Ladyes to imbrace Constancie as to imbolden thē in the refusal of dishonest sutes for which if they doe not acquire semblable honor as this Lady did yet they shall not be frustrate of the due rewarde incident to honor which is fame immortall praise Gentlemen may learne by the successe of this discourse what tormentes be in Loue what trauailes in pursute what passions lyke ague fittes what disconueniences what lost labour what playntes what griefes what vnnaturall attemptes be forced Many other notorious examples be contayned in the same to the great comforte and pleasure as I trust of the well aduised reader And althoughe the aucthor of the same perchaunce hath not rightly touched the propre names of the Aucthors of this tragedie by perfect appellations as Edward the thirde for his eldest sonne Edward the Prince of Wales who as I reade in Fabiā maried the Countesse of Salesburie which before was Countesse of Kent wife vnto sir Thomas Holand whose name as Polidore sayth was Iane daughter to Edmund Earle of Kent of whome the same Prince Edward begat Edward that dyed in his childish yeres Richard that afterwards was King of England the seconde of that name for that she was kinne to him was deuorced whose sayd father maried Phillip daughter to the Earle of Henault had by her .vij. sonnes And AElips for the name of the sayd Countesse being none such amongs our vulgare termes but Frosard remēbreth her name to be Alice which in dede is common amongs vs and the Castle of Salesberic where there is none by that name vpon the Frontiers of Scotland albeit the same Frosard doth make mention of a castle of the Earle of Salesburies giuen vnto him by Edward the thirde when he was Sir William Mountague and maried the sayde Lady Alice for his seruice and prowesse againste the Scottes and Rosamburghe for Roxboroughe and that the sayde Edward when he sawe that he could not by loue and other persuasions attayne the Countesse but by force maried the same Countesse which is altogether vntrue for that Polydore and other aucthors doe remember but one wyfe that he had which was the sayde vertuous Quéene Phillip with other like defaultes yet the grace of the Historie for al those errors is not diminished Wherof I thought good to giue this aduertisement And waying with my selfe that by the publishing hereof no dishonour can redound to the illustre race of our noble Kinges and Princes ne yet to the blemishing of the fame of that noble king eternized for his victories and vertues in the auncient annales Chronicles and monuments forren and domesticall bicause all natures children be thrall and subiect to the infirmities of their first parents I doe with submission humblie referre the same to the iudgement and correction of them to whome it shall appertaine Which being considered the Nouell doth begin in this forme and order THere was a King of Englande named Edward which had to his first wyfe the daughter of the Counte of Henault of whom he had children the eldest wherof was called also Edward the renowmed Prince of Wales who besides Poictiers subdued the french men toke Iohn the French King prisoner and sent him into England This Edward father of the Prince of Wales was not onely a capitall enemie of the French men but also had continuall warres with the Scottes his neighbours and seing himselfe so disquieted on euery side ordayned for his Lieutenant vpon the frontiers of Scotland one of his captaynes named William Lorde Montague To whome bicause he had fortified Roxboroughe and addressed manye enterprises agaynst the enemies he gaue the Earledome of Salesburie and married him honorablie with one of the fairest Ladies of England Certayne dayes after King Edwarde sent him into Flaundres in the companie of the Earle of Suffolke where Fortune was so contrarie that they were both taken prisoners by the French men and sent to the Louure at Paris The Scottes hearing tell of their discomfiture and howe the marches were destitute of a gouernour they spéedely sent thether an armie with intent to take the Countesse prisoner to raise her Castle to make bootie of the riches that was there But the Earle of Salesburie before his departure had giuen so good order that their successe was not suche as they hoped For they were so liuely repelled by them that were within that not able to indure their furie in steade of making their approches they were constrayned to goe further of And hauing intelligence by certayne spies that the King of Englande was departed from London with a great armie to come to succour the Countesse perceyuing that a farre of they were able to doe little good they were fame shortly to retire home agayne to their shame King Edward departed from London trauayling by great iourneyes with his armie towardes Salesberic was aduertized that the Scottes were discamped and fled agayne into Scotland Albeit they had so spoyled the Castle in many places that the markes there gaue sufficient witnesse what their intente and meaning was And althoughe the King had thought to retourne backe agayne vpon their retire yet being aduertized of the great battrie and of the hote assault that they had giuen to the Castle he went forth to visit the place The Countesse whose name was AElips vnderstanding of the kings comming causing al things to be in so good readinesse as the shortnesse of the time could serue furnished her selfe so wel as she could with a certaine numbre of Gentlewomen and souldiers that remained to issue forth to méete the King who besides her naturall beautie for the which she was recommended aboue al the Ladies of her prouince was enriched with the furniture of vertue and curtesie Which made her so incomparable that at one instant she rauished the heartes of al the Princes Lordes that did beheld her in such wise that there was no talke in all the armie but of her graces and vertue and speciallie of her excellent and surpassing beautie The king hauing made reuerence vnto her after he had wel viewed al her gestures and countenaunces thought that he had neuer séene a more goodlier creature Then rapt with an incredible admiration he sayde vnto her Madame Countesse I doe beleue that if in this attire and furniture wherein you now be accompanied with so rare and excellent beautie ye had bene placed vpon one of the rampiers of your Castle you had made more breaches with the lookes beames of your sparkling eyes in the harts of your enemies than they had bene able to haue done in your Castle with their thundering Ordinaunce The Countesse somewhat shamefast and abashed to heare her selfe so greatly praysed of a Prince so great began to blushe and taint with roseall colour the whitenesse of her alablaster face Then lyfting vp her bashefull eyes somewhat towards the king she sayd vnto him My soueraygne Lorde your grace may speake your pleasure But I am well assured that
was the doughter of the Kyng of Englande and was rapte with an vnspeakable ioye But muche more merueiled the twoo knightes whiche were so troubled and appalled that if thei had béen in any place els sauyng in the presence of the Pope thei would haue killed Alexandro and peraduenture the Ladie her self Of the other parte the Pope was verie muche astonned bothe at the habite and apparell of the Ladie and also of her choise But knowing that the same could not be vndoen he was contente to satisfie her requeste And firste of all he comforted the twoo knightes whom he knewe to bee moued at the matter and reduced them in amitie with the Ladie and Alexandro then he gaue order what was beste to be doen. And when the Mariage daie by him appointed was come he caused the Ladie to issue forthe clothed in roiall vestures before all the Cardinalles and many other greate personages that were repaired to the greate feaste of purpose by hym prepared Whiche ladie appered to bee so faire and comelie that not without deserte she was praised and commended of all the assemblie In like maner Alexandro gorgeouslie apparelled bothe in outwarde apparaunce and condicions was not like one that had lente money to Usurie but of a more princelie grace and was greatelie honoured of those twoo knightes where the Pope solempnelie celebrated again the espousalles And after that riche roial mariage was ended he gaue them leaue to departe It semed good to Alexandro and like wise to the Ladie to goe from Rome to Florence in whiche citie the brute of that accidente was all readie noised where beyng receiued of the citizēs with great honour the Ladie deliuered the three brethren out of prison and hauyng firste paied euery man their debte thei with their wiues were repossessed in their former inheritaunce Then Alexandro and his wife with the good will and ioyfull gratulacions of all men departed from Florence and takyng with them Agolante one of their vncles arriued at Paris where thei were honorablie interteigned of the Frenche kyng From thence the twoo knightes wente into Englande and so perswaded the king that thei recouered his good wil towardes his doughter and sendyng for his soonne in lawe he receiued them bothe with greate ioye and triumphe And within a while after he inuested his saied soone with the order of knighthode and made hym Erle of Cornouale whose wisedome proued so great that he pacified the father and the sonne whereof insued surpassyng profite and commoditie for the whole realme whereby he gained and gotte the loue and good well of all the people And Agolante his vncle fullie recouered all debtes due vnto him in Englande And the Erle when he hadde made his vncle knighte suffred him to retourne in riche estate to Florence The Erle afterwardes liued with his wife in greate prosperitie and as some dooe affirme bothe by his owne pollicie and valiaunce and with the aide of his father in Lawe he recouered and ouercame the realme of Scotlande and was there crouned kyng Landolpho Ruffolo being impouerished became a pirate and taken by the Geneuois was in danger of drownyng who sauyng hymself vpon a title coaferfull of riche Iewels was receiued at Corfu and beyng cherished by a woman retourned home verie riche ¶ The .xxxv. Nouell IT is supposed that the sea coaste of Reggium in Calabria is the moste delectable parte in all Italie wherin harde by Salerno there is a coūtrie by the sea side whiche thinhabitantes doe terme the coaste of Malsy so full of litle Cities gardeins fountaines riche men and marchauntes as any other people and countrie Emong whiche said cities there was one called Rauello where in time paste although in these daies there bée verie riche men there dwelt a notable man of substaūce called Landolpho Ruffolo who beyng not cōtented with his richesse but desirous to multiplie them double was in hazarde to lose hymself and all that he had This manne as all other marchauntes bee accustomed after he had considered with himself what to doe bought a verie greate shippe and fraughted the same with sundrie kindes of marchaundize of his owne aduenture and made a voiage to the Isle of Cypri where he founde besides the commodities whiche he brought many other Shippes arriued there laden with suche like wares by whiche occasion it happened that he was forced not onelie to fell the same good cheape but also was cōstrained if he would dispatche his goodes to giue them almoste for nought whereby he thought that he was vtterlie vndoen And beyng greatlie troubled for that lesse not knowyng what to dooe and seyng how in so litle tyme of a riche man he was come to beggers state he thought either to die or els by piracie to recouer his losses to the intente he mighte not retourne to the place poore from whence he was departed riche And hauyng founde a copesman for his greate barque with the money therof and with other whiche he receiued for his marchandise he bought a small pinnas mete for the vse of a pirate whiche he armed and furnished with all thinges necessarie for that purpose And determined to make hymself riche with the goodes of other men and chieflie he meante to sette vpon the Turkes wherevnto Fortune was more fauourable then to his former trade And by chaunce by the space of one yere he robbed and toke so many Foistes and galleis of the Turkes that he had recouered not onelie that whiche he lost by marchādize but also more then twise so muche as wherevnto those losses did amounte Wherefore well punished with the firste sorowe of his losses knowyng his gaines to multiplie that he neded not to retourne the seconde tyme he thought with himself that the same whiche he had gotten was sufficiēt and therfore determined presētlie to returne to his owne house with his gotten goodes And fearyng the hinderaunce which he susteined in traffique of Marchaūdise he purposed to imploie his money no longer that waies but in that barque wherwith he had gained the same with his ores he tooke his course homeward And beyng vpon the maine Sea in the night the winde rose at the Southeast which was not onelie cōtrary to his course but also caused suche a tempest that his smalle barque was not able to indure the seas Wherevpon he tooke harborough in a Creke of the Sea whiche compassed a litle Islande there expectyng for better winde Into whiche creke within a while after with muche a doe for auoidyng of that tempest arriued twoo greate Argoseis of Genoa that wer come from Constantinople The Mariners of whiche shippes when thei sawe the litle barque had shut vp the way that the same could not goe out vnderstandyng of whence he was knowyng by reporte that he was verie riche determined beyng ikenne naturallie giuen to spoile and loue of money to take her And settyng a shore parte of their meune well armed and furnished with crossebowes thei conueied
