of the Ceremonies at the dubbing of a new Knight is to tye on a paire of gilt spurres Of tvvo Latine verses made by king Philip de valois against king Edvvard BEcause king Edvvard was supposed contrarie to his faith and allegiance to haue inuaded the realme of Fraunce king Philip to taxe him with it made these two verses Anglicus Angelus est cui nunquam credere fas est Dum tibi dicit aue tanquaÌ„ ab hoste caue Howbeit some say that this was Pope Alexander the third at such time as the English went to Rome to excuse and purge themselues to the Pope of the death of Saint Thomas of Canterburie whome they had caused to be slaine The bold speech of Blaunch the daughter of king Charles the faire THe same king Philip on a time speaking very bitterly to the Ladie Blaunch Duchesse of Orleance daughter of king Charles the faire touching the succession of the realm of Fraunce she said vnto him very liberally and boldly Sir if I had had a paire of stones you durst not haue vsed those wordes which you haue now vttered but you had smarted for it Meaning that if she had bene a man as she vvas a vvoman she should haue bene king of Fraunce The speech of king Iohn of Fraunce to the Prince of VVales vvhen he vvas taken at the batell of Poytiers IOhn king of Fraunce being prisoner in the battell of Poytiers to the Prince of VVales was conducted to the English campe where his supper was prepared for him at the which the Prince serued him with his head vncouered The king prayed him diuerse times to sit downe with him but the Prince excused himselfe saying that it did not beseeme the vassal to sit nere his Lord. The king said vnto him my purpose was to haue bestowed a supper on you this night but the fortune of warre would that you should giue it me The cautelous answer of king Edward to king Iohn IN the time of truce accorded betweene Iohn king of Fraunce and Edward king of England the English men for a summe of money got by composition the castle and towne of Guines to be rendred vnto theÌ„ whereof king Iohn being aggrieued complained to the king of England and told him that he had brokeÌ„ the truce contrary to the compact betweene them whereunto king Edward made this answer I haue not quoth he broken the truce for there was not any article contained in the Treatie betweene vs that did prohibite or defend vs from traffiquing together or to debarre vs or our subiects from the trade of merchandize each with other The commendations which Edvvard king of England gaue to Charles the fifth king of Fraunce THe same king Edvvard hauing taken the seas with a fleete of ships wherein were foure thousand launces and eleuen thousand Archers with intent to go and raise the siege of the French before Tours in Aquitaine he had the wind so contrarie that he could not proceede nor prosecute his intended voyage into Fraunce wherefore returning much discontented into England he vsed these or such like words of king Charles the fifth There was neuer yet said he any king in Fraunce who vsed lesse to beare Armes then this Prince and that without once stirring out of his chamber but onely by sending and writing of letters did so much trouble his enemies or my selfe either as he hath done The Cartels which Henry king of England and the duke of Orleance sent to each other LEwis duke of Orleance sonne to king Charles the fifth after that the truce was accorded betweene the French king Charles the sixth and Henry of Lancaster king of England the said Duke being young of yeres and desirous of glory contrarie to the alliance which was made with the said king of England sent vnto him a Cartell of Armes with a chalenge of combate betweene them two and a hundreth Knights on ech partie who for the loue of their Ladies should trye their valour and prowesse each against other and that they which did best should haue the honour of the victorie Vnto which Cartell the king of England made this answer We are not determined to breake the truce much lesse will we violate or disanull the league of amitie and alliance made betweene vs neither do we meane to admit any equalitie betweene our royall Maiestie and your Lordship Howbeit seeing you are disposed to combat I can be content to accept and make it good man to man to the intent we may auoid effusion of bloud and not either for our Ladies or for vaine glorie but onely for the honour increase and preseruation of our Realmes Countries Territories and Dominions The true valour and magnanimitie of men is not to hazard their persons and liues but onely for the good of their countrey or for their honour or for the safetie of their liues The Oath vsed to be taken by the English men to their King at their going to the warres FRoissard reporteth that when the English in former times came into Fraunce to make warres they had this custome that the Captaines putting their hands into the handes of the king of England did solemnly sweare to obserue inuiolably these two things The one was that to no man liuing but to amongst themselues they would neuer reueale the secrets of their voyage and enterprize And the second that they wold neuer make nor consent to any treatie or accord with their eneâ—â—â—es without the priuitie and good liking of the King and his Councell The choise of king Charles the sixth CHarles the fifth on a time