blood so fast to runne cloased with the Ladie crushing her so strongly that shee could not fetch her breath Yet not so much but shee could finde force to vse her dagger which then shee thought would most assist her with which ayming at the monsters brest shee stucke it therein vp to the hilts that he was forced to let her go But feeling himselfe so wounded he tooke vp the remainder of his Oake and with it began to stryke the Lady with such strength that her flesh and bones he brused and so after staggering her that it was a wonder shee sustained her selfe so long But considering the honour rising by that aduenture and how shee had left her deare Lord without shee so animated her selfe with an inuincible resolution either to end that perrilous attempt or else to leaue her life as a trophie of her valour Whereupon shee made as if shee would receiue a blowe vpon her shield holding her sworde with the point against him it happened as shee desired For he discharged it as if he ment to cleaue a rocke but escaping it stept vnder his armes bearing her point forward thrusting it to the hiltes which made him loose his blowe yet not his closing her betwixt his armes so sorely crushing her with the pangs of death that both as dead fel down on the ground wherewith the heauens were darkened with clowdes and foggie mistes with lightening and thundering as if then the vtter desolation of the worlde were come which past there appeared in the middle of the yard a most sumptuous Table whereon were set Pyramides like massiue golde vnder it lay the Centaure and the Lady both pearsed through the bodies which sight was able to draw pitie from a Rocke At this time entred the Prince of Dacia in quest of his deare Lady But seeing the Tombe he wēt to it whereon he read these wordes The life of Rosamond dependeth on him that through compassion will giue his to redeeme hers contenting rather to dye himselfe then that the world should so soone loose her Here woulde not Lirgandeo expresse the griefe nor sette downe the extremitie of discontent that Don Eleno did conceaue suppossing her dead whome dearer then his soule he tendered his tongue ceast her moouing his lippes cleaft together and all the motions of his breathing senses so lost their powers that to complaine him hee wanted strength his eyes he Metamorphosed in his Lady as she lay In this manner did hee bewéepe the greatest losse vntill his breath gaue leaue to publish his sorrowe beginning with a déepe sighe bitterly to exclaime aloude whose noise refreshing the memorie of his woes made him to burst to these exclaimes Ah cruell Goddesse of inconstant happines howe well hast thou manifested the extremes of thy mutabilities on whom didst thou euer shewe the power of so monstrous tyrannie that ere I could enioy so rich a good myne eyes should behold so disastrous an euill but indéede it was a happinesse to perfect to continue Oh deceiptfull deceipt howe soone hast thou taken the full possession of my hart assuring mee there is nothing in the world to be trusted specially if managed by her hands that neuer did assure any thinge but for a greater losse Oh dyuine Princesse lyfe of that body whom thou leauest behinde eternally to bewayle thy timelesse end wherein did thy Eleno so offend thée that he maye not follow thée in so sower a storme which to him were more pleasant then the passage through the starry Firmament Oh you Sisters of Phaeton Mistres of sorrow and you distressed Nymphes that dayly waile the pitious hap of Niobes stony change come and vnite your woes in one helpe me to lament that losse whose greatnesse so exceeds that if I should melt in distilled showers of brinish teares it were too little for so deare a want Now tyrannous Goddesse maist thou rest content hauing bereft the worlde of his true ornament his richest Iewell Now remaines there nothing whereon to extend the imanitie of thy power with greater honour vnlesse thou wilt still offend hers that thou hast slaine Pardon mee sacred Lady for the offence against thy beautie by me committed is not small by lingring thus long in the world thy selfe being out of it None with more reason ought to loue but I which I shall not seeme to doe a Minute proroging an abortiue and despised life But of more force is the effect which forceth then the cause that gaue occasion of my death Here ending resolued to approue his firme loyaltie with his heart blood remembring nothing but his Rosamond he snatched the dagger out of her handes and lifting the skirt of his armour hee stabbd it directly to his hart saying It is perpetuall death not life while shee hath it not that was wont to giue it to the Prince of Dacia But he had scarce beganne that bloudie sacrifice when with more horror and fearfull noyse then the Cyclops make with their pouderous hammers in Vulcans Forge the Theater Toombe and Battlements with the yarde did vanish onely the Temple did remaine in middest wherrof lay the two faithfull louers harde by the monstrous Centaure which outright was slaine by that renowned sworde of Semiramis and this was not the last aduenture that it ended with immortall honour and no small labour of the Lady who with the greatest content that may be immagined went to her true Knight and casting her amorous armes about his necke imbracing him shee saide Who with a wish most valarous Prince might desire at this instant ali the forepast hanghtie attempts and also they that with labour infinite to their immortall glories did accomplish them that they might now see them comprehended and for aye portrayed in this sole one by you atchiued For there can be none more greater nor more illustrous thē to subiugate a propper wil the which you haue so manifested that in eternall I shall rest bound remayning all in all suffitiently satisfied of my brothers death for if thē one you gaue me you haue nowe restored it with a ioyfull life which I accept onely to employ it in your content paying thereby the comptlesss debt that I doe owe. Of your valour soueraigne Princesse would I haue all the world to witnes that it might be knowen with what felicitie you gloriously did terminate the most difficult Oh blisfull death since thence redownded the possebilitie to enioy your glorious victorie happy proofe that by shewing the firmenesse of my constant hart hath giuen mee assurance of the most impossible But oh most happie Prince that hath béen eye witnes of such acts Now leaue this replyed the glad Lady and againe imbracing her déere louer sayd Neyther my victorie nor your proofe can any wit augment the great loue that I afore did beare you or that she could wish or you your selfe desire of her that did put her selfe in your hands Deare Lady answered the beloued youth yt shal be as you please but let
Prince with such haughtie thoughts that Mars himselfe would haue feared him With furie at length they mette in middle of their course with most strong incounters But the Dacians Horse being the best in the world meeting with his aduersaries tumbled him on the ground and with a mighty fall made his Maister measure his length on the earth himselfe stumbling at a speares struchon Whereat the Prince fearing some mischance seeing him so stagger leapte from him with such nimblenesse that his gallantnesse as much delighted the Lady as it grieued her to see her brothers disgrace who fearing a sudden death with his sword drawne and his shield wel buckled about his arme made towards our Knight that in like manner expected him desirous to prooue the cutting of his Romaine blade wherewith he laide vpon the toppe of his enemies shield entring it with such might that al that quarter with a pece of his helme he threwe to the ground He seconded another not so dangerous yet more fearfull because lighting on his breast it gaue him a wide wound Trembling stood the Lady at her brothers chance though he like a valiant warriour setting his right foote forward so struck him on the leggs that had his sword been like the Dacians he hadd greatly hazarded his victorie Forward he stept with his other foote to make a stronger blowe and so thrusting at him with his point it chanced between the buckles of his skirts that had he not turn'd aside he had there been slaine out-right notwithstanding it made him a little wounde whereout issued some blood The Dacian thinking it to be greater like a furious Lyon before he was able to withdraw him vpon the little left him of his shield gaue him such a blow that parting it from one end to the other and the point slycing all the armour of his arme he threw his shield on the ground leauing all that side without defence With the feare of death rested the Knight amazed but incouraging himselfe with his sword in both hands he made against his aduersarie discharging on his shield so braue a blow that falling on his head he forst him to retire backe with staggering stepps which séeing he followed the aduantage with a point had almost ouerthrowne him But our new Louer firmely staied himselfe raysing aloft his Romain murthering sword at such time as the Ladie getting to her Horse cried out Knights withdraw your selues for this is no combate any farther to proceede But she came too late for ere shee mounted her brother groaned his last falling on the earth with his head parted in two which sudden death grieued euen the very soule of the vanguisht victorious Dacian But what the sorowfull Lady did admits no comparisō for casting her selfe from her Horse all the moouing motions of her breathing senses left her so disposest of Life as they hadde the Prince with this vnlook'd for accident He vnlaced his helme and sitting on the blood-dewd grasse he tooke the amazed Ladies head betweene his hands which he durst doe bycause the weapons of her excellencies through a pale ashie trance had left her beautie without defensiue armes and began to vse those meanes for her recouerie that his braue heart did neuer study and with bitter exclaimes he saide Oh cruell fortune may it be thou shouldest so soon temper with so sower a chance the first time thou wouldest a little fauor me Oh wise Nabato my professed friend why didst thou tell me thy care should alwaies be to cure my woes if all things now conspire against me to ouerthrowe my content In his owne helme hee caused some water to bee brought him and sprinckled it vpon the Ladies faire face till with a sighe proceeding from her oppressed soule she return'd vnto her selfe yet for all this did she remember the pitifull lamentes that the Knight hadde vttered and that the force of Loue did onely force him to But séeing the brother that she most affected lye before her besmeared with his owne blood so cruelly slaine she stepte from the Prince saying Let mee goe rude and discourteous Knight for the wronges you haue gainst me committed cannot be satisfied with lesse then the heart blood of your dearest life And casting her selfe on the dead carcase with such pitifull compassion that it would haue drawne teares from a Tygers eies she wailed her brothers losse and drowning his head and face with a pearled shower of water distilling from her two clowdie founts she thus began her plaintes May it be deare brother that the angrye Heauens should so oppose their happie reuolutions against our youth suffering the cruell fates to persecute thee and me with so lamentable a chaunce kept in store by that constant Lady of inconstācie giuing the world so great a losse thorow thy vntimely death who shall dare carye the vnlucky newes of thy vnhappie end vnto our Parents Oh Princes of Callidonia now must you take new weapons and put on armour of reuenge and build an alter to Rhamnusia offering thereon the cruell sacrifizes of Nemesis bloodie rites that she maye further your reuenging thoughts to take so iust a vengance For you haue this day lost a Prince of the best the brauest Ah tender youth so suddenly bereaft and ill enioyed Oh pittilesse inhumane death with what extreames dost thou performe thy cruelties hauing without mercie or respect of innocencie with such barbarous sauagenesse snacht from hence my poore Larsyno on whome the enuious worlde had placed all her hopes And if impartiall destinies inexorable Sisters you had determined this partiall doome within the consistorie of your counsell house why suffred you not sterne goddesses my brothers mortall wound also to fall on me and end in my hart and not leaue mee thus with life to feele so many deathes Thus did that beauteous Ladie poure forth her sorowes for her deare Larsyno But the inraged passiōs that did possesse Don Eleno when he vnderstood that he had slaine her brother whom he loued more then his owne soule had almost forced him with his owne dagger to drawe his owne harts blood to pacifie her rage if he had not feared eternall damnacion for so great a sinne yet esteemed he that a profitable death where nothing was hoped but what should be more cruell For all this he animated his drooping heart and turning to the weepyng Lady sayde Seing my more then vnhappie fortune deuine Lady hath permitted he should displease you and in this sort that was only borne to adore you soly desiring life to please you bethinke what satisfaction you will haue though it be with the dearest blood chambred in my soule and at your command these hands shall sluce it forth bycause with such a death my life will end with ioy if something it may extenuate part of your discontent conceaued Any reuenge most cruell Knight replied the sorowfull Lady will be but little in recompence of the highe wronge I haue receiued by those murthering handes guiltie of
happyer For to whome his lyfe is a griefe his death is a sweete remedye I doe not doubt but the tormentes of paynefull passions which I suffer is well knowne to whom gouernes the powers of my alienated soule from my selfe but the vnworthinesse of my merits doth withhold immerited fauour Shee replyed neuer a word for she was so free that for the world shee woulde not haue had him been more playner in what shee already knewe yet she remayned glad to see her selfe so ingratefull and to be more intirely loued and so shee spake why then goe with your Father to beholde the Iustes for I will tarrie here with these our newe-come friendes Neuer did Louer receaue such a blowe nor on any was such Iniunction imposed swell did his heart beyonde his limits with so rygorous an answere that hee could not replye nor knewe hee where hee was imagining that her parting him from her wyth so straunge a disdayne was the shutting of the doore against all comfort With no such imaginations did the Lady sit to looke on the Iustes and with no lesse glorie did Rosamond mayntaine them So returning to the listes she sawe afore her a Knight in azure armor crosse bard wyth yellowe his deuise was iealously in her naturall lynamēts with this Motto Is' t not pittie to behold That no fayth now preuaileth Whilst true loue is controld By iealousie that most auaileth Euery one well noted the Iealous deuise of the Knight the grace wherwith he past forwards till the theater where he did his dutie with more Maiestie then ioye It not a little auailed her towards the Iustes for this was Sarmacia the Troians loue to looke aloft to the windowes for there shee spyed her welbeloued Lord sitting next to the Emperor Alphebo and on the farther side the beauteous Floralinda in pleasing conuersation discoursing with her Meridian She straight knewe that was the Ladie which had been cause of her griefe her bigge heart coulde not indure it but shee must aske the first shee mette whom that Ladye Knight were Shee was answered the truth whereat shee conceaued exceeding ioye becomming nowe penitent for her rash mideeming and opprobrious exclaimes agaynst her Oristides She could not imagine the hower when to speak with him to craue his pardon of what against him shee had breathed She returned to the listes the ioyfullest aliue I feare the gallant Rosamond wil be in some danger with her for her purefied thoughts had to such manner incoraged her that all the place seemed too little to mayntaine her At her approching the Calidonian Matrone with some seeming choller sayd In fayth Sir Knight if from the sight of Ladies you doe attract your strength you may already assure your selfe the victorie though hauing so little daye for the much that is to bee done you might for this present haue deferd your sight by shortening the beholders hopes There is not so little tyme replyed the gallant Sarmacia but will suffice to make you knowe the great deceipte that doth possesse you Shee aunswered not for her anger woulde not permit it saue wyth turning of her horse she went where the launces were and chose her selfe a strong and knottie one and more swifter then any Autumne winde loosing the raynes of her Courser she ranne against her aduersarie who to méete her did the like Fiue launces brake the Heroyke Ladies ere aduantage was betwene them knowne At the Sixt for the Iudges told them they might runne no more with newe forces they seemed to incounter wyth such furie that their blowes made all the scaffoldes in the place tremble with the noyse Her stirroppes and brydle lost our Rosamond and was fayne with the vtmost of her strength to holde by her horse necke which was a haynous matter to commit that fault before her deare Lorde and so shee thought it yet was shee glad when turning about her Courser shee saw her aduersarie on the grounde who thoughe she had with some aduantage fallen yet her horse eleuating himselfe made her altogether loose the recouerie of her seate The other celebrated her victorie with admired Maiestie prawnsing vpp and downe her furious Stéede The hawghtie Lyrian Quéene was out of patience to indure it so fayning some sodaine quame went to her lodging and secretly arming her selfe in a disguised habit and without company went out of the Cittie She had not gone farre when shee spyed comming towardes her three Knightes of gallant disposition mightily mounted with them also came some Ladies The manner of their trauell denoted them to bee of Royall courage The warlike Ladye Archisilora with great courtesie stept to them with these wordes Sir Knights I shall accept it as no meane fauour that seeing they are twoo which mayntaines the Iustes you would take me in your company and though in mee there bee no merits to deserue it your proper valours may counteruaile my wants Braue sir replyed one of them whose courtesie knewe no superior in the vniuerse your gallant presence binds vs to graunt your request for rather thereby we are they that receaue speciall honour with your societie This kinde reply highly pleased the Lady more then before esteeming the Knights for it Then this nothinge more illustrateth a Prince Thus this messe of choise warriors began to approch vnto the Citie they delighting exceedingly in the disguised Ladies conuersation shee most ioyfull of their braue company She discourst to thē the accidents befallen in the Iustes and howe it was thought the two present maintayners would winne the prizes for their shewē valour witnessed no lesse being thitherto by none depriued of the hope Memorable matters about this time happened For to the place ware arriued two Knightes whose hawghty semblance drew on themselues the spectators eies He on the right hand was all in a sanguine armor of finest rubies intermingled with some greene Emeraldes the magnificentlye it adorned him His deuise on his shield was a Knight and a Lady that seemed to giue her portrayture vnto her gallant in whose exchange shee receaued his A fayrer thinge was neuer seene for being set with stones of inestimable value the Sunne reuerberating thereon it dazled euery eye Betwene the two Louers was this poesie which seemed to proceede from the Ladie No faith was ere so sure But fortune it myght crosse By some vnhoped losse Euery one praised the Knights inscription iudging him for a perfect Louer that for all he was assured of his Lady yet hee assigned himselfe to liue amongst all the ioalousest The armes of his companion were to his in show and estimation nothing inferiour They were of a deepe red florished all ouer with many greene enameld flowers set with vnualuable stones on his shield that was no lesse rich then the rest in a greene fielde was pictured the face of a moste beauteous Ladie in such maner as if through certen trees he gazed on her yeilding his libertie to her captiuitie at that sight his word was Well
