haue Hoâ— Mars with choller much adust doâ—he câ—use his crue to raue Aâ—â— what â—iseases incident 〈…〉 and proper name of euery greefe and paine But this his skill with rare delight is saweed in such sort As grauer heads may counsell finde and yonger yeares disport Both by his learned censure may most pleasaunt profite gaine With friendly speech and praises due then recompence his paine FINIS Henry Gale Master of Artes. In Epicureos FOnd Epycurus with thy crue which scornes the course of heauenly frameâ— Bend downe thine eye and take a viewe peruse this worke and blush for shame To see thy doating doomes refeld which taste of naught but earthly slime And now by right and force compeld to yeeld to trueth in this our time Wherein Astrologie her famous loreâ— doth iustly claime her sacred due As Greene hath prou'd she did before and now her praises doth renue With such surpassing wit and skill as shall display thy brutish will FINIS George Mearâ—â— Gentleman In 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ride Epicure deum gere nescia pectore fati finge nihil caeli significare faces Crede mihi ad nigrum quando raptaberis orcum Hic tua quod plectat scommata Numen erit Sultum pecus est non homo quicunque Astronomiae studio non tenetur cuius neminem nisi deum authorem repertorem faciundum puto Plato Saturne Iupiter Mars Sol Venus Mercurie Luna Saturne I Am sory Venus that thou art descended from mee beeing a God or that the destinies not to bee controlled haue appointed thee for a Goddesse but especially that thou art one of the vii Planets whose celestiall influences are predominant in terrestiall creatures I heare the complaints of theÌ„ which are skilfull in the calculation of natiuities exclaiming against thy thrise accursed constellation for by thee Venus the prime of yeeres which ought to bee spent in vertues is consumed in idle vanities Youth whiche in the golden age delighted to trie their vertues in hard armours take their onely content in delicate and effeminate amours through thee young mindes are blinded with lasciuious loue and aged yeeres pestered with fresh affections thou doest inchaunt the heartes of men with vnfitte fancies and layest beauty as a snare to intrappe vertue Loue as they whom haplesse experieÌ„ce hath taught make report is the onely plague which infecteth the myndes of mortall men and what daungerous euentes proceede of this franticke impression springe fond Venus of thy accursed influence so that if the Gods woulde bee ruled by me thou shouldest not onely be depriued of thy place among the Planets but exiled from all dignitie in the heauens and denyed to haue any more power vpon earth Venus Saturn if Gods might waxe old as they are immortal I wold thinke age had made thee doate but I neede not deceyue my selfe for it is thy accustomed melancholy that driueth thee into these bitter inuectyues Thou art sorie that I am come of thy lyne and I therefore discent because the destinies haue appoynted my progenie from such a peeuish Parent whose celestial but infortunate impression ioyned with a perpetuall vnluckly irradiation breedeth both in mens mindes and bodies such haplesse passions sawsed with so bitter and wofull euents as I sorrow to heare their cursing complaintes and shame to desceÌ„d from the race of such a despised Planet whereas contrary in the course of al configurations whether I be in some improper and sinister house or my vertue darkened with some vnlucky aspect either in Coniunction or Opposition yet the mildnesse of my influence doth alwaies mittigate though not extinguishe the cruell disposition of all other infortunate starres And further syr to shew that your inuectiue sauoureth more of rancour theÌ„ of reason I say that those natiuities whiche are fauoured wyth my happye aspecte dispose the minde to a continuall pronenesse and forwardnesse vnto pitie friendshippe amity and loue Loue yea Loue I say as neither God nor man iustly can gainsay which oft times pacifieth displeasures among heauenly powers and appeaseth debates among earthlye creatures It is y â— enemie to dissention the friend to quiet yea the preseruer conseruer of humane actions so that what is done well either is loue or proceedeth from loue But Saturne let those two crabbed Philosophers who hated loue and fed vpon gall and melaÌ„choly I meane Timon and Aparmantus come forth and thou shalt heare them with bitter curses accuse thy Saturnine complexion to be the spur that prickt them forward to their desperate philosophie Mars Truth Venus therefore Saturne for a while by the conseÌ„t