haue found no mean inducement to loue in regard of my husbands far distance from me medling in the rude vnciuill actions of warre when he should rather be at home in more sweet imployment You see Sir that these Orators aduance themselues here in your presence to acquaint you with the extremity of my ouer-commanding agony and if the same power hath dominion in you which your discretion questionlesse cannot be voide of then let me entreate such aduise from you as may rather helpe then hinder my hopes Beleeue it then for trueth Sir that the long absence of my husband from me the solitary condition wherein I am left ill agreeing with the hot blood running in my veines the temper of my earnest desires haue so preuailed against my strongest resistances that not onely so weake a woman as I am but any man of much more potent might liuing in ease and idlenesse as I doe cannot withstand such continuall assaults hauing no other helpe then flesh and blood Nor am I so ignorant but publique knowledge of such an error in me would be reputed a shrewd taxation of honesty whereas on the other side secret carriage and heedfull managing such amorous affaires may passe for currant without any reproach And let me tell you Noble Counte that I repute Loue highly fauourable to mee by guiding my iudgement with such moderation to make election of a wise worthy and honourable friend fit to enioy the grace of a farre greater Lady then I am and the first letter of his name is the Count D'Angiers For if error haue not misled mine eye as in Loue no Lady can be easily deceiued for person perfections and all parts most to be commended in a man the whole Realme of France containeth not your equall Obserue beside how forward Fortune sheweth her selfe to vs both in this case you to be destitute of a wife as I am of an husband for I count him as dead to me when he denies me the duties belonging to a wife Wherefore in regard of the vnfaigned affection I beare you and compassion which you ought to haue of Royall Princesse euen almost sicke to death for your sake I earnestly entreate you not to denie me your louing society but pittying my youth and fiery afflictions neuer to be quenched but by your kindnesse I may enioy my hearts desire As shee vttered these words the teares streamed aboundantly downe her faire cheekes preuenting her of any further speech so that deiecting her head into her bosome ouercome with the predominance of her passions shee fell vpon the Countes knee whereas else shee had falne vpon the ground When hee like a loyall and most honourable man sharply reprehended her fonde and idle loue and when shee would haue embraced him about the necke hee repulsed her roughly from him protesting vpon his honourable reputation that rather then hee would so wrong his Lord and Maister he would endure a thousand deathes The Lady seeing her desire disappointed and her fond expectation vtterly frustrated grewe instantly forgetfull of her intemperate loue and falling into extremity of rage conuerted her former gentle speeches into this harsh and ruder language Villaine quoth shee shall the longing comforts of my life be abridged by thy base and scornefull deniall Shall my destruction bee wrought by thy currish vnkindnesse and all my hoped ioyes be defeated in a moment Know slaue that I did not so earnestly desire thy sweet embracements before but now as deadly I hate and despise them which either thy death or banishment shall dearely pay for No sooner had shee thus spoken but tearing her haire and renting her garments in pieces shee ranne about like a distracted woman crying out aloude Helpe helpe the Count D'Angiers will forcibly dishonour mee the lustfull Count will violence mine honour D'Angiers seeing this and fearing more the malice of the ouer-credulous Court then either his owne conscience or any dishonourable act by him committed beleeuing likewise that her slanderous accusation would bee credited aboue his true and spotlesse innocency closely he conueyed himselfe out of the Court making what hast hee could home to his owne house which being too weake for warranting his safety vpon such pursuite as would be vsed against him without any further aduice or counsell he seated his two children on horsebacke himselfe also being but meanly mounted thus away thence hee went to Calice Vpon the clamour and noise of the Lady the Courtiers quickly flocked thither and as lies soone winne beleefe in hasty opinions vpon any silly or shallow surmise so did her accusation passe for currant and the Counts aduancement being enuied by many made his honest carriage in this case the more suspected In hast and madding fury they ran to the Counts houses to arrest his person and carry him to prison but when they could not finde him they raced his goodly buildings downe to the ground and vsed all shamefull violence to them Now as il newes sildome wants a speedy Messenger so in lesse space then you will imagine the King and Dolphin heard thereof in the Camp and were therewith so highly offended that the Count had a sodaine and seuere condemnation all his progeny being sentenced with perpetuall exile and promises of great and bountifull rewards to such as could bring his body aliue or dead Thus the innocent Count by his ouer-hasty and sodaine flight made himselfe guilty of this foule imputation and arriuing at Callice with his children their poore and homely habites hid them from being knowne and thence they crossed ouer into England staying no where vntill hee came to London Before he would enter into the City he gaue diuers good aduertisements to his children but especially two precepts aboue all the rest First with patient soules to support the poore condition whereto Fortune without any offence in him or them had thus deiected them Next that they should haue most heedfull care at no time to disclose from whence they came or whose children they were because it extended to the perill of their liues His Sonne being named Lewes and now about nine yeares old his daughter called Violenta and aged seauen yeares did both obserue their fathers direction as afterward it did sufficiently appeare And because they might liue in the safer securitie hee thought it for the best to change their names calling his sonne Perotto and his daughter Gianetta for thus they might best escape vnknowne Being entred into the Citty and in the poore estate of beggers they craued euery bodies mercy and almes It came to passe that standing one morning at the Cathedral Church-doore a great Lady of England being then wife to the Lord high Marshall cōming forth of the Church espied the Count and his children there begging Of him she demanded what Countrey-man he was and whether those children were his owne or no The Count replyed that he was borne in Picardy and for an vnhappy fact committed by his eldest sonne a stripling of more
hopefull expectation then proued hee was enforced with those his two other children to forsake his country The Lady being by nature very pittiful looking aduisedly on the yong Girle beganne to grow in good liking of her because indeede she was amiable gentle and beautifull whereupon shee saide Honest man thy daughter hath a pleasing countenance and perhaps her inward disposition may prooue answerable to hir outward goods parts if therefore thou canst bee content to leaue her with me I will giue her entertainment and vpon her dutifull carriage and behauiour if she liue to such yeares as may require it I wil haue her honestly bestowne in marriage This motion was verie pleasing to the Count who readily declared his willing consent thereto and with the teares trickling downe his cheekes in thankfull manner he deliuered his prettie daughter to the Lady Shee being thus happily bestowne hee minded to tarry no longer in London but in his wonted begging manner trauailing thorough the Country with his sonne Perotto at length hee came into Wales but not without much weary paine and trauell being neuer vsed before to iourney so far on foote There dwelt another Lord in office of Marshalship to the King of England whose power extended ouer those partes a man of very great authority keeping a most noble and bountifull house which they termed the President of Wales his Court whereto the Count and his son oftentimes resorted as finding there good releefe and comfort On a day one of the Presidents sons accompanied with diuers other Gentlemens children were performing certaine youthfull sports pastimes as running leaping and such like wherein Perotto presumed to make one among them excelling all the rest in such commendable manner as none of them caâ—e any thing nere him Diuers times the President had taken notice thereof and was so vvell pleased with the Lads behauiour that he enquired of whence he was Answer vvas made that hee vvas a poore mans son that euery day came for an almes to his gate The President being desirous to make the boy his the Count whose dayly prayers were to the same purpose frankly gaue his son to the Nobleman albeit naturall and fatherly affection vrged some vnwillingnesse to part so with him yet necessity and discretion found it to bee for the benefit of them both Being thus eased of care for his son and daughter and they though in different places yet vnder good and woorthie gouernment the Count would continue no longer in England but as best he could procure the meanes passed ouer into Ireland and being arriued at a place called Stanford became seruant to an Earle of that Country a Gentleman professing Armes on whom he attended as a seruing man liued a long while in that estate very painfully His daughter Violenta clouded vnder the borrowed name of Gianetta dwelling with the Lady at London grew so in yeares beauty comlinesse of person and was so gracefull in the fauour of her Lord and Lady yea of euery one in the house beside that it was wonderfull to behold Such as but obserued her vsuall carriage and what modesty shined clearely in her eyes reputed her vvell vvorthy of honourable preferment in which regard the Lady that had receiued her of her Father not knowing of whence or what shee was but as himselfe had made report intended to match her in honourable mariage according as her vertues worthily deserued But God the iust rewarder of all good endeauours knowing her to be noble by birth and causelesse to suffer for the sinnes of another disposed otherwise of her and that so worthy a Virgin might be no mate for a man of ill conditions no doubt ordained what was to be done according to his owne good pleasure The noble Lady with whom poore Gianetta dwelt had but one onely Sonne by her Husband and he most deerely affected of them both as well in regard hee was to be their heire as also for his vertues and commendable qualities wherein he excelled many young Gentlemen Endued he was with heroycal valour compleate in all perfections of person and his mind euery way answerable to his outward behauiour exceeding Gianetta about sixe yeeres in age Hee perceiuing her to be a faire and comely Maiden grew to affect her so entirely that all things else he held contemptible and nothing pleasing in his eye but shee Now in regard her parentage was reputed poore hee kept his loue concealâ—d from his Parents not daring to desire her in marriage for both hee was to loose their fauour by disclosing the vehemency of his afflictions which proued a greater torment to him then if it had beene openly knowne It came to passe that loue ouer-awed him in such sort as he fell into a violent sicknesse and store of Physicions were sent for to saue him from death if possibly it might be Their iudgements obseruing the course of his sicknesse yet not reaching to the cause of the disease made a doubtfull question of his recouery which was so displeasing to his parents that their griefe and sorrow grew beyond measure Many earnest entreaties they moued to him to know the occasion of his sicknesse whereto he returned no other answer but heart-breaking sighes and incessant teares which drew him more and more into weakenesse of body It chanced on a day a Physicion was brought vnto him being young in yeeres but well experienced in his practise and as hee made triall of his pulse Gianetta who by his Mothers command attended on him very diligently vpon some especial occasion entred into the Chamber which when the young Gentleman perceiued and that shee neither spake word nor so much as looked towards him his heart grew great in amorous desire and his pulse did beate beyond the compasse of ordinary custome whereof the Physicion made good obseruation to note how long that fit would continue No sooner was Gianetta gone forth of the Chamber but the pulse immediately gaue ouer beating which perswaded the Physicion that some part of the disease had now discouered it selfe apparantly Within a while after pretending to haue some speech with Gianetta and holding the Gentleman still by the arme the Physicion caused her to be sent for and immediately shee came Vpon her very entrance into the Chamber the pulse began to beate againe extreamely and when shee departed it presently ceased Now was he thorowly perswaded that hee had found the true effect of his sicknesse when taking the Father and mother aside thus he spake to them If you be desirous of your Sons health it consisteth not either in Physicion or physicke but in the mercy of your faire Maide Gianetta for manifest signes haue made it knowne to me and he loueth the Damosell very dearely yet for ought I can perceiue the Maide doth not know it now if you haue respect of his life you know in this case what is to be done The Nobleman and his Wife hearing this became somewhat satisfied because there remained a remedy
reuealed her whole intent to Gianetta and finding her constancie beyond common comparison acquainted her Lord with all she had done and both consented though much against their mindes to let him enioy her in honourable marriage accounting it better for preseruation of their onely sons life to match him farre inferiour to his degree then by denying his desire to let him pine away and die for her loue After great consultation with kindred and friendes the match was agreed vpon to the no little ioy of Gianetta who deuoutly returned infinite thankes to heauen for so mercifully respecting her deiected poore estate after the bitter passage of so many miseries and neuer tearming her selfe any otherwise but the daughter of a poore Piccard Soone was the yong Gentleman recouered and married no man aliue so well contented as he and setting downe an absolute determination to lead a louing life with his Gianetta Let vs now conuert our lookes to Wales to Perotto being lefte there with the other Lord Marshall who was the President of that Countrey On he grew in yeares choisely respected by his Lord because hee vvas most comely of person and addicted to all valiant attempts so that in Tourneyes Iustes and other actions of Armes his like was not to bee found in all the Island being named onely Perotto the valiant Piccard and so was he famed farre and neere As God had not forgotten his Sister so in mercy he became as mindefull of him for a contagious mortalitie hapning in the Country the greater part of the people perished thereby the rest flying thence into other partes of the Land whereby the whole Prouince became dispeopled and desolate In the time of this plague and dreadful visitation the Lord President his Lady Sonnes Daughters Brothers Nephewes and Kindred dyed none remaining aliue but one onely Daughter marriageable a few of the houshold seruants beside Perotto whom after the sicknesse was more mildly asswaged with counsaile and consent of the Country people the young Lady accepted to be her husband because hee was a man so worthy and valiant and of all the inheritance left by her deceased Father she made him Lord and sole commaunder Within no long while after the King of England vnderstanding that his President of Wales was dead and fame liberally relating the vertues valour and good parts of Perotto the Piccard hee created him to be his President there and to supply the place of his deceased Lord. These faire fortunes within the compasse of so short a time fell to the two innocent children of the Count D'Angiers after they were left by him as lost and forlorne Eighteene yeares were now fully ouer-past since the Count D'Angiers fled from Paris hauing suffered in miserable soâ—t many hard and lamentable aduersities and seeing himselfe now to be growne aged hee was desirous to leaue Ireland and to know if hee might what was become of both his children Hereupon perceiuing his wonted forme to be so altered that such as formerly had conuersed most with him could now not take any knowledge of him feeling his body through long labour and exercise endured in seruice more lusty then in his idle youthfull yeares especially when he left the Court of France hee purposed to proceede in his determination Being very poore and simple in apparell hee departed from the Irish Eare his Maister with whom hee had continued long in seruice to no aduantage or aduancement and crossing ouer into England trauailed to the place in Wales where he left Perotto and where hee found him to be Lord Marshall and President of the Country lusty and in good health a man of goodly feature and most honourably respected and reuerenced of the people Well may you imagine that this was no small comfort to the poore aged Countes heart yet would he not make himselfe knowne to him or any other about him but referred his ioy to a further enlarging or diminishing by sight of the other limme of his life his dearely affected daughter Gianetta denying rest to his body in any place vntill such time as he came to London Making there secret enquiry concerning the Lady with whom he had left his daughter hee vnderstoode that a young Gentlewoman named Gianetta was married to that Ladies onely Son which made a second addition of ioy to his soule accounting all his passed aduersities of no value both his children being liuing and in so high honour Hauing found her dwelling and like a kinde Father being earnestly desirous to see her he dayly resorted neere to the house where Sir Roger Mandauill for so was Gianettaes husband named chauncing to see him being moued to compassion because he was both poore and aged commaunded one of his men to take him into the house and to giue him some foode for Gods sake which accordingly the seruant performed Gianetta had diuers children by her husband the eldest of them being but eight yeares olde yet all of them so faire and comely as could be As the olde Count sate eating his meate in the Hall the children came all about him embracing hugging and making much of him euen as if Nature had truly instructed them that this was their aged though poore Graundfather and hee as louingly receiuing these kinde relations from them wisely and silently kept all to himselfe with sighes teares and ioyes entermixed together So that the children would not part from him though their Tutour and Maister called them often which being tolde to their Mother shee came foorth of the neere adioyning Parlour and threatned to beate them if they would not doe what their Maister commanded them Then the children began to cry saying that they would tarie still by the good olde man because he loued them better then their Maister did whereat both the Lady and the Count began to smile The Count like a poore beggar and not as father to so great a Lady arose and did her humble reuerence because shee was now a Noble woman conceiuing wonderfull ioy in his soule to see her so faire and goodly a creature yet could she take no knowledge of him age want and misery had so mightily altred him his head all white his beard without any comely forme his garments so poore and his face so wrinkled leane and meager that hee seemed rather some Carter then a Count. And Gianetta perceiuing that when her children were fetcht away they returned againe to the olde man and would not leaue him desired their Maister to let them alone While thus the children continued making much of the good olde man Lord Andrew Mandeuile Father to Sir Roger came into the Hall as being so willed to doe by the Childrens Schoolemaister He being a hastie minded man and one that euer despised Gianetta before but much more since her mariage to his sonne angerly said Let them alone with a mischiefe and so befall them their best company ought to be with beggers for so are they bred and borne by the Mothers side and
