in perusing of histories then fitly haue I intituled this volume with the Palace of Pleasure For like as the outward shewe of Princes Palaces be pleasaunt at the view and sight of ech mans eye bet decked and garnished with sumptuous hangings and costlie Arras of splendent shewe wherein be wrought and be with gold silke of sundrie hewes the dedes of noble states Euen so in this our Pallace here there be at large recorded the Princely partes and glorious gestes of renowmed wights represented with more liuely grace and gorgeous sight than Tapestrie or Arras worke for that the one with deadly shape doth shewe the other with speaking voice declare what in their time they were Vpon whō doe waite as meete it is inferior persons ech one vouchsafing to tell what he was in the transitorie trade of present lyfe VVherefore accept the same in grateful wise and thinke vpon the minde of him that did the same which fraughted is with no lesse plentie of good wil than the coafers of king Craesus were with store of worldly pelfe And so fare well Authors out of whome these Nouelles be selected or which be remembred in diuers places of the same Greke and Latine Authors Titus Liuius Herodotus Aetianus Xenophon Quintus Curtius Aulus Gellius S. Hierome Cicero Polidorus Virgilius Aeneas Syluius Paludanus Apuleius L Caecius Rhodoginus Italian French and English Pietro Messia de Siuiglia Boccaccio Bandello Ser Giouanni Fiorentino Straeparole The Quene of Nauarre A boke in French intitled Comptes du monde Francois Belleforest Pierre Boaistuau surnome Launay Froisarde Fabian ¶ THE PALACE of Pleasure The Romanes and the Albanes beyng at warres for iniuries mutually inferred Metius Suffetius the Albane capitain deuised a waie by a combate to ioigne bothe the cities in one Uictorie falling to the Romanes the Romane victor killeth his sister who notwithstādyng is condempned to die Afterwardes vpon his fathers sute he is deliuered ¶ The first Nouell NVma Pompilius the seconde kyng of the Romanes beeyng deade Tullus Hostilius succeded a lustie and couragious yong gentleman For as Numa was giuē to peace so was he to warres and valiance It chaunced in his tyme that certein peasantes of the Romane dition and the like of the Albanes was foragyng and driuyng of boties the one from the other At that tyme raigned in Alba one C. Cluilius Ambassadours from bothe places were sent to redemaūde the thinges stollen Tullus commaunded his people that thei should deliuer none til commaundement were giuen in that behalfe for he knewe right well that the Alban kyng would restore nothyng by whiche occasion be might vpon iust cause proclaime warres He receiued the Alban Ambassadours in verie courteous maner and thei as curteously celebrated his honourable and sumptuous interteignemente Amitie proceded on bothe partes till the Romanes beganne to demaunde the firste restituciō whiche the Albanes denied and summoned warres to bee inferred vpon them within thirtie daies after Wherevpon the Ambassadours craued license of Tullus to speake whiche beyng graunted thei firste purged themselues by ignoraunce that thei knewe no harme or iniurie doen to the Romanes addyng further that if any thyng were dooen that should not please Tullus it was against their willes hopyng he would remember that thei were but Ambassadours subiecte to the commaundement of their prince Their coming was to demaunde a restitucion without whiche thei wer straightly charged to proclame defiaunce Whervnto Tullus aunswered Tell your maister that the kyng of the Romanes doeth call the goddes to witnes whether of them first maketh the quarrell to thintent all menne maie expecte the reuenge of those warres Whiche answere the Albane Ambassadours retourned to their maister Greate prouision for the warres was made on bothe partes muche like to a ciuile contencion almost betwene the father and the sonne For the citie of Lauinium was builded by the Troians and Alba by the Lauinians of whose stocke the Romanes tooke their beginnyng The Albanes seyng that thei were defied of the Romanes beganne firste to enter in armes and with a maine power perced the land of the Romanes and encamped within fiue miles of the citie enuironyng their campe with a trenche whiche afterwardes was called Fossa Cluilia by the mean of their capitaine wherein Cluilius the kyng died Then the Albanes appointed one Metius Suffetius to bee their Dictator Tullus vnderstāding the death of their prince with greate expedicion marched into the countrie about Alba passyng by the Albanes campe in the night whiche by the watche and scoutes was skried Then he retired to lodge as nere the enemie as he could sendyng an Ambassadour before to require Tullus that he would come to Parle before thei fought wherein he had a thyng to saie no lesse profitable to the Romanes then to the Albanes Tullus not cōtempnyng that condicion agreed Wherevpon bothe did put themselues in readines and before thei foigned bothe the captaines with certaine of their chief officers came forthe to talke where Metius saied these woordes The mutuall iniuries that hath been dooen and the withholdyng and kepyng of thynges caried awaie contrarie to the truce and that our kyng Cluilius is the authour and beginner of these warres I do heare and assuredly vnderstande for a trothe And I doe not doubt Tullus but thou also doest conceiue the same to be the onely occasion of this hostilitie Notwithstandyng if I maie speake rather the truthe then vtter any glosyng woordes by waie of flaterie the ambicious desire of bothe the Emperes doeth moste of all stimulate and prouoke bothe the Cities beeyng of one affinite and neighbours to frequēt this force of armes But whether this my coniecture bee right or wrong thei ought to consider whiche first began the warres The Albanes haue created me their Capitaine of this their enterprise I come to giue aduertisement to thée O Tullus of this one thing Whiche is that the Thuscans beyng a greate nacion and of power right famous doth enuirone vs bothe rounde about and the nerer thei bée vnto you the more knowledge you haue of thē Thei bee mightie vpon the lande and of greate power vpon the sea Call to thy remembraunce and consider that when thou giuest the signe and watche woorde of the battell our twoo armies shall bee but a ridiculous spectacle to them So sone as thei doe perceiue vs twoe to be spent and weried with fightyng thei will bothe assaile the vanquished and hym also that dooeth ouercome Wherfore if the goddes doe fauour either of vs let vs not shewe our selfes to be wearie of our libertie and franchise that is certaine and hazarde the Dice to incurre perpetuall seruitude and bondage Theerfore lette vs deuise some otherwaie whereby the one of vs maie gouerne the other withont effusion of bloodde of either partes This condiciō nothyng displeased Tullus although in corage and hope of victorie he was more fierce and bolder then the other And beyng in consultaciō about that purpose fortune ministered an apte occasion to them
well doers in their glorie and triumphe to perpetrate thynges vnlawfull Sextus Tarquinius rauisheth Lucrece who bewailyng the losse of her chastitie killeth her self ¶ The seconde Nouell GReate preparacion was made by the Romanes against a people called Rutuli who had a citie named Ardea excellyng in wealth and richesse whiche was the cause that the Romane kyng beyng exhausted and quite voide of money by reason of his sumptuous buildynges made warres vpon that countrie In the tyme of the siege of that citee the yong Romane gentlemen bāqueted one an other emonges whom there was one called Collatinus Tarquinius the sonne of Egerius And by chaunce thei entred in communicacion of their wiues euery one praisyng his seuerall spouse At length the talke began to growe hotte where vpon Collatinus said that wordes wer vaine For within fewe howers it might be tried how muche his wife Lucrecia did excell the rest wherfore q he if there be any liuelihod in you Let vs take our horse to proue whiche of our wiues doth furmoūt Wherevpō thei rode to Rome in poste At their coming thei found the kynges doughters sportyng themselfes with sundrie pastymes From thence thei went to the house of Collatinus where thei founde Lucrece not as the other before named spendyng the time in idlenes but late in the night occupied and busie emonges her maides in the middes of the house spinning of Wolle The victorie and praise wherof was giuen to Lucretia who when she sawe her husbande gently and louingly interteigned hym curteously biddyng the Tarquinians welcome Imediatlie Sextus Tarquinius the sonne of Tarquinius Superbus that tyme the Romane kyng was attached and incensed with a libidious desire to construprate and defloure Lucrece When the yong gentlemen had bestowed that night pleasantlie with their wiues thei retourned to the Campe. Not long after Sextus Tarquinius with one man returned to Collatia vnknowen to Collatinus and ignoraunte to Lucrece and the reste of her houshold for what purpose he came Who beyng right hartely interteigued after supper was conueighed to his chamber Tarquinius burnyng with the loue of Lucrece after he perceiued the housholde to bee at reste and all thynges in quiet he with his naked sworde in his hande goeth to Lucrece beyng a slepe and kepyng her doune with his lefte hande saied Holde thy peace Lucrece q he I am Sextus Tarquinius my sworde is in my hande if thou crie I will kill thee The gentlewoman beyng sore a fraied newlie awaked out of her slepe and seyng iminent death could not tell what to doe Then Tarquinius confessed his loue and began to intreate her and therewithall vsed sundrie menacyng woordes by all meanes attemptyng to make her quiet when he sawe her obstinate and that she would not yelde to his requeste notwithstandyng his cruell threates he added shamefull and villanous woordes saiyng That he would kill her and when she was slaine he would also kill his slaue and place hym by her that it might be reported she was slain beyng taken in adulterie She vāquished with his terrible and infamous threat His fleshly and licencious enterprise ouercame the puritie of her chast harte whiche doen he departed Then Lucrece sente a poste to Rome to her father and an other to Ardea to her housbande requiryng them that thei would make speede to come vnto her with certaine of their trustie frendes for that a cruell facte was chaunced Then Sp. Lucretius with P. Valerius the soonne of Volesius Collatinus with L. Iunius Brutus made haste to Lucrece Where thei founde her sittyng verie pensife and sadde in her chamber So sone as she sawe theim she began pitiouslie to weepe Then her housebande asked her whether all thynges were well vnto whom she saied these woordes No dere housebande for what can bee well or safe vnto a woman when she hath loste her chastitie Alas Collatine the steppes of an other man be now fixed in thy bedde But it is my bodie onely that is violated my minde God knoweth is gililes whereof my death shal be witnesse But if you be men giue me your hādes and trouthe that the adulterer maie not escape vnreuenged It is Sextus Tarquinius who beyng an enemie in stede of a frende the other night came vnto me armed with his sworde in his hand and by violence caried a waie from me and tooke to himself a pestiferous ioye Then euery of thē gaue her their faith and comforted the pensife and languishyng ladie imputing the offence to the aucthor and doer of the same affirmyng that her bodie was polluted and not her mynde and where consente was not there the crime was absent Wherevnto she added I praie you consider with your selues what punishment is due for the malefactour As for my parte though I clere my self of the offence my bodie shall feele the punishemente for no vnchast or ill woman shall hereafter take example of Lucrece Then she drew out a knife whiche she had hidden secretly vnder her kirtle and stabbed her self to the harte Whiche doen she fell doune grouelyng vpon her wounde and so died Wherevpon her father and housebande made greate lamentacion and as thes were bewailyng the death of Lucrece Brutus plucked the knife out of the wounde whiche gushed out with abundance of blood and holdyng it vp saied I swere by the chaste blood of this bodie here deade and I take you the immortall goddes to witnesse that I wil driue and extirpate out of this Citie bothe L. Tarquinius Superbus and his wicked wife with all the race of his children and progenie so that none of them ne yet any others shall raigne any longer in Rome Then he deliuered the knife to Collatinus Lucretius and Valerius merueilyng at the straungenesse of his woordes And from whence he should conceiue that determinacion Thes al swore that othe And folowed Brutus as their capitaine in his conceiued purpose The bodie of Lucrece was brought into the markette place where the people wondred at the vilenesse of that facte euery mā cōplainyng vpon the mischief of that facinorous rape committed by Tarquinius Wherevpon Brutus perswaded the Romanes that thei should cease from teares and other childishe lamentacions and take weapons in their handes and shewe themselues like men Then the lustiest and moste desperate persones within the citie made theimselues presse and readie to attempt any enterprise And after a guarrison was placed and bestowed at Collatia diligente watche and warde was kepte at the gates of the citie to the intent the kyng should haue no aduertismente of that slurre The reste of the souldiours followed Brutus to Rome Whē he was come to Rome the armed multitude did beate a meruellous feare throughout the whole citie but yet because thei sawe the chiefeste personages goe before that thought that the same enterprise was not taken in vaine Wherefore the people out of all places of the citie ran into the marketplace Where Brutus complained of the abhominable Rape of Lucrece committed by Sextus Tarquinius whervnto
called Beyng come before her presence She saied vnto him Gyges I offer vnto thee now two condicions take whether thou wilte For either thou muste kill Candaules and take me to thy wife and the kyngdome also or els thou must die thy self that thou maiest vnderstande how in all thynges not meete to be knowen it is not necessary to obeie Candaules For either he must needes die whiche gaue thee that counsaile or thy self whiche diddest sée me naked and therby committed a thyng vnlawfull Whiche woordes for a while did wonderfully amase Gyges then he beseched the Quene that she would pardon hym frō that vnlawful choise When he sawe that he could nor perswade her he required her to shewe him by what meanes he might attempte that enterprise Marie q she euen in that place where thou sawest me naked when he is a slepe thou shalte committe that facte After thei had deuised the treason nighte approched And Gyges with stoute courage bente hymself therevnto For he sawe no remedie but that he must kill or els be killed Wherefore with a Dagger whiche the Quéene deliuered hym he killed Candaules when he was a slepe And so gotte from him bothe his wife and kyngdome A goodlie example to declare that the secretes of Marriage ought not to be disclosed But with reuerence to bee couered lest God dooe plague suche offences with death or other shame to manifeste to the worlde how derely he estemeth that honourable state Kyng Craesus of Lydia reasoneth with the wiseman Solon of the happie life of manne Who litle esteming his good aduisee Understoode before his death that no mā but by vertue cā in this life attaine felicitie ¶ The .vij. Nouell A Noble gentleman of Athenes called Solon by thappoinctment of the Athenians made lawes for that citie and bicause none of the same lawes should bee abrogated for the space of tenne yeres he bounde the Citizens by othe And that the same might the better bee obserued he hymself trauailed into farre countrees as into Egipte to visite king Hamasis and so to Sardis to kyng Craesus where he was liberallie interteigned This Craesus was kyng of Lydia sonne of Haliattes that brought to subiectiō great Countries in Asia and Graecia and gathered together an innumerable masse of money and richesse Who three or fower daies after the arriuall of Solon whiche was ledde aboute by his seruauntes to viewe his notable wealthe and substaunce saied vnto Solon these woordes My frende of Athens bicause thy famous wisedome is well knowen to the worlde and I haue heard tell of the excellencie thereof and of the greatenesse of thy trauell where thou haste attaigned to the singuler knowledge of Philosophie I desire to learne of thee now hauyng seen my greate treasures who is the happiest man and moste blessed that thou knowest in the worlde Thinkyng he would haue iudged hym to be the same But Solon made answere that Tellus was the happiest Who was an Athenien and had vertuous and honeste soonnes and thei likewise had honest children all whiche were that tyme liuing And when by the space of many yeres he had ledde a vertuous and godlie life he died an honourable death in the warres whiche the Athenians had with their neighbors at the battaill of Eleusina Where he was indued with sumptuous funeralles to his greate honour and praise Then Craesus asked him who was happie next Tellus thinkyng he would haue attributed to him the second place For so the q he that is Cleobis and Bito whiche were Argiues and liued a contented life And in all pastimes to proue force and maisterie thei bare awaie the prise and victorie And of theim these thynges be remembred When the feastfull daie of Iuppiter was celebrated emonges the Argiues Tkeir mother should bee caried to the Temple in a Chariotte drawen with a yoke of Oxen whiche were not come out of the countrie at the appoincted time The yonge men seeyng that the hower was come entred into the yoke theimselues and drewe the chariotte the space of xlv stades to the Temple After this acte seen of all the people there th ende of their life was suche as certainly God gaue to vnderstande by theim that better it is to dye then liue For the Argiues that were assembled about Bito and Cleobis with shoutes and acclamacions praised the good willes of those children and the women themselues saied that happie was the mother whiche brought for the suche lineage Their mother then ioyfull for that facte and of the reputacion of of her sōnes kneled doun before the Image of Iuno hūbly beseching her to giue to her sōns the thing that wer best for a mā to attain vnto Her praier ended she made her sacrifice which doen the .ij. yong men presently died in the temple In tokē of whose noble liues the Argiues erected .ii. images at Delphos And to thē Solō appointed the second place of blisfulnes Craesus moued with these wordes said vnto Solō Thou stranger of Athenes is our felicitie in suche litle reputacion with thee that thou doest preferre before vs these priuate mē Solon answered Sir shall I assure you of humain thynges knowyng that God enuieth the state of men and troubleth thē so often In lēgth of time many thinges be séen whiche mē would not se and many thinges be suffred that men would not suffer Lette vs assigne to mās life the terme of .lxx. yeres In which yeres are the nomber of .xxv. M.cc daies in whiche computaciō the leape moneth whiche is February is not cōprehended But if you will that other yeres be lōger by reason of that moneth to th ende the howers maie be adioined to thē that wāt then the leaps monethes maketh the tyme to amount aboue .lxx. yeres to .xxv. monethes and the daies of those monethes amoūt to M.v. C. But admit that .lxx. yeres with their leape monethes be the totall somme of mans life then is producted the sōme of .xxvi M.CC. daies Truelie one daie is not like an other in effecte Euen so Craesus I conclude that man is full of miserie But although your grace seemyng bothe in welth also in multitude of men to be a rich mightie king yet I cannot answere fully your demaūde before I se how wel you do ende your life For the riche mā is not happier bicause he hath lōg life excepte to his riches fortune graunt that he leade a good honest life Many men be verie riche yet for all that be not blessed happie And many that haue but mean wealth be fortunate He that is riche welthie and therwithall not happie excelleth hym that is fortunate happie onely in .ij. thinges but thother surmounteth the riche mā in many thinges The .ij. thinges wherin the riche excelleth thother be these Th one in satisfiyng his lust affectiō thother in power abilitie to sustein ill fortune and aduersitie And as the mean man is inferior to the riche in those .ij. poinctes whiche
