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
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
purpose he was not able to remoue but rather the more difficult and daungerous his enterprise séemed to be the more grew desire to prosecute and obiect him selfe to all dangers If peraduenture the Quéenes for their disport and pastime were disposed to walke into the fieldes or gardens of the Citie of Hispurge he failed not in company of other Courtiers to make one of the troupe being no houre at rest and 〈◊〉 if he were not in the sight of Quéene Anne or néere that place where she was At that time there were many Gentlemen departed from Lombardie to Hispurge which for the most parte followed the Lord Francesco Sforza the second by whom they hoped when the Duchie of Milane was recouered to be restored to their Countrey There was also Chamberlain to the said Lord Francesco one master Girolamo Borgo of Verona betwene whome and master Philippo was very néere friendship familiaritie And bicause it chauncethvery seldome that seruent loue can be kept so secrete and couert but in some part it will discouer it selfe master Borgo easily did perceiue the passion wherwith master Philippo was inflamed And one master Philippo Baldo many times being in the company of master Borgo and Philippo did marke and perceiue his loue yet was ignorant of the truthe or voide of coniecture with what Gentlewoman he was inamored But séeing him contrary to wonted custome altered from vsual mirth transported fetching many sighes strainings from his stomake and marking how many times he wold steale from the cōpany he was in withdraw him self alone to muse vpon hys thoughts brought thereby into a melancholy and meane estate hauing lost his sléepe and 〈◊〉 of eating meat iudged that the amorous wormes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bitterly gnawe and teare his heart wyth the nebs of their forked heads They three then being vpon a time togither debating of diuers things amōgs them selues chaunced to fall in argument of loue and 〈◊〉 Baldo Borgo the other gentlemen said to master Philippo how they were well assured that he was straūgely attached with that passion by marking and considering the new life which lately he led contrary to former vse intreating him very earnestly that he would manifest his loue to them that were his déere and faithful frends telling him that as in weightie matters otherwise hée was alredy sure what they were euē so in this he might hardily repose his hope and confidence promising him all their helpe and fauoure if therein their indeuor and trauaile might minister ayde and comfort He then like one raised from a traunce or lately reuiued from an 〈◊〉 after he hadde composed his countenaunce and gesture with teares and multitude of sobbes began to say these woordes My welbeloued friendes and trusty companiens being right well assured that ye whose sidelitie I haue already proued whose secrete mouthes be recómmended amongs the wise and vertuous will kéepe close and couert the thing which you shall heare me vtter as of such importaunce that if the yong 〈◊〉 Gentleman Papyrius had bene héere for all hys silence of graue matters required by hys mother I would vnnethes haue disclosed the same vnto hym In déede I cannot deny but must néedes consesse that I am in loue and that very ardently which I cannot in suche wise conceale but that the blinde must néedes clearely and euidently perceiue And although my mouth would 〈◊〉 kéepe close in what plight my passions doe constraine my inwarde affections yet my face and straunge manner of life which for a certayne time and space I haue led doe witnesse that I am not the man I was 〈◊〉 to be So that if shortly I doe not amend I trust to arriue to that ende whereunto euery Creature is borne and that my bitter and paynefull life shall take ende if I may call it a life and not rather a liuyng death I was resolued and throughly determined neuer to discouer to any man the cause of my cruell torment being not able to manifest the same to hir whome I doe only loue thinking better by conceling it through loue to make humble sute to Lady Atropos that shée would cutte of the thréede of my dolorous lyfe Neuerthelesse to you from whome I ought to kéepe nothyng secrete I will disgarboile and 〈◊〉 the very secretes of my minde not for that I hope to finde comfort and reliefe or that my passions by declaration of them wil lessen and diminishe but that ye knowing the occasion of my death may make reporte thereof to hir that is the only mistresse of my life that she vnderstanding the extréeme panges of the truest louer that euer liued may mourne and waile his losse which thing if my séely ghost may know no doubt where so euer it doe wander shall receiue great ioy and comforte Be it knowne vnto you therefore the first daye that mine eyes beheld the diuine beautie and incomparable sauer of that superexcellent Lady Quéene Anne of Hungarie that I more than wisdom required did meditate and consider the singular