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
he fell on weeping and being demaunded the cause why he wept he answered Because his father got so many Countreys that he doubted lest he would leaue none for him to conquer Cleane contrarie said he doth my son Alexander for seeing me to loose he is afraid lest I will lose so much as I will leaue little or nothing for him to lose A quippe giuen by one Raphaell an Italian Painter to tvvo Cardinals THe excellent and famous painter Raphael of Vrbin being very inward with two Cardinals they to see what he would say vnto them in his presence found fault with a certaine table or picture of his making wherein S. Peter and S. Paule were painted saying That the visage of those two images were too red whereunto he quickly made answer My lords thinke not much that they looke so red for I haue painted thē as they now are in heauen and this rednesse in their faces commeth of pure shame which they haue to see the Church so ill gouerned by such men as you are A prudent counsell of Laurence de Medicis SEigneur Lavvrence de Medicis not knowing how to restraine the excessiue liberalitie of his sonne Cosmus de Medicis who vsed to giue vnmeasurable summes both of gold and siluer to his fauorites and not willing to haue either his sonne noted of prodigalitie nor himselfe of auarice yet being withall more vnwilling to tell him of it because he would not discontent him he deuised a very subtill and honest pollicie how to effect his desire which was this He commaunded his pursebearer that when his sonne did demaund any money of him that he should not deny him any but should giue it him whatsoeuer he desired yet with this conditiō that Seigneur Cosmus himselfe should count and tell out the money which he desired Within a while the sonne came to the pursebearer demanded 8000. duckets which he meant to giue for a present to some great personage the pursebearer said vnto him that he wold gladly deliuer him the summe he desired vpon condition that himselfe would count it out according as he had in charge giuen him from his Lord and maister Seigneur Laurence Cosmus accepting the offer fell to telling of his duckets but he had not counted the two thousand of them but he began to bewearie because he thought too much time lost from his accustomed pleasures insomuch as in the midst of his count he left all and fell into consideration with himselfe that the summe was too great to giue away and so determined from thencefoorth to be no more so prodigall A counsell of Cosmus de Medicis A Certaine man had obtained an office neare vnto Florence by the meanes and mediation of Cosmus de Medicis of whome he demaunded his aduice what meanes he might vse in his office for the good managing of his affaires Seigneur Cosmus answered him Cloth thy selfe with scarlet and speake little The man that speaketh litle cannot be conuinced of folly and a goodly habite were it on a beast vvill get him reputation but a vvise man wil soone find a difference A speech of a Pope THe Bishop of Seruia desirous to sound the Popes mind touching a sute which he would gladly haue graunted him said vnto him Holy Father it is a common speech ouer all Rome and in your pallace that your Holinesse hath made me Gouernour of the citie whereunto the Pope answered Let them say what they list they are some leud fellowes that talke so But do not you beleeue it to be so for you shall find it nothing lesse The death of the Chauncelor of Millain LEvvis Sforce being in the castell of Millain and perceiuing that the army of the French king Levvis the twelfth was comming to besiege him demaunded of Maister Sico his Chauncellour what he thought the best meane to gard and defend his castell against the French he answered L'amor de gli huomini The loue of the people The duke storming very exceedingly at his speech and knowing that the Chancellour was well beloued of the Millanois entred into a suspition of him that he had a purpose to depriue him of his principalitie And to set his mind at quiet from this conceipt he caused the Chauncellour to be beheaded on a high scaffold in an open and publike place The Chauncelor before his death complaining of the crueltie of the said Levvis said these words Ameil cappo á te il stato which is as if he would say Thou causest me to lose my head but others will make thee lose thy Seigneurie and state which was in the end well verified for within a small time after hauing lost the Duchie and castell of Millaine he was led prisoner into Fraunce where he died in great miserie The loue of the subiects is the most firme pillar for any Prince to leane vnto for vvhere hatred raigneth a Prince hath no assurance Also many men at their death do foreshevv things to come and that oftentimes by the iust iudgement of the deuine vengeance A saying of Pope Alexander the sixth VVHen king Charles the eighth passed into Italy towards the realme of Naples which he conquered in a very short time Pope Alexander the sixth who then liued said The French men are come into this countrey with their spurres made of wood and with chalke in their hands as though they came like Friers to marke out their lodgings without any further labour or trauell By this speech he noted with what ease facilitie the French atchieued the conquest of the kingdome of Naples The ansvver of the Countie of Nansot THe Earle of Nansot Lieutenant for the Emperour Charles the fifth hauing besieged the towne of Peronne which held for the French the Queene of Hungarie sister to the Emperour and Regent of that countrie for him sent letters vnto the said Earle the contents whereof were That she was ashamed and much maruelled how he could spend so long time before Peronne which was but esteemed but in manner of a douecote whereunto he returned this answer that true it was the towne was but a little douecote but yet the pigoens which were within it were strong and not easie to be taken A small place the stronger it is the more difficult it is to be gotten and it is more easie to be defended vvhen the defendants are vvell appointed and furnished for resistance Of the Lord of Trimouille KIng Frauncis the first ordinarily did vse to go to Masse in his Chappell but the lord of Trimouille would euer go to the publick church that was next adioyning and being on a time demaunded why he went not to heare Masse in the Chappell with the king he answered I will go thither where my great maister is An act of the Duchesse of Burbon THe report is that the Duchesse of Burbon had in her house a certain damosell who through loue suffered her selfe to be gotten with child for which fault she being sharpely reprehended to purge her selfe she said
