ghostlie liues of sacred dames wherein also abundauntly doeth shine and glitter the celestiall mercie of our heauenlie father Let the reader remember that we now be conuersaunte in the auncient monumentes of other prophane aucthours and out of theim doe selecte the pleasantest flowers to adorne this Palace whereby we maie be able to delite the weried beholders of the same This Panthea therfore as Xenephon writeth and partely as S. Hierome reporteth was the wife of Abradatas a noble personage and in warlike factes verie skilfull derely beloued of Cyrus kyng of Persia with whom this Ladie Panthea was captiue at the ouerthrowe of the Assirians Netherto the woordes of Calius Kyng Cyrus when his enemies wer vanquished hearyng tell of this gentlewoman called vnto hym one of his gentlemen named Araspas whiche was a Median borne the verie minion plaie felowe and companion of Cyrus from his youth To whom for the greate loue that he bare hym he gaue the Median robe of from his owne backe at his departure from Astiages into Persia. To this gentleman kyng Cyrus committed the custodie of the Ladie and of her tent Abradatas her housbande whē she was taken prisoner was before sent in Ambassage to the king of Bactria by the Assirian kyng to intreate of peace bicause he was his familiare frende When Araspas had receiued the kéepyng of the Ladie He asked Cyrus whether he had seen her No truely saied Cyrus Then haue I saied Araspas and haue chosen her speciallie for your owne persone And when wee came into her Pauilion none of vs could tell whiche was she for she set vpon the grounde with all her women aboute her and her apparell was like vnto her maides But wee desirous to knowe whiche was the maistres behelde them all and by and by she séemed to excell theim all although she satte with her face couered lookyng doune vpon the grounde And when wee hadde her to rise vp all the reste rose vp also She did farre surmounte her maides as well in makyng and lineamentes of bodie as in good behauiour and comelinesse although she was attired in simple apparell the teares manifestly ran doune her eyes falling vpon her garmentes and distillyng doune to her feete To whom he that was moste auncient emonges vs saied Be of good chere Ladie We here that you haue a verie valiant man to your housbande notwithstandyng wee haue chosen you for a gentleman that is not inferiour to hym either in beautie force wisedome or valiance But as we thinke if there bee any man in this worlde worthie of admiracion it is Cyrus our Prince and lorde whose paragon wee haue chosen you to bee When the ladie heard them saie so she tare the attiremente from her heade and bodie she cried out and all her maides skriched with her At what tyme the greatest parte of her face appered and so did her necke and handes And assure your self Cyrus that to vs whiche viewed her well it semed impossible that suche a creature could be borne of mortall parentes in Asia Therfore sir looke vpon her in any wise To whom Cyrus saied The more praise ye giue her the lesse mynde I haue to see her if she be suche a one as you haue saied And why so quod Araspas Bicause saied Cyrus if I should goe to see her hearyng you make this reporte of her beautie leasure not seruyng me therevnto I am a fraied lest she would sone allure me to goe many tymes to beholde her Whereby I might perchaunce growe negligēt in my matters of greatest importance The yonge manne smilyng saied Thinke you Cyrus that the beautie of a woman can force a man vnwillyng to attempt a thyng that should not be for the best If nature haue that force in her she would compell all men a like Doe you not see that fire burneth all men after one sorte bicause it is his nature Beautifull thynges bee not had in equall estimacion some bee of greate price some not so some dooe regarde this some that For loue is a voluntarie thyng and euery manne loueth what he liste The brother is not in loue with the sister but of an other she is loued The father is not in loue with the doughter and yet she is loued of an other For feare and lawe is sufficient to refraine loue But if there were a lawe made to commaunde men that thei whiche did not eate should not bee hungrie and thei that did not drinke should not be a thirst and that no manne should be colde in Winter and hotte in Sommer that lawe could not compell men to obeye those thynges For menne by nature bee subiecte vnto theim But to loue is a thyng free and voluntarie Euery man loueth those thynges that bee his owne as his apparell and other his necessaries Wherevnto Cyrus replied If loue bee voluntarie how can it bee that a man maie abandon the same when he liste But I haue seen men wepe for sorowe of loue I haue knowen them that haue been slaues to loue who before thei haue loued haue thought thraldome the greatest euill giuyng awaie many thinges whiche had been better for them to haue kepte and haue praied to God to be exonerated of loue aboue all other diseases and yet could not bee deliuered beeyng bounde with stronger imprisonment then if thei had béen tied with chaines yeldyng themselues to their louers seruyng them with all obedience And when thei be hampered with suche mischieues thei seeke not to auoide theim Thei doe so in deede as you saie answered the yonge man And therefore suche louers be miserable wherby thei wishe to dye still continuyng in their woe and calamitie And where there be a thousand waies to be ridde of life yet thei will not die Some of them fall to stealyng and robbyng of other menne And when thei haue robbed you with the firste thinkyng theft vnnecessarie doe condempne the theues whom you doe not pardon but punishe In like maner the beautifull doe not counsell menne to loue them or couet that is not lawfull But miserable men shewyng themselues inferiour to all lustes and desires dooe in the ende accuse Loue to be the aucthour of their miserie Good and honest men although thei desire golde beautifull horsses and faire women yet thei can abstaine from them all as not subiecte to them more then is meete For I my self haue beholden this woman whiche semeth to bee a surpassyng faire wight and yet I am now with you I ride and dooe other thynges accordyng to my duetie Paraduenture saied Cyrus you went soner awaie then loue could haue time to fasten vpon a man For fire touchyng a man doeth not straite burne him And woodde is not by and by in flame yet would I not willingly touche fire nor beholde beautifull persones And I would giue you counsaill Araspas to beware how you suffer your eyes to rolle and wander vpon faire women For the fire burneth thē that touche it And beautifull folke doe kindle them that
bicause I am going about certayne affaires very requisite and necessary to be done Then sayde sir Stricca At least wise drincke with me before you depart but giuing him thankes he bad him fare wel Maister Stricca seing that he could not cause him to tarry toke hys leaue and retourned into his house Galgano gone from Maister Stricca sayd to himselfe Ah beast that I am why did not I accept his offer Why should shamefastnesse let me from the sight of her whome I loue better than all the worlde besides And as he was thus pensife in complaints his spaniells sprong a Partrich whereat he let goe his Hauke and the Partrich flying into sir Stricca his garden his Hauke pursued and seassed vpon the same Maister Stricca and his Lady hearing that pastime ran to the garden window to sée the killing of the Partrich And beholding the valiant skirmish betwéene the foule and the Hauke the Lady asked whose Hauke it was Her husband made aunswere that he knewe well ynough the owner by the goodnesse and hardinesse of the same For the owner of this hanke quod he is the trimmest and most valiant gentleman in all Siena and one indued with best qualities The Lady demaunded what he was Maister Galgano sayde her husbande who euen nowe passed by the gate and I prayed him very earnestly to supper but he woulde not be intreated And truely wyse he is the comeliest gentleman and most vertuous personage that euer I knewe in my lyfe With those words they went from the window to supper And Galgano when he had lured his Hauke departed away The Lady marked those words fixed them in minde It fortuned within a while after that sir Stricca was by the state of Siena sent in ambassage to Perugia by reason whereof his Lady at home alone so sone as her husband had taken his iourney sent her most secret and trusty maide to intreat Maister Galgano to come and speake with her When the message was done to Galgano if his heart were on a merie pinne or whether his spirites dulled with continuall sorrow were againe reuiued they knowe that moste haue felt the paynefull pangues of Loue and they also whose fleshe haue bene pearced with the amorous arrowes of the little boy Cupide He made aunswere that he woulde willingly come rendring thanks both to the maystresse and maid the one for her paine the other for her good remembrance Galgano vnderstanding that sir Stricca was gone to Perugia in the euening at conuenient time repaired to the house of her whose sight he loued better than