to be knowne whereupon he gathered that doubtlesse this was shee for whom he hadde sought with such tedious trauaile and therefore going directly vnto her thus hee spake Gentle Princesse wherefore do you thus hide your selfe from mee Why do you haunt these retreats and desolate abodes hauing power to commaund ouer infinite men that cannot liue but by your presence What hath moued you Madame to flye from company to dwel among desert Rockes and serue as a slaue to such as are no way worthy of your seruice Why do you forsake a potent King whose onely daughter and hope you are leauing your countrey and royall traine of Ladies and so farre abasing your selfe to liue in the deiected state of a seruant and to some rusticke clowne or peazant What reason haue you to despise so many worthy Lords that dearely loue and honor you but aboue them all your poore slaue Ocharus who hath no spare of his owne life for the safety of yours and also for the defence of your honor Royal maid I am the same man that deliuered you from the villaine who would haue violated your faire chastity and since then haue not spared any payne or trauell in your search for whose losse King Siwalde is in extreme anguish the Danes in mourning habites and Ocharus euen at the doore of death being no way able to endure your absence Are you of the minde worthy Madame that I haue not hitherto deserued so much as one good looke or glance of your eye in recompence of so many good loyall seruices If Alas I am neither rauisher nor demander of any vniust requests or else inciuill in my motions I may merit one regard of my Mistresse I require onely so silly a fauour that her eyes may pay me the wages for all which I haue hitherto done in her seruice What would you do Madam if I were an importunate solicitor and requested farre greater matters of you in iust recompence of my labours I do not desire that you should embrace me I am not so bold as to request a kisse of Sericthaes more then immortall lips Nor doe I couet that she should any otherwise entreate mee then with such seuerity as beseemeth so great a Princesse I aske no more but onely to eleuate your chaste eyes and grace me with one little looke as being the man who for his vertue and loyall affection hath deserued more then that fauour yea a much greater and excellent recompence Can you then be so cruell as to denie me so small a thing without regarde of the maine debt wherein you stand engaged to your Ocharus The Princesse perceiuing that it auailed nothing to conceale hir selfe being by him so apparantly discouered began now to speake which she had neuer done before either to him or any other of her amorous suters answering him in this manner Lord Orharus it might suffice you that your importunity made me forsake my Fathers Court and causeth me to liue in this abased condition which I purpose to prosecute all my life time or so long at the least as you and such as you are pursue me so fondly as you haue presumed to do For I am resolued neuer to fauour you any otherwise then hitherto I haue done desiring you therfore that Serictha wanting an Interpreter to tell you her wil you would now receiue it from her owne mouth determining sooner to dye then alter a iot of her intended purpose Ocharus hearing this vnwelcome answer was euen vpon the point to haue slaine himselfe but yet not to lose the name of a valiant man or to be thought of an effeminate or cowardly spirite that a Woman should force him to an acte so farre vnfitting for a man of his ranke hee tooke his leaue of her solemnly promising not to forget her further pursuite but at all times to obey her so long as he liued although her commaund was very hard for him to endure So hee departed thence not vnto the Court she being not there that had the power to enioyne his presence but home to his owne house where he was no sooner arriued but he began to waxe wearie of his former folly accusing himselfe of great indiscretion for spending so much time in vaine and in her seruice who vtterly despised him and all his endeuours which he vndertooke He began to accuse her of great ingratitude laying ouer-much respect vppon her vertue to haue no feeling at all of his loyall sufferings but meerely made a mockery of his martyrdome Heereupon he concluded to giue ouer all further affection to languish no longer for her sake that hated him and all his actions While he continued in these melancholly passions the Princesse who all this while had persisted in such strict seuerity as astonished the courages of her stoutest seruants considering more deliberately on the sincere affection of Ocharus and that vertue onely made him the friend to her modesty and not wanton or lasciuious appetite she felt a willing readinesse in her soule to gratifie him in some worthy manner and to recompence some part of his trauailes Which to effect she resolued to follow him in some counterfeite habite euen to the place of his own abiding to try if easily he could take knowledge of her whom so lately he saw in the garments of a Shephearddesse Being thus minded shee went to her Mistresse whom she serued and who had likewise seen Lord Ocharus of whom she had perfect knowledge when hee conferred with the Shephearddesse and enquiring the cause why hee resorted in that manner to her Serictha returned her this answer Mistresse I make no doubt but you will be somewhat amazed and perhaps can hardly credit when you heare that she who now serueth you in the poore degree of Shephearddesse is the onely daughter to Siwalde King of the Danes for whose loue so many great Lords haue continually laboured and that I onely attracted hither Ocharus the Noble Sonne of valiant Hebonius to wander in these solitary deserts to finde out her that fled from him and helde him in as high disdaine as I did all the rest of his fellow riuals But if my words may not heerein sufficiently assure you I would aduise you to send where Ocharus dwelleth there make further enquiry of him to the end that you may not imagine me a lyar If my speeches do otherwise preuaile with you and you remain assured that I am she whom your Noble neighbour so deerely affecteth albeit I neuer made any account at all of him then I do earnestly intreat you so much to stand my friend as to prouide some conuenient means for me whereby I may passe vnknowne to the Castle of Ocharus to reuenge my selfe on his ciuill honesty smile at him hereafter if he proue not so cleerely sighted as to know her being neere him whom he vaunteth to loue aboue all women else The good Countrey-woman hearing these wordes and perceyuing that she had the Princesse in her house of whose
beauty and bodily strength not foreseeing with any iudgement that these wishes were not without perill when being endued with them they either haue beene the occasion of their death or such a lingering lamentable estate of life as death were a thousand times more welcome to them But because I would not speake particularly of all our fraile and humane affections I dare assure ye that there is not any one of these desires to be elected among vs mortals with entire foresight or prouidence warrantable against their ominous issue Wherefore if we would walke directly wee should dispose our willes and affections to be ordered and guided onely by him who best knoweth what is needfull for vs and will bestow them at his good pleasure Nor let me lay this blamefull imputation vpon men onely for offending in many things through ouer lauish desires because you your selues gracious Ladies sinne highly in one as namely in coueting to be beautifull So that it is not sufficient for you to enioy those beauties bestowne on you by Nature but you practise to encrease them by the rarities of Art Wherefore let it not offend you that I tell you the hard fortune of a faire Sarrazines to whom it happened by strange aduentures within the compasse of foure yeares nine seuerall times to be maried and onely for her beauty It is now a long time since that there liued a Soldane in Babylon named Beminidab to whom while he liued many things happened answerable to his owne desires Among diuers other children both male and female he had a daughter called Alathiella and shee according to the common voyce of euery one that saw her was the fayrest Lady then liuing in all the world And because the King of Cholcos had wonderfully assisted him in a valiant foughten battaile against a mighty Armie of Arabes who on a suddaine had assailed him hee demaunded his faire daughter in marriage which likewise was badly granted to him A goodly and well armed Ship was prepared for her with full furnishment of all necessary prouision and accompanied with an honourable traine both Lords and Ladies as also most costly and sumptuous accoustrements commending her to the mercy of heauen in this manner was shee sent away The time being propitious for their parting thence the Mariners hoised their sayles leauing the part of Alexandria and sayling prosperously many dayes together When they had past the Country of Sardignia and as they imagined were well neere to their iourneyes end suddainly arose boisterous and contrary windes which were so impetuous beyond all measure and so tormented the Ship wherein the Lady was that the Mariners seeing no signe of comfort gaue ouer all hope of escaping with life Neuerthelesse as men most expert in implacable dangers they laboured to their vttermost power and contended with infinite blustring tempests for the space of two dayes and nights together hoping the third day would proue more fauourable But therein they saw themselues deceiued for the violence continued still encreasing in the night time more and more being no way able to comprehend either where they were or what course they tooke neither by mariuall iudgement or any apprehension else whatsoeuer the heauens were so clouded and the nights darknesse so extâ—eame Being vnknowne to them neere the Isle of Maiorica they felt the Ship to split in the bottome by meanes whereof perceiuing now no hope of escaping euery one caring for himselfe and not any other they threw forth a Squiffe on the troubled waues reposing more confidence of safety that way then abiding any longer in the broken Ship Howbeit such as were first descended downe made stout resistance against all other followers with their drawne weapons but safety of life so farre preuailed that what with the tempests violence and ouer-lading of the Squiffe it sunke to the bottome and all perished that were therein The The Ship being thus split and more then halfe full of water tossed and tormented by the blustring windes first one way and then another was at last driuen into a strand of the Isle Maiorica no other persons remaining therein but onely the Lady and her women all of them through the rude tempest and their owne conceiued feare lying still as if they were more then halfe dead And there within a stones cast of the neighbouring shore the Ship by the rough surging billowes was fixed fast in the sands and so continued all the rest of the night without any further molestation of the windes When day appeared and the violent stormes were more mildly appeased the Lady who seemed well neere dead lifted vp her head and began weake as she was to call first one and then another but she called in vaine for such as she named were farre enough from her Wherefore hearing no answere nor seeing any one she wondered greatly her feares encreasing then more and more Raysing her selfe so well as shee could she beheld the Ladies that were of her company and some other of her women lying still without any stirring whereupon first iogging one and then another and calling them seuerally by their names shee found them bereft of vnderstanding and euen as if they were dead their hearts were so quailed and their feare so ouer-ruling which was no meane dismay to the poore Lady her selfe Neuerthelesse necessity now being her best counsailour seeing her selfe thus all alone and not knowing in what place she was she vsed such meanes to them that were liuing that at the last they came better to knowledge of themselues And being vnable to guesse what was become of the men and Mariners seeing the Ship also driuen on the sands and filled with water she began with them to lament most grieuously and now it was about the houre of mid-day before they could descry any person on the shore or any else to pitty them in so vrgent a necessity At length noone being past a Gentlewoman named Baiazeth attended by diuers of his followers on horseback and returning from a Country house belonging to him chanced to ride by on the sands Vpon sight of the Ship lying in that case he imagined truely what had happened and commanded one of his men to enter aboord it which with some difficulty hee did to resolue his Lord what remayned therein There hee found the faire young Lady with such small store of company as was left her fearefully hidden vnder the prow of the Ship So soone as they saw him they held vp their hands wofully desiring mercy of him but he perceiuing their lamentable condition and that hee vnderstoode not what they said to them their affliction grew the greater labouring by signes and gestures to giue them knowledge of their misfortune The seruaut gathering what he could by their outward behauiour declared to his Lord what hee had seene in the Ship who caused the women to be brought on shore and all the precious things remaining with them conducting them with him to a place not farre off where with
I will not endanger any of their liues because their parents and friends being sensible of such losses may seeke reuenge perhaps to their owne ruine and some following scourge to my indiscretion For I consider daughter that I haue neighbours who scarsely loue me and of whom in time I may right my selfe hauing receiued by their meanes great wrongs iniuries Also I make no doubt but to manage your loue-sute with discretion and set such a pleasing proceednig betweene them as neyther shall beget any hatred in them towards me nor yet offend them in their affections pursuite till fortune may smile so fauourably vpon some one man to reach the height of both your wished desires Siwalde was thus determinately resolued to let his daughter liue at her owne discretion without any alteration of her continued seueritie perceiuing day by day that many came still to request her in mariage he could not giue her to them all nor make his choise of any one least all the rest should become his enemies and fall in quarrell one with another Onely this therefore was his ordination that among such a number of amorous suters he onely should weare the Lawrell wreath of victory who could obtaine such fauour of Serictha as but to looke him in the face This condition seemed to bee of no meane difficulty yea and so impossible that many gaue ouer their amorous enterprize whereof Serictha was wondrouslie ioyfull seeing her selfe eased of such tedious importunitie dulling her eares with their proffered seruices and foppish allegations of fantasticke seruitude such as ydle-headed Louers do vse to protest before their Mistresses wherein they may beleeue them if they list Among all them that were thus forward in their heate of affection there was a young Danish Lord named Ocharus the sonne of a Pirate called Hebonius the same man who hauing stolne the Sister vnto King Hunguinus and Sister to Siwalde affiancing himselfe to her was slaine by King Haldune and by thus killing him enioyed both the Lady and the kingdome of the Gothes also as her inheritance This Ocharus relying much on his comelinesse of person wealth power and valour but aboue all the rest on his excellent and eloquent speaking bestowed his best endeauour to obtaine Serictha notwithstanding the contemptible carriage of the rest towards him whereupon preuailing for his accesse to the Princesse and admitted to speake as all the other did he reasoned with her in this manner Whence may it proceede Madam that you being the fairest and wisest Princesse liuing at this day in all the Northerne parts should make so smal account of your selfe as to denie that which with honour you mâ—y yeeld to them as seeke to doe you most humble seruice and forgetting the rank you hold doe refuse to deigne them recompence in any manner whatsoeuer seeking onely to enioy you in honourable marriage Perhaps you are of opinion that the gods should become slaues to youâ— beauty in which respect men are vtterly vnworthy to craue any such acquaintance of you If it be so I confesse my selfe conquered But if the gods seeke no such association with women and since they forsooke the World they left this legacy to vs men I thinke you couet after