as before they deemed them as a number of wolues vp in armes agaynst the shepheardes The Emperyalles themselues that were theyr executioners lyke a Father that wéepes when he beates his child yet still wéepes and still beates not without much ruth and sorrow prosecuted that lamentable massacre yet drumms and trumpets sounding nothing but stearne reuenge in their eares made them so eager that their hands had no leafure to aske counsell of theyr effeminate eyes theyr swords theyr pikes theyr bils their bows their caléeuers slew empierced knockt downe shot thorough and ouerthrew as many men euerie minute of the battell as there fals eares of corne before the sithe at one blowe yet all theyr weapons so slaying empiercing knocking downe shooting through ouerthrowing dissoule ioyned not halfe so many as the hailing thunder of their great ordenance so ordinary at euerie footstep was the imbrument of iron in bloud that one could hardly discerne heads from bullettes or clottered haire from mangled flesh hung with gore This tale must at one time or other giue vp the ghost and as good now as stay longer I would gladly rid my hands of it cleanly if I could tell how for what with talking of coblers tinkers râ—apemakers and botchers and durtdaubers the marke is cleane gone out of my muses mouth and I am as it were more than dunsified twixt diuinitie and poetrie What is there more as touching this tragedie that you would be resolued of saie quickly for now my pen is got vpon his féet again how I. Leiden dide is y t it he dide like a dog he was hanged and the halter paid for For his companions do they trouble you I can tel you they troubled some men before for they were all kild and none escapt no not so much as one to tel the tale of the rainbow Heare what it is to be Anabaptists to bée puritans to be villaines you may be counted illuminate botchers for a while but your end wil be Good people pray for me With the tragicall catastrophe of this munsterian conflict did I cashier the new vocation of my caualiership There was no more honorable wars in christendome then towards wherefore after I had learned to be halfe an houre in bidding a man boniure in germane sunonimas I trauelled along the cuntrie towards England as fast as I could What with wagons bare tentoes hauing attained to Middleborough good Lord sée the changing chances of vs knight arrant infants I met with the right honourable Lord Henrie Howard Earle of Surrey my late master Iesu I was yerswaded I sâ—oulde not be more glad to sée heauen than I was to sée him O it was a right noble Lord liberalitie it selfe if in this yron age there were anie such creature as liberality left on the earth a prince in content because a Poet without péere Destinie neuer defames her selfe but when she lets an excellent poet die if there bee anie sparke of Adams paradized perfection yet emberd vp in the breastes of mortall men certainely God hath bestowed that his perfectest image on poets None come so néere to God in wit none more contemne the world vatis auarus non temere est animus sayth Horace versus amat hoc studet vnum Seldom haue you séene anie Poet possessed with auarice onely verses he loues nothing else he delights in and as they contemne the world so contrarily of the mechanicall worlde are none more contemned Despised they are of the worlde because they are not of the world their thoughts are exalted aboue the worlde of ignorance and all earthly conceits As swéet angelicall queristers they are continually conuersant in the heauen of artes heauen it selfe is but the highest height of knowledge he that knowes himselfe all things else knowes the means to be happie happy thrice happie are they whome God hath doubled his spirite vppon and giuen a double soule vnto to be Poets My heroicall master excéeded in this supernaturall kinde of wit hee entertained no grosse earthly spirite of auarice nor weake womanly spirit of pusillanimity and feare that are fained to be of the water but admirable airie and firie spirites full of fréedome magnanimitie and bountihood Let me not speake anie more of his accomplishments for feare I spend al my spirits in praising him and leaue my selfe no vigor of wit or effectes of a soule to goe forward with my history Hauing thus met him I so much adored no interpleading was there of opposite occasions but backe I must returne and beare halfe stakes with him in the lotterie of trauell I was not altogether vnwilling to walke along with such a good purse-bearer yet musing what changeable humor had so sodainly seduced him from his natiue soyle to séeke out néedlesse perils in these parts beyond sea one night verie boldly I demaunded of him the reason that moued him thereto Ah quoth he my little Page full little canst thou perceiue howe faâ—re metamorphozed I am from my selfe since I last sawe thée There is a little God called Loue that will not bee worshipt of anie leaden braines one that proclaimes himselfe sole king and Emperour of pearcing eyes and chiefe soueraigne of softe heartes hée