before which and calling him to witnesse that suffered such bitter and cruell torments on his Crosse putting a Ring vpon his finger there she faithfully espoused him refusing all the World to be onely his which being on either side confirmed solemnely by an holy vow and chaste kisses shee commanded him backe to his Chamber and shee returned to her bed againe sufficiently satisfied with her Loues acceptation and so they iournied on till they came to Rome When they had rested themselues there for some few dayes the supposed Abbot with the two Knights and none else in company but Alessandro went before the Pope and hauing done him such reuerence as beseemed the Abbot began to speake in this manner Holy Father as you know much better then any other euery one that desireth to liue well and vertuously ought to shunne so farre as in them lieth all occasions that may induce to the contrary To the ende therefore that I who desire nothing more then to liue within the compasse of a vertuous conuersation may perfect my hopes in this behalfe I haue fled from my Fathers Court and am come hither in this habite as you see to craue therein your holy and fatherly furtherance I am daughter to the King of England and haue sufficiently furnished my selfe with some of his treasures that your holinesse may bestow me in marriage because mine vnkind Father neuer regarding my youth and beauty inferior to few in my natiue Country would marry me to the King of Northwales an aged impotent and sickly man Yet let me tell your sanctity that his age and weakenesse hath not so much occasioned my flight as feare of mine owne youth and frailety when being married to him instead of loyall and vnstained life lewd and dishonest desires might make me to wander by breaking the diuine Lawes of wedlocke and abusing the royall blood of my Father As I trauailed hither with this vertuous intention our Lord who onely knoweth perfectly what is best fitting for all his creatures presented mine eyes no doubt in his meere mercy and goodnesse with a man meete to be my husband which pointing to Alessandro is this young Gentleman standing by me whose honest vertuous and ciuill demeanour deserueth a Lady of farre greater worth although perhaps nobility in blood be denied him and may make him seeme not so excellent as one deriued from Royall discent Holy and religious vowes haue past betweene vs both and the Ring on his finger is the firme pledge of my faith and constancie neuer to accept any other man in marriage but him onely although my Father or any else doe dislike it Wherefore holy Father the principall cause of my comming hither being already effectually concluded on I desire to compleat the rest of my pilgrimage by visiting the sanctified places in this City whereof there are great plenty And also that sacred marriage being contracted in the presence of God onely betweene Alessandro and my selfe may by you be publiquely confirmed and in an open congregation For seeing God hath so appointed it and our soules haue so solemnely vowed it that no disaster whatsoeuer can alter it you being Gods vicar here on earth I hope will not gaine-say but confirme it with your fatherly benediction that wee may liue in Gods feare and dye in his fauour Perswade your selues faire Ladies that Alessandro was in no meane admiration when hee heard that his wife was daughter to the King of England vnspeakeable ioy questionlesse wholly ouercame him but the two Knights were not a little troubled and offended at such a strange and vnexpected accident yea so violent were their passions that had they beene any where else then in the Popes presence Alessandro had felt their fury and perhaps the Princesse her selfe too On the other side the Pope was much amazed at the habite she went disguised in and likewise at the election of her husband but perceiuing there was no resistance to be made against it hee yeelded the more willingly to satisfie her desire And therefore hauing first comforted the two Knights and made peace betweene them the Princesse and Alessandro he gaue order for the rest that was to be done When the appointed day for the solemnity was come hee caused the Princesse cloathed in most rich and royall garments to appeare before all the Cardinals and many other great persons then in presence who were come to this worthy Feast which hee had caused purposely to be prepared where she seemed so faire goodly a Lady that euery eye was highly delighted to behold her commending her with no mean admiration In like manner was Alessandro greatly honored by the two Knights being most sumptuous in appearance and not like a man that had lent money to vsury but rather of very royall quality the Pope himselfe celebrating the marriage betweene them which being finished with the most magnificent pompe that could be deuised hee gaue them his benediction and licenced their departure thence Alessandro his Princesse and her traine thus leauing Rome they would needes visite Florence where the newes of this accident was long before noysed and they receiued by the Citizens in royall manner There did shee deliuer the three brethren out of prison hauing first payed all their debts and reseated them againe with their wiues in their former inheritances and possessions Afterward departing from Florence and Agolanto one of the Vncles trauailing with them to Paris they were there also most honourably entertained by the King of France From whence the two Knights went before for England