from all filthie phrases corrected in all erronious places and beautified vvith addition of many moral examples To the seconde although I be sometimes constreyned for the cadence of rimes or per licentiam Poeticam to vse an ynkehorne terme or a straunge vvord Yet hope I that it shall be apparant I haue rather regarde to make our natiue language commendable in it selfe than gay vvith the feathers of straunge birdes To the thirde reason may be obiected that if I vvere so desirous to haue my capacitie knovvne I shoulde haue done much better to haue trauelled in some notorious peece of vvorke vvhich might generally haue spred my commendation The vvhich I confesse But yet is it true that I must take the Foord as I finde it Sometimes not as I vvoulde but as I may And since the ouersight of my youth had brought mee farre behinde hande and indebted vnto the vvorld I thought good in the meane time to pay as much as I had vntill it might please God better to inable me For commonly the greediest creditor is appeased if he see his debitor vvilling to pay vvhē he hath any thing And therefore being busied in martiall affayres vvhereby also I sought some aduauncement I thought good to notifie vnto the vvorlde before my returne that I coulde as vvell persuade vvith Penne as pearce vvith launce or vveapon So that yet some noble minde might be incouraged both to exercise me in time of peace and to emploie mee in time of seruice in vvarre To the fourth and last considerations I had alledged of late by a right reuerende father that although in deede out of euerie floure the industrious Bee may gather honie yet by proofe the Spider thereout also sucks mischeeuous poyson VVherevnto I can none othervvise ansvvere but that he vvho vvill throvv a stone at euerie Dogge vvhich barketh had neede of a great satchell or pocket And if the learned iudgements and honest mindes doe both construe my doings aright and take therein either councell or commoditie then care I the lesse vvhat the vvicked conceyue of my conceytes For I esteeme more the prayse of one learned Reader than I regard the curious carping of ten thousande vnlettered lettered tattlers To conclude right reuerend as these considerations did specially moue me at first to consent to the imprinting of these posies so novve haue I yet a further consideration vvhich moueth mee most earnestly to sue for this second edition or publishing of the same And that is this I vnderstande that sundrie vvell disposed mindes haue taken offence at certaine vvanton vvordes and sentences passed in the fable of Ferdinando Ieronimi and the Ladie Elinora de Valasco the vvhich in the first edition vvas termed The aduentures of master F. I. And that also thervvith some busie coniectures haue presumed to thinke that the same vvas indeed vvritten to the scandalizing of some vvorthie personages vvhom they vvoulde seeme therby to knovv Surely right reuerend I smile to see the simplicitie of such vvho being indeed starke staring blind vvould yet seeme to see farre into a milstone And the rather I scorne their rash iudgements for that in talking vvith .xx. of them one after another there haue not tvvo agreed in one coniecture Alas alas if I had bene so foolishe as to haue passed in recitall a thing so done in deede yet all the vvorld might thinke me verie simple if I vvoulde call Iohn Iohn or Mary Mary But for the better satisfying of all men vniuersally I doe here protest vnto you reuerend euen by the hope of my saluation that there is no liuing creature touched or to be noted therby And for the rest you shall find it novv in this second imprinting so turquened and turned so clensed from all vnclenly vvordes and so purged from the humor of inhumanitie as percase you vvoulde not iudge that it vvas the same tale For although I haue bin heretofore contented to suffer the publication thereof only to the ende men might see my Methode and maner of vvriting yet am I novve thus desirous to set it forth eftsoones to the ende all men might see the reformation of my minde And that all suspitions may be suppressed and throughly satisfied by this mine vnfeined protestation vvhich I make vnto you in that behalfe Finally vvere it not that the same is alreadie extant in such sort as hath moued offence I should rather be cōtent to cancel it vtterly to obliuion then thus to returne it in a nevv patched cote And for full proofe of mine earnest zeale in Gods seruice I require of you reuerende most instantly that if hereby my skill seeme sufficient to vvade in matters of greater importance you vvill then vouchsafe to employ mee accordingly Surely you shall finde me no lesse readie to vndertake a vvhole yeares trauaile in anie vvorke vvhich you shall thinke me able to ouercome than I haue beene vvilling heretofore to spende three houres in penning of an amorous Sonnet Euen so being desirous that all men generally and you especially should conceiue of me as I meane I