greate hast they called for the barke looking round about them to sée if they could espie their enimie they sawe him on the other side of the riuer vnto whom with a loude voice they called did defie him to mortall battell the knight of the braunch when he heard them call he made himselfe readie entering into the barke he said Tarry ther I will come ouer to sée if you do séeke me or not and therwith he made great hast with the barke wheÌ„ he came nigh vnto the shore he mounted vpon his mightie beast with a light leap he was a land Then one of those knights with an high voice sayd Now sir traitor thou shalt pay y e great offeÌ„ce which thou didst vnto me before y e Emperour for thou shalt vnderstand y t I am Rodelando this other is my cosin Firidefonte When y e Tinacrian heard this without tarrying for any more words he set hand vnto his sword said Oh traitors how your faults hath brought you to receiue y e paiment for your treason at my hands now in place wher your tresons shal not profit you and in saying these words he stroke Rodelando such a blow y t he made him to fal backwards vpoÌ„ the horse crouper Then Firidefonte entered in to him on the one side stroke the Tinacrian such a blow vpon the helme that it made a sound as though he had stroke vpon a bell made him decline his head vnto his brest but quickly he setled himselfe againe lift vp his rigorous arme stroke him such a blow vpon his shulder y t it made him to shrink in his bodie with the great paine he felt at y e time Rodelando was come vnto himselfe setled againe verie much troubled at y e great valor of y e knight throwing his shield vnto y e ground he stroke the knight such a blow on the one side of his helme y t he made him to decline his head vpon his beasts neck who being scarred with y e blow gaue a great leap from theÌ„ which did not a little vantage the Tinacrian for y t Firidefonte came to discharge his blow vpon him by reason y t the beast did leap on the one side he could not execute that blow in which time w tout receiuing any other blow the prince setled himself againe in his saddle found nigh vnto him Firidefonte who followed to strike him to whom he gaue such an ouerthwart blow vpon his bâ—uer y t with the sparkles of fire which flewe out thereof he singed his browes eye lids made him to fall backwards vpon his horse crouper without any remembrance therewith Rodelando pressed vnto the Tinacrian whereas began a great perillous battell this Tinacrian w t great lightnesse entered in out with his enimies without receiuing any harme stroke them with so great furie y t they wist not what to doe it could not be chosen but y t he must néeds receiue some harme for y t he dealt with two of the best knights in al Almaine In this sort they endured two houres he had brought these two knights into great wearinesse all their bodies were couered with bloud and feeling themselues so troubled Firidefonte hallowed with a loude voice At which call there came forth out of a little groue ten armed knights with their speres on their rests and made their way against the Tinacrian who séeing them comming was nothing afraid but pricking his great beast with the spurres he put himselfe betwixt the two cousins which was the occasion that these ten Knights could not execute ther furious blowes The Tinacrian did throw his shield at his backe tooke his sword fast in both his hands and firmed himselfe in his stirrops and stroke Feridefonte such a blowe vppon the helme that although it had bene of a fine Diamond he had broken it all to peeces for the furie of his blowe was such that he cloue the heaâ—me and head of that furious Firidefonte down to the breast so that he fell downe dead to y e ground and hauing done this he founde himselfe compassed about with all the other knightes vppon whom he began to strike meruailous great and furious blowes in such sort that in a small time he brought sixe of them to the ground Rodelando hauing opportunitie with both his handes stroke him so terrible a blow that he made him with his beauer to touch the eares of his beast theÌ„ all the rest laid vpon him but they did no more harme then if they had stroke vpon an Anfield but when the Tinacrian was come vnto himself finding Rodelando by him who without all pittie laide vppon him hée tuâ—ned his sword about his head stroke him such a blowe vpon his left arme his sword being gouerned by the force of his worthy hand y t he brake the steely armour and cut flesh bone with so great fury that the head with the right shoulder blade was deuided from the body and he fell down dead to the ground Then all the rest which remained when they sawe so great slaughter trusting more vnto the lightnesse of theyr Horses then vnto the strength of their armes determined to flye But the Knight of the Braunch perceiuing it and hauing a very light beast put himselfe betwixt them and theyr waye saying If you will not receiue the death staye and doo that which I will tell you and I will let you goe at libertie and they séeing y t if they did it not with a good will they should doo it spite of their heartes they did strayghte waye consent vnto whatsoeuer he would commaund and returning them all he did commaund them to take the bodies of Feridefonte and Rodelando and to put them vppon two horses and that from him they should carrye them vnto the Emperour and tell him all that which he shoulde saye vnto them So they did accomplish his commaundement and they came vnto the Courte at such time as the night began to appeare These were the two dead bodies which the Emperour sawe brought into the Court at such time as they had little care of anye such matter So they that brought these dead bodies went vp into the great hall and when they wer before the Emperour they sayde High and mightie Emperour the Knight of the Braunch doth sende vnto your highnesse two furious Knights Rodelando and Feâ—â—â—efonte in this sorte as you doo sée them desiring your â—â—ghnesse to sende vnto him his Ladye and his Page and lykewise to cléere and delyuer out of prison his companion and that fayre Clarentina for that it is very apparaunt that she was falsely accused as hée and the Dukes sonne of Bauiero doo well knowe of whome your Highnesse maye very well certefie your selfe Likewise if there be anye Knight in all your Courte that will stande in contention and defende the contrarie béeing one or tenne that
came to a little Temple that was very curiously wrought erected to the vse of the greatest crueltie that euer was heard off Néere vnto that Temple he sawe foure dead bodies whose heads were cut of and as it appeared by theyr apparell two of them were Knights and the other two Damosells then casting his eyes a side towards a faire gréene field which was harde by he behelde a great number of heades which were the heades of those that had ben slaine amongst which were the foure heads of the newe slaine bodies that hée before found dead for the fresh bloud did as yet runne out vppon the ground This lamentable spectacle this noble Greek beheld with such surpassing sorrow as almost no heart can comprehend but béeing rauished as it were with desire to be resolued of the effect of this so monstrous inhumanitie he procéeded farther till at length he approched the Temple where he discouered a posterne dore to be open and incontinent alighting from his horse with a heroycall courage being incensed with anger he rushed in hoping there to haue found the homicide which was the chiefe auctor of this tragicall crueltie Béeing entred the first thing that appeared to his view was a verie faire Altar curiously wrought and vpon it the dead figure of a verie faire Ladie through whose bodie was thrust a terrible two edged sworde likewise at the foote of the same Altar was another figure of a huge and mightie Giant being ten cubiâ—es in height all meruailous curiously wrought in Alabaster with straunge and subtil deuises who knéeled with both his knées on the earth This noble Knight was very much amazed at y e sight of so straÌ„ge a matter and yet not satisfied he went into a little Courtâ— there adioyning found that it was all hanged with blacke cloathes which represented great sadnesse and sorrowe and in those clothes was figured diuers dead men and women Hard at the foote of the foresaid Altar was made fast in the earth euen to the brimme thereof a sesterne of leade into which the bloud of those that were slaine and their heades cut off in sacrifice was poured and out of the same â—esterne it was conuayed vnder the earth by a gutter very secretely the which went vnto the Riuer whereof we spake before this was the same bloud which the valyant Prince did see in the channell of the riuer euen the bloud of the four headlesse bodies that he found newly slaine On the other side of the Altar he sawe an olde man with a faire white bearde sitting in a chaire who leaned his aged head vppon his lefte hand and his elbowe vppon the chaire side whose eyes wer shut and his countenaunce so sad that it appeared ther was in him no comfort but onely great sorow and mournings This valiant Greeke who greatlye desired to vnderstande the ende of this sorrowfull antecedent approched vnto the sléeping old man pulling him by his apparell for to awake him this carefull old man presently lifte vp his eyes with out any delay or farther demaund he said O gentle noble â—night what crooked fortune hath brought thée into this peruerse accursed place wherein is exercised so much sorrowfull impietie and wheras thou maist expect no other thing but death by the hands of the most cruell Giaunt that euer thou hast heard of take therefore my counsell returne the way thou camest that spéedely before thou be espied for otherwise it will be hard for thée to escape from death Then the worthie knight of the Sunne answered and said I giue thée great thankes for thy counsell good Father neuerthelesse