and preuailed so succesfully with the King that hee receiued his daughter into grace and fauour as also his Sonne in law her husband to whom hee gaue the order of Knighthoode and for his greater dignitie created him Earle of Cornewall And such was the noble spirit of Alessandro that he pacified the troubles betweene the King and his sonne whereon ensued great comfort to the Kingdome winning the loue and fauour of all the people and Agolanto by the meanes of Alessandro recouered all that was due to him and his brethren in England returning richly home to Florence Counte Alessandro his kinsman hauing first dubd him Knight Long time hee liued in peace and tranquility with the faire Princesse his wife prouing to be so absolute in wisedome and so famous a Souldier that as some report by assistance of his Father in law hee conquered the Realme of Ireland and was crowned King thereof Landolpho Ruffolo falling into pouerty became a Pirate on the Seas and being taken by the Genewayes hardly escaped drowning Which yet neuerthelesse he did vpon a little Chest or Coffer full of very rich Iewels being caried thereon to Corfu where he was well entertained by a good woman And afterward returned richly home to his owne house The fourth Nouell Whereby may be discerned into how many dangers a man may fall through a couetous desire to enrich himselfe MAdame Lauretta sitting next to Madame Pampinea and seeing
redound to his no meane danger thus he replied My Lord the question propounded by you is faire and worthy to answer mine opinion truly threof doth necessarily require some time of consideration if it might stand with your liking to allow it but if not let me first make entrance to my reply with a pretty tale and well worth the hearing I haue oftentimes heard it reported that long since there was a very wealthy man who among other precious Iewels of his owne had a goodly Ring of great valew the beauty and estimation whereof made him earnestly desirous to leaue it as a perpetuall memory and honour to his successors Whereupon he willed and ordained that he among his male children with whom this Ring being left by the Father should be found in custody after his death hee and none other was to bee reputed his heire and to be honoured and reuerenced by all the rest as being the prime and worthiest person That Sonne to whom this Ring was left by him kept the same course to his posterity dealing in all respects as his predecessor had done so that in short time the Ring from hand to hand had many owners by Legacie At length it came to the hand of one who had three sonnes all of them goodly and vertuous persons and verie obedient to their Father in which regard he affected them all equally without any difference or partiall respect The custome of this ring being knowne to them each one of them coueting to beare esteeme aboue the other desired as hee could best make his meanes his father that in regard he was now grown very old he would leaue that Ring to him whereby he should bee acknowledged for his heire The good man who loued no one of them more then the other knew not how to make his choise nor to which of them he should leaue the Ring yet hauing past his promise to them seuerally he studied by what meanes to satisfie them all three Wherfore secretly hauing conferred with a curious and excellent Goldsmith hee caused two other Rings to bee made so really resembling the first made Ring that himself when he had them in his hand could not distinguish which was the right one Lying vpon his death-bed and his Sonnes then plying him by their best opportunities he gaue to each of them a Ring And they after his death presuming seuerally vpon their right to the inheritance honor grew to great contradiction and square each man producing then his Ring which were so truly all alike in resemblance as no one could know the right Ring from the other And therefore suite in Law to distinguish the true heire to his Father continued long time and so it dooth yet to this very day In like manner my good Lord concerning those three Lawes giuen by God the Father to three such people as you haue propounded each of them do imagine that they haue the heritage of God and his true Law and also duely to performe his Commandements but which of them do so indeede the question as of the three Ringes is yet remaining Saladine well perceyuing that the Iew was too cunning to be caught in his snare and had answered so well that to doe him further violence would redound vnto his perpetuall dishonour 〈◊〉 to reueale his neede and extremity and try if he would therein friendly sted him Hauing disclosed the matter and how he purposed to haue dealt with him if he had not returned so wise an answer the Iew lent him so great a sum of money as hee demanded and Saladine repayed it againe to him iustly giuing him other great gifts beside respecting him as his especiall frend and maintaining him in very honourable condition neere vnto his owne person A Monke hauing committed an offence deseruing to be very grieuously punished freede himselfe from the paine to be inflicted on him by wittily reprehending his Abbot with the very same fault The fourth Nouell Wherein may be noted that such men as will reproue those errors in others which remaine in themselues commonly are the Authors of their owne reprehension SO ceased Madam Philomena after the conclusion of her Tale when Dioneus sitting next vnto her without tarrying for any other command from the Queene knowing