you the best aduise I may let you with your eyes beholde the certaine euent of this most dangerous enterprise in which you are engaged And opening therewith a Posterne gate she placed me in a great immense and spatious playne called the Vniuersal Sepulcher of mankind open and discouered on euery side without eyther Rocke or Mountaine so that there was no limit nor restraint to the eye but that it might boldly and frankly throw his view so farre as the sharpenesse thereof coulde pearce or discerne and as the playne was infinite so was the number of Graues Monumentes vpon most of the which of those of the right side were Epitaphes and famous Figures of the name and being of humane creatures whom Death had swallowed and deuoured Marke now there sayd she yf you can and note vp the number of those enterred bodies who sometimes florished with such applause of the worlde in great pompe honorable estate But yf your wittes be not able to comprehende them nor no wysedome learning or retentiue able to register them then rest assured that the force of your aduersaries are mightie and to be feared for they are all the spoyles of Debilitie and Accident See there the Churchyarde of Memorie wherein you shall finde buried al those whose names are in the sacred historie of the Bible mentioned Enoch and Elyas only excepted of whom it pleased the heauenly wisedome otherwyse to dispose There shall you finde all those whose names Homers heroicall verse or Liuies maiesticall prose hath made glorious to the worlde Those that Valerius and Orosius spake off lie here all in a reckoning Olde young rich poore fayre and foule lie heere altogeather encoffined The great warriours of Babylon the learned Philosophers of Athens the vanquishing Graecians and the ouercome Troyans the Amazonian Viragos and the Romane Matrons being summoned by DEATH haue all accomplished her commandement heere their carkases do rest I saw there of Queenes and Princesses Ladyes and Gentlewomen of high degree such a number that it passed imagination of which though some had bin glorified with regall diademes some shined with admirable beautie some adorned with infinite wysedome and incomparable vertue yet had no one of them all bin able to defende her selfe against the Neuermissing Dart of Liues enemie There were Popes and parish Clarkes Cardinals and Carters Bishops and Beggers Patriarkes and Pedlers though before time in degree vnequall yet now to the woormes alike who found no difference in their flesh Their bones being confusedly put togeather of such likenes that one was not to be knowen from another Emperours and slaues Kinges and Ploughmen Lordes and vacabondes Law-giuers Louts were there all vnder Deaths clapnet None of them escaped nor euer shall thence bring newes to the worlde of the good or euyll enterteinment he there receiued Retyred Virgins new professed Nunnes and aged Abbesses vertuous Matrones and wanton Curtizanes all had there yeelded vp their lyues to Deaths commandement In fine such was the infinitnesse of the number that my eyes were weeried with viewing and my spirits dulled with meditating vpon them Of all those whose carkases I there behelde I woulde gladliest yf I knew which way entreate of those of this present age of ours But though it shoulde please God to graunt vnto me the lyfe of Mathusalaem and I shoulde in all that time do nothing els but write yet should I want space to reckon vp the number of the dead inhabitantes that this playne possessed Cruell Accident woundeth Debilitie ouerthroweth and Atropos in her forest geueth them free campe and there all humane creatures do ende their lyues For so victorious is the violent hand of Consuming Death that whatsoeuer Nature buyldeth and maketh he breaketh and dissolueth and from this lot no mortall creature is free Herewith Memorie seeing me at these tragical sightes oppressed with exceeding sadnesse with a chearefull countenance bad me not be dismayed For Feare quoth she befitteth not a noble minde but yf you will folow my aduise take with you a magnanimious resolution to die constantly and with patience and so to order your soule that it may not be subiect to a seconde death but rather be receyued into that euerlasting ioy where it shall liue eternally in glorious rest And therewith leading me into an inner mansion and enterteining me still with good and vertuous counsell I tolde her that though my cause of Feare were greater then any hope of Comfort yet in fine come what woulde I was resolued to proue the vnauoydable aduenture let lyfe or death ensue as vnto the diuine Almightinesse should be most pleasing Of which my so resolued courage she did conceiue such liking that she offered her selfe to be my guyde which I thankfully accepted and without delay she tooke her Palfrie and bad me follow her Such was the speede we made that of a sodaine before I was well aware we were arriued neere the fatall place where the cruell dreadfull combat to which I hasted was to be ended and determined At our verie arriuall I heard a great noyse and clattering of men and armour as though it had bin of some well fought Turney or warlike iusting but the sounde thereof seemed rather plaintfull and discomfortable then signifiyng any pleasant triumph Approching neerer I might see certaine great letters of Golde ingraued in a fayre register or table of Stone conteyning these following wordes Heere all vayne worldly deuises and the life of all humane Creatures maketh an ende This is the dolorous passage where the strength beautie wysedome puissance and valour of mankinde is vanquished and ouerthrowen Atropos is Ladie of this place who mainteyneth heere in garrizons two mightie Champions whose incomparable valour hath bereaued of lyfe all those that euer liued in the worlde heretofore and shall do the like with those that liue at this present Accident commonly beginneth the fight against whose sundry stratagems and strange kindes of fight no worldly strength preuayleth but yf at any time he chaunce to misse then commeth the Prince of sorow called Debilitie whose heauie comfortlesse blow no Armour of proofe withstandeth So that heere in fine all humane flesh endeth leauing to the worlde their possessions vanities pursuites and fonde desires wherein while they lyued they did set such pleasure flattering them selues with a foolish conceipt of longer enioying them But hearing a great rumor noyse within the Steccada I stayed no longer heere but got me to the listes where I found a great number of people assembled to beholde a strange dreadfull combat that was there to be tryed so that there was a great whispering and confused noyse of voyces Atropos beholding all sate aloft in a stately skaffolde queintly clothed with a garment embrodered rounde about with Putrified earth and Wormes Her gesture full of Ire and threatning and in her hande a Death-bringing Dart with which she first defieth them that least thinke of it Cruelty