none but such as are extracted of their blood or may make vaunt of their neere kindred and alliance to them I know that many haue wished and doe desire you I know also that as many haue requested you of the King your Father but the choyce remaineth in your power and you being ordained the Iudge to distinguish the merit of all your Sutors me thinkes you doe wrong to the office of a Iudge in not regarding the parties which are in suite to sentence the deseâ—t of the best and brauest and so to delay them with no more lingering I cannot thinke Madam that you are so farre out of your selfe and so chill cold in your affection but desire of occasions equall to your vertue and singular beauty doe sometime touch you feelingly and make you to wish for such a man answerable to the greatnesse of your excellency And if it should be otherwise as I imagine it to be impossible yet you ought to breake such an obstinate designe onely to satisfie the King your Father who can desire nothing more then to haue a Sonne in Law to reuenge him on the Tyrant of Swetia who as you well know was sometime the murtherer of your Grand-father Hunguinus and also of his Father If you please to vouchsafe me so much grace and fauour as to make me the man whom your heart hath chosen to be your Husband I sweare vnto you by the honour of a Souldier that I will vndergoe such seruice as the King shall be reuenged you royally satisfied and my selfe aduanced to no meane happinesse by being the onely fortunate man of the World Gentle Princesse the most beautifull daughter to a King open that indurate heart and so soften it that the sweete impressions of loue may be engrauen therein see there the loyall pursuite of your Ocharus who to saue his life cannot so much as winne one looke from his diuine Mistresse This nicenesse is almost meerely barbarous that I wishing to aduenture my life prodigally in your seruice you are so cruell as not to deigne recompence to this duty of mine with the least signe of kindnesse that can be imagined Faire Serictha if you desire the death of your friendly seruant Ocharus there are many other meanes whereby to performe it without consuming him in so small a fire and suffering him there to languish without any answere If you will not looke vpon me if my face be so vnworthy that one beame of your bright Sunnes may not shine vpon it If a word of your mouth be too precious for me make a signe with your hand either of my happinesse or disaster If your hand be enuious of mine ease let one of your women be shee to pronounce the sentence of life oâ— death because if my life be hatefull to you this hand of mine may satisfie your will and sacrifice it to the rigour of your disdaine But if as I am rather perswaded the ruine of your seruants be against your more mercifull wishes deale so that I may perceiue it and expresse what compassion you haue of your Ocharus who coueteth nothing more then your daily hearts ease and contentment with a priuiledge of honour aboue other Ladies All this discourse was heard by Serictha but so little was shee moued therewith as shee was farre enough off from returning him any answer neither did any of the Gentlewomen attending on her euer heare her vse the very least word to any of her amorous sollicitors nor did shee know any one of them but by speech onely which droue them all into an vtter despaire perceiuing no possible meanes whereby to conquer her The Histories of the Northeâ—ne 〈…〉 deâ—â—are that in those times the rapes of women were not much 〈…〉 and such
poore Countrey Clowne and their blood and mine notoriously imbased by my marriage with thee I intend to haue thee no longer my Wife but will returne thee home to thy Fathers house with all the rich Dowry thou broughtest me and then I wil take another Wife with whom I am already contracted better beseeming my birth and farre more contenting and pleasing to my people The Lady hearing these words not without much paine and difficulty restrayned her teares quite contrary to the naturall inclination of women and thus answered Great Marquesse I neuer was so empty of discretion but did alwayes acknowledge that my base and humble condition could not in any manner sute with your high blood and Nobility and my being with you I euer acknowledged to proceed from heauen and you not any merit of mine but onely as a fauour lent me which you being now pleased to recall backe againe I ought to be pleased and so am that it bee restored Here is the Ring wherewith you Espoused me here in all humility I deliuer it to you You command me to carry home the marriage Dowry which I brought with me there is no need of a Treasurer to repay it me neither any new purse to carry it in much lesse any Sumpter to be laden with it For Noble Lord it it was neuer out of my memory that you tooke me starke naked and if it shall seeme sightly to you that this body which hath borne two children and be gotten by you must againe be seene naked willingly must I depart hence naked But I humbly beg of your Excellency in recompence of my Virginity which I brought you blamelesse so much as in thought that I may haue but one of my wedding Smocks onely to conceale the shame of nakednesse and then I depart rich enough The Marquesse whose heart wept bloody teares as his eyes would likewise gladly haue yeelded their naturall tribute couered all with a dissembled angry countenance and starting vp said Goe giue her a Smocke onely and so send her gadding All there present about him entreated him to let her haue a petticote because it might not be said that she who had been his Wife thirteene yeares and more was sent away so poorely in her Smocke but all their perswasions preuailed not with him Naked in her Smocke without hose or shooes bareheaded and not so much as a Cloth about her necke to the great griefe and mourning of all that saw her she went home to her old fathers house And he good man neuer beleeuing that the Marquesse would long keepe his daughter as his Wife but rather expected daily what now had happened safely laid vp the garments whereof the Marquesse despoyled her the same morning when he espoused her Wherefore he deliuered them to her and she fell to her fathers houshold businesse according as formerly she had done sustayning with a great and vnconquerable spirit all the cruell assaults of her enemy Fortune About such time after as suted with his owne disposition the Marquesse made publiquely knowne to his subsects that he meant to ioyne in marriage again with the daughter to one of the Counts of Panago and causing preparation to be made for a sumptuous wedding he sent for Grizelda and she being come thus he spake to her The Wife that I haue made the new election of iâ—to arriue here within very few dayes and at her first comming I would haue her to be most honourably entertained Thou knowest I haue no women in my house that can decke vp the Chambers and set all requisite things in due order befitting for so solemne a Feast and therefore I sent for thee who knowing better then any other all the partes prouision and goods in the house set euery thing in such order as thou shalt thinke necessary Inuite such Ladies and Gentlewomen as thou wilt and giue them welcome euen as if thou wert the Lady of the house and when the marriage is ended returne then home to thy father againe Although these words pierced like wounding daggers the heart of poore but Noble patient Grizelda as being vnable to forget the vnequal'd loue she bare to the Marquesse though the dignitie of her former fortune more easily slipt out of her remembrance yet neuerthelesse thus she answered My Gracious Lord I am glad I can doe you any seruice wherein you shall find mee both willing and ready In the same poore garments as she came from her fathers house although shee was turned out in her Smocke she began to sweep and make cleane the Chambers rubbe the stooles and benches in the Hall and ordered things in the Kitchin as if she were the worst maide in al the house neuer ceasing or giuing ouer till all things were in due and decent order as best beseemed in such a case After all which was done the Marquesse hauing inuited all the Ladies of the Countrey to be present at so great a Feast when the marriage day came Grizelda in her gowne of Countrey gray gaue them welcome in honourable manner and graced them all with very cheerefull countenance Gualtiero the Marquesse who had caused his two children to be nobly nourished at Bologna with a neere kinswoman of his who had married with one of the Counts of Panago his daughter being now aged twelue yeares old and some-what more as also the Son about sixe or seuen He sent a Gentleman expresly to his kindred to haue them come and visite him at Saluzza bringing his daughter and Sonne with them attended in very honourable manner and publishing euery where as they came along that the young Virgin knowne to none but himselfe and them should be the Wife to the Marquesse and that onely was the cause of her comming The Gentleman was not slacke in the execution of the trust reposed in him but hauing made conuenient preparation with the kindred Sonne daughter and a worthy company attending on them arriued at Saluzza about dinner time where wanted no resort from all neighbouring parts round about to see the comming of the Lord Marquesses new Spouse By the Lords and Ladies she was ioyfully entertained and comming into the great Hall where the Tables were readily couered Grizelda in her homely Country habite humbled her selfe before her saying Gracious welcome to the new elected Spouse of the Lord Marquesse All the Ladies there present who had very earnestly importuned Gualtiero but in vaine that Grizelda might either be shut vp in some Chamber or else to lend her the wearing of any other garments which formerly had been her owne because she should not be so poorely seene among strangers being seated at the Tables she waited on them very seruiceably The yong Virgin was obserued by euery one who spared not to say that the Marquesse had made an excellent change but aboue them all Grizelda did most commend her and so did her brother likewise as young as he was yet not knowing her to be his Sister Now was the Marquesse
that my comfort may some way or other auaile the common needie yet methinkes where greefe is greatest and calamity most insulteth there ought to be our paines soundly imployed and our grauest instructions and aduise wholly administred And who can deny but that it is much more conuenient to commisserate the distresse of Ladies and Gentlewomen then the more able condition of men They as being naturally bashfull and timorous haue their soft and gentle soules often enflamed with amorous afflictions which lie there closely concealed as they can best relate the power of them that haue bin subiect to the greatest proofe Moreouer they being restrained from their wils and desires by the seuerity of Fathers Mothers Bretheren and Husbands are shut vp most part of their time in their Chambers where constrainedly sitting idle diuersity of straunge cogitations wheele vp and downe their braines forging as many seuerall imaginations which cannot be alwayes pleasant and contenting If melancholly incited by some amorous or louely apprehension oppresse their weake and vnresisting hearts they must be glad to beare it patiently til by better Fortune such occasions happen as may ouercome so proud an vsurpation Moreouer we cannot but confesse that they are lesse able then men to support such oppressions for if men grow affectionate wee plainely perceiue when any melancholly troublesome thoughts or what greefes else can any way concerne them their soules are not subiect to the like sufferings But admit they should fall into such necessity they can come and go whither they will heare and see many singular sights hawk hunt fish fowle ride or saile on the Seas all which exercises haue a particular power in themselues to withdraw amorous passions and appropriate the will to the pleasing appetite either by alteration of ayre distance of place or protraction of time to kill sorrow and quicken delight Wherefore somewhat to amend this error in humane condition and where least strength is as we see to bee in you most gracious Ladies and Gentlewomen further off then men from all fraile felicities for such as feele the weighty insultations of proud and imprious loue and therby are most in neede of comfort and not they that can handle the Needle Wheele and Distaffe I haue prouided an hundred Nouelles Tales Fables or Histories with iudicious moralles belonging to them for your more delight and queinter exercise In a faire and worthy assembly of seuen Honourable Ladies and three Noble Gentlemen they were recounted within the compasse of ten dayes during the wofull time of our so late dangerous sicknesse with apt Sonnets or Canzons for the conclusion of each seuerall day In which pleasing Nouels may be obserued many strange accidents of Loue and other notable aduentures happening as well in our times as those of grauer antiquity by reading whereof you may receyue both pleasure and profitable counsell because in them you shal perceiue both the sin to be shunned and the vertue to be embraced which as I wholly hate the one so I do and euer will honor the others aduancement The Table The First Day Gouerned by Madam Pampinea  MEssire Chappelet du Prat by making a false confession beguiled an holy religious man and after dyed And hauing during his life time bene a very bad man at his death was reputed to be a Saint and called S. Chappelet 2. Nouell ABraham a Iew beeing admonished or aduised by a friend of his named Iehannot de Cheuigny trauailed from Paris vnto Rome And beholding there the wicked behauiour of men in the Church returned to Paris againe where neuerthelesse he became a Christian 3. Nouell MElchisedech a Iewe by recounting a tale of three Rings to the great Soldan named Saladine preuented a great danger which was prepared for him 4. Nouell A Monke hauing committed an offence deseruing to be very greeuously punished freed himselfe from the paine to be inflicted on him by wittily reprehending his Abbot with the very same fault 5. Nouell LAdy Marquesse of Montferrat with a Banket of Hens and diuers other gracious speeches beside repressed the fond loue of the King of France 6. Nouell AN honest plaine meaning man simply conscionably reprehended the malignity hypocrisie and misdemeanor of many religious persons 7. Nouell BErgamino by telling a Tale of a skilfull man named Primasso and of an Abbot of Clugni honestly checked a new kinde of couetousnesse in Master Can de la Scala 8. Nouell GVillaume Boursieur with a few quaint familiar word checkt the miserable couetousnesse of Signior Herminio de Grimaldi 9. Nouell HOw the King of Cyprus was wittily reprehended by the words of a Gentlewoman of Gascoignie and became vertuously altered from his vicious disposition 10. Nouell MAster Albert of Bullen honestly made a Lady to blush that thought to haue done asmuch to him because she perceiued him to be amorously affected towardes her The second Day gouerned by Madam Philomena 1. Nouell MArtellino counterfetting to bee lame of his members caused himselfe to bee set on the body of Saint Arriguo where hee made shew of his sodaine recouery 〈◊〉 but when his dissiâ—ulation was discouered he was well beaten being afterward taken prisoner and in great 〈◊〉 of being hanged and strangled by the necke and yet escaped in the end 2. Nouell RInaldo de Este after he was rolled by theeues arriued at Chasteau 〈◊〉 where he was friendly lodged by a faire Widow and recompenced likewise for all his losses returning afterward safe and well home vnto his owne house 3. Nouell OF three yong Gentlemen being Brethren and hauing spent all their Landes and possessionâ— vainly became poore A Nephew of theirs falling almost into as desperate a condition became acquainted with an Abbot whom hee afterward found to be the King of Englands Daughter and made him her Husband in marriage recompencing all his Vnckles losses and seating them again in good estate 4. Nouell LAndolpho Ruffolo falling into pouerty became a Pirate on the Seas and beeing taken by the Genewayes hardly escaped drowning Which yet neuerthelesse he did vpon a little chest or coffer full of very rich Iewels beeing carried thereon to Corfu where he was well entertained by a good woman and afterward returned richly home to his owne house 5. Nouell ANdrea de Piero trauelling from Perouse vnto Naples to buy Horses was in the space of one night surprized by three admirable accidents out of all which he fortunately escaped and with a rich Ring returned home to his owne house 6. Nouell MAdame Beritola Caracalla was found in an Island with two Goates hauing lost her two sons and thence trauailed into Lunigianaâ— where one of her Sonnes became seruant to the Lord therof and was â—ound some-what ouer-familiar with his Maisters daughter who therefore caused him to be imprisoned Afterward when the Country of Sicily rebelled against King Charles the aforesaid Sonne chanced to be known by his Mother was married to his Masters daughter And his brother being found likewise they
