so rychlye in such goodly order that it séemeth onely nature hath traueled to the adournyng thereof and besides these all other kynde of frutes doth so inoble and adorne this teretory or place that it semeth to resemble the famous wood of Thesalien remembered or spoken of by Heredotus Plinius Strabo Elias in his third booke of Hystorys diuers and not forgotten of the the Poets whiche place is frequented and assayled of the passers by especiallye of the Inhabytantes whiche bidde as it were battell to the Trées and fruâ—es Which Playne is set betwéene two small Hills on eueryside shadowing the flancks of this frutful Valley which is waterd with brookes or Riuers that with their pleasant murmur or swéete softe noyse do floate aboute this pleasant verdure naturall re ioysinge the eyes of man and serue for the pasture of the flock of sheepe and heards of cattell of all the countrye theraboute In this same earthlye Paradice and not farre from the sayd towne stands there a Castle named Chabry the Lorde wherof not long before espoused the Daughter of one of his neighbors called the Lord of Mas of whom our Historye hererafter shall make ofton mencion This younge Lady gouerned her life so modestly al the time of her youth that her honest chastitie was no lesse commended of all that knewe her then the chaste Lucrecia or Penelope But be it whether the hipocrisie so long hyd in the wicked hart of this Ladye could not any lenger couer the wickednesse therof without shewing some profe of the fruts of the same or whether that the grenenesse of her Husbands yeares being now for age come into a scortchy drynesse and withoute moysture had lost his strength or possible led by the naturall appetite of such as loue to change beinge now vppon the poynte of their age of a younge vertuous and chaste Lady she was now become an olde harlot and being tender and in the yeares of her youth gaue vnto all a more hope that is to say shewed more effect of her honesty then hir age did in the mortificaâ—ion of these heats proper to the follye of that vnbridled youth to the whiche they binde their affection and the effect of litle discription accordynge as they saye commonlyg that of a young holy Hermit oftentimes we sée the chaung to be transformed into an olde Deuyll This Ladye now comminge to yeares and Children began to muse of loue and to desire of her Husband that which could not be twice had and that whiche she her selfe had not so much desired when those flames are moste excéedinge in the gréennes of her yeres she not contenting her self now with the frosen and rare imbracementes of her Husbande she beganne to excogitate the meanes to satisfie her vnbrideled desyers and by that meanes beganne the mischife which after caused the ruine of her self and the perpetuall dishonour of all hers These are as you may see the effect of this wrecthed beast carnall pleasure to bring to man the plague or pestilence vnder the vizor of a cleare holsome ayre and to plong and drown the séely ship when the saylours shal think themselues most in queit harbor Who wil not confesse heere that loue is as it weare a certayne rage madnesse or fury séeing that she doth cause to doo violentlye that whiche ought to refraine and bridle those immodesties foolysh passions that she doth suggerate or put into our mindes Now there was dwelling in this Lagrasse a certaine Docter of the lawes an aduocate and a Citisen of the sayd towne This Docter for that he was of counsell with the Lords of Chabry in proces of time had so good credit both of the Lorde and Lady that oftentimes he entred into the chamber of the Lady her Lord being absent and woulde there consult with her in her Bed wherof the Lorde was nothing suspicious but it came that on a daye during the absence of the Lorde of Chabry this Doctour came to visyte and sée this Madame lying yet in her Bedde where hée bent him selfe to behold contemplate more liuely the bewty of the Lady whsoe liuely colloure her Age had nothing altered And with an intent farre otherwyse then hée was wont to ouersee the professe the Lord of Chabry Shée which sawe the Doctour youthfullye disposed And as sufficientlye able to furnishe the affayres appertayning to the bed as of matters in the Lawe whiche touched the house was nothing sorye to sée this Goate to beholde her so vnshamefastly but more bolde than any common harlot made no conscience to discouer that part of her bodye the which honestlye any shamefast woman coulde not nor ought to discouer And that with countenaunce and eyes so Lasciuious vndiscret that he that were least practised in the affayres of loue might easelye haue knowne and perceyued what prouendour the Horse nayghed for Iudge then if this Lawyer sufficiently practised in such deceyptes knew or perceyued that she most desyred or if hee forgat to commend the bewty or proportion of the well shape in members of this vnshamefaste Alcine Which in smyling wyse spake vnto him Alas Mayster Tolonio for so was hée called Is it not vnto me great dammage That my Lorde is so discrepite and olde