Shall be condemned to the Diuell Vpon the bird Phoenix One onely of himselfe hath beene Whom neuer man as yet hath seene Vpon the Dolphin carrying Arion on the Seas The friend of man is God whose grace Doth him defend in euerie place Vpon the figure of the Nightingale Each spirit in earth and heauen aboue Singeth to Ioue praises of loue Vpon the Palme tree The lower fortune dooth thee abace The higher to heauen lift vp thy face Vpon the flower de Lis. Whom vertue hath endued With honour is renued Vpon the Rose A pure soule as I suppose To God is like a fragrant Rose Vpon the Marygold Towards the Sonne diuine Turne thou both spirit and eyne Thus with such images statues and simulachres of men birds beasts serpents fishes trées plants and other things naturally and liuely portrayed grauen erected cut diuersely figured with painting colouring guilding siluering and gemining the interior part of the temple was so illustrately decorated and enriched and séemed so light some fayre delectable and honorable to behold and so instructiue in the inscriptions with the contemplation of these fayre things outwardly showing and declaring the glory of God and by the windowes of the eyes entring into the vnderstanding to illuminate the same that they rauished the interior spirites with an ineffable admiration of the bountie greatnes and puissance of God yelding the temple so deuout religious reuerent adorable and Emperiall that those who entred therein found themselues transumed and diuinely rauished as it had beene in a trance Such was the interior ornament of the Temple in the middest whereof was the place of Sacristee eleuated vpon thirtéene stayres of Marble and porphirie of all coulors and aboue that was the Altar erected builded and wrought after the rusticall fashion with all kinde of rude stones in the propertie and naturall fashion without cut worke or pollishing of mans hand And vpon that was laid euen and leuell a fayre great and large table of artificiall emerauld in forme foure square hauing thirtéene foot in euerie square and set iust right vnder the clere window or lauterne of the temple whereon neuertheles miraculously neuer raine fell neuer wind perceiued nor neuer any tempest touched About the altar were set nine chaires guilded conered and garnished with silke veluet which were the seats of the Ministers seruing at the altar and on the East side right opposit to the great doore which was Westward there was thrée pillers of Iasper nine foote high set triangle wise in such sort that one was before towards the altar and two behind vpon which pillers was set a tabernacle of sweete wood wrought carued and guilded with fine beaten Golde and open behinde and within the same a very fayre chaire of Iuorie This tabernacle was the pulpet whereas the propheticall word was showne vnto the people by the Archier such was the Dome and Temple of Ioue in the Citie of Orbe which hereafter we wil describe After then that the Archier being chiefe Priest his nine Ministers together with Franc-Gal and the people were entred into the Temple they prostrated themselues on their faces and from time to time held vp their eyes and hands to heauen so continued their adorations and mental prayers about one houre in great silence the Archier and chiefe Priest arose and after hee had turned to the people and vniuersally saluted and blessed them he was by thrée of his ministers mounted into the pulpit vpon the foresaide thrée Iasper pillers where after hee had a while lifted vp his eyes to Heauen in high conception of thought he addressed himselfe to the people with a cleere and intelligible voyce after this manner You people of Orbe who are here gathered together to heare of mee who am but a voyce crying in the temple the great magnificences of God that you may vnderstand them and comprehend them in your soules that you may praise them heare them and thanke him for them his infused grace for the accomplishing hereof forthwith be giuen you with his benediction The Soueraigne God Ioua which Was Is and Shal be a name which is aboue all names and which appertaineth to none other but him first hath made you of nothing which is an especiall gift of his marueilous puissance that you aboue all other things know that of him you hold your being and first essence And after that he hath created you not ignoble bodies as stones and mettals not insensible plants as hearbes or trees not brutal deformed cruel or monsterous beasts as if it had pleased him he might haue formed you but Asses ill shapen pottage pots villanous Todes cruell rauishing wolues or monsterous imaginations but he hath created you men fayre right loking vp to heauen whereby you hold the roote of reason which he hath giuen you by whō you are made like to himself by him formed to his own image Besides this he hath made al other creatures the elements yea the celestiall bodies themselues and heauens for you and for your vse and seruice the earth to sustaine nourish you quick and receiue you when you be dead the ayre to keepe your soule