Oh miserable Quéene oh fond and vnhappy Lady thy spéeches be too too foolish for although thy desperate hand should pull out thy dispised harte from thy bléeding brest yet can it not make satisfaction for thy dishonour Oh Heauens why do you not cast some fiery thunderbolt downe vpon my head or why doth not the earth gape and swallowe my infamous bodye Oh false and deceiuing Lord I would thy louing and amourous words had neuer béene spoken nor thy quicke sighted eyes neuer gazde vpon my beautie then had I florisht still with glory and renowne and liu'd a happy Uirgin of chaste Dianaes traine With these and other like lamentations this grieued Quéene passed away the time till at laste she felte her wombe to growe big with childe at the which she receiued dubble paine for that it was impossible to couer or hide it and séeing her selfe in this case like a woman hated and abhorred she determined to discouer her selfe publikely vnto her subiectes and deliuer her body vnto them to be sacrificed vnto their Gods and with this determination one day she caused certaine of her Nobles to be sent for who straightway fulfilled her commaundement but when she perceiued her Lords Knights and Gentlemen of honour came altogether before her she couered her selfe with a rich robe and sate vpon her bed in her priuate chamber being so pale and leane that all them that sawe her had greate compassion vppon her sorrowe beeing all set round about her bed and kéeping silence she reuealed to them the cause of her griefe in this manner My Lords quoth she I shame to intytle my selfe your Quéene and Sâ—ueraigne in that I haue defamed the honor of my Countrie and little regarded the welfare of our Common wealth my glistering crowne me thinkes is shadded with a cloude of black disgrace and my Princely attire conuerted into vnchaste habiliments in which I haue both lost the libertie of my heart and withall my wonted ioy and am now constrained to indure perpetual paine and an euer pining death For I haue lost my honour and recouered shame and infamie To conclude I haue forgone the liberty of a Quéene and solde my self to a slauish sinne onely mine own is the fault and mine owne shall be the punishment Therfore without making any excuse I héere surrender vp my body into your powers for that you may as an euill quéen sacrifize me vnto our Gods also that within my accursed wombe for now my Lords you shall vnderstand that I am dishonored by the knight of the black Castle he hath planted a Uine within my fruitful garden and sowen a séede that hath made Armenia infamouse heit is that hath coÌ„mitted so many euils in the world he it is that delights in virgins spoiles and hee it is that hath bereau'd mee of my honor but with my good will I must néedes confesse and left me for a testimonie of this my euill déed big with child by which my virgins glory is conuerted to a monstrous scandall and with this she made an end of her lamentable speach And being gréeuously oppressed with the paine of her burthenous wombe she sate her downe vpon her rich bedde and attended their wils but when these Earles Lords and honorable personages that were present had vnderstood all that the Quéene had saide vnto them like men greatly amazed they changed their cullors from red to white and from white to red in signe of anger and looking one vpon an other without speaking any worde but printing in their hearts the fault done by their Quéen to the great disgrace of their countrie and so without any further consideratiâ—n they depriued her from all princely dignitie both of her Crowne and regiment and pronounced her perpetuall banishment from Armenia like subiectes not to bee gouerned by such a defamed Prince that hath grafted the fruit of of such a wicked trée within her wombe So at the time appointed like a woman forlorne and hated of all companies shée stored her selfe sufficient with treâ—sure and betooke her selfe to her appointed banishment after whose departure the Armenians elected them seluâ—s an other Prince and left their lawfull Queene wâ—ndring in vnknown Ilands big with child deuoide of succour and reliefe where insteed of her Princely bed couered with Canopies of silk shée tooke her nightly reposes vpon the gréen grasse shadded with the sable curtaines of heauen and the nurses that were prouided against her deliuerie were Nimphes and Faieries dauncing in the night by Proserpines commaundement thus in greate griefe continued she many daies contenting her selfe with her appointed banishment making her lamentations to the whispring winds which séemed in her conceipt to reansweare her complaints at length the glistering moone had ten times borrowed light of the golden Phoebus and the nights cleare candle were now almost extinguished by which time approached the houre of her laborsome trauell wherein onely by the assistance of heauen shee was deliuered of me her vnhappy daughter where euer since I haue béene nourished by the deuine powers of heauen for many times when I came to yéeree of discretion my wofull mother would discourse vnto me this lamentable story of both our mizeries the which I haue moste truely delared vnto you Likwise shée told me that many times in my infancie when she wanted milke in her brestes to nourish me there would come a Lionesse and sometimes a shée Beare and gently giue me sucke and contrarie to the nature of wilde beastes they would many times sporte with where by she coniectured that the immortall powers had preserued me for some strange fortune likewise at my birth nature had pictur'd vpon my brest directly betwixt my tender Paps ' the liuely forme of a purple Rose which as yet doth beautifie my bosome with a vermillion collour and this was the cause that my mother named me Rosana answerable to natures marke After this we liu'd many a yéere in great distresse penurie and want soliciting heauen to redresse our woes more oftner then we had liued houres the aboundance of our teares might suffize to make a watry sea and our sighes in number to countervaile the starres of heauen but at last the fatal sisters listed to my mothers mones to my great sorrow depriued her of her life where now I am left a comfortles Orphant to the world attending the time vntill that heauen send some curteous Knight that may conduct me to that blacke Castle where my disloyall father hath his residence that I might there perform my mothers dying will these wordes being finished Rosana stood silent for that her extreame griefe hindred the passage of her tongue and her eyes rained such a shewer of pearled teares vpon the liueles body of her mother that it constrained Saint Georges Sonnes to expresse the like sorrow but after they had let fall a few salt teares down from their sad eyes and had taken truce for a time with â—riefe they tooke Rosana by the hand which before
cloddes of earth and turffes of grasse seauen yeares we haue continued in great extreamitie sustaining our hungers with the fruites of trées and quenching our thirstes with the dewe of heauen that falleth nightly vpon fragrant flowers héere in stéede of Princely attyre imbrothered garments and damaske vestures we haue béene constrained to cladde our selues in flowers the which we haue cunningly wouen vp together Héere insteade of musicke that had wont each morning to delight our eares we haue the whistling windes resounding in the woods our clockes to tell the minutes of the wandring nights are snakes and toades that sléep in rootes of rotten trées our cannopeies to couer vs are not wrought of Median silke the which the Indian Uirgins weaue vppon their siluer loombes but the sable cloudes of heauen when as the chéerefull day hath clos'd her christall windows â—p Thus in this manner continued wee in this soletary wildernes making both birds and beastes our chiefe companions till these mercilesse Moores whose hateful beâ—sts you haue made like watry fountaines to water the parched earth with streames of blood who came into our cell or simple cabinet thinking to haue found some store of treasure But casting their gazing eyes vpon my beutie they were presently inchaunted with a lustfull desire onely to crop the swéete bud of my virginitie Then with a furious and dismall countenaunce more blacke than than the sable garments of sad Melpomine when wyth her strawberie quill she writes of bloodie tragedies or with a heart more crueller than was Neroes the tyrannous Romane Emperour when he beheld the entrailes of his naturall Mother layde open by his inhumane and mercilesse commaundement or when he stood vpon the highest toppe of a mightie mountayne