pardon Lisuard seing also that he with his honoure is come foorth from all the combats and perilles that she had prepared for him In the .8 booke the .53 Chapter MAdame I beséech you vsing your wisedome to take in good part such things as are sent you after the will and mind of Iupiter vnto whome we must obey without murmuring And whereas ye may commaund your selfe and folow this counsell fortune being prompt and noisome may chance to turne hir wheele and ye shal come at the last to the thing that ye if ye be gouerned by reason most desire For otherwise neither you nor the Gods shoulde desire it nor it should not be graunted you by our Gods the which are iust and of whome doth hang the selfe iustice And to the end madame that ye should not estéeme me to speake without reason ye know that to ouercome himselfe is a worke that holdeth more of the heauens than of humanitie and yet it is easâ— vnto vs if we wil giue our consent Forgâ—t then I pray you this heauinesse the which caÌ„not but anoy you trouble you and reioycing your selfe in your troubles take the things not at the worst but to the best as much as ye may possible For it is a comely thing to do yea and at al times when one hath occasion to shew the vertue that man hath in himselfe Neuerthelesse I perceiue very well that seing your deliberations are cleane turned it is vnto you a despite and a displeasure that cannot be borne But what ye cannot then coÌ„maund destinies nor stay the course of the least planet of Heauen Seing then that the will of the Gods is such will ye striue against them They haue suffered the death of youre brother they haile conserued and kept my father they wyll frustrate you of your enterprises fauor his will ye breake the ele with your knée For Gods sake madame forget the remembrance of the euill that ye desire wish him and doe so that he may so much remayne yours as ye of your parte are his but little I am sure that with his amitie ye shall get more laude and praise than by the pursute that ye make to anoy him Ye haue séene how he hath despatched him of the combats and strifes ye prepared for him ye haue caused hys forces to be experimented and proued by me and other the issue whereof hath bin such that ye should do your self wroÌ„g if ye giue not place to reason hauing so many ways purchased the vengeance of the death of Zair whereof ye haue had so little fruite that euen that thing alone ought from hencefoorth to mortifye both your payne much more your pursute thinking to haue reason Abra doth answer that notwithstanding the counsell that Amadis of Greece gaue hir be right yet it is impossible for hir although the Gods would it to accomplish it to this ende that she will purchace the death of Lisuard as much as she can or may In the .8 booke the .53 Chapter TRuly Lord Amadis ye are not out of purpose to say that ye haue said vnto me also it is easy for him that is whole to counsel the sick And neuerthelesse euen as many during the grosse feuer do find the tast of water better thaÌ„ the hope of life so will I wel confesse that notwithstanding the thing that ye counsell me be right and according to equitie yet it hath no liuely part in me nor disposeth me not to follow this good aduise And although I should féele some goodnesse yet I promis you I would sooner take payne to roote it out than to kéepe it in my heart being so resolued in the enmitie of Lisuard that if I cannot cause him to leese his life he shall die as I may And forasmuch as all my euill and hope lyeth there I haue by this poynt begon to complayne me and to answer you not by the entraunce of the purpose and communication ye held me But by the end that ye made and yet with the time I shall well satisfye both the one and the other Ye say that it would wel become me and that I shuld and must obey without murmure to the will of the Gods. As touching that I promis you that they may sooner depriue me of my life than they may take that from my vnderstanding that is imprinted better grauen than euer was any writing vpoÌ„ copper or white marble Therfore from hencefoorth iudge my stedfastnes coÌ„staÌ„cie such as I surely paint it vnto you It is true that I am not ignoraÌ„t as ye haue put me in remembrance that I cannot coÌ„mand nother superior things nor fortune hir selfe And yet I know very well that hir wheele being mouable as ye certenly haue told me that she may turne some day to be as gentle to me as she hathe bene contrarye Then I maye play another personage and such a one that the vniust death of my brother may be reuenged my self content no sooner In the meane while I wil not breake the éele with my knée but desire only to employ the forces of my bodie and of my spirite and minde to satisfie my intention Alas at the beginning I sawe and had his acquaintance that hath afterwardes so greatly offended me I would neuer haue estéemed that of so great loue there might haue come forth so great and perfit hatred I loued him more than my self I sought his alliance more than any other mans that liueth or shal liue and now I hate him more than death and I will pursue his ruine more than my proper health praying you Lord Amadis for a resolution séeing that complaints cannot resuscitate and reuiue the dead and that vengeance doth somewhat discharge the heart neuer to speake more to me of him for his name and the remembrance that I haue of him is so odious that I as oft as he presenteth him to my spirite suffer but too much ruine For this cause it is certaine that as long as I shall haue life or meanes his life shall not remaine in safegarde For if it continue long yet shall I cause him either to be slaine or to be destroyed yea and yée your selues should shew your strength to dispatch him The Damsell that deceytfully had brought Lisuarde Amadis of Grece and Gradafilea after that hir embushment was discouered by Queene Zahara and she brought to prison to Trebisonde doth recite the maner and cause of the treason afterwardes she requireth that if they will shew hir no mercie to put hir shortly to death ALas my Lordes men say commonly that the most shortest follies are best and that it is much better to assure one vengeance appoynted with long deliberation meanes than to hast it without consideration of the daungerous issue that might chaunce whereby shame encreaseth to him that thought to quench and to suage it The which thing may now be proued by the misfortune that is chanced to my soueraigne Lorde
ignominious death whereoâ— I haue great pitie The Oration of Apolidon to the Emperoure of Constantinople his father rendring vnto him all obedience The second Booke and first Chapter SYr now of late I haue perceiued and vnderstaÌ„ded by many that my brother is not content with the partage and diuision that it pleased you to ordeine and make for vs bicause I knowe what annoyance this is vnto you and seeing the entiere amitie of him and me is ready to be broke I huÌ„bly beseech you to receiue againe all that it hath pleased you to giue me and to bestow it for I would hold and think my selfe happie to do the thing that might quiet your mynd and right well fethered and content to haue the thing that you haue lefte him A Letter of the Princesse Oriane to Amadis accusing him of vnfaithfulnesse The second booke and second Chapter MY passion without measure procéeding of so many causes dothe constraine my féeble hande to declare by this Letter to you Amadis of Fraunce an vnfaithful and too periured a louer the thing that my dolorous heart can hide no longer For séeing that the vnfaythfulnesse and litle stedfastnesse that you haue vnto me the which am vnfortunate and forsaken of al good fortune bycause I loued you aboue all worldly things is nowe manifest and also that with so great iniurie you are gone so farre from hence to drawe neare to hir the which considering hir yong age and small discretion can not haue in hir the thing to fauor you and to entertaine you she hathe purposed also to banishe from me for euer this extreame loue that I beare you seeing that my heauie and poore heart can haue no other vengeance And if I would take in good part the iniurie and wrong that ye doe me it shoulde be but great folly in me to will well vnto the most vnthankefull for whome to loue perfectly I hate all things and my selfe also Alas nowe I perceiue very well but it is to late that I submitted too vnfortunately my libertie to so ingrate a person considering that in satisfaction of my syghings and passions I sée my selfe mocked and vnfortunately deceyued Therefore I forbid you that you neuer come before me nor where I shall be resident and present and be ye sure that the ardent and burning affectioÌ„ that I did beare you is conuerted as you haue demerited into enmitie and cruell furie Now therefore get you hence to some other place to proue with your periured faithe and swéete wordes and to abuse other vnfortunate persons as well as me besides that you shall hereafter proue that none of your excuses as concerning me may haue nor take any place but I not willing to sée you any more shall lament the reste of my heauie lyfe wyth abundancee of teares the whiche shall not cease but by hir ende that shall not sorowe to dye but bicause you are the homicide The complaint that Amadis made when he receiued Orians vigorous Letter declaring the mobilitie of fortune by the which she banished him from hir companie In the .2 boke and .4 Chapter ALas fortune that art to light and without roote by what occasion hast thou preferd and eleuated me among all the best Knightes afterwardes to bring me to ruine so lightly Now I perceiue well that thou mayste doe more euill in an houre than grace in a thousande yeares for if in time past thou hast done gyuen me pleasure or ioy thou hast robbed me of that euen nowe most cruelly leauing me in martyrdome muche worsse than death and seeing it was thy pleasure so to do why hast thou not at least wise made equall the one with the other considering thou knowest that at other times thou haste contented me nor that neyther without mingling of it with sorowes and great troubles So then thou shouldst haue reserued for me some litle hope with this crueltie wherewith at this present thou dost torment me executing in me things incomprehensible in the thoughtes of those that thou dost fauor the which not knowing this euill estéeme the pompes glories and honors that thou dost lende them sure and perdurable Nor they remember not that besides and aboue the torments that their bodies shall suffer to mayntaine them their soules shall fall in hazard of their saluation Therefore if with the eyes of vnderstanding the which the souereine Lord hath giueÌ„ them they might sée thy mobilitie they should desire rather thyne aduersities thaÌ„ thy light prosperities although it be confirmable to their sensualitie for why by thy flattering and wantonnesse thou dost bring them to ruine and at the last they are constrayned to enter into the laberinth of martyrdome hauing no power at any time to come out againe But aduersities are clean contrarie in so muche that if a man paciently resist them auoyding disordinate apetite and ambition he is lifted vp from this lowe place to glory euerlasting And yet I most vnfortunate could not chuse this good parte considering that if all the worlde were mine and taken from me by thée hauing only the good grace and fauor of my Ladie that shoulde be sufficient to maintaine me in all honor and prosperitie but that fayling me it is impossible for me by any maner of meanes to liue and continue Therefore I heséech thée for the fauor and payment of my faithfulnesse that thou giue me not death with anguishe But if thou be licensed to take my life from me that thou make diligent haste taking compassion on him of whose torment that he shall haue if he liue any longer thou art ignorant A cmplaint of the like argument that goeth before the which Amadis sent to his Father O King Perion my Lorde and father you shall haue very little occasion to be heauie for my death and the cause thereof to be hidden from you but séeing that the heauinesse that shoulde be by the knowledge thereof can not reuoke my torment I pray God that my vnluckinesse be neuer opened vnto you but kept close and hidden as long as you shal liue and that not to aduance and hasten the rest of the yeres that you haue yet to liue Amadis complaint sent to the Lorde Galuanes thanking him for his good and gentle deedes O My seconde father Galuanes I am very sorye that my contrarie fortune hathe not permitted nor suffered me to recompence the greate Obligation and band that I am bound in vnto you for if my father haue gyuen me lyfe ye haue saued it deliuering me from the perill danger of the sea wherevnto I was being as yet in the first houre of my notiuitie and by byrth predestinate and since that you hauâ— nourished me so swéetely and tenderly as though I had bene your naâ—urall chylde Florestans exhortation to his companions being sorie for Amadis whome he esteemed to be in payne to the entent to goe to succour him In the second booke the .6 Chap. MY Lordes it is not for vs to wéepe