a litle longer he fained as though he had made a further searche The other so subtill and malicious as he badde hym to séeke still and when thei sawe tyme thei toke awaie the proppes that staied vp the Tōbe and ran awaie leauyng poore Andreuccio fast shutte in the Graue Whiche when Andreuccio perceiued what chaunced to hym then eche man maie consider Then he assaied sometymes with his shulders sometyme with his hedde to remoue the couer but all was in vaine Wherefore euen for verie sorowe he fill in a sownde vpon the deade bodie of the Bishoppe And if a man had seen them bothe at that instaunt it could not well haue béen discerned whether was the dead corps the Archebishoppe dedde or poore Andreuccio diyng But after he was come to hymsef he began piteouslie to complaine seeyng he was arriued to one of these twoo endes either in the Tombe to die for hunger and with the stenche of the dedde body putrifiyng with wormes if no manne came to open it or els to be hanged as a Thiefe if he were founde within And as he was in these consideracions tormented with sorowe he heard a noyse in the churche of diuerse menne who as he thoughte came to dooe the like facte that he and his fellowes had doen before wherewith his feare began muche more to augment But after thei had opened the graue and staied it vp it came in question emōges them who should goe in And when thei had contended a good space about the same A Priest that was in the companie saied Why are ye afraied Dooe ye thinke that he will eate you The dedde neuer eate men I will goe in my self And when he had saied so he laied hym downe upon his breaste at the drinke of the graue and thrustyng his feete in before he wente doune Andreuccio seyng that erected himself vpright and caught the Prieste by one of the legges makyng as though he would haue drawen hym in whiche when the Prieste perceiued he cried out a loude spéeding himself out so fast as he could Wherewithall the reste dismaied almoste out of their wittes leauyng the graue open tooke their legges and ranne as though a hundred thousande deuelles had béen at their tailes whiche seyng Andreuccio more ioyfull then he looked for lepte out of the graue and ranne as fast as he could out of the Churche at the place where he came in At what tyme daie light beganne to appere and he with the ryng on his finger wandred he wist not whether till he came to the sea side and at lengthe recouered his Inne where he founde his companie and his hoste all that night takyng greate care for hym To whom recomptyng that whiche chaunced his hoste gaue hym aduise incontinently to gette hym out of Naples whiche presently he did and retourned to Perugia hauyng bestowed his v. C. crounes vpon a Ryng whiche he thought to haue imploied vpon horsses For whiche cause he made that iorney The Erle of Angiers beyng falsly accused was banished out of Fraunce and lefte his twoo soonnes in sundrie places in Englande and retournyng vnknowen by Scotlande founde them in greate aucthoritie afterwardes he repaired in the habite of a seruaunte to the Frenche kynges armie And beyng knowen to be innocent was againe aduaunced to his firste estate ¶ The .xxxvii. Nouell THe Romane Empire beyng transferred frō the Frenche menne vnto the Almanes there rose a great discencion betwene bothe the nacions and in the ende a cruell and continual warre For which cause as well for the defence of his kingdome as to offede his enemies the Frenche king and one of his soonnes with all the power of their owne realme and of their frendes and allies assembled a greate hoste of menne to encountre with their enemies and before thei proceded bicause thei would not leaue their realme with out a gouernor knowyng Gualtieri Erle of Angiers to be a gentle and sage knight and their moste trustie frende and that he was a man moste expert in the arte of warfare semyng vnto thē notwithstandyng more apt to pleasure then paine lefte hym Lieutenaunt generall in their place for the gouernement of the whole kyngdome of Fraunce and proceded in their enterprise The Erle then began with greate knowledge and by good order to execute his office committed vnto hym dooyng nothyng without the consente of the Quene and her faire doughter in lawe although thei were lefte to be vnder his custodie and gouernement yet neuer tholesse he honoured them as his maistresses and superiours This Erle Gualtieri was a beautiful personage about the age of fourtie yeres so familier and well condicioned as any gentleman could be and besides that he was the moste excellent and trimmest knight that was knowen in those daies and one most comelie in his apparell It chaunced that the kyng and his soone beyng at the warres aforesaied the wife of the Erle died in the meane while leauyng hym onely twoo little yonge children a soonne and a doughter whiche he had by her He then frequentyng the courte of the aforesaied Ladies talkyng many tymes with them aboute the affaires of the realme the wife of the kynges sonne fixed her eyes vpon him and with great affection for his persone and vertues feruentlie imbraced hym with secrete loue And knowing herself to be yonge and freshe and hym to bee without a wife thought sodainly to bring to passe that whiche she desired and thinkyng that nothyng could lette the same but onely shame to discouer it she purposed vtterly to abandone the same And vpon a daie beyng a lone she sente one to seeke the Erle as though she would haue communicated with hym of other matters The Erle whose minde was farre different from the Ladies incontinently came vnto her who beyng sette doune together vpon a bedde which she desired alone in a chāber he asked her twise vpon what occasion she sent for hym and she hauyng nothyng to sate vnto him pressed in the ende and rapte with loue waxed verie shamfast and almoste wepyng quakyng for feare with fainte wordes began to saie as foloweth My derely beloued and louyng frende and Lorde you maie easelie knowe beyng a wise manne as you bee the frailtie of menne and women and by diuers consideracions the weakenesse to bee more in the one then in the other Wherefore before a iust iudge one fault of diuerse qualities ought not of reason to receiue one like punishemente Moreouer who is he that will saie that a poore man or woman whiche getteth their liuing with the labor of their bodie ought not more to bee reprehended if thei become amourous and subiect to their lustes then the riche Ladie whiche taketh no care for her liuyng or wanteth any thyng that she desireth Truely I beleue there is none suche that will saie so for whiche reason I suppose that the thinges before saied ought to serue the greatest part of the excuse to the aduauntage of her that doeth possesse thē If
therefore expell from thée this shame and feare And spare not to tell me if I be able to dooe any thyng in that whiche thou louest And if thou perceiue that I bee not carefull to bryng it to passe repute me for the cruellest mother that euer bare childe The yonge gentleman hearyng these wordes of his mother was first ashamed but after thinkyng with hymself that none was so well able to pleasure hym as she driuyng awaie all shame saied to her in this wise Madame there is none other thyng that hath made me to kepe my loue secrete but that whiche I see in many people who after thei bée growen to yeres of discrecion dooe neuer remember that thei haue béen yonge But for so muche as herein I dooe sée your Ladiship discrete and wise I will not onely affirme that to be true whiche you haue perceiued in me but also I will cōfesse what it is vpon suche condicion that the effect thereof shall folowe your promise so farre as lieth in you whereby you shalbée able to recouer my life Wherevnto the mother trusting to muche in that whiche she ought not to haue accomplished for certaine consideracions whiche afterwardes came into her minde Answered hym liberally that he might boldly discouer all his desire and that forthwith she would bryng the same to passe Madame saied the yong man then the greate beautie and commendable qualities of your maiden Gianetta whom as yet not onely I haue no power to intreate to take pitie vpon me but also I haue made no wight in the worlde priuie of this my loue The not disclosyng and secrecie wherof hath brought me in case as you sée And if so be the thing whiche you haue promised dooe not by one meane or other come to passe assure your self that my life is but short The ladie knowing that it was more tyme to comforte then to reprehende saied vnto hym smilyng Alas my soonne were you sicke for this Bée of good chere and when you are whole let me alone The yong gentleman being put in good hope shewed in litle tyme tokens and signes of greate amendemēt Wherof the mother was meruellous glad disposyng her self to proue how she might obserue that whiche she had promised And one daie callyng Gianetta vnto her demaunded in gentle wise by waie of merie talke if she had not gotten her a louer Gianetta with face all blushyng answered Madame I haue no nede thereof and muche more vnsemely for so poore a damosell as I am to meditate or thincke vpon louers whiche am banished from my frendes and kinsfolke remainyng in seruice as I dooe To whom the Ladie saied If you haue none we will bestowe one vpō you whiche shall content your mynde and make your life more delectable and pleasaunt For it is nul mete that so faire a maide as you bée should continue without a a louer Wherevnto Gianetta answered Madame waiyng with my self that you haue taken me from my poore father and brought me vp as your doughter It becometh me to do that which pleaseth you Notwithstandyng I intende neuer to make any complainte to you for lacke of suche a one bothe for vertue and honestie sake but if it please you to giue me a husbande I purpose to loue hym and none other For my progenitours haue left me none other inheritaunce but honestie whiche I meane to kéepe so long as my life indureth These woordes to the Ladie semed contrary to that whiche she desired to knowe to atchieue her promes made to her soonne although like a wise Ladie to her self she greatly praised the damoset and said vnto her But Gianetta what if my Lorde the Kyng whiche is a yonge Prince and you a faire maiden would take pleasure in your loue would you refuse hym Wherevnto the maide sodainly answered The Kyng maie well force me but by consent he shall neuer obtaine any thyng except it be honest The Ladie conceiuyng the courage and stoutnesse of the maiden in good parte saied no more vnto her but thinkyng to put the matter in proofe she tolde her sonne that when he was whole she would put them bothe in a chamber that he mighte haue his pleasure vpon her For she thought it dishonest to intreate her maide for her sōne bicause it was the office of a Roffiana The yong man was nothing contented therewith whereby he sodainly waxed worsse and worsse whiche the Ladie perceiuyng opened her whole intente to Gianetta but findyng her more constaunt the euer she was before she tolde her husbande all that she had dooen who agreed although against their willes to giue her to bée his wife thinking it better their sonne liuyng to haue a wife vnagreable to his estate then to suffer hym to die for her sake Whiche after greate consultaciō thei concluded where of Gianetta was merueilously well pleased and with deuoute harte gaue thankes to God for that he had not forgottē her And yet for all that she would neuer name her self otherwise then the doughter of a Picarde The yonge sonne waxed whole incōtinently was maried the best contented man a liue and began to dispose himself louingly to leade his life with her Perotto whiche did remain in Wales with the other Marshall of the kyng of Englāde semblably increased and was welbeloued of his maister and was a verie comely and valiaunt personage that the like of hym was not to be founde in all the Islande in suche wise that at Torneis Iustes and other factes of armes there was none in all the Countrie comparable vnto him wherfore by the name Perotto the Picarde he was knowen and renowmed And like as God had not forgotten his sister euen so he shewed his mercifull remembraunce of hym For a certaine plague and mortalitie happened in that Countrie whiche consumed the one haulfe of the people there besides that the moste part of them that liued were fledde for feare into their coūtries whereby the whole prouince seemed to bée abandoned and desolate Of whiche plague the Marshall his maister his wife and his sonne and many other brothers neuewes and kinsfolke died of whō remained no more but his onely doughter which was mariageable and some of his seruauntes together with Perotto whom after the plague was somewhat ceased the yong gentlewoman toke for her husbande through the counsaile and consente of certaine of the countrie people that were aliue bicause he was a valiaunt and honest personage and of all that inheritaunce whiche her father left she made hym Lorde Alitle while after the kyng of Englande vnderstoode that the Marshall was dedde and knowyng the valor and stoutnesse of Perotto the Picarde he made hym Marshall in steede of him that was dedde In this sort in short tyme it chaunced to the twoo innocent childrē of the Erle of Angiers which were left by hym as lost and quite forlorne It was then the .xviij. yere sithens the Erle fledde from Paris hauyng in miserable sorte suffred many