by the order formerly begunne that he was to follow in the same course spake in this manner Gracious Ladies if I faile not in vnderstanding your generall intention we are purposely assembled here to tell Tales and especially such as may please our selues In whith respect because nothing should be done disorderly I hold it lawfull for euery one as our Queene decreed before her dignity to relate such a nouelty as in their owne iudgement may cause most contentment Wherefore hauing heard that by the good admonitions of Iehannot de Cheuigny Abraham the Iew was aduised to the saluation of his soule and Melchisedech by his witty vnderstanding defended his riches from the traines of Saladine I now purpose to tell you in a few plaine words without feare of receiuing any reprehension how cunningly a Monke compassed his deliuerance from a punishment intended towards him There was in the Country of Lunigiana which is not farre distant from our owne a Monastery which sometime was better furnished with holinesse and Religion then now adayes they are wherein liued among diuers other a young nouice Monke whose hot and lusty disposition being in the vigour of his yeeres was such as neither fastes nor prayers had any great power ouer him It chanced on a fasting day about high noone when all the other Monkes were asleepe in their Dormitaries or Dorters this frolicke Friar was walking alone in their Church which stood in a very solitary place where ruminating on many matters by himselfe hee espied a pretty hansome wench some Husbandmans daughter in the Countrey that had beene gathering rootes and hearbes in the field vppon her knees before an Altar whom he had no sooner seene but immediately hee felt effeminate temptations and such as ill fitted with his profession Lasciuious desire and no religious deuotion made him draw neere her and whether vnder shift the onely cloake to compasse carnall affections or some other as close conference to as pernicious and vile a purpose I know not but so farre he preuailed vpon her frailety and such a bargaine passed betweene them that from the Church he wonne her to his Chamber before any person could perceiue it Now while this yong lusty Monke transported with ouer-fond affection was more carelesse of his dalliance then he should haue beene the Lord Abbot being newly arisen from sleepe and walking softly about the Cloyster came to the Monkes Daughters doore where hearing what noyse was made between them and a feminine voyce more strange then hee was wont to heare he layed his eare close to the Chamber doore and plainly perceiued that a woman was within Wherewith being much moued he intended suddenly to make him open the doore but vpon better
hung downe the head in his bosome weeping as abundantly as if it had beene a childe seuerely disciplinde On the other side Ghismonda hearing the speeches of her Father and perceiuing withall that not onely her secret loue was discouered but also Guiscardo was in close prison the matter which most of all did torment her shee fell into a very strange kinde of extasie scorning teares and entreating tearmes such as feminine frailety are alwayes aptest vnto but rather with height of courage controling feare or seruile basenesse and declaring inuincible fortitude in her very lookes shee concluded with her selfe rather then to vrge any humble perswasions shee would lay her life downe at the stake For plainely shee perceiued that Guiscardo already was a dead man in Law and death was likewise as welcome to her rather then the depriuation of her Loue and therefore not like a weeping woman or as checkt by the offence committed but carelesse of any harme happening to her stoutly and couragiously not a teare appearing in her eye or her soule any way to be perturbed thus shee spake to her Father Tancrede to denie what I haue done or to entreate any fauour from you is now no part of my disposition for as the one can little auaile me so shall not the other any way aduantage me Moreouer I couet not that you should extend any clemency or kindnesse to me but by my voluntary confession of the truth doe intend first of all to defend mine honour with reasons sound good and substantiall and then vertuously pursue to full effect the greatnesse of my minde and constant resolution True it is that I haue loued and still doe honourable Guiscardo purposing the like so long as I shall liue which will be but a small while but if it bee possible to continue the same affection after death it is for euer vowed to him onely Nor did mine owne womanish weaknesse so much thereto induce me as the matchlesse vertues shining cleerely in Guiscardo and the little respect you had of marrying me againe Why royall Father you cannot be ignorant that you being composed of flesh and blood haue begotten a Daughter of the selfe same composition and not made of stone or yron Moreouer you ought to remember although now you are farre stept in yeeres what the Lawes of youth are and with what difficulty they are to be contradicted Considering withall that albeit during the vigour of your best time you euermore were exercised in Armes yet you should likewise vnderstand that negligence and idle delights haue mighty power not onely in yong people but also in them of greatest yeeres I being then made of flesh and blood and so deriued from your selfe hauing had also so little benefit of life that I am yet in the spring and blooming time of my blood by either of these reasons I must needs