into the mercy of a brute beast that shall haue no more pitie vpon thee than hys naturall inclination doth commaunde hym and so shall ye ende your dayes before they haue had in a manner any beginning Nascian speaking to hir sister of the little infanto founde betweene the teeth of a Lyon doth pray hir to haue it in singular recommendation and to help it It is sure that our Lord preseruing it from so great inconuenience hath preserued it to his owne seruice And therefore my sister my friend she said I pray you from henceforth to thinke vpon it and to bring it vp vntill suche time as it may be able to receiue suche little doctrine aâ— I may teache him afterwards ye shall bring him againe and if it please the Lord to lend him long lyfe I hope that he shal be so prudent a man as to acknowledge the goodnesse that ye haue done for him The Oration of king Lisuard vnto his souldiers monishing them to fyght strongly for hym In the same Chapter TRuly my friendes ye may nowe sée euen at the sight of youre eye those that are the cause why we passe ouer the Sea to defende the honoure of England and the countrey which is ours as it is manifest by the couenantes that I haue had with Ardan Canille the grandfather of Madasime and of the old Giant hir mother and yet I cannot tell vnder what colour that they since that time are entered and by treason haue taken the towne and Castell of the burning Lake where the Earle Latin was whome as yet they kéepe prisoner and many other with him whereby their hartes be so exalted that they suppose fortune to be wholy with them and that she will set them forwardes against vs euen vnto our owne dores of the whiche they make a matter as though we had not the wayes and meanes to resist a greater power than theirs But it will go otherwise and our Lord if it so please him shall noâ— suffer that our reputation in the which we haue continually lyned shoulde be quenched by them assuring my selfe that there is none of you that will not rather dye honorably than afterwards to liue in shame And I knowe you for suche so long that I haue great occasion to loue and to estéeme you and if I had not suche knowledge yet I knowe well that I was not so soone borne but that fortune bound me vnto you as well for the fidelitie the which ye haue continually kept vnto your princes as for the great seruices that ye haue done for me in mainteining our right and specially against Barsinan when that â—e through treason put me into the haÌ„ds of Archalaus to make him king and last of all in the battell that I had against king Cildadan as euery man dothe know the which things cause me to beleeue that hauing no regard to any particular men that be rebelled againste vs sometimes your friendes and now desirous to plucke the bloud out of your bodâ—es ye shall do such diligence folowing your auncient vertue and fidelitie that we shall cause them to know that we are not they that they should come vnto she which thing we may easely do sâ—ing that we are so many more than they and that we haue the right on our side Therefore let vs go on boldly for I sée that they aproch and drawe nigh Galuanes Oration to his knightes exhorting them to take courage and to esteeme themselues happie to fyghte for a iust occasion In the .3 booke the .3 Chapter VNderstand my companions that the first and souerainst goodnesse that may be in an army is the head ruler that can wisely order and counsell the thing that is required to be done and afterwardes to haue obedience to execute the thing that he commaundeth Ye haue here not onely one Captayne suche as I speake of but twoâ— or thrée yea moe than twenâ—ie the whych are so agréeing togither that there is but one will one heart and one aduice Séeing then this first goodnesse and gift is not denied vs let vs drawe néere to the second and cause our fortune to ayde vs against the most vnthankfull King that is vpon the earth the which prouoketh to destroy our goodes and our liues with this great and mighty army that he hath caused to come hyther to empouerish and vtterly to defloure a poore gentlewoman But yet he is farre from his count and purpose for we will help hir as long as we haue any life in our bodies folowing the thing that we receiuing the order of knighthood are bound vnto and if we chaunce to die there it shall be vnto vs an immortall glorye to haue so good occasion to fyght and to ouercome himâ— that ought to be a iust defender of all Ladies so that the thing that of many might be called foolish hardinesse shall be as concerning vs called vertue and magnanimitie of courage Boldely let vs therefore runne in among them without â—eare of death or of anye daunger hauing nothing before our eyes but honoure For in such warlike actes fortune hir selfe will not be feared nor doubted and if we be victorious in as muche as they are more than we our glory shall be the greater and our name the more spred abroade taking vpon vs with so greate an hearte and courage a thing almost to man incredible Amadis heauinesse for Oriane bicause that without leaue he was departed from hir companye In the .3 booke the .5 Chapter AH ah poore vnfortunate Amadis is it possible that thou canst long endure and continue in this tormentâ— Alas if loue hertofore haue fauored thée it maketh and causeth thée to pay the vsurie Why do I say loue it is not loue nor loue is not the cause but thy misfortune the whiche enuying thy prosperitie and greate ease hathe forged and builded a miscontentmente agaynste the King vtterly to destroy thée causing thée for to léese the sighte of hir of whome doth altogither depende thy ease and onelye repose and rest a thing which is more weightie she thée to heare than a thousand deathes togitherâ— Neuerthelesse one would suffise me if so much good lucke could chaunce vnto me Ha ha certesse I doe great wrong to wish suche things seing that I am sure that Oriane should haue too great displeasure Wherefore then should I desire hir euill considering that she neuer did me but that was good and fauorable And if I suffer any heauinesse I am sure that she feeleth it as my owne soule The Oration of Bruneo to Amadis praying him to gyue hym leaue to accompany him In the third booke the .5 Chapter CErtesse my Lorde the yong age and little estimation wherein I haue liued hitherto among the good knightes do presse and inforce me to forsake this present life and to take a more painefull to come to their range and company Therefore I pray you most humbly that if ye fynde youre selfe disposed to go and to search aduentures to suffer
the King of Crete for he thinking to reuenge the death of Sulpice and his brethren the whiche Lisuarde Pirion and Olorius put to death hath lost his owne And he was the first that this inuincible Quéene destroyed with the stroke of an arrow But he with too little consideration began to reuenge the iniurie that he promised him was done by whome I spake vnto you without finding of any proper occasion after hys owne mind vntil one day among other knowing me to be craftie malicious as I am he declared vnto me what he thought praying me on my part to giue him couÌ„sell The which thing I promised him to do and when I was aduertised of the great assemble and méeting that they made here I purposed my enterprise such as ye shall vnderstande This it was that I couÌ„selled him to sende me towards you with feyned swordes and so forged that they shoulde breake euen at the first stroke that they should be occupied And bicause I would forget nothing I led these two dwarfes with me so wel appoynted that they should assay the speares of the two knightes that which I should deliuer them at the tilte and to leaue them assoone as they should sée them redie to enter in as they could do ful wel The thréed whereof I spake vnto you was the ambush where my king was present with his brother ten other knights that incoÌ„tinent should assaile my pigeons I cal them my pigeons whom I purpose to take and deceyue vnder the shadow of pitie the which I diâ—guised vnto them in your presence so that all the purpose that I spake vnto you of yesterday was false and only inuented and found to take either king Amadis the Emperor Esplandian or some other of their linage as it shuld happely haue come to passe if that fortune or to speak better the soueraine Gods had not willed the contrarie For the king of Crete willing to make sure his enterprise had brought with him aboue a thousand chosen knights the which I cannot tell by what Amazones were hewed in péeces of whoÌ„ they doubted but little Nor they would neuer haue cared for it if it had not béene for the report that was brought them by his spâ—es the which the king had ordinarily in this towne But what is become of them I cannot say but I will say vnto you that if our purpose had taken place the will of the king was such that he woulde haue caused two knightes the which I had brought from hence to haue past ouer the sea to assay proue to haue woonne through their puisance the Castell of Rocke and Lica not long ago vsurped vpon king Muton his brother and then to haue cut off their heades and haue sent them vnto you As touching the rest of the fortune ye knowe it as well as Iâ— therefore I will holde my peace praying you if ye enuie to preferre mercie aboue my faulte to giue mée the shortest and readiest death that ye may possible the whiche shall well content me séeing that my Lorde and Prince is departed and dead Abra complayning hir selfe of the enmities and wrongs of Cupido In the .8 booke the .57 Chapter AH ah sir they that haue not experimented your forces and power do thinke them as I beleeue farre other than they â—e I pray you most humbly either to take from henceforth a name conformable to your workes or the déedes like vnto your name For why as concerning my selfe I haue more cause to name you the God of enmitie and of misknowledge than that that ye apply appropriate to your selfe Also the other Gods haue had as me thinketh great wrong to suffer you to haue some iurisdiction and power to vse it so as ye continue séeing that the propertie of a God is goodnesse iustice mansuetude pitie liberalitie and amitie wherewith he recompenseth his seruantes and ye your ministers cleane contrarie And seing it is so how can ye excuse you or cause any reasonable persoÌ„ to find your vniustice cruelnesse good that ye haue vsed against my brother or with what armes can ye honor and adorne your triumph that a C. times in a day hath giuen me death not to haue power and to be able to die But alas what doe I say to whom doe I speake or why will I thus contestate or enter into reason with him that hath none Cerâ—es neither your eyes nor you were neuer bounde but to excuse your fault vpon the blindnesse that is in you attributing to you vpon this occasion such iustice or to saye better suche pleasure as is agréeable and pleasant vnto you Lucelle doth grieuously complaine of Amadis of Greece that forsaketh hir without offending him in the .8 Booke the 63. Chapter ALas was there euer Damâ—ell more vnfortunate than I am or that hath a greater occasion to complaine hir hauing a feyned louer set in the place of perfite amitie within a while to forsake me and mocke me But alas where is now this promise so oftentymes sworne and those feigned teares that you Amadis to intrappe me hath so oftentymes shed vpon your face in my presence Ah ah ye euill man one day ye reputed me for a Venus that rested as ye assured me in your heart but now the poyson being manifest I sée clearely that she is the Venus that ye auauanâ—ed you of The which thing shall cause me as long as you shall liue to estéeme you slouthfull and vnfortunate to haue taken so great paine and pleasure to deceyue me Therefore all thing truely and well considered ye should as me thinketh haue a respect that I being the daughter as I am of so great a king deserued to be otherwayes entreated of you and not with such mockes as ye haue drest me withall But I vnderstand full well that as yet ye will take a glorie whereof I shall complaine me for euer of you and of the loue which I nowe abhorre more than euer I had it in reuerence For as there is no pleasure that can bée made equall with the perfite amitie of two louers so there is no hatred or impacience that can more trouble the spirit than iust iealousie without whiche all other martyrdome that mingleth it selfe with the swéetenesse of loue is not as mée thinketh but a multiplication of loue and a true inticement wherewith she vtterly destroyeth hir selfe An extréeme brought or thyrst causeth water to be the better accepted and long fasting giueth meate a better taste Also the goodnesse of peace and rest of the minde cannot be sounde nor estéemed of him that hath not experimented the strong cruell and hard warre that suspicion doth make The absence of a friende is sometimes well supported and borne withall for the hope of a newe ioy at his returne And one excuse one disdaine one refuse one euill looke one light miscontentation but after that hypocrisie and falsnesse is knowne to be in the heart that one estéemed faythfull it is
