long time make any aunswere When his passiō was moderated he sayd to his sister But be you well assured that he will receiue you for his wyfe Yea my Lorde quod she I ought well to be assured of it since he himself hath made the request And truely qoud the king God forbidde that I should be the cause to breake so holye an accorde For if the Lord of Mendozza were inferior in qualitie nobility and goodes than he is yet hath he so much done both for you me as we may not honestly refuse him How much more then be we bounde to him being a great Lorde as he is issued of noble and famous families of Spaine riche in goodes and hauing hazarded his lyfe for the conseruation of your honour and there withall seketh mine alliaunce Go your wayes dere sister and friende goe your wayes make muche of him and entreate him as you think best And when I haue walked two or thrée tornes here I will come vnto him to cōmunicate more amplie of these matters Scarce had the Duchesse leysure to aduertise the Lord of Mendozza of that which was concluded betwene the king and her but he came downe into the Hall where the most part of the Spanishe Gentlemen walked and with a very ioyfull countenance went to the knight To whome he sayde My Lorde Mendozza I praye you to embrace mée For so farre as I sée I haue a better interest in you than I thought And the Lorde of Mendozza thinking to embrace him his knée vpon the grounde was immediately desired to stande vp Whome the king cleping about the necke sayde vnto him so loud that euery man might heare Sir knight by the God of heauen since that I might commaund in the realme of England I haue not entertained gentleman nor Prince to whome I haue bene more endebted than to you nor neuer was there any dearer vnto me than you for the great gratitude and kindenesse wherewith you haue bound me whereby I shal not from henceforth be satisfied vntill I haue in some thing acknowledged the bonde wherein I am bounde vnto you When he had spoken those wordes he began to declare from poynt to poynt in the presence of all the assembly the contentes of the whole before declared historie Wherat ther was none in all the companie but that was greatly astonned at the prudence of Mendozza by so wel dissembling and accomplishing so great enterprises without making them manifest And the King of England commaunded that the mariage of him and his sister shoulde be published through out his realme that all his nobilitie might be assembled And for his greater honour the King did from thenceforth constitute him his highe Cunstable of England and reposed himselfe in him as vpon a firme piller for the administration of the wayghtiest affaires of his realme And the mariage solempnized consummate with the Duchesse he retourned into Spaine to accompanie the Prince into Englande whose mariage was celebrated at London in the King of Englandes daughter with suche pompe and solempnitie as semblable Princes be commonly accustomed to doe in lyke cases The Countesse of Salesburie A King of Englande loued the daughter of one of his noble men which was Countesse of Salesburie who after great sute to achieue that he coulde not winne for the entire loue he bare vnto her and her great constancie made her his Queene and wyfe ¶ The .xlvj. Nouell THys Historie ensuing describing the perfect figure of womāhode the naturall quality of Loue incensing the harts indifferently of all Natures children the liuely ymage of a good condicioned Prince the zealous loue of parents and the glorious reward that chastitie cōduceth to her imbracers I déeme worthy to be annexed to the former Nouell wherin as you haue heard be contained the straūge aduentures of a fayre innocent Duchesse Whose lyfe tryed lyke gold in the furnace glittereth at this day like a bright starry planet shining in the firmament with most splēdent brightnesse aboue all the rest to the eternall prayse of feminine kinde And as a noble Duke of Sauoie by heate of Loues rage pursued the louing trace of a King of Englandes syster married into Spaine euen so a renowmed and moste victorious Prince as the Aucthor of them both affirmeth thorowe the furie of that passion which as Apuleus sayth in the fyrst heate is but smal but abounding by increase doth set all men on fier maketh earnest sute by discourse of wordes to a Ladie her selfe a Countesse and Earles daughter a beautifull and faire wight a creature incomparable the wyfe of a noble man hys owne subiect who seing her constant forte to be impregnable after pleasaunt sute and milde request attempteth by vndermining to inuade and when wyth siege prolixe he perceiueth no ingenious deuise can achieue that long and paynefull worke he threateth might and mayne dire and cruell assaultes to winne and get the same and laste of all surrendred into his handes and the prisoner crying for mercye he mercifully is contented to mitigate his conceyued rigor and pitifully to release the Ladie whom for her womanly stoutnesse and coragious constancie he imbraceth and entertaigneth for his owne This great and worthy king by the first