it is that exercising his empire in my eyes hath exorcized and cleane coniured me from my content Thou knowest stately Geraldine too stately I feare for me to doe homage to her statue or shrine she it is that is come out of Italy to bewitch all the wise men of England vpon Quéene Katherine Dowager shée waites that hath a dowrie of beautie sufficient to make her wooed of the greatest kings in christendome Her high exalted sunne beames haue set the phenix neast of my breast on fire and I my selfe haue brought Arabian spiceries of swéete passions and praises to furnish out the funerall flame of my folly Those who were condemned to be smoothered to death by sinking downe into the softe bottome of an high built bedde of roses neuer dide so swéete a death as I shoulde die if her rose coloured disdaine were my deaths-man Oh thrice emperiall Hampton court Cupids inchaunted castle the place where I first sawe the perfect omnipotence of the Almightie expressed in mortalitie tis thou alone that tithing all other men solace in thy pleasant scituation affoordest mée nothing but an excellent begotten sorrowe out of the chiefe treasurie of all thy recreations Deare Wilton vnderstand that there it was where I first set eie on my more than celestiall Geraldine Séeing her I admired her all the whole receptacle of my sight was vnhabited with her rare worth Long sute and vncessant protestations got me the grace to be entertained Did neuer vnlouing seruant so prentise like obey his neuer pleased mistres as I dyd her My lyfe my wealth my friendes had all theyr destinie depending on her command Uppon a time I was determined to trauell the fame of Italy and an especiall affection I had vnto Poetrie my second mistres for which Italy
The alcumy of his eloquence out of the incomprehensible drossie matter of clouds and aire distilled no more quintescence than woulde make his Geraldine compleat faire In praise of the chamber that was so illuminatiuely honoured with her radiant conception he penned this sonet Faire roome the presence of sweet beauties pride The place the Sunne vpon the earth did hold When Phaton his chariot did misguide The towre where Ioue raind downe himselfe in gold Prostrate as holy ground Ile worship thee Our Ladies chappell henceforth be thou nam'd Heere first loues Queene put on mortalitie And with her beautie all the world inflam'd Heau'ns chambers harboring firie cherubines Are not with thee in glorie to compare Lightning it is not light which in thee shines None enter thee but straight intranced are O if Elizium be aboue the ground Then here it is where nought but ioy is found Many other Poems and Epigrams in that chambers patient alablaster inclosure which her melting eies long sithence had softned were curiously ingraued Diamondes thought themselues Dii mundi if they might but carue hir name on the naked glasse With them on it did he anatomize these bodiewanting mots Dulce puella malum est Quod fugit ipse sequor Amor est mihi causa sequendi O infoelixego Cur vidi cur perii Non patienter amo Tantum patiatur amari After the viewe of these veneriall monumentes he published a proude challenge in the Duke of Florence court agaynst all commers whether Christians Turkes Canibals Iewes or Saracens in defence of his Geraldines beautie More mildly was it accepted in that she whom he defended was a towne borne child of that Citie or else the pride of the Italian would haue preuented him ere he should haue come to performe it The Duke of Florence neuerthelesse sent for him and demanded him of his estate and the reason that drew him thereto which when hée was aduertised of to the full he granted all Countries whatsoeuer as wel enemies and outlawes as friendes and confederates frée accesse and regresse into his dominions vnmolested vntill that insolent triall were ended The right honourable and euer renowmed Lorde Henrie Howard Earle of Surrey my singular good Lorde and master entered the listes after this order His armour was all intermixed with lyllies and roses and the bases therof bordered with nettles and wéeds signifieng stings crosses and ouergrowing incumbrances in his loue his helmet round proportioned like a gardeners water-pot from which séemed to issue forth small thrids of water like citerne stringes that not onely did moisten the lilles and roses but did fructifie as well the nettles and wéedes and made them ouergrow their liege Lordes Whereby hee did importe thus much that the teares that issued from his braine as those arteficiall distillations issued from the well counterfeit water-pot on his head watered and gaue life as well to his mistres disdaine resembled to nettles and wéedes as increase of glorie to her carecausing beautie comprehended vnder the lillies and roses The simbole thereto annexed was this ex lachrimis lachrimae The trappinges of his horse were pounced and boulstered out with rough plumed siluer plush in full proportion and shape of an Estrich On the breast of the horse were the forepartes of this greedie birde aduaunced