his owne eyes And being come before his Lady with great submission reuerence he saluted her like those whose hearts doe throbbe as foretelling the possessiō of good tournes and benefits after which with long sute and trauaile they haue aspired wherewith the Lady delighted very pleasauntlie toke him by the hand and imbracing him sayde Welcome myne owne swéete Galgano a hundred tymes I say welcome And for the tyme with kisses making truce with their affections the Lady called for confictes and wine And whē they had dronk and refreshed themselues the Lady toke him by the hand and sayde My swéete Galgano night beginneth to passe away and the tyme of sléepe is come therfore let vs yelde our selues to the seruice and commaundement of our very good Lady Madame Cytherea for whose sake I intreated you to come hither Galgano aunswered that he was very well contented when it were her pleasure Being within the chamber after much pleasant talk louing discourse betwene them the Lady did put of her clothes and went to bed Galgano being somewhat bashfull was perceyued of the Lady vnto whom she said Me think Galgano that you be fearefull and shamefast What do you lacke Do I not please you Doth not my personage content you Haue you not the thing whiche you desire Yes Madame sayde Galgano God himselfe could not do me a greater pleasure than to suffer me to be cleped within your armes And reasoning in this sorte he put of his clothes also layde him selfe by her whom he had coueted and desired of long tyme. Being in the bed he sayde Madame I beséech you graunt me one request What is that Galgano quod she It is this Madame sayd Galgano I do much maruell why this night aboue all other you haue sent for me considering how long I haue loued you and although I haue prosecuted my sute by great expence trauaile yet you wold neuer yelde before this time What hath moued you now thus to doe The Lady answered I will tel you sir. True it is that not many dayes a go passing by this house with your Hauke on your fiste my husbande tolde me that so sone as he sawe you he wente out to méete you of purpose to intreat you to supper but you would not tarrie Then your Hauke pursued a Partrich euen into my garden and I seing the Hauke so egrely seassing vpon the same demaunded of my husbande whose Hauke it was He tolde me that the Hauke did belong to the most excellent yong man of all Siena and that he neuer in all his lyfe knewe a gentleman better accomplished with all vertues and good qualities and there withall gaue vnto you singuler praise and commendacion Whervpon hearing him in such wise to praise you and knowing right wel your affectionat minde and disposicion towardes me my heart attached with loue forced me to send for you that I mighte hereafter auoyde disdaine and other skornefull demeaner to impeach or hindre your loue And this briefly is the cause Is this true sayde Galgano Most certayne and true answered the Lady Was there no other occasion No verely sayde the Lady God defend quod Galgano that I should recompence the curtesie and good will of so noble a gentleman as your husband is with reproch villanie Is it méete that good tournes shuld be requited with vnkindnesse If euer man had cause to defende the honor of his vnknowen frende cause haue I right good and apt For now knowing such a frende that would by vertuous reportes haue aduaunced me to higher matters than whereof I am in possession shoulde I rewarde with pollucion of his stocke and wife No no Lady My raging sute by Loue is by vertue quenched Uertue onely hath staunched the flames of vile affections Séeke another frende to giut thy lecherous mynde Finde out some other companion to coole thy disordinate loue Shall I be disloyall to him that hath bene faythfull vnto me Shall I be Traytor to him that friendly hath commended me What can be more required of humane hearts or more desired of manlike minde but will full bente and fixed to doe him good that neuer erst by iust desert deserued the same With which wordes sodainely he lept out of the bed And when he had furnished him selfe agayne with his apparell he also put vpon him vertuous frendship and toke his leaue of the Lady neuer after
confesseth the facte before the Magistrates and is put to death The .xlij. Nouell Folio 125. ¶ Wantonesse and pleasaunt lyfe being guides of Insolencie doth bring a miserable ende to a fayre Ladye of Thurm Whom a noble man aduaunced to high estate Wherin he executeth great crueltie vpon his sayd Ladie taken in adulterie The .xliij. Nouell Folio 135. ¶ The loue of Alerane of Saxon and of Adelasia the daughter of the Emperoure Otho the thirde of that name Theire flight and departure into Italie and howe they were knowen againe what noble houses of Italie descended of their race The .xliiij. Nouell Folio 201. ¶ The Duchesse of Sauoie being the King of Englandes sister was in the Duke her husbandes absence iniustlye accused of adulterie by a noble man his Lieutenant And shoulde haue bene put to death if by the prowesse and valiaunt combate of Don Iohn di Mendozza a Gentleman of Spaine she had not bene deliuered With a discourse of meruellous accidents touching the same to the singuler prayse and commendacion of chaste and honest Ladies The .xlv. Nouell Fol. 226. ¶ A King of Englande loued the daughter of one of his noble men which was Coūtesse of Salesburie who after great sute to achieue that he coulde not winne for the intire loue he bare vnto her and her great constācie made her his Quene wife The .xlvj. Nouell Folio 258. Ser Giouanni Fiorentino ¶ A Gentlemā called Galgano long time made sute to Madonna Minoccia her husbande not knowing the same diuerse times praysed and commended the same Gentlemā to his Ladie by reason wherof in the absence of her husbande she sent for him and yelded her selfe vnto him telling him what words her husbande had spoken of him for recompence wherof he refused to dishonest her The .xlvij. Nouell Fol. 279. ¶ Bindo a notable Archietect and his sonne Ricciardo with all his famlie from Florence came to dwel at Uenice where being made citizens for diuerse monuments by them made there through his inordinat expences is forced to rob the Treasure house Bindo being slayne by a pollicie deuised by the Duke the State Ricciardo by fine subtelties deliuereth himselfe from foure daungers Afterwardes the Duke by his owne confession vnderstanding the sleight giueth him his pardon and his daughter in mariage The .xlviij. Nouell Folio 282. Out of Straparole ¶ Philenio Sisterno a Scholer of Bologna being mocked of three faire Gentlewomen at a banket made of set purpose was reuenged vpon them all The .xlix. Nouel Fol. 289. Out of Heptameron of the Quene of Nauarre ¶ The pitious and chast death of one of the Muleters wiues of the Quene of Nauarre The D. Nouell Fol. 296. ¶ A king of Naples abusing a Gentlemans wife in the end did weare the hornes him selfe The Lj. Nouell Fol. 298. ¶ The rashe enterprise of a gentleman against a Princesse of Flaunders and of the damage aud shame which he receyued therof The Lij Nouell Fol. 302. ¶ The loue of Amadour and Florinda wherein be contayned many sleights and dissimulations together with the renowmed chastity of the sayde Florinda The Liij Nouell Fol. 306. ¶ The incontinencie of a Duke and of his impudencie The Liiij Nouell Fol 326. ¶ One of the French kings called Frauncis the first of the name declared his gentle nature to Counte Guillaume that woulde haue killed him The Lv. Nouell Fol. 330. ¶ A punishment more rigorous than death of a husbande towardes his wife that had committed adulterie The Lvj. Nouell Fol. 332. ¶ A President of Grenoble aduertised of the ill gouernement of his wife toke suche order that his honestie was not diminished and yet reuēged the fact The Lvij. Nouel Fol. 334. ¶ A Gentleman of Perche suspecting iniurie done vnto him by his friend prouoked him to execute and put in proofe the cause of his suspition The Lviij Nouell Fol. 336. ¶ The Simplicitie of an old woman that offered a burning candle to saint Iohn of Lyons The Lix Nouel Fol. 338. Out of a little French boke called Comptes du Monde ¶ A Doctor of the Lawes bought a cup and by the subtiltie of two false verlets lost both his money and the cup. The Lx. Nouell Fol. 339. To the Reader NOTHING in mine opinion cā be more acceptable vnto thee friendely Reader than ofte reading dailye perusing of varietie of Histories which as they be for diuersitie of matter pleasaunt and plausible euen so for example and imitacion right good and commendable The one doth reioyce the wearie and tedious minde many times inuolued with ordinarie cares the other prescribeth a direct path to tread the trace of this present lyfe VVherefore if in these newes or Nouelles here presented there doe appeare any thing worthy of regard giue thankes to the noble Gentleman to whome this boke is dedicated for whose sake onely that paine if any seme to be was wholie imployed Inioy therfore with him this present boke curteously with friendelie talke report the same for if otherwise thou doe abuse it the blame shall light on thee and not of me which only of good