of his own son Iupiter was most iustly exiled for y â— through his peeuish frowardnes neither could the gods agree in heauen nor men vpon earth Iupiter Mars you mistake the matter my father Saturne is the most noble of all the planets for his influence is principally predominant in age wherein vayn thoughtes and fresh affections are suppressed and wisedome onely beares swaye breeding in mens minds a hatefull contempt of vice and a happie desire of vertue therfore the golden age wherin al liued iustly was called Aetas Saturnea Luna Tush Iupiter blame not Mars his hande is on his halfepenie he plaieth like the Lidian stone which rubbed with the iuice of Mandrake becommeth hot where before it is most colde Venus is the goddesse of beauty and will loue Mars a god must loue let not his broken coyne stand for starling for he speaketh of affection all the Gods either do know it or may know it Mars Luna your reproch maye bee counted a praise for there is no hold to be taken at your words whose verdict is so variable y e ere Iupiter can turne his backe you wil chaunge your tale neuer singing one sougâ—e nor remaining in one mynd least if your censure should at any time be al one you might be thought not to be Luna But it is for you to talke with the goddesses not with the Gods Saturne Mars Luna hath reported as much as she can proue and yet no more then we know but letting her defend her own quarrel I say that respecting your own lucklesse constellation it were most fit for you to hold with Saturne for wrath enuie warres choler bloud murther hatred proceedeth froÌ„ your influence Mercurie Not so Sir in this I will speake for Mars hee breedeth in mens mindes valour prowesse magnanimity courage constancy resolutions without feare setled determination without change Iupiter And you Mercurie pollicies sleights faire promises small performance causing men by your variable impression to flatter friend or foe to sweare in mouth and for sweare in hart to beare two faces vnder a hood to carry a Lamb in his shield and a Tygre in his bosome with the one hand to present spice and wyth the other hemblocke Sol. Is it not a shame right mightye Gods that your grauities shuld be so blinded with raging choler as to your own discredit to rippe vp those thinges which
chylde prohybite thee from suche hellishe practises But why doâ—st thou prattle Pasilla thou seest they could not Graunt not to the trecherous wreâ—th then so much â—auour as to let him inioye one moment of life but reuenge his wickednesse and 〈◊〉 thine owne woe And with that Valdracko was about to speake but Pasilla incensed with a furious 〈…〉 vp the sword and wounded him sore and after many bloody â—lowâ—s he yeelded vp the ghost When she had thus crâ—câ—y murthered her father yet iustlye requited the iniuâ—y she toâ—k pen and incke and wrote the effect of this tragicall discourse that al might know the cause of this bloody fact whiche finiâ—hed â—â—e fell groueling on the sword and so ended both her life and her miseries Saturne Iupiter Mars Sol Venus Mercurie Luna VEnus had no sooner ended her tale but Saturne rising out of his seate as one in a chafe fell into these Collericke tearmes Saturne Venus you play like them which seeking to shoote against the starres are wounded with their owne Arrowes in the fall or like the enuious Porcuntine who coueting to strike others with her pennes leaueth her selfe void of any defence you haue here tolde a tale of Valdracko which sheweth not my crabbed influence but your owne crooked constellation for it was the wilfull forwardnesse of Pasylla in her doâ—ing fancies and her lasciuious loue in liking her fathers enimy that procured those haplesse euents yea it was the vnbridled affection of staylesse youth not the careful wisedome of setled age that wrought this Tragicall discourse Venus Saturne if old men could blush no doubt all the gods should perceiue thou wert more ashamed in defending so false a cause then in hearing me rehearse the case but I will not say you doate because you are old but dissemble because you are wise so shall I both excuse your fondnesse and commend your wit but this I hope I may say without preiudice that your arguments sauour as much â—f reason as Luna doth of constancie Luna You might haue said Venus as you do of honestie and so all the gods would haue thought his arguments of small force but were his reasons as full of substance as you of light qualities it were against Aristotle to deny either premises or conclusion Venus You learned this Logicke Luna of Endâ—mion but let that passe