well trained vp in other things A case so straunge as declaring the singular force of nature in that matter wherin the séemeth to haue giuen the prefermēnt aboue all things in earth Examples hereof is the effemination of Hercules the depriuation of Samsons strength the losse of sense and the idolatrie of the famous and wise king Salomon and the simplicitie of a warelesse and vncircumspect Gentleman of whom ye shal reade the Historie Thurin as is well knowne to them that haue trauelled Piedmont is the ornament bulwarke of al the countrey so well for the naturall site of the place as for the artificial and industrious worke of mans hand which hath instaured and furnished with great magnificence that which nature had indifferently enriched for the rudenesse and litle knowledge of the time past Now besides this stately strong citie there standeth a litle town named Montcall a place no lesse strong and of good defense than well plāted in a faire and rich soyle In this towne there dwelt a Gentlewoman a widowe called Zilia beautifull amongs the most excellent faire Gentlewomen of the countrey which countrey besides the other happie heuenly influences semeth to be specially fauoured for hauing the most fairest and curteous Gentlewomē aboue any other within the compasse of Europa Notwithstanding this faire Zilia degenerating frō the nature of hir climate was so haggarde and cruell as it might haue ben thoughte she had bene rather nourished and brought vp amidde the most desert mountains of Sauoy than in the pleasant and rich champayn countrey watered and moistned with Eridanus the father of riuers at this day called the Pau the largenesse whereof doth make men to maruel and the fertilitie allureth euery man to be desirous to inhabite vpon the same This faire rebellious widow albeit that she was not aboue xxiiij or xxv yeres of age yet protested neuer more to be subiecte to man by mariage or otherwise thinking hir self wel able to liue in single life A minde truly very holy and cōmendable if the pricks of that flesh do obey the first motions and adhortations of the spirite but where youth pleasure and multitude of suters do addresse their endeuour against that chastitie lightly enterprised the Apostles counsell ought to be followed who willeth yong widowes to marie in Christ to auoide the temptations of the flesh and to flée offensiue slaunder and dishonor before men Now mistresse Zilia hir husbād being dead only bent hir selfe to enrich hir house and to amplifie the possession of a litle infant which she had by hir late departed husbande After whose death she became so couetous as hauing remoued and almoste cut off quite the wonted port she vsed in hir husbandes dayes imployed hir maids in houshold affairs thinking nothing to be well done that passed not through hir owne handes A thing truely more praise worthy than to sée a sorte of effeminate fine and daintie fingred dames which thinke their honor diminished if they holde but their nose ouer their housholde matters where theyr hande and diligence were more requisite for so much as the mistresse of the house is not placed the chiefe to heare only the reasons of them that labor but therunto to put hir hands for hir present eye séemeth to giue a certaine perfection to the worke which the seruauntes do by hir commaundement Which caused the historians in times past to describe vnto the posterity a gentlewoman called Lucretia not babbling amongs yong folish girles or running to feastes and Maigames or Masking in the night without any regard of the honor and dignitie of hir race and house but in hir Chamber sowing spinning and carding amids the troupe of hir maiden seruants wherin our mistresse Zilia passed the most parte of hir time spending no minute of the day without some honest exercise which she did for that she liked not to be séen at feasts and bankets or to be gadding vp and downe the streats wandring to gardeins or places of pleasure although to suche places youth sometimes may haue honest repaire to refreshe their wearied bodies with some vertuous recreation therby to reioyce the heauinesse of the minde But this Gētlewoman was so seuere in following the rigorous and constrained maners of our auncients that impossible it was to sée hir abrode except it were when she went to Mattens or other deuine seruice This Gentlewoman séemed to haue studied the diuinitie of the Egiptians which paint Venus holding a key before hir mouth setting hir foote vpon a Tortus signifying vnto vs therby that duety of a chast woman whose tong ought to be locked that she speake not but in time and place and hir féete not straying or wādering but to kéepe hir self within the limits of hir owne house except it be to serue God and sometimes to render our bounden duty to them which haue brought vs into light Moreouer Zilia was so religious I wil not say superstitious and rigorous to obserue customs as she made it very squeimish and straunge to kisse Gentlemen that met hir a ciuilitie