whence as his manner is hee reacht out his long necke to the raines of the bridle thinking they had beene yron and styll seemed to gape after the golden bit and euer as the courser dyd rayse or curuet to haue swallowed it halfe in His winges which hee neuer vseth but running beeing spreaded full sayle made his lustie steede as proude vnder him as he had béene some other Pegasus and so quieueringly and tenderly were these his broade wings bound to either side of him that as he paced vp and downe the tilt-yard in his maiestie ere the knights were entered they séemed wantonly to fan in his face and make a flickering sound such as Eagles doe swiftly pursuing their praie in the ayre On either of his winges as the Estrich hath a sharpe goade or pricke wherewith hee spurreth himselfe forwarde in his saile-assisted race so this arteficiall Estrich on the imbent knuchle of the pinion of either wing had embossed christall eies affixed wherein whéele wise were circularly ingrafted sharpe pointed diamonds as rayes from those eies deriued that like the rowels of a spurre ran déep into his horse sides and made him more eager in his course Such a fine dimme shine dide these christall eies and these round enranked diamonds make through their bolne swelling bowres of feathers as if it had beene a candle in a paper lanterne or a gloworme in a bush by night glistering through the leaues and briers The taile of the Estrich being short and thicke serued verie fitly as a plume to tricke vp his horse taile with so that euerie parte of him was as naturally coapted as might be The word to this deuice was Aculeo alatus I spread my wings onely spurd with her eies The morral of the whole is this that as the Estrich the most burning sighted bird of all others insomuch as the female of them hatcheth not hir egs by couering them but by the effectual raies of hir eies as he I saie out strippeth the nimblest trippers of his feathered condition in footmanshippe onely spurd on with the néedle quickning goade vnder his side so hee no lesse burning sighted than the Estrich spurd on to the race of honor by the sweete raies of his mistres eies perswaded himselfe hee should outstrip all other in running to the goale of glorie only animated and incited by her excellence And as the Estrich wil eat iron swallow anie hard mettall whatsoeuer so would he refuse no iron aduenture no hard taske whatsoeuer to sit in the grace of so fayre a commander The order of his shield was this it was framed like a burning glasse beset round with flame colourd feathers on the outside whereof was his mistres picture adorned as beautifull as art could portrature on the inside a naked sword tied in a true loue knot the mot Militat omnis amans Signifieng that in a true loue knot his sword was side to defend and maintaine the high features of his mistres Next him entered the blacke knight whose beauer was pointed all torne bloudie as though he had new come from combatting with a Beare his heâ—â— piece séemed to bee a little ouen fraught full with smoothering flames for nothing but sulphure and smoake voided out at the cleftes of his beauer His bases were all imbrodered with snakes adders ingendered of the abundance of innocent bloud that was shed His horses trappinges were throughout bespangled with hunnie spottes which are no blemishes but ornaments On his shield hee bare the Sunne full shining on a diall at his going downe the word sufficit tandem After him followed the knight of the Owle whose armor was a stubd trée ouergrowen with iuie his helmet fashioned
greatest pleasure and contentment vnder heauen to heare them speak Latine and as long as they talkt nothing but Tully he was bound to attend them A most vaine thing it is in many vniuersities at this daye that they count him excellent eloquent who stealeth not whole phrases but whole pages out of Tully If of a number of shreds of his sentences he can shape an oration from all the world hee carries it awaie although in truth it be no more than a fooles coat of many coulours No inuention or matter haue they of theyr owne but tacke vp a stile of his stale galimafries The leaden headed Germanes first began this and we Englishmen haue surfetted of their absurd imitation I pittie Nizolius that had nothing to doe but picke thrids ends out of an olde ouerworne garment This is but by the waie we must looke backe to our dispâ—â—aâ—ts One amongst the rest thinking to be more conceited 〈◊〉 â—is fellowes séeing the Duke haue a dog hee loued well 〈◊〉 saâ—â— by him on the tarras conuerted all his oration to him 〈◊〉 not a haire of his taile but he kembd out with comparisons 〈◊〉 â—o haue courted him if he were a hitch had bin verie suspitious Another commented descanted on the Dukes staffe new tipping it with many queint epishites Some cast his natiuitie and promised him he should not die till the daie of iudgement Omitting further superfluities of this stampâ— in this general assembly we found intermixed that abundant scholler Cornelius Agrippa At that time he bare