often times hast thou beene angry Oh Sir said Maister Chappelet therein I assure yee I haue often transgressed And what man is able to forbeare it beholding the dayly actions of men to be so dishonest No care of keeping Gods commaundements nor any feare of his dreadfull iudgements Many times in a day I haue rather wished my selfe dead then liuing beholding youth pursuing idle vanities to sweare and forsweare themselues tipling in Tauernes and neuer haunting Churches but rather affecting the worlds follies then any such duties as they owe to God Alas Sonne quoth the Friar this is a good and holy anger and I can impose no penance on thee for it But tell me hath not rage or furie at any time so ouer-ruled thee as to commit murther or manslaughter or to speake euill of any man or to doe any other such kinde of iniurie Oh Father answered Maister Chappelet you that seeme to be a man of God how dare you vse any such vile words If I had had the very least thought to doe any such act as you speake doe you thinke that God would haue suffered me to liue These are deedes of darknesse fit for villaines and wicked liuers of which hellish crue when at any time I haue happened to meete with some one of them I haue said Goe God conuert thee Worthy and charitable words replied the Friar but tell me Sonne Didst thou euer beare false witnesse against any man or hast spoken falsly or taken ought from any one contrary to the will of the owner Yes indeede Father said Maister Chappelet I haue spoken ill of another because I haue sometime seene one of my neighbours who with no meane shame of the world would doe nothing else but beate his wife and of him once I complained to the poore mans parents saying that he neuer did it but when he was ouercome with drinke Those were no ill words quoth the Friar but I remember you said that you were a Merchant Did you euer deceiue any as some Merchants vse to doe Truly Father answered Maister Chappelet I thinke not any except one man who one day brought me money which he owed me for a certaine piece of cloath I solde him and I put it into a purse without accounting it about a moneth afterward I found that there were foure small pence more then was due to me And neuer happening to meete with the man againe after I had kept them the space of a whole yeare I then gaue them away to foure poore people for Gods sake A small matter said the Friar truly payed back again to the owner in bestowing them vpon the poore Many other questions hee demaunded of him whereto still he answered in the same manner but before he proceeded to absolution Maister Chappelet spake thus I haue yet one sinne more which I haue not reuealed to you when being vrged by the Friar to confesse it he said I remember that I should afford one day in the weeke to cleanse the house of my soule for better entertainement to my Lord and Sauiour and yet I haue done no such reuerence to the Sunday or Sabaoth as I ought to haue done A small fault Sonne replied the Friar O no quoth Maister Chappelet doe not terme it a small fault because Sunday being a holy day is highly to be reuerenced for as on that day our blessed Lord arose from death to life But quoth the Confessour hast thou done nothing else on that day Yes said he being forgetfull of my selfe once I did spet in Gods Church The Friar smiling said Alas Sonne that is a matter of no moment for wee that are Religious persons doe vse to spet there euery day The more is your shame answered Maister Chappelet for no place ought to be kept more pure and cleane then the sacred Temple wherein our dayly sacrifices are offered vp to God In this manner he held on an houre and more vttering the like transgressions as these and at last began to sigh very passionately and to shed a few teares as one that was skilfull enough in such dissembling prankes whereat the Confessour being much mooued said Alas Sonne what aylest thou Oh Father quoth Chappelet there remaineth yet one sinne more vpon my conscience whereof I neuer at any time made confession so shamefull it appeareth to me to disclose it and I am partly perswaded that God will neuer pardon me for that sinne How now Sonne said the Friar neuer say so for if all the sinnes that euer were committed by men or shall be committed so long as the World endureth were onely in one man and he repenting them and being so contrite for them as I see thou art the grace and mercy of God is so great that vpon penitent confession he will freely pardon him and therefore spare not to speak it boldly Alas Father said Chappelet still in pretended weeping this sinne of mine is so great that I can hardly beleeue if your earnest prayers doe not assist me that euer I shall obtaine remission for it Speake it Sonne said the Friar and feare not I promise that I will pray to God for thee Master Chappelet still wept and sighed and continued silent notwithstanding all the Confessors comfortable perswasions but after hee had helde him a long while in suspence breathing forth a sighe euen as if his very heart would haue broken he saide Holy Father seeing you promise to pray to God for me I will reueale it to you Know then that when I was a little boy I did once curse my Mother which he had no sooner spoken but he wrung his hands and greeued extraordinarily Oh good Son saide the Friar doth that seeme so great a sinne to thee Why men doe daily blaspheme our Lord God and yet neuerthelesse vpon their hearty repentance he is alwayes ready to forgiue them and wilt not thou beleeue to obtaine remission for a sinne so ignorantly committed Weepe no more deare Sonne but comfort thy selfe and rest resolued that if thou wert one of them who nayled our blessed Sauiour to his Crosse yet being so truly repentant as I see thou art he would freely forgiue thee Say you so Father quoth Chappelet What mine owne deare Mother that bare me in her wombe nine moneths day and night and afterwards fed me with her breasts a thousand times can I be pardoned for cursing her Oh no it is too haynous a sinne and except you pray to God very instantly for me he will not forgiue me When the religious man perceiued that nothing more was to be confessed by Master Chappelet he gaue him absolution and his owne benediction beside reputing him to be a most holy man as verily beleeuing all that he had said And who would not haue done the like hearing a man to speake in that manner and being vpon the very point of death Afterward he saide vnto him Master Chappelet by Gods grace you may be soone restored to health but if it so come to passe
Church where finding their entrance to be easie they approached neere the Tombe which was very great being all of Marble and the couer-stone weighty yet with crowes of yron and other helps they raised it so high that a man might without perill passe into it Now began they to question one another which of the three should enter into the Tombe Not I said the first so said the second No nor I answered Andrea Which when the other two heard they caught fast hold of him saying Wilt not thou goe into the Tombe Be aduised what thou sayest for if thou wilt not goe in we will so beat thee with one of these yron crowes that thou shalt neuer goe out of this Church aliue Thus poore Andrea is still made a property and Fortune this fatall night will haue no other foole but he as delighting in his hourly disasters Feare of their fury makes him obedient into the graue he goes and being within thus consults with himselfe These cunning companions suppose me to be simple make me enter the Tombe hauing an absolute intention to deceiue me For when I haue giuen them all the riches that I finde here and am ready to come forth for mine equall portion away will they runne for their owne safety and leauing me here not onely shall I loose my right among them but must remaine to what danger may follow after Hauing thus meditated he resolued to make sure of his owne share first and remembring the rich Ring whereof they had tolde him forthwith hee tooke it from the Archbishops finger finding it indifferently fitte for his owne Afterward hee tooke the Crosse Miter rich garments Gloues and all leauing him nothing but his shirt giuing them all these seuerall parcels protesting that there was nothing else Stil they pressed vpon him affirming that there was a Ring beside vrging him to search diligently for it yet still he answered that hee could not finde it and for their longer tarying with him seemed as if he serched very carefully but all appeared to no purpose The other two fellowes as cunning in craft as the third could be still willed him to search and watching their aptest opportunity tooke away the props that supported the Tombe-stone and running thence with their got booty left poore Andrea mewed vp in the graue Which when he perceiued and saw this misery to exceede all the rest it is farre easier for you to guesse at his greefe then I am any way able to expresse it His head shoulders yea all his vtmost strength he employeth to remoue that ouer-heauy hinderer of his liberty but all his labour beeing spent in vaine sorrow threw him in a swoond vpon the Byshoppes dead body where if both of them might at that instant haue bene obserued the Arch-byshops dead body and Andrea in greefe dying very hardly had bene distinguished But his senses regaining their former offices among his silent complaints consideration presented him with choyse of these two vnauoydable extremities Dye staruing must he in the tombe with putrifaction of the dead body or if any man came to open the Graue then must he be apprehended as a sacrilegious Theefe and so be hanged according to the lawes in that case prouided As he continued in these strange afflictions of minde sodainely hee heard a noise in the Church of diuers men who as he imagined came about the like businesse as hee and his fellowes had vndertaken before wherein he was not a iot deceiued albeit his feare the more augmented Hauing opened the Tombe and supported the stone they varied also among themselues for entrance and an indiffrent while contended about it At length a Priest being one in the company boldly said Why how now you white-liuer'd Rascals What are you affraid of Do you thinke he will eate you Dead men cannot bite and therefore I my selfe will go in Hauing thus spoken he prepared his entrance to the Tombe in such order that he thrust in his feete before for his easier descending downe into it Andrea sitting vpright in the Tombe and desiring to make vse of this happy opportunity caught the Priest fast by one of his legges making shew as if he meant to dragge him downe Which when the Priest felt he cryed out aloud getting out with all the hast he could make and all his companions being well neere frighted out of their wits ranne away amaine as if they had bene followed by a thousand diuelsâ— Andrea little dreaming on such fortunate successe made meanes to get out of the graue and afterward forth of the Church at the very same place where he entred Now began day-light to appeare when hee hauing the rich Ring on his finger wandred on hee knew not whether till comming to the Sea-side he found the way directing to his Inne where all his company were with his Host who had bene very carefull for him Hauing related his manifold mischances his Hoste friendly aduised him with speede to get him out of Naples As instantly he did returning home to Perouse hauing aduentured his fiue hundred Crownes on a Ring where-with hee purposed to haue bought Horses according to the intent of his iourney thither Madame Beritola Caracalla was found in an Island with two Goates hauing lost her two Sonnes and thence trauailed into Lunigiana where one of her Sonnes became seruant to the Lord thereof and was found somewhat ouer-familiar with his Masters daughter who therefore caused him to bee imprisoned Afterward when the Country of Sicily rebelled against K. Charles the aforesaid Sonne chanced to be knowne by his Mother and was married to his Masters daughter And his Brother being found likewise they both returned to great estate and credit The sixt Nouell Heerein all men are admonished neuer to distrust the powerfull hand of Heauen when Fortune seemeth to be most aduerse against them THe Ladies and Gentlemen also hauing smiled sufficiently at the seuerall accidents which did befall the poore Traueller Andrea reported at large by Madame Fiametta the Lady Aemillia seeing her tale to be fully concluded began by commandement of the Queene to speake in this manner The diuersitie of changes and alterations in Fortune as they are great so must they needs be greeuous and as often as we take occasion to talk of them as often do they awake and quicken our vnderstandings auouching that it is no easie matter to depend vpon her flatteries And I am of opinion that to heare them recounted ought not any way to offend vs be it of men wretched or fortunate because as they instrust the one with good aduise so they animate the other with comfort And therefore although great occasions haue beene already related yet I purpose to tell a Tale no lesse true then lamentable which albeit it sorted to a successefull ending yet notwithstanding such and so many were the bitter thwartings as hardly can I beleeue that euer any sorrow was more ioyfully sweetened You must vnderstand then most gracious Ladies
haue bin to me by how much the further off it stood from my hopes But if you be so forward as your words doe witnesse then feede mee not with any further fruitlesse expectation but rather send me backe to prison and lay as many afflictions on mee as you please for my endeared loue to your Daughter Spina maketh mee to loue you the more for her sake how hardly soeuer you entreate me bindeth me in the greater reuerence to you as being the father of my fairest friend Messer Conrado hearing these words stood as one confounded with admiration reputing him to be a man of lofty spirit and his affection most feruent to his Daughter which was as a little to his liking Wherefore embracing him and kissing his cheeke without any longer dallying hee sent in like manner for his Daughter Her restraint in prison had made her lookes me ager pale and wanne and very weake was shee also of her person farre differing from the woman shee was wont to be before her affection to Iehannot there in presence of her Father and with free consent of either they were contracted as man and wife and the espousals agreed on according to custome Some few dayes after without any ones knowledge of that which was done hauing furnished them with all things fit for the purpose and time aptly seruing that the Mothers should be partakers in this ioy he called his wife and Madam Beritola to whom first he spake in this manner What will you say Madam if I cause you to see your eldest Son not long since married to one of my Daughters whereunto Beritola thus replied My Lord I can say nothing else vnto you but that I shall be much more obliged to you then already I am and so much the rather because you will let me see the thing which is dearer to me then mine owne life and rendring it vnto mee in such manner as you speake of you will recall backe some part of my former lost hopes and with these words the teares streamed aboundantly from her eyes Then turning to his wife he saide And you deare Loue if I shew you such a Sonne in Law what will you thinke of it Sir quoth shee what pleaseth you must and shall satisfie me be he Gentleman or a beggar Well said Madam answered Messer Conrado I hope within few dayes to make you both ioyfull So when the amorous couple had recouered their former feature and honourable garments were prepared for them priuately thus he said to Geoffrey Beyond the ioy which already thou art inriched withall how would it please thee to meet with thine owne Mother here I cannot beleeue Sir replied Geoffrey that her greeuous misfortunes haue suffered her to liue so long yet notwithstanding if Heauen hath beene so merciful to her my ioyes were incomparable for by her gracious counsell I might well hope to recouer no meane happinesse in Sicilie Within a while after both the Mothers were sent for who were transported with vnspeakable ioyes when they beheld the so lately maried couple being also much amazed when they could not guesse what inspiration had guided Conrado to this extraordinary benignity ioyning Iehannot in mariage with Spina Hereupon Madam Beritola remembring the speeches between her and Conrado began to obserue him very aduisedly and by a hidden vertue which long had silently slept in her and now with ioy of spirit awaked calling to minde the lineatures of her Sonnes Infancy without awaiting for any other demonstrations shee folded him in her armes with earnest affection Motherly ioy and pitty now contended so violently together that shee was not able to vtter one word the sensitiue vertues being so closely combined that euen as dead shee fell downe in the armes of her Sonne And he wondering greatly thereat making a better recollection of his thoughts did well remember that he had often before seene her in the Castell without any other knowledge of her Neuerthelesse by meere instinct of Nature whose power in such actions declares it selfe to be highly predominant his very soule assured him that shee was his Mother and blaming his vnderstanding that he had not before beene better aduised he threw his armes about her and wept exceedingly Afterward by the louing paines of Conradoes wife as also her daughter Spina Madam Beritola being recouered from her passionate trance and her vitall spirits executing their Offices againe fell once more to the embracing of her Sonne kissing him infinite times with teares and speeches of motherly kindnesse he likewise expressing the same dutifull humanity to her Which ceremonious courtesies being passed ouer and ouer to no little ioy in all the beholders beside repetition of their seuerall misfortunes Messer Conrado made all knowne to his friends who were very glad of this new alliance made by him which was honoured with many solemn magnificent feastings Which being all concluded Geoffrey hauing found out fit place and opportunity for conference with his new created Father without any sinister opposition began as followeth Honourable Father you haue raised my contentment to the highest degree and haue heaped also many gracious fauours on my noble Mother but now in the finall conclusion that nothing may remaine vneffected which consisteth in your power to performe I would humbly entreate you to honour my Mother with your company at a Feast of my making where I would gladly also haue my Brother present Messer Gasparino d' Oria as I haue once heretofore told you questing as a common Pyrate on the Seas tooke vs and sent vs home to his house as slaues where as yet he detaineth him I would haue you likewise send one into Sicilie who informing himselfe more amply in the state of the Country may vnderstand what is become of Henriet my Father and whether he be liuing or no. If he remaine aliue to know in what condition he is and being secretly instructed in all things then to returne backe againe to you This motion made by Geoffrey was so pleasing to Conrado that without any reference to further leysure hee dispatched thence two discreete persons the one to Geneway and the other to Sicilie he which went for Geneway hauing met with Gasparino earnestly entreated him on the behalfe of Conrado to send him the Poore expelled and his Nurse recounting euery thing in order which Conrado had tolde him concerning Geoffrey and his Mother when Gasparino had heard the whole discourse he maruelled greatly thereat and saide True it is that I will doe any thing for Messer Conrado which may be to his loue and liking prouided that it lie in my power to performe and about some foureteene yeeres since I brought such a Lad as you seeke for with his Mother home to my house whom I will gladly send vnto him But you may tell him from me that I aduise him from ouer-rash crediting the fables of Iehannot that now tearmes himselfe by the name of Geoffrey because hee is a more wicked boy then he