saiyng How is it possible for thée beyng a yong woman to doe that whiche the best renoumed Phisicions in the worlde can not He thanked her for her good will and made her a directe answere that he was determined no more to followe the counsaile of any Phisicion Whervnto the maiden answered Sire you dispise my knowledge bicause I am yonge and a woman but I assure you that I doe not minister Phisicke by professiō but by the aide and helpe of God and with the cunnyng of maister Gerardo of Narbona who was my father and a Phisiciō of greate fame so longe as he liued The kyng hearyng those wordes saied to hymself This woman peraduēture is sent vnto me of God and therfore why should I disdain to proue her cūnyng Sithens she promiseth to heale me within a litle space without any offence or grief vnto me And beyng determined to proue her he said Damosell if thou doest not heale me but make me to breake my determinacion what wilt thou shall folowe thereof Sire saied the maiden Let me be kept in what guarde and kepyng you list and if I dooe not heale you within these eight daies let me bee burnte but if I doe heale your grace what recompence shall I haue then To whō the kyng answered Bicause thou art a maiden and vnmaried if thou heale me accordyng to thy promise I will bestowe thée vpon some gentleman that shal be of right good worship and estimaciō To whom she answered Sire I am verie well content that you bestowe me in mariage But I will haue suche a husbande as I my self shall demaunde without presumpcion to any of your children or other of your bloudde Whiche requeste the kyng incontinently graunted The yong maiden began to minister her Phisicke and in shorte space before her appoincted tyme she had throughly cured the kyng And whē the king perceiued himself whole said vnto her Thou hast well deserued a husbande Giletta euen suche a one as thy self shalt chose I haue then my Lorde quod she deserued the Countie Beltramo of Rossiglione whom I haue loued from my youthe The kyng was very lothe to graunte hym vnto her But bicause he had made a promis whiche he was lothe to breake he caused hym to bée called forthe and saied vnto hym Sir Counte bicause you are a gentleman of greate honor our pleasure is that you retourne home to your owne house to order your estate according to your degrée and that you take with you a Damosell whiche I haue appoincted to be your wife To whom the Counte gaue his humble thankes and demaunded what she was It is she q the kyng that with her medecines hath healed me The Counte knewe her well and had alredie séen her although she was faire yet knowing her not to be of a stocke conuenable to his nobilitie disdainfullie said vnto the king Will you then sir giue me a Phisicion to wife It is not the pleasure of God that euer I should in that wise bestowe my self To whom the kyng said Wilt thou then that we should breake our faithe whiche we to recouer healthe haue giuen to the damosell who for a rewarde thereof asked thée to husband Sire quod Beltramo you maie take from me al that I haue and giue my persone to whom you please bicause I am your subiect but I assure you I shall neuer bee contented with that mariage Well you shall haue her saied the Kyng for the maiden is faire and wise and loueth you moste intirely thinkyng verelie you shall leade a more ioyfull life with her then with a ladie of a greater house The coūte therwithal helde his peace and the king made great preparacion for the mariage And whē the appoincted daie was come the Counte in the presence of the kyng although it were againste his will maried the maiden who loued hym better then her owne self Whiche dooen the Counte determinyng before what he would doe praied licēce to retourne to his coūtrie to consummat the mariage And when he was on horsebacke he went not thither but tooke his iourney into Thuscane where vnderstādyng that the Florentines and Senois were at warres be determined to take the Florentines parte and was willinglie receiued and honourable interteigned and made capitaine of a certaine nomber of men continuyng in their seruice a longe tyme. This newe maried gentlewoman scarce contented with that and hopyng by her well doyng to cause hym to retourne into his countrie went to Rossiglione where she was receiued of all his subiectes for their Ladie And perceiuyng that through the Countes absence all thinges were spoiled and out of order she like a sage lady with greate diligence and care disposed all thynges in order againe whereof the subiectes reioysed verie muche bearyng to her their hartie loue and affection greatlie blamyng the Counte bicause he could not contente himself with her This notable gentlewoman hauing restored all the countrie againe sent worde thereof to the Counte her husbande by twoo Knightes of the countrie whiche she sent to signifie vnto hym that if it were for her sake that he had abandoned his countrie he should sende her woorde thereof and she to doe hym pleasure would depart from thēce To whom he chorlishlie saied Lette her doe what she list For I doe purpose to dwell with her when she shall haue this ryng meanyng a ryng which he wore vpon her finger and a soonne in her armes be gotten by me He greatly loued that ryng and kepte it verie carefullie and neuer tooke it of from his finger for a certaine vertue that he knewe it had The knightes hearyng the harde condicion of twoo thinges impossible and seyng that by thē he could not be remoued from his determinacion thei retourned againe to the ladie telling her his answere who verie sorowfull after she hadde a good while bethought her self purposed to finde meanes to attaine to those twoo thynges to the intente that thereby she might recouer her husband And hauyng aduised with her self what to doe she assembled the noblest and chiefest of her countrie declaring vnto them in lamentable wise what she had alredie dooen to winne the loue of the Counte she wyngthem also what folowed thereof And in the ende saied vnto them that she was lothe the Counte for her sake should dwell in perpetuall exile therefore she determined to spende the rest of her tyme in pilgrimages and deuocion for preseruacion of her soule praiyng them to take the charge and gouernemente of the countrie and that thei would lette the Counte vnderstande that she had forsaken his house And was remoued farre from thēce with purpose neuer to retourne to Rossiglione againe Many teares were shedde by the people as she was speakyng these wordes and diuers supplicaciōs were made vnto him to alter his opinion but al in vaine Wherefore commending them all vnto God she tooke her waie with her maide and one of her kinsemen in the habite of a pilgrime well
withall he thrust the rapier into him vp to the hard hiltes and doubling the blow to make him faile of his spéech he gaue him another ouerthwart the throte so fiercely that the pore innocent after he had a litle réeled to and fro fell downe stark dead to the ground When he had put vp his rapier he turned towards the Counsellers and sayde vnto them My friendes this is not the first time that I haue espied the lasciuious and dishonest loue betwene this my locherous Nephewe and the Duchesse whome I haue caused to die to honourably in respect of his desert For by the very rigor of the lawe he deserued to haue bene burnt quicke or else to be torne in pieces with .iiij. horses But my Lady the Duchesse I meane not to punishe or to prouide chastisement for her For you be not ignoraunt that the ancient custome of Lombardie and Sauoie requireth that euery woman taken in adultery shall be burned aliue yf with in a yeare a day she finde not a Champion to fighte the combase for her innocencie But for the bounden duery that I deare to my Lorde the Duke and for respect of the estate which he hath committed to my charge I will to morrowe dyspatche a Poaste to make hym vnderstande the whole accident as it is come to passe And the Duchesse shal remaine in this Chambre with certayue of her maides vnder sure keping and safegard All this time the Duchesse who had both iudgement and spirite so good as any Princesse that raygned in her time suspected straightwayes the treason of the Earle And with a pitiful eye beholding the dead body of her Page fetching a déepe sighe cryed out Oh innocent soule which sometyme gauest lyfe to this bodye that nowe is but earth thou art now in place where thou séest clearely the iniquitie of the murderer that lately did put thée to death And hauing made an end of this exlamation with her armes a crosse she remained as in a sowne without mouing eyther hande or foote And after she had continued a while in that estate she desired the Counsellers to cause the body to be buried and to restore it to the earth whereof it had the first creation For quoth she it hath not deserued to be tied to the gibet and to be fode for birdes of the ayre Which they graunted not without a certaine greuous suspicion betwéene her and the Page For so much as she excused not her self but the innocencie of him without speaking any worde of her owne particular iustification This pitiefull aduenture was out of hande published through all the citie with so great sorrow and murmure of the people that it semed as though the enemies had sacked the towne For there was not one from the very least to the greatest of all but did both loue and reuerence the Duchesse in suche sort that it séemed vnto them that this misfortune was fallen vpon euery one of their children The Earle of Pancalier did nothing al that day but dispatch the Poastes And hauing caused all the whole matter to be registred as it was séene to be done he commaunded the Counsellers and them of the Gard to subscribe his letters And al the matter being put in order he sent away two Currors with diligence the one into Englande to aduertise the King her brother and the other to the Duke Who being arriued eche man in his place presented their charges Wherevnto both the brother and the husband gaue full credite without any maner of difficultie persuaded principally therevnto by the death of the Nephewe Who as it was very likely had not bene put to death by his owne vncle and of whome he was also the very heire without his most grieuous faulte praysing greatly the fidelitie of the Earle that had not pardoned his owne propre bloud to conserue his duetie and honor so his soueraigne Lorde And it was concluded betwene them by deliberate aduise counsayle aswell of those of the King of England as by a gret nūber of lerned men of Fraūce whom the french king made to assemble for that respect in fauour of the Duke that the custome should be inuiolably kepte as if it were for the most simple damsell of all the country to the end that in time to come great Lords and Ladies which be as it were lampes to giue light to others might take example And that from thenceforth they should not suffer their vertues to be obscured by the cloudes of such execrable vices The King of Englande to gratifie the Earle of Pancalier who in his iudgement had shewed himselfe right noble in this acte sent him an excellent harnesse with a sworde of the selfe same trampe by the Currour with letters of aunswere written with his owne hande howe he vnderstode the manner of his procedings And the messanger vsed such diligence that wythin fewe dayes he arriued at Thurin Shortly after that the King of England had sent backe the Currour the Duke of Sauoie retorned his whome he stayed so much the longer bycause the matter touched him more nere And he would that it should be debated by most graue and deliberate counsell And when he had resolued he wrote to the counsellers and other Magistrates of Thurin aboue all things to haue respect that the custome should be inuiolablie kept and that they should not in any case fauour the adultery of his wife vpon payne of death Then in particuler he wrote his letters to the Earle wherby he did greatly allow his fidelity for the which he hoped to make him such recompence as both he and his should taste thereof during their liues The Currour of the Duke arriued and the matter proponed in counsell it was iudged that following the auncient custome a piller of Marble should be placed in the fieldes neere Thurin which is betwene the bridge of the riuer Poo and the citie wherevpon should be written the accusation of the Earle of Pancalier against the Duchesse Which the Duchesse vnderstanding hauing none other companie but Emilia and a yong damsell dispoiled her self of her silken garmēts and did put on mourning wede martired with an infinite numbre of sundrie tormentes seing her selfe abandoned of al worldly succour made her complaints to God beseching him with teares to be protector of her innocencie Emilia who vnderstode by her that she was vniustly accused and seing the iminent perill that was prepared for her determined by her accustomed prudence to prouide therfore And after she had a little comforted her she sayde vnto her Madame the case so requireth nowe that you shoulde not consume tyme in teares and other womanish plaintes which can nothing diminishe your euill It séemes most expedient vnto me that you fortefie your selfe agaynst your enemie and to find some meáne to send Maister Appian in poast to the Duke of Mendozza one of the best renowned in prowesse of al the Knights in Spaine who being aduertised of your misfortune wil
passion so couerte as he possibly coulde But partly for his owne solace and comfort he feasted all the Lordes and Ladyes of Naples where the gentleman and his wyfe was not forgotten And bicause man willingly beleueth that he doth sée he thought that the lokes of that gentlewoman promised vnto him some grace in time to come if the presence of her husband were not let thervnto And to proue whether his coniecture were true he sent her husband in commission to Rome for .xv dayes or thrée wéekes And so sone as he was gone his wyfe which hitherto had not felte any long absence from her husband made great sorrow for the same wherof she was recomforted by the King many times by swéete persuasions by presentes and giftes in suche sorte that she was not onely comforted but contented with her husbandes absence And before the thrée wéekes were expired of his returne she was so amorous of the King that she was no lesse sorrowful of his comming home than she was for his departure And to the intent the Kings presence might not be lost they agréed together that when her husbande was gone to his possessions in the countrie she should send worde to the King that he might haue safe repaire vnto her and so secretly that his honour which he feared more than he did the fact might not be impaired Upon this hope this Ladies heart was set on a merie pinne And when her husband was come home she welcomed him so well that albeit he knewe howe the King made much of her in his absence yet he would not beleue it But by continuance of time this fier that could not be couered by little and little began to kindle in suche wise that the husband doubted muche of the truth and watched the matter so néere that he was almost out of doubt But for feare leaste he whiche did the wrong shoulde doe him greater hurts if he séemed to knowe it he determined to dissemble the matter For he thought it better to liue with some griefe than to hazarde his lyfe for a woman which loued him not Not withstanding for this displeasure he thought to be euen with the king if it were possible And knowing that many times despite maketh a woman to doe that which Loue can not doe specially those women that haue honorable hearts and stoute stomakes was so bolde without blushing vpon a day in speaking to the Queene to say vnto her that he had pitie vpon her for that she was no better beloued of the king her husband The Quéene which heard tell of the loue betwene the king and his wife I can not quod she both inioy honor and pleasure together I know well that honor I haue whereof one receyueth the pleasure and as she hath the pleasure so hath not she the honor that I haue He which knew wel by whome those wordes were spoken sayde vnto her Madame honor waited vpon you euen at your birth For you be of so good a house that to be a Quéene or Empresse you can not augment your nobilitie but your beautie grace honestie hath deserued so much pleasure as she that depriueth you of that which is incident to your degrée doth more wrong to her selfe than to your person For she for a glory that hath turned her to shame hath there withall lost so much pleasure as your grace or any Lady in the realme maye haue And I may say vnto you Madame that if the king were no king as he is I thinke that he could not excell me in pleasing of a woman Being sure that to satisfie such a vertuous personage as you be he might exchange his complexion with mine The Quéene smiling answered him Although the king be of more delicate and weaker complexion thā you be yet the loue that he beareth me doth so muche content me that I esteme the same aboue all thinges in the worlde The gentleman sayde vnto her Madame if it were so I woulde take no pitle vpon you for I knowe wel that the honest loue of your heart woulde yelde vnto you great contentation if the like were to be found in the king But God hath foresene and preuented the same leaste enioying your owne desire you woulde make him your God vpon earth I confesse vnto you sayde the Quéene that the loue I beare him is so great that the like place he could not finde in no womans heart as he doth in muse Pardon me Madame sayde the Gentleman vnto her if I speake more frankely your grace hath not sounded the depth of eche mans heart For I dare be bolde to saye vnto you that I knowe one that doth loue you in suche wise whose loue is so great that you loue in respect of his is nothing And for so muche as he séeth the Kings loue to fayle in you his doth grow and increase in suche sorte that if your loue were agreable vnto his you should be recompensed of all your losses The Quéene aswell by his words as by his countenaunce began to perceyue that the talke proceded from the bottom of his hart and called to her remembrance that long time he had endeuored him self to do her seruice with such affection as for loue he was growen to be melancolike which she thought before to come through his wiues occasion but nowe she assuredly beleued that it was for her sake And thus the force of Loue which is well perceyued when it is not fayned made her sure of that which was vnknowen to all the worlde And beholding the gentleman which was more amiable than her husband and séeing that he was forsaken of his wife as she of the king pressed with despite and ialousie of her husbande and prouoked with loue of the gentleman beganne to say with finger in eye and sighing sobbes O my god must vengeaunce get that at my hand which Loue can not do The gentleman well vnderstanding her meaning aunswered Madame vengeance is swéete vnto him which in place of killing his enemy giueth life to a perfect frende I thinke that it is time that trouth shoulde remoue from you the folish loue that you beare vnto him which loueth you not And that iust and reasonable loue shoulde expell frō you the feare which neuer can remayne in a noble vertuous heart But nowe Madame omitting to speake of the greatnesse of your estate let vs consider that we be both man woman the most deceyued of the worlde and betrayed of them which we haue most derely loued Let vs now reuēge our selues Madame not onely to render vnto them as they haue deserued but to satisfie the loue whiche for my parte I can no longer beate except I shoulde die And I thinke that if your heart be not harder than Flint or Diamont it is impossible but you must perceyue some sparke of fier which increaseth more than I am able to dissemble And if pitie of me which dyeth for your loue doth not moue you to loue me
life in pleasant coÌ„pany there is none in al the Court but séeth and marketh the good countenaunce you beare to that gentleman whereof your selfe hath some suspicion Which wil make euery maÌ„ suppose that if he haue done this enterprise it was not done with out some consent on your part And your honor which hitherto hath borne your port a loft shall be disputed vpon in all places where this historie shall be remembred The Princesse vnderstanding and waying the good reasons of her Gentlewoman knew that she spake the truth and that by moste iust cause she should be blamed considering the familiaritie and good countenaunce which daylie she bare vnto the Gentleman Wherefore she inquired of her woman of honor what was best to be done Who aunswered her thus Madame sith it pleaseth you to receyue myne aduise by waying the affection whereof it procedeth me thinke you ought in your heart to reioyce that the goodliest and moste curteous Gentleman that liueth coulde neyther by loue nor force dispoyle you of your gret vertue and chastitie For which Madame you are bound to huÌ„ble your self before God acknowledging that it is not done by your vertue bicause many women walking in a more paynful and more vnpleasant trade than you doe haue bene humiliated and brought low by meÌ„ farre more vnworthy of loue thaÌ„ he which loueth you And ye ought now to feare more than euer you did to vse any semblance and talke of amitie bicause there haue bene many that haue fallen the secoÌ„d time into daungers and perils which they haue anoyded at the first Remember Madame that loue is blinde who darkeneth mens eyes in such sorte that where a man thinketh the way most sure there he is most ready to fall And I suppose Madame that you ought not to be knowen of this chaunce neyther to him no yet to any man else and when he remembreth any thing vnto you to make as though you did not vnderstande his meaning to auoyd two dauÌ„gers The one of vaine glory for the victory which you haue had the other to take pleasure in remeÌ„bring things that be so pleasant to the flesh which the most chaste haue had much a doe to defend them selues from feeling of some sparks although they do seke meanes to shunne auoyde them withall their possible power Moreouer Madame to th ende that he think not by such hazard and enterprise to haue done a thing agreable to your minde myne adusse is that by little and little you doe make your self straunge and vse no more your wonted grace vnto him that he may knowe how muche you despise his follie and consider how great your goodnesse is by coÌ„tenting your selfe with the victory which God hath giueÌ„ you without séeking any further vâ—tion or reuengement And God graunt you grace Madame to continue that honestie which he hath planted in your heart and by acknowledging that all goodnesse procedeth froÌ„ him you may loue him and serue him better than euer ye did The Princesse determined to credit the counsayle of her gentlewoman slept with so great ioy as the pore gentleman waked with sorrow On the morrow the noble man ready to depart asked for his hoste vnto whome aunswere was made that he was so sick that he coulde not abide the light nor endure to heare one speake Wherof the Prince was sore abashed and would haue visited him but that it was tolde him that he was a slepe and was very loth to wake him Wherfore without bidding him farewel he departed taking with him his wife and sister who hearing the excuse of the Gentleman that would not sée the Prince nor yet his companie at their departure was persuaded that it was he that had done her all that torment and durst not shew the markes which she had signed in his face And although his Maister did send oftentimes for him yet came he not to the Court vntill he was healed of all his wounds except that which Loue and despite had made in his hart When he came to the Court and appeared before his victorious enemie he blushed for shame of his ouerthrowe And he which was the stoutest of al the company was so astonned that many tymes being before her he coulde not tell which way to loke or tourne his face Wherefore she was assured that her suspicion was certayne and true by little and little estraunging her selfe from him but it was not done so sleightly or politikely but that he perceyued it wel ynough and yet he durst make no semblance thereof for feare of worse aduenture Notwithstanding he conserued both his loue in his heart also pacience of minde for the losse of his Ladies fauour which he had right wel deserued Amadour and Florinda The loue of Amadour and Florinda Wherein be contayned manye sleightes and dissimuletions together with the renowined chastitie of the sayde Florinda ¶ The Liij Nouell IN the Countie of Arande in Aragon there was a Lady which in the best time of her youth continued the widdowe of the Earle of Arande with one soÌ„ne and one daughter called Florinda The sayde Ladye brought vp her children in all vertue and honestie méete and conuenable for all Lordes and Gentlemen in such forte that her house was renowmed to be one of the most honorable houses in all the Region of Spayne Many times she repayred to Tolledo where the King of Spaine helde his Court and wheÌ„ she came to Sarragosa which was harde adioyning to the Court she coÌ„tinued long with the Quéene and in the Court where she was had in so good estimatioÌ„ as any Lady might be Upon a time going towardes the King according to her custome which was at Sarragosa in his Castle of Iasserie this Lady passed by a village that belonged to the Uiceroy of Cathalongne who still continued vpon the frontiers of Parpignon by reason of the great warres that were betwene the French King and him Howbeit at that time peace being concluded the Uiceroy withall his captaynes were come to do reuerence to the King The Uiceroy knowing that the Countesse of Arande dyd passe through his couÌ„trie went to mete her aswel for auncient amitie as also for the honor he bare vnto her being allied to the King Now this Uiceroy had in his companye diuers honest Gentlemen which through the frequeÌ„tation and continuance of the long warres had gotten suche honor aud fame that euery man that might sée them behold them did accompt themselues happie But amonges all the other there was one called Amadour who although he was but .xviij. or .xix. yeares of age yet he had suche an assured grace and a witte so excellent that he was demed amongs a thousande persons worthy to haue the gouernement of a common wealth which good wit was coupled with a maruellous naturall beautie that there was no eye but did content it self eftsones to beholde him And this beautie so exquisite was associated with wonderful eloquence that doubtful it was to
