Armes in that battell Speake no more of this said Don Bellianis for it is euident if any honour I haue or any thing performed therein it onely procéedes from you Wherefore it is I that am onely bound to you all Marry if that were so replied Don Brianell I had there lost my life being vnable to defend it The Prince Arfileo and the Princesses disturbed this conference comming to gréete Don Bellianis where they renewed their thankes Which done their men hauing ransackt their enemies campe the two Kings the Princesses Don Bellianis with the Prince Arfileo the Phenician Prince and the venterous Knight directed their way towards Bollera by the same discoursing of many things Don Bellianis being of opinion they should returne and sacke Persepolis which they might easily haue don being left without any Garrison But the Princesse Persiana with the other Princes put himselfe from it alleadging their men to be weake and weary of their last trauell And so at last arriued in the Citie where well ordering their troupes and other businesse went to the Dukes Pallace to repose themselues where their woundes were dressed The Prince Don Contumeliano lodged with Don Bellianis at his intreatie who greatly ioyed with his company being a Knight of pleasant discourse Where we leaue them till we haue set downe what the Souldans men did after they were ouerthrowne and put to flight CHAP. XXXI What the Souldanes men did after the battell And howe they carried newes of their discomfiture to the Souldan THe battel being ended in maner aforesaid part of the Soldans men I suruiued tooke their way to Persepolis and hid themselues in the woods and some that were more hardie closely mingled themselues with their aduersaries hauing left behind them those things that might discouer them who heard Don Contume lianos discourse how the Knight of the golden Image was he that had slaine the fearefull King of Cyprus These Knights hauing closely hid themselues expected the darke nights approach and the closest that they might departed thence hauing not entred into the Citie and by the pale reflect of the shining Moone looking about the field for the bodies of Coroliano and Boraldo to carry them to Persepolis did at last finde them Coroliano being in perfect sence but Beraldo yet laie in his traunce being piteously wounded and extreame faint with the losse of much more blood then his brother and setting them on horsebacke with two Knights behind to guide them came the next day to Persepolis where incomparable was the lamentable griefe generally of all all participating of the present losse and certainly according to their greeued clamours and languishing cries their aduersaries had they come vpon them might easily haue taken and sacked the Cittie for being ouerwhelmed in bloodie teares breaking from their hearts that they knew not one another But aboue all the rest the distressed Souldane of Persia with madding rage renting his cloathes tearing the auncient haires off his graue beard and blaspheming and defying his Goddes with hideous shrikes cryed out Oh vnhappie Souldane of Persia Is it possible the Goddes should honour thée with so large an Empire to disgrace thy glorie with this shame and that thou arâ— not able to reuenge thée on thy rebellious subiect that hath slaine thy sonne in lawe and in despight of thée stolne thy onely daughter But thrise happie are you Coroliano and Boraldo that haue in defence of your deare Prince and Countrey wrastled with all conquering death leauing your liues for an immortall trophy of your true loyaltie And vnhappie am I that is not able to die when and where my fame and glorie is drowned in the lasting Center of blacke obliuion But let Fortune doo her worst as she alreadie hath in times past For I vowe by the immortall Gods neuer to cease till I haue put to vtter desolation he and his accomplices that hath bene cause of al these my euils Thus as hee was most bitterly raging and erâ—layming against his cruell hate there entred the hall gate the horses that as it is said brought his Cousens who though piteously wounded as may be beléeued spake vnto the Souldane that somewhat comforted himselfe to sée them not altogither dead and commaunded them to be laid in a bed in his owne Chamber where they were cured And the other knight beginning to discrye their ouerthrowe said that hauing almost vtterly defeated their enemies there arriued the Prince Contumeliano of Phenicia with foure thousand men with whome after a bloody conflict we rested thus vanquished and defeated Oh me disgraced that I am said the Souldane and was that diuellish Knight there that slue the mightie King of Cyptus I doo not now thinke much of your defeature seeing he and the knight of the Golden Image were against you yet I assure you I reioyce to knowe they are both there that our reuenge may be greater We haue béene greatly deceiued herein dread souereigne said the knights for that Knight that depriued the King of Cyprus of