haue thus farre troubled your lerned eies vvith this plaine Epistle vvritten for my purgation in matters vvhiche else might both haue offended you and giuen great batterie to the ramparts of my poore credite The God of peace vouchsafe to gouerne and product you and me and all his in quiet of conscience and strength of spirit Amen From my poore house at VValtamstovv in the Forest this last day of Ianuarie 1574. To al yong Gentlemen and generally to the youth of England George Gascoigne Esquire by birth and Souldiour by profession wisheth increase of knowledge in all vertuous exercises GAllant Gentlemen and lustie youthes of this my natiue Countrey I haue here as you see published in print suche Posies and rymes as I vsed in my youth the which for the barbarousnesse of the stile may seeme worthlesse and yet for the doubtfulnesse of some darke places they haue also seemed heretofore daūgerous So that men may iustly both condemne me of rashnesse and wonder at my simplicitie in suffering or procuring the same to be imprinted A yong man well borne tenderly fostered and delicately accompanied shall hardly passe ouer his youth without falling into some snares of the Diuell and temptations of the flesh But a man of middle yeares who hath to his cost experimented the vanities of youth and to his perill passed them who hath bought repentance deare and yet gone through vvith the bargaine who seeth before his face the tyme past lost and the rest passing away in post Such a man had more neede to be well aduised in his doings and resolute in his determinations For with more ease and greater fauour may we answere for tenne madde follies committed in grene youth than one sober ouersight escaped in yeares of discretion Lycurgus the good princely Philosopher ordeyned that if an olde man perceiuing a yong man to commit any dishonestie did not rebuke but suffer him the aged
finde my sonne Phi. Yea how little am I beholdē to fortune that know not where my sonne is become and you whome I chose to be mine aduocate will nowe by the meanes of this Dulipo become mine aduersarie Cle. Sir let vs first goe find mine and I warrant you yours will be founde also ere it be long Phi. God graunt goe we then Cle. Since the dore is open I will neuer knocke nor cal but we will be bolde to goe in Li. Sir take you héede least he leade you to some mischiefe Phi. Alas Litio if my sonne be loste what care I what become of me Li. Well I haue tolde you my minde Sir doe you as you please Exeunt Damon and Psiteria come in Scena sexta DAMON PSITERIA COme hither you olde kallat you tatling huswife that the deuill cut oute your tong tell me howe could Pasiphilo know of this géere but by you Psi Sir he neuer knewe it of me he was the firste that tolde me of it Da. Thou liest old drabbe but I would aduise you tel me the truth or I wil make those old bones rattle in your skin Psi Sir if you finde me contrarie kill me Da. Why where should he talke with thée Psi He talked with me of it here in the streete Da. What did you here Psi I was going to the weauers for a webbe of clothe you haue there Da. And what cause coulde Pasiphilo haue to talke of it vnlesse thou began the mater first Psi Nay he began with me sir reuiling me bycause I had tolde you of it I asked him how he knewe of it and he said he was in the stable when you examined me ere while Da. Alas alas what shall I doe then in at dores olde whore I wil plucke that tong of thine out by the rootes one day Alas it gréeueth me more that Pasiphilo knoweth it than all the rest He that will haue a thing kept secrete let him tell it to Pasiphilo the people shall knowe it and as many as haue eares and no mo By this time he hath tolde it in a hundreth places Cleander was the firste Erostrato the seconde and so from one to another throughout the citie Alas what dower what mariage shall I nowe prepare for my daughter O poore dolorons Damon more miserable than miserie it selfe would God it were true that Polynesta tolde me ere while that he who hathe deflowred hir is of no seruile estate as hitherto he hath bene supposed in my seruice but that he is a gentleman borne of a good parentage in Sicilia Alas small riches shoulde content me if he be but of an honest familie but I feare that he hathe deuised these toyes to allure my daughters loue Well I wil goe examine hir againe my minde giueth me that I shall perceiue by hir tale whether it be true or not But is not this Pasiphilo that cōmeth out of my neighbours house what the deuill ayleth him to leape and laughe so like a foole in the high way Pasiphilo commeth out of the towne laughing Scena septima PHILOGANO DAMON O God that I might finde Damon at home Da. What the diuill would he with me Pas That I may be the firste that shall bring him these newes Da. What will he tell me in the name of God Pas. O Lord how happie am I loke where he is Da. What newes Pasiphilo that thou arte so merie Pas Sir I am mery to make