ye should beare me For it séemed to me if ye had loued me so much as I loued you ye would not haue deferred the healing of my sickenesse so long as ye haue done Alas Madame howe farre are ye deceiued if ye thinke that I at any time haue the power to repent or to go farre from the great loue that I haue borne you and shall beare you as long as the spirite shall breath within my body for truely there is nothing in the world that was more impossible for me Think not at all Madame louing you as I doe loue you that euerâ— I coulde fall into any repentance of your loue considering the glorie and pleasure that I finde in louing of you I pray you then to giue me life through your fauour to my great ioye or shortly to send me death through your disfauour to make an ende of my anoyance and of the dolour in the which I shall continually remaine vntil ye giue me rest and the tranquillitie that your letter dothe promise mée and looking for so great and good and houre I kisse a thousand times your fayre and delicate handes A letter from Filisell of Montespin to Marfira complayning of the long terme and time that she hath set him to haue the ioyfull pastime whereof he had alreadie tasted and he prayeth hir to alleage it In the twelfe booke the .14 Chapter DOm Filisell of Montespin doth sende to the faire and gracious Marfira health the which he hathe losâ—e by the moste gréeuous sickenesse that he as yet hath proued Alas Madam if euer I loued you with good affection nowe I die wholly for your loue and if euer I had any hope to reioâ—ce of your diuine beauties now I am at the last in desparation bicause the long time that I must tarie without hauing any more the ioy of the goodnesse and pleasure whereof through your good grace I haue tasted and sauored the tranquilitie and gracious swéetenesse If before this I haue had any desyre I haue desired it after such a fashion that I knew not the thing that I desired But now being learned by experience I know that I desire the most pleasure and goodnesse that is possible to desire sauing one other that I knowe but ye maye not know it although the pleasure that I desire be extréeme Hitherto Madame I haue tormented my selfe to sée and to beholde the apparant graces of your beautie by the whiche yé◠maye make subiect to your seruice the fierce heartes of men more than barbarous but nowe I torment me to reioyce and play with your graces secretes of the which I among all other haue merited the pleasure Alas Madame cause I beséech you that so great goodnesse as ye haue shewed me turne me not to greater euill and denie me not the remedie which kissing your fayre and white handes I pray you to graunt me as soone as the dolorous passion in the whiche I am doth requyre it Filisels letter to Marfira reioysing himselfe and giuing hir thankes for the good houre that shee caused him to haue praying hir to continue vnto him hir grace and fauour In the .12 booke the .15 Chapter DOn Filisel of Montespin doth sende to the fayre and gracious Marfira the salute whereof he enioyeth to his great contentation The glorie wherein I am is so great that I can not tell with what wordes I ought to prayse it so that the prayse may be compared to his greatnesse O I the most happiest of all knightes of the worlde séeing it hath pleased you Madame to make me worthie through your fauours of the thing that I by my selfe could in no wise decerne This letter is onely to cause you to vnderstand my great ioy by the which ye are now indetted to me for the thing that hath caused me to merit it that is that I returne very shortly vnto you to take and to haue the selfe same pleasure of your beautie that it pleased you the last night to graunt me so that by this newe ioy I may rewarde the anoyance that I endure in the time that I cannot finde the oportunitie of so great a pleasure Wherefore Madame I pray you continually to intertaine me in such a good houre that if ye haue béene the cause that I am nowe exalted to so high a degrée that hereafter ye be not the cause of my miserable fall and ruine But to the entent ye shall not reprehend me of too great importunitie I will make an ende of my letter kissing a thousande tymes your white and delicate hands in remembrance of the peace that folowed the warre that is past I recommend me to my deare Caria praying hir shortly to purchase me the tyme so greatly desyred in the whiche I maye renue the fortunate occasion of my glorie The complaint of Queene Sidonis In the .12 booke the .21 Chapter O Graue honour of my high and royall lynage howe hast thou conducted me to an euill fortune whereof I may receyne a iust rewarde of my folly O loue howe doest thou cause to appeare in me thy deceytfull force and strength causing mée to vse hatred and crueltie vnto him that I loued much more than my selfe O Fortune with what inconstancie and lightnesse art thou chaunged putting me then in such desperation when I beganne to haue hope shortly to accomplish the thing that I desired most in this worlde O Gods immortall with howe much rigour haue ye willed to recompence the flerce pride and the prowde presumption of the Quéene Sidonia O my deare daughter and yet the daughter of him that robbed the holy rites of my chastitie Alas howe woulde ye haue payed me for the thing that ye denyed anâ— for the loue that ye bare continually to your father in recompence of the outrages and iniuries that I dayly sought for him O my daughter the first of the worlde and none like in beautie to the ende to make and to render like vnlike the delour that I endure nowe for thy death O cruell death howe doest thou leaue me in so miserable a life O cruell life howe doest thou leaue me in so miserable a death O Gods immortall wherefore doe ye suffer so great an iniurie as is that which I receyue by my life séeing my daughter Diana is dead But what do I say It is iust that ye as ye are iust doe shewe me to rigorous iustice to cause me to take vengeance vpon my selfe confounding me in a certaine dolour and heauinesse the which I haue procured to my selfe Alas Daraide howe doest thou giue to me and my daughter the dutie whereof thou wast indetted vnto vs to me giuing me with thy ende the ende of the folly of my vengeance in killing againe by thy death the hope and confidence that I had in thy life to my daughter recompencing hir death by thine the which is the last payment whereof thou wast bounde to the loue that thou didst beare hir and to that that she did
be too hard for him yea truely impossible withoute people to gouerne and too maynteyne hys estate had hée neuer so greate a treasure the whyche cannot be better emploied thaÌ„ to deuide it among those that deserue it Thus euery man that is of a good iudgement as I suppose will say that good counsell and the force and strength of men is the true treasure And yet if ye will know this thing the better ye sée that this by the selfesame meanes made Alexander so great Iulius Caesar so strong and gentle Haniball with many other the which haue gotten by their name immortalities and by tresoring vp of men and not of gold they were made Kings Emperors and Monarches for they knew liberally to distribute their money to those whose merites they knew and to entertaine them so graciously that they might call themselues Lords both of hearts and of bodies wherby they were serued with great fidelitie Therfore my good friendes I pray you all as effectuously as I may possible that ye will ayde and helpe me as much as ye may to recouer those good and valiant Knightes whether they be of this countrie or strangers the whiche I promise you by the faith and worde of a king to entreat and honor in such sort and wise that they shall haue cause to praise and to content themselues for you are not ignoraunt that the better we are accompanied the more we shal be feared and redouted of our enimies and you the better kepte ntertayned and estéemed And if there be any vertue in me you may easily iudge that the auncients for the new whilest I liue shal not be forgotten therfore none of you ought to delay the request that I make vnto you but obey it the which thing I pray you againe and expresly commaunde you and that incontinently euery one of you particularly do name those vnto me whom ye know and as yet to in are evnknown and for this inteÌ„t that they if there be any in this Court may obtaine and get such rewardes of vs that they whiche are absent may be affectionate to come and serue vs and also to pray them that they depart not from our company without our knowledge The Oration of the Queene of England vpon the fauour that men ought to beare to Ladyes In the first booke about the â—nd of the .38 Chapter SEing it pleaseth you to giue place and to fauoure my request I praye you from hence foorth so doe and to shewe so much goodnesse and honour to all Ladyes and Damselles as to haue them in your protection and to defende them taking their quarels agaynst all those that woulde in any maner of wise molest them and so that if by fortune you haue promised a gyfte to a man and an other to a Ladie or to a Damsell that you first accomplishe the Ladyes as bâ—ing the fâ—ebler person and that hathe more néede to be recommended and holpen Thus doing they shall be from henceforth more â—auored and better taken heede to than they haue â—éene for why the euill whiche are customed to doe them iniurie fynding them in the fieldes and knowing that they haue suche Knightes for their Protectors and defenders as you be shall not be bold to trouble them The Oration of King Arban to his Souldiers fighting agaynstâ— King Barsinan Lorde of Sansuegue the whiche by treason woulde haue made himselfe King of England In the â—irst boke the .38 Chapter MY fellowes and friendes you haue fought so well this day that there is not he that dothe not merit to be esteemed among the moste gentle companions of all the worlde but if you haue begonne well I truste we shall dayly goe from better to better and if you remember that you defende your â—elueâ— as well to mayntaine your good Prince as your libertie and that agaynste a tyrant 〈◊〉 an euill man the which without the feare of God wold vsurp other mens and feedâ— him selfe with the bloude of your Chyldren Sée you not howe he hathe entreated those of the Castle that he hath taken by falshoode â— Doe you not sée the ende whereto he intendeth the whiche is not but to bring this noble kingdome and the subiectes thereof to ruine the whiche haue béene by the grace of God so long conserued and continually haue liued in reputation to be faithfull subiectes vnto their Prince Knowe you not the persuasions the whiche that knaue hath vsed before the assault that he gaue vs thinking to deceiue vs by his golden tong No no he is very yll ariued I am sure that there is not he of vs all that woulde not rather chose to die a thousande deathes And is it not true â— certes I sée in your good visages that if I shoulde thinke or say otherwise I shoulde lie and althoughe they haue moe meÌ„ than we yet we haue better hearts and more right than they And thus we ought not to feare but to leaue off all doubte to lyue henceforth in the reputation that we merite and deserue assuring you my friendes that they are retyred if you haue markt it with a countenance of men not affectionated to see vs agayne and what so euer that traytor Barsinan hath sayde our King is not dead for he will come shortly to succour vs In the meane while I pray you my companions that none of you be troubled but to doe and continue as he hath begon hauing before his eyes that it is much better to die for libertie than to liue long in captiuitie and miserie and that vnder a miserable Prince The Oration of the Lorde of Sansuegue vnto his Souldiers fighting against King Arban inducing them to take and to be of good courage In the first booke .38 Chapter MY friendes it is not inoughe to haue giuen knowledge vnto oure enimies that they be if I will at my mercie therefore I am mynded wythoute the losse of any moe of you to delay the matter for fyue or sixe dayes that Archalaus may or shal sende me Kyng Lisuardes head for that I beléeue that they shewing it vnto them shall no more be so bold to gainesay me and thus by loue we may draw them vnto vs Therefore let every one of you reioyce and be mery for I being King as I trust shall enrich you all The Oration that Abisco which through tyrannie occupied the Lordshippe of Sobrâ—dise made vnto the inhabitants of the countrey In the first booke .43 Chapter O Captiue and vnfortunate people I haue well perceiued the ease that the presence of this wench doth giue you and that you lacke witte to labour for why as farre forth as I knowe you will loue hir and better accepte hir for your Lady althoughe she be a woman feeble and weake to defende you than me that am a wise and a hardy Knight notwithstanding you sée hir weakenesse and that in so long a time she coulde not recouer but only two Knights the which are come to receiue their
thée taking againe the force to serue hir the whiche of hir grace and goodnesse hath reuiued thée Orianes letter to Amadis by the which she excuseth hir selfe vnto him of certaine faultes of loue the which were in hir In the second booke and .10 Chapter IF the greate faultes committed through enmitie afterwards reknowledged to humilâ—at hirselfe be worthy of parâ—on what ought it to be of those that are caused through too great abundance of loue yet my faithfull louer I do not denie you that I deserue not much paine For I should haue considered that when things be most prosperous and ioyful that fortune the which doth spye and considereth them doth come then to bring them heauinesse and miserie Also I should haue remembred your vertue and honestie the which was neuer found in fault and aboue all I should not no not to dye for I haue separated from my vnderstanding the remembrance of the great subiection of my heauy hart the whiche procéeded nor came not but of that wherein youre owne was inclosed being certaine that if any flames haue bene cooled so haue myne also as it is perceyued and in suche sorte that the enuy that he had to find rest vnto hys mortall desires hath bene the cause to augment tâ—em But bicause I haue fayled as they doe that being in the hyghest of their good houre and fortune and very certaine of theyr loue of whome they be loued nor cannot comprehende in them so much goodnesse become iealous and suspitious more by their imagination than by reason dusking this cleare felicitie with the cloude of impacience beléeuing sooner the report of certaine persons it may be that speake euil not very true and vicious than that of their owne conscience and certaine experience Therefore my faithfull friende I pray you effectually to receiue this my damsell as from hir that recogniseth in all humilitie the great fault that she hathe commiited as concerning you the which shall cause you to vnderstande better than my letter the extremitie of my life oâ— whome ye should haue pitie not for any merite but for your reputation the which is not estéemed and iudged cruell nor séeking veÌ„geance there where ye find repentance and subiection when that no penance can come from you more rigorous than that that I my selfe haue appointed and ordeined for my selfe the which I beare and paciently do suffer trusting that ye will remit it and restore vnto me your grace and fauour and lykewise my life that dependeth thereof The lamentation of fayre Tenebreuâ— whiche returned from Mireflâ—ur declaring vnto the Damsell of Denmarke that without cause he had suffered many things touching hir