wil did meane it firste But yet if blaming tongues and vnstayed heades will nedes be busie they shall susteine the shame for that they haue not yet shewen forth any blamelesse dede to like effect as this is ment of me which whē they doe no blame but praise they can receyue For praise be they well worthie for to haue which in well doing do contend No vertuous dede or zelous worke can want due praise of the honest though faulting foles and youthly heades full ofte do chaūt the faultlesse checke that Momus mouth did once finde out in Venus Slipper And yet from faults I will not purge the same but whatsoeuer they seme to be they be in number ne yet in substance such but that thy curteous dealing may sone amend them or forget them VVherefore to giue thee full aduertisment of the whole collection of these Nouelles vnderstand that .vj. of them haue I selected out of Titus Liuius two out of Herodotus certayne out of Aelianus Xenophon Aulus Gellius Plutarche and other like approued authors Other Nouelles haue I adioyned chosen out of diuers Italian and French writers VVherin I confesse my selfe not to be so well trained peraduenture as the fine heades of such trauailers would desire And yet I trust sufficiently to expresse the sense of euery of the same Certayne haue I culled out of the Decamerone of Giouan Boccaccio wherein be contayned one hundred Nouelles amongs which there be some in my iudgement that be worthy to be condempned to perpetuall prison but of them suche haue I redemed to the liberty of our vulgar as may be best liked and better suffred Although the .vj. part of the same hundreth may full well be permitted And as I my selfe haue already done many other of the same worke yet for this present I haue thought good to publishe onely .x. in number the rest
curteous demaunde gaue her .v. C. poundes and so many faire and costly Iewels whiche almoste amounted to like valer For whiche the gentlewoman more then contented gaue moste hartie thankes to the Countesse who departed from the gentlewoman and retourned to her lodging The gentlewoman to take occasion from the Counte of any farther repaire or sendyng to her house tooke her doughter with her and went into the coūtrie to her frendes The Counte Beltramo within fewe daies after beyng reuoked home to his owne house by his subiectes hearyng that the Countesse was departed frō thence retourned The Countesse knowynge that her housband was gone from Florence and retourned into his countrie was verie glad and contented and she continewed in Florence till the tyme of her child bedde was come and was brought a bedde of twoo soones whiche were verie like vnto their father and caused thē carefullie to be noursed and brought vp and whē she sawe tyme she toke her iourney vnknowen to any manne and arriued at Monpellier and restyng her self there for certaine daies hearyng newes of the Counte and where he was and that vpon the daie of all Sainctes he purposed to make a great feast and assemblie of ladies and knightes in her pilgrimes wéede she wente thither And knowyng that thei were all assembled at the pallace of the Counte redie to sitte doune at the table she passed through the people without chaunge of apparell with her twoo sonnes in her armes And whē she was come vp into the hall euen to the place where the Counte was fallyng doune prostrate at his feete wepyng saied vnto him My Lorde I am thy poore infortunate wife who to thintent thou mightest returne and dwel in thine owne house haue been a great while beggyng about the worlde Therefore I now beseche thée for the honour of God that thou wilt obserue the condicions whiche the twoo knightes that I sent vnto thée did commaunde me to doe for beholde here in myne armes not onelie one soonne begotten by thée but twaine and likewise thy Kynge It is now tyme then if thou kepe promis that I should be receiued as thy wife The Counte hearyng this was greatly astonned and knewe the Kynge and the children also thei were so like hym But tell me q he howe is this come to passe The Countesse to the great admiraciō of the Counte and of all those that were in presence rehearsed vnto them in order all that whiche had béen doen and the whole discourse therof For whiche cause the Counte knowyng the thynges she had spoken to be true and perceiuyng her constaunt minde and good witte and the twoo faier yonge boies to kepe his promisse made and to please his subiectes and the Ladies that made sute vnto him to accept her from that time forthe as his lawfull wife and to honour her abiected his obstinate rigour causyng her to rise vp and imbraced and kissed her acknowledgyng her againe for his lawfull wife And after he had apparelled her according to her estate to the great pleasure and contentacion of those that were there and of all his other frendes not onely that daie but many others he kepte greate chere and from that tyme forthe he loued and honoured her as his dere spouse and wife Tancredi Prince of Salerne caused his doughters louer to be slaine and sente his harte vnto her in a cuppe of golde whiche afterwardes she putte into poisoned water and drinkyng thereof died ¶ The .xxxix. Nouell TAncredi Prince of Salerne was a curteous Lorde and of a gētle nature had he not in his age imbrued his handes with his owne proper bloud It chaunced that this prince in al his life time had but one onely doughter but he had been more happie if she had neuer been borne That doughter he loued so well as a father could loue his childe and for the tender loue he bare her he was not able to suffer her to bee out of his sighte And could not finde in his harte to marie her although she had many yeres passed the tyme that she was mariage able notwithstandyng in the ende he gaue her to wife to one of the soonnes of the Duke of Capua with whom she continued no long tyme but was a widowe and then retourned vnto her fathers house againe This Ladie was verie faire and comely of bodie and face as any creature could be yonge lustie and more wise peraduenture then a woman ought to be And thus dwelling with her louing father she liued like a noble Ladie in greate pleasure And seing that her father for the loue he bare vnto her had no minde or care to marie her againe and also she thinking it skarce honest to require him therevnto deuised with her self secretly if it were possible to retain some valiaunt man to bée her louer And seyng many gentlemen and others frequentyng her fathers court as wée commonlie sée in the Courtes of Princes and markyng the behauiour and order of many emonges all there was a yonge man one of her fathers seruaūtes that liked her well whose name was Guiscardo of verie base birthe but in vertue and honeste condicions more noble then the reste and many tymes when she sawe him she wonderfully delited in him alwaies praisyng his dooynges aboue all others The yonge manne not hauyng good consideracion of hymself perceiuyng her feruente affeccion so fixed his minde that he disposed the same vppon nothyng elles but to loue her One louing an other secretly in this sort and the ladie verie studious to finde occasiō that she might talke with hym unwillyng to commit the secrecie of hre loue to any manne she imagined with her self a new deuise to giue him knowledge therof And wrote a letter signifiyng vnto hym what he should dooe the nexte daie and how he mighte vse hymself to come to talke with her then puttyng the letter into the Cane of a rede she gaue it vnto Guiscardo in sportyng wise and saied Thou shalt this night make a paire of Bellowes for thy seruaunt wherwith she maie kindle the fire Guiscardo tooke it thought that she did not giue it vnto him without some speciall purpose whervpon he went to his chamber and loking vpō the Cane perceiued it to be hollowe and openyng it founde the letter within whiche she had written And when he had well perused it vnderstandyng the tenour and effecte thereof he thought hymself the happiest manne in the worlde and began to put hymself in redinesse to mete with his Ladie by suche waies and meanes as she had to hym appoincted There was in a corner of the princes pallace a Caue longe tyme before made vnder the side of a hille whiche Caue receiued light by a certaine vente made by force within the saied mountaine and bicause the same was not frequented and vsed it was ouer growen with busshes and thornes Into whiche Caue was a discente by a secrete paire of staiers that was in one of the lowest chambers of the
