also somwhat distant one frō an other Whether their y. amorous husbāds cōtinually vsed to folow thē 〈◊〉 off to place themselues wher either of thē might 〈◊〉 view his beloued by which custome they seemed to the cōmon people to be iealous ouer their wiues But they prosecuted that matter in such wise as either of thē weout shipping sought to send other into Cornouale It came to passe then that these 〈◊〉 beloued gētlewomē one knowing nothing of another determined to cōsider better of this loue bicause the great good wil lōg time borne shold not be interrupted Upō a certain day when their 〈◊〉 were abrode resorting together to talk at their garden hedge according to their wōted maner they 〈◊〉 to be 〈◊〉 mery and after louing salutations mistresse Lucia spake these words vnto hir companion Isotta my dear beloued sister I haue a tale to tel you of your husband that perchanuce wil seme stranger thā any newes that euer you heard And I answered mistresse Isotta haue a story to tel you that will make you no lesse to wōder thā I at that which you haue to say and it may be wil put you into some choler chafe What is that quod that one and other In the end either of thē told what 〈◊〉 loue their husbands wēt about Wherat although they were in great rage with their husbands yet for that time they laughed out the matter and thought that they were sufficient as in very déede they were a thing not to be doubted and able to satisfie their husbands hūger and therwithal began to blame them and to say that they deserued to learn to play of the Cornets if they had no greater feare of God and care of honesty thā their husbands had Then after much talke of this matter concluded that they shold do well to expect what their husbands would demaunde Hauing taken order as they thought méete they agréed daily to espie what shoulde chaunce and purposed first with swéete and pleasant lookes to baite and lure eche other féere to put them in hope there 〈◊〉 that they should satisfie their desires which done for that time they departed And when at the Church of Sanfantino or other place in Venice they 〈◊〉 to méete their louers they shewed vnto them chearefull and mery countenaunce which the louers well noting were the gladdest men of the worlde and séeing that it was impossible in speache to vtter their mindes they purposed by letters to signify the same And hauing founde Purciuaunts to goe betwene parties whereof this Citie was wont to be full either of them wrote an amorous letter to his beloued the content whereof was that they were very desirous secretely to talke with them thereby to expresse the burning affectiōs that inwardly they bare them which without declaration and vtterance by mouthe in their owne presence woulde bréede them torments more bitter than deathe And within fewe dayes after 〈◊〉 great difference of time betwéene they wrote their letters But Girolamo Bembo hauing a pregnant wit who coulde wel endite both in prose and 〈◊〉 wrote an excellent song in the praise of his darling in Italian Meter and with his letter sent the same vnto hir the effect wherof both folow ALiuely face and pearcing beautie bright Hath linkt in loue my sely sences all A comely porte a goodly shaped wight Hath made me slide that neuer thought to fall Hir eyes hir grace hir dedes and maners milde So straines my heart that loue hath wit begilde But not one darte of Cupide did me wounde A hundred shafts lights all on me at ones As though dame kinde some new deuise had founde To teare my flesh and crash a two my bones And yet I feele such ioy in these my woes That as I die my sprite to pleasure goes These new found fits such change in me doe breede I hate the day and draw to darknesse lo Yet by the lampe of beautie doe I feede In dimmest dayes and darkest nights also Thus altring state and changing diet still I feele and know the force of Venus will The best I finde is that I doe confesse I loue you dame whose beautie doth excell But yet a toy doth brede me some distresse For that I dread you will not loue me well That loue ye wot shall rest in me alone And fleshly brest shall beare a heart of slone O Goddesse mine yet heare my voyce of ruthe And pitie him that heart presents to thee And if thou want a witnesse for my truthe Let sighs and teares my iudge and record be Vnto the end a day may come in hast To make me thinke I spend no time in wast For nonght preuailes in loue to serue and sue If full effect ioyne not with words at nede What is desyre or any fansies newe More than the winde that spreades abrode in 〈◊〉 My words and works shall bothe in one agree To pleasure hir whose seruant would I bee The subtill dames receiuing those amorous letters and song disdainfully at the first 〈◊〉 to take them at the bringers hands as they had determined yet afterwardes they shewed better countenaunce These letters were tossed one from an other whereat they made great pastime and thought that the same would come to very good successe either of them keping styll their husbandes letter and agréeing withoute iniurie done one to an other trunly to deceiue their husbands The maner how you shal perceiue anone They deuised to sende worde to their louers that they were readie at all times to satisfie their sutes if the same might be secretely done and safely might make repaire vnto their houses when their husbands were absent which in any wise they sayde muste be done in the night for feare least in the day time they were discried Againe these prouident and subtill women had taken order with their maydes whome they made priuie to theyr practise that through their gardens they should enter into others house and be shut in their chambers without light there to tarie for their husbands and by any meanes not to be séene or knowne This order prescribed and giuen Mistresse Lucia first did hir louer to vnderstand that the night insuing at iiij of the clock at the posterne dore which should be left open he shoulde come vnto hir house where hir maide should be redy to bring him vp into the chaumbre bicause hir husbande maister Girolamo woulde that night imbarke himselfe to goe to Padoua The like mistresse Isotta did to maister Girolamo appointing him at v. of the clock which she sayd was a very conuenient time bicause maister Anselmo that night would sup and lie with certaine of his friendes at Murano a place besides Venice Upon these ne wes the two louers thought them selues the most valiant and fortunate of the world no enterprise now there was but séemed
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
