for curtefie and although your learned perswasions be such as I am not able to contradict yet it is not possible by reason to redresse that which no good counsaile is able to cure for some inueterat euilles in our externall partes may well be remoued with medicine but a sorrowe beeing 〈…〉 in the hart wil hardly abide the grappel of perswasion and my sickenes I must confesse is a hart sore the salue of which sith it is remoued from my hope by froward fortune I deeme it more fitter for me passionate as I am to dy then thus ouerburdened with continuall sorrowe my life should proue a liuing death neither can I denie but the losse of my Moderna is the originall of my fit which you account desperat but indeed ingendred by he vehemency of loue yea shall loue alone not setteled on the vsuall pleasure of the flesh but on the grounded vnity of the hart whereby her soule was so firmely alied to mine as no showers of misfortune or breach of time can alter the quallity the quantity whereof as it could not be conceiued on earth so it taketh his effect in heauen the fates haue heresie me of this rest and suffered my flower to be parched by misfortune and death hath seperated her soule from her body and sent her to that place of pleasure sphere the shall receiue a crowne of immortall glorie but the seperation of her from me the gods haue made to this purpose to make me learne the mutability of this wretched life and to consider of the eternity and wonderfull essence of the heauens where they haue placed my frende to this ende that I with more desire behold the skie that being â—â—â—â—shed with the maiestie therof I might likewise become heauenly and forget to be earthly cease then I beseech you to striue against the streame my sorrowes are so settled as no perswasions wil remoue them and in requitall of your exceeding curtesie Brusanus voweth heere to Antipholus loue reuerence and honour and so long as it shall please the gods to continue this wretched life I will not forget to pray to the heauens to send you that contentment which I know you haue wished to me Antipholus and Valeria both séeing his resolution would not for the present appose him with further spéeches yet hoping in the end to alter his determination they inticed him into the house where a most sumptious lodging was purposly prepared for him and manye pleasaunt conceites by sundry meanes practised to haue moued him to mirth but nothing could be deuised that might beguill his pensiue thoughtes and within verye short space he grewe to be sicke and kept his bed you may well thinke he wanted no attendaunce both from Valeria and the queene her mother but Antipholus could not helpe him wee will therefore a little while leaue him to the mercy of his fit The tenth Chapter Antipholus pronounceth sentence of death against Calynda she is discouered to be his sister Moderna she is brought to comfort Brusanus in his sicknes ANtipholus in this meane season beeing at some leasure would needes see iustice duely executed against those that had bin practisers with the duke both against the princesse and her mother and to this end did sit himselfe in person with the criminall iudges accompanied with other noble men at an open sessions where Lucius and Vago were both condemned to the gallowes Calynda in like manner was there to bee tried and was charged with conspiracy against the queene Eriphila who seeing her brother sitting vppon the bench to whome she was very loath to be known and being in her owne conceit void of all hope for euer to heare of Brusanus did therefore thinke it better for her to dye then longer to liue so much surcharged with sorrow shee therefore confessed the inditement and pronounced her selfe guilty to as many articles as were opposed against her vpon her own confession Antipholus gaue sentence that the nexte day shee should bee burned in the same place and with that fewell which had bin before prepared for the queene The sessions being broken vppe Antipholus finding his Lady and her mother together in company he discoured vnto them how hee had disposed Lucius and Vago relating further how frankly Calynda confessed her conspiracies and what was likewise determined against her but the queene whose mind had bin hetherto carried away with her owne misfortunes that the remembraunce of Calynda was vtterly out of her thought and calling nowe to minde that by her onely meane she had gathered so much light as contained no lesse then the safety of her owne life she began heere to consider with her selfe that Calynda could not possibly be culpable in any il meaning towardes her she therefore requested Antipholus that she might bee sent for and that her selfe might speake with her â—â—â—â—ing him further that what so euer Calynda hade confessed against her selfe did rather proceed from some inward torment that afflicted her owne mind then of any ill pretence she could haue towardes her she hauing had such former experience of her fidelity and loue Antipholus answered that besides her owne confession Lucius had avowched the whole matter against her him selfe