viewe of a delicate Ladie thorow the sappe of Loue soaked into his noble heart was transported into many passions and rapt into infinite pangues which afterwardes bredde him great disquietnesse This worthie Prince I saye who before that time lyke an Alexandre was able to conquere and gayne whole kingdomes made all Fraunce to quake for feare at whose approche the gates of euery Citie did flye open and fame of him prouoked eche Frenchmans knée to bowe whose helmet was made of manhodes trampe and mace well stéeled with stoute attemptes was by the weakest staye of dame Natures frame a woman shaped wyth no visage sterne or vglie looke affrighted and appalled whose heart was armed with no lethall sworde or deadly launce but with a Curat of honour weapon of womanhode and for al his glorious conquests she durst by singuler cōbat to giue refusall to his face Which singuler perseueration in defence of her chastitie inexpugnable esclarisheth to the whole flocke of womankynde the bright beames of wisdome vertue and honestie No prayers intreatie suplication teares sobbes sighes or other lyke humaine actions poured forth of a Princesse heart could withdraw her from the bounds of honestie No promise present practise deuise sute friende parent letter or counsellor could make her to straye out of the limits of vertue No threate menace rigor feare punishment exile terror or other crueltie coulde diuert her from the siedge of constancie In her youthly tyme till her mariage day she delighted in virginitie From her mariage day during her wydow state she reioyced in chastitie The one she conserued like a hardie Cloelia the other she kept like a constant Panthea This notable historie therefore I haue purposed to make common aswell for encouragement of
Ladyes to imbrace Constancie as to imbolden thē in the refusal of dishonest sutes for which if they doe not acquire semblable honor as this Lady did yet they shall not be frustrate of the due rewarde incident to honor which is fame immortall praise Gentlemen may learne by the successe of this discourse what tormentes be in Loue what trauailes in pursute what passions lyke ague fittes what disconueniences what lost labour what playntes what griefes what vnnaturall attemptes be forced Many other notorious examples be contayned in the same to the great comforte and pleasure as I trust of the well aduised reader And althoughe the aucthor of the same perchaunce hath not rightly touched the propre names of the Aucthors of this tragedie by perfect appellations as Edward the thirde for his eldest sonne Edward the Prince of Wales who as I reade in Fabiā maried the Countesse of Salesburie which before was Countesse of Kent wife vnto sir Thomas Holand whose name as Polidore sayth was Iane daughter to Edmund Earle of Kent of whome the same Prince Edward begat Edward that dyed in his childish yeres Richard that afterwards was King of England the seconde of that name for that she was kinne to him was deuorced whose sayd father maried Phillip daughter to the Earle of Henault had by her .vij. sonnes And AElips for the name of the sayd Countesse being none such amongs our vulgare termes but Frosard remēbreth her name to be Alice which in dede is common amongs vs and the Castle of Salesberic where there is none by that name vpon the Frontiers of Scotland albeit the same Frosard doth make mention of a castle of the Earle of Salesburies giuen vnto him by Edward the thirde when he was Sir William Mountague and maried the sayde Lady Alice for his seruice and prowesse againste the Scottes and Rosamburghe for Roxboroughe and that the sayde Edward when he sawe that he could not by loue and other persuasions attayne the Countesse but by force maried the same Countesse which is altogether vntrue for that Polydore and other aucthors doe remember but one wyfe that he had which was the sayde vertuous Quéene Phillip with other like defaultes yet the grace of the Historie for al those errors is not diminished Wherof I thought good to giue this aduertisement And waying with my selfe that by the publishing hereof no dishonour can redound to the illustre race of our noble Kinges and Princes ne yet to the blemishing of the fame of that noble king eternized for his victories and vertues in the auncient annales Chronicles and monuments forren and domesticall bicause all natures children be thrall and subiect to the infirmities of their first parents I doe with submission humblie referre the same to the iudgement and correction of them to whome it shall appertaine Which being considered the Nouell doth begin in this forme and order THere was a King of Englande named Edward which had to his first wyfe the daughter of the Counte of Henault of whom he had children the eldest wherof was called also Edward the renowmed Prince of Wales who besides Poictiers subdued the french men toke Iohn the French King prisoner and sent him into England This Edward father of the Prince of Wales was not onely a capitall enemie of the French men but also had continuall warres with the Scottes his neighbours and