it is to me shall thinke thei haue made a pretie conquest And that I maie haue no cause to repente to late I haue stopped myne eares for feare that I bée not a rested and staied with the violence of your charmes a thyng as you saie proper to Serpentes But I haue fortefied my harte armed my self in suche wise within that if God continue that grace in me whiche hitherto he hath doen I hope not to bee surprised Although that I must néedes confesse to my shame that I haue receiued merueilous assaultes of loue not onely for the common renowme of your vertues and through the curtesie and gentlenesse daiely imparted to me by your letters but speciallie by your presence whiche hath yelded vnto me experience and assurance of that whiche all the letters of the worlde could not doe nor all other messages were not able to conceiue And to the ende that I maie not bee vtterly ingrate and that you doe not departe from me altogether miscontent I doe promis you now that from henceforthe you shall inioye the firste place of my harte wherevnto an other shall neuer entre if so be you can bée contente with honest amitie wherin you shall finde me in tyme to come so liberall in al that whiche honestie shall permitte that I am contente to forgoe the name of a presumptuous or cruell Damosell for your sake But if you meane to abuse me or hope for any thyng of me contrary to myne honour you be merueilously deceiued Wherefore if you thinke your worthinesse to greate ta cary awaie a recompence so small you shall dooe very well bothe for me and your self in forgettyng that is past to cutte of all hope in tyme to come And she thinkyng to prolonge a further discourse the mother of Violenta whiche still stode at the windowe all the time that Senior Didaco was with her doughter came downe to the doore interruptyng their talke saied to Didaco Sir I suppose you take greate pleasure in the follie of my doughter bicause you cary and abide here rather to contriue your tyme then for any other contentacion you can receiue For she is so euill taught and of suche rude behauiour that her demeanour will rather trouble you then giue you cause of delight Maistresse saied Didaco although in the beginnyng I purposed not to tarie so long yet when I entred in more familier acquaintaunce and had well experienced her good graces I confesse that I haue staied here longer then I thought And were he neuer so greate a lorde that liueth at this daie I dare auouch that he might thinke his tyme well bestowed in hearyng suche sober and honest talke wherwith I thinke my self so well satisfied and instructed that all the dayes of my life I will witnesse that vertue curtesie and sober behauiour is to be founde aswell in meane degrées and houses and in them that bee right noble emonges whiche meane families although she be one it maie so be that one more illustre and noble cannot be more excellente and accomplished with better maners then she whiche is now well manifested to me in this litle discourse And after certaine other commō talke Didaco tooke his leaue and wente home to his house where he liued fourtene or fiftene monethes without any reste assaiyng by all meanes to mortifie his desires but it auaileth not For although he was riche a trimme courtiar and an eloquent gentleman and had opportunitie to speake vnto her many tymes and she gentle inough to heare him and to vnderstand his errantes and was assured by frendes that she for her parte was also in loue yet he was not able by humane arte and pollicie to conuerte her to his mynde Wherewithall he was longe tyme molested and at lengthe pressed with grief and anoiaunce he was aduised to sende sixe hūdred Ducates to the mother for a Relief to the mariage of her doughter promising besides that he would assigne her an honest dowrie when she founde a manne worthie to be her husbande vpon condicion that she would yelde to hym some comforte to ease his affection But she which could not be wōne with loue was not able to bée recouered with money and was offender that Senior Didaco had forgotten himself so muche as to thinke to gaine that for money whiche with so greate paine teares and sighes hadde been denied hym And to make hym vnderstande that she was offended she sent worde by hym that brought her the money that he should goe and proue hereafter to deceiue them that measured their honour with the price of profite and not to set trappes to deceiue other that would buye nothyng contrary to vertue And after Didaco was aduertised of her mynde and perceiued that he lost tyme in all his enterprises and was able no lōger to sustaine his extreme paine and sorowe whiche daily augmented and when he had debated in his minde all the successe of his loue he resolued in the ende vpon that whiche he thought moste profitable for the quiete of his mynde whiche was to marie her And although she was of no suche house and yet lesse indowed with substaunce as he deserued Yet her beautie and vertue and other giftes of grace wherewith she was inriched made her worthie of a great Lorde And resolued vpon this he repaired to Violenta to whom he saied Maistresse Violenta if the true Touchestone to knowe them that be perfect louers emonges other is mariage certainly you haue gotten a husbande of me if it please you to accept me for suche a one whom in tyme you shall make to vnderstande the difference betwene gooddes and vertue and betwene honestie and richesse Violenta then rauished with ioye and incredible contentacion somewhat abashed saied vnto hym Senior Didaco I knowe not whether you pretende by woordes to proue my constancie or els to bryng me into fooles paradise but of one thyng I can assure you that although I acknowledge myself inferiour to you in merites gooddes and vertue yet if that come to passe whiche you promis I will not giue place to you in loue trustyng if God sende vs life together you shall well vnderstande one daie that you would not exchaunge my persons for a great Ladie what so euer she be For confirmacion whereof Didaco plucked frō his finger an Emeralde of greate value which when he had kissed her he gaue vnto her in the waie of mariage praiyng her that she would not disclose it for a certaine tyme vntill he hymself had made all his frēdes priuie vnto it Notwithstandyng he willed her to impart the same to her twoo brethren and to her mother and he would gette some prieste of the Countrie to solempnize the Mariage within their house whiche was dooen in a chamber aboute fower of the clocke in mornyng beyng onely presente the mother the brethren the prieste and a sernuaunt of the house brought vp there from her youthe and his owne man without makyng any other preparacion or
lawes And besides that I shal not be alone amongst princesses that haue forsaken parents and countries to folow their loue into straunge Regions Faire Helena the Greke did not she abandon Menelaus her husband and the rych citie of Sparta to follow the faire Troian Alexander sayling to Troie Phedria and Ariadne despised the delicates of Creta lefte their Father a very olde man to go with the Cecropian Theseus None forced Medea the wise furious Lady but Loue to depart the Isle of Colchos her owne natiue country with the Argonaute Iason O good God who can resist the force of Loue to whome so many kinges so many Monarches so many wise men of all ages haue done their homage Surely the same is the only cause that compelleth me in making my self bold to forget my duety towards my parents and specially myne honor which I shall leaue to be reasoned vpon by the ignorant people that considereth nothing but that which is exteriourly offred to the view of the sight Ah how much I deceyue my selfe make a reckning of much without myne hoste And what knowe I if Alerane although he doe loue me wyll lose the good grace of the Emperour and forsake his goodes and so it may be to hazarde his life to take so pore and miserable a woman as I am Notwithstanding I will proue fortune death is the worst that can chaunce which I accelerate rather than my desire shall lose his effect Thus the faire and wise Princesse concluded her vnhappy state And all this time her best friend Alerane remayned in great affliction beyond measure and felte suche a feare as cannot be expressed with wordes only true louers know the force altogether like to that wherof the yong Prince had experience and durst not discouer hys euyll to her that was able to giue him her allegeance much lesse to disclose it to any deare friende of his into whose secrecie he was wont to commit the most part of his cares which was the cause that made him fele his harte to burne like a litle fier in the middes of a cleare riuer and sawe himself selfe ouerwhelmed within the waters hotter than those that be intermixed with sulphure do euaporat and send forth ardent smokes in an AEthna hill or Vesuue mountayne The Princesse impacient to endure so long could no longer kepe secrete the flames hydden within her without telling and vttering them to some whom her minde liked best and there to render them where she thought they toke their essense and being casting away all shame and feare which accustomably doth associat Ladies of hir estate and age One day she toke secretely asyde one that was her Gouernesse named Radegonde a Gentlewoman so vertuous wise and sober as any other that was in the Emperoures courte who for her approued manners and chaste life had the charge of the bringing vp and nourishing of Adelasia from her Infancie To this Gentlewoman then the amorous Princesse deliberated to communicate her secretes and to let her vnderstand her passion that she might finde some remedie And for that purpose they two retired alone within a closet the pore louer trembling like a leafe at the blast of the weasterne winde when the sunne beganne