Selected quad for the lemma: justice_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
justice_n	great_a	king_n	lord_n	8,214	5	3.8032	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11488	The castell of loue, translated out of Spanishe into Englyshe, by Johan Bowrchier knyght, lorde Bernis, at the instance of lady Elizabeth Carew, late wyfe to Syr Nicholas Carew knyght. The which boke treateth of the loue betwene Leriano and Laureola doughter to the kynge of Masedonia; Cárcel de amor. English	San Pedro, Diego de, fl. 1500.; Berners, John Bourchier, Lord, 1466 or 7-1533.	1548 (1548)	STC 21739.5; ESTC S110641	74,182	217

the deth of Laureola the whiche I will shewe she hathe dese●uyd by iust causes determyned acordyng to honour and iustice and yf her errour shulde be lefte vnpunnisshed I shulde then be no lesse culpable then Lereano As tochyng my dishonour and shame yf it were publisshed that I shulde perdone such a case of my neigbours I shuld be dispraised and of myne owne subgettes disobeyed and of euery man smally e●●●ed And also I might well be accused y t I haue euil conserued the generosite of my predecessours And this faulte myght be so far exstemed that it might spotte defowle the fame of myne auncettours passed blemysh y e honour of them that be present and steyne y e blud of them that be to come for one spotte in our lignage myght confounde all our generacion The perdonynge of Laureola shuld be cause of other great euils the whiche shulde folow by reasō of my perdonyng wherfore I hadde rather to cause feare by reasone of my crueltie then to cause boldnes to do euil by reasone of my pitie And in my so doing I shal be estemed as a kinge ought to be by reason of doing iustice Be holde how many reasons there be that shlude lede y t she ought to haue sentence ye knowe well our lawes hath stablisshed that a woman accused in such causes shuld suffre deth and ye se well how it were better for me to be called a kyng in mynystrynge iustice then to perdone the culpable And it ought well to be noted y t in stede of consernyng the lawe if I do breke it my selfe y e whiche I ought not to do then I cōdemne my self The righte waye oughte equally to be kept obserued for the hart of a iuge ought not to be mouede for fauoure for loue nor couetyse nor for none other accidēt folowing the right iustyce is laudable And yf it be fauourable then it is abhorred Iustice ought neuer to go oute of the ryght way syne it is cause of so moche goodnes It cansith feare to them that be euyll and it susteynyth them that be goode It pacefyeth all differences it determynyth al questions it expelith all stryues and contensions it agreith all debates it assurith the wayes it honourith the people it fauourith the small people and of base condicion it bridilith the myghty men and to the comon weale it is ryght profytable Then to conserue such a welthe and that the lawes susteynyth it It is ryght that I shuld vse iustice yf ye desire so moch the helth of Laureola and prayse so moche her goodnesse brynge forth one witnes of her innocensy as I haue .iii. to charge her then she shall be perdonyd with reasone and praysed with trouth Also where as ye say that I shulde gyue faith to the iudgemente of god aswell as to the wytnes of other men it is no meruayll thought I do not so for I se the wytnes certayne at myne eye and as for the iudgment is not yet endyd For thoughe Lereano hadde the better of the batayll we may iudge the my●●es but we know not the ende I will not aunswere to al your alegasyons and sayenges bycause I wyll make no longe proces and at the ende sende you away without hope I desire moche to accept your requestes bycause of your well deseruyng therof and if I do not yet I requyre yon take it for none euyll for ye ought no lesse to desyre the honour of the father then the saluacion of his doughter ¶ The Auctor THe desperate aunswere of y e kyng was to the herers great heuynes And when I saw that this remedy was to me cont●ary then I sought for a nother way trustyng that shulde be more profitable And y t was I thought to go to the quene that she shuld desyre the kyng for the saluacyō of her doughter Laureola So I wente to her who was partaker of her doughters sorow And I founde her in an hall acōpanyd with many noble ladyes and other who were suffycyente to haue atteygnyde theyr desyres other iuste or vniuste though the mttaer hadde ben neuer so greate yet theyr desyres ought not to haue ben refused bycause of y e auctorite of the quene who knelyd downe and spake wordes to the kyng aswel leyeng charge to hym for his ire as also wordes of pitie to apeace hym And she shewed hym the moderacyon that a kyng ought to haue and reprehendyd the perceuerāce of his ire and shewyng hym how he was a father and allegyd reasones ryght dyscrete to note and full of sorow sayng that if