in life the waters for your vsage cleansing and nauigation the fire to reuiue your heate and for your light the Starres for tokens and influences and the heauens to receiue your soules which hee hath giuen you immortall through spirituall priueledge aboue all other creatures who being once dead nothing remaine more of them All beasts he hath condemned with their heads enclining towards the earth in signe that they be subiect and seruiceable to you who are directly eleuated some for your help as horses oxen asses and cammels yea the great and strong Elephant dooth serue and obay you the others for meate and nourishment who by their deathes conserue your liues See you not the good fishes both of riuer and Sea swimming in your porrages brothes sauces and iuce Doo you not see the flesh fat and entrailes of beasts aswell sauage as tame to enter into your kitchins and the foules of the ayre to fall into your dishes and all trées hearbs plants cornes séeds fruites and rootes to bee giuen you for nourishment and medicine And all this of the grace of God and to his glory as the workemanship figures and statues of this temple doo show you for visible examples whose architecture building is made to the paterne and imitation of the vniuersall world which is the true temple of soueraigne Ioue whose bounty and glory all these things doo witnes and set forth Consider then ye Orbitans and acknowledge how many and how large benefits the most great and most good blessing of God hath enlarged you with to whome you can restore nothing for what thing can you offer him that is none of his whose throane is heauen and earth his footestoole what then would this most great and good Lord aske you which is your owne and in your power to giue him for such
nomber wherewithall hee cleaued the flouds and swomme like a Dolphin as for his tayle it was great long and full of scales like a great fish flat in his hinder latitude wherwith he beat the waters turned himselfe most readely to what side he would by the mouing thereof his head he had eleuated great and puissant carrying in his throate foure great crooked and cutting teeth This horse Hippopotame such as I haue described to thee and which thou maist yet behold at the next Port where I haue left him with my men for hee is so great and mightie that he is able to carie easily many persons and other liuing creatures albeit he be a most wicked and dangerous beast specially when hee hath dronke too much Neuertheles I handle and tame him so well that I make him rideable thorough all waters yea and mayne seas after that I haue armed him with cōuenient harnesse on all sides Besides this by a certaine art wherof I haue the knowledge and experience I open his sides and plant in him great wings by the aid whereof wheu he hath spred them in the winde he goeth faster vppon the waters than the fowle in the aier This great horse Hippopotame being thus prepared to serue me when néed should require one day eleuating my light I perceiued alreadie the cataracts of heauen open the water pot of Aquarius turned vp side downe the sign of Pisces in exaltation Orion with his sword cutting the clowds and the most stinking hogs and the goose behinde me to noyce the open depths vnbounded seas At this great brute lifting vp my head I beheld a great and meruailous brook of waters impetuously comming to fal vpon the Region and way wherein I walked and to ouerwhelme with waues all the pilgrimes passengers in the way in putting out their cierges and liues wherfore the soonest that it was possible for me I tooke prouision of victualls sufficient for certaine dayes for me and mine who were most able to mount with mee vppon my Hippopotame by the foreknowledge that I gaue them of this brooke which I saw comming whereby some beléeued me and fled to the mountaines others would not and so were enclosed with the flouds I was no sooner mounted but my Hippopotame was eleuated vppon the waters which couered all the face of the earth and stiffled all the creatures therein Then began my marinall horse to swim with his flat séete and to spread his wings which hauing once taken the aire and winde transported vs into diuers Countries and Regions at the pleasure of the windes waues and horse to the great maruell of the people who hauing gamed the vppermost top of the barraine mountaines sawe vs ride vpon the waues a thing of them neuer before soene wherefore through great maruell which they tooke thereat they cried to vs of all sides with lowde voyces Gal Gal Gal which in their Armenian language signifieth Surmounting the waters by admiration thereof that they saw me great and puissantly mounted on horsbacke vpon the profound waters as it were on firme land whom I went and visited because I found that the greater part of them were vnprouided of victualls and hunger starued vpon the barraine tops of those high mountaines and distributed vnto them part of those things whereof I had made prouisiō especially of wine wherof I had great plentie I succoured those which wanted to comfort their