willingly agréed greatly praisyng the wisedome curtesie and aboue all the fidelitie of the lord of Virle who causing his penitenciarie to be sette at libertie kept hir companie certaine dayes as well to feast and banket hir in those landes and possessions whiche the kings maiestie had liberally bestowed vpon him as to saciate his appetite with the frutes whereof he had sauoured the tast when he was voluntarily dumbe Zilia founde that fauour so pleasaunt that in a maner shée counted hir imprisonment happie and hir trauel rest by reason that distresse made hir then féele more liuely the force and pleasure of libertie whiche she had not founde to be so pleasant had she not receiued the experience and pain therof Marke here how fortune 〈◊〉 with them whiche trusting in their force despise in respect of that which they do them selues the litle porciō that they iudged to be in others If the vainglorie and arrogant presumption of a chastitie impregnable had not deceiued this Gentlewoman if the sacred hunger of golde had not blinded hir it coulde not 〈◊〉 bene knowne wherin hir incontinencie consisted not in the minion delightes and alluring toyes of a passionate louer but in that couetous desire of filling hir purse and hypocritical glorie of praise among men And notwithstanding ye sée the gaine which she made to 〈◊〉 hir turne nothing at all but to the perpetuall reproch of hir name and raised a slaunder such as yll speakers and enimies of womenkind do burden that sexe withall But the fault of one which by hir owne presumption deceiued hir selfe ought not to obscure the glorie of so many vertuous faire and honest dames who by their chastitie liberalitie and curtesie be able to deface the blot of folie couetousnesse and crueltie of this gentlewoman here and of all other that do resemble hir Who taking leaue of hir louer went home agayne to Piedmont not withoute an ordinarie griefe of hearte which serued hir for a spurre to hir cōscience and continually forced hir to thinke that the force of man is lesse thā nothing where god worketh not by his grace which failyng in vs oure workes can sauor but of the 〈◊〉 corruption of our nature wherin it tumbleth and tosseth like the Sow that waloweth in the puddle full of filth and dirte And bicause ye shall not thinke in general termes of womans chastitie and discretion that I am not able to vouche some particular exāple of later yeares I meane to tel you of one that is not only to be praysed for hir chastitie in the absence of hir husband but also of hir corage and policie in chastizing 〈◊〉 vaunting natures of two Hungarian lords that made their braggs they would winne hir to their willes and not onely hir but also al other what soeuer they were of womankinde A Lady of Boeme ¶ Two Barons of 〈◊〉 assuring them selues to obtaine their sute made to a faire Ladie of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of hir a straunge and maruellous repulse to their great shame and infamie curssyng the time that euer they aduentured an enterprise so foolish The. xxviij Nouel P Enelope the wofull wife of absent Vlisses in hir tedious lōging for the home returne of that hir aduèturous knight assailed wyth carefull hearte amidde the troupe of amorous suters and within the bowels of hir royal palace deserued no greter fame for hir valiāt encountries stoute defense of the inuincible and Adamante forte of hir chastitie than thys Boeme Ladie 〈◊〉 by resisting two mighty barons that canoned the walles and well mured rampart of hir pudicitie For being threatned in his Princes courte whether all the well trained crew of eche science and profession dydde make repaire beyng menaced by Venus bande whiche not onely summoned hir forte and gaue hir a camisado by thick AP Armes but also forced the place by fierce assaulte she like a couragious and politike captaine gaue those braue and lustie souldiers a fowle repulse 〈◊〉 in ende taking them captines vrged them for their victuals to fall to womans toyle more shamefull than shamelesse Sardanapalus amidde his amorous troupe I néede not aggrauate by length of preamble the fame of this Boeme Lady nor yet 〈◊〉 recoūt the triumph hir victorie vayne it were also by glorious hymnes to chaunt the wisedome of hir beleuyng Make who not carelesse of hir lyfe employed hys care to serue hys Prince and by seruice at chieued the cause that draue him to a souldiers state But yet for trustlesse faith in the prime conference of his future porte he consulted with Pollaco for a compounded drugge to ease his suspect minde whiche medicine so eased his maladie as it not onely preserued him from the infected humour but also made him happie for euer Such fall the euentes of valiant mindes though many times mother iealosie that 〈◊〉 wytch steppeth in hir foote to anoy the wel disposed heart For had he ioyned to his valiaunce credite of his louing wife without the blinde aduise of such as professe that blacke and lying science double glorie hée had gained once for endeuoring by seruice to séeke honour the seconde for absolute truste in hir that neuer ment to beguile him as by hir firste aunswere to his first motion appeareth But what is to be obiected against the Barons Let them answere for their fault in this discourse ensuing whiche so lessoneth all noble myndes as warely they oughte to beware howe they aduenture vppon the honoure of Ladies who bée not altogether of one selfe and yeldyng trampe but well 〈◊〉 and steeled in the shamefast shoppe of loyaltie which armure defendeth them against the fonde skirmishes and vnconsidred conflicts of Venus wanton band The maiesties also of the King and Quéene are to be aduaunced aboue the starrs for their wise dissuasion of those noble men from their hot hedlesse enterprise and then their iustice for due execution of their forfait the particularitie of which discourse in this wyse doth begynne Mathie Coruine sometime kyng of Hungaric aboute the yeare of oure Lorde 1458. was a valiant man of warre and of goodly personage He was the first that was famous or feared of the Turks of any prince that gouerned that kingdome And amongs other his 〈◊〉 so well in armes and letters as in liberality and curtesie he excelled all that raigned in his time He had to wife Quéene Beatrice of Arragon the daughter of olde 〈◊〉 kyng of Naples and sister to the mother of Alphonsus Duke of Ferrara who in learnyng good conditions and al other vertues generally dispersed in hir was a surpassing Princesse she wed hirself not onely a curteous liberall Gentlewoman to king Mathie hir husband but to al other that for vertue séemed worthy of honour and reward in such wise as to the court of these two noble princes repaired the most notable men of al nations that wer giuen to any kind of good exercise and euery of them according to theyr desert and degrée were welcomed and entertained
was the best contented man of the world and durst not hope for greater recompence continuing his woonted life féeding him self still with that beloued sight in suche wise as many gentlemen enuied the fauor borne vnto him by the 〈◊〉 who for none other cause did vse that curtesy but for that she saw him to be a vertuous yong man and wel lerned continually estéemyng those that eyther wyth learnyng or other gyftes of the mynde were indewed and when occasion chaunced shée vouchesafed to bestowe vpon them courteous intertainement and liberall rewardes It fortuned about that time that the Emperor Maximilian died Charles his nephew which was the Emperor Charles the fifthe then being in Spayne by reason of whose death the Lorde Andrea Borgo purposed to 〈◊〉 one of his Gentlemen to kyng Charles for the confirmation of that liuing he enioyed giuen vnto him for his lōg and faithfull seruice by the sayd Maximilian Amongs all he chose this master Philippo for his wisedome and experience in such affaires Whiche done he went to the 〈◊〉 and gaue them to vnderstand that shortely hée would send his Secretarie iuto Spayne and told them the cause humbly praying them both that they would write their fauourable letters in his behalf The 〈◊〉 knowing what paine and trauell he had sustained in the seruice of Maximilian and what daungers hée had passed were very willyng thervnto Now 〈◊〉 Anne 〈◊〉 that she had conuenient time to recompence master Philippo for his long loue born vnto hir And bicause she was the most curteous Lady of the world and ther withall most bountifull and liberall and not only with comely talke and other gesture but also in effecte willing 〈◊〉 do them good whome she honoured in minde concluded what to do requiring the Lorde Andrea to sende his Secretarie vnto hir when he was readie to depart for that besides Letters she would by mouth cōmit certain businesse for hir to do in the Court of Spayne When the Lord Andrea was gone 〈◊〉 Anne began to deuise wyth the other 〈◊〉 what she might do for master Philippo who prayed 〈◊〉 Anne after she had commended him in letters to suffer hir to make the ende and conclusion of the same Wher vpon both the Quéenes wrote many letters into Spayne to king Charles and to the Lord Chācellour and other noble men whome they thought to bée apt and mete ministers to bring the effect of their letters to passe When the Lorde Andrea had put all things in ordre for that dispatch he sayd to master Philippo which was nowe furnished with all things necessarie and appertinent for that long voyage Philippo remembre this day that you go to 〈◊〉 Anne and tell hir that I willed you to come vnto hir to know if she would cōmaund you any seruice to the Catholike Kyng where you shall humbly offer your selfe in what it pleaseth hir to commaunde you shall also tell hir what thyngs I haue gyuen vnto you in charge by speciall commission Neuer coulde more pleasant talke sounde into the eares of Master Philippo than this who for that he should bothe sée and speake vnto his Ladie before his departure and for that she would 〈◊〉 vnto him the doing of hir affaires in Spayne was the gladdest and best contented man of the world The houre come when he thought good to repaire to the 〈◊〉 he went vnto hir gaue hir to vnderstād by one of the priuie Chamber that hée was attendant there to know hir pleasure The 〈◊〉 certified of his readinesse to depart by and by toke order that he should come into hir chābre who entring the same with tremblyng heart after he had done his humble reuerēce with great feare and bashfulnesse sayd Pleaseth your Maiestie that my lorde Borgo being about to addresse me his Secretarie into Spayne to the Catholike King there hath commaunded me to waite vpon your highnesse to know your pleasure for certain affaires to be done for your maiestie Wherfore may it please the same to employe mée youre humble seruaunt I shall thinke my selfe the happiest man of the worlde A thyng so blessed and ioyfull vnto me as no benefite or commoditie can render vnto mée greater felicitie Then he disclosed vnto hir the rest of his message which was cōmitted vnto him by his lord and master The 〈◊〉 beholding him with mery countenance gently sayd vnto him And we for the trust we haue in you to do our message other affaires in Spayne haue required you to come hither And bicause we know you to be a Gentleman and assured that you will gladly do your endeuour in any thing that may do vs pleasure haue chosen you aboue any other Our will and cōmandement is that fyrst you deliuer these letters conteining matters of great importance to the handes of the 〈◊〉 King and that you do our humble commendations to his maiestie Then all the rest accordingly as they be directed which principally aboue other things we praye you to dispatch vpon your arriuall And if we be able to do you any pleasure eyther for your 〈◊〉 or for other commoditie spare not to write vnto vs poure mynde and we do assure you the same shal be effectually accomplished to the 〈◊〉 of our indeuour which we do of our owne motion frankly offre vnto you in cōsideration of the 〈◊〉 worthinesse and 〈◊〉 behauiour always knowen to be in you Master Philippo hering these wordes was replenished with such ioy as he thought himself rapt into the heauens and his heart felt such pleasure as it séemed to flete in some depe sea of delites and after the best maner he coulde thanked hir for hir curtesie and albeit be sayd that he knew hym selfe vnworthie of that fauour yet he dedicated the same to hir commaundement surrendring himself as a slaue and faithfull seruant to hir maiestie Then vpon his knées to his great contentation he kissed hir hāds which of hir self she offred vnto him thē reuerētly he toke his leaue When he was gone out of the chamber he met with the 〈◊〉 coserer that 〈◊〉 for him who taking him aside did put into his hand a purse with 500. crownes the master of the horsse presented vnto him a very goodly and beautifull horsse wherwith master Philippo was so well pleased as he was like to 〈◊〉 out of his skin for ioy Then he toke his iorney arriued at the Courte in Spayne where at 〈◊〉 he deliuered his Letters to King Charles and accomplished other businesse and message prescribed vnto him by 〈◊〉 Anne And when he had dispatched the 〈◊〉 other letters he attended the businesse of his Lorde Andrea Borgo The King perused the contentes of the letters sent vnto him by his sister and kynswoman so did the Lord Chauncelour which at that time was the lord Mercurino Gattinara and other to whom the 〈◊〉 had written whereby the Kyng was solicited to stand good Lord to the Lord Andrea Borgo 〈◊〉 likewise exhorted to be beneficial to
