onely of the councell that may be giuen you to the contrarie whether it be to turne you wholy or at the least to slacke your diligence that is required in this businesse by the occasion of the auncient amitie that ye haue continually with the Princes of Grece a thing that shoulde turne me to an inestimable losse if it shoulde be prolonged séeing that the aray and the furniture wherevnto ye sée that I am set the which to me should be vnprofitable if it be not strengthned and augmented by yours And therefore sir and ye Princes Barons Capitaynes and souldiours Apolloniens ought not to maruell that I so vrgently doe solicite you to this enterprise and lesse to refuse my request being of such consequence for you that thinking to reiect it as mine ye shall finde it as muche contrarie to your selues Who is he that can say that this outrage hath not béene done as much to you as to me As touching my part I am disposed to vengeance in the which if I do not content my desire in the satisfaction of my honour in as much as Fortune is not content I will turne vpon my selfe the rest of the force and strength not as a subiect to serue hir any more in any newe crueltie For this cause Sir and you other Lordes Apolloniens I pray you moste humblie and verie effectuously that ye will in this behalfe employe and shewe your force and strength and the strength of youre friendes and allyes to be ioyned vnto mine to appoynt and prepare such a power and might agaynst the Princes Constantines that if willingly they will not make amendes for this wrong and iniurie we may be sufficient to execute the thing vpon them and to enforce them to reason Here I make ende of my demaunde not dooing it after my first intention whether it be as concerning the vengeance to giue or to take The Prince Birmates spâ—â—king for â—hem all doth answerâ— bycidor shewing him that warre ought not to haue a 〈…〉 beginning and he counselleth him to sende a letter to Dom Florisell and to dissuade the combate betweene them twoâ— In the .10 booke the .5 Chapter MY Lorde Lucidor séeing that the good pleasure of the king my Lorde and father and the Lordes assisting do charge me with the answere that they intende shall be made you I will briefly shew you the thing and what they thinke in this matter remitting yet my will and resolution to yours In the first place I confesse vnto you that we haue a common interâ—st with you in the issue of this câ—use the which in condition is nothing different or vnlike to that that was begun among the Greekes and the Troians for the rape of their fayre Helen of whome I am extremely diâ—pleâ—sed that my daughter beareth the name and effect of the seconde I will not denie any more the auncient amitie that I haue with the Princes of Gâ—â—â—ce if it be so that the ballance of my iudgement be not of suche waight that the respect of my honor of my daughters doth not fall nor decay the which Iestéeme ought to be bought againe with what pryce so euer it maye bee as well of the goodes as of the person Yet the affayres of such importance requyre their beginning to be diligenâ—ly consulted and debated for feare least the ende shoulde-euill succéede referning such diligent regarde that their Princes and men may be discharged before God and principally their subiectes in case that fortune turne contrarie to their â—stimation She hath somwhat a regarde to things that are agaynst my owne taste for leauing of all passions as men shoulde doe in matters of counsell I estéeme that in this enterprise wée â—ouche and laye the totall and whole summe of our estates and treasures in the hande of Fortune without assurance to come to anye other reparation pretended than of oure owne righte the whiche as subiecte to the inconstancie and variablenesse of the variable and wauering Goddesse hath oftentimes néede of helpe The Princes of Greece had good right against the citie of Troy the whiche that notwithstanding did sustaine their siege and assaulte the space of tenne yéere and had sustayned it peraduenture vnto the ende sauing for the treason so craftily pretensed and so valiantly executed But lette vs leaue a parte the great effusion of bloud that I sée prepared let vs onely consider what issue it shall haue for in very déede the effect of armes is almost vpoÌ„ fortune nor neuer grounde in any suretis therfore we must descende specially to the conseruation of our honour Touching the which notwithstanding that it hath bene offended by the taking away of Helen it may be that greater reason shal be shewed vs for the satisfactioÌ„ of our iniurie than we hope after that the partie shall haue well perceyued and discussed the grounde of our complaint Upon the which men can giue no lawfull iudgement before they heare the deduction of both parties Therefore let vs take héede to procéede by ripe deliberation fearing least we repent vs to much by leasure of our foolish precipitation and hastinesse for this cause we are thus minded my Lord Lucidor that or euer ye procéede any further ye should shew your minde and intention by writing to Prince Florisel summoning him for the reparation of the outrageous iniurie for through his refuse ye shall make our cause a great deale the better TheÌ„ without any difficultie ye may denounce mortall warre with fire and bloud vnto the accomplishment and fulfilling of the vengeaunce and as concerning the combat of your person with his I am not of that opinion for asmuch as the déede of so generall offence should not be charged nor layde vpon the shoulders of any one slone the whiche lesing the rest of the pursute should as touching other remayne without amenyment Not that I will in this reuoke in any doubte the valure of your person â—ut bicause the fauour of Mars is vncertain and common in the which a man should not put his confidence of a thing of suche importaunce without he had his promisse by signe and seale autentike This is it wherunto the Kinges ech one this assistence doth tende to tary the answere that the Prince Florisel shall make vnto the Ambassadours sent by you for to take thereby the fundation of our finall resolution In the meane space not to require nor yet to put our fréendes to payne of whome we shoulde desire succour in these affayres vntill we may shew them more than dutie vnto whome wée shal be sent to search for peace and to auoyde the horrible furie of the warre the whiche thing shall furthermore encourage them to take armour and to fight for vs against a common enimie for right equitie peace and quietnesse of the people bâ—sides that the losse of so litle time cannot be preiudiciall vnto you in the expedition of suche a consequence the order and preparation whereof requireth a longer time least
be too hard for him yea truely impossible withoute people to gouerne and too maynteyne hys estate had hée neuer so greate a treasure the whyche cannot be better emploied thaÌ„ to deuide it among those that deserue it Thus euery man that is of a good iudgement as I suppose will say that good counsell and the force and strength of men is the true treasure And yet if ye will know this thing the better ye sée that this by the selfesame meanes made Alexander so great Iulius Caesar so strong and gentle Haniball with many other the which haue gotten by their name immortalities and by tresoring vp of men and not of gold they were made Kings Emperors and Monarches for they knew liberally to distribute their money to those whose merites they knew and to entertaine them so graciously that they might call themselues Lords both of hearts and of bodies wherby they were serued with great fidelitie Therfore my good friendes I pray you all as effectuously as I may possible that ye will ayde and helpe me as much as ye may to recouer those good and valiant Knightes whether they be of this countrie or strangers the whiche I promise you by the faith and worde of a king to entreat and honor in such sort and wise that they shall haue cause to praise and to content themselues for you are not ignoraunt that the better we are accompanied the more we shal be feared and redouted of our enimies and you the better kepte ntertayned and estéemed And if there be any vertue in me you may easily iudge that the auncients for the new whilest I liue shal not be forgotten therfore none of you ought to delay the request that I make vnto you but obey it the which thing I pray you againe and expresly commaunde you and that incontinently euery one of you particularly do name those vnto me whom ye know and as yet to in are evnknown and for this inteÌ„t that they if there be any in this Court may obtaine and get such rewardes of vs that they whiche are absent may be affectionate to come and serue vs and also to pray them that they depart not from our company without our knowledge The Oration of the Queene of England vpon the fauour that men ought to beare to Ladyes In the first booke about the â—nd of the .38 Chapter SEing it pleaseth you to giue place and to fauoure my request I praye you from hence