to sée that famous and Imperiall Cittie of Roome set on fire by the remorselesse handes of his vnrelenting Ministers that added vnhallowed flames to his vnholie furie These mercilesse and wicked minded Negroes with violent handes tooke my aged Father and most cruellye bound him to the blasted bodie of a wythered oake standing before the entrie of his Cell where neither the reuerent honor of his siluer haires that glistered like the frozen ysicles vpon the Northerne Mountaines nor the strayned sighes of his breast wherein the pledge of wisedome was inthronized nor all my teares or exclamations could anie whit abate their cruelties but like grim dogs of Barbarie they left my Father fast bound vnto the trée and like egregious vipers tooke me by the tramells of my golden haire and dragd me like a silly Lambe vnto this slaughtering place intending to satisfie their lustes with the flower of my chastitie Here I made my humble supplication to the Maiestye of Heauen to bee reuenged vppon their cruelties I reported to them the rewards of bloodie rauishments by the example of Tereus that lustfull King of Thrace and hys furious Wife that in reuenge of her Sisters rauishment caused her Husband to eate the flesh of his owne Sonne Likewise to preserue my vndefiled honor I told them that for the Rape of Lucrece the Romane Matron Tarquinius and his name was for euer banished out of Rome with manie other examples like the Nightingale whose doleful tunes as yet recordeth nothing but rape and murther Yet neither the frownes of heauen nor the terrible threates of hell could mollifie their bloodie mindes but they protested to perseuer in that wickednes vowd that if all the leaues of the Trées that grew within the Wood were turned into Indian Pearle made as wealthie as the golden Streames of pactolus where Mydas washt his golden Wish away yet shuld they not redéeme my chastitie from the staine of their insatiable and lustfull desires This being said they bound mee with the tramells of myne owne haire to this Orenge trée and at the very instant they proffered to defile my vnspotted bodie but by the mercifull working of God you happily approached not only redéemed me from their tyrannous desires but quit the world from thrée of the wickedest creatures that euer nature framed For which most noble and inuincible Knights if euer Uirgins prayers may obtaine fauor at the Maiestie of Heauen humbly will I make my supplications that you may proue as valiant champions as euer put on helmet and that your fames may ring to euerie Princes eare as far as bright Hiperion showes hys golden face This tragicall tale was no sooner ended but the thrée Knights whose remorcefull hearts sobbed with sighes imbraced the sorrowfull Maiden betwixt their armes earnestlye requested her to conduct them vnto the place whereas she left her father bound vnto the withered oke To which shee willingly consented and thanked them highly for their kindnes but before they approched to the olde mans presence what for the griefe of his banishment and the violent vsage of his Daughter he was forced to yéeld vp his miserable life to the mercies of vnauoydable death When Saint Georges valiant Sonnes in companie of this sorrowful Maiden came to the trée and contrarie to their expectations found her Father cold and stiffe both deuoyd of sense and féeling also finding his hands face couered with greene mosse which they supposed to be done by the Roben red-breast and other little birds who naturally couer the bare parts of anie bodie which they finde dead in the 〈◊〉 they fell into a new confused extremitie of griefe But especially his Daughter séeming to haue lost all ioy and comfort in this World made both heauen earth to resound with her excéeding lamentations and mourned without comfort like wéeping Niobe that was turned into a rocke of stone her griefe so abounded for the losse of her children but when the thrée young Knights perceiued the comfortless sorrow of the Uirgin and how she had vowd neuer to depart from those solitary groues but to spend the remnant of her daies in company of his deadly body they curteously assisted her to burie him vnder a ches-nut trée where they left her continually bathing his senceles graue with her teares and returned backe to their horses where they left them at the entry of the Forrest tied vnto a lofty pine so departed on their Iorney There we will leaue them for a time and speak of the seauen Champions of Christendome that were gone on Pilgrimage to the Cittie of Ierusalem and what strange aduentures happened to them in their trauels CHA. IIII. Of the Aduenture of the Golden Fountaine in Damasco how sixe of the Christian Champions were taken prisoners by a mightie Giant and after how they were deliuered by Saint George and also how he redeemed fourteene Iewes out of prison with diuers other strange accidents that happened LET vs now speake of the fauourable clemencie that smiling Fortune shewd to y e Christian Champions in their trauells to Ierusalem For after they were departed from England and had iourneied in their Pilgrimes attire thorough manie strange Countreys at last they arriued vpon the Confines of Damasco
sharper then the pointe of a néedle the other end a ball of Iron in fashion of a mace of or club Being thus armd according to his wished desires hee tooke leaue of the Iew and his seauen Sonnes who sate attyred in blacke and mournfull ornaments praying for his happie and fortunate successe and so departed spéedily to the golden Fountaine where hee found the Giaunt sléeping carelesly vpon his blocke of stéele dreading no insuing dangers But when the valiant Champion Saint George was alighted from his horse and had sufficiently beheld the deformed proportion of the Giant how the hair of his head stood staring vpright like to the bristles of a wilde Boare his eyes gazing open like two blazing Comets his téeth long and sharpe like to spikes of stéele the nayles of hys hands like the tallants of an Eagle yet ouer them was drawen a paire of yron gloues and euerie other limme huge and strongly proportioned like to the bodie of some mightie Oake the worthie Champion awakened him in this order Arise sayd he thou vnreasonable deformed Monster and either make deliuerie of the captiue Knights whom thou wrongfully detainest or prepare thy vgly selfe to abide the vttermost force of my warlike arme and death-prepared weapon At which words the furious Giant started vp as one sodainly amazed or affrighted from his sleepe and without making anie reply at all taking his yron Mace fast in both his hands he did with great terror let driue at the most worthie English Champion who with exceeding cunning nimblenes defended himselfe from certaine danger by spéedie auoyding the blowes violence and withall returned on his aduersarie a mightie thrust with the pointed or sharpe ende of his Iauelin which rebounded from the Giants bodie as if it had béen runne against an Adamantine piller The which the inuincible Saint George perceiuing he turned the heauie round ball ende of his massie iaueline and so mightely assayled the Giant redoubling his heauie blowes with such couragious fortitude that at last he beate his braines out of his deformed head whereby the Giant was constrained to yéeld vp his ghost and to giue such a hideous roare as though the whole frame of the Earth had béen shaken with the violence of some storme of thunder This béeing done Saint George cast his loathsome carkasse as a pray for the fowles and rauenous beastes to seaze vppon and after verie diligently searched vp and downe till he found the Rocke wherein all the Knightes and Champions were imprisoned the which wyth hys stéely Iauelin he burst in sunder and deliuered them presently from their seruitudes and after returned most triumphantly backe to the Iewes Pauilion in as great maiestie and roialtie as Vaspasian with his Romane Nobles and Péeres returned into the confines of flourishing Italy from the admired and glorious conquest of Ierusalem and Iudea But when the reuerend olde Iew sawe the English champion returned with victorie together with his other sixe fellow champions and likewise beheld hys fourtéene Sonnes safely deliuered his ioy so mightely excéeded the bounds of reason that he sodainly swonded and lay for a time in a dead traunce with the exceedingnes of plesure he conceiued But hauing a little recouered his decayed senses hee gladly conducted them into their seuerall Lodgings and there they were presently vnarmed and their woundes washed in white wine and new milke and after banqueted them in the best manner