he wolde nedes execute his cruell iudgemente to do it rather vpō her selfe seyeng great parte of her yeres were passyd then vppon Laureola in her yonge age aprouyng that by her owne deth the fame of the iudge shulde be sauyde and the lyfe of her that is iudgyd and the mynd of the desyrer fulfylled But the kynge styll was indurate in his fyrst purpose All the quenes rasones could not serue nor yet her bytter wepynges And therwith the quene went in to her chamber with small strength sore wepyng and as redy to dye And when I sawe that the quene could gette no grace of the kyng I went to the kyng withoute any feare of his fers●es and sayd how he ought to gyue his sentēce with clere iustice for Lereano shulde fynde a man to fyght agaynst all those .iii. false wytnesses orelles to do it his owne proper person and to pay them accordynge to theyr desertes and then god shall shew where the ryght is Then the kyng aunswered me that I shuld leue myne ambassade for Lereano sayeng how the heryng of his name encresyd his passyon and ire And when the quene knewe there was no remedy to saue the lyfe of Laureola She went to the prisone and kyssed her dyuerce tymes and sayde as folowith ¶ The quene to laureola O Bountie by malice accusyd O vertue by ire cōdemnyd O doughter borne of thy mother to sorow thou shalte dye withoute iustice and I must wepe by reason Thyne vnhappe hath more pusance to condempne the then thyn innocēcy to saue the without the I shall lyue accompanyed with doloures the whiche in thy stede thou shalt leue me Thy deth shal ende .ii. lyues the one is thyne without cause and myne by good reasone and ryght To lyue after y ● shuld be to me a sorer deth then that thou shalte receue for it is farre greatter tormente to desyre the deth then to suffre it Wolde to god thou myghtest be called the doughter of the mother y t shuld dye rather then to be she y t I shuld se dye Of euery mā thou shalte be bewailed● as long as the worlde endureth all that of the haue any knowledge wyll sette litle by this realme y ● whiche thou shuldest enheryte accordyng to thy desertes for all that y u art fallen in to thy fathers displeasour yet all suche as knowith the affyrmyth that

the syght of her So Galleo her vncle ledde her to a castell of his owne not farre thence and when y e brute of this dead came to the heryng of the kynge he callyd for his armure and sownyd trompettes and causyd all the men of his courte to be armyd many of the citie And when Lereauo saw that of necessite it was tyme for hym to get oute of the towne in to the feldes then he comfortyd his men with swete and hardy woordes And all wayes in his reculynge he defendyd the multitude of his enemyes with a valiante harte and to kepe an honest maner in his reculynge he went in good order and not with so great haste as the case requiryd Thus lesyng some of his men and sleyng of many of his enemyes he came thither where he had left al theyr horses So suche order as he had sette before was well and truely kepte and so without perel he his lept vpō theyr horses the which was hard to haue ben done if he had not wysely prouidyd the remedy therof before hand Then the horsemen put before them theyr foremē and toke the way to Suria fro whence they cam And when Lereano saw .iii. bandes of the kynges aproche nere hym then he wente oute of the waye and conductyd so wisely his company by wayes of a vauntage that he scapyd with as great honour in his reculynge as he hadde wonne in the fightynge so he enteryde agayne in to the towne of Suria withoute losse of any of his men which was greate meruayll for the kyng was ther in propre person with .v. M. men of armes who was inflamyd with ire and so beset the towne about in purpose not to depert thence till he had taken vengeance of Lereano when Lereano saw how he was besegyd he sette his men lyke a wyse man of warre to the walles where as was most feblyst parte there he sette most defence and where as he myght best issue out in to the feld there he sette such men as were mete for that purpose and there as he fearyd other crafte or treasone there he sette such as he trustyd best Thus he vsyd hym selfe lyke a wyse capitayne The kyng thynkyng to bryng his enterprice to an ende cōmaundyd to fortefy his campe and to prouyde for all thynges necessary perteynynge to a campe royall as engyus bastides and bulwerkes to beat the citie with artilery and made greate dykes that none shuld issue oute when the kynge saw so longe tariynge at this siege his ire encreasyde for he hadde thought to hade taken Lereano by reasone of famyne and for all that he saw the towne ryght stronge yet he determynyd to sawte it the whiche he prouyd with suche fercenes that they within had great nede to put to theyr strength and dilygence to resiste Then Lereano went visytyd his men with a C. men suche as were