or well right deepe where in the middest of the darknesse by a little glittering of a sulphurian light I perceiued the depth of this round Tower abased euen from the superficialitie of the earth vnto the point centrique or centure of the same and below a Barathre or eternall prison where by the infernall obscuritie I could see nothing but darknesse dispearsed vpon the face of the depths but well might I heare horrible cries fearefull hurlings mingled with plaints groanes like to men tormented and furious enraged beasts fighting amongst themselues throwing and biting one another in extreame rage Whereuppon through great feare I leaped out afright so rudely that I mounted out into the cleare light where the forenamed white bird which in truth was my Calodaimon came and tooke me demaunding me saying Franc-Gal hast thou seene that which thou desirest Yea yea quoth I and heard fearfull cries which caused me to retire but I knewe not what it should be vnlesse it be the eternal prison of the wicked Giants Triphon and Briaro with their complices and followers who were not afraide to set themselues against the Soueraigne vpon whome being cast downe and desolated the mountaines great rockes which are the foundations of the auncient Tower which thou didst behold haue been throwen the which oftentimes they shake cause to tremble by the impatience of intollerable paines in shaking sometimes the foundations by the aboundaunce of water cast and throwen out by their conduct and other whiles by the impetuositie of the windes comming from their despitefull sighings sometime by the violence of the fire coÌ„ming out of their throat and by the inflamed vapor of forceable ire and outragious wrath Neuerthelesse for all their forces they shall neuer bring it to ruine nor cast it downe neither shall they be discharged or come out of this tenebrous prison vnlesse the infinite bountie of the vanquisher surmount the obstinate mallice of the vanquished who neither hope nor desire it but obstinately please themselues with their paines as the cursed serpents feede themselues with their owne venime and therefore let vs leaue them in their eternall miseries In saying thus he carried me vp so high that hauing the elements and planets vnder my feete I found my selfe aboue the Towre wherein I beheld in great sublimitie vpon the pomell of the top thereof this olde Ladie which my Calodaimon tolde mee was Anange mother of the three Sisters and hauing intentiuely considered her estate and puissance in a moment I descended into my bodie béeing come to my selfe I remembred well the meruailous things that I had séene and such as I haue accompted to thée in truth That which thou hast accompted quoth the Archier is wonderfull yet neuerthelesse séeming true and credible in mine opinion for me verie same or the like not long since hath béen heard of in this Region by a meruailous and supernaturall aduenture What is that I pray thée quoth Franc-Gall that I I passe no 〈◊〉 in my narration before I haue vnderstood of thée the example seruing for the coÌ„firmation of my speach which will cause thée more easilie to giue credit to the rest Therefore I beseech thée to tell it me and I will giue thée good audience I am â—…ght well content quoth the Archier so that the whiles thou remember the point where thou leauest of the olde Ladie Anange sitting vpon the pomell of the Tower and therefore now take thy rest a while and I by maner of interlecutorie respiration will reckon to thee a thing conuenient to the narration of thy ectasticall vision and rauishment of thy spirite to the depth and top of the Tower Of the loue of Mammon towards the saire Ladie Thanais of her ensircement poysoning and death CAP. 8. IN the prime of my youth about 470. yeres passed I being of the age of knowledge as it were 49. yeres there came into these parts an vnknowen man ill shaped and blacke like to an Aethiopian neuerthelesse verie rich in siluer golde precious stones and other mettalls for the rest of a great and subtill spirite and excéeding well learned in euerie science farre aboue all other that he met This man hauing taken his dwelling in the Citie of Orbe whereto we are now going and there by reason of the store of money that he possessed and for that the Towne by meanes of the Sea néere adiacent and of the riuers ports and passages thereto adioyning is very commodious for a place of merchandize he helde and hore the state of a merchant Banquer Of what merchandize quoth Franc-Gall made he his traffique He was said the Archier a temporall merchant for he sold for time by compt and measure So this temporall Merchant called Mammon holding a famous Banque in Orbe became amorous of a right faire and most renowned Maiden of one of the richest and noblest houses in the Citie which Maiden was called Thanais This faire Mammon beeing thus taken with the loue of Thanais began to court her euill fauouredlie enough and more imperiously than graciously by vanting of himselfe ostentation of his great riches and cunning and with dispraysing and blaming of all others chiefly of the vertuous besides that he sought to allure her by rich gifts presents of golde of gemmes rings and iewels although by nature he was verie couetous but aboue all with most faire and ample promises But the Maiden to whome these proud brauados were intollerable and who had perhaps lodged her heart in some