behauior and notable 〈◊〉 and other innumerable gifts wherwith she is indued the same beyònde measure did so inflame my heart that impossible it was for me to quenche the feruent loue or extinguish the least parte of my conceiued torment I haue done what I can to macerate and mortifie my vnbridled desire but all in vayne My force and puissaunce is to weake to matche wyth so mightye an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I knowe what ye wyll obiecte against me ye will say that mine ignobilitie my birth and stocke be no méete matches for such a personage and that my loue is to highly placed to sucke relief And the same I do 〈◊〉 so well as you I doe acknowledge my condition state too base I confesse that my loue nay rather I may terme it folly doth presume beyond the bounds of order For the first time that I felt my selfe wrapped in those snares I knew hir to beare the port amōgs the chiefest Quéenes to be the 〈◊〉 princesse of Christendom Againe I knew my selfe the poorest Gentleman of the world and the most miserable exile I thought moreouer it to be very vnséemely for me to direct my minde vpon a wight so honorable and of so great estate But who can raine the bridle or prescribe lawes to loue What is he that in loue hath frée will and choyse Truely I beleue no man bicause loue the more it doth séeme to accord in pleasure and delight the further from the marke he shooteth his bolte hauing no respect to degrée or state Haue not many excellent and worthy personages yea Dukes Emperours and Kings bene inflamed wyth the loue of Ladies and women of base and vile degrée Haue not most honorable dames and women of greatest renoume despised the honor of their states abandoned the companie of their husbāds and neglected the loue of their children for the ardent loue that they haue borne to men of inferiour sort All Histories
make hir chafe or force hir into rage he promised the execution of hir cursed will thanking hir for hir aduertisement and that he would prouide for his defense surety And to the intent that she might thinke he went about to performe his promise he tooke his leaue of hir to goe to Milan which he did not to folow the abhominable will of that rauenous mastife but to 〈◊〉 the matter to his companion and direct the same as it deserued Being arriued at Milan the 〈◊〉 Citie of Lombardie he imparted to Gaiazzo from point to point the discourse of the Countesse and the 〈◊〉 she made vnto him whē she had done hir tale O God sayd the Lord Sanseuerino who can beware the traps of such whoores if by thy grace our hands be not forbidden and our hearts and thoughts guided by thy goodnesse Is it possible that the earth can bréede a mōster more pernicious than this most Pestilent beast This is truely the grift of hir fathers vsurie and the stench of all hir predecessors villanies It is impossible of a Bite to make a good Sparhauk or Tercel gentle This 〈◊〉 no doubt is the daughter of a vilain sprōg of the basest race amongs the common people whose mother was more fine than chaste more subtile than sober This mynion hath forsaken hir husband to erect bloudy skaffoldes of murder amid the Nobles of Italy And were it not for the dishonor which I should get to soile my 〈◊〉 in the bloud of a beast so corrupt I wold feare hir with my téethe in a hundreth thousand pieces How many times hath she entreated me before in how many sundrie sorts with ioyned hāds hath she besought me to kill the Lord Ardizzino Ah my companion and right well beloued friend shold you think me to be so traiterous and cowarde a knaue as that I dare not tel to thē to whom I beare displeasure what lieth in my heart By the faith of a Gentleman sayd Ardizzino I would be sory my minde should 〈◊〉 on such a follie but I am come to you that the song might sound no more wtin mine eares It behoueth vs then sith God hath kept vs hitherto to auoid the air of that infection that our braines be not putrified and from henceforth to flie those bloudsuckers the schollers of Venus for the goodnesse profit and honor that youth 〈◊〉 of them And truely great honor wold 〈◊〉 to vs to kill one an other for the only pastime and sottish fansie of that mynion I haue repented me an hundred times when she first moued me of the deuise to kill you that I did not giue hir a hundred Poignaladoes with my dagger to stop the way by that example for al other to attempt such but cheries For I am wel assured that the malice which she beareth you procedeth but of the delay you made for satisfaction of hir murderous desire wherof I thank you and yeld my self in al causes to imploy my life and that I haue to do you pleasure Leaue we of that talke sayd Gaiazzo for I haue done but my duety and that which eache Noble heart ought to euery wight doing wrong to none but proue to helpe and doe good to all Which is the true marke and badge of Nobilitie Touching that malignant strumpet hir own life shal reuenge the wrongs which she hath gone about to 〈◊〉 on vs. In meane while let vs reioyce and thinke the goods and