foorth so doe and to shewe so much goodnesse and honour to all Ladyes and Damselles as to haue them in your protection and to defende them taking their quarels agaynst all those that woulde in any maner of wise molest them and so that if by fortune you haue promised a gyfte to a man and an other to a Ladie or to a Damsell that you first accomplishe the Ladyes as bâ—ing the fâ—ebler person and that hathe more néede to be recommended and holpen Thus doing they shall be from henceforth more â—auored and better taken heede to than they haue â—éene for why the euill whiche are customed to doe them iniurie fynding them in the fieldes and knowing that they haue suche Knightes for their Protectors and defenders as you be shall not be bold to trouble them The Oration of King Arban to his Souldiers fighting agaynstâ— King Barsinan Lorde of Sansuegue the whiche by treason woulde haue made himselfe King of England In the â—irst boke the .38 Chapter MY fellowes and friendes you haue fought so well this day that there is not he that dothe not merit to be esteemed among the moste gentle companions of all the worlde but if you haue begonne well I truste we shall dayly goe from better to better and if you remember that you defende your â—elueâ— as well to mayntaine your good Prince as your libertie and that agaynste a tyrant 〈◊〉 an euill man the which without the feare of God wold vsurp other mens and feedâ— him selfe with the bloude of your Chyldren Sée you not howe he hathe entreated those of the Castle that he hath taken by falshoode â— Doe you not sée the ende whereto he intendeth the whiche is not but to bring this noble kingdome and the subiectes thereof to ruine the whiche haue béene by the grace of God so long conserued and continually haue liued in reputation to be faithfull subiectes vnto their Prince Knowe you not the persuasions the whiche that knaue hath vsed before the assault that he gaue vs thinking to deceiue vs by his golden tong No no he is very yll ariued I am sure that there is not he of vs all that woulde not rather chose to die a thousande deathes And is it not true â— certes I sée in your good visages that if I shoulde thinke or say otherwise I shoulde lie and althoughe they haue moe meÌ„ than we yet we haue better hearts and more right than they And thus we ought not to feare but to leaue off all doubte to lyue henceforth in the reputation that we merite and deserue assuring you my friendes that they are retyred if you haue markt it with a countenance of men not affectionated to see vs agayne and what so euer that traytor Barsinan hath sayde our King is not dead for he will come shortly to succour vs In the meane while I pray you my companions that none of you be troubled but to doe and continue as he hath begon hauing before his eyes that it is much better to die for libertie than to liue long in captiuitie and miserie and that vnder a miserable Prince The Oration of the Lorde of Sansuegue vnto his Souldiers fighting against King Arban inducing them to take and to be of good courage In the first booke .38 Chapter MY friendes it is not inoughe to haue giuen knowledge vnto oure enimies that they be if I will at my mercie therefore I am mynded wythoute the losse of any moe of you to delay the matter for fyue or sixe dayes that Archalaus may or shal sende me Kyng Lisuardes head for that I beléeue that they shewing it vnto them shall no more be so bold to gainesay me and thus by loue we may draw them vnto vs Therefore let every one of you reioyce and be mery for I being King as I trust shall enrich you all The Oration that Abisco which through tyrannie occupied the Lordshippe of Sobrâ—dise made vnto the inhabitants of the countrey In the first booke .43 Chapter O Captiue and vnfortunate people I haue well perceiued the ease that the presence of this wench doth giue you and that you lacke witte to labour for why as farre forth as I knowe you will loue hir and better accepte hir for your Lady althoughe she be a woman feeble and weake to defende you than me that am a wise and a hardy Knight notwithstanding you sée hir weakenesse and that in so long a time she coulde not recouer but only two Knights the which are come to receiue their
Angriotes of Estrauaux Oration to King Lisuard declaring vnto him the mischieuousnesse and deceite of Broquadan and Gandandel In the selfesame Chapter SYr my nephew and I here present doe pray you to causâ— those two villaynes Broquadan and Gandandell the which are in your Court to appeare presently vnto whome I will declare the treason that they haue vsed against you Syr these euill men of whome I speake to you not hauing any consideration nor feare of God or of man haue falsly accused my Lord Amadis and other of a thing that they neuer in all their liues thought on by the meanes whereof I dare well say you haue remoued farre from you the best Knightes that euer entred into Englande therefore if these traytors dare maintaine that they are not suche as I name them I alonâ— by the helpe of God and the edge of my sword shall cause theÌ„ to know it And if age should excuse them there is not one of them but hathe children wearing armour and harneys of long time and well estéemed and taken among the Knights of your Court against whom I will fight if they will kéepe and supplie the place of theâ—r euill fathers Gandandels answere to the King excusing himselfe of that that men sayde by him In the same Chapter SYr answered Gandandell sée ye not the audacitie and boldnesse of this braue and iniurious man the whiche is not come into this Court but to shame the gentlemen of youre Court by my troth syr if you had beléeued me long since as sone as he was entred into your Realme so sone shoulde he haue bene hanged vpon the first trée but séeing that you suffer it and beare it and hereafter must not maruell if Amadiâ— in his owne person come hither to do you wrong So muche there is that if I by the liuing God were as yong as I was when I beganne to enter into the seruice of your brother the King vnto whome I haue done many great seruices I am well assured that Angriote durst not dreame to say vnto me the least of the iniuries that he hath spoken before your maiestie But the gallant knoweth well that I am olde and broken as much for the number of my olde yeares as of the insinite woundes the which I haue receiued throughout all the parts of my body in the warres of your predecessors The answere of King Lisuard to the foresayde Broquadan and Gandandell reprouing them of cowardnesse and slouthfulnesse COme hither you haue so oftentimes recited and told me that Amadis and his had purposed to betraye me and to vsurpe vpon me the countrie of England and yet when you should méete you excused your selues from fighting and sent your children to the play that could do nothing therwithall yet God is iust and by as much as I owe him and am bound vnto him it was euil spoken of you nor I would neuer haue estéemed you to be such maner of men as you be The Oration of King Arban of Norgales to King Lisuarde inducing him to call Amadis againe to his court In the .3 booke the .1 Chaper SYr I would thinke it good or euer you did this thing that you shoulde haue the aduice of the noble men of your countrie for you knowe that Amadis and they of his kindred are wonderful good Knights and very mightie through the friendes that they haue Furthermore there is not he that knoweth not howe falsly they haue bene accused before your maiestie whereof the victorie that Angriote and Sarquelles haue obtained within these few dayes that be past against the accusers hath giuen good witnesse and if the right had not bene on their side yet bicause they are good and valiant Knyghts they shoulde not haue bene so easily dispatched of Candandelles children nor of Amadis the whiche thing dothe sufficiently make vs to vnderstande and beleeue that the Lorde mayntained them in their iustification and ryght And therefore syr it should be best as I doe suppose and thinke if it woulde so please you to forget the euill that you bears them and to call them agayne to your seruice séeing that it shall not be greatly approued nor allowed that a Prince should make war against those that he may easily and with his honor call againe to his amitie seruice considering that doing the contrarie is oftentimes losse of men extreme expenses and diminishing of authoritie a thing that shortly after causeth the Lords and neighbors therabouts to desire and to make newe enterprises to get them out of subiection and to enter into a more libertie than they had before And therefore a sage and a wise Prince ought at no time if it be possible to giue occasion to his vassalles to go and depart froÌ„ the feare and reuerence that they owe vnto him but muste proue and assaye by all meanes and wayes to rule them as the good shepeheard by temperate discretion dothe with his shéepe winning their hearts and wils more by faithful loue than by rigour and tyrannie Therefore syr it is necessarie to quench the fire