off with the pleasant crie that stopped the Dacian lords reply of a kenell of wel-mouthed hounds whose noise ecchoing through the wood gaue him warning of some hunting sport whose game should already be on foote As he was thus harkening he sawe comming towards him with impetous fury a mighty white Hart with the whole troope of his pursuing enemies at his heeles who wearie and faint with chase came to refresh him in that brooke This course highly pleasing the Prince hauing bene in his youth brought vp with such exersise snatched his launce and as the Hart passed by threwe it at him and pierced his bodie side through side and yet not brake his speare and as a cunning huntsman he harted the hounds vpon their praie expecting for the hunters comming But from these dumps he was quickly put with the sudden viewe of a most beauteous Ladie that mounted on a gallant courser galloped after the Hart her habit was of greene cut vpon white imbrodered with so many Pearles stones that it dazled the beholders eyes when the bright beames of Apollos face reuerberated thereon her amber haire in golden tramels hung about her shoulders and on her head she wore a corronet of Roses that defended her against the offending heat of Phaebus rayes And as she came in hast her dangling tresses wauered in the ayre that he assured him selfe that this was Cupids warre seing his ensigne of her haire borne by such beautie and defended with a Boar-speare which she carried in her hand who in this manner approched our Dacian Knight that with this first and sole sight became the little blind triumphing gods sighes-tributary subiect and by immagination lost the pleasure of his former libertie by gazing on so gallant a Ladie that he acknowledged himselfe Loues captiue thrall vowing in his hart such firmenesse that his thoughts drouned in conceipts strucke him with such a fearefull hope that he almost lost his breathing senses whereby the vnextinguishing flames of true loues fire so penetrated his free hart that none but death could be the Phisicke to cure so deepe a wound The engyne of his speach so ceast his motiō that in steed therof he wisht all his moouing powers were then transformed to so many piercing instruments of sight throughly to viewe her rarities and yet did he thinke them insufficient to note all her perfections because something would still remaine vnseen Gladly would he haue changed his present state for hundred eied Argos fortunes though he should pay as dearly for his watching if hee mought at his contented leysure suruay all the excellencies that glorious Nature in her prodigalitie had bestowed on her For in his pensiue cogitations he iudged this was shee the iust heauens had ordained to predominate his heart his life soule and will to whom he should acknowledge all soueraignetie ouer his due obeysance alreadie esteeming his nauigable toiles well imployed since they brought him to so rich a land to anchorage his wearie minde within the harbour of so braue a Road. To be short the haughtie inuincible courage of his free thoughts were so amazed with this admirable gallantnesse that it could by no meanes resist so strong incounter but without farther combate for Fortitude is too weake to withstand the dartes of beautie presently yeelded her his soule as a trophie of her victorie and yet rested sorrowfull he had no richer pryzes to glorifie her triumphs because her merits deserued a greater conquest So much amazed rested this valiant Dacian as if altogither he were conuerted to the Ladie on whome his gazing eyes were fixed so greatly that being nigh her he could neither moue the organs of his voice nor ought else but by signes signifie his awfull dutie at her commaund being all in all hers With no lesse admiration did the valiant Ladie with her eyes coate his wonders because her troubled thoughts told her that from her infancie shee had neuer seene a more brauer Knight And as Ladies comonly in such accidēts of amorous traunces haue a freer power of their speech so shee perceiuing the suddeine alteration of his colour-changing countenance faining some displeasure that in like cases followeth all Ladies of her beautie and valour shee awaked him with these words I know not Knight what moued you so rashly to kill this Hart bereauing me of the pleasure that awayted my comming and he expected by receiuing his death at my hands whereof your presumption by doing it hath dispossest vs both of Don Eleno drawing strength from his vanquisht soule replyed My poore hart most excellent Lady doth alreadie suffer his deserued penaunce for so sinning against your content Yet do I hope this offence confessing the fault shal be absolued of your displeasure hauing been through a wel-meaning ignorance committed For supposing none would except against mee or take displeasure at it incitated me thereto But good hath bene his exchange for in steede of the death he receiued being ordained therto with no lesse a wound haue your deuine excellēcies pierced my soule bycause the impartiall fates I feare will sooner cut my thréed of life then you will daygne the cure to salue the wound wounded by your selfe Farre more haue you now aggrauated my discontent answered the Lady receauing greater displeasure at your bolde wordes then did the poore Hart with death by your Launce Answere would the amorous Dacian but that he saw a Knight well armed and mounted on a mighty horse issue from among the trees who hauing ouer heard part of Don Elenos speech cryed out vnto him Knight more bold then valiant take vp thy weapons for so great a presumption may not passe vnpunished The valiant Dacian was so captiuated with the beautie of that Ladie that his deepe affection seeing that Knight in so gallant armour and so brauely Horst made him thinke he was his Loues competitor Whereat a sudden thought of Ielousie rapt at his breast that without any word taking vp his shield he laced on his healme and with more speede then the Hart came thether he drew his Launce out of his dead body leaping therewith into his Tyrios saddle in his hand brandishing the speare he turned to his aduersary with these words Discourteous Knight coragious in nothing but in words nowe shalt thou see how I vse to thanke those that with like pride entertaine others as you haue me Sorrowfull became the beauteous Lady to see them so eager against each other greatly fearing the successe of the fight because she thought the stranger would haue the better but seeing them so fierce withdrew her selfe praying for both their victories For if she affects the one as her brother the other she loues as her liues cōmander And as she was a nouice new admitted in Cupids Schoole with such willingnesse shee yeilded to his deceipts that with one and the like feare he forst her to be Iudge of that combate Couragious was the Knight of the forrest but hee hath before him the Dacian
my proper blood But for this time I will no other reuenge but your departure from my company leauing me sufficiently assured of your cruelty to my cost and I will liue for my misfortune will haue it so with the only desire of a more full reuenge Wherefore from hencefoorth I straight doe banish you my sight for I will haue it so If I shall depart in your disgrace most beauteous Lady I will not haue my life with your disfauour to torment me replied the Prince but since you desire to be reuenged on him that only would liue to admire you take it with this sword cawser of your woes and my misfortune and therewith strike of my sacrifized head to appease your wrath for I willingly offer it on your pities altar with all I else possesse already subiect to your will and only this doe praie that after you haue done it you would rent forth my harte for none shall witnesse your crueltie but your selfe and there shall you see your selfe engrauen though not so naturally yet with rarer perfections reasons suffcient to force me to elect you sole patronesse thereof The which remaining in your handes being loues thrall may moue clemencie towardes his Lord to sturre your anger to pitie your captiue euen with his owne reliques Wherewith prostrated on his knees before her with his eies closed with water holding the sword by the point againe thus said If only in my death great Ladie there rests any small comforte for mee it will bee the greatest that I may imagine receiuing it with this blade by your hands for Guerdon of my rashe attempts although if I had knowne what this dead increaser of your griefes did concerne you my selfe had only been the procurer of his life with farr greater care then for my owne which wil be hatefull to mee if still you will insist in your conceaued wrath Knight said she more barbarous then the Sauages of Hircania and the cruellest that ere my eies beheld thus I will not execute my reuenge for it will not be so cal'd performed with the offenders liking and bycause you said it is life and the sweetest to bereaue you thereof with my handes neither will I therin so much content you but expect and sollicite the heauens to order my reuenge after some other sorte The afflicted Prince hearing so sower and bitter answere conceaued such extreame griefe which with sobbes and sighes so besieged his harte that it berest him of his senses falling at his Ladies feete which was another new kind of torment to afflict her for abandoning all crueltie she tooke him in her armes and sitting on the ground she laid his head on her lappe which had the grieued Dacian felt he would not so soone recouer himselfe and bewailed this lamentable spectacle with new laments that moued the tender Ladye to breake into these exclaymes Oh blind despightfull Fortune enemy to my rest how well hast thou manifested thy mutabilities hauing so well pleaded for the greatest enemie I had that I am forst to cōmiserate his woes and pitie his distresse Oh Goddesse who might certenly knowe if with my death she would end her rigorous changing courses execute at once against my tendernesse the whole power of thy despight for the wrongs past hauing been the greatest that might befall mee or thou do mee will I with ioy accept bycause I know they come from thee for she that was borne to no good can receaue no harme to hurt her and with this deceipt may she passe her life that in the beginning hath felt the vtmost of thy cruell power Oh cruell Goddesse vnworthie of a better name because in all thy actions thou performest the deedes of an Hircanian Tyger And being vnable to doe otherwise she cōmanded Fabio to bring her some water wherewith the distressed youth obtained his loste senses and with a sighe that seemed to burst his weake harte he saide Vnhappy stars that gouern'd my natiuitie and more vnhappie I to liue to see my woes to conquer death that dares not approche where he is onely wished with his crueltie to end a life oppressed with cares Oh vnfortunate hap who would haue thought so long and tedious a nauigation should anchor in so vnluckie a Port Oh valiant friends now must I for euer in absence with ayrie words take my latest leaue for my fates saye he shall neuer see you more that onely liued with your deare sights Oh valiant Princes of Grecia what balefull newes will it be when you shall heare of my death whose life alwaies and content soly delighted yee And seeing himselfe in the Ladies lappe a little lifting vp his eyes with so many sighes and throbbing sobbs that might haue mooued a Lions fiercenes to relent but to the extreamest point was this Ladies furie come that it would admit no Impression of any mercy vnlesse it should altogether yeeld to pittie which she thought was yet too soone to doe he sayd Since no pietie noe pittie nor no mercie that are the vertues which glorifies all your sexe maye sturr a litle compassion in your obdurate breast then at once cruell Lady end the tormenting of my poore soule with so long prolonging a despised life and take what reuenge you will on this weeping hart subiect to your Imanitie Knight answered the Lady ill would it beseeme me if by yeelding to your request and in that maner to worke your content I should become cruell against my selfe I wil not take any reuenge that may rather redowne to my dishonour then honour But for this time only I will haue you grant me two things Being all in all yours replied he there is no cause why by promise you should séeke to winne my will which so truely doth acknowiedge your souerainetie Why then said she my first demaund is you giue mee the order of Chiualry and as for my other request you shall after know it I doe sayd he esteeme my happinesse farre greater now then a little afore I esteemed my selfe vnhappie in that deare Soueraign of my soule you haue deygned to imploye me and in affayres more difficult farre would I haue had you hazarded my life but séeing this is your will I am content to obaie and bycause I perceaue you want armour I do beseech you to accept these which were giuen me for good and I shall be more glad thereof bycause they shall obtaine a worthier owner I thanke you for your offer replied she But these of Semyramis nothing inferiour to those I had not long since on yonder vallie giuen me and that with them I should end the greatest aduenture of the world And so casting off her hunting garments she discouered the rarest armes that the whole earth could afford for they were all of Pearles and Dyamonds with such arte vnited that it made them farre strōger then if they were of fine tempered steele on one side they bare a painted harte but made of inestimable orient Rubies whose glister alyenated the
for this way shall you treade the path that will leade you to a satisfied reuenge Oh suffer not remorcelesse Lady that it be sayd of you what is written of that inhumane and hellish sorceresse Medea whome with a sauage desire of reuenge most cruelly murthered her own children cōsider oh wonder of admiratiō it wil scandalize the glorie of your excellencies you shall yf you wil do it offēd the rarenesse of your beautie for neuer any could boast of it or worthely be nominated beautifull though she excell the brightnes of the brightest Sun vnlesse she do abandone the crueltie of an hardned hart the sole dishonor of all honor'd Ladies in steed wherof admit the pitie of a mollified brest pittie the splendor of your name pittie the tryūph of your victorie pitie the Trophy of your vertues this oh let this shine through your clouded clemēcy whose beams shall stellify your chiualries imortalize your fame infuze new life in me whose blod is alredy almost vtterly defused vnlesse your pitie gather it againe restoring it to him the wil only kéep as a memorial statue of this your eternal cōquest else otherwise the vnhappie death of your haplesse brother wil neuer by other means be suffitiently reuenged With so many teares sighes did the woefull Dacian vtter these wordes that they woulde haue melted a flintie rocke to distilling dropps of water much more her obduracie that was assured his true loue passions forced him to it and as she had already giuen him the principall commande ouer her will these his new spéeches made her thus replie Séeing my starrs braue Knight haue brought mee to such passe that I must consent to what you will I acquite you of this combate because I thinke the conquest thereof the mighty God of warre hath onely reseru'd to himselfe as a particuler honour due to his deitie Moreouer yf wee should stay till my Knights come there is no doubt but you shall incurre some great daunger for the losse you haue giuen them by the timelesse end of my deare brother or that I should carrie them the newes would be no lesse then yf they had seene the maner of his pitilesse death So I will neyther consent to the one nor do the other but am determined to depart in your company though it be troublesom vnto you vntill by others this infortunate chance be knowen So ioyfull became the afflicted Prince with the Ladies words that like a man ouer-ioyed he replyed I cannot most excellent Ladie for so high a fauor bind me anew more then I am already for since my happye destinies though with so many aduerse accidents brought me to the place where I might enioy your Celestiall sight I haue no power ouer my will more thē to obay what euer you shal command as the sole Goddesse of my earthly deuotion hauing to your behests for euer vowed deuoted dutie as a true seruitor And as such a one humbly prostrated on the lowly earth I beg I may be accepted in token of which graunt with like humilitie I craue that you would deigne to giue me your victorious handes on whose purity I may pay what all the world should doe She replyed I would not sir Knight you should so soone demand the cure of your distresse but because you shall not altogether despaire of my pitie I wil accomplish your request were it onely but to fulfill the first commande intreated by a Knight so great an enemie to my content And so shee raysed him and intertayned him as her Knight giuing him her beauteous handes which made the gallant Dacian thinke there was no other happinesse to bee wished in the circled Orbe and séeing himselfe so fauored by that excellent Lady hee sayd Make me at once diuinely happie diuyne Goddesse of my hart with the discouery of the Royall progeny of your Soueraigne stocke and the Kingly parentage of your high discent The same answered she was I determined to require of you sir Knight but me thinkes you are so armed with asking that you admit no leaue for my commaunde Which séeing it is so I am content in all things to content you but first let vs from hence least we be here taken by an elder brother of myne with whome it cannot be but you should run into some imminent perill for hee is reputed no lesse valiant then any of the Greeke Princes by the way I will discourse my byrth and parentage first intreating you to direct our course to Grecia for I greatly desire to knowe those Princes so highly famozed through the worlds spacious continents as also because I would bee resolued whether they be your kinsfolkes for I much suspect it And in great hast beginning to mount a horse-back with farre swifter speed out of the Forrest there yssued the Ladie that was wont to come to the Prince Don Eleno Straight did the Dacian Lord know her to whome with a chereful countenance he thus said How now deare friend tell me haue you any neede of my person Speake for you know my debt therefore I shall hazard nothing if for your sake I indaunger my selfe Your loues Sir Knight haue so much disquieted me as not long since I was for your friēd Torismundo But because I haue taken part of your griefes there is no reason but you should let me enioy some of the glorie and content you haue obtained by the admirable bountie of this excellent Lady whose beautie farre excelleth her for whose sake Troy was subuerted But because your departure cannot be excused my Vncle Lirgandeo sends you this shield that you may present it to this Lady that in such great danger did put your valour giuing her new armes that shee may altogether conquer you This said she drew foorth a shield of the like colour of the armour with so many precious stones that it well denoted the workmanship of so rare a workman it had the like deuise that Don Elenos had which was a Cupid with two faces for in that he greatly delighted saying that both in peace and warre it was iust to acknowledge him the tribute that ouer all things he claimes And to you braue lady he bid me saie you should not a little accompt of this Knight for it were life to manie to see him as you now doe and of your brother he wils you to loose your care leauing it onely to him for he hath it and will hereafter so regard al your affairs as his own She awaited no answer but with the turning of her Palfrey she made the Forrest make so great a noyse as if it had ben ouerwhelmed They looking what it might be saw at the foote of a tree a rich tombe admirable for curious works and so transparant that the Princes running to it they saw the Ladies brother as he fell with the cruell wound with certaine redd letters which the Prince thus read Here shall the wounded Larsino abide vntill his cruell murtherer shall make satisfaction with
