why in a milde womans breast haue you placed a Tigers heart why haue you suffered kinde to worke against kinde nature against nature and reason against reason one woman thus cruelly to betray another oh where is gentlenes become whether is mercy fled one beast will not hurt each other the vilest worme the earth breedes will by nature pittie one another but here is a woman that hath shamd her sex distaind nature poluted woman kinde an enemie both to heauen and earth she hath made me husbandlesse and childlesse and imediately will make me liuelesse oh thou celestiall tower where iustice sits enthroaned open thy glorious gates toe utertaine a widows curse strike downe with a heauy hand let shame and distruction persue her to death let some miracle of her tirany be the worlds mark till doomes day some strange confusion finish vp her life to appease the soules of three vnfortunate wretches onely made miserable through the enuy of a malicious queene and now thou earth farwell thou nurse and mother of my life adiew let three liues in two bodies be in thy bosome intombd for now I feele deaths wrath tearing my heart in sunder and the verry minute of my life fading and gentle death now art thou welcome thus with a groane I close thee in my bosome and in speaking these wordes the braunches of her life witheced The enuious queene thus triumphing in the victorie of their destructions not any whit relented at the pitteous moane of this good Ladie but like an vntamed Panther deuised new cruelties against their dead bodies which she performed in this vile maner Contrary to good nature and all humanitie she caused a furnace to be heat red hot and therein consumed the substance of these dead bodies into pale ashes from whences flew sparckling flames of fire like flakes of bloud vp towards heauen as it were chalendging vengeance at the throne of maiestie These tirannicall deedes both against life and death were no sooner effected but news came vnto her of her Princely husbands returne from quieting the cōmons tumults whom she purposed with a disembling countenance of ioy to entertaine so atiring herselfe in her richest ornaments attended on with a troope of honourable Ladies some mile distant from her blood-stained pallace she gratulated the king with a princely welcome home but as the angry fates had iustly decreed before the word of welcome could proceed from her mouth the heauens cast such a darke clowd ouer that earth with such a feareful tempest and thunder that the fruites of the earth flamed the leaues of trées were scortched to satisfie the angry wrath of heauen wherat the king afrighted in minde challenged the queene of some black misdeed by her committed beauy in the sight of heauen in being thus offended with the world but she whose heart blushies sinne had hardned grew impatient at his speaches and wisht that beauen might make her one of the worlds wonders if euer she wrought or consented to any deede of shame other then what vertue put her in minde to d ee this presumptious wish of hers so displeased the al-seeing powers that imediately the bowels of the earth cleaued and swallowed her vp aliue into her gaping wombe and directly in the same place where in sinking she gaue the world a farwell sprung vp a blood red statue of stone seeming to haue weeping eies and wringing hands which to this day there still stands and is recorded in the french Annalls to be one of the seauen wonders of Fraunce the king hauing a confetence touched with remorce and dreading least the heauy wrath of Heauen should for her blood-stained sinne light vppon the whole country therefore after he had searched out the whole faction of this blacke misdeed and put them to execution as a pilgrime bare legd bare footed clothd in bairecloth be wandred to Ierusalem and at the Sepulcher of Iudaes God craud remission for this his dead queenes offence by which meanes he washt away this stayned spot from his countries browe and after spent his daies in tranquillitis and peace Wraths Tragedie The life and death of Marsia the wrathfull the third daughter to the inchanted queene Chap. 6. THe third sister of this fatall generation might in the right of nature challenge as great supremasie of beautie as the other her two former sisters and not onely an amiable countenance and comely proportion ornefied hir outward shape but an excellent gift of art and nature beautified her inward parts for her minde being replenished with artificial misreries so indiciall in the tongues of learning so persit in eloquence so curtons in needle-workes the only excercise of prinees that the world eseemed her one of the muses darlings and the verry parragon of woman kinde in her the whole lands happines consisted the onely excellent artist of her time hauing a supernaturall gift in the noble science of Limming Wherein she greatly delighted and the more to make her fame glorious in the world she with a pencell portraied in a map or picture the frame of the creation of the world euery thing in his right shape so liuely set foorth as both beastes fowles and sishes seemed to retatine life the sunne moone and starres as it were gaue a kinde of light so artificially shaddowed she their quallities woods fieldes and forests appeared properly gréene and flourishing and the watry sea gliding thorough the earths bosome glistereb like christall and her swelling billowes seemd to rise and fall that no earthly eye could make a diffrence betwirt them and the surges of the vastocean This excellent peece of workmāship being to her hearts content finished was set to the open vew of all eies challenged a superioritie in that miserie aboue all others of the time but now amongst many that came from al parts of the kingdome to behold this race peece of workmanship there came one whose skill therein the whole earth admired the which in former times had bin tutor to this Princesse and first instructed her in the principles of this delightfull arte this reuerent man for his milke-white head claimd reuerentnesse after he had in the presence of many noble personages circumspecty vewed euery secret of this rare worke and marking euery curyous shadow how it was laide lastly found a deformitie in the portraiture of man and to this Princesse disgrace as she tooke it found great fault therewith at which Marsias wrath so inkindled and with such flames fiered her whole bodie that in presence of all the nobilitie with a siluer bodkin striking in the goulden trammuels of her haire she furiously stabbed the good old man vnto the heart so greatly her wrath preuailed this bloodie and inraged fact by the whole assembly was generally lamented and by her wrathfull hand no sooner done but repented for wrath being of nature sodaine a little ouerpassed conuerts into remorse so happened it with this Ladie for when her eye beheld the purple goare of his liueles heart
to a Queene daily attended vpon her all things she could either wish or desire were at her commaundment heauen and earth concluded to make her a happy princesse onely this content of minde wanted for nature denied to fructifle her bodie and grace her with the name of a mother therefore in wanting children she grew enuious to the world and spighted those women that heauen had so blessed now in processe of time the king queene and the nobilitie of the land road a progresse into the countrie more by their presence to win their subiects loue then for their owne contents and pleasure and as in great state and moste princely manner they passed by a forest side where then was scituated the castle of an auncient knight and an old seruit or to the kings father in the christian warres and therefore was intitled one of the knights of the Roads in which castle as the queene passed by a moste pleasant and delightfull melodie of musique sounded in her eare at which not saeing any she greatly maruelled and demaunded the cause of that extraordinarie reioysing the answere was that vppon that day was borne to the knight and ladie of the castle a man childe who neuer before that time for the space of twelue yeres was grac'd with any is this the cause saide the queene now I sée bace subiects in disgrace of the queenes barrennes will not sticke but make therof a may-game and to mine owne eares giue me a dishonourable scandall as I am now queene of frannce this their presumption shall be quittanced with death and short shal be the ioy they receiue in this childes birth thus enuy like a conquerer seazd vppon all the parts of her bodie with the vndeserued hate she bore vnto this knight and his ladie her verry heart plotted straunge confusion ◠all the way as the road along not a word proceeded from her month but sanord of enuy and mallice and not a flumber closed vp her eyelids but it begot dreams of hate and furie all her meditations were of the ouerthrow of these two guiltiesse soules who little mistrusted what deadly plots she decised against their deare liues eury day to this enuious queene seemd a yeare till their progresse ended which as ill