an other Lady a widow also that was very rich and so wel allied as any in all the land This Lady had a sonne whom she caused to be trained vp so wel in Armes and good letters as in other honest exercises proper and méete for a Gentleman and great Lord for which respect she had sent him to Barcelona the chiefe Citie of all the Countrey of 〈◊〉 Senior Dom Diego for so was the sonne of that widow called 〈◊〉 so well in all things that when he was 〈◊〉 yeares of age there was no Gentleman of his degrée that did excell him ne yet was able to approche vnto his perfections and commēdable behauior A thing that did so wel content that good Lady his mother as she could not tell what countenaunce to kéepe to couer hir ioy A vice very commen to fonde and folish mothers who flater them selues with a shadowed hope of the future goodnesse of their childrē which many times doth more hurt to that wanton and wilfull age than profit or aduauncement The persuasion also of such towardnesse full oft doth blinde that sprites of youth as that faults which folow the same be far more vile thā before they were wherby the first Table made in his first coloures of that imagined vertue cā take no force or perfection and so by incurring sundry mishaps the parent childe commonly eskape not without equall blame To come againe therefore to our discourse it chaunced in that time that the Catholike king deceased Philippe of Austrich which succéeded him as heire passing through Fraunce came into Spaine to be inuested and take possession of al his seigniories and kingdomes which knowen to the Citizens of Barcelona they determined to receiue him with such pompe magnificence and honor as duely appertaineth to the greatnesse and maiestie of so great a Prince as is the sonne of the Romane Emperour And amongs other things they prepared a triumphe at the Tilt where none was suffred to enter the listes but yong Gētlemen such as neuer yet had folowed armes Amongs whome Dom Diego as that Noblest person was chosen chiefe of one part The Archduke then come to Barcelona after the receiued honors and Ceremonies accustomed for such entertainment to gratifie his subiects and to sée the brauery of the yong Spanish Nobilitie in armes would place himself vpon the skaffolde to iudge the courses and valiance of the runners In that magnifique and Princely conflict all mens eyes were bent vpon Dom Diego who course by course made his aduersaries to féele the force of his armes his manhode and dexteritie on horsebacke and caused them to muse vpon his towarde 〈◊〉 in time to come whose noble gests then acquired the victory of the campe on his side Which moued King Philip to say that in al his life he neuer saw triūph better handled and that the same séemed rather a battell of strong hardy men than an excercise of yong Gentlemen neuer wōted to support the dedes of armes trauaile of warfare For which cause calling Dom Diego before him he sayd God graūt yōg Gentleman that your ende agrée with your goodly beginnings hardy shock of 〈◊〉 done this day In memory wherof I wil this night that ye do your watch for I mean to morow by Gods assistance to dub you knight The yong gentlemā blushing for shame vpō his knees kissed the Princes hāds thanking him most hūbly of the honor and fauor which it pleased his maiestie to do him vowing promising to do so wel in time to come as no mā shold be deceiued of their conceiued opinion nor the king frustrate of his seruice which was one of his most obedient vassals subiectes So the next day he was made Knight receiued the coller of the order at the handes of King Phillip who after the departure of his prince which toke his iourney into Castille retired to his owne 〈◊〉 house more to sée his mother whōe long time before he had not séene than for desire of pleasure that be in fieldes which notwithstāding he exercised so well as in end 〈◊〉 perceiued 〈◊〉 in townes cities to be an imprisōment 〈◊〉 respect of that he felt in Countrey As the Poets whilom fained loue to shote his arrows amid that 〈◊〉 forrests fertile fields sea coasts shores of great riuers and fountaine brinkes and also vpon the tops of huge and high Mountaines at the pursute of the sundry sorted Nymphes and 〈◊〉 dimigods déeming the same to be a meane of libertie to folow loues tract without suspition voide of company and lothsome cries of Cities where 〈◊〉 enuy false report and ill opinion of all things haue pitched their camp and raised their tents 〈◊〉 contrariwise frākly and without dissimulation in the fieldes the friend discouering his passion to his Mistresse they enioy the pleasure of hunting the naturall musike of birds and somtimes in pleasant herbers 〈◊〉 with the murmur of some running brookes they communicate their thoughts beautifie the accorde and vnitie of louers and make the place famous for that first witnesse of their amorous acquaintance In like manner thrice foure times blest 〈◊〉 they there who leaning the vnquiet toile that ordinarily doeth chaunce to them that abide in Cities do rendre 〈◊〉 y of their studies to the Muses whereunto they be most minded 〈◊〉 Dom Diego at his owne house loued cherished of his mother reuerenced and obeyed of his subiects after he had imployed some time at his study had none other ordinary pleasure but in rousing the Déere hunting the wilde Bore run the Hare somtimes to flie at the Heron or fearfull Partrich alongs the fields Forrestes pondes and stepe Mountaines It came to passe one day as hée Hunted the wilde Mountaine Goate which he had dislodged vpon the Hill toppe he espied an olde Harte that his dogges had found who so ioyfull as was possible of that good lucke followed the course of that swift and fearefull beast But suche was his Fortune the dogges lost the foote of that pray and he his men for being horssed of purpose vpon a fair Iennet could not be followed and in ende loosing the sight of the Déere was so farre seuered from companie as hée was vtterly ignoraunt which way to take And that which grieued him most was his horse out of breth skarse able to ride a false galloppe For which cause he putte his horne to his mouthe and blewe so loude as he could But his men were so farre off as they could not heare him The yonge Gentleman being in this distresse could not tel what to doe but to returne backe wherin he was more deceiued than before for thinking to take the way home to his Castle wandred still further off from the same And trotting thus a long time he spied a Castle situated vpon a little Hill wherby he knew himself far from his owne house Neuerthelesse hearing a certaine noyse of hunters thinking they had bene his people resorted
garmente and Crowne was taken off from his head together with his other apparel The Executioner 〈◊〉 for commaundement to doe his office and lifting vp his sworde to do the facte 〈◊〉 King desired to sée the countenaunce of Ariobarzanes who neuer chaunged colour for all that terrour of death The King séeing the great constancie and inuincible minde of Ariobarzanes spake 〈◊〉 that all men might heare hym these wordes Thou knowest Ariobarzanes that it is not I whych haue wroughte thy condemnation ne yet by 〈◊〉 desyre haue soughte thy bloude to bryng thée to this extremitie but it hath bene thy yll disordred life and the statutes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which haue found thée guiltie and therevpon sentence and death pronounced and execution now redie to be done and the minister redie to aduaunce his arme to play the last acte of this tragedie And yet for that our holy lawes doe giue libertie that I may assoile and deliuer whome I list and them restore to their former state if nowe thou wilt acknowledge thy selfe vanquished and ouer come and accept thy life in gratefull part I will pardon thée and restore thée to thine offices and promotions Ariobarzanes hearing these wordes knéeled downe with his head declined and expecting the blow of the sworde lifted by himselfe and turning his face to the King perceiuing his malice not so sore bente against him as the enuie and malice of his ennimies desired he determined to proue and vse the pitifull liberalitie and fauor of his soueraigne Lorde that his foes by his death might not triumph ne yet attaine the thing for which so long they aspired Wherefore in reuerent wise 〈◊〉 before his maiestie with a 〈◊〉 perfect voice sayd these words Most victorious merciful soueraine Lord in equal worship and honour to the immortall Gods sith of thy abundant grace and mercie it hath pleased thée to graunt me life I do most humbly accept the same which if I wist should be prolonged in thy disgrace and wrath coulde not be pleasaunt vnto me and therfore do 〈◊〉 my self altogether 〈◊〉 ouercome I most humbly then do giue thée 〈◊〉 for preseruation of the same hoping hereafter to employ the vttermost of mine endeuoure for the benefite and honour of thy Crowne and dignitie as readily and without supplication made in my behalfe thou hast 〈◊〉 to restore the same And sith thy 〈◊〉 hath reuiued me thine humble 〈◊〉 I 〈◊〉 thy maiestie to giue me leaue to say my minde trusting thereby to doe thée to vnderstande the effecte and cause of that my former presumption The King made signes that he should rise and boldly speake the summe of his desire When he was vpon his féete silence was proclaimed who then began to speake these wordes Two things there bée most sacred Prince which doubtlesse doe resemble the raging waues of surging seas and the mutabilitie of vnstable windes and yet greate is the follie of an infinite numbre which imploy their whole care and diligence to séeke the same These two things wherof I speake and be so derely beloued of flattering courtiers are the grace and fauour of their soueraine Lord and the luring loue of Amorous dames which two things doe so often beguile the Courtly Gentleman that in the ende they engendre nought else but repentance And to begin with the loue of Ladies they as by common experiēce is proued most commonly do recline to their inferiours It is dayly sene by too much vnhappie proofe that a yong Gentlemā by birth comely and noble otherwise riche vertuous and indued with many goodly gifts shall choose and worship one for his soueraigne Ladie and maistresse and hir shall serue and honour with the same faith and fidelitie due to the immortall Gods and shal not sticke to employ for hir loue and seruice all the possible power and trauell be is able to doe and yet shée in despite of all his humble endeuour shal loue an other voide of all vertue making him possessour of that benefite after which the other séeketh and she not long cōstant in that minde afterwadrs will attend vnto the first suter but in such mouable and 〈◊〉 sort as the wandring starres through their naturall instabilitie be moued to and fro and him in the ende will suffre to fall headlong into the bottomlesse pit of dispaire and he that asketh hir the reason of this varietie she maketh none other answere but that hir pleasure is such and wilful will to dallie with hir suters that seldome times a true and perfit louer can fasten his foote on certaine holde but that his life is tossed vp and downe like the whirling blastes of the inconstant windes In like maner in the Courts of Kings and Princes he which is in fauour with his soueraigne Lord in al mens eyes so great and neare as it séemeth the Prince is disposed to resolue vpon nothing without his aduise coūsell when such fauoured person shall employ his whole care and industrie to maintaine and increase the cōmenced grace of his soueraigne Lorde beholde vpon the sodaine his mind and vaine is changed and an other without desert which neuer carked or laboured to win good will is taken in place cherished as though he had serued him an hundred yeares before and he that was the first minion of the Court in greatest grace and estimation is in a moment despised and out of all regarde An other within fewe days after shall be brought in place of the other twaine very diligent and carefull to serue trained vp in Courtly exercise whose mindefull minde shall bée so caring ouer his lordes affaires as vpon the safegarde and preseruation of his owne propre life But all his labour is employed in vaine and when the aged dayes of his expired life approch for the least displeasure he shall be thrust out without rewarde for former trauell that right aptly the Common Prouerb may be applied The common Courtiers life is like a golden miserie and the faithfull seruant an Asse perpetuall I haue séene my self the right wel learned man to 〈◊〉 in Court for want of meate and a blockish beast voide of vertue for lust and not for merite aduaunced and made a Gentleman But this may chaunce bicause his lorde is not disposed to lerning and vertue little estéeming those that be affected with good sciences for lacke of carefull trayning vp in youthfull days or else for that their mind can not frame with the gentle spirites of them the closets of whose brests be charged and fraught with infinite loades of lerning and haue not ben noscled in trade of Courtes ne yet can vse due courtly spéeche or with vnblushing face can shuffle them selues in presence of their betters or commen with Ladies of dame 〈◊〉 toyes or race of birth not mingled with the noble or gentle Sire For these causes perhaps that vertuous wight can not attain the happe of Fortunes giftes Which person though in Court he be not estéemed in
liuely example to thée which could neuer finde any 〈◊〉 stay vnder the Moones globe He was the mightiest and the richest 〈◊〉 that raigned in Affrica and now is the most miserable vnluckie wight that liueth 〈◊〉 lande The Gods graunt that I be no prophete or 〈◊〉 of future euill whose omnipotencie I deuoutlye beséech to suffer thée and thy posteritie in Numide and most happily to raigne Uonchsafe then to 〈◊〉 me from the Romanes thraldome which if thou be not able safely to bring to passe death vnto me shall bée most hartily welcome In speaking those words she toke the Kings right hand and many times swéetly kissed the same And then hir teares turned into pleasant cheare in such wise as not onely the minde of the armed and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prince was moued to mercie but 〈◊〉 wrapped in the amorous nets of the Ladie whereby the victour was subdued by the vanquished and the Lorde surprised of his captiue vnto whom with treÌ„bling voice thus he answered Make an end O Sophonisba of thy large complaint abandon thy conceyued feare for I will not onely ridde thée from the Romanès handes but also take thée to my 〈◊〉 wife if thou therwith shalt be content whereby thou shalte not leade a prisoners life but passe thy youthfull dayes and 〈◊〉 age if Gods doe graunt thée life so long as Quéene vnto a King wife vnto a Romane frende When he had sayd so with wéeping teares he kissed and embraced hir She by the 〈◊〉 signes gestes and interrupted 〈◊〉 comprehending that the mind of the Numide King was kindled with feruent loue the more to inflame the same she behaued hir selfe in such pitiful plight as the beastly hearts of the Hircane Tigres woulde haue bene made gentle and dispoiled of all fierceness For againe she fel downe at his féete and kissed the armed sabbatons vpon that same bedewing them with hir warme teares And after many sobbes and infinite sighes comforted by him she sayd O the glorie and honor of all the Kings that euer were bée or shall be hereafter O the safest aide of Carthage mine unhappie countrey without desert and nowe the present and most terrible astonishment If my hard fortune and great distresse after so greate ruine might haue bene relieued what greater fauore what thing in all my life coulde chaunce more and fortunate vnto me than to bée called wife of thée O I blessed aboue all other women to haue a man so noble and famous to husband O mine aduenturous and most happie ruine O my moste fortunate miserie that such a glorious and incomparable mariage was prepared for me But bicause the Gods be coÌ„trary vnto me and the due ende of my life approcheth â—easse from henceforth my deare soueraigne Lorde to kindle againe in me my hope half dead or rather consumed and spent bicause I sée my selfe wrapped in a state that in vaine against the pleasures of the Gods I go about to molest thée A great gift and to say the truthe a right great good turne I make accompte to haue receiued of thée if myne owne death I should procure that dying by thy meanes or with thy handes which were more acceptable I should escape the feare of the Romanes thrall all and subiection and this soule deliuered of the same should streight way passe into the Elysian fieldes The final scope of this my humble playnt is to rydone from the handes handes the Romanes whose thraldome to suffer I had rather die The other benefit which thou dost frankly offer to me poore wretche I dare not desire much lesse require the same bicause the preseÌ„t state of my mishappe dareth not presume so high But this thy pitie and compassion ioyned with louing regard and mind toward me mightie Ioua with all the other Gods rewarde and blesse thy gotten kingdome with long raigne enlarging the same with more ample boundes to thine eternall renoum and praise And I do not only render humble thankes for this thy kinde and louing enterteinmeÌ„t but also yelde my selfe thine owne so long as life gouerneth this caitife corps of myne These wordes were pronounced with such effecte as Massinissa was not able for pitie to hold his teares which watred so his comely forme as the dewe therof soaked into his tender heart and not able a long time to speake at last thus he sayd Gyue ouer O my Quéene these cares and thoughts drie vp thy cries 〈◊〉 plaints make an ende of all these dolorous sutes and reioyce that frowarde Fortune hath changed hir mind the Gods no doubt with better successe will perfourme the rest of thy liuing dayes Thou shalt heÌ„ceforth remain 〈◊〉 Quéene wife for pledge whereof the sacred Godheadâ— I call to witnesse But if perchauÌ„ce which the thuÌ„dring mightie God aboue forbid that I shall bée forced to render thée the Romanes prisoner be well assured that on liue they shal not possesse thée For credit and accomplishment of this promisse and in signe of his assured faith he reached his right haÌ„d to Sophonisba and led hir into the inner lodgyng of the Kyngs Palace where afterwarde Massinissa with him self considering how he might perform his promised faith â— ered and troubled with a thousande cogitations séeing in a manner his manifest ouerthrow and ruine at hande prouoked with mad and temerarious loue the very same day in open presence he toke hir to wife solemnizing that mariage which afterwards 〈◊〉 vnto him great veration trouble meaning by the same to haue discharged Sophonisba froÌ„ the Romanes rule order But when Laelius was come and heard tell therof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and chased with 〈◊〉 wordes coÌ„maunded Massinissa to send his new maried wife as the bootie and praie of the Romanes together with Syphax to their Captaine Scipio Notwithstanding vanquished with the supplications and teares of Massinissa referring the matter wholly to the iudgement of Scipio he dispatched Syphax with the other prisoners and bootie to the Romane campe and he himself remained with Massinissa for the recouerie of other places of the Kingdome minding not to returne before the whole prouince were brought vnder the Romane subiection In that meane time Laelius gaue 〈◊〉 vnto Scipio of the successe of Massinissa his mariage Who knowing the same to be so hastily celebrated was maruellously offended troubled in minde much maruellyng that Massinissa would make such post hast before the comming of Laelius Yea vpon the very first day of his entrie into Cirta that hée would 〈◊〉 that vnaduised wedding the greater was Scipio his displeasure towards Massinissa for 〈◊〉 the loue which he had conceiued of that woman was vnsemely and dishonest wondering not a little that he could not finde out some Ladie within the region of Spaine of 〈◊〉 beautie and 〈◊〉 to please and content his honest and commendable intent wherfore he iudged Massinissa his 〈◊〉 to be done out of time to the preiudice and great decay of his honor estimation 〈◊〉 like a wise and
as in opinions The Grekes putting their felicitie in eloquence and we in well doing I speake this right honorable Fathers to counsell and exhorteye that when ye bée assembled in Senate ye doe not consume tyme in disputing holdyng opinions for the verification of any thing For if you will iudge without parcialitie and affection without greate disputation ye may come to reason I do remember that being at a lesson of Appolonius Thyaneus I heard hym say that it was not so expédient that Senators and Emperors shold be skilful wise as if they suffred themselues to be gouerned by those that were of greate skill and knowledge and verely he 〈◊〉 truthe For by that meanes he prohibited forbad them not to arrest and stande vpon their owne opinion whereof they ought to be many times suspicious Likewise 〈◊〉 recommende vnto you the Censores who haue charge of iudgement and the Tribunes whose office is to attende the affaires of Common wealth that they bée wise and learned in the lawes expert in the Customes prouident in Iudgementes and ware in their trade of life For I say vnto you that a wise man is more auaileable in gouernement of a common welth than a man of ouermuch skill and experience The forme then which ye shall obserue in matters of iudgement shal be thus That in ciuile processe you kepe the law and in criminall causes to moderate the same bicause hainous cruel and rigorous lawes be rather made to amase and feare than to be obserued and kept When you giue any sentence ye ought to consider the age of the offendāt when how wherfore with whome in whose presence in what time and how long ago for somuch as euery of these things may either excuse or condenme whiche you ought to 〈◊〉 and vse towards them in like sort as the Gods towards vs who giue vs better helpe and succour and correct vs lesse than we deserue That cōsideration the iudges ought to haue bicause the offenders doe rather trespasse the Gods than men If then they be forgiuen of the Gods for offences which they commit reason it is that wée pardon those faultes done vnto others not vnto our selues In like maner we commaunde you that if your enimies do you any anoiance or iniurie not 〈◊〉 to take reuenge but rather to dissemble that same bicause many wrōgs be done in the world which were better to be 〈◊〉 than 〈◊〉 Wherin ye shall haue like regard touching that 〈◊〉 the Senate and Common wealth that they be not 〈◊〉 to ambicious or couetous 〈◊〉 For there is no beast in the world so pestiferous and benemotis as that 〈◊〉 of man is to the Common wealth the ambicious I say in cōmaunding and the couetous in gathering togither Other things we let passe for this time vntil we haue intelligence how these our commaundements be 〈◊〉 This Letter shall be red in the chiefess place within the Senate and afterwards pronoūced to the people that they may both know what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sée also what ye doe The Gods kepe you whome we pray to preserue our mother the Citie of Rome and to sende vs good 〈◊〉 in these our warres A notable Letter sent from the Romane Senate to the Emperour Traiane wherin is declared how sometimes the region of Spayne did furnish Rome with golde from their mines and nowe doe adorne and garnish the same with Emperours to gouerne their Common wealth THe sacred Roman Senate to thée the great Cocceius Traiane newe Emperor Augustus health in thy Gods and ours graces euerlastyng wée render to the immortall Gods for that thou art in health whiche we desire and pray may be perpetual We signified vnto thy maiestie the death of Nerua Cocceius our soueraigne Lorde and thy predecessor a man of sincere life a friende of his common wealth and a zealous louer of Justice wherin also we aduertised that like as Rome did wéepe for the cruell lyfe of Domitian so much the more bitterly doth she bewaile the death of thine vncle Nerua whose councell although hée was very olde and diseased which he gaue vs lying on his bedde we loued better and imbraced with greater comforte than all the enterprises and dedes done by his predecessors when they were in health and lustie And besides the ordinarie mourning vsed to be done in Rome for princes we haue caused all recreation and passetime to cease so well in the common wealth as with euery of vs particularly We haue shut vp the Temples and made the Senat to 〈◊〉 to doe the Gods to vnderstand how displeasantly we accept the death of good men The good old gentleman Nerua died in his house and was buried in the fielde of Mars he died in debt we haue paid his debts He died calling vpon the Gods we haue canonized him amongs their numbre and that which is most to be noted he died commending vnto vs the Common wealth and the Cōmon wealth recommending it selfe vnto him And a little before his latter gaspe the principal of the holy Senate and many other of the people standing about his bedside he sayde O ye Fathers I committe vnto you the cōmon wealth and my selfe also vnto the Gods vnto whome I render infinite thankes bycause they haue taken from me my children to bée mine heires and haue lefte mée Traiane to succéede You do remembre most dread soueraigne Lorde that the good Emperour Nerua had other successours than your maiestie of nerer alliance of greater frendship more bound by seruice and of greter proofe in warfare Notwithstandyng amongs other noble personages vpon you alone he cast his eyes reposing in you such opinion and confidence as to reuiue the prowes and valiant faicts of the good Emperor Augustus by suppressing in obliuion the insolent faicts of Domitian When Nerua came vnto the Crowne he found the treasure 〈◊〉 the Senate in dissention the people in commotion iustice not obserued and the Common welth ouerthrowen which you likewise presently shall finde although otherwise quiet and wholly reformed Wherfore we shall bée right glad that you conserue the common wealth in the state wherin your vncle Nerua left it considering specially that newe Princes vnder colour to introduce new customes do ouerthrow their common wealths Fourtene Princes your predecessours in the empire wer naturally borne in Rome and you are the first straunger Prince Wherefore we pray the immortall Gods sith that the stocke of our auncient Caesars is dead to sende 〈◊〉 good Fortune Out of the countrey of Spayne was wont to 〈◊〉 to this our Romane Citie great abundance of gold siluer stéele leade tinne from their 〈◊〉 but now in place therof she giueth vs Emperours to gouerne oure common wealths Sith then that thou cōmest of so good a countrey as Spayne is from so good a Prouince as is Vandolosia and from so excellent a citie as Cales is of so noble and fortunate a linage as is Cocceius and 〈◊〉 to so noble an Empire It
vpon the Lute desired him to giue awake vnto his Ladie that then for iealousie was harkening at hir window both the sound of the instrument and the words of hir amorous Knight wher the gētleman soong this song THe death with trenchāt dart doth brede in brest such il As I cannot forget the smart that therby riseth stil. Yet ne erthelesse I am the ill it self in dede That death with daily dolours depe within my breast doth brede I am my mistresse thrall and yet I doe not kno If she beare me good will at all or if she loue or no. My wound is made so large with bitter wo in brest That still my heart prepares a place to lodge a careful guest O Dame that bath my life and death at thy desire Come 〈◊〉 my mind wher facies flames doth burn like Ethna fire For wanting thee my life is death and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And finding fauor in thy sight my dayes are happy heere Then he began to sighe so terribly as if already she had gyuen sentence and definitiue Judgement of his farewel disputed with his felow in such sort with opinion so assured of his contempt as if hée had bene in loue with some one of the infants of Sp 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which cause he begā again very pitifully to sing these verses THat God that made my soule knowes what I haue felt Who causeth sighes and sorowes oft the sely soule to swelt Doth see my torments now and what I suffer still And vnderstands I tast mo griefs than I can shew by skill He doth consent I wot to my ill hap and woe And hath accorded with the dame that is my pleasant foe To make my boyling brest abound in bitter blisse And so bereue me of my rest when heart his hope shall misse O what are not the songs and sighs that louers haue When night and day with swete desires they draw vnto their graue 〈◊〉 grief by friendship growes where ruth nor 〈◊〉 raines And so like snow against the sunne thei melt away with pains My dayes must finish so my destnie hath it set And as the candle out I goe before hir grace I get Before my sute be heard my seruice throughly knowne I shal be laid in tombe full lowe so colde as Marble stone To thee faire Dame I cry that makes my senses arre And plātest peace 〈◊〉 my brest then makes sodain war Yet at thy pleasure still thou must my sowre make sweete In graunting me the fauor due for faithfull louers meete Which fauor giue me now and to thy Noble minde I doe 〈◊〉 Galley slaue as thou by proofe shall finde And so thou shalt release my heart from cruell bandes And haue his fredome at thy wil that yelds into thy handes So rendring all to thee the Gods may ioyne vs both Within one lawe and league of loue through force of constant troth Then shalt thou mistresse be of life of limme and all My goodes my golde and honour loe shall so be at thy call This gentle order of loue greately pleased the Lady and therefore opened hir gate to let in the 〈◊〉 Lorde who séeyng himself fauoured beyond all hope of his Ladie and cherefully intertained and welcommed wyth greate curtesie stoode so stil astonnied as if he had bene fallen from the cloudes But shée whyche coulde teache hym good maner to make him the minister of hir mischiefe takyng him by the hande made him sitte downe vpon a gréene bedde besydes hir and séeing that he was not yet imboldened for all he was a souldier she she wed hir selfe more hardie than he and first assayled him wyth talke saying Syr I praye you thinke it not strange if at this houre of the night I am bolde to cause you enter my house béeyng of no greate acquaintaunce with you but by hearyng your curteous salutations And we of this countrey be somwhat more at libertie than they in those partes from whence you come Besides it liketh me well as I am able to honor strange gentlemen and to retaine them with right good willing heart sith it pleaseth them to honor me with repaire vnto my house so shall you be welcome stil when you please to knocke at my gate which at all times I will to be opened for you wyth no lesse good will than if ye were my natural brother the same with all the thinges therein it maye please you to dispose as if they were your owne Dom Pictro of Cardonne well satisfied and contented with this vnlooked for kyndnesse thanked hir very curteously humbly praying hir besides to dayne it in good parte if he were so bolde to make request of loue and that it was the onely thyng which hée aboue all other desyred moste so that if shée woulde receyue hym for hir friende and seruaunt shée shoulde vnderstand him to be a Gentleman whiche lyghtly woulde promise nothing excepte the accomplishment did followe she that sawe a greater onset than shée looked for answered hym smilyng with a very good grace Syr I haue knowne very many that haue vouched slipperie promyses and proffered lordly seruices vnto Ladies the effecte wherof if I myght once sée I would not thinke that they coulde vanishe so soone and consume lyke smoake Madame sayde the Scicilian yf I fayle in any thyng whichs you commaunde mée I praye to God neuer to receyue any fauour or grace of those Curtesies whyche I craue If then quod shée you wyll promyse to employe youre selfe aboute a businesse that I haue to doe when I make requeste I wyll also to accepte you for a friende and graunt such secrecie as a faythfull louer can desyre of hys Ladye Dom Pietro whyche woulde haue offered hym selfe in Sacrifice for hir not knowyng hir demaunde toke an othe and promysed hir so lightly as madly afterwardes he did put the same in proofe Beholde the preparatiues of the obsequies of their first loue the guages of a bloodie bedde the one was prodigal of hir honoure the other the tormenter of his reputation and neglected the duetie and honor of his state which the 〈◊〉 wherof he came commaunded hym to kepe Thus all the night he remained with Bianca Maria who made him so wel to like 〈◊〉 good entertainement and imbracementes as he neuer was out of hir companie And the warie Circes fained hir selfe so farre in loue with him and vsed so many toyes gametricks of hir filthie science as he not onely esteemed him selfe the happiest Gentleman of Scicilia but the most fortunate wight of al the world and by biubing of hir wine was so straungely charmed with the pleasures of his faire mistresse as for hir sake he wold haue taken vpon him the whole ouerthrow of Milan so well as 〈◊〉 of Cumes to set the Citie of Rome on fire if Tyberius Gracchus the sedicious woulde haue gyuen hir leaue Such is the maner of wilde and foolish youth as which suffreth it self to be caried beyond the boundes of
of his Parents and alies were committed and after he had well aduised beholden many wounded hurt on both sides he sayd to his companions My friends let vs part thē for they be so flesht one vpon an other as they wil all be 〈◊〉 to pieces before the game be done And saying so 〈◊〉 thrust himself amids the troupe and did no more but part the blowes on either side crying vpō them aloud My friends no more it is time henceforth that our quarel cease For bisides the prouocation of Gods iust wrath our two families be slaunderous to the whole world and cause this common wealth to grow vnto disorder But they were so egre and furious one against the other as they gaue no audience to Rhomeo his councel and bent themselues to kill dismēber and teare eche other in pieces And the fight was so cruell and outragious betwene them as they which looked on were amased to sée them endure those blowes for the ground was al couered with armes legges thighs and bloud wherein no signe of cowardnesse appeared and maintained their fight so long that none was able to iudge who had the better vntill that Thibault cousin to Iulietta inflamed with ire and rage turned towards Rhomeo thinking with a foine to run him through But he was so well armed and defended with a priuie coate which he wore ordinarily for the doubt hée had of the Capellets as the pricke rebounded vnto whom Rhomeo made answer Thibault thou maist know by the pacience which I haue had vntill this present time that I came not hither to fight with thée or thine but to 〈◊〉 peace and attonemēt betwene vs and if thou thinkest that for default of corage I haue failed mine endeuor thou doest great wrong to my reputation And impute this my suffrance to some other perticular respect rather than to wāt of stomake Wherfore abuse me not but be content with this great effusion of bloud and murders already committed and prouoke me not I beséeche thée to passe the bounds of my good wil mind Ah Traitor sayde Thibault thou thinkest to saue thy self by the plot of thy pleasant tong but sée that thou defend thy selfe else presently I will make thée féele that thy tong shall not garde thy corpse nor yet be the buckler to defend the same from present death And saying so he gaue him a blowe with such furie as had not other warded the same he had cut of his head from his shoulders And the one was no readier to lend but the other incontinently was able to pay againe for he being not only wroth with the blow that he had receiued but offended with the iniurie which the other had done began to pursue his enimie with such courage and viuacitie as at the third blow with his sweard he caused him to fall backewarde starke deade vpon the grounde with a pricke vehemently thrust into his throte which he followed till his swearde appeared through the hinder parte of the same by reason whereof the conflict ceased For bisides that Thibault was the chief of his companie he was also borne of one of the Noblest houses within the Citie which caused the potestate to assemble his Soldiers with diligence for the apprehension and imprisonment of Rhomeo who séeing yl fortune at hand in secrete wise conueyed him self to Frier Laurence at the Friers Franciscanes And the Frier vnderstanding of his facte kept him in a certaine secrete place of his Couent vntil Fortune did otherwise prouide for his safe going abrode The brute spred throughout the Citie of this chaunce done vpon the Lord Thibault the Capellets in mourning wéedes caused the dead body to be caried before the signory of Verona so well to moue them to pitie as to demaund iustice for the murder before whome came also the Montesches declaring the innocencie of Rhomeo and the wilful assault of the other The Counsel assembled witnesses heard on both parts a straight cōmaundement was giuen by the Lord of the Citie to giue ouer their weapons and touching the offense of Rhomeo bicause he had killed the other in his owne 〈◊〉 he was banished Verona for 〈◊〉 This cōmon misfortune published throughout the Citie was generally sorowed and lamented Some complained the death of the Lord Thibault so well for his dexteritie in armes as for the hope of his great good seruice in time to come if he had not bene preuented by such cruell death Other bewailed specially the Ladies and Gentlewomen the ouerthrow of yong Rhomeo who bisides his beautie good grace wherwith he was enriched had a certaine naturall allurement by vertue whereof he drew vnto him the hearts of eche man like as the stony Adamant doth the cancred iron in such wise as the whole nation and people of Verona lamented his mischance but aboue al infortunate Iulietta who aduertised both of the death of hir cosin Thibault and of the banishment of hir husbande made the aire sound with infinite numbre of mornefull plaints and miserable lamentations Then féeling hir selfe too much outraged with extreme passion she went into hir chamber and ouercome with sorow threw hir self vpon hir bed where she began to reinforce hir dolor after so strange fashion as the most constant would haue bene moued to pitie Then like one oute of hir wittes she gazed héere and there and by Fortune beholding the window whereat Rhomeo was wont to enter into hir chamber cried out Oh vnhappy windowe Oh entry most vnlucky wherein were wouen the bitter toyle of my former missehaps if by thy meanes I haue receiued at other times some 〈◊〉 pleasure or transitorie contentation thou now makest me pay a tribute so rigorous and painefull as my tender body not able any longer to support that same shall henceforth open the gate to that life where the ghost discharged from this mortall burden shall séeke in some place else more assured rest Ah Rhomeo Rhomeo when acquaintance first began betwéene vs and I reclined mine eares vnto thy suborned promisses confirmed with so many othes I wold neuer haue beleued that in place of our continued amitie and in appeasing of the hatred of our houses thou 〈◊〉 dest haue sought occasion to breake the same by an acte so vituperious and shamefull whereby thy fame shall be spotted for euer and I miserable wretch desolate of spouse and companion But if thou haddest bene so greadie after the Capellets bloud wherefore didst thou spare the deare bloud of mine owne heart when so many times and in such secrete place the same was at the mercie of thy cruell handes The victorie which thou shouldest haue gotten ouer me had it not bene glorious inough for thine ambitious mind but for more triumphant solempnitie to be crowned with the 〈◊〉 of my dearest kinsman Now get thée hence therefore into sonte other place to deceiue some other so vnhappy as my selfe Neuer come againe in place where I am for no excuse shall héereafter take holde
shall faile in performance of your commaundement for were it the strongest poyson or moste 〈◊〉 venome rather would I thrust it into my body than to consent to fall in the hands of him whome I vtterly 〈◊〉 with a right strong reason then may I for 〈◊〉 my self and offer my body to any kinde of mortal danger to approche and draw neare to him vpon whome wholly dependeth my life al the contentation I haue in this world Go your wayes then my daughter quod the Frier the mighty hand of God keepe you and his surpassing power defend you and confirme that will and good mind of yours for the accomplishment of this worke Iulietta departed from Frier Laurence and returned home to hir fathers palace about xi of the clock where she founde hir mother at the gate attending for hir and in good deuotion demaūded if she continued stil in hir former follies But Iulietta with more gladsome chéere than she was wont to vse not suffering hir mother to aske againe sayde vnto hir Madame I come from S. Frauncis Church where I haue taried longer peraduenture than my duetie requireth how be it not without frute and great rest to my afflicted conscience by reason of the godly persuasions of our ghostly father Frier Laurence vnto whome I haue made a large declaration of my life And chiefly haue communicated vnto him in confession that which hath past betwene my Lord my father and you vpon the mariage of Counte Paris and me But the good man hath reconciled me by his holy woords and commendable exhortations that where I had minde neuer to mary now I am well disposed to obey your pleasure and commaundement Wherefore 〈◊〉 I be séeche you to recouer the fauor good will of my father aske pardon in my behalfe and say vnto him if it please you that by obeying his Fatherly request I am ready to méete the Counte Paris at Villafranco and there in your presence to accept him for my Lord and husband in assurance wherof by your pacience I meane to repair into my closet to make choise of my most pretious iewels that I being richly adorned and decked may 〈◊〉 before him more agréeable to his minde and pleasure The good mother rapte with excéeding great ioy was not able to answer a word but rather made spéede to séeke out hir husband the Lord Antonio vnto whome she reported the good will of hir daughter and how by meanes of Frier Laurence hir minde was chaunged Wherof the good olde man maruellous ioyfull praised God in heart saying wife this is not that first good turne which we haue receiued of that holy man vnto whom euery Citizen of this Common wealth is dearly 〈◊〉 I wold to God that I had redemed xx of his yeres 〈◊〉 the third parte of my goods so grieuous is to me his extreme olde age The self same houre the Lord Antonio went to séeke the Counte Paris whome he thought to persuade to goe to Villafranco But the Counte tolde him againe that the charge would be to great and that better it were to reserue that cost to the mariage day for the better celebration of the same Notwithstāding if it were his pleasure he would himself goe visite Iulietta and so they went together The mother aduertised of his comming caused hir Daughter to make hir self ready and to spare no costly iewels for adorning of hir beautie against the Countes cōming which she bestowed so wel for garnishing of hir personage that before the Counte parted frō the house she had so stolne away his heart as he liued not frō that time forth but vpon meditation of hir beautie and slacked no time for acceleration 〈◊〉 that mariage day ceasing not to be importunate vpon father and mother for the ende and consummation thereof And thus with ioy inoughe passed forth this day and many others vntill the day before the mariage against which time the mother of Iulietta did so well prouide that there wanted nothing to set forth the magnificence and nobilitie of their house Villafranco wherof we haue made mention was a place of pleasure where the lorde Antonio was wont many times to recreate him self a mile or two from Veronna there the dynner was prepared for so muche as the ordinarie solemnitie of necessitie muste be done at Veronna Iulietta perceiuing hir time to approach dissembled the matter so well as shée coulde and when time forced hir to retire to hir chambre hir woman wold haue waited vpon hir and haue lyen in hir chambre as hir custome was But Iulietta sayde vnto hir Good and faithfull mother you know that to morow is my mariage day and for that I would spende the most parte of the night in prayer I pray you for this time to let me alone and to morow in the morning about 〈◊〉 of the clocke come to me againe to helpe me make me redie The good olde woman willing to folow hir mind suffred hir alone and doubted nothing of that whiche she did meane to do Iulietta being within hir chambre hauing an eawer ful of water standing vpon the table filled the viole which the Frier gaue hir and after she had made the mixture she set it by hir bed side went to bed And being layde new thoughts began to assaile hir with a conceipt of grieuous death which broughte hir into such case as she coulde not tell what to doe but playning incessantly sayd Am not I the most vnhappie and desperat creature that euer was borne o◠woman for me there is nothyng lefte in this wretched worlde but mishap miserie and mortall woe my distresse hath brought me to such extremitie as to saue mine honor and consciēce I am forced to deuoure the drinke wherof I know not the vertue but what know I sayd she whether the operation of this pouder will be to soone or to late or not correspondent to the due time and that my faulte being discouered I shall remayne a iesting stocke and fable to the people what know I moreouer if the serpents and other venomous and crauling wormes which commonly frequent the graues and pittes of the earth will hurt me thinkyng that I am dead But how shal I indure the stinche of so many carions and bones of myne auncestors which rest in the graue if by fortune I do awake before Rhomeo Frier Laurence doe come to help me And as she was thus plunged in the déepe contēplation of things she thought that she sawe a certaine vision or fansie of hir cousin Thibault in the very same sort as she sawe him wounded and imbrued with blood and musyng howe that she must be buried quicke amongs so many dead carcases and deadly naked bones hir tender and delicate body began to shake and tremble and hir yelowe lockes to stare for feare in suche wise as frighted with terrour a colde sweate beganne to pierce hir heart and bedew the rest of all hir membres in suche wise as she thought that
