the chamber where he behelde the stretched Corps of Cayme and where yet was the Emperour with a smal company who seing Mahometh although hee was surprysed with feare seeing hym in such array yet making a vertuâ— of necessitye comming to incounter with him sayth Ah Villayne sonne of a Villayne art thou yet liuing Yea sayth Mahometh I liue in despight of thy Menaces and false â—â—â—entions ready to send thee to all the diuils to serue for their pray trusting in God that he will geue me strength to reuenge vpon thee most disloyal of al disloyals the death of thy innocent parentes of whome thou haste bene the inhumayne bloodshedder In saying these wordes putting their handes to their â–ª weapons they ioyned togythers and although the Souldan defended himselfe alwayes veryâ— brauely yet the slaue a man very stroÌ„g braue hardy and always brought vp in warres and who for his good deede had the ayde and fauour of the God of that Coast acquyteth himselfe so well in lesse then an howe 〈◊〉 at the Tyraunt was able no longer to supporte the strength of the blowes of Mahometh but in the ende began to declyne towarde the earth the slaue by little and little became victoryous setting his shield vpon his throat to make him to yeelde himself which being done he causeth him to be streightly bound and deliuered vnto the people who sodaynly rente him into a hundred thousand peeces so that he was not esteemed to be the chyld of a good mother that had not done some iniury to the car cases of the miserable tyraunt O iust iudgemente of God he that tofore neuer thoughte himselfe ynough worshipped of his subiectes is now slayne by their sedicions handes to the ende that euerye one shoulde euidently perceyue that goods vniustly gotten alwayes geue the salary of their vniustice to the greedy desyrer the vyolater of right and of all religion After the death of the Souldan they made dilligent inquisytion of the complicis and executers of his cruell murders who being accused and conuicte were rygorously punished according to their lawes and ordinances The people perceyuing themselues so bound to Mahometh for that he had beene the deliuerer of all their Countrye and the punisher of such an offence which they dissembled by constraynt gaue vnto him the gouernment of the I le and woulde absolutelye haue inuested him in the seignory But the sage olde man knowing very wel both the inconstancy of fortune and the vndurable good will of a multitude and not ignorant also that he which vnder the tytle of good fayth occupyeth the goods of another cannot choose otherwyse then ingender the ruine of his successours and commonly giue cause of his infamy and totall dishonor therfore hauing set the affayres of the I le in good order hee causeth vpon a day all the estates of the countrey to be called in counsell before whome he made this Oration There is none of you my good Lords which are ignoraunt that I was borne in this your Iland and much lesse of the blood and race of them which ought to raygne ouer the people I haue bene brought vp and nourished as a slaue in the Court of the former Souldan father of this wicked parracyde of whome and vpon whome you haue taken condigne vengeance for his wickednesse I beseech you refer all that which I haue done or yet shal do to the honour and obedience of the vertuous deceased Lord and to the memory of those goods which I haue receyued of him and also to establish and pacifye the Signory to the yongest sonne of hym who as you know is fugitiue in the Mosque sith the day that his brother the Tyraunt made the horrible slaughter of them of his blood I therefore am of thys mynde if you also shall thinke it good that the successyon he being of the right ligne shoulde be by you rendered vnto him for I haue not at all purposed to vsurpe anye Lande from the sonne of him to whose name during my lyfe I haue borne such honour as the seruaunte to his mayster and the Vassall and subiecte to his Lorde Therefore I resygne and remyt into your handes the supremidence whiche of your good wils you haue giuen me both ouer you and ouer the Landes of my Lorde and your Prince vnto whome by your meanes I maye serue to gyue counsell in all his affayres by which if hee will gouerne himselfe I will assure you that you shall vnderstande you haue oâ—elye chaunged a man and not a vertuous and gentle Prince alwayes thanking you for the amitye and good affection which you haue borne me which if God gyue me lyfe I hope to satisfye