giuing a whole nightes attendaunce on the duke while hee was with Calynda in her owne chamber where after he had taken the frutes of his lewd desires euen then he made her priuie to the rest of his practises when she gaue her consent to assist him in his enterprises hoping after ward he would haue married her accordingly as he then made promise vnto her the queene Eriphila requested of Antipholus that Lucius might yet bee further examined what time it might be that this meeting was appointed and the very night of this confederacy which being accordingly performed he according to the truth confessed it to be that very same night before when y e duke on the morning had appointed his hunting in the forrest the queene finding his rekoning to fal out iust with her own computation to disburden Antipholus from further misedoubting she discoursed vnto him her owne practise with Calynda and how with much adoe and great perswasion she had won her to appoint the duke that nightes entertainment in her owne chamber who had manye times before solicited her with louing protestation neither could she denie nor thinke it any shame to confesse but that at that instant she supplied the place of Calynda and in a happy time as she thought it that was so much for her owne good for the duke immagining 〈…〉 that he had imbraced his desired Calynda vnfoulded vnto her the summe of all his pretended treasons where the 〈…〉 to prouide for her better safetie she seemed to consent to her owne distruction and therefore to conclude she thought her selfe especially beholding to Calynda by whose meanes she came to knowledge of the mischiefe that was intended against her by the duke her husband which otherwise might haue lighted vppon her by
The Aduentures of BRVSANVS Prince of Hungaria Pleasant for all to read and profitable for some to follow Written by Barnaby Riche seauen or eight yeares sithence and now published by the great intreaty of diuers of his freendes FAMA FIDES 〈…〉 OCCVLVS Imprinted at London for Thomas Adames 1592. To the woorshipfull and vertuous yoong Gentlevvoman mistrisse Iayes Aston daughter to the right woorshipfull Sir Edward Aston knight MY very good cosyn if I should follow the fancies of some writters who are accustomed in their dedycations to glorifie the parties whome they haue chosen to be patrons of their workes with manye strained wordes and far sought for phrases then in seeking to praise your beauty I shoulde borrow colours for your cheekes from lillyes and red roses for your lippes cheryes pearles for your teeth to figure foorth your chastyty witt and many other graces I must seeke out Diana Pallas the Muses and diuers other helpes both deuine and pretious and thus whilst I might be curious in blasing the perfections of your body I should vtterly forget the beauty of your soule Let this then suffice your beauty is not borrowed and therefore without blemish your body comly neither bumbast nor bolstered and therefore not holpen by arte for the giftes and qualities of your mind as they are many so they are such as may wel bee said to bee both vertuous and godly and nowe affyenge my selfe in your courtious acceptaunce I haue made bould to present you with this historye The aduentures of Brusanus reade it at your leasure and what you mislike leaue it and blame me or blame it chide me and you shall see that your gentle rebuke shall be of importaunce either to make me recante and so to aske mercie or otherwise to satisfye for my misse as it shall please you to inioyne me I haue sought to shun vndecent tearmes vnfytting for your modestie and nowe commending alltogether to be censured by your curtesye I can but wish you that happines that your owne vertue doth worthely merite Your louing Cosyn who wisheth you all happines Barnaby Rich The aduentures of Brusanus Prince of Hungaria pleasant for all to read and profitable for some to follow written by Barnaby Riche seuen or eight yeares sithens and now published by the great intreaty of diuers of his friends The first Chapter Myletto King of Hungaria had a sonne and a daughter the sonne called Brusanus the daughter Leonida AT that time when the most renowned Liberius gouerned the empire of Constantinople holding the parts of Cayre Soria Calypha and all Grecia in the most christian catholicke faith at that very instant ther raigned likewise in Hungaria y e noble king Myletto a prince of such iustice as he neuer thought him selfe priuiledged in being a prince nor did measure greatnes by any thing but by goodnes This prince was so fauoured and fostered vp by fortune his estate so established with honour so beautified with wealth so deckt with the diademe of dignitie and so indued with fortunate prosperity that he â—â—med to want nothing which either fortune or the fates might aforde him so that he was honoured with the sacred titles of good iust merciful with many other like vertuous additions But as the vices of children are swords which passe through y e harts of their parents so the happines of Myletto was greatly surcharged with this heauines for hauing to wife a lady