and shall ioye in their vertues that the ioy which thou shalt haue héereafter shall surmount the paine wherein thou remainest at this present Assure thy selfe therefore that as all shall come to passe which I haue foretolde thée so were it good to kéepe it in memorie thereby to strengthen thy courage the better to resist the mallice of thy aduersarie Fortune whose whéele as it is round in continuall motion so perswade thy selfe when it is at the lowest must néedes tourne againe vpwardes and restore thée thy damages Farewell and hope no more to speake with me till all be accomplished which I haue said In this sort preparing the Princesse to the conflict with hir aduersitie the faire Nimph vanished away diuing downe into the depth of the well and the Princesse deuising vpon this saieng was as it were besides hir selfe not fully knowing whether she had heard those words or dreamed them For as she vnderstoode of the one parte that Prince Edward was dead and of the other that she should once againe sée hir husbande she was so confused in hir thought that she knewe not what to iudge and sayd to hir selfe that peraduenture she had mistaken the Nymph In the ende resting vppon the hope which she had made promise off she was somewhat comforted not doubting the accomplishment Yet she remained in the Monestarie not willing to goe out of hir lodging and clothed alwaies in blacke mourning apparell and delighting in nothing so much as in little Rosicleer Rosicleer as he increased in yeares so he excéeded also in beautie goodlynesse of bodie excellent qualities that a man might well prognosticate thereby of his valiauncie But because the historie shall more specially talke of him I leaue him for this time to his nurse there to be instructed till he shall be called foorth to greater matters Now it is time to goe to the succour of Donzel del Febo his brother who is all this time vpon the riuer ¶ The pedegree of the valiant Prince Florion and other matters as touching him Cap. 16. BY the most auncient and true recordes of the Assirians it appeareth that in that time when Theodoro predecessour of the great Emperour Trebatio ruled in the Empyre of Greece there gouerned among the Persians the mightie Orixerges king of Persia Souldan of Babylon for his greate power among the Pagans much renowned and feared This man after he had liued in great prosperitie dyed leauing behinde him thrée sonnes the eldest king of Persia the second Souldan of Babylon the third Lorde of the Crimson Iland which is in the red Sea whence also it taketh the name because all the land is dyed with the coulour This third brother from his youth was verie studious and giuen aboue all to Astrologie and other vnknowen sciences In these hée became so exquisite that scarce in his time might anie hée compared vnto him The greatest part of his life time hée dwelt in that Ilande choosing that place as most conuenient for his studie The eldest of the thrée brethren béeing king of Persia dyed about 40. yeares after this distribution of their inheritance hauing for heire a sonne of his 40. yeares olde called Florion a valiaunt and strong knight bigge made and of a goodly statute This Florion béeing a young man but of a great courage putting in his roome a vizeroy for his kingdome wandered as a knight arrant through the world to séeke aduentures where he did great and noble déedes of armes At the ende of thrée yeares after this his absence from his Countrie he stroke ouer towardes the Court of the Souldan of Babylon his vnckle Where he remained sometime verye well welcomed and beloued of the Souldan for hée was a good Knight The Souldan had a little sonne and a meruailous faire daughter whose name was called Belisea of her Florion became enamoured and requiring her to wife of her father she was graunted him and the marriage celebrated betwéene them with great solempnitie of feasts and triumphs While hée was thus within doores sporting there was worse newes abroad For a mightie Pagan called Africano the brauest and boldest knight that euer was in all the coasts of Affricke had transported ouer into Asia and by his great force in few dayes subdued the whole Countrie of Media and two other kingdomes adiacent belonging to two great Pagan Princes These thus vanquished after became tributaries as subiects and vassalls The fame wherof was bruted farre and néere that there were fewe kings in those partes which requested not his amitie for all accounted him the lustiest warriour in the world and sooth it is that in all Asia was neuer borne so proude and fierce a Pagan But hée was gainesayde by him vnto whose courtefie not onely our liues and liuings but wée our selues stande thrall and subiect otherwise he had in fewe dayes made himselfe Lorde of the greatest part of all Asia This Pagan was a huge and mightie man large lymmed of the bignesse of a Gyant and so strong and weightie with all that the strongest horse which was he coulde make to bow betwéene his legges any péece of armour how fine so euer it were he would bend and wreath in his handes as easily as if it had béene framed of Waxe This man well knowing his owne forces and estate and not contented with that he had gotten in few dayes determined to inuade the kingdome of Persia to bring that also to his subiection Into it he entered and in a little time he conquered many Cities plaining Townes and Castles all this while the Prince Florion béeing in Babylon The Péeres of his kingdome sent messengers vnto him declaring the whole state of the Countrie howe vnable it was to make resistaunce without the leauieng of a new armie some forreine succours Then the Prince assembled the royallest army that he might in the land of the Souldan and shipped into Persia there to giue battayle vnto Africano and to punish by armes his enimies intrusion But he reckoned without his host For he had not rode tenne miles in his owne kingdome when the mightie Africano came and pitched néere with his whole armie and in the first fielde discomfited Florion the most part of his people béeing slaine The Prince Florion hasted into Babylon for euer dispayring to be reuested in his segniories and Africanos power was so great that he wel knew all the Souldans power to bée of little force to withstand him The Souldan receiued him gladde of his escape but yet sorrie againe for his people and disheriting of his nephewe of so noble a Kingdome As they were thus sorrowfull within a fewe dayes after came into the Court the third brother Lyrgandeo which as the storie saith inhabited the Crimson Ilande at his comming they were much quieted he bad them be at rest and not take care for the kingdome of Persia for that there was among the Christians a childe borne in the happyest and most fortunate houre that euer
hewed it in péeces But that most valiaunt Gréeke no lesse strong then anie of his auncetors bearing his fine and sharpe swoord turned himselfe among them in such manner that he sheathed it in their bodies The first whom he met he cleaued vnto the eyes the seconds arme he cut off by the elbow being sore wounded hée ouerthrewe the thirde at another blowe neither staied hée héere but in his rage he dealt blowes and wounded many which for feare accounting him rather a Diuell of hell then a knight put themselues to flight Albeit they might haue recouered some courage in that they wer many and chosen knightes alwaies against one knight onely But the reason was for that at this time the Emperours knightes shewed themselues out of the woode So that indéede by the great manhoode of their Lord they found none left on liue saue two knightes of the kings which were knowen by their Hungarian bases Those the Emperour commaunded to be kept carefully for the thing before touched This béeing done the knights and other footmen which the Emperour had brought with him to guide his carriage tooke all the dead bodies vpon their horses without leauing any thing which was theirs altogether they caried them into the thicke of the woode from whence they before came out there in the thickest thereof they made a great pit into the which they threw the Prince and the knights saue the English bases the kings letters which were néedfull for his purpose they couered them with earth in such sort that there was neuer memorie of them At the time that the Prince was entered the Emperour beeing of conditions pittifull felt so great dolor in his heart that the teares issued abundantly from his eyes ruing the losse of so great a Prnce slaine out of his owne Countrie in the beautie of his age which also yéelding a great sigh which séemed to haue come from the bottome of his heart he saide with a troubled and low voice in this wise O vnhappie and vnfortunate Prince God knoweth how sorrowfull and grieuous thy death is to mée and howe faine I would haue giuen remedie in some other manner to that I most desired and although thou wast mine enimie and come in fauour of the king Tiberio to take from me my land and high estate yet would I not haue bene so cruell an enimie vnto thée but the entire loue of the princesse Briana draue me more thereto then mine owne enmitye Now I wish that by some other meanes I might haue bene relieued and not to haue bought my life by thy losse But as loue is tyrannous so meruaile not though he want pittie towardes thée which coulde not otherwise purchase it to himselfe Pardon me therefore O mightie and worthy Prince and iudge if thou wert aliue what thou wouldest doe if by my death thou mightest finde remedye of thy loue The Emperours knights which heard these words and sawe the teares trickling downe his manly chéekes perceiued well howe much the death of the Prince disquieted him And they sayde amongest themselues that by good right the Emperour deserued the prayse of the most noble and worthy Prince of the world But hauing made an end the Emperour caused to be brought before him the two knights belonging vnto Tiberio These two were very fearefull of the death séeing the things which were already done especially when they knew him to be the Emperor Trebatio whom they held as their mortall enimie Nowe when they came before him the Emperour said to them If you will do that which I command you kéepe secret that which I tell you I will not onely pardon you the death which I haue giuen to your fellowes but also I wil bring you with me into mine Empire where you shall bée verye well contented The knights better satisfied then they wer because he promised them life before not hoping but the death with good will they yéelded themselues to doe all that hée would with all swearing into his Emperiall hands their faith obeisance Then said the Emperour that which I wold haue you do is this I haue great desire to haue the Princesse Briana for wife this may not be done except I go in the name of Prince Edward to ensure my selfe to her in the monastery of the riuer for the which it is necessarie that you two being knowen of the queene the Princesse shuld go in my company say that I am Prince Edward Now sirs discouer not my secret to any person vntill that you be licensed therevnto by me and in so dooing you shall doo nought either against your Lorde or Kingdome sith in this bargaine the Princesse looseth not and the King with all his subiects win perpetually for that by this means the great warres and contentions begun shall take ende After that the Emperor had said these and other things whereby the Knights vnderstoode his will it greued them not a whit of this talke but they wer rather ioyous weieng the benefit which the King the kingdome the Princesse Briana and all his shoulde reape thereby and especially the Princesse by obtaining to husband the most noble and worthy Prince of all christendome as well for his person as for his estate and so with good will they submitted themselues to doo him pleasure and what els he commanded them With this the Emperour his Knights tooke the letters which wer directed to the Quéene the Princesse and with more hope to atchieue their enquest they put on the English bases which made them séeme English men then taking their way toward the Monestarie of the riuer In the way the Kings knights fold the Emperour how two of their felowes were gone before to giue notice vnto the Princesse of Prince Edwards comming and that therefore it were good to goe well aduised for they should méete them by the way The Emperour allowed their aduice charged his people vntil they approched néere them not to disclose themselues least they retiring their secretes might be layde open Now fortune iumped so euen with the Emperour as that all things succéeded on his side vntill the accomplishment of his desire which shall be recited in the chapter following ¶ The Emperour Trebatio was receiued at the Monestarie by the Archbishop of Belgrado and there betrothed by the name of Prince Edward Cap. 6. THe Emperour with his Knights departed from the woode where the vnfortunate Prince was slaine and tooke their way towards the citie of Buda vntill they came within vi miles of the Monestarie where they saw a farre the two other Knights which had retourned to bring the Prince on his way When their fellowes had espied them they told it to the Emperor vpon this the Emperor commaunded his Knights to kéepe together least they shuld be knowen and so they kept on till they met The other two séeing the English bases thought him to be the Prince of England with his knights But the Emperours
knights as soone as these were within their reach laid hold on their bridels and with curteous words staied them vntill the other two knights of the Kings had talked with them These two declared vnto the other that which had happened betwéen Prince Edward and the Emperour Trebatio and in the ende made plaine the meaning of the Emperour both praieng them to kéepe it secrete and threatning them with death if they did otherwise No doubt they wondred at that which chaunced but what the Emperour would that they promised him and were nothing repentaunt of their exchaunge The Emperour being assertained of their faith went with them towards the Monestary of the riuer whervnto being come they found not in the Monestarie but the Q. the Princesse and other Gentlewomen being seruitors to attend vpon them and the Archbishop of Belgrado which there taried for to ensure them This Archbishop receyued the Emperour at the gate and thinking him assuredlye to be the prince of England conducted him with his knights where the Quéene and the Princes were in the companie of beautifull and discréete Ladies abiding his comming When they had saluted each other and that the Emperor had taken a full view of the Princesse he was greatly abashed to see hir beautie for he coulde not be perswaded that so great comelinesse had bene in Helene although dearelye bought by his auncestors he iudged it more heauenlye or angelicall then humane or earthly besides she was of a goodly stature excelling the other Gentlewomen in height a spâ—n The Princesse when she saw the Emperor before hir she iudged him to be goodliest knight that might be in the world which his beautiful face pleasant countenance shewed especially When thus by the eyes each of them were indifferently satisfied the Emperor would haue kissed the hande of the Quéene Augusta but she with great good will imbraced him By and by turning himselfe again towards the Princesse he tooke hir by the hand and sayde in effect thus much The fame of your great beautie excellent Princesse hath in such sort passed through the world that the onelye report thereof hath forced the Prince of England to leaue his natural Kingdome and soyle to come and serue you in this Countrey and to beholde with his owne eyes that which his eares would scarcely beléeue God hath made me so fortunate that I haue obtained the good wil of the king your father of the Quéene your mother for to haue you to wife Only now I want the consent of your part which the King by his letters prayeth you to giue me and I for the desire that I haue to be yours beséech you not denie it me for with it I may account my self the happiest knight of all the worlde And with these wordes kissing the Kings letters he deliuered it into hir handes which the Princesse receyuing with a graue and sober countenaunce and after taking it to the Archbishoppe for to