that she was not a faithfull louer In the second Booke the .10 Chapter BY my conscience sayde the fayre Tenebreuâ— I was neuer in more daunger of death and I maruell where she hath forged this fantasie that she had against me seing that I neuer thought to do the thing that shuld displease hir And notwithstaÌ„ding I had forgotten to think on it yet I deserued not so cruel a letter as this is that she wrote vnto me And although I make not the outward shewes and hypocrisies that many caÌ„ do and make yet I leaue not of to measure the goodnesse and graces that I haue receiued of hir nor this thought was not sowen in so euill ground that she shuld not regard the fruite as long as the spirit shal haue meanes to cause the heart to liue seing that the one and the other are wholy dedicate to serue and to obey hir Ah ah my God I remember that when Corissande came into our poore hermitage I beléeued then that it was done for me The good Lady lamented hir selfe of the passion that the suffered for louing my brother Florestan too much and I should die for very displeasure to be so wrongfully chased away by Oriane How great paines what trauels what vnmeasurable torment haue I thus long suffered in the poore Rocke hauing consolation of no creature liuing but of the good Hermit the which solicited me and spake to me of pacience Alas what hard penaÌ„ce for a thing not offended beléeue me my welbeloued Damsel that I was so greatly troubled that from one houre to another I desired deathâ— and oftentimes also I feared to lose my life but thinke vpon the desperation wherein I was then when I shewed the Damsels of Corisâ—ande the song that I made in my great tribulation The Oration of Gandalin vnto fayre Tenebreus brethren to encourage them to searche and to succoure him In the .2 booke the .12 Chapter BY God my Lords all your wéepings cannot cause him to be found whome ye desire if it be not by some other good diligence that ye may newly take vpon you And notwithstanding that ye haue already done what ye can so ye should not he anoyed to séeke him better than euer he waâ— yet sought for seing that ye know welynough what he particularly would haue done for you if fortune had aduanced the occasion Nowe therefore it is youre partes to doe the lyke â—or if ye léese hym thus it shall not be onely the losse of the most gentlest knyghte of all the worlde but of the best pacient that ye haue and furthermore all ye paraduenture may be blamed Therefore my Lordes I praye you for the loue of God to do vnto him the duety of a brother of a friende and of a companion beginning agayne to séeke him without sparing of your bodies or the prolonging of tyme. Defyance made by a straunge knyghte vnto king Lisuard prouoking hym to warre if he wyll not accord to the mariage of Oriane with the prince of Basiganâ— In the .2 booke the .12 Chapter I Defye thée king Lisuard and all thy aliens in the name of the puissant and mightie princes Famongomad Giant of the burning lake Cartadaque his neuew Giant of the defended mountayne Madafabull hys brother in lawe Giant of the redde tower Lord Quedragant brother to Abies that was king of Irelande and of Arcalaus the inchanter the whyche doe sende thée worde by me that they haue sworne the death of thée and thyne And to do thys they wyll ayde king Cildadan to be in the number of the hundreth knightes the whiche shall surely destroy thée Yet neuerthelesse if thou wilt giue Oriane thy inheriter to fayre Madasime the daughter of the most douty Famongomad to serue hir as hir Damsell they will suffer thée to liue in peace and be thy friendes â—or they will marrie hir to thâ— Prince Basiganâ— the which doth well deserue to be Lorde of thy countreys and of thy daughter also Therefore king Lisuard chose of these two coÌ„ditions the best peace as I haue deuised or the most cruel warre that may chance vnto thée hauing to do with so mighty and so doutye princes The answer to the strange knight by king Lisuard shewing the greatnesse of his courage In the .2 booke the .12 Chapter BY God knight they
the which thing cannot be slacked if thou Emperoure to much hated of good fortune do not shewe thy selfe the most faintharted Prince that euer was borne of mother An exhortation of Mabile to Queene Sardamire to dispose hir to learne pacience in hir aduersitie nor to be astonied at fortunes inconstancie In the .4 booke the .1 Chapter IN good faith my Lady it becommeth as I estéeme a princesse so wise as ye haue bene alwayes reputed to fall into suche extremitie for the vertue of a wise person cannot be knowen but when tribulation commeth sodeinly vpoÌ„ him And further more you that doe beare the title of a Queene ought by good reason to be more constant than a simple damsell should be or any other person vnworthy of the place and kingdome that ye possesse Do ye not know that fortune is mutable and that she will take away hir fauor from whom it pleaseth hir and call it agayne when it seemeth good vnto hir So then séeing that the Emperoures armie is defeated and your selfe at this tyme to be in the handes of the knightes of the inclosed Iland it followeth well that ye should take this chaunce paciently and beare it wisely when that ye cannot amend it be you also assured that ye are in the power of those that shall do you all the honour seruice and good intreating that they may deuise And if the Prince Salust be deade what remedie ye cannot call him agayne with your wéeping these be the common turnes and chaunces of warre to those that séeke theÌ„ And therfore madame if it so please you be no more heauy but vsing your accustomed prudencie and wisedome take the things so as they may chance and come Queene Sardamires answer to Mabile declaring vnto hir that â—he hath a iust occasion to be heauie for the inconuenience that she is fallen in and that it may please hir to coÌ„sent to beare with hir in hir affection The .4 booke the .1 Chapter ALas quoth she it is eâ—sy to him that is in ioy to comfort as ye do the person that is ouerwhelmed with displeasure Neuerthelesse if ye selfe the heauinesse that presseth me ye would peraduenture lament me more than ye do yet I knowe that ye say the truth and that it is impossible for me so at this time to commaund and to rule my selfe to beléeue your counsell Therefore I pray you for the honor of God that excusing my imperfections ye will ayde me your selfe and all these other Ladies also to lament my euill houre and mischaunce irrecuparable The replicatioÌ„ of Mabile to Queene Sardamire declaring vnto hir that to be heauie for the thing that is happened is not the meane to help it In the .4 booke the .1 Chapter MAdame sayd Mabile if ye for our heauinesse of the thing that ye pray vs for might be the better I sweare vnto you by my faith that there is not she in this company as I thinke but would with good heart employ hir selfe but ye know that when the thing is dâ—ne the counsell is taken thus ye may know that of necessitie ye must make an ende of your wepings be it with the time or rather by your prudencie and wisedome Amadis Oration to his companions declaring vnto them the thing that he had vnderstood by Oriane whiche tendth to this that king Lisuard had changed the mind which he had to marry hir to the Emperoure furthermore praying him to prepare him selfe to succoure hir in hir great trouble In the .4 booke the .3 Chapter MY Lords yesterday my Lady Oriane seÌ„t vnto me praying me that we should fynd some meanes to restore hir to the good grace and fauour of the king hir father and to deliuer him if it were possible of the fantasie that he hathe to marrie hir to the prince of the worlde to whom she beareth little amitie or loue for otherwyse death shal be to hir more agreeable And therefore I thought it good after that I had spoken with some of this companâ— particularly to vnderstand generally of you al what ye thinke for séeing that we haue bene companions to set hir at libertie it is very reasonable we should be to maintein hir but first or euer we enter any further into this matter I pray you to haue before your eyes that euen now your renoume is so knowen thoroughout all the world bicause of the high chiualries that ye haue done that there is this day no King Prince nor Knight of whome ye are not fearâ—d and redouted knowing that to obtaine laude and praise immortall ye haue not only little regarded the great riches and good intreating that ye might haue had in your owne houses but also the bloude of your proper and own harts the which ye haue not spared to cause the most hardie and bold to féele the edge of your sword to the great danger of your persons Whereof the woundes that ye haue in diuers parts the markes and witnesses of your noble actes may giue suche faith and testimonie that fortune hirselfe is bound vnto you whereof she willing to recompence you hath put into your hands and gâ—uen you this glorious victorie that we haue had ouer the two greatest Princes of christendome Not that I will speake of the destruction of their people only being of little merite towards vs but for the succour that ye haue shewed to the most wise gentle and vertuous Lady of the earth the which was at the point most wrongfully to suffer a worse entreatment than may be thought And thus ye haue done right great agreable seruice vnto God executing the thing to the which ye arâ— expressely called that is to sucâ—oure and to help the afflicted from wrongs that men without reason cause them to suffer And if the Emperour and king Lisuard if it so like them will be angrie wroth seing that the right is ours God y which is iust will be with vs also and in such sort that if they of themselues know not what is reason and beléeue by theyr power to ouercome our force strength I promise my selfe hope well that we may so resist theÌ„ that as loÌ„g as the world shal be a world continue there shal be a memorie and a remembraÌ„ce therof Therefore aduise euery one of you what he shall â—hinke best to be done either to make an end of the war that is begon or to make a meane for peace deliuering my Lady Oriane to the king hir father euen as she desireth for as coÌ„cerning me ye shal vnderstaÌ„d that I will no nother thing but that which shal please you nor my fantasie in thys â—hal be no nother than yours knowing you to be such your vertue to be so great that to die for it ye would not go from the magnanimitie of your corages nor suffer the thing wherby our honor be it neuer so litle shuld be abased or diminished The OratioÌ„ of Quedragant to Amadis answering that
pleasure And as touching your father I know long since what should happen vnto him but yet I could not remediâ— it for it was so ordeined by the prescience and for knowledge of God the which shall suffer him with the time to returnâ— to his countrey as well content as euer he was The coÌ„plaint of Matroco vpon the body of Arcalaus his vncle whom Esplandian had slayne In the .5 boke the .5 Chapter ALas Arcalaus my good vnâ—le how hard is the losse of you to me in what place soeuer it should haue chaunced and by a more stronger reason in this my castel wher I thought to make you good chéere and long Alas aftâ—r ye had past the floure of your age and so many daungerous chaunces and infinite perilles should it come and chaunce you vpon the end of your old yeares to receiue such a death in my house the which I estéemed a sure place not only for you and me but for all my parents and friends What vengeance maye I take at any time of this traytor that so greatly hath offended me seing that if I shoulde put him to death a hundred times vpon a day yet it is lesse than nothing in respect of the euill that he hath wrought me At least wayes if it had bin Amadis of Fraunce so renoumed among men or one of hys two brothers or else al thrée togither my dolour might somwhat haue swaged for the euill that I shoulde haue caused them to suffer But what I must néedes eueÌ„ by reason fight with one and seing the force that he continually hath done he should already estéeme himselfe ouercomde What glory should I then obtaine of his victorie Certesse euen suche as if I had beaten or ouercomde a simple woman féeble as â—he is of nature And so he vnworthy of my presence shall if it chance that I make but a countenaÌ„ce only â—o outrage him increase in glory Yet chaunce what chaunce may to my honor or otherwise he must néedes die The Oration of Esplandian to his people being in the mountayne defended fighting agaynste king Armato to encourage them to fyght strongly considering that it is for the glory and libertie of a christian name In the .5 booke the 26. Chapter MY friends we be not at this present entred into the aduentures of England where men fight more for fantasie or vayneglory than vpon any iust occasion but this war that we make against the enimies of our fayth doth call vs not only to do our duetie but to defend the honour and libertie of a christian name And therefore I pray you my companions that euery one of vs do purpose to cast feare behinde and to prefer vertue and manhood aboue all inconueniences that may chance vnto vs assuring you if we so do that before it be day king Armato and his armie shall well féele that we be not so sleepâ—e as they thinke The Oration of king Lisuard to his vassales and friendes shewing the goodnesse and pleasures that he hath receiued of Amadis and for this reason and cause he gyueth vp vnto him his crowne and his Scepter and the right of his realme and that they for this cause should be his faithfull and true vassales In the .5 booke the .28 Chapter MY good vassals and frieÌ„ds first and or euer I make you vnderstande perceiue why wherfore I haue coÌ„manded you to come togither I wil shew you part of the dangers fortunes wherein I haue bin since the death of my brother king Falanges and since it hath pleased the Lord to call me to the gouernemente and rule of you and of this realme in thâ— whiche as I thinke