that advised you to let her live therefore great Lady I counsel you while it is time to cut her off and destroy her lest the curse of the Empire follow you Then said the Empress all that shall not happen for to morrow I shall sit in Iudgement and she shall dye without fail When the day was come the Empress sate in Iudgement and commanded her Officers to lead her away to be burnt at a stake and as we was led through the City in a long smock of Lawn and a branch of Rosemary in her hand and the Trumpets sounding her doleful Funeral all the people ran out and wept crying alas alas the onely Daughter of the Empress is leading to death Then came Debora the first Mistris passing by as the young Lady saw her she bowed der head as if she said remember me when you come before my Mother and when she came to the Empress and did reverence the Empress said unto her with a storn countenance Thou ungrateful and vile woman how hast thou tutozed my childs I delivered her to thee well and hopeful and now she is become the viceousest creature that ever a woman bare surely thou shalt dye as strange a death as may be thought on Then said the Mistris gracious Lady the cause why she speaketh not the divine powers know and without cause it is not and as for the sin of Fornication we all can testifie that for the space of these seven years we never saw the least motion neither in thought word nor déed therefore gracious Lady if you do put her to death onely for the accusation of Radamentus it will happen to you as it did unto the Queen of Syra who poisoned her husband through the perswaston of one wicked person Then said the Empress shew me that example Nay said the Mistris except you send for your Daughter back otherwise she may be dead before I make an end then will it be in vain upon which words the Empress sent for her Daughter again and committed her to prison then the Mistris began as followeth The Example of the first Mistriss In Syra lived a Quéen of great renown and of such excellent beauty that a fairer woman was not in all the world for which many Kings and Princes of Noble Blood came a suiting to her each man confident she should be his This Queen delighted much in seeing Iusts and Turneys therefore it was a day appointed and they all assembled together to shew their valour before the Quéen amongst whom was Crassus a most valiant Prince and of such incomparable features and beauty that his like was not among men Vpon this Prince the Queen fixed her eye all that part of the day in whose sight he did such worthy acts that deserved perpetual memory and to be brief he had the day of all the Kings Princes and Barons that were there whereby he came off the Field with Trumpets souning and victorious Trophies bore before him On the morrow after the Queen sent for him and when be came he kneeled before her to have kist her hand but she refused and in a comely deportment tendered her lips The Prince being somewhat bashful the Queen gave him farther encouragement so that by little and little they grew in a wonderful familiarity and soon after the Queen took him for her Husband and made him joynt King of Syra with her He was a wise and gracious Prince and beloved of all his Subjects all people joyed at his presence the whole land sorrowed in his absence never no Queen loved King better nor never was Queen more beloved of a King and it came to pass afterwards that the King of the Parthians lay very sick whose Son this King was and he received a Letter from his Father to make haste unto him that after his death he shâ—uld take possession of the Realm and after a while he was gone an evil Counsellour in his Court being in love with the Queen intercepted all the Kings Letters that passed betwéen him and his Queen and informed the Quéen he had married another Lady in his own Countrey which raised such jealousis in the Quéen that she tore the ornaments of her head wringing her hands saying O my dear Lord what evil have I done what word have I misplaâ—â— wherein have I offended you that another should reap the Consolation of your Love The King in the mean time wondering be could never receive any Letter from the Queen lamented saying O my Dear wherein have I offended I can never hear how you do nor how the affairs of our Kingdom standeth All this while the wicked Counsellor intercepted their Letters on both sides to work the destruction of the King and at last he indented a strong Person and carried the same to the Queen and told her it was of such a Vertue that if the would cause a King to be made hollow and put a little of this vertue in it and sond it to the King as a taken and as oft as ever the King old loâ—â— upon it â—would cause him to forsake all other women and haste home unto her so the Quéen believed his wicked counsel and was very glad and without the advice of any other she caused a King to be made as he had said and put therein this poison and sent it away to her Husband When the messenger came before him he did him reverence and presented the King to him the harmless King joyfully put it on saying â—was the swéetest present he ever received soon after his finger began to swell and he sent for his Physicians who said his finger was venomed with the strongest poyson in the world and said he must cut it off else 't would venome his whole body Then said the King cut it off which accordingly was done then his arm began to swell and in like manner that was cut off to preserve his life Then the good King groaned out this complaint O thou vile woman why hast thou done this to him who thou wert as dear