hee could deuise At which Banquet there wanted not all the excellencie of musique that the Iewes seauen yonger Sonnes could deuise extolling in their sweete Sonnets the excellent fortitude of the English champion that had not onely deliuered their captiued Bretheren but restored by that vgly Giants deserued death their aged Father to the repossession of his golden Fountaine Thus after Saint George with the other sixe Champions had soiourned there for the space of thirtie dayes hauing placed the Iew with his Sonnes in their former desired dignities that is in the gouernment of the Golden Fountaine they cloathed themselues againe in theyr Pilgrimes attyre and so departed forward on theyr intended Iourney to visite the holy Sepulcher of our Sauiour Christ. Of whose noble Aduentures you shall heare more in the Chapter following CHAP. V. Of the Champions returne from Ierusalem from the Sepulcher of Christ and after how they were almost famished in a wood and and how saint George obtained them food by his valour in a Giaunts House with other things that happened THe Champions after this neuer rested trauelling till they arriued at the holy Hill of Mount Sion and had visited the blessed Sepulcher of Christ the which they found most richly built of y e purest marble garnished curiously by cunning Architecturie with manie â—arbuncles of Iasper and pillors of ieate The Temple wherein it was erected stood seauen degrées of staires within the ground the gates whereof were of burnisht golde and the portalles of refined siluer cut as it dyd séeme out of a most excellent nature beautefied Alablaster Rocke By it continually burned a swéet smelling Taper alwayes maintained by twelue of the Noblest Uirgines dwelling in all Iudea attending still vppon that blessed Sepulcher clad in silken ornaments in colour like the Lillyes in the flourishing pride of Summer the which costly attire they continually weare as an euident signe of their vnspotted virginities many daies offred vp these worthy Champions these ceremonious deuotions to the sacred Tombe of Christ washing the marble pauement with their vnfained teares and witnessing their true and heartie zeales with their continual vollyes of discharged sighes But at last vppon an Euening when Titans golden beames began to descend the Westerne Elements as those Princely minded Champions in companie of those twelue admyred Maidens knéeled before the Sepulcher offering vp their Euening Orizons an vnséene voyce to the amazement of them all from a hollow vault in the Temple vttered these words You magnanimous Knights of Christendome whose true nobilities hath circled the earth vpon the wings of fame whose bare féete for the loue of 〈◊〉 swéet Sauiour hath set more wearie steps vpon the parched earth then there be stars within the golden Cannopy of heauen returne returne into the bloodie fields of warre and spend not the honour of your times in this ceremonious maner for great things by you must bee accomplished such as in time to come shall fill large Chronicles and cause babes as yet vnborne to speak of your honorable atchiuements And you chast Maidens that spend your liues in seruice of your God euen by the plighted promise you haue made to true Uirginitie I charge you to furnish foorth these warlike Champions with such approoued furniture as hath béene offered to this blessed Sepulcher by those trauelling Knights which haue fought vnder the Banner of Christ. This is the pleasure of the Heauens great Guider and this for the redresse of wronged Innocents in earth must be with all immediate dispatch foorthwith accomplished This vnexpected voyce had
to beate them as small as flesh vnto the â—ot but the Quéene of chaunce so smyled vppon the christian Champions that the Giants smally pâ—euailed for betwixt them was fought a long and terrible battell in such danger that the victory hung wauering on both sides not knowing to whome she should fall the bats and faushions made such a noyse vpon one anothers armors that they sounded like to the blâ—wes of the Ciclops working vpon their fiery Anuils and at euery blowe they gaue fire flew from their stéeled Corselets like sparkles from the flaming furnaces in hell the skies resounded backe the ecchoes of their stroakes and the grounde shooke as though it had béene oppressed with an earth-quake the pauements of the Court was ouerspred with an intermixed colour of bloud and sweat and the wals of the Castle was mightily battered with the Giants clubs but by the time that glistering Apollo the daies bright Candle began to declare from the top of heauen when the Giants wearied in fight began for to faint whereat the Christian Knights with more courage beganne to increarse in strength and with such rigor assayled the Giants that before the goldâ—n Sunne had diued to the westerne world all the Giants were quite discomfited and staine some lay with their heads dismembred from their bodies weltering in purple gore some had their braines sprinkled against the walles some lay in the channels with their intrals trayling downe in streames of bloud and some ioynteles with their bodies cut in péeces so that there was not one left aliue to withstand the Christian Champions Whereat Saint George with the other sixe Knightes fell vpon their knées and thanked the immortall Rector both of heauen and earth for their victorie But when the knight of the blacke Castle which stood vpon the gallerie during all the time of the incounter and saw how all hâ—s Giants were slaine by the prowâ—sse of those strang Knights he raged against heauen and earth wishing that the ground might gape and swallowe him before he were deliuered into the handes of his enemies and presently would haue caste himselfe head-long from the top of the gallery to haue dasht his braines against the stony pauements but that the Nigromancer which stoode likewise by him beholding the euent of the incounter intercepted him in his intended drift and promised that hée would performe by arte what the Giants could not do by force So the Nigromancer fel to his magick spels charms by which the Chrstian Champions were mightily troubled and molestled and brought in dangâ—r of their liues by a terrible and strange manner as shall bee héereafter showne For as they stoode after their long incounters vnbuckling their armors to take the fresh ayre and to wash theyr bloudy wounds receiued in their last conflicte the Magitian caused by his arte and angry spirit in the likenes of a Lady of a marualous and faire beauty looking through an yron grate who séemed to leaue her faire face vpon her white hand very penciuely and distilled from her christal eyes great aboundance of teares which when the Champions saw this beautiful creature they remained in great admiration thinking with themselues that by some hard misfortune she was imprisoned in those yron grates with that this Lady did séeme to open her faire and christeline eyes looking earnestly vpon Saint George and giuing a gréeuous and sorrowful sigh she with drew her selfe from the grate which sodaine departure caused the Christian Knights to haue a great desire to know who it should be suspecting that by the force of some inchantment they should be ouerthrowne and casting vp their eyes againe to see if they could sée her they could not but they saw in the very same place a woman of a great and princely stature who was all armed in siluer plates with a swoord girded at her waste sheathed in â— golden scabberd and had hanging at her necke an Iuory bowe and a gilt quiuer this Lady was of so great beautie that she seemed almost to excell the other but in the same sorte as the other did vpon a sodaine she vanished away leauing the Champions no lesse troubled in their thoughtes then before they were The christian Knightes had not long time bewayled the aâ—sence of the Lady but that without séeing any body they were stricken with such furious blowes vpon their backes that they were constrayned to stoop with one knée vpon the ground yet with a trice they arose againe and looking about them to sée who they were that strook them they perswaded them to be the likenesse of certain knights which in great haste séemed to runne into a doore that was at one of the corners of the Courte and with the great anger that the Champions receiued séeing them selues so hardly intreated they followed with their accustomed lightnesse after the knightes in at the same doore wherein they had not entred thrée steps but that they fell downe into a déepe caue which was couered ouer in such subtill sorte that whosoeuer did tread on it straight way