did One that loued him more than the rest sayd vnto him Syr so soone as she knewe of your comming immediately she withdrew hir selfe into hir Chamber He that was wise and well trained vp dissembled what he thought imagining that it was for some little fantasie whereunto women willingly be subiecte And therefore when he thought time to departe he tooke leaue of the widowe and as hée was going downe the staires of the great Chamber he met one of the maides of Gineura whome he prayed to commend him to hir mistresse Gineura during all this time toke no rest deuising how she might cutte of cleane hir loue entertained in Dom Diego after she knew that he caried the Hawke on his fist which was the only cause that did put hir into that frensie And therefore thinking hir selfe both despised and mocked of hir Knight that he had done it in despite of hir she entred into so great rage and choler as she was like to fall mad She being then in this trouble of minde behold hir Gentlewoman came vnto hir and did the Knights message Who hearing the simple name of hir supposed enimy begā to sigh so strangely as a man wold haue thought hir soule presently wold haue departed hir body Afterwards when she had vanquished hir raging fit which stayed hir speach she gan very tenderly to wéepe saying Ah traitor vnfaithful louer is this the recompense of the honest and firme amitie which I haue borne thée so wickedly to deceiue me vnder the colour of so faint and detestable a friendship Ah rashe and arrant Théese is it I vpon whome thou oughtest to vende thy wicked trumperies Doste thou thinke that I am no better worthe but that thou prodigally shouldest wast mine honor to bear that spoiles thereof to hir that is in nothing comparable vnto me Wherin haue I deserued this discurtesie if not by louing thée more than thy beautie fained loue deserue Diddest thou dare to aduenture vpon me hauing thy conscience wounded with suche an abhominable and deadly treason Durst thou to offer thy mouth to kisse my hand by the mouth of another to whome thou haddest before dedicated thy lying lips in thine owne proper person I praise God that it pleased him to let me sée before any other worse chaunce hath happened the poyson by thée prepared for the ruine of my life and honor Ha foole hope not to take me in thy trap nor yet to deceiue me through thy sugred and deceitful words For I sweare by the almighty God that so long as I shall liue I wil accompt thée none other but as the most cruel and mortal enimy that I haue in this world Then to accomplish the rest of hir careful minde she wrote a letter to giue hir farewell to hir olde friend Dom Diego And for that purpose instructed hir Page with this lesson that when the Knight should come he should be ready before hir lodging and say vnto him in the behalfe of hir that before he passed any further he should reade the letter and not to faile to doe the contents The Page which was malicious and ill affectioned to Dom Diego knowing the appointed day of his comming waited for him a quarter of a mile from the Castle where he had not long taried but beholde the innocent louer came against whome the Page went bearing about him more hurtfull noisome weapons than all the Théeues and robbers had in all the Countrey of Catheloigne In this manner presenting his mistresse letters he sayde vnto him My Lord Madame Gineura my mistresse hath sent me vnto you bicause she knoweth how fearfull you be to displease hir prayeth you not faile to reade this letter before you passe any further and there withall accomplishe the effecte of the same The Knight abashed with that sodaine message answered the Page God forbid my friend quod be that I shold disobey hir by any meanes vnto whom I haue giuen a full authoritie and puissance ouer mine affections So receiuing the letters he kissed them thre or foure times and opening them found that he hoped not for and red that which he thought not off The cōtents wherof were these The Letters of faire Gineura to the Knight Dom Diego THere shall passe no day of my life from making complaintes of thée disloyall and periured Louer who being more estemed and better beloued than 〈◊〉 diddest deserue hast made so small accompte of me whereof I will be reuenged vpon my selfe for that I haue thus lightly beleued thy wordes so full of crafte and guile I am in 〈◊〉 that thou from hence for the shalt flye to buzze and beate the bushes where 〈◊〉 suspectest to catche the pray for héere thou art like to be deceiued Goe varlet goe I say to 〈◊〉 hir which holdeth thée in hir nets and snares and whose Presentes althoughe of small value haue 〈◊〉 thée more than the Honest vertuous and 〈◊〉 Loue that vertue hir selfe began to knitte betwéene vs. And sith a carrion Kite hath made thée 〈◊〉 further off than the winde of the aire was able to beare thée God defend that Gineura should goe aboute to hinder thy follies and much lesse to-suffer hir selfe to be beguiled through thine excuses 〈◊〉 rather God defend except thou desirest to sée me die that thou shouldest euer be in place where I am assuring 〈◊〉 of this my minde neuer to be chaunged so long as my soule shall rest wythin my body which giuing breth vnto my panting breast shall neuer be other but a mortall enimie to Dom Diego and such one as euen to the Death will not faile to prosecute the 〈◊〉 of the most traiterous and vnfaithfull Knighte that euer was girte with girdle or armed with sword 〈◊〉 beholde the last fauour that thou canst or oughtest to hope of me who liueth not but onely to martir and 〈◊〉 thée and neuer shall be other but The greatest enimie that euer thou hast or shalt haue Gineura the faire The miserable louer had no sooner red the contents of the letter but lifting vp his 〈◊〉 to the 〈◊〉 he sayd Alas my God thou knowest well if euer I haue 〈◊〉 that I ought to be banished from the place where my contentation is chiefly fixed from whence my heart shall neuer departe chaunce what missehappe and fortune so euer Then tourning himself towardes the Page he sayd Sir Page my friend say vnto my Ladie most humbly commending me vnto hir that for this present I will not sée hir but heareafter she shall heare some newes from me The Page well lessoned for the purpose made him aunswere saying Sir she hath willed me to say thus much by mouthe that ye cannot do hir greater pleasure than neuer to come in place where she is for so much as the Daughter of Dom Ferrando de la Serre hath so 〈◊〉 you in hir nettes that loth she is your faithfull heart should hang in ballance and expect the vncertaine loue of two Ladies at
beare this present seruitude It lieth only in your handes how we shal be delt withall and whether you will make vs notable to the worlde thorough your clemēcie or crueltie The King comforted them all he might and willing them to be of good chéere toke Darius sonne in his armes Therat the child was nothing afraid hauing neuer séene him before but toke imbraced him about the neck He was so moued with the constancie of the childe as he behelde Ephestion and sayde Oh I would that Darius had had some part of this childes gentlenesse Which mercy continencie humilitie and cōstancie of minde in Alexander if he had still kept to his latter daies might haue bene accompted much more fortunate than he was when hauing subdued all Asia from Hellespont to the Occean sea he did counterfait the 〈◊〉 of Bacchus Or if amongs the residue of his cōquests he would haue trauailed to ouercome his pride and wrath being vices inuincible Or in his dronkennesse abstained from the slaughter of his Nobilitie and not to haue put to deathe those excellent men of warre without iudgement which helped him to conquer so many Nations But at this time the greatnesse of his Fortune had not yet altered his nature although afterwards he could not beare his victories with that Uertue wherwith he wanne them For when he gaue him self to 〈◊〉 and banketting he vsed the companie of harlots Amonges whome there was one Thais who vpon a day in hir dronkennesse affirmed to Alexander that he should wonderfully winne the fauour of the Greekes if he commaunded the Palace of Persepolis to be set on fire The destruction wherof she said they greatly desired for so much as the same was the chief seat of the kings of Persia which in times past had destroyed so many great Cities When the dronken harlot had giuen hir 〈◊〉 there were other present who being likewise dronken confirmed hir woordes Alexander then that had in him more inclinacion of heat than of pacience said Why doe we not then reuenge Greece and set this Citie on fire They were all chafed with drinking and rose immediatlie vpon those wordes to burne that Citie in their dronkennesse which the men of warre had spared in their furie The king himself first and after his guestes his seruauntes his Concubines set fire in the Pallace which being builded for the most part of Cedre trées 〈◊〉 sodenly in a flame When the armie that was encamped néere vnto the Citie saw the fire which they thought had ben kindled by some casualtie they came running to quenche the same againe But when they sawe the king there present increasing the