my former successes through your meanes the happie sight of your first approch so alienated my selfe frō my selfe that I was faine to submit my soule to hope some redresse for so great a change and yet thereby loosing the same hope of remedie through the vnhappie death of your deare brother though now I haue not altogether lost if of his life because that learned man that sent vs this shield hath vndertaken the care of his safetie But because I am and will be yours vntill the fatall Sisters of life and death shall abridge my soule of her breathing sacrifices I beseech you by the firmenesse of our sincere loue you will assure my hopes confirme my desires and set an end to my painfull longings With the end of which wordes with more boldnesse thē his feare required he kist her on the chéeke which done he dyed his own with such a bashfull tincture that it altogether stopt the passage of his spéech Well did the Lady perceaue his alteration who with some showe of anger replyed I would not Prince of Dacia that the committing of my honours puritie and my Maydens fame into your hands should be occasion of your little regard vnto the great respect due to the confidence I haue in you reposed wherein yf you neglect the dutie you owe thereto I will rather cast my selfe into these deuouring waters then the glorie of my chast thoughts shall endure any stayne And the receauing you for my Knight hath not been so smal a fauor but might sufficiently so content you that my kéeping you company thus alone to trust you with my immaculate vnstayned imaginations should be no cause to mooue you to this discourtesie And offering to goe frō the hatches the Prince with Millions of sighes proceeding from his soule stayed her by the arme with these wordes That I haue displeased you Imperious Princesse so torments me that I know not how to satisfie your discontent conceaued vnlesse you now will take a full reuenge for my many trangressions though it bee with effusion of my dearest dearest lyfe and yet what I did was forced by the motion of a pure sincere loue and not of any lasciuious thoughts So assured was the beauteous Rosamond therof that she thus made answere Since my happie starrs braue Prince haue put me in your hands they haue dryuen me to that necessitie that I must forget and forgiue any offence whatsoeuer but if you shall passe these lymits my selfe will execute on my owne life the cruellest death ere heard of With incredidle ioy the amorous Prince kist her hands for the fauor being warned by the palenesse of Cinthias shine that it was time to withdrawe themselues they returned to their seuerall cabbins comparable to any Monarches chamber where they past the night with such conformable thoughts that hadd they durst either to visite the other at that seasō it is doubtfull whether they would haue differred the glory attending on such attempts A little before the Messenger of morne began to lace the Heauens with her goulden hayre the Princely youth séeing himselfe so true a seruitor vnto the God of loue so derely to be loued raysed himselfe on the bed and leauing on his pillowe tooke his Lute in hand and making it sound the repetition of his ioyes he sung the felicitie that the heauens gaue him in the possession of so rare a Lady in these verses Let th'happiest dye with enuie of my state And as vnhappie haue a speedy fall If soule and thoughts tormented were of late T was to obtayne the soueraygnest good of all In whome deuyne Apelles with his art For beauties sake drewe forth her better part Dye fayre Adonis and Apollo perish Pyramus and Leander breath no more Endimion eake that did with fauors florish Well knowes the world my loue the heauens adore And as their estimation passed myne So in content let them so much declyne He ended with a sigh saying Oh loue with how greate reason art thou honored and like a God adored seing thou canst cherish him that hath not felt thy churlishnesse and on whom thou hast not extended the intollerable waight of thy rygorous power Well did the Princesse heare him ouer-ioyed to be loued by so braue a Prince imagening she could not hope for more hauing so great a good there present Notwithstanding she determined yet to dissemble her affection vntill the time did counsell her what she should doe and because the Sunne had begun his rysing in the East she made her ready putting on her white most rich armour went directly to the Princes cabbyn who with his new care had it not to clothe himself yet seing his Lady come he woulde rise but she staying him sayd I would haue had you done it afore Sir Knight for he that liues so carelesse should not belike doubt of his Mistres fauors and with my soule I would be glad to know her that I might aske her if she ioyes in so carelesse a louer Deuinest Princesse replyed the ioyfull Prince with nothing doe I more expresse my poore soules pensiuenesse then with such carelesnes which being well noted it will be iudged a carefull confidence for it cannot be more séene nor better deserued in any then in whome true loue hath rooted his conceipts for without care of anye thing else he doth onely busie himselfe in the swéete imaginations of his owne alienation Notwithstanding answered the Lady I doe condemne so great confidence almost grounded vpon an extremitie and in most respcts little respecting the Lady loued for the ouerielous louer did neuer but die confounded in his owne expects A care magnanimous and honorable is to be alowed excused and worthy of estimation but vtterly to bee ouer-whelmed in pensiue suspence and make you séeme nothing but a louer befits you not nor yet becoms it one boūd to accomplish so many things as you I doe ioy so much deare Mistres of my hart to loue and wholy to employ my selfe therein that I would shewe no signe that I can any thing otherwise and although I should doe so I do not requite the worth of my imployment for if I had a Thousand soules al were to few cōpared to the content of my imaginatiōs where al the good is decyphered the otherwise I might expect and I finde that being not this waye yf would be more then troublesome Sir Knight replyed she you doe so highly accompt the thing loued that I doe wish I were she to obtaine that glorie that neuer Venus did enioy though in beautie a Goddesse and it should be for no longer then I might knowe whether it be true all that you publish Thereof excellent Princesse replied he craue no better testimonfe thē the paine that I conceaued with your sight Then answered shee you cannot denie mee that to loue is more to feare then any other thing seeing you say that the first sight left you so wounded whereby I inferre your paine proceeded
the fauor of your mightie arme I maye recouer that felicitie that my teares and your valour shall purchase I would it were no more but so deare Rosabell replyed the Prince of Antioch for it should more easier be accomplisht then the busines wee goe about And because I thinke it fitte we returne to the Kings that so well ayded vs we may set forwards in our way and let me not see you no more so passionate for you will but grieue me And more torments and more paines indured your father in his louing pilgrimage yet neuer had the like fauour that yesterday you possest neuerthelesse he did not desist with content to prosecute his Chiualries let therefore his magnanimitie no lesse shine in the Sunne nor in mee no lesse loue and true amitie then my Fathers towards yours till in your behalfe I sacrifice my soules life to winne your happines But let vs goe for now your sorrow wil be iniust hauing one so to mittigate it and let vs take all aduantage in these affaires admitting no battle one without another though we both demand it we must suffer so many to vndertake yt on their part For this Souldan is verie subtle hauing many Gyants his frends certainly it is like he wil to some of them commit that battaile so his intent might be accomplished supposing that none wil dare to attempt it For the Kings through feare of them Thus discoursed these two deare friends till they approched so nigh the citie of Nyquea that her gates winked vpon them on the bank of whose riuer they alighted to passe the tediousnesse of the night in pleasing chat of that peerelesse Lady and of the great desire they had to passe into Grecia There he recompted the battaile he had with his Father in Lacedemonia vnknowen whereby he vnderstood he was his sonne In this prattle continued they till it was time to sleepe and so departing one a little from the other they made their shields their pillowes and so rested the greatest part of the night Whē they awaked togither either full of carefull thoughtes for the others griefe For therin is ciphered the true patterne of perfect friendship And seeing thus pensiuely they heard the grones of some Knight that complained togither they rose and taking their shieldes and Helmes without any worde they went softly to heare what he saide And being nigh him they saw by the reflecting light of Cinthias beames a well proportioned Knight clad all in blacke armour who lying vnder a bigg growen Oake complained against the skyes loue and Fortune Oh heauens said the afflicted More how long will you suffer him to liue from whome death doth fly Why giue ye me life that nothing thanke you for it because t is hatefull to me Why permitted ye my ofspring to be from thence if on the earth I shall liue dying Oh suffer not Bembo Prince of Achaya to liue with so many passions when you may end it with one gentle death that neuer better welcome may come then now Oh soueraigne Princesse of Niquea how iustly maist thou complain of me that louing thee so deerely haue bene so remisse to visite thee Oh forgetfull louer if thou didst liue in Achaya louing why didst thou then so long proroge thy comming knowing that Liriana was in Niquea whereby thy delay is the cause thou must dye not seeing her being thy only desire as the most happiest life and now Prince of misfortune behooues it thee to pilgrimage throughout the worlds vast continents to know her habitation which thou hadst saued comming in time then who would haue bene able or somuch as presumed to thinke in his trembling harte to take her from thy hāds Oh hawtie and presumptuous Knight who may know what thou art that I might make thee acknowledge the wrong thou hast done me taking what only to my worthinesse was due How maie I call my selfe Nephew to that mighty Bembo the scourge terror of all Greece suffering another to inioy whome thou dost loue neuer more would I haue put on armour if I did not make him confesse this fowle iniurie And yet there is no reason why for seing Liriana was of beautie Angelical it was like others would loue her and if fortune did fauour him to carry her away I haue no cause to lament bewaile but my slow hart and sluggish thoughts that spurd me not afore this to visit her Oh my friend Nicandro how maie I complaine of thee bycause it is thy fault for hadst thou by thy skill aduertized me of this successe who would haue deferd such a voiage though it had coste him a thousand liues and come were it only but to see her whom to me thou didst canonize for beautie as the sole meritor of my faith So pensiue rested the braue greeke Rosabell seing what that Knight did and hearing what he said against his reputation affecting that Ladie that more then his proper life he loued that he knew not how to resolue himselfe till Oristoldo perceauing his alteration stept to him saying Valiant Prince seing by delaie the Kings doe incurre so great danger it is not lawfull you should procure now new battels and especially he knowing they are prisoners about the stealing of the Princes it cannot be but he will offer himselfe in that demaund and thē in their defence will your combate be more iustified thē at this instant for though he loues whome you do the extremity of contrarie passions may excuse you but being assured of her loue towards you great reasō haue you to forgiue him Great is the wrong heerein I doe my Lade replyed Rosabell but your will be fulfilled for I am determined altogether to follow your coūsaile All that Oristoldo had said was true for Bembo was then thither come for no other purpose but to maintaine that the prisoners were consenting to the Princesse stealing And had not Rosabell and Oristoldo staied to defend it there had byn none able from him to beare away the victorie because he was one of the worthies of the world and he that most persecuted Greece in the great warres He was verie yong and the most courteous of all his Nation He would not suffer his subiects to crown him King till he had traueld the worlde and so created he gouernors ouer his kingdome and accompanied with his valour onely he departed from Achaya with that mornfull deuise that many thought it signified more then it did He was the amorousest that euer woman brought foorth and he that was most loyall to Liriana for after he knew her to be married he still doted on her alleaging that he did loue and had referd the guerdon of his loyaltie to the graciousnes of his Lady but if she reiected his true loue passions yet he would not forget her for it were to iniurie his faith that from the beginning he had consecrated to her beautie And had fortune but a little fauoured him he had bene one of