called Paulina by byrth royall by nature faire by education learned by vertue mous by this lady Myletto in the prime of his yeares had two children the one a sonne called Brusanus the other a daughter named Leonida so perfect in complextion so pure in constitution so adorned with outward beuty and so indued with inward bounty as her very countenaunce was full of bashfulnesse loue and reuerence Brusanus on the other side was so contrarie to his sister though not in state of body yet in the stay of his minde as it made al men maruell how two so contrary stems could spring of a selfe same stocke yet his parsonage was most comelie euery lineament gallantly proportioned his face and countenance sweet and amiable with an intising louelines to as many as did behold it But in the quality of his minde hee was so spotted with voluptuousnesse so nusled in wantonnes so giuen ouer to licentiousnesse so linked to wilfulnesse and so caried away with all kind of wickednesse that neither the feare of god the displeasure of his parents the sundry admonitions of his carefull and louing friendes nor the regard of his owne honor could make him desiste or driue him from this detestable kind of life the day he consumed in such ryot excesse dronkenesse dicing gaming swearing swashing as whole millions of gold were insufficient to maintaine the expences of so witles prodigality the night he spent in masking muÌ„ming dauncing banqueting and hooring do you thinke then there wanted ruffians roysters flaterers brokers bawdes and such other like to follow him O no be sure there wil be to many counterfaites to imitate the naturall vice of princes but the good king his father hauing many times wasted his wind in fruitles exhortations to his sonne being still gauled with this continuall griefe fearing that after his death his sonnes lascyuious life would be the ouerthrow of his house the consumer of the kingdome the wracke of the common weale and the very man that should bring the state to mischeife and miserie determined eyther to cut of the course of his liuing or of his life thinking it better to want a sonne then neuer to want sorrow hauing soe gratious a daughter to whome he might leaue the inheritance of his crowne in whose issue the kingdome might bee made more happye but firste determined to seeke all other possible meanes He caused his sonne to be sent for to whom he said as foloweth The second Chapter The fatherlie exhortation of Myletto to Brusanus CAlling to mind Brusanus first the royall race froÌ„ whence thou art descended the vertuous education wherein thou hast beene nurtered the sundry holsome preceptes where with thou hast beene instructed with the lewed and shamles demeanure wherein thou art daily nusled as I can but lament thy misfortune so I must more wonder at thy follye and yet the more I thinke the more cause I haue of thinking the lesse hope of thy amendment Haue thy friendes hoped so long for a plentiful haruest now shalbe constrained to gather weedes hast thou from thy youth béene trained vp in learning and after thou hast giuen a good soape to the payle thou shouldest kicke it downe curstly with thy heels O how much better had it beene for thee neuer to haue rypened then so soone to haue rotted thou seest Brusanus my white heaires are blossomes for the graue and thy fresh coulour fruit for time and fortune so that it behoueth me to think how to dy for thée to care how to liue my
crowne I must leaue by death and thou enioy my kingdome by succession it is then requisite for thee so to fortifie thy minde with strong reasons graue sentences and learned preceptes of wisdome that thy weake séedes of vertue be not drowned in the floudes of vaine delights For as the prince being the head of his people and most excelent of all hee muste therfore by his good example be a paterne to al. What honor is it for a prince to go farre beyonde the common sorte in pretious stones beaten gold coulloured silcks and great traines of seruantes when he shall be inferiour to all in vertues and honesty of life For to instructe his people by precepts is a longe and difficult way but to teach them by example is very shorte and of greater efficacy for where they shall sée vertue after a liuelie sorte imprinted in a visible paterne and that the princes life is suche an example they become wise of their one accord then is force constraint or threatning néedlesse to bring them to their dutie O consider my sonne the difference betwéen a vertuous king and a vitious prince the one striueth to inrich his subiectes the other to destroy them the one spareth the honor of good women the other triumpheth in their shame the one taketh pleasure to be freely admonished the other misliketh nothing so much as wise and vertuous councell the one maketh great acompt of the loue of his people the other is better pleased with their feare the one is neuer in doubt of his owne subiectes the other standeth in awe of none more then them the one burdeneth them but as litle as may be vpon publique necessitie the other gnaweth the flesh from their bones to satisfie