alreadie kindled before it be throughly set a fire For oftentimes after the fault be knowne the remedie is to farre gone Amadis is so humble and so much yours that if you would send to reuoke him you shal easily recouer him with those that haue followed him of the whiche you may be better serued than euer you were The defiance of Cendill of Gâ—not made in the name of Kyng Lisuard to Amadis and to all other his parents and friendes certifying them that the King dothe declare him selfe their mortall enimie In the same Chapter MY Lords I am sent hither vnto you from the most puissant and mightie King Lisuard my soueraine Lord in whose name I defie you and all your parentes friendes or aliance and from him I declare vnto you that if euer he find you in England or in the Isle of Mongase he will cause you to be destroyed and entreated as his mortall enimie Therefore kéepe your selues from henceforth if you may or can for he hath enterprised to inuade you and vtterly if he may find the meane and wayes to destroy you Amadis prayeth Gandales his olde and auncient friend to goe and answere King Lisuard and to aduertise him that he feareth not his threatnings In the selfesame Chapter MY father I praye you to goe with him and say to King Lisuard that I send you particularly vnto him to aduerauertise hym that I set lesse by hys threatnings than he thinketh and if I had knowen the little thanke that he beareth me forâ— so many great seruices as he hath receiued by me I would haue taken good héede to haue entred so often into so greate daungers wherin I aduenture my selfe for hys wealth and the wealth of his realme the which paradueÌ„ture should otherwise not haue remained and bene so entire and whole as it is at this present but I trust in God that wyth the time he shall know this ingratitude
he foresayd in the which he declareth that vpon â—ust occasion they enterprised against the Emperoure and that it is needefull in all sweetnesse to aduertise king Lisuard least he shoulde be miscontent In the .4 booke the .3 Chapter MY Lord Amadis it is very certeine that the enterprise that hath bin made vpon the Emperoure was not for any enmitie that we bare him but only to kéepe our fayth as al good knights should to sustayne and defend the wrongfully afflicted and specally all good Ladies of the whiche all we should be protectors And therefore I am thus minded first or euer we begin this warre that we send to king Lisuard and to cause him to vnderstand the occasion that moued vs to assaylâ— and inuade the Romaines and as quietly as may be if he be miscontent to pacifie him declaring vnto him with all graciousnesse the iniurie and wrong that he did to my Lady his daughter disheriting hir vnder the coloure to marrie hir with a strange Prince the which thing is not agreable vnto God nor to none of his subiects and therfore if it be his good pleasure to receiue hir to his grace and fauor and to forget the enuie if he heare hir any offering vnder this condition to restore hir vnto hym and no otherwise And if he refuse it and disdaine the duetie that we put oure selues in that then we declare resolutely vnto him that we doubt him not and that we if he make warre vpon vs be ready to defend vs In the meane while it is necessarie that we fortifie vs with all things thaâ— are requisite â—o a thing of such importance as this is at least way if he purpose to inuade vs that he find vs not vnprouided although he will be as my mind giueth me more ready to peace than to any other thing but yet that should not cause vs tâ— be slacke to make vs ready and to send to our friends and alies to pray them to ayde vs when we shall send them word The Oration of Oriane to Agrayes thanking him for his benefites and praying him to labour for peace betwene king Lisuard and Amadis In the .4 booke the .3 Chapter MY cousin notwithstaÌ„ding I haue great hope in the wisdome of your cousin Amadis in the good will that thesâ— knightes beare me so me thinketh that I haue good reason and cause to haue in you a speciall fidâ—litie as well for the obligation in the whiche I finde my selfe bound to the king your father and also to the Quéene for the good intreating that they made me in Scotlande as for that they deliuered me your sister Mabile to kéepe me company by whome onely next vnto God I do liue for why without the comfort that she oftentimes made and gaue me when my misfortunes were most greeuous I had bene buried long since and depriued of this world And although that at this present I haue not the meane to recognise nother to them nor to you how muche I am bound to you yet I hope with the time by all meanes to endeuer me thereto And in the meane while ye shall not if it please you he miscontent that I familiarly do cause you to perceiue the gréeues that I suffer And to begin I pray you that ye leauing off the wrong that my father hath done you will to your power make meanes to haue peace betwene my cousin and him for I doubt not seing the auncient and old hatred that they haue together the occasion that ye all haue to will him little fauor but that full honestly the things begon shall come to no other end than to a great ruine of the one part and other if it be not through the resistance that ye may do vsing in this thing your wisedome and good counsell Of the which thing I pray you againe as well to auoide such inconuenience as not to make me suspect to straunge nations the whiche may hereafter doubt of my innocencie and bespot my good renoume the which is to me of such consequence as ye may iudge and estéeme Agrayes answer to Oriane excusing him selfe vnto hir and promising hir to satisfye hir mind as much as he may posssible and to fynd peace in tyme oportune In the .4 booke the .3 Chapter MAdame quoth he as touching the good intreating that ye receiued and had in Scotlande the king my father and the Quéene in that did nothing but that it becoÌ„med theÌ„ to do and I am sure that they haue you in such affection and loue that in things whervnto their power may extend they will emplâ—y it and do it for you as for their best parent and â—â—ie And considering that you doe say of my sister and me the effect shall dayly beare witnesse of our good will that we heare you beséeching you to beleeue that you may commauÌ„d vs as those the which desire your wealth and honor asmuch as their owne And as touching that you haue to cause me to forget the iniurie that the King your father hath dnoe to me and not only to me alone but to all my parents and friends he you assured Madame that the wounde is so great that it will bléede as long as I shall liue knowing the ingratitude that he hath vsed towards vs denying my Lord Amadis me and many other good Knights the request that we made vnto him to giue my vncle Galuanes the Isle of Mongase the which had deserued it and better coÌ„sidering also that it was conquered by the vertue and noble actes of him that prayed him but yet for the honor of you I am content to dissâ—Ì„ble that matter and to force my self vntil then to defer for a time the iust occasion that I haue to will him ill specially bycause he so straungely and after he had receiued of vs so many great seruices chased vs from his Courte as though we had bene his mortall enimies And to shewe you that I will wholly prepare me to please you I promise you Madame to assay to do to my power the thing that you desire of me but it were not reasonable that it shoulde be done so promptly for if I should nowe begin in the word and communication the thinges being thus disposed to warre in place to encourage so many good Knightes as be in this Isle I shoulde put the most part of them hearing me speake of peace in feare presuming that I it might be so helde suche a purpose as though I were the first that were afearde Also I should doe two euils togither that which after this might turne to the losse of vs all and to me alone great dishonor But I hauing your fathers answere shall pray my companions to do as ye haue deuised and counselled in the mean while you should as I do thinke be heauie as little as you may and take the time and fortune most paciently as constantly as you may possible Amadis Oration to Grasinda offering hir all pleasure and