and Physitian dwelling at Cutiano a Citie of Boeme where plenty of siluer Mines and other mettals is The knight whose Castle was not farre from Cutiano had occasion to repaire vnto that Citie and according to his desire found out Pollacco which was a very olde mā and talking with him of diuers things perceiued him to be of great skill In end he entreated him that for so much as he had done pleasure to many for 〈◊〉 of their loue he wold also instruct him how he might be assured that his wife did kéepe hir self honest all the time of his absence and that by certaine signes he might haue sure knowledge whether she brake hir faith by sending his honesly into Cornwall Such vain trust this Knight reposed in the lying Science of Sorcery which although to many other is found deceitfull yet to him serued for sure euidence of his wiues sidelitie This Pollacco which was a very cunning enchaunter as you haue hard sayd vnto him Sir you demaund a very straūge matter such as where with neuer hitherto I haue bene acquainted ne yet searched the depthe of those hidden secretes a thing not commonly sued for ne yet practised by me For who is able to make assurance of a womans chastitie or tel by signes except he were at the déede doing that she hath done amisse Or who can gaine by proctors wryt to summon or sue a sprituall Court peremptorily to affirme by neuer so good euidence or testimony that a woman hath hazarded hir honesty except he sweare Rem to be in Re which the greatest 〈◊〉 that euer Padua bred neuer sawe by processe duely tried Shall I then warrant you the honesty of such 〈◊〉 cattell prone and ready to lust easy to be vanquished by the suites of earnest pursuers But blame worthy surely I am thus generally to speake for some I know although not many for whose pore honesties I dare aduenture mine owne And yet that number howe small so euer it be is worthy all due reuerence and honoure Notwithstanding bicause you séeme to be an honest Gentleman of that knowledge which I haue I will not be greatly 〈◊〉 A certaine secrete experiment in déede I haue wherwith perchaūce I may satisfie your demaunde And this is it I can by mine Arte in small time by certaine compositions frame a womans Image which you continually in a little boxe may carry about you and so ofte as you list beholde the same If the wife doe not breake hir mariage faith you shall still sée the same so faire and wel coloured as it was at the first making séeme as though it newly came from the painters shop but if perchaūce she meane to abuse hir honesty the same wil waxe pale and in déede committing that filthy facte sodainely the colour wil be black as arayed with cole or other 〈◊〉 the smel wherof wil not be very plesāt but at al times when she is attempted or pursued the colour wil be so yealow as gold This maruellous secrete deuise greatly pleased the Knight verely beleuing the same to be true specially much moued assured by the fame bruted abrode of his science wherof the Citizens of 〈◊〉 told very strange incredible things When the price was paid of this precious iewel he receiued the Image ioyfully returned home to his castle wher tarying certain dayes he determined to repair to that Court of the glorious king Mathie making his wife priuy to his intent Afterwards whē he had disposed his houshold matters in order he cōmitted that gouernment therof to his wife hauing prepared all necessaries for his voyage to the great sorow griefe of his beloued he departed arriued at Alba Regale where that time the King lay with Quéene Beatrix his wife of whom he was ioyfully receiued entertained He had not long continued in the Court but he had obtained won the fauor good will of all men The King which knew him full well very honorably placed him in his court by him accōplished diuers and many waighty affaires which very wisely and trustely he brought to passe according to the kings mind pleasure Afterwards he was made Colonel of a certaine nūber of footemen sent by the king against the Turks to defend a holde which the enimies of God begā to assaile vnder the conduct of Mustapha Basca which cōduct he so wel directed therin stoutly behaued himself as he chased al the Infidels out of those coastes winning therby that name of a most valiant soldier prudent captain Whereby he meruellously gained the fauor grace of the king who ouer and besides his daily intertainement gaue vnto him a Castle and the Reuenue in fée farme for euer Such rewards deserue all valiāt men which for the honor of their Prince countrey do willingly imploy their seruice worthy no dout of great regard cherishing vpō their home returne bicause they hate idlenesse to win glory deuising rather to spēd hole dayes in field than houres in Courte which this worthy Knight deserued who not able to sustaine his pore estate by politik wisdō prowesse of armes endeuored to serue his Lord and countrey wherin surely he made a very good choise Then he deuoutly serued and praised God for that he put into his minde such a Noble enterprise trusting daily to atchieue greater fame and glory but the greater was his ioy and contentation bicause the image of his wife inclosed within a boxe which still he caried about him in his pursie continued freshe of coloure without any alteration It was noysed in the Court that this valiant Knight Vlrico had in Boeme the fairest and goodliest Lady to his wife that liued either in Boeme or Hungarie It chaūced as a certaine company of yong Gentlemen in the Court were together amongs whome was this Knighte that a 〈◊〉 Earon sayd vnto him How is it possible syr 〈◊〉 being a yeare and a half since you departed out of Boeme that you haue no minde to returne to sée your wife who as the common fame reporteth is one of the goodliest women of all the Countrey truely it séemeth to me that you care not for hir which were great pitie if hir beautic be correspondent to hir fame Syr quod Vlrico what hir beautie is I referre vnto the worlde but how so euer you estéeme me to care of hir you shall vnderstande that I doe loue hir and will doe so during my life And the cause why I haue not visited hir of lōg time is no little proofe of the great assurance I haue of hir vertue and honest life The argument of hir vertue I proue for that she is contented that I shold serue my Lord and king and sufficient it is for me to giue hir intelligence of my state and welfare which many times by letters at opportunitie I faile not to doe the proofe of my Faith is euident by reason of my bounden duety to our soueraigne Lord of whome
maye bée harbored so straunge furie and vnreasonable rage O God the effecte of the crueltie resting in this woman paintyng it selfe in the imaginatiue force of my minde hath made me feare the like missehappe to come to the cruell state of this disauenturous gentlemā Notwithstanding O thou cruell beast thinke not that thys thy furie shall stay me from doyng thée to death to ryd thée from follie and disdaine this vnfortunate louer from dispaire and trouble verily beleuing that in time it shall be knowne what profite the worlde shal gaine by purging the same of such an infected plague as is an vnkinde and arrogant heart and it shall féele what vtilitie ryseth by thyne ouerthrow And I do hope besydes that in time to come men shal praise this dede of mins who for preseruing the honour of one house haue chosen rather to doe to death two offenders than to leaue one of them aliue to obscure the glorie and brightnesse of the other And therefore sayd he tourning his face to those of his traine Cut the throte of this 〈◊〉 and froward beast doe the like to them that be come with hir shewe no more fauor vnto them all than that curssed strumpet doeth mercy to the life of that miserable Gentleman who dieth there for loue of hir The maiden hearing the cruel sentence of hir death cried out so loude as she could thinking reskue would haue come but the pore wenche was deceiued for the desert knewe none other but those that were abiding in that troupe The Page and the woman seruaunt exclamed vpon Roderico for mercie but he made as though he heard them not and rather made signe to his men to do what he commaunded When Gineura sawe that their deathe was purposed in déede confirmed in opinion rather to die thā to obey she said vnto the executioners My friends I beséeche you let not these innocentes abide the penaunce of that which they neuer committed And you Dom Roderico be 〈◊〉 on me by whome the fault if a womans faith to hir husband may be termed a faulte is done And let these 〈◊〉 depart that be God knoweth innocent of any crime And thou my frend which liuest amongs the shadowes of faithfull louers if thou haue any féeling as in déede thou prouest being in another world beholde that purenesse of mine heart sidelitie of my loue who to kepe the same inuiolable doe offer my self voluntarily to the death which this cruell tyrant prepareth for me And thou hangman the executioner of my ioyes and murderer of the immortall pleasures of my loue sayd she to Roderico glut thy gluttonous desire of bloud make dronke thy minde with murder 〈◊〉 of thy little triūphe which for all thy threats or persuasible words thou 〈◊〉 not get frō the heart of a simple maiden ne cary away the victory for all the battred breach made into the rāpare of hir honoure When she had so sayd a man would haue thought that the memory of death had cooled hir heate but that same serued hir as an assured solace of hir paines Dom Diego come to himself seeing the discourse of that tragedie being now addressed to the last 〈◊〉 end of that life and stage of faire golden locked Gincura making a vertue of necessitie recouered a little corage to saue if it were possible the life of hir that had put his owne in hazard miserably to end Hauing stayed them that held the maidē he repaired to Dom Roderico to whom he spake in this wise I sée wel my good Lord and great friend that the good will you beare me causeth you to vse this honest order for my behalf wherof I doubt if I should liue a whole hundred yeares I shall not be able to satisfie the least of the bondes wherein I am bound the same surpassing all mine abilitie and power Yet for all that deare friend sith you 〈◊〉 the fault of this missehap to arise of my predestinate ill lucke and that man cannot auoide things once ordained I beseech you do me yet this good pleasure for all the benefits that euer I haue receiued to send back again this gentlewoman with hir traine to the place frō whence you toke hir with like assuraūce 〈◊〉 as if she were your sister For I am pleased with your endeuor cōtented with my misfortune assuring you sir besides that the trouble which she endureth doth far more grieue my hart than al that paine which for hir sake I suffer That hir sorowe then may decrease and mine may renue again that she may line in peace and I in warre for hir cruel beautie sake I will wait vpon Clotho the spinner of the threden life of mā vntill shée breake the twisted lace that holdeth the fatal course of my doleful yeares And you Gentlewomā liue in rest as your pore suppliāt wretched Dom Diego shal be citizen of these wild places vaunt you 〈◊〉 that you were that best beloued maiden that euer liued Maruellous truely bée the forces of Loue when they discouer their perfection for by their meanes things otherwise impossible be reduced to such facilitie as a mā woulde iudge that they had neuer bene so harde to obtaine and so painefull to pursue As appeared by thys damsell in whome the wrathe of fortune the pinche of iealosie the intollerable rage of hir friendes losse 〈◊〉 ingendred a contempt of Dom Diego an extreme desire to be reuenged on Dom Roderico and a 〈◊〉 of longer life And now putting of the 〈◊〉 of blinde appetite for the esclarishyng of hir vnderstanding eyes and breaking the Adamant rock planted in the middes of hir breast she beheld in open 〈◊〉 the stedfastnesse pacience and perseueration of hir greate friende For that supplication of the Knight had greater force in Gineura than all his former seruices And full well 〈◊〉 shewed the same when throwing hir selfe vpon that neck of the desperate Gentleman and imbracing hym very louingly she sayd vnto him Ah syr that youre felicitie is the beginning of my great ioy of minde which 〈◊〉 now of swéetenesse in the very same in whome I imagined to be the welspring of bitternesse The diminution of one griefe is and shall bée the increase of 〈◊〉 bonde such as for euer I wil cal my self the most humble slaue of your worshyp lowly beséeching you neuerthelesse to pardon my follies wherewith full fondely I haue abused your pacience Consider a while sir I beseech you the nature and secrecie of loue For those that be blinded in that passion thinke them selues to be perfecte séers and yet be the first that commit most 〈◊〉 faultes I doe not denie any committed wrong trespasse and doe not refuse therfore the honest and gentle correction that you shall appointe mée for expiation of mine offense Ah my noble Ladie aunswered the knight all rapt with pleasure and half way out of his wits for ioy I humbly beséeche you inflicte vpon my pore wretched body no further
grief and sorow and there with those naturall qualities couered also in obscure darknesse that compassed thée rounde about The yl fauored noise and ianglyng of thy chaines the deformitie of thy face forced for lack of light and the stench of the infected prison that prouoked sicknesse and the forsaking of thy friends had quite debased all these perfections wherwith now thou séemest to be so lustie Thou thoughtest me then to be worthie not only of a yong man of a royall blood but of a God if it were possible to haue him so soone as thou contrary to al hope didst once 〈◊〉 thy naturall countrey like a most pestilent person without any difficultie haste chaunged thy minde neuer since thou wast deliuered 〈◊〉 dyd call into thy remembraunce how I was that 〈◊〉 that I was she alone that dyd remembre thée that I was she alone that had compassion on thy missehap and that I was onely shée who for thy health dyd imploye all the goodes she hadde I am I am I say that Camiola who by hir money raunsomed thée out of the handes of the Capitall enimies of thyne auncesters from fetters from prison finally deliuered thée from miserie extreme before thou wer altogether settled in dispaire I reduced thée againe to hope I haue reuoked thée into thy coūtrey I haue brought thée into the royall palace and restored thee into thy former estate and of a prisoner weake and ylfauored haue made thée a yong Prince strong and of fayre aspecte But wherefore haue I remembred these thyngs wherof thou oughtest to be verie mindefull thy selfe and whyche thou art not able to denie Sith that for so great benefites thou hast rendred me such thankes as being my husbande in déede thou haddest the face to denie me mariage alreadie contracted by the deposition of honest witnesses and approued by letters signed with thine owne hande Wherefore diddest thou despise me that hath deliuered thée Yea and if thou couldest haue stained the name of hir with infamie that was thine only refuge and defender yea and wouldest gladly haue giuen cause to the common people to thinke lesse than honestie of hir Art thou ashamed thou man of little iudgement to haue to wyfe a wydow the daughter of a knight 〈◊〉 how far better had it bene for thée to haue ben ashamed to breake thy promised faith to haue despised the holy and dreadfull name of God and to haue declared by thy curssed vnkindnesse howe full fraught thou art with vice I do confesse in dede that I am not of the royall bloode not withstanding from the cradle being trained and brought vp in the companie of kings wiues and daughters no great maruell it is if I haue indued and put on a royall heart and manners that is able to get and purchase royal nobilitie But wherfore do I multiplie so many words No no I wil be very facile and easie in that wherin thou hast ben to me so difficult and harde by resisting the same with all thy power Thou hast refused heretofore to be mine and hauing vanquished thée to be such frankly of mine owne accorde I doe graunt that thou art not Abide on Gods name with thy royall nobilitie neuerthelesse 〈◊〉 with the spot of infidelitie Make much of thy youthly lustinesse of thy transitorie beautie and I shal be cōtented with my widow apparell and shall leaue the riches which god hath giuē me to heires more honest thā those that might haue come of thée Auaunt thou wycked yong man sith thou art cōpted to be vnworthy of me lerne with thine own expence by what subtiltie guiles thou mayest betray other dames suffiseth it for me to be once deceiued And I for my part fully determine neuer to tary lōger with thée but rather chastly to liue without husband which life I deme far more excellent than with thy match cōtinually to be coupled After shée had spoken these wordes shée departed from him and from that time forth it was impossible either by prayers or admonitions to cause hir chaunge hir holie intent But Rolande all confused repenting himself to late of his ingratitude blamed of 〈◊〉 man his eyes fired vpon the grounde 〈◊〉 not onely the presence of his brethren but of all 〈◊〉 of people dayely ledde from that tyme forth a moste miserable life and neuer durst by reason to demaunde hir againe to wife whome he had by disloyaltie refused The king and the other barons maruelling of the noble heart of the Ladie singularly commended hir and exalted hir praises vp into the skies vncertaine neuerthelesse wherin she was most worthie of praise either for that contrarie to the couetous nature of women she had raunsomed a yong man with so great a summe of money or else after she had deliuered him and sentence giuē that he was hir husband she so couragiously refused him as an vnkinde man vnworthie of hir company But leaue we for a time to talke of widowes and let vs sée what the Captaine and Lieutenant of Nocera can alledge vpon the discourse of his cruelties whiche although an ouer cruell historie yet depainteth the successe of those that applie their mindes to the sportes of Loue such Loue I meane as is wantonly placed and directed to no good purpose but for glutting of the bodies delight which bothe corrupteth nature maketh féeble the body lewdely spendeth the time and specially offendeth hym whō maketh proclamation that whooremongers and adulterers shall neuer inherite his kingdom The Lordes of Nocera ¶ Great cruelties chaunced to the Lords of NOCERA for adultry by one of them committed with the Captaines wife of the forte of that Citie with an enterprise moued by the Captaine to the Citizens of the same for rebellion and the good and duetiful answer of them with other pitiful 〈◊〉 rising of that notable and outragious vice of whoredome The. xxxiij Nouel THE furious rage of a husband offēded for the chastitie violated in his wife surpasseth all other ingendreth malice againste the doer whatsoeuer he be For if a Gentleman or one of good nature cannot abyde an other to doe him any kinde of displeasure much lesse to hurt him in his body how is he able to endure to haue his honoure touched specially in that part which is so néere vnto him as his owne soule Man and 〈◊〉 being as it were one body and one will wherein men of good iudgement cannot well like the opinion of those good fellowes which say that the honoure of one that is lusty and coragious dependeth not vpon the fault of a foolishe woman For if that were true which they so lightly vaunt I wold demaunde wherfore they be so animated angry against them which adorne their head with braunched hornes the Ensignes of a Cuckolde And truely nature hath so well prouided in that behalfe as the very sauage beastes doe fight and suffer death for suche honest iealosie Yet will I not praise but rather accuse aboue all faultie men
whereof dissolueth the duetie of eche seruaunt towardes his soueraigne Lord and maister To be short this blinded louer yelding no resistance to loue and the foolish conceit which altereth the iudgementes of the wisest suffred his fansie to roue so farre vnto his appetites as on a day when the Lieuetenaunt was walked abrode into the Castell to viewe the Souldioures and deade payes to pleasure him that sought the meanes of his displeasure he spake to the Gentlewoman his wife in this manner Gentlewoman you being wise and curtuous as eche man knoweth needefull it is not to vse long or Rethorical Orations for so much as you without further supply of talke doe clearely perceiue by my lookes sighes and earnest viewes the loue that I bear you which without comparison nippeth my heart so neare as none can féele the parching paines that the same poore portion of me doeth suffer Wherefore hauing no great leisure to let you further vnderstand my minde it may please you to shewe me so much fauoure as I may be receiued for him who hauing the better right of your good grace may there withall enioy that secrete acquaintaunce which suche a one as I am deserueth of whome ye shall haue better experience if you please to accept him for your owne This mistresse Lieuetenaunt which compted hir selfe happie to be beloued of hir Lord and who tooke great pleasure in that aduenture albeit that she desired to lette him know the good will that she bare vnto him yet dissembled the matter a little by answearing him in this wise Your disease sir is sodaine if in fo little time you haue felt suche excesse of maladie but perchaunce it is your heart that being ouer tender hath lightly receiued the pricke which no doubt will so soone vanishe as it hath made so ready entrie I am very glad Sir that your heart is so merily disposed to daliaunce and can finde some matter to contriue the superfluitie of time the same altering the diuersitie of mannes complexion accordingly as the condition of the hourely planet guideth the nature of euery wight It is altogither otherwise answered hée for being 〈◊〉 hither as a 〈◊〉 and Lord I am become a seruaunt and slaue And briefly to speake my minde if you haue not pitie vpon me the disease which you call sodaine not onely will take increase but procure the death and finall ruine of my heart Ah sir sayde the Gentlewoman your griefe is not so déepely rooted and death so present to succéede as you affirme ne yet so ready to giue ouer the place as you protest but I sée what is the matter you desire to laugh me to scorn and your heart craueth something to solace it selfe which cannot be idle but must imploy the vacant time vpon some pleasant toyes You haue touched the prick answeared the Louer for it is you in déede whereupon my heart doeth ioy and you are the cause of my laughter and passetime for otherwise all my delights were displeasures and you also by denying me to be your seruaunt shall abbreuiate and shorten my liuing dayes who only reioyseth for choise of such a mistresse And how replied she can I be assured of that you say the disloyaltie and infidelitie of man being in these dayes so faste vnited and following one another as the shadowe doeth the bodie wheresoeuer it goeth Only experience sayd he shall make you know what I am and shal teach you whether my heart is any thing different from my woordes and I dare be bolde to say that if you vouchsafe to doe me the pleasure to 〈◊〉 me for your owne you may make your vaunt to haue a Gentleman so faithfull for your friend as I estéeme you to be discrete and as I desire to 〈◊〉 you 〈◊〉 the effect of mine affection by such some honest order as may be deuised Sir sayd she it is wel and 〈◊〉 spoken of you but yet I thinke it straunge for such a Gentleman as you be to debase your honor to so pore a Gentlewoman and to goe about bothe to dishonor me and to put my life in perill God forbid answered the Lord Nicholas that I be cause of any slaūder and rather had I die my selfe than minister one simple occasion wherby your fame should be brought in question Only I do pray you to haue pitie vpon me and by vsing your curtesie to satisfie that which my seruice faithful friendship dothe constraine and binde you for the comfort of him that loueth you better than himself We will talk more thereof hereafter answered the Lieuetenaunts wife and then will I tell you mine aduise and what resolution shall follow the summe of your demaunde How now Gentlewoman sayd he haue you the heart to leaue me voide of hope to make me languish for the prorogation of a thing so doubtfull as the delayes 〈◊〉 which loue deferreth I humbly pray you to tell me wherunto I shall trust to the intent that by punishing my heart for proofe of this enterprise I may 〈◊〉 also mine eyes by reuing frō them the meanes for euer more to sée that which contenteth me best and wherin 〈◊〉 my solace leauing my minde ful of desires and my heart without finall stay vpon that greatest pleasure that euer man 〈◊〉 choose The Gentlewoman would not loose a Noble man so good 〈◊〉 whose presence already pleased hir aboue all other things and who voluntarily had agréed to his request by the only signe of hir gests and lokes sayd vnto him smiling with a very good grace Doe not accuse my heart of lightnesse nor my minde of 〈◊〉 and treason if to please obey you I forget my duetie abuse the promise made vnto my husband for I swear vnto you sir by God that I haue more forced my thought of long time haue constrained mine appetites in dissembling the loue that I bear you thā I haue receiued pleasure by knowing my self to be beloued by one agreable to mine affection For which cause you shall finde me being but a pore Gentlewoman more ready to do your plesure and to be at your commaundemēt than any other that liueth be she of greater port and regard than I am And who to satisfie your request shall one day sacrifice that fidelitie to the iealous fury of hir husband God defend sayd the yong Lord for we shall be so discrete in our doings so 〈◊〉 shal communicate talke togither as impossible it is for any mā to 〈◊〉 the same But if missehap wil haue it so and that some ill lucke doe discouer our dealings I haue shift of wayes to colour the same power to stoppe the mouthes of them that dare presume to clatter and haue to doe with our priuate conference All that I know well inough sir sayd she but it is great simplicitie in such things for a man to trust to his authoritie the forced inhibition whereof shall prouoke more babble than rumor is able to spred for al his
tattling talke of our secrete follies Moreouer I would 〈◊〉 very glad to doe what pleaseth you so the same may be without slaunder For I hadde rather die than any should take vs in our priuities and familier pastimes let vs be contented with the pleasure that the 〈◊〉 of our ioy may graunt and not with suche contentation as shall offend vs by blotting the clerenesse of our 〈◊〉 names Concluding then that time of their new acquaintaunce which was the next day at noone when that Lieutenant did walke into the Citie they ceased their talk for feare of his enteruiew Who vpon his returne doing reuerence vnto his Lord tolde him that he knewe where a wilde Boare did haunt if it pleased him to sée the passetime Whereunto the Lord Nicholas fayned louingly to giue eare although against his will for so much as he thought the same hunting should be a delay for certaine dayes to the enioying pretended and assured of his beloued But she that was so muche or more esprised with the raging and intollerable fire of loue spedily found meanes to satisfie hir louers sute but not in such manner as was desired of either parts wherefore they were constrained to defer the rest vntill an other time This pleasaunt beginning so allured the Lord of Nocera as vnder the pretence of hunting there was no wéeke that passed but he came to 〈◊〉 the warrener of his Lieuetenaunt And this order continuing without 〈◊〉 one little suspition of their loue they gouerned themselues wisely in the pursute thereof And the Lord Nicholas vsed the game and sport of Hunting and an infinite number of other exercises as the running of the King and Tennis not so muche thereby to finde meanes to enioy his Ladie as to auoide occasion of iealosie in hir husband being a very familiar vice in all Italians the cloke wherof is very heauie to beare and the disease troublesome to sustaine But what Like as it is hard to beguile an 〈◊〉 in the accoumpt of his money for his continual watch ouer the same and slumbering slepes vpon the bokes of his reckenings and accompts so difficult it is to deceiue the heart of a iealous man and specially when he is assured of the griefe which his heade hath conceiued Argus was neuer so cléere eyed for all his hundred eyes ouer Iupiters lemman as those louers be whose opinions be yll affected ouer the chastitie of their wiues Moreouer what foole or Asse is he who séeing suche vndiscrete familiaritie of two louers the priuie gestures and demeanors without witnesse their stolne walkes at vntimely houres sometimes their embracemēts to straight and common before seruaunts that wold not doubt of that which most secretely did passe True it is that in England where libertie is so honestly obserued as being alone or secrete conuersation giueth no cause of suspition that same might haue 〈◊〉 borne withall But in Italie where the parents themselues be for the most part suspected if there had ben no fact in déede cōmitted that familiaritie of the Lord Nicholas with his Lieutenantes wife was not suffrable but exceded the bounds of reason for so much as the cōmoditie which they had chosen for pos sessing of their loue albeit the same not suspitious animated them afterwards to frequent their familiarity disport to frākly without discretiō which was that cause that fortune who neuer leaueth that ioyes of mē without giuing therunto some great alarm being enuious of the mutual delights of those 〈◊〉 louers made that husbād to doubt of that which he wold haue dissēbled if honor could so easily be lost wtout reproch as bloud is shed with out peril of life But that mater being so cleare as the fault was euidēt specially in the party which touched him so neare as himself that Lieuetenaūt before he wold enterprise any thing and declare what he thought 〈◊〉 throughly to be resolued of that which he sawe as it were 〈◊〉 in a cloude and by reason of his conceiued opinion he dealt so warely and wisely in those affaires was so subtill an espiall as one day when the louers were at their game and in their most straite and secrete embracements he viewed them coupled with other leash than he would haue wished and colled with straighter bands than reason or honesty did permit He saw without being séene wherin he felt a certaine ease and contentment for being assured of that he doubted purposed to ordeine a sowre refection after their delightsome banket the simple louers ignoraunt by signe or 〈◊〉 that their enterprises were discouered And truely it had bene more tollerable and lesse hurtful for the Lieuetenaunt if euen then he had perpetrated his vengeaunce and punished them for their wickednesse than to vse the crueltie wherwith afterwards he blotted his renoume and foiled his hands by Bedlem rage in the innocent bloud of those that were not priuie to the folie and lesse guiltie of the wrong done vnto him Now the captaine of the Castell for all his dissimulation in couering of his griefe and his fellony and treason intended against his soueraigne Lord which he desired not yet manifestly to appeare was not able any more from that time forthe to speake so louingly vnto him nor with suche respecte and reuerence as he did before which caused his wife thus to say vnto hir louer My Lord I doubt very much least my husbād doth perceiue these our cōmon practizes secrete familiar dealings that he hath some hāmer working in his head by reason of the countenaunce vnchéereful entertainment which he sheweth to your Lordship wherfore mine aduise is that you retire for a certain time to Foligno In the meane space I wil marke 〈◊〉 if that his alteration be conceiued for any matter against vs and wherfore his wōted lokes haue put on this new alteration chaūge All which when I haue by my espial and secrete practise sounded I will spéedily aduertise you to the ende that you may prouide for the safegarde of youre faithfull and louyng seruaunt The yong Lorde who loued the Gentlewoman with all hys hearte was attached with so greate griefe and dryuen into such rage by hearing those wicked newes as euen presentely he woulde haue knowen of his Lieuetenaunt the cause of his diswonted chéere But weyghing the good aduise which his woman had gyuen hym paused vpon the same 〈◊〉 hir to doe what she thought best By reason wherof giuing warning to his seruantes for his departure he caused the Lieutenaunt to be called before him vnto whom he sayd Captain I had thought for certaine dayes to sport and passe my time but hearing tel that the Duke of Camerino commeth to Foligno to debate with vs of matters of importance I am constrained to departe and do pray you in that meane time to haue good regarde vnto our affaires and if any newes 〈◊〉 chaunce to aduertise the same with all expedition Sir sayd the Captain I am sorie
the same the matter most specially therin comprised treting of courtly fashions and maners and of the customes of loues galantise and the good or yll successe thereof bicause you be an auncient Courtier and one of the eldest Traine and suche as hath ben imployed by sundrie our Princes in their affaires of greatest weight and importance and for that your self in your lustiest time euer bred and brought vp in Court haue not bene vnacquainted with those occurrents If I should stande particularly to touch the originall of your noble Ancestrie the succession of that renoumed line their fidelitie for graue aduise and counsell your honourable education the mariage of a mighty King with one of your sisters the valiant exploites of your parentes against the French and Scots the worthie seruice of your self in field whereby you deseruedly wanne the order of Knighthode the trust which hir Maiestie reposeth in you by disposing vnder your charge the Store of hir Armure and your worthie preferment to be Maister of hir Armarie generall If I shoulde make recitall of your carefull industrie and painfull trauell sustained for answering hir Maiesties expectation your noble cherishing of the skilfull in that Science your good aduauncement of the best to supplie the vacant romes your refusall of the vnworthie and finally of your modest and curteous dealings in that office I feare lacke of abilitie and not of matter would want grace and order by further circumstaunce to adde sufficient praise Yea although my self do say nothing but reserue the same in silence to auoide suspect of adulation the very Armure and their furnitures do speake vniuersall testimonie doth wonder and the Readinesse of the same for tyme of seruice doth aduouche Which care of things continually resting in your breast hath atchieued suche a timely diligence and successe as when hir Maiesties aduersarie shall be ready to molest she shal be prest by Gods assistance to defend and marche But not to hold your worship long by length of preamble or to discourse what I might further say eyther in fauour of this Boke or commendation of your selfe I meane for this instant to leaue the one to general iudgement and the other to the particular sentence of eche of your acquaintaunce Humbly making this only sute that my good will may supplie the imperfection of mine abilitie And so with my heartie prayer for your preseruation to him that is the Author of life and health I take my leaue From my poore house besides the Toure of London the fourthe of Nouember 1567. Your moste bounden William Painter ¶ A Summarie of the Nouels ensuing ¶ The Hardinesse and conquestes of diuers stoute and aduenturous Women called Amazones the beginning continuance and end of their raigne and of the great iourney of one of their Quéenes called Thalestris to visit Alexander the great and the cause of hir trauaile Nouel j. Fol. 1. ¶ The great pietie and continencie of Alexander the great and his louing interteinement of Sisigambis the Wife of the great Monarch Darius after he was vanquished Nouel ij Fol. 5. ¶ Thimoclia a Gentlewoman of Thebes vnderstanding the couefous desire of a Thracian Knight that had abused hir and promysed hir mariage rather for hir goodes than Loue well acquited hirselfe from his falsehode Nouel iij. Fol. 9. ¶ Ariobarzanes great Stewarde to Artaxerxes King of Persia goeth about to excéede his soueraigne Lord maister in Curtesie wherein are conteyned many notable and pleasant chaunces besides the great pacience and loyaltie naturally planted in the sayd Ariobarzanes Nouel iiij Fol. 11. ¶ Lucius one of the Garde to Aristotimus the Tyranne of the Citie of Elis fell in loue with a faire Maiden called Micca the daughter of one Philodemus and his crueltie done vpon hir The stoutenesse also of a noble Matrone named Megistona in defense of hir husband and the Common wealth from the tyrannie of the sayd Aristotimus and of other acts done by the subiects vpon that tyrant Nouel v. Fol. 32. ¶ The maruelous courage ambition of a gentlewoman called Tanaquil that Quéene wife of Tarquinus Priscus the fift Romane King with hir persuasions and pollicie to hir husband for his aduauncement to the kingdome hir like encouragement of Seruius Tullius wherin also is described the ambitiō of one of the two daughters of Seruius Tullius the sixt Romane King and hir crueltie towardes hir owne naturall father with other accidents chaunced in the new erected Common wealth of Rome specially of the laste Romane King Tarquinus Superbus who with murder attained the kingdome with murder mainteined it and by the murder and insolent life of his sonne was with all his progenie banished Nouel vj. Fol. 40. ¶ The vnhappy ende and successe of the loue of King Massinissa and of Queene Sophonis ba his Wife Nouel vij Fol. 49. ¶ The crueltie of a King of Macedon who forced a Gentlewomā called Theoxena to persuade hir children to kil poison themselues after which fact she and hir husband Poris ended their life by drowning Nouel viij Fol. 59. ¶ A strange maruellous vse which in olde time was obserued in Hidrusa where it was lawfull with the licence of a Magistrate ordeyned for that purpose for euery man and woman that lyst to kyll them selues Nouel ix Fol. 62. ¶ The dishonest loue of Faustina the Empresse and with what remedie the same was remoued and taken away Nouel x. Fol. 65. ¶ Chera hidde a treasure Elisa going about to hang hir selfe and sying the halter about a 〈◊〉 found that treasure and in place therof lefte the halter Philene the daughter of Chera going for that treasure and busily searching for the same sounde the halter where with all for dispaire shae woulde haue hanged hir selfe but forbidden by Elisa who by chaunce espied hir she was restored to part of hir losse leading afterwards a happie and prosperous life Nouel xj Fol. 67. ¶ Letters of the Philosopher Plutarch to the noble and 〈◊〉 Emperour Traiane and from the sayde Emperour so Plutarch the like also from the sayde Emperour to the Senate of Rome In all whiche bée conteyned Godly rules for gouernement of Princes obedience of Subiects and their dueties to Cōmon wealth Nouel xij Fol. 76. ¶ A notable historie of thrée amorous Gentlewomen called Lamia Flora Lais cōteining the sutes of noble Princes and other greate personages made vnto them with their answeres to diuers demaunds and the maner of their death and funeralls Nouel xiij Fol. 123. ¶ The life and gestes of the most famous Quéene Zenobia with the Letters of the Emperoure Aurchanus to the sayde Quéene and hir stoute aunswere therevnto Nouel xiiij Fol. 89. ¶ Euphimia the King of Corinths daughter fell in loue with Acharisto the seruaunt of hir father and besides others which required hir to mariage she 〈◊〉 Philon the King of Pelponesus that loued hir very feruently Acharisto conspiring against the King was discouered tormented and put in prison and by meanes of
the workman Howsoeuer then the ablenesse or perfection hereof 〈◊〉 shall content or particularly displease the Boke craueth milde construction for imployed paines And yet the same liking or lothing the licorous diet and curious expectation of some shall beare regarde with those that more delight in holsome viandes voide of varietie than in the confused mixture of foren drugges fetched farre of Who no dout will supply with fauorable brute default of ablenesse and riper skill in the mysteries of sorren speche Which is the guerdon besides publique benefit after which I gaze and the best stipende that eche well willing mynde as I suppose aspireth for their trauell And briefly to touche what comoditie thou shalt reape of these succeding Histories I deme it not vnapt for thine instruction to vnfolde what pithe and substance resteth vnder the context of their discourse ¶ In the Nouell of the AMAZONES is displaied a strange and miraculous porte to our present skill of womens gouernment what states they subdued what increase of kingdome what combats and conflicts they durst attempt contrairie to the nature of that sexe ¶ In ALEXANDRE the great what ought to be the gratitude and curtesie in a 〈◊〉 Prince toward his slaue and captiue and to what perilous plundge he slippeth by exchange of vice for vertue ¶ In TIMOCLIA and THEOXENA the stoutnesse of two noble Dames to auoide the beastly lust and raging furie of Tyrants ¶ ARIOBARZANES telleth the duetie of a Subiect to his Prince and how he ought not to contend with his soueraine in maters of curtesie at length also the condition of Courting flaterers and the poyson of the Monster Enuie ¶ ARISTOTIMVS disgarboileth the iutrails of Tyrannie describing the end whereunto Tyrants do atteine and how that vice plageth their posteritie ¶ The two Romane Queenes do point as it were with their fingers the natures of Ambition and Crueltie and the gredy lust hidden in that feble sexe of soueraintie ¶ SOPHONISBA reporteth the force of beautie and what poison distilleth from that licorous sappe to inuenim the harts of valiant 〈◊〉 ¶ The Gentlewoman of HYDRVSA the sicklenesse of Fortune ¶ The Empresse FAVSTINA and the Countesse of Celant what 〈◊〉 blome of whorish life and what fruites thereof be culled ¶ The Letters of the Emperor TRAIANE do paint a right shape of vertue a good state of gouernment and the comely forme of obedience ¶ Three Amorous Dames 〈◊〉 the sleightes of loue the redinesse of Nobles to be baited with that amorous hooke and what desire such infamous Strumpets haue to be honored ¶ Queene ZENOBIA what the noble Gentlewomen whom the fates ordaino to rule ought to do how farre their magnanimitie ought to stretch and in what boundes to conteine their soueraintie ¶ EVPHIMIA a Kings daughter of Corinthe and the vnfortunate Duchesse of Malfi what matche of mariage Ladies of renowme and Dames of Princcly houses ought to choose ¶ Mistresse DIANORA MITHRIDANES and NATHAN KATHERINE of Bologna and SALADINE the mutual 〈◊〉 of noble and gentle personages and for what respectes ¶ Queene ANNE of Hungarie the good nature and liberalitie of a Queene and with what industrie Gentlewomen of priuie chaumbre ought to preferre the sutes of the valiant and of such as haue well serued the Common welth ¶ ALEXANDRE de Medices a Duke of Florence the iustice of a Prince and Gouernour to the wronged partie what 〈◊〉 ought to shine in Courtiers and with what temperance their insolence is to be repressed ¶ IVLIETTA and RHOMEO disclose the hartie affections of two incomparable louers what secret sleightes of loue what danger either sort incurre which mary without the aduise of Parentes ¶ Two Gentlewomen of Venice the wisdom and policie of wiues to 〈◊〉 and restraine the follies of Husbands and the stoutnesse they ought to vse in their defense ¶ The Lord of Virle and the widow ZILIA giue lessons to Louers to auoide the immoderate pangs of loue they pronosticate the indiscretion of promised penance they warne to beware all vnsemely hestes lest the penalties of couetise and 〈◊〉 glory be incurred ¶ The Lady of Boeme schooleth two noble Barons that with great boast assured themselues to impaire hir honor ¶ DOM DIEGO and GINEVRA recorde the crueltie of women bent to hate and the voluntarie vow performed by a passionate knight with the perfect frendship of a true 〈◊〉 in redresse of a frendes missehap ¶ SALIMBENE ANGELICA the kindnesse of a gentleman in deliuerie of his enimie and the constant mynde of a chaste and vertuous mayden ¶ Mistresse HELENA of Florence discouereth what lothsom lustes do lurke vnder the barke of fading beautie what stench of filthie affection fumeth from the smoldring gulf of dishonest Loue what prankes such Dames do plaie for deceite of other and shame of themselues ¶ CAMIOLA reproueth the mobilitie of youth such chiefly as for noble anncestrie regarded riches more than vertue She like a Mistresse of constancie lessoneth hir equalles from wauering myndes and not to aduenture vpon vnstedie contracts with those that care not vnder what pretence they come by riches ¶ The Lords of Nocera foretell the hazards of whordom the rage of 〈◊〉 the difference of 〈◊〉 betwene Prince and subiect the fructes of a Rebell the endes of Traiteric and Tiranny and what monstrous successe such vices do attaine ¶ The King of Marocco describeth the good nature of the homely and loiall subiect the matuelous loue of a true and simple Cuntry man toward his liege soueraigne Lord the bountie of a curetous prince vpō those that vnder rude attire be 〈◊〉 with the floures of vertue To be short the contēts of these Nouels from degree of highest Emperor from the state of greatest Queene and Ladie to the homely 〈◊〉 peasant and rudest vilage girle may conduce profit for instruction pleasure for delight They offer rules for auoiding of vice and imitation of vertue to all estates This boke is a very Court Palace for all sorts to fixe their cies therein to view the deuoires of the Noblest the vertues of the gentlest and the dueties of the meanest Yt is a Stage and Theatre for shew of true Nobilitie for proofe of passing loialtie and for triall of their contraries Wherefore as in this I haue continued what erst I partly promised in the first So vpon intelligence of the second signe of thy good will a Third by Gods assistance shall come forth Farewell ¶ Authorities from whence these Nouels be collected and in the same auouched Strabo Plinie Quintus Curtius Plutarche Titus Liuius Dionysius Halcarnasoeus Appianus Alexandrinus Ouide Horace Propertius Cicero Valerius Max. Tribelius Pollio Xenephon Homere Virgilius Baptista Campofulgosus Bandello Bocaccio Gyraldi Cynthio Belleforrest Boustuau Pietro di Seuiglia Antonio di Gueuarra THE SECOND TOME of the Palace of Pleasure The Amazones ¶ The hardinesse and conquests of diuers stout and 〈◊〉 women called AMAZONES the beginning and continuance of their reigne and of the greate