his vaine pleasures the one in time of warre hath no recourse but to his subiectes the other kéepeth warre but only with his subiects the one is honored in the time of his life and mourned for after his death the other is hated in his life with perpetuall infamie after his deathe A crewell prince will make a slaughter house of his common wealth a hooremaister will make it a stewes a prodigall will sucke the marowe of his subiectes to glut some halfe dosine flattering parrisites that wil be about his parson disguised in the habit of fidelity A good prince must not dedicate the common wealth to him selfe but must addicte him selfe to the common wealth and because no man asketh accompt of him in his life hee ought to be so much the more stirred vp to demand a streighter rekoning of him selfe bee must liue as it were vppon an open Theatre where he is séene on euery side so that his life will be a discipline and instruction of good or ill liuing vnto others therefore let him seeke to excell those whome he ruleth and to surmount them as farre in vertue as hee surpasseth them in riches and honour But what is to be hoped for from that prince that only accompanieth him selfe with curtesans flatterers drunckards diceplaiers dauncers and inuenters of pleasures breiflie in the midst of such caytiffes amongst whome he learneth nothing but pleasure delight pride vanitie and such other Why shouldest thou make such accompt of the beautie of thy bodye which hauing inclosed in it the soule which is defiled with ougly vice monsterous sinne is nothing els but a proud sepulcher vnder which is contained a stinking and putrified carrion Forsake such vaine delightes Brusanus and let vertue be thy guide if thou wilt attaine to happye honour For For honor is the onely reward of vertue and onely vertue must open the gates of honour The Romanes builded two temples ioyned to gether the one being dedicate to vertue the other to honor but yet in such sorte as no man could enter into that of honor except hee first passed through that of vertue which is the onely thing whereof al the greatnes glory and honour of men dependeth and not in the dignitie wherein they are placed A small want to bragge of the scutchyons and armes of our auncestors when to speake trulie there is no righte nobillitie but that which springeth of vertue He boasteth in vaine of his great linage that seeketh to be esteamed for the nobillitie and vertue of his ancestors and hath no goodnes in him selfe for what is it to vaunt of Hercules race and not to follow his workes which made him so famous through y e world Despise not my sonne thy fathers louing admonitions for as the wise man saieth he that honoreth his father shall haue ioy of his owne children and when hee maketh his praier he shall be hard he that feareth the lord honoureth his parents and doth seruice to his parents as to the lord The blessings of the fathers establish the houses of the children and the mothers cursse rooteth out the foundations He that forsaketh his father shall come to shame and he that angreth his mother is cursed of god To conclude there is no praier which god heareth more willingly then that of the father which hee maketh for his child O my sonne while thou hast yet time apply thy selfe to that now in thy youthe which will be profitable for thee in thy olde age namely to the attaining of vertue and knowledge which will procure vnto thée honour praise safetie happines rest and tranquilitie in this life and will in the end guide thee to eternall life Chapter third The demeanure of Brusanns after his fathers exhortations and how he was handeled by Petrona a curtizane THe carefull old father hauing discoursed thus far to his carelesse yoong sonne was here interrupted with the abundance of teares which streamed downe his cheekes but Brusanus who that very morning had appointed with certaine of his companions to meete in the Citie at a curtezans house where great reuell was appointed for was all this while so busyed in the contemplation of his pleasures that hee vnderstood neuer a worde what his father had deliuered and was therfore able to make him no manner of answere but seeking his best oportunity to giue his father y t slip in the end conuaid himselfe away to his appointed place where he found his companions attending his comming The father wounderfully perplexed at his sonnes demeanure had the narrower watch to the rest of his proseedinges and finding his course of life rather to waxe worse then any whit to better resolued himselfe of this last experyment which was to cut him from all manner of meanes whereby to maintaine his lauish expences and not only by shutting vppe his owne purse but also by straight proclamation through his whole kingdome he prohibyted all vnder great penaltie neither to lend him mony nor to render vnto him any manner of reliefe But could there be a greater griefe to Brusanus then so sodainly to be brought to so extreame want his father would affoord him no manner of allowance the rest were restrained by the late proclamation hys companions that hitherto