higher place reiected all his presents refused his offers shunned his encountrie would giue no eare to his proud words as one whom she hated as much as he desired her both for his improbous and vngracious behauiour for his displeasant gesture Wherevpon beeing aduertised by one of her Morian slaues that she was accustomed euerie morning so soone as she rose to goe halfe vncloathed with her haire hanging down to take the aire in the garden to refresh and wash her selfe and visage in the siluered streames of the fountaine which ranue through the same he for a certaine péere of money promise of redemption out of bondage and setting at libertie of this her Morian slaue was by her let in to the garden where he hid himselfe in a thicke Arbour till the morning that his desired Thanais should come who according to her accustomed manner failed not Then he from his embushment seeing this faire yong creature comming couered with a single peticote of light sattin and abating the deawe with her bare féete whiter than Alabaster her fayre armes naked and beautefied with liuely whitenes being discouered her breasts borne out with two apples of yuorie or pappes of the same coulour lying open her head lightly trussed vp with a faire white kerchiefe of fine linnen behind the which one might behold her golden haires whereof one part vntrussed hong downe ouer her necke shoulders and another part frisseled and curled descended wauing
followed her alwaies vntil she was flowen verie farre of and reposed her selfe vpon a high trée attending him But the Archier Croniel who was vnder the trée seeing the foule at a faire aduantage bent his bow thinking to let flie an artowe to haue killed her but as hee was taking his marke with eager leuelling behold a Lionesse issued out of an olde ruined caue which was hard by where she nourished her yong and faire and softlie came stealing to assaile the poore Archier who gaue no béen at all sauing to his aforesaid marke and therewithal had strangled and carried him to her yong had not Franc-Gal who was not sarre off presently aduanced himselfe to the succeur of the poore Archier with his sword in his hand and the shield of azure with the Senue of golde in readinesse The Beast hearing the brute of the sounding harnesse for Franc-Gal was armed and the great noyse which he made in crying turned fiercelie against him and cast her mightie pawes vpon his shield with such a force that shee plucked it out of his hand but Franc-Gal so puissant as a Giant gaue her ouerthwart the sides such a stroke with his sword that he cut her bodie in two péeces wherewithall the beast dying gaue out such an horrible crie that two of her whelpes so yong that scarce they could créepe issued out of the ruined caue crying after their Dam. Franc-Gal séeing them said that of an euill beast no yong ought to be left and for that cause flewe them both and in terrour of others after the manner of Aphricke hung them vp by the tailes vpon a tree with the moities of the bodie of their Dam to the great astonishing of the Archier who being releeued out of the sodaine feare which he had by reason of the Beastes clawes greatlie meruailed of this readie sodaine and vnlooked for helpe and succour and of the valiauncie of this faire olde man for the which he thanked him right heartelie knowing for a certaine that it was hee which by the nighthe reuclation was showed him should saue his life And for that cause demaunded him what good fortune had brought him so happely to his rescue from the death and what hee sought in those Countreyes for by his personage armes and habit he knew him to be a stranger and promising him all aide and succour in anie thing wherein be might serue him I am come hether quoth Franc-Gal by following the augurie of a Bird prognosticating to me that shee would conduct me to the Sands at Orbe but thou by seeking to kil her hast caused me to lose her not regarding or taking heed thy selfe of the fierce and sauage beast which was behinde readie to deuoure thee whiles thou soughtest to eutrap and slay my guide which may be an example that oftentimes he which is a murtherer in will is murthered himselfe in déede the taker taken and the ender brought to an ende It is truth quoth the Archier and I acknowledge it and I confesse that without thy succour I had béen dead for the which most heartelie I thanke thée and in recompence of chasing away thy Birde which conducted thée I promise thee by the faith of an honest maÌ„ to lead thee whether thou wouldest goe and to aide thée in what I maye tell mee onelie whether thou meanest to goe I pretende quoth Franc-Gall to goe to the Sands at Orbe there to finde my faire and yong sonne Alector being wel brought vp and a valiant Squire whom the winde rauished and transported from me beeing vppon the Septentrion seas whom I shall neuer sée againe alas as the song of this auguring Bird hath presaged me Notwithstanding without him I neither can nor wil liue anie longer and therewithall Franc-Gall cast out great sighes from the bottom of his heart for with him he hath carried away my soule life as I haue foreseene in my dreame in Scythia vpon the Lyons skinnes O faire childe O meruailous infant fatallie engendered twice borne supernaturallie nourished growen vp before the time wise before age strong aboue nature hardy beyond humanitie adtienturouslie fortuned feared of the wicked