to point the particulers of this intended iorney this poore deceiued Baron in short time proued a very good Spinner by exercise wherof he felt such solace as not onely the same was a comfortable sporte for his captiue tyme but also for wante of better recreation it séemed so ioyfull as yf he had bene pluming and 〈◊〉 his Hauke or doing other sportes belongyng to the honourable state of a Lorde Whiche his well arriued labour the maiden recompensed with abundance of good and delicate meates And although the Ladie was many tymes required to visite the Baron yet she woulde neuer to that request consent In whiche time the Knight Vlrico ceased not continually to viewe and reuewe the state of his image which appeared still to bée of one well coloured sorte And although thys vse of his was diuers times marked and séene of many yet being earnestly demaunded the cause thereof hée would neuer disclose the same Many coniectures thereof 〈◊〉 made but none coulde attaine the trouthe And who would haue thought that a Knight so wise and prudent had worne within his pursse any inchanted thing And albeit the King and Quéene hadde intelligence of thys frequent practise of the Knight yet they thoughte not mete for any priuate and secret mysterie to demaund the cause One Moneth and a halfe was passed nowe that the Lord Alberto was departed the Court and become a castle knight and cunning spinster which made the Lord Vladislao to muse for that the promise made betwene them was brokē and heard neither by letter or messanger what successe he had receiued After diuers thoughts imagined in his mind he conceiued that his companion had happily enioyed the end of his desired ioy and had gathered the wished frutes of the Lady and drowned in that maine sea of his owne pleasures was ouerwhelmed in the bottome of obliuion wherefore he determined to set forwarde on his iourney to giue onset of his desired fortune who without long delay for execution of his purpose prepared all necessaries for that voyage and mounted on horsebacke with two of his men he iourneyed towards Boeme within few dayes after arriued at the Castle of the faire and most honest Lady And when he was entred the Inne where the Lord Alberto was first lodged he diligently enquired of him and hard tell that he was returned into Hungarie many dayes before wherof much maruelling could not tel what to say or thinke In that end purposing to put in proofe the cause wherefore he was departed out of Hungarie after diligent inquirie of the maners of the Lady he vnderstoode the general voyce that she was without comparisō the most honest wise gentle and comely Ladie within the whole Countrey of Boeme Incontinently the Ladie was aduertised of the arriuall of this Baron and knowing the cause of his cōming she determined to pay him also with that money which she had already coyned for the other The next day the Baron went vnto the Castle knocking at the gate sent in woord how that he was come from the Court of King Mathie to visite and salute the Lady of that Castle and as she did entertain the first Baron in curteous 〈◊〉 and with louing countenaunce euen so she did the seconde who thought thereby that he had attained by that pleasant entertainment the game after which he hunted And discoursing vpon diuers matters the Lady shewed hir self a pleasant and familiar Gentlewoman which made the Baron to thinke that in short time he shold win the price for which he came Notwithstanding at the first brunt he would not by any meanes descend to any particularitie of his purpose but his words ran general which were that hearing tel of the fame of hir beautie good grace and come linesse by hauing occasion to repaire into Boeme to doe certaine his affaires he thought it labor well spent to ride some portion of his iourney though it were besides the way to digresse to doe reuerence vnto hir whome fame aduaunced aboue the skies and thus passing his first visitation he returned againe to his lodging The Ladie when the Baron was gone from hir Castle was rapte into a rage greatly offended that those two Hungarian Lordes so presumptuously had bended them selues like common Théeues to wander and roue the Countreys not onely to robbe and spoile hir of hir honoure but also to bring hir in displeasure of hir husbande and thereby into the daunger and perill of deathe By reason of which rage not without cause conceiued she caused an other Chamber to be made ready next wal to the other Baron that was become suche a Notable spinster And vpon the next returne of the Lord Vladislao she receiued him with no lesse good entertainment than before and when night came caused him to be lodged in hir owne house in the Chamber prepared as before where hée slept not very soundly all that night through the continuall remembraunee of his Ladies beautie Next morning hée perceiued himselfe to be locked fast in a Prison And when hée had made him ready thinking to descend to bidde the Ladie good morrow séeking meanes to vnlocke the doore and perceiuing that he could not he stoode still in a dumpe And as hée was thus standing maruelling the cause of his shutting in so faste the Maiden repaired to the hole of the dore giuing his honor an 〈◊〉 salutation which was that hir Mistresse commaunded hir to giue him to vnderstand that if he had any lust or appetite to his breakefast or minded from thence for the to ease his hunger or conteine life that he should giue him selfe to learne to réele yarne And for that purpose she willed him to looke in such a corner of the Chamber and he shoulde finde certaine spindles of thréede and an instrument to winde his yarne vpon Wherefore quod she apply your self thereunto and lose no time He that had that time beholden the Baron in the face woulde haue thought that hée hadde séene rather a Marble stone than the figure of a man But conuerting hys colde conceiued moode into madde anger he fell into tenne times more displeasure wyth himselfe than is before described by the other Baron But séeing that hys madde béhauioure and beastly vsage was bestowed in vaine the next day he began to réele The Ladie afterwardes when she hadde intelligence of the good and gainefull spinning of the Lorde Alberto and the well disposed and towardly réeling of the Lorde Vladislao greately reioyced for making of suche two Notable woorkemen whose woorkemanship excéeded the laboures of them that hadde béene apprentyzes to the occupation seuen yeares together Suche be the apte and ready wittes of the Souldioures of loue Where in I would wishe all Cupides dearlings to be nousled and applied in their youthly time thē no doubt their passions would appease and rages assuage and would giue ouer their ouer bolde attemptes for which they haue no thank of the chast and honest And to this goodly
Euphimia deliuered The Kyng promysed his daughter and kingdome to hym that presented the head of Acharisto Euphimia so wrought as he was presented to the King The King gaue hym his daughter to Wife and when he died made him his heire Acharisto began to hate his wife and condemned hir to death as an adulteresse Philon deliuered hir and vpon the sute of hir Subiectes shée is contented to marie hym and thereby he is made Kyng of Corinth Nouel xv Fol. 101. ¶ The Marchionesse of Monferrato with a bankette of Hennes and certaine pleasant words repressed the fonde loue of Philip the Frenche King Nouel xvj Fol. 112. ¶ Mistresse Dianora demaunded of Master Ansaldo a Garden so faire in Januarie as in the Moneth of May. Maister Ansaldo by meanes of an obligation whiche he made to a Necromancer caused the same to bée done The husbande agréed wyth the Gentlewoman that she should do the plesure which master Ansaldo required who hearing the liberalitie of the husbande acquited hir of hir promise the Necromancer likewise discharged master Ansaldo Nouel xvij Fol. 114. ¶ Mithridanes enuious of the liberalitie of Nathan and going about to kill him spake vnto him vnknowne and being informed by himselfe by what meanes he might doe the same he founde him in a little woodde accordingly as he had tolde him who knowing hym was ashamed and became his friende Nouel xviij Fol. 118. ¶ Master Gentil of Carisendi being come from Modena tooke a woman oute of hir graue that was buryed for deade who after shée was come againe brought forth a sonne whiche Maister Gentil rendred afterwards with the mother to master Nicholas Chasenemie hir husbande Nouel xix Fol. 123. ¶ Saladine in the habite of a marchant was honorably receiued into the house of Master Thorello who went ouer the sea in companie of the Christians and assigned a terme to his wife when she shold marie againe He was taken and caried to the Souldan to be his falconer who knowing hym and suffering him selfe to be knowne did him great honor Master Thorello fell sicke and by Magike arte was caried in a night to Pauie where he founde his wife about to marie againe who knowing him returned home with him to his owne house Nouel xx Fol. 128. ¶ A Gentleman of meane calling and reputation both fall in loue with Anne the Quéene of Hungarie whō 〈◊〉 very royally and liberally requited Nouel xxj Fol. 140. ¶ The gentle and iust act of Alexander de Medices the first Duke of Florence vpon a Gentleman whome he fauored who hauyng rauished the daughter of a poore Miller caused him to marie hir for the greater honor and celebration wherof he apointed hir a rich and honourable dowrie Nouel xxij Fol. 155. ¶ The Infortunate mariage of a Gentleman called Antonie Bologna with the Duchesse of Malfi and the pitifull death of them both Nouel xxiij Fol. 169. ¶ The disordred life of the Countesse of Celant how she causing the Counte of Massino to be murdered was beheaded at Milan Nouel xxiiij Fol. 195. ¶ The goodly historie of the true and constant loue betwéene Rhomeo and Iulietta the one of whome died of poyson and the other of sorrowe and heauinesse wherein be comprised many aduentures of loue and other deuises touching the same Nouel xxv Fol. 218. ¶ Two Gentlemen of Venice were honorably decetued of their wiues whose notable practises and secrete conference for atchieuing their desire occasioned diuers accidents and ingendred double benefit wherin also is recited an eloquent oration made by one of them pronounced before the Duke and state of that Citie with other chaunces and actes concerning the same Nouel xxvj Fol. 247. ¶ The Lorde of Virle by the commaundement of a faire yong Widow called Zilia and for hir promyse made the better to attaine hir loue was contented to remaine dumbe the space of thrée yeares and by what meanes hée was reuenged and obteyned his sute Nouel xxvij Fol. 268. ¶ Two Barons of Hungarie assuring them selues to obtaine their sute made to a faire Ladie of Boeme receiued of hir a straunge and maruellous repulse to their shame and infamie curssing the time that euer they aduentured an enterprise so foolishe Nouel xxviij Fol. 292. ¶ Dom Diego a Gentleman of Spayne fel in loue with faire Gineura and she with 〈◊〉 their loue by meanes of one that enuied Dom Diego his happy choise was by the default of light credite on hir parte interrupted He constant of minde fell into dispaire and abandonyng all hys friendes and lyuing repayred to the Pyrene Mountaines where he ledde a sauage life for certaine Monethes 〈◊〉 afterwardes knowne by one of his friends was by maruellous circumstance reconciled to hys frowarde mistresse and maried Nouel xxx Fol. 309. ¶ A Gentleman of Siena called Anselmo Salimbene curteously and gently deliuereth his enimie from deathe The condempned partie seyng the kynde parte of Salimbene rendreth into his handes his syster Angelica with whome hée was in loue which gratitude and Eurtesie Salimbene well markyng moued in conscience woulde not abuse hir but for recompense toke hir to wife Nouel xxx Fol. 350. ¶ A Widow called Mistresse Helena wyth whome a Scholer was in Loue shée louyng an other made the same Scholer to stande a whole Wynters night in the Snowe to wayte for hir who afterwardes by a sleyghte and policie made hir in July to stand vpon a Toure stark naked amongs Flies and Gnattes and in the Sunne Nouel xxxj Fol. 376. ¶ A Gentlewoman and Wydowe called Camiola of hir owne mynde raunsomed Rolande the Kynges sonne of Sicilia of purpose to haue hym to hir husbande who when hée was redéemed vnkyndely denied hir againste whome verie eloquentely shée inueyed and although the lawe proued him to bée hir husbande yet for hys vnkindnesse shée vtterly refused hym Nouel xxxij Fol. 391. ¶ Great cruelties chaunced to the lordes of Nocera for adulterie by one of them committed with the Captains wife of the Fort of that Citie with an enterprise moued by the Captaine to the Citizens of the same for rebellion and the good and and duetiful answere of them with other pitifull euents rising of that notable and outragious vice of whooredome Nouel xxxiij Fol. 297. ¶ The greate Curtesie of the King of Marocco a Citie in Barbarie towarde a poore Fisherman one of hys subiects that had lodged the King being stolne from his companie in hunting Nouel xxxiiij Fol. 410. ¶ To the Reader AS shevved curtesie deserueth gratefull acquitall frendly fauor forceth mutual merit So for gentle acceptation of my other boke I render to thy delight and profit a Second Tome For which I craue but like report albeit neither worthy of any or other than the rude 〈◊〉 gayneth by trial of his arte Who hauing committed to his skill and workemanship some substance of golde or other precious mater fashioneth the same with such 〈◊〉 shape and order as besides dispraise it carieth the vnablenesse of
〈◊〉 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
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