the fame to be the greatest coniurer in Christendome Scoto that did the iugling trickes here before the Quéene neuer came néere him one quarter in magicke reputation The Doctors of Wittenberg doting on the rumour that went of him desired him before the Duke and them to doe something extraordinarie memorable One requested to sée pleasant Plautus that he would shew them in what habite hee went and with what countenaunce he lookt when he ground corne in the mill Another had halfe a moneths minde to Ouid and his hooke nose Erasmus who was not wanting to that honourable méeting requested to see Tully in that same grace and maiestie he pleaded his Oration pro Roscio Amerino Affirming that til in rerson he beheld his importunitie of pleading he woulde not be perswaded anie man coulde carrie awaie a manifest case with rethorike so straungely To Erasmus petition he easily condiscended and willing the Doctours at such an houre to holde theyr conuocation and euerie one to kéepe him in his place without mouing at the time prefixed in entered Tully ascended his pleading place and declaimed verbatim the fornamed Oration but with such astonishing amazement with such feruent exaltation of spirite with such soule-stirring iestures that all his auditours were readie to install his guiltie client for a God Greate was the concourse of glorie Agrippa drewe to him with this one feate And in déede hée was so cloyed with men which came to beholde him that hée was fayne sooner than hée woulde to returne to the Emperours court from whence hée came and leaue Wittenberg before hee woulde With him we trauelled along hauing purchast his acquaintance a little before By the waie as wée went my master and I agréed to change names It was concluded betwixte vs that I shoulde bée the Earle of Surrie and hée my man onely because in his owne person which hée woulde not haue reproched he meant to take more libertie of behauiour As for my carryage hee knew hee was to tune it at a key eyther high or low or as hée list To the Emperours Court wée came where our entertainment was euerie waie plentifull carouses wee had in whole galons in stead of quart pots Not a health was giuen vs but contayned well neere a hogshead The customes of the Countrie we were eager to be instructed in but nothing we coulde learne but this that euer at the Emperours coronation there is an Oxe roasted with a stagge in the belly and that stagge in his belly hath a kidde and that kidde is stufâ—e full of birdes Some courtiers to wearie out time woulde tell vs further tales of Cornelius Agrippa and how when sir Thomas Moore our countrie man was there hee shewed him the whole destruction of Troy in a dreame How the Lorde Cromwell being the kings Embassadour there in lyke case in a perspectiue glasse he set before his eyes King Henrie the eight with all his Lordes hunting in his forrest at Windsore and when he came into his studie and was verie vrgent to be partaker of some rare experiment that he might report when he came into England he wilde him amongst two thousande great bookes to take downe which he list and begin to reade one line in anie place and without booke he woulde rehearse twentie leaues following Cromwell dyd so and in manye bookes tride him when in euerie thing hee exceeded his promise and conquered his expectation To Charles the fifte then Emperour they reported how he shewed the nine worthies Dauid Salomon Gedeon and the rest in that similitude and lykenesse that they liued vpon earth My master and I hauing by the high waie side gotten some reasonable familiaritie with him vpon this accesse of myracles imputed to him resolued to request him something in our owne behalfes I because I was his suborned Lorde and master desired him to see the liuely image of Geraldine his loue in the glasse and what at that instant she did and with whome shee was talking Hee shewed her vs without more adoe sicke weeping on her bedde and resolued all into deuoute religion for the absence of her Lorde At the sight thereof hee coulde in no wise â—efrayne though hee had tooke vppon him the condition of a seruant but hee must forthwith frame this extemporall Dittie ALL soule no earthly flesh why dost thou fade All gold no worthlesse drosse why lookst thou pale Sicknesse how darst thou one so faire inuade Too base infirmitie to worke her bale Heauen be distemperd since she grieued pines Neuer be drie these my sad plaintiue lines Pearch thou my spirit on her siluer breasts And with their paine redoubled musike beatings Let them tosse thee to world where all toile rests Where blisse is subiect to no feares defeatings Her praise I tune whose tongue doth tune the sphears And gets new muses in her hearers eares Starres fall to fetch fresh light from her rich eyes Her bright brow driues the Sunne to clouds beneath Her haires reflexe with red strakes paints the skies Sweet morne and euening deaw flowes from her breath Phoebe rules tides she my teares tides forth drawes In her sicke bed loue sits and maketh lawes Her daintie limbes tinsell her silke soft sheets Her rose-crownd cheekes eclipse my dazeled sight O glasse with too much ioy my thoughts thou greets And yet thou shewst me day but by twie-light Ile kisse thee for the kindnesse I haue felt Her lips one kisse would vnto Nectar melt
