Prince hath heretofore participated of some part thereof whereof he is at this present deprived because true vertues are perpetuall neither are they ever found unaccompanied with others like themselves so that when one of them is corrupted all the residue are thereby blemished Touching honour I allow what you say thereof but the selfesame argument of yours is sufficient to give you satisfaction True honour as you terme or limit it is that which is found common in every one as the law of nature is common to every man observing this rule I should have but small reason to finde my selfe aggrieved But there are certaine particular lawes which although they be not observed elsewhere than in places where they are established yet can it not be denied but that they are lawes and ought to bee knowne and observed of every one for such When custome hath brought a thing to become or be esteemed a branch of honour whosoever is not observant and obedient thereto is dishonored not because it ought to bee so in effect but because we have consented that it should be so I confesse that to watch over womens honesty with so great curiositie is a custome altogether prejudiciall but wee being thereto subject must needs endure it and so much the rather by how much we are the more conspicuous eminent in our callings And if I would free my selfe from the bonds thereof then would it not be said that I did it because the Philosophie of honour taught me to despise this fantasticall opinion but rather for that avarice and ambition had induced me to become patient so as I shall not onely make my selfe subject to the sottish talke of the vulgar but shall also bee accounted of my Peeres scorne-worthy and infamous As for my life and goods the selfe-same custome will answer for me which custome will that I preferre my selfe and my owne honor before all things and that with losing all I declare my selfe a rebell to Nature which commands us to looke to our owne profit and to conserve what we enjoy of hers Touching my friends I know not what to answer you saving only that the disgrace I suffer doth also reflect on them what is my case to day may be theirs to morrow It rests that I tell you that the Prince might have allowed himselfe pleasures without offending any man as wise Princes doe who jest not but where such iests are received for favours The summe of all is that I am resolved that the lives of both the Prince and my wife shall satisfie the vengeance of my wronged honour Seeing that such is your resolution replied the Count mine also shall be conformable to yours And after they had proposed divers meanes for effecting it at length they concluded on these that the Admirall should sell a good part of his goods who to give a colour to the sale thereof was to lose publikely at play with the Count sixty thousand crownes That he should practize a plot with the King of Corsica by the mediation of Mortiro one of the Ambassadors that came to demand the Princesse a friend to them both whom they were to procure to come disguised and give them the meeting That the assistance of that King should be sued for with proffering him in recompence the Kingdome of Sardegna That they should in the meane time insinuate into the love of the Captaines Souldiers and Mariners but so discreetly as their unaccustomed liberality might not cause them to be suspected All which accomplished the last thing should be the death of the Prince The Admirall after this agreement seemed to be of better comfort and considering how it would be well done to prepare thereto their friends and particularly the Baron of Frisano the Count thereto agreed not but said that the foundations being once well grounded which were the moneyes and the backing of the King of Corsica their friends would bee thereunto afterwards more easily perswaded The day following they returned to Sassari where taking on them to be merry and setting themselves to gaming the Admirall lost some monies which he tooke out of his pocket and then playing on ticket lost twenty thousand crownes under which pretext he had leasure to give himselfe over to his melancholy and holding on his game although the Baron with many Captaines would have set themselves in betweene them and the Count himselfe made as though he plaid unwillingly in a few dayes the Admirall resolutely lost threescore thousand crownes The newes of these losses were suddenly rumored about the Court and came to the eares of the Admirals wife who grieved extremely thereat and not long after received from her husband a letter with order to finde out such as would buy so much of his goods as might make up the summe of sixty thousand crownes Now the Prince being that night come unto her she with be-teared eyes shewed him the letter and he glad of having occasion to gratifie in any thing his Talasia wished her not to trouble her minde therewith Having therefore sent for the Admirall to Calari who came thither very unwillingly he bespake him in this wise I understand that your Steward hath offered to sale your goods which have for these many yeares belonged unto your honour for which I am indeede sorry more for the occasion that for the thing it selfe the King my father will not that you being the second Baron of Sardegna should by being ruinated become unable to serve him repaire therefore unto the Treasurer generall who hath order to deliver you sixty thousand crownes make use thereof and restore it againe by little and little without discommodating your estate The Admirall who well knew the cause of this liberalitie dissembling kneeled downe before him and with most humble speeches thanked him doing the selfesame to the King who advised him not to suffer himselfe by play to be any more reduced to such necessitie The Admirall continued at home but a very small time where it behooved him to make much of his wife with no lesse art than disgust Returned backe to Sassari he wrote to his Cozen to whom as soone as hee was come he publikely disbursed sixty thousand crownes acquiring thereby the praise and reputation of a loyall and geneâ—ous spirit Afterwards retired aside the Count shewed him the answer of Mutriro the contents whereof was that he would goe to Assinara in the habit of a Fisherman where they were to expect him they therefore retired to the fleete and taking on them to goe a fishing went so farreonwards till they came to Assinara where the counterfeit shepheard expected them and landing a bowshot distant from him leaving their Squires busied in making dinner ready they walked along the strond till they came to his Barke where dissembling the matter before his servants there present and asking him what he was and what he there did they singled him from them and he with a seeming humility followed them till such time as
fame is the reward of the well-doer so infamy might be a punishment to the ignominious liver The Prince as wee have said already had six Galleyes of his owne besides those foure of Catalogna which he assured from running away by intermingling the Ghing together so as they being first well armed and then assured with the exchange of Galley-slaves he assured them yet better with souldiers and the family of the Princesse whom with her Ladies he lodged in his Galley Royall serving her by day with the greatest respect that could be and at night retiring himselfe into the Admirall of Catalogna for commodiousnesse and burden little inferiour to his More joyfull was Eromilia at this her parting than at her comming telling the Countesse that she now found it by experience to be true that violent infirmities cannot be otherwise cured but by conformable remedies confessing that but for the continuance of those dangers that gave her a true feeling of her then being it had beene impossible to free her selfe of her melancholy and to be perswaded to returne whom but now by seeing with admiration every day more than other the Prince's discreet manners and behaviour the love of him living served as a wedge to knocke out of her minde the memory of the other deceased Their Navigation was short and favoured with gentle windes yet to them seemed it farre shorter than indeede it was for that the joy which their hearts conceived of their amorous conversation made the houres and dayes runne faster all things appearing unto them with an aspect more gratefull And indeede darkenesse it selfe lets happie men see its shadow more pleasant if not lesse darkesome and the heavens that seeme to threaten troubled hearts doe sport and play with the contented Before Eromilia was assailed of any one there was muttered a certaine murmur in Maiorica that she was assieged and in danger to bee lost Great enquirie was made to finde out the Authour thereof who could not for all that by any possible meanes be knowne there being not any vessell or shipping arrived from any where so as the King who was wise thought it could not chuse but be true deeming it some naturall effect of the number of those for which no reason can bee given remembring he had read that a great King being slaine the fame of his death fore-ranne the fact a full moneths-time which albeit it had its reason that there were many in sundry places that were privie to the conspiracy which being to be effected from moment to moment and yet not executed made such as were farthest off thinke it done indeede whereon ensued the fame of giving out that for done which was to be done neverthelesse hee wanted not other examples free from this opposition whereby he came to know that there be invisible channels of reciprocall correspondencie between minds separated by place but conjoyned by naturall sympathy by meanes whereof the one comes to receive light from the other Hence proceed the buzzing of the ears the palpitation of the heart dreames apparitions of seeming spirits sudden melancholy in evill and sudden joyes in good whereof wee know no reason at all but howsoever it be the King beleeving the common rumor to be the effect of an effect to it conformable in a short time set in order a Fleete of tenne Galleyes and of many of such ships as he found riding in the ports of his kingdome whereof he leaving the governement to the Queene his wife embarked himselfe resolved to free his daughter from danger if shee were in any and if in none to free her from any further suspition thereof by conducting her home againe but seeing he lost time by encountring for the most part with contrary windes he resolved leaving the ships behinde to make onwards with the Galleyes nor was he gotten ten miles wide off them when he descryed tenne Galleyes steering aright course towards him whose they might bee whether friends or foes he could not imagine but his prudence inclining to suspect the worst made him prepare to fight This King was somewhat strucken in yeares but yet a lustie old man with a body enured to suffer and nerves hardened with the continuall exercise of the sling a weapon more used in those Ilands than in any other part in the world wherefore he armed at all pieces with a couragious and joyfull countenance heartned and cheered up his men to behave themselves valiantly Neither of the Fleetes shrunke backe but held on their courses in a right direct line the one against the other Metaneone thinking them to be enemies in that he tooke them for some Catalans that went with these new forces to finde out their Prince set out his Standard of warre resolved to use them as barbarous savages The Princesse who till now to her passingcontent stood beholding the pleasantnesse of the calme sea and listning to the musicke which the waves like a second quire made at the stroke of the oares finding now her pleasure corrupted with the feare of the Fleet that came towards her and beseeching the Prince to retire himselfe could not chuse but grieve thereat her heart telling her that to fight then was a resolution taken contrary to all reason Both Fleets were now come somewhat neere without knowing one another when having fitted their hatches they mann'd their Frigats from either Fleete to discover each other come to know the banners and to haile one the other it cannot be credited with what an extraordinary fleetnesse they speeded each backe to his Lord. When Metaneone heard of the King of Maiorica's being there he ran to the chamber to acquaint therewith Eromilia who abounding in tendernesse of affection returned up againe to see her father The Prince intending to conduct her to him caused a Frigat to bee covered to shade her from the Sunne which then was most violent and scorching hot But the King mounting on the selfe-same vessell which brought him the newes that his daughter was a convoying homewards by the Prince of Mauritania not standing on any termes of ceremonie went on all alone towards the Royall Whilest Metaneone on the other side boording his Frigat launched out to meete him saluting him with such a respective reverence as he could not have used greater towards the king his father go in to kisse his hands he would not for doubt of interrupting his content of seeing his daughter but followed him neere at hand Before the King arrived at Eromilia he saw her oftentimes saluting him with submissive inclinings but come to embrace her he had not the power to sever himselfe from her his royall gravitie not being sufficiently powerable to withstand the motives of his spirits in such an encounter Eromilia wept nor did hee lesse and if the respective consideration of seeing the Prince stand on side of him had not somewhat enlightned him he was not likely to be soone disenveloped out of the passions of his fatherly affection whereupon leaving her without
come visite her his most humble handmaid answered him that shee knew it not otherwise but that she must needs die The Prince in a manner illuminated by this answer but much more by her manner of expressing it suspected what the matter was indeed but desirous to be better cleared of his doub having besought her to comfort and cheere up her selfe hee prayed her to lenâ— him her pulse and there withall lest she night take cold by putting forth her arme he reached in his hand gently to it But she feeling her selfe touched with that hand which shee so much desired not able longer to refraine tooke it betweene her two hands and sweetly kissing it and bathing it with her teares said unto him Behold LORD how that I a dead woman have now more courage than I had when I was lively I beseech your Highnesse to pardon me I presume too much I know it I offend against mine own honesty but much more against your resolution which is by not loving me to compell me to die yet this doth me good that you being the cause of my death doe now know it you neede feele no other pulse than my heart which being in you you may keepe as you please dead or alive and by it give mee either life or death The Prince orecome with supreame tendernesse of affection answered Madam I have and doe love you and if I resolved to strive to conceale my affection yet did I it not with an intent to withdraw it from you I beseech you recover and be well otherwise my life shall end with your death Scarce had he finished the last accent of his speech when the Princesse came unto them Who having asked her how she felt her selfe said unto her Talasia I pray you torment me not by depriving me of you All the world will have your sicknesse to be nothing else but a meere melancholy and therfore the remedy lies in your owne power what want you woman will you be your owne murtheresse If you will not recover for any others sake yet doe it for mine See my LORD and brother the Prince is come to visite you and I am sure that you cannot please him better than in recovering The Lady Admirall who had already chased away all melancholy and who full of content thought the time long that she left not her bed answered The favours Madam you doe me are such as it is impossible for me to die though I would I am not so foolish but that I know that it is better for mee to stay here and serve you than to lie in the grave with my ancestors I will endeavour to obey you and doe already perceive my selfe to have that ability which before I had not I am toomuch obliged to my LORD the Prince by whose gratious visit I acknowledge my selfe revived for at his commâ—ng in I felt my selfe so amend as I now hold my selfe fully recovered The Princesse very gladsome embracing her about the necke kissed her and having together with the Prince accompained her a good while left her being well pleased to see manifest signes of her amendment neither deceived she her selfe therein for in eight daies space shee returned in her former plight both of health and beauty Perosphilo having thus under the pretext of pitty given reines to sense thought the time tedious till he should enjoy her and meeting her at his sisters agreed to speake with her that night being to enter into her house through a secret doore standing towards an alley frequented of few her husband was then executing his charge in the fleete on suspition of the King of Corsica who gave no obscure signes of enmity Because he requiring for wife Eromena the Princesse Arato denied her him seeing his daughter not thereto inclined this King who is called Epicamedo being of a crabbed nature pimple-faced and a creple Whereupon pretending old titles to the Iland of Asinara a naturall member of Sardegna it seemed he would by this pretext molest that kingdome Now the Lady Admirall had in her house many maids and women to whom she would not trust her selfe beleeving she might better commit her life and honour both into the hands of Prodotima her slave with many courtesies obliged unto her who withall was already some time past a servant in the Admirals house and shee seeing her selfe become her mistres treasurer of a secret of such importance was infinitely glad thereof hoping to reape there-from no ordinary profit shee was borne in Orcano and taken on those shores when she running away with her lover endevoured to save her selfe from the fury of her parents that came pursuing her not because they cared either for her or for the honor of their blood she being but basely borne but because at her parting away she had broken up the chest in the warehouse where her father was factor and stolen there-out the money And because matters ill begun end worse her fortune was to escape her parents and perish among strangers for the galleys of Sardegna being by a great tempest wether-beaten and driven to that shore the two Fugitives spied by the Galley-slaves were by them first taken and stript and then presented to the Admirall Andropodo which was the secret lecher was put to serve in the stable and she being an artificiall dissembler knew so well how to worke for her selfe that she was withdrawen from base slavery to services more civill about the person of her Mistresse And now perceiving her selfe imployed in affaires of so great consequence she with well composed words promised her utmost helpe and being rich in invention discoursed upon the manner and means of the comming of the Prince with such circumspection as the poore Talasia thought it impossible to perceive it her selfe much lesse her husband and gave her forthwith in earnest of her liberality two hundred crownes of gold At the appointed houre came Perosfilo armed with a sword a little buckler and a halfe coat of maile so secretly as that not any of his servants were any way privy to his going because some dayes before he had begunne to locke himselfe in his chamber with a devise that lying a bed he could with a little cord open and pull towards him the doore so now also hee caused himselfe to be set a bed but as soone as the Gentlemen that waited on him were gone he put on his cloathes himselfe and getting out by a secret ladder went on to the Admirals house where he needed not to touch the doore so vigilant was the villanous Prodotima who expecting him with the doore under-shut suddenly leade him the way in It 's needlesse to tell you of the joy and pleasure of the two Lovers because the imagination unable to conceive it deprives the tongue of the ability of expressing it let it suffice that they did their best to recompence the two yeares time lost to their loves with the perill of death incurr'd by her in her last