beloued of the good yea of spirites who by iealouzie as I thinke haue rauished and carried thee I knowe not whether Must I for so small and briefe a time of enioying the presence of thine amiable person so long suffer the absence of thee that after my long and tedious peregrination heeretofore spent I must nowe againe trauerse the world to seek thee in feare and doubt whether euer to finde thee And at this word the bloudie teares departing from the depth of his heart enterrupted his speach insomuch that he remained a little space in silence and afterwards to begin his dolefull speach againe in this manner turning himselfe to the Archier And therefore my friend Archier I tell thee this that I haue lost a Sonne called Alector engendred of Priscaraxe Queene of Tartarie one of the wisest and fairest Dames vnderthe Heauens of the Moone whom I loue desire to see againe for I haue not seene her in moe than eight yeres neither is it lawfull for me to returne by reason of an othe which I haue taken before her without bringing her sonne made Knight either by my hand or by the hand of some other For the accomplishing whereof I haue alreadie assayed but alwaies failed yea and haue found my selfe impotent and forlorne of my members and tongue in going about it the cause thereof I cannot imagine vnlesse the Fates haue ordeined that his Knighthood shall hee giuen him by some other hand and not by mine the soueraigne graunt it may be of a better God grant it quoth the Archier but what are these Fates and Destinies whereof thou speakest are they anie puissances of Fortune which is nothing as I think No no quoth Franc-Gall I call the infaileable and immutable ordinances of souereigne God that ruleth al with his prouidence Fates It is right well spoken and most worthelie vnderstood quoth the Archier and so thou seest it is not the will ordained by the Souereigne that he shall be made Knight by thy hand it is to be vnderstood that it is reserued for a better without contrarying or being angrie therewith No more doo I quoth Franc-Gall neither am I sorowfull but for that I cannot finde my Sonne Aleâ—… without whom I cannot returne to the Queene Priscaraxe his mother neither can hee without mee by sworne promise which I doubt mee can neuer be accomplished of either of vs as my heart giueth me remembring the presages oracies visions and dreames which haue giuen me such significating And herevpon with greeuous sighing he helde his peace Which caused the Archier to imagine that the faire Esquier which hee vnderstoode was condemned to fight with the Serpent of the Sands might well hee the Sonne which this faire olde man went searchng and sorrowing for and therefore he said vnto him Thou strange man consolate thy spirit for I hope
Pilgrimes which would ascend vp to the souereigne Temple whereunto the waye was verie difficile by reason of the obscure pathes verie hard to be kept without conduct and light going before For which cause these thrée fatall Sisters were there constituted in that office to furnish the Pilgrimes trauellers with cierges aswell to lighten them in the waye wherein they are to walke as also to offer their oblations to God in the souereigne Temple And they gaue and distributed them not after one fashion but after diuers sorts euen as by fortune or rather by secret ordinance they came to their hands some being great and long some lesse and others verie small The first fatall Sister resident in the inferior Stage gaue to euerie one his cierge the second lightened them and the third finally put them out either before or after they were offered vp Now these fatall cierges were like the Brand of Meleager and in them consisted the life and death of those who receiued them and they carried them with such determination that so long as they burned and gaue light the person carrying them liued and incontinentlie so soone as by the office of Termaine they were put out at the same instant ended the corporall life of those who carried them For by the ordinance of Anange it was necessarie that once they should bee extinguished either by default or violence to the end that in offering them their sauour might ascend to God who was worshipped in the ancient Temple to be receiued or reiected good or euill according to the matter whereof they were made and according as they had béen vsed and handled honestly and purely or foiled broken or polluted filthelie and villainouslie And none or verie few were offered at the sacrifice during their liuely light but necessarily they must be by the three fatall Sisters extinguished either in default of matter or violent accident And yet neuertheles after they wer once lightened they remained in the arbitriall conduct enterteinment gouernment of those who had them in their keping with expresse defence of putting them out but constantly and clearly to carrie them vntill such time as Termaine had put her hand thereto Notwithstanding some either by enuious disdaine desperation or other euill affection would put them out before the time and spitefully cast them to the ground together with their bodies dying others would cut breake them in péeces of despite Some thinking to make them burne more clearely than their substance and wyke would permit did trouble snofe reuerse trauerse and blowe them in such sort that in a while they cōsumed them so as they endured but a short space Some others