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
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
house is so full that I and my housholde be faine to lie vpon the benches how beit I haue certaine garrettes harde adioynyng to my lorde Abbottes chamber where I maie place you verie well and I will cause my folkes to beare thither a pallet and there if you please you maie lodge this night To whom Alexandro saied How shall I goe throughe the Abbottes chamber where for the streighte rome in the same not one of his Monkes is able to lie But if I had knowen it before the curteins had been drawen I would haue caused his Monkes to haue lien in the garrette and I my selfe would haue lodged where thei dooe Wherevnto the hoste saied it is dooen now but me thinke you maie if you liste lie there so well as in any place of the house The Abbot beyng a slepe and the curteins drawen before hym I will softlie and without noise conueie a pallett thithere Alexandro perceiuyng that the same might be doen without any anoyaunce to the Abbot agreed and conueied himself so secretlie as he could through the chamber The Abbot which was not a slepe but gaue himself to thinke and imagine vpon his newe desires hearde the woordes that were spoken betwene the hoste and Alexandro and likewise vnderstanding where Alexandro laie was verie well contente in himself and began to saie The Lorde hath sente me a time fauourable to satisfie my desires whiche if I do not now receiue peraduenture the like will neuer bee offred againe Wherefore perswading with himself to take that present occasiō and supposing likewise that euery mā was a slepe he called Alexādro so softlie as he could and willed him to come and lie beside him who after many excuses when his clothes were of came vnto hym The Abbot laiyng his arme ouer him began to attempte suche amorous toies as be accustomed betwene twoo louers whereof Alexandro merueiled muche and doubted that the Abbotte beyng surprised with dishonest loue had called hym to his bedde of purpose to proue hym Whiche doubte the Abbot either by presumption or some other acte dooen by Alexandro vnderstandyng in continentlie beganne to smile and to putte of his shurte whiche he ware and tooke Alexandros hande and laied it ouer his stomacke saiyng vnto hym Alexandro cast out of thy minde thy vnhonest thoughte and fele here the thing whiche I haue secrete Alexandro laiyng his hande ouer the Abbottes stomack perceiued that he had twoo breastes rounde and harde the skinne whereof was verie fine and neshe whereby he perceiued that he was a woman whom incontinentlie he embraced and without looking for any other inuitaciō he would haue kissed her that she saied vnto him Before thou approche any nerer marke what I shall saie vnto thee I am a woman and not a man as thou maiest perceiue but beyng departed a maide from my house I am goyng to the Pope to praie him to place me in mariage But whē I first viewed thee the other daie whether it was through thy good fortune or my mishappe loue attached me in suche wise as neuer woman loued manne as I dooe thee And therefore I dooe purpose to take thee for my husbande before all others But if thou wilte not take me to wife get thee hence and retourne to thine owne bedde Alexandro although he knewe her not yet hauyng regarde vnto the companie and traine that followed her iudged her to be some noble and riche Ladie On the other parte he sawe that she was a personage right beautifull and faire therefore without any further consideracion he answered That for somuche as her pleasure was such he was verie well contēted She then sitting vp in her bedde hauing a litle table wherin the picture of Christ was painted indowed him with a ringe doing the order of espousalles and afterwardes embracing one an other to their greate contentacion and pleasure thei ioyfullie continued together that night And after thei had deuised and concluded thorder and meanes to accomplishe their affaires from that time forthe Alexādro so sone as it was daie rose and went out of the chāber that waie he came in without knowledge to any man where he laie that night Then right ioifull and glad he proceded in his iourney with the Abbotte and his cōpanie and within fewe daies arriued at Rome And when thei had remained there a certaine tyme The Abbot taking with him but the twoo knightes and Alexandro wente to the Pope where doyng to him their due reuerence the Abbot began to speake in this wise Holie father as your holinesse dooeth better knowe then any other euery manne that purposeth to liue an honeste life ought to auoide so muche as lieth in him all occasiōs that maie drawe him to the cōtrary Whiche to thintent I that am desirous to leade an honeste life maie fullie performe am secretlie fledde and arriued here in the habite wherein you see with a good porcion of the kyng of Englandes treasure who is my father that your holinesse maie bestowe me in Mariage for so muche as my father would giue me to wife whiche am a yonge gentlewoman as you see to the Scottishe king a verie riche and wealthie Prince And his olde age was not so muche the occasion of my departure as the feare which I conceiued through the frailtie of my youth to be maried vnto him to commit a thing that should be cōtrary to the lawe of God and the honour of the bloud roiall of my father And in comyng hitherwardes beyng in this déepe deliberacion with my self almightie God who onelie knoweth assuredlie what is nedefull and necessarie for vs all did place before mine eyes through his gracious mercie as I truste him that he thinketh meete to bee my husbande whiche is this yonge gentleman poinetyng to Alexandro whom you see standing besides me The honestie worthinesse of whom is well able to match with any greate ladie how honourable so euer she bee although peraduenture the nobilitie of his bloudde is not so excellent as that which procedeth from the roiall and princelie stocke Him then haue I chosen to be my husbande him I will haue and none other whatsoeuer my father shall faie or any other to the cōtrarie Wherefore the principall occasion that moued me to come hither is now dispatched But I will accōplishe and performe the rest of my voiage aswel to visite the holie and reuerent places whereof this citie is ful and your holinesse as also that the contracte of mariage hitherto onely made in the presēce of God betwene Alexandro and me shal be consummate openly in the presence of you and consequentlie in the sight of all men Wherefore I humblie beseche your fatherhode to bée agreable vnto that which it hath pleased God and me to bring to passe and that you would giue vs your benediction to the intent wee maie liue together in the honour of God to the perfection and ende of our life Alexandro greatlie merueiled when he vnderstoode that his wife
therefore expell from thée this shame and feare And spare not to tell me if I be able to dooe any thyng in that whiche thou louest And if thou perceiue that I bee not carefull to bryng it to passe repute me for the cruellest mother that euer bare childe The yonge gentleman hearyng these wordes of his mother was first ashamed but after thinkyng with hymself that none was so well able to pleasure hym as she driuyng awaie all shame saied to her in this wise Madame there is none other thyng that hath made me to kepe my loue secrete but that whiche I see in many people who after thei bée growen to yeres of discrecion dooe neuer remember that thei haue béen yonge But for so muche as herein I dooe sée your Ladiship discrete and wise I will not onely affirme that to be true whiche you haue perceiued in me but also I will cōfesse what it is vpon suche condicion that the effect thereof shall folowe your promise so farre as lieth in you whereby you shalbée able to recouer my life Wherevnto the mother trusting to muche in that whiche she ought not to haue accomplished for certaine consideracions whiche afterwardes came into her minde Answered hym liberally that he might boldly discouer all his desire and that forthwith she would bryng the same to passe Madame saied the yong man then the greate beautie and commendable qualities of your maiden Gianetta whom as yet not onely I haue no power to intreate to take pitie vpon me but also I haue made no wight in the worlde priuie of this my loue The not disclosyng and secrecie wherof hath brought me in case as you sée And if so be the thing whiche you haue promised dooe not by one meane or other come to passe assure your self that my life is but short The ladie knowing that it was more tyme to comforte then to reprehende saied vnto hym smilyng Alas my soonne were you sicke for this Bée of good chere and when you are whole let me alone The yong gentleman being put in good hope shewed in litle tyme tokens and signes of greate amendemēt Wherof the mother was meruellous glad disposyng her self to proue how she might obserue that whiche she had promised And one daie callyng Gianetta vnto her demaunded in gentle wise by waie of merie talke if she had not gotten her a louer Gianetta with face all blushyng answered Madame I haue no nede thereof and muche more vnsemely for so poore a damosell as I am to meditate or thincke vpon louers whiche am banished from my frendes and kinsfolke remainyng in seruice as I dooe To whom the Ladie saied If you haue none we will bestowe one vpō you whiche shall content your mynde and make your life more delectable and pleasaunt For it is nul mete that so faire a maide as you bée should continue without a a louer Wherevnto Gianetta answered Madame waiyng with my self that you haue taken me from my poore father and brought me vp as your doughter It becometh me to do that which pleaseth you Notwithstandyng I intende neuer to make any complainte to you for lacke of suche a one bothe for vertue and honestie sake but if it please you to giue me a husbande I purpose to loue hym and none other For my progenitours haue left me none other inheritaunce but honestie whiche I meane to kéepe so long as my life indureth These woordes to the Ladie semed contrary to that whiche she desired to knowe to atchieue her promes made to her soonne although like a wise Ladie to her self she greatly praised the damoset and said vnto her But Gianetta what if my Lorde the Kyng whiche is a yonge Prince and you a faire maiden would take pleasure in your loue would you refuse hym Wherevnto the maide sodainly answered The Kyng maie well force me but by consent he shall neuer obtaine any thyng except it be honest The Ladie conceiuyng the courage and stoutnesse of the maiden in good parte saied no more vnto her but thinkyng to put the matter in proofe she tolde her sonne that when he was whole she would put them bothe in a chamber that he mighte haue his pleasure vpon her For she thought it dishonest to intreate her maide for her sōne bicause it was the office of a Roffiana The yong man was nothing contented therewith whereby he sodainly waxed worsse and worsse whiche the Ladie perceiuyng opened her whole intente to Gianetta but findyng her more constaunt the euer she was before she tolde her husbande all that she had dooen who agreed although against their willes to giue her to bée his wife thinking it better their sonne liuyng to haue a wife vnagreable to his estate then to suffer hym to die for her sake Whiche after greate consultaciō thei concluded where of Gianetta was merueilously well pleased and with deuoute harte gaue thankes to God for that he had not forgottē her And yet for all that she would neuer name her self otherwise then the doughter of a Picarde The yonge sonne waxed whole incōtinently was maried the best contented man a liue and began to dispose himself louingly to leade his life with her Perotto whiche did remain in Wales with the other Marshall of the kyng of Englāde semblably increased and was welbeloued of his maister and was a verie comely and valiaunt personage that the like of hym was not to be founde in all the Islande in suche wise that at Torneis Iustes and other factes of armes there was none in all the Countrie comparable vnto him wherfore by the name Perotto the Picarde he was knowen and renowmed And like as God had not forgotten his sister euen so he shewed his mercifull remembraunce of hym For a certaine plague and mortalitie happened in that Countrie whiche consumed the one haulfe of the people there besides that the moste part of them that liued were fledde for feare into their coūtries whereby the whole prouince seemed to bée abandoned and desolate Of whiche plague the Marshall his maister his wife and his sonne and many other brothers neuewes and kinsfolke died of whō remained no more but his onely doughter which was mariageable and some of his seruauntes together with Perotto whom after the plague was somewhat ceased the yong gentlewoman toke for her husbande through the counsaile and consente of certaine of the countrie people that were aliue bicause he was a valiaunt and honest personage and of all that inheritaunce whiche her father left she made hym Lorde Alitle while after the kyng of Englande vnderstoode that the Marshall was dedde and knowyng the valor and stoutnesse of Perotto the Picarde he made hym Marshall in steede of him that was dedde In this sort in short tyme it chaunced to the twoo innocent childrē of the Erle of Angiers which were left by hym as lost and quite forlorne It was then the .xviij. yere sithens the Erle fledde from Paris hauyng in miserable sorte suffred many