be subiect to naturall desires wherein such knowledge as I haue once already had in the estate of my marriage perhaps might moue a further intelligence of the like delights according to the better ability of strength which exceeding all capacity of resistance induced a second motiue to affection answerable to my time and youthful desires and so like a yong woman I became amorous againe yet did I striue euen with all my vtmost might and best vertuous faculties abiding in me no way to disgrace either you or my selfe as in equall censure yet I haue not done But Nature is aboue all humane power and Loue commanded by Nature hath preuailed for Loue ioyning with Fortune in meere pitty and commiseration of my extreme wrong I found them both most benigne and gracious teaching me a way secret enough whereby I might reach the height of my desires howsoeuer you became instructed or perhaps found it out by accident so it was and I denie it not Nor did I make election of Guiscardo by chance or rashly as many women doe but by deliberate counsell in my soule and most mature aduise I chose him aboue all other and hauing his honest harmelesse conuersation mutually we enioyed our hearts contentment Now it appeareth that I hauing not offended but by loue in imitation of vulgar opinion rather then truth you seeke to reproue me bitterly alleaging no other maine argument for your anger but onely my not choosing a gentleman or one more worthy Wherein it is most euident that you doe not so much checke my fault as the ordination of Fortune who many times aduanceth men of meanest esteeme and abaseth them of greater merit But leauing this discourse let vs looke into the orignall of things wherein wee are first to obserue that from one masse or lumpe of flesh both we and all other receiued our flesh and one Creator hath created all things yea all creatures equally in their forces and faculties and equall likewise in their vertue which vertue was the first that made distinction of our birth and equality in regard that such as had the most liberall portion thereof and performed actions thereto answerable were thereby termed noble all the rest remaining vnnoble now although contrary vse did afterward hide and conceale this Law yet was it not therefore banished from Nature or good manners In which respect whosoeuer did execute all his actions by vertue declared himselfe openly to be noble and he that tearmed him otherwise it was an errour in the miscaller and not in the person so wrongfully called as the very same priuiledge is yet in full force among vs at this day Cast an heedfull eye then good Father vpon all your Gentlemen and aduisedly examine their vertues conditions and manner of behauiour On the other side obserue those parts remaining in Guiscardo and then if you will iudge truly and without affection you will confesse him to be most noble and that all your Gentlemen in respect of him are but base Groomes and villaines His vertues and excelling perfections I neuer credited from the report or iudgement of any person but onely by your speeches and mine owne eyes as true wirnesses Who did euer more commend Guiscardo extolling all those singularities in him most requisite to be in an honest vertuous man then you your selfe haue done Nor neede you to be sorry or ashamed of your good opinion concerning him for if mine eyes haue not deceiued my iudgement you neuer gaue him the least part of praise but I haue knowne much more in him then euer your words were able to expresse wherefore if I haue beene any way deceiued truly the deceit proceeded onely from you How will you then maintaine that I haue throwne my liking on a man of base condition In troth Sir you cannot Perhaps you will alleadge that he is meane and poore I confesse it and surely it is to your shame that you haue not bestowne place of more preferment on a man so honest and well deseruing and hauing beene so long a time your seruant Neuerthelesse pouerty impaireth not any part of noble Nature but
liberty and permitted to wander abroad in the Woods We see moreouer that Gardens and Orchards being planted with variety of the fairest fruit Trees are equalled in beauty by Woods and Forrests in the plentifull enioying of as goodly spreading branches In consideration whereof remembring how many dayes wee haue already spent vnder the seueritie of Lawes imposed shaping all our discourses to a forme of obseruation I am of opinion that it will not onely well become vs but also proue beneficiall for vs to liue no longer vnder such restraint and like enthralled people desirous of liberty wee should no more be subiected to the yoke but recouer our former strength in walking freely Wherefore concerning our pastime purposed for to morrow I am not minded to vse any restriction or tye you vnto any particular ordination but rather do liberally graunt that euery one shall deuise and speake of arguments agreeing with your owne dispositions Besides I am verily perswaded that variety of matter vttered so freely will be much more delightfull then restraint to one kinde of purpose onely Which being thus granted by me whosoeuer shal succeede me in the gouernment may as being of more power and preheminence restraine all backe againe to the accustomed lawes And hauing thus spoken she dispensed with their any longer attendance vntill it should be Supper time Euery one commended the Queenes appointment allowing it to rellish of good wit and iudgement and being all risen fell to such