curteous demaunde gaue her .v. C. poundes and so many faire and costly Iewels whiche almoste amounted to like valer For whiche the gentlewoman more then contented gaue moste hartie thankes to the Countesse who departed from the gentlewoman and retourned to her lodging The gentlewoman to take occasion from the Counte of any farther repaire or sendyng to her house tooke her doughter with her and went into the coūtrie to her frendes The Counte Beltramo within fewe daies after beyng reuoked home to his owne house by his subiectes hearyng that the Countesse was departed frō thence retourned The Countesse knowynge that her housband was gone from Florence and retourned into his countrie was verie glad and contented and she continewed in Florence till the tyme of her child bedde was come and was brought a bedde of twoo soones whiche were verie like vnto their father and caused thē carefullie to be noursed and brought vp and whē she sawe tyme she toke her iourney vnknowen to any manne and arriued at Monpellier and restyng her self there for certaine daies hearyng newes of the Counte and where he was and that vpon the daie of all Sainctes he purposed to make a great feast and assemblie of ladies and knightes in her pilgrimes wéede she wente thither And knowyng that thei were all assembled at the pallace of the Counte redie to sitte doune at the table she passed through the people without chaunge of apparell with her twoo sonnes in her armes And whē she was come vp into the hall euen to the place where the Counte was fallyng doune prostrate at his feete wepyng saied vnto him My Lorde I am thy poore infortunate wife who to thintent thou mightest returne and dwel in thine owne house haue been a great while beggyng about the worlde Therefore I now beseche thée for the honour of God that thou wilt obserue the condicions whiche the twoo knightes that I sent vnto thée did commaunde me to doe for beholde here in myne armes not onelie one soonne begotten by thée but twaine and likewise thy Kynge It is now tyme then if thou kepe promis that I should be receiued as thy wife The Counte hearyng this was greatly astonned and knewe the Kynge and the children also thei were so like hym But tell me q he howe is this come to passe The Countesse to the great admiraciō of the Counte and of all those that were in presence rehearsed vnto them in order all that whiche had béen doen and the whole discourse therof For whiche cause the Counte knowyng the thynges she had spoken to be true and perceiuyng her constaunt minde and good witte and the twoo faier yonge boies to kepe his promisse made and to please his subiectes and the Ladies that made sute vnto him to accept her from that time forthe as his lawfull wife and to honour her abiected his obstinate rigour causyng her to rise vp and imbraced and kissed her acknowledgyng her againe for his lawfull wife And after he had apparelled her according to her estate to the great pleasure and contentacion of those that were there and of all his other frendes not onely that daie but many others he kepte greate chere and from that tyme forthe he loued and honoured her as his dere spouse and wife Tancredi Prince of Salerne caused his doughters louer to be slaine and sente his harte vnto her in a cuppe of golde whiche afterwardes she putte into poisoned water and drinkyng thereof died ¶ The .xxxix. Nouell TAncredi Prince of Salerne was a curteous Lorde and of a gētle nature had he not in his age imbrued his handes with his owne proper bloud It chaunced that this prince in al his life time had but one onely doughter but he had been more happie if she had neuer been borne That doughter he loued so well as a father could loue his childe and for the tender loue he bare her he was not able to suffer her to bee out of his sighte And could not finde in his harte to marie her although she had many yeres passed the tyme that she was mariage able notwithstandyng in the ende he gaue her to wife to one of the soonnes of the Duke of Capua with whom she continued no long tyme but was a widowe and then retourned vnto her fathers house againe This Ladie was verie faire and comely of bodie and face as any creature could be yonge lustie and more wise peraduenture then a woman ought to be And thus dwelling with her louing father she liued like a noble Ladie in greate pleasure And seing that her father for the loue he bare vnto her had no minde or care to marie her againe and also she thinking it skarce honest to require him therevnto deuised with her self secretly if it were possible to retain some valiaunt man to bée her louer And seyng many gentlemen and others frequentyng her fathers court as wée commonlie sée in the Courtes of Princes and markyng the behauiour and order of many emonges all there was a yonge man one of her fathers seruaūtes that liked her well whose name was Guiscardo of verie base birthe but in vertue and honeste condicions more noble then the reste and many tymes when she sawe him she wonderfully delited in him alwaies praisyng his dooynges aboue all others The yonge manne not hauyng good consideracion of hymself perceiuyng her feruente affeccion so fixed his minde that he disposed the same vppon nothyng elles but to loue her One louing an other secretly in this sort and the ladie verie studious to finde occasiō that she might talke with hym unwillyng to commit the secrecie of hre loue to any manne she imagined with her self a new deuise to giue him knowledge therof And wrote a letter signifiyng vnto hym what he should dooe the nexte daie and how he mighte vse hymself to come to talke with her then puttyng the letter into the Cane of a rede she gaue it vnto Guiscardo in sportyng wise and saied Thou shalt this night make a paire of Bellowes for thy seruaunt wherwith she maie kindle the fire Guiscardo tooke it thought that she did not giue it vnto him without some speciall purpose whervpon he went to his chamber and loking vpō the Cane perceiued it to be hollowe and openyng it founde the letter within whiche she had written And when he had well perused it vnderstandyng the tenour and effecte thereof he thought hymself the happiest manne in the worlde and began to put hymself in redinesse to mete with his Ladie by suche waies and meanes as she had to hym appoincted There was in a corner of the princes pallace a Caue longe tyme before made vnder the side of a hille whiche Caue receiued light by a certaine vente made by force within the saied mountaine and bicause the same was not frequented and vsed it was ouer growen with busshes and thornes Into whiche Caue was a discente by a secrete paire of staiers that was in one of the lowest chambers of the
haue proued that mischiefe and am yet in the greatest excesse and pangues of my disease I féele alas a diuersitie of anguishes a Sea of troubles whiche tormente my minde yet I dare not discouer the occasiō seing that the thing which is the cause of my grief to be of suche desert that my seruice past all that is to come is not able to giue the proofe if one speciall grace and fauor doe not inlarge the litle power that is in me to counteruaile the greatenesse and perfection of that cause whiche thus doeth variat and alter bothe my thoughtes and passions Pardon me madame if I doe speake obscurely for the confusion of my mynde maketh my wordes correspondent to the qualitie of the same Notwithstandyng I will not kepe silente from you that whiche I dooe suffre and muche lesse dissemble what passiō I indure beyng assured aswel for your vertue gentlenes that you moued with compassion will succour me so much as shal lie in you for preseruacion of the life of hym that is the best and moste obedient seruaunt emōges them all that doe you humble seruice The Ladie whiche neuer thought of the wickednesse whiche this insensate man began to imagine answered him very curteously I am sory truely for your mishappe and doe merueile what should be the effecte of that passion whiche as you saie you fele with suche dimunicion of that whiche is perfecte and accomplished in you For I doe sée no cause that ought to moue you to so straunge infirmitie whereof you tolde me wherwith I had alredie found fault although you had said nothyng I would to GOD I knewe whiche waie to helpe you aswel my lorde my husbandes sake who I am sure doeth beare you good will as for the honestie which hetherto I haue knowen to be in you which as I thinke all men resemblyng you for vertue and good condicions doe deserue that accōpt and consideracion He that thought her alredie to be taken in his nettes seyng so faire a waie open and cleare to disclose that whiche he had kept couert so long tyme in the depth of his harte answered Ah madame are ye ignoraunt of the forces of Loue how much his assaultes can debilitate the liuelihode of the bodies and spirites of men Knowe ye not that he is blinde and naked not caryng whether he goeth manifestyng hymself there where occasion is offred Alas madame if you haue not pitie vpon me and doe not regarde that whiche I doe suffer for the loue of you I knowe not how I am able to auoide Death whiche will approche so sone to cutte of and abridge my yeres as I shall vnderstande a refusal of that whiche the extreme Loue that I beare you madame forcethe me to require whche is to receiue a newe seruice of your aunciente and faithfull seruiture who inflamed by the bright beames of your diuine face knoweth not now how to chaunge the affeccion muche lesse to receiue helpe but of that place where he receiued the pricke Excuse madame I beseche you my rashenesse and pardon my follie accusyng rather either your celestiall beautie or els that tiraunt Loue who hath wounded me so luckelie that I esteme myne euill fortunate and my wounde happie sithe by his meane my thoughtes and cogitacions doe onely tende to doe you seruice and to loue you in myne harte whiche is the Phenix of the faireste and moste curteous ladies within al our Prouince Alas that excellencie whiche thus maketh me your seruasit shall one daie be my ruine if by your good grace speakyng it with wepyng teares you doe not fauor hym whiche liueth not but to obeie you and whiche lesing your good grace will attempte to depriue hymself of life whiche being depriued through your crueltie will goe to complaine himself of his bolde attempt and also of your rigor emonges the ghostes and shadowes of thē that be alredie dedde for like occasions The chaste Ladie was so rapt of wittes for the straungenes of the case and for the grief whiche she conceiued to sée the vnshamefast hardinesse of the varlette that she could not tell how to make hym answere But in the ende breakyng silence and fetchyng a great sighe from the bottome of hec harte her face slained with a fresh Uermilion rudde whiche beautified her colour by reason of disdaine conceiued against this impudent Orator she answered hym verie seuerely O God who would haue thought that from a hart nobly brought vp and deriued from an honourable race a villanie so greate could haue taken roote and spryng vp with suche detestable fruicte What maister Stewarde Haue ye forgotten the duetie of a seruaunt towarde his lorde and maister Haue ye forgotten I saie the duetie of a vertuous gentleman well nourished and trained vp towarde suche and so greate a Ladie as I am Ah These and Traitour that thou art Is this the venime whiche thou kepest so couert and secrete vnder the swetenesse of thy counterfaicte vertue A vaunte varlette a vaunte Goe vtter thy stuffe to them that be like thy self whose honour and honeslie is so farre spent as thy loialtie is lighte and vaine For if I heare thee speake any more of these follies bee assured that I will mortifie that ragyng flame whiche burneth thy light beleuyng harte and will make thée feele by effecte what maner of death that is wherein thou reposeste the rest of thy trauell As this deceued Oratour was framyng his excuse and aboute to moderate the iuste wrathe of his Ladie displeased vpon good occasion she not able to abide any more talke saied further And what signes of dishonestie haste thou séen in me that moue thée to perswade a thing so wicked and vncomely for myne estate yea and so preiudiciall to me to my frendes the house of thy maister my lorde and spouse I can not tell what it is that letteth me from causyng thée to bée caste for the emong the Lions cruell and capitall enemies of adulterie emonges thē selfes sithe thy pretence is by violatyng my chastite to dishonor the house wherevnto thou owest no lesse then all the aduauncemente thou haste from the taste whereof thou haste abandoned Uertue the best thyng wherewith thou were affected Auoide now therefore let me heare no more of this vpon paine of thy life otherwise thou shalt féele the rewarde of thy teinerite and vnderstande the bitternesse of the litle pleasure whiche I haue conceiued of thy follies So the good ladie helde her peace reseruyng in her harte that whiche should be her helpe in tyme and place howbeit she said nothyng hereof vnto her husbande aswell for raisyng offence or slaunder as for prouokyng her husbande against him whiche susteined the punishement himself sithe that this refuse did more straungely pinche hym more nere at the harte then euer the Egle of Caucasus whereof the Poetes haue talked so muche did tier the mawe of the subtil these Prometheus And yet the vnhappie
feared to thinke which was to haue her one day for friende if the name of spouse were refused Thus tormented wyth ioye and displeasure wandering betwene doubt and assurance of that he hoped The self same day that Adelasia practised with Radegonde for the obtayning of her ioy and secret ministerie of her Loue he entred alone into a garden into which the Princesse chambre had prospecte and after he had walked there a good space in an Alley viewing diligently the order of thé fruitfull trées of so diuers sortes as there be varietie of colours with in a faire meade during the vedure of the spring time and of so good and sauorous taste as the hearte of man coulde wyshe He repaired vnder a Laurel trée so well spredde and adorned with leaues about which trée you might hane sene an infinit number of Myrtle trées of smell odoriferous and swéete of Oringe trées laden wyth vnripe fruite of pliable Mastickes and tender Tameriskes And there he fetched his walkes along the thick grene herbs beholding the varietie of floures which decked beautified the place wyth their liuely and naturall colours He then rauished in this contemplation remembring her which was the pleasure and torment of his minde in sighing wise began to say O that the heauens be not propitious and fauourable to my indeuors Sith that in the middes of my iolities I fele a newe pleasaunt displeasure which doth adnihilate all other solace but that which I receyue throughe the Image paynted in my heart of that diuine beautie which is more variated in perfection of pleasures than this paradise and delicious place in varietie of enamell and paynting although that nature and arte of man haue workemanly trauailed to declare and set forth their knowledge and diligence Ah Adelasia the fairest Lady of all faire and most excellente Princesse of the earth Is it not possible for me to féede my self so well of the viewe and contemplation of thy heauenly and Angelicall face as I do of the sight of these faire and sundrie coloured floures May it not be broughte to passe that I may smell that swete breath which respireth through thy delicate mouthe béeing none other thing than Baulme Muske and Aumbre yea and that which is more precious which for the raritie and valor hath no name euen as I doe smell the Roses Pincks and Uiolets hanging ouer my head franckly offering themselues into my handes Ah infortunat Alerane there is no floure that ought to be so handeled nor sauor the swetenesse whereof ought not to be sented without desert merited before Ah Loue Loue that thou hast fixed my minde vpon so highe thinges Alas I feare an offence so daungerous which in the ende will bréede my death And yet I can not wythdrawe my heart from that smoke of Loue although I would force my selfe to expell it from me Alas I haue read of him so many times and haue heard talk of his force that I am afrayd to borde him and yet feare I shall not escape his gulfe Alas I knowe well it is he of whome is engendred a litle mirth and laughing after whiche doeth followe a thousande teares and weapings which for a pleasure that passeth away so sone as a whirle winde doth gyue vs ouer to greate repentance the sorrow wherof endureth a long time and sometimes his bitternesse accompanieth vs euen to the graue The pacients that be taynted with that amorous feuer althoughe continually they dye yet they can not wholy sée and perceiue for al that the defaut and lacke of their life albeit they doe wish and desire it still But alas what missehap is this that I do see the poyson that causeth my mischief and do know the way to remedie the same and yet neuerthelesse I can not or will not recouer the help Did euer man heare a thing so strange that a sick man seking help and finding recouery shoulde yet reiecte it Saying so he wepte and syghed so piteously as a little chylde threated by his mother the nourice Then roming vp and down vpon the grasse he séemed rather to be a man straught and bounde wyth chaynes than like one that had his wittes and vnderstanding Afterwardes being come againe to himselfe he retourned to his first talke saying But what am I more wise more constant and perfecte than so many Emperors Kinges Princes and greate Lordes who notwithstanding their force wisedome or richesse haue bene tributarie to loue The tamer and subduer of monsters and Tirants Hercules vanquished by the snares of loue did not he handle the distaffe in stead of his mighty mace The strong and inuincible Achilles was not he sacrificed to the shadowe of Hector vnder the color of loue to celebrate holy mariage wyth Polixena daughter to King Priamus The great Dictator Iulius Caesar the conqueror of so many people Armies Captaines and Kings was ouercome with the beautie and good grace of Cleopatra Quene of Egipt Augustus his successour attired like a woman by a yeoman of his chamber did he not take away Liuia from him that had first maried her And that cōmon enemie of man and of all curtesie Claudius Nero appeased yet some of his furie for the loue of his Lady What straunge things did the learned wise and vertuous Monarch Marcus Aurelius indure of his welbeloued Faustine And that great captaine Marcus Antonius the very terror of the Romaine people and the feare of strange and barbarous nations did homage to the childe Cupido for the beautie of Quéene Cleopatra which afterwardes was the cause of his whole ouerthrowe But what meane I to alledge remember the number of louers being so infinite as they be Wherfore haue the Poets in time past fayned in their learned and deuine bokes the loues of Iupiter Appollo Mars but that euery man may knowe the force of Loue to be so puissant that the Gods theselues haue felt his force to be inuincible ineuitable Ah if sometimes a gentleman be excused for abassing himselfe to Loue a woman of base birth and bloude why should I be accused or reprehended for loning the daughter of the chiefest Prince of Europe Is it for the greatnesse of her house and antiquitie of her race Why that is al one betwene vs two toke his originall of the place whereof at this day my Father is the chiefe and principall And admit that Adelasia be the daughter of an Emperoure Ah Loue hath no regarde to persons houses or riches rather is he of greater commendation whose enterpryses are moste famous and haute gestes extende their flyght farre of Nowe resteth then to deuise meanes howe to make her vnderstande my payne For I am assured that she loueth me sauing that her honoure and yong yeares doe let her to make it appeare more manifest But it is my propre duty to make request for the same considering her merites and my small desertes in respect of her perfections Ah Alerane thou must vnlose that tongue which
passion so couerte as he possibly coulde But partly for his owne solace and comfort he feasted all the Lordes and Ladyes of Naples where the gentleman and his wyfe was not forgotten And bicause man willingly beleueth that he doth sée he thought that the lokes of that gentlewoman promised vnto him some grace in time to come if the presence of her husband were not let thervnto And to proue whether his coniecture were true he sent her husband in commission to Rome for .xv dayes or thrée wéekes And so sone as he was gone his wyfe which hitherto had not felte any long absence from her husband made great sorrow for the same wherof she was recomforted by the King many times by swéete persuasions by presentes and giftes in suche sorte that she was not onely comforted but contented with her husbandes absence And before the thrée wéekes were expired of his returne she was so amorous of the King that she was no lesse sorrowful of his comming home than she was for his departure And to the intent the Kings presence might not be lost they agréed together that when her husbande was gone to his possessions in the countrie she should send worde to the King that he might haue safe repaire vnto her and so secretly that his honour which he feared more than he did the fact might not be impaired Upon this hope this Ladies heart was set on a merie pinne And when her husband was come home she welcomed him so well that albeit he knewe howe the King made much of her in his absence yet he would not beleue it But by continuance of time this fier that could not be couered by little and little began to kindle in suche wise that the husband doubted muche of the truth and watched the matter so néere that he was almost out of doubt But for feare leaste he whiche did the wrong shoulde doe him greater hurts if he séemed to knowe it he determined to dissemble the matter For he thought it better to liue with some griefe than to hazarde his lyfe for a woman which loued him not Not withstanding for this displeasure he thought to be euen with the king if it were possible And knowing that many times despite maketh a woman to doe that which Loue can not doe specially those women that haue honorable hearts and stoute stomakes was so bolde without blushing vpon a day in speaking to the Queene to say vnto her that he had pitie vpon her for that she was no better beloued of the king her husband The Quéene which heard tell of the loue betwene the king and his wife I can not quod she both inioy honor and pleasure together I know well that honor I haue whereof one receyueth the pleasure and as she hath the pleasure so hath not she the honor that I haue He which knew wel by whome those wordes were spoken sayde vnto her Madame honor waited vpon you euen at your birth For you be of so good a house that to be a Quéene or Empresse you can not augment your nobilitie but your beautie grace honestie hath deserued so much pleasure as she that depriueth you of that which is incident to your degrée doth more wrong to her selfe than to your person For she for a glory that hath turned her to shame hath there withall lost so much pleasure as your grace or any Lady in the realme maye haue And I may say vnto you Madame that if the king were no king as he is I thinke that he could not excell me in pleasing of a woman Being sure that to satisfie such a vertuous personage as you be he might exchange his complexion with mine The Quéene smiling answered him Although the king be of more delicate and weaker complexion thā you be yet the loue that he beareth me doth so muche content me that I esteme the same aboue all thinges in the worlde The gentleman sayde vnto her Madame if it were so I woulde take no pitle vpon you for I knowe wel that the honest loue of your heart woulde yelde vnto you great contentation if the like were to be found in the king But God hath foresene and preuented the same leaste enioying your owne desire you woulde make him your God vpon earth I confesse vnto you sayde the Quéene that the loue I beare him is so great that the like place he could not finde in no womans heart as he doth in muse Pardon me Madame sayde the Gentleman vnto her if I speake more frankely your grace hath not sounded the depth of eche mans heart For I dare be bolde to saye vnto you that I knowe one that doth loue you in suche wise whose loue is so great that you loue in respect of his is nothing And for so muche as he séeth the Kings loue to fayle in you his doth grow and increase in suche sorte that if your loue were agreable vnto his you should be recompensed of all your losses The Quéene aswell by his words as by his countenaunce began to perceyue that the talke proceded from the bottom of his hart and called to her remembrance that long time he had endeuored him self to do her seruice with such affection as for loue he was growen to be melancolike which she thought before to come through his wiues occasion but nowe she assuredly beleued that it was for her sake And thus the force of Loue which is well perceyued when it is not fayned made her sure of that which was vnknowen to all the worlde And beholding the gentleman which was more amiable than her husband and séeing that he was forsaken of his wife as she of the king pressed with despite and ialousie of her husbande and prouoked with loue of the gentleman beganne to say with finger in eye and sighing sobbes O my god must vengeaunce get that at my hand which Loue can not do The gentleman well vnderstanding her meaning aunswered Madame vengeance is swéete vnto him which in place of killing his enemy giueth life to a perfect frende I thinke that it is time that trouth shoulde remoue from you the folish loue that you beare vnto him which loueth you not And that iust and reasonable loue shoulde expell frō you the feare which neuer can remayne in a noble vertuous heart But nowe Madame omitting to speake of the greatnesse of your estate let vs consider that we be both man woman the most deceyued of the worlde and betrayed of them which we haue most derely loued Let vs now reuēge our selues Madame not onely to render vnto them as they haue deserued but to satisfie the loue whiche for my parte I can no longer beate except I shoulde die And I thinke that if your heart be not harder than Flint or Diamont it is impossible but you must perceyue some sparke of fier which increaseth more than I am able to dissemble And if pitie of me which dyeth for your loue doth not moue you to loue me
of the chaire sayd vnto him Goe quickely and fetche me some good vineger Which the gentleman did Then Florinda began to saye vnto him Amadour what follie hath inchaunted your wisedome And what is that which you woulde haue done vnto me Amadour that through the force of loue had lost al reason sayd vnto her Doth my long seruice merite a recompence of such crueltie And where is the honesty then sayde Florinda which so many times you haue preached vnto me Ah Madame sayde Amadour I beleue it is impossible your selfe more faythfully to loue your owne honor than I doe For when you were vnmaryed I coulde so well subdue my heart and affection that you did neuer vnderstande my will and desire And nowe that you be maryed to the intent your honor may be in couert what wrong doe I to aske that which is mine owne For by force of loue I haue wonne you He that first inioyed your heart hath so yll followed the victorie of your body that he hath deserued to lose altogether He that possesseth your bodie is not worthy to haue your heart wherefore your bodye is none of his ne yet he hath no title in the same But I Madame these fiue or sixe yeares haue susteyned such paynes and trauel for your sake that you are not ignorant but to me appertayneth both your bodye and heart for whose sake I haue vtterly forgotten mine owne And if you can finde in your heart to defende me frō my right doubte ye not but they which haue proued the forces of Loue will laye the blame vpon you which hath in this sorte robbed me from my libertie and with your heauenlye graces hath obscured my senses that not knowing hereafter what to doe I am constrayned to goe withoute hope for euer yto sée you againe Notwithstanding warrant your selfe that in what place so euer I am you shall still possesse my heart which shall continue yours for euer be I vpon the lande or water or betwene the handes of my moste cruell enemies But if I had before my departure the suretie of you which the greatnesse of my loue deserueth I shall be strong ynough paciently to beare the griefes of long absence And if it please you not to graunt me my request you shall shortlye heare tell that your rigor hath rendred vnto me a most vnhappy and cruel death Florinda no lesse astonned than sorie to heare such words procéede from him of whome she neuer had any suche suspicion weping sayde vnto him Alas Amadour is this the meaning of those vertuous wordes which sithens the beginning of my youth ye haue vttered vnto me Is this the honor of the cōscience which you haue many times persuaded me rather to die than to lose the same Haue you forgotten the good examples recyted vnto me of vertuous dames that haue resisted foolish Loue And is this the contempt which ye daylie made of Ladyes that were foolish vaine I can not beleue Amadour that you are so madde that God your owne cōscience and mine honor shoulde be altogether oute of your minde and memorie But if it so be as you saye I doe prayse the goodnesse of God which hath preuented the mishap that now I am fallen into in shewing me by your wordes the heart which I did not know For hauing loste the sonne of the Infant Fortune who not onely is maryed into another place but also loued another and I nowe maryed to him which I cannot loue I thought and determined wholly with all mine heart and affection to loue you founding the same vpō that vertue which I knewe to be in you which loue by your meanes onely I haue conceyued and therfore did more esteme my honor and conscience than mine owne life Upon assurance of this stone of honestie I am come hither thinking to builde a moste sure foundacion But Amadour in one moment thou hast declared that in place of a pure foundacion thy building is reared vpon a light sande and vnconstant ground or else vpon a filthy and foule quamire And where I began to erect a good part of the lodgings of this building hoping to dwell there for euer sodainly thou hast ouerthrowen the whole Wherefore you must immediately breake in sunder the hope and credit that euermore you haue founde in me and determine that in what place soeuer I be not to séeke after me eyther by wordes or countenaunce And doe not thinke that I can or will at anye time hereafter chaunge mine opinion which wordes I speake with great sorrowe and griefe But if I had made an othe of this perfect amitie and loue I knowe mine heart would haue dyed vpon this breache although the astonishement in that I am deceyued is so great that I am well assured it will make my lyfe eyther short or sorrowfull And therefore I bidde you farewell and that for euer I purpose not to tell you of the sorrow which Amadour felt by hearing these wordes Bicause it is impossible not onely to write them but also to think them except it be of such as haue had experiēce of the lyke And seyng that vpon this cruell conclusion she woulde haue gone away he caught her by the arme knowing wel that if he did not remoue that yll opinion which by his owne occasion she had conceyued he should lose her for euer Wherefore he sayde vnto her with a verye faynt there Madame all the dayes of my lyfe I haue desired to loue a woman endued with honestie and vertue And bicause I haue founde so fewe I would fayne haue tryed whether your person had bene worthy of estimacion and loue whereof nowe I am well assured and humblie doe prayse God therfore bicause mine heart is addressed to suche perfection beseching you to pardon this fond and bolde enterprise sith you do see that the ende doth redounde to your owne honor and contentation Florinda which began to know the malice of men by him like as she was harde to beleue the euill where it was euen so she was more difficile to credit the good where it was not and sayde vnto him I praye to God your wordes be true Yet I am not so ignorant but that the state of mariage wherein I am hath made me euidentlie to perceyue that the strong passion of blinde loue hath forced you to this attempt For if God had losed my hande I am wel assured you would not haue pluckt backe the bridle They that attempt to séeke after vertue will not take the waye that you doe But this is sufficient if I haue lightlie beleued any honesty in you it is time for me nowe to know the truth that I may ridde my selfe from you And in saying so Florinda went out of the chamber and all the night long she neuer left wéeping who felt such great griefe in the alteracion that her heart had much to doe to sustaine the assaults of sorrowe the loue had made For although reason thought neuer to loue