he neuer saw a better in his lyfe You haue reason sayde the king And I beleue that if a gentleman were determined to kill me and did knowe the force of myne armes and the goodnesse of my heart accompanied with this sword he would be twice well aduised before he attempted the enterprise Not withstanding I would accompte him but a cowarde we being alone without witnesses if he did not attempt that which he were disposed to doe The Counte Guillaume with bashfull and astonned countenaunce answered Sir the wickednesse of the enterpâ—ise were very great but the folly in the execucion were no lesse The King with those wordes fell in a laughter and put the sworde into the skaberd againe And hearing that the chase drew nere him he made to the same so fast as he could when he was come thether he sayde nothing of that which had passed betwéene him and the Counte verely thought that Counte Guillaume althoughe that he was so strong and stoute a gentleman as was in that tyme yet he was no man to doe so great an enterprise But the CouÌ„te Guillaume fearing to be bewraied or suspected of the facte next day morning repayred to Robertet the Secretarie of the Kings reuenewes and sayd that he had well wayed the giftes and annuities which the king woulde giue him to tarrie but he perceyued that they were not sufficient to interteigne him for halfe a yere that if it pleased not the king to double the same he should be forced to depart praying the sayd Robertet to knowe his graces pleasure so sone as he coulde who sayde vnto him that he himselfe coulde without further commission coulde disbirsse no more vnto him but gladlie whithout further delaie he would presentlye repayre to the king which he did more willingly bicause he had séene the aduertisements of the Gouernor aforesayde And so sone as the king was awake he declared the matter vnto him in the presence of MoÌ„sier Trimouille and Monsier Bouiuet Lord Admirall who were vtterly ignorant of that which the king had done To whom the king sayd Loe ye haue bene miscontented for that I woulde not put away the Counte Guillaume but now ye sée he putteth away himselfe Wherefore Robertet tell him that if he be not conteÌ„t with the state which he receyued at his first entrie into my seruice wherof many GeÌ„tlemen of good houses would think themselues happy it is mete that he seke his better fortune and tell him that I woulde be loth to hinder him but wil be very well contented that he seke where he may liue better accordingly as he deserueth Robertet was so diligent to beare this aunswere to the Counte as he was to present his sute to the king The Counte sayde that with his licence he woulde gladly goe forthwith And like one that feare forced to departe was not able to beare his abode .xxiiij. houres And as the King was sitting downe to dinner fayning to be sorye for his departure but that necessitie compelled him to lose his preseÌ„ce he toke his leaue He went likewise to take leaue of the kings mother which she gaue him with so great ioye as she did receyue him being her nere kinsman friende Then he went into his Countrie And the king séeing his mother and seruants astoned at that his sodayne departure declared vnto them the Al Arme which he had giuen him saying that although he was innoceÌ„t of the matter suspected so was his feare great ynough to depart from a maister with whose condicions hitherto he was not acquainted A straunge punishment A punishment more rigorous than death of a husband towarde his wyfe that had committed adultery The Lvj. Nouell KIng Charles of Fraunce the .viij. of that name sent into Germany a Gentleman called Bernage Lorde of Cyure besides Amboise Who to make spéede spared neyther day nor night for execution of his Princes commaundement In such wise that very late in an euening he arriued at the castle of a Gentleman to demaunde lodging which very hardly he obtayned Howbeit wheÌ„ the gentleman vnderstode that he was the seruaunt of such a king he prayed him not to take in ill part the rudenesse of his seruaunts bicause vpon occasion of certaine his wiues friendes that loued him not he was forced to kepe his house so straight At what tyme Bernage told him the cause of his iourney wherein the Gentleman offered to doe to the King his Maister al seruice possible Leading him into his house where he was feasted lodged very honorably When supper was ready the Gentleman conueyed him into a parler well hanged with fayre Tapistrie And when the meate was set vpon the table he perceyued a woman comming forth behinde the hanging which was so beautifull as might be sene sauing that her heade was all shauen and apparelled in Almaine blacke After both the Gentlemen had washed water was brought to the gentlewoman who when she had washed she sat downe at the table without speaking to any man or any word spokeÌ„ vnto her The Lord Bernage beholding her wel thought her to be one of the fayrest Ladies that euer he sawe if her face had not bene so pale her countenaunce so sad After she had eaten a little she called for drink which one of the seruants brought vnto her in a straunge cup. For it was the head of a dead man trimmed with siluer Whereof she drancke twice or thrice When she had supped and washed her handes making a reuerence to the Lorde of the house she retourned behinde the hangings without speaking any worde Bernage was so muche amazed at that strauÌ„ge sight that he waxed very heauie and sad The gentleman that marked him sayd vnto him I sée wel that you be astonned at that you saw at the table But seing your hnoest demeanor I wil not kepe the thing secret froÌ„ you bicause you shall not note that crueltie to be done without gret occasion This gentlewoman which you sée is my wife whome I loued bettter than any gentleman could loue his wife In such sort that to marry her I forgat all feare and brought her hither in dispite of her parents She likewise shewed vnto me such signes of loue that I attempted a thousand wayes to place her here for her ioy and myne where we liued a long tyme in suche rest and contentation that I thought my selfe the happiest Gentleman in Christendome But in a iourney which I made which to attempt mine honor forced me she forgot both her selfe her conscience and the loue which she bare towardes me and fell in loue with a Gentleman that I brought vp in this house which vpon my returne I perceyued to be true Notwithstanding the loue that I bare her was so great that I had no mistrust in her til such tyme as experience did open myne eyes and saw the thing that I feared more than death For which cause loue was tourned into furie and dispaire in suche wise that I
frequent vse of mighty in countrie terrible shocke of shield Launce is familier in the Court famous in the towne and countrie In whom may pacient bearing of aduersitie and constant suffrance of Fortunes threates more duly to the world appere than in him that hath coÌ„stantly susteined quietly passed ouer the bruntes of the same To whom may be giuen a Theatre of the world and stage of humaine miserie more worthily than to him that hath with comely gesture wyse demeanor and orderly behauiour bene an actor in the same Who is he that more condignely doth deserue to be possesin a Palace of Pleasure than he that is daylie resiant in a pallace of renowmed fame guided by a Queene adorned with most excellent beautie and shape indewed and garnished with great learning passing vertues and rare qualities of the minde To whom I say may constancie of Ladyes and vertuous dedes of Dames nore aptly be applied than to him that hath in possession a Lady and Countesse of noble birth whose sire was the olde Earle of Bedforde a graue and faithfull councelor to her Maiesties most noble Progenitors and father is the same in deare estimation and regard with her highnesse vnder whoÌ„ he trustily honorably serueth whose curteous and couÌ„tesse like behauior glistereth in the court amongs the troupe of honorable Dames and for her towarde disposition first preferred by the Quenes Maiestie into her secrete chamber and after aduaunced to be Countesse of your noble Earledome Besides al which rare giftes by Nature ingrafted in your honor and by her bountifully bestowed vpon the same the perfect pietie and brotherly loue betwene you and the right noble and vertuous the Earle of Lecester your honorable brother is had in greatest admiration Whose noble courage in dedes of honor and passing humanitie to his inferiours is very commendable to the worlde But here I will stay my selfe lest whilest I goe about to extoll your fames I doe for wante of skill in due praise seme to diminishe that which among all men by daily experience is sufficiently renowmed And as your honor dothe with great prudence gouerne that office of the Ordinance wherof I am a member euen so the same hath with great care and diligence commended suche to the Quenes Maiestie to ioyne and serue in the same as officers right worthy their vocations specially the worshipfull Edwarde Randolfe Esquire Lieutenaunt of that office a man for his experience and good aduise rather fostred in the bosome of Bellona her selfe than nourced in kentish soyle although in the scholehouse of curtesie and humanitie he appeareth full carefully to haue bene trayned vp by his vertuous parents which is familiarly knowen vnto me and other that domestically as it were doe frequent his companie But alas my Lorde amonges the midde of my reioyce of those before remembred I can not pretermit the lamentable losse of the best approued gonner that euer serued in our time his Prince and countrie Robert Thomas the Maister Gonner who for skill and seruice both a title of Prince of Gonners iustlye did deserue And see the luck when he thought best to signifie his good will to honor Hymeneus bed at Nuptiall night a clap of that he neuer feared did ende his lyfe Such is the dradfull furie of Gonners arte and hellish rage of Vulcanes worke And therefore that daungerous seruice in skilfull men is specially to be recommended and cherished Wherevnto as your honor hitherto hath borne singuler affection by preferring to her Maiestie suche as from their infancie haue bene trained vp in that necessarie seruice and very painefully haue imployed the same in the time of the Quenes maiestie that nowe is and her progenitors euen so I humbly besech your honor for continuaunce of the same specially in those that be indewed with greatest experience in whome onely resteth the brunt of our defence A seruice so commendable and needeful as none more But what neede I to prouoke the willing mynde whose honor is more prest to cherish such than I am able by wishing heart for to conceyue Finallie yet once againe I humbly besech your honor gratefully to accept this boke at your leisure conuenieÌ„t time to reade peruse the same By reuoluing wherof your honor I trust shal be delighted with the rare histories good examples therin coÌ„tayned such as to my knowlege heretofore haue not ben made coÌ„mon to our countrimen which with al my good wil indeuor I duetifully exhibit Beseching Almighty God fauourably to defend and gouerne your honor prosperously to maintayne and kepe the same godly to direct my right honorable Lady in the steppes of perfect vertue bountifullye to make you both happie parentes of many childreÌ„ and after the expence of Nâ—stor yeares in this transitorie lyfe mercifully to conducte you to the vnspeakable ioyes of his kingdome Nere the Tower of London the first of Ianuarie 1566. By your L. moste bounden William Pamter ¶ A Recapitulacion or briefe Rehearsal of the Arguments of euery Nouell with the places noted in what Author euery of the same or theffect be reade and contayned Titus Liuius ¶ The Romanes and Albanes being at warres for iniuries mutually inferred Metius Suffetius the Albane Capten deuised a way by a Combat to ioyne both the Cities in one Uictorie falling to the Romanes the Romane victor killeth hys sister who notwithstanding is condempned to dye Afterwardes vpon his fathers sute he is deliuered The first Nouell Folio 1. ¶ Sextus Tarquinius rauisheth Lucrece who bewayling the losse of her chastitie killeth her selfe The .ij. Nouell Folio 5. ¶ The siedge of Rome by Porsenna and the valiaunt deliuery therof by Mntius Scoeuola The .iij. Nouell Folio 7. ¶ Martius Cortolanus going about to represse the common people of Rome with dearth of Corne was vanished For reuengement wherof he persuaded Accius 〈◊〉 King of the Uuolcians to make warres vpon the Romanes he himself in their ayde came in his owne person The citie brought to great miserie the fathers deuised meanes to deliuer the same and sent into the Uuolscian camp the mother the wife children of Cortolanus Upon whose coÌ„plaints Cortolanus withdrew the Uuolscians And the citie was reduced to quietnesse The .iiij. Nouell Folio 9. ¶ Appius Clandius one of the Decemuiri of Rome goeth about to rauish Virginia a yong maideÌ„ which indeuor of Appius when her father Virginius vnderstode being then in the warres he repayreth home to rescue his daughter One that was betrouthed vnto her doth clayme her wherevpon rose great contencion In the ende her owne Father to saue the shame of his stock killed her with a Butchers knife and commeth into the Forum and cryeth vengeance vpon Appius Then after much contencion and rebellion the Decemviri were deposed The .v. Nouell Folio 13. Herodotus ¶ Candiules king of Lydia shewing the secretes of his wiues beautie to Gyges one of his Guarde was by counsayle of his wife slayne by the saide Gyges and
should be sent to the mount Auentine to perswade the people but thei vtterly refused the message vnlesse the Decemuiri wer first deposed The Decemuiri made answere that thei would not giue ouer their aucthoritie till suche tyme as those Lawes were ratified whiche were treated vpon before thei were elected to that office Of all these contencions the people was aduertised by M. Duillius their Tribune And when bothe the armies were ioyned at the moūt Auentine aforesaied All the multitude of the citie mē women and children repaired thither in sorte that Rome was like a forlorne and abandoned place The fathers seyng the citie thus relinquished Horatius and Valerius with diuers of the fathers exclamed in this wise What doe ye expecte and looke for ye fathers cōscripte Will ye suffer all thynges to run to extreame ruine and decaie Shall the Decemuiri still persiste in their stubberne and froward determinacions What maner of gouernmente is this O ye Decemuiri that ye thus laie holde vpon and enioye Will ye pronoūce and make lawes within your owne houses and the limites of the same Is it not a shame to sée in the Forum a greater nomber of your Catchpolles and Sergeantes then of other sober and wise Citizens But what will ye doe if the enemie vpon the sodaine doeth approche the walles What will ye doe if the people vnderstandyng that wee care not for their departure doe in armes assaile vs Will ye finishe your gouernment with the ouerthrowe of the citie But either we muste expell and abandon the people or els we must admitte the Tribunes Wee shall soner wante our fathers and Senatours then thei their plebeian officers Thei bereued and tooke awaie from vs the Fathers a newe kinde of aucthoritie whiche was neuer seen before who now feelyng the swetenesse thereof will neuer giue it ouer For wee can not so well tēper our aucthoritie and gouernemente as thei bee able to seke helpe and succour The Decemuiri perceiuing that thei wer hated so well of the Senate as of the people submitted themselues And thervpon Valerius and Horatius were sent to the campe to reuoke the people vpō suche condicions as thei thought moste meete Then the Decemuiri were commaunded to take heede of the peoples furie So sone as the Ambassadours were come to the campe thei were receiued with greate ioye and gladnesse of the people because thei wer the beginners of that sturre and supposed that thei would make an ende of the commocion for whiche cause thei rendred to them their humble thankes Then Icilius was appoincted to speake for the people who required to haue the aucthoritie of the Tribunes restored and their appeale renewed with restitucion of those lawes whiche before the erection of the Decemuiri were ratefied and confirmed Thei demaunded also an impunite and frée pardon to those that firste encouraged and incited the souldiours to that enterprise and the restoryng of their liberties Thei required to haue their enemies the Decemuiri to be deliuered into their handes Whom thei threatened to put to death by fire Whervnto the Ambassadours answered in this wise Your requestes bee so reasonable that thei ought willinglie to bee graunted All whiche ye desire to obtaine as a defence and comforte for your libertie and not to persecute and infest others Your furie and anger ought rather to bee pardoned then permitted or graunted Ye beare a face and séeme to detest and hate seueritie and ye your selues incurre and runne hedlong into all kinde of crueltie and before ye be made free your selues ye desire to be lordes ouer your aduersaries Shall our citie neuer bée voide of tortures and oppressions sometyme of the fathers towardes the people some tyme of the people towardes the fathers You had more néede of a shilde to defende you then of a sworde to fight That manne is of a base state and courage we suppose that liueth in a Citie and beareth hymself so vprighte as neither he inferreth iniurie to others ne yet suffereth wronge hymself If ye shewe your selues so terrible then it is to bee supposed that after ye haue recouered your lawes and magistrates and be placed againe in your former aucthoritie and preeminence ye will also ordeine and appoincte Lawes ouer vs that shall concerne our liues and goodes and euery other lightmatter But for this present I would wishe you to be contented with your former fréedome After the Ambassadours had willed theim to consulte vpon some determinate answere thei retourned to Rome to make reporte to the Senate of the peoples requestes The Decemuiri perceiuyng that contrary to their expectacion no likelihode was of any persecucion to be doen vpon them condescended to those demaūdes Appius beyng a man of nature cruell and malicious measuryng the malice of others by his owne maligne disposicion spake these woordes I am not ignoraunte what fortune is now imminente For I dooe plainlie sée that whiles weapons bee deliuered to our aduersaries the combate is deferred againste vs. With bloodde enuie muste bee rewarded I will not any longer delaie the tyme but depriue my self of the Decemuirate When the Senate was aduertised by the Ambassadours Valerius and Horatius of the peoples aunswere thei decreed that the Decemuiri should bee deposed and that Q. Furius the chief bishoppe should create the plebeian Tribunes Wherein also was enacted that the departure of the people and mutine of the souldiours should bee pardoned When these lawes were renewed the Decemuiri wente foorthe and openly in the assemblie deposed themselues to the greate ioye and comforte of them all All whiche beyng reported the people bothe the souldiours and the reste of the multitude repaired before the Ambassadours vnto whom the Ambassadours spake these wordes We now beseche you all to retourne into your countrie to your domesticall Goddes your wiues and children whiche wée trust shal be right good happie and profitable vnto you and to the common wealth But your modeste and sober behauiour for that no mannes grounde is violated and destroied considering many thinges could not suffice the hugenesse of this multitude that parte of modestie I saie carie with you into the Citie to your immortall fame and glorie Gette ye therefore to the mounte Auentine from whence ye departed whereas in a place moste happie ye renued the foundacions of your auncient libertie and there ye shall create your Tribunes The chief bishoppe shal be presente to kepe the Comirialles Then the Romane people made Aulus Virginius Lucius Icilius and P. Numitorius the Tribunes who with their assistauntes first aduannced and confirmed the libertie of the people Afterwarde Virginius was appointed to bee the accuser and Appius chosen to be the defendant At the daie appointed Appius resorted to the Forum with a greate companie of yonge gentlemen of the patriciall order where Virginius began to renewe the cruell and abhominable facte whiche Appius committed in the tyme of his authoritie and saied Oracion was first deuised founde out for