heart for there is nothing that so soone slaketh extreame hunger as the liquour of wine And because that I gaue them it liberally be it spoken without vaunt or reproach they gaue me the title of Frank which in the Celtique language signifieth liberall and hardie so that afterwards the name of Franc-Gal remained to mee Haddest thou then quoth the Archier anie other name before than Franc-Gal Yea quoth he my proper name was Dysir but afterwards I was alwaies called Franc-Gal which name displeaseth me not at all Now tell mee Franc-Gal quoth the Archier howe could thine Hippopotame carrie thée so manie dayes with out being wearie or plunging himselfe in the waters and drowning of thée and thine Because quoth Franc-Gal his nature is such that so long as he hath aier and winde according to his wings and his féete in the water he mainteineth himselfe in his vigour and getteth more and more force and new legeritie fearing nothing but fire stones and is neuer perillous or dangerous but when hee drinketh ouer-much Wherefore my soueraigne care hath alwayes béen to kéepe him from his contrarie element fire stones and ouermuch drinking for the rest he is of the nature of the Camelion liuing of the aire and of his watrie element and so quiet that when we haue landed and hée retired his féete and abased his wings hee remaineth still without either kicking or biting and of as peaceable rest as he is of terrible legeritie and dangerous passage when his féete are in the water and his wings in the aire and his crooked téeth out of his throate Behold what my horse Hippopotame called Durat is vpon whom I surmounted the waters whereby the name of Gal was imposed vpon me After that the inundation of this great Riuer was come downe and the Cataclysine had taken end being wearie of riding amongst the fishes I came one day and landed in the Region of Scythia called East Tartaria where hauing recreated my spirites with the sinell of the new earth lately discouered and hauing refreshed my bodie with meate and wine féeling my selfe wearie of trauell beaten with continuall showers I laid me downe vpon the ground on sixe Lions skins sowed together which for that time serued me against the stormes and there I fell in a profound sléepe During the which this vision came to me It séemed to me that before me grew a faire plant of a flower called double Solsie otherwise named the friend of the Sunne which altogether séemed to encline towards me till that it had couered my legs Wherefore séeing this faire double flower bending towards me desire forced me to gather it both branch and roote and therfore with my dagger I digged it vp but vnder the roote thereof I found a serpents egge which being broken there issued out the thickin of a Basilisque otherwise called a Cockatrice which incoutinentlie becomming feathered and waxing great flewe away carrying my heart with him which he had taken out of my bodie wherewithall afright I waked and founde my selfe imbraced and clasped bodie and legs by some bodie casting it selfe vpon me which all at once I perceiued to be a yong maiden all naked of a great height whose shape of bodie surmounted the common sort and of an excellent beautifull face with bright golden haires glimmering like Phoebus beames her face white and coloured with red like to Aurora hereies grey and comely suruaulted with little browne eye lids hernecke streight and well proportioned her breast large highly eleuated with two round and incarnate dugs
the house quoth the Archier is none other then Reason and Sapience sent by the Soueraigne by whome all this house is ruled and gouerned for being from my natiuitie vowed to sacred things which ought purely to bee handled neither my body nor heart consenting haue euer been polluted with woman nor other fleshelie attouchings nor shall not be I hope For hauing by diuine grace kept the virginicall puritie wherein I was borne vntill this present age which is foure hundred and fiftéene yeares till white snowes and colde frosts which lye on the tops of the mountaines sufficiently declare that there shall not bée much more heate belowe in the valleys And for so much as by reuelation made in the assembly of the people I was constituted Archier that is to say Prince or chiefe of the sacreds and not an Archer shooter although for the auoyding of idlenes the Mother of all vices commonly I exercise my selfe to shoote in a Bowe at the beasts and birds estranged from men in which act thou foundest mée and sauedst mée from the beast enemie to man of whome I tooke no héede And so I was and am yet Arch-priest and principall sacrificer of the temple of Ioue By whose reuelation and admonition I knew of thy comming into this countrey before I saw thee and to encounter and receiue thée I was sent by him to the place where thou didst stude mée the rest I will communicate vnto thée to morrowe for now the houre of nightly prayer calleth me to mine office get thée to rest in peace This spoken the Archier went to the temple wherein he entred all alone about the first Vigile