him agayne yet the heart which is not subiect vnto vs would not accord to that crueltie For which consideracion she loued him no lesse than she was wont to doe and knowing that loue was the cause of that faulte she purposed for satisfaccion of Loue to loue him with all her hearte and yet throughe obedience and fealtie due to her honor she thought neuer to make other semblance In the morning Amadour departed in this sorte troubled as you haue heard neuerthelesse his coragious heart entred not in dispaire but renued a fresh hope once againe to sée Florinda and to winne her fauour Then he toke his iourney towards the court of Spaine which was at Tolledo taking his way by the Countesse of Arande where late in an euening he arriued and founde the Countesse very sicke for the absence of her daughter Florinda When she sawe Amadour she kissed and imbraced him as if he had bene her owne childe aswell for the loue she bare vnto him as for the lyke which she doubted that he bare to Florinda of whome very earnestly she inquired for newes who told her the best that he could deuise but not the whole truth and confessed vnto her the loue betwéene Florinda and him which Florinda had stil conceled kept secrete praying her ayde to bring him agayne into her fauour and the next morning he departed And after he had done his businesse with the Quéene he repaired to the warres so sadde and chaunged in all his conditions that the Ladyes Captaines and all they that were wonte to kepe him companie did not know him His apparel was all black mourning for the death of his wyfe whereby he couered the sorrowe which was hid in his heart In this wise Amadour passed thrée or foure yeares before he returned to the Court. And the Countesse of Arande which heard tell that Florinda was so sore chaunged that it would haue moued any mans heart to beholde her sente for her hoping that she would haue come but her expectatiō was frustrate for when Florinda vnderstode that Amadour had told her mother the good wil betwene them and that her mother being so wise vertuous giuing credit to Amadour did beleue his wordes she was in meruellous perplexitie bicause of the one side she saw that her mother did esteme him so wel that if she declared vnto her the truth Amadour might conceyue some displeasure Which thing she had rather dye than to doe wherefore she thought her selfe strong ynough to chastise him of his folly without helpe of her friends On the other side she perceyued that by dissembling the euill which she knew by him she shoulde be constrayned by her mother and her friendes to speake vnto him and to beare him good countenaunce whereby she feared his euill opinion would be the more encoraged But seing that he was far of she passed the lesse of the matter And when the Countesse her mother did commaund her she wrote letters vnto him but they were suche as he might wel gather that they were written rather vpon obedience than of good will the reading whereof bred sorrow vnto him in place of that ioye he was wont to cōceyue in her former letters Within the terme of two or thre yeares after he had done so many noble enterprises that all the paper of Spaine could not contayne them he deuised a newe inuention not to winne and recouer the hearte of Florinda for he déemed the same quite lost but to haue the victorie ouer his enemye sithens she had vsed him in that sort and reiecting all reason and speciallye feare of death into the hazarde whereof he hasted himselfe he concluded and determined his enterprise in suche sorte that by reason of his behauiour towardes the Gouernor he was deputed sent by him to treate with the king of certayn exploites to be done at Locates sparing not to impart his message to the Countesse of Arande before he tolde the same to the king to vse her good aduise therin And so came in poste strayght into the Countie of Arande where he had intelligence in what place Florinda remayned and secretly sent to the Countesse one of his frends to tel her of his comming to pray her to kepe it close and that he might speake with her that night in such secret wise as no man might haue knowledge thereof The Countesse very ioyful of his coming told it to Florinda sent her into her husbandes chamber to put of her clothes that she might be ready when she should sende for her after euery man was gone to bed Florinda which was not yet well boldened by reasō of her former feare making a good face of the matter to her mother withdrewe her selfe into an orato rieor chappel to recōmend her selfe to God praying him to defend her hart from all wicked affection considered howe often Amadour had praysed her beautie which was not impaired or diminished although she had bene sick of long time Wherfore thinking it better to doe iniurie to her beautie by defacing it than to suffer the heart of so honeste a personage by meanes thereof wickedly to be inflamed she toke vp a stone which was within the Chappell and gaue her selfe suche a great blow on the face that her mouth eyes and nose were altogether deformed And to the intent no man might suspect what she had done when the Countesse sent for her in going out of the Chappell she fell downe vpon her face vpon a great stone and there withall cried out so loud that the Countesse came in and found her in that pitious state who incontinently dressing her face and binding it vp with clothes conueyed her into her chamber and prayed her to goe into her closet to enterteigne Amadour til she were weary of his cōpanie Which she did thinking that there had bene some body with him But finding him alone and the dore shut vpon her Amadour was not so wel pleased as she was discontented Who nowe thought eyther with loue or force to get that which he had so long tyme desired And after he had spoken a fewe wordes vnto her and founde her in that minde he left her and that to die for it she woulde not chaunge her opinion desperately he sayde vnto her By God Madame the fruit of my labour shall not be thus taken from me for scruples and doubtes And sith that Loue pacience and humble desires can not preuaile I will not spare by force to get that which except I haue it will be the cause of my destruction When Florinda sawe his face and eyes so altered that the fayrest die and colour of the worlde was become so red as fyer and his most pleasaunt and amiable loke transformed horrible and furious that very hote burning fyer séemed to sparkle within his heart and face and in that furie with one of his strong fiftes he griped her delicate and tender handes On the other side she séeing all her defences
there was a yonge man called Euathlus who beyng desirous to be an Orator and a pleadyng aduocate to the intent he might postulate accordyng to the accustomed maner of Athenes in those dates accorded vpon a price with a renewned Oratour named Protagoras that he should instructe hym that arte for a price agreed vpon betwene them vpon condicion that the Scholer should paie the one halfe of the money before hande vnto his Maister and the rest at suche tyme as he should proue to be an Aduocate so well instructed that at the first matter whiche he did pleade he should obteine sentence on his side and gaine for his labour and industrie But if sentēce were pronounced against him he should not be boūde to paie the same Uppon this conclusion the Maister taughte hym with greate diligence the vttermoste of his knowledge in that arte The Scholer againe learned and reteined his teachyng with greate prōptitude and redinesse of witte When Protagoras had taught hym the vttermoste of his knowledge The scholer Euathlus to defraude hym of the reste of his money determined neuer to be Aduocate whose craft Protagoras perceiuyng cited hym by write to appere before the Iudge to answere the rest of the bargaine When thei were bothe come in the Iudges presence Protagoras spake to his scholer in this wise Euathlus the bargain betwene vs thou canst not chose but confesse and acknowledge whiche in effecte is this It was agreed that I should teache thee the arte of pleadyng and in the first matter whiche thou diddest pronoūce and sentence giuen on thy parte thou shouldest paie me the other halfe of the money for the firste moitie I receiued before hande and now to auoide the satisfaction thereof although thou knowest that I haue full well deserued it thou to defraude me of my duetie refusest to bee an aduocate But I will tell thee this thy determinacion is but vaine frustrate for I haue intangled thee in suche nettes that thou canste not escape but by one meane or other thou shalte be forced to paie me For if the Iudge doe condempne thee then mangre thy head thou shalt be constrained and if contrarie wise sentēce be giuen on thy side thou shalte be likewise bounde to paie me by thy verie couenaunt sitheus thou art boūd therevnto when thou pleadest first and sentence giuen in thy behalf Doe now then what thou list for in fine thou shalt be forced to paie me in despite of thy teeth All the assistauntes helde with Protagoras affirming his suite to be verie reasonable Notwithstandyng Euathlus with a bolde spirite aunswered for hymself in this maner Sir Protagoras it semeth vnto you that I am conuicted but staie a while and giue me leaue to speake and then you shall perceiue in what whise I will cōfounde your argument Here you haue brought your action against me whereof I trust vpon my reasonable aunswere before the Iudges to be discharged For if by this your pleadyng by circumstaunces art of an Oratour whiche you haue vsed in all your discourse the matter shall fall so out as sentence be giuē on your side then the bargaine made betwene vs is voide and of none effecte bicause I losyng the profit of my first pleadyng wherein by our agrement sentence should be giuē on my behalfe the same bargaine is not accōplished For you should bee paied the moitie of the money behind with that cōmoditia which I did gaine by my first pleadyng For whiche cause there is no reason but I must be discharged of your demaunde After this debatyng of the matter the Iudges wated the argumentes of bothe partes whiche seemed so doubtfull vnto them that knowyng not how to giue sentence thei suspended the processe The same Aulus Gellius reciteth an other like question whiche he referreth to Plinie as the first aucthor thereof There was a lawe saieth he in a certain citie that what soeuer he were that committed any valiant facte of armes the thyng that he demaunded what soeuert were should be graunted vnto hym It chaunced that a certaine persone did this worthie act and required that a mannes wife whom he derelie loued should be giuen vnto hym whiche wife by force vertue of the lawe was accordingly deliuered But afterwardes the man from whom his wife was taken did the like facte and demaunding his wife to be redeliuered vnto hym againe saied vnto hym that had her if thou wilt obserue the lawe thou muste of force deliuer vnto me my wife but if thou do not like the law thou oughtest yet to rēder her vnto me as myne owne The other answered hym in like sorte If thou obserue the lawe this woman is myne for I haue first wonne her by the lawe but if thou doe not approue the lawe thou hast no right to demaunde her she now beyng myne ¶ Seleueus kyng of Asia gaue his wife to his owne soonne in mariage beyng his mother in lawe who so feruentlie did loue her that he was like to die Whiche by a discrete and wise muencion was discouered to Seleucus by a Phisician ¶ The .xxvij. Nouell ALthough the wise Philosopher Plutarche elegantly and brieslie describeth this historie in the life of Demetrius yet because Bandello aptly more at large doeth discourse the same I thought good to applie my yenne to his stile Who saieth that Seleucus kyng of Babylone a man verie victorious in battaill was emonges the successors of Alexander the greate the moste happie and fortunate He had a sōne called by his fathers name Antiochus After the deceasse of his wife his sonne increased and gaue great hope of valiaunce in future time to become a valiante gentleman worthie of suche a father And beyng arriued to .xxiiij. yeres of age It chaunced that his father fill in loue with a verie faire yonge gentlewoman discended a greate parentage called Stratonica whom he tooke to wife and made her Quene and by her had one sonne Antiochus seyng his mother in lawe to be besides her greate beautie a curteous and gentle Ladie begā to be verie amourous of her whose hart was so sette on fire without apparante shewe that incredible it is to expresse the loue that he bare her And yet he thought that loue to be vnnaturall bicause she was his fathers wife and therefore durfte not discouer it to any man And the more secrete he kepte it the more the heate began to boile and consume him But bicause he sawe that loue had fixed so deepe footyng that he was not wel able to retire he determined after long sorowe and great turmoile to seke some quiet hauē to rest his weather beaten barke that hadde been tossed with the waues of pensife and sorowful cogitacions His father had many Kyngdomes prouinces innumerable vnder his Empire At whose handes Antiochus craued license to visite some of them for his disporte and recreaciō of purpose to proue if he could auoide that vnseasonable loue wherewith his harte was surprised But he
amount to so muche more then it was when he departed from his house And when he had founde the meanes to dispatche and sell his iewelles he sent to Corfu a good pece of money to the woman that tooke hym out of the sea to recompence the kindnesse that he had founde at her handes and the like to them of Tranj that had giuen hym apparell the rest he tooke to hymself and would be no more a marchaunt but liued at home in honeste estate to the ende of his life Andreuccio of Perugia being come to Naples to buy horsse was in one night surprised with three merueious accidētes All whiche hauyng escaped with with one Rubie he retourned home to his house ¶ The .xxxvi. Nouell THere was at Perugia ae yong man called Andreuccio di Pietro a Horssecorser who vnderstāding of a horse faire at Naples did put fiue hundred Crounes in his pursse and neuer traueiling before from his owne house wente thither with certaine other marchauntes arriuyng at Naples vpon a Sondaie at night The nexte mornyng accordyng to the instructions giuen him by his hosse he went to the faire where he viewed and sawe many horsse whereof diuers did verie well like hym and demaunded their prises but with none he could agrée of price And to shewe himself a right well able man to paie for that he bought many tymes like a dolle and foole as he was he drewe out his pursse stuffed with crounes in the presence of them that passed to and fro It chaunced that a yonge womā of Scicilia whiche was verie faire but at euery mannes commaundement and that for litle hire passed by as he was shewyng his pursse not marked or perceiued by Andreuccio who sodainlie saied to her selfe What is she in all this toune that should be like vnto me if al those crounes were mine And so passed forth There was with this yonge peate an olde woman a Scicilian also who so sone as she espied Andreuccio forsoke her cōpanion and ran affectuouslie to imbrace hym Whiche the yonge woman perceiuing not speakyng a woorde she gaue good heede to that thei saied Andreuccio tournyng himself to the olde woman immediatlie knewe her and reioysed muche that he had so happelie mette her whom after greate gratulacions and many welcomes she promised to visite at his lodgyng whiche doen she departed from Andreuccio and he retourned to buy his horsse howbeit that morning he bought none at all The yonge dame whiche hadde firste seen this pursse and marked the acquaintaunce betwene the olde woman and hym to assaie by what meanes she might gette that money or at least some parte thereof subtellie asked the olde woman what manne that was of whence what he did there and how he knewe her To whom the old woman particularlie recoumpted her whole acquaintaunce how she dwelt of long tyme in Scicilia with his father and afterwardes at Perugia And likewise she tolde her when he retourned and for what cause he was come to Naples This iollie wenche wholy informed of Andreuccio his parentes and of their names made a plat and foundacion by subtill and craftie meanes how to obtaine her purpose And when she was come home to her house she sent the olde woman about businesse for that daie bicause she might not retourne to Andreuccio She had dwellyng with her a pretie girle well noseled and broughte vp in doyng of arrantes whom about euenyng she sent to the lodgyng of Andreuccio to make inquirie for him where by fortune she chaunced to finde hym standyng alone at his bostes doore whō the girle did aske if he knewe not an honest mā of Perugia called Andreuccio di Pietro that hosted there Yes my girle quod he I am the same manne Then she tooke hym a side and saied vnto hym Sir there is a gentle woman of this Toune that would gladlie speake with you if it wer your pleasure Whiche when Andreuccio hearde by and by he called to mynde and semed to hymself that he was a goodlie yange manne of persone and that without doubte the same woman was in loue with him bicause in al Naples he thought there was none so proper a striplyng as hymself Whom incontinentlie he answered that he would waite vpon her demaunding whē he should come and to what place To whom she made answere Euen when it pleaseth your sir. For my maistresse attēdeth at home for you Andreuccio vpō that without any woorde spoken to his hoste whether he was gone saied to the wenche Goe thou before and I will followe And the girle did conducte hym to her maistres house whiche dwelt in a streate called Malpertugio a name shewyng the honestie of the streate where she dwelte But he knowyng and suspectyng nothyng thought the place to be right honest that he went vnto and the wife likewise honest and good and boldlie entred the house the wenche goyng before And moūting by the staiers This yonge gristle called her maistresse saiyng vnto her that maister Andreuccio was come Who redie at the vpper steppe seemed as though she attended for hym This Ladie was fine and had a good face well apparelled and trimmed after the best maner Who seing maister Andreuccio at hande descended twoo steppes of the staiers with her armes open to imbrace hym foldyng the same aboute his necke and paused a certaine space without speakyng and woorde as though greate loue and earnest affection enforced her so to doe Then wepyng she kissed his face and with a voice halfe vttered betwene howlyng and speakyng she saied vnto hym O Andreuccio myne owne dere harte moste hartelie well come Andreuccio merueilyng at those tender woordes all amased answered Gētlewoman and you also wel founde out Afterwardes she toke him by the hand and conueied hym vp into a parlour and from thence without further talke into a chamber whiche was al perfumed with Roses with flowers of Orenges and other swete smelles where he sawe a bedde wel furnished diuers sortes of apparell placed vpō presses accordyng to the maner of that countrie and many other faire and riche ornamentes By reason whereof Andreuccio whiche was but a freshewater Souldiour thoughte that she had been a greate Ladie And thei twoo sitting together vpon a chest at her beddes féete She began thus to saie vnto hym Andreuccio I am assured you dooe greatlie wonder at these faire woordes this curteous interteignement and at the teares whiche I lette falle And no meruaile althoughe you doe not knowe me and peraduenture neuer heard tell of me before But I will declare vnto you a thyng more strasige and merueilous then that is And to tell you plaine I am your owne sister and I saie vnto you that sith it hath pleased my Lorde God to shewe me so muche grace and fauour that I doe now se one of my brethren before I die although I desire to see them al I care not when he dooe call me from this wretched woride I am so in spirite comforted and releued And
crueltie towardes her he thought by the destruction and slaughter of Guiscardo to coole her burnyng loue And therefore commaunded twoo of his seruauntes that had Guiscardo in kepyng without any noise to strangle hym the next night and afterwardes pluckyng his harte out of his bodie to bryng it vnto him who did as thei were commaunded And the nexte daie the kyng caused a faier Cuppe of golde to bee brought vnto hym wherein he laied the harte of Guiscardo whiche he sente by one of his familer seruauntes vnto his doughter and commaunded hym when he presented the same vnto her to saie these woordes Thy father hath sent thee this present to comforte thy self with the thyng whiche thou doest chieflie loue as thou hast comforted hym of that whiche he loued moste Gismonda not amoued frō her cruell determinaciō caused to be brought vnto her after her father was gone venemous herbes and rootes whiche she distilled together and made water thereof to drincke sodainly if that came to passe whiche she doubted And when the kynges seruaunt was come vnto her and had deliuered his presente he saied as he was commaunded Gismonda tooke the cuppe with a stoute countenaunce coueryng it so sone as she sawe the harte and vnderstoode the wordes she thought verely that it was the harte of Guiscardo wherefore beholdyng the seruaunt she said vnto him Truely it behoueth that suche a harte as this is should bée intombed in no worsse graue then in gold whiche my father hath moste wisely doen. Afterwardes liftyng the cuppe to her mouthe she kissed it saiyng I haue in all thynges euen vnto this time being the last ende of my life alwaies founde the tender loue of my father towardes me but now I knowe it to bée greater then euer I did before And therefore in my behalfe you shall render vnto hym the last thankes that euer I shall giue hym for so greate a presente After those woordes tourning her self towardes the cuppe whiche she helde fast beholdyng the harte she saied thus Oh sweete harborough of my pleasures cursed be the crueltie of hym that hath caused me at this tyme to looke vpon thée with the eyes of my face it was pleasure enoughe to sée thée euery hower emonges people of knowledge and vnderstanding Thou hast finished thy course and by that ende whiche Fortune vouchsaufed to giue thée thou art dispatched and arriued to the ende wherevnto all men haue recourse thou hast forsaked the miseries and traueiles of this worlde and hast had by the enemie hymself suche a sepulture as thy worthinesse deserueth There néedeth nothyng els to accomplishe thy funeralle but onely the teares of her whom thou diddest hartely loue al the daies of thy life For hauing whereof our Lorde did putte into the heade of my vnmercifull father to sende thée vnto me and truely I will bestowe some teares vpon thée although I was determined to die without sheadyng any teares at all stoutlie not fearfull of any thyng And when I haue powred them out for thée I will cause my soule whiche thou hast heretofore so carefully kept to be ioyned with thine For in what companie can I trauell more contented or in better saufgarde in places vnknowen then with thy soule Truely I am well assured that it is yet here within that hath respecte to the place aswell of his owne pleasures as of myne beyng assured as she who is certaine that yet he loueth me that he attenddeth for my soule of whom she is so greatly beloued When she had thus saied she began to let fall as though there had béen a fountaine in her hedde so many teares that it was a miracle to beholde her oftētymes kissyng the dedde harte Her maidens that stode aboute her vnderstoode not what harte that was nor wherevnto these wordes did tende but beyng moued with compassion thei all wept pitifullie demaunding although in vaine the occasion of her sorowfull plaintes and comforted her so well as thei could Who after she had powred for the sufficient teares lifted vp her hedde and when she had wiped hereyes she saied Oh louyng harte all my duetie is fulfilled towardes thée hauyng now nothyng to doe but onely to yelde forthe my ghoste to accōpanie thine And this saied she caused the glasse of water whiche she had made the daie before to bee brought vnto her and poured it out into the cuppe where the harte laie all bained with a multitude of teares whiche she puttyng to her mouthe without feare dronke vp all And that dooen went into her bedde with the Cuppe in her hande tossyng her bodie as decently as she could vpon the same holdyng the harte of her dedde frende so nere as she could vnto her owne hart Her maidens seyng this although thei knewe not what water it was that she dranke sente woorde to the kyng who fearyng that whiche happened incontinently wente doune into his doughters chamber where he arriued euen at that instaunte that she had cast her self vpon the bedde and beyng come to late to succour her with swete wordes be began seing her in those pangues to wepe bitterlie To whom his dougther saied Father kepe in those vndesired teares and bestowe them not vpon me for I desire them not who euer sawe manne besides you to bewaile the wilfulnesse of his owne facte Howbeeit if there dooe yet reste in you any sparke of that loue whiche you haue alwaies borne towardes me graunte me this last requeste that although you were not contented that I should liue secretly and couertly with Guiscardo yet at lest cause our bodies to be openly buried togethers where it pleaseth you to bestowe them The anguishe and sorowe would not suffer the prince to answere one worde for weping And then the Ladie perceiuyng her ende approche cleped and strained the dead harte hard to her stomacke saiyng Farewell swete harte in God for I am goyng to hym And there withall she closed her eyes and lost her senses departyng out of this dolorous life In this manner sorowfullie ended the loue of Gismonda and Guiscardo as you haue heard whom the Prince after he had wept his fill and taken to late repentaunce for his crueltie caused honorablie to be buried and intombed bothe in one graue not without greate sorowe of all the people of Salerne Mahomet one of the Turkishe Emperours executeth curssed crueltie vpon a Greke maiden whō he toke prisoner at the winning of Constantinople ¶ The .xl. Nouell IF you dooe euer make any proofe or triall to knowe of what trampe the arrowes of Loue bee and what fruicte thei bryng to them that doe vse and practice the same I am assured you shal bee touched with some pitie when ye vnderstande the beastlie crueltie of an Infidell louer towardes his Ladie He of whom I will declare the historie is Mahomet not the false Prophete but the greate graundfather of Solimā Ottoman Emperour of the Turkes whiche raigned at that time He it is that to the shame and eternall infamie
