Icilius. All which doynges beeyng viewed and marked by Appius in a greate furie ascended the consistorie Then M. Claudius the plaintife began to renewe his sute and before the father could make aunswere to that plea Appius gaue sentence that the maide was bonde whiche sentence semed so cruell that it appalled the whole multitude And as Claudius was laiyng handes vpon the virgine Virginius stepped to Appius and said I haue betrouthed my doughter to Icilius not to thee Appius My care in the bringyng of her vp was to marrie her and not to suffer her to be violated and defloured Is it your maner like sauage and cruell beastes indifferentlie thus to vse your libidinous affections I cannot tell whether the multitude here present will supporte this enormitie but I am sure the armed souldiors and suche as carrie armure will not suffer it Marcus Claudius beyng repulsed by the womeÌ„ and aduocates that were present silence was proclaimed by the Trumpet Then Appius began to declare how he vnderstoode that all the night before that certaine companies were assembled within the Citie to excite and moue sedicion For whiche cause he came with armed menne not to hurte any man that was quiete but accordyng to the aucthoritie of his office to bridle and represse those that were troublers of the publike state Wherefore goe Sergeant q he make roume emonges the multitude that the maister maie enioy his seruaunt Whiche woordes he thundred out with greate furie and therewithall the multitude gaue place leauing the poore Puselle to be a praie to the enemie Her father seyng that he was voide of succour and helpe to defende the innocencie of his doughter spake to Appius in this sorte I firste dooe beseche thee Appius if I haue vsed any vnreasonable woordes againste thee to pardon me and to impute the same to the fathers grief and sorowe Suffer me I praie thee to examine the Nonrsse in the presence of the wench of the whole circumstance of this matter to the intent that if I bee but a supposed father I maie departe hence with quiet conscience satisfied and contented Virginius hauyng license to talke to his doughter and Noursse departed a side into a place called Cloacina where the shoppes be now called Taberne Nouae and pluckyng a sharpe knife from a Bocher that stoode by he thruste the same to the hart of his doughter saiyng By this only meanes doughter I can make thee free and loking again towardes the Iudgement feate he saied This bloodde Appius I consecrate and bestowe vpon thee Whiche doen with his sworde he made waie to passe through the throng to conueigh hymself out of the citie Then Icilius and Nnmitorius tooke vp the deade bodie and shewed it to the people who cried out vpoÌ„ the wickednesse of Appius bewailyng the vnhappie beautie of that faire maiden and deplored the necessitie of the father The women exclamed in lamentable wise saiing Is this the condicion and state of them that bring foorthe children Bee these the rewardes of chastitie With suche like pitifull cries as women are wont to make vpon suche heauie and dolorous enentes Virginius beeyng arriued in the campe whiche then was at the mounte Vicelius with a traine of fower hundred persones that fledde out of the citie shewed to the souldiours the blooddie knife that killed his doughter whiche sight astonied the whole Campe in so muche as euery man demaunded what was the cause of that sodain chaunce Virginius could not speake for teares but at length he disclosed vnto them the effecte of the whole matter and holdyng vp his handes towardes the heauens saied I beseche you deare companions doe not impute the wickednesse of Appius Claudius vpon me ne yet that I am a parricide and murderer of myne owne childreÌ„ the life of my deare doughter had been more acceptable to me then myne owne life if so bee she might haue continued a free woman and an honest virgine But when I sawe she was ledde to the rape like a bondewoman I considered that better it were her life to be lost then suffered to liue in shame wherfore my naturall pitie was conuerted to a kinde of crueltie And for mine owne part I doe not passe to liue loÌ„g after her if I thought I should not haue your helpe and succour to reuenge her death Consider that your selues haue doughters sisters and wiues think not therefore that the fleshly desire of Appius is satisfied with the death of my doughter And the longer that he dooeth continue in this securite the more vnbridâ—led is his appetite Let the calamitie of an other be a sufficieÌ„t documeÌ„t for you to beware like iniuries My wife is deade by naturall fate and constellacion and bicause my doughter could continewe no longer in honeste and chaste life death is befallen vnto her whiche although it bee miserable yet the same is honourable There is now no place in my house for Appius to satisfie his filthy luste And I will faile of my purpose if I doe not reuenge the death of my doughter with so good will vpon his fleshe as I did discharge the dishonour and seruitude of her from his violente and crnell handes This succlamacion and pitifull complainte so stirred the multitude that thei promised all to helpe and relieue his sorowe Whervpon the whole Campe were in a mutine and marched in order of battaile to the mouÌ„te Auentine where Virginius perswaded the souldiours to chose ten principall capitaines to bee heade and chief of that enterprise whiche with honourable titles of the field should be called Tribuni And Virginius hymself beyng elected the chief Tribune saied these woordes to the souldiours I praie you reserue this estimacion which you conceiue of me vntill some better tyme and apter occasion aswell for your commoditie as for my self The death of my doughter wil suffer no honour to be pleasaunte or welcome to me duryng my life Moreouer in this troubled state of the Common wealthe it is not méete for them to be your gouernours that be subiecte and occurant to enuie and reproche if my seruice shal be profitable vnto you wheÌ„ you haue thus created me a Tribune it shall be no lesse commodious if I doe still remaine a priuate manne When he had spoken those woordes thei chose tenne Tribunes And like as the Campe at the mounte Auentine was prouoked and stirred to this sedicioÌ„ euen so by meanes of Icilius and Nomitorius before remembred the armie then beyng against the Sabines began to reuolt and made the like nomber of Tribunes whiche in arraie of battaile marched through the citée at the gate Collina with banner displaied to ioyne with the caÌ„pe vpoÌ„ the mount Auentine And when bothe the campes were assembled thei those out twoo emonges the twentie Tribunes to bee their generalles called M. Oppius and Sextus Manilius The Senate carefull and pensife for these euentes eftsons assembled but no certaine determinacion was agreed vpon At length thei concluded that Valerius and Horatius
at dinner Apemantus saied vnto hym O Timon what a pleasaunt feast is this and what a merie companie are wee beyng no more but thou and I. Naie quod Timon it would be a merie banquette in deede if there were none hers but my self Wherein he shewed howe like a beaste in deede he was For he could not abide any other manne beyng not able to suffer the companie of hym whiche was of like nature And if by chaunce he happened to go to Athenes it was onelie to speake to Alcibiades who then was an excellent Capitaine there whereat many did meruaile And therefore Apemantus demaunded of him why he spake to no man but to Alcibiades I speake to hym some tymes said Timon bicause I knowe that by his occasion the Atheniens shal receiue great hurte and trouble Whiche wordes many tymes he tolde to Alcibiades himself He had a garden adioynyng to his house in the fieldes wherein was a Figge tree wherevpon many desperate menne ordinarilie did hange themselfes In place whereof he purposed to sette vp a house and therefore was forced to cut it downe for whiche cause he went to Athenes and in the Markette place he called the people aboute hym saiyng that he had newes to tell them Whē the people vnderstoode that he was aboute to make a discourse vnto them whiche was wonte to speake to no manne thei merueiled and the citizens on euery parte of the citie ranne to heare hym to whom he saied that he purposed to cutte doune his Figge tree to builde a house vpon the place where it stoode Wherefore quod he if there bee any man emonges you all in this companie that is disposed to hange hymself let hym come betymes before it be cutte doune Hauyng thus bestowed his charitie emonges the people he retourned to his lodging where he liued a certain time after without alteraciō of nature And bicause that nature chasiged not in his life tyme he would not suffer that death should alter or varie the same For like as he liued a beastlie and chorlishe life euen so he required to haue his funerall dooen after that maner By his last will he ordeined hymself to bée interred vpon the sea shore that the waues and surges mighte beate and vexe his dead carcas Yea and that if it were possible his desire was to bee buried in the depth of the Sea causyng an Epitaphe to be made wherein was discribed the qualities of his brutishe life Plutarche also reporteth an other to bee made by Calimachus muche like to that whiche Timon made hymself whose owne soundeth to this effecte in Englishe verse My wretched caitife daies expired now and past My carren corps intered here A pluralitie of husbandes is fast in grounde In waltryng waues of swellyng Seas by surges cast My name if thou desire The Goddes thee doe confounde The mariage of a manne and woman he being the husbande of .xx. wiues and she the wife of xxii husbandes ¶ The .xxix. Nouell MEn commonlie doe reproue the honour of widowes bicause thei beeyng twise or thrise wedded doe marie againe And albeit by outwarde apparaunce thei whiche so blame them seeme to haue reason yet no manne ought to iudge the secrecie of the harte Mariage is holie and ought to be permitted and therefore by any meanes not to bee reproued Although