as in opinions The Grekes putting their felicitie in eloquence and we in well doing I speake this right honorable Fathers to counsell and exhorteye that when ye bée assembled in Senate ye doe not consume tyme in disputing holdyng opinions for the verification of any thing For if you will iudge without parcialitie and affection without greate disputation ye may come to reason I do remember that being at a lesson of Appolonius Thyaneus I heard hym say that it was not so expédient that Senators and Emperors shold be skilful wise as if they suffred themselues to be gouerned by those that were of greate skill and knowledge and verely he 〈◊〉 truthe For by that meanes he prohibited forbad them not to arrest and stande vpon their owne opinion whereof they ought to be many times suspicious Likewise 〈◊〉 recommende vnto you the Censores who haue charge of iudgement and the Tribunes whose office is to attende the affaires of Common wealth that they bée wise and learned in the lawes expert in the Customes prouident in Iudgementes and ware in their trade of life For I say vnto you that a wise man is more auaileable in gouernement of a common welth than a man of ouermuch skill and experience The forme then which ye shall obserue in matters of iudgement shal be thus That in ciuile processe you kepe the law and in criminall causes to moderate the same bicause hainous cruel and rigorous lawes be rather made to amase and feare than to be obserued and kept When you giue any sentence ye ought to consider the age of the offendāt when how wherfore with whome in whose presence in what time and how long ago for somuch as euery of these things may either excuse or condenme whiche you ought to 〈◊〉 and vse towards them in like sort as the Gods towards vs who giue vs better helpe and succour and correct vs lesse than we deserue That cōsideration the iudges ought to haue bicause the offenders doe rather trespasse the Gods than men If then they be forgiuen of the Gods for offences which they commit reason it is that wée pardon those faultes done vnto others not vnto our selues In like maner we commaunde you that if your enimies do you any anoiance or iniurie not 〈◊〉 to take reuenge but rather to dissemble that same bicause many wrōgs be done in the world which were better to be 〈◊〉 than 〈◊〉 Wherin ye shall haue like regard touching that 〈◊〉 the Senate and Common wealth that they be not 〈◊〉 to ambicious or couetous 〈◊〉 For there is no beast in the world so pestiferous and benemotis as that 〈◊〉 of man is to the Common wealth the ambicious I say in cōmaunding and the couetous in gathering togither Other things we let passe for this time vntil we haue intelligence how these our commaundements be 〈◊〉 This Letter shall be red in the chiefess place within the Senate and afterwards pronoūced to the people that they may both know what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sée also what ye doe The Gods kepe you whome we pray to preserue our mother the Citie of Rome and to sende vs good 〈◊〉 in these our warres A notable Letter sent from the Romane Senate to the Emperour Traiane wherin is declared how sometimes the region of Spayne did furnish Rome with golde from their mines and nowe doe adorne and garnish the same with Emperours to gouerne their Common wealth THe sacred Roman Senate to thée the great Cocceius Traiane newe Emperor Augustus health in thy Gods and ours graces euerlastyng wée render to the immortall Gods for that thou art in health whiche we desire and pray may be perpetual We signified vnto thy maiestie the death of Nerua Cocceius our soueraigne Lorde and thy predecessor a man of sincere life a friende of his common wealth and a zealous louer of Justice wherin also we aduertised that like as Rome did wéepe for the cruell lyfe of Domitian so much the more bitterly doth she bewaile the death of thine vncle Nerua whose councell although hée was very olde and diseased which he gaue vs lying on his bedde we loued better and imbraced with greater comforte than all the enterprises and dedes done by his predecessors when they were in health and lustie And besides the ordinarie mourning vsed to be done in Rome for princes we haue caused all recreation and passetime to cease so well in the common wealth as with euery of vs particularly We haue shut vp the Temples and made the Senat to 〈◊〉 to doe the Gods to vnderstand how displeasantly we accept the death of good men The good old gentleman Nerua died in his house and was buried in the fielde of Mars he died in debt we haue paid his debts He died calling vpon the Gods we haue canonized him amongs their numbre and that which is most to be noted he died commending vnto vs the Common wealth and the Cōmon wealth recommending it selfe vnto him And a little before his latter gaspe the principal of the holy Senate and many other of the people standing about his bedside he sayde O ye Fathers I committe vnto you the cōmon wealth and my selfe also vnto the Gods vnto whome I render infinite thankes bycause they haue taken from me my children to bée mine heires and haue lefte mée Traiane to succéede You do remembre most dread soueraigne Lorde that the good Emperour Nerua had other successours than your maiestie of nerer alliance of greater frendship more bound by seruice and of greter proofe in warfare Notwithstandyng amongs other noble personages vpon you alone he cast his eyes reposing in you such opinion and confidence as to reuiue the prowes and valiant faicts of the good Emperor Augustus by suppressing in obliuion the insolent faicts of Domitian When Nerua came vnto the Crowne he found the treasure 〈◊〉 the Senate in dissention the people in commotion iustice not obserued and the Common welth ouerthrowen which you likewise presently shall finde although otherwise quiet and wholly reformed Wherfore we shall bée right glad that you conserue the common wealth in the state wherin your vncle Nerua left it considering specially that newe Princes vnder colour to introduce new customes do ouerthrow their common wealths Fourtene Princes your predecessours in the empire wer naturally borne in Rome and you are the first straunger Prince Wherefore we pray the immortall Gods sith that the stocke of our auncient Caesars is dead to sende 〈◊〉 good Fortune Out of the countrey of Spayne was wont to 〈◊〉 to this our Romane Citie great abundance of gold siluer stéele leade tinne from their 〈◊〉 but now in place therof she giueth vs Emperours to gouerne oure common wealths Sith then that thou cōmest of so good a countrey as Spayne is from so good a Prouince as is Vandolosia and from so excellent a citie as Cales is of so noble and fortunate a linage as is Cocceius and 〈◊〉 to so noble an Empire It
times and places doth brighten the Starres and maketh the Moone to shine Euen so the woman dependeth of the man and of him doth take hir nobilitie The King therefore thoughte the matche not mete for Ariobarzanes to marrie his daughter and 〈◊〉 red he shoulde incurre some blemishe of his house But for all respect and feare of shame the emulation whiche he had to be victorious of his forced curtesie did surpasse Wherefore he sent for Ariobarzanes to come vnto the Court. And he vpon that commaundement came And so soone as he was entred the Palace he repaired to do his reuerence vnto the king of whome he was welcomed with glad and ioyfull entertainement And after they had a while debated of diuers matters the King sayde vnto him Ariobarzanes for so much as thou art without a wife we 〈◊〉 to bestowe vpon thée a Gentlewoman which not onely we well like and loue but also is suche a one as thou thy selfe shalt be well contented to take Ariobarzanes answered that he was at his commaundement And that such choyse as pleased his Maiestie shoulde very well content and satisfie him Then the King caused his daughter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 attired to come before him and there openly in presence of the 〈◊〉 Courte commaunded that Ariobarzanes shoulde marrie hir Which with séemely ceremonies being 〈◊〉 Ariobarzanes shewed litle ioy of that parentage and in apparance made as though he cared not for his wife The nobles and Gentleman of the Court 〈◊〉 to sée the straunge 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 consideryng the great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of their Prince towards his subiect by taking him for his father and sonne in lawe and greatly