by all kynde of humanitie and duety of a good friend and as an obedyent seruaunt of your commynaltye The people abashed of the vertue and continencie of the good olde man who forsaking the honours vnte which their election had called him louing better to lyue a pryuate lyfe then to enioye a whole countrey wythout hauing iust tytle of possessyon doe easily accorde to the counsell and sage opynyon of Mahometh So the yong Prince was fetched from the Temple and placed in the seate of his father wyth thys condicyon that hee should haue alwayes the olde man for assystaunte and counceller and by whose handes shoulde passe all the affayres of importaunce that might chaunce wythin the I le Beholde a notable and rare example of two great extremities in the vertue of one man the assuraunce and Magnaminitye to reuenge a publique iniurye vpon one that of him selfe was publique if by his vyce he had not made himselfe more abiect then the leaste of the common and popular multytude and the modestye conioyned wyth great reason and foresyghte to despyse that wherefore almoste all men at these dayes doe take and adresse for what occasyon soeuer it bee the bloody battayles profayning the sanctitude of Religyon peruerting the order of iudgementes redusyng and rendryng all thinges into wynd and adnychylatyng the charity that euery one oweth to hys Neighboure for wyth a huge heape of sinnes curses they aâ—tayn their Lordships and within a whyle they forget the effusyon of bloud of the good cittizens not appeasing the incursyoâ—s that in the end they ouerthrow themselues as is the flower by the heate of the Sonne in his full force and as was latelye seene in the tyrannous rule of the Myllinois of our tyme and once in the raygn of the Persians and Greekes the Monarchie of whome was lyke a flame that vanisheth away quickly as did their domynyons after their establishement FINIS ¶ The Marques of Ferraria without hauing regarde to fatherly loue caused his owne Sonne to be beheaded for that he was found in Adultery with his faire Mother in law who lykewyse lost her head in Pryson by his commaundement IN the lyfe of Phillip Vicont Duke of Millayne sonne of Iohn Galeas he y so often made warres against the Florentynes and their Lyne then
perchauÌ„ce lacketh not here and there his imperfections so had God lent to the Authour longer lyfe would haue bene better poolyshed as voyde of faults and escapes in the prynting as his mynd was frée froÌ„ iustly giuing occasioÌ„ of offeÌ„ce to any Which courtesye if accordingly there appeare to remayne wythin thee then doubtlesse is his paynes fully rewarded and my expectation suffycyentlye satysfyed Farewell ¶ CERTAINE STRANGE and Lamentable Tragicall Historyes ¶ A iust Fact but to cruell of Iohn Maria Duke of Myllayne towarde a Priest extreme couetous IOhn Maria Vicont sonne of Iohn Galeas vnto whome the Emperour Ladisilaus gaue the tytle and name of Duke of Myllayne was he that succeeding in the estate and dignity of Duke made himselfe knowne and renowned before all the Princes of his tyme not in shewing himselfe more vertuous then they or in surpassing the good Fortune of that good Galeas his Father who I thinke neuer committed any other notable euill then that he lefte behynde him a plague so great and daungerous as his sonne the successyon of whome was no more fortunate for the Milinois then was once the Romayne Monarch of Marcus Aurelius leauing for the inheritour of the Empyre that Butcher â–ª and Sworde player Commodus a lyuelye example of creweltye and mischiefe and truelye hys Countrey myghte well haue coniectured their Misfortune in that Iohn Maria was called to the Dignitye of the Dukedome after that all Italye had seene the Orygynall of the Ciuill warres so often wrytten of by the Hystoryans whiche so muche weakened the strength of Italye and abased the glorye of those thinges whiche remayned to them as Reliques escaped from the handes of so manye Barbaryans and Straungers that hadde foyled with their feâ—te the honour of that Godlye Prouynce for it was after that the Guelfes and Gibilines had throughlye deuyded themselues leauyng no corner of Italye that was notte Dyed wyth the bloud of the poore Cittizens and was it not pittyfull to see the Nobillitye chased and wandring abroade there beyng no creature that felte not thys Tempeste and whyche perceyued not the vehemencye of a deuysyon so furyoâ—s so that all Natyons of Europe had their accesse to make their Rodes