where it maie chaunce that you neuer vnderstoode so muche before this tyme I will tell you the whole discourse So it is that Pietro my father yours dwelte of long time wherof it is possible that you haue heard report at Palermo where through the goodnesse and frendlie behauior of hym there be yet some remaining that did beare hym singular good will and frendship But emonges other whiche loued him moffe my mother which was a gentlewoman and then a widowe without doubt did loue him best In such wise that she forgettyng the loue of her father and of her brethren and the loue of her owne honour and reputacion thei dealed so together that thei begatte me and am here as you see Afterwardes when your father and mine had occasion to departe from Palermo he retourned to Perugia leauing my mother behinde and me his yong doughter neuer after that so farre as I knowe caring either for my mother or me wherof if he were not my father I would blame him very muche cōsidering his ingratitude towardes my mother Albeit he ought to vse towardes me so muche affection fatherlie loue as to his owne doughter being come of no kitchin maide ne yet of any basewoman For my mother otherwise not knowyng what he was did commit into his handes moued of mere loue bothe her self and all that she had But what Thynges ill dooen and so long tyme paste are more easie to be reprehended then amended Thus the matter went he left me a litle infant at Palermo where when I was growen to yeres my mother whiche was riche gaue me to wife to one of the house of Gergenti a gentleman of greate honestie and reputacion who for the loue of my mother and me retourned to dwell at Palermo where greatlie sauoryng the faccion of the Guelphi he began to practise a certaine enterprise with our kyng Charles whiche being knowen to Kyng Federic before the same enterprise could take effecte we were forced to flie out of Scicilia At what tyme I had thought to haue been the chiefest Ladie that euer was in that Island wherefore taking with vs suche fewe thinges as we were able to carie fewe I maie well call them in respecte of thē we possessed and leauyng our houses and pallaces we came vnto this citie Where we founde kyng Charles so benigne towardes vs that he hath recompenced parte of our losses whiche wee susteined in his seruice For he hath giuen vs possessions and houses with good prouision of housholde to my husbande and your brother in lawe as you now sée and perceiue And in his maner I doe remaine here where swete brother I thāke God and not you that at this presente I sée you and therewithall she tooke hym aboute the necke wepyng tenderly and then kissed his face againe Andreuccio hearyng this tale spoken in order and digested from poinct to poinct with good vtterance wherof no worde stucke betwene her teeth or was impeached by default of tongue And remembryng how it was true that his father dwelte at Palermo knowyng also by hymself the maner of yonge menne whiche in their youthe be prompt and willyng to loue and seyng her tender teares her imbracynges and honest kisses thought al that she had spoken to bée moste certaine and true And after she hadde doe on her tale he answered in this wise Madame you maie not thinke vnkindnesse if I dooe meruaile at this for that in verie déede I haue no acquaintance of you no more then if you had neuer been borne But whether my father hath spoken of you or of your mother at any tyme truely I doe not now remēber but so muche the more I dooe reioyce that I haue founde a sister here as I trust bicause I am here alone And certainly I knowe none so honourable but you maie seme agreable vnto hym so well as to me which am but a poore marchaunte howbeit I doe beseche you to tell me how you did knowe that I was in the citie To whom she answered This mornyng a poore woman whiche oftentymes repaireth to my house gaue me knowledge thereof bicause of longe tyme as she tolde me she did dwell with your father at Palermo and at Perugia And bicause I thought it more conuenient and mete to bid you home to myne owne house then to seke you in an other mannes I thought good to sende for you After these woordes she began in order to inquire of the state of his parentes callyng them by their proper names wherevnto Andreuccio made answer that now he perceiued he had better cause to giue credite vnto her woordes then before Their discourse and talke of thynges beyng long and the weather hot she called for Greke wine and Comfittes and made Andreuccio to drincke Who after the banquette destrous to departe to his lodgyng for it was about supper time she by no meanes would suffer him but makyng as though she were angrie saied vnto hym Oh God I see now moste euidently that you doe make litle accompt of me beyng your owne sister whom you neuer sawe before and in her house where vnto you ought to resort when so euer you come to towne And will you now forsake the same to suppe in an Inne But of trouth you shall not chose but take part of my supper And although my husbande bee not at home whereof I am right sorie yet you shal knowe that his wife is able to make you some good there To whom Andreuccio not knowyng well what to saie els made this answere I do loue you as I ought to loue a sister But if I go not to mine Iune I knowe thei will tarie for me all this night before thei goe to supper to my greate reproche and shame Praised bee God quod she then I haue seruauntes to aduertise your hoste that you be here with me to the intent he shall not tarie for you But pleaseth you sir to dooe me this greate curtesie that I maie sende for your companions hither to beare you companie that afterwardes if you will néedes depart ye maie goe all together Andreuccio answered that he would sende for none of his companie that night but for so much as she was so importunate he hymself was right well contente to satisfie her requeste Then she made as though she had sente to his Inne to giue worde that thei should not tarie for him And after muche communication supper was placed vpon the table serued in with many deuises and sundrie delicates abundantlie and she with like sleightes continued the supper till it was darke night And whē thei rose from the table Andreuccio made hast to departe but she would not suffre hym tellyng hym that Naples was a Towne so straight of orders that none might walke abrode in the night and specially straūgers And that like as she had sente woorde howe thei should not tary for hym at supper euen so she had doen for his bedde All whiche Andreuccio beleuyng and
hole and remouing the stone the Father went in as he did before and fell into the caldron of pitche whiche continually was boyling there vp to the waste and not able to liue any longer he called his sonne vnto him and sayde Ricciardo mine owne swéete sonne death hath taken me prisoner for halfe my body is dead and my breath also is ready to depart Take my heade with thée and burie it in some place that it be not knowen which done commend me to thy mother whome I pray thée to cherish comforte and in any wise take héede that warelie and circumspectlie thou doe depart hence And if any man doe aske for me say that I am gone to Florence about certaine businesse The sonne lamentably began to lamēt his fathers fortune saying Oh deare father what wicked fury hath thus cruelly deuised sodaine death Content thy selfe my sonne sayd the Father and be quiet better it is that one should die than two and therefore doe what I haue tolde thée and farewell The sonne toke vp his fathers heade and went his way and the reste of his bodie remayned in the caldron like a blocke without forme When Ricciardo was come home he buried his fathers heade so well as he could and afterwardes tolde his mother what was become of his father who vnderstanding the maner of his death began piteously to crye out to whom her sonne holding vp his hands sayd Good mother holde your peace and giue ouer your wéeping for our life is in great perill and daunger if your out crie be hearde and therefore quiet your selfe for better it were for vs to liue in poore estate than to die with infamie to the vtter reproche and shame of all our familie With which wordes he appeased her In the morning the body was founde and caried to the Duke who maruelled at it coulde not deuise what he should be but sayde Surely there be two that committed this robberie one of them we haue let vs imagine how we may take the other Then one of the foure Chamberlaines sayde I haue founde out a trap to catche the other if it will please you to heare mine aduise which is this It cā not be chosen but this théefe that is deade hath eyther wife children or some kinsman in the Towne and therefore let vs cause the body to be drawen through out the citie and giue diligent héede whether anye person doe complaine or lament his death And if any suche be founde let him be taken and examined and this is the next way as I suppose to finde out his companion Which being concluded they departed The body was drawen through out the citie with a guard of men attending vpon the same As the execucioners passed by the house of Bindo whose carcasse lay vpon the hardle his wife stode at the windowe and seing the body of her husband so vsed made a great outcrye At which noyse the sonne spake to his mother and sayde Alas mother what doe you And beholding his fathers corps vpon the hardle he toke a knife and made a great gashe into his hande that the bloud abundantlie issued out The guarde hearing the noyse that the woman made ranne into the house and asked the woman what she lacked The sonne answered I was caruing a pece of stone with this knife and by chaunce I hurt my hande which my mother séeing cryed out thinking that I had hurte my selfe more than I haue The guard séeing his hande al bloudy and cut did beleue it to be true and went rounde aboute the liberties of the citie and found none that séemed to lamēt or bewaile that chaunce And returning to the Duke they tolde him howe all that labor was imployed in vaine wherevpon he appointed them to hang vp the deade body in the market place with secret watche in like maner to espie if any person by day or night would come to complaine or be sorrowfull for him Which body was by the féete hanged vp there and a continuall watche appoynted to kepe the same The rumor hereof was bruted through out the citie and euery man resorted thither to sée it The woman hearing tell that her husbands carcasse should be hanged vp in the market place sayde diuerse times to her sonne that it was a very great shame for him to suffer his fathers body in that shamefull sorte to be vsed To whom her sonne made aunswere saying Good mother for gods sake be contented for that which they do is for none other purpose but to proue me wherefore suffer a while til this chaunce be past The mother not able to abide it any longer brake out many times into these words If I were a man as I am a woman it should not be vndone now and if thou wilt not aduenture thy selfe I will one night giue an attempte The yong man séeing the frowarde nature of hys mother determined to take away the body by this policie He borrowed twelue friers frockes or cowles and in the euening went downe to the hauen and hired twelue Mariners and placed thē in a backe house giuing them so much meate and drinke as they would eate And when they had well whitled tippled themselues he put vpon them those friers cowles with visardes vpon their faces gaue euery of them in their handes a burning torche seming as though they had bene diuels of hel And he him self rode vpō a horse all couered with black beset round about with mōstrous and vglie faces euery of them hauing a burning candle in his mouth and riding before with a maruelous hideouse visarde vpon his heade sayde vnto them doe as I doe And then marched forwarde to the market place When they came thether they ran vp downe making a great roring being then past midnight and very darke When the watch saw that straunge sight they were affrayde thinking that they had bene Diuels of hel and that he on horsbacke in that forme had bene the great deuil Lucifer himself And séeing him runne towards the gibet the watch toke ther legges ranne away The yong man in the shape of the great Diuel toke downe the body and layde it before him on horsebacke who calling his companye awaye rode before in post When they were come home he gaue them their money and vncasing them of their cowles sent them away and aferwards buried the body so secretly as he coulde In the morning newes came to the Duke that the body was taken away who sēt for the Guarde to knowe what was become thereof To whom they sayde these wordes Pleaseth your grace about midnight last past there came into the market place a cōpany of Diuels among whome we sawe the greate Deuill Lucifer himselfe who as we suppose did eate vp the body which sight and terrible vision made vs to take our legges The Duke by those wordes perceyued euidently that the same was but a practize to deceiue them of their purpose not withstanding he determined