of the night making fast the doore after him On the other side two Ministers with two candlesticks of siluer and two cierges of pure and swéete waxe conducted Franc-Gal into a faire chamber al wanscotted with Cypres and said him in a bed of Ebonie garnished with clothes of red veluer with fringes of sattain the curtaines of taffatie changeable white and black and the teasterne of gréene and broune sowed with teares of siluer At all which things Franc-Gal who was one of the wisest men in all the nine ages tooke great héed with obseruation of the euill presage which all these things shewed in signification of his death nere at hand for he knew vs well that the Cypres was a funerall sepulchear trée and that the cerges belonged to buriall that the Ebonie was a good sinking to the bottome of the waters the red fringed with sky colour to be the vermillion life turning into leadie and mortall heauines and the changeable curtaines of white and black to be a signe of change from light to darkenes from life to death Wherefore Franc-Gal who was of singular and almost diuine wisdome remembring his oracles visions threatnings sent him by the spirit of the black Knight the Augurie of the Rauen rauishment of his Son Alector knew by foresight that his death was ordained and which hee concluded to bee neere at hand without any feare or sorrowe saying onely that he had not séene his welbeloued Priscaraxe and his deere Sonne Alector once before his death For the humaine condition of mortall men is such that neuer man how infortunate soeuer hee bee dieth without sorrowe of some thing left imperfect Notwithstanding Franc-Gal after many and diuers thoughts tormenting his heart finally concluded to that which was necessarie and humbly to submit himselfe to the diuine immouable ordinances and with this resolution after long waking he fell into a doubtfull sleepe about the second crowe of the Cock a little before the breake of day at such time as the moisture of the night falling either into dew or hoarie frost bringeth drousie sleepe vpon all creatures The mornings Adoration of the Orbitans the discription of the temple and the manner of prayer and sacrifice The Sermon of the Archier and chiefe Priest and the common prayer of all in Musick CAP. XXII THe next day after the Sunne was vp the Archier led Franc-Gal to the the temple whose gates were already open the people come thether in great multitudes to the morning adoration Franc-Gal went on one side of the altar knéeling downe to prayer and the Archier remained before the altar prostrate in long and silent prayer with the heart and not with the mouth Likewise all those who came into the temple presently adored him whome they sawe not in prayers of onely thought without mouing of tongues or lips but with their eyes eleuated on high in most déep and admirable silence for the emperiall reuerence of the place which was in perfect roundnes mounted vpon thirteene pillers onely but so great and massiue by reason of their height which séemed to reach vp to heauen that the thirtéene arches were most large and spacious with the top and round pinacle ouer the mids by agreat round hoale of thrée fadom in the diameter giuing open view and prospect to the heauens and the curtaines of the walls cōposed on thirtéen porches with galleries erected one aboue another whereto they mounted by foure vices of stayres found out at the third seaueuth tenth and thirtéenth piller and in these galleries whose windowes were of clere glasse open behinde and carued before were builded seats of marble to sit in and desks before to knéele and leane vpon The lower part also was round about garnished with seates and vaults of Cedar Ebanie Cypres white Arabie browne nut trée and all other wood meete for workemanship which bancks and seates were assigned for the women to sit in As for the beautie and magnificence internall of the temple it was not like to a grange or desolate house voyde of ornament but it was in all parts filled and repaired with many diuers and fayre figures images statues and paintings of stone wood iuorie and other things guilded siluered azured and coulored with all fayre and illustrate pigments and mettalls which images and statues naturally and liuely represented not onely the beroycall persons of men and women of vertue but also all beasts birds and fishes which flye go or swimme in the earth ayre or waters Neither were the liuing creatures onely pictured but also the insensible creatures which are in the two inferior elements each one hauing his seuerall deuise in short writing appoynted according to their naturall propertie in attestation of the greatnes puissance glory and grace of the Soueraigne God whome they named Ioua As for example Vpon the statue of the man was written Of straightnes God hath giuen thee a gift That thou to heauen thine eyes shouldst lift Vpon the statue of the woman Thou art endewd with beautie and grace That vertue in thee might haue a place Vpon the statue of the Elephant Of bounty and great puissance Is our great God his essence And belowe God to the good dooth not denay Both prudence force and life for ay Vpon the figure of the Serpent He that is borne to doo euill