that I can not nowe any more enioye that thing that it may content my pleasure and appetite being my selfe in suche disposition as you sée truelye this good man careth for no more but to mumble his Prayers and small Suffrages in the euening tyll he bée as coulde as Ise which doeth whollye coole in mée the heate of my first desyres And if at any tyme I doe aduaunce my selfe to styrre vp in him or to awake the forces of the fleshe alas it is no purpose so that wyll I or nyll I I must bée fayne to kysse as it were the Shéete with so great displeasure as I shoulde haue of contentment If I had a man worthy of mée which could accomplishe this appointment whiche is due in Marriage The Doctour hearing this right easelye vnderstood vnto what ende shée had discoursed this fayre Tale Aunswered Madam I suppose your Ladyship hath euer prooued and knowne mée for the Loyall and faithful seruitour of your house Neuerthelesse I beléeue vnder correction that my Lorde is not so farre spent that his age should let him to geue yet some contentacion to any Gentlewoman how yong or lustye so euer shee were The dishonest Ladye hearing him saye so aunswered Tolonio men iudge commonly of thinges at randome as they haue taken roote in theyr cogitacions through their owne onely opinions but those which haue knowne the effectes and whiche haue experimented tho contrarye maye speake without reproche and according to the truth of that which others hold not but by thought onelye you estéeme my Lord so valliaunt a Champion that by your wordes there is no armour which he is not able to péerce But I which doe féele his weakenesse cowardise and small force maye speake thereof
Princes I wyl shewe thée an example the which in auncient historyes is yet to bée séene in these wordes following Dionisius when he went to Conquere other Regions there were many of his folowers which being ouercome with age and extreame trauaile woulde neyther tarrye without a King neyther followe their Captayne wherefore comming to their Prince with Teares they desired him to take pittye of them to whome hée sayde My brethren and fellow souldiers laye your cares a side you haue followed mée a great while you haue often and long fought for mée and with mée I wyl nowe call others into their fortunes It is now time for you to take your rest and this shall remaine a reward for euer for your labours and trauailes settle your selues here and possesse you this fat Land whiche by your valiaunce I haue Conquered I doe nowe release you from all Warrelike laboures I wyll haue you to carrye the name of oulde Souldiours and to bée called here as your office shall bée to gouerne the common Weale to reproue the yll to prayse the good and from all other laboures you shall be frée to what people or countrey so euer you come too the King shall finde you meate Drincke and Cloathe you shall bée most honourable with all menne Princes shall offer you presents and shall geue you theyr owne Garments what so euer you saye shall bée allowed for trueth You shall hate Lyers and you shall iudge Traytours and those that haue yll Women you shall punishe with infamy the whole Lande shall be frée for you to haue safe trauayling and safe dwelling if any man shall offend or gréeue you with worde or déede hée shall dye by the sworde I doe farther appoint that my verye friende Spertembam shall bée Kynge of the Indies amongst you who shall appoint you necessaries and yerely stipendes who shall maintayne your priuiledges and hée shall holde you most honourable about him and you and your heyres shall counsayle him in whome if succession shall want let the election of the Indian Kinges bée amongst you and your Children Thus Dionisius comforting and perswading his Heroas departed with his army out of India whose office is to bée assistaunt to Kinges to bée a comfort to the common weale to aduaunce vertue and to punishe vice being no other of them selues but olde Souldiers the which after many and greate mischiefes endured and after many wonderfull Warres ended with most glorious Triumphes there strength drawne from them tyred with age are released from the toyling labors of warres and called to the court for counsaylers Octauius Augustus was of the same mynde and so lykewise was Marcus Anthonius and Marcus Crassus Thus the Romaines when there Warres were ended dydde styll determine of their olde Souldiours But why staye wée so long about so small auayle if thou mindest to prosecute as thou hast begonne beholde Venus Court is not so farre hence but that wée may walke thyther euen at our pleasures debating on these causes by the way as wée goe Sou. Yes surely if the Gods permit I wyl now doe my Message and the rather when thy Godhead hath so throughlye perswaded mée and so earnestly defended the souldiers cause we want such atturneis in England to pleade in their behalfes where I thinke of all other Countreys they are had in least estimation Mer. I thinke in déede a Souldiours credite in England is but of a small valewe yet not so small but their order of appointment in