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
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
brings good hap or bredes mischaunce The furious flames of loue that neuer ceaseth sure Are loc the busie sailes and oares that would my rest procure And as in Skies great windes do blo My swift desires runnes fleting so As swete Zephyrus breth in spring time fedes the floures My mistresse voice wold ioy my wits by hir most heauenly powers And wold exchaūge my state I say As Sommer chaungeth Winters day She is the Artique starre the gracious Goddesse to She hath the might to make and marre to helpe or else vnde Both death and life she hath at call My warre my peace my ruine and all She makes me liue in woe and guids my sighs and lokes She holdes my fredome by a lace as fish is held with hokes Thus by despaire in this concaite I swallow vp both hoke and baite And in the deserts loe I liue among the sauage kinde And spend my time in woful sighs raisde vp by care of minde All hopelesse to in paines I pine And ioyes for euer doe resine I dread but Charons boat if she no mercy giue In darknesse then my soule shal dwell in Plutos raigne to liue But I beleue she hath no care On him that caught is in hir snare If she release my woe a thousand thankes therefore I shall hir giue and make the world to honor hir the more The Gods in Skies will praise the same And 〈◊〉 beare of hir good name O happy is that life that after torment 〈◊〉 And earthly sorowes on this mould for better life shal 〈◊〉 And liue amongs the Gods on high Where loue and louers neuer die O life that here I leade I freely giue thee now Vnto the faire where ere she rests and loke thou shew hir 〈◊〉 I linger forth my yeares and dayes To winne of hir a crowne of praise And thou my pleasant lute cease not my songs to sound And shew the tormēts of my mind that I through loue 〈◊〉 found And alwayes tell my Mistresse still Hir worthy vertues rules my will The Foster Louer The Foster louer singing this song sighing 〈◊〉 times betwene the trickling teares ranne downe his face who therby was so disfigured as searse could they haue knowen him which had all the dayes of their life frequented his companie Such was the state of this miserable yong gentleman who dronk with his owne wine balanced himself down to despair rather than 〈◊〉 the hope of that which he durst not loke for Howbeit like as the mischiefs of men be not alwayes durable that all things haue their proper season euē so fortune repenting hir euil intreatie which wrongfully she had caused this pore penetenciarie of Gineura to endure prepared a meanes to readuaunce him aloft vpon hir wheele euen when he thought least of it And certes herein appeared the mercy of God who causeth things difficult almost impossible to be so easie as those that ordinarily be brought to passe How may it héereby be perceiued that they which were plūged in the bottom 〈◊〉 defiance déeming their life vtterly forlorne be sone exalted euen to the top of all glory and felicitie Hath not our age séene that man which was by authoritie of his enimie iudged to die ready to be caried forth to the scaffold miraculously deliuered from that daunger and wherin the works of God are to be maruelled that same man to be called to the dignitie of a prince and preferred aboue all the rest of the people Nowe Dom Diego attending his fieldish Philosophy in the solitary valeis of the rich Mountaine Pyrene was holpen with helpe vnloked for as you shall heare You haue hard how he had a neighbor singuler frēd 〈◊〉 Noble gentleman named Dom Roderico This gētleman amongs al his faithful cōpanions did most lamēt the hard fortune of Dom Diego It came to passe 〈◊〉 months after that the pore wilde penitēt person was gon on his pilgrimage that Dom 〈◊〉 toke his iorney into Gascoine for diuerse his vrgēt affairs which after he had dispatched were it that he was gon out of his way or that God as it is most likely did driue him thither he approched toward that coast of the Pyrene mountains wher that time his good frend Dom Diego did inhabite who daily grew so weake féeble as if God had not sēt him sodain succor he had gained that he most desired which was death that shold haue ben the end of his trauails afflictions The traine of Dom Roderico being thē a bow shot off frō the sauage caben of Dom Diego they espied the tracts of mens féete newly 〈◊〉 and begā to maruel what he shold be that dwelled there cōsidering the solitude 〈◊〉 of the place also that the same was far of 〈◊〉 or house And as they deuised hereupon they saw a man going into a Caue which was Dom Diego comming frō making his cōplaints vpō the rock 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before From which hauing 〈◊〉 his face towarde that part of the world where he thought the lodging was of that saint wherunto he addressed his deuotiōs Dom Diego hearing the noise of the horsse was retired bicause he wold not be sene The knight which rode that way seing that knowing how far he was out of the way cōmaunded one of his men to gallop towards the Rocke to learne what people they were that dwelled 〈◊〉 to demaund how they might coast to the high way that led to Barcelone The seruaunt approching neare the caue perceiued the same so well empaled fortified 〈◊〉 beastres skins before fearing also that they were theues robbers that dwelled there durst not approche lesse enquire the way therfore returned towards his master to whom he told what he saw The Knight of another maner of metal hardinesse than that rascall and coward seruaunt like a stout couragious valiant mā 〈◊〉 to the caue demaunding who was within he sawe a man come forth so disfigured horrible to loke vpō pale with staring hair vpright that pitifull it was to behold him which was the seruaunt of the foster hermite Of him Roderico demaunded what he was which was that way to Barcelone 〈◊〉 answered that disguised person I know not how to answer your demaund much lesse I know the countrey wher we now presently be But sir said he sighing true it is that we be two pore cōpaniōs whome fortune hath sent hither by what il aduēture I know not to do penance for our trespasses offenses Roderico hearing him say so begā to cal to his remembrāce his friend Dom Diego although he neuer besore that time suspected the place of his above He lighted then frō his horsse desirous to see the singularities of that 〈◊〉 and the magnificence of that cauish lodging where be entred and saw him whome he sought for and yet for all that did not know him he cōmoned with him a long time of the pleasure of that solitary life in respect of
