Raiartes is one of the strongest and worthiest knights that is among the Pagans and his pride is so great that he alone would not refuse to ioyne with an C. knights and would well thinke to haue the masterie of them all before he would be taken Thus the bench was not idle and the Princesse Radamira very busely attended vpon hir knight and watched euery turne more then halfe ioyfully speaking thus vnto the Princesse Balisea standing by I beléeue for a certaintie Princes Balisea that our high Gods now at length cloyed with my mishaps haue prouided this knight for me for in respect of his beautie great bountie he séemeth rather heauenly then terrestriall Yea so I thinke then aunswered the Princesse Balisea and that not onely for your succour but to ayde me and my cause the Gods haue sent him hether for by him I looke to bée quéene of Persia Do you so madame sayd Radamira now I pray our Gods that he well escape this battaile to fulfill your heartes desire and truely if he become victour not only I shall be auenged on him for my fathers death but I will make account that I am now risen from death to life for sooner had I purposed to kill my selfe then to lie in Raiartes armes But all this while the good knightes plied the combat fighting couragiously till they were fore wearied euerie one misconstruing the euent For Raiartes seeing that the longer the battaile lasted the farther he was from the victory with all the force he might he stroke the knight of the Sunne such a blow on the helmet that his sences wer bereft him had he not taken hold of the saddle bow he had kissed the ground So the fray was renued but the knight of the Sunne gaue Raiartes another blow as strong which bewitched his vnderstanding for his horse carried him about the field tossing him on the pomell of his saddle as if he had bene dead The knight of the Sunne thinking it no glory to smite a man halfe dead pursued him not but Raiartes reuiuing his face all bloudy with both his hands hit the knight of the Sunne vppon the head péece that if the helme had not bene the surer it had riuen him to the belly but the stroke amased him and the goare bloud ran out of his month and nostrells and his horse féeling part of the great blow carried his master from thence the good knight lieng vpon the crouper of his horse in an extasie as if hée had bene quite dead Raiartes hasted to haue giuen him another blow those which saw it were verie sad but none were euer so wofully begon as was the Princesse Radamira who with great griefe tourning hir selfe from that sight and fell on wéeping bitterly But Raiartes had not followed him foure paces with his horse when the good knight start vp and féeling his face wet with bloud in great fury spurred his horse and met Raiartes with such a blow that the fine helmet could not denie him passage but that he cloue Raiartes head in sunder Heere the shoote of the people and the Princesse Baliseas calling hir awaked the Princesse Radamira as it had bene out of a sound fléep and little looking for so good newes and the good Knight Raiartes béeing dead put vp his sword into the sheath demaunded of the Iudges if there were ought els to doo to make the Princesse frée The Princesse heard this gladly and the Iudges aunswered him no for that had sufficed which he had done Then with the noyse of instruments and much honour the Iudges led the knight of the Sunne from that place to the Pallaice where with great ioy and pleasure of the Souldan and Florion he was well receiued they shewing as much good will to him as if they had neuer inough in making of him The Gentleman Claueryndo and Brandizel glad of their friends conquest holp to vnarme him Then the Princesse Balisea came the Princesse Radamira dooing hir dutie to the knight of the Sun and as not able els to requite the courtesie he had showen hir she offered to him both hir lands and hir person the better to serue him Thus they tooke their rest many dayes the good knight was much honoured of them all And ther was a great feast made and diuers Iustes and Turnayes there proclaimed for the dubbing of Clauerindo and other Gentlemen Knights At this feast the Prince Claueryndo behaued him best so that all men iudged him to be a valiant knight And after this the Princesse Radamira minding to returne desired a safe-conduct of the Souldan who sent with hir an hundred knights and other men of war which sawe hir safely landed in hir countrey and in full possession of the crowne For after they knew that Raiartes was dead willingly they gaue hir place and the Princesse remained Ladie of it although not verye frée o◠hir thought from the knight of the Sunne whom she loued so well that in long time she forgate him not and it fell out so that in the ende she pleasured him wherefore he gaue vnto hir a mightie Prince for husband as shall be declared héereafter ¶ Africano king of Media and Persia inferred warre vpon the Souldan of Babylon Cap. 22. THe historie hath told you before that the strong mightie Africano transporting frō Africk into Asia by his force and valiante made himselfe Lord king of Media and after entered into the kingdome of Persia conquered it and ouerthrew Florion comming to succour his owne people after which time the Prince Florion recoiling backe to Babylon there remained very sorrowfull without hope to recouer his kingdome Now the storie retourneth to the same Africano and sayth that when he had appeased the people and brought these two kingdomes in quiet subiection as this is an imbecilitie of mans nature euer coueting to amplifie and inlarge our possessions so this stout and proud Pagan not content with that which he had alreadie got by disorder and rapine he aduentured yet farther to winne Babylon with all the kingdomes of the Assirians bordering in those parts reckoning himselfe alreadie in possession of them for the power of the Souldan was insufficient to repulse his forces hoping moreouer to adde to his dominions all those countries lieng in the coast of the middle earth-Sea For this cause he assembled his power as well Medians as other his subiects Hauing this greate armie in a readinesse yet trusting more in his owne person then in all his people he tooke the waye toward Babylon minding not to staie till hée came néere to Babylon This was some daies after the combat which the Knight had with Raiartes And as it fell out it was at the same time as the Souldan and the Prince Florion were deuising of the order which they should take for to recouer the kingdome of Persia that the newes came how the puissaunt Africano was on his way with a huge armie toward Babylon for which cause
giuing intelligence before vnto the King Tiberio of his comming The King knowing the succours which came vnto him appointed a daye when all his Hoast should méete together and finding himselfe of so great power in the meane while vntil the prince came he resolued to make a roade into Greece sacking all the little townes he might before that the Emperour Trebatio should perceiue it Afterwardes if the Emperour Trebatio should come to succour his subiects then to ioyne battayle with him at such time as the Prince shuld approch which thing he put in practise diligentlye For with that power which he had he entered into Greece forraging the countrey taking little townes of no great force burning wasting so much as he might to the intent that the people of other fenced Cities stroken with feare might abandon thēselues to flight enféeble their forces Howbeit King Tiberio had not passed in Greece xxx miles when the Emperour Trebatio hauing knowledge of it came agaynst him with an hoast of knights so valiant that at the first alarme the Hungarian reculed by the chase of his enimies was forced to retire home into the citie of Belgrado which is in Hungary Ther he fortified himselfe manned the towne vnwilling as yet to goe into the field vntill the Prince of great Britaine should arriue by whose comming their powers being ioyned he thought he might giue the battayle vnto the Emperour Trebatio Albeit he caried about him a mayme incurable in his bodie not by anie stroke lent him by his enimie but by the onely conceipt of the Emperours vertue For he had séene the Emperour demeane himselfe more worthely then any of those that came with him namely in a kinsman of his a very strong Knight whom the Emperour at one blowe as it were deuided in two péeces This as it might be made him kéepe his chamber because he himselfe confessed the valor of the Emperor to be aboue the report of men notwithstanding he had heard sufficiently of the Emperours prowesse But because these things are not mentioned but to giue beginning to this historie we run them briefly ouer not rehearsing the great déeds of armes that the Emperor and his people did in besieging the Citie because we haue other matters more noble in hand in comparison whereof these things wer néedlesse The storie héereof begins in the chapter following ¶ The Emperour Trebatio by the hearesay of hir beautie was surprised with the loue of the Princesse Briana ca. 3. CErtaine daies the Emperour Trebatio lay at the siege of Belgrado hoping that the King Tiberio would come out to giue them battaile for that he had great desire to be aduenged of the great harmes which he hadde receyued in Greece but the King would in no wise leaue the towne still abiding the comming of Prince Edward his armie out of England The Emperor meruailing much at it commanded a prisoner to be brought before him whom he had taken in the former battaile of him he demaunded the cause why the King Tiberio held himselfe so close with so many good knights mewed vp in the citie why he came not out to giue the battaile with promise of life libertie if he told troth otherwise the certaintie of most cruell death The prisoner thus placed before the Emperor what with feare of death and hope of libertie durst not declare other then the truth and therefore thus made aunswere vnto him Prisoners oration Know you mightie Emperour that when the King of Hungary my master first tooke vppon him the entrie into Greece he wold not haue done it although he hath so mightie an hoast as is séene but in hope that before he shuld be espied met withall there should come to his help Prince Edward sonne to the king of great Britaine with 20000. knights This number was promised vpon condition that the Prince should haue the Kings daughter the Princesse Briana to wife which Princesse I beléeue is the fairest maid in all the world by such fame the prince is become enamored of hir so as we heare that he is already departed from great Britaine with the number appointed and shall take landing very soone in this country the King Tiberio abideth his comming and is determined to giue the onset as soone as their forces shall be vnited This sayd the prisoner but the Emperour minding to knowe more of the matter demaunded of him where the Princesse Briana remained and of what age she might be The prisoner aunswered him My Lord she is with the Quéene Augusta hir mother in the Monestarie of the Riuer which is néere Buda a pleasaunt and delectable house wherin none are lodged but Nunnes the Quéenes Gentlewomen The Princesse is of the age of 14. yeares be assured that so many as shall sée hir will iudge hir rather a goddes then a woman so much hir beautie doth excel all the gentlewomen of the world Now so soone as the Prince shall land he will straight waies take his iourny towards the Monestarie of the riuer because it is so appoynted by the King hir father The King himselfe will not be there because he will not be absent in such a busie time from the Citie When the prisoner had thus sayd the Emperour Trebatio commaunded him to be set frée without speaking other thing to his people but with a sorrowfull troubled countenaunce he withdrew himselfe into a secret chamber of his Imperiall tent Where tossing in his conceit diuers sundrie fancies he endured a wilfull imprisonment with out any baile or maynprise Thus that force which neither by till turney nor barriers neither by speare nor sworde neither by mallice of the enimie nor pride of the mightie might at anie time be subdued was now vanquished by the onely heare-say of a Gentlewomans commendation Nay the valiant heart which he held forcible inough against all the world failed in his owne defence against a delicate damzell whom he had neuer séene What force is it that may repulse this euill sith that with such flattering closes it ouerthroweth so many noble hearts and strong bodies But to returne the Emperour Trebatio so much burned in loue with the Princes Briana that alreadie he hath forgotten the damage receiued in his Countrey his trauaile out of his Countrey with a huge armie the consuming of his treasure for to wreake his anger on the King Tiberio onely he deuised vpon this how to giue remedie vnto to his amorous passion For as the fire was great which enflamed him so was the remedie by all semblaunce farre from him Because that on the one part he was hindred by the enmitie betwéene him and hir father so that he durst not require hir for wife and on the other side she was alredy promised to the Prince of great Britaine who had put himselfe on his iourney for the attaining of hir person so that likewise the King could not take hir from him to giue vnto his
hewed it in péeces But that most valiaunt Gréeke no lesse strong then anie of his auncetors bearing his fine and sharpe swoord turned himselfe among them in such manner that he sheathed it in their bodies The first whom he met he cleaued vnto the eyes the seconds arme he cut off by the elbow being sore wounded hée ouerthrewe the thirde at another blowe neither staied hée héere but in his rage he dealt blowes and wounded many which for feare accounting him rather a Diuell of hell then a knight put themselues to flight Albeit they might haue recouered some courage in that they wer many and chosen knightes alwaies against one knight onely But the reason was for that at this time the Emperours knightes shewed themselues out of the woode So that indéede by the great manhoode of their Lord they found none left on liue saue two knightes of the kings which were knowen by their Hungarian bases Those the Emperour commaunded to be kept carefully for the thing before touched This béeing done the knights and other footmen which the Emperour had brought with him to guide his carriage tooke all the dead bodies vpon their horses without leauing any thing which was theirs altogether they caried them into the thicke of the woode from whence they before came out there in the thickest thereof they made a great pit into the which they threw the Prince and the knights saue the English bases the kings letters which were néedfull for his purpose they couered them with earth in such sort that there was neuer memorie of them At the time that the Prince was entered the Emperour beeing of conditions pittifull felt so great dolor in his heart that the teares issued abundantly from his eyes ruing the losse of so great a Prnce slaine out of his owne Countrie in the beautie of his age which also yéelding a great sigh which séemed to haue come from the bottome of his heart he saide with a troubled and low voice in this wise O vnhappie and vnfortunate Prince God knoweth how sorrowfull and grieuous thy death is to mée and howe faine I would haue giuen remedie in some other manner to that I most desired and although thou wast mine enimie and come in fauour of the king Tiberio to take from me my land and high estate yet would I not haue bene so cruell an enimie vnto thée but the entire loue of the princesse Briana draue me more thereto then mine owne enmitye Now I wish that by some other meanes I might haue bene relieued and not to haue bought my life by thy losse But as loue is tyrannous so meruaile not though he want pittie towardes thée which coulde not otherwise purchase it to himselfe Pardon me therefore O mightie and worthy Prince and iudge if thou wert aliue what thou wouldest doe if by my death thou mightest finde remedye of thy loue The Emperours knights which heard these words and sawe the teares trickling downe his manly chéekes perceiued well howe much the death of the Prince disquieted him And they sayde amongest themselues that by good right the Emperour deserued the prayse of the most noble and worthy Prince of the world But hauing made an end the Emperour caused to be brought before him the two knights belonging vnto Tiberio These two were very fearefull of the death séeing the things which were already done especially when they knew him to be the Emperor Trebatio whom they held as their mortall enimie Nowe when they came before him the Emperour said to them If you will do that which I command you kéepe secret that which I tell you I will not onely pardon you the death which I haue giuen to your fellowes but also I wil bring you with me into mine Empire where you shall bée verye well contented The knights better satisfied then they wer because he promised them life before not hoping but the death with good will they yéelded themselues to doe all that hée would with all swearing into his Emperiall hands their faith obeisance Then said the Emperour that which I wold haue you do is this I haue great desire to haue the Princesse Briana for wife this may not be done except I go in the name of Prince Edward to ensure my selfe to her in the monastery of the riuer for the which it is necessarie that you two being knowen of the queene the Princesse shuld go in my company say that I am Prince Edward Now sirs discouer not my secret to any person vntill that you be licensed therevnto by me and in so dooing you shall doo nought either against your Lorde or Kingdome sith in this bargaine the Princesse looseth not and the King with all his subiects win perpetually for that by this means the great warres and contentions begun shall take ende After that the Emperor had said these and other things whereby the Knights vnderstoode his will it greued them not a whit of this talke but they wer rather ioyous weieng the benefit which the King the kingdome the Princesse Briana and all his shoulde reape thereby and especially the Princesse by obtaining to husband the most noble and worthy Prince of all christendome as well for his person as for his estate and so with good will they submitted themselues to doo him pleasure and what els he commanded them With this the Emperour his Knights tooke the letters which wer directed to the Quéene the Princesse and with more hope to atchieue their enquest they put on the English bases which made them séeme English men then taking their way toward the Monestarie of the riuer In the way the Kings knights fold the Emperour how two of their felowes were gone before to giue notice vnto the Princesse of Prince Edwards comming and that therefore it were good to goe well aduised for they should méete them by the way The Emperour allowed their aduice charged his people vntil they approched néere them not to disclose themselues least they retiring their secretes might be layde open Now fortune iumped so euen with the Emperour as that all things succéeded on his side vntill the accomplishment of his desire which shall be recited in the chapter following ¶ The Emperour Trebatio was receiued at the Monestarie by the Archbishop of Belgrado and there betrothed by the name of Prince Edward Cap. 6. THe Emperour with his Knights departed from the woode where the vnfortunate Prince was slaine and tooke their way towards the citie of Buda vntill they came within vi miles of the Monestarie where they saw a farre the two other Knights which had retourned to bring the Prince on his way When their fellowes had espied them they told it to the Emperor vpon this the Emperor commaunded his Knights to kéepe together least they shuld be knowen and so they kept on till they met The other two séeing the English bases thought him to be the Prince of England with his knights But the Emperours