you glad I bring you ioyfull newes Da. And that I haue nede of Pasiphilo Pas I knowe sir that you are a sorowfull man for this mishap that hath chaunced in your house peraduenture you thoughte I had not knowen of it But let it passe plucke vp your sprits and reioyce for he that hath done you this iniurie is so well borne and hath so riche parents that you may be glad to make him your sonne in law Da. How knowest thou Pas His father Philogano one of the worthiest men in all Cathanea is nowe come to the citie and is here in your neighbours house Da. What in Erostratos house Pas Nay in Dulipos house for where you haue alwayes supposed this gentlemā to be Erostrato it is not so but your seruaunt whom you haue emprisoned hitherto supposed to be Dulipo he is in dede Erostrato and that other is Dulipo And thus they haue alwayes euen since their first ariual in this citie exchaunged names to the ende that Erostrato the maister vnder the name of Dulipo a seruant might be entertained in your house so winne the loue of your daughter Da. Wel then I perceiue it is euē as Polinesta told me Pas Why did she tell you so Da. Yea But I thought it but a tale Pas Well it is a true tale and here they will be with you by and by both Philogano this worthie man and maister doctor Cleander Da. Cleander what to doe Pas Cleander Why therby lies another tale the moste fortunate aduenture that euer you heard wot you what this other Dulipo whome all this while we supposed to be Erostrato is founde to be the sonne of Cleander whome he lost at the losse of Otranto and was after solde in Sicilia too this Philogano the strangest case that euer you heard a mā might make a Comedie of it They wil come euen straight and tell you the whole circumstance of it themselues Da. Nay I will first goe heare the storie of this Dulipo be it Dulipo or Erostrato that I haue here within before I speake with Philogano Pas So shall you doe well sir I will goe tell them that they may stay a while but loke where they come Damon goeth in Scenese Cleander and Philogano come vpon the stage Scena .viij. SCENESE CLEANDER PHILOGANO SIr you shal not nede to excuse the matter any further since I haue receiued no greater iniurie than by words let thē passe like wind I take them well in worthe and am rather well pleased than offended for it shall bothe be a good warning to me another time howe to trust euery man at the first sighte yea and I shall haue good game here after to tel this pleasant story another day in mine owne countrey Cle. Gentleman you haue reason and be you sure that as many as heare it will take great pleasure in it And you Philogano may thinke that god in heauen aboue hath ordained your comming hither at this present to the ende I mighte recouer my lost sonne whom by no other meanes I coulde euer haue founde oute Phi. Surely sir I thinke no lesse for I think that not so much as a leafe falleth from the trée without the ordinance of god But let vs goe seke Damon for me thinketh euery day a yeare euery houre a daye and euery minute to much till I sée my Erostrato Cle. I cannot blame you goe we then Carino take you that gentleman home in the meane time the fewer the better to be present at such affaires Pasiphilo stayeth
had growen into such a stricte familliaritie with him that you might with more ease haue remoued a stone wal than once to make him think amis eyther of his wyfe or of hir louer Yea and immediatelie after this conference he woulde not sticke thus to say vnto his wife Lamia for so in déede was hir name thou hast thrée such busie brained sisters as I thinke shortlye their heads wyll breake they woulde haue me to bée iellous of thée no no Lamia c. so that he was not onely far from any such beléefe but furthermore dyd euerye daye increase his curtesies towards the louer The sisters being thus on all sides reiected and yet perceyuing more more an vnséemelye behauiour betwéene their sister and hir minion began to melt in their owne grease and such was theyr enraged pretence of reuenge that they suborned diuers seruauntes in the house to watch so dilligentlye as that this treason might de discouered Amongst the rest one mayde of subtile spirite had so long watched them that at last she spied them go into the chamber together and lockte the doore to them wherevpon she ranne with all hast possible to hir Mayster and toold him that if he would come with hir she would shewe him a very straunge sighte The gentleman suspecting nothing went with hir vntill he came into a chamber néere vnto that wherein they had shut themselues And she pointing hir mayster to the keyhole bad him looke through where he sawe the thing which moste mighte mislike him to behold Where at he sodaynely drewe his Dagger and turned towardes the mayde who fled from him for feare of mischiefe But when he could not ouertake hir in the heat of his coller he commaunded that she should forth wyth trusse vp that little which she