richesse she hath gotten of vs will not cause hir bagges much to strout and swell To be shorte she hath nothing whereby she may greatly laughe vs to scorne except our good entertainment of hir both night and day 〈◊〉 peouoke hir Let other coine the pens henceforth to fill the coafers for of vs so farre as I see she is deceyued Thus the two Lordes passed for the their time and in all companies where they came the greatest part of their talke and communication was of the disordered life of the Countesse of Celant the whole 〈◊〉 rang of the sleights and meanes she vsed to trappe the Noble men and of hir pollicies to be rid of them whē hir thirst was stanched or diet grew lothsome for wāt of chaunge And that which griued hir most an Italian 〈◊〉 blased forth hir prowesse to hir great dishonor whereof the copy I cannot get and some say that Ardizzino was the author For it was composed whē he was dispossessed of pacience And if she coulde haue wreaked hir will on the Knights I beleue in hir rage she would haue made an 〈◊〉 of their bones Of which hir two enimies Ardizzino was the worsie against whom hir displeasure was the greater for that he was the first with whome she entred skirmish Nothing was more frequent in Pauie than villanous 〈◊〉 and playes vpon the filthy behauior of the Countesse which made hir ashamed to 〈◊〉 out of hir gates In the end she purposed to chaunge the aire and place hoping by that alteration to stay the infamous brute slaunder So she came to Milan wher first she was 〈◊〉 with state of honor in honest fame of chast life so long as 〈◊〉 Hermes liued and then was not pursued to staunche the thirst of those that did ordinarily draw at hir fountaine About the time that she departed frō Pauie Dom Pietro de Cardone a Scicilian the bastard brother of that Coūte of Colisano whose lieutenant he was their father slaine at that battail of Bicocca with a band of 〈◊〉 arriued at Milan This Scicilian was about the age of one or two twenty yeres somwhat black of face but well made and sterne of countenāce Whiles the Coūtesse soiorned at Milan this gentleman fell in loue with hir and searched al means he could to make hir his friend to enioy hir Who perceiuing him to be yong a nouice in skirmishes of loue like a Pigeon of the first coate determined to lure him and to serue hir turne in that which she purposed to doe on those against whome she was outragiously 〈◊〉 Now that better to entice this yong Lord vnto hir fātasy and to catch him with hir bait if he passed through the streat and saluted hir sighed after the maner of the 〈◊〉 roming before his Ladie she she wed him an indifferent mery countenance and sodainly restrained that cheere to make him 〈◊〉 the pleasure mingled 〈◊〉 the soure of one desire which he could not tel how to accomplish And the more faint was his hardinesse for that hee was neuer practised in daltance and seruice of Ladie of so great house or calling who thinking that Gētlewoman to be one of the principall of Milan was strangely vered tormented for hir loue in such wise as in that night he could not rest for fantasing and thinking vpon hir and in that day pased vp downe before the doore of hir lodging One euening for his disport he went forth to walk in 〈◊〉 of another gentleman which wel could play
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
thāks to his hostesse for his good cheere intertainment that he had receiued assuring hir that all the dayes of his life he wold imploy himself to recompense hir curtesie and withal dutie indeuor to acknowledge that fauor And hauing taken his leaue of the mother he went to the damosell to hir I say that had so sore wounded his heart who alredy was so depely grauē in his mind as the mark remained there for euer taking leaue of hir kissed hir hāds thinking verily to expresse that whervpō he imagined al the night his tong wits wer so tied rapt as the gētlewoman perfectly perceiued this alteratiō wherat she was no whit discōtented and therfore all blushyng saide vnto him I praye to God sir to ease and comfort your griefe as you leaue vs desirous and glad long to enioy your companie Truly Gentlewoman aunswered the Knight I thinke my selfe more than happie to heare that wysh procéede from such a one as you bée and specially for the desire whiche you say you haue of my presence which shall be euer redie to do that which it shall please you to 〈◊〉 The Gentlewoman bashful for that offer thāked him very hartily praying him with swete and smiling countenance not to forget the waye to come to visite them béeyng well assured that hir mother wold be very glad therof And for mine owne parte quod she I shall thinke my selfe happy to be partaker of the pleasure and great amitie that is betwene our two houses After greate reuerence leaue taken betwéene them Dom Diego retourned home where he tolde his mother of the good interteynement made him and of the great honestie of the Lady his hostesse wherfore Madame quod he to his mother I am desirous if it be your pleasure to let them know how much