he added the pride and insolent behauiour of the kyng the miserie and drudgerie of the people and how thei which in tyme paste were victours and Conquerours were made of men of warre Artificers and Labourers He remembred also the infamous murder of Seruius Tullius their late kpng These and suche like he called to the peoples remembraunce whereby thei abrogated and deposed Tarquinius banishyng him his wife and childrē Then he leuied an armie of chosen and piked men and marched to the campe at Ardea committing the gouernemente of the citie to Lucretius who before was by the kyng appoineted Lieutenant Tullia in the tyme of this hurlie burlie fledde from her house al the people cursyng and criyng vengeaunce vpon her Newes brought into the Cāpe of these euentes the kyng with greate feare retourned to Rome to represse those tumultes And Brutus hearyng of his approche marched an other waie because he would not meete hym When Tarquinius was come to Rome the gates wer shutte against hym and he hymself commaunded to auoide into exile The cāpe receiued Brutus with greate ioye and triumphe for that he had deliuered the citie of suche a tiraunte Then Tarquinius with his children fledde to Caere a citie of the Hetrurians And as Sextus Tarquinius was goyng he was flain by those that premeditated reuengement of olde murder and iniuries by hym doen to their predecessours This L. Tarquinius Superbus raigned .xxv. yeres The raigne of the kynges from the first foundacion of the citie continued CC.xliiij yeres After which gouernement two Consuls wer appoincted for the order and administracion of the citie And for that yere L. Iunius Brutus and L. Tarquinius Collatinus The siege of Rome by Porsenna and the valiaunte deliuerie thereof by Mutius Scaeuola ¶ The .iij. Nouell WHen P. Valerius and T. Lucretius were created Consuls Porsenna kyng of Hetruria vpon the instigacion of the banished Tarquinians came before the Citie with an huge armie Whos 's same did wōderfully appail the Senate for the like occasion of terrour neuer before that tyme chaunced to the Romanes who did not onely feare their enemies but also their owne subiectes suspecting lest thei should be forced to reteine the kinges again All which afterwardes was through the wisedome and discreciō of the fathers quietly mitigated and appeased and the citie reduced to suche a vnitie and courage as all sortes of people despised the name of king Whē the enemies were approched the rurall people abandonyng their colonies fledde for rescue into the citie The citie was diuided into guarrisons Some kepte the walles and some the waie ouer Tybre whiche was thought verie saufe and defensible Although the woddē bridge made ouer that Riuer had almoste been an open waie for the enemies entrie whereof Horacius Cocles as fortune serued that daie had the charge Who so manfully behaued himself that after he had broken vp and burned the bridge and dooen other notable exploites he defended that passage with suche valiance that the defence thereof seemed miraculous to the great astonishemēt of the enemies In fine Porsenna seyng that he could little preuaile in the afsault retourned to the Campe determynyng neuerthelesse to continue his siege At whiche tyme one Caius Mutius a yong gentleman of Rome purposed to aduenture some notable enterprise saiyng to the Senators these wordes I determine to passe the Riuer and enter if I can into the campe of the enemies not to fetche spoile or to reuēge mutuall iniuries but to hazarde a greater enterprise if the Goddes be assistaunt vnto me The Senate vnderstandyng the effect of his indeuour allowed his deuise And then hauyng a sworde vnder his garmente went foorthe When he was come into the throng he conueighed hymself as uere to the kynges pauilion as he could It chaunced that he was paiyng wages to his souldiours by whom his Secretarie did sitte in suche apparell almoste as the kyng hymself did weare Mutius beyng a ferde to demaunde whiche of theim was the kyng lest he should betraie hymself sodainly killed the Secretarie in stede of the kyng and as he was makyng waie with his blouddie sworde to escape he was apprehended and brought before the kyng and with merueilous stoutnesse and audacitie spake these wordes I am a citizen of Rome and my name is Mutius and beyng an enemie I would faine haue killed myne enemie For whiche attempte I esteme no more to die then I cared to committe the murder It is naturally giuen to the Romanes bothe valiantly to doe and stootely to suffer And not I alone haue conspired thy death but a greate nomber of vs haue promised the like and hope to aspire to seblable praise and glorie wherefore if this beginnyng doe please thee make thy self redie euery hower to expecte like perill and to fight for thy self And make accompte that euery daie