not sithence seene by whom they beleeved the Prince to bee betraied and so by the helpe of the rest murthered by the Admirall They sent suddenly to the gates where they understood that the Admirall with eight Companons all well horsed went out at the gate of Castlemuni They resolved to send after him and having to that end sent for the Count of Montereale Generall of the horse and shewed him the body of the Prince they committed to his charge what he was to doe The Count who adored him living and now being dead could not satisfie himselfe in bemoaning him considering that the present state of the businesse required somewhat else than teares went on his way most resolute to use all possible diligence to revenge his death The Lords of the Councell in the meane time after they had taken such order as was requisite touching the bodies of the Prince and of the guiltie Traitors returned to the Palace But the Citizens having I know not how understood of the accident and telling it one unto another were seene to shut up all their shops in an instant with lamentations so manifest that the King perceiving it asked the Marquesse what was the matter who answered him that he knew not but the King seeing it more and more increase bade him goe call the Prince and learne what the matter was Wherein whilst the Marquesse tooke on him to obey him there appeared in his presence the Privie Counsellors who when the King saw come thronging so many together he imagined that some great disaster had hapned for all of them pitifully lamented insomuch as the President who was to be the Speaker could not utter a word whereat the King impatient turning towards the Marquesse and seeing him make greater moane than any of the rest asked him angerly if the King of Corsica were in Caleri or if the Kingdome were lost My Soveraigne Leige answered then the President would to God I could bring you that newes in exchange of this other a thousand times more wofull for there might be hope to recover againe the Realme whereas the losse that both you and the Kingdome have now sustained is irrecoverable What can it then be replied the King Is Perosfilo dead At which demand all of them kneeling downe and pitifully lamenting him with grieuous sobs and mornefull cries answered that he was The King hereat astonished would have runne towards the Lodgings of the Prince thinking to see him there Whene the Queene comming out thence accompanied with Eromena with their heire hanging disorderly about their eares more like Bacchanals or mad women than themselves met him at a doore full-but The Queene strangely gazing on the standers by with reiterated words cried out Perosfilo Where is hee where is my Sonne Come give him mee withhold him not rom mee for I will have him This incounter was to the King even as a fire which come neere a dry tow-like matter fuming and halfe consumed puffs it up in a flame in an instant for seeing his wife and daughter in so strange a fashion his spirits and courage so failed him as he sunke downe to the ground But the Queene without taking any notice of him running about while here while there continued in calling out for her Sonne till become all hoarse with crying she held her eyes immoveably fixt where once she let fall her sight without shedding a teare Eromena the mirrour of beauty and Prudence stood in that instant with her faire eyes concentrated pale and wan She wept not and yet she wept for her weeping were exclamations and sighes she called on the beloved name of her brother she sought for him all over his Lodgings and hehind the Tapistrie as if she had hoped to have found him there hidden The King was raised up from the ground and laid in his bed so would the Ladies have likewise disposed of the Queene but she become frantike ran up and downe the Palace and round about the Lodgings complaining of the heavens and cursing men till she brought her selfe to that passe as she was not able any more either to move or crie The numerous companie of Ladies that pittifully wept about her had not beene able to re-conduct her to her Lodgings if Eromena fearing with her brother to lose also her mother had not with her presence and teares importuned and perswaded her to retire her selfe It boots me not to tell you of the revolt of the Citie when the corpes of the Prince were about midnight brought to the Palace The dolefull Eromena considering how her father was by reason of his great griefe fallen sicke of a Feaver and her mother growne distracted of her senses was not therefore willing to let them know any thing but went her selfe with a few others to veiw the body but then although all her vitall powers ran unto her heart although all her force and vertues whereof the heavens were unto her so graciously liberall united themselves together to fortifie her courage yet could not all this save or sustaine her spirits and almost her life from failing her at that instant she grew pale shee swounded she fell dead at least in all likelihood and died she had indeed if a spirit more feeble had given shape and being to a lesse generous heart In the end come to her selfe and sitting by the corps as she watered his breath-losse face with a fountaine of her teares she said Are these then the joyes Brother which we expected of thee Are these the hopes that the world had of thee which with all reason is expected of thy valour Is this the flourishing age by so short a space of life so cruelly cut off to bring therewithall to an end with no lesse crueltie the lives of those that brought thee into the world why did not thy resplendent vertues dazle the eyes of him that slew thee maugre the spectacles of envie O cruell starres To what end served such and so great influences of beautie and exquisite feature in a body peerlesse for prowesse and adorned with so divine a soule seeing a little blemish an error in youth so tender so excusable hath caused and proâ—ured the corruption and ruine of all those excellent perfections to give the whole world cause to lament the losse of them yet are they not lost for what ascends from above must returne to whence it came so as we have no cause to grieve for thy generous soule but yet can we not chuse as we are mortall but lament the dissolution of the perfectest composure that ever nature put together neither can we without death chuse but bewaile thy death depriving us of the life which from thy sweet life we received for in thee were indivisible all those graces which the Graces participate not to others but in such measure as is requisite for the delight of humane kind We cannot chuse but mourne seeing our selves threatned at home and abroad being since we are deprived of thee without
force and vigor neither can we chuse but lament when we behold the state of our drooping kingdome which by thee alone become once renowned and famous returnes now that it is deprived of thee it 's light and life to it 's former cloudinesse and dimme obscuritie But if every one hath cause to lament why should I not then bewaile thee with an eternall lamentation seeing I participate of all the generall causes and have withall peculiar to my selfe alone a particular cause as being left the onely Sister of an onely brother taken from me suddenly unawares and without all reason Here overcome with extremitie of griefe and being not able to forbeare she flung her selfe upon him whence as her Ladies endevored to raise her she turning towards them with a fierce and severe look said unto them How unseasonable unjust and pittilesse is this pitty of yours that would defraud so worthy a Prince of these funerall rites I owe him Which if I beleeved that I could better solemnize with my death I would willingly doe it Then taking off the sword from the corpes side and lifting up her eyes to heaven she proceeded But I assure my selfe my noble Brother that I am not the sacrifice which thou requirest Wherefore if so be that thy divine ghost doth as yet wander or hover hereabout thy faire body that thou seest our griefe comfort us then we beseech thee whilst I also comfort thee and assure thee that I will never rest till I have executed just vengeance on him that unjustly slew thee Which said girding her selfe with the sword she dried away her teares and seeing there was no action to be hoped for of the King her father she caused the Councell to come together and after a briefe consultation commanded the souldiery to be mustred resolving at the returne of the Count of Montereale to march in her owne person to Sassari most assured that the kingdome would be on that part assaulted by King Epicamedo without whose privitie the Admirall would never have undertaken to murther the Prince her Brother The very same night she privately caused the corps to be interred reserving the solemnizing of the funerall rites till her returne enjoying in so great heavinesse one sole comfort which was to see the unfained teares of the people The Count of Montereale used all possible meanes to ore-take the Conspirators Albeit he perceived that he laboured in vaine the pursued having gotten the start of him both in time and riding which hee could not recover without change of horses and had therefore returned backe but that he hoped to blocke them up either in Sassari or Porte Torre or at least to chase them out of the kingdome The day following he came to Montevero where when the dolefull newes were spred abroad the lamentation was such as you would have judged it to be an effect of one only heart and spirit Now whilst the Count could imagine no possible meanes to overtake the Admirall who by that time might have reach't to Sassari he was informed how that there was left behind him in that village a slave of his together with a woman-slave bruised and galled by riding who because she could not goe by any other meanes had caused her selfe to be carried in a chaire to the sea coast to take shipping and that if it pleased him to send after them they might be both overtaken by the way The Count although he were wearie and his horses tired having procured a Guide would needs personally pursue them Neither rode he five miles when as he ascending a hillocke descried the she-slave in a chaire who seeing the horsemen grew pale and over-tane by the Count who well knew her in the Admirals house she besought him to kill her But he thereby better assured that she was the authresse of all the mischiefe answered her No mischievous and accursed Traitresse thou shalt not enjoy the happinesse of dying by my hand it grieves me that there is no kind of death so cruell as can equalize thy base offence And inquiring afterward for the slave he understood by the porters that he was gon before to hire a barke The Count therefore leaving the woman in safe hold spur'd amaine to the sea-ward but the slave espying him descending a little mountaine having already bespoken a Barke imagined that those horses came for him wherefore although all alone without any Mariners who were gon to Bossa for provision having got himselfe aboord the Barke he waied anchor spread sailes before the wind whom though most ignorant of that profession feare made so cunning as he was gotten more than two miles into the maine ere the Count could gaine the sea shore and which was worse there was not so much as one Barke with sailes to be found at the mouth of the river Thirsis but onely small fishing boates unfurnisht of all things necessarie Whereat this Count was ready to eate his fingers But whilst he sent for a Barke to Pisanco that of the slaves was in a short time borne away with the wind so as although they had made after her yet the night would have taken her out of the sight of such as pursued her The woman slave was sent backe againe to Caleri and onwards went the Count to Sassari when finding it shut and calling to the Centrees he was answered with a showre of arrowes wherewith were kild eight of his horses and many more hurt and wounded Whereupon perceiving the mischiefe to be greater that he tooke it for in that the subjects maintained with open Rebellion the wicked actions of their Lord he retired himselfe with all the speed he could and having sent Scours to scoure the field he received intelligence that the King of Corsica in person was passing over into the Iland with a great army considering therefore that his stay there could be but disadvantagious his horses being already all spoild he determined to advertize thereof the King and to retire himselfe to the first secure place In the meane time the Princesse who onely sate alone at the Helme of this weather-beaten ship having left part of the Lords of the Councell at Caleri having given order for the marching onwards of the foot Companies followed them with two thousand horse her selfe being armed at all pieces and mounted on a great Courser having first commanded the she-slave to be sarely lockt up in the bottome of a Tower by meanes of whose confession came to bee knowne all that I have told you and because wee shall come shortly to Sardegna you shall there understand the sequell hereof and shall perhaps see with your owne eyes the generous actions of the fairest and stoutest Princesse the world enjoyes Polimero who with twise so much sweetnesse had dranke of Eromena's perfections by how much compassion he had listened to the Tragicke story of so worthy a Prince thinking himselfe not as yet fully satisfied in mind desired to know how the Princesse came to have
the gaining him such and so great a Princesse but also for that when himselfe had obtained Eromilia they might betweene them make as it were but one state of Mauritania Sardegna and Maiorica and so become awed of all their bordering neighbours Here the Count of Bona perceiving the Princesse comming interrupted their discourse and assoone as they came a-shore counselled them both to abide in Sardegna undertaking to be himselfe the Ambassadour of their commissions not doubting but that the King would be for that time contented to know that they loved one another of whom he promised them to procure for the Prince an Embassage for Maiorica and for the Infante troopes of aide for Sardegna wherewith he might for the furtherance of his marriage with Eromena conquer the kingdome of Corsica who also now that he was knowne for a Prince should in the meane time endeavour to bring his loves to a determined end Of this proposition the Prince liked well desiring it might bee suddenly put in execution whereupon both of them wrote to their father conformably as well of the friendship confirmed betweene them as also of the reasons that constrained them to stay some-time in Sardegna and withall of the neede they had of being favoured by his Majestie in what should by the Count of Bona to whom they wholly referred themselves be manifested unto him more at large to the same effect wrote they likewise to their mother sisters and brothers telling afterwards the Princesse that they being resolved to serve her in those warres thought good to acquaint therewith the King their father to the end that he might not grieve in that he saw them not returne homewards whither they meant to send for that end the Count of Bona whom they besought her Highnesse to honour with some command of hers if such an occasion might any way proove serviceable unto her for which the Princesse kindly thanked them telling them withall that she herselfe would also write to the King being bound to thanke him for the favours shee had at their hands received which accordingly shee did with as lively a gratitude as by paper and inke could be expressed The Count went speedily aboord the Royall and in two dayes he arrived in Tunis The King seeing him come wihtout the Princes became thereat strangely amazed but had no sooner understood the occasion of their stay and perused their letters than he was therewith fully satisfied and exceedingly comforted Those two businesses were proposed to the Kings Councell where the Count of Bona shewed the utilitie of matching the Prince in Maiorica to be so evident especially comprehending the other of Sardagna of him held for assured that no man opposed the conclusion thereof yet stirred he not from Tunis till such time as there were eight thousand foote and two thousand horse ready levied for Polimero And for Metaneone it was the Kings pleasure that the same Count as soone as hee had disembarked his forces should goe treate of the match with Maiorica giving him for adjutants three of his fellow-peeres to the end that the embassage might be the more solemnly performed Eromena in the meane while lived now at her owne hearts sweet content having not onely fortunately vanquished her enemies and ended so dangerous a warre but come also to know Polimero for the sonne of so great a King as his condition could not give the people any occasion of murmuring and therefore meant shee as soone as the state were well appeased and fully setled without any further delay to returne to Caleri marry him from which although the death of her brother as yet fresh in her memory did in some sort disswade her neverthelesse when shee considered with her selfe how incapable of government her father was she was perswaded that the world would commend her for making choice of a Prince of such exquisite conditions and knowne valour the onely obstacle indeede was his somewhat too greene youth for which she doubted some would grumble at her the rather because the dise qualitie of yeares she being at least by six yeares his elder made the difficultie the greater but love suppressing all such considerations made all these skores even so as she having sent for Polimero told him that shee had not as yet rejoyced with him according unto her minde for having obtained her so long wished for desire of knowing him nor expressed as she ought how sorry she was that he had not made himselfe knowne unto her sooner But hee on the other side endevored to excuse himselfe with many reasons among which some were that he being desirous to become worthy of her favours thought it expedient to obtaine his intention therein rather by reall feates of armes than by bare merit of bloud being a condition hee was sure could never faile him that he was bound to thanke the heavens in that he saw till then all things succeed well save onely one which he as yet wanted and as shee thought to aske him what that might be It is a thing said he that I cannot expresse unto you in words but if your Highnesse would vouchsafe but to looke into my heart you might there see it protraied which you shall there no sooner see than know it to be no other thing than an ardent desire of being your servant till death which as he said his speech failed him as he would have pronounced the last accents Now Metaneone knowing his youth too tender for the managing of a businesse of that nature and importance had before hand lessoned him what he should say wherein he following his instructions thought himselfe afterwards to have made more ample manifestation of his courage than if he had fought alone against all the world Eromena being glad he had thus begun to breake the ice returned him this answer My Princely Lord I understand not well what you would say being that you are too great a Prince for my service for well see you how I am served by no other than simple Knights and the services I have received of you are indeed no services but favours which rather binde me to be your servant for the obligations I therefore owe you and for me to looke into your heart alas how can I possibly doe it without your prejudice which I would not doe although it were to save my owne life It is true that a Painter might in your hearts portrayture place my Picture and so might I by that means come to see it without harming you doe but tell me then I pray you how was it that he did it and who he is and I will be his scholler Polimero waxen by this time somewhat bolder replied Right excellent Lady your Highnesse ought not refuse my service because I am a Prince but should accept of me the rather for being such an one and for the Painter you neede seeke no further than your Royall selfe because your Highnesse is both the Painter and Portraiture who if you had the