it can not be denied but that the chast life is moste perfecte notwithstanding that perfection in nothyng dooeth diminishe the other The widowe mariyng againe doeth not offende God by mariage to the worlde she committeth the lest fault And bicause many old and auncient widowes in these daies maie not after three or fower mariages bee dismaied terrified from that state I will recite an historie auouched by S. Hierome in an Epistle Ad Gerontiam viduam de monogamia whom for his holinesse and vertue wee ought to beleue It is also pretelie set forthe by Pietro Messia de Seuiglia an excellent aucthour a gentleman of Spaine in the .xxxiiii. Chapiter of the firste parte of his woorke called La Selua di varie Lezzioni Sainct Hierome saieth that in the tyme of Pope Damasus he sawe and knewe in Rome one woman lawfully maried to .xxij. men and was the widowe of .xxii. husbandes There was also a manne whiche had had .xx. wiues and was then the widower of the .xx. Bothe whiche beyng free and of equall state and condicion thei made sute one to other and that either of them mighte proue whiche should bee the victor in buriyng eche other thei maried together whiche mariage was in greate admiracion emonges the Romanes Who mused whiche of them should die firste promisyng that at the funerall thei would beautifie the corps bothe with their presence also with tokens of victorie It chaunced sore againste her will I dare saie that the woman died firste At the celebracion of whose buriall all the Romane husbandes laied their heades together howe thei might exornate and garnishe the same Thei concluded to goe before the corps with Laurell garlandes vpon their beades singyng verses of praise for the obteinyng of suche a victorious conqueste Now where the women went I can not tell For I finde written that populus totius vrbis praecedebat feretrum where populus as I take it signifieth the whole route of mē and women And yet I thinke womens hartes would tell scorne to goe before Therefore I thinke thei came behinde like mourners bearyng braunches without leaues their beades in their handes praiyng for all christen soules But giuyng women leaue to mourne for suche an ouerthrowe I would wishe all my frendes that be widowes if in her conscience she can finde in her harte to folowe the noble Romane matrone and widowe called Annia who when her frendes and familiers exhorted her to marie againe bicause she was yonge and beautifull answered that she would not For quod she if it be my fortune to haue a good man as I had before I shall stil be afraied lest death should take hym awaie But if it bee my chaunce to matche with an ill manne how can I be able quietlie to beare that hauyng had so good a husbande before Declaryng thereby that beyng ones well matched greate héede ought to be taken how to chose the nexte least in making a hastie choise leasure for repētance do folow How Melchisedeche a Iewe by tellyng a pretie tale of three Rynges saued his life ¶ The .xxx. Nouell SAladine whose valiaunce was so greate that not onelie the same of a base man made hym Souldan of Babilone but also therby he wāne diuerse victories ouer the Saracene Rynges and Christianes hauyng through his manifolde warres and magnificent triumphes expended all his treasure and by reason of one accident which he had to doe lacking a greate some of money he knewe not where to haue the same so redie as he had occasion to imploy it Who called to remembraunce a riche Iewe called Melchisedech that lent out money for interest in
if you had séene the numbre of shotte which by the space of .xij. houres were bestowed so thick as hayle vpon euery parte of the Forte you might haue iudged what good will the Scottes did beare vnto me and my people And for my selfe I am assured that if I had made proufe of that which you say and submitted my selfe to their mercie my bodie nowe had bene dissolued into dust The king astonned with so sage wise an aunswere chaunging his minde went towarde the Castle where after interteignement and accustomed welcome he began by little and little to féele himselfe attached with a newe fier Which the more he labored to resist the more it inflamed And feling this newe mutacion in himselfe there came into his minde an infinite nūbre of matters balancing betwene hope and feare sometimes determining to yelde vnto his passions sometimes thinking clerely to cut them of for feare least by committing himselfe to his affections the vrgent affayres of the warres wherwith he was inuolued should haue yll successe But in the end vanquished with Loue he purposed to proue the heart of the Countesse and the better to attayne the same he toke her by the hande and prayed her to shewe him the commodities of the Forteresse Which she did so well and with so good grace interteigning him all that while with infinite talke of diuers matters that the little griftes of Loue which were scarcely planted began to grow so farre as the rootes remayned engrauen in the depth of his heart And the King not able any longer to endure suche a charge in his minde pressed with griefe deuised by what meanes he might enioy her which was the cause of his disquiet But the Countesse seing him so pensife without any apparaunt occasion sayde vnto him Sir I doe not a little maruell to sée you reduced into these alterations For me thinke your grace is maruellously chaunged with in these two or thre houres that your highnesse vouchsaued to enter into this Castle for my succour and reliefe in so good time that al the dayes of my lyfe both I and mine be greatly bounde vnto you as to him which is not onely content eliberallie to haue bestowed vpon vs the goodes which we possesse but also by his generositie doth cōserue and defende vs from the incursions of the enemie Wherein your grace doth deserue double praise for a déede so charitable But I cannot tell nor yet deuise what should be the occasion that your highnesse is so pensife and sorrowfull sithe without great losse on your part your enemies vnderstanding of your stoute approch be retired which ought as I suppose to driue away the melancolie from your stomack and to reuoke your former ioy for so muche as victorie acquired without effusion of bloude is alwayes moste noble and acceptable before God The King hearing this Aungelles voyce so amiably pronouncing these wordes thinking that of her owne accorde she came to make him mery determined to let her vnderstand his griefe vpon so conuenient occasion offred Then with a trembling voyce he sayde vnto her Ah Madame howe farre be my thoughtes farre different from those which you doe thinke me to haue I féele my heart so opprest with care that it is impossible to tell you what it is howheit the same hath not bene of long continuance being attached there withall since my comming hither which troubleth me so sore that I cannot tell wherevpon well to determine The Countesse seing the King thus moued not knowing the cause why was vncertayne what aunswere to make Which the king perceiuing sayde vnto her fetching a déepe sigh from the bottome of his stomack And what saye you Madame therevnto can you giue me no remedie The Coūtesse which neuer thought that any such dishonestie coulde take place in the kings heart taking things in good part sayde vnto him Syr I know not what remedie to giue you if first you doe not discouer vnto me the griefe But if it trouble you that the Scottish king hath spoyled your countrie the losse is not so great as wherewith a prince so mighty as you be néede to be offended sithens by the grace of God the vengeance lyeth in your hand and you may in tyme chasten him as at other times you haue done Wherevnto the king seing her simplicitie answered Madame the beginning of my grief riseth not of that but my wounde resteth in the inwarde parte of my heart which pricketh me so sore that if I desire from henceforth to prolong my lyfe I must open the same vnto you reseruing the cause thereof so secrete that none but you and I must be partakers I muste nowe then confesse vnto you that in cōming to your Castle and casting downe my head to beholde your celestiall face and the rest of the graces wherwith the Heauens haue prodigally endewed you I haue felt vnhappie man as I am such a sodayne alteratiō in all the most sensible partes of my bodie that knowing my forces diminished I can not tell to whome to make my complaint of my libertie lost which of long time I haue so happyly preserued but only to you that like a faythfull keper and onely Treasorer of my heart you may by some shining beame of pitie bring againe to hys former mirth and ioye that which you desire in me and by the contrarie you maye procure to me a life more painefull and grieuous than a thousand deathes together When he had ended these wordes he helde his peace to let her to speake attending none other thing by her aunswere but the laste decrée eyther of death or lyfe But the Countesse with a grauitie conformable to her honestie honor without other mouing sayde vnto him If any other besides your grace had bene so forgetfull of himselfe to enter in these tearmes or to vse suche talke vnto me I knowe what shoulde be myne aunswere and so it might be that he shoulde haue occasion not to be well contented but knowing this your attempt to procéede rather from the pleasantnesse of your hearte than for other affection I will beleue from henceforth and persuade my selfe that a Prince so renowmed and gentle as you be doth not thinke and much lesse meane to attempt any thing against myne honour which is a thousand times dearer vnto me than lyfe And I am persuaded that you doe not so little estéeme my father and my husband who is for your seruice prisoner in the hands of the French men our mortall enemies as in their absence to procure vnto them suche defamation and slaunder And by making this request your grace doth swarue from the boundes of Honestie very farre and you doe greate iniurie to your fame if men shoulde know what tearmes you doe vse towards me In like manner I purpose not to violate the faith which I haue giuen to my husbande rather I intende to kepe the same vnspotted so long as my soule shall be caried in the Chariot of this