of all Christian Princes of his tyme did winne Constantinople and tooke awaie the Easte Empire form Constantine a Christian Emperour the yere of our Lorde 1453. Mahomet then hauyng obteined so greate victorie at Constantinople emonges the spoil of that riche citie there was founde a Greke maiden of suche rare and excellent beautie that she allured the eyes of euery wight to wonder and beholde the same as a thyng miraculous whose name was Hirenee of the age of sixtene or seuentene yeres Whom a Capitaine to gratifie his Lorde did present a Iewell as he thought moste acceptable to hym aboue all thynges of the worlde The Emperour Mahomet yonge and wanton beyonde measure after he had cast his eye vpō the maiden and had grauen her beautie in his harte gaue a straight charge that she should be kept for him hopyng after the tumulte of the warre was ended to bestowe conuenient tyme vpon her The retract sounded and the affaires of the Empire reduced to sure estate remembring hymself of the beautie of Hyrenee whiche had made a breache entrie into his hart commaunded that she should be brought forthe vnto hym and hauyng viewed her at his pleasure he felt himself so surprised with that newe flame that he conceiued none other delight but to plaie and dallie with her in suche sorte that his spirites beyng in Loues full possession Loue dealt with hym so cruellie that he could take no rest daie nor night Who yelded hymself suche a praie to his darlyng Hyrenee that he felt none other contentacion in his minde but that whiche he receiued of her And this amorous passiō indured the space of thrée continuall yeres takyng suche vigor and increase by litle and litle that he began to forgette that whiche apperteined to the ornamente and honor of his Empire leauyng the whole administraciō of publique causes to his Baschats he hymself beyng so necligent that he reposed in them all matters concernyng the state of the Empire Duryng this disorder the vulgar people began secretly to grudge aswell for the confusion and disorder of the Empire as for the ill gouernement of the same and specially because the Baschats corrupted with auarice imploied themselfes to their particuler profite and to inriche themselfes with the spoile of the people The Ianissaries on the other side a warlike people and brought vp in continuall exercise of armes began with open voice to detracte and slaunder their Lorde commonlie complainyng how he consumed his life like an effeminate persone without inferryng or doyng any profite to the Empire To be shorte the matter came to suche desolacion that it might rather haue been called a sedicion then a murmure and yet there was none so hardie as durste attempt to declare the same to the Emperour knowyng hym to bee of nature so terrible cruell and rigorous that with a woorde he would put hym to death that went aboute to withdrawe him from his desire Therwithall he was so drōke with the beautie of the Greke that the leste matter wherewith thei might giue occasion to withdrawe hym from his necligent life was enough to driue hym into a rage and furie This poore Emperour was so bewitched that not onely he consumed daies and nightes with her but he burned with continual Ialousie whose beautie was so liuely painted in the inwarde partes of his harte and mynde that he remained thus ouerwhelmed in beastly pleasure euery man in particuler and all in generall conspired against hym with one determinate minde to yelde no more obedience vnto hym in tyme to come and purposed to chose some Emperour that were more marciall and warlike through whose succour and counsaile thei might not onely conserue the thynges gotten but also amplifie the boundes and limites of their Empire Mustapha whiche was broughte vp with the Emperour a gentle personage franke of talke and so nere to his maiestie that he might goe into his chamber although the Greke was present when he perceiued conueniente tyme suche as he desired to haue repaired to the Emperour vpon a daie who likyng wel his deuises walked with hym alone in his Gardein to whom after he had made greate reuerence accordyng to their custome he saied vnto hym My soueraigne lorde and maister if I might speake fréelie without seruile feare whiche staieth me or if the terrour of your displeasure might not abashe me I would willinglie declare vnto your maiestie that whiche concerneth not onely your securitie and saufgarde but whiche is more the sauftie of your whole Empire Whō Mahomet answered with merie countenaūce saiyng Cast a waie suche cold feare as staieth thee and speake hardely thy mynde Shewe me what it is that toucheth me I doubt and it shall please your maiestie lest I shall séeme ouer presumptuous and rashe vnto you if I dooe discouer the secretes of my harte but our auncient educacion the duetie of my cōscience with the experience that you haue alwaies had of my fidelitie haue so muche forced me that being no longer able to rule my self I am constrained by what vertuous prouocacion I knowe not to manifest thinges vnto you that bothe tyme and necessitie wil make you to thinke them good and necessarie Although it maie so bée that now your eyes be so bounde vp in the vaile of your disordinate affection that you can not digest or take the same in good part The life my lorde whiche you haue ledde sithens the taking of Constantinople and the excessiue pleasures wherein you haue plūdged your self these thrée yeres is an occasion that not onely your souldiours and the rest of your popular people but the moste faithfull lordes of your Empire doe murmure conspire and coniure against you And pardon me my Lorde if I speake so vnreuerently in thynges touchyng your preseruacion For there is no manne but doeth verie muche merueile of this great and newe alteraciō that appereth in you whiche doeth so abase you and maketh you to degenerate from your auncient generositie and valiaunce Your owne self hath giuen ouer your self to bée a spoile and praie to a simple woman that you wholie depende vpon her flattries aud allurementes reason or counsaill cā take no place in your passionate and afflicted harte But I humblie beseche your Maiestie to entre a little into your self and make a suruey of your life that you haue sedde these thrée yeres past The glorie of your auncestours and predecessours acquired and wonne by sheadyng of so muche bloudde kept by so greate prudence conserued by so happie counsaill haue thei no representacion or shewe before your face The remembraūce of their memorable victories doeth it not touch the depthe of your conscience The magnanimite and valiaunce wherby thei be immortalized and their fame registred through the whole worlde is it extinguished in you Their Trophées and monumētes grauen and aduaunced in all the corners of the earth be thei throwen doune and defaced from the siege of your remembraunce But where is now the ardent desire
the honeste loue betwene the Lorde and the Ladie as for the vertue and clemēcie wherewith both the one and the other were accōpanied who in the beginnyng as honestie duetie did require was a louer of good maners and commendable demeanour of his Ladie and maistresse afterwardes forgettyng the fidelitie whiche he did owe vnto his Lorde the nobilitie of his predecessours and the perill of his owne life began to loue her and serue her in harte and to wishe for the fairest thyng whiche outwardlie did appere to bee in her where he ought not so muche as with the looke of his eye to giue any atteinte of likelihode for the reuerence of hym whiche was the right honor and iuste possessor of the same This maister foole then not measuryng his forces and lesse followyng the instincte of Reason became so amourous of his Madame that cōtinually he imagined by what meanes he might giue her to vnderstande the paines and languores wherein he liued for the loue of her But alas these deuises vanished like a litle dispersed cloude at the risyng of the Sonne For thinkyng vpon the vertue of his maistresse his desires were soner remoued from his harte then he was able to impresse them in the seate of his iudgemente thereby to take any certaine assuraunce Notwithstandyng his hedde ceased not to builde Castelles in the aire and made a promisse to hymself to inioye her whom he worshipped in his harte For he tooke suche paines by his humble seruice that in the ende he acquired some parte of his Ladies good grace and fauor And for that he durst not be so bolde to manifest vnto her the vehemencie of his grief he was cōtented a long tyme to shewe a counterfaicte ioye whiche raised vnto hym a liuely spring of sorowes and displeasures that did ordinarily frette boile his minde so muche that the force of his wepyng for vaine hope was able to suffocate the remnant of life that rested in his tormented harte whiche caused certaine litle brookes of teares to streame donne assailyng the myndeof this foolishe Louer This faier and chaste Ladie was so resolued in the loue of her husbande that she tooke no regarde to the countenaunces and foolishe fashions of this maister Louer Who seyng his mishappe to grow worsse and worsse and from thence forthe no remedie that whether by reioyse well hopyng of better lucke or for sodaine and miserable death he determined to proue Fortune and to sée if the water of his hope could finde any passage stedfastly determinyng that if he were throwē downe hedlong into the bottō of Refusall cōtēpned for his seruice not to retire againe but rather further to plondge for the acceleratyng of the ruine of hymself and his desires For he thought it impossible that his harte could indure more intollerable heate of that inuisible fier then it had felt alredie if he founde no meanes for the smoke to haue some vent and issue For whiche consideracion cleane besides hymself bewitched with foolishe Loue like a beast throughly transformed into a thing that had no sense of a reasonable manne suche as thei bee accustomably that be inrolled in the muster bookes of Venus sonne was purposed to open to the Ladie when occasion serued bothe the euil and also the grief that he susteined in bearyng toward her so greate and extreme affection Beholde here one of the effectes of humane follie this was the firste acte of the Tragedie wherein Loue maketh this brainlesse manne to plaie the firste and principall parte vpon the Stage This poore gentleman otherwise a good seruaunt and carefull for the profite and honour of his maister is nowe so voide of hymself and blinde in vnderstanding that he maketh no consciēce to assaile her to defraude her of her greatest vertue the simple name of whom ought to haue made hym tremble for feare and to blushe for shame rather then for her beautie sake and naturall curtesie to dispoile her of her honestie and to attempte a thyng vncertaine to winne also more daungerous to practise Now whiles he liued in the attempt of his hoped occasion it chaunced that the Ladie thinkyng no malice at all began to beholde the Stewarde with a better eye and loke more familier then any of the gentlemen and domesticall seruauntes of the house aswell for the painted honestie of this Galant as to sée hym so prompte and redie to obeie her And therefore vpon a daie as she walked in the Gallerie she called hym vnto her and verie familierly communicated vnto hym certaine affaires touchyng the profite of the house He that marched not but vpon one foote and burned with Loue and whose harte leapte for ioye and daunced for gladnesse thought that he had now obteined the toppe of his felicitie the whole effecte of his desire sodainly he cast awaie the dispaire of his former conceiptes obiectyng hymself to the daunger wherin he was like to be ouerwhelmed if the Ladie accepted not his request with good digestion In the ende recoueryng force he discoursed in his mynde this wicked opinion wherewith folishe and wilfull fleshely louers doe blason and displaie the honour and chastite of Ladies when thei make their vaunte that there is no woman be she neuer so chaste continente or honest but in the ende yeldeth if she be throughly pursued O the woerdes and opinion of a beast rather then of a man knowing vertue Is the nomber of chaste women so diminished that their renowme at this daie is like a Boate in the middes of some tempestious sea wherevnto the mariners dooe repaire to saue themselfes It is the onelie vertue of Laies whiche doeth constraine them to vomite forthe their poison when thei sée themselfes deceiued of their fonde and vncomely demaundes A man shall neuer heare those wordes procede but from the mouthes of the moste lasciuious whiche delight in nothyng els but to corrupt the good names of Ladies afterwarde to make them their laughyng stockes Retourne wée then to our purpose this valiaunt souldior of Loue willyng to giue the first onset vpon his swete enemie beganne to waxe pale and to tremble like the Réede blowen with the winde and knoweth not in what parte or by what meanes to bestowe the firste strokes of his assault At length with foltring tongue and tremblyng voice he speaketh to his Ladie in this wise Alas madame how happy were the course of our transitorie life if the common passions receiued no increase of their trouble by newe and diuers accidentes whiche seme to take roote in vs for the very greate diminucion of that libertie that euery manne doeth study so muche to cōserue But truely that studie is vain and the paine therof vnprofitablie bestowed For such a manne inforceth hymself to liue frée from passion whiche in the middes of his inforcemente feeleth hym self to be violently constarined and séeth the takyng awaie of his libertie to be a certaine impeachemente which therevnto he would giue Alacke I
steward not contentented with the mischief cōmitted against the honor of his maister seing that it was but lost time to cōtinue his pursute and that his gaine would bee no lesse then death if she accordyng to her promised threates did thereof aduertise her husbande beyng a cholerique manne and light of belefe and bicause the saied Stewarde for suche an enterprise had receiued a simple recompence although correspondent to his desert premeditated worsse mischiefes more noisome then the firste He was in doubt whether it were better for hym to tarry or to depart sithe twoo thinges in a maner were intollerable for hym to suffer For he could not forsake the house where from his cradle he had béen finelie broughte vp the Lorde whereof made muche of hym as of his owne persone On the other side he knewe that so longe as the Ladie was aliue he could haue no maner of ioye or contentacion For that cause conuerting extreme loue whiche once he bare to the Ladie into cruell hatred vnsemelie for a brutall beast and into an insaciable desire of reuenge he determined to addresse so strong an ambushe trained with suche subteltie that she was not able to escape without daunger of her life and honor whereof she declared her self to be so carefull Alas what blindnes is that whiche captiuateth the wittes and spirite of hym that feedeth hymself of nothyng els but vpon the rage of fantasticall despite and vpon the furie of despaire Doe we not se that after Reason giueth place to desired reuenge of wronge thought to be receiued man dispoyleth hymself of that whiche apperteineth to the kinde of man to put on the fierce nature of the moste brute and cruell beastes to runne hedlong without reason toward the place where the disordinate appetite of affections doeth conducte hym Whereof I will not aduouche any other example but of this Traitour who passionated not with Loue but rather with rage and furie ceaseth not to espie al the actions and behauiour of his Ladie to the intente he might bryng to ende his deuised treason against her that thought perchaunce no more of his folies but honestlie to passe the tyme with her deare and wel beloued husbande Truely if this Ladie had béen of the disposicion of some women that care not to moleste their husbandes for the firste Flie that buzzeth before their eyes conceiuyng a friuelous and sodaine opiniō of their chastitie not so muche asiailed or to sharpelie defended chauntyng glorious Hympnes and high praises of their victorie certainlie she had not tombled her self into the daunger wherevnto afterwardes she fill Not for that I will blame them that doe reueale to their husbande 's the assaultes whiche thei receiue of importunate suters that doe assaie to deflower their Chastite Yet I will saie that Mosdestie in the same as in euery other humaine actiō is greatly to be required sith that suche a one by thinkyng to extolle her honour and honestie and to make proofe of her chastite rendreth the same suspicious and giueth occasion of talke to the people that is more apt and redie to slaunder and infamie then by good reporte to praise them whiche by vertue doe deserue commēdacion bringyng the life and fame of her husbande to suche extremitie that it had béen better vertuouslie to haue resisted the force of Loue and the flatteryng sute of suche Louers then to manifest that whiche mighte haue been kept secrete without preiudice of either partes And truely that woman deserueth greater glorie which of her self defendeth her honestie and quencheth the flames liuely kindled in the hartes of other with the coldnesse of continencie by that meanes vanquishing twoo then she doeth whiche manifesting the vice of an other discloseth as it were a certain apparaunce of her frailtie and the litle reason wherewith she is indewed to vanquishe hym that confesseth to be her seruaunt and whose will dependeth at her commaundement And when the whole matter shal be rightly iudged she that reuealeth the imperfecciō of a Suter sheweth her opinion and minde to be more pliant to yelde to his requeste then indewed with reason to abandon pleasure and to reiecte the insolencie of the same sithe that Reasons force doeth easely vanquishe the lighte affeccions of the sensuall partie which ones ingrauen in their fantasie doe make the senses of those women so inconstant as thei perswade themselfes to bée puissaunt and mightie that all thinges be and rest at their will and pleasure Retournyng now then to our former discourse the Stewarde so laboured with might and maine till he had founde meanes to bee reuenged of the receiued refusall with suche subtiltie and Deuelishe inuencion as was possible for manne to deuise whiche was this Emong the seruauntes of this greate lorde there was one no lesse yonge of witte and vnderstandyng then of age And albeit that he was faier and comelie yet so simple and foolishe as he had muche a doe to tell the nomber of sixe This foole by reason of his folly and simplicitie was the onely sporte and passetyme of the Lorde and Ladie The Ladie many tymes tooke pleasure to talke with this maister foole to bring hym into a choler and chaufe thereby to prouoke laughter And therefore all the housholde vsed to call hym in mockerie My Ladies darelyng In whom the Lorde tooke singuler pleasure and delight estemyng hym so well as any of the other seruauntes The malicious Steward seyng the familiaritie of the Ladie with the fole like one that had alredie catched his praie within his snares began also to make muche of that yonge Cockescome in suche wise as he had broughte hym into suche fooles paradise that he might make hym doe and saie what he list Who seyng hym so diligent to his desire one daie tooke hym a side and after he hadde whittled hym well he saied vnto him Dicke I can tel thée a knacke that thou shalt make my Ladie laugh well but thou muste saie nothyng till she dooe perceiue it The poore Idiot glad to please his maistres was desirous to knowe what it was promised to dooe what so euer he would bidde hym Thou most said the Stewarde in the euenyng before she goe into her chamber hide thy self vnder her bedde and tary there till it bee an hower or twoo before daie and then I will tell thee what thou must doe This platte deuised the foole the same euenyng executed the deuise of his Deuelishe counsailour who seyng his desire to take effecte went to an olde gentleman that was of greate honestie and vertue for whiche he was of all men so well knowen that thei estemed his worde so true as the Gospell To that gentleman this craftie villaine full of poison and malice wholy bente to mischief tolde and reported the fact not as it was in déede but to the greate preiudice dishonour of the Ladie giuyng hym to vnderstande how muche she had forgottē her self that without the feare of God reuerence of her
husbande and respect of her owne honestie she had filthely giuen her self ouer to him which was called her Dareling The good gentleman hearyng this straunge case was astonned like one that had béen stroken with a flashe of lightenyng then drawing nere to the Accuser he answered It is possible that suche wickednesse canne lie hidden in the breast of our madame I sweare vnto thée by God that if any other had tolde it me besides you I would not haue beleued it and truely yet I am in doubt thereof No no saied this wicked blasphemer I will make you sée that whiche you can not beleue And hauyng lessoned his foole in his wonted follie the nexte daie he tooke the gentleman thither who seyng the Ladies minion going out of her chamber whiche many times laie seuerallie from her husbande could not refraine weepyng lamentyng the ill fortune of his Lorde who thinkyng that he had had an honeste wife was abused with an impudente and vnshamefast whore Then he began to frame a long Oracion againste the incontinencie of women moued rather through the good will he bare to his maister then to the truthe of the matter whiche vndiscretely he spake against the order of women kinde So ignoraunte was he of the treason and indeuour of the Stewarde who demaunded of hym what was to be dooen in that matter What saied the olde gentleman Suche wickednesse ought not to bée vnpunished My Lorde must be aduertised hereof that the house maie be purged of suche a plague and infeccion that he maie euidently vnderstande the hypocrisie of her that so long tyme hath kepte close her incontinencie vnder the vaile of fained chastitie But the righteous God made openly to appere before mennes eyes the secrete sinnes of the wicked to thintent greater slaunders should not increase The Steward verie ioyfull that he had gotten so honest a manne to bee a witnesse of his accusaciō approued his aduice for that it agreed well with his intente So thei wood together went to the Lorde with countenaunce sadde and heauie correspondente to their mynde and speciallie the Traitour whose sense was so confounded with gladnesse that thinkyng to beginne his tale his wordes so stucke in his mouthe as he was not able to vtter a worde Whereat the Lorde was wonderfully abashed merueilyng what that tinudice did meane till he had heard the vnfaithfull Steward tell his tale who saied to hym in this maner My Lorde I am sorie that it is my lot to declare vnto you a matter hitherto vnknowen and not marked or taken héede of by any manne whiche wil so muche offende you as any pleasure that euer till this daie did please and contēt you And God knoweth what grief it is to me in your presence to be an accuser of a persone in the worlde whiche I haue estemed next vnto you aboue any other creature that liueth But beyng in the place I am I mighte by good desert be accused of treason and felonie if concealyng suche a detestable crime I should leaue the same of fidelitie to an other lesse desirous to do you seruice then I am Who beleueth there is no seconde persone that desireth better to acquite the goodnesse and prefermēt whiche I haue receiued of your Lordship then I dooe This it is my Lorde My Ladie misprisyng her duetie to your lordshippe and the honor of the house whereof she came hath not disdained to receiue into her chāber at inconuenient time the foole that is called her Darelyng and in the place into whiche none but your honor ought to haue peaceable entrie wherof this gentleman present whom you knowe to be without comparison shal be witnesse Touchyng my self the faithe and truste whiche alwaies I haue vsed in all your affaires and the litle affection whiche I haue to thinges contrary to vertue shall giue true testimonie of that whiche I haue saied The lorde bearyng these pitifull newes which perced his harte more depe then any two edged sworde at the first was so astōned that he could not tell what to saie or doe sauyng the ardente furie of Cholere made hym distill a certaine Melancholique humor into his eyes whiche receiued the superfluous vapours of his braine At length breaking that sorthe whiche troubled hym within and grindyng his téethe for furie with stuttering and vncertain voice fetching sighes betwene saied O GOD what newes bée these that I heare Is it possible that the fairest and chastest Ladie that liueth hath in this wise defaced her honour and so wickedly blemished my reputacion Alas if it so be that she hath in this wise disparaged her self no truste is to be reposed in any other what soeuer she be Ah God vnder what Planet was I borne that after so long pleasure receiued with my beloued fere and companion I should by her sele a displeasure an hundred times worsse then death Is there no remedie but that my house must receiue and sée an enterprise to vilanous by her onely meane whiche ought rather to haue béen the ornament and beautie of the same Then he chaused vp and doune the chamber without speakyng any more woordes with his eyes rollyng in his hedde makyng straunge countenaunces whiche did well expresse the grief that vexed and tormented his mynde In the ende halfe pacified he tourned his face toward the Accuser saiyng My frende if this be true whiche thou hast tolde me I sweare by GOD that I will make her fele the smart of suche greuous punishment as shal be spoken of for euer But if my wife bée slaundred and accused wrongfully assure thy self that I will bee reuenged vpon thee I knowe the vertue of this gentleman very well hauyng hadde good proofe thereof of thy fidelitie I am nothyng at all in doubt But alas the loue that I beare vnto my wife and her former vertue whiche maketh me to loue and esteme her so muche dooeth throughly pearce my harte and muche adoe I haue to liue hearing this report whiche doeth deface and blotte al the honestie and vertue that euer remained in me And that was it my Lorde answered the Traitour whiche did deceiue you For the shewe of that painted vertue did so delude you that you bee almoste bewitched from vnderstanding the wrong so manifestlie perpetrated against you and all your house Now to th ende that you thinke not the accusacion to be false I trust if it please you to assist me to let you sée the thing whereof we haue giuen you intelligence I will dooe saied the Lorde what you will haue me although it be to my greate grief and sorow To morowe mornyng then answered the Traitour one hower before daie I will let you sée the varlet goyng out of her chamber with so greate ioye as I dooe conceiue heauinesse and griefe for the simple remembraunce of so greate wickednesse When thei were agréed herevpon this knaue moste detestable weauing the toile wherein he hymself was caught went to suborne the personage of his foole whole
discourse whiche setteth before your eyes what ende the fonde loue of them ordinarelie haue whiche without reason not measuryng their owne abilitie doe suffer themselfes to be guided and ledde into their sensuall lustes and appetites For ill successe faileth not in a beginnyng the grounde whereof abhorryng reason is planted and laied vpon the sandie foundacion of pleasure whiche is shaken and ouerthrowen by the least winde and tempest that Fortune can bluster against suche buildyng Didaco and Violenta Didaco a Spaniarde is in loue with a poore maiden of Valencia aud secretely marieth her afterwardes lothyng his firste mariage bicause she was of base parentage he marieth an other of noble birthe His first wife by secrete messenger praieth his companie whose request he accomplisheth Beeyng a bedde she and her maide killeth hym She throweth hym into the streate she in desperate wise cōfesseth the facte before the Magistrates and is put to death ¶ The .xlii. Nouell THere is no manne but doeth knowe that Valencia is at this daie the chief and onely Rampar of Spaine the true seate of Faithe Iustice and Humanitie And emōges all the rare and excellent-ornamentes that citie is wel furnished with so trimme Ladies and curteous gentlewomen as thei knowe how to baite and féede yonge men with foolishe daliaunce and idle passetyme So that if there be any beetle hedde or grosse persone the better to allure and prouoke him to those follies thei tell hym by a common Prouerbe that he must goe to Valencia In this citie there was in old tyme as it is at this daie a verie auncient stocke and familie called Ventimiglia out of whiche be descended a great nomber of riche and honorable knightes Emonges whom not longe tyme passe there was one named Didaco verie famous and renowmed to be the moste liberall and familer gentleman of the citie who for wante of better businesse walked vp and doune the citie and so consumed his youth in triūphes maskes and other expences common and apt for suche pilgrimes addressing his loue indifferently to all women without greater affection to one then to an other and continued that order till vpon an holy daie he espied a yong maide of smal yeres but of verie exquisite beautie whiche maiden sodainly castyng her eye vpon hym so pearced the knight Didaco with her looke that from that tyme forthe she entred more nere his harte then any other And after he had wel marked her dwellyng place he many tymes passed and repassed before the doore to espie if he might gette some looke or other fauour of her that began alredie to gouerne the bridle of his thoughtes and if it chaunced that the gentlemanne behelde her she shewed herself curteous and amiable indued with grace so good that he neuer departed ill contēted out of that streate The gentleman continuyng certaine tyme in those vanities was destrous to know a farre of what she was of what lineage and of what vocacion And after he had curiously serched out all her originall he vnderstoode by diuers reporte that she was a Goldsmithes doughter whose father was dedde certaine yeres before hauyng no more but her another aliue and twoo brethren bothe of their fathers occupacion Notwithstandyng of life she was chaste honeste defamed with none although she was pursued of many Her outwarde beautie did not so muche sette her forthe as her grace and order of talke who although brought vp in a citizens house yet no ladie or gentlewoman in the Citie was comparable to her in vertue and behauiour For from her tender yeres she was not onely giuen to her nedle a méete exercise for maides of her degrée but also was trained vp to write and reade wherin she tooke so great pleasure that ordinarilie she carried a boke in her hande whiche she neuer gaue ouer till she had gathered some fruicte thereof This knight hauing receiued that first impression of the valor and vertue of Violenta for that was her name was further in loue then before and that whiche added more oile to the matche was the continuall lookes wherwith she knewe how to delight him and with them she was so liberall that so oft as he passed through the streate she shotte them forthe so cruelly that his poore harte felyng it self so tormēted could not indure that newe onset By reason whereof thinkyng to quenche the fire that by litle and litle consumed hym he would attempt her chastite with giftes letters and messengers whiche he continued the space of halfe a yere or more Wherevnto Violenta giuyng no place in the ende he was constreined to assaile her with his own presence and one daie findying her alone at the doore after he had made a verie humble reuerence vnto her he saied Maistresse Violenta consideryng your order and the colde regarde that you haue to my letters and messages I doe remember the subtiltie that is attributed to the Serpente who with his taile stoppeth his eares bicause he will not heare the woordes whiche hath power to constraine hym to doe against his wil which hath made me to leaue to write vnto you to desire specially to speake vnto you that myne affectuous accentes my sorowfull wordes and feruente sighes might certefie you better then Paper the rest of my passion beleuyng verely that if the heauie sounde of my greuous complaintes maie come to your eares thei will make you to vnderstande a parte of that good and euill whiche I feele continually in my harte although the loue whiche I beare you be suche that I can not giue suche liuelie experience outwardly beyng but litle in comparison of them whiche maie be séen within And pronouncyng those wordes there followed so many teares sobbes and sighes that thei gaue sufficiēt testimonie that his tongue was the true and faithfull messenger of his harte Whereof Violenta somewhat ashamed with a constaunte grace said vnto hym Senior Didaco if you dooe yet remember your life past and mine honestie whiche peraduenture you haue thought either rude or cruell I doubte not that you haue any cause to maruaile of my presumpcion and to attribute that to vice whiche is familier with vertue For although that you haue sollicited me to loue you by an infinite nomber of letters and messages yet it is so that followyng the nature of maides of my degrée I haue neither allowed them nor yet cōdempned thē as where vnto accordinglie I haue made none answere not for despite or contempte but to lette you knowe more certainlie that by fauoryng your enterprises I should increase your grief whiche can receiue none ende by the waie you pretēde For although that I haue made the first proofe vpon my self and therfore of reason I ought to lamente them whiche bee in semblable paine yet I will not let slippe the bridle in suche wise to my passion that myne honestie shall remaine in an other mannes power and so it maie bée at the mercie and curtesie of them who not knowyng how dere