they would be found by reason of the triumphes cōmaunded their ship to be guided to Arrissa a hauen some thing remote from the Citie where the eight day they arriued and taking land they entred through the grene Forestes taking the next waye to Constantinople but first determined to linger thereaboutes the time that wanted for the feastes which might be some vii or viii dayes So their Fortune led them to passe away the night hard by the place where the iealous Sarmatia bewailed her woes For after she had parted from Brandafidell she cast her selfe from her horse lamenting her misfortuns supposing that her beloued Oristides had forsaken her to Loue Floralinda wife to the Prince Meridean And they arriued at such time that forced by a Ielous spleene she said Oh rauning experience that before I can begin to Loue I must with Ielousie be tormented Oh Cupid if this be one of thy blowes established in all harts how is it possible thou shouldest be honored or to thee appeale why shold any as to the Soueraine Prince and Iudge of the earth how wilt thou haue that Ladies shall worshippe and adore thee if with such extreames thou plaguest their tender harts Apparent signes did I see in that valiant Prince to loue me but more certainer haue I met in Greece that he abhorrs me Oh happie Land only to me vnappie I blame not thee but curse my starres that doe oppose their influences to ruinate my glory who would haue tould me thou shouldest be a sepulcher to her that to thee came to seeke her life O Gods how farre better had I done to split my hart in Lacedemon with my deare friends swoord then to come to so great miserie in Greece mightie will be the wrong I doe to Ladies when my death shall be published to haue been because I was not beloued But wretch that I am why impute I in him the sin of disloyaltie hauing to his owne cost assured mée by militarie déedes his soule to be soly thine then rather procuring thy victorie then the conquest for himselfe And séeing it is yet doubtfull I will cherish my selfe till I know it and finding it so not that I loued him without hope of like but for the dishonor I did thereby commit against my puritie I will vpon my life execute the cruellest death that ere the world was guiltie of in recompence of my rash foolishnes and affection so ill repaied So somewhat quieted she could not so continue long remembring what the Lady had tould her whereuppon a little to prorogue her griefes shee tuned her voice with this Dittie to her Lute with a more melodious harmonie than Mercury did sound whē Iupiter did send him to bewitch with musick the hundred eies of watching Argos charge Perswaded still maye be My sowle and pensiue hart That If I liue in smart It is by louing thee His life was neuer sweete That euer learnt to loue Vnlesse his minde did meete With what his Loue did moue There doth he striue to liue Both with his soule and hart That If he die with smart His death his loue might giue The acte that most is praised And worthie of most renowne Is I Loues heauenly crowne That makes dispaire amazed Which when it shall assure The soule and amorous harte Then is a life no smart To Loue if it indure With so short a winded hay me ended the warrelicke Dame that the Princesse which ouer hard it could not but greatly pittie her hauing begun to tread thē inextricable maze of Loue not a little wondring to see how general that passion was where with they cheefely liued So afflicted remained the beautious Sarmacia that she could passe no farther giuing occasion to the Brother and Sister their beuers closed because they would not be knowne to go to her and the Ladie being naturally more tender to the other said What haue you felt Sir Knight to expresse parte of your hearts aboundance to the aire and part to these harde and sencelesse Oakes which is but to increase your smart the which if in any thing we may diminish we will effectually accomplish it At the noise did the Ladye start for being drowned in imagination shee did not remember her selfe and hauing her thoughts dispearsed abroad had giuen no eare to the Princesse wordes and so seeing those Knightes in that place shee said Greatly may you fauour me Sir Knight to leaue me to my solitude for that onely hath the power to ease my paine and strengthen my mynde to suffer it add greater if greater may be imagined And this I intreat vnlesse any necessitie requires my person which I will vse most willingly in either of your behalfes Braue Knight replyed Floraliza the sight of your present state so penetrated our harts that it caused this Knight and my selfe to come and demaund the reason of it offering our persons at your neede I doe highly esteeme your offer renowmed Knight aunswered Sarmacia which could not proceede but from you But my infirmitie is of such condition that the remedie on your partes will augment it and for mee to relate it were a griefe past griefe and a newe kinde of torment For I haue no leaue to publish it to any much more to you because it will but serue to refresh the memorie of passed griefes and present euils And therefore I praye you either to goe from mee or giue me leaue that I may doe it For the verie sight of companie is to mee troublesome I neuer sawe a Knight saide Floraliza so deepely possest with Loue but would delight to communicate his paynes and ioyes For the one he mittigates by communication and the other he encreaseth by relation And so I thinke you are a Nouice in Loue seeing you knowe not there is no griefe how great so euer but will by company be asswaged Rather replyed the Lacedemon Ladye this proues you a fresh Scholler in Cupids schoole seeing you ignorant what wrong is offered to the Ladye loued publishing her secretes For to immagine them is secrete treason committed against her And nowe I saye I woulde not keepe companie with a Knight that so quickely desyres to blabbe the thoughtes cloased in an amourous soule being soly to be imagined and not made common to euery voyce Oh how braue a louer woulde you make gyuing place in your hart for euery loue tale Oh that I knew your Mistres be assured she should not longer liue deceaued in her hopes although I thinke she doth not yf this be not to her vnknowen you speake more then befits you said the hastie Floraliza and with more bouldnesse then you should which belike our simple well meaning spéeches did cause that rather is answered Sarmacia the truest testimony that any can haue of his Fortitude and not the vaunting beasts that many vse and commonly bragge of And seing this way you haue brought it about restore me the honour I did you esteeming you in the degrée of a good Knight
from my bouldnes It is reason sir Knight sayd she that Ladies should be rather loued and wooed then gallants by thē sued too for so they should disparage their fame though not with desire they shew oftentimes some disfauour but for that cause must the louer be discréete which is what in him is first required that he may note the one and take the other in good part attributing it to her feare and not to her desire and this consideration swéetenesse what is most sower Thus spunne they the webbe of their amorous liues whē the Damsell here cut off their discourse saying with some anger You Knight of the branch seeme to haue forgotten your promise and seing the night approcheth there is no more to doe but straight with me you enter in your Barke without any companie it behooues vs to goe Vnderstanding swéete damsell sayde Polliphebo that wee shoulde so manye dayes together Nauigate by Sea thought you woulde let mee enioy some on land but seeing it must bee so let ts away though great is the wronge you doo mee Greater is that which is suffered by whom néedeth and sent me for your person hauing power to request others that with more willingnesse would haue done it for though our stay here hath been but little not so small is the stayne that thereby your fame receaueth and my necessitie increaseth with a sorrowfull looke the Prince turned to the Ladie saying You see deare Lady my vnhappie chance expelling mee from inioying your swéete conuersation for which all my life I shall lead in griefe hauing not some assurance of hope to resee you againe for till thē the anguish I shall suffer wil be so great as to debarre me from alpleasure for I onely haue and shall haue in being yours Valiant Knight replyed she no lesse doe I féele it seing you thus to depart from me and my brother which is yonder Knight and as for the rest you may liue assured I tender you as my owne soule And if this picture may be any cause of your cōtēt take it for I will haue your coūterfeite for the same The gladdest on the earth he tooke it and falling on his knées a Thousand times kissing her handes hee intreated her to take him for her Knight The Ladye denied it not for loue had made her liberall and none did it euer touch but made him become an Alexander vpō paine of not knowing how to loue seing that one of the chiefest condition that yf requires is Magnanimetie And so seing with how great the Ladie had fauoured him he againe kist her handes and taking his leaue of them knowing who they were they entred the Barke which swifter then a towring Eagle ingulffed it selfe in the swelling Ocean Straight did they loose his sight leauing Floraliza greatly discontented the which her brother nothing demaunded the cause and relating it she ended with a sigh saying I greatly feare deare brother that this Knight will put me in mortall dangers for I iudge his libertie to be great and being Sonne and Brother to our deadly foes it will be difficult for him to consider if any pyne for him Let not the grieue you good Sister replyed Don Cellindo for if he loues he will easily doe it how much the more in my iudgement he departed captiue enough So thought I answered she but here is my vnhappinesse that trauelling through strāge countries he may see some one fayrer and being toucht with this infirmitie he will be apt to decline and so must be faine to wander in his search Let the feasts first passe sayd Don Cellindo and so I hope will this humor chang into cōtent Thus determined they stayed till the next mornings Suns vprising who knowing that Rosamond the Dacian should méete hastened his shining presence to see what happened in the next related CHAP. XII How the Prince Don Eleno of Dacia met with his deare Rosamond and what more befell them in their way towards the Cittie WIth as many teares as hast departed the Dacian louer from his beloued cozen of Tynacria entring within the Forrest where ouertaken with the night he past it with extreame anguish of his soule seeing the ympossibilitie of his content hauing it onely with the presence of his Ladie His foode was soly the fruit of those wilde trées and some of what Fabio had prouided but his conuersation was it which most pleased this woefull louer For memorating the troubles he had vndergone and the passions and violent sorrowes he had resisted animated him to tollerate this present accident Most part of the night spent they in this intermingling it with diuersity of matter to make him diuert from his pensiuenesse till yf was time to rest which made either part aside to sleepe yet small was the while that the Prince reposed Neuer yeilded this infirmitie any quiet till throughly possest Well may many speake it by experience though with a newe estate they be remoued from it with a Thousand sighes began the Dacian Lord to sing for onely in that he thought he founde pleasure And I my selfe neuer founde him otherwise while alone he trauelled with this passion If a remedie for loue be dayly to liue instrife come death and end my lyfe by my sweete ioyes remoue My payne and hard mischance makes fearelesse any death so I might loose my breath vntreading my woes daunce Whilst a remedie for loue is dayly to liue in strife come death and end my life from this my ioyes remoue The soule with paine opprest canne nere obtaine renowne come loue and treade it downe while t is in woes vnrest I tell thee t is no loue which dayly liues in strife come death and end his life that sees his ioyes remoue With some small comfort ended the Prince caused with his song and being day broade mounting vpon the earths best horse hee began to leaue that thicket delighting hys eares with Philomelas complaints making him a witnes of Tereus rape crueltie against her committed no lesse ioyed he with the others conceipts for though the Musitions were naturall yet kept they a wonderfull harmonie of an vnnaturall consort In this maner wondered he till about Nine a clocke of the Morning at the end of the groue hee sawe a Knight come toward him brauely mounted hee coulde not see his armour for ouer thē he wore a blewe coate ouer his shield a case of the same coulor Presently the disguised knight knew Don Eleno and hauing purposed what he ment to do vnbuckled but tooke not of his helme with extreme ioye to see him for no lesse had he suffered in his looking him arriuing sayd Sir knight my Lady hath tane my oath the méeting in Grecia with anye Knight that shoulde denie her beautie to be the greatest in the vniuerse I should defie him to the battle but this prouided that you bee in loue though your deuise sheweth the contrarie and therefore to mortall fight I challenge you for with
coulde defend himselfe with a furious thrust he pierced his left arme This wounde greatly grieued Trebarios Nephewe and so with the paine he would enter vppon his enemie who being skilfull set his rapyer against him that if he had not spied it hee had runne himselfe vppon it notwithstanding it wounded him sorely vpon the brest With his left hand he beate awaye his aduersaries rapier and with the vtmost of his strength he thrust at him on the side of his head and bearing his rapier downewards halfe of his head he threw at his féete ending one of the difficultest aduentures that then the world contained He sat him down staying the coÌ„ming of his friend Oristoldo who with his Squire stanched the blood â—f his woundes binding his arme which caused him extreame paine he was againe armed and so great was his desire to end that aduenture that without any wordes they entred into the great yard whose admirable workemanship greatly amazed them for the pillers about it seemed of rich pretious stones all inameld with gould and blew which ioyed euery sight One the floore of the same yard beneath were ingrauen many Histories with all the famous Knights most liuely figured They sawe the battle which the Tartarian Zoylo had made with the hawty Mauritanian Brufaldoro and his dolefull departure from his deare Tigliaffa who supposing he was dead was by Lupersios order with drawne within that pallace Greatly did the true Louer pittie her seeing how intyrely she had loued the Tartare and how ill her faith had bene repaid In the middle of the yard they saw a great alter like to a Piramides made for the death of some great Potentate and round about the galleryes of the same were burning many tapers and two seruants clad down to the heele in mourning that did nothing but loke to them and the lampes of siluer and finest gould As they were about to goe to them and inquire where the Prince was they heard within one of the galleryes a dore opeÌ„ from whence came forth two and two to the number of 12 Ladies all in blacke veluet with their faces masked Through away hung all of the same liuery they past vnto the Tombe where they began a most lamentable musick whose time the Ladyes wold breake with many sudden sighes whose eccho was recorded with in the sepulcher with some doleful sounds of funerall instruments which in the Princes caused some woefull fear when they had done a dame that seemed Lady of the others wherby the Princesse iudged her to be the Princesse Tigliaffa somewhat high that they might heare thus said How long deare Lord will my cruell fortune suffer her to liue that with thy want accoumpts it but a mortall torment what life maie I liue that only liued by seing thee ay me poore Tartare how haue they offended heaueÌ„s propagated my happlesse life for my greater paine that while thou art wanting the glasse wherein I did behold my selfe I might bewaile the good that from mee they bereft haue done thou cruell death by one to rid mee of so many as I suffer seing deare Lord that my lucklesse fates haue appointed me a new kinde of torment that when all the course of thy life being towards me without loue vnto the cost of my content thou shouldst shew such greatnes of vnexpected affection in that short momentarie space that I enioyed thée twixt mine armes Oh if I knew my life would doe thee good now thou art gone whom should I make the executioner but her that more loued then she did her selfe As she was performing certaine ceremonies she did espy the Princes that with their Beuers vp gazed on her beauty which they reputed to be the greatest they had seen wheÌ„ she knew they were none of her newe keepers shee ended her lamentations in great hast entring froÌ„ whence she came with mighty noyse shutting the gates after her No loÌ„ger stayed the louer but like an Eagle mounted the staires comming to the dores he found them so fast as hee thought it impossible to open them he compassed all the cloyster to see if he could finde any other entrance but hee sawe it all built of impenetrable marble he returned to break them open with his sword but found them to be made as he thought all of brasse on the one side he reade these letters He that by the strength of his arme and weapons helper hath arriued vanquishing the keepers of my Castle let him leaue his armor for only to be to haue byn a faithfull louer must end this aduenture Straight did the couragious youth put them all off setting his sword vpon them and so went to the gates at such time as Oristoldo came Assone as he arriued they opened seing no body sauing that within he heard some noise which the Ladies made without any feare hee entred within the hall which he hardly had done when two stronge Knights set vpon him they toke him so suddenly that they raysed him from the ground and had verie nere ouerthrowne him But the youth whose forces admitted no compare recouered himselfe winning his lost aduantage and setled himselfe farre better for he got an entrance for his armes All helpes did he neede for the two were there set onely to wrastle which at this time was admirable for they hadde somewhat wearied the Greeke They came tumbling at length to the gates which occasion vnwilling to let passe with great strength he droue the one from him in spight of his valour threwe him out of the inchanted hall hee had scarce done it when the Heauens were darkened with blacke fogges and mistie clowdes with horrible thuÌ„dering and lightning which fearefull tempest continued for a little space with whose end all the Castle vanished leauing no memorie thereof more then the dead beasts which in the beginning the Princes had slaine hee found himselfe vnarmed with his friend page in the open field hee quickly armed him for they heard new cries which was that the distressed Lady wept ouer her louer not to see him dead but because he was wounded Straight she remembred how she and he had been inchanted being liberated by a Knight that had slayne the kéepers which the wise man had toulde her did guard the Castle Then arriued the Prince presenly she knewe to whome shee was so much bounde and rising leauing the wounded Tartare with her damsells she went to the Prince that with his Beuer vp was going towardes her and imbracing him sayde Most valiant Knight the best that euer guerded sword I cannot suffitiently thanke nor enough memorize your deserued prayses for the good worke you haue done me and the Tartare my Lord both which I leaue and only say that in doing what you did you did perform the duty which your selfe did owe vnto your selfe by succouring the most distressedst Ladye on the earth Neuerthelesse if in part of satisfaction for so great a debt my life may be any imployed in your