into Italye and there to pyll the Cittyes and Fertyle Fyeldes called into the country eyther by the one or the other of the Factions But this Duke was renowned for the moste cruell and inhumayne Tyraunte that euer was nouryshed in Christendome and I beleeue that Bucyrus Phalaris or that Thracian King which fostred his Horses with the bodyes of the dead did neuer surpasse him in crueltye and although his Predicessoures had bene Princes very mercifull and gentle and that by their modestye they had attayned to the place of suche Prehemynence yet this is he which forgetting the house wherof he came did degenerate from the bloud of his Ancestours being despightfull for that Fortune had bene otherwyse to him then she had bene towardes that excellent Iohn Galeas his Father and to Valentyne that was Wyfe to the Duke of Orleans shee whych was slayne at Paris by the Duke of Burgoyne his men doeth so accarnate hymselfe that hee caused to be deuoured in his presence by Mastyfes broughte vp to that ende those whyche for the leaste occasyon that hee fantasyed in his mynde dydde displease hym hauyng for the Mynyster of hys crueltye and in steade of Prouest Marshall a Gentleman named Squarce Gyrame as courteous as hys Lorde and who in the ende was also payde wyth the same paymente as was hys Mayster being both togyther as cruelly slayne as vnpittifull they had fleshed themselues vppon the myserable people of Millayne during the tyme then that this incorporate Deuill reioyseth himselfe and sheweth these tragicall and detestable actes of hys cruell lyfe this thing chaunced which I am now about to descrybe vnto you to the ende you may beholde the two great and extreame vyces the one of Auaryce in a Priest and the other of the crueltie of the Duke Iohn Maria ryding one day thorough his Cittye as commonly he did not onely for to beholde the faultes of his subiectes but more to search out if any one durst complayn of the detestable maners of his lyfe and the very hauty and tyrannical doings of his raygn to the end he might seeme to haue some reason to tormeÌ„t him that shoulde complayne without cause of his Lord that as yet had giuen him no occasyon Thus as he made these Iorneys he hard a farre of a great crye and the voyce of a woman complayning who clapping her hands did eleuate her voyce verye high thinking that GOD was deafe and that he will not heare our necessityes without such a sturre to whome he sent one of his seruaunts to know the cause of a crye so fearefull who found it at thedore of a pore woman whose husband was lately deceased that thus complayned as well for the losse of her companyon as also for that shee had not wherewith to bring him to the earth Alas sayth the woman half desperate whether may the pore haue their recourse syth the very Church hath denyde their duetyes to them vnto whome they be bounde to whome may I adresse my selfe not hauing wherewith to satisfye or glent the desyre of my vnsatiable Curat that is neyther content with the gayns which he hath suffring this body without life to remayne without Sepulture onely for the herytage of all the goods whiche he hath lefte me in this world for my comforte for if I wyll haue him interred of necessitye I must sell all my moueables and afterwards not knowing how to relieue my Infantes Ah false Pastor I beseech God to punish with some great persecution both thee and them which are of lyke condicions saying so with cryes teares sobs and sighes she pardoneth not her own cheekes and face but scratcheth the one she bepaynteth the others stryking herselfe vpon the stomack and shewing dyuers other sygnes of a woman distraught the Dukes man seeing her to shew such fashyons addrest him towardes her saying My friende what wrong is this that is done to you and wherefore shew you so great dule tell me because I may make the reporte to my Lord who hath sent me hyther to know the matter and assure your self if any one hath offended you he will extend such Iustice that you shall be contente and satisfyed and the authoures shall haue whereof to take example and withholden to doe iniurye to the poore in suche a Towne as thys where the Lorde wyll that Iustyce be done to euery one without respecte of estate The woman who knewe by his Lyuerye that hee was one of the Dukes Seruauntes whose presence although it were not verye agreeable vnto her in thynking that hee came there but onelye to seeke some praye yet not fearing anye worse aduenture then her owne nor anye Fortune more frowarde then the estate wherein shee was and also for that death to her woulde haue bene great solace ioying