hauing shewed vnto his son afterwards called Charles the sixth a Crowne of gold richly set with precious stones and a helmet of steele faire gilt demaunded of him which of these two he would most willingly haue if he were put to make his choise His answer was that he would rather chuse the Helmet then the Crowne The like affection did he bewray at his new comming to the Crowne of Fraunce For when the Officers of his house shewed him the rich treasures and precious moueables of his father lately deceased and did afterwards bring him to the sight of the goodly Armories wherein were all sorts of Armes swords Corcelets Headpeeces and other furnitures fit for the warres he said all aloft Of the two quoth he I had rather haue these Armes then the riches which my father hath left me The Sayings and Sentences of king Lewis the eleuenth KIng Lewis the eleuenth after the battell of Mountleherry against the Count of Charolois bethinking himselfe of the Duchie of Burgundie and how the same was aliened in fee from the Crowne of Fraunce to the auncestours of the said Count of Charolois Dukes of Burgundie descended of a younger sonne of the bloud royall of Fraunce he brake into these speeches Men say quoth he that Charles the fifth was called Charles the sage but they had little reason to tearme him so for it was but a foolish part to giue
go vnto the Empresse and to say this vnto her from him I had leifer haue a wife that is barren then one that is subiect to drinking of wine The Empresse returned to the messenger this answer During my life I shall euer be obedient to the wil and commaundement of my Lord husband neuerthelesse if the Emperour should commaund me to vse wine I had rather dye then therein obey him A Sentence of Pope Clement the seuenth POpe Clement the seuenth speaking of the retaining of Princes in peace and amitie for the quiet and tranquilitie of the ChristiaÌ„ common-weale vsed to say that it was a daungerous and most perillous thing to be in amitie with some particulars onely but to entertaine it with diuerse it was well befitting and beseeming the dutie and dignitie of the Papall See which ought to declare it selfe the common father and wel willer of all in generall The allusion of the Lantgraue of Hesse THe Lantgraue Philip of Hesse making warres against the king Ferdinand brother to the Emperour Charles the fifth for the restoring of Vtrich duke of VVittenberg to his right being entred into the country and and territories of the said Duchy there he encountred with his enemies whom he rudely put to the repulse And as he made his infanterie to march on he demaunded of the aduaunteourrers where they had left their enemies Answer was made him that they were at Loffen Well said my good souldiers quoth he I take this your answer for a prognostication of our victorie at hand seeing it seemeth to bring vs tidings that our enemies are in flying Loffen in Dutch signifieth flight vvhich made the Lantgraue by the allusion of the vvord to take it for a presage of their flight A pleasant conceipt of a French Gentleman COmmunication being moued in the presence of the lord Claude Duke of Guizâ— touching a certaine battell giuen by Frauncis the French king against the Emperour Charles the fifth the duke of Guize began to vse some speech vnto a French Gentleman who had bene seene in the armie gorgiously attired and well armed at all points and exceedingly well mounted howbeit that he was not seene in the battell By my faith Sir answered the Gentleman I was there and I can bring good proofe thereof yea in such a place as you durst not haue bene seene The duke tooke this speech very ill and supposed himselfe highly touched and therfore grew greatly offended with the answer but the Gentleman laughing very pleasantly appeased him in saying vnto him My Lord I was with the baggage where I am sure your Lordship would not haue vouchsafed to haue stayed as I did Sometimes a man that hath lost his honour by his deedes may recouer the same againe by gracing it vvith good speeches An Apothegme of the Seneshall of Campaigne IOhn lord of Ionuille hauing giuen counsel vnto the aforesaid French king Saint Levvis not to return back into Fraunce till he had ended his warres in the holy land was iniured by som of the great lords Nobles neare about the Kings person who desired to depart from thence in somuch as they called him Colt which at that time was held a word of great disgrace amongst the pesants of Frâ—unce but he very gently replyed vnto them I had rather be a kicking Colt then a wincing Iade His meaning vvas that a young Colt might helpe both himselfe and his master out of dannger but an old horse endangereth both himself his rider The fidelitie of the French king Saint Levvis AFter that the Saracens had bene paid the summe of two hundred thousand pounds for the raunsome of the Earle of Poitiers brother to the king Saint Lewis who had bene taken prisoner by them in the holy land Monsieur Philip de Monâ—fort made report to the king that the Saracens were misreckened in their receipt of tenne thousand Franks wherupon the king presently made him sweare and to giue his faith that he should see them paid which he did accordingly and the king wold not depart out of harbour nor set saile to sea where he was readie embarked for his returne