coste requisite for suche a matter In this sort thei spent the daie in great ioye and mirthe whiche thei can conceiue that bee of base birthe and exalted to some high degree of honor till night was come and then euery man withdrewe themselfes leauyng the bride and her husbande to the mercie of Loue and order of the night Who beyng alone receiued equall ioye and like contentacion which thei fele that beyng pressed with ardent and greuous thirst doe in th ende afterwardes with liuely ioye and all kinde of libertie quenche that cruell discommodite and continued in those pleasures till mornyng that daie began to appere to whom Violenta saied My honourable Lorde and dere husbande sithe that you bee now in possession of that whiche you haue so greatlie desired I humbly beseche you to consider for the tyme to come howe and what wise your pleasure is that I shall vse my self For if God graunte me the grace to be so discrete in pleasyng you as I shal be redie and desirous to obeye you in all that you shall commaunde me there was neuer gentle mannes seruaunte that did more willingly please his maister then I hope to do you Wherevnto Didaco answered My sweete and welbeloued wife Let vs leaue this humblenesse and seruice for this tyme to them whiche delight in those thynges For I promis you of my faithe that I haue you in no lesse reuerence estimacion then if you had come of the greateste house in Cathalongne as I will make you vnderstande some other tyme at more leasure But till I haue giuen order to certaine of myne affaires I praie you to kepe our Mariage secrete and bee not offended if many tymes I doe resorte home to myne owne house although there shall no daie passe by my will but at nighte I will keepe you companie In the meane tyme to buie you necessaries I will sende you a thousande or twelue hundred Ducates to imploie not vpon apparell or other thynges requisite to your degrée for I will prouide the same my self at an other tyme but vpon small trifles suche as be apt and conuenient for housholde And so departed Senior Didaco from his wiues house who did so louyngly interteigne hym that by the space of a yere there was no daie wherein he was content without the viewe and sight of his wife And vpon his oft resort to their house the neighbours began to suspect that he kept the maiden and rebuked her mother and brethren but specially Violenta for sufferyng Didaco to vse their house in suche secrete wise And aboue all thei lamented the ill happe of Violenta who beyng so well brought vp till she was twētie yeres of age and a maiden of suche beautie that there was none in all the citie of Valencia but greatly did esteme her to bee of singuler honestie and reputacion Notwithstandyng degeneratyng from her accustomed vertue thei iudged her to be light of behauiour giuen to lasciuious loue And albeit that very many times suche checkes and tauntes were obiected and that she vnderstode that murmur and talke yet she made small accompt of them knowing that her consciēce by any meanes was not charged with suche reproche hoping therewithall that one daie she would make them to giue ouer that false opinion when her Mariage should be published and knowē But certain tymes féelyng her self touched and her honestie appaired could not conteine but when she sawe tyme with her husbande she praied hym very earnestly to haue her home to his owne house to auoide slaūder and defamacion of neighbors But sir Didaco knewe so well how to vse his wife by delaies and promises that she agreed vnto hym in all thynges had rather displease the whole worlde together then offende hym alone Beyng now so attached with the loue of the knighte that she cared for nothyng els but to please and contēt hym in all thinges wherevnto she sawe hym disposed and like as in the beginnyng she was harde and verie slacke in loue now she became so seruent earnest in her affections that she receiued no pleasure but in the sight of Didaco or in that whiche might contente and please him best Whiche the knight did easely perceiue and seyng himself in full possession of her harte began by litle and litle to waxe cold and to be grieued at that which before he compted deare and precious perswadyng himself that he should doe wrong to his reputacion if that Mariage vnworthie of his estate were discouered and knowē in the citie And to prouide for the same he more seldome tymes repaired to visite his wife Violenta yea and whē so euer he resorted to her it was more to satisfie his carnall pleasure then for any loue he bare her And thus forgettyng bothe God and his owne consience he frequēted other companies in diuerse places to winne the good will of some other gentlewoman In the ende by sundrie sutes dissimulacions and hipocrisies he so behaued hymself that he recouered the good will of the doughter of Senior Ramyrio Vigliaracuta one of the chiefest knightes and of moste auncient house of Valencia And as we haue declared before bicause he was riche and wealthie and issued of a noble race her parentes did easely agrée to the Mariage And the father hauyng assigned an honourable dowrie to his doughter The Nuptials were celebrated publikely with greate pompe and solempnitie to the greate contentacion of all men The Mariage doen and ended sir Didaco and his newe wife continued at the house of his father in lawe where he liued a certaine tyme in suche pleasure and delectaciō as thei dooe that be newly maried Whereof the mother and brethren of Violenta beyng aduertised conceiued like sorowe as accustomablie thei dooe that sée the honour of them that be issued of their owne bloodde vniustly and without cause to bée dispoiled And these poore miserable creatures not knowyng to whom to make their complainte liued in straunge perplexitie bicause thei knewe not the Prieste whiche did solempnise their Mariage On the other side thei had no sufficient proofe of the same And albeit thei were able to verifie in some poinctes the first Mariage of Didaco yet thei burste not prosecute the lawe against twoo of the greateste Lordes of their Citie And knowyng the stoute harie of Violenta thei thoughte to conceale the same from her for a time but it was in vaine For not longe after she was certified thereof not onely by the nexte neighbours but by the common brute of the citie whiche reported that in tēne yeres space there was not seen in Valencia a Mariage more honourable or roiall nor better frequented with a noble companie of gentlemen and Ladies then the same was of the yong knight Didaco with the doughter of Senior Ramyrio Wherwithall Violenta vexed beyonde measure pressed with yre and surie withdrewe her self into her chāber alone and there beganne to scratche and teare her face and heare like one that was madde and
enterprise she praied Ianique for a time to withdrawe her self vntill she had written her letter by the tenor whereof she should vnderstande with what audacitie she would prosecute the rest And beyng alone in her chamber takyng peune and paper she wrote to Didaco with fained harte as followeth Senior Didaco I am perswaded that if you will vouchesafe to reade and pervse the contentes of these my sorowfull letters you shal be moued with some cōpassion and pitie by beholdyng the true Image of my miserable life pourtraied and painted in the same whiche through your disloyaltie and breache of promise is consumed and spente with so many teares sighes tormentes and griefes that diuerse tymes I maruaile how Nature can so long supporte and defende the violente assaultes of so cruell a martirdome and that she hath not many tymes torne my feble spirit out of this cruell and mortall prison whiche maketh me to thinke and beleue by continuyng life that death himself hath conspired my miserie and is the companion of my affliction consideryng that by no torment she is able to make diuision betwene my soule and bodie Alas how many tenne hundred thousande tymes in a daie haue I called for Death and yet I can not make her to recline her eares vnto my cries Alas how many tymes am I vanquished with the sharpe tormētes of sorowe redie to take my leaue and last farewell of you beyng arriued to the extreme pangues of death Beholde Didaco myne ordinarie delices beholde my pleasures beholde all my pastime But yet this is but litle in respecte of that whiche chaunceth in the night For if it happē that my poore eyes doe fall a sléepe wearie with incessaunte drawyng forthe of welsprynges of teares slombryng dreames cease not then to vere and afflicte my mynde with the cruellest tormentes that are possible to be deuised representing vnto me by their vglie and horrible visions the ioye and contentacion of her whiche inioyeth my place whereby the greatest ioye whiche I conceiue is not inferior to cruel death Thus my life mainteined with continuacion of sorowes and griefes is persecuted in moste miserable wise Nowe as you knowe I daily passe my sorowe vnder painfull silence thinkyng that your olde promisses confirmed with so many othes and the assured proofe which you still haue had of my faithe and constauncie would haue broughte you to some order but now seyng with myne eyes the hard mettall of your harte and the crueltie of my fate whiche wholie hath subdued me to your obedience for respecte of myne honour I am forced to complaine of hym that beateth me and thereby dispoileth me bothe of myne honor and life not vouchsaufyng onely so muche as ones to come vnto me And vncertaine to whom I maie make recourse or where in fined redress I appeale vnto you to th ende that seyng in what leane and vglie state I am your crueltie maie altogether be satisfied whiche beholdyng a sight so pitifull wherein the figure of my torment is liuelie expressed it maie be moued to some compassion Come hither then thou cruell man come hither I saie to visite her whō with some signe of humanite thou maiest staie or at least wise mollifie and appease the vengeaunce whiche she prepareth for thee And if euer sparks of pitie did warme thy frosen harte Arme thy self with a greater crueltie then euer thou was wont to do and come hither to make her sobbe her laste and extreme sighes whō thou hast wretchedly deceiued For in doyng otherwise thou maiest peraduenture to late bewaile my death and thy beastly crueltie And thinking to make a conclusion of her letter the teares made her wordes to die in her mouthe and would not suffer her to write any more wherefore she closed and sealed thesame and then callyng Ianique vnto her she saied Holde gentle Ianique cary these letters vnto hym and if thou canst so well plaie thy part as I haue doen myne I hope we shall haue shortly at our commaundemente hym that is the occasion of this my painfull life more greuous vnto me then thousande deathes together Ianique hauyng the letter departed with diligence and went to the house of the father in lawe of Didaco where quietly she waited till she might speak with some of the house whiche was within a while after For one of the seruauntes of Didaco whom she knewe right well went aboute certaine his maisters busines méetyng Ianique was abashed Of whō she demaunded if the Lorde Didaco were within and said that she would faine speake with him but if it wer possible she would talke with hym secretly Whereof Didaco aduertised came forthe to her into the streate to whom smilyngly hauyng made to hym a fained reuerence she saied Senior Didaco I can neither write nor reade but I dare laie my life there is sute made vnto you by these letters whiche Madame Violenta hath sent vnto you And in déede to sale the truthe there is greate iniurie dooen vnto her of your parte not in respecte of your newe Mariage For I neuer thoughte that Violenta was a wife méete for you consideryng the difference of your estates but bicause you will not vouchsauf to come vnto her seming that you make no more accompt of her and specially for that you prouide no mariage for her in some other place And assure your self she is so farre in loue with you that she is redie to die as she goeth in suche wise that makyng her complainte vnto me this daie wepyng she saieth vnto me Well for so muche then as I can not haue hym to bee my husbande I would to God he would mainteigne me for his frende and certaine tymes in the wéeke to come to sée me specially in the night lest he should bée espied of the neighbors And certainly if you would folowe her minde herein you shall dooe very well For the case standeth thus you maie make your a vaunte that you bee prouided of so saire a wife and with so beautifull a frende as any gētleman in Valentia And then Ianique deliuered him the letter whiche he receiued and redde and hauing well considered the tenor of the same he was incontinently surprised with a sodain passion For hatred and pitie loue and disdain as with in a Cloude bée conteined hotte and colde with many contrary windes beganne to combate together and to vexe his harte with contrary mindes then pawsyng vpon answere he saied vnto her Ianique my dere frēde racommende me to the good grace and fauoure of thy maistresse and saie vnto her that for this tyme I will make her no answere but to morowe at fower of the clocke in the morning I will be at her house and kepe her companie all the daie and nighte and then I will tell her all that I haue dooen sithens I departed laste from her trustyng she shall haue no cause to bée offended with me And then Ianique takyng her leaue retourned towarde Violenta tellyng
her what she had doen. To whom Violenta answered Ianique is thou hast made a good beginnyng to our enterprise I likewise for my parte haue not slepts For I haue deuised that wee muste prouide for a strong roape whiche wée will fasten to the heddes hedde and when he shal bee a slepe I will cast the other ende of the rope to thée ouer thwarte the bedde that thou maieste plucke the same with all thy might and before thou beginnest to pull I will with a knife cutte his throate wherefore thou must prouide twoo great kniues whatsoeuer thei cost but I praie thée let me alone with doing of the fact that I maie dispatch him of his life whiche alone did make the first assault to the breache of mine honour Ianique knewe so well howe to prouide for all that was requisite for the execution of their enterprise as there rested nothyng but oportunitie to sorte their cruell purpose to effecte The knight six Didaco at the hower appointed tolde his newe wife that he must goe into the coūtrie to take order for the state of his lande and that he could not retourne till the next daie in the mornyng Which she by and by beleued And the better to couer his facte he caused twoo horsse to d ee made redie and rode for the whē the clock strake iiij And when he had riden through a certaine streate he saied to his manne whiche was went to serue his turne in loue matters cary my horse to suche a man out in the Countrie and tarrie there all this daie and to morowe Mornyng come seeke me in suche a place when I am gone from the house of Violenta In the meane time set my horsse in some Inne For in any wise I will haue no manne knowe that I dooe lie there whiche dooen the maister and the seruaunte went twoo seuerall waies The knight beyng come to the house of Violenta he found Ianique tariyng for hym with good deuocion to vse hym accordyng to his desert and conueied hym to the chamber of Violenta and then she retourned aboute her businesse The knighte kissed Violenta and badde her good morrowe askyng her howe she did Whom Violenta answered Sir Didaco you bid me good morrowe in woordes but in déede you goe to prepare for me a heauie and sorowfull life I beleue that your minde beareth witnes of the state of my welfare For you haue brought me to suche extremitie that you sée righte well how nothyng els but my voice declareth me too bee a woman and therewithall so féeble a creature as I still craue and call for death or for pitie although bothe of th one and of the other I am not heard at all And yet thinke not Didaco that I am so farre out of my wittes to beleue that the cause of my writyng the letter was for hope that you remembryng my bitter paines your owne hainous crime I could euer moue you to pitie For I am perswaded that you will neuer cease to exhauste and sucke the bloodde honor and life of them that credite your trumperies and deceiptes as now by experience I knowe by my self with suche deadly sorowe that I still attende and loke for the sorowfull ende of my life Didaco seyng hee thus afflicted fearyng that her cholere would further inflame beganne to cull her and to take her now into his armes tellyng her that is Mariage with the doughter of Vigliaracuta was cōcluded more by force then his owne will and minde bicause thei pretended to haue a gifte of all the lande and gooddes he had in succession after his father was dedde which if thei did obteine by lawe he should be a begger all the daies of his life and that the same was dooen to prouide for the quiet state of them bothe and nowithstanding he had maried an other wife yet he purposeth to loue none but her and meante in tyme to poison his wife and to spende the rest of his life with her And thus sewyng to remedie his former fault by surmised reportes chaunting vpō the cordes of his pleasaūt tongue he thought with Courtlike allurementes to appease her whiche had her wittes to well sharpened to be twise taken in one trappe howbeit for feare of driuyng hym awaie and to lose the meane to accomplishe that whiche she intended she saied vnto hym with forced smilyng Sir Didaco although you haue so ill vsed me in tyme paste that I haue no greate cause to beleue your present wordes yet the loue that I beare you is so rooted in my harte that the faulte muste bee very greate whiche should remous the same in consideraciō whereof I will constraine my self to beleue that your woordes bee true vpon condicion that you will sweare and promis to lie with me here ones or twise in a wéeke For me thinke that if I mighte at tymes inioye your presence I did remaine in some part of your grace and fauour and should liue the beste contented woman a liue Wherevnto he willingly agreed with a greate nomber of other like protestacious prompte and redie in them whiche meane deceipt But if the poore miserable woman had perced the same in the depthe of her harte and had credited all that he spake no doubte he would haue chaunged his mynde Thus either partes spente the daie in colde and dissembled flatteries till darke nighte with his accustomed silence did deliuer them the meane to exercise their cruell enterprise So sone as supper was dooen Didaco and Violenta walked vp and downe together talkyng of certaine common matters till the knight pressed with slepe commaūded his bedde to be made redie It neded not thento inquire with what diligence Violenta and Ianique obeied that requeste in whom onely as thei thought cōsisted the happe or mishappe of their enterprise To whom bicause Violenta might shewe her self more affectionat went firste to bedde and so sone as thei were laied Ianique brewe the curteines and tooke awais Didaco his sworde and makyng as thoughe she had a thing to doe vnder the bedde she fastened the rope and taked vp the fire whiche was in the chimney cariyng a stoole to the beddes side and laieth vpon thes ame twoo greate kechin knifes whiche doen she put out the candle and fainyng to goe out of the chamber she shut the doore and wente in againe And then the poore infortunate knight thinking that he was alone in the chāber with Violenta began to clepe and kisse her wher vnto she made no refusall but desirous to renewe his olde priuate toles she peased hym of all loue that he bare vnto her to kepe troce for twoo or thrée howers for that the night was long inough to satisfie his desires affirmyng that it was impossible for her to wake bicause fiue or sixe daies before by reason of her griefes she had not slept at all notwithstanding she saied that after her sixtie sléepe she would willinglie obeye him Whervnto the gentleman was easely perswaded
liue that he had founde so louyng a wife This woman beyng serued and reuerēced with greate honour waxed werie of to muche rest and quiet and begā to bée inamoured of a Gentlemanne her neighbour whom in a litle time she knewe so well to vse by lookes and other wanton toies that he did easely perceiue it notwithstandyng for the honour of her husbande he would not some to knowe it but a farre of Now this warme loue by litle and litle afterwardes began to growe hotte for the yonge woman wearie of suche long delaie not able to contēt her self with lookes vpon a daie findyng this yonge gentleman in conueniente place as he was walkyng harde by her house beganne to reason with hym of termes and matters of loue tellyng hym that he liued to solitarie in respect of his yonge yeres and how she had alwaies béen broughte vp in Townes and places of greate companie and resorte in suche wise that now beyng in the Countrie she could not easely digeste the incommoditie of beyng a lone speciallie for the continuall absence of her husbande who scarse thrée monethes in a yere remained at home in his owne house And so fallyng from one matter to an other loue pricked them so sore that in fine thei opened a waie to that that troubled them so muche specially the woman who forgettyng her honour whiche ordinarily dooeth accompanie greate Ladies priuely she tolde hym the loue that she hadde borne hym of longe tyme whiche notwithstandyng she had dissembled waityng when he should haue giuen the firste onsette for that gentlemenne ought rather to demaunde then to be required of Ladies This gentleman vnderstandyng by halfe a woorde her disease tolde her that although his loue was extreme neuerthelesse demyng hymself vnworthie of so high degrée he still concealed his grief which bicause he thought it could not come to passe feare forced hym to keepe it secrete But sithe it pleased her so muche to abasse her self and was disposed to doe hym so muche honour to accepte hym for her seruaunte he would imploie his indeuour to recompence that with humilitie and humble seruice whiche Fortune had denied hym in other thynges And hauyng framed this foundacion to their loue for this tyme thei vsed no other contentacion one of an other but onely deuise But thei so prouided for their affaires to come that thei neded not to vse longer oracion For being neighbours and the husbande many tymes absent the high waie was open to bryng their enterprises to desired effecte Whiche thei full well acquieted and yet vnable wisely to maister and gouerne their passions or to moderate theim selues by good discrecion the seruauntes of the house by reason of the frequented communicacion of the gentleman with the gētlewoman began to suspecte them and to conceiue simster opiniō of their maistresse although none of them durst speake of it or make other semblaunce of knowledge Loue holdyng in full possession the hartes of these twoo louers blinded them so muche that leauyng the bridle to large for their honour thei vsed themselues priuely and apertly at all tymes one with an other without any respecte And when vpon a time the Lorde retourned home to his owne house from a certaine voiage wherin he had béen in the Dukes seruice he found his wife to bée more fine and gorgeous then she was wōt to be which in the beginnyng did wōderfully astonne hym And perceiuyng her sometymes to vtter wanton woordes and to applie her minde vpon other thinges when he spake vnto her he beganne diligently to obserue her countenaunce and order and being a man broughte vp in courtly trade and of good experience he easely was perswaded that there was some ele vnder the stone and to come to the trouthe of the matter he made a better countenaunce then he was wonte to doe whiche she knewe full wel how to requite and recompēce And liuyng in this simulacion either of them attempted to begile the other that the simplest and lest craftie of thē both could not be discouered The yong gentleman neighbour of the Lorde grieued beyonde measure for that he was come home passed and repassed many tymes before his Castell gate thinkyng to gette some looke of his Ladies eye but by any meanes she could not for feare of her husbande who was not so foolishe that after he sawe him goe before his gate so many tymes without some occasion but that he easely iudged there was a secret amitie betwene thē Certaine daies after the gentleman of insinuate hymself into the lordes fauour and to haue accesse to his house sent hym a verie excellente Tercelet of a Faucon and at other tymes he presented hym with Ueneson and vmbles of Dere whiche he had killed in hūtyng But the Lorde whiche well knewe that flatterie many tymes serued the torne of diuerse menne to begile foolishe husbandes of their faire wiues that he might not seme vngratefull sente hym also certaine straunge thynges And these curtesies cōtinued so long that the lorde desirous to laie abaite sent to praie hym to come to diner to whiche request the other accorded liberally for the deuotion he had to the sainct of the Castell And when the Table was taken vp thei went together to walke abrode in the fildes And the more frēdly to welcome hym he praied his wife to goe with them wherevnto she made no greate deniall And when thei hadde debated of many thynges the Lorde saied vnto hym Neighbour and frende I am an olde manne and Melancholie as you knowe wherefore I had neede from henceforthe to reioise my self I praie you hartely therfore to come hither many tymes to take parte of our diner and suche fare as God dooeth sende And vse the thynges of my house as thei were your owne Which the other gratefullie accepted humblie praiyng that his Lordship would commaunde hym and that he had when it were his pleasure to vse him as his very hūble and obedient seruaunte This Pantere laied the yong gentleman ordinarily came ones a daie to visite the Lorde and his wife So long this order continued that the Lorde vpō a daie fainyng hymself to be sicke commaunded that no man should come into his chamber bicause al the night before he was il at ease could take no rest Whereof the gentleman was incontinently aduertised by an olde woman hired of purpose for a common messanger of whom a none we purpose to make menciō Being come to the Castle he demaūded how the Lorde did and whether be might goe se hym to whom answer was made that he could not for that he was fallen into a slomber Madame nowe was in the gardein alone comyng vp and doune for her pleasure was aduertised that the gentleman was come Who beyng broughte into the gardeine and certified of the Lordes indisposicion began to renewe his olde daliaunce with the Ladie and to kisse her many tymes eftsons puttyng his hande into her bosome and vsyng other pretie