therefore it is no meruaile if like will to like a beggers brats to keepe company with beggers The Count hearing these contemptible words was not a little greeued thereat and although his courage was greater then his poore condition would permit him to expresse yet clouding all iniuries with noble patience hanging downe his head and shedding many a salt teare endured this reproach as hee had done many both before and after But honourable Sir Roger perceiuing what delight his children tooke in the poore mans company albeit he was offended at his Fathers harsh words by holding his wife in such base respect yet fauoured the poore Count so much the more and seeing him weepe did greatly compassionate his case saying to the poore man that if hee would accept of his seruice he willingly would entertaine him Whereto the Count replied that very gladly he would embrace his kinde offer but hee was capable of no other seruice saue onely to be an horse-keeper wherein he had imployed the most part of his time Heereupon more for pleasure and pitty then any necessity of his seruice he was appointed to the keeping of one Horse which was onely for his Daughters saddle and daily after he had done his diligence about the Horse he did nothing else but play with the children While Fortune pleased thus to dally with the poore Count D'Angiers his children it came to passe that the King of France after diuers leagues of truces passed between him the Germaines died and next after him his Son the dolphin was crowned King and it was his wife that wrongfully caused the Counts banishment After expiration of the last league with the Germains the warres began to grow much more fierce and sharpe and the King of England vpon request made to him by his new brother of France sent him very honourable supplies of his people vnder the conduct of Perotto his lately elected President of Wales and Sir Roger Mandeuile Son to his other Lord high Marshall with whom also the poore Count went and continued a long while in the Campe as a common Souldier where yet like a valiant Gentleman as indeed he was no lesse both in aduice and actions he accomplished many more notable matters then was expected to come from him It so fell out that in the continuance of this warre the Queen of France fell into a grieuous sicknes and perceiuing her selfe to be at the point of death shee became very penitently sorrowfull for all her sinnes earnestly desiring that shee might be confessed by the Archbishop of Roane who was reputed to be an holy and vertuous man In the repetition of her other offences she reuealed what great wrong she had done to the Count D'Angiers resting not so satisfied with disclosing the whole matter to him alone but also confessed the same before many other worthy persons and of great honour entreating them to worke so with the King that if the Count were yet liuing or any of his Children they might be restored to their former honour againe It was not long after but the Queene left this life and was most royally enterred when her confession being disclosed to the King after much sorrow for so iniuriously wronging a man of so great valour and honour Proclamation was made throughout the Camp and in many other parts of France beside that whosoeuer could produce the Count D'Angiers or any of his Children should richly be rewarded for each one of them in regard he was innocent of the foule imputation by the Queenes owne confession and for his wrongfull exile so long he should be exalted to his former honour with farre greater fauours which the King franckely would bestow vpon him When the Count who walked vp and downe in the habite of a common seruitor heard this Proclamation forth-with he went to his Master Sir Roger Mandeuile requesting his speedy repaire to Lord Perotto that being both assembled together he would acquaint them with a serious matter concerning the late Proclamation published by the King Being by themselues alone in the Tent the Count spake in this māner to Perotto Sir S. Roger Mādeuile here your equal competitor in this military seruice is the husband to your naturall sister hauings yet neuer receiued any dowry with her but her inherent vnblemishable vertue honor Now because she may not stil remain destitute of a competent Dowry I desire that Sir Roger and none other may enioy the royall reward promised by the King You Lord Perotto whose true name is Lewes manifest your selfe to be nobly borne and sonne to the wrongfull banished Count D'Angiers auouch moreouer that Violenta shadowed vnder the borrowed name of Gianetta is your owne Sister and deliuer me vp as your Father the long exiled Count D'Angiers Perotto hearing this beheld him more aduisedly and began to know him then the tears flowing abundantly from his eyes he fell at his feete and often embracing him saide My deere and noble Father a thousand times more deerely welcome to your Sonne Lewes Sir Roger Mandeuile hearing first what the Count had said and seeing what Perotto afterward performed became surprized with such extraordinary ioy and admiration that he knew not how to carry himselfe in this case Neuerthelesse giuing credite to his words and being somewhat ashamed that he had not vsed the Count in more respectiue manner remembring beside the vnkinde language of his furious Father to him he kneeled downe humbly crauing pardon both for his fathers rudenes and his owne which was courteously granted by the Count embracing him louingly in his armes When they had a while discoursed their seuerall fortunes sometime in teares and then againe in ioy Perotto and Sir Roger would haue the Count to be garmented in better manner but in no wise he would suffer it for it was his onely desire that Sir Roger should be assured of the promised reward by presenting him in the Kings presence and in the homely habit which he did then weare to touch him with the more sensible shame for his rash beleefe and iniurious proceeding Then Sir Roger Mandeuile guiding the Count by the hand and Perotto following after came before the King offering to present the Count and his children if the reward promised in the Proclamation might be performed The king immediately commanded that a reward of inestimable valew should be produced desiring Sir Roger vppon the sight thereof to make good his offer for forthwith presenting the Count and his children Which hee made no longer delay of but turning himselfe about deliuered the aged Count by the title of his seruant and presenting Perotto next said Sir heere I deliuer you the Father and his Son his daughter who is my wife cannot so conueniently be heere now but shortly by the permission of heauen your Maiesty shall haue a sight of her When the King heard this stedfastly he looked on the Count and notwithstanding his wonderfull alteration both from his wonted feature and forme yet after
entertained But hauing well obserued all your seuerall relations grounded on graue worthy examples especially the last so notably deliuered by the Queene I cannot but commend faire Iuliet of Narbona in perfourming two such strange impossibilities and conquering the vnkindnesse of so cruel a husband If my Tale come short of the precedent excellency or giue not such content as you perhaps expect accept my good will and let me stand engaged for a better heereafter The Annales of Denmarke do make mention that the King of the said country who was first set downe as Prince contrary to the ancient custom and lawes obserued among the Danes namely Hunguinus had a son called Siwalde who succeeded him in the estates and kingdome belonging to his famous predecessors That age and the Court of that Royall Prince was verie highly renowned by the honour of faire Serictha Daughter to the sayde Siwalde who beside her generall repute of being a myracle of Nature in perfection of beautie and most compleate in all that the heart of man could desire to note in a body full of grace gentlenesse and whatsoeuer else to attract the eyes of euerie one to beholde her was also so chaste modest and bashfull as it was meerely impossible to preuaile so farre with her that any man should come to speake with her For in those dayes marriages were pursued and sought by valour and by the onely opinion which stoute Warriours conceiued of the vertuous qualities of a Ladie Notwithstanding neuer could any man make his vaunt that she had giuen him so much as a looke or euer any one attained to the fauour to whisper a word in her eare Because both the custome and will of Parents then very respectiuely kept in those Northerne parts of the world of hearing such speak as desired their daughters in marriage grew from offering them some worthy seruices and thereby compassed meanes to yeeld their contentation by some gracious and kinde answers But she who was farre off from the desire of any such follies referring her selfe wholly to the wil and disposition of the King her Lord and Father was so contrary to giue any liuing man an answer that her eye neuer looked on any one speaking to her appearing as sparing in vouchsafing a glance as her heart was free from a thought of affection For she had no other imagination but that Maides both in their choise will ought to haue any other disposition but such as should bee pleasing to their parents either to graunt or denie according as they were guided by their graue iudgement In like manner so well had shee brideled her sensuall appetites with the curbe of Reason Wisedome and Prouidence setting such a seuere and constant restraint on the twinkling or motions of her eyes in absolute obedience to her Father as neuer was she seene to turne her head aside to lend one looke on any man of her age A worthy sight it was to behold Knights errant passing repassing to Denmarke and backe againe labouring to conquer those setled eyes to win the least signe of grace and fauour from her whom they so dutiously pursued to steale but a silly glimpse or glance and would haue thought it a kind of honorable theft But this immouable rock of beauty although she knew the disseignes of them which thus frequented the Court of the King her Father and could not pretend ignorance of their endeuour ayming onely at obtaining her in marriage yet did she not lend aâ—y look of her eye yeelding the least signall of the hearts motion in affecting any thing whatsoeuer but what it pleased her Father she should do Serictha liuing in this strange and vnvsuall manner it mooued manie Princes and great Lords to come and court her contending both by signes and words to change her from this seuere constancie and make knowne if possible it might be whether a woman would or could be so resolute as to vse no respect at all towards them coming from so manie strange countries to honor her in the Courts of the King her father But in these dayes of ours if such a number of gallant spirits should come to aske but one looke of some of our beauties I am halfe affraide that they should finde the eyes of many of our dainty darlings not so sparing of their glances as those of Serictha were Considering that our Courtiers of these times are this way emulous one of another and women are so forward in offering themselues that they performe the office of suters as fearing lest they should not be solicited yea though it bee in honest manner The King who knew well enough that a daughter was a treasure of some danger to keepe and growing doubtfull withall least in the end this so obstinate seuerity would be shaken if once it came to passe that his daughter should feele the piercing apprehensions of loue whereof as yet she neuer had any experience he determined to vse some remedy for this great concourse of louers and strange kinde of carriage in the Princesse his daughter For hee apparently perceiued that such excelling beauty as was in Serictha with those good and commendable customes and other ornaments of his daughters mind could neuer attaine to such an height of perfection but yet there would be found some men so wittily accute and ingenious as to conuert and humor a maid according to their will and make a mockery of them who were before of most high esteeme Beside among so great a troope of Lords as daily made tender of their amorous seruice some one or other would proue so happy as at the last she should be his Mistresse And therefore forbearing what otherwhise he had intended as a finall conclusion of all such follies calling his daughter alone to himselâ—e in his Chamber and standing cleere from all other attention hee vsed to her this or the like Language I know not faire daughter what reason may moue you to shew your selfe so disdainfull towards so many Noble and worthy men as come to visite you and honour my Court with their presence offering me their loue and loyall seruice vnder this onely pretence as I perceiue of obtaining you and compassing the happinesse as it appeareth in plaine strife among them one day to winne the prize you being the maine issue of all their hope If it be bashfull modesty which indeede ought to attend on all virgins of your yeares and so veyles your eyes as with honour you cannot looke on any thing but what is your owne or may not iustly vouchsafe to see I commeÌ„d your maidenly continencie which yet neuerthelesse I would not haue to bee so seuere as at length your youth falling into mislike thereof it may be the occasion of some great misfortune either to you or me or else to vs both together considering what rapes are ordinarily committed in these quarters and of Ladies equall euery way to your selfe which happening would presently be the cause of my death
If it be in regard of some vow which you haue consecrated to virginity and to some one of our Gods I seeke not therein to hinder your disseignes neither will bereaue the celestiall powers of whatsoeuer appertaineth to them Albeit I could wish that it should bee kept in a place more straited and separate from the resort of men to the end that so bright a beauty as yours is should cause no discords among amorous suters neither my Court proue a Campe destinied vnto the conclusion of such quarrels or you be the occasion of ruining so many whose seruice would beseeme a much more needfull place then to dye heere by fond and foolish opinion of enioying a vaine pleasure yet remaining in the power of another bodie to grant If therefore I shall perceiue that these behauiours in you do proceede from pride or contempt of them who endeuour to do you both honor and seruice and in sted of granting them a gracious looke in arrogancie you keepe from them making them enemies to your folly and my sufferance I sweare to you by our greatest God that I will take such due order as shall make you feele the hand of an offended Father and teach you hencefoorth to bee much more affable Wherefore deere daughter you shall do me a singular pleasure freely to acquaint me with your minde and the reasons of your so stricte seuerity promising you vpon the word and faith of a King nay more of a louing and kinde Father that if I finde the cause to bee iust and reasonable I will desist so farre from hindering your intent as you shal rather perceiue my fatherly furtherance and rest truly resolued of my help and fauour Wherefore faire daughter neither blush or dismay or feare to let me vnderstand your will for euidently I see that meere virgin shame hath made a rapture of your soule beeing nothing else but those true splendors of vertue deriued from your Auncestors and shining in you most gloriously gracing you with a much richer embellishing thē those beauties bestowed on you by Nature Speake therefore boldly to your Father because there is no law to prohibit your speech to him for when he commandeth he ought to bee obeyed promising vppon mine oath once againe that if your reasons are such as they ought to be I will not faile to accommodate your fancy The wise and vertuous Princesse hearing the King to alledge such gracious reasons and to lay so kinde a command on her making him most lowe and humble reuerence in signe of dutifull accepting such fauour thus she answered Royall Lord and Father seeing that in your Princely Court I haue gathered whatsoeuer may be termed vertuous in me you being the principall instructer of my life from whom I haue learned those lessons how maides of my age ought to gouerne and maintaine themselues you shall apparantly perceiue that neither gazing lookes which I ought not to yeelde without your consent nor pride or arrogancie neuer taughr me by you or the Queene my most honourable Lady and Mother are any occasion of my cariage towards them which come to make ostentation of their folly in your Court as if a meere look of Serictha were sufficient to yeeld assurance effectually of their desires victory Nothing my most Royall Lord and Father induceth mee to this kinde of behauiour but onely due respect of your honour mine owne and to the end it may not be thought that I belye my selfe in not eying the affectionate offers of amorous pursuers or haue any other priuate reserued meaning then what may best please King Siwalde my Father let it suffice Sir that it remaineth in your power onely to make an apt election and choice for me for I neither ought nor will allowe the acceptance of any suters kindnesse so much as by a looke much lesse then by words vntill your Highnesse shall nominate the man to be a meete husband for Serictha It is onely you then my Lord that beares the true life-blood of our Ancestors It is the vntainted life of the Queene my Mother that sets a chaste and strict restraint on mine eyes from estranging my heart to the idle amorous enticements of young giddy-headed Gentlemen and haue sealed vp my soule with an absolute determination rather to make choise of death then any way to alter this my warrantable seuerity You being a wise King and the worthie Father of Serictha it is in you to mediate counsell and effect what best shall beseeme the desseignes of your daughter because it is the vertue of children yea and their eternall glory and renowne to illustrate the liues and memories of their parents It consisteth in you either to grant honest license to such Lords as desire me or to oppose them with such discreete conditions as both your selfe may sit free from any further afflicting and they rest defeated of dangerous dissentions according as you foresee what may ensue Which yet neuerthelesse I hold as a matter impossible if their discord should be grounded on the sole apprehension of their soules and the onely preuention therof is not to yeeld any signe glance of the eie or so much as a word more to one man then another for such is the setled disposition of your daughters soule and which shee humbly entreateth may so be still suffered Many meanes there are whereby to winne the grace of the greatest King by employing their paines in worthy occasions answerable vnto their yeeres and vertue if any such sparkes of honour doe shine in their soules rather then by gaining heere any matter of so meane moment by endeauouring to shake the simplicity of a bashfull maide Let them cleare the Kings high-wayes of Theeues who make the passages difficult or let them expell Pirates from off the Seas which make our Danish coasts euery way inaccessible These are such Noble meanes to merit as may throw deserued recompence vppon them and much more worthily then making Idols of Ladies lookes or gazing for babies in their wanton eyes So may you bestowe on them what is your owne granting Serictha to behold none but him who you shall please to giue her for otherwise you know her absolute resolue neuer to looke any liuing man in the face but onely you my gracious Lord and Father The King hearing this wise and modest answer of his daughter could not choose but commend her in his heart and smiling at the counsell which she gaue him returned her this answer Vnderstand me wel faire daughter neither am I minded to breake your determination wholly nor yet to gouerne my selfe according to your fancie I stand indifferently contented that vntill I haue otherwise purposed you shall continue the nature of your ancient custome yet conditionally that when I command an alteration of your carriage you faile not therin to declare your obedience What else remaineth beside for so silly a thing as a Woman is and for the priuate pleasing of so many great Princes and Lords