their bountiful hospitalitie hath tied me to them and what desire I haue to recompense the same I am therfore willing to bidde them hyther and to make thē so good chéere as with al their heart they made me whē I was with them The Ladie whiche was the assured friende of the mother of Gineura liked well the aduise of hir sonne and told him that they should be welcome for the aunciente amitie of long time betwéene them who was wont many times to visit one an other Dom Diego vpon his mothers words sent to intreat the Ladie and faire Gineura that it woulde please them to doe him the honour to come vnto his house To whiche request she so willingly yelded as he was desirous to bid them At the appointed day Dom Diego sought al meanes possible honourably to intertaine them In meates wherof there was no want in instrumentes of all sortes Mummeries Morescoes and a thousand other passetimes wherby he declared his good bryngyng vp the gentlenesse of his spirite and the desire that he had appeare such one as he was before hir which hadde alreadie the full possession of his libertie And bicause hée would not faile to accomplishe the perfection of his intent he inuited all the Gentlemen and Gentlewomen that were his neighbours I will not here describe the least part of the prouision for that feast nor the diuersitie of meates or the delicate kyndes of wines It shall suffise mée to tell that after dinner they daunced where the knight toke his mistresse by the hand so glad to sée hir selfe so aduaunced as he was content to be so néere hir that was the swéete torment and vnspeakable passion of his minde which he began to discouer vnto hir in this wyse Mistresse Gineura I haue bene always of this minde that Musike hath a certain secrete hidden vertue which well can not be expressed to reuiue the thoughts and cogitations of man bée they neuer so mornful and pensiue forcing them to vtter some outward reioyse I speake it by my self for that I liue in extreme anguish paine that al the ioy of the world séemeth vnto me displeasaunt care and disquietnesse and neuerthelesse my passion agréeing with the plaintife voyce of the instrument doth reioyse and conceiue comforte as well to perceyue insensible thinges 〈◊〉 to my desires as also to sée my selfe so néere vnto hir that hath the salue to ease my payne to discharge my disease and to depriue my minde from all griefs In like maner-reason it is that she hir selfe doe remedy my disease of whom I receiued the pricke and which is the first foundation of all mine euil I can not tell sayde the Gentlewoman what disease it is you speake of for I should be very vnkinde to giue him occasion of griefe that dothe make vs this greate chéere Ah Ladie mine sayd the Knight fetching a sighe from the bottome of his hearte the intertainement that I receyue by the continuall contemplation of 〈◊〉 beauties and the vnspeakeable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those two beames whyche twynckle in youre 〈◊〉 bée they that happily doe vere me and make me drinke thys cuppe of bitternesse wherein not wythstanding I fynde suche swéetenesse as all the heauenly drinke called Ambrosia fayned by the Poetes is but gall in respecte of that which I taste in mynde féelyng my deuotion so bente to doe you seruice as onely Death shall vntye the knotte wherewith voluntarilye I knytte my selfe to bée youre seruaunt for euer and yf it so please you youre faythfull and loyall friend and husbande The yonge Damoselle not woonted for to heare suche Songs did chaunge hir coloure at least thrée or foure tymes and neuerthelesse 〈◊〉 a little angre of that whych dydde contente hir moste and yet not so sharpe but that the Gentleman perceyued well enough that shée was touched at the quycke and also that hée was accepted into hir good grace and fauoure And therefore hée continued styll hys talke all that tyme after dynner and the mayden sayde vnto hym Syr I will nowe confesse that griefe may couer alteration of affections procéedyng from Loue. For although I hadde determined to dissemble that whiche I thynke yet there is a thyng in my mynde whyche I maye not name that gouerneth me so strongly and draweth me farre from my propre deuises and conceiptes in such wise as I am constrained to doe that which this second inspiration doeth leade mée vnto and dothe force my mynde to receyue an Impression that what will bée the ende thereof as yet I knowe not Not withstandyng reposyng me in youre vertue and honestie and acknowledgyng your merite I thinke my selfe happie to haue suche 〈◊〉 for friende that is so faire and comely a Knight and for suche I doe accepte you vntill you haue obtained of my Ladie my mother the seconde poynte whych accomplisheth that whyche is moste desired of them that for vertues sake do loue For but onely for that you shall be none otherwyse fauoured of me than hytherto you haue bene Till nowe haue I attended for this right happie daye of ioye and blisse sayde the 〈◊〉 in token whereof I doe kisse your white and delicate