brused the helmet which was the cause of Africanos spéedier death Africano benummed of his sences the bloud straining thorough the ioynts of the helmet and he sitting in his saddle as halfe dead The horse sore daunnted with the blowe stood still till Africano reuiued and in the gathering of his strength out-brayed thus much in his thought O infernall furies are you not all hired against me Or is it credible that either Iupiter or Saturne or Mars or all the Gods may haue the like force as this young man But Africanos heart failed him not albeit his words out-raged for he followed the Knight of the Sunne who attended him spéedely Then the Prince Florion sayd to the Souldan his vnkle We make great account of the trauailes of the auncient Assyrians our fore-fathers and of the Grecians with whom our countri-men ioyned at the expedition of Troy but I cannot thinke that euer two so strong warriours haue bene as Africano and Raiartes You maye boldlye iussifie that aunswered Lyrgandeo for there was neuer vntill this day a battaile between two knights so valyant and sharpe as this is nor yet euer two so hardy drew swords against each other although things before done carrie a greater burden of authoritie then that which we our selues can testifie But the iealousie which Claueryndo had ouer the Knight of the Sunne was not a little to be iudge of so valiaunt behauiour not that he had an ill eye towardes his friendes good Fortune but either wishing to himselfe the like triall or desiring to aduenture with his friend although that many dayes ended er◠he had his fill to his contentment Africanos people looked euer for the victory greatly fore-thinking them that anye one knight should make resistaunce to their Lord as hauing experience in themselues which all shooke for feare to sée him angred Now it was more then two houres since the battaile began and then Fortune alwayed fickle and vnstable which had of a long time gone euen with African o now played hir part in hir kinde and as alreadye wearie of his companie tourned hir tale and stroke in another way desirous to shewe the great swiftnesse of hir euer-turning whéele and minding the sodaine ouer-throwe of those which too much trust in hir For Africano desperately determining to breake vp the fight one way or the other once againe hit the Knight of the Sunne vpon his Magicall helmet that he tooke quite his memorie from the Knight the sword and the raynes falling from him Yet the sword hanging by a long string at the pomell was not out of his reach but the horse hauing the libertie of the raines and féeling his parte of the blowe flange vp and downe the field with his master the strong Pagan following to haue vnhorsed him But how deare was this blow to Africano for it cost him no lesse then his lyfe for the valyant Knight of the Sunne neuer stayned in fight became woode madde for his hurte and in great rage tooke his sword in both his handes and repayed the borrowed blow so surely vpon Africanos head that not Vulcans wel tempered stéele could forbid the passage but that it quartered the helmet and made the braines sprinkle on the grounde Nowe sounde ye Trumpettes for in this wise is the great Africano brought to ground ending his lyfe in such sort as is fatall to tyrants whose death commonly is cruell and bloudie This the Souldan and those of his part séeing made such ioye as cannot be told but on the contrary side Africanos people made great lamentation and reckoning little vpon that which their Lord in his life time had commaunded because they were greater in number than their aduersaries they ioyned together on heapes sine discretione and without a guyde made an assault vpon the Knight and his adherents But they not taken at vnawares receiued them accordingly These wer the◠Souldan the Prince Florion the Prince Claueryndo and Armineo with the Knight of the Sunne in whose company they were the bolder and comming to the foreward in the formost ranke they finde of the stoutest and principallest knights that Africano had These foure encountered them and vnhorsed as manye as they came against and breaking through to the thickest thronge they wrought wonders especially the Prince of Fraunce desirous to get honour in the first head of his knighthood shooued into the middest beheading some and mayming other some making as it were a lane before him to passe thorough so that the wise Lyrgandeo sayd openly that now his outwarde fight did well witnesse the selfe same thing which his Arte had shewed him in casting the Constellation of this Knight for he was a valiaunt Knight and the slaughter he made was nigh hand comparable with that of that of the Knight of the Sunne Vppon the lefte wing Prince Florion tryed his manhoode hauing neere vnto him the Souldan Where be it that other-wise to a strong Gyant as Africano was hée was inferiour yet among the other people hée was as proud as a rauenous woolfe among a flocke of shéepe The Souldan and the good knight Armineo did their part but what woulde all this auaile vnlesse the knight of the Sunne had beaten the waye before them with his sharpe sword slaieng so many as it was easie for the followers to kéepe the troden path And now at this time the Souldans armie appointed for the gard of the Knight of the Sunne came to the battaile and finding Fortune so courteous at their comming they refused not hir gentlenesse but following hir commaund made it a bloudy conflict for the aduersary But yet a man may rightly say that the Knight of the Sunne deliuered that day the Babylonians from death or bondage for if he had not ouercome Africano not the high walls of the Quéene Semiramis could haue kept Africano out from enioying the Citie But their Lord béeing slaine and they lefte without an head their courage was so quailed that ere two houres passed the greater part of them was slaine like-wise and of those which remained on liue the most part fled by one and one the Assyrians pursuing them till the Souldan commaunded the retreate to be blowen fearing to be ouer-taken by the night By this meanes some escaped to their Countrey most of them being inhabitants of Media where also was the abode of Africanos sonne called Brandimardo not being able for yeares to be made knight and therfore going not out with his father to the warre These so soone as they came home crowned Brandimardo and incensed him to the reuenge of his fathers death for although he was of yeres young and tender yet was he very strong and of a lustie bodie beeing like vnto his father as well in stature as in qualyties and in deede beeing continually layed at by his Fathers subiectes passing into Greece he behaued him-selfe manfullye as shall be shewed you Well the Souldan and those which were with him as you haue hearde recourned in ioye and
delay time and that the seruants should mistrust naught by hearing a bustling in the chamber first she put off hir vpper gowne then to hir peticoate and so she staid a while Argion calling on hir to dispatch quickly as if the greatest part of his delight had bene to come Rosicleer thinking it now time to discouer him-selfe and that the houre was alreadye come wherein God almightie woulde the wicked Argion to be chastised cast off his long garment and tourned him-selfe into his dublet and hose and hauing his sword drawen he came to Argions bed side saying Come out of thy place where thou art thou foule letcher and come to reioyce thée of Lyuerbas loue for very bitter shall this nights rest be vnto thée Argion which behelde him rose vp lightly and taking a sworde which hung at his beddes head went towards Rosicleer to haue catched him in his armes but Rosicleer with his naked sworde watched him so that he smote the necke from the shoulders the head beating against the wall and the bodie fallyng headlesse to the ground This done Rosicleer quietly sate downe in the same place and thus remained till the greater part of the night was spent Balides now in this time had not forgotten his charge and hauing talked with more then twentye of his friends as concerning their intent he easely perswaded them to this enterprise so hauing them in his companie with his sonnes he lodged néere to Argions Castle onely looking for a signe which Rosicleer should make them out at a windowe which when Rosicleer had for a time neglected they suspected the vnlikelihoode of the fact and hadde retourned-closely to their homes if that Rosicleer had not then taking the light in his hand opened the dores of the hall and shewed the torch out of a windowe Then they knew what had happened and went ioyfully toward the Castle Rosicleer comming downe opened the gates so that they all entered and lighting many Torches which they brought with them they cast themselues into seuerall companies to search euerye corner and ranging without feare throughout the Castle when they knew that Argion was slaine killing so manie as they found that in deede though there were moe then an hundred Knightes and other seruaunts within the Castle yet all were slaine before they could puruay of armour or thinke of remedie in such sort that in the Castle there was not one left to take Argions part At Argion may the stout Lords and vntamed tyrants take example of their endes and make it a benefit of his fall for although God sometime forbeare the wicked giuing them space of amendement and repentance yet when they can in no wise be reclaimed his iustice must of necessitie correct them in the maner that both their bodies repay in this life their trespasses with cruell death and perpetuall dishonour and their soules in the other worlde receiue double disgrace and horrour of conscience for their misdeedes How many great Lords and tyrants haue we read of to haue bene in the worlde and how fewe or none haue we heard of vnpunished which can be no other thing but that the diuine prouidence hath so ordained it some to be chastised for the misgouernment of themselues and other some to amend by the terrour of others destruction Well the tyrant Argion thus being slaine with all his people Balides those which came with him for his great prowesse in killing Argion sued vnto Rosicleer to acknowledge them for his subiects as they all woulde willingly obey him for their Lord. But he seuerally making semblance of great loue to euerie partie made them to rise aduising them on this sort That for their deliuerance they ought to attribute it vnto God with heartie thankes for it which by his goodnesse had prouided that the euill lust of wicked Argion should last no longer But for that they called him their Lord he sayd he would be their friend neuerthelesse sith they requested him there-vnto that hée would not refuse their profer not for himselfe but indéed to giue order to that which should succeede for the quiet gouernment of the segniorie This done Balides sent for his wife and his daughter Liuerba with his house-hold They comming before Rosicleer gaue him thankes for this great good turne in procuring their safetie he receiued them with great pleasure and they made merrie all that night The next daye they deuised for the publication of Argions death which Balides to be made knowen to the most principall in the Valley They all verie desirous of such newes came to the Castle where knowing the manner of Argions ende much praising the strength and boldnesse of Rosicleer with all séeing him so well fauored and of so young yeares they ceased not to giue him thankes for the good which he had done so that Rosicleer somewhat blushing at it forbad them to speake more of it but to attende their owne affaires for the Valley béeing so replenished with dwellers all of them were not sound but for feare or fauour were Argions claw-backes These they had to doo with all and in the end subdued them After wanting a Gouernour they besought Rosicleer to abide with them and to take oathes or theyr alleagiaunce towardes him for sith that by him they haue bene restored to their auncient Liberties they thought him to be an able mainteiner of their Franschises But Rosicleer made them aunswere that at the suite of Lyuerba Argion was slaine and that hée mooued with pittie vpon hir had enterprised if for hir sake if therefore he had deserued ought he wished them in respect thereof to make Lyuerba mistresse of it and for the establishment of hir possession to match hir with the most chiefest inheritour of land and fée amongst them This if they did for his sake he shoulde account it not onely a satisfaction on their partes for the pleasure he had done them but also a bond for a further good tourne if it so lye in his power They debating vpon this matter were all contented with it and promised all their abilities to doo his commaunde So among them there was a Knight called Brandidonio the chiefest of all the Valley a proper and honest Gentleman Lord of thrée great Castles and beloued of all the Countrey for his bountie and courtesie him they chose to marrie with Liuerba their Lady Rosicleer very wel pleased with this Gentlemans noble disposition concluded vppon the marriage so that in foure dayes the Lorde Brandidonio and the faire Liuerba were created Lord and Lady of the valley and in token of obedience tooke the oath and assuraunce of their subiectes where they lyued long time in quietnesse their subiects as well at ease to haue such Gouernours ¶ Rosicleer departed from the valley of the mountaines meeteth with two Princes christened and by aduenture is carried from them againe ROsicleer remained foure daies in the vally of the mountaines for so it was called to solempnize the
tolde him that the knightes could not reteurne presentlye as minding to pursue aduentures For the King feared least by béeing so much enclined to knightly déedes theyr good successe should carrie them farther off then shoulde be for his pleasure But the Gentlewoman departed from the king to do their message vnto the Princesse Oliuia whom they found in her chamber with the other two Princesses in her companie Comming before her they delyuered theyr message with commendation from Rosicleer and the two Princes which had sent her that Gyant so dead as a satisfaction in some parte for the detayning her Iewells The Princesse pleasauntly laughing at that present caused the Gentlewoman to goe on in that Storie and to make reporte of all occurrentes in theyr iourney which they did so faythfully that the Princesse in the telling was not able to coulour her affection towardes Rosicleer This tale ended Arinda gaue into her handes the packet which the Princesse opened and tourning ouer the Iewells found a Letter which shée put in her bosome taking it to bée Brianas and in lyke sorte the Gentlewoman of Lusitania made deliuerie of Bargandel and Liriamandros letters vnto their Ladies with the cofer vnto Rodasilua The two Princesses Syluerina and Rodasilua béeing great friends went both together in a closet to reade without interruption their louers Letters so eloquent and so fraught with amorous speaches which much reioyced the young Ladyes to bée beloued of so good knightes and not to breake off their seuerall commendations of theyr knightes and Lords we wil speake of the Princesse Oliuia who being left alone for the companie of the the two Princesses dispatched her other gentlewomen into diuers parts of the chamber to haue a more secret suruaye of Brianas letters When shée had read on through that which was deliuered with the packet she tooke that other out of her bosome which shée had founde in ransacking the packet and opening it shée sawe in Capitall Letters ROSICLEER subscribed whereby she knew it to be his and somewhat troubled she folded it vp quickly againe minding to learne by what meanes that Letter was hid among the iewells And therefore calling Arinda she asked if that anie one had vnlocked the coffer after that her Ladie had deliuered it vnto her Arinda supposing that the Princesse had wanted some thing answered No truly Madame for I haue alwaies kept the keies no bodie euer had them at my hands but Rosicleer which requested to sée the iewels when we were in the kéepers lodge and in my presence he shut it restoring me the keies and not taking out ought wherof I can accuse him The Princesse smelling out Rosicleers shift and somewhat smiling withall to heare whervnto Arinda had construed her meaning replyed merily thus I asked it not gentle friend for that I thought there wanted anie thing in the cofer for it was wholy lost when it was in Brandagedeons power but I asked it for that I meruailed it fell out so well when Brandagedeon was the kéeper Arinda waxing bold héereat Nay marie saith shée with your fauour noble Princesse Brandagedeon misgiuing in his minde how little time he should inioy it tooke little care for the opening So this question who opened it was concluded in a laughter and little talke continued after The Princesse thinking it long til she might alone read Rosicleers letter and therefore somewhat earlier then she was wont shée withdrew her selfe into her bed chamber with onely Fidelia in her companie to sée her in bed When the doore was fastned she drew out Rosicleers letter not hauing power her selfe to read it she gaue it vnto Fidelia The tenour of the louing letter was this which héereafter followeth ¶ Vnto the most excellent Princesse the Princesse Oliuia THat which is appointed by God mightie Princesse may not by mans power bée altered nor peruerted as in my selfe I proue it for since that mine eyes first tolde me of your beautie and my iudgement gaue consent thereto and that my will hath procured liking therof in my affection I haue felt an alteration in me so incurable that striuing with it both by art and nature I haue not hetherto found my remedie which thing good madame I trust cānot séeme more vnlikely to you thē it hath ben to me in the feeling terrible The clap of thunder is the greater when it méeteth with the thicket able to make more resistance longer lasts the kinled fire in the builded Oke then in the parched strawe and more vehement is the fight betwéene two enimies then when the one yéeldeth What force loue hath as I could wel wish your Ladiship to consider in me or to feele in your selfe so at least I beséech you to way by others and to beléeue report how that with light assaults be beateth downe the stoutest courages and with gentle cords bindeth the biggest armes that his force neither the wisest nor the mightiest were able to resist that from his subiection not Iulius Caesar the greate Monarche of the worlde coulde frée himselfe that hée quelled the pride of the mightie Carthagenian in the delightes of Capua and fettered Mars and Iupiter two Gods of the Gentiles in chaynes of yron that he transformeth men into sundrye shapes and as it were by sodeine inchauntment framed the arme-strong Hercules to the distaffe and spindle Aristotle to be bridled and saddled that he climbeth the highest Towres and stretcheth to the lowest valley that hee diuideth the harde rockes and bloweth through the easie passages to conclude nothing so stronge and inuincible but that loue canne ouerthrowe and doth what him listeth So that if I confessed my selfe yéelden vnto so mightie a conquerour I shoulde yet bée blamelesse for my cowardise Yet what haue I not attempted If eyther counsayle of friendes or mine owne wit eyther Phisickes cure or might of companie-might haue warraunted my quietnesse So God good madame spéede my writing as I meant not to trouble you with my Letters But the weake complaine and the dieased séeke remedie as what griefe is so greate or wounde so wide but it hath some redresse or other prouided in nature To you therefore good madame thus boldly haue I discouered my vnrest that by your meanes whence onely I may hope for it I may receiue comfort And so attending your highnesse aunswere either of lyfe or death I humblye kisse your Princely hand Thine resolued to loue or not to liue poore Rosicleer Rosicleer penned this letter either not well in his wits or els greatly perplexed in his thought so hard it is to find an issue but I beléeue rather that it came from heart to hand was so set downe without farther aduise Yet in the meane time that Fidelia read the letter the faire Princesse broad awake to heare those amorous words féeling them in her heart with the like loue wherein Rosicleer wrote them When it was ended heaping out abundance of sighs vpon the argument of the letter she said vnto