love was wearied with the trouble of being so wooed and foolishly curious to see my selfe a wife made choice of him to verifie that old Proverbe Women ever chuse the worst With him lived I seven yeares without bearing children which seene by my fathers subjects who would by no meanes bee commanded by the Catalonian nation abhorred by them by a naturall antipathy and much lesse by him whom for his bad usage to me-wards they hated more than death it selfe they earnestly besought my father to marry so that at last he won by their importunities but much more by my letters tooke to wife a faire and vertuous Princesse the King of Aquitain's daughter who bare him the very first yeare a male-child which as much contented the people as it madded and discontented my husband who seeing himself deprived both of that kingdome and also of any hope of having by me any children determined to avenge the one and remedy the other by doing away my person It fell out in the meane time that fame extolling abroad the two neighbouring beauties which were yours and that of Eromilia Princesse of Maiorica hee being the vainest man living not knowing which of both to chuse was much tormented in minde for being indifferently enamored as well of the one as of the other but considering yours without possessions and dominions the principal object of his love during the life time of your brother that only mirrour of Princes and withall fearing you for the fame of your valour which would not as he thought willingly brooke ill usage he bent his inclination towards the Princesse of Maiorica from whom he withdrew it againe when he understood of her being promised to your brother which occasioned not the taking away of my misfortunes but the differring of them for my greater evill Now Don Peplasos lov'd a gentle Knight if he may be said to love to whom nature gave no inclination to love other than himself besides the being of his nature disposition and conditions so farre alienated from those of Don Eleimo for so was the Knight named that it seemed impossible to forme thereof a true friendship but as every rule is wont to have so hath this also its exception at least on the behalfe of the Prince who being presumptuous and so farre deceived in himselfe as to repute his owne vices to be vertues easily beleeved that Don Eleimo a vertuous Cavalier tooke them for such indeede to him therefore discovered hee his inhumane designes but he which well knew his nature although he durst not contradict him yet was he so mov'd by the instinct of his owne vertue as he could do no lesse than advertize me thereof And because either to speake or write to me might prove dangerous he onely wrote to me to finde out some one trusty with whom he might conferre without any suspition The husband of my chiefe chamberlaine named Don Elavio was one of the best esteemed and noblest of the Catalonian Knights whose conditons when I had well examined I judged him a man worthy of my secret And he having conforted me went to conferre with Don Eulavio to whom he shewed the letter which he had as I told you written unto me according as we had first agreed on to certifie him that he was sent from me and afterwards burning it in his presence used with him on my behalfe such courteous language as might suite with an affaire of such importance To whom Don Eleimo answered that without the testimonie of the letter himselfe alone was a sufficient letter of assurance and credit And with that he told him how that the Prince having taken me to wife not for affection sake as he made me beleeve ere he married me but for meere covetousnesse of the Arelatan kingdome which not succeeding according to his expectation my father being married and having a sonne and I prov'd a barren woman was resolved to put me to death but considering the good opinion which the people and his father also had of my honestie he determined to worke his ends another way and that was by poison which he intended to put in practise ere long having already so wrought with my Physitian as he had got him to promise to make him some of purpose which for not being violent should in the end of certaine dayes worke their effect without giving any colour of suspition All which when I understood I know not which was greater either the hate I bore my husband for so barbarous a crueltie or the feare I had of not being able to preserve my selfe and having before my marriage beene very curious of simples whereby I knew such as might more easily be used to hurt me I prepared for my selfe such antidotes as I hoped thereby to preserve my life as it came indeede to passe for I in using them so prevented the danger as I could not have poisoned my selfe although I would Yet was I not therein uncircumspect for some of them I tooke being assured by the antidotes others would I not take because I knew they were too strong being forewarned of all of them and of their qualities by the good Don Eleimo whereat the Prince wondering after many fantasies and conjectures most subtle as he was imagined that I was enformed thereof but not thinking of Don Eleimo he began to mistrust that the Physitian moved either by pitty or avarice had made me priuy thereto but when he afterwards saw both by his protestations and proceeding in the practise that he proved as trusty to him as treacherous to me he could not then chuse but suspect who it was indeede And therefore he intending now to kill two birds with one stone forethought how to take Don Eleimo so napping as he might punish him not for the good he did me but for the evill he might lay to his charge to have done with me which he perhaps beleeved so to be as one deeming it impossible that meere pietie and pitty which he being never acquainted withall himselfe beleeved to bee in no other man had moved this Knight to doe me this good office nor could he imagine that any other interesses induced him thereto whom he well knew to be a noble and rich Cavalier and my selfe so poorely entertained as I had ordinarily little more allowed me than a private Lady Confirmed then in this article of beleefe he for many dayes did nothing else but pry into our actions though to no purpose we being so farre from any such intention as imagination it selfe could not fancie us more alienated therefrom One had Don Eliemo among all his servants no lesse deare unto him than himselfe was to the Prince on him fixt Don peplasos his eye judging him a fit instrument for his designes and seeing him ofttimes in his fore-chamber waiting for Don Eleimo tooke occasion to call him under colour of asking of him something or bidding him doe some petty service so as hee puffed up with such like favours and already
betweene the one and the other The Queene perceiving well what he meant and yet resolved to get it plainely out of him told him there was no Lady free and at her owne dispose that had cause to refuse the service of so noble and vertuous a Knight as he was unlesse she were a married wife such a one having indeed a good cause of excuse whereto he answering her that she was a widdow she replied that widdowes might lawfully re-marry In fine the end of their discourse was the reciprocall discovery of their affection with the appointment of their marriage to be mannaged with such meanes as might best befit her modestie and credit a conclusion that wrought in their hearts extreme content not to bee changed for the possession of the whole world The overjoyed Queene now assured of the affection of her beloved Prince grew fairer every day than other and come to Omano passed there right happily her destinated moneth Faine would the Prince have written unto his father to send him thither forthwith Embassadors to demand her whereunto she with whom love prevailed not so much but that modestie prevailed yet more would by no meanes consent to the Prince his so great torment as he thought himselfe unable to support it Whereas she founding the fact with more maturitie considered that the world omitting the considerations of her being both a woman and young withall and therefore subject as others were to common passions would have said that she married onely to spite her daughter The feasts ended she licenced him with all the rest he having all that time so behaved himselfe that though hee were enamored young and full of fire yet was there not any that could take notice of his pretentions and although he served her with extraordinarie diligence and that in tournies he carried her Impresa and favours and that shee did him besids the publike favour to terme him her Knight neverthelesse the opinion of modesty in her and discretion in him being great suffered 〈◊〉 those his demeanors to bee deemed other than 〈◊〉 of Chivalrie and of service due rather to a Lady than to love Come home he communicated his designe to the King his father and to the Parthian Prince his brother who assoone as they had understood of the Prince of Susiana's returne home with his bride were not slacke to send to the Queene a noble embassage which they willed to be expressed in presence of the Councell The obstacles in this businesse were three all of them of moment whereof the least was the quantitie of daughters of the other two the lesse important was the jealousie and by consequence the enmitie of the Prince of Susiana the last and greatest of all was the danger of stirring up rebellion in Arabia the desart whereof her late husband the father of the girles having beene naturall King it was to bee doubted whether that people would ever obey a new King in prejudice of the Princesse of Sasiana their legitimate Queene as her who of the daughters was the eldest To the first was answered that a male being more convenient and necessarie to the Realme than a female and a naturall home-borne native more fit than a stranger the mariage of the Queene was approved to be not onely laudable but necessarie To the second that the Prince of Susiana being the Artacan Prince his friend had no reason to dislike of this alliance and though hee were more wedded to the hope of that kingdome than to its Princesse till then presumed to be heiresse neverthelesse there was not by this match any thing of his taken from him because there having beene neither promise nor mention made of giving him the kingdome for a Dower hee was not berest of the hope of having it in case there sprung not from these nuptials any heires male and if he would not be thus satisfied with reason yet was there no cause to feare him considering the greatnesse of the kingdome the valour of the Prince of Artacana and the force of the Parthians apt upon any occasion to invade Susiana To the third finding neither reason nor pretext was said that it lay not in the Queenes power either to give her new husband the title of King of the other Arabia nor yet in case she married to retaine it her selfe it being not hers but her daughters adding that as they besought her to marrie that so she might give them a lawfull Lord so desired they her to be also pleased in the selfe same time to cede that kingdome to whom it of right descended With this the marriage was concluded on and the kingdome of Arabia the desart granted to the Prince of Susiana who for all the inviting that he and his wife had to come to the celebration of the marriage would by no meanes come and Artacana proclaimed and crowned King of that Realme with generall applause and publike satisfaction but little could shee or the kingdome enjoy him for within foure yeares time death tooke him away in the fairest flower of his yeares in the greatest expectation of prowesse that might be hoped for of any Prince of that age Grievous then above all griefes was the griefe of the more than grievously grieved Queene insomuch as no perswasions could prevaile to take out of her armes the dead corpes her often swounding kept her alive by making her become unsensible of the sharpenesse of the paine which shee felt without which shee had irrevocably accompanied him But alas ' t was not here that her misfortunes ended for having left her by her husband two babes the one a boy which is this here and the other a girle there was stirred up a little after the Kings death an insurrection in the Realme in the favour of the clder Princesse In that time were the Parthians troubled by the Medes and our King when he sickned was about to goe in person to the aid of his father who hath by this time I beleeve made an end of losing his state and whole Dominions Susiana seeing himselfe therefore assured of his on that part and withall rid of a competitor having with gifts and promises made up a strong faction in his mother-in-laws kingdome thought by laying hold on this occasion to become absolute Lord thereof Of his first motion the Queene was not much affraid either because she having by the losse of her husband beene accustomed and vsed to the supremest of evils had no feeling of lesser or for that shee relying upon the having of a male-legitimate heire cared little therefore but gave her Generall commission to goe pacifie the insurrection These Rebels with the greatest part of the other Barons who whether it were that they scorned to serue a babe in his swathing bands or for any hopes of better advancement under a King great of State and well stricken in yeares accorded to receive him whilest he with a great army quartered on the cofines of the two Arabiaes resolved he would
forreigne Climats and what 's ten times worse Humour each people keep an open purse And a close heart passe through such misery You 'd rather think his work well done than try How he came by his knowledge 't will suffice The man that can consider and is wise Enough to know the motive to his pains Was not vain-glory nor the hop'd-for gains Of praise or profit nor to merit thanks From some great Lord his Patron Mountebanks Of art there are whose aymes be these but he Disclaims such basenesse shames to Poesie His end is onely that he may delight His Reader shewing how th' Italians write And what their fancies are Nor doth his wit Seek out some Satyre to translate lest it Should nip our vices of the newest fashion So neare that some might think 't were no translation Nor covets he that to the world be known He hath a Muse or Genius of his own Can teach his Pen a method and for stuffe His Travells might afford tales strange enough To please the times with but his wiser brain Gives to your censure first a Strangers vein So a Translatours name may faults excuse Not of his own but of anothers Muse If there be any for who knows the tongue May see he hath not done his Author wrong But rather how th' Italian he refines In these his smoother and more polisht lines Yet in the Authors praise whom I nor know Nor understand thus far I le dare to goe Knowing our Translatours judgement to be such I dare presume he likewise merits much For had his work not been a piece well writ ' Thad known no language but Italian yet THOMAS SALUSBURY Ex Templo interiori Ar. To my worthily esteemed Friend Mr. IAMES HAYVVARD upon his Translation of Eromena 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FAire Eromena in her Thoscan tyre I view'd lik'd the fashion wondrous well But in this change of habit I admire That still in her the same perfections dwell So have I seen Transalpin grafts to grow And beare rare fruit remov'd to Thames from Po. A l'istesso FV l' Eromena parto felice Del ' alto intendimento di Biondo Et girava parte del mondo Si tosto quasi che vidde luce In Inghilterra nacque mandata Dipoi a l' alma cittá donzella Picciolina nelle fascie ella Diventó tutta Italianata Il virtuoso Haüardo la trouava Et l' ha fatto parlar buon Inglese Maternella lingua del paese Dove che primá l' aria spirava IA. HOVVELL Arm. To his much honoured Friend Mr. IAMES HAYVVARD upon his Translation of EROMENA SPare minuts thus spent most accomplisht Friend Much should I erre shold I not much commend For thy retired houres by proofe I know Thou in more serious studies dost bestow As Engin Stratagem Fortification Meanes to extend the confines of a Nation In which as judgement doth already crown thee Imployment in the future may renown thee Since in the Mathematick Art I meane Those parts most usefull and whence we may gleane An Enginiers perfection I know none In Theorick and Practick hath out-gone Thee for thy time On then in thy progresse As for thine own thy Countries good no lesse Nor hast thou of thy travells made that use Which many doe to bring home the abuse Of Forreigne Climes their complement their fashion Not their known vice t' infect thy home and nation Thy purpose and thy practise was not such For thy endeavours have not been so much To see as know for neither hast thou pierc't France to attain her garb but to be vers't In her best Dialect nor Almaigne known To make their healthing not their tongue thine own Thee thine approved Temperance hath taught The Teutons lofty language not deep draught And to thy minde gave a more pleasing gust The Thoscans stately strain than lothsome lust Of these thy waies I cannot but approve Both ' cause I know them and because I love To see thee constant in them doe but then Impart thy Talent to thy Countrymen By culling out the choisest Forreigne flowers To plant in English soil and make them ours A l' istesso sopra l' istessa Translatione Dell ' Eromena le vaghe bellezze Miraì in Italia con occhio gradito Eveggolla adesso con l' istesse bellezze In tutte le sue parti solamente ' l vestito Parmi cangiato Benche per richezze Non é manco al presente ch'alhorá compito Mercé ' l Haüardo diligente cortese Che così garbata la vesti a l' Inglese I. G. Ar. To his selected Friend Mr. IAMES HAYWARD upon his Translation of EROMENA WHat laid aside thy Compasse from whose use No Art could wean thee or thy constant Muse Or with the Circle art thou fallen at Square Cause thy Direct and Perpendicular Lines want their due imployment that I see Thee practise language for Geometrie No th' are thy Passatempos fruits and they Tasted by a judicious palat may Have a good relish and deserve though so More praise than a more serious piece and moe Than I le conferre upon thee yet I owe Something unto thy gratefulnesse that thou Having by Eromena's proper file Bin polisht to the choisest Thoscan stile Hast in the way of friendly commutation Taught her the language of our English nation All' istesso L'Aâ—tiera Eromena d' addobbare Con vestimenti à par lei pari Non bastano gl'ingegni ordinari Versati fuorch ' in un ' particolare Ma chi in fatti d'arme esquisito Destro nel cavalcar â—'l navigare Anco esperto nel ' fortificare Ed in scienze altre é compito Alui di giure appartien l'honore Armar Heroice spalle coll ' arnese Tutt ' imbellito di lavor Inglese Donque ardisco dir al tuo favore Di guerriera degna tu guer riero Degno sei degno esser sol ' scudiero At yr unrhiw HAwdd darllhen dalen liw dydd hawdd siarad Hawdd siwrneio glenydd I by r iaith bod yn ieithydd Gorchwyl faith gorchest y sydd THO. REVELL Ex hospitio Graii Gen. CAVALIER GIO FRANCESCO BIONDI HIS EROMENA The First Booke CAttalampo King of Mauritania had by his wife Algidosia the Numidian Kings daughter a goodly though too too numerous a progenie Because the law of birthright in that kingdome inviolable was not liberall to yonger brothers of other patrimony than sword and horse The youngest among them was a babe of exquisite beauty to whom together with perfections of body nature was bountifull of those vertues of the minde which best beseemed a well-meriting Prince Polimero for so was he called in growth preuented his yeares and in knowledge and discretion the age of discretion so as though a child he knew already what it imported him to be last borne and what it was to bee a younger Brother Whereof although his naturall generosity made him in some sort carelesse yet the same influence that gaue him a great spirit made him also pensive in finding out