bothe for in either campes there were three brethren of age and valiaunce semblable The brethren that were in the Romane campe were called Horatij the other Curiatij Wherevpon a cōbate was thought meete betwene these sixe persones After the Romanes had vsed their solempne maners of consecratyng the truces and other rites concerning the same either partes repaired to the combate Bothe the armies stoode in readines before their campes rather voide of presente perill then of care for the state of either of their Empires consisted in the valiautce and fortune of a fewe Wherefore their mindes were wonderfully bent and incensed vpon that vnpleasaunt sight The signe of the combate was giuen The thre yong men of either side dooe ioigne with furious and cruell onsette representing the corages of twoo battelles of puissaunt armies For the losse consisted in neither those thre but the publique gouernemente or common thraldome of bothe the cities and that was the future fortune which thei did trie and proue So sone as the clashyng armure did sounde at their firste incountrie and their glitteryng swordes did shine an incredible horror and feare perced the beholders and hope inclining to neither partes their voice and mindes were whist and silent But after thei were closed together not onely the mouyng of their bodies and doubtfull weldyng and handlyng of their weapons but blooddie woundes appered twoo of the Romanes fallyng doune starke deade one vpon an other but before the three Albanes were sore hurt Whereat the Albane hoste shouted for ioye The Romane Legions were voide of hope amazed to see but one remain against thrée It chaūced that he that liued whiche as he was but one alone an vnmeete matche for the rest euen so he was fierce and thought hymself good inough for them all Therefore to separate their fight he fleeth backe meanyng thereby to giue euery of them their welcome as thei followed Whē he was retired a good space from the place where thei fought lookyng backe he sawe them followe a good distance one from an other and one of them was hard by him vpon whō he let driue with greate violence And whiles the Albane hoste cried out vpon the Curatij to help their brother Horatius had killed his enemie and demaunded for the seconde battaill Then the Romanes incoraged their chāpion with acclamations and shoutes as fearfull men be wont to doe vpon the sodaine and he spedeth hymself to the sight And before the other could ouertake hym whiche was not farre of he had killed an other of the Curatij Now thei were equallie matched one to one but in hope and strengthe vnlike For the one was free of wounde or hurte cruell fierce by reason of double victorie the other fainct for losse of bloodde and wearie of runnyng with pantyng breath and discomfited with his brethrens slaughter slaine before hym is now obiected to fight with his victorious enemie whiche was no equall matche Horatius reioysing saied twoo of thy brethren I haue dispatched the thirde the cause of this battaill I will take in hande that the Romanes maie bée lordes of the Albanes Curiatius not able to sustaine his blowe fill doune and liyng vpon his backe he thruste hym into the throte with his sworde whiche dooen he dispoiled hym of his armure Then the Romanes in a great triumphe and reioyse interteigned Horatius and their ioye was the greater for that the feare of their ouerthrowe was the nerer This combate beyng ended the Albanes became subiecte to the Romanes and before Metius departed he asked Tullus if he would cōmaunde hym any further seruice Who willed hym to keepe the young souldiours still in interteignemente for that he would require their aide againste the Verētes The Armie dissolued Horatius like a Conquerour marched home to Rome the three spoiles of his enemies beyng borne before hym The saied Horatius had a sister whiche was espoused to one of the Curatij that were slaine who meetyng her brother in the triumphe at one of the gates called Capena and knowyng the Coate armure of her paramour borne vpō her brothers shulders which she wrought and made with her owne handes She tore and rente the heare of her hedde and moste pitiouslie bewailed the death of her beloued Her brother beyng in the pride of his victorie taking the lamētacion of his sister in disdainfull part drewe out his sworde and thruste her through saiyng these opprobrious woordes Auaunte with thy vnreasonable loue get thee to thy spouse Hast thou forgotten the death of thy twoo brethren that bee slaine the prosperous successe of thy victorious brother chieflie the happie deliueraunce of thy countrie Let that Romane woman what soeuer she bee take like rewarde that shall bewaile the death of the enemie Whiche horrible facte seemed moste cruell to the fathers and people For whiche offence he was brought before the king whom he deliuered to be iudged accordyng to the lawe The lawe condempned him Then he appealed to the people In which appeale P. Horatius his father spake these wordes My doughter is slain not without iust desert whiche if it were not so I would haue sued for condigne punishment to be executed vpō my sōne accordyng to the naturall pietie of a father Wherfore I beseche you dooe not suffer me whom you haue seen in time past beautified with a noble race and progenie of children now to bee vtterly destitute and voide of all together Then he embrased his sonne emonges them all and shewed the spoiles of the Curatiens saiyng Cā you abide to see this noble champion O ye Romanes whom lately ye behelde to goe in order of triumphe in victorious maner to lye now bounde vnder the gibet expecting for tormētes of death Whiche cruell and deformed sight the Albanes eyes can not well be able to beholde goe to then thou hangman and binde the hādes of hym who hath atchieued to the Romane people a glorious Empire Goe I saie couer the face of him that hath deliuered this citie out of thraldome and bōdage Hang him vpon some vnhappy trée and scourge hym in some place within the Citie either emonges these our triumphes where the spoiles of our enemies doe remaine or els without the walles emonges the graues of the vanquished Whether can ye dauise to carrie hym but that his honourable and worthie actes shall reuenge the villanie of his cruell death The people hearyng the lamentable talke of his father and seyng in hym an vnmoueable mynde able to sustaine all aduersitie acquited hym rather through the admiracion of his vertue and valiance then by Iustice and equitie of his cause Suche was the straicte order of iustice emonges the Romanes that although this yong gentilman had vindicated his countrie from seruitute and bondage a noble memorie of perfecte manhode yet by reason of the murdre committed vpon his owne sister thei were very straict and stacke of grauntyng hym pardon because thei would not incorage the posteritie to like inconuenience nor prouoke
saied that her doughter might not bothe sustaine paine in the birthe and also trouble to nourishe it her self I praie thee mother saied Phauorinus to suffer thy doughter to be the hole intire mother of her owne sonne What kind of half and vnperperfect mothers be thei whiche so sone as thei bee deliuered doe against nature by and by thrust the childe a waie from them Can thei nourishe with their owne bloode the thyng whiche thei see not and will thei not vouchsaufe to bestowe their Milke vpon that whiche is now a liuyng creature criyng out before their faces for the mothers help and duetie O thou vnkinde woman dooest thou thinke that Nature hath giuen thee twoo breastes for nothyng els but to beautifie and adorne thy body and not to giue sucke to thy children In like sorte many prodigious and monstruous women haue dried vp and extinguished that moste sacred foūtaine of the bodie the educatour of mākinde not without perill of their persones as though the same were a disgracyng of their beautie and comelinesse The like also some doe attempt by deuises and subtile secrecies to extrude their concepcions that the swellyng of their body might not irrugate and wrinckle their faces and that their painfull labours and greate burdeins dooe not make them looke olde in their youthly daies And like as it is generally to bee abborred that man in his first beginnynges when he is fashioned and inspired with life and in the handes of the cunnyng and wise woman daine Nature should be killed and slaine euē so with not muche lesse detestacion it is to be had cōpted when he is perfect and borne and the child of thine owne blood to be depriued from his due sustenaunce But it is no matter will some saie with whose Milke he bee nourced so he receiue Milke and liue The like maie be saied to that man whiche is so dull in perceiuyng the prouidence of Nature that what matter had it been in whose bodie and with whose blood he hymself had been formed and brought into light Hath not she whiche nowe respireth and with beautie waxeth white and fake the same bloodde now in her breastes which was before remainyng in her wōbe Is not the wisedome of Nature manifest in this thyng that after the cunnyng woorkeman the bloodde hath framed in the inwarde partes euery bodie of man straight waie when the tyme of birthe approcheth the same bloodde infudeth hymself into the vpper partes and is redie to nourishe the rudimentes of life and light offryng acquaintaunce familier sustinance to the newe borne Wherefore in vaine is not that reporte and belief that like as the force and Nature of the generacion séede is able to shape the similitudes of the minde bodie euen so the qualities and properties of the Milke doe auaile to like effecte Whiche thing is not onely marked in men but also in brute beastes For if Kiddes bee sockled vp with Ewes Milke and Lambes with Goates the Wolle of th one will growe more rough and hard and the heare of the other more tēder and soft In trées also and fruictes there is for the moste parte a greater force and power in the nature of the soile and Water where thes growe either for the pruning and planting then there is if straunge impes and séede be grifted and sowen there And many tymes you sée that a fruictfull trée caried and set in an other place decaseth through the nature of the grounde more barren What reason is this then to corrupte the noble Nature of this borne childe whose bodie and minde is well begonne with naturall beginnynges and to infecte the same with the degenerate foode of straunge Milke Specially if she to whom you shalt put forthe this childe to giue sucke be either a bonde and serulte woman and as commonlie it chaunceth of a forrein and barbarous nacion bee she wicked ill fauoured whorishe or dronken For diuers times without difference children be put forth to suche Nursses