required his Eunuches to take the present and to putte it into a Cuppe of golde The kyng when he was lodged in his pauilion sente to the man a Persian robe a Cuppe of golde and a thousande Darices which was a coigne emōges the Persians whervpon was the Image of Darius willyng the messenger to saie vnto hym these woordes It hath pleased the kyng that thou shouldest delight thy self and make merie with this golde because thou diddest exhilarate his minde in not suffryng hym to passe without the honour of a present but as necessitie did serue thee diddeste humblie salute hym with water His pleasure is also that thou shalte drinke of that water in this cuppe of golde of whiche thou madest hym partaker Artaxerxes hereby expressed the true Image of a princely mynde that would not disdaine cherefully to beholde the homelie gifte in our estimacion rude and nothyng worthe at the handes of his poore subiecte and liberally to reward that ductifull zeale with thinges of greate price and valour To the same Artaxerxes ridyng in progresse through Persia was presented by one called Mises a verie greate Pomegranate in a Siue The kyng merueilyng at the bignesse thereof demaunded of hym out of what garden he had gathered the same He answered out of his owne Whereat the kyng greatly reioysyng recompenced hym with princely rewardes saiyng By the Sōne for that was the common othe of the Persian kynges this manne is able with suche trauell and diligence in my iudgement to make of a litle citie one that shal be large and greate Whiche wordes seme to declare that all thynges by care sufficiente paine and continuall labour maie against nature be made more excellent better The loue of Chariton and Menalippes ¶ The .x. Nouell I Will rehearse a facte of the tyrant Phalaris farre discrepante from his condictons For it fauoureth of greate kindnes and humanitie and seemeth not to bee dooen by him Chariton was an Agrigentine borne and a greate louer of beautie who with ardente affection loued one Menalippus whiche was also borne in the Citie of honeste condicions and excellent beautie This Tyrant Phalaris hindred Menalippus in a certaine sute For when he contended in iudgement with one of Phalaris frendes the tyraunte commaunded hym to giue ouer his suite wherevnto bicause he was not obediente he threatned to put hym to death except he would yelde But Menalippus ouer came hym in lawe and the noble men whiche wer the frendes of Phalaris would giue no sentence brought the same to a Nonesuite Whiche the yong manne takyng in ill parte saied he had receiued wronge and confessed to his frende Chariton the wronge he had susteined requiryng his aide to reuenge the same vpon the Tirant He made other yong menne priuie to that conspiracie suche as he knewe would be redie and apt for that enterprise Chariton perceiuyng the rage and furie of his frende knowyng that no man would take his parte for feare of the tyraunte began to disswade hym saiyng that he hymself went about the like attempt a litle before to deliuer his countrie into libertie out of presente seruitude but he was not able to sorte the same to any purpose without greate daunger Wherefore he praied hym to committe the consideracion thereof vnto him and to suffre hym to espie a tyme apt and conuenient Menalippus was contente Then Chariton reuoluyng with hymself that deuise would not make his dere frende a partaker of that fact lest it should be perceiued but he alone toke vpon hym to doe the deede that onely hymself might susteine the smarte Wherefore takyng a sworde in his hande as he was sekyng the waie to giue the assaulte vpon the Tiraunte his enterprise was disclosed and Chariton apprehended by the Guarde whiche for the Tirantes defence diligentlie attended about hym From thence he was sent to the Iaole and examined vpon interrogatories to bewraie the reste of the conspiratours For whiche he suffered the racke and the violence of other tormētes Afterwardes Menalippus remembryng the constancie of his frende and the crueltie by him stoutly suffered wente to Phalaris and confessed vnto hym that not onely he was priuie to that treason but also was the aucthour thereof Phalaris demaundyng for what cause he did it told hym the consideracion before rehersed whiche was the reuokyng of sentence and other iniuries doen vnto him The Tirant merueiling at the constante frendship of these twaine acquited thē bothe But vpon condicion that bothe should departe out of the citie and countrie of Scicilia Neuerthelesse he gaue them leaue to receiue the fructes and commodities of their reuenues In recorde and remembraūce of whose amitie Apollo sange these verses The Raisers vp of heauenly loue emonges the humaine kinde VVere good Chariton and Menalippe whose like vnneths we finde This Phalaris was a moste cruell Tyrant of the citie of Agrigentine in Scicilia who besides other instrumētes of newe deuised tormentes had a Bulle made of brasse by the arte and inuencion of one Perillus. Into whiche Bulle all suche as were condempned to death were put and by reason of extreme heate of fire made vnder the same those that were executed yelled forthe terrible soundes and noyses like to the lowyng of a Bulle For whiche ingine and deuise Perillus thinkyng to obteine greate reward was for his labour by commaundemente of the Tyrante throwen into the Bulle beyng the firste that shewed the proofe of his deuise Within a while after also Phalaris hymself for that his greate crueltie could bee susteined no longer was by a generall assault made vpon hym by the people haled into the same Bull and burned And although this Tyrant farre excelled in beastlie crueltie yet there appered some sparke of humanitie in him by his mercie extended vpon Chariton and Menalippus the twoo true louers before remembred the same Phalaris wrote many proper and shorte Epistles full of vertuous instructions and holsome admonicions Kyng Cyrus perswaded by Araspas to dispose hymself to loue a ladie called Panthea entreth into a pretie disputacion and talke of loue and beautie Afterwardes Araspas hymself falleth in loue with the saied Ladie but she indued with greate chastitie auoydeth his earnest loue And when her husband was slaine in the seruice of Cyrus she killed her self ¶ The .xj. Nouell BEfore the beginnyng of this historic I haue thought good by waie of a Proeme to introduce the wordes of an excellent writer called Lodouicus Caelius Rhodoginus Saincte Hierome saieth he that moste holy and eloquent father affirmeth that vertues are not to bee pondered by the sexe or kynde by whom thei be doen but by the minde Wherewith if euer any woman was affected truly it was the faire ladie Panthea wherin I would no man should blame me of vngodlines or indiscrecion for that I doe remēber a woman mencioned in profane aucthours beyng not mynded at this presente to make a viewe of Christe his secretes whiche are his diuine scriptures wherein bee conteined the
beholde them a farre of in suche wise that thei burne for loue I warraunte you Cyrus saied Araspas For if I dooe continually looke vpon them I will not so be drowned in loue that the same shall prouoke me to do any thing that doeth not become me You saie well saied Cyrus Therefore keepe this woman as I bidde you and see well vnto her For paraduenture she is taken in good tyme. And so thei departed The yonge gentleman markyng the singulare beautie of the Ladie and perceiuyng her greate honestie he hauyng the custodie of her thought he would dooe her pleasure and by gesture sawe that she was not ingrate and vnthākfull but verie diligent on her part to cause her seruauntes that all thinges at his comyng should be redie And if he were by chaunce sicke he lacked no kepyng vpon whiche occasiōs he fell in loue with her And no meruell For she was as before is saied a woman verie faire and amiable Afterwardes kyng Cyrus desirous to sende a spie into the countrie of Lydia to learne what the Assirians did Araspas whiche had the kepyng of the faire Ladie seemed moste meete for that purpose But Araspas chaūced to fall in loue with the Ladie in suche wise as he was forced to breake his mynde to her that he must needes satisfie his pleasure Whiche request like a faithfull and louing woman to her housbande in his absence she denied Howbeit she would not accuse Araspas to Cyrus beyng afraied to sette variaunce betwene twoo frendes Araspas thinkyng it a greate shame and reproche vnto hym not to obtaine his desire threatened the Ladie that if she would not yelde to his requeste he would haue it perforce Then the woman fearyng violence kepte the thyng no longer secrete but sente one of her Eunuches to Cyrus commaundyng hym to discouer the whole matter Whiche when he heard he laughed a good pace at him who saied that he was superiour to loue sendyng Artabasus with the Eunuche to commaunde hym not to force the woman but if he could by faire meanes allure her he would not be against it When Artabasus came to Araspas he rebuked hym bothe for his infidelitie in the thyng committed vnto his charge and also for his wickednesse iniurie and incontinēcie Wherewithall Araspas wepte for sorowe beyng oppressed with shame and confounded with feare for the displeasure of Cyrus Whiche thing Cyrus vnderstandyng called hym and priuelie saied thus vnto hym I see Araspas that you be afraied of me and muche ashamed But be contente for I knowe that the Goddes haue been vanquished with loue and dooe vnderstande what thinges the wiseste men haue suffred for the same And I haue accused my self bicause I could not cōteine being in companie with faire personages And hereof I my self am the occasion For I compelled you to that inuincible matter Araspas makyng aunswere saied You be in this thing O Cyrus euen like vnto your self as you be in all other You be mercifull and full of clemencie But other mennes reporte is that whiche maketh me moste pensite For so sone as the rumour of my calamitie is dispersed mine enemies will reioyce and my frendes will counsaill me to flee lest your maiestie doe hainously take reuenge for mine offence Well Araspas saied Cyrus By that opinion and brute you shall dooe me greate seruice emonges my confederates How can that be said Araspas How can I therein doe you any seruice If presently q Cyrus you doe make as though you fledde from me and by goyng vnto myne enemies you maie winne of thē greate credite Uerely saied Araspas I suppose that I and my frendes might raise a rumour in deede