his life is not the Prince of Phenicia bâ—t is the inuincible Knight of the Golden Image that onely for the same effect came forth of prison disguised in habit of one of his Damzels and repeated all Contumelianoâ— report Is it possible Oh immortall Gods that such a thing should bee which I yet dare not beléeue and surely there was not in the world a man blynder to knowe him then I. For séeing him so wounded and bléeding through his armour shuld haue imagined it could be none but he But tell me what is Don Contumeliano Which should be no bad knight seeing the knight of the Golden Image tooke his name and Armes One of the valiantest knights in that whole Campe is that Prince sayde they for at two blowes did hee bring your Cousin Boraldo to this passe you sée with many other worthy déedes that in the battell he performed These newes much discomforted the Souldane in which state he continued eight daies till he was altogither well of his fall in which time he heard by report of many Knights of the aduenture that was not farre from the Citie Who greatly desiring to see went thither accompanied with many Knights Where being come and reading the Letters of the Piller diuers would proue it but in a little space as many as did were ouercome and yet could sée no bodie I haue many yeares ago heard of this aduenture said the Souldan and how it was here and I know that in the Souldan my graund-fathers time many auncient Knights proued it And so from that time it was published abroad that many wandring knights from diuers places came to prooue themselues in it The Souldane after this returned to the Citie and caused his commaund to be proclaimed throughout his large Empire that euery one able to beare Armes should within two moneths be at Persepolis Whereby he beganne to order the mightiest and strongest Army by lande that vntill that time was euer séene in
those parts For within one moneth there were arrided in that Cittie aboue thrée hundreth thousand valiant horsmen and well appointed The Souldane sent to many places as well abroad as at home to seeke for his sonne the Prince Perianeo to leade those troupes against his aduersaries with whose comming he so assured himselfe to be reuenged as if it were alreadie executed For he not only thought to destroy the Duke Alfiron and the Prince of Phenicia but also thought to subuert the kingdom and King of Rasia whom he imagined to be father vnto Arfilio and if those warres happily succéeded to passe against the Grecian Emperour whom he knew to be frée of the daunger that Don Galaneo of Antioch had put him in So that these imaginations made him longerstaie then he had purposed preparing all necessaries for those warres CHAP. XXXII How don Brianell required by the Prince don Bellianis departed towards the Kingdome of Antioch How the duke Alfiron married the Princes Persiana and what straunge things happened in the Iousts vnto the Princes Contumeliano Arfileo and Florispiano THe Knight as is said being within the Citie of Bollera made famous by their being there were within fiftéene dayes throughly whole of their woundes though not of that which the amorous Prince don Bellianis had in his hart for the loue of the bewteous Princesse Florisbella which had so penetrated his tender breast that he determined vpon the good successe of those affaires neuer to cease till his eyes might enioy her happie sight thinking therewith to mitigate the crueil passions of his tormented heart Thus continuing there vpon a day taking apart the Princesse Persiana told her that he thought it not amisse if she desired the accomplishing of her desires she should forthwith wed the Duke Alfiron lest the chaunges of Fortune might héereafter disturbe it and that the Souldan her father would not be so cruell that hearing it would not reioyce to sée her marryed to her content Shée that nothing else desired said she would in euery thing accord to his will derogating in no respect from it Wherefore thanking her for that honour he conferred of it with the Duke who thereto agreed appoynting the nuptialls to be solemnized tenne dayes after which was the time they celebrated a feast dedicated to their Mahomet All the Knights greatly reioyced at that don Bellianis had done preparing themselues very sumpteously against the mariage day ordering a most stately Tourney in honour of the nuptialls And in the meane time hearing of the Souldanes preparations and innumerable multitudes neglected not to demaund the aide of all her friends and Allies And the kings sent to their kingdomes that all their help might there with speede be vnited And so these great enemies béeing thus nigh one to the other were by their spyalls still aduertised of eythers dooings The knight of the Golden Image much gréeued to see these delayes because they hindred and kept him there from prosecuting his attended iourney dispayring of hoped ioyes wanting the presence of the causer of his gréefe which he somewhat lightned by