till the said summe of ten thousand Frankes were deliuered them The speech of the Lady of Heluin A Councell being held within the citie of Gaunt for the mariage of the Ladie Mary Princesse of Burgundie the daughter of duke Charles which dyed before Nancie with the Prince Dolphin of Fraunce sonne of king Lewis the eleuenth who was afterwards called Charles the eighth of that name king of Fraunce who was then very young in yeares the ladie of Heluin chiefe Lady of Honour to the Princesse said We haue need of a man and not of an infant or child for my mistresse is a woman sufficient to beare such a child as our countrey hath great need of This vvord to beare a child hath tvvo interpretations either to be married to a man of prudence and vvisedome or that by the mariage there may issue a child of a good and vertuous disposition according to that sentence of Salomon The land is in weake estate of which a child is Prince that is a child in vnderstanding A pleasant conceipt of the Duke of Millain his Cooke THe duke of Millain being besieged in a Castell by the Florentinâ—s one day as he sate at dinner he could not away but fell in mislike with the tast of all his meate set before him insomuch as he checked his Cooke and was very angry with him But the Cooke readâ—e enough to iustifie free himself from blame after many excuses made said vnto the Duke My lord your me at is well enough dressed but the Florentines haue put your mouth out of tast To that man vvhich in vvarres is timerous all things proue tedious and troublesome The persvvasion of the Lord Talbot to his sonne THe French vnder king Charles the seuenth hauing laid siege before the town of Chastillon which was possessed by the English in the yeare 1453. the Lord Talbot then Lieutenant General for the king of England in Aquitaine issued out of Burdeaux to raise the siege of the French Battell being ioyned between them and the losse likely to fall to the English the lord Talbot said vnto his son Son I would wish thee to prouide for thy safetie and to reserue thy self to some other time as for me it will be for my honour to die here after so many victories by me obtained in times past but if thou shouldest miscarie in this fight litle honour wold it be vnto thee who by sauing thy selfe now maist augment it in time to come in reseruing thy selfe for more haughtie enterprises and for the benefit of Enland thy natiue countrie This was a speech well beseeming a true and noble Gentleman and one that was a louer of his conntrey how beit his sonne would not yeeld vnto that motion but both father and sonne there lost their liues An Apothegme of a certaine Englishman THe English being chased
world are their vertuous deeds The reuenge which a king of Arragon tooke of some of his Nobles that derided him RAymire the second of that name king of Arragon a very simple man being determined to make warres vpon the Moores his Barons caused him to be armed and mounted on horsebacke and put a shield in his left hand and a launce in his right hand and offering to put the reines of his bridle in his hand likewise Let be quoth the king and giue me theÌ„ to hold in my mouth for my hands are full enough alreadie At which speech his Barons fel a laughing with open mouth and making a iest of it demeaned themselues very vnseemely without any kind of reuerence But the king Raymire perceiuing their mocquerie got eleuen of the most noble and chiefest of his Barons to come into the towne of Osey where he caused them to loose their heades without saying any other words then these La renardaille Nesçait de qui elle se raille The humilitie of Godfrey of Buillon VVHen the duke Godfrey of Buillon was chosen king of Ierusalem by the Christian Princes and the Diademe being presented vnto him he refused it saying It is not fit nor conuenient for any Prince Christian to weare a Crowne of gold sithence Iesus Christ the King of kings did weare one made but of thornes The ansvver of the great Turke to the Ambassadours of Hungarie BAiazet the sonne of Amurath Emperour of the Turkes being with a great armie in Bulgaria which is a part of Hungarie the king Sigismond sent his Ambassadours vnto him to pray him that he would not molest his countrie and Dominions wherein he had no right nor interest Baiazet for answer to this Ambassade caused all the armed forces of that Prouince to be assembled together into a great hall where hauing made the Ambassadours of the king of Hungarie to be called he said vnto them pointing to those forces with his finger Behold said he the reason and the right by which I haue do hold the possession of Bulgarie Right and equitie haue no place in the Court of a Tyrant The ansvver of the Count de Lazaran to the Ambassadours of the Turke NO lesse notable was that answer which the County de Lazaran made vnto the Ambassadours of Lamorabaquin or Baiazet the Amira or king of the Turkes who purposing to inuade the realme of Hungary with a mightie armie sent his messengers to the Count de Lazaran with a mule laden with Rice and demaunded to haue passage through his countrey into Hungarie The Ambassadours proceeding on their Commission found the County in his castell called the Archforme and according to their charge did demand passage for their Lord and his armie and that he should become