a swéete fléepe but let vs shake off this drousie humour and let vs open our sléepie eyes Let vs vse our selues so that sometimes wee haue recourse to matters of more importaunce to thinke of heauen to despise the vaine temporall things of this world to seperate our selues from the man of flesh and willingly to heaue him least he leaueth vs against our willer Little shall remaine thereof after scores of yeares and that which remaineth shall be shame and griefe for the life passed beâ—â—des desperate repentance which is a double torment 〈◊〉 much after this same manner was this valiant Emperour for his long delights with Lindaraza now twentye yere was but a Summers daye and yet there left him not shame of his fact to fret his conscience albeit he aduised himselfe the best remedy which I haue read of which is amendment of life the safest hauen for a wether-beaten peâ—â—cent First therefore knowing that this Knight was hée which had as it were awaked him from this dreame hée pulâ—ed of his helmet imbraced him giuing hartie thanks for his deliueraunce Withall professing that he thought himselfe vnable to requit that great curtesie yea euen with the bestowing of his Empire so assuredly be meant not to forget it if peraduenture God would shewe him the occasion of dooing him seruice For saith he you haue not saued my life heere might I haue liued without daunger of sword but you haue saued my soule c. Extolling the greatnes of the benefit and in the end he prayed him of curtefie to tell him his name and Countrey with the cause of his comming to that Iland The knight of the Sunne aunswered him geatly Valiant Emperor the thing which I haue done in your seruice is not lyke to that which I wish for as your valour forceth my will so my will sueth a deserte on your part more vnto you then to all the Knightes of the worlde But wit you I am called the Knight of the Sunne my country I know not but my bringing vp hath bene in Babylon where I was told that I was found vppon the sea being a very childe my comming to this castle was by chaunce my boate being driuen by tempest vpon the shore where seeing it so fresh and faire I had desire to know the owners and fortune being fauourable I passed through all killing the kéepers till I came within this court where I sawe engrauen your whole historie from the time that you were married with the Princesse Briana till time 〈…〉 There knew I the manner of your bewitching and albeit your selfe were vnknowen to me yet I thought I wold set you frée if that I might from whence this hath procéeded which you haue séene When he had ended the Emperour imbraced him many times with great pleasure as well wondring at his great prowesse for he could not bée ignorant of Lindarazas power as also at his boldnesse for a matter not touching him in anie respect by all appearaunce For he neither knew countrey nor parents But as the remembraunce of his wife and Empire caused in the Emperour much griefe so he besought the Knight of the Sunne that they might depart from thence to goe into Greece where he might better thank him then he had earst done The Knight of the Sunne with a good affection to beare him companie condescended easily rather yet vppon desire to knowe the Countrey wherein he had heard to be right valiaunt Knights then of any hope of rewarde So when they came neere the outward Court they found that Knight whome the Knight of the Sunne had lefte in a traunce nowe retourned to himselfe and vpon his féete safe and sound The Knight when he saw the Emperour and the Knight of the Sun comming downe giuing great sighes and wéeping bitterly began to say Oh what a dismall daye is this for me nowe my sister Lindaraza is dead and I haue lost a swéete companion I would rather that I had bene killed by this straunger which hath destroyed all our good then that I should lyue and sustaine such anguish Little haue the monstrous kéepers preuailed whom we put in our Castle to defende hir lyfe and to defend the death which so sodainly hath taken hir away The Emperour hearing him and knowing him ran to imbrace him saieng My deare friend Flamides how chanceth this heauines in your countenaunce Why doo you fetche such déepe sighes and spill so manye teares with so great sobbes If it be for my departure and for the lybertie which I haue receiued by this Knight you know how long time I haue heere remained out of my remembraunce and forgetfull of my Empire and kingdome and shall I not goe to comfort hir which long time by my absence hath bene comfortles My Lord sayd Flamides I can not denie but your reason is good and that the iniurye hath bene great in detayning you so long from thence but as your excellencie knoweth there is no loue more naturall then betwéene brother and sister O the death of my sister Lindaraza pearceth mée to the heart and I had rather then my lyfe haue accompanied hir in death then thus to bewaile hir lacke after death For so soone as you came out of the inchaunted roome my sister dyed presently so was it appointed by the destenies that no longer then she should enioye your presence shée should liue Blessed man said the Emperour and is Lindaraza dead yea assuredly quoth he Nowe on my honour said the Emperour hir death grieueth me and during my lyfe shall I be sadde as ofte as I shall call hir to remembraunce and although my case is such as in more néede of comfort then likely to comfort others yet me thinkes I maye tell you that you ought not to bewaile hir death so much for belike a long time haue you knowen that hir life should not last after my departure Nowe wherefore doo you lament hir so sore as if it were but now thought on not before foreséene Againe your ouer-much carefulnesse in fortifieng your Castle was but néedelesse for it is giuen to man to haue the mastrie ouer beasts which either by Arte or Nature become tractable And be it your Castle hadde bene inexpugnable for all men in the world yet what fence had you to shut out death A man in no place can warrant himselfe such safetie as that at euery step he draweth himself néerer vnto death Whether we be frée or bond on foot or horsebacke sléeping or waking whole or sicke we daylye draw néere vnto our ende or if you wil speake more truly to our perfection for then man beginneth to liue indéede when he goeth out of this miserable world Lindaraza is dead and wéeping may not recall hir if you beare vnto hir any loue you may shewe it nowe after hir death in receiuing to her place her daughter Lindaraza for her prouide that she may depart from hence I will carry her to my kingdome where she shall
That if at anie time Fortune being alwaies vncertain variable shewed hir selfe more friendlie to the Greekes than to all men besides if euer the Grecians were feared in all the world it was in the time of Trebatio the sonne of Alicante which man by right line descended from the noble ancient bloud of Molosso the second sonne of strong Pyrrhus and in the third discent from the great Achilles which was slaine in the warres at Troye This Trebatio in the xxv yeare of his age reigned in Epyrus where the said Pirrhus and his auncestours had bene Kings He was strong and valiant in armes and endowed with so manie graces that his fame in that time was spred ouer all the world and that there was neither King nor Emperour but he was glad to hold him for his friend Now it happened in his time by the death of the Emperour Theodoro the state of the Empire to be void for that Theodoro had no sonne and the Empire was to bée giuen by election so that the Electors not finding any whom with se good reason they might choose for Emperor as the great Trebatio as well for his great valure as for his discent from so noble a race They with the willing ioynt assent of all the Emperialls named him vnto the Empire and brought him with great honour to Constantinople Where if before for his great fame they had praised and honored him now much more they held him déere hauing in some part seene knowen him Because he was of conditions very noble pleasant louing to all liberall curteous sufferable pitifull and aboue all very desirous to entertein in his Court valiant and worthy Knights whom he honored aboue all the Princes of the earth So that his court flourished with Princes and Knights as well subiects as straungers which much magnified his great estate himselfe held continuall excerse in armes with them as being lyke enclined to nothing His vertue by the report of such as knew him was so rare that it was generally thought none of his predecessors to haue had aduauntage ouer him but rather he was of greater force then any one of them all For many men were witnesses of his mightie strokes He was called the great Trebatio because he was 8. foote in height very strong timbred so that without proofe of his manhood they might thereby make coniecture of his force In his life customes and conditions he was alway so affable curteous that neuer might be noted in him one little fault Wherefore his Historians saye that he was the crowne of the Greekes the cléere mirrour of all the princes knights of the world Whence also this his Chronicle boroweth this title especially hauing therin to remember the meruailous deeds of the Knight of the Sunne with Rosicleer both sons vnto Trabatio Since whose time all the aduentures of the ancient famous knights wer clean forgotten and since whose time neither Vlisses of whome Homer speketh neither any other songs or sonets ballads or enterludes wer heard in Greece onely with these two Knights they were familiarly acquainted Of these they made great volumes and with a thousand deuises in verse they sang of their loue They made no building nor painture without some storie of them their memorie therein declared In such sort that you might passe by no parte of all Greece where was not recited sung or painted the histories noble déeds of these Knights as if no other thing but armes or loue were fitting for them And because that in the time to come so noble things shuld not be put in obliuion some of the Grecians compiled this noble Historie to the encouraging of all Nations that shall either heare or read this Historie The King of Hungarie pretending a title to the Empire setteth himselfe against the Emperor Trebatio Cap. 2. IT appeareth by an ancient Greeke Cronicle that the Emperour Helio the third predecessor in the Empire of Trebatio had two sonnes the eldest of the which two the father being deceased was chosen Emperour the other was married with a Princesse inheretrix of the kingdome of Hungarie wherby he became Lord ruler of that kingdome The first sonne which was elected for Emperour departed without issue For which cause the Grecians chose another which was the predecessor of Theodoro This séeing the second sonne of Aelio which then reigned in Hungary and iudging that with most reason the Empire was his as gréeued with the election he assembled his power against the Grecians thinking to be Lord ouer them by force In the ende as he was not so mightie as they so he was vanquished and slaine before he might attaine his purpose Yet from that time forth all the kings which succéeded in Hungary pretended alwaye that the right of the Empire rested in them by way of inheritaunce and there neuer failed warres dissentions betwéen the Hungarians and the Greekes vpon this occasion In lyke manner when the great Trebatio was chosen for Emperour then reigning in Hungarie the King Tiberio a verye strong man and of great courage besides of more might then all his auncestours For he had in his subiection beside the Kingdome of Hungary many other Prouinces as Holland Zeland Flaunders Zweueland Bauare Austrich Almaine Alba Denmarke Marcomandia Persia and other Regions with the which he déemed himselfe one of the mightiest Kings in the world This Tiberio knowing the election of the Emperour Trebatio and being more attached with the desire of the Empire then any of his predecessours were as it was to be gotten by warre so he assembled by summons the greatest of estate throughout his land and declaring vnto them his will he commaunded to gather all the people they might for to inuade Greece Besides this to the ende his power might yet be greater hée determined to marrie his Daughter vnto such a one as would and could maintaine his quarrell This Mayden was called Briana the most beautifull Princesse that was to be found in all those parts being by the onely report of hir excellencie sued vnto by manie worthie Princes especially by Prince Edward sonne of Olyuerio King of great Britaine This young Knight strong and valiant greatly enamoured on the Princesse Briana through the great fame of hir beautie had before dispatched his Ambassadors towards the King hir father to request hir for wife To the which hir Father because he hadde already vndertooke the battaile against the Emperour Trebatio easely condescended vpon condition that the Prince should come into Hungarie with 20000. chosen men of warre for to aids him in the pursute of his claime against the Emperour This when Prince Edward vnderstood he had so great desire to haue the Princesse Briana that by and by he granted his request and so as speedely as he might he gathered the people that the King Tiberio required of him and with the consent of his Father he departed from great Britaine toward Hungarie
Knight had béene borne in the which by good aduenture shoulbe bée brought to those partes and by his noble valour and vertue shoulde delyuer the Souldan and the Princesse his Daughter from death or from perpetuall imprisonment dispossessing the wicked intruder shoulde place the Prince Florion in his lawfull enheritaunce to his owne great glorie and the vtter confusion of his enimies This done that Florion should enioye his kingdome in peace and tranquilitie all his lyfe vntill then he requested them to haue patience sith it is not yet sayth he when these things shall happen Lyrgandeo was helde for a verie wise man and they all beleeued his sayeng for that at other times he had denined of many things which came to passe accordinglye but yet they knew not who that knight might bée so strong as to resist the force of Africano for he was reputed the brauest and most valiant knight of the world they were verie desirous euerie daie to heare of his arriuall in theyr lande Now not a moneth after this the wise Lyrgandeo counsailed with the Prince Florion in secret willing him immediatly at that houre to take 20. knights of the best he had in the Court and himselfe and to embarke themselues in a warre shippe as it were to scowre the coastes Where sailing in the Sea Mediterraneum Fortune shoulde bring vnto theyr power two little boyes the most beautifull and excellent that euer hée had séene with these sayth he you shall retourne to Babylon for these are the nurses of your good happe The Prince gladde to please his vnckle chose out his knightes and tooke leaue of the Souldan departing from Babylon and passing through Asia the lesse he came to a hauen in Phrigia where he put himselfe and his mates in a shippe well puruaied of victualles and lately rigged and trimmed for some such voyage In this with a prosperous winde hée sayled till at the end of twelue dayes mounting on the tilbacke of the shippe to looke if perhaps he might beholde the thing of which the wise man had tolde him It was so that hée kenned a farre off a little barke in which the Gentleman of the Sunne was driuing towardes them and the waues rocking it on euerie side It might be that this boate defended the burthen naturally as onely following the course of the waues But I rather beléeue that God which had created him with so wonderfull markes tooke this care and kéepe of him vntyll that Florion espieng the barke comming right towardes him and the Gentleman in it so beautifull and bright as an Angell of heauen no tongue canne expresse the ioy that nowe hée promised himselfe touching the perfourmaunce of that hope which Lyrgandeo gaue him to repossesse his kingdome His conceit also as concerning the beautie of Donzel del Febo was that some one of the celestiall Gods had begotten him on some faire Ladie héere on the earth and therefore as to a personage which did participate with the deitie he bowed himselfe honouring and imbracing Donzel del Febo and vpon his knées thanked his Gods for that grace they did him in deliuering into his hands one with whom they themselues might ioye The beautifull young gentleman which sawe him so before him embased feared him not a whit although the armour glistered but with a ioyfull and pleasaunt countenaunce colled him and clasped his armes about his necke as if he had knowen him a long time I doe not thinke that the desire of safetie made him so to fawne vpon Florion for they with whom he was earst acquainted wore no armour But the Prince Florion tooke him vp in his armes and kissed his white and roseall chéekes as tenderly as if he had bene his owne childe making him to eate of the most delicate meates which he had then on boord The little boy which was verie hungrie fed very well and from that time forth loued the Prince Florion more then any other as it is naturall in man to prefer those of whom they receiue benefits When the Gentleman of the Sunne was well satisfied the Prince Florion entered againe into his owne shippe and hoised saile toward Phrygia with a good winde ¶ Prince Florion in his way homewardes findeth by aduenture the young Gentleman Claueryndo sonne to the king Oristeo of Fraunce and bringeth him with the Gentleman of the Sunne to Babylon Cap. 17. THE second day after the Prince Donzel del Febo had bene thus taken into Florions Shippe they tourned about towardes Phrygia whence they first departed and escried at thrée of the clocke in the morning ryght against their shippe another the tallest and beautifullest ship that euer they had séene which the faster it sailed the néerer it approched to their vessell For the Pilot directed their course straight vpon Florions ship and in short space they ioyned togethrr This ship grappeling with the other by and by a Chiefetaine getting vpon the hatches commaunded all in the other shippe to yéelde as prisoners Then the strong Florion not knowing who they were tooke a heauy and well stéeled battell are and getting vpon the shipboord made him ans were on this wise What art thou knight so arrogant which without knowing who we bée wouldest make vs thy prisoners What may you be sayd the knight that you can acquite your selues from the terrible Mambriniano which commeth in this Shippe now except you doe this that I commaund you all the worlde is not sufficient to make you a way to escape his handes Vntill this daye there was neuer borne a man which hath made lyke effusion of humane bloud in this Sea Then faine woulde I sée this braue knight auns wered the Prince Florion and scarcely had he spoke these words when the diuellish rouer armed with a very great and heauie armour a battell are of fine stéele in his handes ioyned to the Prince spéedely and without God spéede you layde at him such a blowe vpon the head péece as might haue clouen his head in péeces But the Prince was deliuer and quicke and séeing the battell are descending the aire beaten before it he stept aside and the blowe fell vpon the planks of the ship which made a great péece therof to fall into the water quite shutting him from hope of a seconde blowe Then the bolde Florion closing with him gaue him a buffet with his swoorde vppon his great and fine helmet that he made him bowe his knées and with the greate weight of his bodye scarcely might this rouer arise but hée tourned himselfe with greate paine to strike the Prince There beganne a braue and terrible battaile either of their knightes much amased in beholding them Now welfare thy heart thou valiant Florion for thou much disappointedst Mambriniano of his enterprise made him confesse that in twentie yeares robbing on the Sea of as many so he might finde he had neuer met knight which had put him in so greate daunger nor fought with one of so great force
