to vnderstād the trouth of his death as his father in Lawe his wife and other kinsmen I would in their presence if it please you to cause them to bee called hither declare that I knowe The magistrates amased to se so greate a lorde to cruelly slaine commited her to warde till after diner and commaūded that al the before named should be somoned to appere Who assembled in the pallace with suche a number of people as the Iudges could skante haue place Violenta in the presence of them all with out any rage or passion first of all recompsed vnto thē the chaste loue betwene Didaco and her which he cōtinued the space of fowertene or fiftene monethes without receiuyng any fruicte or comoditie thereof Within a while after he being vanguished with leue maried her secretly at her house and solempnized the neptialles by a Prieste vnknowen declaryng moreouer how thei hadde liued a yere together in housholde without any occasion of offence on her part giuen vnto hym Then she rehersed before them his second mariage with the doughter of suche a manne being there presente addying for conclusion that sithe he hadde made her to lose her honestie she had sought meanes to make hym to lose his life Whiche she executed with the helpe of Ianique her maide who by her aduise beyng lothe to liue any longer had drouned her self And after she had declared the true state of the matter passed betwene them she saied for conclusion that all that she had rehersed was not to incite or moue thē to pitie or compassion thereby to prolonge her life wherof she iudged her self vnworthie for if you qoud she doe suffer me to escape your handes thinkyng to saue my bodie you shal be the cause and whole ruine of my soule for with these myne owne handes whiche you see before you I will desperately cutte of the threde of my life And with those woordes she helde her peace whereat the people amased and moued with pitie let fall the luke warme teares from their dolorouse eyes and lamented the misfortune of that poore creature imputyng the faulte vpon the dedde knighte whiche vnder colour of mariage had deceiued her The magistrates determinyng further to deliberate vppon the whole matter caused the dedde bodie to be buried and committed Violenta againe to Warde taking awaie from her kniues and other weapons wherewith thei thought she might hurte her self And vsed suche diligent searche and inquirie that the Prieste whiche maried them was founde oat and the seruaunt of Didaco that was presente at the mariage of Violenta beyng examined deposed how by his maisters commaūdement he caried his horsse into the countrie and how he commaunded him to come to hym againe the next mornyng to the house of Violenta And all thynges were so well throught to light as nothyng wanted for further inuestigacion of the truth but onely the confession of hym that was dedde And Violenta by the common opinion of the Iudges was condepned to bée behedded not onely for that she had presumed to punishe the knightes tromperie and offence but for her excessiue crueltie doen vpon the dedde bodie Thus infortunate Violenta ended her life her mother and brethren beyng acquited And was executed in the presence of the Duke of Calabria the soone of kyng Federic of Aragon whiche was that tyme the Viceroy there and afterwardes died at Torry in Fraunce who incontinently after caused this historie to be registred with other thinges worthie of remembraunce chaunced in his tyme at Valencia Bandell doeth write that the maide Ianique was put to death with her maistres but Paludanus a Spaniard a liue at that time writeth an excellent historie in Latine wherein he certainly declareth that she was neuer apprehended whiche opinion as moste probable I haue folowed Wantones and pleasaunt life being guides of insolencie doeth bring a miserable ende to a faier Ladie of Thurin whom a noble mā aduannced to high estate as appereth by this historie wherein he executeth greate crueltie vpon his said Ladie taken in adulterie ¶ The .xliij. Nouell THE auncient and generall custome of the gentlemen and gentlewomen of Piedmonte was daiely to abandon famous cities and murmures of common wealthes for to withdrawe themselfes to their Castles in the countrie and other places of pleasure of purpose to begile the troublesome turmoiles of life with greateste reste and contentacion whiche troubles and griefes thei dooe féele that intermedle with businesse of common wealthe whiche was with greate care obserued before the warres had preposterated the order of auncient gouernement that muche a doe you should haue had to finde a gentleman idle in a citie Who rather did resort to their countrie houses with their families whiche were so well gouerned and furnished that you should haue departed so well satisfied and instructed from a simple gentle mannes house as you should haue dooen from a greate Citie were it neuer so well ruled by some wife and prudent Senatour But sithens the worlde began to waxe olde it is come againe to very infancie in suche sorte that greatest nomber of Cities are not peopled in