starre most bright Now sith my willing vow is made I humbly pray hir grace To end th'accord betwene vs pight no longer time to tracte Which if it be by sured band so haply brought to passe I must my self thrice happy coūt for that most heauenly fact This song made the company to muse who commided the trim inuention of the Knight and aboue al Gineura praised him more than before could not so well refraine hir lokes from him he with countre change rendring like againe but that the two widowes their mothers conceiued great héede therof reioysing greatly to sée the same desirous in time to couple them together For at that present they deferred the same in cōsideration they were both very yong Notwithstāding it had bene better that the same coniunction had bene made before fortune had turned the whéele of hir vnstablenesse And truely delay and prolongation of time sometimes bringeth such and so great missehaps that one hundred times men cursse their fortune and little aduise in foresight of their infortunate chaunces that commonly do come to passe As it chaūced to these widowes one of them thinking to loose hir sonne by the vaine behauior of the others daughter who without that helpe of God or care vnto his will disparaged hir honor and prepared a poyson so daungerous for hir mothers age that the foode therof prepared the way to the good Ladies graue Nowe whiles this loue in this maner increased and that desire of these two Louers flamed forth ordinarily in fire and flames more violent Dom Diego all chaunged and transformed into a newe man receiued no delite but in the sight of his Gineura And she thought that there could be no greater felicitie or more to be wished for than to haue a friend so perfect and so wel accomplished with all things requisite for the ornament and full furniture of a Gentleman This was the occasion that the yong Knight let no wéeke to passe without visiting his mistresse twice or thrice at the least and she did vnto him the greatest curtesie and best entertainment that vertue could suffer a maiden to doe who is the diligent treasurer and carefull tutor of hir honor And this she did by consēt of hir mother In like manne rhonestie doth not permit that chaste maidens should vse long talke or immoderate spéeche with the first that be suters vnto them much lesse séemely it is for them to be ouer squeimishe nice with that man which séeketh by way of marriage to winne power and title of the body which in very dede is or ought to be the moitie of their soule Such was that desires of these two Louers which notwithstanding was impéeched by meanes as hereafter you shal heare For during the rebounding ioy of these faire couple of loyall louers it chaunced that the daughter of a noble man of the Countrey named Ferrando de la Serre which was faire comely wise and of very good behauior by kéeping daily company with Gineura fel extréemely in loue with Dom Diego and assayed by all meanes to do him to vnderstand what the puissance was of hir loue which willingly she meant to bestowe vpon him if it wold please him to honor hir so much as to loue hir with like 〈◊〉 But the Knight which was no more his own man 〈◊〉 rather possessed of another had lost with his libertie his wits and minde to marke the affection of this Gentlewoman of whome he made no accompt The Maiden neuerthelesse ceased not to loue him and to 〈◊〉 al possible wayes to make him hir owne And knowing how much Dom Diego loued Hawking she bought a 〈◊〉 the best in all the Countrey and sent the same to Dom Diego who with all his heart receiued the same and effectuously gaue hir thanks for that desired gift praying the messanger to recommend him to the good grace of his Mistresse and to assure hir selfe of his faithfull seruice and that for hir sake he would kepe the hauk so tenderly as the balles of his eyes This Hauk was the cause of the ill fortune that afterwards chaunced to this pore louer For going many times to sée Gineura with the Hauke on his fist bearing with him the tokens of the goodnesse of his Hauke it escaped his mouthe to say that the same was one of the things that in all the world he loued best Truely this worde was taken at the first bound contrary to his meaning wherwith the matter so fell out as afterwards by despaire he was like to lose his life Certaine dayes after as in the absence of the Knight talke rose of his vertue and honest conditions one prainsing his prowesse valiaunce another his great beautie and curtesy another passing further extolling the sincere 〈◊〉 and constācy which appeared in him touching matters of loue one enuious person named Gracian spake his minde thē in this wise I wil not deny but that Dom Diego is one of the most excellent honest and brauest Knightes of Catheloigne but in matters of Loue he séemeth to me so waltering and inconstant as in euery place where he commeth by and by he falleth in loue and maketh as though he were sick and wold die for the same Gineura maruelliing at those woords sayd vnto him I pray you my friende to vse better