deputyd for that purpose and euery where he saw any fyghtyng he euer encoragyd them and where as he saw valiantnes he praysed them and where he saw any euyll order he founde remedy Fynally the kynge caused to sowne the retrayte with losse of many of his knyghtes specially of the yonge lusty courteers who euer sekyth for perel●s to wynne therby glory Lereano at the same assaulte was hurte in the face and also loste many of his princpal men This assaulte past the kyng gaue other .v. assaultes within the space of iii. monethes so that in maner men beganne to fayle on bothe parties so that Lereano was doubteous of that enterprice how be it in his wordes and countenance nor in his deades nothynge of feare coulde be aspied so that y e corage of the capitayne incoragyd all the other capitayns and then to gyue corage to his men suche as were lefte he sayde to them as folowith ¶ Lereano to his company CErtaynly syrs as ye be but few● in nōber so our strength is not greate I haue doubte in our enterprice accordyng to our euyll fortune but in that vertue is estemyde more then is greate nomber and consyderynge your noble deades passed I thynke I shuld haue more nede of good fortune then of greate nōber of knyghtes wherfore alonely in you is all my hope and syne our helthe is in our handes aswell for the sustentacion of our lyues as for the glory of good fame we ought valiātly to fyght now y e case is offeryd vs orels to leue the profyt of our enherytance to them that wold disheryte vs. Thus we shulde be vnhappy if for feare faynte corage we shuld lese our herytage therfore lette vs fyght to delyuer our blude fro shame and dishonour and my name fro enfamy this day lette vs make an ende of our lyues orels conferme our honours lette vs defende our selfe and not to be shamyd for greater is the rewarde of vyctory then the occasions of perel This paynefull lyfe that we lyue in I know not why we shulde somoche desyre it the daies therof are but shorte and longe in trauayll y ● which for feare increseth not nor for hardynes shorteth not for when we be borne our tyme is lymyted the whiche we shal not passe thereby feare is subdued hardynes lawded we can not put our fortune in a better state then to hope of an honourable deth O glorious fame O couetyse laudable the auerise of honour wherby is ateyned greatter deades then this of ours is lette vs not feare the greate company that is in the kinges campe for at the fyrste encounter the weke ●hall fyrst fyght and ouercome them ●hey shall abashe the multitude the small nombre wyll enforce themselfe by vertue many thynges dryueth vs to be hardy bountie and vertue byndeth vs and iustice enforseth vs necessitie shall rewarde vs wherfore we ought not to feare for theyr is nothynge that shulde cause vs to dye Syrs all these reasones that I haue sayde is but superflew to enforce our strenght Syn we haue it naturally but I will say to you that in euery tyme our hartes onght to be occupied in noblenes our handes in deades of armes and our thoughtes in good workes good wordes amonge company as we do now I ●eceue equal glory aswel for the amorous good wyll that ye shew me as for the deades of armes that ye haue done and bycause I se our enmyes prepayre them to fight we be constrayned to leue our talkyng euery man to gette hym to his charge and defence ¶ The auctor LEreano was aūswerd of his knightes w t greate constance and corage of harte whereof he thought hym selfe ryght happy that he hadde suche men in his company so euery man went to his defence where as they were apoyntyd and then anone they hard the trompettes blowe and wihtin shorte space there came to the walles a.l. M. men and began fresly to gyue assaulte Then Lereano shewed his vertue and by reasone of theyr defence the kynge thought they within

be cause of .ii. liberties I requyre you take me not as your enemy for any thing that ye suffre syn my merites are nat the cause but rather it is myne euell fortune And ye may well beleue that though your dolours be neuer so great yet I fele more torment in y e thinkyng vpon them then ye do in the suffrynge Wolde to god that I hadde neuer knowen you and yet therby I shulde haue lost the sight of you the which to me is the gretest welth of this worlde I shulde haue ben ryght happy and I hadde neuer sene nor harde of the dolour that ye suffre and I ame so accustumyd to lyue in heuynes that I ame fayne to take counsaill for your cause but in the payne y t I fele now I take no counsayl nor I haue no rest nor my harte can not be quyt for the payne that ye suffre Feare not the deth for my propre handes shal saue you therfro I shall serche all the remedies that I cane fynde to apeace y e kynges ire And if y t faylle trust in me that for your liberte I shall deale in such wyse that as long as the world endureth there shal be remembrance and