murmured to sée the obstinacie and rudenesse of Ariobarzanes towardes the King and the faire newe maried spouse much blaming and rebuking his vnkinde demeanour Ariobarzanes that day fared as though he were besides him selfe voide of ioy and mirth where all the rest of the Courte spent the time in sport and triumph the Ladies and noble women together with the King and Quéene them selues dauncing and 〈◊〉 vntill the time of night did force 〈◊〉 wight to retire to their chambers Notwithstanding the King did marke the gesture and countenance of Ariobarzanes and after the bankette the King in solemne guise and greate pompe caused his daughter to bée accompanied with a great train to the lodging of Ariobarzanes and to be caried with hir hir princely dowrie where Ariobarzanes very honourably receyued his wife and at that instant in the presence of all the noble men and Barons that waited vpon the Bride he doubled the dowrie receyued and the same with the ten hūdred thousand crownes giuen him by the King he sent backe againe This vnmeasured Liberalitie séemed passing straunge vnto the King and bredde in him such disdaine as doubtfull he was whether to yelde or to condemne him to perpetual banishment The King thought that the greatnesse of Ariobarzanes minde was inuincible and was not able paciently to suffer that a subiect in matters of Curtesie and liberalitie shoulde compare with his King and maister Herewithall the King conceiuing malice coulde not tell what to say or do An easy matter it was to perceiue the rage and 〈◊〉 of the king who was so sore displeased as he bare good looke and coūtenance to no man And bicause in those days the Persian kings 〈◊〉 honored and reuerenced as Gods there was a lawe that when the king was driuen into a 〈◊〉 or had conceiued a iust displeasure he shoulde manifest vnto his counsellers the cause of his anger who afterwards by mature diligēce hauing examined the cause 〈◊〉 finding that king to be 〈◊〉 displesed shold seke means of his appeasing But if they founde his anger displeasure to be iustly cōceiued the cause of the same according to the qualitie of the offence little or great they shoulde punishe either by banishment or capital death The sentence of whome should passe and be pronounced without appeale Howbeit lawfull it was for the kyng the pronounced sentence either in all or in part to diminishe the paine or clearely to assoile the partie Wherby it euidently appeared that the Counsellers sentence once 〈◊〉 termined was very iustice and the kings will if he pardoned was mere grace and mercy The King then was constrained by 〈◊〉 statutes of his kingdom to disclose 〈◊〉 to his Counsell the cause of his displeasure which parti cularly he recited The Counsellers when they heard the reasons of the king sent for Ariobarzanes of whome by due examination they gathered that in diuors causes he had prouoked the kings offence Afterwards the lords of the Counsell vpon the proposed question began to argue by inuestigation serch wherof in the end they iudged Ariobarzanes worthy to lose his head For that he woulde not onely compare but also goe about to 〈◊〉 him in things 〈◊〉 and to she we him self discontented with the mariage of his daughter vnthankfull of the benefites so curteously bestowed vpon him A custome was obserued among the Persians that in euery act or enterprise wherin the seruant endeuored to surpasse and vanquishe his lorde and maister albeit the attempt were commendable and praise worthy for 〈◊〉 of want of duetie or contempt to the royall Maiestie he 〈◊〉 lose his best ioynt And for better confirmation of their iudgement the Counsellers alleaged a certain 〈◊〉 sentence registred in their Chronicles 〈◊〉 done by the Kings of Persia. The cause was this One of the Kings of that Region disposed to disporte with certain of his noble men abrode in the fields went a Hanking and with the 〈◊〉 to flie at diuers gante Within a while they sprang a Hearon and the Kyng commanded that one of the Faulcons which was a notable swift and soaring Hauke shold be cast off to the Hearon which done the Hearon began to mount and the Faucon spéedily pursued and as the Hauke after many batings and intercourses was about to seaze vpon the Hearon he espied an Egle. The stoute Hauke séeing the Egle gaue ouer the fearfull Hearon and with swift 〈◊〉 flewe towards the Egle and fiercely attempted to 〈◊〉 vpon hir But the Egle very stoutly defended 〈◊〉 self that the Hauke was forced to let go hir hold In the end 〈◊〉 good Hauke with hir sharpe talands again seazed vpon the Egles neck with hir beake strake hir starke dead wherwithall she fell downe amidde the companie that waited vpon the King All the Barons and Gentlemen highly cōmended and praised the Hauke affirming that a better was not in the worlde attributing vnto the same such praise as they thought mete The King for all the acclamations and shoutes of the troupe spake not a worde but stode musing with him selfe and did neither praise nor blame that Hauke It was very late in the euening when the Faucon killed the Egle and therefore the King commaunded eche man to depart to the Citie The next day the King caused a Goldsmith to make an
the Citie of Aricia his 〈◊〉 man whom with gold he had corrupted to bring in a forged accusation which was that his master had prepared in one night a number of men with 〈◊〉 and weapon to distroy the Nobilitie of the Latines of purpose to recouer the principalitie of the same This matter began to be suspicious by reason of the Tumult made the day before against Tarquinius and therefore the people the soner did credite the case In 〈◊〉 Turnus was 〈◊〉 and therefore a new kind of death deuised Who being laide vpon a Hurdle his face vpward was throwen into the water of Ferrentina This execution being done Tarquinius reuoked the Latines to Counsell wherein he praised them for 〈◊〉 Justice extended vpon Turnus and then he spake these woords I may by an old order and constitution iustlie say thus much vnto you The whole Nation of the Latines descending from the Citie of Alba are bound to obserue that 〈◊〉 which the Albanes with all their colonies annexing themselues to the Romane Empire in the time of Tullius Hostilius were firmely obliged to accomplishe The renouation whereof will nowe conduce more aduauntage and vtilitie to them all than euer it did before For throughe this 〈◊〉 the Latines shall possede and participate 〈◊〉 of the prosperous successe of the Romane people Better it were in this sort to ioyne themselues togither than to sée Destruction of either Cities Depopulacions and spoiles of their Countries which in the time of Ancus my Father then raigning ye suffred The like also if you doe forsake this offer ye may still expect and suffer The Latines here vnto were soone perswaded a day was appoynted when the 〈◊〉 sort of their Countrie should be redy armed at the wood called Ferrentina Being ioyned in order of battell they marched towards the Volsciens and wanne the Citie of 〈◊〉 Pometia the spoile wherof Tarquinius solde for xl Talents imploying the same vpon the Temple of Iupiter After wards he assaulted the Gabinians and whē he saw he could not by force obteine the same he 〈◊〉 a pollicie Who séeming to bend him selfe wholly vpon the building of the 〈◊〉 and to set aside the affaires of his warres deuised with his sonne Sextus which was the yōgest of the thrée that he should runne to the Gabinians and complaine of his fathers intollerable crueltie which accordingly he did Who shewing himselfe as a voluntarie exile said that his father had conuerted his tyrannie from other and began to execute the same vpon his owne 〈◊〉 And that he was also weary of the presence of his owne children going about to remoue his 〈◊〉 conuersants out of his house as he had done the like out of the Court to the intent he would leaue no ofspring or heire behind him to possesse his kingdome adding further that he was escaped euen through the midde of his fathers weapons and fury thincking no place better for his safegard and refuge than to séeke succour amongs his 〈◊〉 And bicause quod he ye shal not be 〈◊〉 he is euen now preparing of warres against you and purposeth vpon the sodain to set vpon you Now if there be no place of abode for me your humble suppliant 〈◊〉 you I must néedes wander through Italie and first I will attempt the Volscians afterwardes the Aequians and Hernicians till such tyme as I finde some nation willing to defend