sacrament of Baptisme in your forhead that your speede cannot be but good and glorious But now seeing you wel prouided of armes defensiue I thinke it not amisse to prouide you likewise of such as may hurt offende and terrifie your enemie Ordinarily whosoeuer is chalenged may choose to fight a foote or a horsebacke as he shal for his aduantage finde fittest But so diffrent is this your fight from the nature of other Combats that it is to be fought by your selfe alone and that on foote neither if it were otherwise would I haue you trust to your Horse or to any other helpe But euen that you do do it of your selfe I meane in doing workes of Charitie and bestowing Almes for your soules health while your selfe is liuing for when you are dead small auaile will the good workes done by your heires yeelde you neither as the worlde goeth will they be greatly carefull of any such performance Alwayes prouided that for the securer passage to the place appoynted you take Baptisme whom at your birth you vowed neuer to denie for your Padrine He will yeelde you valoure courage and contentment and to your enemie terrour sadnesse and amazement such and so preheminent is the force of this excellent Sacrament Let your Casting-dart be surely steeled with a head of feruent Deuotion your Speare Remembrance of his Death that with his Blood redeemed you your Dagger with a sharpe and wel pearcing point of a pure vigorous and true catholique Faith and your Targuet of vertuous Example witnessed by good Workes And seeing you want now nothing but a Sworde let the same be of Iustice keene and wel edged doing vnto others as you woulde be done vnto your selfe But especially and aboue all looke as I said that these your Harnesse and Weapons be without delay yea without the losse of one moment tempered by true and wel grounded Repentance who for such a conflict is of all others an armourer most excellent Stande not vpon Inconueniences nor be not pulled backe with Worldly lets nor terrified with Charges but be diligent and looke well about you it is no matter of mine it concerneth yourselfe neither is there any freende or kinsman in the worlde how deere soeuer vnto you that will or may fight this Combat for you Good father quoth I I hartely thanke you for these your so louing and zelous aduertisments which haue alredy taken so deepe an impression in my minde that I hope through Gods goodnesse I shalbe able in some part to execute and performe them Yet because there must be a preparation and meane while betweene this the time of my Combat I pray you tell me how I shoulde behaue and exercise my selfe to be the better able to withstande the dreadfull approche of my Death-bringing enemie Nay quoth he whether there shalbe any meane while or time of preparation giuen you that onely knoweth the Diuine prouidence For you may chaunce to be sommoned euen while you are now speaking Therefore I wish you not to be vnresolute or long in preparing but to put your selfe presently in redinesse seeing the thing that by delay you do put in hazarde is no lesse then the eternall weale or woe of your soule which is either to be glorified with blisfull and euer-during ioyes or els to be condemned to the ragefull neuer-ceasing tormentes of hell fire Woebe vnto them that making hereof but a skoffe and iest do hazarde so great a treasure as their soule vpon so hard a iumpe as to delay preparation in so important a matter especially the time and sodainnesse thereof being so vncertaine Yet if it so fall out that there be any space of preparation or amendement which the goodnesse of the heauens graunt you I would haue you to spende the same in vertuous exercise and practise of your fore-described weapons Adioyne vnto them the often vse of feruent Prayer not onely with an outward wagging of your lippes but also with an inwarde weeping of your hart Rise earely in the morning least the nights darknesse at vnawares ouertake you Stop as neare as you can your fiue sensual powers from hearing seeing touching tasting or consenting to any Wickednesse fraile sensualitie or blasphemous impietie Slumber not drowsilie in Sinne but watchfully arise by true Contrition and vnfeigned Repentance As your appetite so let your tongue be temperately vsed Besides for the better enabling of your body against the endurance of fight I woulde haue you still be wrestling and skirmishing against such Champions as haue the chiefest fame for strength and power such are Pride Enuie Gluttonie Couetousnesse Slouth Anger and Sensualitie which doing and keeping your body cleane in breath with the sober diet of a vertuous and harmeles Life doubt not but cheerefully go on to the Combat for by Gods grace howsoeuer if fareth with your bodily life your better part shall triumph in glorious victorie and in despite of raging Lucifer and all his adherents purchase eternall saluation If there be any warde or poynt of defence that you doubt off repaire vnto some godly Father reuerend Priest of Christ his Church and he will sufficiently aduise you for such are the Maisters of Fence whose counsayle in these cases you must vse Good Father quoth I I finde great consolation in your speeches but now you haue tolde me what maner of Armes I must vse and what exercise I shoulde enterteine my selfe withall till the time of my Combat I pray you tell me yet a litle more how I shall behaue my selfe when I come to the paynefull poynt within the List or Barrier You haue not made this demaunde quoth he without great cause and reason for in deede such shalbe in that perilous conflict the trouble of your senses and terrour of your enemie conspiring all his wilinesse and force to your ouerthrow that it wilbe hard for you to retayne a constant behauiour especially seeing your selfe frustrated of all worldly helpe No one of your tendrest harted frendes will excuse you nor helpe to fight on your side yea perchance your parentes children and neerest freendes shall not at such disaduantage may you be taken be present to be vnto you witnesses of combat or meanes of comfort Therefore reposing no trust or confidence in any other helpe or assistance flie onely vnto GOD with a fast and feruent Fayth imploring his grace through the precious death and blessed merites of his onely Sonne our Sauiour with the contemplatiue meditation of whose holy crosse and bitter passion yf you do fortifie your hart and senses be assured that you shall therewith easily daunt and confounde your enemie Alwayes desire of God to geue you firme stablenesse in Fayth whose assistance being ioyned with mine I trust that in strength we shalbe able to vpholde you But withall for your greater securitie and repose I woulde haue you take with you a resting seate of Satisfaction which is in making Restitution and doing Right to whom