whose honestitie and condicions in the tyme of the puttyng for the be vtterly vnknowen Shall we suffer therefore this our infaunt to bée corrupted with pestiferous Milke Shall we abide a newe nature and spirit to be renued in his minde and bodie deriued frō that whiche is most vile and wicked Muche like to the same whiche many tymes we see and wonder how diuers children borne of chaste and honest women haue bodies and qualities farre discrepant from their honest parentes Wherefore verie trimlie and cunnynglie Maro folowyng Homeres verses doeth safe speakyng of the cruell nature of Achilles Sir Peleus that gentle kinght was not thy father sure Nor yet thy dame faire Thetis was whose grace the Goddes did lure The raging Sea and stonie rockes did bryng thee forthe to light Thy nature is so bloudie bent so fierce in cruell fight He did not herein reprehende the birthe of Achilles but the nature of the cruel sauage beast that brought hym vp for he added this of his owne And the Hircan Tigres did giue hym sucke And truely the condicion of the Noursse and nature of the Milke disposeth almoste the greater parte of the childes condicion whiche notwithstādyng the fathers séede and creacion of the bodie and mynde within the mothers wombe dooeth now in the begiunyng of his nouriture configurate and frame a newe dispositiō in him Moreouer who can saie the cōtrary but that suche women as putte their children from them deliueryng thē to be nourced of other doe cutte of naie rather doe wipe a waie and extinguishe that bande and increase of minde and affection that doeth consociate and ioyne in nature the parentes toward their children For whē the childe is put forthe to an other place and remoued from the mothers sighte the vigor and tendernesse of her affection is by litle ant litle forgotten and out of memorie the derest care of her tender babe groweth to vtter silence The sendyng awaie of the childe to an other Nourice is not muche inferiour to the forgetfulnesse that chaunceth when death doeth take it awaie Againe the affection the loue and familiaritie of the childe is prone to her that giueth it sucke And so as it is enidently seen in them that be put forthe the childe taketh no knowledge or desire of the owne mother that brought it forthe Therefore when the elementes and beginnynges of naturall pletie and loue bee ones abandoned and defaced how soeuer suche children in that sort brought vp shall seeme to loue the parentes yet for the moste parte it is no pure and naturall affection but rather a supposed and Ciuile loue Thus this noble Philosopher giueth counsaill to euery good mother not to be ashamed or grieued to bryng vp her childe with her owne Milke after her greatest paine past whom before with her owne bloudde she disdained not to féede in her bodie Of Sertorius a noble Romane capitaine ¶ The .xxiiij. Nouell LIke as in a good Capitaine chosen out
was no soner out of his fathers house but his harte was vexed with greater tormentes then before beyng depriued frō the sight of faire Stratonica whose presence did better contente hym then all the pleasures and sportes of the worlde Neuerthelesse desirous to vanquishe his indurate affections he continued abrode for a certaine time duryng whiche space vnable to quenche the fire he ledde a more desolate and troublesome life then he did before In the ende victorious loue tooke hym prisoner and caried him home againe to his fathers house Who seyng the greate loue that his father bare to his wife and the ioyfull time that he spent with faire Stratonica trāsported into many carefull panges many tymes he complained to hymself in this wise Am I Antiochus the sonne of Seleucus Am I he that my father loueth so well honoreth so muche and estemeth better then all his realmes and dominions Alas If I be Antiochus in deede the sonne of so louyng a father where is the duetifull loue and bounden reuerence that I ought to beare vnto him Is this the duetie of a sonne towardes his father Ah wretche and caitife that I am Whether hath grosse affection vaine hope and blinde loue caried me Can loue be so blinde Shall I bee so voide of sense that I knowe not my mother in law from an other woman who loueth me no lesse entertaigneth me so well as if she were myne owne mother that laboured with painfull pangues to bryng me into light Whiche beyng true as it is moste true why then dooe I loue her naie rather more then loue her Why doe I séeke after her What meane I to hope for her Why dooe I precepitate my self so fōdlie into the snares of blind deceiptfull loue and into the trappe of deceiptfull hope Can I not perceiue that these desires these vnstaied appetites vnbridled affections doe procede frō that whiche is dishonest I se well inough that the waie I take leadeth me into greate inconuenience And what reproche should I sustaine if this vnreasonable loue were made common to the worlde Ought not I rather to suffer infamous death then to see my father depriued of suche a wife whom he so derely loueth I will giue ouer this vnsemely loue and reuerting my minde to some other wight I will accomplishe the duetie of a good and louyng sonne toward his father Reasonyng thus with hymself he determined whollie to giue ouer his enterprise And he had no soner purposed so to do but sodainlie the beautie of the Ladie appered as it were in a vision before the face of his minde and felt the flames to growe so hotte that he vpon his knees craued a thousande pardons of the louyng God for the abandoning of his gentle enterprise And therewithall contrarie imaginacions began to rise whiche so contended with mutuall resistaunce that thei forced hym thus to saie Shall not I loue this Ladie bicause she is my fathers wife Shall not I prosecute my suite for all that she is my mother in lawe Ah coward faintharted and worthie to be crouned a prince of follie if therfore I should giue ouer my former mynde Loue prescribeth no suche lawe to her suters as pollicie dooeth to manne Loue commaundeth the brother to loue the sister loue maketh the doughter so loue the father the brother his brothers wife and many tymes the mother her sonne in lawe whiche beyng lawfull to other is it not lawfull to me If my father beyng and old man whose nature wareth cold hath not forgottē the lawes of loue in louyng her whom I loue Shall I beyng a yonge man subiecte to loue and inflamed with his passions be blamed for louyng her And as I were not blame warthie if I loued one that were not my fathers wife so muste I accuse Fortune for that she gaue her not to wife to an other mā rather then to my father bicause I loue her would haue loued her whose wife so euer she had been Whose beautie to saie the trouth is suche whose grace and comelinesse so excellente that she is worthie to be receiued honoured and worshipped of al the worlde I thinke it then conuenient for me to pursue my determinaciō and to serue her aboue all other Thus this miserable louer trauersyng in seuerall myndes and deludyng his owne fancie chaunged his mynde a thousande tymes in an hower In th ende after infinite disputacions to hymself he gaue place to reason consideryng the greate disconnenience that would insue his disordinate loue And yet not able to giue it ouer And determinyng rather to die then to yelde to suche wicked loue or to discouer the same to any manne By litle and litle he consumed as fletyng Snowe againste the warme Sonne wherewith he came to suche feble state that he could neither slepe nor eate and was compelled to kepe his bedde in such wise that with superfluous paine he was brought to meruellous debilitie Whiche his father perceiuyng that loued hym verie tenderite conceiued greate grief and sorowe And sent for Erasistratus which was a verie excellent Phisicion and of greate estimacion whō verie instantlie he praied diligently to looke vnto his soonne and to prouide for hym suche remedie as was conueniente for the greatnesse of his disease Erasistratus viewyng and beholdyng all the partes of the yonge gentlemannes bodie and perceiuyng no signe of sicknes either in his vrine or other accidente wherby he could iudge his bodie to be diseased after many discourses gaue iudgemente that the same infirmitie proceded from some passion of the minde whiche shortlie would coste hym his life Whereof he aduertised Seleucus Who louyng his sonne after a fatherly maner and speciallie bicause he was indued with vertue and good condicions was afflicted with vnspeakable grief The yong gētleman was a merueilous trumne yongeman so actife and valiaunt as any that liued in his tyme and therewithall verie beautifull and comelie Whiche made hym to bee beloued of all men His father was continually in his chamber and the quene her self oftentymes visited hym with her owne handes serued hym with meates and drinkes whiche bicause I am no Phisteiō I knowe not whether the fame did the yonge man any pleasure or whether it did him hurt or good But I suppose that her sight was ioyfull vnto hym as of her in whom he had placed all his cōforte all his hope quietnesse delight But beholding before his eyes so many times the beautie of her whō so greatlie he desired to enioye hearyng her speake that was the occasion of his death and receiuyng seruice of meates and drinkes at her hādes whom he loued better then the balles of his eyes vnto whom he durste not make any requeste or praier whether his grief surmounted all other aud therefore continually pined and consumed I thinke if of reason to bée beleued And who doubteth but that he felyng hymself to bée touched with those her delicate handes and seyng her to sitte by hym and
it happē that she giue her self fully to the conductiōs of loue and the superplusage of her said excuse ought to consist in that she hath chosen her a sage and vertuous frende if she that loueth hath doen so in deede Whiche twoo thinges as thei should be I suppose are in me and many other also whiche ought to induce me to loue accordynglie as my youth requireth and the great space that is betwene my husbande and me It behoueth now then that thei should aduaunce themselfes in your presence for the defence of my burnyng loue and if the same doe raigne in you whiche haue power in the wise then I beseche you to giue me counsaile and aide in the thing whiche I shall demaunde True it is that for the long absence of my husbande not able to resist the prickes of the fleshe and the force of loue whiche be of suche greate effecte that thei haue many times past and yet daily doe vāquishe and ouercome not onely feble and weake women but also the strongest men I liuyng in ease and idlenes as you sée and forced to folowe the pleasures of loue and to become amourous as I doe knowe well that such thynges if thei were knowen should not bee reputes honest Neuerthelesse the same beyng kepte secrete I thinke shall not be muche dishonest Notwithstanding dame Loue is so fauourable vnto me that not onelie she hath giuen me true iudgement in choise of a frende but hath reueiled vnto me that it is you which is worthie to be beloued of suche a ladie as I am For if I bée not greatlie deceiued I do make accompt that you be the fairest personage the semeliest the most curteous and wisest gentleman in all the Realme of Fraunce And as I maie saie by reason of his absence that I am without a husbande so maie you affirme that you bee without a wife wherfore I beseche you for the loue that I beare vnto you that you wil not denie me your loue and frendship that you wil haue pitie vpon my yong yeres whiche doubtles dooe consume for you as Ice against the fierie flames At whiche worde the teares ran doune in suche abundance that where she thought to make further supplicacion and praiers she had no more power to speake But holdyng doune her heade like one that was ouercome she threwe her self doune into the Erles lappe who like a faithfull knighte began to blame with sharpe rebukes her fonde and foolishe loue pushyng her from hym as she was about to clepe hym aboute the necke and swore greate othes that rather he would bee drawen in fower peces then consent to suche a thyng to be doen by hym or any other against the honor of his lorde maister Whiche wordes the Ladie hearyng sodainly forgatte her loue and in greate rage saied vnto hym Shall I then bee frustrate thou arrant villaine in this wise of my desired ioye But sithens thou goest about to seke my distruction I will cause thee to be put to death or els to be banished the worlde When she had saied so by and by she caught her self by the heare of the head and almoste tare it of cleane and then laied handes vpon her