there are yet many liuing that can remember the danger into the whiche â—oth I and my countries as we thought shoulde haue fallen when that by the meanes and subtiltie of Arcalaus the enchanter I was put in the power of those that long before had conspired my death of the which my sonne Amadia hath deliuered me And neuerthelesse awhyle after by euil counsel I made sore war against him the whiche being raysed as euery man dothe know fortune enuying my rest prepared after that suche a banket for me that without him being king Arauignes prisoner I had bin lost for euer And this yet hathe assonyed me more for when I esteemed me certenly out of all suche misfortunes a worse than the other chanced me the whiche I thought well considering the place I was brought vnto to be the consumination of my troubles and of my life togythâ—r But yet the Lord loking with pitie vpon me sent my little sonne Eâ—plandian into my heauy prison from whence as ye all might haue bin aduertised he deliuered me Nowe ye see that I am old and all white being already threscorâ— and ten yeares of age the which thing causeth me to thinke that from henceforth it is time and season to forget worldly things and to retourne to God that hath bound me so greatly vnto him And for this cause I am purposed from henceforth to leaue Amadis my sonne to be your king vnto whome euen now I giue ouer my crowne my Scepter and the right that I haue in thys realme praying you all as much as I may possible that from this time foorth ye be vnto him faithfull and obedient as ye haue bin to me And although he be maried to my daughter if I knew hym vnworthy to rule you beléeue me my friends I would sooner haue chosen one to succeede me that had bin lesse vnto me than he is but theâ— is none of you that knoweth not his merites and the lyne that he descendeth of the which may this day name himselfe one of the most noblest and most fortunate of all the world as descending of the Troyans whose memorie shall neuer peâ—ish he is a kings sonne the inheriter of the kingdome of France and at this present your Priâ—â—â— and Lord I leaue you him with my daughter your Quéene and lawfull princesse retayning to my selfe no other thing but the only castle of Mirefleur where that the Quéene and I by Gods help shal finish our days religiously seruing our God as we be bound The Oration of Cormellie to Esplandian the which was sore astonyed of the thing that Leonorine sent him word of aduising him not to take in euill part the answer that Leonorine had sent his father and that the dissimulation of the loue of Ladies ought not to be takeÌ„ as a refusing in asmuch as it signifieth most often perfyte and entire amitie In the 5. booke the .33 Chapter HOw now my Lorde be ye astonied of so little by my â—oule now I know well that the affections and loue of men do greatly differ from the passions that we simple women indure when we fal into this extremitie and know you wherein ye men do coÌ„monly take pleasure to open the thing that ye loue be it by word or by countenance and oftentimes ye fayne moreouer that there
that ye know that after I haue found him I may haue of him that I hope for and desire aboue all things Melies letter to the Emperour of Trebisonde auanting hir selfe to ouerrunne and wynne the Christians and to constraine them to beleeue the Pagans lawe In the .6 booke the .7 Chapter MElie lady aboue all Magicians enimie to the lawe of the Christians and curious to augment day by day the lawe of our gods Thou shalt know Emperour of Trebisonde that Constantinople shall be shortly besieged by thrâ—e score and seuen Princes of the Pagan faith Where I personally will be to take my pleasure to sée it burne and the euill men that doe possesse it and him likewise of whome all Christentiâ— shoulde hope to haue fauour as of his refuge and principall aide But it shall happen farre otherwise for she vnto whoÌ„ thy daughter is deliuered hath put hir in my power and in so sure kéeping that neither Amadis hir grandfather nor yet hir father Esplandian although they were vnbewitched shoulde haue no meane nor wayes to succour and to helpe hir And yet that is but little in respecte of the thing that I intend to doe for by little and little I shall haue the rest of you to dispose you after my owne will and pleasure constraining the ouerplus of the vulgar people be it by loue or by force to turne to our faith and haue you no doubt of this for all this shall chaunce and that easely Frandalo making reuerence to Perion doth offer him his seruice In the .6 booke the .12 Chapter SYr Cheualier I am wholly yours so that ye maye commaunde me as him that desireth to obey you for the honour of King Amadis Esplandian your brother whose friend and well affectioned seruant I am A cursed letter of the infant Melia to the Emperour of Constantinople foretelling him that he shall receiue much misfortune and destruction In the .6 booke the .12 Chapter MElia Infant the most cruellest enimie of Christianitie to the Emperour of Constantinople ruine and intyre malediction Know thou that shortly thou shalt feele misfortune the which by myne occasion is prepared for thée and such as neuer the like was spoken off for with thy owne eyes thou shalt see the death of thy people the destructioÌ„ of thy cuntrey a strange martyrdome of him whom thou louest best in this worlde and finally the end of thy life in miserie In witnesse whereof this sworde shal hang in the ayre ouer thy great Câ—â—tie vntill that a prophecie of Apolidon that remayneth to be fulfilled haue his effect Then it shall vanyshe awaye and shal be séene no more The Oration of Alquise to the Princesse Gricelleriaâ— from his Knight Lisuard from whom he presenteth hir a Prince and the children of the King of Hierusalem and doth praye hiâ— for his loue to intreate them well In the .6 booke the .14 Chapter MAdam your knight the which far passeth al other in valiantnesse and in greate goodnesse of armes doth salute you as hir whom he desireth to serue all his lyfe in witnesse whereof he doth sende you by me the thing that he hath conquered and gotten since the daye and time that he departed from you to his very great displeasure and heauinesse That is this gentleman a verie doutie Prince amoÌ„g the Pagans and of good right for he beyng at libertie maye commaundâ— in the countrey and land of Liquie no more nor lesse than the Emperour your father doth in his And these other are the King of Palestines children brother sister the which he doth praye you to receiue and dispose as your owne And also he charged me to assure you that intreating them graciously and as he estéemeth of your goodnesse he shall be singularly well pleased for and bycause of the place they are issued out of and the conquest that he hath done and had of them at his beginning The letter of Perion called the Knight of the Esphere to the Princesse Gricelleria certifying hir of the great loue that he beareth hir and also that he feeleth him selfe very fortunate that he was sent to a lady of so high a price vnto whom he is readie to obey In the .6 booke the .14 Chapter MAdam I knowe not how I may satisfye the great goodnessâ— that ye graunted mee vpon the day that ye accepted me for yours seyng that the best knight of the world should not thinke him sufficient to serue so great a ladye and Princesse And I then poore dum man that hath done as yet no acte of Chiualrie beyng come to suche honour is it any maruell then if my hearte hath desired to take things in hande wherof wyth reason it hathe esperance and hope to continue in thys hyghe place putting farre from hym all feare and perill of deathe by the continuall remembraunce that he hath of your good grace the whiche hath so captiuated my libertie that my eyes haue béene incheined with the bandes of your fortunable presence euen since the daye that they sawe the brightnesse of your diuine face But this prison is hidden in suche libertie that it causeth me to liue for the enuie that I haue to obey and serue you for euer assured that otherwyse my soule troubled bycause of your absence shoulde not remaine one houre in this body passioned and troubled for the great loue that he beareth you Thus Madam I beséeche you commaunde the thing that pleaseth you I should doe and hauing pitie vpon your poore slaue sende him by this Damsell which is faithful your will beleeuing hir as touching the ouerplus of the thing that she shall tell you From him that doth kisse the hands of your highnesse in all humilitie The answere of the Princesse Gricelleria to Perion called the the knight of the Esphere wherein she declareth that she is glad that she hath receiued his letters reuealing vnto him hir amorous passions and recommendeth vnto him the Damsell Lisuart praying him to bring hir out of danger In the â— booke the .21 Chapter THe great pleasure that I haue receiued with your letteâ—â— and the presents the which ye haue sent me by this damsell haue renued in my heauie heart the annoyance troubles the which my soule suffered through your long absence And beléeue me my friende that were it not for the continuall presence of your person the whiche I haue in the eyes of my vnderstanding it were impossible for me dayly to resist so many assaults the which loue deliuered vnto me euen the selfe same day that ye came mute and dumbe into this court not speaking one worde to me nor to no other but the hope that I haue that ye will shortly returne as this messanger hath assured me doth giue me a certaine force and strength to suffer this that I endure without any releasement Buâ— for a conclusion and to the entent that with more occasion ye may come to see me as I trust I pray you to keepe your selfe nigh vnto
.19 Chapter VRgand of Cognue gréeteth thée knighte of the burning sword know thou that to retire to another place out of prison thou or euer it belong shalt enter into a more and a greater captiuitie where neuer slaue was put and thy soule and body shal be so afflicted that this same sword the whych hath oftentimes saued the place that thou art issued of shall thorough pierce thy body and within a while it shall bée pluct out by his hands that thinking to saue himselfe shall restore thée a life worsse than a thousand deathes togyther thys martirdome shal endure vnto the time that thy fathers house being at a point to fall downe be holpen and saued by his first possessioner and beléeue me for it shall so come to passe as I haue foretold thee And to the intent thou mayest credit it vnderstand that to saue thée froÌ„ one misâ—ortune into the which thou shouldest fall this day fighting with the knight of Quay I gaue thée a white shâ—eld and did aske thée the gifte that afterwardes thou didst graunt me and didst kéepe it whereof thou shouldest thanke me bycause that without my prouidence thou shouldest haue falne into a repentance as long as thou hadst liued as by the time thou shalt know better and rather trauell not thy selfe to thinke to knowe nothing for that should be but lost payne and labour as wel as to search it of me let it suffise thée that I know thée better than thou knowest thy selfe and for the hope of a help and succoure that I trust once to haue of thée I did beare and shew thée such fauor Go on with the residue of thy enterprise without delay of any occasion that should present it self perceiuing that it is the will of him whose man thou shalt be in time to come Zirfee being praysed by the knight of the burning sword doth answer that he did but his dutie seing that the propertie of noble men is to do noble actes In the .7 booke the .30 Chapter IN good fayth sir knight ye giue me great prayses for the thing that hath not deserued it and the which I coulde not but do without leauing off thrée principall points the which all required of mine estate whereof the first is to knowe in time of aduersitie the pleasure that we haue receyued of our enimie causing euery man to know that he whome a man may graciously recompeÌ„ce in season hath also a meane and a way to reuenge iniuries suffered during his misfortune The second doth shew it selfe in all ciuill season and of pitie after as the case doth offer it selfe And for the thirde not to trouble the minde at no time for the noyances and troubles that chance but that reason and discretion may continually haue dominion and rule And these three poynts are notoriously necessary to all noble men continually to maynteine â—irmâ—ly and vnmouably their high and great estate for vertue that dothe not perishe causeth a man to be muche more noble and exalted than all the corruptible goodes of fortune and subiect to hir passions and mobilitie seing also that often times and too much they are giuen to suche as neuer deserue them But it goeth farre otherwise with vertue for he alone doth obtaine it that doth a déede worthie to haue it Also men by vertue onely ought to be estéemed and honored yea and reputed more ritcher thaÌ„ if they had all the ritches of the world bicause that the true ritches which perishe not are the renoume of the good and the noble actes of a vertues man. The Oration of Maudan to the King requiring his pardon for the treason that he had committed promisyng so doyng to obey him more than euer he dyd In the seuenth booke the 46. Chapter SYr ye may sée in me how that fortune doth play with such euill men as I am nor it was neuer séene but that one sinne draweth vnto him another and the second many moe in so much that at the last they blind men so well that thinking to goe the great way they fall into the dytch that they made whereout afterwards they cannot draw themselues The which doth nowe manifest it selfe in me that enuying the honour that ye dyd to the knight of the burning sworde found and inuented the thing that I tolde you of him and the Queene to driue him from your court to haue and to obtaine his place Well I was cause of that great euill and I know that I merite an