seing himselfe so disquieted on euery side ordayned for his Lieutenant vpon the frontiers of Scotland one of his captaynes named William Lorde Montague To whome bicause he had fortified Roxboroughe and addressed manye enterprises agaynst the enemies he gaue the Earledome of Salesburie and married him honorablie with one of the fairest Ladies of England Certayne dayes after King Edwarde sent him into Flaundres in the companie of the Earle of Suffolke where Fortune was so contrarie that they were both taken prisoners by the French men and sent to the Louure at Paris The Scottes hearing tell of their discomfiture and howe the marches were destitute of a gouernour they spéedely sent thether an armie with intent to take the Countesse prisoner to raise her Castle to make bootie of the riches that was there But the Earle of Salesburie before his departure had giuen so good order that their successe was not suche as they hoped For they were so liuely repelled by them that were within that not able to indure their furie in steade of making their approches they were constrayned to goe further of And hauing intelligence by certayne spies that the King of Englande was departed from London with a great armie to come to succour the Countesse perceyuing that a farre of they were able to doe little good they were fame shortly to retire home agayne to their shame King Edward departed from London trauayling by great iourneyes with his armie towardes Salesberic was aduertized that the Scottes were discamped and fled agayne into Scotland Albeit they had so spoyled the Castle in many places that the markes there gaue sufficient witnesse what their intente and meaning was And althoughe the King had thought to retourne backe agayne vpon their retire yet being aduertized of the great battrie and of the hote assault that they had giuen to the Castle he went forth to visit the place The Countesse whose name was AElips vnderstanding of the kings comming causing al things to be in so good readinesse as the shortnesse of the time could serue furnished her selfe so wel as she could with a certaine numbre of Gentlewomen and souldiers that remained to issue forth to méete the King who besides her naturall beautie for the which she was recommended aboue al the Ladies of her prouince was enriched with the furniture of vertue and curtesie Which made her so incomparable that at one instant she rauished the heartes of al the Princes Lordes that did beheld her in such wise that there was no talke in all the armie but of her graces and vertue and speciallie of her excellent and surpassing beautie The king hauing made reuerence vnto her after he had wel viewed al her gestures and countenaunces thought that he had neuer séene a more goodlier creature Then rapt with an incredible admiration he sayde vnto her Madame Countesse I doe beleue that if in this attire and furniture wherein you now be accompanied with so rare and excellent beautie ye had bene placed vpon one of the rampiers of your Castle you had made more breaches with the lookes beames of your sparkling eyes in the harts of your enemies than they had bene able to haue done in your Castle with their thundering Ordinaunce The Countesse somewhat shamefast and abashed to heare her selfe so greatly praysed of a Prince so great began to blushe and taint with roseall colour the whitenesse of her alablaster face Then lyfting vp her bashefull eyes somewhat towards the king she sayd vnto him My soueraygne Lorde your grace may speake your pleasure But I am well assured that
mortall body And if I should so farre forget my selfe as willingly to commit a thing so dishonest your grace ought for the loyall seruice of my father and husbande towarde you sharpely to rebuke me and to punishe me according to my deserte For this cause moste dradde soueraigne Lord you which are accustomed to vanquishe and subdue other be nowe a conquerour ouer your selfe and throughly bridle that concupiscence if there be any vnder the raines of Reason that being quenched and ouercome they may no more reuiue in you and hauing liuely resisted the first assaultes the victorie is but easie which shall be a thousand times more glorious and gainefull for you than if you had conquered a kingdome The Countesse had scarce made an ende of her tale but one came to tell them that the Tables were couered for dinner the King well fedde with Loue dyned for that tyme very soberlye and not able to eate but vpon amorous dishes did caste his lokes inconstantly here and there and still his eyes threwe the last loke vpon that part of the table where the Countesse satte meaning thereby to extinguishe the boyling flames which incessantly did burne him howbeit by thinking to coole them he further plondged himselfe therein And wandering thus in diuers cogitations the wise aunswere that the Countesse made like a vaunte curreur was continually in his remebrance and was well assured of her inuincible chastitie By reason wherof seing that so harde and enterprise required a longer abode and that a heart so chaste could not so