garmentes rentyng the same in peces and afterwardes cried out aloude Helpe helpe The Erle of Angiers wil rauishe me by force The Erle seyng that and farre more doubtyng of the enuie and malice of the Courte then his owne conscience for any committed facte fearyng also that more credite would bee giuen to the wickednesse of the Ladie then to his innocencie conueied hymself from that place and so sone as he could he went out of the palace and fledde home to his owne house where without any further aduise he placed his children on horsebacke and so well as he could caried them to Callice At the brute and noyse of the Ladie many people assembled Who seyng and hearyng thoccasion of her crie not onely beleued her wordes but also affirmed that the pompouse state of the Erle was vsed by hym to bryng to passe the effecte of his desire Then thei ranne to the houses of the Erle in greate furie to arreste his persone but not findyng him there thei first sacked his houses and afterwardes ouerthrewe them to the grounde The newes hereof so wicked as might bee deuised arriued at the Kyng and Dolphins Campe whereat thei were so troubled and offended that thei condempned the Erle and all his progenie to perpetuall exile promisyng greate giftes and rewardes to them that would presente them quicke or deade The Erle beyng offended in his conscience for that he was fledde innocente of the facte made hymself culpable thereof and arriued at Callice with his children dissemblyng what he was and sodainly passed ouer into Englande and in poore apparell traueiled vp to London And before he entred the citie he gaue his children diuers admonicions but specially of two thinges First that thei should beare paciently the pouertie whervnto Fortune without their offence had brought them Afterwardes that wisely thei should take héede at no time to manifest declare to any man from whence thei came and whose childrē thei were as thei loued the price of their owne liues The soonne was named Lewes almoste of the age of ix yeres and the doughter called Violēta was about the age of .vij. bothe whiche childrē as their age could suffer them did well obserue their fathers lesson as afterwardes it did right well appere And bicause that this might the better be brought to passe it semed good vnto hym to alter their names namyng the soonne Perotto and the doughter Gianetta And when thei were arriued at Lōdon in maner of beggers thei craued their almose and beyng by Fortune for that purpose one mornyng at a churche doore it came to passe that a greate ladie whiche was one of the Marshalles of Englandes wiues in goyng out of the Churche sawe the Erle and his two litle childrē beggyng their almose of whom she demaunded what countrie man he was and whether those children were his owne or not To whom the Erle answered that he was a Picarde and by reason of a wicked facte dooen by his eldest soonne that was an vnhappie boie he was forced to departe his countrie with those his twoo children The Ladie whiche was pitifull fixed her eyes vpō the girle who pleased her verie muche bicause she was beautifull gentill and pleasaunt saiyng Good man if thou be contēt to leaue vnto me this thy litle doughter whiche hath a good face I will willingly take her and if she become a duetifull maiden when she is mariageable I will marie her in honeste wise This demaunde greatly pleased the Erle who redely answered that he was contented and with teares trickeling doune his eyes he deliuered and commended his pretie doughter vnto her And whē he had thus wel bestowed her he determined to tarrie no lōger there but in beggyng his almose traueiled through the countrie with his
furnished with siluer and precious Iewelles tellyng no man whither she wente and neuer rested till she came to Florence where arriuyng by Fortune at a poore widowes house she contented her self with the state of a poore pilgrime desirous to here newes of her lorde whom by fortune she sawe the next daie passing by the house where she lay on horsebacke with his companie And although she knewe him well enough yet she demauÌ„ded of the good wife of the house what he was who answered that he was a straunge gentleman called the Counte Beltramo of Rossiglione a curteous knighte and welbeloued in the Citie and that he was merueilously in loue with a neighbor of hers that was a gentlewoman verie poore and of small substaunce neuerthelesse of right honest life and report by reason of her pouertie was yet vnmaried and dwelte with her mother that was a wise and honest Ladie The Countesse well notyng these wordes and by litle and litle debatyng euery particular point thereof comprehendyng the effecte of those newes concluded what to doe and when she had well vnderstanded whiche was the house and the name of the Ladie and of her doughter that was beloued of the Counte vpon a daie repaired to the house secretlie in the habite of a pilgrime where finding the mother and doughter in poore estate emonges their familie after she hadde saluted them tolde the mother that she had to saie vnto her The gentlewoman risyng vp curteouslie interteigned her and beyng entred alone into a chamber thei satte doune and the Countesse began to saie vnto her in this wise Madame me thinke that ye be one vpon whom Fortune doeth frowne so well as vpon me but if you please you maie bothe comfort me and your self The ladie answered that there was nothyng in the worlde whereof she was more desirous then of honest comforte The Countesse procedyng in her talke saied vnto her I haue nede now of your fidelitie and trust wherevpon if I doe staie and you deceiue me you shall bothe vndoe me and your self Tel me then what it is hardelie saied the gentlewoman if it bée your pleasure for you shall neuer bée deceiued of me Then the Countesse beganne to recite her whole estate of Loue tellyng her what she was and what had chaunced â—â— that present daie in suche perfite order that the gentlewoman beleuyng her woordes bicause she had partlie heard report thereof before beganne to haue coÌ„passion vpon her and after that the Countesse had rehearsed all the whole circumstance she continued her purpose saiyng Now you haue heard emonges other my troubles what twoo thynges thei bée whiche behoueth me to haue if I doe recouer my husbande whiche I knowe none can helpe me to obtain but onely you If it bee true that I heare whiche is that the Counte my husbande is farre in loue with your doughter To whoÌ„ the gentlewoman saied Madame if the Counte loue my doughter I knowe not albeit the likelihoode is greate but what am I able to doe in that whiche you desire Madame answered the CouÌ„tesse I will tell you but first I will declare what I mean to doe for you if my determinacioÌ„ be brought to effect I see your faier doughter of good age redie to marie but as I vnderstaÌ„d the cause why she is vnmaried is the lacke of substaÌ„ce to bestowe vpoÌ„ her Wherfore I purpose for recompence of the pleasure whiche you shall dooe for me to giue so muche redie money to marie her honorably as you shall thinke sufficieÌ„t The CouÌ„tesse offer was very well liked of the ladie bicause she was but poore yet hauing a noble hart she said vnto her Madame tell me wherin I maie do you seruice and if it be a thing honest I will gladlie performe it the same being brought to passe do as it shal please you Then saied the countesse I thinke it requisite that by some one whom you truste that you giue knowledge to the Counte my husbande that your doughter is and shal be at his commaundement And to the intent she maie bée well assured that he loueth her in déede aboue any other that she praieth him to sende her a ring that he weareth vpoÌ„ his finger whiche ring she heard tell he loued verie derely And wheÌ„ he seÌ„deth the ryng you shall giue it vnto me and afterwardes sende hym woorde that your doughter is redie to accomplishe his pleasure and then you shall cause hym secretly to come hither and place me by hym in stéede of your doughter peraduenture God will giue me the grace that I maie bée with childe and so hauyng this ryng on my finger and the childe in myne armes begotten by him I shall recouer him and by your meanes coÌ„tinue with hym as a wife ought to doe with her husbande This thing semed difficulte vnto the GeÌ„tlewoman fearyng that there would folowe reproche vnto her doughter Notwithstandyng consideryng what an honest parte it were to be a meane that the good Ladie should recouer her husband and that she should doe it for a good purpose hauyng affiaunce in her honest affection not onely promised the Countesse to bryng this to passe but in fewe daies with greate subtiltie folowyng the order wherein she was instructed she had gotten the ryng although it was with the Countes ill will and toke order that the Countesse in stede of her doughter did lye with hym And at the first meetyng so affectuously desired by the CouÌ„te God so disposed the matter that the Countesse was begotten with childe of twoo goodly sonnes her deliuery chauÌ„ced at the due time Whervpon the gentlewoman not onely coÌ„tented the Countesse at that tyme with the companie of her husbande but at many other times so secretly that it was neuer knowen the Counte not thinkyng that he had lien with his wife but with her whom he loued To whom at his vprisyng in the mornyng he vsed many curteous and amiable woordes and gaue diuers faire and precious Iewelles whiche the Countesse kepte moste carefullie and when she perceiued her self with childe she determined no more to trouble the gentlewoman but saied vnto her Madame thankes bée to God and you I haue the thyng that I desire and euen so it is tyme to recompence your desert that afterwardes I maie departe The gentlewoman saied vnto her that if she had doen any pleasure agreable to her mind she was right glad thereof whiche she did not for hope of rewarde but bicause it apperteined to her by well doyng so to doe Whervnto the Countesse saied your saiyng pleaseth me well and likewise for my parte I dooe not purpose to giue vnto you the thing you shall demaunde of me in rewarde but for consideracion of your well doyng whiche ductie forceth me so to dooe The gentlewoman then constrained with necessitie demaunded of her with greate bashefulnesse and hundred poundes to marie her doughter The Countesse perceiuyng the shamefastnesse of the gentlewoman and hearyng her
to bee simple and voide of guile would haue framed a platte for suche treason saied to the olde woman Receiue the letter at the doore but in any wise let hym not come in and I will accomplishe the contentes The olde woman whiche thoughte onely but to receiue the letter betwene the doore was astoned when the keper who giuyng her a blowe with his foote vpon the stomacke threwe her backewarde where she laie more then a quarter of an houre without speking or mouing And then thei thre entryng the chaumber in greate rage with their Pistolettes in their handes founde the twoo miserable louers starke naked who seyng themselfes surprised in that state were so sore a shamed as Eue and Adam were when their synne was manifested before God And not knowyng what to dooe reposed their refuge in waimentyng and teares but at the verie same instaunt thei bounde the armes and legges together of the poore gentleman with the choller 's of there horfse whiche thei broughte with them of purpose And then the Lorde commaunded that the twoo maides whiche were in the Castell and the reste of the seruauntes should bee called to assiste them to take example of that faire fighte And all the meane people beyng gathered in this sorte together the Lorde tournyng hym self vnto his wife saied vnto her Come hither thou vnshamefaste vile and detestable whore like as thou hast had a harte so traiterous and vnfaithfull to bring this infamous Ruffian in the nighte into my Castell not onely to robbe and dispoile me of myne honoure whiche I preferre and esteme more then life but also whiche is more to be abhorred to infringe and breake for euer the holie and precious bande of Mariage wherewithall we be vnited and knitte together Euen so I will euen forthwith that with these thyne owne handes with whiche thou gauest me the firste testimomonie of thy faithe that he presently shal bee hanged and strangled in the presence of all menne not knowyng how to deuise any other greater punishemente to satisfie thyne offence then to force thée to murder him whom thou haste preferred before thy reputacion aboue mine honour and estemed more then thine owne life And hauyng pronounced this fatall Iudgemente he sent one to seke for a greate naile of a