read the meane time made aunswere softly on this wise I wold to God most worthy Prince that I were such a one as with reason might deserue some part of the paines which you haue taken onely to sée me or that I might in some little respect recompence the great pleasure you haue done to me to all this kingdome in coÌ„ming to succor vs with your great force and power but sith desert doth want so much in me I will accomplish that which the duetie of obedience vnto the King my father forceth me vnto for that I must subiect my will vnto his commandement yet I so consider of this your offer and request as that from this time I will dare to compare with you in like happinesse While these words were in speaking the Archbishop began to read the Kings letters wherein onely was contained his consent with the desire of dispatch that presentlie vpon the Princes comming they should be married The Archbishop with both their consents taking their hands married them with all the ceremonies and wordes which the Church ordeineth After this the Emperor imbraced the faire Princesse and with vnspeakable gladnesse kissed hir on the white and red chéekes and from thence brought hir into a gorgeous chamber where they draue forth the rest of the day with very amorous and delectable talke which so much the more set his loue on fire as hée procéeded farther in his pleasaunt daliaunce Albeit ere night the most puisant Emperor was not altogether quieted in his thought for feare least some one which knewe the Prince might haue bewrayed them at length béeing certaine that none in the Monestarie had séene either the one or the other but onely the Kings foure knights his own men which kept the matter close inough When the houre of supper approched he supped with some pleasure so held on a great part of the night till it was time to take his rest Then the Emperour was ledde to one side of the Monestarie wherein there was a rich and stately lodging where he lengthened the night with manye fancies not hauing as yet reached into the very deapth of his enterprise albeit stilled a lyttle with that which alreadye had happened The beautifull Princesse after leaue taken of the Emperour accompanied the Quéene hir Mother Because vntill that the warre was ended betwéene the King hir Father and the Emperour she was desirous to kéepe hir selfe vnknown and so the king hir father and the Quéene hir mother had commaunded least if ought should happen amisse to the Prince in those battailes the Princes should haue remained both a maiden and a widdowe this deuise little auailed as shall be manifested in the sequele ¶ The Emperour Trebatio driueth in his conceit the order how to consummate the marriage which in the end he bringeth to passe accordingly Cap. 7. THE Emperour Trebatio remained thrée dayes in the Monestarie of the riuer not hauing opportunitie to talke with the Princesse alone because she was not willing to giue consent to his desire vntil the warre with the Emperour should be finished This inconuenience trobled his thought and increased his melancholy as nothing more for that the terme which the King had set for his returne was alreadie expired and béeing afrayde leaste the King would send for him whereby his fault should be discouered without giuing remedie to that which had bene the originall of his griefe in such wise he was tormented that he could neither sléepe nor eate And in his imagination he did naught els but gaze on the Princesse expecting time when he might alaie the heate of his amorous passion But whether it were Fortune or the will of God it fel so out that there was begotten betwéene them the fruite of their desire For one morning walking in his chamber he espied out of a windowe the Princesse alone in hir night gowne going towards a fresh and pleasant garden butting vpon his lodging the gardein before he had not séene Into this gardein entered none but the Princesse
I was matched with the daughter of the Souldan being mine vnckle Thether came Ambassadors from my subiects certifieng me that the king of Media the stoutest Pagan in all the heathen countrey with maine force had intruded vpon my kingdome I for to remedy it gathered a great hoast in the Souldans land and transporting into Persia at the first battell that I had with the king of Media the greater part of my people béeing slaine my selfe was ouerthrowen with great griefe by secret by-wayes recouered Babylon where I could willingly haue dyed for paine and anguish◠But one min◠vnckle a verie wise and learned man in Art Magicke recomforted me saieng that the time shuld come in which I should be restored to my kingdome with great honour that for this it behooued me to awaite on the sea til I met with two little boyes of excellent beautie with whome I should returne to Babylon for that they should be the principal cause of my redresse so giuing credit to his word I thus put my selfe in aray for this aduenture wher thanks be to the Gods all hath succéeded as the wise man fore-spoke it for within this thrée dayes I lighted vpon one being alone in a little boate hauing in him according to my fancie the very pride of all beautie the other must néeds bée this young Gentleman Clauerindo the fairest beside him that euer I knew so as I haue good hope héerby to reenter into my kingdome For this cause I haue in charge to bring these two to Babilon now sir knight I beseech you to take it in good part for he shall be as wel entertained in the court of the Souldan as in the court of the king his father when my good fortune will that my seat shal be established he you shall returne into Fraunce with my ships my people my self also if it be so conuenient When the prince had there staied Armineo was well contented with his talke taking him for a knight of great prowesse although the long stay that the prince Clauerindo shuld make in this country grieued him yet with hope to return in the end séeing it was not in his power to do otherwise he subiected his will to the princes commaund with courteous words rendred him thanks for the storie of his aduentures for the offer he had made them the pith of his aunswere being in few words this Be it as you haue sayd sir for I denie not but the Gentleman Clauerindo shall gain verie much by his bringing vp in yours and your vnckles so noble a court With these profers too fro Florion tooke Clauerindo in his armes entred in his own ship Armineo following him When Armineo had behelde within Florions shippe the young Donzel del Febo you must not meruaile though he blessed himselfe for there was none which had had but a blush of him within his tender yeares but tooke him rather to be a celestiall Seraphin shen an humane creature and beléeued that this might not bée done without some great misterie as if the young Gentleman shewing in his infancie the comelinesse of stature other excellent qualities wherwith he was endued besides the straunge finding him alone in the rage of the tempest did well foreshew his nobilitie in time to come But when they sawe him naked and the portraiture of the Sunne with the brightnesse that it gaue to the beholders it was so straunge that they called to minde Phaetons fall out of heauen comparing this young Gentleman with Phaeton as if he had bene Phoebus sonne like as Phaeton was although somewhat diuers againe in this for that Phaeton taking his fathers chariot for his presumption was drenched in the Sea this young Gentleman was preserued in the Sea as betokening some greater secrecie in Nature Armineo was best apayed to haue the companie of so excellent a Gentle man for the Prince Claueryndo Now by the way this may you learne that although they could not tell Donzels name yet by the tokens he had vppon him they named him the Gentleman of the Sunne somewhat in other tearmes in the Persian tongue but in signification all one with the name that his mothers Gentlewoman gaue him in Hungarie being worth the marking that both Persians and Hungarians should so iumpe in naming him But to make hast homewards they tooke the waye to Phrigia and with a good winde ere fitéene dayes they landed there and comming a shore they sent harbengers afore hande as well to aduertise the Souldan and Lyrgandeo of the Princes comming as to puruaye by the waye of lodging for the estates The two young Gentlemen being not a litle welcome vnto Florions two vnckles as you maye read in the next chapter ¶ Prince Florion with the two young Gentlemen entered into Babylon and were there honourably receiued by the Souldan Cap. 18. THe Prince Florion néeded not to haue giuen intellygence to the Souldan of his comming for the wise Lyrgandeo opened all which had chaunced as well as if he had bene a partie in the dooing of it So when the prince was in lesse then an halfe dayes iourney from the Citie the Souldan and his wise brother Lyrgandeo issued out with a great traine to receiue him and comming néere the wise Lyrgandeo espieng Florion with the Gentleman of the Sunne on his horse before him in great ioye rode a pace taking him in his armes spake these words O ye soueraigne Gods immortall thankes be giuen vnto you for the high fauour you haue shewed vnto vs in bringing into our power this rare Gentleman with whom you haue imparted of your most secret graces O that mine armes coulde once merite such an heauenly burthen O how well maye Babylon reioyce sith he is thether brought whose glorye shall no lesse glister through the earth then the bright Sun shineth in the world Who deserueth to haue his biding among the Demigods for his valour and mightinesse O how he shall race out the memorie of Ninus and Xerxes all the pride of the Assyrian Monarches From hencefoorth Assiria for béeing onely the cradell of this Gentlemans nourserie shall be famous throughout the whole world from hence-foorth men shall haue so much to doo to put in writing the worthinesse of this Gentleman that all the monuments of our auncestors shall quite dye and this man onely shall be our table-talke The wise man thus as it were rauisht and vttering his conceiptes in great gladnesse by inter-breathings the beautie of the childe sometimes amazing him and his diuinitie astonishing the hearers he kissed the young Gentleman held him in his handes till the Souldan drew néere as the Souldan approched he deliuered Donzel del Febo vnto him and tourned himselfe towards Clauerindo embracing him goodly but in more modestie of speach or lesse delight he said vnto him You are welcome noble and souereigne Prince I knowing how well knowen your name should be in the world
brimme therof to sée what would happen till that the other shippe came néere and that he which was the Captaine commaunded to grapple and espyeng Rosicleer with a proude voice badde him saye both who himselfe was and what people he had in his ship and not faile in any point Whereto Rosicleer by and by aunswered I am a stranger in these parts and farther it is not reason that you knowe who they are that are with mée for we kéepe our way without molesting thée or thine The Captaine angrye for his short spéech said vnto him I will strike thy head into the water vnlesse thou aunswere me directly to my question and so saieng he halde and puld Rosicleer to haue forced him Rosicleer thus rudely intreated rose vp and with his gauntlet gaue the Captaine such a blow vpon the helmet that his braines flew abone his head and presently he fell into the water where the weight of his armour kept him downe Straight waies more then twentie knights well armed and well angered for the death of their captaine altogether with their swords in their hands smote at him Rosicleer drawing out quéene Iulias blade stroke againe with such courage that at thrée blowes thrée knightes were slaine and those which presently knewe his great prowesse drew backe making no great hast to come néere him Rosicleer knowing his enimies feare leaped into their shippe and there laide so about him that in short space he killed halfe of them The Princesse Arguirosa and the auncient knight nowe beganne to shew themselues aboue boord and they greatly wondered at his manhoode So shortly after Rosicleer was ralone in his enimyes shippe without resistaunce either all beeing slayne or all slaine or wounded or slaine wounded or by flight escaped for Rosicleers owne shippe was lost in the garboyle Now retourned hée to Arguirosas shippe wherein she with the olde man receiued him Rosicleers salutation to the Princesse after this exploit was in this wise Madame what hath ben done your selfe hath séene but for a recompence thereof I shall thinke my selfe throughly satissied if you will venture that into my hands which you dare hazard into the handes of the new Knight For I promise you I will as willingly ieopard my person as hée shall Now when Rosicleer had so sayde the Princesse the olde man stayed a good while without speaking word for the consideration of theyr owne daunger with recouerie if this man fayled made thein the more warie and so betweene the examination of Rolandos valour and Roscleers hardinesse In the ende Arguirosa her selfe rather vppon loue towardes him then of assured confidence would put her matter to no other tryall then Rosicleers so she commended her quarrell to him on this sort The curtesie valiant knightes which you haue offered me though vnworthie hath bene so great that I want the holdnesse to accept more yet because you carst defended mée from death by the vanquishing of Rolandos knights and now againe you will needes take vppon you a further matter rather not to refuse you then willing to trouble you againe I will returne with you to my Countrey and commit wholy to your handes the whole ordering both of my selfe and my cause her vnckle gaue his consent thereto and Rosicleer thanked them much So they sailed to Thessalia where by the waye Rosicleer casting in his thought how to redresse the Princesse wrong to the least displeasure of her and her vnckle which were loth to be knowen determined as a straunger to enter the land to demaunds iustice as it were against a person not knowen To which deuice after he had made them priuie and promised that they should not bée disclosed till it so serued for their auaile they were better comforted and sailed with so good winde that they tooke landing in a hauen néere the place where the king was taking lande he made the Princesse to put on a muster and the olde knight to couer his head besides bidding both to counterfaite for the time some straunge behauiour either in holding downe their heads or in bisguising their attire To either of them he gaue his horse and himselfe mounted vpon a courser the best of all Candramartes stable In the coole of the euening they fooke their way to the néerest Citie where then were many knights and Ladies comming out of the citie to disport them in the shadow Rosicleer being of a comely personage and so lustelye mounted foorth to bée seene and was well lyked off and praised amongest them all And they followed on theyr iourney towarde the gates of the Citie the king at that time came accompanied with his nobilitie to solace himselfe in the fielde as at other times before he was accustomed The king rode vpon a mightie horse with trappings and harnesse most of beaten golde his horse being so braue and himselfe so fierce and sterne to looke too that it woulde haue daunted a right good knight to haue but spoke to him So soone as the Princesse and her vnckle sawe him they counterfaited the best that they could and for feare theyr blond sonke downe into their bellies The valiant Gréeke knowing that this was Rolando whom he sought for as nothing afraide of his terrible lookes but rather glad to haue met with him so conuenienly and in the companie of so many knights willed the Princesse and the knight to follow him So came they all thrée before the king Rosicleer speaking to him and saieng Mightie king in iustice stay thy horse to heare a poore Ladies complaint and to right the greatest wrong that euer was offered to a Gentlewoman Why she complaineth to shée is for that thou art the king and shouldst aboue all men repuise the wrong doer so further discouering of the kings duetie Now the while Rosicleer spake thus Rolando behelde him verie well lyking both his courage personage and albeit of his owne nature hée neither feared God nor kept iustice in things which perteyned to himselfe yet hearing in Rosicleers discourse himselfe to bée made on now and then as of a right Iudge and that hée would not consent that other then iustice should be executed in his kingdome hée was tickeled therewith and bad Rosicleer tell on for he woulde heare his matter willingly Rosicleer strayning his voite that what hée saide might bée hearde and noysed busoade spake as followeth Knowe you mightie king that the father of this Gentlewoman was Lorde of great possessions which marryeng with an honourable woman begat on her this Ladie Few yeares after his wife deceasing this Lord married also another woman by whome he had no childe after that the Lorde himselfe dyed also the stepdame remayning aliue and shortly marryeng with another man whome in her husbandes dayes shée had a liking too This man sir king matching with the mother in lawe hath dispossed the true heire of her lawefull inheritaunce insemuch too as béeing so disseysed shée hath in no wise béene considered off as such a mans