ensample of hardy valiantnes For this that I say is no great thyng to be done for besilde your excellent valeure The cruell Iustice of your presone causeth my hardynes who cā resist my strength syn I haue it by your meanes What thing is it that the harte dare not enter price your beaute being fixed therin Ther is allonely but one euyll in your saluasion the which may be bought w t an easy pryce accordyng to your deserte that is losynge of my lyfe And though I so do it is but a smalle losse so it may delyuer you With my good hope strengh your feble●es for and ye shuld sette your thoughtes vpon al ieoperdes ye myght sone therby ende your life wherby .ii. greate inconuenientes shuld ensue The fyrst and principall is your deth The .ii. is I shuld thē be preuatyd fro the gretest honour that any man myght haue as in that I shulde not then saue you Lady beleue in my wordes and trust my promyse do not as some other women do to take great feare for a small cause If your femynyne condycion accuse you with feare Then lete your discrecion strength you agayne which ye may well do by myne assurance and bycause this that I say shal be wel prouyd Therfore I requyre you beleue me I wryte not to you at length as I wold do but I shall proue to further your lyfe ¶ The auctor WHyle Lereano wrote his letter I made me redy to deperte and receyuyd his letter and made all the dylygence that I coulde tyll I came to the courte and dyd my deuour that in me was to haue spoken with Laureola to haue gyuen her some comeforte but I was denyed to se her Then I was enfourmyde of the chamber wher she laye wher was a wyndow with a great grate of irone And at nyghte I came thyther wrappyd the letter together and sette it on a spere poynte so with moche trauaill I dyd cast the letter in at the wyndowe in to her chamber and y e next mornyng I came thyder agayne and saw the wyndow open and I saw wher Laureola stode but the latyse was so thycke y t I cowlde haue no perfyght syght of her Fynally I aprochyd nerer to the wyndowe and when she saw me marchyng for by y e wyndowe She cast sodenly oute a letter withoute spekyng of any worde bycause of the prease that was nere hande And as I was goyng away she sayd Take there the reward of the pite that I haue shewed and by cause her kepers were nere aboute her I durst make none aunswere but her wordes dyd put me in to suche passion that who so hadde folowyd me by the trace of my wepynge myght well haue found me out The tenour of her letter folowith ¶ Laureolas letter to Lerea I Cannot tell the Lereano how to aunswer and where as euery man lawdith pite and reputith it for a vertue and in me it is taken for a vice And accordyng therto I ame chastysed I do as I ought to do accordynge to pitie I haue as I deserue accordyng to my mysfortune For surely thy fortune nor thy workes is no cause of my presone nor I complayne not of the nor of none other persone lyuynge but alonely vpon my selfe who to kepe the fro the deth charge my selfe culpable howbeit this compassyon that I haue of the is more paynefull then charge I do remedy as innocent and yet I ame punyshed as culpable How be it moche more pleasyth me this presone beynge withoute errour then to be at liberte infectyd therw t. And though yt be paynefull to suffre yet I ame easyd agayne that I haue not deseruyd it I ame she that amonge all lyuynge creatours ought leste to lyue without the kynge saue me I hope vppon no thinge but deth for yf thou delyuer me or any of thyne in what so euer maner it be I shal be dolorous And yf thou do not remedye me I ame sure to dye and yf thou delyuer me and take me awaye I shal be condempned as culpable Therfore I requyre the to trauayll to saue myne honoure and fame rather then myne lyfe for the one muste ende and the other wyll endure As I haue sayde serche to apeace the furour of the kynge my father for otherwyse I can not be saued without the destruction of myne honour How be it I remytte all to thy good counsayle and adnyse Thy wysdome can chose the beste waye thou mayste se the rewarde that I haue for the fauoure that I haue shewed the. I ame put in prisone where as murderers were wonte to be kepte and I ame tyed with cheynes and with sharpe tormentes my tendre flesshe is tormented and with force of armes I ame kepte as though I hadde the force and power to skape awaye Thus delicate is my sufferynge and my paynes so cruell that besyde y e sentence of deth my father myght otherwyse haue takē vengeance vpon me then to suffre me to dye iu this cruell prisō I haue great meruayle how of suche a cruell father shulde issue so pacyente a doughter yf I shulde be lyke hym in condicion I shulde not feare his iustice syn he wyll do it so vniustely As to that touched Persio I wyll make none aunswer bycause I wyll not defyle my tongue as he hath done my fame and renowne I had rather he wolde reuoke and denye his wordes that he hath sayde rather then he shuld dye for them but what so euer I say determyne thy selfe as thou lyste thou mayest not erre in that thou wylte do ¶ The Auctour Ryghte dowtious I was when I hadde receyued and redde the letter sent fro Laureola to Lereano whether I shulde sende it to Lereano orels kepe it styll