Carts which he caused to bee fastened to the beame of the chamber and a ladder to bee fetched and then made her to tye a Coller of the order belongyng to Theues and male-factours aboute the necks of her sorowfull louer And bicause she alone was not able to do that grieuous and waightie charge he ordained that like as the olde woman had been a faithfull minister of his wiues loue so she should putte her hande in performyng the vttermoste of that woorke And so these twoo wretched women were by that meanes forced to suche extremitie that with their owne handes thei strangled the infortunate Gentleman with whose death the Lorde not yet satisfied caused the bedde the clothes and other furnitures wherevpon thei had taken their pleasures past to be burned He commaunded the other vtensiles of the chāber to be taken awaie not suffryng so muche strawe as would serue to couche of twoo Dogges to be lefte vnconsumed Then he saied to his wife Thou wicked woman emonges all other moste wicked For so muche as thou hast had no respecte to that honourable state where vnto Fortune hath aduanced thée beyng made by my meanes of a simple damosell a great Ladie and bicause thou haste preferred the lasciuious acquaintaunce of one of my subiectes aboue the chaste loue that thou oughtest to haue borne to me my determinacion is that from henceforthe thou shall kepe continuall companie with hym to the vttermoste daie of thy life bicause his putrified carcase hath giuen occasion to ends thy wretched bodie And then he caused all the windowes and doores to be mured and closed vp in suche wise that it was impossible for her to goe out leauyng onelie a litle hole open to giue her breade and water appoinctyng his Stewarde to the charge thereof And so this poore miserable woman remained in the mercie of that obscure and darcke prison without any other companie then the deade bodie of her louer And when she had continued a certaine tyme in that stinckyng Dongeon without aire or comfort ouercome with sorrowe and extreme paine she yelded her soule to GOD. The loue of Alerane of Saxone and of Adelasia the Daugther of the Emperour Otho the thirde of that name Their flight and departure into Italie and how they were knowen agayne and what noble houses of Italie descended of their race ¶ The .xliiij. Nouell THe auncient Histories of Princes aswell vnder the name of King as of the title of Duke which in time past dyd gouerne the Countrey of Saxone doe reporte that Otho the seconde of that name which was the first Emperour that lawfullye raigned after the Empire ceassed in the stock of Charles the great had of his wife Matilde daughter of the King of Saxone one sonne which succeded him in that Imperial crowne called Otho the thirde who for his vertuous education and gentle disposition acquired of all men the surname of The loue of the Worlde The same Emperour was curteous and mercifull and neuer to any mans knowledge gaue occasion of grief to any person he did good to euery man and hurt no man likewise he thought that that kingdome was well gotten and gotten was better kept if the King Prince or Ruler thereof did studie and séeke meanes to be beloued rather than feared sith loue ingendreth in it selfe a desire of obedience in the people And contrarywise that Prince which by tyrannie maketh himselfe to be feared liueth not one houre at rest hauing his conscience tormented indifferently both wyth suspition feare thinking still that a thousād swords be hanging ouer his head to kill and destroy him Otho then vnder his name of Emperor couered his clemencie with a certayne swéete grauitie and Princely behauiour Who notwithstanding declared an outwarde shewe of his courtesie to make swéete the egrenesse of displeasure which they féele and taste that be subiect to the obeysaunce of some new Monarchie Man being of his owne nature so louing of himselfe that an immoderate libertie semeth vnto him swéeter more iust and indurable than auctorities rightlie ordayned the establishment wherof semeth to represent the onely gouernement of that first King which from his highe throne giueth being and mouing to all things That good Emperour then knowing very well the malice of men who although he was a good man of warre hardie of his handes and desirous of glory yet moderated so well the happie successe of hys enterprises that his grace and gentlenesse principally appeared when he had the vpperhande for that he cherished and well vsed those whome he had subdued vnder his obedience his force and felicitie was declared when he corrected and chastised rebels and obstinate persons which wilfully would proue the
forest where his father dwelled Wherevnto the yong man readily and with al his heart obeyed Thus the Lord Gunfort for so was Aleranes cosin called accompanied with his little cosin and many other gentlemen wente toward the place where the Colliar Princes remained And when they were néere the craggie caue the lodging of Alerane the whole company lighted of their horse and espied him busie about the lading of his coales to sende to Ast. For the arriuall of the Emperor to Sauonne stayed Alerane from going thither himself by reason his conscience stil grudged for his fault committed against him Alerane seing this goodly company was abashed as though hornes had sodenly growen out of his head and yet the sight of his sonne richely furnished and in the company of Gunfort his cosin did more astonne him For he suspected incontinently that he was dyscouered and that the Emperour had sent for him to be reuenged of the fault so long time committed And as he had imagined diuers things vpon his hard fortune wtin his fansy His sonne came to embrace him vpon his knées to kisse his hands with an honest and hūble reuerence saying to Gunfort Sir this is he of whom I told the Emperor of him I toke my being This is my father All this while the good father embraced his sonne very hard and wéeping for extreame ioy sayd vnto him Alas my sonne if thy comming be so happy vnto me as it is ioyfull yf thy newes be good prosperous which thou bringest thou doest reuiue thy father halfe dead and from lamentable dispaire thou doest replenish and fill him with such hope that one day shall be the staye of his age and the recouery of his greatest losses The sonne not able to abide the discourse of his parents affaires could not comprehend any thing at the pitiful meting but stode still so astonned as though he had bene fallen from the cloudes Now during this time that the father and the sonne thus welcomed one another Gunfort toke hede to all the countenaunce and gestures of Alerane There was no part of the Colliers body that he forgat to viewe and yet remembring the voyce of his cosin and séeing a wound that he had in his face was sure that it was he And then with hys armes stretched forthe he came to clepe Alerane about the necke whom he made to loke redde with his warme teares saying Ah Alerane the presente torment now but in time past the pleasaunt rest of our race What Eclipse hath so long obseured the shyning sunne of thy valiant prowesse Why hast thou cōcealed so long time thy place of retire frō him which desired so much thine aduaūcement Hast thou the heart to sée the teares of thy cosin Gunfort running downe from his eyes vpon thy necke his armes embracing thée with such loue and amitie that he cannot receyue the like except he be something moued by thée in séeing thy louing entertaynement Wilt thou deny that which I knowe by a certayne instincte and naturall agrement which is that thou art Alerane the sonne of the duke of Saxone and so renowmed through out al Germany Doest thou pretēd through thine owne misfortune so rooted in thy heart by liuing in these wildernesse to depriue thy sonne of the honor which the heauens and his good fortune haue prepared for him Ah cruell and pitilesse father to suffer thy progenie to be buried in the tombe of obliuion with eternall reproche O vnkinde kinsman toward thy kindred of whome thou makest so smal accompt that wilt not vouchsafe to speake to thy cosin Gunfort that is come hither for thy comfort and the aduaūcement of thy familie Alerane sore ashamed aswell for the remembrance of his auncient fault as to sée himself in so pore estate before the Emperours gallants answered Gunfort saying My Lorde and cosin I beseche you to beleue that want of desire to make my complaynt vnto you and lacke of curtesie to entertayne you haue not made me to forget my duety towardes you being aswel my nere kinsman as suche a one to whome I haue done wrong and very great iniury by offending the Emperour But you doe know of what puissance the prickes of conscience bé and with what worme she gnaweth the hearte of them which féele themselues culpable of crime I am as you sayde the present missehap of our house for the opinion that the Emperour hath conceiued of my folly and shal be the rest if you will doe me so much pleasure to ridde me of this miserable life both of you and of the minde of a father iustly displeased against hys daughter and the quiet of a Prince offended with his subiect For I sweare vnto you by my faith that I neuer so muche desired lyfe as I now doe couet death for that I am assured that I being dead my pore companion and welbeloued wife shall liue at her ease enioying the presence and good grace of her father What meane you so to say answered Gunfort The Emperour is so well pleased appeased that he hath sworne vnto me to receiue you as his sonne in lawe and my Lady your wife as hys deare beloued daughter whome I pray you to cause to come before vs or to signify vnto vs where she is that I may do reuerence vnto her as to my Princesse soueraigne Lady William was all amased and almost besides himselfe hearing this discourse and thought he was eyther in a dreame or else inchaunted till that Alerane called his wife by her proper name who was so appalled to heare the word of Adelasia that her hart was sodainly attached with terror and feare when she sawe so great a company about her husband And then her sonne came to do his duetie not as to his mother onely but as to the daughter of an Emperour the wife of a Prince of Saxone She agayne embraced and kyssed him although she was surprised with feare shame and so moued with that sodaine sight that she had much a doe to kepe her selfe from faynting and falling downe betwene the armes of her sonne and thought that she had passed the place where Gunfort was who going towarde her after his reuerence and dutie done made her vnderstand the charge he had the good will of the Emperor which determined to receyue her agayne with so good order and entertainment as might be deuised Which earneste wordes made them to resolue vpon the prouse of fortune and to credite the promises that Gunfort made them in the Emperours behalf Thus they forsoke the caue their coates and fornaces to reenter their former delightes and pleasures That night they lodged at a village not far frō the forrest where they carried certayne dayes to make apparell for these straunge Princes and so well as they coulde to adorne and furnish Adelasia who being of the age almost of .xxxiiij. or .xxxv. yeares yet manifested some parte of the perfection of that deuine beautie and modest