euen at the doore of thy lodgyng thy enemie armed doeth awaite for thée we alone yong gentlemen of the Citie dooe stande at defiance and pronounce vpon thée this kinde of battaill Feare no armies or other hostilitie For with thée alone and with euery one of vs these warres shal be tried The king astoned with that holde and desperate enterprice fill into a greate rage and furie commaundyng Mutius presently to bée consumed with fire vnlesse he would out of hande tel him the order of the purposed and diuised treason Beholde O king q he how litell thei care for their bodies that dooe aspire and séeke for fame and glorie And then he thrust his right hande into the fire and rosted the same in the flame like one that had béen out of his wittes The kyng amazed with the straungenesse of the facte stepped doune from his seate and caused hym to be taken from the fire saiyng Awaie frende q the kyng thou hast killed thy self and aduentured hostilitie vpō thy self rather then against me Surely I would think my self happie if like valiance were to be found in my countrie Wherefore by lawe of Armes I sette thée at libertie vntouched and without harme wherevnto Mutius for acquilyng that deserte answered For as muche as thou hast thus honourably delte with me I will for recompence of this benefite saie thus muche vnto thée which by threates thou shouldest neuer haue gotten at my hādes Thrée hundred of vs that be yong noble men of Rome haue conspired thy death euen by the like attempt It was my lofte to come first the rest whē fortune shall giue oportunitie of tyme euery one his tourne will giue the aduenture Wherevpon he was dismissed and afterwardes was called Scaeuola for the losse of his right hande Then peace was offered to the Romanes who vpon cōdicions that the enemies guarrisons should be withdrawen from Ianiculum and that the countrie wonne of the Veientines should bee restored againe gaue hostages Emonges whom there was a gentlewoman called Cloelia deliuered into the handes of the Hetrurians who deceiuyng her keepers conueighed her self and the other pledges from their enemies and swimmyng
no more affection to Amadour and thought assuredly that she was voyd of reason bicause she hated all those thinges which she loued And from that tyme forth there was suche warre betwéene the mother and the daughter that the mother for the space of .vij. yeares woulde not speake vnto her except it were in anger Which she did at the requeste of Amadour During which tyme Florinda conuerted the feare that she had to remayne with her husbande into mere loue to anoyde the rigor and checkes of her mother Howebeit seing that nothing coulde preuayle she purposed to begyle Amadour leauing for a day or two her ser straūge countenaunce she counselled Amadour to loue a woman which as she sayde did commonly talke of their loue This Lady dwelt with the Quéene of Spaine was called Lorette who was very ioyful and glad to get suche a seruaunt And Florinda found meanes to cause a brute of this newe loue to be spred in euery place and specially the Countesse of Arande being at the Court perceyued the same who afterwardes was not so displeased with Florinda as she was wont to be Florinda vpon a tyme heard tel that the Captaine the husband of Loret began to be ialous ouer his wife and determined by some meanes or other he cared not how to kill Amadour Florinda notwithstanding her dissembling countenaunce could not suffer any hurt to be done to Amadour and therefore incontinently gaue him aduertisement therof But he retourning againe to his former sollyes answered that if it would please her to interteigne him euery day thrée houres he would neuer speake agayne to Loret whervnto by no meanes she would consent Then Amadour sayde vnto her if you will not haue me to liue wherefore goe ye about to defend me from death except ye purpose to torment me alyue in such wise that a thousand deathes can not doe But for so much as death doth fly from me I wil neuer leaue to seke death til I haue founde him out at whose approch onely I shall haue rest Whilest they were in these tearmes newes came that the King of Granado was about to enter into great warres against the King of Spaine in such wise that the King sent against him the Prince his sonne and with him the Constable of Castille and the Duke of Albe two auncient and sage Lords The Duke of Cardonne and the Counte of Arande not willing to tarrie behinde besought the King to giue eyther of them a charge Which he did according to the dignitie of their houses appointing Amadour to be their guid Who during that warre did suche valiaunt factes that they semed rather to be desperately than hardyly enterprised And to come to the effect of this discourse his great valiaunce was tryed euen to the death For the Moores making a bragge