〈◊〉 and of Queene SOPHONISBA his wife The seuenth Nouell IF men wold haue a fore cōsideration of their own things doings before they doe attempt that same or else premeditate and studie the scope and successe therof I doe verely beleue that a 〈◊〉 wold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 themselues 〈◊〉 into so many gulfs of miseries 〈◊〉 as they doe specially noble men Princes who oftentimes doe excell in temeritie rashnesse by letting the raines of their owne lusts to farre to 〈◊〉 at large wherin they doe plunge and 〈◊〉 themselues to their great preiudice dishonor as teacheth this goodly History ensuing which affirmeth that there was a prince 〈◊〉 Massinissa the sonne of Gala king of Massezali 〈◊〉 people of Numidia and 〈◊〉 with the Carthaginians in Spaine against the Romanes hauing first 〈◊〉 honorably against king Syphax in Numidia it chaunced that Gala his father died vpon whose death his kingdom was inuaded and occupied by other wherfore susteining 〈◊〉 the surges of aduersitie and diuersly combating with his ennimies sometimes getting parte of his kingdome and sometimes 〈◊〉 and many times molesting both Syphax the Carthaginians was in diuers cōflicts like to be taken or slaine With these his 〈◊〉 impacient of no pain and trouble he became very famous and renowmed that amōgs the people of Affrica he acquired the name and title of a valiant and puissant souldier and of a politique and prouident Capten Afterwards he was generally wel beloued of the Souldiers bicause not like the kings sonne or a prince but as a priuate souldier and companion his conuersation and vsuall trade of life was amongs them calling euery mā by his propre name 〈◊〉 and estéeming them according to their desert obseruing neuerthelesse a certaine comelinesse of a Superiour This Massinissa by means of one Syllanus being in Spayne priuely entred acquaintance 〈◊〉 with that Scipio which afterwardes was surnamed Affricanus and who in those dayes with the authoritie of Proconsul in that prouince victoriously subdued the Carthaginians The same Massinissa entred league with the Romanes and inuiolably so long as he liued obserued 〈◊〉 with the Romane people and left the same to his children and posteritie as an inheritance When the Romanes began warres in Affrica spedily with that power he was able to make he repaired to his old friend Scipio within a while after Syphax being ouerthrown in battel takē Massinissa Laelius was sent to take the chief 〈◊〉 of that kingdom which somtimes wer king Syphax owne called Cirta In that Citie remained Sophonisba that wife of Syphax daughter to Hasdrubal of Giscon who had alienated hir husband from the Romanes with whome he was in league and by hir persuasions he went to aide and defend the Carthaginians Sophonisba perceiuing that the ennimies wire entred the Citie of Cirta and that Massinissa was going towards the Palace 〈◊〉 ned to méete him to proue his gentlenesse and curtesie whereupon in the middes of the souldiers throng which were alredy entred the Palace she stoutly thrust boldly looked round about to proue if she could espy by some signes and tokens the personage of Massinissa She amōgs that prease perceiued one whose apparel and armure and the reuerence done vnto him séemed vnto hir that without doubt the same was the king And therefore incontinently 〈◊〉 dawne before him and pitiously began to speake in this maner For so much O puissant Prince as selicitie and good fortune but specially the fauor of the Gods immortall haue permitted that thou shouldest recouer thine auncient kingdom descended vnto thée by right and lawfull inheritaunce and therwithall hast taken and vanquished thine ennimie and now hast me at thy will 〈◊〉 pleasure to saue or spil I poore wretched miserable womā brought into bōdage from Quéenelike state whilom leading a delicate life in Princely court accompanied with a royall traine of beautifull dames and now at shy mercifull disposition doe humbly appeale to thy mercie goodnesse whose Princely maiestie comfortable aspect chereth vp my woful heart to looke for grace and therfore 〈◊〉 bolde thus to presume with moost hūble voice to implore and crie out beséeching thée to reach me hither thy victorious hāds to kisse and salute This Lady was a passing faire gentlewoman of flourishing age and comely behauiour none 〈◊〉 vnto hir within the whole region of Affrica And so much the more as hir pleasant grace by amiable gesture of complaint did increase so much the heart of Massinissa was delited who being lusty and 〈◊〉 youthly age according to the nature of the Numides was easily intrapped and tangled in the nettes of Loue. Whose glutting eyes were neuer ful nor fiery hart was 〈◊〉 in beholding and wondring at hir most excellent beautie not foreséeing therefore or takyng héede of the daungerous effect of beauties snares his hearte was so fiercely kindled with 〈◊〉 swinging flames of loue that causing hir to rise he exhorted hir to prosecute hir supplication who then began to procede as foloweth If it may be lauful for me thy prisoner and bondwoman O my soneraigne Lord to make request and petition I most hūbly do beséech thée by thy royal maiestie wherin no long time past we were magnificently placed in so Kinglike guise as thou art nowe and by that Numidicall name common vnto thée and my husbande Syphax and by the sauing Gods and patrons of this Citie who with better fortune and more ioyfull successe do receyue thée into the same thā expelled Syphax out frō thence it may please thy sacred state to haue pitie on me I require no hard and difficult thing at thy handes vse thine imperiall gouernement ouer me such as lawe of armes and reason of warre require Cause me if thou wilt to pine in cruel prison or do me to such death with torments as thou list to vse The sharp fierce and cruell death that any wight can 〈◊〉 or Perillus Bull shall not be dreadfull vnto me but more deare and acceptable than 〈◊〉 life in pleasures led For no death shal be refused of me rather than to be rendred into the proud hands of the most cruel Romanes Rather had I 〈◊〉 the trust of a natiue Numide borne with me in Affricke soile than the faith of straungers kinde I know ful well that thou dost know what curtesie a Carthaginian daughter of Hasdrubal shal surely loke for at that Romans hāds whose mind is fearful of nothing more thā of their pride glory intollerable If thou my Lord haddest sisters of 〈◊〉 owne or daughters of thy royal bloud brought forth think that they may chaūce if fortune frown to slide into the pit of aduerse lucke so well as I am now Of that forme Fortunes whéele is made which we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sée to be 〈◊〉 turning and diuers that now peace and now warre it promiseth now good now euill it thretneth now mirth now sorow it 〈◊〉 nowe aduauncing 〈◊〉 now tumbling downe the clymbers vp Lette Syphax be a cleare
that was wel trained vp by a famous Philosopher in myne opinion deserue a place of Recorde among our Englishe 〈◊〉 and for the wholsom erudition ought to 〈◊〉 in English shape to be described I haue thought good in this place to introduce the same And although to some it shal not per 〈◊〉 séeme fit and conuenient to mingle holie with prophane according to the prouerbe to intermedle amongs pleasant histories ernest epistles amid amorous Nouels lerned Letters yet not to care for report or thought of such findefaults I iudge them not 〈◊〉 the course of those histories For amidde the diuine works of Philosophers and Oratours amongs the pleasant paines of ancient Poets and the Nouel writers of our time merrie verses so well as morall matters 〈◊〉 mingled 〈◊〉 bankets so wel as wise disputatiōs celebrated taūting 〈◊〉 orations so well as 〈◊〉 declamations persuasions pronoūced These Letters conteine many graue wholesom documents sundry vertuous and chosen Institutiōs for Princes noble men yea and for such as beare office prefermēt in cōmon 〈◊〉 frō highest title to 〈◊〉 degrée These letters do vouch the reioyce of a schoolemaster for bringing vp a scholer of capacitie and aptnesse to imbrace fire in 〈◊〉 such lessons as he taught him These letters do gratulate and remēbre the ioy of the disciple for hauing such a maister These Letters doe 〈◊〉 the minde of a 〈◊〉 Prince towards his subiects for choise of him to the Empire for that they had respecte rather to the vertue and cōdition than to the nobilitie or other extreme accident To be short these letters speake and pronoūce the very hūblenesse 〈◊〉 that ought to rest in subiects hearts with a thousand other excellent sentences of dueties So that if the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had ben 〈◊〉 again to peruse these letters and 〈◊〉 of congratulation betwene the scholemaister and scholer he wold no lesse haue reioysed in Plutarch thā King Philip of Macedon did of Aristotle 〈◊〉 he affirmed himself to be happie not so much for hauing suche a sonne as Alexander was as for that he was 〈◊〉 in such a time as 〈◊〉 brought 〈◊〉 to be his 〈◊〉 That good emperor 〈◊〉 she wed a patern to his 〈◊〉 by his good vertuous lyfe godly gouernement which made a successor a people of no lesse consequence than they were trained accordingly as Herodian 〈◊〉 That for the most part the people be wont to imitate the life of their Prince soueraine Lorde If Philip 〈◊〉 himself 〈◊〉 blessed for hauing such a son and 〈◊〉 then might Nerua terme him self 〈◊〉 times more happie for such a nephew suche a notable 〈◊〉 master as Plutarch was who not only by doctrine but by practise proued a passyng good scholer Alexander was a good scholer for the time wel practised his maisters lessons but afterwards as glory good hap accompanied his noble disposition so did he degenerate from former lyfe and had quite forgottē what he had lerned as the seconde Nouel of this boke more at large declareth But Traian of a toward scholer proued such an Emperor and victor ouer him selfe as schooling and rulyng were in hym mixaculous a surmounting Paragon of pietie and vertue wherfore not to stay thée from the perusing of those Letters the right image of himself thus beginneth Plutarch to write vnto his famous scholer Traiane A Letter of the philosopher Plutarch to the Emperor Traiane Wherein is touched how gouerners of Comon Welths ought to be prodigal in dedes spare in words MY most dread and soueraigne Lord albeit of long time I haue knowne the modesty of your minde yet neither I nor other 〈◊〉 man did euer know that you aspired to that which many men desire whiche is to be Emperour of Rome That man shoulde withdrawe him selfe from honour it were cleane without the boundes of wisedome but not to licence the heart to desire the same that truely is a worke diuine and not procéeding of humaine nature For he doeth indifferently wel that represseth the works which his handes be able to do without staying vpon his own desires and for good consideration we may terme thine Empire to be very happie sith thou hast so nobly demeaned thy selfe to deserue the same without searche and séeyng industrious policie to attaine thervnto I haue knowne within the citie of Rome many great personages which were not so much honored for the offices which they had as they were for the meanes deuises which they sought and endeuored to be aduanced to the same May it please you to vnderstand most excellent Prince that the honor of a vertuous man doth not consist in the office which he presently hath but rather in the merites whiche he had before In such wise as it is the office that honoreth the partie to the officer there resteth but a painful charge By meanes wherof when I remember that I was your gouerner from your youth and instructed your vertuous minde in letters I can not choose but very much reioyce so well for your soueraigne vertue as for your maiesties good fortune deming it to be a great happinesse vnto me that in my tyme Rome had hym to bée their soueraigne lorde whome I had in times past to be my scholler The principalities of Kyngdomes some winne by force and mainteine them by armes which you ought not to doe nor yet conceiue such opinion of your selfe but rather to thinke that the Empire which you gouerne by vniuersal consent ye oughte to entertaine and rule with generall iustice And therfore if you loue and reuerence the Gods if you be pacient in trauels ware in daungers curteous to your people gentle to straungers and not 〈◊〉 of treasure nor louer of your owne desires you shal make your fame immortall and gouerne the common wealthe in soueraign peace That you be not a louer of your own desires I speake it not withoute cause For there is no worse gouernement than that which is ruled by selfewill and priuate opinion For as he that gouerneth a cōmen wealth ought to lyue in feare of all men euen so muche more in feare of him selfe in so much as he may commit greater errour by doing that which his owne luste commaunbeth than if he were ruled by the counsell of other Assure you sir that you can not hurt yourself and much lesse preiudice vs your subiects if you do correct your self before you chastise others estéemyng that to bée a ryght good gouernement to be prodigal in works and spare of spéech Assay then to be such a one now that you do commaunde as you were when you were commaunded For otherwise it wold little auaile to do things for deseruing of the empire if afterwards your dedes be cōtrary to your desertes To come to honour it is a humane worke but to conserne honour it is a thing 〈◊〉 Take hede then most excellent Traiane that you do remembre and still reuolue in minde that as
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
was sent forth on businesse of the kings The conclusion of which practise was that when she caried meate to Acharisto according to the ordre appointed she should faine hir selfe to bée violentlie dispoyled of the prison-key by Acharisto who taking the same from hir should shut hir in the prison and escape and wheÌ„ hir husband did returne she should make compl 〈…〉 of the violence done vnto hir according to which deuise the practise was accomplished And when hir husbande returned home hearing his wife crie out within the Tower was meruellously amazed and vnderstanding that Acharisto was deade ignorant of the pollicie betwene his wyfe and Euphimia hée fell into great rage speâ—delie repaired to the king and tolde him what had chauÌ„ced The King thinking that the breache of prison was rather through the womans simplicitie than purposed malice did mitigate his displeasure 〈◊〉 forthwith he sent out Scoutes to spie and watche in to what place Acharisto was gone whose secrete flight made all their trauell to be in vaine Then the King when he saw that hée coulde not be found made proclamation throughout his realme that who so would bring vnto him the hed of Acharisto should haue to wife his onely daughter and after his decease should possesse his Kingdome for dowrie of that mariage Many knightes did put themselues in redinesse to themselues that enterprise aboue al Philon was the chiefe not for gredinesse of the kingdome but for loue which hée bare vnto the Gentlewoman Wherof Acharisto hauing intelligence and perceuing that in no place of Europa he coulde be safe and sure froÌ„ daunger for the multitude of them which pursued hym vnto deth caused Euphimia to vnderstand the miserable estate wherin he was Euphimia which bent hir mind employed hir studie for his safegarde imparted hir loue which she bare to Acharisto to an aged Gentlewoman which was hir nurse gouernesse besought hir that she wold intreat hir sonne called Sinapus one very wel beloued of the King so reach his help vnto hir desire that Acharisto might return to the court again The Nurse like a wise woman lefte no persuasion vnspoken nor counsell vnremembred which she thought was able to dissuade the yong gentlewoman froÌ„ hir conceiued loue but the wounde was so déepely