his companion hath ingendered in me a sonne and a daughter so fayre and of so goodly forme and proportion that their forme and shape doth shewe vndoubtedly the fruite to be engendered of a God the whiche thing causeth me to say that their vertue magnanimitiâ— and valiantnesse shall be such that they shall be taken among men for halfe Gods. Of the whiche pleasure and honour thus receyued by me I thought it reasonable to make you partakers to the ende ye should be merrie and ioyfull as they doe merit ye shoulde béeing the infantes and children of such a God the whiche is the mightie Mars whose anger doing the contrarie may greatly trouble and hurt you whereof I Zahara your friende shoulde bée maruellously displeasant the which thing hath caused me to pray you once againe in the name of my Lorde and friende to haue the natiuitie of these my two children in singular honour and recommendation and from henceforth to haue and to holde the mother of them in the place that she deserueth seing that the Deitie and Godhead is ioyned in hir so that the worlde by me doth take part of the diuine séede And besides this noble Emperoure of Trebisonde we haue elected and chosen you presently to giue the order of chiualrie to my sonne Anaxartes as soone as hée shall come to the age for to receyue it and the sworde by the hande of my great friend Abra and Amadis of Grece I require you in like case to giue it to my daughter Alaxtraxerâ—e and that Niquea whome ye loue so greatly doe hir confirmable office to Abras sonne not knowing any other more worthie than ye are to approch to the diuinitie béeing such as all men do estéeme you and for such I shall hereafter take you giuing peace to your Monarchies and estate royall when these my children folowing the nature of their father shall bring all the rounde worlde to obey them and to reduce it to the obedience of the lawe of oure Gods the whiche yée haue forsaken to followe him that hathe no power and then yée shall knowe the power and merite of Zahara the whiche dothe salute you all Your cousin and perfite louer the diuine Zahara The answere of the Empresse Abra to the foresayde letter dispraysing the false Gods of Zahara and exalting the onely liuing God in Trinitie In the .9 booke the 6. Chapter RIght highe and excellent Quéene of Caucase the friend and companion of the Gods immortall The Emperour my Lordâ— and spouse with the companie of Kings and Princes Ladies and damsels haue séen by the letter that ye haue sent hyther the fauour and great goodnesse that is chaunced vnto you the gods hauing you as ye doe say in so great estimation that Mars hath engendred of you a sonne and a daughter worthie for their perfection to be the childreÌ„ of such a father whereof certainly we are very ioyfull as my foresaid Lorde and husband this high and noble company hath commaunded to certifie you to giue you knowledge But yet I maruell how ye vnderstande this that in time to come ye shall haue some knowledge of your amitie to leaue the countrey and Empires of my Lord in peace and suertie I knowe not whether your children may conquer all the world after your deuise but I am sure that we kéepe the true law and honor one God in Trinitie by whose aide we haue no occasion to feare neither your Mars nor Iupiter nor any other the whiche haue closed vp the eyes of your spirit that ye should not know him at whose foote all creatures whether they be in heauen in the earth or in Hell ought to fall downe and make obeisance The goodnesse of whom hath so visited me that he hath prouided me of like linage as ye haue that is of a sonne and a daughter And Amadis of Greece also of a little Prince so excellent that at the least he may aduaÌ„ce him not to owe your Anaxartes any thing whereof I was well willing to aduertise you trusting that ye would be no lesse ioyfull of our good houre and fortune than all this great and noble companye hath bene of yours recommending vs all to you Your cousin and good friende Abra. The letters of Anaxartes and Alastraxarce to the inhabiters of the vale of Rochers intreating of the excellencie and soueraigne goodnesâ—e of the Gods. In the nynth booke and .10 Chapter ANaxartes and Alastraxarce sonne and daughter of the God of battelles and of the moste mightie Quéene Zahara of Caucase to the thrée estates of the vale of Roches loue and fauour Uery deare good friends as it hath pleased the great immortall gods that no inexpugnable fortresse of the Castell of Lac nor the incredible force of the horrible Giants Bradaran and Brandauell wiâ—hall their mighte craftinesse and subtiltie coulde not let that the diuine Iustice should not be executed vpon them by vs the Children of Mars sente into this worlde to put in effect the Iustice and vnmouable iudgement of their supreme mighte and power willing thereby to shewe that al resistance is vaine and vnprofitable against the power of heauen and will of those that gouerne and rule all this that is contayned vnder his roundnesse we had a good will to aduertise you of the deadly ruine of the foure Giantes the tyrantes of this countrey that chaunced vnto them by the sharpenesse of our swordes to the ende that you and all other mighte knowe that the gods haue the authoritie and power they alone to do all things by the same might and power that they haue made them of nothing specially resisting those that are greatly bounde to know them and yet doe not their duetie the which thing might be alleaged against the reasonable creature that leadeth a life like vnto beasts not obseruing the law ordained by the infallible creator to conduct him by reason aboue his will considering also that all other creatures by the prouidence and goodnesse of the soueraine gods are set vnder the hand and subiection of men euery one of them doing their diligence to maintaine it selfe in his order and to kéepe that wherevnto the gods haue stablished it as we sée the maruellous order of the heauens of their planets and cléerenesse of tame and wilde beasts of the birdes in the ayre the fishes in riuers and déepe seas of the plantes and swéete herbes wherof men sée that the earth doth length and is garnished with diuers works in time and season very gracious euery one of these things féele and perceiue his owne nature not goyng nor passing ouer it one pointe Seing then that al things haue béene set in the hand yea vnder the féete of man what reason shall excuse him not to obserue the ordinance of the creator and if he doe it not how ought he to be the more punished and chastened by the diuine lawes Truely my deare and good friendes he deserueth no lesse punishement than that that is chaunced
bold as Ardan is I ensure you that if I had not enterprised to fyght with you I would be content to do it and onely to let the mariage of you and Madasime And for this cause the hostages of whome ye vaunt your selfe should not differ and delay to do their diligence and dutie for I trust to reuenge the good and the valiant king Arban and Angriot of the great iniurie and wroÌ„g that they receyued being prisoners Ardans replication to Amadis I Haue caused them saithe Ardan to come with me knowing that ye would demaund and aske for them although that I haue good hope to set them againe in the power of Madasime and also to giue hir therewith the halfe of your bonet in witnesse that it pertaineth not to suche a Lord as ye are to haue and to hold any such braue and vantageous purposes with me and to giue hir so doing great pleasure It shall please our king that she be set in some euident and high place to the inteÌ„t she may euidently sée and behold the vengeance that I shall take vpoÌ„ you and the vnfortunate ends whereof ye shall dye The Oration of Gandadel before king Lisuard against Amadis and his aliance to put and to bring theÌ„ out of the kings fauoure In the .2 booke the .20 Chapter SYr I haue all the time of my life desired to kéepe the faith that I owe vnto you as to my king and naturall Lorde and shall do if God be pleased For beside the oth of fidelitie that I haue and owe vnto you for ye of your gracious goodnesse haue done me so greate good and pleasures that if I should not counsell you in that I shall sée to touch your royal maiestie I should greatly fault against God and man By the meanes whereof Syr after I had very long bethought me vpon this thing that I shall declare vnto you repented me oftentimes that I had deferred it so long not for any enuie that I beare to any man God be my witnesse but onely for the inconuenience that I sée ready if ye promptly and wisely do not remedie it Ye know that at all times there hath bene betwene the realme of France and the realme of England great coutrouersie bicause the kings your predecessors haue continually pretended a right of soueraintie and although that for a certaine time this quarell is swaged so it is very like that the French men remembring the warres and damages that they haue endured and suffered by your subiects shall secretly in their hearts and courage take couÌ„sell to reuenge themselues And Amadis the which is the head and principall of them all is not come after my opinion into this countrey but to do it to practise and to winne men with the which ioined to the might that he may cause to come shal procure so much busines that so it may chance it shall not be easy for you to resist him and lo there is already apparance thereof Sir he of whome I speake vnto you and they also of his aliance haue done me so greate honor and pleasure that I and my children are greatly bound vnto them And if it were not that ye are my liege Lord I woulde not for any thing speake against Amadis I am so much hys friend and seruant but in things that respect your person God send me to die sooner than I should spare any liuing man no not my owne childe Ye haue