fell into the caue except he was aduertised thereof before with in the caue it was as darke as the silent night and no light at all apeared but when the Champions saw themselues so trecherously betrayed in the trap they greatly feared some further mischiefe would follow to their vtter ouerthrowes so with their swords drawne they stood readye charged to make their defence againste what soeuer should after happen but by reason of the great darkenesse they could not sée any thing neither discouer wherein they were fallen they determined to settle themselues against something either poste piller or wall and groaping about the caue they searched in euery place for some other doore that might bring them foorth out of that darkesome denne which they compared to the pit of hell And as they went groping and féeling vp and downe they found that they troad vpon no other thinges but dead mens bones which caused them to stand still and not long after they espyed a secret windowe at the which entred much cléerenesse and gaue a great light into the den where they were by which they espyed a bed moste richly furnished with curtaines of silke and golden pendants which stoode in a secret roome of the caue behung with rich tapestrie of a sable colour which bed when the Champions beheld and being somewhat weary of their long fight which they had with the Giants in the Court of the Castle they required some rest and desired some sleepe vpon the bed but not all at one instant for they feared some daunger to bee at hand and therefore Saint George as one most willing to be their watchman and to kéep senternell in so daungerous a place caused the other Champions to take their reposes vppon the bed and he would be as wakefull as the cocke against all daungerous accidents so the sixe Christian Knights repaired to the bed whereon they were no sooner layde but presently
the Ladie leaue their companies for anie danger but they entred in further tooke off their gauntlets from their left hands whereon they wore meruailous great and fine Diamonds which were set in rings that gaue so much light that they might plainly sée all things that were in the Hal the which was verie great and wide and vppon the walls were painted the figures of manie furious fiends and diuells wyth other straunge Uisions framed by Magicke arte onely to terrefie the beholders But looking verie circumspectlye about them on euerie side they espied the inchanted fountaine standing directly in the middle of the Hall towards which they went with their shieldes braced on theyr left armes and their good swords charged in their hands readie to withstand anie daungerous accident whatsoeuer should happen But comming to the Fountaine and offering to fill their helmets with water there appeared before them a strange and terrible Griphon which séemed to bee all of flaming fire who stroke all the thrée Knights one after another in such sort that they were forced to recoyle backe a great way yet notwithstanding with great discretion they kept themselues vpright with a wonderfull lightnesse accompanied with no lesse anger they threw theyr shields at their backes and taking their swordes in both their handes they began most fiercely to assaile the Griphon with mortall and strong blowes Then presentlye there appeared before them a whole legion of diuels with flesh-hookes in their hands spitting forth flames of fire breathing from their nosthrills smoking sulphure brimstone In this terrible sort tormented they these thrée valiant Knights whose yeres although they were but yong yet with great wrath and redoubled force aduentred they themselues amongst this hellish crue striking such terrible blowes that in spite of them they came vnto y e Fountaine and proffâ—red to take of the water but all in vain for they were not onely put from it by this diuelish companie but the water it selfe glided from their hands Oh in what great trauel and perplexitie these Knights remained amongst this wicked and diuellish generation for to defend themselues that they might attaine to the finishing of this Aduenture according to their knightlye promise But during the time of all these daungerous encounters Rosana stood like one berest of sense thorough y e terror of the same but at last remembring her selfe of y e prophecie written in the siluer tablet the which the knights perused by the inchaunted Lampes the signification of which was that the quenching of the lights should be accomplished by a pure Uirgin that had the liuely forme of a Rose naturally pictured vpon her breast all the which Rosana knew most certainly to bee comprehended in her selfe Therefore whilst they continued in their fight she tooke vp a helmet that was pulled from one of the Knightes heads by the furious force of the Griphon and ranne vnto the Fountaine and filled it with water wherewith shee quenched the inchaunted Lampes with as much ease as though one had dipped a waxen torch in a mightie riuer of water This was no sooner done and finished to Rosanaes chéefest contentment when that the heauens began to waxe darke and the cléere skies to be ouerspred with a blacke thicke clowd and it came with great thundrings lightnings and with such a terrible noyse as though the earth would haue sunke and the longer it indured the more was the furie thereof in such sort that the Griphon wyth all that deluding generation of spirits vanished away and the Knights forsooke their incounters and fell vpon theyr knées and with great humilitie they desired of God to be deliuered from the furie of that excéeding and terrible tempest By this sodaine alteration of the heauens the knight of the Castle knew that the Lampes were extinguished the Champions redéemed from their inchaunted sléepes the Castle yéelded to the pleasure of the thrée knights and his owne life to the furies of their swords except hée preserued it by a sodaine flight so presently hee departed the Castle and secretly fled out of the Iland vnsuspected by anie one of whose after fortunes miseries and death you shall heare more hereafter in the course of the historie following The Nigromancer by his Arte likewise knew that the Castle was yéelded vnto his Enemies power that his charmes and magicke spells nothing preuailed therfore he caused two ayrie spirits in the likenes of two Dragons to carrie him swiftly through the ayre in an Ebonie Chariot Héere we leaue him in his wicked diuelish attempts and diuelish enterprises which shall bee discoursed héereafter more at large because it appertaineth to our Historie now to speake of the seauen Champions of Christendome that by the quenching of the Lampes were awakened from their inchauntments wherein they had laine in obscuritie for the space of seauen dayes For when they were risen from their sléepes and had rowsed vp theyr drowsie spirits like men newly recouered from a trance being ashamed of that dishonorable enterprice they long time gazed in each others faces being not able to expresse their mindes but by blushing lookes beeing the silent speakers of their extreame sorrowes But at last Saint George began to expresse the extremitie of his griefe in this manner What is become of you braue Europes Champions said he where is now your wonted valors that hath bin so much renowmed through the world what is become of your surmounting strengths that hath bruzed inchaunted helmets and quaild the power of mightie multitudes what is become of your terrible blowes that hath subdued mountaines hewen in sunder diamond armours and brought whole kindomes vnder your subiections now I sée that all is forgotten nothing worth for that we haue buried all our honors dignities and fames in slouthfull slumbers vpon a silken bed And thereupon hee fell vpon his knées and said thou holy God thou rector of the riding racks of heauen to thée I inuocate and call and desire thée to help vs and doe not permit vs to haue our fames taken away for this dishonor but let vs meritte dignitie by our victories and that our bright renownes may ride vpon the glorious winges of fame whereby that babes as yet vnborne may speake of vs and in time to come fill whole vâ—lumes with our princely atchiuements These and such like reasons pronounced this disconted Champion till such time as the elementes cleared and that golden faced Phoebus glistred with splendant brightnes into the caue through a secret hole which séemed in their conceits to daunce about the vale of heauen and to reioyce at their happie deliueries In this ioyfull manner returned they vp into the court of the Castle with their armors buckled fast vnto their bodies which had not béene vnbraced in seuen dayes before where they met with the thrée Knightes comming to salute them and to giue them the curtesies of Knighthood But when Saint George saw his Sonnes whome he had not séene