these daies but with a many of idle gentlemen that make their resiance and abode there not to profite but to continewe their delicate life and thei doe corrupte not onely themselfes but whiche is worste thei infecte them that keepe them companie whiche I will discourse somewhat more at large for so muche as the gentlewoman of whom I will describe the historie was brought vp all the tyme of her youthe in one of the finest and moste delicate Cities of Piedmonte And féelyng as yet some sparke of her former bringing vp she could not be reformed beyng in the countrie with her husbande but that in the ende she fill into greate reproche and shame as you shall vnderstande by the content of this historie In the tyme that Madame Margaret of Austriche doughter of Maximilian the Emperour went in progresse into Sauoie towardes her husbande there was a greate Lorde a valiaunte and curteous gentleman in a certaine Countrie of Piedmonte whose name I will not disclose aswell for the reuerence of hisneresse kinne which doe yet liue as for the immoderatee ruell punishemente that he deuised towardes his wife when he toke her in the faulte This greate Lorde although he had goodlie reuenues and Castelles in Piedmonte yet for the moste parte of his tyme he followed the Courte by commaundemente of the Duke that interteined hym nexte his owne persone vsyng commonly his aduise in al his greatest affaires This lorde at that time maried a maidē in Thurin of meane beautie for his pleasure not estemyng the place from whence she came And bicause he was well nere fiftie yeres of age when he married her she attired her self with suche modestie that she was more like a widowe then a maried woman and knewe so well howe to vse her husband the space of a yere or twoo that he thought hymself the happiest manne a
bothe for in either campes there were three brethren of age and valiaunce semblable The brethren that were in the Romane campe were called Horatij the other Curiatij Wherevpon a cōbate was thought meete betwene these sixe persones After the Romanes had vsed their solempne maners of consecratyng the truces and other rites concerning the same either partes repaired to the combate Bothe the armies stoode in readines before their campes rather voide of presente perill then of care for the state of either of their Empires consisted in the valiautce and fortune of a fewe Wherefore their mindes were wonderfully bent and incensed vpon that vnpleasaunt sight The signe of the combate was giuen The thre yong men of either side dooe ioigne with furious and cruell onsette representing the corages of twoo battelles of puissaunt armies For the losse consisted in neither those thre but the publique gouernemente or common thraldome of bothe the cities and that was the future fortune which thei did trie and proue So sone as the clashyng armure did sounde at their firste incountrie and their glitteryng swordes did shine an incredible horror and feare perced the beholders and hope inclining to neither partes their voice and mindes were whist and silent But after thei were closed together not onely the mouyng of their bodies and doubtfull weldyng and handlyng of their weapons but blooddie woundes appered twoo of the Romanes fallyng doune starke deade one vpon an other but before the three Albanes were sore hurt Whereat the Albane hoste shouted for ioye The Romane Legions were voide of hope amazed to see but one remain against thrée It chaūced that he that liued whiche as he was but one alone an vnmeete matche for the rest euen so he was fierce and thought hymself good inough for them all Therefore to separate their fight he fleeth backe meanyng thereby to giue euery of them their welcome as thei followed Whē he was retired a good space from the place where thei fought lookyng backe he sawe them followe a good distance one from an other and one of them was hard by him vpon whō he let driue with greate violence And whiles the Albane hoste cried out vpon the Curatij to help their brother Horatius had killed his enemie and demaunded for the seconde battaill Then the Romanes incoraged their chāpion with acclamations and shoutes as fearfull men be wont to doe vpon the sodaine and he spedeth hymself to the sight And before the other could ouertake hym whiche was not farre of he had killed an other of the Curatij Now thei were equallie matched one to one but in hope and strengthe vnlike For the one was free of wounde or hurte cruell fierce by reason of double victorie the other fainct for losse of bloodde and wearie of runnyng with pantyng breath and discomfited with his brethrens slaughter slaine before hym is now obiected to fight with his victorious enemie whiche was no equall matche Horatius reioysing saied twoo of thy brethren I haue dispatched the thirde the cause of this battaill I will take in hande that the Romanes maie bée lordes of the Albanes Curiatius not able to sustaine his blowe fill doune and liyng vpon his backe he thruste hym into the throte with his sworde whiche dooen he dispoiled hym of his armure Then the Romanes