withall he thrust the rapier into him vp to the hard hiltes and doubling the blow to make him faile of his spéech he gaue him another ouerthwart the throte so fiercely that the pore innocent after he had a litle réeled to and fro fell downe stark dead to the ground When he had put vp his rapier he turned towards the Counsellers and sayde vnto them My friendes this is not the first time that I haue espied the lasciuious and dishonest loue betwene this my locherous Nephewe and the Duchesse whome I haue caused to die to honourably in respect of his desert For by the very rigor of the lawe he deserued to haue bene burnt quicke or else to be torne in pieces with .iiij. horses But my Lady the Duchesse I meane not to punishe or to prouide chastisement for her For you be not ignoraunt that the ancient custome of Lombardie and Sauoie requireth that euery woman taken in adultery shall be burned aliue yf with in a yeare a day she finde not a Champion to fighte the combase for her innocencie But for the bounden duery that I deare to my Lorde the Duke and for respect of the estate which he hath committed to my charge I will to morrowe dyspatche a Poaste to make hym vnderstande the whole accident as it is come to passe And the Duchesse shal remaine in this Chambre with certayue of her maides vnder sure keping and safegard All this time the Duchesse who had both iudgement and spirite so good as any Princesse that raygned in her time suspected straightwayes the treason of the Earle And with a pitiful eye beholding the dead body of her Page fetching a déepe sighe cryed out Oh innocent soule which sometyme gauest lyfe to this bodye that nowe is but earth thou art now in place where thou séest clearely the iniquitie of the murderer that lately did put thée to death And hauing made an end of this exlamation with her armes a crosse she remained as in a sowne without mouing eyther hande or foote And after she had continued a while in that estate she desired the Counsellers to cause the body to be buried and to restore it to the earth whereof it had the first creation For quoth she it hath not deserued to be tied to the gibet and to be fode for birdes of the ayre Which they graunted not without a certaine greuous suspicion betwéene her and the Page For so much as she excused not her self but the innocencie of him without speaking any worde of her owne particular iustification This pitiefull aduenture was out of hande published through all the citie with so great sorrow and murmure of the people that it semed as though the enemies had sacked the towne For there was not one from the very least to the greatest of all but did both loue and reuerence the Duchesse in suche sort that it séemed vnto them that this misfortune was fallen vpon euery one of their children The Earle of Pancalier did nothing al that day but dispatch the Poastes And hauing caused all the whole matter to be registred as it was séene to be done he commaunded the Counsellers and them of the Gard to subscribe his letters And al the matter being put in order he sent away two Currors with diligence the one into Englande to aduertise the King her brother and the other to the Duke Who being arriued eche man in his place presented their charges Wherevnto both the brother and the husband gaue full credite without any maner of difficultie persuaded principally therevnto by the death of the Nephewe Who as it was very likely had not bene put to death by his owne vncle and of whome he was also the very heire without his most grieuous faulte praysing greatly the fidelitie of the Earle that had not pardoned his owne propre bloud to conserue his duetie and honor so his soueraigne Lorde And it was concluded betwene them by deliberate aduise counsayle aswell of those of the King of England as by a gret nūber of lerned men of Fraūce whom the french king made to assemble for that respect in fauour of the Duke that the custome should be inuiolably kepte as if it were for the most simple damsell of all the country to the end that in time to come great Lords and Ladies which be as it were lampes to giue light to others might take example And that from thenceforth they should not suffer their vertues to be obscured by the cloudes of such execrable vices The King of Englande to gratifie the Earle of Pancalier who in his iudgement had shewed himselfe right noble in this acte sent him an excellent harnesse with a sworde of the selfe same trampe by the Currour with letters of aunswere written with his owne hande howe he vnderstode the manner of his procedings And the messanger vsed such diligence that wythin fewe dayes he arriued at Thurin Shortly after that the King of England had sent backe the Currour the Duke of Sauoie retorned his whome he stayed so much the longer bycause the matter touched him more nere And he would that it should be debated by most graue and deliberate counsell And when he had resolued he wrote to the counsellers and other Magistrates of Thurin aboue all things to haue respect that the custome should be inuiolablie kept and that they should not in any case fauour the adultery of his wife vpon payne of death Then in particuler he wrote his letters to the Earle wherby he did greatly allow his fidelity for the which he hoped to make him such recompence as both he and his should taste thereof during their liues The Currour of the Duke arriued and the matter proponed in counsell it was iudged that following the auncient custome a piller of Marble should be placed in the fieldes neere Thurin which is betwene the bridge of the riuer Poo and the citie wherevpon should be written the accusation of the Earle of Pancalier against the Duchesse Which the Duchesse vnderstanding hauing none other companie but Emilia and a yong damsell dispoiled her self of her silken garmēts and did put on mourning wede martired with an infinite numbre of sundrie tormentes seing her selfe abandoned of al worldly succour made her complaints to God beseching him with teares to be protector of her innocencie Emilia who vnderstode by her that she was vniustly accused and seing the iminent perill that was prepared for her determined by her accustomed prudence to prouide therfore And after she had a little comforted her she sayde vnto her Madame the case so requireth nowe that you shoulde not consume tyme in teares and other womanish plaintes which can nothing diminishe your euill It séemes most expedient vnto me that you fortefie your selfe agaynst your enemie and to find some meáne to send Maister Appian in poast to the Duke of Mendozza one of the best renowned in prowesse of al the Knights in Spaine who being aduertised of your misfortune wil
onely benefit confesse my selfe this day to be eternally bound vnto her Madame quod the Knight I pray you let vs not renewe the memorie of our former griefes wherin if by any meane I haue done you good I was but the organe or instrumente thereof For God who is the righter of all wrong did neuer suffer iustice without his due vengeance howe long so euer he taried So you not being in any wise culpable if I had neuer enterprised the combate whervnto I was bound Our lord God wold haue raised some other to achieue the same Wel then my Lord q the Duchesse sithens it pleaseth you not that I renewe my dolors paste which haue taken ende by your meane I shall humbly beseche you to excuse me if this day I haue not giuen you that honour and good entertainment which you deserued Assuring you that before you shall departe this countrie I will make you amendes according vnto your owne discretion Madame quod the Knight for all the wronges that euer you did vnto mée if they may be called wronges the curtesie fauor and gentlenesse which already I haue receyued doth at one instant acquite and recompence Neuerlesse if it may please you to receyue me for your seconde husbande sith it hath pleased God to call your first out of this lyfe into another that is and shall be the fulnesse of all the felicitie that I loke for in this worlde My Lorde Mendozza sayde the Duchesse the recompence which you demaunde of me is very little in respect of the amendes and satisfaction which I ought to make you But of one thing I can well assure you that if I had the whole worlde at my commaundement and that I were the best Princesse of the earth in al kinde of beauties and gifts of grace I would willingly submit my selfe vnto you in consideration of your worthynesse benefits bestowed vpon me with so willing a mind as presently I do yeld vnto your request And I must néedes confesse that I am now gretly boūd to Fortune that hath deliuered me into your hands from whome I hope neuer to be seuered so long as my soule shall rest within my body being predestinated as I beleue to no other end but to serue and obey you And as they thought to make a longer discourse of their talk Emilia told them that the King was in counsel and that the other Lords of Spaine attended his cōming Who with his cōpany being come before the king hauing done their reuerence vnto him he began to declare his charge and how they were of purpose sente to his maiestie in the behalf of the King of Spaine to demauud the Lady his daughter in mariage for his sonne the prince of Spaine Which he had chosen aswell to haue his alliaunce a matter by him onely desired as for the beautie good grace for the which she was speciallye recommended And if so be he had willed to haue chosen hys matche elsewhere that there was not at that day any Prince in all Europa that woulde not willingly haue accorded vnto him To whome the king aunswered My friendes I féele my selfe so much honored for that it hath pleased the King to sende vnto me as if he had not preuented me I had thought to haue sent vnto him for the same purpose And albeit that herein he hath vanquished me in ciuilitie and courtesie yet I wil not fayle if I can to surmount him in amitie For he hath bounde me during lyfe in such wyse that he and my Lord his sonne may boldly vaunte thēselues to haue a King of Englande and a realme frō henceforth at their commaundement The mariage concluded the Duchesse