out of the sepulcher whereupon with the aide of his Page Calyph he laid the stone returned to his lodging accompting these things to his man who was priuie to all his dealings especially of this his loue toward the deceased Thanais and with him consulted whether he shuld obay the Morisquine spirite and returne againe thether within thrée wéekes or no which thing after some deliberation taken was concluded And the two and twentieth daye after at the same nightly houre they came to the place and remooued the stone from the monument whereinto Mammon entred and by the variable shining of a blew sulphurian fire which sparkled betwéene the heads of the dead bodies he might perceiue an Infant newly borne laid at the féete of Thanais vppon the ende of the winding shéete betwéene two women of terrible aspect of diuers formes for the one had a visage pleasant and laughing but blistered with diuers colours like the worke of a rich iewell enameled and yet neuerthelesse delectable to behold and she like a Fatallesse as she was predestinated the child in this sort Thou childe Desalethes for so thou shalt be named in beeing borne without terme nourished without milke I foretell thée that thou shalt be the greatest liar of this world a simuler and dissembler in words and déedes in al false workes and speaches vnder apparaunce and colour of amiable veritie and cleane contrarie in couert thought to that which thou shalt speake in open words euen as thy externall members are faire and thy interuall foule and filthie As in truth this childe named Desalethes was his face neck hands and all that outwardly appeared being verie white faire gracious to the eye pleasant and alluring holding the forme and beautie of the mother but the rest of his bodie and members which were hidden were swart and filthie according to the deformitie and obscuritie of his father After that this first Fatallesse had thus sinisterly presaged vppon this byformed Brat the second Fatallesse who was of visage more sad seuere and of colour pale but white and cleanly thus propounded his destime Like as you my sister Calendre haue cast your sort vpon this childe that he shall liue so long as hee continueth in his lying euen so I doo destine him that he shall die for telling the truth and that so soone as hee shall haue spoken it So be it Sister Clarence quoth Calendre in giuing their hands right and left the one to the other and so comoyned they laid them vppon the head of the childe who at that instant arose as it were of the age of fourtéen yeares furiously-crying Mammon thou honest man thou shalt leaue me here rather buried than borne No no my deare sonne quoth Mammon that will I not truly and therewith imbraced him and the two Fairesses sodainely vanished away with the sulphurian fire which turned to a most stinking smoke and at that verie instant issued out of the bodie of the Moore the horrible voyce of a wicked spirite thundring out these words That which is thine take thou away And in this place no longer stay At this commaundement Mammon remembring wel what he had heard and vnderstood of the Destinies of his Sonne Desalethes tooke him by the hand and went out of the Monument together whereon by the help of Calyph they laid the stone againe Which was no sooner laid but a thunder clap and lightning fell from Heauen vppon the plate of Porphirie with the statues of blacke Marble of Alabaster and Ieate in figure of a blacke Knight a yong Mare and of a Mowle euen as we haue now séene them And foorthwith were found engrauen these two last verses in bloudie letters beneath the verses which the two Brothers of Thanais had first set vp written simply in olde blacke letters which two verses last engraued as it is shought with the diuels clawe as also the statues fallen out of the aier are without either plaister or souldring so firmely affixed to the Porphirie that it is impossible to remooue them All thost who afterwards saw and read them haue remained meruailously astonished and could not coniecture nor vnderstand what they should signifie vntil such time as the whole matter was discouered by Calyph the Page of Mammon and that by this aduenture Of the first institution of Desalethes vnder Doctour Pseudomanthanon of the artes which he insigned him and how his disciple profited what paiment he gaue his Master and in what manner he practised his science CAP. 10. MAmmon and his sonne Desalethes being come out of the sepulcher the father coueted the naked childe with his cloake so tooke their way homeward with Calyph who followed them giuing care to their talke amongst the which Mammon by the way asked his sonne Desalethes if hee had seene the two fatal sisters Calandre and Clarence and vnderstood their presages vpon him Desalethes verie simplie answered no. But alreadie hee lied according to his naturall propertie For he both saw the two Sisters and vnderstood