the Admirall perceiving himselfe out of sight told him that the occasion wherefore he had prayed him to come thither was for that he resolved to avenge his wrong'd honour was desirous to participate it to King Epicamedo who by that occasion might not onely be revenged for the refusall of the Princesse Eromena but also impatronize himselfe of that kingdome which they offered him telling him that they demanded no moneys howbeit he might doe well to imploy such as hee should have given them in reinforcing of the fleete with more men and munition to passe over into Sardegna when he should be thereof advertized That the Admirall would stirre up to rebellion the fleete under his command having already purchased the love and affection of the Captaines and Souldiers thereof which he could the easier accomplish because his was no rebellion but a just revenge That as soone as he received an answer he would communicate the businesse to all his friends whereof some of them had their lands and castles lying in the Province of Lougodori over against Corsica so as at their landing in the Iland they should find no resistance That in these consisted all the strength of the kingdome in that the Prince being once dead there would remaine to King Arato but very few souldiers without either Generall or Captaines Glad was Mortiro of so goodly an imployment whereof when when they had sufficiently discoursed every one returned to his owne barke agreeing within six dayes to meete againe in the same place where being accordingly returned Murtriro presented the Admirall with a letter from King Epicamedo whereby he accepted of their offer promising all whatsoever they had required of him specifying withall how that he would send into the Iland twentie thousand souldiers and increase the fleete to the number of five and twenty Galleyes together with this message sent he him for a present a rich sword with the hilts inlaied with many diamonds and unto the Count a rich Iewell to weare in his hat Afterwards having more particularly ordered a setled course for what was to be effected the Admirall together with the Count returned to the Fleet and thence went away as if it had beene to recreate themselves together with the Baron of Frisano to whom when they had communicated the businesse he remained so troubled in mind to here of such an unexpected act done by the Prince that loving both the Admirall and his Cozen as it were with an equall affection he easily consented to make one in this conspiracy Thence compassing about Capo Luogodori they infected all those tributaries thereabout whereof the principallest were the Earles of Reparata of Pussinera and of Castle Rabone with the Barons of Ianque of Lilaraba of Lagosardo and of Villapeires All these were present at the death of the Prince except the Count of Montevero who with the occasion of apparant receit of sixtie thousand crownes having by the Admirals appointment liberally given as largesse of his winnings in the army more than six thousand of them had so obliged the Captaines and all the rest that it was thought fit to leave him in the custody and governement thereof The Admirall in the meane time sent the King and Prince often intelligence of the great preparations of the King of Corsica desiring to be authorized with greater power to the end he might give order in the country of Luogodori for the defence of that Cape dangerous in time of invasion as the neerest unto the enemy Whereupon he received greater authoritie than he desired and began first to fortifie his owne holds namely Sassari and Porta Torre Thence with title of Commissary Generall he visited the Conspirers and caused their townes to be fortified their battalions armed and many companies of souldiers to be levied all at the charge of the Kings Exchequer without a penny of expence of either his or his complices All which accomplished and nothing but the execution lest uneffected he sent for the slave under pretence of having the horse which he governed who come and instructed of what he had to do returned to expect him at Caleri Where the Admirall with the conspirers came by night at the houre appointed and were hidden by Prodotima after Talasia was a bed in the study of the fore-chamber After that the Prince had received intelligence from the Admirall of the King of Corsica's being up in armes he felt in his heart although he was the most valourous Knight in the world a new effect of melancholy withisome conceit or feeling of feare whereat he was astonished It seemed to him unlikely that Epicamedo alone without forraine aide durst move warre against Sardegna a kingdome well-neere thrice greater than his and withall abounding with warrelike subjects And being desirous to proceede on sure ground he had sent many spies into Corsica who conformably advertized him of the great preparations there and how that all the troopes marched towards Basilica over against Sardegna whereupon he often sollicited the Marquesse by sundry poasts to assure that Countrey of Luogoderi till such time as he having mustered up the horse and armed men came thither in person All that morning which preceded his death spent he with the King and Queene who grieved to see him so changed and he angry at himselfe strove to force himselfe to be merry but his joyes vanished in an instant In the evening he determined to goe sport himselfe with his Talasia Prodotima led him to the chamber as she was accustomed all trembling as knowing what was to befall him and passed before the Conspirers The Prince disarm'd and uncloath'd himselfe but the Admirall not able to hold any longer rush't into the chamber just as the Prince thought to lay himselfe downe and without speaking a word thrust at him a full stocada which although it pierced him quite through the other side yet was it not mortall The Prince seazing suddenly on his sword that lay by him stroke at the Admirals head with so maine a force that he warding with his buckler was not able to beare off the blow but yeelding thereto the sword came to charge him so furiously on the head that cutting through the Helmet it somewhat wounded him But the Prince seeing so many about him and among those the Earles of Reparata and Castel Robone both his speciall Favorites detesting and wroth to see so great ingratitude he said unto them And to you Traitors what have I done that you thus murther me Thou hast done too much in maculating our bloud answered Reparata now these were all of them of kinne either to the Lady or to the Admirall and the Count of Reparata was her owne Cozen-germaine who thought this fatall shame concerned him nearest in that she had neither father nor brother living The Admirall who had fore-thought of the manner of conducting this enterprize had before-hand furnished his companions with Iavelings because having considered the valour of the Prince he judged it folly to regard
may bee obtained thereto the consent of the King your father and the other is that therewithall be procured the good will of my daughter for well you know in what kinde of resolution she lives in as yet howbeit I trust God willing by the meanes of your merits seeing the authoritie of a father could not hitherto prevaile any thing with her which I have not as yet made use of but have reserved it for a fitter season we shall in a small time obtaine our desire The Prince humbling himselfe againe replied Sir I would not have presumed to demand her on any other conditions than those you propose and doe assure your Majestie that if I had not feared to have beene prevented by others I had not thus have asked her of you ere I had first wrought the King my father to demand her for me himselfe by his Ambassadors which shall be done in its time fit and when it shall please your Majestie to command it And as touching my Lady the Princesse I will comfort my selfe with this that if she marry at all then is she by your Royall liberality to be mine Having afterwards acquainted the King with the occasion of his voyage how hee was bound for Sardegna to fetch home his brother they accorded that the one with his daughter and the other with his father should labour for the accomplishment of both their desires which was to be concealed till such time as the Princesse could be perswaded to alter her resolution Then came they forth amongst their attendants very pleasant and merry which caused all to rejoyce being the first time that a joyfull looke was seene in that Court sithence the departure of the Princesse The Prince of Catalogna was in the meane time removed out of the Galley and carried to the citie in a horse-litter which though performed with much honour seemed neverthelesse strange unto him beleeving he should be there detained prisoner And being now visited by them after that the King had entertained him with some courteous speeches Metaneone thus said unto him My Lord I grieve more for your hurts than I have cause to excuse my selfe for having given them you for if you had when you knew that my Galley was of Mauritania either used me friendly and not threatened me or but as much as in some sort pronounced not the name of your person but the place whence your Vessell was then had I not felt the sorrow and displeasure I now feele nor you suffered the prejudice and losse you have and now doe for which if it might be remedied I would endeavour to give you satisfaction not for that any offence of mine thereto binds me but because indeed such is the inclination of my nature The reasons that perswaded me to bring you hither were your wounds and the ill plight of your Galley wherein wanting so many of your folke you could not have defended your selfe from any one that had listed to injure you Howbeit if the importancie of my businesse could have permitted me I my selfe would not have feared to have conducted you home to the King your father whom I beleeve to be a Prince so just that understanding how things passed he would have had no occasion to have wish'd me any harme the like hope I of you also There being then no place neerer your kingdome than this nor any King more courteous and friendly to both our fathers than its Soveraigne here present I thought good to recommend you to his Majestie to whom I have related the disaster of our encounter which grieves him so as he desires that you stirre not hence in any case till you be fully cured Whereupon the King interrupting him said My Lord Prince Peplasos I neede not adde any thing to what my Lord Prince Metaneone hath spoken neither will indeed your hurts admit tediousnesse we are you know friends and neighbours lay aside then all melancholy albeit you are in a house where dwelt no mirth these many dayes have but the patience to stay till you be cur'd and you shall then goe whither soever it please you And albeit I know you came from Catalogna unknowne to your father yet pretend I not to correct you therefore much lesse to judge betweene you both onely I pray you give me leave to acquaint your Royall father of your being here and the messenger I will send shall not part till you please Don Peplasos not hearing himselfe accused of his fault with a merry countenance answered That he would willingly write to his father thanking therewithall very kindly the one and the other with words in shew the most courteous that could be reserving neverthelesse inwardly an implacable hatred rather to the vertue than person of Metaneone who having taken leave of him was by the King entertained with all such honours and pastimes as the time permitted him The Queene acquainted by her husband of all passages was exceedingly glad thereof and by his directions presented the Prince at his going away with a flat box all chased over with diamonds wherein was inclosed Eromilia's picture which the Prince well knowing would therefore by all meanes needs kisse her hands And thence having embarked himselfe with a prosperous gale of winde passed over to Sardegna The End of the Second Booke CAVALIER GIO FRANCESCO BIONDI HIS EROMENA The Third Booke ENtertained was the Infante Polimero by the Marquesse of Chia without any excesse of extraordinarie courtesie for so would he have it where having reposed and air'd themselves a while they went thence to Caleri causing the slave to be brought along with them well guarded whom the King joyfull that he had gotten him into his hands commanded to be close shut up in a strong prison till the time of his sufferings and punishment which was to be deferred untill the returne of the Princesse Eromena Polimero would have kissed the King hands who understanding tâ— came of purpose to serve him and for that end desired to be made a Knight seemed to bee delighted with his forward â—pâ—rit and gentle demeanour and when hee asked who hee was the Marquesse durst not discover him so strictly was he tied by promise to conceale him which notwithstanding the King denied him not the honour of Knighthood There waited then on his Majestie the Marquesse of Bossa with some other of his Councell all the rest accompanying the Princesse which Marquesse of Chia desirous to understand the state of businesse sithence his departure thence that other of Bossa at this his request in the presence of Polimero thus said After the Prince's misfortune whereof I beleeve this noble Knight hath already beene fully informed the Princesse marching out into the field was advertized how that King Epicamedo was with a strong army passed over to Cape Luogodori and that the Prince his murtherers being united and siding with him had for his assistance procured all that Countrey to revolt Whereupon imagining that her speedy comming thither might hinder
good order not beleeving that the other Galley was any foe to them because the kingdomes of Spaine and Maiorica whence she seemed to come were in good league and friendship with the Sardegnan crowne By this time the Corses had divided their fleete into three small squadrons where of two consisted of six Galleyes a-peece and the third but of three which being disentangled might succour where occasion required And the Sardans divided theirs into two onely not reserving any Galley for succour Gotten then within shot one of the other they began to let flie their arrowes the three fetching a large compasse came with their Archers to charge the Sardans in their poope and after they had for a good while maintained their shot perceiving the approach of the Galley of the West that with maine force of oares came flying towards them they went two of them to haile her whilst the other thirteene went on to grapple with the twelve Sardans with such shouts and cries as made all the sea-coast resound at the noise thereof The two approaching neere to that other and seeing her with three fanals or lanthornes but without any Standard wondring what she might be held still their oares the other did the like but carried away with the meere force of her course she bare up so neere the other that the Corse Captaine might conveniently aske her whence she was Where at she knowing them for Corses plunging her oares suddenly in the waters run full-but on the next to her giving her such a violent shocke as she being but of three and twenty banckes scaped hardly a sinking and then being boorded by a brave squadron of Knights was after a short skirmish taken with the death of such as strove to defend her Meane while her fellow-galley thinking this stranger so busied as she could not resist her assault resolved to charge her sterne where having setled her snout on the ladder and reach'd out their grappling hookes to hold her firme that so they might mount her by skaling they were beaten backe by one Knight alone that threw downe into the sea above fifteene of them one after another who were there drown'd with the weight of their armour the rest playing wide off with their arrowes were in a case but little better because the enemy being exceedingly well armed showred such clouds of arrowes as forced this Galley to forsake her lost fellow and flie backe to the rest for safegard but the stranger not weying the want of her men that were aboord the other Cors seeing they were Masters there of made amaine after this whom she overtaking assailed and in a short time boording her with her men made her fellow captive with the other and because she could not chuse but use some crueltie towards her for the assuring her self of her the more speedily she being resolved to succour those others of Sardegna she cut in pieces almost all the souldiers and withall cut off her oare-ties that she might not runne away which done she bent her course towards the Corsan Admirall who not able to sustaine a new assault having had but too much to doe with the Sardan Vice-Admirall remained in the power of the Sardans Then after assailing another and taking her it came to passe that the Corsans first losing their ods of vessels and afterwards over-match'd with disparity and disadvantage were all of them taken so as there escaped not as much as a Pinnaee of all their number The Vice-Admirall who before was in a doubtfull plight and had without this succour for all his valour gotten the worst of the day not knowing whose that Galley might be went aboord a Frigat and come to her poope he saw that Knight that with his owne hands had tumbling downe so many over-boord clad in costly armour of a Majesticall aspect and environed with a ring of noble Knights that honoured him as their Lord and therefore imagining he could be no lesse than a Prince he kneel'd downe before him when the other not permitting him said Stand up Sir Knight for I may not heare you in such a posture whereupon he rising up answered I will obey you my Lord for all things oblige me so to doe yet shall this not hinder me to acknowledge that your presence merits to be by me spoken unto in such a posture and fashion I know I enjoy this victorie by your meanes and that it is to you that the kingdome of Sardegna owes this debt I am therefore come to yeeld you thankes for it not conformable to your dignitie though such as may be better expressed by the affection of a gratefull heart than by the unpolisht language of a Knight that is more Mariner than Courtier I will say no more because I judge your qualitie to be such that to offer you my selfe with these Galleyes sav'd by your valour would adde so little to your greatnesse as you would peradventure disdaine them I am not indeede Admirall of this fleete and therefore ppossesse not such absolute authoritie as were requisite for your service neverthelesse so great is the service that the King my Sovereigne hath received of you as I may in this particular without presumption assume full authoritie which shall be to offer you besides his Galleyes and those that man them whose hearts you have by your helpe won already those also of the enemies acquired by your armes that you may dispose of them as to you may seeme good being well assured that I can never doe a service more acceptable than this to my Sovereignes the King and Princesse The Knight that had all this while listened unto him with a constant Majestie changing it now into a smiling countenance thus replied Sir Knight I can doe no lesse than accept very kindly your Noble courtesie which you could never have manifested by a more generous spirit than your owne but as it befits me not to accept it according to the largenesse of your offer so hold I it very inconvenient not to accept of some portion there of and that shall be your amitie Leaving the rest for you and your souldiers together with the honour of the day whereof if you will yet needs have me participate it shall suffice me to have with my comming hastned your victorie I am Metaneone Prince of Mauritania come hither to finde out a brother of mine who I know well is come to Sardegna with the Marquesse of Chia to make one in these warres I have a great desire to get a sight of him and because he for some respects will perhaps conceale himselfe from me and shun my presence I would faine be so directed as I might unawares come to finde him out ere he knew any thing of my comming wherein if you can further me ' you shall oblige me exceedingly The Vice-Admirall notwithstanding the Princes commands kneeled downe before him and because he could not come to kisse his hand he reverently kissed the skirt of his armour
command me Metaneone that had converted his former hatred into the most perfect affectionate and truest friendship that could possibly be found in any brother of the world embracing him anew said unto him Oh peace peace my deare Polimero it becomes not you to speake in this sort for the witnesses that testifie against me are without exception and above all my owne conscience I am not come with an intention to grant you pardon but of purpose to begge and receive it from you so that you then forgive me I shall thinke I have obtained the greatest part of the happinesse I wish to enjoy in this world Faine would they have exceeded when the Count of Bona interrupting them said to the Prince No more my Lord no more My Lord the Insante Polimero cannot brooke to see the person of your Highnesse so submissive neither neede you doubt that his good nature is any whit mindfull of what is done and past Which said he taking againe the hands of Polimero kissed them with a fatherly affection The Princesse that stood all this while an amazed spectatresse having the meane while caused her helme to be unlaced said to Metaneone Worthy Prince I beseech you give me leave to interrupt your joyes we can no longer forbeare to know who you are as well that we may thereby come to know what this Knight also is who having done as such notable service would never hitherunto oblige us with his name as also that we may honour you conformable to the merits both of your noble person and of the favours you have done us which said she withdrew him aside from the rest whilst Polimero went againe to embrace the Count and to entertaine the Mauritanian Cavaliers Metaneone related orderly unto the Princesse all that had passed betweene him and his brother and how his father had charged him to bring him backe againe which when the Princesse heard she thought her former joyes but bitter now that she understood her lover to be a Prince waxing so pale thereat that the apprehensive Prince observing it said on My charge was indeede not to returne without him but in respect I see what warres your Highnesse is like to have in your Kingdome and withall for that me thinkes I see that my brother hath beene fortunate in your Highnesse service I will finde a way to content my father without taking him hence The Princesse having by this time recovered her spirits well perceived the acutenesse of the Prince his apprehension which though it made her blush yet was she not thereat displeased but entertained him with all such gentle termes as best became a courteous Lady to use towards a deserving Prince hoping to finde him a co-adjutor and furtherer of her desires And then turning towards Polimero Is it thus said she that you deale with yourfriends My Lord Infante Polimero in not suffering your selfe to be knowne thereby to loade me with shame for not having honoured you conformable to your birth and qualitie Whereto he all joyfull made answer Right excellent Princesse Too too much have I beene honoured by your Highnesse I would it pleased the gods that you thought me worthy but of some part thereof Whereupon she taking him by the hand and joying together for the arrivall of the Prince his brother wrung it amorously and he againe affectionately kissed hers to his exceeding great content The Princesse afterwards and all the rest when they understood the manner of taking both the Fleetes went to renew their complements with Metaneone confessing the warre to be brought to an end by the valour of these two brothers The End of the Third Booke CAVALIER GIO FRANCESCO BIONDI HIS EROMENA The Fourth Booke THat evening taried the Princesse somewhat incommodated in Terranova whence she advertized the Marquesse of Oristagno how the Fleete was taken and in regard her comming thither was unexpected and her necessarie provision as then not arrived from the Campe Metaneone perswaded her to sup with him in his Galley which he caused to launch out of the haven with the sweete consort of his trumpets at the pleasing harmony whereof the Ghing rowed so mainely as they made her in lesse than an houres space out-strippe her fellow Galleys which were the Vice-Admirall with three others of the choicest of the whole Fleete leaving them to the wonder of every one above three miles a-poope of her Much adoe had the Princesse to satiate her eyes in beholding the rare beautie of the Vessell with the rich curiositie of her hangings and furniture which farre exceeded those of many royall Palaces It was now Summer-season and the calme-sea was from the shore-ward courted with a gentle breath of aire whilst the sea-strond and winding creeks of the Iland afforded the eye a spacious and delightsome prospect The Princesse in the meane while was served with such exquisite diversitie of banquets as that she seemed to be in a dreame so strangely was she amazed in observing the abundant quantitie and rare qualitie thereof together with the richnesse of the plate and order of service in a Galley at sea And to the Sardans the wine above any thing else seemed excellent who now perceived themselves deceived in the opinion they til then held that their white-wines were the best and richest of the Vniverse The prince had for his pleasure divers kinds of strange creatures which Affricke is continually and daily accustomed to produce wherewith the Princesse was exceedingly delighted because they being tane were very gentle and tractable and euery one in his kinde manifested by his gesture the diversitie of his temperature wherein Nature discovereth the treasures of her providence It grew towards night when intending to returne they descried not very farre off them something that floted on the sea which such as at first tooke it for a fish perceived it to be none for that it dived not but stood still without turning either for the noise of the oares or voice of men The Princesse who taking pleasure to looke all about was the first that saw it would needs know what it might be and therefore causing to row gently towards it ere they came to touch it with their oares she perceived it was a woman who fasthanding a little plancke floted on the sea The Frigat which stood neere the Royall and that for swiftnesse was not her inferiour went to fetch her aboord where they found for subject to their consideration an exquisite bcautie that in her they saw with the evident symptoms of a miserable fortune pale was she and leane hare-footed and bare-legged with her feete sorely bruised and full of gags and scarres Mong'st these so rue-full conditions there shined in her face a royall Majestie and in her dying eyes a pitty able to cause to moane the very Tigers themselves There covered her snow-white bodie which by her alablaster legges and ivory armes might easily be judged to be such a course gowne of shippes russet freeze made carelesly without