diligently made sute to talke with the king alone to communicate vnto him the agrement betwene the Lorde of Mendozza and her And perceiuing that the king was gone into his chambre she went vnto him and being alone with him hauing her face all bedewed with teares knéeling she sayd vnto him My Lord when I consider my miseries past and the cruell assaultes that I haue receiued of Fortune being not onely cōmitted to the mercy of a most cruell prison but which is more at the very laste point of a shamefull death I am so afflicted that the onely remembraunce of those miseries terrifieth me and causeth a certaine extreme bitternesse to rise in my heart And when on the other side I thinke of the great goodnesse that almightie God hath shewed vnto me by stretching forth his mightie hande to deliuer me oute of that perill chiefly to make me tryumphe ouer the death of mine enimie I féele such comfort of minde that all the delightes of the worlde be but griefes in respect of the ioye pleasure and contentacion that I receiue Wherin nothing offendeth me so much as hitherto that I haue not acknowledged the benifit receiued of him who was elected of God to be my deliuerer neuerthelesse sir by your onely worde you may both satisfie him and content me yea and as it were prolong the dayes of my lyfe The King who loued his sister no lesse than his daughter seing her pitifull complaynt and teares and to speake with such affection tooke her vp and holding her by the arme sayd vnto her Deare sister and friende if I haue not to this present satisfyed him that was the cause of your deliueraunce I can not be accused of ingratitude for that hitherto I haue not knowen him ne yet your self doth knowe what he is as you haue oftentimes tolde me But of one thing you maye be assured and I sweare vnto you at this present by my Scepter that so sone as I shall vnderstande what he is I will vse him in such wyse as he shal thinke himselfe satisfyed and contented though it did cost me the one halfe of my kingdome For the pleasure which he hath done vnto you byndeth not you alone but me also to be partaker of that bande both our honours being iointly bounde therevnto Alas my Lorde sayde the Duchesse it is the knight Mendozza chief of this Ambassade to whom if it please you to giue your cōsent that we two might marrie all auncient bandes and debtes shall remayne extinct and so by a small rewarde you shall restore life to two persons almost dead for the excessiue loue which one beareth to the other And therwithall she began to declare to the King thoriginall and processe of the whole discourse First the voyage of the sister of Mendozza into Piemont her owne peregrination to S. Iames the honest amitie betwene her Mendozza the message of maister Appian to Mendozza his refusall of that request his retorne after to Thurin her confession the Diamonde knowen agayne finally how al the whole had passed betwene them the counterfayte deuotion to Sainct Iames onely reserued which for her honours sake she would not tell him The king vnderstāding this straunge discourse was so rapt with ioye and appalled with gladnesse that he coulde not for a
Pallace among whome was the Archebishop of Yorke a man of great reputation singuler learning to whome with the knife in his hande he recyted particularlie the discourse of hys Loue. And after he toke the Countesse by the hand and sayd vnto her Madame the houre is come that for recompence of your honest chastitie and vertue I wyll and consente to take you to Wife if you can finde in your heart The Countesse hearing those wordes began to recolour her bleake and pale face with a vermelion teint and Roseal rudde and accomplished with incredible ioye and contentacion falling downe at his fete sayd vnto him My Lord forasmuch as I neuer loked to be aduaunced to so honorable state as Fortune nowe doth offer for merite of a benefite so hyghe and gret which you present vnto me vouchsauing so much to abase your selfe to the espousal of so pore a Lady your Maiesties pleasure being suche beholde me ready at your commaundement The King taking her vp from the ground commaunded the Bishoppe to pronounce with a hyghe voyce the usuall wordes of Matrimonie Then drawing a riche Diamond from his fynger he gaue it to the Coūtesse and kissing her said Madame you be Quene of Englande and presently I doe giue you thyrty thousande Angelles by the yeare for your reuenue And the Duchie of Lancastre being by confiscation fallen into my handes I giue also vnto you to bestowe vpon your self and your frendes All which inrolled according to the maner the King accomplishing the mariage rewarded the Countesse for the rigorous interestes his so long Loue with such hap and contentation as they may iudge which haue made assay of like pleasure and recouered the fruite of so long pursute And the more magnificently to solemnize the mariage the King assembled al the Nobilitie of Englande and somoned them to be at London the first day of Iuly to beautifie and assiste the Nupcialles and coronation of the Quene Then he sent for the Father and brethren of the Quene whom he embraced one after an other honouring the Earle as his father and his Sonnes as his brethren whereof the Earle wonderfullye reioyced séeing the conceyued hope of his Daughters honor sorted to so happy effecte as well to the perpetuall fame of him and his as to the euerlaseing aduauncement of his house At the appointed day the Quene was brought from her fathers house apparelled with Royall vestures euen to the Pallace and conducted with an infinite number of Lordes and Ladies to the Church where when seruice was done the King was maried againe openly and the same celebrated she was conueyed vp into a publike place and proclaimed Quéene of Englande to the exceding gratulation and ioy incredible of all the Subiectes ¶ An Aduertisement to the Reader AFter these tragicall Nouelles and dolorous Histories of Bandello I haue thought good for recreatiō of the readers to refresh their minds with some pleasaunt deuises and disportes Least their spirites and senses should be appalled and astōned with the sundrie kinds of cruelties remembred in the .vij. of the former Nouelles Which be so straunge and terrible as they be able to affright the stoutest And yet considering that they be very good lessons for auoyding of lyke inconueniences and apt examples for continuation of good and honest lyfe they be the better to be borne with and may with lesse astōnishment be read and marked They that folow be mitigated and swetened with pleasure not altogether so sower as the former be Praying thee most heartely paciently to beare with all thing that shal occurre eyther in these that follow or in the other that be past before Galgano A Gentleman called Galgano long tyme made sute to Madonna Minoccia her husbande Sir Stricca not knowing the same diuers times praysed and commended Galgano by reason whereof in the absence of her husbande she sent for him and yelded her selfe vnto him telling him what wordes her husbande had spoken of him for recōpence whereof he refused to dishonest her ¶ The .xlvij. Nouel IN the citie of Siena in Italie there was a riche yong Gentleman called Galgano borne of noble birth actiue and well trained vp in al kinde of exercise valiant braue stoute and curteous in the maners and orders of all cuntries very skilfull This Galgano loued a Gentlewoman of Siena named Madonna Minoccia the wife of sir Stricca a comely knight and wore in his apparel the colour and deuises of his Lady bearing the same vpon his helmet and armoure in all Iustes Tourneyes and triumphes obseruing noble feastes and banquettes for her sake But for all those costly sumptuous and noble practises this Lady Minoccia in no wise would giue eare vnto his sutes Wherfore Galgano at his wittes end was voyde of aduise what to doe or say seing the great crueltie and rigor raigning in her brest vnto whome he daylie prayed for better successe and fortune than to himselfe There was no feast banquet triumphe or mariage but Galgano was there to doe her humble seruice and that day his minde was not pleased and contented wherin he had not séene her that had his louing heart in full possession very many tymes like a Prince that coueted peace he sente ambassadours vnto her with presentes and messages but she a proude and scornefull Princesse dayned neyther to heare them or receyue them And in this state stode this passionat Louer a long tyme tormented with the exceding hote Loue fealtie that he bare her And many tymes making his reuerent complaints to Loue did say Ah Loue my deare and soueraigne Lorde howe cruell and harde hearted art thou how vumercifully dealest thou with me rather how deafe be thyne eares that canst not recline the same to my nightly complaintes and daylie afflictions How chaunceth it that I doe in this maner consume my ioyfull dayes with pyning plaintes Why doest thou suffer me to Loue and not to be beloued And thus oftentimes remembring the crueltie of Loue his Ladies tiranny he began in maner like a wyght replete with despaire But in fine he determined paciently to abide the good tyme and pleasure of Loue still hoping to finde mercy And daylie gaue himselfe to practise and frequent those thinges that might be acceptable and pleasaunte to his Ladye But she still persisted inexorable It chaunced that sir Stricca and his fayre wyfe for their solace and recreation repaired to one of their houses harde by Siena And vpon a time Galgano passed by the same with a Sparhauke on his fist making as thoughe he went a Hauking but of purpose onely to sée his Lady And as he was going by the house sir Stricca espied him and went forth to méete him and familiarly taking him by the hande prayed him to take parte of his supper with his wyfe and him For which curtesie Galgano gaue him thankes and sayde Sir I doe thanke you for your curteous request but for this tyme I pray you to holde me excused
depriued of his kingdome The .vj. Nouell Folio 19. ¶ King Craesus of Lydia reasoneth with the wyseman Solon of the happy life of man Who little esteming his good aduise vnderstode before his death that no man but by vertue can in his lyfe attaine felicitie The .vij. Nouell Folio 21. AElianus ¶ Of a Father that made sute to haue his owne sonne put to death The .viij. Nouell Folio 24. ¶ Water offered of good will to Artaxerxes the king of Persia and the liberall rewarde of the king to the giuer The .ix. Nouell Folio 24. ¶ The loue of Chariton and Menalippus The .x. Nouell Folio 25. Xenophon ¶ King Cyrus persuaded by Araspas to dispose himselfe to loue a Ladie called Panthea entreth into a pretie disputacion and talke of Loue and beauty Afterwardes Araspas himselfe falleth in loue with the sayde Ladie but she indued with great chastitie auoideth his earnest Loue. And when her husbande was slayne in the seruice of Cyrus she killed herself The .xj. Nouell Folio 27. Quintus Curtius ¶ Abdolominus is from poore estate aduauÌ„ced by Alexander the great through his honest lyfe to be king of Sydone The .xij. Nouell Folio 33. ¶ The Oracion of the Scythian Ambassadours to Alexander the great reprouing his ambicion and desire of Empire The .xiij. Nouell Folio 34. Aulus Gellius ¶ The wordes of Metellus of mariage and wyuing with the prayse and disprayse of the same The .xiiij. Nouell Folio 36. ¶ Of Lais and Demosthenes The .v. Nouell Fol. 38. ¶ C. Fabritius and Aemilius Consulls of Rome being promised that king Pyrrhus for a somme of money shoulde be slayne which was a notable enemie to the Romane state aduertised Pyrrhus thereof by letters and of other notable things done by the same Fabritius The .xvj. Nouell Folio 38. ¶ A Scholemaister trayterouslye rendring the noble mennes sonnes of Faleâ—â—a to the handes of Camillus was well acquited and