lawes And besides that I shal not be alone amongst princesses that haue forsaken parents and countries to folow their loue into straunge Regions Faire Helena the Greke did not she abandon Menelaus her husband and the rych citie of Sparta to follow the faire Troian Alexander sayling to Troie Phedria and Ariadne despised the delicates of Creta lefte their Father a very olde man to go with the Cecropian Theseus None forced Medea the wise furious Lady but Loue to depart the Isle of Colchos her owne natiue country with the Argonaute Iason O good God who can resist the force of Loue to whome so many kinges so many Monarches so many wise men of all ages haue done their homage Surely the same is the only cause that compelleth me in making my self bold to forget my duety towards my parents and specially myne honor which I shall leaue to be reasoned vpon by the ignorant people that considereth nothing but that which is exteriourly offred to the view of the sight Ah how much I deceyue my selfe make a reckning of much without myne hoste And what knowe I if Alerane although he doe loue me wyll lose the good grace of the Emperour and forsake his goodes and so it may be to hazarde his life to take so pore and miserable a woman as I am Notwithstanding I will proue fortune death is the worst that can chaunce which I accelerate rather than my desire shall lose his effect Thus the faire and wise Princesse concluded her vnhappy state And all this time her best friend Alerane remayned in great affliction beyond measure and felte suche a feare as cannot be expressed with wordes only true louers know the force altogether like to that wherof the yong Prince had experience and durst not discouer hys euyll to her that was able to giue him her allegeance much lesse to disclose it to any deare friende of his into whose secrecie he was wont to commit the most part of his cares which was the cause that made him fele his harte to burne like a litle fier in the middes of a cleare riuer and sawe himself selfe ouerwhelmed within the waters hotter than those that be intermixed with sulphure do euaporat and send forth ardent smokes in an AEthna hill or Vesuue mountayne The Princesse impacient to endure so long could no longer kepe secrete the flames hydden within her without telling and vttering them to some whom her minde liked best and there to render them where she thought they toke their essense and being casting away all shame and feare which accustomably doth associat Ladies of hir estate and age One day she toke secretely asyde one that was her Gouernesse named Radegonde a Gentlewoman so vertuous wise and sober as any other that was in the Emperoures courte who for her approued manners and chaste life had the charge of the bringing vp and nourishing of Adelasia from her Infancie To this Gentlewoman then the amorous Princesse deliberated to communicate her secretes and to let her vnderstand her passion that she might finde some remedie And for that purpose they two retired alone within a closet the pore louer trembling like a leafe at the blast of the weasterne winde when the sunne beganne to spreade his beames syghing so strangely as if hir body and soule would haue departed sayde thus The trust which dayly I haue had in that naturall goodnesse which appeareth in you my mother and welbeloued Lady ioyned with discretion and fidelitie wherwith all your actes and affaires be recōmended do presently assure me and make me bolde in this my trouble to participate vnto you my secretes which be of greater importance without comparison than any that euer I tolde you persuading my selfe that the thing which I shall tell you whatsoeuer it be be it good or ill you will accepte it in suche wise as your wysedome requireth and to kepe it so close as the secrete of suche a Lady as I am doth deserue And that I may not holde you long in doubte what it is knowe ye that of late the valor prowesse beauty and curtesie of senior Alerane of Saxon hath founde suche place in my hearte that in despite of my selfe I am so in loue with him that my life is not deare vnto me but for his sake my hearte taketh no pleasure but in his glory and vertue hauing chosen him so vertuous a Prince for my friend and one day by Gods sufferaunce for my laweful spouse and husbande I haue assayed a thousand meanes so many wayes to cast him of to blot him out of my minde But alas vnhappy caytife Fortune is so frowarde and so vnmercyfull to my endeuour that the more I labour and goe about to extinguish in me the memorie of his name and commendable vertues so muche the more I do enlarge and augnient them the flames of which loue do take such increase that I do little or nothing estéeme my life without the enioying the effecte of my desire and the tast of such licor which nourishing my hope in pleasure may quench the fier that doth consume me Otherwise I sée no meanes possible but that I am constrayned eyther to lose my good wittes whereof already I felte some alienation or to ende my dayes with extreme anguishe and insupportable hearts sorrowe Alas I knowe well that I shal lose my time if I attempt to pray the Emperour my father to giue me Alerane to my husbande syth he doth already practise a mariage betwene the King of Hungarie and me And also that Alerane although he be a Prince of so noble bloud and so honorable house as the Saxon is yet is to base to be sonne in law to an Emperour In these my distresses it is of you alone of whome I loke for ayde I counsayle being certayne of your prudence and good iudgement and therfore I pray you to haue pity vpon me haue remorse vpon this immoderate passiō that doth torment me beyond measure Radegonde hearing Adelasia disclose this talke wherof she would neuer haue thought was so confounded and astoned that of long tyme she could not speake a word holding her hed downe reuoluing thousand diuers matters in her minde knew not wel what to answere the Princesse Finally gathering her spirits vnto her she answered her with teares in her eyes saying Alas Madame what is that you say Is it possible that the wisest vertuons and most courtcots Princesse of Europa could suffer her selfe in this sort through her onely aduise to be transported to her owne affections and sensual appetites Is it wel done that you seing in me a discretion and modestie doe not imitate the puritie therof be these the godly admonicions which heretofore I haue giuen you that you will so lightly defile your fathers house wyth the blot of infamie and your self with eternall reproche Would you Madame that vpon th ende of my yeares I should begin to betray my Lorde the Emperoure who hath committed to my
handes the most precious iewell of his house Shall I be so vnconstant in mine olde dayes to become an vnshamfast minister of your fonde and folish Loue a thing which I neuer dyd in the ardent time of my youth Alas Madame forget I besech you this folishe order cast vnder your feete this determination wickedly begon suche as to the blemishing of the honorable brightnes of your fame may cause the ruine of vs al. Follow the counsel of your deare nourice Radegond who loueth you better than her owne soule Quench these noysome parching flames which haue kindled throwen forth their sparks into your chast tēder hart Take hede I besech you that a vaine hope do not deceyue you a folish desire abuse you Alas think that it is the part of a sage and prudent minde to refrayne the first motions of euery passion to resist the rage that riseth in our willes the same very oft by succession of time bringeth to it self to late noysome repentance This your thought procedeth not of Loue for he that thinketh to sustaine himselfe with venim sugred with that drogue in the end he séeth himself so desperatly impoysoned that only death is the remedie for such disease A Louer truly may be called the slaue of a tirant most violent cruel bloudy that may be found whose yoke once put on can not be put of but with paynefull sorrow and vnspeakable displeasure Do you not knowe Madame that Loue and follie be two passions so like one another that they engendre like effectes in the mindes of those that doe possesse them in such wise as the affection of the pacient can not be concealed Alas what shall become of you and him that you loue so well if the Emperour do know and perecyue your light and folish determinations Shew Madame for Gods sake what you be Let the ripe fruites of your prudence so long time tilled appeare abrode to the world Expell from you this vnruled loue which if you suffer frankly to enter into your heart assure your self he wil take such holdfast of the place that whē you think to extrude the enemie oute it is he that will driue awaye that smal portion of force and reason that resteth in you And then all the comforte of your miseries will be the lamentation of your losses and repentance for that which cannot be by any meanes recouered Adelasia burning in Loue and fretting with anger not able to abide contrarie replie to her minde began to loke furiously vpon the Lady that gaue her such holsome admonition to whom she sayd with more than womanly stoutnesse these wordes And what are you good gentlewoman that dare so hardely prescribe lawes to Loue that is not subiecte or tied vnto the fantasie of men Who hath giuen you commission to take the matter so hote against that I haue determined to doe say you what you can No no I loue Alerane and will loue him whatsoeuer come of it And sith I can haue none other helpe at your handes or mete counsell for mine ease comfort Assure your self that I wil do mine endeuor to finde it in my self And likewise to prouide so well as I can for myne affaires that eschewing the alliaunce which the Emperour prepareth I will liue at heartes ease with hun whom in vaine you goe about to put out of my remembraunce And if so be I chaunce to sayle of my purpose I haue a medicine for my calamities which is death the last refuge of al my miseries Which wil be right pleasaunt vnto me ending my life in the contemplation and memorie of the sincere and perfect Loue that I beare to mine Alerane Radegonde no lesse abashed than surprised with feare hearing the resolution of the princesse could not at the first make any answere but to make her recourse to teares the most familiar weapons that women haue Then seing by the countenances of Adelasia that the passion had set in fote to déepe for any body to attempte to pluck out the rootes frō that time forth she wiped her eyes nor without euident demonstration for al that of her great grief conceyued with infinite sighes turning her face to the Lady she sayde to her with pleasaunter countenance than before Madame sithe your missehap is such that without Alerane you cannot be quiet or pacified in minde appease your playntes wipe away your teares shewe your contenaunce ioyfull aud setting aside all care put on good corage and repose in me all your anguish and trouble For I doe promise you and sweare by the fayth that I doe owe you Madame come whatsoeuer thing shall vnto me I will deuise in practising your rest to begin mine owne sorow And then you shall se how muche I am your frend that the wordes which I haue spoken do not procede els where but from the desire that I haue to doe you seruice seking al wayes possible your aduauncement Adelasia at these last wordes felt such a motion in her minde that much a doe she had for the exceding great ioy and pleasure she conceiued to stay her soule from leaping forth of that corporall prison like the spirite of that Romaine Lady which once left the body to descende into the Elisien feldes to vse the perfection of her ioye with the blessed soules there when she saw her sonne retorne safe and sounde from the battaile of Thrasimene besides the lake of Peruse where the Consul Flaminius was ouercome by Haniball but in the ende the hope to haue that which Radegonde had promised made her to receyue heart againe and to clepe her counseler saying God forbid deare mother that the thing you do for me should rebound to your mishap or discontentation sith the affection which you haue consisteth in the only pity and conseruation of a pore afflicted mayden And your desire tendeth to the deliuerance of the most passionate Princesse that euer was borne of mother And beleue that Fortune wyll be so fauorable that what mischief so euer should chaunce you remayning without paine I shall be she that alone shall beare the penance Wherfore once againe I besech you sayde she embracing Radegonde to bring that to passe wherof you giue such an assured hope Care not you Madame sayd Radegonde I trust within a while to make you proue the effecte of my promise And will cause you to speake vnto him whom you desire so muche Only be mery and forget these straunge fashions in tormenting your selfe so much before your maides to the intent that which hetherto hath bene kept secrete may not be reueled to your great shame and hinderance and to the vtter ruine ouerthrowe of me During all this time Alerane liued in despaire hardie cowardnesse for although he sawe the amorous gestes of Adelasia yet he durst fire no certayne iudgement of his owne satisfaction althoughe hys hearte tolde hym that he was her onely fauoured friende and promysed him that which almost he
so long time hath ben tied vp through to much folish and feareful shame Set aside the feare of perill whatsoeuer it be for thou canst not imploy thy self more gloriously than vpon the pursuit of such a treasure that séemeth to be reserued for the fame of thy minde so highly placed which can not attayne greater perfections except the heauens do frame in their impressions a seconde Adelasia of whom I think dame nature her self hath broken the moulde who can not shake of Alerane from the chiefest place in whom he hath layd the foundation of his ioy that he hopeth to finde in loue During these complaynts Radegonde that saw him rauished in that extasy coniecturing the occasiō of his being alone caused him to be called by a Page who hearing that was surprised with a newe feare intermixt with a secret pleasure knowing very wel that she being the gouernesse of his Lady vnderstode the greatest priuities of her hart hoping also that she brought him gladsome newes and setting a good chere vpon his face all mated and confused for troubles past he repayred to the Lady the messanger who was no lesse ashamed for the tale that she must tell than he was afeard and dombe by sight of her whom he thought to bring the arreste and determination eyther of ioye or displeasure After curtesie and welcoms made betwene them the Lady preambled a certayne short discourse touching the matter to doe the Saxon prince to vnderstand the good wil harty loue of Adelasia towarde him praying him that the same might not be discouered syth the honor of his Lady did consist in the secrecie therof assuring him that he was so in fauour with the Princesse as any true and faythful louer could desire to be for his contētation I leaue to your consideration in what sodaine ioy Alerane was hearing such gladsome newes which he loked not for thought he was notable to render sufficient thankes to the messanger and much lesse to extolle the beauty and curtesie of his Lady who wythout any of his merites done before as he thought had him in so good remembraunce Beséeching moreouer Redegonde that she would in his name doe humble commendations to his Lady and therewyth to confirme her in the assurance of his perfect good wil and immutable desire euerlastingly at her commaundement onely praying her that he might say vnto Adelasia thrée words in secret that she might perceyue his heart and sée the affection wherewith he desired to obey her all the dayes of his life The messanger assured him of all that he required and instructed hym what he had to doe for the accomplishment of that he loked for which was that the nexte day at night she would cause him to come into her Warderobe which was adioyning to the Chamber of his Ladye to the ende that when her maydes were abrode he might repaire to the place where he might easly visite his maystresse and say vnto her what he thought good The compact thus made the Lady retourned to the Princesse that wayted with good deuotion for the newes of her beloued And hearing the report of Radegonde she was not contented that she should make repeticion of the same twice or thrice but a million of times and euen till night that she slepte vpon that thought with the greatest rest that she had receyued in a long time before The morrowe at the houre that Alerane should come Adelasia fayning her selfe to be yll at ease caused her maydes to goe to bed making her alone to tarry with her that was the messanger of her loue who a little while after went to séeke Alerane which was a building of Castels in the ayre fantasying a thousand deuises in his minde what might befall of that enterprise he went about notwithstanding he was so blinded in folly that without measuring the fault which he cōmitted he thought vpon nothing but vpon the presente pleasure which semed to him so great that the chamber wherein he was was not sufficient to comprehende the glory of his good houre But the Princesse on the other parte felte a maruellous trouble in her minde and almost repented that she had so hardely made Alerane to come into a place vndecent for her honor and at a time so inconuenient Howebeit seing that the stone was throwen she purposed not to pretermitte the occasion whiche being balde can not easely be gotten agayne if she be once let slip And whiles she trauailed in these meditations and discoursed vpon that she had to doe Radegonde came in leading Alerane by the hande whom she presented to the Princesse saying to her with a very good grace Madame I deliuer you this prisoner whome euen now I found here betwene your chambre and that wherin your maydes do lye now consider what you haue to do Alerane in the meane time was fallen downe vpon his knees before his sainct wholly bente to contemplate her excellent beauty and good grace which made him as dumbe as an Image She likewise beholding him that made her thus to erre in her honestie forced throughe shame and loue coulde not for beare to beholde him the power of her minde wholly transferred into her eyes that then yelded contentation of her heart which she so long time desired In the ende Alerane taking the hands of Adelasia many times did kisse them then receyuing corage he brake of that long silence and beganne to say thus I neuer thought Madame that the sight of a thing so long desired had bene of such effect that it would haue ranished both the mind and body of their propre duties and naturall actions if nowe I had not proued it in beholding the diuinitie of your beauty most excellent And truely Madame Radegonde did rightly terme this place here my prison considering that of long time I haue partly lost this my liberty of the which I féele now an intire alienatiō Of one thing sure I am that being your prisoner as I am in dede I may make my vaunt and boaste that I am lodged in the fairest and pleasauntest prison that a man can wishe and desire For which cause Madame be well aduised howe you doe vse and entreat your captiue and slaue that humbly maketh peticion vnto you to haue pitie vpon hys weakenesse which he wyll accepte a grace vnspeakeable if of your accustomed goodnesse it may please you to receyue him for yours for that from henceforth he voweth and consecrateth his life goods and honour to your commaundemente and seruice And saying so his stomake panted with continuall sighes and from his eyes distilled a riuer of teares the better to expresse and declare the secret force that made him to vtter these wordes Which was the cause that Adelasia embracing him very louingly sayde vnto him I know not Lord Alerane what prison that is where the prisoner is in better case than the prison of whom he termeth himselfe to be the slaue considering that I fele in me such a losse
long time make any aunswere When his passiō was moderated he sayd to his sister But be you well assured that he will receiue you for his wyfe Yea my Lorde quod she I ought well to be assured of it since he himself hath made the request And truely qoud the king God forbidde that I should be the cause to breake so holye an accorde For if the Lord of Mendozza were inferior in qualitie nobility and goodes than he is yet hath he so much done both for you me as we may not honestly refuse him How much more then be we bounde to him being a great Lorde as he is issued of noble and famous families of Spaine riche in goodes and hauing hazarded his lyfe for the conseruation of your honour and there withall seketh mine alliaunce Go your wayes dere sister and friende goe your wayes make muche of him and entreate him as you think best And when I haue walked two or thrée tornes here I will come vnto him to cōmunicate more amplie of these matters Scarce had the Duchesse leysure to aduertise the Lord of Mendozza of that which was concluded betwene the king and her but he came downe into the Hall where the most part of the Spanishe Gentlemen walked and with a very ioyfull countenance went to the knight To whome he sayde My Lorde Mendozza I praye you to embrace mée For so farre as I sée I haue a better interest in you than I thought And the Lorde of Mendozza thinking to embrace him his knée vpon the grounde was immediately desired to stande vp Whome the king cleping about the necke sayde vnto him so loud that euery man might heare Sir knight by the God of heauen since that I might commaund in the realme of England I haue not entertained gentleman nor Prince to whome I haue bene more endebted than to you nor neuer was there any dearer vnto me than you for the great gratitude and kindenesse wherewith you haue bound me whereby I shal not from henceforth be satisfied vntill I haue in some thing acknowledged the bonde wherein I am bounde vnto you When he had spoken those wordes he began to declare from poynt to poynt in the presence of all the assembly the contentes of the whole before declared historie Wherat ther was none in all the companie but that was greatly astonned at the prudence of Mendozza by so wel dissembling and accomplishing so great enterprises without making them manifest And the King of England commaunded that the mariage of him and his sister shoulde be published through out his realme that all his nobilitie might be assembled And for his greater honour the King did from thenceforth constitute him his highe Cunstable of England and reposed himselfe in him as vpon a firme piller for the administration of the wayghtiest affaires of his realme And the mariage solempnized consummate with the Duchesse he retourned into Spaine to accompanie the Prince into Englande whose mariage was celebrated at London in the King of Englandes daughter with suche pompe and solempnitie as semblable Princes be commonly accustomed to doe in lyke cases The Countesse of Salesburie A King of Englande loued the daughter of one of his noble men which was Countesse of Salesburie who after great sute to achieue that he coulde not winne for the entire loue he bare vnto her and her great constancie made her his Queene and wyfe ¶ The .xlvj. Nouell THys Historie ensuing describing the perfect figure of womāhode the naturall quality of Loue incensing the harts indifferently of all Natures children the liuely ymage of a good condicioned Prince the zealous loue of parents and the glorious reward that chastitie cōduceth to her imbracers I déeme worthy to be annexed to the former Nouell wherin as you haue heard be contained the straūge aduentures of a fayre innocent Duchesse Whose lyfe tryed lyke gold in the furnace glittereth at this day like a bright starry planet shining in the firmament with most splēdent brightnesse aboue all the rest to the eternall prayse of feminine kinde And as a noble Duke of Sauoie by heate of Loues rage pursued the louing trace of a King of Englandes syster married into Spaine euen so a renowmed and moste victorious Prince as the Aucthor of them both affirmeth thorowe the furie of that passion which as Apuleus sayth in the fyrst heate is but smal but abounding by increase doth set all men on fier maketh earnest sute by discourse of wordes to a Ladie her selfe a Countesse and Earles daughter a beautifull and faire wight a creature incomparable the wyfe of a noble man hys owne subiect who seing her constant forte to be impregnable after pleasaunt sute and milde request attempteth by vndermining to inuade and when wyth siege prolixe he perceiueth no ingenious deuise can achieue that long and paynefull worke he threateth might and mayne dire and cruell assaultes to winne and get the same and laste of all surrendred into his handes and the prisoner crying for mercye he mercifully is contented to mitigate his conceyued rigor and pitifully to release the Ladie whom for her womanly stoutnesse and coragious constancie he imbraceth and entertaigneth for his owne This great and worthy king by the first viewe of a delicate Ladie thorow the sappe of Loue soaked into his noble heart was transported into many passions and rapt into infinite pangues which afterwardes bredde him great disquietnesse This worthie Prince I saye who before that time lyke an Alexandre was able to conquere and gayne whole kingdomes made all Fraunce to quake for feare at whose approche the gates of euery Citie did flye open and fame of him prouoked eche Frenchmans knée to bowe whose helmet was made of manhodes trampe and mace well stéeled with stoute attemptes was by the weakest staye of dame Natures frame a woman shaped wyth no visage sterne or vglie looke affrighted and appalled whose heart was armed with no lethall sworde or deadly launce but with a Curat of honour weapon of womanhode and for al his glorious conquests she durst by singuler cōbat to giue refusall to his face Which singuler perseueration in defence of her chastitie inexpugnable esclarisheth to the whole flocke of womankynde the bright beames of wisdome vertue and honestie No prayers intreatie suplication teares sobbes sighes or other lyke humaine actions poured forth of a Princesse heart could withdraw her from the bounds of honestie No promise present practise deuise sute friende parent letter or counsellor could make her to straye out of the limits of vertue No threate menace rigor feare punishment exile terror or other crueltie coulde diuert her from the siedge of constancie In her youthly tyme till her mariage day she delighted in virginitie From her mariage day during her wydow state she reioyced in chastitie The one she conserued like a hardie Cloelia the other she kept like a constant Panthea This notable historie therefore I haue purposed to make common aswell for encouragement of
if you had séene the numbre of shotte which by the space of .xij. houres were bestowed so thick as hayle vpon euery parte of the Forte you might haue iudged what good will the Scottes did beare vnto me and my people And for my selfe I am assured that if I had made proufe of that which you say and submitted my selfe to their mercie my bodie nowe had bene dissolued into dust The king astonned with so sage wise an aunswere chaunging his minde went towarde the Castle where after interteignement and accustomed welcome he began by little and little to féele himselfe attached with a newe fier Which the more he labored to resist the more it inflamed And feling this newe mutacion in himselfe there came into his minde an infinite nūbre of matters balancing betwene hope and feare sometimes determining to yelde vnto his passions sometimes thinking clerely to cut them of for feare least by committing himselfe to his affections the vrgent affayres of the warres wherwith he was inuolued should haue yll successe But in the end vanquished with Loue he purposed to proue the heart of the Countesse and the better to attayne the same he toke her by the hande and prayed her to shewe him the commodities of the Forteresse Which she did so well and with so good grace interteigning him all that while with infinite talke of diuers matters that the little griftes of Loue which were scarcely planted began to grow so farre as the rootes remayned engrauen in the depth of his heart And the King not able any longer to endure suche a charge in his minde pressed with griefe deuised by what meanes he might enioy her which was the cause of his disquiet But the Countesse seing him so pensife without any apparaunt occasion sayde vnto him Sir I doe not a little maruell to sée you reduced into these alterations For me thinke your grace is maruellously chaunged with in these two or thre houres that your highnesse vouchsaued to enter into this Castle for my succour and reliefe in so good time that al the dayes of my lyfe both I and mine be greatly bounde vnto you as to him which is not onely content eliberallie to haue bestowed vpon vs the goodes which we possesse but also by his generositie doth cōserue and defende vs from the incursions of the enemie Wherein your grace doth deserue double praise for a déede so charitable But I cannot tell nor yet deuise what should be the occasion that your highnesse is so pensife and sorrowfull sithe without great losse on your part your enemies vnderstanding of your stoute approch be retired which ought as I suppose to driue away the melancolie from your stomack and to reuoke your former ioy for so muche as victorie acquired without effusion of bloude is alwayes moste noble and acceptable before God The King hearing this Aungelles voyce so amiably pronouncing these wordes thinking that of her owne accorde she came to make him mery determined to let her vnderstand his griefe vpon so conuenient occasion offred Then with a trembling voyce he sayde vnto her Ah Madame howe farre be my thoughtes farre different from those which you doe thinke me to haue I féele my heart so opprest with care that it is impossible to tell you what it is howheit the same hath not bene of long continuance being attached there withall since my comming hither which troubleth me so sore that I cannot tell wherevpon well to determine The Countesse seing the King thus moued not knowing the cause why was vncertayne what aunswere to make Which the king perceiuing sayde vnto her fetching a déepe sigh from the bottome of his stomack And what saye you Madame therevnto can you giue me no remedie The Coūtesse which neuer thought that any such dishonestie coulde take place in the kings heart taking things in good part sayde vnto him Syr I know not what remedie to giue you if first you doe not discouer vnto me the griefe But if it trouble you that the Scottish king hath spoyled your countrie the losse is not so great as wherewith a prince so mighty as you be néede to be offended sithens by the grace of God the vengeance lyeth in your hand and you may in tyme chasten him as at other times you haue done Wherevnto the king seing her simplicitie answered Madame the beginning of my grief riseth not of that but my wounde resteth in the inwarde parte of my heart which pricketh me so sore that if I desire from henceforth to prolong my lyfe I must open the same vnto you reseruing the cause thereof so secrete that none but you and I must be partakers I muste nowe then confesse vnto you that in cōming to your Castle and casting downe my head to beholde your celestiall face and the rest of the graces wherwith the Heauens haue prodigally endewed you I haue felt vnhappie man as I am such a sodayne alteratiō in all the most sensible partes of my bodie that knowing my forces diminished I can not tell to whome to make my complaint of my libertie lost which of long time I haue so happyly preserued but only to you that like a faythfull keper and onely Treasorer of my heart you may by some shining beame of pitie bring againe to hys former mirth and ioye that which you desire in me and by the contrarie you maye procure to me a life more painefull and grieuous than a thousand deathes together When he had ended these wordes he helde his peace to let her to speake attending none other thing by her aunswere but the laste decrée eyther of death or lyfe But the Countesse with a grauitie conformable to her honestie honor without other mouing sayde vnto him If any other besides your grace had bene so forgetfull of himselfe to enter in these tearmes or to vse suche talke vnto me I knowe what shoulde be myne aunswere and so it might be that he shoulde haue occasion not to be well contented but knowing this your attempt to procéede rather from the pleasantnesse of your hearte than for other affection I will beleue from henceforth and persuade my selfe that a Prince so renowmed and gentle as you be doth not thinke and much lesse meane to attempt any thing against myne honour which is a thousand times dearer vnto me than lyfe And I am persuaded that you doe not so little estéeme my father and my husband who is for your seruice prisoner in the hands of the French men our mortall enemies as in their absence to procure vnto them suche defamation and slaunder And by making this request your grace doth swarue from the boundes of Honestie very farre and you doe greate iniurie to your fame if men shoulde know what tearmes you doe vse towards me In like manner I purpose not to violate the faith which I haue giuen to my husbande rather I intende to kepe the same vnspotted so long as my soule shall be caried in the Chariot of this