by fortune bee denied hym yet he doeth excell him bicause he neuer hath experience of thē he liueth in good prosperous helth he neuer feleth aduersitie he doeth nothing that is wicked he is a father of good childrē he is indued with formosttie beautie who if besides al those things he die welt It is he whō you demaunde that worthely maie be called blessed happy For before he die he can not be called blessed But fortunate he maie bee termed For to obtein al whiles you be a liuyng mā it is impossible For as one countrie is not able to serue it self with all comodities but hauing one it lacketh an other Yet the same countrie that hath moste comodities is the beste And as a mans bodie hauing one prefecciō is not perfect bicause in hauing one he lacketh an other Euē so he that hath most vertue is indued with greatest nōber of the aforesaied comodities so quietly departeth his life he in mine opinion is worthie to be intitled with the name of a king A mā must expect th ende of euery thing whervnto it tendeth For God plucketh vp by the rootes many men to whō he hath giuen abundance of welth treasure Craesus misliking the wordes of Solō suffred him to depart saiyng he was a foole that measured present pleasures no better After whose departure the goddes begā to bend their indignaciō displeasure vpon him bicause he thought himself the happiest of al men Long time after Craesus receiuyng corage cōfort frō Apollo at Delphos Attēpted warrs against Cyrus king of Persia. Who in those warres was ouerthrowen and taken prisoner after he had raigned .xiiij yeres and was broughte by the Persians to Cyrus Then Cyrus caused a stacke of woodde to be piled vp and Craesus fettered with giues was sette vpon the same Who then remēbryng the saiyng of Solon that no liuyng man was blessed or in all poincted happie cried out in lamentable wise O Solon Solon Solon whiche Cyrus hearyng caused his interpreters to demaūde of him what the same Solon was Craesus with muche difficultie tolde what he was and declared all the talke betwene hym and Solon Whereof when Cyrus heard the reporte he acknowledged hymself to be also a man and sore repented that he went aboute to burne hym whiche was equall vnto hym in honor and richesse confessyng nothyng to bee stable and certaine in the life of man Wherevpon he commaunded the fire to be taken awaie whiche then began to flame And so with muche a do he was deliuered Then Cyrus asked hym who gaue hym counsaill to inuade his countrie to make his frēde his foe Euen my self saied Craesus through vnhappie fate by the perswasiō of the Grekishe GOD whiche gaue me counsaill to make warres vpon thee For there is no man so madde that had rather desire warre then peace For in peace sonnes hurte their fathers but in warres fathers hurte their children But that these thinges be come to passe I maie thanke the Deuels good grace Afterwards Cyrus interteigned hym verie honorablie and vsed his counsel whiche he founde very holsome good Of a father that made suite to haue his owne soonne putte to deathe ¶ The .viij. Nouell THere was a man borne in Mardus whiche is a Countrie adioynyng vnto Persia called Rhacon that had seuen children The yongest of theim named Cartomes afflicted diuerse honest menne with greate harmes and mischifes For whiche cause the father began to reforme hym with wordes to proue if he would amende But he litle waiyng the good discipline of his father It chaunced vpon a time that the Iustices of the countrie repaired to the Sessions in that Toune where the father of that childe did dwell Who takyng his sonne and bindyng his handes behinde hym brought him before the Iudges To whom he remēbred by waie of accusacion all the mischiefes whiche his soonne from tyme to tyme hadde committed and desired the Iudges that he might bee condēpned to die The Iudges amased at that request would not them selues giue sentence against hym but brought bothe the father and the soonne before Artaxerxes the kyng of Persia In whose presence the father stil persisted in the accusacion of his sonne Why q the kyng canste thou finde in thy harte that thyne owne soonne should be putte to death before thy face Ye truely q the father For at home in my garden when the yonge Lactuse beginne to growe I cutte of the bitter and sower stalkes from the same For pitie it were the mother Lactuse should sustaine any sorowe for those bastarde and degenerate shrubbes Whiche beyng taken awaie the prospereth and encreaseth so greate swetenesse and bignes Euen so O kyng if he be hanged that hurteth my whole familie and offendeth the honest conuersacion of his brethren bothe my self shal bee increased and the reste of my stocke and ligneage shall in like sorte prospere and continue The Kyng hearyng those woordes did greately praise the wisedome of Rhacon and chose hym to bee one of his Iudges speakyng these wordes before the multitude He that dare thus seuerely iustly pronounce sentence vpon his owne childe doubtles he will shewe hymself to bee an incorrupt and sincere Iudge vpon the offences of other Then the kyng deliuered the yonge man from that present fault threatenyng hym with moste cruell death if after that tyme he were apprehended with like offence Water offred of good will to Artaxerxes the kyng of Persia and the liberall rewarde of the kyng to the giuer ¶ The .ix. Nouell THere was a certaine Persian called Sinaetas that farre from his owne house mette king Artaxerxes and had not wherewith to present him For it was an order emonges the Persians instituted by Lawe that euery man whiche mette with the king should giue hym a present Wherefore the poore man bicause he would not neglecte his duetie ranne to a Riuer called Cyrus taking vp bothe his handes full of water spake to the kyng in this wise I beseche God that your maiestie maie euermore raigne emonges As occasion of the place and myne abilitie at this instant serueth I am come to honour your maiestie to the intente you maie not passe without some presente For whiche cause I giue vnto you this water But if your grace had ones incamped your self I would goe home to my house for the best and derest things I haue to honour your maiestie withall And peraduēture the same shall not be muche inferiour to the giftes whiche other now dooe giue you Artaxerxes delighted with this chaunce saied vnto hym Good followe I thanke thee for this present I assure thee the same is so acceptable vnto me as the most precious gift of the worlde First bicause water is the best of all thynges then bicause the Riuer out of the whiche thou diddest take it dooeth beare the name of Cyrus Wherefore I commaunde thee to come before me when I am at my Campe. When he had spoken those wordes he
was sure to lacke nothing Wherefore quod he these members whiche be profitable and necessarie for my vse will not suffer me to receiue this money whereof thei knowe I haue no nede Hereby reprehendyng the foolishe indeuour of these Samnites in offryng to hym a bribe whiche he was neuer accustomed to take for any cause what soeuer he accomplished Still shewyng hymself a man sincere and incorrupte A schole maister traiterously rendryng the noble mennes sonnes of Faleria to the handes of Camillus was well acquited and rewarded for his paines and labour ¶ The .xvij. Nouell WArres wer addressed by the Romanes against the Falisques a people of Italie the ruines of the chief citie whereof doe yet appere sixe miles from Viterba and an armie conscribed and sent thether vnder the conducte of Furius Camillus The Falisques vpon the approche of the Romanes were cōstrained to retire within their citie thinkyng the same to be their moste assured refuge And thei to continue their siege incamped a mile from the same and determined throughlie to besiege the same whiche in deede had like to haue been of verie long continuaunce except fortune had giuen to the Romane Capitaine for his tried and well approued valiaunce victory in time whiche chaunced after this maner It was a custome emōges the Falisques obserued also in these our daies to haue their children instructed by one schole maister and hym also to vse for their guide and companion in all games and pastymes Emonges them there was a Schole maister whiche taught noble mennes sonnes Who in the time of peace teachyng those children and vsyng for their exercise to leade them abroade in the fieldes kepte still that order for all the warres before the gates sometyme with shorte walkes sometyme with longer for their disportes And continuyng varietie of talke with those children longer then he was wont to doe at lēgthe he brought them to the Romane campe euen to the Lent of Camillus hopyng thereby by like to haue béen wel welcomed and liberally rewarded saiyng to Camillus as detestable woordes as the facte was traiterous and wicked whiche was in effecte That he was come with that present vnto him to yelde those children into his handes whose parentes were the principall of that citie And thereby knew for certaintie that the citie would surrender Camillus seyng this facte and hearyng those wordes saied vnto hym Thou art not come villane to a people and captaine with this thy traiterous offer semblable to thy self We haue no alliaūce with the Falisques cōfirmed by compacte or humaine promes but amitie wherevnto nature dooeth binde vs is and shal bee for euermore betwene vs. Warre so well as peace hath his lawe and righte Whiche we haue learned to obserue with no lesse Iustice then constauncie Wee make no warres against children whom we spare whōsoeuer we inuade or take any cities But against armed men we fight yea and against suche as without offence or prouocacion of our partes assailed the Romanes cāpe at the siege of the Veiens Thou hast vanquished them so muche as lieth in thee with a newe kinde of victorie achieued by treason But I will subdue them by pollicie of the Romanes by vertue indeuour and armes euen as I did the Veiens When he had spoken those wordes He caused this traiterous schole maister to be striped starke naked and bindyng his handes behinde hym deliuered hym to the children to carrie backe againe with roddes in their handes to whippe hym home to the citie Whē he was in this order returned the people of the citie flocked together to see this sight Then the magistrates assembled in counsaile vpō this straunge occasion and where before thei were incensed with merueilous wrath and furie rather desirous of vtter ouerthrowe then peace Nowe their myndes were quite altered and peace vniversally demaunded The fidelitie of the Romanes and iustice of Camillus bothe in Forum and Court was celebrated and by generall assent Ambassadours were sent into the campe to Camillus and from thence by Camillus sufferāce to the Senate at Rome of purpose to yelde them selues to their gouernement who beyng brought before the Senate spake these woordes We fathers conscripte vanquished by you your capitaine where at neither God nor man ought to bee offended haue yelded our selues to you thinkyng that we shall liue more happie and better contented vnder your gouernemente then by our owne iawes and liberties a thyng that maketh the victor more glorious and praise worthie then any other By the successe of these warres twoo holsome examples bee manifested to mankinde Ye doe preferre faithe in warres before certaine victorie and wre induced by that faithe haue of our owne accorde presented victorie vnto you We be at your commaundement sende thither commissioners to receiue our weapons our pledges and our citie whiche standeth with the gates wide open Wee hope well that neither ye shall haue occasiō to be miscōtented with our fidelitie nor we offended with your gouernement and Empire For whiche facte greate thankes were attributed to Camillus bothe by the Falisques and Romanes Here appered the face and true Image of that great vertue Iustice wherewith this noble man was truely affected His noble nature was not able to abide any traiterous facte doen by vnnaturall citizens towarde their owne countrie No vngratitude of his owne coūtrie men could withdrawe his nature from the zeale and loue he bare to his countrie His condempnacion by vnkinde Apuleius Saturninus the Tribune for whiche he fledde to Ardea could not let or impeach his magnanimitie from giuing the Galles an ouerthrowe when thei had sacked Rome and sharpely besieged the Capitole who in his absence created Dictator by gatheryng together suche Romanes as were fledde vnwares sette vpon the couetous Galles as thei were in cōtrouersie for paiment of a golden somme of money and thereby restored his countrie to libertie Wherefore worthely might he be intitled with the honourable name of a second Romulus For as Romulus was the firste builder and peopler of that citie so was Camillus the vindicator and deliuerer of the same The Historie of Papyrius Praetextatus THe same historie is written by Cato in an oracion whiche he made to his souldiours againste Galba conteinyng in effects as foloweth The Senatours of Rome vsed before this tyme to enter into the Senate house with their soonnes Praetextatis that is with long robes garded about the skirtes with purple silke When the Senate debated of graue and weightie matters thei euer differred the same till the nexte daie forbiddyng that those causes should not bee published before thei were throughly decreed The mother of the yonge gentleman Papyrius whiche had been with his father in the Senate house asked of hym what the fathers had doen in the Senate house that daie Papyrius answered that in any wise he ought not to vtter the secrets of the same The mother more desirous to know then she was before went about by faire meanes foule woordes and
by any Prince Monarche to serue in his warres and exploites manhode and valiance is to bée desired and wished euē so in the same a politique minde to forecast preuente aswell the saustie and good gouernement of his owne charge as the anoiauuce of the enemie is to bee desired Cicero in his oracion Prolege Manilia affirmeth fower thynges méete to be in a Generall or Lieutenaunte That is to saie Scientia rei militaris virtus authoritas foelicitas Knowledge of warfare Manhode Aucthoritie and good Fortune Kuowledge and experience in choice of his souldiors in trainyng the ignoraunte in lodgyng the campe in politique order how to dispose the scoutes and watche in making the approche and defence of the armie lodged with other necessarie orders incident to the same In manhode boldlie to aduenture warely to retire paciently to suffer misfortune hardlie to lie sparely to sare stoutlie to abide stormes and colde weather In aucthoritie wisely to gouerne gentlie to speake iustly to threaten deseruedlie to punishe mercifullie to forgiue liberallie to deuide and louingly to be obeied And in felicitie and good successe To honor God To be faithfull to the Prince to preuente the enemie not to triumph before the victorie To be constaunt in frowarde fortune and coragious in extremitie Al which and many other are verie meete and requisite in hym that shal be put in trust by his soueraine Lorde or Ladie to aduenture the painful charge of a Deputie Generall Lieutenaunt or Capitaine Whereof or in the chiefest of the same this noble gentleman Sertorius a capitaine of the Romane Citie in tyme of Marius and Sylla when the citie of Rome were at ciuile discensiō had greate skill and knowledge For besides his experience in the warres as Plutarche sateth in his life he was verie abstinent from pleasures and continente in other disorders arare thynge in menne of his callyng But bicause I purpose not to staie in the full discourse of his vertues and qualities I meane but to touche in this Nouell so muche as Aulus Gellius in whom I am now cōuersant doeth of hym make remembrance Referring the studious reader desirous to knowe the state of his life doinges to the plentifull recorders of suche memorable and worthie personages Plutarche de vitis illustrium and Appianus de ciuili Romanorū bello Whiche beyng Greke aucthours be verie eloquentlie translated into the Latine the one by Gulielmus Xilander 1561. and thother by Sigismundus Gelenius 1554. This Sertorius was of a pregnaunte witte and therewithall a noble capitaine verie skilfull in the vse and gouernmente of an armie In distresse and harde aduentures he practised for pollicie to make lies to his souldiours to proue if thei could preuaile He vsed coūterfaicte letters to imagine dreames and to conferre false religions to trie if those thynges could serue his tourne in comfortyng and incouraging his souldiors Emonges all the factes of Sertorius this in suyng was very notable and famous A white Stagge of exceding beautie and liuelie swiftnesse was giuen vnto hym by a Lusitanian He perswaded euery man that the same was deliuered vnto hym by the Goddes and howe the Goddesse Diana had inspired that beaste to admonishe and teache what was meete and profitable And when he went aboute to cause his souldiours to aduenture any harde and difficile exploit he affirmed that the Stagge had giuen hym warnyng thereof whiche thei vniuersallie beleued and willinglie obeied as though the same had been sent downe frō the goddes in deede The same Stagge vpon a tyme whē newes came that thene mie had made incursion into his campe amased with the haste and turmoile ranne awaie and hid hym self in a Marishe harde adioynyng Afterwardes beyng sought for he was supposed to bee deade Within fewe daies after tidynges was brought to Sertorius that the Stagge was found The messenger was commaunded by hym to holde his peace and threatened to be punished if he did disclose it The next daie the same messenger was appoincted sodainlie to brynge the Stagge into the place where he and his frendes did cōsulte together When thei were assembled he tolde thē how the daie after that he had lost his Stagge he dreamed that he was come againe and according to his custome tolde hym what was nedefull to be doen. Then Sertorius makyng a signe to haue the order fulfiilled whiche he had giuen the daie before by by the stagge brake into the Chaumber Wherewithall a greate shoute was made and an admiracion raised of that chaunce Whiche credulitie of the barbarous cositries serued Sertorius turne in his weightie affaires A worthie matter also is to bee remembred of hym that no souldiour that euer serued hym of those vnciuile countrees that tooke his parte did ueuer reuolte or forsake him although those kinde of people be moste inconstāt Of the bookes of Sybilla ¶ The .xxv. Nouell IN auncient Chronicles these thinges appere in memorie touchyng the bokes of Sybilla A strange and vnknowen old woman repaired to the Romane kyng Tarquinius Superbus bearyng in her armes nine bookes whiche she said were deuine Oracles and offred them to bee solde Tarquinius demaunded the price The woman asked a wonderfull some The kyng makyng semblaunce as though the olde woman toted began to laughe Then she got fire in a chasing dishe aud burned three bookes of the nine She asked the kyng againe if he would haue the sixe for that price whereat the kyng laughed in more ample sort saiyng that the olde woman no doubt did date in deede By and by the burned other thre humblie demasidyng the kyng the like question if he would buye the reste for that price Wherevpō the kyng more earnestlie gaue heede to her request thinkyng the constant demaundes of the woman not to be in vaine brought the three bookes that remained for no lesse price then was required for the whole Therewithall the woman departed from Tarquinius and was neuer seen after These bokes wer kept in the capitole at Rome whervnto the Romanes resorted whē thei purposed to aske counsalle of the Goddes A good example for wisemen to beware how thei despise or neglecte auncient bokes and monnmentes Many the like in this realme haue been defaced founde in Religious houses whiche no doubt would haue conduced greate vtilitie and profite bothe to the common wealth and countrie if thei had been reserued and kepte whiche bookes by the ignoraunte haue been torne and raised to the greate grief of those that be learned and of them that aspire to learnyng and vertue I difference and contronersie betwenes Master a scholer so subtill that the Iudges could not giue sentence ¶ The .xxvj. Nouell DIuers thynges bee writen whiche although thei seme of litle importaunce yet thei bée wittie and comfortable to recreate honest myndes and deserue to be had in remēbrance Emonges which Aulus Gellius who reporteth ten of the former Histories selected out of his booke De noctibus atticis remembreth this pretie contrauersie In Athenes