made and hir heart so greuously wounded with the thrée forked arrows of the litle blinde archer Cupide that despising all the reasons of hir beloued nurse she sayde howe shée was firmely bente eyther to runne from hir father and to séeke out Acharisto to sustaine with hym one equall fortune or else with hir owne handes to procure death if some remedie were not founde to recouer the Kynges good grace for the returne of Acharisto The Nurse vanquished with pitie of the yong mayden fearyng bothe the one and the sorte daunger that myght ensue sent for Sinapus and vpon their talke together Euphimia and hée concluded that Acharisto shoulde bée brought agayne vnto the Courte and that shée hir selfe should present him to the Kyng wherin should want no kinde of diligence vntill the Kyng did enterteyne him againe for his faithfull seruaunt as hée was woont to doe Upon which resolution Acharisto was sente for and being come Sinapus and Euphimia together wyth the Nurse tolde hym in what 〈◊〉 they thrée had concluded touching his health and safegarde Which of him being well lyked did giue 〈◊〉 humble thankes And then Sinapus went vnto the Kyng and tolde him that there was one newely arriued at Corinth to make a present vnto his grace of the hed of Acharisto At which newes the King shewed him selfe so ioyful as if he had gotten an other Kingdome and being placed vnder his cloath of state with his Counsell and Princely trayne about him telling them the 〈◊〉 of that assemblie coÌ„maunded hym that brought those newes to bring the partie forth newely come vnto the Citie to presente the head of Acharisto Then Sinapus broughte Acharisto before the presence of the King who no sooner looked vpon hym but fell into such a rage as the fire séemed to flame out of his angrie eyes and commaunded hym presentlye to bée taken and put to death But Acharisto fallyng 〈◊〉 vpon his knées humbly besoughte his Maiestie to gyue hym leaue 〈◊〉 speake But the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufferyng hym to vtter one woorde 〈◊〉 him away Then the Counsellours and other Lordes of the Courte intreated his grace to heare him At whose requestes and supplications hée 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 contente Then Acharisto began to say Most sacred Prince and redoubted Soueraigne Lord the cause of thys my presumptuous repaire before your Maiestie is not to shew my selfe guiltie of the late beuised conspiracie ne yet to craue pardon for the same but to satisfie your Maiestie with that contented desire whiche by proclamation ye haue prondunced through your highnesse 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 whiche is to offer this heade for reuenge of the fault vniustly laid vnto my charge by those foure which woorthily haue tasted the deserued pame of their 〈◊〉 Whersore I am come hither of mine owne accorde to shewe the loue and greate desire whiche euer I had to serue and please your Maiestie And for that I would not coÌ„sume my lyfe in your displeasure I make offer of the same to your mercifull will and disposition chosing rather to die and leaue your maiestie satisfied contented than to lyue in happie state your princely minde displeased But desirous that hour maiestie shuld know myne innocencie I humbly besech your grace to heare what I can say that my fidelitie may bée throughly vnderstanded the wickednesse of the 〈◊〉 myne accusers wel wayed and considered Then hée began to rehearse all the things done by him for the seruice of his crowne and maiestie and finally into what daunger he did put himself when he killed the Lacedemonian king that went about by treason to murder him which enterprise might appere vnto him to be 〈◊〉 sure and euident testimonie that he ment nothing hurtfull or preindicial to his highnesse And that hée cstemed not his life when he aduentured for his seruice sauegarde to employ the same after these alleaged causes he added briefly that the loue which his maiestie knew to bée betwene him Euphimia his daughter ought to 〈◊〉 persuaded him that 〈◊〉 had rather haue suffered death himselfe than commit a thing displeasant to Euphimia And knowing that a more 〈◊〉 thing could not chauÌ„ce to hir than the 〈◊〉 death of hir father he might wel thinke that he wold haue deuised the death of a thousand other rather than that horrible 〈◊〉 déede such as his greatest enimie would neuer haue done much lesse 〈◊〉 which was bounde vnto him by so many receiued benefits for whose service preseruacion he had dedicated vowed his life and soule But if so be his maiesties rancor and displeasure could not bée mitigated but by doing hym to death hée desired that none of his alleaged reasons should bée accepted and
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
what he was disposed Afterwards placing all his rich Iewels in suretie and sauegard he discoursed vnto his vncle what had chaunced vnto him till that time The Abbot ioyful for his fortune gaue thankes to God Then master Thorello demaūded of his vncle what he was that was betrouthed to hys wife The Abbot tolde him To whome master Thorello sayd Before my returne be knowne I am desirous to sée what countenance my wife wil make at the mariage And therefore albeit that the religious doe not vse to repaire to such feasses yet I pray you for my sake take paine to goe thither The Abbot answered that he wold willingly doe so And so soone as it was day he sent woord to the bridegrome that he and a frend of his wold be at the mariage wherunto the gentleman answered that he was very glad thereof When dinner time was come master Thorello in the habite and apparel wherin he was went with the Lord Abbot to the wedding dinner where euery of them that saw him did maruellously beholde him but no man knew him bicause the Abbot answered them that inquired that he was a Sarazene sent Ambassador from the Souldan to the French king Master Thorello was then placed at a table which was right ouer against his wife whome he beheld with great pleasure and delight and perceiued very wel by hir face that she was not well content with that mariage She likewise beheld him sometimes not for any knowledge she had of him for his great beard and straunge attire the firme credite and generall opinion also that he was dead chiefly hindred that But when master Thorello thought time to proue whether she had any remembrance of him be secretely conueyed into his hand the ring which she gaue him at his departure and called a litle boy that wayted vpon hir and sayd vnto him Goe tell the bride in my behalfe that the custome of my countrey is that when any Straunger as I am here is hydden by any newe maried woman as she is now for a token of his welcome she sendeth vnto him the cup wherein she drinketh full of wine wherof after the stranger hath dronke what pleaseth him he couereth the cup againe and sendeth the same to the bryde who drinketh the rest that remaineth The page did his message vnto the bride who like a wise Gentlewoman well brought vp thinking he had ben some great personage to declare that he was welcome commaunded a standing cup all gilt standing before hir to be washed cleane to be filled full of wine caried to the Gentleman which accordingly was done Master Thorello hauing put into his mouthe the aforesaid ring secretely let fal the same into the cup as he was drinking not perceiued of any mā to the intent that she drinking the latter draught might espy the ring When he had dronke he returned the cup vnto the bride who thankfully receiued the same And for that the manner of his countrey might bée accomplished when the cup was deliuered vnto hir she vncouered the same pledging the rest of the wine beheld the ring without speaking any woord well viewed the same and knowing that it was the very ring which she had giuen to master Thorello when he departed tooke it out And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 marke and looke vpon him whome she supposed to be a straunger already knowing him tried out as though she had bene straught of hir wittes throwing downe the Table before hir this is my Lord and husband this is of trouth Master Thorello and running to the Table where he sate without respect to his apparell of cloth of golde or to any thing that was vpon the table preassing so néere him as she could imbraced him very harde not able to remoue hir hands from about his necke for any thing-that could be sayd or done by the companie that was there vntill Master Thorello required hir to forbeare for that present for so much as shée should haue leysur inough to vse hir further imbracements Then she left him and contented hir selfe for the time but the 〈◊〉 and mariage was wholly troubled and appalled for that sodain chaunce the most part of the guests excéedingly reioysed for the returne of that Noble knight Then the company being intreated to sit still and not to remoue Master Thorello rehearsed in open audience what had chaunced vnto him from the day of his departure vntill that time concluding with a petition to the Bridegrome that had newly espoused his wife that he would not be displeased if he tooke hir againe The newe maried Gentleman albeit it grieued him very sore and thought him selfe to be mocked answered liberally and like a friend that it was in his power to doe with his owne what he thought best The Gentlewoman drawing of the rings and garland which she had receyued of hir new husband did put vpon hir finger the ring which she found within the cup and likewise the Crowne that was sent vnto hir by Saladine And the whole troupe and assemblie leauing the house where they were went home with master Thorello and his wife and there the kin and friends and all the Citizens which haunted the same and regarded it for a myracle were with long feasting and great cheare in great ioy and triumph Master Thorello departing some of his precious Iewels to him that had bene at the cost of the marriage likewise to the Lord Abbot and diuerse others and hauing done Saladine to vnderstād his happy repaire home to his 〈◊〉 recommending him selfe for euer to his commaundement liued with his wife afterwardes many prosperous yeres vsing the vertue of curtesie more than euer he did before Such was the end of the troubles of master Thorello and his welbeloued wife and the recompence of their franke and honest curtesies Anne the Queene of Hungarie ¶ A Gentleman of meane calling and reputation dothe fall in loue with ANNs the Queene of HVNGARIS whom she 〈◊〉 royally and liberally requited The. xxj Nouel FOlowing the preceding argumentes treated in certain of that former Nouels I wil now discourse the princely kindnesse curtesie done to a poore Gentleman by a Ladie of later dayes Anne the Quene of Hungarie whiche Gentleman though beyōd his reach to catch what he aspired fell in loue with that bountiful and vertuous Gentlewoman thinking bylike that she in end would haue abased hir Maiestie to recline to his vain and doting trauaile But she like a Quéene not despising the poore mans loue vouchsafed by familiar spéeche to poure some drops of comfort into his louing minde and once to proue on whome hée fixed his fansie reached him a nosegay and prayed him to bestowe it vpon whome he liked best All which familiar dealings she vsed to kepe the poore pacient from dispaire that so highly had placed him selfe But in end perceiuing his continuance wold not reiect and giue him ouer or with scornes and floutes contemne the amorous gentleman and that
not néede to fear any hurt But if you do tary you wil be the cause of the ruine and ouerthrow of vs all receiue therby no profit or aduaūtage take this purse therfore saue your self attending better Fortune in time to come The poore gentleman Bologna knowing that his wife had pronounced reason perceiuing that it was impossible from that time forth that she or hir traine could escape their hāds taking leaue of hir kissing his childrē not forgetting the money which she offred vnto him willed his seruants to saue thēselues by such meanes as they thought best So giuing spurrs vnto his horse he began to flée amaine and his eldest sonne séeing his father gone began to followe in like sorte And so for that time they two were saued by breaking of the intended yll luck like to light vpon them And in a place to rescue himself at Venice hée turned another way in great iourneys arriued at Millan In the meane time the horsemē were approched 〈◊〉 the Duchesse who séeing that Bologna had saued himself very courteously began to speake vnto the Ladie were it that the Aragou brethren had giuen them that charge or feared that the Ladie wold trouble them with hir importunate cries lamentatiōs One therfore amongs them sayd vnto hir Madame we be commaunded by the Lordes your brethren to conducte you home vnto your house that you may receiue again the 〈◊〉 of the Duchie and the order of the Duke your sonne doe maruell very much at your folly for giuing your self thus to wander the Countrey after a man of so small reputation as Bologna is who whē he hath glutted his lusting lecherous mind with the comelinesse of your Noble personage wil despoil you of your goods honor and then take his legs into some strange countrey The simple Ladie albeit grieuous it was vnto hir to heare such spéech of hir husbād yet held hir peace and dissembled what she thought glad and well contēted with the curtesy done vnto hir fearing before that they came to kill hir and thought hir self already discharged hoping vpon their courteous dealings that she and hir Children from that time forth should liue in good assuraunce But she was greatly deceyued and knew within shorte space after the good will hir brethren bare vnto hir For so soone as these gallants had conducted hir into the kingdome of Naples to one of the Castels of hir sonne she was committed to prison with hir children and she also that was the secretarie of hir infortunate mariage Till this time Fortune was contented to procéede with indifferent quiet 〈◊〉 those Louers but benceforth ye shall heare the issue of their little prosperous loue and how pleasure hauing blinded them neuer forsoke them vntill it 〈◊〉 giuen them the 〈◊〉 It booteth not héere to recite fables or histories contiting my self that ladies do read without too many weping teares the pitiful end of that miserable princesse who séeing hir self a prisoner in the companie