out of Fraunce by king Charles the seuenth as certaine of them were readie to passe the sea the French in mockage demaunded of an English Captaine when they would come againe to make warre in Fraunce who answered That shall we when your sinnes do exceed ours in number It is our sinnes onely that draweth down the vvrath of God and causeth him to send vs both vvarres famine and pestilence A good opinion of the Venetians THe Venetians are very secret in their counsels and deliberations and they haue an vsuall saying That a good Councell be it neuer so secret is oftentimes disclosed The ansvver of a Duchesse of Normandie to her husband A Certaine Damosell named Gonnor which in former times had bene beloued by Richard duke of Normandie the sonne of VVilliam Long spath being afterwards maried to the said duke after the death of the Ladie Auina his first wife the daughter of Hugues the great Erle of Paris the first night after she was maried to the said duke being laid in bed with him she turned her backe towards him The duke maruelling at that manner of her behauiour said vnto her Full often haue you lien with me yet did I neuer see you thus do before Whereunto she answered True it is my sweet loue for heretofore I lay in your bed and therefore did as pleased you but now I lye in the bed that is mine as well as yours and therefore I may rest me of what side do I please The constancie of Elizabeth the daughter of the King of Boheme ELizabeth the daughter of VVenceslaus king of Boheme being conducted with great honour to the city of Spire in Germanie of purpose there to be espoused to Iohn the eldest son of the Emperour Henry the seuenth and perceiuing that the celebrating of the mariage was deferred she made so secret inquirie of the cause that in the end she knew it was prolonged in regard of a iealousie which the Emperour had conceiued that she had not kept her virginitie for the truth is she was of a most singular and incomparable beautie farre excelling all the Ladies of that age knowing therefore whereupon this delay grew she stripped her selfe out of her clothes starke naked and couering her selfe onely with a mantle of pure fine linnen which was soone and easie to be cast off in this forme she presented her selfe to the Emperour saying vnto him Sacred Prince I will now instaÌ„tly make good proof of my virginity by the view search of my bodie the examinatioÌ„ therof made by sage honest women I will neuer stir foot from hence till you be free from that suspitioÌ„ which you haue conceiued of me The Emperour astonished and afraid at her speech could not possibly remoue her from her determination by any excuse or perswasion that he could vse but he was constrained to cause her to be searched and she being found to be pure and a virgine inuiolate he caused her to be maried vnto his sonne True vertue is alwaies of that strength and fortitude as it can neuer he vanquished A reason vvisely alleadged by the foole of the duke of Austrich LVpoldus duke of Austrich making warres against the Swizzers who were in alliance with the Emperour Levvis of Bauier hauing assembled vnder the charge of certain captaines of the estate of Germany to the number of 20000. men horse foot to the end he might cause them to set forward he consulted with his Counsell by what way he might best enter into the Svvizzers countrey The Councel being resolued of the course which they meant to take the dukes foole named Kune de Stocken who was present and had heard their deliberation said vnto them in his accustomed habite and countenance of a foole I do not like of your counsell for all of you haue consulted how and by what meanes we may enter into their countrey but there is none of you that hath giuen his aduice how and in what sort we shall get away againe from thence A good entrie or beginning is not all vvithout it haue a happie ending The good conditions of the Emperour Theodosian THe Emperour Theodosian could not endure to haue any to his seruants who were proud and arrogant or of too braue and vaunting an humour much lesse could he suffer them that were shameles mutinous dissolute seditious or rash in their speech And he was wont to say that that Prince could neuer be well beloued of his people nor obeyed of his subiects as long as he did suffer any to be neare him or about him for his ordinarie seruants that were presumptuous and arrogant or if his Officers were ambitious and couetous or if his fauorites and familiars were either dishonest or imprudent double hearted or double tounged By the seruant men iudge vvhat his lord is and such a man such a maister A Sentence of the Empresse Sophia TIberius being appointed to haue the gouernement of the Roman Empire in place of the Emperor Iustin who was become sickely Sophia the wife of the said Iustin entring into speech with Tiberius who was a most bountifull Prince amongst other matters vsed this sentence in her speech vnto him It is