in a great triumphe and reioyse interteigned Horatius and their ioye was the greater for that the feare of their ouerthrowe was the nerer This combate beyng ended the Albanes became subiecte to the Romanes and before Metius departed he asked Tullus if he would cōmaunde hym any further seruice Who willed hym to keepe the young souldiours still in interteignemente for that he would require their aide againste the Verētes The Armie dissolued Horatius like a Conquerour marched home to Rome the three spoiles of his enemies beyng borne before hym The saied Horatius had a sister whiche was espoused to one of the Curatij that were slaine who meetyng her brother in the triumphe at one of the gates called Capena and knowyng the Coate armure of her paramour borne vpō her brothers shulders which she wrought and made with her owne handes She tore and rente the heare of her hedde and moste pitiouslie bewailed the death of her beloued Her brother beyng in the pride of his victorie taking the lamētacion of his sister in disdainfull part drewe out his sworde and thruste her through saiyng these opprobrious woordes Auaunte with thy vnreasonable loue get thee to thy spouse Hast thou forgotten the death of thy twoo brethren that bee slaine the prosperous successe of thy victorious brother chieflie the happie deliueraunce of thy countrie Let that Romane woman what soeuer she bee take like rewarde that shall bewaile the death of the enemie Whiche horrible facte seemed moste cruell to the fathers and people For whiche offence he was brought before the king whom he deliuered to be iudged accordyng to the lawe The lawe condempned him Then he appealed to the people In which appeale P. Horatius his father spake these wordes My doughter is slain not without iust desert whiche if it were not so I would haue sued for condigne punishment to be executed vpō my sōne accordyng to the naturall pietie of a father Wherfore I beseche you dooe not suffer me whom you haue seen in time past beautified with a noble race and progenie of children now to bee vtterly destitute and voide of all together Then he embrased his sonne emonges them all and shewed the spoiles of the Curatiens saiyng Cā you abide to see this noble champion O ye Romanes whom lately ye behelde to goe in order of triumphe in victorious maner to lye now bounde vnder the gibet expecting for tormētes of death Whiche cruell and deformed sight the Albanes eyes can not well be able to beholde goe to then thou hangman and binde the hādes of hym who hath atchieued to the Romane people a glorious Empire Goe I saie couer the face of him that hath deliuered this citie out of thraldome and bōdage Hang him vpon some vnhappy trée and scourge hym in some place within the Citie either emonges these our triumphes where the spoiles of our enemies doe remaine or els without the walles emonges the graues of the vanquished Whether can ye dauise to carrie hym but that his honourable and worthie actes shall reuenge the villanie of his cruell death The people hearyng the lamentable talke of his father and seyng in hym an vnmoueable mynde able to sustaine all aduersitie acquited hym rather through the admiracion of his vertue and valiance then by Iustice and equitie of his cause Suche was the straicte order of iustice emonges the Romanes that although this yong gentilman had vindicated his countrie from seruitute and bondage a noble memorie of perfecte manhode yet by reason of the murdre committed vpon his owne sister thei were very straict and stacke of grauntyng hym pardon because thei would not incorage the posteritie to like inconuenience nor prouoke
monumente also accordyng to his worthinesse shal be erected vpon his graue Sacrifice shal be offred méete for a manne so valiaunt and puissaunt Thou likewise shalt not be left comfortles For in consideration of thy great chastitie and vertue I will honour thee and appoincte a garrison to conuey thee into what place thou art disposed to goe To whom Panthea saied Be of good chere Cyrus I will not hide from you the place wherin I am determined to bestowe my self Cyrus hearyng her saie so went awaie pitiyng the woman that was bereued of suche a housebande and lamentyng the manne that had lefte suche a wife behinde hym and was like no more to sée her againe But Panthea commaunded her Eunuches to goe out of the place till she had satisfied her self with teares and lamentacions for her housebande For the prepared to kill her self requiryng her Nursse to tarie by her cōmaundyng her that when she was deade she should shroude her and her husbande in one garment The Nursse perswaded the Ladie with humble wordes and supplicacions from her determinaciō But she could not preuaile and when she sawe that her maistres toke her wordes in ill parte she satte downe and wept But Panthea with a sworde which she had prepared a long tyme for that purpose killed her self and laiyng her heade vpon her husebandes breaste she yelded from her chaste bodie her innocente ghoste The Nursse seyng that cried out and couered them bothe as she was cōmaunded