〈◊〉 of one of their Queenes called THALESTRIS to visit ALEXANDER the great and the cause of hir 〈◊〉 The first Nouel WHere the first boke began with a Cōbate foughte and tried betwene two mighty cities for principalitie and gouernment the one hight Rome after called the heade of the world as some thinke by reason of a mans head foūd in the place where the Capitole did stand the other Alba. To which Combat 〈◊〉 gentlemen of either citie wer appointed and the victorie chaunced to the Romaine side In this second parte in the forefront and first Nouel of the same is described the beginning continuaunce and ende of a Womans Common wealth an Hystorie 〈◊〉 and straunge to the vnlearned ignorant of the 〈◊〉 fickle ruled stay which contended with mighty Princes and puissant Potentates for defense of their kingdome no lesse than the Carthaginians and Romaines did for theirs But as it is no wōder to the skilful that a whole Monarche and kingdom should be inticrly peopled with that Sexe so to the not wel trained in Hystories this may seme miraculous Wherfore not to stay thée from the discourse of those straunge and Aduenturous women diuers be of diuers opinions for the Etimologie of the word wher of amonges the Grecians 〈◊〉 diuerse iudgementes These Amazones were moste excellent warriers very valiant and without mannes aduise did conquer mighty Countreyes famous Cities and notable Kingdomes continuing of long time in one Seigniorie and gouernment These people occupied and enioyed a great part of Asia Some writers deuide them into two Prouinces one in Scithia in the North parte of Asia other by the hill Imaus which at this day is called the Tartarian Scithia different from that which is in Europa the other sort of the Amazones were in Libia a prouince of Africa But bicause the common sort of Authors doe vnderstand the Amazones to be those of Asia I meane to leaue off the differēce The Scithians were a warlike people and at the beginning of theyr kingdome had two kings by whome they were gouerned Notwithstanding the nature of dominion being of it self ambicious cannot abide any companion or equal Which caused these two Kinges to beat variance and afterwardes the matter grew to ciuill warres wherein the one being Uictory two of the principal 〈◊〉 of the contrary faction called Plinius and Scolopithos were banished with a great number of their 〈◊〉 all which did withdraw themselues to the limites of Cappadocia in the lesser Asia in despite of the Countrey Pesantes dwelled alonges the riuer of Thermodon which entreth into the sea Euxinum otherwise called Pontus And they being made Lordes of the countrey of the places adioyning raigned for certain yeres vntill the peasantes and their confederates made a conspiracie against them and assembling by policie ouercame them and slewe them all The newes of their deathe knowen to their wiues dwelling in their countrey caused them to cōceiue great heauinesse and dolor extreme And although they were womē yet did they put on māly courage and determined to reuenge the death of their husbandes by putting their handes to weapons wherwithall they did exercise themselues very ofte And that they might all be equal their sorow commō they murdred certain of their husbands which remained there after the other were banished Afterward being all together they made a great army and forsoke their dwelling places refusing the mariage of many suters And arriuing in the land of their enimies that made smal accōpt therof although foretolde of their approache they sodenly came vpon them vnprouided and put them all to the sword This being done the women toke the gouernāce of the Countrey inhabiting at the beginning along the Riuer of Thermodon where their husbands wer stain And although many Authors do differ in the situaciō of the place where the Amazones did dwel yet the truth is that the beginning of their kingdome and of their habitacion was vpon that Riuer But of their manifolde conquestes be engendred diuers opinions declared by Strabo and others They fortified them selues in those places and wanne other countries adioyning chosing among them two Quenes the one named Martesia and and the other Lampedo Those two louyngly deuided the armie and men of warre in two parts either of them defending with great hardinesse the Lands which they had conquered and to make them selues more dreadfull such was the credite and vanitie of men that time they fained themselues to be that daughters of Mars Afterward these miraculous womē liuing after this maner in peace iustice considered that by succession of time for wante of daughters that might succéede warres and time wold extinguishe their race For this cause they treated mariage with their neighbors named Gargarians as Plinie sayeth with condition that vpon certaine times of the yeare their husbands shold assemble together in some appointed place and vse them for certaine dayes vntill they were with childe which being done and knowen they shoulde returne home againe to their owne houses If they brought forth daughters they norished and trained them vp in armes and other manlyke exercises and to ride great horsse They taught them to run at base to follow the chace If they were deliuered of males they sent them to their fathers And if by chaunce they kept any backe they murdred them or else brake their armes and leggs in suche wyse as they had no power to beare weapons and serued for nothing else but to spin twist and to doe other feminine labour And for as much as these Amazones defēded themselues so valiantly in the warres with Bowe and Arrowes and perceiued that their breasts did verie much impech the vse of that weapon and other exercises of armes they seared vp the righte breastes of their yong daughters for which cause they were named Amazones which signifieth in the Gréeke tong without breasts although that some other do giue vnto that name an other Etimologie Afterwardes increasing by course of time in numbre force they made great preparation of weapons and other 〈◊〉 for the warres and leauing their coūtrey which they thought was very small in the keping of some whom they specially trusted the rest marched abrode cōquering subduing all those which they foūd rebellious And hauing passed the riuer of Tanais they entred Europa where they vanquished many countreys directing their way towardes Thracia from whence they returned a whyle after with great spoile and victorie and comming again into Asia they brought many prouinces vnder their subiection proceding euen to Mare Caspium They edified and peopled an infinite numbre of good cities amōgs which according to the opinion of diuers was the famous Citie of Ephesus the same béeing the chiefe of all their Empire and the principal place that stoode vpon Thermodon They defended them selues in warres with certaine Tergats made in fashion of a half Moone and entring into battaile vsed a certaine kinde of flutes to giue the people corage to
of such a pleasant prisoner exchanged loue for golde But note hereby what force the puritie of minde vnwilling of beastly 〈◊〉 doth carie in it self A simple woman voide of helpe not backed with defence of husbandes aide doeth bring a mightie captaine a strong and loftie lubber to enter into a caue and when she sawe hir best aduauntage thacked him with stones vntill he groned forth his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suche is the might and prowesse of chastitie No charge too burdenous or weightie for such a vertue no enterprise too harde for a mynde so pure and cleane Ariobarzanes ¶ ARIOBARZANES great Stuarde to 〈◊〉 king of Persia goth about to excede his soueraine Lord and maister in curtesie wherin be conteined many notable and pleasaunt chaunces besides the greate pacience and loyaltic naturally planted in the sayd ARIOBARZANES The fourth Nouell AQuestion is moued many times among learned men and Gentlemen addicted to the seruice of the Courte whether cōmendable déede or curteous and gentle fact done by the gentlemā or courtier towardes his soueraigne lord ought to be called Liberalitie Curtesie or rather Bād and Duetie Which question is not proponed without greate reason For so much as eche man doth know that a seruant doe what he can for his maister or lette him imploye the vttermoste of his indeuour all the labour and trauaile he bestoweth all trouble and daunger which he susteineth is too litle yea and the same his verie bounden duetie Haue wée not red of many and knowen the lyke that to gratifie their prince and maister haue into a thousand dangers and like numbre of deaths aduentured their owne proper liues Marcus Antonius that notable orator being accused of incest and brought to the iudgement seat his accusers required that his seruant shoulde be called for bicause he bare the candell before his maister when he went to do the dede who séeing his maisters life death to depend vpon his euidence vtterly denied the fact and notwithstanding that he was whipped racked suffred other cruel torments would rather haue lost his life than accuse betray his maister I could alleage and bryng forth in place the example of Mycithus the seruant of one Anaxilaus Messenius the fidelitie of the seruantes of Plotinus Plancus the faithful maiden called Pythias that waited vpon Octauia the chast Empresse and wife of that Monster Nero with diuers other but that I thinke they bée to the learned well knowen and of the simple the vertue of seruants fidelitie is greatly liked and commended But if the faithfull seruant knowe that his deserts do gain the grace and fauor of his maister 〈◊〉 trauailes what pains ought he to suffer to maintain his reputation and to increase the fauour obtained For as the common 〈◊〉 and wise saying reporteth That the vertue is no lesse to conserue Frendship gotten than the wisedome was great to get and winne the same Other there be which do contrarily contend and with very strong arguments do force to proue that al which the seruant doth besides his duetie and beyonde the obligation wherin he is bounde to his maister is and oughte to be termed Liberalitie whiche is a matter to prouoke his patrone and maister to deuise new benefites for his seruant And that at all times when a man doth his duetie and seruice appointed by his mayster executing the same with all diligence and industrie requisite ther vnto that then he 〈◊〉 to be rewarded Which is not to be discommended For no true and honest seruaunt will refuse any trauaile for commoditie of his maister 〈◊〉 yet discrete and wise maister will leaue the same 〈◊〉 according to that porcion of abilitie wherwith he is possessed But leauing questions and disputation aside procéede we to that which this Nouell purposeth I say then that there was in the kyngdome of Persia a kyng called Artaxerxes a man of moste noble minde and of great prowesse in armes This was he which first being a priuate man of armes not hauing as yet obteined any degrée in the field killed Artabanus the last king of the Arsacides whose souldier he was recouered the Persian kingdom which was then in the Macedonians 〈◊〉 on by the deth of Darius which was vanquished by Alexander the great the space of 538. yeares This noble gētleman hauing deliuered al Persia created King kept a princely court wherin were many magnificent facts and vertuous déedes exercised and done and he himself most noble in all his affaires besides the titles which he worthily wanne in many bloudie battels was estéemed thoroughout the east part of the worlde to be the most liberall and magnanimous prince that in any age euer raigned In feastes and bankets he was an other Lucullus royally intertaining strangers that repaired to his court This king had in his court a Senescall or stewarde named Ariobarzanes whose office was that when the king made any pompous or publike feast to mount vpon a white Courser with a Mace of golde in his hand and to ride before the Esquiers Sewers for the Kings owne mouthe and those that bare the Kings meate in vessell of golde couered with fine naperie wrought and purled with most beautiful workmanship of silk golde This office of Senescall was highly estemed and cōmonly wont to be giuen to one of the chiefest Barons of the Realme Wherfore this Ariobarzanes besides that he was of moste noble Lignage and incomparable riches was the most curteous and liberall knight that frequented the Court whose immoderate expence was such as leauing the mean wherin al vertue consisteth by reason of his outrage which many times he vsed he fell into the vice of prodigalitie Whereby he séemed not only in curteous déedes to compare with the King but also contended to excéede and surpasse him One day the King for his disport and recreation called for the Chesseborde requiring Ariobarzanes to kéepe him companie Which game in those days amongs the Persians was in greate vse and estimation in such wise as a cunning gamster at that pastime was no lesse commended and honored than among vs in these dayes an excellent Drator or famous learned man Yea and the very same game in cōmon vse in the Courte and noble mens houses of oure tune no doubt very commendable and mete to be practised by all states degrées The King and Ariobarzanes being set down at a table in the great hall of the Palace one right against an other accōpanied with a great number of noble personages and Gentlemen looking vpon them and marking their play with great silence they began to encountre one an other with the Chessemen Ariobarzanes whether it was that he played better than the king or whether the king 〈◊〉 no héede to his game or what soeuer the occasion was he coursed the King to such a narrow straight as he could not auoide but within ii or iij. draughts he muste be forced to receiue the Checkemate whiche the King perceiuing and considering
the firste that gaue his name a Gentleman very valorous and in 〈◊〉 of Armes of passing estimation brought vp from his very youth and trained in the field other warlike exercises The Senescall also caused his name to be inrolled The like did 〈◊〉 ther knights as well Persians as other straungers For that the Proclamation was generall with safeconduct for all forainers noble men or other that should make their repaire The King had elected thrée auncient Barons to be Judges and Arbitratours of their déedes suche as in their time for their owne personages had ben very valiant and in many enterprises well exercised men of gret discretion and iudgement Their stage was placed in the middes of the Lists to view and marke the counterbuffes and blowes of the Combatants We néede not to remembre 〈◊〉 oughte to forgette the numbre of Ladies and Gentlewomen assembled out of all partes to beholde and viewe this triumphe and peraduenture eche knight that ranne that day was not withoute his amorous Ladie to note and beholde his Actiuitie and Prowesse euery of them wearing his Ladies sléeue gloue or other token accordyng to the common Custome in suche like cases At the daye and houre appointed appeared all the Combatantes in greate Triumphe and pompe with rich furnitures as well vpon them selues as vppon their horsse The triumph begonne and many Launces broken in good order on either sides Judgement was giuen generally that the Senescall Ariobarzanes had wonne the price and next vnto him the kings sonne did passe them all for that none of all the Combattants had broken past v. staues and the sayd yong Gentleman had in the face of his aduersarie broken in pieces nine at the least This Senescall brought forth eleuen laūces which were couragiously and honorably broken and by breaking of the last staffe which was the twelfthe he was iudged moste worthie of the price The condition wherof was that euery Combatant should run twelue courses with twelue launces and he which shoulde first breake the same should without doubt or further controuersie obtaine the rewarde What pleasure and delight the King did conceyue to sée his sonne behaue him selfe so valiantly that day I referre to the iudgement of fathers that haue children indued with like actiuitie But yet it grieued him that the Senescall had the greater aduantage and yet being a matter so wel knowen and discerned by the Judges like a wise man he dissembled his 〈◊〉 On the other side the yong Gentleman which did combat before his amorous ladie was very sorowful for that that he was voide of hope of the chiefest honour So that betwene the father and the sonne was one very thought and desire But the vertue and valor of the Senescall did truncate cut of all their grief Now the time was come that the Senescall should runne with his last staffe and mounted vppon the horsse which the King gaue him when he was on hunting And knowing wel that the King was very desirous that his son should excel all mē perceiuing likewise the inflamed minde of the yong Gentleman for the presence of his lady to aspire to honor purposed to giue ouer the honor archieued by himselfe to leaue it to the sonne and heire of his Lorde and 〈◊〉 He knew full well that those his curtesies pleased not the King neuerthelesse he was determined to perseuer in his opinion not to berieue the King of his glorie but onely to acquire fame and honour for him selfe And yet he thoughte vnkindenesse in the King that he would not accept his gentle déedes in better parte But fully minded that the honor of the triumph should be attributed to the Kings sonne he welded the staffe within his rest and when he was readie to encountre bicause it was he that should come agaynst him he let fall his launce out of his handes and sayd Farewel this curtesie of mine sith it is no better estemed The kings sonne gaue a gentle counterbuffe vpon the Placard of the Senescall brake his staffe in many pieces which was the x. course Many heard the words which the Senescal spake when his staffe fell out of his hands and the standers by well perceiued that he was not minded to giue the laste blowe bicause the kings sonne might haue the honor of the triumph which he desired so much Then Ariobarzanes departed the listes And the Prince without any great resistance wan the price victorie And so with sounde of diuerse instrumentes the price borne before him he was throughout the citie honorbaly conueyed amōg other the Senescal 〈◊〉 waited vpon him with mery countenāce greatly praising exalting that valiance of that yong Prince The King which was a very wise mā who many times had had experience of the Chiualrie of his Senescall at other Tourneys Iustes Barriers and Battels and always finding him to be prudent politike for his person very valiant knewe to wel that the fall of his launce was not by chaunce but of purpose continued his opinion of his Senescals liberalitie and courage And to say the trouth such was his exceding curtesie as fewe may be founde to imitate the same Wée daily sée that many be liberall of Fortunes goodes inuesting some with promotion some with apparell golde and siluer Iewels and other things of great value We sée also noble men bountifull to their seruants not onely of those mouable things but also of Castels Landes and Cities What shall we speake of them which will not sticke to sheade their owne bloud and many times to spende their life to do their frendes good Of these and such like examples all Records be full But a man that contemneth same glorie or is of his owne bonor liberall is neuer founde The victorious Captain after the bloody battaile giueth the spoile of his enimies to his souldiers rewardeth thē with prisoners departeth vnto them the whole pray but the glorie and honour of the battaile he reserueth vnto him selfe And as diuinely that father of Romaine eloquence doth say Those philosophers which write that glorie ought to be despised by their written bokes doe séeke after glorie them selues The King was displeased with these noble déedes and curtesie of his Senescall bicause he thoughte it not méete or decent that a subiecte and seruaunt should compare with his lorde and maister and therefore did not beare him that chéerefull countenance which he was wonte to doe And in the ende purposed to let him know that he spent his braines in very great errour if he thought to force his maister to be bounde or beneficiall vnto him as hereafter you shall perceiue There was an ancient and approued custome in Persia that the kings yerely did solemnize an Anniuersarie of their Coronation with great feast and triumph vpon which day all the Barons of the kingdome were bound to repaire to the Courte where the King by the space of viii dayes with sumptuous bankets and other sortes of feastes kepte open
before Tel me I beséech you what rewarde and gift what honour and preferment haue I euer bestowed vpon you sithens my first arriuall to this victorious raigne that euer you by due desert did binde me therunto Which if you did then liberall I can not bée termed but a slauishe Prince bounde to do the same by subiects merite High mightie Kings doe rewarde and aduaunce their men hauing respect that their gift or benefite shal excede desert otherwise that preferment can not bée termed liberall The great conquerour Alexander Magnus wanne a great and notable Citie for wealth and spoile For the principalitie and gouernment wherof diuers of his noble men made sute alleaging their painefull seruice and bloudie woundes about the getting of the same But what did that worthie King was he moued with the bloudshead of his Captaines was he stirred with the valiance of his men of warre was he prouoked with their earnest sutes No truely But calling vnto him a poore man whome by chaunce he founde there to him he gaue that riche and wealthie Citie and the gouernement thereof that his magnificence and liberalitie to a person so poore and base might receiue greater fame estimation And to declare that the cōferred benefit did not procede of 〈◊〉 or duetie but of mere liberalitie very curtesie true munificence and noble disposition deriued from princely heart and kingly nature Howbeit I speake not this that a faithfull seruant shoulde be vnrewarded a thyng very requisite but to inferre and proue that rewarde should excell the merite and seruice of the receiuer Now then I say that you going about by large desert and manifold curtesie to binde me to recompence the same you séeke next way to cut of the meane whereby I shoulde be liberall Doe you not sée that through your vnaduised 〈◊〉 I am preuented and letted from mine 〈◊〉 liberalitie wherwith dayly I was wont to reward my kinde louing and loyall seruants to whome if they deserued one talent of gold my maner was to giue them two or thrée If a thousande crownes by the yeare to giue them fiue Do you not know that when they looked for least rewarde or preferment the sooner did I honour and aduaunce them Take héede then from henceforth Ariobarzanes that you liue with suche prouidence and circumspection as you may be knowen to be a seruaunt and I reputed as I am for your soueraigne Lorde and maister All Princes in mine opinion require 〈◊〉 things of their seruants that is to say Fidelitie Loue which being had they care for no more Therfore he that list to contend with me in curtesie shall finde in the end that I make small accompt of 〈◊〉 And he that is my trustie and faithfull seruaunt diligent to execute and doe my commaundements faithfull in my secrete affaires and duetifull in his vocation shall trulie witte and most certainly féele that I am both curteous and liberall Which thou thy selfe shall well perceiue and be forced to confesse that I am the same man in déede for curtesie and liberalitie whom thou indeuorest to surmount Then the king held his peace and Ariobarzanes very reuerently and stoutly made answer in this maner Most Noble and victorious Prince Wel vnderstanding the conceiued griefe of your inuincible minde pleaseth your sacred maiestie to giue me leaue to answer for my selfe not to aggrauate or heape your wrath and displeasure which the Gods forbid but to disclose my humble excuse before your maiestie that the same poized with that equall balance of your rightful mind my former attemptes may neither seme presumptuous ne yet my wel meaning minde well measured with iustice ouerbold or malapert Most humbly then prostrate vpon my knées I say that I neuer went about or else did thinke in minde to excéede or compare with your infinite and incomprehensible bountie but indeuored by all possible meanes to let your grace perceiue and the whole worlde to know that there is nothing in the worlde which I regarde so much or estéeme so deare as your good grace and fauour And mightie Ioua graunte that I doe neuer fall into so great errour to presume for to contende with the greatnesse of your mind which fond desire if my beastly minde should apprehend I might be likened to the man that goeth about to berieue and take away the clerenesse of the Sun or brightnesse of the splendant starres But euer I did thinke it to be my bounden duetie not onely of those fortunes goods which by your princely meanes I do inioy to be a distributer and large giuer but also bounde for the profite and aduauncement of your regal crowne and dignitie and defence of your most noble person of mine owne life and bloude to be both liberall and prodigall And where your maiestie thinketh that I haue laboured to compare in curteous déede or other liberall behauior no déede that euer I did or fact was euer enterprised by me for other respect but for to get continue your more ample fauour and dayly to increase your loue for that it is the seruants part with all his force and might to aspire the grace and fauor of his soueraine lord Howbeit most noble Prince before this time I did neuer beleue nor heard your grace cōfesse that magnanimitie gentlenesse and curtesie wer vertues worthie of blame correction as your maiestie hath very 〈◊〉 done me to vnderstād by words seuere taunting checks vnworthy for practise of such rare and noble vertues But how so euer it be whether life or death shall depende vpon this praiseworthie honorable purpose I mean hereafter to pelde my dutie to my souerain lord then it may please him to terme my déedes courteous or liberall or to think of my behauior what his own princely mind shall déeme iudge The King vpon those words rose vp said Ariobarzanes nowe it is no time to continue in further disputation of this argumēt cōmitting the determination and iudgement hereof to the graue deliberation of my Councell who at conuenient leisure aduisedly shall according to the Persian lawes and customes conclude the same And for this present time I say vnto thée that I I am disposed to accompte the accusation made against thée to be true and confessed by thy selfe In the means time thou shalte repaire into thy countrey and come no more to the Court till I commaunde thée Ariobarzanes receiuing this answere of his soueraigne Lorde departed and to his greate contentation went home into his countrey merie for that he shoulde be absent out of the dayly sight of his ennimies yet not well pleased for that the King had remitted his cause to his Councell Neuerthelesse minded to abide and suffer all fortune he gaue him selfe to the pastime of hunting of Déere running of the wilde Boare and flying of the Hauke This noble Gentleman had 〈◊〉 only daughters of his wife that was deceassed the most beautifull Gentlewomen of the countrey the eldest of which
two was péerelesse without comparison older than the other by one yeare The beautie of those fair Ladies was bruted throughout the whole Region of Persia to whome the greatest Lordes and Barons of the countrey wer great and importunate suters He was not in his countrey resiant the space of iiij monethes which for salubritie of aire was most holsome and pleasant full of lordelike liberties and gentlemanlike pastimes as well to be done by the hounde as by the spaniell but one of the Kings Haraulds sent from the Court appeared before him with message to this effect saying My lord Ariobarzanes the King my soueraigne Lorde hath commaunded you to send with me to the Court the fairest of your two daughters for that the report of their famous beautic hath made him hardly to beleue them to be such as common brute would fayn do him to vnderstande Ariobarzanes not wel able to conceiue the meaning of the kings commaundement reuolued in his minde diuers things touching that demaunde and concluding vpon one which fel to his remembrance determined to send his yonger daughter which as we haue sayd before was not in beautie comparable to hir elder sister whereupon he caused the maiden to be sent for and sayd vnto hir these words Daughter the King my maister and thy soueraigne Lorde hath by his Messanger commaunded me to send vnto him the fairest of my daughters but for a certain reasonable respect which at this time I purpose not to disclose my mynde is that thou shalt goe praying thée not to say but that thou thy selfe art of the twaine the fairest the concealing of which mine aduise will bréede vnto thée no doubte thy greate aduauncement besides the profite and promotion that shall accriue by that thy silence and the disclosing of the same may happe to engendre to thy dere father his euerlasting hindrance and perchance the depriuation of his life but 〈◊〉 so be the King doe beget thée with childe in any wise kéepe close the same And when thou 〈◊〉 thy 〈◊〉 begin to swel that no longer it can be closely kept then in conuenient time when thou séest the King most merily disposed thou shalt tell the King that thy sister is farre more beautifull than thy self and that thou art the yonger sister The wise maiden well vnderstanding hir fathers minde and conceiuing the summe of his intent promised to performe his charge so with the Haraulde and honorable traine he caused his daughter to be conueyed to the Courte An easie matter it was to deceiue the King in the beautie of that maiden For although the elder daughter was the fairest yet this Gentlewomā séemed so péerelesse in the Court that without comparison she appeared the most beautifull that was to be 〈◊〉 either in Courte or countrey the behauiour and semblance of which two daughters were so like that hard it was to iudge whether of them was the eldest For their father had so kept them in that seldome they were séene within his house or at no time marked when they walked abroade The wife of the King was deade the space of one yere beforé for which cause he determined to marie the daughter of Ariobarzanes who although shée was not of the royall bloud yet of birthe she was right noble When the King saw this Gentlewoman he iudged hir to be the fairest that euer he sawe or heard of by report whom in the presence of his noble mē he 〈◊〉 did marrie seut vnto hir father to appoint the 〈◊〉 of his married daughter out of hande and to returne the same by that messanger When Ariobarzanes herd tell of this vnhoped mariage right ioyefull for that 〈◊〉 cesse sent vnto his daughter that dowrie which he had promised to giue to eyther of his daughters Many of the Courte did maruell that the King béeing in aged yeares would mary so yong a maiden specially the daughter of his subiect whome he had vanished from the Courte Some praised the Kings disposition for taking hir whom he fansied Eche man speakyng his 〈◊〉 minde 〈◊〉 to the diuers customes of men Notwithstanding there were diuers that moued the King to that mariage thereby to force him to confesse that by taking of the goodes of Ariobarzanes he might be called Courtenus and Liberall The mariage being solemnized in very 〈◊〉 and princely guise Ariobarzanes sente to the King the like dowrie which before he had sent him for mariage of his daughter with message to this effect That for so much as hée had assigned to his daughters two certain dowries to marie them to their equal 〈◊〉 and seing that he which was without exception was the husbande of the one his duetie was to bestow vpon his grace a more greater gift than to any other which shold haue bene his sonne in lawe But the King woulde not receiue the increase of his dowrie déeming him self well satisfied with the beautie and good cōdicions of his new spouse whome he entertained honored as Quéene In the meane time she was great with childe with a sonne as afterwardes in the birth it appered which so wel as she coulde she kept close and secrete but afterwards perceiuing hir bellie to ware bigge the greatnesse whereof she was not able to hide being vpon a time with that King and in familiar disporte she like a wise and sobre Lady induced matter of diuers argumēt amongs which as occasion serued she disclosed to the King that she was not the fairest of hir fathers daughters but hir elder sister more beautifull than she The King hearing that was greatly offended with Ariobarzanes for that he had not accomplished his commaundement and albeit he loued well his wife yet to attaine the effect of his desire he called his Haraulde vnto him whome he had firste sent to make request for his wife and with him returned again his new maried spouse vnto hir father cōmaunding him to say these words That for so much as he knewe him self to be vanquished and ouercome by the Kings humanitie his grace did maruell that in place of Curtesie he would vse such contumacie and disobedience by sending vnto him not the fairest of his daughters whiche he required but such as he himselfe liked to sende A matter no doubt worthy to be sharpely punished and 〈◊〉 For which cause the King being not a litle offended 〈◊〉 home his daughter againe and willed him to sende his eldest daughter and that he had returned the dowrie which he gaue with his yonger Ariobarzanes receiued his daughter and the dowrie with willing minde sayd these words to the Harauld Mine other daughter which the King my soueraigne Lord requireth is not able presently to go with thée bicause in hir bed she lieth sick as thou mayst manifestly perceiue if thou com into hir chāber but say vnto the King the vpon my faith allegiance so soone as she is recouered I will sende hir to the court The Haraulde séeing the maiden lie sicke
on hir bedde weake and impotent not able to trauell returned to the King and tolde him of the sicknesse of the eldest daughter of Ariobarzanes wher withall being satiffied he attended the successe of his desired sute The 〈◊〉 man no sooner béeing recouered but the time of the others childbirth was come which brought forth a goodly boy both the mother safely brought to bed and the childe strong and lusty Which greately contented and pleased Ariobarzanes and the greater grew his ioy therof for that he sawe the childe to be like vnto the King his father And by that time the yong Gentlewoman was rysen from hir childbed the sister was perfectly whole had recouered hir former hiewe beautie both which being richely apparelled Ariobarzanes with an honourable traine sent vnto the King instructing them first what they ought to say and do When they 〈◊〉 arriued at the Courte one of the priuie chambre 〈◊〉 the Kyng that Ariobarzanes had not onely sent one of his daughters but bothe of them being so many as hée had The King hearing and séeing the liberalitie of Ariobarzanes accepted the same in gracious part and determined for that his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 princely liberalitie as he should be forced to confesse him self ouercom And before the messanger which had broughte the yong Gentlewoman did departe he caused to be called before him his onely sonne called Cyrus vnto whom he sayde Bicause Cyrus the time of thy yeares be suche as mete they be to matche thée in mariage for hope I haue to sée some progenie procede of thée before I die my mynde is that thou shalt marie this goodly Gentlewoman here the sister of my wife To which his fathers hest the yong Gentleman willingly 〈◊〉 Then the King toke againe his owne and ordeined a royall feast for the mariage of his sonne which was celebrated and done with greate triumph and solemnitie continuing the space of viij days Ariobarzanes hearing these good newes wold not yet acknowledge him selfe to be ouercome and séeing that his purpose was now brought to an extremitie determined to sende the little childe a litle before begotten of his daughter to the King which so resembled the Kings face and countenaunce as was possible And therfore caused 〈◊〉 to bée made of the fairest yuorie that was to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and garnished with pure golde 〈◊〉 and set with moste precious stokes and Ieinels wherin he caused the childe to be placed and couered with rich clothes of finest gold and silke and together with the nourice 〈◊〉 with a pompous 〈◊〉 of Gentlemen he sente hun to the King the very 〈◊〉 that the solemne mariage should be celebrated And the King being in his great 〈◊〉 which was hanged with maruellous rich and costly Arras attended vpon with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Barons and noble men he that had the charge of the conduction of the childe vpon his knées presented the same before him lying in the cradle The King and the noble men maruelling what that did mean expected what the messanger 〈◊〉 say who holding the 〈◊〉 by one of the pomels sayde these wordes Most renoumed and victorious Prince in the behalfe of Ariobarzanes my Lorde and your subiecte moste humbly I present vnto your 〈◊〉 with al submission and reuerence this gift And my sayde Lorde doth rendre infinite thankes vnto your highnesse for the great 〈◊〉 it hath pleased you to vse by 〈◊〉 to entertaine him into your alliance For which not to séeme 〈◊〉 this present and ther withall he opened the cradle by me he hath 〈◊〉 vnto your maiestie When the cradle was discouered there appeared a goodly yong childe smiling and laughing vpon his father the ioyfullest sight that euer his father sawe and so like vnto him as the halfe Moone is lyke the proportion of the reste Then euery of the standers by beganne to say his minde touching the resemblaunce of the childe to his father hardily protestyng the same without doubte to be his owne The King coulde not bée satisfied with the sight of his childe by reason of the greate delight he had to looke vppon 〈◊〉 and of the generall opinion whiche all men 〈◊〉 touching his likenesse The childe againe vpon the common reioyce made vpon hym but specially of his father with preatie motions and swéete laughings representing two smilyng pyttes in his ruddie 〈◊〉 crowed many tymes vpon his father toying 〈◊〉 and downe his tender hands Afterwardes the King behelde the workmanship of that sumptuous cradle and demaunded whereof the substaunce was Unto whome the Messanger described the historie and whole contente of that incomparable Iewell Who 〈◊〉 that discourse caused the Quéene to be called forth and by hir was further certified of hir fathers Noble disposition with excéeding contentation and wonderfull reioyce he receiued the little childe and 〈◊〉 hym selfe in maner vanquished Not withstandyng séemyng to bée thus surmounted hée thoughte if hée dyd not surpasse this Curtesie his Noble and Princely mynde should be disgraced Wherefore hée determined to vse a kynde of Magnanimitie therby eyther to ouercome Ariobarzanes or else hauing apparant occasion altogether to fall out and to conceyue a mortall malice against him The King had a daughter of the age of xxi yeares a very faire and comely Lady according as hir royall education and princely bringing vp required whome as yet he had not matched in mariage meanyng to bestowe hir vpon some King or greate Monarch with a dowrie of ten hundred thousand Crownes bisides the princely and great costlye apparell and Iewells which hir owne mother lying vppon hir death bedde did bequeathe hir The King then purposing to excell Ariobarzanes minded by couplyng hym with his daughter to make hym his sonue in lawe Which to a Ladie of royall Linage appeareth some debacing of hir noble bloud to bée matched with a man of inferiour birth The like to a man howe honorable so euer he bée can not chaunce if he take a wyfe of degrée neuer so base For if he bée borne of noble and gentle kinde hée doth illustrate and aduaunce the woman whome hée taketh all be it she were of the meanest trampe of the popular forto and the chyldren which bée borne of them by the fathers meanes shall be noble and of gentle kynde But a woman although shée bée moste Noble if she bée married to hir inferiour and that hir husbande bée not fo noble the children that shall bée borne of them shall not receyue the honour of the mothers storke but the state of the fathers lotte and so shall be vnnoble Such is the Reuerence and Authoritie of the â—ere of â—aâ— where vppon doeth ryse comparyson of the wyse whiche doth resemble the man vnto the Sunne and the woman to the Moone For we sée that the Moone of hir selfe doth not giue light ne yet can yelde any brightnesse to the darknesse of the night if the did not partake some shining of the Sun who with his liuely flames at
the lesser countries and called to their remembrance the benefites vnto them by his father extended desiring the like to bée shewed and rendred vnto him he allured the yonger sort of the Citie by gifts and other liberall rewardes promising them if hée atteined to his purpose more frankly to recōyence them By this meanes the King became odious and 〈◊〉 to the people Tarquinius séeing his time guarded with a bande of armed men entred the market place wherewith the 〈◊〉 people were greatly abashed then 〈◊〉 mounted into the palace and placed him self in the royal seate of the same causing the Fathers to be cited before hym by the Haraulde vnto whome he repeted the petigrée of Seruius and his first entrance into the kingdom As he was speaking these wordes Seruius in great hast repaired to the Palace and finding Tarquinius sitting in his place sayd to him these wordes Why what is the matter Tarquinius quod he howe darest thou bée so bolde so long as I am liuing to call the Fathers 〈◊〉 yet presume to sit in my seat whervnto Tarquinius 〈◊〉 ly replied That hée possessed but the roume of his father which was more mete for a Kings conne and heire heire than for such a bondeman as he was and that hée had long enough abused his Lordes and maisters wherwithall a great hurly 〈◊〉 and tumult began to rise by the 〈◊〉 of both parts so that 〈◊〉 was like to attain that garland which best could daunce for it Tarquinius forced to giue the last aduenture being more lustie stronger than the other toke Seruius by the middle and carying him out of the Courte threw him downe the staires whiche done hée caused the Senate to retourne into the Palace Then the King with all his traine of Officers and other his seruaunts 〈◊〉 away and as they were 〈◊〉 he was slain by those that Tarquinius sent after to pursue him in the stréete called Cyprius Tullia vnderstandyng that Seruins hir father was slaine 〈◊〉 bashed not in hir wagon to come into the market place before 〈◊〉 the assemblie there called hir husband out of the Court and boldly was the first that called him King But being rebuked commaunded by him to auoid out of that great throng of people she retired home again when she was past that vpper end of the said strete called Cyprius the wagoner driuing toward the right hād to the hill called Exquiliae he stayed the wagon and shewed his ladie the bodie of hir father lying 〈◊〉 dead in the strete In memory of which shamefull and vnnatural fact long time after there continued a 〈◊〉 For the same strete was called Vicus Sceleratus Some report that she caused the wagō to be driuen ouer the dead corps of hir father with the bloud of whom hir husband hir wagon being contaminated 〈◊〉 presented the same to hir Gods After which abhominable beginnings like end ensued This Seruius Tullius raigned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then 〈◊〉 began to raign vnto whom Superbus was added for his surname This wicked some in law would not suffer the dead bodie of Seruius to be buried His conscience being pricked with the abhominable gaine of his kingdom fearing also least other might conceiue like example he guarded his person with a band of armed men executing all things 〈◊〉 force and Tirannie contrarie to the aduise and consents of the Senate and people He caused the fautors frends of Seruius to he put to death whereby the numbre of the Fathers was diminished whose places he suffered none other to supplie of purpose to bring that honorable order to contempt He gouerned the common welth by his own domesticall and priuate Counsell Warre peace truce societie of the Cities adioyning he vsed as he list without any further assent The Latines he specially regarded to the intēt that through forrein aide he might raigne in more suretie at home with the chiefe of which countrie he ioyned affinitie One Octauius Manilius a Tusculan born was the prince and chief ruler of that countrie descēding from the stooke of Vlisses and the 〈◊〉 Circes if the 〈◊〉 be true vnto whome Tarquinius gaue his daughter in mariage By reason whereof he conciliated great alliance and frendes Tarquinius being of great authoritie amongs the Latines appointed them vpon a day to assemble at a wood called Ferentina there to intreate of matters concerning both the states To which place the Latines repaired vpon the breake of the day But Tarquinius came not thither til the Sunne was set During which time many things were in talke There was one amongs them called Turnus Herdonius which in Tarquinius absence had inueyed 〈◊〉 against hym affirming that it was no maruell though he was called Suporbus by that 〈◊〉 For what prouder 〈◊〉 could be inforced to the Latines 〈◊〉 to make thē wait a whole day for his pleasure Diuers princes and noble mē quod he that dwell a far of be come according to the appointment and he which first allotted the day is not present Hereby it most euidently appeareth in what sort he will vse vs if he might once atteine the soueraintie And who can doubt in so manifest apparance but that he went not about to affecte and aspire the dominion of the Latines If the Romanes haue had iust cause to beléeue him and if their kingdom had ben but gotten not violently rapt and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 parricide then the Latines might also beleue him who being but a straūger to them had no great cause to beleue him His own subiects do repent the time that euer he bare rule For some be slain and heaped vpon the dead bodies of other some be banished some haue lost their goodes what other fruites than these may the Latine people expect and loke for Therfore if they wold be ruled he required euery man to retourne home to his own house and giue no more attendaunce for the day of the Counsel than be doth which first appointed the same This and such like this sedicious and desperate man declared Whose talke Tarquinius interuented and vpon his comming euery man conuerted himself to salute him Then 〈◊〉 began to excuse himselfe of his long 〈◊〉 for that he was appointed an arbitrator betwene the father and the sonne for whose reconciliation he was forced to stay that lōg space and to spend the time of that day Wherfore he appoynted the next day The 〈◊〉 of which excuse Turnus could not kepe secrete but said that a matter betwéene the father and the sonne might be ended in few woords for if the childe would not be obedient to his father some mischief must néedes light vpon him Tarquinius vnderstāding these inuections made against him by Turnus immediatly deuiseth meanes to kil him to the intent 〈◊〉 might inculcate like terror to the Latines that he did to his owne subiects And bicause he was not 〈◊〉 to sort his purpose and effect by secrete malice he attempted to accuse him of treason and 〈◊〉 by meanes of diuers of