Thus they fought halfe an houre and no man might iudge who should haue the better The great rouer strake with all his force at his enimie but the finall houre of his owne lyfe nowâ— edging néere him so it was that the couragious Prince anoided it and as he was alreadie entered into the good successe of his voyage hauing in his power the Gentleman of the Sunne so fired all with wrath his coulour as a man might say bewraieng his cholar hée gaue the rouer with both his hands such a blowe vppon the head that he felled him to the ground and before the rouer might get on his knées he gaue him another betwéene his helmet and his necke péece and laide him flat vpon the planks of the ship There the wretched Mambriniano with his gluttenous desire spit out his stinking and corrupted spirit and the noble Florion rested not héere but with a braue stout courage entered in the ship and laid about him on both sides The knights of the rouer to reuenge their Lords death wounded him on all parts but by by there boorded them twentie knights of the Prince all chosen men of warre and helped their Lord in such wise that in short time the greatest parte of theyr enimyes were slaine and the rest séeing their fall yeelded themselues to his mercie The battayle thus ended the Prince woulde sée what was in the ship for he beléeued that there was within great riches according as the dealings of the rouer had ben There was much treasure found but searching euery place of it they founde in a cabbin a knight of an indifferent age clothed with rich garmentes and by his graue countenaunce seeming to be of good account and néere vnto him a young Gentleman of foure or fiue yeres olde verie beautifull and seemely arayed in cloth of golde and about his necke a coller of golde set with rich and precious stones The young Gentleman was so gracious in behauiour that if Florion had not before seene the Gentleman of the Sunne hee had beleeued him to be the fairest and proprest Gentleman that euer hée had séene and desiring to knowe who they were he saluted them curteouslys willing the knight to tell him who they were He which had alreadie knowen Florions greate vertue in the battaile that hée had with the rouer rose with the young Gentleman from the place where hée was set and vsing an humble duetie to him aunswered Sir knight I am a prisoner to the rouer Mambriniano which tooke me and this young Gentleman at a place néere a hauen of the Sea and sith God by Fortune hath béene so fauourable vnto you that in a righteous battayle you haue slaine him wée remaine now for yours to doe with vs that which shall séeme best vnto you and we haue good hope that with a knight of so greate valour there cannot happen vnto vs so much euill as with him which tooke vs prisoners The Prince accepted well that which he sayde vnto him and prayed him to goe on in declaring who hée was for that by lacke of knowledge hée might forslacke to doe to them the honour that they merited Albet nowe the knight wished that hée might dissemble it for the daunger that might ensue yet in the ende putting his affiaunce in the Prince he sayde vnto him Sith it liketh you sir knight to know who we be onely to please you I will tell it you though I woulde gladly haue suppressed our names till Fortune somewhat more friendly vnto vs shoulde haue bewrayed it But knowe you that this young Gentleman is called Claueryndo and is the sonne of the king Oristeo King of Fraunce onely inheritour and successour of that great kingdome and I haue to name Armineo béeing brother to the king Oristeo and vnkle to this young Gentleman The whole order of this misfortune was in this sorte One daye for to sporte our selues in the company of many other knights we rode to a faire forrest néere vnto the Sea and the Knights which came with vs the most of them delighting in hunting seuered themselues for their disport in such manner that the young Gentleman and I with onely ten knights wer lest in a fresh and faire arbour about a well neere adioyning vnto the Sea In this time while our knights followed their game this great Rouer Mambriniano whether espieng vs or by chaunce taking land for fresh water wee knowe not but with more then twentie knights he beset vs and although we defended our selues some time in the end this Gentleman and I were taken prisoners and our ten knights slaine sore wounded before the other knights which hunted in the forrest might vnderstande of it He caried vs to his ships where it is more then a month that we haue bene in this manner as you haue séene vs close pent vp in this cage For my selfe Sir as I neuer hope for libertie so I respect not my imprisonment but for this faire young Gentleman my heart is sore wounded I had rather suffer ten deaths then any such misfortune shoulde happen to him Because that when such newes shall bée reported to his father he will beare it more impatientlye than his owne and that which worst is to me onely will he attribute this fault sith hauing committed his onely sonne to my gouernance I haue giuen so ill account of him Vnto these words the knight lent manie a teare sliding downe his face which well shewed the griefe he bore in hart The prince Florion in great compassion comforted him promising libertie of returne into his country when but by and by remembring the wordes which the wise man his vnckle had sayd he called it backe againe and in steede of his first promise he tourned his tale to the narration of his owne mishaps being on this wise I thancke you heartely for your courtesie in recounting to mée the whole discourse of your imprisonment and of this young Gentlemans captiuitie and I call the high Gods to witnesse what paine your misfortune hath caused in me and how ready my power shall be to remedie it when I maye For I meane toâ—giue you libertie of returne and with my men to conduct you homewards into Fraunce thus much occosioned in me by the deserts of your estate But fortune hath bene so contrary to me that except your retourne bée delayed I my selfe shall want my necessary help the whole state of the matter lyeng thus if it so please you to heare I am by name Florion king of Persia my father deceasing which was king thereof and so by iust title as to his onely sonne and heire the crowne of the kingdome descended to me This charge I sustained in mine owne person a good while but being young and lustie and in good age to follow armes I was desirous to wander in the world So leauing a gouernour in my kingdome I trauailed through diuers countries vntill the ende of thrée yeares at which I tooke ouer into Babylon where
so well as I haue knowne no knight in his perfection matchable And truely this is the accomplishment of your first aduenture as my brother foreséeing it told me that you should rescew mée my daughters from death or imprisonment and I hope as well in the immortall Gods that the second shall be likewise finished that is the kingdome of Persia se long withheld by a false vsurper may by you be redeliuered to the Prince Florion My Lord aunswered Donzel del Febo I haue not as yet done the thing in your seruice neither in my life may hope to compassie which may counterpaise with my good will in this behalfe and truely the dutie which I owe to your good grace my Lord to the Prince Florion to my Lady the Princesse your daughter daily so augmenteth as more then that duetie I cannot owe vnto my father to the discharge wherof notwithstanding I stand bounden to your goodnesse not onely of curtesie but in conscience so humbled himselfe before the Souldan but the Souldan againe embraced him they two helped the Ladies out of the chariot The Ladies were desirous to knowe who the gyant was and what shuld be the cause why he so assailed them Therfore the Souldan the Gentleman of the Sun made toward the knight of the Gyants which was falne to the grounde and as they tooke of his helmet to giue him ayre they fetcht him out of his sounde and setting him on his féete they demaunded of him who the Gyaunt was and why he came to take them prisoners The knight séeing it behoued him to say the troth made answere shortly thus You shall vnderstand my Lordes that this Gyant was called Brandafileo Lorde of the towred Ilande which is in the great Ocean at the mouth of the redde Sea This Ilande is so strong and inuinsible that béeing within hée néede not feare all the worlde if they had bent their force against him and béeing proude vpon the safetie of this Ilande he did much wrong to the nations rounde about him spoiling and robbing all Arabians Aethiopians Aegyptians and the Garamantes of Inde and finally so many as he might come by in the great West seas and so the Ilande of Traprobane and by long continaunce in this trade of rouing hée is become so rich of captiues and treasure that no Iland is comperable with his Nowe the cause wherefore he came into this your land was for that in the time that the mightie Orixerges your father reigned in Persia the father of the Gyant called Briontes then béeing Lorde of the towred Ilande by occasion of Briontes euill lyfe your Father and he fell at variaunce wherefore the king your Father sent out his whole nauie to subdue this Iland but being not able to conquere it he gaue them notwithstanding in charge to lye in the out créekes awaiting when he came forth from the Iland so to set vpon them One time the Gyant making a road out for a lyke cheuisance a farre off from his owne Iland the king your Father dogged him with his shippes and as he returned met him in the halfe turne and for all the hauocke he and his made of your fathers souldiers in the ende killed him This Brandafileo his sonne then being a childe of tender age yet so soone as he was of yeares to be made knight he greatly longed after the reuenge of his fathers death because he could not worke his mischiefe on the king Orixerges béeing then dead at the least it would ease his stomacke if he might wreake himselfe on you his sonne and for this cause many times hée hath sent spyes into your land to be aduised by them when he might haue opportunitie of vengeance learning of your comming to this forrest for your disport he hath now laine more then a month in secret expectation of so good lucke as to take your person This time he had founde to his contentation had not this Gentleman ben who now hath made sufficient paye to Brandafileo for his months hire This is all my Lorde which I can tell you as to your demaund and it is truth which I haue tolde you as I certeinly beléeue that if euer he had cleane carried you from hence you should not haue escaped from death or bondage for so hée had determined The Souldan mused at that which the knight had told him waieng the great danger wherein he was like to haue falne he ceased not to giue thanks to his Gods to the gentleman of the Sun for his safety At this time Prince Floriō came with more then 30. knights running theyr horses so fast as they might because alreadie they had hearde the newes comming wher the Gyant lay dead viewing well the wide mortall wound they highly commended of it and ceuld not iudge by whom he had receiued it but very ioyfull to sée the Souldan his Princesse out of daunger leaping from their horses they came towards them Then Florion excusing his long absence by the ignoraunce of the fact desired to know who he was which had so gently bailed them from the Gyaunt The Souldan aunswered on this sort Ah Florion Florion now we knowe your vnckle Lyrgandeos diuinations as touching this Gentleman of the Sunne to be sooth and stedfast for we haue well approued his valour and knowe that he alone béeing the onely man which came to succour vs brought to ground the giant Brandafileo by one onely blow with his bore speare riuetting as you see his coat armour and ridding vs from so daungerous a foe making his enteraunce to knighthoode the straungest that euer was heard Florion giuing backe either as wondering or not crediting his vnckles speach was still vrged by the Souldan who tolde on forward as Brandafileos knight had confessed Florion yet as it were halfe in a mammering which part to take betwéene the Gentlemans youth and his courage disputed rather the impossibilitie by meanes of the hugenesse of the Gyant his strong armour and the number of his knights in the end he ouercame himselfe by remembrance of Lyrgandeos reporte and thanked the Gentleman on this wise O my right noble and beloued sonne I graunt that that not my force but the mightie windes and swelling waues by the ordinaunce of my Gods haue giuen mée power ouer you for that by your souereigne bountye the wrong which is done to me by the tyraunt shall be reuenged and I shall recouer mine owne kingdome O how happie was the daye and the houre fortunate in which I found you sith my Gods haue reserued you for so great benefiter towardes me and the release of mine vnckle with these and many other words Florion wept for great pleasure to thinke of Donzels magnanimitie And in this time the other young Gentlemen his companions came riding from hunting and sawe the fierce Gyaunt lye dead by the waye they enquired after the manner of his death and hearing it to be as you haue
downe from hir beautifull eyes and watering hir crimson chéekes spake vnto the Souldan on this wise The heauenly and immortall Gods maintaine and encrease thy high estate most puissaunt and mightie Souldan of Babylon Know for certaintie that vncertaine fortune neuer constant to any hath in such maner shewed hir selfe cruell and aduerse to me that she onely not sufficed with the death which my father and mother and many of their subiectes haue receiued for my sake she ceaseth not daily to afflict me and to bring me to so low an ebbe that being defeated of mine owne inheritaunce I am yet faine to wander through the Courts of mightie Princes to find some good and pitifull knight which bewayling my mishap will ease me of the great trauaile I daily take to saue my honour For if you wil suffer me to lay open my case the whole storie is thus I am right enheretrix of the Iland of Cypres where my predecessors reigned long time with much ioy vntill that their good hap was hindred by my beautie For hauing brought me into this world with that beautie wherein you sée me which I woulde to our that beautie wherein you sée me which I woulde to our Gods had either perished when I first was swaddeled or els had neuer bene knowen that none might haue taken delight in it So soone as my beautie was sounded abroad this Knight héere present King of the Zardians Lorde of the Iland of Zardia called Raiartes hearing of it came to see me so soone as he came he was taken with my loue and demaunding me for wife was denied it of my father Wherefore very angrie returning to his Iland of Zardia with a great armie of knights he came against my father and at the first field killed him and murthered all his people and in short time became Lord of Cypres My mother séeing my Father dead and hir lande wasted dyed for griefe I remained alone without companye till such time as Raiartes came to the Pallaice where I was I knew to whose power I was become seruaunt fearing that he woulde haue forced me determined by ending my lyfe to make my selfe free from his subiection estéeming it farre better to dye with my Parentes then alyue to bewayle their deathes And hauing no better leasure nor meanes to achieue my purpose I leaped vp to a window the highest in all the Pallaice thence to haue throwen my selfe downe if Raiartes séeing me in his plight had not prayed me not to doo it promising if I forbeare that that to doo the thing that I cmmaunded him I resoluing vpon death told him that vnles he granted me one gift I wold be mine owne executioner he to saue my life promised it whereby I lefte off from putting that in practise which I had contriued in my thought By this meanes Raiartes had me in his power and hauing the whole Iland at his commaundement he carried me contrary to my will into his owne country with these aged Knights my néere kinsmen there he requested me of loue and prayed me to accept of him for husband What should I doo he was importunate in his demanund and I remayned in his daunger so that to put by the execution of his desire I had none other remedy but to aunswere him that so soone as he had perfourmed the promise which he made mee I woulde satisfie his whole intent This hearing he was well content and so I tolde him that he shoulde carrie me for the space of a twelue month into all places whether I would and if in the meane time I found a knight to defende my right by fighting