receiued Amadis with so great a number of his parents and other strangers into your Court as ye are a good prince a liberâ—ll and of a noble courage that at length their company and folowers shal be found greater than yours Therefore sir it should be good and well done to prouide before hand or euer the fyre be through kindled The Kings answer to the forsayd Oration BY my troth my friende I beléeue that ye do aduertise me as a good and faithfull subiect Neuerthelesse considering the seruice that they of whome ye do speake haue done me I caÌ„not comprehend nor perceiue in my mind that they will do me any cowardly or euill turne Gandandels replication to the king vpon the selfe same purpose and in the same Chapter SYr he answered this is it that doth abuse you for if in times past they had offended you ye would take heede of them as of your enimies but they haue knowne and wisely do know how to disguise their treason vnder an humble manner of communication accompanied with some seruice the which they haue already employed and done wayting for an opportune and a good houre Amadis request vnto king Lisuard to giue Galuâ—nes the Iland Mongase In the selfseme Chapter SYr although that I haue not done you hitherto so muche seruice as I desire yet I haue taken courage trusting in your great liberalitie to aske you a gift the which cannot turne but to your honor and moreouer binding them to whome ye shall graunt it Furthermore sir said Amadis the gift that I and my companions being present do pray you to graunt vs is that it wold please you to giue to my Lorde Galuanes the Ile of Mongase for the which he shal faithfully he sworne vnto you and do you homage marrie Madasime this doing Syr ye shall enrich a poore Prince vsing and shewing mercy to one of the most fairest gentle women of all the world Amadis Oration to king Lisuard with the whiche he leaueth and forsaketh his company In the selfsame Chapter SYr I haue hitherto thought that there was no king nor Prince in all the worlde that had better knowledge in thinge of vertue and honor than you but yet now we perceiue the contrary by the experience that ye haue giuen vs so that we seing ye haue charged and taken new counsell will go and séeke a new fashion and maner of liuing Amadis Oration to Oriane by the which he declareth vnto hir that he is constrayned to go out of the kings seruice In the selfsame Chapter MAdame saith Amadis we must néedes do that he hathe commanded vs otherwise we shuld offend your honor abiding against his will in his seruice seing that he mighte presume and thinke that we in no nother place coulde not méete any that would receiue vs therfore I pray you not â—s take it euill if for a time obeying him I be constreyned to depart froÌ„ you You know the power that ye haue vpoÌ„ me and that I am so much yours as you may wish and desire and also I know well that if I shoulde be euill reputed ye are she that woulde receyue and take thereof most displeasure so greatly ye loue me and so well ye do estéeme me the which thing causeth me agayne to pray you to take my absence in good part and to giue me leaue to depart vsing still your accustomed constancie and vertue Orians answer to Amadis excusing hir selfe to him In the same Chapter MY frieÌ„d answereth the Princesse ye are greatly to blame thus
same man continuing hys complaynt dothe saye In the .3 booke the .12 Chapter Ah my great friende Angriota of Estrauauxâ— where are ye now and how haue ye forsaken me hauing so long time mainteined this company togither and when need is ye leaue me without any ayde or succoure not that I wil blame you for I my selfe haue bene the cause to separate vs thys day to our great misfortune the which shall also separate vs one from another for euer The Oration of Oriane to Florestan declaring vnto him that the absence of him and of Amadis hath caused great harme to many damsels In the .3 booke the 12â— Chapter IN good fayth my Lord Florestan it is loÌ„g ago since we saw you in this countrey whereof I greatly mused as well for the good will that I do beare you as for the néede that manye poore creatures haue suffered the whiche were wont to fynde and to haue succour of you of Amâ—dis and of many other that haue folowed him Cursed be ther that are cause of so long a separation And beléeue that I speake not thys wythoute greate occasion for I know a poore Damsell that is verye néere to be dishorited bycause she hathe not one to defende the wrong that men haue done hir And if Amadis were â—ere agayne and likewise the other whyche are farre from hence she might be sure that hir right should not as it is be taken from him but seing they be abseÌ„t she hath no better hope nor no other recourse but vnto death Florestans answer to Oriane certifying hir that Amadis maketh good cheere and that his name is dayly diuulgate thorough his fortunable conquests In the .3 booke the .14 Chapter MAdame God that is mercifull doth neuer forget those that put their trust in him and if it please him he shall not begin with the damsell that is so desolate As touching my Lord Amadis be ye assured that he is in very good health searching continually strange aduentures and in such wise that for the great feates of armes that he doth in farre countreys where he is his renoume doth diuulgate it selfe in all the coasts of the world King Lisuards Oration to Galaor concerning the mariage of Oriane and the Emperour desiring him to giue his aduise In the .3 booke the .14 Chapter MY great friend I haue alwayes knowen so great fidelitie in you and haue found it so profitable that I ofteÌ„ times haue beleeued your counsell and am purposed neuer to conclude any matter of importance without it Ye knowe the honor that the Emperoure doth me and the embassade that he newly hath sent vnto me desiring me to giue him my daughter Oriane to be his wife And ye shall beléeue me I thinke that the Lord in this thing dothe muche for hir and me for he is at this present the most mightie and redoubted Prince of all chiâ—tendome And being thus well alyed wyth him I from hencefoorth shall haue no neighboure nor enemie that shall dare once lift vp his hornes to hurt or to enuie me and I shal be more feared and obeyed than euer was any king of England Furthermore it shall be in a manner impossible to prouide better for hir than she shall be being the wife of suche an Emperoure and thus Leonor shall remaine after me sole Lady of my landes and countries the which otherwise might be deuided and a thing very hurtful But yet I am purposed to do nothing without the aduice of the Lords and knights of my Court and specially yours the which I pray you by the amitie that ye haue alwayes borne me to tell me freely and frankly and without any dissimulation The answer of Galaor to king Lisuard the which doth tend to disswade to turne him by the reasons that he bringeth in from the foresaid mariage In the .3 booke the 14â— Chapter SYr ye say that marying my Lady Oriane to the Emperoure ye shall prouide so well for hir that it should be impossible to prouide better The whiche thing séemeth to me cleane contrary for she being your principall heire and to send hir into a farre countrey to cause hir to leese hir realme the which is hirs already ye shall make hir poore without men and in subiection to a people not agreing with the maners and conditions of this countrie And if it séeme to you that she to be the Emperours wife to beare the name of an Empresse shall be in more authoritie in time to come by God Syr ye do abuse your selfe and here is the reason therof Suppose that it may chaunce hir to haue male children by the Emperoure hir husband if she remaine widow the first thing that hir sonne shall do vnto hir shall be to cause hir retire and to haue the rule of the Empire alone and if he marrie it will be worse for the new princesse will be inferior to none And therefore it is most sure that my Lady your daughter shall fall into a thousand inconueniences and extreme sorowes hauing forsaken this countrey the which certenly is hir natiue land to liue in a straunge countrie from hir parents subiects and seruants And as conceâ—ning ye say that thorough his fame you shall be succoured feared and redoubted truly sir ye haue thanks be to God so many friendes and knightes at your commaundement that without the ayde of the Romaines ye may easely if ye think it good extend your limits and I beléeue that in the steade to haue any support they shall rather assay to bring you to ruine and to destroy you than as ye estéeme to ayde and succour you for they will haue no egal vnto them nor none greater nor aboue them And furthermore this is certaine that they would demaund nothing more than to haue an occasion to set you in their Chronicles to your confusion and their glory vnder the shadow of some little fauor that they haue borne you the which thing should be the greatest euill that might happen to you and yours And also Syr what reason should it be to put my Lady Oriane your daughter and principall inheriter so farre from you to aduantage so much the princesse Leonor the whiche is the yonger by my soule for a righteous king and that is taken throughout all the world for an author of iustice ye shall make peraduenture the greatest wound in your renoume that euer did prince or mightie king And God neuer giue not only to you the will so farre out of reason but also to the poorest knight of your court beséeching you sir most humbly to beléeue that I would not haue bin so foolish hardy to declare vnto you so freely the thing that I thought good if ye had not expressely commaunded me and also bicause I am minded and apointed to kéepe vnto you all my life the fidelitie that I haue promised as he that doth feele him bound vnto you for the goodnesse and fauor that ye haue done for me Oriane complayning to