the poore chylde from the cruell and wicked furie of the Father And perchaunce quod he ye shall winne him that may be an Instrument and courage 〈◊〉 you all to represse that proude king and cruell Nation The Gabinians deliberating what was best to be done in this case the yong man 〈◊〉 as though he wer offended and would in all hast depart and séeke refuge of others then they curteously interteined him This yong man being had in great estimatiō amongs them through craftie and vaine persuasions making them beleue that he would conducte their armie euen vnder the walles of Rome with sundrie other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bring him self the more in credit 〈◊〉 length he was chosen captaine of their warres and recouered sundry 〈◊〉 for the Gabinians Wherby the foolishe nation both of the lower and chiefest sorte beleued that their captaine was sent vnto them by the prouidence of the Gods He 〈◊〉 perill and paine in like sort as the common souldier did liberally deuiding his spoyles and booties amongs them He was so well beloued that his father Tarquinius at Rome was of no greater authoritie than he was among the Gabinians When he thought that he had recouered force enough to answere his fathers expectation he sent a post to Rome to know his fathers pleasure although the Gods had giuen him sufficient authoritie amongs the Gabinians And bycause Tarquinius was doubtfull of the trust and fidelitie of the Messanger hée would aunswere nothing by worde of mouth but carying the Messanger into a garden harde adioyning his house with a wand which he caried in his hande he cut of the heads of the highest Poppies that were in the garden meanyng therby that he should dispatche the heads of the chiefest and principal in the Citie Whervpon the messanger without answere by mouth returned But by declaring those signes circumstances which his father vsed Sextus conceiued his meaning Then like a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sonne following the steppes of his father he cut of the heades of the Gabinian nobilitie whervpon som ran away vpon whose departure the goodes as well of them as of other that were put to death were deuided The of the Gabinians being in this doubtful case bolde of all counsell and succour at length was surrendred to the Romanes Then Tarquinius concluded peace with the Aequians and renued a truce with the Thuscanes and wholly bent him selfe to the affaires of the Citie This Tarquinius was the father of hym that rauished the noble Ladie Lucretia the lamentable historie wherof is recited in my former Tome by the ende of whiche stocke remembred in that historie and beginning of the same described in this Nouell may bée gathered what fruits Ambition and lothsome lust bring forth For Tarquinius Priscus repairing out of Hetruria to dwell at Rome by the ambicious will of his wife aspired and atchieued the Kingdome which was by the sundrie deuice of Tullia the daughter of Seruius Tullius mainteined and by the 〈◊〉 desire of Sextus Tarquinius the sonne of Superbus the. 〈◊〉 Romane King ended and the whole race expelled euerlastingly vanished out of that Citie So mete an example for those that 〈◊〉 long after the rights titles Kingdomes of other as may bée read in any Author For although the Spring appeare very fresh and 〈◊〉 of some degenerate grifft planted vpon some aūcient stock 〈◊〉 the fruite moste commonly in taste eateth somewhat sower and the rellishe in mouthe not altogether so pleasaunt as that which bothe in soile and stocke is duely planted Sophonisba ¶ The vnhappie end and successe of the loue of king
master Philippo whō for his good condiciōs experience they had sent vnto him in that ambassage Upon a day the king moued by the lord chācelor caused master Philippo to com before him to whō 〈◊〉 before his maiesty the king said these wordes The testimonie report so honorably made of you by the two 〈◊〉 frō whom you brought vs letters the hope which we haue to find you a faithful profitable seruant and to be correspondent in effect to the tenor of those letters moueth vs to accepte you into the numbre of one of our Secretaries wherein before our presence you shall sweare vnto vs to be faithfull and true Master Philippo that expected for no such dignitie maruelled at the Kings wordes and there by othe ministred vnto him by the lorde Chauncelour was receiued into his seruice exercised that office in singular fauor of the King to the great satisfactiō of al men And after 〈◊〉 King Charles was elected Emperor knowing the experiēce that master Philippo had in the affaires of Italie and specially in Lombardie he cōmitted vnto him al maters touching the state of that region which so happily came to passe to master Philippo as besides the ornaments of vertue wisedom he acquired greate riches and yet he continually serued and worshipped the Quéene as his noble patronesse and worthy mistresse Tell me now ye faire Ladies and gentlewomen What shall we 〈◊〉 of the princely behauiour and noble disposition of this Quene Truly in my iudgement she deserueth that praise and commendation that may be attributed to the moste excellente Ladie of the worlde who neuer gaue ouer hir faithfull seruaunt tyll she had bountifully with hir owne handes and commendation rendred vnto him a most Princely reward And as the sunne in beautie and brightnesse doeth surmounte the other furniture of the 〈◊〉 euen so magnificence and liberalitie in eche Ladie doth excell al other vertues specially in those personages that kéepe the state of Princes But to conclude méete and requisite it is that ye beautifie this most curteous and liberall Quéene with due praises For surely in my iudgement yf all women would conferre theyr heades and wittes together and deuise Hymnes and Sonnets of Liberalitie they can neuer sufficiently be able to celebrate the praise and glorie of this Quéene Alexander de Medices Duke of Florence ¶ The gentle and iust acte of ALEXANDER de MEDICES the first Duke of FLORENCE vpon a Gentleman whome he fauoured who hauing rauished the daughter of a poore Myller caused him to marie hir for the greater honour and celebration wherof he appointed hir a riche and honourable dowrie The. xxij Nouell IF the force of Uertue were not apparant at the sighte of eye it would be demed to be of lesse value than the greatnesse therof deserueth for sūdry causes rising in the myndes of men and that by performing the little which rested for that entier perfectiō of hir whole vnited glorie Now bicause that hir effectes be diuerse and that diuersly they be vsed the examples also of such diuersitie doe variate and make diuerse that affections of men some to folow that qualitie other that part proceding from the whole and perfect body of vertue which hath caused some to winne the price of modestie and temperance in their dedes other ful of magnanimite not familiar to many haue resisted the assaultes of Fortune Many other haue embraced that only honor which is the 〈◊〉 of ech good act wherby they haue well ruled the state of frée cities or guided the armies of mightie Monarchs And such whilom the cities of Rome Athenes Sparta and the ancient monarchs of the Medes the Persians and Assyrians did sée I will omit a good companie of those sage and wise men which haue 〈◊〉 the troubles of Cities the inquietations of Palaces the cries of Iudgement seates the dissimulation and deceiptfull flatteries of Courtes the carefull courtes which the housholder by gouernement of his house and familie doth susteine and féele of purpose more frankly to retire to the studie of sapience which alone is able to make a man happie worthy to be partaker of the diuinitie But aboue al I wil praise him which not subiect to the law liueth neuerthelesse like him that is most thrall thervnto or without respect of bloud or frendship shall exercise Iustice vpon his dearest and beste beloued as in olde tyme Manlius and Torquatus at Rome the people of Athenes towardes one Tinnagoras who beyond the duetie of an Ambassador of a franke citie fell downe on his knées and worshipped the Persian King And in oure time the Marquize of Ferrara by doing to death his owne sonne for adulterie committed with his mother in law And yet Iustice may redounde and sauour of some crueltie which rather turneth to shame than praise as Iohn Maria Visconte Duke of Milan when he caused a couetous priest to be buried quick with the corps of him whom he had refused to