THE RESOLVED Gentleman Translated out of Spanishe into Englyshe by Lewes Lewkenor Esquier Nel piu bel vedere Cieco Imprinted at London by Richarde Watkins 1594. OMNE â—† BONVÌ„ â—† SVPERNE Maur. Kyffin to the Reader SEe heere layd open to thy sight and sence Th' Error and Terror of this wretched Life Thy many Foes the meanes for thy Defence The glorious End succeeding all this strife Learn to redeeme the precious Time heere lent thee Shunne false allurements and Courts subtilitie Resolue herein Of thine amisse repent thee So maist thou vanquish Chance and Debilitie This Allegorie shaped first in French And thence transferd into Castilian verse Conteining Rules our follies to retrench Lewknor by Metaphrase doth heere reherse Him vertue Armes and Languages adorn Hatefull reproouers he may iustly scorn Le Temps s'en va INforced cause vnfayned Loue proue both constaints in mee To raise my Muse Oh worthlesse Muse to sing the worth of thee But what I sing is that I see what I assured euer Hopes of your freends are springing stil sweete Lewes do stil perseuer And though nor Armes oh losse of Arme nor Muses now are minded Dispayre not freend men worthy know that now the time is blinded And as this perfect subiect shewes the subiect of thy minde So this pretends vnto thy frends more resteth yet behinde Thou leaust the Warres so wills thy freends leaue not the Muses name All is not lost though now likd least what left is vnto fame And rest not heere but still run on we longing are for more Great are thy guiftes yet geue vs still thou lesnests not thy store Rob. Dillington TO THE MOST HONORABLE AND VERTVOVS LADY THE LADY ANNE COVNTESSE OF WARWYCKE GReat Alexander excellent Lady in nothyng more delyghted then in the reading of warlyke discourses especially and aboue the rest with greatest affection he embraced the Iliades of Homer beholdyng therein as in a cleere looking glasse lyuely set foorth and deciphred in the person of Achilles the excellent vertues of his owne inuincible minde Traian lykewyse founde nothyng that so much pleased him as the morall preceptes and phylosophicall discourses of Plinie Neither is this affection peculiar onely to Princes but in a maner to the most part of men chiefly to delight in those discourses that to the qualitie of their humors are best agreeing In which regarde consideryng the sympathie betweene the noble vertues of your worthy minde and the most pure intentions of the Authour expressed in this Treatise I thought I coulde not to any more worthyly offer the patronage of this my poore translation entreating of a minde vertuously resolued then to your Ladyship whose pietie zeale religion and vertue haue placed you in that high seate of the worldes opinion that there is nothyng among all degrees sortes and sexes more honored nothyng more admired nothyng more applauded Accept therefore good Madame with your wonted fauour this poore Translation the greatest part of whose best substance is your owne as lyuely though vnder the shadowe of other names representyng the innated vertues of your owne noble minde I owe you many other dueties aswell in regarde of your many honorable fauours and continuall redinesse to do me good in Court since my first commyng to her Maiesties seruice as also of the infinite obligations which not onely I but also my Father and sundry of my frendes do owe vnto the memory of your noble deceassed Husbande and his most worthy and euer memorable Brother which I wyll rather endeuour alwayes to witnesse with an euer duetifull and obsequious remembrance then to endeere with any vayne circumstances of enforcing wordes And thus good Madame wyshing you happines and honor to the full measure of your vertues and mee to my wyll occasion and ablenesse to do you seruice I take in all humblenesse my leaue Your Ladyships euer most faythfully at commaundement Lewes Lewkenor To the Reader THis Treatise was first written in French by an ancient Knight of Burgundy called Olyuer de La Marche a man that both in matter of warre and peace bare great sway with Philip Duke of Burgundy and after him lykewise with Duke Charles his sonne whom in all his warres he neuer abandoned and was lastly with him at the vnfortunate battayle of Nancy in the yeere 1476. where by the Duke of Lorayne and the Swyssers he was ouerthrowen and slayne After this he had great charge and authoritie vnder his daughter the Lady Mary sole inheritrix of all the Dukes great estates and Prouinces who maryed Maximilian Archduke of Austria afterwardes elected Emperour to whom leauing two chyldren a sonne and a daughter she dyed shortly after some say of the fall from a Horse But this Authour who bestought to know the trueth sayth that it was through the inwarde conceyte of an excessiue sorow But once such was the greefe that he conceyued of her death and of the two other before named Princes vnder whom he had been brought vp that he retyred himselfe from administration of great matters to a quiet lyfe and in his solitarinesse composed this Treatise It hath been since translated into sundry Languages and among the rest by Don Hernando de Acunia into Spanysh verse and dedicated vnto the Emperour Charles the fifth whose translation I do here folow because I coulde neuer yet lyght on any of the French originals It seemeth that the Spanyarde in some places much altered the Authors meaning adding taking away according to his owne fancy and fitnes of the tyme in which he translated it as both by the sequele of this discourse appeareth as also by his Epistle to the Emperour which I haue here prefixed Some perchaunce may blame me of hauing done the Author whom I folow wrong by translating into an vneloquent barren Prose his excellent conceyte expressed in such heroicall Verse and beautified with so many fayre Tables purtraictes marueylously delighting with the varietie of the one and the sweetnesse of the other both the eare and the eye of the reader To this I answere with the confession of my fault that it is true and withall that this matter being for the most part allegoricall had in deede been farre better to haue been handled in verse Neuerthelesse I doubt not but those that do more esteeme substance then shadowes wyll lyke neuer the worse of the matter for being delyuered in a playne speach Neyther had mine Authour yf he were alyue any great cause to be angry with me seeing I haue bestowed an Englysh habite vpon him such as it is though it be no way comparable to the beautie of that wherewith he was in his owne countrey language attyred As for new fangled fickle conceyted heads that whensoeuer they reade any thing neuer go farther then the rynde my sliking of euery thing how vertuous matter soeuer it conteyne that thundreth not into their eares with a lofty tempest of words I would earnestly request them and that more in regarde of their owne
