thee Did not the carterly Ptholomy slay cowardly yâ— noble Pompey who a nobler Captaine theÌ„ the one who a viler Prince then the other Was not Caesar the onely man of his time and stabbed in by his trayterous Senatous who then hee a more noble Prince who then they more Traytourlike Rebels Yet in scaping all these scourings and biding all these bitter broyles in flinginge out too farre thou hap to be taken and in ventring some thing too muche thou come shorte home who will raunsome thée or who will acquite thee who wil set thée frée or who wil fetch thée backe Answer will be made he was foolishhardie and vnaduised vnruled and disdeyning to be refourmed let him therefore either raunsome himselfe or trie out his fortune What shall I say or what shall I do how shall I find thée out or how shall I fetch thée home where shall I séeke thée or in what part of the Countrey shall I looke for thée I dread the woorst and I feare thy fal I doubt thy danger and I dread thy death how can I hope thy health when there is no likelyhode of thy returne the time is not now to trie I feare me nor the place to be appointed thy life is alreadie alotted and thy death determined but honourably I wish thée come to thy graue and that thy death may be lamented of others But some will replie the death of the fielde is honourable and farre better then to be buried at home in a mans graue The death I confesse is honourable and the déedes commeÌ„dable but God giue thée that honour to die at home and to be buried in Vienna amongst thy friends at thy tumbling into the hole or the raking vp of thy bones thou mayest happe to get a volue of shot or a peale of Gunnes which any Souldiour hath so much and the greatest Captaine hath no more Tumbling himselfe amidst these doubtfull desires and tossing amongst these dreadful dangers he leâ—t his slouthfull bedde and rose out of his sincke of securitie thinking to abandon these curious cogitations by walking in the Féeldes to driue these fonde fancies into the open aire which purpose tooke so good effecte as he put it straight in practise where no sooner entred but his auntient remeÌ„brance and forepassed fancies of his faithfull friend and banished exile assailed him as before and troubled him as at the first for the floured feeldes were rather a helpe to renew his Rebellious than to put into obliuion his contrarie conceytes for let any man afflicted come into any Pallace of pleasure or fine fieldes furnished with fragrant floures if pleasantly disposed they augment his felicitie if pensiuely perplexed they encrease his sorowes he therefore that earst was pensiue can not there boast of his brauerie and he that before was afflicted can not there be reléeued But now he deuiseth what meanes he may worke to go to him and how to temper with his Father to get his consente now he hopeth then he doubteth now he flattereth himselfe that his Father can not denie him so reasonable a request then he feareth that he will deuine vpon some dreadfull daungers the troublesome trauell in that the Countrey lyeth full of Souldioures in euery corner and their robbing and spoyling of him who to packe their pouch full of redde Ruddockes or for the gayne of little gold regard not the murthering of a man and the selling of their Soule to the Diuell who is their good Mayster and so let him be let them serue him so long as they list and the best they can in the ende they come home by weeping Crosse and crie Peccaui now he doubted this and then dreaded some other thing now deuised and then vndid it againâ— now counsailed and then sette it at sale now bidde the bargaine and then drew his head out of the coller firste fayned then framed first agréed then decréede first propounded then renounced then he thought to bidde the bargaine was but the parte of a choyce Champion and to giue the assaulte but the duetie of a good Souldyours and he rather to aske than the other to demaunde his nay at the firste was no deniall nor his gaynesaying to stand as a bonde of aduantage the worst that could happe was but nay and the greatest deniall might in time be graunted Then he thought to frame some excuse and vnder some pretence to vndertake that voyage then hee remembred agayne that playne dealing was a iewell and the trueth woulde bée tried out in the ende Then agayne this troubled him the vncertaintie of his finding and the not knowing in what place he was if he should be gone from the Camp or be thrust into garrison into some Towne his Captayne he was not acquaynted withall neyther dyd hée know any that wente in his companie then thought he that to make suche spéedie poasting woulde grow to some suspition maruelling what his pretenced hast shoulde meane comming so lately home and but then refreshed of his forepassed trauell then hée thought to stay some time and to watche a season for the requesting of his suite this was the greatest certaintie and tooke surest effect Who then had séene him in this perplexitie and so rauished in his desires flattering still his fancie that he shoulde obtaine