daily conuersing with the damsels of his mistresse else otherwise he hardly could haue staied there all that while which he beguiled with pleasant discourses with those Princes and Ladies and one day talking with the Princesse Aurora about her affayres in Antioch she said to him it wold not bee vnnecessarie shee should write vnto the Gouernour of that kingdome placed by the Prince Don Gallaneo on whom she reposed great trust I thinke it not amisse answered Don Bellianis if you suppose it will not disaduantage you But who shall carrie it when it is made I shall want no knight to doo it replied shee or if I doo one of my Damzels shall vndertake the troublesome toyle Whereupon Don Bellianis taking pen yncke and paper writ the letter and when it was done called the Prince Don Brianell whom as is said greatly desired to be imploied in that Princesse seruice said to him hee should bee the bearer of that letter being a matter to be trusted on none but he There is no reason my good Lord said the Princesse that you should vndergo such trouble hauing alreadie hitherto taken so much for my sake you neede not now farther indanger your self in these new such seldom seen toiles hauing at my hands receiued no fauour for any It is no trouble déere lady said he which is vndertakeÌ„ in your behalf especially in y e aduancing of your glory and therefore I am incouraged straight to depart heÌ„ce I gladly wold haue accompanied you replied she if this present war did not hinder me wher don Bellianis is also necessarily staied It is better that you remaine here said Don Bellianis for the Prince Don Brianell will quickely returne with answere And thus they agreed that the next day he should depart telling those knights that he went about an earnest matter of his owne which forced him so to leaue them assuring them his returne shoulde bee with spéede And so taking his parting leaue the insuing morning he went forwards on his voyage continuing his dayly iourneyes till hee arriued at Antioch where there be fell him great aduentures as shall be set downe in his due place So leauing him and returning to our former purpose the day was at length come wherein the royall nuptials of the Princesse Persiana with the Duke Alfiron should be celebrated against which time euery one prouided theÌ„selues according to their estate in such tumultuous times wherein they dayly expected the arriuall of their enemies for which cause least they should suddenly be surprised they kept in armour aboue eight thousand men which they had within the Cittie besides their campe they had without the walles intrencht about the furthest place of the citie because one should not trouble the other in their salue Which multitudes were equally diuided in squadrons and battalions as they were readie to fight some pitched battell The day come the Princesse Persiana issued foorth the contentedst Ladie liuing shee was ledde by the arme by Don Bellianis going all a foote because they would be the better seene with a soft pace When they were seene by their armed troopes they all showted out aloud saying It is a iust thing that we all spend our dearest liues for the safetie of such Lords or impall their heads with the imperiall Diaâ—â—m which they so well deserue and therewith discharged so many peeces of Ordinance and sounded so manie Instruments of all sorts as it seemed the totall subuersion of the vniuersall world in which maner they arriued in the temple where they were married which done they returned with like triumph to the Pallace where the Tables being couered they diâ—ed the Bride and Bridegroome at one Table with the two Kings and the thrée Princes at another dined many of their Nobisitie The dinner done they daunced according to theyr maner while the knights maintainers of the iousts entred the lystes
many of his agaynst the like number of the fierce king Tramolcanos which on either part this day was begunne verie bloodie but in the meane time entring there in two of the kings cousens haue made such a massacre of the Counties knights that none dare confront them and my selfe being wounded as you sée am thus going to be cured in a Castell not far from hence and so past away What were we best to do sir Palineo demaunded don Brianell That we go to the iousts answered he and there we shall sée what we haue to do And thus resolued arriued at the Tilt-yard where but 500. of the counties knights were left and they so wounded that they could no longer withstand their aduersaries by reason of the cruell strokes of the kings causes Which don Brianell perceiuing and his valiant heart abhorring to be idle saide to Palineo Let vs succour those almost vanquished Be it so replied he Whereupon â—â—wching their Launces entred the listes and at the first encounters ouerthrow two of the Giants knights and don Brianell before his Launce broke vnhorsed more then sixe Palineo with a loude voyce cried out thus Courage courage knights of Antioch and shew the valour