Cyrus vnderstandyng the womans facte was amazed and spedelie went to sée if she might be holpen The Eunuches beyng three in nomber seyng their maistres dead thei likewise drewe out their swordes killed themselues in the place where thei were cōmaunded to stand For memorie of which facte Cyrus created a noble monumēt to the perpetuall praise of chastitie honest loue Whiche as Xenophō reporteth remained to his daies with their names ingrauen in Syrian letters Abdolominus is from poore estate aduaunced by Alexander the greate through his honest life to be kyng of Sydone ¶ The .xij. Nouell ALexander the mightie and noble Emperour after he had subdued Darius the Persian kyng at length came to Sydone a famous citie by reason of the auncient fame of the first founders The same citie was vnder the gouernment of Strato and mainteined by the puissance of Darius who yelding more by force of the people then by free will was thought vnworthie to raigne and rule there Alexander at the request of his frende Ephestion willed him to appoinct one to be king whom the Citizens should thinke moste worthie of that state After profers of Ephestion to diuers of the yonge gentlemen of that citie and refusall made of their partes thei alledged that none ought to enioy the dignitie of their king but suche as were descended of the royall bloodde Thinking none to be more mete for that state then one Abdolominus who being of the roiall race for pouertie was inforced to inhabite a litle cotage without the citie His good life was the cause of his pouertie as it is to many other labouryng in his daiely trauell vnderstoode not the brute of the warre that troubled all Asia Ephestion and the yong gentlemen repaired to his garden with garmētes to garnish hym like a kyng and founde hym makyng cleane his garden whom thei saluted and saied You muste exchaunge your homelie clothes with these riche robes wherewith wée here presente you Washe your bodie that now is foule and vncleane take vpon yon the corage of a kyng and in this state whereof you be worthie expresse the same sobrietie and continencie you dooe presentlie vse And when you sitte in your regall seate vsyng the aucthoritie of life death of your subiectes Doe in no wise forgette the fortune wherin you were before you were made king ne yet for what purpose you did receiue it The matter semed to Abdolominus like a dreame and demaunded of theim if their wittes were founde that did deride hym in that sorte But when he sawe them binde by othe their doynges to be of trouth he washed himsef and takyng the garment whiche was purple and golde went with them into the palace The fame was diuerslie bruted of this facte Some fauoured the cause and some did froune against it But suche as were riche did reproue his pouertie and base estate to those that were nere about Alexander whiche made the kyng to sende for him And when he had long be holden his maner and order said Your personage doeth not degenerate from the fame of your progenitors But I would faine knowe how paciēt you were in the time of your pouertie I would to God q Abdolominus I could beare my prosperitie in like case now I am kyng These handes did get that I desired And hauyng nothing I lacked nothing Whiche wordes made Alexander conceiue a good opinion of hym To whom he restored the riches of the kyng before and diuers other thynges taken awaie by the Persians The oracion of the Scythian Ambassadours to Alexander the greate reprouyng his ambicion and desire of Empire ¶ The .xiij. Nouell TVllie in the first booke of his Offices saieth that verie miserable is ambicion and desire of honour and that moste men whiche be giuen to cupidite of gouernement honor and glorie be forgetfull of Iustice. The truthe of whiche graue woordes vttred by a Prince of eloquence the rude and barbarous Ambassadours of Scythia in plain and homelie talke boldlie did pronounce to kyng Alexander surnamed Magnus when he was aboute to inuade their countrie For when he hadde within three daies finished twelue thousande boates to transport his armie ouer the famous riuer of Tanais whiche deuideth Asia from Europa against the poore Scythians twentie Ambassadors of the Scythians came to Alexanders cāpe to speake with him to proue if thei could by wordes withdrawe his entended purpose Before whom when thei were placed the eldest of them spake these woordes If the goddes had giuen thee a bodie accordyng to the immoderate desire of thy minde the whole worlde could not be able to hold thée With one of thy handes thou wouldest touche the Oriente and with thy other hande the Occident And when thou haste gotten that thou wilte desire to knowe where the brightnesse of the Diuine Maiestie is placed Thus thou couetest after the thing thou art not able to receiue Out of Europa thou marchest into Asia and out of Asia thou passest into Europa Afterwardes if thou doest vanquishe all mankinde thou must make warre with wooddes and snowes with riuers and wilde beastes What Doest thou not knowe that greate trees growe long and yet be rooted out of the grounde in a moment He is a foole that looketh after the fruict and doeth not measure the height of the Tree whereon it groweth Take hede lest while thou doest contende to clim to the toppe thou fallest downe with the bowes whiche thou doest imbrace The Lion also somtyme is made the