power and skill to portray your selfe in my brest may more easily behold there the excellency of your Pencill which is so farre from harming me as it is the onely restorative that can prolong my life Here as hee would have spoken further his speech failed him so as waxen more vermilion than the freshest rose and kneeling on the ground he affectionately kissed her hands which she withdrew not but was well content to suffer his warme breath to satiate it selfe with that to him more than an Ambrosian banquet Well said shee my Lord Polimero what if I should see my selfe in your heart could you then finde in your heart to see your selfe in mine Whereto he without letting her hands goe replied But how dare I peerlesse Lady without infinite presumption deeme my selfe such a Painter as to place my unworthy picture in so worthy a Tabler wherein if I were favoured with one sole thought of yours I should thinke my selfe the happiest knight that ever was borne a mortall You are said she indeede no Painter nor have I any picture of you or your making yet well know I you for a perfect sculptor for here have you carved your lively statue breathing as you see it which said she holding before him a looking-glasse proceeded Whether of us now is the best Artificer I that onely placed in you my lifelesse Picture or you that have graven and carved in mee your sculpture with its compleate parts and lineaments accompanied with all the lively organs and living powers of the intellect If so it be answered the overjoyed Polimero I aske then no other boone of the immortall gods but having never knowne my selfe for such a one a could accomplish so notable a piece of workemanship for which I shall be all my lifes time obliged to my selfe I am constrained because the word of so great a Princesse cannot fully satisfie my beliefe herein to beseech your Highnesse to favour mee with some authentique assurance by whose vertue this statue may abide in this place secured by an irrevocable title conformable to the lawes of the world as I assure my selfe it is already according to the lawes of love The Princesse hereat passionately inflamed leaving him neverthelesse in his kneeling posture and taking him with her armes gently about the necke thus replied My deere Lord to the end you may be fully assured that I will bee yours according to the rites of the world as I am already yours by the power of love for irrevocable assurance of the one and the other I give you this earnest and with that kissing him spake on Now see whether such an assurance can by one of my qualitie be ever either revoked or denied Whereupon hee drawen on with so sweete a baite would faine become somewhat bolder but wanted the boldnesse to venture so checkt was his forwardnesse with the curbe of bashfulnesse till afterwards his being assured encreased his courage in so modest a way that holding on a meane path betweene excesse and defect he needed not any more either bit or spurre The combat was of kisses wherein fortune shewed her selfe indifferent there being no one kisse lent that was not as amorously repaied till at length for feare of being discovered though neither weary nor satiated they sate them downe where banishing all coynesse and love-hating respects now and then reciprocally interchanging sweete embraces they recounted each to other their intended designes Eromena well approving of his sending to Mauritania for fresh troopes together with his designe of Corsica whereon her minde distracted with amorous thoughts neere fastened and now thought she it fit that he under went that enterprise that so that kirgdome being by him incorporated to the kingdome of Sardegna might make their nuptials more approveable and better lik'd of hee having no other thing to endow her withall Vpon this shee would needs the day following have her Councell summoned to sit whereunto having invited the two Princes she proposed the state of the warre to be considered in its future limits The proposition was whether it were their best course now they had the Corsan king prisoner to hold the enterprise as accomplished and so license their souldiers or no and if no then to resolve of what they were best to doe Some held it fitting that the warres should so rest determined others were on the other side of a contrary opinion Whereupon Metaneone being requested to deliver his opinion excused himselfe by alleaging that being but so lately arrived there he was unacquainted both with the countrey and interesses thereof and therfore referr'd himselfe unto his brother who having served the state could not chuse but have a more exact knowledge of its condition Polimero being thereunto earnestly importuned at last delivered himselfe in this sort If State-affaires Soveraigne Princesse carried with them no other consideration than that of the present I should hold for vaine any other opinion than that of peace and should thinke the best course were to lay armes aside and enjoy the fruit of conquest atchieved by the valour our arme of your Highnesse but considering them not as the short dayes of men but according to their lasting perpetuitie a prudent Prince ought to square out and settle his governement in such a manner as the same may last not for his life onely but even as long as the world can endure It is true your Highnesse hath already freed this kingdome from the cruel-lest Rebellion that ever was raised against any Prince and withall taken prisoner that King who to become Tyrant here so inhumanely nourished it but this can suffice but for the present what should follow is to prevent future dangers which cannot bee otherwise effected than by measuring the Kingdome of Corsica with the same measure wherewith its King would have measured this of Sardegna the former being so neere a borderer to the latter as they almost joyne and by the ill which that hath and would have done to this may be comprehended the danger of the evill it may doe hereafter I grant that your Highnesse hath for this once beene so fortunate as to suppresse him yet is not Sardegna sure to have alwayes the same conduct prowes and fortune The good husbandman beleeves not he hath sufficiently rid his land of noysome weeds by cropping their leaves onely unlesse he also plucke them up by the rootes ere they fall to seede a-new So should your Highnesse also advane your victorious banners in the kingdome of Corsica which once subdued you may unite to this crowne which untill you doe the warres may well be ended in opinion but never in effect for Corsica having now lost its King may chuse it selfe another and so either of it selfe or by the helpe of other Princes make perpetuall incursions into this Kingdome which that they will attempt I am the rather induced to beleeve because the humor of those people is naturally revengefull especially now that there is not a house among them
that hath not felt heavy losses by this warre and the fugitive Rebels nestling themselves in the Bastilica may thence get themselves easily setled in their ancient patrimcnies their treason and offence not sufficing to make them so odious as not to finde some favourers of their actions among those they have commanded and swayed over these foure hundred yeares and Corsica being a poore countrey the inhabitants thereof for being needy will come shift for their living to Sardegna where under the pretext of forragers they will maintaine a warre so lasting as no valour shall bee able to destroy them so well fortified will they bee found by the advantage of hils and strongly barricadoed by the strength of woods as there will bee somewhat to doe to dinde them out but much more to come to fight with them But if your Highnesse would be pleased to resolve of the contrary you shall avoide all these inconveniences neither shall you find any considerable opposition for that you shall invade a kingdome that ownes neither King Captaine nor souldiers and shall withall find it deprived for ought I beleeve of Galleyes armes and Councell now that all the best of them lie slaine in these wars And though forraine Princes would endeavour to succour it yet should they finde it lost and won ere they came so as such an enterprise cannot indeede any way redound to their good or honour who have neither interest nor reason to succour such as cannot but be utterly forlorne Now some one may object thatto suppose that no neighbouring Princes can lay any claime thereto is false Well I grant it but let us I pray them argue who such may bee for I see but onely five that may justly be reckoned in this number three whereof also I will immediatly exclude The first shall be the King my father I will not say for my sake for that every one will scarce beleeve seeing that Princes square out their actions by the rule of their own ends but becase he never aimed at the command of the sea neither can the greatnesse of Sardegna breed in him any jealosie considering that looke what difficulties stranger Princes shall have in enjoying it the selfe same difficultie shall she have also in possessing the Dominions of others especially in the firme land for the same reasons I exclude for the second man the Etrurian King though not the King of Maiorica who is the third but because his forces are not such as neede be feared there remaine yet the King of Sicily and Ligurie this last may not doe it because the Tuskan King his neighbour will not suffer him to over-grow him in greatnesse so as if hee should strive to possesse some others territories the other would not let slippe the occasion of seazing on his And if the Sicilian King doe but asmuch as aime thereat hee must necessarily make enemies of the Mauritanian Ligurian and Etrurian Kings besides such others as command the other side the Faro if he but offer to joyne new kingdoms to his own who besides his being rich and potent is sufficiently well seated to put all the rest in a jealousie of him But let it be granted that any of them excepting the King my father for whom I offer my selfe an hostage would be easily tempted to take up armes yet let any such whosoever hee be but ballance the certaine charge that must be necessarily disbursed with the uncertaine benefit that may perhaps be reaped therefrom and he shall see that as it cannot be compassed with a few men so the transportation of great forces will require great Fleets which cannot be rigg'd under a great deale of time which though they could suddenly provide yet shall they meete with many other difficulties in being for want of convenient havens compel'd in the selfesame time to fight against the winde sea and us I omit the consideration of what the blindest see which is That Sardegna shall be rid of its bad neighbours and shall by commanding in stead of awing them become glorious and dreaded of all such as would either harme or infest it I overpasse also such consequences as might be deduced from the augmentation of forces territories and revenewes considering the commodiousnesse of its situation Other considerable difficulties I beleeve there are none whereof though there were yet can I not thinke them to be such as may be paragonized with the different state of these two kingdoms besides no difficulties should ever hinder the performāce of necessary resolutions But now because it is no policy to credit the Counsel of such as share not of the perils that may chance to spring from the roote of such advise I here porferre your Highnesse to participate thereof not only with my person but also with such troopes as shall be thought requisite for that imployment which I hope to obtaine of the King my father and of the Prince my brother here present so your Highnesse will but vouchsafe to accept of them The Princesse that with great pleasure had all this while listned unto him kindly thanked him for his proffer as though it had beene a thing strange unto her And because she well perceived that the matter when it came to be resolved of among the Councell would not prove so plaine but that it might meete with some oppositions by reason of such jealousies as might arise from the proffer therefore gave shee order that they should among themselves treace thereof The Marquesse of Oristagno who ever sithence Polimero was knowne for a Prince began to ghesse at the cause of his comming to Sardegna as he had also before that taken notice of the inclination of the Princesse deeming that love of hers to be well emploied since that if shee married at all she could not make choise of either a fitter or worthier husband resolved to set forwards and bring to head that businesse being well assured the should thereby both please the Princesse and doe the state good service therefore opposed he openly such as held the Infante of Mauritania's propsition dangerous inferring for an example the Trojan horse for a caveat to feare and mistrust both the gift and giver His reasons were that it was not to bee doubted that he who so had begunne to merit would not continue so to doe aswell for desire of glory as for hope of reward hee being the last of the sonnes of Mauritania and therefore without meanes that in case he harboured any evill intention his forces could not stead him much for that theirs would be more than thrice so many and that sithence they might without losse of their owne men gaine themselves a kingdome to them so commodious and necessary he held it a great folly to refuse it Many other things toucht he by the way whereby the most acute smelt out his drift wherewith they were so farre from being displeased as all of them without any opposition willingly concurr'd in the selfesame opinion Wherof the Princesse
was a glad woman who having therewith acquainted Polimero caused both him and his brother to be cald in to the Councell as though she had told him nothing thereof where having extolled his noble exploits in the wars taking occasion to fall in speech of his last proffer she told him That although the Councell was somewhat loth to make use of the kingdome of Mauritania yet notwithstanding that in respect of the knowne good correspondencie ever held betweene that and the Sardegnan crowne it had now resolved to accept of the troopes by him offered to the end that hee might with them and those of Sardegna proceede in his Corsan enterprize as hee had proposed Then turning her selfe towards Metaneone when she had made a great Encomio on the Fleete won her by his meanes shee confest that the King her father her selfe and the whole kingdome were exceedingly obliged to the one and the other for which all of them together would be ready at all occasions to serve them the King their father and kingdome whereunto the brothers having answered each for himselfe gave in courteous termes such assurance of their good intentions there was not any that doubted of their sinceritie The Princesse had already posted a Currier to advertize the King her father of the victories and now determined shee to send him the Councels resolution and withall the King Epicamedo with the other prisoners much had he desired to see the Princesse whereto shee would by no meanes condiscend pretending to detaine him not as a prisoner of warre but as a Traitor guilty of injured Majestie because her brothers murtherers had never attempted to take away his life had they not beene back't by him so as he indeede was the author of that murther those warres and all other ils that thence proceeded Many dayes staid the Princesse in Terranova expecting the comming of the rest of the army from Villapetres to march thence onwards to the next countrey of Luogodori which lies in the utmost point of Sardegna in the sight of Corsica to the end she might assure her selfe of those countries formerly possessed by the Rebels and might also thence with more conveniency at the arrivall thither of the Mauritanian troopes transport them over into Corsica Aretia in the meane time had used all possible diligence to restore to her former being the weake woman whom they had saved from the mercilesse sea which for her bodily plight was not very difficult but for the state of her minde seemed a thing impossible in that she found her weaker every day than other and as it were repenting that she died not The Princesse now disentangled of publike affaires and desirous to know who shee was went in person to visite her who having by this time understood that this was the famous Princesse Eromena received her with profound humilitie by the Physitians direction shee kept as yet her bed though much against her will where the Princesse sitting downe by her joyed much to see her a living woman hoping that as she had already gotten this point so shee might in time also come to gaine the other which was to bring her to some degrees of comfort by entertaining her with mirth and pleasant company wherein shee was neverthelesse very much deceived because a refined melancholy having first beene an infirmitie of the minde and then come to be a bodily disease and so growne to be a residence of different substance is wont to prove for the most part mortall and incurable I had come sooner unto you said the Princesse but that I thought good to give you first time to recollect your spirits and yet wot I not well how I ought to entertaine you because the outward expressions of your fortune shew you to be otherwise than your proper conditions discover you to be I beseech you to cleare me of that doubt assuring you on the faith of a noble maiden that the curiositie to know it tends to no other end than to assist you which I will doe without sparing any thing I have Here is no body present but Aretia for whose secrecie I undertake as for my selfe The woman standing awhile in a muse without making any answer fetching at length a deepe sigh not without teares said unto her Royall Princesse your requests are commands to me and although to satisfie your Highnesse therein bee but as it were to draw fresh bloud out of greene wounds and to fester an old long sithence inulcerated sore yet can I for all that doe no lesse than obey you My name is Eleina my Nation the Narbon Gaule my Countrey Arelate where my father is he that beares both Crowne and Scepter My mother was the daughter of the Celtan King know her did I never because she presaging my misfortunes lest she should see so unhappy a burthen died in childbirth of me With such quaint tendernesse was I bred up as children of my birth and qualitie are wont to be but much more fondly for being the only child of my father who although a Widdower at foure and twentie yeares of age would never condiscend to marry againe for all that his subjects earnestly besought him thereto so much overswayed him the exceeding great love he bare to my mother for whose sake he also tendered me the dearer for the fuller expression whereof he grew more obstinate in his intended resolution so as I was esteemed and honoured of the world as undoubted heire of that Kingdome My childhood spent I in many noble disciplines for being borne to a Crowne I was educated not as a woman but as a Soveraigne Prince and withall to make my present state more fully miserable with the memorie of passed glories the Knights errant deemed themselves not worthy of the seeking adventures ere they had first had the adventure of seeing me which came to passe either because things a far off had a greater priveledge of opinion than things more at hand or because there was in me some esteeme-worthy thing which I knew not my selfe suffice it that such was the effect whether the cause deserv'd it or no. Being arrived to sixteene yeares of age such was my misfortune that there came to Arelate as a Knight errant the son of the King of Catalogna whose name was Don Peplasos This Prince making a shew of being enamored of me speake and wrought so far as I drawne on rather by my destinie than by any love I bare him perswaded my father to give me him for wife which he did being not used to contradict me though sore against his will and with the teares in his eyes protesting he did it meerely to satisfie me himselfe for his owne particular liking not well of such hasty weddings and much lesse of the bridegrooute But I over-tired with the great number of Suitors without knowing which of them to chuse detained in this ignorance by the tendernesse of age but much more by my simplicitie in not knowing what manner of thing