which of long time hath bene obserued and yet remaineth in the most part of the world that Gentlewomen doe welcome straungers and guestes into their houses with an honest and chaste kisse Notwithding the institution and profession of this widow had wiped away and deferred this poynt of hir youthe whither it were for that she estéemed hir self so faire as all men were vnworthy to touche the vtter partes of so rare and precious a vessell or that hir great and inimitable chastitie made hir so strange to refuse that which hir duetie and honor would haue permitted hir to graunt There chaunced about this time that a gentleman of the Countrey called Sir Philiberto of Virle estéemed to be one of the most valiant Gentlemen in those partes repaired vpon an holy day to Montcall whose house was not very farre off the Towne and being at diuine seruice in place of occupying his sense and minde in heauenly things and attending the holy woords of a Preacher which that day declared the woorde of God vnto the people hée gaue himselfe to contemplate the excellent beautie of Zilia who hadde put off for a while hir mourning vaile that she might the better beholde the good father that preached and receiue a little aire bicause the day was extreame hotte The Gentleman at the first blushe when hée sawe that swéete temptation before his eyes thought hym selfe rapt aboue the third heauen and not able to withdraw his looke he fed hymselfe with the venome which by litle and litle so seased vpon the soundest partes of his minde as afterwards béeing liuely rooted in heart the Gentleman was in daunger still to remaine there for a guage without any hope of ease or comforte as more amply this folowyng discourse shall giue you to vnderstande Thus all the mornyng hée behelde the Gentlewoman who made no more accompt of them that with great admiration did beholde hir
garmente and Crowne was taken off from his head together with his other apparel The Executioner 〈◊〉 for commaundement to doe his office and lifting vp his sworde to do the facte 〈◊〉 King desired to sée the countenaunce of Ariobarzanes who neuer chaunged colour for all that terrour of death The King séeing the great constancie and inuincible minde of Ariobarzanes spake 〈◊〉 that all men might heare hym these wordes Thou knowest Ariobarzanes that it is not I whych haue wroughte thy condemnation ne yet by 〈◊〉 desyre haue soughte thy bloude to bryng thée to this extremitie but it hath bene thy yll disordred life and the statutes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which haue found thée guiltie and therevpon sentence and death pronounced and execution now redie to be done and the minister redie to aduaunce his arme to play the last acte of this tragedie And yet for that our holy lawes doe giue libertie that I may assoile and deliuer whome I list and them restore to their former state if nowe thou wilt acknowledge thy selfe vanquished and ouer come and accept thy life in gratefull part I will pardon thée and restore thée to thine offices and promotions Ariobarzanes hearing these wordes knéeled downe with his head declined and expecting the blow of the sworde lifted by himselfe and turning his face to the King perceiuing his malice not so sore bente against him as the enuie and malice of his ennimies desired he determined to proue and vse the pitifull liberalitie and fauor of his soueraigne Lorde that his foes by his death might not triumph ne yet attaine the thing for which so long they aspired Wherefore in reuerent wise 〈◊〉 before his maiestie with a 〈◊〉 perfect voice sayd these words Most victorious merciful soueraine Lord in equal worship and honour to the immortall Gods sith of thy abundant grace and mercie it hath pleased thée to graunt me life I do most humbly accept the same which if I wist should be prolonged in thy disgrace and wrath coulde not be pleasaunt vnto me and therfore do 〈◊〉 my self altogether 〈◊〉 ouercome I most humbly then do giue thée 〈◊〉 for preseruation of the same hoping hereafter to employ the vttermost of mine endeuoure for the benefite and honour of thy Crowne and dignitie as readily and without supplication made in my behalfe thou hast 〈◊〉 to restore the same And sith thy 〈◊〉 hath reuiued me thine humble 〈◊〉 I 〈◊〉 thy maiestie to giue me leaue to say my minde trusting thereby to doe thée to vnderstande the effecte and cause of that my former presumption The King made signes that he should rise and boldly speake the summe of his desire When he was vpon his féete silence was proclaimed who then began to speake these wordes Two things there bée most sacred Prince which doubtlesse doe resemble the raging waues of surging seas and the mutabilitie of vnstable windes and yet greate is the follie of an infinite numbre which imploy their whole care and diligence to séeke the same These two things wherof I speake and be so derely beloued of flattering courtiers are the grace and fauour of their soueraine Lord and the luring loue of Amorous dames which