that I am fledde from you for feare So maie you saied Cyrus returne vnto vs again when you knowe our enemies secretes For I thinke thei will make you priuie to al their counsell and aduises bicause you shal be incredite with them nothyng shal be cōcealed from you that we desire to knowe I will euen now depart said Araspas for it is verie likely that this my departure maie seme to bee an argumente of trouthe bicause I fledde for feare of punishment Can you in that maner forsake faire Panthea q Cyrus Truely saied he it euidentlie now appereth that I am endewed with two mindes And with the one I haue plaied the Philosopher with loue that vntrue Sophistre For there is no one minde whiche is good and badde and at one tyme loueth good and euill thinges and can not at one instant perpetrate and doe one thing Wherefore it is manifest that there be twoo myndes When the good minde ruleth it dooeth thynges that be honest when the euill is superiour it woorketh ill And now the good mynde by makyng you his frende and confederate doeth puissauntlie gouerne Well saied Cyrus if you goe you must beware that your credite maie increase emonges them Tell them hardely the some of our indeuours but in suche wise as our doynges maie bee lettes to their enterprises And this shall let thē muche if you saie that we determine to inuade their countrie For hearyng this thei will not assemble their whole power euery man fearyng his priuate parte And see that you tary with them a good space And looke what partes thei meane nerest to approche the same be most conuenient for vs to knowe And bidde them to be redie when soeuer thei thinke time For when you shall be departed from them and thought that you knowe their order thei must needes keepe the same and bee a fraied to alter it whiche if thei doe thei will confounde them selues through the sodaine chaunge Thus Araspas departyng tellyng his moste trustie seruauntes what he would haue dooen in this matter went his waie But Panthea hearyng that Araspas was gone sent to Cyrus saiyng Be not sorie Cyrus for the departure of Araspas to your enemies For if you will suffer me to sende for my husbande I doe promise you that he shal be a farre more assured frende then Araspas was And I knowe he will come with so greate power for your aide as he is able to make For the father of the Assirian kyng whiche now raigneth was his frende But this king vpon a tyme went about to make a diuorcement betwene my husbande and me Therefore knowyng that this kyng dooeth disdaine his good fortune I am sure he would sone bee perswaded to serue so noble a Prince as you be Cyrus hearyng her saie so commaūded her to sende to her husband whiche she did Abradatas knowyng his wiues tokens and vnderstanding the effecte of her message spedely came to Cyrus with M M horsemen Thei that were the Persian spies sent to Cyrus declaryng what he was Cyrus commaunded that forthwith he shuld be brought vnto his wife Whē the wife and husbande sawe eche other thei imbrased like twoo that mette after suche troublesome aduenture Then Panthea declared the goodnes temperaunce and clemencie of Cyrus towarde her Abradatas hearyng of her interteignemente saied What
house is so full that I and my housholde be faine to lie vpon the benches how beit I haue certaine garrettes harde adioynyng to my lorde Abbottes chamber where I maie place you verie well and I will cause my folkes to beare thither a pallet and there if you please you maie lodge this night To whom Alexandro saied How shall I goe throughe the Abbottes chamber where for the streighte rome in the same not one of his Monkes is able to lie But if I had knowen it before the curteins had been drawen I would haue caused his Monkes to haue lien in the garrette and I my selfe would haue lodged where thei dooe Wherevnto the hoste saied it is dooen now but me thinke you maie if you liste lie there so well as in any place of the house The Abbot beyng a slepe and the curteins drawen before hym I will softlie and without noise conueie a pallett thithere Alexandro perceiuyng that the same might be doen without any anoyaunce to the Abbot agreed and conueied himself so secretlie as he could through the chamber The Abbot which was not a slepe but gaue himself to thinke and imagine vpon his newe desires hearde the woordes that were spoken betwene the hoste and Alexandro and likewise vnderstanding where Alexandro laie was verie well contente in himself and began to saie The Lorde hath sente me a time fauourable to satisfie my desires whiche if I do not now receiue peraduenture the like will neuer bee offred againe Wherefore perswading with himself to take that present occasiō and supposing likewise that euery mā was a slepe he called Alexādro so softlie as he could and willed him to come and lie beside him who after many excuses when his clothes were of came vnto hym The Abbot laiyng his arme ouer him began to attempte suche amorous toies as be accustomed betwene twoo louers whereof Alexandro merueiled muche and doubted that the Abbotte beyng surprised with dishonest loue had called hym to his bedde of purpose to proue hym Whiche doubte the Abbot either by presumption or some other acte dooen by Alexandro vnderstandyng in continentlie beganne to smile and to putte of his shurte whiche he ware and tooke Alexandros hande and laied it ouer his stomacke saiyng vnto hym Alexandro cast out of thy minde thy vnhonest thoughte and fele here the thing whiche I haue secrete Alexandro laiyng his hande ouer the Abbottes stomack perceiued that he had twoo breastes rounde and harde the skinne whereof was verie fine and neshe whereby he perceiued that he was a woman whom incontinentlie he embraced and without looking for any other inuitaciō he would haue kissed her that she saied vnto him Before thou approche any nerer marke what I shall saie vnto thee I am a woman and not a man as thou maiest perceiue but beyng departed a maide from my house I am goyng to the Pope to praie him to place me in mariage But whē I first viewed thee the other daie whether it was through thy good fortune or my mishappe loue attached me in suche wise as neuer woman loued manne as I dooe thee And therefore I dooe purpose to take thee for my husbande before all others But if thou wilte not take me to wife get thee hence and retourne to thine owne bedde Alexandro although he knewe her not yet hauyng regarde vnto the companie and traine that followed her iudged her to be some noble and riche Ladie On the other parte he sawe that she was a personage right beautifull and faire therefore without any further consideracion he answered That for somuche as her pleasure was such he was verie well contēted She then sitting vp in her bedde hauing a litle table wherin the picture of Christ was painted indowed him with a ringe doing the order of espousalles and afterwardes embracing one an other to their greate contentacion and pleasure thei ioyfullie continued together that night And after thei had deuised and concluded thorder and meanes to accomplishe their affaires from that time forthe Alexādro so sone as it was daie rose and went out of the chāber that waie he came in without knowledge to any man where he laie that night Then right ioifull and glad he proceded in his iourney with the Abbotte and his cōpanie and within fewe daies arriued at Rome And when thei had remained there a certaine tyme The Abbot taking with him but the twoo knightes and Alexandro wente to the Pope where doyng to him their due reuerence the Abbot began to speake in this wise Holie father as your holinesse dooeth better knowe then any other euery manne that purposeth to liue an honeste life ought to auoide so muche as lieth in him all occasiōs that maie drawe him to the cōtrary Whiche to thintent I that am desirous to leade an honeste life maie fullie performe am secretlie fledde and arriued here in the habite wherein you see with a good porcion of the kyng of Englandes treasure who is my father that your holinesse maie bestowe me in Mariage for so muche as my father would giue me to wife whiche am a yonge gentlewoman as you see to the Scottishe king a verie riche and wealthie Prince And his olde age was not so muche the occasion of my departure as the feare which I conceiued through the frailtie of my youth to be maried vnto him to commit a thing that should be cōtrary to the lawe of God and the honour of the bloud roiall of my father And in comyng hitherwardes beyng in this déepe deliberacion with my self almightie God who onelie knoweth assuredlie what is nedefull and necessarie for vs all did place before mine eyes through his gracious mercie as I truste him that he thinketh meete to bee my husbande whiche is this yonge gentleman poinetyng to Alexandro whom you see standing besides me The honestie worthinesse of whom is well able to match with any greate ladie how honourable so euer she bee although peraduenture the nobilitie of his bloudde is not so excellent as that which procedeth from the roiall and princelie stocke Him then haue I chosen to be my husbande him I will haue and none other whatsoeuer my father shall faie or any other to the cōtrarie Wherefore the principall occasion that moued me to come hither is now dispatched But I will accōplishe and performe the rest of my voiage aswel to visite the holie and reuerent places whereof this citie is ful and your holinesse as also that the contracte of mariage hitherto onely made in the presēce of God betwene Alexandro and me shal be consummate openly in the presence of you and consequentlie in the sight of all men Wherefore I humblie beseche your fatherhode to bée agreable vnto that which it hath pleased God and me to bring to passe and that you would giue vs your benediction to the intent wee maie liue together in the honour of God to the perfection and ende of our life Alexandro greatlie merueiled when he vnderstoode that his wife
soonne Perotto went into Wales not without greate labour and paine as one neuer accustomed to traueile on foote Where dwelte one other of the kyng of Englandes Marshalles that was of greate aucthoritie and kept a noble house To whose court the Erle and his sonne oftentymes repaired to practise begge their liuyng where one of the Marshalles sonnes and other gentlemennes children doyng certaine childishe sportes and pastymes as to runne and leape Perotto began to entermedle hymself emonges them who in those games did so excellently well as none was his better whiche thyng diuers tymes the Marshall perceiuing and well pleased with the order of the childe asked of whence he was It was told him that he was a poore mannes soonne whiche many tymes came thither to begge his almose The Marshall desiryng the childe the Erle whiche praied vnto God for nothyng els liberally gaue hym vnto hym although it gréeued hym to departe from hym The Erle then hauyng bestowed his sonne and his doughter determined no lōger to tarry in Englande but so well as he could he passed ouer into Irelande and when he was arriued at Stanford he placed hymself in the seruice of a man of armes belōging to an Erle of that countrie doing all thinges that did belong vnto a seruing man or page not knowen to any mā he cōtinued there a long time with great paine and toile Violenta named Gianetta that dwelte with the Ladie at London grewe so in yeres in beautie in personage and in suche grace and fauour of her lorde and Ladie and of all the rest of the house and so well beloued of all them that knewe her that it was meruailous to sée All men that sawe her maners and countenaunce iudged her to be worthy of greate honour and possessions by reason whereof the Ladie that receiued her of her father not knowyng what she was but by his reporte purposed to marrie her honourablie