daughter of CHERA goyng for that treasure and busily serching for the same found the halter wherwithal for despaire she woulde haue hanged hir selfe but forbidden by ELISA who by 〈◊〉 espied hir she was restored to parte of hir losse leading afterwards a happie and prosperous life The. xj Nouell FOrtune the ladie Regent gouernesse of mās life so altreth and chaungeth the state thereof as many times we se the noble born from that great mightie port wherin they be debased so farre as either infamously their life is spent in the hungrie lappe of dame penurie or else contriued in the vgly lothsom house of Wantonnesse the stepdame of all honestie and vertue Sometimes we make the vnnoble ladde that was nooseled in the homely countrey 〈◊〉 or rude ciuile shoppe attaine to that whiche the onely honorable and gentle do aspire and he againe that is ambicious in climbing vp the turning whéele throwen downe beneth the brinke of 〈◊〉 lucke whelmed in the ditche pit of blacke despaire We note also somtimes that the carelesse wyght of Fortunes giftes hath vnlooked for his mouthe and throte crammed full of promotion and worldes delights Such is the maner of hir fickle stay When of this Historie ensuing giueth some intelligence by remembring the destenied lucks of thou poore sorie girles that were left destitute of desired things both like to fall into despaire and yet both holyen with that thei most desired which in this sort beginneth In the time that Scipio Affricanus had besleged the Citie of Carthage Chera that was a widow dwelling there seing the daunger at hand wherin the Citie stode and doubtyng the losse and ouerthrowe of the same and that the honor of the dames and womankinde coulde vneths be safe and harmelesse determined not to abide the vttermoste and hauing a good quantitie of golde and precious stones she bestowed the same in a casquet and hid it vpon one of the beames of hir house purposing when the stirre and daunger was past to retourne to hir house againe for those hir hidden things Which done in the habite of a poore womā with hir onely daughter in hir hand that was aboute b. or bf yeares of age she went out of Caithage and passed ouer the seas into Scicilia where falling sick after she had ben there thre or foure yeares at length died But before she departed she called hir daughter before hir then about x. yeares of age and tolde hir the place where she had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 casket And by reason of the 〈◊〉 gotten by Scipio the citie was maruellously chaunged and amongs other things the house of Chera was giuen to a Roman 〈◊〉 that was so enriched with nobilitie of mynde as he was poore of Fortunes goods Which Chera vnderstanding was sorowfull and doubted of hir things secretly bestowed vpon the beame Whervpon she sayd vnto hir daughter that for so much as their house was in the posfession of an other she ought to be wise and circumspect in the recouerie of hir hidden goods and that hir death was the more sorowfull vnto hir bicause she must leaue hir so yong a maiden vnprouided of frendes for hir good gouernement But yet she incouraged hir and sayd that sith necessitie approched she must in childishe age put on a graue and auncient mind and beware how she bewrayed that casket to any person for that of purpose she reserued the knowledge thereof to hir self that it might serue for hir preferment and procure hir a husbande worthie of hir selfe And the maiden demaunding the value of the same she told hir that it was worth CC. 〈◊〉 and gaue hir in writyng the particulers inclosed within the Caskette and sayde that the lyke bill shée shoulde finde within the same written with hir owne hande And so the good woman wythin a while after dyed leauing behynde hir the yong mayden hir Daughter that maruellously lantented the death of hir mother accordingly as Nature taught hir and eche other reasonable wyght depriued from their dearest friends The maiden for hir yeres was very wise and would disclose to none what hir mother had sayd kéeping the writing very carefully and 〈◊〉 Not long after Philene which was the maidens name fell in loue with a Gentleman of Scicilia of greate reputation and authoritie who all bée it he sawe hir to be very faire and comely yet cared not for hir loue in respecte of mariage for that he knewe hir to be poore and without dowrie mete for a Gentleman iesting and mocking to sée hir fire hir mind on him for desire to haue him to hir husbande that was a personage so noble and rich which refusall pierced the heart of that tender maiden bicause she saw hir self forsaken for nothing else but for want of goods which made hir to think and consider howe shée myght recouer the riches that hir mother had layed vp in Carthage It chaunced as shée was in this thought that the daughter of him to whome the house of Chera was giuen called Elisa was likewise enamoured of a noble yong gentleman in Carthage who bicause Elisa was the daughter of a souldiour and not very rich in like manner laughed iested at hir loue no lesse than the other did at Philene Notwithstanding Elisa attempted all meanes possible to induce the yong man to loue hir but hir practise and attemptes tended to none effect And last of all desirous to haue a resolute answere and thereby vnderstode that he woulde rather die than take hir to wife she fell into despaire and curssed fortune and hir fate that she was not borne riche enough to match with hir chosen Gentleman and that she being poore must fal in loue with such a personage whervpon she miserably formented hir selfe styll bewayling hir vnhappie lucke that she could not win him to be hir husbande for which only intent and purpose she loued him And this amorous passion incredibly growing in hir the rootes whereof bée planted in the restlesse humor of melancholie and wanting all hope and comforte to stay that ranke and rāmishe wéede it so increased in hir as shée franticke in raging loue gaue hir self ouer to the spoile of hirself And to rid hir from that griefe she determined to kill hir selfe imagining which waye she might doe the same At length she was resolueb with hir fathers sword to pierce hir body But hir heart not seruing hir therevnto deuised by the halter to ende hir life saying thus to hir self that at lest wise my death shall doe me good bicause that cruel man shall know that for his sake I haue done this facte and shall performe my funerals with some teares or sighes And if his heart be not of yron or stéele he can not chose but sorowe and lament that one which loued him better than hir owne life hath made such wretched ende onely for his crueltie Elisa concluding vpon this intent prepared a halter And being alone in hir house in the chamber where the Casket lay vpon
bande of horsmen Wherefore Tarquinius sente to the Rammenses Titienses Luceres To the bandes that Romulus had conscribed hée added other new troupes of horsemen purposing that the same should continue in memorie of him after his death And bicause Romulus dyd the same without aduise of the Southsayers one Accius Nauius the notablest Prophecier in those daies withstoode that constitution 〈◊〉 that it was not lawsull for him eyther to appoint a newe order or to alter the olde except the birdes and auguries did assent thervnto Wherwith the king was displeased deluding that science said Go to M. Sothsayer tell me now quod he is it possible to bring that to passe which I haue now conceiued in my minde Yea quod the Southsayer if you tel me what it is Then quod Tarquinius I haue deuised that thou shalt pare thine owne skin with a Raser Therfore take this knife doe as thy birdes doe portend and signifie And as it was reported he pared his own skin in déede In memory wherof an Image of Accius was erected with his head 〈◊〉 After that time there was nothing attempted without those auguries Notwithstanding Tarquinius procéeded in his constitution and added to the Centurias an other number for that 1800. horsemen were conteined in the thrée Centuriae The later addition was called also by the same name which afterward were doubled into vj. Centurias Whē his numbre was thus increased once againe he ioyned battel with the Sabines who by a notable pollicie recouered a great victorie And bicause the Sabines doubled a freshe onset without any order of battell or good aduisement they were ouerthrowen and then constrained to make peticion for peace The citie of Collatia and the Coūtrie confining vpon the same was taken from the Sabines The Sabine warres being in this sortended Tarquinius in triumphant maner 〈◊〉 to Rome At that time a prodige and miraculous 〈◊〉 chaunced to be séene in the Palace The head of a childe whose name was Seruius Tullius lying a sléepe in the palace was séene to burne The king was brought to sée that miracle And as one of his seruants was going to fetch water to quēch the fire he was staid by the Quene who commaunded that the childe should not once be touched vntill he awaked of himselfe And so soone as he rose from sléepe the fire vanished Then she tooke hir husband aside and said doe you sée this childe whom we haue verie basely and negligently brought vp I assure you sir said she he wil be the only safegard and defender of this our doubtfull state and will be the preseruer of our houshold when it is afflicted Wherefore let vs make much of him that is like to be the ornament and a worthie stay to all our familie After that they had accompted him amongs the number of their children traded him vp in those Arts which excite all good dispositions to aspire vnto honoure the pleasure of the Gods appeared in short time For the child grew to a royal behauior in so much as among all the Romane youth there was none more méete to mary the daughter of Tarquinius This Seruius Tullius was the sonne of one Seruius Tullius that was a Captain of a towne called Corniculum at the apprehension whereof it chaunced that the sayd Tullius the father was 〈◊〉 leauing his wife great with child the mother being a captiue and bonde woman was deliuered of hir childe at Rome in the house of Priscus Tarquinius After Tarquinius had raigned xxxviij yeres the yong man began to growe to great honor and estimation aswell with the king himself as also with the Fathers Then the Romanes conceiued a hateful indignation against the king for that he being put in trust to be the Tutor gouernor of Ancus children displaced them from their right inheritance and specially for that he himself was a stranger fearing also that the kingdom should not return againe to the election of themselues but degenerat and grow into seruile bondage They also called to remembrāce that the Citie continewed one hundred yeres after the sublation of Romulus an intier kingdome within one Citie and that it was a shame for them to suffer a bondman borne of seruile kind to possesse the same and would rebound to their perpetual ignominie hauing the progenie of Ancus aliue to suffer the same to be open to straungers and bōdmen Wherfore they determined to defend the griefe of that iniurie and to be reuenged rather vpon Tarquinius than vpon Seruius In fine they committed the execution of that fact to two shepherds chosen out for that purpose Who deuised this pollicie Before the entrie into the Palace they fell togither by the eares vpon which fray all the kings officers assembled and repaired thither to know the cause of their falling out when they were parted they appealed to the king with such exclamation as they were heard to the Palace Being called before the king both of them fell to brawling and one of thē striued of purpose to hinder the tale of the other The kings sergeant rebuked them commaunding them to tel their tales in order Whē they were a litle quieted one of thē beginneth to discourse the tale And as the king was attentife to heare the plaintif the other toke vp a hatchet threw it at the king and leauing the weapon sticking in the wound they conueied themselues out of the dores Those that waited vpon the King made hast to relieue him and the sergeants followed to apprehende the malefactors With that a hurlie burlie rose amōgs the people euery man maruelling what the matter shoulde be Tanaquil commaunded the palace gates to be shut and séeketh remedie to cure hir husbande as though some hope of life had bene remaining When hope failed of his recouerie shée called Seruius before hir which maried hir daughter and shewed vnto him hir dead husbande holding him fast by the right hande shée intreated him that he would not suffer the death of his father in lawe to be vnreuenged to the intent he might not be ridiculous to the traitours saying to him further these words If thou be a man of thy hands O Seruius the kingdom is thine and not theirs which thus cruelly by the hands of other haue committed this abhominable facte Wherefore put forth thy selfe and the Gods be thy guide For they did portende this noble head to be the Gouernour of this citie at such time as they circumfused the same with a fire descendyng from aboue Let that heauenly 〈◊〉 excite thy courage Be throughly awaked We being straungers sometime haue raigned Thinke and consider what thou art not from whence thou camest If the strangenesse of the case doe affray thée my counsel from time to time shall relieue thée The crie and stirre of the people being vnmesurable that one could scarse heare an other Tanaquill opened the windowes that had their prospect to the new way for the King dwelt at the temple of
grief and sorow and there with those naturall qualities couered also in obscure darknesse that compassed thée rounde about The yl fauored noise and ianglyng of thy chaines the deformitie of thy face forced for lack of light and the stench of the infected prison that prouoked sicknesse and the forsaking of thy friends had quite debased all these perfections wherwith now thou séemest to be so lustie Thou thoughtest me then to be worthie not only of a yong man of a royall blood but of a God if it were possible to haue him so soone as thou contrary to al hope didst once 〈◊〉 thy naturall countrey like a most pestilent person without any difficultie haste chaunged thy minde neuer since thou wast deliuered 〈◊〉 dyd call into thy remembraunce how I was that 〈◊〉 that I was she alone that dyd remembre thée that I was she alone that had compassion on thy missehap and that I was onely shée who for thy health dyd imploye all the goodes she hadde I am I am I say that Camiola who by hir money raunsomed thée out of the handes of the Capitall enimies of thyne auncesters from fetters from prison finally deliuered thée from miserie extreme before thou wer altogether settled in dispaire I reduced thée againe to hope I haue reuoked thée into thy coūtrey I haue brought thée into the royall palace and restored thee into thy former estate and of a prisoner weake and ylfauored haue made thée a yong Prince strong and of fayre aspecte But wherefore haue I remembred these thyngs wherof thou oughtest to be verie mindefull thy selfe and whyche thou art not able to denie Sith that for so great benefites thou hast rendred me such thankes as being my husbande in déede thou haddest the face to denie me mariage alreadie contracted by the deposition of honest witnesses and approued by letters signed with thine owne hande Wherefore diddest thou despise me that hath deliuered thée Yea and if thou couldest haue stained the name of hir with infamie that was thine only refuge and defender yea and wouldest gladly haue giuen cause to the common people to thinke lesse than honestie of hir Art thou ashamed thou man of little iudgement to haue to wyfe a wydow the daughter of a knight 〈◊〉 how far better had it bene for thée to haue ben ashamed to breake thy promised faith to haue despised the holy and dreadfull name of God and to haue declared by thy curssed vnkindnesse howe full fraught thou art with vice I do confesse in dede that I am not of the royall bloode not withstanding from the cradle being trained and brought vp in the companie of kings wiues and daughters no great maruell it is if I haue indued and put on a royall heart and manners that is able to get and purchase royal nobilitie But wherfore do I multiplie so many words No no I wil be very facile and easie in that wherin thou hast ben to me so difficult and harde by resisting the same with all thy power Thou hast refused heretofore to be mine and hauing vanquished thée to be such frankly of mine owne accorde I doe graunt that thou art not Abide on Gods name with thy royall nobilitie neuerthelesse 〈◊〉 with the spot of infidelitie Make much of thy youthly lustinesse of thy transitorie beautie and I shal be cōtented with my widow apparell and shall leaue the riches which god hath giuē me to heires more