King coulde be so impudent and vnshamefast as to cōmit to a father a charge so dishonest toward his owne daughter The Earle hauing recited in order the historie past betwéene him and the King sayde thus vnto her Consider you swete daughter myne vnaduised and simple promisse and the vnbrideled minde of an amorous king to whom I made aunswere that intreat you therevnto I was able but force you I could not For this cause deare daughter I doe pray you at this instant for all that you will obey the kings pleasure and thereby to make a present to your father of your honest chastitie so dearely estemed and regarded by you specially that the thing may so secretly be done that the fault be not bruted in the eares of other Neuerthelesse the choyse resteth in you and the key of your honour is in your owne handes and that which I haue sayde vnto you is but to kepe promisse with the King The Countesse all the while that her father thus talked chaunged her colour with a comelye shamefastnesse inflamed with a vertuous disdaine that he which had beholde her then would haue thought her rather some celestial goddesse than a humaine creature And after long silence with an humble grauitie she began thus to make her aunswere Your wordes haue so confounded me and brought me into such admiration my Lorde and right honorable father that if all the partes of my body were conuerted into tongues they coulde not be sufficient worthily to expresse the least part of my sorrowe and vnquietnesse And truely very iustly may I complaine of you for the little estimation you haue of me which am your owne flesh bloud and bone And for the ransome of the fraile and transitorie lyfe which you haue giuen me vpon earth you will for recompence nowe defraude me of mine honour Whereby I do perceyue that not onely all natures lawes be cancelled and mortified in you but which is worsse you doe excéede therein the cruelties of beastes who for all their brutishnesse be not so vnnaturall to doe wrong to their owne yong ones or to offer their fruite to the mercy of another as you haue done yours to the pleasure of a King For notwithstanding the strayght charge and aucthoritie which you haue ouer mée to commaunde me being your right humble very obedient daughter yet you ought to thinke and remember that you haue neuer séene in me any acte motion signe or worde to incite you to moue such dishonest talke And although the king many times with infinite nūber of prayers presentes messages and other such allurements of persuasion hath displayed and vttered all the arte of his minde to seduce and corrupt me yet he was neuer able to receiue other answere of me but that honor was a thousand times dearer vnto me than lyfe which still I meant to kepe secrete from your knowledge euen as I haue done from other of myne alliaunce for feare least you should be induced to commit some trespas or conspire any thing against our king foreseing the straunge accidents which haue chaunced for lyke matters to the ruine of many cities and prouinces But good God my doubt is nothing to purpose sith that your self is the shamelesse Poste of an act to dishonest And to conclude in fewe wordes although that daylie I haue good hope that the king seing me at a point still to conserue my chastitie inuiolable he will giue ouer to pursue me any longer will suffer me hereafter to liue in quiet with mine equals but if so be he so doe continue obstinate in his olde folly I am determined rather to dye than to doe the thing that shall hurt me and pleasure him And for feare that he take from me by force that which of mine owne accorde I wil not graunt following your counsell of two euilles I will choose the leaste thinking it more honorable to distroy and kill my selfe with mine owne handes than to suffer such blot or shame to obscure the glorye of my name being desirous to commit nothing in secrete that sometime hereafter being published may make me ashamed and chaunge colour And where you saye that you haue sworne and gaged your fayth to the king for the assuraunce of your promise it as verye yll done before you did consider what power fathers haue ouer their children which is so well defined by the lawe of God that they be not bounde to their parents in that which is against his diuine commaundements Much lesse may they binde vs to things incestuous and dishonest which specially and strayghtly be inioyned vs not to perfourme if we therevnto be required And it had bene farre more decent and excusable before God if when you made that foolishe promise to the king you had promised him rather to strangle me with your owne hands than to cōsent to let me fall into a fault so abhominable And to th ende I may tel you the last determinacion conclusion of that which I am determined to do by good aduise and immutable counsell thus it is You shall tell the king that I had rather lose my life after that most cruell and shamefull maner that may be deuised than to cōsent to a thing so dishonest hauing of long time fyxed this saying in my minde That honest death doth honor and beautifie the forepasled lyfe The Father hearing the wyse aunswere of the daughter gaue her his blessing in his heart praysing her Codlee minde beseching God to helpe her and to kéepe her vnder his protection and to confirme her in that holye and vertuous determination Then féeling him greatly comforted he repayred to the King to whome he sayde Pleaseth your grace to thintent I might obserue my promise I sweare by the fayth the I doe owe to God and you that I haue done what I can with my daughter disclosing vnto her your whole minde and pleasure and exhorting her to satisfie your request but for a resolute aunswere she sayth that rather she is contented to suffer moste cruell death than to commit a thing so contrary to her honor You knowe sir what I sayde vnto you still that I might entreate her but force her I coulde not Hauing then obeyed your commaundement and accomplished my promise it may please you to giue me leaue to go home to one of my Castles from henceforth to incline my self to quietnesse to ease my decrepite and féeble age Which the king willingly graunted The same day he departed from the Courte with his sonnes and went home to his Countrie leauing at London his wife daughter and the rest of his housholde thinking thereby to discharge himself of things without the kings displeasure The king on the other side was no soner aduertised of the Earles departure and that he had left hys daughter behinde him at London but he knew the fathers minde and purpose and fell in such dispayre of his loue that he was lyke to haue runne out of his wittes for
no more affection to Amadour and thought assuredly that she was voyd of reason bicause she hated all those thinges which she loued And from that tyme forth there was suche warre betwéene the mother and the daughter that the mother for the space of .vij. yeares woulde not speake vnto her except it were in anger Which she did at the requeste of Amadour During which tyme Florinda conuerted the feare that she had to remayne with her husbande into mere loue to anoyde the rigor and checkes of her mother Howebeit seing that nothing coulde preuayle she purposed to begyle Amadour leauing for a day or two her ser straūge countenaunce she counselled Amadour to loue a woman which as she sayde did commonly talke of their loue This Lady dwelt with the Quéene of Spaine was called Lorette who was very ioyful and glad to get suche a seruaunt And Florinda found meanes to cause a brute of this newe loue to be spred in euery place and specially the Countesse of Arande being at the Court perceyued the same who afterwardes was not so displeased with Florinda as she was wont to be Florinda vpon a tyme heard tel that the Captaine the husband of Loret began to be ialous ouer his wife and determined by some meanes or other he cared not how to kill Amadour Florinda notwithstanding her dissembling countenaunce could not suffer any hurt to be done to Amadour and therefore incontinently gaue him aduertisement therof But he retourning againe to his former sollyes answered that if it would please her to interteigne him euery day thrée houres he would neuer speake agayne to Loret whervnto by no meanes she would consent Then Amadour sayde vnto her if you will not haue me to liue wherefore goe ye about to defend me from death except ye purpose to torment me alyue in such wise that a thousand deathes can not doe But for so much as death doth fly from me I wil neuer leaue to seke death til I haue founde him out at whose approch onely I shall haue rest Whilest they were in these tearmes newes came that the King of Granado was about to enter into great warres against the King of Spaine in such wise that the King sent against him the Prince his sonne and with him the Constable of Castille and the Duke of Albe two auncient and sage Lords The Duke of Cardonne and the Counte of Arande not willing to tarrie behinde besought the King to giue eyther of them a charge Which he did according to the dignitie of their houses appointing Amadour to be their guid Who during that warre did suche valiaunt factes that they semed rather to be desperately than hardyly enterprised And to come to the effect of this discourse his great valiaunce was tryed euen to the death For the Moores making a bragge as though they woulde giue battayle when they sawe the army of the Chistians counterfaited a retire whome the Spaniardes pursued but the olde Constable and the Duke of Albe doubting their policie stode still against the wil of the Prince of Spaine not suffering him to passe ouer the riuer but the Counte of Arande and the Duke of Cardonne although they were countremanded did followe the chase and when the Moores sawe that they were pursued with so small a number they retourned and at one recountrie killed the Duke