I request thée to declare vnto me the cause for that as yet being ignoraÌ„t of farther peril thou séemest to perswade me to so great a feare To whom the olde man replied for y â— thou séemest vnto mee to be of an incomperable perfection exceeding force I will not let to declare vnto thée with as great breuitie as I may this tragicall matter whereby thou maist well perceiue the singular profit that thou shalt receiue in following this my counsell which I haue giuen thée and so with a sadde â—nd heauie countenaunce mixed with many salte and bitter teares distilling downe from his aged eyes he began in this wise and sayd This countrey wherein thou now art is that auncient and famous kingdome of Tinacria which not long since was gouerned by one of the most puissaunt Kings that euer raigned therein or in any Prouince héereabout but death by his accustomed furie depriued him of his life and all his loyall subiects of a vertuous and louing Lord leauing the guiding of the Kingdome in the power of two very fayre and Angelicall damosels his daughters who represented the former vertues of their noble late deceased father The eldest of theÌ„ was named Arcalanda the youngest Garasilea Not long after the death of the king their Father this fayre Arcalanda was requested of loue by the king of Sardenna whose name is Bramidoro a gyant of huge and mightie bignesse as by the stature which thou doest héere sée thou maist easily suppose but this vertuous quéene not onely denied her consent in marriage but also to heare the message of the embassadours and would in no wise sée them so that they returned without any answere Then this Giant séeing y e great disdaine and small account that the Quéene made of him and how little she estéemed of his loue béeing more inflamed with furie then any other reason and trusting in his incomperable strength with fiue hundred knightes he transported to Tinacria and landing in the Port of Saragosa he there beganne to make knowen his vnmercifull crueltie hoping that he shoulde obtaine that by force which by faire meanes he could not winne The Knights of Tinacria like true and faithfull subiectes obeied the commaundement of their noble Quéene and made diuerse and sundrie valiaunt skirmishes with the Knightes of the Gyant but by reason of his great force and surpassing strength they were alwaies constrained to retire to the Citie not without much losse for that this Gyant had in his companie to aide him a brothers sonne of his who in valiance force of armes equalled well néere his vnkle And in such sort they mainteined the wars y t in small time they put the citie in great perill to be lost and likewise the whole kingdome The knights subiects of this noble quéene Arcalanda not able long to resist y e Gyants forces seeling themselues meruailously oppressed in great distresse began to perswade with their quéene y t she should accept his demaund and graunt to marrie the aforesaid gyant Then this vnfortunate Ladie vnderstanding the feeblenesse of her subiects forces and the effect of that which they had declared vnto her and féeling in her selfe such impossibilitie to accomplish the demaund of the gyant that the accepting of it would be more gréeuous vnto her then to receiue y
furious sort that all the mountaines and valleyes were occupyed with the noyse of their terrible strokes The courage was so great of these two Knights y t many times they lost theyr wits with the weight of the terrible raps which they receiued one of another Then this Prince Don Eleno sayde to himselfe that if all the rest of the Knights with whome hée shoulde haue battaile were of no lesse prowesse then this present Knight that he feared quickly to be disgraced and on the other side Tefereo found himselfe very sore troubled and saw that he was in so great distresse began to inuocate vpon his Gods for aid The prowes strength pollicie was such betwéene these two Princes y t whosoeuer had ben present to haue beheld y e same wold haue said y t there was betwéen them expressed all y e knighthood in y e world for it was wonderfull to sée how somtimes they pressed forwards and presently retired backwards as wel to bestow as to auoyde their terrible strokes It was ful thrée houres y t these noble knights thus contended together yet there appeared not in them any kind of faintnes but by their behauior ther streÌ„gth séemed stil more and more to encrease Then this heroycall Dacian not accustomed to find such resistance began to forget al patience as one ouercome w t anger clasped his sword fast in his hand being setled in his sadle he stroke y e giant so hard in y e midst of the helme y t with y e heuines of y e blow he was forced to fall backwards vpon y e crupper of his horse without any remeÌ„brance with y e great strengh the Prince put to this blow his sword flew out of his hand hanged by the wrist band which while he recouered Tefereo returned to himselfe and with outragious anger prouoked by y e great paine he felt with both his hands he strake such a blow vnlooked for at Don Eleno with the halfe swoord vpon the visour in such furious sort that it bereaued him of his sight glauncing wise it descended downe vpon the head péece of the horse but by reason of y e first blow y e last had small strength so y t it did but little harme notwithstanding it amazed the horse in such sort y t with his staggering the Prince was constrained to vse pollicie to kéep himselfe from falling from his backe but when his horse was recouered he returned againe so inflamed with anger as though sparks of fire had issued out of his mouth crushing his téeth together he vttered these words O thou infernal diuel is it possible y t by thy streÌ„gth so euil bestowed on thée thou shuldst in y e beginning of my knighthood put me in daunger to be ouercome by one only blow I protest by y e honor y t I owe vnto y e progeny froÌ„ wheÌ„ce I procéed y t if by this one blow I bring thée not to the point of death or ouercome thée y t I will neuer weare armor more against knight so with great rage he returned against his aduersary y t he did not only feare him but if ther had ben there a whole army of men considering his fury they would haue ben afraid pressing forwards y e prince raised himselfe in his stirrops and stroke the Giant so terrible and wonderfull a blowe that the bloud gushed out of his nose mouth and therewith he fell to the ground as though he had bene dead He was no sooner downe but with great lightnesse the Dacian Knight leapt from his horse and stept to the Giant to vnlace his healme which while hée was a dooing hée heard a voyce which sayd Doo not kill him knight doo not kill him and tourning his head about to sée who it was that so disturbed him he perceiued it to be his cousin the Knight of the Sunne This was the great noyse of harnesse that the Knight of the Sunne heard towards his left hand as before I haue tolde you So when Don Eleno had pulled of the Gyaunts helme he withdrew himselfe apart and his cosin alighted from his horse and presently came and imbraced him with excéeding ioye and no little loue which the more increased when he considered that the Knight which should vanquish so great a Giant could not be but of great valour as it appeared by that furious blowe by which the Giaunt was meruailously martyred for the astonishment was such that in a great while after Tefereo could not recouer himselfe till such time as they brought water from the house which was hard by and threw it in his face by which meanes he came to his remembraunce and séeing himselfe in such a pickle and the sworde of his conquerour prepared for his death I doo referre vnto your iudgemens what such a valiant Knight should thereof conceiue and with a verye great and sad sigh he said Oh thou that hast robbed me of my surmounted honor content thy selfe to inioye this my great and high glorie and suffer me not to sustaine any farther shame in sauing of my lyfe with the inioying of which I shall neuer héereafter receiue ioye but euerie daye yea euery houre thereof will represent vnto me a thousand deaths in remembring that one arme hath hadde so much strength as to bereaue me of that which so many with all their forces haue not had power to maintaine themselues against I knowe not wherefor thou detractest time make an ende of me for that thou hast had so much power to ouercome me I earnestly desire thée And neuer think that thou shalâ— be Lord of the thing which thou hast ouercome for otherwise I will not yéeld my selfe but onely to death For they may account him onely conquered which hauing strength to defend submitteth himselfe vnto the mercie of his enimie Therefore gentle Knight I doo beséech thée not to shewe any pittie towards me but to finish with my death this tragicall triumph which fortune time hath now bestowed on thée These two Knights and Cousins were very attentiue to the words that this mightie pagan vttered and liked excéedingly of hiâ— reasonings and in reply Don Eleno aunswered Although that Fortune naye rather God thus in the beginning of my glorie hath giuen me this victorie and libertie therewith either to extend crueltie or clemencie yet both â—or thy words which touch mée to the heart and for thy prowesse which I so much estéeme I protest vnto thée I wish rather neuer to haue ben borne then willingly vpon thée to execute this extremitie considering what a blot it is vnto noble Knights to haue the name of tyrants for that it depriueth them of all the honor glorie that strong armes can any way atchieue Therefore knowe worthy Knight that the royall bloud of Dacia desireth not the death of Tefereo neither was it my request to haue thee ouercome but onely to haue thée conuerted from thy cruell conditions to the ende