as though they woulde giue battayle when they sawe the army of the Chistians counterfaited a retire whome the Spaniardes pursued but the olde Constable and the Duke of Albe doubting their policie stode still against the wil of the Prince of Spaine not suffering him to passe ouer the riuer but the Counte of Arande and the Duke of Cardonne although they were countremanded did followe the chase and when the Moores sawe that they were pursued with so small a number they retourned and at one recountrie killed the Duke of Cardōne and the Counte of Arande was so sore hurt that he was left for deade in the place Amadour arriuing vpon this ouerthrowe inuaded the battayle of the Moores with suche rage and furie that he rescued the two bodyes of the Duke and Countie and caused them to be conueyed to the Princes campe who so lamented their chaūce as if they had bene his owne brethren But in searching their wounds the Countie of Arande was found to be aliue and was sent home to his owne house in a horslitter wher of long time he was sick and lykewise was conueyed to Cardonne the deade body of the yong Duke Amadour in rescuing those two bodyes toke so little héede to him selfe that he was inclosed with a great number of the Moores bicause he would be no more taken aswell to verifie his faith towardes God as also his vowe made to his Lady and also considering that if he were prisoner to the King of Granado eyther he shoulde cruelly be put to death or else forced to renounce his fayth he determined not to make his death or taking glorious to his enemies Wherefore kissing the crosse of his sworde and rendring his body and soule to the handes of almightie God he stabbed himselfe into the body with such a blow that there neded no second wound to rid him of his lyfe In this sorte dyed pore Amadour so much lamēted as his vertues did deserue The newes hereof was bruted throughout Spaine and Florinda which then was at Barsalone where her husbande in his lyfe tyme ordeyned the place of his buriall after that she had done his honorable obsequies without making her owne mother or mother in lawe priuie thervnto surrendred herselfe into the Monasterie of Iesus there to liue a religious lyfe receyuing him for her husband and friend which had deliuered her from the vehement loue of Amadour from a displeasaunt lyfe so great and vnquiet as was the company of her husbande In this wise she conuerted all her affections to loue God so perfectly that after she had long time lyued a religious life she yelded vp her soule in suche ioy as the Bridgrome doth when he goeth to visite his spouse A Duke of Florence The incontinencie of a Duke and of his impudencie to attayne hys purpose with the iust punishement which he receyued for the same ¶ The Liiij Nouell IN the Citie of Florence there was a Duke that maryed the Ladye Margaret the bastarde daughter of the Emperour Charles the fift And bicause she was very yong it was not lawfull for him to lye with her but tarying til she was of better yeres he vsed her very gently Who to spare his wyfe was amorous of certayne other Gentlewomen of the citie Amongs whome he was in loue with a very fayre wise and honest Gentlewoman that was sister to a Gentleman whome the Duke loued so well as himselfe to whome he gaue so much aucthoritie in his house that his worde was so well obeyed and feared as the Dukes himselfe and there was no secrete thing in the Dukes minde but he declared the same vnto him that he might full well haue bene called a seconde himselfe The Duke seing his sister to be a woman of so great honestie had no wayes or meanes to vtter vnto her the loue that he bare her after he had inuented all occasions possible at length he came to this Gentleman which he loued so well and sayde vnto him My friende if there were any thing in all the worlde wherein I were able to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you and woulde not doe it at your request I shoulde be
called Beyng come before her presence She saied vnto him Gyges I offer vnto thee now two condicions take whether thou wilte For either thou muste kill Candaules and take me to thy wife and the kyngdome also or els thou must die thy self that thou maiest vnderstande how in all thynges not meete to be knowen it is not necessary to obeie Candaules For either he must needes die whiche gaue thee that counsaile or thy self whiche diddest sée me naked and therby committed a thyng vnlawfull Whiche woordes for a while did wonderfully amase Gyges then he beseched the Quene that she would pardon hym frō that vnlawful choise When he sawe that he could nor perswade her he required her to shewe him by what meanes he might attempte that enterprise Marie q she euen in that place where thou sawest me naked when he is a slepe thou shalte committe that facte