consisteth in fruitfully reading the sacred volume of the holy Scriptures the precious workes of those godly Doctors Fathers whose blessed pennes haue diuinely prescribed vnto vs the way of perfect repentance and vertuous perfection teaching vs nothing but that which still we ought to contemplate with the eyes of our mynde that is to lyue and die well For there is not any thing vnder heauen so happelesse heauie and miserable as for a soule sleeping carelesly in sinne to approch the dolorous passage of Death Of this desirable place I speake off the walles were all round about trimmed with Delight The Portal at which you entred figured foorth nothing but Pleasure The Dytches were secure deepe and well trenched curiously wrought in great conformitie by Good exercise The Chappel was of Zeale the Windowes of Charitable Loue the Gate wherein was the entrance and going foorth of Heedefulnesse and the Bridge of Industrious Trauaile The Vanes and Streamers of the house were of Pleasure which glystering aloft shewed all the passers by that there was the schoole and practise of Vertue and Learning No Idlenesse dared to approch this blessed Mansion for Diligence was the Porter Onely Emulation is suffered to enter who there serueth as a spurre to Vertuous operation In fine the time there bestowed is in the onely learning and exercise of that heauenly philosophie whereto whosoeuer arriueth may well be accounted happie and blessed That I was desirous to enter into this blisfull place no man needeth to doubt but in the end seeing the gates did not of themselues open vnto me I was bould to goe vnto the porter with earnest entreatie that I might by his fauour meanes be suffered to enter To which he answered this house said he which is the very Perfection of studie and enemy of ignorance is not to be dallied withall or to be entred with sportfulnesse and scorne For within it is enclosed the Treasure of life and the Riches of the Worldes wisedome it is kept and gouerned by a beautifull Princesse whom it hath pleased the highest to blesse with a Happy euer-during youth shee neuer changeth estate liuing free from deaths subiection her proper name is Memorie of all the worlde highly honored and esteemed From her are deriued all the chiefe pleasures wherewith Olde age is honored whom through wisedome and experience shee ennobleth with regard and worship Where shee is enterteined shee neuer breedeth weerinesse making him blessed with whom shee pleaseth to harbour Some there are whom shee flieth though they labour neuer so earnestly to be acquainted with her for in her operations is so great strange a secret of nature that neither Socrates nor Plato noral the deepe pearcing wits of the passed Philosophers haue bin able to define whence or how this corruptible body of ours is beautified with so pure and excellent an ornament as this of Memorie But for my part I do verily beleeue without any doubt or question that this being so singular a good procedeth onely from the miraculous working of God and not from any setled habite or ingrafted guift of nature for as the soule hath by God her habitation domicile appointed her in the body so hath Memorie hers in the soule it selfe whence she springeth vsing her qualities and operations And seeing the soule is an inuisible peculiar frame and workmanship of God as a sparke of his diuinitie It foloweth then also that my Ladie and Mistresse must needes be a seuered work of God alone without hauing any relation to Nature 〈…〉 Her excellence nobilitie and byrth considered and withall the notable comforts and sweete sauouring vertues that she in her selfe conteyneth she hath euer bin of all wise men honored in high degree as one of the chiefest beauties and ornaments of lyfe Since I first came acquainted with her seruice I haue bin in stead of her seruant as it were her gardian My name is Diligence and I continually accompanie her in respect of the vehement loue I beare vnto vertuous studie whose true perfection without her helpe is not to be obteyned The onely way to see her perfectly is through Vertuous industrie first by exercising our mindes to learne and know and then fastly to reteine that which we haue once learned and knowen But because I see you are arriued to this vncomfortable soyle of Olde Age taking compassion of your weakened forces I will accomplish your desire hoping somewhat therewith to refresh and comfort the languishing of your spirites Whereupon being by this industrious Porter brought to the presence of Memorie I was of her saluted with a most pleasing and gentle behauiour Her attire was sumptuous and rich embrodered in meruailous art by Cogitation rounde about strangely presenting vnto my view a large course and historie of Time both past and present And withall the more to subtilize my remembrance she made me smell to a Garlande of Knowledge which she ware whose excellent and delicious odour did so refresh the vigour of my senses that me thought I was not halfe so earthly as before After some few conferences I requested her to fauour me with the sight of her librarie which I imagined could not be but rare magnificent But she briefly answered me that whosoeuer determined to studie there may not vse any other bookes or lessons then such as Remembrance yeeldeth him for it were labour lost and meere vanitie for old men to begin first then to studie Their exercise ought rather to be in well keeping and reteyning that which before time they had seene and learned and therewith in shewing the fruites of their wysedome to recreate them selues and to counsell others But now tell me sayd she what is the thing that you do demaunde of me you shall finde me redy to yeelde you satisfaction Being comforted with her courteous and gentle language I did without delay acquaint her with the circumstances of my aduenturous enquest telling her how that my thought-fulnesse had instantly mooued me to visite the forest of Atropos which voyage I had now resolued and withall to enter in single combat with eyther of the two famous Champions Debilitie or Accident to whose garde the place is committed beseeching her earnestly to tell me if she had heard read or founde in any ancient bookes writinges or recordes hidden figures or long remembrance of times that any of these Champions had bin put to the foyle by any of those worthy men that at sundry ages haue liued so puissant and conquering in their times For yf any one had at any time or in any age vanquished them I woulde not doubt but by Gods assistance to goe as farre as he that had gon farthest But in fine howsoeuer the matter shoulde goe I tolde her that I was resolued to winne eyther glorie with my sworde or with my body death Memorie hauing with attention heard my speaches I will not sayd she smilingly enterteine you with long discourses but geuing