more strength was all in armor quartered in gréene and azure with many stones that marueilously adorned it In the middle of his shield was set the picture of Amitie as in antient times she was paynted in forme of thrée Ladies her in the middle all naked and shee on the right side halfe couered and the other altogether with this word Against this sacred trinitie No death did ere preuaile To massaker this dietie To be no lesse gallant then amiable did the Knight manifest himselfe for hee was that Gracious Oristoldo Prince of Annoch the other was the valiant Tartarian Zoylo whose armes were of an Indian colour with starres of gold and on his shield the Image of distrust with this Motto After a tedious griefe Commeth a sweete reliefe That all distrust abandones They went vnto the Ladies standing giuing the lysts to the flower of armes and beautie Rosabell and the faire Archisilora Quéene of Lyra. The hawghtie youth had on the best armor of the world of cleane fine tempered stéele grauen with flowers of diuers colours made with precious stones in such artificiall manner that no hart could more desire In azure field vpon his shield was portrayed a fierie Chariot and within it a Ladie who carried away perforce stretched foorth her arme vnto a Knight that stood on a bancke vppon the Sea Coast that he should succour her with this inscription on his behalfe Onely fortune may remoue thee From this hart that thee adores which in darknesse now still oâ—es Wanting the Sun-shine of thy beautie The warlyke Matrone was in Carnation and gréene armour with many gallant workes In the middle of her shielde was onely a faire white hand wrapt in this word This onely canne discouer The cause of loues remouer And when it listes giue fauor To the poore distressed louer They turned about prawnsing till they came vnder the windowes where the Prince Rosicler with his deare Oliuia sat to whom at what time they bewailed the losse of their Sonne they made a lowe obeysance and the Sonne to his Father thus began So little it is since our company hath arryued in his Countrey most excellent Prince that it knowes not the conditions of the Iustes And so for that I haue farre froÌ„ hence seene you and so long acknowledged you for my Lord vnto the death I doe beséech you to tell vs what herein is wonne or lost The voice that was impressed in his soule the Gréeke séemed to remember therefore with some alteration he made answere These tryumphes gracious Knight are to please the Ladies for their gallants doe delight to hazarde their liues in of celebrating their gallantnesse And so may you Iust though I am sure your valour will want matter to extend it selfe vpon intreating you that ere you depart you will speake vnto mee for I beléeue we haue in some place been alone with some content He bowed his head signe that he would obay and so returned with his companioÌ„ leauing the Prince telling his Lady what had happened with him who with infinit sobs and sighes prayed God he might be their lost Sonne What befell the next Chapter shall relate for I feare in this I shal be condemned of prolixitie CHAP. XVI The cruell battle betweene Rosabell and Archisilora with the two hawghtie Louers The end thereof with the knowledge of them all ALthough the Rodiant heauenly harnest téeme had almost ended his dayly goldeÌ„ progresse in the West yet to enioy the battle of the foure most famousest in arms he staied his fiery horses turning their proud vnbridled heads towardes the place of Greece which at this time according to the ecchoing noise therein it semed some generall battle was fought for the vulgar comunalty affecting the new adueÌ„turers with confused voyces made doubtfull the combates successe I shall not néede swéete Ladies to pray your attentioÌ„ for this war being for beauty I shold not perswade you to it yet being néedy in witt and hauing none but with laborious toyle What 's drawen froÌ„ the flowing current of your fauors I must still implore it without which in a swéet pleasant stile ill canne I paynt forthwith wordes such amorous though rigorous blowes as heere were giuen The two warlike louers opposed themselues in their Carrier while the Mirror of beauty her coÌ„panion did the like They prickt forth swifter then an aierie thought None mist the incounters for rather they were made with more horror then the roaring Baseliskes do make They passe shiuering their launces in a thousand pieces by each other with such grace that loue himselfe they inamored setting downe also principles of war for the mighty God of battles which he semed not to disdaine euen in his fift throne They turned about but with such fury that the farthest remooued looker on trembled at the view They drewe foorth the best blades in the world the two louers closed to wound each other but there swords froÌ„ their armor rebouÌ„ded vpwards Their dexteritie inwards disliked them supposing it impaired their valour so they seconded their blows with such wrath that their heads kist their saddle bowes Longer had the Dacian vsed his weapons and was by nature couragious but the gallant Britanian youth admits no comparatiue for al the place admired his ligeritie Againe they ioyned astonished that their swords did not cut Aloft offered the Greeke his blow hauing an eye still at his ayme as his strength was exceeding in the middest of his race he stayed turning it inwards and discharging it he made him sée a number numberlesse of stars doubling him vpon his horse back At large on his brest he gaue him another that had not Brutus armor defended him hee had inlarged his imprisoned soule A rauening Tygre nor angred Lyon depriued of his pray was neuer seen more furious then the Dacian did become and finding his enemie neere hee let flie at him twoo thrustes one after another that they left him breathlesse they guyrded hym so sorylie hee had not executed them when casting aside his shielde on the side of his helme hee gaue him such a counterbuffe that it made him turne his head more then he willingly woulde haue done Of a long time had not Greece been witnesse to a fiercer combate for the hastening of their blowes their warding assaulting and retires a larger Chapter doe require Giue me leaue swéete Ladies to tell you what passed betweene the twoo Matrones who like mountaine Lyonesses the one against the other returned with their raised swords Little gets the Quéene of Lyra for Rosamond weares the best arms weapoÌ„s in the vniuerse for which cause she cut away al her plumed top with halfe of her stéeled circuit and a peece of her shielde Better did she not speed with the blowe she receaued for voyding much blood through her visor she cast her ouer her horse crooper she seconded another when she would rise with no lesse force she had no other remedie but outwards to put
foorth her shield whereon it lighted being a wonder she let it not fall so tormented remained her arme Shee entred againe with a point which Rosamond extreamely felt so sure was her reuenge that ere she retired she strucke her on the side of the helme she somewhat slackned her arme for else she had mortally wounded her but to the cruell swoord the hardest steele seemes softest waxe The imperious guider of the highest Orbes protected them to be instruments of his miracles in defence of his afflicted people for else with athrust the Gallidonian let fly she had ended that businesse On the out side she cut away all the harnesse vnder the arme making the furious blade appeare on the other part All the place had thought her to be slaine the like imagined Rosamond whereupon spurring her Courser shee would haue parted without payment but she thought it too late for the Quéene séeing her chance and amazed at the cutting edge of her aduersaries sword with all her strength she gaue her a blow that made her make a thousand signes of falling and altogether she had ouerthrowne her but that she feared the cruell slicing blade She procured to helpe her selfe with her dexteritie but it little auailes her for though the Calidonian Ladie be short winded her face within her helme besmeared with blood yet euery time she reacht her she cut both the armour and the most fairest skinne that the world did know O Claridiano who should approch thee with such newes that the blood which thou most adorest doth enamell the smallest grasse Ouerwhelmed in the studie of confused thoughts was the Loue-burning youth to see with what crueltie hee was entreated by his Ladie that hee neither heard nor saw what in the field was done Hard by him sat the beauteous English Artemisa who seeing him in such pensiuenes pluckt him by the arme with these wordes why how now excellent Prince is it possible there should be any loue should so estrange you if you please to participate your greefe with me receauing it to ease you therof it will be my content and in faith it is no small paine what I conceaue to sée you in these passions As froÌ„ a slepe newly awaked did the afflicted youth looke vp and hearing what that beauteous Lady had offered made this replie I doe most humblie kisse your Soueraigne handes most Soueraigne Princesse for the fauour done me in pittying what I indure yet is it but a small comfort for in the strangest maner hath crueltie plaste it selfe to my more plague in our place and my thoughts in another laboured in their striuing dutie setting apart all other things to procure at once one death a momentarie remedie for a long and painâ—full life Why then be assured said the Lady that this frensie of Loue is made gentle being tollerated and communicated with one that will like my selfe ridde you of it In all things replied the woefull Louer hath Fortune fauoured me animating my weakenes by so on high sublimating my hopes only it hath giuen me as a Crosse to this glorie the greatest euill that could be séeing I am comaunded bound by a constant faith to reueale my griefes to none I féele it though well considered it is my peace For discouering the cause thereof the present answere canne be no other then that my torments are too easie waighed with her merites So haue I chose in my bargaine to suffer and be silent although your noble offer shall not want his due regard in the duties of my loue why then said the Ladie I shall not anye more neede to importune you about the procéeder of your griefes But for this tyme leaue wee it to looke on the battaile of you foure Knights for valianter the earth doth not containe Your highnes hath reason for it replyed he for they that are newe come especially he of the flowers is the soonest in assaulting that I haue seene and it behooues him combating with a Knight that so warylie maks his battle as hee in the Russet And beléeue me I would gladly knowe his companion whose armor doth assure him what the others strenghth cannot loose FroÌ„ this were they interrupted for Rosabell thinking it towardise that a battle shoulde so longe last in presence of his Fathers lyke stormes of hayle threwe his blowes vppon his aduersarie which breathlesse made him almost goe vp and downe A wrastling would the Dacian verie faine haue been at thinking thereby to get more aduantage but the Gréeke that perceaued his intent suffered him to enter and in his closing with all his strength thrust at him betweene the ioynts of his armes harnesse he wounded him and with a litle more he had toucht the harts side but turning about he cast it outwards and becomming more fierce then a Bazeliske casting his shield at his backe with his handes he mounted his sword and discharged it on the Burgonet of Lirianas gallant louer it strucke him sencelesse vpon his horse filling his helme full of blood which ran froÌ„ his Beuer nostrels A better blow was not giuen in all the battle Well was it noted by the gallant Quéene that not a litle affected the knight of the Flowers both for his valour and courtesie She would needes helpe him so driuing Rosamond with a point apart sideling with her horse shee assaulted Don Eleno to wound him She got little by it for the Dacian was nimbler and stronger than shee and mounted on that Courser it was nothing to make her bow vnto his brest with the blowe hee gaue her at her entring and as she arose he still hauing the sword between his hands did let it flie at her the powers of heauen defended her for else so rigorous was the blow she had been parted in two All the corner of the shéeld was struck away he wounded her on the shoulder and cut the great band of her helme with part of her necke péece and made her tremble like an aspen leafe Then arriued the Callidonian Ladie and betweene them they hadde surely slaine her but she staied her sword thinking it cowardise to offend any with aduantage By this was the furious youth come to himselfe making against them Before him stept the Lady but with him shee could get nothing for in all thinges they were vnequall he let flye at the toppe of her burgonet such a blow that she thought she sawe the starrie firmament Like to a rauening Tygre she raysed her auntient sword whose inchauntment being made long afore any other there is no defence in Hectors shield for a peece therof she cast to the earth She came with another at his head he warded it fearing the swoord else had he fared ill neuerthelesse it extreamely opprest him In himselfe was not the amorous Lord séeing so mightie enemies impatient is hee of delaie his shield he hurles at his backe and with both handes hee reacht her though not at full vppon her rich helme it next to the
to the death wronged me where I will spend my life in wishing thine that thou mayest confesse thy fault and acknowledge my much wrong Out of his hand did the woefull Prince let the Letter fail with a thousand cries would he publish his griefe but hee feared to be heard he would not suppe but lay tossing on his bedde till the middle of the night were past which he wasted with teares then called he for Palisandro to helpe him on with his armour and to make his horse readie hee did it not demanding him the cause thereof because he saw him so discontēted he requested him to stay in Constantinople with his Father for he would guerdon his good seruice towards him to no other thing then this would the Prince be perswaded So he tooke his Iourney through those desert woodes Complayning to the heauens with what crueltie he was intreated not knowing whether nor which way to goe he trauailed all night vntill by the appearing of the day he could decerue his armour whose sight amazed him seeing their murrey colour turned to yellow blacke with many red flames which though it were a pittifull deuise yet made it a gallant shew In the middest of his shield was the picture of Crueltie as the Achayans were woont to paint her with foure punniards sharpe edged on all sides a Knight lying at her féete with many woundes The word this Oh happie one amonge so many That would his poore hart pierse In steade of ioy that craues his hearse He straight imagined that his father the wise Galtenor had byn doing there which was some cōfort to the sorowful youth for he thought the since he knew his griefes the cause of thē that he would procure their remedies with that good will he had thitherto wisht his welfare he came to the sea-side where hee shipt himselfe for Alexādria not remēbring how his father kinsfolks wold lamēt his departure who knowing he was not there cōmanded him to bee loked for but his page came declaring the manner of his going not suffering him to goe in his company alleadging he went in search of his Vncle Don Eleno This somewhat quieted them yet not in such maner that being knowen vnto the Quéene of Lyra and how through her meanes he was absented but that her sorrowe excéeded the boundes of comfort A thousand times was she about to follow him had shee not feared to haue béen noted for it She left it for another time passing her life in continuall laments deseruedly seing she would not only to shew her selfe cruell liue a sweet and pleasant life in her Louers companie She could not so close couer her griefe but Rosamond at length plainely perceaued it and séeing she knewe it did confesse it She would requite it disclosing vnto her that shee was great with childe which something gréeued speciallie with her Dacians absence That day in the afternoone to sport themselues and expell that heauinesse the Emperour with all his Court went a hunting for euery one desired it On the beginning of the game the gallant Rosabell and his friend Oristoldo straied so farre that they came to the Sea coast by the way rowsing a Hart whiche they in the plaine kild they alighted to gaze on the calmenes of the quiet waues of the still sea They had not long staied there when they sawe come towardes them a little boate more swifter then the racking clowdes euen to the place where they sate talking of Lirianas losse Out of it there came foorth a womā of strange behauiour all clad in mourning wéedes accompanied with an old man so soone as she sawe them of such gallant disposition she went to thē and doing her dutie in the woefullest manner shee could with many teares said Braue Knights so the diuine powers comfort you tell me if lately you haue seene the knight that last of all entred the Iusts in Grecia or else where I might finde him for it concernes me to meete with him no lesse then my life and others that iniustly are like to loose them Well perceaued the Prince of great Britaine that she enquired for him so he made himselfe knowen saying Gallant Lady I am he you seeke Shee suffered him to speake no more but falling at his feete proceeded Oh most excellent Knight now is the time you must shew your valour for theron depends the life of the fayrest Princesse liuing who against all equitie is like to perish And yf thou wilt not loose thy propagated Fame blazoned thorowe the worldes vast regions then enter my barke for my time limited is short I am cōtent replyed the resolute youth the like sayd Oristoldo but to him the Lady sayd how without cōpanie it behoued the Knight to goe alone for in the secretnesse of one alone consisted the good euent of her businesse It grieued the two friends to part yet being necessary they imbraced one another The Gréeke intreated him to excuse him with his Parents and kindred that he departed wtout their leaue And entring the barke it cut away with incredible celeritie Greatly desired Rosabell to haue his owne armour and horse but seing it could not bee hee contented himselfe with his good sword hee had with him Oristoldo returned where he had left the Ladies that were redie to goe backe to the Pallaice being all there sauing Rosabell and the Troyan Oristides They demaunded for them whereupon Oristoldo declared the aduenture that befell his friend It greatly grieued Oliuia but the wisemen did cōfort her intreating her not to thinke on him for fortune did leade him where he should be the most esteemed though to the cost of his cōstancie of any in the whole vniuerse Thervpon they went to the Cittie whence euery one ordered his departure to their owne Kingdomes So did the Emperor and Empresse of Trebizound taking with thē their daughter Rosiluera with the beauteous English Artemisa and euery one aduertised of what the wise man had writ vnto Don Eleno Onely was left in Court the Gracious Tartarian Zoylo with his louing Tigliaffa to whome they tould howe the mighty Andronio his couzen did come to seeke him and knowing he was dead returned whome the Tartares hadd Crowned their King A better thinge could not they haue done answered Zoylo then that And so because I will not take from them the Prince the Heauens hath giuen them I am contented with what my deare wife hath For Andronios valour a farre greater recompence deserues with soueraigne prayses euery one applauded that haughty deede of the Tartares proceeding from the magnanimitie of a Noble minde where we leaue them hauing much to dilate CHAP. XIX What in the woods of Grecia happened to the valiant Sarmacia with her beloued Oristides and how she stayed there SO small is not the faith and beautye of the faire Sarmacia swéete Ladies but her perticuler affection maye deserue a particuler Chapter who though she had wonne little in the Iustes yet estéemed