of hir litle children and welbeloued Maiden paciently liued in hope to see hir brethren appaised comforting hir self for the escape of hir husband out of that hands of his mortal foes But hir assurance was changed into an horrible feare hir hope to no expectation of suretie when certain dayes after hir 〈◊〉 hir Gaoler came in and sayd vnto hir Madame I do aduise you henceforth to consider vpon your conscience for so much as I suppose that euen this very day your life shall be taken from you I leaue for you to thinke what horrour and traunce assailed the feeble heart of this pore Lady and with what eares she receiued those cruell newes but hir cries and mones together with hir sighes and lamentations declared with what chéere she receiued that aduertisement Alas sayd she is it possible that my brethren should so farre forget themselues as for a fact nothing preiudiciall vnto them cruelly to put to death their innocent sister and to imbrue the memory of their fact in the bloud of one which neuer did offend them Must I against all right and equitie be put to death before the Judge or Magistrate haue made trial of my life known the vnright eousnesse of my cause Ah God most righteous and bountiful father beholde the malice of my brethren and the tyrannous crucltie of those which wrongfully doe séeke my bloud Is it a sinne to mary Is it a fault to flie and auoide the sinne of whoredome What lawes be these where mariage bed and ioyned matrimony is pursued with like seueritie as murder theft and aduoutrie And what Christianitie in a Cardinall to shed that bloud which he ought to 〈◊〉 What profession is this to assaile the innocent by the hie way side in place to punish théeues and murderers O Lord God thou art iust dost al things right cously I sée well that I haue trespassed against thy Maiestie in some other notorious crime than by mariage I most humbly therfore beséeche thée to haue compassion vpon me and to pardon mine 〈◊〉 accepting the confession and repentance of me thine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for satisfaction of my sinnes which it pleased thée to wash away in the precious bloud of thy sōne our Sauior that being so purified I might appere at the holy banket in thy glorious kingdome When she had thus 〈◊〉 hir prayer two or thrée of the ministers which had taken hir 〈◊〉 Forly came in and sayd vnto hir Now Madame make ready your self to goe to God for beholde your houre is come Praised be that God sayd she for the wealth and woe which it pleaseth him to send vs. But I beséeche you my friendes to haue pitie vpon these lyttle children and innocēt creatures Let thē not feele the smarte which I am assured my brethrē beare against their poore vnhappie father Well well Madame sayd they we will conuey them to such a place as they shal not want I also recōmend vnto you quod she this poore maiden and entreat hir wel in consideration of hir good seruice done to the infortunate Duchesse of 〈◊〉 As she had ended those woords that two Ruffians did 〈◊〉 a corde about hir neck and strangled hir The mayden 〈◊〉 the piteous tragedie commensed vpon hir 〈◊〉 cried out a main and cursed the cruell malice of those tormenters and besought God to be witnesse of that 〈◊〉 and crying 〈◊〉 vpon his diuine Maiestie she besought him to 〈◊〉 his iudgement against them which causelesse being no 〈◊〉 hadde killed such innocent creatures Reason it is said one of the tyrants that thou be partaker of the ioy of thy mistresse innocencie sith 〈◊〉 hast bene so faithfull a minister and messanger of hir follies And sodainly caught hir by the hair of the head in stead of a carcanet placed a roape about hir necke How now quod she is this the promised faith which you made vnto my Ladie But those woords flew into the air with hir soule in companie of the
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
part of a faithfull companion to deceiue his friend But in end pleasure surmounting reason and the beautie ioyned with the good grace of the Lady hauing blinded him and bewitched his wits so wel as Ardizzino he toke his way towards hir house who waited for him with good deuotion whither being arriued hée failed not to vse like spéeche that Valperga did either of them after certain reuerences and other fewe words minding and desiring one kinde of intertainment This practize dured certaine months and the Countesse was so farre rapt with hir newe louer as she only employed hir selfe to please him and he shewed himselfe so affected as she thought to bridle him in all things whereof she was afterwards deceiued as you shall vnderstād the maner Ardizzino seing himself wholly abandoned the presence and loue of his Ladie knowing the she railed vpon him in all places where she came departed Pauia halfe out out of his wits for anger and so strayed from 〈◊〉 order by reason of his rage as hée displayed the Countesse thrée times more liuely in hir colours than she could be painted and reproued hir with that termes of the vilest and most 〈◊〉 strumpet that 〈◊〉 ran at rouers or shot at randon Bianca Maria vnderstoode hereof and was aduertised of the good reporte that Ardizzino spread of hir throughout 〈◊〉 which chafed hir in suche wise as she fared like the Bedlem furie ceasing night nor day to plaine the vnkindnesse and follie of hir reietted Louer Sometimes saying that she had iust cause so to doe then flattering hir selfe alledged that men were made of purpose to suffer such follies as were wrought by hir and that where they termed themselues to be womens seruauntes they ought at their mistresse hands to endure what pleased them In the end not able any longer to restrain hir choler ne vanquish the appetite of reuenge purposed at all aduēture to prouide for the death of hir aūcient enimy and that by meanes of him whome she had now tangled in hir nettes Sée the vnshamefastnesse of this mastife bitche and the rage of that female Tiger how shée goeth about to arme one friend against an other and was not content onely to abuse the Counte Gaiazzo but deuised to make him that manqueller And as one night they were in the midst of their embracements she began pitifully to wéepe and sigh in such wise as a man wold haue thought by the vexation of hir heart that the soule and body wold haue parted The yonge Lord louingly enquired the cause of hir heauinesse and sayd vnto hir that if any had done vnto hir displeasure hée would reuenge hir cause to hir contentation She hearing him say so then in studie vpon the deuice of hir enimies death spake to the Counte in this manner You know sir that the thing which moste 〈◊〉 the Gentle heart and minde that can abide no wrong is defamation of honoure and infamous reporte Thus much I say by reason the Lord of Massino who to say the trouth hath bene fauored of me in like sort as you be now hathe not vene ashamed to publishe open 〈◊〉 against me as thoughe I were the arrantest whoore that euer had giuen hir selfe ouer to the Galley slaues alongs the shore of Sicile If he had vaunted the fauoure which I haue done him but to certaine of his friendes I had incurred no whit of slaunder much lesse any little suspition but hearing the common reports the wrongfull woords and wicked brute that he hath raised on me I beséeche you syr to doe me reason that he may féele his offence and the smart for his committed fault against hir that is all youres The Lord Sanseuerino hearing this discourse promised hir to doe his best and to teache Valperga to talke more soberly of hir whome he was not worthy for to 〈◊〉 but in thought Notwithstanding he sayde more than he ment to do for he knew Ardizzino to be so honest sage and curteous a personage as hée would neyther doe nor say any thing without good cause and that Ardizzino had 〈◊〉 quarell against him by taking that from him which he loued althoughe it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 discontinuance from that place and vpon the only request of hir Thus he cōcluded in mind stil to remain the friend of Ardizzino and yet to spend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Countesse which he did and vsed certaine months without quarrelling with Valperga that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 with whom he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 liued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commonly vsed one table bed togither Bianca Maria séeing that the Lord of Gaiazzo cared not much for hir but onely for his pleasure determined to vse like practise against him as she did to hir former louer and to banish him from hir house So that when he came to sée hir either she was sicke or hir affairs were such as she could not kéepe him company or else hir gate was shut vpon him In the end playing double or quit she prayed the sayd Lord to shewe hir such pleasure and friendship as to come no more vnto hir bicause she was in termes to goe home to hir husband the Counte of Celant who had sent for hir and feared least his seruaunts should finde hir house ful of suters alleaging that she had liued long inough in that most sinfull life the lightest faultes whereof were to 〈◊〉 for dames of hir port calling concluding that so long as she liued she would beare him good affection for the honest companie and cōuersation had betwene them and for his curtesie vsed towards hir The yong Erle were it that he gaue credit vnto hir tale or not made as though he did beleue the same and without longer discourse forbare approche vnto hir house and droue out of his heade all the amorous affection which he caried to that Piedmont Circes And to that end hée might haue no cause to thinke vpon hir or that his presence 〈◊〉 make him slaue againe to hir that first pursued him he 〈◊〉 in good time to Millan by which retire hée auoided that mishap wherwith at length this 〈◊〉 woman wold haue cut him ouer the shinnes euen 〈◊〉 his mind was least thereon Such was the malice and mischief of 〈◊〉 heart who ceasing to play the whort applied hir whole 〈◊〉 to murder Gaiazzo being departed from Pauie this Venus once againe assayed the 〈◊〉 of hir Ardizzino and knew not well how to recouer him againe bicause she feared that the other had discouered that enterprise of his murder But what dare not she attempt whose minde is slaue to sinne The first assaies be hard the 〈◊〉 in doubt and conscience gnawing vpon the repentance worme but the same once nousled in vice roted in the heart is more pleasant and gladsome for the wicked to 〈◊〉 than vertue familiar to those that folow hir So that shame separate from before the eyes of youth riper age noursed in 〈◊〉 their sight is so daseled as they can see nothing that either
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
for that science thought that the verie pouertie of the mayster Apothecarye woulde make hym wyllyngly yelde to that whych he pretended to demaunde And after hée hadde taken hym aside secretely he sayd vnto hym Syr if you bée the mayster of the house as I thynke you be beholde here Fiftie Ducates whych I gyue you to the intent you delyuer me some strong and 〈◊〉 poyson that within a quarter of an houre is able to procure death vnto hym that shall vse it The couetous Apothecarie entised by gayne agréed to hys request and saynyng to gyue hym some other medicine before the peoples face he spéedily made ready a strong and cruel poyson afterwardes hée sayd vnto hym softely Syr I 〈◊〉 you more than is needefull for the one halfe in an houres space is able to destroye the strongest manne of the worlde who after he hadde receyued the poyson retourned home where he commaunded his man to depart with diligence to Veronna and that he should make prouision of candels 'a tynder boxe and other instrumentes méete for the openynge of the graue of Iulietta and that aboue all things he shoulde not faile to attende hys commyng besides the Churchyarde of S. Frauncis and vpon paine of life to kéepe his intente in scilence Which Pietro obeyed in order as his master had commaunded hym and made therin such expedition as he arriued in good tyme to Verona taking order for all thinges that were commaunded him 〈◊〉 in the meane whyle beyng solicited wyth mortall thoughtes caused incke and paper to be broughte vnto hym and in fewe wordes put in writing all the 〈◊〉 of his loue the mariage of hym and Iulietta the meane obserued for consummation of the same the helpe that he hadde of Frier Laurence the buying of his poyson and last of all his death Afterwardes hauing finished his heauie tragedie hée closed the letters and sealed the same with his seale and directed the Superscription thereof to hys father and puttyng the letters into his pursse he mounted on horsebacke and vsed suche diligence that he arriued vppon darke night at the Citie of Veronna before the gates were shut where he found his seruant tarying for him there with a Lanterne and instruments beforesayd méete for the openyng of the graue vnto whome hée sayde Pietro helpe mée to open this Tombe and so soone as it is open I commaunde thée vpon payne of thy lyfe not to come néere me nor to stay me from the thyng I purpose to doe Beholde there is a letter which thou shalt present to morow in the morning to my father at hys vprisyng which peraduenture shall please him better than thou thynkest Pietro not able to imagine what was his maisters intent stode somewhat aloofe to beholde his maisters gestes and 〈◊〉 And when 〈◊〉 hadde opened the vaulte Rhomeo descended downe two 〈◊〉 holdyng the candell in his hande and beganne to beholde wyth pitifull eye the body of hir which was the organ of his lyfe and washt the same with the teares of his eyes and kyst it tenderly holding it harde betwene his armes and not able to satisfie him selfe wyth hir 〈◊〉 put his fearefull handes vpon the colde stomacke of Iulietta And after he had touched hir in manye places and not able to féele any certaine 〈◊〉 of lyfe he drewe the poyson out of his boxe and swalowyng downe a greate quantitie of the same cried out O Iulietta of whome the worlde was vnworthie what death is it possible my heart coulde choose out more agreable than that whiche it suffereth hard by thée What graue more glorious than to bée buried in thy tombe What more woorthie or excellente Epitaph can bée vowed for memorie than the mutuall and pitifull sacrifice of our lyues And thinking to renue his sorowe his hearte began to frette thorough