who having restored me with fresh egges and anointed my feete and legges laid me in a rusticke bed with such a diligent charitie as more they could not have done though they had knowne me for what I was Three dayes abode I there and might if I had lifted have staied there longer but being that these exceeding poore people could not furnish me with victuals for my journey nor the shepheard neglect his flocke to accompany me nor I discover my selfe for great shame having got them to shew me the way to the sea to embarke my selfe I went on my way and in stead of rewarding these poore creatures with gifts according to the state of my birth and qualitie I was glad to accept of them some bread and an old paire of slip-shooes according to the state of my fortune to save my selfe from starving for hunger and from quite spoiling my feete but wherefore goe I thus prolonging the matter I made a shift to get me though with infinite sufferings unto the sea-shore which I no sooner descried than I was from a-farre off espied of certaine Pirates that lay there a roving about the shoare who having seized on mee fell to a great strife whose of theirs I should bee but because they saw mee growne very weake with want and wearinesse they suffered mee to repose my selfe agreeing that the chance of the dice should assigne mee an owner It was the eighth night that wee continued sailing though they steered on no direct course but romed up and downe according as occasions offered them hope of booty when I heard them jarring among themselves with swearing they were a-ground and crying out of the steere-man to hul they seemed to be all at their wits end for feare of splitting The winde was somewhat sharpe but even and levell with the sea without any surging billowes when I seeing my selfe fallen into the hands of such a rabble of rascals resolved either to free my self or die threw me down into the sea with a plancke whilst the Foist carried away with the winde got farre wide of me in the twinkling of an eye the night being so obscure as I could not descrie the shore I kept my selfe setled on the plancke till the morning when being by wearinesse and fasting reduced to the passe wherein you found me I had the fortune to receive this benefit from so worthy a Princesse who will vouchsafe as I hope to helpe me yet to get home to my father as I beseech your Highnesse to doe obliging thereby both him and I for all the remnant of our lives time Eromena who had attentively listned to the refluxes of so unjust a fortune in a Princesse of so great merit and who had before understood by others the former passages said thus unto her Noble and vertuous Princesse there is not any debt due from mee to the gods although I owe them many which I esteeme greater than their having made of me the instrument to breake off as I hope the course of your misfortunes I beseech you to rest you merry and to thinke your selfe at home at your own Royall fathers house whither I will send you so well accompanied as you shall not neede to feare either Don Peplasos or the Pirats Here are the Princes of Mauritania to whom I pray you to make your selfe known and to any other whatsoever for I do not only care little that the Prince of Catalogna know that I professe friendship unto you but meane to make him know withall that I will for your sake professe enmitie to him And then without staying for an answer having sent for the two brothers that staid to come in unto them she related succinctly unto them the recited Historie wherewith as Polimero was transported to an affect of compassion so was Metaneone violently carried beyond himselfe with a passion of wrath discoursing and arguing with himselfe how that all the ill done this innocent Lady was intended to the making miserable of his Eromilia being very sorrie he had not known it sooner for then Don Peplasos had not so easily slipt out of his hands whom when his brothers affaires and his owne were once setled hee resolved to chastise at any hand With diverse ends therefore comforted they Eleina promising to hazard in her assistance both their powers and lives so as being by them thus consolated and by the Princesse supplied with whatsoever befitted her state and qualitie she thanked the gods for having by such infortunate meanes so fortunately conducted her thither Two dayes then after dispatch't Eromena a well furnisht Galley to the King of Arelate with hers and his daughters letters not consenting to let her goe her selfe because shee intended to detaine her some dayes till shee were recovered of her sufferings and then to send her home better accompanied In the meane time the two brothers conferred together of their affections impatiently expecting the Count of Bona's returne whilest the Princesse to prevent the losse of time assured her selfe of Luogodori confiscating the estates of the Rebells and therewith bountifully recompencing the merits of diverse Knights that had in this warre worthily behaved themselves so as the kingdome was in a small time peaceably setled The Count of Bona having got all things requisite for his charge hasted over into Sardegna where receiving intelligence of the Princesse at Terranova he fetching about the Ilands end came to Portoditorre and leaving the Fleete ride there went thence to Sassari where the Princesse then resided The Princes having courteously embraced him and understood of the expedition hee brought with him were thereof exceeding joyfull but Eromenaes joyes farre transcended theirs hoping that this Corsan enterprize would make up her marriage The Marquesse of Oristagno who in his youth had beene one of the most amorous Knights of his time and who by great practise on himselfe and others was growne to be a skilfull Physiognomist in the affaires of love seeing her desires written in her face thus spake unto her Your Highnesse hath done for the state one of the two things you should doe to make it become fully happy opulent and flourishing which is to have reduced it after such great tempests of war and rebellion to the pleasant calme of peace and obedience The other thing that is yet to doe is to finde out a husband worthy of you to the end that you may have a companion to beare a share with you in supporting the weightie burthen of governement and to bestow on us a faire goodly and generous posteritie The Princesse blushing though well pleased with so unexpected a proposition returned him this answer Certainely I beleeve Cozen that you never meant to be old seeing that you are not yet about to leave off your youthfull humours would you have me marrie when there is no man for ought I know that will have me Do you thinke it a thing seemly or fitting for one of my sex and qualitie to go woo for a husband
By the high gods replied the Marquesse your Highnesse hath reason to conceive of me as you do for by my good-will I would never grow old Where is that man living that desires to be unpleasant Take away but the jocondnesse of our thoughts and what are we old men good for seeing melancholy makes a man noysome both to himselfe and others and mirth in old age is the gift of heaven It conserves a man and makes his company become desired of every one which if in youth it be dissolute and wanton yet hath it in graver yeares its gravitie and its peculiar wayes so as under the barke of pleasantnesse lies hidden the substance of the Theoricke and Practicke of the world which being the onely booke for perfecting man instructs without error unlesse error bee caught hold of in its beginnings and in the simple vulgar opinions The Princesse smiled at his discourse and to give him further matter thereof she replied Oh how simple are those encomions you make of old age of that shivering age which cannot be pleasant because it wants the vigour of bloud the efficient cause of mirth Your Highnesse may reason as you thinke good answered the Marquesse that reason of yours may hold good in old dotards as being long sithence fallen from being any more themselves are good for nothing but yet give me leave to tell you that such as fortifie their minds against the defects of time with good governement against fortune by enjoying her favours indifferently and against their owne rebellious affections by having gotten a habitude of commanding them fall not under the censure of this your reason for such keeping themselves from both extremes that is from such things as befit no other than young men and from excesse of melancholy which is most habituall in old men may finding themselves free from mentall perturbations conserve themselves a long time in a healthfull and pleasant disposition in whom if mirth cannot engender love yet makes it them at leastwise become more sociable and usefull to such as are enamored not without awaking withall the memory of their owne particular loves which in them cannot for all that bee blamed for being confined within the limits of an affection overswayed by reason You will say then replied the Princesse that if an old man would conserve himselfe in a blithsome disposition he then ought by consequence to procure its effects and therefore the effects of love I say it and yet I say it not answerd the Marquesse The wife old man may bee master of the affects of the minde but not of the progressions of nature necessarie to the consideration of such effects against which there is no word either of Prudence or Philosophy that can suffice Yet remaines there in him I know not what thing which I cannot expresse that makes him though having himselfe laid by his armes delight neverthelesse to see them exercised by young men in the termes of legall affection Now touching what I have motioned unto you your Highnesse should doe it of your selfe and not wonder at me as you doe for if I were not growne old I would not stay till some other should put mee in minde of businesses of that nature Whereat the Princesse smiled saying And whom Cozen shall I take to husband There is to Prince but will when he hath married me reside in his owne countrey and I againe will by no meanes leave mine and for wedding a private man who will commend me Neither the one nor the other should your Highnesse doe said he but reade a meane path betweene both and being asked how he proceeded saying I meane some Prince noble and valourous though without any means for such a one can not be said to be a private man who in being a Prince shall bee a match befitting your greatnesse and for having no dominions will doe all whatsoever is requisite for your affaires Yea but could you name me such a one asked with a grave countenance the Princesse Marry that can I well Madame answered the Marquesse Whom could your Highnesse ever chuse more noble valiant and generally beloved of all men than the Infante Polimero Whereat she changing her colour and standing a while in a muze said I know that to match my selfe is necessarie because to continue as I am is for many respects disconvenient unto me albeit as your selfe know I have ever had but a small inclination therto but the maine difficultie consists in finding out such a one as may give the people satisfaction I cannot denie but that the Infante Polimero ownes all those conditions you speake of yet reason will not that I be she he should aime at neither beleeve I that he will ever offer to looke for me for feare perhaps of being rejected for want of meanes Neverthelesse if you thinke that this marriage may make for the publike good of the kingdome take you care then of the managing thereof and for my owne part I promise you not to swerve from your Counsell The Marquesse kneeling downe before her and kissing her hand undertooke the charge thereof assuring her he would conduct it in such a manner as she should therewith rest well satisfied which indeede he afterwards accordingly performed for taking opportunely hold of an occasion to exaggerate before the Councell the favours of the two Mauritanian Princes and to exalt the valour of the younger and descending handsomely thence to the occasions and affaires of the time to the infirmitie and decadency of the King to the sex of the Princesse though valorous yet feminine he at last in generall termes proposed the necessitie of matching her with such a husband as might reside in the kingdome Whereupon all the neighbouring Princes and others also further off being named and proposed he found oppositions against every one except Polimero whose age and nature hee considered to be apt to receive the aire and customes of Sardegna who although hee wanted Dominions and meanes yet wanted hee not forces and warlike troopes but could upon any occasion procure as hee had done at that present great supplies of his father and brother whose amitie was more profitable and enmity more dangerous to Sardegna than all the rest of the neighbouring Princes Some there were that feared there was some dissembling or double dealing in this businesse so patly proposed in the instant of the arrivall of the Mauritanian forces as if they menat in case they could not obtaine their desire by faire meanes to enforce them thereto with their powers which the Marquesse perceiving assured such of their being therein mistaken wishing them withall to deliver themselves freely if they thought that such a match would prove any way inutile or prejudiciall unto them assuring them of the Mauritanian troopes as well as of their owne native Sardegnans Their disputations were at length reduced into resolutions that the marriage of the Princesse was necessarie that there was not alliance nor match better nor fitter for
her than that of the Mauritanian Infante and that the Marquesse should treat therof by way of proposition as proceeding from himselfe giving thereby rather way and encouragement to the Infante to demand her than cause to beleeve that they were already resolved to give her him The joy that Eromena thereof conceived as it was exceeding great so was it neverthelesse exceeded with an incomparable prudence whereby she well knew how to conceale it answering the Councell that they should finde her conformable to their deliberation The Count of Bona after hee had delivered his Lords letters and discharged himself of the troopes and Galleys being licenced to go on his Embassage wafted off as soone as he had received the Princes letters with a prosperous gale for Maiorica where he and the other Embassadours were received with all such solemnities as befitted the Embassadours of so great a King And because the businesse was before resolved of and this solemne office done meerely for publike satisfaction it was easily concluded on and Eromilia promised to Metaneone Prince of Mauritania upon the sole condition that shee would ever marrie at all The End of the Fourth Booke CAVALIER GIO FRANCESCO BIONDI HIS EROMENA The Fifth Booke IF great was the fame of Eromilia's beauty whilst abiding in Maiorica shee was promised in marriage to the Prince of Sardegna far greater was it when as soone as his death was published her retiring also was instantly divulged abroade the resolution and occasion whereof with a reasonable indifferency wrought a generall amazement so as such as before had her heard commended for the extraordinary industries of nature observed in her now rapt with new partly curious and partly amorous affections deemed that man happy whose fortune it were to winne her in this losse of her selfe being it seemed not so inconvenient for any other to finde inventions to steale her away as for her to invent her selfe the meanes of depriving her selfe of the world And albeit the businesse in it selfe stood not founded on reason that a Princesse especially of so great a merit should be constrained to alter her upon what occasion soever grounded indeede rather compassionable than blame-worthy resolution Neverthelesse some discoursing by way of argument approved it as an act lawfull to search after and finding to gather up such Iewels which throwne away by an unwise and as it were a prodigall owner were exposed to the hazard of being stolne away by the unworthy and so to become subject to light into their base and abject hands neither could such an attempt so it were confined to the bounds of honour be for all that stiled rapine the intention of the act being to restore the thing so seazed on to themselves and though it be true that its maine scope and ends tended to gaine yet doth every kinde of labour deserve its hire nor is that kinde of usury unlawfull which in recompence of its paines desires but the simple lone of the thing found Suchlike were the reasonings of sundry young Princes of divers Countries who like sphericall lines came to meete all in one and the same center nor is it any wonder that a cause remote should produce and bring forth the selfesame respects in persons remote each from other seeing the universall soule that moves and inspires the vaste world is even one and the same But those among the rest that gave themselves most to these imaginations were the Prince of Tingitana and one of his brothers with the Princes of Andaluzia and Granada The King of Tingitana in those dayes commanded as Soveraigne all that part of Afsrike that lies on the Ocea sea as farre as six degrees beyond our Tropike growne to be great there by fortune and reach of wit if wicked subtiles may be stiled the effects of wit This King had foure sonnes that were ever at discord among themselves who having together with their breast-milke sucked ambition and desire of rule could never quiet themselves with other thought than in being every of them left sole without competitors The King old of yeares but elder in wickednesse growne expert in knowing the pravitie of his sonnes by his owne moved rather by a jealous zeale of himselfe than any affection he bore them had severed them asunder by assigning to each of them the governement of a kingdome with the revenewes whereof they maintained themselves in an honourable and splendide fashion without ever abandoning the precepts of soothing dissembling being a maxime placed in the frontispice of the schoole of those therein so accomplished Princes wherein every of them so exceedingly profited as the fathers selfe though a great experientist in that art was for all his cunning deceived for beleeving those affectionate-seeming demonstrations to be really true that were indeede but counterfait which neverthelesse served for nothing else than for gins and traps to ruine and overthrow one the other Argilo the first borne who bare the title of Prince aboade in Fessa a kingdome assigned him for his share Anterasto the second in the fortunate Ilands The other two possessed two kingdomes in the Meridian parts the one on this side the lesser the other on the other side of the greater Atlas purposely placed so distant each frō other to the end that their neighbourhood might not occasion or give them any subject of enmity The King himselfe resided at Morocco the heart of his Dominions thinking hee could more easily bridle the evill inclinations of his sonnes by keeping them thus severed at so large distances especially the two eldest who troubled him more than the rest but humane prudence is wont to light on oftentimes by shunning what but for shunning it had not encountred for Orgilo having understood by the Lord of Velez of the comming of the Princesse Eromilia grew suddenly desirous of enjoying her guided thereto rather by his beastly appetite than any kinde of true love for being unapt to receive those flames which shine but in gentle breasts stored with noble thoughts where-from his was so far alienated as for having never harboured a gentle qualitie he gave himselfe over to be a sordid receptacle of all kinde of foule and mischievous enterprises onely one sole thing in him seemed to looke with a face of vertue which was a bodily force inconsiderately used and a generous seeming spirit the abundance of his vices straightning him too much from being able to lodge either true magnanimitie or reall bounty With such and the like qualities purposed Orgilo to work his own ends on the noble person of Eromilia But Anterasto who with the ambition to reign and with impatience to be longer bridled lived unfortunate in the fortunate Ilands having understood by the spies he kept in his brothers Court all his designes and how hee had caused to be calked and rigged a Galley in Mamora for the stealing away of the Princesse of Maiorica thinking hee might better bring his project to passe by sea ariving unawares than by