the Countye is hee O GOD the onelye remembraunce makes me blushe in wytnesse whych is the Liefetenant of the bedde â— and the incestyous â—â—â—yuall of hys owne Father it is hee that for your sake bryngeth vengeaunce vppon hymselfe and which thinkyâ—g to remedye youâ— greefes hath composed a mediâ—yne so bytter that the onely smell will cause such an horrour that hee wyll curse the hower a hâ—â—dered tymes â–ª wherein he began that whyche as I perceyue he hath executed Alas woulde God that I were a false Dâ—â—ynatresse in this But as for you Madame hold you assured of my fayth by whiche I sweare vnto you that what torment soeuer shall happen whether it be sorrowe or death how ignominyous soeuer it be shall not force me to say any thing that may denigrate the honour of my Mistresse conserued hitherto with so great good reputatioÌ„ Moreouer Madam imploy me in what it shall please you for syth the thing is done the counsel thereof is alredy taken you shal see by experience effect how I am mynded to do you seruyce in that it shall please you to imploy me Ah my dere friend theÌ„ sayth y Marchyones how your wordes haue pierced my harte â–ª whereby I knowe you haue told me the truth but what the force of loue is so great vehement that I cannot tell how to withdraw myself now from it that I thynke my desteny hath done it for my contentment also because amongst all the humayn passions this is it that hath the preference that cannot be auoided with any forcâ— or study that one bestowes therfore I desâ—re you to talk no more of this misfortune vnto me for we wil vse such prouidence that the most clere sighted shal not know what to think only insâ—ruct you y County of that he hath to do of the howers at which he may coÌ„modiouâ—ly come vnto my chamber it is now in your hands my friend that you may end both my lyfe honour and that yet holde the good or euill Fortune of the Countye in your power Thus there passed certayne Monthes that the two â—oners reioysed togyther wythoute any of the Coortyers suspectynge anye thyng of so detestable a Felonye and exeerable abhomynacyon who although they behelde the courtesyes that the Marchiones shewed to the County whom she then intertayned verye familliarlye But they thought that she did it to please the Marques to the end that hee should not thinke she hated the children of his fyrst wyfe and also for that as I sayde before the County was so honest and curteous that he rauished the hart of euery one towards him which did yet confyrm the opynyon of the Gentlemen that this amity of the Lady towards the yong Prince was extended onely for the sole vertue gentle nurture of the Countye But Fortune that cannot forget her Nobillitie and the heauens angry for an acte so infamous and an iniurye so detestably committed both agaynste God and agaynste the Father and husband of both the offenders styrred vp a more wyly and subtle discouerer of secrete faults which is Time who did the offyce of a good Seruaunt after that by the very foolishnesse of the two louers their folly was made euydent they gouerning themselues so vndiscretly togythers and with so small respecte of persons tyme and place that in the ende blynded in their pleasure and glutted in their ease they thought that Tyme woulde alwayes haue bene so fauourable as she had bene almoste the space of two yeares Now let alone the Marques of Ferraria that doubted nothing of the great dishonoure that his sonne did vnto him and of the false connaye of his wyfe which sent him vnto Cornouall wythout a Boate. It chanced that a yâ—oman of the chamber of the myserable County beganne to suspecte something of that whyche passed betwyxte the two infortunate â—onglinges for he saw ordinarilye that as soone as the Marques was gone anye nighte into the Towne to vysyte some of hys Concubynes the Countye fayled not to goe all alone oute of his Chamber whych was the cause that he assured him of his doubte and therefore purposyng to seeke out the truth beholde the iuste iudgements of God which seeing the mallice that men haue to commit euill and detestable sinnes often tymes giueth speech to yong Infantes or wysedome vnto Beastes to publishe it For this cause hee beginneth to spye all the deedes countenaunces actes and wordes of the Prince and the enterpryse of the gallant succeeded so well that after he