That if at anie time Fortune being alwaies vncertain variable shewed hir selfe more friendlie to the Greekes than to all men besides if euer the Grecians were feared in all the world it was in the time of Trebatio the sonne of Alicante which man by right line descended from the noble ancient bloud of Molosso the second sonne of strong Pyrrhus and in the third discent from the great Achilles which was slaine in the warres at Troye This Trebatio in the xxv yeare of his age reigned in Epyrus where the said Pirrhus and his auncestours had bene Kings He was strong and valiant in armes and endowed with so manie graces that his fame in that time was spred ouer all the world and that there was neither King nor Emperour but he was glad to hold him for his friend Now it happened in his time by the death of the Emperour Theodoro the state of the Empire to be void for that Theodoro had no sonne and the Empire was to bée giuen by election so that the Electors not finding any whom with se good reason they might choose for Emperor as the great Trebatio as well for his great valure as for his discent from so noble a race They with the willing ioynt assent of all the Emperialls named him vnto the Empire and brought him with great honour to Constantinople Where if before for his great fame they had praised and honored him now much more they held him déere hauing in some part seene knowen him Because he was of conditions very noble pleasant louing to all liberall curteous sufferable pitifull and aboue all very desirous to entertein in his Court valiant and worthy Knights whom he honored aboue all the Princes of the earth So that his court flourished with Princes and Knights as well subiects as straungers which much magnified his great estate himselfe held continuall excerse in armes with them as being lyke enclined to nothing His vertue by the report of such as knew him was so rare that it was generally thought none of his predecessors to haue had aduauntage ouer him but rather he was of greater force then any one of them all For many men were witnesses of his mightie strokes He was called the great Trebatio because he was 8. foote in height very strong timbred so that without proofe of his manhood they might thereby make coniecture of his force In his life customes and conditions he was alway so affable curteous that neuer might be noted in him one little fault Wherefore his Historians saye that he was the crowne of the Greekes the cléere mirrour of all the princes knights of the world Whence also this his Chronicle boroweth this title especially hauing therin to remember the meruailous deeds of the Knight of the Sunne with Rosicleer both sons vnto Trabatio Since whose time all the aduentures of the ancient famous knights wer clean forgotten and since whose time neither Vlisses of whome Homer speketh neither any other songs or sonets ballads or enterludes wer heard in Greece onely with these two Knights they were familiarly acquainted Of these they made great volumes and with a thousand deuises in verse they sang of their loue They made no building nor painture without some storie of them their memorie therein declared In such sort that you might passe by no parte of all Greece where was not recited sung or painted the histories noble déeds of these Knights as if no other thing but armes or loue were fitting for them And because that in the time to come so noble things shuld not be put in obliuion some of the Grecians compiled this noble Historie to the encouraging of all Nations that shall either heare or read this Historie The King of Hungarie pretending a title to the Empire setteth himselfe against the Emperor Trebatio Cap. 2. IT appeareth by an ancient Greeke Cronicle that the Emperour Helio the third predecessor in the Empire of Trebatio had two sonnes the eldest of the which two the father being deceased was chosen Emperour the other was married with a Princesse inheretrix of the kingdome of Hungarie wherby he became Lord ruler of that kingdome The first sonne which was elected for Emperour departed without issue For which cause the Grecians chose another which was the predecessor of Theodoro This séeing the second sonne of Aelio which then reigned in Hungary and iudging that with most reason the Empire was his as gréeued with the election he assembled his power against the Grecians thinking to be Lord ouer them by force In the ende as he was not so mightie as they so he was vanquished and slaine before he might attaine his purpose Yet from that time forth all the kings which succéeded in Hungary pretended alwaye that the right of the Empire rested in them by way of inheritaunce and there neuer failed warres dissentions betwéen the Hungarians and the Greekes vpon this occasion In lyke manner when the great Trebatio was chosen for Emperour then reigning in Hungarie the King Tiberio a verye strong man and of great courage besides of more might then all his auncestours For he had in his subiection beside the Kingdome of Hungary many other Prouinces as Holland Zeland Flaunders Zweueland Bauare Austrich Almaine Alba Denmarke Marcomandia Persia and other Regions with the which he déemed himselfe one of the mightiest Kings in the world This Tiberio knowing the election of the Emperour Trebatio and being more attached with the desire of the Empire then any of his predecessours were as it was to be gotten by warre so he assembled by summons the greatest of estate throughout his land and declaring vnto them his will he commaunded to gather all the people they might for to inuade Greece Besides this to the ende his power might yet be greater hée determined to marrie his Daughter vnto such a one as would and could maintaine his quarrell This Mayden was called Briana the most beautifull Princesse that was to be found in all those parts being by the onely report of hir excellencie sued vnto by manie worthie Princes especially by Prince Edward sonne of Olyuerio King of great Britaine This young Knight strong and valiant greatly enamoured on the Princesse Briana through the great fame of hir beautie had before dispatched his Ambassadors towards the King hir father to request hir for wife To the which hir Father because he hadde already vndertooke the battaile against the Emperour Trebatio easely condescended vpon condition that the Prince should come into Hungarie with 20000. chosen men of warre for to aids him in the pursute of his claime against the Emperour This when Prince Edward vnderstood he had so great desire to haue the Princesse Briana that by and by he granted his request and so as speedely as he might he gathered the people that the King Tiberio required of him and with the consent of his Father he departed from great Britaine toward Hungarie
reuerenced How seldome was it euer steadfast and how many thousands hath it beguiled I meane not the base and common people but euen kings and Emperours O how many impediments be therein left to hinder vs from enioyeng it O what a common thing is it to die and how manie euer sawe happie end in it How ioyfull and pleasaunt was to Paris the desired match of Helena and how sorrowfull and lamentable was the ende not onely to him but to his parents and bretheren and the greatest parte of all Asia For not onely in Greece but in all the out Ilandes thereaboutes was bewept his bitter Bridall With how great care and dilligence doe men hasten on the causes of their care occasions of their heauinesse meanes of their paines and matter for theyr griefe and doe not content themselues with the continuall affliction wherein Fortune schooleth them But by new meanes they inuent new mathers of daunger which crosseth them at euery step they frame new causes as it wore forge vnto themselues sharpe spurs to pricke forward this wofull life where they thinke to finde pleasure rest there they finde for their losse trauaile trouble for the death which they wold flie from To escape either nipping colds or scalding heat this onely one remedy they haue to climb vp into the mountaines where yet the winde hath most force and the sun doth soonest parch aboue all this hath not the vnsatiable couetousnes of man broken through the sturdy waues of the sea cut out new passages in the mountaines But why do we complaine on fortune do we not bend her armes to fight with vs doe we not mainteine her weapons which peraduenture lighteth on our owne neckes As for example if Paris had not made a way through the déep waues of the sea Aegean which the Gods had placed as a peaceable bound between Europe Asia if he had not sought Greece sith Asia was large inough to haue found a faire wife in so it may be much more honest then Helene was then the Achians had not transported themselues into Asia to destroy Troie And turning againe to our matter Prince Edward might haue sought him a wife in his own country or more néere home of whose beautie his owne eies might haue ben witnesses not haue sought her in a straunge land by the onely brute of a cunning tale especially vppon so hard and sore conditions as to bring his owne person and people to the warre Whosoeuer comes to séeke pleasure and delight for his youth let him take that he findes and thinke it not straunge because that vnkinde Fortune hath vsed the like vnto at her The Prince now being on his way two of the kings knights were dispatched before by some secret by wayes very well knowen vnto them to aduertise the quéene princesse of the approching of the Prince These two held on their way not ascried by the ambush but so soone as the prince with his knights had entred in the thicket they wer presently discouered by the Emperour who was alreadie armed with his rich armour mounted vppon a strong light horse The Emperor taking a great speare in his hand verie sharpe well stéeled for the purpose went alone aside out of the woode with a softe pace to encounter with the Prince his knightes and being come right before them said vnto them Know you knights that this passage is forbidden except you leaue your shéelds your names in them For that a Lady whom I honour serue hath commaunded me to do it whose loue I could not otherwise obteine The Prince Edward was by nature verie stout by inclination giuen to somewhat lesse modestie in his talke then behoued such a Prince howbeit for this and other faults he was a verie valiant strong knight such a one as neither in great Britaine neither in the kingdome of Hungarie was thought to haue his péere But as he vnderstood the demaund of the knight very wroth he answered him By God knight if the king Tiberio were as certeine of the victorie against the Emperour Trebatio as I hope to chastice thy folly then the Prince of England should not néede to come from so farre a countrie to giue him helpe Take thou quickly that part of the fielde as shall séeme good vnto thée and with one onely choise thou shalt sée how déere and bitter thy loue hath bene vnto thée As the Prince had said this and had pronounced with his owne mouth that cruell dome not well foreséeing his owne fall hee tooke a great speare from one of his knights and broched his horse with the spurres to méets the Emperour This he did not for that his knightes woulde not haue put themselues in the aduenture before him euerie man claiming to be first but for that no reason sufficed him For his stoutnesse and his vnmeasurable pride made him to forget the force of his enimie and yet his enimye stoode before him so great and so bigge made that hée séemed to be a Gyant But this Princes aduerse fortune and vnhappie destinies woulde him to be the formost so that the mightie Trebatio knewe it as well by the rithes of his armour as by the talke which had passed betwéene him and his knights and béeing verie glad to see him the first which he met he sayd vnto himselfe O that my Speare were now greater and stronger the bead forged by Vulcan that it might not staye in the armour of this Knight for that according as I see him great and strong so I feare hée will escape my handes and then my trauaile shall bée all in vaine Thus as he sayde they by and by did put both their Speares in their restes and giuing either horse his bridle they ranne together with such furie that they made the earth to tremble and yet the lightnesse of theyr horses was such that it séemed the grasse yéelded not vnder theyr féete The Prince hit the Emperour in the middest of the shéelde and pearcing farther left the head remaining in the fine and well stéeled armour whereby the staffe broken in many shéeuers made a great whisteling in the ayre But the Emperours stroke was much more fell for hée leuelled it with such force that it entered not onely into the shéeld and strong armour of the Prince but passed through vnto his amorous heart all bedewed with bloud a whole armes length Then the Prince fell dead executing the sentence which hée had giuen in these woordes that that loue shoulde bee very déere and bitter When his people sawe him stretched vppon the ground there might no sorrowe bée compared vnto theirs and as raging madde they ranne all together vpon the Emperour thinking to put in practise theyr deadly anger vpon his carcasse Some with Speares and other with Swoordes strake him on all partes with great rage and hast so that if his armour had not béene verie good in short space they had