the violence of the poyson which by litle and little assayled the same and lookyng aboute hym espyed the bodie of the Lorde Thibault lying nexte vnto Iulietta whyche as yet was not altogether putrified and speakyng to the bodye as though it hadde bene alyue sayde In what place so euer thou arte O cousyn Thibault I moste heartily doe crye thée mercy for the offense whyche I haue done by depriuyng of thy lyfe and if thy ghost 〈◊〉 wyshe and crye oute for vengeaunce vpon mée what greater or more cruell satisfaction canste thou desyre to haue or henceforth hope for than to sée hym which murdered thée to bée empoysoned wyth hys owne handes and buryed by thy syde Then endyng hys talk feling by litle and litle that his life began to faile falling prostrate vpon his knées with féeble voice hée softly said O my Lord God which to redéeme me didst 〈◊〉 from the bosome of thy father tokest humane flesh in the wombe of the virgine I acknowledge and cōfesse that this body of mine is nothing else but earth and dust Then seased vpon with desperate sorow he fell downe vpon the body of Iulietta with such vehemēce as the heart faint and attenuated with too great torment not able to beare so hard a violence was abādoned of all his sense and naturall powers in such fort as the siege of his soule failed him at that instant and his membres stretched forth remained stiffe and colde Frier Laurence which knew the certaine time of the pouders operation maruelled that he had no answere of the letter which he sent to Rhomeo by his fellow Frier Anselme departed from S. Frauncis and with instruments for the purpose determined to open the graue to let in air to Iulietta which was redy to wake and approching that place he espied a light within which made him afraid vntill that Pietro which was hard by had certified him that Rhomeo was within had not ceased there to lament and complaine the space of half an houre And then they two were entred the graue finding Rhomeo without life made such sorow as they can well conceiue which loue their deare friend with like perfection And as they were making their complaints Iulietta rising out of hir traunce and beholding light within the tombe vncertaine whether it were a dreame or fantasie that appeared before hir eyes comming againe to hir selfe knew Frier Laurence vnto whom she sayd Father I pray thée in the name of God 〈◊〉 perfourme thy promise for I am almost deade And then Frier Laurence concealing nothing from hir bicause he feared to be taken through his too long abode in that place faithfully rehearsed vnto hir how he had sent Frier Anselme to Rhomeo at Mantua frō whome as yet he had receiued no answer Notwithstanding he foūd Rhomeo dead in the graue whose body he pointed vnto lying hard by hir praying hir sith it was so paciently to beare that sodaine misfortune that if it pleased hir he wold conuey hir into some monastery of women where she might in time moderate hir sorow and giue rest vnto hir minde Iulietta had no sooner cast eye vpon the dead corpse of
presence of that honourable assemblie cōceiued courage and crauing licence of the Duke to speake with mery countenance and good vttrance began thus to say hir minde Most excellent Prince and ye right honorable lordes perceiuing how my deare husband vncomely and very dishonestly doth vse himselfe against mée in this noble companie I do thinke maister Girolamo Bembo to be affected with like rage minde against this gentlewoman mistresse Lucie his wife although more tēperate in wordes he do not expresse the same Against whom if no replie be made it may séeme that he hath spoken the trouthe and that we by silence should séeme to condemne our selues to be those moste wicked women whom he alleageth vs to be Wherfore by youre gracious pardon and licence moste honourable in the behalfe of mistresse Lucie and my selfe for our defense I purpose to declare the effect of my mind although my purpose be cleane altered from that I had thought to say beyng now iustly prouoked by the vnkinde behauiour of him whome I doe loue better than my selfe which had he bene silent and not so rashly runne to the ouerthrow of me and my good name I wold haue conceiled and onely touched that which shoulde haue concerned the purgation and sauegard of them both which was the onely intent meaning of vs by making our hūble supplication to your maiesties Neuerthelesse so so farre as my féeble force shall stretch I will assay to do both the one and the other although it be not appropriate to our kinde in publike place to declame or yet to open such bold attempts but that necessitie of matter and oportunitie of time and place dothe bolden vs to enter into these termes wherof we craue a thousād pardons for our vnkindely dealings and rēder double thanks to your honors for admitting vs to speake Be it knowne therfore vnto you that our husbandes against duetie of loue lawes of mariage and against all reason do make their heauie complaints which by by I wil make plaine and euident I am right well assured that their extreme rage bitter heartes sorow do procéede of y. occasions The one of the murder wherof they haue falsly accused thē selues the other of iealosy which grieuously doth gnawe their hearts thinking vs to be vile abhominable womē bicause they were surprised in eche others chāber Concerning the murder if they haue soiled their hāds therin it appertaineth vnto you my lords to rēder their desert But how can the same be layd to our charge for somuch as they if it wer done by thē cōmited the same without our knowlege our help coūsel And truly I sée no cause why any of vs ought to be burdened with that outrage and much lesse cause haue they to lay the same to our charge For méete it is that he that doth any vnlawful act or is accessarie to the same shold suffer that due penaltie seuere chastisement accordingly as the sacred lawes do prescribe as an example for other to abstein from wicked facts But herof what néede I to dispute wherin the blind may sée to be none offense bicause thanks be to God Maister Aloisio liueth which declareth the fond cōfession of our vngitle husbands to be cōtrary to trouth And if so be our husbāds in dede had done such an abhominable enterprise reason and duetie had moued vs to sorowe and lament them bicause they be borne of noble blood and be gentlemen of this noble citie which like a pure virgin inuiolably doth cōserue hir laws customs Great cause I say had we to lamēt them if like homicides murderers they had spotted their noble blood with such fowle 〈◊〉 therby deseruing death to leaue vs yong womē widowes in woful plight Now it behoueth mée to speake of the iealoufis they haue conceiued of vs for that they were in ech others chāber which truly is the doubtful knot scruple that forceth al their disdaine griefe This I knowe well is the naile that pierceth their heart other cause of offense they haue not who like men not well aduised without examination of vs and oure demeanour bée fallen into despaire and like men desperate 〈◊〉 wrongfully accused themselues But bicause I may not consume words in vain to stay you by my long discourse from matters of greater importāce I humbly beséech you right excellent prince to cōmaunde them to tel what thing it is which so bitterly doth tormēt them Then the Duke caused one of the noble men assistant there to demaund of them the question who answered that the chiefest occasion was bicause they knew their wiues to be harlots whō they supposed to be very honest for somuch as they knew them to be such they conceiued sorow and grief which with suche extremitie did gripe thē at that heart as not able to sustain that great infamy ashamed to be sene of mē wer induced through desire of deth to cōfesse that they neuer did Mistresse Isotta hering thē say so begā to speke againe turning hir self vnto them Were you offended then at a thing which ye thought incōueniēt not mete to be done We then haue greatest cause to cōplaine Why then 〈◊〉 husbande went you to the chamber of mistresse Lucie at that time of the night What had you to do there what thyng thought you to finde there more than was in your own house And you master Girolamo what cōstrained you to forsake your wiues bed to come to my husbands wher no man euer had or at this present hath to do but him self were not that shetes of the one so white so fine neat swéet as the other I am moste noble Prince sorie to declare my husbands folie and ashamed that he should forsake my bed to go to an other that did accompt my selfe so wel worthy to entertaine hym in myne owne as the best wife in Venice and now through his abuse I abstaine to shewe my selfe amongs the beautiful and noble dames of this Citie The like misliking of hir selfe is in mistresse Lucie who as you sée may bée numbred amongs the fairest Either of you ought to haue ben cōtented with your wiues not as wickedly you haue done to forsake them to séeke for better bread than is made of wheate or for purer golde than whereof the Angel is made O worthy dede of yours that haue the face to leaue your owne wiués that be comely faire honest to séeke after strange carrion O beastly order of men that can not content their lust within the boūdes of their owne house but must go hunt after other women as beasts do after the next of their kinde that they chaunce vpon What vile affection possessed your harts to lust after others wife You make complainte of vs but wée with you haue right good cause to bée offended you ought to be grieued with youre owne disorder and not with others offense and this youre affliction paciently to beare bycause you wente about
abandon all that I haue yea therwithall hazard mine honor for his saluation But what Shal I disdaine bountifully to imploy my self al the endeuor of my friends for his deliuery No no my Lords if I had a thousand liues so many honors at my commaundement I wold giue them al for his relief and comfort yea if it were possible for me to recouer a fresh x. C. M. liues I wold so frankly bestow them all as euer I desired to liue that I might enioy mine own Aloisio But I am sory and euer shal be sory for that it is not lawful for me to do more for him thā that which my smal power and possibilitie is able For if he shold die truly my life could not endure if he were depriued of life what plesure should I haue to liue in this world after him wherby most honorable righteous iudge I beleue before the honest not to lose any one iote of mine honor bicause I being as you may sée yong woman a widow desirous to mary againe it is lawful for me to loue and to be beloued for none other intent whereof God is the only iudge but to attaine a husband according to my degrée But if I should lose my reputation and honor why should not I aduenture the same for him that hath not spared his owne for my sake Nowe to come to the effect of the matter I doe say with all duetifull reuerence that it is an accusation altogither false and vntrue that euer master Aloisio came to my house as a Théefe against my will For what nede he to be a thefe or what would he doe with my goodes that is a lorde and owner of xx times so muche as I haue Alas good Gentleman I dare depose and guage my life that he neuer thoughte much lesse dyd any robberie or thing vnlawfull wherewith iustly he may be charged But he repaired to my house with my consent as a louing and affectionate louer the circumstance whereof if it be duely marked must aduouch the same to be of trouthe infallible For if I had not giuen him licence to come how was it possible for him to conuey his ladder so high that was made but of ropes and to fasten the same to the iaume of the window if none within did helpe hym Againe how could the window of the chamber be open at that time of the night which is still kept shut if it had not bene by my consent But I with the helpe of my mayde threwe downe to him a litle rope whervnto he tied his ladder and drew the same vp and making it so fast as it could not vndo and then made a signe for maister Aloisio to come vp But as bothe our ill fortune wold haue it before I could catch any hold of him to mine inestimable grief and hearts sorrowe he fell downe to the ground Wherfore my lordes I beséeche your honours to reuoke the confession wherein he hath made him selfe to be a thefe And you maister Aloisio declare the trouth as it was sith I am not ashamed in this honorable assemblie to tel the same Behold the letters my lords whiche so many times he wrote vnto me wherein hée made sute to come to my speach and continually in the same doth call me wife Behold the ladder which till nowe did still remaine in my chamber Beholde my maide which in all mine affaires is as it were myne owne hande and helper Master Aloisio being here vppon demaunded of the Lords of the articles which she in hir tale had recited cōfessed them all to be true who at the same instant was discharged The Duke greatly commended them both hir for hir stoute audacitie in defense of an innocent Gentleman and him for his honor and modestie séeking to preserue the fame and good reporte of the Gentlewoman Whiche done the Counsell disassembled and brake vp And the friendes of bothe the parties accompanied them home to the house of mistresse Gismonda where to the greate reioyce and pleasure of al men they were solemnely maried in sumptuous and honorable wise and maister Aloisio with his wyfe liued in greate prosperitie long time after Mistresse Lucia and mistresse Isotta at the expired time were deliuered of two goodly sonnes in whome the fathers toke great ioy and delight Who with their wiues after that tyme lyued very quietly and well one louing an other like naturall brethren many times sporting among them selues discretely at the deceipts of their wiues The wisedom of the Duke also was wonderfully extolled and cōmended of all men the fame whereof was increased and bruted throughout the region of Italy And not without cause For by hys prudence and aduise the dominion of the state and Common wealth was amplified and dilated And yet in the ende béeing olde and impotent they vnkindely deposed hym from his Dukedome The Lorde of Virle ¶ The Lorde of VIRLE by the commaundement of a a faire yong widow called ZILIA and for his promyse made the better to attaine hir loue was contented to remaine dumbe the space of three yeares and by what meanes he was reuenged and obtained his sute The. xxvij Nouel THey that haue passed the most parte of their youth in humain folies and haue rather followed the vanities of fooles insensate louers in matters of loue and that the contemplation of heauenly things or else of those that here on erth may giue some entrie for man to attayne glorie and honor of his name they I say shall serue me for witnesses to confirme the opinion of long time rooted in the fansies of men which is that the beautie and comely fauor of a woman is the very true naturall Adamant that can be found sith the same stone for a certain attractiue power and agreable qualitie therin inclosed doth not better draw the iron than the woman doth by a certain hiddē force which resting vnder the alluremēt of hir eye draweth vnto it that hearts affectiōs of men which hath made many beléene that the same onely essence was sent to vs below to serue both for mens torment and ioy together But yet there is an other thyng of greater wonder it is not to heare tel that Paris for sooke Troy to go visite Helena in Grece that Hercules had giuen ouer his mace to handle the 〈◊〉 at the cōmandement of a woman or that Salomon was sotted in his wisedom to dalie with those that made hym a volūtarie slaue But that a woman of whom a man had receiued no fauour and curtesie at all had forgotten hir owne duetie to hir seruant if it séeme not straunge I can not tell what to call wonderfull or maruellous if defense of speach for loue is not déemed such wherby man is different from brute beastes for reason is altogether refused by louers and notwithstanding oure fathers haue séene the example of that vertue no long time past in the person of a Gentleman very wise and