proue to be so good as your word Violenta who had concealed her amisse so long as shee could and saw no other remedy but now at last it must needes be discouered went priuately to her Mother and in teares reuealed her infirmity humbly crauing her pardon and furtherance in hiding it from her Father The Mother being extraordinarily displeased chiding her with many sharpe and angry speeches would needes know with whom shee had thus offended The Daughter to keepe Pedro from any detection forged a Tale of her owne braine farre from any truth indeede which her Mother verily beleeuing and willing to preserue her Daughter from shame as also the fierce anger of her Husband he being a man of very implacable nature conueyed her to the Countrey-Farme whither Signior Amarigo sildome or neuer resorted intending vnder the shadow of sicknesse to let her lie in there without the least suspition of any in Trapani Sinne and shame can neuer be so closely carried or clouded with the greatest cunning but truth hath a loop-light whereby to discouer it euen when it supposeth it selfe in the surest safety For on the very day of her deliuerance at such time as the Mother and some few friends sworne to secrecy were about the businesse Signior Amarigo hauing beene in company of other Gentlemen to flye his Hawke at the Riuer vpon a sudden but very vnfortunately albeit he was alone by himselfe stept into his Farme house euen to the next roome where the women were and heard the new-borne Babe to cry whereat maruelling not a little he called for his Wife to know what young childe cryed in his House The Mother amazed at his so strange comming thither which neuer before he had vsed to doe and pittying the wofull distresse of her Daughter which now could be no longer couered reuealed what happened to Violenta But he being nothing so rash in beliefe as his Wife was made answere that it was impossible for his Daughter to be conceiued with childe because he neuer obserued the least signe of loue in her to any man whatsoeuer and therefore he would be satisfied in the truth as shee expected any fauour from him for else there was no other way but death The Mother laboured by all meanes shee could deuise to pacifie her Husbands fury which proued all in vaine for being thus impatiently incensed he drew foorth his Sword and stepping with it drawne into the Chamber where she had been deliuered of a goodly Sonne he said vnto her Either tell me who is the Father of this Bastard or thou and it shall perish both together Poore Violenta lesse respecting her owne life then she did the childes forgot her sollemne promise made to Pedro and discouered all Which when Amarigo had heard he grew so desperately enraged that hardly he could forbeare from killing her But after he had spoken what his fury enstructed him hee mounted on Horse-backe againe ryding backe to Trapani where he disclosed the iniury which Pedro had done him to a noble Gentleman named Signior Conrado who was Captaine for the King ouer the City Before poore Pedro could haue any intelligence or so much as suspected any treachery against him he was suddenly apprehended and being called in question stood not on any deniall but confessed truly what he had done whereupon within some few dayes after he was condemned by the Captaine to be whipt to the place of execution and afterward to be hanged by the necke Signior Amarigo because he would cut off at one and the same time not onely the liues of the two poore Louers but their childe 's also as a franticke man violently carried from all sense of compassion euen when Pedro was led and whipt to his death he mingled strong poyson in a Cup of wine deliuering it to a trusty seruant of his owne and a naked Rapier withall speaking to him in this manner Goe carry these two presents to my late Daughter Violenta and tell her from me that in this instant houre two seuerall kinds of death are offered vnto her and one of them she must make choyce of either to drinke the poyson and so die or to run her body on this Rapiers point which if she denie to doe she shall be haled to the publike market place and presently be burned in the sight of her lewd companion according as shee hath worthily deserued When thou hast deliuered her this message take her bastard brat so lately since borne and dash his braines out against the walles and afterward throw him to my Dogges to feede on When the Father had giuen this cruell sentence both against his own Daughter and her young Sonne the seruant readier to doe euill then any good went to the place where his Daughter was kept Poore condemned Pedro as you haue heard was ledde whipt to the lybbet and passing as it pleased the Captaines Officers to guide him by a faire Inne at the same time were lodged there three chiefe persons of Armenia whom the King of the Countrey had sent to Rome as Ambassadours to the Popes Holinesse to negociate about an important businesse neerely concerning the King and State Reposing there for some few dayes as being much wearied with their iourney and highly honoured by the Gentlemen of Trapani especially Signior Amarigo these Ambassadours standing in their Chamber window heard the wofull lamentations of Pedro in his passage by Pedro was naked from the middle vpward and his hands bound fast behind him but being well obserued by one of the Ambassadours a man aged and of great authority named Phineo he espied a great red spot vppon his breast not painted or procured by his punishment but naturally imprinted in the flesh which women in these parts terme the Rose Vppon the sight hereof he suddenly remembred a Sonne of his owne which was stolne from him about fifteene yeeres before by Pyrates on the Sea-coast of Laiazzo neuer hearing any tydings of him afterward Vpon further consideration and compairing his Sonnes age with the likelyhood of this poore wretched mans thus he conferred with his owne thoughts If my Sonne quoth he be liuing his age is equall to this mans time and by the redde blemish on his brest it plainely speakes him for to be my Sonne Moreouer thus he conceiued that if it were he he could not but remember his owne name his Fathers and the Armenian Language wherefore when hee was iust opposite before the window hee called aloud to him saying Theodoro Pedro hearing the voyce presently lifted vp his head and Phineo speaking Armenian saide Of whence art thou and what is thy Fathers name The Sergeants in reuerence to the Lord Ambassadour stayed a while till Pedro had returned his answer who saide I am an Armenian borne Sonne to one Phineo and was brought hither I cannot tell by whom Phineo hearing this knew then assuredly that this was the same Sonne which he had lost wherefore the teares standing in his eyes with conceite of ioy downe he
descended from the window and the other Ambassadours with him running in among the Sergeants to embrace his Sonne and casting his owne rich Cloake about his whipt body entreating them to forbeare and proceed no further till they heard what command he should returne withall vnto them which very willingly they promised to doe Already by the generall rumour dispersed abroade Phineo had vnderstood the occasion why Pedro was thus punished and sentenced to be hanged wherefore accompanied with his fellow Ambassadours and all their attending traine he went to Signior Conrado and spake thus to him My Lord he whom you haue sent to death as a slaue is a free Gentleman borne and my Sonne able to make her amends whom he hath dishonored by taking her in mariage as his lawfull Wife Let me therefore entreate you to make stay of the execution vntill it may be knowne whether she will accept him as her Husband or no least if she be so pleased you offend directly against your owne Law When Signior Conrado heard that Pedro was Sonne to the Lord Ambassadour he wondered thereat not a little and being somewhat ashamed of his fortunes errour confessed that the claime of Phineo was conformable to Law and ought not to be denied him going presently to the Councell Chamber sending for Signior Amarigo immediately thither and acquainting him fully with the case Amarigo who beleeued that his Daughter and her Child were already dead was the wofullest man in the World for his so rash proceeding knowing very well that if shee were not dead the scandall would easily be wipt away with credit Wherefore he sent in all poast haste to the place where his Daughter lay that if his command were not already executed by no meanes to haue it done at all He who went on this speedy errand found there Signior Amarigoes seruant standing before Violenta with the Cup of poyson in his one hand and the drawne Rapier in the other reproaching herewith very foule and iniurious speeches because shee had delayed the time so long and would not accept the one or other striuing by violence to make her take the one But hearing his Masters command to the contrary he left her and returned backe to him certifying him how the case stood Most highly pleased was Amarigo with these glad newes and going to the Ambassadour Phineo in teares excused himselfe so well as he could for his seuerity and crauing pardon assured him that if Theodoro would accept his Daughter in mariage willingly he would bestow her on him Phineo allowed his excuses to be tollerable and saide beside If my Sonne will not mary your Daughter then let the sentence of death be executed on him Amarigo and Phineo being thus accorded they went to poore Theodoro fearefully looking euery minute when he should die yet ioyfull that he had found his Father who presently moued the question to him Theodoro hearing that Violenta should be his Wife if he would so accept her was ouercome with such exceeding ioy as if he had leapt out of hell into Paradise confessing that no greater felicity could befall him if Violenta her selfe were so well pleased as he The like motion was made to her to vnderstand her disposition in this case who hearing what good hap had befalne Theodoro and now in like manner must happen to her whereas not long before when two such violent deathes were prepared for her and one of them she must needes embrace shee accounted her misery beyond all other womens but shee now thought her selfe aboue all in happinesse if she might be wife to her beloued Theodoro submitting her selfe wholy to her Fathers disposing The mariage being agreed on betweene them it was celebrated with great pompe and sollemnity a generall Feast being made for all the Citizens and the young maried couple nourished vp their sweete Son which grew to be a very comely childe After that the Embassie was dispatched at Rome and Phineo with the rest was returned thither againe Violenta did reuerence him as her owne naturall Father and he was not a little proud of so louely a Daughter beginning a fresh feasting againe and continuing the same a whole moneth together Within some short while after a Galley being fairely furnished for the purpose Phineo his Sonne Daughter and their young Son went aboard sayling away thence to Laiazzo where afterward they liued long in much tranquility Anastasio a Gentleman of the Family of the Honesti by louing the Daughter to Signior Paulo Trauersario lauishly wasted a great part of his substance without receiuing any loue from her againe By perswasion of some of his kindred and friends he went to a Countrey dwelling of his called Chiasso where he saw a Knight desperately pursue a young Damosell whom he slew and afterward gaue her to be deuoured by his Hounds Anastasio inuited his friends and hers also whom he so dearely loued to take part of a dinner with him who likewise saw the same Damosell so torne in peeces which his vnkind Loue perceiuing and fearing least the like ill fortune should happen to her shee accepted Anastasio to be her Husband The eighth Nouell Declaring that Loue not onely makes a man prodigall but also an enemy to himselfe Moreouer aduenture oftentimes bringeth such matters to passe as wit and cunning in man can neuer comprehend SO soone as Madam Lauretta held her peace Madam Philomena by the Queenes command began and saide Louely Ladies as pitty is most highly commended in our Sexe euen so is cruelty in vs as seuerely reuenged oftentimes by diuine ordination Which that you may the better know and learne likewise to shun as a deadly euill I purpose to make apparant by a Nouell no lesse full of compassion then delectable Rauenna being a very ancient City in Romania there dwelt sometime a great number of worthy Gentlemen among whom I am to speake of one more especially named Anastasio descended from the Family of the Honesti who by the death of his Father and an Vnkle of his was left extraordinarily abounding in riches and growing to yeeres fitting for mariage as young Gallants are easily apt enough to doe he became enamoured of a very beautifull Gentlewoman who was Daughter to Signior Paulo Trauersario one of the most ancient and noble Families in all the Countrey Nor made he any doubt but by his meanes and industrious endeuour to deriue affection from her againe for hee carried himselfe like a braue minded Gentleman liberall in his expences honest and affable in all his actions which commonly are the true notes of a good nature and highly to be commended in any man But howsoeuer Fortune became his enemy these laudable parts of manhood did not any way friend him but rather appeared hurtfull to him so cruell vnkind and almost meerely sauage did she shew her selfe to him perhaps in pride of her singular beauty or presuming on her nobility by birth both which are on her blemishes then ornaments in a woman especially when
they scorne them for full well they know They were not bred to prey so base and low Aloft they look to make their flight more faire And yet his sight would lend me life a while Grant it great loue mine anguish to beguile Goe loue and tell the torments c. If sight shall be denyed then tell them plaine His high triumphall day procurd my death The Launce that won him Honour hath me slaine For instantly it did bereaue my breath That speake I could not nor durst be so bold To make the Ayre acquainted with my woe Alas I lookt so high and doing so Iustly deserue by death to be controld Yet mercies sight would lend me life a while Grant it great loue mine anguish to beguile Goe loue and tell the torments I endure Say to my Soueraigne Lord that I must die Except he come some comfort to procure For tell I may not what I feele and why The lines contained in this Ditty Manutio fitted with noates so moouing and singularly musicall that euery word had the sensible motion of life in it where the King being as yet not risen from the Table he commanded him to vse both his Lute and voyce This seemed a happy opportunity to Manutio to sing the dittie so purposely done and deuised which hee deliuered in such excellent manner the voice and Instrument concording so extraordinary pleasing that all the persons then in the Presence seemed rather Statues then liuing men so strangely they were wrapt with admiration and the King himselfe farre beyond all the rest transported with a rare kinde of alteration When Manutio had ended the Song the King demanded of him whence this Song came because he had neuer heard it before My gracious Lord answered Manutio it must needes seeme straunge to your Maiesty because it is not fully three dayes since it was inuented made and set to the note Then the King asked whom it concerned Sir quoth Manutio I dare not disclose that to any but onely your selfe Which answer made the King much more desirous and being risen from the Table he tooke him into his Bed-chamber where Manutio related all at large to him according to the trust reposed in him Wherwith the King was wonderfully well pleased greatly commending the courage of the Maide and said that a Virgin of such a valiant spirit did well deserue to haue her case commiserated and commanded him also to goe as sent from him and comfort her with promise that the very same day in the euening he would not faile to come and see her Manutio more then contented to carry such glad tydings to Lisana without staying in any place and taking his Lute also with him went to the Apothecaries house where speaking alone with the Maide he told her what he had done and afterward sung the song to her in as excellent manner as he had done before wherein Lisana conceiued such ioy and contentment as euen in the very same moment it was obserued by apparant signes that the violence of her fits forsooke her and health began to get the vpper hand of them So without suffering any one in the house to know it or by the least meanes to suspect it she comforted her selfe till the euening in expectation of her Soueraignes arriuall Piero being a Prince of most liberall and benigne nature hauing afterward