was driuen into great admiration and thought it very straunge that a woman which al the days of hir life had liued in greate honour and estimation shold vpon light cause or occasion poison hir self sith it was naturally giuen to eche breathyng wyght to prolong their liuing dayes with the longest thréede that Atropos could draw out of dame Natures webbe Wher vpon he commaunded the sayd matrone to be brought before hym whose death for hir vertue was generally lamented by the whole countrey When the Gentlewomā was before him and had vnderstāding that she was fully resolued and determined to die he began by greate 〈◊〉 to exhort hir that she should not wilfully 〈◊〉 hir selfe away vpon consideration that she was of lusty yeares riche and 〈◊〉 of the whole countrey how greate pitie it were but shée shoulde renue hir minde and giue hir selfe still to liue and remayne til naturall course did ende and finish hir life howbeit his 〈◊〉 and earnest persuasion could not diuert hir from hir intēded purpose But Pompeius 〈◊〉 to haue hir die ceassed not still to 〈◊〉 his former talke with newe reasons and stronger arguments All which she paciently heard with fired 〈◊〉 til at length with clere voice and 〈◊〉 cheare 〈◊〉 answered him in this maner You be greatly deceiued my lord Pompeius if you do beleue that I without very great prouidence and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 goe about to end my days for I do know and am 〈◊〉 persuaded that eche creature naturally craueth the prolongation and lengthning of life so much abhorreth to die as the desirous to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the poison whiche I haue prepared for consummation of my life Wher vpon I haue diuers times thought considered and discoursed with my selfe and amongs many considerations 〈◊〉 debated in my minde there came into the same the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 change of Fortune whose whir 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neuer 〈◊〉 ne yet remaineth 〈◊〉 It 〈◊〉 dayly séene how she doth exalt and aduance some man from the lowest and bottomlesse pitte euen to the 〈◊〉 of the hygh Heauens endowyng hym wyth so much substaunce as he can desire An other that was moste happie honoured in this worlde lyke a God vnto whom no goodes and welfare were wantyng who myghte well haue bene called in his lyfe a thrée tymes happie and blessed wyght sodaynly from his honoure and 〈◊〉 depriued and made a verie poore man and begger Some man also that is bothe riche and lustie accompanied wyth a faire wife and goodlye children lyuyng in greate myrth and ioylitie this wicked Ladie Fortune the deuourer of all oure contentacions depriueth from the inestimable treasure of health causeth the fayre wife to loue an other better than hir husbande and with 〈◊〉 venomous tooth biteth the children that in shorte space myserable deathe catcheth them all within hys dreadfull clouches whereby hée is defrauded of those chyldren whome after his deathe hée purposed to leaue 〈◊〉 his heires But what meane I to consume tyme and words in declaration of fortunes vnsteady staye which is more clere than the beames of the Sunne of whome dayly a thousande thousande examples bée manifest All histories be full of them The myghtie countrey of Graecia doeth render ample witnesse wherein so many excellent men were bredde and brought vp Who desirous with their fynger to touche the highest heauen were in a moment throwen downe And so many famous Cities whiche gouerned numbers of people nowe at this presente day wée sée to bée thrall and obedient to thy Citie of Rome Of these hurtefull and perillous mutations O noble Pompcius thy Romane Citie may bée a 〈◊〉 cleare glasse and Spectacle and a multitude of thy noble Citizens in tyme paste and present may gyue plentyfull witnesse But to come to the cause of this my death I say that fyndyng my selfe to haue lyued these many yeares by what chaunce I can not tell in verie greate prosperitie in all whiche tyme I neuer dyd suffer any one myssehappe but styll from good to better haue passed my time vntil thys daye Nowe fearyng the frownyng of Lady Fortunes face and that shée will repente hir long continued fauoure I feare I saye leaste the same Fortune shoulde chaunge hir stile and begynne in the middest of my pleasaunt life to sprinckle hir poysoned bitternesse and make mée the 〈◊〉 and Quiuer of hir sharpe and noysome arrowes Wherefore I am nowe determined by good aduyse to ridde my self from the captiuitie of hir force from all hir misfortunes and from the noysom and grieuous infirmities which miserably be incident to vs mortall Creatures And beleue me Pompcius that many in theyr aged dayes haue left their life with litle honour who had they ben gone in their youth had died famous for euer Wherefore my Lorde Pompeius that I may not be tedious vnto thée or hinder thyne affaires by long discourse I beséeche thée to gyue me leaue to follow my deliberate disposition that frankely and fréely I may bée 〈◊〉 of all daunger for the longer the life doth growe to the greater discommodities it is subiect When shée had so sayde to the greate admiration and compassion of all those whiche were present with tremblyng handes and fearefull cheare shée quaffed a greate cuppe of poysoned drynke the whyche shée broughte wyth hir for that purpose and within a while after dyed This was the strange vse and order obserued in 〈◊〉 Whiche good counsell of that dame had the noble and valiaunt captaine followed no doubt he would haue ben contented to haue ben brought to order And then he had not lost that bloudie battell atchieued against him by Iulius Cesar at Pharsalia in Egypt Then he had not sustained so many ouerthrowes as he did then had he not ben forsaken of his trendes and in the ende endured a death so miserable And for somuch as for the most part 〈◊〉 therto we haue intreated of many tragical and bloudie rhaunces respiring nowe from those lette vs a little touche some medicinable remedies for loue some lessons for gouernement and obediēce some treaties of amorous dames and hautie 〈◊〉 of Princes Quéenes and other persons to variate the chaungeable diet wherewith dyuers bée affected rellishyng their Stomackes wyth some more pleasant digestions than they haue tasted Faustina the Empresse ¶ The dishonest Loue of 〈◊〉 AVSTINA the Empresse and vvith vvhat remedie the same loue vvas remoued and taken avvay The tenth Nouell TRue and moste holie is the sentence that the ladie gentlewoman or other wighte of Female kinde of what degrée or condition soeuer she bée be she saire fowle or ylfauoured can not be endewed with a more precious Pearle or Jewell than is the 〈◊〉 pure vertue of honesty which is of such valour that it alone without other vertue is able to render hir that 〈◊〉 in hir attire moste famous and excellent Be she more beautifull than Helena be she mightier than the Amazon better learned than Sappho rycher than Flora more louing than Quéene Dido or more noble than
the liues of good Princes alreadie departed it were but a small ransome to redéeme them with teares For what golde or 〈◊〉 may be sufficient to buie the life of a vertuous mā Truly there woulde be a great masse of money giuen by the Assyriās to redeme the life of Belus by the Persiās for Artaxerxes by the Troians for Hector by the Greekes for Alexander by the Lacedemonians for Lycurgus by the Romanes for Augustus and by the Carthaginians for Annibal But as you knowe the Gods haue made all thyngs mortall hauing reserued onely themselues to bée immortall Howe eminent and passing the vertue of the good is and what priu ledge the godly haue it may easily bée knowne for so much as honour is caried euen to the very graues os the deade but so it is not to the greate Palaces of the wicked The good and vertuous man without sighte or knowledge we loue serue and aunswer for him where the wicked wée can not beleue that which he sayeth and lesse accepte in good parte the thyng whiche hée doeth for vs. Touchyng the election of the Empire it was done by Nerua it was demaunded by the people approued by you and accepted by me Wherefore I praye the immorall Goddes that it may bée lyked of their godheades For to small purpose auayleth the election of Princes if the Gods doe not confirme it and therefore a man may knowe hym whiche is chosen by the Gods or elected by men for the one shall decline and fall the other vpholden and preserned The choyse of man sodaynely exalted doeth decline and fall but that whiche is planted by the Gods although it be tossed to and fro with seuerall windes receiueth great aduersitie and boweth a little yet he shal be neuer sene to fal Ye know right wel most honorable Fathers that I neuer demaunded the Empire of Nerua my Soueraigne Lorde although hée brought me vp and was his nephew hauing hearde and well remembryng of my Maister Plutarch that honour ought rather to be deserued than procured Notwithstanding I will not denie that ioyfull I was when my lorde Nerua sent me the ensigne of that greate and high dignitie but I will also confesse that hauing begon to tast the trauailes and cares which that Imperiall state bringeth I did repent more than a thousande times for taking vpon me the same For Empire and gouernemēt is of such qualitie that although the honour bée great yet the gouernour sustaineth very great paine and miserable trauaile O how greatly doeth he bynde himselfe which by gouernement byndeth other for if it be iuste they call it cruell if it bée pitiefull it is contemned if liberall it is estéemed prodigall if he kéepe or gather togyther hée is counted couetous if he be peaccable and quiet they deme him for a coward if he be coragious he is reputed a quareller if graue they will say he is proude if he be easie to be spoken to he is thought to be light or simple if solitarie they will estéeme him to be an hypocrite and if he be ioyfull they will terme hym dissolute In suche wise as they will be contented and vse more better termes to all others what soeuer than towards him which gouerneth a cōmon wealth For to suche a one they recken the morsels whiche he eateth they measure his pases they note his wordes they take héede to his companies and iudge of his workes many tymes wrongfully they examine and murmure of his pastymes and attempte to coniecture of his thoughtes Consyder then the trauailes whiche bée in Gouernement and the Enuie whyche many times they beare vnto him that ruleth We may saye that there is no state more sure than to be in that which is furthest off from Enuie And if a man can not but with greate paine gouerne the wife which he hath chosen the 〈◊〉 which he hath begotten nor the seruant which he hath brought vp hauing them altogether in one house how is it possible that he can still conserue in peace a whole common wealth I pray you tell me in whom shall a poore Prince repose his trust sith that many times he is most slaundered by them whome he fauoureth best Princes and great lords can not eate without a garde can not sléepe without a watche can not speake without espiall nor walke without some safetie in suche wise as they beyng lordes of all they bée as it were prisoners of their owne people And if we will beholde somwhat nearely and consider the seruitude of Princes and the libertie of subiects we shall finde that he whiche hath most to doe in the realme or beareth greatest swinge is most subiect to thraldom In somuch as if Princes haue authoritie to giue libertie they haue no meanes to be frée them selues The Gods haue created vs so frée and euery man desireth to haue his libertie so much at will that a man be he neuer so familiar a friend or so neare of kin we had rather haue him to be our subiect than our lorde and maister One man alone commaundeth all and yet it semeth to him but little Ought we then to maruell if many be wearie to obey one We loue and estéeme our selues so much as I neuer sawe any which of his owne good will woulde be subiect ne yet against his will was made a lorde which we sée to bée very true For the quarells and warres that bée amongs men are not so much for obedience sake as to rule and cōmaunde I say moreouer that in drinking eating clothing speaking and louing al men be of diuers qualities but to procure libertie they bée all conformable I haue spoken all this O Fathers conscript vpon occasion of mine owne Empire which I haue taken with good will albeit afterwardes I was sorie for that great charge For the waltering seas and troublesome gouernement be two things agréeable to beholde and daungerous to proue Notwithstanding 〈◊〉 it hath pleased the Gods that I should be your lord and you my subiectes I beséech you heartily to vse your obedience as to your soueraigne lord in that which shall be right and méete and to aduertise me like a father in things that shall séeme vnreasonable The Consul Rutulus hath tolde me much in your behalfe and hath saluted me for the people he himselfe shal bring answere and salute you all in my name The Allobrogians and the inhabitants about the riuer of Rhene bée at controuersie for the limittes of their countrey and haue prayed me to be their arbitratour which will stay me a little there I require that this Letter may bée redde within the Senate house and manifested to the whole people The Goddes preserue you An other Letter of the Emperour Traian to the Romane Senate conteining how gouerners of cōmon wealthes ought to be friendes rather to those whiche vse trasicke than to them that gather and heape together COcceius Traiane Emperor of the Romanes to our holy Senate health and consolation in the
Gods of comforte The affaires be so manifold and businesse so graue and weightie which we haue to doe with diuers countreyes that scarce wée haue time to eate and space to take any rest the Roman Princes hauing still by auncient custome both lacke of tyme and commonly wante of money And bicause that they which haue charge of common wealths to the vttermost of their power ought to be frends to traficke of marchandise and enimies of heaping treasure togethers Princes haue so many people to please and so greate numbre of crauers that if they kepe any thing for them the same shall rather 〈◊〉 a spice of theft than of prouidence To take away an other mans goodes truly is a wicked part but if it bée permitted to accumulate treasure and money together better it were to take it out of the Temples than to defraude the people For the one is consecrated to the immortall Gods and the other to the poore Commons I speake this right honorable Fathers to put you in remembraunce and also to aduise you that you take good héede to the goodes of the Common welthe howe they be dispended howe gathered together howe they be kept and how they be employed For ye ought to vnderstande that the goodes of the Common wealth be committed to you in trust not to the ende ye shoulde enioy them but rather by good gouernement to vse them We do heare that the walles be readie to sall the towers in decay and the temples be come to great ruine wherof we be not a little offended and you ought also to be ashamed for so much as the damages and detrimentes of the Cōmon welth we ought either to remedie or else to lament Ye haue written vnto me to know my pleasure whether the Censors Pretors Ediles shold be 〈◊〉 chosen and not perpetuall as hitherto they haue bene and specially you say that the state of the Dictator which is the greatest and highest dignitie in Rome is onely 〈◊〉 sixe moneths To that I answere that we are well contented with that aduise For not without cause and iust reason our predecessours did 〈◊〉 the firste Kings of Rome and ordeined that the Consuls shoulde yerely bée chosen in the common wealth Which was done in consideration that he whiche had perpetuall gouernement many times became insolent and proude And 〈◊〉 that the charges and offices of the Senate should be yerely to auoide daunger which if they should be perpetuall there might ensue great hurte and damage to the Common wealth For if the Officers being yerely chosen be good they may be continued And if they bée euill they may be chaunged And truely the officer which knoweth that vpon the ende of euery yeare he must be chaunged and examined of his charge he wil take good hede to that which he speaketh and first of all will wel consider what he taketh in hande The good Marcus Portius was the fyrst that caused the Officers of the Romane Common wealthe to thée thus visited and corrected And bycause that these Almayne warres dee still increase by reason that the Kyng Deceball wyll not as yet bée brought to obedience of the Romanes but rather goth about to occupie and winne the Kingdomes of Dacia and Polonia I shall be forced through the businesse of the warrs so long continuing to deuise and consult here vpon the affaires cōcerning the gouernemēt of the cōmon welth of Rome For a lesse euill it is for a Prince to be negligent in matters of warre than in the gouernement of the common wealth A prince also ought to thinke that he is chosen not to make warres but to gouerne not to kill the enimies but to roote out vices not that he go in person to inuade or defend his foes but that he reside and be in the cōmon welth not to take away other mens goodes but to do iustice to euery mā for somuch as the prince in that warres can fight but for one and in the publike wealth he cōmitteth faults against a numbre Truly it liketh me wel that from the degrée of Captains men be aduaūced to be Emperors but I thinke it not good that Emperours do descend to be Captains considering that the realme shal neuer be in quiet whē the Prince is to great a warrior This haue I spokē Fathers cōscript to the intēt ye may beleue that I for my part if these warres of Almayne were to begin I beyng at Rome it were impossible that I should be brought vnto the same for that my principall intent is to be estemed rather a good gouerner of a common wealth than a foreward Captain in the field Now then principally I commend vnto you the veneration of the Temples and honor of the Gods bicause Kings neuer liue in suretie if the Gods be not honored and the Temples serued The last words which my good Lorde Nerua wrote vnto mée were these Honour the Temples feare the Gods maynteine Iustice in thy Common wealth and defende the poore in so doing thou shalte not bee for gotten of thy friende nor vanquished by thy ennimies I do greatly recommende vnto you the vertues of 〈◊〉 and Fraternitie for that you know that in great cōmon wealthes greater hurt and damage do ciuile and neighborly warres bring vnto the same than those attempted by the enimies If parents against parentes and neighbours againste neighbours had not begon their mutuall hatred contencion neuer had Demetrius ouerthrowen the Rhodes neuer had Alexander conquered Thyr Marcellus Syracusa Scipio Nuimantia I recōmende vnto you also the poore people loue the Orphanes and fatherlesse children support and help the widowes beware of quarels and debates amongs you and the causes of the helplesse fée that ye maintaine and defende bicause the gods did neuer wreake more 〈◊〉 vengeance vpon any than vpon those which did ill intreat and vse the poore and nedie And many times I haue heard my lorde Nerua say that the Gods neuer shewed them selues so rigorous as against a mercilesse and vnpitiful people Semblably we pray you to be modest of wordes pacient to suffer ware in your forme of life For a great fault it is and no lesse shame to a gouerner that he praise the people of his cōmon wealthe and gyue them occasion to speake euill of him And therfore they which haue charge of the cōmon welth ought rather to repose trust in their workes than in their words for so much as the citizens or cōmon people do rather fire their iudgement vpon that which they sée than on that which they heare I woulde wishe that touchyng the affaires appertinent to the Senate they might not know in you any sparke of ambicion malice deceipt or enuie to the intent that the iust men might not so much complaine of the commaunding of the common wealth as vpon the entertainement and profite of the same The Empire of the Grekes and that of the Romanes were euer contrary as well in armes and lawes
Campania issued of certein Romans knights very famous in facts of armes and of great industrie and gouernement in the common wealth When the father and mother of this Flora deceased she was of the age of xb. yeares indued with great riches and singular beautie and the very orphane of all hir kynne For she had neyther brother left with whom she might soiourne ne yet vncle to gyue hir good councell In such wise that like as this yong maistres Flora had youth riches liberty and beautie euen so ther wanted neither bauds nor Pandores to 〈◊〉 hir to fal and allure hir to follie Flora seing hir selfe beset in this wise she determined to goe into the Affrick warres where she hazarded both hir person and hir honor This dame florished and tryumphed in the tyme of the first Punique warres when the Consul Mamillus was sent to Carthage who dispended more money vpon the loue of Flora than hée did vpon the chase and pursute of his 〈◊〉 This amorous ladie Flora had a writing and tytle fixed vpon hir gate the effect wher of was thys King Prince Dictator Consul Censor high Bishop and Questor may knocke and come in In that writing Flora named neither Emperor nor Caesar bycause those two most noble names were long tyme after created by the Romanes This amorous Flora wold neuer abandon hir person but wyth gentlemen of great house or of great dignitie and riches For she was wont to say that a woman of passing beauty should bée so much estemed as she doth esteme and sette by hir selfe Lais and Flora were of contrary maners conditions For Lais would first bée paide before she yelded the vse of hir bodie but Flora without any semblance of desire eyther of golde or siluer was contented to bée ruled by those with whom she committed the facte Wherof vpon a day being demaunded the question she answered I gyue my body to Princes and noble Barons that they may deale with me like gentlemen For I sweare vnto you by the Goddesse Venus that neuer man gaue me so little but that I had more than I loked for and the double of that which I could demaund This amorous lady Flora was wont many tymes to saye that a wise woman or more aptlie to terme hir a subtill wench ought not to demaund reward of hir louer for the acceptable pleasure which she doth hym but rather for the loue which she beareth him bicause that all things in the world haue a certain price except loue which cannot bée paide or recompenced but with loue All the Ambassadors of the worlde which had accesse into Italie made so great report of the beauty and generositie of Flora as they dyd of the Romane common wealth bycause it semed to bée a monstrous thinge to sée the riches of hir house hir trayue hir beautie the princes great lordes by whom she was required and the presents and giftes that were gyuen vnto hir This amorous Flora had a continuall regard to the noble house wherof she came touching the magnificence and state of hir seruice For albeit that she was but a common woman yet she was serued honored like a great ladie That day wherin she rode about the citie of Rome she gaue occasion to bée spoken of a whole month after one inquiring of an other what gret Roman lords they were that kept hir company Whose men they were that waighted vpon hir And whose liuery they ware What ladies they were that rode in hir traine the brauery of hir apparell hir great beautie port and the wordes spoken by the amorous gentlemen in that troupe were not vnremembred When this maistres Flora wared olde a yong and beautifull gentleman of Corinth demaunded hir to 〈◊〉 to whome she aunswered I know well that thou wilt not marie the thrée score yeares which Flora hath but rather thou 〈◊〉 to haue the twelue hundred thousand Sestercias which she hath in hir house Content thy selfe therfore my frende and get thée home againe to Corinth from whence thou 〈◊〉 For to such as bée of myne age great honor is borne reuerence done for the riches and wealth they haue rather than for mariage There was neuer in the Romane Empire the like amorous woman that Flora was indued with so many graces and quéenelike qualities for she was of noble house of singuler beautie of comly personage discrete in hir affaires and besides all other comly qualities very liberall This maistres Flora spent the most part of hir youth in Africa Almaine and Gallia 〈◊〉 And albeit that she would not suffre any other but great lords to haue possession of hir body yet she applied hir selfe to the spoile of those that were in place and to the praie of those that came from the warrs This amorous Flora died when she was of the age of 〈◊〉 yeares She left for the principall heire of all hir goods and 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 people which was estemed sufficiēt able to make newe the walles of Rome and to 〈◊〉 and redeme the common welth of the same And bicause that she was a Romaine had made the state thereof hir heire the Romanes buylded in hir honor a sumptuous Temple which in memorie of Flora was called 〈◊〉 and euery yeare in the memorie of hir they celebrated hir feast vpon the daye of hir death Suctonuis Tranquillus saieth that the first feaste which the Emperour Galba the second celebrated within Rome was the feast of the amorous Flora vpon which day it was lawfull for men women to doe what kinde of dishonestie they could deuise And she was estemed to be the greater saint which that day shewed hir selfe most dissolute and wanton And bicause that the temple Florianum was dedicated to amorous Flora the Romās had an opinion that all women which vpon the same day repaired to the Temple in whorish apparell should haue the graces and gifts that Flora had These were the sond opinions and maners of the auncient which after their owne making deuises framed Gods and Goddesses and bycause the proued vnshamefast and rich a Temple must bée erected and Sacrifices ordeined for hir whorish triumphes But that noble men and Kings haue bene rapt and transported with the lurements of such notorious strumpets is and hath bene common in all ages And commonly such infamous women bée indewed with greatest giftes and graces the rather to noosell dandle their fauorers in the lappes of their fading pleasures But euery of them a most speciall grace aboue the rest As of a king not long agoe we reade that kept thrée one the holiest another the crastiest the third the 〈◊〉 Two of which properties méete for honest women although the third so incident to that kinde as heat to a liuing bodie Cease we then of this kinde and let vs steppe forth to be acquainted with a ladie a Quéene the Godliest stoutest that is remembred in any aun cient monument or historie Zenobia Queene of Palmyres
to like effect as she did before therby to draw him frō his cōceiued purpose whervnto the wise King hauing made replie continuing his intended mynde at length in ragyng wordes and stormed mind he sayd vnto Euphimia How much the swéeter is the wine the sharper is the egred sawe thereof I speake this Parable for that thou not knowyng or greatly regarding the gentle disposition of thy fathers nature in the ende mayst so abuse the same as where hitherto he hath bene curteous and benigne he may become through thy disordered déedes ryghte sowre and sharpe and without vtterance of further talke departed Who resting euil content with that fond fixed loue thought that the next way to remedie the same was to tel Acharisto how 〈◊〉 he toke his presumed fault and in what heinous part he conceiued his ingratitude and how for the benefites which liberally hée had bestowed vpon him he had brought and enticed his daughter to loue him that was farre vnagreable hir estate And therfore he called hym before him and with reasons first declared the duetie of a faithfull seruant to his souerain Lord and afterwards he sayd That if the receyued benefits were not able to lette him know what were conuenient and séemely for his degrée but would perseuere in that which he had begonne he would make him féele the iust displeasure of a displeased Prince whereby hée shoulde repent the tyme that euer hée was borne of womans wombe These wordes of the King semed grieuous to Acharisto not to moue him to further anger hée séemed as though that being fearfull of the kinges displeasure hée did not loue his daughter at all but sayd vnto hym that hée deserued not to bée so rebuked for that it lay not in his power to withstande hir loue the same proceding of hir owne good will and libertie And that hée for his part neuer required loue if she did bend hir mynde to loue him 〈◊〉 could not remedie that affection for that the fréewill of such vnbridled appetite rested not in him to reforme Notwithstāding bycause hée vnderstoode his vnwilling mynd 〈◊〉 from that time forth would so indeuor himselfe as hée shoulde well 〈◊〉 that the vnstayde mynde of the yong gentlewoman Euphimia was not incensed by him but voluntarily conceyued of hir selfe You shall doe well sayde the King if the effect procede according to the promise And the more acceptable shall the same bée vnto me for that I desire it shold so come to passe The king liked wel these words although that Acharisto had conceiued within 〈◊〉 plat of his intended minde some other treason For albeit that hée affirmed before the kings owne face that hée would not loue his daughter yet knowing the assured will of the louing gentlewoman hée practised the mariage and like an vnkind wretched man deuised cōuenient tyme to kill him And fully bent to execute that cruell enterprise hée attempted to corrupt the chiefest men about him promising promocions vnto some to some hée assured restitucion of reuenewe which by fathers fault they had lost béefore and to other golden hilles so that hée might attaine by slaughter of the King to 〈◊〉 a kingly state and kingdome Which the sooner he persuaded himselfe to acquire if in secrete silence they coulde put vp that which by generall voice they hadde agréed And although they thought themselues in good assurāce that their enterprise coulde take no yll successe by reason of their sounde and good discourse debated amonges them selues for the accomplishement thereof yet it fortuned that one of the conspiracie as commonly in suche lyke traiterous attemptes it chaunceth béeyng with his beloued ladie and she making mone that little commoditie succéeded of hir loue for hir aduauncement brake out into these woordes Holde thy peace sayde hée for the time will not bée long before thou shalt bée one of the chiefest Ladies of this lande Howe can that be sayde his woman No more adoe quod the Gentleman Cease from further questions and bée merrie for wée shall enioye together a verie honourable and a quiete lyfe When hir Louer was departed the gentlewoman went to an other of hir gossips very iocunde and tolde hir what hir louer had sayd and she then not able to kepe counsell went and told an other In such wise as in the ende it came to the cares of the Kings stewards wife and she imparted the same vnto hir husband who marking those words like a mā of great wisedome experience did verily beléeue that the same touched the daunger of the Kings person And as a faithfull seruant to his lorde and maister diligently harkned to the muttering talke murmured in the court by him which had tolde the same to his beloued ladie knowing that it proceded from Acharisto which was an 〈◊〉 and sedicious varlet and that he with thrée or foure other his familiars kept secrete companie in corners iudged that which he first coniectured to be most certaine and true Wherefore determined to moue the King therof and vpon a day finding him alone he sayde vnto him that the fidelittie and good will wherwith hée serued him and the desire which he had to sée him liue in long and prosperous estate made him to attende to the safegarde of his person to hearken vnto such as shold attempt to daūger the same For which cause marking and espying the doings of certain of his chamber whose common assemblies and priuie whisperings mislyking he feared least they conspiring with Acharisto shoulde worke treason for berieuyng of his life and to the intent their endeuors might be preuented and his safetie foreséene he thought good to reueale the same to his maiestie Then he tolde the King the words that were spoken by the first Gentlewomā to one or two of hir companions and disclosed the presumptions which hée 〈◊〉 séene and perceyued touching the same Amongs the yll conditions of men there is nothing more common than poyson conspiracies and treason of Princes and great lordes and therefore euery little suspicion presumyng such 〈◊〉 is a great demonstration of like mischiefe Which made the Kyng to giue credite to the wordes of his Steward hauing for his long experience knowen him to be faithfull and trustie And sodainly he thought that Acharisto attempted the same that after his death by mariage of Euphimia he might be the inheritour of his kingdome The beliefe wherof and the singular credite which he reposed in his Steward besides other thinges caused him to cōmaunde the captaine of his Guard to apprehend those iiii of whom his Steward told him and Acharisto cōmitting them to seuerall prisons Then be sent his officers to examine them and founde vpon their confessions the accusation of his Stewarde to be true But Acharisto although the whole 〈◊〉 of the treason was confessed by those foure conspirators that were apprehēded and aduouched to his face and for all the tormentes wherewith he was racked and cruciated yet still denied that either he
wold set vpon him to sée him and heare him speake made toward him and catching him by that band vpon his 〈◊〉 said vnto him Did 〈◊〉 thou art dead Wherevnto Nathan made none other an̄swere but I haue then deserued it When Mithridanes heard his voyce and looked him in the face he knewe by by that it was he which had courteously receiued him familiarly kept him company and faithfully had giuen him counsel Wherupon his fury asswaged and his anger conuerted to shame By meanes wherof throwing downe his sword which he had drawne to strike him he lighted of from his horsse and did prostrate himselfe at Nathan his fathers 〈◊〉 sayd vnto him wéeping Imanifestly perceiue right louing father your great liberalltie and by what policie you be come hyther to render to me your life Whereunto I hauing no right declared my self desirous to haue the same But our Lord God more carefull of my deudir than my self hath euen at the very point when it was moste néedefull opened the eyes of mine vnderstanding which curssed spite and cancred enuie had closed vp and therfore the more you were ready to gratifie my desire the greater punishmēt I knowledge my selfe to deserue for my fault Take then of me if it please you such vengance as you thynke méete for mine offence Nathan caused Mithridanes to rise vp kissing and imbracing him tenderly then he sayde vnto him 〈◊〉 sonne thou nedest not to demaund pardon for the enterprise done good or euill as thou list to name it For thou diddest not goe about to rid me of my life for any hatred thou didst beare me but only to be accompted the better Be assured then of me and verily beleue that there is no liuing man that I loue better than thy selfe considering the greatnesse of thine heart not inclyned to hoorde or gather togither the drossie mucke of Syluer as the myserable doe but to spende that whych is gathered Be not ashamed for hauing a will to kill me thereby to gette renowme For Emperoures and greatest kings neuer streatched forthe their power and racked their Kealmes and consequently aspired fame for other purpose but to kill not by murdering one man as thou 〈◊〉 meane but of an infinite number bysides the burning of Countries and rasing of Cities Wherefore if to make thy selfe more famous thou wouldest haue killed me alone thyne enterprise was not new to be wondred at but a thing in daily practise Mithridanes no more excusing his wicked intent but praising the honest excuse which Nathan had deuised drewe neare vnto hym to enter into further talke wyth him which was howe he greatly maruelled that he durst approche the place with so little rescue where hys deathe was sworne and what he meant him selfe to tell the waye and meanes wherein he required him to say his minde for disclosing of the cause Whereunto Nathan replied maruell not Mithridanes of mine intent and purpose for 〈◊〉 I was at age disposed to mine owne frée will and determined to doe that which thou hast gone about to doe neuer any came to me but I haue contented them so farre as I was hable of that they did demaunde Thou art come hyther with desire to haue my life wherefore séeing that thou diddest craue it I forthwith did meane to giue it that thou alone mightest not be the man that shoulde departe from hence wythout atchieuing thy request and to bring to passe that thou myghtest haue the same I gaue thée the best Counsell I coulde aswell for bereuing of my life as for enioying of thine owne And therefore I saye to thée againe and praye thée for to take it thereby to content thy selfe if thou haue anie pleasure therein I doe not knowe whiche way better to imploye it I haue all readye kepte it foure score yeares and haue consumed the same in pleasures and delyghtes and doe knowe by course of nature in other men and generallye in all things that long it can not reast in breathyng dayes Wherefore I thinke good that better it is to giue as I haue dailye done and departe with my Treasures than kéepe it till nature carye it awaye in despite of my téethe and maugre that I haue It is a little gifte to giue one hundred yeares howe much lesse is it then to giue 〈◊〉 or eighte of those I haue to liue Take it then if it please thée I thée beséeche For neuer yet found I mā that did desire the same ne yet do know when I shall finde such one if that thy selfe which 〈◊〉 desire it doe not take it And if it chaunce that I do finde some one I know ful well that so much the longer as I shall 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 the lesse estéemed it shal be and therfore before the same be vile and of little price take it I beséeche thée Mithridanes sore ashamed sayd God 〈◊〉 that by separating so dere a thing as is thy life that I should take it or only to desire the same as I did erst from which I would not diminish yeares but willingly would of mine owne adde therto if I could Whereunto Nathan by and by replied And if thou couldest wouldest thou giue them And woldest thou cause me doe to 〈◊〉 that which I neuer did to any mā that is to say to take of thy things which neuer I did of any liuing person Yea verily answered Mithridanes Then sayd Nathan Thou shouldest do then that which I wil tell thée Thou shouldest remaine here in my house so yong as thou art and shouldest haue the name of Nathan and I wold goe to thine and still be called Mithridanes Then Mithridanes answered If I had also so great experience as thou hast I would not refuse that which thou dost offer but bicause I am assured that my déedes would diminish the renoume of Nathan I will not marre that in another which I can not redresse in my self and therefore I 〈◊〉 not take it After this talk a great deale more betwene them they repaired to the Palace vpon the request of Nathan wher many dayes he did great honor to Mithridanes incoraging counselling him so wel as he could daily to perseuere in his high great indeuor And Mithridanes desirous to returne home with his company Nathan after that he had let him wel to know that he was not able to surpasse him in liberalitie gaue him leaue Mistresse Katherine of Bologna ¶ Master GENTIL of CARISENDI being come from MODENA toke a woman out of hir graue that was 〈◊〉 for deade who after she was come againe broughte forth a sonne which Master GENTIL rendred 〈◊〉 with the mother to master NICHOLAS 〈◊〉 hir husband The. xix Nouel REading this Historie I consider two straunge rare chaunces the one a lyberall and courteous acte of an 〈◊〉 louer towardes his beloued hir husband in leauing hir vntouched and not dishonored although in full puissance to doe his pleasure to hir husband or presenting him with 〈◊〉 whome he