was authour of the enterprise or partaker of a treason so wicked Then the king incontinently caused the foure Gentlemen of his chamber 〈◊〉 be rewarded according to the worthinesse of their offense and wer put to death and Acharisto to be repriued in sharpe and cruell prison vntill with tormentes he should be forced to confesse that which he knew to be most certain and true by the euidēce of those that were done to death Euphimia for the imprisonment of Acharisto conceiued incredible sorrow and vneths coulde bée persuaded that he woulde imagine much lesse conspire that 〈◊〉 fact as well for the loue which Acharisto séemed to beare vnto hir as for the greate good will wherewith he was assured that shée bare vnto him and therfore the death of the 〈◊〉 to be no lesse griefe vnto him than the same would be to 〈◊〉 self the king being hir naturall and louyng father Acharisto thoughte on the other side that if he might speake with Euphimia a way woulde be founde eyther for his escape or else for his deliuerie Wherupon Acharisto being in this deliberation founde meanes to talke with the Iailors wife intreated hir to shewe him so much fauor as to procure Euphimia to come vnto him She accordingly broughte to passe that the yong gentlewoman in secret wise came to speake with this traiterous varlet who so sone as he sawe hir sheding from his eyes store of teares pitifully complaining sayde vnto hir I knowe Euphimia that the King your father doth not inclose me in this cruell prisō ne yet afflicteth me with these miserable tormēts for any suspicion hée conceiueth of me for any intended facte but onely for the loue which I beare you and for the like for which I rendre humble thankes that you do beare to me bicause that I am werie of this wretched state knowe that nothing else can 〈◊〉 me from this painful life but onely death I am determined wyth mine owne propre hands to cut the thréede of lyfe wherwith the destinies hitherto haue prolonged the same that this my brething ghost which breatheth forth 〈◊〉 dolefull plaintes maie flée into the Skies to rest it selfe amonges the restfull spirites aboue or wandre into 〈◊〉 pleasant hellish fieldes amongs the shadowes of Creusa Aeneas wife or else with the ghost of complaining Dido But ere I did the same I made myne humble prayer to the maiestie diuine that hée would vouchsafe to shewe me somuch grace as before I dye I might fulfyl my 〈◊〉 eyes with sight of you whose ymage still appereth before those gréedie Gates and 〈◊〉 representeth vnto my myndefull heart Which great desired thing sith God aboue hath graūted I yelde him infinit 〈◊〉 and sith my desteny is such that such must bée the end of loue I doe reioyce that I must dye for your sake which only is the cause that the King your father so laboureth for my death I néede not to molest you with the false euidence giuen against me vp those malicious vilaines that bée alreadie dead which onely hath thus incensed the Kyngs wrath and heauie rage against me whereof I am so frée as woorthily they bée executed for thesame For if it were so then true it is and as lightly you might beleue the I neuer knewe the loue you beare me and you likewise did neuer know what loue I bare to you and therfore you maye thinke that so impossible is the one as I did euer meane thinke or ymagine any harme or perill to your fathers person To bée short I humbly doe besech you to beleue that so faithfully as man is able to loue a womā so haue I loued you that it may please you to bée so myndfull of me in this fading life as I shal be of you in that life to com And in saying so with face all bathed in teares he clyped hir about the myddle and fast imbracing hir said Thus taking my last farewell of you myne onely life and ioye I commende you to the gouernment of the supernall God my selfe to death to be disposed as pleaseth him Euphimia which before was not persuaded the Acharisto was guiltie of that deuised treason now gaue ful beliefe and credite to his wordes and weping with him for company comforted him so wel as she coulde and bidding him to bée of good chere she sayde that she would seke such meanes as for hir sake and loue he should not dye And that before long time did passe she would help him out of prison Acharisto although hée vttered by ruful voice that 〈◊〉 talke for remedie to ridde him selfe from prison yet he didde but 〈◊〉 all that he spake addyng further Alas Euphimia doe not incurre your fathers wrath to please my minde suffer me quietly to take that death which sinister Fortune and cruell fate hath prouided to abridge my daies Euphimia vanquished with inspeakable griefe and burning passion of loue saide Ah Acharisto the onely ioye and comfort of my lyfe doe not perce my heart with such displeasant wordes For what should I doe in this wretched worlde yf you for my sake shold suffre death wherfore put awaie the cruel thought and be content to saue your life that hereafter in ioye myrth you may spend that same Trusting that yf meanes maye be founde for your dispatche from hence we shall liue the rest of our prolonged life together in swete and happie daies For my father is not made of stone of flint nor yet was nourced of Hircan Tigre he is not so malicious but that in tyme to come hée may 〈◊〉 made to know the true discourse of thyne innocent life and hope thou shalt atteyne his fauour more than euer thou 〈◊〉 before the care wherof onely leaue to me and take no thought thy self for I make promise vpon mine assured faith to bring the same to passe Wherefore giue ouer thy conceiued griefe and bende thy selfe to liue so merie a life as euer gentleman did trained vp in court as thou hast bene I am content sayd Acharisto thus to doe the Gods forbid that I should declyne my heart and mynde from thy behest who of thy wonted grace dost seke continuance of my life but rather swete Euphimia than thou shouldest suffre any daunger to performe thy promise I make request for the common loue betwene vs both to leaue me in this present dangerous state Rather wold I lose my life than 〈◊〉 shouldest hazard the least heare of thy heade for my reliefe We shal be both safe ynough answered Euphimia for my deuise proceding from a womans heade hath alreadie drawen the plotte of thy deliuerance and wyth those wordes they both did ende their talke whose trickling teares did rather finishe the same than willing myndes and eyther of them gyuing a kysse vnto the Tower walle wherein Acharisto was faste shutte Euphimia departed turmoiled with a thousand amorous prickes and ceased not but first of all to corrupte and wynne the Iaylers wife whose husband
sent for him vp into hir chamber as commonly she did for the affaires and matters of hir house and taking him a side vnto a 〈◊〉 hauing prospect into a garden she knew not how to begin hir talk for the heart being seased the minde troubled and the wittes out of course the tongue failed to doe his office in such wise as of long time she was vnable to 〈◊〉 one onely woord Hée surprised with like affection was more astōned by séeing the alteration of his Ladie So the two Louers stoode still like Images beholding one another without any meuing at all vntil the Ladie the hardiest of them bothe as féeling the most vehement and greatest grief tooke Bologna by the hād and dissembling what she thought vsed this or such like language If any other bisides your self Gentleman should vnderstand the secretes which now I purpose to disclose I doubt what spéeche were necessary to colour my woords But being assured of your discretion and wisdom and with what perfection nature hath indued you and Arte hauing accōplished that in you which nature did begin to work as one bred and brought vp in the royall Court of the second Alphonse of Ferdinando and Federick of Aragon my cousins I wil make no doubt at all to manifest to you the hidden secretes of my heart being well persuaded that when you shall both heare and 〈◊〉 my reasons and tast that light which I bring for the for me easily you may 〈◊〉 that mine 〈◊〉 cannot be other than iust and reasonable But if your conceits shall straye from that which I shal speak déeme not good of that which I determine I shall be forced to thinke say that they which estéeme you wise sage and to be a man of good and ready 〈◊〉 be maruelously deceiued Notwithstāding