and seeing Sol is appointed Moderator in this our controuersie I thinke he cannot but say that the haplesse and tragicall euents of this history came by the predominant influence of Saturne for was it not the Melancholy disposition of Valdracko that nourished so long the glowing sparkes of reuenge toward the Conte Coelio and his Saturnine constitution that with a coulored shewe of amitie repayed most faithfull friendshippe with cruell enmitie did hee not carry in the one hande breade and in the other a stone and preferre his priuate iniuries before publike credite or honesty yea did not such melancholicke impressions pester his minde as hee was the cause of the most tragicall and bloodie Massacres Mercurie Truth Venus such is the crabbed disposition of Saturne as they which are borne vnder his influence delight in tragicall treacheries performed with most subtill and secreat attempts so that Caesar feared more the two Saturnists Brutus Cassius then all his forraine foes of any other constitution Iupiter Mercurie you speake without commission I am glad you are so greatly beholding vnto Venus indeede she cannot want counsellours nor champions she allowes them such large fees But I pray you wherein is my Father Saturne so greatly to be blamed was not Valdracko forced by the disordinate affection of his daughter Pandina to his enemies sonne Rodento rather to preuent mishappe by some synister meanes then to bring his hole house and famelie to most miserable decay and ruine Mars Iupiter if large fees may make bolde champions or brawling counsellers you haue greatest cause both to fight chide in Venus behalfe she hath giuen you many a fat present as Europa daâ—as Alcmena I haue named ynough I think to stoppe your mouth Luna Mars what Iupiter hath gotten I knowe not but what Vulcan got with his net we al know not a fish but a God But it is wel you defend not her honestie but her arguments Sol. Cease from these biting quips they are fit for brabling Sophisters not for the gods and heare my verdict I am of this minde that the hapelesse euentes of this tragical discourse came by Saturnes synister influence that Coelios death proceeded of a malicious and secreat hate that Rodentos balefull mishap spronge from a Saturnine reuenge predominant in the configuration of Valdrachos natiuitie imprinting in his aged minde a melancholie despight which brought to passe this wofull and vnnaturall tragedie This is my censure but nowe sith Venus hath ended her tale Luna I charge you to report her Astronomical description because Saturne will speake more of ranâ—or then of reason Saturne Sol we haue agreed that your sensure shal stand for a sentence and therfore I wil not inueigh against your verdict but am content to beare the blame of Valdrachos ill nature yet that you the rest of the gods may know that there commeth more harme by disordinate lawlesse Venus then by me I will rehearse an historie wherein you shall easily perceiue that loue sotteth the senses infecâ—eâ—h youth destroyeth age and is the very plague both to the minde and body Lunas Astronomicall description of Venus THe starre of Venus right mightie gods is so simplie called as Tullie auoucheth quod ad res omnes veniat and the auncient Arabians call it astrum genitale or prolifioum for the temperate moisture and fauorable influence that it distilleth vppon all humaine bodies for the nature of Venus is to infuse into all inferiour substances while they are ingendered or nourished a certaine Humidatum sucoum or delicate moisture yet notwithstanding so thinne and subtile that it shall 〈…〉 and fâ—llow more the nature of 〈◊〉 then of showers which naturalâ— and proper qualitie in my iuâ—gement caused the aâ—ncient Poets 〈◊〉 attribute this Epitheton vnto Venus Aâ—â—a ab alendo Now as concerning her other qualitie of 〈…〉 note that â—â—we hâ—â—e in naturall heâ—â—e placed 〈◊〉 that doth cherish and nourish as is Sol and his irraâ—i at starre Iupiter so we haue set downâ— another which doth burne and scortch intemperaâ—ely as doeth Mars with his adult and yâ—llow chollar so likewise in the nature of coâ—â—nesse we doe appoint Venus to be â—omâ—oâ—ate and fauorable and Saturne with his melancholy humor to be infortunate and malignaâ—â— of the which opinion are Prolomeus Galen and the Chaldes saying that amongst the Planets there are two fauourable wel affected and friends to nature namely Iupiter and Venus and two Saturne Mars â—â—holsome bitter lucklesse and yll affected To confyrme the which I will rehearse Ptolomeus owne sentenceâ—â— the end of his first Apotellosmaâ—â—â— There are foure humours saith he or first