excéeding great torment yet Syr I beséech you preferring pitie mercie aboue the rigour of your iustice that it wil please you to pardon me causing euery man therby to know that my sinne and fault is gréeuous and your clemencie and goodnesse very extreme and great the which shal turne to your great laude and praise I and mine remaining for euer bound to serue you more than any other of your subiectes in as much as ye shall pardon and forgyue me more than all other The Oration of Queene Baruca to the King of Saba hir husband praying him to receiue hir into his good grace and not to be no more so light to beleeue without hearing of bothe partes In the .7 booke the .46 Chapter MY Lord seyng this my innocencie is open and knowen I beseeche you to receiue me into your good grace as I was before and to remember another time not to beléeue so lightly without vsing your power vpon the accused or euer ye heare his iustificatioÌ„s considering how ye haue procéeded rigorously not onely against my chastitie but against my honor and the honor of the house that I come of The Oration of Magadan King of Saba to the knight Amadis of Fraunce excusing himselfe that he receiued him not as he deserued praying him not to take it in euill part In the 7. booke the .46 Chapter MY great friende if I had knowen you aswell yesterday as I do at this present I would haue borne and shewed you more honor but the griefe that I had of the euil words that were tolde me oâ— the Quéene caused me to forget all curtesie yea and my owne nature the which is to receiue all straungers that come to my court graciously So I pray you not to take this faulte in yll part but to excuse it and wyth this charge that from henceforth I will take payne and labour to amend it The Oration of the Duke of Buillon to those of his linage prouoking them to take vengeance for the death of his sonne and to recouer their honour so abused In the .7 booke the 48. Chapter MY masters my good friends and alies ye haue séene and knowen the dishonor that the Emperour our Prince hath purchased not only to me but to you all aswell in particular as in generall and in such a sort that hauing no regard to vs which are so great and mightie he as euery man doth know hath onely caused him most villaine to be taken that next vnto
answere to hir people declaring that wyth good hearte shee dothe pardon them of theyr offence vpon the hope of theyr amendment In the .8 booke the .31 Chapter MY friendes séeing ye haue taken this iourney ye shall finde me a gracious Princesse and as affable as Albernis was vnto you greuous and vneasie I know wel ynough that many of you were seduced and forced to make warre that manye a one also forgat themselues more than they shoulde haue done Yet that notwithstanding vpon the promise that ye haue made me and in the hope that I haue of your amendment I am readie to make you a generall pardon and to intreate you from henceforth as a good and a vertuous Quéene and Princesse ought to intreate and gouerne hir good and faithfull subiectes The Oration of Queene Liberna to the knight without rest causing him to vnderstande that she is so taken with hys loue that he hath all power vpon hir In the .8 booke the 31. Chapter I Promis you knight without rest that coÌ„sidering the great valiantnesse that is in you and the goodes that I haue recouered by your meanes and occasion only I am purposed to cause you to léese the name that ye beare and to giue you such might and power vpon me as a Lord and spouse may take vpon his wife and louer For I confesse that there was neuer princesse nor no other so taken with loue as I am towards you although that in a manner ye are vnknowen vnto me Abra the princesse of Babilons letter to Lisuard reproching hys great cowardnesse that he killed hir brother Zair whereby he hath shewed that he hath cleane forgotten the loue that she did beare him and that she therefore will sacrifice hir selfe to death for to celebrate the remembrance of hir foresaid brother In the .8 booke the .34 Chapter ABra princesse of Babilon seruant of the souerayne Goddes and enimie to those that are against them to thée ConstaÌ„tine and Prince Lisuart murtherer and rauisher of the spouse of the diuine lande of Babilon leauing and forsaking it by the death of the most noble Zair Orpheline of his royall cheualrie and made bare and spoyled of hir hope to recouer any more such another lord Tell me ingrate is this the reciproke loue wherewith thou wast bound to me giuing thée knowledge of the goodnesse that I desired and wished thée Is this the recognising of the election and choise that I made of thy person to be my Lord spouse Is this the fruite of my esperance and hope that thou didst then put me in wheÌ„ that in the presence of so many princes I required thée to voutsafe to take me to thy wife and perpetuall louer hauing thée so well printed in my heart that thou shouldst not depart from thence as loÌ„g as life shuld rest but shouldst be resident there to norish my desire the better that I haue to reueÌ„ge the death of my wel beloued brother But alas who would euer haue thought that the fearefull sea shuld haue bin consecrate with his body and sepulture Certesse I beléeue that the sea is ignoraÌ„t that she hath him drowned in the depnesse of hir waters For if she had knowen it it is very like that the waters would already haue triumphed yea in communication with the soueraigne heauens holding themselues honored to enioy his bloud and diuine body And if the sea be not yet aduised nor the earth as yet hath not perceiued it it woulde not haue delayed hir complaintes and dolours so long from the soueraigne Gods to haue and to recouer hir spouse and hir iust possessor agayne that hath bin vsurped from hir domination and put into so contrary an element whereof peraduenture may chance in time to come continuall warre betwene hir roundnesse the depenesse of the abismes each of them pretending the reioycing and gard of his prince and magnificent dominator and ruler But if these two do complayne the fire and his element will not holde their peace but shall complayne them for euer through the regard and consideratioÌ„ of the sacrifices that the gods hoped for if he had dyed and deceased vpon the earth The ayre then is alone that doth enioy the thing that thâ—u dost possesse that is the assurance of the death of Zair Also he was present and occupied in the conflict betwene the infernall furies the whiche during the battell vomited out brimston and filthy stinches by the mouth of an infinite sort of canons and other artillerie But alas alas what vengeance shall be done for him for whome the ayre the â—arth and the fire shal at somtimes féele his absence and the déepe waters glory for the possession of his body yea and other truly than it at thy death at the end I say of my life seing me thus depriued of my Lord brother At the end I say of my life bycause that cruell loue will not suffer the vengeance vpon thée but that I must sacrifice my selfe to adorne thy death that shall make myne very happy and fortunate So shall thy funeralles be entirely celebrated by the death of Zair and of me to the end that fortune make them egall at the victorie the which she would haue graunted thée not only in thy life against knights and beasts most cruell but in the death that she shall procure thée that as long as she shall liue defieth thée the which shall be no longer than thou shalte be resident in the worlde that by such and so straunge crueltie the desire of my vengeaunce may be executed A letter of Zahara Queene of the mount Caucasus to Lisuard contayning that she is come to Babilon to marrie Zair but finding that Lisuard had slayne him she defyeth him In the .8 booke the .35 Chapter ZAhara Quéene of the mount Caucasus Lady of all Hiberia victor else of great prouinces of the Saâ—â—ates Corces Hircanie and Massagetes to thée Lisuard the Infant of two soueraine Empyres of Greece and Trebisond gréeting Know thou that the renoume of the stoute Soudan Zair hath caused me to come from my countrey that is farre hence into this greate Citie of Babilon trusting to haue giuen him the possession of my selfe and of my kingdomes togither my immortall glory continuing vpon his name But after that I knew that fortune whiche sometimes was his friend had suffered hys bloud to be shed leauing me by this meanes and for euer without a husbande that there shoulde remayne no other that myghte come vnto the merite of my highnesse béeing suche a princesse as I am and indued with the beautie that the Goddes haue gyuen me by whose aduise the mariage of vs twayne had bene consummated if misfortune as it hathe done hadde not sayde agaynste vs but whatsoeuer impediment or let that vnkind fortune hath done to my destinie yet it cannot hide nor quench the glory of Zair his death being reuenged by thine And to come thervnto I defye thée as touching thy person
vpon the Giantes your cruell tyrants and rulers whose deathe and correction ye shoulde not estéeme to procéede from anye other than from the gods immortall wherof they will gyue you very swifte witnesse seing that two onely persons haue destroyed and brought to ruine suche and so fearefull mâ—nsters notwithstanding the situation of the very strong and inaccessible places the Gigantine forces and all their puissance and might both craftie and subtill Againe my deare and good friendes we counsell and admonishe you that ye giue no place to your affections so that the anger of God fâ—ll not vpon you if ye disobey the children of Mars sent hither to be soueraines and to set peace in your countrey As touching the rest ye shall come vnto vs to vnderstande the â—uerplus of our will. Arlande the Princesse of Thrace letter to Dom Florisel of Niquea praying him to come to see hir to vnderstande and to reuenge the wrong done by Amadis of Greece to Balarte his brother In the .9 booke the .14 Chapter ARlande Princesse of Thrace to the Knight of the shée shéepeheard gréeting The renoume of your excellent beautie and glorious actes of armes that runneth not only throughout all this countrey of Thrace but almoste throughout the world hath drawne me into so great admiration and desyre to know the truth that after I had consulted with our goâ—â— vpon these affaires and matters and that they answered 〈◊〉 after the common brute and rumour I was well willing to sende you this presente and to praye youre Lordshippe to come hither to vnderstande and to perceiue the wrong that the vnfaithfull and traitour Armadis of Greece did to my verie déere and onely brother Balarte Prince of Thrace by whose death the succession of this Realme after the decease of my heauie father shall pertaine to me yet with this charge to pursue and reuenge the death of my foresaide Lorde and brother Therfore if it please you to come hither to execute this reasonable vengeance I haue purposed and doe promise you in recompence of the duetie that ye shall doe to make you Lord and master of my selfe and of all that I possesse in this worlde aduertising you moreouer that the gods haue reuealed vnto me that ye onely are he to whom this great iustice and glorious vengeance is reserued Obeyng then the diuine prescieÌ„ce of the gods leaue off from henceforth to pursue the vengeance of a sort of euill iniuries and quarrels of Damsels of to base qualitie and come to take the possession and enioying of great goods and honors the which are prepared here for you thus doing ye shall content me and make me ioyfull She that desireth to remaine for euer in your good grace and remembrance Arlande The answere of Dom Florisel of Niquea to the letters of Arlande graciously refusing hir demaunde aswell bicause that Balarte was iustly slaine as that Amadis of Greece was his father In the .9 booke and the .14 Chapter DOm Florisel of Niquea the sonne of the right vertuous and stout Prince Amadis of Greece to Arlande the Princesse of Thrace salutatioÌ„s eueÌ„ such as hir excelleÌ„cy deserueth Madam I haue receiued the letters which it hath pleased you to send me by this your Damsell and reading them I knowe the great desire that ye haue to reuenge the deathe of Prince Balart your brother slaine as I haue vnderstanded most valiantly in the campe of the battell by the handes of my right déere father Amadis of Greece for a good and a iust quarrell a thing that should diuert and turne you to make any such suteâ— for the more that the cause of his death shall be published the more dishonor shal fall both vpon him vpon those that shal enforce themselues to reuenge him euerie man euidently knowing his vnrighteousnesse for the mischeuous turne that he purposed to doe vnto him that with all graciousnesse and good intreating receiued him into his house Therfore Madam finde it not strange at al if in this I satisfie not your desire not for the regarde of the honour and reuerence that I ought to haue naturally to him that hath begotten me but for as much as I should greatly offende God and my honour yea I should do against all reason to reuenge so vertuous an acte putting the case that another than my father had done it And I well assure you that who so euer woulde obey you in tâ—at he shall finde himself iustly smitten of God augmenting the shame and dishonour of him that deserueth to be buried in the darkenesse of obliuiousnesse As concerning the goods that ye promise me that is to make me possessour and to enioye your excellent beautie and all your possessions ye may vnderstande by these present letters that I vnder the condition that ye damaund haue a iust occasion to refuse theÌ„ neuerthelesse I thanke you as much as I caÌ„ possible for your good wil and affection that ye beare me in recompence wherof I promise you to employ me to be your seruaunt and to serue you in all that honour and vertue shall commaund me Thus much Madam praying the creator of al things vnto whom vengeance ought to be reserued to giue you his holy grace and after that I may be affectuously recommended â—o yours He that desireth you all goodnesse and encrease of honour the knight of the she shepherde A letter from Dom Florisell of Niquea to fair Helen princessâ— of Apolonia excusiâ—g himselfe of the boldnesse that he taketh to write vnto hir and to present hir his heart In thâ—â—â— booke the .33 Chapter MAdame if ye wil measure your highnesse and aduise you vpon the kingdome that ye possesse in respect of me that am but a wandring knighte and yet vnknowen vnto you I thinke well that ye would maruell of my temeritie and foolish boldnesse that durst write vnto you at this present but if ye would consider how great the force of loue is I am wel assured that your benignitie and sweetenesse shal excuse me and accuse this diuine beautie and good grace the which yesterday did so rauish me of my libertie that I had not the power nor the will neuer to loue or to serue any other but you For this cause I tooke boldnesse to pray you as humbly as I may possible to receiue my faithfull heart the whiche hathe left me to be wholly yours and doth suffer me to keepe and to name me your knight and very affectionate â—eruant the which shall little estéeme all his misfortunes that are past if ye would do him so great honor as that he might one of these dayes tell you by mouth that he feareth to write vnto you bicause of the little aquaintance that ye haue of him praying the creator and maker of all things the which hath mâ—ued you with so great beautie to giue you the increase of honor and felicitie You re most humble and obediente the knight of the she shepherde The princesâ—e of Apolonia doth