rewarded for his paines and labor The .xvij. Nouell Folio 39. ¶ The Historie of Papyrius Pretextaetus The .xviij. Nouell Folio 41. ¶ How Plutarche did beate his man And of pretie talke touching signes of anger The .xix. Nouell Fol. 42. ¶ A pretie tale of Aesope of the Larke The .xx. Nouell Folio 42. ¶ A merye ieft vttered by Haniball to king Antiochus The .xxj. Nouell Folio 44. ¶ The meruelous knowledge of a Lyon being acquainted with a man called Androctus The .xxij. Nouell Fol. 44. ¶ A pretie disputacion of the Philosopher Phaeuorinus to persuade a woman not to put forthe her childe to nursse but to nourishe it her selfe with her owne milke The .xxiij. Nouell Folio 45. ¶ Of Sertorius a noble Romane Capitaine The .xxiiij. Nouell Folio 48. ¶ Of the bookes of Sybilla The .xxv. Nouel Fol. 49. ¶ A difference and controuersie betweene a Maister and a Scholer so subtill that the Iudges coulde not giue sentence The .xxvj. Nouell Folio 50. Plutarche ¶ Seleueus King of Asia gaue his wife to his owne sonne in mariage being his mother in lawe Who so feruentlye did loue her that he was like to dye Which by a discrete wyse inuencion was discouered to Seleueus by a Phisician The .xxvij. Nouell Folio 51. ¶ Of the straunge and beastlye nature of Timon of Athenes enemie to mankinde with his death buriall and Epitaphe The .xxviij. Nouell Folio 57. S. Hierome and Pietro Messia ¶ The mariage of a man and woman he being the husbande of xx wiues and she the wife of .xxii. husbandes The .xxix. Nouell Folio 59. Bocaccio ¶ How Melchisedech a Iewe by telling a pretie tale of three Kinges saued his lyfe The .xxx. Nouell Folio 60. ¶ One called Guglielmo Borsiere with certen wordes well placed taunted the couetous life of Ermino Grimaldi The .xxxj. Nouell Folio 61. ¶ Maister Alberto of Bologna by a pleasaunt aunswere made a Gentlewoman to blushe which had thought to haue put him out of countenance in telling him that he was in loue with her The .xxxij. Nouell Folio 63. ¶ Rinald. of Esti being robbed arriued at Castel Guglielmo was succoured of a widowe and restored to his losses retourning safe and sounde home to his owne house The .xxxiij. Nouell Fol. 64. ¶ Three yong men hauing fondlye consumed all that they had became verye poore whose nephewe as he retourned out of Englande into Italie by the waye fyll in acquaintaunce with an Abbot whome vpon further familiaritie he knew to be the king of Englandes daughter which tooke him to her husbande Afterwards she restored his vncles to all their losses and sent them home in good state and reputacion The .xxxiiij. Nouell Folio 68. ¶ Landâ—lfo Ruffolo being inpouerished became a Pirate and taken by the Geneuois was in daunger of drowning who sauing himselfe vpon a little Coafer full of riche Iewelles was receiued at Corsu and being cherished by a woman retorned home very riche The .xxxv. Nouell Folio 73. ¶ Andreuccio of Perugia being come to Naples to buy horsse was in one night surprised with three meruelous accidents All which hauing escaped with one Rubie he retorned home to his house The .xxxvj. Nouell Folio 76. ¶ The Earle of Angiers being falslie accused was banished out of Fraunce and left his two sonnes in sundrie places in Englande and retourning vnknowen by Scotlande founde them in great authoritie afterwardes he repayred in the habite of a seruant to the French kings armie and being knowen to be innocent was againe aduaunced to his first estate The .xxxvij. Nouell Folio 85. ¶ Gilettae a Phisitians daughter of Narbona healed the French king of a Fistula for rewarde whereof she demaunded Beleramo Counte of Rossigliont to husbande The Counte being maried against his will for despite fledde to Florence and loued an other Gâ—â—etta his wife by pollicie founde meanes to lye with her husbande in place of his Louer and was begotten with childe of two sonnes Which knowen to her husbande he receiued her againe and afterwardes she liued in great honor and felicitie The .xxxviij. Nouell Folio 95. ¶ â—ancredi prince of Salerne caused his daughters louer to be slayne and sent his heart vnto her in a cuppe of Golde which afterwardes she put into poysoned water and drinking therof dyed The .xxxix. Nouell Folio 100. Bandello ¶ Mahomet one of the Turkishe Emperors executeth cursed crueltie vpon a Greke mayden whome he tooke prisoner at the winning of Constantinople The .xl. Nouell Folio 107. ¶ A Ladie falsely accused of adulterie was condemned to be deuoured of Lions the maner of her deliuerie and how her innocencie being knowen her accuser felt the payne for her prepared The .xl. Nouell Folio 112. ¶ Didaco a Spaniarde is in Loue with a poore Mayden of Valentia and secretely maryeth her afterwards lothing his first mariage because she was of base parentage he maryeth another of noble birth His firste wife by secrete messinger prayeth his companie whose request he accomplisheth Being a bedde she and her mayde killeth him She throweth him into the streate She in desperate wise
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
but the commylig of the Marques It chaunced that one of his menne called at the gates of the Castell who brought suche newes to the Marques that sodainly he must ride awaie Wherefore he sent woorde to the widowe that she should not attende his commyng who not a litle displeased with those newes not knowyng what to doe determined to entre into the Bathe whiche was prepared for the Marques and when she had supped to goe to bedde This bathe was hard by the dore where poore Rinaldo was approched The widowe beyng in the bathe bearyng the plaintes and tremblyng voice made by Rinaldo thoughte it had been the noise of a Storke Wherefore she called her maide and said vnto her Goe vp and looke ouer the walles and sée who is at the doore and knowe what he would haue The maide accordyng to her maistres commaūdement the nighte beyng somewhat cleare sawe Rinaldo sittyng in his shurt bare legged shaking for colde as is before saied wherevpon she asked him what he was And Rinaldo with his teethe shiueryng in his heade could scarse well speake or vtter a woorde and so brieflie as he could he tolde her what he was how and for what purpose he was come thither Afterwardes he piteously beganne to praie her if she could not to suffer hym that night to sterue there for colde The maide pitiyng his estate returned to her maistres and tolde her what she sawe who like wise hauyng compassion vpō him remembring that she had the keye of the doore whiche sometymes serued the turne when the Marques was disposed secretly to come in she saied to her maide goe open the doore softlie For we haue prepared a supper and here is no man to eate it And also here is lodging sufficient to harbour hym The maide greatlie praisyng her maistres for her curtesie wente forthe and opened the doore And when he was let in thei perceiued hym to bee almoste frosen for colde saiyng vnto him dispatche good felowe goe into the Bathe beyng yet hotte Whiche thyng he right willingly did not lokyng that he should be hidden againe and beyng recomforted with the warmeth thereof he felt hymself reuiued from death to life The good wife caused certaine apparell of her late deade husbande to bee searched out for hym and when he had put them on thei were so mete as though thei had béen made of purpose and waityng what it should please the good wife to commaunde hym he began humblie to thanke God and sainct Iulian that he was deliuered from that euill night contrary to his expectacion and was brought to so good a lodgyng After this the faier widowe a litle reposyng her self caused a great fire to be made in one of her greate chambers into the whiche she came and demaunded her maide what maner of manne he was Whereto the maide answered saiyng Maistres now he is in good apparell he is a verie handsome manne and semeth to be of good reputacion and honestie Goe thy waies quod her maistres and call hym in hither Bidde hym come to the fire and tell hym that he shall suppe with me for perchaunce he hath eate no meate to night Rinaldo came into the chamber and seyng the widowe made to her greate reuerence thankyng her for her kindnesse shewed vnto hym When the widowe had seen hym and heard him speake perceiuyng hym to be suche a one as her maide reported receiued hym in curteous wise causyng hym familierly to sitte doune before the fire And demaunded what mishappe brought hym to that place To whom Rinaldo rehersed the whole discourse For she had heard at the commyng of Rinaldo his seruaunt to the Castell a reporte of his robberie whiche made her to beleue him the better She tolde hym also that his man was come to the toune and how he might easily finde him the next mornyng But after meate was serued to the table Rinaldo and she washed together and then satte doune to supper He was a goodlie personage faier and pleasaunte to beholde yonge and of good behauiour vpon whom the woman many tymes did caste her eyes and liked him well To be shorte this lecherous ladie burnyng inwardlie with amourous desire abused her self with hym in stéede of the Marques But when the morning began to shewe forthe her light the widowe to the intent no suspicion might be had gaue him certain base and course apparell and filled his purse with money praiyng hym to kepe it secrete and firste tolde hym whiche waie he should goe to séeke his man lettyng hym out at the doore whereat he came in Who semyng as though he had traueiled a great waie that mornyng When the gates were opened wente into the castell and founde his seruaunt Wherfore puttyng vpō hym suche apparell as was in his male and beeyng aboute to gette vp vpon his mannes horsse it came to passe like as it had been a diuine miracle that the three theues whiche had robbed hym the night before were taken for doyng of an other robberie which thei had cōmitted a litle while after and wer brought to the Castell and vpon their confession his horsse apparell and money were restored to hym againe losing nothyng but a paire of garters Wherefore Rinaldo thankyng God and S. Iulian. mounted vpon his horse and retourned hole and saufe to his owne house And the nexte daie the three theues were conueied forthe to blesse the worlde with their héeles Three yonge menne hauyng fondlie consumed all that thei had became verie poore whose nephewe as he retourned out of Englande into Italie by the waie fill into acquaintaunce with an Abbotte whom vpon further familiaritie he knewe to bee the kyng of Englandes doughter whiche toke him to her husbande Afterwardes she restored his vncles to all their losses and sent them home in good state and reputacion ¶ The .xxxiiij. Nouell THere was somtime in the citie of Florence a knight called sir Tebaldo who as some saie was of the house of Lamberti and as other affirme of Agolanti But leauyng the variaunce of whether house he was true it is that he was in that time a notable riche and wealthie knight and had three sonnes The firste called Lamberto the seconde Tebaldo and the thirde Agolante all faire and goodlie children and the eldest of them was not .xviij. yeres of age When the saied sir Tebaldo died to them as his lawfull heires he left all his landes and goodes Who seyng themselfes to be verie riche in redie money and possessions cōtinued their life without gonernement at their owne pleasures and without bridle or staie thei began to consume their goodes Thei kepte a greate and francke house and many Horsses of greate value with Dogges and Haukes of sundrie kindes and continuallie kept open house giuyng liberall giftes and obseruyng diuerse gestes at Tilt and Torney doing that thing that not onelie did appertaine and belong to gentlemenne but also that whiche was incident to the trade course of youthe Thei continued not longe