accordyng to her worthinesse But God the rewarder of all mennes desertes knowyng her to be a noble woman and to beare without cause the penaunce of an other mannes offence disposed her otherwise and to the intente that this noble gentlewoman might not come into the hādes of a man of ill condicion it must be supposed that that whiche came to passe was by Goddes owne will and pleasure suffred to be dooen The gentlewoman with whom Gianetta dwelt had but one onely sonne by her husbande whiche bothe she and the father loued verie dearly as well because he was a soonne as also that in vertue and good merites he greatly excelled For he surpassed all other in good condicions valiaunce goodnesse and beautie of personage beyng about sixe yeres elder then Gianetta who seeyng the maiden to bee bothe faire and comely became so farre in loue with her that he estemed her aboue all thinges of the worlde And bicause he thought her to be of base parentage he durste not demaunde her of his father and mother to wife But fearyng that he should lose their fauour he kepte his loue secrete whereby he was worse tormented then if it hadde been openly knowen And thereby it chaunced through Loues malice he fill sore sicke For whose preseruacion were many Phisians sente for and thei markyng in hym all signes and tokens of sickenes and not knowyng the disease were altogether doubtfull of his health whereof the father and mother tooke so greate sorowe and grief as was possible and many tymes with pitifull praiers thei damaunded of hym the occasion of his disease To whom he gaue for answere nothyng els but heauie sighes and that he was like to consume die for weakenesse It chaunced vpon a daie there was brought vnto hym a Phisicion that was verie younge but in his science profoundlie learned and as he was holdyng hym by the poulces Gianetta who for his mothers sake attended hym verie carefully entred vpon occasion into the chamber where he laie sicke and so sone as the yonge gentleman perceiued her and that she spake neuer a worde or made any signe or demonstracion towardes hym he felt in his harte to arise his moste amourous defire wherefore his poulces beganne to beate aboue their common custome whiche thyng the Phisicion immediatly perceiued and merualled stādyng still to se how long that fitte would continue Gianetta was no soner gone out of the chamber but the beatyng of the poulces ceased wherfore the Phisicion thought that he had founde out some parte of the gentlemannes disease and a litle while after seming to take occasiō to speake to Gianetta holdyng hym still by the armes he caused her to be called in and she incontinently came but she was no soner come but the poulces beganne to beate againe and when she departed the beatyng ceased Whervpon the Phisicion was throughly perswaded that he vnderstode the effecte of his sicknes and therewithall rose vp and takyng the father and mother aside saied vnto them The health of your sonne doeth not consist in the helpe of Phisicions but remaineth in the handes of Gianetta your maide as I haue perceiued by moste manifest signes whom the yonge man feruently dooeth loue And yet so farre as I perceiue the maiden doeth not knowe it you therefore vnderstande now what to doe if you loue his life The gentleman and his wife hearyng this was somewhat satisfied for so muche as remedie mighte bee founde to saue his life athough it greued them greatly if the thing wherof thei doubted should come to passe which was the marriage betwene Gianetta and their soonne The Phisicion departed thei repaired to their sicke soonne the mother saiyng vnto hym in this wise My soonne I would neuer haue thought that thou wouldest haue kept secrete from me any parte of thy desire specially seyng that without the same thou dooest remaine in daūger of death For thou art or ought to bée assured that there is nothyng that maie be gotten for thy contētacion what so euer it had been but it should haue been prouided for thée in as ample maner as for my self But sith thou haste thus doen it chaūceth that our Lorde God hath shewed more mercie vpon thée then thou hasle doen vpō thy self And to th ende thou shalt not die of this disease he hath declared vnto me the cause of the same whiche is none other but the great loue that thou bearest to a yonge maide wherso euer she bee And in deede thou oughtest not to bée ashamed to manifest thy loue bicause it is meete and requisite for thyne age For if I wist thou couldest not loue I would the lesse esteme thee Now then my good sonne be not afraied franckly to discouer all thyne affectiō Driue awaie the furie and thought whiche thou hast taken whereof this sickenes commeth And comfort thy self Beyng assured that thou shalt desire nothyng at my handes that maie be doen for thy contentacion but it shall bee accomplished of me that loueth thee better then myne owne life and
therefore expell from thée this shame and feare And spare not to tell me if I be able to dooe any thyng in that whiche thou louest And if thou perceiue that I bee not carefull to bryng it to passe repute me for the cruellest mother that euer bare childe The yonge gentleman hearyng these wordes of his mother was first ashamed but after thinkyng with hymself that none was so well able to pleasure hym as she driuyng awaie all shame saied to her in this wise Madame there is none other thyng that hath made me to kepe my loue secrete but that whiche I see in many people who after thei bée growen to yeres of discrecion dooe neuer remember that thei haue béen yonge But for so muche as herein I dooe sée your Ladiship discrete and wise I will not onely affirme that to be true whiche you haue perceiued in me but also I will cōfesse what it is vpon suche condicion that the effect thereof shall folowe your promise so farre as lieth in you whereby you shalbée able to recouer my life Wherevnto the mother trusting to muche in that whiche she ought not to haue accomplished for certaine consideracions whiche afterwardes came into her minde Answered hym liberally that he might boldly discouer all his desire and that forthwith she would bryng the same to passe Madame saied the yong man then the greate beautie and commendable qualities of your maiden Gianetta whom as yet not onely I haue no power to intreate to take pitie vpon me but also I haue made no wight in the worlde priuie of this my loue The not disclosyng and secrecie wherof hath brought me in case as you sée And if so be the thing whiche you haue promised dooe not by one meane or other come to passe assure your self that my life is but short The ladie knowing that it was more tyme to comforte then to reprehende saied vnto hym smilyng Alas my soonne were you sicke for this Bée of good chere and when you are whole let me alone The yong gentleman being put in good hope shewed in litle tyme tokens and signes of greate amendemēt Wherof the mother was meruellous glad disposyng her self to proue how she might obserue that whiche she had promised And one daie callyng Gianetta vnto her demaunded in gentle wise by waie of merie talke if she had not gotten her a louer Gianetta with face all blushyng answered Madame I haue no nede thereof and muche more vnsemely for so poore a damosell as I am to meditate or thincke vpon louers whiche am banished from my frendes and kinsfolke remainyng in seruice as I dooe To whom the Ladie saied If you haue none we will bestowe one vpō you whiche shall content your mynde and make your life more delectable and pleasaunt For it is nul mete that so faire a maide as you bée should continue without a a louer Wherevnto Gianetta answered Madame waiyng with my self that you haue taken me from my poore father and brought me vp as your doughter It becometh me to do that which pleaseth you Notwithstandyng I intende neuer to make any complainte to you for lacke of suche a one bothe for vertue and honestie sake but if it please you to giue me a husbande I purpose to loue hym and none other For my progenitours haue left me none other inheritaunce but honestie whiche I meane to kéepe so long as my life indureth These woordes to the Ladie semed contrary to that whiche she desired to knowe to atchieue her promes made to her soonne although like a wise Ladie to her self she greatly praised the damoset and said vnto her But Gianetta what if my Lorde the Kyng whiche is a yonge Prince and you a faire maiden would take pleasure in your loue would you refuse hym Wherevnto the maide sodainly answered The Kyng maie well force me but by consent he shall neuer obtaine any thyng except it be honest The Ladie conceiuyng the courage and stoutnesse of the maiden in good parte saied no more vnto her but thinkyng to put the matter in proofe she tolde her sonne that when he was whole she would put them bothe in a chamber that he mighte haue his pleasure vpon her For she thought it dishonest to intreate her maide for her sōne bicause it was the office of a Roffiana The yong man was nothing contented therewith whereby he sodainly waxed worsse and worsse whiche the Ladie perceiuyng opened her whole intente to Gianetta but findyng her more constaunt the euer she was before she tolde her husbande all that she had dooen who agreed although against their willes to giue her to bée his wife thinking it better their sonne liuyng to haue a wife vnagreable to his estate then to suffer hym to die for her sake Whiche after greate consultaciō thei concluded where of Gianetta was merueilously well pleased and with deuoute harte gaue thankes to God for that he had not forgottē her And yet for all that she would neuer name her self otherwise then the doughter of a Picarde The yonge sonne waxed whole incōtinently was maried the best contented man a liue and began to dispose himself louingly to leade his life with her Perotto whiche did remain in Wales with the other Marshall of the kyng of Englāde semblably increased and was welbeloued of his maister and was a verie comely and valiaunt personage that the like of hym was not to be founde in all the Islande in suche wise that at Torneis Iustes and other factes of armes there was none in all the Countrie comparable vnto him wherfore by the name Perotto the Picarde he was knowen and renowmed And like as God had not forgotten his sister euen so he shewed his mercifull remembraunce of hym For a certaine plague and mortalitie happened in that Countrie whiche consumed the one haulfe of the people there besides that the moste part of them that liued were fledde for feare into their coūtries whereby the whole prouince seemed to bée abandoned and desolate Of whiche plague the Marshall his maister his wife and his sonne and many other brothers neuewes and kinsfolke died of whō remained no more but his onely doughter which was mariageable and some of his seruauntes together with Perotto whom after the plague was somewhat ceased the yong gentlewoman toke for her husbande through the counsaile and consente of certaine of the countrie people that were aliue bicause he was a valiaunt and honest personage and of all that inheritaunce whiche her father left she made hym Lorde Alitle while after the kyng of Englande vnderstoode that the Marshall was dedde and knowyng the valor and stoutnesse of Perotto the Picarde he made hym Marshall in steede of him that was dedde In this sort in short tyme it chaunced to the twoo innocent childrē of the Erle of Angiers which were left by hym as lost and quite forlorne It was then the .xviij. yere sithens the Erle fledde from Paris hauyng in miserable sorte suffred many