put into the grounde without money the historie wherof is hereafter remembred So as mediocritie of punishment ought to be yoked with the rigor of the law for that mitigation of the same And beholde wherfore the great Dictator Iulius Caesar loued better to gain the hart of his enimies with mercie than vanquish bring them to obediēce with massy manacles giues of iron Moreouer in our age Alphonsus of Aragon the true sampler of a iust righteous prince did not he estéeme when he straightly besieged Gaiette the victorie to be more glorious better gotten which is done by cōposition and gentlenesse than the bloody conquest colored with the teares and blood of a poore simple people And truly princes great lordes specially they which newly without succession receiued from their ancestors ariue to the gouernement of some cōmon welth ought continually to haue before their eyes an honest seueritie for the holinesse of the law a graue mildnesse to moderate the rigor of their formen dutie For by that meanes right is mainteined the heart of mā is won so wel as by violēce the state of gouernmēt taketh so good footing as the wind of no seditiō afterwards can remoue the same being foūded vpon a sure stone framed vpon a rock durable for a lōg time Wherof we haue an exāple of fresh memorie of a kind act ful both of wisedom gentle soueritie in a prince of our time who without effusion of bloud punished with rigor enough a trespasse cōmitted and swetely remitted the paine vpon him which merited grieuous nay mortal punishment as at large youshall sée by the discourse that foloweth Alexander de Medices fauored by the Church of Rome and armed with the Papall standard was he that fyrst with great actiuitie and wisedome inueyed the seniorie of Florence immediately vsurpyng the name title and prerogatiues of Duke The same albeit vpon the prime face hée was 〈◊〉 to the people of Florence wroth for losing of their
for the olde mannes woords hauing in hand his desired spoile cōmaunded his men to marche before with the maiden leauing behinde the pore olde man which thundred against them a thousand 〈◊〉 and cursses threatning and reuiling them by all the termes he could deuise desirous as I thinke to haue them turne backe to kill him But therunto they gaue so little héede as when hée demaunded to leaue his daughter behinde them to whom the amorouse courtier addressing himself began to make much of hir and kisse hir assayed by all meanes with pleasant words and many swéete promisses to comfort hir but that pore wench knowing ful wel that they went about to play the butchers with hir chastity and shamefastnesse and to commit murder with the floure of hir virginity 〈◊〉 to cry so piteously with dolorous voice as she wold haue moued to compassion the hardest harts that euer were except the same which craued nothing more thā the spoile of that his swetest enimy who hir self detected blasphemed hir vnhappy fate and constellation When she saw hir vertue ready to be spoiled by one who not in mariage ioyned went about to violat and possesse the same knew that afterwards he wold vaunt himselfe for the victory of such a precious price Alas sayde she is it possible that the soueraigne iustice of God can abide a mischief so great and curssed and that the voice of a pore wretched 〈◊〉 maide cannot be heard in the presence of the mighty Lord aboue Why may not I now rather suffer deathe than the infamie which I sée to wander before mine eyes O that good old man my déere and louing father how farre better had it bene for thée to haue slaine me wyth thy dagger betwene the hāds of these most wicked théeues than to let me goe to be the enimies pray of my vertue thy reputation O happy a hundred hundred times be ye which haue already passed the ineuitable tract of death when ye were in cradle and I pore vnhappy wēch no lesse blessed had I bene if partaker of your ioy where now I rest aliue to féele the smart and anguish of that death more egre to support than that which deuideth the body soule The Gentleman offended with those complaints began to threaten that hée wold make hir forget that hir disordered behauioure saying that she must change an other tune and that hir plaints were to no purpose amongs them which cared not or yet were bent to stay vpon those hir womanishe teares lamentations and cries The poore Mayden hearing that and séeing that she dysparckled hir voyce into the aire in vaine began to holde hir peace whych caused the Louer to speake vnto hir these woordes And what my wench do you thynke it now so 〈◊〉 or straunge if the heate of loue that I beare to you forceth me to vse such violence Alas it is not malice or euill will that causeth me to doe the same it is loue which cā not be inclosed but must néedes manifest his force Ah that you had felt what I do suffer and indure for loue of you I beleue then you wold not be so hard hearted but haue pitie vpon the griefe whereof you should haue proued the vehemencie Whereunto the maide answered nothing but teares and sighes wringing hir armes and hands somtimes making warrevpon hir fair hair But all these feminine fashions nothing moued this gallāt and lesse remoued his former desire to haue hir which he atchieued in dispite of hir téeth so soone as he arriued at his owne house The rēnant of the night they lay together where he vsed hir with all such kinde of flattering and louing spéeche as a louer of long time a suter could deuise to doe to hir whome at length he did possesse Now all these flattering follies tended only to make hir his owne to kepe hir in his Countrey house for his pleasure She that for hir age as before is sayd was of condition sage and of gentle minde began subtilely to dissemble and faine to take pleasure in that which was to hir more bitter than any Aloes or woode of Myrrha and more against hir heart than remembraunce of death which still she wished for remedy of hir griefe and voluntarily wold haue killed hir self like a Lucrece if the feare of God and dreadfull losse of body soule had not turned hir minde and also hoped in God that the rauisher should repaire the fault which hée had committed and beare the penaunce for his temeritie wherof she was no whit deceiued as well ye shall perceiue by that which immediatly doeth follow Nowe whilest the rauisher 〈◊〉 his pleasure with his rape the miserable father made the aire to sounde with his complaints accusing fortune for letting the whorish varlet so to passe wythout doing him to féele the lustinesse of his age and the force that yet reasted in his furrowed face and corpse withered with length of yeares In the end knowing that his plaintes curses and desire were throwne forthe in vaine perceiuing also his force vnequall to deale with such an enimy and to get againe by violence his stolne daughter or to recouer hir by that meanes wherby she was taken away hée determined the next day to go and complaine to the Duke and vpon that determination hée layd him downe to sléepe vnder the trées which ioyned to the fountaine where sometimes the Courtier had talked with his daughter And séeing that the element began to shew some bryghtnesse interpaled with coulours of White Yealow and Red signes preceding the rising of fresh Aurora started from his slepe toke his way to Florence whither he came vpō the opening of the City gates Then going to the Pallace of the Duke he taried vntil he saw the Prince goe forthe to seruice The good man seing him of whom he attended to receiue succoure fauour and iustice began to freat and rage for remembrance of his receiued wrong and was ashamed to sée himself in place not accustomed albeit it grieued his heart wyth hardy speache to presume in presence of so many yet the iust anger desire of vengeance emboldned him so much as kneling vpon his knées before the Maiestie of the Duke aloud he spake these woords Alas my soueraigne Lord if euer your grace had pitie vpon a desolate man and ful of dispaire I humbly beséeche the same that nowe you do regard the misory which on euery side assaileth me Haue pity vpon the pouerty of that vnfortunate olde man against whome one hath done such wrong as I hope by force of your vertue and accustomed iustice you wil not leaue a sinne so detestable without deserued punishment for respect of mischiefs that may insue where such wickednesse shal be dissembled and suffred without due correction Saying so the greate teares ran downe his grislye beard and by reason of his interrupted sighes and continuall sobbes the panting of his stomake might easily haue bene perceyued all