cōpassion and desire to giue some ease vnto hir most earnest louer yelded hir selfe to couetous gain and gredinesse for to encrease hir richesse O curssed hunger of Money how long wilt thou thus blinde the reason and sprites of men Ah perillous gulfe how many hast thou ouerwhelmed within thy bottōlesse throte whose glory had it not bene for thee had surpassed the clouds and bene equal with the brightnesse of the Sunne where now they be obscured with the thicknesse of thy fogges and palpable darknesse Alas the fruites which thou bringest forth for all thine outwarde apparance conduce no felicitie to them that be thy possessors for the dropsey that is hidden in their mind which maketh them so much the more thirsty as they drinke oft in that thirsty Fountaine is cause of their alteration and most miserable is that insaciable desire the Couetous haue to glut their appetite which can receiue no contentation This only 〈◊〉 somtimes procured the death of the great and rich Romane Crassus who through Gods punishment fell into the hands 〈◊〉 the Persians for violating and sacking the Temple of God that was in Hierusalem Sextimuleus burning with Couetousnesse and gredinesse of money did once cut of the head of his patron and defender Caius 〈◊〉 the Tribune of the people incited by the Tyrant which tormenteth the hearts of the couctous I will not speake of a good number of other examples in people of all kindes and diuers nations to come againe to Zilia Who forgetting hir vertue the first ornament and shining quality of hir honest behauior feared not the wearinesse and trauaile of way to commit hir self to the danger of losse of 〈◊〉 and to yeld to the mercy of one vnto whom she had done so great iniury as hir conscience if she hadde not lost hir right sense ought to haue made hir thinke that hee was not without desire to reuenge that wrōg 〈◊〉 done vnto him specially being in place where she was not knowne and he greatly honoured and esteemed for whose loue that Proclamation and searche of Physicke was made and ordained Ziha then hauing put in order hir affairs at home departed from Montcall and passing the Mountes arriued at Paris at such time as greatest dispaire was had of the dumbe Knights recouery When she was arriued there within fewe dayes after she inquired for them that had the charge to entertaine such as came and would take vpon them the cure of the sayd pacient For sayd she if there be any man in the world through whome the Knight may get his health I hope in God that I am she which shal haue the praise Héereof the Commissaries deputed hereunto were aduertised who caused the faire Physician to come before them and asked hir if it were she that wold take vpon hir to cure this dumbe Gentleman To whome she answeared my masters it hath pleased God to reueale vnto me a certain secrete very proper and meete for the cure of his malady wherewithall if the pacient will I hope to make him speake so well as he did these two yeres past more I suppose sayd one of the Commissaries that you be not ignorant of the 〈◊〉 of the Kings Proclamation I know ful quod she the effect therof therfore do say vnto you that I wil loose my life if I doe not accomplish that which I doe promise vpon condition that I may haue licence to tary with him alone bicause it is of no lesse importance than his health It is no maruell sayde the Commissary considering your beauty which is sufficiēt to frame a new tong in the most 〈◊〉 person that is vnder the heauens And therefore do your indeuor assuring you that you shall doe a great pleasure vnto the King and besides the prayse which you shall acquire gette the good wil of the dumbe gentleman which is the most excellent man of the world and therefore shall be so wel recompensed as you shal haue good cause to be routented with the Kings liberalitie But to the intent you be not deceiued the meaning of the Proclamation is that within xv dayes after you begin the cure you must make him hole or else to satisfie the paines ordained in the same Wherunto she submitted hir self blinded by Auarice and presumptiō thinking that she had like power ouer the Lord of Virle as when she gaue him that sharpe and cruel penance These conditions promised the Commissaries went to aduertise the Knight how a Gentlewoman of Piedmont was of purpose come into Fraunce to helpe him whereof he was maruellously astonned Now he would neuer haue thought that Zilia had borne him so great good wil as by abasing the pride of hir corage would haue come so farre to ease the grief of him whome by such great torments she had so wonderfully persecuted He thought againe that it was the Gentlewoman his neighboure which sometimes had done hir endeuor to helpe him and had prouoked Zilia to absolue him of his faithe and acquite him of his promise Musing vpon the diuersitie of these things not knowing wherupon to settle his iudgement the deputies commaunded that the woman Physitian shold be brought to speake with the patient Which was done and brought in place the Commissaries presently with drew themselues The Lord of Virle seeing his enimie come before him whom sometimes he loued very 〈◊〉 iudged by and by the cause wherefore she came that onely auarice and gredy desire of gaine 〈◊〉 rather procured hir to passe the mountains trauail than due and honest amitie wherwith she was double boūd through his perseuerance and humble seruice wherby hée was estraunged of himselfe as he fared like a shadowe and image of a dead man Wherfore callyng to mynd the rigour of his Ladie hir inciuilitie and fonde commandement so long time to forbidde his speache the loue which once he bare hir with a vehement desire to obey hir sodainly was so cooled and qualified that loue was turned into hatred and will to serue hir into an appetite of reuenge whervpon he determined to vse that present fortune and to playe his parte with hir vpon whom he had so foolishly doted and to pay hir with that mōney wherwith she made hint féele the fruites of vnspeakable crueltie to giue example to fonde and presumptuous dames how they did abuse Gentlemen of such degrée whereof the Knyght was and that by hauing regarde to the merite of such personages they be not so prodigall of themselues as to set their honoure in sale for vile rewarde and filthy mucke which was so constantly conserued and defended by this Gentlewoman against the assaultes of the good grace beautie calour and gentlenesse of that vertuous and honest suter And notwithstanding in these dayes we sée some to resist the amitie of those that loue for an opinion of a certaine vertue which they thinke to be hidden within the corps of excellent beautie who afterwards do set them selues to sale to him that giueth
betwene sir Vlrico and them might procéede disclosing vnto him in few words the effect of all their talke which frankly was graunted by the king But the Barons added a Prouiso that when they hadde wonne their wager the Knight by no meanes should hurt his wife and from that time forth shold giue ouer his false opinion that women were not naturally giuen to the sutes and requests of amorous persones The Boeme Knighte who was assured of his wiues great honesty and loyall fayth beleued so true as the Gospell the proportion and qualitie of the image who in all the time that he was far off neuer perceiued the same to be either pale or blacke but at that tyme lookyng vpon the image he perceiued a certaińe yealow colour to rise as he thought his wife was by some loue pursued but yet sodainly it returned againe to his naturall hewe which boldned him to say these wordes to the Hungarian barons Ye be a couple of pleasant and vnbeleuing Gentlemen and haue conceyued so 〈◊〉 opinion as euer men of your callyng did but sith you procede in your obstinate follie and wil nedes guage all the lands and goodes you haue that you bée able to vanquishe my wiues honest and chast hearte I am contented for the singular credite which I repose in hir to ioyne with you and will pledge the poorelyuing I haue for proofe of mine opinion and shal accomplish all other your requests made here before the maiesties of the King and Quéene And therefore 〈◊〉 it 〈◊〉 youre highnesse sith this fonde deuise can not be beaten 〈◊〉 of their heads to giue licence vnto those noble men the lords Vdislao and Alberto so wer they called to put in proofe the merie conceipt of their disposed mindes wherof they do so greatly bragge and I 〈◊〉 your good grace and fauoure am content to agrée to their demaundes and we answered the Hungarians doe once againe affirme the same whiche we haue spoken The Kyng wylling to haue them gyue ouer that strife was intreated to the contrary by the Barons whervpon the King perceiuing their follies caused a decrée of the bargaine to be put in writing either parties interchaungeably subscribing the same Whiche done they tooke their leaues Afterwardes the two Hungarians beganne to put their enterprise in order and agréed betwene themselues Alberto to be the first that shoulde aduenture vpon the Lady And that within 〈◊〉 wéekes after vpon his retourne the Lorde Vladislao should procéede These things concluded 〈◊〉 all furnitures for their seuerall iorneys disposed the Lorde Alberto departed in good order with two 〈◊〉 directly trauailyng to that castle of the Boeme knight where béeing arriued hée lyghted at an Inne of the towne adioyning to the castle and demaunding of the hoste the conditions of the Ladie hée vnderstode that she was a very faire woman and that hir honestie and loue towardes hir husbande farre excelled hir 〈◊〉 Which wordes nothing 〈◊〉 the amorous 〈◊〉 but when he hadde pulled of his bootes and richely 〈◊〉 hymselfe he repaired to the Castle and 〈◊〉 at the Gates gaue the Ladie to vnderstande that he was come to sée hir Shée whiche was a curteous Gentlewoman caused him to be brought in and 〈◊〉 gaue hym honourable intertainement The 〈◊〉 greatly mused vpon the beautie and goodlinesse of the Ladye singularly commendyng hir honest order and behauiour And beyng sette downe the yong Gentleman sayde vnto hir Madame moued with the 〈◊〉 of your surpassing beautie which now I sée to be more excellent than Fame with hir swiftest wyngs is able to carie I am come from the Court to view and sée if that were true or whether lying brutes had 〈◊〉 their vulgar talke in vaine but fyndyng the same 〈◊〉 more fine and pure than erst I dyd expect I craue licence of your Ladyshyp to conceiue none 〈◊〉 of this my 〈◊〉 and rude attempte and herewithall he began to ioyne many trifling and vaine words which daliyng suters by heate of lustie blood be wont to shote forth to declare thē selues not to be spechlesse or tong-tied Whiche the Lady well espying spéedily imagined into what port his 〈◊〉 barke would arriue 〈◊〉 in the ende when she sawe his shippe at roade began to enter in pretie louyng talke by litle and litle to incourage his fonde attempt The Baron thinkyng he had caught the Eele by the taile not well practised in Cicero his schoole ceased not 〈◊〉 to contriue the 〈◊〉 by makyng hir beléeue that hée was farre in loue The Ladie wearie God wote of his fonde 〈◊〉 and amorous reasons and yet not to séeme scornefull made hym good countenance in such wise as the Hungarian two or thrée dayes dydde nothing else but procéede in vayne pursute Shée perceyuing hym to bée but a 〈◊〉 of the fyrste coate deuysed to recompense hys Follies wyth suche enterteynemente as duryng all hys lyfe hée shoulde kéepe the same in good remembraunce Wherefore not long after faynyng as thoughe hys greate wysedome vttered by cloquente talke hadde 〈◊〉 hir shée sayde thus vnto hym My 〈◊〉 the reasons you produce and youre pleasaunt gesture in my house haue so inchaunted me that impossible it is but I must 〈◊〉 agrée vnto youre wyll for where I neuer thoughte duryng lyfe to stayne the puritie of mariage bedde and determined continually to preserue my selfe inuiolablye for my husbande 〈◊〉 Noble grace and curteous behauioure haue I saye so bewitched mée that readie I am to bée at youre commaundement humbly 〈◊〉 youre honor to beware that knowledge hereof maye not come vnto mine husbands eares who is so 〈◊〉 and cruell and loueth me so dearely as no doubt he will without further triall either him self kil me or otherwise procure my 〈◊〉 to the intent none of my house may suspect our doings I shal desire you to morow in the morning about nine of the clocke which is the 〈◊〉 time of your repaire hither to come vnto my castle wherin when you bée entred spéedily to mount vp to the chamber of the highest 〈◊〉 ouer the dore wherof ye shall fynde the armes of my husbande entailed in marble and when you be entred in to shut the 〈◊〉 fast after you and in the meane tyme I wil waite and and prouide that none shall molest and trouble vs and then shall bestowe our selues for accomplishement of that which your loue desireth Now in very déede this chamber was a very strong prison ordeined in auncient time by the progenitours of that territorie to imprison and punish the bassals and tenants of the same for offenses and crimes committed The Baron hearyng thys liberall offer of the Ladie thinking that he had obteyned the summe of all his ioye so gladde as if he had conquerēd a whole kingdome the best contented man aliue thankyng the Ladie for hir curteous answere departed and retourned to his Inne 〈◊〉 knoweth vpon howe mery a pinne the hearte of thys yong Baron was sette and after he had liberally banketted his hoste and