fire they poured downe the water which they brought and helped likewise the matter forwardes Thus the palace that was the head of the whole Orient from whence so many nacions before had fetched their laws to liue vnder the seat of so many kings the only terror sometime of Greece the same that hath ben the sender forth of 9000. ships and of the armies that ouerflowed all Europa that made bridges ouer the Sea and vndermined mountaines where the Sea hath nowe his course was consumed and had his ende and neuer rose againe in all the age that did ensue For the kings of Macedon vsed other Cities which be now in the Persians hands The destruction of this Citie was such that the foundation therof at this day could not be 〈◊〉 but that the riuer of Araxes doth shew where it stode which was distant from Persepolis xx furlongs as the inhabitants rather doe beleue than know The Macedonians were ashamed that so noble 〈◊〉 was destroyed by their king in his dronkennesse yet at length it was turned into an earnest matter and were content to thincks it expedient that the Citie should haue ben destroyed after that maner But it is certain that when Alexander had taken his rest and was become better aduised he repented him of his doing And after he had kept companie with Thalestris aforesaid which was Quéene of the Amazones he tourned his continencie and moderation being the most excellent vertues appearing in any kind of estate into Pride and voluptuousnesse not estéeming his countrie customes nor the holsome temperance that was in the vsages and discipline of kyngs of Macedon For he iudged their ciuill vsage and maner to be ouer base for his greatnesse but did counterfaite the height and 〈◊〉 of the kings of Persia represēting the greatnesse of the Goddes He was content to suffre mē there to fal down flat vpō the ground worship him 〈◊〉 the victorers of so many nacions by litle litle to seruile offices coueting to make thē like vnto his captiues He ware vpon his head a Diademe of purple interpaled with white like as Darius was accustomed fashioned his aparell after the maner of the Persians without 〈◊〉 of any euil token that is signified for the 〈◊〉 to change his habite into the fashion of him whom he had vanquished And althoughe he vaunted that he ware the spoyles of his enimies yet with those spoyles he put vpon him their euil maners and the insolencie of the mynde folowed the pride of the apparell Besides 〈◊〉 sealed such letters as he sent into Europa with his accustomed seale but all the letters he sente abroade into Asia were sealed with Darius ring So it appered that one minde coulde not beare the greatenesse that appertained to two He aparelled also his frēds his captains and his horsemen in 〈◊〉 apparell whereat though they grudged in their mindes yet they durste not refuse it for feare of his displeasure His courte was replenished with Concubines for he still mainteined thrée hundred and thrée score that belonged to Darius and among them were flocks of Eunuches accustomed to performe the vse of women The old souldiers of Philip naturally abhorring such things manifestly withstode to be infected with such voluptuousnesse and strange customes Whervpon there rose a generall talke and opinion thoroughoute the Campe that they had loste more by the victorie than they had wonne by the warres For when they sawe them selues ouercome in suche excesse and forain customs so to preuaise they iudged it a simple guerdon of their long béeing abrode to returne home in prisoners maner They began to be ashamed of their king that was more like to such as wer subdued than to them that were victorious and that of a King of Macedon was become a Prince of Persia and one of Darius Courtiers Thus this noble prince from continencie and mercie fel into all kind of disorder the originall whereof he toke by delite in women which being vsed in sort lawful be great comforts and delights otherwise the very spring of all crueltie and mischiefe Timoclia of Thebes 〈◊〉 a Gentlewoman of 〈◊〉 vnderstanding the couetous desire of a Thracian knight that had abused hir and promised hir mariage rather for hir goodes than loue well acquited hir self from his falshode The third Nouel QVintus
toke the poysoned cuppe and said vnto the messanger Giue the king thy maister right humble thankes in my behalfe and say vnto him that I receiue and drinke this poyson with a will so good as if he had commaunded me to enter in triumph with Laurell garlande ouer mine ennimies For a better gift a husband can not giue to wife than accomplishment of assured faith the funeralls whereof shall be done with present obsequie And saying nothing else vnto the Messanger she toke the cuppe and myngling well together the poyson within she vnfearfully 〈◊〉 it vp And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had dronke the same she deliuered the messanger his cuppe againe and layed hir selfe vpon hir bed commaūding hir Gentlewomen in comely wise to couer hir with clothes and without lamentation or signe of Feminine minde shée stoutly waighted for approching death The Gentlewomen which waited vpon hir bewaited the rufull state of their 〈◊〉 esse whose plaints and schriches were heard throughout the palace wherof the brute and rumor was great But the good Quéene vanquished with the strong force of the poyson remained not long before she died The Messanger returned these heauie newes vnto Massinissa who sorowfully complained the losse of his beloned wife in such wise as many tymes hée was like to kill him selfe that his soule might haue accompanied the ghost of hir which was beloued of hym aboue all the deerest things of the worlde The valiaunt and wise captaine Scipio vnderstanding hereof to the intent Massinissa shoulde not commit any crueltie against himselfe or perpetrate other vncomely déede called hym before him and comforted him with the swéetest wordes he could deuise and friendly reproued him for the little faith and trust that he had in him The next day in the 〈◊〉 of all the arinie he highly commended him and rewarded him with the Kingdome of Numidia giuing hym many rich iewels and treasures and brought him in great estimation amōgs that Romans which the Senate and people of Rome very well approned and cōfirmed with most ample priuileges attributing vnto him the title of King of Numidia and frend of the Romanes Such was the eude of the vnhappie loue of kyng 〈◊〉 and the faire and unluckie Quéene Sophonisba Poris and Theoxena ¶ The crueltie of a King of 〈◊〉 who forced a Gentlewomā called THEOXENA to persuade hir children to kill and poison them selues after which facte she and hir husband PORIS ended their life by drovvning The. viij Nouell BUt sith wée haue begon to treat of the stoutnesse of certaine noble Quéenes I will not let also to recite the Historie of a like vnfearefull dame of Thessalian lande called Theoxena of right noble race the daughter of Herodicus prince of that cūtrey in the time that Philip the sonne of Demetrius was king of Macedone tolde also by Titus Liuius as two of the former be This lady Theoxena first was a notable exāple of 〈◊〉 vertue afterwardes of rigorous crueltie For the said King Philip hauing through his wickednesse first murdred Herodicus and by succession of time cruelly done to death also the husbands of Theoxena and of Archo hir natural sister vnto either of them being widowes remaining a sonne afterwardes Archo beyng maried againe to one of the principall of their countrey named Poris of him she had many childrē But when she was dead that sayd ladie Theoxena hir sister who was of heart more cōstant and stoute than the other stil refused the second mariage although sued vnto by many great lordes and princes at length pitying hir nephewes state for scare they shold fal into the handes of some cruell stepdame or that their father would not bring them vp with such diligence as till that time they were was contented to be espoused again to Poris no lawe that time knowen to defend the same to the intent she might traine vp hir sisters children as hir owne That done she began as if they wer hir own to intreate and vse them louingly with great care and 〈◊〉 wherby it 〈◊〉 appeared that she was not 〈◊〉 againe to Poris for hir own commoditie and pleasure but 〈◊〉 for the welth and gouernement of those hir sisters children Afterwards Philip king of Macedon an vnquiete Prince determining to make new warres vpon the Romanes then throughout the worlde famous and 〈◊〉 for their 〈◊〉 fortune 〈◊〉 not onely the chief and noble men but almost all the auncient inhabi 〈◊〉 of the Cities along the sea coast of Thessalia and their whole and entier families into Peonia afterwards called Emathia a countrey farre distant from the sea giuing their voided cities for the Thracians to inhabite as most propre and faithfull for the Romains warres which he intended to make and hearing also the 〈◊〉 maledictions pronoūced against him by the banished people and vniuersally by all other thoughte hée was in no good suretie if he caused not likewise all the sonnes of them whome a little before he had 〈◊〉 to be put to death Wherfore he commaunded them