After thei had deuised the treason nighte approched And Gyges with stoute courage bente hymself therevnto For he sawe no remedie but that he must kill or els be killed Wherefore with a Dagger whiche the Quéene deliuered hym he killed Candaules when he was a slepe And so gotte from him bothe his wife and kyngdome A goodlie example to declare that the secretes of Marriage ought not to be disclosed But with reuerence to bee couered lest God dooe plague suche offences with death or other shame to manifeste to the worlde how derely he estemeth that honourable state Kyng Craesus of Lydia reasoneth with the wiseman Solon of the happie life of manne Who litle esteming his good aduisee Understoode before his death that no mā but by vertue cā in this life attaine felicitie ¶ The .vij. Nouell A Noble gentleman of Athenes called Solon by thappoinctment of the Athenians made lawes for that citie and bicause none of the same lawes should bee abrogated for the space of tenne yeres he bounde the Citizens by othe And that the same might the better bee obserued he hymself trauailed into farre countrees as into Egipte to visite king Hamasis and so to Sardis to kyng Craesus where he was liberallie interteigned This Craesus was kyng of Lydia sonne of Haliattes that brought to subiectiō great Countries in Asia and Graecia and gathered together an innumerable masse of money and richesse Who three or fower daies after the arriuall of Solon whiche was ledde aboute by his seruauntes to viewe his notable wealthe and substaunce saied vnto Solon these woordes My frende of Athens bicause thy famous wisedome is well knowen to the worlde and I haue heard tell of the excellencie thereof and of the greatenesse of thy trauell where thou haste attaigned to the singuler knowledge of Philosophie I desire to learne of thee now hauyng seen my greate treasures who is the happiest man and moste blessed that thou knowest in the worlde Thinkyng he would haue iudged hym to be the same But Solon made answere that Tellus was the happiest Who was an Athenien and had vertuous and honeste soonnes and thei likewise had honest children all whiche were that tyme liuing And when by the space of many yeres he had ledde a vertuous and godlie life he died an honourable death in the warres whiche the Athenians had with their neighbors at the battaill of Eleusina Where he was indued with sumptuous funeralles to his greate honour and praise Then Craesus asked him who was happie next Tellus thinkyng he would haue attributed to him the second place For so the q he that is Cleobis and Bito whiche were Argiues and liued a contented life And in all pastimes to proue force and maisterie thei bare awaie the prise and victorie And of theim these thynges be remembred When the feastfull daie of Iuppiter was celebrated emonges the Argiues Tkeir mother should bee caried to the Temple in a Chariotte drawen with a yoke of Oxen whiche were not come out of the countrie at the appoincted time The yonge men seeyng that the hower was come entred into the yoke theimselues and drewe the chariotte the space of xlv stades to the Temple After this acte seen of all the people there th ende of their life was suche as certainly God gaue to vnderstande by theim that better it is to dye then liue For the Argiues that were assembled about Bito and Cleobis with shoutes and acclamacions praised the good willes of those children and the women themselues saied that happie was the mother whiche brought for the suche lineage Their mother then ioyfull for that facte and of the reputacion of of her sōnes kneled doun before the Image of Iuno hūbly beseching her to giue to her sōns the thing that wer best for a mā to attain vnto Her praier ended she made her sacrifice which doen the .ij. yong men presently died in the temple In tokē of whose noble liues the Argiues erected .ii. images at Delphos And to thē Solō appointed the second place of blisfulnes Craesus moued with these wordes said vnto Solō Thou stranger of Athenes is our felicitie in suche litle reputacion with thee that thou doest preferre before vs these priuate mē Solon answered Sir shall I assure you of humain thynges knowyng that God enuieth the state of men and troubleth thē so often In lēgth of time many thinges be séen whiche mē would not se and many thinges be suffred that men would not suffer Lette vs assigne to mās life the terme of .lxx. yeres In which yeres are the nomber of .xxv. M.cc daies in whiche computaciō the leape moneth whiche is February is not cōprehended But if you will that other yeres be lōger by reason of that moneth to th ende the howers maie be adioined to thē that wāt then the leaps monethes maketh the tyme to amount aboue .lxx. yeres to .xxv. monethes and the daies of those monethes amoūt to M.v. C. But admit that .lxx. yeres