in this order but their substaunce lefte them by their father was verie muche consumed And their reuenues not able to maintaine their expences began to decrease wherevpon thei were faine to morgage and sell their inheritaunce in suche wise as in the ende thei grewe to extreme pouertie And then penurie did opē their eyes in like sort as before richesse had closed them vp For which cause Lamberto vpon a daie did call his other twoo brethren vnto hym and tolde them of what honour their father was to what value his richesse did amounte and now to what pouertie thei wer come through their disordinate expences giuyng them counsaill so well as he coulde that before miserie did growe any further vpō them by sellyng that whiche was left thei should goe their waie Whiche thei did And without leaue taken of any man or other solempnitie thei departed from Florence and taried in no place before thei were arriued in Englande Where takyng a litle house in the citie of London thei liued with litle expences and began to lende out their money to vsurie Fortune was so fauourable vnto them by that trade that in fewe yeres thei had gained a verie notable some of money whiche made them one after an other to retire againe to Florence with their substaunce where thei redemed a greate parte of their inheritaunce and bought other lande and so gaue themselues to mariage continewing neuerthelesse in England their money at interest Thei sente thither to be their factour a yonge manne their nephewe called Alexandro And thei three dwellyng still at Florence began againe to forget to what miserie their inordinate expences had broughte them before And albeit thei were charged with housholde yet thei spente out of order and without respecte And were of greate credite with euery Marchaunte whose expences the money that Alexandro many tymes did sende home did helpe to supporte for certaine yeres whiche was lente out to diuerse gentlemen and Barons of the countrie vpon their Castelles Manours and other reuenues whereof was receiued an incredible profite In the meane tyme the three brethren spent so largelie that thei borowed money of other fixyng all their hope from Englande It chaunced contrary to the opinion of al men that warres happened betwene the kyng of England and one of his sonnes whiche bredde muche diuision in that Countrie some holdyng of one part and some of an other By meanes whereof all the manours and morgaged landes were taken awaie from Alexandro hauyng nothing whervpō any profite did rise But daily trustyng that peace should be concluded betwene the father and the sonne And that all thynges should be surrendred aswell the principall as the interest he determined not to departe the countrie The three brethren whiche were at Florrence not limityng any order to their disordinate expences grewe daily worsse and worsse But in processe of tyme when all hope was past of their recouery thei lost not onely their credite but the creditors desirous to be paied were faine to sende thē to prison And bicause their inheritance was not sufficient to paie the whole debt thei remained in prison for the rest And their wiues and childrē were dispersed some into the countrie and some hether and thither out of order not knowing how to do but to abide a poore miserable life for euer Alexandro whiche of long tyme taried for a peace in Englande and seing that it would not come to passe considering with hymself that ouer and besides his vaine abode for recouery of his debtes that he was in daunger of his life he purposed to retourne into Italie And as he traueiled by the waie alone and departed from Bruges by fortune he perceiued an Abbot clothed in white in like maner about to take his iourney accompanied with many Monkes and a greate traine hauyng muche cariage and diuers baggages before After whom rode twoo olde knightes the kinsmenne of the kyng with whom Alexandro entred acquaintance by reason of former knowledge and was receiued into their companie Alexandro then ridyng with thē frendly demaunded what Monkes thei were that rode before with so greate a traine and whether thei wente To whom one of the knightes answered that he whiche rode before was a yonge gentle man their kinsman which was newlie chosen Abbot of one of the best Abbaies in Englande And bicause he was verie yonge and not lawfull by the decrees for suche a dignitie thei went with him to Rome to obteine of the holie father a dispensacion for his age and for a cōfirmacion of that dignitie But thei willed hym to disclose the same to no manne And so this newe Abbot riding sometymes before and sometymes after as we see ordinarilie that lordes doe when thei trauell in the countrie It chaunced that the Abbot perceiuyng Alexandro ridyng besides him whiche was a faire yonge manne honest curteous and familier who at the first meting did so merueilouslie delight him as any thing that euer he sawe in his life and callyng hym vnto hym he began familierlie to talke and asked what he was from whence he came and whether he went To whom Alexandro declared liberallie all his state and satisfied his demaūde offryng vnto hym although his power was little all the seruice he was able to dooe The Abbote hearyng his curteous offer and comelie talke placed in good order consideryng more particulerlie the state of his affaires and waiyng with hym self that albeit his traine was small yet neuerthelesse he semed to be a gentleman and then pitiyng his mishappes he recomforted hym familierlie and saied vnto him that he ought daily to liue in good hope For if he were an honeste manne God would aduaunce him again not onelie to that place frō whence Fortune had throwen hym doune but also to greater estimacion praiyng him that sithēs he was goyng into Thuscane whether he likewise went that it would please him to remaine in his compaine Alexandro thanked hym humblie of his comfort and said vnto him that he was redie to imploie hymself where it should please hym to cōmaunde The Abbot thus riding into whose minde newe thoughtes entred vpon the sight of Alexandro It chaūced after many daies iourneis thei arriued at a village that was but meanlie furnished with lodgyng The Abbot desirous to lodge there Alexandro intreated hym to lighte at the Inne of an hoste whiche was familiarly knowen vnto him and caused a chamber to be made redie for hymself in the worste place of the house And the Marshall of the Abbottes lodgynges beyng alredie come to the Toune whiche was a manne verie skilfull in those affaires he lodged all the traine in that village one here an other there so well as he could And by that time the Abbot had supped night was farre spente and euery man repaired to his bedde Alexandro demaūded the host where he should lie To whom the hoste made answere Of a trouthe Maister Alexandro I knowe not for you see that all my
was the doughter of the Kyng of Englande and was rapte with an vnspeakable ioye But muche more merueiled the twoo knightes whiche were so troubled and appalled that if thei had béen in any place els sauyng in the presence of the Pope thei would haue killed Alexandro and peraduenture the Ladie her self Of the other parte the Pope was verie muche astonned bothe at the habite and apparell of the Ladie and also of her choise But knowing that the same could not be vndoen he was contente to satisfie her requeste And firste of all he comforted the twoo knightes whom he knewe to bee moued at the matter and reduced them in amitie with the Ladie and Alexandro then he gaue order what was beste to be doen. And when the Mariage daie by him appointed was come he caused the Ladie to issue forthe clothed in roiall vestures before all the Cardinalles and many other greate personages that were repaired to the greate feaste of purpose by hym prepared Whiche ladie appered to bee so faire and comelie that not without deserte she was praised and commended of all the assemblie In like maner Alexandro gorgeouslie apparelled bothe in outwarde apparaunce and condicions was not like one that had lente money to Usurie but of a more princelie grace and was greatelie honoured of those twoo knightes where the Pope solempnelie celebrated again the espousalles And after that riche roial mariage was ended he gaue them leaue to departe It semed good to Alexandro and like wise to the Ladie to goe from Rome to Florence in whiche citie the brute of that accidente was all readie noised where beyng receiued of the citizēs with great honour the Ladie deliuered the three brethren out of prison and hauyng firste paied euery man their debte thei with their wiues were repossessed in their former inheritaunce Then Alexandro and his wife with the good will and ioyfull gratulacions of all men departed from Florence and takyng with them Agolante one of their vncles arriued at Paris where thei were honorablie interteigned of the Frenche kyng From thence the twoo knightes wente into Englande and so perswaded the king that thei recouered his good wil towardes his doughter and sendyng for his soonne in lawe he receiued them bothe with greate ioye and triumphe And within a while after he inuested his saied soone with the order of knighthode and made hym Erle of Cornouale whose wisedome proued so great that he pacified the father and the sonne whereof insued surpassyng profite and commoditie for the whole realme whereby he gained and gotte the loue and good well of all the people And Agolante his vncle fullie recouered all debtes due vnto him in Englande And the Erle when he hadde made his vncle knighte suffred him to retourne in riche estate to Florence The Erle afterwardes liued with his wife in greate prosperitie and as some dooe affirme bothe by his owne pollicie and valiaunce and with the aide of his father in Lawe he recouered and ouercame the realme of Scotlande and was there crouned kyng Landolpho Ruffolo being impouerished became a pirate and taken by the Geneuois was in danger of drownyng who sauyng hymself vpon a title coaferfull of riche Iewels was receiued at Corfu and beyng cherished by a woman retourned home verie riche ¶ The .xxxv. Nouell IT is supposed that the sea coaste of Reggium in Calabria is the moste delectable parte in all Italie wherin harde by Salerno there is a coūtrie by the sea side whiche thinhabitantes doe terme the coaste of Malsy so full of litle Cities gardeins fountaines riche men and marchauntes as any other people and countrie Emong whiche said cities there was one called Rauello where in time paste although in these daies there bée verie riche men there dwelt a notable man of substaūce called Landolpho Ruffolo who beyng not cōtented with his richesse but desirous to multiplie them double was in hazarde to lose hymself and all that he had This manne as all other marchauntes bee accustomed after he had considered with himself what to doe bought a verie greate shippe and fraughted the same with sundrie kindes of marchaundize of his owne aduenture and made a voiage to the Isle of Cypri where he founde besides the commodities whiche he brought many other Shippes arriued there laden with suche like wares by whiche occasion it happened that he was forced not onelie to fell the same good cheape but also was cōstrained if he would dispatche his goodes to giue them almoste for nought whereby he thought that he was vtterlie vndoen And beyng greatlie troubled for that lesse not knowyng what to dooe and seyng how in so litle tyme of a riche man he was come to beggers state he thought either to die or els by piracie to recouer his losses to the intente he mighte not retourne to the place poore from whence he was departed riche And hauyng founde a copesman for his greate barque with the money therof and with other whiche he receiued for his marchandise he bought a small pinnas mete for the vse of a pirate whiche he armed and furnished with all