amazement and feare that presently quitting the place he shal with haste repayre vnto the Pauilion of Atropos laying before her with a wylde and affrighted gesture the great danger of her selfe and her estate yf presently she did not take better order for the resistance of this puissant arriuing enemie As for me shal he say I am not able to beare the stroke of so vnresistable a force for how can I alone but feare him whom so many mightie Kings vnited and the most warlike nations of the worlde did so dreadfully redoubt This is he of whom the Destenies haue so often tolde you that with such an ouergreatnesse should commaund the worlde Great Maximilian Emperour of the Romane Monarchie shoulde serue him in his warres and to do him both honour and homage shoulde with the Englysh Rose adorne his Imperial diademe Iames the most puissant valourous King of warlike Scotlande should with the ouerthrow of his royal assembled Armie the slaughter of his innumerable Subiectes the death of his greatest Peeres the losse of al his honorable Enseignes Artillarie and Munitions and finally with his owne liues losse yeelding him at Floddon a most famous and memorable victorie satisfie his royall indignation so iustly conceyued at the disloyaltie of so neare a beloued kinsman freend The inuading French should with the feareful noyse of his onely approching name drowne them selues in the Southerne Seas Great Frauncis whom French hystoriographers and not vnworthely shoulde cal their Achilles should so feare the fortune of this inuincible Prince that he shoulde suffer him to range with his Armie ouer his Countrey vnfought withal to put sundry of his Townes to the sacke and lastly to returne victoriously vncontrolled Charles the fifth then whom since Charlemayne there neuer lyued a more worthy and heroycall Emperour though highly offended with him for his Auntes diuorsment yet should be so farre from daring to reuenge it notwithstanding the greatnesse of his Empire and many Kingdomes that he shoulde at length instantly desire his freendshyp yea and sue for it with mighty presents and great pensions to such great Lordes as shoulde in those dayes beare sway about him Charles of Burbon should receyue his wages by whose meanes the French King shoulde be taken at Pauia and afterwards agayne by the meanes and vnspeakable liberalitie of this redoubted Monarch mooued with a royall compassion should be set at libertie and restored to his regall Crowne and dignitie Pope Clement being prisoner to the Imperiallistes though afterwardes vnthankfully requiting so great a benefite should be by his meanes set at libertie and once againe enthronized But what shoulde I stande repeating these things vnto you which you your selfe so well remember were long agon by the Destinies in maner of prophecie to you vnfolded you see your selfe what he hath accomplyshed what now remayneth for him hauing by admirable Vertues and inuincible Armes drawen the worldes loue vnto him but aspiring to immortalitie to conquer death and to make him selfe Lorde of this Forest. As for my selfe I know mine owne power and finde the same farre too weake to resist so great a puissance Therefore I pray you yf you be not vtterly carelesse of my safetie and your owne seruice let Accident be commaunded to ioyne with mee and withall the vttermost of your other forces to be assembled to succour vs if neede require Atropos hereupon shall call for Accident encharging him to assist Debilitie comforting them both with this assurance that though this were the greatest and most redoubted enemie that euer they encountred yet they shoulde not feare for being mortall the high neuer-faylyng decree of Heauen had ordeyned him to death neuerthelesse she shall aduise them to arme them selues with all possible Heedefulnesse and to be circumspect in their maner of fight Heerewith being somwhat encouraged they shall arme them selues at all peeces with the surest tempered armours and the sharpest deadly weapons that the shorehouse or armorie of Atropos can yeelde them and so march into the listes though terrified in themselues yet terrible to al the world els saue onely to the dreadlesse Prince that shal encounter them And now euen like the roring Ocean against a tempest so shall the cloud-breaking noyse of his warrlike instruments approch with an vnspeakable terror when presently like the Sunne out of a cloude so gloriously from out the louing presse of his enuironing subiectes shall appeare the excellent heire of the two long diuided houses Lancaster and Yorke great Henry the eyght of England with an vnmooued Maiestie and sure resolued looke though he see all deaths forces bent vnto his ruine His Courser shalbe inuincible Courage sure footed and neuer once stumbling in this dangerous carreere but bearing him smoothly thorough without euer starting fearing or blemishing at the furious encoūter of his forcible enemie His Corslet shalbe of Fortitude gorgiously glistring in the pure brightnesse of true Nobilitie as being of excellent proofe against al outward violence so of singuler vertue in defending his royall minde from all thoughts of dishonour His Lance well iudging Foresight surely fastened to his rest of great Experience neuer therewith vnskilfully failing or vnknightly breaking a crosse but with a faire encounter still striking the honorable marke whereunto it is by his worthy minde directed His Sworde of cleere vnspotted Iustice firmely hilted in Wisdome and ensheathed in a faire scabbard of Mercie out of which he shall neuer draw it but when he shalbe by forcible necessitie therto constreined His Target of Trust onely in God vpon which he shal beare the blowes of all earthly violence His fierie crested Headpeece of high Cogitation lyned with prosperous Effect and adorned with a fayre beautiful penache of immortal Fame His Coat-armour of such and so great Renowne as neuer more coulde happen to any mortal creature His Heralde at armes shalbe vnspeakable Liberalitie which shal set such a grace vpon his other vertues and that in so loude a voyce that all the worlde shal heare him Thus honored thus armed thus adorned shal this great King enter within the compasse of the fatal lystes Vertue leading him and Glorie folowing him The eyes and hartes of al the worlde being fixed and attentiuely bent vpon the sequel of this admirable combat In fine the Heraldes hauing commaunded silence the Trumpets sounded the cruel notes of warte Accident not daring approche the rayes of so great a brightnesse shal begin the fight a farre off thinking to terrifie him with forayne Leagues and Inuasions But the King betaking him selfe to his trustie fore-remembred Lance shal with a thundring carrere so represse the violence therof that the blow in steede of harming him shal erect new Trophees to his honour Then shal he throw at the fearelesse Prince his dartes of Treason and secret Conspiracies but he vnsheathing his excellent Sworde shall turne the danger thereof aside and make frustrate the force thereof so that the smart and peryll shall returne to his enemies