their talke yea vetter than Mammon as one that was betweene them The father hearing his young sonne answere so simply with a white visage faire sweete and amiable and esteeming that he said truth which was nothing lesse reckoned to him the presages that he should not die but for telling the truth whose contrarie is lying and therefore for the conseruation of his durable life like a most wicked man as hee was hee exhorted him to set all faith and truth aside and to settle himselfe continually to speake and practise lyings fraudes and disloyal insidelitie whereto the simple babe answered hee knewe not how to lie neither could he doo it But therein he lied so egregiously and filthily that the aire therewith was infected as if it had been with the breath of a Basilisque for he could no more lie than the Basilisque kill the Wolfe deuoure the water drowne and the fire burne whose primitiue beginnings were for that intent In such sort that when he spake most simply he then most of all lied Yet his father being deceiued in his false dissembling simplicitie beleeued him and being come to his lodging incontinentlie he apparelled him in braue and sumptuous aray which he could doo verie well being one of the richest in the Citie of Orbe and decked him in cloathes of golde siluer and and silke of all kind of colours except white and red but specially of changeable colours and of all seuerall sorts of silkes mettalls and cloathes of tissue embroderie and others and of all the diuers cuts and variable fashions which could newly be found throughout al the Nations of the world Desalethes thus apparelled with such rich and braue habites and for euerie day a new change which couered his blacke laydnesse and set out the faire and white parts of his visage necke breast and hands hee seemed so faire a childe so pleasant and gracious to all that euer ie one tooke of him great pleasure Wherefore
vpon the coast of fruite full Aquitaine And of thy seede shall come the first of all those worthie wights Which after to the house of Lux shall giue their shining lights By twelue faire signes so shalt thou liue in perfect rest and peace Till at the length through curious care who will not seeme to cease Because thereof thou takest name to cast her eye aside And that disclose which thou hast sought with al thy care to hide And when those secrets thine shall be disclosd in mornefull wise Thou shalt depart that sappie soyle pearcing the heauens with cries Still loosing more more the forme and figure of thy Syre And shalt vnto thy Mothers shape thy selfe at once retire Now therefore get thee to thy house see thou looke not backe With carefull eye keepe thou thy child that nought he seem to lack And if thou wouldest learne his name that doth these things discrie Knowe that it is olde Protëus which neuer yet made lye These diuine verses pronounced quoth Franc-Gal continuing his purpose the old man plunged himselfe to the bottome of the Sea with his troupe of Sea calues so that nothing remained to be séene but the troubled superficialitie of the water and this paper of the barke of a white Phylire trée swimming to the shore which was taken vp and kept and afterwards sent to mee written in such verses as thou hast heard After then that this prophecie was pronounced and vnderstood the knights who were about the Quéene and had séene heard vnderstood and kept the prognostication of Protëus â—ame towards her to comfort her and leade her in with all the people consolating her and so two or those knights tooke her by the armes to comfort lead her away So they returned backe the Quéene Priscaraxe sliding so easily vpon her serpenticall taile being hidden and couered vnder her long trained gowne that her going séemed diuine yea like the Gods who go without moouing féete or knées the rather because she was so well apparailed richly decked and crowned with this illustrate crowne that it made her to shine like the daughter of Phoebus And when they were come to the Pallaice which I had caused to bee begun and well aduanced the Quéen Priscaraxe hauing sent away the multitude populare who had folowed her in admiration reuerence thanking them of their paines retired into her lodging and all the people into their houses and cabins But the 24. knights made their habitation the honestest that they could round about the Palaice royal to be alwaies readie at the coÌ„mandement of the Quéen who for honour and for pledge of their fidelities towards her tooke 12. yong boyes and 12. yong maides of the children of the 24. knights of either of them one to her seruice whom she caused to be clothed and decked with faire skins and precious iewels which I had left her gouerning and maintaining her self in such sort that she was beloued and honored of all And the popular people of all their fruits milch cattle venisons foule fish and to be briefe of all that they got by proy or conquest would giue her the first presents likewise did the Gentlemen knights who aboue all things honored and serued her and made her to be feared of her