could not tell at the first face of what woode to make his arrowes and stode 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and surprised with a newe feare In the end notwithstanding playing the good fellowe hée went vnto 〈◊〉 Duke in whose 〈◊〉 smiling he whispered bicause he knew right well that the Duke was an indifferent good companion and loued so well his neighbors wife as his owne And sayd My Lord there is a prety wich within whome I do kepe and would not shewe hir to any liuing man but to you That is the cause I aske sayd the Duke let vs sée hir that I may giue iudgement of hir beautie tell you whither she be worthy of kéeping or not The maister of that house opened the chambre dore thinking to haue gained much and supposed to insummate himselfe the better into the fauor of the Duke but immediatly he saw himself farre deceiued of his accompt For the rauished and shamefast maiden comming for the of the Chamber with hir hair about hir eyes and hir garments berent and torne hir stomake and breast all naked and discouered hir face and eyes all blubbered with teares like a desperate woman threw hir selfe at the Princes féete saying Ah my Lord beholde héere and haue pitie vpon the moste vnfortunate wenche of all most wretched caytife women who shamefully and 〈◊〉 hathe bene abused and defloured by hym which impudently dareth to bring you into the place the wytnesse of his abhominable and wycked life The Duke séeing thys sight and hauing compassion vpon the maiden turned his face towardes the Gentleman and hys Companions which by chance were come thither as the Duke was entred into the Gallerie not wyth milde and pleasant countenaunce as hée shewed from the beginning but with a looke so graue and seuere as the hardest of the company could not tell what to do or what answer to make him Upon them then began the righteous Prince to vomit his displeasure saying 〈◊〉 this the 〈◊〉 of the bloud wherof thou art descended to rauishe thy neighbors daughters vnder mine obeysance and protection Doest thou thus abuse the familiaritie which hitherto I haue shewed vnto thée Thinkest thou that the lawes be peruerted by séeing some chaunge in the common wealth of Florence No I assure thée for so long as the soule shal reside within my body I will be hée that shall pursue the wicked wyth all extremitie and shall not indure the oppressyon of the poore enough afflicted with their owne proper misery O God could I haue thought that a Gentléman of my house would haue bene so prodigall of his honoure as to soyle his handes so 〈◊〉 by rauishing of them which ought to be required and to dishonoure them in place where their vertue ought to serue for a generall example I cannot tell what stayeth me from cutting of those curssed heads of yours from your shoulders like arrant traytors and théeues as you be Get ye hence ye infamous villaines and beastly Ruffians the troublers of your neighbours rest and the spoylers of the same of hir that is more worth than all ye together Then speaking to the Maide hée sayd Rise vp my wench and on me repose thy comfort for I promise thée by the Faithe of a Gentleman that I will doe thée such reason and vse thée so vprightly as bothe my Consciente shall be quieted thou contented and thine honoure restored for the wrong and iniury which it hathe receiued of these Gallantes And by and by hée commaunded the Miller to come before hym and all those whome hée had brought wyth him to assist his doings before whome hée caused to bée brought bothe the rauished mayden and the condempned of the rape vnto whom he said This is the praie my friends that I determined to take which I haue done without toyles nets or chaunting of the Dogs Behold I pray you the honor which my housholde seruauntes doe vnto my house as to ouerrun the simple Countrey people and rauish their daughters betwene the armes of their proper parents as to breake beate downe and ouerthrow the doores of their houses who liuing vnder the lawes of our city ought to enioy like priuiledge of libertie franchize If one respect which I will not disclose did not impeche stay me I wold doe such cruel iustice vpon the offenders as the posteritie should make report thereof Notwithstanding it shal suffise that they receiue this shame before you all by 〈◊〉 themselues banquished of a crime whych for expiation and reuenge deserueth most shameful death and to receiue of me for proofe of my mercy an vndeserued pardon of their fault with condition neuerthelesse that thou speaking to the Gentleman rauisher shalt take this maiden to wife for otherwise thou art not able to repaire the honor thou hast taken from hir and shalt loue hir so dearely as fondly 〈◊〉 she was beloued of thée I giue hir vnto thée to esteme and loue hir so much as if she were the very sister of me the Duke of Florence who commaundeth thée for the raunsome redemption of thy head presently to marry hir I will moreouer and ordaine by reason of hir fathers pouerty that for the wrong which he hath receiued of you thrée his daughter shal be indowed with two thousand Crownes by him that marrieth hir and with a thousand of either of the two other to the intēt that if hir husband die without heire she haue wherwith honestly to mainteine hir degrée and the honest port of hir house And hereof I will that without delay a contract be made and a publike instrument of good recorde in rolled swearing once again before thée that if I vnderstand that thou vse hir otherwise thā a wife ought to be by hir husband I wil deale such punishmēt and correction ouer thée as all men in time to come shal take example The Gentleman which expected no better méede than death ioyfull of that sentence fell downe prostrate before the Duke in signe of consent and the like did his Companions But the ioy of the Miller and his daughter can not be expressed who extolled the vertue iustice of their Prince vp into the heauens to whome wyth such humilitie they rendred their humble thanks as he wold doe that saw him self in so great calamitie and brought to such dishonor as earst they were sene to be by meanes of him that acknowledged one of them for his sonne the other for hir lawful spouse Thus was the mariage made in presence of the Duke with so great ioy and contentation of all partes as there was rage and trouble for that rape of the Bride The Duke being retourned to Florence the brute of this acte incontinently was 〈◊〉 almost throughout the Region of Italy this iudgement no lesse praysed than the sentēce which king Salomon gaue vpon that controuersie of the two harlots for the liuing childe which either of them claimed for hir own And for this cause was hée cōmended aboue any other
Rhomeo but began to breake the fountaine pipes of gushing teares which ran forth in such aboundance as not able to support the furor of hir grief she breathed without ceasing vpō his mouth and then throwing hir self vpon his body 〈◊〉 it very hard séemed that by force of sighs and sobs she wold haue reuiued and brought him againe to life and after she had kissed and rekissed him a million of times she cried out Ah the swete rest of my cares the only porte of all my pleasures and pastymes hadst thou 〈◊〉 sure a heart to choose thy Churchyarde in this place betwene the armes of thy perfect louer and to ende the course of thy life for my sake in the floure of thy youth whē life to thée shold haue bene most dear delectable how had this tender body power to resist the furious cōbat of death very death it self being here present How could thy fēder delicate youth willingly permit that thou shouldest approch into this filthy infected place where frō henceforth thou shalt be the pasture of worms vnworthy of thée Alas alas by what meanes shall I now renew my plaints which time and long pacience ought to haue buried and clearly quenched Ah I miserable and caitife wretch thinking to finde remedie for my griefs I haue sharpned the knife that hath 〈◊〉 me this cruel blow whereof I receiue the cause of mortall wound Ah happy and fortunate graue which shalt serue in world to come for witnesse of the most perfect aliāce that euer was betwene two most fortunate louers receiue now the last sobbing sighes intertainment of the most cruel of all the cruell subiects of ire death And as she thought to cōtinue hir cōplaints Pietro aduertised Frier