with their leape monethes be the totall somme of mans life then is producted the sōme of .xxvi M.CC. daies Truelie one daie is not like an other in effecte Euen so Craesus I conclude that man is full of miserie But although your grace seemyng bothe in welth also in multitude of men to be a rich mightie king yet I cannot answere fully your demaūde before I se how wel you do ende your life For the riche mā is not happier bicause he hath lōg life excepte to his riches fortune graunt that he leade a good honest life Many men be verie riche yet for all that be not blessed happie And many that haue but mean wealth be fortunate He that is riche welthie and therwithall not happie excelleth hym that is fortunate happie onely in .ij. thinges but thother surmounteth the riche mā in many thinges The .ij. thinges wherin the riche excelleth thother be these Th one in satisfiyng his lust affectiō thother in power abilitie to sustein ill fortune and aduersitie And as the mean man is inferior to the riche in those .ij. poinctes whiche
passion and that he coulde not long prolong his lyfe without the fauoure of her good grace who onely was the very remedy of his euill The Duchesse pestred with suche like talke sayde vnto him Sir Countie me think you ought to haue satisfied your self with my first refusall wythout further continuance in the pursuing of your rash enterprise Haue you forgotten the place that you kepe and the honor whervnto my Lorde the Duke my husband hath exalted you Is this now the loyall reward that you rendre vnto him for creating you his Lieutenant ouer all his landes and seigniories to demaunde the preheminence of his bed Assure your selfe for finall warning that if euer hereafter you shal againe fal into lyke error I sweare vnto you by the fayth of a Princesse that I will make you to be chastised in suche sorte as all semblable Traytors and disloyall seruaunts shall take example The Earle seing him selfe refused and thus rebuked and in doubt that the Princesse would make her husband to vnderstand his enterprise vpon his retourne chaunging this great loue into an hate more than mortall determined whatsoeuer should come thereof to inuent all meanes possible vtterly to destroy the Duchesse And after that he had fansied diners things in his minde he deuised by the instinct of the diuell to cause one of his Nephewes being of the age onely of xviij or .xx. yeares which was his heire apparant for that he had no children one of the fayrest and best condicioned Gentlemen of all Thurin to sort that deuilish attempt to purpose m And finding opportunity one day he sayde to the yong man that depended wholly vpon him these wordes Nephewe thou knowest that all the hope thou hast in this worlde lyeth in me alone making accompt of thée as of my childe And for that it pleased God to giue me no children I haue constituted and ordeined thée my sole and onely heire with ful hope that from henceforth thou wilt accompt thy self most bounde vnto me and therefore obedient in all thinges which I shall commaunde thée specially in that which may be moste for thine aduauncement The Duke as thou knowest is absent old and croked and at al houres in the mercy of death through daungers of the warres Nowe if he should chaunce to dye my desire is to mary thée with some great Lady Yea and if it were possible with the Duchesse her selfe which God knoweth what profit it would bring both to thée and thine in my iudgement an easie matter to compasse yf thou wilt despose thy self after my counsell or at least wyse if thou canst not come to the title of husband thou mayst not fayle to be receiued as her friend Thou art a comely Gentleman in good fauor with the Duchesse as I haue oftentimes perceyued by her communication albeit that holding fast the bridle of her honor she hath bene afrayd hitherto to open her selfe vnto thée Spare not my goods make thy selfe braue from henceforth whatsoeuer it cost and be diligent to please her in al that thou mayst and time shall make thée know that which thy tender yeares hath hitherto hidden from thée The poore yong man giuing sayth to the vnfaythfull inuentions of his vncle whom he counted as his Father began ofte to frequent the presence of the Duchesse and shamefastlye to solicite her by lookes and other offices of humanitie as nature had taught him continuing that order by the space of a moneth Which perceyued by the Duchesse she was diligent for her part to accept the honest affectionate seruice that the yong man daylie did vnto her and shewed vnto him likewise a certaine courteous fauor alwayes more than to the reste of the Pages aswell for the birthe and beautie where withall nature had enriched him as for that she fawe him enclined to doe her seruice more than the rest not thinking of anye dishonest appetite in the