Though the Emperors court and the extraordinarie edifieng companie of Cornelius Agrippa might haue béene arguments of waight to haue arested vs a little longer there yet Italy stil stuck as a great moat in my masters eie he thought he had trauelled no farther thaÌ„ Wales til he had tooke suruey of that Countrie which was such a curious moulder of wits To cut off blinde ambages by the high way side we made a long stride got to Uenice in short time where hauing scarce lookt about vs a precious supernaturall pandor apparelled in all points like a gentleman and hauing halfe a dosen seuerall languages in his purse entertained vs in our owne tongue verie paraphrastically and eloquently and maugre all other pretended acquaintance would haue vs in a violent kinde of curtesie to be the guests of his appointment His name was Petro de campo Frego a notable practitioner in the pollicy of baudrie The place whether be brought vs was a pernicious curtizans house named Tabitha the Temptresses a wench that could set as ciuill a face on it as chastities first martyr Lucrecia What will you conceit to bee in anie Saintes house that was there to seeke Bookes picâ—ures beades crucifixes why there was a habeâ—â—ashers shop of them in euerie chamber I warrant you should not sée one set of her neckercher peruerted or turned a wrie not a piece of a haire displast On her beddes there was not a wrinkle of anie wallowing to be founde her pillowes bare out as smooth as a groning wiues belly yet she was a Turke and an infidell and had more dooinges than all her neighbours besides Us for our money they vsed lyke Emperours I was master as you hearde before and my master the Earle was but as my chiefe man whome I made my companion So it happened as iniquitie will out at one time or other that she perceiuing my expence had no more ventes than it should haue fell in with my supposed seruant my man and gaue him halfe a promise of marriage if he woulde helpe to make me a way that she and he might inioy the iewels and wealth that I had The indifficultie of the condition thus she explaind vnto him her house stood vpon vaults which in two hundred yéeres together were neuer searcht who came into her house none tooke notice of his fellow seruants that knewe of his masters abode there should be all dispatcht by him as from his master into sundrie partes of the citie about buâ—â—nes and when they returned answere should bee made that hee lay not there anie more but had remoued to Padua since their departure thether they must follow him Now quoth she if you be disposed into their handes deuised the meanes to make me immortall I could drinke for anger till my head akt to think how I was abused Shall I shame the deuill and speake the truth to prison was I sent as principall amd my master as accessarie nor was it to a prison neither but to the master of the mints house who though partly our iudge and a most seuere vpright iustice in his own nature extreamly séemed to condole our ignorant estate and without all peraduenture a present redresse he had ministred if certaine of our countrie men hearing an English earle was apprehended for coining had not come to visite vs. An ill planet brought them thether for at the first glance they knew the seruant of my secrecies to be the Earle of Surrey and I not worthie to be named I an outcast of his cup or his pantofles Thence thence sprong the full period of our infelicitie The master of the mint our whiâ—some refresher and consolation now tooke part against vs he thought we had a mint in our head of mischieuous conspiracies against their state Heauens bare witnes with vs it was no so Heauens will not always come to witnes when they are cald To a straiter ward were we coÌ„mitted that which we haue imputatiuely transgressed must be aunswered O the heathen heigh passe and the intrinsecall legerdemain of our special approued good pandor Petro de Campo Frego Hee although hée dipt in the same dish with vs euerie daie séeming to labor our cause verie importunatly and had interpreted for vs to the state from y e beginning yet was one of those trecherous brother Trulies and abused vs most clarkly He interpreted to vs with a pestilence for whereas we stood obstinatly vpon it we were wrongfully deteined and that it was naught but a malicious practise of sinfull Tabitha our late hostesse he by a fine conny-catching corrupt translation made vs plainely to confesse and crie Miserere ere we had néed of our neck-verse Detestable detestable that the flesh and the deuill shoulde deale by their factors Ile stand to it there is not a pandor but hath voâ—ed paganisme The deuill himselfe is not such a deuill as he so be he performe his function aright He must haue the backe of an asse the snout of an elephant