his desires and perswading himselfe he could not be denied his wittes ranne he knew not whither and his senses were seduced into sundry places his thoughtes were now in Naples and then in Wittenberge now in Vienna and then in Roome now in Germanie and then in Spayne Thus was Phemocles neuer contented but alwayes troubled till he had pouredfoorth the effect of his froward fancie vnfolded the inwarde cogitations of his doubled thoughts thinking then hée should be sufficiently satisfied that once obtayned which hee desired Octauian after the departure of Anthonie and his secrete flying was so incensed with outrage and enflamed with furie as he coulde not abide to heare him named or any man to speake of hym but submission made and pardon craued of his owne person when the boysterous blastes were ouerblowen and rigorous outrage put into obliuion hee gayned agayne that quiet caulme whiche contented him obtayned his pardon and gayned his fauoure whiche grewe greatelye to the aduantage of the common wealth Was not Peeter more faithfull after he receyued pardon for his offence and Paule must finde fault after he lefte persecuting Phemocles now imagined to get that by entreating whiche he coulde not gayne without asking and to obtayne that by fauoure whiche he shoulde neuer winne without friendship watching therfore a time so conuenient as he thought none could be more beneficiall and espying such place as he imagined he should not be gainesayed he plucked vp his spirits and spake thus to his Father Sir the idle spending of time and the wearing of a mans yong yeares without any profite is no meanes eyther to get credite or gaine riches to obtaine wisedome or to learne knowledge
for such a royster and my owne staffe my stale for so foolish a harbinger the stay of my simple state stolen away how shal my life be prolonged what shall I but morne in misery and pine in perplexitie But were these Letters sowre and were they not also sweete if they were bitter yet were they tooth some and though they were sharpe yet were they comfortable hée began roughly but ended gently reproued me sharply at the beginning but intreated mee fauourably at the end though he began with rigour yet ended he with reason with rigour nay with iustice rather for to punish offenders is a thing commended in the lawes of God spoken by his owne mouth and affirmed in the holy Scriptures why then should I escape or be forgiuen why should I not be payd my desarts and repayed according to iustice my case deserueth to be for euer reiected and neuer to atteyne the friendly fauour of my gratious Unckle agayne but séeing his goodnesse 〈◊〉 offered me such fauour his friendly countenaÌ„ce so requited my vniust desarts he like a good Shepeâ—earâ—e 〈◊〉 called me home one of the lost flocke I receyue his gratefull good will and reioyce so in his good offer 〈◊〉 earst I despaired euer to atteyne his fauour againe Sayling amidst these contrary cogitations and blowinge the coales of hys boyling brest hys Unckles man who had dispatched his affaires and ended his businesse entred the Chamber finding him more pleasantly disposed than he looked for and yet perceyuing by his countenance that he had read the contents of his pasported letter and found that whiche both comforted his stomacke and griped him at the gall both eased his maladie and encreased his griefe both moued his patience and framed his welfare to whome Eubulanus his Unckles man spake as followeth Sir Narbonus you haue I trust this tractable time of my absence and the while of this my long delay deliberated vpon the contentes of my masters letters and found at full the effect of their meaning pleaseth you therefore to reanswere them I purposely stay vpon their spéedie dispatch for to defer time serueth now to small purpose and to stay longer than the importance of my businesse requireth were great chargeâ— without likelyhoode of any profite he willed me to make hast and not to stay longer than of necessitie I must or forced to expect your answere for said he my Nephew will come I thinke with you and will not cause you stay vpon any matter or prolong any time about any thing whatsoeuer which if you purpose to goe or haue set downe with your selfe to put in execution I beséech you let it be with speede and applyed with hast the greatest that may be for the sooner wée are going with more spéede will be our ariuall and the longer we stay the more will be our charge Gramercies good Eubulanus answered Narbonus for thy dutifull diligence in doing me this pleasure and I thanke thée for the secret care thou hadst in the deliuerie of these my Letters as for my good Unckle I finde this his goodnesse so great and his kindnesse so much that so farre as my life shall reach and the vttermost boundes of my health permitte howsoeuer I shall be found ready to die at his féete and to offer my soule a sacrifice to do him such small pleasure as my little life will permitte as for thy great paines and carefull diligence shall be referred till some other time and driuen off for a