quickly be remoued frō purpose careful on the other side to giue order to the waightie affaires of his realme disquieted also on euery side throughe the turmoile of warres determined to depart the next day in the morning reseruing till another tyme more conuenient the pursute of his Loue. Hauing taken order for his departure in the morning he went to seke the Countesse and taking his leaue of her he prayed her to thinke better of the talke made vnto her the day before but aboue all he besought her to haue pitie vpon hym Wherevnto the Countesse answered that not onelye she prayed God incessantly to giue him victorie ouer his outwarde enemies but also grace to tame that carnall passion which did so torment him Certaine dayes after that King Edward was arriued at London which was the place of his ordinarie abode the Countesse of Salesburie was aduertised that the Earle her husbande being out of prison consumed with griefe sicknesse died by the way homewardes And bicause they had no children the Earledome retorned to the King which first gaue the same vnto him And after she had lamented the death of her husbande the space of many dayes she retourned to her fathers house which was Earle of Warwicke And for so muche as he was one of the Kinges priuie Counsell and the most part of the affaires of the realme passed by his aduise and counsell he continued at London that he might be more nere vnto the Kinges person The King aduertized of the comming of the Countesse thought that fortune had opened a way to bring his enterprise to desired effecte specially for that the death of her husbande and the witnesse of his earnest good will would make her more tractable The king seing all thing as he thought to succede after his desire began to renewe his first affections séeking by all meanes to practise the good wil of the Countesse who then was of the age of .xxvi. yeares Afterwardes he ordayned many triumphes at the Tilte and Torney Maskes Momeries feastes banquets and other like pastimes wherat Ladies accustomably doe assemble who made much of them all and secretely talked with them Notwithstanding he could not so well disguise and counterfait his passions but that he still shewed himselfe to beare beste good will to the Countesse Thus the king coulde not vse suche discretion in loue but that from his secret fier some euident flames did issue out But the Countesse which was a wise and curteous Lady did easely perceyue how the king by chaunging the place had not altered his affection and that he still prosecuted his talke begon at Salesberic She despising all his amorous countenaunces continued her firme and chaste minde And if it chaunced that sometimes the king made more of her than discretion required sodainly might haue bene discried a certaine palenesse in her face which declared the little pleasure that she toke in his toyes with a certayne rigor appearing that yelded to the king an assured testimonie that he laboured in vaine Neuerthelesse she to cut of all meanes of the Kings pursute kept still her fathers house shewing her self in no place where the king might sée her The king offended seing himselfe depriued and banished her presence whome he estemed as the comfort of his lyfe made his secretarie priuie to the whole matter whose fidelitie he had wel proued in matters daungerous with minde to pursue her by other way if it chaunced that she persisted in her wonted rigor and refusall Howbeit before he proceded any further sith he could not secretely talke with her he purposed to sende her a letter the Tenor whereof insueth MAdame if you please by good aduise to consider the beginning of my Loue the continuance of the same then the last issue whervnto it is brought I am assured that laying your hand vpon your heart you will accuse your self not onely of your curst and froward stomacke hitherto appearing but also of that newe ingratitude which you shewe vnto me at this houre not contented to be bathed plondged by you in the missehap of my payne paste but yet by a newe onset you abandon your felfe from my presence as from the sight of your mortall enemie wherin I find that heauen and al his influences doe cry out for mine ouerthrow wherevnto I doe agrée since my lyfe taking no vigor and increase being onely sustained by the fauour of your diuine graces can not be maintained one onely minute of a day without the liberall helpe of your swéetenesse and vertue beseching you that if the heartie prayers of any mortall tormented man may euer haue force and power to moue you to pitie it may please you miraculously to deliuer from henceforth this my poore miserable afflicted mynde eyther from death or martirdome He that is more yours than his owne Edwarde the desolate King of Englande The letter written with his owne hand and sealed with his seale he commaunded the Secretarie to goe to the Countesse at her fathers house and secretly to deliuer the same which he did And the Countesse hauing read and perused it sayde to the Secretarie My frende you shal tell the king that I doe beseche him most humbly to send me no more letters or messages touching the matters wherof he hath written For I am in such wise resolued in the aunswere which I made him in my Castle that I will persist immutable to the ende