Laurence the he heard a noise bisides the citadel wherwith being afraid they 〈◊〉 departed fearing to be taken And then Iulietta seing hir self alone in full libertie toke againe Rhomeo betwene hir armes kissing him with such affection as she semed to be more attainted with loue thā death and drawing out the dagger which Rhomeo ware by his side she pricked hir self with many blowes against the hart saying with feble pitiful voyce Ah death the end of sorow and beginning of felicity thou art most heartily welcome feare not at this time to sharpen thy dart giue no longer delay of life for fear that my sprite trauaile not to finde Rhomeos ghost amonges such numbre of carion corpses And thou my deare Lord and loyall husbande Rhomeo if there rest in thée any knowledge receiue hir whome thou hast so faithfully loued the only cause of thy violent death which frankely offreth vp hir soule that none but thou shalt ioy the loue wherof thou hast made so lawfull conquest And that our soules passing from this light may eternally liue together in the place of euerlasting ioy and when she had ended those words she yelded vp hir gost While these things thus were done the garde watch of the Citie by chāce passed by séeing light wtin the graue suspected straight the they were Necromācers which had opened the 〈◊〉 to abuse the dead bodies for aide of their arte desirous to know what it mēt wēt downe into the vaut where they 〈◊〉 Rhomeo Iulietta with their armes imbracing 〈◊〉 others neck as though there had ben some tokē of life And after they had well viewed them at leisure they knew in what case they were And thē all amazed they sought for the theues which as they thought had done the murder and in the end found the good father Frier Laurence and Pietro the seruaunt of dead Rhomeo which had hid themselues vnder a stall whome they caried to prison and aduertised the Lord of Escala and the Magistrates of Verona of that horrible murder which by and by was published throughout the Citie Then flocked together all the Citezens women children leauing their houses to looke vpon that pitifull sight and to the ende that in presence of the whole Citie the murder should be knowne the Magistrates ordained that the two deade bodies should be erected vpon a stage to the view and sight of the whole world in such sort and maner as they were found within the graue and that Pietro and Frier Laurence should publikely be examined that afterwardes there might be no murmure or other pretended cause of ignorance And this good olde Frier being vpon the scaffold hauing a white beard all wet bathed with teares the iudges cōmaūded to declare vnto them who were the authors of that murder sith at vntimely houre he was apprehended with certaine irons bisides the graue Frier Laurence a rounde and franke man of talke nothing moued with that accusation sayd vnto them with stoute and bolde voyce My masters there is none of you all if you haue respect vnto my forepassed life and to my aged yeres and therewithall haue cōsideration of this heauy spectacle whervnto vnhappy fortune hath presently brought me but doeth greatly maruell of so sodaine mutation change vnlooked for for so much as these thrée score and ten or twelue yeares sithens I came into this world and began to proue the vanities thereof I was neuer suspected touched or found gilty of any crime which was able to make me blush or hide my face although before God I doe confesse my self to be the greatest and most abhominable sinner of al the redéemed flock of Christ. So it is notwithstanding that sith I am prest ready to render mine accompt and that death the graue and wormes do daily summō this wretched corps of mine 〈◊〉 appeare before the iustice seate of God still waighting and 〈◊〉 to be caried to my hoped graue this is the houre I say as you likewise may thinke wherin I am fallen to the greatest damage preiudice of my life and honest port and that which hath ingēdred this sinister opinion of me may peraduēture be these great teares which in abundance trickle downe my face as though the holy scriptures do not witnesse that Iesus Christ moued with humane pitie and compassion did wepe and pour forth teares that many times teares be the faithfull messengers of a mans innocency Or else the most likely euidence and presumption is the suspected houre which as the magistrate doth say doe make me culpable of the murder as though all houres were not indifferently made equall by God their creattor who in his owne person declareth vnto vs the there be twelue houres in the day shewing therby that there is no exception of houres nor of minutes but that one may doe either good or yll at all times indifferently as the partie is guided or forsaken by the sprite of God touching the yrons which were found about me néedefull it is not now to let you vnderstand for what vse Iron was first made and that of it self it is not able to increase in man either good or euill if not by the mischeuous minde
sight the Ladie brought the seruauntes of these Noble men willing them to marke and beholde the diligence of their maisters and to imitate the industry of their goodly exercise who neuer attained meat before by laboure they had gained the same Which done she made thē take their horse furnitures of their Lords and to depart otherwise if by violence they resisted she wold cause their choler to be calmed with such like seruice as they sawe done before their eyes The seruaunts séeing no remedy but must néedes depart toke their leaue Afterwards she sent one of hir seruauntes in poste to the Court to aduertise hir husbād of all that which chaunced The Boeme Knight receiuing this good newes declared the same vnto the King and Quéene and recited the whole story of the two Hungarian Barons accordingly as the tenor of his wiues letters did purporte The Princes stoode stil in great admiration and highly commended the wisdome of the Lady 〈◊〉 hir for a very sage and politike woman Afterwardes the Knight Vlrico humbly besought the King for execution of his decrée and performance of the bargaine Wherupon the King assembled his counsell and required euery of them to say their mind Upon the deliberation whereof the Lord Chauncelor of the kingdome with two Counsellers were sent to the Castle of the Boeme Knight to enquire and learne the processe and doings of the two Lords who diligently accomplished the Kings commaundemēt And hauing examined the Lady and hir maiden with other of the house the Barons also whome a little before the arriual of these Cōmissioners the Lady had caused to be put together that by spinning réeling they might cōfort one an other Whē the Lord Chaūcelor had framed digested in order the whole discours of this history retourned to the court where the King Quene with the Pieres Noble men of his kingdom caused the actes of the same to be diuulged bruted abrode and after much talke and discourse of the performance of this cōpact pro cōtra the Quéene taking the Ladies parte and fauoring the Knight the King gaue sentēce that sir Vlrico shold wholy possesse the lands and goods of the two Barons to him and to his heirs for euer and that the Barons shold be banished out of the kingdoms of Hungarie Boeme neuer to returne vpon paine of death This sentēce was put in execution the vnfortunat Barōs exiled which specially to those that wer of their consanguinitie and bloud séemed too seuere rigorous Neuerthelesse the couenaunt being most plaine euident to most men the same séemed to be pronounced with great Iustice and equitie for example in time to come to lessō rash wits how they iudge déeme so indifferētly of womēs behauiors amōgs whom no doubt ther be both good bad as there be of men Afterwardes the. y. Princes sent for the Lady to that Court who there was courteously intertained for this hir wise politike fact had in great admiration The Quéene then appointed hir to be one of hir womē of honor estemed hir very déerely The knight also daily grew to great promotion well beloued and fauored of the King who with his Lady lōg time liued in great ioy felicitie not forgetting the cunning mā Pollacco that made him the image and likenesse of his wife whose frendship and labor he rewarded with money and other benefites very liberally Dom Diego and Gineura ¶ DOM DIEGO a Gentleman of Spaine 〈◊〉 in loue with faire GINEVRA and she with him their loue by meanes of one that enuied DOM DIEGO his happie choise was by default