great paines For this cause I say although the Knightes rode so fast as they might yet they could not come within the sight of him nor find which way he was gone yet with sorrow griefe especiallye through the feare which they conceiued by his meddeling with the Giants they parted companies euery man taking a seuerall way to séeke the Emperour they agréed at the moneths end to méete at one place The month came when as yet none of them heard any newes of him although they sought him in diuers parts They all meruailed but not knowing what to say in the ende they determined at some other time to méete to enter into this quest againe For this time they altogether tooke towards the campe which they left before the citie of Belgrado where they abode not long but remembring thēselues of their promise they met at the place appointed deuided themselues accordingly The foure Hungarian knights fearing to be descryed by those which went to séeke Prince Edward the couertlyest which they might they went toward the campe of the Emperour and there remained some time after they followed into Greece where they tarried till the returne of the Emperour according as shall be mentioned héereafter Now by this time with no lesse care and diligence Prince Edward was sought by manie Knights in all the kingdome for that the King had giuen him no longer time to remayne in the Monestary of the riuer then thrée daies There was already told xx daies when he came not First then he sent many of his knights to knowe the cause of his tarrieng these returned vnto the king with an aunswere that they neither found him in the Minster nor could beare tidings of him by the waye Then the King dispatched other messengers to enquire after him his knights in all the land but they brought the like answere yet againe he sent more then 1000. well prepared for warre with authoritie of search through all his kingdome that they might bring newes of life or death but all was one Last of all fearing least peraduenture he had bene taken prisoner by his enimies he wrote vnto the Emperours campe to knowe the truth to the end he might raunsome him if so it were but not hearing anie newes he then bewailed the losse of the prince became very sorrowfull like as contrary wise the Emperials bemoned their Emperour These things happened so in the necke one of another that Tiberios iudgment failed to decide the truth and he pittied him with no lesse griefe then if he had bene his owne sonne partly for his daughters sake who must néeds be partner of hir husbands misaduenture partly for the Princes parents who could not without some sorow conceiue of his missing albeit all this happened more by the misgiuing of his owne minde then by anie certaintie he found You haue heard particularly the care of the king Tiberio now you must consider of the diligence of the king of Boheme by the semblable Another month had end and the knights botaries sped them homewards to the campe of the Emperour without anye newes of their Lord which no doubt much molested the whole hoast but in especiall it afflicted the king of Boheme to sée them come without him As they made declaration of the whole months trauaile it little pleased the king only for the loue he bare to the Emperour and the want of his presence in a time so daungerous he wept as sore for him as if he had séene his little childe giue vp the ghost The losse of the Emperour thus published through the armie there was no one which sorrowed not inwardlye for he had the loue of all his subiects Albeit this was bootlesse yet his loue beguiled him for the king yet charged more then 2000. knights with the search of the Emperor in all places as well by sea as by land but it naught auailed for the Ilande of Lindaraza helde him so sure that hée could not be found and if he had bene found yet he was so well garded that the whole hoast had not ben able to haue deliuered him from the inchanted castle While these things were in dooing the king of Boheme himselfe set the remainder on work to assault the Citie with full purpose not to leaue the siege till either he knewe where the Emperour was or had lien a halfe yeare longer at the end whereof he wold raise the siege so depart into Greece againe In this time the Hungarians issued out of their Citie against the Grecians there was betwéen them many cruell bloudie skirmishes the Greeks did nobly as you may read in their seuerall histories At this time because they are not of the substance of my matter I wil not name them only I wil recount vnto you the perticular truth of that which followeth ¶ The Princesse Briana taketh great sorrowe at the losse of Prince Edward Cap. 11. GReat was the diligence which the King of Hungarie commaunded his Knightes to make in séeking the Prince Edward and as great was his griefe in not finding him by the consideration of the towardnesse of the noble Knight and the dole of his Parents béeing their deere and onely sonne But greater must néedes be and inexpressible the mortall dalour which the Princesse Briana conceiued when she once heard of the misse of Prince Edward And as I read at the thrée moneths ende when nothing was reported for very anguish of heart besides hir often sowndings after when the recouered out of that traunce she seemed to them néerer the death then the Prince hir husband was as they thought for beléeuing that he was dead she woulde neither eate drinke nor sléepe but became weake and feeble and wasted hir dayes with sorrowe She layd a part all hir Princely roabes and precious Iewells and tired hir selfe in course mourning wéedes of a widdowe She kept hir selfe in a secret chamber onely with the comfort of hir Gentlewomen and comming not foorth one steppe demeaned rather the life of an Anchresse or religious woman then of a Princesse The Queene mother then abiding at Buda came oftentimes to visite hir and in hir companye other great Ladyes but they coulde not remooue the dulnesse of hir melancholy Ere the Princesse had long led this solitary life she felt hir selfe quicke with childe whence she tooke some ioy but yet fearing the disclosing of it vnto hir friends whom she wold not haue pertakers of it for all Hungarie before the solempnization of the mariage was openly performed and being notwithstanding desirous in time to séeke remedye therevnto she concionated hir secrete onely with one of hir Gentlewomen named Clandestria whom she best loued and with whome she was best acquainted for the good counsayle she often gaue hir She which was wise and discreete kissed hir Ladyes handes for the honour she did vnto hir in reuealing such a secrette onely a lyttle withstanding hir intent of concealement at the first and
Thus they fought halfe an houre and no man might iudge who should haue the better The great rouer strake with all his force at his enimie but the finall houre of his owne lyfe nowâ— edging néere him so it was that the couragious Prince anoided it and as he was alreadie entered into the good successe of his voyage hauing in his power the Gentleman of the Sunne so fired all with wrath his coulour as a man might say bewraieng his cholar hée gaue the rouer with both his hands such a blowe vppon the head that he felled him to the ground and before the rouer might get on his knées he gaue him another betwéene his helmet and his necke péece and laide him flat vpon the planks of the ship There the wretched Mambriniano with his gluttenous desire spit out his stinking and corrupted spirit and the noble Florion rested not héere but with a braue stout courage entered in the ship and laid about him on both sides The knights of the rouer to reuenge their Lords death wounded him on all parts but by by there boorded them twentie knights of the Prince all chosen men of warre and helped their Lord in such wise that in short time the greatest parte of theyr enimyes were slaine and the rest séeing their fall yeelded themselues to his mercie The battayle thus ended the Prince woulde sée what was in the ship for he beléeued that there was within great riches according as the dealings of the rouer had ben There was much treasure found but searching euery place of it they founde in a cabbin a knight of an indifferent age clothed with rich garmentes and by his graue countenaunce seeming to be of good account and néere vnto him a young Gentleman of foure or fiue yeres olde verie beautifull and seemely arayed in cloth of golde and about his necke a coller of golde set with rich and precious stones The young Gentleman was so gracious in behauiour that if Florion had not before seene the Gentleman of the Sunne hee had beleeued him to be the fairest and proprest Gentleman that euer hée had séene and desiring to knowe who they were he saluted them curteouslys willing the knight to tell him who they were He which had alreadie knowen Florions greate vertue in the battaile that hée had with the rouer rose with the young Gentleman from the place where hée was set and vsing an humble duetie to him aunswered Sir knight I am a prisoner to the rouer Mambriniano which tooke me and this young Gentleman at a place néere a hauen of the Sea and sith God by Fortune hath béene so fauourable vnto you that in a righteous battayle you haue slaine him wée remaine now for yours to doe with vs that which shall séeme best vnto you and we haue good hope that with a knight of so greate valour there cannot happen vnto vs so much euill as with him which tooke vs prisoners The Prince accepted well that which he sayde vnto him and prayed him to goe on in declaring who hée was for that by lacke of knowledge hée might forslacke to doe to them the honour that they merited Albet nowe the knight wished that hée might dissemble it for the daunger that might ensue yet in the ende putting his affiaunce in the Prince he sayde vnto him Sith it liketh you sir knight to know who we be onely to please you I will tell it you though I woulde gladly haue suppressed our names till Fortune somewhat more friendly vnto vs shoulde haue bewrayed it But knowe you that this young Gentleman is called Claueryndo and is the sonne of the king Oristeo King of Fraunce onely inheritour and successour of that great kingdome and I haue to name Armineo béeing brother to the king Oristeo and vnkle to this young Gentleman The whole order of this misfortune was in this sorte One daye for to sporte our selues in the company of many other knights we rode to a faire forrest néere vnto the Sea and the Knights which came with vs the most of them delighting in hunting seuered themselues for their disport in such manner that the young Gentleman and I with onely ten knights wer lest in a fresh and faire arbour about a well neere adioyning vnto the Sea In this time while our knights followed their game this great Rouer Mambriniano whether espieng vs or by chaunce taking land for fresh water wee knowe not but with more then twentie knights he beset vs and although we defended our selues some time in the end this Gentleman and I were taken prisoners and our ten knights slaine sore wounded before the other knights which hunted in the forrest might vnderstande of it He caried vs to his ships where it is more then a month that we haue bene in this manner as you haue séene vs close pent vp in this cage For my selfe Sir as I neuer hope for libertie so I respect not my imprisonment but for this faire young Gentleman my heart is sore wounded I had rather suffer ten deaths then any such misfortune shoulde happen to him Because that when such newes shall bée reported to his father he will beare it more impatientlye than his owne and that which worst is to me onely will he attribute this fault sith hauing committed his onely sonne to my gouernance I haue giuen so ill account of him Vnto these words the knight lent manie a teare sliding downe his face which well shewed the griefe he bore in hart The prince Florion in great compassion comforted him promising libertie of returne into his country when but by and by remembring the wordes which the wise man his vnckle had sayd he called it backe againe and in steede of his first promise he tourned his tale to the narration of his owne mishaps being on this wise I thancke you heartely for your courtesie in recounting to mée the whole discourse of your imprisonment and of this young Gentlemans captiuitie and I call the high Gods to witnesse what paine your misfortune hath caused in me and how ready my power shall be to remedie it when I maye For I meane toâ—giue you libertie of returne and with my men to conduct you homewards into Fraunce thus much occosioned in me by the deserts of your estate But fortune hath bene so contrary to me that except your retourne bée delayed I my selfe shall want my necessary help the whole state of the matter lyeng thus if it so please you to heare I am by name Florion king of Persia my father deceasing which was king thereof and so by iust title as to his onely sonne and heire the crowne of the kingdome descended to me This charge I sustained in mine owne person a good while but being young and lustie and in good age to follow armes I was desirous to wander in the world So leauing a gouernour in my kingdome I trauailed through diuers countries vntill the ende of thrée yeares at which I tooke ouer into Babylon where
pleasure and highlye magnifieng the noble Knight of the Sunne so as this discourse as an argument of greate good will canuased betwéene these knights and Princes brought them ere they were well aware before the Pallaice gate where the Princesse Balisea welcommed them with torch light the first whom she embraced was the Knight of the Sunne to whome shee said on this wise Sir knight we 〈◊〉 great cause to giue thanks to our Gods for your hether ariuall First you deliuered my Lord the Souldan and me from death now you haue set all vs frée from sorrowfull captiuitie But madame answered the knight of the Sunne to my Lord the Prince Florion and to these other knightes you ought to attribute this for they are those which haue destroyed Africanos hoast Then the Princesse tourned vnto Clauerindo and thanked him likewise for his paines in the defence of her fathers Citie and so to the rest in that order which best liked her After this they supped in the greate hall continuing there their sports till bed time as likewise the citizens well shewed their good liking of the victory by bonfires and other reuelling sport The next day they ordeined that which followeth ¶ The knight of the Sunne the two Princes Florion and Clauerindo with a great hoast enter into Persia and there put Florion in possession of the Crowne Cap. 25. THE next day after dinner the Souldan himselfe entered into the counsaile chamber and other affaires being laid a part the wise Lyrgandeo made this Oration It is apparantly knowne vnto vs all how bountifully our high Gods haue dealt with vs as well touching my Lord the Souldan as the Prince Florion and the whole nation of the Assyrians in bringing to this Court the knight of the Sunne and the Prince Clauerindo who by theyr notable vertues not onely haue kept this citie from sacking but also as we make account haue left the realme of Persia naked for resistaunce not one speare remaining to bée tossed against vs. For the attayning of either of these things we are not ignoraunt how weake and vnable we were that were it not for these two young Gentlemen not onely our home bred power but also thrice as many of forreine succours coulde not haue hindered Africano from his purpose Wherefore I thinke it conuenient that sith the Gods haue graunted vs this victorie and that we haue the winde at our backes that we followe our good Fortune while we haue her least by ouerslipping the opportunitie we to late repent our too much daintinesse My meaning is that with such spéed as may be the Prince Florion and these Lordes depart the realme into Persia there to make claime of his right by armes whilest euery man is occupied in complaining on his owne harmes For although as yet there dare no man stand against vs yet for a certeintie there is a king of Media Africanos sonne which ere it be long will bée our heauie neighbour he is not yet made Knight but his destinie foresheweth vs that if hée once come to boorde in Persia we shall bée no lesse disquieted with his companie then we were with Africano his Father The wise Lyrgandeo made an end of his Oration knitting vp his matter with this clause that it were not out of the way to aduise themselues notwithstanding for good resons this was his iudgement They which would neuer contrarie him in any point tooke no further respite but consenting to the effect of Lyrgandeos Oration concerning the conquest of Persia tooke this order The Prince Florion the Knight of the Sunne Clauerindo and Armineo his vnckle with fiftéene thousand Knightes and fiftie thousand footemen within ten dayes shoulde prepare themselues for this aduenture the Princesse Balisea abiding with the Souldan her Father till the kingdome were well setteled from tumult and the Prince in peaceable fruition of the crowne This they dealt in effectually for within the compasse of the dayes limitted they left Babylon the Souldan and the Princesse onely comforted with the hope which Lyrgandeo made promise of The fiftéene thousand Knightes with the foote men by long iourneyes entering into Persia and comming néere vnto one of the chiefest Cities of the Kingdome there in the plaine vnloaded their carriage to erect theyr tentes there But the Citizens hauing vnderstanding of Africanos death by the fugitiues in the last discomfiture of Africanos hoast and thinking it not safetie for themselues to rebell against their liege naturall Lord Florion especially he hauing the aide of the whole floure of Babylon set their gates wide open for his armie and sent of theyr worthiest knightes to Florions tent to inuite him to his owne Citie and to craue pardon for their former reâ—â—ulting in that time when they were lefte destitute of mans succour not béeing able of themselues to withstande the force of Africano And also excusing themselues that they had neuer a guide to conduct them into the fielde against so strong an enimie hauing in his power the greatest part of all Asia The Prince lightly excusing their fault easily condescended vnto theyr requests and béeing gladde of so good enterteinement of the first the next daye rode into the Citie with the ioyfull acclamations of the whole multitude There he resumed the Crowne and Scepter and béeing in quiet seyzure the subiectes of the Realme by the fame of his thether arriuall came from all partes to doe him homage so that in halfe a yeares space all the principall Cities of the kingdome submitted themselues and there was lefte no more memorie of the vsurpers name The King Florion seyzed of his lande in such a friendly manner nowe tooke counsayle how to haue the Quéene his wife conuayed thether and for that it was requisite that the king himselfe should tarrie behinde for the appeasing of all tumults if anie should arise in so rawe a possession hée gaue the charge of fetching the Quéene with all reasonable pompe vnto the knight of the Sunne and the Prince Clauerindo they to take with them 200. knightes for their safetie They tooke it gladly and frayted their shippes with necessarie prouision and other furniture for warre determining to trauaile by sea the sooner to come vnto their iourneies end When euerie thing was in a readinesse the knights tooke theyr leaue of the king Florion and the wise Lyrgandeo But the wise man not refraining from teares and louingly embracing the Knight of the Sunne burst out into these speaches in such sorte as the Sibilles in ancient time were wont to read mens destinies Noble and worthie Knight you are determined to see Babylon but you are vncerteyne whether euer to see it or to retourne to Persia and as little knowe I what shall befall For truth it is that all the heauenly sphéeres warrant more vnto you then to to any knight what that is it is kept from me I cannot finde the entrie therevnto wherefore I am in doubt of your hether retourne But if the fates or