my heart foretelleth that it is impossible for maister Bologna to wandre so farre from equitie but that by and by he wil enter the lystes discerne the white from black and the wrong from that which is iust and right For so much as hitherto I neuer saw thing done by you which preposterated or peruerted the good iudgement that all the world estéemeth to shine in you the same well manifested declared by your tongue the right iudge of the mind you know and sée how I am a widow through the death of that noble Gentleman of good remembrance the Duke my Lord husband you be not ignoraunt also that I haue liued and gouerned my self in such wise in my widow state as there is no man so hard and seuere of iudgement that can blason reproche of me in that which appertaineth to the honesty reputation of such a Ladie as I am bearing my port so right as my conscience yeldeth no remorse supposing that no man hath where with to bite accuse me Louching the order of the goods of the Duke my sōne I haue vsed them with such diligence and discretion as bisides the dettes which I haue discharged sithens the death of my Lord I haue purchased a goodly Manor in Calabria and haue annexed the same to the Dukedom of his heire and at this day doe not owe one pennie to any creditor that lent mony to the Duke which he toke vp to furnish the charges in the warres which he sustained in the seruice of the Kings our soueraine Lords in the late warres for the kingdome of Naples I haue as I suppose by this meanes stopped the slaunderous mouth and giuen cause vnto my sonne during his life to accōpt himself bound vnto his mother Now hauing till this time liued for other and made my self subiect more than Nature could beare I am entended to chaunge both my life and condition I haue till thys time run trauailed remoued to the Castels Lordships of the Dukedome to Naples and other places being in mind to tary as I am a widow But what new affaires and new councel hath possest my mind I haue trauailed and pained my self inough I haue too long abidden a widowes life I am determined therefore to prouide a husband who by louing me shal honor cherish me according to the loue which I shal bear to him my desert For to loue a man without mariage God defend my heart should euer think shall rather die a hundred thousand deathes thā a desire so wicked shald soile my conscience knowing well that a woman which setteth hir honor to sale is lesse than nothing deserueth not that the cōmon aire shold breathe vpō hir for all the reuerence that men do beare or make them I accuse no person albeit that many noble women haue their forheds marked with the blame of dishonest life being honored of some be neuerthelesse the cōmon fable of the people To the intent then that such mishap happē not to me perceiuing my self vnable stil thus to liue being yong as I am God be thāked neither deformed nor yet painted I had rather be the louing wife of a simple féere than that Concubine of a king or great Prince And what is the mightie Monarche able to wash away the fault of his wife which hath abādoned him cōtrary to that duty honest which the vndefiled bed requireth no les thē Princesses that whilom trespassed with those which wer of baser stuffe than thēselues Messalina w e hir imperial robe could not so wel couer hir faults but that the Historiās do defame hir with that name title of a cōmon woman Faustina the wife of that sage Monarch Marcus Aurelius gained lyke report by rendring hir self to others pleasure bisides hir lawful spouse To mary my self to one that is mine equall it is impossible for so much as there is no Lord in all this Countrey méete for my degrée but is to olde of age that rest being dead in these later warres To mary a husband that yet is but a child is follie extréeme for the inconueniences which daily chaūce therby the euil intreatie that Ladies do receiue whē they come to age their nature waxe cold by reson wherof imbracements be not so fauorable their husbāds glutted with ordinary meat vse to rū in exchāge Wherefore I am resolued without respite or delay to choose some wel qualitied and renoumed Gentleman that hath more vertue than richesse of good Fame and brute to the intēt I may make him my Lord espouse and husband For I cannot imploy my loue vpon treasure which may be taken away where richesse of the minde do faile and shall be better content to sée an honest Gentleman with little reuenue to be praised and cōmended of euery man for his good déedes than a rich carle curssed and detested of all the world Thus much I say and it is the summe of all my secretes wherin I pray your Councell and aduise I know that some wil be offended wyth my choise the Lords my brothers specially the Cardinall will think it straunge and receiue
none other thing The Frier séeyng their conformed and agreable willes after he had discoursed somwhat vpon the 〈◊〉 of mariage dignitie pronounced the vsuall wordes of the Church and 〈◊〉 hauing receiued the ryng from Rhomeo they rose 〈◊〉 before the Frier who sayd vnto them If you haue any other thing to conferre together do the same with spede for I purpose that Rhomeo shall go from hence so secretely as he can Rhomeo sorie to go from Iulietta sayd secretly vnto hir that she should send vnto him after diner the olde woman and that he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be made a corded ladder the same euening thereby to climbe vp to hir chamber window where at more leysure they woulde deuise of their affaires Things determined betwene them either of them retired to their house with incredible contentation attendyng the happie houre for consummation of their mariage When Rhomeo was come home to his house he declared wholly what had passed betwene him and Iulietta vnto a seruant of his called Pietro whose 〈◊〉 hée had so greatly tried as he durst haue trusted him with his life and commaunded him with expedition to prouide a ladder of cordes with 〈◊〉 strong hookes of iron fastned to both ends which he easily did bicause they were much vsed in Italie Iulietta did not forget in the euening about fiue of the clocke to sende the old woman to Rhomeo who hauing prepared all things necessarie caused the ladder to be deliuered vnto hir and prayed hir to require Iulietta the same euening not faile to be at the accustomed place But if this iorney 〈◊〉 long to these two passioned louers let other iudge that haue at other times assayed the like for euery minute of an houre séemed to them a thousand yeares so that if they had had power to commaunde the heauens as 〈◊〉 did the 〈◊〉 the earth had incontinently bene shadowed with darkest cloudes The appointed houre come Rhomeo put on the moste sumptuous apparell he had and conducted by good fortune néere to the place where his heart toke life was so fully determined of his purpose as easily hée 〈◊〉 vp the garden wall Being arriued hard to the window he perceiued Iulietta who had already so wel fastned the corded ladder to draw him vp as without any daunger at all he entred hir chambre which was so clere as the day by reson of the tapers of virgin 〈◊〉 which Iulietta had caused to be lighted that she myght the better behold hir Rhomeo 〈◊〉 for hir part was but in hir night kerchief who so soon as she perceiued him colled him about the neck and after she had kissed rekissed hym a million of times began to imbrace hym betwéene hir armes hauing no power to speke vnto him but by sighes