to spreade his beames syghing so strangely as if hir body and soule would haue departed sayde thus The trust which dayly I haue had in that naturall goodnesse which appeareth in you my mother and welbeloued Lady ioyned with discretion and fidelitie wherwith all your actes and affaires be recōmended do presently assure me and make me bolde in this my trouble to participate vnto you my secretes which be of greater importance without comparison than any that euer I tolde you persuading my selfe that the thing which I shall tell you whatsoeuer it be be it good or ill you will accepte it in suche wise as your wysedome requireth and to kepe it so close as the secrete of suche a Lady as I am doth deserue And that I may not holde you long in doubte what it is knowe ye that of late the valor prowesse beauty and curtesie of senior Alerane of Saxon hath founde suche place in my hearte that in despite of my selfe I am so in loue with him that my life is not deare vnto me but for his sake my hearte taketh no pleasure but in his glory and vertue hauing chosen him so vertuous a Prince for my friend and one day by Gods sufferaunce for my laweful spouse and husbande I haue assayed a thousand meanes so many wayes to cast him of to blot him out of my minde But alas vnhappy caytife Fortune is so frowarde and so vnmercyfull to my endeuour that the more I labour and goe about to extinguish in me the memorie of his name and commendable vertues so muche the more I do enlarge and augnient them the flames of which loue do take such increase that I do little or nothing estéeme my life without the enioying the effecte of my desire and the tast of such licor which nourishing my hope in pleasure may quench the fier that doth consume me Otherwise I sée no meanes possible but that I am constrayned eyther to lose my good wittes whereof already I felte some alienation or to ende my dayes with extreme anguishe and insupportable hearts sorrowe Alas I knowe well that I shal lose my time if I attempt to pray the Emperour my father to giue me Alerane to my husbande syth he doth already practise a mariage betwene the King of Hungarie and me And also that Alerane although he be a Prince of so noble bloud and so honorable house as the Saxon is yet is to base to be sonne in law to an Emperour In these my distresses it is of you alone of whome I loke for ayde I counsayle being certayne of your prudence and good iudgement and therfore I pray you to haue pity vpon me haue remorse vpon this immoderate passiō that doth torment me beyond measure Radegonde hearing Adelasia disclose this talke wherof she would neuer haue thought was so confounded and astoned that of long tyme she could not speake a word holding her hed downe reuoluing thousand diuers matters in her minde knew not wel what to answere the Princesse Finally gathering her spirits vnto her she answered her with teares in her eyes saying Alas Madame what is that you say Is it possible that the wisest vertuons and most courtcots Princesse of Europa could suffer her selfe in this sort through her onely aduise to be transported to her owne affections and sensual appetites Is it wel done that you seing in me a discretion and modestie doe not imitate the puritie therof be these the godly admonicions which heretofore I haue giuen you that you will so lightly defile your fathers house wyth the blot of infamie and your self with eternall reproche Would you Madame that vpon th ende of my yeares I should begin to betray my Lorde the Emperoure who hath committed to my
passion so couerte as he possibly coulde But partly for his owne solace and comfort he feasted all the Lordes and Ladyes of Naples where the gentleman and his wyfe was not forgotten And bicause man willingly beleueth that he doth sée he thought that the lokes of that gentlewoman promised vnto him some grace in time to come if the presence of her husband were not let thervnto And to proue whether his coniecture were true he sent her husband in commission to Rome for .xv dayes or thrée wéekes And so sone as he was gone his wyfe which hitherto had not felte any long absence from her husband made great sorrow for the same wherof she was recomforted by the King many times by swéete persuasions by presentes and giftes in suche sorte that she was not onely comforted but contented with her husbandes absence And before the thrée wéekes were expired of his returne she was so amorous of the King that she was no lesse sorrowful of his comming home than she was for his departure And to the intent the Kings presence might not be lost they agréed together that when her husbande was gone to his possessions in the countrie she should send worde to the King that he might haue safe repaire vnto her and so secretly that his honour which he feared more than he did the fact might not be impaired Upon this hope this Ladies heart was set on a merie pinne And when her husband was come home she welcomed him so well that albeit he knewe howe the King made much of her in his absence yet he would not beleue it But by continuance of time this fier that could not be couered by little and little began to kindle in suche wise that the husband doubted muche of the truth and watched the matter so néere that he was almost out of doubt But for feare leaste he whiche did the wrong shoulde doe him greater hurts if he séemed to knowe it he determined to dissemble the matter For he thought it better to liue with some griefe than to hazarde his lyfe for a woman which loued him not Not withstanding for this displeasure he thought to be euen with the king if it were possible And knowing that many times despite maketh a woman to doe that which Loue can not doe specially those women that haue honorable hearts and stoute stomakes was so bolde without blushing vpon a day in speaking to the Queene to say vnto her that he had pitie vpon her for that she was no better beloued of the king her husband The Quéene which heard tell of the loue betwene the king and his wife I can not quod she both inioy honor and pleasure together I know well that honor I haue whereof one receyueth the pleasure and as she hath the pleasure so hath not she the honor that I haue He which knew wel by whome those wordes were spoken sayde vnto her Madame honor waited vpon you euen at your birth For you be of so good a house that to be a Quéene or Empresse you can not augment your nobilitie but your beautie grace honestie hath deserued so much pleasure as she that depriueth you of that which is incident to your degrée doth more wrong to her selfe than to your person For she for a glory that hath turned her to shame hath there withall lost so much pleasure as your grace or any Lady in the realme maye haue And I may say vnto you Madame that if the king were no king as he is I thinke that he could not excell me in pleasing of a woman Being sure that to satisfie such a vertuous personage as you be he might exchange his complexion with mine The Quéene smiling answered him Although the king be of more delicate and weaker complexion thā you be yet the loue that he beareth me doth so muche content me that I esteme the same aboue all thinges in the worlde The gentleman sayde vnto her Madame if it were so I woulde take no pitle vpon you for I knowe wel that the honest loue of your heart woulde yelde vnto you great contentation if the like were to be found in the king But God hath foresene and preuented the same leaste enioying your owne desire you woulde make him your God vpon earth I confesse vnto you sayde the Quéene that the loue I beare him is so great that the like place he could not finde in no womans heart as he doth in muse Pardon me Madame sayde the Gentleman vnto her if I speake more frankely your grace hath not sounded the depth of eche mans heart For I dare be bolde to saye vnto you that I knowe one that doth loue you in suche wise whose loue is so great that you loue in respect of his is nothing And for so muche as he séeth the Kings loue to fayle in you his doth grow and increase in suche sorte that if your loue were agreable vnto his you should be recompensed of all your losses The Quéene aswell by his words as by his countenaunce began to perceyue that the talke proceded from the bottom of his hart and called to her remembrance that long time he had endeuored him self to do her seruice with such affection as for loue he was growen to be melancolike which she thought before to come through his wiues occasion but nowe she assuredly beleued that it was for her sake And thus the force of Loue which is well perceyued when it is not fayned made her sure of that which was vnknowen to all the worlde And beholding the gentleman which was more amiable than her husband and séeing that he was forsaken of his wife as she of the king pressed with despite and ialousie of her husbande and prouoked with loue of the gentleman beganne to say with finger in eye and sighing sobbes O my god must vengeaunce get that at my hand which Loue can not do The gentleman well vnderstanding her meaning aunswered Madame vengeance is swéete vnto him which in place of killing his enemy giueth life to a perfect frende I thinke that it is time that trouth shoulde remoue from you the folish loue that you beare vnto him which loueth you not And that iust and reasonable loue shoulde expell frō you the feare which neuer can remayne in a noble vertuous heart But nowe Madame omitting to speake of the greatnesse of your estate let vs consider that we be both man woman the most deceyued of the worlde and betrayed of them which we haue most derely loued Let vs now reuēge our selues Madame not onely to render vnto them as they haue deserued but to satisfie the loue whiche for my parte I can no longer beate except I shoulde die And I thinke that if your heart be not harder than Flint or Diamont it is impossible but you must perceyue some sparke of fier which increaseth more than I am able to dissemble And if pitie of me which dyeth for your loue doth not moue you to loue me