honest thā those that might haue come of thée Auaunt thou wycked yong man sith thou art cōpted to be vnworthy of me lerne with thine own expence by what subtiltie guiles thou mayest betray other dames suffiseth it for me to be once deceiued And I for my part fully determine neuer to tary lōger with thée but rather chastly to liue without husband which life I deme far more excellent than with thy match cōtinually to be coupled After shée had spoken these wordes shée departed from him and from that time forth it was impossible either by prayers or admonitions to cause hir chaunge hir holie intent But Rolande all confused repenting himself to late of his ingratitude blamed of 〈◊〉 man his eyes fired vpon the grounde 〈◊〉 not onely the presence of his brethren but of all 〈◊〉 of people dayely ledde from that tyme forth a moste miserable life and neuer durst by reason to demaunde hir againe to wife whome he had by disloyaltie refused The king and the other barons maruelling of the noble heart of the Ladie singularly commended hir and exalted hir praises vp into the skies vncertaine neuerthelesse wherin she was most worthie of praise either for that contrarie to the couetous nature of women she had raunsomed a yong man with so great a summe of money or else after she had deliuered him and sentence giuē that he was hir husband she so couragiously refused him as an vnkinde man vnworthie of hir company But leaue we for a time to talke of widowes and let vs sée what the Captaine and Lieutenant of Nocera can alledge vpon the discourse of his cruelties whiche although an ouer cruell historie yet depainteth the successe of those that applie their mindes to the sportes of Loue such Loue I meane as is wantonly placed and directed to no good purpose but for glutting of the bodies delight which bothe corrupteth nature maketh féeble the body lewdely spendeth the time and specially offendeth hym whō maketh proclamation that whooremongers and adulterers shall neuer inherite his kingdom The Lordes of Nocera ¶ Great cruelties chaunced to the Lords of NOCERA for adultry by one of them committed with the Captaines wife of the forte of that Citie with an enterprise moued by the Captaine to the Citizens of the same for rebellion and the good and duetiful answer of them with other pitiful 〈◊〉 rising of that notable and outragious vice of whoredome The. xxxiij Nouel THE furious rage of a husband offēded for the chastitie violated in his wife surpasseth all other ingendreth malice againste the doer whatsoeuer he be For if a Gentleman or one of good nature cannot abyde an other to doe him any kinde of displeasure much lesse to hurt him in his body how is he able to endure to haue his honoure touched specially in that part which is so néere vnto him as his owne soule Man and 〈◊〉 being as it were one body and one will wherein men of good iudgement cannot well like the opinion of those good fellowes which say that the honoure of one that is lusty and coragious dependeth not vpon the fault of a foolishe woman For if that were true which they so lightly vaunt I wold demaunde wherfore they be so animated angry against them which adorne their head with braunched hornes the Ensignes of a Cuckolde And truely nature hath so well prouided in that behalfe as the very sauage beastes doe fight and suffer death for suche honest iealosie Yet will I not praise but rather accuse aboue all faultie men
But the prophet of the Citie whom the Citizens had wel tried and proued to be faithfull and trustie manifested vnto them the great daūger that hong ouer the tyrants head such as the like neuer before The confederats which had conspired with Hellanicus made great spéede to prosecute their enterprise and the nexte night to kill the tyrant The very same night Hellanicus dreamed that he sawe his dead sonne to speake vnto him these woords What meane you father this long time to slepe I am one of your sonnes whom Aristotimus hath slaine know you not that the same day you attempt your enterprise you shal be captaine prince of your coūtrie By this vision Hellanicus confirmed he rose bytimes in the morning and exhorted the conspirators that day to execute the benefit of their Countrie That time Aristotimus was certified how Craterus the tyran of another Citie with a great armie was comming to his aide against the banished people of Elis and that he was arriued at Olympia a Citie betwéene the Mounte Ossa and the mountaine Olympus With which newes Aristotimus being incouraged thought alreadie that he had put to flight and takē the banished persons which made him to aduenture himself abrode without guard or garrison accompanied only with Cilon and one or two of his familiar frends the very same time that the conspiratours were assembled to doe the facte Hellanicus seing the time so cōuenient to deliuer his beloued Countrie by the death of the traiterous Tyrant not attending any signe to be giuen to his companions although the same was concluded vpon the lusty old man lifting vp his handes and eies vnto the heauens with cleare and open voice cried out to his companions and said Whie stay ye O my Citizens and louing country men in the face of your Citie to finishe this good and commendable acte At which woords Cilon was the first which with his brandishing blade killed one of those that waited vpon the Tyrant Thrasibulus thē and Lampidus assayled Aristotimus vpon whose sodaine approch he fled into the Temple of Iupiter where he was murdred with a thousand woundes vpon his body accordingly as he deserued He being thus deseruedly slain his body was drawen vp downe the stréetes and proclamation of libertie sounded vnto the people Where vnto eche wight assembled amongs whome the imprisoned women also brake forth and reioysed with their countrey deliuerers of that egregious enterprise by fires and bankettes outwardly disclosing their excéeding great ioye within and in midde of their mirth the people in great throngs and companies ranne to the Tyrants palace whose wife hearyng the peoples noyse and certified of hir husbands death inclosed hir selfe in a chamber with hir two daughters and knowing how hatefull she was vnto the Citizens with a 〈◊〉 corde vpon a beame she hong hir selfe The chamber dores being broke opē the people viewed the horrible sight of the strangled ladie wherwithall not moued they toke the two trembling daughters of the tyrant and caried them away purposing to rauish violate the same firste to saciate their lust with the spoile of their virginitie and afterwards to kill them those Gentlewomen were very beautifull and mariageable and as they were about to do that shamefull déede Magistona was tolde therof who accompanied with other Matrons sharply rebuked their furie saying that vncomely it were for them which sought to establish a ciuile state to doe such a shamelesse act as tirants rage wold scarce permit Upon that noble matrons authoritie and interception they ceassed from their filthie fact and then the woman tooke the 〈◊〉 oute of the peoples handes and brought them into the chambre where their strangled mother was And vnderstandyng that it was decréed that none of the Tyrants bloud shoulde rest on liue she turned hir face to the two yong Gentlewomen and sayde The chiefest pleasure which I can doe to you resteth in this choise that it shall be lawfull for either of you to choose what kinde of death you list by knife or halter if you will to dispatche your liues from the hedlesse peoples greater furie vpon whose two white and tender bodies if they doe seaze the Gods doe know and we doe feare the crueltie and great abuse which they doe meane to vse I thinke not for despite of you but for the iust reuenge of your most cruell fathers actes for the tyrannous life of whom the Gods do thunder downe the boltes of their displeasure afflicting his nearest bloud and beste beloued wife and children wyth vengeance poured from heauens Upon the sentence of this their fatall ende the elder maiden of the twaine vnlosed a girdle from hir middle and began to tie the same to hang hir selfe exhortyng hir yonger sister to doe the like and in any wise to beware by sparing of hir life to incurre the beastly rage of the monstrous people which cared not to do eche vile and filthie acte vnworthie theyr estate The yonger sister at those wordes layed handes vpon the fastened corde and besought hir right earnestly first of all to suffer hir to die Wherevnto the elder aunswered So long as it was lawfull for me to liue and whiles we led our princely time in our fathers courte both were frée from enimies danger all things betwene vs two were common and indifferente wherefore the Gods forbidth at now the gates of death be opened for vs to enter when with the Ghostes of our dere parents our soules amids the infernall fieldes be predestined to raunge and wander that I shoulde make deniall of thy request Therfore go to good sister mine and shrink not when thou séest the vgly face of hir that must consume vs all But yet déere sister the deadly sight of thée before my selfe will bréede to me the woe and smart of double death When she had so sayd she yelded the coller to hir sister counselled hir to place the same so néere the neck bone as she could that the sooner the halters force might stop hir breath When the vnfearefull yonger sister was dead the trēbling hands of that dredlesse elder maid vntied the girdle from hir neck couering in comly wise hir senslesse corps Then turning hir self to Megistona she hūbly prayed hir not to suffer their two bodies to bée séene naked but so sone as she could to bury them both in one earthly graue referring the frutes of their virginitie to the mould wherof they came When she had spokē those wordes without any staye or feare at all with the selfe same corde the strangled hir self and so finished hir fatall dayes The guiltlesse death of which two tender maids there was none of the citizens of Elis as I suppose so stonie hearted voide of Natures force ne yet so wroth against the tyrant father but did lament as well for the constant stoutnesse and maner of their death as for their maydenlyke behauioure and right honest petitions made to that sobre matrone Megisthona who afterwardes
this loue was straunge which so mightie a Monarch as Demetrius was did beare vnto such a notable Curtizan a woman vtterly voyde of grace barren of good workes without any zeale or sparke of vertue as it should appere But sith we reade know that none are more giuen or bent to vnreasonable loue than mightie princes what shuld it be demed straunge and maruellous if Demetrius amongs the 〈◊〉 doe come in place for the loue of that most famous woman yf fame may stretch to eyther sorts both good and euill But let vs come to that second sort of this infamous gentle woman called Lais. She was of the Isle of Bithritos which is in the confines of Graecia was the 〈◊〉 of the great Sacrificer of Appollo his tēple at Delphos a man greatly experienced in the magike art wherby he prophecied the perdition of his daughter Now this 〈◊〉 Lais was in triumph in the time of the renowmed king Pirrhus a prince very ambicious to acquire honor but not very happie to kepe the same who being yong of sixtene or 〈◊〉 yeres came into Italie to make warres against the Romains He was the first as some say that aranged a campe in ordre and made the Phalanx the maine square and battell For before hys time when they came to entre battell they assailed confusedly and out of array gaue the onset This amorous Lais continued long time in the campe of King Pyrrhus and went wyth hym into Italie and wyth hym retorned from warre againe Notwythstanding hir nature was such as she would neuer bée mainteined with one man alone The same Lais was so amorous in hir conuersation so excellent faire and of so comely grace that if she would haue kept hir selfe to one and bene 〈◊〉 to one lord or gentleman 〈◊〉 was no prince in the world but would haue yelded himselfe and all that he had at hir commaundement Lais from hir retourne out of Italia into Grece repaired to the citie of Corinth to make hir abode there where she was pursued by many kings lordes and princes Aulus Gellius saith which I haue recited in my former part of the Palace of pleasure the fiftenth Nouell that the good Philosopher Demosthenes went from Athenes to Corinth in disguised apparell to sée Lais and to haue hir company But before the dore was opened she sent one to demaunde 〈◊〉 C. Sestercos of siluer 〈◊〉 Demosthenes answered I bye not repentance so dere And I beleue that Demosthenes spake those wordes by folowing the sentence of Diogenes who sayth that euerie beast after such acte is heauie and sad Some writers affirme of this amorous Lais that thing which I neuer reade or heard of woman which is that she neuer shewed signe or token of loue to that man which was desirous to doe hir seruice nor was neuer hated of man that knew hir Wherby we may comprehend the happe and fortune of that amorous woman She neuer shewed semblance of great loue to any person and yet she was beloued of all If the amorous Lamia had a good spirite and mynde Lais truely had no lesse For in the art of loue she excéeded all other women of hir 〈◊〉 art and science as well in knowledge of loue as to profite in the same Upon a day a yong man of Corinth demaunding of hir what hée should say to a woman whome hée long tyme had loued and made so great sute that therby he was like to fall into dispaire Thou shalt say sayd Lais vnto hir that sith she will not graunt thy request yet at least wise it might please hir to suffer thée to bée hir seruant and that she would take in good parte the seruice that thou shalt doe vnto hir Which request if she doe graunt then hope to atteine the ende of thy attempt bycause that we women bée of such nature as opening the mouth to gyue some myld and pleasant answere to the amorous person it is to bée thought that we haue gyuen our heart vnto the firste suter An other daye in the presence of Lais one praised the Philosophers of Athenes saying that they were very honest personages and of greate skyll and knowledge Whereunto Lais aunswered I cannot tell what greate knowledge they haue nor what science they studie ne yet what bookes your Philosophers doe reade bycause that I being a woman and neuer was at Athenes I sée them repaire hither and of Philosophers béecome amorous persons A Theban knight demaunded of Lais what he might doe to enioy a ladie wyth whose loue hée should bée surprised She aunswered thus A man that is desirous of a woman muste followe hys sute serue hir and suffer hir and sometimes to séeme as though hée had forgotten hir For after that a womans heart is moued to loue she regardeth more the forgetfulnesse and negligence vsed towardes hir than she doth the seruice béefore time 〈◊〉 vnto hir An other Gentleman of Achaia asked hir what hée shoulde doe to a woman whome hée suspected that she hadde 〈◊〉 hir fayth Lais aunswered make hir beleue that thou thinkest she is very faythfull and take from hir the occasions wherby she hath good cause to doe the same For if she doe perceiue that thou knowest it and dissemblest the matter she will soner dye than amēd A gētleman of Palestine at another time inquired of hir what he should doe to a woman which he serued and did not esteme the seruice done vnto hir ne yet gaue him thankes for the loue which he bare hir Lais sayed vnto him If thou be disposed to serue hir no longer let hir not perceiue that thou hast gyuen hir ouer For naturallie we women be tendre to loue and hard to hate Being demaunded by one of hir neighbours what she should doe to make hir daughter very wyse She saide Lais that will haue hir daughter to be good and honest she must from hir youth lerne hir to feare and in going abrode to haunte litle companie and that she be shamefast and moderate in hir talke An other of hir neighbors inquiring of hir what she might doe to hir daughter which began to haue delight to rome in the fielde wander abrode The remedy saide Lais that I finde for your daughter disposed to that condition is not to suffer hir to be ydle ne yet to be braue and sumptnous in apparell This amorous gentlewoman Lais dyed in the citie of Corinth of the age of lxxij yeares whose death was of many Matrones desired and of a great numbre of amorous persons lamented The third amorous gentlewoman was 〈◊〉 Flora which was not so aucient ne yet of so great renoume as Lamia Lais wer whose coūtrie also was not so famous For she was of Italie and the other two of Grecia and although that Lamia Lais exceded Flora in antiquitie 〈◊〉 Flora surmounted them in lineage generositie For Flora was of noble house although in life lesse than chast She was of the countrie of Nola in