hade loste neuer a mā This assaut endured fro y ● myddes of the day tyll it was nyght the which depertyd them there were slayne hurt of them withoute a .iii. M. and asmany of them within so that Lereano hadde lefet no mo with hym but. C.l. persones and yet by his contenance he semyd as though he had loste neuer a man how be it he was inwardly sory for them that he had loste All that nyght he buryed the dede bodyes and praysed and lawdyde the valiantnes of them that were lefte alyue and gyuing no lesse glory to them that were dede then to them that wer● a lyue The next day at the relyefe in the morenynge Lereano determynyd that .l. of his menne with hym shulde issue oute and syt vpon a lodgyng that ioynede to the walles perteynynge to a kynnesmans of Persyos Lereano dyde this bicause the kynge shuld not thy●ke that he lacked men And this he dyde with ferme boldnes and so brente the sayde lodgynge and sleu many such as made defence And as god wolde in the same busynes there was taken one of them that hadde accusyde Laureola he was brought to Lereano and was put to payne till he was causyd to shewe all the trouth of the hole mater and so he confessed the hole circūstance of the mater And when Lereano was enfourmed of the trouth he sent hym to the kynge besechynge hym to dyscharge Laureola fro all blame and to do iustice vpon them for the payne that they haue caused Laureola to endure And when the ●yng knew the certaynte he was ryght gladde and thought it was reason that he requiryd and to make shorte proces The kinge dyd iustice vpon y ● .iii. falc● wytnesses accodynge to theyr desertes then incontynent he reised vp the siege and reputyd his doughter Laureola discharged Lereano withoute fawte and so went to his citie of Suria then sente for Laureola by y e grettest lordes of his court and she was brought with equall houour acordynge to her deseruynge and was ioyfully receuyd of the kyng of the quene who wepte for ioy and there the kinge discharged her fro blame and the quene kyst her and all other seruyd her Thus the payne passed was turned to great ioy present Then the kyng sent to Lereano cōmaundyng hym not to come to his court till he had apeased y e kynnesmen frendes of Persio the whiche cōmaundement he receyued w t greate sorow bycause he mighte not se Laureola And when he saw none other remedye he felte hym selfe in a strange maner and seynge hym selfe depertyd fro her He lefte the workes of chyualry and retourned agayne to his olde amorouse thoughtes and trowbles desyryng to know what case Laureola was in He desyrede me to fynde some honest maner how he myght se speke w t her and yet his desyre was so honest that he desyryd not to speke with her in suche wyse that any suspecte shulde be layde to her of the whiche he deseruyde to haue had great thanke And I who was glade to folowe his desire deperted fro hym and went to Suria and when I came there and had kyste Laureolas hande then I shewyd her Lereanos desyre And she aunswered me and sayde that in no wyse she wolde speke with hym for dyuerce causes that she alledgyde And though she was not content to graūt me at that tyme yet euer after as often as I myght speke with her I made styll my supplycacion and fynaly at laste she aunswerede me sayde ons for all that if I spake any more to her in that mater she wolde be vtterly displeasyd with me And when I harde her aunswere and saw her displeasure then I went to Lereano with greate heuynes and dolour and when I had shewyd hym how it was then he began newly to complayne and sorowe for hys mysaduenture so that with oute doubt he was in the condicion to haue dispayred And when I saw that yet to entertayne hym I sayde counsaylyd hym to write agayne to Laureola recordynge therin what he hadde done for her and maruaylynge of her change seynge she had rewardyd hym before with her writynge Then he aunswered and sayde how he was well content to write but not to recite therin any thyng that he had done for her the which he sayd was nothynge accordynge to her deseruynge Nor also he sayd he wolde make no remembrance in his letter of any rewarde y t he had receyuyd of her For he sayd the lawe of loue defendeth any suche thynge to be wryten What satisfacion shulde I receue therby for the greate perell that myght fall yf the letter were sene Thus not tochynge those maters I wyll wryte to Laureola The tenour of his letter folowith ¶ The letter fro Lereano to Laureola FAyre lady Laureola accordyng to your vertuous pytie