the wit of a foxe and the téeth of a wolfe he must faune like a spaniell crouch like a Iew liâ—re like a shéepbiter If he be halfe a puritan and haue scripture continually in his mouth he spéâ—ds the letter I can tell you it is a trade of great promotion and let none euer thinke to mount by seruice in sorain courts or créep néere to seme magnifique Lords if they be not séene in this science O it is the art of arts and ten thousand times goes beyond the intelligencer None but a staid graue ciuill man is capable of it he must haue exquisite courtship in him or else he is not old who he wants the best point in his tables God be mercifull to our pandor and that were for God to worke a miracle he was séene in all the seuen liberall deadly sciences not a sinne but he was as absolute in as sathan himselfe Sathan could neuer haue supplanted vs so as hee did I may saie to you he planted in vs the first Italionate wit that we had During the time we lay close and toke phisick in this castle of contemplation there was a Magnificos wife of good calling sent in to beare vs companie Her husbands name was Castaldo she hight Diamante the cause of her committing was an vngrounded ielous suspition which her doating husbande had conceiued of her chastitie One Isaac Medicus a bergomast was the man hee chose to make him a monster who beeing aÌ„ courtier and repairing to his house very often neither for loue of him nor his wife but onely with a drift to borrowe monie of a pawne of waxe and parchment when he sawe his expectation deluded and that Castaldo was too charie for him to close with he priuily with purpose of reuenge gaue out amongest his copesmates that hee resorted to Castaldos house for no other end but to cuckolde him doubtfully he talkt that he had and he had not obtained his sute Rings which he borrowed of a
but in despite of her husbandes kinsfolkes gaue her her Nunc dimittis and so establisht her frée of my companie Béeing out and fully possest of her husbandes goods she inuested mée in the state of a Monarch Because the time of child-birth drew nigh and shée coulde not remaine in Uenice but discredited she decréed to trauell whether so euer I woulde conduct her To sée Italy throughout was my proposed scope and that waie if shée woulde trauel haue with her I had where withall to relieue her From my master by her ful-hand prouokement I parted without leaue the state of an Earle hee had thrust vppon me before and nowe I woulde not bate him an inch of it Through all the Cities past â— by no other name but the yong Earle of Surrey my pompe my apparell traine and expence was nothing inferiour to his my lookes were as loftie my wordes as magnificall Memorandum that Florence béeing the principall scope of my masters course missing mee he iourneied thether without interruption By the waie as he went he heard of another Earle of Surrey besides himselfe which caused him make more hast to fetch me in whom he little dreamed of had such art in my budget to separate the shadowe from the bodie Ouertake me at Florence he did where sitting in my pontificalibus with my curtizan at supper lyke Anthonie and Cleopatra when they quafte standing bowles of wine spiced with pearle together he stole in ere we sent for him and had much good it vs and askt vs whether we wanted anie guests If he had askt me whether I would haue hanged my selfe his question had beene more acceptable He that had theâ— vngartered mée might haue pluckt out my heart at my hams My soule which was made to soare vpward now sought for passage downward my blood as the blushing Sabine maids suâ—prized on the sodain by the souldiers of Romulus ran to the noblest of blond amongest them for succour that were in no lesse if not greater daunger so dyd it runne for refuge to the noblest of his bloude about my heart assembled that stood in more néed it selfe of comfort and refuge A trembling earthquake or shaking feauer assailed either of vs and I thinke vnfainedly if he séeing our faint heart agonie had not soone chéered and refreshed vs the dogs had gone together by the eares vnder the table for our feare-dropped lims In stead of menacing or afrighting me with his swoord or his frounes for my superlatiue presumption hee burst out into a laughter aboue Ela to thinke how brauely napping hée had tooke vs and how notablie wee were dampt stroke dead in the neast with the vnexpected view of his presence Aâ— quoth he my noble Lord after his tongue had borrowed a little leaue of his laughter is it my lucke to visite you thus vnlookt for I am sure you wil bid me welcome if it be but for the names sake It is a wonder to sée two English Earles of one house at one time together in Italy I hearing him so pleasant began to gather vp my spirits and replide as boldly as I durst Sir you are welcome your name which I haue borrowed I haue not abused Some large summes of money this my swéete mistres Diamante hath made me master of which I knew not how better to imploy for the honour of my country than by spending it manificently