had be thought of it beeing in a Wardrope adioyning to the Chamber of the Marchyones marke the dyuynâ— permissyon The sinne being come to the rypenesse of hys abhominatyon he espyed by chaunce a small hole in the wall whyche was iust ouer agaynst the Bed wherein she lay ordinarily by this Creuyse then the cleare eyed spye hoped to see that whych so long tyme he had desyred and imagyned and as he saw the enemy of nature before him he makes a thousand sygnes of the crosses â–ª with such an abashment that then hee woulde not beleeue that which he saw euidentlye with his eyes in the end beholding the thing more merely and perceyuing that he was not deceyued at all hee sayeth very soâ—tly to himselfe and by God it shall not be long before I will also make the Marques to vnderstand it to the end he may punish the one of hys foule temeritie and the other of her great wantonnes lasciuious incontynencye now he attending oportunitye to cause the Marques to view this pittyous and vâ—ruely Spectacle behold it chaunsed two or three dayes after the infortunate Prynce not doubting the treason which the yeoman of hys chamber did coÌ„mit that so sone as he saw hys father gone into the stable to view his Horses euen then he weÌ„t into the chaÌ„ber of the Lady to continue the way begon within the bed of his Lord father but his Argus which slepte not at al following him by little and little and hauing seene him enter the listes returneth towards the father to shew him that which so long tyme he had desyred to make him iudge of the vnfortunate Louers This Traytor although his fact hath some apareÌ„ce of Iustice arriued before the Marques saith vnto him al abashed astonied for that he had sene My Lord if time did suffer me to shew and declare one of the most wicked factes that euer chaunced in Italy I should cause you to maruayle and as it might be by resyting so straunge a thing I should make your cheekes to blush and inrage your hart so abhominable is the case but because I would not make you loose that discourse may it please your noble Lordship to come alone whether I will conduct you where you shall see with your eyes that which I cannot commodyously resyte vnto you in order The Marques which was a maÌ„ of a good corage desyrous to know rare strange
low earth that 's placed Hath not so many ioyfull dayes But one mishap hath them defaced And vnto whome hath not Fortune assigned For euery ioy a hundereth greefes to taste Why should I then my selfe so sore annoy And shead so many teares day and night in waste The Pleasure which my nourishment doth giue And cake my weary troubled mynde doth case That only ioy which should my lyfe sustayne Is fled away to shorten now my dayes Alas O God alas what meaneth this chaunce That of myne ende so sure a sygne to be As cake a token playne of greefe for to ensue Of much vnrest and great mischaunce to me What must I see of him the cruell death By whome my perfectnesse doth come O God O God that all things doest behold Thy holy will for euermore be done And cause thou me vnperfect wight To see thy gloryous throne in highest Skye Syth euery one alyke by death shall ende And hyest State on earth that lyues must dye AS soone as the poore Lady atchieued the end the Marshall of the Houshold vsing the same ambassage to her as before to the Prince carried her Prisoner vnto another tower a good space from that wherin the Prince was inclosed The Marques during this styrre beholding all the worlde astonyed to see a thyng of so much maruayle and a Spectacle so cruell as the imprysonment of hys sonne that shoulde one daye suceeede him and of hys wife whom he had so derely loued because men should not accounte hys facte vnlawfull or cruell Tyranny he procured sylence to be commaunded and before a great company of his Barrons and houshold Gentlemen with a graue Maiesty that exteryously gaue euident token of his interyour greefe After he had spent an infynite number of teares accompanyed with sorrowfull sighes he began to say What one amoÌ„gst you all my good and louing friends can well brooke that whyche is lately done by mee both vppon my Sonne and vpon the Marchyoues for that you know not the true occasyon and by that meanes you esteeme mee an vnkynde husbande and a Father seuere and cruell agaynst all right and reason and would it might please God that your playntes were lawfull and that I had done wrong in thys truelye then my deare friendes I should haue no occasyon to make you