onely holding hir mouth close against his and being in this traunce beheld him with pitiful eye wiche made him to liue and die together And afterwardes somewhat come to hir selfe she sayd with sighes depely fetched from the bottom of hir heart Ah Rhomeo the exampler of all vertue and gentlenesse you be most hartily welcome to this place wherin for your lacke and absence and for feare of your persone I haue gushed forth so many teares as the spryng is almost dry but nowe that I holde you betwéene my armes let death and fortune doe what they 〈◊〉 for I count my selfe more than satisfied of all my sorrowes 〈◊〉 by the fauour alone of your presence whom Rhomeo with weping eye giuing ouer silēce answered Madame 〈◊〉 as I neuer receiued so much of fortunes grace as to make you féele by liuely experience what power you had ouer me the torment euery minute of that day sustained for your occasion I do assure you the least 〈◊〉 that vexeth me for your absence is a thousād times more painful than death which long time or this had cut of that thréede of my life if the hope of this happy 〈◊〉 had not bene which paying me now the iust tribute of 〈◊〉 wepings past maketh me better content more glad than if the whole world were at my 〈◊〉 beséeching you without further memory of anciēt grief to take aduise in time to come how we may contēt our passionate hearts to sort our affaires with such wisedome and discretion as our enimies without aduātage may let vs continue the remnant of our dayes in rest quiet And as Iulietta was about to make answer the olde woman came in the meane time and sayd vnto them He that wasteth time in talke receuereth the same to late But for so much as either of you hath endured such mutuall paines behold quod she a campe which I haue made ready shewing them the field 〈◊〉 which she had prepared and furnished wherunto they 〈◊〉 agréed and being thē betwene the shéetes in priny bed after they had gladded and cherished thēselues with all kinde of delicate 〈◊〉 which loue was able to deuise Rhomeo vnloosing the holy lines of virginity tooke possession of the place which was not yet besieged with such ioy and contentation as they cā iudge which haue assayed like delites Their marriage thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perceiuing the morning make too hastie approach tooke his leaue making promise that he would not faile within a day or two to resort againe to the place by like meanes and semblable time vntill Fortune had prouided sure occasion vnfearfully to manifest their mariage to that whole world And thus a month or twaine they continued their ioyfull mindes to their incredible satisfaction vntill Lady fortune enuious of their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hir 〈◊〉 to tumble them into such a bottōlesse pit as they payed hir vsury for their plesures past by a certain most 〈◊〉 and pitiful death as you shall vnderstand héereafter by the discourse that foloweth Now as we haue before declared the Capellets the Montesches were not so wel reconciled by the Lord of Verona but that there rested in them such sparkes of ancient displeasures as either partes waited but for some light occasion to draw togithers which they did in the Easter holy dayes as bloudy men commōly be most willingly disposed after a good time to commit some nefarious déede bisides the gate of Boursarie leading to the olde castell of Verona 〈◊〉 troupe of the 〈◊〉 rencountred with certain of the Montesches and without other woordes began to set vpon them And the Capellets had for chief of their glorious 〈◊〉 one called Thibault cosin Germaine to Iulietta a yong man strongly made and of good experience in armes who exhorted his Companions with stout stomakes to represse the boldnesse of the 〈◊〉 that there should from that time forth no memorie of them be left at all And the rumoure of this fray was increased throughoute all the corners of Verona that succoure should come from all partes of the Citie to departe the same Whereof Rhomeo aduertized who walked alonges the Citie with certaine of his companions hasted him spedily to the place where the slaughter
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
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
Rhomeo but began to breake the fountaine pipes of gushing teares which ran forth in such aboundance as not able to support the furor of hir grief she breathed without ceasing vpō his mouth and then throwing hir self vpon his body 〈◊〉 it very hard séemed that by force of sighs and sobs she wold haue reuiued and brought him againe to life and after she had kissed and rekissed him a million of times she cried out Ah the swete rest of my cares the only porte of all my pleasures and pastymes hadst thou 〈◊〉 sure a heart to choose thy Churchyarde in this place betwene the armes of thy perfect louer and to ende the course of thy life for my sake in the floure of thy youth whē life to thée shold haue bene most dear delectable how had this tender body power to resist the furious cōbat of death very death it self being here present How could thy fēder delicate youth willingly permit that thou shouldest approch into this filthy infected place where frō henceforth thou shalt be the pasture of worms vnworthy of thée Alas alas by what meanes shall I now renew my plaints which time and long pacience ought to haue buried and clearly quenched Ah I miserable and caitife wretch thinking to finde remedie for my griefs I haue sharpned the knife that hath 〈◊〉 me this cruel blow whereof I receiue the cause of mortall wound Ah happy and fortunate graue which shalt serue in world to come for witnesse of the most perfect aliāce that euer was betwene two most fortunate louers receiue now the last sobbing sighes intertainment of the most cruel of all the cruell subiects of ire death And as she thought to cōtinue hir cōplaints Pietro aduertised Frier Laurence the he heard a noise bisides the citadel wherwith being afraid they 〈◊〉 departed fearing to be taken And then Iulietta seing hir self alone in full libertie toke againe Rhomeo betwene hir armes kissing him with such affection as she semed to be more attainted with loue thā death and drawing out the dagger which Rhomeo ware by his side she pricked hir self with many blowes against the hart saying with feble pitiful voyce Ah death the end of sorow and beginning of felicity thou art most heartily welcome feare not at this time to sharpen thy dart giue no longer delay of life for fear that my sprite trauaile not to finde Rhomeos ghost amonges such numbre of carion corpses And thou my deare Lord and loyall husbande Rhomeo if there rest in thée any knowledge receiue hir whome thou hast so faithfully loued the only cause of thy violent death which frankely offreth vp hir soule that none but thou shalt ioy the loue wherof thou hast made so lawfull conquest And that our soules passing from this light may eternally liue together in the place of euerlasting ioy and when she had ended those words she yelded vp hir gost While these things thus were done the garde watch of the Citie by chāce passed by séeing light wtin the graue suspected straight the they were Necromācers which had opened the 〈◊〉 to abuse the dead bodies for aide of their arte desirous to know what it mēt wēt downe into the vaut where they 〈◊〉 Rhomeo Iulietta with their armes imbracing 〈◊〉 others neck as though there had ben some tokē of life And after