in twice two yéeres before he was so rauished with ioy that he swounded in their bosomes and not able to giue them his blessing so great was the pleasure he tooke in their fights Héere I leaue the ioyfull gréeting betwixt the Father and his Sons to those that knowes the secret loue of parents to their children and what deare affection long absence bréedeth For when they had sufficiently ostended the integritie of their soules each to other and had at large explained how many daungers euery Knight and Champion had passed since their departures from England where as they begun first their intended pilgrimage to Ierusalem as you heard in the beginning of this booke they determined to search the Castle and to finde out Leoger with his assosiate the wicked inchaunter that they might receiue dew punishments for their committed offences but they like wylie foxes were fled from the hunters traces and had left the emptie Castle to the spoile of the Christian Champions But when Rosana sawe her selfe dismist from her purpose and that she could not performe her mothers will against her disloyall Father she protested by the mightie God of heauen neuer to close vp her carefull eyes with quiet slumbers nor neuer rest her wearie limbes in bed of Downe but trauell vp and downe the circled earth till she inioyd 〈◊〉 of her disloiall Father whome as yet her eyes did neuer see Therefore shee coniured the Champions by the louâ—â—nd honor that knights should beare vnto Ladies in 〈◊〉 to graunt her libertie to depart and not to hinder her from her intended trauell The Knights considered with themselues that shée was a Lady of a deuine inspiration borne vnto some straunge fortune and one by the heauâ—nâ— appointment which had redéemed them from a wonderfull mizerie Therefore they condescended to her desires and not onely gaue her leaue to depart but furnished her with all thinges belonging to a Ladye of so braue a minde First they found within the Castle an armor fit for a woman the which the inchaunter had caused to be made by magick arte of such a singuler nature that no weapon could pearce it and so light in wearing that it wayed no heuier then a Lions sâ—in it was contriued after the Amazonian fashion plated before with siluer plates like the scales of a Dolphin and riuetted together with golden nayles so that when she had it vppon her backe shée séemâ—d like to Diana hunting in the Forrests of transformed Acteon Likewise they found standing in a stable at the East side of the Castle a lustie limbed Steed big of statâ—râ— of a verie good haire because the halfe part forwards was of the colour of a Wolfe and the other halfe was al black sauing that here and there it was spotted with litle white spots his féete were clouen so that he néeded not at anye time to be shod his necke was somewhat long hauing a little head with great eares hanging downe like a houÌ„d his pace was with great maiestie and he so doubled hys necke that his mouth touched his breast there came out of his mouth two great tuskes like vnto an Elephant and hee did exceede all horses in the world in lightnes and dyd runne with an excéeding good grace This likewise bestowed they vppon the Ladie the which did more content her minde than anie thing that euer her eye had séene before that time Also the teÌ„ christian Knights gaue her at her departure ten diamond rings continually to weare vpon her ten fingers in perpetuall remembrance of their curtesies This being done without anie longer tarriance but thanking them for their great kindnes shewed vnto her in distresse she leapt into the saddle without helpe of stirrop or anie other thing and so rode spéedely awaye from their sights as a shower of raine driuen by a violent tempest After her departure the Champions remembred the olde Shepheard whom they had almost forgotten thorough the ioy that they tooke in their happie méetings he as yet remained without the Castle gates carefully kéeping their horses whom now they caused to come in and not onely gaue him the honour due vnto his age but bestowed frankly vpon him the state and gouernment of the Castle with store of iewels pearles and treasure onely to be maintained and kept for the releefe of poore Trauailers This being perfourmed with their generall consents they spent the remnant of the day in banquetting and other pleasant conference of their passed Aduentures And when that Night with her sable clowdes had ouer-spred the Dayes delightfull countenaunce they betooke them to their rests the seauen Champions in a chamber that had as manie windowes as there were daies in the yere the olde Shepheard by himselfe in a rich furnished Parlour and Saint Georges three Sonnes in the greatest Hall in the Castle CHAP. X. How after the Christian Knightes were gone to bed in the black Castle Saint George was awaked froÌ„ his sleep in the dead time of the night after a most fearefull manner and likwise how he found a Knight lying vpon a tombe that stood ouer a flaming fire with other thynges that hapned vpon the same MOst swéete were the sléepes that he sâ— Pâ—incely minded companies took in the Castle all the first part of the night without molestation eyther by disquiet dreames or disturbing motions of their mindes till such time as the glistering Quéene of night had runne halfe her wearie Iorney and had spent the better part of the night for betwixt twelue and one being the chiefest time of feare and terror in the night such a strainge alteracion worked in Saint Georges thought that he coulde not inioy the benefite of swéete sléepe but was forced to lye broad waking like one disquieted by some sodaine feare but as hee laye with wakefull eyes thinking vppon his passed fortunes and numbring the minutes of the night with his cogitations hée heard as it were a cry of night Rauens which flew beating their fatal wings against the windows of his lodging by which he immagined that some direfull accident were néere at hand yet being not frighted with this fearefull noise nor daunted with the croking of these Rauens he lay silently not reuealing it to any of the other Champions that lay in the sixe seuerall beds in the same chamber but at last being betwixt waking and sléeping hee heard as it were the voice of a sorrowfull Knight that constrained these bitter passions from his tormented soule and they contayned these words following Oh thou inuincible knight of England thou that art not frighted with this sorrowful dwelling wherein thou canst see nothing but torments rise vp I say from thy sluggish bed with thy vndaunted courage and stronge arme infringe the charme of my inchauntment And therewithall hee séemed to giue a most terrible grone and so ceased This vnexpected noyse caused Saint George without the knowledge of any of the other Champions to arise from his bedde and to buckle on his
and fearing the harme that should happen vnto her Ladie she put her selfe ouer her bodie and gaue most terrible lowd and lamentable shrikes The King as one kindled in wrath and forgetting the naturall loue of a Father towards his Childe hee laid hand vppon his sword and said It dooth not profite thee Angelica to flie from thy death for thy desert is such that thou canst not escape from it for heere mine owne arme shall be the killer of mine owne flesh and I vnnaturally hate that which Nature it selfe commaundeth me especily to loue Then Angelica with a countenaunce more red than scarlet answered and said Ah my Lord and Father wil you be now as cruell vnto me as you had wont to be kind and pittifull appease your wrath and withdraw your vnmercifull sword and hearken vnto this which I saye in discharging my selfe in that you charge mee wthall you shall vnderstand my Lord and father that I was ouercome and constrained by loue for to loue forgetting all fatherly loue and my dutie towardes your Maiestie yet for all that hauing power to accomplish the same it was not to your dishonour in that I liue honorablie with my husband then the King with a visage fraught with terrible ire more liker a dragon in the woods of Hercania then a man of méeke nature answered and said Thou viperous brat degenerate from natures kinde thou wicked Traitor to thy generation what reason hast thou to make this false excuse when as thou hast committed a crime that deserues more punishment then humaine nature can inflicte and in saying these wordes he lift vp his sword