good will. In the .4 booke the .4 Chap. MAdame I am maruellously displeasant that I had no better oportunitie to do you in this place the honor and the seruice that you merite and deserue but the time so euil to that purpose doth take away the occasion therefore I excusing my selfe do pray you not to take or impute a fault of a good will. For in times past you haue bounde me vnto you that there shall be no daye of all my life but I shall féele me your debter what seruice soeuer I may doe for you And bycause it is nowe long agoe since you did departe from your countrie it may be that the long abyding here in this countrie hath wrought you some displeasure I would therefore very greatly desire to knowe your deliberation and mynde that I might if it were possible haue some meane to obey you in the thing that should please you to commaunde me The answere of Grasinda to Amadis thanking him for his good will and affection that he beareth hir and that she will gather men to succour him in his affaires In the .4 boke the 4. Chapter MY Lord Amadis quoth she I shoulde be of a poore and of a verie slender iudgement if I knewe not certainly the companie and fauor that you did shewe me and that greater honour than coulde haue chaunced vnto me And the good intreating that you had as you say in my countrie if any such was shewed you is nowe but recompensed but to put you out of paine I will shewe you what I thinke I sée many good Knightes assembled for to helpe this Princesse the which altogither for the amitie and good estimation that they beare you haue put their hope and conduct vpon you â—o that it shall be impossible for you to put them from you without your great blame And seing that suche a charge is wholly set and layde vpon you ye must trauell to send on euery side to recouer people to help you so that the honour of so greate an enterprise may remayne with you and by the meanes and help of your friends be yours of the which I esteeme my selfe the firste And for this cause I intende to morow to send maister Elizabet into the parts of Rome to gather as many men as he can as well of my owne subiects as other and as shortly as he may to shippe them and to coÌ„uey them hither And in the meane time I shal kepe companie if it so please you with these other Ladyes if they wyll do me the honoure to receiue me trusting not to forsake theÌ„ vntill this warre begon haue taken another end Amadis letter to the Emperour of CoÌ„stantinople praying him to help him in his warres In the .4 booke the .4 Chapter RYght high and excellent Prince the knight of the gréene sword whose proper name is Amadis of Fraunce doth most humbly salute you And therefore sir I trauelling the countries after the destruction of Endriagne it pleased you to receiue me into youre Citie of Constantinople where after the honoure ye did me and had gently receiued me ye of your liberalitie offered to ayde me in fauoure of the seruices that I had done for you and to giue me succoure when néede shoulde require it through the reduction of the countrie the which ye named afterwards the I le of Sainct Mary Now the occasion is come whereby if it so please you ye may accomplish and fulfill your promise with the most iust quarell that is possible to be had or taken as master Elizabet shall shewe you whome I pray you sir wholly to beléeue for hys sake that doth kisse the hands of your maiestie Amadis Letters to Queene Briolania praying hir to giue good heede to the thing that he writeth and to helpe him folâ—owing hir good will. In the .4 booke the .4 Chap. I Beléeue Madame that after you haue perceiued by Tantilles your Steward the cause that hath moued me to send so diligently that you should fauour the thing that he shall tell you from me being well assured that vsing your gentle nurture you will not fayle me no more than ye beléeue that I woulde be readie to put my foote in the styrrop for you where necessitie shoulde offer it And bicause he hath bene present at the things which after my returne into this countrie haue chaunced me and that I haue giuen him charge to cause you to vnderstand them at length I will not trouble you to put you to the paine to reade any longer letter but I shall pray youâ— after you haue beléeued him to haue me continually in your grace and fauor of the whiche the same Amadis as long as he shall liue as yours desireth to haue a good part Amadis oration to Gâ—ndalin aduertising him of the good confidence that he hath in him and for this cause to goe to king Perin to aduertise him of his affaires to the ende and intent to helpe him In the .4 booke the .4 Chap. GAndalin thou art he that hath euermore had the kéeping of my most secrete and priuie affaires for the great amitie that we from our first yeres haue had togither as if nature of hir own selfe had called vs into one fraternitie Thou knowest that my honor is thyne and that thine doth touche me as myne owne Thou séest the affaires that I am in and of what consequence they be vnto me also the conclusion that by all these Knightes hath bene taken too busie and to call vpon our friendes and alies to haue mightie succour to sustain the force of king Lisuard if he assay and attempt to assayle vs By the meanes whereof I haue alreadie prepared letters to many Princes of whom I trust to recouer a good and a great company of men And notwithstanding thy absence is gréeuous vnto me yet I trusting more in thy diligence than in any others haue thought to send the to King Perion my father the which hath knowen thée long whom thou shalt cause to vnderstand better than any other of what importance this warre is if King Lisuard take it vpon him for as thou maist say vnto him it partly toucheth him in as much as this vnkinde King hath done shewed so great diâ—fame to all those of our linage as to driue them oute of his court after he had receiued of them an infinite of great seruices Thou shalt reciâ—e vnto him by smal pieces that thou knoweâ— and hast sone and the necessitie wherein thou didst leaue vs and that notwithstanding thou shalt yet assure him that I feare no power hauing so good right with me and so many knightes and that I had not made so greate an enterprise 〈◊〉 it had not bene that since God would call me to the order of cheualrie I haue thought nor minded no other thing but to kepe the estate of a knight defeÌ„ding to my power the wrong that men did to many and specially to ladies and Damsels the which ought
passioned and tormented heart shall take no rest vntill my eyes haue enioyed his presence he the glorie of my sight And to incite and prouoke you the more therevnto my onely Lorde and friendâ— I send you the portrature of the most perfect Ladies that be at this day in all the world Among the which ye may know whether the gods haue set in me any aduantage aboue them and the goodnesse and good fortune that is in you to be beloued as I loue you my sight beyng inuisible vnto all other and desiring but â—o much that ye onely shoulde enioy it for whome I am reserued as I haue giuen charge to this dwarffe to tell you from me and to bring you at thys time without any longer delay The knight of the burning Swordes letter to Lucelle Princesse of Sicilie aduertisyng hir how that pursuyng the vegeance of the dwarffe he was caused to tarrie in the spoyled and vnhabited Ilande In the .8 booke the .43 Chapter MAdame since my departing out of Englande pursuing the vengeaunce of those that had outrageously vsed the dwarfe as the dainsell reported to me in your presence fortune which at all purposes dothe turne vpside down the enterprises of men hath so retarded my returne and comming to you that passing ouer many straunge countreyes I am come to this vnhabited Islande where I founde this faire companie in the estate as she may declare vnto you But so muche there is that I estéeme not that this aduenture was graunted me from heauen but vnder the fauour to be yours And séeing that in verie déede I am suche a one and that by your meane I liue it is reason that the glorye and grace of all my enterprises be giuen and ascribed vnto you And if they should be of too little merite to be offred vnto your highnesse yet I beséech you most