against him he should graunt the Battayle with condition that if my knight vanquished him I should be fré from his demaund and my lande at quiet otherwise if he had the vpper hand I from thence-foorthe to be at his commaundement and he doo what euer lyked him This knight most noble Souldan counfailing with his strength and thinking all mens vertues infertor to his tooke vpon him the Quest glad by such meanes to manifest his power and so he carried me from the Iland Zardia more then halfe a yere past in which time yet I haue not found a Knight to vndertake my quarrell and yet I haue bene in the courts of mightie Kings and other great Lords Now séeing the tearme set betweene vs is more then halfe expired for my last refuge hether am I come to thy court to proue if heere my good fortune should be such that I should finde in it that which I haue so long sued for in other Courts Héere she ended with sighes and sobs out of measure therby vttering the sorrow she had in hir heart and the griefe for to loue such a knight which mooued great compassion in both Souldan and others of his company But there was no knight which would aunswere for the Princesse Radamira that was hir name and yet there were many in the Souldans presence Then in great pride and with a fierce looke this terrible Raiartes spake vnto hir What knight is there in the world so foole-hardie and presumptious Radamira which for thy cause durst enter into lystes with me yea be it that both right and iustice were right and cléere on his side And art not thou quite deuoyd of reson to liue vndone that which I beséech thée Besides valewing thy beautie with my brauerie and thy pride with my puissaunce I shall séeme to set too lowe a price on my selfe if I enioy thée and if there be any knight héere which will saye the contrarye I will soone make him recant his folly Raiartes hauing sayd thus knit his browes made such a grim countenance that all they feared him which beheld him and there was not a knight so hardie as to answere any thing in the Princesse Radamiras behalfe as if it had bene méere sinne in a Gentlewoman straungers right to hazard their person vpon a diuell rather then vppon a humane creature Euery man was still to the no little griefe of the Souldan in that his court â—rceiued such disgrace but the Gentleman of the Sunne sitting by and mooued with compassion towards the Gentlewoman arose on his féete and made aunswere to Raiartes saieng Sir knight it is a great blasphemie to knighthood to say that in the whole world there is not a knight which dare fight with thée Thy lye is loud and thou dost against all reason enforce this Princesse to marrie thée Be thou sure that if I were a knight I would suffer a thousand deaths rather then such reproach should be offered to a Gentlewoman For thy browne beautie is not fit to be hir play-fellowe and saieng thus he set himselfe downe againe Raiartes madde angry for these words fourning towardes him and rolling his eyes with great rage aunswered If thou wert as strong as thou art foolish thou weake youngling I would make thy life and thy words ende at one time But they say commonly
otherwise the course of the starres which impose a necessitie to man carrie you beyonde the compasse of your will into a farre Countrie where there shall bée greater néede of your presence grudge not at it but giue thanks to our Gods for all shall redound to your honour and the magnifieng of your lignage This I tell for a suretie that you shall neuer doe the thing in your lyfe whereof you shall take lyke pleasure as in your two first aduentures vndertaken for two Knightes straungers whome notwithstanding you shall not know till time and place discloseth them vnto you Of you sign ago I will reporte nothing for it is ordeined by the Gods that by the mouth of one of these two Knights of whom I haue spoken your whole parentage shoulde de layds open before which time you shall be at mortall deâ—â—ance For the shutting vp of this speach the remainder onely is that I make offer of my seruice vnto you whereof I hope if shall bee néedlesse to make a profession in words séeing I am therevnto bounden by your manifolde friendships towards my kindred In a worde Lyrgandeo shall neuer fayle you in the thing wherein either his wealth or wisedome maye stand you in stéede and the daie shall come wherein you being in the countrie where you were borne and amongst your owne parents shall account them all for enimyes and yet no man shall take your part but onely Lyrgandeo which for that time shall saue your lyfe and I hope that this seruice shall not be the last in account or the least in value which I will doe vnto you The wise man ended and they all which were present wondered to heare him so diuine of things to come But the knight of the Sunne not vnderstanding the tenour of this prophesie wisely referred all things to Gods prouidence thanking the wise man for his great care ouer him Now when on all parts all curtesies were performed and that the king Florion had commended them to his Gods they embarked themselues and spreading theyr sailes followed the way towards Babylon as the chapter following shall declare ¶ The Knight of the Sunne and the Prince Clauerindo beeing in their waye towards Babylon were diuided by a sodeine aduenture Cap. 26. AS alreadie the noble and knightlye déedes of the Knight of the Sunne did bud out and were likely to flourish more héereafter so now not onely the celestiall influences but the confluences of the tempestuous windes also and the sea it selfe became so carefull for his aduancement that there failed nothing of that which might worke his preferment for so it is that when anie thing is forced by the starres as to succéede prosperously vnto a man albeit mountaines of aduersitie impugne assaile him yet can they neuer expugne his good Fortune but in the ende he recouereth his quyet rest maugre the mallice of misaduenture And so the issue declared in the Knight of the Sunne For the ninth day after that the knight of the Sunne Claueryndo and those which were with them had sayled in the Persicke sea the night attached them ouercast with darke cloudes without anie starres appearing whereby the marriners construed the roughnesse of the weather on the morrowe and therefore guided towardes land to cast anchour in some good harberowe till the stormes ceased Ere the dawning of the day they discouered a docke not farre from the continent in their séeming verie commodious but indéede very daungerous as it proued Entering the docke they scarce had leasure to throw out their anchors but two other ships ioyned with them to séeke some safe roade out of the tempest These which last gat to the port were verie desirous to know what the other might be and therefore an armed knight so huge and great as if he had ben a Gyant mounting on the ship boord called aloude vnto them to answere him Some of the other ship hearing him in this wise crieng leapt vpon the hatches saieng What is it sir Knight that you would haue Marie I would knowe aunswered the knight what you are and whether you will One of the companie beeing stoute and of ill behauiour and supposing this knight to be some Gyant of that Countrie minding to set vpon them made him answere thus Returne to thy dwelling and bée not carefull to know them which knowe not thée otherwise assure thy selfe héere are Knightes which will chase thée hence in such sorte as it shall well gréeue thée The straunge knight stomacking this rudenesse sayde againe Assuredly Knight thou art some vilayne borne or of base birth sith in such order thou rewardest mée demaunding onely vpon curtesie but séeing I cannot learne it of thée with thy good will I will compell thée therevnto with thine ill will and sayeng no more hée droue at the knight so strongly that he claue both shéeld helmet and head vnto the eyes O what a mischiefe doth ill speach bréed vnto man and how inexcusable was it in this knight when he redéemed this franke spéech with his owne life and solde to make a paiment the life of many others Another knight séeing his fellow slaine stept into his roome and smote at the straunger where by the clattering of theyr harnesse the dinne was so great that it raised the people on both parts by clusters And there was a great fray betwixt them the knight of the Sun nor Claueryndo witting of it till the great knight had ouerthrowen put to death fiue or sixe of those knights which came néerest to hand The Knight of the Sunne séeing his knightes so destroyed especially by this greate Knight leauing the other bent his force against him and strake him a blowe ouerthwart the head péece making him to abate his courage The great Knight aunswered the loane and the battayle was verys hotte betwéene them for though the night was darke yet they knewe where to hit as well by the flames which sprang out of theyr helmets as the clashing of their armour Claueryndo put himselfe amongst the thickest and at his first God-morrow slew ten knightes and then not finding with whome to fight hée leapt into his enimies Shippe with his vnckle Armineo where hée felled more then 30. Knightes and the skirmish began a fresh either part willing to helpe theirs and the foure ships grapled together so that the fight woulde haue ben dangerous if it had lasted longer but halfe an hour a lyttle more ouerpassed the tempest which before threatned to appeare now outraged and the porte not verie sure the foure Shippes were diuided by the storme euerye one withdrawing himselfe to séeke succour Now in the Ship wherein the knight of the Sunne and the greate Knight fought there were no more Knightes but they two for all followed Clauerindo into the other shippes The two knights left alone were so earnest that they tooke little keepe either of the tempest or of their danger The successe of the battaile was doubtfull sometimes enclining to the one part
Brandizels boat not being perfect in the hauen would not venture to take landing there but coasting a long they passed by the ships to finde some more safe place to land in The Prince was ascried by his men in his shippes and therefore they made signes vnto the Gouernour to stere towards them so the Gouernour vnderstanding the fokens guyded thether The Prince Claueryndo and his vnckle Armineo standing on the hatches readie to welcome the Prince Brandizel betwéene whom there-was shewed tokens of great good wil and each made much of other as two faithfull friendes But questioning about the Knight of the Sunne the Princes Brandizel declared the manner of their parting and the daunger wherein he had lefte him This caused great sorrowe in them for they loued him as dearely as any father his children or any wife hir husbande And to asswage their griefe Armineo remembered vnto them the wordes which the wise Lyrgandeo had spoken to the Knight of the Sunne at his departure Where-by they were perswaded that his departure by such a chance was but for the achieuement of things more worthy of him alone and for whom onely they were reserued Now hauing stayed in this Hauen two dayes to repayre theyr shippes when they were in a readinesse they sayled towardes Babylon where they were goodly receiued of the Souldan of the Queene both verie ioyfull of the newes as touching Persia and the King Florions peaceable possession and againe as sorrowfull for the losse of the Knight of the Sunne and the perill of death wherein Brandizel saw him last But in short time after there were letters receiued from Lyrgandeo containing the certaintie of his safetie the manner of his escape and the affaires wherein he was employed Which last poynt bred a great desire in Claueryndo and Brandizel to stray through the world and to exercise the feates of armes And a while after they had rested themselues in Babylon they brought the Quéene to Persia by lande for they woulde no more aduenture the Seas especially hauing the Quéene as part of their burthen and the historie bringeth them on their way as farre as Persia whence it retourneth towards Hungarie to matters of lyke importaunce wherein the younger sonne of Trebatio had to deale whose prowesse is no lesse worthy my paines then his brothers valour is worthye of your rememebraunce for he surpassed all other Knights in loyaltie and might beeing equall to Donzel del Febo in all poynts as héere-after you shall héere ¶ The Princesse Briana discouered to Rosicleer secretly that he was hir sonne Cap. 27. THE storie lefte the Princesse Briana straungely afflicted tormented with the double losse both of Prince Edward hir husband Donzel del Febo hir sonne which griefe no doubt had quickly killed hir had not a Nymph giuen hir comfort at the well in the orchard as it hath ben shewed But yet it some-what eased hir melancholy that she had the fayre and courteous Rosicleer in whose onelye companie she was wont to beguile hir mishaps and by his meanes to forget hir miseries For he was so gracious as that he was beloued not onely of his mother but of the other Gentlewomen also which might not one minute spare his companie as if he had bene childe to euerie one This Rosicleer when he attained to the age of twelue yeares remooued out of the Monestarie to a house hard by where his nourse Leonardo kept whom he thought to bée his father Héere he was diligently instructed in all good literature and in the exercise of armes both to be able to be a good counsailour in peace and as good a warriour in battaile ouer and besides the knowledge of the tongues wherein Leonardo was very curious as hauing trauailed for his knowledge through the most parts of Europe and Asia being there-vnto both wise and well learned Rosicleer was of such pregnaunt wit and so ripe of capacitie that he little néeded the helpe of a teacher to that which his nourse read he added by his owne industrie somewhat that he became so profound in these studies as if hée had bene studied in them all his life time at Athens But remaining thus vnder the gouernaunce of his supposed Father till he was fourtéene yeares of age he then was so high and big made that few in that countrie were so tall and being at this age he was able for strength to doo that which thrée Knightes together were vnable to doo The Princesse knowing of his strength forbad him hir fathers Court and would not suffer him to forgoe the Monestary for she feared least the King hearing of his towardnesse should enquire after him and so retaine him in his seruice For this cause Rosicleer thus kept in at this age and thus strong became very sad for his so straight enclosure as if he had professed alreadie a vowe in some cloyster and his minde euer ranne vpon his desire to be made Knight to the ende he might experiment the aduentures of the world and learne by proofe that which he had often heard by â—chearfull Heere-vnto hauing no hope nor helpe by his restraint it abated his chéere and increased his sadnes Leonardo his nourse marking in what plight he was often demaunded the occasion of his heauinesse but coulde by no meanes wring it out of him and so one daye talking with the Princesse he tolde hir that vnlesse she found a remedie for hir sonne his thought would anoy him The Princesse very pensiue at that which Leonardo had tolde commaunded Rosicleer to be brought before hir presence Rosicleer comming into the presence of the Princesse knéeled downe and humbly asked what was hir Graces pleasure The Princesse bidding him stande vp spake thus Rosicleer thy father Leonardo telleth me thou arte neuer merrie nowe therefore open to me the cause of this thy heauinesse and if thou wantest ought which thy father can-â—ot supply vtter it fréely and I will prouide thée of the remedie to haue thée contented Rosicleer hearing the words of the Princesse knéeled downe again and sayde Madame I kisse your hande for the soueraigne grace you shewe me in hauing such compassion on my griefe and I am well assured that if it were for anye thing whereof I haue néede your Ladiship would furnish me of iâ— as hetherto you haue done but if I be sadde or solitarâ— for anye thing which grieueth me it is not for néede of any necessary prouision for I thanke your goodnesâ—e I haue had it hethertoo abundauntly considered by your Highnesse without my speaking But it is for that in respect of my age the lyfe which I now lead is more lyke a Gentlewoman then a young man which made me deiâ—te to be dubbed Knight and to wander abroad for to seeke aduentures Nowe for that I knowe your Ladiships pleasure to be the contrarie as neither willyng to depart without your license nor daring to vtter my desire vnto you I cannot doo lesse but be sorrowfull for I want the