fortune had allotted was broke of in this manner The commous of Normandie and Pikardie made an insurrection against the nobilitie and none but the kings presence could alay their tumulteous furies who with al speede princely prouided with men mony and munition tooke his iorney towards them whose absence no sooner gaue way to the queenes mallice bat she dispatched a messenger one of the groomes of the kings chamber to the betraied knight and his ladie not yet churched commanding them by the dewtie of aleadgeance to repaire vnto the court and giue attendance in her chamber till the kings returne onely as she dissembled the dearest friends to trust vnto This message of the Queenes pleasure being no sooner deliuered to the knight and his ladie but as dutifull subiects reioyced that their seruices in the kings absence could bring vnto the queene such high pleasure therefore leauing their castle in quiet gouernment with all conuenient speede they repaired to the queenes pallace bearing with them their little childe who at the first were intertaind with a friendly regard and their childe by the queenes commaundment taken from them and as shee saide put feorth to nurse but such a bloodie nursery I think neuer tender babe induced little suspected the good knight and his gentle ladie what a balefull banquet was preparing for them for the enuious and angry queene in steed of tender paps to giue the infant nourishment shee commaunded it to be made foode for that wombe that gaue it first life is hauing blooddie ministers readie prepared for that tirranicall enterprize according to her wicked meaning the prestie babe as a seruice bakt in a pie was brought to the table of the vnhappy parents whome the queene had then placed in two chaires in her chamber directly the one against the other where after they had saitisfied hanger vnknowne to them with the fruit of their owne howels she locking fast the chamber doore asisted by three or feure bloody murtherers prouided for the same purpose and bound them both fast in their chaires with hempen coardes bands vnsitting for such noble minded personages and being now seltered in the gins of confusion with an enuious tongue she vitered forth the rancour of her heart in this manner Maruell not prowd knight quoth the queene nor thou thou painted minion of beawtie at this your sodaine misusage for till I behould both your hearts liuelesse your eyes sightles and your tongues speachles the rauening fawes of fury feeds vppon my soule what hath nature in you grafted more then in me you being bacely borne haue the gifts of children I royally descended am made barren by desteny and because the seede of procreation prospers in your adulterous beds you liue in all sollitie making reioycing melodie to my disgrace whilst I pining in woe vainely desiting children cānot obtaine them therefore know that I being a queene hauing a boddie yong faire and likely to conceaue crost and spighted by the cruelties of nature haue protested a secret reuenge against you and all such as so my dishonour haue their bodies seeming with children and now you two shall be the beginners of my intended massacars therefore knowe as the first act to this my blacke tragedie you haue fed and satisfied hunger with the fruit of your owne bowels so vppon thee thou father of this deed infant by thine owne selfe heere deuowred I will extend such a torment as neuer Lirant deuised but as thou art a Soldier so Soldier like shalt thou finish vp thy daies whervppon she caused an armour burning red hot from the fire to be brought and without either mercy or pittie buckeld it vnto his naked backe where like vnto Hercules putting on the shirt that cruell Nessus sent he made such pittifull moane as might haue inforced teares to fal from a Tigers eye and the verry marble stones giue signes of laments but poore knight as without cause he indurd this dying punishment so with great patienes yeelded he vp his ghoast in the sight of his beloued Ladie who being no lesse perplered with the frights of pale death awaited the fatall hower of the like dying torments which according to her sorrowfull expectation she was imediately presented withall for whilst she sate fast bound in her chaire gazing vppon the dead broiled bodie of her husband this enuious queene caused her to be stript starke naked and to her two tender breasts placed two speckled venomd snakes almost starued for want of foode which with their poisoned stings suckt her hearts life blood quight through her breasts during which time of her dying torments continuing for the space of an hower these and such like lamentations shee breathed foorth Oh you dreadfull powers of heauen
panting vpon the ground she striued in reuenge thereof to teare out her own eies and would haue committed that bloody crueltie vppon her selfe had not the standers by preuented her wherevpon in great agonie she vttered foorth this inraged complaint Oh why will not heauen quoth she take my blood stained life and breath into his breathles bodie new aire or why may not my eyes forsake their hated cels within his eies to giue a seeing power oh the this breast of mine were now vnbowelled and this my wrathfull heart torne from my bosomes closset and sacrifised vppon that carkasse which my cruell hand hath vntimely slaine be therefore of thou fatal hand for euer lame deny to giue sustenance to this my vile bodie harboring now nothing but cogitations of reuenge graunt this oh heauen that from hencefoorth I may neuer tast one bit of foode in ioy nor walke abroad but in discentent nor steepe but in frightfull feares nor dreame but of melancholly dispaire for my sodain hand hath slaine the miracle of humanitie within whose head whilst life lasted dwelled true wisedome a tongue tipt with eloqnence and a voice resounding reports of celestial vnderstanding these and such like passions vttered shee from the fury of her repentant soule which imediately had broake her heart strings had not the care of her Ladies then there atending conducted her to her chamber where they with the harmony of musique and melodie of voices rockt her grieued sences into a silent flumber in which quiet rest as they imagined they left this distressed princes but far otherwise happeneth still to a troubled minde for as she lay sighing and sobbing vppon her bed greeuing at the blood she so wrathfully spilt there appeared before her face the gastly shape of the murthered old man wan pale in visage breathing forth hollow groanes to the déepe terror other sonle and seemd to her affrighted eies to open the closset of his bleeding breast as it were thirsting for reuenge and desiring blood for blood This fearefull and strange sight so deepely molested her conscience that from that time forward she banished away al thoughts of terestialliay and delighted in nothing but her owne confusion so heauy lay the guilt of murther vppon her soule for after that time not any foode would she euer take into her bodie nor euer after indure the fellowship of people nor neuer suffer one small flumber to close vp her eye lids but in great woe and miserie ouerwatched and pined her selfe to death to the great discomfort and sorrow of the whole land who by a generall consent intombed both their bodies in one graue and erected there vppon a sumptuous sepulcher the which to this day standeth in great glory in the citie of Paris Auarice her Tragedie Or the life death of Mercuria the couetous the fourth daughter to the inchanted queene Chap 7. THe fourth of these vnhappy children bearing the name of Mercuria the couetous esteeming the countries content beyond the glories of the court banishing from her selfe alprincely desires accoūting thē the brāds of ambitiō the onely spurs of distruction so making her three former sisters a memoriall example of princip allities downefall she purposed to spend her daies as a shepheardisse in the countrie where in stead of a royall court she had the siluaine fieldes and mountaines to liue in in piace of her princely attendance she had her flocks of sheeps to delight in whose plentifull increase of wooll wereas the treasures both of land and sea her imperiall diadem was her sheepshooke her pleasurable musique the chirping melodie of birds her guard the pretty watchfull curre that with his shirle barking gaue notice of insuing daungers and the treasons complotted against her were the tiranny of deuowring wolues but snch was her siluaine care and countrie dilligence that her flocks sustained small hurt by the bloody rage of this spoiler by which means in short time her riches grew vnualuable and her treasures without number but the greedy thirst of her wealths further increase so bewitched her insatiate desires that her verry soule grew sotted with vile couetousnes and the smallest losse thereof drew drops of blood from her heart she feared to trust the aire with her mony least the winde should consume it away nor the earth least the wormes should consume it nor the sea least fishes should purloine it but in a more