Dowrie And bicause she maie not be destitute of her Dowrie I purpose that he and none other shal haue the reward whiche the king hath promised to be so greate Thou shalte manifest thy self Perotto to bée the soonne of the Erle of Angiers and Violenta the wife of Giacchetto to bée thy sister and me to be the Erle of Angiers thy father Perotto hearyng this and stedfastly beholdyng hym beganne to knowe hym and wepyng threwe himself doune at his féete and afterwardes imbracyng him saied My deare father you are right hartly welcome Giacchetto hearyng first what the Erle had said and after seing what Perotto did he was incontinently surprised with so greate meruaile and ioye that he knewe not what to doe notwithstandyng giuyng credite to his woordes as beyng ashamed of the opprobrious talke whiche he had vsed towardes the Erle as to a seruaunt weping fell doune at his féete and humblie asked pardon for all his rashe behauiours towardes hym whiche was curteouslie graunted vnto hym by the Erle who tooke hym vp And after euery of them had a while debated of their Fortune and had well bewailed the same and reioysed one with an other Perotto and Giacchetto would haue newlie apparrelled the Erle but he in any wise would not suffre them And beyng desirous the Giacchetto might haue assuraunce of the reward promised he would that he should firste presente hym to the kyng after that sorte in the habite of a seruaunt as he was that he might make hym the more ashamed TheÌ„ Giacchetto with the Erle and Perotto after came before the kyng and offred to present the Erle and his children if it should please him to rewarde hym accordyng to the Proclamacion The kyng incontinentlie caused to bée brought forthe a rewarde of merueilous value as Giacchetto thought and commaunded hym forth with to presente the Erle and his children accordyng to his promisse Giacchetto then tourned about and placed before hym the Erle his seruaunt and Perotto saiyng Sir beholde the father and the sonne the doughter whiche is my wife is not here But by Goddes helpe you shall sée her shortlie The kyng hearing this behelde the Erle and albeit he was so greatlie chaunged from his former fauour after he hadde well viewed hym a while he knewe hym and with teares standyng in his eyes he caused the Erle to rise vp that knéeled before hym kissyng and imbrasyng hym and verie graciouslie receiued Perotto and commaunded forthwith that the Erle should bée restored to apparell seruauntes horsses and furniture accordyng to his state and degée whiche incontinently was doen and moreouer the kyng greatly honoured Giacchetto and forthwith desired to knowe all their Fortunes passed And when Giacchetto had taken the greate rewarde for bringyng forthe the Erle and his children the Erle saied vnto hym Take these royall rewardes of the Kyng my soueraigne Lorde and remember to tell thy father that thy children his nephewes and myne be no beggers borne of their mothers side Giacchetto tooke the reward and caused his wife and his mother in Lawe to come to Paris likewise thither came the wife of Perotto where with greate ioye and triumphe thei taried a certaine space with the Erle to whom the kyng had rendred all his gooddes and had placed hym in greater aucthoritie then euer he was before Then euerie of them tooke their leaue and retourned home to their owne houses and from that tyme forthe the said Erle to th ende of his life liued in Paris in greater honour and aucthoritie then euer he did before Giletta a Phisicians doughter of Narbonâ—â— healed the Frenche Kyng of a Fistula for reward wherof she demaunded Beltramo Counte of Rossiglione to husbande The Counte beyng maried againste his will for despite fled to Florence and loued an other Giletta his wife by pollicie founde meanes to lye with her husbande in place of his louer and was begotten with child of twoo soonnes whiche knowen to her husbande he receiued her againe and afterwardes she liued in greate honor and felicitie ¶ The .xxxviij. Nouell IN Fraunce there was a geÌ„tleman called Isnardo the Counte of Rossiglione who bicause he was sickly and diseased kepte alwaies in his house a PhisicioÌ„ named maister Gerardo of Narbona This Counte had one onely sonne called Beltramo a verie yonge childe pleasaunt and faire With whoÌ„ there was nourished and broughte vp many other children of his age emonges whom one of the doughters of the saied Phisicion named Giletta who feruentlie fill in loue with Beltramo more then was meete for a maiden of her age This Beltramo when his father was dedde and lefte vnder the roiall custodie of the kyng was sente to Paris for whose departure the maiden was verie pensife Alitle while after her father beyng likewise dedde she was desirous to goe to Paris onely to sée the yong Counte if for that purpose she could gette any good occasion But beyng diligently looked vnto by her kinsfolke bicause she was riche and fatherlesse she could sée no conueniente waie for her intended iourney and being now mariageable the loue she bare to the Counte was neuer out of her remembrauÌ„ce and refused many husbandes with whom her kinsfolke would haue placed her without making theÌ„ priuie to the occasion of her refusall Now it chaunced that she burned more in loue with Beltramo theÌ„ euer she did before bicause she heard tell that he was growen to the state of a goodly yonge gentlemanne She heard by reporte that the Frenche Kyng had a swellyng vpon his breast whiche by reason of ill cure was growen to a Fistula and did putte him to meruellous paine and grief and that there was no Phisicion to be founde although many were proued that could heale it but rather did impaire the grief made it worsse worsse Wherefore the kyng like one that was in dispaire would take no more counsaill or helpe Wherof the yonge maiden was wonderfull glad thought to haue by this meanes not onelie a lawfull occasion to goe to Paris but if the disease were suche as she supposed easely to bryng to passe that she might haue the Counte Beltramo to her husbande Wherevpon with suche knowledge as she had learned at her fathers handes before time she made a pouder of certain herbes whiche she thought meete for that disease and rode to Paris And the first thing she went about wheÌ„ she came thither was to sée the Counte Beltramo And then she repaired to the kyng praiyng his grace to vouchsaufe to shewe her his disease The kyng perceiuyng her to bee a faire yonge maiden and a comelie would not hide it but opened the same vnto her So sone as she sawe it she putte hym in comforte that she was able to heale hym saiyng Sire if it shall please your grace I trust in God without any paine or grief vnto your highnesse within eighte daies I will make you whole of this disease The kyng hearyng her saie so began to mocke her
curteous demaunde gaue her .v. C. poundes and so many faire and costly Iewels whiche almoste amounted to like valer For whiche the gentlewoman more then contented gaue moste hartie thankes to the Countesse who departed from the gentlewoman and retourned to her lodging The gentlewoman to take occasion from the Counte of any farther repaire or sendyng to her house tooke her doughter with her and went into the coūtrie to her frendes The Counte Beltramo within fewe daies after beyng reuoked home to his owne house by his subiectes hearyng that the Countesse was departed frō thence retourned The Countesse knowynge that her housband was gone from Florence and retourned into his countrie was verie glad and contented and she continewed in Florence till the tyme of her child bedde was come and was brought a bedde of twoo soones whiche were verie like vnto their father and caused thē carefullie to be noursed and brought vp and whē she sawe tyme she toke her iourney vnknowen to any manne and arriued at Monpellier and restyng her self there for certaine daies hearyng newes of the Counte and where he was and that vpon the daie of all Sainctes he purposed to make a great feast and assemblie of ladies and knightes in her pilgrimes wéede she wente thither And knowyng that thei were all assembled at the pallace of the Counte redie to sitte doune at the table she passed through the people without chaunge of apparell with her twoo sonnes in her armes And whē she was come vp into the hall euen to the place where the Counte was fallyng doune prostrate at his feete wepyng saied vnto him My Lorde I am thy poore infortunate wife who to thintent thou mightest returne and dwel in thine owne house haue been a great while beggyng about the worlde Therefore I now beseche thée for the honour of God that thou wilt obserue the condicions whiche the twoo knightes that I sent vnto thée did commaunde me to doe for beholde here in myne armes not onelie one soonne begotten by thée but twaine and likewise thy Kynge It is now tyme then if thou kepe promis that I should be receiued as thy wife The Counte hearyng this was greatly astonned and knewe the Kynge and the children also thei were so like hym But tell me q he howe is this come to passe The Countesse to the great admiraciō of the Counte and of all those that were in presence rehearsed vnto them in order all that whiche had béen doen and the whole discourse therof For whiche cause the Counte knowyng the thynges she had spoken to be true and perceiuyng her constaunt minde and good witte and the twoo faier yonge boies to kepe his promisse made and to please his subiectes and the Ladies that made sute vnto him to accept her from that time forthe as his lawfull wife and to honour her abiected his obstinate rigour causyng her to rise vp and imbraced and kissed her acknowledgyng her againe for his lawfull wife And after he had apparelled her according to her estate to the great pleasure and contentacion of those that were there and of all his other frendes not onely that daie but many others he kepte greate chere and from that tyme forthe he loued and honoured her as his dere spouse and wife Tancredi Prince of Salerne caused his doughters louer to be slaine and sente his harte vnto her in a cuppe of golde whiche afterwardes she putte into poisoned water and drinkyng thereof died ¶ The .xxxix. Nouell TAncredi Prince of Salerne was a curteous Lorde and of a gētle nature had he not in his age imbrued his handes with his owne proper bloud It chaunced that this prince in al his life time had but one onely doughter but he had been more happie if she had neuer been borne That doughter he loued so well as a father could loue his childe and for the tender loue he bare her he was not able to suffer her to bee out of his sighte And could not finde in his harte to marie her although she had many yeres passed the tyme that she was mariage able notwithstandyng in the ende he gaue her to wife to one of the soonnes of the Duke of Capua with whom she continued no long tyme but was a widowe and then retourned vnto her fathers house againe This Ladie was verie faire and comely of bodie and face as any creature could be yonge lustie and more wise peraduenture then a woman ought to be And thus dwelling with her louing father she liued like a noble Ladie in greate pleasure And seing that her father for the loue he bare vnto her had no minde or care to marie her againe and also she thinking it skarce honest to require him therevnto deuised with her self secretly if it were possible to retain some valiaunt man to bée her louer And seyng many gentlemen and others frequentyng her fathers court as wée commonlie sée in the Courtes of Princes and markyng the behauiour and order of many emonges all there was a yonge man one of her fathers seruaūtes that liked her well whose name was Guiscardo of verie base birthe but in vertue and honeste condicions more noble then the reste and many tymes when she sawe him she wonderfully delited in him alwaies praisyng his dooynges aboue all others The yonge manne not hauyng good consideracion of hymself perceiuyng her feruente affeccion so fixed his minde that he disposed the same vppon nothyng elles but to loue her One louing an other secretly in this sort and the ladie verie studious to finde occasiō that she might talke with hym unwillyng to commit the secrecie of hre loue to any manne she imagined with her self a new deuise to giue him knowledge therof And wrote a letter signifiyng vnto hym what he should dooe the nexte daie and how he mighte vse hymself to come to talke with her then puttyng the letter into the Cane of a rede she gaue it vnto Guiscardo in sportyng wise and saied Thou shalt this night make a paire of Bellowes for thy seruaunt wherwith she maie kindle the fire Guiscardo tooke it thought that she did not giue it vnto him without some speciall purpose whervpon he went to his chamber and loking vpō the Cane perceiued it to be hollowe and openyng it founde the letter within whiche she had written And when he had well perused it vnderstandyng the tenour and effecte thereof he thought hymself the happiest manne in the worlde and began to put hymself in redinesse to mete with his Ladie by suche waies and meanes as she had to hym appoincted There was in a corner of the princes pallace a Caue longe tyme before made vnder the side of a hille whiche Caue receiued light by a certaine vente made by force within the saied mountaine and bicause the same was not frequented and vsed it was ouer growen with busshes and thornes Into whiche Caue was a discente by a secrete paire of staiers that was in one of the lowest chambers of the