thinges necessarie for that purpose And determined to make hymself riche with the goodes of other men and chieflie he meante to sette vpon the Turkes wherevnto Fortune was more fauourable then to his former trade And by chaunce by the space of one yere he robbed and toke so many Foistes and galleis of the Turkes that he had recouered not onelie that whiche he lost by marchādize but also more then twise so muche as wherevnto those losses did amounte Wherefore well punished with the firste sorowe of his losses knowyng his gaines to multiplie that he neded not to retourne the seconde tyme he thought with himself that the same whiche he had gotten was sufficiēt and therfore determined presētlie to returne to his owne house with his gotten goodes And fearyng the hinderaunce which he susteined in traffique of Marchaūdise he purposed to imploie his money no longer that waies but in that barque wherwith he had gained the same with his ores he tooke his course homeward And beyng vpon the maine Sea in the night the winde rose at the Southeast which was not onelie cōtrary to his course but also caused suche a tempest that his smalle barque was not able to indure the seas Wherevpon he tooke harborough in a Creke of the Sea whiche compassed a litle Islande there expectyng for better winde Into whiche creke within a while after with muche a doe for auoidyng of that tempest arriued twoo greate Argoseis of Genoa that wer come from Constantinople The Mariners of whiche shippes when thei sawe the litle barque had shut vp the way that the same could not goe out vnderstandyng of whence he was knowyng by reporte that he was verie riche determined beyng ikenne naturallie giuen to spoile and loue of money to take her And settyng a shore parte of their meune well armed and furnished with crossebowes thei conueied
soonne Perotto went into Wales not without greate labour and paine as one neuer accustomed to traueile on foote Where dwelte one other of the kyng of Englandes Marshalles that was of greate aucthoritie and kept a noble house To whose court the Erle and his sonne oftentymes repaired to practise begge their liuyng where one of the Marshalles sonnes and other gentlemennes children doyng certaine childishe sportes and pastymes as to runne and leape Perotto began to entermedle hymself emonges them who in those games did so excellently well as none was his better whiche thyng diuers tymes the Marshall perceiuing and well pleased with the order of the childe asked of whence he was It was told him that he was a poore mannes soonne whiche many tymes came thither to begge his almose The Marshall desiryng the childe the Erle whiche praied vnto God for nothyng els liberally gaue hym vnto hym although it gréeued hym to departe from hym The Erle then hauyng bestowed his sonne and his doughter determined no lōger to tarry in Englande but so well as he could he passed ouer into Irelande and when he was arriued at Stanford he placed hymself in the seruice of a man of armes belōging to an Erle of that countrie doing all thinges that did belong vnto a seruing man or page not knowen to any mā he cōtinued there a long time with great paine and toile Violenta named Gianetta that dwelte with the Ladie at London grewe so in yeres in beautie in personage and in suche grace and fauour of her lorde and Ladie and of all the rest of the house and so well beloued of all them that knewe her that it was meruailous to sée All men that sawe her maners and countenaunce iudged her to be worthy of greate honour and possessions by reason whereof the Ladie that receiued her of her father not knowyng what she was but by his reporte purposed to marrie her honourablie accordyng to her worthinesse But God the rewarder of all mennes desertes knowyng her to be a noble woman and to beare without cause the penaunce of an other mannes offence disposed her otherwise and to the intente that this noble gentlewoman might not come into the hādes of a man of ill condicion it must be supposed that that whiche came to passe was by Goddes owne will and pleasure suffred to be dooen The gentlewoman with whom Gianetta dwelt had but one onely sonne by her husbande whiche bothe she and the father loued verie dearly as well because he was a soonne as also that in vertue and good merites he greatly excelled For he surpassed all other in good condicions valiaunce goodnesse and beautie of personage beyng about sixe yeres elder then Gianetta who seeyng the maiden to bee bothe faire and comely became so farre in loue with her that he estemed her aboue all thinges of the worlde And bicause he thought her to be of base parentage he durste not demaunde her of his father and mother to wife But fearyng that he should lose their fauour he kepte his loue secrete whereby he was worse tormented then if it hadde been openly knowen And thereby it chaunced through Loues malice he fill sore sicke For whose preseruacion were many Phisians sente for and thei markyng in hym all signes and tokens of sickenes and not knowyng the disease were altogether doubtfull of his health whereof the father and mother tooke so greate sorowe and grief as was possible and many tymes with pitifull praiers thei damaunded of hym the occasion of his disease To whom he gaue for answere nothyng els but heauie sighes and that he was like to consume die for weakenesse It chaunced vpon a daie there was brought vnto hym a Phisicion that was verie younge but in his science profoundlie learned and as he was holdyng hym by the poulces Gianetta who for his mothers sake attended hym verie carefully entred vpon occasion into the chamber where he laie sicke and so sone as the yonge gentleman perceiued her and that she spake neuer a worde or made any signe or demonstracion towardes hym he felt in his harte to arise his moste amourous defire wherefore his poulces beganne to beate aboue their common custome whiche thyng the Phisicion immediatly perceiued and merualled stādyng still to se how long that fitte would continue Gianetta was no soner gone out of the chamber but the beatyng of the poulces ceased wherfore the Phisicion thought that he had founde out some parte of the gentlemannes disease and a litle while after seming to take occasiō to speake to Gianetta holdyng hym still by the armes he caused her to be called in and she incontinently came but she was no soner come but the poulces beganne to beate againe and when she departed the beatyng ceased Whervpon the Phisicion was throughly perswaded that he vnderstode the effecte of his sicknes and therewithall rose vp and takyng the father and mother aside saied vnto them The health of your sonne doeth not consist in the helpe of Phisicions but remaineth in the handes of Gianetta your maide as I haue perceiued by moste manifest signes whom the yonge man feruently dooeth loue And yet so farre as I perceiue the maiden doeth not knowe it you therefore vnderstande now what to doe if you loue his life The gentleman and his wife hearyng this was somewhat satisfied for so muche as remedie mighte bee founde to saue his life athough it greued them greatly if the thing wherof thei doubted should come to passe which was the marriage betwene Gianetta and their soonne The Phisicion departed thei repaired to their sicke soonne the mother saiyng vnto hym in this wise My soonne I would neuer haue thought that thou wouldest haue kept secrete from me any parte of thy desire specially seyng that without the same thou dooest remaine in daūger of death For thou art or ought to bée assured that there is nothyng that maie be gotten for thy contētacion what so euer it had been but it should haue been prouided for thée in as ample maner as for my self But sith thou haste thus doen it chaūceth that our Lorde God hath shewed more mercie vpon thée then thou hasle doen vpō thy self And to th ende thou shalt not die of this disease he hath declared vnto me the cause of the same whiche is none other but the great loue that thou bearest to a yonge maide wherso euer she bee And in deede thou oughtest not to bée ashamed to manifest thy loue bicause it is meete and requisite for thyne age For if I wist thou couldest not loue I would the lesse esteme thee Now then my good sonne be not afraied franckly to discouer all thyne affectiō Driue awaie the furie and thought whiche thou hast taken whereof this sickenes commeth And comfort thy self Beyng assured that thou shalt desire nothyng at my handes that maie be doen for thy contentacion but it shall bee accomplished of me that loueth thee better then myne owne life and
aduentures Who seyng hymself to begin to ware olde was desirous being yet in Ireland to knowe if he could what was become of his childrē Wherefore perceiuyng that he was wholy altred frō his wanted forme and féelyng hymself more lustie through the long excercise and labour whiche he had susteined in seruice then he was in the idle tyme of his youthe he departed from his maister verie poore and in ill apparell with whom he had continued in seruice a longe tyme and came into Englande to that place where he had left Perotto and founde him to be Marshall of the countrie and sawe that he was in healthe lustie and a comely personage whiche reioysed hym merueilously but he would not make hymself be knowen to hym till he had séen what was become of his doughter Gianetta wherefore takyng his iourney he rested in no place till he came to London And there secretly inquiryng of the ladie with whom he had left his doughter of her state he learned that his doughter was her soonnes wife whereof he tooke excedyng greate pleasure And from that tyme forthe he compted his aduersities past as nothing sith he had founde his children liuyng and in suche greate honor And desirous to sée her began like a poore manne to harbour hymself harde by her house wherevpon a certain daie beyng séen of Giachetto Lamyens for that was the name of the husbāde of Gianetta hauing pitie vpō him bicause he sawe hym poore and olde commaunded one of his seruauntes to haue hym into the house and to giue hym meate for Goddes sake whiche the seruaunt willingly did accomplish Gianetta had many children by Giachetto of whiche the eldest was but eight yeres olde and thei were the fairest and beste fauoured children in the worlde who when thei sawe the Erle eate meate thei all came aboute hym and began to make muche of hym as thoughe by natures instruction thei had knowen him to be their Grandfather And he knowyng his nephewes began to shewe them tokens of loue and kindnesse By reason whereof the children would not goe from hym although their gouernour did call them awaie Wherefore the mother knowing the same came out of a chamber vnto the place where the Erle was threatened to beare them if thei would not doe as their maister hadde them The children began to crie and saied that thei would tary by that good manne that loued them better then their maister did whereat the Ladie and the Erle began to laugh The Erle not as a father but like a poore man rose vp to dooe honour to his doughter bicause she was a noble woman Conceiuyng merueilous ioye in his minde to see her but she knewe hym not at all neither at that instant nor after bicause he was so wonderfully transformed and chaunged from that forme he was wonte to bée of Like one that was olde and graie hedded hauyng a bearde leane and weather beaten resemblyng rather a common persone then an Erle And the Ladie seyng that the children would not departe from him but still cried when thei were fetched awaie willed the maister to lette them alone The children remainyng in this sorte with the honest poore manne the father of Giacchetto came in the meane time and vnderstoode this of their maister Wherefore he that cared not for Gianetta saied Lette them alone with a mischief to kéepe