two things doe so often beguile the Courtly Gentleman that in the ende they engendre nought else but repentance And to begin with the loue of Ladies they as by common experiēce is proued most commonly do recline to their inferiours It is dayly sene by too much vnhappie proofe that a yong Gentlemā by birth comely and noble otherwise riche vertuous and indued with many goodly gifts shall choose and worship one for his soueraigne Ladie and maistresse and hir shall serue and honour with the same faith and fidelitie due to the immortall Gods and shal not sticke to employ for hir loue and seruice all the possible power and trauell be is able to doe and yet shée in despite of all his humble endeuour shal loue an other voide of all vertue making him possessour of that benefite after which the other séeketh and she not long cōstant in that minde afterwadrs will attend vnto the first suter but in such mouable and 〈◊〉 sort as the wandring starres through their naturall instabilitie be moued to and fro and him in the ende will suffre to fall headlong into the bottomlesse pit of dispaire and he that asketh hir the reason of this varietie she maketh none other answere but that hir pleasure is such and wilful will to dallie with hir suters that seldome times a true and perfit louer can fasten his foote on certaine holde but that his life is tossed vp and downe like the whirling blastes of the inconstant windes In like maner in the Courts of Kings and Princes he which is in fauour with his soueraigne Lord in al mens eyes so great and neare as it séemeth the Prince is disposed to resolue vpon nothing without his aduise coūsell when such fauoured person shall employ his whole care and industrie to maintaine and increase the cōmenced grace of his soueraigne Lorde beholde vpon the sodaine his mind and vaine is changed and an other without desert which neuer carked or laboured to win good will is taken in place cherished as though he had serued him an hundred yeares before and he that was the first minion of the Court in greatest grace and estimation is in a moment despised and out of all regarde An other within fewe days after shall be brought in place of the other twaine very diligent and carefull to serue trained vp in Courtly exercise whose mindefull minde shall bée so caring ouer his lordes affaires as vpon the safegarde and preseruation of his owne propre life But all his labour is employed in vaine and when the aged dayes of his expired life approch for the least displeasure he shall be thrust out without rewarde for former trauell that right aptly the Common Prouerb may be applied The common Courtiers life is like a golden miserie and the faithfull seruant an Asse perpetuall I haue séene my self the right wel learned man to 〈◊〉 in Court for want of meate and a blockish beast voide of vertue for lust and not for merite aduaunced and made a Gentleman But this may chaunce bicause his lorde is not disposed to lerning and vertue little estéeming those that be affected with good sciences for lacke of carefull trayning vp in youthfull days or else for that their mind can not frame with the gentle spirites of them the closets of whose brests be charged and fraught with infinite loades of lerning and haue not ben noscled in trade of Courtes ne yet can vse due courtly spéeche or with vnblushing face can shuffle them selues in presence of their betters or commen with Ladies of dame 〈◊〉 toyes or race of birth not mingled with the noble or gentle Sire For these causes perhaps that vertuous wight can not attain the happe of Fortunes giftes Which person though in Court he be not estéemed in
wife oweth vnto hir husband that I should desire to suffer the heat which burneth altereth the martired minds of those that subdue them selues 〈◊〉 loue Can such attempt pierce the heart of me to become amorous by forgetting straying from the limittes of honest life But what desire is this I haue a certaine vnacquainted lust yet very well know not what it is that moueth me and to whome I shall vow the spoile thereof I am truely more fonde and foolish than euer Narcislus was for there is neither shadow nor 〈◊〉 vpō which I can well stay my sight nor yet simple Imagination of any worldly man whereupon I can arrest the conceipt of my vnstayed heart and the desires which prouoke my mind Pygmalion loued once a Marble piller and I haue but one desire the coloure wherof is more pale than death There is nothyng which can giue the same so much as one spot of vermilion rud If I do discouer these appetites to any wight perhaps they will mock me for my labor and for all the beautie Noble birth that is in me they wil make no conscience to déeme me for their iesting stock to solace themselues with rehersall of my fond conceits But sith there is no enimie in the field that but simple suspition doth assaile vs we must breake of the same and deface the entier remembrance of the lightnesse of my braine It appertaineth vnto me to shew my self as issued forth of the