at least wyse let loue of your selfe constrayne you which being so perfect a creature as you be doth deserue to enioye the heartes of all the honest men of the worlde And let I say the contempt forsaking of him moue you for whom you haue disdayned all other persons The Quéene hearing those wordes was so rauished that for feare to declare by her countenaunce the trouble of her spirite leaning vpon the Gentlemās arme went into a garden harde by her chamber where she walked a long time not able to speake a worde But the Gentleman seing her halfe wonne when he was at the ende of the Alley where non̄e coulde sée them he certified her by effect the loue which so long tyme he kept secrete from her And both with one consent reioyced in reuenge wherof the passion was importable And there determined that so oft as he went into the countrey and the King from his Castle to the Citie he shoulde retourne to the Castle to sée the Quéene Thus deceyuing the deceyuers all foure were partakers of the pleasure which two alone thought to enioy The accorde made they departed the Ladye to her chamber and the Gentleman to his house with suche contentacion as they had quite forgotten all their troubles past And the fears that eyther of them had of the assembly of the King and of the Gentlewoman was tourned to desire which made the Gentleman to go more ofte than he was wont to doe into the Countrey beyng not past halfe a myle of And so sone as the king knewe thereof he fayled not to visite his Ladie and the Gentleman the night folowing went to the Castle to salute the Quéene to doe the offyce of the Kings Lieutenant so secretly as neuer any man did perceyue it This voyage endured of long tyme but the King bicause he was a publike person coulde not so well dissemble his loue but all the worlde did perceyue it and al men pityed the gentlemans state For diuers light persons behinde his backe woulde make hornes vnto him in signe of mockerie which he right well perceyued But this mockerie pleased him so wel that he estemed his hornes better than the Kings Crowne who and the Gentlemans wyfe one daye could not refrayne beholding a Stagges heade set vp in the Gentlemās house frō breaking into a laughter before his face saying how that head became the house very well The Gentleman that had so good a heart as he wrote ouer that heade these wordes These hornes I weare and beare for euerye man to viewe But I weare and beare them not in token they be trewe The King retourning agayne to thys Gentlemans house finding this superscription newely written demaunded of the Gentleman the signification of them Who sayde vnto him If Princes secrete things be from the horned Hart concealed VVhy should lyke things of horned beastes to Princes be reuealed But content your selfe All they that weare hornes be pardoned to weare their cappes vpon their heades For they be so swéete and pleasaunt that they vncappe no man and they weare them so light that they think they haue none at all The king perceyued well by his wordes that he knewe something of his doings but he neuer suspected the Loue betwéene the Quéene and him For the Quéene was better contented with her husbandes lyfe and with greater ease dissembled her griefe Wherefore eyther partes liued long time in this loue till age had taken order for dissolueiō therof Beholde Ladyes q Saffredante thys Historie which for example I haue willingly recyted vnto you that when your husbandes doe make you hornes as big as a Goate beareth you may render vnto him the monstruous heade of a Stagge peace q Emarsnite smyling no more wordes A Princesse of Flaundres The rashe enterprise of a Gentleman against a Princesse of Flaundres and of the damage and shame which he receyued thereof ¶ The. Lij Nouell THere was in Flaundres a Lady of an honorable house which had two husbandes by whome she had no children that were liuing During the time of her widowhode she dwelt within one of her brothers that loued her very wel which was a noble man and had maryed a Kings daughter This yong Prince was muche giuen to pleasure louing hunting pastime and the company of fayre Ladyes according as youth doth require He had a wyfe that was curst and troublesome whome the delectations of her husbande in no wise did content and please Wherefore this noble man caused his sister daylie to kéepe companye with his wyfe This Gentlewoman his sister was of pleasaunt conuersation and therewithall very honest and wyse There was in the house of this noble man a Gentleman whose worship beautie and grace did surpasse all the rest of hys companions This Gentleman perceyuing the sister of his Lorde and Maister to be pleasaunt of ioyfull countenance thought to proue if the attempt of an honest friende would be vouchsaued at her handes but he founde her aunswere to be contrarie to her countenance And albe if that her aunswere was suche as was méete for a Princesse and right honest Gentlewomā yet bicause she perceyued him to be a goodly personage and curteous she easily pardoned his bolde attempt and séemed that she toke it not in yll parte when he spake vnto her Neuerthelesse she warned him after that time to moue no such matter which he promised bicause he would not lose his pleasure and honor that he conceyued to entertayne her Notwithstanding by processe of tyme his affection increased so much that he forgot the promise which he had made vnto her not hazarding his enterprise by wordes for he had to long against his will experimented her wyse discrete aunsweres But he thought if he coulde finde her in some conuenient place bicause she was a widowe yong of lusty yeares good complexion it were possible she would take pitie vpon him of her selfe And that he might bring his purpose to effect he sayde to his Maister that he had besides his owne house very goodly game that if it pleased him to kill three or foure Stagges in the moneth of Maye he coulde neuer sée better pastime The Lorde aswell for the loue he bare to the Gentleman as for the pleasure he had in hunting graunted his request And went to his house which was so fayre and well furnished as the best Gentleman in all the Countrey had not a better and did lodge his Lorde and Ladie in one side of the house and in the other directly against it her whome he loued better than himselfe The Chamber was so well hanged with Tapistrie and furnished and so trimly matted as it was impossible to perceyue a falling dore which was by the beddes side descending to the chamber where hys Mother laye which was an olde Ladie that was troubled with the Catarre or Rume And bicause she had a Coughe fearing to disease the Princesse which lay aboue her she chaunged chambres with her sonne
no more affection to Amadour and thought assuredly that she was voyd of reason bicause she hated all those thinges which she loued And from that tyme forth there was suche warre betwéene the mother and the daughter that the mother for the space of .vij. yeares woulde not speake vnto her except it were in anger Which she did at the requeste of Amadour During which tyme Florinda conuerted the feare that she had to remayne with her husbande into mere loue to anoyde the rigor and checkes of her mother Howebeit seing that nothing coulde preuayle she purposed to begyle Amadour leauing for a day or two her ser straūge countenaunce she counselled Amadour to loue a woman which as she sayde did commonly talke of their loue This Lady dwelt with the Quéene of Spaine was called Lorette who was very ioyful and glad to get suche a seruaunt And Florinda found meanes to cause a brute of this newe loue to be spred in euery place and specially the Countesse of Arande being at the Court perceyued the same who afterwardes was not so displeased with Florinda as she was wont to be Florinda vpon a tyme heard tel that the Captaine the husband of Loret began to be ialous ouer his wife and determined by some meanes or other he cared not how to kill Amadour Florinda notwithstanding her dissembling countenaunce could not suffer any hurt to be done to Amadour and therefore incontinently gaue him aduertisement therof But he retourning againe to his former sollyes answered that if it would please her to interteigne him euery day thrée houres he would neuer speake agayne to