they had well viewed them at leisure they knew in what case they were And thē all amazed they sought for the theues which as they thought had done the murder and in the end found the good father Frier Laurence and Pietro the seruaunt of dead Rhomeo which had hid themselues vnder a stall whome they caried to prison and aduertised the Lord of Escala and the Magistrates of Verona of that horrible murder which by and by was published throughout the Citie Then flocked together all the Citezens women children leauing their houses to looke vpon that pitifull sight and to the ende that in presence of the whole Citie the murder should be knowne the Magistrates ordained that the two deade bodies should be erected vpon a stage to the view and sight of the whole world in such sort and maner as they were found within the graue and that Pietro and Frier Laurence should publikely be examined that afterwardes there might be no murmure or other pretended cause of ignorance And this good olde Frier being vpon the scaffold hauing a white beard all wet bathed with teares the iudges cōmaūded to declare vnto them who were the authors of that murder sith at vntimely houre he was apprehended with certaine irons bisides the graue Frier Laurence a rounde and franke man of talke nothing moued with that accusation sayd vnto them with stoute and bolde voyce My masters there is none of you all if you haue respect vnto my forepassed life and to my aged yeres and therewithall haue cōsideration of this heauy spectacle whervnto vnhappy fortune hath presently brought me but doeth greatly maruell of so sodaine mutation change vnlooked for for so much as these thrée score and ten or twelue yeares sithens I came into this world and began to proue the vanities thereof I was neuer suspected touched or found gilty of any crime which was able to make me blush or hide my face although before God I doe confesse my self to be the greatest and most abhominable sinner of al the redéemed flock of Christ. So it is notwithstanding that sith I am prest ready to render mine accompt and that death the graue and wormes do daily summō this wretched corps of mine 〈◊〉 appeare before the iustice seate of God still waighting and 〈◊〉 to be caried to my hoped graue this is the houre I say as you likewise may thinke wherin I am fallen to the greatest damage preiudice of my life and honest port and that which hath ingēdred this sinister opinion of me may peraduēture be these great teares which in abundance trickle downe my face as though the holy scriptures do not witnesse that Iesus Christ moued with humane pitie and compassion did wepe and pour forth teares that many times teares be the faithfull messengers of a mans innocency Or else the most likely euidence and presumption is the suspected houre which as the magistrate doth say doe make me culpable of the murder as though all houres were not indifferently made equall by God their creattor who in his owne person declareth vnto vs the there be twelue houres in the day shewing therby that there is no exception of houres nor of minutes but that one may doe either good or yll at all times indifferently as the partie is guided or forsaken by the sprite of God touching the yrons which were found about me néedefull it is not now to let you vnderstand for what vse Iron was first made and that of it self it is not able to increase in man either good or euill if not by the mischeuous minde
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
who thinke my self of 〈◊〉 born and sustained in my first yong age to be the 〈◊〉 man and 〈◊〉 seruaunt of you my 〈◊〉 deare 〈◊〉 whome alone I yelde my heart 〈◊〉 as it is and the ioy of 〈◊〉 thoughts 〈◊〉 in my 〈◊〉 by the contemplation and remembraunce of your excellent and perfect grace wherof if I be not fauored I 〈◊〉 for death from which euen presently I 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 feare of that which she can doe or of the vgly 〈◊〉 which I conceiue to be in hir but rather to confirme my life this body for instrument to exercise the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for doing of your commaundements where I shall proue that vnworthy cruelty both of your gentle 〈◊〉 and of the body fraught ful of that which dame Nature can departe of hir aboundant graces 〈◊〉 sure madame that you shall shortly sée the end of him which attendeth yet to beare so much as in him 〈◊〉 lie the vehement loue into an other world which maketh me to pray you to haue pitie on him who attending the rest and final sentence of his death or life doth humbly kisse your white and delicate hands 〈◊〉 god to giue to you like 〈◊〉 as his is who 〈◊〉 to be Wholy yours or not to be at all Philiberto of Virle The letter written closed and sealed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 neighbour who promised him againe to 〈◊〉 him 〈◊〉 at night Thus thys 〈◊〉 went hir way leauing this poore languishing Gentleman hoping against his hope and faining by and by some ioy and pleasure wherin he 〈◊〉 himself with great contented minde Then sodainly he called againe vnto remembrance the crueltie 〈◊〉 of Zilia which shewed before his eyes so many kindes of deathe as times he thought vpon the same thinking that he saw the choler wherewith his little courteous mistresse furiously did intertaine the messanger who found Zilia comming forth of a gardein adioyning to hir house and hauing saluted hir and receiued like courteous salutation she would haue framed hir talke for honest excuse in that 〈◊〉 charge message for hir also vnto whome she was sent and for some ease to the pore getleman which aproched nearer death than life But Zilia brake of hir talke saying I maruell much gentle neighbor to sée you héere at this time of the day knowing your honest custome is to let passe no minute of the time except it be employed in some vertuous exercise Mistresse answered the messanger I thank you for the good opinion you haue of me and doe pray you to 〈◊〉 the same For I do assure you that nothing vaine of little effect hath made me slacke my businesse at this time which me think I do not 〈◊〉 when I inforce my self to take pitie and mercy vpon the afflicted sort and the cause therof I would disclose if I feared not to offend you and breake the loue which of long time betwene vs two hath bene frequented I know not sayd Zilia wherunto your words do tēd although my heart doth throbbe and minde doth moue to make me thinke your purposed talke to be of none other effecte than to say a 〈◊〉 which may redoūd to the preiudice of mine 〈◊〉 Wherfore I pray you doe not open any thing that 〈◊〉 be contrary be it neuer so little to the duetie of Dames of our degrée Mistresse sayd the neighboure I suppose that the little likelihoode which is in you with the thing for the helpe whereof I come to speake hath made you féele the passion contrary to the griefe of him that indures so much for your sake Unto whome not thinking therof I gaue my faith in pledge to beare this Letter In saying so she drew the same out of hir bosome and presenting them to cruell 〈◊〉 she sayde I beseeche you to thinke that I am not ignoraunt of the 〈◊〉 wherewith the Lorde of 〈◊〉 is affected who wrote these letters I promised him the duetie of a messanger towardes you and so constrained by promise I could doe no lesse than to deliuer you that which he doeth send with seruice such as shall 〈◊〉 for euer or if it shall please you to accept him