subiects by their ordinarie exercises of armes cheualrie which they vsed euerie day before her Pallaice continuing and encreasing better and better The Quéene in the meane season became greater and greater insomuch that at the ende of eight moneths being one night a bed in her secret chaÌ„ber all alone as one who for her lower parts kept her self the most couert that might be so as therwas none but two damsels onely the one called Piste and the other Siope that were priuie to her serpents form the anguishes and paines of childbirth came vpon her where after long fluxions of great dolour she brought forth a great lumpe in the figure of a long round egge farre excéeding in bignes the egge of an Ostrich of substance skinnie white cleare and shining like a transpiercing christall so as with in she might behold a most faire childe swimming in cleare water whereof this massie lumpe was full and the childe wound and wrapped vp in the midde thereof Which the mother séeing knewe not what to doo either to breake this lumpe to take out the naked childe which she long desired and whereunto motherly loue sollicited her or els to leaue it whole for feare of hurting the fruit within it which mortall feare forbad her Wherefore at length she concluded to let nature worke and for that cause she kept it alwayes in naturall heate neare to her bodie and naked flesh and in the most hot and couert places in the night shée put it in her bed and in the day vnder her furres vntill the end of nine dayes that in holding it betwéene the palmes of her hands which are of most temperate heate and warming it with her breath beholding still the enclosed sodainely it began to vnfould the members stretching out the bodie armes and legges and to turne round in such sort that it brake the shell wherein it was enclosed and so came foorth into the hands of the mother who receiued with great ioy this child twise borne crying in the infants voyce for the new sent of the ayre at the voyce whereof the two familiar damosels Piste and Siope came in who tooke it and washed it with water and wine luke warme and being once washed it appeared so faire as it was merueilous to behold so white as snowe with frizled haires as yellow as gold the bodie great and strong as it were of the age of three yeares strayning it self and incontinently going alone and which is more it began to laugh and play with the damosels and so soone as it saw the Sunne it lift vp the head and eyes in knowledge of his mothers Syre and saluted it by and by with loud voyce but somewhat lisping in singing these words I salute thee Whereat the Quéene and damsels began to laugh hartely although they were verie much abashed thereat the rather for that hee was borne booted with buskins of siluered skales and spurred with gilded spurs in token that he should be a magnanimious knight And it is verie like that for so much as he was borne with such armes that nature for not hurting the body of his mother had prouided this shelly vessell to emlose him withall Who after he was clensed hée was brought and rendred to his mother who receiued him with great ioy and remembring the name which his father had ordeyned called him after this maner Alector faire child the Soueraigne encrease in thée vertue honor liberalitie hardines and prowesse for of beautie thou hast not fayled and therewithall shée kissed him right tenderly The Childe as it were vnderstanding her voyce began right gratiously to smile and by a swéete laughter began to acknowledge his mother who caused to call
the oath of a noble Esquire and committed fellony towards the order of Knighthood I haue not done it neither would doo it Truth it is I sought with my sword a foolish laugher and scoffer who as it séemed to me mocked at the fault which my horse made me which laugher I wel heard but I could neuer see nor finde him sauing that in a bush where me thought I heard him laugh with a strokeof my sword cast at aduenture I killed a fat Hare which there was set I knew not whether that Hares laugh in this countrey or no but this I am sure of that I was laughed and mocked at that I haue eaten her with a good appetite As for thy companions which thou saist I haue slaine and eaten I knowe not who they be for I neuer saw them vnlesse they bee Hares and that thou thy selfe art some Diuell of a Hare for thou séemest to me not much more hardy and the common saying is that Diuels doo wittingly transform theÌ„selues by the fields into hares Wherfore shew me thine eares and tel me what thou art whether thou be a Hare or a knight which are verie contrarie For a knight rideth on horsback and is armed hardy and valiant or at leastwise ought to be and the Hare goeth on foote is very searefull by nature vnarmed of al defence both of hornes teeth clawes poyson hardnes and all sauing of a certaine feareful legerity which is the cause that hee is the most fearefullest beast amongst all other creatures and a pray to the Eagles of the aire and dogs of the earth and Chamarins of the water yet should he not find it