wrongfully vsurped that no folowing vertue can promise securitie to him that therein sitteth for Caesar in the heigth of his glory when he knew no enemie to feare was of a sodaine ouertaken by a secret conspiracie of his freendes among which were also Brutus and Cassius the first of which he loued so well that he had in his testament ordeined him to be one of his heires in fine he was by them inhumanely murdered in the senate house directly vnder a piller whereuppon stoode the statue of Pompie he had receyued many aduertisements of this conspiracie but would not beleeue any nor yet regarde the pitifull teares of his wife Calphurnia who the night before the murder dreamed that he was slaine and murdered in her armes and therfore with al humblenesse on her knees besought him to stay at home that day which if he had done the conspiracie had been discouered and hee deliuered of danger To those that had warned him hereof he made answere that he had rather once aduenture all then still to stande in feare vsing this Latine sentence Satius est subire semel quam semper cauere When his bodie was according to the Romaine rites to be burned M. Antonius made his funerall oration which he mingled with so many passionate and pitifull speeches and at the conclusion therof with weeping eyes shewing his bloody shirt vnto the people did so stirre their mindes to so high a degree of commiseration that filling the ayre with lamentable outcries they tooke the flaming brands and ranne about the towne setting fire on the conspirators houses who fearing the furie of the enraged multitude betooke themselues to flight but few of them or none escaped punishment by one violent death or other Much more might bee saide of this worthie Prince but his story is so common that I feare me this which is alredy done will rather breede tediousnesse then delight Antipater beeing by Alexander the great left in Macedon with the Queene Olympias in maner as vizroy and gouernour of the kingdome behaued himselfe with such insolence seueritie that sundry cōplaints were brought to Alexander of him of which Antipater hearing sent his sonne Cassander into Asia to make his excuses who vpō his first arriual seeing certaine Persians prostrating themselues at the feete of Alexander adoring him as a god fel into an extremitie of laughter being himselfe nourished in the strict discipline of Greece and vtterly vnacquainted with the Persian ceremonie in honoring their kinges at which Alexander who now accompted his country maner vnciuill and barbarous and delighted exceedingly in the honors done him by the Persians was kindled with so great a fury that taking Cassander in his armes he did beate his head against the walles rebuking him with many bitter taunting checkes did not admit the excuses which he alleaged in his fathers behalfe and withall grew into a great diffidence and dislike both of Antipater and his two sonnes Yolas and this Cassander which Antipater hearing and therefore mortally fearing the returne of Alexander prepared a poyson of such deadly violence that it could not in any thing els be conteined then in the hoofe of an Asse At length Alexander after his innumerable victories in Asia and India hauing vtterly ouerthrowen the Persian Empire vpon his returne allured with the delicacies of Babylon betooke himselfe there to quaffing and banqueting and to al maner of voluptuousnesse geuing thereby oportunitie to Yolas to present him with the deadly potion which his father had prepared which he had no sooner receiued but that he felt him-selfe seazed ouer his whole body with an intollerable torment yet such was the constant greatnes vertuous courage of his minde that he neuer so much as once complained or groned but with an incredible courage suppressing the rage of his inward horrible panges died as he had alwayes liued with a magnanimitie amazing the beholders in the verie pride of his youth Yolas was afterwardes taken by Olympias the mother of Alexander and put to death by exquisite tormentes Young Paris sonne to Priamus K. of Troy being by his father sent as Ambassadour to the Grecian Princes about the restitution of his Ant Hesione was by the way enterteined at the Court of Menelaus K. of Sparta where fixing his eyes vpon the marueilous beautie of Helena the new maried Queene grew so farre surprised with her loue that forgetting the lawes of hospitalitie alluring her aboorde his Shipp he hoysed vp sayles and caried her thence to Troy Which indignitie the Greekish Princes not enduring ioyning their forces togeather and making Agamemnon K. of Micene brother to Menelaus their generall sayled towardes Troy and among the rest young Achilles Prince of the Myrmidons and Epirots who by the way surprized the Townes of Tenedos Lesbos Chryse and Lyrnessus taking therein among other Captiues two young Maidens of excellent and singular beautie the one called Briseis and the other Chriseida daughter to Chriseis the Priest of Apollo Her he deliuered to Agamemnon reseruing Briseis to him selfe But presently there ensued a great and miserable mortalitie in the Armie which as Calcas the Prophet assured them should neuer ceasse till the daughter of Apollos Priest should be restored To which deliuerie of so faire and so beloued a pray Agamemnon would not by any meanes consent vnles Achilles in her steede woulde yeelde Briseis vp vnto him But so vnpatiently did Achilles brooke that vnprincely and discourteous demaunde that with his sworde he woulde presently haue slaine Agamemnon had not he bin by the other Greekish Peeres restrained who what with sweete perswasions and other practises at length so much with him preuayled that though extreamely against his will they made him deliuer his faire and dearely beloued Briseis to the pleasure of the Greekish Emperour But when she was once gon then began her absence to strike and wounde his hart with so excessiue a sorow and deadly a discontentment that full of irefull melancholy he retired him-selfe into his Tent refusing to come abrode to weare Armes as he was accustomed though euery day he saw fierce Hector come murdering and chasing the Grecians euen to their Tentes Manie meanes were made by the Greekish Lordes to remoue him from this setled and obstinate determination Agamemnon offered to returne Briseis vntouched with the interest of many other rich presentes but nothing preuailed till one day as Hector came victoriously beating downe the Greekish Quadrons his deare freende Patroclus thinking with the dissembled presence of Achilles to terrifie the Troian troupes armed him-selfe in the rich and gorgious Armour of Achilles but so cruell were his destinies that at his first entrie into the battayle he was by Hector encountred and slaine Which cruell tidinges had no sooner touched the eares of sorowfull Achilles but awaked with reuenge forgetting all other passions he called for his Armour and like an enraged Lion rushed into the thickest of the Troians presse in which verie
