himselfe by the way asking me what order I meant to hold in the entring of the caue I told him counterfetting and faining manie stratagems and deuices Meane time we approached néere vnto the place where the Centinels stood about the Rocke and to Captaine Licio that had sent me vnto the Generall who at that time was in verie good order about the rocke holding each place about the caue straightly besieged And yet all this notwithstanding not one of them durst once be so hardie as to approach néere vnto the entrie of the same by reason that the Generall had sent speciall commaundement to the contrarie thereby to auoyd the damage that Lazarus did vnto them because that at such time as I was conuerted into a Tonny fish I let the sword stand vpright in the entrie of the Caue and in such manner as I helde it in my hands when I was a man which the Tonnyes saw fearing that their enemie helde it in his hands and that hee stood right before the entrie of the caue As we approached néere vnto the place I said vnto the Generall it were good hee should commaund those that held centinell and siege about the caue to depart and that he with al the rest should withdraw themselues from thence which was presently done I did that because they should not perceiue the little labor I had to enter into the caue Then I being alone gaue great and liuely flashes in the water and skipping vp vnto the mouth of the caue I made a shew of some great thing I ment to doo meane time that I did this the report went among them that I had begun to enter into the caue but said they he will be slaine as well as others altogether as hardie and bold as he haue béen let him alone for assure your selues you shal sée his lustines well cooled in the end In the mean time I made show as though some resistance had bin made against me out of the caue that the enemie thrust at me as he had done at others whereat I made as though I skipped with my bodie from the one side to the other And as the Armie stood in this amaze they had not the wits to perceiue that which in truth was not to be perceiued sometime I approached vnto the caue and assailed it with most great force making as though I fought and then againe I retired as I did before which I did onely to make a shew of great matter where none was After I had done this thrée or foure times standing somewhat distant from the caue I began to roare with a loud voice to that end the General and the whole Armie might heare me saying O miserable man thinkest thou that thou canst defend thy selfe against the great power of our puissaunt Lord and and King and against his valiant Captaine generall with those of his mightie Armie Thinkest thou to escape from hence without being punished for thy great boldnes and the great murthers which by thy meanes haue béen done vpon our frends and companions Yéelde yéeld thy selfe I say a prisoner vnto the valiant and great Generall and it may bee hee will bee mercifull vnto thée Yéeld thine Armes which haue so well serued thée at this present and come forth of thy strong Hold wherein thou art for it will little auaile thée to tarrie there and put thy selfe into his power with whom for power none within the whole compasse of the seas may once compare I as I say giuing these great and threatening speaches vnto poore Lazarus all to fill the eares of the hearers thereby to incourage them as men are accustomed to doo béeing a thing wherein they take much pleasure a Tonny came vnto me from the Generall willing me to come presently vnto him with whom I went and at my approaching I found both him and all the rest almost dead with laughter and such was the noyse that they made that one could not heare the other by meanes thereof but as I appeared before him beeing much amazed at such an alteration the Generall commaunded that each man should bee quyet whereat some silence was made although the most part of them began againe to laugh till at the last with much paine the Generall said vnto me Companion if thou holdest no other method in entring the Fort of our Enemie than that thou hast alreadie showen neither shalt thou accomplish thy promise nor I be anie thing the wiser in standing to trust vpon thée which maketh me the more to suspect it in that I haue onely séene thée to assaile the entrie of the Caue and yet thou didst not enter and more that thou beginnest to perswade our aduersarie by speach which euerie one can doo as well as thou So that as farre as I and these the rest of my Campanie can perceiue thou wouldest be verie glad to be well rid of so dangerous an action Whereby it séemeth most apparant and euident vnto vs that all this time is but lost and these words spent vainly to the winde because I am certaine by this meanes thou canst not in a thousand yeares accomplish that which thou desirest or hast said that thou couldest doo and for this cause wee laughed at thée and surely our laughter is not without iust cause to sée thée stand prating vnto him as if thou wert some iolly fellow and then they all began againe to laugh at me With this I found mine owne want and said within my selfe If God had not preserued me to some other end than to féed those fooles the vnaccustomed manner of behauiour that I vsed as a Tonnie would