caused many of hir husbandes friendes and seruaunts to be sent for Afterwardes she made ready a great feast and inuited the noblest chéefest Citizens of the Citie apparelling hir house with clothe of gold and silke tapistrie other furnitures putting in order all that which hir husband had cōmaunded The next day in the morning the Gentlemen rose with whome maister Thorello mounted on horsebacke and carying with him his Hawkes he broughte them to the riuer and shewed them diuers flightes But Saladine demaunding where the best lodging was in Pauie master Thorello sayd I will shew you my selfe for that I haue occasion to goe thither They beléeuing him were contented and rode on their way and being about nine of the clock arriued at the Citie thinking they shold haue bene brought to the best Inne of the towne but master Thorello conueyed them to his owne house where fiftie of the chiefest Citizens ready to receiue them sodenly appeared before them Which Saladine they that were with him perceiuing cōiectured by and by what that did meane and said Master Thorello this is not the request which we demaunded your entertainment yesternight was to sumptuous and more than we desired wherefore giue vs leaue we pray you to departe Whome master Thorello answered My masters for that which ye receiued yesternight I wil giue thanks to Fortune and not to you for I ouertaking you by the way forced you in a maner to make your repaire vnto my homely house but for this morning voyage I haue my selfe prepared and likewise the Gentlemen about you with whome to refuse to dine if you thinke it curtesie doe as ye please 〈◊〉 and his companions vanquished wyth suche perswasion lighted and being receiued by the gentlemen in louing and curteous order were conueyed to their chambers which were richly furnished for them and hauing put of their riding apparell and somwhat refreshed them selues they came into the hall where all things were in redinesse in triumphant sort Then water was brought them to washe and they placed at the Table were serued with many delicate meates in magnificent and royall order in such wise as if the Emperour himselfe had bene there he could not haue bene better entertained And albeit that Saladine and his companiōs were great Lordes accustomed to sée maruellous things yet they wondred very much at this considering the degrée of the Knight whome they knewe to be but a Citizen and no Prince or great Lord. When dinner was done and that they had talked a little togither the weather waring very hot the gentlemen of Pauie as it pleased master Thorello went to take their rest he remained with his thrée guests with whome he went into a chāber where to the entent the nothing which he had loued might be vnsene caused his honest wife to be called forth who being very beautiful wel fauored clothed in rich costly aray accōpanied with hir two yong sonnes which were like to Angels came before them and gratiously saluted them When they saw hir they rose vp reuerently receiued hir then they caused hir to syt downe in the mids of thē sporting dalying with hir two faire sonnes But after she had pleasantly entred in talk she asked thē of whence they were and whither they were going To whom the Gentlemen made the same answere that they had done before to master Thorello Then the gentlewoman sayd vnto them with smiling chéere I perceiue then that mine aduise being a woman is come well to passe And therfore I pray you that of your special grace you wil do me this pleasure as not to refuse or disdain the litle present that I shal bring before you but that you take it in consideration that women according to their little abilitie giue little things and that ye regard more the good affection of the person which offreth the gift then the balue of the giuen thing And causing to be brought before euery of them two faire roabes the one lined with silk the other with Meneuair not in fashion of a citizin or of a marchant but Noblemanlike 〈◊〉 Turkey gownes with sleues of taffata lined with linnē cloth she said vnto thē Take I pray you these roabes with the like wherof this day I apparelled my husband and the other things may also serue your turnes although they be little worth cōsidering the ye be far from your 〈◊〉 the greatnesse of your iorney which you haue taken haue yet to make and also for that marchant men loue to be neat and 〈◊〉 in things appertinent to their bodies The Gentlemen much maruelled and plainly knew that master Thorello was disposed not to sorget any one part of curtesie towards them and doubted by reason of the beautie and richesse of the robes not marchantlike that they should not be knowne of master Thorello notwithstāding one of them answered the Gentlewoman These be Gentlewoman very great gifts and ought not lightly to be accepted if your intreatie did not constrayne vs against which no deniall ought to be made That done whē master Thorello returned into the chamber the Gentlewoman 〈◊〉 them a Dieu and went hir way and then she furnished the seruaunts with diuers other things necessary for them and master Thorello obtained by earnest request that they should 〈◊〉 all that day Wherefore after they had reasted them selues a while they did put on their robes and walked forth on horsebacke into the Citie and when supper tyme was come they were bountifully feasted in honorable companie and whē bed time approched went to rest And so soone as it was day they rose found in stead of their weary hackneyes thrée fat and faire 〈◊〉 and also the like number of fresh and mightie horsses for their seruaunts Which Saladine séeing turned towards his companions and said vnto thē I sweare by God that there was neuer a more liberall Gentleman more courteous or better conditioned than this is And if Christian kings for their part be suche I meane indued with such kingly qualities as this gentleman is the Souldan of Babilon shall haue inough to doe to deale with one and not to attend for all those which we sée to be in preparation for inuasion of his Countrie But séeing that to refuse them or render them again serued to no purpose they thanked him very humbly and got vpō their horsse Master Thorello with many of his friends accompanied them out of the Citie a great péece of the way And albeit that it much grieued Saladine to depart from master Thorello so farre he was already in loue with him yet being constrained to forgo his company he prayed him to returne who although very loth to depart sayd vnto them Syrs I will be gone sith it is your pleasure I shall so doe and yet I say vnto you that I know not what you be ne yet demaūd to know but so farre as pleaseth you But what soeuer ye be you
the time is come to make you certenly beleue what my marchandise is as I tolde you when I departed 〈◊〉 you that it might come to passe Master Thorello hearing those woordes began to be bothe ioyfull and ashamed ioyfull for that he had entertained such a guest ashamed that his fare and lodging was so simple To whome Saladine sayd master Thorello 〈◊〉 it hathe pleased God to send you hither thynke from henceforth that you be Lorde of this place and not I and making great chéere and reioysing one with an other he caused him to be cloathed in royall vestures and brought him into the presence of all the Noble men of his country and after he had rehersed many things of his valor and commendation commaūded him to be honoured as his owne person of all those which desired to haue his fauor Which thing euery mā did from that time forth but aboue the rest the two Lords that were in company with Saladine at his house The greatnesse of the sodein glory wherin master Thorello sawe him selfe did remoue out of his minde his affaires of Lombardie and specially bicause he hoped that his letters shold trustely be deliuered to the hands of his vncle Now there was in the camp of the Christians the day wherein they were taken by Saladine a Gentleman of Prouince which died and was buried called master Thorello de Dignes a man of great estimation wherby master Thorello of Istria knowne throughout the whole army for his nobility and prowesse euery mā that heard tell that master Thorello was dead beleued that it was master Thorello de Istria and not he de Dignes by reason of his taking the truth whether of them was deade was vnknown Wherfore many Italians returned with those newes amongs whome some were so presumptuous as they toke vpon them to say and affirme that they sawe him deade and were at his burial Which knowne to his wife his friends was an occasion of very great and inestimable sorow not only to them but to all other that knew him Uery long it were to tell in what sort and how great sorow heauinesse and lamentings hys wife did vtter who certaine moneths after she had continually so tormented hir self and when hir griefe began to decrease being demaunded of many great personages of Lombardie was counselled by hir brothers and other of hir kin to mary againe Which thing after she had many times refused in very great anguishe and dolor finally being constrained thereunto she must néedes folow the mindes of hir parents But yet vpon condition that the nuptials shold not be celebrate vntill such time as she had performed hir promise made to master Thorello Whilest the affaires of this Gentlewoman were in those termes at Pauie and the time of hir appoyntment within eight dayes approched it chaunced that master Thorello vpon a day espied a man in Alexandria which he had séene before in the company of the Ambassadors of Genoua going into the galley that was bound with them to Genoua wherefore causing him to be called he demaunded what voyage they had made and asked him when they arriued at Genoua To whome he sayd Syr the Galley made a very ill voyage as I heard say in Creta where I remained behinde them for being néere the coast of Dicilia there arose a maruellous tempest which droue the galley vpon the shoare of Barbarie and not one of them within borde escaped amongs whome two of my brethren were likewise drowned Master Thorello giuyng credite to the woords of this fellow which were very true and remembring him selfe that the terme which he had couenaunted with his wife was almost expired and thinking that they could hardly come by the knowledge of any newes of him or of his state beleued verily that his wife was maried againe for sorow wherof he fel into such melancholy as he had no lust to eate or drinke and laying him downe vpon his bed determined to die which so soone as Saladine who greatly loued him did vnderstand he came to visite him and after that he had through instant request known the occasion of his heauinesse and disease he blamed him very muche for that he did no sooner disclose vnto him his conceipt And afterwards prayed him to be of good chéere assuring him if he would so to prouide as he should be at Pauie iust at the terme which he had assigned to his wife and declared vnto him the order how Master Thorello geuing credit to the woords of Saladine and hauing many times heard say that it was possible and that the like had bene many times done began to comfort him selfe and to vse the cōpany of Saladine who determined fully vpon his voyage and returne to Pauie Then Saladine commaunded one of his Necromancers whose science already he had well experienced that he should deuise the meanes how master Thorello might be borne to Pauie in one night vpon a bed Whereunto the Necromancer answered that it should be done but that it behoued for the better doing thereof that he should be cast into a sléepe And when Saladine had giuen order therunto he returned to master Thorello and finding him fully purposed to be at Pauie if it were possible at the terme which he had assigned or if not to die sayd thus vnto him Master Thorello if you doe heartily loue your wife and doubt least shée be married to an other God forbyd that I should stay you by any manner of meanes bicause of all the women that euer I sawe she is for maners comely behauiour and decent order of apparell not remembring hir beautie which is but a fading floure me thinke most worthy to be praysed and loued A gladsome thing it wold haue bene to me sith fortune sent you hither that the tyme which you and I haue to liue in this world we might haue spent together and liued Lordes of the kingdome which I possesse if God be minded not to doe me that grace at least 〈◊〉 sith you be determined either to die or to returne to Pauie at the terme which you haue appointed my great desire is that I might haue knowne the same in time to the intēt you might haue bene conducted thither with such honor and traine as your vertues do deserue Which sith God wil not that it be brought to passe and that you will néedes be there presently I will send you as I can in manner before expressed Wherunto master Thorello said Sir the effect bisides your woordes hath done me sufficient knowledge of your good will which I neuer deserued that which you told me I can not beléeue so long as life is in me and therefore am most certaine to die But sith I am so determined I beséeche you to do that which you haue promised out of hand bicause to morrow is the last day of the appointmēt assigned to my wife Saladine said that for a truthe the same should be done And the next
be full of examples of that purpose The memories of our auncestors be yet in fresh remembraunce whereof if they were ignorant vnto you that be of great experience I could adnouche assured testimony Yet thus much I say vnto you that it séeme no new thing for a man to be ouercome by his owne affection It is not the Nobilitie of hir state or for that she is a Quéene it is not the consideration of one parte or other that moued me first hereunto But loue it is that is of greater force than we our selues be of which many tymes maketh that to séeme lawfull which altogether is tymes and by subduing reason maketh the great potentate and lorde tributarie to his wil pleasure whose force is farre greater than the lawes of Nature And albeit that I neuer hope to attayne to prosperous ende of this 〈◊〉 and stately loue which more more doth seme infortunate yet I can not for my life else where applie that same or alter it to other place And consuming still through faithfull feruent loue borne to the Quéene I haue forced cōstrained my self by al possible meanes to gyue ouer that fond foolish enterprise and to place my minde else where but mine endeuour and all my labour and resistance is employed in vaine Yea and if it were not for feare of eternall damnation and the losse of my poore afflicted soule which God forbid mine owne handes before this time had ended my desires I am therfore determined sith that I can attaine to no successe of loue and that god doth suffer me to be inspired with that most honourable and curteous Ladie beyond al order and estimation to content my selfe with the sight of those hir faire glistring eyes farre excelling that sparcling glimpse of the Diamonde or Saphire and to serue loue and honour hir so long as life doth last within this féeble corps Upon whose radiant and excelling beautie my hope shal continually féede and yet I am not so farre voyde of vnderstanding but that I do most euidently know none other to be the guide of this vnmeasurable loue but follie most extreme Upon the ende of those wordes he let fall many teares and stayed with sobbes and sighes was able to speake no more And in very déede he that had séene him wold haue thought that his heart had bene tormented with most bitter and painefull passions Nowe they being very attentiue to his pitiful oration were attached with incredible sorow thinking thei had ben in a 〈◊〉 by hering of this discourse stode stil a while one loking vpon an other without speaking word Afterwards comming to themselues distraught almost for the greatadmiration and wonder to heare him speake those words master Girolamo and Baldo with suasible arguments went about to persuade him to withdraw his 〈◊〉 and foolishe mind praying him to place the same elsewhere shewing him the impossibilitie of his enterprise the great perill that might succéede therof But they spake to a man that séemed to be deafe who replied that he neither coulde or would giue ouer his loue that had alreadie made too depe impression what so euer came of it Notwithstandyng they ceased not stil with sharp 〈◊〉 to beate into his head the fond beginning of his foolish loue not only at that time but continually when they were together they did their best by oft repetition of his vaine conceipt to let him vnderstand his manifest error but their labor and friendly lessons were to no purpose Wherfore master Borgo master Baldo determined to giue him ouer and to attende what wold succede therof Master Philippo continuing his pursute neuer failing to be at church when he knew the Quéenes to be there at length it chanced that they begā to espie his loue for that both of them did mark his order gesture and demeanure and did note his oft frequētation of the places where they continually haunted and his maner in placing himselfe at the church directly ouer against them and his common vse in beholding and loking vpon their faces iudgyng thereby that without doubte he was in loue with one of them or at least with some Gentlewoman in their companie wherof the two Quéenes began to vse some talk although not certaine vpon whome his loue was 〈◊〉 Neuer thelesse they were desirous to know the truth expected 〈◊〉 somtime to dissolue that doubt In the meane while master Philippo thought by gazing on their beauty to remoue the fire that miserably did consume the sucke marow of his bones séeking comfort and reliefe for his afflicted heart the more I say he sought for ease the greater he felt his pain And truly al they that feruently do loue aspire to that which otherwise they wold eschue by sight of them whom they do loue not remembring that the more they doe contemplate the beloued beautie the more increaseth desire and with desire 〈◊〉 and bitter smart Master Philippo then lost no occasiō or time stil to behold Madame the Quéene were it in the church or court or wer she disposed for disport recreation to walke abrode It chaūced now while things wer at this point the ladies very desirous to know vpon whō master Philippo did expēd his loue the fortune opened vnto thē a meane to vnderstād the same It was then about that time of the yere wherin all floures roses were by Titans force constrained to 〈◊〉 deck eche gardens place of pleasure with their fragrant smells odors to scent the same In the moneth of May it was when the Twinnes were disposed to shroud themselues amōgs the hawthorn boughes honysuckles that yeld to euery wight gretest store of delights at what time roses other floures at their first budding be verie rare and scant sauing in Kings Courts and princes palaces where such rarieties by art and industrie be most abundant and all men haue delight to present such nouelties to the best and principall ladies Upon a day Quéene Anne had in hir hands certaine floures in due order couched in a Nosegay and for hir disport walked vp down a very faire gorgeous garden in the company of quene Mary other Ladies gentlewomen about that time of the day that the Sun werie of trauaile went to hide him self in the back side of the western moūtains where amōgs other of the Court was maister Philippo Quéene Anne when she had espied hym determined to make proufe with what ladie amongs them all maister Philippo was in loue and sporting hir selfe with softe walkes vp and downe the garden pleasantly iesting with diuerse there attendante as the maner is of like ladies with trimme and pleasant talke at length happed vpon master Philippo who although he was in cōmunication with certain Italian Gentlemen neuerthelesse his mynde and eyes were fired vpon the Quéene that when 〈◊〉 she appered before him his eyes and sace were so firmely bent vpon hir as
master Philippo whō for his good condiciōs experience they had sent vnto him in that ambassage Upon a day the king moued by the lord chācelor caused master Philippo to com before him to whō 〈◊〉 before his maiesty the king said these wordes The testimonie report so honorably made of you by the two 〈◊〉 frō whom you brought vs letters the hope which we haue to find you a faithful profitable seruant and to be correspondent in effect to the tenor of those letters moueth vs to accepte you into the numbre of one of our Secretaries wherein before our presence you shall sweare vnto vs to be faithfull and true Master Philippo that expected for no such dignitie maruelled at the Kings wordes and there by othe ministred vnto him by the lorde Chauncelour was receiued into his seruice exercised that office in singular fauor of the King to the great satisfactiō of al men And after 〈◊〉 King Charles was elected Emperor knowing the experiēce that master Philippo had in the affaires of Italie and specially in Lombardie he cōmitted vnto him al maters touching the state of that region which so happily came to passe to master Philippo as besides the ornaments of vertue wisedom he acquired greate riches and yet he continually serued and worshipped the Quéene as his noble patronesse and worthy mistresse Tell me now ye faire Ladies and gentlewomen What shall we 〈◊〉 of the princely behauiour and noble disposition of this Quene Truly in my iudgement she deserueth that praise and commendation that may be attributed to the moste excellente Ladie of the worlde who neuer gaue ouer hir faithfull seruaunt tyll she had bountifully with hir owne handes and commendation rendred vnto him a most Princely reward And as the sunne in beautie and brightnesse doeth surmounte the other furniture of the 〈◊〉 euen so magnificence and liberalitie in eche Ladie doth excell al other vertues specially in those personages that kéepe the state of Princes But to conclude méete and requisite it is that ye beautifie this most curteous and liberall Quéene with due praises For surely in my iudgement yf all women would conferre theyr heades and wittes together and deuise Hymnes and Sonnets of Liberalitie they can neuer sufficiently be able to celebrate the praise and glorie of this Quéene Alexander de Medices Duke of Florence ¶ The gentle and iust acte of ALEXANDER de MEDICES the first Duke of FLORENCE vpon a Gentleman whome he fauoured who hauing rauished the daughter of a poore Myller caused him to marie hir for the greater honour and celebration wherof he appointed hir a riche and honourable dowrie The. xxij Nouell IF the force of Uertue were not apparant at the sighte of eye it would be demed to be of lesse value than the greatnesse therof deserueth for sūdry causes rising in the myndes of men and that by performing the little which rested for that entier perfectiō of hir whole vnited glorie Now bicause that hir effectes be diuerse and that diuersly they be vsed the examples also of such diuersitie doe variate and make diuerse that affections of men some to folow that qualitie other that part proceding from the whole and perfect body of vertue which hath caused some to winne the price of modestie and temperance in their dedes other ful of magnanimite not familiar to many haue resisted the assaultes of Fortune Many other haue embraced that only honor which is the 〈◊〉 of ech good act wherby they haue well ruled the state of frée cities or guided the armies of mightie Monarchs And such whilom the cities of Rome Athenes Sparta and the ancient monarchs of the Medes the Persians and Assyrians did sée I will omit a good companie of those sage and wise men which haue 〈◊〉 the troubles of Cities the inquietations of Palaces the cries of Iudgement seates the dissimulation and deceiptfull flatteries of Courtes the carefull courtes which the housholder by gouernement of his house and familie doth susteine and féele of purpose more frankly to retire to the studie of sapience which alone is able to make a man happie worthy to be partaker of the diuinitie But aboue al I wil praise him which not subiect to the law liueth neuerthelesse like him that is most thrall thervnto or without respect of bloud or frendship shall exercise Iustice vpon his dearest and beste beloued as in olde tyme Manlius and Torquatus at Rome the people of Athenes towardes one Tinnagoras who beyond the duetie of an Ambassador of a franke citie fell downe on his knées and worshipped the Persian King And in oure time the Marquize of Ferrara by doing to death his owne sonne for adulterie committed with his mother in law And yet Iustice may redounde and sauour of some crueltie which rather turneth to shame than praise as Iohn Maria Visconte Duke of Milan when he caused a couetous priest to be buried quick with the corps of him whom he had refused to put into the grounde without money the historie wherof is hereafter remembred So as mediocritie of punishment ought to be yoked with the rigor of the law for that mitigation of the same And beholde wherfore the great Dictator Iulius Caesar loued better to gain the hart of his enimies with mercie than vanquish bring them to obediēce with massy manacles giues of iron Moreouer in our age Alphonsus of Aragon the true sampler of a iust righteous prince did not he estéeme when he straightly besieged Gaiette the victorie to be more glorious better gotten which is done by cōposition and gentlenesse than the bloody conquest colored with the teares and blood of a poore simple people And truly princes great lordes specially they which newly without succession receiued from their ancestors ariue to the gouernement of some cōmon welth ought continually to haue before their eyes an honest seueritie for the holinesse of the law a graue mildnesse to moderate the rigor of their formen dutie For by that meanes right is mainteined the heart of mā is won so wel as by violēce the state of gouernmēt taketh so good footing as the wind of no seditiō afterwards can remoue the same being foūded vpon a sure stone framed vpon a rock durable for a lōg time Wherof we haue an exāple of fresh memorie of a kind act ful both of wisedom gentle soueritie in a prince of our time who without effusion of bloud punished with rigor enough a trespasse cōmitted and swetely remitted the paine vpon him which merited grieuous nay mortal punishment as at large youshall sée by the discourse that foloweth Alexander de Medices fauored by the Church of Rome and armed with the Papall standard was he that fyrst with great actiuitie and wisedome inueyed the seniorie of Florence immediately vsurpyng the name title and prerogatiues of Duke The same albeit vpon the prime face hée was 〈◊〉 to the people of Florence wroth for losing of their
Prince or Lord which in times passed did commaund or rule the Common wealthe in all the Countrey of Thuscan In this wise that modestie made him worthy of the Principalitie which almost against all right hée had vsurped and of a praise which shall no lesse continue than the memorie of man is able to extende the same from one generation to an other and which Couetous of the praise of a Prince so vertuous iust and modest shall not cease to illustrate and gloriously aduance him in open euidence to the end that hys like exercise the same in like things or of greater consequence for not sufferyng venemous and vnprofitable herbes to grow in their Common wealth Within the Garden wherof a little nuldew or vntimely raine is able to marre and corrupt all the good séedes plants sowen and grifted before Considering that wycked wéedes and daungerous impes take déeper roote than those that beare a good and sauorous frute for the conseruation whereof the diligent husbandman imployeth almost all the seasons of the yeare The Duchesse of Malfi ¶ The Infortunate mariage of a Gentleman called ANTONIO BOLOGNA with the Duchesse of MALFI and the pitifull death of them bothe The. xxiij Nouel THe greater Honor and authoritie men haue in this world the greater their estimation is the more sensible notorious are the faultes by them committed the greater is their 〈◊〉 In lyke manner more difficult it is for that man to tolerate and sustaine Fortune which all the dayes of his life hathe liued at his 〈◊〉 if 〈◊〉 chaunce hée fall into any great necessitie than for hym which ncuer felt but woe mishappe and aduersitie Dyonisius the Tyrant of Sicilia felte greater payne when hée was expelled his kingdome than Milo did being vanished from Rome For so muche as the one was a Soueraigne Lord the sonne of a King a Iusticiarie on earth and the other but a simple Citizen of a Citie wherein the people had Lawes and the lawes of Magistrates had in reuerence So likewyse the fall of a high and loftie Trée maketh a greater noyse than that whiche is lowe and little Highe Towers and stately Palaces of Princes be séene further off than the poore Cabans and hontely shephierds Shéepecotes The Walles of loftie Cities salute the viewers of the same farther of than the simple caues which the poore doe dig belowe the Mountaine rocks Wherefore it behoueth the Noble and such as haue charge of Common wealth to liue an honest lyfe and beare their port vpryght that none haue cause to take ill example vpon dyscourse of their déedes and naughtie life And aboue all that modestie ought to be kept by women whome as their race Noble birth authoritie and name maketh them more famous euē so their vertue honestie chastitie and continencie more praise worthy And behouefull it is that like as they wishe to be honoured aboue all other so their life do make them worthy of that honour without disgracing their name by déede or woorde or blemishing that brightnesse which may commende the same I greatly feare that all the Princely factes the exploits and conquests done by the Babylonian Quéene Semyramis neuer was recōmended with such praise as hir vice had shame in records by those which left remēbrāce of ancient acts Thus I say bicause a woman being as it were the Image of swéetenesse curtesie shame fastnesse so soone as she steppeth out of the right trade and leaueth the smel of hir duetie and modestie bisides the denigration of hir honor thrusteth hir self into infinite troubles and causeth the ruine of such which should be honored and praised if womens allurement solicited them not to follie I wil not here indeuor my self to séeke for examples of Samson Salomon or other which suffred thē selues fondly to be abused by women and who by meane of them be tumbled into great faults and haue incurred greater perils Contenting my self to recite a right pitifull Historie done almost in our time when the French vnder the leading of that notable 〈◊〉 Gaston de Foix vanquished the force of Spaine and Naples at the iourney of Rauenna in the time of the French king called Levves the twelfth who married the Lady Marie daughter to king Henry the seuenth and sister to the victorious Prince of worthy memory king Henry the eight wife after the death of the sayd Levves to the puissant Gentleman Charles late Duke of Suffolke In that very time then liued a Gentleman of Naples called Antonio Bologna who hauing bene Master of houshold to Federicke of Aragon sometime King of Naples after the French had expelled those of Aragon out of that Citie the sayde Bologna retired into Fraunce thereby recouered the goods which hée possessed in his countrey The Gentleman bisides that he was valiant of his persone a good man of warre wel estemed amongs the best had a passing numbre of good graces which made him to be beloued cherished of euery wight for riding managing of great horse he had not his fellow in Italy he could also play excéeding well and trim vpon the Lute whose faining voyce so well agréed therunto that the most melancholike persons wold forget their heauinesse vpon hearing of his heauenly noise and bisides these qualities hée was of personage comely and of good proportion To be short Nature hauing trauailed and dispoyled hir Treasure house for inriching of him he had by Arte gotten that which made him most happy worthy of praise which was the knowledge of good letters wherin hée was so well trained as by talke and dispute thereof he made those to blushe that were of that state and profession Antonio Bologna hauing left Federicke of Aragon in Fraunce who expulsed out of Naples was retired to king Levves went home to his house to liue at rest and to auoyd trouble forgetting the delicates of Courtes and houses of great men to be the only husband of his owne reuenue But what It is impossible to eschue that which the heauēs haue determined vpon vs and lesse the vnhappe whych séemeth to followe vs as it were naturally procéeding from our mothers wombe In such wise as many times he which séemeth the wisest man guided by misfortune hasteth himself wyth stouping head to fall headlong into his deathe ruine Euen so it chaūced to this Neapolitane Gentleman for in the very same place where he attained his aduācement he receiued also his diminution and decay and by that house which preferred hym to what he had he was depriued both of his estate and life the discourse whereof you shall vnderstand I haue tolde you already that this Gentleman was Maister of the King of Naples houshold being a gentle person a good Courtier wel trained vp and wise for gouernment of himself in the Court and in the seruice of Princes the Duchesse of Malfi thought to intreat him that hée would serue hir in that office which he serued the king This Duchesse
where it wringeth ye doe neither sée nor yet consider So I Madame do feele in what place my hose doeth hurt and wring my legge I know Madame what it is to graunt to so wāton a Dame as my wife is hir will and how farre I ought to let goe the bridle Jealous I am not vpon the faith that I beare vnto God but I know that which I wold not if it be possible that it chaunce vnto me And by my trouth Madame I giue hir licence to repaire to pou both day and night and at whatsoeuer hour being assured of the 〈◊〉 companie which haunte your house otherwise my palace shal suffice hir pleasure for the common ioy of vs both and therfore wold wish no more talk to be héereof least too importunate sutes do offend my nature and make me thinke that to be true which of good will I am loth to suspect contenting my self with hir chastity for feare least too much liberty do corrupt hir These words were not spokē wtout cause and the wise husband saw well that such beasts albeit rudely they ought not to be vsed yet to be haldē short and not suffred too much to wander at will And verily his Prophecy was too true for respect of that which folowed For they had not bene maried full vj. yeares but the good 〈◊〉 Hermes departed this world whereof she was very sory bicause she loued him derely hauing as yet not tasted the licorous baites of such libertie as afterwardes she dranke in Gluttonous draughtes when after hir husbands obsequies 〈◊〉 retired to Montferrato and then to Cafal to hir Fathers house hir mother being also dead and she a lone womā to ioy at pleasure the frute of hir desires she bent hir only studie to gay and 〈◊〉 apparell and imployed the mornings with the Uermilion rudde to coloure hir chéekes by greater curiositie than the most shamelesse Curtisan of Rome firing hir eyes vpon euery mā gyring and laughing with open mouth and pleasantly disposed to talke and reason with 〈◊〉 Gentleman that passed through the streate This was the way to attaine the glorious feast of hir triumphāt filthinesse who wanne the price aboue the most famous women which in hir time made professiō of those armes wherwith Venus once dispoyled Mars tooke from him the strongest and best 〈◊〉 armure of all his furniture Think not faire maids that talke and clattering with youth is of small regarde For a Citie is halfe 〈◊〉 when they within demaunde for Parle loth then they be to indure the Canon shotte So when the eare of a 〈◊〉 wife or maide is pliant to lasciuious talke 〈◊〉 in wanton words albeit hir chastitie receiue no damage yet occasion of speach is ministred to the people and perchaunce in such disaduantage as neuer after hir good name is recouered Wherfore néedefull it is not only to auoide the effect of euill but also that least suspition For good fame is so requisite for women as honest life The great captain Iulius Caesar which first of all reduced the common wealth of Rome in fourme of Monarchie being once demaunded wherfore he had refused his wife before it was proued that she had offended with Clodius the night of the sacrifices done to the Goddesse Bona answered so wisely as truely that the house of Caesar ought not only to be voide of whordome but of suspition therof Behold wherfore I haue sayd and yet doe say that ye ought to take great 〈◊〉 to your selues and to laugh in time not bending your eares to vncomely talke but rather to folowe the nature of the Serpent that stoppeth his eare with his taile to auoid the Charmes and Sorceries of the Enchaunter So lōg then as Bianca Maria was sued vnto and pursued of many at Cafull that desired hir to wife two amongs the rest did profer themselues which were the Lord Gismondo Gonzaga the néere kinsman of the Duke of Mantua and the Countie of Celant a great Baron of Sauoy whose lands lie in the vale of Agosta A great pastime it was to this fine Gentlewoman to féede hir self with the Drations of those two Lords and a ioy it was to hir to vse hir owne discourse answers thereunto expressing with right good grace sundry amorous countenances intermingling therwithall sighes sobbes alteration of chéere that full well it might haue bene said of loue trickes that she was the only dame and mistresse The Marchionesse of Montferrato desirous to gratifie the Lord of Mantua his sōne in Law endeuored to induce this wāton Lady to take for spouse Gismondo Gonzaga and the sut e so wel procéeded as almost the mariage had bene concluded if that Sauoy Earle had not come betwixt and shewed forth his Noblenesse of minde when he vnderstoode how things did passe and that an other was ready to beare away the price and recouer his mistresse For that cause he came to visit the Ladie who intertained him well as of custome she did all other He that would not employ his time in vaine hauing found hir alone and at conuenient leisure began to preache vnto hir in this wise with such countenance as she perceiued that Countie to be farre in loue with hir The Oration of the Counte of Celant to his Ladie I Am in doubt Madame of whome chiefly I ought to make complaint whether of you or of my self or rather of fortune which guideth bringeth vs together I see well that you receiue some wrong and that my cause is not very iust you taking no regarde vnto my passion which is outragious and lesse hearkening vnto that which many times I haue giuen you to vnderstād of the honest loue I beare you But I am bisides this more to be accused for suffering an other to marche so far ouer my game and soyle as I haue almost lost the tract of the pray which I most desire and specially doe condemne my Fortune for that I am in daunger to lose the thing which I deserue you in perill to passe into that place where your captiuitie shal be worse 〈◊〉 the slaues by the Portugales condemned to the mines of India doeth it not suffise you that the Lord Hermes closed you vp the space of v. or vi yeares in his chamber but will you nedes attempt the rest of your youthly dayes amid the Mantuanes whose suspicious heads are full of hammers working in the same Better it were madame that we being néerer the gallant guise of Fraunce should liue after the libertie of that Countrey rather than be captiue to an Italian house which wil restrain you with like bondage as at other times you haue felt the experience Moreouer ye sée what opinion is like to be cōceiued of you 〈◊〉 it shal be bruted the for the Marquize feare you haue maried the Mātuan Lord. And I know well the you like not to be estéemed as a pupil your nature cānot abide compulsion you be frée from hir authoritie it were no reason you shold
make hir chafe or force hir into rage he promised the execution of hir cursed will thanking hir for hir aduertisement and that he would prouide for his defense surety And to the intent that she might thinke he went about to performe his promise he tooke his leaue of hir to goe to Milan which he did not to folow the abhominable will of that rauenous mastife but to 〈◊〉 the matter to his companion and direct the same as it deserued Being arriued at Milan the 〈◊〉 Citie of Lombardie he imparted to Gaiazzo from point to point the discourse of the Countesse and the 〈◊〉 she made vnto him whē she had done hir tale O God sayd the Lord Sanseuerino who can beware the traps of such whoores if by thy grace our hands be not forbidden and our hearts and thoughts guided by thy goodnesse Is it possible that the earth can bréede a mōster more pernicious than this most Pestilent beast This is truely the grift of hir fathers vsurie and the stench of all hir predecessors villanies It is impossible of a Bite to make a good Sparhauk or Tercel gentle This 〈◊〉 no doubt is the daughter of a vilain sprōg of the basest race amongs the common people whose mother was more fine than chaste more subtile than sober This mynion hath forsaken hir husband to erect bloudy skaffoldes of murder amid the Nobles of Italy And were it not for the dishonor which I should get to soile my 〈◊〉 in the bloud of a beast so corrupt I wold feare hir with my téethe in a hundreth thousand pieces How many times hath she entreated me before in how many sundrie sorts with ioyned hāds hath she besought me to kill the Lord Ardizzino Ah my companion and right well beloued friend shold you think me to be so traiterous and cowarde a knaue as that I dare not tel to thē to whom I beare displeasure what lieth in my heart By the faith of a Gentleman sayd Ardizzino I would be sory my minde should 〈◊〉 on such a follie but I am come to you that the song might sound no more wtin mine eares It behoueth vs then sith God hath kept vs hitherto to auoid the air of that infection that our braines be not putrified and from henceforth to flie those bloudsuckers the schollers of Venus for the goodnesse profit and honor that youth 〈◊〉 of them And truely great honor wold 〈◊〉 to vs to kill one an other for the only pastime and sottish fansie of that mynion I haue repented me an hundred times when she first moued me of the deuise to kill you that I did not giue hir a hundred Poignaladoes with my dagger to stop the way by that example for al other to attempt such but cheries For I am wel assured that the malice which she beareth you procedeth but of the delay you made for satisfaction of hir murderous desire wherof I thank you and yeld my self in al causes to imploy my life and that I haue to do you pleasure Leaue we of that talke sayd Gaiazzo for I haue done but my duety and that which eache Noble heart ought to euery wight doing wrong to none but proue to helpe and doe good to all Which is the true marke and badge of Nobilitie Touching that malignant strumpet hir own life shal reuenge the wrongs which she hath gone about to 〈◊〉 on vs. In meane while let vs reioyce and thinke the goods and richesse she hath gotten of vs will not cause hir bagges much to strout and swell To be shorte she hath nothing whereby she may greatly laughe vs to scorne except our good entertainment of hir both night and day 〈◊〉 peouoke hir Let other coine the pens henceforth to fill the coafers for of vs so farre as I see she is deceyued Thus the two Lordes passed for the their time and in all companies where they came the greatest part of their talke and communication was of the disordered life of the Countesse of Celant the whole 〈◊〉 rang of the sleights and meanes she vsed to trappe the Noble men and of hir pollicies to be rid of them whē hir thirst was stanched or diet grew lothsome for wāt of chaunge And that which griued hir most an Italian 〈◊〉 blased forth hir prowesse to hir great dishonor whereof the copy I cannot get and some say that Ardizzino was the author For it was composed whē he was dispossessed of pacience And if she coulde haue wreaked hir will on the Knights I beleue in hir rage she would haue made an 〈◊〉 of their bones Of which hir two enimies Ardizzino was the worsie against whom hir displeasure was the greater for that he was the first with whome she entred skirmish Nothing was more frequent in Pauie than villanous 〈◊〉 and playes vpon the filthy behauior of the Countesse which made hir ashamed to 〈◊〉 out of hir gates In the end she purposed to chaunge the aire and place hoping by that alteration to stay the infamous brute slaunder So she came to Milan wher first she was 〈◊〉 with state of honor in honest fame of chast life so long as 〈◊〉 Hermes liued and then was not pursued to staunche the thirst of those that did ordinarily draw at hir fountaine About the time that she departed frō Pauie Dom Pietro de Cardone a Scicilian the bastard brother of that Coūte of Colisano whose lieutenant he was their father slaine at that battail of Bicocca with a band of 〈◊〉 arriued at Milan This Scicilian was about the age of one or two twenty yeres somwhat black of face but well made and sterne of countenāce Whiles the Coūtesse soiorned at Milan this gentleman fell in loue with hir and searched al means he could to make hir his friend to enioy hir Who perceiuing him to be yong a nouice in skirmishes of loue like a Pigeon of the first coate determined to lure him and to serue hir turne in that which she purposed to doe on those against whome she was outragiously 〈◊〉 Now that better to entice this yong Lord vnto hir fātasy and to catch him with hir bait if he passed through the streat and saluted hir sighed after the maner of the 〈◊〉 roming before his Ladie she she wed him an indifferent mery countenance and sodainly restrained that cheere to make him 〈◊〉 the pleasure mingled 〈◊〉 the soure of one desire which he could not tel how to accomplish And the more faint was his hardinesse for that hee was neuer practised in daltance and seruice of Ladie of so great house or calling who thinking that Gētlewoman to be one of the principall of Milan was strangely vered tormented for hir loue in such wise as in that night he could not rest for fantasing and thinking vpon hir and in that day pased vp downe before the doore of hir lodging One euening for his disport he went forth to walk in 〈◊〉 of another gentleman which wel could play