for such a one as he desireth For my parte I pray you to reade the contents and accordingly to giue me answere for my faith is no further bound but faithfully to reporte to him the thing whereupon you shall be resolued Zilia which was not wont to receiue very ofte such embassades at the first was in minde to breake the letters and to returne the messanger to hir shame But in the end taking heart and chaunging hir affection she red the letters not without shewing some very great alteration outwardely which declared the meaning of hir thought that diuersly did striue within hir minde for sodainely the chaunged hir coloure twice or thrice now waring pale like the increasing 〈◊〉 Eclipsed by the Sunne when the féeleth a certaine darkening of hir borowed light then the Uermilion and coloured tainte came into hir face againe with no lesse hewe than the blomed Rose newly budded forth which encreased halfe so much againe the excellencie of that wherewith Nature 〈◊〉 indued hir And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 paused a while Notwithstanding after that shée had redde and redde againe hir louers letter not able to dissemble hir foolishe anger which vered hir hearte she sayd vnto the mistresse messanger I wold not haue thought that you being suche as eche man knoweth would by abusing your duetie haue bene the ambassador of a thing so vncomely for your estate and the house whereof you come and towardes me which neuer was such one ne yet pretend to be to whome sute should be made for doing of such follies And trust to it that it is the loue I beare you which shall make me dissemble that I thinke and holde my peace reseruing in silence that which had it come from an other than you I would haue published to the great dishonoure of hir which had made so little accompte of my chastitie Let it suffise therfore in time to come for you to thinke and beleue that I am chaste and honest and to aduertise the Lord of 〈◊〉 to procéede no further in his sute for rather will I die than agrée to the least point of that which he desires of me And that he may knowe the same be well assured that he shall take his leaue of that priuate talke which sometimes I vsed with him to my great dishonor as farre as I can sée Get you home therefore and if you loue your honoure so much as you sée me curious of my chastitie I beséeche you vse no further talke of him whome I hate so much as his 〈◊〉 is excessiue by louing hir which careth not for those amorous toyes and sained passions whereunto such louing fooles do suffer them selues to be caried headlong The messanger ashamed to heare hir selfe thus pinched to the quicke answered hir very quietly without mouing of hir pacience I pray to God mistresse that he
my little great heart that cōtented and satisfied I can be with that which your abilitie can beare and pleasure commaund But to come to the point I say that debating with my selfe of our state as you ful wisely do I doe verily thinke that you being a yong Gentleman lusty and valiant no better remedy or deuise can be found than for you to aspire séeke the Kings fauor and seruice And it must néedes rise and redounde to your gaine and preferment for that I heare you say the Kings maiestie doeth alreadye knowe you Wherefore I doe suppose that his grace a skilfull Gentleman to way and estéeme the vertue valor of eche man cannot choose but 〈◊〉 recompense the wel doer to his singular cōtentation comfort Of this mine opinion I durst not before this time vtter word or signe for feare of your displeasure But now sith your self hath opened the way meanes I haue presumed to discouer the same do what shal séeme best vnto your good pleasure And I for my parte although that I am a womā accordingly as I said euē now tha thy nature am desirous of honor to shew my self abrode more rich and sumptuous than other yet in respect of our fortune I shal be cōtented so long as I liue to continue with you in this our Castle where by the grace of God I will not faile to serue loue and obey you and to kéepe your house in that moderate sorte as the reuenues shall be able to maintaine the same And no doubt but that poore liuing we haue orderly vsed shal be sufficient to finde vs two and. v. or 〈◊〉 seruants with a couple of horsse and so to liue a quiet and mery life If God doe send vs any children til they come to lawfull age we will with our poore liuing bring them vp so well as we can and then to prefer them to some Noble mennes seruices with whome by Gods grace they may acquire honoure and liuing to kéepe them in their aged dayes And I doe trust that we two shall vse such mutuall loue and reioyce that so long as our life doeth last in wealth and woe our contented mindes shal rest satisfied But I waying the stoutnesse of your minde doe know that you estéeme more an ounce of honor than all the golde that is in the world For as your birth is Noble so is your heart and stomacke And therefore many times séeing your great heauinesse and manifolde muses and studies I haue wondred with my selfe whereof they should procéede and amongs other my conceits I thought that either my behauior and order of dealing or my personage did not like you or else that your wonted gentle minde and disposition had bene altered and transformed into some other Nature many times also I was content to thinke that the cause of your disquiet minde did rise vpon the disuse of armes wherein you were wont daily to accustome your self amongs the troups of the honourable a company in déede moste worthy of your presence 〈◊〉 many times these and such like cogitations I haue sought meanes by such louing allurements as I could deuise to ease and mitigate your troubled minde and to withdrawe the great impietie and care where with I saw you to be affected Bicause I doe estéeme you aboue all the world déeming your onely griefe to be my double paine your aking finger a 〈◊〉 feuerfit and the least woe you can sustaine most bitter death to me that loueth you more dearely than my selfe And for that I doe perceiue you are determined to serue our Noble King the sorowe which without doubt will assaile me by reason of your absence I will swéeten and lenifie with contentation to sée your commendable desire appeased and quiet And the pleasant memorie of your valiant factes shall beguile my penfife thoughts hoping our next méeting shal be more ioyful thā this our disiunction departure heauy And where you doubt of that confluence repair of the dishonest which shal attempt the winning subduing of mine heart vnspotted body hitherto inuiolably kept from that touch of any person cast from you that feare expel frō your minde that fonde conceit for death shall sooner close these mortall eyes than my chastitie shall be defiled For pledge wherof I haue none other thing to giue but my true and simple faith which if you dare trust it shall héereafter appeare so firme inuiolable as no sparke of suspition shall enter your carefull minde which I may well terme to be carefull bicause some care before hand doth rise of my behauior in your absence The triall whereof shall yelde sure euidence and testimony by passing my careful life which I may with better cause so terme in your absence that God knoweth wil be right 〈◊〉 and carefull vnto me who ioyeth in nothing else but in your welfare Neuerthelesse all meanes and wayes shall be agreable vnto my minde for your assurance and shal breede in me a wonderfull