going about to stuffe annoynt grease them with olde oyles and other fat liquours thinking to make them last longer and adioyne to their first making being a thing impossible haue clean contrarie to their opinion euflamed more aboundantly and consumed more hastely rendring moreouer a smoke of most filthie sauor but contrariwise others there were who held and carried their faire cierges in a constant rightnes highly eleuated whereby they rendred light more apparant longer shining aswell to themselues as to those who went before and folowed them Others also adioyned thereunto Balme Myrrhe incense other aromaticall gummes seruing not onely to their shining but also causing them to leaue a most good and gracious smell after their putting out and sacred offering in the Temple where by the Sacrist Termaine they were extinguished and gathered together Howbeit all of them came not to the terme of receiuing in the end of their peregrination and offring of their cierges by the third fatall Sister Termaine but the greatest part failed by the way either by reason that the matter of the light was of so small durance as being of pitch rosell or terpentine or for being too little or ouer small of substance or by reason their wyke ouer grose in respect of the waxe or for that oftentimes they were violently put out by casualties hapning by the way specially by the blustering of windes by hurts and embushments of euill encountrie by raynes waters tempests other like accidents which put out the lights and so consequently kill those who carrie them because they were fatalized as hath béen showed before whereby it commeth to passe that the greatest part of the Pilgrimes perish by the way and neuer arriue at the third station of the fatall Sister Termaine noryet to the Temple to offer and present the sanour of their cierges Thus were these thrée sisters resident in thrée lodgings within this great Tower furnishing to the Pilgrimes the cierges of their conduct way and life which the first and highest presented them the second and lower lightened and the third and last put out and offered in the Temple But as the Poet diuinely singeth By fatall sort all things doo fall to ruine and decay From ill to worse and at the last consume weare away Euen so commonly it falleth out that the first munistcences are larger and more liberall than those which followe as all naturall things are best at the first So commeth it to passe that the cierges which haue béen first presented haue béen fairer longer and greater better fashioned and of better waxe and so consequently of longer indurance cléerer light Likewise the first men who receiued them were found more greater stronger like Giants as they were to carrie and eleuate them yea and more wise and apt to conduct and mainetaine them as those who knewe well that their life and death depended thereupon which they would neither dispraise despite nor haue in sorrowe but estéemed honoured and kept them right dearlie as the gift and grant of the great King of all kings in whose honour they would render it againe to him in his Temple in offer of their last voyage and to the termination of the last fatall Sister Termaine to whom all in a manner happely arriued without anie mal-encounter trouble or hurt Of the Macrobians their vertue and great age of the long lift of Franc-Gal and causes thereof CAP. 13. BUt amongst all those great light bearers the most prudent most aduised of spirite and the most strong and durable of bodie haue shewed themselues to be the blood of the Macrobians who were children of a good sage rich and noble laborer called Kamat and of a vertuous and excellent Lady and singular good Huswife called Madame Sophroisne who accompanied not themselues with rascals but on the contrarie estéemed it great honour and noblesse to employ bodie members and spirite to all honest and fruitefull labor and excerior exercise of the bodie and interior and temperate moderation of the minde And thereby haue sprung of their bloods most mightie Kings Princes and valiant Knights Cyrus the most renowmed King of Persia from them descended and tooke therein great glorie Agathocles King of Sicilia thereof vaunted The good Romaine Consull Marcus Curius thereby held himselfe honoured
as I can for thy sake who art my kinsman and hast not any more neede thereof as also for the honor of my Father who hath valiantly conquered it and for the beautie and vertue which I see and feele to be in it and therefore goe rest thy selfe in thy sepulcher and let me sléepe in peace The Gallehault in a terrible and feareful voyce saide vnto him horribly Restore me my shield And in so saying the great black knight which was a spright in the forme of Gallehault tooke the shield with both his hands which Alector had surely fastned and buckled about his shoulders and which the more he hild and embraced Wherefore this vmbragious black Knight lifted vp the shield in the ayre by a certaine force and spirituall puissance and carried vp Alector also who was fastned to the shield and at an instant caused him to loose ground and raised him vp so high in the ayre that his horse which hee might perceiue by the light of the cléere mome and whom he bewailed to loose séemed to him but a little Hare lying vpon the grasse by reason of the farre distance and height that the phantastical Knight had eleuated him carrying him through the lesser