to as his own soul thou hast attempted that by poyson which the stoutest Champion durst not do by arms I that hath won thée the greatest glory that ever came to Syra hast thou now destroyed with inferiour poyson for which thou wilt gain reproach of all Nations and be reviled of all women for returning me malicious poyson for pure in flamed love but all as I can say is ingratitude is the grandest insolency in the world O woman why hast thou done this Thereupon he sunk down in his Chair and gave up the ghost The messenger hasted home and told the Queen what had happened by the King and that all the Counsellor had fold her of the King was false then the Quéen fell a wéeping and wringing her hands saying O what hade I done what have I done I have by the advice of an evil Counsellor slain my dear Husband the King O cursed Traytor would to God I had
each of them threatning sad punishment if they would not confess and at last they confest it were they stole the Cup and put it in his Pâ—rtmantle for which they were both hanged and the young man saved And then said the Mistrisâ— understand you what I hâ—ve said yes right well said the Empress Now I do perceive that very often the wicked committeth the fact and the innocent are Condemned You have shamed me a good example therefore my Daughter shall not dye Great Lady said the Mistris if you do so you will do well and I thank yo for sparing your Daughter this day for my sake and therefore to God I commend you The fourth Complaint of Radamentus WHen Radamentus heard the young Princess was not dead but rather pardoned he waiked up and down the Garden like a man bereaved of his wits and made great lamentation the noise thereof came to the Empress our and she went in all haste to him and comforted him saying My graâ—e Lord and Counsellour why 〈◊〉 it 's you this mâ—an if behoveth our a man especially such as you are so rarely well dig dignified in wisdom and discâ—etion to grâ—â—â— out such sad complaints O Madam said Radamentus why should you tell me so will â—â—nâ—t make a stone move or a wall of brass speak to see that your judgement is so much sâ—upified as not to be advised by my grave Counsel knowing no man ought to tell you more then my self that you suffer such pestilential fâ—avâ—rs to remain not qualified nor oppressed O that I had dyed before I had been elected to come into these parts for what honour or reputation I ever gained formerly I shall now receive ten times as much shame and dishonour but I fear it will happen to you as it did unto a Lady in Thesaly with her Déer which is mentioned in the Example Then said the Empress I pray shew me that example for my learning I may be the better instructed If I should said Radamentus it would avail nothing for I shewed you one yesterday last and it came to no effect nevertheless I shall shew you this which is as followeth The fourth Example of Radamentus SOmetime in Rome there lived a great Lady which had a famous Park of Déer that a worthier was not in all the land she had also a very gallant Hound which was presented to her by the best Huntsman in the world and this Lady delighting much in hunting appointed a day for the tryal of this brave Dog and when the day was come they rouzed a Buck and followed the Chace up the Hills down the Dales through the Thickets Bracks and Boggs the like hunting ne'râ— was known in that part of the world for the Dog hunted upon hot sent seven dayes together till all the followers were tyred both foot and horse and left the whole Game to the Dog yet still the Buck maintained his ground and the Dog his Chace throughout the Kingdom of Thesaly three hundred mils an end the Lady and her Noble Barons gave off all for lost some of them cryed we shall never see the Buck again said the Lady I shall never have my Dog again and when they had yielded all as lost there came a Letter from the King of Egypt he knowing her so delightful in Hunting and the tenure of it was that there came a Buck chased by a Dog through some part of his Dominions and that they were come into the Kingdom of Thesaly The Lady hearing this said Doubtless this Dog and this Buck by all description should be mine and as she was thus musing the Keeper brought in word that the Buck and Dog was come then the Lady rejoyced and ran into the Park to see the Buck and Dog and there they found the Buck leapt just ever the wall and fell down and the dog ran to the wall and he fell down onely wearied but not to death then said the Keeper this Buck is the best runner in â—â—t Thesaly and the Lady said this Dog is the best in all the world and therefore all the Nobles and Barons that ever came there a hunting praised that Dog and loved him wonderfully Now there was an observation on this Dog for he loved the Park ever after and the same buck he before chased above all others so that he was observ'd to go every night about midnight to defend the Déer from any ravenous beast which should chance to come as Wolves or such like Creatures and this did he constantly upon his own accord so that such a Dog was never heard of before And it chanced after that the same Huntsman which gave the Lady this brave Dog presented her with another wolf-dog young and tender and of a most curious shâ—pe and form which also won the affections of the Lady marvellously so that she loved him as she lov'd her life and whosoever should tell her that this wolf-dog would prove the better Courser she would rejoyce and give them great rewards so that her love to the Hound began to decline for he was wont to quarrel with her young dog being