Then casting my sight on euery syde I saw a sworde hanging the which I tooke sodenly and the villaine came to me hauing a Partâ—ane in his hande wherewith he smote once at me the which leaping aside I auoyded and so that he perced me not but onely my veluet Casdâ—kâ— in two partes or else he had smitten me through the bodie Then I gaue him such a garter in the hamme and so right vpon the ioynt that by and by he fell downe in the place and cast out his armes to take me but I layd the sworde so betwene him and me that it perste him vnto the hiltes thorow the middle of his bellie Then through paine he stretched him and I that they which were beneath shoulde not perceyue it tooke a hatchet wherwith I cut his gorge as it had bene a great Oxe So I tooke the keyes and went to open the gate of the prison where I founde my Ladie trembling for the feare that shée had of the strife and debate that she heard betwéene Bocarel me the which embraced me kist men hundred times saying Alas Florarlan what shall become of thy life if the Duke vnderstand thy déede My minion God prserue thée and kepe thée to much more greater things Madame quoth I the thing that is done cannot be vndone but I sée the remedie that is to go to the Duke and to tell him that ye haue sent me worde by Bocarell to pray him to sende me to the king â—o requyre him of a certaine thing and that afterwardes yée will applie vnto his will. Thus I shall get out and escape Againe she â—ooke me about the neâ—ke smiling for my inuention Then I sayd vnto hir that there was no tarying there that I she beholding the thing being out of that place should haue businesse for hir deliuerance Ye muste she sayd goe to Constantinople and beare me a letter to Prince Florisell of Niquea but we haue not here wherewithall to make it It shall not let sayd I for that for I will go and take a Réed in Bocarels chamber and mingle it with the bloud of this ruffian with the which ye may write this present letter Incontinent I kist hir hands she blessing me and commending me to god I shut the doore tied the keyes againe to the Iaylers girdle bycause men should not perceyue that I had spoken with hir I went to the Duke the which did graunt me my demaund verie willingly and caused the gate to be opened vnto me a horse to be deliuered me vpon whom I haue done my businesse hitherto kéeping no way vntill I was farre from Thrace And I haue bestowed one lincke of my chaine for my expences and this habit the which I haue taken and made conformable and méete for the estate of my Ladie This is it my Lorde that I was charged withall to shewe you Arlande doth shew hir father the king of Thrace howe that the Princes of Grece haue forgiuâ—n hir and deliuered hir of the death that shee had of a long time purchased for them and for this cause she prayeth him to receyue them to his amitie In the .10 booke the .62 Chapter MY Lorde I haue for a time employed all my power to purchase the vengeance of my brother Balerte vpon those that slue him as euery man might haue perceyued afterwards my enimies met with me in such perill that without their succour I had lost mine honour or my life Who then should haue so inhumain a heart to procure his death â—y whoÌ„ he hath and holdeth his life seeing also that the accideâ—â— and chaunce of my brother doth not charge him with any treason or vnfaythfulnesse and is not to be imputed but to the ordinarie hazard chance of warre I being for this cause deliuered by you agaynst my will to Madasanill vnder the condition of vengeance vpon the Princes of Grece vnto whome I was in dâ—t for my deliuerance at leastwise they are quited concerning me for the recompence of good for euill they haue holpen me in the captiuitie that I was in and in such sort as ye doe sée notwithstanding the treason of the Duke as this noble bloud is alwayes in Gods protection Therefore I beseeche you my Lorde to consider my déede with reason pacifying your courage for my sake and making agréement with those whose aliance receyueth no coÌ„parison of that of Furio Cornelio As touching me I doe offer my selfe vnto you to dispose me after your owne will as Isaac did to his father Abraham And of them I ensure you ye shall not be hindered nor let in any poynt of your royall libertie Ye sée here the great king Amadis of France sée Florisel of Niquea whose father saued my life vpon the sea there is the Prince Phalanges of Astre and the valiant Alastraxeree the whiche although they haue you in their handes desire but your amitie The Queene Sidonia dothe wryte to Morasiel the whiche will giue hir daughter of whome he had left hir greate in mariage to him that will bring hir his head to be reuenged by his death of the wrong that he haâ—h done hir deceyuing hir vnder the colour of mariage In the 10. booke the .65 Chapter SIdonia Quéene of the I le of Guinday founder of glorious lawes to hir owne shame to thée fayned Moraisel shée sendeth this salutation to depriue thée the better I hauing presented to thée mine owne person and royal lordship folowing the rigorousnesse of my ordinances thou haste fraudulently accepted it notwithstanding thy incapacitie kéeping the one parte of the edicte and lawe and violating the other And hauing thus vniustly vsurped the honour of my royall bedde haste lefte me in long heauinesse for thy absence without at any time afterwardes aduertising me of the abuse that thou haste brued me but of the new bedde that thou hast practised what excuse can ye forge or inuent but to haue willed to by againe the life of the gentle Prince Phalanges of Astre Ah ah amitie did binde thée to lay thine owne life for his and not thy honour and mine whereof I call the Gods to auenge me of thy periurie in our mariage and I will purchace it among men by the frute that is issued of the daughter of whome thou didst leaue me girded and great the whiche for the vantage of beautie that she hath aboue all the fairest of the worlde I haue named hir Diana to the likenesse of the Plane that in heauen dothe deâ—ace all other The whiche I nourishe for the pryce and hire of thy head promising hir with my realme in mariage to him that shall bring me that present And for this I haue caused the towers of Phebus and Diana to be builded Wherein she shal be inclosed not to be séene of any liuing man vntill the comming of my auenger hir husbande the whiche shall shine in thy place and shée shall fayle in myne after the companie that my soule shall go
onely fountaine of my wealth I pray you not to do me so much harme as to frustrate me of the consolation that I receyue nowe declaring my miserie vnto you Yet if I in this thing commit any offence it shall please you to consider that the feare the which I haue of your chaste honestie cannot resist my desire nor the fire wherwith I burne will not suffer me to disguise and hide my anguishes any longer from you But if your highnesse will wholly denie me the conuenient remedie of my sicknesse at leastwise ye shall not forbid me at all or let me to open the euill that I suffer for your beautie for if ye may knowe it I haue the contentation of this glorie without looking for any other helpe I then onely requyre for this day that I maye name me your knight and that vnder so great an houre and good fortune I maye finde my selfe assured agaynst all daungers praying and beséeching you Madame not to refuse me this gifte considering that hauing set all my power in you there remayneth in me no force but that the which it shall please your good Grace to giue me The answere of Princesse Leonida to Prince Rogel In the 12. booke the .1 Chapter MY Lorde content your selfe with the fauour that the hardinesse of your thoughtes hath graunted you vpon me and knowe that I a Damsell as I am I haue no lesse néede of my chastitie for the conseruation of my honour than you as ye say of my good grace to come to the heade of your enterprise Therefore to proue vs both at auenture wherevnto wise men shall now conduct vs my presence shall suffise you if ye should as ye doe say receyue so great good fortune for as touching my selfe I will content me with yours and with the armes of my chastitie A pitifull complaint of Diana for the absence of Agesilan hir Louer In the .12 booke the .6 Chapter AGesilan ye shoulde content you with the name of Daraide and with the amitie that one Damsell doth beare to another without the increasing thus of my amorous passions by the chaunging of your name that I in your absence shoulde suffer the feare of a hundred daungers in the whiche peraduenture ye are not But what say I For if ye loued me with the like loue that I loue you ye shoulde endure and suffer for mée the selfe same trauell that I nowe suffer for you Alas my deare friende I thinke that loue woulde that I shoulde pay by the anoyance that I receyue by your absence the dolour that yée shoulde nowe suffer for béeing so farre from mée O that it pleased GOD I mighte holde my heart in my hande to the entente I might as well contemplate with the eyes of my heart my Agesilan the whiche is there so liuely printed as I haue him both nighte and day represented before the eyes of my thought Alas loue wherefore is it thy will that my sufferance farre passeth his that loueâ—h me constrayning me to kéepe that secrete the whiche thou doest suffer him to open For why giuing me a lyke aduauntage I am sure that the publication of my dolours might prepare me some quietnesse in steade of hyding them I féele that dayly theyr fiercenesse dothe growe within my courage after the fashion and maner of fire straytely kept within the fornace continually doubling his force strength O fountaynes of my teares succour and helpe my lyfe in this daunger of the burning flames in the which ye sée that my heart doth consume and burne and ye heauie sighes faythfull witnesses of my heauinesses giue mée a little ayre to my embrused breast that I die not and that dying I cause not him to dye likewyse for whome onely I enforce me to liue Alas Daraide yée haue brought mée out of this trumperie by the whiche yée shoulde haue enioyed my loue without opening of your thoughtes to mée to torment mine the more with this cruell flame the whiche béeing discouered coulde gyue you no lesse alleageaunce than it giueth mee nowe discomfort assaying mée to holde and to keepe my wyll and mynde couert Alas Agesilan howe shoulde you holde and thinke your paynes well recompensed if I were suffered or euer I die to cause you to knowe that the feare of léesing my lyfe coulde not wynne so muche vpon mée that I woulde wryte vnto you the extréeme passion that I suffer for your loue Comforte your selfe my Lorde and friende by the consolation that I receyue hearing you named onely althoughe I kéepe this ioye secretâ— to my selfe Alas Duchesse Lardenia why haue yée discouered that Daraide commaunded you to kéepe secrete O that the reuerence and the respect that shée had to my honestye had greatlye ouerpassed youre obeysaunce séeyng that wyth these cruell martyrdomes shée durste not discouer to mée the thing that yée wythoute anye payne that mooued you were bolde to open vnto mée O howe muche shoulde I hate the pleasure wherewith ye haue made Agesilan so greatly in your debt and me to trauell so greatly through dolour and paine O howe much Daraide are ye bounde to hir I vâ—rie little to you O the grieuous heauinesse for why I will holde my peace but so doing I pay for my silence that I owe vnto my dolour séeing that I endure it without hope of any other rewarde and I will endure and suffer it in time to come with the reason that I haue to endure it and yet searching al meanes and wayes by the which I may come to the rest that other Louers desire and of their Louers do looke for The complaint of Daraide wishing for death bicause he durst not bee knowne to his Ladie In the .12 booke the .7 Chapter ALas I sée nowe that my death onely shall cause my Ladie to knowe me séeing that I dare not discouer and open who I am fearing to léese vtterly the fauours that I haue receyued of hir Alas my Ladie Lardenia if ye cannot succour me by some remedie at leastwise ye shall succour me by the pitie that I pray you to take of my misfortune If ye can giue me no hope giue me some consolation that I in this trauell in the which ye sée me do not vtterly dispayre O that my destinies are miserable for why the thing that I séeke for my comfort that is the sight of my Ladie whiche doth encrease my martyrdome more and more Alas my deare Lardenia what good counsell can ye giue me séeing that my dolor doth not suffer it What consolation séeing that the meane from whence I shoulde receyue it that is the presence of my Ladie causeth me to double my anoyance and trouble What remedie séeing there is no hope what life séeing that I am in a continuall death Alas my Ladie Duchesse I know that ye cannot giue me the thing that I demaunde of you nor I aske it not of you for any other intention but to take the pitie on me that doth wholly lacke