partakers of my heauynesse nor of the sheddyng of those teares that you see runne downe along the face of hym that wythout them cannot expresse vnto you the iuste cause of hys dule and also the greate reason of hys so sodayne crueltye if it oughte not to be named equitye that neuer heretofore hath shewed any effecte of hys mallyce towardes anye man that lyues if fyrste hee haue not gyuen hym the occasyon for it is no lesse prayse worthye in a Prynce to gouerne hys people wyth gentlenesse equytye and clemencye then to punishe the sedicious and disquyetors of the peace because that such pacience shewed to one should not bee the common ruyne of all the whole people Thys is it wherevnto he oughte to extende all hys force no lesse to chasten the temerritye of the foolyshe then to recompence the fydelitie of them whyche hath serued hym faythfully shewing all the offyce of obedience towardes their Lordes What if the law doe inioyne this duety in the Vassall and subiecte â–ª towards the naturall and liege Lorde nature conioyned with the lawe doe constrayne and more streightly bynde the infants which owe to their Parents honour obedience piety al good succours not only of that whiche is exteriour but also of the interyour it selfe which is the good will and perfect amitye by which the harte of the Sonne ought to be vnyted wyth the pleasure and wil of the Father But O immortall God what Father would be so pittious and merciful that seing the Knyfe of hys sonne vpon his owne throate and coulde staye him would suffer him to depryue hym of lyfe But what lyfe oughte to be equall to honour for the atchieuing and attayning whereof all the noble and gentle myndes haue once despyced and yet do despyse their lyues Alas my friends the complaynt which I make before you is against my sonne wyfe the forgetfulnesse of whome is extended euen vnto the defacyng of myne honoure wherin both I and my predecessors haue passed our age I wyll bring you no other wytnesse then myne owne eyes that haue seene one of the moste abhominable and wicked facts that a man can think it is that which I cannot speake withoute an vnmeasurable greefe and without hanging my countenaunce for the shame hee hath done me That is the County Hugnes hath defyled the nuptiall bed of the Marques of Ferrarya his Father and the soueraign Lord of you all it is he that hath polluted the house that is counted in the raygne of the moste noble in all Europe this is he that incestyously hath vyolated the secretes and pruâ—ties the entrance whereof were lawfully permitted to none but me alone To whome shall I complayne and who shall reuenge me of thys iniurye Alas my harte breaketh my sences fayle me and my forces are weakned only there remaines a desyre to do Iustice not that it might be condign to the abhomination of the faulte but that I might thereby take awaye this blot from my stocke and moderate a little the greefe that prickes me and whiche yet serueth for the repentance of them that haue offended the Maiesty deuyne so greououslye that their doyngs haue giuen cause to them that come after to blase abroade the follye of their youth and in saying so his speech fayled him and ouercome wyth sorrow and the unpacience of his cholor he founded in the armes of his GentlemeÌ„ who carryed him into his chamber greatly abashed of the wickednesse of the two offeÌ„ders which they beleeued as wel for the reuerences of him that did wytnesse to haue seene it as for the remembraunces of the impudent lookes and lasciuious toyes of the Marchiones towardes the Countye that made them thinke it was she that made the pit wherein both she and the Countye were intrapped as sone as the Marques was come to himself there was no man so bolde that durst say any word vnto him but depending wholye of the wyll of their Lorde were of that aduyse that the processe should be quickly dispatched and that Iustyce should be done to the two Patientes as well for their comfortes as to gyue some contentmente to a Father rightly duspleased agaynste his sonne and as a husband deadlye hating the Palyardyse of his wyfe towardes whome he sente one of his Counsellers wyth two good Father Fryers men well lyked of the people both for their lyfe and learning the one to carrye the heauy and sorrowfull newes of his death and the others to mooue hym to repentance of his synnes and to pray to God to haue mercye on hys soule As soone as they were come before the yong Prynce who seeing the Counceller and