thoughte best to accept of his proffer and to vnite their two houses by so happy a matche Hee therefore returned him this courteous and friendely aunswere Maruel not right mighty Duke if I stand in a maze at this strange and vnlooked for motion sith at our first meeting I rather expected opprobrious wordes of despitefull enmity then any such friendly speeches of desired amity But sith it hath pleased your grace to passe ouer all former dissentions quarrelles long time continued betweene our two houses which hath bred such ciuill mutinies and secret slaughters in Ferrara I not only accept of your happy and fortunate proffer but yeeld coÌ„digne thankes for your Graces long desired curtesie offering my son and my selfe to rest wholly and faithfullye yours in all duety to command With that Valdracko embraced the Earle swearing that he made such account of his friendship as he wold obserue that day as the most fortunate in al his life The Senat who al this while waited when either these 2. enimies shold part or els fall into their accustomed choler seing their friendly imbracemeÌ„ts were all amazed with sodain ioy driuen as it were into an extasie at this strange Metamorphosis yet greatly astonished because they were not priuy to their secrete conference which the Duke perceiuing to put them out of their musing dumps told theÌ„ how that they two which neither by the feare of authoritye nor friendly perswasions could be reconciled had nowe casting all old grudges aside renewed a perfect league of amity and to confirme the same they were agreed to vnite their houses and to marry Pasilla with Rodento This happy newes greatlye ioyed the Senators mindes and also the whole citie of Ferrara that they sorrowed not so muche before their hatefull dissention as they now reioyced at their louing agreement Wel Valdracko couering the bloodye minde of a gripe vnder the simple pennes of a Doue carried the Counte Celio home with him to dinner where the Duke intertained him with such sumptuous cheere and solemne curtesie as the poore Earle thought such heartye friendship coulde not be fained But when Pasilla saw with what intertainment her father cheered vp the Counte she marueiled at this strange courtesie and blushed at her owne conceits calling to mind her friend and louer Rodento thinking that since their parentes of enemies were become friends that the children might of dissembled foes grow to be professed louers As thus she was quickening her wits with these amorous conceits Valdracko and the Earle hauing takeÌ„ their repast the Duke calling his daughter vnto him begaÌ„ to make her partaker of his new determination how he meant if she could fancy to matche her with young Rodento a Gentleman of worthy parentage and comely personage endued with wit and singular qualities to conteâ—t her minde enriched with wealth and large possessions to maintain her estate both yong beautiful rich great gifts sufficieÌ„t to coÌ„tent litle godes able to command euen Vesta her self to leaue her virginity if then she coulde consent to loue like so braue a gentleman he would thinke her duetifull obedience did requiâ—e his fatherly prouidence otherwise if she shoulde mislike of his choyce and vpon wilful frowardnes oppose her selfe against his mind he would not onely repay her fonde mislike with the lyke despight but also disinherite her of all his possessions Pasilla who was easie to intreate tolde the Duke that the commaunde of the father was a constraynt to the childe that Parentes willes were lawes so they past not all lawes therefore she was content to frame her fancie as it pleased his Grace to dispose this duetifull and modest answere of Pasilla pleased the Duke in so muche that to strike the yron while it was hotte least any thing mighte fall out betweene the cup and the lippe they sent for Rodento who maruellyng 〈◊〉 heare that hys Father was a gueste to suche an vnacquainted host came wyth all speede and beeyng admiâ—ted into the chamber of presence found Valdracko his father and Pasilla in secret talk The Duke no sooner espied Rodento but hee arose from the table and imbracing him gaue him most friendlye and curteous intertainment telling him what match they had made if it pleased him with a willing consent to knit vp the bargaine Rodento halfe stifled with the ioy of this happye motion most willingly accepted their proffers taking Pasilla in his armes louingly sealed vp the match with a few sweet kisses to their their fathers happy content Well all thinges thus