the tyme of seruice and that as well of Captaines as of other priuate Souldiers is vsed with as litle regarde Sou. I doe not vnderstand the meaning of these wordes but I perceyue they tend to some dislyking whiche although peraduenture some small abuse may bée committed in the choyse of our Souldiers yet for Captaines I thinke there bée none admitted but suche as iustlye maye not bée accused of any insufficencye Mer. Then omitting to speake of souldiers tyll some other occasion I wyll some thing saye of twoo sortes of Captaines whiche in tyme of seruice are as busye as the best to attaine charge and as it is greate pittye that the one sorte should bée parmitted so it were very good if the abuses of the other might bée reformed and the greatest cause that stirreth both these sortes to seruice as maye be supposed procedeth of one mocion which is the gripell desyre they haue of Princes paye The first sort which I meane bée such as wyll presume to take vppon them conduction being altogeather vnable and cleane voyde of experience no not so much as to place twoo hundred men in right order of araye The other bée such which although they be seruicable inough yet in the time of seruice wil make a cōmon profit by powling and pilling his Souldiers yea somtime wyll not sticke to deceyue the Prince by a slye deuise or twaine Such Captaines in times past there hath béene appointed and suche Captaines bée most readye to make meanes to bée appointed and it is nowe growne to a generall order in Englande that in the time of seruice hée that can best carrye fauour with this or that noble man hée is sufficient inough to take charge there pertaines no more to a Captaine but if hée may get my Lordes good wyll by meanes whereof there hath béene some appointed which if they came to the place where good seruice shoulde bée some were to farre vnfitte to performe the duetye of a Captaine or else such whose greatest care is howe hée maye deceyue both Prince and souldier of the paye Soul. Although it hath pleased thy Godhead to enter into this familyer discourse yet before I wyll presume to procéede any further I craue most humbly pardon least peraduenture in vsing many wordes some happe to bée amisse for that euerye honest minde of dutye is bound as much as in him lyeth to defende any infamye or reproche wherewith his Countrey is charged so it might fortune that I in respect of God wyl to defende those accusations whiche here thou hast pronounced against our Englishe Captaynes might fall into suche rashe reasoning as myght not well beséeme mée and so forgette that reuerence whiche to thy Godhead by right doeth appertaine Mer. As I am well pleased at this instant to argewe and debate these causes with thée so it shall nothing dislyke mée for any thing that thou shalt saye but woulde rather wishe thée to speake fréelye whatsoeuer thou thinkest maye best serue for thy purpose Soul. Then I doubte not but to make such reasonable answere in our Captains behalfes as may very well be permitted for good and sufficient excuses and nowe to speake of those first kinde of Captaines which here thou condempnest to be presumptious because they wyll attempt to take a charge notwithstanding theyr smal experience thinking the greatest mocion that should styrre them to it procéeded of desire of gaine nowe it might bée very wel supposed that if any
sweare vnto you by God that the onlie respect of your honor hath caused me too looke vnto it more neerely and to prouide for the same with discretion but if ye haue no regarde nether of your owne reputation nor of the honor of your chyldren I will so prouide that M. Doctor shal go serue his prosesse in some other place The blubbering malitious woman seeing the countenaunce gestures and words of hir sonne knowinng his passion to be more thē vehement and knowing also his humor doubted in hir selfe least he shoulde execute vppon Tolonio the vengeaunce of the secret death of hir husbande For this cause blushing with cholor and rage and powring foorth abondaunce of teares set hir selfe vpon the grounde so amased and confused that she was longe time inmoueable and as though she had béen spechlesse in the end hauing ouercome hir affectiōs dissembling hir anger aunswered hir Sonne with a trembling voice followed with an infinite number of sighes and sobbes almoste stopping hir wordes Alas sayde she what is he nowe that shall take vppon him the defence of the honour of this desolate wyddowe séeing hir owne children are the first that bring hir honestie in doubte and question where shall we finde fayth loyaltie good opinion and assurance if the proper bloude descended from our Entrayles doth so conspire agaynst our selues O miserable is the condition and state of our Sexe that when we thinke to haue certayne and sure rest euen at that tyme fortune dothe sorte and allot to vs hir priuie watches and ambushes to turne vs from the ease that we before pretended O my sonne my sonne are you of the number of those which iudge so rashely and at randon Make you so little accompte of the