of two contrary natures for which she would kick him and much reject him but the young dog grew apace well formed fair and comely Not far from her Court lived seven wise Mistrisses whom she sent for to pass their judgements upon this young Dog what they thought of him And the first said it was the fairest dog that ever she saw and it would make a good Courser then the second said it was the comeliest Dog that ever she saw and he would make a stately kéeper the third said it was the tallest Dog that ever she saw and would be fit for a Princely Game the fourth said it was the strongest Dog that ever she saw and would be a brave companion in a forrest the fifth said it was the furicusest Dog that ever she saw and was fit to kéep a treasury the firth said it was a dog in her judgement excéeded all others and the seventh said it was a Dog if well taught and preserved would parallel the whole world for his equal Then said the Lady I thank you all for your great accommodations you give of my dog therefore I shall prize him as I do the greatest Iewel I have but I have an excellent Hound besides which on his own accord doth watch my Déer every night and preserve them from the Wolves and the like savage beasts and they two can never agrée Then said the first Mistris the Hound is something ancient and probable might not live long the wolf-dog is young and iusty and the best of his dayes are to come and since they cannot live both together quietly it is expedient one should dye therefore let the Hound be destroy'd Then the Lady gave command that the Hound should be hang'd immediately and soon after the Hound was dead many Déer were lost out of the Park therefore they put the Wolf-dog to watch yet for
she had never no correspondency with her before Wherefore she went to meet her and when she came before the great Empress she fell down upon her knees and said O great Empress how have I meritted so great honour and favour that your mâ—st Excellent Majesty have vouchsafed to come in person and establish me again in my kingdom Then the Empress took her up and have her come inâ—o the Chariot to her and when they came home to the Court the Queen brought the Empress a bowl of wine and bowed three times and fell down upon her knees to present it then the Empress commanded her servants to depart the room and then she asked the Queen what Children she had and the Queen answered she had one Daughter but she was dead Then the Empress said tell me true did she dye a natural death or no tell me the truth for I sweaâ— by my Crown you shall come to no dammage Then the Quéen answered Most glorious Princess I brought up my daughter in all vertuous Learning Arts and Sciences that for her wisdom and comely behaviour she was honoured of all people and beloved of every one she was my onely delight and in her absence was my greatest sorrow that without her presence I was discontent when I was wont to sit down to meals she was alwayes at my elbow to give me a bowle of wine when I should please to call for it for the pleasantest draught that ever I drank was out of her hand And it happened upon a time as I sats at dinner my Daughter waited upon me and as she bare a bowle of wine to my hand there appeared the shadow of an Arm upon the wall and it wrote three lines to the great astonishment of us all and I beheld it my self and said That person was happy which could read and interpret those Lines that were written upon the wall by a secret and an unknown band that none but the Diverts powers did know of Having thus spoken my Daughter stood up and spake unto me to 〈◊〉 words If it may please my most dear and reverend mother not to be offended with me I could read those Lines upon the wall and interpret them and give you the true meaning thereof Then I answered and said Speak on my Daughter and you shall finde whether I shall be angry or no them my Daughter stood up boldly and said The Lines upon the wall written are in several Languages but the interpretation doth predict or signifie that I shall become a mighty Princess and be honoured by all people especially by my own Parents for the time shall come that my Mother shall present a bowls of wine to me and bow thrée times and deliver it upon her knees When the young Lady had thus made an end of declaring the interpretation of the Lines that were written upon the wall her mother was very wroth and said to her self thus I will never be so serviceable to my own daughter surely and being in my fury I called my servants and commanded them to take her privately away and conveigh her to the Forest of Bazar and there destroy her and for satisfaction thereof to bring her Heart and shew it unto me which accordingly was done and she is dead which for the reason you have heard I did destroy her Then said the Empress you might well think it was much in vain to strive against tho determinations of the holy will of God for now you shall know of truth that what is decréed in Heaven above the force of mortals can never frustrate below upon the earth therefore be it known to you that I am your daughter whom you suppose to have been dead and by the Providence of God I have been preserved the Lord putting it into the hearts of your servants not to slay me but to put me into a hollow trée where a Knight chanced to come that way a hunting his Dogs did run and encompassed the said trée round about howling and crying whereby the Knight looking in to sée what the reason was of his Dogs making such a howling he there found me the servants also to satisfie your implacable wrath against me that