was sent forth on businesse of the kings The conclusion of which practise was that when she caried meate to Acharisto according to the ordre appointed she should faine hir selfe to bée violentlie dispoyled of the prison-key by Acharisto who taking the same from hir should shut hir in the prison and escape and wheÌ„ hir husband did returne she should make compl 〈…〉 of the violence done vnto hir according to which deuise the practise was accomplished And when hir husbande returned home hearing his wife crie out within the Tower was meruellously amazed and vnderstanding that Acharisto was deade ignorant of the pollicie betwene his wyfe and Euphimia hée fell into great rage speâ—delie repaired to the king and tolde him what had chauÌ„ced The King thinking that the breache of prison was rather through the womans simplicitie than purposed malice did mitigate his displeasure 〈◊〉 forthwith he sent out Scoutes to spie and watche in to what place Acharisto was gone whose secrete flight made all their trauell to be in vaine Then the King when he saw that hée coulde not be found made proclamation throughout his realme that who so would bring vnto him the hed of Acharisto should haue to wife his onely daughter and after his decease should possesse his Kingdome for dowrie of that mariage Many knightes did put themselues in redinesse to themselues that enterprise aboue al Philon was the chiefe not for gredinesse of the kingdome but for loue which hée bare vnto the Gentlewoman Wherof Acharisto hauing intelligence and perceuing that in no place of Europa he coulde be safe and sure froÌ„ daunger for the multitude of them which pursued hym vnto deth caused Euphimia to vnderstand the miserable estate wherin he was Euphimia which bent hir mind employed hir studie for his safegarde imparted hir loue which she bare to Acharisto to an aged Gentlewoman which was hir nurse gouernesse besought hir that she wold intreat hir sonne called Sinapus one very wel beloued of the King so reach his help vnto hir desire that Acharisto might return to the court again The Nurse like a wise woman lefte no persuasion vnspoken nor counsell vnremembred which she thought was able to dissuade the yong gentlewoman froÌ„ hir conceiued loue but the wounde was so déepely made and hir heart so greuously wounded with the thrée forked arrows of the litle blinde archer Cupide that despising all the reasons of hir beloued nurse she sayde howe shée was firmely bente eyther to runne from hir father and to séeke out Acharisto to sustaine with hym one equall fortune or else with hir owne handes to procure death if some remedie were not founde to recouer the Kynges good grace for the returne of Acharisto The Nurse vanquished with pitie of the yong mayden fearyng bothe the one and the sorte daunger that myght ensue sent for Sinapus and vpon their talke together Euphimia and hée concluded that Acharisto shoulde bée brought agayne vnto the Courte and that shée hir selfe should present him to the Kyng wherin should want no kinde of diligence vntill the Kyng did enterteyne him againe for his faithfull seruaunt as hée was woont to doe Upon which resolution Acharisto was sente for and being come Sinapus and Euphimia together wyth the Nurse tolde hym in what 〈◊〉 they thrée had concluded touching his health and safegarde Which of him being well lyked did giue 〈◊〉 humble thankes And then Sinapus went vnto the Kyng and tolde him that there was one newely arriued at Corinth to make a present vnto his grace of the hed of Acharisto At which newes the King shewed him selfe so ioyful as if he had gotten an other Kingdome and being placed vnder his cloath of state with his Counsell and Princely trayne about him telling them the 〈◊〉 of that assemblie coÌ„maunded hym that brought those newes to bring the partie forth newely come vnto the Citie to presente the head of Acharisto Then Sinapus broughte Acharisto before the presence of the King who no sooner looked vpon hym but fell into such a rage as the fire séemed to flame out of his angrie eyes and commaunded hym presentlye to bée taken and put to death But Acharisto fallyng 〈◊〉 vpon his knées humbly besoughte his Maiestie to gyue hym leaue 〈◊〉 speake But the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufferyng hym to vtter one woorde 〈◊〉 him away Then the Counsellours and other Lordes of the Courte intreated his grace to heare him At whose requestes and supplications hée 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 contente Then Acharisto began to say Most sacred Prince and redoubted Soueraigne Lord the cause of thys my presumptuous repaire before your Maiestie is not to shew my selfe guiltie of the late beuised conspiracie ne yet to craue pardon for the same but to satisfie your Maiestie with that contented desire whiche by proclamation ye haue prondunced through your highnesse 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 whiche is to offer this heade for reuenge of the fault vniustly laid vnto my charge by those foure which woorthily haue tasted the deserued pame of their 〈◊〉 Whersore I am come hither of mine owne accorde to shewe the loue and greate desire whiche euer I had to serue and please your Maiestie And for that I would not coÌ„sume my lyfe in your displeasure I make offer of the same to your mercifull will and disposition chosing rather to die and leaue your maiestie satisfied contented than to lyue in happie state your princely minde displeased But desirous that hour maiestie shuld know myne innocencie I humbly besech your grace to heare what I can say that my fidelitie may bée throughly vnderstanded the wickednesse of the 〈◊〉 myne accusers wel wayed and considered Then hée began to rehearse all the things done by him for the seruice of his crowne and maiestie and finally into what daunger he did put himself when he killed the Lacedemonian king that went about by treason to murder him which enterprise might appere vnto him to be 〈◊〉 sure and euident testimonie that he ment nothing hurtfull or preindicial to his highnesse And that hée cstemed not his life when he aduentured for his seruice sauegarde to employ the same after these alleaged causes he added briefly that the loue which his maiestie knew to bée betwene him Euphimia his daughter ought to 〈◊〉 persuaded him that 〈◊〉 had rather haue suffered death himselfe than commit a thing displeasant to Euphimia And knowing that a more 〈◊〉 thing could not chauÌ„ce to hir than the 〈◊〉 death of hir father he might wel thinke that he wold haue deuised the death of a thousand other rather than that horrible 〈◊〉 déede such as his greatest enimie would neuer haue done much lesse 〈◊〉 which was bounde vnto him by so many receiued benefits for whose service preseruacion he had dedicated vowed his life and soule But if so be his maiesties rancor and displeasure could not bée mitigated but by doing hym to death hée desired that none of his alleaged reasons should bée accepted and
purpose he was not able to remoue but rather the more difficult and daungerous his enterprise séemed to be the more grew desire to prosecute and obiect him selfe to all dangers If peraduenture the Quéenes for their disport and pastime were disposed to walke into the fieldes or gardens of the Citie of Hispurge he failed not in company of other Courtiers to make one of the troupe being no houre at rest and 〈◊〉 if he were not in the sight of Quéene Anne or néere that place where she was At that time there were many Gentlemen departed from Lombardie to Hispurge which for the most parte followed the Lord Francesco Sforza the second by whom they hoped when the Duchie of Milane was recouered to be restored to their Countrey There was also Chamberlain to the said Lord Francesco one master Girolamo Borgo of Verona betwene whome and master Philippo was very néere friendship familiaritie And bicause it chauncethvery seldome that seruent loue can be kept so secrete and couert but in some part it will discouer it selfe master Borgo easily did perceiue the passion wherwith master Philippo was inflamed And one master Philippo Baldo many times being in the company of master Borgo and Philippo did marke and perceiue his loue yet was ignorant of the truthe or voide of coniecture with what Gentlewoman he was inamored But séeing him contrary to wonted custome altered from vsual mirth transported fetching many sighes strainings from his stomake and marking how many times he wold steale from the cōpany he was in withdraw him self alone to muse vpon hys thoughts brought thereby into a melancholy and meane estate hauing lost his sléepe and 〈◊〉 of eating meat iudged that the amorous wormes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bitterly gnawe and teare his heart wyth the nebs of their forked heads They three then being vpon a time togither debating of diuers things amōgs them selues chaunced to fall in argument of loue and 〈◊〉 Baldo Borgo the other gentlemen said to master Philippo how they were well assured that he was straūgely attached with that passion by marking and considering the new life which lately he led contrary to former vse intreating him very earnestly that he would manifest his loue to them that were his déere and faithful frends telling him that as in weightie matters otherwise hée was alredy sure what they were euē so in this he might hardily repose his hope and confidence promising him all their helpe and fauoure if therein their indeuor and trauaile might minister ayde and comfort He then like one raised from a traunce or lately reuiued from an 〈◊〉 after he hadde composed his countenaunce and gesture with teares and multitude of sobbes began to say these woordes My welbeloued friendes and trusty companiens being right well assured that ye whose sidelitie I haue already proued whose secrete mouthes be recómmended amongs the wise and vertuous will kéepe close and couert the thing which you shall heare me vtter as of such importaunce that if the yong 〈◊〉 Gentleman Papyrius had bene héere for all hys silence of graue matters required by hys mother I would vnnethes haue disclosed the same vnto hym In déede I cannot deny but must néedes consesse that I am in loue and that very ardently which I cannot in suche wise conceale but that the blinde must néedes clearely and euidently perceiue And although my mouth would 〈◊〉 kéepe close in what plight my passions doe constraine my inwarde affections yet my face and straunge manner of life which for a certayne time and space I haue led doe witnesse that I am not the man I was 〈◊〉 to be So that if shortly I doe not amend I trust to arriue to that ende whereunto euery Creature is borne and that my bitter and paynefull life shall take ende if I may call it a life and not rather a liuyng death I was resolued and throughly determined neuer to discouer to any man the cause of my cruell torment being not able to manifest the same to hir whome I doe only loue thinking better by conceling it through loue to make humble sute to Lady Atropos that shée would cutte of the thréede of my dolorous lyfe Neuerthelesse to you from whome I ought to kéepe nothyng secrete I will disgarboile and 〈◊〉 the very secretes of my minde not for that I hope to finde comfort and reliefe or that my passions by declaration of them wil lessen and diminishe but that ye knowing the occasion of my death may make reporte thereof to hir that is the only mistresse of my life that she vnderstanding the extréeme panges of the truest louer that euer liued may mourne and waile his losse which thing if my séely ghost may know no doubt where so euer it doe wander shall receiue great ioy and comforte Be it knowne vnto you therefore the first daye that mine eyes beheld the diuine beautie and incomparable sauer of that superexcellent Lady Quéene Anne of Hungarie that I more than wisdom required did meditate and consider the singular behauior and notable 〈◊〉 and other innumerable gifts wherwith she is indued the same beyònde measure did so inflame my heart that impossible it was for me to quenche the feruent loue or extinguish the least parte of my conceiued torment I haue done what I can to macerate and mortifie my vnbridled desire but all in vayne My force and puissaunce is to weake to matche wyth so mightye an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I knowe what ye wyll obiecte against me ye will say that mine ignobilitie my birth and stocke be no méete matches for such a personage and that my loue is to highly placed to sucke relief And the same I do 〈◊〉 so well as you I doe acknowledge my condition state too base I confesse that my loue nay rather I may terme it folly doth presume beyond the bounds of order For the first time that I felt my selfe wrapped in those snares I knew hir to beare the port amōgs the chiefest Quéenes to be the 〈◊〉 princesse of Christendom Againe I knew my selfe the poorest Gentleman of the world and the most miserable exile I thought moreouer it to be very vnséemely for me to direct my minde vpon a wight so honorable and of so great estate But who can raine the bridle or prescribe lawes to loue What is he that in loue hath frée will and choyse Truely I beleue no man bicause loue the more it doth séeme to accord in pleasure and delight the further from the marke he shooteth his bolte hauing no respect to degrée or state Haue not many excellent and worthy personages yea Dukes Emperours and Kings bene inflamed wyth the loue of Ladies and women of base and vile degrée Haue not most honorable dames and women of greatest renoume despised the honor of their states abandoned the companie of their husbāds and neglected the loue of their children for the ardent loue that they haue borne to men of inferiour sort All Histories
wente streight to them and very gently 〈◊〉 of dyuerse of the Gentlemen their names and of what partes of Italie they were then she came to the place where they iii. were standing together curteously asked first master Girolamo what his name was of what countrey whether he were a Gentleman To whom reucrentely he sayde that his name was Girolamo Borgo a Gentleman of Verona Master Baldo likewise béeing demaunded the same answered so well as he coulde that he was a Gentleman borne of an auncient house in Milane and that his name was Philippo Baldo When she had receiued their answere with chéerefull and smiling countenance she turned to Master Philippo inquiring of him also his name and countrey and whether he were a Gentleman or not Whom master Philippo after his duetie done reuerently answered Madame my soueraine Ladie and onely maistresse I am a Gentleman and am called by the name of Philippo de i Nicuoli of Cremona The Queene making no further demaundes of any of the other Gentlemen sayd to Master Philippo You say true sir I dare warrant that you be a Gentleman in dede and he that said 〈◊〉 contrary shold declare him selfe to be voide of iudgement what a Gentleman is She sayde no more but from thence with Quéene Mary and the whole traine she went to Church All they that heard the Quéene speake those wordes did wonder and could not 〈◊〉 what shée meant by them notwithstanding 〈◊〉 man thought that the Quéene bare to master Philippo singuler good will and 〈◊〉 He as it was his custome full of diuerse cogitations whose 〈◊〉 was building of great cities went to Church 〈◊〉 him selfe in his 〈◊〉 place tossyng in his minde the Quéenes words spoken vnto him And although he 〈◊〉 not perceiue to what ende that honorable 〈◊〉 had spoken them yet he thought that hir maiestie had done him great honour And verily the humanitie and curtesse of a Lady so excellent and 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 to be 〈◊〉 with infinite praise and cōmendation who being of high 〈◊〉 and ligneage and the wyfe of so greate a Prince that procéeded of the 〈◊〉 Imperiall not onely dyd not 〈◊〉 to be beloued of a man of so base degrée and banished from his owne house but also with great care and diligence did deuise and in effecte declare that shée was the same whom the Italian yong Gentleman did loue as partly it was euidently to be perceiued not for other purpose doubtlesse but to do some noble déede couenable for the greatnesse of hir estate incident to the seruent loue of the amorous yong Gentleman which afterwardes in very dede she accomplished But howe many be there in these dayes I doe not speake of Quéenes and Princesses but of 〈◊〉 and priuate Gentlewomen that beyng of meane worship indued with some shew of beautie be without good conditions vertue who séeyng themselues beloued of some Gentlemen not enriched with the goods of Fortune as they be do scorne and mocke them thynking them selues to good to be loked vpon or 〈◊〉 moued of vertuous loue scornfully casting their face at one side as though the suters were vnworthy