so many tymes for his sake to fetche so many sighes and with suche sweete woordes to bidde hym bet of good there aud that if he wanted any thyng to tell her and praied hym with pleasaunt wordes to call for that he lacked and that for his sake she would gladlie accomplish his desire who doubteth I saie but he was merueilouslie tormented with a thousande cogitacions now conceiuyng hope and by and by dispaire and still concludyng with hymself rather to die then to manifest his loue And if it be a grief to all yonge men bee thei neuer of so meane and base cōdicion in their youthlie tyme to lose their life what shall we thinke of Antiochus that beyng a yongman of freshe and flourishyng age the sonne of a riche and mightie kyng that looked if he might escape after the death of his father to be heire of al did willingly craue death of that small disease I am assured that his sorowe was infinite Antiochus then beaten with pitie with loue with hope with desire with fatherly reuerence and with a thousande other thynges like a ship tossed in the depe seas by litle and litle begā to growe extremelie sicke Erasistratus that sawe his bodie hole and sounde but his minde greuouslie weakened and the same vanquished with sundrie passiōs After he had with hymself considered this straunge case he for cōclusiō foūde out that the yong man was sicke through loue for none other cause Moreouer he thought that many tymes wise and graue menne through Ire hatred disdaine malinconie and other affections could easilie faine and dissemble their passions but loue if it be kept secrete doeth by the close kepyng thereof greater hurte then if it be made manifeste And albeit that of Antiochus he could not learne the cause of his loue yet after that imaginacion was entred into his hedde he purposed to finde it out by continuall abode with hym and by greate diligence to obserue and marke all his actions and aboue all to take heede to the mutacion of his poulses and wherevpon their beatyng did alter This deliberacion purposed he sat downe by the bedde side and tooke Antiochus by the arme and helde him fast where the poulses ordinarily doe beate It chaunced at that instant that the quene Stratonica entred into the chamber whom so sone as the yonge man sawe cōmyng towarde him sodainlie the poulce whiche were weake féeble began to reuiue through mutacion of the blood Erasistratus féelyng the renforcyng of the poulce and to proue how longe it would continewe moued not at the commyng of the Quene but still helde his fingers vpō the beatyng of the poulces So long as the Quene contiuned in the chamber the beatyng was quicke and liuelie but when she departed it ceased the wonted weaknes of the poulces retourned Not long after the quene came againe into the chāber who was no soner espied by Antiochus but that his poulces receiued vigor and begā to leape and so still continued Whē she departed the force and vigor of the poulce departed also The noble Phisicion seyng this mutacion and that still it chaunced vpō the presence of the Quene he thought that he had founde out the occasion of Antiochus sickenesse But he determined better to marke the same the next daie to be more assured The morowe after Erasistratus sat doun againe by the yonge gentleman and toke hym again by the arme but his poulce made no mociō at all The king came to se his sonne and yet for all that his poulses were still And beholde the Quene came no soner in but sodainlie thei reuined and yelded suche liuelie mouyng as if you would haue said yonder is she that setteth my harte on fire Beholde where she is that is my life death Then Erasistratus was well assured and certaine that Antiochus was feruently inflamed with his mother in lawe but that shame constrained hym to conceale the hotte firebrandes that tormented hym and to keepe them close and secrete Certified of this opinion before he would open the matter he considered what waie were best to giue knowledge therof to kyng Seleucus And when he had well debated of this matter he deuised this waie He knewe that Seleucus loued his wife beyonde measure and also that Antiochus was so dere vnto hym as his owne life Wherevpon he thus saied vnto the kyng Noble Seleucus thy sonne is affected with a grieuous maladie and that whiche is worse I deme his sickenesse to bee incurable At whiche wordes the sorowfull father began to vtter pitifull lamētacion and bitterlie to complaine of Fortune To whom the Phisicion saied If it please yon my lorde to vnderstande the occasion of his disease This it is The maladie that affecteth and languisheth your soonne is Loue and the loue of suche a woman whiche excepte he enioye there is no remedie but death Alas quod the Kyng weepyng with bitter teares and what woman is she but that I maie procure her for hym