region of the ayre by the field whereat this Esquire was fastned hanging for it was not lawful for the knight to touch his person causing him to trauerse the ayre and winds striuing the one against the other so rudely that with great paine could hee fetch his winde for that the sodaine mouing tooke away the facultie of taking breath in so much that in three or foure howres hée had carried him more then twelue hundred miles from the place where hee had found him and a little before day he abased himselfe the height of a launce from the ground ouer a fayre green and soft meddow where the black Knight shooke the shield to shake off Alector but hee had so well buckled it and held it so fast imbraced as though it had beene borne and vuited with his bodie and armes And yet neuerthelesse for all the shaking Alector was not a whit astonished but remained assured as though hee had beene on firme ground through vertue of the shielde which he would not leaue saying thus Or ere I shall it leaue I will be slaine Els with or on thy back returne againe Hee had not so soone spoken the word but hee felt the shield loosed by the black Knight and hee fell downe vppon the grasse all astonished aswell for the change of the ayre as for the fall which was reasonable high Wherewithall this Spirite of the black Knight who had brought him thether for his good and who tooke pleasure to chafe the hot bloud of his hardie youth began to laugh far greater and louder then euer he did in the same voyce which hee had heard him laugh the day before Wherewithall Alector beeing irrited arose on his feete in great anger saying Hay my Lord Diuell the laugher it is then thou gentle Gallhea that mockest and laughest at mee when by misaduenture I fell to the earth like a lubber but if I could catch thee Is this euill done to laugh without dooing other harme quoth the spright thou threatnest mee vainelie and with iniurie for hauing done thée a good turne for if I would it is not yet one houre passed but that I might haue let thee falne from aboue the clouds vppon the hard rocks where contrariwise I haue let thee fall downe easily vppon the grasse and soft ground for not hurting thee And if I haue a little plaide the Frog with thee to laugh at the fire of thy pleasant youth it hath not béene for thine euill but for thy good For I am thy Kinsman and I loue thee and take delight to helpe thee as hereafter thou shalt vnderstand at such time as thou shalt haue neede of mee And knowe that it was I which chased thy horse to the fountaine to make him steale from vnder thee and to make thee fall with the shielde For which the poore innocent beast is now well punished for the sauage beasts of mount Caucas are descended in great nomber at the sent of his fresh flesh and haue deuoured and eaten him as likewise they would haue done thee being not able to saue thy selfe with all thy force and hardines if I had not transported thee from that place where I haue dwelt two yeares and more conuersing about the tree and Trophie alwaies in watch to hearken and attend thy comming and to saue thee my shielde which belonged to none but thee And all those that haue assayed to take it before thy comming I haue cast them downe headlong and ruinated them after diuers waies and after another order then thou art falne in somuch that they returned no more to take it downe For I kept it for thee and I giue it thee carrie it with thee and keepe it well so it shall stand thée in great stead many times Now is my wrath and guard atchiued I wil returne to my repose where I shal alwaies be readie to ayde thée in thy extreame necessities Salute in my behalfe thy father Franc-Gal whom through my meanes thou shalt fee this day for if I had not this night brought thee more then 1200. miles thou hadst neuer seen him reccon vnto him the things which thou hast seene and showe him this shield Tell him that Gallehault Macrobe whom he knoweth sendeth him word that very shortly hee will visit him to reuenge the mortall wound which he receiued of him to God I commend thee And thus as Alector would haue thanked him and demanded an interpretation of his sayings he sawe him soddainely changed into a long and cleere flame of fire like a tayled commet flying through the ayre more swifter than the shot of a Crosse bowe mounting still towards the higher Region through the which hee had béene brought and followed him still with the eye vntill he had lost the sight thereof Wherevpon knowing not what other thing to doo hee laid him downe with his shield vpon the grasse and remembring in himself the calke which he had had with Gallehault the great black Knight with the clouen head hee fell a sleepe in the fresh of the morning a little before the breake of the day at such time as all liuing creatures take sleepe by reason of the moystnes of the night falling The sad Augure that happened to Franc-Gal his encounterie with his Sonne sleeping the mutuall knowledge and talke held betweene them The killing of Troluat the Sea monster Their departure from Tangut and the losse of Alector carried away by the wind and the lamentacion of his Father and thereupon the arriuall of the two old men at Orbe CAP. XXI THis night I had not well slept by reason of an euill Augure which was happened to me the day before for as I was at a windowe in the pallace of Tangut where I was lodged there came flying towards me a