their cōpanie Now many likewise be possessed and ouerwhelmed with pride by reason nature more propicious vnto them than other be descended of some great parentage that will accompt a great iniurie done vnto them if any other gentlemen beside those that be rich do 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 them Again a great numbre of 〈◊〉 I speake of them whose mindes do not aspire to same or honor so that their delights and brauerie be mainteined be of this trampe that they 〈◊〉 not whether their louers bée 〈◊〉 well condicioned 〈◊〉 and gentle but onely do regarde whether their pursses be full of money or their shapes somewhat shoutefaire not waying the 〈◊〉 and good condicions of the minde with a thousand other qualities that 〈◊〉 to garnishe a Gentleman whereby all Gentlemen 〈◊〉 do growe beautifull and bée enriched wyth greater perfections Some other there be that fire their mindes vpon yong men that bée of goodly persouage although 〈◊〉 of vertue or 〈◊〉 behauiour louyng rather a piece of flesh with two eyes in his head than an honest man well furnyshed wyth vertue Thynke not yet for all thys that herein men ordinarily bée wyser than women althoughe they oughte to bée endued with greater 〈◊〉 than the womankynde but to say the truth they be all spotted with one kinde of pitch that warfare here in the large campe of this present worlde wherof it commeth to passe that we sée little loue to continue long bicause as the beginnyng wanted loue euen so is the ende altogether 〈◊〉 the knowledge whereof consumeth lyke the beautie of the 〈◊〉 And therevpon many times it chaunceth that when loue is not grounded but vpon transitorie beautie which dothe dissolue lyke a windie cloude the little heate 〈◊〉 doth not war more 〈◊〉 but rather congoale to frost and many times 〈◊〉 into hatred and 〈◊〉 A worsse thyng yet than this is in 〈◊〉 practise There be many that wil néedes bée 〈◊〉 and called Gentlemen bycause they come of Auncient and Noble race but growyng vp to 〈◊〉 state they appeare in shapes of men but altogether without vertuo or approued manners vtterly ignorant what the nature of Gentle is and doe accompte them selues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fellowes when in companie of other as bigge beasts as them selues they contriue the day in 〈◊〉 and bragges and 〈◊〉 say 〈◊〉 a woman is at my comniaundement and such a mans wyse I do keepe suche a one is my companyons friende whereby they bryng many women yea and of the moste honest sort into slaunder and 〈◊〉 Diuerse 〈◊〉 also bée suchè fooles and of so simple discretion that although they know clerely perceyue thys to be true yat allured with the persenages and beautie of such 〈◊〉 passe not to gyue the rayne to these vnbrideled 〈◊〉 and doe not foresée lyhe 〈◊〉 Woodcockes that in sewe dayes through their owne 〈◊〉 they 〈◊〉 common shame of the vulgar people being pointed at in the streates as they 〈◊〉 where one that is wise and discrete daily doth feare the least suspition that utay be conceiued There is no woman that is wise 〈◊〉 so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 she can wil shunne and auoide all occasion wherby 〈◊〉 may arise and will choose 〈◊〉 hir amongs a number such one as 〈◊〉 best please hir fansie and suche 〈◊〉 as for his vertue and honestie she purposeth to match 〈◊〉 self with in mariage which is the end of all honest loue Nowe be it Nature hath not framed euery creature of one mettall ne yet Minerua 〈◊〉 lyke brayne into euery head And truely this our age doeth bréede many 〈◊〉 and worthie women whose condicions be good 〈◊〉 adorned with 〈◊〉 qualities the generositie 〈◊〉 valour of whose myndes 〈◊〉 deferue singular praise and estimation And what is he chauncing vpon a curteous and vertuous woman that will not giue ouer the loue of all
sent for him vp into hir chamber as commonly she did for the affaires and matters of hir house and taking him a side vnto a 〈◊〉 hauing prospect into a garden she knew not how to begin hir talk for the heart being seased the minde troubled and the wittes out of course the tongue failed to doe his office in such wise as of long time she was vnable to 〈◊〉 one onely woord Hée surprised with like affection was more astōned by séeing the alteration of his Ladie So the two Louers stoode still like Images beholding one another without any meuing at all vntil the Ladie the hardiest of them bothe as féeling the most vehement and greatest grief tooke Bologna by the hād and dissembling what she thought vsed this or such like language If any other bisides your self Gentleman should vnderstand the secretes which now I purpose to disclose I doubt what spéeche were necessary to colour my woords But being assured of your discretion and wisdom and with what perfection nature hath indued you and Arte hauing accōplished that in you which nature did begin to work as one bred and brought vp in the royall Court of the second Alphonse of Ferdinando and Federick of Aragon my cousins I wil make no doubt at all to manifest to you the hidden secretes of my heart being well persuaded that when you shall both heare and 〈◊〉 my reasons and tast that light which I bring for the for me easily you may 〈◊〉 that mine 〈◊〉 cannot be other than iust and reasonable But if your conceits shall straye from that which I shal speak déeme not good of that which I determine I shall be forced to thinke say that they which estéeme you wise sage and to be a man of good and ready 〈◊〉 be maruelously deceiued Notwithstāding my heart foretelleth that it is impossible for maister Bologna to wandre so farre from equitie but that by and by he wil enter the lystes discerne the white from black and the wrong from that which is iust and right For so much as hitherto I neuer saw thing done by you which preposterated or peruerted the good iudgement that all the world estéemeth to shine in you the same well manifested declared by your tongue the right iudge of the mind you know and sée how I am a widow through the death of that noble Gentleman of good remembrance the Duke my Lord husband you be not ignoraunt also that I haue liued and gouerned my self in such wise in my widow state as there is no man so hard and seuere of iudgement that can blason reproche of me in that which appertaineth to the honesty reputation of such a Ladie as I am bearing my port so right as my conscience yeldeth no remorse supposing that no man hath where with to bite accuse me Louching the order of the goods of the Duke my sōne I haue vsed them with such diligence and discretion as bisides the dettes which I haue discharged sithens the death of my Lord I haue purchased a goodly Manor in Calabria and haue annexed the same to the Dukedom of his heire and at this day doe not owe one pennie to any creditor that lent mony to the Duke which he toke vp to furnish the charges in the warres which he sustained in the seruice of the Kings our soueraine Lords in the late warres for the kingdome of Naples I haue as I suppose by this meanes stopped the slaunderous mouth and giuen cause vnto my sonne during his life to accōpt himself bound vnto his mother Now hauing till this time liued for other and made my self subiect more than Nature could beare I am entended to chaunge both my life and condition I haue till thys time run trauailed remoued to the Castels Lordships of the Dukedome to Naples and other places being in mind to tary as I am a widow But what new affaires and new councel hath possest my mind I haue trauailed and pained my self inough I haue too long abidden a widowes life I am determined therefore to prouide a husband who by louing me shal honor cherish me according to the loue which I shal bear to him my desert For to loue a man without mariage God defend my heart should euer think shall rather die a hundred thousand deathes thā a desire so wicked shald soile my conscience knowing well that a woman which setteth hir honor to sale is lesse than nothing deserueth not that the cōmon aire shold breathe vpō hir for all the reuerence that men do beare or make them I accuse no person albeit that many noble women haue their forheds marked with the blame of dishonest life being honored of some be neuerthelesse the cōmon fable of the people To the intent then that such mishap happē not to me perceiuing my self vnable stil thus to liue being yong as I am God be thāked neither deformed nor yet painted I had rather be the louing wife of a simple féere than that Concubine of a king or great Prince And what is the mightie Monarche able to wash away the fault of his wife which hath abādoned him cōtrary to that duty honest which the vndefiled bed requireth no les thē Princesses that whilom trespassed with those which wer of baser stuffe than thēselues Messalina w e hir imperial robe could not so wel couer hir faults but that the Historiās do defame hir with that name title of a cōmon woman Faustina the wife of that sage Monarch Marcus Aurelius gained lyke report by rendring hir self to others pleasure bisides hir lawful spouse To mary my self to one that is mine equall it is impossible for so much as there is no Lord in all this Countrey méete for my degrée but is to olde of age that rest being dead in these later warres To mary a husband that yet is but a child is follie extréeme for the inconueniences which daily chaūce therby the euil intreatie that Ladies do receiue whē they come to age their nature waxe cold by reson wherof imbracements be not so fauorable their husbāds glutted with ordinary meat vse to rū in exchāge Wherefore I am resolued without respite or delay to choose some wel qualitied and renoumed Gentleman that hath more vertue than richesse of good Fame and brute to the intēt I may make him my Lord espouse and husband For I cannot imploy my loue vpon treasure which may be taken away where richesse of the minde do faile and shall be better content to sée an honest Gentleman with little reuenue to be praised and cōmended of euery man for his good déedes than a rich carle curssed and detested of all the world Thus much I say and it is the summe of all my secretes wherin I pray your Councell and aduise I know that some wil be offended wyth my choise the Lords my brothers specially the Cardinall will think it straunge and receiue
be ne more faithful more affectionate or otherwise moued than the rest yet I am contēt for respect of your honor somewhat to beleue you and to accept you for mine owne sith your discretion is such I trust as so Noble a Gentleman as you be will himself declare in those affairs and whē I sée the effect of my hope I can not be so vnkinde but with all honesty shall assay to satisfie that your loue The Counte seing hir alone and receiuing the Ladies language for his aduauntage and that hir countenance by alteration of hir minde did adde a certaine beautie to hir face and perceiuing a desire in hir that hée shold not vse delay or be too squeimish she demaūding naught else but execution tooke the present offred time forgetting all ceremonies and reuerence he embraced hir and kissed hir a hundred thousand times And albeit she made a certain simple and prouoking resistance yet the louer séeing thē to be but preparatiues for the sport of loue he strayed from the bounds of honestie and threw hir vpon a fielde bed within the Chambre where he solaced himselfe with his long desired sute And finding hir worthy to be beloued and she him a curteous gentleman consulted together for continuance of their amitie in such wise as the Lord Ardizzino spake no more but by the mouth of Bianca Maria and did nothing but what she commaunded being so bewrapped with the heauie mantell of beastly Loue as hée still above night and day in the house of his beloued whereby the brute was noised throughout the Citie and the songs of their Loue more common in eche Citizens mouthe than the Stanze or Sonnets of Petrarch played and sained vpon the Gittorne Lute or Harpe of these of Noble house more fine wittie than those vnsauery 〈◊〉 that be tuned and chaunted in the mouthes of the foolish common sort Behold an Earle well serued and dressed by enioying so false a woman which had already falsified the faith betrouthed to hir husbād who was more honest milde and vertuous than she deserued Beholde ye Noble Gentlemen the simplicitie of this good Earle how it was deceiued by a false and filthy strumpet whose stincking life and common vse of body woulde haue withdrawen each simple creature from mixture of their owne with such a Carrion A lesson to learne all youth to refraine the whoorishe lookes and light conditioned Dames a number the more to be pitied shewing forthe them selues to the portsale of euery cheapener that list demaunde the price the grosenesse whereof before considered were worthy to be defied and loathed This Ladie séeing hir Louer noussed in hir lust dandled him with a thousande trumperies and made hym holde the Mule while other enioyed the secrete sporte which earst hée vsed himself This acquaintance was so daungerous to the Counte as she hir self was shamelesse to the Counte of Celant For the one bare the armes of Cornwall and became a second Acteon and the other wickedly led his life lost the chiefest of that he loked for in the seruice of great princes by the treason of an arrant common 〈◊〉 Whiles this Loue continued in all pleasure and like contentation of either parts Fortune that was ready to mounte the stage and shew in sight that hir mobilitie was no more stable than a womans will For vnder such habite and sere Painters and Poets describe hir made Ardizzino suspecte what desire she had of chaunge and within a while after sawe himself so farre misliked of his Ladie as though he had neuer bene acquainted The cause of that recoile was for that the Countesse was not contented with one kinde of fare and whose eyes were more gredie than hir stomake able to digest and aboue all desired chaunge not séeking meanes to finde him that was worthy to be beloued and intertained of so great a Ladie as she estéemed hir selfe to be and as such women of their owne opinion thinke themselues who counterfaicte more grauitie and reputation than they doe whome nature and vertue for their maiestie and holinesse of life make Noble and praise worthie That desire deceiued hir nothing at all for a certaine time after that Ardizzino possessed the forte of this faire Countesse there came to Pauia one Roberto Sanseuerino Earle of Gaiazzo a yong faire and valiant Gentleman whose Countrey lieth on this side the Mountaines and very familiar with the Earle of Massino This vnfaithful Alcina and cruell Medea had no sonet cast hir eye vpon Signor di Gaiazzo but was pierced with his loue in such wise as if forthwith shée had not attained hir desires she would haue run mad bicause that Gentleman bare a certaine stately representation in his face promised such dexteritie in his déedes as sodainly she thought him to be that man that was able to staunch hir filthy thirst And therfore so gentlely as she could gaue ouer hir Ardizzino with whome she vtterly refused to speake and shunned his cōpanie when she saw him and by shutting the gates against him the Noble man was not able to forbeare from throwing forth some words of choler wherby she tooke occasion both to expell him and also to beare him such displeasure as then she cōspired his death as afterwards you shall perceiue This great hatred was the cause that she being fallen in Loue as you haue heard with the Counte of Gaiazzo shewed vnto him all signe of amitie and séeing that hée made no great sute vnto hir she wrote vnto him in this manner The Letter of Bianca Maria to the Counte of Gaiazzo SIr I doubt not by knowing the state of my degrée but that ye be abashed to sée the violēce of my mind when passing the limites of modestie which ought to guard such a Ladie as I am I am forced uncertain of the cause to doe you vnderstand the griefe that doeth torment me which is of such constraint as if of curtesie ye doe not vouchsafe to visite me you shall commit two faultes the one leauing the thing worthy for you to loue and regard and which deserueth not to be cast off the other in causing the death of hir that for Loue of you is bereft of rest And so loue hath very little in me to sease vpon either of heart or libertie but that ease of grief procéedeth from your only grace which is able to vanquishe hir whose victorious hap hath conquered all other and who attēding your resolut answer shall rest vnder the mercifull refuge of hope which deceiuing hir shall sée by that very meanes the wretched end of hir that is all your owne Bianca Maria Countesse of Celant The yong Lorde much maruelled at this message were it for that already hée was in loue with hir and that for loue of his friend Ardizzino wold not be known thereof or for that he feared she would be straught of wits if she were despised he determined to goe vnto hir yet stayed thought it not to be the