to be taken and holden vnder good garde inprison not to do them all to be 〈◊〉 at once but at times now one and then an other as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theoxena vnderstanding the 〈◊〉 of this wicked and cruell King and well remembring the death of hir husband and of him that was husband to hir sister knew wel that hir sonne and nephew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be demaunded and greatly 〈◊〉 the Kings wrath and the rigour of his Guarde if once they fell into their handes to defende them from shame and crueltie sodeinly applied hir minde vnto a straunge deuice For shée durst to say vnto hir husband their fathers sace that sooner 〈◊〉 would kill them with hir owne handes if otherwise she coulde not warraunt 〈◊〉 than suffer them to bée at the will and power of King Philip. By reason wherof Poris abhorring 〈◊〉 erecrable crueltie to comforte his wife and to saue his children promised hir secretely to transporte them from thence and caried them himselfe to certain of his faithful friends at Athenes which done without long delay he made as though he would go from Thessalonica to Aenias to be at the 〈◊〉 of certaine sacrifices which yearely at an appointed time was done with great ceremonies to the honour of Aenêas the 〈◊〉 of that citie where spending the time amongs other in solemne bankets the. iij. watch of the night when euery mā was a slepe as though he woulde haue returned home to his countrey with his wife children priuily he embarketh him selfe and them in a shyppe hired of purpose to passe into Euboea and not to 〈◊〉 to Thessalonica But his entent was cleane altered chaunged for his shippe was no sooner vnder saile but at that instant a contrarie winde and tempest rose that brought him backe againe in despite of their labour and all the endeuour they were able to doe And when daye light appeared the Kyngs garrison descried that shippe and manned out a boate to bring in the same
the liues of good Princes alreadie departed it were but a small ransome to redéeme them with teares For what golde or 〈◊〉 may be sufficient to buie the life of a vertuous mā Truly there woulde be a great masse of money giuen by the Assyriās to redeme the life of Belus by the Persiās for Artaxerxes by the Troians for Hector by the Greekes for Alexander by the Lacedemonians for Lycurgus by the Romanes for Augustus and by the Carthaginians for Annibal But as you knowe the Gods haue made all thyngs mortall hauing reserued onely themselues to bée immortall Howe eminent and passing the vertue of the good is and what priu ledge the godly haue it may easily bée knowne for so much as honour is caried euen to the very graues os the deade but so it is not to the greate Palaces of the wicked The good and vertuous man without sighte or knowledge we loue serue and aunswer for him where the wicked wée can not beleue that which he sayeth and lesse accepte in good parte the thyng whiche hée doeth for vs. Touchyng the election of the Empire it was done by Nerua it was demaunded by the people approued by you and accepted by me Wherefore I praye the immorall Goddes that it may bée lyked of their godheades For to small purpose auayleth the election of Princes if the Gods doe not confirme it and therefore a man may knowe hym whiche is chosen by the Gods or elected by men for the one shall decline and fall the other vpholden and preserned The choyse of man sodaynely exalted doeth decline and fall but that whiche is planted by the Gods although it be tossed to and fro with seuerall windes receiueth great aduersitie and boweth a little yet he shal be neuer sene to fal Ye know right wel most honorable Fathers that I neuer demaunded the Empire of Nerua my Soueraigne Lorde although hée brought me vp and was his nephew hauing hearde and well remembryng of my Maister Plutarch that honour ought rather to be deserued than procured Notwithstanding I will not denie that ioyfull I was when my lorde Nerua sent me the ensigne of that greate and high dignitie but I will also confesse that hauing begon to tast the trauailes and cares which that Imperiall state bringeth I did repent more than a thousande times for taking vpon me the same For Empire and gouernemēt is of such qualitie that although the honour bée great yet the gouernour sustaineth very great paine and miserable trauaile O how greatly doeth he bynde himselfe which by gouernement byndeth other for if it be iuste they call it cruell if it bée pitiefull it is contemned if liberall it is estéemed prodigall if he kéepe or gather togyther hée is counted couetous if he be peaccable and quiet they deme him for a coward if he be coragious he is reputed a quareller if graue they will say he is proude if he be easie to be spoken to he is thought to be light or simple if solitarie they will estéeme him to be an hypocrite and if he be ioyfull they will terme hym dissolute In suche wise as they will be contented and vse more better termes to all others what soeuer than towards him which gouerneth a cōmon wealth For to suche a one they recken the morsels whiche he eateth they measure his pases they note his wordes they take héede to his companies and iudge of his workes many tymes wrongfully they examine and murmure of his pastymes and attempte to coniecture of his thoughtes Consyder then the trauailes whiche bée in Gouernement and the Enuie whyche many times they beare vnto him that ruleth We may saye that there is no state more sure than to be in that which is furthest off from Enuie And if a man can not but with greate paine gouerne the wife which he hath chosen the 〈◊〉 which he hath begotten nor the seruant which he hath brought vp hauing them altogether in one house how is it possible that he can still conserue in peace a whole common wealth I pray you tell me in whom shall a poore Prince repose his trust sith that many times he is most slaundered by them whome he fauoureth best Princes and great lords can not eate without a garde can not sléepe without a watche can not speake without espiall nor walke without some safetie in suche wise as they beyng lordes of all they bée as it were prisoners of their owne people And if we will beholde somwhat nearely and consider the seruitude of Princes and the libertie of subiects we shall finde that he whiche hath most to doe in the realme or beareth greatest swinge is most subiect to thraldom In somuch as if Princes haue authoritie to giue libertie they haue no meanes to be frée them selues The Gods haue created vs so frée and euery man desireth to haue his libertie so much at will that a man be he neuer so familiar a friend or so neare of kin we had rather haue him to be our subiect than our lorde and maister One man alone commaundeth all and yet it semeth to him but little Ought we then to maruell if many be wearie to obey one We loue and estéeme our selues so much as I neuer sawe any which of his owne good will woulde be subiect ne yet against his will was made a lorde which we sée to bée very true For the quarells and warres that bée amongs men are not so much for obedience sake as to rule and cōmaunde I say moreouer that in drinking eating clothing speaking and louing al men be of diuers qualities but to procure libertie they bée all conformable I haue spoken all this O Fathers conscript vpon occasion of mine owne Empire which I haue taken with good will albeit afterwardes I was sorie for that great charge For the waltering seas and troublesome gouernement be two things agréeable to beholde and daungerous to proue Notwithstanding 〈◊〉 it hath pleased the Gods that I should be your lord and you my subiectes I beséech you heartily to vse your obedience as to your soueraigne lord in that which shall be right and méete and to aduertise me like a father in things that shall séeme vnreasonable The Consul Rutulus hath tolde me much in your behalfe and hath saluted me for the people he himselfe shal bring answere and salute you all in my name The Allobrogians and the inhabitants about the riuer of Rhene bée at controuersie for the limittes of their countrey and haue prayed me to be their arbitratour which will stay me a little there I require that this Letter may bée redde within the Senate house and manifested to the whole people The Goddes preserue you An other Letter of the Emperour Traian to the Romane Senate conteining how gouerners of cōmon wealthes ought to be friendes rather to those whiche vse trasicke than to them that gather and heape together COcceius Traiane Emperor of the Romanes to our holy Senate health and consolation in the