companie with beggers of whō thei came For of the mothers side thei bée but verlettes children and therefore it is no meruaile though thei loue their companie The Erle hearing those wordes was verie sorowfull notwithstādyng holdyng doune his hedde he suffred that iniurie as well as he hadde doen many other Giacchetto which knewe the mirth and ioye that the children made to the poore man although he was offended with those woordes neuerthelesse made as muche of the poore Erle as he did before And when he sawe him to wepe he commaunded that if he honest poore man would dwell there to doe some seruice he should bee reteined Who answered that he would carie there with a good will but he said that he could doe nothyng els but kepe horsse wherevnto he was accustomed all the daies of his life To whom a horsse was appoincted to kéepe and daily whē he had dressed his horsse he gaue hymself to plaie with the children Whiles that Fortune thus dealt accordyng to the maner aboue saied with the Erle of Angiers and his children it chaunced that the Frenche kyng after many truces made with the Almaignes died and in his place was crouned his sonne whose wife she was that caused the Erle to bee banished When the last truce with the Almaignes was expired the warres beganne to growe more sharpe for whose aide the kyng of Englande sente vnto hym as to his newe kinsman a greate number of people vnder the gouernemente of Perotto his Marshall and of Giacchetto Lamyens soonne of his other Marshall with whom the poore Erle wente and not knowen of any man remained a greate while in the Campe as a seruaunt where notwithstandyng like a valiaunt man with his aduise and déedes he accomplished notable thinges more then he was required It chaunced that in the time of the warres the Frenche Quene was verie sore sicke and perceiuyng her self at the poincte of death repented her of all her synnes and was confessed deuoutly to the Archebishop of Roane who of all men was reputed an holie and vertuous manne and amōges all her other sinnes she tolde him of the great wrong doen by her to the erle of Angiers and was not onely contented to reueale the same to hym alone but also rehearsed the whole matter before many other personages of greate honour desiryng them that thei would woorke so with the kyng that if the Erle were yet liuyng or any of his children thei might bée restored to their state againe Not longe after the Quene departed and was honourablie buried Whiche confession reported to the Kyng after certaine sorowfull sighes for the iniuries dooen to the valiaunte man he made Proclamacion throughout all the Campe and in many other places that who so euer could bryng forthe the Erle of Angiers or any of his childrē should for euery of them receiue a greate rewarde bicause he was innocent of that matter for whiche he was exiled by the onely confession of the Quene and that he entended to exalte hym to his former estate and more higher then euer he was Whiche thing the Erle hearyng beyng in the habite of a seruaunte knowyng it to be true by and by he wēt to Giacchetto and praied hym to repaire to Perotto that thei might come together bicause he would manifest vnto them the thyng whiche the kyng sent to seeke for And when thei were all thrée assembled together in a chāber the Erle saied to Perotto that now he thought to lette hym vnderstande what he was saiyng these wordes Perotto Giacchetto whom thou séest here hath espoused thy sister and neuer had yet any
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
corrupt humoure of those that haue a feauer which taking his beginning at the heart disperseth it self incureably through all the other sensible parts of the body whereof this present historie giueth vs amplie to vnderstande being no lesse maruelous than true Those that haue read the auncient histories and Chronicles of Spaine haue sene in diuers places the occasion of the cruell ennimitie which raygned by the space of .xl. yeares betwene the houses of Mendozza and Tolledo families not only right noble and auncient but also most abundant in riches subiectes and seigniories of all the whole realme It happened one day that their armies being redy to ioyne in battaile the Lord Iohn of Mendozza chief of his army a man much commended by al histories had a widowe to his sister a very deuout Lady who after she vnderstode the heauy newes of that battayle falling downe vpon hee knées prayed God incessauntly that it woulde please him to reconcile the two families together and to make an ende of so many mischiefes And as she vnderstode that they were in the chiefest of the conflict and that thers were a great number slaine on both partes she made a vowe to God that if her brother retorned victorious from the enterprise she would make a voyage to Rome on foote The ouerthrow fell after muche bloudshead vpon them of Tolledo Mendozza brought away the victorie with the lesse losse of his people Wherof Isabell aduertised declared vnto her brother the vowe that she had made Which semed very straunge vnto him specially howe she durst enterprise so long a voyage on fote and thought to turne her purpose howbeit she was so importunate vpon him that in the ende he gaue her leaue with charge that she shoulde goe well accompanyed and by small iourneyes for respect of her health The Lady Isabell being departed from Spaine hauing trauersed the moūtaynes Pirtenees passed by Fraunce went ouer the Alpes and came to Thurin where the Duke of Sauoye had then for wife a sister of the King of England who was bruted to be the fairest creature of the weast partes of the worlde For this canse the Lady Isabell desired greatly in passing by to sée her to knowe whether truth did aunswere the great renowme of her beautie Wherin she had Fortune so fauorable that entring into Thurin she found the Duchesse vpon her Coche going abrode to take the ayre of the fields Which the Lady Isabell vnderstanding stayed to beholde her being by fortune at that present at the dore of her Coche And then with great admiration considering the wonderfull beautie of that princesse iudging her the chiefest of beautie of al those that she had euer séene she spake somewhat loude in the Spanish tongue to those of her companie in this manner If God would haue permitted that my brother and this Princesse might haue married together euery man might wel haue sayde that there had bene mette the most excellent couple for perpectiō of beautie that were to be founde in all Europa And her wordes in dede were true For the Lorde Mendozza was euen one of the fairest Knights that in his time was to be founde in al Spaine The Duchesse who vnderstode the Spanish tongue very well passing forth beheld all that company And fayning not to vnderstand those wordes thought that she surely was some great Lady Wherfore when she was a litle past her she sayde to one of her Pages Mark whether that Lady and her company goe to their lodging and say vnto her that I desire her at my retourne to come and sée me at my castell which the Page did So the Duchesse walking a long the riuer of Poo mused vpon the words spoken by the Spanish Lady which made her not long to tarry there but toke the way back againe to her Castell where being arriued she founde the Lady Isabell who at the Duchesse request attended her with her company And after dutifull reuerence the Duchesse with like gratulacion receiued her very curteouslye taking her a parte and demaunding her of what prouince of Spaine shee was of what house and what Fortune had brought her into that place And then the Lady Isabell made her to vnderstand from the beginning the occasion of her long voyage of what house she was The Duchesse vnderstanding her nobilitie excused her selfe for that she had not done her that honour which she deserued imputing the fault vpon the ignorance that she had of her estate And after diuers other curteous communication the Duchesse would néedes knowe whervnto the wordes tended that she had spoken of her and of the beautie of her brother The Spanish Lady somewhat abashed sayde vnto her Madame yf I had knowen so muche of your skill in our tongue as nowe I doe I would haue bene well aduised before I had so exalted the beauty of my brother whose prayse had bene more commendable in the mouth of some other Yet thus muche I dare affirme without affection be it spoken as they that knowe him can report that he is one of the comliest gentlemen that Spaine hath bred these .xx. yeares But of that which I haue spoken touching your beautie if I haue offended muche a doe shall I haue to gette the same pardoned bycause I cannot repent me nor say otherwise except I should speake contrarie to truth And that durst I enterprise to be verified by your self if it were possible that Nature for one quarter of one houre onely had transported into some other that which with right great wonder she sheweth now in you Whervnto the Duchesse to th ende she would séeme to excuse her prayse answered with a litle shame fastnesse which beautified much her liuely colour saying Madame if you continue in these termes you wil constraine me to think that by changing of place you haue also changed your iudgement For I am one of the least to be commended for beautie of al this lande or else I wil beleue that you haue the beautie and valor of my Lorde your brother so printed in your minde that all that which presenseth it self vnto you hauing any apparance of beauty you measure by the perfection of his And at that instant the Lady Isabell who thought that the Duchesse had taken in euill parte the comparison that she had made of her and her brother somwhat in choler and heate therewythal sayde vnto her Madame you shal pardon me if I haue so muche forgotten my selfe to presume to compare your beautie to his Whereof if he be to be commended yet I may well be blamed being his sister to publish the same in an vnknowen place But yet I am well assured that when you shal speake euen with his enemies that yet besides his beautie they will well assure him to be one of the gentlest and best condicioned gentlemen that liueth The Duchesse seing her in these alterations and so affected to the prayse of her brother toke gret pleasure therin and willingly would haue