synne ye know my passion I can not beleue but y t ye wyll cōsente to my demaunde syn I desyre nothynge that shall be to your dishonour seinge ye knowe myne euill why do you dought withoute reason I dye ye know that great payne occupyeth so myne harte that I feale the euill and can not shewe it yf ye take it for good that I shuld dye thynking to satisfye me with the passion y t ye gyue me syn it procedeth fro you hit is the grettest welth that I can hope for and iustely I shall take it for the ende of my reward yf ye iudge me vncourteise in y t I shulde not be content with that ye do to me gyuinge me cause of so gloriouse thoughts● yet blame me not for though the wyll be satisfyed The vnderstanding maketh quarell and yf my dolour do pleace you bycause I neuer dyd you seruice that might atteyne to the heighnes of your deseruyng whē I remēbre these thynges many mo I thynke y t bycause that ye wyll not graūte my supplycacion bycause I can do nothynge that shuld deserue it yet hardynes hath causyd me to hope vpon mercy not according to my deseruing but according to your bountie that may gyue it And I thynk that your vertue cōpassyon pitie shulde ayde me bycause they be agreable to your condycion When a man hathe any busynes with a greate personage thynkyng to attayn to haue grace fyrste he must wynne the good wylles of the seruauntes wherby a man lightely shall come to his entent But as for me I can fynde no remedye I haue done my deuour to serche for ayde whome I haue found alwayes ferme stable for all they haue requyred you to haue mercy vpon me y e sowle bycause he sufferet hand the lyfe bycause it su●teyneth the harte bycause it endureth the vnderstandynge bycause it feleth And syn ye wyll gyue no reward for all these in that they desyre and by reasone haue deseruyd I ame the moste vnfortunat of all other vnhappy The water refressheth the yerth but my wepynges can not molefye your

sawe before me on the most highest place of y e mountayne a tower so hygh that me semyd it atteynyd to the heuyn Hit was made by suche artifice that of the strangnes therof I began to meruayll I ioyned my selfe to the foote therof The tyme offeryd me more to feare then to regard or note it beholding the strange ouerage newelte of the edefice The fundaciō wheron it was foundyd was of a stone clere and stronge of nature wherupō was reysed .iiii. great pillers of violet marble so fayre and so hygh beyonde the comon forme that it was meruayll how they were systeynyd Aboue the whiche was fabricate a tower iii. square the most strongest that could be deuised on euery square therof on y e height there stode an humayn Image made of metall paynted w t theyr owne colours one tawny a nother blacke the thirde gray eche of them holding a chayne in theyr handes made of great force And on the heyght of the tower ther was a pynacle full of great clerenes light comyng fro a raye of light issuyng out of the tower I harde .ii. watches who neuer seaced but still wakyd Of these thynges greatly I mernayled could not tell what to thynke or to say Thus beyng in great dought and confusion● I sawe ioynynge to the marbell a stayre mountyng to the gate of the tower wherof the entre was so darke that to mount vp semyd impossible how be it I deliberyd wyllynge rather to go to my perdicyon in mountyng then to saue my self with tarieng Thus takyng harte I began to moūte and when I was vp .iii. steppes I found a dore of Iron the which satisfied me rather to tast w t my handes then to attayne therto by syghte by reason of y ● darknes that I was in And when I came to the gate I founde ther a porter of whome I demaundyd licens to entre He aunswered how he was content so that fyrst I shuld leue behynde me myne armure I grauntyd hym to leue suche as I bare customably vpon me Then he sayd My ffrend it aperith well that of the vsage custome of this house thou knowest but lytle● The armoure that I demaunde and those that it behoueth the to leue are suche as the harte is wonte to be defendyd withall fro heuynes sorowe as are hope rest contentacion for to haue those condicions ther may none ioy of the demaunde that thou desyrest And when I knew his entension withoute any further aduyse I aunswered ass●●ryd hym that I was come thyther with out any of those armours Thē he graūtyd the openyng of the gate so with greate trauaill and sore trouble I aryuyd to the height of the tower where I found a nother porter who demaundyd of me as y e other dyd And when I had made hym lyke aunswere he gaue me place to entre Then I went all the length of the tower and enteryd in to a halle where in y e myddes therof stode a chayre brennynge full of fyre in the whiche satte he who made to me the request and causer of my perdicion And myne eyen were so chargyd w t regarding of this ouerage my tonge was so oppressed that I could demaund no