exercises as they pleased The Ladies made Nosegaies and Chaplets of Flowers the men played on their Instruments singing diuers sweete Ditties to them and thus were busied vntill Supper time Which beeing come and they supping about the beautifull Fountaine after Supper they fell to singing and dauncing In the end the Queene to imitate the order of her predecessors commanded Pamphilus that notwithstanding all the excellent songs formerly sung he should now sing one whereunto dutifully obeying thus he began THE SONG The Chorus sung by all LOVE I found such felicitie And ioy in thy captiuitie As I before did neuer proue And thought me happy being in Loue. COmfort abounding in my hart Ioy and Delight In soule and spright I did possesse in euery part O Soueraigne Loue by thee Thy Sacred fires Fed my desires And still aspires Thy happy thrall to bee Loue I found such felicity c. My Song wants power to relate The sweets of minde Which I did finde In that most blissefull state O Soueraigne Loue by thee No sad despaire Or killing care Could me prepare Still thou didst comfort me Loue I found such felicity c. I hate all such as do complaine Blaspheming thee With Cruelty And sleights of coy disdaine O Soueraigne Loue to mee Thou hast bene kinde If others finde Thee worse inclinde Yet I will honour thee LOVE I found such felicitie And ioy in thy Captiuitie As I before did neuer proue But thought me happie being in Loue. Thus the Song of Pamphilus ended whereto all the rest as a Chorus answered with their Voyces yet euery one particularly according as they felt their Loue-sicke passions made a curious construction thereof perhaps more then they needed yet not Diuining what Pamphilus intended And although they were transported with variety of imaginations yet none of them could ariue at his true meaning indeed Wherefore the Queene perceiuing the Song to be fully ended and the Ladies as also the young Gentlemen willing to go take their rest she commaunded them seuerally to their Chambers The End of the Eight Day THE NINTH DAY Whereon vnder the Gouernment of Madame AEMILLIA the Argument of each seuerall Discourse is not limitted to any one peculiar subiect but euery one remaineth at liberty to speak of whatsoeuer themselues best pleaseth The Induction FAire Aurora from whose bright and chearefull lookes the duskie darke night flyeth as an vtter enemy had already reached so high as the eight Heauen conuerting it all into an Azure colour and the pretty Flowrets beganne to spred open their Leaues when Madame Aemillia being risen caused all her female attendants and the yong Gentlemen likewise to be summoned for their personall appearance Who being all come the Queen leading the way and they following her Maiesticke pace walked into a little Wood not farre off distant from the Palace No sooner were they there arriued but they beheld store of Wilde Beasts as Hindes Hares Goats and such like so safely secured from the pursuite of Huntsmen by reason of the violent Pestilence then reigning that they stood gazing boldly at them as dreadlesse of any danger or as if they were become tame and Domesticke Approaching neerer them first to one then vnto another as if they purposed to play gently vvith them they then beganne to skippe and runne making them such pastime with their pretty tripping that they conceyued great delight in beholding of them But when they beheld the Sunne to exalt it selfe it was thought conuenient to return back again shrouding themselues vnder the Trees spreading armes their hands full of sweete Flowers and Odorifferous Hearbes which they had gathered in their Walking So that such as chanced to meete them could say nothing else but that death knew not by what meanes to conquer them or els they had set down an absolute determination to kill him with their Iouiall disposition In this manner singing dancing or prettily pratling at length they arriued at the Palace where they found all things readily prepared and their Seruants duly attending for them After they hadde reposed themselues awhile they would not as yet sit downe at the Table vntill they had sung halfe a dozen of Canzonets some more pleasant then another both the women and men together Then they fell to washing hands and the Maister of the Houshold caused them to sit downe according as the Queene had appointed and Dinner was most sumptuously serued in before them Afterward when the Tables were with-drawne they all tooke handes to dance a Roundelay which being done they plaied on their Instruments a while and then such as so pleased tooke their rest But when the accustomed houre was come they all repaired to the place of discoursing where the Queen looking on Madam Philomena gaue her the honor of beginning the first Nouell for that day whereto shee dutifully condiscending began as followeth Madam Francesca a Widdow of Pistoya being affected by two Florentine Gentlemen the one named Rinuccio Palermini and the other Alessandro Chiarmontesi and she bearing no good will to eyther of them ingeniously freed her selfe from both their importunate suites One of them she caused to lye as dead in a graue and the other to fetch him from thence so neither of them accomplishing what they were enioyned fayled of obtaining his hoped expectation The First Nouell Approuing that chaste and honest Women ought rather to deny importunate suiters by subtile and ingenious meanes then fall into the danger of scandall and slander MAdame it can no way discontent mee