Loret whervnto by no meanes she would consent Then Amadour sayde vnto her if you will not haue me to liue wherefore goe ye about to defend me from death except ye purpose to torment me alyue in such wise that a thousand deathes can not doe But for so much as death doth fly from me I wil neuer leaue to seke death til I haue founde him out at whose approch onely I shall haue rest Whilest they were in these tearmes newes came that the King of Granado was about to enter into great warres against the King of Spaine in such wise that the King sent against him the Prince his sonne and with him the Constable of Castille and the Duke of Albe two auncient and sage Lords The Duke of Cardonne and the Counte of Arande not willing to tarrie behinde besought the King to giue eyther of them a charge Which he did according to the dignitie of their houses appointing Amadour to be their guid Who during that warre did suche valiaunt factes that they semed rather to be desperately than hardyly enterprised And to come to the effect of this discourse his great valiaunce was tryed euen to the death For the Moores making a bragge as though they woulde giue battayle when they sawe the army of the Chistians counterfaited a retire whome the Spaniardes pursued but the olde Constable and the Duke of Albe doubting their policie stode still against the wil of the Prince of Spaine not suffering him to passe ouer the riuer but the Counte of Arande and the Duke of Cardonne although they were countremanded did followe the chase and when the Moores sawe that they were pursued with so small a number they retourned and at one recountrie killed the Duke of Cardōne and the Counte of Arande was so sore hurt that he was left for deade in the place Amadour arriuing vpon this ouerthrowe inuaded the battayle of the Moores with suche rage and furie that he rescued the two bodyes of the Duke and Countie and caused them to be conueyed to the Princes campe who so lamented their chaūce as if they had bene his owne brethren But in searching their wounds the Countie of Arande was found to be aliue and was sent home to his owne house in a horslitter wher of long time he was sick and lykewise was conueyed to Cardonne the deade body of the yong Duke Amadour in rescuing those two bodyes toke so little héede to him selfe that he was inclosed with a great number of the Moores bicause he would be no more taken aswell to verifie his faith towardes God as also his vowe made to his Lady and also considering that if he were prisoner to the King of Granado eyther he shoulde cruelly be put to death or else forced to renounce his fayth he determined not to make his death or taking glorious to his enemies Wherefore kissing the crosse of his sworde and rendring his body and soule to the handes of almightie God he stabbed himselfe into the body with such a blow that there neded no second wound to rid him of his lyfe In this sorte dyed pore Amadour so much lamēted as his vertues did deserue The newes hereof was bruted throughout Spaine and Florinda which then was at Barsalone where her husbande in his lyfe tyme ordeyned the place of his buriall after that she had done his honorable obsequies without making her owne mother or mother in lawe priuie thervnto surrendred herselfe into the Monasterie of Iesus there to liue a religious lyfe receyuing him for her husband and friend which had deliuered her from the vehement loue of Amadour from a displeasaunt lyfe so great and vnquiet as was the company of her husbande In this wise she conuerted all her affections to loue God so perfectly that after she had long time lyued a religious life she yelded vp her soule in suche ioy as the Bridgrome doth when he goeth to visite his spouse A Duke of Florence The incontinencie of a Duke and of his impudencie to attayne hys purpose with the iust punishement which he receyued for the same ¶ The Liiij Nouell IN the Citie of Florence there was a Duke that maryed the Ladye Margaret the bastarde daughter of the Emperour Charles the fift And bicause she was very yong it was not lawfull for him to lye with her but tarying til she was of better yeres he vsed her very gently Who to spare his wyfe was amorous of certayne other Gentlewomen of the citie Amongs whome he was in loue with a very fayre wise and honest Gentlewoman that was sister to a Gentleman whome the Duke loued so well as himselfe to whome he gaue so much aucthoritie in his house that his worde was so well obeyed and feared as the Dukes himselfe and there was no secrete thing in the Dukes minde but he declared the same vnto him that he might full well haue bene called a seconde himselfe The Duke seing his sister to be a woman of so great honestie had no wayes or meanes to vtter vnto her the loue that he bare her after he had inuented all occasions possible at length he came to this Gentleman which he loued so well and sayde vnto him My friende if there were any thing in all the worlde wherein I were able to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you and woulde not doe it at your request I shoulde be
he neuer saw a better in his lyfe You haue reason sayde the king And I beleue that if a gentleman were determined to kill me and did knowe the force of myne armes and the goodnesse of my heart accompanied with this sword he would be twice well aduised before he attempted the enterprise Not withstanding I would accompte him but a cowarde we being alone without witnesses if he did not attempt that which he were disposed to doe The Counte Guillaume with bashfull and astonned countenaunce answered Sir the wickednesse of the enterpâ—ise were very great but the folly in the execucion were no lesse The King with those wordes fell in a laughter and put the sworde into the skaberd againe And hearing that the chase drew nere him he made to the same so fast as he could when he was come thether he sayde nothing of that which had passed betwéene him and the Counte verely thought that Counte Guillaume althoughe that he was so strong and stoute a gentleman as was in that tyme yet he was no man to doe so great an enterprise But the CouÌ„te Guillaume fearing to be bewraied or suspected of the facte next day morning repayred to Robertet the Secretarie of the Kings reuenewes and sayd that he had well wayed the giftes and annuities which the king woulde giue him to tarrie but he perceyued that they were not sufficient to interteigne him for halfe a yere that if it pleased not the king to double the same he should be forced to depart praying the sayd Robertet to knowe his graces pleasure so sone as he coulde who sayde vnto him that he himselfe coulde without further commission coulde disbirsse no more vnto him but gladlie whithout further delaie he would presentlye repayre to the king which he did more willingly bicause he had séene the aduertisements of the Gouernor aforesayde And so sone as the king was awake he declared the matter vnto him in the presence of MoÌ„sier Trimouille and Monsier Bouiuet Lord Admirall who were vtterly ignorant of that which the king had done To whom the king sayd Loe ye haue bene miscontented for that I woulde not put away the Counte Guillaume but now ye sée he putteth away himselfe Wherefore Robertet tell him that if he be not conteÌ„t with the state which he receyued at his first entrie into my seruice wherof many GeÌ„tlemen of good houses would think themselues happy it is mete that he seke his better fortune and tell him that I woulde be loth to hinder him but wil be very well contented that he seke where he may liue better accordingly as he deserueth Robertet was so diligent to beare this aunswere to the Counte as he was to present his sute to the king The Counte sayde that with his licence he woulde gladly goe forthwith And like one that feare forced to departe was not able to beare his abode .xxiiij. houres And as the King was sitting downe to dinner fayning to be sorye for his departure but that necessitie compelled him to lose his preseÌ„ce he toke his leaue He went likewise to take leaue of the kings mother which she gaue him with so great ioye as she did receyue him being her nere kinsman friende Then he went into his Countrie And the king séeing his mother and seruants astoned at that his sodayne departure declared vnto them the Al Arme which he had giuen him saying that although he was innoceÌ„t of the matter suspected so was his feare great ynough to depart from a maister with whose condicions hitherto he was not acquainted A straunge punishment A punishment more rigorous than death of a husband towarde his wyfe that had committed adultery The Lvj. Nouell KIng Charles of Fraunce the .viij. of that name sent into Germany a Gentleman called Bernage Lorde of Cyure besides Amboise Who to make spéede spared neyther day nor night for execution of his Princes commaundement In such wise that very late in an euening he arriued at the castle of a Gentleman to demaunde lodging which very hardly he obtayned Howbeit wheÌ„ the gentleman vnderstode that he was the seruaunt of such a king he prayed him not to take in ill part the rudenesse of his seruaunts bicause vpon occasion