contentation which lusteth after nothing but your satisfaction And if you list to close me vp in one of the Castell towers till your returne right glad I am there to cōtinue an Ankresse life so that the same may ease your desired minde The Knight with great delite gaue eare to the answer of his wife and when she had ended hir talke he began to say vnto hir My welbeloued I doe like wel and greatly commende the stoutnesse of your heart it pleaseth me greatly to sée the same agreable vnto mine You haue lightened the same frō inestimable woe by vnderstāding your conceiued purpose and determination to garde preserue your honor praying you therin to perseuere still remembring that when a woman hath lost hir honor she hath forgone the chiefest iewell she hath in this life and deserueth no lōger to be called woman And touching my talke proposed vnto you although it be of great importaunce yet I meane not to depart so soone But if it doe come to effect I assure thée wife I will leaue thée Lady and mistresse of all that I haue In the meane time I will consider better of my businesse and consult with my friends and kinsmen and thē determine what is best to be done Till which time let vs liue spend our time so merely as we can To be short there was nothing that so much molested the Knight as the doubt he had of his wife for that she was a very fine and faire yong Gentlewoman And therefore he still deuised and imagined what assurance be might finde of hir behauior in his absence And resting in this imagination not long after it came to passe that the Knight being in company of diuers Gentlemen and talking of sundry matters a tale was told what chaunced to a gentleman of the Countrey which had obtained the fauoure and good will of a woman by meanes of an olde man called Pollacco which had the name to be a famous enchaunter
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
bring hither my clothes that I may put them on cause me if it please thée to come downe from hence Then the Scholer began to laugh seing that it was a good while past 〈◊〉 of the clock he answered Well go to for that womans sake I cānot wel say nay or refuse thy request tell me where thy garments be and I wil go seke them cause thée to come down She beleuing that was somwhat comforted and told him the place where she had bestowed thē And the Scholer went out of the Toure cōmaunded his seruant to tarie there to take hede that none wēt in vntil he came againe Then he wente to one of hys friends houses where he wel refreshed himselfe and afterwards when he thought time he laide him downe to sléepe Al that space mistresse Helena which was stil vpon the Toure and recōforted with a litle foolish hope sorowfull beyond measure began to sit downe séeking some shadowed place to bestow hir self and with bitter thoughts heuy chere in good deuotiō waited for his cōming now musing now weping thē hoping sodainly dispairing that Scholers returne with hir clothes chāging frō one thought to an other like one that was werie of trauel had takē no rest al the night she fel into a litle 〈◊〉 But that sun which was passing hot being about 〈◊〉 glaūced his burning beames vpon hir 〈◊〉 body bare head with such force as not only it singed that flesh in sight but also did chip parch the same with such rosting heat as she which soundly slepte was constrained to wake féeling that raging warmth desirous somewhat to remoue hir self she thought in turning that al hir rosted skin had opened and broken like vnto a skyn of parchment holden against the fire besides which payne extreme hir heade began to ake with such vehemence as it séeme to be knocked in peces And no maruel for the pament of the Toure was so passing hotte as neyther vpon hir féete or by other remedie she could fynde place of reste Wherefore without power to abide in one place she stil remoued weping bitterly And moreouer for that no winde did blow the Toure was filled with such a swarme of Flies and Gnats as they lighting vpon hir parched flesh did so cruelly bite and sting hir that euery of them semed worsse than the pricke of a néedle which made hir to bestirre hir hāds incessantly to beate them off cursing still hir selfe hir life hir frend and Scholer And being thus and with such pain bittē and afflicted with the vehement heat of the Sun with the flies and gnats hungrie much more thirsty assailed with a thousād greuous thoughts she arose vp began to loke about hir if she could hear or sée any per son purposing whatsoeuer came of it to call for helpe But hir yll fortune had taken away al this hoped meanes of hir reliefe for the husbandmen and other laborers wer all gone out of the fields to shrowde thēselues from heate sparing their trauail abrode to thresh their corne and do other things at home by reason whereof she neither saw or heard any thing except Butterflies humble bées crickets the ryuer of Arno which making hir lust to drink of the water quenched hir thirst nothing at all but rather did augment the same She saw be sides in many places woodes shadowes and houses which likewise did bréede hir double griefe for desire she had vnto the same But what shall we speake any more of this vnhappy woman The Sunne aboue and the hot Toure paiment below with the bitings of the flies and gnats had on euery part so dressed hir tender corps that where before the whitenesse of hir body did passe the darkenesse of the night the same was become red all arayed and spotted with gore bloud that to the beholder and viewer of hir state she semed the most ill fauored thing of the world remaining in this plight without hope or councel she loked rather for death thā other comfort The Scholer after the clocke had sounded thrée in the after noone awaked and remembring his Ladie went to the Toure to sée what was become of hir sent his man to dinner that had eaten nothing all that day The Gentlewoman hearing the Scholer repaired so féeble and tormented as she was vnto the trap doore and sitting vpon the same pitifully wéeping began to say Rinieri thou art beyond measure reuenged on me for if I made thée fréese all night in mine open court thou hast tosted me to day vpō this Toure nay rather burnt and with heat consumed me and besides that to die sterne for hunger and thirst Wherfore I pray thée for Gods sake to come vp and sith my heart is faint to kill my self I pray thée heartely to doe the same For aboue all things I desire to die so great and bitter is the torment which I endure And if thou wilt not shew me that fauor yet cause a glasse of water to be brought vnto me that I may moisten my mouth sith my teares be not able to coole the same so great is the drouth heat I haue within Wel knew the Scholer by hir voice hir weake estate and sawe besides the most part of hir body all tosted with the Sunne by the viewe whereof and humble sute of hir he conceiued a little pitie Notwithstanding he answered hir in this wise Wicked woman thou shalt not die with my hands but of thine owne if thou desire the same and so much water shalt thou haue of me for cooling of thine 〈◊〉 as dampned Diues had in hell at Lazarus handes when he lifted vp his cry to Abraham holding that saued wight within his blessed bosome or as I had fire of thée for easing of my colde The greater is my griefe that the vehemence of my colde must be cured with the heat of such a stincking carion beast and thy heat healed with the coldnesse of most soote and sauerous water distilled frō the orient Rose And where I was in daūger to lose my limmes and life thou wilt renewe thy beautie like the Serpent when he casteth of his skin Oh I miserable wretche sayd the woman God giue him such beautie gotten in suche wise that wisheth me such euill But thou more cruel than any other beast what heart hast thou thus like a Tyrant to deale with me What more grieuous paine could I endure of thée or of any other than I doe if I had killed and done to death thy parents or whole race of thy stocke and kin with most cruell torments Truely I know not what greater cruelty could be vsed against a Trayter which had sacked or put a whole Citie to the sword than that thou hast done to me to make my flesh to be the foode rost meat of the Sunne and the bait for licorous flies not 〈◊〉 to reache hither a simple glasse of water which would haue