fortunately finished the mariage appointed to be celebrated the next spring Celio went home to his lodging leauing his sonne Rodento passing away the time in amorous conceits with his loue Lady Pasilla But Fortune grudging at this happy successe crossed their sweet and delicious fauours with bitter and despiteful frowns For Valdracko noting the prosperous estate of Celio began to thinke that vnlesse he might traiterously bereaue him of his life neither shuld his house flourish nor his mind be satisfied with reuenge To breed therfore his own content the final confusion of the Earle he determined to appoint some desperate ruffian to murther him which done he should not haue any man in Ferrara y â— would withstand him and he might vse Rodento as it pleased him passing manye dayes in this bloudy intent sometime halled from such trechery with the sting of conscience then inceÌ„sed to such vilany with the spur of cruel hate he fel at last thus to debate with him selfe What doest thou mean Valdracko to trouble thy mind with suche balefull passions or so much as in thought to intend such desperate attempts the performance wherof is so vnnatural as such bloudy actions if there be any Gods cannot escape without some deadly direful reueÌ„ge consider Valdracko thou hast promised Celio a fish and wilt thou present him a scorpioÌ„ hast thou newly sworn to be his friend wilt thou be his foe Is the son betrothed to thy daughter and wilt thou betray the father vnto death what wil Ferrara thinke at this thy trecherie nay will y â— Gods suffer thee to practise such mischief No no assure thy self Iupiter wanteth not plagues to punish such lothsome offences Tush fond foole if thou stumble at a straw thou shalt neuer leap ouer â— blocke if thou feare to practise thou shalt neuer performâ— it is lawful to dissemble with thine enimy and to reuenge is coÌ„mendable Why Valdracko is Celio thine enimy No he hath yeelded him selfe with submisse curtesie to rest at thy coÌ„mand And hast thou not yet doating foole learned that it is better to trust an open enimyâ— then a reconciled friend that iniuries maye not be forgotten as long as the scarres remaine that foes muste neuer be admitted as friends in countenance Why then shouldest thou stay thy intent for Celios dissembled friendship No dispatch him and then shalt thou be sure Fortune her selfe cannot daunt thee with mishap
King commaunded these three companions to be sent for who with humble obeysaunce sitting downe at the table tooke their repast but onely Charaxes whose sorrowe and griefe was such as he could not but chewe vpon his raging choller and feede vpon gall melancholie flattering Loue perswading him to march on for all the first repulse and hatefull disdaine willing him to retyre before any stroake were strooke so might he though he obtained no conquest yet not with disgrace loose the fielde Troubled with these diuers doubts assane as dinner was ended he got him into his Chamber where being alone by him self he began to consider the crooked disposition of Lyndana and her froward crabbednesse in crossing him coÌ„tinually with despightfull ouerthwarts how for desire she requited him with disdaine and for loue with hate that although being a prisence he was courteously intertained by Euandrus yet the vndeserued crueltie of Lyndana was such a hell to his conscience as he would not liue long in such seruile subiection Whereupon he began to feare that the familiar friendship of the King was but a cloake to couer his reuenging minde and that no doubt for all his flatterie he ment to preuent him by vntimely death so that he determined to seeke al meanes possible to escape into his owne Countrie in which determination fortune furthered him in this wise It so fell out that the King who greatly delighted in chasing of the wild Bore went on a time to see some sporte into a Forrest not farre of from his Pallace onely accompanied with Charaxes Frestynus Romphanus three of his Gentlemen they had not long beaten vp and downe the Forrest but they rowsed a mightie great Bore so huge and moâ—strous as it halfe amazed the King to see the bignesse and so stout in courage as he would not flee one foote from the Dogges but held them all at a bay hurting diuers of them very sore whereat the King somewhat chaffed wicking his horse and charging his speare ranne furiously vpon him and hit the Bore vpon the shoulder yet pearcing him very little but the Beast afraide with the stroke fled and the Dogs after in chase euery maÌ„ preasing to be formost to haue most vew of the sport galloping