any kynde gentle subiect findeth no resistance to serue for a rāpart to 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of his course by litle litle vndermineth melteth 〈◊〉 that vertues of natural powers in such wise as the sprite yelding to the burden abandoneth that place of life which is verified by the pitifull and infortunate death of two louers that surrendred their last breath in one 〈◊〉 at 〈◊〉 a Citie of Italy wherin repose yet to this day with great maruel the bones and remnantes of their late louing bodies An history no lesse 〈◊〉 than true If then perticular affection which of good right euery man ought to beare to the place where he was borne doe not deceiue those that trauaile I thinke they will confesse with me that few Cities in Italie can surpasse the said Citie of Verona aswell for the Nauigable riuer called 〈◊〉 which passeth almost through the midst of the same and therby a great trafique into Almaine as also for the prospect towards the fertile Mountains and plesant valeis which do enuiron that same with a great numbre of very clere and liuely fountains that serue for the ease and commodity of the place Omitting bisides many other singularities foure bridges and an infinite numbre of other honorable antiquities daily apparant vnto those that be to curious to view loke vpon them Which places I haue somewhat touched bicause this most true Historie which I purpose hereafter to recite depēdeth therupon the memory wherof to this day is so well knowne at Verona as vnneths their blubbred eyes be yet dry that sawe and behelde that lamentable sight When the Senior Escala was Lord of Verona there were two families in the Citie of farre greater fame than the rest aswell for riches as 〈◊〉 the one called the Montesches and the other the Capellets but like as most commonly there is discord amongs them which be of semblable degrée in honor euen so 〈◊〉 hapned a certaine 〈◊〉 betwene them and for so much as the beginning therof was vnlawful and of 〈◊〉 foundation so likewise in processe of time it kindled to such flame as by diuers and sundry deuises practised on both sides many lost their liues The Lord Bartholomeu of Escala of whome we haue already spoken being Lord of Verona and seing such disorder in his cōmon weale assayed diuers and sundry wayes to recōcile those two houses but all in vaine for their hatred had taken such roote as that same could not be 〈◊〉 by any wise councell or good aduise betwene whome no other thing could be accorded but giuing ouer 〈◊〉 and weapon for the time attending some other season more cōuenient and with better leisure to appease the rest In the time that these things wer adoing one of the familie of Montesches called Rhōmeo of the age of xx or xxi yeres the fairest and best conditioned Gentleman that was amongs the Veronian youth 〈◊〉 in loue with a yong Gentlewoman of Verona in few dayes was so attached with hir comely good behauiour as he abandoned all other affaires and businesse 〈◊〉 serue honor hir And after many letters 〈◊〉 and presents he determined in the end to speake vnto hir to disclose his passions which he did without any other practise But she which was vertuously brought vp knew how to make him so good answer to cutte of his 〈◊〉 affectiōs as he had no lust after that time to return any more and shewed hir self so austere 〈◊〉 sharpe of speach as she vouchsafed not with one loke to beholde him But the more that yong Gentleman 〈◊〉 hir whist and silent the more he was inflamed and 〈◊〉 hée had 〈◊〉 certaine months in that seruice without remedy of his griefe he determined in the end to depart Verona for proofe if by change of that place he might alter his affection and sayd to himself What doe I meane to loue one that is so vnkinde and thus doeth disdaine me I am all hir owne and yet she flieth from me I can no longer liue except hir presence I doe enioy And she hath no contented minde but when she is furthest from me I wil then from henceforth 〈◊〉 my selfe from hir for it may so come to passe by not beholding hir that thys fire in me which taketh increase and nourishment by hir faire eyes by little and little may die and quench But minding to put in proofe what hée thought at one instant hée was reduced to the contrarie who not knowing whereuppon to resolue passed dayes and nights in maruellous plaintes and Lamentacions For Loue 〈◊〉 him so neare and had so well fixed the Gentlewomans beautie within the Bowels of his heart and minde as not able to resist he fainted with 〈◊〉 charge and consumed by little and little as the Snow against the Sunne Whereof his parents and kinred did maruell greatly bewayling his misfortune but aboue all other one of his companions of riper age and counsell than he began sharply to rebuke him For the loue that he bare him was so great as hée felt his Martirdome and was partaker of his passion which caused him by ofte viewing hys friends disquietnesse in amorous pangs to say thus vnto him Rhomeo I maruel much that thou spendest the best time of thine age in 〈◊〉 of a thing from which thou 〈◊〉 thy self despised and 〈◊〉 without respect either to thy prodigall dispense to thine honor to thy teares or to thy miserable life which be able to moue the most constant to pitie Wherefore I pray thée for the Loue of our ancient amitie and for thine health sake that thou wilt learn to be thine owne 〈◊〉 and not to 〈◊〉 thy liberty to any so ingrate as she is for so farre as I can coniecture by things that are passed betwene you either she is in loue with some other or else determined neuer to loue any Thou arte yong rich in goods and fortune and more excellent in beautie than any Gentleman in this Citie thou art well learned and the only sonne of the house 〈◊〉 thou cōmest What grief wold it 〈◊〉 to thy pore old father other thy parents to sée thée so drowned in this dongeon of vice specially at that age wherein thou oughtest rather to put them in some hope of thy vertue Begin then frō henceforth to acknowledge thine error wherein thou hast hitherto liued doe away that amorous vaile or couerture which blindeth thine eyes and letteth thée to folow the right path wherein thine ancestors haue walked or else if thou do 〈◊〉 thy 〈◊〉 so subiect to thine owne will yelde thy heart to 〈◊〉 other place and choose 〈◊〉 Mistresse according to thy worthinesse and henceforth doe not sow thy paines in a soile so 〈◊〉 whereof thou receiuest no frute the time approcheth when all the dames of the Citie shall assemble where thou maist beholde such one as shall make thée 〈◊〉 thy former griefs This yong Gentleman attentiuely hearing all the persuading 〈◊〉 of his frend
to asswage mine offended minde In the meane time I shall lament the rest of my heauie life with such store of teares as my body dried vp from all humiditie shall shortly search reliefe in earth And hauing made an ende of those hir woords hir heart was so grieuously strained as she could neither wéepe nor speake and stoode so 〈◊〉 as if she had bene in a traunce Then being somewhat come againe vnto hir self with 〈◊〉 voyce she sayde Ah 〈◊〉 tong of other mennes 〈◊〉 howe 〈◊〉 thou so 〈◊〉 to speake of him whome his very enimies doe commend and praise How presumest thou to impute the blame vpon Rhomeo whose vngiltinesse and innocent déede euery man alloweth Where from henceforth shal be his refuge sith she whiche ought to be the only bulwarke and assured rāpire of his distresse doth pursue defame him Receiue receiue then Rhomeo the satisfactiō of mine ingratitude by that sacrifice which I shall make of my proper life and so the fault which I haue committed against thy loyaltie shal be made open to the world thou being reuenged my self punished And thinking to vse some furder talke all the powers of hir body failed hir with signes of present death But the good olde woman which could not imagine that cause of Iulietta hir long absence doubted very much that she suffred some passion and sought hir vp and downe in euery place within hir fathers palace vntill at length she found hir lying a long vpon hir bed al the outward parts of hir body so colde as Marble But the good olde woman which thought hir to be dead began to cry like one out of hir wittes saying Ah deare daughter and 〈◊〉 how much doeth thy deathe now grieue me at the very heart And as she was séeling all the partes of hir body she perceiued some sparke of life to be yet within the same which caused hir to call hir many times by hir name till at length she brought hir out of hir sounde Then she sayd vnto hir Why Iulietta myne own deare dareling what meane you by this turmoiling of your self I can not tel from whēce this your behauior that immoderate heauinesse doe procede but wel I wote that within this houre I thought to haue accompanied you to the graue Alas good mother aunswered wofull Iulietta doe you not most euidently perceiue and sée what iuste cause I haue to sorrow and complaine losing at one instant two persons of the worlde which were vnto me moste deare Me thinke answered the good woman that it is not semely for a Gentlewoman of your degrée to fall into such extremitie For in time of tribulation 〈◊〉 shoulde most preuaile And if the Lord Thibault be dead do you thinke to get hym againe by teares What is he that doth not accuse his ouermuch presumption would you that Rhomeo had done that wrong to him his house to suffer himselfe outraged assailed by one to whome in manhode and prowesse he is not inferiour Suffiseth you that Rhomeo is aliue and his affaires in such estate who in time may be called home again from banishment for he is a great lorde and as you know wel allied and fauored of all men wherfore arme your self from henceforth with pacience For albeit that Fortune doth 〈◊〉 him from you for a time yet sure I am that hereafter shée will restore him vnto you againe with greater ioy and contentation than before And to the end that we be better assured in what state he is if you will promise me to giue ouer your heauinesse I will to day knowe of Frier Laurence whether he is gone To whiche request Iulietta agréed and then the good woman repaired to S. Frauncis where she foūd Frier Laurence who told hir that the same night Rhomeo would not faile at his accustomed houre to visite Iulietta and there to do hir to vnderstand what he purposed to doe in time to come This iorney then fared like the voyages of mariners who after they haue ben tost by great troublous tempest séeing some Sunne 〈◊〉 pierce the heauens to lighten the land assure them selues agayne and thynkyng to haue auoyded shipwracke and sodainly the seas begin to swell the waues do roare with such vehemence and noyse as if they were fallen againe into greater daunger than before The assigned houre come Rhomeo fayled not according to his promise to bée in his Garden where he found his furniture prest to mount the chamber of Iulietta who with displayed armes began so straightly to imbrace hym as it séemed that the soule woulde haue abandoned hir body And they two more than a large quarter of an houre were in such agonie as they were not able to pronounce one worde and wettyng eache others face faste closed together the teares trickeled downe in suche abundaunce as they séemed to bée thoroughlye bathed therein Whiche Rhomeo perceyuing and thynkyng to staye those immoderate teares sayde vnto hir Myne owne dearest friende Iulietta I am not nowe determined to recite the particulars of the straunge happes of frayle and inconstaunte Fortune who in a 〈◊〉 hoystethe a man vp to the hyghest degrée of hir whéele and by and by in lesse space than in the twynckelyng of an eye shée throweth hym downe agayne so lowe as more miserie is prepared for him in one day than fauour in one hundred yeares whyche I nowe proue and hauc experience in my selfe whiche haue bene nourished delicately amonges my friendes and mainteyned in suche prosperous state as you doe little knowe hopyng for the full perfection of my felicitie by meanes of oure maryage to haue reconciled oure parentes and friends and to conducte the residue of my lyfe accordyng to the scope and lotte determined by Almyghty GOD and neuerthelesse all myne enterprises bée put backe and my purposes tourned cleane contrarye in suche wyse as from henceforthe I muste wander lyke a vagabonde thorough dyuerse 〈◊〉 and sequestrate my selfe from my friendes withoute assured place of myne abode whiche I desyre to lette you wete to the intente you maye be exhorted in tyme to come pacientely to beare so well myne absence as that which it shall please God to appointe But Iulietta all affrighted with teares and mortall agonies woulds not suffer hym to passe any further but interruptyng hys purpose sayde vnto hym Rhomeo howe canst thou bée so harde hearted and voyde of all pitie to leaue mée héere alone besieged with so many deadly myseries There is neyther houre nor Minute wherein Death dothe not appeare a thousande tymes before mée and yet my missehappe is suche as I can not dye and therefore doe manyfestelye perceyue that the same Deathe preserueth my lyfe of purpose to delyghte in my griefes and triumphe ouer my euyls And thou lyke the mynister and tyrant of hir crueltie doest make no conscience for oughte that I can sée hauynge atchieued the summe of thy desyres and pleasures on me to abandon and forsake me Whereby I well perceyue
parents doe not care for hir Wherefore deare husband I heartely beséeche you for our rest and hir quiet that hereafter ye be carefull to prouide for hir some mariage worthy of our state whereunto the Lord Antonio willingly agréed saying vnto hir Wife I haue many times thought vpon that whereof you speake notwithstāding sith as yet she is not attained to the age of 〈◊〉 yeares I thought to prouide a husbād at leisure Neuerthelesse things being come to these termes knowing that virgins chastitie is a dāgerous treasure I wil be mindful of that same to your contentation and she matched in such wise as she shall thinke the time hitherto well delayed In the meane while mark diligently whither she be in loue with any to the end that we haue not so gret regard to goodes or to that nobilitie of that house wherin we meane to 〈◊〉 hir as to that life helth of our daughter who is to me so dere as I 〈◊〉 rather 〈◊〉 a begger wtout lands or goods than to bestow hir vpon one which shal vse intreat hir yll Certain dayes after that the Lord Antonio had bruted the mariage of his Daughter many Gentlemen were suters so wel for that excellencie of hir beautie as for hir great richesse reuenue But aboue all others the aliance of a yong Earle named Paris the Counte of Lodronne liked the Lord Antonio vnto whome liberally he gaue his cōsent told his wife the party vpō whom he did mean to bestow his daughter The mother very ioyful that they had found so honest a Gentlemā for their daughter caused hir secretly to be called before hir doing hir to vnderstand what things had passed betwene hir father the Counte Paris discoursing vnto hir the beauty good grace of that yong Counte that vertues for which he was commended of al men ioyning therunto for conclusion that great richesse fauor which he had in the goods of fortune by means wherof she hir friēds shold liue in eternall honor But Iulietta which had rather to haue bene torne in pieces than to agrée to that mariage answered hir mother with a more thā accustomed stoutnesse Madame I much maruel therwithal am astōned that you being a Lady discréete honorable wil be so liberal ouer your daughter as to cōmit hir to that plesure wil of an other before you do know how hir minde is bent you may do as it pleaseth you but of one thing I do wel assure you that if you bring it to passe it shal be against my will And touching the regarde and estimation of Counte Paris I shall first loose my life before he shall haue power to touch any part of my body which being done it is you that shall be coūted the murderer by deliuering me into the hands of him whome I neither can wil or know which way to loue Wherfore I pray you to suffer me henceforth thus to liue wythout taking any further care of me for so muche as my cruell fortune hath otherwise disposed of me The dolorous mother whiche knewe not what iudgement to fire vpon hir daughters aunswere like a woman confused bisides hir self went to seke the Lorde Antonio vnto whome without conceyling any part of hir daughters talke she did him vnderstand the whole The good olde man offended beyonde measure cōmanded hir incontinētly by force to be brought before him if of hir own good wil she wold not come So soon as she came before hir father hir eyes ful of teares fel downe at his féet which she bathed with the luke warm drops that distilled from hir eyes in great abundance thinking to open hir mouth to crie him mercie the sobbes and sighes many times stopt hir speach that she remained dumbe not able to frame a worde But the old mā nothing moued with his daughters teares sayde vnto hir in great rage Come hither thou vnkynde and disobedient daughter hast thou already forgotten howe many times thou hast heard spoken at the table of the puissance and authoritie our auncient Romane fathers had ouer their children vnto whome it was not onely lawfull to sell guage and otherwise dispose them in 〈◊〉 necessitie at their pleasure but also whiche is more they had absolute power ouer their death lyfe With what yrons with what tormēts with what racks wold those good fathers chasten and correct thée if they were aliue againe to sée that ingratitude misbehauor and disobedience which thou vsest towards thy father who with many prayers and requestes hath prouided one of the greatest lords of this prouince to be thy husbande a gentleman of best renoume and indued with all kinde of vertues of whome thou and I be vnworthie bothe for the notable masse of goodes and substance wherwith he is enriched as also for the honour and generositie of the house whereof hée is discended and yet thou playest the parte of an obstinate and rebellious childe against thy fathers wil I take the omnipotencie of that almightie God to witnesse whiche hath 〈◊〉 to bryng thée forth into this worlde that if vpon Tuesday nexte thou failest to prepare thy selfe to be at my castel of 〈◊〉 where the Coūte Paris purposeth to mete vs and there giue thy consent to that which thy mother I haue agréed vpon I will not onely depriue thée of my worldly goodes but also will make thée espouse and marie a prison so strayght and sharpe as a thousande times thou shalt curse the day and tyme wherin thou wast borne Wherfore frō hence forth take aduisement what thou dost for except the promise be kept which I haue made to the Counte Paris I will make thée féele how great the iust choler of an offended father is against a childe vnkinde And without staying for other answer of his daughter the olde man departed the chamber and 〈◊〉 hir vpon hir knées Iulietta knowing the furie of hir father fearing to incurre his indignation or to 〈◊〉 his further wrath retired for that day into hir chamber and contriued the whole night more in wéeping than sléeping And the next morning faining to goe heare seruice she went forth with the woman of hir chamber to the friers where she caused father Laurence to be called vnto hir and prayed him to heare hir confession And when she was vpon hir knées before him shée began hir confession with teares tellyng him the great mischief that was prepared for hir by the mariage accorded betwéene hir father and the Counte Paris And for conclusion said vnto him Sir for so much as you know that I can not by Gods law be maried twice and that I haue but one God one husbande and one faith I am determined when I am from 〈◊〉 with these two hands which you sée ioyned before you this day to end my sorowful life that my soule may beare witnesse in the heauens and my bloode vpon the earth of my faith and loyaltie preserued Then hauyng ended
hir talke she looked aboute hir and séemed by hir wilde countenaunce as though she had deuised some 〈◊〉 purpose Wherefore Frier Laurence astonned beyond mesure fearing lest she wold haue executed that which she was determined sayd vnto hir Mistresse Iulietta I pray you in the name of God by litle and little to moderate youre conceyued griefe and to content your self whilest you be here vntill I haue prouided what is best for you to do for before you part from hence I wil giue you such consolation and remedie for your afflictiōs as you shall remaine satisfied and contented And resolued vppon this good minde he spéedily wente out of the Churche vnto his chamber where he began to consider of many things his conscience beyng moued to hinder the mariage betwene the Coūte Paris and hir knowing that by his meanes she had espoused an other and callyng to remembrance what a dangerous enterprise he had begonne by committyng hymselfe to the mercie of a symple damosell and that if shée failed to bée wyse and secrete all their doings should be discried he defamed and Rhomeo hir spouse punished Hée then after he had well debated vpon an infinite numbre of deuises was in the ende ouercome wyth pitie and determined rather to hazarde his honour than to suffer the adulterie of Counte Paris with Iulietta And 〈◊〉 determined herevpon opened his closet and takyng a vyoll in hys hande retourned agayne to Iulietta whome hée founde lyke one that was in a traunce waytynge for newes eyther of lyfe or deathe Of whome the good olde father demaunded vppon what day hir mariage was appointed The first day of that appointment quod she is vpon wednesday which is the day ordeined for my 〈◊〉 of mariage accorded betwene my father and Counte Paris but the nuptiall solemnitie is not before the. x. day of September Wel then quod the religious father be of good chéere daughter for our Lord God hath opened a way vnto me both to deliuer you Rhomeo from the prepared thraldom I haue knowne your husband from his cradle and hée hath dayly committed vnto me the greatest secretes of his conscience and I haue so dearely loued him again as if he had ben mine own sonne Wherfore my heart can not abide that any man shold do him wrong in that specially wherin my counsell may stande him in stede And for somuch as you are his wife I ought likewyse to loue you seke meanes to deliuer you frō the martyrdome and anguish wherwith I sée your heart besieged Understande then good daughter of a secrete which I purpose to manifest vnto you and take héede aboue all things that you declare it to no liuing creature for therein consisteth your life and death Ye be not ignorant by the common report of the citizens of this Citie and by the same published of me that I haue trauailed thorough all the Prouinces of the habitable earth wherby during the continuall time of xx yeres I haue sought no rest for my wearied body 〈◊〉 rather haue mani times protruded the same to the mercy of brute beasts in the wildernesse many times also to the mercylesse waues of the seas and to the pitie of cōmon pirates together with a thousande other daungers and shipwracks vpon sea and lande So it is good daughter that all my wandryng voyages haue not bene altogethers vnprofitable For besides the incredible contentation receiued ordinarily in mynde I haue gathered some particular fruit whereof by the grace of God you shall shortly féele some experience I haue proued the secrete properties of stones of plants metals other things hidden within the bowels of the earth wherewith I am able to helpe my selfe against the common law of men when necessitie doth serue specially in things wherein I know mine eternall God to be least offended For as thou knowest I being approched as it were euen to the brimme of my grane that the time draweth neare for yelding of mine accompt before the auditor of all auditors I ought therefore to haue some déepe knowledge and apprehēsion of Gods iudgement more than I had when that heat of inconsidered youth did boyle within my lusty body Know you therefore good daughter that with those graces and fauors which the heauens prodigally haue bestowed vpon me I haue learned and proued of long time the composition of a certaine paaste which I make of diuers soporiferous simples which beaten afterwards to poudre dronke with a quātitie of water within a quarter of an houre after bringeth the receiuer into such a sléepe and burieth so déepely the senses and other sprites of life that the cunningest Phisitian wil iudge the party dead and besides that it hath a more maruellous effect for the person which vseth the same feeleth no kinde of grief and according to the quantitie of the dough the 〈◊〉 remaineth in a swéete slepe but when the operation is perfect done hée returneth into his first estate Now then Iulietta receiue mine instruction and put of all feminine affection by taking vpon you a manly stomake for by the only courage of your minde consisteth the 〈◊〉 or mishap of your affaires Beholde héere I giue you a viole which you shal kéepe as your owne propre heart and the night before your mariage or in the morning before day you shal fil the same vp with water drink so much as is contained therin And then you shall féele a certain kinde of pleasant sléepe which incroching by litle litle all the parts of your body wil constrain thē in such wise as 〈◊〉 they shal remaine and by not doing their accustomed dueties shall loose their natural féelings and you abide in such extasie the space of xl houres at the least without any beating of poulse or other perceptible motion which shall so astōne them that come to sée you as they will iudge you to be dead according to the custome of our Citie you shall be caried to the churchyard hard by our Church where you shall be intombed in the common monument of the 〈◊〉 your ancestors in the meane time we wil send word to the Lord Rhomeo by a speciall messanger of the effect of our deuise who now abideth at Mantua And the night folowing I am sure he will not faile to be héere then he and I togither will open the graue and lift vp your body and after the operatiō of the pouder is past he shall conuey you secretely to Mantua vnknowen to all your Parents and friends Afterwards it may be Time the mother of truthe shall cause concord betwene the offended Citie of Verona and Rhomeo At which time your common cause may be made open to the generall contentation of all your friendes The woords of the good Father ended new ioy surprised the heart of Iulietta who was so attentiue to his talke as she forgate no one poynt of hir 〈◊〉 Then she sayde vnto him Father doubt not at all that my heart
oiles and other precious oyntments as Aloisio came again to himselfe And when he had anointed that recouered bodie with certaine precious and comfortable oyles he suffred him to take his rest The priest also wente to bed and slepte till it was daye who so soone as he was vp went to séeke the Captaine to tell him of the good newes that maister Aloisio Foscari was recouered againe who by the 〈◊〉 Captaine was committed to him in charge The Captain at that time was gone to the pallace at San Marco to gyue the Duke aduertisement of this chaunce after whome the priest went was let in to the dukes chamber to whom he declared what he had done to maister Aloisio The Duke verie glad to heare tell of his nephewes life although then verie pensiue for the newes broughte vnto him by the Captaine intreated one of the Signor de notte to take with him two of the best surgions and to call him that had alreadie dressed his nephew to go visite the wounded Gentleman that he might be certified of the truth of that chaunce All whiche together repaired to the priestes chamber where finding hym not a sléepe and the wounde faire ynough to heale dyd thervnto what their cunning thoughte méete and conuenient And then they began to inquire of hym that was not yet full recouered to perfecte speache howe that chaunce happended tellyng him that he myght frankly confesse vnto them the trouthe The more diligent they were in thys demauude bicause the Surgeon that dressed hym fyrst alleaged that the wounde was not made wyth sworde but receyued by some great fal or blow with mace or clubbe or rather séemed to come of some high fall from a wyndowe by reason his head was so grieuously brused Aloisio hearyng the Surgeons sodaine demaunde presentely aunswered that he fell downe from a window and named also the house And he had no sooner spoken those wordes but he was very angry with hym selfe and sorie And therewithal hys dismayde spirites began to reuiue in such wyse as sodainly he chose rather to die than to speake any thyng to the dishonour of mistresse Gismonda Then the Signior di notte asked him what he dyd there aboute that time of the night and wherfore he did climbe vp to the windowe béeing of so great a height which he could not kéepe secrete by reason of the authoritie of the Magistrate that demaunded the question 〈◊〉 hée thought that if his tongue 〈◊〉 runne at large and committed a 〈◊〉 by rashe speaking his body should therfore suffer the smart Wherfore before he wold in any wyse spot the name of 〈◊〉 whom he loued better than his owne life determined to hazarde his lyfe and honour to the mercie of Iustice and sayd I declared euen now whyche I can not denye that I fell downe from the windowe of mistresse Gisinonda Mora. The cause thereof beyng nowe at state wherein I know not whether I shall lyue or die I wyll truly disclose Mistresse Gismonda being a widow a yong woman without any man in hir house bycause by reporte she is verie rych of iewels and money I purposed to robbe and dispoyle Wherfore I deuised a ladder to climbe vp to hir wyndowe wyth mynde full bent to kyll all those that shoulde resiste me But my 〈◊〉 was suche as the ladder beyng not well fastened fell and I my selfe therwithall and thinking to recouer home to my lodgyng with my ladder made of corde my 〈◊〉 beganne to faile and fell downe I wotte not where The Signor de notte whose name was Domenico Mariperto hearyng him say so maruelled greatly and was very sorie that all they in the chamber which were a great number as at such chaunces commonly be dyd heare those wordes and bycause they were spoken so openly he was forced to saye vnto hym Aloisio I am very sorie that thou hast committed suche follie but for so muche as sorrow now wil not serue to remedie the trespasse I must nedes she we myself both faithful to my countrey also carefull of mine honor without respect of persōs Wherfore thou shalt remain here in such safe custody as I shal apoint when thou art better amēded thou must according 〈◊〉 desert be referred to that gaole Leauing him then there vnder sure keping he wēt to the counsell of the Dieci which magistrates in that citie be of 〈◊〉 authoritie and finding the lordes in counsell he opened the whole matter vnto them The presidents of the Counsell which had hearde a great numbre of complaintes of many thefts done in the night within the Citie toke order that one of the captains that were appointed to the diligent watche and kéeping of Aloisio remaining in the priests house should cause him to be examined with tormentes forced to tell the truthe for that they did verily beleue that he had cōmitted many robberies besides or at lest wise was priuieand accessarie to the same and knew where the theues wer become Afterwardes the sayd Counsell did sitte vpon the matter of Girolamo Bembo and Anselmo Barbadico found at midnight naked in eche others chambre and committed to prison as is before remembred And bicause they 〈◊〉 many matters besides of greater importaunce to intreate vpon amongs which the warres betwene them aud Philippo Maria Vesconte duke of Milane the aforsaid causes were deferred till an other time notwithstanding in the mean while they were examined The Duke himselfe that time being in counsell spake most seuerely againste his nephew Neuerthelesse he didde hardly beleue that his nephew being very rich and indewed with great honestie woulde abase him selfe to a vice so vile and abhominable as theft is wherevpon he began to consider of many thinges and in the ende talked with hys nephewe secretely alone and by that meanes lerned the trouth of the whole matter In like maner Anselmo and Girolamo were examined by commissioners appointed by the state what one of them did in an others chamber at that houre of the nighte who confessed that many tymes they had séene Aloisio Foscari to passe vp down before their houses at times inconuenient that night by chaunce one of them not knowing of another espied Aloisio thinking that he lingered about their houses to abuse one of their wiues for which cause they went out and so soone as they 〈◊〉 taken him they killed him Which confession they opēly declared accordingly as wherupō before they were agréed Afterwardes with further circumstance being examined vpon the Article of being one in anothers 〈◊〉 it appeared that their first tale was vtterly vntrue Of al which contradictions the Duke was aduertised and was driuē into extréeme admiration for that the truth of those disorders could not be vnderstanded and knowne Whereupon the Dieci and the assistants were againe assembled in coūcell according to the maner at what time after all things throughly were debated and ended the Duke being a very graue man of excellent wit aduaunced to the Dukedome
by the cōsent of the whole state as euery of thē were about to rise vp sayd vnto them My Lordes there resteth one thing yet to be moued which peraduenture hitherto hath not bene thought vpon There are before vs two complaints the effect whereof in my iudgement is not throughly cōceiued in the opinions of diuers Anselmo Barbadico and Girolamo Bembo betwene whome there hath bene euer continuall hatred left vnto them as a man may say euen by fathers enheritance both of thē in either of their chambers were apprehēded in a maner naked by our Sergeants and without torments or for feare to be racked vpon the onely interrogatories of our ministers they haue voluntarily confessed that before their houses they killed Aloisio our Nephew And albeit that our sayd Nephew yet liueth was not striken by them or any other as shold apeare yet they 〈◊〉 themselues guiltie of the murder What shall be sayd thē to the matter doth it not séeme doubtfull Our Nephew againe hath declared that in going about to robbe the house of Mistresse Gismonda Mora whome he ment to haue slaine he fell downe to the ground from the toppe of a window wherefore by reason so many robberies haue bene discouered within the Citie it may be presumed that he was the 〈◊〉 and malefactor who ought to be put to the torments that the truthe may be knowne and being found guiltie to féele the seuere punishment that he hath deserued Moreouer when he was founde lying vpon the ground he had neither ladder nor weapon whereupon may be thought that the fact was otherwise done than hitherto is confessed And bicause amongs morall vertues temperāce is the chiefest and worthy of greatest commendation and that iustice not righteously exercised is iniustice wrong it is méete and conuenient for vs in these strange accidents rather to vse temperāce than the rigor of iustice And that it may appere that I do not speake these words without good ground mark what I shal say vnto you These two most mortal enimies do cōfesse that which is impossible to be true for that our Nephew as is before declared is a liue and his wounde was not made by sworde as hée himself hath confessed Nowe who can tell or say the contrary but that shame for being taken in their seuerall Chambers and the dishonesty of bothe their wiues hathe caused them to despise life and to desire death We shall finde if the matter be diligently inquired and searched that it will fall out otherwise than is already supposed by common opinion For the contrariety of examinations vnlikelihoode of circumstances and the impossibility of the cause rendreth the matter doubtful Wherfore it is very néedful diligētly to examine these attempts and thereof to vse more aduised consideration On the other side our Nephew accuseth himself to be a 〈◊〉 and which is more that he ment to kill mistresse Mora when he brake into hir house Under this grasse my Lords as I suppose some other Serpent lieth hidden that is not yet thought of The Gentleman ye know before this time was neuer defamed of such outrage ne suspected of the least offēse that may be obiected Besides that all ye doe knowe thanks therefore be giuen to almightie God that he is a man of great richesse and possessions and hath no néede to robbe For what necessitie should driue him to robbe a widowe that hath of his owne liberally to bestow vpon the succour of widowes Were there none else of substance in the Citie for him to giue attempt but to a widowe a comfortlesse creature contented with quiet life to liue amongs hir family within the boundes of hir owne house What if hir richesse Iewels and plate be great hath not Aloisio of his owne to redouble the same But truely this Robberie was done after some other manner than he hath confesfessed To vs then my Lords it appertaineth if it so stande with your pleasures to make further inquirie of the same promising vnto you vppon oure Faith that we shal imploy our whole diligence in the true examination of this matter and hope to bring the same to such good ende as none shall haue cause to blame vs the finall sentence whereof shall be reserued to your iudgement This graue request and wise talke of the Duke pleased greatly the Lords of the Councel who referred not only the examination but also the finall sentence vnto him Wherupon the wise Prince being fully enformed of that chaunce happened to his Nephewe attended only to make search if he could vnderstand the occasion why Bembo and Barbadico so folishly had accused thēselues of that which they neuer did And so after much counsaile sundry deuises examined and made his nephew then was wel recouered and able to goe abrode being set at libertie After sundry examinations I say he also had learned the trothe of the case touching the other two prisoners which he cōmunicated to the Lords of the aforesaid councel called Dieci Then he caused with great discretion proclamation to be made throughout Venice that Anselmo and Girolamo should be beheaded betwene the two Pillers and Aloisio hanged wherby he thought to know what sute the women wold make either with or against their husbands what euidence mistresse Gisinonda would giue against Aloisio The brute hereof dispersed throughe Venice diuers talke therupon was raised no communication of any thing else in open streats and priuate houses but of the putting to death of those men And bicause all thrée were of honorable houses their kinsmē friends made sute by all possible meanes for their pardon But their confessions published that rumor was made worse as it daily chaūceth in like cases than the mater was in déede the same was noised how Foscari had confessed so many theftes done by him at diuers times as none of his friends or kin durst speake for him Mistresse Gismonda which bitterly lamented the mischaunce of hir louer after she vnderstode the confession hée had made and euidently knew that bicause he would not blemish hir honor he had rather willingly forgo his own and therwithall his life felt hir self so inflamed with feruent loue toward him as she was ready presently to surrēder hir ghost Wherfore 〈◊〉 sent him word that he shold comfort himselfe bicause she was determined to manifest the very trouth of the matter and hoped vpon hir declaration of true euidence sentence shoulde be reuoked for testimonie wherof she had his louing letters yet to 〈◊〉 written to hir with his owne hands and would bring forth in the iudgement place the corded ladder which she had kept still in hir chamber Aloisio hearing these louing newes and of the euidēce which his Ladie would giue for his defense was the gladdest man of the world and caused infinite thanks to be rendred vnto hir with promise that if he mighte be rid and discharged out of prison he woulde take hir for his louing spouse and wife Wherof
impossible it is not in man to determin or rest assured in iudgemēt I wil go vnto him and comfort him so well as I can that peraduenture my promises maye 〈◊〉 some parte of his payne and afterward we wil at leisure better consider vpon that which we shall promise Herevppon they went together to sée the pacient that beganne to looke vp more 〈◊〉 than he was wonted who séeyng the Gentlewoman sayde vnto hir Ah mystresse I woulde to God I had neuer proued youre fidelitie to féele the passing cruell hearte of hir that rather dothe estéeme hir honour to practyse regour and tyrannie vpon me than with gentlenesse to maintaine the life of a poore féeble knight Sir sayde she I can not tell what you meane thus to tormēt your self for I trust to cure you betwene this and to morow and wil do mine endeuor to cause you speake with hir vpon whom wrongfully perchaunce you doe complaine and who dareth not to come vnto you lest some occasion be giuen of suspition to 〈◊〉 speakers which wil make the report more slanderous when they know the cause of your disease Ah sayd the pacient howe ioyfull and pleasant is youre talke I sée wel that you desire my helth and for that purpose would haue me drinke of those liquors which superficially do appeare to be swéete afterwardes to make my life a hundred times more fainte and féeble than now it is Be you there sayde she And I sweare vnto you by my faith not to faile to kéepe my promise to cause you speke alone with mistresse Zilia Alas mystresse sayd the louer I aske no more at your handes that I may heare with myne owne eares the last sentence 〈◊〉 or defiance Well put your trust in me sayd she and take you no thought but for your health For I am assured ere it be long to cause hir to come vnto you and then you shall sée whether I am diligent in those matters I toke in hande and to what effecte myne attemptes do proue Me think already quod he that my sicknesse is not able to stay me from going 〈◊〉 hir that is the cause of my debilitie when it shal 〈◊〉 hir to commaunde me where soeuer it be sith hir only remēbrance will be of no lesse force in me than 〈◊〉 clerenesse of the sun beames is to euaporate the thicknesse of the morning mistes Euen so is she if such be hir chéere to me the 〈◊〉 wherein my day shall take increase or the night whiche eclipseth and obscureth the brādishing brightnesse of my first sunbeames With that the Gentlewoman tooke hir leaue of him who without let of his companion immediately rose vp and she went home attending oportunitie to speke to Zilia whome two or thrée dayes after shée mette at Church and they two beyng alone together in a Chapell sayd vnto hir with fained teares forced from hir eyes and sending forth a cloude of sighes Madame I nothing doubt at al but that last letters which I brought you made you conceiue some yll opinion of me which I do gesse by the frownyng face that euer sithens you haue borne me But when you shall knowe the hurte which it hath done I think you will not be so harde and voyde of pitie but with pacience to hearken that which I will say and moued to pitie the state of a pore Gentleman who by your meanes is in the pangs of death Zilia whiche til then neuer regarded the payne and sicknesse of the pacient began to sorow with such passion not to graunt him further fauour than he had alreadie receiued but to finde some means to ease him of his griefe and then to giue him ouer for euer And therfore she said vnto hir neighbor Mistresse I thought that all these sutes had bene forgotten vntil the other day a Gentlemā prayed me to go sée the Lord of Virle who told me as you do now that he was in great danger But séeing that he wareth worsse and worsse I will be ruled by you beyng well assured of your honestie and vertue and that you wil not aduise me to that which shall be hurtfull to myne honour And when you shall do what you can you shall winne so much as nothing yet shall ease him nothing at all which wrongfully plaineth of my crueltie For I do not purpose to do any priuate facte with him but that which shall be mete for an honest Gentlewoman and such as a faithfull tutor of hir chastitie may graunt to an honest and vertuous gentleman His desire is none other said the gentle woman for he intreateth but your presence to let you wit by word that he is redy to do the thing which you shall cōmand him Alas said 〈◊〉 I know not how I shal be able to do the same for it is impossible to go to him without suspition which the common people wyl lightly conceiue of such light familiar behauiour And rather wold I die than aduēture mine honor hitherto conserued with great seueritie diligēce And sith you say that he is in extremes of deth for your sake I wil not stick to go vnto him that hereafter he may haue no cause to cōplaine of my rudenesse I thank you said the messanger for the good wil you beare me for the help you promise vnto the poore passionate gentleman whome these newes wil bring on foote againe wil do you reuerence for that good turne Sith it is so saide Zilia to morow at noone let him come vnto my house where in a low chamber he shall haue leisure to saye to me hys minde But I purpose by Gods helpe to suffer him no further than that whiche I haue graunted As it shall please you sayd hir neighbour for I craue no more of you but that only fauour which as a messanger of good newes I goe to shew him recommending my selfe in the meane time to your cōmaunde And then she went vnto the pacient whom she found walking vp downe the chamber indifferently lusty of his persone and of colour metely freshe for the tyme he lefte his 〈◊〉 Now when sir Philiberto sawe the messanger he sayd vnto hir And howe nowe mystresse what newes Is Zilia so stubborne as 〈◊〉 was wonte to be 〈◊〉 may sée hir sayde she if to morrowe at noone you haue the hearte and dare goe vnto hir house Is it possible sayde hée imbracynge hir that you haue procured for me that good tourne to delyuer mée from the 〈◊〉 wherein I haue so long tyme bene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 trustie and assured friende all the dayes of my life I will remember that pleasure and benefite and by acknowledgyng of the same shall be readie to render lyke when you please to commaunde or else let me be counted the moste vnkynde and vncurteous Gentleman that euer made profession of loue I wyll goe by Gods helpe to sée mystresse Zilia with intent to endure all trouble that Fortune shall send vnto me protesting to vere my self