made and instructed in his trumperie leauing the poore lorde with a hamer workyng in his hedde that he was like to run out of his wittes So greate is the furious force of the poison of Ialosie which ones hauyng dispersed the venime ouer the harte and intrailes of men the wiseste sort haue lost the due discrecion of their wittes In the mornyng aboute the hower that the amourous foole ignoraunte wherefore he wente in should issue out of his maistresse chamber the Stewarde rauished with inexplicable ioye and gladnesse like to the pleasure of hym that had attained the somme of his desires called his Lorde to see that heauie and dolorous sight The good gentleman perceiuyng the report to be true and thinking that she had vsed the foole to be her bedfelow was like to haue died for sorowe or els to haue torne in peces that vnhappie sotte innocente of the euill suspected by the Lorde who durst not so muche as thinke to dooe suche a wicked facte In the ende giuyng place to reason he caused the poore foole to be apprehended and put in the bottome of a dongeon and beyōde measure was offended with his wife for that he thoughte the simplicitie of the imprisoned wretch had not the face to demaunde the question and therefore did verely beleue that it was she that had induced him to doe the dede to satisfie her vnbrideled and filthie lust and therefore caused her to be shut vp within a darke and stinckyng prison not meanyng to sée her or to heare her speake for her iustification ne yet would suffer that any man should take vpon him to stande in her defence to bring witnesse of her innocencie For saied he replete with wrathe and anger I dooe better beleue that whiche I haue séene and knowen by myne owne presence then your woordes vaine reasons and complaintes of no good grounde and effect as founden vpon her that hath to muche forgotten herself and her duetie towardes me Moreouer vanquished with the Cholere not without cause truely of a husbande that thought hymself by her onely meanes deceiued and betraied sente worde to the poore captiue that she should then prouide for her soules healthe sithe he was determined the very same daie to make her plaie a Tragedie more cruell then that was pleasaunte whiche she had alredie doen with her beloued in extrudyng her to bee deuoured of his Lions whiche were the ministers for the execution of the Iustice ordeined againste her as though she had béen the moste lasciuious and detestable woman that euer the earth brought forthe The faser and innocente Ladie knowyng the humour and cholere of her housband and likewise seing contrarie to right order of all Iudgemente that she could not bée heard or suffred to make answer passed through the rigorous law of him that thought her to be an Adulteresse And could not tell what to doe but to lamēt her ill fortune gushing forth teares in suche abundaunce that the moste part of her attire were wett and bedewed with the same then fortestyng her self in the hope of the mercifull hande of almightie God the father of all consolacion who neuer forgetteth them whiche with intire faithe doe call vpon hym and appeale to the succour of the holie and precious name of his sonne Iesus Christ our sauiour she with compunction of harte and sincere deuocion suith ioyned handes and knées vpō the graund addressyng her eyes to the heauens praied in this wise Alas my God I dooe knowe and confesse that the multitude of my synues doe surpasse the sea sandes am not ignoraunt that this vnhappie tyme is chaunced vnto me for the punishemente of my forepassed offences Notwithstandyng Lorde accordyng to thy greate goodnesse haue no respecte vnto my demerites and wickednesse whereof my life is full but rather extende thy fauour and mercie vpon thy poore creature whose innocencie thou whiche art the searcher of mennes hartes doest well vnderstande and knowe I doe not desire prolongacion of my miserable life onely maie it please thée O God for thy goodnesse and instice sake to saue myne honoure and to graunte that my husbande maie se with what integritie I haue alwaies honoured the holy bande of Mariage by thée ordeined to thintent he maie liue from henceforthe quiet of this inspicion conceiued of me and that my parentes maie not sustein the blot of ignominie whiche wil make them blushe when thei shall beare reporte of my life past She beyng in these contemplacions and holie praiers preparyng her self to receiue death her husband caused her to be conueied into the Parke of Liōs whiche beyng straunge and terrible at the first sighte did merueillously affraie her but remembryng how innocente she was puttyng her hope in God she wente thither with suche constauncie and courage as if she had been ledde to some ioyous banquet and the people which neuer heard tell before of suche a kinde of death was assembled in greate multitude tariyng to sée the ende of that execucion and talkyng diuersly of that sodaine Iudgemente praied all with one voice for the preseruacion of their ladie of whose chastitie thei were alredie right well assured Nowe as thei attended for the time of execucion the Ladie was placed in the mid of the Parke not without teares and sighes of the Assistauntes who murmured at the remembrance of the horror of a sight so furious The innocent Ladie knéeled doune vpon her knées and bothe by gesture and merie countenaunce shewed how ioyfully she went to suffer that whiche she had neuer deserued Then recōmending her soule to God for whose saluaciō she stedfastly hoped she pronounced this praier a loude O my Lorde God whiche diddest ones deliuer Daniel from a daūger like to this whervnto the false accusaciō of the wicked haue wrongfully cast me hedlong And diddest discharge Susanna from the slander of the peruerse and adulterous Iudges pleaseth thée pitifully to beholde thy poore creature Pardon O Lorde forgiue I humblie beseche thee the simplicitie of my deare husbande who dealeth thus with me rather through the circumuencion of deceiptfull cauillyng slaunderers then by his owne malice and crueltie Receiue O my GOD and mercifull father Receiue my soule betwene thy besse handes whiche thou hast redemed by the bloodde sheddyng of thy soonne Iesus vpon the Tree of the Crosse. As she had ended these woordes she sawe the Lions come for the rampyng and bristleyng vp their heare stretchyng foorthe their pawes with roaryng voice cruelly lookyng rounde about them Of whom the Ladie thought to be the present praie But the goodnesse of God who is a iust Iudge and suffreth his own elect to be proued to the extremitie of purpose to make their glorie the greater and the ruine of the wicked more apparaunt manifested there an euident miracle For the Lions beyng cruell of nature and that tyme hungrie and gredie of praie in lieu of tearyng the Ladie in péeces to gorge their rauening paunche thei fill to lickyng and fawnyng
lawes And besides that I shal not be alone amongst princesses that haue forsaken parents and countries to folow their loue into straunge Regions Faire Helena the Greke did not she abandon Menelaus her husband and the rych citie of Sparta to follow the faire Troian Alexander sayling to Troie Phedria and Ariadne despised the delicates of Creta lefte their Father a very olde man to go with the Cecropian Theseus None forced Medea the wise furious Lady but Loue to depart the Isle of Colchos her owne natiue country with the Argonaute Iason O good God who can resist the force of Loue to whome so many kinges so many Monarches so many wise men of all ages haue done their homage Surely the same is the only cause that compelleth me in making my self bold to forget my duety towards my parents and specially myne honor which I shall leaue to be reasoned vpon by the ignorant people that considereth nothing but that which is exteriourly offred to the view of the sight Ah how much I deceyue my selfe make a reckning of much without myne hoste And what knowe I if Alerane although he doe loue me wyll lose the good grace of the Emperour and forsake his goodes and so it may be to hazarde his life to take so pore and miserable a woman as I am Notwithstanding I will proue fortune death is the worst that can chaunce which I accelerate rather than my desire shall lose his effect Thus the faire and wise Princesse concluded her vnhappy state And all this time her best friend Alerane remayned in great affliction beyond measure and felte suche a feare as cannot be expressed with wordes only true louers know the force altogether like to that wherof the yong Prince had experience and durst not discouer hys euyll to her that was able to giue him her allegeance much lesse to disclose it to any deare friende of his into whose secrecie he was wont to commit the most part of his cares which was the cause that made him fele his harte to burne like a litle fier in the middes of a cleare riuer and sawe himself selfe ouerwhelmed within the waters hotter than those that be intermixed with sulphure do euaporat and send forth ardent smokes in an AEthna hill or Vesuue mountayne The Princesse impacient to endure so long could no longer kepe secrete the flames hydden within her without telling and vttering them to some whom her minde liked best and there to render them where she thought they toke their essense and being casting away all shame and feare which accustomably doth associat Ladies of hir estate and age One day she toke secretely asyde one that was her Gouernesse named Radegonde a Gentlewoman so vertuous wise and sober as any other that was in the Emperoures courte who for her approued manners and chaste life had the charge of the bringing vp and nourishing of Adelasia from her Infancie To this Gentlewoman then the amorous Princesse deliberated to communicate her secretes and to let her vnderstand her passion that she might finde some remedie And for that purpose they two retired alone within a closet the pore louer trembling like a leafe at the blast of the weasterne winde when the sunne beganne to spreade his beames syghing so strangely as if hir body and soule would haue departed sayde thus The trust which dayly I haue had in that naturall goodnesse which appeareth in you my mother and welbeloued Lady ioyned with discretion and fidelitie wherwith all your actes and affaires be