more worthy then the thing holpen then must it néedes fall out that the grome that helpes Dorestus of with his hose when he goes to bed at night is of better rekoning then Dorestus himselfe the slaue that but carries lime and stone to the building is to be preferred before the maister workman but I will graunte Dorestus that wemen he helpers for he that followes them a pace they lightly helpe him to the diuell Your comparison for the fining of mettals I cannot mislike for that it hath some affinitie with the truth for in déede the more mettales be fined the purer they proue and gold before it be brought to his perfection is first clensed from his earthlye substance and being once drawne from his ore and drosâ—e it then remaineth a mettall but yet vnpure because it is mixed with brasse or copper wherfore of necessity ther must be a forced refining then the gold is perfect and remaineth in price the brasse or copper is likewise a mettall though of a far baser condition and therefore is referred for our meane and ordinarie necessitie 〈…〉 when man was first framed from out the slime and dust of the earth he was not yet perfecte gold for why there remained brasse and copper that is humoure and passion wherefore it was conuenient there should be a second clensing which being once performed man was then in full perfection and of the grosser substance there was framd a baser creature women being drawne from the partes where our affections lye hiden and as she was thus indued with infinit passion so it was necessarie to take from her all force for had she had abillitie to haue performed her cruelty and rage all the deuels in hell had not béene able to haue ruled her and therfore according to the olde prouerbe God sendes a curste cow shorte hornes But was it such a benifit for man to be cupled to a woman rather then to a Lion to a Tiger or a Serpent no truely woman is more furious then a lion more cruell then a tiger more venimus then a serpent and more subtill then the diuell and by her figured charmes brought man from that blessednesse in the which hee was first created when the diuell himselfe was not able to do it But to what sorte of men is it that wemen be so acceptable forsoth to louers let vs directly then seeke out whereto loue leades vs The loue of men to wemen being a rage exceding all other passions makes vs forsake the loue of God and to imagin our good to rest in them as if we should do worship to Idoles whose nature is vnder vain resemblances to corrupt the deuotion of men a thing so common in example that to a sencible iudgment a slender rehearsall may suffice and who so euer treadeth that desperat laborinth of loue is in ordinarie destiny of a wise man to take the habit of a foole of a carefull man to become negligent of a valiant man to become so weake as to stand in awe of a foolish womans word of a prouident man to loose all pollicy of a younge man to become withered of a free man to become miserably bound of a milde man to beare the burthen of an asse of a religious man to become an Idolater of a riche man honoured a poore man scorned of a patient man to be a reuenger of the filthy causes of his minioÌ„ to be briefe both to forget god loose y e knowledge of himself I neuer knew any one truly translated into the stat of a perfect louer but after he had possessed his actual felicity in loue did not atend inward perplexities with outward disquietnes confused counsels careles executioÌ„ broken spéech vnsound iudgements yea such a generall negligence in all his actions and conuersation of life that in a due consideration of the affects of loue in his example it might easily bee discerned there is more galle then honie lesse pleasure then paine more care then comfort and more want of courage then due commendation of a noble mind I haue heard of many that were madde for loue yet I neuer hearde of any that were wise in loue I haue knowen the wise haue bene besotted by fancie yet I neuer knew fancie that made a wise man for it is no more possible that loue should be without passion then the Sunne without light fire without heat or water without moisture whose pleasant motions are mixt with wonderfull disquiet his little pleasure with piles of sorrow his small brookes of transitorie ioy with great riuers of extreame anguish In loue what séeeth the eie lasciuiousnes what heareth the eare lasciuiousnes what inureth the body lasciuiousnes the badge of loue idlenes the best rest corrupt delights the finall ende repentaunce Loue is a bitter sweet a poysoned bait a golden hooke a contumelious comfort a diuelish intent In loue wee misspend our time consume our goods wast our lands yea wee doe corrupt both body and soule By loue our hearts are blinded our vnderstanding dulled our memories mangled our bodies distempered and all desire of wisedome is set at a bay Thus the pore louer findes his pleasure translated into a quality of bitternes and his hope so turned into dispaire that hee hath no other refuge then in death and yet in him he hardly finds medicine If he be but a little disgraced of his bodie he becommeth