her so counterfayted himselfe in the day that he could not in any manner of wise be knowen And good old father Frier taried in a corner of the chamber a farre of that he might heare none of their talke And as the Lord of Mendozza leaned him vpon her bedside he sayde vnto her in the Italian tongue whiche was so familiar to him as the Spanish Madame the peace of our Lorde be with you Whervnto the Lady aunswered Father why speake you of peace sithe I am in continuall warre depriued of all contentation and doe but attende the laste ende of all my calamitie which is a most cruell and shamefull death without desert And then the Lorde of Mendozza who had consumed the most part of his youth in good letters sayde vnto her I beleue Madame you be not ignorant that miseries and tribulations which come vpon people fall not by accident or fortune but by the prouidence or dispensacion of God before whome one little sparrow onely is not forgotten as the prophet Amos doth manifest vnto vs when he sayth There is none euill in the Citie that I haue not sent thither Which is also apparant in Iob whome the deuill coulde not afflict before he had first obtayned licence of GOD. And it is necessarie for you to knowe that tribulation and affliction be tokens of the fore chosen and elected people of God and the true markes of our saluation So that if you consider the order of al the Scriptures since the beginning of the world vntil our time you shall finde that those whome God hath alwayes best loued and cherished he hath commaunded to drinke of the cup of his passion and to be more afflicted than others examples whereof be common in the Scriptures As when Abell was afflicted by Caine his brother Isaak by his brother Ismaell Ioseph by his brethren Dauide by Absolon his sonne the children of Israell the elect people of God by Pharao Which things being profoundly considered by S. Paule he sayde If we had not another hope in Iesus Christ than in the lyfe present we might well saye that we were the moste miserable of all others And yet moreouer sayth he it is little or nothing that we endure in respecte of that which Iesus Christ hath suffred Who although he he framed the whole worke of the worlde was called the Carpenters sonne for preaching he was sclaundered he was caryed vp to a moūtaine to be throwne downe he was called Glotton Dronkarde louer of Publicanes and sinners Samaritane Seducer Diuell saying that in the name of Belzebub he did caste out Diuells But let vs consider Madame a little further what things were done vnto him he was naked to clothe vs prisoner and bounde to vnbinde vs from the chayne of the Diuell made a sacrifice to cleanse vs of all our inwarde filth we doe sée that he suffred hys syde to be opened to close vp Hell from vs we sée his handes which in so comely order made both Heauen and Earth for the loue of vs pearced with pricking nayles his head crowned with thrée sharped thornes to crowne vs with Heauēly glory Let vs waygh that by his dolor came our ioye our health grewe of hys infirmitie of his death was deriued our lyfe and shoulde we be ashamed to haue our head touched with a fewe thornes of trouble Strengthen your selfe then Madame in the name of God and make you ready to receyue death in the name of him that was not ashamed to indure it for you Is his strong hande any thing weakened Is it not in him to ouerthrowe the furie of your enemie and so to humble your aduersarie that he shall neuer be able to be relieued Howe many poore afflicted persons haue there bene séene to be abandoned of all succour whome he hath behelde with his pitifull eye and restored to greater ease and contentacion than euer they were in before Learne then from henceforth to comfort your selfe in God and saye as the great Doctor holy Ignatius sayd in his Epistle to the Romanes I desire that the fyer the gallowes the beastes and all the torments of the Diuell might exercise their crueltie vppon me so as I may haue fruition of my Lorde God And after that the Knight had made an ende of his consolation the Duchesse was so rapt in contentation that it séemed her soule had already tasted of the celestial delightes and would flie euen vp into heauen And then féeling her selfe lightened lyke one that had escaped some furious tempest of the seas she began to confesse her self vnto him from poynt to poynt without omitting any thing of that which she thought might grieue her conscience And when she came to the accusation of the Earle she prayed God not to pardon her sinnes if she had committed in déede or thought any thing contrarie to the duetie of mariage except it were one dishonest affection that she had borne to a knight of Spaine whome vnder pretence of a fayned deuotion she had visited in Spaine not committing any thing sauing good wil which she bare vnto him Which maketh me thinke quod she that God being moued against mine hipocrisie hath permitted this false accusation to be raised against me by the Earle of Pancalier which I wil paciently suffer sith his will is so Her confession finished she plucked of a rich Diamond which she had vpon her finger saying Good father albeith I haue heretofore bene a riche Princesse as you knowe yet they haue now taken away al my goods from me this Diamond except which my brother the King of Englande gaue me when I was married to the Duke of Sauoie And bicause I cannot otherwise doe you good I giue it vnto you praying you to remember me in your prayers to kepe it For it is of a greater price than you thinke and may serue one day to supply the necessitie of your conuent The confession ended and the Diamond receiued the two Friers retorned home to their conuēt And so sone as they were arriued ther the Lorde of Mendozza sayd vnto him Father now doe I knowe certainly that this pore woman is innocent wherfore I am resolued to defend her so long as lyfe doth last And I féele my selfe so touched and pressed in minde that I thinke it long till I be at the combat Wherefore I pray you if it chaunce that fortune be contrarie vnto me after my death make it to be openly knowen what I am and chiefly that the Duchesse may vnderstand it for speciall purpose And if it chaunce that I escape with lyfe which can not be but by the death of the Earle be secrete vnto me in these things which I haue declared vnder the vayle of confession The good father promised so to doe And hauing passed all that day and night in prayers and supplicacions he armed himselfe and made readye his courser And whē the dawning of the day began to appeare he went in his armour to the gates of
Spaine being aduertised of certayne talkes that had bene bruted of the mariage of his sonne with the daughter of the King of Englande determined wyth spéede to sende a greate companie of noble men thyther to demaunde hys daughter in mariage Of the whiche the Lorde of Mendozza as well for hys nobilitie as for the knoweledge whiche he had in languages and other good disciplines was elected chiefe with speciall commission to accorde the mariage in case it should so please the King The Ambassadours vsed such expedition that they arriued at London where the King for the present made his abode Who aduertised of their comming gaue cōmaundement to the Princesse his daughter to the Duchesse his sister to prepare thēselues to receiue a great company of Lordes of Spaine which that day would come to his courte to treate of the aforesayde mariage And God knoweth if the Ladyes spared oughte of that which they thought might augment their beautie The King also for his part to do them more honor went to méete them in person and at their arriual gaue them a most friendlye welcome But sodaynely as they presented themselues to doe their reuerence to the Ladyes the Duchesse who incontinently knew the Lorde of Mendozza began so to detest him that she was not able to rule her selfe but with a sodayne mutacion of colour she must néedes abandon the companie The Lorde of Mendozza knowing the originall of her griefe lefte not his dutie vndone towardes the Princesse and other Ladies which accompanied her dissembling to haue taken no regard to thabsence of the Duchesse And Emilia who had followed her mystresse into the chambre fearing least there were some sodayne mischaunce happened demaunded of her wherefore she was retired from a company so honorable and sayde that she did great wrong to her owne estimation To whome the Duchesse with extreme choler made aunswere Why Emilia thinkest thou that I haue the heart to suffer my hande to be kyssed by that moste trayterous and cowardely Knight of the worlde who made no conscience to abandon me in the moste greatest necessitie of my lyfe whereas I contrarie to the dutie of all the lawes of honor and contrarie to my sexe dyd so muche abase my selfe as to visite hym in Spaine Naye rather my dayes shall ceasse their course than mine affection shall euer reuiue in hym He shall neuer receyue any other fauoure of me but as of his most cruell and mortall enimye And then Emilia smiling sayde vnto her In good earnest Madame I thought that the sharpenesse of your imprisonment with the other torments paste which you haue indured might haue put all these matters quite in oblinion and would so haue mortifyed you that you had wholly lost all desire of reuenge But so farre as I can perceiue I am deceiued of mine accompt seing that sodainly so sone as you beheld the knight Mendozza you began to flye as if your ghostly enemie had come before you in hys moste hideous and horrible forme Yet coulde not Emilia perswade her to shew her selfe abrode before dinner tyll the King sente for her with worde that if she came not he woulde himselfe fetche her And then a little shamefast colour began to renew her Alablaster chéekes which rendred her so ruddie and fayre that the Spaniardes confessed neuer to haue séene in any part of the worlde where they had bene one so fayre and beautifull a wyddowe The tables couered for dinner the king tooke his place and for their more honourable entertaynement caused them to be set at his owne table and made the Lorde of Mendozza to be placed face to face with the Duchesse his sister Who was so inflamed and moued with choler that she durste not lifte vp her eyes for feare least vpon the sodaine she should be perceyued Which eyes sparkling sometymes with great yre resembled properly two starres of the night that shoote forth their brightnesse vpō the earth when al things be in silence And all this time the Lorde of Mendozza conceyued such pleasure at these pretie toyes that he would not haue chaunged his ioy for the best citie in all Englande And as the Duchesse in this order did firmely fixe her eyes she sawe by fortune a riche Diamonde that Mendozza ware vppon his finger Wherevpon hauing oftentymes cast her eyes she sodaynely knewe that it was the very same that she had gyuen to the good father that confessed her at Thurin the day before she was leadde to the piller and began then to imagine with her selfe howe it might be that he coulde come by the same And not knowing what to say immediately after she had dyned and the tables taken vp she caused Master Appian her Phisitian to be called vnto her whome she desired to know of the Lorde of Mendozza by what meanes he came by the Diamonde that he ware vpō his finger Which Appian did And after he had talked with the knight of certayne common matters he sayde vnto him My Lorde you haue a very fayre Diamonde theee which as I thinke I haue séene before this time wherefore Sir I pray you tell me where you had it To whome the Lorde of Mendozza aunswered in laughing wise Maister Appian where I had the ring is to secrete for you to knowe but tell my Lady the Duchesse that the knowledge thereof onely appartayneth vnto her Which answere Appian declared to the Duchesse And albeit that she toke no great pleasure in the answere Yet neuerthelesse very desirous to vnderstande the truth she repaired to the knight which the same tyme walked alone in a Gallerie who after he had kissed her handes began to discourse of his fortunes past declaring vnto her that he repented of the refusall that he made to Maister Appian for her succour and howe within a while after he rode to Thurin adding the deuise whereby he had heard her confession and howe the Diamonde came into his handes putting her in remembraunce from worde to worde of all his talke with her during the time that he was in Friers wéede then finally his victorie agaynst the Earle his secret flight and all the whole as before hath bene declared Whereat the Duchesse no lesse abashed than rapt with ioy and admiration fell downe in a swoune betwene his armes holding her mouth so faste closed against his that it séemed she woulde drawe the soule out of his body to ioyne and vnite with hers And after she had remained a while in this traunce she cried out O pore heart so long time plagued Which hast for the space of a yere nowe passed bene-tossed with so many tempestes and diuers assaults of Fortune Receyue at this present the medicine apte for thy health sithens thou enioyest him betwene thine armes that by the price of his bloud valiant force and extreme trauayles hath raysed thée from death to lyfe Let fortune from henceforth doe her will in that she is able to deuise against me And yet will I for this
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