the occasion of my hether comming In good time came you this way sayd Balides for by you I haue recouered my sonne and talking of such like matters they passed the time till supper was ready ¶ Rosicleer in Lyuerbas name slaieth Argion and remooueth the Iewes Cap. 29. THe supper being readie Rosicleer with Balides his wife and children sate at the table but there was little discourse at the boord saue that the beautifull Lyuerba felt so great griefe in the remembrance of Argions message that in lieu of meate shee fed on teares and her parents helped to beare a part with their sighes which made it a very melancholike supper vnto Rosicleer And in the necke of this ere the cloth was taken vp they heard great rapping at the gate looking who they were they sawe more then .20 knightes other seruing men with torches in their hands at the gates Those of the house demaunded what they wold one of them answered Tell Balides that Argion our Lord hath commanded vs to bring Lyuerba by and by for he tarrieth for her to haue her companie this night O how vnwelcome was this arrant vnto the parents how pittifull vnto the Gentlewoman which sounded at the hearing of Argions name all the householde wept bitterly Rosicleer for companie moued to great pittie with the best courage that he might to giue remedie vnto this outrage deuised a present shift bid some of the seruants to tell those which were without that they shoulde stay a while vntill the Gentlewoman were in a readinesse after that that shée should be sent vnto them Then he made the costlyest apparell which Lyuerba had to be brought vnto him clothed himselfe withall making for his head a perwicke of Lyuerbas haire binding it with a little chaine of gold so that being thus readily araied he was so beautifull as no gentlewoman thereabouts might parage him for grace or fauour His host hostesse were amazed in beholding him so well beare out the credit of a gentlewomas in his disguised habit neither yet knowing what he meant thereby nor yet minding to learne it of him vnlesse he first declared it But so soone as he was throughly arayed in this wise he softly rounded his host in the eare saieng My friend your mishap and the thraldome of this land hath had such force ouer me that hauing hope in God which brought me hether I will take vpon me to be Lyuerba will goe with these knights to the castle of Argion When I am alone in his chamber I will behaue my selfe God willing that I will frée you from this mans tyrannie Or though I be slaine in the execution of this enterprice yet it were a small damage in respect of so great a cure But I would haue you Balides your sonnes and your other acquaintaunce and friendes to arme your selues lykewise and lye couertly a little from the castle where if you sée that I make you anie tokens by the light at a windowe make account that Argion is slaine and be not afraide to come néere the gates which I will set open for you and so with little ado we will make our selues Lords of his castle When this is done we will publish it abroad to the inhabitaunts of the valley which being certeine of Argions death will rise to our succour Balides looked wistly vpon Rosicleer and wondered at his courage for he béeing so young it was in his fancie for the boldest match which he had heard off yet though it was impossible as he thought to come to their purpose for that he sawe how willingly Rosicleer had made this offer he consented to call his friends estéeming it farre better to die in such a quarrell then to see suffer so great a mischiefe The Gentlewoman Lyuerba béeing made priuie therevnto by her father knéeled downe before Rosicleer and shedding aboundance of teares said vnto him The God which created both heauen earth graunt you faire gentleman so good hap that both this land may be acquit from this tyrannie I deliuered from this villanie The knights which were without hasted to haue the Gentlewoman with them so Rosicleer putting swoord vnder his kirtle closely and surely that it could neither bée perceiuied nor fall from him he tooke his leaue of Balides his wife and his daughter Balides wishing him well and commending him to God accompanied him to the gates where the knightes were attendaunt and there poured out so many teares to the outward sight as if it had bene his daughter The people without hauing a glimps of Rosicleer by the light of the Torches tooke him to be fayrest Gentlewoman which they had euer séene and verye gladde to bring so good tidings vnto their master they set him vppon a palfraie prouided for the purpose onely they were agréeued at the time which was so short that they could not sufficiently gaze on her Their whole talke by the waie ranne vpon this that it were for Argion more conuenient to detaine her for wife then euerie wéeke to seeke a newe and laughing at theyr owne deuises they came to Argions Castle béeing verye greate and of building the most sumptuous in the valley as it had bene a kings pallaice In this they entered and helping the fained Lyuerba from her horse they lead her vp a paire of staires into a chamber where Argion awaited her comming Rosicleer kéeping a demure and sober countenaunce droue Argion into a great amaze at his beautie that gréedely beholding him hée arose from the place where hée was set and embraced him in these tearmes You are welcome hether my Lyuerba for you make me ryght gladde to haue your companie and for that your beautye is more then the rest I will doe you more honoure then to others The fained Lyuerba countenaunced out his counterfait with graue behauiour onely fixing his eyes vpon the grounde without aunswering a worde saue that hée thought vppon his purpose which he knewe woulde bée somewhat daungerous in that Argion was strong fowle and fierce of looke more then euer he had séene anie Argion tooke him by the hande and placed him next himselfe demaunding first how her parents did and from thence he fell to more amorous delights still staring on Rosicleers beautie which throughly kindled his lust and hée desired her to vncloath hir selfe and to come vnto him into the rich bedde This supposed Lyuerba framing a shamefast and bashfull looke with a lowde voyce gently aunswered him that vnlesse he commaunded his seruaunts to auoyde the chamber and the doores to be fastened she would not be séene naked in that companie Argion taking it to be an argument of great honestie did of his cloathes first and lept into his bed commanding his people to goe out and shut the dores after them They lighting a great candle set on a candlesticke of siluer went out and there remained onelye this Lyuerba with Argion leasurely vncloathing hir-selfe to
fell him to the ground with his elbowes This was no greate misfortune to Rosicleer for albeit hée was faine to bowe his knées by the thrust of the Gyants elbowes yet couching his bodie closely his chaunce was so good as to fasten vppon the hilts of Quéene Iulias Swoord which hée drewe out the scabberd remaining at the Gyaunts side Rosicleer now béeing ceased of the swoord stept from Candramarte and called vpon him on this wise Candramarte now thou shalt sée who shall haue the worst bargaine of quéene Iulias swoord sith on euen handes we shall try this combat with this remembring the Gyants former pride he laid at the gyant so thicke and so sure that in short space the bloud ranne from the Gyaunt in more then tenne places for the swoord was excéeding sharpe and Rosicleer as fell and venimous Nowe maye you thinke that the mayden séeing the Swoorde bared by the Knight was the gladdest woman in the earth and that the king with other Princes and knights thanked God heartely for prouiding Rosicleer of a weapon the sooner to put ende to the battaile But the Gyaunt assaulted so sore by Rosicleer and wounded so daungerously began wholy is mistrust the Prophesie of the Swoord and to dispayre of the victorie and as in such cases wan hope is aduenturous so his armour béeing rent the habergion vnmayled and all the riuetring out of order for that cause the Gyant would néedes put the tryall of the challenge vpon one blowe When this blowe was reached as farre as the Gyaunt might to haue descended with more violence vpon Rosicleers head péece Rosicleer béeing more quicke then he met the blowe crosse wayes that hée cut off both the Gyauntes armes harde by the elbowes The Gyant thus maimed yelling out a loathsome crie reuiled and railed on Rosicleer as a man distraught and that which most increased his paine was not the torment of his disfigured armes but either the shame of the victorie or the enuie at Rosicleer but Rosicleer making little account of him tooke the Scabbard from his side and so lefte him Candramarte still followed blaspheming and cursing both God and man and when he coulde neither bee his owne executioner nor procure another to take the paines sware that for sparing his death he woulde deuise all the mischiefe he might against Rosicleer and that he would practise his death also if possiblie he could inuent the meanes But truely if I had bene in Rosicleers case I shoulde not haue béene so straunge séeing that both it shoulde haue bene the Gyants last request and so little encomberaunce to wardes mée But the king Princes and knightes were so toyous of the victorie against the Gyaunt as they bare countenaunce of more ioy outwardly then they had earst receiued euerie one openly desiring to sée him vnarmed but chiefly Bargandel and Liriamandro being in some iealousie of the knight whom they had found a friend ere they looked for supposing that peraduenture hée was Rosicleer of whome the sodeine aduenture in the Sea had berefte them And Quéene Iulias Gentlewoman séeing the combat tryed and the aduenturer of the Swoord atchieued concluding thereby that this was he for whom she had made so long a iourney saluted him curteouslye with his ambassade Now that it is euident noble Knight that you are the person for whose helpe this swoorde was framed by my mistresse I am to certifie that my Ladie gréeteth you by me and giueth you warning that for her sake you must mainteine the fight with two braue gyants ioyntly combattant against you onely For this she hath sent you this swoord the commendation wherof albeit not vnknowen lieth in the continuall proofe which she requesteth you neuer to forsake for it will much further you in your enterprises Whereto I beséech you giue credit deale effectually as she hath hope in you But now giue me the sword that I may beare it to the king and the other Princes that they may iustifie the truth of my former auouch So Rosicleer deliuered the swoorde into her handes with the sheath which the Gentlewoman brought before the King and the knights then present which all attempted the pulling out but coulde not doe it as if the scabbard had béene a péece of the same mettall whereof the Swoord was and not seuered by edge or toole which made them all confesse that to the new knight it was proposed and to him apperteined the fight with the two Gyants for the franchising of quéene Iulia. The king redeliuered the swoorde into the Gentlewomans handes and bad her yéelde it againe to Rosicleer which she did taking her leaue of him receiued this for aunswere That he recommended himselfe vnto her good grace heartely thanking her for so great care ouer him as to prouide a sword whereof he had néed as her selfe can witnesse and for the rest he promised not to faile her as he was true knight to God and the worlds The Gentlewoman with this recommaunde gallopped awaie as fast as her palfraie might carrie her the whilest Candramartes knightes remooued their Lorde out of that place into his Tent whence afterwarde with great griefe for his sore maime they conuaied him into his Iland wherein hauing setled himselfe as mindfull of his oath he neuer lefte from imagining of craftie meanes and coining new pollicies to bring Rosicleer to the death When Candramarte was carried into his Tent Rosicleer mounting vpon his horse tooke a greate Speare in his hande and stoode at the lists ende thinking that some knight would come against him but they were all so schooled with the sight of this last victorie that neuer a Knight shewed himselfe Wherefore the King commaunded to sound the Trumpet to procéede vnto the disposing of the rewardes for theyr trauaile An Heralde demaunding alowde who had done best they all referred the prices to Rosicleer The King woulde not contende with them but sayth be I will that my daughter haue the bestowing of them where she best liketh as touching this tourney She with much shamefastnesse which her couloured chéekes bewrayed accepted the charge and taking the crowne with the choller in her hande she caused the newe Knight to hée called before her who burning in loue towardes her no lesse then shée was seruent in lyking towardes him dismounted at the first call and betwéene the two Princes Bargandel and Liriamandro mounted vp the Scaffolde where the beautifull Princesse was before whome he appeared with greater feare arising of his conceit concerning his indignitie then earst attached him in the fight with Candramarte without a weapon The two Princes comming before Oliuia made their humble obeysaunce and Rosicleer knéeled downe The Princesse with a good grace bending to euery one of them spake to Rosicleer You knowe new knight what charge the king my Father hath layde vpon mée although farre more honourable then I am able to susteine yet by mée assumed neither to resist his will nor yet against my desire for it is
attended vppon the Princesse Briana his mother in the monestarie of the riuer and that she had to name Arinda was glad to haue the opportunitie offered to serue the Princesses Oliuia and Briana and therefore rising from where hée sate he came before the king to whom he said Sir seeing it is Rosicleer whome this Gentlewoman seeketh that Brandagedeon hath sent for mée I beseech your maiestie to giue me lisence to goe in these affaires for it is out of reason to withslacke such worthie seruice to two so noble Princes The king loth of any occasion at all to be ministred wherby he should forsake the court least his returne would not be ouer hastie for he knew well that he was nothing addict to idlenesse yet seeing his importunitie both to aunswere the challenge and to employe his trauaile in the name of these two Princes would not gainsaie his purpose but wished him not to goe alone for that the Gyant was well manned with aboue 30. knightes for this cause Bargandel Liriamandro other Princes knights offered to go in his companie but they coulde not preuaile for he excused himselfe with this that it should redound to his disworship if he should take more companie then the Gyant looked for And by and by he craued pardon to departe to his chamber there to arme himselfe The Gentlewoman Arinda well knowing him but for that time suppressing it while Rosicleer buckled on his armour went to deliuer her message vnto the Princesse Oliuia vnto whome she tolde that the cofer with iewells was intercepted by a false harratour a Giant named Brandagedeon and that the new knight had taken vpon him to fetch them againe which when the Princesse heard although she was glad to vnderstand ought from the Princesse Briana yet was she sorrowfull when she hearde that Rosicleer would leaue the Citie and would goe alone thether where the Gyaunt abid him for her minde gaue her that she shoulde not see Rosicleer in hast but turning from this she demaunded of the Gentlewoman many things in perticular touching her Ladie so that the Gentlewoman stayed with her till Rosicleer being armed called vpon her Then the Princesse sayth if there be no other remedie you may go with him albeit tell the knight from me that I had rather the iewells were lost then he should put himselfe in so great a ieopardie Arinda sayde thée would doe her commaund and went downe to Rosicleer beeing alreadie on horsebacke with his Esquire Telyo she likewise tooke her palfray and they thrée rode through the Citie of London much gased after by the king and all the knights and Ladies which stoode in the windowes and battlements of the pallaice and with great sorrow pittied him to sée him goe alone perswading themselues that if Brandagedeon were slaine or in daunger that his men would rescew him ¶ A cruell battaile betweene Rosicleer and Brandagedeon with his knights Cap. 36. ROsicleer béeing thus accompanied with Arinda and Telyo his Squire willed the Gentlewoman to guide him on the waie to the place where Brandagedon was Arinda knowing him well inough sayde Noble Rosicleer I dare not so doe The Gyant is fierce and strong and hath with him many knights which if he haue néede shall helpe him and then shall I sée you in perill of your life Better were it Rosicleer that you should leaue this enterprise and take the way towardes Hungarie there to comfort the sorrowfull Princesse Briana which since your departure from the monestarie hath neuer ben merrie Rosicleer perceiuing well that the Gentlewoman knew him casting his armes about her neck sayd vnto her Why how now Arinda how is it that you know me and I haue not knowen my selfe since my comming into this land But tell me gentle sister how the Princesse Briana doth my good Ladie for whose sorrow I am much agréeued albeit to remedy it there were no reason in forsaking this enterprise which I haue taken in hand to doe her seruice therein Besides that I am determined not to returne into Hungarie before I canne heare some newes of the Prince Edward whether hée bée dead or aliue No sayth the Gentlewoman but let this matter alone for it were lesse losse that the two Princesses shoulde want the Cofer of Iewells then that you shoulde hazarde your lyfe in winning of it and more acceptable seruice shall you doe my Ladie in going to visit her then in seeking out the Gyaunt to fight with him The Gentlewoman with all tooke holde of the Bridle raynes to haue lead Rosicleers horse out of the waie whereat Rosicleer laughing a good aunswered her thus Arinda I should get a good reporte in the Court of king Oliuerio if for feare of a battaile with this Gyaunt I should tourne aside from this iourney which for the same cause I haue vndertaken If I were certaine of more then a thousande deaths I would not follow thy aduise héerein Arinda and so spurring his horse he kept on his way The Gentlewoman would not importune him farther but lead him towards the Gyaunt where not farre of they met another Gentlewoman on foot wéeping verie pitteously At her Rosicleer demanded the cause of her griefe which she vttered streight waies in these words O sir knight Fortune Fortune hath frowned on mée so that better welcome should be the death then the daye lyght Rosicleer yet requested her to speake more plainely and to tell wherein Fortune had wrought her such despite I will gladly sayth she and for truth sir knight I am a Gentlewoman belonging to the Quéeene of Lusitania which sent mee with a Brother of mine a verie valyaunt Knight hether to bring certeine Iewells for the Princesse Oliuia daughter to the King Oliuerio and for the Princesse Rodasylua her owne Daughter Now our mishappe was such that entering the shoare wee hit vppon a great and diuelish Gyant who examining vs whether we went and what we carried in our fardle because my brother made no aunswere flew him and putting mée from me palfraie tooke from me my horse and my fardle ouer and besides with this commaund to go vnto the king Oliuerio and to the knights of his court there to record my complaint against him Thus haue I my Lord satisfied your request now God be with you for I will on to craue some remedie With this the Gentlewoman parted from them but Rosicleer calling to her sayde Gentlewoman so it is that my arrant is for the same purpose to fight with the Gyant for the like trespasse by him committed agaynst this Gentlewoman héere with mée If you will returne with vs we shall be verie glad thereof and by Gods helpe I shall well qwell that Gyants insoleucie What sayde the Gentlewoman doe you purpose alone to fight with the Gyaunt I indéede aunswered Rosicleer and haue hope to reuenge this Gentlewoman and your brother God mate well giue you power so to do it it please him said the Gentlewoman but in respect of the