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
to the same who in déede wer the seruaunts of the mother of Gineura with the goldē locks which in company of their mistresse had hunted the Hare Dom Diego when he drue nere to the crie of the Hounds sawe right well that he was deceiued At what time night approched the shadowes darkening the earth by reason of the sunnes departure began to clothe the heauens with a browne and mistie mantell When the mother of Gineura sawe the Knight which rode a soft pace for that his horsse was tired and could trauaile no longer and knowing by his outward apperaunce that he was some great Lord and ridden out of his way sent one of hir mē to know what he was who returned againe with such answer as she desired The Ladie ioyfull to entertaine a Gentleman so excellent and famous one of hir next neighbors went forwarde to bid him welcome which she did with so great curtesie as the Knight sayd vnto hir Madame I thinke that fortune hath done me this 〈◊〉 by setting me out of the way to proue your curtesie and gentle entertainment and to receiue this ioy by visiting your house wherof I trust in time to come to be so perfect a 〈◊〉 as my predecessors héeretofore haue bene Syr sayd the Ladie if happinesse may be attributed to them that most doe gain I thinke my self better fauored than you for that it is my chaunce to lodge and entertaine him that is the worthiest persone and best beloued in all Catheloigne The Gentleman blushing at that praise said nothing else but that affection forced men so to speake of his vertues notwithstanding such as he was he vowed from thence for the his seruice to hir and all hir houshold Gineura desirous not to be 〈◊〉 in curtesie sayd that he should not so do except she were partaker of some part of that which the Knight so liberally had offred to the whole family of hir mother The Gentlemā which till that time tooke no héede to the diuine beautie of the Gentlewoman beholding hir at his pleasure was so 〈◊〉 as he could not tell what to answer his eyes were so fixed vpon hir spending his lookes in 〈◊〉 of that freshe hew stained with a red Uermilion vpon the Alabaster and fair colour of hir cleare and beautifull face And for the imbelishing of that natural perfection the attire vpon hir head was so couenable proper as it séemed the same day she had looked for the comming of him that afterwards indured so much for hir sake For hir head was adorned with a Garlande of Floures interlaced with hir golden and enameled haire which gorgeously couered some part of hir shoulders 〈◊〉 and hanging downe sometime ouer hir passing faire forhead somewhiles vpon hir ruddie chekes as the swete and pleasant windie breath did moue them to and fro ye should haue sene hir wauering and crisped tresses disposed with so good grace and comelynesse as a man would haue thought that Loue and the thrée Graces coulde not tell elsewhere to harbor themselues but in that riche and delectable place of plesure in gorgeous wise laced and 〈◊〉 Upon hir eares did hang two sumptuous and rich orientall perles which to the artificial order of hir haire added a certain splendent brightnesse And he that had beholden the shining and large forhead of that Nimph which galantly was beset with a diamonde of inestimable price and value chased with a tresse of golde made in fourme of 〈◊〉 starres woulde haue thought that he had seene a ranke of the twinckelyng Planettes fixed in the 〈◊〉 in the hottest tyme of Sommer when that faire season discouereth the order of hys glitteryng cloudes In like maner the sparkling eyes of the fayre Gentlewoman adorned with that goodly vaulte with two arches equally by euen spaces distincte and diuided dyed with the 〈◊〉 Indian trée dydde so well sette forth theyr brightnesse as the eyes of them that stayed their lookes at noone dayes directly vpon the Sunne coulde no more be dazeled and offended than those were that dyd contemplate those two flamyng starres whyche were in force able throughly to pierce euen the bottom of the inwarde partes The nose well formed iustely placed in the amiable valey of the visage by equal conformitie distinguished the two cheekes stained with a pure carnation resemblyng two litle Apples that wer ariued to the due time of their maturitie and 〈◊〉 And then hir Coralline mouthe through whiche breathing issued out a breath more soot sauorous than Ambre Muske or other aromatical parfume that euer the 〈◊〉 soile of 〈◊〉 brought forth She somtime vnclosing the dore of hir lips discouered two rancke of perles so finely blanched as the purest Orient would blushe if it were compared with the beautie of 〈◊〉 incomparable whitenesse But hée that will take vpon hym to speake of al hir inspeakable beautie may make his vaunte that 〈◊〉 hathe séene all the greatest perfections that euer dame Nature wrought Now to come a little lower on this freshe Diana appeared a necke that surmounted the blaunche colour of mylke were it neuer so excellent white and hir stomacke somwhat mounting by the two pomels and firme teates of hir breastes separated in equall distaunce was couered with a vaile so lose and 〈◊〉 as those two litle pretie mountains might easily be séene to moue and remoue according to the affection that rose in the centre of that modest and sober pucelles mynde who ouer and besides all this hath suche a pleasaunt countenaunce and ioyefull chéere as hir beautie more than wonderfull rendred hir not so woorthie to be serued and loued as hir naturall goodnesse and disposed curtesie appearyng in hir face and hir excellent entertainment and comly grace to all indifferently This was not to imitate the maner of the moste parte of our faire Ladies and 〈◊〉 who moued with what opinion I know not be so disdaynfull as almoste theyr name causeth discontentment and bréedeth in them greate imperfection who by thinking to appeare more braue fine by too much squeymishe dealyng doe offuscate and darken with Follie their exterior beautie blotting and defacing that which beautie maketh amiable and worthy of honour I leaue you now to consider whether Dom Diego had occasion to forgo his speache to be berest of 〈◊〉 being liuely assailed with one so wel armed as Gineura was with hir graces honestie who no lesse abashed with the port countenāce swete talk and stately behauior of the knight which she vewed to be in him by stealing lokes felt a motiō not wōted or accustomed in hir tender hart the made hir to change color by like occasion spechlesse an ordinarie custom in thē that be surprised with the maladie of loue to lose that vse of spech wher the same is most necessarie to giue the intier charge in the heart which not able to support and beare the burden of so many passions departeth some porcion to the eyes as to the faithfull messangers of the myndes
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
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
a stone of salt For when he saw that bloodie pageant and knew that it was his brother Nicholas pitie feare so stopt the pipes of his spech as wtout coÌ„plaining himself or framing one word he suffred his throte to be cut by the barbarous captain who threw him half dead vpoÌ„ that corps of his brother 〈◊〉 that bloud of either of theÌ„ might cry vp to that heueÌ„s for so loud veÌ„geaÌ„ce 〈◊〉 that of Abel did being slain by the treson of his nerest bro ther. Beholde that dreadful beginnings of a heart rapt in fury and of that minde of him that not resisting his fonde affections executed the terrible practizes of his owne braine and preferring his fantasle aboue reason deuised suche ruine and decay as by these examples the posteritie shall haue good cause to wonder The like cruelty vsed Tiphon towardes his brother Osyris by chopping his body in xxvi gobbets whereby ensued the 〈◊〉 of him and his by Orus whome some doe surname Appollo And troweth that captaine to looke for lesse mercy of the brother of the other twain that were murdred and of the Dukes kindred whome he kept prisoner But he was so blinded with fury and it may be led by ambition and desire to be made Lord of Nocera that he was not conteÌ„ted to venge his shame on him which had offended but assayed to murder and extinguish all the Trinicien bloud the enheritance only remaining in them And to come to the end of his enterprise this Italian Nero not content with these so many slaughters but thereunto adioyned a new treason assaying to win the Citizens of Nocera to moue rebellion against their Lord causing them to assemble before the Forte vnto whome vpon the walles he vsed this or like Dration I haue hitherto my masters 〈◊〉 the litle pleasure that my heart hath felt to 〈◊〉 so many true faithful Citizens subiect vnder the will vnbrideled lustes of two or three 〈◊〉 who haue gotten power and authoritie ouer vs more through our owne folly cowardise than by valiance vertue and iustice either in them or those which haue dispoyled this Countrey of their auncient libertie I will not deny but principalities of long 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 deriued by succession of inheritaunce haue had some spice and kinde of equitie and that Lords of good life and conuersation ought to be obeyed defended and honored But where inuasion and seasure is against right where the people is spoiled and lawes violated it is no coÌ„science to disobey and abolish such monsters of nature The Romanes in their prime age of their common wealth ful wel declared the same wheÌ„ they banished out of their Citie the proud race of the Tirant Tarquine and when they 〈◊〉 about to exterminate al the rootes of crueltie and Tyrannicall power Our neighbours the 〈◊〉 once did the like vnder the conduct of Dion against the disruled fury and wilfull crueltie of Denis the Tirant of Syracusa and the Athenuns against the children of Pisistratus And ye that be sorted from the stocke of those Samnites which in times past so long held vp their heads against the Romane force will ye be so very cowardes weake hearted for respect of the title of your seigniorie as ye dare not with me to attempt a valiant enterprise for reducing your selues into libertie and to 〈◊〉 that vermine broode of Tyrauntes which swarme through out the whole Region of Italie Will ye be so mated and dumped as the shadowe alone of a fonde and inconstant yong man shall holde your nose to the grindstone and drawe you at his lust like an Ore into the stall I feare that if ye saw your wiues and daughters haled to the passetime and pleasure of these Tirauntes to glutte the whoredome of those stincking Goate bucks more lecherous and filthy than the senselesse sparowes I feare I say that ye durst not make one signe for demonstration of your wrathe and displeasure No no my masters of Nicera it is highe time to cutte of the Hydra his heades and to strangle him within his caue The time is come I say wherein it behoueth you to shewe your selues like men and no longer to dissemble the case that toucheth you so néere Consider whither it be good to follow mine aduise to reposside againe the thing which is your owne that is to wit the fréedome wherin your auncesters gloried so muche and for which they feared not to hazarde their goodes and liues It will come good cheape if you be ruled by me it will redound to your treble fame if like men ye follow mine aduise which I hope to let you shortly sée without any great perill or losse of your Citizens bloud I haue felt the effect of the Trinicien Tiranny and the rigor of their vnrighteous gouernement which hauing begonne in me they will not faile if they be not chastised in time to extend on you also whome they déeme to be their slaues In like manner I haue first begon to represse their boldnesse and to withstand their lâ—ud behauioure yea and if you minde to vnderstand right from wrong an easie matter it will be to perfourme the rest the tune being so commodious and the discouery of the thing whereof I haue made you priuy so coÌ„uenient And know ye that for the exploit of mine intent and to bring you againe altogither in libertie I haue taken the two Lords Nicholas and Caesar prisonners attending till fortune doe bring to me the third to pay him with like money and equall guerdon that not onely you may be frée and settled in your auncient priuiledge but my heart also satisfied of that wrong which I haue receiued by their iniustice Beleue masters that the thing which I haue done was not wtout great cause nor wtout open iniury receued as by keping it close I burst by telling that same I am ashamed I wil kepe it secrete not wtstaÌ„ding shall pray you to take héede vnto your selues that by vniuersal consent the mischiefe may be preuented Deuise what answer you wil make me to that intent that I by folowing your aduise may also be resolued vpon that I haue to do without preiudice but to them to whome the case doth chiefly appertaine During all this 〈◊〉 the wicked captaine kept close the murder which he had committed to draw the worme out of the Nocerines 〈◊〉 to see of what minde they were that vpon the intelligence thereof he might worke and follow the time accordingly He that had seene the Citizens of 〈◊〉 after that seditious Dration would haue thought that he had heard a murmure of Bees when issuing forth their hiues they light amidst a pleasaunt Herber adorned beautified with diuers coloured floures For the people flocked and assembled togithers and began to murmur vpon the imprisonment of their Lord and the treason coÌ„mitted by the LieuetenauÌ„t thinking it very strauÌ„ge that he which was a houshold seruaunt durst be so bold to sease on