of the towne their Prince and Bishoppe being his kinseman spoyling their countrie and taking their townes and bringing them to such extremitie that they were constreined to receiue their Bishoppe againe withal to appease the Duke with great summes of Money Comming thence there fell out new occasion of warres betweene him and the French king for pacification of which differentes it was agreed that the king and he should meete at Peronne there to expostulat their greefes in freendly sort one with another And that he should geue vnto the king a letter of assurance vnder his hand and seale which he did But the conclusion hereof was that the Duke being aduertised how the King had by his Embassadours secretly practised with those of Lyege to rebell tooke him prisoner and led him with him to the Citie of Lyege which being by streight confederation allyed to the King he caused after all maner of rigorous crueltie executed vpon the inhabitantes to be saccaged and burnt and then vpon new agreementes to his owne aduantage he dismissed the King In the yeere 1474. the olde Duke of Guilders being vilanously and vnnaturally taken by his Sonne Adolph and imprisoned in a dungion mooued sundry Christian Princes to compassion among the rest D. Charles who earnestly laboured to make an attonmēt betweene them but his sonne arrogantly refusing to heare of pacification was by the D. of Burgundie retayned in prison whose father shortly after dying gaue his Dukedome by Testament to Duke Charles who tooke thereof vnder this title forcible possession and those which are discended of him do yet enioy it Sweetned with this Dutchie and aspiring to greater matters in Germanie he went besieged the citie of Nuz which was succoured by the Germans and Swissers vnder the conduct of Frederike the Emperour so that he was constrained to raise his siege In despite of which assistance geuen by the Swissers he entred their Countrey with his Armie but was by them ouerthrowen and vanquished at a place called Granson This day was the first of the Dukes misfortunes with which euen vntill his dying day he was perpetually pursued Encouraged with which victorie on euerie side new forces came out of Germanie to the Armie of the Swissers the D. of Lorayne him selfe in person Yet all this dismayed not the D. of Burgundie who hauing refreshed his Armie set vpon them the seconde time at a place called Morat but was as before vanquished againe and was constreyned to flie with the losse of 8000. of his men slayne in the Feelde Presently the Duke of Lorayne marched in all expedition to Nansie that helde for the Duke of Burgundie which rendred vnto him vpon composition Within two dayes after the D. Charles arriued with an vndismayed courage and full resolution to attempt Fortune agayne Among the rest that had credite about him was one Campobache an Italian Counte at home in his countrey poore and of no reuenew but by the D. aduaunced to great commaundement in his Armie and made Captaine of 400. men at armes who seeing the cruel misfortunes befallen to his Maister began presently to enter into practise with the D. of Lorayne about the merchandize of his Maisters lyfe the price of which he made 20000. Crownes and an Earldome this he promised and the same being accepted he did as villanously performe it For this battayle of Nansie was no sooner began but he with his 400. Italian Horsemen fled to the other side the amazement of which did so terrifie the Duke of Burgundies Armie being twise alredie beaten and discouraged that they presently fledde and the Duke him selfe was found in the feeld slaine mangled with many woundes for the villaine Campobache had hired 14. or 15. of his cutthrote traytors to watch the Duke at an inch to the ende that he would be sure he should not escape Mary his onely daughter and heire succeding her father in the Dukedomes of Burgundie and Brabant and the Earledomes of Flaunders Henault Artois Holland Zeland Frizland c. was by the consent of her Subiectes especially those of Gaunt in whose hands since her fathers death she had remained maried to young Maximilian Archduke of Austria and sonne to Frederike the Emperour of that name the third to whom hauing borne three children Philippe Margaret Francis who in his infancie deceassed she died in the fairest springing blossom of her youth being not aboue .xxiij. yeeres of age lies buried at Bruges Some do attribute her death to the fal of an Horse true it is she fell but the Author who was of great authoritie about her doth rather attribute it to some greeuous impression of sorow Philippe de Comines likewise seemeth to doubt whether she died of that fall or no. Don Iohn second of that name king of Castile had in first mariage Mary daughter to Ferdinand K. of Arragon by her he had a sonne called Henrie that succeded him and a daughter that died young His wife dying he tooke in second marriage Isabell daughter to Don Iohn infant of Portingale by whom he had a sonne called Alonso that died young and a daughter called Isabell and then dying in the yeere 1454. was by his sonne Henrie the. 4. succeeded in the royaltie who maried Iane daughter to Edward King of Portingale who bare vnto him a daughter likewise called Iane who though she proued a Princesse of much wisedome great beautie and many other excellent partes yet through a rumour of the Kinges impotencie in matter of generation Isabel sister to the king was by her faction proclaimed Heire apparant to the Crowne the young Princesse declared to be a bastard begotten vpon the Queene by Don Beltran D. of Abuquerque and by and by a mariage motioned betweene young Ferdinand Prince of Arragon and the Lady Isabell which was effected priuately in Duenas These matters were greeuous vnto the king but remedie it he could not In the ende he died and Ferdinand and Isabell were without contradiction obeyed in Castile which reprochfull iniurie the poore Princesse bearing with exceeding patience though many great mariages were offered her refused them all and betooke herselfe to a Monastery wherin she ended peaceably her dayes They began their reigne in the yeere 1474. and continued the same many yeeres in great glorie both of warre and peace They expelled the Moores out of Spaine and subdued the kingdome of Naples deliuering thereof a quiet possession to their successors which yet do enioy it They had betweene them a sonne whose name was Iohn a Prince of exceeding towardnes or rather singular perfection They maried him to Margaret daughter to Maximilian of Austria by the Lady Mary the before remembred Dutchesse of Burgundy but soone after the marriage he dyed for whom there was made such exceeding lamentation as by report of sundry Authors the like in the worlde was neuer heard of for besids the dolefull mourning of the Nobilitie Gentlemen so generall a greefe was