yong man nor of the malice of his vncle who hauing none other felicitie in the world but in reuenge of the Duchesse his enimie not able to beare the cruel vengeaunce rooted in his heart determined to play double or quitte And calling hys Nephewe before him he sayde vnto him My childe I doe perceiue and sée that thou art one of the most happiest gentlemen of all Europe if thou knewest how to followe thine owne good luck For the Duchesse not onely is amorous of thée but also consumeth for earnest loue which she beareth to thée But as thou knowest women be shamefast and would be sued vnto in secrete and doe delight to be deceyued of men to th ende it might séeme howe with deceit or force they were constrayned to graunt that vnto them which of their owne mindes they woulde willingly offer were it not for a little shame fastnesse that withdraweth thē And thereof assure thy selfe for I haue oftentimes experimented the same to my great contentaciō Wherfore cre dit my Councell and folow mine aduise And thou thy self shalt confesse vnto me before to morrow at this time that thou arte the happyest man of the worlde I will then that this night when thou séest conuenient time thou shalt conuey thy selfe secretely into the chamber of the Duchesse and to hide thy selfe a good way vnder the bedde for feare of being perceyued by any creature where thou shalt remaine vntill an houre after midnight when all men be in the depth of their sléepe And when thou perceiuest euery man at rest thou shalt closely rise and approching the Duchesse bedde thou shalt tell what thou arte and I am sure for the earnest loue which she beareth thée and for the long absence of her husbande she will courteously receyue thée betwene her armes feast thée with such delicate pleasures as amorous folke doe their louers The simple yong man giuing fayth to the wordes of his vncle that was honored as a King thinking perhaps that it procéeded by the persuasion of the Duchesse followed his commaundement and obeyed wholly his trayterous and abhominable request And oportunitie founde accomplished from point to point that which his cruell vncle had commaunded who a little before midnight fearing least his treason should be discouered tooke with him thrée Counsellors and certayne other of the Guarde of the Castle Whervnto as Lieutenant to the Duke he might both enter issue forth at all times when he lift and without declaring hys enterprise went straight to the portal of the Duchesse chambre knocking at the dore sayd that the Duke was come Which being opened he entred in with a number of lightes accompanied with the Guarde hauing a rapier ready drawen in his hande like a furious man besides himselfe began to loke round about and vnder the bed of the Duchesse from whence he caused his owne propre Nephewe to be drawen To whom without giuing him leasure to speake one word for feare lest his mischief should be discouered he sayd O detestable villaine thou shalt dye and there
olde Earle which neuer thought that a request so vniust and dishonest would haue procéeded oute of the mouth of a King with frank and open hart offred that liberall graunt The king then thinking that he had sounded the depth of the Earles affection chaunging colour his eyes fixed on the ground sayde vnto him Your daughter the Countesse of Salesburie my Lorde is the onely medicine of my trauayles whome I doe loue better than my owne life and doe féele my selfe to inflamed with her Heauenly beauty that without her grace and fauour I am not able hereafter to lyue for thys consideration syth you desire to doe me seruice and to preserue my lyfe I praye you to deale so with her that she with compassion may looke vpon me Crauing this request at your handes not without extreme shame considering aswell your honorable state as your auncient merites imployed vpon me and my progenitoures But according to your modestie and accustomed goodnesse impute the faulte vpon amorous loue which in such wise hath alienated my libertie and confounded my heart that now ranging out of the boundes of honor reason I féele my selfe tormented vexed in minde Wherby I am prouoked to make this request and not able to expell the mortal poyson out of my heart which hath diminished my force intoxticated my sense and hath depriued my minde from all good counsell that I can not tell what to do but to séeke to you for helpe hauing no kinde of rest but when I sée her when I speake of her or think vpō her And I am at this present reduced into so pitifull state that being not able to winne her by intreaties offers presents sutes ambassages and letters my onely and last refuge and assured port of all my miseries resteth in you eyther by death to ende my lyfe or by force to obtayne my desire The Earle hearing the vneiuile and beastlye demaunde of