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
the mortification of vaine pleasure vvhich I haue read A conceited speech spoken to king Ferdinand THe king Ferdinand of Naples was very malecontent and could not endure to see men walke together two or three in a company or to talke together of their priuate affaires A certaine Courtier seeing the King in this passion to currie fauour with him said vnto him Sir you ought to shunne and take away this vsage that is so troublesome vnto you or else to make your benefite of it and in my aduice it were good that you imposed a tribute vpon them that vse to walke in this maner vp and downe for it would yeeld you a greater reuenue then the customes which you leauie vpon the merchandizes of all your Realme and Dominions Of a pretie quippe giuen by Anthony of Panorâ—e to a certaine Knight THe king Alphponsus of whome we haue before spoken beeing aboue all things well affected to the exercise of hunting did very earnestly enquire of Anthony of Panorme what Gentlemen of Naples were the greatest louers of that game of venerie and whether any of them had written of the nature of dogges and hounds Why sir quoth the Panormitan how is it that you demaund of me this question Haue you not a person in your company euery day which hath conuersed with this kind of creatures for these forty yeares together and night by night hath lien by a brach he I trow is sufficiently able to write of the nature of hounds and the manner how to keepe and cherish them Now the partie of whoÌ„ the Panormitan spake was a certaine Knight who was in very good grace and fauour in Court which made the king immediatly to fall on laughing knowing that the said Panormitan vnder the name of a brach did meane the Gentlemans wife because she was a woman that did vse to be very loud and clamoursom in her speech and was the most subiect to furiousnesse and outragious passions of any woman liuing A contentious and quarelsome wife is an incurable disease The letters of the Earle of Aniovv to the king of Fraunce LEvvis king of France the sonne of king Charles the simple being in the church of S. Martin of Tours at diuine seruice diuerse of his Gentlemen young Courtiers shewed him how Fovvkes the good Earle of Aniovv was set amongst the singing men and did sing with them for the which they mocked and contemned him Whereof the Countie being informed he sent letters vnto the king wherein was nothing written saue these words only To the king of Fraunce the Earle of Aniovv sendeth greeting Sir knovv you that a King vnlearned is but an asse crovvned The counsell of the Earle of Aniovv to his brother at the time of his death MAurice Erle of Aniou at the time of his decease giuing some instructions to his brother Fouques Nerra that succeeded him in his Earledome said vnto him My brother I pray remember how in all my life time I haue laboured to get me friends knowing that this is great riches and that the house which hath many friends ought not to be reputed poore nor destitute And therefore I aduise thee in any case to hold them deare vnto thee who haue heretofore bene faithfull and trustie vnto vs. A friend hath no greater treasure then a true friend in time of necessitie A Christian Act of the Earle of Aniou FOuques the fifth of that name earle of Aniou hauing gained the victorie in a battell foughten against Henrie king of England neare the towne of Sees where the Angeuins and Manceaux tooke a great number of prisoners whom they bound enchained together and lodged in an Abbey church neare the campe On a morning early the Count being disposed to go heare a Masse in the same church and being not able to enter into it for the multitude of prisoners there enchained he was very much discontented at it and turning him to his men at armes he said My companions and friends what haue you done Do you not know that the church is the house of God and of prayer and haue you turned it into a prison Do you not feare the wrath of God in that you execute crueltie in his temple You ought to know that the church is our mother and we are her children this place is a Sanctuarie and a place of priuiledge but you haue made it a place of seruitude This said he caused the prisoners to be vnbound hauing made them to eate drink he set theÌ„ at liberty without paying of any ransom The same Earle on a time said that to support or cherish the wicked was to do iniurie to the good A Sentence of the duke of Brittaine IOhn duke of Brittaine the fifth of that name being willing to make a mariage betweene his sonne the Lord Frauncis and the Ladie Izabel daughter to the Scottish king the young Prince Francis enquired what kind of Ladie that Izabel was to whoÌ„ answer was made that she was a very goodly Gentlewoman wise and discreet and one that was likely to haue faire issue of her bodie sauing that she had some impediment in her speech Then is she such a one as I desire quoth the Duke For I hold a woman wise enough that knoweth how to put a difference between the wastcote and shirt of her husband The haughtie courage of the duke of Burgundie PHilip the hardie duke of Burgundie was wont to say That kingdomes Lordships and Dominions did of right appertaine vnto theÌ„ that could by conquest get and purchase them he got the name of hardie because at a certaine banquet he leaped ouer the table onely to haue the chiefest place next to the person of king Charles the sixth he had both the courage and the speech of Alexander the Great An act of Galeace duke of Millain GAleace duke of Millain was giuen to vnderstand that there was a certaine Aduocate in that citie so subtill and cunning that he could prolong sutes in law and so draw theÌ„ out in length as he would make theÌ„ almost endlesse whensoeuer he listed to vndertake to do it either for loue or for money The Duke willing to make proofe thereof enquired of the chiefe steward of his house if there were not some debt due and owing by him to those that were to serue him with prouisions for his house In the end it appeared that there was owing to a certain Baker an hundred pounds in whose name he caused himselfe to be summoned and a day to be set downe for his appearance before the Senate to answer for the paiment of this debt vnto the said Baker In the meane time he sent to this Aduocate and demaunded his counsell how he might make delaies and not be enforced to make paiment of this money The Aduocate promised him to find the means and to deuise such sleights as the Baker should not finger a peny for one yeare at least or not for two yeares if he listed The action being
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