mortall body And if I should so farre forget my selfe as willingly to commit a thing so dishonest your grace ought for the loyall seruice of my father and husbande towarde you sharpely to rebuke me and to punishe me according to my deserte For this cause moste dradde soueraigne Lord you which are accustomed to vanquishe and subdue other be nowe a conquerour ouer your selfe and throughly bridle that concupiscence if there be any vnder the raines of Reason that being quenched and ouercome they may no more reuiue in you and hauing liuely resisted the first assaultes the victorie is but easie which shall be a thousand times more glorious and gainefull for you than if you had conquered a kingdome The Countesse had scarce made an ende of her tale but one came to tell them that the Tables were couered for dinner the King well fedde with Loue dyned for that tyme very soberlye and not able to eate but vpon amorous dishes did caste his lokes inconstantly here and there and still his eyes threwe the last loke vpon that part of the table where the Countesse satte meaning thereby to extinguishe the boyling flames which incessantly did burne him howbeit by thinking to coole them he further plondged himselfe therein And wandering thus in diuers cogitations the wise aunswere that the Countesse made like a vaunte curreur was continually in his remebrance and was well assured of her inuincible chastitie By reason wherof seing that so harde and enterprise required a longer abode and that a heart so chaste could not so quickly be remoued frō purpose careful on the other side to giue order to the waightie affaires of his realme disquieted also on euery side throughe the turmoile of warres determined to depart the next day in the morning reseruing till another tyme more conuenient the pursute of his Loue. Hauing taken order for his departure in the morning he went to seke the Countesse and taking his leaue of her he prayed her to thinke better of the talke made vnto her the day before but aboue all he besought her to haue pitie vpon hym Wherevnto the Countesse answered that not onelye she prayed God incessantly to giue him victorie ouer his outwarde enemies but also grace to tame that carnall passion which did so torment him Certaine dayes after that King Edward was arriued at London which was the place of his ordinarie abode the Countesse of Salesburie was aduertised that the Earle her husbande being out of prison consumed with griefe sicknesse died by the way homewardes And bicause they had no children the Earledome retorned to the King which first gaue the same vnto him And after she had lamented the death of her husbande the space of many dayes she retourned to her fathers house which was Earle of Warwicke And for so muche as he was one of the Kinges priuie Counsell and the most part of the affaires of the realme passed by his aduise and counsell he continued at London that he might be more nere vnto the Kinges person The King aduertized of the comming of the Countesse thought that fortune had opened a way to bring his enterprise to desired effecte specially for that the death of her husbande and the witnesse of his earnest good will would make her more tractable The king seing all thing as he thought to succede after his desire began to renewe his first affections séeking by all meanes to practise the good wil of the Countesse who then was of the age of .xxvi. yeares Afterwardes he ordayned many triumphes at the Tilte and Torney Maskes Momeries feastes banquets and other like pastimes wherat Ladies accustomably doe assemble who made much of them all and secretely talked with them Notwithstanding he could not so well disguise and counterfait his passions but that he still shewed himselfe to beare beste good will to the Countesse Thus the king coulde not vse suche discretion in loue but that from his secret fier some euident flames did issue out But the Countesse which was a wise and curteous Lady did easely perceyue how the king by chaunging the place had not altered his affection and that he still prosecuted his talke begon at Salesberic She despising all his amorous countenaunces continued her firme and chaste minde And if it chaunced that sometimes the king made more of her than discretion required sodainly might haue bene discried a certaine palenesse in her face which declared the little pleasure that she toke in his toyes with a certayne rigor appearing that yelded to the king an assured testimonie that he laboured in vaine Neuerthelesse she to cut of all meanes of the Kings pursute kept still her fathers house shewing her self in no place where the king might sée her The king offended seing himselfe depriued and banished her presence whome he estemed as the comfort of his lyfe made his secretarie priuie to the whole matter whose fidelitie he had wel proued in matters daungerous with minde to pursue her by other way if it chaunced that she persisted in her wonted rigor and refusall Howbeit before he proceded any further sith he could not secretely talke with her he purposed to sende her a letter the Tenor whereof insueth MAdame if you please by good aduise to consider the beginning of my Loue the continuance of the same then the last issue whervnto it is brought I am assured that laying your hand vpon your heart you will accuse your self not onely of your curst and froward stomacke hitherto appearing but also of that newe ingratitude which you shewe vnto me at this houre not contented to be bathed plondged by you in the missehap of my payne paste but yet by a newe onset you abandon your felfe from my presence as from the sight of your mortall enemie wherin I find that heauen and al his influences doe cry out for mine ouerthrow wherevnto I doe agrée since my lyfe taking no vigor and increase being onely sustained by the fauour of your diuine graces can not be maintained one onely minute of a day without the liberall helpe of your swéetenesse and vertue beseching you that if the heartie prayers of any mortall tormented man may euer haue force and power to moue you to pitie it may please you miraculously to deliuer from henceforth this my poore miserable afflicted mynde eyther from death or martirdome He that is more yours than his owne Edwarde the desolate King of Englande The letter written with his owne hand and sealed with his seale he commaunded the Secretarie to goe to the Countesse at her fathers house and secretly to deliuer the same which he did And the Countesse hauing read and perused it sayde to the Secretarie My frende you shal tell the king that I doe beseche him most humbly to send me no more letters or messages touching the matters wherof he hath written For I am in such wise resolued in the aunswere which I made him in my Castle that I will persist immutable to the ende
olde Earle which neuer thought that a request so vniust and dishonest would haue procéeded oute of the mouth of a King with frank and open hart offred that liberall graunt The king then thinking that he had sounded the depth of the Earles affection chaunging colour his eyes fixed on the ground sayde vnto him Your daughter the Countesse of Salesburie my Lorde is the onely medicine of my trauayles whome I doe loue better than my owne life and doe féele my selfe to inflamed with her Heauenly beauty that without her grace and fauour I am not able hereafter to lyue for thys consideration syth you desire to doe me seruice and to preserue my lyfe I praye you to deale so with her that she with compassion may looke vpon me Crauing this request at your handes not without extreme shame considering aswell your honorable state as your auncient merites imployed vpon me and my progenitoures But according to your modestie and accustomed goodnesse impute the faulte vpon amorous loue which in such wise hath alienated my libertie and confounded my heart that now ranging out of the boundes of honor reason I féele my selfe tormented vexed in minde Wherby I am prouoked to make this request and not able to expell the mortal poyson out of my heart which hath diminished my force intoxticated my sense and hath depriued my minde from all good counsell that I can not tell what to do but to séeke to you for helpe hauing no kinde of rest but when I sée her when I speake of her or think vpō her And I am at this present reduced into so pitifull state that being not able to winne her by intreaties offers presents sutes ambassages and letters my onely and last refuge and assured port of all my miseries resteth in you eyther by death to ende my lyfe or by force to obtayne my desire The Earle hearing the vneiuile and beastlye demaunde of his soueraigne Lorde blushing for shame and throughlie astonned filled also with a certayne honest and vertuous disdayne was not able to dissolue his tongue to render a worthy aunswere to the afflicted Prince Finally lyke one awaked from his deade sléepe he sayde vnto him Sir my wittes fayle my vertue reuolteth my tongue is mute at those words that procéede from your mouth wherby I fele my self brought into two so straunge and perillous poyntes that passing eyther by one or other I muste néedes fall into very great daunger But to resolue my selfe vpon that which is moste expedient hauing giuen vnto you my fayth in pledge to succour and helpe you euen to the abandoning of honor and lyfe I will not be contrarie to my wordes And touching my daughter for whom you haue made request I will reueale vnto her the effect of your demaunde yet of one thing I muste tell you sir power I haue to entreate her but none at all to force her Inoughe it is that she vnderstande of me what heart and affection you beare vnto her But I doe maruell yea and complayne of you pardon me most dradde soueraigne and suffer me without offence to discharge my griefe before your presence rather than to your shame and myne eternall infamie it should be manifested and published abrode by other I saye that I maruell sir what occasion moued you to commit such reproch in my stocke bloude and by an acte so shamefull and lasciuious to dishonor the same Which neuer disdayned to serue both you and yours to the vttermost of their powers Alas vnhappy father that I am is this the guerdon and recompence that I and my children shal expect for our trusty and faithfull seruices Oh sir for Gods sake if you liste not to be liberal of your owne seke not to dishonour vs and to inflict vpon our race suche notable infamie But who can loke for worse at the hands of his mortall and cruell enemie It is you euen you it is most noble Prince that doth rauishe my daughter of her honor dispoyle me of my contentation ye take from my children hardinesse to shewe their faces from all our whole house the auncient fame and glory It is you that hath obscured the clearenesse of my bloude with an attempt so dishonest and detestable that the memorie thereof shall neuer be forgotten It is you that doth constraine me to be the infamous minister of the totall destruction of my progenie and to be a shamelesse Pandarus of my daughters honor Thinke you sir that you meane to helpe and succoure me when others shal attempt to obiect before my face this slaunder and reproch but if your self doe hurte me where shall I hereafter seke reliefe and succour If the hand which ought to helpe me be the very same that doth giue me the wound where shall the hope be of my recouerie For this cause may it please your Maiesty whether iustlie I doe make my complaynt and whether you giue me occasion to aduaunce my cryes to the heauens your selfe shall be the Iudge For if like a Iudge in dede you doe giue ouer your disordinate affectiō I then appeale to the iudgement of your inuincible mynde accomplished with all curtesie and gentlenesse On the other side I doe lamente your Fortune when I thinke vpon the reasons which you haue alleaged and the greater cause I haue to complayne bicause I haue knowen you from your youth and haue alwayes déemed you at libertie and frée from suche passions not thrall or subiect to the flames of Loue but rather giuen to the exercise of armes And nowe seing you to become a prisoner of an affection vnworthy your estate I can not tell what to thinke the noueltie of this sodayne chaunce semeth to be so straunge Remember sir that for a little suspicion of adulterie you caused Roger Mortimer to be put to death And being skarce able to tell it without teares you caused your own mother miserably to die in prisō And God knoweth how small your accusacions were and vpon howe light ground your suspicion was conceyued Doe not you knowe how wonderfully you be molested with warres and that your enemies trauell daye and night to circumuent you both by sea lande Is it now time then to giue your selfe to delightes to captiuate your minde in the pleasures of Ladies Where is the auncient generositie nobilitie of your bloud Where is the magnanimitie valour wherewith you haue astonned your enemies shewed your selfe amiable to your friendes and wonderful to your subiects Touching the last point wherby you threaten that if my daughter doe not agrée to your desire you will forcibly enioy her I will neuer confesse that to be the fact of a valiaunt and true king but of a vile cowardly cruell and libidinous tyraunt I trust it be not the pleasure of God that nowe at the age you be of you will begin to force Gentlewomen that be your humble subiectes which if you do this Iland shal lose the name of a Realme and hereafter
bicause I am going about certayne affaires very requisite and necessary to be done Then sayde sir Stricca At least wise drincke with me before you depart but giuing him thankes he bad him fare wel Maister Stricca seing that he could not cause him to tarry toke hys leaue and retourned into his house Galgano gone from Maister Stricca sayd to himselfe Ah beast that I am why did not I accept his offer Why should shamefastnesse let me from the sight of her whome I loue better than all the worlde besides And as he was thus pensife in complaints his spaniells sprong a Partrich whereat he let goe his Hauke and the Partrich flying into sir Stricca his garden his Hauke pursued and seassed vpon the same Maister Stricca and his Lady hearing that pastime ran to the garden window to sée the killing of the Partrich And beholding the valiant skirmish betwéene the foule and the Hauke the Lady asked whose Hauke it was Her husband made aunswere that he knewe well ynough the owner by the goodnesse and hardinesse of the same For the owner of this hanke quod he is the trimmest and most valiant gentleman in all Siena and one indued with best qualities The Lady demaunded what he was Maister Galgano sayde her husbande who euen nowe passed by the gate and I prayed him very earnestly to supper but he woulde not be intreated And truely wyse he is the comeliest gentleman and most vertuous personage that euer I knewe in my lyfe With those words they went from the window to supper And Galgano when he had lured his Hauke departed away The Lady marked those words fixed them in minde It fortuned within a while after that sir Stricca was by the state of Siena sent in ambassage to Perugia by reason whereof his Lady at home alone so sone as her husband had taken his iourney sent her most secret and trusty maide to intreat Maister Galgano to come and speake with her When the message was done to Galgano if his heart were on a merie pinne or whether his spirites dulled with continuall sorrow were againe reuiued they knowe that moste haue felt the paynefull pangues of Loue and they also whose fleshe haue bene pearced with the amorous arrowes of the little boy Cupide He made aunswere that he woulde willingly come rendring thanks both to the maystresse and maid the one for her paine the other for her good remembrance Galgano vnderstanding that sir Stricca was gone to Perugia in the euening at conuenient time repaired to the house of her whose sight he loued better than his owne eyes And being come before his Lady with great submission reuerence he saluted her like those whose hearts doe throbbe as foretelling the possessiō of good tournes and benefits after which with long sute and trauaile they haue aspired wherewith the Lady delighted very pleasauntlie toke him by the hand and imbracing him sayde Welcome myne owne swéete Galgano a hundred tymes I say welcome And for the tyme with kisses making truce with their affections the Lady called for confictes and wine And whē they had dronk and refreshed themselues the Lady toke him by the hand and sayde My swéete Galgano night beginneth to passe away and the tyme of sléepe is come therfore let vs yelde our selues to the seruice and commaundement of our very good Lady Madame Cytherea for whose sake I intreated you to come hither Galgano aunswered that he was very well contented when it were her pleasure Being within the chamber after much pleasant talk louing discourse betwene them the Lady did put of her clothes and went to bed Galgano being somewhat bashfull was perceyued of the Lady vnto whom she said Me think Galgano that you be fearefull and shamefast What do you lacke Do I not please you Doth not my personage content you Haue you not the thing whiche you desire Yes Madame sayde Galgano God himselfe could not do me a greater pleasure than to suffer me to be cleped within your armes And reasoning in this sorte he put of his clothes also layde him selfe by her whom he had coueted and desired of long tyme. Being in the bed he sayde Madame I beséech you graunt me one request What is that Galgano quod she It is this Madame sayd Galgano I do much maruell why this night aboue all other you haue sent for me considering how long I haue loued you and although I haue prosecuted my sute by great expence trauaile yet you wold neuer yelde before this time What hath moued you now thus to doe The Lady answered I will tel you sir. True it is that not many dayes a go passing by this house with your Hauke on your fiste my husbande tolde me that so sone as he sawe you he wente out to méete you of purpose to intreat you to supper but you would not tarrie Then your Hauke pursued a Partrich euen into my garden and I seing the Hauke so egrely seassing vpon the same demaunded of my husbande whose Hauke it was He tolde me that the Hauke did belong to the most excellent yong man of all Siena and that he neuer in all his lyfe knewe a gentleman better accomplished with all vertues and good qualities and there withall gaue vnto you singuler praise and commendacion Whervpon hearing him in such wise to praise you and knowing right wel your affectionat minde and disposicion towardes me my heart attached with loue forced me to send for you that I mighte hereafter auoyde disdaine and other skornefull demeaner to impeach or hindre your loue And this briefly is the cause Is this true sayde Galgano Most certayne and true answered the Lady Was there no other occasion No verely sayde the Lady God defend quod Galgano that I should recompence the curtesie and good will of so noble a gentleman as your husband is with reproch villanie Is it méete that good tournes shuld be requited with vnkindnesse If euer man had cause to defende the honor of his vnknowen frende cause haue I right good and apt For now knowing such a frende that would by vertuous reportes haue aduaunced me to higher matters than whereof I am in possession shoulde I rewarde with pollucion of his stocke and wife No no Lady My raging sute by Loue is by vertue quenched Uertue onely hath staunched the flames of vile affections Séeke another frende to giut thy lecherous mynde Finde out some other companion to coole thy disordinate loue Shall I be disloyall to him that hath bene faythfull vnto me Shall I be Traytor to him that friendly hath commended me What can be more required of humane hearts or more desired of manlike minde but will full bente and fixed to doe him good that neuer erst by iust desert deserued the same With which wordes sodainely he lept out of the bed And when he had furnished him selfe agayne with his apparell he also put vpon him vertuous frendship and toke his leaue of the Lady neuer after
at least wyse let loue of your selfe constrayne you which being so perfect a creature as you be doth deserue to enioye the heartes of all the honest men of the worlde And let I say the contempt forsaking of him moue you for whom you haue disdayned all other persons The Quéene hearing those wordes was so rauished that for feare to declare by her countenaunce the trouble of her spirite leaning vpon the Gentlemās arme went into a garden harde by her chamber where she walked a long time not able to speake a worde But the Gentleman seing her halfe wonne when he was at the ende of the Alley where non̄e coulde sée them he certified her by effect the loue which so long tyme he kept secrete from her And both with one consent reioyced in reuenge wherof the passion was importable And there determined that so oft as he went into the countrey and the King from his Castle to the Citie he shoulde retourne to the Castle to sée the Quéene Thus deceyuing the deceyuers all foure were partakers of the pleasure which two alone thought to enioy The accorde made they departed the Ladye to her chamber and the Gentleman to his house with suche contentacion as they had quite forgotten all their troubles past And the fears that eyther of them had of the assembly of the King and of the Gentlewoman was tourned to desire which made the Gentleman to go more ofte than he was wont to doe into the Countrey beyng not past halfe a myle of And so sone as the king knewe thereof he fayled not to visite his Ladie and the Gentleman the night folowing went to the Castle to salute the Quéene to doe the offyce of the Kings Lieutenant so secretly as neuer any man did perceyue it This voyage endured of long tyme but the King bicause he was a publike person coulde not so well dissemble his loue but all the worlde did perceyue it and al men pityed the gentlemans state For diuers light persons behinde his backe woulde make hornes vnto him in signe of mockerie which he right well perceyued But this mockerie pleased him so wel that he estemed his hornes better than the Kings Crowne who and the Gentlemans wyfe one daye could not refrayne beholding a Stagges heade set vp in the Gentlemās house frō breaking into a laughter before his face saying how that head became the house very well The Gentleman that had so good a heart as he wrote ouer that heade these wordes These hornes I weare and beare for euerye man to viewe But I weare and beare them not in token they be trewe The King retourning agayne to thys Gentlemans house finding this superscription newely written demaunded of the Gentleman the signification of them Who sayde vnto him If Princes secrete things be from the horned Hart concealed VVhy should lyke things of horned beastes to Princes be reuealed But content your selfe All they that weare hornes be pardoned to weare their cappes vpon their heades For they be so swéete and pleasaunt that they vncappe no man and they weare them so light that they think they haue none at all The king perceyued well by his wordes that he knewe something of his doings but he neuer suspected the Loue betwéene the Quéene and him For the Quéene was better contented with her husbandes lyfe and with greater ease dissembled her griefe Wherefore eyther partes liued long time in this loue till age had taken order for dissolueiō therof Beholde Ladyes q Saffredante thys Historie which for example I haue willingly recyted vnto you that when your husbandes doe make you hornes as big as a Goate beareth you may render vnto him the monstruous heade of a Stagge peace q Emarsnite smyling no more wordes A Princesse of Flaundres The rashe enterprise of a Gentleman against a Princesse of Flaundres and of the damage and shame which he receyued thereof ¶ The. Lij Nouell THere was in Flaundres a Lady of an honorable house which had two husbandes by whome she had no children that were liuing During the time of her widowhode she dwelt within one of her brothers that loued her very wel which was a noble man and had maryed a Kings daughter This yong Prince was muche giuen to pleasure louing hunting pastime and the company of fayre Ladyes according as youth doth require He had a wyfe that was curst and troublesome whome the delectations of her husbande in no wise did content and please Wherefore this noble man caused his sister daylie to kéepe companye with his wyfe This Gentlewoman his sister was of pleasaunt conuersation and therewithall very honest and wyse There was in the house of this noble man a Gentleman whose worship beautie and grace did surpasse all the rest of hys companions This Gentleman perceyuing the sister of his Lorde and Maister to be pleasaunt of ioyfull countenance thought to proue if the attempt of an honest friende would be vouchsaued at her handes but he founde her aunswere to be contrarie to her countenance And albe if that her aunswere was suche as was méete for a Princesse and right honest Gentlewomā yet bicause she perceyued him to be a goodly personage and curteous she easily pardoned his bolde attempt and séemed that she toke it not in yll parte when he spake vnto her Neuerthelesse she warned him after that time to moue no such matter which he promised bicause he would not lose his pleasure and honor that he conceyued to entertayne her Notwithstanding by processe of tyme his affection increased so much that he forgot the promise which he had made vnto her not hazarding his enterprise by wordes for he had to long against his will experimented her wyse discrete aunsweres But he thought if he coulde finde her in some conuenient place bicause she was a widowe yong of lusty yeares good complexion it were possible she would take pitie vpon him of her selfe And that he might bring his purpose to effect he sayde to his Maister that he had besides his owne house very goodly game that if it pleased him to kill three or foure Stagges in the moneth of Maye he coulde neuer sée better pastime The Lorde aswell for the loue he bare to the Gentleman as for the pleasure he had in hunting graunted his request And went to his house which was so fayre and well furnished as the best Gentleman in all the Countrey had not a better and did lodge his Lorde and Ladie in one side of the house and in the other directly against it her whome he loued better than himselfe The Chamber was so well hanged with Tapistrie and furnished and so trimly matted as it was impossible to perceyue a falling dore which was by the beddes side descending to the chamber where hys Mother laye which was an olde Ladie that was troubled with the Catarre or Rume And bicause she had a Coughe fearing to disease the Princesse which lay aboue her she chaunged chambres with her sonne
life in pleasant coÌ„pany there is none in al the Court but séeth and marketh the good countenaunce you beare to that gentleman whereof your selfe hath some suspicion Which wil make euery maÌ„ suppose that if he haue done this enterprise it was not done with out some consent on your part And your honor which hitherto hath borne your port a loft shall be disputed vpon in all places where this historie shall be remembred The Princesse vnderstanding and waying the good reasons of her Gentlewoman knew that she spake the truth and that by moste iust cause she should be blamed considering the familiaritie and good countenaunce which daylie she bare vnto the Gentleman Wherefore she inquired of her woman of honor what was best to be done Who aunswered her thus Madame sith it pleaseth you to receyue myne aduise by waying the affection whereof it procedeth me thinke you ought in your heart to reioyce that the goodliest and moste curteous Gentleman that liueth coulde neyther by loue nor force dispoyle you of your gret vertue and chastitie For which Madame you are bound to huÌ„ble your self before God acknowledging that it is not done by your vertue bicause many women walking in a more paynful and more vnpleasant trade than you doe haue bene humiliated and brought low by meÌ„ farre more vnworthy of loue thaÌ„ he which loueth you And ye ought now to feare more than euer you did to vse any semblance and talke of amitie bicause there haue bene many that haue fallen the secoÌ„d time into daungers and perils which they haue anoyded at the first Remember Madame that loue is blinde who darkeneth mens eyes in such sorte that where a man thinketh the way most sure there he is most ready to fall And I suppose Madame that you ought not to be knowen of this chaunce neyther to him no yet to any man else and when he remembreth any thing vnto you to make as though you did not vnderstande his meaning to auoyd two dauÌ„gers The one of vaine glory for the victory which you haue had the other to take pleasure in remeÌ„bring things that be so pleasant to the flesh which the most chaste haue had much a doe to defend them selues from feeling of some sparks although they do seke meanes to shunne auoyde them withall their possible power Moreouer Madame to th ende that he think not by such hazard and enterprise to haue done a thing agreable to your minde myne adusse is that by little and little you doe make your self straunge and vse no more your wonted grace vnto him that he may knowe how muche you despise his follie and consider how great your goodnesse is by coÌ„tenting your selfe with the victory which God hath giueÌ„ you without séeking any further vâ—tion or reuengement And God graunt you grace Madame to continue that honestie which he hath planted in your heart and by acknowledging that all goodnesse procedeth froÌ„ him you may loue him and serue him better than euer ye did The Princesse determined to credit the counsayle of her gentlewoman slept with so great ioy as the pore gentleman waked with sorrow On the morrow the noble man ready to depart asked for his hoste vnto whome aunswere was made that he was so sick that he coulde not abide the light nor endure to heare one speake Wherof the Prince was sore abashed and would haue visited him but that it was tolde him that he was a slepe and was very loth to wake him Wherfore without bidding him farewel he departed taking with him his wife and sister who hearing the excuse of the Gentleman that would not sée the Prince nor yet his companie at their departure was persuaded that it was he that had done her all that torment and durst not shew the markes which she had signed in his face And although his Maister did send oftentimes for him yet came he not to the Court vntill he was healed of all his wounds except that which Loue and despite had made in his hart When he came to the Court and appeared before his victorious enemie he blushed for shame of his ouerthrowe And he which was the stoutest of al the company was so astonned that many tymes being before her he coulde not tell which way to loke or tourne his face Wherefore she was assured that her suspicion was certayne and true by little and little estraunging her selfe from him but it was not done so sleightly or politikely but that he perceyued it wel ynough and yet he durst make no semblance thereof for feare of worse aduenture Notwithstanding he conserued both his loue in his heart also pacience of minde for the losse of his Ladies fauour which he had right wel deserued Amadour and Florinda The loue of Amadour and Florinda Wherein be contayned manye sleightes and dissimuletions together with the renowined chastitie of the sayde Florinda ¶ The Liij Nouell IN the Countie of Arande in Aragon there was a Lady which in the best time of her youth continued the widdowe of the Earle of Arande with one soÌ„ne and one daughter called Florinda The sayde Ladye brought vp her children in all vertue and honestie méete and conuenable for all Lordes and Gentlemen in such forte that her house was renowmed to be one of the most honorable houses in all the Region of Spayne Many times she repayred to Tolledo where the King of Spaine helde his Court and wheÌ„ she came to Sarragosa which was harde adioyning to the Court she coÌ„tinued long with the Quéene and in the Court where she was had in so good estimatioÌ„ as any Lady might be Upon a time going towardes the King according to her custome which was at Sarragosa in his Castle of Iasserie this Lady passed by a village that belonged to the Uiceroy of Cathalongne who still continued vpon the frontiers of Parpignon by reason of the great warres that were betwene the French King and him Howbeit at that time peace being concluded the Uiceroy withall his captaynes were come to do reuerence to the King The Uiceroy knowing that the Countesse of Arande dyd passe through his couÌ„trie went to mete her aswel for auncient amitie as also for the honor he bare vnto her being allied to the King Now this Uiceroy had in his companye diuers honest Gentlemen which through the frequeÌ„tation and continuance of the long warres had gotten suche honor aud fame that euery man that might sée them behold them did accompt themselues happie But amonges all the other there was one called Amadour who although he was but .xviij. or .xix. yeares of age yet he had suche an assured grace and a witte so excellent that he was demed amongs a thousande persons worthy to haue the gouernement of a common wealth which good wit was coupled with a maruellous naturall beautie that there was no eye but did content it self eftsones to beholde him And this beautie so exquisite was associated with wonderful eloquence that doubtful it was to