wilde of countenance vnquiet in minde yea his whole state so restlesse as if hee were tormented with some hurtfull spirite and in the absence of his mistresse you shall neuer see him settled in anie company or plaâ—â— of what value or worthines soeuer it be but as vacabonds without a warraunt or people fearing the fall of the firmament they run heere and there as though their safetie consisted onely in the eie of their mistresse Peraduenture there be som that wil mistake my meaning thinking this loue that I would séem to disgrace is but dishonest liking or rather as it may be tearmed lawlesse lust such as is practised with euery mercenarie woman but take loue when it is lawfullie ment wherin it is best to be admitted and vse wemen in their purest kinde whereunto they were first created and you shall finde that there is not so much care in the one but there is as great combre in the other and that the one bredeth not so much wracke but the other bringeth as much woe and where they both doe but promise vs a dramme of delight they will surelie pay vs with a pound of despight For the institution of marriage I confesse it to be good nay further I acknowledge it to be honourable and it was first ordained to a most godly purpose which was to kéepe men from that filthy sinne of fornication but what men suche as were not able to containe their fleshly desires within the limites and bounds of chastity for as it is said chastity is the beauty of mans souls and it
into a mighty forrest or rather a huge wildernes in the kingdome of Calypha and not far from the famous Citie of Sara where they had not traueiled long but they were incountered by a barbarous companye that were laid close amongst the bushes to watch for some bootye that should come that way who hauing espied Brusanus sudainely beset him round about and hee as quickly leaping from his horsse and taking downe his Lady set her against the body of a great tree then turning himselfe with a violent rage against that rascall rout who by this time began altogether to assault him hee gaue them such a welcome and bestowed so many bloudy tokens amongst them that they began to giue backe but Brusanus throughly inflamed with furie so laid about him that the best hope they had to saue themselues was to trust to their heeles and thus at an instant they began all to fly Brusanus following so fast and dealyng such dole amongst them that they were fain to scater themselues euery man a contrary way Moderna that was nowe alone by her selfe and beeing striken with a great feare forsooke her place and folowed after Brusanus but hauing lost the sight of him she thrust her selfe into a mightie thicke bush that was by the side of the way Brusanus giuing ouer the chace retired himselfe to goe comfort his Lady and comming by the bush where Moderna lay hid shee reioycing to sée her frend safly returned was creping out of the thicket to haue shewd her selfe to her best beloued Brusanus hearing the russiling in the bush and hauing a speare in his hand which he had recouered from one of the villaines thinking it to be some of the company that had there hiden themselues very rashly aiming the speare where he saw the bushes to sture vnfortunatly hit Moderna cleane through the body a little belowe her ribes with the blowe shee gaue a pitious scritch but not able to speake any word she sancke down dead to the ground Brusanus hearing the cry yet not knowing what he had done came to the place and looking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saw his handy worke and being taught not to stand long open deliberations he forth with drew out the speare then taking her vp dead in his armes he brought her into the plane where after he had vsed all bootlesse meanes to recouer her life his perplexed memory had straight stlled him with the liuely shape of all his forepassed miseries and the rememberaunce of his former fortunes with the agony of his present mishap comming altogether into his minde and marching as it were in one whole frunte so gauled him with griefe that with the extreamity of his anguishe his sences forsooke him and hee fell to the grounde where hee remayned for a tyme without mouing hand or foote in the ende yéelding forth a grone as if his harte stringes had burst and stretching his ioynts vppon the gréene grasse he came againe to himselfe breathinge forth these wordes O fortune why hast thou not made an end of my life with the end of my ioy O bottumlesse pit of endlesse sorrowe how canst thou ridde thy selfe being fettered with the euerlasting consideration of thy miserable fortunes thou hast béene a paricide to thy father in séeking to destroy him by thy disobedience a poyson to the country infecting it with the example of thy vngratious life a traitor to thy friend robbing him of such a treasure whereof he was a thousand times more worthy then thy selfe and now thou hast béene a murtherer a butcher to her that was the exampler of all vertue and the very onelye ornament that garnished the whole worlde O sorrowe nowe thou hast the full sacke of my curssed corpes