humbly madame at least way to receiue the good will that I haue to serue you thinking my selfe moste fortunatelye recompenced if ye will so fauour me And forasmuche as I haue prayed and desired this vertuous and sage Quéene to tell you the rest it may please you to credite and to beleue hir in my name beséeching the greate God madame to kéepe you in health and a right long and fortunate lyfe From the spoyled and vnhabited Isle the thirtéene mooneth and sixte day of the Moone By your right humble and obedient and affectionate seruant for euer Amadis of Greâ—â— The answere of Lisuard to Abras damsell that was come to defye him In the .8 booke the .48 Chapter DAmsell ye shal report vnto your mistresse that she ought to content hir selfe with that that is past alreadie séeing the slender and the little righte that she hathe in hir quarell I hope that in place stéede of reuenging hir shame she shall double it and hir anoyance therewith if god be iust And therfore it were better for hir to ioyned clemencie with reason thaÌ„ thus to continue in an euil pernicious displeasure wherewith she purchaseth me But séeing she is so stiffe in hir opinion and finally bicause she shall not estéeme me otherwyse than I am I promise hir that she shall not only haue suertie of the campe and fielde bicause she demaundeth it but in all other things that she shall estéeme méet to doe hir pleasure and seruice for although she doth trauell all that is possible to cause me to léese my life yet I will not leaue off to take paine to honor hir and to serue hir as long as I shal haue occasion and meanes to do it The knighte of the Burning sword dothe accuse Lisuarde of Greece to haue falsifyed his promise to Abra the Princesse of Babilon and that vniustly he slewe the Soudan Zair and vpon this he doth present him the combat In the .8 booke the .48 SOueraigne Prince said Amadis of Greece then the accidents and chaunces of fortune be such that oftentimes men doe finde themselues more constrained by obligation than by their will to doe that they ought to doe as presently I maye experiment and proue in my selfe whereof the perill of my enterprise hereafter shall be witnesse seing that I beyng but a simple knight and vnknoweÌ„ both of name of armes haue bene bolde to demande require campe and to fight against thée most comely valiant Prince of the earth trusting that if I be ouercome the glorie of the victorie gotten vpon me by you can not redound vnto me but to my honour keping companie with so many other more estéemed than I am and of whom ye haue the vantage And when the houre and tyme shall staye vnto me be it neuer so little God knoweth in what reputation I shall passe forth from hence forwards the rest of my life Upon the hope whereof I will maintaine that ye haue against the duetie whereto your Royall estate doth binde you disdained not onely the loue wherof ye are indetted to the Princesse of the Parthes and fayled as concerning the gift that ye promised hir in the presence of so many Princes and Lordes but also sheding the noble bloud of the Soudan Zair and for this cause I defie you at all assayes to the end that either by your heade or myne your ingratitude may be manifest and that the death of the Prince Zair Soudan of Babilon hath béene too vniustly enterprised by you and your fellowes And for as much as after the right of the combattes it is my duetie to choose the fielde I declare vnto you that it shall be before this palace in the place where I haue seen in time past a womaÌ„ inchanted as men told me Puruey for the rest as vnto you it shall seme best Lisuard doth answere Amadis of Greece the knight of the Burning sworde praising him for the modest defiance that he hath made him Afterwardes he dothe excuse him of the charges imposed and laide vnto him finally he doth accept the campe presented and doth make the election of armes In the .8 booke the .49 Chapters SYr knight the gracious communication and the honest fashioÌ„ of the defiance that ye haue vsed against me hath not giuen me lesser estimation of your person than of the valiantnesse that I certenly beleue to be in you for such curtesies are commoÌ„ly accompanied with high and stout hearts And for asmuch as I repute you such a one as ye are that it may be through euill information that it may hazard your honor wrongfully and offende my iustification I am content that ye first vnderstande howe the things go in veritie and truth to the intente that vnder an euill quarrell ye leese not the thing that other wyse throughe the valiantnesse that is in you shuld be easy to be conquered with equitie There is nothing more certaine nor I wil not denie it but that the princesse of the Parthes demaunded a gifte of me the whiche I liberally graunted hir but euery man doth know that men should not nor are
right good part in your good grace the which is and shall remayne for euer your auncient and perpetuall friende neighbour and seruant Lisuard Axianes letter to the Empresse Abra sending hir word of the warre with the destruction and entier ruine of hir person In the .8 booke the .78 Chapter WE disherited Empresse of the Babyloniās Axiana princesse of Argenes the most humble seruāt of one only God almightie to you Abra the vsurper of our Empire and paternall goodes we cause you to wit and vnderstand that the diuine iustice willing to put in execution the sentence and arrest pronounced by the soueraigne iudge against you and in the fauor of our repell and banishment hath caused vs to come vnto this countrey where you and yours shall receyue the hyre of their merites yet there is that somwhat displeaseth vs that ye are ariued euen at the very pointe where the fall and ruine of your vnrighteousnesse dothe threaten you For as muche as we be so nigh of kinne the whyche kinred and amitie ought to be so much our familiar as hatred is our domestike and neighbour but seing that our soueraigne iudge would not suffer our possession to be taken but by the price and sheading of manye mens bloud we doe signifye and denounce vnto you the battell within these four days and in the campe féeld where we be And for our iudges he alone whome we Christians do adore in trinitie of persons God omnipotent the first and the last of all things the which shall giue if it so please him for the suertie of yours and ours the rigorous iustice of his eternitie and for the equall compartment of the sunne the night or the victory As touching our harneis ye haue them in your hand and caused them to be taken of our own vassalles and subiects so vniustly that the men the earth and the waters do crie vengeance alreadie the which God will not denie them as their bloud being shed shall beare witnesse A letter from Abra to Axiane graunting hir the battell by hir required In the .8 booke the .78 Chapter ABra the Empresse of Babilon Quéene of the Parthes to you Axiana Princesse of Argenes such salutatiō as we estéeme you to merite We haue receiued your letter no lesse accompanyed with temerarious and proude words than with vniust quarrels and without any reason the which things we trust we shall cause to be knowen in the selfe same campe that ye haue chosen and we graunt you such battell as ye demande And for soueraine iudges your God and ours Mars Cupido and Venus from the which we cannot go in no wyse but for as much as the victorie doth more consist in the effect than in many words we remit the whole to that that shall chaunce aduising you that we may haue pitie vpon you that vnder the shadow I cannot tel of what presumptiō do take paine to léese so little lande as is left you the which we trust shortly after that we haue ended this enterprise to ioyne to our Empire In the meane space let there be a truce betwéen you and vs for these foure dayes as ye haue required the whyche as touching our parte we promise you in the faythe of a Princesse to obserue withoute breaking them by anye meanes The heauinesse of Abra for the losse of the battell In the .8 booke the .80 Chapter AH ah fortune fortune thou hast pursued me so much that the spoyle of me and of my goods from henceforthe shall serue thée for a triumphe fortune enimie of all vertuous persons O troublous ingrate and accursed fortune the which to deceiue abuse me didst promise not only the Empire Monarchie of all the Orient but the frée or the enforced enioying of my Lisuard Alas he was neuer mine althoughe I haue deserued him more thā any other that euer was borne And yet so muche there lacketh that such merite hath taken place that he hath destroyed me both of goods and of honour but not of the honour that all ladies should prefer aboue life but of the honour and victorie that he hath conquered vpon my heauie vassalls being all dead or slaues Ah ah Lisuard what recompence or degrée of amitie is so stedfast and constant as that I all my life haue borne thée Alas if ye haue béen in doubt in time past I beseche mightie Iupiter that the death which I féele doth approch may giue you sure witnes for I protest that I