shame or feare can make them blush which was the cause that this Ladie continuing still in hir mischiefe so much pradised the friends of him whom she desired to kil and made such fit excuse by hir ambassades as he was cōtent to speak to hir and to heare hir iustifications which were easy inough to doe the iudge being not very faultie She promised and swore that if the fault were proued not to be in him neuer man should sée Bianca Maria so lōg as she liued to be other than a friend and slaue to the Lord Ardizzino wholly submitting hir self vnto his will and pleasure See how peace was capitulated betwene the two reconciled louers and what were the articles of the same the Lord of 〈◊〉 entring possession againe of the Fort that was reuolted and was long time in the power of another But when hée was seased againe the Ladie saw full wel that hir recouered friend was not so hard to please as the other was and that with him she liued at greater libertie Continuing then their amorous daunce and Ardizzino hauing no more care but to reioyse himselfe nor his Ladie but to cherish and make much of hir friend behold eftsones the desire of bloud and wil of murder newly reuiued in that new Megera who incited I know not with what rage 〈◊〉 to haue him flain which refused to kill him whome at this present she loued as hir self And he that had inquired the cause therof I think none other reason could be rendred but that a brainelesse head and reasonlesse mind thought most notable murders mischief were easy to be brought to passe and so strangely to procede in disordred lusts which in fine caused miserable shame ruine with the death of hir self him whom she had stirred to that fact boldening him by persuasion to make him beleue vice to be vertue gloriously cōmēded him in his follies which you shal hear by reading at lēgth that discourse of this history Bianca Maria séeing hir self in ful possession of hir Ardizzino purposed to make him the chief executioner of the murder by hir intended vpon Gaiazzo for that doing wherof one night holding him betwene hir armes after she had long time dalied with him like a cunning mistresse of hir Art in the end weauing training hir treasō at large she said thus vnto him Syr of lōg time I haue bene desirous to require a good turne at your hands but fearing to trouble you therupon to be denied I thought not to be importunat albeit that mater toucheth you yet did I rather hold my peace thē to here refusall of a thing which your self ought to profer the same cōcerning you Madame said hir louer you know that matter néede to be hainous of great importance that I shold denie you specially if it cōcerne the blemish of your honor But you say the same doth touch me somewhat néerely therefore if abilitie be in me spare not to vtter it I will assay your satisfaction to the vttermost of my power Syr said she is the Counte of Gaiazzo one of your very frends I think answered Valperga that he is one of that surest friends I haue and in respect of whose friendship I will hazarde my self for him no lesse than for my brother being certaine that if I haue néede of him he will not faile to do that like for me But wherfore do you aske me that questiō I wil tel you said that traitresse kissing him so swetely as euer he felt that like of any woman for somuch as you be so deceiued of your opinion and frustrate of your thought as he is wicked in dissēbling that which maliciously lieth hiddē in his heart And briefly to say that effect Assure your self he is the greatest most mortall enimy that you haue in that world And that you do not thinke this to be some forged tale or light inuention or that I hard the report therof of some not worthy of credit I wil say nothing else but that which himself did tell me whē in your absence he vsed my cōpany He sware vnto me without declaratiō of that cause that he could neuer be mery or his mind in rest before he saw you cut in pieces shortly would giue you such assault as all that dayes of your life you shold neuer haue lust or mind on ladies loue And albeit thē I was in choler against you and that you had ministred some cause reason of hatred yet our first loue had takē such force in my heart as I besought him not to do that enterprise so lōg as I was in place wher you did remain bicause I cānot abide wtout death to sée your finger ake much lesse your life beriued frō you 〈◊〉 which tale his eare was deaf swering stil protesting that either he wold be slain himself or else dispatch that Counte Ardizzino I 〈◊〉 not quod she ne wel could as thē aduertise you therof for the smal accesse that my scruāts had vnto your lodging but now I pray you to take good héede to your self to preuēt his diuelish purpose for better it were for you to take his life than he to kil and murder you or otherwise work you mischief you shal be estemed the wiser man he pronoūced a traitor to seke that death of him that bare him such good will Do thē according to mine abuise before he begin do you kil him whereby you shall saue your self and doe the part of a valiant Knight bisides that satisfying of the minde of hir that aboue al pleasures of the world doth chiefly desire the same Experience now will let me proue whether you loue me or not and what you will doe for hir that loueth you so dearly who openeth this 〈◊〉 murder aswell for your safetie as for lengthening of the life of hir which without yours cannot endure 〈◊〉 this my sute O friend most deare and suffer me not in sorowful plight to be despoiled of thy presence And wilt thou suffer that I shold die and that yōder 〈◊〉 traiterous and vnfaithfull varlet should liue to laugh me to 〈◊〉 If the Ladie had not added those last woords to hir foolish sermon perchance she might haue prouoked Ardizzino to folow hir Counsell but 〈◊〉 hir so obstinately bent in hir request and to prosecute the same with such violence concluding vpon hir own quarel his conscience throbbed and his mind measured the malice of that woman with the honestie of him against whome that tale was tolde who knew his friend to be so sound and trustie as willingly he wold not do the thing that should offend him therefore wold giue no credit to false report without good apparāt proofe For which cause he was persuaded that it was a malicious tale made to please his Ladie deuised by some that went about to sowe debate betwéene those two friendly Earles Notwithstanding vpō further pause not to
be dead in respect of the liuely sparks and violent fire which sorteth from your faire eyes which fire hath so fiercely inflamed all the most sensible parts of my body as if I be not succored by the fauoure of your diuine graces I doe attend the time to be consumed to dust Scarse had he made an end of those last words but the daunce of the Torche was at an end Whereby Iulietta which wholly burnt with loue straightly clasping hir hand with his had no leisure to make other answere but softly thus to say My deare friend I know not what other assured witnesse you desire of Loue but that I let you vnderstand that you be no more your owne than I am yours being ready and disposed to obey you so farre as honoure shall permit beséeching you for the present time to content your selfe with this answere vntill some other season méeter to Communicate more secretely of our affaires Rhomeo séeing himself pressed to part with the companie and for that hée knewe not by what meanes hée might sée hir againe that was his life and death demaunded of one of his friends what she was who made answer that she was the daughter of Capellet the Lord of the house and maister of that dayes feast who wroth beyond measure that fortune had sent him to so daungerous a place thought it impossible to bring to end his enterprise begon Iulietta couetous on the other 〈◊〉 to know what yong Gentleman hée was which had so courteously intertaigned hir that night and of whome she felt the new wounde in hir heart called an olde Gentlewoman of honor which had nurssed hir and brought hir vp vnto whome she sayd leaning vpon hir shoulder Mother what two yong Gentlemen be they which first goe forth with the two torches before them Unto whome the olde Gentlewoman tolde the name of the houses whereof they came Then she asked hir againe what yong Gentleman is that which holdeth the visarde in his hande with the Damaske cloke about him It is quod she Rhomeo Montesche the sonne of your Fathers capitall enimy and deadly 〈◊〉 to all your kinne But the maiden at the only name of Montesche was altogither amazed dispairing for euer to attaine to husband hir great affectioned friend Rhomeo for the auncient hatreds betwene those two families Neuerthelesse she knew so wel 〈◊〉 to dissemble hir grief and discontented minde as the olde Gentlewoman perceiued nothing who then began to persuade hir to retire into hir chamber whome she obeyed and being in hir bed thinking to take hir wonted rest a great 〈◊〉 of diuers thoughts began to enuiron trouble hir minde in such wise as she was not able to close hir eyes but turning here there fātasied diuerse things in hir thought sometimes purposed to cut of the whole attempt of that amorous practise sometimes to continue the same Thus was the poore pucell 〈◊〉 with two contraries the one comforted hir to pursue hir intent the other proposed the imminent perill whervnto vndiscretely she headlong threw hir self And after she had wandred of long time in this amorous Laberinth she knew not wherupon to resolue but wept incessantly and accused hir self saying Ah Caitife and miserable creature from whence doe rise these vnaccustomed trauailes which I 〈◊〉 in minde prouoking me to loose my rest but infortunate wretch what doe I know if that yong Gentleman doe loue me