intending to strike her vnto the harte and to bathe his weapon in his owne daughters blood whereat Fidela being present gaue a terrible shrike and threw her selfâ— vpon the body of vnhappy Angeâ—lica offring her tender brest to the furie of his sharpe cutting sword onely to set at libertie her déere Lady and Mistresse But when the furious King sawe her in this sorte make her defence he pulled her off â—y the haire of the hed offring to trample her delicate body vnder his féete thereby to make a way that he might execute his denermined purpose without resistance of any Fidela when she sawe the King determined to kill his daughter like vnto a Lyonesse she hung about his necke and said thou monstrous murtherer more crueller then mad dogs in Egipt why dost thou determine to slaughter the moste chaste and loyallest Ladye in the worlde euen she within whose lappe vntamed Lyons will come and sléepe Thou arte thy seâ—fe I say the occasion of all this euill and thyne onely is the faulte for that thy selfe wert so malicious and so full of mischiefe that shee durst not let thée vnderstand of her sodaine loue These wordes and teares of Fidela did little profite to mollifie the Kings heart but rather like a wylde Boare in the Wildernes beeing compassed about with a companie of Dogges doth shake his members euen so did thys King shake himselfe and threw Fidela from him in such sort that he had almost dasht her braines against the chaÌ„ber walls and with double wrath hee did procure to execute his furie Yet for all this Fidela with terrible shrikes sought to hinder him till such time as with his cruel hand he thrust the poynt of his sword in at her breast so that it appeared foorth at her backe whereby her soule was forced to leaue her terrestriall habitation and flye into Paradice to those blessed soules which dyed for true loues sake Thus this vnhappie Angelica when shee was most at quiet and content with her prosperous life then Fortune turned her vnconstant Whéele and cast her from a glorious delight to a sodaine death The yrefull King when he beheld his daughters blood sprinkled about the chamber and that by his own hands it was committed he repented himselfe of the déede and accursed the hower wherein y e first motion of such a crime entered into his minde wishing the hand that did it euer after might be lame and the heart that did contriue it to be plagued with more extremities than was miserable Oedipus or to be terrified with her ghastly spirit as was the Macedonian Alexander with Clitus shadow whom he causeles murthered In this manner the vnfortunate King repented hys Daughters bloodie Tragedie with this determination not to stay till the Magitian returned from his Hunters exercise but to exclude himselfe from the companie of all men to spend the remnant of his loathsome life among vntamed beasts in some wilde wildernes Upon this resolution he departed the chamber and withall said Farwell thou liuelesse bodie of my Angelica and may thy blood which I haue spilt craue vengeance of the Gods against my guiltie soule for my earthly bodie shall indure a miserable punishment Likewise at his departure he writ vppon y e chamber wals these verses following in his daughters blood For now to hills to dales to rockes to caues I goe To spend my dayes in shameful sorrow griefe woe Fidela after the departure of the King vsed such violent fury against her selfe both by rending the golden tramelles of her hayre and tearing her Rosie coloured face with her furious nayles that shee rather seemed an infernall Furie subiect to wrath than an earthly creature furnished with clemencie She sat ouer Angelicaes bodie wiping her bléeding bosome with a damaske scarffe which shee pulled from her waste and bathing her dead bodie in luke-warme tears which forcibly ranne downe from her eyes like an ouerflowing Fountaine In this wofull manner spent y e sorrowfull Fidela that vnhappie day till bright Phoebus went into the westerne seas at which time the Magitian retourned from his accustomed hunting and finding the doore open he entered into Angelicaes chamber where when he found her bodie weltring in congealed blood and beheld how Fidela sate wéeping ouer her bléeding wounds he cursed himselfe for that he accompted his negligence y e occasion of her death in that he had not left her in more safetie But when Fidela had certefied him how that by the hands of her owne Father she was slaughtered he began like a franticke tyrant to rage against heauen and earth and to fill the ayre with terrible exclamations Oh cruell murtherer said he crept from the womb of some vntamed Tyger I wil be so reuenged vpon thée O vnnaturall king that all ages shal wonder at thy misery And likewise thou vnhappie Uirgin shalt indure like punishment in that thy accursed tung hath bruted this fatall déed vnto my eares the one for committing the crime and the other for reporting it For I will cast such deserued vengeance vpon your heads and place your bodies in such continuall torments that you shall lament my Ladies death leauing aliue the fame of her with your lamentations And in saying these words he drew a Booke out of his bosome and in reading certaine charmes and inchauntments that was therein contained he made
a great verie blacke clowde appeare in the skies which was broght by terrible and hastie windes in the which he tooke them vp both and brought them into this inchaunted Castle where euer since they haue remained in this Tombe cruelly tormented with vnquenchable fire and must eternally continue in the same extremitie except some curteous Knight will vouchsafe to giue but thrée blowes vpon the Tombe and breake the inchauntment Thus haue you heard you magnanimious Knights the true discourse of my vnhappie fortunes For the virgine which for the true loue she bore vnto her Ladie was committed to this torment is my selfe and this pale body lying vpon the Tombe is the vnhappie Babylonian King which vnnaturally murthered his owne Daughter and the Magitian which committed al these villanies is that accursed wretch which by his charmes and diuellish Enchauntments hath so strangely withstood your valiant incounters These words were no sooner finished but Sa. George drew out his sharpe cutting sword and gaue thrée blowes vpon the inchaunted Tombe whereat presentlye appeared the Babylonian King standing before him attyred in rich robes with an Emperiall Diadem vpon his head the Ladie standing by him with a countenance more beutifull than the damaske Rose When Saint George beheld them he was not able to speake for ioy nor to vtter his minde so excéeding was the pleasure that he tooke in their sights So without anie long circumstance he tooke them betwixt both his hands and led them into the chamber whereas hee found the other Knights newly risen from their beds To whom hée reuealed the true discourse of the passed Aduenture and by what meanes he redéemed the King and the Lady from their inchauntments which to them was as great ioye as before it was to Saint George So after they had for some sixe dayes refreshed themselues in the castle they generaly intended to accompany the Babilonian King into his Countrey and to place him againe in his Regiment In which trauel we wil leaue the Christian knights to the conduction of Fortune and returne againe vnto Rosana whom as you heard before departed from the Castle in the pursute of her disloyal father of whose strange accidents shall be spoken in this following Chapter CHAP. XII How the Knight of the Blacke Castle after the conquest of the same by the christian chaÌ„pions wandred vp and downe the vvorld in great terror of conscience and after hovv he was found in a wood by his own daughter in whose presence he desperately slew himselfe with other accidents that after hapned YOu doo well remember when that that the Christian champions had slaine the seuen Giants in the inchanted castle and had made conquest thereof disloyall Leoger being lord of the same secretly fled not for anie anger of the losse but for the preseruation of his life So in great gréefe and terror of conscience he wandred like a fugitiue vp and downe y e world sometimes remembring of his passed prosperitie other times thinking vpon the rapes he had committed how disloyally in former times he had left the Quéene of Armenia big with Childe bearing in her wombe the staine of her honour and the confusion of his reputation Sometime his guiltie minde imagined that the bléeding ghosts of the two Sisters whom he both rauished and murthered followed him vp and downe haunting his ghost with fearfull exclamations and