much better and a thing more easie to be endured that a Prince should be an ill maÌ„ and a good Prince then to be an ill Prince and a good man Certaine braue speeches of the Lord of Assier IAques de Genouillay Lord of Assier called Galeot who was grand Maister of the Ordinance to king Levvis the twelfth being determined to go to Mitilen to beare armes against the Turkes vnder the commaund of Monsieur de Rauestin and disposing of his affaires against he went on his voyage he was admonished by his friends to make his wil and to ordaine his Sepulture if he should happen to be slaine in that warre to whom he gaue this answer What need I take care to trouble my selfe with thinking where I shall be buried or by whom shall I not haue trow ye Pioners enough about me who will not leaue me vnburied if I fortune to dye there His soâ—â—e taking his leaue of him to go to the battel of Serizoles against the armie of the Emperor Charles the fifth he said vnto him You cannot possibly get to be at the battell in time His sonne answered him I will ride thither post The father replyed What will you cause your horses to runne and your armour to be caried post No quoth the sonne when I my selfe shall haue gotten thither I shall easily find horse and armour Oh poore man said the Lord of Assier wilt thou go seeke thy death in post As if he had said vnto him you cannot find there such horse and armes as will be fit for thy bodie which will be the cause of thy death And indeede there he made his end A foolish speech of certaine Ambassadours of Venice THe VenetiaÌ„s sent two yong Ambassadors to the Emperour Fredericke vnto whom 〈◊〉 would not giue
that it was giuen vnto him by king Edvvard the Confessour he required diuerse great Princes of Fraunce and elsewhere to aide him in that enterprize both with meÌ„ and mony Amongst others he prayed the Earle of Flaunders whose sister he had marryed to aide him in that exploit The Earle demaunded of him what part he should haue in the kingdome of England if the duke should conquer itâ— The duke answered him That he would send him worâ— thereof in writing After which the Duke being now readie to depart out of Normandie vpon his intended voyage he caused a faire peece of white parchment without any writing within it to be folded and closed vp in forme of a letter vpon the which for an inscription he caused to be written these two verses sending them in way of a scoffe to the Earle of Flaunders Beaufrere d'Angleterre aurez Ce que cy dedans trouuerez Faire brother of England your portioÌ„ shall bee That which here within written you shall see Another conceipt of VVilliam the Conquerour at his landing in England VVHen the same Duke had passed the seas to the conquest of England the first fortune that befell him in his landing was that in leaping out of his shippe he fell flat vpon the sands and the first part of his bodie that touched the ground were his hands The which accident some of his people interpreting to be a signe of ill fortune â—ush quoth he out aloud assure your selues my maisters that this is the seizin anâ—d possession of this kingdome which God hath giuen me and it is his wil that I shal take it with both my hands because by the aide both of him and you I make no doubt but to conquer it And his successe was answerable to his hope for he came to be king and left the Crowne of England to his posterity Of king Lâ—vvis the grosse and Baldvvin Earle of Mons. KIng Lewis the grosse hâ—auing appointed the duke VVilliam of Normandie to be Earle of Flaunders Baldvvin Earle of Mons in Heynault pretending right thereunto said vnto the King That he had wrong done him for that the Earledome did appertaine vnto him He demaunded with great instance to haue the combat graunted him against those that should dare to auerre the contrarie The king said vnto him It is against me theÌ„ that you must haue the combat for the Seignorie which you claime and striue for is mine owne proper right and inheritance He that contendeth against his Lord and maister must needes haue the worst of the quarrell A braue speech of king Levvis the grosse THe same king of Fraunce taking part with Hely Earle of Maine against Henry king of England in a certaine battell fought between theÌ„ found himselfe farre seuered froÌ„ his people A certain English knight seeing him and being in hope to make himselfe rich by taking the king prisoner he laid hold vpon the reines of the kings horse with inteÌ„t to stay him and began to cry with a loud voice The King is taken The king being valiant and of a noble courage at one blow with his sword ouerthrew the knight dead to the ground seeing him fall he said It is not one man alone that in Chesse play can giue the king the mate Of an inuention found by king Levvis to punish the Earle of Vermandois LEvvis king of Fraunce the sonne of king Charles the simple desiring to be reuenged for the death of his said father who dyed in the