securermanner as she thought the intended to hide it betwirt heauen and earth that both months weeks daies and howers she might with the sight thereof glutte the sight of her thirstie eies so hauing a huge some of pure gould closed in an Iorne truncke the which in a darke gloomy night the secret concealer of all blacke deedes she conuaide and hid in the hollow trucnk of an old withered oake standing betwirt two steepy hills where the tracking steps of man sildome treadeth in which hollow tree almost rotten with age she secretly hid this rich iewell of her soule intombing it therein with these speeches Lie thou there qurth shee my sweet gould thou great commaunder of mankinde my desires content my earths happines my heart rauither by seeing thee I am rauished with joy in possessing thee I feede vppon the pleasures of the world what is it not but gould can bring to passe gould can purchace kingdomes and betray Princes gould can buy preferment and make men mightie gould can make the smitsh wife and curb authoritie gould can win faire Ladies and wrong the mariage bed gould can tempt the chastest and sack virginitie nay goulde can change vice into vertue falshood into troth and vile villany into pure honestie then be thou sweet gould my second soule for in loosing thee the world ends with me in this manner left she this corrupting gould lying in the hollow tree purposing euery day once to feed her eies with the bewitching sight thereof bnt now marke what happend to this couetous woman the next morning by the opening of the daies windows there came vnto the same place where this gould lay a pooreman a disiressed wretch with a rope in his hand vppon the same tree to end his wearisome life the reason was that the pittiful cries of his wife and children complayning for bread at his hands he not being able to satisfie their wants came thether to hang himselfe and so by that meanes rid himselfe from the complayning cries of his poore wife and néedy children but as the good chaunce of smiling heauen was in tying the roap about an arme or braunch of the same tree making a noose to put ouer his head and in giuing the vnkinde world a dolefull adew he espied this coffer of gould at which he staid from that selfe wild murther and being ioyfull of so rich a purchase left the rope there still hanging and rarried ried the coffer home to the comfort of his wife children thus you see heauen by good meanes sand the deare soule of this
Then she beheld her third sister called Wrath wading into a boyling caldron of fire brimstone vp to the very chin and in brazen ladels casting the same vp and downe in great fury Then fixt the her eye vpon her fourth sister named Couetousnes feeding on melted gould and euery part of her bodie behung with burning pearles saphirés diamonds which seemed to seare the verry flesh from her bones After this she beheld her fist sister which was Gluttony sitting in a flaming chaire at a table of red hotte yorne serued by deuils with broiled loads vppon grid-yorns and drinking downe challices of boyling mettles The next vision was her sixt sister named Letchery lying in a bed of smoking sulpher deliuered of a brood of vipers who with their fiery teeth fed vppon her bowels and as it were had her bodie spread all ouer with vile leaprosie These were her scarefull dreames and continuall apparitions in which vnquiet sleepe she remained without waking till her bodie grew shapeles hauing no proportion as then made the shelter for toads frogs and venemous wormes to breed in the excrements of the earth and the deformities of nature thus vanished her life away in sleepe being no way able to withstand the scuaere indignation of heauen Of the inchanted queenes dispaire and how she was caried away aliue by deuils CHAP. 9. IFter the death of all these seauen deadly sisters now brought to confusion by the blacke doome of mortallitie our tragick story bids vs returne to the inchaunted queene lying all this while in childbed fightles and lame hauing no feeling in any part of her members which miracle of misery after she had intelligence of her seauen daughters tragicall ends asuredly beleeued that then her life was at the last period and the time of fearefull death drew néere according to her conditions made to the deuil who promised she should liue till the seauen daies of the weeke were forgotten which she aluded to her seauen daughters so named now feare terror and pining dispaire assailed her on all sides now dreaded she euery minute her soules departure to that burning furnace whose fire is ten times more hotte then this earthly fire and now euery small noise she heard she supposed to be the hurring of deuils that came to take possession both of soule and bodie euery minute wished she now to be whole yeares howers millions and daies endles time to stand still or the world to end now she repented her ambition her aspiring dignities and all those desires of a kingdome now repented she the selling of her soule her bands sealing with her owne blood and all her agreements with blacke hell euery time the clocke struck put her in minde of eternall damnation and how that hels gaping mouth stood readie to receiue her cursing the begetters and causers of her creation thus in deepe remorse of conscience suent she out the tiresome day the last day of her worldly life till the clowdy euening with her pitchy manlie aproached the onely comparatiue of gloomy hell the which had no sooner shut vp the bright eye of heauen but clowdes more darke then darknes itselfe checked the world with motions of pale death such tempests of lightning and thunder broake from heauens christall portalls that it euen blasted the beautie of the earth and atired both trees hearbes and flowers in a mournfull liuery this night so al mankind was a night of feare a night of relentles terror a night of confused desolation in which extremitie of horror it continued till the mid-nights hower at which instant time with a clamorous roaring that seemd to shake both heauen and earth the wrathfull powers of blacke hell fetcht away both her bodie and soule the which being done the heaues cleared the earth replenished and after followed a time of plentie peace and prosperitie FINIS
THE Famous renowned History of Morindos a King of Spaine Who maryed with Miracola a Spanish Witch and of their seauen daughters rightly surnamed Ladies with bleeding hearts their births their liues and their deaths A History most wonderfull strange and pleasant to the reader LONDON Printed for H R. and are to be solde at his Shop in the Poultrie vnder Saint Mildreds Church 1609. How Morindos a King of Spaine married with Miracola a Witch and how he was transformed without shape for polluting the Temple of God CHAP. I WHen Spaine was nursed with the milke of paganisme vertue not knowne nor God honoured there liued a people so ripe in sin that the kéene edge of shames sickle lay euen ready whetted to reape them downe for confusions haruest yet the subiects then liuing where not so wicked as the King vitious a King we name him if illustrious title of maiestie may grace so pernitious a foe to nature with so royall a stile his birth was fatall for when the midwife pulled him from the cradle of his conception the earthquake and heauen rained blood his parents ominous the one deuoured by wolues the other burnt to death by thunder his youth full vnlucky chances his age tirannous and mischieuous and all his life subiect to blacke misdéedes When his parets by heauens wrath had ended thus their dates he raigned King and wore the imperiall Diademe but such a King good men thought neuer sprong from womans wombe Morindos for so we name him being seated vpon the throane of maiestie ruled not in loue but by force making his nobles flaues to his sinne and their wiues feeders of his lust for every day in the yeare hee had a seuerall concubine all young beawtifull and louely nature framed their bodies faire though sinne made their soules blacke for both art and riches indeuored to delight his insatiate desires earths chiefest pleasures were at his command and all the lullabies of content rockt him in the cradle of securitie thus careles of heauens wrath he more honoured the Deuill then he loued God and what was the vilest to nature he most doted vppon But now after al these pleasures of his wanton youth the kind imbraces of his fayre concubines which like earthly Angells made him happy in natures sports he wickedly fell inamored vppon one of the Deuills blacke saints one Madam Miracola a Witch of damnation now burning in heli for her blacke deedes this Madam Miracola borne of noble parentage brought vp in the deepest artes skilfull in Magick charmes and incantations who hauing spent seauen yeres in that déepe mistery of coniuration sildome sleeping without the sosciety of spirrits fayries goblins or nigtly shapes hir chiefest studie and ayme was at principallitie to rule sole Queens and gouernour of the Kingdome and no way was there to attaine to that imperial seat but by marying with