Noble house of Aragon To me it doeth belong to take héede how I erre or degenerate from the royall bloud wherof I came In this sort that fair widow and yong Princesse fantasied in the nyght vpon the discourse of hir appetites But when the day was come séeing the great multitude of the Neapolitan Lords gentlemen which marched vp downe the Citie eying and beholding their best beloued or vsing talk of mirth with thē whose seruaunts they were al that which she thought vpō in the night vanished so sone as that flame of burned straw or the pouder of the Canon shot purposed for any respect to liue no lōger in that sort but promised the conquest of some friend that was lustie and discréete But the difficultie rested in that she knew not vpon whom to fixe hir loue fearing to be slaundered and also that the light disposition and maner of most part of youth wer to be suspected in such wise as giuing ouer all them whych vauted vpon their Gennets Turkey Palfreis other Coursers along the Citie of Naples she purposed to take repast of other Uenison than of that fond wanton troupe So hir mishap began already to spin the thréede which choked the aire and breath of hir 〈◊〉 life Ye haue heard before that M. Bologna was one of the wisest most perfect gentlemen that the land of Naples that tyme brought forth for his beautie proportion galantnesse valiance good grace without cōparison His fauor was so swéete and pleasant as they which kept him cōpanie had somwhat to do to abstain their affection Who then could blame this faire Princesse if pressed with desire of matche to 〈◊〉 the ticklish instigations of hir wāton flesh and hauing in hir presence a mā so wise she did set hir minde on him or fantasie to mary him wold not that partie for calming of his thirst hunger being set at the table before sundry sorts of delicate viands ease his hunger Me think the person doth greatly forget himself which hauing hādfast vpō occasion suffreth the same to vanish flie away sith it is wel knowne the she being bald behinde hath no place to sease vpon when desire moueth vs to lay hold vpon hir Which was the cause that the Duchesse becam extremely in loue with the master of hir house In such wise as before al men she spared not to praise the great perfectiōs wherwith he was enriched whō she desired to be altogether hirs And so she was 〈◊〉 that it was as possible to sée that night to be void of darknesse as that Duchesse without the presence of hir Bologna or else by talk of words to set forth his praise the continual remēbrance of whome for that she loued him as hir self was hir only minds repast The gentleman that was ful wise had at other times felt the great force of the passion which procedeth frō extreme loue immediatly did mark that coūtenāce of the Duchesse perceiued the same so nere as vnfainedly he knew that very ardētly that Ladie was in loue w e him albeit he saw the inequality differēce betwene thē both she being sorted out of the royal bloud yet knowing loue to haue no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 state or dignity determined to folow his fortune 〈◊〉 serue 〈◊〉 which so louingly shewed hir self to him Then sodainly reprouing his fonde conceit hée sayd vnto himself What follie is that I enterprise to that great preiudice and perill of mine honor and life Dught the wisdom of a Gentleman to straie and wandre through the assaults of an appetite rising of sensuality and that reason giue place to that which doeth participate with brute beastes depriued of all reason by subduing the mynde to the affections of the body No no a vertuous man ought to let shine in him self the force of the generositie of his mynde This is not to liue according to the spirite when pleasure shall make vs forget our duetie and sauegard of our Conscience The reputation of a wise Gentleman resteth not onely to be valiant and skilfull in feates of armes or in seruice of the Noble But nedefull it is for him by discretion to make himselfe prayse worthy and by vanquishing of him self to open the gate to fame whereby he may euerlastingly make himselfe glorious to all posteritie Loue pricketh and prouoketh the spirit to do wel I do confesse but that affection ought to be addressed to some vertuous end tending to mariage for otherwise that vertuous image shall be soyled with the villanie of beastly pleasure Alas said he how easie it is to dispute whē the thing is absent which can bothe force and violently assaile the bulwarks of most constant hearts I full well doe sée the trothe and doe féele the thing that is good and know what behoueth me to follow but when I view that diuine beautie of my Ladie hir graces wisdome behauior and curtesie when I sée hir to cast so louing an eie vpon me that she vseth so great familiaritie that she forgetteth the greatnesse of hir house to abase hir self for my respect how is it possible that I should be so foolish to dispise a duetie so rare and precious and to set light by that which the Noblest would pursue with all reuerence and indeuor Shall I be so much voide of wisedome to suffer the yong Princesse to sée hir self contempned of me to conuert hir loue to teares by setting hir mynde vpon an other to séeke mine ouerthrow