pitie mine own dere Antiochus dooeth deserue Who beyng constrained can none otherwise doe But to be silent in loue is a moste euident signe of a noble and rare vertue Dispose thy minde therefore to helpe my soonne For I assure thée that if thou dooe not loue the life of Antiochus Seleucus life muste needes bee hated of thee He can not bee hurte but I likewise must be hurted The wise Phisicion seyng that his aduise came to passe as he thought before and that Seleucus was so instant vpon hym for the healthe of his sonne the better to proue his minde and his intencion spake vnto hym in this wise It is a common saiyng my moste dradde soueraigne Lorde that a man when he is hole cā giue to hym that is sicke and weake verie good counsaile You perswade me to giue my welbeloued wife to another man and to forgo her whom I moste feruentlie doe loue and in lackyng her my life also must faile If you doe take from me my wife you take with her my life Doubtfull it is my lorde if Antiochus pour sonne were in loue with the Quene Stratonica your graces wife whether you would bée so liberall vnto hym of her as you would that I should bee of myne I would it were the pleasure of the Goddes sodainlie answered Seleucus that he were in loue with my best beloued Stratonica I sweare vnto thee by the reuerence that I haue alwaies borne to the honourable memorie of my father Antiochus and my graundfather Seleucus and I sweare by all the sacred Goddes that frelie and forthwith I would render my wife into his handes although she be the dearest beloued vnto me in suche wise as all the worlde should knowe what the duetie of a good and louyng father ought to bée to suche a sone as my intirely beloued Antiochus who if I bée not deceiued is moste worthie of all helpe and succour Alas this his greate vertue in concealing that notable passion as an earnest affection of loue is it not worthie to be consecrated to eternall memorie Is he not worthie of all helpe and comforte Dooeth he not deserue to be pitied and lamented of all the whole worlde Truly he is worsse then a cruell enemie naie he is rather more fierce and vnnaturall then a sauage beast that at suche moderate behauiour as my sonne vseth will not take compassion Many other woordes he spake manifestlie declaryng that he for the healthe of his soonne would not onelie sticke to bestowe his wife but also willinglie his life for his preseruacion Wherefore the Phisicion thought it not good any lōger to kepe secrete the thyng but tooke the king a side and saied vnto hym in this wise The healthe of your soonne my dere Lorde and soueraigne is not in my handes but the same resteth in you and in your wife Stratonica whom as I by certaine signes doe manifestlie knowe he ardētly doeth loue Your grace now doeth knowe from hencefor the what to doe if his life be dere vnto you And tellyng the kyng the maner of suche loue he ioyfully toke his leaue The kyng now doubted but of one thyng whiche was howe to perswade his sōne to take Stratonica to wife and how to exhorte his wife to take his sonne to husbande But it chaūced for diuerse causes that easelie inough he perswaded thē bothe And perchaunce Stratonica made a good exchaūge by takyng a yong man to forsake him that was old After Seleucus had made the accorde betwene his wife and his soonne he caused all his armie to assemble whiche was verie greate To whō he saed in this maner My dere and louyng souldious whiche sithe the death of Alexander the great haue with me achieued a thousande glorious enterprises I thincke it méete and conuenient that ye be partakers of that whiche I purpose to bryng to passe Ye do knowe that vnder myne Empire I haue .lxxij. kyngdomes that I beyng an old man am not able to attende so greate a charge wherfore louyng companions I purpose to deliuer and ridde you frō grief of idlenesse and my self frō trouble and toile reseruyng to me onelie so muche as lieth betwene the Sea and the riuer Euphrates All the rest of my dominions I giue to my soonne Antiochus vpon whom in mariage I haue bestowed my wife Stratonica whiche thing ought to contente you bicause my will and pleasure is suche And whē he had tolde them the loue sicknes of his sonne and the discrete deuise of the gentle Phisician in the presence of a his armie the mariage was celebrated betwene Stratonica Antiochus Afterwards he crouned thē bothe Kyng and Quene of Asia and with royall pompe and triumphe the desired mariage was consummate The armie hearyng and séeyng these thinges verie highlie cōmended the pietie of the father towardes his sonne Antiochus then continued with his welbeloued wife in ioye and quietnesse liuyng together in great felicitie This was not he that for matters of Aegipte did make warres with the Romanes But he that onelie inferred warres vpon the Galatians whiche out of Europa passed into Asia but of which countrie he chased them and ouercame thē Of this Antiochus came Seleucus whiche was father of Antiochus surnamed the greate that attēpted verie notable warres against the Romanes and not his greate graundfather that maried his mother in lawe Finallie this Seleucus of whom I recompte this historie by giuyng his wife to his sonne did accomplishe a miraculous acte and worthie in deede of sempiternall remēbraunce and greatlie to bee commended therefore who although he had achiued infinite victories ouer his enemies Yet there was none of them all so greate as the victorie of hym self and his passions For certainly Seleucus did vanquishe his owne appetites depriuyng hymself of his wife whom he loued and estemed aboue all thynges in the worlde Of the straūge beastlie nature of Timon of Athenes enemie to mankinde with his death buriall and Epitaphe ¶ The .xxviij. Nouell ALL the beastes of the worlde dooe applie themselfes to other beastes of their kinde Timon of Athenes onelie excepted of whose straūge nature Plutarche is astonied in the life of Marcus Antonius Plato and Aristophanes doe reporte his merueilous nature bicause he was a manne but by shape onelie in qualities he was the Capitall enemie of mankinde whiche he confessed francklie vtterlie to abhorre and hate He dwelte alone in a litle cabane in the fieldes not farre from Athenes separated from all neighbours and companie he neuer went to the citie or to any other habitable place excepte he were constrained He could not abide any mannes companie and conuersacion he was neuer seen to goe to any mannes house ne yet would suffer them to come to hym At the same tyme there was in Athenes an other of like qualitie called Apemantus of the verie same nature different from the naturall kinde of manne and lodged likewise in the middest of the fieldes On a daie thei twoo beyng alone together
in this order but their substaunce lefte them by their father was verie muche consumed And their reuenues not able to maintaine their expences began to decrease wherevpon thei were faine to morgage and sell their inheritaunce in suche wise as in the ende thei grewe to extreme pouertie And then penurie did opē their eyes in like sort as before richesse had closed them vp For which cause Lamberto vpon a daie did call his other twoo brethren vnto hym and tolde them of what honour their father was to what value his richesse did amounte and now to what pouertie thei wer come through their disordinate expences giuyng them counsaill so well as he coulde that before miserie did growe any further vpō them by sellyng that whiche was left thei should goe their waie Whiche thei did And without leaue taken of any man or other solempnitie thei departed from Florence and taried in no place before thei were arriued in Englande Where takyng a litle house in the citie of London thei liued with litle expences and began to lende out their money to vsurie Fortune was so fauourable vnto them by that trade that in fewe yeres thei had gained a verie notable some of money whiche made them one after an other to retire againe to Florence with their substaunce where thei redemed a greate parte of their inheritaunce and bought other lande and so gaue themselues to mariage continewing neuerthelesse in England their money at interest Thei sente thither to be their factour a yonge manne their nephewe called Alexandro And thei three dwellyng still at Florence began againe to forget to what miserie their inordinate expences had broughte them before And albeit thei were charged with housholde yet thei spente out of order and without respecte And were of greate credite with euery Marchaunte whose expences the money that Alexandro many tymes did sende home did helpe to supporte for certaine yeres whiche was lente out to diuerse gentlemen and Barons of the countrie vpon their Castelles Manours and other reuenues whereof was receiued an incredible profite In the meane tyme the three brethren spent so largelie that thei borowed money of other fixyng all their hope from Englande It chaunced contrary to the opinion of al men that warres happened betwene the kyng of England and one of his sonnes whiche bredde muche diuision in that Countrie some holdyng of one part and some of an other By meanes whereof all the manours and morgaged landes were taken awaie from Alexandro hauyng nothing whervpō any profite did rise But daily trustyng that peace should be concluded betwene the father and the sonne And that all thynges should be surrendred aswell the principall as the interest he determined not to departe the countrie The three brethren whiche were at Florrence not limityng any order to their disordinate expences grewe daily worsse and worsse But in processe of tyme when all hope was past of their recouery thei lost not onely their credite but the creditors desirous to be paied were faine to sende thē to prison And bicause their inheritance was not sufficient to paie the whole debt thei remained in prison for the rest And their wiues and childrē were dispersed some into the countrie and some hether and thither out of order not knowing how to do but to abide a poore miserable life for euer Alexandro whiche of long tyme taried for a peace in Englande and seing that it would not come to passe considering with hymself that ouer and besides his vaine abode for recouery of his debtes that he was in daunger of his life he purposed to retourne into Italie And as he traueiled by the waie alone and departed from Bruges by fortune he perceiued an Abbot clothed in white in like maner about to take his iourney accompanied with many Monkes and a greate traine hauyng muche cariage and diuers baggages before After whom rode twoo olde knightes the kinsmenne of the kyng with whom Alexandro entred acquaintance by reason of former knowledge and was receiued into their companie Alexandro then ridyng with thē frendly demaunded what Monkes thei were that rode before with so greate a traine and whether thei wente To whom one of the knightes answered that he whiche rode before was a yonge gentle man their kinsman which was newlie chosen Abbot of one of the best Abbaies in Englande And bicause he was verie yonge and not lawfull by the decrees for suche a dignitie thei went with him to Rome to obteine of the holie father a dispensacion for his age and for a cōfirmacion of that dignitie But thei willed hym to disclose the same to no manne And so this newe Abbot riding sometymes before and sometymes after as we see ordinarilie that lordes doe when thei trauell in the countrie It chaunced that the Abbot perceiuyng Alexandro ridyng besides him whiche was a faire yonge manne honest curteous and familier who at the first meting did so merueilouslie delight him as any thing that euer he sawe in his life and callyng hym vnto hym he began familierlie to talke and asked what he was from whence he came and whether he went To whom Alexandro declared liberallie all his state and satisfied his demaūde offryng vnto hym although his power was little all the seruice he was able to dooe The Abbote hearyng his curteous offer and comelie talke placed in good order consideryng more particulerlie the state of his affaires and waiyng with hym self that albeit his traine was small yet neuerthelesse he semed to be a gentleman and then pitiyng his mishappes he recomforted hym familierlie and saied vnto him that he ought daily to liue in good hope For if he were an honeste manne God would aduaunce him again not onelie to that place frō whence Fortune had throwen hym doune but also to greater estimacion praiyng him that sithēs he was goyng into Thuscane whether he likewise went that it would please him to remaine in his compaine Alexandro thanked hym humblie of his comfort and said vnto him that he was redie to imploie hymself where it should please hym to cōmaunde The Abbot thus riding into whose minde newe thoughtes entred vpon the sight of Alexandro It chaūced after many daies iourneis thei arriued at a village that was but meanlie furnished with lodgyng The Abbot desirous to lodge there Alexandro intreated hym to lighte at the Inne of an hoste whiche was familiarly knowen vnto him and caused a chamber to be made redie for hymself in the worste place of the house And the Marshall of the Abbottes lodgynges beyng alredie come to the Toune whiche was a manne verie skilfull in those affaires he lodged all the traine in that village one here an other there so well as he could And by that time the Abbot had supped night was farre spente and euery man repaired to his bedde Alexandro demaūded the host where he should lie To whom the hoste made answere Of a trouthe Maister Alexandro I knowe not for you see that all my
it happē that she giue her self fully to the conductiōs of loue and the superplusage of her said excuse ought to consist in that she hath chosen her a sage and vertuous frende if she that loueth hath doen so in deede Whiche twoo thinges as thei should be I suppose are in me and many other also whiche ought to induce me to loue accordynglie as my youth requireth and the great space that is betwene my husbande and me It behoueth now then that thei should aduaunce themselfes in your presence for the defence of my burnyng loue and if the same doe raigne in you whiche haue power in the wise then I beseche you to giue me counsaile and aide in the thing whiche I shall demaunde True it is that for the long absence of my husbande not able to resist the prickes of the fleshe and the force of loue whiche be of suche greate effecte that thei haue many times past and yet daily doe vāquishe and ouercome not onely feble and weake women but also the strongest men I liuyng in ease and idlenes as you sée and forced to folowe the pleasures of loue and to become amourous as I doe knowe well that such thynges if thei were knowen should not bee reputes honest Neuerthelesse the same beyng kepte secrete I thinke shall not be muche dishonest Notwithstanding dame Loue is so fauourable vnto me that not onelie she hath giuen me true iudgement in choise of a frende but hath reueiled vnto me that it is you which is worthie to be beloued of suche a ladie as I am For if I bée not greatlie deceiued I do make accompt that you be the fairest personage the semeliest the most curteous and wisest gentleman in all the Realme of Fraunce And as I maie saie by reason of his absence that I am without a husbande so maie you affirme that you bee without a wife wherfore I beseche you for the loue that I beare vnto you that you wil not denie me your loue and frendship that you wil haue pitie vpon my yong yeres whiche doubtles dooe consume for you as Ice against the fierie flames At whiche worde the teares ran doune in suche abundance that where she thought to make further supplicacion and praiers she had no more power to speake But holdyng doune her heade like one that was ouercome she threwe her self doune into the Erles lappe who like a faithfull knighte began to blame with sharpe rebukes her fonde and foolishe loue pushyng her from hym as she was about to clepe hym aboute the necke and swore greate othes that rather he would bee drawen in fower peces then consent to suche a thyng to be doen by hym or any other against the honor of his lorde maister Whiche wordes the Ladie hearyng sodainly forgatte her loue and in greate rage saied vnto hym Shall I then bee frustrate thou arrant villaine in this wise of my desired ioye But sithens thou goest about to seke my distruction I will cause thee to be put to death or els to be banished the worlde When she had saied so by and by she caught her self by the heare of the head and almoste tare it of cleane and then laied handes vpon her garmentes rentyng the same in peces and afterwardes cried out aloude Helpe helpe The Erle of Angiers wil rauishe me by force The Erle seyng that and farre more doubtyng of the enuie and malice of the Courte then his owne conscience for any committed facte fearyng also that more credite would bee giuen to the wickednesse of the Ladie then to his innocencie conueied hymself from that place and so sone as he could he went out of the palace and fledde home to his owne house where without any further aduise he placed his children on horsebacke and so well as he could caried them to Callice At the brute and noyse of the Ladie many people assembled Who seyng and hearyng thoccasion of her crie not onely beleued her wordes but also affirmed that the pompouse state of the Erle was vsed by hym to bryng to passe the effecte of his desire Then thei ranne to the houses of the Erle in greate furie to arreste his persone but not findyng him there thei first sacked his houses and afterwardes ouerthrewe them to the grounde The newes hereof so wicked as might bee deuised arriued at the Kyng and Dolphins Campe whereat thei were so troubled and offended that thei condempned the Erle and all his progenie to perpetuall exile promisyng greate giftes and rewardes to them that would presente them quicke or deade The Erle beyng offended in his conscience for that he was fledde innocente of the facte made hymself culpable thereof and arriued at Callice with his children dissemblyng what he was and sodainly passed ouer into Englande and in poore apparell traueiled vp to London And before he entred the citie he gaue his children diuers admonicions but specially of two thinges First that thei should beare paciently the pouertie whervnto Fortune without their offence had brought them Afterwardes that wisely thei should take héede at no time to manifest declare to any man from whence thei came and whose childrē thei were as thei loued the price of their owne liues The soonne was named Lewes almoste of the age of ix yeres and the doughter called Violēta was about the age of .vij. bothe whiche childrē as their age could suffer them did well obserue their fathers lesson as afterwardes it did right well appere And bicause that this might the better be brought to passe it semed good vnto hym to alter their names namyng the soonne Perotto and the doughter Gianetta And when thei were arriued at Lōdon in maner of beggers thei craued their almose and beyng by Fortune for that purpose one mornyng at a churche doore it came to passe that a greate ladie whiche was one of the Marshalles of Englandes wiues in goyng out of the Churche sawe the Erle and his two litle childrē beggyng their almose of whom she demaunded what countrie man he was and whether those children were his owne or not To whom the Erle answered that he was a Picarde and by reason of a wicked facte dooen by his eldest soonne that was an vnhappie boie he was forced to departe his countrie with those his twoo children The Ladie whiche was pitifull fixed her eyes vpō the girle who pleased her verie muche bicause she was beautifull gentill and pleasaunt saiyng Good man if thou be contēt to leaue vnto me this thy litle doughter whiche hath a good face I will willingly take her and if she become a duetifull maiden when she is mariageable I will marie her in honeste wise This demaunde greatly pleased the Erle who redely answered that he was contented and with teares trickeling doune his eyes he deliuered and commended his pretie doughter vnto her And whē he had thus wel bestowed her he determined to tarrie no lōger there but in beggyng his almose traueiled through the countrie with his
whiche boiled in you from your infancie to make Italie tributarie vnto you and to cause your self to be crouned at Rome Emperour aswel of Thorient as of the Occident This is not the waie to amplifie and inlarge your Empire but rather to restrain and diminishe the same This is not the mean to preserue it but to disposse it make it lesse If Ottoman the first tronke or stocke of your gentle familie and kindred hadde thus giuen hymself to be corrupted in idlenes you hadde not now inherited the noble kingdome of Grece nor gouerned the countries of Galatia and Bithinia and many other prouinces whiche enuironne the greate sea Semblablie his soonne Orcan a liuelie Image of his father and a folower of his valiant factes had not triumphed ouer Licaonia Phrigia Caria nor dilated the boundes of his Empire to Hellesponte What shall I speake of Amurates the successour of Orcan who was the firste that inuaded Europa conquered Thracia Syria Rasia and Bulgaria And Baiazet likewise did not he cutte of the hedde of the greate Tamburlain whiche called him self the scourge of GOD and brought into the fielde fower hundred thousande Scithians a horsebacke and sixe hundred thousande footemen Shall I shall passe ouer with silēce the vertuous exploites of your grandfather Mahomet who conquered Macedonia made the Countries to feele the edge of his sworde euen to the sea Ionicum lettyng passe many wonderfull expedicions and iourneis by hym made againste the Lidians and Cliecians But now I can not reuiue the memorie of your father Amurate but to my great sorowe and grief who by the space of .xl. yeres made the Sea and earth to tremble quake and with the furie of his strong hande vsed suche cruell reuengement ouer the Grekes that the memorie of the woundes doe remain at this presente euen to the Mountaines of Thomao and Pindus he subiugated the Phocians made tributarie Athenes Beotia Aetolia Caramania and al the barbarous naciōs from Morea to the straictes of Corinthe What nede I here to bring in the cruel battail that he had againste the Emperoure Sigismonde and Philippe Duke of Burgundie wherein he ouerthrewe the whole force of the Christians tooke the Emperour prisoner the Duke of Burgundie also whom he sent to Adrianopolis Or to remember other fierce armies whiche he sente into Hungarie whereof your maiestie is a faithfull witnesse your self beyng still there in your owne persone Iudge then my Lorde what diligence and intollerable trauell he vsed in his manifolde glorious enterprises and famous victories Doe you thinke that if he had béen idle in his pallaice emōges the ladies you had inherited your Empire or had now béen lorde of so many excellent Prouinces which he is not sufficient to rule that can not prouide to confirme and establishe the same There bee many of your subiectes and vassalles at this daie whiche doe obeye and honour your Maiestie more for feare then good loue thei beare you that would rebell against you if Fortune would tourne her backe The Christians of long time as you knowe haue sworne your ruine and distruccion Moreouer thei saie that their high bishop the Pope of Rome hath conuocated all his prelates to vnite and reconcile the Princes and Monarches of Christendome together to ouer runne you and to take the scepter out of your handes to dispoile you of your Empire But what knowe we whither thei wil ioine their force with the power of the Persian Sophi your capitall enemie or with the Souldan of Aegipte your aunciente aduersarie whiche if thei come to passe as God forbidde your Empire will be consumed Gather your wittes then together from hence forthe my lorde and call again Reason which so many yeres you haue banished from you Awake out of the depe slepe which hath sieled vp your eyes Imitate and folowe the trade of your aūcestors whiche euer loued better one daie of honor then an hundred liuyng yeres of shame and reproche Attende to the gouernement of your Empire Leaue of this effeminate life Receiue again the smell of your generositie and vertue And if you can not at one tyme cutte of remoue all that amourous heate whiche vndermineth so your harte moderate the same by litle and litle and giue some hope to your people whiche thinke you to bee vtterly loste and desperate of recouerie Or if so bee the Greke dooe delight you so muche who shall lette you to cary her with you in all your iourneis and expedicions Why can not you together bothe inioye her beautie and vse the practise of armes Me thinke that your pleasure shal be greater after you haue wonne some victory and subdued some countrie to inioye her in your armes then to remaine in a house with eternall infamie and continual grudgyng of your subiectes But proue I praie you to separate your self certain daies from her and you shall certainly iudge how farre greater the pleasures bée so differred then those that be daily vsed Yet one thing more and it please your maiestie there resteth to be declared whiche is that all the victories of your progenitours or the conquestes whiche your self hath made bee to small purpose if you doe not kepe them and increase them the keping of a thing gotten beyng of no lesse glorie and praise then the conquest Be now then a conqueror of your self humblie besechyng your Maiestie that if I haue spoken any thyng disagreable to your minde accordyng to your wonted clemencie to pardon the same and to impute the faulte to my bounden duetie and the care that I haue of your honor and sauftie Mahomet after he had heard the long discours of his Slaue stoode as still as a blocke and fixyng his eyes vpon the grounde with sodaine chaunge of coulour declared by outwarde signes the agitacions and vnquietnesse of his minde in suche wise that the poore slaue Mustapha seyng in hym those alteraciōs was in doubte of his life whose wordes so pricked the Emperours harte that he knewe not what to doe or wherevpon to bee resolued and seeiyng his conscience troubled with a furieus battaill knowyng euidently that Mustapha had spoken the truthe and that he vttered the same like a trustie seruaunt to his maister But on the other side the beautie of the Greke was still before his eyes and the minde he had to abandon her gaue hym suche alarme that he semed at that instaunte as though his harte had béen torne out of his bellie And thus moued with diuers tempestes without other thoughte hauyng his eyes inflamed with greate rage and furie he saied vnto hym Although thou hast spoken vnreuerently inough yet our educacion together and the fidelitie that I haue proued in thée in time past shalbée thy pardō for this time To the purpose Before the Sonne doeth cōpasse the Zodiacque I will let it be knowen to thée and to other what puissaunce and power I haue ouer my self or whether I am able to bridle mine affection or not