Fathers name was Cosdros he was one of them that was slaine by the handes of Bramarandus whom afterwardes the Emperour Trebatio slew in battaile So I remained all alone very much made off well beloued of the widdowe my mother and we kepte our selues in a very faire castle of ours not far from this place whereas we did passe our solitary liues So I was required of loue of a Gentleman more richer in goodes and landes than in linage or vertue and I vnderstanding his litle estimation did alwayes esteeme him as little and neuer made any reckoning of his messages the which was the occasion that his desire was the more stronger in such sorte that he séeing himselfe by me not estéemed but put off with the great griefe that he receiued for my loue he dyed and at the houre of his death he neuer left naming of Felina the cause of all my harme At such time as he dyed there was a brother of his present and hearing him to declare the causer of his death there kindeled in him so much anger and wrath that he bare vnto me a perpetuall hatred and did procure to haue amends for the death of his brother So it hapned on a time that I went out of the Castle without any mistrust in the company of other two damsells at which time I was stole away by him and other foure Knightes who broughte me vnto this place which is to my great sorrow and gréefe whereas they bound me in that sort as thou hast found me gentle Knight and not content héerewith but for my more paine and sorrow they left me naked with greater desire to die then to liue This Ladye coulde not let but to associaâ—â— her tale with great lamentations wherein this Dacian did beare her company and sayd Of truth sorowfull Lady fortune hath vsed with me great liberalitie to bring me hether in this time for to set you at libertie from this great captiuitie and to make reuengement of thy honour and héere I doo offer my selfe and doo giue vnto thée my fayth of knighthood to perfourme it or to loose my lyfe This faire Ladye was somewhat comforted with the offer of the Knight and gaue him great thanks for the fauor which he did offer her In this sort they passed the rest of the night that remained till such time as the Sunne of Tona did shew his glistering face spreading all abroad his golden beames accompanyed with y e swéet and rosalyke Aurora at which time they were all readie a foote for to goe onwards on their waie straight wayes they heard amongest the thickest of those trées a still sound The Prince being verie desirous to knowe what it was and comming thether he saw that it was his horse the which was brought thether by the order of the wise Lyrgandeo from the place whereas he lefte him at such time as hée did imbarke himselfe The Prince receiued great delight at the sight of him and taking him by the bridle he leaped on his back and went to séeke the Ladyes Palfraie which was let loose amongst those thicke trées and they found him feeding in a faire and gréene medowe adorned with many fresh and swéete flowers So his page leapt on his backe tooke the Ladie behinde him and trauailed through a narow and well beaten path which brought them into a broad waie that carried them into a verie great and large plaine at 〈◊〉 the ende thereof there was a verie faire Castell and in the middest of the plaine they sawe foure knightes which came towards them and when they were nigh together the one of them sayd Tell me knight who made thée so bolde as for to vnloose this Ladie from thée place whereas she was made fast What is this that thou askest sayd Eleno is it possible that thou art hée that forgetting all the honour that thou doest owe vnto the order of knighthood madest fast this Ladie The knight anâ—wered sayd I am he that did it hée that will take awaie thy life from thée in recompence of thy great boldnesse to vnloose her So without anie more tarrying the Prince Eleno turned about his horse towards him When this sorrowful Ladie â—awe him y t was the occasion of all her euill she leapt downe from her Palfray began with a new sorow her gréeuous lamentation Those foure knights came all against y e prince some with their speares he y t had none came w t his swoord in his hand with great furie one of the foure who thought himselfe to be more valiant theÌ„ all y e rest came formost with his sword in his hand all a high stroke him a mightie blow vpon his helme with all his strength but this Dacian Prince made little account thereof and passing by he stroke him a blow vpon his shield and for that his blow could extend no farther he remained with his life otherwise it had cost him the price thereof for it parted his shield in two péeces The Knight returned and gaue him another blow that it made the sparks of fire to fly out of his healme Then the Dacian full of yre let goe his shield and clasped fast his sword in both his hands and stroke him so terrible a blow vpon his helme that he cut helme and heade in two péeces and he fell down dead to the earth The other seeing their companion dead all thrée together set vpon him but this valiant Dacian who in such like aduentures neuer had any feare did receiue them with his accustomed furye striking on them both on the right and lefte hand with mortall blowes In the meane time this afflicted Lady when she sawe the Knight dead which caused her dishonour lyke a furious Lionesse she went towards him and sayd Oh howe the gods haue giuen thée thy paiment for the dishonor which thou hast done me yet she said O heauie Felina what doth this reuengement profite thy honour being lost it were very great riches vnto me that by the death of him which hath robbed me of it it might be restored me again Oh my gods I am in no falt in the loosing of my chastitie for that it was violently taken from me in the thicke forrest There shall be none able to disturbe but that I will execute my fury vppon my selfe although I doo not deserue the same and in saying these words she tooke the sword of that dead knight and put the poynt to her breast and threw her selfe thereon in such sort that Fabio could not succour her although with great hast he would haue done it The Dacian Knight casting his head on the one side and saw the harme done he pressed forwards with great furie and yrefull wrath and lifte vp his sword and stroke such a blow at one of them vppon his right arme that arme and sworde together fell to the ground and strayght tourned vnto another and with an ouerthwart blowe he stroke him on the making
the telling The thirde daye entering in amongest the thicke and craggie mountaines she lost her waie amongest a companie of high and thicke Pine trées amongst the which she gaue a thousand turnes not knowing which waye to take to bring her selfe out thereof So with this sorrow and griefe she passed all that daie till night came vpon them at such time as they had found a verie narow and not much vsed way which lead them vp to a high and mightie stéepe mountaine in which place they determined to rest themselues til such time as Phoebus should make her returne passing awaie the night in verie gooâ— communication with her Gentlewomen and did sup with that which they continually were prouided off So when the breake of the daie was come the Quéene dyd very well peruse her armour and put her selfe on horsbacke and for that the waie séemed to be somewhat daungerous she put on her helme and carryed her Speare in her hande and with great trauaile they followed that way when they had well néere spent the third part of the daie and had made an end of the going vp that mountaine being vpon the toppe thereof they looked about them on all partes and towardes the right hand on the foote of that high mountaine they sawe a companie of armed men and by reason that they were so far of they could not discerne what it shuld be So straight way they descended downe the mountaine and whan they came at the foote therof they looked round about to see if they could discouer that which they had seene from the top of the same and sawe that there were to the number of twentie knights verie well armed and amongest them a Gyant who brought with them two knights prisoners armed with verie rich armour all sauing their heads with them a Ladie who was as sad and sorrowfull as faire and beautifull and with her certaine Gentlewomen which did beare her companie Thesâ— were the vnhappie Earle of Tirol and his sister and Don Florisarte of Bauiera who as I haue tolde you were taken prisoners in the way going towards Esprich whom this valiant matrone did sée coÌ„ming downe the Mountaine when this worthie Gentlewoman did sée this great force wrong done she was verie desirous to know y e occasion what shuld moue them to doe that outrage or else to procure to set them at libertie hasting on her waie larging her pace more then she did before she in a short space came and ouertooke them and by reason that the Queene made great hast and the noise of her comming was great the Gyaunt was constrained to looke backe to see what it was that caused so great a noyse and when he sawe that it was a knight that came after him he determined to staie and abide his comming And when she was come nigh him this couragious Ladie with a manly voice sayd Tell me Gyaunt what euill hath these prisoners committed that so without all reason thou doest carrye them so manakled and bounde The Gyaunt did staie and beholde her with great frowning and aunswered her with a wrathfull voice and sayd What honour and prowesse is it to thée for that thou art so desirous to know and with so great pride doest aske the question No other thing sayd this vnknowen Gentlewoman but to make friendship where none is and againe if of thee they doe receiue anie griefe or wrong to amend the same for that I doe knowe that the condition of all Gyaunts is nothing but procuring to doe all wrong therefore determine to tell me or make thy selfe readie to thy defence The furie of the Gyant was verie great when that he heard these words in such sort that it séemed fire flew out of his eyes and with that