of Cardōne and the Counte of Arande was so sore hurt that he was left for deade in the place Amadour arriuing vpon this ouerthrowe inuaded the battayle of the Moores with suche rage and furie that he rescued the two bodyes of the Duke and Countie and caused them to be conueyed to the Princes campe who so lamented their chaūce as if they had bene his owne brethren But in searching their wounds the Countie of Arande was found to be aliue and was sent home to his owne house in a horslitter wher of long time he was sick and lykewise was conueyed to Cardonne the deade body of the yong Duke Amadour in rescuing those two bodyes toke so little héede to him selfe that he was inclosed with a great number of the Moores bicause he would be no more taken aswell to verifie his faith towardes God as also his vowe made to his Lady and also considering that if he were prisoner to the King of Granado eyther he shoulde cruelly be put to death or else forced to renounce his fayth he determined not to make his death or taking glorious to his enemies Wherefore kissing the crosse of his sworde and rendring his body and soule to the handes of almightie God he stabbed himselfe into the body with such a blow that there neded no second wound to rid him of his lyfe In this sorte dyed pore Amadour so much lamēted as his vertues did deserue The newes hereof was bruted throughout Spaine and Florinda which then was at Barsalone where her husbande in his lyfe tyme ordeyned the place of his buriall after that she had done his honorable obsequies without making her owne mother or mother in lawe priuie thervnto surrendred herselfe into the Monasterie of Iesus there to liue a religious lyfe receyuing him for her husband and friend which had deliuered her from the vehement loue of Amadour from a displeasaunt lyfe so great and vnquiet as was the company of her husbande In this wise she conuerted all her affections to loue God so perfectly that after she had long time lyued a religious life she yelded vp her soule in suche ioy as the Bridgrome doth when he goeth to visite his spouse A Duke of Florence The incontinencie of a Duke and of his impudencie to attayne hys purpose with the iust punishement which he receyued for the same ¶ The Liiij Nouell IN the Citie of Florence there was a Duke that maryed the Ladye Margaret the bastarde daughter of the Emperour Charles the fift And bicause she was very yong it was not lawfull for him to lye with her but tarying til she was of better yeres he vsed her very gently Who to spare his wyfe was amorous of certayne other Gentlewomen of the citie Amongs whome he was in loue with a very fayre wise and honest Gentlewoman that was sister to a Gentleman whome the Duke loued so well as himselfe to whome he gaue so much aucthoritie in his house that his worde was so well obeyed and feared as the Dukes himselfe and there was no secrete thing in the Dukes minde but he declared the same vnto him that he might full well haue bene called a seconde himselfe The Duke seing his sister to be a woman of so great honestie had no wayes or meanes to vtter vnto her the loue that he bare her after he had inuented all occasions possible at length he came to this Gentleman which he loued so well and sayde vnto him My friende if there were any thing in all the worlde wherein I were able to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you and woulde not doe it at your request I shoulde be
bothe for in either campes there were three brethren of age and valiaunce semblable The brethren that were in the Romane campe were called Horatij the other Curiatij Wherevpon a cōbate was thought meete betwene these sixe persones After the Romanes had vsed their solempne maners of consecratyng the truces and other rites concerning the same either partes repaired to the combate Bothe the armies stoode in readines before their campes rather voide of presente perill then of care for the state of either of their Empires consisted in the valiautce and fortune of a fewe Wherefore their mindes were wonderfully bent and incensed vpon that vnpleasaunt sight The signe of the combate was giuen The thre yong men of either side dooe ioigne with furious and cruell onsette representing the corages of twoo battelles of puissaunt armies For the losse consisted in neither those thre but the publique gouernemente or common thraldome of bothe the cities and that was the future fortune which thei did trie and proue So sone as the clashyng armure did sounde at their firste incountrie and their glitteryng swordes did shine an incredible horror and feare perced the beholders and hope inclining to neither partes their voice and mindes were whist and silent But after thei were closed together not onely the mouyng of their bodies and doubtfull weldyng and handlyng of their weapons but blooddie woundes appered twoo of the Romanes fallyng doune starke deade one vpon an other but before the three Albanes were sore hurt Whereat the Albane hoste shouted for ioye The Romane Legions were voide of hope amazed to see but one remain against thrée It chaūced that he that liued whiche as he was but one alone an vnmeete matche for the rest euen so he was fierce and thought hymself good inough for them all Therefore to separate their fight he fleeth backe meanyng thereby to giue euery of them their welcome as thei followed Whē he was retired a good space from the place where thei fought lookyng backe he sawe them followe a good distance one from an other and one of them was hard by him vpon whō he let driue with greate violence And whiles the Albane hoste cried out vpon the Curatij to help their brother Horatius had killed his enemie and demaunded for the seconde battaill Then the Romanes incoraged their chāpion with acclamations and shoutes as fearfull men be wont to doe vpon the sodaine and he spedeth hymself to the sight And before the other could ouertake hym whiche was not farre of he had killed an other of the Curatij Now thei were equallie matched one to one but in hope and strengthe vnlike For the one was free of wounde or hurte cruell fierce by reason of double victorie the other fainct for losse of bloodde and wearie of runnyng with pantyng breath and discomfited with his brethrens slaughter slaine before hym is now obiected to fight with his victorious enemie whiche was no equall matche Horatius reioysing saied twoo of thy brethren I haue dispatched the thirde the cause of this battaill I will take in hande that the Romanes maie bée lordes of the Albanes Curiatius not able to sustaine his blowe fill doune and liyng vpon his backe he thruste hym into the throte with his sworde whiche dooen he dispoiled hym of his armure Then the Romanes in a great triumphe and reioyse interteigned Horatius and their ioye was the greater for that the feare of their ouerthrowe was the nerer This combate beyng ended the Albanes became subiecte to the Romanes and before Metius departed he asked Tullus if he would cōmaunde hym any further seruice Who willed hym to keepe the young souldiours still in interteignemente for that he would require their aide againste the Verētes The Armie dissolued Horatius like a Conquerour marched home to Rome the three spoiles of his enemies beyng borne before hym The saied Horatius had a sister whiche was espoused to one of the Curatij that were slaine who meetyng her brother in the triumphe at one of the gates called Capena and knowyng the Coate armure of her paramour borne vpō her brothers shulders which she wrought and made with her owne handes She tore and rente the heare of her hedde and moste pitiouslie bewailed the death of her beloued Her brother beyng in the pride of his victorie taking the lamētacion of his sister in disdainfull part drewe out his sworde and thruste her through saiyng these opprobrious woordes Auaunte with thy vnreasonable loue get thee to thy spouse Hast thou forgotten the death of thy twoo brethren that bee slaine the prosperous successe of thy victorious brother chieflie the happie deliueraunce of thy countrie Let that Romane woman what soeuer she bee take like rewarde that shall bewaile the death of the enemie Whiche horrible facte seemed moste cruell to the fathers and people For whiche offence he was brought before the king whom he deliuered to be iudged accordyng to the lawe The lawe condempned him Then he appealed to the people In which appeale P. Horatius his father spake these wordes My doughter is slain not without iust desert whiche if it were not so I would haue sued for condigne punishment to be executed vpō my sōne accordyng to the naturall pietie of a father Wherfore I beseche you dooe not suffer me whom you haue seen in time past beautified with a noble race and progenie of children now to bee vtterly destitute and voide of all together Then he embrased his sonne emonges them all and shewed the spoiles of the Curatiens saiyng Cā you abide to see this noble champion O ye Romanes whom lately ye behelde to goe in order of triumphe in victorious maner to lye now bounde vnder the gibet expecting for tormētes of death Whiche cruell and deformed sight the Albanes eyes can not well be able to beholde goe to then thou hangman and binde the hādes of hym who hath atchieued to the Romane people a glorious Empire Goe I saie couer the face of him that hath deliuered this citie out of thraldome and bōdage Hang him vpon some vnhappy trée and scourge hym in some place within the Citie either emonges these our triumphes where the spoiles of our enemies doe remaine or els without the walles emonges the graues of the vanquished Whether can ye dauise to carrie hym but that his honourable and worthie actes shall reuenge the villanie of his cruell death The people hearyng the lamentable talke of his father and seyng in hym an vnmoueable mynde able to sustaine all aduersitie acquited hym rather through the admiracion of his vertue and valiance then by Iustice and equitie of his cause Suche was the straicte order of iustice emonges the Romanes that although this yong gentilman had vindicated his countrie from seruitute and bondage a noble memorie of perfecte manhode yet by reason of the murdre committed vpon his owne sister thei were very straict and stacke of grauntyng hym pardon because thei would not incorage the posteritie to like inconuenience nor prouoke