haue béen cause of my decaye which was specially by reason that I had onely their forme and not their nature But I séeking to amend mine error answered My Lord when anie man is desirous to effectuate that which hee hath in minde to doo it happeneth vnto him as it doth vnto mee Whereat the Generall and all the rest began againe to laugh saying Alas poore man thou art deceiued for thou shouldest haue answered vnto mee as it is true that thou fearest that in stead of renting his cloathes he will teare thy bodie With that hee left off speaking for that time Wherewith I seeing that still my want of behauiour appeared and perceiuing that with a few more of such checks I might soone be mated I began also to laugh with them for companie but God knowes I grinned with no small feare which at that time I had and therewith I said vnto the Generall My Lord it may please you not to thinke that my feare is such as some of you doo presume because that hauing to doo with a man you thinke that the tongue vttereth that which the heart meaneth but it séemeth vnto me that I stay ouer long to accomplish my promise and to take vengeance in your behalfe of this our enemie wherefore with your Honours license I would willingly craue that I might returne to make
summe of money and withall to deliuer him one hundreth female Sturgeons one hundreth males which male Sturgeons because they are a daintie fish the king eate them at his owne table the females he kept for his pleasure After that our General went against the Porpeses which he ouercame brought vnder our subiection Wherewith the number of our armed Tonnies grew so great and puissant that we held manie kinde of fishes in subiection vnder vs all which became tributaries and gaue pledges as we said before Then our Captaine not being contenced with the victories past armed himselfe against the Cocodriles which are a kinde of most fierce fishes and liue sometime in the sea and sometime on the land with whom we had manie battailes and although wee lost some yet for the most part he bare away the victorie But it was no meruaile that we lost some because as I said before those kinde of fishes are verie fierce cruell great bodied with great téeth and long tuskes wherewith they tare in péeces as many of vs as they could reach into their pawes and yet for all their fiercenes we manie times put them to the worst vnles if were somtimes when they saw themselues ouer-pressed by our Tonnies then they forsooke the water and took the land and so they escaped Which our Captaine Licio perceiuing in the end left them after he had spoyled great numbers of them and hee himself likewise receiued great damage and lost the good Melo his brother which caused no smal gréefe throughout the whole Armie But our comfort was that he died like a valiant Tonnie for it was reported vnto vs for a truth that before they killed him he in person with his sword wherewith he was very nimble killed more than a thousand Cocodriles yet they had not killed him if it had not chanced that they flying and he after them he sodainly fell vpon the land there stayed by which meanes not being able to be seconded by his companie the enemie tare him in péeces In the end good Captaine Licio returned from the warres the most renowned fish that then liued in the seas bringing with him great rich spoyles which he gaue wholly vnto the King without taking anie thing for himselfe At his returne his Highnes receiued him with such countenance and entertainment as belonged vnto a fish that had done him so great seruice and honour and withall bestowed most liberall rewards vpon him as also vnto those that had followed him in such manner that euerie one found himselfe contented and pleased And the King to shew the greater fauour vnto Licio mourned for Melo his brother the space of eight dayes and so did we al. Your worship must vnderstand that the mourning among the fishes is that when they are sad and mourne during that time they speak not but onely by signes aske what they desire to haue And this is the manner that is obserued among them whē as their husbands wiues children or frends doe die they mourne in that sort as I said before and kéep it so straightly that it is holden for a great ignomie and that the greatest that may be found within the seas if whē they mourne they chance to speake vntill such time as the King sending vnto them willeth them to leaue mourning and then they speak as they did before I heard it reported among them that a Lord for the death of a Ladie whom he loued and kept as his frend mourned in his owne Countrey for the space of ten yeares and for all that the King could doo he might not cause him to leaue off mourning because that at such time as he sent him word to leaue off he sent word to beséech his Grace to cause him to bee killed rather than leaue off mourning which he could not do And which is more I was tolde wherein I tooke great pleasure to heare it that his seruants perceiuing his long silence some of them at a month others another month and other some at two months as they desired to speake forsooke his house so that in the end he had not one left and here with his mourning continued so long that although he had desired to leaue it hee knew not with