furie he spurred forwardes his horse The like did that worthie matrone at that time they set spurs to their horses and with a swift course they made their incounter and stroke their Speares vppon their stéelie sheelds the Speare of the Gyant made his stay vpon the finenesse of the inchaunted sheelde but this Ladie did not onely pearce through his armour but also through his breast and bodie ouerthrowing him dead with great furie to y e ground whereas he gaue a terrible fall that he made the earth to tremble and the Quéene passed a long so quietlye as though she had done nothing and with great lightnesse she turned about her horse with her naked sword in her hand and saw that the Gyaunt laye a long on the grounde dead When the Knightes of the Gyaunt sawe that furious incounter and that their principal refuge was dead without any more tarrying they altogether did assault her and this worthy matron put her selfe against them who was with them incountred on all sides round about but yet they did not moue her from her saddle little nor much but she retourned against them in such sorte that she with her mightie blowes made their harnesse and redde bloud 〈◊〉 rounde about the fielde These Knights were all chosen Knights and did trouble her very much making her sundry times to loose the sight of her eyes y t which did bring her very much in cholar in such sort that she threw her shield at her backe and taking her sword in both her hands she bestarred her selfe on the one side and on the other about their heads and wounding of knights ouerthrowing of them to the ground dead in such sorte that when she remembred her selfe there was no more but fiue of y e Knights left aliue who when they saw so great slaughter in so short time they determined the seperation of the controuersie and to put more confidence in their horse féete than in their owne defence and putting it in vre they ranne away This Lady made no reckoning to follow them but went straight waye and did vnloose the Prisoners Unto whom Don Florisarte of Bauiera did giue thankes for all the rest desiring him that he wold declare vnto them his name for that they might knowe vnto whom they were bound for that great benefit done vnto them The Lady did answere them with great courtesie and sayd Gentle Knightes my name is of so small valour that I cannot be knowen by it but that which I may doo to giue you contentment is to pul off my healme and in séeing my face you shall sée if that at any time you haue heard any mention of me and in saying these words she her selfe did vnlace and tooke off her helme And looke with what beautie the Radiaunt Sunne dooeth showe himselfe vppon a sodaine when all his beames hath bene hidden with a darke clowde euen so and rather more did this excellent and beautifull face show it selfe after that she had pulled off her healme the which before did couâ—r the same The Knights when they saw her great beautie they very much meruailed and beléeued that in the proportion of his great beautie it shuld be Poliphebo of Tinacria
THE SECOND part of the Myrror of Knighthood CONTAINING TWO SEVErall Bookes wherein is intreated the valiant deedes of Armes of sundrie worthie Knightes verie delightfull to be read and nothing hurtfull to bee regarded ¶ NOW NEWLY TRANSLAted out of Spanish into our vulgar tongue by R.P. IMPRINTED AT London by Thomas Este. 1583. TO THE RIGHT WORshipfull and my verie good friend Master Edward Cordele Esquire ARISTOTLE right Worshipfull being demaunded what benefite he had obtained by Philosophie answered This is my gaine that vncommaunded I can doo that I ought and auoide dooing that I should not For saith he the ignorant for feare of punishment abstaine from euill but the sapient can shunne the same of their own accord noting that studious exercise bringeth experience and maketh as well ciuill pollicie as martiall prowesse apparant For which cause there haue bene sundry in times past and some in this our present age that haue not onely penned with great labour the laudable workes of Antiquitie but also with as much trauaile haue imitated certaine olde writers by inuenting of histories no lesse profitable to repulse other hurtfull pastimes then pleasaunt to passe away the tediousnes of time Amongst the number of which late workes there chanced about a three yeares since to come into my handes the first part of a Spanish translation intituled The Mirrour of Knighthood which beeing published was so accepted that I was importuned by sundry Gentlemen my very friendes to procure the translation of the seconde part whereto partly to accomplish their desires and partly for the vulgar delight of all I condiscended And finding this Spaniard adorned with all good exercises which pertained to the exalting of vertue and the extinguishing of vice I laboured as much as in mee laye to finde an English Patrone of conformable qualitie whose countenaunce might as well preferre him with the curteous 〈◊〉 protect him among the enuious But I had not long bethought me when the consideration of your worships courtesie with the good reporte of your vertue expelled that doubt and incouraged me to present you with this worke Beseeching you to accept in good part this poore present at the handes of him which wisheth to you long life with the continuall increase of vertue prosperitie and health and after this life endlesse felicitie Your Worships most assured T. E. To the Reader GEntle Reader I haue héere published the second part of the Myrrour of Knighthoode to the end that I might both satisfie thy desire and yeelde vnto thée the delight that by reading thereof thou mayst receiue About the veritie of the historie I will not contend neither would I wish thée to bée more curious to inquire then thou wouldest be desirous to â—ift the truth of each transmutation in the Metamorphosis of Ouid or â—uerie tale in the works of Aesope but to consider that as the one by the transformation of reasonable creatures into sundrie brutishe shapes shadowed the deformitie of their wicked liues and the other by the manner of his beastes figured the behâ—uiour of all the estates of men wishing a reformation of the â—uill and a confirmation of the good So our Author hath pleasantly compiled this present worke as well to animate these that are by nature forward vnto the exercise of armes for to exalt their fame as also to prouoke them that haue hetherto slept in the bedde of securitie to shunne their wonted sloth with desire rather honourablie to loose their liues in the defence of equitie then shamefully to liue with perpetuall infamie And whereas there are some so stoycall to contemne the reading of historyes alleadging that their vaine delight withdrawe manie from other vertuous studies I answere that in anie matter where vice is reprehended vertue is no waie hindered and although I must néedes confesse that the learned workes of the liberall sciences are principallye to be preferred so it cannot be denyed but that the pleasaunt stile of a well penned historie is as it were a wheâ—stone to the minde being almost dulled with continuall studie and albeit there shall peraduenture want the like grace of eloquence in the translation as is requisite yet I doubt not but the varietie of the matter shall make a sufficient recompence Moreouer curteous Reader I request thée to note that whereas the beginning of this part followeth not consequently vpon the same booke which was published in the name of the first part it is not to be imputed to any errour committed in the translation of this second part for that it is verely the selfe same that beareth the title of the second part in the Spanish tongue but the booke that lacketh is the seconde booke of the first part which with as much spéede as may be shall be ioyned therevnto In the meane time accept this in good parte which I now present wherein thou shalt finde the strange and wonderfull prowesse of the worthy Trebatio and his sonnes nephewes kinsmen and sundry other couragious knights mixed with many lamentable and sorrowfull histories together with the redresse of the wronged innocents And so I ende committing this my labour to thy curteous consideration and thy selfe to the Almighties tuition Thine T.E. ¶ THE FIRST BOOKE of the second part of the Mirrour of Knighthood wherein is intreated the valiant deedes of armes of many worthie Knights ¶ THE CRVELL BATtaile which past betweene the Knight of the Sunne and the fierce Gyant Bramaraunt in which bickering the Gyant perceiuing he must needs haue the worst murthered himselfe CAP. I. WHEN THE GLITTERING armour of Aeneas of Troie was at the request of his Mother Venus forged in Vulcan his shoppe the well sâ—eeled hammeâ—s did not temper and beate it with greaâ—er 〈◊〉 â—hen the heroicall sonne of Trebatio 〈◊〉 the stouâ— Pagan Bramarant through the middest of the Grecian woods did with his 〈…〉 blowes vpon his armour mangling by little and 〈◊〉 his strong and lustie bodie so much the more their choler increased as the combat did indure betwéene them There were present at this bickering the renoumed Emperour Trebatio Alicandro the king of Hungarie and his Grandfather with manie other puissaunt Princes and greate Lordes who with no small admiration did beholde â—he exceeding fiercenesse with which they let driue their blowes the one at the other which did resound an Eckoe in the aire and yéelded a terrible noise in the woodes This battaile did continue betwéene theÌ„ y e space of two long houres and albeit it was fierce and sharpe the valour of the incensed knight of the Sunne preuailed not to abate or exstinguish the rage of the Pagan much lesse could the force of the Tartarian quaile in anie sort the courage of the princely Grecian The skirmish being hot and the redoubted son of Trebatio perceiuing that it indured very long without certaintie who had the better héerevpon béeing greatly inflamed with furie lifted vp his peisant club aboue his head did discharge it vpon the pagan his left