as hée sayeth It may be vnder the vaile of sugred woords hée goeth about to steale away mine honoure to be reuenged of my Parents which haue offended his and by that meanes to my euerlasting reproche to make me the fable of the Verona people Afterwards sodainly as she condempned that which she suspected in the beginning sayd Is it possible that vnder such beautie and rare comelinesse disloyaltie and Treason may haue their siedge and lodging If it be true that the face is the faithfull messanger of the mindes conceit I may be assured that hee doeth loue me for I marked so many chaunged coloures in his face in time of his talke with me and sawe him so transported and bisides himself as I cannot wishe any other more certaine lucke of loue wherin I will persist immutable to the 〈◊〉 gaspe of life to the intent I may haue him to be my husband For it may so come to passe as this newe alliance shall 〈◊〉 a perpetuall peace and amitie betwene his house and mine Aresting then vpon this determination still as she saw Rhomeo passing before hir Fathers gate she shewed hir self with mery countenance and 〈◊〉 him so with looke of eye vntill she had lost his sight And continuing this manner of life for certain dayes Rhomeo not able to content himself with lookes daily did beholde and marke the situation of the house and one day amongs others hée espied Iulietta at hir chamber window bounding vpon a narow lane right ouer against which Chamber he had a gardeine which was the cause that Rhomeo fearing discouery of their loue began then in the day time to passe no more before the gate but so soone as the night with his browne mantell had couered the earth he walked alone vp and downe that little streat And after he had bene there many times missing the chiefest cause of his comming Iulietta impacient of hir euill one night repaired to hir 〈◊〉 and perceiued through the brightnesse of the Moone hir friend Rhomeo hard vnder hir window no lesse attended for than he himself was waighting Then she secretely with teares in hir eyes and with voyce interrupted by sighes sayd Signior Rhomeo me thinke that you hazarde your persone too much and commit the same into great danger at this time of the night to protrude your self to the mercy of thē which meane you little good Who if they had taken you would haue cut you in pieces and mine honor which I estéeme dearer than my life hindred suspected for euer Madame answered Rhomeo my life is in the hād of God who only cā dispose the same 〈◊〉 if any man had sought meanes to berieue me of life I should in the presence of you haue made him known what mine abilitie had 〈◊〉 to defend that 〈◊〉 Notwithstanding life is not so deare and of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ̄ vnto me but that I could 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 the same for your sake and although my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ben so great as to be dispatched in that place yet 〈◊〉 I no cause to be sory therefore excepte it had bene by loosing of meanes the same to forgoe the way how to make you vnderstand the good will and duety which I beare you desiring not to conserue the same for any commoditie that I hope to haue therby nor for any other respect but only to loue serue and honor you so 〈◊〉 as breath shal remaine in 〈◊〉 So soone as he had made an end of his talke loue and pitie began to sease vpon the heart of Iulictta and leaning hir head vpon hir 〈◊〉
may remedy the different disease almost incurable in either of you twaine the same béeing so vehement as altered into a 〈◊〉 maketh you in this wise incapable of reasō Finishing these words she toke hir leaue of Zilia and arriued to the louers house she founde him lying vpon his bedde rather dead than aliue who séeing his neighbor returned backe againe with face so sadde not tarying for the answer which she was about to make he began to say Ah infortunate Gentleman thou payest well the vsurie of thy pleasures past when thou diddest liue at libertie frée from those trauails which now do put thée to death with out suffring thée to die Oh happie and more than right happie had I bene if inconstant Fortune had not deuised this treason wherein I am surprised and caught and yet no raunsom can redeme me from prison but the most miserable deth that euer poore louer suffred Ah mistresse I know well that Zilia estemeth not my letters ne yet regardeth my loue I confesse that I haue done you wrong by thus abusing your honest amitie for the solace of my pain Ah fickle loue what foole is he which doth commit himself to the rage and furie of the waues of thy foming and tempestuous seas Alas I am entred in with great gladsom chéere through the glistering shew before mine eyes of the faint sunne beames wherunto so soone as I made saile the same denied me light to thrust me forth into a thousande windes tempests and raging stormes of raine By meanes wherof I sée no meane at all to hope for end of my mishaps and much lesse the shipwracke which sodainely may rid me from this daunger more intollerable than if I were ouerwhelmed wythin the bottomlesse depth of the maine Ocean Ah deceiuer wily souldier why hast thou made me enterprise the voyage farre of from thy solitudes and wildernesse to giue me ouer in the middest of my necessitie Is this thy maner towardes them which franckly follow thée by trace and pleasantly subdue themselues to thy traiterous folies At lest wise if I saw some hope of helth I would indure without complaint therof yea and it were a more daungerous tempest But O good God what is he of whom I speake Of whom do I attende for solace and reliefe of him truely which is borne for the ouerthrow of men Of whom hope I for healthe Of the moste noysom poyson that euer was myngled with the most subtile druggs that euer were Whome shall I take to be my defender He which is in ambush traitrously to catch me that he may martir me worsse than 〈◊〉 hath done before Ah cruell wenche that thou shouldest measure so euill the good will of him that neuer purposed to trespasse the least of thy commaundementes Ah that thy beautie should finde a subiecte so stubborn in thée to torment them that loue and praise thée O maigre and vnkinde recompense to expel good seruantes that be affectionate to a seruice so iust and good Ah Basiliske coloured ouer with pleasure and swéetenesse howe hath thy sighte dispersed his poyson throughout mine heart At least wise if I hadde some drugge to repell thy force I should liue at ease that without this sute and trouble But I féele and proue that this sentence is more than true No physike herbes the griefe of loue can cure Ne yet no drugge that paine can well assure Alas the seare clothe will not serue to tense the wounde the time shall be but loste to cut the same is but increase of paine to salue the same bredeth matter to cause mine ouerthrow To be short any dressing can not auaile except the hand of hir alone which gaue the wounde I would to God the sawe the bottome of my heart and viewed the closet of any minde that she might iudge my firme saith and know the wrong she doth me by hir rigor and froward wil. But O vnhappie man I féele that she is so resolued in obstinate mynde as hir rest semeth only to depend vpon my paine hir ease vpon my grief and hir ioy vpon my sadnesse And saying so began strangely to wepe and sighing betwene lamented in so much as that mistresse messanger not able to abide the grief and painful trauaile wherin she saw the pore gentleman wrapped went home to hir house not withstanding she told afterward the whole successe of his loue to a Gentleman the friende of Philiberto Nowe this Gentleman was a companion in armes to the lorde of Virle and a very familiar friend of his for which cause he went about by all meanes to put away those foolish and frantike conceits out of his fansie but he profited as much by his endeuour as the passionate gained by his heuinesse who determining to die yelded so much to care and grief as he fel into a greuous sicknesse which both hindred him from slepe and also of his appetite to eate and drinke giuing himself to muse vpon his folies and fansied dreames without hearing or admitting any man to speake vnto him And if he dyd heare them his words tended to the complainte of the crueltie of one whom he named not and sounded of desire he had to end his life vpon that cōplaynt The physitians round about wer sought for who could giue no iudgement of that disease neither for al the signes thei saw or any inspection of the vrine or touching of the pulse but saide that it was a melancholie humor distilling from the braine which caused the alteration of his sense howbeit their arte and knowledge were void of skil to euacuate the grosse blood that was congeled of 〈◊〉 melancholie And therfore dispairing of his helth with handes full of money they gaue him ouer Whiche his friend and companion perceiuing maruellous sory for the affliction of his friend ceased not to practise al that 〈◊〉 could by letters gifts promises and complaintes to procure Zilia to visite the pacient For he was assured that the only presence of hir was able to recouer hys friend But the cruell woman excused hir self through hir widdowhed that it should be vnséemely for one of hir degrée of intent to visite a Gentleman whose parentage and aliance she knew not The soliciter of the Lord of Virle his health séeing how litle his prayers auailed with his implacable furie knewe no longer to what 〈◊〉 he might vow himself for counsell in the ende resolued to sollicite hir which hadde done the first message that she might deuise some meanes to bring them to speake together And fyndyng hir for his purpose thus he sayd vnto hir Mistresse I maruel much that you make so litle accompt of the pore lord of Virle who lieth in his bedde attending for death Alas if euer pitie hadde place in womans hearte I beséech you to gyue your ayde to helpe hym the meane whereof in whome it lyeth is not ignorant vnto you God is my witnesse quod she what trauaile I could take to help him but in thyngs