foloweth The Captaine then hauing sente his message and being sure of his intent no lesse than if he already had the brethren within his hold vpon the point to couple them together with hys wife to sende them all in pilgrimage to visite the faithfull sorte that blason their loues in an other worlde with Dido Phyllis and suche like that more for dispaire than loue bée passed the straictes of death caused to be called before him in a secrete place all the souldiers of the Fort and such as with whome he was sure to preuaile to whom not without sheading forth some teares and she wyng heauie countenance he spake in this maner My Companions friends I doubt not but ye be abashed to sée me wrapt in so heauie plight and appeare in this forme before you that is to say bewept heuy panting with sighes and al contrary to my custome in other state and maner than my courage and degrée require But when ye shall vnderstande the cause I am assured that the case which séemeth strange to you shall be thought iust and right and so wil performe the thing wherein I shall employe you Ye knowe that the first point that a Gentleman ought to regarde consisteth not onely in repelling the 〈◊〉 done vnto the bodie but rather it behoueth that the fight begyn for the defense of his honor which is a thing that procedeth from the mind and resorteth to the bodie as the instrument to worke that which the spirite appointeth Now it is honour for conseruation whereof an honest man and one of good courage feareth not to put himself in al perill and daunger of death and losse of goodes referryng himselfe also to the guarde of that which toucheth as it were oure owne reputation In suche wyse as if a good Captaine doe suffer hys souldier to be a wicked man a robber a murderer and 〈◊〉 exacter he beareth the note of dishonor albeit in all his doings he gouerneth hys estate after the rule of honestie dothe nothing that is vnworthy his vocatiō But what he being a head vnited to such mēbres if the partes of that vnited thing be corrupt and naught the head must needes beare that blot of the faulte before referred to the whole bodie 〈◊〉 sayd he sighing what parte is more nere and dearer to man than that which is giuen vnto him for a pledge and comfort during his life and which is conioyned to be bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh to breath forth one minde and thinke with one heart and equall will It is of the Wife that I speake who being the moytie of hir husbande ye ought not to muse if I say that the honour of the one is the rest of the other and the one infamous and wicked the other féeleth the troubles of such mischief and the wife being carelesse of hir honor the husbands reputation is defiled and is not worthie of praise if he suffer such shame vnreuenged I must Companions good friends here discouer that which my heart would faine kepe secrete if it were possible and must reherse a thing vnto you which so sone as my mouth woulde faine kepe close the minde assayeth to force the ouerture And loth I am to do it were it not that I make so good accompt of you as ye being 〈◊〉 to me with an vnseparable amitie will yeld me your cōfort and aide against him that hath done me this villanie such as if I be not reuenged vpon him nedes must I be the executioner of that vengeance vpon my self that am loth to liue in this dishonor which all the days of my life without due vltion like a worme wil torment and gnaw my conscience Wherfore before I go any further I would knowe whether I might so well trust your aide and succour in this my businesse as in all others I am assured you wold not leaue me so long as any breath of life remained in you For without such assurance I do not purpose to let you know that pricking naile that pierceth my hearte nor the griefe that greueth me so nere as by vttering it without hope of help I shall open the gate to death and dye withont reliefe of my desire by punishyng him of whome I haue receyued an iniurie more bloodie than any man can doe The Souldiers whyche loued the Captaine as theyr owne lyfe were sorie to sée him in suche estate and greater was their dolour to heare woordes that tended to nothyng else but to furie vengeance and murder of himselfe Wherefore all with one accorde promised their healpe and maine force towardes and agaynst all men for the bringyng to passe of that which he dyd meane to require The Lieutenant assured of his men conceyued hearte and courage and continuing hys Oration and purpose determined the slaughter and ouerthrowe of the thrée Trinicien brethren for that was the surname of the Lordes of Foligno who pursued hys Oration in this manner Know ye then my companions and good frendes that it is my wife by whom I haue indured the hurt losse of mine honour and she is the partie touched and I am he that am moste offended And to the ende that I doe not holde you longer in suspence and the partie be concealed from you which hath done me this outrage Ye shal vnderstande that Nicholas Trinicio the elder of the thrée lordes of Foligno and Nocera is he that against al right and equitie hath suborned the wife of his Lieutenant and soiled the bed of him wherof he ought to haue ben the defēder the very bulwarke of his reputation It is of him my good frendes and of his that I meane to take suche vengeaunce as eternall memorie shall displaye the same to all posteritie and neuer lords shall dare to doe a like wrong to myne withoute remembrance what his duetie is which shall teache him how to abuse the honest seruice of a Gentleman that is one of hys owne traine It resteth in you bothe to holde vp your hande and kéepe your promise to the end that the Lorde Nicholas deceiuyng and mockyng me may not trust put affiance in your force vnto which I heartily do recommende my self The Souldiers moued and incited with the wickednesse of their Lord and with the wrong done to him of whome they receyued wages swore againe to serue his turne in any exploit he went about and required him to be assured that the Trinicien brethren shoulde be ouerthrowne and suffer deserued penance if they might lay hands vpon them and therfore willed him to séeke means to allure them thither that they might be dispatched The Lieutenāt at these words renuing a chéerefull countenaunce and she wing himselfe very ioyful for such successe after he had thanked his souldiers and very louingly imbraced the chiefest of them reuealed his deuised pollicie hoped shortly to haue them at his comaundement within the Fort alleaging that he had dispatched two messangers vnto them and