of certaine his wiues friendes that loued him not he was forced to kepe his house so straight At what tyme Bernage told him the cause of his iourney wherein the Gentleman offered to doe to the King his Maister al seruice possible Leading him into his house where he was feasted lodged very honorably When supper was ready the Gentleman conueyed him into a parler well hanged with fayre Tapistrie And when the meate was set vpon the table he perceyued a woman comming forth behinde the hanging which was so beautifull as might be sene sauing that her heade was all shauen and apparelled in Almaine blacke After both the Gentlemen had washed water was brought to the gentlewoman who when she had washed she sat downe at the table without speaking to any man or any word spokeÌ„ vnto her The Lord Bernage beholding her wel thought her to be one of the fayrest Ladies that euer he sawe if her face had not bene so pale her countenaunce so sad After she had eaten a little she called for drink which one of the seruants brought vnto her in a straunge cup. For it was the head of a dead man trimmed with siluer Whereof she drancke twice or thrice When she had supped and washed her handes making a reuerence to the Lorde of the house she retourned behinde the hangings without speaking any worde Bernage was so muche amazed at that strauÌ„ge sight that he waxed very heauie and sad The gentleman that marked him sayd vnto him I sée wel that you be astonned at that you saw at the table But seing your hnoest demeanor I wil not kepe the thing secret froÌ„ you bicause you shall not note that crueltie to be done without gret occasion This gentlewoman which you sée is my wife whome I loued bettter than any gentleman could loue his wife In such sort that to marry her I forgat all feare and brought her hither in dispite of her parents She likewise shewed vnto me such signes of loue that I attempted a thousand wayes to place her here for her ioy and myne where we liued a long tyme in suche rest and contentation that I thought my selfe the happiest Gentleman in Christendome But in a iourney which I made which to attempt mine honor forced me she forgot both her selfe her conscience and the loue which she bare towardes me and fell in loue with a Gentleman that I brought vp in this house which vpon my returne I perceyued to be true Notwithstanding the loue that I bare her was so great that I had no mistrust in her til such tyme as experience did open myne eyes and saw the thing that I feared more than death For which cause loue was tourned into furie and dispaire in suche wise that I
in his shirt fel downe at the Presidents fete crauing pardon his wife on the other side began to wéepe To whome the President sayde For so much as the thing which thou hast done is suche as thou maist well consider that I cannot abide my house for thée in this sort to be dishonored the daughters which I haue had by thée to be disaduaūced and abased Therfore sayd he leaue of thy wéeping and marke what I shall doe And thou Nicolas for that was his Clarks name hide thy self here in my closet and in any wise make no noyse when he had so done he opened the dore and called in his olde seruant and said vnto him Diddest not thou warrant and assure me that thou wouldest let me sée my Clark and wife in bedde together And vpon thy wordes I am come hither thinking to haue killed my wife and haue found nothing to be true of that which thou diddest tell me For I haue searched the chamber in euery place ◠I will shew thée And with that he caused his seruant to loke vnder the beddes and in euery corner And when the seruant founde him not throughly astonned he sayd to his maister Sir I saw him goe into the chamber and out he is not gone at the dore And so farre as I can sée he is not here Therefore I thinke the Diuell muste néedes carrie him away Then his maister sayde vnto him Thou art a very villaine to set suche diuision betwene my wife and me wherefore I doe discharge thée from my seruice for that which thou hast done me I will pay thée thy duty with the aduantage Therefore get thée hence and take hede that thou doest not tarrye in this towne past .xxiiij. houres The President for that he knewe him to be an honeste and faythfull seruant gaue him fiue or six yeares wages and purposed otherwise to preferre him When the seruant with ill will and weping teares was departed the President caused his Clarke to come out of his Closet And after he had declared to his wife and him what he thought of their yll behauiour he forbad them to shewe no likelyhode of any such matter and commaunded his wife to attire and dresse her selfe in more gorgeous apparel than she was wont to weare and to haunt and resorte to company and feastes willing the Clarke to make a better countenaunce of the matter than he did before but whensoeuer he rounded him in the eare bad him to departe he charged him after the cōmaūdement not to tarry .iiij. houres in the town And when he had thus done he retourned to the pallace as though there had no such thing chaunced And the space of .xv. dayes contrarie to his custome he feasted his friendes and neighbours and after the banket he caused the ministrels to play to make the Gentlewomen daunce One daye seing that his wife did not daunce he commaunded his Clarke to take her by the hande and to leade her forth to daunce who thinking the President had forgotten the trespasse paste very ioyfully daunced with her But when the daunce was ended the President fayning as though he would haue commaunded him to doe some thing in his house badde him in his eare to get him away and neuer to returne Now was the Clarke very sorowful to leaue his Ladye but yet no lesse ioyfull he was that his lyfe was saued Afterwardes when the President had made all his friendes and kinsefolkes and all the coūtrie beleue what great loue he bare to his wife Upon a fayre day in the moneth of May he went to gather a sallade in his garden of such herbes that so sone as she had eaten of them she liued not past .xxiiij. houres after whereof he counterfayted such sorrow as no man could suspect the occasion of her death And by that meanes he was reuenged of his enemy and saued the honor of his house I wyll not by this Nouell sayd Emarsuitte prayse the conscience of the President but herein I haue declared the light behauior of a woman and the gret pacience prudence of a man Praying you good Ladies all not to be offended at the truth If al women quod Parlamente that loue their Clarkes or seruauntes were forced to eate such sallades I beleue they would not loue their gardens so wel as they doe but would teare and pluck vp all the herbes both roote and rinde to auoyd those things that by death might aduaunce the honor of their stocke and ligneage If sallades be so costly q Hircan and so daungerous in May I will prouoke appetite with other sawses or else hunger shal be my chiefest Of a Ialous Gentleman A Gentleman of Perche suspecting iniurie done vnto him by his frende prouaked him to execute and put in proufe the cause of his suspicion ¶ The Lviij Nouell BEsides the cuntry of Perche there where two Gentlemen which from the tyme of their youth liued in such great and perfecte amitie that there was betwéene them but one heart one bed one house one table and on purse Long time continued this perfecte friendship betwéene whome there was but one will and one worde no difference in eyther of them In so much as they not only semed to be two brethren but also they appeared in al semblances to be but one man One of them chaunced to marry Notwithstanding they gaue not ouer their friendship but perseuered in their vsual amitie as they were wont to doe And whē they happened to be strayned to straight lodging the married gentleman would not sticke to suffer his friende to lye with him and his wife But yet you ought for friendship sake to consider that the married man lay in the middes Their goodes were common betwene them that for al the mariage no cause did hinder their assured amitie But in processe of tyme the felicitie of this world which carieth with it a certayne mutabilitie could no continue in the house which was before right pleasaunt and happie For the married man forgetting of the faithfull fidelitie of his friend without any occasion conceyued a great suspicion betwéene him and his wife from whō he could not dissemble the case but sharpely tolde her his mynde She therewithall was wonderfully amazed Howbeit he commaunded her to doe all thinges one thing excepted and to make so muche of his companion as of himselfe Neuerthelesse he for bad her to speake vnto him except it were in the presence of many All which she gaue her husbandes companion to vnderstand who woulde not beleue her knowing that he had neyther by thought or déede done any thing whereof his companion had cause to be offended And likewise bicause he vsed to kepe nothing secrete from him he told him what he had sayd praying him to tell him the truth of the matter bicause he purposed neyther in that ne yet in any other thing to giue occasion of breach of the amitie which of lōg time they had imbraced The maried