his soueraigne Lorde blushing for shame and throughlie astonned filled also with a certayne honest and vertuous disdayne was not able to dissolue his tongue to render a worthy aunswere to the afflicted Prince Finally lyke one awaked from his deade sléepe he sayde vnto him Sir my wittes fayle my vertue reuolteth my tongue is mute at those words that procéede from your mouth wherby I fele my self brought into two so straunge and perillous poyntes that passing eyther by one or other I muste néedes fall into very great daunger But to resolue my selfe vpon that which is moste expedient hauing giuen vnto you my fayth in pledge to succour and helpe you euen to the abandoning of honor and lyfe I will not be contrarie to my wordes And touching my daughter for whom you haue made request I will reueale vnto her the effect of your demaunde yet of one thing I muste tell you sir power I haue to entreate her but none at all to force her Inoughe it is that she vnderstande of me what heart and affection you beare vnto her But I doe maruell yea and complayne of you pardon me most dradde soueraigne and suffer me without offence to discharge my griefe before your presence rather than to your shame and myne eternall infamie it should be manifested and published abrode by other I saye that I maruell sir what occasion moued you to commit such reproch in my stocke bloude and by an acte so shamefull and lasciuious to dishonor the same Which neuer disdayned to serue both you and yours to the vttermost of their powers Alas vnhappy father that I am is this the guerdon and recompence that I and my children shal expect for our trusty and faithfull seruices Oh sir for Gods sake if you liste not to be liberal of your owne seke not to dishonour vs and to inflict vpon our race suche notable infamie But who can loke for worse at the hands of his mortall and cruell enemie It is you euen you it is most noble Prince that doth rauishe my daughter of her honor dispoyle me of my contentation ye take from my children hardinesse to shewe their faces from all our whole house the auncient fame and glory It is you that hath obscured the clearenesse of my bloude with an attempt so dishonest and detestable that the memorie thereof shall neuer be forgotten It is you that doth constraine me to be the infamous minister of the totall destruction of my progenie and to be a shamelesse Pandarus of my daughters honor Thinke you sir that you meane to helpe and succoure me when others shal attempt to obiect before my face this slaunder and reproch but if your self doe hurte me where shall I hereafter seke reliefe and succour If the hand which ought to helpe me be the very same that doth giue me the wound where shall the hope be of my recouerie For this cause may it please your Maiesty whether iustlie I doe make my complaynt and whether you giue me occasion to aduaunce my cryes to the heauens your selfe shall be the Iudge For if like a Iudge in dede you doe giue ouer your disordinate affectiō I then appeale to the iudgement of your inuincible mynde accomplished with all curtesie and gentlenesse On the other side I doe lamente your Fortune when I thinke vpon the reasons which you haue alleaged and the greater cause I haue to complayne bicause I haue knowen you from your youth and haue alwayes déemed you at libertie and frée from suche passions not thrall or subiect to the flames of Loue but rather giuen to the exercise of armes And nowe seing you to become a prisoner of an affection vnworthy your estate I can not tell what to thinke the noueltie of this sodayne chaunce semeth to be so straunge Remember sir that for a little suspicion of adulterie you caused Roger Mortimer to be put to death And being skarce able to tell it without teares you caused your own mother miserably to die in prisō And God knoweth how small your accusacions were and vpon howe light ground your suspicion was conceyued Doe not you knowe how wonderfully you be molested with warres and that your enemies trauell daye and night to circumuent you both by sea lande Is it now time then to giue your selfe to delightes to captiuate your minde in the pleasures of Ladies Where is the auncient generositie nobilitie of your bloud Where is the magnanimitie valour wherewith you haue astonned your enemies shewed your selfe amiable to your friendes and wonderful to your subiects Touching the last point wherby you threaten that if my daughter doe not agrée to your desire you will forcibly enioy her I will neuer confesse that to be the fact of a valiaunt and true king but of a vile cowardly cruell and libidinous tyraunt I trust it be not the pleasure of God that nowe at the age you be of you will begin to force Gentlewomen that be your humble subiectes which if you do this Iland shal lose the name of a Realme and hereafter