but the commylig of the Marques It chaunced that one of his menne called at the gates of the Castell who brought suche newes to the Marques that sodainly he must ride awaie Wherefore he sent woorde to the widowe that she should not attende his commyng who not a litle displeased with those newes not knowyng what to doe determined to entre into the Bathe whiche was prepared for the Marques and when she had supped to goe to bedde This bathe was hard by the dore where poore Rinaldo was approched The widowe beyng in the bathe bearyng the plaintes and tremblyng voice made by Rinaldo thoughte it had been the noise of a Storke Wherefore she called her maide and said vnto her Goe vp and looke ouer the walles and sée who is at the doore and knowe what he would haue The maide accordyng to her maistres commaūdement the nighte beyng somewhat cleare sawe Rinaldo sittyng in his shurt bare legged shaking for colde as is before saied wherevpon she asked him what he was And Rinaldo with his teethe shiueryng in his heade could scarse well speake or vtter a woorde and so brieflie as he could he tolde her what he was how and for what purpose he was come thither Afterwardes he piteously beganne to praie her if she could not to suffer hym that night to sterue there for colde The maide pitiyng his estate returned to her maistres and tolde her what she sawe who like wise hauyng compassion vpō him remembring that she had the keye of the doore whiche sometymes serued the turne when the Marques was disposed secretly to come in she saied to her maide goe open the doore softlie For we haue prepared a supper and here is no man to eate it And also here is lodging sufficient to harbour hym The maide greatlie praisyng her maistres for her curtesie wente forthe and opened the doore And when he was let in thei perceiued hym to bee almoste frosen for colde saiyng vnto him dispatche good felowe goe into the Bathe beyng yet hotte Whiche thyng he right willingly did not lokyng that he should be hidden againe and beyng recomforted with the warmeth thereof he felt hymself reuiued from death to life The good wife caused certaine apparell of her late deade husbande to bee searched out for hym and when he had put them on thei were so mete as though thei had béen made of purpose and waityng what it should please the good wife to commaunde hym he began humblie to thanke God and sainct Iulian that he was deliuered from that euill night contrary to his expectacion and was brought to so good a lodgyng After this the faier widowe a litle reposyng her self caused a great fire to be made in one of her greate chambers into the whiche she came and demaunded her maide what maner of manne he was Whereto the maide answered saiyng Maistres now he is in good apparell he is a verie handsome manne and semeth to be of good reputacion and honestie Goe thy waies quod her maistres and call hym in hither Bidde hym come to the fire and tell hym that he shall suppe with me for perchaunce he hath eate no meate to night Rinaldo came into the chamber and seyng the widowe made to her greate reuerence thankyng her for her kindnesse shewed vnto hym When the widowe had seen hym and heard him speake perceiuyng hym to be suche a one as her maide reported receiued hym in curteous wise causyng hym familierly to sitte doune before the fire And demaunded what mishappe brought hym to that place To whom Rinaldo rehersed the whole discourse For she had heard at the commyng of Rinaldo his seruaunt to the Castell a reporte of his robberie whiche made her to beleue him the better She tolde hym also that his man was come to the toune and how he might easily finde him the next mornyng But after meate was serued to the table Rinaldo and she washed together and then satte doune to supper He was a goodlie personage faier and pleasaunte to beholde yonge and of good behauiour vpon whom the woman many tymes did caste her eyes and liked him well To be shorte this lecherous ladie burnyng inwardlie with amourous desire abused her self with hym in stéede of the Marques But when the morning began to shewe forthe her light the widowe to the intent no suspicion might be had gaue him certain base and course apparell and filled his purse with money praiyng hym to kepe it secrete and firste tolde hym whiche waie he should goe to séeke his man lettyng hym out at the doore whereat he came in Who semyng as though he had traueiled a great waie that mornyng When the gates were opened wente into the castell and founde his seruaunt Wherfore puttyng vpō hym suche apparell as was in his male and beeyng aboute to gette vp vpon his mannes horsse it came to passe like as it had been a diuine miracle that the three theues whiche had robbed hym the night before were taken for doyng of an other robberie which thei had cōmitted a litle while after and wer brought to the Castell and vpon their confession his horsse apparell and money were restored to hym againe losing nothyng but a paire of garters Wherefore Rinaldo thankyng God and S. Iulian. mounted vpon his horse and retourned hole and saufe to his owne house And the nexte daie the three theues were conueied forthe to blesse the worlde with their héeles Three yonge menne hauyng fondlie consumed all that thei had became verie poore whose nephewe as he retourned out of Englande into Italie by the waie fill into acquaintaunce with an Abbotte whom vpon further familiaritie he knewe to bee the kyng of Englandes doughter whiche toke him to her husbande Afterwardes she restored his vncles to all their losses and sent them home in good state and reputacion ¶ The .xxxiiij. Nouell THere was somtime in the citie of Florence a knight called sir Tebaldo who as some saie was of the house of Lamberti and as other affirme of Agolanti But leauyng the variaunce of whether house he was true it is that he was in that time a notable riche and wealthie knight and had three sonnes The firste called Lamberto the seconde Tebaldo and the thirde Agolante all faire and goodlie children and the eldest of them was not .xviij. yeres of age When the saied sir Tebaldo died to them as his lawfull heires he left all his landes and goodes Who seyng themselfes to be verie riche in redie money and possessions cōtinued their life without gonernement at their owne pleasures and without bridle or staie thei began to consume their goodes Thei kepte a greate and francke house and many Horsses of greate value with Dogges and Haukes of sundrie kindes and continuallie kept open house giuyng liberall giftes and obseruyng diuerse gestes at Tilt and Torney doing that thing that not onelie did appertaine and belong to gentlemenne but also that whiche was incident to the trade course of youthe Thei continued not longe
enterprise she praied Ianique for a time to withdrawe her self vntill she had written her letter by the tenor whereof she should vnderstande with what audacitie she would prosecute the rest And beyng alone in her chamber takyng peune and paper she wrote to Didaco with fained harte as followeth Senior Didaco I am perswaded that if you will vouchesafe to reade and pervse the contentes of these my sorowfull letters you shal be moued with some cōpassion and pitie by beholdyng the true Image of my miserable life pourtraied and painted in the same whiche through your disloyaltie and breache of promise is consumed and spente with so many teares sighes tormentes and griefes that diuerse tymes I maruaile how Nature can so long supporte and defende the violente assaultes of so cruell a martirdome and that she hath not many tymes torne my feble spirit out of this cruell and mortall prison whiche maketh me to thinke and beleue by continuyng life that death himself hath conspired my miserie and is the companion of my affliction consideryng that by no torment she is able to make diuision betwene my soule and bodie Alas how many tenne hundred thousande tymes in a daie haue I called for Death and yet I can not make her to recline her eares vnto my cries Alas how many tymes am I vanquished with the sharpe tormētes of sorowe redie to take my leaue and last farewell of you beyng arriued to the extreme pangues of death Beholde Didaco myne ordinarie delices beholde my pleasures beholde all my pastime But yet this is but litle in respecte of that whiche chaunceth in the night For if it happē that my poore eyes doe fall a sléepe wearie with incessaunte drawyng forthe of welsprynges of teares slombryng dreames cease not then to vere and afflicte my mynde with the cruellest tormentes that are possible to be deuised representing vnto me by their vglie and horrible visions the ioye and contentacion of her whiche inioyeth my place whereby the greatest ioye whiche I conceiue is not inferior to cruel death Thus my life mainteined with continuacion of sorowes and griefes is persecuted in moste miserable wise Nowe as you knowe I daily passe my sorowe vnder painfull silence thinkyng that your olde promisses confirmed with so many othes and the assured proofe which you still haue had of my faithe and constauncie would haue broughte you to some order but now seyng with myne eyes the hard mettall of your harte and the crueltie of my fate whiche wholie hath subdued me to your obedience for respecte of myne honour I am forced to complaine of hym that beateth me and thereby dispoileth me bothe of myne honor and life not vouchsaufyng onely so muche as ones to come vnto me And vncertaine to whom I maie make recourse or where in fined redress I appeale vnto you to th ende that seyng in what leane and vglie state I am your crueltie maie altogether be satisfied whiche beholdyng a sight so pitifull wherein the figure of my torment is liuelie expressed it maie be moued to some compassion