whom to speake When they tolde me this I called to my remembrance diuers talkatiue men with whom I am verie well acquainted who neuer leaue talking but assoone as one tale is ended they begin againe And many times because they would not loose companie they cut off their tales in the middle and begin others and so continue vntill the very night come vpon them that they must néeds leaue company or els they would neuer haue done and the worst is that these men do not perceiue how much they offend God and the world herein and I thinke are little lesse then troublesome vnto the diuel himselfe and he that will be wise let him flie the companie of these fooles because like requireth like for their paines I wish they were vassalls vnto this Barron and that during their aboad with him his friend might die that I might be reuenged on them CHAP. X. How the King and Licio determined to marry Lazarus vnto the faire Ladie Luna and how they were married BVt returning vnto our matter the mourning and sorrow holden for the death of Melo being past the king sent word that with all spéede the number of armed Tonnies should bee new supplied and increased and that they should go séeke more armes which was presently done At which time it séemed good vnto the king to marry me to some one whom he thought good and therupon he dealt with Licio about the same vnto whom he committed the matter but he would willingly haue bene quit of the charge because he knew somewhat by her but for that it pleased the king he durst not otherwise doo so he brake the matter vnto me being not a little ashamed to do it saying that he sawe and knew I deserued more honour as my déedes witnessed but the king had expresly commanded that he should be the mariage maker In the end the matter being at that point it is my good fortune sayd I vnto my selfe a nayle is not good to play at tennis withall and a plague of such a ball as cannot be taken but at the second rebound and séeing it pleaseth God it shall be no otherwise and that it is for my profite and aduancement it is reason that I climbe from a priest vnto a king In the ende I did it and my mariage was solemnized with so great triumphs and feastings as if it had bene for a prince being honored with the degrée of a vicount that the king gaue me with her which if I had it here vpon earth would do me much more good than in the sea in the end from the base or meanest Tonny my name rose vnto a Signior In the manner my signory led a tryumphant life married very richly
THE MOST PLEAsaunt and delectable Historie of Lazarillo de Tormes a Spanyard AND OF HIS MARVELLOVS Fortunes and Aduersities The second part Translated out of Spanish into English By W. P. LABORE ET CONSTANTIA Printed at London by T. C. for Iohn Oxenbridge dwelling in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Parrot 159◠To my verie good friend Maister Ionas Tirill of Burstow all happinesse bee wished ALthough good will and perfect friendship is not to be requited nor sought with mony yet such is the exellencie thereof that it is oftentimes requited with some ingratitude wherwith the vertue is much more beautified as it was with the good and wise King Don Alonso of Spaine who being giuen to vnderstand that one vnto whome hee had done great good by preferring him to honour besides many liberal gifts was verie vnthankfull for the same he answered in a milde maner that a great good turne is neuer requited without some ingratitude euen so I may compare you in this happinesse vnto him and in vnhappinesse my selfe vnto the other who for much good haue returned but ill wherefore I am the bolder being acquainted so wel with your good disposition to shew my self thankfull being well assured that you cannot think of my seruice euill seeing as I haue saide you haue alwaies done well beeing deliuered vnto mee by a Gentleman of mine acquaintaunce a small Spanish Pamphlet by him new done into English intituled Lazarillo de Tormes a Spanyard discoursing the many hard fortunes aduersities he susteined in the Sea beeing transformed into a Tuni Fish though but a toy yet I assure you passing pleasaunt and delectable which I haue aduentured to dedicate vnto you Onely crauing you will accept it as friendly as I present it willingly and then I haue my onely request And so resting in hope of your fauourable acceptance I commit you to the Almightie and this poore Lazarillo to the friendly Readers censure Your louing friend who wisheth you all hearts ease I. O. Howe Lazarillo de Tormes at the importunate requests of his frends Imbarked himselfe to goe in the Voyage with the King of Spaine made vnto Argel and what happened vnto him in the same YOur worshippe must vnderstand that the vnfortunate Lazaro de Tormes being in this pleasant life exercising his office and getting his meat and drink for that God made no such office and whiche is muche better then the best foure and twentie other offices in Toledo and withall both I and my wife being well paide and contented with our new daughter daily increasing our housholde stuffe I for my part being well vsed and hauing two sutes of apparell one for euerie day and the other for the holy dayes and my wife as much with 24. Roialls of Plate in my purse I came vnto this