especially in the dog daies eleuatioÌ„ of the Eagle wherefore telme if thou be a knight or a Hare or a diuel or the laugher and mocker of whom I would willingly reuenge my self if I could méste with him I am no Hare ê™ the great black knight but the hare which thou hast slaine and eaten was my companion for he kept company with me in my sepulcher I am not fearefull for no man can doo mee more harme neither was I euer but haue béen in my time a worthie knight hardy enterprising great things of nature franck liberal extract out of the noble linage of the Macrobians called Gallehault as witnesseth my shield which thou bearest wherein is a Cock regarding high towards heauen whereby I would signifie my high enterprises and hardines and of such vertue is the shield that whosoeuer carrieth it shal neuer haue feare or doubt it is that which maketh thée now so assured against me Now it happened mee thus that for my great frankenesse and excessiue liberalitie which is called prodigalitie I became very poore and yet neuertheles I would alwaies maintaine my greatnes and magnificence for the atchiuing wherof I was constrained for want of mine own to take of other mens Wherefore hauing assembled to me a great company carrauanne of Arabinas wicked people apt to do euil I destroyedal this countrie with robberies assaults rauishments spoylings thefts kéeping with my men al the waies corners and passasses with the ports of riuers and seas taking away the armes horses rings iuels stuf apparrel gold siluer merchandize of such as we took selling their bodies for slaues or abusing theÌ„ luxuriously if they pleased vs. Neuertheles this life whereto proud pouertie had brought me pleased me not but I had it in abomination and for that cause I determined that after I should be gotten vp againe insubstance to haue killed all my companion théeues to the end they should doo no more euill and to retire my selfe and returne to my former honorable liberall and lesse prodigall life But of this paine one of my great vncles of the Macrobians called Franc-Gal which is thy Father deliuered mee whom I knowe thou goest to seeke and whom I will cause thee to sée to morrow in recompence of the pleasure which he did in deliuering mee from the wicked life which I led For being mounted vppon an Hypoppotame which is a great flying and swimming horse in the Riuer of Tygre with some companie of valiant men for so much as wee were many mo in nomber wherein wee trusted wee inuited them by fayned courtesie to take land and come and rest with vs which they did being aduertised before what people we were and for that cause they searched vs. Whereupon incontinently as they were descended well armed and weaponed they flong vppon vs with such fury and valour that notwithstanding the great resistance which I made all my Arabians were slaine and discomfetted by the great prowesse of Franc-Gal being halfe a Giant who stroke not a blowe without laying two or three on the ground So were the takers taken and the spoylers spoyled except foure who through their legeritie fled and I after them But that saued vs not for Franc-Gal who by soueraigne force and naturall agilitie ran faster than any horse or hart followed vs not running but flying as it séemed vnto the place where not able in hast to gaine the mountaine and seeing him alone wee returned fiue against him and I my selfe more than any other resisted him as for my companions hee had sone cut them in peeces but I hild him tack reasonable long and hardy enough in the vertue and couerture of my shield desending my selfe with great courage whereupon he seeing my hardines and noble heart he sommoned me often times to render but I being enuious of my wicked life answered him that as then I had neuer bowed and that it was deerer for me to dye than either to require mercie or receiue it Wherefore he perceiuing my obstination ah quoth he there is none lost but such as are obstinate and in saying so hee gaue me such a stroake with his sword that he cloue my head in twaine At these words the great black Knight plucked off his helmet and showed to Alector his clouen head in such sort that one might perceiue the braines consumed with wormes then puting on his helmet againe hee continued his tale saying with this great stroake I fell downe dead and Franc-Gal vnarmed me and my fellowes also whose carcases he left as food for the beasts of the earth and fowles of the ayre but my body hee caused to be buried at the foote of the great withered tree in the meddowes her about and laid a stone vpon a graue Then hung hee vp our armes in the Trophie of the great tree and my shield aboue all which thou hast taken off therefore restore it mee Alector then answered him Gallehalt sith that my Lord and Father as thou thy selfe hast confessed hath conquered by force of armes the shield of thee thou hast no more title in it but by right of heyre it appertaineth to me who am his sonne and for that cause willingly I will not for goe it vnlesse it be by greater force than mine but will keepe it so long