vnder your name No English-man would I haue renowmed for bounty magnificence and curtesie but you vnder your colours all my meritorious workes I was desirous to shroud Déeme iâ— no insolence to adde increase to your fame Had I basely and beggerly wanting abilitie to support anie parte of your roialtie vndertooke the estimation of this high calling your alledgement of iniury had ben the greater and my defence lesse authorised It will be thought but a policie of yours thus to send one before you who being a follower of yours shall kéepe and vphold the estate and port of an Earle I haue knowen many Earles my selfe that in their owne persons would go verie plaine but delighted to haue one that belonged to them being loden with iewels apparelled in cloth of golde and all the rich imbroderie that might bee to stand bare headed vnto him arguing thus much that if y t greatest men went not more sumptuous how more great than the greatest was he that could command one going so sumptuous A noble mans glorie appeareth in nothing so much as in the pompe of his attendants What is the glorie of the Sunne but that the moone and so many millions of starres borrow their light from him If you can reprehend me of anie one illiberall licentious action I haue disparaged your name with heape shame on me prodigally I beg no pardon or pittie Non veniunt in idem pâ—dor amor hee was loth to detract from one that he loued so Beholding with his eies that I clipt not the wings of his honor but rather increast them with additions of expence he intreated me as if I had bin an Embassadour he gaue me his hand and swore he had no more hearts but one and I should haue halfe of it in that I so inhanced his obscured reputation One thing quoth he my swéete Iacke I will intreat theée it shalbe but one that though I am wel pleased thou shouldest be the ape of my birthright as what noble man hath not his ape his foole yet that thou be an ape without a clog not carrie thy curtizan with thée I tolde him that a king could do nothing without his treasury this curtizan was my purs-bearer my countenance and supporter My earldome I would sooner resigne than part with such a speciall benefactresse Resigne it I will how euer since I am thus challenged of stoine goods by the true owner Lo into my former state I returne againe poore Iack Wilton and your seruant am I as I was at the beginning and so will I perseuer to my liues ending That theame was quickly cut off and other talke entered in place of what I haue forgot but talke it was and talke let it be and talke it shall be for I do not meane here to remember it We supt we got to bed we rose in the morning on my master I waiâ—ed and the first thing he did after he was vp he went and visited the hoâ—se where his Geraldine was borne at sight wherof he was so impassioned that in the open stréet but for me he would haue made an oration in praise of it Into it we were conducted and shewed each seueral roome therto appertaining O but when he came to the chamber where his Geraldines cléere Son-beams first thrust themselues into this cloude of flesh and acquainted mortalitie with the puritie of Angels then did his mouth ouerflowe with magnificaâ—â— his tongue thrust the starres out of heauen and eclipsed the Sun and Moone with comparisons Geraldine was the soule of heauen sole daughter and heire to primus motor
The vtmost of euils is a woman A fourth who being a person of suspected religion was continually hanted with intelligencers and spies that thought to praie vppon him for that hee had he could not devise which waie to shake them off but by making away that he had To obscure this hee vsed no other fansie but a number of blinde flies whose eies the colde had closed the word Aurum reddit acutissimum God is the onely phisicke for the eie-sight A fifth whose mistres was fallen into a consumption and yet would condiscend to no treatie of loue emblazond for his complaint grapes that witherd for want of pressing The dittie to the mot Quid regna fine vsu. I will rehearse no more but I haue an hundred other let this be the vpshot of those shewes they were the admirablest that euer Florence yelded To particularize their maner of encounter were to describe the whol art of tilting Some had like to haue falleÌ„ ouer their horse neck and so breake their neckes in breaking their staues Others ranne at a backe in stead of a button peraduenture whetted their spears pointes idlely gliding on their enemies sides but did no other harme Others ranne a crosse at theyr aduersaries lesse elbow yea and by your leaue sometimes let not the lists scape scot-frée they were so eager Others because they would be sure not to bee vnsadled with the shocks when they came to the speares vtmost proofe they threw it ouer the right shoulder and so tilted backward for forwarde they durst not Another had a menstrous spite at the pommell of his riuals saddle and thought to haue thrust is speare twixt his legges without rasing anie skinne and carried him cleane awaie on it as a coolest