whiche am kyng of all Asia and maie with intreatie money giftes or other pollicie whatsoeuer make her obediente and willyng to my soonnes requeste Tell me onelie the name of the woman that I maie prouide for my soonnes healthe yea though it cost me all my goods and realme to if other wise she can not bee gotten For if he die what shall I doe with my kyngdome Wherevnto Erasistratus answered If it like your grace your sōne is in loue with my wife but bicause that loue semeth vnto him discōuenient he dareth not to manifest the same for shame but rather wisheth to die then to opē his minde Howbeit I by certaine euident signes doe wei perceiue it When Seleucus heard these woordes he saied O Erasistratus thou beyng so worthie a man to whom fewe in goodnesse and humilitie be comparable so dere and welbeloued of me and beareth the bruite to be the verie hauen and harborough of wisedome wilt thou not saue my sonne whiche is a yonge man now vpon the floure of his youth and most worthie of life for whom the Empire of all Asia is worthelie reserued O Erasistratus the soonne of thy frende Seleucus is thy kyng who through loue and silence is at the poineted death thou seest that for modestie and honestie sake at this his laste and doubtfull passage he had rather chose to die then by speakyng to offende thee and wilte thou not helpe hym This his silence this discrecion that his reuerence whiche he sheweth ought to moue thee to cōpassion Thinke my welbeloued Erasistratus that if he loue ardently that he was forced to loue For vndoubtedlie if he could not loue he would do the best he could not to loue yea and all his endeuour to resist it But who is able to prescribe lawes to Loue Loue I knowe not onelie forceth men but also commaūdeth the immortall Goddes and when thei bee not able to resist him what can mannes pollicie preuaile Wherfore who knoweth not what
her what she had doen. To whom Violenta answered Ianique is thou hast made a good beginnyng to our enterprise I likewise for my parte haue not slepts For I haue deuised that wee muste prouide for a strong roape whiche wée will fasten to the heddes hedde and when he shal bee a slepe I will cast the other ende of the rope to thée ouer thwarte the bedde that thou maieste plucke the same with all thy might and before thou beginnest to pull I will with a knife cutte his throate wherefore thou must prouide twoo great kniues whatsoeuer thei cost but I praie thée let me alone with doing of the fact that I maie dispatch him of his life whiche alone did make the first assault to the breache of mine honour Ianique knewe so well howe to prouide for all that was requisite for the execution of their enterprise as there rested nothyng but oportunitie to sorte their cruell purpose to effecte The knight six Didaco at the hower appointed tolde his newe wife that he must goe into the coūtrie to take order for the state of his lande and that he could not retourne till the next daie in the mornyng Which she by and by beleued And the better to couer his facte he caused twoo horsse to d ee made redie and rode for the whē the clock strake iiij And when he had riden through a certaine streate he saied to his manne whiche was went to serue his turne in loue matters cary my horse to suche a man out in the Countrie and tarrie there all this daie and to morowe Mornyng come seeke me in suche a place when I am gone from the house of Violenta In the meane time set my horsse in some Inne For in any wise I will haue no manne knowe that I dooe lie there whiche dooen the maister and the seruaunte went twoo seuerall waies The knight beyng come to the house of Violenta he found Ianique tariyng for hym with good deuocion to vse hym accordyng to his desert and conueied hym to the chamber of Violenta and then she retourned aboute her businesse The knighte kissed Violenta and badde her good morrowe askyng her howe she did Whom Violenta answered Sir Didaco you bid me good morrowe in woordes but in déede you goe to prepare for me a heauie and sorowfull life I beleue that your minde beareth witnes of the state of my welfare For you haue brought me to suche extremitie that you sée righte well how nothyng els but my voice declareth me too bee a woman and therewithall so féeble a creature as I still craue and call for death or for pitie although bothe of th one and of the other I am not heard at all And yet thinke not Didaco that I am so farre out of my wittes to beleue that the cause of my writyng the letter was for hope that you remembryng my bitter paines your owne hainous crime I could euer moue you to pitie For I am perswaded that you will neuer cease to exhauste and sucke the bloodde honor and life of them that credite your trumperies and deceiptes as now by experience I knowe by my self with suche deadly sorowe that I still attende and loke for the sorowfull ende of my life Didaco seyng hee thus afflicted fearyng that her cholere would further inflame beganne to cull her and to take her now into his armes tellyng her that is Mariage with the doughter of Vigliaracuta was cōcluded