of your mindes least now you bee reputed vanquished which neuer hitherto hath happened Who â—â—boldned with this speech seeing the haughtie deedes of don Brianell couragiously renued the bloodie skirmish The two Giants séeing that noueltie in the Cities knights and how the Prince don Brianell like a bloodie Dragon persecuted their men did both togither assaile him to giue him his death But he that in greater perils had beene in awaited them couragiously well couered with his sheeld and they arriuing both at one time with their slycing semilers discharged two mightie blowes vpon him But don Bryanell spurred his horse â—orward within them that the blowes lighted not full on him notwithstanding his sheelde was cleft cleane in two and he wounded one with a mightie thrust that the sword appeared at his backe 〈…〉 g dead on the ground And seeing an other furious blowe from the other gyant descend vppon his head and being destitute of a shéeld câ—â—st the sâ—â—itor with his sword which beeing of a better temper then the Gyants it cut it in two and straight thereupon strooke the Giant on his arme which from his shoulder fel to the earth Who seeing himselfe maimed of his lims turned his horse and roaring fled away Who were able to expresse the greefe and rage of Tramolcano to sée one Cousin slaine and the other wounded to death Thereupon calling out to his mâ—n to take that Knight that had committed so great treason whereat many incompassed Don Brianell wherfore Palineo went to help him amazed at his haughty déedes The count Garianos men brauly defended him yet had hee remained prisoner for the diuellish Tramolcano descended with all his men had not Palineo that foresawe the daunger pluckt him by the arme and said to him Follow me sir knight if you wil saue your life for it will be reputed no lesse valour to saue it thus then sâ—aying to kill all this company Don Bryanell allowing his counsaile rained his horse backwards went away in despight of all that looked after him So soone as the king was come downe froÌ„ his window the tourney was parted and he commanded of those and other knights aboue 4000. to follow the murtherers as hee called them of his Cousins and dead or aliue they should bring theÌ„ to him and he taking with him the dead bodies of his slaine Cousins returned to his pallace to arme himselfe minding in person to follow the search all which was but in vaine for Palineo knowing all those wayes nookes and lanes that was thereabout issued out of the Cittie in sight of all the knights spurring without â—â—â—gring till they came into a litle Groaue turning on the right hand entred into a garden vnséene of any and passed to the farther side thereof vnto a house where shepheards in stormy weather withdrew themselues and there staying don Brianell said séeing they were not séene of anie Let vs light here if you please that our horses may rest and from hence may we well sée if any followes vs. Wherevpon looking from the high Mountaine and espying none dismounted from their horses and put them in a stable that there was giuing them hay and prouender they there found And with great ioy of their good successe discoursed of their late aduenture greatly pleased with the death of these two giants whoÌ„ Palineo sayd did great outrages in that land I hope said don Brianell we shall easily enter the castell Hardly shall we do it replied Palineo yet we will trie it séeing we are come to that effect In the meane time were it good we had somewhat to supper That were not amisse replied don Brianell if our prouision were better Let me alone for that said Palineo so soone as it is night for I also greatly desire to sée what is done in the Pallace the better to order our affayres And thereupon expected the approach of the couerer of nightly actions CHAP. XLVII What don Brianell and Palineo did going out of the Cittie of Antioch how they entred the Mine and of their fight withthe Castell about the libertie of Damartyno THe darke night béeing come so obscure as they wished Palineo vnarmed himselfe and leauing don Brianell behinde put on a cloake he found in the house which the day before a shepheard had there left and muffling his face went to the Citie where taken for a shepheard he passed vnknowne till he came to the Kings Pallace where he found many armed knights that returned from the search among whom was the King himselfe mad with anger that hée could not heare of the two knights that slue his Cousens Among this troupe had Palineo occasion to go in and so went vnto the Mynes mouth whose doore was shut and seeling whether it might bée opened hée found the Locke verie weake for the doore vsed onelie to bée shutte because that secret might not bée discouered And so returned to the Citie and brought some victualles for himselfe and his companion wherewith béeing almost tenne a clocke he came to Don Bryanell where with a good stomacke they supt hauing eaten nothing since their comming from Miriana and hauing done Palineo said Let vs be gone for if longer wée staye the King and the Countie may haue supt and so wée bee locke out of the Pallace But what shall we do with our horses said Don Bryanell for I would not willinglie loose mine because this Cittie containes none so good If replyed Palineo wée dye in this enterprize wée shall not néede our Horses but if wée scape liberating according to our desire our friend Damartyno the matter will be lesse in loosing them Don Bryanell replying neuer a word armed himselfe and carrying his Helme in his hand put on the shepheards cloake which Palineo had before woorne who said vnto