Take order in the mean time that all my noble menne the Baschats and the principall of my menne of warre bee assembled together to morowe in the middes of the greate halle of my pallace This determinacion finished the Emperor went into the Greke and reioysyng hymself all that daie and mighte with her he made more of her then euer he did before And the more to flatter her he dined with her and commaunded that after diner she should adorne her self with the moste precious Iewelles and decke her with more sumptuous apparel then euer she did weare before Whervnto the poore wenche obeied not knowyng that it was her Funerall apparell On the other side Mustapha vncertaine of the Emperors mynde at the hower appoincted caused all the nobilitie to bee assembled in the hall euery of them merueilyng what moued the Emperour so to doe sithens he had so long tyme shutte vp hymself without shewing his persone abrode Beyng thus assembled and euery manne talkyng diuersly of this matter accordyng as their affection serued beholde the Emperor entred into the pallace leadyng the Greke by the hande who beyng adorned otherwise then she was wonte to bee was accompanied and garnished with beautie so rare and excellente that she resembled rather an heauenlie Goddesse then a humaine creature The Turke came into the hall after that the lordes had made their reuerence accordyng to their wonted maner holdyng still the faier Greke by the left hāde he stode stil in the middest of the holle then lokyng furiously rounde aboute hym he saied vnto them So farre as I vnderstande all ye dooe mutine and grudge bicause I beyng vanquished with Loue can not separate and withdrawe my self daie nor nighte from the presence of this Greke But I dooe knowe none of you all so continente and chaste in Loue that if he had in his possession a thyng so rare and precious so amiable and beautie so excellente but before he could forgette her and giue her ouer he would three tymes be well aduised What say ye to the matter Euery of you shall haue frée libertie secretly to tell me your mynde But thei rapt with an incredible admiracion to see so faier a thyng saied that he had with greate reason passed his tyme with her Wherevnto the barbarous cruell Prince answered Well now then I will make you to vnderstande that there is no earthlie thyng that can binde vp or captiuate my sences so muche but that from hence forthe I will followe myne anncestours hauyng the glorie and valiaunce of the Ottomans so fixed in my breast that nothyng els but death is able to blot it out of my remembraunce Those wordes finished incontinently with one of his handes he catched the Greke by the heare of the heade and with his other hande he drewe out his falchion from his side and foldyng his handes aboute the golden lockes of her heare at one blowe he strake of her bedde to the great terrour of them all When he had so dooen he saied vnto them Now ye knowe whether your Emperor is able to represse and bridle his affectiōs or not Within a while after meanyng to discharge the rest of his cholere he addressed a Campe of fower score or an hundred thousande men with whom percyng Boussine he besieged Belgrade where Fortune was so cōtrary vnto hym that he was put to flight and loste there a notable battaile against the Christians vnder the conducte of Ihon Huniades surnamed le Blanc who was father of the worthie and glorious kyng Mathie Coruin A Ladie falsely accused of adulterie was condemyned to be deuoured of Lions the maner of her deliuerie and howe her innocencie beyng knowen her accuser felt the paines for her prepared ¶ The .xlj. Nouell IN the countrie of Aquitane there was sometime a lorde whose landes and lorshippes laie betwene Limosine and Poictou and for the antiquitie of his house was renowmed bothe for bloodde and wealthe emonges the chief of all the Countrie Beyng allied in kinred with the beste and had full accesse and fauour aswell in the houses of the auncient Dukes of Guienne and Countes of Poictou as in the royall Courtes of the Frenche Kynges This Lorde whom Bindello the aucthour of this historie affirmeth to be Signor de la Rocca Soarda but the translator and augmentator of the same in Frenche called Francois de Belle Forest leaueth out his name for good respecte as he allegeth kepte a greate Courte and liberall householde and singularlie delighted after the maner of the Frenche nobilitie in huntyng specially in hawkyng His house also was had in greater admiracion the rudenesse and ignoraūce of that tyme was suche bicause he had gotten beastes of straunge Countries chieflie Lions wherein he had greate pleasure aswell for the rarenesse of that beast in Fraunce as for a certaine generositie that he knewe to bee in the same whiche resembled the magnanimitie and courage of noble men whose mindes and spirites dooe not esteme thynges that be vaine and cannot be affraied in doyng of thinges wherevnto honour is offred for rewarde This Lorde maried a Ladie the doughter of one his neighbours a woman worthie for suche a husbande whose beautie was suche as there was none comparable vnto her whiche the more increased for that she was indued with perfite vertue and furnished with so good behauiour that right good mindes and wittes should bee occupied naie rather put to their shiftes to decide whether gift were greatest either the exquisite workemanship of her excellyng beautie or whether Nature had imploied all her cunnyng to frame a bodie to appere before menne miraculous or els her honest port her good grace curtesie and graue mildnesse accompanied with vertue not vulgare or common to many mē whiche made his ladie to shine like the glistering Planet of Mars emonges other the wanderyng starres In suche wise as the verie sauage and brute were formed with splendent fame to praise her to be suche a woman whose equall thei neuer knewe to bee in all their Countrie who made the house of her husbande glorious and hym a contented manne to beholde suche a Starre to lie by his side whiche suffised to illustrate and beautifie a whole countrie by her onely presence and to nobilitate a race although the bloodde of auncestours did faile for the accomplishement of their perfection Suche is the great force of Uertue whiche not onely did aduaunce her aboue them that dooe her imbrase but rather did cōstraine the enuious to haue her in admiracion But these admiratours and praisers of Uertue dooe not vse suche indeuour for the merites whiche thei attribute to the thyng rather thei imploie their onely industrie to gather some profite of her and then followyng the nature of the dogge doe retourne to their vomite and bestowe their venime hidden in their Serpentes breaste As it came to passe and was euidente in a certaine manne that was Stewarde of this noble mannes house truely a verie happie house aswell for
out of her wittes saiyng Alas alas what paine and trouble what vnmeasurable tormentes suffreth now my poore afflicted minde without comfort or consolacion of any creature liuyng What dure and cruell penaunce doe I susteine for none offence at all Ah fortune fortune the enemie of my felicite and blisse thou haste so depriued me of all remedie that I dare not so muche as to make any manne knowe or vnderstande my mishappe that the same might be reuenged whiche beyng dooen would render suche contentacion to my mynde that I should departe out of this worlde the best contented and satisfied maiden that euer died Alas that the goddes did not graunte me the benefite that I might haue come of noble kinde to thintent I might haue caused that traiterous ruffien to féele the grieuous paine and bitter tormentes whiche my poore harte susteineth Ah wretched caitife that I am abādoned and forlorne of all good fortune now I doe sée that with the eyes of my mynde whiche with those of my bodie daseled and deceiued I could not sée or perceiue Ah cruell enemie of all pitie doest thou not knowe féele in thy minde the heauie and sorowful sounde of my bitter plaintes Understandest not thou my voice that crieth vengeaunce vpon thée for thy misdeede Can not thy crueltie in nothyng be diminished seyng me dismembred with the terrour of a thousande furious martirdomes Ah ingrate wretche is this now the rewarde of my loue of my faithfull seruice and myne obediēce And as she thus bitterly tormented her self her mother and brethren and her maide whiche was brought vp with her from her tēder yeres went vp to the chamber to Violenta where thei foūde her then so deformed with rage and furie that almost she was out of their knowledge And when thei went about to reduce her by all meanes possible from those furious panges and saw that it nothing auailed thei left her in the keping of the old maiden whō she loued aboue any other And after the maiden had vttered vnto her particularly many reasons for the appeasyng of her grief she tolde her that if she would be quiet a little while she would goe and speake to the knight Didaco and make hym to vnderstande his fault And would with discret order so deale with him that he should come home to her house therfore she praied her to arme her self againste this wickednes to dissemble the matter for a time that hereafter she might vse vpon hym iust reuenge No no Ianique answered Violenta the offēce is very small and light where counsaill is receiued and albeit that I cānot chose but confesse thy counsaill to be very méete yet there wanteth in me a mynde to followe it that if I did féele any parte in me disposed to obeye the same I would euen before thy face separate that mynde frō my wretched bodie For I am so resolued in the malice and hatred of Didaco that he can not satisfie me without life alone And I beleue the Goddes did cause me to be borne with myne owne handes to execute vengeaunce of their wrathe and the losse of myne honour Wherefore Ianique if frō my youth thou diddest euer loue me shewe now the same to me by effect in a matter whervnto thy helpe is moste necessary for I am so outraged in my mischief that I doe enuie the miserablest creatures of the worlde remainyng no more in me to continue my life in wailyng and continuall sighes but the title of a vile and abhominable whore Thou art a straunger and liuest here a beastly life ioyned with continuall labour I haue twelue hundred crounes with certaine Iewelles whiche that false traitour gaue me whiche bée predestinated by the heauens for none other purpose but to paie them their hire whiche shall doe the vengeaunce vpon his disloyall persone I dooe put the same money now into thy handes if thou wilt helpe me to make sacrifice with the bodie of poore Didaco But if thou dooest deny me thy helpe I will execute the same alone and in case he doe not die as I doe intende he shal be murdred as I maie For the first tyme that I shall sée hym with myne eyes come of it what will his life shal bee dispatched with these twoo trembling handes whiche thou seest Ianique seyng her maistresse in these termes and knowing her stoute nature indued with a manly and inuincible stomacke after she had debated many thynges in her mynde she determined wholie to impose her self for her maistres in that she was able to doe Moued partly with pitie to sée her maistresse dishonored with a defamed mariage and partely prouoked with couetousnesse to gaine so greate a somme of money whiche her maistresse did offer if she would condiscende to her enterprise thinking after the facte committed to flee into some other countrie And when she was throughly resolued vpon the same she imbraced Violenta and saied vnto her Maistresse if you will bee ruled by me and giue ouer the vehemence of your wrathe and displeasure I haue founde a waie for you to bee reuenged vpon Didaco who hath so wickedly deceiued you And albeeit thesame can not bée doen secretly but in the ende it must be knowen yet I doubt not but the cause declared before the Iudges and thei vnderstandyng the wronge he hath doen you thei will haue compassion vpon your miserie who knowe right well that alwaies you haue been knowen an estemed for a very honest and vertuous maiden And to the ende that you be informed how this matter maie bée brought to passe firste you muste learne to dissemble your grief opēly and to faine your self in any wise not to be offended with the newe Mariage of the knight Then you shall write vnto hym a letter with your owne hande lestyng hym thereby to vnderstande the paine that you suffer for the greate loue you beare hym and then ye shall humbly beseche hym sometimes to come and visite you And sithe that froward fortune will not sufixe you to bee his wife yet that it would please hym to vse you as his louer that you maie possesse the seconde place of his loue sithe by reason of his newe wife you can not inioye the firste Thus that deceiuour shal bee begiled by thinkyng to haue you at his commaundement as he was wont to doe And beyng come hither to lie with you wée will handle hym in suche wise as I haue inuented that in one night he shall lose his life his wife and her whom he thincketh to haue for his louer For when he is a bedde with you and fallen into his first sléepe wée will sende hym into an other place where in a more sounder slepe he shall euerlastynglie continue Violenta al this tyme whiche fedde her blooddie and cruell harte with none other repasie but with rage and disdaine began to bee appeased and founde the counsaill of Ianique so good that she wholie purposed to followe thesame And to begin her
to vnderstād the trouth of his death as his father in Lawe his wife and other kinsmen I would in their presence if it please you to cause them to bee called hither declare that I knowe The magistrates amased to se so greate a lorde to cruelly slaine commited her to warde till after diner and commaūded that al the before named should be somoned to appere Who assembled in the pallace with suche a number of people as the Iudges could skante haue place Violenta in the presence of them all with out any rage or passion first of all recompsed vnto thē the chaste loue betwene Didaco and her which he cōtinued the space of fowertene or fiftene monethes without receiuyng any fruicte or comoditie thereof Within a while after he being vanguished with leue maried her secretly at her house and solempnized the neptialles by a Prieste vnknowen declaryng moreouer how thei hadde liued a yere together in housholde without any occasion of offence on her part giuen vnto hym Then she rehersed before them his second mariage with the doughter of suche a manne being there presente addying for conclusion that sithe he hadde made her to lose her honestie she had sought meanes to make hym to lose his life Whiche she executed with the helpe of Ianique her maide who by her aduise beyng lothe to liue any longer had drouned her self And after she had declared the true state of the matter passed betwene them she saied for conclusion that all that she had rehersed was not to incite or moue thē to pitie or compassion thereby to prolonge her life wherof she iudged her self vnworthie for if you qoud she doe suffer me to escape your handes thinkyng to saue my bodie you shal be the cause and whole ruine of my soule for with these myne owne handes whiche you see before you I will desperately cutte of the threde of my life And with those woordes she helde her peace whereat the people amased and moued with pitie let fall the luke warme teares from their dolorouse eyes and lamented the misfortune of that poore creature imputyng the faulte vpon the dedde knighte whiche vnder colour of mariage had deceiued her The magistrates determinyng further to deliberate vppon the whole matter caused the dedde bodie to be buried and committed Violenta againe to Warde taking awaie from her kniues and other weapons wherewith thei thought she might hurte her self And vsed suche diligent searche and inquirie that the Prieste whiche maried them was founde oat and the seruaunt of Didaco that was presente at the mariage of Violenta beyng examined deposed how by his maisters commaūdement he caried his horsse into the countrie and how he commaunded him to come to hym againe the next mornyng to the house of Violenta And all thynges were so well throught to light as nothyng wanted for further inuestigacion of the truth but onely the confession of hym that was dedde And Violenta by the common opinion of the Iudges was condepned to bée behedded not onely for that she had presumed to punishe the knightes tromperie and offence but for her excessiue crueltie doen vpon the dedde bodie Thus infortunate Violenta ended her life her mother and brethren beyng acquited And was executed in the presence of the Duke of Calabria the soone of kyng Federic of Aragon whiche was that tyme the Viceroy there and afterwardes died at Torry in Fraunce who incontinently after caused this historie to be registred with other thinges worthie of remembraunce chaunced in his tyme at Valencia Bandell doeth write that the maide Ianique was put to death with her maistres but Paludanus a Spaniard a liue at that time writeth an excellent historie in Latine wherein he certainly declareth that she was neuer apprehended whiche opinion as moste probable I haue folowed Wantones and pleasaunt life being guides of insolencie doeth bring a miserable ende to a faier Ladie of Thurin whom a noble mā aduannced to high estate as appereth by this historie wherein he executeth greate crueltie vpon his said Ladie taken in adulterie ¶ The .xliij. Nouell THE auncient and generall custome of the gentlemen and gentlewomen of Piedmonte was daiely to abandon famous cities and murmures of common wealthes for to withdrawe themselfes to their Castles in the countrie and other places of pleasure of purpose to begile the troublesome turmoiles of life with greateste reste and contentacion whiche troubles and griefes thei dooe féele that intermedle with businesse of common wealthe whiche was with greate care obserued before the warres had preposterated the order of auncient gouernement that muche a doe you should haue had to finde a gentleman idle in a citie Who rather did resort to their countrie houses with their families whiche were so well gouerned and furnished that you should haue departed so well satisfied and instructed from a simple gentle mannes house as you should haue dooen from a greate Citie were it neuer so well ruled by some wife and prudent Senatour But sithens the worlde began to waxe olde it is come againe to very infancie in suche sorte that greatest nomber of Cities are not peopled in these daies but with a many of idle gentlemen that make their resiance and abode there not to profite but to continewe their delicate life and thei doe corrupte not onely themselfes but whiche is worste thei infecte them that keepe them companie whiche I will discourse somewhat more at large for so muche as the gentlewoman of whom I will describe the historie was brought vp all the tyme of her youthe in one of the finest and moste delicate Cities of Piedmonte And féelyng as yet some sparke of her former bringing vp she could not be reformed beyng in the countrie with her husbande but that in the ende she fill into greate reproche and shame as you shall vnderstande by the content of this historie In the tyme that Madame Margaret of Austriche doughter of Maximilian the Emperour went in progresse into Sauoie towardes her husbande there was a greate Lorde a valiaunte and curteous gentleman in a certaine Countrie of Piedmonte whose name I will not disclose aswell for the reuerence of hisneresse kinne which doe yet liue as for the immoderatee ruell punishemente that he deuised towardes his wife when he toke her in the faulte This greate Lorde although he had goodlie reuenues and Castelles in Piedmonte yet for the moste parte of his tyme he followed the Courte by commaundemente of the Duke that interteined hym nexte his owne persone vsyng commonly his aduise in al his greatest affaires This lorde at that time maried a maidē in Thurin of meane beautie for his pleasure not estemyng the place from whence she came And bicause he was well nere fiftie yeres of age when he married her she attired her self with suche modestie that she was more like a widowe then a maried woman and knewe so well howe to vse her husband the space of a yere or twoo that he thought hymself the happiest manne a