once Dom Diego hearing the truth of his missehap the occasion of the same made light of the matter for that time till at length the choler of his mistresse shold begin to coole that therby she might know vpō how brittle grounde she hadde planted a suspition of hir most faithfull and louing seruaunt and so retiring towards his house altogether vexed and ill contented he went into his Chamber where with his dagger he paunched the gorge of the pore Birde the cause of his Ladies 〈◊〉 saying Ha vile carraine Kite I sweare by the bloud of him that thou shalt neuer be the cause againe to make hir fret for such a trifling thing as thou art I beleue that what so euer furie is hidden within the body of this curssed Kite to engender a Plague the same now is seased on me but I hope to doe my mistresse to vnderstande what Sacrifice I haue made of the thing which was sent me ready to do the like vpō mine own flesh where it shal please hir to commaund So taking inke paper he made answer to Gineura as foloweth The letters of Dom Diego to Gineura the faire BUt who would euer haue thought my Lady deare that a light opinion could so soone haue diuided and disparkled your good iudgement to condempne your Knight before you had heard what he was able to say for himselfe truely I thought no more to offend you than the man which you neuer knewe although you haue bene deceiued by colored words vttered by those that be enuious of my happe and enimies of your ioy who haue filled your minde ful of false report I swear vnto you by God my good Lady that neuer thing entred into my fantasie more than a desire to serue you alone and to auoide the acquaintaunce of all other to preserue for you a pure and entire heart Wherof long agone I made you an offer In witnesse wherof I humbly 〈◊〉 you to beleue that so soone as you sée this Birde the cause of your anger and occasion of my mishap torne and pluckte in pieces that my heart féeleth no lesse alteration or torment for so long as I shal vnderstand your displeasure to endure against me assure your selfe my life shall abide in no lesse paine than my ioy was great when I frankly possessed your presence Be it sufficient madame for you to knowe that I neuer thought to offende you Be contēted I besech you with this sacrifice whiche I send you if not that I doe the 〈◊〉 vpon mine own body which without your good wil and grace can not longer liue For my lyfe depending vpon that onely benefite you ought not to bee astoonned if the same 〈◊〉 his nourishmente dothe perishe as frustrate of that foode propre and apte for his appetite and by like meanes my sayd life shall reuiue if it may please you to spreade your beames ouer mine obscure and base personage and to receiue this 〈◊〉 for a fault not cōmitted And so waiting a gentle answere from your great 〈◊〉 I humbly kisse your white 〈◊〉 delicate handes with all humilitie praying God swéete ladie to let you se how much I suffer without desert and what puissaunce you haue ouer him that 〈◊〉 all your Faithfull and euer seruant most obedient Dom Diego The letter closed and sealed he deliuered to one of his faithfull and secrete seruantes to beare with the deade Hauke vnto Gineura chargyng him diligentely to take héede to hir countenaunce and aboue all that faithfully he should beare away that which she dyd saye vnto him for aunswere His man fayled not to spéede himself with diligence and being come before Gineura he presented that which his master had sent hir She ful of wrath and indignation woulde not once 〈◊〉 to reade the letter and much lesse to accept the present whiche was a witnesse of the contrary of that she dyd 〈◊〉 and tournyng vnto the Messanger she sayde My friende thou mayest goe gette thée backe agayne wyth the selfe same charge whiche thou hast brought and say vnto thy maister that I haue nothyng to doe with his Letters his excuses or any other things that commeth from hys handes as one hauyng good expeperience of hys sleightes and deceipts Tell hym also that I prayse God in good tyme I haue taken héede to the little fayth and truste that is in him for a countergarde in tyme to come lightly neuer to bée deceyued The seruyng man woulde fayne haue framed an Oration to purge his master but the fierce Gentlewoman brake of his talke saying vnto hym that she was well resolued vpon hir intente which was that Dom Diego shoulde neuer recouer place in hir minde and that shée hated hym as much at that tyme as euer shée loued him before Upon which aunswere the Messanger returned so sorowfull for the misfortune of his master knowing him to be very innocent as he knew full well into what despaire his master wold 〈◊〉 when he vnderstode those pitiful and heauie newes not with standing nedes he must know them and therfore when he was come before Dom Diego hée recited vnto hym from poynt to poynt his ambassage and deliuered him againe his letters Whereof the infortunate Gentleman was so sore assooned as he was like to haue fallen downe dead at that instant Alas sayde he what yll lucke is this that when I thought to enioye the benefite of my attempte Fortune hath reuolted to bryng me to the extremitie of the moste desperate man that euer lyued Is it possible that my good seruice shoulde bée the cause of my approached ouerthrowe Alas what may true and faithfull louers henceforthe hope for if not the losse of their time when after long deuoire and duetie an Enuious foole shall come to depriue them of their ioy and gladnesse and they féeling the bitternesse of theyr abandoned farewell one that loueth lesse shall beare away the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of suche hope and shall possesse without deserte the glorie due to a good and faithfull 〈◊〉 Ah fayre Gineura that thou séest not the griefe whych I doe 〈◊〉 and the affection wherewith I serue thée and howe muche I woulde suffer to gayne and recouer thy good grace and fauor Ha vayne hope whyche vntyll nowe haste fylled me wyth myrthe and gladnesse altogether spente and powdred in the gaulle of operation of thy bytter sauoure and the taste of thy corrupted lycour better it hadde bene for mée at the begynnyng to haue refused thée than afterwardes receyued cherished and sincerely beloued to be banished for so lyght occasion as I am full sore ashamed to conceyue the same wythin remembraunce but Fortune shall not haue hir wyll ouer me for so long as I shall lyue I wyll continue the seruaunt of Gineura and my lyfe I will preserue to lette hir vnderstande the force of Loue By continuance whereof I will not sticke to sette my selfe on fyre with the liuely flames of my passion and then withdrawe the 〈◊〉 of my ioye by the rigour
pangs of death by remēbring the glory of my thought sith the recitall bringeth with it a tast of the trauails which you haue suffred for my ioy contentation It is therfore quod she that I think my self happy for by that meanes I haue knowne the perfect qualities that be in you haue proued two extremities of vertue One consisteth in your cōstancie and loyaltie wherby you may vaunt your self aboue him that sacrificed his life vpō the bloudy body of his Lady who for dying so finished his trauails Where you haue chosen a life worse than death no lesse painfull a hundred times a day than very death it self The other cōsisteth in the clemency wherwith you calme and appease the rage of your greatest aduersaries As my self which before hated you to death vanquished by your curtesie do confesse that I am double bound vnto you both for my life and honor and hearty thankes doe I render to the Lord Roderico for that violence he did vnto me by which meanes I was induced to acknowledge my wrong the right which you had to complaine of my folish resistance All is wel sayd Roderico sith without perill of honor we may returne home to our houses I intend therefore sayd he to send woord before to my Ladies your mothers of your returne for I know how so wel to couer and excuse this our enterprise and secrete iorneis as by Gods assistāce no blame or displeasure shal ensue therof And like as sayd he smiling I haue builded the fortresse which shot into your campe and made you flie euen so I hope Gentlewoman that I shall be the occasion of your victory when you combat in close cāpe with your swéete cruel enimy Thus they passed the iorney in pleasant talke recompēsing the. 