marriage betweene Brandidonio and Lyuerba whereat the tenaunts of the valley being present and séeing his personage so tall and goodly and ioyned with so good grace and gentle behauiour iudged him a person rather celestiall then mortall beléeued that God had sent him for their deliuerance from the miserable subiection wherin Arglon had holden them so they reuerenced and honoured him as if they had seene in him some vndoubted image of immortalitie But Rosicleer this marriage being finished hauing no more to doo made to assemble the greatest of the Country vnto whom he said that he had vowed a voyage which might not bée lefte off and therefore now at his departure hée prayed them to accept well of his so short tarrieng and in his absence to doo the honour diligently to Brandidonio and Lyuerba which was due vnto their liege Lorde and louing Ladie They ouer-charged with griefe for the lacke of him whome they loued as their nigh kins-man layed to stay by gifts and other offens but when it booted not they swore faith and obeysaunce towards their Lord and for a remembraunce of their loue they forced vpon Rosicleer an horse which was Argions a verie tall and strong Horse which he refused not as being verge commodious to trauaile with and then after this tooke his laue of Lyuerba hir Father and Mother and Brandidonio hir Husband Béeing ready to mount on horse-hacke a younger brother of Lyuerbas called Telyo throwing him-selfe on his knées before Rosicleer besought him to grant him his sute which Rosicleer willingly promised bidding him saye on Telyo then sayd Sir fith you are to trouâ—â—le alone and haue none to serue you by the waye maye it please you to shew me the fauour as to retaine me for your Squire Rosicleer well pleased with the good affection which Telyo bare towards him imbraced Tielio with much loue and thus made aunswere Telyo thou art before hande with me for I haue giuen thée thy request so that I maye not excuse my selfe of my former promise although I would aduise thée rather to tarrie at home in the delyghts of thine owne nation then to put thy selfe in daunger in a forâ—eine and vnknowen count râ—y Telyo gladder of this then of a good purchase prepared all things ready for their iourney and tooke his leaue of his Father Mother and kins-folke who were nothing miscontent of his choyce for that the companie was such as euerie one could haue wished his roome Rosicleer and Telyo tooke on their waye neither speaking to other for the thought of their so louing parting from their frieudes which as yet stacke fresh and gréene in their rememberaunce And sooth it is that within a while after Rosicleers departure to the ende the straungenesse of their deliuerie might be renued by their posteritie and no age shuld leaue to speak thereof they founded an House of Roligion with a faire Temple wherein at the one side of the high Alter they erected a piller of Marble verie faire and curious bearing the true counterfaite of Rosicleer with the Historie of Argion the fréeing of Lyuerba and all that consequently followeth in that storie so that long time after this monument of restoring the inhabitaunts was founde by our age in the pursuite of aduentures in that countrey Brandidonio and Lyuerba héere ruled long time in peace and tranquilitie and from them descended all the Lordes which since haue had the gouernaunce of that Valley But from thence to followe Rosicleer on his waye the Historie saieth that with his Squire Telyo he trauailed so long through Almaine that he came to an Hauen of the Sea in a manner direct against great Britaine in Picardie where there were two great and faire shippes tarieng for the winde to coast ouer into England Rosicleer hearing of this in his Inne went out of his hostrie to the hauens mouth there to speake with the master of the shippe for to become a passenger and comming thether he sawe manie Knights and seruaunts by lykelihoode of some worship passe too and fro which made him thinke it was no Merchaunts vessell but yet he entered the ship and there espieng two Knights young men richlye apparailed and placed in two seuerall feates to whome the either Knights in the shippe made their obeysaunce courned his face to haue gone out againe But the young Knights séeing Rosicleer and greatlye delyghted in his beautie and comelinesse of personage called to him Rosicleer courning towardes them mande is we reuerence as vnto so great estates The Knights receiuing him with as great courtesie demaunding of him gently what countrieman he was and what he sought there Rosicleer lookeing vpon them verie sadly and soberly aunswered I am come my Lordes from the Valley of the mountaines and I am desirous to sée great Britaine for my affaires which lye in that Countrey whether as I haue learned by others your shippes are prepared I am therefore to beséech you to doo me the pleasure as to graunt me passage in your companie They well contented with-all for that he was a young Gentleman excelling in beautie all those which they had séene tolde him they were willing therevnto and that if he needed ought vnto this iournes they would minister vnto his wants Rosicleer gaue them many thanks for this their courtesie but they demanded farther how he was called and of what linage he came To the first Rosicleer aunswered that his name was Rosicleer and minding to cut off the rest he desired them to spare him for the other at that time and to content themselues with this that he now came from the valley of the mountaines wherefore they beléeued that he was naturallye borne there By this meanes Rosicleer was enter tained with these Lordes and grewe farther in acquaintaunce with them that he knewe the one to be Bargandel the Bohemian cousin germane to the Emperour Trebatio and eldest sonne to the King of Bohemia the other to be the Prince Liriamandro brother to the Princesse Briana both of them of his night kinne The Fortune which linked and conioyned these Princes in this amitie was this The King of the great Britaine called Oliuerio considering that the losse of the Prince Edward his sonne noysed through his Empire for fiftéene yeares space had so appalled the courages of his Knights that neither feasts were made nor turneyes proclaimed nor anie disportes vsed with Gentlewomen in his Countrey where-by to fire the hearts of young men to the déedes of armes But that either all of them ouer-come with griefe and mourning still for his sonne forsooke to weare armour or els such as their owne good natures pricked forwards to trie aduentures departed out of his Realme in other Regions to become famous so that the Kingdome of England was verie naked of able Knightes to defend it whereas before it was best knowen in all the world for knighthoode and chiualrie The King I saye wisely casting of these things did not now so much lament the lacke
valure and many other iewells able for the honour of attaining them and the worthinesse thereof to animate a dastard Knight to such an enterprise After this the Princesse Oliuia comming foorth of the great Pallaice with an hundred Ladies and Gentlewomen mounted vpon a stately scaffolde verie richlye hanged Among these Ladies there was the Princesse Siluerina daughter to the King of Scotland and Rodosylua Princesse of Lusitania sister to Don Siluerio and manie other Ladies Daughters to the great Lordes of Britayne But in the middest of these the faire Princesse Oliuia shewed not lesse Maiestie then the fresh and fragrant rose doeth among the briers and stinking nettles which notwithstanding haue their commendation for their gréene and liuely verdure But the scaffoldé being filde with Ladies and Gentlewomen there came the Knights in place most of them young and shining in thou bright armour The first that pricked himselfe forward to iust was Allamades king of Cornewaile a very good and tried knight against whome there came to encounter and other abled knight an Almaine set vpon a strong Courser In theyr shocke their speares flew in shiuers and the king Allamades somewhat staggering in his saddle vnhoried the Almaine After him there came ten other knights straungers more bolde then skilfull in feates of armes all which the valyaunt Allrmades ouerthrewe with great pleasure to the King and all his Court Their the King called for his Knightes with this Allamades to giue them place voyded the lystes and there entered Argiles Prince of Ireland which with eight seueral courses brake eight speares and ouerthrew eight knights After him Don Orgiles prince of Scotland came whom when Argiles espied not minding to disturbe him he rode vnto the lystes ende Orgiles without béeing mooued in his saddle cast downe twelue knights and then followed his followe Argiles By and by Don Siluerio came in with a gylte armour gorgeous to beholde and his Horse barbed with cloath of golde cut vppon siluer Imagerie béeing a lustye and valyaunt Knight and as the thoughts of the Princesse Oliuia emboldened his courage so besides the hautinesse of his stomacke contempned all other Knightes in respect of himselfe In his iourney he dismâ—unied twentye Knightes within lesse then halfe an houre so that manye thought hée woulde winne the honour of that daye But straight waye there preased forwarde the two Princes Bargandel and Lyriamandro hauing in their company more then two hundred knights with their Haraldes crieng before them Bohemia Bohemia Hungaria Hungaria The two Princes rode vppon faire and strong Coursers richly armed as became theyr Estates their lustinesse being inflamed by their loues for since their comming to the English Court they were esprised with loue Bargandel of the Princesse Syluerina and Lyriamandro of the Princesse Rodasylua and hauing obtained the good fauours of their Ladies they pained themselues to be as bolde as the brauest So finding the Tilte emptie by Siluerios departing they praunced forwarde till other Knights came against them And either of them in their turnes before they lefie the lystes ouer-threwe at the least thirtie Knights a péece so blazing their prowesse by the force they shewed that the King and other beholders chaunged their opinion as touching Don Siluerio Vpon this the two Princes glad of that dayes trauayle and vaunting themselues before their Mistresses made roome for others to doo their endeauours After these the valyaunt and hardie Knightes of the English Court came in against the straungers of other Countreies where the English men so behaued themselues as that dayes honour was theirs Nowe as the King was in talke with his Lordes about the glorie which his men had gotten and euerie man was attentiue to that which was before him sodainlye there was heard a great crye amongst the people on the backe side of the lystes no man knowing what it ment By and by there came foorth a tall Giaunt with a traine of more then twentie Knights vpon a stone horse which groned in a manner vnder his waight The Giant commanding his Knights to stand a side went alone to the windowe where the King was there raising vp his Beueare and forcing out a terrible looke without other reuerence he spake on this wise King Oliuerio I am Brandagedeon Lord of the Ilands Baleance and am hether come because of the prices which thou hast appointed for the best dooers I am well knowen in all the Heathen Countrie for by the power which my Gods haue imparted with mée there is no mortall man that may gainestand my puissaunce and for that this daye thou shalt haue some tryall of this truth beholde before the night be shut in there shall no Knight of all these which are héere kéepe his saddle vnlesse he kéepe himselfe from mée And so in greate pride as you may presume by the course of his speach hée vttered this and pulled downe his visour Then with a greate Speare in his hande hée tooke the one ende of the pale This his comming was nothing pleasaunt to the king for since his ariuall in that kingdome he had done many outrages to the poore subiectes of the lande And the king feared least the knights of his Court should not bée able to mainteine their honour against him Nowe this monstrous Gyant had not stayed there long but that a valiant knight a Britaine called Brandaristes made a signe vnto him These two ranne together and in their shocke Brandaristes with his horse fell to the ground but the Gyant nothing diseased held on his way toward another Knight by name Brandidarte a Britaine too a braue Knight and as bolde as Gawayne but the Gyaunt welcommed him like as the other and thus in short time the Gyaunt proouing himselfe vppon more then an hundred knights of the hardiest both straungers and English men he made them all to descend from their horses that the king Oliuerio was much disquieted héereat and would haue bought out the gyants presence if he might for more then London is worth euen for the pittie which he had vpon his knightes not possibly able to withstand this Gyant The king Allamades beholding the kings countenaunce sadde and gessing the cause would néedes aduenture the honour which hée before gayned vpon the vanquish of such a Gyaunt and taking a fresh horse with a choyse Speare from the ratier he rode to Brandagedeon whome the Gyaunt met so forcibly that Allamades laye on the grounde and Brandagedeon dressing himselfe in his saddle passed on By and by Orgiles Prince of Ireland set vppon the Gyaunt which somewhat estonished him but neuerthelesse Orgiles happe for himselfe was in no other manner then his fellowes Then came in Don Argiles to take Orgiles parte and fiercely encountered the Gyaunt but to the same purpose Nowe was Don Syluerio ashamed before the Princesse Oliuia to haue tarried behinde so many good knightes and therefore forcing his courage to please his Ladie vpon a light courser he ranne against Brandagedeon