horsemen as it appeared by the treading and noyse of their horses Wherefore to vnderstand what they were they staid their talk the prince issued out of y e chappell where he found sixe knights armed w t verie good strong armor who were alighting from their horses to enter into y e chappel but when these knightes espyed the Prince so well proportioned and of so good disposition with his armour of strange deuice contrarie vnto theirs then one of those sixe knightes which séemed to haue more authoritie then the rest sayd Oh Knight what infernall furie hath hardned thée to aduenture hether knowing the custome which is vsed héere But it séemeth vnto me that rather ignorance is the occasion héereof more then anie other thing wherefore I am content to let thée depart againe vpon condition that thou leauest with me thy armour and thy horse if it be thine to giue for that they doo greatly delight me This valiant Prince dissembling his anger with a very merrie and smiling countenance made answere You haue sayd true y e ignorance hath brought me hether for y t I am a straunger in this countrie and neuer vnderstood that anie such crueltie hath ben vsed héere till now that this good olde man hath tolde mée But to giue thée my armour I am not determined at this time for that I am not accustomed to trauaile without it And as for my horse I doo insure thée that he will let none take his backe but my selfe therefore it were best thou aske some other thing for that in this I pretend not to accomplish thy request They vnderstanding the wordes which the Prince aunswered vnto them one of the sixe knights pretending more hardinesse then all the rest replyed I will sée how thou canst defend thy horse and with that he went to laie hande on the horse bridle which he had not so soone proffered when the fierce horse opened his mouth and with great furie he caught him by the shoulder and lift him vp from the ground and in his fall he all to trampled troade him in péeces and so slew him At the which this noble Prince could not refraine from laughing and merrilye sayd In this sorte doth my horse rewarde them that bée so bolde and hardie of enterprise Then the Knight which did first speake vnto the Prince sayde vnto him with excéeding great anger I doo promise thée for certaintie that this great disorder and outrage which thy horse against my companion hath done shall cost thée thy lyfe And on a sodaine another of the fiue knightes which remained drew out his swoorde thinking to haue cut off the horse legs but this expert horse with great lightnesse shunned the blowe and on a sodaynâ— rose on his hinder féete and with his fore féete he played so with his helme that he broke it all to péeces and threwe the knight dead to the grounde the which fact did greatlye amase these knights of Sardenna TheÌ„ the noble Prince with a pleasant semblaunce said I am afraide that if in this sort you battayle with my horse he will in y e end deliuer me froÌ„ all danger of the losse of my armour Then this other knight hearing these wordes which he tooke to be a greate reproch vnto him béeing almost ouercom with anger in a great furie and rage he drew out his sword and flourishing it about his head he saide The greate outrage which thy horse hath héere done as I before said thou shalt spéedely repay with the losse of thy lyfe and vttering these words he smote the Prince vppon the helme so vehemently and with such courage that the very sparkes of fire sprong out fell burning to y e ground This noble prince féeling y â— blowe not looked for determined that that miserable knight should not go vnpaied for his good deede least he should praise himselfe for dooing it but with greatâ— anger and furie he stroke the knight such a blowe a little aboue the wast that it almost parted him in two péeces so that he fell downe dead to the ground Then the other thrée Knights séeing this terrible and vnmercifull blowe made no tarrâ—eng but all at once fell vpon y e prince doubling their blowes to bring him to his ende that it was wonderfull to sée but this worthie Knight who lyttle estéemed of such daungers stroke one of them so harde vppon the head that he cut him downe to the breast he fell downe dead vpon his other companion And tourning to another at one blowe he parted his shéeld in péeces cut off his arme froÌ„ his shulder Then the other knight which remained aliue séeing his coÌ„panions to be so ill intreated by one only knight thought it best to saue his life by trusting to his legs rather then to repose any confidence in his prowesse for that hée thought it would little preuaile him and betaking him to his feete he fledde awaie Of whome this noble Prince made small account but let him go the olde priest of whom we before spoke was present and beheld all that had happened and meruailed verie much at the great prowesse of the vnknowen Knight And this noble Prince seeing himselfe cléere of them that would haue done him wrong retourned vnto the Priest and asked him if he hadde anie thing that he might eate and requested him to let him haue it for that he hungered and had great néede thereof Then this Priest gaue him such meate as he hadde for himselfe still perswading the Prince for to returne againe the same way hee came and not to put himselfe into that so daungerous and terrible an aduenture but this heroycal prince made little reckoning of his requests but giuing him great thanks for the good entertainment he gaue him he tooke his leaue of him went the same which lead way towards the castle where the giaunt dwelt trauailing by little little with an easie foote pace he anone had a sight thereof and perceiued that it was verie fayre to behold and walled about verie strongly which he beheld not long but that he harde a Trumpet sound with meruailous sweete melodie and at the sound thereof there looked out of a window a gyant being a yong man of great large bignes comely in all parts accordingly his face was verie ireâ—ull to looke on but not ill fauoured but rather séemed to be adorned with a senere kinde of grauitie This Gyant looking that way where this noble Gréeke was he asked him with a high and mightie huge voice Knight what doest thou héere so securely séeke and what wouldest thou haue not respecting this my vnfortunate and vnhappie custome but without anie feare thereof thou approchest hether presenting thy selfe of thy own free will to be sacrificed But this worthie Gréeke in the meane time that the Gyant spoke these wordes did contemplate himselfe in beholding the huge making and the greate strength that did appeare hée hadde by the
receiue some of his terrible blowes and his swiftnesse was such in rising into the ayre and falling downe that hée coulde not fasten one blow on him with his swoorde but he did hurt the Emperour with his clawes sometimes on the armes and sometimes on the healme but yet coulde he neuer haue anie fast holde on him to doo him harme for that he neuer stoode still but moouing héere and there shunning his blowes euen as a furious Lyon who in the time of sléepe is molested and troubled with small beasts créeping on him in all places which he féeling with his mouth snappeth héere and there on euerie parte rounde about so long til in y e end being throughly inceÌ„sed at once they paie for all the iniuries that they did him euen so this valiaunt Emperour vsed himselfe with this terrible Griffon flourishing with his swoorde round about on euerie side awaiting opportunitie at one time to requite him for all the sorrowe that hée did him but in the ende séeing that it did little profit him in dooing this he sodeinly bethought him of another remedie which was to kneele downe with one of his knees on the grounde that when the Griffin shoulde descend more lower to hurt the Emperour that then with as great lightnesse as he coulde he woulde rise vp and with more ease strike him which he presently did put in practise So this terrible Griffon descended downe and with one of his sharpe clawes he clasped fast holde on the Emperours healme Then the Emperour seeing this fierce Griffon now to descend down more lower then he did before at other times he thought it not good to be idle at anie time but with exceeding greate lightnesse he arose vp and carryed his swoord right vp with the point and by reason that heâ— was fast with his clawes vpon the helme hée could not loose himselfe so quickly but that the Emperour did hurt him in such sorte that he thrust all his swoord into his bellie And when the Griffin felt himselfe so sore hurt he pulled with so great strength that if the helme had not left his head he had pulled the Emperour vp into the aire with him which wold not haue fallen out well with him but God was so pleased that in that time the lases with the which it was made fast brake This Griffin féeling himselfe pearced with this mortall wound cut through the aire as a whirlwind with great and terrible shrikes but straight hée fell downe dead to the earth for that the wounde reached vnto his heart The Giaunt when he behelde his Griffin to be dead made no more a doo but entred into the castle to arme himselfe the which the Emperour well perceiued which made him to make spéede to fetch his shéeld whereas this infernal birde had let it fall So not long after this gyant came forth al armed with armour of a boyled skinne with a great club full of knots in his hande saying with a hoarse and terrible voice Doe not thinke thou knight of the Diuell for all that thou hast slaine the kéeper of my Castell that the entering is anie whit the more at thy commaundement and héereof thou maist be sure whereat the Emperour answered neuer a word but rather inuited him to battel they ioyned together like two furious tygers hauing their defence in their hands burning