Come hither then thou cruell man come hither I saie to visite her whō with some signe of humanite thou maiest staie or at least wise mollifie and appease the vengeaunce whiche she prepareth for thee And if euer sparks of pitie did warme thy frosen harte Arme thy self with a greater crueltie then euer thou was wont to do and come hither to make her sobbe her laste and extreme sighes whō thou hast wretchedly deceiued For in doyng otherwise thou maiest peraduenture to late bewaile my death and thy beastly crueltie And thinking to make a conclusion of her letter the teares made her wordes to die in her mouthe and would not suffer her to write any more wherefore she closed and sealed thesame and then callyng Ianique vnto her she saied Holde gentle Ianique cary these letters vnto hym and if thou canst so well plaie thy part as I haue doen myne I hope we shall haue shortly at our commaundemente hym that is the occasion of this my painfull life more greuous vnto me then thousande deathes together Ianique hauyng the letter departed with diligence and went to the house of the father in lawe of Didaco where quietly she waited till she might speak with some of the house whiche was within a while after For one of the seruauntes of Didaco whom she knewe right well went aboute certaine his maisters busines méetyng Ianique was abashed Of whō she demaunded if the Lorde Didaco were within and said that she would faine speake with him but if it wer possible she would talke with hym secretly Whereof Didaco aduertised came forthe to her into the streate to whom smilyngly hauyng made to hym a fained reuerence she saied Senior Didaco I can neither write nor reade but I dare laie my life there is sute made vnto you by these letters whiche Madame Violenta hath sent vnto you And in déede to sale the truthe there is greate iniurie dooen vnto her of your parte not in respecte of your newe Mariage For I neuer thoughte that Violenta was a wife méete for you consideryng the difference of your estates but bicause you will not vouchsauf to come vnto her seming that you make no more accompt of her and specially for that you prouide no mariage for her in some other place And assure your self she is so farre in loue with you that she is redie to die as she goeth in suche wise that makyng her complainte vnto me this daie wepyng she saieth vnto me Well for so muche then as I can not haue hym to bee my husbande I would to God he would mainteigne me for his frende and certaine tymes in the wéeke to come to sée me specially in the night lest he should bée espied of the neighbors And certainly if you would folowe her minde herein you shall dooe very well For the case standeth thus you maie make your a vaunte that you bee prouided of so saire a wife and with so beautifull a frende as any gētleman in Valentia And then Ianique deliuered him the letter whiche he receiued and redde and hauing well considered the tenor of the same he was incontinently surprised with a sodain passion For hatred and pitie loue and disdain as with in a Cloude bée conteined hotte and colde with many contrary windes beganne to combate together and to vexe his harte with contrary mindes then pawsyng vpon answere he saied vnto her Ianique my dere frēde racommende me to the good grace and fauoure of thy maistresse and saie vnto her that for this tyme I will make her no answere but to morowe at fower of the clocke in the morning I will be at her house and kepe her companie all the daie and nighte and then I will tell her all that I haue dooen sithens I departed laste from her trustyng she shall haue no cause to bée offended with me And then Ianique takyng her leaue retourned towarde Violenta tellyng
disinherited than to liue puissant vnhappie a cowarde Wherfore let fortune worke her will Sithens the Duchesse did forsake her countrie to come to sée me in her prosperitie I may no lesse doe nowe but visite her in her aduersitie Pressed and solicited inwardly wyth this newe desire determined with him selfe hap what hap might to goe to her rescue And hauing giuen order to all that was necessarie for the defence of the Citie putting his confidence in the fidelity of those that were within caused all his Captaines to be called before him Whome he did to vnderstand howe he was determined to goe seke succour to leuie the siedge of his enemies During which time he constituted his nere kynsman his lieutenaunt generall and the next morning before the day appeared he gaue a great al arme to his enemies wherin he escaped vnknowen Being mounted vpon a Ienet of Spaine and perceiuing him self out of all perill he toke post horse and made suche expedition that he arriued at Lyons where he prouided himselfe of the best armoure that he could get for money and of two excellent good horsses whereof one was a courser of Naples And hauing gotten a certaine vnknowen Page tooke his waye to Thurin where being arriued he lodged him selfe in the subvrbes demaunding of his host if their dwelt any Spaniards in the towne who made him answere that he knewe none but one which was a good olde religious father that for the space of .xx. yeares was neuer out of Thurin a man of vertuous life and welbeloued of all the Citizens and had the charge of a certayne conuent Neuerthelesse his lodging was apart from his brethren to solace him selfe and to auoyde the incommoditie of his age The Knight hauing learned of his hoste the place were this good father dwelled went with diligence betimes in the morning to sée him and sayde vnto him in the Spanish tongue Father God saue you I am a Spaniard comen hither into this countrie for certayne mine affaires towardes whome you might doe a charitable déede if it would please you to suffer me to remaine with you for foure or fyue dayes onely crauing nothing els but lodging For my seruaunt shall prouide for other necessaries which the good father willingly graunted much maruelling at his goodly personage And whiles the Seruaunt was gone to the towne to bye victuals the good father demauuded of him of what countrey in Spaine he was which the knight frankly confessed And the fatherly man then hauing his face all be sprent wyth teares sayd Praysed be the name of God that he hath giuen me the grace before I die to sée so great a Lorde in my poore house of whom I am both the subiect and neighbor And then he began to tell him how for deuotion he had forsaken hys natiue countrey and had bestowed himselfe there the better to withdrawe him from worldly vanitie Neuerthelesse he sayde that he knew his father his mother his graundfather Desiring him to vse his house at commaundement where he should be obeyed as if he were in his owne And thē the Lorde of Mendozza sayde vnto him that he was departed from Spaine of purpose to sée Fraunce and there to make his abode for a time And the passing by Lyons one aduertised him of the infortunate chaunce of the Duchesse whom if he thought to be innocent of the crime whereof she was accused he would defende her to the sheading of the last droppe of his bloude Neuerthelesse he woulde not hazarde his lyfe or soule to defende her if he knewe she were culpable Which words the good man greatly allowed saying vnto him My Lorde touching her innocencie I beleue there is at this daye no man liuing but her selfe and the Earle her accuser that can iudge But of one thing I can well assure you that we here doe déeme her to be one of the best Princesses that euer raigned in thys countrie specially for that aboute a yeare past she went on foote to S. Iames with such denotiō and humility that there was no man but pityed to sée her so mortified for her soule health And to combate with the Earle of Pancalier you séeme vnto me very yong For besides the continual exercise that he hath alwayes had in armes he is withall estemed to be one of the strongest readiest and moste redoubted knightes of all Lombardie The victorie notwithstanding is in the hande of God and he can giue it to whome he pleaseth Which he made manifest in the yong infant Dauid against the monstrous Giant Golias To whome the knight aunswered Father I haue deuised a waye howe to prouide against the scruple of my cōscience touching the doubt conceyued by me whether the combat that I shall take in hande against the Earle of Pancalier be iust or not which is that I vnder the colour of confession might vnderstande of the Duchesse the truth of the matter And so likewyse if you think good I maye cause my head and beard to be shauen apparelling my selfe in such habite as you doe weare we may easily as I think with the leaue of her kéepers go into the Duchesse chamber to exhort her to pacience for about this time of the yeare the day is expired Whervnto the good Father without any great difficulty consented aswell for respect of hys good zeale as for hys reuerent dutie to the nobilitie of the stock wherof she came And so all things prouided they went togither towards the Castle of the Duchesse And he that then had séene the Knight Mendozza in hys Fryers apparell woulde vnethes haue discerned him to be so great a Lorde as he was For besides the dissembled gestures and countenaunces wherewith he knewe right well howe to behaue him selfe he was so leane and pore aswel for the care of the battaile he lost and ouerthrowe of his people as for the myssehay of the Duchesse and the perill of hys life at hande by reason of the combate betwene the Earle and him that he resembled rather a holy Sainct Hierome mortified in some desert than a Lorde so noble and valiant as he was Arriued at the Castell the olde father addressed himself to the Guarde and sayde Masters bycause the time for the death of the miserable Duchesse doth approche we be come hither to giue her suche spirituall comfort where with God hath inspired vs hoping that he wil this day giue vs the grace to induce her to dye paciently to the intent that by losse of the body her soule may be saued Whervnto they accorded willingly and caused the chambre to be opened vnto thē Those which were wich her in the chamber went forth incontinentlie thinking that the Gouernoure had caused those good fathers to come to heare the last confession of the poore Duchesse who was so sorrowefull and pensife that she was forced to kepe her bed which came very wel to passe For the knight Mendozza being nere to her bed with his face towardes