Towne whither I should not haue come where at my arriual I vnderstood the newes as other men do of the voyage vnto Argel Whereunto diuers of my neighbors began to hearken saying one to the other let vs goe thither for by that voyage wee may come home laden with golde and siluer so that they began to put me into such a couetous humor that I imparted the same vnto my wife wherunto she being desirous to returne backe againe vnto the priest answered me saying do as you thinke good but if you goe and that it pleaseth God to sende you good fortune I pray you bring me a Moore for my slaue to serue me all my life and it shal suffice me as also I pray you remember to bring some what to marry this your litle daughter wherunto the Barbery Ducates wherewith they say those Dogges the Moores are so well stored will not bee amisse With the which answere togither with the couetous desire I had I determined which I should not haue done to goe on this voyage From the which my maister the Priest disswaded me verie much but I would not beleeue him To conclude I hauing many miseries more to passe thē in former times I had passed I agreed with a Knight of the order of Saint Iohn with whome I was well acquainted to beare him company and to serue him in the voyage and that he should beare my charges with such condition that whatsoeuer I could get it should be for my selfe And so there were diuers that got but it was vnto me a great and an vnfortunate miserie which although diuers men felt yet I dare assure you I had sufficient for my part This Knight and I with diuers others departed out of this Towne in great Iollitie and much brauery as in all voyages is commonly séene but to auoyde tediousnesse I will make no rehearsall of that which happened vnto vs in our iourny by land for that it is nothing vnto the purpose but we were no sonner imbarked at Carthagena in a good ship full of men and victualls sufficient and in company of other shippes but there arose in the sea the moste horrible and cruellest tempest that euer your worship heard of whereby there happened the greatest wracke and destruction of men that had bene seene or knowne vpon the seas long time before and in this storme the worst was that the waues of the sea did vs not so much harme as our owne shippes did one vnto the other because the tempest being by night and the cruell waues rising so high and so big there was not any of vs that could sée to deuise any remedie for our safetie but that whether we wold or not the shippes strake one against the other in such sort that with the blowes they forcibly brake and drowned in the sea with all the passengers But for that your worship hath as I saide bene enformed at large of that which was happened in that tempest by such as beheld it and were in the same and as God woulde escaped as also by others that haue heard the same deliuered from their mouthes it shall bee néedlesse for me to touche any pointe thereof more then of that whereof I my selfe am able to enforme you as being onely he that sawe it and which of all the rest that were with vs sawe it best Wherein God shewed his great mercie vnto me as your worship shall heare by the sequell I speake neither of he Moore nor yet of the Moore for the diuell take them all for any that euer I sawe in that voyage but I beheld our shippe broken in many péeces I sawe the like done by others I perceiued neither mast nor yarde in her all the deckes broken vp and the vpper part cleane carried away at which sight the Captaines and Officers men of qualitie entered into the boate séeking to bestowe themselues in other shippes although at that time there were verie fewe among vs that coulde helpe them and left the meane and baser sort of vs within the ship for that the common saying is It is better to léese the worst then the best We séeing that committed our soules vnto
him thoough the accustomed stréetes but doo it before the prison gate which they beléeuing to be true had deliuered him to be executed In such maner that the King knew and perceiued his Generals fault and the more he looked into the matter the more he perceiued it to be true CHAP. VIII How the Captaines wife returned againe vnto the King and of the good answere she brought ALL this while we stayed that day and the next night in the wood not greatly in quiet and the next day after the Captaines wife with her Companie went againe vnto the palace and to auoid tediousnes the King by that time was in better quietnes receiuing her verie curteously and saying Good woman if all my subiects had so wise and discréete wiues peraduenture they should increase their honor and wealth and I accompt my selfe happie I say this for that in truth I séeing your discretion and wise reasons haue therewith appeased my anger and you thereby haue deliuered your husband his companie from my wrath and heauie displeasure and for because that since your being here I haue béen better informed than I was tell him that vpon my word he may come to the Court with all his frends without anie perill or danger But for auoyding of tumults and speaches at this present will him from me that he kéep house as a prisoner vntill I send him word vnto the contrarie and in the meane time I pray you come hither and