an other Lady a widow also that was very rich and so wel allied as any in all the land This Lady had a sonne whom she caused to be trained vp so wel in Armes and good letters as in other honest exercises proper and méete for a Gentleman and great Lord for which respect she had sent him to Barcelona the chiefe Citie of all the Countrey of 〈◊〉 Senior Dom Diego for so was the sonne of that widow called 〈◊〉 so well in all things that when he was 〈◊〉 yeares of age there was no Gentleman of his degrée that did excell him ne yet was able to approche vnto his perfections and commēdable behauior A thing that did so wel content that good Lady his mother as she could not tell what countenaunce to kéepe to couer hir ioy A vice very commen to fonde and folish mothers who flater them selues with a shadowed hope of the future goodnesse of their childrē which many times doth more hurt to that wanton and wilfull age than profit or aduauncement The persuasion also of such towardnesse full oft doth blinde that sprites of youth as that faults which folow the same be far more vile thā before they were wherby the first Table made in his first coloures of that imagined vertue cā take no force or perfection and so by incurring sundry mishaps the parent childe commonly eskape not without equall blame To come againe therefore to our discourse it chaunced in that time that the Catholike king deceased Philippe of Austrich which succéeded him as heire passing through Fraunce came into Spaine to be inuested and take possession of al his seigniories and kingdomes which knowen to the Citizens of Barcelona they determined to receiue him with such pompe magnificence and honor as duely appertaineth to the greatnesse and maiestie of so great a Prince as is the sonne of the Romane Emperour And amongs other things they prepared a triumphe at the Tilt where none was suffred to enter the listes but yong Gētlemen such as neuer yet had folowed armes Amongs whome Dom Diego as that Noblest person was chosen chiefe of one part The Archduke then come to Barcelona after the receiued honors and Ceremonies accustomed for such entertainment to gratifie his subiects and to sée the brauery of the yong Spanish Nobilitie in armes would place himself vpon the skaffolde to iudge the courses and valiance of the runners In that magnifique and Princely conflict all mens eyes were bent vpon Dom Diego who course by course made his aduersaries to féele the force of his armes his manhode and dexteritie on horsebacke and caused them to muse vpon his towarde 〈◊〉 in time to come whose noble gests then acquired the victory of the campe on his side Which moued King Philip to say that in al his life he neuer saw triūph better handled and that the same séemed rather a battell of strong hardy men than an excercise of yong Gentlemen neuer wōted to support the dedes of armes trauaile of warfare For which cause calling Dom Diego before him he sayd God graūt yōg Gentleman that your ende agrée with your goodly beginnings hardy shock of 〈◊〉 done this day In memory wherof I wil this night that ye do your watch for I mean to morow by Gods assistance to dub you knight The yong gentlemā blushing for shame vpō his knees kissed the Princes hāds thanking him most hūbly of the honor and fauor which it pleased his maiestie to do him vowing promising to do so wel in time to come as no mā shold be deceiued of their conceiued opinion nor the king frustrate of his seruice which was one of his most obedient vassals subiectes So the next day he was made Knight receiued the coller of the order at the handes of King Phillip who after the departure of his prince which toke his iourney into Castille retired to his owne 〈◊〉 house more to sée his mother whōe long time before he had not séene than for desire of pleasure that be in fieldes which notwithstāding he exercised so well as in end 〈◊〉 perceiued 〈◊〉 in townes cities to be an imprisōment 〈◊〉 respect of that he felt in Countrey As the Poets whilom fained loue to shote his arrows amid that 〈◊〉 forrests fertile fields sea coasts shores of great riuers and fountaine brinkes and also vpon the tops of huge and high Mountaines at the pursute of the sundry sorted Nymphes and 〈◊〉 dimigods déeming the same to be a meane of libertie to folow loues tract without suspition voide of company and lothsome cries of Cities where 〈◊〉 enuy false report and ill opinion of all things haue pitched their camp and raised their tents 〈◊〉 contrariwise frākly and without dissimulation in the fieldes the friend discouering his passion to his Mistresse they enioy the pleasure of hunting the naturall musike of birds and somtimes in pleasant herbers 〈◊〉 with the murmur of some running brookes they communicate their thoughts beautifie the accorde and vnitie of louers