excellencie of the workmanship Againe was there euer one in such credite for honestie and wisedome as Socrates the sonne of a base midwife Euripides one of the rarest men that euer were in tragicall Poems was borne of meane parentage Demosthenes the flower of Gréeke eloquence was a Cutlers sonne Horatius the Poet borne of a bond woman which had bene taken prisoner and yet all these preferred for their vertuous qualities before Kings and Princes Cicero could not dissemble his progenie and yet was he lifted vnto the Consulship in Rome neuer prooued other Consull so commodious for the common welth Serramus and Cnimatus wise men and throughly exercised in their enimies land were Consulls in Rome and delyuered their Countrey from spoyle and pillage And if for a matter pertaining to a Kingdome we had rather take example of Kings let vs sée if meane estate hath bene any let for men to aspire vnto mightie Kingdomes and by name let vs take a more particular surnaye of the third fourth fifth and sixt King of Rome First Tullus Hostilius had his cradle in a shepheardes cottage and his bringing vp in the wide field Then the two Tarquins were sonnes to a Marchant and exiled their Countrey Seruius Tullius was sonne to a bond-woman as his name importeth all which notwithstanding in theyr times were Kings of Rome and if from thence wée take our waye to other Nations rounde about what a flocke of shepheards surgeons labouring men founders and such lyke seruile occupations shall we méese which â—â—pyred to the highest place of gouernment in their Countreyes Alexander a crowned King was a Gardeiners sonne Pertinax Emperour of Rome borne of a slaue which lyued by thrashing of graine and fellyng of woode Seuerus the seauenth Emperour of Rome was bredde and brought vp amongst Surgions and these of the meanest sort Agathocles King of Sicile sonne to a potter Maximianus and Maximus chiefe men of the Empire the one of base birth the other doubtfull whether a Smith or a Carpenter and yet neither barrell better Herring Vespasianus which was called the good Emperour rose from lord degrée and by his vertue blotted out the infamie of his progenie And to haue more notable testimonies who was father vnto the great Caesar Augustus the ruler of the world Virgil in a iest made him a Bakers sonne but his owne minde misgaue him otherwise As for a truth farre worse be they which rife to glorie from the mislyking of their parents like as Hercules Perseus and Iugurtha the King of Numidia all begotten in adulterye and lykewise mightie Alexander King of Macedon as concerning whome his Father Philip on his death bedde denyed him to be his sonne by the report of his mother Olympia for which cause after his Fathers death he would needes bée called the sonne of Iupiter Ammon Constantine the Emperour was borne of a young maide before lawfull espousalles and Iepthah in the Scriptures was sonne to a harlot Or if you will Madame that for lyke examples we runne ouer the histories where-vnto my wit can not carrie me in so sodaine speach yet I remember that fewe yeares since there dyed in Spayne a stout king of the Goths called Bamba which as I haue hearde was a labouring man and at that time when he was to be crowned King was faine to sticke his spade in the ground to receiue the scepter beeing neither lesse feared than his predecessoures and not reserued by me to the last place as one of least credite among others Remember your selfe of the great king Arthur your progenitor of whom with your graces leaue I doo not thinke that men of mallyce doubted whose sonne hée was And we maye boldly speake of these and other things so long agone passed without suspect of mislyked affection But why meruaile we at these things Doth not the wise man saye that if our lyfe were long we should see many Kings become bond-men and of many bond-men crowned Kings the reason béeing the same as I haue rebearsed that in elder age the onely Heraulde to pronounce a man either noble or vnnoble was his owne good déedes which aduaunced his good name and renowme aboue the inferiour déedes of Kinges of Princes But to paint out the pride of our times let vs cast down our eyes to the first roote from whence we all toke our beginning shall we not finde it all one for all men Marry in the bodie of this trée there are many braunches some higher and some onely water boughes from whome the toppe boughes kéepe off the comfort both of Sunne and showres yet no man I trow will be so enuious as to hinder the growth of the inferiour if they be more faythfull then the superiour as not alwayes the tallest men doe the best seruice and the best borne for wealth or myght proue not the best alwayes for manners and worshippe Witnesse héereto the sonnes of Scipio and Marcus Aurelius of which two descended two peruerse impes far more infamous then their parents were famous And there are infinit mo likewise to improue the succession of vertue in the succession of inheritaunce And yet for all this long discourse I cannot choose but reserue my former purpose towardes you for I am afraide that the most parte will not bée of my iudgement In a worde therefore to make an end in that wherewith be first beganne you must consider both by what meanes and for what causes the times are altered and therevpon take aduise according to the time And sith that for our sinnes God hath giuen vs ouer to a wrong iudgement in matters of high estate rather to preferre wealth then vertue and sith you are nowe fallen vnto that time wherein this errour generally hath ouergrowen the truth and is strengthened by consent of men I would counsayle you to yéelde vnto the time that is to take it as you finde it and to make the best of your chaunce for it were great folly for you and no lesse daunger to resist a multitude and you knowe your friendes will neuer be brought to estéeme so highly of vertue in a base personage although a precious stone canne neuer be but precious whether set in Lead or Copper You must forsake him then and that is the onely remedie for according as I haue read and haue hearde the first remedie agaynst a fit of loue is to exempt our selues from the companye of the beloued and to shunne and eschewe the thinges which may bring it againe to our remembraunce the nexte is to driue in our thoughtes the things which be contrarie therevnto as to thinke with howe many breaches of sléepe and with what continuall care wée desire a thing eyther stithie or vnlawfully coueted or at the least wise transitorie though neuer so honest with all to set before our eyes what harmes what robberies what murthers what madnesse it hath caused in the world whereof there be too many histories but yet from all this you may well signise your selfe if you
I my selfe in the meane while stealing by the shore side recouered this little boate wherein I was scarcelye entered when I saw a farre off my Parents and my husbande ledde away prisoners I thinke they cannot iustlye gesse whether I am gone But after that I was in the boate I met with manye which came from the instes at London They séeing my heauie chéere demaunded the cause and when they vnderstood it they directed me to enquire after a newe Knight in the lande for he alone saye they is able to vndoo this iniurie You heare sir both the cause of my care and the occasion of comming into this Country to you sir now sir knight if my ruth may work any compassion or that you thinke I haue cause to complayne doo your best to amend my harme you shall doo double iustice in restoring the wronged and in punishing the wicked dooer Rosicleer féeling a yerning in his minde against so vnlawfull a practise if hir tale were true badde hir take hir boate againe for be would hazarde his person in hir quarrell The Gentlewoman desiring presently no other thing gaue him manie thankes so they entered the boate and the water béeing calme they passed without any daunger But still Rosicleer haunted with his auncient thoughtes nowe séeing himselfe farre distaunt from the Princesse and without hope to retourne beganne a fresh to consider of his exile which thought so ouercame him that hee wished his soule to departe from his bodye But the Historie leaueth him on the Sea to recount in the meane time of his Esquire who finding a shippe in the Hauen retourned to his Paster but not méeting him hée was sore abashed and in great sorrowe coasted ouer the Countrey to finde him out After long trauayle by lande to no purpose hée put himselfe to the Sea in a shippe prepared towardes Almaine where after continuall wearinesse and not hearing anye newes of his Master hée tourned towardes his owne Countrey in the Walley of the Mountaynes where he was well welcommed by his bretheren There let vs leaue him till time carrie him from his Fathers home to méete with his Master Now telleth the History of Zoylo Prince of Tartary which had trauayled towards the Court of King Oliuerio as hath bene recited When he came to the Court he found in the Pallaice hall the Princesse Oliuia with the King hir Father and diuers noble Princes deuising and sporting of diuers matters and especially of Rosicleers worthinesse which not a little tickled the princesse Oliuia for all that cruel sentence which she had giuen of him The Tartarian Zoylo entering the Hall in goodly maner to the great amaze of the Knights and Nobles which behelde him after he had made his humble obeysaunce to the King he spake as followeth It maye be noble and worthy King that the greatnesse of my estate forbiddeth me to be so humble but the great vertue which I haue found in the Knightes of your Maiesties Court hath enforced me aboue my wont to doo you that honour which I woulde denie els to anye King or Emperour in the worlde now I beséech your Maiestie to accept of my seruice and to receiue me into the number of your Knightes for I haue great desire to belong vnto your Court if it so lyke you The King verye well lyking of the Maiestie which the Knight bare albeit he knew him not whence he was of courtesie embraced him gladlye and raising him from ground aunswered thus Sir Knight you are very welcome for as your personage and good behauiour is aboue the credite of a meane man so haue I great opinion of your high estate and as to your request to be entertayned of my Courte I receyue you willynglye and promise you there-in my royall fauour for I woulde lyue no longer then to make of your lykes and I praye you sir Knight tell mée who you are least peraduenture I shoulde fault in not honouring you according to your callyng Zoylo aunswered Nost puissaunt King the report of your courtesie assured me your good fauour before I demaunded it and now sir vnderstand you that I am called Zoylo sonne to the King of Tartaria in that part which bordereth vpon Christendome and that I haue spent many winters both an sea lande till that Fortune cast mée on the English shore then comming out of Dutchlande After héere in your Countrey minding as my vsage was to trye my selfe vpon Knights errants it chaunced that I met with thrée of your Knightes in a Forrest their names were as I learned of them Rosicleer Bargandel and Lyriamandro with these I iusted and after that I had cast downe the two last at the Tilte I fought with Rosicleer at the swordes poynt but in the ende I was vanquished Rosicleer when I was yéelden hauing some lyking of me desired me to come and be acquainted with your Maiestie and to kisse your royall hand in his name All which I haue done as well for to offer my seruice to so mightie a Prince as for to accomplish the charge of so valyaunt a Knight neither thinke I it any disgrace to be vanquished by him For besides that his bountie and courtefie meriteth to be beloued rather then enuied his valour and Knighthoode promiseth the conquest ouer the whole world He hath receiued me for a perpetuall friende and his acquaintaunce doo I more set by then the whole Kingdome of Tartary my lawfull inheritaunce Therefore because I hope the longer to inioy this new friendshippe in your feruice I haue bene bolde to craue the name of your Court which shall be as well welcome vnto me as the title which you haue vnto your kingdome The king was glad to heare some newes of Rosicleer at that time and much praysed his owne good Fortune to haue lyghted vppon him for that by him his Court had dayly increased in worshippe and so tourning towards the Tartarian he sayde on this manner Pardon me mightie Prince in that I haue not done you that honour which appertaineth to a Kinges sonne but the little acquaintaunce I haue had with you and the ignoraunce of your estate shall excuse me henceforwardes if I amende not let me bée without excuse And with these same wordes the King ledde Zoylo to the Princesse willing hir to welcome the Knight straunger Zoylo comming before the beautifull Princesse Oliuia kneeled downe before hir to kisse hir hande which shée refused but gently kissing him she had him welcome Farther talke had she not for the often naming of Rosicleer brought to hir remembraunce the wrong which shée had done to him and hir heart was so great that she had no power to speake a word but crauing pardon shée departed to hir chamber this séemed straunge to hir father but because hir colour was so pale it was thought to be by reason of sicknesse When she was within hir chamber doores she let hir teares flowe at lybertie which before she restrained for feare of béeing espied And
his deathes wound then that letter Ere he opened it his coulour chaunged and all his bodie shooke for feare but after hée had read the superscription his eyes were filled with teares and neuer man was so woe begonne as he yet he read it out and as I remember with the last wordes he gaue a great groane and sanke to the earth Whether hée euer recouered or no I wot not for I durst not staye with him therein to fulfill your graces charge which was not to receiue aunswere from him This vnderstanding the Princesse and that Fidelia had obeyed euerie iot of her will so well although shée would that her seruaunt had fayled in some small point of diligence in this matter yet thinking to learne more at her hands shée demaunded what thing hée did when she parted from him and what words shée spake moreouer what she thought the euent would bée To all which questions Fidelia aunswered at once that shée lefte him for dead vpon the ground and to deuine was not in her skill With this the Princesse waxed angrie and blamed her verye sore in not abiding the time of his recouerie whervnto Fidelia excused her selfe by her commandement but yet because the Princesse would haue it so néeds must Fidelia be thought in a great fault or crime for not dooing so Now may you gesse that Fidelias trustinesse was lyke a cuppe of colde wate to her burning ague the more to enrage it or lyke drinke to a Dropsie man whereby his maladie the rather increaseth For in lyke manner as Rosicleers heauinesse came by reading the letter so hers grew by Fidelias report of his heauinesse And albeit that we heare seldome time of man or woman dead for loue yet is it naturall for ouermuch griefe to abbridge mans dayes as now it was not loue which so much afflicted the Princesse but the iniurie which she had offered Rosicleer and the griefe which she conceiued by the dispaire of euer séeing him and his griefe had almost wrought hir vtter bane ¶ Rosicleers departure is published in the Court of King Oliuerio Oliuia after knowledge whose sonne he was reuerseth iudgement passed by a countermaunde in another Letter whereof Fidelia lykewise is the bearer Cap. 41. THe Princes Bargandel and Liriamandro in the quest of Rosicleer rode far and néere could not vnderstand anie thing as touching him till that hauing trauailed ouer a great part of that Countrie they met with people strangers which certified that themselues had séene a Knight in that sure of armour imbarking himselfe with a Gentlewoman and after that a Squire sore wéeping entering into a ship to followe them for the which newes Bargandel and Liriamandro were verie sorrowfull and for nowe they were sure that he had forsaken the kingdome wherevpon they agréed to returne vnto the Court and one day as the King Oliuerio with the Prince Zoylo and other worthie Princes and knights were gone out of the Citie to solace themselues in the fields these two Princes came toward the place where the king abode which had behelde them before verie héedfully for they séemed vnto him to be two comely and noble knights and therefore he desired to haue a more perfect view But valyaunt Zoylo knew them by their deuices vppon theyr armour and sayde to the king and to the other then in presence that he greatly meruailed why Rosicleer came not with them for saith he when I parted from them they were all thrée together when the king knewe them to be the two Princes hée caused his traine to stay till the two Princes came against him those hée embraced with great loue and thankes for their returne demanding withal for Rosicleer They which I dare not say knew the ryght cause but