more by force then his owne will and minde bicause thei pretended to haue a gifte of all the lande and gooddes he had in succession after his father was dedde which if thei did obteine by lawe he should be a begger all the daies of his life and that the same was dooen to prouide for the quiet state of them bothe and nowithstanding he had maried an other wife yet he purposeth to loue none but her and meante in tyme to poison his wife and to spende the rest of his life with her And thus sewyng to remedie his former fault by surmised reportes chaunting vpō the cordes of his pleasaūt tongue he thought with Courtlike allurementes to appease her whiche had her wittes to well sharpened to be twise taken in one trappe howbeit for feare of driuyng hym awaie and to lose the meane to accomplishe that whiche she intended she saied vnto hym with forced smilyng Sir Didaco although you haue so ill vsed me in tyme paste that I haue no greate cause to beleue your present wordes yet the loue that I beare you is so rooted in my harte that the faulte muste bee very greate whiche should remous the same in consideraciō whereof I will constraine my self to beleue that your woordes bee true vpon condicion that you will sweare and promis to lie with me here ones or twise in a wéeke For me thinke that if I mighte at tymes inioye your presence I did remaine in some part of your grace and fauour and should liue the beste contented woman a liue Wherevnto he willingly agreed with a greate nomber of other like protestacious prompte and redie in them whiche meane deceipt But if the poore miserable woman had perced the same in the depthe of her harte and had credited all that he spake no doubte he would haue chaunged his mynde Thus either partes spente the daie in colde and dissembled flatteries till darke nighte with his accustomed silence did deliuer them the meane to exercise their cruell enterprise So sone as supper was dooen Didaco and Violenta walked vp and downe together talkyng of certaine common matters till the knight pressed with slepe commaūded his bedde to be made redie It neded not thento inquire with what diligence Violenta and Ianique obeied that requeste in whom onely as thei thought cōsisted the happe or mishappe of their enterprise To whom bicause Violenta might shewe her self more affectionat went firste to bedde and so sone as thei were laied Ianique brewe the curteines and tooke awais Didaco his sworde and makyng as thoughe she had a thing to doe vnder the bedde she fastened the rope and taked vp the fire whiche was in the chimney cariyng a stoole to the beddes side and laieth vpon thes ame twoo greate kechin knifes whiche doen she put out the candle and fainyng to goe out of the chamber she shut the doore and wente in againe And then the poore infortunate knight thinking that he was alone in the chāber with Violenta began to clepe and kisse her wher vnto she made no refusall but desirous to renewe his olde priuate toles she peased hym of all loue that he bare vnto her to kepe troce for twoo or thrée howers for that the night was long inough to satisfie his desires affirmyng that it was impossible for her to wake bicause fiue or sixe daies before by reason of her griefes she had not slept at all notwithstanding she saied that after her sixtie sléepe she would willinglie obeye him Whervnto the gentleman was easely perswaded
aswell bicause he had elswhere sufficiently staunched his thurst as also for that he was loth to displease her And fainyng her self to slepe she turned her face to the other side and in that wise continued till the poore gētleman was fallen into his sound slepe Then Ianique softly conueied the rope ouer his bodie and gaue it to Violenta and after she had placed it accordyng to her minde and as thei together had deuised before she deliuered th ende to Ianique who beyng at the beddes side satte doune vpon the grounde and seidyng the rope aboute her armes hoisted her twoo féete againste the bedde to pull with greater force when nede required Not longe after Violenta tooke vp one of the greate knifes and liftyng herself vp softly the proued with her hande to seke a place moste méete for her to stabbe a hole into her enemies fleshe And inchaunted with wrathe rage and furie like an other Meden thruste the poincte of the knife with suche force into his throte that she perced it through and the poore vnhappie mā thinkyng to resiste the same and to giue some repulse against that aduerse and heauie fortune was appalled who feelyng a newe charge giuen vpon hym againe specially beyng intricated with a roape was not able to sturre hande nor foote and through the excessiue violence of the paine his speache and power to crie was taken awaie In suche sorte that after he had receiued tenne or twelue mortall woundes one after an other his poore martired soule departed from his sorowfull bodie Violenta hauyng ended her determined enterprise commaunded Ianique to light the candle and approchyng nere the knightes face she sawe by and by that he was without life Then not able to satisfie