having had the power to speake one word unto her he ranne with his as yet bedewed eyes to embrace Metaneone who kneeled to him to kisse his hand but he obstinately striving to get him to stand up debard them of the time to expresse each to other otherwise than superficially the joyes they conceived for the happinesse of this encounter for retiring to Eromilia and causing her to sit on one side of him and Metaneone on the other after hee had received the Countesse with the other Ladies that kissed his hand hee lifting up his eyes thanked the gods that had granted him this joy relating unto them the occasion of his comming The Princesse marvelling thereat told him that his opinion was not false acquainting him with all that had hapned and how that but for Metaneone's comming shee had remained a prey to Don Peplasos Then Don Peplasos said hee came to steale you away againe Hee came indeede answered Eromilia and wee have him prisoner in that Galley there The King somewhat musing thereat turning towards Metaneone said unto him And you my noble sonne how hap'd you to arrive so opportunely to rescue Eromilia On this Metaneone related unto him all that befell him sleeping whereof though hee had alreadie informed Eromilia yet forbore shee not to marvell thereat anew He told them how the vision was reiterated himselfe being not deceived in having seene talked and walked that being parted without staying till day came it pleased the gods to favour him in conserving unto him by their pietie what his Majestie had out of his Royall courtesie bestowed on him for which hee now kissed his hand being not permitted to doe it before The King embracing him and glancing a looke on Eromilia who though shee blushed yet meant not to denie her consent thus replied Sithence then the heavens will that she be yours who have now two severall times acquired her so as I am for that sole respect obliged to give her you I beseech you to beleeve that if I had not already bestowed her on you I would most willingly give her you onely for your merits sake For which hee kissing his hand againe and discoursing with him a good while about the dreame desirous at length to leave him all-alone with his daughter rose up with an excuse to goe salute the Barons of Maiorica Glad was the King to see the alteration of his daughter and the humilitie wherewith shee craved his pardon for her past disobedience delighting to know of her more particularly all past successes together with the manner of the fortification of the Rocke Arrived afterwards to his shippes he might see them turne sterne so confused were they to see so many Galleyes fall towards them so suddenly and unexpected but come to know what they were they tack'd about to accompany them arriving with the others all together in Maiorica with as much joy to the Queene and all the kingdome as may be imagined at a returne so unexpected There were arrived also in Maiorica the two Galleyes that came from the Pegno who were not so fortunate as to meete the King in that they hapned to passe one night a good distance wide off him and now having provided themselves of such men as they wanted they rode prepared to returne to the Pegno when the Fleet arrived Metaneone would not deferre the nuptials of his Eromilia albeit he desired to have them solemnized in the presence of Polimero and his fathers Embassadours but considering how he stood imployed in an enterprise which hee could not so soone rid his hands off hee thought it sufficient to advertise him thereof sending him backe againe the six Galleyes and those foure of Catalogna with foure others that the King would needs send Eromena writing unto her that hee would have sent her more but that he doubted of some accident because of Don Peplasos who was directed to Eleina to bee by her disposed of as she thought good Metaneone sent also to Mauritania to his father the newes of his adventures and also of his marriage to receive from him order of his stay in Maiorica or comming with his wife to Rirsa who in the meane while staid there to consolate her parents and kingdome with her presence The Galleyes being once departed sail'd on with a smart gale to Sardigna-wards with Don Peplasos by this time fully cured of his wounds who observing himselfe excluded from the sight of the King of Maiorica where he had beene and of Metaneone who had taken him prisoner and sent him to his wife by him so unworthily and inhumanely used hee well perceived there was no account made of his qualitie and therefore often-times proffered to kill himselfe but being prevented of his purpose by the diligent custodie of such as guarded him he bethought himselfe of a way of deceiving them by changing apparences and shewing himselfe lesse altered and with a more quiet minde taking on him to desire what hee most abhorred which was the sight of Eleina Whilest then the Galleyes one morning ere Sunne-rising by the favour of a strong Westerne gale glided on a maine speede there discovered it selfe within kenning the Iland of Sardegna whereat the Ghing gave a joyfull shout crying Land land which as soone as Don Peplasos heard hee cald for his clothes and having put on a chamber-weede made a shew of being desirous to take the aire and to refresh himselfe with the sight of the shore after his being over-tired with his long sojourning at sea come up on the hatches he stood still a-while beholding the Iland then walking a turne or two seriously muzing and standing with his face towards the ladder of the Galley he suddenly let fall off his gowne and leaving therewithall his slippers leapt down into the sea with such an unexpected suddennesse that he was plunged therein ere any one was aware of his intention whereupon the sailes were strucken downe with great fury but to little purpose for the Galley being runne onwards above two miles ere the sailes could be taken in or the long-boate hoist out the Frigat of the Royall hapning then to be sailing before the Fleet. The lewd-lifed Prince was drowned ere he could be succoured his body was found floating on the sea and swollen with water which brought a-boord was laid under hatches to the great discontent of the Admirall who was very sorry that he could not deliver him to Eleina in the same state as he received him But now seeing the accident remedilesse they having placed him with his head downewards to emptie his body of the water afterwards covered it with a beere-cloath of blacke velvet bearing that respect to his life-lesse corpes for having beene those of a Prince which hee deserved not living having leade a life unworthy of a Prince Arrived in Porto Torre they found not the Fleet there and understanding how that it was passed into Corsica they also with favourable windes crost over bathing their anchors by the waxing browne
of the evening in Portoficari The End of the Fifth Booke CAVALIER GIO FRANCESCO BIONDI HIS EROMENA The Sixth Booke SOmewhat pensive remained Polimero after his brothers departure not well approving of such resolutions as are built on the slipperie foundation of dreames but seeing that it lay not in his power to remedy it he with the rest of his companie returned to Sassari whilest Eromena growing more and more ardent in her love and buring with its violent flames solicited the Corsan expedition thereby to rid her selfe the sooner of the time interposed betweene her and the conclusion of her desires The King desirous to consolate himselfe with her presence oftentimes importuned her returne but she resolved to bring first the warres to a period comforted him with her letters acquainting him with the Councell necessarily concluded on for the establishing by the conquest of the Corsan kingdome a perpetuall peace in Sardegna assuring him that the war could not long last the enemies wanting a head to guide them now whilest the infeebled body was not able to support it selfe which indeede even just so succeeded for she embarking her forces and crossing the sea brought downe in lesse than foure moneths time the innate pride of the high-soring Corsan spirits which for all Polimero's great exploits she could not have so performed if they had either had a Captaine or not wanted those that remained dead in Sardegna Now Eromena was at Tolmido's arrivall in Sagona accompanied with the Princesse Eleina who could not be disswaded from following her both of them delighting every day more and more each in the others conversation and in Eleina were every day more than other new wonders of alteration discovered for that her studies having given her a perfect knowledge as much as imperfect disciplines can give to true perfection made her capeable of taking delight in everie thing Passing joyfull was Polimero of Tolmido's comming who having reade his letters ran to the Princesse to present her with hers whence they went both together to Eleina who good Lady understanding the miserable case of her husband stood somewhile mute thereat whilest her waterie eyes were not sufficient to retaine her teares for so much as a generous heart cannot chuse but grieve for another's miserie especially for that of such with whom it formerly held any communion of amitie see his body she would not nor the place where it lay but besought Eromena to be pleased for her sake to send it to his father in Catalogna which was accordingly performed in a Galley painted all-over with browne with sailes and tacklings of the same colour But Catascopo would she at any hand retaine for the manifestation of her innocencie before her father in Arelate whom Polimero curious to heare the rest of this story requested also thereto by Eromena and Eleina her selfe caused to be brought in before them where he despairing of being saved now that he understood of his Masters end thus said unto him Most valorous Prince I now see in my selfe what I have a thousand time observed in others that of things not good the end was ever the worst wherein Princes themselves are not priviledged since that mine for falsely accusing his wife the first time reaped nought else from it but shame and for endevouring to make her away the second time was by his owne conscience prick'd on to make away himselfe the gods having miraculously saved her to save together with her life her never blemished honour And I well may I say most wretched I drawne on with the sweetly alluring baite of vaine ambition after having betraied a Master than whom I could not have desired a better see my selfe now likely to end deservedly my dayes with some kinde of unusuall and ignominious death Now touching what your Highnesse commands me concerning the entire Story of the Lady Princesse Eleina I will willingly obey you without either concealing what may serve for the cleering of her innocency or excusing my selfe in any thing that might lighten or extenuate my fault Here related he all that Eleina her selfe had told them before till the instant of her swooning continuing the narration of the rest with these words The Prince before his departure gave me order to goe my wayes before him to spie out a fit place to kill and burie in the Princesse to the end that when her body could not be found by any we might boldly give out she was runne away with Calaplo I went but because the places neere the Temple were indifferently frequented with Priests and Pilgrimes I was faine to goe a good distance wide off it ere I could finde a place for the purpose I had with me two I know not whether I should terme them souldiers or executioners sure cards to the Prince whom he was wont to make use of for the taking away of the lives of many Wherefore he thought he might well trust those who charged with the burthen of a thousand offences had no other stay on earth than his countenance nor could he indeede chuse but make use of them being that hee would not himselfe nor saw me willing to strike that bloudy blow I then and those fellowes with disguised cloathes and false beards followed the Prince a-farre off being by me first informed of the place when shee fell in a swoond whither he cald us and would needes have her slaine in that very place but there being not so much as a handfull of earth to cover her body withall he knew not what to doe yet because it behoved him to resolve of some course hee made us continue to carrie her towards the place appointed looking alwayes round about him to see if he could espie any other fit for that purpose But we going on a slow pace by reason of our burthen and difficultie of the stones he both weary and vext with impatience told us hee was not able to follow us any further and therefore would lest his absence might give cause of suspition returne backe againe leaving to our charge the execution of the businesse Which said I know not whether it was to necessitate us not to let her live or otherwise hee himselfe cut off her cloathes from under her gowne stripping her of them all without leaving her as much as stockings or shooes telling us that he did it lest there remained any token to know her by in case the body were by any means discovered But the very act of seeing so naked a Princesse of so great merit innocently condemned to lose both life and honour stamped such a compassion in the cruell mindes of those two murtherers that as soone as the Prince was gone they so gazed one the other in the face as if their new affect had beene written in their foreheads each of them with halfe-pronounced interrogations expecting when his fellow would speake We held on our way a good while without losing sight of the Prince in that we descended and he ascended making
beheld otherwise than with an evill eye by the kinsmen of such as were by him delivered up to the hangmau that his Majeestie should consider not so much whether what was proposed were reasonable as whether the same were profitable or no. And on the contrary if the sole reason were for its being prejudiciall to him true it were that just Princes should desire the execution of justice though the whole world came thereby to perish but that this case required no such justice for in denying Polimero the Princesse we said he neither wrong him nor take from him ought that is his whereas by giving her him we should wrong the Realme by endangering it and take from it what it its owne by depriving it of its peace there being many spirits that cannot brooke the governement of this Prince though I confesse in all other respects worthy The Marquesse of Oristagnio could not without indignation heare out this Oration wherein he discovered many heads of great consequence Rising up therefore on his feete and concealing to himselfe what he conceived of it he answered to his objections That the disproportion of yeares was not a disadvantage to be calculated betweene Princes it bringing no prejudice to the maine principall which also if it were to be calculated should be rather objected on Polimero's side that his being without patrimony was that which was of them to be sought after to the end that his affection might not incline to any other state or country than that of Sardegna here gave he thē by the way a touch of his supplying the want of a patrimony by the conquest of Corsica of the obligation that the crown owed him therefore That the enmitie he incurr'd with the Barons should serve much availe for the amplifying of his deserts so as he much wondred at their inducing for an exclusive argument that which above all thing else expressed his worthinesse that the rebels kinsmen were known for Cavaliers of conditions so noble as would not without any cause hate Polimero's person and though they were such as would wish him ill howsoever yet had they no reason for his sake to hate the state and so prefer their particular enmity before the publike benefit which if it so were not and that therfore those nuptials caried with them some apparance of danger yet should there not be thereof any reckoning made seeing that Princes ought in every state to maintaine the priviledges of their dignitie which they doe not when they lend an eare to all manner of privie whisperings by listning wherto they come at length to be drawn to condiscend to any thing even to the putting down of the crown and renouncing the government or to beare the scepter and govern not as a King but as a subordinate magistrate depending on the will of others True it was that the people ought to be hearkened unto that in matters of law and justice the Prince ought to part from his own opinions and cleave to better judgments for which purpose were counsellors and councels ordained which were otherwise superfluous and vaine but yet that in matters absurd and unjust he ought to let them see that he knowes how both to conceive and punish offences making it thereby appeare to every one that his taking of counsell sprang not from defect but from excellency of judgment which is to the nature of a Prince more particularly adherent than any other condition whatsoever that the punishing of the guilty was to be imputed no more to Polimero than to justice it self which if it should be therfore hated then might we in such a case grant that he might also with reason be stomacked that his comming to the principality could not prove insupportable to other than ill-minded men his steps of ascending thereto being grounded not on the bloud of any of the nobilitiey and their demerits but upon his own bloud and well-known deserts nor was it to be doubted that he would become suspitious so by consequence cruell seeing that the rebels kindred either approved or not approved of their misdeeds which if they approved they then made themselves accessaries to the same fault if disapproved they could not chuse then but approve of their punishment nor was it lesse strange to say that their honour remained blemisht by the others punishment as if we would beseech love not to let the Sun shine on any uncleane thing for feare of polluting it selfe therewith but if they still insist that their honor is thereby contaminated let them then tell mee what is in their judgement fit to bee done and whether the murthering of ones Prince and betraying of ones countrey merit impunity and reward Furthermore hee denied that the rule of just and profitable had the supposed distinctions which though they had yet could not that any way stead them for the present purpose In fine he concluded that none but traitors could either refuse or oppose this match being both just and lawfull which he offered besides arguments to make good with the sword Much amazement in the audience bred this resolute speech of Oristagnio and little wanted the Marquesse of Bossa of being seconded when he excusing his speeches with much humilitie and the King being unwilling to be entangled with new garboiles feare occasioning such effects in him as it useth to doe in such as thinke by suffocating evils to make them sheere away the matter was whosht up with the conclusion of the marriage Well perceived the Princesse how her father erred with too much facilitie but seeing it could not be remedied she with Oristagnio's counsell resolved to call the prisoners to be put to death before the publication of the marriage and returne of Polimero thereby to free him as much as in her lay from the imminent hatred of the Barons That which in this designe of hers troubled her most was the person of Epicamedo she ballanced all those reasons that made him become worthy of death with that one sole regall qualitie of his which gave the scales such a shake as it was impossible to find means or counter-reasons to condemne him Most inconvenient seemed it also to proceede against him by a judicious way as against private persons by nature law and oath subject to the state In deciding this point were many dayes consumed with no few arguments of both sides After which was resolved that for one borne free a King and a Soveraigne to live a prisoner deprived of a kingdom and subjected to the charge of a Iavlor was no small punishment howsoever that his Realance was well gotten from him by the common rule of nature which teacheth us to repell force by force not so much by a title of war as because it was a warre begun by him who became a refuge to traitors an entertainer of rebels and a fosterer of the murtherers of Princes with an example tyrannicall and prejudiciall to himselfe if it had fortuned him to have continued