diuers times considered on the matters which Manutio had reuealed to him knowing also the yong Maiden to bee both beautifull and vertuous was so much moued with pitty of her extremitie as mounting on horse backe in the euening and seeming as if he rode abroad for his priuate recreation he went directly to the Apothecaries house where desiring to see a goodly garden appertaining then to the Apothecarie he dismounted from his horse Walking into the garden he began to question with Bernardo demaunding him for his Daughter and whether he had as yet marryed her or no My Gracious Lord answered Bernardo as yet shee is not marryed neither likely to bee in regard shee hath had a long and tedious sickenesse but since Dinner time she is indifferently eased of her former violent paine which we could not discerne the like alteration in her a long while before The King vnderstood immediately the reason of this so sudden alteration and said In good faith Bernardo the world would sustaine a great maine imperfection by the losse of thy faire daughter wherefore we will goe our selfe in person to visite her So with two of his Lords onely and the Father he ascended to the Maides Chamber being entred he went to the Beds side where she sate somewhat raised in expectation of his comming and taking her by the hand he said Faire Lisana how commeth this to passe You being so faire a Virgin yong and in the delicacy of your daies which should be the chiefest comfort to you will you suffer your selfe to be ouer-awed with sickenesse Let vs intreat you that for our sake you will be of good comfort and thereby recouer your health the sooner especially when it is requested by a King who is sorry to see so bright a beauty sicke and would helpe it if it consisted in his power Lisana feeling the touch of his hand whom she loued aboue all things else in the world although a bashfull blush mounted vp into her cheekes yet her heart was seazed with such a rapture of pleasure that she thought her selfe translated into Paradise and so well as she could thus she replyed Great King by opposing my feeble strength against a burden of ouer-ponderous weight it became the occasion of this grieuous sickenesse but I hope that the violence thereof is almost already kild onely by this soueraigne mercy in you and doubtlesse it will cause my speedy deliuerance The King did best vnderstand this so well palliated answere of Lisana which as he did much commend in regard of her high aduenturing so he did againe as greatly condemne Fortune for not making her more happy in her birth So after he had stayed there a good while and giuen her many comfortable speeches he returned backe to the Court This humanity in the King was reputed a great honour to the Apothecary and his daughter who in her owne mind receiued as much ioy and contentment thereby as euer any wife could haue of her owne Husband And being assisted by better hopes within a short while after she became recouered and farre more beautifull in common iudgment then euer she was before Lisana being now in perfect health the King consulted with his Queene what meete recompence he should gratifie her withall for louing and affecting him in such feruent manner Vpon a day determined the King mounting on horsebacke accompanied with many of his cheefest Lords and Barons he rode to the Apothecaries house where walking in his beautifull Garden hee called for Bernardo and his daughter Lisana In the meane space the Queene also came thither Royally attended on by her Ladies and Lisana
Lady and Mistresse it will ensue to your detriment how much you haue displeased me to take a wife at your request and against mine owne will The Noble men answered that they were well satisfied prouided that he tooke a wife Some indifferent space of time before the beauty manners and well-seeming vertues of a poore Countrie-mans daughter dwelling in no farre distant village had appeared very pleasing to the Lord Marquesse and gaue him full perswasion that with her hee should lead a comfortable life And therefore without any further search or inquisition he absolutely resolued to marry her and hauing conferred with her Father agreed that his daughter should be his wife Whereupon the Marquesse made a generall conuocation Conuocation of all his Lords Barons and other of his especiall friends from all parts of his Dominion and when they were assembled together hee then spake vnto them in manner as followeth Honourable friends it appeared pleasing to you all and yet I thinke you are of the same minde that I should dispose my selfe to take a wife and I thereto condescended more to yeeld you contentment then for any particular desire in my selfe Let mee now remember you of your solemne made promise with full consent to honor and obey her whosoeuer as your Soueraigne Lady and Mistresse that I shall elect to make my wife and now the time is come for my exacting the performance of that promise and which I look you must constantly keepe I haue made choyce of a yong virgine answerable to mine owne heart and liking dwelling not farre off hence whom I intend to make my wife and within few daies to haue her brought home to my Pallace Let your care and diligence then extend so farre as to see that the feast may be sumptuous and her entertainment to bee most honourable to the end that I may receiue as much contentment in your promise performed as you shall perceiue I doe in my choice The Lords and all the rest were wondrously ioyfull to heare him so well inclined expressing no lesse by their shouts and iocund suffrages protesting cordially that she should be welcommed with pompe and maiestie and honoured of them all as their Liege Ladie and Soueraigne Afterward they made preparation for a princely and magnificent feast as the Marquesse did the like for a marriage of extraordinary state and qualitie inuiting all his kinred friends and acquaintance in all parts and Prouinces about him Hee made also readie most riche and costly garments shaped by the body of a comely young Gentlewoman who he knew to be equall in proportion and stature to her of whom hee hade made his election When the appointed nuptiall day was come the Lord Marques about nine of the clocke in the morning mounted on horse-backe as all the rest did who came to attend him honourably and hauing all things in due readinesse with them he said Lords it is time for vs to goe fetch the Bride So on hee rode with his traine to the same poore Village whereas shee dwelt and when hee was come to her Fathers house hee saw the maiden returning very hastily from a Well where shee had beene to fetch a paile of water which shee set downe and stood accompanied with other maidens to see the passage by of the Lord Marquesse and his traine Gualtiero called her by her name which was Grizelda and asked her where her Father was who bashfully answered him and with an humble courtesie saying My gracious Lord hee is in the house Then the Marquesse dismounted from his horse commanding euery one to attend him then all alone hee entred into the poore Cottage where he found the maides father being named Ianiculo and said vnto him God speed good Father I am come to espouse thy daughter Grizelda but first I haue a few demands to make which I will vtter to her in thy presence Then hee turned to the maide and saide Faire Grizelda if I make you my wife will you doe your best endeauour to please me in all things which I shall doe or say will you also be gentle humble and patient with diuers other the like questions whereto she still answered that she would so neere as heauen with grace should enable her Presently he tooke her by the hand so led her forth of the poore homely house and in the presence of all his company with his owne hands he took off her meane wearing garments smocke and all and cloathed her with those Robes of State which he had purposely brought thither for her and plaiting her haire ouer her shoulders hee placed a Crowne of gold on her head whereat euery one standing as amazed and wondring not a little hee said Grizelda wilt thou haue me to thy husband Modestly blushing and kneeling on the ground she answered Yes my gracious Lord if you will accept so poore a maiden to be your wife Yes Grizelda quoth hee with this holy kisse I confirme thee for my wife and so espoused her before them all Then mounting her on a milke-white Palfray brought thither for her shee was thus honourably conducted to her Pallace Now concerning the marriage feast and triumphes they were performed with no lesse pompe then if she had beene daughter to the King of France And the young Bride apparantly declared that with her garments her minde and behauior were quite changed For indeed shee was as it were shame to speake otherwise a rare creature both of person and perfections and not onely was shee absolute for beautie but so sweetely amiable gracious and goodlie as if she were not the daughter of poore Ianiculo and a Countrie Shepheardesse but rather of some Noble Lord whereat euery one wondred that formerly had knowne her Beside all this shee was so obedient to her husband so feruent in all dutifull offices and patient without the very least prouoking as hee held himselfe much more then contented and the onely happy man of the world In like manner towards the subiects of her Lord and Husband she shewed her selfe alwayes so benigne and gracious as there was not any one but the more they lookt on her the better they loued her honouring her voluntarily and praying to the heauens for her health dignity and well-faâ—â— long continuance Speaking now quite contrary to their former opinion of the Marquesse honourably and worthily that he had shewne him selfe a singular wise man in the election of his Wife which few else but he in the world would haue done because their iudgement might fall farre short of discerning those great and precious vertues veiled vnder a homely habite and obscured in a poore Countrey cottage To be briefe in very short time not onely the Marquisate it selfe but all neighbouring Prouinces round about had no other common talke but of her rare course of life deuotion charity and all good actions else quite quailing all sinister Instructions of her Husband before he receiued her in marriage About foure or fiue yeeres after the
birth of her daughter shee conceiued with child againe and at the limitted houre of deliuerance had a goodly Sonne to the no little liking of the Marquesse Afterward a strange humour entred into his braine namely that by a long continued experience and courses of intollerable quality he would needes make proofe of his faire Wiues patience First he began to prouoke her by iniurious speeches shewing fierce and frowning lookes to her intimating that his people grew displeased with him in regard of his Wiues base birth and education and so much the rather because she was likely to bring children who by her blood were no better then beggers and murmured at the daughter already borne Which words when Grizelda heard without any alteration of countenance for the least distemperature in any appearing action she said My honourable and gracious Lord dispose of me as you thinke best for your owne dignity and contentment for I shall therewith be well pleased as she that knowes her selfe farre inferiour to the meanest of your people much lesse worthy of the honour whereto you liked to aduance me This answere was very welcome to the Marquesse as apparantly perceiuing hereby that the dignity whereto hee had exalted her or any particular fauours beside could not infect her with any pride coynesse or disdaine Not long after hauing told her in plaine and open speeches that his subiects could not endure her so late borne daughter he called a trusty seruant of his and hauing instructed him what he should doe sent him to Grizelda and he being alone with her looking very sadde and much perplexed in mind he saide Madame except I intend to loose mine owne life I must accomplish what my Lord hath strictly enioyned me which is to take this your yong daughter and then I must So breaking off abruptly the Lady hearing his words and noting his frowning lookes remembring also what the Marquesse himselfe had formerly said she presently imagined that he had commanded his seruant to kill the childe Suddenly therefore she tooke it out of the Cradle and hauing sweetly kissed and bestowne her blessing on it albeit her heart throbbed with the inward affection of a Mother without any alteration of countenance she tenderly laid it in the seruants armes and said Here friend take it and doe with it as thy Lord and mine hath commanded thee but leaue it in no rude place where birds or sauage beasts may deuoure it except it be his will to haue it so The seruant departing from her with the child and reporting to the Marquesse what his Lady had said he wondered at her incomparable constancy Then he sent it by the same seruant to Bologna to an honourable Lady his kinsewoman requesting her without reuealing whose child it was to see it both nobly and carefully educated At time conuenient afterward being with child againe and deliuered of a Princely Sonne then which nothing could be more ioyfull to the Marquesse yet all this was not sufficient for him but with farre ruder language then before and lookes expressing harsh intentions he said vnto her Grizelda though thou pleasest me wonderfully by the birth of this Princely Boy yet my subiects are not therewith contented but blunder abroad maliciously that the grand-child of Ianiculo a poore countrey pezant when I am dead and gone must be their Soueraigne Lord and Master Which makes me stand in feare of their expulsion and to preuent that I must be rid of this childe as well as the other and then send thee away from hence that I may take another wife more pleasing to them Grizelda with a patient sufferent soule hearing what he had said returned no other answere but this Most Gracious and Honourable Lord satisfie and please your owne Royall minde and neuer vse any respect of me for nothing is precious or pleasing to mee but what may agree with your good liking Within a while after the Noble Marquesse in the like manner as he did before for the Daughter so he sent the same seruant for the Sonne and seeming as if he had sent it to haue been slaine conueighed it to be nursed at Bologna in company of his sweete Sister Whereat the Lady shewed no other discontentment in any kinde then formerly she had done for her Daughter to the no meane maruell of the Marquesse who protested in his soule that the like woman was not in all the world beside And were it not for his heedfull obseruation how louing and carefull she was of her children prizing them as dearely as her owne life rash opinion might haue perswaded him that she had no more in her then a carnall affection not caring how many she had so shee might thus easily be rid of them but he knew her to be a truely vertuous mother and wisely liable to endure his seuerest impositions His Subiects beleeuing that he had caused the children to bee slaine blamed him greatly thought him to be a most cruell man and did highly compassionate the Ladies case who when shee came in company of other Gentlewomen which mourned for their deceassed children would answere nothing else but that they could not be more pleasing to her then they were to the father that begot them Within certaine yeares after the birth of these children the Marquesse purposed with himselfe to make his last and finall proofe of faire Grizeldaes patience and said to some neere about him that he could no longer endure to keepe Grizelda as hi wife confessing he had done foolishly and according to a young giddie braine when he was so rash in the marriage of her Wherfore he would send to the Pope and purchase a dispensation from him to repudiate Grizelda and take another Wife Wherein although they greatly reproued him yet he told them plainely that it must needes be so The Lady hearing these newes and thinking she must returne againe to her poore fathers house and perhaps to her old occupation of keeping sheepe as in her yonger dayes she had done vnderstanding withall that another woman must enioy him whom shee dearely loued and honoured you may well thinke worthy Ladies that her patience was now put to the maine proofe indeede Neuerthelesse as with an inuincible true vertuous courage she had outstood all the other iniuries of Fortune so did she constantly settle her soule to beare this with an vndaunted countenance and behauiour At such time as was prefixed for the purpose counterfeit Letters came to the Marquesse as sent from Rome which he caused to be publikely read in the hearing of his subiects that the Pope had dispensed with him to leaue Grizelda and marry with another Wife wherefore sending for her immediatly in presence of them all thus he spake to her Woman by concession sent me from the Pope he hath dispensed with me to make choyce of another Wife and to free my selfe from thee And because my predecessors haue beene Noblemen and great Lords in this Country thou being the daughter of a