hauing hir face all besprent with teares she said 〈◊〉 Rhomeo Syr Rhomeo I pray you not to renue those things againe for the only memory of such 〈◊〉 maketh me to coūterpoise betwene death life my heart being so vnited with 〈◊〉 as you cānot receiue the least iniury in this world wherin I shal not be so great a partaker as your self beséeching you for conclusion that if you desire your owne health 〈◊〉 to declare vnto me in fewe wordes what your determination is to attaine for if you couet any other secrete thing at my handes more than myne honour can well allow you are maruelously deceiued but if your desire be godly and that the friendship which you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to beare me be founded vppon vertue and to be concluded by mariage receiuyng me for your wyfe lawful spouse you shall haue such part in me as 〈◊〉 any regarde to the obedience reuerence that I owe to my parentes or to the auncient enimitie of our familie 〈◊〉 will make you the onely Lord maister ouer me and of all things that I possesse beyng prest and readie in all points to folowe your commaundement But if your intent be otherwise and thinke to reape the frute of my virginitie vnder pretense of wanton 〈◊〉 you be greatly deceiued and doe praye you to auoide and suffer me from henceforth to liue in rest amongs mine equals Rhomeo which loked for none other thing holding vp his handes to the heauens with incredible ioy and contentation answered Madame for somuch as it hath pleased you to do me that honour to accept me for such a one I accorde and consente to your request and do offer vnto you the best part of my heart which shall remaine with you for guage sure testimonie of my saying vntill such time as God shall giue me leaue to make you the entier owner and possessor of the same And to that intent I may begyn mine enterprise to morow I wil to Frier Laurence for 〈◊〉 the same who bisides that he is my ghostly Father is accustomed to giue me instruction in all my other secrete affaires and fayle not if you please to méete me againe in this place at this very hour to the intent I may giue you to vnderstande the deuise betwene him and me which she liked very wel ended their talk for that time Rhomeo receiuing none other fauor at hir hands for that night but only words This frier Laurence of whom hereafter we shal make more ample mention was an aūcient Doctor of Diuinitie of the order of the friers Minors who bisides the happy profession which hée had made in studie of holie writ was very skilful in Philosophy and a great searcher of nature secrets excéeding famous in Magike knowledge and other hiddē and secret sciences which nothing diminished his reputation bicause he did not abuse the same And this Frier through his vertue and pietic had so wel won the citizens hearts of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was almost the confessor to them all and of al men generally reuerenced and beloued and many tymes for his great prudence was called by the lordes of the Citie to the weightie affaires of the same And amonges other he was greatly fauored by the lord of 〈◊〉 that time the principal gouernor of Verona and of al that familie of 〈◊〉 and of the Capellets and of many other The yong Rhomeo as we haue alredy declared frō his tēder age bare a certein particle amitie to frier Laurēce departed to him his secrets by means wherof so soone as he was gone from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 straight to the Friers Frāciscans wher frō point to point he discoursed the successe of his loue to that good father the cōclusion of the mariage betwene him 〈◊〉 adding vpon the end of talk that he wold rather choose shameful death 〈◊〉 to faile hir of his promise To whō the good 〈◊〉 after he had debated diuers matters proposed 〈◊〉 the inconueniences of that secrete mariage exhorted hym to more mature deliberation of the same notwithstanding all the alleged persuasiōs wer not able to reuoke his promise Wherfore the Frier vanquished with his stubbornesse and also forecasting in his minde that the mariage might be some 〈◊〉 of recōciliatiō of those two houses in the ende agréed to his request 〈◊〉 him that he might haue one delayed day for 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 what was beste to be done But if Rhomeo for his part was carefull to prouide for his affaires Iulietta like wise did hir 〈◊〉 For seing that 〈◊〉 had none about hir to discouer hir passions she deuised to impart the whole to hir nurse which laye in hir 〈◊〉 apointed to 〈◊〉 vpon hir to whome she committed the intier secrets of the loue betwene Rhomeo hir And although that old womā in the beginning resisted Iu hetta hir intent yet in that ende she knewe so wel how to persuade and win hir that she promised in all that she was able to do to be at hir cōmandement And then she sent hir with al diligence to speake to Rhomeo and to know of him by what meanes they might be maried that he would 〈◊〉 hir to vnderstand the determination betwene frier Laurence him Whō 〈◊〉 answered how the 〈◊〉 day wherin he had informed frier Laurence of the matter the said frier deferred answer vntil the next which was the very same and that it was not past one houre 〈◊〉 he returned with final resolution that Frier Laurence he had deuised that she the Saterday folowing should desire leaue of hir mother to go to cōfession to repaire to the church of saint Francis where in a certain chapel secretly they shold be maried praying hir in any wise not to fail to be there Which thing she brought to passe with such discretion as hir mother agréed to hir 〈◊〉 and accompanied onely with hir gouernesse and a yong mayden she repaired thither at the determined day time And so soone as she was entred that church called for the good 〈◊〉 frier Laurence vnto whō answere was made that he was in the shriuing chapel 〈◊〉 aduertisement was giuē him of hir cōming So soon as frier Laurence was certified of Iulietta he went into the body of the Church willed the old woman and yong 〈◊〉 to go heare seruice and that when he had hearde the confession of Iulietta he would sende for them again to waite vpon hir Iulietta being entred a litle Cell with Frier Laurence he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the doore as he was wont to do where Rhomeo and he had bene together fast shut in the space of one whole houre before Then Frier Laurence after that hée had 〈◊〉 them sayde to Iulietta Daughter as Rhomeo here present hath certified me you be agréed and contented to take him to husband and he like wise you 〈◊〉 his espouse and wife Do you now still persist and continue in that minde The Louers answered that they desired
the rare excellencies wherewith the Citie is furnished there is none more famous than the monument of Rhomeo Iulietta Two Gentlewomen of Venice ¶ Two Gentlemen of VENICE were honourably deceiued of their wiues whose notable practises and secrete cōference for archieuing their desire occasioned diuers accidentes and ingendred double benefite wherin also is recited an eloquent oration made by one of them pronounced before the Duke and state of that Citie with other chaunces and actes concerning the same The. xxvj Nouel HEre haue I thoughte good to summon y. gentlewomen of Venice to apeare in place and to mount on stage amonges other Italian dames to shewe cause of their bold incountrie against the follie of their two husbandes that vncharitably against order of neighbourhode wente about to assayle the honestie of eythers wife and wéening they had enioyed others felicitie by the womens prudence foresyghte and ware gouernement were bothe deceiued and yet attayned the chiefest benefite that mariage state doth looke for so that yf searche bée made amonges antiquities it is to be doubted whether greater chastitie and better policie coulde bée founde for 〈◊〉 of an intended purpose Many dedes haue bene done by women for sauegarde of their husbands liues as that of Minyae a sorte of women whose husbands wer imprisoned at Lacedaemon for treason cōdemned who to saue their husbāds entred into prison the night before they shold die by exchange of apparell deliuered them and remained there to suffre for them Hipsicratea also the Quene wife of 〈◊〉 king of Pontus spared not hir noble beautie and golden lockes to manure hir self in the vse of armes to kéepe hir husbād company in perils and daungers and being ouercome by Pompeius and flying away neuer left him vnaccōpanied ne forsoke such trauel as he him self sustained The like also of Aemilia Turia 〈◊〉 Portia other Romane dames But that such haue preuēted their husbands follie seldome we reade sauing of Quéene Marie the wife of Don Pietro king of Arragon who marking the folie of hir husband and sorie for his disordred life honest iealousie opening hir cōtinēt eyes forced hir to seke meanes to remoue his wanton acts or at lestwise by policie wise foresight to make him husband culture his own soile that for want of seasonable tillage was barren voide of fruite Wherefore consulting with the lorde Chamberlain who of custome brought whom the King liked best was in place of his woman bestowed in his bed and of hir that night begate the yong Prince Giacomo that afterwardes proued a valiaunt and wise King These passyng good policies of women many times abolish the frantik lecherous fits of husbands giuen to superfluous lustes when first by their chast behauior womāly pacience they 〈◊〉 that whiche they bée lothe to sée or heare of and then demaunding counsell of sobrietie and wisedome excogitate sleightes to shunne follie and expell discurtesie by husbandes carelesse vse Suche practyses and deuises these two Gentlewomen whome I now bring forth disclose in this discourse ensuing In the Citie of Venice whiche for riches and faire women excelleth al other within the region of Italie in the time that Francesco Foscari a very wise Prince did gouerne the state there were two yong gentlemē the one called Girolamo Bembo and the other Anselmo Barbadico betwene whome as many times chaunceth amongs other grew such great hatred and cruel hostilitie as eche of them by secrete and al possible means deuised to do other shame and displeasure which kindled to such out rage as it was thought impossible to be pacified It chaunced that at one time both of them did marie two noble yong Gentlewomen excellēt faire both brought vp vnder one nurse and loued eche other like two sisters and as though they had ben both born of one bodie The wyse of Anselmo called Isotta was the daughter of Messer 〈◊〉 Gradenigo a mā of great estimation in that citie one of the procuratours of San Marco whereof there were not so greate numbre in those dayes as there be now bicause the wisest men best approued of life were chosen to that great and noble dignitie none allotted therevnto by bribe or ambition The wife of Girolamo Bembo was called Lucia that daughter of Messer Gian Francesco Valerio Caualiere a Gentleman very well learned and many times sent by the State ambassador into diuers countreyes and after he had bene Drator with the Pope for his wisedome in the execution of the same was in great estima tion with the whole citie The two Gentlewomen after they were maried heard of the hatred betwene their husbandes were very sorowfull and pensiue bicause they thought the friendshyppe and loue betwene them twaine continued from their tender yeres could not be but with great difficulty kept or else altogither dissolued broken Not withstāding being discrete and wise for auoiding occasion of their husbands offēce determined to cease their accustomed conuersation louing familiaritie not to frequent eche others cōpany but at places times conuenient To whome Fortune was so fauorable as not only their houses were néere together but also ioyning in the backsides wherof their gardens also cōfined seperated only with a litle hedge that euery day they might sée one another many times talke togither Moreouer the seruāts people of either houses were friendly familiar which did greatly cōtent the two louing Gētlewomen bicause they also in the absence of their husbāds might at pleasure in their gardens disport thēselues And continuing this order that space of iij. yeres neither of thē both were with childe In which space Anselmo many times vicwing and casting his eyes vpō Madonna Lucia fel earnestly in loue with hir was not that day wel at ease wherin he had not beholden hir excellēt beautie 〈◊〉 that was of sprite and wit subtil marked the lokes maner of Anselmo who neither for 〈◊〉 ne other cause did render like lokes on him but to sée to what end his louing chéere countenāce wold 〈◊〉 Not 〈◊〉 she séemed rather 〈◊〉 to behold him thā elswher to imploy hir lokes On the other side the good 〈◊〉 the wise order and pleasant beautie of Madonna Isotta was so excellent plausible in the sight of master Girolamo as no louer in the world was better pleased with his Ladie than 〈◊〉 with hir who not able to liue without the swete sight of Isotta that was a crafty wily wēch was 〈◊〉 hir quickly perceiued She being right honest wise and louing hir husband very dearly did beare that 〈◊〉 to Girolamo that she generally did to any of the 〈◊〉 or to other stranger that she neuer saw before But hir 〈◊〉 more more inflamed hauing lost that liberty of him self wounded pierced with the amorous arowes of Loue could not conuert his minde to any other 〈◊〉 to mistresse Lucia These two womē wonted to heare seruice euery day ordinarily at the church
easie for them to bryng to passe yea if it wer to expel the Saracēs out of 〈◊〉 or to depriue the great Turke of his kingdome of Constantinople Their ioy was such as they coulde not tell where they were thinking euery houre a whole day before night came At length the tyme was come so long desired and the husbandes accordingly gaue diligent attendance and let their wiues to vnderstand or at lest wise beleued they had that they coulde not come home that night for matters of great importāce The women that were very wise séeing their shippe saile with so prosperous winde fained them selues to credite all that they offered These yong men toke either of them his Gondola or as we term it their barge to disport themselues hauing supped abrode rowed in the Canali which is that water that passeth through diuers stretes of the citie expecting their apointed hour The womē redy at iij. of the clocke repaired into their gardens after they had talked laughed together a pretie while wēt one into an others house wer by that maids brought vp to that chābres There either of them that candle being light began diligently to view that order situation of the place by litle litle marked the chiefest things they loked for cōmitting that same to memorie Afterwards they put out that candle both in trembling maner expected the cōming of their husbands And 〈◊〉 at iiij of that clock the maiden of Madōna Lucia stode at the dore to wait for that cōming of master Anselmo who win a while after came gladly was let in by that maid by hir cōducted vp to the chāber euē to the bed side The place there was so dark as hell impossible for hym to know his wife The. ij wiues wer so like of bignesse spech as by dark without great difficultie they coulde be knowne When Anselmo had put of his clothes he was of his wife amorously intertained thynking the wife of 〈◊〉 had receiued him betwene hir armes who aboue 〈◊〉 M. times kissed hir very swetely and she for hir parte swéetely rendred againe to hym so many What folowed it wer folie to describe Girolamo lykewise at v. of the clock appered and was by the mayde conueyd vp to the chambre where he lay with his own wife to their great contentations Now these 〈◊〉 husbands thinking they had bē imbraced by their beloued ladies to séeme braue and valiant men of warre made greater proofe of their manhod than they wer wont to do At what time their wiues as it pleased God to manifest by their deliuerie wer begoten with child of 〈◊〉 faire 〈◊〉 they the best contented women of that worlde This practise cōtinued betwene thē many times fewe wekes passing but in this sort they lay together Neyther of them for al this perceiued themselues to be deluded or cōceiued any suspitiō of collusion by reason that chāber was stil without light in the day the womē cōmonly failed not to be togither The time was not lōg but their bellies began to swel wherat their husbands were exceding ioiful beleuing verily that one of them had fixed hornes vpon an others head Nowbeit the pore mē for al their false belief had bestowed their labor vp on their own soil watred only with the course of their propre foūtain