no more although I sée my 〈◊〉 happe otherwise to ende than my desert required and that good lucke hath cause to worke againste me But yet against Fortune to contend is to war against my self wherof the victorie can be but 〈◊〉 Thus he passed al the day which séemed to last a thousand yeres to him that thought to receiue some good intertainmēt of his lady in whose bonds he was catched before he thought that womās malice could so farre excede or display hir venomous sting And truly that mā is void of sense whych suffreth him selfe so fondly to be charmed 〈◊〉 the peril of the abused ought to serue him for example They be to the masculine kinde a great confusion and vnwares for want of due forsight the same 〈◊〉 suffer it self to be bound taken captiue by the very thing which hath no being to worke effecte but by his own fréewil But this inchantmēt which riseth of womens beautie being to men a pleasant displeasure I thinke to be decked with that drawing vertue and allurement to punish and torment the faults of men for they once fed and baited with a fading fauor poisoned swetenesse forget their owne perfection and nousled in their foolishe fansies séeking felicitie and soueraigne gyfte in the matter wherein dothe lie the summe of their vnhappes In like maner the vertuous and shamfast dames haue not their eyes of mynd so blindfolde but that they sée whervnto those franke seruices 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faithes and vices coloured and stuffed with exterior vertue do tende and doubt not but those louers do imitate the Scorpion whose venome lyeth in hys taile the ende of such loue beyng the ruine of good renoume and the decay of former vertues For whych cause the heauens the friende of their sexe haue gyuen them a prouidence which those gentle vnfauoured louers terme to be rigor that by those meanes they may proue the desert of a suter both for their great contentation and praise and for the rest of them that do them seruice This iuste right and modeste prouidence that cruell Gentlewoman vsed not to the good and faithfull louer the Lord of Virle who was so humble a seruant of his vnkinde mistresse as his goodnesse redounded to his great 〈◊〉 and folie as manifestly may appere by that which foloweth Sir Philiberto then thinkyng to haue gained muche by hauing made promise liberally to speake to 〈◊〉 Ladie went vnto hir at the appointed time so wel a contented man truely of that grace as al the vnkindnesse past was quite forgot Nowe being come to the lodging of mistresse Zilia he found hir in the deuised place with one of hir maides wayting vpon hir When shée saw him after a litle colde entertainement she began to say vnto hym with fained ioy that neuer moued hir within these wordes Nowe syr I sée that youre late 〈◊〉 was not so straunge as I was giuen to vnder stande for the good state wherin I sée you presently to be which from henceforth shall make me beleue that the passions of men endure so long as the cause of their affections continue within their fansies much like vnto looking glasses which albeit they make the equalitie or 〈◊〉 of things represented to apere yet when the thing séene doth passe vanish away the formes also do voide out of remembraunce like the wind which lightly whorleth too fro through the plain of some depe valey Ah madame answered he how easie a matter it is for the 〈◊〉 person to counterfait both ioy dissimulatiō in one very thing which not only may forget that conceit that moueth his affections but the obiect must 〈◊〉 remaine in him as painted and 〈◊〉 in his mind Which truly as you say is a loking glasse not such one for all that as the counterfaited apparance of represented formes hath like vigor in it that the first and true 〈◊〉 shapes can so soone vanish without leauing the trace of most perfect impression of such formes wtin the mind of him which liueth vpon their only remembrance In this mirror then which by reason of the hiddē force I may wel say to be ardent burning haue I loked so wel as I can thereby to forme the sustentation of my good 〈◊〉 But the imagined shape not able to support suche perfection hath made the rest of the body to faile weakned through the minds passions in such wise as if that hope to recouer this better part half lost had not cured both the whole decay of the one had folowed by thinking to giue some accōplishmēt in the other And if you sée me Madame attain to some good state impute not the same I beséeche you but to the good will fauor which I receiue by seing you in a priuate place wherin I cōceiue greater ioy than euer I did to say vnto you the thing which you would not beleue by woords at other times procéeding from my mouth ne yet by aduertisemēt signified in my 〈◊〉 letters Notwithstāding I think that my Martyrdome is known to be such as euery man may perceiue that the summe of my desire is only to serue and obey you for so muche as I can receiue no greater comfort thā to be cōmaunded to make repaire to you to let you know that I am hole although 〈◊〉 ouer by 〈◊〉 whē you vouchsafed to employ 〈◊〉 in your seruice and thinke my self raised vp againe 〈◊〉 one 〈◊〉 thousande deathes at once when it shall please you to haue pitie vpon the grief passion which I 〈◊〉 Alas what causeth my 〈◊〉 to sée that 〈◊〉 beautie of yours to make the proofe of a crueltie so great 〈◊〉 you determined Madame thus to 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 gentleman that is ready to sacrifice himself in your 〈◊〉 whē you shal depart to him some fauor of your 〈◊〉 Do you thinke that my passions be 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 Alacke alacke the teares which I haue shed the losse of 〈◊〉 to eate and drinke the weary passed nights the long contriued sléepelesse time the restlesse turmoile of my self may well assure that my 〈◊〉 heart is of better merite than you estéeme Then séeing hir to fire hir eyes vpon the groūd and thinking that he had already wonne hir he reinforced his faire talke sighing at 〈◊〉 betwéene not sparing the 〈◊〉 which trickled 〈◊〉 alongs his face he prosecuted his talke saying Ah faire amongs the fairest would you blot that diuine beautie with a cruelty so furious as to cause the death of him which loueth you better thā him selfe Ah mine eyes which hitherto haue bene 〈◊〉 with two liuely springs to expresse the hidden griefes within my heart if your vnhappe be such that the only dame of your contemplatiōs and cause of your teares doe cause the humor to encrease which hitherto in such wise hath emptied my braine that there is no more in me to moisten your drouthe I am content to endure the same vntill my hearte shall féele the laste pangue 〈◊〉 thēe of
It chaunced in this time that a knight of 〈◊〉 the vassall of King Mathie for that he was likewise king of that countrey borne of a noble house very valiant and well exercised in armes fel in loue with a passing faire Gentlewoman of like nobilitie and reputed to be the 〈◊〉 of all the countrey and had a brother that was but a poore Gentleman not luckie to the goods of fortune This Boemian knight was also not very rich hauing onely a castle with certaine reuenues 〈◊〉 which wer 〈◊〉 able to yeld vnto him any gret maintenance of liuing Fallyng in loue then with this faire Gentlewoman he demaūded hir in mariage of hir brother with hir had but a very litle dowrie And thys knight not wel forseeing his poore estate broughte his wife home to his house there at more leisure cōsidering that same begā to fele his lack penurie how hardly scant his reuenues wer able to maintein his port He was a very honest gentle person one that delited not by any meanes to burden fine his tenants cōtenting himself with the reuenue whiche his auncesters left him the same amounting to no great yerely rent Whē this gentlemā perceiued that he stode in nede of extraordinarie reliefe after many diuers cōsiderations with himself he purposed to folow the court to serue king Mathie his souerain lord master there by his diligence experience to seke meanes for abilitie to sustain his wife him self But so great feruent was that loue that he bare vnto his lady as he thought it impossible for him to liue one houre 〈◊〉 hir yet iudged it not best to haue hir with him to the court for auoiding of further charges 〈◊〉 to courting ladies whose delite 〈◊〉 plesure resteth in the toys tricks of the same that cānot he wel auoided in poore gētlemē without their names in the Mercers or Drapers Iornals a heauy thing for them to consider if for their disport they like to walk that stretes The daily thinking thervpon brought that poore Gentlemā to great sorow heauinesse The lady that was yong wise discrete marking the maner of hir husband feared that he had some 〈◊〉 of hir Wherfore vpon a day she thus said vnto him Dere husband willingly wold I wish desire a good turne at your hand if I wist I should not displease you Demaund what you will said the knight if I can I wil gladly performe it bicause I doe estéeme your satisfaction as I doe mine owne lyfe Then the Ladie very sobrely prayde hym that he wold open vnto hir the cause of that discontenment whiche he shewed outwardly to haue for that hys mynde and behauiour séemed to be contrary to ordinarie custome contriued day and night in fighes auoidyng the companie of them that were wont specially to delight him The Knight hearing his ladies request paused a while and then sayd vnto hir My welbeloued wyfe for so much as you desire to vnderstand my thoughte and mynde and whereof it commeth that I am so sad and pensife I will tell you All the heauynesse wherwith you sée me to be affected dothe tend to this ende Fayne would I deuise that you and I may in honour lyue together according to our calling For in respect of our parentage our liuelode is very poore the occasion whereof were our parentes who morgaged their lands consumed a great part of their goods that our auncesters left them I daily thinkyng herevpon and conceiuing in my head diuers imaginations can deuise no meanes but one that in my 〈◊〉 séemeth best which is that I go to the Court of our souerain lord Mathie who at this present is inferring warrs vpon the Turk at whose hāds I do not mistrust to receiue good 〈◊〉 being a most liberal prince and one that estemeth al such as be valiant and actiue And I for my parte will so gouerne my selfe by Gods grace that by deserte I will procure suche lyuyng and 〈◊〉 as hereafter we may liue in our olde dayes a quiet life to our great stay and comfort For although Fortune hitherto hath not fauored that state of parētage wherof we be I doubt not with noble courage to win that in despite of Fortunes teeth whiche obstinately hytherto shée hath denied And the more assured am I of thys determination bycause at other tymes I haue serued vnder the Lorde Vaiuoda in Transsyluania against the Turk where many times I haue bene required to serue also in the Courte by that honorable Gentleman the Counte of Cilia But when I dyd consider the beloued companie of you dere wife the swéetest companion that euer wyght didde 〈◊〉 I thought it vnpossible for mée to forbeare your presence whych if I should do I were worthy to sustayne that dishonour which a great number of carelesse Gentlemen doe who followyng their priuate gayne and will abandon their yong and faire wyues neglecting the fyre whyche Nature hath instilled to the delicate bodyes of suche tender creatures Fearing therwithall that so soone as I shoulde depart the lustie yong Barons and Gentlemen of the countrey woulde pursue the gayne of that loue the price wherof I doe esteme aboue the crowne of the greatest emperour in all the worlde and woulde not forgoe for all the riches and precious Iewels in the fertile soilt of Arabie who no doubte woulde 〈◊〉 together in greater heapes than euer dydde the wowers of Penelope wythin the famouse graunge of Ithaca the house of wanderynge Vlisses Whyche pursuite yf they dydde attayne I shoulde for euer hereafter bée ashamed to shew my face before those that be of valour and regarde And this is the whole effect of the scruple 〈◊〉 wife that hindreth me to séeke for our better estate and fortune When he had spoken those woords 〈◊〉 held his peace The Gentlewoman which was wise and stout perceiuing the great loue that hir husbande bare hir when he had stayed himselfe from talke with good and mery countenaunce answered hym in thys wise Sir Vlrico which was the name of the Gentleman I in like manner as you haue done haue deuised and thought vpon the Nobilitie and birth of our auncestors from whose state and port and that without our fault and crime we be farre wide and deuided Notwithstanding I determined to set a good face vpon the matter and to make so much of our painted sheath as I could In déede I confesse my self to be a woman and you men do say that womens hearts be faint I féeble but to be plaine with you the contrary is in me my heart is so stoute and ambitious as paraduenture not méete and consonāt to power and abilitie although we women will finde no lacke if our hearts haue pith and strength inough to beare it out And faine wold I support the state wherin my mother maintained me Now be it for mine owne part to God I yeld the thanks I can so moderate and stay
I haue receiued so great and ample benefits and the warfare which I vse in his graces seruice in the frontiers of his Realme against the enimies of Christ whereunto I beare more good wil than I doe to wedlocke loue preferring duety to Prince before mariage albeit my wiues faythe and constācy is such as fréely I may spend my life without care of hir deuoir being assured that besides hir beauty she is wise vertuous and honest and loueth me aboue all worldly things tendring me so dearely as she doth the balles of hir owne eyes You haue stoutly sayd answered the Barone in defense of your wiues chastity whereof she can make vnto hir self no greate warrantise bicause a woman sometimes will be in minde not to be moued at the requests and gifts offred by the greatest Prince of the world who afterwards within a day vpon the only sight and view of some lusty yong man at one simple word vttered with a few tears and shorter sute yeldeth to his request And what is she then that can conceiue such assurance in hir self What is he that knoweth the secretes of hearts which be impenetrable Surely none as I suppose except God him selfe A woman of hir owne nature is moueable and plyant is the most ambitious creature of the world And by God no woman do I know but that she lusteth and desireth to be beloued required sued vn̄to honored cherished And oftentimes it commeth to passe that the most crafty dames which thinke with fained lookes to féede their diuers louers be the first that thrust their heades into the amorous nets and like little birdes in harde 〈◊〉 of weather be caught in louers 〈◊〉 wigges Wherby sir Vlrico I doe not sée that your wife aboue all other women compacte of flesh and bone hath such priuilege from God but that she may be soone entised and corrupted Well sir sayd the 〈◊〉 Knight I am persuaded of that which I haue spoken and verely doe beleue the effect of my beliefe moste true Euery man knoweth his owne affaires the foole knoweth better what he hath than his neighbors doe be they neuer so wise Beleue you what you think good for I meane not to digresse frō that which I conceiue And suffer me I pray you to beleue what I list sith belief cannot hurt me nor yet your discredite can hinder my belief being frée for eche man in semblable chaunces to think belieue what his minde lusteth and liketh There were many other Lords and Gentlemen of the court 〈◊〉 at that talke and as we commonly sée at such like metings 〈◊〉 man vttereth his minde wherupon many and sundry opinions were produced touching that question And bicause diuers mē be of diuers natures and many presume vpon the pregnancie of their wise heads there rose some stur about that talk eche mā obstinate in his alleaged reason more froward 〈◊〉 than reason did require the cōmunication grew so hot and talk brake forth so loud as the same was reported to the 〈◊〉 The good Lady sory to heare tel of such strife within hir Court abhorring naturally all cōtrouersie and contention sent for the parties required them from point to point to make recital of the beginning and circumstāce of their reasons and arguments And when she vnderstode the effect of al their talke she sayd that euery man at his owne pleasure might beleue what he list affirming it to be presumptuous and extreme follie to iudge all women to be of one disposition in like sort as it were a great error to say that al men be of one qualitie and condition the contrarie by daily experience manifestly appearing For both in mé and women there is so great difference and variety of natures as there be heads and wits And how it is cōmonly séene that two brothers and sisters born at one birth be yet of contrary natures and 〈◊〉 of manners and conditions so diuers as the thing which shall please the one is altogether displesant to the other Wherupon the 〈◊〉 concluded that the 〈◊〉 Knight had good reason to continue that good honest credit of his wife as hauing proued hir fidelitie of long time wherein she shewed hir self to be very wise discrete Now bicause as many times we sée the natures and appetites of diuers men to be insaciable and one man to be sometimes more foolish hardy than another euen so to say the 〈◊〉 were those two Hungarian Barons who seeming wise in their owne conceits one of them sayd to the 〈◊〉 in this maner Madame your grace doth wel maintaine the sere of womankinde bicause you be a woman For by nature it is giuē to that kinde stoutly to stand in 〈◊〉 of themselues bicause their imbecillitie and weakenesse otherwise would bewray them and although good reasons might be alleaged to open the causes of their 〈◊〉 and why they be not able to attaine the hault excellencie of man yet for this time I doe not meane to be tedious vnto your grace least the little heart of woman would rise and display that conceit which is wrapt within that little molde But to retourne to this chaste Lady throughe whome our talke began if we might craue licence of your maiesty and safe 〈◊〉 of this Gentleman to know hir dwelling place and haue 〈◊〉 to speake to hir we doubt not but to breake with our battering talke the Adamant walles of hir 〈◊〉 that is so famous and cary away that spoile which 〈◊〉 we shal 〈◊〉 I know not answered the 〈◊〉 Knight what ye can or will 〈◊〉 but sure I am that hitherto I am not 〈◊〉 Many things were spoken there and sundry opinions of 〈◊〉 partes alleaged In end the two Hungarian 〈◊〉 persuaded them selues and made their vaunts that they wer able to clime the skies and both wold attempt and also bring to passeny enterprise were it neuer so great affirming their former offer by oth and would gage all the landes and goods they had that within the space of v. months they would either of them obtaine the Gentlewomans good will to do what they list so that the Knight were 〈◊〉 neither to returne home ne yet to aduertise hir of that their determination The Quéene and all the standers by laughed heartily at this their offer mocking and iesting at their foolish and youthly conceites Which the Barons perceiuing sayd You thinke Madame that we speake triflingly and be not able to accomplish this our proposed enterprise but Madame may it please you to giue vs leaue we meane by earnest attempt to giue proofe therof And as they were thus in reasoning and debating the matter the king hearing tell of this large offer made by the Barons came into the place where the Quéene was at such time as she was about to dissuade them from their frātike deuise Before whō he being entred the chamber the two Barōs fel downe vpon their knées and humbly besought his grace that the compacte made
〈◊〉 or messanger suffreth no paine or blame The greatest Kyng or Emperour of the worlde receiuing 〈◊〉 from a meaner Prince neuer vseth his ambassador with scolding wordes ne yet by villanie or rebuke abuseth his person Is it wisdom then 〈◊〉 you being a present prisoner at the mercy of your kepers in this 〈◊〉 sorte to reuile me with 〈◊〉 talke But 〈◊〉 leaue of your rages and quiet your selfe for this present time for my mistresse maruelleth much why you durst come for all your noble state to giue 〈◊〉 to violate hir good name whiche message shée required me to tell you ouēr and bisides a desire shée hathe to know whether by the science of Spinning you haue gained your foode for you séeme to kicke against the wind beat water in a morter if you think from hēce to go before you haue earned a recompense of the meat which shal be giuen you Wherfore it is your lot paciently to suffer the 〈◊〉 of your fondattempt which I pray you gently to sustaine and think no scorn therof hardely for desperate men hard aduenturers must néedes suffer the daungers thervnto belonging This is the determinate sentence of my mistresse mynde who fourdeth you no better fare than breade and water if you can not shewe some pretie spindle full of yarne for signe of your good will at this present pinche of your distresse The mayden séeing that hée was not disposed to shewe some part of willyng minde to gaine his liuing by that 〈◊〉 science shut the portal dore and went hir way The vnhappie Baron ariued thether in very yll time that nyght had neither bread nor broth and therfore he fared according to theprouerbe He that goth to bed supperlesse lieth in his bed restlesse For during the whole night no sléepe couldfasten his eyes Now as this baron was closed in prison fast so the La die tooke order that secretely with great cher ehis seruants should be interteined and his horsse with swete haye and good prouender well mainteined all his furnitures sumpture horsse and cariages conueyed within the Castle where wanted nothyng for the state of such a personage but onely libertie making the hoste of the Inne beleue where the Lorde harbored before that he was returned into Hungarie But now turne we to the Boeme Knight who knowing that one of the two Hungarian Competitors were departed the Court and ridden into Boeme dyd stil beholde the qualitie of the inchaunted image wherein by the space of thrée or foure dayes in which time the baron made his greatest sute to his Ladie he marked a certaine alteration of coloure in the same but afterwards returned to his natiue forme and seing no greter transformation he was wel assured that the Hungarian Baron was repulsed and imployed his labor in vain Wherof the Boeme Knight was excedingly pleased and contented bicause he was well assured that his wife had kept hir selfe right pure and honest Notwithstandyng his mynde was not well settled ne yet his hearte at rest doubtyng that the Lorde Vladislao which as yet was not departed the Courte would obtaine the thing and acquite the faulte which his companion had committed The imprisoned Baron which all this time had neither 〈◊〉 nor dronken nor in the night coulde sléepe in the mornyng after he had considered hys mysaduenture and well perceyued no remedie for him to go forth except he obeyed the Ladies hest made of necessitie a vertue and applied himselfe to learne to Spynne by force whiche fréedome and honour coulde neuer haue made hym to doe Whervpon hée tooke the distaffe and beganne to spynne And albeit that he neuer spoonne in all hys lyfe before yet 〈◊〉 by Necessitie so well as he could he drewe out his thréede nowe small and then greate and manye times of the meanest sort but very often broade yll fauoured yll closed and worsse twisted all cut of fourme and fashion that sundrie times very heartyly he laughed to him selfe to see his cunning but woulde haue made a cunnyng woman spinner brust into ten thousande laughters if shée hadde 〈◊〉 there Thus all the mornyng he spent in spynnyng and when dinner came his accustomed messanger the mayden repaired vnto hym agayne and openyng the wyndowe demaunded of the Baron how his woorke went forewarde and whether he were disposed to manifest the 〈◊〉 of hys comming into Boeme Hée well beaten in the Schoole of shame vttered vnto the mayde the whole compacte and bargayne made betwéene hym and hys companion and the Boeme Knight hir master afterwards shewed vnto hir hys spindle ful of threde The yong Wench smylyng at his worke sayde By Sainct Marie thys is well done you are worthy of victuall for your hire for nowe I right well perceyue that Hunger forceth the Woulfe oute of hir denne I conne you thancke that lyke a Lorde you can so puissantly gayne youre liuyng Wherefore procéedyng in that whiche you haue begonne I doubt not but shortely you wyll proue suche a woorkeman as my mistresse shall not néede to put out hir 〈◊〉 to spinne to hir great charge and coste for makyng of hir smockes but that the same maye well bée done wythin hir owne house yea although the same doe serue but for Kitchen cloathes for dresser boordes or cleanyng of hir vessell before they 〈◊〉 serued forth And as youre good desertes doe merite thanckes for this your arte nowe well begoonne euen so youre newe tolde tale of commyng hyther requireth no lesse for that you haue disclosed the trouthe When she had sayde these wordes she reached hym some store of meates for hys dynner and badde hym well to fare When she was returned vnto hir Lady shée shewed vnto hir the Spindle full of thréede and told hir therwithall the whole storie of the compact betwene the Knight Vlrico and the two Hungarian Barons Whereof the Ladie sore astoonned for the snares layd to 〈◊〉 hir was notwithstanding well 〈◊〉 for that shée had so well for séene the same but moste of all reioysed that hir husband had so good opinion of hir honest lyfe And before she wold aduertise hym of these euentes she purposed to attend the comming of the Lord Vladislao to whom she meant to do like penance for his carelesse bargaine and dishonest opinion accordingly as he deserued maruelling very much that both the Barons wer so rash presumptuous daungerously not knowing what kinde of woman she was to put their landes and goodes in hazard But consideryng the nature of diuers brainsicke mē which passe not how carelesly they aduenture their gained goodes and inherited landes so they maye 〈◊〉 the praie after which they vainely hunt for the preiudice hurt of other she made no accompt of these attempt s sith honest matrones force not vpon the sutes or vaine consumed time of lighte brained cockscombs that care not what fonde coste or yll imployed houres they waste to anoy the good renoume and honest brutes of women But not to discourse frō point
euidence and the law which condemned him He was sent to prison sentence was pronounced against him with such expedition as he had no leisure to consider his affaires There was no man for feare to incurre the displeasures of the Magistrates that durst opē his mouth to speake or make sute for his deliueraunce Like as that most part of friends in these dayes resembling that crow that flieth not but after carrion to gorge his rauenous 〈◊〉 and such friends doe visite the house of the friend but for profit reuerencing him so long as he is in prosperitie according to the Poets complaint Like as the purest golde in fiery flame is tried Euen so is faith of friends in hard estate descried If hard mischap doth thee affray Eche of thy friends do flee away And he which erst full friendly semde to thee A friend no more to thy pore state is hee And simple wights ought not to be afraid and think amisse if friends doe flée away sith Princes and great Lords incurre such hap and fortune The great leader of the Romaine armies Pompeius the honor of the people and senate of Rome what companion had he to flée with him Which of his auncient friends toke paine to rescue and deliuer him from his enimies handes which did pursue him A king of Egipt which had knowne and found this good Romane Prince a kinde gentle frend was he that killed him and sent his head to his 〈◊〉 and vnsatiable gredie gutte Iulius Caesar falsifying his promised faith and forgetting his receiued pleasures Amongs all the comfortes which this pore Siena Gentleman found although but a curssed traitor was this vnfaithfull and pestiferous Camaeleon who came and offred him all the pleasure and kindenesse he was able to do But the varlet attended conuenient time to make him taste his poison and to let him sée by 〈◊〉 how daūgerous a thing it is to be ill neighbored hoping after the condempnation of Montanine he should at pleasure purchase the Lordship after which with so open mouth he gaped Ouer whome he had his will for two or 〈◊〉 dayes after the recitall of the enditement and giuing of the euidence Charles was condempned his fine sessed at M. Florins to be paid within xv dayes vntil which 〈◊〉 to remaine in prison And for default of suche paiment to lose his head bicause he had infringed the lawes and broken the statutes of the Senate This sentence was very difficult for pore Montanine to digest who saw all his goods like to be despoiled and confiscate cōplaining specially the fortune of fair Angelica his sister which all the time of the imprisonment of hir deare brother neuer went out of the house ne ceased to wepe lament the hard fortune wherinto their family was like to fal by that new mischaūce Alas said that fair curteous damsel wil the heauens neuer be appeased but continually extēd their wrath vpon that deplored family shal our missehaps neuer cease Had it not bene more tollerable for our cōsumed bloud that the dissentiōs past had ben tried by dent of sword than to sée that presēt innocency of the yong gentleman my brother in daūger to be guiltlesly accused put to death through that vniustice of those which bear mortal malice to noble bloud glory in depriuation of the whole remēbraūce of the same O dampnable state that must hale the guiltlesse to the gibet irreuocable iugemēt of those iudges remaining in a city which men cal frée albeit a cōsused multitude hath the vpper hād may so be that nature hath produced them to tread vnder fote noble wights for their offenses Ah deare brother I sée wel what is the cause if thou hadst not that little Lordship in the Countrey stately house in the city no mā wold haue enuied thine estate or could haue charged thée with any crime which I wold to God thou hadst not only enterprised but also brought to passe to the intent thou mightst haue bene reuenged of the wrong which these cankred carles ordinarily doe vnto thy Noble bloud But what reason is it that marchants artificers or the sonnes of villains shuld rule a cōmon wealth O happy Countreis where kings giue lawes Princes sée by proued sight those persons which resemble them in their places bear the sway And O vnhappy we that be the slaues of a waiwarde state peruerted by corruption Why did our predecessors mind to stablish any liberty at al to thrust the same into the confused gouernement of the commons of our countrey We haue stil the Frenchmen at our taile or that people of our highest bishop or else those crafty Florentines we be the cōmon pray of al those that list to folow the haunt and that which is our extremest misery we make our selues the very 〈◊〉 of them that of right ought to be reputed that 〈◊〉 amongs vs all Ah dere brother that thy wretched time is come the only hope of our decaied family Thou hadst neuer bene cōmitted to warde had not thy false assured foes bene sure of witnesse to condempne thee Ah that my life might raunsome thine redeme again thine estate succor thou shouldest be sure that forthwith Angelica wold prepare hirself to be the praie of those hungry rauening wolues which bleat and bellow after thy lands life While this faire damsell of Siena in this sort did torment hir self pore Montanine séeing that he was brought to the last extremitie of his desired hope as eche man naturally doth seeke meanes to prolong his life knowing that all other help failed for his deliueraunce except he sold his land aswel to satisfy the fine as to preuaile in the rest of his affaires sent one of the gailers to that worshipful vsurer the cause of his calamitie to offer him his land for that price and sum of a M. Ducates The pernicious 〈◊〉 villain seeing that Montanine was at his mercy stode in the water vp to the very throte and knew no more what to do as if already he had triumphed of his life and lande so greatly coueted answeared him in this manner My friend thou shalt say to Charles Montanine that not long agoe I would willingly haue giuen him a good sum of money for his ferme but sithens that time I haue imployed my money to some better profit and albeit I was in minde to buy it I wold be loth to giue aboue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Florins being assured that it can not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as my money is able to bring yerely gain into my 〈◊〉 See how Auarice is the pickpurse of secrete and 〈◊〉 gaine the very whirlepoole of honestie 〈◊〉 coueting nought else but by vnrighteous pray 〈◊〉 other mennes goods to accumulate and heap togither The aboundance wherof bringeth no greater good 〈◊〉 vnto the gluttonous owner but rather the minde 〈◊〉 such is more miserable and carieth there withall more decrease of quiet than increase of filthy muck The
Angelica by the hand they went into that hall from thence into his chāber which was furnished according to that state riches of a Lord he being one of the welthiest chiefe of the citie of Siena When they were set downe all the 〈◊〉 gone 〈◊〉 Charles began to say to Salimbene these wordes You may not thinke it straunge sir Salimbene if against the lawes customes of our commō wealth I presently do call you for knowing the band wherwith I am boūd vnto you I must for euer cōfesse count my self to be your slaue bōdman you hauing done a thing in my behalf that deserueth the name of Lord master But what vngrateful man is he that wil forget so great a benefit as that which I haue receiued of you holding of you life goods honor this mine own sister that enioyeth by your meanes the presence of hir brother hir rest of mind not losing our noble reputation by the losse prepared for me through vnrighteous iudgement you hauing staid the ruine both of hir me and the rest of our house kin I am right glad sir that this my duetie seruice is boūden to so vertuous a gentleman as you be but excéeding sory that fortune is so froward contrary vnto me that I am not able to accomplishe my good will and if ingratitude may lodge in mind of a néedie Gentleman who hath no helpe but of himself and in the will of his chast sister and minde vnited in two persōs onely saued by you duetie doeth require to present the rest and to submit al that is left to be disposed at your good pleasure And bicause that I am well assured that it is Angelica alone which hath kindled the fire of desire and hath caused you to loue that which your predecessours haue deadly hated that same sparke of knowledge which our misery could not quenche with all his force hath made the way and shewed the path whereby we shall auoide the name of ingrate forgetfull persons that same which hath made you liberal towards me shal be bountifully bestowed vpō you It is Angelica sir which you sée present héere who to discharge my band hathe willingly rendred to be your owne submitting hir selfe to your good will for euer to be youres And I which am hir brother and haue receiued that great good wil of hir as in my power to haue hir wil do present the same leaue hir in your handes to vse as you would your owne praying you to accept the same to consider whose is the gift and from wheuce it cometh and how it ought to be regarded When he had sayd so Montanine rose vp and without further talke went home vnto his house If Anselmo were abashed at the Montanines arriuall and 〈◊〉 at the Oration of Charles his sodaine departure was more to be maruelled at and therwithall to sée the effect of a thing which he neuer hoped nor thought vpon He was excéeding glad ioyful to sée himself in the cōpany of hir whome he desired aboue all things of the world but sory to sée hir heauy sorowfull for such chaunce He supposed hir being there to procéede rather of the yong mans good gentle nature than of the maidens will liking For which cause taking hir by the hād holding hir betwene his armes he vsed these or such like words Gentlewomā if euer I had felt knowne with what wing that varietie lightnesse of worldly things do flie the gains of incōstant fortune at this present I haue séene one of that most manifest profes which semeth to me so 〈◊〉 as almost I dare not beleue that which I sée before mine eyes I knowe well that it is for you and for the seruice that I beare you that I haue broken the effect of that hatred which by inheritaunce I haue receiued against your house and for that deuotion haue deliuered your brother But I sée that fortune will not let me to haue the vpper hand to be the conquerer of hir sodaine pangs But you your self shal sée euery mā shall know that my heart is none other thā noble my deuises tend but to the exploit of all vertue gentlenesse wherfore I pray you said he kissing hir louingly be not sad doubt not that your seruaunt is any other now hauing you in his power than he was whē he durst not discouer the ardēt loue that vexed him held him in féeble state ful of 〈◊〉 and thought you also may bée sure that he hath not had the better hand ouer me ne yet for his curtesie hath obteined victorie nor you for obeying him For sith that you be mine and for such yelded and giuen to me I wil kéepe you as hir whom I loue esteme aboue al things of the worlde making you my companion and the only mistresse of my goodes hearte and will Thinke not that I am the friende of Fortune and practise pleasure alone without vertue It is modestie which commaundeth me and honestie is the guide of my conceites Assure you then repose your comfort on me for none other thā Angelica Montanine shall be the wife of Anselmo Salimbene and during my life I will bée the friende the defender and supporter of your house At those good newes the drousie and wandering spirite of the faire Siena mayde awaked who ending hir teares and appeasing hir sorow rose vp and made a very lowe reuerence vnto hir curteous friende thanking him for his greate and incomparable liberalitie promising all seruice duetie and amitie that a Gentlewoman ought to bear vnto him whō God had reserued for hir spouse and husbande After an infinite numbre of honest imbracements and pleasant kisses giuen and receiued on both parts Anselmo called vnto him one of his Auntes that dwelled within him to whome hée deliuered hys newe conquest to kéepe and spedily without delaye hée sent for the next of his kinne and dearest friends and being come he intreated them to kéepe him companie in a very vrgent and weightie businesse he had to do wherin if they shewed them selues diligent in hys request doubtfull it is not but he addressed spéede for accomplishmēt of his enterprise Then causing his Aunt and welbeloued Angelica to come forth he caried them not without their great admiration to the pallace of Montanine whither being arriued he and his companie were wel intertained of the sayde Montanine the brother of faire Angelica When they were in the hall Salimbene sayd to his brother in law that shold be Senior Montanine it is not long sithens that you in companie of my faire Gentlewoman here came home to speake with me desirous to haue no man priuie to the effect of your cōference But I am come to you with this troupe to disclose my mind before you al to manifest what I purpose to do to the intent the whole world may know your good honest
those that be so fondly iealous as eche thing troubleth their minde and be afraide of the flies very shadowe that buzze about their faces For by paining molesting themselues with a thing that so little doeth please and content them vntill manifest and euident proofe appeare they display the folly of their minds imperfection and the weake stedfastnesse of their fantasy But where the fault is knowne the vice discouered where the husband séeth himselfe to receiue damage in the soundest part of his moueable goodes reason it is that he therein be aduised by timely deliberation and sage foresight rather than with headlōg fury raging rashnesse to hazard the losse of his honor and the ruin of his life and goodes And like as the faith and sidelitie of the vndefiled bed hath in all times worthily bene cōmended euen so he that polluteth it by infamie beareth the penaunce of the same Portia the daughter of Cato and wife of Brutus shall be praised for euer for the honest inuiolable loue which she bare vnto hir beloued husband almost like to lose hir life when she heard tell of his certaine death The pudicitie of Paulina the wife of Seneca appeared also when she assayed to die by the same kinde of death wherewith hir husband violently was tormented by the vniust commaundement of the most cruell and horrible Emperoure Nero. But whores and harlottes hauing honest husbandes and well allied in kinne and ligneage by abandoning their bodies doe prodigally consume their good renowme If they escape the Magistrates or auoide the wrath of offended husbandes for the wrong done vnto them yet they leaue an immortall slaunder of their wicked life and youth thereby may take example aswell to shun suche shamelesse women as to followe those Dames that be chaste and vertuous Now of this contempt which the wife beareth to hir husband doe rise very many times notorious slaunders and suche as are accompanyed with passing cruelties wherein the husband ought to moderate his heat and calme his choler and soberly to chastise the fault for so muche as excessiue wrath and anger doe Eclipse in man the light of reason and suche rages doe make them to be semblable vnto brute and reasonlesse beastes Méete it is to be angrie for things done cōtrary to right equitie but tēperance and modestie is necessary in all occurrentes be they with vs or against vs. But if to resist anger in those matters it be harde and difficulte it is also to be thought that the greater impossibilitie there is in the operation and effecte of any good thing the greater is the glory that banquisheth the affection and mastereth the first motion of the minde which is not so impossible to gouerne and subdue to reason as many doe estéeme A wise man then cannot so farre forget his duetie as to exceede the boundes and limites of reason and to suffer his minde to wander from the siege of Temperaunce which if he doe after he hath well mingled Water in his Wine hée may chaunce to finde cause of repentaunce and by desire to repaire his offense augment his fault sinne being so prompt and ready in man as the crime which might be couered with certain iustice and coloured by some lawe or righteous cause maketh him many times to fall into detestable 〈◊〉 and sinne so contrary to mildnesse and modesty as the very tyraunts themselues wold abhorre such wickednesse And to the end that I do not trouble you with allegation of infinite numbres of examples seruing to this purpose ne render occasion of tediousnesse for you to reuolue so many bokes I am cōtented for this present to bring in place an History so ouer cruell as the cause was reasonable if duety in the one had bene cōsidered and rage in the other bridled and forseene who madly murdred and offended those that were nothing guiltie of the facte which touched him so neare And although that these be matters of loue yet the reader ought not to be grieued nor take in euill part that we haue still that argument in hand For we doe not hereby go about to erect a scholehouse of loue or to teache youth the wanton toyes of the same but rather bring for the these examples to withdraw that pliant and tēder age of this our time from the pursute of like follies which may were they not in this sort warned ingender like effects that these our Histories doe recompt and wherof you shall be partakers by reading the discourse that followeth Ye must then vnderstand that in the time that Braccio Montane and Sforza Attendulo flourished in Italie and were the chiefest of that Italian men of warre there were thrée Lordes and brethren which helde vnder their authoritie and puissance Fcligno Nocera and Treuio parcell of the Dukedome of Spoleto who gouerned so louingly their landes togither as without diuision they mainteined themselues in their estate liued in brotherly concorde The name of the eldest of these thrée Lordes was Nicholas the second Caesar and the yongest Conrade gētle personages wise and welbeloued so wel of the Noble men their neighbors as also of the Citezens that were vnder their obeysaunce who in the end shewed greater loyaltie towards them than those that had sworne their faith and had giuen pledges for confirmation thereof as ye shall perceiue by reading that which foloweth It chaūced that the eldest oftentimes repairing from Foligno to Nocera and lodging still in the Castell behelde with a little too much wanton eye the wife of his lieuetenaunt which was placed there with a good number of dead payes to guard the forte kepe vnder the Citizens if by chaunce as it happeneth vpon the newe erection of estates they attempted some newe enterprise against their soueraigne Lords Now this Gentlewoman was faire and of better grace singularly delighting to be loked vpon which occasioned the Lord Nicholas by perceiuing the wantonnesse and good will of the mistresse of the Castell not to refuse so good occasion determining to prosecute the enioying of hir that was the bird after which he hunted whose beautie and good grace had déepely woūded his mind wherin if he forgotte his duetie I leaue for all men of good iudgement to consider For me thinke that this yong Lord ought rather singularly to loue and cherishe his Lieuetenaunt that faithfully and trustily had kept his Castell and Forte than to prepare against him so traiterous an attempt and ambushe And if so be his sayde Lieuetenaunt had bene accused of felony misprision or Treason yet to speake the trouth he might haue deliuered the charge of his Castel vnto an other rather thā to suborne his wife to follie And ought likewise to haue considered that the Lieuetenaunt by putting his trust in him had iust cause to complaine for rauishing his honoure from him in the person of his wife whome be ought to haue loued without any affection to infrindge the holy lawe of amitie the breaking