coniectured some likely cause by the straungenesse it wrought in him with great griefe made a narration of each perticular as farre as they knew both what befell him within the Realme and in what manner he auoided the Realme as they had heard of others onely in the companie of a Gentlewoman and they added moreouer perhappes of their owne heads perhappes as I sayde before vppon some farther knowledge that it could not otherwise bée but that he had some great wrong offered vnto him by some person within the Realme The King excusing himselfe to the Princes for his owne dealing towardes Rosicleer became verye sad and heauie for him as also those which were néere with him not béeing able to gesse of his returne and indéede if they had béene certeine of his long absence it would much more haue béene gréeuous vnto them so rare was the loue they all bare to him But with some little hope of Rosicleers spéedie retourne the King with those Princes his friends tarried some dayes in the Pallaice till that because he was from them so long the thrée Princes Bargandel Liriamandro and the Lartarian Zoylo together tooke vpon them to séeke him in which time they aduentured many strange exploits as shall be specified héereafter in this Historie But in the ende as the greatest parte of these nobles and Princes stayed in England for the loue of Rosicleer so his presence wanting in that court diminished so fast that in short time there was not behinde remaining in the Court anie Knight of great account but the Prince Don Syluerio vnto whom the losse absence of Rosicleer bread no small contentation as it wrought in the king Oliuerio to the contrarie no lesser displeasure and disquiet as if the losse of Prince Edward had agayne renued For there was no one in his kingdome which could and would aduaunce his priuate credit and the honour of his Countrie by worthy prowesse and by valiant déeds of armes But when all the kingdome beganne to bewayle the losse of Rosicleer what did that fayre Oliuia which had abandoned him the Countrie and loued him more then anye one in the worlde might shée forget him one instant No but when she wayed well that for the accomplishing of her charge he had forsaken the lande her good will increased towardes him and in stéede of the daylye viewe of his personage in his absence shée gazed at will vppon the counterfayte and portraiture which she had imprinted in her fancie This did she the oftener because shée founde not in her solitarie contemplation anie other thing to present it selfe For amorous thoughtes are euer enimies to companie and béeing alone as commonly shée was by reason of sicknesse what was there to remooue this solitarie thought and conuersaunt companion from her This companion she still enterteined which by vse and continuance of time grew to a setteled sentence and her loue waxed greater then it was before and then increased the flame which burnt more earnestly then euer before it had bene But as it chaunced tossing of these things in her remembraunce withall shée remembred that Arinda had tolde her how that Rosicleer had written vnto the Princesse Briana and as the amorous are accustomed to builde
best knights of all those whom the Gyant had left giuing them liuerie and season in that lande and making others to sweare obedience Short time after hée would néeds depart with full purpose to kéepe in the Sea and not to depart till that he should haue sailed so farre that no words might be heard of him in those quarters Therefore he tooke his armour wherein was drawen the God of lous in such sort as our auncestours were wont to paint him with his eyes out his bowe and arrowes in his hand The picture béeing so liuely drawen that Rosicleer kuewe it was done by the wise Artemidoro and therevppon he sooke his name of that deuice from which time hée neuer called himselfe other then the Knight of Cupide vnder which name he atchieued many enterprises and Rosicleers name came neuer more to the eares of Oliuia Hauing put on his armour he tooke his leaue of Candriana for so was called the Daughter of Candramarte and for remembraunce onely the shippe wherein hée first sayled when hée lest great Britaine with two marriners to conduct it whome he charged not to call by other name then the Knight of Cupide and to guide the shippe Eastwarde When hée had so sailed fistéene daies without chancing to him anie thing worthie of recitall It was so that one morning by Sunne rising he sawe a little boate passe by him out of which he heard many cries as if it had bene the labour of some woman and thinking that there might be néede of some helpe he was desiraus to know what was in the shippe and therevpon he commaunded to ioyne with them Presently there ftept vppon the hatches a sadde auncient man with a white beard all armed saue the head which demaunded what hée woulde Rosicleer sayde I woulde knowe who is in your Shippe for me thinkes I haue heard some woman complaine and if it bée so I will venture my person to doe her good The auncient Knight behelde Rosicleer taking him to be some knight of great bountis especially in that he had offered himselfe so fréely When hée had throughly behelde he opened the matter on this sorte Assuredly good Knight I thanke you for your great good will and as it is not mis beséeming your outward beautie to haue some inwarde vertue lyke thereto But know you that in this shippe there abideth a Gentlewoman making towards the great Britaine there to complaine her to the King Oliuerio and his knightes of the outrage which is done vnto her Nowe because our staie is daungerous I may not tell you farther of this matter our enimies followe vs and so rest you with GOD. When the olde man had saide this Rosicleer hauing desire to know more staied him and besought him to discourse more at large for himselfe was a Knight of that Court and could tell him what remedie was to bée hoped for there The olde man was loth to staie longer yet hearing him say that he was of the same Court hée tolde him in fewe wordes that this Gentlewoman was the Princesse Arguirosa one of the fairest Ladies in the worlde and a Princesse of Thessalie onely heire to that kingdome That her mother béeing dead the King Arguidoro her father fell in loue with a Gentlewoman of Thessalie not so honest nor of so high estate as wanton and of base birth and louing her affectionately after marryed her to the dispossessing of his owne childe Then in the time of her Fathers life there was in the court a knight called Rolando besides his great liuing one of the strongest knightes in all those partes but proude and little respecting the whole worlde That this Knight during the lyfe of the King was lyked of Ipesca and so soone as the King Arguidoro dyed of a sodeyne disease was promoted to the Kinges bedde by matching with the Quéene and béeing of great reuenewes that he nowe inioyed the kingdome by force and excluding the right heyre none of the kingdome daring to gaine-saie him for the most able are his night kinsmen the other learne patience perforce But that which worst of all was that to vndoe her rightfull claime hée mindeth to marrie her with a kinsman of his and to giue onely some little Towne to dwell in reseruing the title of the Kingdome after his owne dayes to a sonne the which hée hath begotten on his Quéene Ipesca I am kinsman sayth he to the Princesse béeing her mothers brother and therefore I haue aduentured to rescewe my néece but not knowing any remedie at home because my power is not equall with Rolandos I haue brought her out from thence and I determine to goe to the great Britaine where as I haue heard there are many valyaunt knightes especially a new Knight of whom I haue heard especially since the great feasts there holden If this Knight helpe me not I know not who may with-stand Rolando Thrée nightes and dayes haue we bene vppon the Sea onely I the Lady two Gentlewomen and our Marriners and I beléeue that there come after vs Rolandos knightes Nowe haue I tolde you the whole of your desire and I beséech you tell vs what newes you knowe of that good knight Rosicleer nowe hauing heard the whole state of the Princesse Arguirosas matter was much treubled and desirous to helpe her hée aunswered the auncient man that for his staie he thanked him and as touching your demaund saith he of the new knight Truth it is that in Britaine none can tell you newes of him wherfore your labour should be lost if you sought him there But the Princesses affliction so much moueth me that albeit I was purposed other where yet would I gladly fight with Rolando in the Princesse behalfe The auncient knight was verie sad to heare that the newe Knight was not in Britaine but well eyeng this knight which had so tolde him and made profer of helpe he stoode in doubt whether to take or refuse by and by he discouered two shippes vnder sayle and by theyr toppes to be of Thessalie whereat striking himselfe on the breast hée cryed out O most vnhappie that wée are héere commeth Rolandos Knightes which will take vs and béeing brought againe to Thessalie we shal there receiue most cruel death and he wept cursing the houre of his departure the Princesse Arguirosa hearing the complaintes which her vnckle made his greate sorrowe which he susteyned the extreame daunger they were in and the cause why hée did it tooke it as heauie and wofully bewailed their miserie When Rosicleer sawe them in this plight hée much pittyed them especially Arguirosa which the Princesse Oliuia not remembred might haue well contented him Therefore he willed them to get vnder the hatches againe and to let him shifte for theyr safetie the olde man thinking that Rosicleer woulde defend them by saieng that they were his people did so not ceasing yet to feare the worst and to pray earnestly for their escape Rosicleer leapt into the Princesse shippe and sate vpon the
which thou hast in hande for the Princesse Arguirosa and from thencefoorth that thou abide in my Court where I will doo thée that honour which thy person meriteth and I will bestow a liuing vppon thée wherewith thou shalt liue contentedly Rosicleer héere well perceiuing what hée went about sayd vnto him I would willingly Rolando that as thou hast in shew offered me great honour for the which I thanke thée so that thou wuuldest in déede performe another thing which should be lesse impayre to my present honour then the leauing of the battaile the battaile as thou sayst would I gladly end not onely for mine owne daunger which I am like to be in but for thy sake whom I rather wish to amend his fault by liuing and restoring the Ladye to hir owne then by dying in a wrong cause to hazarde the vtter perdition of thy soule and for truth take this that I will choose to dye than to suffer hyr cause to be lost by my collusion Take therfore some other meanes to leaue this battaile for this will not succéede or let vs fight it out for I hope in God that he will defende the innocent When Rosicleer had sayde this Rolando thinking that his owne gentle speach had made his enimie more bolde became mad outright and forgetting hys wearinesse tooke his sworde with both his handes and therwith he strake Rosicleer so hard on the headpéece that he made him boowe both handes and knées vnto the grounde the blow being so heauie as if a Tower had fallen vppon him Rosicleer rising vp acquited it him that he made him stagger fiue or sixe paces backward And betwéene them the combat was renued Nowe this especiallye refreshed the poore Princesse Arguirosa that hir Knight troubled his enimie more now then at the beginning And not long after it was apparant that Rosicleer had the better for Rolando began to be wearie and coulde not moue out of his place Rosicleer knowing the aduauntage and willing to ende the battaile the sooner both for the contentment of the Princesse and the safetie of Rolandos life whome he iudged to be a valiaunt knight offered againe the conditions before mentioned but it was not Rolandos good hap and true it is that those which liue so wickedly dye commonly as desperately least they should repent their faultes and finde mercie But Rolando more then madde at the curteste which was offered him wold heare naught but strake at Rosicleer with all his force Rosicleer stept aside and the sworde fell vpon the ground sticking vp to the hyltes The whiles that Rolando haled at his sworde Rosicleer discharged his blowe with great strength and cutte the necke in sunder from the bodie Wherewithall the whole multitude showted but in diuers tunes some for sorowe of the Tyraunts death but most crying Liue thou Arguirosa our Quéene and Ladie Then albeit some of the Kings friendes woulde haue aduenged his death they durst not signifie it the people being so bent after the newe Quéene The Knight of Cupide when the battaile was ended thanked God and demannded of the Iudges whether ought els were to be performed for the restoring of the Princesse Arguirosa to hir kingdome To which all sayde no and the Trumpetts sounded Yet sate the Princesse vppon hir Palfraye till there came to hir of the most principall Knightes and others Citizens which now all feare set aside durst discouer their good affection The Princesse therewith and the knight of Cupide with hir vnckle Alberto rode in great honour to the Pallaice where that present day the princesse was crowned Quéene the chiefe Lords kissing hir hand in the name of the Gentlemen and Commons After this there was no talke but of the marriage of the Quéene euery man as he wished naming the Knight of Cupide which hir selfe more desired then they all but knowing that the Knight of Cupide had else where bestowed his liking which she gathered by likelihoode of speaches which she had heard in the ship by the déepe sighes which he hourely fetched and especially by his deuice which did not argue in a newe beginner she ruled hir passion the best she might and for this time moued him not therein Afterwards she sent for Rolandos wife hir mother in lawe to kéepe hir companie but the report was that for anguish of minde she had slaine hir selfe Well yet she commaunded them both to be interred as belonged to the Kings and Quéenes of that land Rosicleer remained in that Kingdome sixe dayes at the great intreatie of the Quéene to helpe all things to good order After feelyng the wound which sate more déeply imprinted in his heart then the Image thereof in his armour he departed thence And so let vs leaue him to recount of the Emperor Trebatio and the Knight of the Sunne who were lefte sayling vpon the Sea ¶ The Emperour Trebatio and the Knight of the Sunne are in their waie to the Kingdome of Hungarie Cap. 49. THe Emperour Trebatio and the Knight of the Sunne departing from the Ilande of Lindaraza were lefte sayling in the Sea Euxino Nowe the shippe wherein he was hauing so good and skilfull a Gouernour as wée haue tolde you was carried so swiftlye that within two dayes they entered the mouth of Danubia and béeing vppon the riuer thrée dayes and thrée nightes the fourth day in the morning they were set on lande ere that they wist The Emperour looking about him knew the countrey verye well since he had followed the Chariot to the selfe same place And béeing glad to haue arriued to Hungarie so safe and so shortly he imbraced the Knight of the Sun for ioye telling him that this was Hungarie where the Princesse Briana lyued So he deuised with him in what manner he might best make himselfe knowen to the princesse and conuaye hir into Greece The Knight of the Sunne being so friendly asked his aduice aunswered as faithfully My Lorde it is requisite for vs first of all to knowe where the King Tiberio is and in what order the Princesse now abideth which being done you may the better compasse that which you purpose You say right well aunswered the Emperour let vs kéepe along the shoare that if perhappes we méete with any one we maye enquire what newes there are So on foote they walked thorough a Forrest leading vppon the Riuer wherein they trauailed halfe a daye without meeting anye one after 〈◊〉 weried they sate them downe to rest themselues where they fed on such vyandes as they had brought with them from the boate An halfe houre after when they had 〈◊〉 indifferently they sawe néere at hande a Gentlewoman vpon a palfraye making as much haste as shée 〈…〉 hir a Knight on foote with a naked sword 〈…〉 the stayed not when he ouertooke hir to 〈…〉 through The Gentlewoman séeing the Emperour 〈◊〉 the Knight of the Sunne leapt from hir palfray 〈…〉 good Knights for this trayterous Knight â—anish me The Emperour rose vp and comforâ—â—â—â— the Gentlewoman