king Morindos though not a match fit he being discended royally she but nobly yet by sorceries witchcrafts and magicke deuises shee obtained hir purpose and in this manner obtained it Vppon a time when King Morindos in the height of his reuelles whilst some of his fairest concubines daunced before him naked in their cambrick smockes the more to inkindle lustes fire shee entred the chamber of their licentious sports with a maske of wonder the like neuer seene in Princes court for all the Maskers except hir selfe were infernall spirrits vissible but not tangable all in the shape of young Ladis attired in more changeable silkes then the collours of the Rainebowe hir selfe in a robe of such richnes as it sémed to exceede the glorie of the sunne for brightnes hir owne bodie shee imbathed and supled with a water of such inchantment that what man soeuer first set eye vppon her either present loue or present death had destinie allotted him for well knew she that no man presumed his presence during this time of pleasure This Madam Miracola asisted by the blacke states of hell by delusions won the kings loue whose vnconstant eyes no sooner firt their inflecting beames on this killing cokatrice but all on a sodaine fire his loue inflamed that nothing could quench it but hir loue ioyned to his which were imediately sealed togither loue desire and lust so conspired against his bewitched heart that he presently avoided the chamber of his intifing damsels and shee of hir deluding spirits remaining then but two bodies two hearts and two tongues he began to reueale loues secresie in this manner Madam quoth he knowing hir to be a long attender in his court good or euill fortune hath inchanted me and now thy present loue or hate must either glorifie me with earthly happinesse or send me wandring to the dark some walkes of death where no soscietie but crawling wormes and dead mens benes are resident deny me not therefore good Madam I am this countries Potentate I can commaund both wealths and power cities towers and townes Statesmen stoope and humly kneele vnto my soote royalties dignitles and al other kingly promotions are at my disposing vnto my pleasurs all the land submits delights are my vassels both land sea as subiects striue to make me happy I am an earthly God be thou my Goddesse take all these honours I will attend on thee I le bee thy subiect thy seruant I will kisse thy foote deny not my loue for thou hast bewitcht my heart inchaunted me fired mee with a quenchlesse flame all my boddie burnes and nothing but the sweete Dewe of the graunt can quallifie it make mee either vnfortunate or happy sweet Madame This being breathed from his longing soule she farre more tractable to loues motions then he made a full conclusion of a willing acceptance in this fort I haue a minde imperious monarche said she soaring vp to the batlements of heauen no bace desires nor lowebred thought shall any whit aspire my princely will I ayme at a kingly bed where maisstie sleepes whose chamber is imperious garded with commanding statesmen seauen weary winters and as many sommers haue my hopes bene climing vp this kingly ladder and now on the top of fortunes wheele am I fallen into a princes bosome in louing me great King thou conquerest fate thou subiectest hell thou maist by my assistance commaund legions of the black hoast to houer ouer thy Pallace and in the twinkling of an eye blast vp all thy wicked consperators if our mindes but once proue equall in the cheare of soueraingty the earth shall be farre too little for thy gouernement my magick charmes shall vnbowell the earth rip vp her bosome ransack her rich treasures for thy vse my magicke charmes for thee and for thy pleasure shall empty the vast Drean and cram thy kingdome with those riches that mans eye hath not séene since the worlds creation my charmes for thy content shall paue thy Court with pearles emrodes and Diamonds commaund great king and the marble stones that now compase thy pallace shal daunce and the ayer
like singing Cherubins sound vs heauenly hermony contents delights pleasures ioyes and all the solaces of heauen and earth shall be thy attendants by inuesting me thy equall in great maiestie thus and in this manner did she clime the supremacie and tyed vpon her backe the title of a Quéeue Being both inchanted thus and intangled in the snares of desire they imediately tied Himens knot aband that none sunders but death the mariage they solemnized the same night not able to stay the mornings rise but as blacke thoughts haue blacke euents so in blacke manner was this mariage celibrated it was even at the midle of night when the Scritch-owle Kockes and Doremice sleepe in foggy mistes it was euen at that houre when the ghoastes of dead men walke when murtherers dreame of villany even when the earth had her sable garments on was this sacred knot vnited both being impatient of delay he burning in lust she aspiring a kingdome conuerted the holy temple to a mariage bed be euer black this deede of hell and neuer be it sould but with a trembling tongue for neuer was night more darke then this the fable curtines of the ayer were all as pitch and seemd so hide this poluted sinne the earth cast vp such a misty vapour that extingguished both fire and cresset-lights art could not make one candles flame nor any meane of brightnesse to beholde each other so wicked was this enterprise of theirs that both heauen earth shewed fatall prodegies and euerie thing that dismall night grew different from nature nothing was heard but bowling Dogges croaking Loades and hissing snakes vnknowne voyces bellowed in the court and the polluted Temple so vilely stained was compassed about with gastly spirits Fire-drakes and walking Goblins But marke now the strangest of al wonders euen at the verie instant when the seede of procreation conioyned euen as it were a crie of mandrakes strooke the King into a madnes blaspheming heauen till his tongue grew dumbe his eyes blinde his eares dease his ioyntes numbe and all his bodye shapelesse And as a Beare new whelpt like a lampe of flesh without fashion lay clasped in the armes of this new made Queene But now when the morning came and that the light of heauen sommond all creatures from sleepe the Nobles of his court came to his bed five thinking to giue them both a ioyfull good morrow but euen as their lips gaue way to their tongues passage their eies espied this fearefull accident a iudgement that heauen hath sildome yet showne which was a king deafe dumb blinde and senceles by breathing life which straunge fight stroke the nobles into such a maze that without any further speach they forsooke the court confidently thinking it vnhappie in harboring so vile a monster as this king was Now this new made Queene or damned inchantresse hauing purchased a kingdome by hirblacke proceedings was so blinded with the greatnesse of maiestie and so rauished with the brightnesse of a crowne being now sole Queene and gouernour thereof made a carelesse sport of gods indgment and hauing in hir court none left but parasites and flatterers such as are commonly the right hands to principalities made the greatest sinners the most honorable and held the vitious in best regard the deformed shape of the king hauing life but no sences she caused to be put in a brasen coffen and fed him dayly with humane blood which she poured into his mouth through quilles of filuer the successe hereof you shall heare in the next chapter and what a straunge conception she had after this first night of hir mariage Here the inchanted Queene made the Deuils a banquet with hir husbands bodie her three questions to the same Deuils and their answers and of her dispairing lamentations in a darke dungeon Chap. 2. SDone blasted were the hopes of this aspiring Queene and scowling mischance with a bended brow hemd in their mariadge bed heauens wrath and hells fury layd heauie burthens vppon them and as it were broke their heart-strings asunder for Miracola after she had coffend her deformed husband yet breathing life melancholly dispaire and pining griefe chiefely atended vppon her discontent suspition and feare were her gardiants by day and by night straunge visions dolefull outcries vnquiet dreames assayled her wilde beasts straide from the woods and in same manner made them dennes within her court vnlucky birds forsooke the ayre to sit vippon her pallace such as nightowles and crooking rauens be sounding forth fatall and harsh harmony the sun seemd to shine vppon her with a scowling face the moone as a shamd of her soulesdānation in conferring thus with deuills as it were drew backe behinde the pitchy clowdes and vnwillingly lent light vnto the meaner starres eache thing grew contrary to kinde onely her selfe excepted for she hauing made an atonement with the princes of the fiery world put her whole confidence in them and onelye trusted through their asistance to lead Fortune in a string and at her pleasure commaund kingdomes So vppon an euening when the daies bright eye had