filling each corner of the earth with clamours of reuengement Such feare and terrour raged in his soule that he thought all places where he trauelled were filled with multitudes of of Knightes and that the strength of Countries pursued him to heape vengeance vpon his guiltye head for those wronged Ladyes Whereby hee curssed the hower of his birth and blamed the cause of his creation wishing the Heauens to consume his bodye with a flashe of fire or that the earth would gape and swallowe him In this manner trauelled he vp and downe filling all places with Ecchoes of his sorrowes and griefe which brought him into such a perplexitie that many times hee would haue slaine himselfe and haue ridde his wretched soule from a worlde of mizeries But it happened that one morning very early by the first light of Titans golden toarch he entred into a narow and straight path which conducted him into a very thicke and solitarie Forrest wherein with much sorrowe he trauelled till suche time as glistring Phoebus had passed the halfe parte of his iorney And beeing wearye with the longe waye and the greate waighte of his Armour hee was forced to take some rest and ease vnder certaine freshe and gréene Myrtle trées whose leaues did bathe themselues in a faire and cleare Fountaine whose streame made a bubling murmure on the pebble Béeing set he began a newe to haue in remembrance his former coÌ„mitted cruelty and complaining of Fortune he published his great griefe and although he was weary of complaining and séeing hinselfe without all remidy he resolued like vnto the Swan to sing awhile before his dâ—ath and so thinking to giue some ease vnto his tormented heart he warbled forth these verses following Mournfull Melpomine approach with speed and shew thy sacred face with teares bespreÌ„t Let all thy sisters harts vvith sorrovv bleed To heare my plaints and rufull discontent And vvith your moanes svveet Muses all assist My vvailfull song that doth on vvoe consist And then I may at large paint out my paine Within these desert groues and vvildernesse And after I haue ended to complaine They may record my vvoes and deep distres Except these myrtle trees relentles bee They vvill vvith sobs assist the sighes of mee Time vveares out life it is reported so And so it may I vvill it not denie Yet haue I tride long time this do knovve Time giues no ende to this my miserie But rather fortune time and heauens agree To plague my hart vvith vvoe eternally ye siluan nimphs that in thes wods do shroud To you my mournfull sorrovves I declare You sauage satyrs let your eares be bound to heaare my woe your sacred selues prepare Trees herbs flowrs in rural fields that groe While thus I morne do you some silence sho Sweet Philomel cease thou thy songs a vvhile And vvill thy mate their melodies to leaue And all at once attend my mournfull stile vvhich vvil of mirth yor sugred notes bereaue If you desire the burthen of my Song I sigh and sob for Ladies I did vvrong You furious Beasts that feed on montains hye And restlesse run with rage your pray to find Dravve nere to him vvhose brutish crueltye Hath cropt the bud of Virgins chaste kind This onely thing yet rests to comfort mee Repentance comes a while before I dye Since heauens agree for to increase my care What hope haue I for to enioy delight Sith fates and fortune do themselues prepare To vvork against my soule their full despight I know no meanes to yeild my hart reliefe But only death which can desolue my
griefe I muse and may my sorrovves being such That my poore hart can longer life sustaine Sith dayly I doe find my griefe so much As euery day I feele a dying paine But yet alas I liue afflicted still And haue no helpe to heale me of my ill When as I thinke vpon my pleasures past Novv turnd to paine it makes me rue my state And since my ioy vvith vvoe is ouercast O death giue ende to my vnhappy fate For onely death will lasting life prouide Where liuing thus I sundry deathes abide Wherfore all you that hear my mornful song And tasted haue the griefe that I sustaine All lustfull rauishers that haue done vvrong With teare-fild eyes assist me to complaine All that haue beeing doe my beeing hate Crying haste haste this vvretches dying state This sorrowfull song being done he laide himselfe all along vpon the gréene grasse closing vp the closets of his eyes in hope to repose him selfe in a quiet sléepe and to abandon al discontented thoughts in which silent contemplation we will leaue him for a while and returne to Rosana the Quéens daughter of Armenia that bolde Amazonian Lady whome you remember likwise departed from the blacke Castle clad with inchâ—unted armour in the pursute of her disloyall Father whome she neuer in her life beheld this curteous Lady to performe her mothers will trauelled vp and downe strange countries many a wearye step yet neuer could she méet with her vnkind father vnto whome she was commaunded to giue her mothers letter neither could she beare in any place wheresoeuer she came where shee might goe to séeke him In which trauell shee met with many strange aduentures the which with great honor to her name she finished yet for all this she wandred ouer hils and dales mountaines and vallies and through many solitary woods But at last she hapned by fortune into the wildernesse whereas this discentented knight laye sléeping vpon the gréene grasse néere to which place she likewise reposed her selfe vnder the branches of a Chesnut trée desiring to take some rest after her long trauel But vpon a sodaine being betwixt waking and sléeping she heard towardes her left hand a verie dolorous grone as it were of some sorrowfull knight which was so terrible heauie and bitter that it made her to giue an attentiue eare vnto the sounde and to sée if shee coulde heare and vnderstande what it shoulde be So with making the least noyse that shee could possibly she arose vp and went towardes the place whereas shee might see what it was and there shee behelde a Knight very well armed lying vpon the gréene grasse vnder certaine fayre and gréene mirtie trées is armour was all russet and full of barres of blacke stéele which shewed to bee a very sadde sorrowfull and heauie inamelling agreeable to the inward sadnesse of hys heart Hee was somewhat of a bigge stature of bodie and well proportioned and there seemed by his disposition to be in his heart great greife where after shee had a while stood in secret beholding his sorrowfull counteaunce in a wofull manner hee tumbled his restlesse bodye vppon the greene grasse and with a sad and heauy looke he breathed foorth this ruefull lamentation Oh heauye and peruersse Fortune said he why doost thou consent that so vilde and euill a wretch doe breathe so long vpon the earth vpon whose wicked head the golden Sun disdaines to shine and the glistering Elementes denyes their chearfull lightes Oh that some rauenous Harpey woulde welter from his denne and make his loathsome bowelles my fatall Tombe or that my eyes were sightes like the mizerable King of Thebes that I neuer might againe beholde this earth whereon I haue long liued and committed many cruelties I am confounded with the cursse of heauen for wronging that Mayden Quéene of Armenia in the spoyle of whose Uirginitie I made a triumphant conquest Oh Leoger Leoger what furye did induce thée to committe so great a sinne in leauing her staind with thy lust and dishonoured by thy disloyaltie Oh cruell and without faith thou wert nurssed with the vnkindly milke of Tigers and borne into the worlde for thine owne torment where was thy vnderstanding when thou forsookst that gracious Princesse whome not only yeilded to thée her libertie loue and honour but therwith a Kingdome and a golden Diademe and therefore woe vnto mee Traytor and more woes vppon my soule then there be hayres vpon my head and may the sorrows of olde Priam be my eternall punishment What doth it profite me to all the ayre with lamentations when that the crime is already past without all remedye or hope of comforte this being said he gaue a gréeuous and terrible sigh and so held his pâ—ace Rosana by those heauye and sorrowfull lamentations togeather with his reasons which shee heard knewe him to bee her disloyall Father after whome shee had so long trauelled to finde out but when she remembred how that his vnkindenesse was the death of her mother her harte indured such extreame paine and sorrowe that she was constrayned without anye féeling to fall downe to the ground But yet her couragious harte would not remaine long in that passion but straight waies shee rose vp againe on her féete with a