and make the place famous for that first witnesse of their amorous acquaintance In like manner thrice foure times blest 〈◊〉 they there who leaning the vnquiet toile that ordinarily doeth chaunce to them that abide in Cities do rendre 〈◊〉 y of their studies to the Muses whereunto they be most minded 〈◊〉 Dom Diego at his owne house loued cherished of his mother reuerenced and obeyed of his subiects after he had imployed some time at his study had none other ordinary pleasure but in rousing the Déere hunting the wilde Bore run the Hare somtimes to flie at the Heron or fearfull Partrich alongs the fields Forrestes pondes and stepe Mountaines It came to passe one day as hée Hunted the wilde Mountaine Goate which he had dislodged vpon the Hill toppe he espied an olde Harte that his dogges had found who so ioyfull as was possible of that good lucke followed the course of that swift and fearefull beast But suche was his Fortune the dogges lost the foote of that pray and he his men for being horssed of purpose vpon a fair Iennet could not be followed and in ende loosing the sight of the Déere was so farre seuered from companie as hée was vtterly ignoraunt which way to take And that which grieued him most was his horse out of breth skarse able to ride a false galloppe For which cause he putte his horne to his mouthe and blewe so loude as he could But his men were so farre off as they could not heare him The yonge Gentleman being in this distresse could not tel what to doe but to returne backe wherin he was more deceiued than before for thinking to take the way home to his Castle wandred still further off from the same And trotting thus a long time he spied a Castle situated vpon a little Hill wherby he knew himself far from his owne house Neuerthelesse hearing a certaine noyse of hunters thinking they had bene his people resorted
foloweth The Captaine then hauing sente his message and being sure of his intent no lesse than if he already had the brethren within his hold vpon the point to couple them together with hys wife to sende them all in pilgrimage to visite the faithfull sorte that blason their loues in an other worlde with Dido Phyllis and suche like that more for dispaire than loue bée passed the straictes of death caused to be called before him in a secrete place all the souldiers of the Fort and such as with whome he was sure to preuaile to whom not without sheading forth some teares and she wyng heauie countenance he spake in this maner My Companions friends I doubt not but ye be abashed to sée me wrapt in so heauie plight and appeare in this forme before you that is to say bewept heuy panting with sighes and al contrary to my custome in other state and maner than my courage and degrée require But when ye shall vnderstande the cause I am assured that the case which séemeth strange to you shall be thought iust and right and so wil performe the thing wherein I shall employe you Ye knowe that the first point that a Gentleman ought to regarde consisteth not onely in repelling the 〈◊〉 done vnto the bodie but rather it behoueth that the fight begyn for the defense of his honor which is a thing that procedeth from the mind and resorteth to the bodie as the instrument to worke that which the spirite appointeth Now it is honour for conseruation whereof an honest man and one of good courage feareth not to put himself in al perill and daunger of death and losse of goodes referryng himselfe also to the guarde of that which toucheth as it were oure owne reputation In suche wyse as if a good Captaine doe suffer hys souldier to be a wicked man a robber a murderer and 〈◊〉 exacter he beareth the note of dishonor albeit in all his doings he gouerneth hys estate after the rule of honestie dothe nothing that is vnworthy his vocatiō But what he being a head vnited to such mēbres if the partes of that vnited thing be corrupt and naught the head must needes beare that blot of the faulte before referred to the whole bodie 〈◊〉 sayd he sighing what parte is more nere and dearer to man than that which is giuen vnto him for a pledge and comfort during his life and which is conioyned to be bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh to breath forth one minde and thinke with one heart and equall will It is of the Wife that I speake who being the moytie of hir husbande ye ought not to muse if I say that the honour of the one is the rest of the other and the one infamous and wicked the other féeleth the troubles of such mischief and the wife being carelesse of hir honor the husbands reputation is defiled and is not worthie of praise if he suffer such shame vnreuenged I must Companions good friends here discouer that which my heart would faine kepe secrete if it were possible and must reherse a thing vnto you which so sone as my mouth woulde faine kepe close the minde assayeth to force the ouerture And loth I am to do it were it not that I make so good accompt of you as ye being 〈◊〉 to me with an vnseparable amitie will