and comfort thou art now extinguished because I cannot hope and what can I hope for when death hath diuorsed me from the exampler of al vertue wilt thou seeke then to prolong thy wretched life no cut off thy cursed daies and who can be so fit an executioner as thine owne handes being accessarie to soe bloudie a facte so that in killing thy selfe they shall suffer their owne punishment Then turning himselfe towardes the breathlesse body of Moderna bedewing it with his teares he saide O diuine soule whose vertues can possesse no lesse then the highest part of heauen beholde his teares whose hart dothe melt in griefe but if any mercye be resting in the skies or any loue be left to consider of a friend if the heauenly powers may behold our earthly sorrowes accept his life for sacrifice that hath no other recompence and would bestowe a thousand liues to view thy heauenly face Then taking the spéere where-with he had wounded Moderna and setting it directly against his harte minding to throwe himselfe vppon it he saide Death now do thy worst and spare not to assaile the most vnfortunate wretch that liueth suffer him not to apeare amongest men nor to receiue common sepulture then making a little pause hee saide further but alas deathe is the end of all miseries what reason haue I then to cut off a wretched life by a spéedy death if I maintaine my life it is to abide farre greater torments then are in death liue then Brusanus liue but liue still to languish in thine owne euiles then throwing the speare from him he saide And whether shal I recommend the protection of this my wretched corpes to the earth why it shuneth to be increased by the reliques of my shamed car case to the heauens Oh vnspeakable tormente of conscience which dare not looke towardes them whether then witt thou lead this captiuitye of thine thou art not worthy to liue amongest men that art a foe to nature and it is to late to speake any comfort in the angry gods helpe then you infernall furies helpe him I say that dedicates himselfe to your deuotions whose hellishe rage is fit for your seruice whose guilty conscience may neuer admit of comfort Thou sunne disdaine heere-after to shine on so curssed a creature Citties deny to harbour him men abhorre him wemen dispise him worthely that depraued you wrongfully Diana graunte him no shrowd in the forrest Ceres let him starue for breade you dropping heauenes vouchsafe him no moysture thou earth drye vppe all thy welsprings where he shall come yea let mine eies be depriued of their light let my tongue shewe no vse but bemone mine owne wretchednes let my hart be the seat of infernal sorrow let my soule with endlesse anguishe of his conscience become his owne tormenter The second Chapter Brusanus leaueth Moderna for dead he bereaueth himselfe of humaine societie Eriphila findeth Moderna reuiueth her and healeth her Moderna chaungeth her name to Calinda a generall Iuste proclaimed for the young princesse Valeria Antipholus brother to Moderna prepareth himselfe to that Iuste IN this and such like manner did Brusanus tender his complaintes whose dolorous passions might haue bene pleaded in full aquaintance of al fore-passed trespaces had enuy it selfe
beholders altogether gaue a great shoute thinking him assuredlye to be slaine you may immagine this was a comfortable sight to the quéene of whose safetie there was soe little hope that they lefte her still standing bound fast to the stake but Brusanus alighting from his horsse paced easily towardes Arcadius and séeing him lying in such an extasie thought it would haue béene to greate a disparagment to his honour to haue stricken a knight lyeng in his case walking therfore some fewe turnes Arcadius in the meane time recouering againe his sences sodainely start vp and grasping his sword in both his hands smote Brusanus behinde him such a blowe vppon the head that his legges began to yéelde vnder his body and much adoe he had to recouer himselfe from falling here began againe a more fierse and terrible incounter on foote then all that had passed before on horsbacke but Brusanus determining to make a shorte dispatche heaped suche blowes vppon Arcadius that hee vnreuited his right poulderne soe that his whole shoulder lay all disarmed and Brusanus marking the aduantage strake him so mighty a blowe that he gaue him there a mortall wounde where-with Arcadius let fall his sword to the grounde not longer able to make resistance Brusanus likewise stayeng his hand said vnto him Sir knight the noble courage that I haue founde to be in thée maketh me to pittie thy case haue nowe compassion of thy selfe and hasarde not the perdition bothe of thy bodye and soule by dyeng in a wronge cause restore the ladye againe to that reputation wherein thou hast so iniuriously slaundered her and liue What qd Arcadius doest thon thinke though fortune hathe fauoured thée in attaining the battaill that my courrage doth faile me in persisting to the vttermost what I haue vndertaken no I both deâ—â—e thée and that compassion where-with as thou saiest thou art mooued towardes me followe thy