you commanded to bring my Heart to let you sée the Execution was effected they slew a Lamb on the side of the mountain and presented the Heart to you The good Knight also that found me in the tree cartied me into his own Countrey and presented me to the Emperour where I was not long before I was espoused to him his Wise and advanced to the Royal dignity of an Empress and his most Excellent Majesty soon after deceased and left me sole Heir to his Empire in which Honour and Glory I now remain The Queen hearing these words being ravished with soy and all amazed sell down to the earth in a swound whom the Empress loving took up in her arms saying Now you shall know that my exaltation and dignity accrew to your glory sâ—y and profit so they kist each other then the Quéen began to weep but the Empress said Weep not my most dear and reverend mother for you are restored to your Crown and Kingdom whereby you shall be honoured by all people above me during my life and reign And afterwards there was a great Feast prepared and all the Nobles and Barons of the Land assembled together to congratulate and joy with the young Empress in magnificent Shewes and Triumphs After the great Day was over and the Celebration ended the young Empress sent her Heraulds throughout all the Kingdom to the Dukes and Princes to repair to her Mothers Royal Standard and render their duty and obedience to her Majesty and to set the Crown again upon her Head And after she had settled her mother in a firme and flourishing peace she departed in great honour and glory and returned into her own Empire Here follows the Application of the Example THen said Sabrina to the Empress her mother Vnderstand you Madam what I have said Yes right well said the Empress Then said the daughter Most worthy mother though God hath endued me with Learning and Wisdom so far abode others yet it shall rather be applied to the supporting of youâ— Honour and Dignity then to the impairing of your glorious Majesty like as the great Empress in the very height of all her Honour though formerly her mother did seek her destruction she did not infringe her mothers Prerogative but on the contrary she helped her and enlarged her Dominions Nay when her mother was banisht from her Realm she restor'd her again to her Kingdom and put the Royal Diadem upon her head and by her great strength and potent power caused all the bordering Princes round about to live in fear of her most Excellent Majesty And as long as the Empress lived her mother was honoured above her and enjoyed her Kingdoms in a flourishing peace and tranquillity Then the Empress took her daughter by the hand and led
thy unbraded Gold There my enfranchiz'd hand on every side Shall o're thy naked polisht Ivory slide No curtain there though of transparent Lawn Shall be before thy Virgin treasure drawn But the rich minde to the enquiring eye Expos'd shall ready still for mintage lye And we will coyn young Cupid there a bed Of Roses and fresh mirtles shall be spread Under the cooler shades of Cypress Groves Our pillows of the doun of Venus Doves Whereon our panting love we 'l gentle lay In the faint respites of our active play That so our slumbers may in dreams have leasure To tell the nimble fancy of our pleasure And so our souls that cannot be imbrac't Shall the imbraces of our bodies taste Mean while the publick stream shall drown the shore Th'inamour'd chirping wood-quire shall adore In varied Tunes the Deity of Love The gentle blasts of Western windes shall move The trembling leaves and through the close boughs breathe Still Musick whilst we rest our selves beneath Their dancing shades till a soft murmurre sent From souls intranc't in amorous languishment Rouze us and shoot into our eyes fresh fire Till we in their sweet extasie expire Then as they empty be that lately bore Into the common Treasure all her store Flyes'bout the painted fields with nimble Wing Deflowring the fresh Virgins of the spring So will I risâ—e all the sweets that dwell In my delicious paradise and swell My bag with honey drawn forth by the poâ—er Of fervent kisses from each spicy flower I 'le seize the Rose buds in their perfum'd bed The Violet Knots like curious Maces spread O're all the Garden taste the ripened Cherry The Apple Apricock and Coral Berry Then will I visit with a wandring kiss The Vale of Lillies and the Bower of Bliss And where the beauteous Region doth divide Into two milky wayes my lips shall slide Down those smooth Alleys wearing as I go A track for Lovers in the printed snow Thence climing o're thy swelling Appenine Retire into thy Grove of Eglantine Where I will all those ravisht sweets distil Through loves Alembique with chymick skill From the mixt Mass one sovereign balm derive And bring that great Elixure to thy hive Now in more subtle wreaths I will entwine My lovely Thighs my Legs and Arms with thine Thou like a sea of milk shalt lye display'd Whilst I the smooth qualm Ocean doth invade With such a Tempest as when Jove of old Fell down on Danae in a storm of Gold Yet my tall pine shall in the Cyprian strait Bide safe at Anchor and unlade her freight My rudder with thy bold hand like a try'd And skilful Pilot thou shalt steer and guide My Bark into loves Channel where it shall Dance as the bounding Waves doth rise and fall Then shall thy circling armes imbrace and clip My willing body and thy balmy lip Bathe me in juice of kisses whose perfume Like a Religious Incense shall consume And send up holy vapours to those powers That bless our Loves crown our sportful hours Now Wedlock bonds