had and to departe his seruice And before hir departure he found meanes to talke with hir threatening that if euer she spake any worde of this mistery in any place where she should come it should cost hir life The mayde for feare departed in silence and the Maister neuer changed coūtenance to either his wife or to hir paramour but fayned vnto his wife that he had turned a waye the mayde vpon that sodayne for that shee had throwen a Kitchin knife at him whiles he went about to correct a fault in hir c. Thus the good gentleman dranke vp his owne swette vnseene euery day encreasing curtesie to the louer and neuer chaunging countenaunce to his wife in any thing but onely that he refrayned to haue such knowledge of hir carnally as he in tims past had and other men haue of their wiues In this sort he continued by the space all most of halfe a yeare neuerthelesse lamenting his mishap in solytary places At last what moued him I know not he fell a gayn to company with his wife as other men do and as I haue heard it sayed he vsed this pollicy Euery time that he had knowledge of hir he would leaue either in the bed or in hir cusshencloth or by hir looking glasse or in some place where she must néedes finde it a piece of money which then was in Italie called a Caroline Thus he dealt with her continuallye by the space of fowre or fiue monethes vsing hir neuerthelesse very kindly in all other respects and prouiding for hir all things necessary at the first call But vnto his geast he still augmented his curtesie in such sort that you would haue thought them to be sworne brothers All this notwithstanding his wife much musing at these smal péeces which she founde in this sort and furthermore hauing sundrye times found hir husband in solitarye places making great lamentation shée grewe inquisitiue what should be the secréete cause of these alterations vnto whom he would none otherwise answere but the any man should finde occatiō to be more pensiue at one time than at another The wife notwithstanding increasing hir suspect imparted the same vnto hir louer alledging therewithal that she doubted verye much least hir husband had some vehemēt suspicion of their affaires The louer encoraged hir likewise declared that if she would be importunate to enquire the cause hir husband would not be able to kepe it from hir and hauing now throughly instructed hir shée dealt with her husband in this sort One day when shée knew him to be in his study alone she came into him and hauing fast locked the doore after hir conueyed the keye into hir pocket she began first with earnest entreaty and then with teares to craue that he woulde no longer kéepe from hir the cause of his sodaine alteration The husband dissimuled the matter still at last she was so earnest to know for what cause he left money in such sort at sundry times That he aunswered on this wise Wyfe quod hée thou knowest howe long wée haue béene married togeather and howe long I made so deare accompt of thée as euer man made of his Wife since which dayes thou knowest also howe long I refrained thy company and howe long againe I haue vsed thy company leauing the money in this sort and the cause is this So long as thou dyddest behaue thy selfe faithfullye towardes mée I neuer lothed thy company but sithens I haue perceiued thée to bée a harlotte and therefore dyd I for a tyme refraine and forbeare to lye with thée and nowe I can no longer forbeare it I giue thée euery time that I lye with thée a Caroline which is to make thée vnder stande thine owne whordome and this rewarde is sufficient for a whore The wife beganne stoutlye to stand at defiaunce but the husband cut of hir speach and declared when where and how he had sene it hereat the woman being abashed and finding hir conscience guilty of asmuch as he had aledged fell downe on hir knées with most bitter teares craued pardon confessing hir offence whereat hir husband moued with pitie melting likewise in floods of lamentation recomforted hir promising that if from that day forwardes she would be true vnto him he would not onely forgiue al that was past but become more tender and louing vnto hir then euer he was What doe I tarrye so long they became of accord and in full accomplishment thereof the gentlewoman dyd altogeather eschewe the company the speach and as much as in hir laye the sight of hir louer although hir husband dyd continue his curtesie towards him and often charged his wife to make him fayre resemblaunt The Louer was nowe onelye left in perplexitie who knewe nothing what might be the cause of all these chaunges and that most gréeued him he could by no meanes optaine againe the speach of his desired he watched all opportunities hée suborned messengers hée wroote letters but all in vaine In the ende she caused to bée declared vnto him a time and place where she woulde méete him and speake with him Being met she put him in remembraunce of all that had passed betwéene