with great fury the one against the other Then they thrust themselues forwardes with meruailous force and spéede one against another discharging their great and mightie blowes that it was wonderfull to beholde But the Emperour did not determine to receiue the blowes of his enimie fullie and whole but rather procured that he shoulde discharge them in vaine and so hée did for the Gyaunt lift vp his greate and huge clubbe to strike him therewith a maruailous and mightie blowe which when the Emperour perceiued it to descend he stepped a side w t so great lightnesse that it séemed to be wonderfull in such sort that his clubbâ— fell downe to the ground without doing anie harme Then this valiaunt warriour before the Gyaunt had time to recouer and lift vp his heauie club againe stroke him on both his armes such a terrible and furious blow that he cut them both off and they fell to the ground When the Gyant sawe himselfe so sore arayed like a rauening Woulfe he ranne to him and would haue imbraced him but the Emperour with his accustomed knighthoode gaue a thrust at his breast that by the great strength thereof he thrust his swoorde cleane through his bodie so that the point came out at his backe almost the halfe swoord wherewith this Gyant gaue so great a fall to the earth that it séemed a whole Towre had tumbled downe When the Emperour sawe this good successe he had against his enimies and in so short time hee knéeled downe vpon his knées and gaue thankes vnto our Lord Iesu Christ for the victorie in ouercomming two such infernal monsters as they were The faire Ladie séeing the Emperour in battaile with so diuellish a monster ranne and fetched his helme which the Griffon had carried awaie brought it vnto him with all the spéede that might be The Emperour who perceiued the great care which this Ladie had and the diligence she vsed to helpe him in so great néede he gaue her heartie thankes and tooke his helme and put it on his head and made it fast and when he saw that there was none to disâ—urbe him of his entering into the Castell he went vnto the doore whereas he found the Gyaunt lying along at the thresholde and entered in thereat and lead this faire Ladie with him by the hande for that shée woulde neuer leaue him and so they entered in at the Castle gates without finding anie to disturbe them and passed on till they came vnto a faire large and great hall whereas by certaine windowes verie subtilly deuised from the toppe thereof they receiued light and in the middest thereof was a stately bedde adorned all with blacke clothes and vppon the bedde was the perfect figure of that Image of Christall which they sawe in the middest of the high waye The Emperour could not by anie manner of meanes refraine from shedding of some sorrowfull teares in séeing before him so lamentable a spectacle and to thinke that so greate crueltie shoulde be shewed vnto a womaÌ„ of such beauâ—ie This pittiful Emperour had great compassion when he saw first the counterfait of this tormented creature but much more without all comparison his sorrowfull heart lamented when hee beheld the naturall bodie for that all her flesh séemed to be christalline stones by the greate whitenesse and beautie it had shée had all her legges spoiled with the torments of cordes and all her bodie wounded with whippings and that cruell and strâ—ngâ—ing to well about her necke The Emperour was a greate while in greeuous contemplation in beholding of this lamentable sighâ— as I haue tolde you and with him was
this vnhappie land the ofspring of that vnmercifull Trebatio graunt that I may establish in my heart so much anger that it may cause me to put from me the loue of that adulterous father Oh children born for a farther griefe héere I doo desire the mightie Gods that your beautie may haue so much force power that with the beames thereof you may take reuengement of the dishonour of your mother thou my daughter borne in the dishonor of thy generation by the losse of my virginitie â—éere I doo swere vnto y e celestial Iupiter y t thy beautie shal not be inioyed by any but by him y t shal giue thée in dowry the head of thy disloyal father y â— by it I may recouer part of my former glorie These other like wordes spake this afflicted quéene euen as she had sworne she put in practise publishing it through al her kingdome giuing information of the effect of her preteÌ„ded purpose sent messeÌ„gers into Africa Asia coÌ„cerning y â— same all which she did contrarie to the will of her subiects And because that they saw her so feruent in her anger wherto she was more prone by desire of reueâ—gement then vnto anie reason they did all determine to content themselues and shâ—e for to giue a better courage vnto them which knew her and vnto all such as woulde prosecute this enterprise shée gaue diuerse deuises so that they which did presume heerein were not fewe in number but verie many and right valiaunt knightes as héereafter I will declare vnto you So some there were which did offer themselues for the fairenesse of the mother before that her daughters beautie shoulde come to anie perfectnesse and other some for the loue of the daughter of which there were verie manie that lost theyr honours in Grecia and sundrie lost theyr liues and he which first did offer himselfe in this enterprise was the king of the Garamantes who by hearing reporte of her greate beautie was in loue with her And when he heard the message which was brought from the quéene by her Embassadours straight waie without giuing the quéene to vnderstand thereof hée went into Grecia trusting onely in his greate strength of whom when time serueth wée will speake And so it â—ell out that neither time nor anie other thing was sufficient to remooue from the Quéene this greate desire shée had to seeke reuengement but euerie daie her anger did more increase neither was the beautie of his children of so much force as to mollifie the furie of her stomacke although when they were at sixe yeares of age they were of so excellent beautie that the Tinacrians beléeued that they were the children of some of the Gods and not of anie humane creature their bodies and their beauties were so conformable for all they which did sée the young Prince would haue iudged him to haue double the yeares that he had and in his body and face he did so much resemble his brother the knight of the Son that it was a thing to be meruailed at Of the young princesse Lyrgandeo would not make anie description for that he said that whatsoeuer thing shoulde be spoken of her his pen were not sufficient to vtter the worthinesse of her beautie so this quéene was euer firme in this her thought for to giue them better to vnderstand she commaunded to renue the signes tokens and more that they should carrie her picture into all parts the which was the occasion that the court of y e quéene of Tinacria was meruailously increased in honour with so many Princes and knights which repaired thether to sée this Damsell When the queene sawe that her kingdome was so honourably nobled more then at other times she commaunded that vpon the gates of her royall pallace should be placed a title which was conteined in these words following Attempt not anie either Prince or king Within Tinacria Court his loue to shew Except that he doo first in dowrie bring Trebatios head our most detested foe The faithlesse father of this Damsell braue That restlesse griefe to me her mother gaue And when all this was finished she straight way dispatched a messenger to Grecia with a letter vnto the Emperour the which she sent by a damsel that was verie trustie one y t she loued well whereas now I will leaue them till time doo serue for to tell you of the knight of the Sun But first for y t it is necessarie to this our historie we will declare what Brufaldoro said when he knew of the death of Bramarando his brother king of Mauritania who béeing certified by them y â— escaped aliue out of the hands of the Tinacrians and wer verie sorrowful for the losse of their Lord and king and landing in their owne countrie they went and carried the newes vnto Brufaldoro the which when he heard he felt in himselfe so great paine sorrow that in a sound he leaned himself vnto a chaire because he would not fall he was so farre beside himselfe in which trance he did not long indure but came againe to his remembraunce and wish a terrible and fearefull voice he sayde Is it of truth that my brother is dead and the messengers aunswered and sayde that it was too true Oh traitours aunswered this fierce young man how durst you come before me except first you had taken reuengement of his death Then they aunswered and sayd He y â— did kill him is not a man so soone to take reuengement of for that after that we were cléere of his diuellish furie it was tolde vs that he was a christian and the Emperour of Grecia called Trebatio Oh vile people aunswered the Pagan yet will you replie against my words get you out of my sight if it were not but that I am letted for lacke of the order of knighthood I would with my owne handes teare you all to péeces Oh false Mahomet thou lyar periured without all faith is this the honour that my brother should haue out of Tinacria to be abated and slaine by one alone christian and in saying these wordes he entered into a chamber where he had the Image of Mahomet all of golde with twelue Angells on both sides this youth tooke a heauie club and with both his handes he stroke this poore God such a blowe vpon the head that he made him to fal to the ground and not resting with this he tourned against them that bare him companie stroke on them so many blowes that in a thousand péeces he made them fall to the ground and sayde O thou false traitour heere wil I giue thée thy paiment and reward for that which thou hast done vnto my beloued brother Héere I doo forsake and denie thée and all them that do beléeue in thée for that I wil neither beléeue in thée nor serue thee but if I did knowe the waie vnto the place where as the diuell hath thée I woulde