that vtterly subuerting those aduerse strengths leauing no man with life they sent Ambassadors to Antioche to make them know these euents so happily brought to ende which greatlie gladded them sending thither Gouernours to order those vprores till all thinges else were otherwise concluded By this time the wounded Knights were through well except Palineo that beeing woorse wounded was longer in healing But one day being altogither in Councell it was determined that Damartyno as before should sway the gouernment of the whole Kingdome and did sweare all the people to obey him And though hée refused it alledging he was farre in yeares and therefore it better became him to withdrawe vnto a priuate life leauing the variable chaunces of the giddie worlde yet in the â—â—de he was forced to doo it at the intreaties of all the Nobilitie of the lande that highlie estéemed them And don Bellianis hauing vnderstood of his cousen don Brianell the great toyle and daungers that the pollitike Palineo had in those businesses sustained called him before all the greatest Peeres saying thus If the merits that your valour and your worthy person do deserue should accordingly be recompenced valiant politike warriour all this kingdom were insufficient to counterpoise your high deserts being by your onely means recouered for it is manifest that you were the cause of the restitution therof as also of Damertynos libertie the glorie of all which things deseruedly shoulde to your selfe be attributed Which notwithstanding I intreat you not regarding the smalnesse of the gift but she good will of the giuer and as a token of your farther deseruings to accept as your owne the whole estate and Lands belonging to the County Gariano wishing it were in a better time that I might expresse my loue towards you with larger effects according to the vsance of my minde Yet will I procure the Princesse Aurora to confirme you this with promise of a greater recompence All those Lordes that were there present highly allowed and commended what Don Bellianis had especially the Princes Don Bryanell and Clarianeo To whom Palineo thus made answere Excellent Prince and most heroyicke for so may I with reason though I do not know you call you hauing on me extended the magnificence of your royall minde by the bountie of your liberall hand which in no lesse a person then I speake of can be seene hauing â—one nothing that might deserue so much as the company of such famous knights but the greatnesse of your largenesse passing al compare bindeth me to this And so doo I receiue these fauours onely to imploy the same togither with my life in your seruice the Princesse Aurora my soueraigne Lady beseeching the immortall gods that when I do forget this dutie that then I may be made an example of the like ingratitude to all in the vniuersall orbe And therevpon prostrating himself vpon his knées desired to kisse his hande But Don Bellianis refusing it imbraced him with great affâ—â—â—iâ—n The like did all the other knights calling him thereafter Count Gariano hauing deserued it by the vertue and valour of his minde possessing nothing of his ancestors but a horse and armor weapons Don Bellianis hauing finished this action commanded all his army spéedily to ship themselues charging all the leaders and Captaines to bend their voyage to Persia and attend his comming or order from him at Persepolis making them knâ—we the danger wherein he had left the Emperor there They with a good winde departed leauing don Bellianis alone with onely his brothers and don Bryanell that determined to méete them by land After all this they continued eight daies in Antioch which being pacified and quieted they resolued the insuing day to depart The Count Gariano aâ—â— the Gouernor Damartyno greatly sorrowing for their a 〈…〉 t before they went they so much intreated them to 〈…〉 themselues that don Bellanis not able to deny it â—â—â—d them what â—heâ— were taking their words they should not disâ—lâ—se it to â—ny who rested amazed yet very glad that these affaires were concludes by so great a prince and giuing theÌ„ guides to 〈…〉 their way to Persia they at length departed In which iourney 〈…〉 them the Hystorie here endeth this first part â—â—â—â—ng h 〈…〉 ten barke in the doubtfull surges of 〈…〉 on the quiet shoare of 〈…〉 tie and patronagâ—â—g fauours FINIS