talke of the Lorde Dom Diego For I do thinke the loue which the Knight doth beare to a Gentlewoman of this Countrey is so firme and assured that none other can remoue the same out of the siege of his minde Lo how you be deceiued gentlewoman quod Gracian for vnder coloure of 〈◊〉 seruice he and such as he is doe abuse the simplicitie of yong Gentlewomen And to proue my saying true I am assured that he is extremely enamored with the daughter of Dom Ferrando de la Serre of whome he receiued an Hauke that he loueth aboue all other things Gineura remembring the words which certaine dayes before Dom Diego spake touching his Hauke began to suspect and beleue that which master Gracian alleaged and not able to support the choler which colde iealosie bred in hir stomake went into hir Chamber full of so great grief and heauinesse as she was many times like to kill hir self In the end hoping to be reuenged of the wrong which she beleued to receiue of Dom Diego determined to endure hir fortune paciently In the meane time she conceiued in hir minde a despite and hatred so great and extreame against the pore Gentleman that thought little héereof as the former loue was nothing in respect of the reuenge by death which she then desired vpon him Who the next day after his wonted maner came to sée hir hauing to his great damage the Hauke on his fiste which was the cause of all that iealosse Nowe as the Knight was in talke with the mother séeing that his beloued came not at all according to hir custome to salute him and bid him welcome inquired how she
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
the fault to conceiue no sinister suspicion of thy running away crauing thyne acquaintaunce and is contented to sacrifice him self vnto thyne anger to appease and mitigate thy rage Nowe to speake no more hereof but to procede in that which I began to say I offer vnto thée then bothe death and loue choose whether thou liste For I sweare againe by hym that séeth and heareth al things that if thou play the foole thou shalt féele and proue me to be the cruellest enimie that euer thou hadst and such a one as shall not feare to imbrue 〈◊〉 handes with the bloode of hir that is the deathe of the chiefest of all my friendes Gineura hearing that resolute answere 〈◊〉 hir selfe to be nothing afraide nor declared any token of feare but rather 〈◊〉 to haue encouraged Roderico in braue and mannish sort farre diuers from the simplicitie of a yong and tender maidē as a man wold say such a one as had neuer felt the assault es and troubles of aduerse fortune Wherfore frouncing hir browes and grinning hir téeth with closed 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 very bolde she made hym aunswere Ah thou knight which once gauest assault to cōmit a villanie treason thinkest thou now without remorse of conseience to cōtinue thy mischief I speake it to thée villain which 〈◊〉 shed the blood of an honester mā thā thou art fearest not nowe to make mée a companion of his death Which thing spare not hardily to 〈◊〉 to the intent that I liuing may not be such a one as thou falsly iudgest me to be for neuer man hitherto 〈◊〉 and neuer shall that he hathe hadde the spoyle of my virginitie from the frute whereof lyke an arrant thiefe thou hast depriued my loyall spouse Nowe doe what thou list for I am farre better content to suffer death be it as cruel as thou art mischeuous borne for the 〈◊〉 vexation of honest maidēs not withstanding I humbly beséech almightie God to gyue 〈◊〉 so muche pleasure contentation and ioy in thy loue 〈◊〉 thou hast done to me by hastening the death of my dere husbande O God if thou be a iust God suche a one as from whome wée thy poore creatures do beleue all 〈◊〉 to procéede thou I say which art the rampire and refuge of all iustice poure downe thy vengeance and plague vpon these pestiferous thieues and murderers which haue prepared a worldely plague vpon me thine innocent damsell Ah wicked Roderico thinke not that death can be so fearefull vnto mée but that wyth good heart I am able to accept the same trusting verily that one daye it shall be the cause of thy ruine and ouerthrowe of hym for whom thou takest all these pains Dom Roderico maruellously rapte in sense imagined the woman to be fully bent against hym who then had puissaunce as he thought ouer hir owne hearte and thynkyng that he sawe hir moued with like rage against hym as she was against Dom Diego stode still so perplered and voyde of righte minde that hée was constrained to sitte downe so feeble he felt him self for the onely remembrance of hir euill demeanor And whilest this was a doing the handemayde of Gineura and hir Page inforced to persuade their mystresse to haue compassion vpon the knight that hadde suffered so muche for hir sake and that she would consente to the honest requestes and good counsell of Roderico But she which was stubbornly bente in hir foolishe persuasions sayd vnto them What fooles are you so much be witched either with that fained teares of this disloyal knight