her so counterfayted himselfe in the day that he could not in any manner of wise be knowen And good old father Frier taried in a corner of the chamber a farre of that he might heare none of their talke And as the Lord of Mendozza leaned him vpon her bedside he sayde vnto her in the Italian tongue whiche was so familiar to him as the Spanish Madame the peace of our Lorde be with you Whervnto the Lady aunswered Father why speake you of peace sithe I am in continuall warre depriued of all contentation and doe but attende the laste ende of all my calamitie which is a most cruell and shamefull death without desert And then the Lorde of Mendozza who had consumed the most part of his youth in good letters sayde vnto her I beleue Madame you be not ignorant that miseries and tribulations which come vpon people fall not by accident or fortune but by the prouidence or dispensacion of God before whome one little sparrow onely is not forgotten as the prophet Amos doth manifest vnto vs when he sayth There is none euill in the Citie that I haue not sent thither Which is also apparant in Iob whome the deuill coulde not afflict before he had first obtayned licence of GOD. And it is necessarie for you to knowe that tribulation and affliction be tokens of the fore chosen and elected people of God and the true markes of our saluation So that if you consider the order of al the Scriptures since the beginning of the world vntil our time you shall finde that those whome God hath alwayes best loued and cherished he hath commaunded to drinke of the cup of his passion and to be more afflicted than others examples whereof be common in the Scriptures As when Abell was afflicted by Caine his brother Isaak by his brother Ismaell Ioseph by his brethren Dauide by Absolon his sonne the children of Israell the elect people of God by Pharao Which things being profoundly considered by S. Paule he sayde If we had not another hope in Iesus Christ than in the lyfe present we might well saye that we were the moste miserable of all others And yet moreouer sayth he it is little or nothing that we endure in respecte of that which Iesus Christ hath suffred Who although he he framed the whole worke of the worlde was called the Carpenters sonne for preaching he was sclaundered he was caryed vp to a moūtaine to be throwne downe he was called Glotton Dronkarde louer of Publicanes and sinners Samaritane Seducer Diuell saying that in the name of Belzebub he did caste out Diuells But let vs consider Madame a little further what things were done vnto him he was naked to clothe vs prisoner and bounde to vnbinde vs from the chayne of the Diuell made a sacrifice to cleanse vs of all our inwarde filth we doe sée that he suffred hys syde to be opened to close vp Hell from vs we sée his handes which in so comely order made both Heauen and Earth for the loue of vs pearced with pricking nayles his head crowned with thrée sharped thornes to crowne vs with Heauēly glory Let vs waygh that by his dolor came our ioye our health grewe of hys infirmitie of his death was deriued our lyfe and shoulde we be ashamed to haue our head touched with a fewe thornes of trouble Strengthen your selfe then Madame in the name of God and make you ready to receyue death in the name of him that was not ashamed to indure it for you Is his strong hande any thing weakened Is it not in him to ouerthrowe the furie of your enemie and so to humble your aduersarie that he shall neuer be able to be relieued Howe many poore afflicted persons haue there bene séene to be abandoned of all succour whome he hath behelde with his pitifull eye and restored to greater ease and contentacion than euer they were in before Learne then from henceforth to comfort your selfe in God and saye as the great Doctor holy Ignatius sayd in his Epistle to the Romanes I desire that the fyer the gallowes the beastes and all the torments of the Diuell might exercise their crueltie vppon me so as I may haue fruition of my Lorde God And after that the Knight had made an ende of his consolation the Duchesse was so rapt in contentation that it séemed her soule had already tasted of the celestial delightes and would flie euen vp into heauen And then féeling her selfe lightened lyke one that had escaped some furious tempest of the seas she began to confesse her self vnto him from poynt to poynt without omitting any thing of that which she thought might grieue her conscience And when she came to the accusation of the Earle she prayed God not to pardon her sinnes if she had committed in déede or thought any thing contrarie to the duetie of mariage except it were one dishonest affection that she had borne to a knight of Spaine whome vnder pretence of a fayned deuotion she had visited in Spaine not committing any thing sauing good wil which she bare vnto him Which maketh me thinke quod she that God being moued against mine hipocrisie hath permitted this false accusation to be raised against me by the Earle of Pancalier which I wil paciently suffer sith his will is so Her confession finished she plucked of a rich Diamond which she had vpon her finger saying Good father albeith I haue heretofore bene a riche Princesse as you knowe yet they haue now taken away al my goods from me this Diamond except which my brother the King of Englande gaue me when I was married to the Duke of Sauoie And bicause I cannot otherwise doe you good I giue it vnto you praying you to remember me in your prayers to kepe it For it is of a greater price than you thinke and may serue one day to supply the necessitie of your conuent The confession ended and the Diamond receiued the two Friers retorned home to their conuēt And so sone as they were arriued ther the Lorde of Mendozza sayd vnto him Father now doe I knowe certainly that this pore woman is innocent wherfore I am resolued to defend her so long as lyfe doth last And I féele my selfe so touched and pressed in minde that I thinke it long till I be at the combat Wherefore I pray you if it chaunce that fortune be contrarie vnto me after my death make it to be openly knowen what I am and chiefly that the Duchesse may vnderstand it for speciall purpose And if it chaunce that I escape with lyfe which can not be but by the death of the Earle be secrete vnto me in these things which I haue declared vnder the vayle of confession The good father promised so to doe And hauing passed all that day and night in prayers and supplicacions he armed himselfe and made readye his courser And whē the dawning of the day began to appeare he went in his armour to the gates of
hole and remouing the stone the Father went in as he did before and fell into the caldron of pitche whiche continually was boyling there vp to the waste and not able to liue any longer he called his sonne vnto him and sayde Ricciardo mine owne swéete sonne death hath taken me prisoner for halfe my body is dead and my breath also is ready to depart Take my heade with thée and burie it in some place that it be not knowen which done commend me to thy mother whome I pray thée to cherish comforte and in any wise take héede that warelie and circumspectlie thou doe depart hence And if any man doe aske for me say that I am gone to Florence about certaine businesse The sonne lamentably began to lamēt his fathers fortune saying Oh deare father what wicked fury hath thus cruelly deuised sodaine death Content thy selfe my sonne sayd the Father and be quiet better it is that one should die than two and therefore doe what I haue tolde thée and farewell The sonne toke vp his fathers heade and went his way and the reste of his bodie remayned in the caldron like a blocke without forme When Ricciardo was come home he buried his fathers heade so well as he could and afterwardes tolde his mother what was become of his father who vnderstanding the maner of his death began piteously to crye out to whom her sonne holding vp his hands sayd Good mother holde your peace and giue ouer your wéeping for our life is in great perill and daunger if your out crie be hearde and therefore quiet your selfe for better it were for vs to liue in poore estate than to die with infamie to the vtter reproche and shame of all our familie With which wordes he appeased her In the morning the body was founde and caried to the Duke who maruelled at it coulde not deuise what he should be but sayde Surely there be two that committed this robberie one of them we haue let vs imagine how we may take the other Then one of the foure Chamberlaines sayde I haue founde out a trap to catche the other if it will please you to heare mine aduise which is this It cā not be chosen but this théefe that is deade hath eyther wife children or some kinsman in the Towne and therefore let vs cause the body to be drawen through out the citie and giue diligent héede whether anye person doe complaine or lament his death And if any suche be founde let him be taken and examined and this is the next way as I suppose to finde out his companion Which being concluded they departed The body was drawen through out the citie with a guard of men attending vpon the same As the execucioners passed by the house of Bindo whose carcasse lay vpon the hardle his wife stode at the windowe and seing the body of her husband so vsed made a great outcrye At which noyse the sonne spake to his mother and sayde Alas mother what doe you And beholding his fathers corps vpon the hardle he toke a knife and made a great gashe into his hande that the bloud abundantlie issued out The guarde hearing the noyse that the woman made ranne into the house and asked the woman what she lacked The sonne answered I was caruing a pece of stone with this knife and by