his vassall and subiect otherwise that their Lord Baiazet would bring into the countrey of the Count more men of warre then there were graines of Rice in the sackes wherewith their mule waâ— laden and in so saying they powred out the graine in the middest of the castell yard The Count receiued heard their message very courteously and the third day after being disposed to giue them their answer coÌ„maunded to be brought into his Castle court a great number of powltry which for three daies together had bene shut vp without any meat giueÌ„ vnto them the which in lesse then a quarter of an houre did eate vp all the Rice which had bene there powred out Whereupon he said vnto the Ambassadours Now go tell your Lord that true it is he hath a great number of armed souldiers howbeit he cannot bring so many into the field but they shall be either slaine or vanquished as you haue seene these grains of Rice deuoured by my pullen And according to his hope the Count had the victorie A vvorthy Sentence of the Ambassadors of Sicilia CErtaine Ambassadours of Sicilia deliuering that which they had in charge to Iames the eleuenth king of Arragon he shewed them that they ought to yeeld their obedience to the Church and to Charles king of Naples his father in law whereupon one of the Ambassadours said vnto him Sir we reade in many histories that peoples haue bene defeated by their Princes and we haue seene the proof thereof in our time but that subiects haue bin destroied by their kings we haue neuer yet seen or hard it spokeÌ„ Of the death of Vladislaus king of Hungarie VLadislaus king of Hungary and of Poland whome the French named Launcelot leauying a puissant armie against Amurath great Seigneur of the Turkes was disswaded from it by many Barons of his realm and other his allies Amongst whom one Dracocles a Valachian did disswade him from that enterprise But in the end seeing that his aduice took no effect he yeelded that his sonne should go in his company with two thousand horse and at their departure he gaue vnto the king Vladislaus and to his sonne two very swift and light horses saying Because I foresee that the losse is like to fall on your side in this warre which you enterprise I haue giuen you these two horses by whose swiftnesse of foote you may saue your selues and serue you of them in your necessitie for I feare me that you shall haue great need of them And accordingly it fell out for in a set battell foughten betweene Vladislaus the Turks in the yeare 1444. as Dracocles had foretold the king there lost his life Of the tvvo verses vvhich Conrad king of Naples caused to be vvritten vpon a horse of brasse COnrad the sonne of Fredericke hauing taken the towne of Naples by composition in the yeare 1253. caused the wals fortresses and principall houses of the citie to be ruinated and going into the great church within the middle whereof was a horse of brasse without a bridle which had bene kept there of a long time for the antiquitie of it he caused a bridle to be put vpon him and on the reines thereof were written these two verses Hactenus â—ffrenis Domini nunâ— paret habenis Rex domat hunc aequus parthenopensis equum That is to say This horse till now vnbridled now is made To beare the reines which on his necke are laid His lord the rightfull king of Naples towne Did tame this horse and bring his courage downe The saying of Rene king of Sicilia REne king of Sicilie said oftentimes vnto the Princes and Ambassadors of diuerse places that came to visit him I loue the countrey life aboue all others because it is the best manner and the surest course of liuing and the most free from earthly ambition This King loued husbandry exceedingly and vvas the first that caused to be brought into Fraunce out of straunge countries vvhite Peacockes red Partriges vvhite blacke and red Conies Betony and roses of Prouence He was a good Prince a perfect Musitian and composed sundry bookes in verse and in proes amongst the vvhich are that of the conquest of Gentle mercie and that of
out of Fraunce by king Charles the seuenth as certaine of them were readie to passe the sea the French in mockage demaunded of an English Captaine when they would come againe to make warre in Fraunce who answered That shall we when your sinnes do exceed ours in number It is our sinnes onely that draweth down the vvrath of God and causeth him to send vs both vvarres famine and pestilence A good opinion of the Venetians THe Venetians are very secret in their counsels and deliberations and they haue an vsuall saying That a good Councell be it neuer so secret is oftentimes disclosed The ansvver of a Duchesse of Normandie to her husband A Certaine Damosell named Gonnor which in former times had bene beloued by Richard duke of Normandie the sonne of VVilliam Long spath being afterwards maried to the said duke after the death of the Ladie Auina his first wife the daughter of Hugues the great Erle of Paris the first night after she was maried to the said duke being laid in bed with him she turned her backe towards him The duke maruelling at that manner of her behauiour said vnto her Full often haue you lien with me yet did I neuer see you thus do before Whereunto she answered True it is my sweet loue for heretofore I lay in your bed and therefore did as pleased you but