began battle but assuredly thought the Iustice on his side Being Conquerour hee would more plainely shewe the generositie of his minde attracting the wills of the conquered with singuler clemencie saying that so rare a vertue ought not to be extinguished by the honour of a bloody victory and so would take the conquest on hymselfe as the conquered Finally Lirgandeo sayth that exceping his Competitors the world had not a better Prince his loues distracted him of his best sences for imagining that another loued his Lady and was of her beloued he lost the raignes of patience with sighes publishing what his soule indured vrged thereto by the aboundance of his swelling hart as nowe hee did with in the shippe he went For the fourth day of his Nauigation seeing himselfe more ouerwhelmed in his imaginarie thoughts then in the waters whose furious billowes his barke plowed hee rose about midnight sitting on the hatches to ease his moanes hee sighed forth these loose rymes Hart without ioy and woes with woes opprest The power of loue is with more force adrest To make me slaue to vylde captiuitie Loosing all hope of hoped libertie There is no sweete vnlesse from her it comes That Lillies white and Roses red still shames What ioy without Liriana can be pleasant In absence of her beauty nothing's decent But if she send the ioy it is past ioye A buckler gainst all paines and dyre annoy It yeeldes in torment pleasure and content And when t is worst t is voyde of discontent I must nor not I dare not hope for any Since loue my woes procures by waies so many Bereauing me by stealing her of rest Changing my ioy to paine my peace t'vnrest Oh thou vast sea through which was no man dryuen Oh watrie waues clere skie and brightest heauen If any pittie you on earth bestowe Shew it on me that am by loue trodde lowe Maistred with woes inchain'd without all pittie Made poore in hope but rich in miserie Acknowledging content in discontent Calling that ioye where no ioy ere was ment She 's faire but coy excuse me in dispaire For all my ioy is in desire made bare There wanted no louing sighes wherewith the valyant youth bemoaned his paines and the glorie that from them he conceaued calling the Sea Gods and Goddesses to witnes his passions who hearing what the gentle Louer published could not but pittie him So past he the night till about the bright lacing of the high heauens he sawe a barke more swifter then the winde passe by his along thereon lay a Knight all armed no lesse lamenting his griefes then he and yet with more reason he went saying Oh loue may it bee thou shouldst by all meanes seeke to ruinate my onely hopes being so long since assured that if I liue t is but to loue yeilding to thée the awefull tribute of my tributarie selfe as liedge man to thy deitie and that for all these spoyles hauing my hart as hostage of my faith thou shouldst delight to permit the enemie of my death to vse mee thus giuing me life to liue in such distresse No more could the amorous Pagan heare by reason of the celeritie it carryed though by it he vnderstoode the wrong he suffered and seing howe generall it was sayde Oh woefull Prince what little remedie is there left thée seeing t is denyed to euery one there is no hoping for it by liuing Oh pestiferous plague how much art thou wrapt within the poyson of thy torments and yet how wished is it to the dire cost of louers poore soules that with such bitter lamēts doe celebrate their swéete woes By this did he sée that the bark was stayed not farre from the foot of a stately edefice builded vppon the sea The Achayan Lord rested amazed with the sight and to knowe what it was commanded his to bee dirrected thither he entred by the side of the inscriptions in sight of the Knight that was already ryzen resembling Mars himselfe by his magnificence with the first scrowle that Bembo mett with was this The entrance of the marueilous Tower is granted to none not bringing the armor of the ingratest Louer of the earth Naturally bould was the furious youth and not respecting the contents of the scrowle hee flunge at one of the pillers thinking that way was the ascending to the Tower But he had scarce taken it with his handes when sodainely there arose so much fier that the Knight seemed all of a kindled coale and certainely he had incurred mightie daunger of his life had he not had on the armes of Saturne whose nature resisted that element Notwithstanding he parted frō it almost stifled with the heate that entred through his visor Well did the other Knight sée it that not farre from thence gazed on those that looked towardes the occident seeing the fier that had risen though more ready he seemed for his graue then to smile yet he laughed so high that the fierce Pagan heard it that not a little was abashed thereat and not able to dissemble it sayd I would gladly knowe sir Knight the cause of your content since with such exterior signes you haue shewen it None other replyed hee in the yellowe of this colour was his armour but to haue séene sir Knight with what vehemencie that flame would haue imbrast you within your armour It cannot bee exprest what rage entred within the Pagan by the aunswere he turned to the dispayrer saying It had been farre better since you haue séene armour to haue tryed the sauor of the fier of the pillers in that the scorching flames of Loue you haue already published along the sea in your Nauigation and now I dare affirme you are with reason thus suffred to liue considering how much you flie from labour Wise and aduised is the Ladye that from so cowarde a Knight detaines her fauors But since you haue séene with what audacitie I embrace yonder fier prepare your selfe for to your cost will I make you know how I can defend the inclosed in my hart There was no need to aduise him therof for with Mars would he haue fought touching what Bembo there had vrged Neuer vpon the doubtfull seas nor on the certaine Lande was there euer séene of a single fight a more fiercer cōbate For the warriors are the flower of Christendome and Paganisme and the dispayrer was no lesse then the Greeke Prince Claridiano who out of hope in loue as Lirgandeo hath related departed from Grecia None of the waterie Gods woulde loose such a battle for neyther Faune nor Nymphe but came to behold it And not so much but the amorous Trytones lifted vp their heads to looke on the twoo sole rare in the world In sight did the angry swelling waues neuer séeme more milde then nowe Peace did Eolus and Neptune make together with all their seuerall attending traynes raynging along the gréene azured waters till they came to the place where the battle was to be fought The gentle
so fiercely hee entred to the wrastle but making of one foote two he stoode so strongly that the Pagan thought he hadde incompassed a Rocke So longe they stryued that they fell on the hatches not daring to loosen fearing to loose thereby By this meanes did the Achayan loose so much blood that it was maruell how he could hold out for all the barke was stayned with the hewe tumbling vppe and downe the boate the Gréeke went so nighe the boorde thereof that taking houlde thereat with more strength then maye bee imagined in despight of the Moore with a swinge hee flung him to the farther syde with admirable lightnes he set himselfe on foot Slow was not the Pagan in doing the like though in this seconde battle was plainely séene what aduantage the yellow Knight had ouer his aduersarie and the Combate continuing to the end the More could not but be ouercome The Ladie would not suffer it for only to that intent had she her perfect iudgement by meanes of the peruerse Lupercio so shee spake heere me sir Knights Hearing the Ladies voice neither stirred their swoords for the gallantnesse wherewith both were adorned bound them to it shee procéeded May this testimonie braue Knights suffice which you haue giuen to the déepe seas that for my sake making no longer battle yée leaue it in this estate They could not do otherwise then the Ladie intreated it benefited the Moore therein and so replied So long hath my will obayed the supreame cōmaund of yours most Excellent Ladie that I cannot do more then what is your content and seing herein you doe receaue it I am content so pleaseth this Knight She said he will for it is the Gallants sole honor to accomplish a Ladies behest much more her kinde request She did not so dislike the Greeke that he should not obay her and therefore made answere In faith most Soueraigne Ladie I am glad occasion is offered that I may be obedient to your seruice and since herein it is shewen I am content and so remit this knights battaile beseeching you to giue me leaue to depart for I haue much to doe in another place To doe so you haue it sir Knight answered the Ladie He tooke his farewell of her and the Pagan leauing with him ynough to talke of his valour many yeares after He leapt into his boat which began to saile with such velocitie that the Ladies straight lost the sight thereof so did Bembo that stood amazed at his Goddesse view not knowing whether he was in heauen or on earth With greater courage then at any time he said If the Faith swete Ladie which I owe you may be any meanes somewhat to assure mee the entrance I intreate your soueraigne beawtie to shewe me which way I maye thether ascend and take her frō so inhumane a Gaole that hath perpetually imprisoned my heart The Ladie answered neuer a word for she neyther knewe her selfe nor any other only might she disturbe any battaile when any of Lupercios faction sustained the worst She returned away with her Ladies leauing the Prince in obscure darknesse Hee lost all the mouing powers of his body and stoode gazing at the place where he had séene his glorie In that vision wold he haue dyed thinking he departed in quiet but hauing ouer-past that amorous care with a sigh he burst into these spéeches Oh cruell Lady scourge of the Achayan house may it be such inhumane crueltie should bee inclosed within so faire a Lady what law permits thou shouldst knowe I dye I ioye therein that t is my life to suffer many deathes for thy sake and that thou hast neuer been pleased to say I am pleased to admit it This is a tirannie that admits no comparatiue for if my death wil auaile thée or that thou wilt not loue let me knowe it and my selfe will bee the cruell executioner of a most cruell death if therein consistes thy contēt But vnfortunate mishhap t is enough it comes from me that Bembo doth desire it to be denyed by Lyriana If any should be cherished in life for well louing is there any on the earth that better then my selfe hath done it Is there anye that with more puritie doth Idolatrize thy affaires then I Is there any that omitting his owne pleasure will procure thine but I If then fairest of all Fayres beauteous Liriana thou art of this assured why doest thou thus prolong my remedie why becomest thou deaffe to my exclaymes Thine I am and thine will I die let fortune still be opposite euen to my hopes and may the heauens euermore conspire against Bembo my heart hath patience to endure all First began I to pyne ere I knewe whome I loued since from all aspects I am disswaded and shoulde belieue it will I onely in thoughts end my dayes So much blood lost he that the Maister pittying him sayd Sir Knight bee not such an enemy to your selfe for it may cost you your life the differring of your cure My happe will not bée so good replyed the Prince as to meete with death for it doth my paine expect and desire anchorage of the griefe it sustaines Neuerthelesse sayd the Maister t is a kinde of dispaire to suffer a death by the heauens vnappointed for t is a blemish to any ones honour Such perswasions he vsed that he put of his armor and layde him on a bed within the Maysters cabbin They drest him with greate care yet greater was his of his Lady They would not suffer him to rise in foure daies which he continued the thinking to sée his Goddesse seing t was but in vaine he commanded to direct to Achaya intending to demaund of his friend Lupercio what armour weapons the entrance to that Tower required The Marriners to please him would haue done it but there arose a sodaine tempest that t was vnpossible to arryue there so were they carryed backwards vp downe the Grecian Ocean vntill the eyght day they arriued in a most aboundant land full of many trées and woods It gladded the Prince for the Sea had tyred him So he commanded his furious Courser to be landed and armed in all his armor he leapt on shore commaunding the rest to staye for him eyght dayes while hee learned what countrey that was He tooke the most vsedst path he could sée till the after-noone that the Sunnes mydday heate was somewhat coole he alighted to rest close to a Fountaine eating such prouisiō as his pages had brought from the ship So eating was the Pagan there but his pylgrim thoughts wandred on Lyriana when to the same fountaine where he was arryued a damozell no lesse beauteous then well attired who not for all the Prince was there alighted with rare gallantnes to refresh her faire face in the pearled spring where she reassured her selfe shee was beautifull hauing dried her face with a semely wantonnesse she stept to the Prince with these words Sir Knight the heate and the
a while of Claridiano whome with obliuion we haue greatly wronged CHAP. XXII How Prince Claridiano arriued in the Kingdome of Esclauonia and what aduentures there befell him AFfectionate to the valoure of the Blacke Knight departed the Gréeke Prince vnable to imagine whom so faire a Lady shold bee which hee iudged to remaine within that tower inchanted but as he in sorrow progrest hee woulde with nothing ioy nor in any delight thinking he wronged his Ladye to conuerse with pleasing thoughts hauing forsaken Grecia in her disgrace He crost all the Macedonian Sea sayled alonge the Coast of Panonia Foure dayes and on the fift his inchāted bark furrowed the raging billowes of the Illyrium Sea till the Tenth day that it ran alande in an vnknowen port where he leapt on shoare hauing nor méeting any of whom he might demaunde where he was arriued Vpon his Zephirus he mounted that horse which he with such immortall honour wonne at the Nabatran Feasts as the second part rezited His Heroyke cariage better denoted him to bee the Sonne of Mars then Claridianas of-spring his shield he caryed at his backe and his launce on his shoulder with his Beuer vp In this maner laden with Millions of grieuous passions he tooke in hast the most vsed path through which hee had not far gone when the same way he saw a knight comming as fast as his horse could runne He stept before him demaunding the cause therof but he was so grieued that he could or would not tell it Whereat the afflicted Prince beeing abashed with the Knightes discourtesie hauing his launce aboue hand strucke him with it from his horse saying Now discourteous Knight shall you perforce tell mee what I intreated you or else I will let foorth your life So did he set the pike of his launce at his brest threatning him with death if he tolde not who fearing it replyed Pardon me sir Knight for the greefe I had made mee thus forget my selfe but know you are in the kingdome Esclauonia very nere the auntient Citie Zantho where at this time the King kéepes his Court accompted one of the famosest in the world He hath a Daughter for her beautie called the second Venus whose excellencies are sayd to surpasse the Mother of Loues Of this Lady the Sonne of the Siconian Sophi became amorous who hath with him foure Brothers no lesse mighty then himselfe he hath shewen himselfe so affectionate towardes the second Venus that he demaunded Lycense to keepe a brydge in her name maintayning that hee alone deserues to bee beloued of her and none like him to loue her It is knowen she nothing respectes him as he would for which cause many do aduenture against him but most vnequall and vniust is the fight in that yf any ouerthrowes them all with the launce they altogether assault the Conquerour with their swords and they being so valiant many in the enterprize haue lost their liues and others their Fame amonge the last was a couzen of the Prince of Croatia that at the third incounter was ouerthrowen So I was going to aduertize the Prince my Lord thereof that no lesse then the Siconian doteth on the beauteous Venus who by a certaine aduenture was stayed at the Sea coast where we all landed with two fierce Gyants to guard him hym went I to call to reuenge the misfortune of his couzen This sir Knight is all I knowe of this Country in which I haue not béen foure dayes The Prince greatlye thanked him for his relation and parting from him entred to passe the heate of the day among those braunched trées from whence there rose a spring wherein he washt his face and drunke of the water vnbrydling his horse that he might féede on the grasse For himselfe would he no other foode but the glory of his thoughts Vppon the grasse hee laye himselfe alonge breathing forth his soule in sighes which still with euerye no thing séemed to increase to the Louers good where he began to extend the eyes of his imaginations through the vast Sea of passions wherein he was ouerwhelmed thinking that by little and little his life consumed remembring how disdainfully the Quéen of Lyra had reiected him louing her more then himselfe and not able to conceaue wherein he had offended her Hee had no other comfort then to exclaime on loue not because he was his vassayle but that he had made him so vnfortunate as that although hee had admitted the greatest paine for his speciall consolatiō yet it was prohibited from her knowledge which cōsideration bereft him of his wits but that he set his hopes on Galtenor to procure all possible meanes for his redresse A while to ease his sorrow he would communicate it to the gentle buzing wind and flowred field with more grace and swéetnesse then the famoused Thracian Poet. To strengthē his voice and helpe his thoughts he sate him downe vnder a Béech not farre from the spring singing thus Suspicious doubts that in my amorous minde Do still make warre against my good opposed Sometimes I happie victorie doe finde Ouer the mortall euill me inclosed Sometimes you immitate the angrie Dame To banish me my Ioy from her sweet name Yet happie be my thoughts more happie I Thinking her present in my miserie Who hath not ioy'd in woes and smilde in paine Seing his Ladie causer of his griefe Who is' t of any sorrow doth complaine Hauing his Loue at hand to yeild reliefe Who hath not been preseru'd who ere destroy'd The title of true Loue that ere enioy'd Hauing to witnes of his mortall paine She that can only rich him by her gaine There is no good compared to her presence Without her sorrow sollace doth confound In whome we well know by experience The Louer findes a salue for his deepe wound As by her presence heauie harts are eased So by her absence harts sores are increased Since none may therefore liue an absent life Pittie oh pittie loue and end this strife Here brake of the Gréeke with many sobs pitifull grones giuing a begining to his lamēts in this maner O tēder yeres to to much tried on the tuch-stone of my ladies coynes O cruelty shewē against none but him that liues by louing ioying in nothing but to be anothers wherefore soueraigne Quéene leftst thou me with life yf shold I liue dying tutord in nothing but thy loue and in my soule to adore thy perfections What honor hast thou swéete Lady got to banish me from thy sight with such crueltie what didst thou loose admitting my paine caused by the effect of thy beautie I did not procure manifesting the same thou shouldest loue me or comiserate my harme but I prayed leaue to loue languish till the death acōpting that a swéet life imployed in this But to forbid me yet alone to worshipp thée who will reioyce in such crueltie but Achisilora whose disdaine I haue do féele to equall her perfectiōs more thē humane A noyse he