These 〈◊〉 ioly wēches seing thēselfs by this amorous practise to be with childe beganne to deuise how they might breake of the same doubting lest some slaunder and ill talke shoulde rise and thereby the hatrede and malice betwene their husbandes increase to greater furie And as they wer about this deuise an occasion chaunced vtterly to dissolue their 〈◊〉 méetings but not in that sort as they wold haue had it For the women determined as merily they had begon so iocundly to ende but Fortune the guide of humane life disposeth all enterprises after hir owne pleasure who like a puissant Ladie carieth with hir the successe of eche attempt The beginnyng she offereth fréely to him that list the end she calleth for as a ransom or tribute payable vnto hir In the same streate or as they cal it Rio Canale not farre from their houses there dwelled a yong woman very faire and comely not fully xx yeares of age which then was a widow and a little before the wife of M. Niccolo Delphino and the daughter of M. Giouanni Moro called Gismonda She besides hir fathers dowrie which was more thā a thousand 〈◊〉 had left hir by hir husband a greate porcion of money iewels plate and houshold furnitures With hir fell in loue Aloisio Foscari the nephew of the Duke who making great sute to haue hir to wyfe consumed the time in beholding his Ladie and at length had brought the matter to so good passe as one nighte she was contented at one of the windowes of hir house directly ouer againste a little lane to heare him speake Aloisio maruellous glad of those desired newes 〈◊〉 appointed night about v. or vj. of the clock with a ladder made of roapes bicause the window was very high wente thither alone Beyng at the place making a signe concluded vpon betwene them attended when the gentle woman should throwe downe a litle corde to draw vp the ladder accordingly as was appointed which not long after was done Gismonda when she had receiued the ende of the ladder tied it fast to the iawme of the window and gaue a token to hir louer to mount he by force of loue being very venturous liuely and lustely scaled the window And when he was vpon the top of the same desirous to cast himself in to embrace his Ladie and she not ready to receiue him or else vpon other occasion he fel downe backward thinking as he fell to haue saued himself twice or thrice by catching hold vpō the ladder but it wold not be Notwithstāding as God wold haue it the poise of his body fel not vpō the pauement of the streate fully but was stayed by some lets in the fal which had it not bene so no doubt he had ben slaine out of hand but yet his bones were sore brused and his head déepely wounded The infortunate Louer séeing himself sore hurt with that pitifull fall albeit he thought that he had receiued his deaths woūde and impossible to liue any longer yet the loue that he bare to the widow did so far surmoūt the paine by him sustained and the grief of his body sore crushed and broken that so well as he could he raised himself vp and with his hands stayed the bloud that ranne from his head to the intent it might not raise some slaunder vpon the widow that he loued so wel and 〈◊〉 alongs the streat towarde the houses of Girolamo and Anselmo aforsaid Being come thither with great difficultie not able to goe any further for very paine and griefe he fainted and fell downe as deade where the bloud issued in such aboundance
the Gentlewoman conceyued singular contentation louing hir dere friend with more entier affection than hir owne soule Mistresse Lucia and mistresse Isotta hearing the dispercled voice of the death of their husbands and vnderstanding the case of mistresse Gismonda by an other woman layde their heades together likewise to deuise meanes for sauing their husbandes liues and entring into theyr barge or Gondola wente to séeke mistresse Gismonda and when they had debated vpon the trouthe of these chaunces concluded with one assente to prouide for the sauegarde and deliuerie of their husbands wherin they shewed them self both wise and honest For what state is more honorable and of greater comforte than the maried life if in déede they that haue yoaked themselues therin be conformable to those delights and cōtentation which the same conduceth Wealth and riches maketh the true vnited couple to reioyce in the 〈◊〉 of Fortune graunted by the sender of the same either of them prouiding for disposing thereof against the decrepite time of olde age and for the bestowing of the same vpon the fruite accriued of their bodies Pouerty in any wise doth not offend them both of them glad to labor and trauaile like one body to sustaine their pore and néedy life either of them comfortably doth minister comfort in the cruel time of aduersitie reudring humble thanks to God for his sharp rod and punishment enflicted vpon thē for their manifolde sinnes committed against his maiestie trauailing by night day by sweating browes to get browne bread drink ful thin to cease the cries and pitifull crauings of their tēder babes wrapt in cradle instant on their mother to fill their hungry mouthes Aduerse fortune maketh not one to forsake the other The louing 〈◊〉 ceaseth not by painful sute to trot and go by night and day in heat calde to relieue the misery of hir husband He likewise spareth not his paine to get and gaine the liuing of them both He abrode and at home according to his called state she at home to saue the lucre of that labor and to do such necessary trauaile incident to the maried kinde He carefull for to get she héedefull for to saue He by 〈◊〉 and Arte she by diligence and housholde toile O the happy state of maried folke O surpassing delites of mariage bed which maketh these 〈◊〉 pore gentlewomen that by honorable policie saued the honor of themselues and honestly of their husbands to make hūble sute for their preseruation who were like to be berieued of their greatest comforts But come we againe to declare the last acte of this Tragedie These maried women after this chaūce befell vpon their husbands imprisonmēt began to be abhorred of their friends and parents for that they were suspected to be dishonest by reason wherof dolefully lamenting their misfortune not withstāding their owne conscience voide of fault did bid thē to be of good chéere and comfort And when the day of execution came they did their friends and parents to vnderstand that their conceiued opinion was vntrue prayed them to forbeare their disdaine and malice till the truth should be throughly manifested assuring thē that in the end their owne innocencie and the guiltlesse crime of their husbands should openly be reuealed to the worlde In the meane time they made request vnto their friends that one of the Lordes called Auogadori might be admitted to vnderstand their case the rest to be referred to thēselues wherein they had no néede either of Proctor or Aduocate This request séemed very straunge to their friends déeming their case to be shameful and abhominable Neuerthelesse diligētly they accomplished their request vnderstanding that the Councel of the Dieci had cōmitted the mater wholy to the Duke they inade a supplication vnto him in that name of yt. iij. Gentlewomen wherin they craued nothing else but their mater might be herd The Duke 〈◊〉 his aduise like to take effect assigned a day when that same shold be heard commaunding them at that time before him the Lords of the Councel all the college of the state to appeare The day being come all that Lords assembled desirous to sée to what issue this matter would grow On the morning the thrée Gentlewomen honestly accompanied with other Dames went to the palace and going along the strete of San Marco diuerse people 〈◊〉 to vtter many railing words against thē Some cried out as we sée by vnstable order the vulgare people in like cases vse to do and doing a certaine curtesie by way of disdaine and mockery Beholde that honest women that without sending their husbāds out of Venice haue placed thē in the castell of Cornetto and yet the arrant whores be not ashamed to shewe them selues abrode as thoughe they had done a thing that were honest and prayse woorthie Other shot forth their boltes and with their prouerbes proceding from their malicious mouthes thwited the poore women at their pleasure Other also seyng mistresse Gismonda in their companie thought that she went to declame againste maister Aloisio Foscari and none of them all hapned on the trouth Arriued at the pallace ascending the marble staires or steps of the same they were brought into the great hall where the Duke appointed the matter to bée heard Thither repaired the friendes and those of nerest kinne to the three Gentlewomen and before the matter did begin the duke caused also the thrée prisoners to be brought thither Thither also came many other Gentlemen with great desire to sée the end of those euents Silence being made the duke turning his face to the womē said vnto them Ye Gentlewomen haue made request by supplication to graunt you publike audiēce according to iustice for that you do alleage that lawe and order doth so require and that euery wel ordred common wealth 〈◊〉 deumeth no subiecte without due answere by order of lawe Beholde therfore that we desirous to do iustice be readie in place to heare what ye can say The two husbands were very angrie and wrathful against their wiues the more their stomackes did 〈◊〉 with choler and disdaine to sée their impudent and shamelesse wiues with 〈◊〉 audacitie to appeare before the maiestie of a counsell so honorable and dreadfull as though they had ben the most honest and 〈◊〉 women of the worlde The. 〈◊〉 honest wiues perceiued the anger and displesure of their husbands and for all that were not afrayde ne yet dismayde but smiling to thē selues and somewhat mouing their heads in decent wise séemed vnto them as though they had mocked them Anselmo more angry and impacient than Girolamo brake out into such furie as had it not ben for the maiestie of the place and the companie of people to haue stayed him would haue killed them and seyng he was not able to hurt them he began to vtter the vilest wordes that he possibly coulde deuise against them Mistresse Isotta hearing hir husband so spitefully to spit forth his poison in the
presence of that honourable assemblie cōceiued courage and crauing licence of the Duke to speake with mery countenance and good vttrance began thus to say hir minde Most excellent Prince and ye right honorable lordes perceiuing how my deare husband vncomely and very dishonestly doth vse himselfe against mée in this noble companie I do thinke maister Girolamo Bembo to be affected with like rage minde against this gentlewoman mistresse Lucie his wife although more tēperate in wordes he do not expresse the same Against whom if no replie be made it may séeme that he hath spoken the trouthe and that we by silence should séeme to condemne our selues to be those moste wicked women whom he alleageth vs to be Wherfore by youre gracious pardon and licence moste honourable in the behalfe of mistresse Lucie and my selfe for our defense I purpose to declare the effect of my mind although my purpose be cleane altered from that I had thought to say beyng now iustly prouoked by the vnkinde behauiour of him whome I doe loue better than my selfe which had he bene silent and not so rashly runne to the ouerthrow of me and my good name I wold haue conceiled and onely touched that which shoulde haue concerned the purgation and sauegard of them both which was the onely intent meaning of vs by making our hūble supplication to your maiesties Neuerthelesse so so farre as my féeble force shall stretch I will assay to do both the one and the other although it be not appropriate to our kinde in publike place to declame or yet to open such bold attempts but that necessitie of matter and oportunitie of time and place dothe bolden vs to enter into these termes wherof we craue a thousād pardons for our vnkindely dealings and rēder double thanks to your honors for admitting vs to speake Be it knowne therfore vnto you that our husbandes against duetie of loue lawes of mariage and against all reason do make their heauie complaints which by by I wil make plaine and euident I am right well assured that their extreme rage bitter heartes sorow do procéede of y. occasions The one of the murder wherof they haue falsly accused thē selues the other of iealosy which grieuously doth gnawe their hearts thinking vs to be vile abhominable womē bicause they were surprised in eche others chāber Concerning the murder if they haue soiled their hāds therin it appertaineth vnto you my lords to rēder their desert But how can the same be layd to our charge for somuch as they if it wer done by thē cōmited the same without our knowlege our help coūsel And truly I sée no cause why any of vs ought to be burdened with that outrage and much lesse cause haue they to lay the same to our charge For méete it is that he that doth any vnlawful act or is accessarie to the same shold suffer that due penaltie seuere chastisement accordingly as the sacred lawes do prescribe as an example for other to abstein from wicked facts But herof what néede I to dispute wherin the blind may sée to be none offense bicause thanks be to God Maister Aloisio liueth which declareth the fond cōfession of our vngitle husbands to be cōtrary to trouth And if so be our husbāds in dede had done such an abhominable enterprise reason and duetie had moued vs to sorowe and lament them bicause they be borne of noble blood and be gentlemen of this noble citie which like a pure virgin inuiolably doth cōserue hir laws customs Great cause I say had we to lamēt them if like homicides murderers they had spotted their noble blood with such fowle 〈◊〉 therby deseruing death to leaue vs yong womē widowes in woful plight Now it behoueth mée to speake of the iealoufis they haue conceiued of vs for that they were in ech others chāber which truly is the doubtful knot scruple that forceth al their disdaine griefe This I knowe well is the naile that pierceth their heart other cause of offense they haue not who like men not well aduised without examination of vs and oure demeanour bée fallen into despaire and like men desperate 〈◊〉 wrongfully accused themselues But bicause I may not consume words in vain to stay you by my long discourse from matters of greater importāce I humbly beséech you right excellent prince to cōmaunde them to tel what thing it is which so bitterly doth tormēt them Then the Duke caused one of the noble men assistant there to demaund of them the question who answered that the chiefest occasion was bicause they knew their wiues to be harlots whō they supposed to be very honest for somuch as they knew them to be such they conceiued sorow and grief which with suche extremitie did gripe thē at that heart as not able to sustain that great infamy ashamed to be sene of mē wer induced through desire of deth to cōfesse that they neuer did Mistresse Isotta hering thē say so begā to speke againe turning hir self vnto them Were you offended then at a thing which ye thought incōueniēt not mete to be done We then haue greatest cause to cōplaine Why then 〈◊〉 husbande went you to the chamber of mistresse Lucie at that time of the night What had you to do there what thyng thought you to finde there more than was in your own house And you master Girolamo what cōstrained you to forsake your wiues bed to come to my husbands wher no man euer had or at this present hath to do but him self were not that shetes of the one so white so fine neat swéet as the other I am moste noble Prince sorie to declare my husbands folie and ashamed that he should forsake my bed to go to an other that did accompt my selfe so wel worthy to entertaine hym in myne owne as the best wife in Venice and now through his abuse I abstaine to shewe my selfe amongs the beautiful and noble dames of this Citie The like misliking of hir selfe is in mistresse Lucie who as you sée may bée numbred amongs the fairest Either of you ought to haue ben cōtented with your wiues not as wickedly you haue done to forsake them to séeke for better bread than is made of wheate or for purer golde than whereof the Angel is made O worthy dede of yours that haue the face to leaue your owne wiués that be comely faire honest to séeke after strange carrion O beastly order of men that can not content their lust within the boūdes of their owne house but must go hunt after other women as beasts do after the next of their kinde that they chaunce vpon What vile affection possessed your harts to lust after others wife You make complainte of vs but wée with you haue right good cause to bée offended you ought to be grieued with youre owne disorder and not with others offense and this youre affliction paciently to beare bycause you wente about