left heauens sater pallace and night with her blacke canopie had compast in the earth she betooke her to her priuate chamber where Medea like she raised vp her ould seruants the furies or rather the spirrits of darkenes from their burning beds such as condemned soules lye flaming vppon who no sooner presented themselues before her but shee questioned them in this manner I charge you quoth she you enemies to heauen and man by the band and condition made betwixt you and me sealed with my dearest blood and by the seauen sucking babes that I once offred to you at midnight and by the hope you haue of my soulos purchase at my deaths fatall hower answere me truly to three seuerall questions which here I will presently propound vnto you first how long my life shall continue secondly whether I shall die a Queene or not lastly the number of my children and their following fortunes to which proposttions these instruments of mischiefe imediately condiscended to aunswere but vppon this straunge condition following that as a toe to these blacke barrasters shee should deliuer vp her husbands deformed body and serue it to them in seauen seuerall banquets that both his flesh and blood as a bribe to hell might be made foode for spirrits which demaund to this woman monster seem'd but an easierequest and therefore like to the viper which feeds vppon her owne dam gaue that life and body to the tyrany of hell which ought to haue bene pretious in the ese of heauen and the dearest iewell of her owne heart These diligent deceiuers hauing no sooner promise of this purchased prize but in a misticali sort or riddle like gaue answeres to her three former questions in this sort First for the continuance of her life they saide she should liue til the seauen daies of the weeke were forgotten the second question was whether she should dye a queene or not they
answered that neither heauen nor earth God nor man should take her kingdome from her the third and last question was to know the number of her children and their following fortunes to this they answered that from her boodie should spring seauen braunches whose tops should reach to heauen These answers to this accursed womans eares came more ioyfull then the reports of pardon to a condemned man and more pleasing to her heart then for a moorish slaue from the cheaned gaily to be aduan'st vnto a kingdome therefore with a setied trust and assurauce of the spanish crowne and gouernment litle mistrusting the flie defeates of these misticall answeres with all conuenient speed prouided a chamber wherein she might performe her damned condition and deliuer vp her husbands body to the gluttony of hell therefore ascending to the top of her pallace into a marble tower she caused her husbands bodie to be bronght thether and after commaunded the walles to be hung round about with blacke mourning cloth to signifie her damned and fatall enterprise this being done she purposed to deuide the seruice of her seauen bauquets into seauen seuerall daies and in this manner were they accomplished the first day vppon a table of blacke Ebony in two pron plates or platters she set the two legs of her vnhappy husband which so often in his good daies of fortune bestride the warlike palfrey in the honour of his country the second day vppon the same Ebony table she placed his fine wd thighes in two vessels of lead whose blew veignes signified the force strength of manhood the third day the likewise brought to the table his secret partes and bowels in a vessell of tin or pewter wherein lay the seed of procreation the fourth day she furnished the same table in a charger of brasse with the belly and inward partes of his body which had so often bene cherisht with delicious and princely banquets the fift day in like manner in a vessell of compounded mettle named alchemye she brought to the table his manly breast which as a tower had many yeares clos'd vp his heart the sixt day in a platier of fine siluer she serued in the two arms of her husband which whilst vertue gouernd held both thescepter of peace and the sword of warre the seauenth and last day in a vessell of pure gould being the dearest and richest seruice she brought in his head which had so often bene ornafied with an imperiall diadem centaining a tongue that could in former times haue giuen thée life or death all these vnnaturall seruises by the hands of a woluish natured woman Being no sooner finished the fatall table auosded but both heauen and earth land sea as it were gaue echoes of terror hell it selfe seemed to tremble and spewed vp corrupted sauors from her fiery furnaces cast abroad such sparckling flames the euen the imbrodered vestures beset with goldsmiths workmanship so gorgeously beautifing her bodie were fiered and she golden traniels of her haire burnd from her head notwithstanding all this nothing amazed the shameles minde of Miracola nor any way affrighted her with the teror of heauens wrath for the thirst of promotiō so bewitched her ambitious pride so inchanted her and the desire of a diadem so imboldned her that thinking both crown and kingdom her asurance for euer by the false promises of hel imediately vpon this same tower or chāber wher she had thus sacrificed her husbands body she caused certaine characters or letters to be ingrauen vpon the marble walles concerning her perpetuall happiness The first superscription was to this effect following Vpon this earth Miracola shalliue till the seauen daies of the weeke be forgotten which she thought was foreuer The second superscription was That neither heauen nor earth God nor man should take her kingdome from her The third That her children like seauen braunches should reach to heauen These three promises she regarded as Oracles and beleeued that through them her earthly happines should neuer end but suddainely this violent ioy turned into an extreame griefe for as she stood contemplating of these neuer-ceasing delights there entred inuisiblie into the chamber one of the blackepotentates of hell and vnder euery one of these superscriptions ingraued these significations Vnder the first this The seauen daies of the weeke be thy seauen daughters now breeding in thy wombe who no sooner ripe but rotten no sooner borne but forgoten Vnder the second Though neither heauen nor earth God nor man will take the kingdome from thee yet hel and the deuill shall Vnder the third The seauen braunches whose tops should reach to heauen be the seauen deadly sinnes that shall spring from thy wombe whose bloody enterprises and blacke deedes shall clime heauen for an eternall Iudgement These dismall and ominous reuelations were no sooner ceazed vppon by the eyes of this accursed Queene but all the partes of her body trembled with feare not a member but the terror thereof distempered now feare of Gods vengeance by little and little entred into her heart and the quiuering thought of hells damnation filld her bosome full of dispaire without all hope of saluation she inclos'd herselfe in the centorie of the earth in a caus where neither light of sunne nor the glimmering brightnes of the moone might discend nor any voice of man or other creature could yeeld her comfort thus excluding her selfe from all worldly solaces committing the gouernment of hir kongdome to Scicophants and carelesse guiders she wasted away the time of ten moneths in this dark and solitarie dungeon both day and night making these or such like wofell lamentations Oh Nature quoth she thou nurse of euery liuing thing why did it not thou end me in my first beginning why did my mothers wombe bring to light this my damned soule why did my cradle rock this my body of perdition to so many lullabies I wish my nurses pappe had peelded nought but venomed poyson and that my swathing clothes had ben sheetes of boyling lead that both life and body at one instant had been both consumed but woe is me I am resecued for an eternal torment my tongue bath consented to my soules everlasting damnation and my hand seald to to a band that can neuer be cancel'd till I becast into hels deuowring bowels fall vpon me thou great frame of heauen cover me thunder-claps descend whirle windes arise and cast me beyond the bounds of mans imaginations thou spirit of red vengeance transforme me to some venemous worme make me without soule or feeling that my torments be not everlasting woe vppon woe pursues me for the gayning of a crowne and kingdome haue I sould and foreuer lost my deare soule whome all the treasures both of earth and sea nor the prasers of good men can euermore redeeme curst be mine eies that traind me to this damned studdy band be my tongue that pradisd first these incantations and woe to all my wits and senses that so cursedly gaue