castle of Peronne being there imprisoned by Hâ—bert the Earle of Vermandois his subiect And being at Laudun with a great assembly of the Lords and Nobles of Fraunce whom he had reconciled vnto him he vsed a fine deuice to bring about his purpose for he had caused one to be attired like an Englishman who being well instructed in that which he had to do came iâ—post to the Court and required to be instantly admitted to the presence of the kings Councell for the deliuerie of certaine letters to the king froÌ„ the king of England The partie being entred into the Councell chamber presented the letters to the king which himselfe had before caused to be written And as the Secretarie read them to the King with a soft and low voyce the King began to smile wherof the Princes and Lords there present demaunded the occasion Now I see well quoth the King that the English are not a people of any great wisedome for our cousin Harmant king of England hath written me here that there is in his countrey a labouring man who hauing inuited his maister to his house to dine with him caused him to be slaine he hath sent to demaund your counsell my maisters what punishment this fellow hath deserued Thibaut Earle of Bloys was the first that gaue his sentence saying That albeit the man was worthie of many grieuous torments yet the most ignominious and shameful death that he could adiudge him was that he ought to be hanged and strangled on a Gibbet To this sentence all the rest of the Lords there present did consent and the County Hebert of Vermandois also who had no sooner ended his speech but he was apprehended by the kings Officers there prouided in a readinesse And the King said vnto him Hebert thou art this wicked labourer which hast caused thy Lord and maister the king Charles my father to be put to death now therefore receiue the punishment which thou hast iustly deserued and which thou hast denounced against thy self This said Hebert was hanged on a Gibbet vpon the toppe of a mountaine nere Lodun which at this day is commonly called mount Hebert Of the wine which Philip Augustus king of Fraunce presented to the Barons and Captaines of his army PHilip Augustus king of France coÌ„ducting his armie against the Emperour Otho in the yeare 1214. being by necessitie constrained to ioyne battell with him he tooke a great cup or bowle of gold which he caused to be filled with wine sops of bread After turning himself to the Princes and great Lords of Fraunce which were with him he said vnto them My friends and companions in Armes you which are resolued to liue and dye with me this day take ech of you one of these lops of bread dipt in wine and eate the same as I haue done before you He had no sooner spoken the word but the cup was emptie in an instant And immediatly the battell being ioyned he gained the victorie at Bouines where the Emperour was put to flight and the Earle of Flanders with diuerse other great Lords remained prisoners The titles vvhich the king Saint Levvis of Fraunce gaue himselfe THe king S. Levvis being demanded by certain of his Lords with what title he would chuse to be honoured in imitation of the old Romane Emperors and of other forrain kings the kings of France his predecessors who for some notable acts or victories had purchased vnto theÌ„selues diuerse titles of honours he answered the
the mortification of vaine pleasure vvhich I haue read A conceited speech spoken to king Ferdinand THe king Ferdinand of Naples was very malecontent and could not endure to see men walke together two or three in a company or to talke together of their priuate affaires A certaine Courtier seeing the King in this passion to currie fauour with him said vnto him Sir you ought to shunne and take away this vsage that is so troublesome vnto you or else to make your benefite of it and in my aduice it were good that you imposed a tribute vpon them that vse to walke in this maner vp and downe for it would yeeld you a greater reuenue then the customes which you leauie vpon the merchandizes of all your Realme and Dominions Of a pretie quippe giuen by Anthony of Panorâ—e to a certaine Knight THe king Alphponsus of whome we haue before spoken beeing aboue all things well affected to the exercise of hunting did very earnestly enquire of Anthony of Panorme what Gentlemen of Naples were the greatest louers of that game of venerie and whether any of them had written of the nature of dogges and hounds Why sir quoth the Panormitan how is it that you demaund of me this question Haue you not a person in your company euery day which hath conuersed with this kind of creatures for these forty yeares together and night by night hath lien by a brach he I trow is sufficiently able to write of the nature of hounds and the manner how to keepe and cherish them Now the partie of whoÌ„ the Panormitan spake was a certaine Knight who was in very good grace and fauour in Court which made the king immediatly to