ouer the whole Realme that the very mechanical people abandoned ouer to sorow ceassed their trades for the space of fourtie dayes filling the ayre with pittifull cries and lamentations They had also foure daughters Isabel Ione Mary and Katherine Isabel died yong Ione was married to Philippe brother to the foresayd Lady Margaret and Katherine to Arthur prince of Wales eldest sonne to Henry the seuenth of England Queene Isabel after that by many noble and heroicall deedes she had ouer the whole world won vnto her selfe a reputation to bee one of the most vertuous and excellent princesses that euer liued in the fiue fiftieth yeere of her age ended her dayes at Medina del campo the .xxiiij. of Nouember in the yeere 1504. Twelue yeeres after died Ferdinand her Husband at a litle Vilage named Madrigalecio hard by Gaudalupe A Prince as of singular integritie and vertue so of a rare and wonderfull felicitie and happines in whatsoeuer he did vndertake Philip sonne to Maximilian and Mary being in Flaunders hearing of the death of Isabel Queene of Castile whose eldest daughter he had maried departed presently thence towards Spayne with his wyfe the Ladie Ione to take possession of the Crowne and Royaltie which at their arriuall was willingly by olde Ferdinand to them resigned Philip being now but .xxiiii. yeeres of age was with a firme constitution of body wel proportioned and beautiful and especially aboue the rest so courteous and affable in his speeches and behauiour that what with his beautie and his vertue he drue the eyes and loues of all men to him in so much that the Spanish Nobilitie and Courtiers forsaking Ferdinand who thirtie yeeres had been their King all folowed the rising sonne of young Philip so that the Court of Ferdinand was altogeather solitarie and vnfrequented no one of the Nobilitie keeping him companie saue onely the Duke of Alua who neuer did abandon him with which inconstancie of theirs he growing into an exceeding dislike and with all not pleased with his Sonne-in-lawes behauiour which by reason of whisperers that went betweene was not so kinde louing and reuerent as he expected taking with him his approued seruant the Duke of Alua he went without delay to Arragon and thence to Naples But scarsely was his backe turned when young Philip liuing in as great delitiousnesse honor and triumph as either the delight of a Crowne the pleasure of that Countrey or the dutifull loue of his Subiectes could yeelde him fell extreamely sicke of a violent hot burning Feuer of which notwithstanding the lustinesse and strength of his young floorishing yeeres he died at Burgos the .xxv. day of September in the verie yeere of his entry into Spaine Neuer Prince left behinde him a nobler issue for he had by his wife the Lady Ione two sonnes and foure daughters of which the least was adorned with a royall Diademe viz. Charles who besides his great succession of many Kingdomes and Prouinces was elected Emperour of the Romans 2. Ferdinande who after his brothers death succeeded him in the Empire and was besides created King of Hungarie 3. Leonore maried first to Emanuel King of Portugale and after in seconde mariage to Francis the French King 4. Marie maried to Lewes King of Hungarie who in a battaile against the Turkes died young and without issue 5. Katherine maried to Iohn the thirde King of Portugale and lastly Isabel maried to Christerne King of Denmarke Maximilian sonne to Fredericke the Emperour thirde of that name and Leonore daughter to Edwarde king of Portugale was in his fathers time made king of the Romanes and after his deceasse Emperour He was a Prince exceedingly well learned iust in gouernment at home and fortunate in Warre abrode He had sundry victories against Mathias Corunis King of Hungarie from whom he recouered Vienna and many other of the Prouinces of the lower Austria Likewise he recouered from the French King the Earldome of Artoys and many townes of Burgundie and ouerthrew a great Armie of his at Guignet whereby he recouered Cambray He ouerthrew harde by Regensberg in a memorable battaile a great Armie of the Bohemians that came to make warre vpon his brother in lawe Albert Duke of Bauaria He was with K. Henrie the. 8. at the siege of Terowan and receyued his wages during which siege he him selfe in honor of England ware the Rose and his men the S. Georges crosse He was an exceeding scourge vnto the Venetiās from whom when they were in the fulnesse of their glory he tooke Padwa Verona Vincentia and the greatest parte of Foro Iulio and lastly ouerthrew them in a notable battaile by Vincentia where he slue of them 5000. Taking 24. great Cannons and all their Enseignes and Standards from them In seconde mariage he tooke Blanca daughter to the Duke of Milan Finally in the. 59. yeere of his age he died in Austria some say by taking or rather mistaking a wrong Potion to preuent a sickenesse which he feared He lieth buried at Newstad in Austria 8. leagues from Vienna He left behinde him 2. children Philip whose historie you heard before and Margaret who beeing by her first husband Iohn prince of Castile left a widow was afterward maried to Philibert Duke of Sauoy It is written of Maximilian that in his sickenesse he would not suffer those that were about him to honor him with any title of dignitie but to call him simply by his name Maximilian protesting himselfe to be but a vile peece of Earth and Clay made of no better mettall then the poorest begger The last combat spoken of in this treatise is of Henrie the eyght of famous memory Whose noble and heroicall deeds being so fresh in the remembrance of all men I thinke it needlesse to make repetition of them neither if I woulde vndertake it were the labour of so high a taske in any proportion conuenient to the feeblenesse of my slender force Much lesse to speake of her Maiestie whose Princely name is lastly therein mentioned but will leaue the glorious storie of her happie reigne to those golden pennes that being dipped in the licour of the Muses may like Ariosto his siluer Swannes with a cleere flight beare vp her sacred name and in dispite of Time fasten the same to the faire pillars of Eternitie in the highest turret of the house of Fame That which I can do is to pray vnto the euerliuing Righteousnesse that as he hath with admirable goodlinesse made her shine in giftes both of body and minde aboue all the Princes of her time so he will preserue her vnto vs many long and flowrishing yeeres For so long as wee shall enioy this our precious and sacred Palladium we shall neede to feare neither the force of fierce threatning Agamemnon nor the wiles offals vndermining Sinon FINIS I haue in the margent of euerie Historie noted the names of those Authors which herein I do chiefly folow Philip de Comines in