which colorably thus doth torment himself or els ar ye inchāted with the venomous honie tirānical brauerie of the thief which murdered my husband and your master Ah vnhappie caytife maiden is it my chaunce to endure the 〈◊〉 of suche Fortune when I thoughte to liue at my beste case and thus cruelly to tomble into the handes of hym whome I hate so much as he fayneth loue vnto me And morcouer my vnluckie fate is not herewith content but redoubleth my sorrowe euen by those that be of my frayn who ought rather to incourage me to die than consente to so vureasonable requests Ah loue loue how euil be they recompenced which faithfully do homage vnto thée why should not I forget al 〈◊〉 neuer hereafter to haue mind on mā to proue beginning of a pleasure which tasted and 〈◊〉 bringeth more displeasure than euer ioy engendred 〈◊〉 Alas I neuer knewe what was the frute of that which so straungely did attache me and thou O 〈◊〉 and thieuishe Loue haste ordeined a banket 〈◊〉 with such bitter dishes as forced I am perforce to taste of their egre swéetes Auaunt swéete foly auant I doe henceforth for euer let thée 〈◊〉 to imbrace the death wherein I hope to finde my greatest reste for in thée I fynde noughte else but heapes of straynyng 〈◊〉 Auoyde from me all my myssehap 〈◊〉 from me ye furious ghostes and 〈◊〉 most vnkynde whose gaudes and toyes dame loue hath wrought to kéepe occupied my louing minde and suffer me to take ende in thée that I may lyue in an other life without thée being now charged with cup of grief which I shal 〈◊〉 in venomous drink soaked in the soppes of 〈◊〉 Sharpen thou thy selfe O death vnkinde prepare thy darte to strike the corpse of hir that she may voyd the quarels shot against hir by hir aduersarie Ah pore hart strip thy self from hope and qualifie thy desires Cease henceforth to wishe thy lyfe séeing and féeling the appointed fight of loue and life combattyng within my minde elsewhere to séeke my peace in an other world with him to ioy which for my sake was sacrificed to the treason of varlets hands who for the persite 〈◊〉 of his desires nought else didde séeke but to soile his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the purest bloode of my loyall friend And I this abundance of teares do sheade to saciate his felonous moode which shall be the iuste shortenyng of my doleful dayes When she had thus complained she began horribly to torment hir selfe and in furious guise that the cruellest of the companie were moued wyth compassion séeing hir thus strangely straught of wits 〈◊〉 they did not discontinue by duetie to sollicite hir to haue regarde to that whiche poore fayntyng Dom Diego dyd endure Who so sone as with fresh 〈◊〉 water hée was reuiued 〈◊〉 stil the heauinesse of his Ladie and hir incresed disdain and choler against him vanished in diuers soundings which moued Roderico frō studie 〈◊〉 wherin he was to ryse wherevnto that rage of Gineura had cast him down bicause forgetting all imaginarie affection of his Ladie and proposing his dutie before his eyes which eche Gentleman oweth to gentle damsels and women kind stil beholdyng with honourable respect the griefe of the martyred wyldernesse Knight sighyng yet by reason of former thought he sayde vnto Gincura Alas is it possible that in the heart of so yong and delicate a maiden there
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
grief and sorow and there with those naturall qualities couered also in obscure darknesse that compassed thée rounde about The yl fauored noise and ianglyng of thy chaines the deformitie of thy face forced for lack of light and the stench of the infected prison that prouoked sicknesse and the forsaking of thy friends had quite debased all these perfections wherwith now thou séemest to be so lustie Thou thoughtest me then to be worthie not only of a yong man of a royall blood but of a God if it were possible to haue him so soone as thou contrary to al hope didst once 〈◊〉 thy naturall countrey like a most pestilent person without any difficultie haste chaunged thy minde neuer since thou wast deliuered 〈◊〉 dyd call into thy remembraunce how I was that 〈◊〉 that I was she alone that dyd remembre thée that I was she alone that had compassion on thy missehap and that I was onely shée who for thy health dyd imploye all the goodes she hadde I am I am I say that Camiola who by hir money raunsomed thée out of the handes of the Capitall enimies of thyne auncesters from fetters from prison finally deliuered thée from miserie extreme before thou wer altogether settled in dispaire I reduced thée againe to hope I haue reuoked thée into thy coūtrey I haue brought thée into the royall palace and restored thee into thy former estate and of a prisoner weake and ylfauored haue made thée a yong Prince strong and of fayre aspecte But wherefore haue I remembred these thyngs wherof thou oughtest to be verie mindefull thy selfe and whyche thou art not able to denie Sith that for so great benefites thou hast rendred me such thankes as being my husbande in déede