over themselves to these magick charmes now rane and rage be you mad distraught and lunaticke dig vp the bowelles of the earth and wander far beyond the Antipodes but ob for euer weepe weepe thou most miserable soule howle and lament that griefe may split asunder thy sad heart for such a woful heart neuer lin'd in womans breast thus and in this maner spent she in deepe lamentations both minutes howers weekes and moneths fill her wombe grew big and the fruit therein ripe and ready to fall How the inchanted Queene was deliuered of feawen daughters at one time and how she lay in child bed one and twentie yeares after Chap. 3. NOw betwirt her prodegious and vnlucky mariage ten times had the siluer moone renewd her brightnesse and the time of her deliuerie drew neare vnto the appointed hower when in great torments both of soule and bodie she ascended from her darke habitation where for fortie weekes her rhiefest foode was sorow griefe and care but now like vnto the owle ashamed of the light she came abroad and caused prouision to be made fitting for her deliuery and although her Ladies inwardly hated her life and conuersation yet in charitie and christian love they attended her safetie being conducted to her chamber where the painefull hower of chlide bearing were to be inbured the pinching throes so tortured her womb bearing so strange a burthen that she in verry griefe and agonie thereof with her natles tore out her owne eies and wonld haue rent the fruit aliue out of her wombe had not the tender care of her Ladies preuented her Thus sightles and comfortlesse fell she in labor wherein she centinued in great extreamltle for the space of seauen daies making such bitter mone and breathing from her painefull heart such dolefull groanes as would haue forced euen merciles Tigers to pittie and so straunge was her daliuerie that the report thereof might fill large volumes with bitter lamentations for in seauen daies she brought forth seauen maiden children euery one as hateful to the world as the seauen deadly sines all at one birth a thing sildom seene but that God in instice will shew his iuogement vppon so inhumane a woman The first was borne vpon the sunday which we compare vnto pride as the course of verlise hereafter shall because which childe was called Sola after the dates name The second vppon the munday which we liken vnto enuy according to her liues quallitie and bore the name of Lucina The third vppon tuesday which we alude vnto wrath and therefore named Martia The fourth vppon wednesday supposd to be couetousnes which we call Mercuria The fist vppon thursday which we imagine to be dronhennes and therefore we name her Iouina The fixt vppon friday which we place for letchery and giue her the name of Venorina The seauenth and last of this ominous brood was borne vppon the saturday which weterme to be sloth and so call her Saturnia Thus was the seede of shame brought into the world at whose birthes seauen black rauens set croaking directly vppon the top of her chamber and the howlets of mischaunce with fatall wings flustered against the christall windows eache one of them borne with teeth in their mouthes whereat the midwife and other her asistants the Ladies there present were much amazed and with trembling hearts seared to behold so strange a spectacle of nature but as fate and destinye had alotted they of their owne fres willes prouived for these seauen monsters thus borne seauen seuerall nurses the wiues of seanen shepheares which anely had their habitations in woddig die caues where they were diligently brought vp and not once suffered till their full age to come within the Court gates where we will leaue them to fortunes direction for a time The wofull mother of these vnfortunate children being now safely deliuered through her owne extreame violence lying sightlesse in her childbed the onely foe to worldly delights in the hearing of many standers by breathed forth this pittifull complaint oh how happy is the silly worme saide she that hath neither soule nor vnderstanding whereby the threatning of euerlasting torments may not affright it the miseries of this worlde wherein I now deseruedly lie are but as delights sports in regard of them I shall feele when the doomes daye of my life is past I lye now as it were vppon a bed of pricking thornes stung with a thousand serpentine stings but woe is me my guiltie conscience doubts that for my wilfull loosing of my soule I shall lye boyling in the red hotte chaldron of damnation more thousands of yeares then blades of grasse growe vppon the earth leaues vpon trees or starres in the christall firmament and more which terrifies my condemned soule I shall ye there in consuming paine but neuer consumed more millions of yeres then as if a heap of sand should lye on earth whose toppe should reach to heauen and once in euery million of yeres an eagle should fetch away but one sand yet would those yeares of torments haue an end but mine can neuer finish for selling that sweete soule that my deere sauiours life was shed for me thinkes I heare seauen sucking babes knocking at heauen gates for vengeance against me for giuing vp their tender bodies as a foode for spirrits me thinks I heare seauen virgins all the daughters of mightie Potentates accusing me for inchanting them to a heape of senceles stones me thinkes I heare seauen aged men whose heads were beawtified with milke white pledges of wisdome all comming as witnesses against me for sucking way their blood by spirrits in the likenes of aspes and adders and after sacrificing the marrow of their bones to the chiefe Prince of darknes for which my conscience now tels me the heauens yron hand of vengeance in euen ready to strike and that hells wrath is inuenting now tortures for my soule and now there is a horred voice thunders in mine eare that this my euer stained crime shall be also scourged in my seede and all my kinred washt from the face of the earth into the vnknowne vault of forgetfulnes and now in speaking these words all her ioints grew lame and numbe thereby to ioyne in equall misery with her sightles eyes where we will leaue her now as the picture of calanutie lying in childbed for the space of one and twentie yeares and speake of her childrens misfortunes whose liues were as ovious to the world as the seauen deadly sinnes Prides Tragedie The life and death of Sola the prowd the first daughter to the inchanted Queene a history ful of dole woe calamitie CHAP. 4 THeeldest and first childe of this viperous Queene borne vppon a sunday hearing the name of Sola and being the true picture of pride in life and nature perseuering in that deadly sinne for being no sooner growne to the ripenesse of age and that the yeares of discreation had grafted hir with vnderstanding she was by the nobles and ladies
of the Land brought to the court in hope that after her mothers decease by the decree of frowning chaunce lying then in marnelous calamities shee would proue a gratious and good queene but it happened farre otherwise for being now on the way of preferment and cluning vp the steps of imperiall dignitie a kinde of commaunding pride so bewitched her that she esteemd her selfe aboue womans kinde and that nature had framd her of no earthly substance but rather of the pure mould of celestiall angels her crimson coloured cheekes whereon the glory of beautie seemd to shine her iuory front or forehead where art and nature stroue for supremasie and her bright twinckling eyes within whose pretty balls the God of loue seemd to shew himselfe were al in her proved imaginations too pretious for the sun to shine vppon and her selfe with al other partes of her bodie the most pure workmanship of natures experience she held too angel like to tread vpon the grose earth therefore she the more to aduance her great pride caused a chariot of christal glasse to be made close framed on al sides to keepe both winters blastes and sommers heat from her delicate bodie the which chariot by skilfull art was wasted vp and downe by artificial meanes deuised mans inuention her foode was the purest restoroties of the earth both of beastes birds fowles and fishes and the onely quintisence of nourishments to maintaine life her pleasures were the musique and singing voices of young virgins the daughters of noble men and knights her garments were of the finest Medean silkes weau'd vpon siluer loomes by Arabian queenes Thus pomp and pride eleuating her minde as it were beyond the ambition of Lucifer who sought to pull God out of heauen and esteemd no man of that royall birth worthy to match with her in miriage Emperors and kings she accounted but as slaues to fortune and the onely subie as to variable chaunce many high personages enterprizd the conquest of her loue but reaped the fruites of deniall and disgrace and were not suffered that asuming sauour as once to kisse her prowd hand yet al last three bould aduenturous gallants hearing her thūdring fame rumord about the world attempted to purchace the cōquest of this prize that neither Emperours nor kings could obtaine The first was a Soldier whose valor and matchles thinarie vpon the wings of fame was carried by and down the earth as far as euer the golden eie of heauen hath shewen his glistering brightnesse The second was a Scholler whose Academick skill in all the seauen