yeld me your cōfort and aide against him that hath done me this villanie such as if I be not reuenged vpon him nedes must I be the executioner of that vengeance vpon my self that am loth to liue in this dishonor which all the days of my life without due vltion like a worme wil torment and gnaw my conscience Wherfore before I go any further I would knowe whether I might so well trust your aide and succour in this my businesse as in all others I am assured you wold not leaue me so long as any breath of life remained in you For without such assurance I do not purpose to let you know that pricking naile that pierceth my hearte nor the griefe that greueth me so nere as by vttering it without hope of help I shall open the gate to death and dye withont reliefe of my desire by punishyng him of whome I haue receyued an iniurie more bloodie than any man can doe The Souldiers whyche loued the Captaine as theyr owne lyfe were sorie to sée him in suche estate and greater was their dolour to heare woordes that tended to nothyng else but to furie vengeance and murder of himselfe Wherefore all with one accorde promised their healpe and maine force towardes and agaynst all men for the bringyng to passe of that which he dyd meane to require The Lieutenant assured of his men conceyued hearte and courage and continuing hys Oration and purpose determined the slaughter and ouerthrowe of the thrée Trinicien brethren for that was the surname of the Lordes of Foligno who pursued hys Oration in this manner Know ye then my companions and good frendes that it is my wife by whom I haue indured the hurt losse of mine honour and she is the partie touched and I am he that am moste offended And to the ende that I doe not holde you longer in suspence and the partie be concealed from you which hath done me this outrage Ye shal vnderstande that Nicholas Trinicio the elder of the thrée lordes of Foligno and Nocera is he that against al right and equitie hath suborned the wife of his Lieutenant and soiled the bed of him wherof he ought to haue ben the defēder the very bulwarke of his reputation It is of him my good frendes and of his that I meane to take suche vengeaunce as eternall memorie shall displaye the same to all posteritie and neuer lords shall dare to doe a like wrong to myne withoute remembrance what his duetie is which shall teache him how to abuse the honest seruice of a Gentleman that is one of hys owne traine It resteth in you bothe to holde vp your hande and kéepe your promise to the end that the Lorde Nicholas deceiuyng and mockyng me may not trust put affiance in your force vnto which I heartily do recommende my self The Souldiers moued and incited with the wickednesse of their Lord and with the wrong done to him of whome they receyued wages swore againe to serue his turne in any exploit he went about and required him to be assured that the Trinicien brethren shoulde be ouerthrowne and suffer deserued penance if they might lay hands vpon them and therfore willed him to séeke means to allure them thither that they might be dispatched The Lieutenāt at these words renuing a chéerefull countenaunce and she wing himselfe very ioyful for such successe after he had thanked his souldiers and very louingly imbraced the chiefest of them reuealed his deuised pollicie hoped shortly to haue them at his comaundement within the Fort alleaging that he had dispatched two messangers vnto them and
those to whome he did owe all honoure and reuerence And do assure you that if he had 〈◊〉 below as he was vpon the rampire of the walles they hadde torne him into so many pieces as he had made gobbets of the Lord Nicholas bodie But séeing that they could not take him they went about to séeke the deliueraūce of them whome they thought to be yet aliue and one of the chiefe of the Citie in the name of them all shortly briefly answered him thus If malice did not well discouer it self in the sugred and traiterous composition of thy woordes O Captaine it were easie inough for an inconstant people bent to chaūge and desirous of innouations to heare and do that which such a traitor and flatterer as thou art doest propose but we hauing 〈◊〉 time indured nothing of the 〈◊〉 that sauoreth of tiranny cruelty or excesse we were no lesse to be accused of felonie than thou art guiltie of rebels crime by seasing vpon the persones of thy Lords if we should yelde credit to thy serpents hissing or lend aide to thy traiterous practise thou gost about against them who by innobling thée are traiterously bereued of that which concerned their reputation and greatnesse We 〈◊〉 an honest people and faithfull 〈◊〉 We will not be bothe wicked and vnhappy at once without cause expel our heads out of our common wealth when they shall perpetrate the mischiefs which thou hast alleaged for example Upon suche 〈◊〉 and straunge facts we shall take newe aduise and Councell To be short thou shalt pleasure vs to set our Lords at libertie and thou like a wise man shalt doe thy duetie and