in my Ladie O howe often doe I desire death how often in the selfe same houre doe I feare it to the ende that I lese not the occasion euermore of continue in my mortal anguishes and paines O how much more fortunate should I be if I wholy had lost my vnderstandinge and yet I wil not léese it fearing to lese with it the remembrance of the reason whiche proceedeth from my sense and perseueraÌ„ce for the great pride of my thoughts Alas it shal be best to holde my peace that I doe my selfe no wrong seing that I knowe not and knowing that I may not speake through the straunge dolours for the which the desyre to die and the will to liue doe torment me An amorous complainte of Daraide to the Princesse Diana In the .12 booke the .8 Chapter O Madame by what meanes maye I at any tyme recognyse the great fauor that hath pleased you now to shew me O happie wordes of the heart séeing they are so greate a cause of so great quiet and reste to the great wounds of the soule O celestiall handes the which by your diuine beautie may make and cause two springs of teares to flowe oute of my eyes to remedie the cruell flames wherwith I féele me to be burned Alas by what meane shall I rewarde you â—or the good succor that ye presently giue mée to my mortal heauinesse And I pray you madame séeing that wordes doe fayle mée in this dolour nor that I can not tell the thing I do endure that it woulde please you to supplye this faulte and to comprehende through this diuine spirite that the Gods haue infuded and put in you the euâ—ll that I suffer thus cruelly and that this little whiche I declare vnto you maye bee equall in his extremite in the perfections wherewyth the Heauens haue made you noble aboue all the Princes of the worlde Alas madame it semeth to me that I doe iniurye and wrong to my selfe to lyue so longâ— hauing so iuste an occasion to dye I féele that my lyfe doâ—th euen nowe complaine it selfe and lament within me bicause that my wordes woulde shewe you the dolours and paynes that I suffer for your loue althoughe they can no other wayes be discouered but by my death Alas I die and I sée well that I die and yet I cannot cause the nyest ende of my lyfe to be knowne I am wholy brought to Ashes and yet the fyre doth not ceasse to martyr mée Alas Madame pardon me if I knowe not what purpose or communication I holde or haue wyth you For it is not to be maruelled at if I know not what I ought to doe when I knowe not what I ought to saye Séeing then that I lacke the greatest good thing that I coulde haue in this worlde whiche is to cause you to knowe my euill and paine I beséeche you to consider it by my silence and the little power that I haue to declare it or of your selfe to bestowe the soueraigne graces that the Gods haue gyuen you to thinke vppon the default of my purposes for why by this meanes I am fast and sure that ye shall knowe the thing that I sâ—â—fer althoughe I can not expresse it The complaynt of Daraida In the .12 booke the .9 Chapter ALas fayre Diana howe greatly doth the clearenesse of thy beames negligently spread in this medowe encrease my anguishes and heauie thoughtes For by thy light as cleare as Siluer thou renuest my memorie of hir that doth shine with much greater beautie vpon my heart than thou doest nowe vpon the earth the whiche with lesse care than thou dothe burne by day through hir sight by night by hir remeÌ„brance hir continuall clearnesse vpon me O Madame Diana the too cruell Gods haue willed that ye in the night should reioyce you in the portraiture of youre Daraide whome you haue in your companie and that Daraida separated from you had onely the meane to contemplate hir that doth shine throughout all the world with the same name that ye haue but not with such a beautie The complaynte of Daraide In the .12 Booke the .9 Chapter SEing it iâ— my Ladie Diana that the Gods haue giuen to your highnesse a beautie sufficient to embrace all creatures that may comprehende it neuer so little howe can you accuse the flames with the whiche I burne through youre meanes séeing that they discouer themselues in the presence of hir that of hir selfe did kindle them Alas Madame beholde howe your knight is well nighe brought to Ashes and howe all the teares that roll from his two eyes yea rather from hys two Ryuers all along hys heauie face coulde not suffise to temper the fyres of your vniust and obstinate cruelnesse O me miserable what shall I doe more than to make you knowe my euill I vndoe my selfe and those that doe make mée slacke to tell you and so muche the more I slacke the hope of my remedie O loue I pray thée from henceforth to giue some rest to my dolours and paynes eyther by a more fortunate lyfe or by a nighe and a shorte death Alas I die and yée Madame whiche is the occasâ—on haue no pitie of him that pyneth awaye in a desperate martyrdome and torment for youre loue Consider that if for a tyme yée shoulde forgette youre great and soueraigne perfâ—ctions yée woulde soone remember the greatnesse of my merites and of that wherein the extreamitie of my passion dothe bynde you to mée wardes Alas Madame howe muche the better shoulde yée knowe my tormentes my martyrdome my dolours my sighes my trauelles and the burning flames of my loue if yée woulde regarde them hauing no respecte to that diuine beauâ—ye the whiche dothe lette that no man canne bée worthye to haue you if it bée not one of the highe and soueraigne Gods immortall But alas my extréeme euill fortune willeth that I after the fashion of a Pecocke should deface the fayre wheele conceyued by the hope of my thoughte beholding the sylthinesse or foulenesse of the feete whiche is the least and fewest merites that I knowe in my self Thus madame the knowledge of your highnesse doeth let you to estâ—â—me my smalnesse The letter of Filisell of Montespin to Marfira praying hir to take pitie of the torment that he suffred for hir loue and to giue him a meane to speake with hir In the .12 booke the 13. Chapter DOm Filisell of Montespin doeth send to the fayre and gracious laâ—â—e Marfira health and good fortune the which he himselfe hath lost by the violence of hir diuine beautie I knowe not madame whereof I shoulde moste complayne mée eyther of the payne that I suffer for your loue or of the thing that I may not cause you to knowe to be suche as I féle it for by this meane my payne is so greately tormented willing to expresse it by my wordes as I am my self tormented that I haue not the power to expresse it But O I well
cause Sidonia to die for Dom Florisel but she shall wel defende hir self frō the feare of death for to defend hir faithfulnes that she ought him for the stable and burning loue that she hath cōtinually borne hym at this present dothe beare him Consider then king Balthasar that thinking to winne me thou doest léese mée and thinking to offende me thou shalte offende in nothing for a sworde shall not fayle me at all to resiste thy offence but thou mayste well offende me with thy armes the lawes of the Gods immortall whiche gouerne the sworde of iustice haue muche more force than thine thou shalte likewise offende the Prince of Greece whose righte of mariage thou wouldest violate for although he hath playde by trumperie and deceyte yet it is so that for his honour he will not let passe the iniuries without reuengyng of them that thou shalt doe me And seyng that for the reuerence that he beareth me he in my fauour hath saued their liues that sought to haue his heade as the kings of Gaza and of the Massagenes other of thy cōpanie giuing sure witnesse thou mayst well thinke that nowe he shal be as readie to cause them to léese theyr heades to please me withall as he hath at other times bene prest and readie for my loue to saue them Wherefore kyng Balthasar enterpryse not a warre whereby through hatred thou doest hope to winne hir that hateth and maketh warre agaynst hir selfe the greate loue that enflameth hir cōstrayning nor suffering hir honour to be destroyde nor shal féele hir selfe Demaund neyther loue nor peace of hir that hath neyther loue nor peace with hir selfe and with thée So then I am minded to defende my will and to resist thine and continually sauing my accustomed chastitie I will sustayne my déere countrey and realme calling the Gods to my iustice and men to my defense And purchasing this peace of me I am ready to sustayne suche warre as thou haste denounced vnto me The Oration of Queene Sidonia to the Citizens of Guinday incityng hyr Vassalles valiantly to defend◠hyr and sooner to suffer death than to let theyr renoume be defiled and of hyr parte she had rather die than to fall into the power of hyr enimies In the .12 booke the .43 Chapter IF the duetie whereof we are indetted to vertue my déere fréendes and faythfull Citizens commaunded vs not rather to sacrifice our liues for the conseruation of oure honour than to suffer it in any thing to bée corrupted in asmuche as honour beyng loste we during this mortall life can haue nothing that is good they may complayne them of the vncertaine issue of thinges that with good right and to sustayne their auncient renoume doe giue themselues with a franke courage to the inconstancie of fortune But séeyng that wée be bounde to defende our honour euen to deathe the multitude of enimies nor the doubtfull chaunce of one battell shoulde not put vs in feare for nothing We should onely feare least that the faulte and fayntnesse of heart cause vs to incurre any infamie and that the vniustnesse of our enimie make vs not more afearde than our good right dothe make vs constant for by such slouthfulnesse men might doubte of the experience of fortune the whiche gaue long since to sixe thousande souldiars of Greece the victorie of one million of Perses of the whiche there were slayne two hundred thousande in the playne fielde The selfe fortune graunted to Lucul the Romane hauing but tenne thousande souldiars in his tentes to ouercome by his vertue and good righte the kyng Tygrane and his infinite thousandes of fighting menne among the whiche were fiftie thousande horse menne This greate armie was ouerthrowen and broken in battell araye and the ensigne displayde and in open fielde by those whiche were very fewe in number but many in magnanimitie of courage for by the reason of theyr good righte they supplied the defaulte of theyr number and by the strength of their armes they resisted the feare of fortune as knowyng that the multitude of armed menne maketh the victorie neuer the surer and beyng fewer in number than the enimies menne shoulde not léese the assurance and lesse the hope to winne the glory of the combatte and fielde There is not he that may flée deathe when shée is appoynted him by the destinie of the highe Gods nor also there is not hée the whiche dying is not bounde to saue his good renoume that the shame and infamie of his deathe doe not desile the auncient honour of his lyfe Yée doe knowe the good right that I haue in this warre ye may remember the obedience that hitherto yée haue shewed me as to your Quéene And if I be not disceyued yée do yet remember the rewarde that ye haue receyued for your faithfulnesse I thinke that yée abhorre all tyrannie and I thinke that eche of you is readie to chase it from him as prepared and bounde to receyue deathe for the entertaynement of libertie in the which I haue alwayes enterteyned you and haue hither to defended you We shall haue to our ayde the Gods immortall as those which are the certaine reuengers of outragiousnesse and the sure defenders of innocencie If then reason good right and the ayde of Gods fayle vs not at all in this quarell let vs so doe that good courage fayle vs not and when fortune would enuie our good houre let vs rather choose an honourable death than a shamefull lyfe with a miserable seruitude and bondage Consider also of your part that I refusing the alliances of these barbarous kings that ye shall not onely defende my priuate quarell but also your publike with your goodes your libertie your wiues your children marking the calamities that in time to come ye if ye haue suche tyrants to your Lordes shall indure and suffer Therefore my friendes take a good heart vnto you and nowe shewe the valiantnesse and vertue that ye haue the which is néedfull that ye nowe shewe to defende your selues from those that haue enterprysed your ruine and destruction Do so then that men may sée their spoyles hanging within our Temples for an immortall tryumph of your victorie and ye shall beléeue that the king of Russia shall neuer triumph of the faythfulnesse that Sidonia doth owe vnto him that she first hath receyued for hir husbande but contrariwise for the Barbarian sworde shall not so soone appeare within our walles but that mine shall incontinent appeare within the breast of my daughter and me that by this franke death I shall deliuer my life from subiection leauing my dead bodie vpon the colde earth without spot and satisfying him by the immortalitie of this sacrifice the which as I trust in your vertue and fortitude ye would haue made of your selues before I should sée my self in such extremitie But I am so assured of the iustice of the Gods and of the force and strength of your right handes that I doe yet