liberall sciences might challenge in all princes courts the honours of the golden tongue The third and last was a marchant whose trauelles by sea round about the earth compassing seauen times the equinoctiall line purchased such wealth as builded one of the greatest citties in the world These three times honored champions comming before this prowd Ladie of the earth who sitting then like a goddesse vpon the tribunall seat of majestie began their loues embassage in this manner Deuine Sola saide the Soldier thou miracle of woman kinde at whose birth good fortune daunced this bodie of mine is become thy humble vassell and now yeelds all his purchast honours at thy gracious feete I that by warre haue foragd kingdomes vnpeopled countries and made whole fields flowing with blood wil now at thy roial commaund kisse the sacred plot of ground where thy celestiall foote but stangeth I that haue dyed the flinty pauements of conquered cities with the purple goare of humaine carkasses and fed my pampered steedes with the flesh of man am now subiected to thy thrice glorious person and challendge to my selfe no other happines but one smiling glaunce from thy angellicall eyes graunt then thy loue thou Iewell of nature and let my soule feed vpon the 〈◊〉 pines that proceedes from the censure of thy blessed tongue in condiscending to my loue legions of aduenturous knights shall fill thy pallace with renowne and by their knightly prowesse fetch conquered kings from al the parts of the world to one obeysance to thy imperiall greatnesse And in louing me great princesse qd the scholler the vnsearched studies of all sciences shall be at thy commaund the pleasures of musique the helpes of phisicke the eloquence of tongues the secrets of starres the natures of nations and moreouer the sweet consolation of deuine meditations shal eleuate thy soule to the shining paradice of vnspeakeable blessednes then make a scholler happy in thy lone sweet Sola in whose deepe vnderstanding lye the secrets both of aire earth and sea And in louing me thou paragon of beawtie quoth the marchant the far fetcht treasures of rich India the gould of Arabia and the vnualued carbuncles of goulen Ganges aboundantly shall fall into thy lap I haue measured the earth seauen times about and vpon the sea spread such a fleete of ships and rich Argoses which like to a toplesse forrest seemd to hide heauen all these for thee and for thy loue shal sayle to those nations where no sunne shines nor moone giues light to those kingdomes where one night continues sixe months and their purchase by long trauel those inestimable valued vestures which had wont to beawtifie the prowd queenes of Asia bamasks goalden tissues and robes of siluer shall be as common to thy delights as rich scarlets were to the princes of Iudea in louing me thou shalt be atended with more roilties then king Salomon was in all his pompe these and such like were the proffered curtesies of these three gallant gentlemen euery one hoping thereby to obtaine the good will of this prowd Ladie who was as far from kind acceptance of their seruices as the starued Lionesse is from merry when the ceazeth vpon the innocent lambe therefore rething no other councellors but pride and ambition the onely nurses of confusion without any further consideration made them this answere That man high spirited gentlemen that in my bed shall set his foote and crop the bud of my virginitie the which I haue denied vnto kinges shall win the same grace with a seuere taske or knightly aduenture First to you thou vndaunted knight of war if thou canst either by policy or manhood either wit or conquest of thy sword gaine and purchase me a bed that shall be fild with a softer substance then the soft downe that grows vppon the milke white swans backe thou shalt inioy my loue and I will onley be thy wife Likewise to thee thou scholler like man of art if by thy learning or any other deep mistery thou cāst frame me a fountaine that shall containe a purer water then that which raines from heauen or that which springs from the cundets of the earth thou shalt gaine my loue and I will be onely thy wife Lastly to thee thou noble adventurous marchāt if thou by any trauaile either by land or sea canst finde me a bread that shall be better then that of wheat thou shalt haue my loue and
I will onely be thy wife Vpon these strict conditions or rather Nerculian labours these three gallants without any further reply departed each one his seurall way striuing which of them should accomplish the taske proposed vnto them where we will leaue them for a while trauailing straunge cuntries dilligently seeking to bring these their straunge labours to an end and speake of the woful miseries that the heauen aflicted this prowd Ladie withall Many months passed ouer the head of this hated woman after their departures and as she grew in age so did her pride increase in somuch that for the mainteinance of her vaine beautie she had atending vppon her a hundred of faire and yong wiues that once euerie day with the milke of their breasts fild a cestern of fine gould with the which euery morning she bathed her bodie onely to make her beawtiful faire and white skin more smooth and amiable and that foode which nature gaue for the nourishment of young infants according to Gods will she wickedly abulediu the mainteinance of pride and in the seruice of the deuill This vile course of life she long wandred in loosing herselfe in the wildernesse of blacke iniquitte till the all-seeing seeing eies of wrath descended heauen and in a moment strooke this prowd exeature into such on ovious leaprosie that neither eye could indure her sight nor nostrellavide her corrupting sauours now that bodie so finely framd of natures chiefest mould that lately would not indure the whistling of the gentle windes were now more lothsome then the spotted adder and that cleare celestiall face that disdaind to entertaine the comfortable heate of the warme sunne was now more ovious to mans sight then the swelling toad and all those Ladies that had wont to atend vppon her forsooke her company and fled her chamber as from adenne of snakes they that kept nearest to her were distressed people and vile malefactors such as were lately deliuered from loathsome prisons and deepe dungeons and these in contempt of heauens iudgement caused she with sharpe rasers to flea off the vpper skinne from her spotted face and leaprous bodie in hope that a new young and fresh skinne would againe growe and that her beawtte in a liuely manner would againe be replenished and not as now blemished with one stained spot or soule vlcer all this according to her will was imediately performed but to small purpose for the enuy of heauen cloathed with red vengeauce had doomed her to a miserable death for neither art nor nature by any practise could euer after couer her hated bodie with any kind of skin but that all hir flesh contine wed rawe and loathsome and putrified vnto her bones in this torment as a iudgement of hir pride remained she desiring death but could not dye til the moone had twice twelue times renewd her brightnes and that the earth had twice put on her spring times liuery and twice frostie bearded winter disrobd dame natures Gardens then oh then returnd the three wandring louers with conquest of their straunge adventures earth one hoping to reape the deserts of their true merrits The Soldier whose taske was to finde a bedde fild with a solter substance then the downe feathers of swans in this daungerous manner brought he his labour to an end First after his departure from this prowd Lady Sola he trauelled many strange countries meeting with many straunge people and in searching many strange places he happend into a caue where liu'da Satyr of such bignes as mans eye had hardly seene this Satyr liu'd vppon the spoile of traueliers within whose Caue lay the signes of such as he had murthered and deuowred the number of the dead bones and sculles which lay heaped there together draue such an admiration into the soldiers heart that for a time his feare so abounded that hee stood as it were senceles but at last being ornefied with the bould courage of manhood hee drew foorth his short semiter and with one blow smote of the Satyrs head whilst he lay sleeping vppon a bedde stuffed with nothing but winde the which the soldier no sooner perceiued but he verily beleeued his taske to be ended and that a bedde stuffed close with winde were farre more softer then the downe of signets so taking vp the same bedde and packing it vppon his Bennet behinde him he arriued as you heard at the pallace of this prowd Ladie whose misfortunes with fatall newes no sooner gaue him intertainement but he fell into a melaucholly dispaire and now seeing his long and dangerous trauailes reaping no better successe as one wearied both of life and good chaunce conuaide the saide windie bedde into a field vp to the toppe of a high mountaine where vppon he laide his brused bodie and was by the saide winde imediatiely carried