thou haddest the face to denie me mariage alreadie contracted by the deposition of honest witnesses and approued by letters signed with thine owne hande Wherefore diddest thou despise me that hath deliuered thée Yea and if thou couldest haue stained the name of hir with infamie that was thine only refuge and defender yea and wouldest gladly haue giuen cause to the common people to thinke lesse than honestie of hir Art thou ashamed thou man of little iudgement to haue to wyfe a wydow the daughter of a knight 〈◊〉 how far better had it bene for thée to haue ben ashamed to breake thy promised faith to haue despised the holy and dreadfull name of God and to haue declared by thy curssed vnkindnesse howe full fraught thou art with vice I do confesse in dede that I am not of the royall bloode not withstanding from the cradle being trained and brought vp in the companie of kings wiues and daughters no great maruell it is if I haue indued and put on a royall heart and manners that is able to get and purchase royal nobilitie But wherfore do I multiplie so many words No no I wil be very facile and easie in that wherin thou hast ben to me so difficult and harde by resisting the same with all thy power Thou hast refused heretofore to be mine and hauing vanquished thée to be such frankly of mine owne accorde I doe graunt that thou art not Abide on Gods name with thy royall nobilitie neuerthelesse 〈◊〉 with the spot of infidelitie Make much of thy youthly lustinesse of thy transitorie beautie and I shal be cōtented with my widow apparell and shall leaue the riches which god hath giuē me to heires more honest thā those that might haue come of thée Auaunt thou wycked yong man sith thou art cōpted to be vnworthy of me lerne with thine own expence by what subtiltie guiles thou mayest betray other dames suffiseth it for me to be once deceiued And I for my part fully determine neuer to tary lōger with thée but rather chastly to liue without husband which life I deme far more excellent than with thy match cōtinually to be coupled After shée had spoken these wordes shée departed from him and from that time forth it was impossible either by prayers or admonitions to cause hir chaunge hir holie intent But Rolande all confused repenting himself to late of his ingratitude blamed of 〈◊〉 man his eyes fired vpon the grounde 〈◊〉 not onely the presence of his brethren but of all 〈◊〉 of people dayely ledde from that tyme forth a moste miserable life and neuer durst by reason to demaunde hir againe to wife whome he had by disloyaltie refused The king and the other barons maruelling of the noble heart of the Ladie singularly commended hir and exalted hir praises vp into the skies vncertaine neuerthelesse wherin she was most worthie of praise either for that contrarie to the couetous nature of women she had raunsomed a yong man with so great a summe of money or else after she had deliuered him and sentence giuē that he was hir husband she so couragiously refused him as an vnkinde man vnworthie of hir company But leaue we for a time to talke of widowes and let vs sée what the Captaine and Lieutenant of Nocera can alledge vpon the discourse of his cruelties whiche although an ouer cruell historie yet depainteth the successe of those that applie their mindes to the sportes of Loue such Loue I meane as is wantonly placed and directed to no good purpose but for glutting of the bodies delight which bothe corrupteth nature maketh féeble the body lewdely spendeth the time and specially offendeth hym whō maketh proclamation that whooremongers and adulterers shall neuer inherite his kingdom The Lordes of Nocera ¶ Great cruelties chaunced to the Lords of NOCERA for adultry by one of them committed with the Captaines wife of the forte of that Citie with an enterprise moued by the Captaine to the Citizens of the same for rebellion and the good and duetiful answer of them with other pitiful 〈◊〉 rising of that notable and outragious vice of whoredome The. xxxiij Nouel THE furious rage of a husband offēded for the chastitie violated in his wife surpasseth all other ingendreth malice againste the doer whatsoeuer he be For if a Gentleman or one of good nature cannot abyde an other to doe him any kinde of displeasure much lesse to hurt him in his body how is he able to endure to haue his honoure touched specially in that part which is so néere vnto him as his owne soule Man and 〈◊〉 being as it were one body and one will wherein men of good iudgement cannot well like the opinion of those good fellowes which say that the honoure of one that is lusty and coragious dependeth not vpon the fault of a foolishe woman For if that were true which they so lightly vaunt I wold demaunde wherfore they be so animated angry against them which adorne their head with braunched hornes the Ensignes of a Cuckolde And truely nature hath so well prouided in that behalfe as the very sauage beastes doe fight and suffer death for suche honest iealosie Yet will I not praise but rather accuse aboue all faultie men