reputation and constancie of Ladies of honour Measure you their chastitie with the foolishe reprehensions whiche flowe out of the braynes of vayne talkers and euill speakers Alas it is not onely at this day but euer hath been accustomed that vertue is on euery side besieged with slaunder enuie and false imposition of crymes it is not I alone that endure these bitter and almoste insupportable iniuries and false accusations whiche nowe féele my selfe falsly slaundered of that villanie whereof I neuer thought They are not the Ladyes of my Chabry which suffer them selues to be so transported vnto the fonde appetites of the fleshe neyther is it from hencefoorth tyme that I shoulde thinke of these follies vnto the whiche I neuer gaue my selfe in my young yeeres ▪ Are you offended to sée Tolonio speake to me in secret Do you thinke it euyll that he entreth familiarly into my chamber Know you not that it is he only which knoweth al the affaires of the house and did execute the same in the lyfe time of your late Father my L. and husbande Ah wretched and infortunate woman that I am to sée my selfe so suspected who neuer thought nor aspired to any other thing thā to the encrese of your welth and Tolonio more infortunate to trauell take payne for the loue of you which promise none other thing vnto him for his rewarde than present deathe No no my sonne Tolonio is a very honest Gentleman and hath béene euer so taken and accompted of onely speake vnto hym of it and you shal see if that at your simple commaundement he do not forsake the house without returning at any time hereafter to anger you and then shall you know that our affections are farre otherwise then you thinke and that the fauour I shewe hym is rather for your profit aduauncement than for the pleasure that you falsly suspect in me which being your mother ought rather to be worthely commended of diligēce then to be accused wrongfully of incontynency The yong gentleman hearing the excuses of his mother and seeing hir so beblubbered with teares and attached with dolor although he coulde not blotte out of his fantasie that whche he had conceyued for certaine truth answered Madame I know not whether I am more moued to ioye or sorrowe séeing I am sory verily to see you so outraged with dolor griefe that the passion thereof redoundeth vpon mine owne soule in suche sort that the remembrance thereof doth penetrate euen to the profunditie of my heart and agayne ioyous to haue knowen you suche as you haue alwayes been and as I truste you will continue hereafter I desyre none other testimonie heereof but your owne honesty and vertue vnto the which I will adioyne myne heart and your promised worde as a symbole or token that I confesse that I haue done you greate wrong and you most iust occasion to complayn you of me neuerthelesse if you measure the affection that is in me and the reason which causeth me thus to speake withal beholde with what modestie I haue vnto you made this narration you woulde accepte it in as good parte as with good hart I haue declared it to you Pardon me Madame for my boldnesse with protestation that from hencefoorth I shal be more wise and sage to speake and better aduised to suspect the thing that may turne to such consequence She appeased hir selfe at the leaste shee feigned hir selfe contented attending till opportunitie might serue that she might execute vpon hir son the tragedy alredie begon vpon the father for she did not trust the wordes of the symple and vertuous young man thynking him of fayth to be as slippery as she her selfe was for such is the custome of the wicked to balance way the life of others by their own wicked déedes This newe Progue or rather Tigresse altogither set vpon the shedding of Innocent bloud infected with most wretched crueltie which had altered the swéetnesse of hir good nature into a rage moste desperate for the loue of hir Doctor determined to dispatche the worlde of hir sonne whatsoeuer should come of it to the ende she might liue more at hir ease without any that shoulde controll hir lyfe ▪ Nowe within the sayde castle of Chabry there was a highe Galarie betwéene two lodgings the planks wherof were very euill ioyned and the timber halfe rotten wherevpon this young Gentleman for his pleasure ordinarily was acoustomed to walke aswell for the pleasantnesse of the ayre as for the fayre prospect it had into the fields but especially into a most pleasant Garden replenished with all sortes of hearbes and frutes that man coulde deuise to imagyne whiche was the cause that the Pageant whiche before shee had premeditate was the sooner broughte to effect Thys detestable mother then one euenyng caused the knaue hir Doctor to vnnayle two or thrée bordes of the same Galarie and to disioyne them from the ioystes wherevppon they were layd that he that should treade vppon them shoulde fall downe headlong vppon the rockes in the dytches that laye vnderneathe As it fortuned to thys young Gentleman no lesse vnhappie in an vngracious mother than his Father had beene in a wycked wife for the daye