liue that he had founde so louyng a wife This woman beyng serued and reuerēced with greate honour waxed werie of to muche rest and quiet and begā to bée inamoured of a Gentlemanne her neighbour whom in a litle time she knewe so well to vse by lookes and other wanton toies that he did easely perceiue it notwithstandyng for the honour of her husbande he would not some to knowe it but a farre of Now this warme loue by litle and litle afterwardes began to growe hotte for the yonge woman wearie of suche long delaie not able to contēt her self with lookes vpon a daie findyng this yonge gentleman in conueniente place as he was walkyng harde by her house beganne to reason with hym of termes and matters of loue tellyng hym that he liued to solitarie in respect of his yonge yeres and how she had alwaies béen broughte vp in Townes and places of greate companie and resorte in suche wise that now beyng in the Countrie she could not easely digeste the incommoditie of beyng a lone speciallie for the continuall absence of her husbande who scarse thrée monethes in a yere remained at home in his owne house And so fallyng from one matter to an other loue pricked them so sore that in fine thei opened a waie to that that troubled them so muche specially the woman who forgettyng her honour whiche ordinarily dooeth accompanie greate Ladies priuely she tolde hym the loue that she hadde borne hym of longe tyme whiche notwithstandyng she had dissembled waityng when he should haue giuen the firste onsette for that gentlemenne ought rather to demaunde then to be required of Ladies This gentleman vnderstandyng by halfe a woorde her disease tolde her that although his loue was extreme neuerthelesse demyng hymself vnworthie of so high degrée he still concealed his grief which bicause he thought it could not come to passe feare forced hym to keepe it secrete But sithe it pleased her so muche to abasse her self and was disposed to doe hym so muche honour to accepte hym for her seruaunte he would imploie his indeuour to recompence that with humilitie and humble seruice whiche Fortune had denied hym in other thynges And hauyng framed this foundacion to their loue for this tyme thei vsed no other contentacion one of an other but onely deuise But thei so prouided for their affaires to come that thei neded not to vse longer oracion For being neighbours and the husbande many tymes absent the high waie was open to bryng their enterprises to desired effecte Whiche thei full well acquieted and yet vnable wisely to maister and gouerne their passions or to moderate theim selues by good discrecion the seruauntes of the house by reason of the frequented communicacion of the gentleman with the gētlewoman began to suspecte them and to conceiue simster opiniō of their maistresse although none of them durst speake of it or make other semblaunce of knowledge Loue holdyng in full possession the hartes of these twoo louers blinded them so muche that leauyng the bridle to large for their honour thei vsed themselues priuely and apertly at all tymes one with an other without any respecte And when vpon a time the Lorde retourned home to his owne house from a certaine voiage wherin he had béen in the Dukes seruice he found his wife to bée more fine and gorgeous then she was wōt to be which in the beginnyng did wōderfully astonne hym And perceiuyng her sometymes to vtter wanton woordes and to applie her minde vpon other thinges when he spake vnto her he beganne diligently to obserue her countenaunce and order and being a man broughte vp in courtly trade and of good experience he easely was perswaded that there was some ele vnder the stone and to come to the trouthe of the matter he made a better countenaunce then he was wonte to doe whiche she knewe full wel how to requite and recompēce And liuyng in this simulacion either of them attempted to begile the other that the simplest and lest craftie of thē both could not be discouered The yong gentleman neighbour of the Lorde grieued beyonde measure for that he was come home passed and repassed many tymes before his Castell gate thinkyng to gette some looke of his Ladies eye but by any meanes she could not for feare of her husbande who was not so foolishe that after he sawe him goe before his gate so many tymes without some occasion but that he easely iudged there was a secret amitie betwene thē Certaine daies after the gentleman of insinuate hymself into the lordes fauour and to haue accesse to his house sent hym a verie excellente Tercelet of a Faucon and at other tymes he presented hym with Ueneson and vmbles of Dere whiche he had killed in hūtyng But the Lorde whiche well knewe that flatterie many tymes serued the torne of diuerse menne to begile foolishe husbandes of their faire wiues that he might not seme vngratefull sente hym also certaine straunge thynges And these curtesies cōtinued so long that the lorde desirous to laie abaite sent to praie hym to come to diner to whiche request the other accorded liberally for the deuotion he had to the sainct of the Castell And when the Table was taken vp thei went together to walke abrode in the fildes And the more frēdly to welcome hym he praied his wife to goe with them wherevnto she made no greate deniall And when thei hadde debated of many thynges the Lorde saied vnto hym Neighbour and frende I am an olde manne and Melancholie as you knowe wherefore I had neede from henceforthe to reioise my self I praie you hartely therfore to come hither many tymes to take parte of our diner and suche fare as God dooeth sende And vse the thynges of my house as thei were your owne Which the other gratefullie accepted humblie praiyng that his Lordship would commaunde hym and that he had when it were his pleasure to vse him as his very hūble and obedient seruaunte This Pantere laied the yong gentleman ordinarily came ones a daie to visite the Lorde and his wife So long this order continued that the Lorde vpō a daie fainyng hymself to be sicke commaunded that no man should come into his chamber bicause al the night before he was il at ease could take no rest Whereof the gentleman was incontinently aduertised by an olde woman hired of purpose for a common messanger of whom a none we purpose to make menciō Being come to the Castle he demaūded how the Lorde did and whether be might goe se hym to whom answer was made that he could not for that he was fallen into a slomber Madame nowe was in the gardein alone comyng vp and doune for her pleasure was aduertised that the gentleman was come Who beyng broughte into the gardeine and certified of the Lordes indisposicion began to renewe his olde daliaunce with the Ladie and to kisse her many tymes eftsons puttyng his hande into her bosome and vsyng other pretie
bloude She knowing the dolor and anguish that her husband endured comforted him very wisely with ioyful countenance saying How now deare husband think you that fortune is or ought to be still fauourable to Princes and great Lordes Do you not know that greate hulkes and shyppes doe souer perishe and drown in maine seas and riuers amiddes the raging waues and surges than in narrow flouds and brokes where the water is still and calme Doe you not sée greate trées whose toppes doe rise alofte aboue the highe hilles and stepe mountaines soner shaken and tossed with blustering windie blastes than those that be planted in fertile dales and lowe valleys Haue you forgotten so many histories by you perused and read with so great delight when you were in the Emperours court Doe not they describe the chaunge of Monarches the ruine of houses the destruction of one Realme acquited by the establishing and raygne of another What Prince Monarche or Captaine was euer so happie that hath not felt some griefe and misfortune Alas swéete heart thinke that God doth chastise vs with his roddes of tribulation to make vs to knowe him but in the meane tyme he kepeth for vs a better fortune that we loke not for Moreouer he neuer forsaketh them which with a good heart doe goe vnto him hauing their affiance in his great goodnesse and infinite mercy Alerane hearing the wise talke of his wife could not forbeare wéeping and sighing answered her in this maner Ah Lady in beauty and wisedome incōparable it is not my fortune that causeth my minde to wander and stray from the siege of constancie knowing well the qualities and number of Fortunes snares and howe ielous she is of humaine ioy and felicitie I am not ignorant that she layeth her ambushes and doth beset the endeuors soner of personages that be noble and of highe parentage than of those whose heartes be base and vnable and their victories not able to attayne to any iote of honour and fame But good God sayde he embracing his deare beloued spouse it is for you Maame that I endure tormente hauing made you to abandon the pompe of your estate and bereued from you a King to be your husbande causing you thus to féele an horrible and newe kinde of punnishment hunger famine I meane in the middes of these deserts and wilde places and therewithall haue ioyned you in company with an infortunate companiō who for comforte and solace ministreth teares and sighes O God most high and puissant howe profounde and darke are thy iudgements and how righteous is thy iustice I acknowledge mine offence to be the cause of thine anger and originall of our trespasse and that this payne chaunceth to vs for our sinnes which haue so wickedly betrayed the best Prince of the worlde and forsaken the company of him at whose bountifull handes I haue receyued better intertaynment and greater honor than I deserued Ah Emperor Otho that thou art so well reuenged nowe with cowardly fraude and deceipt committed against thée by Alerane of Saxone taking away her from thée which was the staffe future staye of thy reuerende age And as he was perseuering in this talke Adelasia seing him in that contemplation plucked him by the arme saying Sir it is time to consider our owne affaires we haue trauayled I cannot tell howe farre without rest me thinke our fortune being no better that we ought to remaine in some place attending for the grace and mercy of God who I hope will not fosake vs. They were then in Liguria in the deserts betwene Ast and Sauonne a coūtrey in the time wel peopled furnished with huge and darke forests garnished with many trées great high By the aduise then of Adelasia the Saxon Prince forced by necessity the maystresse of all artes retiered into those forestes where he practised the occupation of a Collier and some sayde that nature taught him the order how to cut his woodde to make ready his pittes and to knowe the season and time when his coales were burned ynough Great paines he susteyned about his businesse and went himselfe to sell his coales which he bare vpō his shoulders to the next market Townes till he had gayned so much as bought him an asse where with he dayly trauailed to vtter his coales and other deuises which néede had forced him to learne In this time Adelasia was deliuered of a goodly childe whome they named William And afterwardes by succession of time she bare vj. sonnes more For they dwelt almost .xviij. or .xx. yeares in that pore and miserable life and had dressed vp a little lodging within a caue that was faire and brode wherin very trimly and well they had bestowed themselues When the eldest of their sonnes was growen to the stature of a pretie stripling the father sent him sometime to Sauonne and sometime to Ast to sell their litle marchandise for reliefe of their houshold But the boy whose bloude coulde not conceale and hide the nobilitie of his birth hauing one day solde certaine burdens loades of woode and coale bought with that money a faire yong hauke which he caried vnto his father The good man gently rebuked his sonne and sayd that such game belonged not to men of their degrée and that they had much a doe to liue without employing their money vpon suche trifles Long time after William being arriued to the age of xvi yeares went to Sauonne to sell certaine ware by his fathers commaundement and with the money he bought a very sayre sworde which when his father fawe with teares in his eyes he went aside and sayde to himself Ah vnfortunate ladde that thy harde luck should do thée this great wrong truely neyther the pouertie of thy parents nor the place of thy bringing vp can deface in thée the secret shyning brightnesse of thine Auncestors vertue nor the prediction of thy corage and manhode in tune to come if God giue thée grace to aduaunce thée to the seruice of some noble prince Notwithstanding for that time he ceassed not sharply to rebuke and threaten his sonne in suche wise that the yong man hauing a heart greater than his force determined secretely to depart from his parents Now fortune chaunced so well and apt for his purpose that then at the very same time the Hongarians were entred Italy to spoile and rob the country against whom the Emperor marched with great expedition wyth an huge and goodly army of purpose to force them to leaue his land in peace William hauing knowledge hereof proceded towarde the Emperours campe where he shewed in déede great hope being of so small yeares of his future valiance and prowesse by the dedes of armes that he did during that warre Which ended and the enemy put to flight the Emperor went into Prouance to put in order his affaires in his realme of Arles which then was subiect to the Empire Afterwards he retired into Italy with deliberation to seiorne at Sauonne
her by the arme conducted her vnto his castell deuising of pleasaunt matters And he was greatly astonned to sée so rare a beautie as appeared in the Princesse Which neyther the wearinesse of the way nor the parching beames of the Sunne could in any wise so appaire but that there rested ynough to draw vnto her the very hartes of the moste colde and frosen men of the worlde And albeit the Lorde of Mendozza tooke great pleasure and admiration in beholding her yet was it nothing in respect of the Duchesse who after she had aduised and well marked the beautie excellency and other giftes of grace in the Lorde of Mendozza she confessed that all that which she had hearde of his sister was but a dreame in comparison of the proufe which discouered it selfe vpon the first viewe Seming vnto her by good iudgemēt that all the beauties of the worlde were but paintings in respect of the perfection of that which she saw with her eyes Wherin she was not deceyued albeit that her feruent loue might haue bewitched her senses For all the Histories in Latine Spanishe Italien the which make mention of Mendozza giue vnto him the first place in beautie of all the Princes and Lordes that were in his time The poore Duchesse after she had manifested by outwarde gestures and countenances to the Lord of Mendozza that which was in the inwarde part of her heart without receiuing the full satisfaction of his sight which she desired determined hauing soiourned thrée dayes in his Castle to depart the nexte morning vnwares to the Knight to perfourme her voyage And so soone as the light of the daye began to appeare she went to the chamber of the Lady Isabell whome she thanked affectuously aswell for her good company as for the great courtesie and humanitie that she had receiued in her house And hauing taken leaue of her departed with her trayne The Knight Mendozza about an houre or two after her departure aduertised therof was greatly troubled what the matter might be that she was gone without taking leaue of him And after that he had a little thought therevpon he easily perceyued that all the fault therof was in himself And that this great Princesse had abandoned her countrie of purpose by all iudgement to visite him and that he had shewed himselfe very slack for her satisfaction in that he had not offred her his seruice Whereat being iustly greued she did not vouchsafe to giue him a farewell And so accusing himselfe he determined to follow after her accōpanied only with two Pages And for that he was on horseback it was not long before he espied her in the high way to S. Iames where lighting frō his horse he walked two miles wyth her seasoning the matter without intermission desiring her amongs other things to let him vnderstand what displeasure she had conceiued in his house that caused so spedy and secret a departure adding thervnto that if her pleasure were he would accompanie her to the place whither she was vowed and would also reconduct her in his owne person to Thurin in so honorable sorte that she should haue cause to be contented Then passing further with sighes sayde vnto her Madame Fortune had done me a great benefite if when my sister made her vowe to goe to Rome I had lost the battaile against myne enemies and that her vowe had bene without effect For it might haue bene that I should haue remained quiet by the losse of some of my people But alas I fele nowe since your comming into this countrie a battaile so cruell and assault so furious in my heart as not being able any longer to resist it I finde my selfe vanquished and caught captiue in suche sorte that I knowe not to whome to complayne but to you which is the motion of all my disquietnesse And yet which grieueth me most you dissemble as though you did not vnderstand it And to bring me to my last ende you are departed this day out of my house not dayning to sée me or to appease me with one farewell which hath so further inflamed my passion that I dye a thousande times in a day Beseching you for the time to come to entreat me more fauorably or you shal sée me in that state wherein you woulde be loth to sée your enemy Which is most cruell death And in dede he shewed sufficiently how great the grief was that prest him how well the passion that he felt was agreable to the wordes which he spake For in pronouncing his wordes he sighed so in hys tale and changed his colour so often and had his face so besprent with teares that it semed his soule attached with superfluous sorrowe would at that very instant haue abondoned his body Which the Princesse perceyuing touching at the quick the very spring of al his euill sayde vnto him Seigniour Mendozza I know not what you woulde that I shoulde doe more for you nor for what occasion you doe pretend that I should be the cause of your death For if the occasion thereof should happen through my default my lyfe by strength or abilitie coulde not endure one houre after for the sorow I should conceyue therof Think me to be yours and be not offended I besech you if openly I doe no longer talk with you For I would not to wynne al the goods in the world that any of this traine which doth accompanie me should perceyue any one sparke of the great kindled fier wherin my hart burneth day and night for your sake being assured that if you had felt one houre of my paine in place to accuse me of cruelty your self cōplayning would pitie the griefe which I haue sustayned for your long absence For without the continuall presence of your person representing it selfe in the eyes of myne vnderstanding with a firme hope once to haue séene you it had bene impossible for me to resist the long and hard assault where with loue hath euery houre assailed me But one thing I must nedes confesse vnto you that by reasō of the cold welcome which you made me in the beginning I thought it procéeded of some euill opinion conceyued of me or peraduenture that you had thought me ouer liberall of myne honour to haue lefte the countrie where I commaunde to render my selfe subiect to your good grace which caused me without leaue to depart your house But nowe that I do know by your countenance and teares the contrarie I acknowledge my faulte and desire you to forget it With full promise that at my retorne frō my voyage of S. Iames I wil make you amendes in the very same place where I cōmitted the fault And remayning your prisoner for a certayne time I will not depart from you vntill I haue satisfied by sufficient penaunce the greatnesse of my trespas In the meane tyme you shall content your selfe with my good will and without passing any further retorne againe home to your Castle for feare least
some suspicious person in my company should conceiue that in me which al the dayes of my lyfe I neuer gaue occasion so muche as once to thinck To whom the Lorde of Mendozza obeyed more to content her than otherwise for he had the beauties and good behauiours of the Princesse so imprinted in the most pleasant place of his heart that he would haue desired neuer to haue departed her cōpanie But like as they determined iocundly to imploy and satisfie their desires at her retorne from her voyage euen so Fortune in the meane while did beset the same and so fully brake the threde of their enterprises that the issue had not so good successe as was their prefixed hope Nowe leaue we the Duchesse to perfourme her voyage and the Lorde of Mendozza to entertayne his amorous passions and let vs digresse to the Duke who about .x. or .xii. dayes after the Duchesse his wife was departed began to fele her absence which not being able to sustayne for the gret loue that he bare vnto her and specially knowing the great fault that he had committed being the sister of a King and wife of suche a Prince so to let her goe like an vnfeathered shafte in so long a voyage determined with himselfe for feare least if any misfortune should happen vnto her the same should touch his honor to call together his counsell and to prouide some remedie The counsell assembled and the cause proponed euerie of them told the Duke that he had ouer lightly consented to the will of the Duchesse and that if she should happen to fall into any inconuenience all men would impute it to his reproch whereof they would haue aduertised him at the beginning sauing for feare they had to displease him Adding for conclusion that it was most expedient the Duke should put himselfe on the sea to goe and séeke her in Galisia Which he did and imbarked himselfe with a great companie of gentlemen to whome the winde was so fauourable that he ariued at S. Iames before her And hauing made enquirie for her vnderstode she was not come Neuerthelesse he was aduertised by certayne pilgrimes that it could not be long before she would be there for that they had lefte her not past thrée or .iiii. dayes iourney from thence trauailing with her traine by smal iorneys whereof the Duke was exceding glad and sent certaine of his gentlemen to méete her vpon the way as she came who trauailed not farre before they met the Duchesse with her companie and did her to vnderstand of the Dukes arriuall and of the cause of his comming from Thurin Which tidings was not verie ioyful to her and by her wil would haue wished that he had not taken so much paines Neuerthelesse preferring honor before affection she made the more hast to sée him and at her arriuall séemed to be glad of his comming and to lament the payne that he had taken by committing himselfe in so many daungers for her sake Afterwardes they entred into the church with great deuotion where when the Duchesse had made certaine particuler prayers she began to perceyue that God had withstanded her lasciuious will and pitying the good Duke her husbande whould not permit him to be deceyued in such disloyall sort repentantly bewayling her forepassed fault And seling her selfe pressed euen at the very soule with a certaine remorse of conscience she was so victorious ouer her affections that she determined wholly to forget Mendozza and his beautie Praysing God neuerthelesse that it had pleased him to graunt her the grace so well to dispose her matters that her affections had not excéeded the bondes of honor Determining from thenceforth not onely to put Mendozza in vtter obliuion but also for euer clearely to cut of his amorous practise and therfore would not so much as did him once farewell nor yet to let him in any wise vnderstand those newes And so settled in this deliberatiō solicited her husband very instantly to depart which he did and all thinges prepared to the sea they tooke againe their course to Thurin and had the winde so prosperous that from thence in fewe daies they arriued at Marsellis And weary of the seas he caused horses to be prepared to ride from thence to Thurin by land where he and his wife liued together in right great ioy and amitie The Lorde of Mendozza greatly payned with the long absence of the Duchesse sent a gentleman of purpose to Galisia to know the occasion of her long tarying Who brought certaine newes that the Duke was comen in person to fetche his wise and that he had caried her awaye with him by sea Where withal he was maruellously out of pacience determining neuerthelesse one day when his affaires were in good order to goe visite her at Thurin During the tyme that these thinges remained in this estate aswell of the one side as of the other the Almaines prepared a great army and entred into Fraunce where they wasted burned all the countrie as they passed The King being aduertised hereof sent for the Duke of Sauoie to goe méete them with the men of armes of Fraunce But before his departure from Thurin he left for his Lieutenant general the Earle of Pancalier by the aduise and counsell of whome he intended that all the affaires of the Duchie should be ruled and gouerned in his absence and that he should in so ample wyse be honored and obeyed as his owne propre person This Earle of Pancalier being a noble man very prudent in his doings and knewe right well howe to gouerne the common wealth seing the he had the whole countrie at his commaundement and himselfe manye times in presence of the Duchesse and viewing her so faire and comelie could not so well rule hys affections but that by little and little he fell in loue with the Duchesse in suche wise as that he forgat him self making no conscience to offer his seruice vnto her But the Princesse who was resolued to liue a good womā abhorred al his lasciuious orations requiring him to be better aduised another time before he presumed to vtter such talke except to such as were his equals Telling him that a man ought not to be so vnshamefast to offer his seruice to anye greate Ladye or to make other sute vnto her before he had first knowen by her gesture or wordes some likelyhode of loue which he could not déeme in her forsomuch as she neyther to him or to any other had euer till the day in all her life shewed such fauour as other suspicion coulde be conceyued than that which was conuenable and méete for her honor Which when the Countie of Pancalier vnderslode he toke his leaue of her ashamed of that he had done But he following the custome of louers not thinking himselfe cast of for the first refuse eftsones renewed his requestes And framing a louing stile besought her to haue pitie vpon him and to respect the greatnesse of his