wring his wiues inheritaunce to himselfe in such manner as you haue heard in Eliseas reporte The Iudges straight wayes declared it to the king who detesting their fact caused the Duke to be apprehended and both to be executed in that place For albeit many of his nobles intreated for their pardon yet the king so abhorred the villanie that naught auailed and at this time was the lawe first enacted in Hungarie that the lawe of punishment for whoordome shoulde stretch as wel to the man as to the woman and that equal penaltie shoulde bee assigned to lyke offendours whereas before the men escaped the women only were in daunger Now after this execution the Dutchesse Elisandra was set at large and the Quéene Augusta receiued her with great honour into her companie The Knight of the Sun was verie desirous to leaue the Citie but the king desired much to knowe him and to haue him abide for some time in his Court. In the time of his abode the Knight of the Sunne grew in more familiar acquaintaunce with the king and was much lyked of him because he séemed to resemble the Princesse Briana but one daie the king importuning the young Knight to knowe his kindred vsed such lyke wordes Sir Knight we thanke you heartely for the paines that you haue taken in the Dutchesse of Pannonias behalfe and for the maintaining of her honour wherby if she haue receiued commoditie of liuing and auoiding shame so haue I receiued some quietnesse in my Realme by the open detecting of such malefactours and their punishment will be occasion of feare in others for this cause I haue willed you to staie héere as thereto I praye you heartely but I praie you let me know your name and where you were borne for I knowe not how to call you The Knight of the Sunne well nurtured in the Souldans Court after his humble thankes for his Maiesties most gratious proffer and the promise of acceptaunce béeing a thing in déede verie conuenient for the certifieng of the Emperour began as followeth For your maiesties fauour I shall most willingly do your highnesse seruice and for the Dutchesse I am gladde that the equitie of her cause furthered my attempt and for my name and Countrie I can better tell you the storie of my life since I came to yeares then declare that Yet am I called the Knight of the Sunne by my deuice and my education hath bene in the Souldans Court at Babylon thether I being brought by the kings sonne in lawe the king of Persia when I was but a child and as it hath bene tolde me found in a little boate vpon the Sea for my life hetherto it hath bene in armes and that doe I meane to pursue The king and those which were with him were greatly amazed that hée had come from so farre a Countrie and had bene found vppon the Sea and that he knew no more of his estate but they thought that he was of some noble birth The king thanked him and in this order the Knight of the Sunne stayed with the king Tiberio for certeine dayes where he gained many friends one onely enimie by name Florinaldes which could not forget the shame receiued before his mistresse although it had done him no scath for in the ende Albamira preferred him before the Earle Orfeo So as I saye yet Florinaldes séeing the honour of the Knight of the Sunne daily to increase to the discredit of the borne Hungarian his stomacke rose against him and one day he set vppon the Knight of the Sunne at vnawares but to his owne losse had not the knight of the Sunne bene more mercifull after they were made friends But let vs breake off this storie to dispatch the Prince of Lusitania out of England ¶ Don Siluerio demaunded the Princesse Oliuia for wife of the King Oliuerio Cap. 55. THe great sorrow which the losse of Rosicleer caused in the court of king Oliuerio hath ere this bene declared to you for all the good knightes his friendes went to séeke him leauing the Court bare and naked for noble men and aboue all the Princesse Oliuia was worst wringed albeit her griefe was not so manifest Nowe is there stayed in the Court the Prince Don Siluerio straungelye surprised with the loue of Oliuia and vsing the helpe of his sister Rodasylua to the perswading of Oliuia One day the last I take it he vnfolded his griefe vnto her telling her that vnlesse she found the meanes hée shoulde héere leaue his life in a farre Countrie The matter is mine olde sute that you wot off my desire is that at least I maye bée assured of her good will Sure I am if I moue the king in it I shall obteine it The Princesse Rodasylua mooued indéed with her brothers affliction promised the vttermost of her paines and within a while after she had some talke with the Princesse about that matter her wordes tending to like effect Madame you knowe right well the great loue which since I came to this Court I haue borne vnto you and how I haue done you seruice in all that I was able that which more is in what manner I haue absented my selfe from my parents onely to be in your companie which if you knowe and confesse to be true you must likewise beléeue that that which I shall saie nowe rather procéedeth of good zeale towardes your honour then of anie purpose to worke mine owne contentment though I cannot denie but that if I obtaine it will content me highly But I doe not besire the thing which standeth not with your honour and for my paines reward séeke I none but that I may be heard If I erre in ought wherein I shall counsaile you then may you blame mee and yet I doubt not but when you shall haue throughly examined the whole you shall rather impute the fault to lacke of skill than to anie lacke of good meaning and as I am certeine that you haue this same opinion of mée without anye farther suspect so will I tell you my minde flatly You knowe that you are the onely inheritrixe of this kingdome that your Father the king my Lorde must néeds marrie you with such a one as may equall your estate both for the naturall care which he hath ouer you in respect that you are his daughter and for the profit which shall thereby redounde to his subiectes which cannot be well gouerned the seate wanting aâ—rightfull heire you are withall at this time marriageable my suite therefore is that héerein you will haue a more regarde of the Prince Don Siluerio my brother a worthie knight of personage and valour of an high birth a kings sonne and heire besides louing you so entirely as he can nothing more long hath he endured this torment and neuer would bewraie it to anie but to me and I haue hetherto suppressed it not to molest you nowe for compassion towardes him whome I must loue and honour mine owne brother I
the others companie This loue betwéene them was in other manner then that which ariseth by a blast of beautie and it endured so long betwéene them that neither yeares nor sicknesse nor death scarcely could once impaire it and for this loues sake could the Emperour Trebatio willingly haue forborn both kiffe and kindred and acquaintaunce in his owne countrey and for his loue durst the Princesse aduenture to flye hir fathers Realme and to abandonne hir selfe to vnknowen passages and to trauayle with Trebatio into Greece As the Emperour Trebatio finding opportunitie tolde hir that he hadde counsailed with the Knight of the Sunne as touching their departure by whom hée vnderstood that both for themselues and for the King Tiberio it was méetest to depart otherwise saith he maye the King your father be blamed for the death of the Prince Edward and our ioye might finde ende if I were discouered but for the dispatch of this whole matter he said that he would leaue a letter in hir chamber wherein should be shewed both how and in what manner all things had bene done which you haue heard of The Princes yéelded there to gladly and betwéene themselues they prouided things necessarie for their departure none being priuie thereto but Clandestria and the other Gentlewoman The daye before the Princesse should depart she tolde hir Gentlewomen that she had vowed nine dayes fast in hir lodging charging that for that time none should trouble hir saue that she would haue Clandestria as she was wont and this Gentlewoman for necessarie occasion The Princesse was thus woont to doo very often which made it probable The next daye when all were readye and hadde voyded the Princesse lodging the Emperour threwe in his letter and Clandestria shutte the doore So by the secrette posterne they all departed This was a good while before daye and they tooke such horse as hadde bene prouided by the Princesse By the opening of the morning they had ridden a pretie waie and the Princesse being wearie turned out of the way to rest her selfe in a shade as euerie thing made her afraide and wearie till that Clandestria hastned her on by saieng that she thought her businesse would be suspected in that she fetched not the broths as she was wont So vp to horse they goe and héere breaketh of the first booke what happened by the waie the second booke declareth Now let vs remember by the waie where we left our worthie princes that when we haue néede of them we may there finde them The Emperour in his waie to Greece the knight of the Sunne abideth in Tiberios court Don Siluerio is vppon the Sea towards Lusitania Rosicleer now departeth from Thessalie after the establishing of the kingdome to the Quéene Arguirosa Brandizel and Clauerindo stay in the king of Polonias Court where the Prince Brandizel maketh loue to the Princesse Clarinea Zoylo Prince of Tartarie Bargandel Prince of Bohemia and Liriamandro Prince of Hungarie all thrée together soiourne at the Emperours Court of Trabisond with the Princesse Claridiana a woman knight of whome this whole storie specially intreateth but more at large héereafter And thus endeth the first booke FINIS A TABLE CONTAINING ALL THE Chapters which are in this booke CAPVT 1. The description of the kindred and choosing of the Emperour Trebatio Fol. 1. Cap. 2. The king of Hungarie pretending a title to the Empire setteth himselfe against the Emperour Trebatio 3. Cap. 3. The Emperour Trebatio by the hearesaie of her beautie was surprised with the loue of the Princesse Briana 5. Cap. 4. Prince Edward entereth into Belgrado the Emperour bethinketh himselfe of his remedie 7. Cap. 5. Prince Edward riding towards the monestarie of the riuer was by the Emperour Trebatio encountred and slaine 8. Cap. 6. The Emperour Trebatio was receiued at the Monestarie by the Archbishop of Belgrado there betrothed by the name of Prince Edward 9. Cap. 7. The Emperour Trebatio driueth in his conceit the order how to consummate the marriage which in the end he bringeth to passe accordingly 11. Ca. 8. The Emperour Trebatio pursuing those which had stolne his Ladie left all his knights and tooke another waie 1â— Cap. 9. The aduentures of the Emperour in following the inchaunted chariot 14. Cap. 10. The Emperours knightes finde not their Lord and the Hungarians misse the prince of England 18. Cap. 11. The Princesse Briana taketh great sorrow at the losse of Prince Edward 19. Cap. 12. The Princesse Briana was deliuered of two sonnes Clandestria christneth them causeth them to be nursed 20. Cap. 13. The king of Boheme raised the siege and the king of Hungarie returned the Princes knights into England 22. Cap. 14. Clandestria deuiseth with the princesse Briana how her sons might be brought vp in her companie 23. Cap. 15. Donzel del Febo was lost by misaduenture 25. Cap. 16. The pedegree of the valiant Prince Florion and other matters as touching him 29. Cap. 17. Prince Florion in his waie homewardes findeth by aduenture the young Gentleman Clauerindo sonne to the king Oristeo king of Fraunce and bringeth him with the Gentleman of the Sunne to Babylon 31. Cap. 18. Prince Florion with the two young Gentlemen entereth Babylon and were there honourably receiued by the Souldan 35. Cap. 19. The deliuerie of the Souldan by the Gentleman of the Sun 36. Cap. 20. An aduenture in the court of the Souldan which befell to the young Gentleman of the Sunne 41. Cap. 21. Donzel del Febo is dubbed knight and ouercommeth Raiartes 46. Cap. 22. Africano king of Media Persia inferred war vpon the Souldan of Babylon 50. Cap. 23. The knight of the Sunne maketh answere to Africano as to his letter 52. Cap. 24. A cruell battell betweene the knight of the Sunne and Africano with the discomfiture of Africanos host 56. Cap. 25. The knight of the Sunne the two Princes Florion and Claueryndo with a great hoast entered into Persia and there put Florion in possession of the crowne 61. Cap. 26. The knight of the Sunne and the Prince Claueryndo beeing in their way towards Babylon were diuided by a sodeine aduenture 63. Cap. 27. The Princesse Briana discouered to Rosicleer secretly that he was her sonne 66. Cap. 28. Rosicleer departed from the monestarie of the riuer without the knowledge of the Princesse his mother 68. Cap. 29. Rosicleer in Liuerbas name slaieth Argion and remooueth the lawes 71. Cap. 30. Rosicleer departed from the valley of the mountaines meeteth with two Princes christned by aduenture is carried from them againe 74. Cap. 31. Certaine accidents which befell Rosicleer after his departure â—â—m the two Princes 79. Cap. 32. The great feasts began in Oliuerios Court. 82. Cap. 33. An aduenture which chanced in king Oliuerios court 90. Cap. 34. A daungerous battaile betweene Candramarte and Rosicleer 93. Cap. 35. A Gentlewoman came to the court from the Princesse Briana which made him follow Brandagedeon 97. Cap. 36. A cruell battaile betweene Rosicleer and Brandagedeon with his knights 100. Cap. 37. Rosicleer and the two princes seeke aduentures in the land of Britaine and the two Gentlewomen carrie the Gyants bodie to Oliuerios court 104. Ca. 38. The Gentlewomen brought the bodie of Brandagedeon to the Court the Princesses receiue the letters of their knights 160 Cap. 39. Arinda the Gentlewoâ—â—â— belonging vnto the Princessâ— Pâ—na tolde the bringi 〈◊〉 â—â—sicleer vnto the Princesse Oliuia Fol. 113. Cap. 40. Fidelia being on her waie to carrie the letter to Rosicleer was taken by sixe knights from them deliuered by Rosicleer 118. Cap. 41. The Princes Bargandel Liriamandro retourning from the Forrest misse Rosicleer 125. Ca. 42. Rosicleers departure is published in the Court of king Oliâ—â—rio Oliuia after knowledge whose sonne he was reuerseth iudgement passed by a countermaund in another letter whereof Fidelia likewise is the bearer 127. Cap. 43. Rosicleer was betrayed into the Iland of Candramarte that Gyant whose hands had ben cut off before by Rosicleer 131. Cap. 44. The knight of the Sunne was carried to the Iland of Lindaraza where hee atchieued manie straunge and fearefull aduentures Fol. 135. Cap. 45. The three Princes which went in the quest of Rosicleer were transported into the Empire of Trabisond where chaunced to them a faire aduenture 149. Cap. 46. The two Princes Brandizel and Clauerindo stale secretly out of the kingdome of Persia to finde the knight of the Sunne 153. Cap. 47. Rosicleer departeth from the Iland of Candramarte and meeteth with certaine aduentures on the Sea 156. Cap. 48. The battaile which Rosicleer had with Rolando 161. Cap. 49. The Emperour Trebatio and the knight of the Sunne are in their way to the kingdome of Hungarie 163. Cap. 50. The Emperour and the knight of the Sunne riding towards the Monestarie of the riuer are by an aduenture separated 165. Cap. 51. The Emperour came to the monestarie of the riuer there was made knowne to his wife the Princesse 169. Cap. 52. The Knight of the Sunne riding to the Court of king Tiberio iusteth with a knight for passage 179. Cap. 53. The knight of the Sunne aunswered before the king Tiberio for the Dutchesse Elisandra the battaile was appointed between him Arydon of the black wood Fol. 172. Cap. 54. The battaile betweene the knight of the Sunne and the strong Arydon 173. Cap. 55. Don Siluerio demaunded the Princesse Oliuia for wife of the king Oliuerio 174. Cap. 56. The Emperour Trebatio carried awaie the Princesse Briana from the Monestarie of the riuer Fol. 178. FINIS TABVLAE