she not let to perseuer in her sorrowfull lamentation said Ah knight the defender of my corporall death wherby liuing I do passe a thousand deaths I say that my sorrow and euill was such y t with more reason I may bewaile the life which thou hast giuen me then the death which I am deliuered frō And in saying these wordes she all to tare rent her golden haire which she had This pittifull knight did procure to disturbe her from doing to her selfe such violence in offering vnto her all his power and strength for to remedie her euill if it were possible to be remedied This sorrowfull ladie said If thou wert such a knight that with they great valour and strength couldest set at libertie my hart from sorrow as thou hast deliuered my bodie from death I woulde declare vnto thée the greatest mishap that euer happened vnto woman thereby thou shuldest vnderstand whether I haue reason rather to desire the death then to liue therefore gentle knight I doe desire thée to sit downe and to hearken vnto me with attentiue eare for that my iustice will moue and constraine thee to take my defence as thine owne so they sat down vnder a great Pine trée which was harde by whereas she was bound and with great abundance of teares she sayd After the losse of the Princesse Graualesa they tooke out of the monestarie of Basilea the Princesse Dondelaria and amongst all them that were chosen to be at her seruice commandement I was takē for one for y t I was daughter vnto parents of whom they made great reckoning and againe for y t I was verie diligent in my seruice my father is y e Earle of Bura so it fell out y t it had ben better to y e contrarie Ther came to the court the daughter of y e Earle of Tirol who was of a meruailous and extreame beautie who was at her entrie accompanied with many worthy Knightes for that all did respect the Earle verye much because he was a very noble man At the great fame and reporte of this daughter of the Earle of Tirol for that she was of so excellent beautie came many young Knights out of diuers countreyes to sée her amongst whom came two bretheren iolly young gentlemen and sonnes vnto the Earle of Olanda and a cousin of theirs a valiant Knight sonne vnto the Duke of Brabant There was no great friendship betwixt these two brethren as it appeared because they were of different condition the one from the other likewise great difference in their persons for that the eldest had a very fierce countenaunce and ill fauoured and of great pride and the youngest of a seuere and gentle countenaunce and very humble of person and was well beloued of all them in the Court Both of them set their eyes vpon Clarentina daughter vnto the Earle of Tirol and for a farther euill that false Cupide would not but that she shuld likewise set her eyes on one of them bringing her heart into captiuitie with the loue of Pinorante the youngest of the two bretheren Firidefonte who was the eldest hauing vnderstanding thereof being gouerned by his great pride and seeing the small accompt that Clarentina made of him the diuell straight wayes put into his heade with the great ieelousie that he had for to kill his brother but many dayes after he went meruailously troubled with great alterations in his thought about the dooing of y e wicked déede sometimes ouercome by brotherly loue to leaue that enterprise and at other times counsailed by his owne cholar to the contrarie And in this sort he continued a long time till in the end Clarentina did vtter more at large her good wil vnto his brother and vpon a time he saw them talking together which was the occasion to confirm in him that damnable intent Wherfore vpon a night as Pinorante was walking on the backe side of the Court his euill brother did kill him with great crueltie leauing him vpon the ground he returned vnto his lodging and it was neuer knowen who was the murtherer of him and for that the fraternall bloud could not let but to wound verie much his heart considering the euill fact which he had done he straight way repented himselfe thereof which was afterward a farther euill and forsomuch as the diuell was lodged in his heart this his euill pretence did not rest with the death of his brother but gathered in his thought to do a fact farre worser and the occasion was for that Clarentina made so great lamentation for the death of that vnhappie Pinaronte and this was the presumption that he would vse ordeined by the diuell and it so fell out that I was wounded by that false Cupide with the loue of Firidefonte not hauing anie respect vnto the ill fauorednesse of his face and being constrained by the gréeuousnes of my wound I gaue him cléerly to vnderstand therof which was the occasion y t he was the bolder to doe that which hée did seeing me so captiue in loue of him he was in no doubt to discouer vnto me his whole heart all the which he tolde me being in place where boldly he might speake And he said Ah Clarentina my verie friend I haue had greate desire to haue had this opportunitie for to talke with thée and to discouer my whole heart Thou hast well séene this vnhappie and cruell death of my vnfortunate brother thou shalt vnderstand that Clarentina was the occasion of his death but and if thou wilt doe that which now I will desire thée I do héere sweare vnto thée by the high and mightie God y t there shall none be Ladie of my heart but alonely thy beautie then I vnhappie and without all good fortune being wholy yéelded and so ouercome with his loue did offer my selfe to doe all that which his pleasure was to commaunde mée Then this traitour with dissembling wordes sayde I alwayes had this good opinion in you my loue that you woulde accomplish my request Well thou shalt nowe vnderstande that I doe pretende to accuse Clarentina for the murther of my brother and the better to bring to passe my desire I will saye that thou art witnesse therevnto and doest knowe the certaintie thereof Then I thinking to obtaine that which so long time I had desired did promise him to doe it as by the proofe it shoulde plainely appeare And with this conclusion he departed from me and went and gaue his cousin Rodelando to vnderstand of it who is one of the strongest and valyauntest knightes in all this Countrie and Rodelando beléeuing that it should bée true did offer himselfe to be the seconde in the defence in helping of his cousin and so both of them went and made their accusation before the Emperour the Emperour commaunded mée to bée called before him for to declare what I did knowe therein and did accomplish and performe all that I had promised Then this
and the kingdome of Prisopoli and all the way that he trauailed he left behinde great fame of wonderful aduentures which happened They trauailed in a skirt of Armenia whereas chaunced vnto him that which in the next chapter shall be told you ¶ How Claridiano by chance had battaile with his owne father which being knowen vnto Galtenor and fearing the great harme that would come thereof hee remedied the same Chap. 29. BY a Mountaine of Armenia verie much inhabited this warrelike knight trauailed in companie with his faire Pastora with so great delight and pleasure that I cannot héere signifie it vnto you and with Coridon they had good pastime for that he was verie pleasant who againe séeing that he might so at quiet and familiarly talke with the Pastora was almost in an extasie for ioye So the second day that they trauailed by that mountaine by reason that it was so fragrant they lost their waie in such sort that when they remembred themselues they wer entered into the thickest of the wildernesse and procured to finde the waie againe which by no meanes they coulde for that they were so farre entered into the thicket So with great trouble they trauailed till mid daie at which time they heard a noise of the running of water the which they followed it was the occasion y t they brought themselues out of y e thick wood and came into a mightie great plaine through the midst of the which there passed a déepe riuer There they looked about them to sée if they coulde discouer any towne village or dwelling places but they could sée no other thing but high and mightie Pine trées the which gréeued much the Pastora much more the Gréeke for that the Pastora should be so sorrowfull againe for that they had no victualls to comfort her So they staied a while not knowing which way they might take to bring themselues out of y e distresse but vppon a sodaine they espied towards their right hande a man who trauailed a foot being somwhat farre off from them that they could not discerne what he should be So in greate hast they went towards him and comming nigh him they sawe that it was an olde man who had his head and beard very white by reason of his great age and the better for to trauaile hée hadde a staffe whereon he might leaue shewing that he trauailed with greate paine in that he mooued himselfe so heauily Then came vnto the Princes remembraunce the question that the furious beast did aske him in the inchanted castle of the king of Arabia So when they came vnto the olde man they saluted him the olde man returned their salutation with a faint and wearie voice The Prince asked him what aduenture had brought him into that solitarie place This olde man for to make him answere was constrained to sit downe vpon the ground and sayd Gentle knight I knowe not what to saie nor what I shall tell you but onely my destinie hath brought me into this misfortune being mocked w t great falsehood by a Page y t I brought with me who left me all alone and on foote in this solitarie wildernesse These two daies haue I not eaten any thing but onely dronke of y e water of Euphrates with the which I haue borne out my hunger the head of which riuer is not