chaunce I hurt my hande which my mother séeing cryed out thinking that I had hurte my selfe more than I haue The guard séeing his hande al bloudy and cut did beleue it to be true and went rounde aboute the liberties of the citie and found none that séemed to lamēt or bewaile that chaunce And returning to the Duke they tolde him howe all that labor was imployed in vaine wherevpon he appointed them to hang vp the deade body in the market place with secret watche in like maner to espie if any person by day or night would come to complaine or be sorrowfull for him Which body was by the féete hanged vp there and a continuall watche appoynted to kepe the same The rumor hereof was bruted through out the citie and euery man resorted thither to sée it The woman hearing tell that her husbands carcasse should be hanged vp in the market place sayde diuerse times to her sonne that it was a very great shame for him to suffer his fathers body in that shamefull sorte to be vsed To whom her sonne made aunswere saying Good mother for gods sake be contented for that which they do is for none other purpose but to proue me wherefore suffer a while til this chaunce be past The mother not able to abide it any longer brake out many times into these words If I were a man as I am a woman it should not be vndone now and if thou wilt not aduenture thy selfe I will one night giue an attempte The yong man séeing the frowarde nature of hys mother determined to take away the body by this policie He borrowed twelue friers frockes or cowles and in the euening went downe to the hauen and hired twelue Mariners and placed thē in a backe house giuing them so much meate and drinke as they would eate And when they had well whitled tippled themselues he put vpon them those friers cowles with visardes vpon their faces gaue euery of them in their handes a burning torche seming as though they had bene diuels of hel And he him self rode vpō a horse all couered with black beset round about with mōstrous and vglie faces euery of them hauing a burning candle in his mouth and riding before with a maruelous hideouse visarde vpon his heade sayde vnto them doe as I doe And then marched forwarde to the market place When they came thether they ran vp downe making a great roring being then past midnight and very darke When the watch saw that straunge sight they were affrayde thinking that they had bene Diuels of hel and that he on horsbacke in that forme had bene the great deuil Lucifer himself And séeing him runne towards the gibet the watch toke ther legges ranne away The yong man in the shape of the great Diuel toke downe the body and layde it before him on horsebacke who calling his companye awaye rode before in post When they were come home he gaue them their money and vncasing them of their cowles sent them away and aferwards buried the body so secretly as he coulde In the morning newes came to the Duke that the body was taken away who sēt for the Guarde to knowe what was become thereof To whom they sayde these wordes Pleaseth your grace about midnight last past there came into the market place a cōpany of Diuels among whome we sawe the greate Deuill Lucifer himselfe who as we suppose did eate vp the body which sight and terrible vision made vs to take our legges The Duke by those wordes perceyued euidently that the same was but a practize to deceiue them of their purpose not withstanding he determined
make any signe or semblance And kept that fier couered within his brest vntill his Master was ridden out of the towne and that his maistresse was at euensong at Sainct Florentines a church of the castle farre from her house Who now being alone in the house began to ymagine how he might attempt that thing by force which before by no supplication or seruice he was able to attaine For which purpose he brake vp a borde betwene his maystresse chamber and his But bicause the curteyns of his maister and maystresse bed and of the seruauntes of the other side couered and hid the walles betwene it could not be perceyued nor yet his malice discried vntill suche time as his maistresse was gone to bed with a little wenche of .xij. yeares of age And so sone as the pore woman was fallen into her first sléepe this varlet entred in at a hole which he had broken and so conueyed himselfe into her bed in his shirte with a naked sworde in his hand But so sone as she felt him layed downe by her she lept out of the bed going about to persuade him by such possible meanes as was mete for an honest woman to doe And he indued with beastly Loue rather acquainted with the language of his Mulets than with her honest reasons shewed himself more beastly than the beasts with whom he had of long time bene comiersant For séeing her so ofte to runne aboute the table that he coulde not catche her and also that she was so strong that twise she ouercame him in despaire that he shoulde neuer inioy her a liue he gaue her a great blowe with his sworde ouer she raynes of the backe thinking that if feare and force coulde not make her to yelde her selfe yet payne and smarte should cause her Howbeit it chaunced cleane contrarye For like as a good man of armes when he séeth his owne bloude is more chafed to reuenge himselfe vpon his enemies to acquire honor euen so the chaste hearte of this woman did reenforce and fortefie her courage in double wise to auoyde and escape the hands of this wicked varlet deuising by al meanes possible by fayre wordes to make the varlet to acknowledge his fault But he was so inflamed with fury that there was no place in him to receyue good coūcel And eftsones with his sword gashed her tender body with diuers and sundry strokes for the auoyding whereof so fast as her legges could beare her she ranne vp and downe the chamber And when through want of bloud she perceyued death approche lifting vp her eyes vnto heauē and ioyning her handes together gaue thanks vnto God whom she termed to be her force her vertue her pacience and chastitie humbly beseching him to take in good parte the bloude which by his commaundement was sheadde in honor of that precious bloud which from his owne sonne did issue vpon the Crosse wherby she did beleue firmely stedfastly that all her sinnes were wiped away defaced frō the memorie of his wrath and anger and in saying Lorde receyue my soule which was derely bought and redemed with thy bounty and goodnesse she fel downe to the ground vpon her face where the wicked villayne inflicted her body with manifolde blowes And after she had lost her speache and the force of her body this moste wicked and abhominable varlet toke her by force which had no more strength and power to defende her selfe And when he had satisfied his cursed desire he fledde awaye in suche hast as afterwardes for all the pursute made after him he could not be founde The yong wenche which lay with her for feare hid her self vnder the bed But when she perceyued the villayne departed she came vnto her maistresse and finding her speachelesse and without mouing she cried out of the window vnto the nexte neighboures to come to succour her And they which loued her and estéemed her so well as any woman in the Towne came presently vnto her and brought diuers Surgeons with them who finding vpon her body .xxv. mortall woundes they did so muche as in them laye to helpe her But it was impossible Howbeit she lay one houre without speache making signes with her eyes and handes declaring that she had not lost her vnderstanding being demaunded by the priest of the fayth wherein she died and of her saluation she aunswered by such euident signes that her speache and communicacion coulde not declare it better howe that her trust and confidence was in the death of Iesus Christ whom she hoped to sée in the celestiall city and so with a ioyful countenaunce her eyes erected vp to the heauēs she rendred her chast body to the earth and her soule to her creator And when she was shrowded ready to the buriall as her neighbours were attending to follow her to the church her pore husbād came home and the first sight he saw was the body of his deade wife before his dore whereof before that instante he had no newes And when he vnderstode the order of her death he then doubled his sorrow in such wise that he was also like to die In this sorte was this martir of Chastitie buried in the Church of S. Florentine where all the honest dames and wiues of the city endeuored themselues to accompany her to honour her with such reuerence as they were able to do accompting themselues most happye to dwell in that Towne where a woman of such vertuous behauiour did dwel The folish and wanton persons séeing the honour done to the dead body determined from that time forth to renew their former life and to chaunge the same into a better A King of Naples A King of Naples abusing a Gentlemans wyfe in the ende did were the hornes himselfe ¶ The Lj. Nouell IN the citie of Naples in the time of King Alphonsus in whose raigne wantonnesse bare chiefest sway there was a gentleman so honest beautifull and comely as for his good conditions an olde Gentleman gaue to him his daughter in mariage which in beautie and good grace was comparable to her husbande The loue was great betwéene them till it chaunced vpon a shoruetide that the King went a masking into the citie where euery man endeuoured himself to interteigne him the best he coulde And when he came to this gentlemans house he was best receyued of any place in all the towne aswel for banketting as for musical songs and the gentlewoman the fairest that the King sawe in al the citie to his contentation And vpon the ende of the banket she sang a song with her husband with a grace so good that it greatly augmented her beautie The King séeing so many perfections in one body conceyued not so great pleasure in the swéete accordes of her husband and her as he did howe to deuise to interrupt breake them And the difficultie for bringing that to passe was the great amitie that he saw betwéene them Wherfore he bare in his heart that