of light credite on hir part interrupted He constant of minde fell into despair and abandoning all his 〈◊〉 and liuing repaired to the Pyrene Mountains where he led a sauage life for certain mōths and afterwardes knowne by one of his friendes was by maruellous circumstaunce reconciled to hys 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and maried The. xxix Nouel MEnnes mischaunces occurring on the bruntes of diuers Tragicall fortunes albeit vpon their first taste of bitternesse they sauor of a certaine kinde of lothsome relish yet vnder the Kinde of that vnsauerouse sappe doeth lurke a swéeter honie than swéetenesse it selfe for the fruite that the posterity may gather and learne by others hurtes howe they may 〈◊〉 and shunne the like But bicause all things haue their seasons and euery thing is not conuenient for all times and places I purpose now to shewe a Notable example of a vaine and superstitious Louer that abandoned his liuing and friendes to become a Sauage desert man Which Historie resembleth in a manner a Tragical comedie comprehending the very same mater and argument wherewith the greatest part of the 〈◊〉 sortearme them selues to couer and defende their follies It is red and séene too often by common custome and therfore 〈◊〉 héere to display what rage doeth gouerne and headlong hale fonde and licentious youthe conducted by the pangue of loue if the same be not moderated by reason and cooled with sacred lessons euen from the Cradle to more mature and riper age For the Tiranny of loue amongs all the deadly foes that 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 our mindes glorieth of his force vaunting himselfe able to chaunge the proper nature of things be they neuer so sounde and perfect who to make them like his lustes 〈◊〉 himself into a substance qualified diuersly the better to intrap such as be giuen to his vanities But hauing auouched so many examples before I am content for this present to tel the discourse of two persons chaunced not long sithens in Catheloigne Of a Gentleman that for his constancy declared two extremities in him selfe of loue and follie And of a Gentlewoman so fickle and inconstant as loue and they which waited on him be disordered for the trustlesse ground wherupon such foundation of seruice is layed which ye shall easely conceiue by well viewing the difference of these twaine 〈◊〉 I meane to 〈◊〉 to the listes by the blast of this 〈◊〉 trumpe And thus the same beginneth Not long after that the victorious Noble prince yong 〈◊〉 the sonne of Alphonsus King of Aragon was dead Levves the twelfth that time being Frenche King vpon the Marches of Catheloigne betwene Barcelona and the Mountaines there was a good Lady then a widow which had bene the wife of an excellent and Noble knight of the Countrey by whome she had left one only daughter which was so carefully brought 〈◊〉 by the mother as nothing was to deare or heard to be brought to passe for hir desire thinking that a creature so Noble and perfecte could not be trained vp too delicately Now bisides hir incōparable furniture of beautie this yong Gentlewoman was adorned with haire so faire curle and yealow as the new fined gold was not matchable to the shining lockes of this tender infant who therefore commonly was called Gineura la Blonde Halfe a dayes iorney from the house of this widow lay the lands of
the fault to conceiue no sinister suspicion of thy running away crauing thyne acquaintaunce and is contented to sacrifice him self vnto thyne anger to appease and mitigate thy rage Nowe to speake no more hereof but to procede in that which I began to say I offer vnto thée then bothe death and loue choose whether thou liste For I sweare againe by hym that séeth and heareth al things that if thou play the foole thou shalt féele and proue me to be the cruellest enimie that euer thou hadst and such a one as shall not feare to imbrue 〈◊〉 handes with the bloode of hir that is the deathe of the chiefest of all my friendes Gineura hearing that resolute answere 〈◊〉 hir selfe to be nothing afraide nor declared any token of feare but rather 〈◊〉 to haue encouraged Roderico in braue and mannish sort farre diuers from the simplicitie of a yong and tender maidē as a man wold say such a one as had neuer felt the assault es and troubles of aduerse fortune Wherfore frouncing hir browes and grinning hir téeth with closed 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 very bolde she made hym aunswere Ah thou knight which once gauest assault to cōmit a villanie treason thinkest thou now without remorse of conseience to cōtinue thy mischief I speake it to thée villain which 〈◊〉 shed the blood of an honester mā thā thou art fearest not nowe to make mée a companion of his death Which thing spare not hardily to 〈◊〉 to the intent that I liuing may not be such a one as thou falsly iudgest me to be for neuer man hitherto 〈◊〉 and neuer shall that he hathe hadde the spoyle of my virginitie from the frute whereof lyke an arrant thiefe thou hast depriued my loyall spouse Nowe doe what thou list for I am farre better content to suffer death be it as cruel as thou art mischeuous borne for the 〈◊〉 vexation of honest maidēs not withstanding I humbly beséech almightie God to gyue 〈◊〉 so muche pleasure contentation and ioy in thy loue 〈◊〉 thou hast done to me by hastening the death of my dere husbande O God if thou be a iust God suche a one as from whome wée thy poore creatures do beleue all 〈◊〉 to procéede thou I say which art the rampire and refuge of all iustice poure downe thy vengeance and plague vpon these pestiferous thieues and murderers which haue prepared a worldely plague vpon me thine innocent damsell Ah wicked Roderico thinke not that death can be so fearefull vnto mée but that wyth good heart I am able to accept the same trusting verily that one daye it shall be the cause of thy ruine and ouerthrowe of hym for whom thou takest all these pains Dom Roderico maruellously rapte in sense imagined the woman to be fully bent against hym who then had puissaunce as he thought ouer hir owne hearte and thynkyng that he sawe hir moued with like rage against hym as she was against Dom Diego stode still so perplered and voyde of righte minde that hée was constrained to sitte downe so feeble he felt him self for the onely remembrance of hir euill demeanor And whilest this was a doing the handemayde of Gineura and hir Page inforced to persuade their mystresse to haue compassion vpon the knight that hadde suffered so muche for hir sake and that she would consente to the honest requestes and good counsell of Roderico But she which was stubbornly bente in hir foolishe persuasions sayd vnto them What fooles are you so much be witched either with that fained teares of this disloyal knight which colorably thus doth torment himself or els ar ye inchāted with the venomous honie tirānical brauerie of the thief which murdered my husband and your master Ah vnhappie caytife maiden is it my chaunce to endure the 〈◊〉 of suche Fortune when I thoughte to liue at my beste case and thus cruelly to tomble into the handes of hym whome I hate so much as he fayneth loue vnto me And morcouer my vnluckie fate is not herewith content but redoubleth my sorrowe euen by those that be of my frayn who ought rather to incourage me to die than consente to so vureasonable requests Ah loue loue how euil be they recompenced which faithfully do homage vnto thée why should not I forget al 〈◊〉 neuer hereafter to haue mind on mā to proue beginning of a pleasure which tasted and 〈◊〉 bringeth more displeasure than euer ioy engendred 〈◊〉 Alas I neuer knewe what was the frute of that which so straungely did attache me and thou O 〈◊〉 and thieuishe Loue haste ordeined a banket 〈◊〉 with such bitter dishes as forced I am perforce to taste of their egre swéetes Auaunt swéete foly auant I doe henceforth for euer let thée 〈◊〉 to imbrace the death wherein I hope to finde my greatest reste for in thée I fynde noughte else but heapes of straynyng 〈◊〉 Auoyde from me all my myssehap 〈◊〉 from me ye furious ghostes and 〈◊〉 most vnkynde whose gaudes and toyes dame loue hath wrought to kéepe occupied my louing minde and suffer me to take ende in thée that I may lyue in an other life without thée being now charged with cup of grief which I shal 〈◊〉 in venomous drink soaked in the soppes of 〈◊〉 Sharpen thou thy selfe O death vnkinde prepare thy darte to strike the corpse of hir