sufficiently satisfied in his soule that he had seene so much as he desired concerning the patience of his Wife who in so many hart grieuing trials was neuer noated so much as to alter her countenance And being absolutely perswaded that this proceeded not from any want of vnderstanding in her because he knew her to be singularly wise he thought it high time now to free her from these afflicting oppressions and giue her such assurance as she ought to haue Wherefore commanding her into his presence openly before all his assembled friends smiling on her he said What thinkst thou Grizelda of our new chosen Spouse My Lord quoth she I like her exceeding well and if she be so wise as she is faire which verely I thinke she is I make no doubt but you shall liue with her as the onely happy man of the world But I humbly entreat your Honor if I haue any power in me to preuaile by that you would not giue her such cutting and vnkind language as you did to your other wife for I cannot thinke her armed with such patience as should indeed support them as wel in regard she is much yonger as also her more delicate breeding and education whereas she who you had before was brought vp in continual toile and trauaile When the Marquesse perceyued that Grizelda beleeued verily this yong daughter of hers should be his wife and answered him in so honest and modest manner he commanded her to sit downe by him and saide Grizelda it is now more then fitte time that thou shouldst taste the fruite of thy long admired patience and that they who haue thought me cruell harsh and vnciuill natured should at length obserue that I haue done nothing basely or vnaduisedly For this was a worke premeditated before for enstructing thee what it is to be a married wife and to let them know whosoeuer they be how to take and keepe a wife Which hath begotten to me perpetuall ioy and happinesse so long as I haue a day to liue with thee a matter whereof I stoode before greatly in feare and which in marriage I thought would neuer happen to me It is not vnknown to thee in how many kinds for my first proofe I gaue thee harsh and vnpleasing speeches which drawing no discontentment from thee either in lookes words or behauiour but rather such comfort as my soule desired and so in my other succeedings afterward in one minute now I purpose to giue thee that consolation which I bereft thee of in many tempestuous stormes and make a sweet restauration for all thy former sower sufferinges My faire and dearly affected Grizelda shee whom thou supposest for my new elected Spouse with a glad and cheerfull hart imbrace for thine owne daughter and this also her Brother beeing both of them thy children and mine in common opinion of the vulgar multitude imagined to be by my command long since slaine I am thy honourable Lord and Husband who doth and will loue thee farre aboue all women else in the world giuing thee iustly this deserued praise and commendation That no man liuing hath the like Wife as I haue So sweetly kissing her infinitely and hugging her ioyfully in his armes the teares now streaming like new-let-loose Riuers downe her faire face which no disaster before could force from her hee brought her and seated her by her daughter who was not a little amazed at so rare an alteration Shee hauing in zeale of affection kissed and embraced them both all else there present being clearely resolued from the former doubt which too long deluded them the Ladies arose iocondly from the tables and attending on Grizelda to her Chamber in signe of a more successefull augury to follow tooke off her poor contemptible rags and put on such costly robes which as Lady Marchionesse she vsed to weare before Afterward they waited on her into the Hall againe being their true Soueraigne Lady and Mistresse as she was no lesse in her poorest Garments where all reioycing for the new restored Mother happy recouery of so noble a son and daughter the Festiuall continued many months after Now euery one thought the Marquesse to be a noble and wise Prince though somewhat sharpe and vnsufferable in the seuere experiences made of his wife but aboue al they reputed Grizelda to be a most wise patient vertuous Lady The Count of Panago within few daies after returned backe to Bologna and the Lord Marques fetching home old Ianiculo from his country drudgery to liue with him as his Father in law in his Princely Palace gaue him honorable maintenance wherein hee long continued and ended his daies Afterward he matched his daughter in a Noble marriage he and Grizelda liuing long time together in the highest honor that possibly could be What can now be saide to the contrary but that poore Country Cottages may yeeld as diuine excellent spirits as the most stately and Royall mansions which breed and bring vppe some more worthy to be Hog-rubbers then hold any soueraignty ouer men Where is any other beside Grizelda who not only without a wet eye but imboldned by a valiant and inuincible courage that can suffer the sharpe rigors and neuer the like heard of proofes made by the Marquesse Perhaps he might haue met with another who would haue quitted him in a contrary kinde and for thrusting her forth of doores in her smocke could haue found better succor somewhere else rather then walke so nakedly in the cold streets DIoneus hauing thus ended his Nouel and the Ladies deliuering their seuerall iudgements according to their owne fancies some holding one conceite others leaning to the contrary one blaming this thing and another commending that the King lifting his eyes to heauen and seeing the Sun begin to fallow by rising of the Euening Starre without arising from his seat spake as followeth Discreet Ladies I am perswaded you know sufficiently that the sense and vnderstanding of vs mortals consisteth not onely as I think by preseruing in memory things past or knowledge of them present but such as both by the one and other kuow how to foresee future occasions are worthily thought wise and of no common capacity It will be to morrow fifteene dayes since we departed from the City of Florence to come hither for our pastime and comfort the conseruation of our liues and support of our health by auoyding those melanchollies griefes and anguishes which we beheld daylie in our City since the pestilentiall visitation beganne there wherein by my iudgement we haue done well and honestly Albeit some light Nouels perhaps attractiue to a little wantonnes as some say and our Iouiall feasting with good cheare singing and dancing may seeme matters inciting to inciuility especially in weake and shallow vnderstandings But I haue neither seene heard or knowne any acte word or whatsoeuer else either on your part or ours iustly deseruing to be blamed but all has bin honest as in a sweete and hermonious
Lord and meet to be a Counseller for a King deliuered his mind in this manner Gracious Lord I wonder not a little at your speeches and so much the greater is my admiratioÌ„ because no maÌ„ els can be subiect to the like in regard I haue knowne you from the time of your infancy euen to this instant houre and alwayes your carriage to bee one and the same I could neuer perceiue in your youthfull dayes when loue should haue the greatest meanes to assaile you any such oppressing passions which is now the more nouell and strange to me to heare it but said that you being old and called the Aged should be growne amorous surely to me it seemeth a miracle And if it appertained to me to reprehend you in this case I know well enough what I could say Considering you haue yet your Armour on your backe in a Kiugdome newly conquered among a Nation not knowne to you full of falsehoods breaches and treasons all which are no meane motiues to care and needfull respect But hauing now wone a little leisure to rest your selfe a while from such serious affaires can you giue way to the idle suggestions of Loue Beleeue me Sir it is no act becomming a magnanimious King but rather the giddy folly of a young braine Moreouer you say which most of all I mislike that you intend to take the two Virgines from the Knight who hath giuen you entertainment in his house beyond his ability and to testifie how much he honoured you he suffered you to haue a sight of them meerely almost in a naked manner witnessing thereby what constant faith he reposed in you beleeuing verily that you were a iust King and not a rauenous Woolfe Haue you so soone forgot that the rapes and violent actions done by King Manfred to harmelesse Ladies made your onely way of entrance into this Kingdome What treason was euer committed more worthy of eternall punishment then this will be in you to take away from him who hath so highly honoured you his chiefest hope and consolation What will be said by all men if you doe it Peraduenture you thinke it will be a sufficient excuse for you to say I did it in regard hee was a Ghihelline Can you imagine this to be iustice in a King that such as get into their possession in this manner whatsoeuer it be ought to vse it in this sort Let me tell you Sir it was a most worthy victory for you to conquer King Manfred but it is farre more famous victory for a man to conâ—uer himselfe You therfore who are ordained to correct vices in 〈◊〉 men learne first to subdue them in your selfe and by brideling this inordinate appetite set not a foule blemish on so faire a fame as will be honour to you to preserue spotlesse These words pierced the heart of the King deepely and so much the more afflicted him because he knew them to be most true wherefore after he had ventred a very vehement sigh thus he replyed Beleeue me noble Count there is not any enemy how strong soeuer he be but I hold him weake and easie to be vanquished by him who is skilfull in the warre where a man may learne to conquere his owne appetite But because he shall find it a laborious taske requiring inestimable strength and courage your words haue so toucht me to the quicke that it becommeth me to let you effectually perceiue and within the compasse of few dayes that as I haue learned to conquer others so I am not ignorant in expressing the like power vpon my selfe Hauing thus spoken within some few dayes after the King being returned to Naples he determined as well to free himself from any the like ensuing follie as also to recompence Signior Neri for the great kindnesse he had shewne to him although it was a difficult thing to let another enioy what he rather desired for himselfe to haue the two Damosels married not as the Daughters of Signior Neri but euen as if they were his owne And by consent of the Father he gaue Geneuera the faire to Signior Maffeo da Palizzi and Isotta the amiable to Signior Gulielmo della Magna two Noble Knights and honourable Barons After he had thus giuen them in marriage in sad mourning he departed thence into Apuglia where by following worthy and honourable actions he so well ouercame all inordinate appetites that shaking off the enthralling fetters of loue he liued free from all passions the rest of his life time and dyed as an honourable King Some perhaps will say it was a small matter for a King to giue away two Damosels in marriage and I confesse it but I maintaine it to be great and more then great if we say that a King being so earnestly enamoured as this King was should giue her away to another whom he so dearely affected himsefe without receiuing in recompence of his affection so much as a leaffe flowre or the least fruit of loue Yet such was the vertue of this magnificent King expressed in so highly recompencing the noble Knights courtesie honouring the two daughters so royally and conquering his owne affections so vertuously Lisana the Daughter of a Florentine Apothecary named Bernardo Puccino being at Palermo and seeing Piero King of Aragon run at the Tilt fell so affectionately enamored of him that she languishâ—â— in an extreame and long sickenesse By her owne deuise and means of a Song sung in the hearing of the King he vouchsafed to visite her and giuing her a kisse terming himselfe also to bee her Knight for euer after hee honourably bestowed her in marriage on a young Gentleman who was called Perdicano and gaue him liberall endowments with her The Seuenth Nouell Wherein is couertly giuen to vnderstand that howsoeuer a Prince may make vse of his absolute power and authority towards Maides or Wiues that are his Subiects yet he ought to deny and reiect all things as shall make him forgetfull of himselfe and his true honour MAdame Fiammetta being come to the end of her Nouell and the great magnificence of King Charles much commended howbeit some of the Company affecting the Ghibelline faction were otherwise minded Madame Pampinea by order giuen from the King began in this manner There is no man of good vnderstanding honourable Ladies but will maintaine what you haue said of victorious Charles except such as cannot wish well to any But because my memory hath instantly informed me of an action perhaps no lesse commendable then this done by an enemy of the said King Charles and to a yong Maiden of our City I am the more willing to relate it vpon your gentle attention vouchsafed as hitherto it hath been courteously granted At such time as the French were driuen out of Sicilie there dwelt at Palermo a Florentine Apothecary named Bernardo Puccino a man of good wealth and reputation who had by his Wife one onely Daughter of marriageable yeares and very beautifull Piero King of
Arragon being then become Lord of that Kingdom he made an admirable Feast Royall at Palermo accompanyed with his Lords and Barons In honour of which publique Feast the King kept a triumphall day of Iusts and Turnament at Catalana and whereat it chanced that the Daughter of Bernardo named Lisana was present Being in a window accompanied with other Gentlewomen she saw the King runne at the Tilt who seemed so goodly a person in her eye that being neuer satisfied with beholding him she grew enamoured and fell into extremity of affection towards him When the Feastiuall was ended she dwelling in the house of her Father it was impossible for her to thinke on any thing else but onely the loue which she had fixed on a person of such height And that which most tormented her in this case was the knowledge of her owne condition being but meane and humble in degree whereby she confessed that she could not hope for any successefull issue of her proud loue Neuerthelesse she would not refraine from affecting the King who taking no note of this kindnesse in her by any perceiuable meanes must needs be the more regardles which procured by wary obseruation her afflictions to be the greater and intollerable Whereon it came to passe that this earnest loue encreasing in her more and more and one melancholly conceit taking hold on another the faire Maide when she could beare the burden of her griefe no longer fell into a languishing sickenesse consuming away daily by euident appearance euen as the Snow melteth by the warme beames of the Sunne The Father and Mother much dismayed and displeased at this haplesse accident applying her with continuall comforts Phisicke and the best skill remayning in all the Phisitions sought all possible meanes wayes to giue her succour but all proued to no effect because in regard of her choyce which could sort to none other then a desper ate end she was desirous to liue no longer Now it fortuned that her parents offering her whatsoeuer remained in their power to performe a sudden apprehension entred her minde to wit that if it might possible be done before she dyed she would first haue the King to know in what manner she stood affected to him Wherefore one day she entreated her Father that a Gentleman named Manutio de Arezza might be permitted to come see her This Manutio was in those times held to be a most excellent Musitian both for his voyce in singing and exquisite skill in playing on Instruments for which he was highly in fauour with King Piero who made almost daily vse of him to heare him both sing and play Her tender and louing father conceiued immediately that shee was desirous to heare his playing and singing both being comfortable to a body in a languishing sickenesse whereupon he sent presently for the Gentleman who came accordingly and after he had comforted Lisana with kind and courteous speeches he played dexteriously on his Lute which purposely hee had brought with him and likewise he sung diuers excellent Ditties which insted of his intended consolation to the Maid did nothing else but encrease her fire and flame Afterward she requested to haue some conference with Manutio alone and euery one being gone forth of the Chamber she spake vnto him in this manner Manutio I haue made choyce of thee to be the faithfull Guardian of an especial secret hoping first of al that thou wilt neuer reueale it to any liuing body but onely to him whom I shall bid thee And nâ—xt to helpe me so much as possibly thou canst because my onely hope relyeth in thee Know then my dearest friend Manutio that on the solemne festiuall day when our Soueraigne Lord the King honoured his exaltation with the noble exercises of Tilt and Turney his braue behauiour kindled such a sparke in my soule as since brake forth into a violent flame and brought me to this weake condition as now thou seest But knowing and confessing how farre vnbeseeming my loue is to aime so ambitiously at a King and being vnable to controule it or in the least manner to diminish it I haue made choyce of the onely and best remedy of all namely to dye and so I am most willing to doe True it is that I shall trauaile in this my latest iourney with endlesse torment and affliction of soule except he haue some vnderstanding thereof before and not knowing by whom to giue him intelligence in so oft and conuenient order as by thee I doe therefore commit this last office of a friend to thy trust desiring thee not to refuse me in the performance thereof And when thou hast done it to let me vnderstand what he saith that I may dye the more contentedly and disburdened of so heauy an oppression the onely comfort to a parting spirit and so she ceased her teares flowing forth abundantly Manutio did not a little wonder at the Maides great spirit and her desperate resolution which moued him to exceeding commiseration and suddenly he conceiued that honectly he might discharge this duty for her whereupon he returned her this answer Lisana here I engage my faith to thee that thou shalt find me firme and constant and die I will rather then deceiue thee Greatly I doe commend thy high attempt in fixing thy affection on so Potent a King wherein I offer thee my vtmost assistance and I make no doubt if thou wouldest be of good comfort to deale in such sort as before three dayes are fully past to bring such newes as will content thee and because I am loath to loose the least time I will goe about it presently Lisana the yong Maiden once againe entreated his care and diligence promising to comfort her selfe so well as she could commending him to his good fortune When Manutio was gone from her hee went to a Gentleman named Mico de Sienna one of the best Poets in the composing of verses as all those parts yeelded not the like At his request Mico made for him this ensuing Dittie The Song sung in the hearing of King Piero on the behalfe of Loue-sicke Lisana Goe Loue and tell the torments I endure Say to my Soueraigne Lord that I must die Except he come some comfort to procure For tell I may not what I feele and why WIth heaued hands Great Loue I call to thee Goe see my Soueraigne where he doth abide And say to him in what extremity Thou hast for him my firm affection tryed To die for him it is my sole desire For liue with him I may not nor a spire To haue my fortunes thereby dignified Onely his sight would lend me life a while Grant it great loue mine anguish to beguile Goe loue and tell the torments c. Since the first houre that loue enthralled me I neuer had the heart to tell my griefe My thoughts did speake for thoughts be alwayes free Yet hopefull thoughts doe find but poore reliefe When Gnats will mount to Eagles in the ayre Alas