far from hence And héere I doe desire thée gentle knight if thou hast anie pittie of this my wearie age for to succour me in carrying me vpon thy horse or vpon the horse of anie of thy seruants The Prince taking great pittie on the olde man sayd Feare not good Father of this thy misfortune for séeing y e fortune hath brought vs hether I will not leaue thée alone in this solitarye place The Prince leaped from his horse and tooke the olde man in his armes and put him in the saddle and helped to settle him well that by reason of his weaknesse he might not fal that he being well set he himselfe might y e better without all feare leap vp behind him This false olde man séeing himselfe master of the horse stroke him with his héeles in so great hast y t he made the horse to flie Oh how the knight was amazed at this act although he beleeued that he did it to make him go a little on foote but when he sawe that his mocking proceeded forwards on he returned that waie which his Squire came calling out vnto him to bring his horse on the which he trauailed who in great hast accomplished his demaund When the knight was on horsebacke he began to call vnto the olde man for to tarrie The which the olde man did till such time as he came nigh him and with a great laughter he sayd Pittiful knight what dost thou thinke to recouer thy horse and to giue me my payment for that I haue mocked thée Wouldest thou so quickly loose the name to be pittifull I doe not meane to loose it sayde the Knight neither did I giue thée my horse for to carrie thée alone but both of vs for it is a horse which can doe it verie well I shall be counted for a more foole then thou said the olde man hauing now opportunitie to goe whether I list all alone and being in thy companie I shall be constrained to goe whether thy pleasure is The Prince hearing these wordes went by little and little towards the olde man but he with a quicke course did apart himselfe from him making with his mouth and eyes a thousand gâ—stures for to make him to be angrie The Prince being astonied said Thou false olde villaine more worse then the stinking Foxe tarrie thou mocker of knights and do not thinke that the lightnesse of thy horse shall deliuer thée out of my hands The olde man shewed as though he esteemed lyttle his words and threatnings but ran with the horse from one place vnto another making a thousand gestures and faces with his mouth and eyes which was euen death vnto y e Prince who said Oh Gods is it possible that you do permit that this naughtie olde man should thus scorne me with his iestures Coridon and the Pastora came behinde had great pastime to see how the knight was mocked and beguiled of an olde man who séemed as though he could not moue himselfe with age With the great anger and rage that the prince had to see himselfe so mocked he pricked his horse with the spurres for to ouertake the olde man who was a good wayâ— off from him and made his horse to runne so swift a course that it seemed he flew and the olde man with the like lyght course came running towards and against the Prince comming nigh vnto him he sayd What is this my sonne wherfore is all this furie for thou doest well knowe that I came not for to cause in you anie anger The Prince hearing this stayed his horse and did beholde him and knewe
him verye perfectly to be the king of Arginaria and with greate haste hée alyghted from his horse and the olde man dyd the like and with great contentment they louingly imbraced one another Then the knight sayd Is it possible louing father that you doe thus misuse him that hath no other desire but to serue you I doe promise you that before I let you goe out of mine armes to make you promise me to bring me out of this solitarie place in recompence of this trouble and anger which you haue caused mée to haue I came for no other thing said Galtenor for knowing the great trauaile which may happen in this place againe y e griefe which thou hast for y e trouble of a faire Pastora which thou bringest in thy companie and knowing the great loue which bearest vnto her I did ordaine my comming hether determined first to giue thée this intertainment for that afterward I might of thée with more ioy be receiued At this time drewe néere the Pastora and Coridon and Fidelio and séeing them imbracing one an other they made the more hast on their waie verie much meruailing to sée a crooke back and leane olde man to be turned vnto a great and faire Gyant with a goodly long white beard apparailed with rich apparell The Prince turning vnto the Pastora said Faire Pastora this noble king who is héere present is king of the Iland Arginaria my Lord and father who vnderstanding by his art the great necessitie in the which we are is come to put remedie therein The king of Arginaria with an amorous heart and stedfast eyes without mouing them he did behold the Pastora remembring himselfe at that time of the young childe that he lost by the riuer of Euphrates straight waie he knew her to be the same of the which he did not a little reioyce but séeing that it was conuenient at that time to hold his peace he did dissemble it and kept the great ioy which he receiued for the finding of her in his heart and retourning vnto the Prince he said I doe not now much meruaile faire knight that thy heart is subiect to so fayre a creature and I doe thinke my labour verie well bestowed because that by my cōming hether shall be taken awaie a great part of your trouble which without all doubt you should haue had béeing in this maner talking there appeared before them a horse loden with victualls and straight waye they tooke order that they might eate for that they had great néede thereof Lykewise there was raised a verie faire rich tent for to ease thēselues and they knew not which way nor how it was made and there they rested all that night for that the king would not that they shoulde so soone departe from him because hée would for a time recreate himself in their conuersation told them of some things that shuld happen vnto them So when the morning was come the Tent was taken awaie they began to trauaile by a verie straight and narrow path The King of Arginaria did leade them the waie and commaunded them to followe him who woulde set them out of that wildernesse and bring them vnto the sea of Hyrcania wheras they shall finde all things necessarie for their new begun voyage and bad them that they shoulde haue verie greate care for béeing once in Grecia there shall be ioyned together the nailes and pawes of two of the most furious Lyons that be in all the world the one bringing the other in so great affliction that the better of them both cannot be iudged neither acknowledge anie vauntage till such time as with their outragious furie be taken awaie the lockes which be vpon their crowned heads and shall at that instant in a moment be set at libertie by the robber of his first ioy making restitution of that which a long time hath bene vsurped remaining one of them without griefe of the young Hinde that he bringeth with him When all this shall come to passe I will returne my sonne and see you And in saying these wordes he vanished awaie not séeing anie other thing but the horse which was laden with their victualls which caused them to remain amazed at his sodaine departure and yet verie much comforted in that he had séene him So they trauailed all that daie by a narow path When night was come without knowing by whom the Tent was armed againe that they might rest themselues therein when they were within and had cōmanded their horses to be put in the doore of the tent did shut of it selfe with so great strength that they could not open it although they did make a proofe for that Galtenor had so made it because of a greate number of wilde beastes which were in those partes and in the night time raungeth abroade for to séeke theyr prayes So they passed that night with greate rest and ease till the morning that the Tent doore did open the Tent was taken vp and put vppon the horse and all the rest tooke their iourney presentlye following still that narowe path till it was noone at which time they came vnto the sea side and harde by the place whereas they ariued they sawe at an Anker a Barke meruailously well cauked and trimmed made after the manner of a Serpent with mightie wings and a long taile The Prince when he saw the Barke made after that sorte straight waie he vnderstoode that that was the Barke which the king of Arginaria had spoken of and without anie more tarrying he commaunded his horse to be put in and all the rest and he tooke the Pastora in his armes and put her into the Barke they were no sooner within but that with great swiftnesse she beganne to mooue her selfe in such sorte that in a small time they were farre from the shoare Thus they trauailed with great contentment for the space of sixe dayes and the seauenth daie verie earlye in the morning they were at the shoare verye nigh Constantinople whereas with great ioye and pleasure they went a lande and mounting vppon their horses they entered into a verie geéene and delightfull Forrest which stoode in their waie and within a while they heard a greate noise of hunters and towardes that way the Prince and his companie went and in the way they trauailed they rode by a fountaine in the which there was to the number of eight knights verie well armed and they were refreshing of themselues The Prince for that they passed by somewhat out of the waie did not salute them but passing on his waie with the faire Pastora who followed him vsing betwixt themselues verie swéete and amorous conuersation The eight knightes when they sawe them so passe by they found themselues agréeued for the small reckoning he made of them but in especiall one of them who was more proud and presumptuous then the rest without speaking anie worde at all laced on his healme and cast his