more gratefull good turne till God graunt me somewhat more liberally to bestow on thee and send me to requite the vttermost of thy good wil meanewhile take the forfaiture of my faith the troth plighted of one that will not deale double as a most iust gage and a perfect pledge to pleasure thée howsoeuer Sir reanswered Eubulanus these small deserts little gratulations which I dutifully haue done and obediently fulfilled were forced by feare and constreyned by commandement by your Unckle and my Maister which of dutie extended so farre and therefore could do no lesse except I should haue shewed my selfe vndutifull or restreyned my seruice this therfore neither meriteth praise nor deserueth any fauour but if fortune be so friendly or my hap so happie that in matters of magnanimitie or works of waight my simple seruice might be sene or my willing mind made manifest the dutie to my maister reserued and my obedience towards him excepted you should not find any want of good will or my duty worthy blame so farre as my smal power were limited or within the compasse of my life whatsoeuer Narbonus giuing him the choyce of a thousand thankes and offering him any courtesie for his great good will shewed the effect of his hastie letters and the posting spéede that they required that his Unckles pleasure was hée should with speede come to Vienna and not to make longer tariance than necessitie required or the cause of the staying would permitte they therefore causing their Horsses to be in readinesse and trussing vp such trinckets as they could departed the morning ensuing almost without taking leaue of any or giuing a friendly farewell to his old friends and auntient companions These wayfaring trauellers rancke riders on their way towards Vienna some part of their iourney passed discoursed of suÌ„dry maters the estates of diuers townes so of their owne Weale publike and of the Towne of Vienna then of the Father of Narbonus so of his Unckle Sir said Eubulanus this youre iourney was framed in hast and furnished in post no sooner determined than ended and no sooner thought on then put in practise but had you knowen before the law to haue bin so laxatiue to your pursse and so peruerse to your purpose I thinke you would eyther haue constreyned the countrey to kept you or bin content your Unckles house should haue holdeÌ„ you Truth Eubulanus for the law is laborsom and very tedious and no loytering lozell may atteine vnto it or any trifling student euer come néere the perfection therof as for the countrey my care was coÌ„solation and my hardest hap blisseful bale the worst weale was great ioy and nothing contrâ—ried my purpose or disliked my doings But Sir if your study had bin strained your wit reiected you might haue atteined which now must vnnethes be gainsaide I Eubulanus had Alexander knowen after his valiant victories great coÌ„quests of the third part of the world he shuld haue left his life so soone or bin poysoned in Babylon he would neuer haue entred the walls or come within the gates and had Narbonus knoweÌ„ that Wittenberge had bin so full of wiles or this studie any thing so tedious he would neuer haue tarried the turning ouer of three leaues or the reading of one Author Truth Sir but you haue bought your witte before it was taughte and payde for your learning more than is woorth but the coult must be vsed to the bitte before he come to the saddle
one and to much of the other Wée thinke not scorne as did the Prodigall Childe to eate with the Swine and to deuoure our meate as they doo if wée eate not with them wee fill our paunches where they did feede wee haue no great choyce of dishes for hee that hath aboue one forfaiteth the other to the Prince and wee haue a law that any man may not eate aboue once in the day excepte hee haue meate when wee lay vs downe on our soft Fetherbourdes and thinke to take a litle nappe Maister Lowce â—ommeth craftely vnder one of our sides or else commeth stealing at our backes when we are sléepinge but I maruaile beeing a Spaniard borne that hée will so inuade vs in the night and of so auntient name yet come so craftely behinde vs hée layes on his lunchinge lippes of our flesh and leaueth not manching before hee haue filled his belly but though hée bite harde hee neuer eateth vs But Narbonus were this Marte now to make and this bargaine agayne to binde with my consente thou shouldest neuer hurte Souldiour excepte thou diddest steale away his dinner Thou mightest haue stayed in Vienna and looked to thy Unckles businesse kepte his accomptes and dispatched his matters conferred with his creditours and talked with his Tenauntes Nay thou mightest haue vsed the company of thy faithfull freend and talked with him in the Towne walked with him in féeldes and exercised thy selfe in his company thou pleased his fancy and hée lyked thy honesty learned lessons on thy Lute and sought out Songes and Sonets vsed instruments to refresh thy wittes and exercised recreatitions for the health of thy body but now thou must forget these thy pleasures past and