say whether of them merited greatest honor eyther his grace his beauty or his excellente tong but that which brought him into best reputation was his great hardinesse whereof the common report and brute was nothing impeached or stayed for all his youth For in so many places he shewed his maruellous chiualcie that not onely Spaine but Fraunce and Italie did singularlie commend and set forth his vertue bicause in all the warres wherein he was presēt he neuer spared himself for any daūger And when his countrie was in peace and quiet he sought to serue in straunge places being loued and estemed both of his frends and enemies This Gentleman for the loue of his Captayne was come into that coūtrie where was arriued the Countesse of Arande and in beholding the beautie and good grace of her daughter which was not then past .xij. yeares of age he thought that she was the fayrest moste vertuous personage that euer be sawe and that if he coulde obtayne her good will he shoulde be so well satisfied as if he had gayned al the goods and pleasures of the world And after he had a good while viewed her for all the impossibilitie that reason could deuise to the contrary he determined to loue her although some occasion of that impossibilitie might rise through the greatnesse of the house whereof she came for want of age which was not able as yet to vnderstand the passiōs of loue But against the feare thereof he armed himselfe with good hope persuading with himselfe that time aud pacience woulde bring happy ende to his trauayle And from that time gentle Loue which without any other occasion than by his owne force was entred the hearte of Amadour promised him fauour helpe by all meanes possible to attayne the same And to prouide for the greatest difficultie which was the farre distance of the Countrie where he dwelt and the small occasion that he had thereby any more to sée Florinda he thought to marrie against his determinatiō made with the Ladies of Barlelone and Parpignon amongs whom he was so conuersant by reason of the warres that he séemed rather to be a Cathelan thā a Castillan although he were borne by Tolledo of a riche and honourable house but bicause he was a yonger brother he inioyed no great patrimonie or reuenue Not withstanding Loue and Fortune séeing him forsaken of his parents determined to accomplishe some notable exployte in him gaue him by meanes of his vertue that which the lawes of his coūtry refused to giue He had good experience in factes of warre and was so wel beloued of all Princes and Rulers that he refused many times their goodes as a man that wayed not the same The Countesse of whome I spake arriued thus at Sarragossa was very well interteigned of the king and of his whole Court The Gouernor of Cathalogne many times came thither to visite her whō Amadour neuer fayled to accōpany for the only pleasure he had to talk with Florinda And to make himselfe to be knowen in that company he went to Auenturade which was the daughter of an old Knight that dwelt hard by the house which from her youth was brought vp with Florinda in such familiar sorte that she knew all the secrets of her hart Amadour aswel for the honesty that he found in her as for the liuing of thrée thousand Ducats by the yere which she shoulde haue to her mariage determined to giue her such interteignemēt as one that was disposed to marry her Whervnto the Gentlewoman did willingly recline her eare And bicause that he was pore and the father of the damosel rich she thought that her father would neuer accorde to the mariage excepte it were by meanes of the Countesse of Arande Wherevpon she went to Madame Florinda and sayde vnto her Madame you sée this Castillan Gentleman which so oftentimes talketh with me I doe beleue that his pretence is to marry me You doe know what a father I haue who will neuer giue his consent if he be not persuaded therevnto by my Lady your mother you Florinda which loued the damosell as her selfe assured her that she would take vpon her to bring that matter to passe with so earneste trauayle as if the case were her owne Then Auenturade brought Amadour before Florinda who after he had saluted her was lyke to fall in a sowne for ioy and although he were compted the moste eloquent person of Spaine yet was he now become mute and dumb before Florinda wherat she maruelled much For albeit she was but. xv yeares of age yet she vnderstode that there was no man in Spaine that had a better tongue or a more conuenable grace than he And seing that he sayde nothing vnto her she spake vnto him in this wise The same which is bruted of you sir Amadour through out the whole countrie of Spaine is such that it maketh you knowen and estemed in this companie and giueth desire and occasion to those that know you to imploy themselues to doe you pleasure Wherefore if there be any thing wherin I may gratifie you vse me I beseche you Amadour that gased vpō the beautie of that Lady was rapt and surprised not wel able to render thankes vnto her And although Florinda maruelled to sée him without aunswere yet she imputed the same rather to bashfulnesse than to any force of loue and departed without any further talke Amadour knowing the vertue which in so tender yeares began to appeare in Florinda sayde vnto her whom he purposed to marry Doe not maruell though my talke doe fayle before Madame Florinda for the vertues and wise wordes hidden in that yong personage did so amase me that I wist not what to say But I pray you Auenturade quod he which knoweth all her secretes to tell me if it be otherwise possible but that she hath the heart of all the Lordes and Gentlemen of the Court for they which knowe her and doe not loue her be stones or beasts Auenturade which then loued Amadour more than all the men in the world and would conceale nothing from him sayde vnto him that Madame Florinda was beloued of the whole world but for the custome of the coūtrie few men did speake vnto her And quod she as yet I sée none that make any semblance vnto her but two yong Princes of Spaine which desired to marry her whereof the one is the sonne of the Infant Fortune and the other of the Duke of Cadouce I pray you thē quod Amadour to tel me which of them as you thinke doth loue her best She is so wise sayd Auenturade that she will confesse or graūt her loue to none but to suche as her mother pleaseth But so far as we can iudge she fauoreth much better the sonne of the Infant Fortune thā the Duke of Cadouce And for that I take you to be a man of good iudgemente this day you shall haue occasion to iudge the truth For the
sonne of the Infant Fortune is brought vp in the courte who is one of the goodliest and moste perfecte yong gentlemen in al christendome And if the mariage doe procede according to our opinion which be her maids he shall be assured to haue Madame Florinda And then shall be ioyned together the goodliest couple in the worlde And you must vnderstande that although they be both very yong she of .xij. yeares of age and he of .xv. yet it is thrée yeares past since their loue first began And if you be disposed aboue other to obtaine her fauour myne aduise is that ye become friende and seruaunt vnto him Amadour was very ioyful to heare tel that his Lady loued some man trusting that in tyme he shoulde wynne the place not of husbande but of seruaunt For he feared nothing of all her vertue but a lacke of disposition to loue And after this communication Amadour bent himself to haunt the society of the sonne of the Infant Fortune whose fauour he sone obtained For all the pastimes which the yong Prince loued Amadour could doe right well And aboue all other he was very cunning in ryding of horsses and in handling all kindes of armes and weapons and in all other pastimes and games méete for a yong Gentleman Warres began in Languedoc and Amadour must néedes retire with the Gouernour to his great sorrowe and griefe For he had there no meane to retourne to the place where he might sée Florinda For which cause he spake to his owne brother which was Stuarde of the King of Spaines householde and declared vnto him what courtesie he had founde in the house of the Countesse of Arande and of the Damosell Auenturade praying him that in his absence he woulde doe his indeuour that the maryage might procéede and that he woulde obtayne for him the credite and good opinion of the King and Quéene and of all his friendes The Gentleman which loued his brother aswell for Natures sake as for his great vertues promised him his trauaile and industrie to the vttermost Which he did in suche wyse that the olde man her father now forgetting other naturall respect began to mark and behold the vertues of Amadour which the Countesse of Arande and speciallye fayre Florinda paynted and set forth vnto him and likewise the yong Earle of Arande which began to growe to yeares and therewithall to loue those that were vertuous giuen to honest exercise And when the mariage was agréed betwéene the parents the sayd Stuarde sent for his brother whilest the truce endured betwéene the two Kings Aboute this tyme the King of Spaine retired to Madric to auoide the euill ayre that was in many places where by the aduise of diuers of his Counsell and and at the request of the Countesse of Arande he made a maryage betwene the yong Duchesse the heyre of Medina Celi and the yong Earle of Arande as well for the vnion of their house as also for the loue he bare to the sayde Countesse And this mariage was celebrated in the castell of Madric whervnto repayred Amadour who so well obtayned his suite that he maried her of whome he was muche better beloued than his small loue towarde her did deserue sauing that it was a couerture and meanes for him to frequent the place where his minde and delight incessantly remayned After he was maried he became so well acquainted and familiar in the house of the Countesse that he was so conuersant amongs the Ladyes as if he had bene a woman And although he was then but .xxij. yeares of age he was so wise and graue that the Countesse imparted vnto him all her affayres commaunding her sonne and daughter to intertayne him and to credite all things wherein he gaue counsell Hauing wonne this great estimation he behaued himselfe so wise and politike that euen she whome he loued knewe no part of his affectiō But by reason of the loue that Florinda bare to the wyfe of Amadour whome she loued more than any other she was so familiar with him that she dissembled no parte of her thought declaring vnto him all the loue that she bare towards the sonne of the Infant Fortune And he that desired nothing more thā throughly to winne her ceassed not from continuance of talke not waying wherof he spake so that he might holde her with long discourse Amadour had not after his maryage continued a moneth in that companye but was constrayned to retire to the warres where he remained more than two yeares without retourne to sée his wyfe who still abode in the place where she was brought vp During this time Amadour wrote many letters vnto his wyfe but the chiefest effect of the same were commendations to Florinda who for her parte fayled not to render like vnto him many tymes writing some preue poesie with her owne hand in the letter of Auenturade Which made her husbande diligent many times to write againe vnto her but in al this doing Florinda knew nothing but that she loued him as if he had bene her brother Many times Amadour went and came but in the space of fiue yeares he neuer saw Florinda two monethes together in the whole time Not withstāding Loue in despite of their distaunce and long absence ceassed not to increase And it chaunced that he made a voyage home to sée his wyfe and founde the Countesse farre from the Court bicause the king of Spaine was gone to Vandelousie and had taken with him the yong Earle of Arande which then began to beare armes The Countesse was retired to a house of pleasure which she had vpon the frontiers of Arragon and Nauarre and was right ioyful when she saw Amadour who almost thre yeres had bene absent He was very well receyued of euery man and the Countesse commaunded that he shoulde be vsed and intreated as her owne sonne During the time that he soiorned with her she communicated vnto him al the affayres of her house and committed the moste parte thereof to his discretion who wanne suche credite in the house that in all places where he list the dores were opened vnto hym Whose wisedome and good behauiour made him to be estemed as though he had bene a Saincte or Aungell Florinda for the loue and good will which she bare vnto his wife and him made much of him in al places wher she sawe him knowing nothing of his intent Wherfore she did not refrayne her selfe or take hede of anye countenaunce for that her hearte as yet felt no passiō but that she felt a great contentacion in her selfe whē she was in the presence of Amadour of any other thing she thought not Amadour to auoide the iudgement of them that haue proued the difference of Louers countenances was very ware and circumspect For when Florinda came to speake vnto him secretely like one that thought no hurt the fier hidden in his brest burned so sore that he coulde not staye the blushing colour of his face nor
the sparkes which flewe out of his eyes And to the intent that through long frequentation none might espie the same he interteigned a very fayre Lady called Paulina a woman in his time accompted so faire that few men which beheld her could escape her bonds This Lady Paulina vnderstanding how Amadour vsed his loue at Barselone Parpignon how he was beloued of the fayrest honest Ladyes of the coūtrie aboue all of the Countesse of Pallamons which in beautie was prised to be the fayrest in all Spaine of many other sayde vnto him That she had great pitie of him for that after so many good fortunes he had maried a wife so foule and deformed Amadour vnderstanding well by those wordes that she had desire to remedy her owne necessitie vsed the best maner that he coulde deuise thinking that in making her beleue a lie he should hyde from her the truth But the subtile and wel experimented in loue contented not her selfe with talke but perceyuing right well that his hearte was not satisfied with her loue doubted that he coulde not serue his Lady in secrete wise therefore marked him so nere that dayly she had a respect and watch vnto his eyes which he coulde so well dessemble that she was able to iudge nothing but by darke suspicion not without great payne and difficultie to the gentleman to whom Florinda ignorant of all their malice did resorte manye times in presence of Paulina whose demeaner then was so familiar that he with maruellous payne refrayned his lokes against his heart and desire And to auoide that no inconuenience should ensue one day speaking to Florinda as they were both leaning at a windowe sayde these wordes Madame I beseche you to tell me whether is it better to speake or to die Wherevnto Florinda answered readily saying I will still councell my friends to speake and not to die For there be fewe wordes spoken but that they may be amended but the life lost cannot be recouered Promise me then sayde Amadour that not onely ye will accept those words which I will saye but also not to be astonned or abashed till ye heare the ende of my tale To whom she answered Say what it please you for if you doe affraye me none other shall assure me Then he began to saye vnto her Madame I haue not yet bene desirous to disclose vnto you the greate affection which I beare you for two causes The one bicause I attende by my long seruice to shewe you the experience thereof The other for that I doubted you woulde thinke a great presumption in me which am but a poore gentleman to insinuate my selfe in place whereof I am not worthye And althoughe I were a prince as you be the loyalty yet of your heart wil not permit any other but him which hath already taken possession the sonne I meane of the Infant Fortune to vse any talke of loue with you But Madame like as necessity in time of great warre constrayneth men to make hauoke of their owne goodes and to consume the gréene corne that the enemy take no profit and reliefe therof euen so do I hazard to aduaunce the frute which in time I hope to gather that your enemies mine may inioye thereof none aduauntage Knowe ye Madame that from the time of your tender yeares I haue in such wise dedicated my selfe to your seruice that I ceasse not still to aspire the meanes to achieue your grace and fauour And for that occasion I did marry hir whō I thought you did loue best And knowing the loue you beare to the sonne of the Infant Fortune I haue indeuored my selfe to serue him as you haue sene And all wherein I thought you did delight I haue accomplished to the vttermoste of my power You doe sée that I haue gotten the good will of the Countesse your mother of the Earle you brother and of all those that doe beare you good will In such sort as in this house I am estemed not like a seruaunt but as a sonne And al the labour which I haue sustayned these fiue yeares past was for none other cause but to lyue all the dayes of my lyfe with you And vnderstande you well that I am none of those which by these meanes doe pretend to receyue of you any profite or pleasure other than that which is good and vertuous I doe knowe that I can neuer marry you and if I could I would not to withstand the loue that you beare vnto him whome I desire to be your husbande likewise to loue you in vicious sorte like them that hope to recompence their seruice with the dishonor of their Ladies I am so farre of from that affection that I had rather be dead than to sée you by desert worthy of lesse loue and that your vertue shoulde by any meanes be diminished for any pleasure that might happen vnto me I doe pretende and craue for the ende and recompence of my seruice but one thing Which is that you woulde continue my loyall and faithfull maystresse that you will neuer withdrawe from me your good grace and fauour and that you will maintayne me in that estate and degrée wherin I am Reposing your trust and fidelitie in me more than in any other making your selfe so assured of me that if for your honor or any cause touching your person you stand in néede of the lyfe of a Gentleman the same shall right willingly be employed in your seruice In like maner all things vertuous and honeste which euer I shall attempt I beseche you to thinke the same to be done onely for the loue of you And if I haue done for Ladyes of lesse reputation than you be any thing worthy of estimation be you assured that for suche a maystresse as you are my enterprises shall increase in suche sorte that the things which I found difficult and impossible shall be easelie for me to accomplishe But if you do not accept me to be wholly yours I determine to giue ouer armes and to renoūce valiance bicause it hath not succoured me in necessitie Wherefore Madame I humblie beseche you that my iust request may not be refused sith with your honour and conscience you cannot well denie the same The yong Lady hearing this vnaccustomed sute began to chāge her colour and to cast downe her eyes lyke an amased woman not withstanding as she that was wise and discrete sayde vnto him If Amadour your request vnto me be none other than it is wherefore haue you discoursed vnto me this long oration I am afrayde that vnder this honest pretence there lurketh some hidden malice to deceyue the ignoraunce of my youth in such wise that I am in great perplexitie how to make you aunswere for to refuse the honest amitie which you haue offered I shall doe contrarie to that I haue done hitherto which haue reposed in you more truste than in al the men of the world My conscience or mine honor can
not gainesay your demaunde nor the loue that I beare to the sonne of the Infant Fortune which is grounded vpon mariage Where you pretend nothing I can not tell what thing should let me to make you aunswere according to your requeste but a feare that I haue in my heart founded vpon the small occasion that you haue to vse that talke for if you haue that already which you demaunde what doth constraine you to speake so affectuously Amadour that was not with out an answere sayd vnto her Madame you speake very wisely and you do to me so much honor for the confidence and trust which according to your saying you doe repose in me that if I doe not content my self with such a benefite I were the vnworthiest creature liuing But vnderstand Madame that he which goeth about to builde a perpetuall mansion ought to haue regarde to a sure and firme foundation Wherfore I which desire perpetually to remaine in your seruice doe seke not onely the meanes to kepe my selfe nere about you but also to foresée that none do vnderstand the great affection which I doe beare you For although my minde be so vertuous honest that the same may disclose it selfe before the whole worlde yet there be some so ignorant and vnskilfull of louers hearts that many times will iudge contrary to the truth whereof procedeth so ill brute and reporte as if the effectes were wicked The cause which hath made me so bolde to say and declare vnto you thus much is the suspiciō that Paulina hath conceyued in her minde for that I can not loue her Who doth nothing else but marke and espie my countenance in euery place and when you vse your familiar talke with me before her I am so afrayed to shew any signe wherby she may grounde or verifie her iudgement that I fall into that inconuenience which I woulde willingly auoyde Wherefore I haue thought good to besech you before her and those which you doe knowe to be so malicious to abstayne from talking with me so sodainly for I had rather dye than any liuing creature shoulde haue knowledge therof And had it not bene for the loue which I beare vnto your honor I had not yet declared the same vnto you for I doe hold my self sufficient happie and content of the loue and affiance that you do beare me crauing nothing else but the continuance of the same Florinda so well satisfied with this answere began to fele in her heart a further thing to grow than euer she did before And hearing the honest reasons alleadged by him sayd that her honestie and vertue should make aunswere for her and there withall assented to his demaunde Whereof whether Amadour were ioyfull Louers néede not doubt But Florinda credited more his counsell than he would haue had her For she being fearefull and timerous not onely before Paulina but in all other places vsed farre other countenaunce than she was wont to doe And in this altenation of her former familiaritie she misliked the conuersation that Amadour had with Paulina whose beautie was suche that she could not otherwise beleue but that he loued her And Florinda to passe ouer he heauinesse daylie vsed the companie of Auenturade that began meruellously to be ialous betwéene her husbande and Paulina whereof she made complaint many times to Florinda who comforted her so well as she could like one attached with the same disease Amadour coniecturing by the countenaunce of Florinda that not onely she was estraunged from him through his former aduertisement but also that there was some other displeasure conceyued comming vpon a tyme from euensong out of the Monasterie he sayd vnto her Madame what countenaunce doe you make me Suche as I thinke doth please you best answered Florinda Then Amadour suspecting a matter to know whether it were true began to say Madame I haue so vsed the matter that Paulina beginneth to giue ouer her opinion of you She answered him Ye can not doe a better thing either for your self or for me For in doing your self a pleasure you doe honor vnto me Amadour iudged by these wordes that she thought he toke pleasure to talk of Paulina wherewith he became so desperat that he coulde not forbeare to saye vnto her in anger Madame you begin very sone to torment your seruaunt There was neuer payne more greuous vnto me than to be forced to speake to her whome I loue not And sithens all that which I doe for your seruice is taken in ill parte I wil neuer speake againe vnto her whatsoeuer happen And to dissemble mine anger and contentacion I will addresse my selfe to some place hereby till your fansie be past But I hope I shal receyue newes from my Captayne to retourne to the warres where I will so long continue that you shall knowe and vnderstande that none other thing but you alone doth force me to carry here And in saying so without attending for her aunswere he incontinently departed and she remayned so sadde and pensife as any woman coulde be And Loue beganne to shewe his great force in such wyse as she knowing her wrong incessantly wrote to Amadour praying him to retourne home which he did within fewe dayes after that hys choler was past And to tell you what businesse there was to interrupt and breake the ialousie conceyued it were superfluous But in the ende he wanne the fielde so that she promised him not onely to beleue that he loued not Paulina but also helde her selfe assured that it shoulde be to him a martirdome intollerable to speake vnto her or anye other excepte it were to doe her seruice After that Loue had vanquished this present suspicion and that the two Louers began to take more pleasure in their mutuall talke than euer they did before newes came that the King of Spaine was aboute to addresse his Armie to Saulse wherefore he that was wont to be there with the first was not lyke nowe to fayle to augment his honour But true it is that his griefe was nowe more great than at other tymes before aswell for losing the pleasure whiche he enioyed as for feare to fynde some mutation and chaunge at his retourne bicause he saw Florinda pursued by great Princes Lordes and already come to the age of .xv. yeares thinking that if she were maried in his absence he should neuer haue occasion to sée her againe except the Countesse of Arande woulde appoint his wife to wait vpon her For accomplishment whereof he made suche friendes that the Countesse and Florinda promised him that into what so euer place she were maried his wife Auenturade should attende vpon her And although it was in question that Florinda should be maried into Portugal yet it was determined that his wife shoulde neuer forsake her And vpon the assurance not without vnspeakeable sorow Amadour departed left his wife with the Countesse When Florinda was alone after the departure of her seruant she gaue her selfe