asse Another held his speare to his nose or his nose to his speare as though he had ben discharging a caliuer and ranne at the right foote of his fellowes stead Onely the earle of Surry my master obserued y e true measures of honor and made all his encounterers new scoure their armor in the dust So great was his glorie y t daie as Geraldine was therby eternally glorifide Neuer such a bountifull master came amongst the heralds not that he did inrich theÌ„ with anie plentifull purse largesse but that by his sterne assaultes hee tithed them moâ—e rich â—ffals of bases of helmets of armour than the rent of their offices came to in ten yeres before What would you haue more the trumpets proclaimed him masâ—er of the stâ—ld the trumpets proclaimed Geraldine the exceptionlesse fayrest of women Euerie one striued to magnifie him more than other The Duke of Florence whose name as my memorie serueth me was Paschal de Medices offered him such large proffers to slaie with him as it were vncredible to report He would not his desire was as hee had done in Flâ—rence so to procéede throughout all the chiefe cities in Italy If you aske why he began not this at Uenice first It was because he would let Florence his mistres natiue citie haue the maidenhead of his chiualrie As hee came backe againe hée thought to haue enacted something there worthie the Annals of posteritie but he was debard both of that and all his other determinations for continuing in feasting and banketting with the Duke of Florence and the Princes of Italy there assembled post-half letters came to him from the king his master to returne as spéedily as he could possible into England wherby his fame was quite cut off by the shins and there was no repriue but Bazelus manus hee must into England and I with my curtizan trauelled forward in Italy What aduentures happened him after we parted I am ignorant but Florence we both forsooke and I hauing a wonderful ardent inclination to sée Rome the Quéen of the world metrapolitane mistres of all other cities made thether with my bag and baggage as fast as I could Attained thether I was lodged at the house of one Iohannes de Imola a Roman caualiero Who being acquainted with my curtisans deceased doting husband for his sake vsâ— vs with all the familiaritie that might be He shewed vs all the monuments that were to be séene which are as many as ther haue béene Emperours Consuls Orators Conquerours famous painters or plaiers in Rome Till this daie not a Romane if he be a right Romane in déed will kill a rat but he will haue some registred remembrance of it There was a poore fellowe during my remainder ther that for a new trick he had inuented of killing Cymess scorpions had his mountebank banner hung vp on a high piller with an inscription about it longer than the king of Spaines stile I thought these Cymesses like the Cimbrians had bene some strange nation hee had brought vnder they were no more but things like sheepe lice which aliue haue the venomost sting that may be and being dead do stinke out of measure Saint Austen compareth heretiques vnto them The chiefest thing that my eyes delighted in was the church of the 7. Sibels which is a most miraculous thing All their prophestes and oracles being there enroulde as also the beginning and ending of their whole catalogue of the heathen Gods with their manner of worship There are a number of other shrines and statues also dedicated to their Emperors and withal some statues of idolatrie reserued for detestation I was at Pontius Pilates house and pist against it There is the prison yet packt vp together an old rotten thing where the man that was condemned to death and could haue no bodie come to him and succour him but was searcht was kept aliue a long space by sucking his daughters breasts These are but the shop dust of the sights that I saw and in truth I dyd not beholde with anie care hereafter to report but contented my eie for the present and so let them passe Should I memorize halfe the myracles which they there tolde me had béene done about martyres tombes or the operations of the earth of the sepulchre and other reliques brought from Ierusalem I should bee counted the monstrous lier that euer came in print The ruines of Pompeies theater reputed one of the nine wonders of the worlde Gregory the sixths Tombe Priscillas Grate or the thousands of Pillers arreared amongst the raced foundations of old Rome it were heere friuolous to specifie since he that hath but once drunke with a traueller talkes of them Let mee bee a Historiographer of my owne misfortunes and not meddle with the continued Trophées of so olde a triumphing Citie At my first comming to Rome I being a youth of the English cut ware my haire long went apparailed in light coulours and imitated foure or fiue sundrie Nations in my attyre at once which no sooner was noated but I had all the boyes of the Citie in a swarme wondering about mee I had not gone a little farther but certaine Officers crost the waie of me and demanded to sée my rapier which