Gyauntes strength it will not sinke into my brest that 100. such knights as you are can chastise him Well sayd Rosicleer if you will go with mée you may at leasure when you see the euent deliverate what to doe If ye will not fare you well for lesse shall bée your hope of remedie in kéeping your waye as you nowe doe Rosicleer helde on and the Gentlewoman viewing his goodly personage thereby perswading her selfe that it were but little losse to turne backe with him determined to proue his good Fortune And as she was not fully assured in her thought she spake on this wise Be not displeased with me but for the loue of God faire knight haue some greater regard of your owne safetie not to cast your-selfe away for the recouerie of my damage it is no great matter for me to take some paines in going with you but it will be some griefe to returne againe laden with a fresh complaint of a new murther And therefore for God sake let the Gyant alone Rosicleer sayde I may not but seeing you haue promised your companie get vp behinde my Squire and cast your care vpon God which will preuaile for your ease as best shall lyke him So they foure trauayled towardes the place where the Gyants abiding was and comming neere vnto the shoare they sawe him hard by the water where he sate vppon a great horse and more then thirtie knightes in a Crayer not farre off as if they purposed to boord a tall ship which was on floate in the Sea halfe a mile Brandagedeon by and by knew Rosicleer to be the new knight by the rich armour he bare the selfe same being worne by him in the iusts wherein he was hurled to grounde for which cause preuenting Rosicleers salutation with a lowde and hollow voyce he cried vnto him Now sir knight may I magnifie my Gods for that I haue thée in such a place wher I may be auenged of thée at my pleasure for the despite thou hast done me and all the world shall not raunsome thée from my hands God of heauen shall be my borrow aunswered Rosicleer which also shal correct thy wickednesse and tread vnder foote thy intollerable pride and arragancie But to tell thée my message I challenge thée for to make satisfaction vnto these gentlewomen of the wrong thou hast done them or to prepare thy selfe to mainteine thy miichiefe Brandagedeon spake no word but signified his meaning by his demeanour for be tourned his horse head in great rage and tooke a beauy speare with him the other vnderstanding his signe did as much This first iourney brake their staues and made them trie the rest of the battaile on foote The Gyant being cleane vnhorsed Rosicleers horse giuing backe so that he rusht against the ground but the successe was diuers and vnequall in the riders themselues For Rosicleer keeping his saddle selt no harme in his body the Gyant throwen violently to the earth was well shaken with the fall But the combate is not yet ended for Brandagedeon béeing strong and mightie helde Rosicleer verie harde as indéede it could not be otherwise for betwixt them alone the fight continued two houres all the meane time neyther part giuing ouer nor making anie semblaunce of discomfiture In the end the knight hauing treble aduantage ouer the Gyaunt first the Queene Iulias swoord which hit sore secondly in Artemidoros harnes which held out the force of the Gyants weapon and thirdly the nimblenesse of his bodie readie both to assaile stronglys and to decline as lightly from the others blow by which meanes hauing made a wide hole in the Gyants armour he wounded the Gyant at his pleasure The execution of this challenge to so little displeasure on Rosicleers parte made Arinda thinke it long till shee shoulde blase it at home in the monasterys of the Riuer but her pleasure was soone ouercast for there was ministered vnto her a cup of colde water in stéede of better lyking to alay her thirst All this happening beyond her expectation by that Gyants knights which séeing their master at such an exigent although in no euident appearaunce of his ende in greate furie came to lande and at once all of them with theyr swoords fell vpon Rosicleer This was no euen match thirtie Knights and a Gyant to set vpon one silly knight before almost tired with two houres battaile against the Gyant But what thing may resist Gods ordinaunce The Gyants knights laide on with such courages that it reuiued the Gyaunt for they were all chosen Knightes but I doubt not but that Rosicleer besturred himselfe for so many as he met he either maymed wounded flewe or threwe to grounde And béeing ouer-awed by number and fresh onsettes he was fayne for defence to his backe to withdrawe himselfe into the Sea there to stand in the water and receiue theyr blowes before him Now Telyo his Squire and Arinda the Hungarian séeing him forced to this extremitie were very woe begon but the Gentlewoman Lusitanian as desperate of all succours by his meanes gallopped from thence vpon her palfraie which stoode by the shoare no lesse complaining the daunger wherein shée left this good Knight then recurelesse lamenting the vniust death of her brother As she had ridde some part of her way towards Oliuerios court there were two knights in her iudgement verie lustie and armed at all points which made all the hast they might to get néer◠her The Gentlewoman comming within the hearing of them and minding to preuent other questions cryed vnto them a farre off For the passion of God my good Lords if all noblenesse and vertue be not cleane buried in you make hast to succour a Knight the best in the world which is now enuiroued with his enimies being about thirtie knights besides a Gyant The two knightes with these newes posted a maine by the same way which the Gentlewoman came in short time got a sight of Rosicleer which at that time stoode in the water against 11. or 12. of them for so many were left on liue of thirtie persons those also which then liued beeing well nurtured by Rosicleers discipline that they would prease vppon him without good warrantise Now vy that time that the two knightes came Rosicleer had killed more then twentie leauing a passage so well trode as they might easily trace out his foote steppes At their first breaking in among the Gyants knights they burst their staues vpon two of them ouerthrowing them and then drawing their swoordes strake so lustely that the assaylants were gladde to leaue Rosicleer and to defend themselues against the two knightes Rosicleer hauing so good helpe at hande although he was stirred with the continuall heate of the foote battaile woulde néedes be a partie player in the last act of this Tragedie and therefore chose out Brandagedeon to deale withall and with his sharpe swoord gaue him so fierce a stoccado that the bowells trayled after the weapon and the Gyant
Fidelia Ah Fidelia what force may a tender Gentlewoman as I am haue to resist the tyranny of loue when so many famous so mightie Princes could neuer conquere him How may I ouercome him which hath had the mastrie of so many tell me Fidelia and counsaile me what I haue to doe in this matter for I mistrust my owne wisedome and verie fielde is the passionates iudgement verie sure and requisite Fidelia nothing wondering at that effect which loue had wrought in the Princesse her Ladie for she rather wished her selfe worthie of so glorious paine answered her thus Madame to counsaile you aright were to will you to defie loue and to abandon Rosicleers companie and yet the words of this letter leaueth in me a doubt thereof if the matter bée as true as the wordes importeth Next were to desire you to haue an eye vnto your high estate which yet mée thinketh is not necessarie for I knowe you to be so wise as that you will hazarde death rather then commit a thing so preiudiciall to your honour Now there remaineth onely to learne out Rosicleers lignage that if he be such a one as may marrie you without disworshippe you may then begin the redresse of both your wrongs otherwise if he faile in that point the first counsaile will be most conuenient to eschew his presence which shall in time doe away this affection as in time all things are forgotten Heere the Princesse interrupting Fidelias speach replyed in this manner Ah Fidelia you thinke mée not such a one but that although the loue which I beare to Rosicleer bée such that it procureth me to will his presence if he fayle in gentrie I will rather chastise his boldnesse with perpetuall exile out of this land then giue him comfort to the empayre of my credite and sooner will I die an hundreth times then bestowe a countenaunce vpon such a one But this I iudge of Rosicleer by the pure and loyall loue which hée meaneth towardes mée that it is lykely he may merite mée for wife otherwise it is to bée thought that in a knight so vertuous there cannot lye hidden such impudencie as to moue a Ladie vnto her dishonoure In such like talke after the Letter read the Princesse and Fidelia passed most parte of the night tyll Fidelia tooke her leaue the Princesse notwithstanding still canuasing ouer the Letter of Rosicleer and euerye swéete worde which he had written and she prayed to God with all hir heart that he might proue such a one as was not vnfitting for a Quéenes marriage ¶ Arinda the Gentlewoman belonging vnto the Princesse Briana tolde the bringing vp of Rosicleer vnto the Princesse Oliuia Cap. 39. ARinda remained a long time in the Court tarrieng for such things as the Princes Oliuia made readie to send vnto the Princesse Briana vpon which occasion as it happened one daye the Princesse Oliuia Arinda and Fidelia to be together then Arinda not so well aduised as shée ought to haue bene in the secret affaires of hir mistresse vnbridled hir tongue and declared to the Princesse Oliuia all the life and dooings of hir mistresse the Princesse Briana as farre as she had any knowledge and it may be that she added somtime more then truth Amongst other things in this tale she tolde of the little boyes which hadde bene brought vp with the Princesse Briana reciting the meruailous tokens which they brought from their birth and how that the sorrow of hir Ladie was somewhat comforted by them till fortune brought one of them into a barke néere a great and déepe riuer running into the maine sea as you haue heard before and that the other of fourtéene yeares the Princesse vnwitting of it stale away After entering farther she tolde that the same Rosicleer which killed Brandagedeon was the same which departed without leaue when he was fourtéene yeares olde whome shée knewe at the first sight and had intreated to returne into Hungary When the Princesse heard this driuing to the conclusion she demaunded where the Princesse had those lyttle boyes Madame sayde Arinda in this shall you sée the workes of GOD howe meruaylous they bée which from so base a stocke can rayse so worthye Impes and you shall vnderstand that they be sonnes to a Knight named Leonardo not of the most noble but of the meanest Knighte of the Citie and for that their Father hath to wife a woman sister to a Gentlewoman of my Ladyes named Clandestria for hir long seruice in great fauour with hir Grace for hir sake the Princesse made the parents of these children to nourse them vp in the Monestarie at hir charges vntill they were all lost as I made mention When the Princesse had heard Arinda in this sort blazing the of-spring of Rosicleer what sorrow maye be compared vnto hirs for in that instaunt she could well haue yéelded to death and why For that the onely hope of all hir remedie was in the conceipt of Rosicleers high estate thereby meriting to be hir mate which when she sawe to be cleane contrarie she was in such a case as if hyr soule had bene taking his leaue of hir bodie When Fidelia sawe hir colour so soone changed as vnderstanding from whence this effect procéeded she rose vp and desired Arinda with the other Gentlewomen to voyde the chamber for that hir Ladie was newly entered into hir fit which oftentimes hath taken hir and she hath no remedie so present as to be alone Arinda and the other Gentlewomen not mistrusting hir speach conuayed themselues into another chamber Now Fidelia béeing lefte alone with hir mistresse shut the doore but Oliuia sanke downe in a sound whom Fidelia fetched againe Afterwards béeing well recouered and séeing hir selfe without other witnesse shée sent out a déepe sigh with the companie of manie teares as seldome is a stormie winde without a shower of raine rufullye withall making hir moane vnto Fidelia on this wise Ah my Fidelia didst thou not heare what the Gentlewoman of Hungary hath sayd as touching Rosicleer If thou didst heare it why doest thou not take part with me in my insupportable griefe Were it any meruaile at all if my life shuld take end with hir report For sith the hope which hethertoo hath maintained my rest is now ended I would to God my life would end withall and rather wold I dye not to heare such newes whereby my hope decayes then to be priuie to such a trueth and liue without my comfort Oh my Fidelia come come and helpe me now either to set forward my mishap with some desperate shifte or to lende me thy faithfull counsaile and aduise the better to ass wage my griefe and to forget the same misfortune which now assaileth me Alas I sée that it is not for my quietnesse to banish Rosicleer and if by the excellencie of my estate I am forced to chastise his ouerboldnes in so dooing I shall both barre him from the sight light of his eyes and make the
and tearing of hir hayre as if the sight of the place hadde redoubled hyr sorrowe This made Rosicleer to bée more earnest in hyr quarrell and to thinke if long till hée were landed which his desire béeing accomplyshed the Gentlewoman ledde him vp vppon the shoare where Rosicleer viewed at ease the whole sight of the Ilande In the first enterye vppon the lande there were two strong Castles as two Bulwarkes scituated vpon a stype recke as it were a bowe shotte distaunce ouer agaynst the other Before the Castelles there was a great broade plaine shaddowed with great Dakes and when they had come néere vnto these great Castelles the Gentlewoman poynting to the one Castell sayde to Rosicleer on this manner If that Sir Knight you will aduenge my quarrell you must goe to that Castell which is on the right hande for that is the traytour Knightes Castell which hath taken my Parents and Husbande as prisoners and vntill your comming I will staye héere in this lyttle boate we women are weake hearted and fearefull and aboue all I would not come into his power for then would he for a suretie murther my parents and my husbande whome nowe perhappes he entertaineth more gentlye vppon hope to winne me If you will be it so aunswered Rosicleer for your long gownes are not fit to fight withall and your sexe shall well aunswere the challenge of your cowardise with this speach Rosicleer departed and taking his horse mounted thereon to come to that Castle on the right hande the Gentlewoman tooke hir shippe againe and droue from lande amaine By and by Rosicleer hearde the winding of an horne at the one Castle and presently he hearde an annswere at the other Castle whereby suspecting that this token was giuen of his comming he tourned his head to see the Gentlewoman whom he had lefte on the shoare The Gentlewoman houering about the banke nowe sure of his escape and straining hir voyce cried Come foorth come foorth sonnes of Candramarte for héere is the newe Knight which cut off our Fathers armes Now wist Rosicleer by this horne and the Gentlewomans out-cries that he had bene betraied but as one carelesse of life as quietly as he could hée prepared himselfe which he certainely looked for his praier was this Lorde Iesus haue mercie vppon me whome thou so dearely hast bought with thy bloud-shed pardon my sinnes and receiue me vnto thy Kingdome as for my carcase be it as thou hast appoynted me for death cannot betide me in a better time After this he stayed not as dismayed but passing farther to sée in what manner this treason was compassed he sawe the gates of the one Castle set wide open and thence issuing a huge Gyant vpon a mightie Courser with more then twentye Knightes well armed at his tayle At theyr first comming they made a great showt as if they had got some great victorie the Giaunt amongest the rest sayd vnto him Thou miserable and wretched knight wel shalt thou abie the shame which thou diddest to my father Candramarte when thou diddest cut off his armes at London Rosicleer as desperate made aunswere I doubt not but for all your threates you will giue me leaue to dye but ere that happen it may bée you shall bée disappointed of your purpose and with that hée drewe out Quéene Iulias Swoord with the which hée encountered the tall Gyant which came against him with a great Speare The Speare hit Rosicleer on the breast and indéede were it not for the finenesse of the armour it had pearced him but the mettall being such as it was the Greeke made no more for the blowe then if it had béene hit with some delicate young knight and before that the Gyaunt coulde recouer his horse raine to fetch the second course Rosicleer gaue him such a blowe with his Swoord that hée cleft him to the bowells the great gyant fell dead to the ground the bloud issuing in great abundance Héere the great bragge was quailed when he which came to aduenge anothers mans quarrell could not warrant his own safetie But truth it is that those which vnmeasurably doe séeke reuenge doe oftentimes heape on themselues the greater mischiefe And what did this tyrannous Candramarte else which placing himselfe at his windowe to beholde the battayle and to make more solace at Rosicleers harme as if the onely report had not béene sufficient now in stéede of his former wrong he found a greater by the death of his sonnes but yet this is the beginning onely of his miserie for the valyaunt Knight not fearing death at all in greate choler rushed among the other Knightes which lykewise assayled him couragiously and had within a while with their battaile axes hewen his horse in péeces When hée was on foote he layde about him manfullye that in short space the scantling of grounde in which they fought was couered with breast-plates and Targets and as their number lessened and that he had more roome so his courage increased and he did them more scath but well fare his inchaunted armour which had serued to more purpose in defending then his swoorde in offending or else his courage had tyred before the ende of so daungerous a fraie Now there are fewe aliue and those eyther striuing for lyfe vpon the grasse or in weake case vppon foote readyer to flye then to fight but presently there came fresh succours from the other Castle For the other sonne of Candramarte with more then thirtie knightes in great hast came against this good knight not béeing idlely occupyed among the other Knightes The Gyaunt for other good morrowe gaue the good knight so strong a blow with his battayle Axe vppon the head péece that had it not bene rather in the head péece to withstand the blowe then in himselfe to resist the Gyaunt Rosicleer had layne brainelesse on the grounde but all this gréened him not sauing that the weyght of the blowe made him kisse the earth whence yet he start vp lightly and minding to requite courtesie for courtesie as hée was purposed at the Gyant there stept in a knight betwéene them whome Rosicleer diuided to the breast bone whereat the Gyaunt and those which behelde him were much abashed notwithstanding this they béeing many and hée wearied hée might not defend himselfe long from them especially from the Gyant which onely watched opportunitie of aduauntages yet lengthened he the fight by his noble courage a long time vntill for verie faintnesse he was faine to giue backe and get his shoulders agaynst a wall from which afterwarde hée was driuen by maine force and béeing pursued he withdrewe himselfe to the Sea euer as hée warded one blowe bestowing another After he had got the Sea at his backe he waxed bolder and aboue all watched Candramartes son which had hurt him most especially him he hit so sure that the bloud gushed out in thrée or foure places In the meane while Candramarte viewing the battaile to no great liking blasphemed heauen and