confesseth the facte before the Magistrates and is put to death The .xlij. Nouell Folio 125. ¶ Wantonesse and pleasaunt lyfe being guides of Insolencie doth bring a miserable ende to a fayre Ladye of Thurm Whom a noble man aduaunced to high estate Wherin he executeth great crueltie vpon his sayd Ladie taken in adulterie The .xliij. Nouell Folio 135. ¶ The loue of Alerane of Saxon and of Adelasia the daughter of the Emperoure Otho the thirde of that name Theire flight and departure into Italie and howe they were knowen againe what noble houses of Italie descended of their race The .xliiij. Nouell Folio 201. ¶ The Duchesse of Sauoie being the King of Englandes sister was in the Duke her husbandes absence iniustlye accused of adulterie by a noble man his Lieutenant And shoulde haue bene put to death if by the prowesse and valiaunt combate of Don Iohn di Mendozza a Gentleman of Spaine she had not bene deliuered With a discourse of meruellous accidents touching the same to the singuler prayse and commendacion of chaste and honest Ladies The .xlv. Nouell Fol. 226. ¶ A King of Englande loued the daughter of one of his noble men which was Coūtesse of Salesburie who after great sute to achieue that he coulde not winne for the intire loue he bare vnto her and her great constācie made her his Quene wife The .xlvj. Nouell Folio 258. Ser Giouanni Fiorentino ¶ A Gentlemā called Galgano long time made sute to Madonna Minoccia her husbande not knowing the same diuerse times praysed and commended the same Gentlemā to his Ladie by reason wherof in the absence of her husbande she sent for him and yelded her selfe vnto him telling him what words her husbande had spoken of him for recompence wherof he refused to dishonest her The .xlvij. Nouell Fol. 279. ¶ Bindo a notable Archietect and his sonne Ricciardo with all his famlie from Florence came to dwel at Uenice where being made citizens for diuerse monuments by them made there through his inordinat expences is forced to rob the Treasure house Bindo being slayne by a pollicie deuised by the Duke the State Ricciardo by fine subtelties deliuereth himselfe from foure daungers Afterwardes the Duke by his owne confession vnderstanding the sleight giueth him his pardon and his daughter in mariage The .xlviij. Nouell Folio 282. Out of Straparole ¶ Philenio Sisterno a Scholer of Bologna being mocked of three faire Gentlewomen at a banket made of set purpose was reuenged vpon them all The .xlix. Nouel Fol. 289. Out of Heptameron of the Quene of Nauarre ¶ The pitious and chast death of one of the Muleters wiues of the Quene of Nauarre The D. Nouell Fol. 296. ¶ A king of Naples abusing a Gentlemans wife in the end did weare the hornes him selfe The Lj. Nouell Fol. 298. ¶ The rashe enterprise of a gentleman against a Princesse of Flaunders and of the damage aud shame which he receyued therof The Lij Nouell Fol. 302. ¶ The loue of Amadour and Florinda wherein be contayned many sleights and dissimulations together with the renowmed chastity of the sayde Florinda The Liij Nouell Fol. 306. ¶ The incontinencie of a Duke and of his impudencie The Liiij Nouell Fol 326. ¶ One of the French kings called Frauncis the first of the name declared his gentle nature to Counte Guillaume that woulde haue killed him The Lv. Nouell Fol. 330. ¶ A punishment more rigorous than death of a husbande towardes his wife that had committed adulterie The Lvj. Nouell Fol. 332. ¶ A President of Grenoble aduertised of the ill gouernement of his wife toke suche order that his honestie was not diminished and yet reuēged the fact The Lvij. Nouel Fol. 334. ¶ A Gentleman of Perche suspecting iniurie done vnto him by his friend prouoked him to execute and put in proofe the cause of his suspition The Lviij Nouell Fol. 336. ¶ The Simplicitie of an old woman that offered a burning candle to saint Iohn of Lyons The Lix Nouel Fol. 338. Out of a little French boke called Comptes du Monde ¶ A Doctor of the Lawes bought a cup and by the subtiltie of two false verlets lost both his money and the cup. The Lx. Nouell Fol. 339. To the Reader NOTHING in mine opinion cā be more acceptable vnto thee friendely Reader than ofte reading dailye perusing of varietie of Histories which as they be for diuersitie of matter pleasaunt and plausible euen so for example and imitacion right good and commendable The one doth reioyce the wearie and tedious minde many times inuolued with ordinarie cares the other prescribeth a direct path to tread the trace of this present lyfe VVherefore if in these newes or Nouelles here presented there doe appeare any thing worthy of regard giue thankes to the noble Gentleman to whome this boke is dedicated for whose sake onely that paine if any seme to be was wholie imployed Inioy therfore with him this present boke curteously with friendelie talke report the same for if otherwise thou