nourishment and me of mine 〈◊〉 The Gentlewoman whether she was weary of that 〈◊〉 or rather doubted that in the end hir chastitis should receiue some assault through the dismesured passiō which she saw to endure sayd vnto him with rigorous words You haue talked and written inough you haue 〈◊〉 well sollicited hir which is throughly resolued by former minde to kepe hir honor in that worthy reputacion of degrée wherin she maintaineth the same amongs the best I haue hitherto suffred you to abuse my pacience and haue vsed that familiaritie which they deserue not that goe aboute 〈◊〉 to assaile the chastitie of those women that paciently giue them 〈◊〉 for the opinion they haue conceiued of some shadowing vertue of such foolish suters I now doe sée that all your woords doe tend to beguile me and to depriue me of that you cannot giue me which shall be a warning for me henceforth more wisely to looke about my businesse and more warely to take hede of the charmes of suche as you be to the ende that I by bending mine open 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not both surprised and ouercome with your enchauntments I pray you then for conclusion and the last sentence of my will that I heare no more these woords neither from you nor yet from the Ambassadour that commeth from you For I neither will ne yet pretend to 〈◊〉 to you any other fauoure than that which I haue enlarged for your comfort but rather do protest that so long as you abide in this Countrey that I will neither goe forth in streate nor suffer any Gentleman to haue accesse into this place except he be my neare kinsman Thus for your importune sute I wil 〈◊〉 my self for 〈◊〉 vnto you in those requests which duety womanhode ought not to haue 〈◊〉 And if you do procéede in your folly I wil séeke redresse according to your desert which 〈◊〉 now I haue deferred thinking that time would haue put out the 〈◊〉 heat of your folly and wanton youth The infortunate Lord of Virle hearing this 〈◊〉 sentence remained long time without speach so astonned as if he had bene falne from the clouds In the end for all his despaire he sayd to Zilia 〈◊〉 countenaunce indifferent mery Sith it is so madame that you take from me all hope to be your perpetual seruaunt that without other comfort or contentation I must 〈◊〉 depart your presence neuer perchaunce hereafter to speake vnto you again yet be not so squeimish of your beautie and cruell towards your languishing louer as to deny him a kisse for a pledge of his last farewell I demaund nothing here in secrete but that 〈◊〉 you may performe opēly It is all that alone which I craue at your hands in recompēse of all the trauails paines afflictions suffred for your sake The malitious dame full of rancor and spitefull rage sayd vnto him I shall sée by and by sir if that loue which you 〈◊〉 to beare me be so vehement as you séeme to make Ah Madame sayd the vnaduised louer commaūd only and you shal sée with what deuotion I wil performe your wil were it that it should cost me the price of my proper life You shall haue quod she the kisse which you require of me if you will make promise and sweare by the sayth of a Gentleman to doe the thing which I shall commaund without fraud couin or other delay Madame sayd the ouer wilfull louer I take God to witnesse that of the thing which you shall commaund I will not leaue one iote 〈◊〉 but shall be executed to the vttermost of your request and will She hearing him sweare with so good affection sayd vnto him smiling Now then vpon your othe which I beleue and assured of your vertue and Noble nature I wil also perfourme and kepe my promise And saying so she embraced him kissed him very louingly The pore gentleman not knowing howe 〈◊〉 he had brought that dissauorable fauour and bitter swéetenesse helde hir a whyle betwéene his armes doublyng kisse vpon kysse with such pleasure as his soule thought to flie vp to the heauens with that impoisoned baulme which he sucked in the swéete and sugred breath of his cruel mistresse who vndoyng hir selfe out of hir louers armes sayde vnto hym Sith that I haue made the first disclosure bothe of the promise and the effect therof it behoueth that you perform that whiche resteth for the full accomplishment of the same Come on hardily saith he God knoweth how spedily you shal be obeyd I wil then quod she commaund you vpon your promised faith that frō this presēt time vntil that space of thrée yeres be expired you speake to no liuing person for any thing that shal happen vnto you nor yet expresse by tongue by sounde of worde or speach the thyng you want or desyre otherwise if you shall doe I will neuer trust liuing man for youre sake but will publishe your same to be villanous and your person periured and a promise breaker I leaue for you to thinke whether this vnhappie louer were amazed or not to heare such a straunge request and cōmaundement so vniust and therwithall the difficultie in the performance Notwithstanding he was so stout of heart and so religious an obseruer of his 〈◊〉 that at that very time he began to do the part which she had commaunded playing 〈◊〉 and vsing other signes that he would do his duetie accordynge to hir demaund Thus after his right humble reuerence vnto hir he went home wher fayning that he had lost his speach by means of a Catarre or reume which distilled from his braine he determined to forsake his countrey vntil the time of his penance was expired Wherfore settyng staye in his affaires and prouidyng for his traine he made hym redie to depart Notwithstanding he wrote a Letter vnto Zilia before hée toke hys iourney whych was towards the countrey of France that in olde tyme hathe beue the solace and refuge of the miserable as well for the pleasantnesse and temperature of the ayre the greate wealthe and the abundaunce of all thyngs as for the curtesie gentlenesse and familiaritie of the people whyche maye compare with any other Nation vppon the earth Nowe the Letter of Philiberto fell into the handes of Ladie Zilia by meanes of hys Page instructed for that purpose who aduertised hir of the departure of his mayster and of the despaire wherein hée was Whereof shée was somewhat sorye and offended but yet puttyng on hir aunciente seueritie tooke the Letters and breakyng the seale found that which foloweth THE very euill that causeth mine anoy The matter is that bredes to me my ioy Which doth my wofull heart full sore displease And yet my hap and hard yll lucke doth ease I hope one day when I am franke and free To make hir do the thing that pleaseth me Whereby gaine I shall some pleasaunt gladnesse To supply mine vndeserued sadnesse The like whereof no mortall Dame can
I haue receiued so great and ample benefits and the warfare which I vse in his graces seruice in the frontiers of his Realme against the enimies of Christ whereunto I beare more good wil than I doe to wedlocke loue preferring duety to Prince before mariage albeit my wiues faythe and constācy is such as fréely I may spend my life without care of hir deuoir being assured that besides hir beauty she is wise vertuous and honest and loueth me aboue all worldly things tendring me so dearely as she doth the balles of hir owne eyes You haue stoutly sayd answered the Barone in defense of your wiues chastity whereof she can make vnto hir self no greate warrantise bicause a woman sometimes will be in minde not to be moued at the requests and gifts offred by the greatest Prince of the world who afterwards within a day vpon the only sight and view of some lusty yong man at one simple word vttered with a few tears and shorter sute yeldeth to his request And what is she then that can conceiue such assurance in hir self What is he that knoweth the secretes of hearts which be impenetrable Surely none as I suppose except God him selfe A woman of hir owne nature is moueable and plyant is the most ambitious creature of the world And by God no woman do I know but that she lusteth and desireth to be beloued required sued vn̄to honored cherished And oftentimes it commeth to passe that the most crafty dames which thinke with fained lookes to féede their diuers louers be the first that thrust their heades into the amorous nets and like little birdes in harde 〈◊〉 of weather be caught in louers 〈◊〉 wigges Wherby sir Vlrico I doe not sée that your wife aboue all other women compacte of flesh and bone hath such priuilege from God but that she may be soone entised and corrupted Well sir sayd the 〈◊〉 Knight I am persuaded of that which I haue spoken and verely doe beleue the effect of my beliefe moste true Euery man knoweth his owne affaires the foole knoweth better what he hath than his neighbors doe be they neuer so wise Beleue you what you think good for I meane not to digresse frō that which I conceiue And suffer me I pray you to beleue what I list sith belief cannot hurt me nor yet your discredite can hinder my belief being frée for eche man in semblable chaunces to think belieue what his minde lusteth and liketh There were many other Lords and Gentlemen of the court 〈◊〉 at that talke and as we commonly sée at such like metings 〈◊〉 man vttereth his minde wherupon many and sundry opinions were produced touching that question And bicause diuers mē be of diuers natures and many presume vpon the pregnancie of their wise heads there rose some stur about that talk eche mā obstinate in his alleaged reason more froward 〈◊〉 than reason did require the cōmunication grew so hot and talk brake forth so loud as the same was reported to the 〈◊〉 The good Lady sory to heare tel of such strife within hir Court abhorring naturally all cōtrouersie and contention sent for the parties required them from point to point to make recital of the beginning and circumstāce of their reasons and arguments And when she vnderstode the effect of al their talke she sayd that euery man at his owne pleasure might beleue what he list affirming it to be presumptuous and extreme follie to iudge all women to be of one disposition in like sort as it were a great error to say that al men be of one qualitie and condition the contrarie by daily experience manifestly appearing For both in mé and women there is so great difference and variety of natures as there be heads and wits And how it is cōmonly séene that two brothers and sisters born at one birth be yet of contrary natures and 〈◊〉 of manners and conditions so diuers as the thing which shall please the one is altogether displesant to the other Wherupon the 〈◊〉 concluded that the 〈◊〉 Knight had good reason to continue that good honest credit of his wife as hauing proued hir fidelitie of long time wherein she shewed hir self to be very wise discrete Now bicause as many times we sée the natures and appetites of diuers men to be insaciable and one man to be sometimes more foolish hardy than another euen so to say the 〈◊〉 were those two Hungarian Barons who seeming wise in their owne conceits one of them sayd to the 〈◊〉 in this maner Madame your grace doth wel maintaine the sere of womankinde bicause you be a woman For by nature it is giuē to that kinde stoutly to stand in 〈◊〉 of themselues bicause their imbecillitie and weakenesse otherwise would bewray them and although good reasons might be alleaged to open the causes of their 〈◊〉 and why they be not able to attaine the hault excellencie of man yet for this time I doe not meane to be tedious vnto your grace least the little heart of woman would rise and display that conceit which is wrapt within that little molde But to retourne to this chaste Lady throughe whome our talke began if we might craue licence of your maiesty and safe 〈◊〉 of this Gentleman to know hir dwelling place and haue 〈◊〉 to speake to hir we doubt not but to breake with our battering talke the Adamant walles of hir 〈◊〉 that is so famous and cary away that spoile which 〈◊〉 we shal 〈◊〉 I know not answered the 〈◊〉 Knight what ye can or will 〈◊〉 but sure I am that hitherto I am not 〈◊〉 Many things were spoken there and sundry opinions of 〈◊〉 partes alleaged In end the two Hungarian 〈◊〉 persuaded them selues and made their vaunts that they wer able to clime the skies and both wold attempt and also bring to passeny enterprise were it neuer so great affirming their former offer by oth and would gage all the landes and goods they had that within the space of v. months they would either of them obtaine the Gentlewomans good will to do what they list so that the Knight were 〈◊〉 neither to returne home ne yet to aduertise hir of that their determination The Quéene and all the standers by laughed heartily at this their offer mocking and iesting at their foolish and youthly conceites Which the Barons perceiuing sayd You thinke Madame that we speake triflingly and be not able to accomplish this our proposed enterprise but Madame may it please you to giue vs leaue we meane by earnest attempt to giue proofe therof And as they were thus in reasoning and debating the matter the king hearing tell of this large offer made by the Barons came into the place where the Quéene was at such time as she was about to dissuade them from their frātike deuise Before whō he being entred the chamber the two Barōs fel downe vpon their knées and humbly besought his grace that the compacte made
the fault to conceiue no sinister suspicion of thy running away crauing thyne acquaintaunce and is contented to sacrifice him self vnto thyne anger to appease and mitigate thy rage Nowe to speake no more hereof but to procede in that which I began to say I offer vnto thée then bothe death and loue choose whether thou liste For I sweare againe by hym that séeth and heareth al things that if thou play the foole thou shalt féele and proue me to be the cruellest enimie that euer thou hadst and such a one as shall not feare to imbrue 〈◊〉 handes with the bloode of hir that is the deathe of the chiefest of all my friendes Gineura hearing that resolute answere 〈◊〉 hir selfe to be nothing afraide nor declared any token of feare but rather 〈◊〉 to haue encouraged Roderico in braue and mannish sort farre diuers from the simplicitie of a yong and tender maidē as a man wold say such a one as had neuer felt the assault es and troubles of aduerse fortune Wherfore frouncing hir browes and grinning hir téeth with closed 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 very bolde she made hym aunswere Ah thou knight which once gauest assault to cōmit a villanie treason thinkest thou now without remorse of conseience to cōtinue thy mischief I speake it to thée villain which 〈◊〉 shed the blood of an honester mā thā thou art fearest not nowe to make mée a companion of his death Which thing spare not hardily to 〈◊〉 to the intent that I liuing may not be such a one as thou falsly iudgest me to be for neuer man hitherto 〈◊〉 and neuer shall that he hathe hadde the spoyle of my virginitie from the frute whereof lyke an arrant thiefe thou hast depriued my loyall spouse Nowe doe what thou list for I am farre better content to suffer death be it as cruel as thou art mischeuous borne for the 〈◊〉 vexation of honest maidēs not withstanding I humbly beséech almightie God to gyue 〈◊〉 so muche pleasure contentation and ioy in thy loue 〈◊〉 thou hast done to me by hastening the death of my dere husbande O God if thou be a iust God suche a one as from whome wée thy poore creatures do beleue all 〈◊〉 to procéede thou I say which art the rampire and refuge of all iustice poure downe thy vengeance and plague vpon these pestiferous thieues and murderers which haue prepared a worldely plague vpon me thine innocent damsell Ah wicked Roderico thinke not that death can be so fearefull vnto mée but that wyth good heart I am able to accept the same trusting verily that one daye it shall be the cause of thy ruine and ouerthrowe of hym for whom thou takest all these pains Dom Roderico maruellously rapte in sense imagined the woman to be fully bent against hym who then had puissaunce as he thought ouer hir owne hearte and thynkyng that he sawe hir moued with like rage against hym as she was against Dom Diego stode still so perplered and voyde of righte minde that hée was constrained to sitte downe so feeble he felt him self for the onely remembrance of hir euill demeanor And whilest this was a doing the handemayde of Gineura and hir Page inforced to persuade their mystresse to haue compassion vpon the knight that hadde suffered so muche for hir sake and that she would consente to the honest requestes and good counsell of Roderico But she which was stubbornly bente in hir foolishe persuasions sayd vnto them What fooles are you so much be witched either with that fained teares of this disloyal knight which colorably thus doth torment