〈◊〉 louers with al honest vertuous intertainmēt for their 〈◊〉 and troubles past In the meane while they sent one 〈◊〉 their seruants to the two widow ladies which were 〈◊〉 great care for their childrē to aduertise them that Gineura was gone to visite Dom Diego then being in one of the castles of Roderico where they were determined if it were their good pleasure to consūmate their mariage hauing giuen faith affiance one to the other The mother of Gineura could not here tel of more pleasant newes for she had vnderstāded of the folish flight escape of hir daughter with that steward of hir house wherof she was very sorowful for grief was like to die but assured recōforted with those news she 〈◊〉 not to mete the mother of Dom Diego at the apointed place whither the y. louers were arriued two days before There the mariage of that fair couple so long desired was 〈◊〉 with such magnificence as was requisite for the state of those two noble houses Thus the torment 〈◊〉 made the ioy to sauour of some other taste than they do feele which without pain in that exercise of loues pursute attain the top of their desires And truly their pleasure was altogether like to him that nourished in superfluous delicacie of meates can not aptely so well iudge of pleasure as he which sometimes lacketh that abundance And verily Loue without bitternesse is almost a cause without effectes for he that shall take away griefs and troubled fansies from louers depriueth them of the praise of their stedfastnesse and maketh baine the glorie of their perseuerance for he is vnworthie to beare away the price and garlande of triumph in the conflict that behaueth himself like a coward and doth not obserue the lawes of armes and manlike dueties in the combat This historie then is a mirrour for loyall louers and chaste suters and maketh them detest the vnshamefastnesse of those which vpon the first view do folowe with might and maine the Gentlewoman or Ladie that giueth them good face or countenāce wherof any gentle heart or mind noursed in the scholehouse of vertuous education will not bée squeymish to those that shal by chast salutation or other incountrie doe their curteous reuerence This historie also yeldeth contempt of them which in their affection forget them selues abasting the generositie of their courages to be reputed of fooles the true champions of Loue whose like they be that desire such regarde For the perfection of true Loue consisteth not in passions in sorowes griefes martirdomes or cares and much lesse arriueth he to his desire by sighes exclamations wepings and childish playnts for so much as vertue ought to be the bande of that indissoluble amitie which maketh the vnion of the two seuered bodies of that woman man which Plato describeth causeth man to trauell for his whole accomplishment in that true pursute of chast loueIn which labor truly fondly walked Dom Diego thinkyng to finde the same by his dispaire amidde the sharp solitarie deserts of those Pyrene mountains And truly the duetie of his perfect friende did more liuely disclose the same what fault so euer he dyd than all his countenances eloquent letters or amorous messages In like maner a man dothe not know what a treasure a true friend is vntil he hath proued his excellencie specially where necessitie maketh him to tast the swetnesse of such delicate meate For a friend being a second himself agréeth by a certaine natural 〈◊〉 attonement to the affections of him whō he loueth both to participate his ioyes and pleasures and to sorrowe his aduersitie where Fortune shall vse by some misaduentures to shewe hir accustomed moblitie Salimbene and Angelica ¶ A Gentleman of SISNA called ANSELMO SALIMBENE curteously and gently deliuereth his 〈◊〉 from death The condemned partie seing the kinde parte of SALIMBENE rendreth into his hands his sister ANGELICA with whome he was in loue which gratitude and curtesie SALIMBENE well marking moued in conscience woulde not abuse hir but for recompense toke hir to his wife The. xxx Nouel WE do not mean here to discouer the sumptuositie magnificence of Palaces stately won derfull to the viewe of mē ne yet to reduce to memorie that maruellous effects of mās industry to build and lay foúdations in the déepest chanel of the maine sea ne to describe their ingenious industrie in breking the craggy mountaines and hardest rocks to ease the crooked passages of wearie wayes for armies to marche through inaccessible places Onely now do we pretende to shewe the effects of loue whiche surmount all opinion of cōmon things and appere so miraculous as the founding and erecting of the Collisaei Colossaei Theatres Amphitheatres Pyramides and other workes wonderful to the world for that the hard indured path of hatred and displeasure long time begoon and obstinately pursued with straunge crueltie was conuerted into loue by theffect of loue and concorde suche as I know none but is so much astoonned as he may haue good cause to wonder consideryng the stately foundations vpon which kings and great monarches haue employed the chiefest reuenues of their prouinces Nowe like as Ingratitude is a vice of
shift besturred him in Erra Pater for matching of two contrary elements For colde in Christmasse holy dayes and frost at Twelftide shewed no more force in this poore lerned scholer thā the Suns heat in the Feries of Iuly gnats flies waspes at noone dayes in Sōmer vpon the naked tender corpse of this fair Widow The Scholer stode belowe in a Court benoommed for cold the widowe preached a lofte in the top of a Tower and 〈◊〉 woulde haue had water to coole hir extreme heat The scholler in his shirt bedecked with his demissaries The widow so naked as hir graundmother Eue without vesture to shroud hir The widow by magike Arte what so euer it cost wold faine haue recouered hir lost louer The Scholler well espying his aduaūtage when he was asked councel so incharmed hir with his Sillogismes as he made hir to mount a tower to cursse the time that euer she knew him or hir louer So that widow not well beatē in causes of schole was whipt with the rod wherwith she scourged other Alas good woman had she knowne that olde malice had not bene forgotten she would not haue trusted lesse committed hir self to the circle of his enchauntments If women wist what dealings are with men of great reading they wold amongs one hundred other not deale with one of the meanest of those that be bookish One Girolamo Ruscelli alearned Italian making pretie notes for that better elucidation of the Italian Decamerone of Boccaccio iudgeth Boccaccio himself to be this scholler whom by another name he termeth to be Rinieri But whatsoeuer that Scholler was he was truly too extréeme in reuenge therein could vse no meane For he neuer left the pore féeble soule for all hir curteous woords and gentle supplication vntil the skin of hir flesh was parched with the scalding sunne beames And not contented with that delt his almose also to hir maide by sending hir to help hir mistresse where also she brake hir legge Yet Philenio was more pitifull ouer the thrée Nimphes faire Goddesses of Bologna whose History you may read in the xlix Nouell of my former Tome He fared not so roughly with those as Rinieri did with this that sought but to gain what she had lost Wel how so euer it was and what differencie betwene either of them this Hystorie ensuing more amply shall giue to vnderstand Not long sithens there was in Florence a yong gentlewoman of worshipfull parentage faire and comely of personage of courage stout and abounding in goods of fortune called Helena who being a Widow determined not to mary again bicause she was in loue with a yong man that was not voide of natures goodly gifts whom for hir owne toothe aboue other she had specially chosen In whome setting aside all other care many times by meanes of one of hir maids which she trusted best she had great pleasure and delite It chaūced about the same time that a yong Gentleman of that Citie called Rinieri hauing a great time studied at Paris retourned to Florence not to sell his Science by retaile as many doe but to know the reasons of things and the causes of the same which is a maruellous good exercise for a Gentleman And being there honoured greatly estemed of all men aswell for his curteous behauioure as also for his knowledge he liued like a good Citizen But as it is commonly séene they which haue best vnderstanding and knowledge in things are soonest tangled in Loue euen so it happened to this Rinieri who repairing one day for his passetime to a feast this Madame Helena clothed all in blacke after the manner of widowes was there also and séemed in his eyes so beautiful and wel fauored as any woman that euer he sawe and thought that he might be accompted happy to whome God did she we so much fauoure as to suffer him to be cleped betwene hir armes beholding hir diuers times and knowing that the greatest and dearest things can not be gotten without laboure he determined to vse all his endeuoure and care in pleasing of hir that