away for euer The Scholler whose long tranells and deepe studdie nothing inferiour to the Soldier after he had spent two yeares practice in framing a Fountaine that should yeelde such a Water that neither rayned from heauen nor sprung from the conduits of the earth a taske as he thought impossible yet good chaunce so directed his steps that he ariued in the I le of Delphos at the Dracle of Apollo who after his deuine sacrifice had this pleasing answere reuealed to him The dew of heauen is neither water from the clowds nor water springing from the earth replenith a fountaine therewith and so conquer fate for inded he conquered fate for at his returne to the prowd Ladies court in hearing of heauens iudgement laid vppon her and how that he had consumed two yeres labor to no effect he presently fell lunaticke and dyed Lastly the marchant tasted of deaths cup as dearly as the others did for after he had brought a bread far better then the bread of wheat which is the bread of saluation the sacred bible of God which he fetcht from the temple in Ierusalem but when he saw the end of his hopes rewarded with a vision of calamitie he departed to a desert wildernesse onely inhabited with wilde beastes where for want of foode he famished himselfe to death Then Sola after she had inteligēce of the liues ruins of those 3. gallāt gentlemen whom she had so cruelly doomed to miserable trauailes and that for her sake they all three lost their liues she in great dispaire of eternall happinesse breathed her soule into the aire wishing her sir sisters by her example to imbrace humilitie Enuies Tragedie The life and death of Lucina the enuious the second daughter to the inchanted queene Chap. 5. LVcina being the second daughter to the inchanted queene bearing in her breast the burning fier of enuy neuer differed from that deadly sinne all the date of her wretched life for after the dicease of her prowd sister no long time passed on before Iulianus then king of France tooke her in mariage whose nuptiall rights these two countries solemnized in most princely manner and the chiefest delights and pleasures belonging
desperate man and releeued the distressed estate of his almost starued family which we leaue now in groat ioy and speake of the wofull calamitte tyed vppon the backe of this couetous ladie who imediately after this poore means departure came vnto the aforesaide tree to looke vppon her gould whereby her heart might leape at the topfull sight thereof but no sooner found she her hopes frustrate her gould gon and an instrument of death left hanging vppon the tree in place thereof she grew into such a violent dispaire that without either care of her liues safetie orpreuention of her soules damnation in the same corde she strangleb herself her bodie being thus made breathlesse exempted from the sight of people had no other buriall but in the rauening mawes of hunger-starued so wies whose straunge confusion had neuer bin knowne but through the voice of her troubled ghoast which walked many yeares after betwirt those two hils and reuealed it to the country inhabitants thus was her couetousnes scourged for a grieuous sin both by heauen and hell Gluttonies Tragedie Or the life and death of Iouina the drunkard the fist daughter to the inchanted queene CHAP. 8. IOuina now the subiect of our tragick storie and fist daughter to this inchanted Queene as fate and chaunce ordained was matcht in marriage to the rich Cardinall of Lorraine whose court for magnificéce equallizd and any prelates before his time for euery day vprising and downe lying he had a thowsand officers in his pallace and prouision for the mainteinance thereof were the customes of three riche dukedomes this haughtie and prowd Cardinall was in his life so vitious that he accounted drunkennes a deed of manhood and he that could best deuise new feruises to pamper vp gluttonie he aduanced to great authoritie and his riotous table was accounted the treasurie of earth aire and sea of beastes soules and fishes but God owing him a grieueus shame in the middle of his magnificence when he feasted at one time in the honour of his greatnes three christian kings to the wonder of them all he was choakt with a grape huske hapning in a cup of Arabian wine this his sodaine death not onely amazed the whole company but draue such a discontent into the minde of Iouina that she purposed a present reuenge vpon the whole countrie and as the customes of the natiōns are that by the death of such an imperious prelate all the land reuenews fals from the wife so she to make aspoile thereof made such a funerall banquet as Spaines chronicles to this day speaks of for no sooner had the earth closed vp the Cardinalls perfumed bodie and deliuered the same to the fary of consuming wormes but this gluttonous woman by sound of drum and trumpets caused a proclamation to be made throughout all the country of a free banquet for the space of seauen daies awarding to him or her that could rate or drinke the moste a hoepe of pure gould to compasse in their bellies she report of this deadly prize of sin being no soouer bruted abroad but of rioters spendthrists gluttons and drunkards from al parts arriued such numbers that the walles of Lorraine could hardly conteine them the tables whereat they sat were as natures storehouse variably yeelding all kinde of delicacies and their pampred wombes as the insatiate gulfe of hell neuer suffized some there were that had their bellies split in sunder by ouerfilling them some in the midle of their gluttony choakt with superfluities some by ouercharging themselues with wine vomited out their inward partes and some fell into such deadly sleepes as they neuer wakened againe and of all these multitudes of people the tenth man departed not away with life so consuming a tragedie brought this vile déed of gluttonie and drunkennes vpon that country Now Iouina her selfe seeing the earth almost strewd ouer with stifeled carkasses began to enuy at the powers of heauen and in contempt thereof drew foorth a sharpe knife and threw it vp toward the aire saying I wil wound fate and dismember the destinies in crossing thus the glory of my magnificent banquet but the knife she cast vp neuer more descended but instead thereof fell downe thrée drops of bloud directly before her vppon the table where she sat which strange and dismall sight stroake terror and remorse into her conscience and such a dispairing repentance into her cogitations that from that time forward as the angry heauens had appointed she consumed the remnant of her life which was but short in bitter lamentations Nou blacke vengeance quoth she hath doomd me with a thowsand calamities and the scarlet canopie of destruction is euen readie to close in my hated life in moste vile courses haue my loathed steps wandred in and now the reward thereof is shame confusion me thinks I heare succourles people calling for that food I so gluttonously haue spent me thinks I heare the vnpittied widdow and the hungry orphant challendging my destruction me thinks I hears the decrepit and aged wretches soliciting heauen for reueuge me thinks I heare the pining prisoners in deepe dungeons exclayming againe my riotous gluttony and me thinks the troubled earth bellowes vp reuenging ecchoes against my sinne drowned bodie thus mourned her relenting tongue till her vnstanchable wombe grew as it were starued with hunger and then striuing to suffize nature could not for the pipes of her lieus mainten̄ce were clunged vp and by the iust powers of mortallitie had a heauier iudgement laide vppon her for that foode which heauen and nature ordained for her liues sustinance were congerted into a cōtrary snbstance her bread heauen changed into stoues her meat into venemous toads and crawling wormes and her drinke into a puddle of poyso ne liquor the stench sauour whereof no nosthril could induro thus exempted both from heauens grace and earths pittie she languished many daies hated of God and man till the fatall sisters finished her wearisome life this was the heauens scourage for gluttonie and drunkennes as black a sin and as deadly as any of the seauen Letcheries Tragedie Or the life and death of Veneria the lustfull the sixt daughter to the inchaunted queene Chap. 8. STill followes one misfortune vppon a nothers necke woe vppon woe calametie vpon calametie and this seed so wickedly sowne could not chuse but be blassed in the bloome now to our sad discourses no sooner had Veneria the sixt daughter of this inchanted queene yeelded vp the tender bud of her virginitie changing her mayden head for a wiues honour being then conioynd in mariage with the Princely king of Bohemia before one month had consumd thirtie daies grew inamord vppon a bace groome one of the kitchen scullions whom in her lustfull eye seemd to be a iewell of knightly behauiour though a deformed vassell of humble seruitude therefore as the temptations of sin had deluded her careles of her princely husbands honour and regardles of her owne reputation vppon a time in