sée vs because I take great pleasure to sée and behold your person good behauior and pleasant speach Whereat the Captaines wife kissed his taile giuing him heartie thankes for the great grace and fauour he shewed as she full well could doo it and so returned vnto vs with a most ioyfull answere although some of vs thought it not conuenient to be done saying it was but subtilly politikely done thereby to get vs into his hands In the end we agréed as loyall subiects to accomplish the commandement of our King trusting vnto 〈◊〉 I meane our mouthes when our loyaltie should bee brought in question Whereupon we presently remooued vnto the Citie and entred therein finding in the same man is frends which as then shewes themselues perceiuing our enterprise to be wel taken and effectuated but before they burst not make anie show thereof as the olde saying is When Fortune turneth and sendeth thée aduersitie then thy frends are shaken and 〈◊〉 from thée for aduersitie sheweth who be frends and who are foes Being entred we retired vnto one end of the Citie wherein least people were where stood houses great store but most part without inhabitants beeing the houses of such as wee had slaine there we lodged as néere as wee could together in the meane time giuing commission that not one of our band should walk abroad into the Citie that the Princes will might be fulfilled Meane time the Captaines wife went euerie day vnto the Court to visite the King as he had commaunded with whom she became a great frend but as farre as I could perceiue although all séemed cléere water yet the beautifull Luna paid for all for the going with her sister in these visitations and as it is a common saying Such pilgrimes such saints the King wan her fauour so well that in the ende he obtained her loue which I verely thinke she did not with the consent of her sister Which Captaine Licio knew verie well for that in a manner he deliuered it vnto me asking my counsell therein I told him that in my opinion the matter was not great specially because it would be a great helpe and the principall occasion of procuring our libertie And so it fell out for that the faire Gentlewoman Luna was so priuie with the King that within eight dayes after his royall coniunction fall out what would we were all pardoned and acquited and the King releasing her brother in law sent word that we should all come vnto the Court Beeing there Licio kissed the Kings taile which he offred him verie willingly and I did the like although with an euill will as béeing a man and to kisse in such a place Then the King said vnto vs Captaine I being informed of your loyaltie and not hearing anie thing vnto the contrarie therefore from henceforth I pardon you with all your companie frends and seruants which in the enterprise past did aid and assist you and because hereafter you shal be here attendant at our Court I giue vnto you all the houses with the goods therein of those that by the permission of God lost them together with their liues giuing you likewise the same office that our Captaine generall had and from henceforth I will that you exercise the same as one that knoweth well how to vse it Whereat we fell downe before him and our Captaine Licio went kissed his taile once againe giuing him great thankes for his liberall rewards saying that he trusted in God to doo such seruice in the said office that his Highnes should think it well bestowed The same day the King was informed of poore Lazarus the Tonny although at that time I was so rich so glad to sée them frends that me thought I neuer was better pleased The King among diuers questions asked how I found out the inuention of our armes I answered him to his content Then he asked with what number of fishes I and my companie durst incounter I answered the Whales excepted I could ouercome all the fishes in the sea Whereuppon he appointed next morning to sée vs all muster before him Next day Licio our Generall and I with all the rest of our armed companie went out where I found a very good inuention although the souldiers vse it here at this present I made them place themselues in order and so we passed before his Highnes making a ring which although the Coronell Villalua and his companie could do it better and in brauer manner yet in the sea they hauing not séene anie esquadrons made it séemed strange vnto them After that I made a battaile of our armed Tonnies together placing the fairest and best armed in the first rankes willing Melo with all the disarmed and with thirtie thousand other Tonnies to come forth and skirmish with vs who compassed vs about on al parts But we placing ours in good order and holding close together began to defend our selues so well and to strike and hurt them in such sort that all the sea had not béen sufficient to haue entred within vs. The king séeing that I had told him truth and that in such sort we could not be hurt called vnto Licio and said This your frend hath maruellous great skill in armes it séemeth vnto me that in this manner we might conquere and ouercome the whole seas It is most true as your Grace saith said our Captaine generall and as touching the good industrie of the strange Tonny my good frend I cannot beléeue or be perswaded otherwise