doe abuse it the blame shall light on thee and not of me which only of good wil did meane it firste But yet if blaming tongues and vnstayed heades will nedes be busie they shall susteine the shame for that they haue not yet shewen forth any blamelesse dede to like effect as this is ment of me which whē they doe no blame but praise they can receyue For praise be they well worthie for to haue which in well doing do contend No vertuous dede or zelous worke can want due praise of the honest though faulting foles and youthly heades full ofte do chaūt the faultlesse checke that Momus mouth did once finde out in Venus Slipper And yet from faults I will not purge the same but whatsoeuer they seme to be they be in number ne yet in substance such but that thy curteous dealing may sone amend them or forget them VVherefore to giue thee full aduertisment of the whole collection of these Nouelles vnderstand that .vj. of them haue I selected out of Titus Liuius two out of Herodotus certayne out of Aelianus Xenophon Aulus Gellius Plutarche and other like approued authors Other Nouelles haue I adioyned chosen out of diuers Italian and French writers VVherin I confesse my selfe not to be so well trained peraduenture as the fine heades of such trauailers would desire And yet I trust sufficiently to expresse the sense of euery of the same Certayne haue I culled out of the Decamerone of Giouan Boccaccio wherein be contayned one hundred Nouelles amongs which there be some in my iudgement that be worthy to be condempned to perpetuall prison but of them suche haue I redemed to the liberty of our vulgar as may be best liked and better suffred Although the .vj. part of the same hundreth may full well be permitted And as I my selfe haue already done many other of the same worke yet for this present I haue thought good to publishe onely .x. in number the rest
grauity which once made hir maruelous and singuler aboue all them that lyued in her dayes In the time that this ioly company had furnished and prepared themselues in readinesse Gunfort sent a gentleman of that troupe toward the Emperour to aduertise him of the successe of his iourney Wherof he was exceding ioyful and attended for the comming of his children with purpose to entertayne them in louing honorable wise When al things were in readynesse and the traine of Adelasia in good order according to the worthyuesse of the house whereof the came they rode towarde Sauonne which iourney séemed to them but a sport for the pleasure mixt with compassiō that eche man conceyued in the discourse the Alerane made vpon his misfortunes chaunces aswell in his iourneys as of his abode and continuance in the desertes Which William calling to remembraunce praysed God yelded him thankes for that it had pleased him to inspire into his minde the forsaking of his parentes considering that the same only fault was the cause of their restitution and of his aduauncement and glory being the sonne of such a father and the neuewe of so great a Monarche The fame of whose name made al men quake and tremble and who then had cōmaunded al the troupe of the gentlemen of his court to goe and seke the forlorne louers so long time lost and vnknowen To be short their entrie into Sauonne was so royal and triumphant as if the Emperour himself would haue receyued the honor of such estate pomp Which he commaunded to be done aswell for the ioy that he had recouered the thing which he accompted lost as to declare and acknowledge to euery wyght that vertue can not make her self better knowen than at that time when the actions and dedes of great personages be semblable in raritie excellence to their nobilitie For a Prince is of greater dignitie and admiration than he comonly sheweth himselfe which can neuer enter into the head of the popular sorte that déemeth the affections of other according to their owne rude and beastely fansies As the Gréeke Poet Euripides in his tragedie of Medea doth say Ill luck and chaūce thou must of force endure Fortunes fickle stay needes thou must sustaine To grudge thereat it booteth not at all Before it come the witty wise be sure By wisedomes lore and counsell not in vaine To shunne and eke auoyd The whirling ball Of fortunes threates the sage may wel reboūd By good foresight before it light on ground The Emperoure then hauing forgotten or wisely dissembling that which he coulde not amende met his daughter and sonne in law at the Pallace gate with so pleasant chéere and ioyfull countenance as the like long time before he did not vse Where Alerane and Adelasia being light of from their horse came to kisse his hands and both vpon their knées began to frame an oration for excuse of their fault and to pray pardon of his Maiestie The good Prince rauished with ioy satisfied with repentance stopped their mouthes with swete kisses and hard embracinges O happy ill time sayde he and sorowfull ioy which now bringeth to me a pleasure more great than euer was my heauy displeasure From whence commeth this my pleasant ioy O well deuised flight by the which I gaine that by