questiō of all these meruails And as I regardyd them I sawe the .iii. chaynes that the Images held on the height on y ● tower were fast tyed about this poore captyue prysoner who alwayes brent and neuer consumyd Then I saw two sorowful women theyr faces ful of wepynges and dolours They ordeyned to sette on his hed with greate crueltie● a crowne full of sharpe poyntes of steale without pyte persyng his hed to the brayne Also ther was a blacke morion vestured in yelowe who came often tymes w t a great fawchon to strike hym and euer I saw how the pacient receyued the strokes with a shelde subtilly i●suyng out of his hedde the which couered hym to the feete I saw other .iii. seruaūtes ryght diligent who brought hym meate on a blacke cloth and with great fury gaue him mete of bitter tast And on the one syde of the table I sawe an olde man syt in a chaire lenynge his hedde in one of his handes lyke a man solitary in thought pensyfenes All these thynges I could scant se for the darkenes of the towre but by reason of a clere shynynge lyght that issuyd out of the prisoners harte which gaue clere lyghte ouer all And when this prisoner saw me so astonyd to se thinges of suche mystery And that he saw tyme to pay me w t his wordes though he were not in my det yet to gyue me some rest solacious comforte with his discrete reasons medlyd with piteous wepynges he began to say in this maner The prisoner SOme parte of my harte I shall discouer as I oughte to do for the sorowe that I haue of the accordyng to thy deserte how be it thou seist well that in my trybulaciō I haue no powre to feale any other mans euil myne owne is so great I pray the take for satisfactiō not that I do but that I desire of thy comyng hyther I ame the cause I ame he whome thou sawest led as a prisoner bycause of the tribulaciō that thou arte in thou knowest me not Torne agayne to thy spirites and take rest and quyet iudgement to th entent thou mayst be ententyue to that I wyll say Thy comyng was to remedy me my wordes shall be to aduertyse y ● who I ame I shall shew the and of the mysteryes that thou hast seene I shall infourme the. The cause of my prison I wold thou knewdest and I requyre the to delyuer me if it be in thy puissaunce knowe for certayne I ame Lereano sonne to duke Guerro whome god perdon of the duches Colerea my byrthe was in this realme where thou arte present named Macedonia my fortune ordeynyd that I became amorous of Laureola doughter to kynge Guallo who at this present tyme reygneth whō I shuld rather haue fledde fro then to haue fallen in to the trace of loue and specially in so hygh a place but as the fyrst mouynge maye not excuse me in stede of forsakynge therof by reason I haue confermyd it by good wyl Also loue hath vanquyshed me brought me in to this howse namyd the Castell of loue who neuer perdonyth for he seing displayed the vailes of my desyre hathe broughte me in to y e state that thou seist me in and to the entent thou shuldest the better note and marke the fundacion of this and of al that thou hast sene thou shalt know that the stone wheron the pryson is foundyd is my fayth who determineth vtterly to suffre the dolour of this payne for the welth of his euill The great pyllers that are assysted to this stone ary my vnderstandynge my reason my memory my wyll whom amours commaundyd to apere before his presence or he wolde gyue

any sentence apon me And the better to execute on me his true iustyce demaundyd of eche of them yf they consentyd that I shuld be taken prisoner bicause if any of them wolde not haue consentyd he wolde haue asoyled me fro payne and blame to the whiche demaunde all .iiii. aunswerd in this maner First vnderstādynge said I consent to the euill of the payne for the welth of the cause wherfore my wyll is that he be taken Then sayd Reason I consent not allonely that he be in prison out I ordeyne that he there abyde and dye for it were better for hym the happy deth then to lyue in dispayre cōsidering for whom he shal suffre it Then sayd Memory syn that vnderstanding reason cōsentyth that without deth he can not be deliuered I then pinyse he shall neuer forget it but alwayes haue it in his remembraunce Then sayd wyll seyng it is thus I will then be the key of his prisone and determyne alwayes to be persecuter of wyll and desyre This seing the god of loue who ought to haue sauid m●e cōdemned me gaue this cruell sentence agaynst me As for y e .iii. images standing on y e walles of y e towre eche of them of a contrary colour as tawny blacke gray The one is heuynes the other anguish and the thirde trauaill The cheynes in theyr handes are their strengthes wher with they holde falte tyed the harte in such wyse that it can recouer none ease nor rest The great clerenes shynyng that the Egle hath in his bek wynges as thou hast sene in the hyghest parte of the