wrath kindled in his furious brest By little and little he felt the paine diminish Aswell as he might he defended himselfe not without mighty blowes of the thrée that to make an end drew strength from their fainting for he had wounded thē dangerously At length féeling himselfe frée of the dāger faining neuerthelesse the cōtrary he suffered the secōd brother to enter for he was most eager When he was so neare he could not scape him hee raysed aloft his reuenging arme with more strength then wyth whéeles the mightiest burthens are crayned vpp with as much rage as courage hee discharged it on his helme the which downe to the shoulders with his head was clouen Great was the noise that sodenly aroze in the place with the knights death thinking the like would happen to the rest The like presumed the king so did Lindauro that bloody teares did shed for the losse of the brothers Redoubled was their gréefe for Archisiloras louer imagining he too lōg deferred the end flung at the Kings Couzen wounding him with such a blow that sencelesse he cast him forwards on his horse neck he ran against him with his Coursers brest tumbling him his horse on the stony pauement more dead thē aliue The third brother would defend himselfe but the Prince thinking it vnméet to assault him did close casting his strong armes about him wherewith he pluct him from his saddle spurring his horse went to the bridge side offering to cast him into the riuer ouer the railes whereat the King cried out to him he should not doe it for he gaue him the victorie of the fight accompting him the best knight vpō the earth To do your Maiestie some seruice which is my sole desire answered the Prince I am content to do it although his rude inciuilitie deserues a farre greater punishment Thankes for the same did the king giue receauing him with better coūtenance then will for he would haue giuen any great prize so he had miscarried in the battaile To him went the couragious Prince Pollidolpho saying Ioue Guerdon you for me sir Knight what this day you haue on my behalfe performed which is so much that I know not how I may séeme gratefull for the least of the same but yf in any thing my life and my companions bee néedefull in your seruice dispose of them for we will offer ymploye them with as great willingnes as you this daye haue done yours for vs hauing not deseured it at your handes The Gréeke replyed knowing him to be whom the Knight hadde sayd This far much more then I haue done is due to your gentlenes bounty great Prince for there is none knowing what it is but remaineth ingaged thereto and therefore may you accompt me as one of your true sure and vnfayned frends The Prince acknowledged the kindnes resting so affectionate vnto him that in all things he shewed it They accompanied the King who though hee bare them no good will more then what hee ought would not but honour them inuiting them vnto his Court where there befell thē what the next Chapter mentioneth CHAP. XXIII What befell vnto the Greeke Prince being with the King in his great Hall ALthough the cankered Rancor of ill-will within the brest of the Esclauonian Kinge pleaded against the merits of the Gréeke Prince by reason of his challenge in preiudice of his decrée yet so louing worthy of respect is the very sole opinion of vertue good parts by how much the more thē the triall knowledg of the same bright saints of idolatrized beauty that he almost forgot it inclining so much vnto him through the sight of his valour shewen and honour obtayned agaynst his foure enemies that he regarded and in the common Iudgmentes did affect him On the other side extreame was the griefe Lindauro didde conceaue wanting the thrée brothers himselfe disgrast attributing thereto the beauteous Venus disdain towards him whose beauty the gréeke admired esteaming it equall to his Ladies the Queene of Lyra. No lesse admiration caused his in Court that there was no Dame but enuied his fairenes iudging he yet was fairer then Venus hee was there a Noueltie As hee so reputed they the Croatian Pollidolpho whose truelye affectionate the Princesse was become desiring nothing more then to speake with him that hee might knowe her will and the place his hart had obtained within her brest glad in her soule of the amity he had cōtracted with the desparing knight so called they the Gréeke imagining she might securely put her selfe in his hands then suffer any wrong by her Father on Lindauros behafe which would be no lesse then her death For she neuer had thought well of the pride werewith he had did procure to winne her goodwill A thousand times was she about to write it to the Greeke that as a Louer euery one accompted him so seing his cruell deuise he might seeke meanes to auoyd so great an euill as she expected by the mariage But she was as modest as beautifull for in this she exceld the first of her name So durst she not write belieuing it would blemish her honor staine the reputatiō they of her kinde are bound to maintaine in all their actiōs rather induring a thousand deaths then by their doinges to giue the popularitie occasion to misiudge of their liues when they ought to be the presidents for others to modell out the course of theirs This withheld her suffering euery day many importunities till that her Father seing her obstinacie commaunded her plainely to arme herselfe with patience for he would force her against her will to that whereto all his coūsell intreated him This so put her to her shifts that she had none other but to write vnto the Knight in yellow trusting the matter to a Ladie whome she thought would kéepe it secret She vowed it acknowledging great dutie for the reposing on her a thing of such consequence All the Knights lodged within the Pallaice excepting Pollidolphos two Gyants that disguised kept aloofe of carefully watching what would befall their Prince in those affaires For they knew how intirely he loued the faire Venus Wherefore the Damozell had opprtunitie so soone as it was darke that she might leaue her lodging to go vnto the Knights that kept together and demanding who and where the knight in yellow was Palizandro beeing there conducted her vnto them to whome with a pleasant countenance after salutations she said Sir Knights assured of your valours that you will not denye it vnto distressed Ladies that haue néede thereof I am boulde to come on the behalfe of one whose name this Letter doth contayne directed to the despairing Knight glad that being able he will not permit her in indure any outrage So with great courtesie she deliuered the letter vnto the Gréeke saying she would the next morrowe returne for an answere And staying no longer kindly tooke her leaue and departed T is
scarce possible to expresse the alteration that surprised the Prince of Croatia imagining the letter came from Venus that seing the haughty déedes which he had done and also his faire constitutioÌ„ she was enamored of him certifying him therof by that meanes The Gréeke put him froÌ„ those dumpes calling him saying In the end hee was wounded with anothers hand Le ts see braue Prince what this Lady requireth that should haue no small néede of our succour strengthning her necessity with our weake helpes binding vs thereby to loose our liue in her defence T will bee an act procéeding of your magnanimitie haughty dispayring knight to procure that none suffer any iniurie replyed Pollidolpho and from this time doe I offer my person The like did the Gréeke and opening the Letter were amazed to sée the name neuerthelesse he read it thus The Princesse Venus Letter to Claridiano IMagining valiant dispairing Knight to whom that name deuise is iniustly permitted thou art come to knowe the power of loue rooted in a true hart and how it onely repaires vnto the harme acknowledging the causer vnable to doe otherwise I write yet assured that my Letter will denote me of some immodest wantonnesse for the lawes of Loue frees euery one of paine excepting that which from it doth proceede By this shalt thou knowe the wronge my Father intendes to doe mee marrying me against my will to a husband of his choise But oh what death is it to see that Fortune should bring me to the estate that I must rather loose my life then obay his coÌ„mande though a daughters obedience binds me thereto but doing it it is an offence and capitall crime which I do coÌ„mit against my immaculate faith and also to whome I haue sacrificed it I am sure since thou hast receaued the order of armes to protect and defend the vnblemisht honor of distressed Ladies thou wilt leÌ„d me thy ayd as she that hath most neede thereof And so shall I draw strength out of my Faeminine feare to execute what ere thou shalt ordaine It is suffitiently knowne of all who it is that procures me of al things I expresse a Resolution by thy answer which will be the incourager of my brest The Gods haue thee in their keeping and giue thee more ioy then eyther I haue or thy deuise doth betoken The Princesse Venus Wonderfull greatly did the Princes hauing read the Letter estéeme the confidence reposed in them of so waightie a matter whose yssue they could not auoyd without great aduenture and danger of their liues well had the Gréeke vnvnderstoode the Princes affection and thinking he that way might binde him sayde Excéedingly doth Fortune fauour you great Prince hauing by such meanes ordred the putting in your hands so faire a Lady And I vowe neuer to put on armor more yf I performe it not although more perrils depend thereon he made answere Most excelleÌ„t knight I doe confes the Gods had appointed mee to méete you that seing my great necessitie you should take pittie of the same I will not againe rebinde my selfe for these magnanimous offers but onely set my life and state in your handes to gouerne dispose of them to your pleasure for that will bee mine in nothing derogating from your direction Why theÌ„ sayd the Gréeke I find no better remedie theÌ„ to remoue froÌ„ betwene you the knight that hath shewen himselfe your coÌ„petitor in loue and that it may be effected it will be good we aduertise the Ladye to yéelde to her Fathers request and I with vnknowne armes will challenge him procuring his or taking my death to quiet your life Afterwards it will be easie to take the Ladye from the Pallaice but for this it will bee requisite you haue some number of men for it is impossible but wee shall haue some conflict with the kings people whereto he replyed That is already prouyded for my couzen I being with onely my twoe Gyants departed from my Kingdome came to séeke mee with twelue Thousand men well armed and couragious for anye dangerous exployte T is ynough answered the Gréeke to set her on the Seas where wee will defende her maugre all their strength With this agréement they concluded their dyscourse wherewith Pollidolpho remayned the gladdest in the worlde séeing howe well his affaires were ordered towards the procurement of his ioyes The war-like Gréeke writ his answere deliuering it to the Damozell that mist not to come for it carrying it straight to her Lady that with many pittifull lameÌ„tations beséeched the Gods they would not permit so vniust a marriage but rather to end her sorrowfull dayes which should bee her greatest good that liued exempt of all content Though she receaued it excéeding with the Gréeke Princes letter whose seales hauing rent open it contayned this effect Claridianos Letter to the Princesse Venus SO great is the wrong most excellent Princesse done vnto thy beauty so much the duty I acknowledge vnto Ladies that hauing not written but only giuing me the least notice of thy care both things had put me in the greatest that I euer conceaued to procure venturing therein the hazard of my life that in nothing thou shouldest sustayne iniurie and thereof liue secure that whylst this thy afflâ—cted Knight dooth liue so vnequall a Marriage shall not be effected And the better to perfourme it it is needefull you giue your graunt vnto your Father doe it without anye feare For eyther I will loose my lyfe or Lindauro shall not one daye enioye the name hee dooth not deserue it to bee thyne The Gods haue thee alwayes in their keeping and with good successe end these affaires The despayring Knight The teares of ioy ran down the Ladies eyes in gret abundaÌ„ce with her soule thanking the knight for what he vndertoke on her he halfe calling that Lady vnworthy of any good that ioyed in the sorrow of so valiant a Knight with whose loue any might accompt her selfe happie and had she not known he had on another bestowed himselfe hee had been the first whome the second Venus had made Patrone other hart with more loyalty then Cupids mother did yeild her selfe vnto her louer Almost with the letter in her hand did her Father take her for the Syconian Prince woulde not let him rest wyth his imrortunities he required her to obay his behest regarding how well it became her to marrie him one of the greatest Princes of the world being his neere neighbor which might moue her to doe it more willingly shee answered Deare Father nothing can be told me of the Syconian Prince more then I knowe and haue considered it exceeded my deserts to receaue him for my Lorde husband but so tender is my age and my yeres so few in their vnripenes that I thought I shoulde nippe the springing hopes of the same by vnder-going the heauie yoake of Matrimonie Neueerthelesse seeing both you he so much desire it your will be done for now nor neuer will
Lyra said the Prince of Gretia how maiest thou nowe liue contented séeing thy crueltie hath absented me from my countrey and thy deuine presence which was the thinge whose power might nourish an abhorred life that nowe doth kéepe me inclosed within a stonie limmit wounded sicke and weake and where none with helpe can preuaile to liberate him from a cruell and shamefull death that only wishes a tormented life to adore thy beautie O deare Father Galtenor this is the time wherein thou shouldest shewe thy loue towardes thy Sonne on whome thou sometime diddest put thy glorie and the recouerie of thy whole Kingdome Regard with what will I hazarded my life for thy content I onlie require thée to set me at libertie that I maye bee reuenged on these villanous Traitors which if I might obtaine I would not then gréeue at any thing that I haue sustayned so I might make them know and also teach them howe they should entertaine valiant Knights O Emperour Trebatio my Lord and Grandsire knewe you my anguish and gréefe I know you would reuenge it O Claridiana my soueraigne Lady Mother who would tell you that your beloued Son hath but xxiiij daies of life limmited by a mortall man with lyke affection would you put on your armor to rescue me as when you went to séeke the great Alphebo my louing Father The Prince supposed that none did heare him which in déede might verie well bee for that Tower was hygher then any of the rest Great ioye conceaued the Ladyes with the fynding out of so braue an aduenture and séeing how that waye they myght frée him that hee might so doe by the Prince Pollidolpho yet most woundered that vnderstanding hee was so highe a Prince Nephewe and Sonne to those that with their haughtie déedes hadde illustrated the spacious world Of him being so young they had not heard but what they had séene was suffitient reason for to mooue them to esteame him for the best and moste worthiest Knight that euer guirded swoord Returne we nowe my Fausta sayd the gallant Venus for so happie an aduenture as this could not but be kept for so great a necessitie as ours and we will giue order that vnknowen to the Prince the doore may be opened vs by his squyre for he is wittie and will do it being intreated but goe wée softly least wée be heard Then let vs be gone said shee and I knowe not what it is that Knights can séeke since your beauteous selfe hath discouered an aduenture so hard difficult of such perill There is none now said the Lady giuing the despairer armor for when I sée him with thē gainst all the world I liue assured though it would iniurie me Come let vs away replyed the Damozell for that confidence hath in Loue most force And if so we might liberate the despayring knight we néede not harbour the least feare A good successe I doe not doubt for fortune hath reserued for this busines answered Venus since it pleased her with so good a beginning to discouer vnto vs the way vnto so sure a hope They came away that no Lady walking that way might finde the Caue they couered it againe with those bushes briers the best that they could No body had mist thē because they thought they walked according to their custome about those greene arbors That afternoone procured the Damozell to speake with Palisandro which happened as shee desired for she spied him crosse by the tower where his Maister lay Shée made him signes to come to her which he did and because shee would not prolong their conuersation least they might be espied she said Good squire it hath so gréeued vs the Princesse my Lady my selfe to sée the imprisonment of thy Lord that we cannot expresse it and therfore we haue procured a meanes to frée him from it so our good hap was to shew vs to day a Caue that from my Ladies garden reacheth to thy Lords chamber which we could not open though we heard him complaine of many things and we alredy know how great a Prince he is and that he may performe what to my Lady Mistres he promised she will set him at liberty that he may procure it for the other Knight Of neither aduertise him but onely open the dore which in the same wall you shall sée of stone that we may on the sodian enter for it will so greatly please my Lady Venus And because this matter requires a secret breuitie no more but that this night after the Chirurgions be gone stay you with a light to doe what I tell for we will not fayle you The discréete Palisandro toke his leaue pondering that matter in his minde as the waighte thereof required In the end he resolued to doe yt vnable to imagine that in so great a Princesse there shoulde bee anye thinge ment contrary to what shee sayde After the Prince was dressed Palizandro shut the dores verye fast to execute his appointment and hee found their tale to bee true which not a little gladded him seeing that his Maister might that way goe foorth hee opened the wall and set a taper by his Maisters bed side that the Ladies might sée him was about himselfe to goe méete them but he feared to displease them They stayed not long for the houshold being withdrawne with Summer garmēts they descended to the garden making fast the dore after them The Princesse Venus woare a Damaske mantle imbroydered with gold cast ouer a peticoate of russet Satten layd about with golden lace vpon her haire she had a Lawne of curled Cypers which so reuerberated the beames of her owne beauty vpon her selfe that no Knight not louing Archisilora could haue the hart to forget her In beauty onely thrée contayned the world to equall her yet they knew not any aduantage ouer her the first the rezited Lady Rosamond Liriana They went more nymbler by reason of their light garments which made thē easier mount to the staire head whence through the tapestry that hung before the dore they spyed the light With a thousād imaginations were the Prince Palisandro expecting what might fall out At the entring they started as it were wyth feare in such sort that they made not so little noise but the Prince might heare it he feared some treasō and though he had no armor at the time that he would leape out of his bed entred with her damozell that excellent Ladye who with a ioyfull countenance able to reuiue a dying man sayd Did you thinke sir Knight to passe so sorrowfull a life and we not come to receaue part of your griefe the which if it might be deuided there should not want one so you might be ryd thereof to take the greatest part Ryse would the Prince admired not onely of her beautie but of the meanes she had to come thither The Lady would not suffer him nor giue him her handes which the Gréeke instantly required supposing he