that nowe when our passetime of hunting might yelde some good recreation vnto your honour that you doe thus forsake vs notwithstanding sith it is your good plesure we wil cease the chase of the wilde Bore till your returne In the meane time I will make readie the coardes and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the takyng of the same that vpon youre comming nothing want for the furniture of our sport The Lord Nicholas seing his Lieutenant so pleasantly disposed and so litle bent to choler or iealous fantasie was persuaded that some other toy had rather occupied his minde than any suspition betwene his wife and him But the subtill husbande searched other meanes to be 〈◊〉 than by killyng him alone of whom he receyued that dishonour and was more craftie to enterprise and more hardie to execute than the louers were wyse or well aduised to preuente and wythstande his sleightes and pollicies And albeit that the wyfe after the departure of hir friende assayed to drawe from hym the cause of his altered chéere yet coulde shée neuer learne that hir husbande hadde any yll opinion of their loue For so many times as talke was moued of the Lord Nicholas he exalted his praise vp into the heauens and commended him aboue all his 〈◊〉 All whiche he didde to beguile the pollicies of hir whome he sawe to blushe and manye tymes change colour when she heard him spoken of to whom she bare better affection than to hir husband vnto whō in very dede she dyd owe the fayth and integritie of hir bodie Thys was the very toyle which he had laide to intrappe those amorous persons and purposed to ridde the worlde of them by that meanes to remoue from before his eyes the shame of a 〈◊〉 title and to reuenge the iniurie done to hys reputation The Mistresse of the Castell seing that hir husbande as shée thought by no meanes did vnderstande hir 〈◊〉 desired to continue the pleasure whiche either 〈◊〉 them desired and which made the thirde to die of phrenesie wrote to the Lorde Nicholas the letter that foloweth My Lorde the feare I had that my husband should perceyue our loue caused me to intreate you certaine dayes past to discontinue for a time the frequentatiō of your owne house wherby I am not a litle grieued that contrary to my will I am defrauded of your presence which is farre more pleasant vnto me than my husbandes 〈◊〉 who ceaseth not continually to talke of the honest behauiour and commendable qualities that be in you and is sorie for youre departure bicause he feareth that you mislyke youre entertainement which should be sayth he so grieuous and noysome vnto him as death it selfe Wherfore I pray you 〈◊〉 if it be possible and that your affaires do suffer you to come hither to the ende I may inioy youre 〈◊〉 presence and vse the libertie that our good happe hath prepared through the litle iealosie of my husband your Lieutenant who I suppose before it be long will 〈◊〉 you so great is his desire to make you passetime 〈◊〉 hunting within your owne lande and territorie Fayle not then to come I beséech you and we will so well consider the gouernement of our affaires as the best sighted shall not once discrie the least suspicion therof recommending my selfe most humbly after the best maner I can to your good lordship This Letter was deliuered to a lackey to beare to the Lorde Nicholas and not so priuily done but that Lieutenant immediatly espied the deceipt which the sooner was disciphred for so much as he dayely lay in waite to finde the meanes to reuēge the wrong done vnto him of purpose to beate the iron so long as it was hotte to execute his purpose before his wife toke hede and felte the indeuor of his enterprise And bicause that shée had assayed by diuers ways to sound his hart and fele whether he had conceiued displeasure against the Lorde hir louer the daye after wherein she had written to hir friende hée sente one of hys men in poste to the thrée Lordes to require them to come the nexte daye to sée the passetyme of the 〈◊〉 and greatest Wylde Bore that long tyme was bredde in the Forrestes adioynyng vnto Nocera Albeit that the Countreye was fayre for 〈◊〉 and that diuers times many fayre Bores 〈◊〉 bene encountred there But it was not for this that he had framed his errand but to trap in one toyle and snare the thrée brethren whome he determined to sacrifice to the aultar of hys vengeaunce for the expiation of their elder brothers trespasse and for soiling the nuptiall bed of his seruāt He was the wylde Bore whom he meant to strike hée was the praie of his vnsaciable and cruell appetite If the fault had ben generall of all thrée togethers he had had some reason to make them passe the bracke of one equall fortune and to tangle them within one net both to preuent therby as he thought his further hurt and to chastise their leude behauiour For many times as lamentable experience teacheth Noble men for the only respect of their nobilitie make no conscence to doe wrong to the honor of them whose reputation and honestie they oughte so well to regarde as their owne Herein offended the good prince of the Iewes Dauid whē to vse his Bersabe without suspicion he caused innocent Vrias to be slaine in lieu of recompense for hys good seruice and diligent execution of his behests The children of the proude Romane King Tarquinius did herein greatly abuse them selues when they violated that noble Gentlewoman Lucrece whome all histories doe so muche remembre and whose chastitie all famous writers doe commende Upon such as they be vengeance oughte to be doue and not to defile the handes in the bloode of innocentes as the parents and kinsemen of dead Lucrece did at Rome and this Lieutenant at Nocera vpon the brethren of him that hadde sent him into Cornewall without passing ouer the seas But what Anger procéeding of such wrong surmounteth al phrenesie and excedeth all the bounds of reason and mans so deuoide of wits by seing the blot of defamation to light vpon him as he séeketh al 〈◊〉 to hurt and displease him that polluteth his renoume All the race of the Tarquines for like fact were banished Rome for the onely brute whereof the husband of the faire rauished wife was constrained to auoide the place of his natiuitie Paris alone violated the body of Menelaus the Lacedemouian King but for reuenge of the rauished Greeke not onely the glorie and richesse of stately Troy but also the most part of Asia and Europa was ouerturned and defaced if credit may be giuen to the records of the auncient So in this fact of the Lieutenant the Lorde Nicholas alone had polluted his bed but the reuenge of the cruell man extended further and his furie raged so farre as the guiltlesse were in great daunger to beare the penance which shall be well perceiued by the discourse that
that his wife also priuily had sente hir page vnto whom he purposed to giue so good a recōpense as neuer more she shold plant his hornes so high vnder a colour of gētle entertainment of hir ribauld friend They wer scarse resolued vpon this intent but newes were brought him that the next day mornyng the thrée lords accompanied with other nobilitie would come to Nocera to hunt that huge wilde Bore wherof the Lieutenant had made so great auant These news did not gretly please the Captain forsomuch as he feared that his purpose could not cōueniently be brought to passe if the companie were so great But when he considered that the Lords alone should lodge withinthe Fort he was of good chéere againe and stayed vpon his first intent The Triniciens the next day after came very late bicause the Lorde Berardo of Varano Duke of Camerino desired to be one and also the two brethren taried for Conrade who was at a mariage coulde not assist the tragedie that was playd at Nocera to his gret hap and profit To this troupe came to Nocera late and hauing supped in the Citie the Lord Nicholas and the Duke of Camerino wente to bed in the Fort Caesar the brother of Trinicio tarying behind with the traine to lodge in the citie Stay here a while ye gentlemen ye I say that pursue the secrete stelths of loue neuer put any great trust in Fortune whiche seldome kepeth hir promise with you Ye had néede therefore to take good hede lest ye be surprised in the place where priuily you giue the assault and in the act wherin ye desire the assistance of none Sée the barbarous crueltie of a Lieutenant which loued rather to kil his corriuall in his cold blood than otherwise to be reuenged when he saw him a bedde with his wife purposely that the erāple of his furie might be the better knowne and the secret selander more euident from the roote whereof did 〈◊〉 an infinite numbre of murders and mischiefs About midnight then when al things were at rest vnder the dark silence of the night the Lieutenant came to the chamber of the Lorde Nicholas accompanied with the most parte of the watche and hauyng stopte vp the yeoman of his chamber hée so dressed the companion of hys bedde as for the first proofe of hys curtesie he caused hys membres and priuie partes to be cut of saying vnto hym wyth cruell disdayne Thou shalte not henceforth wycked wretche welde thys launce into the rest thereby to batter the honoure of an honester man than thy self Then laūching his stomake with a piercing blade he tare the hart out of his belie saying Is this the traiterous hearte that hath framed the plot and deuised the enterprise of my shame to make thys infamous villaine without life his renoume without praise And not 〈◊〉 with this crueltie he wreakt that like vpon the remnant of his body that somtimes the runagate Medea did vpon hir innocēt brother to saue that lyfe of hir selfe and of hir friend Iason For she cut him into an hundred thousand pieces gyuyng to euery membre of the poore murdred soule hir word of mockerie contempt Was it not sufficient for a tirannous husbande to be reuēged of his shame and to kill the partie which had defamed him withoute vsing so furious Anatomie vpon a dead body and wherin there was no longer féeling But what Ire being without measure anger without bridle or reson it is not to be wondred if in al his actes the Captaine ouerpassed the iuste measure of bengeance Many would thinke the cōmitted murder vpon Nicholas to bée good and iust but the Iustice of an offense ought not so long time be conceyled but rather to make him féele the smart at the verie time the déede is done to the ende that the nipping griefe of pestilent treason wrought against the betrayed partie be not obscured aud hidden by sodaine rage and lacke of reason rising in the mindes first motions and therby also the fauite of the guiltie by his indiscretion couered otherwise there is nothing that can colour such vice For the lawe indifferently doth punish euery 〈◊〉 that without the Magistrates order taketh authoritie to 〈◊〉 hys owne wrong But come wée againe vnto our purpose The Captaine all imbrued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 entred the chamber of the Duke of 〈◊〉 whome with all she rest of the straungers that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hée lodged without speakyng any woorde in a déepe and obscure pryson 〈◊〉 what reste they tooke that nyght whyche were come to hunt 〈◊〉 Wylde 〈◊〉 For without trauayling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hir vermilion cléere beganne to thewe hir selfe when all the Hunters didde putte them selues in a readynesse and coupled vppe theyr Dogges to marche into the Fielde beholde one of the Captaines cruell ministers wente into the Citie to cause the Lorde 〈◊〉 to come and speake with his brother Nicholas and intreated him not to tarie for that he and the Duke were disposed to shewe him some disport Caesar which neuer suspected the least of these chanced murders desired not to be prayed agayne but made haste to the butcherie lyke a Lambe in the companie of the Wolues them selues that were in readinesse to kill hym He was no sooner in the court of the Castle but seuen or eight varlets apprehended him and his men and caried hym into the chamber bound like a théefe wherin the membres of his miserable brother were cut of dispersed whose corps was pitifully gored and arayed in blood If Caesar were abashed to sée himselfe bound and taken prisoner he was more astoonned when he perceiued a body so dismembred and which as yet he knewe not Alas sayde he what sight is this Is this the Bore which thou hast caused vs to come hither to hūt within our very Fort The Captaine rising vp al imbrued with blood whose face voice promised nothing but murder to the miserable yong gētleman said Sée Caesar the bodie of thine adulterous brother Nicholas that infamous whoore mōger and marke if this be not his head I would to God that Conrade were here also that ye might all thrée be placed at this sumptuous banket which I haue prepared for you I sweare vnto thée then that this shold be the last day of all the Trinicien race and the end of your tirannies and wicked life But sith I cā not get the effect of that which my heart desireth my minde shal take repast in the triumph which Fortune 〈◊〉 ordeined Curssed be the mariage wedding at Treuio that hath hindred me of an occasion so apte and of the meanes to dispatche a matter of such importance as is the ouerthrow of so many tirants Caesar at this sentence stode so still as whilom did the wife of Loth by seing the Citie on fire and consume into ashes by the sight wherof she was cōuerted into
those to whome he did owe all honoure and reuerence And do assure you that if he had 〈◊〉 below as he was vpon the rampire of the walles they hadde torne him into so many pieces as he had made gobbets of the Lord Nicholas bodie But séeing that they could not take him they went about to séeke the deliueraūce of them whome they thought to be yet aliue and one of the chiefe of the Citie in the name of them all shortly briefly answered him thus If malice did not well discouer it self in the sugred and traiterous composition of thy woordes O Captaine it were easie inough for an inconstant people bent to chaūge and desirous of innouations to heare and do that which such a traitor and flatterer as thou art doest propose but we hauing 〈◊〉 time indured nothing of the 〈◊〉 that sauoreth of tiranny cruelty or excesse we were no lesse to be accused of felonie than thou art guiltie of rebels crime by seasing vpon the persones of thy Lords if we should yelde credit to thy serpents hissing or lend aide to thy traiterous practise thou gost about against them who by innobling thée are traiterously bereued of that which concerned their reputation and greatnesse We 〈◊〉 an honest people and faithfull 〈◊〉 We will not be bothe wicked and vnhappy at once without cause expel our heads out of our common wealth when they shall perpetrate the mischiefs which thou hast alleaged for example Upon suche 〈◊〉 and straunge facts we shall take newe aduise and Councell To be short thou shalt pleasure vs to set our Lords at libertie and thou like a wise man shalt doe thy duetie and satisfie a people which easily can not indure that a subiecte doe wrong to those to whom he oweth 〈◊〉 And feare not to receiue any euill of them nor yet to feele anoyaunce for we will take vpon vs by honest meanes to craue pardone for thy fault how hainous so euer it be But if thou continue thine 〈◊〉 be sure that the Lord Conrade shall be aduertised and with al our power we shall succour him by force to let thée féele the nature of treason and what reward is incident to the practizers of the same The Captaine 〈◊〉 he was abashed with that answere and saw that it would not be well with him if he did not prouide speady 〈◊〉 and order for his affaires aswell for the comming of the Lord Conrade as of the brother of the Duke 〈◊〉 tolde the Citizens that within thrée or 〈◊〉 dayes he wold giue them a resolute answer and so it might be 〈◊〉 vnto their willes and dcliuer them whome he had in holde This gentle answer did nothing stay the Citizens for the accomplishment of that which they thought 〈◊〉 to doe knowing also that the gallant had not commenced that comedie but for other toyes which his 〈◊〉 head had framed for a further intended mischiefe for which cause they assembled their Councel and concluded that one should ride in poste to the Lord Conrade the third and remnaūt of the brethren that he might come to take order for the deliuerance of Nicholas and Caesar whom they thought he had reserued stil a liue in captiuitie The Nocerines shewed this curtesie not but that they wold gladly haue bene at liberty if the way had bene better troden aswell for the little trust they reposed in the Captaine who they thought would be no more gentle and faithful than he shewed himself to be loyall to his masters as for that Conrade was wel beloued of the Lordes his neighbors and specially of the imprisonned Duke and his brother Braccio Montone who had the Italian men of warre at his pleasure that the Noble men would assist him with all their power Wherfore they cōsidered that their fairest best way for auoiding of factiōs was to kepe themselues trustie true and by not hearkening to a traitor to bind their soueraigne Lord with such duety and obedience as the vnkindest man of the world wold cōfesse and acknowledge for the consequēce of a mater of such importāce The seditious captaine on the other side voide of hope and in greater rage thā 〈◊〉 was before persisted in his follie not without foreséeing howe he might saue himselfe which he had pollitikely brought to passe if God had not shortned his way by paiment of vsurye for his wickednesse and by the very diligence of them in 〈◊〉 he reposed his trust the manner and how immediately 〈◊〉 follow So soone as he had giuen ouer the Councell of the Citizens and a little bethought him what he had to do he called before him two yong men whome aboue all others he trusted best To these yong men he deliuered all his Golde Siluer and Jewels that they might conuey the same out of the iurisdiction of his Lords to the intent that when he sawe himselfe in daunger he might retire to the place where those gallants had before caried his furniture and moūting them vpon two good stéedes he let them forthe at the posterne gate praying them so soone as they could to returne aduertisement of their aboode and that spedely he wold send after them his children and the rest of his 〈◊〉 telling them that he specially committed his life and goodes into their handes and that in time and place he would acknowledge the benefite done vnto him in that distresse The two that were thus put in trust for sauegarde of his things promised vnto him Golden hilles and miracles but so soone as they hadde lost the sight of their master they deuised another complette and determined to breake faith to him which was forsworne and who made no conscience not onely to reuolt but also 〈◊〉 to kill his soueraigne Lordes They thought it better to ride to 〈◊〉 to tell that Lord Conrade the pitifull ende of his brethren and the imprisonment of the Duke of Camerino than to seke rest for him whome God permitted not to be saued sor his heinous sinne already committed and for that which he meant to do vpon his wife For all the diligence that the Nocerines had made yet were the Lieuetenauntes men at Treuio before them and hauing filled the 〈◊〉 of Conrade with those heauy newes and his eyes with teares his mind with sorow sprite with desire to be reuenged as Conrade was about to mount on horseback with the traine he had the Citizens were arriued to disclose the imprisonmēt of his brethren To whom Conrade made answere I wold to God my friends that the tirant had bene contented with the litle cruelty wherof you speake for then I wold find the meanes to agrée the parties vpon that knowledge of their variance But alas his malice hath passed further hath beastly slaine my brethren but I sweare by the almightie God that if he giue me life I wil take such and so cruell vengeaunce on him as he shall be a glasse to all his like to sée the punishmēt of a fault
so horrible Depart my friends depart get you home dispose your watch and garde about the Castell that the traiter do not escape and assure your selues that this your loue shal neuer be forgotten you shall haue of me not a tyrant as he 〈◊〉 hath protested but rather suche a Lord and better also than hitherto ye haue me proued If Conrade had not bene pressed with heauinesse he hadde 〈◊〉 goodly songs against the treason of the Lieuetenaunt and would haue accused his brother of indiscretion for trusting him whose wife he had abused and well did know that he espied the same But what The businesse required other things than words extreme follie it is to nippe the dead with taunts or with vaine woords to abuse the absent specially where vltion and reuenge is easie and the meanes manifest to chastise the temeritie of suche and to be acquited of the wrong done vnto him that cannot doe it himself Conrade then toke his way towardes Tuderto where then remained the Lord Braccio and therof was Lord and gouernour and had also vnder his gouernment Perugia and many other Cities of the 〈◊〉 Churche and who with the dignitie of the great Constable of Naples was also Prince of Capua to him the Trinicien brother all be 〈◊〉 with teares and transported with choler grief came to demaund succor for reuenge of the Lieuetenauntes trespasse saying For what assuraunce my Lord can Princes and great Lords hope henceforth when their very seruaunts shall rise and by cōstraining their masters make assay to vsurpe their seigniories wherein they haue no title or interest Is this a reuēge of wrōg in steede of one to kill twaine and yet to wishe for the third to dispatch the world of our race Is this to pursue his ennimy to séeke to catche him in trappe which knoweth nothing of the quarell to make him to suffer the paine My two brethren be dead our cosin germaine the Duke is in prison I am héere comfortlesse all sad pensife before you whome likewise this matter toucheth although not so néere as it doeth me but yet with like dishonor Let vs goe my Lord let vs goe I beséeche you to visite our good hoste that so rudely intreateth his gests which come to visite him and let vs beare him a reward that he may tast of our comming let vs goe before he saue himself that with little trauaile lesse harme to an other the ribauld may be punished who by his example if he longer liue may encrease corage bothe in seruaūts to disobey and in subiects to rebel without conscience against their heads and gouerners It is a case of very great importance and which ought to be folowed with all rigor and cruelty And he ought neuer to be supported cōforted or fauored which shal by any meanes attempt to reuolt or arme himself against his Prince or shall constraine him or hir that is his soueraigne Lord or mistresse Is not a Prince constituted of God to be obeyed loued and cherished of his subiects Is it not in him to make ordaine lawes such as shal be thought néedeful and necessary for common welth Ought not he then to be obeyed of his subiects and vassals Ought they then to teach the head commaund the chiefest member of their body I do remember a tale my Lord recited by Menenius Agrippa that wise and Notable 〈◊〉 who going about to reconcile the commons with the Senate alleaged a fit and conuenable example In time past quod he when the parts of mankinde were at variance and euery member would be a Lord generally conspiring grudging alleaging how by their great trauail paines and carefull ministery they prouided all furniture and maintenaunce for the belly and that he like a sluggishe beast stode stil enioyed such pleasures as were giuen him in this murmure and mutine all they agréed that the hands should not minister the mouth should not féede the tée the shold not make it seruiceable the feete shold not trauaile nor head deuise to get the same and whilest euery of them did forsake their seruice and obedience the belly grew so thin and the 〈◊〉 so weake and feeble as the whole body was brought to extreme decay ruine wherby said Agrippa it appeareth that the seruice due vnto the belly as the chief porcion of man by the other members is most necessary the obeying nurssing of whome doth instill force and vigor into the other parts through which we do liue and be refreshed and the same disgested dispearsed into the vaines and vitall powers ingendreth mature and fine bloud and maintaineth that whole state of the body in comely form and order By which trim comparison applied to 〈◊〉 warre is deflected mollified the stout corage 〈◊〉 of the multitude Euen so agréeing with Agrippa if the members grudge disobey against their chief the state must grow to ruine To be short in certain haps a traiter may be cherished and he that hath falsified his first faith but treason and periury euermore be detested as vices execrable In this déede neither the thing nor yet the doer hath any colour of excuse the trespasse cause for which it is done being considered Suffiseth it sir for so muche as there is neither time nor cause of further discourse what néede we to decide the matter which of it selfe is euident Beholde me here a pore Trinicien brother without brethren ioylesse without a fort at Nocera On the other part consider the Duke of Camerino in great distresse and daūger to passe that strait of death my brethren did Let vs goe I pray you to deliuer the captiue and by reuenging these offenses and murders to settle my Citie in former state fredome which that villaine goeth about to take frō me by encoraging my subiects to reuolt to enter armes therby to expell our house from the title of the same As Conrade spake these words with great grauity 〈◊〉 pronoūcing sundry tokēs of sorow that Constable of Naples wroth beyond measure for these vnplesāt newes ful of grief choler against that traiterous lieuetenāt swore in the hearing of them al that he wold neuer rest one good sléepe vntil that quarell were auēged and had quited that outrage done to the Lord Conrade and that wrong which he felt in him for the imprisonmēt of the Duke of Camerino So he concluded and the souldiers were assembled through out all the parts of the constables lands vpon the end of the wéeke to march against the fort of Nocera the Citizens whereof had layd diligēt 〈◊〉 and watch for the escape of the captain who without bashfulnesse determined with his men to defend that same to 〈◊〉 fortune making himself beleue that his quarel was good and cause iust to withstand them that should haue the heart to come to assaile him The Constable in the meane time sent a Trumpet to Nocera to sommon the
tourne but his greatest fame rose of his clemencie and curtesie In such wise as he shewed hym selfe to be gentle and fauourable euen to them whome he knewe not to loue him otherwise than if he had bene their mortal enimie His successors as Augustus Vespasianus Titus Marcus Aurelius Flauius were worthily noted for clemencie Notwithstandyng I sée not one drawe néere to great courage and gentlenesse ioyned with the singular curtesie of Dom Roderigo Viuario the Spaniarde surnamed Cid towarde Kyng Pietro of Aragon that hyndred his expedition againste the Mores at Grenadoe For hauyng vanquished the 〈◊〉 King and taken hym in battell not only remitted the reuenge of his wrong but also suffered hym to goe without raunsome and toke not from him so much as one forte estéeming it to be a better exploite to winne such a king with curtesie than beare the name of cruell in putting hym to death or seazing vpon his lande But bicause acknowledging of the poore and enriching the small is more cōmendable in a Prince than when he sheweth himselfe gentle to his like I haue collected thys discourse and facte of Kyng Mansor of Marocco whose children by subtile and fained religion Cherif succéeded the sonne of whome at this day inioyeth the kingdoms of Su Marocco and the most part of the 〈◊〉 confinyng vpon Aethiopia This historie was told by an Italian called Nicholoso Baciadonne who vpon this accident was in Affrica and in trafike of marchandise in the land of Oran situated vpon the coast of that South seas and where the Geneuois and Spaniards vse great entercourse bicause the countrey is faire wel peopled and where the inhabitaunts although the soile be barbarous lyue indifferent ciuilly vsing greate curtesie to straungers and largely departyng their goodes to the poore towards whome they be so earnestly bente and louing as for their liberalitie and pitifull alinesse they shame vs Christians They mainteyne a greate numbre of Hospitalls to receyue and intertaine the poore and néedie which they doe more charitably than they that be bounde by the lawe of Iesus Christe to vse charitie towardes their brethren wyth that curtesie and humaine myldnesse These Oraniens delight also to recorde in writing the successe of things that chaunce in their tyme and carefully reserue the same in memorie whiche was the cause that hauyng registred in theyr Chronicles which be in the Arabie letters as the moste parte of the Countreys do vse thys present historie they imparted the same to the Geneuois marchauntes of whome the Italian Author confesseth 〈◊〉 haue receyued the Copie The cause why that Geneuois marchaunt was so diligent to make that enquirie was by reason of a citie of that prouince built through the chaunce of this Historie and which was called in theyr tongue Caesar Elcabir so much to say as A great Palace And bycause I am assured that curteous mynds will delight in déedes of curtesie I haue amongs other the Nouells of Bandello chosen by Francois de Belleforest and my selfe discoursed thys albeit the matter be not of great importance and greater thyngs and more notorious curtesies haue bene done by our owne kings and Princes As of Henry the eyght a Prince of notable memorie in his progresse in to the Northe the xxxiij yeare of his raigne when he disdained not a pore Millers house being stragled from his traine busily pursuing the Hart and there vnknown of the Miller was welcomed with homely chere as his mealy house was able for the time to minister and afterwards for acknowledging his willing minde recompenced him with dainties of the Courte and a Princely rewarde Of Edward the thirde whose Royall nature was not displeased pleasauntly to vse a 〈◊〉 Tanner when deuided from his company he mette him by the way not farre from Tomworth in Staffordshire and by cheapening of his welfare stéede for stedinesse sure and able to cary him so farre as the stable dore grewe to a price and for exchaunge the Tanner craued 〈◊〉 shillings to boote betwene the Kings and his And whē the King satisfied with disport desired to shew himself by sounding his warning blast assembled al his train And to the great amaze of the pore Tanner when he was guarded with that 〈◊〉 he well guerdoned his good pastime and familiare dealing with the order of 〈◊〉 and reasonable reuenue for the maintenaunce of the same The like examples our Chronicles memory and report plentifully doe auouche and witnesse But what this History is the more rare and worthy of noting for respect of the people and Countrey where seldome or neuer curtesie haunteth or findeth harboroughe and where Nature doth bring forth greater store of monsters than things worthy of praise This great King Mansor then was not onely the temporall Lord of the Countrey of Oran and Moracco but also as is saide of Prete Iean Bishop of his law and the Mahomet priest as he is at this day that 〈◊〉 in Feze Sus and Marocco Now this Prince aboue all other pleasure 〈◊〉 the game of Hunting And he so muche delighted in that passetime as sometime he would cause his Tentes in the midde of the desertes to be erected to lie there all night to the ende that the next day he might renewe his game and 〈◊〉 his men of idlenesse and the wilde beastes of rest And this manner of life he vsed still after he had done iustice and hearkened the complaintes for which his subiectes came to disclose thereby their griefes Wherin also he toke so great pleasure as some of our Magistrates doe seke their profite whereof they be so squeymishe as they be desirous to satisfie the place whereunto they be called and render all men their right due vnto them For with their bribery and sacred golden hunger Kings and Princes in these dayes be yll serued the people wronged and the wicked out of feare There is none offense almost how villanous so euer it be but is washed in the water of bribery and clensed in the holly drop wherewith the Poetes faine Iupiter to corrupt the daughter of Acrisius faste closed within the brasen Toure And who is able to resist that which hath subdued the highest powers Now returne we from our wanderings This great King Mansor on a day 〈◊〉 his people to hunt in the not marish fenny Countrey which in elder age was farre off from the Citie of Asela which the Portugalles holde at this present to make the way more frée into the Isles of Molncca of the most parte whereof their King is Lord. As he was attentife in folowing a Bear his passe-time at the best the Elementes began to darke and a great tempest rose such as with the storme violent wind scattred the train far of from the King who not knowing what way to take nor into what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 retire to auiode the tempest the greatest the he felt in all his life would wyth a good wyl haue ben accōpanied as the Troiane 〈◊〉 was
of the charge whiche it pleaseth you to giue me and wherevnto for lacke of trainyng vp and vse of suche a dignitie I am altogether vnfitte But 〈◊〉 that the graces of God and the 〈◊〉 of Kyngs oughte neuer to be reiected by acceptyng this benefite wyth humble thankes for the clemencie of your royall maiestie I reste the seruant and slaue of you and yours The Kyng hearyng him speake so wisely toke him vp and imbraced him saying Would to God and his greate Prophete that all they whiche rule Cities and gouerne Prouinces hadde so good a nature as thine then I durste be bolde to say that the people shoulde lyue better at theyr ease and Monarches without greate charge of conscience for the yll behauiours of theyr officers Lyue good man lyue at thine 〈◊〉 maynteyne thy people obserue our lawes increase the beautie of the Citie wherof from this time forth we do 〈◊〉 thée possesser And truely the present was not to bée contemned for that the same at this day is one of the fairest that is in Affrica and is the lande of the black people suche as the Spaniards call Negroes It is very full of gardeins furnished with aboundaunce of Spices brought from the Molucces bicause of the martes and 〈◊〉 ordeined there To be short Mansor shewed by this gift what is the force of a gentle heart which can not abide to be vanquished in curtesie and lesse suffer that vnder forgetfulnesse that memorie of a receiued good turne be lost King Darius whilome for a litle garment receiued in gift by Silofon the Samien recompenced him wyth the gaiue and royall dignitie of that citie and made him soueraine Lord therof and of the Isle of Samos And what greater vertue 〈◊〉 illustrate the name of a noble man than to acknowledge and preferre them which for naturall shame and 〈◊〉 dare not behold the maiestie of their greatnesse God sometimes with a more curteous eye doth loke vpon the presents of a poore mā than the fat and rich offerings of him that is great and wealthie Euen so a benefite from what hande soeuer it procedeth cannot choose to bring forthe the frutes of his liberalitie that giueth the same who by vsing largesse feleth also the like in him to whome it is imployed That magnificēce no long time past vsed the Seigniorie of Venice to Francesco Dandulo who after he had dured the great displeasures of the Pope in the name of the whole Citie vpon his returne to Venice for acknowledgement of his pacience and for abolishmente of that shame was with happie and vniforme acclamation of the whole state elected and made Prince and Duke of that Common welth Worthie of praise truly is he that by some pleasure 〈◊〉 an other to his curtesie but when a noble man acknowleageth for a 〈◊〉 that which a subiect is bound to giue him by dutie and seruice there the proofe of prayse caryeth no fame at all For which cause I determined to displaye the historie of the barbarous king Mansor to the intent that our Gentlemen norished and trained vp in great 〈◊〉 may assay by their mildenesse and good education to surmount the curtesie of that Prince of whom for this time we purpose to take our Farewell The Conclusion with an Aduertisement to the Reader 〈◊〉 thou hast gained for thy better instruction or what conceiued for recreation by reading these 〈◊〉 Nouells I am no iudge althoughe by deeming in reading and perusing thou mayst at thy pleasure gather both But how soeuer profite or delight can satisfie mine appointment wherfore they were preferred into thy hands contented 〈◊〉 I that thou doe vouchsafe them Good lessons howe to shunne the darts and prickes of insolencie thou findest in the same The vertuous noble may sauor the frutes and taste the licour that stilleth from the gummes or buds of Uertue The contrary may sée the blossoms fal that blome from the shrubs of disloyaltie and degenerat kind Yong Gētlemen Ladies do view a plot founded on sured ground and what the foundation is planted in shattring 〈◊〉 with a fashion of attire to garnish their inward parts so well as sparelesse they imploy vpon the vanishing pompe Euery sort and 〈◊〉 that warfare in the fielde of humaine life may sent here the sauourous frute to outward liking that fanished the sensuall tast of Adams wife They sée also what griftes such fading frutes produce vnto 〈◊〉 what likewise the lustie growth and spring of vertues plant and what delicates it brauncheth to those that carefully kéepe the slips therof within the orchard of their mindes Diuerse Tragicall she 〈◊〉 by the pennes description haue bene disclosed in greatest number of these histories the same also I haue 〈◊〉 and swéetened with the course of pleasant matters of purpose not to 〈◊〉 the deyntie mindes of those that shrinke and feare at suche rehersall And bicause sodainly contrary to 〈◊〉 this volume is risen to greter heape of leaues I do omit for this present time sundry Nouels of merie deuise reseruing the same to be ioyned with the rest of an other part wherein shall succéede the remnant of Bandello specially suche suffrable as the learned Frenche man François de Belleforrest hath selected and the 〈◊〉 done in the Italian 〈◊〉 also out of Erizzo Ser Giouani Fiorentino Parabosco Cynthio Straparole Sansouino and the best liked oute of the Quéene of 〈◊〉 and other Authors 〈◊〉 these in so good parte with those that haue and shall come 〈◊〉 as I do offre them with good will curteously 〈◊〉 such faults and errors as shall present themselues either burying 〈◊〉 in the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 or prefermitting them with the beck of Curtesie The which in déede or the most part had not offended thée if time had not ben spent before the Printer could 〈◊〉 to an ende hereof FINIS Imprinted at London by Henry Bynneman for Nicholas Englande ANNO. M. D. LXVIL Nouembris 8. Diuers Faultes escaped in Printyng Faultes Correction In the Summarie of the Nouels Tarquinus Tarquinius Fol. 5. line 12. bicause for that Fol. 39. page 2. line 19. On Or Fol. 41. line 22. conciacion Conciliacion Fol. 47. line 33. and to Fol. 53. page 2. line 26. these the Fol. 76. page 2. xiij Nouel xij Nouel Fol. 87. line 7. xiiij Nouel xiij Nouel 〈◊〉 Fol. line 22. the these Fol. 92. line 15. page 2. she a word 〈◊〉 Fol. 94. line 2. 〈◊〉 Sestertios Eodem line 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eodem page 2. line 8. must be was Fol. 95. line 5. Nouel xv Nouel xiiij Eodem Zenobia Quene of c. who although she was a gentle Quéene yet a Christian Princesse c. Zenobia Quéene of c who although she was a Gentile Quéene yet a Princesse so worthy of c. Fol. 102. line 31. 〈◊〉 susteined Fol. 105. line 12. committing to commit Fol. 135. line 25. Dicilia Sicilia Fol. 141. line 27. Paolina Paola Eodem line 3. In a word 〈◊〉 Fol. 154. page 2. Tinnagoras Timagoras Fol. 161. line 26. fawcons 〈◊〉 Fol. 163. line 8. grislie 〈◊〉 Fol. 167. pag. 2. line 〈◊〉 insūmate insinuate Fo. 178. line 2. page 2. qualitied qualified Fol. 185. line 8. page 2. Romida Romilda Fol. 214. line 22. To a word 〈◊〉 Fol. 242. line 22. then when Fol. 249. line 6. pa. 2. Sansantino San Fantino Fol. 292. page 2. line 3. his hir Fol. 306. page 2. line 17. arriued approued Fol. 359. line 30. ssued issued Fol. 404. page 2. line 32. mans man is Fol. 407. line 22. To So Le buone parole onzeno Le cattiue ponzeno
hostesse pleasantly disposing him selfe to myrth and recreation he went to bed where ioy so lightned his merrie head as no sléepe at all could close his eyes suche be the sauage pangs of those that aspire to like delights as the best reclaimer of the wildest hauke coulde neuer take more payne or deuise 〈◊〉 shiftes to man the same for the better atchieuing of hir praie than dyd this braue Baron sustaine for bryngyng his enterprise to effecte The nexte day early in the morning he rose dressyng hymselfe with the swetest parfumes and putting on hys finest sute of 〈◊〉 at the appointed houre he went to the castell and so secretly as he could according to the Ladies instruction he conueyd himselfe vp into the chamber 〈◊〉 he founde open and when he was entred he shutte the same The maner of the dore was such as none within coulde open it without a 〈◊〉 and besides the strong locke it had both barre and 〈◊〉 on the outside with such fastening as the diuel him self being locked within coulde not breake forth The Ladie which wayted harde by for his 〈◊〉 so soone as she perceiued that the dore was shutte stepte vnto the same and bothe double locked the dore and also without she barred and fast bolte the same carying the 〈◊〉 away with hir This chamber was in the hyghest tower of the house as is before sayde wherein was placed a bedde with good furniture the wyndow wherof was so high that none could loke out without a ladder The other parts therof were in good and cōuenient order apt and mete for an honest prison When the Lorde Alberto was within hée satte downe wayting as the Jewes doe for Messias when the Ladie according to hir appointement should come And as he was in this expectation building castles in the ayre and deuising a thousande Chimeras in his braine beholde he hearde one to open a little wicket that was in the dore of that chamber which was so straight and litle as scarcely able to receyue a loafe of bread or cruse of wine vsed to be sent to the prisoners He thinkyng that it had bene the Ladie rose 〈◊〉 and hearde the noyse of a little girle who loking in at the hole thus sayd vnto him My Lord Alberto the Ladie Barbara my mistresse for that was hir name hath sent me thus to say vnto you That for so much as you be come into this place by countenaunce of Loue to dispoyle hir of hir honour she hath imprisoned you like a théefe according to your deserte and purposeth to make you suffer penance according to the measure of your offense Wherfore so long as you shal remaine in this place she mindeth to force you to gain your bread and drinke with the art of spinning as pore women do for sustentation of their liuyng meanyng thereby to coole the heate of your lustie youth and to make you tast the sowre sause mete for them to assay that go about to robbe Ladies of their honour she bad me lykewise to tell you that the more yarne you spin the greater shal be the abundance and delicacie of your fare the greater paine you take to gaine your foode the more liberall she will bée in distributing of the same otherwise she sayth that you shall fast wyth breade and water Which determinate sentence she hath decréed not to be infringed broken for any kinde of sute or intreatie that you be able to make When the maiden had spoken these wordes she shut the portall dore and returneo to hir Ladie The Baron which thought that he had ben comen to a mariage did eate nothing al the mornyng before bicause he thought to be enterteined with better daintier store of viandes who nowe at those newes fared like one oute of his wittes and stoode still so amazed as though his leggs woulde haue failed him and in one moment his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to vanish and his force and breath forsoke him and fel down vpon the chamber 〈◊〉 in such wise as he that had behelde him wold haue thought him rather dead than liuing In this state he was a greate time after wards somwhat cōming to him selfe he could not tel whether he dreamed or else that the words wer true which the maiden had sayd vnto him In the end séeing and being verily assured that he was in a prison so sure as birde in Cage through 〈◊〉 and rage was like to die or else to lose his wittes faryng with hym selfe of long time lyke a madde man and not knowing what to do passed the rest of the day in walkyng vp and down the chamber rauing stamying staring cursing and vsing words of greatest villanie lamenting and bewailyng the time and day that so like a beast and 〈◊〉 man he gaue the attempt to dispoile the honestie of an other mans wife Then came to his 〈◊〉 the losse of al his landes and goodes which by the 〈◊〉 authoritie were put in comprimise then the shame the scorne and rebuke whyehe hée shoulde receyue at other mens handes beyonde measure vexed hym and reportē bruted in the Court for that it was impossible but the whole worlde should know it so grieued hym as his 〈◊〉 séemed to be strained with two sharpe and bityng nailes the paines whereof forced hym to lose his wittes and vnder standyng In the middes of which pangs furiously vauting vp and down the chamber he espied by chaunce in a corner a 〈◊〉 furnished with good 〈◊〉 of flare and a spindle hangyng therevppon and 〈◊〉 with choler and rage hée was aboute to spoyle and breake the same in pieces but remembring what a harde weapon Necessitie is hée stayed hys wysdom and albeit hée hadde rather to haue contriued hys leysure in noble and Gentlemanlyke passetyme yet rather than he woulde be idle hée thoughte to reserue that Instrument to auoyde the tedious lacke of honest and familiar companie When supper time was come the mayden returned agayn who opening the Portall dore saluted the Baron and sayde My Lord my mistresse hath sente mée to visite your good Lordshyp and to receyue at youre good handes the effecte of youre laboure who hopeth that you haue spoonne some substanciall webbe of thréede for earning of your supper which béeing done shall be readily brought vnto you The Baron full of rage furie and felonious moode if before he were fallen into choler now by protestation of these wordes he séemed to transgresse the bounds of reason and began to raile at the poore wench scolding and chiding hir like a strumpet of the stewes faring as though he would haue beaten hir or done hir some 〈◊〉 ther mischiefe but his moode was stayed from doyng any hurt The poore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by hir 〈◊〉 in laughing wise sayd vnto him Why my lorde do you chafe rage against me Me thinks you do me wrong to vse such reprochful words which am but a seruant and bounde to the commaundement of my mistresse Why sir do you not know that a