preseruing my losse once made and committed which I neuer had yf I may so say considering the ornament of my house and quietnesse of my lyfe And saying so he kissed embraced his litle Neuewes and was lothe that Adelasia should make rehersal of other talke but of mirth and pleasure For sayde he it sufficeth me that I haue ouerpassed and spent the greatest parte of my lyfe in heauinesse vtterly vnwilling nowe to renewe olde sores and woundes Thus the mariage begon vnknowen against the Emperours wil was consummate celebrated with great pompe and magniffcence by his owne commaundement in the Citie of Sauonne where he made Sir William Knight with his owne hand Many goodly factes at the Tourney and Tilt were done and atchieued wherat William almost euery day bare away the prise victory to the great pleasure of his father contentation of his graundfather who then made him Marques of Monferrat To the second sonne of Alerane he gaue the Marquisat of Sauonne with al the appurtenances and iurisdictions adioyning of whome be descended the Marqueses of Caretto The thirde he made Marques of Saluce the race of whom is to this day of good fame and nobilitie Of the fourth sonne sprange out the originall of the house of Cera The fift was Marques of Incise whose name and progeny liueth to this day The sixt sōne did gouerne Pouzon The seuenth was established Senior of Bosco vnder the name and title of Marques And Alerane was made and constituted ouerséer of the goods and dominions of his children and the Emperours Lieutenaunt of his possessions which he had in Liguria Thus the Emperour by moderating his passion vanquished himselfe and gaue example to the posteritie to pursue the offence before it doe take roote but when the thing can not be corrected to vse modestie and mercy which maketh kings to liue in peace and their Empire in assurance Hauing taken order with all his affaires in Italie he toke leaue of his daughter and children and retired into Almaigne And Alerane liued honorable amōgs his people was beloued of his father in lawe and in good reputation and fame arriued to olde yeares still remembring that aduersitie ought not to bring vs to dispaire nor prosperity to insolencie or ill behauiour and contempt of things that seme small and base sith there is nothing vnder the heauens that is stable and sure For he that of late was great and made all men to stoupe before him is become altogether such a one as though he had neuer bene and the pore humble man aduaunced to that estate from whence the first did fal and was deposed making lawes sometimes for him vnder whom he liued a subiect And behold of what force the prouidence of God is and what poyse hys balance doth contayne and howe blame worthy they be that referre the effectes of that diuine counsell to the inconstant and mutable reuolucion of fortune that is blind and vncertaine The Duchesse of Sauoie The Duchesse of Sauoie being the King of Englandes sister was in the Duke her husbandes absence vniustlie accused of adultery by a noble man his Lieutenāt And shoulde haue bene put to death if by the prowesse and valiaunt to combate of Don Iohn di Mendozza a Gentleman of Spaine she had not bene deliuered With a discourse of maruellous accidents touching the same to the singuler prayse and commendation of chaste and honest Ladies ¶ The .xlv. Nouell LOue commonly is counted the greatest passion amongs all the most greuous that ordinarily do assault the spirites of men which after it hath once taken hold of any gentle subiecte followeth the nature of the
his quarel and the reward of his fight semed to redouble his force For euen then when euery mā thought that power must néedes fayle him it was the houre wherein he did best behaue himselfe In such sorte that hys enemie not being able any longer to endure hys puissaunte strokes being wounded in diuers partes of hys body did nowe no more but defende himselfe and beare of the blowes which were bestowed without intermission vpon al the partes of his bodie Which the Spanish knight perceiuing desirous to make an ende of the combat made so full a blowe with all his force vpon the top of his helmet that he wounded his heade very sore Wherwithall the heart of the Earle began very much to faynt and staggering here there like a dronken man or troubled in his senses was constrayned to fall downe from his horse And then the Lorde of Mendozza dismounting himselfe and taking holde vpon the corps of his shield plucked it so rudely to him that he ouerturned him on his other side Then with the pomel of his sword he did so swetely bumbast him that he made his helmet to flie of his head And serting his foote vpon his throte made as though with the point of his sword he wold haue killed him saying Counte the houre is now come that thou must go make an accompt with God of thine vntrouth and treason which thou hast cōmitted against the Duchesse Ah sir knight quod the Earle haue pitie vpon me and kill me not I beseche thée before I haue a little bethought me of my conscience Uillayne quod the Spaniarde if I had any hope