them that liued intangled with the cōbresome follies of this world Forsomuch quod he as that sprite distracted withdrawn frō worldly troubles is eleuable to the contēplation of heauenly things soner attendeth to the knowledge reuerēce of his God than those that be conuersāt amongs mē and to conclude the cōplaints that delites ambitions couetousnesse vanities superfluities that aboūd in the cōfused maze of worldly troup do cause a misknowledge of our selues a forgetfulnesse of our creator and many times a negligence of pietie and purenesse of religion Whiles the vnknowne Hermit the Knight Roderico talked of these things the seruaunts of Ro. visiting all the corners of the depe and stony cel of those penitēts by fortune espied two saddles one of thē richly wrought armed with plates of stéele that had bene méete for some goodly Ienet And vpon the plate well wrought grauen enameled the golde for all the rust cankring the plate did yet appear For which purpose one of thē said to that seruaūt of Dom Diego Good father hitherto I see neither Mule nor horsse for whome these saddles cā serue I pray 〈◊〉 to sel them vnto vs for they will doe vs more pleasure than presently they do you Maisters quod the Hermit if they like you they be at your cōmaundement In the meane time Roderico hauing ended his talk with the other Hermite without knowing of any thing that he desired said vnto his mē Now sirs to horsse leaue we these pore people to rest in peace let vs goe seeke for the right way which we so wel as they haue lost Sir quod one of his mē there be y. saddles one of them is so exceding faire so wel garnished wrought as euer you saw The knight feling in himself an vnaccustomed motion caused thē to be brought before him as he viewed marked the rich harnesse and trappings of the same he stayeth to loke vpon the hinder part minonly wrought in the mids of the engrauing he red this deuise in the Spanish tong Que brantare la fe es causa muy fea That is to say To violate or breake faith is a thing detestable That only inscription made him to pause a litle more For it was the Poesie that Dom Diego bore ordinarily about his armes which moued him to think that without doubt one of those Pilgrimes was the very same man to whome that saddle did appertain And therfore he bent himself very attentiuely afterwards to behold first the one then the other of those desert Citizens But they were so altered as he was not able to know thē again Dom Diego seing his friend so neare him the desire that he had to know him chafed very much in 〈◊〉 mind and the more his rage begā to ware when he saw Roderico approche neare vnto hym more aduisedly to looke vpon him for he had not his owne affections so much at commaundement but his bloud moued his entrailes and mounting into the euident place caused outwardly the alteration which he endured to appear Roderico seing him to chaūge colour was assured of that which before he durst not suspect that which made him that 〈◊〉 beleue that he was not deceiued was a little tuft of haire so yelow as golde which Dom Diego had vpon his necke wherof Dont Roderico taking heede gaue ouer al suspition was well assured of that he doubted And therefore displaying himself w e his armes opened vpon the 〈◊〉 of his friend imbracing him very louingly bedewing his face with teares sayd vnto him Alas my Lord 〈◊〉 Diego what euil luck frō heauen hath departed you 〈◊〉 that good cōpany of thē which die for sorow to see thēselues be reued of that beuty light ornamēt of their felowship What be they that haue giuen you occasion thus to eclipse the brightnesse of your name when it ought most clerely to shine both for your present pleasure for the honour of your age Is it from me sir that you oughte thus to hide your selfe Doe you thinke howe I am so blinde that I know not right wel you to be that Dom Diego that is so renoumed for vertue and prowesse I woulde not haue taried here so long but to beare away a power to reioyse two persons you being the one by withdrawing you from this heauie and vnséemely wildernesse and my selfe the other by enioying your companie and by bearing newes to your frendes who sith your departure do bewaile and lament the same Dom Diego seing that he was not able to conceyle the truthe of that which was euidently séene and féeling the louing imbracements of his best friende began to féele a certaine tendernesse of heart like vnto that which the mother conceiueth when she hath recouered hir sonne that was long absent or the chast wife the presence of hir deare husbande when she clepeth him betwene hir armes and frankely culleth and cherisheth him at hir pleasure For which cause not able to refrain any longer for ioy and sorow together weping and sighing began to imbrace hym with so good and heartie affection as with good wil the other had sought for his knowledge And being come againe to him self he sayd to his faithfull and most louing friend Oh God howe vneasie and difficult be thy iudgements to cōprehend I had thought to lyue here miserably vnknown to all the world beholde I am here discouered when I thought lest of it I am 〈◊〉 dede quod he to Roderico that wretched vnfortuante Dom Diego euen that your very great louing friende who werie of his life afflicted with his vnhap and tormēted by fortune is retired into these deserts to accomplishe the ouerplus of the rest of his yll lucke Now sith that I haue satisfied you herein I besech you that being content with my sight ye wil get you hence and leaue me here to performe that litle remnāt which I haue to liue without telling to any person that I am aliue or yet to manifest 〈◊〉 place of my abode What is that you say sir sayd Roderico are you so farre straught out of your right wits to haue a minde to continue this brutal life to depriue al your frends from the ioy which they receiue by inioying your cōpanie Thinke I pray you that God hath caused vs to be borne noble men hauing power and authoritie not to liue in corners and buryed amid the slaue rie of the popular fort or remain idle within great palaces or priuie places but rather to illustrat and giue light with the example of our vertue to them which applie themselues to our maner of good behauior do liue as depending vpon our 〈◊〉 commaūdements I appele to your faith what good shal succede to your subiects who haue both heard also known the benefit bestowed vpō them by god for that he gaue them a lord so modest and vertuous before they haue experimented