desire to performe her mothers will but yet not intending to discouer her name nor to reueale vnto him that shee was his daughter so with this thought and determination shee went vnto the place where Leoger was who when he heard the noyes of her comming straightway started bpon his feete Then Rosana did salute him with a voyce some what heauye and Leoger did returne his salutatioÌ„ with no lesse showe of griefe Then the Amazonian Lady tooke forth the letter from her naked breste where as so longe time she had kept it and in deliuering it into his handes she said Is it possible that thou art that forgetfull and disloyall Knight the which left the vnfortunate Quéene of Armenia with so groat paine and sorrowe big with Childe amongste those vnmercifull Tyrantes her Countrimen which banished her out of her Countrie in reuenge of thy committed crime where euer since she hath bene companion with wilde beasts that in their natures hath lamented her banishment Leoger when he heard her to say these words began to beholde her and although his eyes were all to be blubbered and weary of wéeping yet he most earnestly gazed in her face and answered her in this manner I will not denie thée gentle Amazon said he that which the high heauens doth complaine off and the lowe earth doth mourne for Thou shalt vnderstand that I am the same Knight whom thou hast demaunded after tell me therefore what is thy will My will is said she thou most vngrateful Knight that thou read héere this Letter the last worke of the white hand of the vnhappie Armenian Quéene At which words the Knight was so troubled in thoght and gréeued in minde that it was almost the occasion to
illusion that caused him so cruelly to séeke her death And the breaking out into this hurly burly grew first to head in this maner following Two yeres after the Kings departure these Deputies gouerned the publike State in great peace and with prudent policie til after no tidings of the King could be heard notwithstanding so manie messengers as were in euerie quarter of the world sent to enquire of him and then did Ambition kindle in all their hears each striuing to wrest into his hand the sole possession of the Babylonian Kingdome To this end did they all make seuerall frends for this had they contended in manie Fights and now lastly they intended to set all their hopes vpon this maine chaunce of warre intending to fight all till thrée fell and one remained victor ouer the rest whose head should bee beautifyed with a crowne But of traitors and treason the end is sodaine shamefull for no sooner had Saint George placing himselfe betwéene the Battells in a bréefe Oration shewed y e aduentures of the King and he himselfe to the people discouered his reuerend face but they all shouted for ioye and haled the Usurpers presently to death and reinsialled in his ancient dignitie their true lawfull and long lookt for King The King being thus restored married Fidela for her faithfulnes and after the nuptiall Feasts the Champions at the earnest request of Saint Anthonie departed towards Italy where in Rome the Emperour spared no cost honourably and most sumptuously to entertaine those neuer daunted Knightes the famous Wonders of Christendome At that time of the yeare when the Summers Quéen had beautefied the Earth with interchaungeable ornaments Saint George in companie of the Emperour with the rest of the Champions chanced to walke along by the side of the Riuer Tyber and to delight themselues with the pleasurable meades and beauteous prospect of the Countrey Before they had walked halfe a myle from the Cittie they approached an ancient Nunnerie which was right faire and of a stately building and likewise incompassed about with christall streames and gréene meddowes furnished with all manner of beauteous trées and fragrant flowers This Nunnerie was consecrated to Diana the Quéene of Chastitie and none were suffered to liue therein but such chast Ladies and Uirgins as had vowed themselues to a single life and to kéepe their Uirginities for euer vnspotted In this place the Emperours onely Daughter liued a professed Nunne and exempted her selfe from all companie except it were the fellowship of chast and Religious Uirgins This vertuous Lucina for so was shee called hauing intelligence before by the ouerséeers of the Nunnerie how that the Emperour her Father with manie other Knights were comming to visite their religious Habitation against their approach shee attyred her selfe in a gowne of white satten all layd ouer with gold lace also hauing her golden lockes of haire somewhat laid foorth and vpon her head was knit a garland of swéete smelling flowers which made her séeme celestiall and of a diuine creation Her bâ—autie was so excellent that it might haue quailed the heart of Cupide and her brauerie excéeded the Paphian Quéenes Neuer could Circes with al her cunning frame so much beautie in anie creature as was vpon her face nor neuer could the flattering Syrens more beguile the trauellers then did her bright countenaunce inchant the English Champion for at his first entrance into the Nunnerie he was so rauished with her sight that he was not able to withdrawe his eyes from her beauty but stoodszigag vppon her Rosie culloured chéekes like one bewitched with Me-dusaes shadowes but to bee shorte her beauty séemed so Angellicall and the burning flames of loue so fieres his heart that he must either inioy her companye or giue ende to his life by some vntimely meanes Saint George beeing wounded thus with the darte of loue dissembled his griefe and not reuealed it to any one but departed with the Emperor back againe to the Citie leauing his heart behinde him cloased in the stonye Monastery with his louely Lucina All that ensuing night he could not enioy the benifit of sléepe but did contemplate vpon the diuine beautye of his Lady and fraughted his minde with a thousand seuerall cogitations how hee might attaine to her loue beeing a chaste virgin and a professed Nun. In this manner spent hee away the night and no sooner appéered the mornings brightnesse in at his chamber window but he arose from his restlesse bed and attyred him selfe in watchet veluet to signifie his true loue and wandred all alone vnto the Monastery wher he reuealed his déepe affection vnto his Ladye who was as farre from graunting to his requests as heauen is from earth or the déepest seas from the highest Elements for shee protested while life remayned within her bodye neuer to yeild her loue in the way of mariage to anye one but to remaine a pure virgin and one of Dianaes traine No other resolution could Sa. George get of the chaste Nun which caused him to departe in great discontent intending to séeke by some other meanes to obtaine her loue so comming to the rest of the Christian Champions he reuealed to them the truth of all things that had hapned who in this maner counsailed him that hee should prouide a multitude of armed Knightes euery one bearing in their handes a sword ready drawen and to enter the Monastery at such a time as she little mistrusted and first with faire promises and flattering speeches to entice her to loue then if she yéelded not to fill her eares with cruell threatnings protesting that if she will not graunt to requite his loue with like affection he would not leaue standing one stone of that Monastery vppon an other and likewise to make her a bloudy offering vppe to Diana This pollicy liked wel Saint George though he intended not to prosecute such cruelty so the next morning by break of day he went vnto the nunnery in company of no other but the christian champions armed in bright armour with their glistering swordes ready drawen the which they caried vnder their side cloakes to prâ—uent suspition But when they came to the Monastery and had entered into the chamber of Lucina whom they found knéeling vpon the bare ground at her ceremonious orasons Saint George first proffered kindnes by faire promises and afterward made knowne his vnmercifull pretended cruelty and therewithall shaking their bright swordes against her vertuous brest they protested though contrary to their mindes that except he would yéeld vnto Saint George her vnconquered loue they would bathe their weapone in her dearest bloud At which wordes the distressed Uirgin being ouercharged with feare sunke down presently to the ground and lay for a time in a dead agony but in the ende recouering her selfe she lifted vp her angelicall face shrowded vnder a cloude of pale sorrow and in this maner declared her minde Most renowned and well approoued Knights said she it is as difficult