now I lye in the bed that is mine as well as yours and therefore I may rest me of what side do I please The constancie of Elizabeth the daughter of the King of Boheme ELizabeth the daughter of VVenceslaus king of Boheme being conducted with great honour to the city of Spire in Germanie of purpose there to be espoused to Iohn the eldest son of the Emperour Henry the seuenth and perceiuing that the celebrating of the mariage was deferred she made so secret inquirie of the cause that in the end she knew it was prolonged in regard of a iealousie which the Emperour had conceiued that she had not kept her virginitie for the truth is she was of a most singular and incomparable beautie farre excelling all the Ladies of that age knowing therefore whereupon this delay grew she stripped her selfe out of her clothes starke naked and couering her selfe onely with a mantle of pure fine linnen which was soone and easie to be cast off in this forme she presented her selfe to the Emperour saying vnto him Sacred Prince I will now instaÌ„tly make good proof of my virginity by the view search of my bodie the examinatioÌ„ therof made by sage honest women I will neuer stir foot from hence till you be free from that suspitioÌ„ which you haue conceiued of me The Emperour astonished and afraid at her speech could not possibly remoue her from her determination by any excuse or perswasion that he could vse but he was constrained to cause her to be searched and she being found to be pure and a virgine inuiolate he caused her to be maried vnto his sonne True vertue is alwaies of that strength and fortitude as it can neuer he vanquished A reason vvisely alleadged by the foole of the duke of Austrich LVpoldus duke of Austrich making warres against the Swizzers who were in alliance with the Emperour Levvis of Bauier hauing assembled vnder the charge of certain captaines of the estate of Germany to the number of 20000. men horse foot to the end he might cause them to set forward he consulted with his Counsell by what way he might best enter into the Svvizzers countrey The Councel being resolued of the course which they meant to take the dukes foole named Kune de Stocken who was present and had heard their deliberation said vnto them in his accustomed habite and countenance of a foole I do not like of your counsell for all of you haue consulted how and by what meanes we may enter into their countrey but there is none of you that hath giuen his aduice how and in what sort we shall get away againe from thence A good entrie or beginning is not all vvithout it haue a happie ending The good conditions of the Emperour Theodosian THe Emperour Theodosian could not endure to haue any to his seruants who were proud and arrogant or of too braue and vaunting an humour much lesse could he suffer them that were shameles mutinous dissolute seditious or rash in their speech And he was wont to say that that Prince could neuer be well beloued of his people nor obeyed of his subiects as long as he did suffer any to be neare him or about him for his ordinarie seruants that were presumptuous and arrogant or if his Officers were ambitious and couetous or if his fauorites and familiars were either dishonest or imprudent double hearted or double tounged By the seruant men iudge vvhat his lord is and such a man such a maister A Sentence of the Empresse Sophia TIberius being appointed to haue the gouernement of the Roman Empire in place of the Emperor Iustin who was become sickely Sophia the wife of the said Iustin entring into speech with Tiberius who was a most bountifull Prince amongst other matters vsed this sentence in her speech vnto him It is much better and a thing more easie to be endured that a Prince should be an ill maÌ„ and a good Prince then to be an ill Prince and a good man Certaine braue speeches of the Lord of Assier IAques de Genouillay Lord of Assier called Galeot who was grand Maister of the Ordinance to king Levvis the twelfth being determined to go to Mitilen to beare armes against the Turkes vnder the commaund of Monsieur de Rauestin and disposing of his affaires against he went on his voyage he was admonished by his friends to make his wil and to ordaine his Sepulture if he should happen to be slaine in that warre to whom he gaue this answer What need I take care to trouble my selfe with thinking where I shall be buried or by whom shall I not haue trow ye Pioners enough about me who will not leaue me vnburied if I fortune to dye there His soâ—â—e taking his leaue of him to go to the battel of Serizoles against the armie of the Emperor Charles the fifth he said vnto him You cannot possibly get to be at the battell in time His sonne answered him I will ride thither post The father replyed What will you cause your horses to runne and your armour to be caried post No quoth the sonne when I my selfe shall haue gotten thither I shall easily find horse and armour Oh poore man said the Lord of Assier wilt thou go seeke thy death in post As if he had said vnto him you cannot find there such horse and armes as will be fit for thy bodie which will be the cause of thy death And indeede there he made his end A foolish speech of certaine Ambassadours of Venice THe VenetiaÌ„s sent two yong Ambassadors to the Emperour Fredericke vnto whom 〈◊〉 would not giue