thereby he might obtaine hir loue and so enioy hir The yong Gentlewoman not very bashfull conceiuing greater opinion of hir selfe than was néedefull not casting hir eyes towards the ground but rolling them artificially on euery side and by and by perceiuing much gazing to be vpon hir espied Rinieri earnestly beholding hir and sayd smiling to hir selfe I thinke that I haue not this day lost my time in comming hither for if I be not deceiued I shall catch a Pigeon by the nose And beginning certaine times stedfastly to loke vpon him she forced hir selfe so much as she could to séeme effectuously to beholde him and on the other parte thinking that the more pleasant and amorous she shewed hir self to be the more hir beautie should be estéemed chiefly of him whome specially she was disposed to loue The wise Scholler giuing ouer his Philosophie bent all his endeuor hereunto thinking to be hir seruaunt learned where she dwelt and began to passe before hir house vnder pretense of some other occasion wherat the Gentlewoman reioysed for the causes beforesaide faining an earnest desire to beholde him Wherfore the Scholler hauing found a certaine meane to be acquainted with hir maide discouered his loue praying hir to deale so with hir mistresse as he might haue hir fauor The maide promised him very willingly and incontinently reported the same to hir mistresse who with the greatest scoffes in the world gaue eare therunto sayd Séest thou not frō whence this goodfellow is come to lose al his knowledge doctrine that he hath brought vs from Paris Now let vs deuise therefore how he may be handled for going about to séeke that which he is not like to obtain Thou shalt say vnto him when he speaketh to thée againe that I loue him better than he loueth me but that it behoueth me to saue mine honoure and to kéepe my good name and estimation amongs other women Which thing if he be so wise as he séemeth he ought to esteme regarde Ah poore Wench she knoweth not well what it is to mingle huswiuery with learning or to intermeddle distaues with bokes Now the maid when she had found the Scholler told him as hir mistresse had commaūded wherof the Scholler was so glad as he with greater endeuor procéeded in his enterprise and began to write letters to the Gentlewoman which were not refused although he could receiue no answeres that pleased him but such as were done opēly And in this sort the Gentle woman long time fed him with delayes In the end she discouered all this newe loue vnto hir friend who was attached with such an aking disease in his head as the same was fraught with the reume of ialosie wherfore she to she we hir selfe to be suspected without cause very careful for the Scholler sēt hir maid to tel him that she had no conuenient time to doe
the thing that shold please him sithēs he was first assured of hir loue but hoped the next Christmasse hollydayes to be at his commaundement wherefore if he would vouchsafe to rome the night following the first holyday into the court of hir house she wold wait there for his comming The Scholler the best contēted mā in the world failed not at the time appointed to goe to the Gentlewomans house where being placed by the maid in a base court and shut fast within the 〈◊〉 he attended for hir comming who supping with hir friend that night very pleasantly recited vnto him al that she had determined then to do saying Thou maist see what loue I do bear vnto him of whome thou hast foolishely conceiued this iealousie To which wordes hir friend gaue 〈◊〉 with great delectation desiring to see the effect of that wherof she gaue him to vnderstand by woordes New as it chaunced the day before the snowe fel downe so thicke from aboue as it couered all that earth by which meanes 〈◊〉 Scholler within a very litle space after his arriual began to be very colde howbeit hoping to receiue recompense he suffred it paciently The Gentlewoman a little while after sayd vnto hir friend I pray thee let vs goe into my chamber where at a little window we may loke out and see what he doth that maketh thee so iealous and hearken what answer he will make to my maide whome of purpose I wil send to speake vnto him When she had so sayd they went to that window where they séeing the Scholler they not seene of him 〈◊〉 the maide speake these woordes Rinieri my mistresse is the angriest woman in the world for that as yet she can not come vnto thée But the cause is that one of hir brethren is come to visite hir this Euening and hath made a long discourse of talke vnto hir and afterwardes bad himself to supper and as yet is not departed but I thinke he wil not tary long and then immediately she will come In the meane time she prayeth thée to take a litle paine The scholler beléeuing this to be true sayd vnto hir Require your Mistresse to take no care for me till hir leasure may serue howbeit entreat hir to make so much hast as she can The maid retourned and wēt to bed and the dame of the house sayd then vnto hir frend Now sir what say you to this Do you thinke that if I loued him as you mistrust that I would suffer him to tarry beneath in the colde to coole himselfe And hauing sayd so she went to bed with hir friend who then was partly satisfied and all the night they continued in great pleasure and solace laughing mocking the miserable Scholler that walked vp and downe the court to chafe himself not knowing where to sit or which way to auoide the colde and curssed the long tarying of his mistresse brother hoping at euery noise he heard that she had come to open the dore to let him in but his hope was in vain Now she hauing sported hir selfe almost till midnight sayd vnto hir friend How think you sir by our Scholer whether iudge you is greater his wisdome or the loue that I beare 〈◊〉 him The cold that I make him to suffer wil extinguish the heat of suspition which ye conceiued of my woordes the other day Ye say true sayd hir friend and I 〈◊〉 assure you that like as you are my delite my rest my comfort and all my hope euen so I am youres during life For the cōfirmation of which renewed amity they spared no delites which the louing Goddesse doeth vse to serue and imploy vpon hir seruaūts and suters And after they had talked a certain time she said vnto him For Gods sake sir let vs rise a litle to sée if the glowing fier which this my new louer bath daily written vnto me to burn in him be quēched or not And rising out of their beds they wēt to a little window loking down into the courte they sawe the Scholer daunsing vpon the snow whereunto his 〈◊〉 téeth were so good instrumentes as he séemed the 〈◊〉 dauncer that euer trode a Cinquepace after such Musike being forced therunto through the great colde which be suffred And then she sayde vnto him what say you to this my friend doe you not sée how cunning I am to make men daunce without Laber or Pipe Yes in déede said hir louer ye be an excellent musitian Then quod she let vs go downe to the dore and I will speake vnto him but in any wise speake you nothing and we shal heare what reasons and 〈◊〉 he wil frame to moue me to compassion and perchaunce shall haue no little pastime to behold him wherupon they went downe softly to the dore and there without open ing the same she with a soft voice out at a little bole called the Scholer vnto hir Which he hearing began to praise God and thanke him a thousande times beleuing verily that he shold then be let in and approching the dore said I am héere mine owne swéete heart open the dore for Gods sake for I am like to dic for colde Whome in mocking wise she answered can you make me beleue M. Scholer that you are so tender or that the colde is so great as you affirme for a little Snow that lieth without There be at Paris farre greater snowes than these be but to tel you the trothe you cā not come in yet for my brother the diuell take him came yesternight to supper and is not yet departed but by by he wil be gon and then you shal obtaine the effect of your desire assuring you that with much adoe I haue stoln away from him to come hither for your comfort praying you not to thinke it long Madame said the Scholer I beséeche you for Gods sake to open the dore that I may stand in couert from the snow which within this hour hath fallen in great aboundaunce and doth yet continue there I will attend your pleasure Alas swéete friend said she the dore maketh such a noise when it is opened that it wil easily be heard of my brother but I will pray him to depart that I may quickely returne againe to open the same Go your way then said the Scholer I pray you cause a great fire to be made that I may warme me when I come in for I can scarse féele my selfe for colde Why it is not possible sayd the woman if it be true that you wholly burne in loue for me as by your sundry letters written it appeareth but nowe I perceiue that you mocke me and therefore tary there still on Gods name Hir friend which heard all this tooke pleasure in those words wēt againe to bed with hir into whose eyes no slepe that night could enter for the pleasure sport they had with the pore Scholer The vnhappy wretched Scholer whose téeth clacked for colde saring like