her bloodie harte ne yet to quenche her furious rage whiche boiled in her stomacke she with the poincte of the knife tare out the eyes from his hedde criyng out vpō them with hideous voice as if thei had been aliue Ah traiterous eyes the messengers of a minde moste villanous that euer seiorned within the body of man come out of your shamelesse siege for euer For the spring of your fained teares is nowe exhausted dried vp Then she plaied the Bocher vpon those insensible members continuyng still her rage and cruelly seazed vpon the tongue whiche with her blooddie handes she haled out of his mouthe and beholdyng the same with a murderous eye as she was cuttyng it of saied Oh abhominable and periured tongue howe many lies diddest thou frame in the same before thou couldest with the canon shotte of this poisoned member make breache into my virginitie Whereof now beyng depriued by thy meanes I francklie accelerate my self to death wherevnto thou presently haste opened the waie And when she had separated this little member from the reste of the bodie insactable of crueltie with the knife ripped a violente hole into his stomacke and launching her cruell handes vpon his harte she tare it from the place and gashyng the same with many blowes she saied Ah vile harte harder then the Diamont whose Andeuile forged the infortunate trappes of my cruell destenies Oh that I could haue discouered thy cogitacions in tyme past as I dooe now thy materiall substaunce that I might haue preserued me frō thine abhominable treason and detestable infidelitie Then fleashyng her self vpon the dedde bodie as a hungrie Lion vpon his praie she left no parte of hym vnwounded And whē she had mangled his bodie all ouer with an infinite number of gashes she cried out O infected Carrion whilom an organ and instrumēt of the moste vnfaithfull and traiterous mynde that euer was vnder the coape of heauen Now thou art paied with desert worthie of thy merites Then she saied to Ianique whiche with greate terrour had all this while viewed all her doinges Ianique I féele my self now so eased of my paine that come death when he will he shall finde me stronge and lustie to indure his furious assaulte whiche of longe tyme I haue proued besides assured hope to bring this enterprise to passe Helpe me then to traine this corps out of my fathers house wherein I was firste defloured then I will tell thée what thou shalte dooe For like as myne honestie is stained and published abrode euen so will I the reuenge to be manifeste and that his bodie shal be exponed to the viewe of all men Whose request Ianique obeied she and Violenta tooke the bodie and threwe it out at one of the chamber windowes doune vpon the pauemente of the streate with all the partes whiche she had cut of That doen she saied to Ianique Take this casket with all the money within the same and shippe thy self at the next Port thou shalt come to and gette thee ouer into Africa to saue thy life so spedely as thou canste and neuer come into these partes againe nor to any other where thou art knowen Whiche Ianique purposed to do although Violenta hadde not counsailed her therevnto And redie to departe she gaue a sorowfull farewell to her maistres and betooke her self to her good fortune and from that tyme forthe no manne could tell whether she wente for all the pursute made after her So sone as daie appeared the first that passed by the streat espied the dedde bodie whiche by reason of the noise and brute made throughout the towne prouoked many people to come and see it But no man knewe what he was beyng disfigured aswell by reason of the eyes torne out of his hedde as for other partes mutilated and deformed And about .viij. of the clocke in the mornyng there was suche a multitude of people assembled that it was in maner impossible to come nere it The moste parte thoughte that some Theues in the nighte had committed that murder Whiche opinion semed to bee true bicause he was in his shurte Other some were of contrary opinion And Violenta whiche was at the windowe hearyng their sundrie opinions came doune and with a bolde courage and voice that euery man might heare saied Sirs you doe contende vpon a thyng whereof if I were demaunded the question of the magistrates of this citie I am able to render assured testimonie And without greate difficultie this murder can not be discouered by any other but by me Whiche woordes the people did sone beleue thinkyng that diuers gentlemen ielous of Violenta had made a fraie For she had now lost her auncient rerutacion by meanes of Didaco who as the fame and common reporte was bruted did kepe her When she had spoken those wordes the Iudges were incontinētly aduertised aswell of the number as of that whiche Violenta had saied and wente thither with certaine Sergeauntes Officers where thei founde Violenta more stonte then any of the standers by and inquired of her immediatly how that murder came to passe but she without feare or appallement made this answere Ye that you sée here deade is the lorde Didaco And bicause it apperteineth to many