to all thinges good and vertuous hoping therby to attayne the fame of a moste perfect Lady to be counted worthy the interteignement of such a seruant Amadour being arriued at Barsalone was banketted of the Ladyes after the olde maner but they finding him so altered and chaunged thought that Mariage coulde neuer haue had such power vpon man as it had ouer him For he séemed then to disdayne those things which sometime he greatly desired and specially the Coūtesse of Palamons whom he dearely loued coulde deuise no meanes to make him goe alone home to his lodging Amadour tarried at Barsalone so little while as he coulde bicause he might not come late to the place where he should winne and achieue honour And being arriued at Saulse great cruell warres was comenced betwene the two kings which I purpose not to recite ne yet the noble enterprises done by Amadour whose fame was bruted aboue the rest of his companions The Duke of Nagyeres arriuing at Parpignon had charge of two thousād men and prayed Amadour to be his Lieutenant who with that band serued so wel that no crie was hearde in all the skirmishes other than Nagyeres It chaūced that the king of Thunis which of long time had warre with the Spaniardes vnderstanding how the kings of Spaine and Fraunce were together by the eares at Parpignon and Narbone thought that in better time he could not anoy the king of Spaine Wherefore he sent a great number of Foysts and other vessels to robbe and destroy those frontiers which were yll guarded kept They of Barsalone séeing a number of Shippes passe before the Towne aduertised the king that was at Saulse who imediatly sent the Duke of Nagyeres to Palamons And when the Shippes perceyued that the place was well guarded they made as thoughe they woulde passe further But aboute midnight they retourned and landed so many men that the Duke of Nagyeres was taken prisoner Amadour which was very vigilant hearing al arme presently assembled so many men as he coulde and defended himselfe so well that the force of his enemies a long time coulde not hurt him But in th ende knowing that the Duke of Nagyeres was taken prisoner and that the Turkes were determined to burne the Citie of Palamons and then to fier the house which he strongly had forced against them he thought it better to render him selfe than to be cause of the losse of so many good souldiors as were in his bande and also by putting himselfe to raūsome he hoped in time to come to sée Florinda Thē he submitted himself to a Turke called Derlyn the gouernor of the king of Thunis who conueyed him home to his maister where he was well enterteigned and better kept For they thought that hauing him in their handes they had gotten the onely Achilles of Spaine In this sorte Amadour continued almost the space of two yeares in the seruice of the king of Thunis Newes came into Spaine of this ouerthrow wherof the friends of the Duke of Nagyeres were very sorrowfull But they that loued the honor of their countrie thought Amadour to be the greatest losse The brute whereof was noysed in the house of the Countesse of Arande where at that tyme the pore Gentlewoman Auenturade lay very sore sicke The Countesse suspecting very muche the affection that Amadour bare vnto her daughter which he suffered and dissembled for his vertues sake called her daughter aside and tolde her the pitious newes Florinda which could well dissemble sayde vnto her that it was a great losse for all their house but specially she pitied the state of his pore wife bicause at that time she was so sore sick But seing her mother wepe so bitterly she let fall some teares to kepe her companie least through to much dissimulation her loue might be discouered After that time the Countesse spake to her many tymes but she could neuer perceyue by her countenaunce any cause of certayne suspicion I will leaue to speake of the voyages the prayers the supplications and fastings whiche Florinda did ordinarily make for the safegard and prosperitie of Amadour who incontinently so sone as he was arriued at Thunis sente newes to his friendes and by a sure messanger aduertized Madame Florinda that he was in good health and hope to retourne Which newes was to the pore Lady the only meanes to releue and ease her sorrow And doubte ye not but the meanes of writing was vtterly debarred from Amadour whereof Florinda acquited her self so dilygently that by her letters and epistles he receyued gret consolation comfort The Countesse of Arande receyued cōmaundement from the King to repaire to Sarragosa where he that tyme was arriued And there she founde the yong Duke of Cardonne making sute to the King and Quéene for mariage of her daughter The Countesse vnwilling to disobey the king agréed thinking that her daughter being very yong had none other affection but that she had When the accord was concluded she sayde vnto her daughter that she had chosen her that match which she thought best worthy to ioyne with her person Her daughter séeing that in a thing already done it was to late to take counsell sayde vnto her that God was to be praysed in all things And séeing her mother so farre alienated from her intent she thought it better to shew her selfe obedient than to take pitie vpon her selfe And to comforte her in that sorow she vnderstode that the Infant Fortune was at the point of death But before her mother or any other person she shewed not so much as one signe or token thereof strayning her selfe so muche that the teares by force retiring to her heart did cause the bloud to issue forth at her nose in such abundance that her lyfe was in present daunger And to recouer her of that dysease she was maried vnto him for whose sake she had rather haue chaunged her lyfe for presente death After the mariage Florinda wente with her husbande into the Duchie of Cardonne and with her Auenturade to whome she secretly made her complaint aswell of her mothers rigor as also of the sorrowe she conceyued for the losse of the sonne of the Infant Fortune But of her griefe for Amadour she spake neuer a worde but by waye of comforting her This yong Lady then determined to haue God and respect of honor before her eyes and so well to dissemble her griefes that none should at any tyme perceyue that she misliked her husbande In this sorte Florinda passed a long tyme liuing a lyfe no lesse pleasant than death The report whereof she sent to her good seruant Amadour who vnderstanding her great loue and well disposed heart and the loue she bare to the Infant Fortune thought that it was impossible she could liue long lamented her state more than his owne This griefe augmented his paine of imprisonment wishing to haue remained a slaue all the dayes of his lyfe so that Florinda had had a
to fayle her and that her fete and handes were caught in suche captiuitie that she could neyther run away nor yet defend herselfe knew none other remedie but to proue if he had yet remayning in him any griftes of the former loue that for the honor therof he might forget his crueltie Wherfore she sayde vnto him Amadour if now you doe accompt me for an enemie I besech you for the honestie of the loue which at other times I haue found planted in your heart to giue me leaue to speake before you doe torment me And when she sawe him reclining his eare she pursued her talke in this wise Alas Amadour what cause haue you to seke after the the thing whereof you shall receyue no contentation inflicting vpon me suche displeasure as there can be no greater You haue many tymes proued my will and affection in the tyme of my youthfull dayes and of my beautie farre more excellent than it is nowe at what tyme your passion might better be borne with and excused than nowe In suche wise that I am amased to sée that you haue the heart to torment me at that age and greate debility wherwith I am now indued I am assured that you doubte not but that my will minde is such as it was wont to be Wherefore you cannot obtayne your demaunde but by force And if you sawe how my face is arraied you woulde forget the pleasure which once you receyued in me and by no meanes would forcibly approche nere vnto me And if there be left in you yet any remnantes of loue it is impossible but that pitie may vanguishe your furie And that to pitie and honestie whereof once I had experience in you I doe make my plainte and of the same I doe demaund grace and pardon to thintent that according to your persuasion and good aduise you maye suffer me to liue in peace honesty which I haue determined during my life And if the loue which you haue borne me be cōuerted into hatred that more for reuengement than affection you doe purpose to make me the most vnhappy wight of the worlde I assure you you shall not be able to bring your intent to passe besides that you shall constrayne me against my determination to vtter and reueale your villany disordinate appetite towards her which did repose in you an incredible affiance by discouering whereof thinke verely that your life cannot continue without perill Amadour breaking her talke sayde vnto her If I die for it I wil presentlie be acquieted of my torment But the deformitie of your face which I thinke was done by you of set purpose shall not let me to accomplishe my will For since I can get nothing of you but the bones carcasse I wil holde them so fast as I can And when Florinda sawe that prayers reason nor teares coulde not auaile but that with crueltie he woulde néedes followe his villanous desire which she had stil auoided by force of resistance she did helpe her selfe so long til she feared the losse of her breath and with a heauy and pitious voice she called her mother so loude as she coulde crye who hearing her daughter calling with such rufull voyce began gretly to feare the thing that was true Wherfore she ranne so fast as she could into the warderobe◠Amadour not being so nere death as he sayd he was left of his hold in such good time as the Lady opening her closet founde him at the dore and Florinda farre ynough from him The Countesse demaunded of him saying Amadour what is the matter Tell me the truth Who like one that was neuer vnprouided of excuse with his face pale and wanne and his breath almoste spente sayde vnto her Alas Madame in what plight is my Lady Florinda I was neuer in all my life in that amase wherein I am now For as I sayde vnto you I had thought that I had inioyed part of her good will but now I know right well that I haue nothing at all I thinke Madame that sith the time she was brought vp with you she was neuer lesse wise and vertuous than she is but she is very daungerous and squeimish in speaking and talking and euen now I woulde haue loked vpon her but she woulde not let me And when I sawe that countenaunce thinking that it had bene some dreame or vision I desired to kisse her hand according to the fashion of the countrie which she vtterly refused True it is Madame I haue offended her wherof I craue pardon of you but it chaūced only for that I toke her by the hande which I did in a maner by force kissed the same demaunding of her no other contentation But she like one as I suppose that hath sworne my death made an outery for you as you haue heard for what cause I know not except that she were affrayde that I woulde haue forced some other thing Notwithstanding Madame what so euer the matter be I protest vnto you the wrong is mine and albeit that she ought to loue all your honest seruants yet fortune so willeth that I alone the most affectioned of thē all is clearelye exempt out of her fauour And yet I purpose still to continue towardes you her the same man I came hither beseching your good grace and fauour sithens that without my desert I haue lost hers The Countesse which partelye beleued and partelye mistrusted his talke went vnto her daughter and demaunded of her wherefore she cried out so loude Florinda aunswered that she was affrayd And albeit the Countesse subtilly asked her of many things yet Florinda would neuer make other answere for that hauing escaped the hands of her enemie she thought it punishment ynough for him to lose his labor After that the Coūtesse had of long time cōmuned with Amadour she left him yet once againe to enter in talke with Florinda before her to sée what coūtenaūce she would make him To whō he spake few words except they were thanks for that she had not cōfessed the truth to her mother praying her at least wife that seing he was dispossessed out of her heart she would suffer none other to receiue his place But she answering his former talke sayd If I had had any other meanes wherwith to defend my self from you than by crying out she shoulde neuer haue heard me and of me you shall neuer heare worse except you doe constrayne me as you haue done and for louing any other man you shal not néede to feare For sith I haue not founde in your heart which I estemed the moste vertuous in all the worlde the good successe that I desired I will neuer beleue hereafter that vertue is planted in any man And this outrage shal make me frée from all passions that Loue can force and in saying so she toke her leaue The mother which behelde her countenaunce could suspect nothing and after that tyme she knew wel that her daughter bare
Gentleman assured him that he neuer thought it and howe they which had sowen that rumor had wickedly belied him Wherevnto his companion aunswered I knowe well ynough that Ialosie is a passion so intollerable as loue it selfe And when you shall conceyue that opinion of Ialousie yea it were of my selfe I shoulde doe you no wrong for you your selfe shoulde not be able to kepe it But of one thing which is in your power I haue occasion to complayn and that is bicause you would concele from me your maladye sith there was no passion or opinion which you conceyued that before this time you kept secrete frō me Likewise for my own part if I were amorous of your wife you ought not to impute it as a fault vnto me bicause it is a fier which I beare not in my handes to vse at my pleasure But if I kepe it to my selfe from you indeuour to make your wife knowe it by demōstracion of my loue I might then be accōpted the wicked frend that euer liued And for me I assure most you that she is an honest a good woman and one that my fansie dothe lest fauor although she were not your wife of all them that euer I sawe But now sithens there is no occasion I doe require you that if you perceyue any suspiciō be it neuer so little to tell me of it bicause I woulde so vse my selfe as our friendeship which hath indured so long might not be broken for a woman And if I did loue her aboue any thing in the world yet surely I woulde neuer speake worde vnto her bicause I doe esteme our friendship aboue any other thing His companion swore vnto him very great othes that he neuer thought it praying him to vse his house as he had done before Whervnto he answered Sith you will haue me so to doe I am content But I pray you if hereafter you doe conceyue any simstre opinion of me not to dessemble the same which if you doe I will neuer continue longer in your companye In processe of time liuing togither according to their custome the maried gentleman entred agayne into more suspicion than euer he did commaunding his wife to beare no more that countenance towardes him that she was wont to do Which commaundement she tolde to her husbands companion praying him after that time to forbeare to speake vnto her for that she was commaunded to doe the like vnto him The Gentleman vnderstanding by wordes and by certayne counternaunces that his companion had not kept promise he sayde vnto him in a great choler To be ialous my companion is a thing naturall But bicause thou diddest sweare vnto me by othes not to dissemble with me I can by no meanes forbeare any longer For I did euer think that betwéene thy heart mine there could be no let interrupcion but to my great griefe and without any fault on my part I doe sée the contrarie For as muche as thou art not onely verye ialous betwéene thy wife and me but also thou wouldest dissimulate and couer the same so that in the ende thy maladie and diease hath continued so long that it is altered into a mere malyce and like as our loue hath bene the greatest that hath bene séene in our time euen so our displeasure hatred is now most mortall I haue done so muche as lieth in me to auoide this inconuenience but sith thou hast inspected me to be an ill man and I haue still shewed my selfe to be the contrarie I doe sweare and therewithal assure thée by my fayth that I am the same thou thinkest me to be and therefore from hence forth take hede of me For since suspiciō hath separated thée from my loue and amitie dispite shall deuide me from thine And albeit that his companion woulde haue made him beleue the contrarie and that he mistrusted him nothing at all yet he withdrewe his part of his moueables and goodes that before were commō betwéene them so that nowe both their hearts and goodes were so farre separated as before they were vnited and ioyned together In suche wise as the vnmaried Gentleman neuer ceassed till he had made his companion Cockold according to his promise A Miracle at Lyons The simplicitie of an olde woman that offered a burning candle to Saint Iohn of Lyons The. Lix Nouell IN the Church of sainct Iohn at Lyons there was a very darke chappell and within the same a Tombe made of stone erected for great personages with pictures liuely wrought and about the same tombe there doe lie many worthy gknihts of great valiance Upon a hot esommers day a souldior walking vp and downe the Church had great delight to slepe and beholding that darke chappel which was colde and fresh of ayre thought to goe slepe vpon the Tombe as other did besides whome he layed him downe to slepe It chaunced that a good old woman very deuout came thether when the souldior was in the depth of his slepe And after she had sayde her deuotions with a waxe candle in her hande she would haue sticked the same vpon the Tombe and repairing nere the place where the souldior lay desirous to sicke it vpon his forhead thinking it had bene of stone the waxe would not cleaue The olde woman which thought the cause that her candle woulde not sticke was the coldnesse of the Image went about to warme the forhead with the flame of the candle to make it cleaue But the Image which was not insensible began to cry out whereat the pore woman was so afrayd that lyke one straught of her wittes she brake into exclamation crying A miracle A miracle They within the Church hearing an outcry of a miracle ranne in heapes as thoughe they had bene mad some to ring the belles and some to sée the miracle And the good wife brought them to sée the Image which was remoued Whereat many began to laughe But diuers priestes could not so content themselues but determined greatly to estéeme that Tombe therof to get money Of a Doctor of the Lawes A Doctor of the lawes bought a cup who by the subtiltie of two false verlets lost both his money and the cup. ¶ The. Lx. Nouell TO conclude our number of Nouels I haue thought good gentle reader to bring in place a Doctor and his wife to giue thée a mery farewell bicause thou hast hitherto so friendly and paciently suffred thy self to be stayed in reading of the rest Wherfore with a pleasant Valete et Plaudite in a short merie tale which discloseth the subtiltie of two false knaues to begile a pore Doctor and his wife I meane to end And therfore do say that in the citie of Bologna in Italie there was a worshipfull Doctor of the Law called Maister Florien which in other thinges sauing his profession was but filthie beastlie and of so ill behauiour as none of his facultie the like Who by sauing of many crustes had layed vp
grauity which once made hir maruelous and singuler aboue all them that lyued in her dayes In the time that this ioly company had furnished and prepared themselues in readinesse Gunfort sent a gentleman of that troupe toward the Emperour to aduertise him of the successe of his iourney Wherof he was exceding ioyful and attended for the comming of his children with purpose to entertayne them in louing honorable wise When al things were in readynesse and the traine of Adelasia in good order according to the worthyuesse of the house whereof the came they rode towarde Sauonne which iourney séemed to them but a sport for the pleasure mixt with compassiō that eche man conceyued in the discourse the Alerane made vpon his misfortunes chaunces aswell in his iourneys as of his abode and continuance in the desertes Which William calling to remembraunce praysed God yelded him thankes for that it had pleased him to inspire into his minde the forsaking of his parentes considering that the same only fault was the cause of their restitution and of his aduauncement and glory being the sonne of such a father and the neuewe of so great a Monarche The fame of whose name made al men quake and tremble and who then had cōmaunded al the troupe of the gentlemen of his court to goe and seke the forlorne louers so long time lost and vnknowen To be short their entrie into Sauonne was so royal and triumphant as if the Emperour himself would haue receyued the honor of such estate pomp Which he commaunded to be done aswell for the ioy that he had recouered the thing which he accompted lost as to declare and acknowledge to euery wyght that vertue can not make her self better knowen than at that time when the actions and dedes of great personages be semblable in raritie excellence to their nobilitie For a Prince is of greater dignitie and admiration than he comonly sheweth himselfe which can neuer enter into the head of the popular sorte that déemeth the affections of other according to their owne rude and beastely fansies As the Gréeke Poet Euripides in his tragedie of Medea doth say Ill luck and chaūce thou must of force endure Fortunes fickle stay needes thou must sustaine To grudge thereat it booteth not at all Before it come the witty wise be sure By wisedomes lore and counsell not in vaine To shunne and eke auoyd The whirling ball Of fortunes threates the sage may wel reboūd By good foresight before it light on ground The Emperoure then hauing forgotten or wisely dissembling that which he coulde not amende met his daughter and sonne in law at the Pallace gate with so pleasant chéere and ioyfull countenance as the like long time before he did not vse Where Alerane and Adelasia being light of from their horse came to kisse his hands and both vpon their knées began to frame an oration for excuse of their fault and to pray pardon of his Maiestie The good Prince rauished with ioy satisfied with repentance stopped their mouthes with swete kisses and hard embracinges O happy ill time sayde he and sorowfull ioy which now bringeth to me a pleasure more great than euer was my heauy displeasure From whence commeth this my pleasant ioy O well deuised flight by the which I gaine that by preseruing my losse once made and committed which I neuer had yf I may so say considering the ornament of my house and quietnesse of my lyfe And saying so he kissed embraced his litle Neuewes and was lothe that Adelasia should make rehersal of other talke but of mirth and pleasure For sayde he it sufficeth me that I haue ouerpassed and spent the greatest parte of my lyfe in heauinesse vtterly vnwilling nowe to renewe olde sores and woundes Thus the mariage begon vnknowen against the Emperours wil was consummate celebrated with great pompe and magniffcence by his owne commaundement in the Citie of Sauonne where he made Sir William Knight with his owne hand Many goodly factes at the Tourney and Tilt were done and atchieued wherat William almost euery day bare away the prise victory to the great pleasure of his father contentation of his graundfather who then made him Marques of Monferrat To the second sonne of Alerane he gaue the Marquisat of Sauonne with al the appurtenances and iurisdictions adioyning of whome be descended the Marqueses of Caretto The thirde he made Marques of Saluce the race of whom is to this day of good fame and nobilitie Of the fourth sonne sprange out the originall of the house of Cera The fift was Marques of Incise whose name and progeny liueth to this day The sixt sōne did gouerne Pouzon The seuenth was established Senior of Bosco vnder the name and title of Marques And Alerane was made and constituted ouerséer of the goods and dominions of his children and the Emperours Lieutenaunt of his possessions which he had in Liguria Thus the Emperour by moderating his passion vanquished himselfe and gaue example to the posteritie to pursue the offence before it doe take roote but when the thing can not be corrected to vse modestie and mercy which maketh kings to liue in peace and their Empire in assurance Hauing taken order with all his affaires in Italie he toke leaue of his daughter and children and retired into Almaigne And Alerane liued honorable amōgs his people was beloued of his father in lawe and in good reputation and fame arriued to olde yeares still remembring that aduersitie ought not to bring vs to dispaire nor prosperity to insolencie or ill behauiour and contempt of things that seme small and base sith there is nothing vnder the heauens that is stable and sure For he that of late was great and made all men to stoupe before him is become altogether such a one as though he had neuer bene and the pore humble man aduaunced to that estate from whence the first did fal and was deposed making lawes sometimes for him vnder whom he liued a subiect And behold of what force the prouidence of God is and what poyse hys balance doth contayne and howe blame worthy they be that referre the effectes of that diuine counsell to the inconstant and mutable reuolucion of fortune that is blind and vncertaine The Duchesse of Sauoie The Duchesse of Sauoie being the King of Englandes sister was in the Duke her husbandes absence vniustlie accused of adultery by a noble man his Lieutenāt And shoulde haue bene put to death if by the prowesse and valiaunt to combate of Don Iohn di Mendozza a Gentleman of Spaine she had not bene deliuered With a discourse of maruellous accidents touching the same to the singuler prayse and commendation of chaste and honest Ladies ¶ The .xlv. Nouell LOue commonly is counted the greatest passion amongs all the most greuous that ordinarily do assault the spirites of men which after it hath once taken hold of any gentle subiecte followeth the nature of the
corrupt humoure of those that haue a feauer which taking his beginning at the heart disperseth it self incureably through all the other sensible parts of the body whereof this present historie giueth vs amplie to vnderstande being no lesse maruelous than true Those that haue read the auncient histories and Chronicles of Spaine haue sene in diuers places the occasion of the cruell ennimitie which raygned by the space of .xl. yeares betwene the houses of Mendozza and Tolledo families not only right noble and auncient but also most abundant in riches subiectes and seigniories of all the whole realme It happened one day that their armies being redy to ioyne in battaile the Lord Iohn of Mendozza chief of his army a man much commended by al histories had a widowe to his sister a very deuout Lady who after she vnderstode the heauy newes of that battayle falling downe vpon hee knées prayed God incessauntly that it woulde please him to reconcile the two families together and to make an ende of so many mischiefes And as she vnderstode that they were in the chiefest of the conflict and that thers were a great number slaine on both partes she made a vowe to God that if her brother retorned victorious from the enterprise she would make a voyage to Rome on foote The ouerthrow fell after muche bloudshead vpon them of Tolledo Mendozza brought away the victorie with the lesse losse of his people Wherof Isabell aduertised declared vnto her brother the vowe that she had made Which semed very straunge vnto him specially howe she durst enterprise so long a voyage on fote and thought to turne her purpose howbeit she was so importunate vpon him that in the ende he gaue her leaue with charge that she shoulde goe well accompanyed and by small iourneyes for respect of her health The Lady Isabell being departed from Spaine hauing trauersed the moūtaynes Pirtenees passed by Fraunce went ouer the Alpes and came to Thurin where the Duke of Sauoye had then for wife a sister of the King of England who was bruted to be the fairest creature of the weast partes of the worlde For this canse the Lady Isabell desired greatly in passing by to sée her to knowe whether truth did aunswere the great renowme of her beautie Wherin she had Fortune so fauorable that entring into Thurin she found the Duchesse vpon her Coche going abrode to take the ayre of the fields Which the Lady Isabell vnderstanding stayed to beholde her being by fortune at that present at the dore of her Coche And then with great admiration considering the wonderfull beautie of that princesse iudging her the chiefest of beautie of al those that she had euer séene she spake somewhat loude in the Spanish tongue to those of her companie in this manner If God would haue permitted that my brother and this Princesse might haue married together euery man might wel haue sayde that there had bene mette the most excellent couple for perpectiō of beautie that were to be founde in all Europa And her wordes in dede were true For the Lorde Mendozza was euen one of the fairest Knights that in his time was to be founde in al Spaine The Duchesse who vnderstode the Spanish tongue very well passing forth beheld all that company And fayning not to vnderstand those wordes thought that she surely was some great Lady Wherfore when she was a litle past her she sayde to one of her Pages Mark whether that Lady and her company goe to their lodging and say vnto her that I desire her at my retourne to come and sée me at my castell which the Page did So the Duchesse walking a long the riuer of Poo mused vpon the words spoken by the Spanish Lady which made her not long to tarry there but toke the way back againe to her Castell where being arriued she founde the Lady Isabell who at the Duchesse request attended her with her company And after dutifull reuerence the Duchesse with like gratulacion receiued her very curteouslye taking her a parte and demaunding her of what prouince of Spaine shee was of what house and what Fortune had brought her into that place And then the Lady Isabell made her to vnderstand from the beginning the occasion of her long voyage of what house she was The Duchesse vnderstanding her nobilitie excused her selfe for that she had not done her that honour which she deserued imputing the fault vpon the ignorance that she had of her estate And after diuers other curteous communication the Duchesse would néedes knowe whervnto the wordes tended that she had spoken of her and of the beautie of her brother The Spanish Lady somewhat abashed sayde vnto her Madame yf I had knowen so muche of your skill in our tongue as nowe I doe I would haue bene well aduised before I had so exalted the beauty of my brother whose prayse had bene more commendable in the mouth of some other Yet thus muche I dare affirme without affection be it spoken as they that knowe him can report that he is one of the comliest gentlemen that Spaine hath bred these .xx. yeares But of that which I haue spoken touching your beautie if I haue offended muche a doe shall I haue to gette the same pardoned bycause I cannot repent me nor say otherwise except I should speake contrarie to truth And that durst I enterprise to be verified by your self if it were possible that Nature for one quarter of one houre onely had transported into some other that which with right great wonder she sheweth now in you Whervnto the Duchesse to th ende she would séeme to excuse her prayse answered with a litle shame fastnesse which beautified much her liuely colour saying Madame if you continue in these termes you wil constraine me to think that by changing of place you haue also changed your iudgement For I am one of the least to be commended for beautie of al this lande or else I wil beleue that you haue the beautie and valor of my Lorde your brother so printed in your minde that all that which presenseth it self vnto you hauing any apparance of beauty you measure by the perfection of his And at that instant the Lady Isabell who thought that the Duchesse had taken in euill parte the comparison that she had made of her and her brother somwhat in choler and heate therewythal sayde vnto her Madame you shal pardon me if I haue so muche forgotten my selfe to presume to compare your beautie to his Whereof if he be to be commended yet I may well be blamed being his sister to publish the same in an vnknowen place But yet I am well assured that when you shal speake euen with his enemies that yet besides his beautie they will well assure him to be one of the gentlest and best condicioned gentlemen that liueth The Duchesse seing her in these alterations and so affected to the prayse of her brother toke gret pleasure therin and willingly would haue