fall on laughing knowing that the said Panormitan vnder the name of a brach did meane the Gentlemans wife because she was a woman that did vse to be very loud and clamoursom in her speech and was the most subiect to furiousnesse and outragious passions of any woman liuing A contentious and quarelsome wife is an incurable disease The letters of the Earle of Aniovv to the king of Fraunce LEvvis king of France the sonne of king Charles the simple being in the church of S. Martin of Tours at diuine seruice diuerse of his Gentlemen young Courtiers shewed him how Fovvkes the good Earle of Aniovv was set amongst the singing men and did sing with them for the which they mocked and contemned him Whereof the Countie being informed he sent letters vnto the king wherein was nothing written saue these words only To the king of Fraunce the Earle of Aniovv sendeth greeting Sir knovv you that a King vnlearned is but an asse crovvned The counsell of the Earle of Aniovv to his brother at the time of his death MAurice Erle of Aniou at the time of his decease giuing some instructions to his brother Fouques Nerra that succeeded him in his Earledome said vnto him My brother I pray remember how in all my life time I haue laboured to get me friends knowing that this is great riches and that the house which hath many friends ought not to be reputed poore nor destitute And therefore I aduise thee in any case to hold them deare vnto thee who haue heretofore bene faithfull and trustie vnto vs. A friend hath no greater treasure then a true friend in time of necessitie A Christian Act of the Earle of Aniou FOuques the fifth of that name earle of Aniou hauing gained the victorie in a battell foughten against Henrie king of England neare the towne of Sees where the Angeuins and Manceaux tooke a great number of prisoners whom they bound enchained together and lodged in an Abbey church neare the campe On a morning early the Count being disposed to go heare a Masse in the same church and being not able to enter into it for the multitude of prisoners there enchained he was very much discontented at it and turning him to his men at armes he said My companions and friends what haue you done Do you not know that the church is the house of God and of prayer and haue you turned it into a prison Do you not feare the wrath of God in that you execute crueltie in his temple You ought to know that the church is our mother and we are her children this place is a Sanctuarie and a place of priuiledge but you haue made it a place of seruitude This said he caused the prisoners to be vnbound hauing made them to eate drink he set theÌ„ at liberty without paying of any ransom The same Earle on a time said that to support or cherish the wicked was to do iniurie to the good A Sentence of the duke of Brittaine IOhn duke of Brittaine the fifth of that name being willing to make a mariage betweene his sonne the Lord Frauncis and the Ladie Izabel daughter to the Scottish king the young Prince Francis enquired what kind of Ladie that Izabel was to whoÌ„ answer was made that she was a very goodly Gentlewoman wise and discreet and one that was likely to haue faire issue of her bodie sauing that she had some impediment in her speech Then is she such a one as I desire quoth the Duke For I hold a woman wise enough that knoweth how to put a difference between the wastcote and shirt of her husband The haughtie courage of the duke of Burgundie PHilip the hardie duke of Burgundie was wont to say That kingdomes Lordships and Dominions did of right appertaine vnto theÌ„ that could by conquest get and purchase them he got the name of hardie because at a certaine banquet he leaped ouer the table onely to haue the chiefest place next to the person of king Charles the sixth he had both the courage and the speech of Alexander the Great An act of Galeace duke of Millain GAleace duke of Millain was giuen to vnderstand that there was a certaine Aduocate in that citie so subtill and cunning that he could prolong sutes in law and so draw theÌ„ out in length as he would make theÌ„ almost endlesse whensoeuer he listed to vndertake to do it either for loue or for money The Duke willing to make proofe thereof enquired of the chiefe steward of his house if there were not some debt due and owing by him to those that were to serue him with prouisions for his house In the end it appeared that there was owing to a certain Baker an hundred pounds in whose name he caused himselfe to be summoned and a day to be set downe for his appearance before the Senate to answer for the paiment of this debt vnto the said Baker In the meane time he sent to this Aduocate and demaunded his counsell how he might make delaies and not be enforced to make paiment of this money The Aduocate promised him to find the means and to deuise such sleights as the Baker should not finger a peny for one yeare at least or not for two yeares if he listed The action being