earth and leauing the windowe ranne to the Sea side where the battayle was continued and with a lowde voyce he called on his knightes reuiling them as cowardes and dastardes if one Knight might resist them so long and aboue all to his sonne he spake thus Thou vile and dastarde shéepe how lyke thou art to thy miserable mother I sweare by heauen and earth if thou escapest out of this battayle aliue my cause and thy brothers death vnreuenged that I will starue thée in the same place where I starued thy mother The Gyaunt and his knights thus railed on for shame and feare gaue a fresh assault vppon the good Knight so that as he dispatched some there stepped in new in theyr roomes and euer the battaile was as it were newe to beginne to poore Rosicleer which draue him to séeke farther succour in the water and to stande vp to the nauell thinking his death to bée verie night he prayed to GOD with all his heart for his soules health as one that altogether detested his lyfe and determined no longer to defende himselfe then the water would giue him leaue Then taketh he his swoorde with both his handes and laieth on so thicke that there are slaine more then tenne knights ere he leaueth as the Sea gaue witnesse which made the banke séeme as all bedewed with bloud Nowe beholde and sée howe GOD neuer forsaketh his and especially those which abide his pleasure as he did vnto this Knight and now standing equally betwixt lyfe and death though neither fearing the one nor hoping the other and sure of neither yet hath he remedye besides his hope and is comforted of his owne brother vnknowen to both So may Fortune sometimes vexe and anoye vs yet at the length she retourneth backe and relenteth agayne But for this matter which wée intreate off we are to remember our selues of that valyaunt Grecian sonne to the Emperour Trebatio lefte in the little Boate sayling through the Occean Seas with the which he had passed the bounds of Africa and coasting by the Mediterraneum Seas was driuen along the Spanish shoare and from thence at length sayled by the Ilande of Candramarte at such time as Rosicleer nowe inforced himselfe to abide the vttermost of the skirmish with resolute mind presently to receiue the death or to bée conquerour But this boate guided by a wise man as you heard before tooke landing almost against Donzel del Feboes will about a bird bolt◠shot from Rosicleer where he espyed a cruell fight but that which most amazed him was that one knight though strong timbered and valiaunt yet had set himselfe agaynst so manye and with theyr bodyes had made so greate a slaughter So with a great admiration rather amorous then iealous he sayd vnto himselfe Who woulde beléeue that in our dayes there might bée founde a Knight furnished with such excellencie of manhoode Assuredly his fame is as worthie to bée spoken off as that Greekes which had killed the famous Troyan Hector Thankes bée to the Gods which haue brought mée hether for although I shoulde loose my lyfe I will not leaue him vnsuccoured Thus sayeng he waded in the water to come néere him and séeing the Gyaunt to oppresse him so much and without a shéelde for hée had lost it in battayle with the first Gyaunt he tooke his swoord with both his hands and let driue with all his force at the Gyauntes head that he cleaued it vnto the braine and afterwarde rushed among the rest killing many of them When Rosicleer sawe with one blowe the Gyant stroken downe and such vnhoped for succours the greate wonder that hée receyued may not bée tolde And as if the enterprise had bene atchieued or his lyfe saued with a fresh courage hée went out of the water and valyauntly thrust himselfe among his enimies where he well gaue them to vnderstand that hée was desirous the battayle shoulde ende Héere two bretheren albeit vnknowne each to others gaue brotherlye helpe in time of néede And there was neuer a one lefte which eyther cryed not pardon or fledde his waye the supplyauntes were pardoned But let vs thinke of Candramarte which now sawe his other and onely sonne slaine at one blowe in what plight doe you iudge him to hée but the worst is good inough whereas if she had held in his hungrie desire of reuenge with a long delaie or had dissimuled his choller hée might haue liued quietlye with his sonnes by him able sufficiently to defend forreine inuasion and mainteine his But now childlesse knightlesse and armelesse besides at the mercie of his enimie he was farre out of charitie with all the world that cursing heauen and earth and what was in them he runne headlong into the sea there drowning himselfe among the waues bequeathing his soule to the diuell who long ere that expected to be his executor Tell mée I praie you gentle readers howe often you haue séene the vnmeasurable desire of reuenge haue a luckie ende or not rather to procure a father harme when as that which might bée pardoned or dissimuled with honour afterwarde is bewayled with sorrowe and griefe It is written that he that séeketh reuenge vengeance will light on him For why the same God sayth To me vengeaunce belongeth and I will reward it O ye malitious and wicked men which with infinit trauaile beate your heads to ordeine mischiefe for the least displeasure Take this lesson for your amendement and make Candramarte your example But let vs continue our historie of the two brethren the Knight of the Sunne and Rosicleer which nowe the battaile béeing ended and the mis dooers pardoned had lyttle leysure to learne of each other who hée was Rosicleer pulled off his visour and spake to the Knight of the Sunne saieng Knight the most valiaunt that euer I met withall I knowe not how to reward you for the greate friendshippe you haue shewed to me but tell me your name I oraie you and I shall account my selfe the happiest man this daie liuing and while I liue will I remember your valour The knight of the Sunne noting the great slaughter of knights with the mangling of armour in that place where the first battayle had béene fought besides the monstrous blowe wherewith the first Gyaunt had béene staine and after viewing his personage his bearde but now burgening he pulled off his helmet and after the manifesting of his beautifull lookes such as passed all the knightes of his time he aunswered gently Right valyaunt Knight I am to thanke my Gods for that they haue brought me hether in so good a time as to knowe so valyant a knight and to see with mine eyes the knighthoode which I would scarce haue credited with mine eies but whereas you demaund of me whom I am know you that I am called the Knight of the Sunne for the deuise which I beare in my armour and for my birth I can shew you no-farther neither know I more of my estate but the
manner which had made him staye that good Knightes comming The Princesse Clarinea séeing the Giants bloud thus couer the ground was very glad and by r colour became fresh which increased hir beautie whereto also Fortune willing to be fauourable it was so that the prince Brandizel beholding hir was enamored of hir beautie and entirely loued hir For his heart now set on fire angmented his conrage and he buffeted the Giant so that in short time he vnarmed him in many places In the end the Prince desirous to giue end to the battaile raysed in his stirroppes stroke a full blowe at the Gyant vpon the shoulder that his sword entered a handful and the Giant fell dead The Prince seeing him fall presently leaped from his horse and pulling off his helmet went to the Princesse to recomfort bi r saieng Madame I beséech you accept in good part this little seruice at his handes which destreth to doo you much more The Princesse verye ioyfull to sée hir enimie on ground and more glad to sée hir friend so goodly a man curteously answered Noble knight you haue done so much for me that with all that which my father hath I shall not be able to requite it you but if you wil that this good which you haue done me doo like me indéede shew me so much fauour as to carrie me to the king my father for bether will come the residue of the Gyants knights then my libertie is to begin againe the Prince gently taking bath her hands in his kissed them said vnto her Madame if it please you we may retourne to the town from whence we came for I beléene that these knights of whom you spake are but few aliue to put vs in daunger I left my companions fighting with them who I am sure hane done their parts and yet they shall doo vs no wrong though they be many But in farre greater ieopardie am I of my life by you if you vouchsafe me not your seruice wherewith the Princesse was nothing offended for she liked very well his comely personage but she answered nothing The Prince séeing the Princesse without a paltray tooke hir vp behinde him and with easse paces rid towards the towne In which way the prince with many amorous words feasted the princesse and manifested to hir his loue and after disclosing himselfe also he beséeched hir to kéepe it secret which she did resoluing not withstanding if hir father were so content not to match otherwise Well néere the towne they came where they sawe a great troupe of Knights hasting so fast as they might and indéed they wer the King and his Knights more then 500. in number who by the report excited to succour their Princesse came to the towne and finding almost all the Giants knights taken or slaine by the prince Clauerindo and Armineo with such aide as the towne affoorded they altogether follow on in the pursute of the Giant which had led hir awaye Now there were of the companie which a farre off ascried the princesse behinde Brandizel and learning that it was the Knight which rode to follow the Giant they told it to the King whereat he was very glad and making much of the thrée straungers especiallye of Brandizel he spake on this wise Sir knight how shall I be able to requite this friendship which you and your companions haue shewed to me Assuredly I know not though I shuld giue you my kingdome for were it not for you I should haue lost this daye my daughter Clarinea and with hir my ioye and pleasure which béeing lost what ioye should I haue founde in rulyng But tell me I pray you how dealt you with that Gyant for he was strong and great Sir sayth Brandizel offering to kisse his handes which the King gentlye refused Sir saith he mightie Prince my companions I think our Fortune to be very good in that we are thether arriued where we may doo seruice to so courteous a Prince and it is reward sufficient your acceptation As touching the Gyant his ill purpose was his owne decaye for bée is already dead not farre from hence The King wondered to heare tell that the Giant was dead for by the report of his bignesse he thought it impossible that one only Knight should coape with him and then much more making of the Princes he imbraced them oftentimes and desired them to tell him their names which at length they did And the King vnderstanding of their birthes carried them with himselfe towards the towne where in the waye hée tolde them who that Giant was and what the cause was why he had come thether in such sort saieng My Lordes this Giant was called Lamberdo Lord of the Iland of Perda not farre hence he hath since the time he was first knighted neuer emploied his time to other aduantage but to robbing and spoyling and for this he hath an Iland excéeding strong but very little and scarce well peopled In this he may defend him from any enimie and bestowing his spies in euery corner to watche for some such cheuisaunce hée knew that my daughter Clarinea was in this towne with a few knights so hether he made a voyage and had stolne hir away but that God be blessed such valyant Knights as you came in such a time for hir succour While the King tolde this tale they were within the towne walls and as they entred through the stréetes the whole towne gathered together to sée the Prince which had staine Lambardo And then through the towne they came to the Kings pallaice where they abode a great while ¶ Rosicleer departeth from the Iland of Candramarte and meeteth with certaine aduentures on the sea Cap. 47. THe historie left the valiant Rocleer very sad in the Iland of Candramarte as well for his Ladies letter as for that the knight of the Sun departed from him so sodeinly that he could not know him For remembring himselfe of the words which the wise Artemidoro had told him as concerning his brother his minde gaue him that it might he he wherefore as without hope euer to sée him not hauing to comfort his afflicted spirits he burst out into feares sayeng O Fortune how hast thou bene froward to méee aboue all men First before I was borne I lost my father when I was borne my Mother was in sorrowe and care for mée and scarcely began I to knowe the world when I was bannished from her whome I loued better then my selfe And nowe by chaunce haue I hene brought to the companie of a noble knight with whome I might haue bene more friendlye acquainted but the waues rose vo against me and haue carryed him awaie from mée as if I were vnworthie of anie good When he had wept his fill he went to one of the Castles there to set such thinges in ordes as were disquieted by the death of theyr Lorde and so comfort the woful Gyantesse whom he afterward matched with one of the
best knights of all those whom the Gyant had left giuing them liuerie and season in that lande and making others to sweare obedience Short time after hée would néeds depart with full purpose to kéepe in the Sea and not to depart till that he should haue sailed so farre that no words might be heard of him in those quarters Therefore he tooke his armour wherein was drawen the God of lous in such sort as our auncestours were wont to paint him with his eyes out his bowe and arrowes in his hand The picture béeing so liuely drawen that Rosicleer kuewe it was done by the wise Artemidoro and therevppon he sooke his name of that deuice from which time hée neuer called himselfe other then the Knight of Cupide vnder which name he atchieued many enterprises and Rosicleers name came neuer more to the eares of Oliuia Hauing put on his armour he tooke his leaue of Candriana for so was called the Daughter of Candramarte and for remembraunce onely the shippe wherein hée first sayled when hée lest great Britaine with two marriners to conduct it whome he charged not to call by other name then the Knight of Cupide and to guide the shippe Eastwarde When hée had so sailed fistéene daies without chancing to him anie thing worthie of recitall It was so that one morning by Sunne rising he sawe a little boate passe by him out of which he heard many cries as if it had bene the labour of some woman and thinking that there might be néede of some helpe he was desiraus to know what was in the shippe and therevpon he commaunded to ioyne with them Presently there ftept vppon the hatches a sadde auncient man with a white beard all armed saue the head which demaunded what hée woulde Rosicleer sayde I woulde knowe who is in your Shippe for me thinkes I haue heard some woman complaine and if it bée so I will venture my person to doe her good The auncient Knight behelde Rosicleer taking him to be some knight of great bountis especially in that he had offered himselfe so fréely When hée had throughly behelde he opened the matter on this sorte Assuredly good Knight I thanke you for your great good will and as it is not mis beséeming your outward beautie to haue some inwarde vertue lyke thereto But know you that in this shippe there abideth a Gentlewoman making towards the great Britaine there to complaine her to the King Oliuerio and his knightes of the outrage which is done vnto her Nowe because our staie is daungerous I may not tell you farther of this matter our enimies followe vs and so rest you with GOD. When the olde man had saide this Rosicleer hauing desire to know more staied him and besought him to discourse more at large for himselfe was a Knight of that Court and could tell him what remedie was to bée hoped for there The olde man was loth to staie longer yet hearing him say that he was of the same Court hée tolde him in fewe wordes that this Gentlewoman was the Princesse Arguirosa one of the fairest Ladies in the worlde and a Princesse of Thessalie onely heire to that kingdome That her mother béeing dead the King Arguidoro her father fell in loue with a Gentlewoman of Thessalie not so honest nor of so high estate as wanton and of base birth and louing her affectionately after marryed her to the dispossessing of his owne childe Then in the time of her Fathers life there was in the court a knight called Rolando besides his great liuing one of the strongest knightes in all those partes but proude and little respecting the whole worlde That this Knight during the lyfe of the King was lyked of Ipesca and so soone as the King Arguidoro dyed of a sodeyne disease was promoted to the Kinges bedde by matching with the Quéene and béeing of great reuenewes that he nowe inioyed the kingdome by force and excluding the right heyre none of the kingdome daring to gaine-saie him for the most able are his night kinsmen the other learne patience perforce But that which worst of all was that to vndoe her rightfull claime hée mindeth to marrie her with a kinsman of his and to giue onely some little Towne to dwell in reseruing the title of the Kingdome after his owne dayes to a sonne the which hée hath begotten on his Quéene Ipesca I am kinsman sayth he to the Princesse béeing her mothers brother and therefore I haue aduentured to rescewe my néece but not knowing any remedie at home because my power is not equall with Rolandos I haue brought her out from thence and I determine to goe to the great Britaine where as I haue heard there are many valyaunt knightes especially a new Knight of whom I haue heard especially since the great feasts there holden If this Knight helpe me not I know not who may with-stand Rolando Thrée nightes and dayes haue we bene vppon the Sea onely I the Lady two Gentlewomen and our Marriners and I beléeue that there come after vs Rolandos knightes Nowe haue I tolde you the whole of your desire and I beséech you tell vs what newes you knowe of that good knight Rosicleer nowe hauing heard the whole state of the Princesse Arguirosas matter was much treubled and desirous to helpe her hée aunswered the auncient man that for his staie he thanked him and as touching your demaund saith he of the new knight Truth it is that in Britaine none can tell you newes of him wherfore your labour should be lost if you sought him there But the Princesses affliction so much moueth me that albeit I was purposed other where yet would I gladly fight with Rolando in the Princesse behalfe The auncient knight was verie sad to heare that the newe Knight was not in Britaine but well eyeng this knight which had so tolde him and made profer of helpe he stoode in doubt whether to take or refuse by and by he discouered two shippes vnder sayle and by theyr toppes to be of Thessalie whereat striking himselfe on the breast hée cryed out O most vnhappie that wée are héere commeth Rolandos Knightes which will take vs and béeing brought againe to Thessalie we shal there receiue most cruel death and he wept cursing the houre of his departure the Princesse Arguirosa hearing the complaintes which her vnckle made his greate sorrowe which he susteyned the extreame daunger they were in and the cause why hée did it tooke it as heauie and wofully bewailed their miserie When Rosicleer sawe them in this plight hée much pittyed them especially Arguirosa which the Princesse Oliuia not remembred might haue well contented him Therefore he willed them to get vnder the hatches againe and to let him shifte for theyr safetie the olde man thinking that Rosicleer woulde defend them by saieng that they were his people did so not ceasing yet to feare the worst and to pray earnestly for their escape Rosicleer leapt into the Princesse shippe and sate vpon the