die not for any heauinesse that I haue of any losse either of men of reputation or of goods but onely that I haue no hope hereafter to haue any thing of you estéeming that this glorious victorie hath so pufte vp your heart that disdaining your Abra ye shall nor will not receiue hir for the least of your slaues The letter of Niquea to the Soudan hir father by the whiche she prayeth him to pardon hir offence that shee hath committed marying hir selfe and departing from his countrey without his leaue In the eyght booke the .84 Chapter MY Lord I beséech you most humbly soner than to blame my absence to take the paine if it please you to read this my letter and reading it to consider in your selfe with what mighte and power loue is accustomed to cause them to obey him that are in his rule and dominion And willing to exercise it in mée he presented long since before the eyes of my spirite not onely the renoume of the valiant and inuincible Amadis of Greece but also his beautie dexteritie and good grace for the whiche he is commended of all men that haue had the chaunce to sée him and to frequent him And for this cause I set my loue and affection so to him wardes that I was readie to die also he was sorie that I coulde lyue without the meane that I founde oute to giue him knowledge not once but more than twice of the payne that I endured for the great desire that I had to him whereof he onely had compassion For loue it selfe was so gentle vnto me that he wounded him with the like shotte that he hurted me making him so muche myne that vnder the fayned habite of Nereide the slaue he came to this your Courte where that afterwards he had the combat with the vsurper of his name and of his figure what the ende thereof was my Lorde ye knowe sufficiently inoughe So much there is that within a while after the houre and time was giuen me to knowe him And we agréed so well and so accorded our intentions togither that finally we were maried the which if it be your pleasure ye shall not take in yll parte his person beyng of suche merite for why his valiantnesse and the noble bloud whereof he is descended séemed onely worthy of my beautie and Trebisonde more méete for the celebration of our mariage than your towne Niquea bicause of so many Emperors Kings Princes and highe Ladies as he and I truste to finde
vpon the Giantes your cruell tyrants and rulers whose deathe and correction ye shoulde not estéeme to procéede from anye other than from the gods immortall wherof they will gyue you very swifte witnesse seing that two onely persons haue destroyed and brought to ruine suche and so fearefull mâ—nsters notwithstanding the situation of the very strong and inaccessible places the Gigantine forces and all their puissance and might both craftie and subtill Againe my deare and good friendes we counsell and admonishe you that ye giue no place to your affections so that the anger of God fâ—ll not vpon you if ye disobey the children of Mars sent hither to be soueraines and to set peace in your countrey As touching the rest ye shall come vnto vs to vnderstande the â—uerplus of our will. Arlande the Princesse of Thrace letter to Dom Florisel of Niquea praying him to come to see hir to vnderstande and to reuenge the wrong done by Amadis of Greece to Balarte his brother In the .9 booke the .14 Chapter ARlande Princesse of Thrace to the Knight of the shée shéepeheard gréeting The renoume of your excellent beautie and glorious actes of armes that runneth not only throughout all this countrey of Thrace but almoste throughout the world hath drawne me into so great admiration and desyre to know the truth that after I had consulted with our goâ—â— vpon these affaires and matters and that they answered 〈◊〉 after the common brute and rumour I was well willing to sende you this presente and to praye youre Lordshippe to come hither to vnderstande and to perceiue the wrong that the vnfaithfull and traitour Armadis of Greece did to my verie déere and onely brother Balarte Prince of Thrace by whose death the succession of this Realme after the decease of my heauie father shall pertaine to me yet with this charge to pursue and reuenge the death of my foresaide Lorde and brother Therfore if it please you to come hither to execute this reasonable vengeance I haue purposed and doe promise you in recompence of the duetie that ye shall doe to make you Lord and master of my selfe and of all that I possesse in this worlde aduertising you moreouer that the gods haue reuealed vnto me that ye onely are he to whom this great iustice and glorious vengeance is reserued Obeyng then the diuine prescieÌ„ce of the gods leaue off from henceforth to pursue the vengeance of a sort of euill iniuries and quarrels of Damsels of to base qualitie and come to take the possession and enioying of great goods and honors the which are prepared here for you thus doing ye shall content me and make me ioyfull She that desireth to remaine for euer in your good grace and remembrance Arlande The answere of Dom Florisel of Niquea to the letters of Arlande graciously refusing hir demaunde aswell bicause that Balarte was iustly slaine as that Amadis of Greece was his father In the .9 booke and the .14 Chapter DOm Florisel of Niquea the sonne of the right vertuous and stout Prince Amadis of Greece to Arlande the Princesse of Thrace salutatioÌ„s eueÌ„ such as hir excelleÌ„cy deserueth Madam I haue receiued the letters which it hath pleased you to send me by this your Damsell and reading them I knowe the great desire that ye haue to reuenge the deathe of Prince Balart your brother slaine as I haue vnderstanded most valiantly in the campe of the battell by the handes of my right déere father Amadis of Greece for a good and a iust quarrell a thing that should diuert and turne you to make any such suteâ— for the more that the cause of his death shall be published the more dishonor shal fall both vpon him vpon those that shal enforce themselues to reuenge him euerie man euidently knowing his vnrighteousnesse for the mischeuous turne that he purposed to doe vnto him that with all graciousnesse and good intreating receiued him into his house Therfore Madam finde it not strange at al if in this I satisfie not your desire not for the regarde of the honour and reuerence that I ought to haue naturally to him that hath begotten me but for as much as I should greatly offende God and my honour yea I should do against all reason to reuenge so vertuous an acte putting the case that another than my father had done it And I well assure you that who so euer woulde obey you in tâ—at he shall finde himself iustly smitten of God augmenting the shame and dishonour of him that deserueth to be buried in the darkenesse of obliuiousnesse As concerning the goods that ye promise me that is to make me possessour and to enioye your excellent beautie and all your possessions ye may vnderstande by these present letters that I vnder the condition that ye damaund haue a iust occasion to refuse theÌ„ neuerthelesse I thanke you as much as I caÌ„ possible for your good wil and affection that ye beare me in recompence wherof I promise you to employ me to be your seruaunt and to serue you in all that honour and vertue shall commaund me Thus much Madam praying the creator of al things vnto whom vengeance ought to be reserued to giue you his holy grace and after that I may be affectuously recommended â—o yours He that desireth you all goodnesse and encrease of honour the knight of the she shepherde A letter from Dom Florisell of Niquea to fair Helen princessâ— of Apolonia excusiâ—g himselfe of the boldnesse that he taketh to write vnto hir and to present hir his heart In thâ—â—â— booke the .33 Chapter MAdame if ye wil measure your highnesse and aduise you vpon the kingdome that ye possesse in respect of me that am but a wandring knighte and yet vnknowen vnto you I thinke well that ye would maruell of my temeritie and foolish boldnesse that durst write vnto you at this present but if ye would consider how great the force of loue is I am wel assured that your benignitie and sweetenesse shal excuse me and accuse this diuine beautie and good grace the which yesterday did so rauish me of my libertie that I had not the power nor the will neuer to loue or to serue any other but you For this cause I tooke boldnesse to pray you as humbly as I may possible to receiue my faithfull heart the whiche hathe left me to be wholly yours and doth suffer me to keepe and to name me your knight and very affectionate â—eruant the which shall little estéeme all his misfortunes that are past if ye would do him so great honor as that he might one of these dayes tell you by mouth that he feareth to write vnto you bicause of the little aquaintance that ye haue of him praying the creator and maker of all things the which hath mâ—ued you with so great beautie to giue you the increase of honor and felicitie You re most humble and obediente the knight of the she shepherde The princesâ—e of Apolonia doth