himself or els ar ye inchāted with the venomous honie tirānical brauerie of the thief which murdered my husband and your master Ah vnhappie caytife maiden is it my chaunce to endure the 〈◊〉 of suche Fortune when I thoughte to liue at my beste case and thus cruelly to tomble into the handes of hym whome I hate so much as he fayneth loue vnto me And morcouer my vnluckie fate is not herewith content but redoubleth my sorrowe euen by those that be of my frayn who ought rather to incourage me to die than consente to so vureasonable requests Ah loue loue how euil be they recompenced which faithfully do homage vnto thée why should not I forget al 〈◊〉 neuer hereafter to haue mind on mā to proue beginning of a pleasure which tasted and 〈◊〉 bringeth more displeasure than euer ioy engendred 〈◊〉 Alas I neuer knewe what was the frute of that which so straungely did attache me and thou O 〈◊〉 and thieuishe Loue haste ordeined a banket 〈◊〉 with such bitter dishes as forced I am perforce to taste of their egre swéetes Auaunt swéete foly auant I doe henceforth for euer let thée 〈◊〉 to imbrace the death wherein I hope to finde my greatest reste for in thée I fynde noughte else but heapes of straynyng 〈◊〉 Auoyde from me all my myssehap 〈◊〉 from me ye furious ghostes and 〈◊〉 most vnkynde whose gaudes and toyes dame loue hath wrought to kéepe occupied my louing minde and suffer me to take ende in thée that I may lyue in an other life without thée being now charged with cup of grief which I shal 〈◊〉 in venomous drink soaked in the soppes of 〈◊〉 Sharpen thou thy selfe O death vnkinde prepare thy darte to strike the corpse of hir that she may voyd the quarels shot against hir by hir aduersarie Ah pore hart strip thy self from hope and qualifie thy desires Cease henceforth to wishe thy lyfe séeing and féeling the appointed fight of loue and life combattyng within my minde elsewhere to séeke my peace in an other world with him to ioy which for my sake was sacrificed to the treason of varlets hands who for the persite 〈◊〉 of his desires nought else didde séeke but to soile his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the purest bloode of my loyall friend And I this abundance of teares do sheade to saciate his felonous moode which shall be the iuste shortenyng of my doleful dayes When she had thus complained she began horribly to torment hir selfe and in furious guise that the cruellest of the companie were moued wyth compassion séeing hir thus strangely straught of wits 〈◊〉 they did not discontinue by duetie to sollicite hir to haue regarde to that whiche poore fayntyng Dom Diego dyd endure Who so sone as with fresh 〈◊〉 water hée was reuiued 〈◊〉 stil the heauinesse of his Ladie and hir incresed disdain and choler against him vanished in diuers soundings which moued Roderico frō studie 〈◊〉 wherin he was to ryse wherevnto that rage of Gineura had cast him down bicause forgetting all imaginarie affection of his Ladie and proposing his dutie before his eyes which eche Gentleman oweth to gentle damsels and women kind stil beholdyng with honourable respect the griefe of the martyred wyldernesse Knight sighyng yet by reason of former thought he sayde vnto Gincura Alas is it possible that in the heart of so yong and delicate a maiden there
couetous mā beareth no loue but to his treasure nor exerciseth charitie but vpon his coafers who thā he wold be dispossessed thereof had rather sell the life of his natural father This detestable villain hauing somtimes offred M. Ducates to Charles for his enheritaunce will now do so no more aspiring the totall ruine of the Montanine familie Charles aduertised of his minde and amazed for the Counsels decrée wel saw that all things contraried his hope and expectation and that he must néedes die to satisfie the excessiue and couetous lust of that Cormerant whose malice he knew to be so vehement as none durst offer him money by reason of the vnhappy desire of this neuer cōtented varlet for which consideration throughly resolued to die rather than to leaue his pore sister helplesse and without relief and rather than he would agrée to the bargaine tending to his so great losse and disaduauntage and to the tirannous dealing of the wicked tormentor of his life seing also that all meanes to purge and auerre his innocencie was taken from him the 〈◊〉 decrée of the iudges being alre ady passed he began to dispose himself to repentaunce and saluation of his soule making cōplaint of his missehapsin this maner TO what hath not the heauens hatefull bin Since for the ease of man they weaue such woe By diuers toiles they lap our corsses in With cares and griefs wheron our mischiefs groe The bloudy hands and sword of mortall foe Doe search mine euill and would destroy me quite Through heinous hate and hatefull heaped spite Wherefore come not the fatall sisters three That drawe the line of life and death by right Come 〈◊〉 all and make an end of me For from the world my sprite would take his flight Why comes not nowe fowle Gorgon full in sight And Typhons head that depe in hell remaines For to torment the silly soules in paines It better were for me to feele your force Than this missehap of murdring enuies rage By curssed meanes and fall vpon my corse And worke my 〈◊〉 amid my flouring age For if I were dispatchde in this desire The feare were gone of blacke infernall fire O Gods of seas and cause of blustring winde Thou Aeolus and Neptune to I say Why did you let my Barke such fortune finde That safe to shore I came by any way Why brake ye not against some rocke or bay The kele the sterne or else blew downe the mast By whose large sailes through surging seas I past Had those things hapt I had not sene this houre The house of dole where wofull sprites complaine Nor vserers on me had vsde such power Nor I had sene depainted in disdayne The God of care with whom dead Ghosts remayne Who howles and skrekes in holow trees and holes Where Charon raignes among condemned soules Ah ah since happe wil worke my wretched end And that my ruine by iudgement is decreed Why doth not happe such happy fortune send That I may lead with me the man in dede That staind his faith and faild me at my need For gaine of golde as vsurers do God knowes Who cannot spare the dropping of their nose I should haue slaine the slaue that seru'd me so Oh God forbid my hands were brued in blood Should I desire the harme of friend or foe Nay better were to wish mine en'my good For if my death I throughly vnderstood I should make short the course I haue to run Since rest is got when worldly toile is done Alas alas my chiefest way is this Aguiltlesse death to susfer as I can So shall my soule be sure of heauens blisse And good renoume shall rest behinde me than And body shall take end where it began And fame shall flie before me ere I flit Vnto the Gods where Ioue in throne doth sit O God conuert from vice to vertue now The heart of him that falseth faith with me And chaunge his minde and mend his maners throw That he his fault and fowle offense may see For death shall make my fame immortall bee And whiles the Sunne which in the heauens doth shine The shame is his and honor shall be mine Alas I mourne not for my selfe alone Nor for the same of my forefuthers olde T ys Angelike that carseth me to mone T ys she that filles my brest with sansies colde T ys she more worth than was the slice of golde That moues my minde and bredes such passions straunge As in my self I feele a wondrous chaknge Haue pitie Lord of hir and me this day Since destny thus hath sundred vs in 〈◊〉 O suffer not 〈◊〉 vertues to decay But let hir take in friendship such delite That from hir brest all vice be banisht quite And let hir like as did hir noble race When I pore man 〈◊〉 dead and out of place Alas my hand would wryte these wofull lines That feble sprite denies for want of might Wherfore my heart in brest consumes and pines With depe desires that far is from mannes sight But God he sees mine innocencie and right And knowes the cause of mine accuser still Who sekes my bloud to haue on me his will Whē Charles thus cōplained himself and throughly was determined to die great pitie it was to sée howe fair Angelica did rent hir face teare hir golden locks when she saw howe impossible it was to saue hir obstinate brother from the cruel sentence pronounced vpon him for whom she had imployed all hir wits and faire speach to persuade the néerest of hir kin to make sute Thus rested she alone ful of such heauinesse veration as they cā think which sée thēselues depriued of things that they esteme most dear But of one thing I cā wel assure you that if ill fortune had permitted that Charles should haue ben put to death the gentle damsell also had breathed forth the finall gaspe of hir sorowfull life yelding therwithal the last end of the Montanine race family What booteth it to holde processe of long discourse Beholde the last day is come deferred by the iudges whervpon he must either satisfie the fine or die the next day after like a rebel and traitor against the state without any of his kin making sute or mean for his deliuerāce albeit they visited the faire maiden and cōforted hir in that hir wretched state instructing hir howe she should gouerne hir self paciently to suffer things remedilesse Angelica accōpanied with hir kin the maidens dwelling by that were hir companiōs made the aire to soūd with outcries waimētings and she hir self exclamed like a womā destraught of wits whose plaints the multitude assisted with like eiulations outcries wailing the fortune of the yong gentleman sorowfull to sée the maiden in daunger to fall into some missehap As these things were thus bewailed it chaunced about ix of the clocke at night that Anselmo Salimbene he whome we haue sayd to be surprised with the loue of Angelica returning out of the Countrey
care or more prouident héede ought to be taken in iesting with a Scholer than with any other cōmon person nor wel remembring how they 〈◊〉 know not all I say but the greatest part where the Diuell holdeth his taile and therfore take héede good wiues and widowes how you giue your selues to mockes and daliaunce specially of Scholers But now turne we to another widowe that was no amorous dame but a sober matrone a motherly gentlewoman that by pitie and money redemed raūsomed a Kings sonne out of miserable captiuity being vtterly abandoned of all his friendes The maner and meanes how the Nouel ensuing shall she we Camiola and Rolande ¶ A Gentlewoman 〈◊〉 widowe called CAMIOLA of hir owne minde raunsomed ROLANDE the kings sonne of Sicilia of purpose to haue him to hir husband who when he was redemed vnkindely denied hir against whome very 〈◊〉 she inueyed and although the 〈◊〉 proued him to be hir husband yet for his vnkindenesle she vtterly refused him The. xxxij Nouel BVsa a Gentlewoman of Apulia maintained ten thousand Romaine souldiers within the walles of Cannas that were the remnaunt of the armie after that ouerthrow ther and yet hir state of richesse was safe and nothing deminished and lefte thereby a worthy testimonie of liberalitie as Valerius Maximus affirmeth If this worthy woman Busa for liberalitie is commended by auncient authors if she deserue a monument amonges famous writers for that splendent vertue which so brightly blasoneth the Heroicall natures of Noble dames then may I be so bolde amongs these Nouels to bring in as it were by the hand a widow of Messina that was a gentlewoman borne adorned with passing beautie and vertues Amongs that rank of which hir comely qualities the vertue of liberalitie glistered like the morning starre after the night hath cast of his darke and cloudie mantell This gentlewoman remaining in widowes state and hearing tell that one of the sonnes of Federick and brother to Peter that was then king of the sayd Ilande called Rolande was caried prisoner to Naples and there kept in miserable captiuitie and not like to be redéemed by his brother for a displeasure conceiued nor by any other pitying the state of the yong Gentleman and moued by hir gentle and couragious disposition and specially with the vertue of liberalitie raunsomed the sayd Rolande and 〈◊〉 no interest or vsury for the same but him to husbād that ought vpon his knées to haue made sute to be hir slaue and seruaunt for respect of his miserable state of imprisonment An affiaunce betwéene them was concluded and he redéemed and 〈◊〉 he was returned he falsed his former faith and cared not for hir For which vnkinde part she before his friends inueyeth against that ingratitude and vtterly for saketh him when sore ashamed he would very faine haue recouered hir good will But she like a wise Gentlewoman well waying his inconstant minde before mariage lusted not to tast or put in proofe the fruites successe thereof The intire discourse of whome you shall briefly and presently vnderstand Camiola a widow of the Citie of Siena that daughter of a gentle Knight called Signor Lorenzo 〈◊〉 was a woman of great renoume fame for hir beautie liberalitie shame fastnesse and led a life in Messina an auncient Citie of 〈◊〉 no lesse commendable than famous in the cōpany of hir parents contenting hir self with one only husband while she liued which was in the time when Federick the third was king of that 〈◊〉 and after their death she was an heire of very great wealth and richesse which were alwayes by hir cōserued and kept in maruellous honest sort Now it chaunced that after the death of Federick Peter succeding by his commaundement a great armie by sea was equipped from 〈◊〉 vnder the conduct of Iohn Countie of Chiaramonte the most renewmed in those dayes in feats of warre for to aide the people of Lippari which were so strongly and earnestly besieged as they were almost all dead and cōsumed for hunger In this army ouer and besides those that were in pay many Barons and Gentlemen willingly went vpon their owne proper costes and charges as wel by sea as land onely for fame and to be renowmed in armes This Castell of Lippari was assaulted by Godefrey of Squilatio a valiant man and at that time Admiral to Robert 〈◊〉 of Ierusalem and Sicile which Godefrey by long siege assault had so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 people within as daily he hoped they would surrender But hauing aduertisement by certain Brigandens which he had sent abrode to scour the seas that the enimies armie which was farre greater than his was at hand after that he had assembled al his nauie togither in one sure place he expected the euent of fortune The enimies so soone as they were seased possessed of the place without any resistaunce of 〈◊〉 places abandoned by Godefrey caried into the city at their pleasure all their victualles which they brought with them for which good hap and chaunce the saide Counte Iohn being very much encouraged and puffed vp with pride offred battell to Godefrey Wherefore he not refusing the same being a man of great corage in 〈◊〉 night time fortified his army with boordes timber and other rampiers and hauing put his nauie in good order he encoraged his men to fight and to doe valiantly the next day which done he caused the Ankers to be wayed and giuing the signe tourned the prowesse of 〈◊〉 shippes against 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 armie but Counte Iohn who thought that Godefrey would not fight and durst not once loke vpon 〈◊〉 great army of the Sicilians did not put his fléete in order of fight but rather in readinesse to pursue the ennimies But séeing the courage and the approche of them that came against him began to feare his heart almost failing him and 〈◊〉 him that he had required his enimie to that which he thought neuer to haue obtained In such wise as mistrusting the battel with troubled minde chaunging the order giuen and notwithstanding not to séeme altogither fearefull incontinently caused his ships to be put into order after the best maner he could for so little time himselfe giuing the signe of battell In the meane while their enimies being approched néere vnto them and making a very great noise with cries and shoutes furiously entred with the prowesse of the shippes amongs the Sicilians which came slowly forthe hauing first throwne their 〈◊〉 and grapples to stay them they began the fight with Dartes Crossebowes and other shot in such sort as the Sicilians being amazed for the sodaine mutacion of Councell and all enuironned with feare and the souldiers of Godefrey perceiuing 〈◊〉 same entred their enimies ships and comming to blowes euen in a moment all was filled with bloud by reason whereof the Sicilians then despairing of them selues and they that feared turning the 〈◊〉 fled away but neuerthelesse the victorie reclining towardes Godefrey many of their shippes were drowned