in his royal estate nor were all those dangers that were proposed to be likely to spring from the keeping of him alive able to remove Eromena from her innate clemencie who onely kept him secure under the charge of a faithfull guarde whereof there was no great neede for he having understood of the losse of his kingdome and of the resolution taken touching his person growne furiously mad thereat and wanting wherewithall to kill himselfe ranne his head at the wall with such a horrible force as he therewith dash'd out his braines for the others were prepared new wayes of torture as pinsers sheares hot irons and fires but the Princesse thereto consented not leaving such inventions for hellish furies contenting her selfe that they though worthy of all torments paid the law its due and satisfied by example the necessitie and publike desire of justice which was executed with so great a concourse of spectators as that the field was not capable to containe so great a throng The Traytors dying all of them penitent of the offence except the obstinate Admirall In the meane time was the Count of Bona held in suspence almost two montehs space without receiving any publike answer being neverthelesse well informed of its occasion and sumptuously entertained The newes being afterwards come of the totall possession of Corsica and Polimero desiring there should be sent thither a Vice-Roy to governe it a generall assembling of the states of the kingdome was resolved of to which end came together the feodatories deputies of every one of the Cities and Provinces The first thing in that Parliament decreed was the Prince's funerall exequies which were celebrated with such an orderly pompe as that they might with more reason bee termed triumphs there not appearing other lugubrous object than the habit and affection to the deceased Prince There were to be seene the representations and modells of sacked cities battells won people tamed and vanquished of Kings and Giants taken and led captives of wilde beasts trampled downe and monsters slaine the liberalitie used towards the vanquished the giving of cities and whole kingdomes not for avaritious but for honourable ends the Virgins preserved and the women cared for the dangers of the land and sea voyages and discovering of new regions In summe all whatsoever could in such a subject bee imagined for the expression of his a thousand-fold happinesse if there had not among so many ornaments of glorie violently beene inserted in the minds of the beholders the occasion of his death At the second sitting was in solemne forme established the incorporation of Corsica to the kingdome of Sardegna with a law of never alienating it more for any occasion whatsoever Some there were that would have their lawes and priviledges quite abolished but thereto would not the Princesse abosolutely consent thinking it best to see first how they demeaned themselves who though conquered by force should not be for that respect worse used than before being fallen not through their owne but through their Prince's faultinesse whose remembrance shold bee defaced out of the peoples hearts by good vsage and continuation of favours rather than by harsh usage and withdrawing of favours to give them cause of endeavouring to regaine their former freedome As for the lawes she well knew their abolishing to be necessarie being that a body cannot be formed of two soules and those different and would therefore have the Sardan lawes serve for and be common to both kingdomes nominating the Marquesse of Oristagnio Vice-roy of Corsica with generall applause of the universall assembly There being propounded afterwards at the third sitting the demand of Mauritania not for obtaining of consent thereto but to have it confirmed by counsell upon recitall of Polimero's merits and of the conquest of Corsica there was not so much as one that gainesaid it The Marquesse of Oristagnio parted suddely to the end Polimero might come to celebrate the marriage Now he had received daily intelligence from his Eromena the Marquesse and the Count of Bona of all that was done in Sardegna wherefore though he were desirous to dispatch himselfe thence yet waited he with all patience the orderly proceeding of his affaires conformable to the necessitie of the times setling in the meane time the places he had gotten in such order as they might be easily conserved fortifying every place whose site or necessitie required it having a speciall eye to the assuring of the ports but chiefely to the remotest from Sardegna in the face of Liguria So as when the Marquesse came and found all things so well setled he said that Corsica might well be kept without his government it being so well ordered as it was impossible for it for a long time to fall into any disorder Arrived in Sardegna and as its Prince reverenced of every one he came to Caleri met with great pompe and extraordinary applause where having kissed the Kings hands he would needes doe no lesse to Eromena's also the presence of the multitude prohibiting them to embrace one another according to their internall amorous affects so as they greeted each other with outward apparances according to the stile of convenient ceremonies The King for all these rejoycings never once joyed at all but the more he observed his sonne-in-law in his actions resemble his sonne the more he felt his heart rent with the memorie therof which he so loved as for it he disloved every thing else not excepting himselfe Polimero's first resolution was to licence the Mauritanian forces wherewith he well pleased the whole kingdome he re-sent them enriched with the pillage or Corsica and therefore passing well contented sending backe also with them all the Fleet except the Galleyes which he sent for Metaneone to come to his marriage and he by entreatie of his father and mother-in-law got leave to bring also along with him Eromilia Having then ship'd themselves after they had by a Fleet-Galley sent their brother word of their comming they sayled the two first daies with prosperous windes but were the two following greatly troubled with Southerly windes so as they had much ado to keep in the maine from crossing over to the Gaulan cost But the winde increasing and blowing with extraordinary furie they having lost their direct course were driven into the Lygustike sea without being able to touch the Iland of Corsica The sweet Eromilia found her selfe heart-sicke being unable to taste any sustenance sore was she troubled with vomiting so as having nothing in her stomack she cast up the very pure bloud to the extreme griefe of her husband who would willingly have died rather than have seene her so languish He had once hoped to come by some meanes or other to strike on the Corsan shore but seeing himselfe transported beyond Capo-Corso he commanded to take the winde in poop and to runne a-shore on the neerest place of landing North-ward from that Cape stood a little disinhabited Isolet where having with much adoe cast anchor
beautie and extolled modestie no sonnes had she but in their stead seven daughters the elder whereof bred up with hope of sâ—ccession she had then newly married to the Prince of Susiana which marriage occasioned the comming thither of the Artacanan Prince who borne to the exercise of armes and in them bred up upon the bridegromes invitation came thither to honour his friend and to make his fame by exercising of his person grow still more famous in the world the affect of honour being somewhat aâ—kin to that of gold whereof the more one hath the more he covets It were too long to relate unto you the feates of armes he there performed only I must tell you that valour beautie and bodily feature qualities without paragon in him held very ones minde in suspence to judge whether they overcame or were overcome of courtesie and other vertues scated in the minde which though internall twinkled forth sparkles that argued great flames of excellencies not to be extinguished by any other humour whatsoever The Queene who was then young being not passing foure and thirtie years of age grew to be so ardently enamored of him as no one place could long hold her nor were the considerations of her being mother to so many daughters Lady of so many people sufficient to extinguish this ordor of hers but like some combustible matter sprinkled over with oyle she burned more vigorously when she lighted on any reasons contrary to her desire This o this was it which made her neglect even her sleep and food dragd by amorous furies a different way she strove to defend her selfe from being conquered and in the victory the excessive paines she tooke to obtaine it weakened her forces against the succeeding battell Shee shunn'd the sight of him and yet was sicke to see them and being so sicke would willingly have died for not living sicke perpetually in that her modestie permitted her not to sue to him In the meane time he both honoured and beloved held correspondencie with all which he well knew how to doe nay it had gotten in him such a habit as that he could not chuse but doe it When he saw in himselfe any qualitie that he perceived to be in the Queene he would joy thereat It grieved him much to see her retired judging the feasts and sports obscured by the privation of her presence and that her griefe alone was an universall contagion to the Vniverse He went to see her and grieved so to see her Their language was not common such having no place in persons of singular vertue but accompanied with an internall affect of pitty followed with a sweet faintnesse of the heart and waited on with manners Royall and an expression able to captivate the most obdurate minde forcible enough it was not to batter for the breach thereof was made already but to raze to the ground her constrained resolution her losse making her know she was too weake to resist so many engins and so potent an enemy At length because her modestie consented not to the giving up of that Fort unto any which ever till then she had conserved she deemed it her best course rather than to lose it to yeeld it up upon honorable conditions wherefore retiring her selfe into her selfe and summoning her thoughts before the privy Councell of her consideration she came to see that it ill-befitted not her age and beautie to take to her a husband and too with all that the Prince of Artacana being her equall though not his fathers heire was no inconvenient march for her With this comforted and resolved leaving her bed she appeared at the solemnities with an excellent beautie waited on with so rare perfections as engendred envy in her sex but reverence and love or rather a reverent love in any lover of beauty luckily borne under an amorous influence The Prince at that time exceeded not the age of foure and twentie yeares too young for the practice of the world but not for the experience of love that grew so fixed by affection which by little and little was a building in him in all the gestures of the Queene as it was no difficult matter for him to perceive the fire that the fuell of his love maintained in her but yet doubted he of being beguiled for albeit he might assuredly have builded on the foundation of his owne merits yet modestie one of the vertues that embellished him made him charie in judging the best of himselfe and much more in censuring the worst of others being that such inclinations could not without some declination of honestie be presupposed to be as he conceived in any woman whatsoever An opinion sometimes false but ever discourteous which argument of his was farre from the thought of mariage knowing himselfe much younger than her and she not onely a mother of a numerous off-spring but also likely to be shortly a grand-mother wherin although he thought not himselfe deceived yet determined he not to give himself over for all that as a prey to desire ere he knew that he were certaine of his hope The dayes of those feasts were for the most part spent in feats of Chivalry masqueradoes shewes dances and huntings and the residue in journeying for seeing that the whole kingdome would needs partake thereof it was the Queenes pleasure that the foure moneths destined to that end should be stored amongst the foure royall cities which were Omano the Metropolitan citie placed in the midst of the Kingdome Zabra situate as it were under our Tropicke Saba in the extremitie of the Arabian creeke and Carma beyond the Sudmaritan mountaines nor was the time spent in iourneying reckoned in this account because every of them would needs feast their Queene their full moneth out lodging and entertaining her Court with all its followers without any charge at all to the Exchequer By which occasion also all such strangers as were flocked thither saw all that part of the kingdome where grew the aromaticall and sweet-smelling spices which is in the Sabeian Mineian and Scalalâ—tan quarters to such passing recreation of the senses that such of them as had been professed travellers protested that they never gusted the pleasantnesse of any journey with such a ravishing content as humane sense might imagine it held conformitie with the divine essence excepting this onely the odors of Myrrhe Incense and Balsome in the place where they grow and where every one may with his hands gather them farre supassing the odors of the same simples transported any where else the very aire there being also situate under so fortunate a clime as it breathes nought els but sweet odors nor distils other than right pretious balmes nay more the impartiall-seeming Sun which in the same paralell in other places melts and kills there vivifies and recreates And the hew of the inhabitants countenances which in Arabia the desart though many degrees more northerly are gloomie and swarffee are here neverthelesse cleere and lively If
be declared apparent heire after the Queene of that kingdome excluding by name Coralbo for so is this unfortunate child cald in spight of all such as opposed him Very few were those that stucke to the Queenes side all following the fortune of the sonne-in-law with the pretext of the Princesse by this time fruitfull of three sonnes so as the poore distressed Queene counselled by necessitie was faine to forgoe his sonnes title but perceiving though too late that this could not make up her good sonne-in-lawes content and that Coralbos life was that which he aimed at shee sent him to the strong castle of Cardamina when he waxen wroth to see him so repriv'd from his barbarous crueltie unmasking himselfe now and promising his sisters-in-law with great Dowries to many Princes had the heart to deprive his mother-in-law of her kingdome the death of his wife giving him occasion so to do who whilest she liv'd would never consent either to the deposing of her mother or the death of her brother Established then with the title of his sonnes the deposed Queene of every one pittied too late considering how that Cardamina whither she was retired could not be long able to withstand the Tyrants force calling me unto her Sotiro my beloved Cozen said she I know you conceive the miserable estate whereto fortune hath reduced me I am now without either husband or kingdome and am also like enough to bee shortly without a sonne too In such losses as these for which I should have died I have conserved my selfe alive to the end that at every new breathing I might lively feele them all my kindred and servants have all forsaken me you onely deare Cozen have left and lost all to accompanie and comfort me so that it is not the least among my griefes to know the disproportion that is betweene your fidelitie and my present state for not being able to reward you yet will I neverthelesse give you so efficacious a token of my gratitude though the receiving of it can bee to you but a great trouble that you will confesse it lies not in my power to give you more in the case I am in at this present With that taking the child and laying it in my armes she stood a good while without opening her mouth plung'd in a sea of teares till at last she said unto me This is that which I promised you the sole Relique of my felicities and onely comfort of all my losses and miseries which I must lose to my selfe that it be not lost to the world here is no place for him poore Infant no King or Prince to whose trust I may commit him you onely dare I boldly trust him with Vpon this rising off her seate and I following her with the babe in my armes she led me into a great tower where we found so much riches Iewels and coine as I remained thereat astonished opening unto me afterwards the places shut up and my wonder thereat increasing Cozen said she I would bid you take all that you here see if the carriage of it would not endanger you take therefore all that you thinke may stead and serve you yet must you make account that what you take must without any more be the patrimonie of my poore sonne and the stay of your loyaltie my selfe not knowing either what shall become of me or whether I shall ever find any meanes of sending you any more And as she was about to tell me somewhat touching the education she would have me give him she was seazed on by so great a floud of teares as her unfinished conceits were by her sobbings limited with this onely Doe you Whereupon I transformed into her griefe though most unapt to comfort her strove the best I could to speake something to her but she soliciting me to depart with such speedy earnestnesse as if the Tyrant had beene at the gates I went and chused out of the treasure what liked me best and taking up the babe got me to Arsinoe where landing in a Merchants habit having with me the riches signed up in diverse packs with merchants marks I passed to the Nile desending on it at my leasure to the sea where boording a good shop I sought for a setling place over all the Mediterranean Ilands but being winde-driven hither and finding here a great heard of goats with this Deere amongst them I wondered to see her so gently fawne upon me without any feare at all so as I judging this a fit place for my purpose called it because of the goates Capraia and finding this mouldrie stone easie to be wrought I sent for workmen from Liguria who in a short time made me the house you here see wherein I will doe my best to conceale this disinherited Prince I brought along with me three right faithfull servants one my owne the others given me by the Queene but because I never wrote unto her more than once from Arsinoe I sent her some three moneths sithence one of them to bring her newes of us not so much for discharge of my dutie as to know what state she now is in and to see if there be any likelihood of any hope of our returne wherein if there appeare an impossibilitie I intend to continue here till such time as the child grow to be able to exercise horse and armes by that time suspitions ceased my selfe growne aged he well growne up and both of us altogether unkend and quite forgotten I will endeavour to bring him elsewhere that fortune may not together with his kingdome deprive him of those fruits the world is like to reape from his truly Royall inclinations And this excellent Princes is all that you desired to know which I beseech you to account as not spoken nor had your Royall dignities beene sufficient to have made mee become thereof confident enough if your aspects carried not engraven in them the merits of your vertues worthy to be the cabinet of so great a secret Eromilia hugging the babe close to her faire breast with kissing it a thousand times could not containe her selfe from weeping faine would she have praied Sotiro to goe along with her to have him bred up in her Court if she had thought to have obtained him which proffer she and Metaneone both made him with expression how desirous they were thereof but he humbly thanking her told her that he would finde a time to come with him to see and serve her The three dayes that the tempest lasted passed the Princesse pleasantly on this Rocke with the sweet-pleasing company of Coralbo which expired shee commending him to the gods departed with her husband In a short time arrived they at Caleri met by Polimero and wellcomed by Eromena conformable to the dignitie of their estates and communitie of their affections whence they could not part for many dayes after the marriage although the King of Mauritania had by often messages solicited their returne till at length Polimero also