grauity which once made hir maruelous and singuler aboue all them that lyued in her dayes In the time that this ioly company had furnished and prepared themselues in readinesse Gunfort sent a gentleman of that troupe toward the Emperour to aduertise him of the successe of his iourney Wherof he was exceding ioyful and attended for the comming of his children with purpose to entertayne them in louing honorable wise When al things were in readynesse and the traine of Adelasia in good order according to the worthyuesse of the house whereof the came they rode towarde Sauonne which iourney séemed to them but a sport for the pleasure mixt with compassiō that eche man conceyued in the discourse the Alerane made vpon his misfortunes chaunces aswell in his iourneys as of his abode and continuance in the desertes Which William calling to remembraunce praysed God yelded him thankes for that it had pleased him to inspire into his minde the forsaking of his parentes considering that the same only fault was the cause of their restitution and of his aduauncement and glory being the sonne of such a father and the neuewe of so great a Monarche The fame of whose name made al men quake and tremble and who then had cōmaunded al the troupe of the gentlemen of his court to goe and seke the forlorne louers so long time lost and vnknowen To be short their entrie into Sauonne was so royal and triumphant as if the Emperour himself would haue receyued the honor of such estate pomp Which he commaunded to be done aswell for the ioy that he had recouered the thing which he accompted lost as to declare and acknowledge to euery wyght that vertue can not make her self better knowen than at that time when the actions and dedes of great personages be semblable in raritie excellence to their nobilitie For a Prince is of greater dignitie and admiration than he comonly sheweth himselfe which can neuer enter into the head of the popular sorte that déemeth the affections of other according to their owne rude and beastely fansies As the Gréeke Poet Euripides in his tragedie of Medea doth say Ill luck and chaūce thou must of force endure Fortunes fickle stay needes thou must sustaine To grudge thereat it booteth not at all Before it come the witty wise be sure By wisedomes lore and counsell not in vaine To shunne and eke auoyd The whirling ball Of fortunes threates the sage may wel reboūd By good foresight before it light on ground The Emperoure then hauing forgotten or wisely dissembling that which he coulde not amende met his daughter and sonne in law at the Pallace gate with so pleasant chéere and ioyfull countenance as the like long time before he did not vse Where Alerane and Adelasia being light of from their horse came to kisse his hands and both vpon their knées began to frame an oration for excuse of their fault and to pray pardon of his Maiestie The good Prince rauished with ioy satisfied with repentance stopped their mouthes with swete kisses and hard embracinges O happy ill time sayde he and sorowfull ioy which now bringeth to me a pleasure more great than euer was my heauy displeasure From whence commeth this my pleasant ioy O well deuised flight by the which I gaine that by preseruing my losse once made and committed which I neuer had yf I may so say considering the ornament of my house and quietnesse of my lyfe And saying so he kissed embraced his litle Neuewes and was lothe that Adelasia should make rehersal of other talke but of mirth and pleasure For sayde he it sufficeth me that I haue ouerpassed and spent the greatest parte of my lyfe in heauinesse vtterly vnwilling nowe to renewe olde sores and woundes Thus the mariage begon vnknowen against the Emperours wil was consummate celebrated with great pompe and magniffcence by his owne commaundement in the Citie of Sauonne where he made Sir William Knight with his owne hand Many goodly factes at the Tourney and Tilt were done and atchieued wherat William almost euery day bare away the prise victory to the great pleasure of his father contentation of his graundfather who then made him Marques of Monferrat To the second sonne of Alerane he gaue the Marquisat of Sauonne with al the appurtenances and iurisdictions adioyning of whome be descended the Marqueses of Caretto The thirde he made Marques of Saluce the race of whom is to this day of good fame and nobilitie Of the fourth sonne sprange out the originall of the house of Cera The fift was Marques of Incise whose name and progeny liueth to this day The sixt sōne did gouerne Pouzon The seuenth was established Senior of Bosco vnder the name and title of Marques And Alerane was made and constituted ouerséer of the goods and dominions of his children and the Emperours Lieutenaunt of his possessions which he had in Liguria Thus the Emperour by moderating his passion vanquished himselfe and gaue example to the posteritie to pursue the offence before it doe take roote but when the thing can not be corrected to vse modestie and mercy which maketh kings to liue in peace and their Empire in assurance Hauing taken order with all his affaires in Italie he toke leaue of his daughter and children and retired into Almaigne And Alerane liued honorable amōgs his people was beloued of his father in lawe and in good reputation and fame arriued to olde yeares still remembring that aduersitie ought not to bring vs to dispaire nor prosperity to insolencie or ill behauiour and contempt of things that seme small and base sith there is nothing vnder the heauens that is stable and sure For he that of late was great and made all men to stoupe before him is become altogether such a one as though he had neuer bene and the pore humble man aduaunced to that estate from whence the first did fal and was deposed making lawes sometimes for him vnder whom he liued a subiect And behold of what force the prouidence of God is and what poyse hys balance doth contayne and howe blame worthy they be that referre the effectes of that diuine counsell to the inconstant and mutable reuolucion of fortune that is blind and vncertaine The Duchesse of Sauoie The Duchesse of Sauoie being the King of Englandes sister was in the Duke her husbandes absence vniustlie accused of adultery by a noble man his Lieutenāt And shoulde haue bene put to death if by the prowesse and valiaunt to combate of Don Iohn di Mendozza a Gentleman of Spaine she had not bene deliuered With a discourse of maruellous accidents touching the same to the singuler prayse and commendation of chaste and honest Ladies ¶ The .xlv. Nouell LOue commonly is counted the greatest passion amongs all the most greuous that ordinarily do assault the spirites of men which after it hath once taken hold of any gentle subiecte followeth the nature of the
onely benefit confesse my selfe this day to be eternally bound vnto her Madame quod the Knight I pray you let vs not renewe the memorie of our former griefes wherin if by any meane I haue done you good I was but the organe or instrumente thereof For God who is the righter of all wrong did neuer suffer iustice without his due vengeance howe long so euer he taried So you not being in any wise culpable if I had neuer enterprised the combate whervnto I was bound Our lord God wold haue raised some other to achieue the same Wel then my Lord q the Duchesse sithens it pleaseth you not that I renewe my dolors paste which haue taken ende by your meane I shall humbly beseche you to excuse me if this day I haue not giuen you that honour and good entertainment which you deserued Assuring you that before you shall departe this countrie I will make you amendes according vnto your owne discretion Madame quod the Knight for all the wronges that euer you did vnto mée if they may be called wronges the curtesie fauor and gentlenesse which already I haue receyued doth at one instant acquite and recompence Neuerlesse if it may please you to receyue me for your seconde husbande sith it hath pleased God to call your first out of this lyfe into another that is and shall be the fulnesse of all the felicitie that I loke for in this worlde My Lorde Mendozza sayde the Duchesse the recompence which you demaunde of me is very little in respect of the amendes and satisfaction which I ought to make you But of one thing I can well assure you that if I had the whole worlde at my commaundement and that I were the best Princesse of the earth in al kinde of beauties and gifts of grace I would willingly submit my selfe vnto you in consideration of your worthynesse benefits bestowed vpon me with so willing a mind as presently I do yeld vnto your request And I must néedes confesse that I am now gretly boūd to Fortune that hath deliuered me into your hands from whome I hope neuer to be seuered so long as my soule shall rest within my body being predestinated as I beleue to no other end but to serue and obey you And as they thought to make a longer discourse of their talk Emilia told them that the King was in counsel and that the other Lords of Spaine attended his cōming Who with his cōpany being come before the king hauing done their reuerence vnto him he began to declare his charge and how they were of purpose sente to his maiestie in the behalf of the King of Spaine to demauud the Lady his daughter in mariage for his sonne the prince of Spaine Which he had chosen aswell to haue his alliaunce a matter by him onely desired as for the beautie good grace for the which she was speciallye recommended And if so be he had willed to haue chosen hys matche elsewhere that there was not at that day any Prince in all Europa that woulde not willingly haue accorded vnto him To whome the king aunswered My friendes I féele my selfe so much honored for that it hath pleased the King to sende vnto me as if he had not preuented me I had thought to haue sent vnto him for the same purpose And albeit that herein he hath vanquished me in ciuilitie and courtesie yet I wil not fayle if I can to surmount him in amitie For he hath bounde me during lyfe in such wyse that he and my Lord his sonne may boldly vaunte thēselues to haue a King of Englande and a realme frō henceforth at their commaundement The mariage concluded the Duchesse diligently made sute to talke with the king alone to communicate vnto him the agrement betwene the Lorde of Mendozza and her And perceiuing that the king was gone into his chambre she went vnto him and being alone with him hauing her face all bedewed with teares knéeling she sayd vnto him My Lord when I consider my miseries past and the cruell assaultes that I haue receiued of Fortune being not onely cōmitted to the mercy of a most cruell prison but which is more at the very laste point of a shamefull death I am so afflicted that the onely remembraunce of those miseries terrifieth me and causeth a certaine extreme bitternesse to rise in my heart And when on the other side I thinke of the great goodnesse that almightie God hath shewed vnto me by stretching forth his mightie hande to deliuer me oute of that perill chiefly to make me tryumphe ouer the death of mine enimie I féele such comfort of minde that all the delightes of the worlde be but griefes in respect of the ioye pleasure and contentacion that I receiue Wherin nothing offendeth me so much as hitherto that I haue not acknowledged the benifit receiued of him who was elected of God to be my deliuerer neuerthelesse sir by your onely worde you may both satisfie him and content me yea and as it were prolong the dayes of my lyfe The King who loued his sister no lesse than his daughter seing her pitifull complaynt and teares and to speake with such affection tooke her vp and holding her by the arme sayd vnto her Deare sister and friende if I haue not to this present satisfyed him that was the cause of your deliueraunce I can not be accused of ingratitude for that hitherto I haue not knowen him ne yet your self doth knowe what he is as you haue oftentimes tolde me But of one thing you maye be assured and I sweare vnto you at this present by my Scepter that so sone as I shall vnderstande what he is I will vse him in such wyse as he shal thinke himselfe satisfyed and contented though it did cost me the one halfe of my kingdome For the pleasure which he hath done vnto you byndeth not you alone but me also to be partaker of that bande both our honours being iointly bounde therevnto Alas my Lorde sayde the Duchesse it is the knight Mendozza chief of this Ambassade to whom if it please you to giue your cōsent that we two might marrie all auncient bandes and debtes shall remayne extinct and so by a small rewarde you shall restore life to two persons almost dead for the excessiue loue which one beareth to the other And therwithall she began to declare to the King thoriginall and processe of the whole discourse First the voyage of the sister of Mendozza into Piemont her owne peregrination to S. Iames the honest amitie betwene her Mendozza the message of maister Appian to Mendozza his refusall of that request his retorne after to Thurin her confession the Diamonde knowen agayne finally how al the whole had passed betwene them the counterfayte deuotion to Sainct Iames onely reserued which for her honours sake she would not tell him The king vnderstāding this straunge discourse was so rapt with ioye and appalled with gladnesse that he coulde not for a