giue you your swoord for it was not lawfull it shoulde come to another Maister hauing been the Gréeke Princes because it were so to wronge him Greater is that it now receaues deuine Ladye answered hee that hauing béen in your beauteous handes it shoulde come to the most vnfortunatest in the worlds wide continent Name no more that fearefull Epetithe sayde she for you make me thinke you are ill conditioned to loue one of the worst parts incident in any gallant for he that the power of disfauour forceth to deny the acknowledgmēt of his fortune in his good imployment is the apparent witnessing hee not so much estéemes his Ladye as hee ought for if she liues beloued a disfauour at their handes must bee accompted a greate fauour Your excellent beautye replyed the Prince hath greate reason and I confesse my fault for all it procéeded from an amorus passion Whatsoeuer how great soeuer said the Ladie procéeding frō Loue is worthie of pardon for none that truly loues is subiect to any on the earth but to the thing loued which is esteamed for life reputed for a lawe honoured as a King and obayed as a Lord and since in loue nothing is required but a perpetuall acknowledgement thereof héere let vs no longer staye but instruct Fausta in what she hath to doe Palisandro shall doe that replied the Prince who must stay with her suffering none to come in with any light and when the challenge is knowen then publish my extremitie to be most Héereuppon descended the twoo chiefe Beauties of the world into the garden where O Archysilora who shoulde haue tould thée so with what gréefe wouldest thou haue heard it is it possible thou shouldest be so carelesse as not to respect the loyaltie of the Gréeke Prince who being alone with her that challenged equalitie of thée remembred nothing but the battaile armor and horse chéefly She gaue him a stéeled temper one of the best that the earth possest saying This braue Prince was his that raysed the buildings of this Cittie of which a wise man tould me that it should come to the handes of the famousest Knight and greatest Louer of the world and with it he should terminate many haughtie aduentures and I thinke in all thinges hee did lye except in this for comming to your handes the earthes glorie doth ingraten them It is a guift most soueraigne Ladie said he to end any enterprise hauing béen obtayned by the woonderfullest hap euer recorded The Ladie had in that nothing missaide for that next to the Creator in a thousand places it did saue his life the first being in the battaile against the fearefull Ballurdano for so was the diuilish Gyant called The Prince did put it on hauing neuer as he thought séene a better in all his life and shee closed the buckles with more grace then strength Hee made an end of arming and his armour being of a rose colour grauē with gréene ameld flowers he rested the best accomplisht knight that might be séene The beauteous Venus could not but imbrace him saying In this doe I now wrong Archisilora but so I may with truth say I had the flower of Knighthood twixt mine armes I am bould to doe it vowing héereafter to amend it with my vtmost power With whatsoeuer gracious Princesse your Highnes shal vnto me doe replied he I am the man that onely thereby gaines though I wish my friend were in my place For among such there must be nothing but ought to be participated twixt both Now am I sorrowfull that I did it for said she it is the greatest wrong my fauors could receaue seing you tell me that not louing your friend I am the looser being before I am intreated vsed with such disdaine and till another time I will deferre my reuenge for this iniurie When it shall please you gallant Ladie replied hee will I receaue the paine of your inflicted punishment though séeing it must procéede from these hands I wrong it with that name here ending she led him to a wicket that to the fieldes did open made with barres of strongest stéele and opening it with a kisse she sayde I would to God renowned Prince I were a Knight in this Iourney to accompanye you the better to ioy your haughtye Cheualries It suffizeth for my glorie and the happye successe of them Heauenly Venus answered hee that in your name I vnder-goe them Yet yf that were so replyed the Ladye more ioyfuller should I remayne So here departing she gaue him a Thousande imbracemenets suffitient to Metamorphize the weakest Lambe into the strongest Lyon Hee tooke his leaue of her entring through a wood where what did happen vnto him the insuing Chapter shall memorize CHAP. XXV What happened to the Prince Claridiano with a Knight with whom he went to the Citie to combate against the Gyants BOund in his soule till death swéet Ladies did the mightie Nephew of Trebatio leaue the famous Citie of Xantho séeing with what carefull kindnes the beauteous Venus had procured his libertie so he fully resolued either to loose his life were it ten times ten thousand times more pretious or else to take her thence espowsing her vnto his friend if so she would and that she ment it he had receaued some hopes therof from her in the tower the first night The imagination of his vndertaken enterprise though of such consequence could not diuert him finding himselfe alone amongest those big branching oakes from remembring the tirānie wherewith he was vsed forgetting his promise of Patience that the same night hee past vnto the Princesse but there can be none being in his estate He sate him downe at the foote of a spreading Béech making the Eccho of his voice reiterate the repetition of his woes and tempering them with the fauours the Princesse Venus had done him he warbled foorth this Dittie What auailes it me to ioy Or for to renew my loue Since my Queene is nice and coy And my fauoures doth reprooue She is angrie full of yre Though her fauour I desire What resteth then since ioy and hope is spent In these extreames but to be patient Who is it that liues content And doth lead an absent life Who doth loue that is exempt From endlesse paine and bitter strife As her presence bringeth Ioy So her absence breedes annoy He ended saying what doth it auaile Sacred Venus so haue set me at libertie by those diuine hands of thine with hope that I might be the meanes to frée him frō prison that is wronged to be kept therein if thou shouldest leaue me in a perpetuall Gaole where it is impossible either for my selfe to frée my selfe or any else to aide me in distresse I will imbrace my death and my Lady doth procure it why therfore comes there to mee so great a good going to craue a licence to end my ill ioyed life vnles she doe replie me with a no Turbulent stormes are these which only a hart with passions
the ground following that aduantage with like kinde of death that the Father suffered he was bereft of life Which Don Eleno made cleane his sword and dagger praising him that deserueth all praises from whome procéedeth strength and victorie He mounted vppon his light horse that straigght came to him giuing cause of no lesse admiration at that then what the Gréeke did do for finding hard by him Ballurdanos stéed that was both mightie and strong not setting foote in stirrop he nimbly leapt into his saddle as if that day he had done nothing which euery one amazedly admired seing him so sore wounded They demaunded of the Iudges if about the Prisoners libertie there remayned any more to do They replyed No more valiant Warriours for what is done is more thē suffitient the memorie of whose fame while the world doth last shall euermore indure Frō thence as they were they rode vnto the window where the King was to whome they made a low obeysance vnworthy of his imagination To him the Dacian thus spake Though in our soules most mighty King wee gréeue to haue discontented thée yet considering by thy commaunde and consent wee were admitted to this battaile we maye stand excused And so your Royall Maiestie wee beséech that because we haue hast of businesse that in another place doth sumon vs you will commaunde the prisoners to bee deliuered vs which to vs will bee newe fauours Knight answered the King though to your honour you haue accomplished the performance of the challenge the offence was committed agaynst my Royall Crowne and state and so it remaynes to be determined by my Counsell wherefore to stay a few dayes will bee no great matter For all sayd the Dacian was the battle made and you commanded the prisoners to bee sent for that they might giue vs their consent so that by this meanes all is cleared nothing remayning to be remitted to any Counsell It is true replyed the Kinge but the kinsfolkes of those dead anew demaunde of me Iustice agaynst them which must bee obserued especially required by this valerous Prince With his person it were more honourable for him to doe it sayde the Gréeke a Thousand times about to followe them vp stayres and not in this maner which is more for a woman then a Knight and a Prince Be not so bould replyed Lindauro before my Lord the Kinge for else I will haue you well chastised according to your insolēce For what I wil procure by my selfe I haue arms and ffrength to doe it which I haue not because I knewe it was to base and dishonourable for my person and so I leaue it in the Kings hands for he will maintayne Iustice law and right Well did the Dacian note his alteration perceauing with what rage his Companiō mēt to answer he stayd him because hee would not giue occcasion of newe brawles and sayd In faith Prince I neuer saw a knight that while he might obtayn fame reputation by his owne sword wold procure it by anothers hand But seing it is thus vsed in Esclauonia wee shall not want meanes more cruell and rygorous ere long to liberate the Prisoners Hauing thus said the twoo couragious Warriours turned about their horses went their waies leauing behind them ynough for many yéeres to be talked off Where breathlesse and of sences tyred I am forced to cast anchor in an vncertaine Port till the ioyfull calme of new expected fauours hauing disperst the boysterous tempest of contrarious thoughtes shall increase strength by adding courage to a faynting minde to gratefie your kinde acceptances with another part Dum lumen solari tenebo Seruiet officio spiritus iste tuo FINIS
alonge with this motto Did euer any see The Ladie that doth delight To equall her despight With that fier which burneth me Vnto the Iousts there entred not a Knight of whome a more generall commiseration was had The Prince of Hyberia did deserue it who for the loue of the Armenian Kings Daughter that bordered in this Confynes extreamely languished being therefore constrayned to tread the steppes of Pilgrimage through forraine lands arryuing at length at Constantinople hee was of high valour and one of them that shewed himselfe a capitall enemie to Greece his name was the vnfortunate Lindelfo They met with the puissance of their armes but what auailes it though the Dacian loose his raines and hould by his horse necke if at his turning he saw his aduersarie on the ground though quickly he leapt into his saddle he pittied him remembring the time when comfortlesse accompanied with nought but despaire to ease his torments hee wandered through the world in that manner So hee craued his pardon requesting him to accept him for a friend Generally was the yellowe Knight esteamed for the braue encounter hee had made and to ouerthrow him was alredie iudged impossible so furious so lucky did the Louer raunge about the yarde A sudden rumour buz'd through the place with the entring into it of one of the gallantest Gyants in the vniuerse and so loaden with fearefull weapons that the farthest of yet thought himselfe within his armes This was the courteous Brandafidell bringing with him the beauteous Floralinda being himselfe clad in rich armour of a mingled Red and Greene and garnished with many Lillies On his shield hee had figured a Tower wherein a faire Ladie seemed to bee inclosed himselfe standing at the Gate with that huge Mace and about this deuise were these wordes inrowled Being committed to my trust None euer past this way Nor Loue in proude aray There was no â—ady in all the place but with gret laughter applauded the gyants deuise seing the inequalitie betwene the Lady and him She was attired all in groâ—â— cut vppon Red blackt in such curious manner as if it were some workemanshipp of Heauen A thin sendall masked her face except the sparkling light of her twoo Sunnes whose beames exceeded Phaebus raies Euery one longed with desire to know what foolish Ladie that might be that so bestowed her beautie on so deformed a Gyant Forwards stept the courteous Pagan and knowing him in the Russet to be Cousin to him he highly honored was vnwilling in any thing to moue him and so said your admired valour Sir knight is so highly knowen that none dares hazard his reputation on the breaking of a Launce against you If I may intreat suffer me to runne on with your Companion rather to shew I am all in all yours then otherwise to offend you Well did the haughtie Matrone vnderstand it and also the whole place heard what the Gyant had said thereby more esteaming the Russet Knight The Ioust did the Lady demaund of her beloued Lord with feare ynough did hee giue it her and his shield with his soule None in all the place did mis-imagine of the knights hardinesse in the white though his companion seemed of a stronger constitution But she that fetcht her Pedegree from Hercules for a greater matter did encourage her selfe and so turning her Courser with no lesse grace then her louer they encountred with asmuch furie as the god of warre could haue done T was well for the Lady to hit the Gyant on the Beuer and bearing her launce with the vtmost of her strength which was equall to any she strucke of his helme from his head the paine whereof made him loose his owne blow no sooner had it fallen but presently the three Princes knewe him There no longer lingred the gallant Brandafidell but taking his leaue of the Ladie leauing her in opinion of valiant he went straight to the Theater and leaping from his beast he alighted the Ladie twixt his armes most ioyfull to see her selfe before her lord Meridian all her deare Father By her hand did the courteous Gyant lead her vp staires til euerie one knowing who they were seeing Rosicler rise though very weake of his last battle they did the like to accompanie him Along past the gentle Brandafidell saying I am sorrie most excellent Princesse that bringing such company with me to her will all the content be attributed wherewith I am receaued but I am glad of it to bee in recompence thereof discharged of my guaridng my Lady the Princesse Floralinda deliuering her vnto the Scythian prince for if he be the Meridian I belieue he will not be displeased with the gift By this time had she vnmasked her face discouering a more fayrer one then Apollos in the moneth of Maye The Prince imbraced his espowse vsing betwene them such ceremonies as is accustomed amonge those that like ioyes expected With such furie behaueth her selfe the Calidonian Matrone in the listes swéete sollaces of Melancholy hartes that I caÌ„not stand to rehearse these welcomes on all partes I remit it to your sober considerations for to repeate the manners of the gentle Brandafidell what with euery one he did and to euerye one did say were to inlarge with superfluous courtesies the breuitie of the Historie fall into that error I haue already condemned To be short euery one returned to their places except the old King of Macedonia who with the Emperors leaue went thence with his Daughter to know what had befallen her in so loÌ„g an absence Only swéet Ladies comforts of comfortlesse soules pitie Claridiano burning in the vnconsuming fier of loue that with his Ladies coynesse added the fewell of discontent vnto the selfe norishing flames of the reasonlesse warre of rude confused thoughtes The fauour of some smyling chance lightly in such accidents as these doth sometime leaue his contrarious maleuolence and so fortune at this instant brought him to meet with the Queene of Lyra that returned froÌ„ speaking to the Macedonian ladie no doubt but to see him so pensiue and for her sake shee became more milde She shewed it by these wordes but with such a hanging downe of her eyes that I knowe not what heart of Adamant could haue indured it Verie gladly woulde I haue you tell mee Prince of Grecia the cause of your sorrowe For I feare your euill doth proceede of Loue yf so and the Ladye bee amonge vs and my selfe able in anye thinge to fauour you may I but know hee and I will doe it in respect I am so much indebted to your vncle Rosicler Most excellent Queene answered the afflicted Lorde my infirmitie is of such equalitie that I knowe no remedie for it for to nominate the cause therof is a newe torment to augment it For that to doe so is certainelye to offende This onelye doe I knowe that I feele the approching of a longe lingring death and would yt make an end to come Oh happie it and I farre