recōmended do presently assure me and make me bolde in this my trouble to participate vnto you my secretes which be of greater importance without comparison than any that euer I tolde you persuading my selfe that the thing which I shall tell you whatsoeuer it be be it good or ill you will accepte it in suche wise as your wysedome requireth and to kepe it so close as the secrete of suche a Lady as I am doth deserue And that I may not holde you long in doubte what it is knowe ye that of late the valor prowesse beauty and curtesie of senior Alerane of Saxon hath founde suche place in my hearte that in despite of my selfe I am so in loue with him that my life is not deare vnto me but for his sake my hearte taketh no pleasure but in his glory and vertue hauing chosen him so vertuous a Prince for my friend and one day by Gods sufferaunce for my laweful spouse and husbande I haue assayed a thousand meanes so many wayes to cast him of to blot him out of my minde But alas vnhappy caytife Fortune is so frowarde and so vnmercyfull to my endeuour that the more I labour and goe about to extinguish in me the memorie of his name and commendable vertues so muche the more I do enlarge and augnient them the flames of which loue do take such increase that I do little or nothing estéeme my life without the enioying the effecte of my desire and the tast of such licor which nourishing my hope in pleasure may quench the fier that doth consume me Otherwise I sée no meanes possible but that I am constrayned eyther to lose my good wittes whereof already I felte some alienation or to ende my dayes with extreme anguishe and insupportable hearts sorrowe Alas I knowe well that I shal lose my time if I attempt to pray the Emperour my father to giue me Alerane to my husbande syth he doth already practise a mariage betwene the King of Hungarie and me And also that Alerane although he be a Prince of so noble bloud and so honorable house as the Saxon is yet is to base to be sonne in law to an Emperour In these my distresses it is of you alone of whome I loke for ayde I counsayle being certayne of your prudence and good iudgement and therfore I pray you to haue pity vpon me haue remorse vpon this immoderate passiō that doth torment me beyond measure Radegonde hearing Adelasia disclose this talke wherof she would neuer haue thought was so confounded and astoned that of long tyme she could not speake a word holding her hed downe reuoluing thousand diuers matters in her minde knew not wel what to answere the Princesse Finally gathering her spirits vnto her she answered her with teares in her eyes saying Alas Madame what is that you say Is it possible that the wisest vertuons and most courtcots Princesse of Europa could suffer her selfe in this sort through her onely aduise to be transported to her owne affections and sensual appetites Is it wel done that you seing in me a discretion and modestie doe not imitate the puritie therof be these the godly admonicions which heretofore I haue giuen you that you will so lightly defile your fathers house wyth the blot of infamie and your self with eternall reproche Would you Madame that vpon th ende of my yeares I should begin to betray my Lorde the Emperoure who hath committed to my
to withdrawe themselues into their chamber and then she went in to the garden where Alerane first made his plaintes as you haue heard before in which place her husband taried for her God knoweth whether they renewed their pastime begonne the day of their mariage but fearing to be taken they beganne to playe the comedie the actes whereof were very long and the scrolle of their miseries to prolixe to cary before they came to the Catastrope and ende of their Comicall action For leauing their sumptuous and riche apparell they clothed themselues wyth Pilgrimes attire taking the Skallop shell and staffe like to them that make their Pilgrimage to S. Iames in Gallisia The Princesse toke the personage of a yong Wench ruffing her heare which she had in time passe so carefully kempt curled and trimmed wyth golde and iewels of inestimable value wherin consisteth the chiefest grace touching the beauty ornament of the woman Who is able to deny but that this naturall humour and passion borne so sone as we which they call Loue is not a certayne essence and being the force vigor wherof is not able to abide cōparison Is it no small matter that by the only instinction of Loues force the daughter of so great a Prince as the Emperour of the Romaines was should wander like a vagabonde in dissembled apparell and poorely clothed to experiment and proue the long trauayle of iorneys the intemperature of the ayre the hazarde to méete wyth so many théeues and murderers which lay in wayte in all places for pore passengers and moreouer to féele the bitternesse of trauayle neuer tasted before the rage of hunger the intollerable alteration of thirst the heate of hote sommer the coldenesse of winters yee subiect to raines stormy blasts doth it not plainly demonstrate that Loue hath either a greater perfection than other passions or else that they which fele that alteration be out of the number of reasonable men endued with the brightnesse of that noble quality This faire Lady recouering the fieldes wyth her husbande with determination to take their flyght into Italie was more ioyefull freshe and lustye than when she lyued at ease amongs the delicates and pleasures that she tasted in her fathers court Sée howe fortune and loue were contented to be blinde closing vp the eyes of them that follow their trace subdue themselues to their edictes and vnstable disposition And truely this rage of Loue was the only meane to dulcorate and make swete the bytter galle of griefe which those two louers felte defatigated almost with tedious trauaile iudging theire wearinesse a pastime and pleasure being guided by that vnconstante captayne which maketh dolts and foles wise men emboldeneth the weak hearted and cowardes fortifieth the séeble and to be shorte vntieth the pursses and bagges of couetous Carles and miserable Misers Now whiles our faire pilgrimes without any vowed deuocion were abrode at their pleasures being wery with the way they had trauayled all nighte the morrowe after theire departure all the Emperoures house was in a greate hurlye burlye and stirre for the absence of Adelasia The wayting maydes cryed out and raged wythout measure with suche shrichinges that the Emperour moued wyth pytie althoughe his griefe and anger was greate yet he caused euery place there aboutes to be searched and sought but all that laboure was in vayne In the ende perceyuing the absence of Alerane suspected that it was be which had stolen away his faire Daughter and brought him into suche a passion and frensie that he was like to runne out of his wittes and transgresse the boundes of Reason Ah traytour sayde the good Prince Is this the guerdon of good turnes bestowed vpon thée and of the honour thou hast receiued in my company Do not thinke to escape scot frée thus wythoute the rigorous iustice of a father deserued by disobedience and of a Prince against whome his subiect hath committed villany Ye God giue me life I wil take such order that the posteritie shal take example by that iust vengeance which I hope to take of thée arrant theefe despoyler of my honor and consolation And thou vnkinde daughter shalt smartely féele the wrong done to thy kinde and welbeloued father who thinketh to prouide for thée more honorably than thy disloyaltie and incontinencie so farre as I sée doe merite and deserue sith that without my leaue and thy vocation thou hast gotten thée a husband worthy of thy folly with whom I hope to make thée vnderstande thy fault my displeasure which I receiue through thy shameful act so reprochfull specially in her which is the daughter of suche a father as I am and descendeth of the most royall race in al Europe Many other things the Emperor sayde in great rage and furie And in the ende commaunded that one should goe into Saxon to knowe if Alerane had conueied his stolen daughter thither but he could bring no newes at al from thence He assayed then if he could learne any tidings of them by other meanes causing by sound of Trumpet to be cryed in all the Townes confining that if any person coulde bring him worde or doe him to vnderstande certayne and sure newes of those two fugitiues he would giue them that wherewith they should be contented all the dayes of their lyfe But he wanne so muche by this third serche as he did by the first two Which thing the Maiestie of God semed to permit and suffer aswel for the happy successe that chaunced afterwardes as for the punishing of the rashe enterprise of two Louers which liued not very long in prosperitie and ioy but that they felte the hand of God who sometime suffereth the faithfull to fall to make him acknowledge his imbecillitye to the ende he maye confesse that al health sustenance rest and comfort is to be attended and loked for at the handes of God When Alerane and his Lady were gone out of a city within the Emperours lande called Hispourg being come into certain wilde and desert places they fel into the lapse of certaine theues which stripped Alerane into his shirt and had done asmuch to the poore Princesse if certaine Marchauntes had not come betwene which caused the théeues to retourne Alerane was succoured with some clothes to couer his body and releued with a little sume of money which being spēt those two Kings children were constrained to begge and aske for gods sake reliefe to sustayne their infortunate life Which distresse was so difficulte for Alerane to disgest that he was like standing vpon his féete to die for sorrowe and want not so muche for the aduersitie wherevnto he was brought through his owne fault as for the pitie that he had vpon his deare beloued Lady whome he sawe in so lamentable state and knewe that she might attayne to her auncient dignitie and honour againe if she listed to prefer reward or prise before his lyfe for which she spared not the very laste droppe of her