towre whiche is myne inwardes thoughtes whiche hath so great clevenes in it selfe that it suffiseth to enlumyne y e darknes of this clowdy prison and the force therof is so great that the strength of the thick walles can not le● it but that it wyll attaigne to the Egl● in suche wyse y t they wyll go together in cōpany bycause they are the thinges that mountyth and ascendyth hyghest for the which cause my pryson is in the hyghest place of the lande The .ii. watches that thou he●est so dilygently watchyng be Mishap Hate They be of that deuise y t no hope nor remedy shuld entre into me y e darke stayres to mount on is anguysh wheron I mountyd as thou seyst The fyrst porter was desyre who to all heuynes openyth the gate Therfore he sayd to the y t thou shuldest leue al thyne armure of pleasoure The other porter was tormēt who brought me hyther who is of the same cōdicyō The chayre of fier wherin thou seist me syt is my iuste affection whose flames alwayes brynneth in myne entrayles The .ii. women y t gaue me the crown of martyrdom are called payne passyon who satisfyeth my fayth with this present reward The olde man y t thou seyst syt in so great study representeth great thought pensyfenes w t greuous care soli●itude The which ioyned with y e other euyls manisheth my poore lyfe The blacke more ve●●uryd in yelowe who traueyleth to take awaye my lyfe is named dispayre the sheld that issueth out of my hed defending me fro his strokes is my wytte who seynge y e dispayre wold slee me cōmandeth me to defende my lyfe cōsyderyng the deserte of Laureola he cōmaundeth me to desyre long life w t sufferance rather then with deth to make an ende The black boord for me to eate on is ferme stedfastnesse wheron I eate Thynke slepe theron are the heuy meates of myne conteplatiōs The .iii. diligēt seruātes y t serueth me are named euyl payne and dolour One bereth the meat of doubtfulnesse wherof I eate a nother bereth dispayre wherin y e meat is brought another bereth y e cup of tribulatiō wherin I drink drawing water fro y e hart to the eyen from y ● eien to the mouth Now iudge thy self if I be wel serued if I haue nede of remedy y u seyst I requyre the syn y u arte here aryued that thou wylt serche for me some remedy sorow myne euyll I desyre of the none other good but that Laureola may be aduertysed● knowe by the state how thou seyst me and peraduenture thou wylt excuse the bycause thou seyst me fayle power to make the a recompence I requyre the let it not be vndone for that cause for more vertue it is to remedy them that be in tribulation then to susteyne them that be in prosperite let thy workes be suche that thou repente not thy selfe for lacke of doynge it when thou myghteste haue done it ¶ The aunswer of the auctour to Laureola THy wordes shewe well that loue hath taken and occupieth thy lybertie but not thy vertue the whiche I proue by that I se in the to be more redyer to dye then to speke how be it thou hast forcyd thy wyll to proue the werynes of my lyfe iudgynge what for trauels passyd for my solycitude present that I haue but small hope to lyue without doubt so it is for thou causest my perdicion desyrynge doughtes remedy and yet thou doest remedy the same as a perfight iudge And surely I haue hadde no lesse pleasour to heare the then I haue had sorowe to se the. For by thy persone is well sene thy payne by thy reasons knowen is thy bountie in gyuynge socour and ayde to the nedy●lyke as thou hast do●e now to me For I consyderynge the strange mysteries of this thy pryson I doubted of my saluacyon beleuynge all had ben but illusions done by arte diabolycke rather then by any cōdycyon amorous For this thou hast shewed me I thanke the and nowe I knowe what thou arte I thynke well enployed the trauayll that I haue enduryd for thy sake the knowledge of the moralite of these figures hath ryght well pleased me for though I well regardyd them yet for lacke of knowledge my harte was in captyuyte and prisone and now I ame out of doubt feare And where as thou hast cōmaundyd me that I shuld gyue knowlege to Laureola in what cas● I haue sene y ● the which to do I fynd gret perel for a man of a strange naciō what maner forme shuld he fynde to execute such a message I haue not alonely this doubt but dyuerce other The rudenes dulnes of my wytte the dyfference of oure speche tonge the noblenes of Laureola and the grauite of this be synes so that in this case I fynde but small remedy but alonely my good will whiche vanquyssith all other inconuenientes and daungers for to thy seruice I offre my selfe as moche as though I hadde bene thyne owne seruant all the dayes of my lyffe And I promyse the y t with good hart I shal accōplish to my power al thy cōmandemētes I pray to god I may be as happy as I ame desyrous to serue the so that thy deliuerance may bere witnes of my true dilygence