unwreath our twisted Loves We seek no midnight Arbours no dark Groves To hide our Kisses there the hated name Of Husband Wife lust modest chaste or shame Are vain and empty words whose very sound Was never heard in the Elizian ground All things are lawful there that may delight Nature or unrestrained appetite Like and enjoy to will and act is one We onely sue where loves rites are not done These and ten thousand such expressions this brave King Alexander did use towards his renowned Empress but fortune not willing to favour him did cast a cloud over this pattern of vertue for no sooner had he set his Kingdom of Egypt and arrived again in Epyrus but there came a Herauld at Armes from the King of Syra to challenge him to the Field that upon the happy success of one battle the whole universe lay on 't for they two governed all the other Kings in the world Alexander with a brave courageous spirit answered the Herauld I look't for the King of Syra in the Field long ago I wonder his Chariot Wheels are so heavy in driving and bid him meet upon the Downs of Opher where I will be in person to assail him and his ten Legions and presently commanded his Drums to beat and his Trumpets to sound with other Instruments of War and so marched out with his Army taking his leave of his Royal Princess and his two Sons with showres of tears betwixt them both so parted the one from the other with heavy hearts When brave King Alexander was arrived upon the Downs of Opher he plac't his men in Battle of Aray and began to admonish them in these words Most brave and warlike Souldiers both Epirians and Egyptians I exhort you this day to be of good courage and fight manfully your Cause is just and right for the Syrans are coming against us without cause and we are upon our defence and this great Battle is the Battle for the whole world in the very heat of Battle think to your selves that you do see the grave Senators of Epyrus bowing down their hoary heads praying for your good success think that you do hear the Prayers of your Fathers Mothers Wives and Children for you and know that whosoever intends to sée their friends again must this day ransome himself with his Sword think to your selves that if the Syrans doth vanquish us how that my head will be plac't upon a Poll and pitcht up in the Market place and my Quarters hung up two in Egypt and two in Epirus our Cities and Towns burnt and turned to ashes our Maidens and Virgins deflowred our Childrens brains dasht against the walls and our young men slain and murthered and the brand of scorn upon our Kingdoms for perpetuity And on the other side if we do get the day honour and renown shall be upon our heads and the glories of Syra shall come into Epirus Gold and Silver shall be your rewards and the favour of your Prince you shall have to eternity The Souldiers answered Most great King if the Gold of Opher will make you glorious if the Treasures of Syra will make you great and if the strength of our Army will make you considerable both at home and abroad be assured great King you are this day the Master of all the Universe for here is not a Souldier but at your command will cut his Fathers Throat and sheath his Sword in his Brothers Blood to rob the Gods and pull the Temples down all this will they do if you command them By this time there was but one Fields breadth between the two Armies all Rampiers Trees and Hedges were levelled even with the ground Lions and Bears were seen to come out of the Woods as of purpose to devour dead Carkasses Vultures which are ravening Birds did darken the Air Lightning and Thunder came down that did melt the heads of the Foot-mens Spears and singed the Hair on their Heads and the Horse Manes King Alexander divided his Army into four parts his right Wing consisted of ten thousand conducted by ten Kings the Forlorn-Hope were five thousand the left Wing were ten thousand conducted by ten Epirian Lords the main Body was led by brave Alexander himself the Battle began hot and sharp the Forlorn-Hope of the Epirians were driven back to thâ— main Body then advanced Alexander himself and the Battle began to be mortal the dispute old hold till twelve a Clock and there â—ell on both sides above eight thousand In the afternoon the Battle began again and the discomfiture fell upon the Epirians for in four hours time Alexander was fain to quit the Field being totally defeated and most of his men slain Alexander was fain to throw his Crown upon the ground because he would not be known and escaped by Sea in a poor Fishermans Boat and sailed into Epirus and at the Haven where he designed to Land there his Royal Empress was waiting when any Ship would come in with news and at last she espied in a poor Fishermans Boat King Alexander himself at which sight fear smote her to the heart that she swounâ—ed upon the thought that the King was utterly overthrown but Alexander took her up in his armes and kist her with a showre of tears bedewing their Princely Cheeks but there was no remedy for their Kingdoms was wrested from them and they forced to slye into an uninhabited Island wherein they spent the remnant of their dayes with three other petty Kings Soon after Alexander dyed and his Empress who in a Sepulchre which he hewed out himself they were both interred on which was written this following Epitaph Within this House of Stone here lyes The King of Egypt who was call'd the Wise Likewise that glorious and illustrious Queen Of the Epirians here is to be seen Who from all Right and Justice were debarr'd When Syrans King in Battle with him Warr'd FINIS