of thine amendement I would willingly giue thée delay of lyfe But being a traytor as thou art thou wilt neuer ceasse to afflict innocents Neuerthelesse if thou wilt acknowledge thy fault publikely and require pardon of the Duchesse I will willingly leaue thée to the mercy of the Duke although that if I did obserue the rigour of the lawe I shoulde cause thée presently to receyue the payne prepared for the Duchesse To whome he obeyed for safegarde of his lyfe and knéeling on his knées before the Duchesse in the presence of all the people made a long discourse of his loue towardes her of the repulse that she gaue him and that for reuenge he ayded himselfe with his Nephewe thinking to ouerthrowe her chastitie Finally how he had slayne his Nephew to induce the Duke to iudge her to be culpable of the adulterry And then tourning his face towardes the Duchesse sayde vnto her Madame it behoueth me to confesse that the losse of thys one lyfe is to little to paye the tribute of the curelesse fault that I haue cōmitted against you Yet sith it is so I besech you by preferring pitie and mercy before the rigor of your iustice you will permit that I may liue yet certayne dayes to make a viewe of my lyfe paste and to prouide for the scruple of my conscience Then new ioye approched to garnishe the spirite of the Duchesse and both the soule and the heart began to shewe themselues ioyful in such wyse that she was a long tyme wythout power to speake did nothing else but ioyne her handes lift vp her eyes to Heauen saying O Lorde God praysed be thy holy name for that thou hast caused the bright beames of thy diuinitie to shine vpon the darknesse of my sorrowfull lyfe enforcing so well the minde of thys traytour the murderer of mine honor by the prickes of thy rigorous iustice openly to acknowledge before all men the iniurie that he hath done me And without speaking any more words she torned her face for feare lest she shuld make him any other answere Then all the people began to laude and magnifie God and to sing Psalmes for ioy of the deliueraūce of their Duchesse who was brought backe and reconducted into the citie with so great triumph as if she had made a seconde entrie Whilest these things were a doing the deputies for the suretie of the campe caused the wounded Earle to be borne to prison The knight Mendozza stale secretely away and after that he had in the nexte village dressed certaine smal woūds that he had receiued in the combat he toke his way to Spaine In the meane tyme the Duchesse caused him to be sought for in euery place but it was not possible to knowe any more newes of him than if he had bene neuer sene Wherat being grieued beyonde measure she made her mone to Emilia to know wherfore he should so absent himselfe from her Madame quod Emilia he is sure some French knight or else it may be some kinsman of your owne who is come out of Englande into these partes for certaine other affaires And fearing least he should be stayed here will not be knowen reseruing the manifestacion of himselfe til another tyme more apte for his purpose Let him be what he may be sayde the Duchesse for so long as my soule shall remayne wythin my bodye I will doe him homage during my life For the which I am so duely bound debtour vnto him as neuer subiect was to his soueraigne Lord. In this time whilest these matters went thus at Thurin the Duke of Sauoie who was Lieutenant general for the King agaynst the Almaines encountering with his enemies in a skirmishe by fortune was slayne Whereof the King of Englande being aduertised and specially of the deliuerie of his sister desirous to haue her about him sente for her to marry her agayne and to leaue vnto her the entier gouernement of his houshold And to grateste her at her first arriuall he gaue the rule of his daughter vnto her which was of the age of .xvi. or .xvij. yeares wyth whome by certayne meanes there was a mariage practized for the Prince of Spaine Let vs nowe leaue the Duchesse to liue in honor with her brother and retorne we to the Lord of Mendozza who being arriued néere vnto his citie vnderstode incontinently that they which had besiedged it had leuied their campe For that they of the towne had so well done their endeuour that not onely their enemies were not able to enter But also they had in a certaine skirmish taken the Lord Ladulphe their Chieftaine prisoner who was yet to that presente deteined bicause meanes were made for peace to be concluded on all sides Neuerthelesse they durst doe nothing without him Whereat the Lorde of Mendozza being replenished with great ioye to see hys affaires prosper so well in all partes entred the citie And the articles of the peace communicated vnto him he founde them very profitable for him And being cōcluded approued by him he began to solace himself in his owne house without taking care for any thing saue onely from thenceforth to thinke by what meane he might go to sée the Duchesse and recount vnto her the issue of his affaires But fortune prepared him a more readie occasion than he thought of For the King of