recount thy miseries to come Thus tumblinge about in his Cabin first on this side then on that other now imagining this thinge and then an other quite contrary At last hée perceyued the dawning and saw the light come in vpon him not long after there came certaine of his acquaintaunce and some that wished him well tellinge him they had gotten lycence of his Captayne and a Pasport of his owne hands for foure dayes to rome the Countrey and to take what boote they could get Narbonus at this gentle offer made no denyall but starte vp and wente alonge with them the first day they spent and got iust nothinge the second day prooued as benificiall as the first the thirde night they came to a little Castle where they went in to take vp their lodginge for that they sawe the place to bée stronge and likely there should bee some thinge within it lookinge in euery hole and ransacking euery corner they hapt into a pigges stie or a swines house where they found sixe younge suckinge Pigges but the damme was not there which they imagined was taken away not long before or that same very day heare they made a great feast and here was greate cheare prouidinge but there was not one amongst them that was a cunninge Cooke or not any that could well dresse this meate but left almost halfe the haire strickinge on their backes and rosted them so yll that Narbonus by the space of thrée Monethes after felte no other sauour as hee thought but those stinkinge pigges and all the meate that hee eate as hee thought tasted of them the day followinge they returned homewarde and hasted to the Campe yet they could not make such haste but they were benighted nor goe so fast but that they were beguiled Therfore espying a faire Castle and a good place to lodge in they went into it and there tooke vp their lodginge they shut the doores close to them and makinge a greate fire layed them downe to sleepe Narbonus was very wel warmed but lyked not his bed hee therefore got to the top of a Cupborde standinge hard bye and there couched himselfe beeing sound a sléepe about midnight hee turned to the other side It happened his Pellet purse was open yet tyed fast to his Girdle and when hee had turned him selfe his Bullettes all dropped out and fell all scatteringe on the floure which beeinge bourded and the place where hee laye farre from the ground they made suche a noyse and so great a clatteringe as if twentie Gunnes had beene discharged one after an other The company that laye by the fire beeinge sound on sleepe starte vp so sodaynely as if they had beene assayled by the enemy cryinge out wée are betrayed wee are betrayed Narbonus sound a sléepe and starting vp to take his péece fell downe from the Cupbourde and made such a noyse with the fall as if the wall had beene broken downe vpon them or if one of the Chambers had fallen and with feare had litle hurte but was amazed with the fright but the company ran some one way some an other some tumblinge ouer their fellowes and some knockinge their shinnes agaynst the postes some ranne to the doores and others pulled out their Rapiers some sought for fire to light their Matches and some not throughly waked ran they knew not whether some quaked some quiuered some had forgotten where they had bestowed their furniture and some had lost their Gunnes In the ende one had lighted a waxe candle which was found in a Churche the day before Narbonus who perceiued the cause of this sodaine vproare and knew the euente of all this matter fell to perswading them and shewing them the occasion of this sodaine noyse some beleeued him and others denyed it then takinge the Candle and shewinge them the place where hée fell and the Bullettes not yet taken vp they beleeued that which was so manifest and doubted not of the matter when they sawe the truth before their faces When all was pacified and euery thinge quiet they fell in a great laughter to see their owne folly and iested out the matter merily for Narbonus was in all the faulte and hee had taken the greatest hurte afterwardes they slept soundly till it was day light and were not troubled with any moe such false alaromes so soone as it was day and that the sunne began to shine they marched towards the Campe and came home in good time but their gaines were small sauing they had filled their hungry paunches Not long after Narbonus wente foorth agayne beeinge requested by some his freendes who was better contented to goe abroade then to stay steruinge in the Campe where they trauailed all the day but found iust nothinge When it drewe towardes night they approched to a Castell not farre from them which they thought a commodious place for them to lodge in and good for their purpose This Castell was Moated and in the Dikes they found very good Fish and findinge Nettes in the house they drew great plentie out of the Moate beeing busied about the dressing of this fish and wearied with their trauaile beefore it grew late in the eueninge and by their imagination about tenne of the clocke It happened the night beefore there lodged other