satisfie a people which easily can not indure that a subiecte doe wrong to those to whom he oweth 〈◊〉 And feare not to receiue any euill of them nor yet to feele anoyaunce for we will take vpon vs by honest meanes to craue pardone for thy fault how hainous so euer it be But if thou continue thine 〈◊〉 be sure that the Lord Conrade shall be aduertised and with al our power we shall succour him by force to let thée féele the nature of treason and what reward is incident to the practizers of the same The Captaine 〈◊〉 he was abashed with that answere and saw that it would not be well with him if he did not prouide speady 〈◊〉 and order for his affaires aswell for the comming of the Lord Conrade as of the brother of the Duke 〈◊〉 tolde the Citizens that within thrée or 〈◊〉 dayes he wold giue them a resolute answer and so it might be 〈◊〉 vnto their willes and dcliuer them whome he had in holde This gentle answer did nothing stay the Citizens for the accomplishment of that which they thought 〈◊〉 to doe knowing also that the gallant had not commenced that comedie but for other toyes which his 〈◊〉 head had framed for a further intended mischiefe for which cause they assembled their Councel and concluded that one should ride in poste to the Lord Conrade the third and remnaūt of the brethren that he might come to take order for the deliuerance of Nicholas and Caesar whom they thought he had reserued stil a liue in captiuitie The Nocerines shewed this curtesie not but that they wold gladly haue bene at liberty if the way had bene better troden aswell for the little trust they reposed in the Captaine who they thought would be no more gentle and faithful than he shewed himself to be loyall to his masters as for that Conrade was wel beloued of the Lordes his neighbors and specially of the imprisonned Duke and his brother Braccio Montone who had the Italian men of warre at his pleasure that the Noble men would assist him with all their power Wherfore they cōsidered that their fairest best way for auoiding of factiōs was to kepe themselues trustie true and by not hearkening to a traitor to bind their soueraigne Lord with such duety and obedience as the vnkindest man of the world wold cōfesse and acknowledge for the consequēce of a mater of such importāce The seditious captaine on the other side voide of hope and in greater rage thā 〈◊〉 was before persisted in his follie not without foreséeing howe he might saue himselfe which he had pollitikely brought to passe if God had not shortned his way by paiment of vsurye for his wickednesse and by the very diligence of them in 〈◊〉 he reposed his trust the manner and how immediately 〈◊〉 follow So soone as he had giuen ouer the Councell of the Citizens and a little bethought him what he had to do he called before him two yong men whome aboue all others he trusted best To these yong men he deliuered all his Golde Siluer and Jewels that they might conuey the same out of the iurisdiction of his Lords to the intent that when he sawe himselfe in daunger he might retire to the place where those gallants had before caried his furniture and moūting them vpon two good stéedes he let them forthe at the posterne gate praying them so soone as they could to returne aduertisement of their aboode and that spedely he wold send after them his children and the rest of his 〈◊〉 telling them that he specially committed his life and goodes into their handes and that in time and place he would acknowledge the benefite done vnto him in that distresse The two that were thus put in trust for sauegarde of his things promised vnto him Golden hilles and miracles but so soone as they hadde lost the sight of their master they deuised another complette and determined to breake faith to him which was forsworne and who made no conscience not onely to reuolt but also 〈◊〉 to kill his soueraigne Lordes They thought it better to ride to 〈◊〉 to tell that Lord Conrade the pitifull ende of his brethren and the imprisonment of the Duke of Camerino than to seke rest for him whome God permitted not to be saued sor his heinous sinne already committed and for that which he meant to do vpon his wife For all the diligence that the Nocerines had made yet were the Lieuetenauntes men at Treuio before them and hauing filled the 〈◊〉 of Conrade with those heauy newes and his eyes with teares his mind with sorow sprite with desire to be reuenged as Conrade was about to mount on horseback with the traine he had the Citizens were arriued to disclose the imprisonmēt of his brethren To whom Conrade made answere I wold to God my friends that the tirant had bene contented with the litle cruelty wherof you speake for then I wold find the meanes to agrée the parties vpon that knowledge of their variance But alas his malice hath passed further hath beastly slaine my brethren but I sweare by the almightie God that if he giue me life I wil take such and so cruell vengeaunce on him as he shall be a glasse to all his like to sée the punishmēt of a fault