mortall body And if I should so farre forget my selfe as willingly to commit a thing so dishonest your grace ought for the loyall seruice of my father and husbande towarde you sharpely to rebuke me and to punishe me according to my deserte For this cause moste dradde soueraigne Lord you which are accustomed to vanquishe and subdue other be nowe a conquerour ouer your selfe and throughly bridle that concupiscence if there be any vnder the raines of Reason that being quenched and ouercome they may no more reuiue in you and hauing liuely resisted the first assaultes the victorie is but easie which shall be a thousand times more glorious and gainefull for you than if you had conquered a kingdome The Countesse had scarce made an ende of her tale but one came to tell them that the Tables were couered for dinner the King well fedde with Loue dyned for that tyme very soberlye and not able to eate but vpon amorous dishes did caste his lokes inconstantly here and there and still his eyes threwe the last loke vpon that part of the table where the Countesse satte meaning thereby to extinguishe the boyling flames which incessantly did burne him howbeit by thinking to coole them he further plondged himselfe therein And wandering thus in diuers cogitations the wise aunswere that the Countesse made like a vaunte curreur was continually in his remebrance and was well assured of her inuincible chastitie By reason wherof seing that so harde and enterprise required a longer abode and that a heart so chaste could not so quickly be remoued frō purpose careful on the other side to giue order to the waightie affaires of his realme disquieted also on euery side throughe the turmoile of warres determined to depart the next day in the morning reseruing till another tyme more conuenient the pursute of his Loue. Hauing taken order for his departure in the morning he went to seke the Countesse and taking his leaue of her he prayed her to thinke better of the talke made vnto her the day before but aboue all he besought her to haue pitie vpon hym Wherevnto the Countesse answered that not onelye she prayed God incessantly to giue him victorie ouer his outwarde enemies but also grace to tame that carnall passion which did so torment him Certaine dayes after that King Edward was arriued at London which was the place of his ordinarie abode the Countesse of Salesburie was aduertised that the Earle her husbande being out of prison consumed with griefe sicknesse died by the way homewardes And bicause they had no children the Earledome retorned to the King which first gaue the same vnto him And after she had lamented the death of her husbande the space of many dayes she retourned to her fathers house which was Earle of Warwicke And for so muche as he was one of the Kinges priuie Counsell and the most part of the affaires of the realme passed by his aduise and counsell he continued at London that he might be more nere vnto the Kinges person The King aduertized of the comming of the Countesse thought that fortune had opened a way to bring his enterprise to desired effecte specially for that the death of her husbande and the witnesse of his earnest good will would make her more tractable The king seing all thing as he thought to succede after his desire began to renewe his first affections séeking by all meanes to practise the good wil of the Countesse who then was of the age of .xxvi. yeares Afterwardes he ordayned many triumphes at the Tilte and Torney Maskes Momeries feastes banquets and other like pastimes wherat Ladies accustomably doe assemble who made much of them all and secretely talked with them Notwithstanding he could not so well disguise and counterfait his passions but that he still shewed himselfe to beare beste good will to the Countesse Thus the king coulde not vse suche discretion in loue but that from his secret fier some euident flames did issue out But the Countesse which was a wise and curteous Lady did easely perceyue how the king by chaunging the place had not altered his affection and that he still prosecuted his talke begon at Salesberic She despising all his amorous countenaunces continued her firme and chaste minde And if it chaunced that sometimes the king made more of her than discretion required sodainly might haue bene discried a certaine palenesse in her face which declared the little pleasure that she toke in his toyes with a certayne rigor appearing that yelded to the king an assured testimonie that he laboured in vaine Neuerthelesse she to cut of all meanes of the Kings pursute kept still her fathers house shewing her self in no place where the king might sée her The king offended seing himselfe depriued and banished her presence whome he estemed as the comfort of his lyfe made his secretarie priuie to the whole matter whose fidelitie he had wel proued in matters daungerous with minde to pursue her by other way if it chaunced that she persisted in her wonted rigor and refusall Howbeit before he proceded any further sith he could not secretely talke with her he purposed to sende her a letter the Tenor whereof insueth MAdame if you please by good aduise to consider the beginning of my Loue the continuance of the same then the last issue whervnto it is brought I am assured that laying your hand vpon your heart you will accuse your self not onely of your curst and froward stomacke hitherto appearing but also of that newe ingratitude which you shewe vnto me at this houre not contented to be bathed plondged by you in the missehap of my payne paste but yet by a newe onset you abandon your felfe from my presence as from the sight of your mortall enemie wherin I find that heauen and al his influences doe cry out for mine ouerthrow wherevnto I doe agrée since my lyfe taking no vigor and increase being onely sustained by the fauour of your diuine graces can not be maintained one onely minute of a day without the liberall helpe of your swéetenesse and vertue beseching you that if the heartie prayers of any mortall tormented man may euer haue force and power to moue you to pitie it may please you miraculously to deliuer from henceforth this my poore miserable afflicted mynde eyther from death or martirdome He that is more yours than his owne Edwarde the desolate King of Englande The letter written with his owne hand and sealed with his seale he commaunded the Secretarie to goe to the Countesse at her fathers house and secretly to deliuer the same which he did And the Countesse hauing read and perused it sayde to the Secretarie My frende you shal tell the king that I doe beseche him most humbly to send me no more letters or messages touching the matters wherof he hath written For I am in such wise resolued in the aunswere which I made him in my Castle that I will persist immutable to the ende
if you had séene the numbre of shotte which by the space of .xij. houres were bestowed so thick as hayle vpon euery parte of the Forte you might haue iudged what good will the Scottes did beare vnto me and my people And for my selfe I am assured that if I had made proufe of that which you say and submitted my selfe to their mercie my bodie nowe had bene dissolued into dust The king astonned with so sage wise an aunswere chaunging his minde went towarde the Castle where after interteignement and accustomed welcome he began by little and little to féele himselfe attached with a newe fier Which the more he labored to resist the more it inflamed And feling this newe mutacion in himselfe there came into his minde an infinite nūbre of matters balancing betwene hope and feare sometimes determining to yelde vnto his passions sometimes thinking clerely to cut them of for feare least by committing himselfe to his affections the vrgent affayres of the warres wherwith he was inuolued should haue yll successe But in the end vanquished with Loue he purposed to proue the heart of the Countesse and the better to attayne the same he toke her by the hande and prayed her to shewe him the commodities of the Forteresse Which she did so well and with so good grace interteigning him all that while with infinite talke of diuers matters that the little griftes of Loue which were scarcely planted began to grow so farre as the rootes remayned engrauen in the depth of his heart And the King not able any longer to endure suche a charge in his minde pressed with griefe deuised by what meanes he might enioy her which was the cause of his disquiet But the Countesse seing him so pensife without any apparaunt occasion sayde vnto him Sir I doe not a little maruell to sée you reduced into these alterations For me thinke your grace is maruellously chaunged with in these two or thre houres that your highnesse vouchsaued to enter into this Castle for my succour and reliefe in so good time that al the dayes of my lyfe both I and mine be greatly bounde vnto you as to him which is not onely content eliberallie to haue bestowed vpon vs the goodes which we possesse but also by his generositie doth cōserue and defende vs from the incursions of the enemie Wherein your grace doth deserue double praise for a déede so charitable But I cannot tell nor yet deuise what should be the occasion that your highnesse is so pensife and sorrowfull sithe without great losse on your part your enemies vnderstanding of your stoute approch be retired which ought as I suppose to driue away the melancolie from your stomack and to reuoke your former ioy for so muche as victorie acquired without effusion of bloude is alwayes moste noble and acceptable before God The King hearing this Aungelles voyce so amiably pronouncing these wordes thinking that of her owne accorde she came to make him mery determined to let her vnderstand his griefe vpon so conuenient occasion offred Then with a trembling voyce he sayde vnto her Ah Madame howe farre be my thoughtes farre different from those which you doe thinke me to haue I féele my heart so opprest with care that it is impossible to tell you what it is howheit the same hath not bene of long continuance being attached there withall since my comming hither which troubleth me so sore that I cannot tell wherevpon well to determine The Countesse seing the King thus moued not knowing the cause why was vncertayne what aunswere to make Which the king perceiuing sayde vnto her fetching a déepe sigh from the bottome of his stomack And what saye you Madame therevnto can you giue me no remedie The Coūtesse which neuer thought that any such dishonestie coulde take place in the kings heart taking things in good part sayde vnto him Syr I know not what remedie to giue you if first you doe not discouer vnto me the griefe But if it trouble you that the Scottish king hath spoyled your countrie the losse is not so great as wherewith a prince so mighty as you be néede to be offended sithens by the grace of God the vengeance lyeth in your hand and you may in tyme chasten him as at other times you haue done Wherevnto the king seing her simplicitie answered Madame the beginning of my grief riseth not of that but my wounde resteth in the inwarde parte of my heart which pricketh me so sore that if I desire from henceforth to prolong my lyfe I must open the same vnto you reseruing the cause thereof so secrete that none but you and I must be partakers I muste nowe then confesse vnto you that in cōming to your Castle and casting downe my head to beholde your celestiall face and the rest of the graces wherwith the Heauens haue prodigally endewed you I haue felt vnhappie man as I am such a sodayne alteratiō in all the most sensible partes of my bodie that knowing my forces diminished I can not tell to whome to make my complaint of my libertie lost which of long time I haue so happyly preserued but only to you that like a faythfull keper and onely Treasorer of my heart you may by some shining beame of pitie bring againe to hys former mirth and ioye that which you desire in me and by the contrarie you maye procure to me a life more painefull and grieuous than a thousand deathes together When he had ended these wordes he helde his peace to let her to speake attending none other thing by her aunswere but the laste decrée eyther of death or lyfe But the Countesse with a grauitie conformable to her honestie honor without other mouing sayde vnto him If any other besides your grace had bene so forgetfull of himselfe to enter in these tearmes or to vse suche talke vnto me I knowe what shoulde be myne aunswere and so it might be that he shoulde haue occasion not to be well contented but knowing this your attempt to procéede rather from the pleasantnesse of your hearte than for other affection I will beleue from henceforth and persuade my selfe that a Prince so renowmed and gentle as you be doth not thinke and much lesse meane to attempt any thing against myne honour which is a thousand times dearer vnto me than lyfe And I am persuaded that you doe not so little estéeme my father and my husband who is for your seruice prisoner in the hands of the French men our mortall enemies as in their absence to procure vnto them suche defamation and slaunder And by making this request your grace doth swarue from the boundes of Honestie very farre and you doe greate iniurie to your fame if men shoulde know what tearmes you doe vse towards me In like manner I purpose not to violate the faith which I haue giuen to my husbande rather I intende to kepe the same vnspotted so long as my soule shall be caried in the Chariot of this