of the chaire sayd vnto him Goe quickely and fetche me some good vineger Which the gentleman did Then Florinda began to saye vnto him Amadour what follie hath inchaunted your wisedome And what is that which you woulde haue done vnto me Amadour that through the force of loue had lost al reason sayd vnto her Doth my long seruice merite a recompence of such crueltie And where is the honesty then sayde Florinda which so many times you haue preached vnto me Ah Madame sayde Amadour I beleue it is impossible your selfe more faythfully to loue your owne honor than I doe For when you were vnmaryed I coulde so well subdue my heart and affection that you did neuer vnderstande my will and desire And nowe that you be maryed to the intent your honor may be in couert what wrong doe I to aske that which is mine owne For by force of loue I haue wonne you He that first inioyed your heart hath so yll followed the victorie of your body that he hath deserued to lose altogether He that possesseth your bodie is not worthy to haue your heart wherefore your bodye is none of his ne yet he hath no title in the same But I Madame these fiue or sixe yeares haue susteyned such paynes and trauel for your sake that you are not ignorant but to me appertayneth both your bodye and heart for whose sake I haue vtterly forgotten mine owne And if you can finde in your heart to defende me frō my right doubte ye not but they which haue proued the forces of Loue will laye the blame vpon you which hath in this sorte robbed me from my libertie and with your heauenlye graces hath obscured my senses that not knowing hereafter what to doe I am constrayned to goe withoute hope for euer yto sée you againe Notwithstanding warrant your selfe that in what place so euer I am you shall still possesse my heart which shall continue yours for euer be I vpon the lande or water or betwene the handes of my moste cruell enemies But if I had before my departure the suretie of you which the greatnesse of my loue deserueth I shall be strong ynough paciently to beare the griefes of long absence And if it please you not to graunt me my request you shall shortlye heare tell that your rigor hath rendred vnto me a most vnhappy and cruel death Florinda no lesse astonned than sorie to heare such words procéede from him of whome she neuer had any suche suspicion weping sayde vnto him Alas Amadour is this the meaning of those vertuous wordes which sithens the beginning of my youth ye haue vttered vnto me Is this the honor of the cōscience which you haue many times persuaded me rather to die than to lose the same Haue you forgotten the good examples recyted vnto me of vertuous dames that haue resisted foolish Loue And is this the contempt which ye daylie made of Ladyes that were foolish vaine I can not beleue Amadour that you are so madde that God your owne cōscience and mine honor shoulde be altogether oute of your minde and memorie But if it so be as you saye I doe prayse the goodnesse of God which hath preuented the mishap that now I am fallen into in shewing me by your wordes the heart which I did not know For hauing loste the sonne of the Infant Fortune who not onely is maryed into another place but also loued another and I nowe maryed to him which I cannot loue I thought and determined wholly with all mine heart and affection to loue you founding the same vpō that vertue which I knewe to be in you which loue by your meanes onely I haue conceyued and therfore did more esteme my honor and conscience than mine owne life Upon assurance of this stone of honestie I am come hither thinking to builde a moste sure foundacion But Amadour in one moment thou hast declared that in place of a pure foundacion thy building is reared vpon a light sande and vnconstant ground or else vpon a filthy and foule quamire And where I began to erect a good part of the lodgings of this building hoping to dwell there for euer sodainly thou hast ouerthrowen the whole Wherefore you must immediately breake in sunder the hope and credit that euermore you haue founde in me and determine that in what place soeuer I be not to séeke after me eyther by wordes or countenaunce And doe not thinke that I can or will at anye time hereafter chaunge mine opinion which wordes I speake with great sorrowe and griefe But if I had made an othe of this perfect amitie and loue I knowe mine heart would haue dyed vpon this breache although the astonishement in that I am deceyued is so great that I am well assured it will make my lyfe eyther short or sorrowfull And therefore I bidde you farewell and that for euer I purpose not to tell you of the sorrow which Amadour felt by hearing these wordes Bicause it is impossible not onely to write them but also to think them except it be of such as haue had experiēce of the lyke And seyng that vpon this cruell conclusion she woulde haue gone away he caught her by the arme knowing wel that if he did not remoue that yll opinion which by his owne occasion she had conceyued he should lose her for euer Wherefore he sayde vnto her with a verye faynt there Madame all the dayes of my lyfe I haue desired to loue a woman endued with honestie and vertue And bicause I haue founde so fewe I would fayne haue tryed whether your person had bene worthy of estimacion and loue whereof nowe I am well assured and humblie doe prayse God therfore bicause mine heart is addressed to suche perfection beseching you to pardon this fond and bolde enterprise sith you do see that the ende doth redounde to your owne honor and contentation Florinda which began to know the malice of men by him like as she was harde to beleue the euill where it was euen so she was more difficile to credit the good where it was not and sayde vnto him I praye to God your wordes be true Yet I am not so ignorant but that the state of mariage wherein I am hath made me euidentlie to perceyue that the strong passion of blinde loue hath forced you to this attempt For if God had losed my hande I am wel assured you would not haue pluckt backe the bridle They that attempt to séeke after vertue will not take the waye that you doe But this is sufficient if I haue lightlie beleued any honesty in you it is time for me nowe to know the truth that I may ridde my selfe from you And in saying so Florinda went out of the chamber and all the night long she neuer left wéeping who felt such great griefe in the alteracion that her heart had much to doe to sustaine the assaults of sorrowe the loue had made For although reason thought neuer to loue
soonne Perotto went into Wales not without greate labour and paine as one neuer accustomed to traueile on foote Where dwelte one other of the kyng of Englandes Marshalles that was of greate aucthoritie and kept a noble house To whose court the Erle and his sonne oftentymes repaired to practise begge their liuyng where one of the Marshalles sonnes and other gentlemennes children doyng certaine childishe sportes and pastymes as to runne and leape Perotto began to entermedle hymself emonges them who in those games did so excellently well as none was his better whiche thyng diuers tymes the Marshall perceiuing and well pleased with the order of the childe asked of whence he was It was told him that he was a poore mannes soonne whiche many tymes came thither to begge his almose The Marshall desiryng the childe the Erle whiche praied vnto God for nothyng els liberally gaue hym vnto hym although it gréeued hym to departe from hym The Erle then hauyng bestowed his sonne and his doughter determined no lōger to tarry in Englande but so well as he could he passed ouer into Irelande and when he was arriued at Stanford he placed hymself in the seruice of a man of armes belōging to an Erle of that countrie doing all thinges that did belong vnto a seruing man or page not knowen to any mā he cōtinued there a long time with great paine and toile Violenta named Gianetta that dwelte with the Ladie at London grewe so in yeres in beautie in personage and in suche grace and fauour of her lorde and Ladie and of all the rest of the house and so well beloued of all them that knewe her that it was meruailous to sée All men that sawe her maners and countenaunce iudged her to be worthy of greate honour and possessions by reason whereof the Ladie that receiued her of her father not knowyng what she was but by his reporte purposed to marrie her honourablie accordyng to her worthinesse But God the rewarder of all mennes desertes knowyng her to be a noble woman and to beare without cause the penaunce of an other mannes offence disposed her otherwise and to the intente that this noble gentlewoman might not come into the hādes of a man of ill condicion it must be supposed that that whiche came to passe was by Goddes owne will and pleasure suffred to be dooen The gentlewoman with whom Gianetta dwelt had but one onely sonne by her husbande whiche bothe she and the father loued verie dearly as well because he was a soonne as also that in vertue and good merites he greatly excelled For he surpassed all other in good condicions valiaunce goodnesse and beautie of personage beyng about sixe yeres elder then Gianetta who seeyng the maiden to bee bothe faire and comely became so farre in loue with her that he estemed her aboue all thinges of the worlde And bicause he thought her to be of base parentage he durste not demaunde her of his father and mother to wife But fearyng that he should lose their fauour he kepte his loue secrete whereby he was worse tormented then if it hadde been openly knowen And thereby it chaunced through Loues malice he fill sore sicke For whose preseruacion were many Phisians sente for and thei markyng in hym all signes and tokens of sickenes and not knowyng the disease were altogether doubtfull of his health whereof the father and mother tooke so greate sorowe and grief as was possible and many tymes with pitifull praiers thei damaunded of hym the occasion of his disease To whom he gaue for answere nothyng els but heauie sighes and that he was like to consume die for weakenesse It chaunced vpon a daie there was brought vnto hym a Phisicion that was verie younge but in his science profoundlie learned and as he was holdyng hym by the poulces Gianetta who for his mothers sake attended hym verie carefully entred vpon occasion into the chamber where he laie sicke and so sone as the yonge gentleman perceiued her and that she spake neuer a worde or made any signe or demonstracion towardes hym he felt in his harte to arise his moste amourous defire wherefore his poulces beganne to beate aboue their common custome whiche thyng the Phisicion immediatly perceiued and merualled stādyng still to se how long that fitte would continue Gianetta was no soner gone out of the chamber but the beatyng of the poulces ceased wherfore the Phisicion thought that he had founde out some parte of the gentlemannes disease and a litle while after seming to take occasiō to speake to Gianetta holdyng hym still by the armes he caused her to be called in and she incontinently came but she was no soner come but the poulces beganne to beate againe and when she departed the beatyng ceased Whervpon the Phisicion was throughly perswaded that he vnderstode the effecte of his sicknes and therewithall rose vp and takyng the father and mother aside saied vnto them The health of your sonne doeth not consist in the helpe of Phisicions but remaineth in the handes of Gianetta your maide as I haue perceiued by moste manifest signes whom the yonge man feruently dooeth loue And yet so farre as I perceiue the maiden doeth not knowe it you therefore vnderstande now what to doe if you loue his life The gentleman and his wife hearyng this was somewhat satisfied for so muche as remedie mighte bee founde to saue his life athough it greued them greatly if the thing wherof thei doubted should come to passe which was the marriage betwene Gianetta and their soonne The Phisicion departed thei repaired to their sicke soonne the mother saiyng vnto hym in this wise My soonne I would neuer haue thought that thou wouldest haue kept secrete from me any parte of thy desire specially seyng that without the same thou dooest remaine in daūger of death For thou art or ought to bée assured that there is nothyng that maie be gotten for thy contētacion what so euer it had been but it should haue been prouided for thée in as ample maner as for my self But sith thou haste thus doen it chaūceth that our Lorde God hath shewed more mercie vpon thée then thou hasle doen vpō thy self And to th ende thou shalt not die of this disease he hath declared vnto me the cause of the same whiche is none other but the great loue that thou bearest to a yonge maide wherso euer she bee And in deede thou oughtest not to bée ashamed to manifest thy loue bicause it is meete and requisite for thyne age For if I wist thou couldest not loue I would the lesse esteme thee Now then my good sonne be not afraied franckly to discouer all thyne affectiō Driue awaie the furie and thought whiche thou hast taken whereof this sickenes commeth And comfort thy self Beyng assured that thou shalt desire nothyng at my handes that maie be doen for thy contentacion but it shall bee accomplished of me that loueth thee better then myne owne life and