prouide so well for your affaires that your honor being recouered your lyfe shall remayne assured Wherefore if you will followe myne aduise you shall write him an earnest letter as you knowe right wel howe to indite which Appian shall present on your behalfe For if you follow not this counsel I know none other as the worlde goeth now that will hazard his lyfe vnder the condicion of so straunge a lot as yours is specially hauing respect to the renowme and magnanimity of the Earle who as you know is in reputation to be one of the moste valiant men and most happy in armes that is in all Sauoie or Lombardie My deare friend quod the Duchesse doe what thou wilt For I am so resolued and confirmed in my sorrow that I haue no care eyther of death or lyfe no more than if I had neuer bene borne For neyther in the one nor in the other can I foresée any remedy for myne honor already lost Madame quod Emilia let vs for this time leaue the care of honor in the hands of God who knoweth both how to kepe it and restore it as shall seme good vnto him And let vs giue order for our parte that there be no want of diligence for feare of being ouertaken And hauing made an ende of her tale she gaue her yncke and paper saying vnto her Nowe Madame I shall sée at this pinch if your heart will serue you at a néede or no. The Duchesse withdrew her selfe a part and after she had long discoursed in her minde of that which was past betwene the knight and her she wrote vnto him as followeth My Lorde Mendozza I doe not write these letters vnto you vpon any hope to be deliuered by your meane from the poinaunt pricke of fierce death which dothe besiedge me knowing death alwayes to be the true porte sure refuge of all afflicted persons in my case For since that God willeth it nature permitteth it and my heauie Fortune consenteth to it I will receiue it with a right good wil knowing that the Graue is none other but a strong rampier and impregnable castle wherin we close our selues against the assaults of lyfe and the furious stormes of fortune It is farre better as appeareth manifestlye by me with eyes shut to waite in the Graue than longer to experiment lyfe the eyes being open liuing with so many troubles vpon earth But gladly would I bring to remembraunce and set before your eyes how sometyme I abandoned the place which was no lesse deare vnto me than mine owne country where I was borne and delicately nourished in honor and delightes to extende my selfe into an infinite number of perilles contrarie to the duetie of those that be of mine estate losing the name of a princesse to take the title of a caytise pilgrim for the onely feruent and vnmeasured loue which I bare you before I did euer sée you or by any meanes bound thervnto by any your proceding benefits The remembraunce whereof as I thinke ought nowe to deliuer suche an harde enterprise to the porte of your cōscience that breaking the vaile of your tender hart you should therefore take pitie and compassion of my straunge and cruell Fortune Which is not onely reduced to the mercy of a most dolorous prison and resteth in the power of a bloudie and mercilesse Tirant But which is worse in the continuall hazard of a shameful death Which I do not much lament hauing long desired to accelerate the same wyth mine owne handes to finde rest in an other world were it not that by death I should leaue an eternall blotte to my good name and a perpetuall heritage of infamie to my house and kindred Wherfore if it so be that frendship loketh for no reward and that she cānot be paid but by the tribute of another friendship make me now to tast the auncient fruite of my friendship And if pitie be the sole and onely key of Paradise display it nowe on the behalfe of her who forsaken of all humaine succor attendeth but the fatal houre to he throwen into the fier as a pore innocent lambe in sacrifice And for that the bearer shall make you vnderstande the rest by mouth whom it may please you to credite as mine owne selfe I wil make an ende of my heauie letter Beseching God to giue a good lyfe vnto you and to me an honorable death The letter closed and seated vp with the seale of the Duchesse she commaunded Emilia to deliuer it to Appian and to require him to vse diligence not ceassing to ryde day and night vntill he come to the place where they left the knight Mendozza giuing charge to make him vnderstande at length her innocencie and false accusation Appian being dispatched was so affected to please his maistresse and so desirous to sée her deliuered of her imprisonment that he ceassed not to trauaile day and night till he came within the Frontiers of Spaine And after that he had ridden yet two or thrée dayes iourney approching nere the place where he thought to fynde the Knight Mendozza he began to inquire of the host of the Inne where he lay that night aswell of his good health as of his other affaires who made him answere that it went euen so euill with him at that present as with the most porest gentleman of al Spaine Although that he were in dede a very great Lorde For qudo he with in these fewe monethes past his enemies of Tolledo whom he hath diuers tymes vanquished haue so well allied themselues together out of all partes of Spaine that they haue brought a great armie to the fielde And Fortune of the warre hath bene so fauorable vnto them that they discomfited Mendozza and all his armie Who hath retired himself with those fewe of his people that he could saue alyue into a little towne of his where yet to this present he is besiedged And so it is as euery man saith that he doth his endeuor meruellously well in such sort that his enemies can not enter the towne Maister Appian then demaunded of him if the towne besiedged were farre of And he answered that it was about .vij. or .viij. poastes Then without making any longer inquirie he toke a guide that accompained him euen almost to the campe And whē he sawe the towne a farre of he sent the guide backe agayne and went the same day to offer his seruice to a certayne Captaine of light horsemen who receyued him into wages and then he bought armour to serue the purpose And Master Appian besides his learning was a wise pollitike man and determined so sone as any skirmish did beginne to be formost and in dede he vsed the matter so wel that he suffred himself to be taken prisoner and to be caried into the towne And being within he desired those that had taken him to conduct him to the Lord of Mendozza their Chieftaine Who knew him by and by for that in the voyage which
disinherited than to liue puissant vnhappie a cowarde Wherfore let fortune worke her will Sithens the Duchesse did forsake her countrie to come to sée me in her prosperitie I may no lesse doe nowe but visite her in her aduersitie Pressed and solicited inwardly wyth this newe desire determined with him selfe hap what hap might to goe to her rescue And hauing giuen order to all that was necessarie for the defence of the Citie putting his confidence in the fidelity of those that were within caused all his Captaines to be called before him Whome he did to vnderstand howe he was determined to goe seke succour to leuie the siedge of his enemies During which time he constituted his nere kynsman his lieutenaunt generall and the next morning before the day appeared he gaue a great al arme to his enemies wherin he escaped vnknowen Being mounted vpon a Ienet of Spaine and perceiuing him self out of all perill he toke post horse and made suche expedition that he arriued at Lyons where he prouided himselfe of the best armoure that he could get for money and of two excellent good horsses whereof one was a courser of Naples And hauing gotten a certaine vnknowen Page tooke his waye to Thurin where being arriued he lodged him selfe in the subvrbes demaunding of his host if their dwelt any Spaniards in the towne who made him answere that he knewe none but one which was a good olde religious father that for the space of .xx. yeares was neuer out of Thurin a man of vertuous life and welbeloued of all the Citizens and had the charge of a certayne conuent Neuerthelesse his lodging was apart from his brethren to solace him selfe and to auoyde the incommoditie of his age The Knight hauing learned of his hoste the place were this good father dwelled went with diligence betimes in the morning to sée him and sayde vnto him in the Spanish tongue Father God saue you I am a Spaniard comen hither into this countrie for certayne mine affaires towardes whome you might doe a charitable déede if it would please you to suffer me to remaine with you for foure or fyue dayes onely crauing nothing els but lodging For my seruaunt shall prouide for other necessaries which the good father willingly graunted much maruelling at his goodly personage And whiles the Seruaunt was gone to the towne to bye victuals the good father demauuded of him of what countrey in Spaine he was which the knight frankly confessed And the fatherly man then hauing his face all be sprent wyth teares sayd Praysed be the name of God that he hath giuen me the grace before I die to sée so great a Lorde in my poore house of whom I am both the subiect and neighbor And then he began to tell him how for deuotion he had forsaken hys natiue countrey and had bestowed himselfe there the better to withdrawe him from worldly vanitie Neuerthelesse he sayde that he knew his father his mother his graundfather Desiring him to vse his house at commaundement where he should be obeyed as if he were in his owne And thē the Lorde of Mendozza sayde vnto him that he was departed from Spaine of purpose to sée Fraunce and there to make his abode for a time And the passing by Lyons one aduertised him of the infortunate chaunce of the Duchesse whom if he thought to be innocent of the crime whereof she was accused he would defende her to the sheading of the last droppe of his bloude Neuerthelesse he woulde not hazarde his lyfe or soule to defende her if he knewe she were culpable Which words the good man greatly allowed saying vnto him My Lorde touching her innocencie I beleue there is at this daye no man liuing but her selfe and the Earle her accuser that can iudge But of one thing I can well assure you that we here doe déeme her to be one of the best Princesses that euer raigned in thys countrie specially for that aboute a yeare past she went on foote to S. Iames with such denotiō and humility that there was no man but pityed to sée her so mortified for her soule health And to combate with the Earle of Pancalier you séeme vnto me very yong For besides the continual exercise that he hath alwayes had in armes he is withall estemed to be one of the strongest readiest and moste redoubted knightes of all Lombardie The victorie notwithstanding is in the hande of God and he can giue it to whome he pleaseth Which he made manifest in the yong infant Dauid against the monstrous Giant Golias To whome the knight aunswered Father I haue deuised a waye howe to prouide against the scruple of my cōscience touching the doubt conceyued by me whether the combat that I shall take in hande against the Earle of Pancalier be iust or not which is that I vnder the colour of confession might vnderstande of the Duchesse the truth of the matter And so likewyse if you think good I maye cause my head and beard to be shauen apparelling my selfe in such habite as you doe weare we may easily as I think with the leaue of her kéepers go into the Duchesse chamber to exhort her to pacience for about this time of the yeare the day is expired Whervnto the good Father without any great difficulty consented aswell for respect of hys good zeale as for hys reuerent dutie to the nobilitie of the stock wherof she came And so all things prouided they went togither towards the Castle of the Duchesse And he that then had séene the Knight Mendozza in hys Fryers apparell woulde vnethes haue discerned him to be so great a Lorde as he was For besides the dissembled gestures and countenaunces wherewith he knewe right well howe to behaue him selfe he was so leane and pore aswel for the care of the battaile he lost and ouerthrowe of his people as for the myssehay of the Duchesse and the perill of hys life at hande by reason of the combate betwene the Earle and him that he resembled rather a holy Sainct Hierome mortified in some desert than a Lorde so noble and valiant as he was Arriued at the Castell the olde father addressed himself to the Guarde and sayde Masters bycause the time for the death of the miserable Duchesse doth approche we be come hither to giue her suche spirituall comfort where with God hath inspired vs hoping that he wil this day giue vs the grace to induce her to dye paciently to the intent that by losse of the body her soule may be saued Whervnto they accorded willingly and caused the chambre to be opened vnto thē Those which were wich her in the chamber went forth incontinentlie thinking that the Gouernoure had caused those good fathers to come to heare the last confession of the poore Duchesse who was so sorrowefull and pensife that she was forced to kepe her bed which came very wel to passe For the knight Mendozza being nere to her bed with his face towardes
say whether of them merited greatest honor eyther his grace his beauty or his excellente tong but that which brought him into best reputation was his great hardinesse whereof the common report and brute was nothing impeached or stayed for all his youth For in so many places he shewed his maruellous chiualcie that not onely Spaine but Fraunce and Italie did singularlie commend and set forth his vertue bicause in all the warres wherein he was presēt he neuer spared himself for any daūger And when his countrie was in peace and quiet he sought to serue in straunge places being loued and estemed both of his frends and enemies This Gentleman for the loue of his Captayne was come into that coūtrie where was arriued the Countesse of Arande and in beholding the beautie and good grace of her daughter which was not then past .xij. yeares of age he thought that she was the fayrest moste vertuous personage that euer be sawe and that if he coulde obtayne her good will he shoulde be so well satisfied as if he had gayned al the goods and pleasures of the world And after he had a good while viewed her for all the impossibilitie that reason could deuise to the contrary he determined to loue her although some occasion of that impossibilitie might rise through the greatnesse of the house whereof she came for want of age which was not able as yet to vnderstand the passiōs of loue But against the feare thereof he armed himselfe with good hope persuading with himselfe that time aud pacience woulde bring happy ende to his trauayle And from that time gentle Loue which without any other occasion than by his owne force was entred the hearte of Amadour promised him fauour helpe by all meanes possible to attayne the same And to prouide for the greatest difficultie which was the farre distance of the Countrie where he dwelt and the small occasion that he had thereby any more to sée Florinda he thought to marrie against his determinatiō made with the Ladies of Barlelone and Parpignon amongs whom he was so conuersant by reason of the warres that he séemed rather to be a Cathelan thā a Castillan although he were borne by Tolledo of a riche and honourable house but bicause he was a yonger brother he inioyed no great patrimonie or reuenue Not withstanding Loue and Fortune séeing him forsaken of his parents determined to accomplishe some notable exployte in him gaue him by meanes of his vertue that which the lawes of his coūtry refused to giue He had good experience in factes of warre and was so wel beloued of all Princes and Rulers that he refused many times their goodes as a man that wayed not the same The Countesse of whome I spake arriued thus at Sarragossa was very well interteigned of the king and of his whole Court The Gouernor of Cathalogne many times came thither to visite her whō Amadour neuer fayled to accōpany for the only pleasure he had to talk with Florinda And to make himselfe to be knowen in that company he went to Auenturade which was the daughter of an old Knight that dwelt hard by the house which from her youth was brought vp with Florinda in such familiar sorte that she knew all the secrets of her hart Amadour aswel for the honesty that he found in her as for the liuing of thrée thousand Ducats by the yere which she shoulde haue to her mariage determined to giue her such interteignemēt as one that was disposed to marry her Whervnto the Gentlewoman did willingly recline her eare And bicause that he was pore and the father of the damosel rich she thought that her father would neuer accorde to the mariage excepte it were by meanes of the Countesse of Arande Wherevpon she went to Madame Florinda and sayde vnto her Madame you sée this Castillan Gentleman which so oftentimes talketh with me I doe beleue that his pretence is to marry me You doe know what a father I haue who will neuer giue his consent if he be not persuaded therevnto by my Lady your mother you Florinda which loued the damosell as her selfe assured her that she would take vpon her to bring that matter to passe with so earneste trauayle as if the case were her owne Then Auenturade brought Amadour before Florinda who after he had saluted her was lyke to fall in a sowne for ioy and although he were compted the moste eloquent person of Spaine yet was he now become mute and dumb before Florinda wherat she maruelled much For albeit she was but. xv yeares of age yet she vnderstode that there was no man in Spaine that had a better tongue or a more conuenable grace than he And seing that he sayde nothing vnto her she spake vnto him in this wise The same which is bruted of you sir Amadour through out the whole countrie of Spaine is such that it maketh you knowen and estemed in this companie and giueth desire and occasion to those that know you to imploy themselues to doe you pleasure Wherefore if there be any thing wherin I may gratifie you vse me I beseche you Amadour that gased vpō the beautie of that Lady was rapt and surprised not wel able to render thankes vnto her And although Florinda maruelled to sée him without aunswere yet she imputed the same rather to bashfulnesse than to any force of loue and departed without any further talke Amadour knowing the vertue which in so tender yeares began to appeare in Florinda sayde vnto her whom he purposed to marry Doe not maruell though my talke doe fayle before Madame Florinda for the vertues and wise wordes hidden in that yong personage did so amase me that I wist not what to say But I pray you Auenturade quod he which knoweth all her secretes to tell me if it be otherwise possible but that she hath the heart of all the Lordes and Gentlemen of the Court for they which knowe her and doe not loue her be stones or beasts Auenturade which then loued Amadour more than all the men in the world and would conceale nothing from him sayde vnto him that Madame Florinda was beloued of the whole world but for the custome of the coūtrie few men did speake vnto her And quod she as yet I sée none that make any semblance vnto her but two yong Princes of Spaine which desired to marry her whereof the one is the sonne of the Infant Fortune and the other of the Duke of Cadouce I pray you thē quod Amadour to tel me which of them as you thinke doth loue her best She is so wise sayd Auenturade that she will confesse or graūt her loue to none but to suche as her mother pleaseth But so far as we can iudge she fauoreth much better the sonne of the Infant Fortune thā the Duke of Cadouce And for that I take you to be a man of good iudgemente this day you shall haue occasion to iudge the truth For the