through the thickets so fast that within two or three howers al the companie was disseuered none remayning with the King but onely Charaxes who seeing that now he might haue occasion to drawe himself out of the Kings daunger began diuersly to coniecture with himselfe what he should doe First he considered with himselfe the great courtesie of Euandrus in vsing the victorie that whereas with rigour he might haue reuenged the burning of his Borders yet ouercome with clemencie he forgot al such inâ—uries and intertayned him with most frendly familiaritie that being taken prisoner he did not vse him as a captiue but graunted him the libertie of a King These things mooued Charaxes not so much as in thought to giue any offence to his highnesse thinking that if he should reward the courtesie of the King with trecherie not onely his enemies but euen his very friendes and subiects would despise him as an vnthankfull person But as he was thus vertuously perswaded by the good inclination of his minde so he was inforced by a secrete rancour to imagine that to bee captiue in setters of golde was to liue in a glistering miserie so that he thought no meanes howsoeuer vnlawfull it was to be neglected for the recouering of his former freedome which hellish thought ouercomming his former intent draue him into such a desperate minde that seeing the King ride before him he charged his Bore speare and came thundring so fast vpon Eurandrus that before he could turne his horse he runne him quite through and threw him out of the saddle dead vpon the ground when he had committed this hainous and bloudy fact drawing the King into a thicket he spurred his horse and coasted out of the Forrest and with as much speede as might bee fled out of the confines of Scithia and so secretly and safely within short space arriued in Libia But leauing Charaxes to his good lucke againe to Frestynus and Romphanus who with great sport so hotly pursued the Bore that within three or fower howers they killed him and sent him to the Court by two of the Gentlemen there present which done missing the King their father they straight thrust into the thicke of the Forrest to goe seeke him but coasting and coursing through ech holt lawne finde him they could not yet not leauing of to hallowe and to blowe their hornes but they could not heare any replye except the chatting Eccho who alwaies returned them the last ende of their measures At last Rhomphanus began to perswade his brother Frestynus that no doubt the King Charaxes were gone to the Court vpon which perswasion they both went home where they no soner arriued but they met their sister Lyndana who asked where her father was Is not the King then quoth Frestynus come home we haue this day beene hunting the Bore and in the middest of our chase we lost the sight of the King and Charaxes whom since wee could neuer see nor heare Pray God quoth Lyndana that Libian traitor hath not by any sinister meanes procured his mishap This sodaine motion so troubled the minds of the two Princes that they were perplexed with diuers passions fearing that which afterward to their great mishap proued but too true Wherevpon they caused a troupe of Gentlemen to goe in quest of the King and they two accompaning the rest came to the Forrest where euery man as loue and duetie bound them did their indeuour to be the first that should finde out their leage and Soueraigne But Fortune willing to shewe her dismall despight brought it so to passe that after a long time they had laboured in vaine Romphanus happened to passe by that thicket wherin the King lay dead and casting his eye aside espied a dead corps all weltered and bathed in blood which haplesse sight so amazed Romphanus minde that daunted with the terrour of such a fearful spectacle he had not the power to alight from his horse to looke who it should be that was so cruelly murthered but stood still gazing as one in a traunce til one of the Gentlemen came by who seing Romphanus so amazed and espying the dead body alighted and perceiued straight it was their King and soueraigne Euandrus then gushing forth streames of teares he wailed and wrong his hands cursing and accusing that day as most dismall and infortunate Romphanus seeing that it was his father fell from his horse in a pasme and was hardly recouered by the Gentlemen yet at last comming to himself pulling out the Bore speare for as yet it remained in the wound he would haue ended his daies with violent death as meanes to cure his vnspeakable greefe had he not bene hindered by him that was present who perswaded