aduantage which oportunity hath offered thée fortune may assist thee to glory in my death but in the conquest of my minde thou shalt neuer haue cause to triumph Brusanus finding him in this desperate resolution said vnto him Vnhappy man although thou haue no greater regarde to thine owne saluation yet God defende that I should be the instrument of thy euerlasting perdition neither is it my custome to oppresse him that is vnresistable and althoughe thou deniest to confesse thy shamefull impositions where-with thou hast slaundered the Quéene yet assure thy selfe I haue other sufficient meanes to make the matter so euident as all the worlde shall witnesse of thy trechery and that to thy greater shame for the rest I leaue it betwéene God and thine owne conscience beseching the heauens thou maiest yet liue to repente for anye other harme I wish thée none at all Arcadius noting the vertue of this stranger knight after he had a little deliberated with himselfe was stroke into a sodaine remorse of his owne conscience and hauing lost the greatest parte of his bloud by the largnes of his wound féeling himselfe now to begin to faint he called for the principall maiestrates and officers there present before whom he confessed the whole conspiracy betwéene the Duke and himselfe fully aquiting the Queene of all former suppositions and he had not scarce finished his spéeches but his breath vanished into the ayre and left his body sencelesse The eyghth Chapter Eriphila is restored the yoong Princesse Valeria presented to the maiestrates Brianto murdereth himselfe Antipholus is returned VPpon this confession they presently inlarged the queene ioyfuly restoring her to her former honour and waiting vppon her withall duetifull attendaunce the multitude gaue harty thankes vnto god that had thus safely deliuered their good queene who had euer demeaned her selfe most gratiously to all subiectes heere they began with generall exclamation so accuse the duke in sundry pointes of tirany Brusanus finding so fit oportunity gentelly requested the whole company a litle while to stay for that he had a matter of great importance wherewith to aquaint them by this time they might sée a smal company came riding towardes them as they drewe neere they might perceiue a gentleman who rode all before the rest with a gentlewoman behind him the man they knewe to bee Fuluius of the woman they could haue no weting for that her face was couered with a scarfe then might they sée an other who was bound as a prisoner and surely garded with armed men whome they knewe to be Vagoe being altogether thus come to the whole prese Brusanus humbly kissing his hande tooke downe the gentlewoman and leading her by the hand before the maiestrates he said Behold I deleuer heere amongst you your yoong princesse of whose fafetie I would wish you should haue a greater regard then hetherto you haue had for the rest of her aduenture and what fortune hath betaine her I leaue to her owne reporte discouering then her face by taking away the vayll the whole assembly knewe her assuredly to be their princesse Valeria heere began againe a greater admiration then any what so euer had hetherto happened but Valeria bréefely related vnto them the manner how she was conueied from the rest of her company as they were hunting in the forest the villany that was offered vnto her by Vago and his fellow Frestus and how she was miraculously deliuered by this straunger knight Aristo for Brusanus not otherwise willing to be knowne so named himselfe Vago confirmed these premisses to be true confessing further how the duke had hired both him and his fellowe to murther the princesse and how that daies pleasure of hunting was appointed to no other purpose but for their oportunity to performe that enterprise these matters being thus manifested the maiestrates presently appointed a gard as well in the defence of the princesse as also of the queene her mother and certaine noblemen were chosen to holde the gouernment in the behalfe of the princesse vntill the returne of Antipholus from Constantinople The duke by espialls hauing got inteligence of all these premisses and finding himselfe to be frunted in all his enterprises and that his whole conspiracies were thus broken out being priuate in his chamber onely accompanied with Lucius the man that was most trusted with all his vngratious practises burst out into these speeches and said O caitife most accursed hath thy fortune concluded with this consequence is this the frutes of thy long premeditated practise hast thou laid a plot for thy aduauncement to honour and is it broken out to thy eternall shame and infamy o what else what better couldst thou looke for hath not thy practises bin abhominable thy enterprises detestable thy indeuours hatefull and the whole course of thy life filthy and odible o that the bowells of the earth would now open and deuour my treasons my conspiracies and other my shamelesse deameanures together with this detestable body that the world might be purged of this filthy infection and the remembraunce of both might dye to all