that she may voyd the quarels shot against hir by hir aduersarie Ah pore hart strip thy self from hope and qualifie thy desires Cease henceforth to wishe thy lyfe séeing and féeling the appointed fight of loue and life combattyng within my minde elsewhere to séeke my peace in an other world with him to ioy which for my sake was sacrificed to the treason of varlets hands who for the persite 〈◊〉 of his desires nought else didde séeke but to soile his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the purest bloode of my loyall friend And I this abundance of teares do sheade to saciate his felonous moode which shall be the iuste shortenyng of my doleful dayes When she had thus complained she began horribly to torment hir selfe and in furious guise that the cruellest of the companie were moued wyth compassion séeing hir thus strangely straught of wits 〈◊〉 they did not discontinue by duetie to sollicite hir to haue regarde to that whiche poore fayntyng Dom Diego dyd endure Who so sone as with fresh 〈◊〉 water hée was reuiued 〈◊〉 stil the heauinesse of his Ladie and hir incresed disdain and choler against him vanished in diuers soundings which moued Roderico frō studie 〈◊〉 wherin he was to ryse wherevnto that rage of Gineura had cast him down bicause forgetting all imaginarie affection of his Ladie and proposing his dutie before his eyes which eche Gentleman oweth to gentle damsels and women kind stil beholdyng with honourable respect the griefe of the martyred wyldernesse Knight sighyng yet by reason of former thought he sayde vnto Gincura Alas is it possible that in the heart of so yong and delicate a maiden there
those that be so fondly iealous as eche thing troubleth their minde and be afraide of the flies very shadowe that buzze about their faces For by paining molesting themselues with a thing that so little doeth please and content them vntill manifest and euident proofe appeare they display the folly of their minds imperfection and the weake stedfastnesse of their fantasy But where the fault is knowne the vice discouered where the husband séeth himselfe to receiue damage in the soundest part of his moueable goodes reason it is that he therein be aduised by timely deliberation and sage foresight rather than with headlōg fury raging rashnesse to hazard the losse of his honor and the ruin of his life and goodes And like as the faith and sidelitie of the vndefiled bed hath in all times worthily bene cōmended euen so he that polluteth it by infamie beareth the penaunce of the same Portia the daughter of Cato and wife of Brutus shall be praised for euer for the honest inuiolable loue which she bare vnto hir beloued husband almost like to lose hir life when she heard tell of his certaine death The pudicitie of Paulina the wife of Seneca appeared also when she assayed to die by the same kinde of death wherewith hir husband violently was tormented by the vniust commaundement of the most cruell and horrible Emperoure Nero. But whores and harlottes hauing honest husbandes and well allied in kinne and ligneage by abandoning their bodies doe prodigally consume their good renowme If they escape the Magistrates or auoide the wrath of offended husbandes for the wrong done vnto them yet they leaue an immortall slaunder of their wicked life and youth thereby may take example aswell to shun suche shamelesse women as to followe those Dames that be chaste and vertuous Now of this contempt which the wife beareth to hir husband doe rise very many times notorious slaunders and suche as are accompanyed with passing cruelties wherein the husband ought to moderate his heat and calme his choler and soberly to chastise the fault for so muche as excessiue wrath and anger doe Eclipse in man the light of reason and suche rages doe make them to be semblable vnto brute and reasonlesse beastes Méete it is to be angrie for things done cōtrary to right equitie but tēperance and modestie is necessary in all occurrentes be they with vs or against vs. But if to resist anger in those matters it be harde and difficulte it is also to be thought that the greater impossibilitie there is in the operation and effecte of any good thing the greater is the glory that banquisheth the affection and mastereth the first motion of the minde which is not so impossible to gouerne and subdue to reason as many doe estéeme A wise man then cannot so farre forget his duetie as to exceede the boundes and limites of reason and to suffer his minde to wander from the siege of Temperaunce which if he doe after he hath well mingled Water in his Wine hée may chaunce to finde cause of repentaunce and by desire to repaire his offense augment his fault sinne being so prompt and ready in man as the crime which might be couered with certain iustice and coloured by some lawe or righteous cause maketh him many times to fall into detestable 〈◊〉 and sinne so contrary to mildnesse and modesty as the very tyraunts themselues wold abhorre such wickednesse And to the end that I do not trouble you with allegation of infinite numbres of examples seruing to this purpose ne render occasion of tediousnesse for you to reuolue so many bokes I am cōtented for this present to bring in place an History so ouer cruell as the cause was reasonable if duety in the one had bene cōsidered and rage in the other bridled and forseene who madly murdred and offended those that were nothing guiltie of the facte which touched him so neare And although that these be matters of loue yet the reader ought not to be grieued nor take in euill part that we haue still that argument in hand For we doe not hereby go about to erect a scholehouse of loue or to teache youth the wanton toyes of the same but rather bring for the these examples to withdraw that pliant and tēder age of this our time from the pursute of like follies which may were they not in this sort warned ingender like effects that these our Histories doe recompt and wherof you shall be partakers by reading the discourse that followeth Ye must then vnderstand that in the time that Braccio Montane and Sforza Attendulo flourished in Italie and were the chiefest of that Italian men of warre there were thrée Lordes and brethren which helde vnder their authoritie and puissance Fcligno Nocera and Treuio parcell of the Dukedome of Spoleto who gouerned so louingly their landes togither as without diuision they mainteined themselues in their estate liued in brotherly concorde The name of the eldest of these thrée Lordes was Nicholas the second Caesar and the yongest Conrade gētle personages wise and welbeloued so wel of the Noble men their neighbors as also of the Citezens that were vnder their obeysaunce who in the end shewed greater loyaltie towards them than those that had sworne their faith and had giuen pledges for confirmation thereof as ye shall perceiue by reading that which foloweth It chaūced that the eldest oftentimes repairing from Foligno to Nocera and lodging still in the Castell behelde with a little too much wanton eye the wife of his lieuetenaunt which was placed there with a good number of dead payes to guard the forte kepe vnder the Citizens if by chaunce as it happeneth vpon the newe erection of estates they attempted some newe enterprise against their soueraigne Lords Now this Gentlewoman was faire and of better grace singularly delighting to be loked vpon which occasioned the Lord Nicholas by perceiuing the wantonnesse and good will of the mistresse of the Castell not to refuse so good occasion determining to prosecute the enioying of hir that was the bird after which he hunted whose beautie and good grace had déepely woūded his mind wherin if he forgotte his duetie I leaue for all men of good iudgement to consider For me thinke that this yong Lord ought rather singularly to loue and cherishe his Lieuetenaunt that faithfully and trustily had kept his Castell and Forte than to prepare against him so traiterous an attempt and ambushe And if so be his sayde Lieuetenaunt had bene accused of felony misprision or Treason yet to speake the trouth he might haue deliuered the charge of his Castel vnto an other rather thā to suborne his wife to follie And ought likewise to haue considered that the Lieuetenaunt by putting his trust in him had iust cause to complaine for rauishing his honoure from him in the person of his wife whome be ought to haue loued without any affection to infrindge the holy lawe of amitie the breaking