of the chaire sayd vnto him Goe quickely and fetche me some good vineger Which the gentleman did Then Florinda began to saye vnto him Amadour what follie hath inchaunted your wisedome And what is that which you woulde haue done vnto me Amadour that through the force of loue had lost al reason sayd vnto her Doth my long seruice merite a recompence of such crueltie And where is the honesty then sayde Florinda which so many times you haue preached vnto me Ah Madame sayde Amadour I beleue it is impossible your selfe more faythfully to loue your owne honor than I doe For when you were vnmaryed I coulde so well subdue my heart and affection that you did neuer vnderstande my will and desire And nowe that you be maryed to the intent your honor may be in couert what wrong doe I to aske that which is mine owne For by force of loue I haue wonne you He that first inioyed your heart hath so yll followed the victorie of your body that he hath deserued to lose altogether He that possesseth your bodie is not worthy to haue your heart wherefore your bodye is none of his ne yet he hath no title in the same But I Madame these fiue or sixe yeares haue susteyned such paynes and trauel for your sake that you are not ignorant but to me appertayneth both your bodye and heart for whose sake I haue vtterly forgotten mine owne And if you can finde in your heart to defende me frō my right doubte ye not but they which haue proued the forces of Loue will laye the blame vpon you which hath in this sorte robbed me from my libertie and with your heauenlye graces hath obscured my senses that not knowing hereafter what to doe I am constrayned to goe withoute hope for euer yto sée you againe Notwithstanding warrant your selfe that in what place so euer I am you shall still possesse my heart which shall continue yours for euer be I vpon the lande or water or betwene the handes of my moste cruell enemies But if I had before my departure the suretie of you which the greatnesse of my loue deserueth I shall be strong ynough paciently to beare the griefes of long absence And if it please you not to graunt me my request you shall shortlye heare tell that your rigor hath rendred vnto me a most vnhappy and cruel death Florinda no lesse astonned than sorie to heare such words procéede from him of whome she neuer had any suche suspicion weping sayde vnto him Alas Amadour is this the meaning of those vertuous wordes which sithens the beginning of my youth ye haue vttered vnto me Is this the honor of the cōscience which you haue many times persuaded me rather to die than to lose the same Haue you forgotten the good examples recyted vnto me of vertuous dames that haue resisted foolish Loue And is this the contempt which ye daylie made of Ladyes that were foolish vaine I can not beleue Amadour that you are so madde that God your owne cōscience and mine honor shoulde be altogether oute of your minde and memorie But if it so be as you saye I doe prayse the goodnesse of God which hath preuented the mishap that now I am fallen into in shewing me by your wordes the heart which I did not know For hauing loste the sonne of the Infant Fortune who not onely is maryed into another place but also loued another and I nowe maryed to him which I cannot loue I thought and determined wholly with all mine heart and affection to loue you founding the same vpō that vertue which I knewe to be in you which loue by your meanes onely I haue conceyued and therfore did more esteme my honor and conscience than mine owne life Upon assurance of this stone of honestie I am come hither thinking to builde a moste sure foundacion But Amadour in one moment thou hast declared that in place of a pure foundacion thy building is reared vpon a light sande and vnconstant ground or else vpon a filthy and foule quamire And where I began to erect a good part of the lodgings of this building hoping to dwell there for euer sodainly thou hast ouerthrowen the whole Wherefore you must immediately breake in sunder the hope and credit that euermore you haue founde in me and determine that in what place soeuer I be not to séeke after me eyther by wordes or countenaunce And doe not thinke that I can or will at anye time hereafter chaunge mine opinion which wordes I speake with great sorrowe and griefe But if I had made an othe of this perfect amitie and loue I knowe mine heart would haue dyed vpon this breache although the astonishement in that I am deceyued is so great that I am well assured it will make my lyfe eyther short or sorrowfull And therefore I bidde you farewell and that for euer I purpose not to tell you of the sorrow which Amadour felt by hearing these wordes Bicause it is impossible not onely to write them but also to think them except it be of such as haue had experiēce of the lyke And seyng that vpon this cruell conclusion she woulde haue gone away he caught her by the arme knowing wel that if he did not remoue that yll opinion which by his owne occasion she had conceyued he should lose her for euer Wherefore he sayde vnto her with a verye faynt there Madame all the dayes of my lyfe I haue desired to loue a woman endued with honestie and vertue And bicause I haue founde so fewe I would fayne haue tryed whether your person had bene worthy of estimacion and loue whereof nowe I am well assured and humblie doe prayse God therfore bicause mine heart is addressed to suche perfection beseching you to pardon this fond and bolde enterprise sith you do see that the ende doth redounde to your owne honor and contentation Florinda which began to know the malice of men by him like as she was harde to beleue the euill where it was euen so she was more difficile to credit the good where it was not and sayde vnto him I praye to God your wordes be true Yet I am not so ignorant but that the state of mariage wherein I am hath made me euidentlie to perceyue that the strong passion of blinde loue hath forced you to this attempt For if God had losed my hande I am wel assured you would not haue pluckt backe the bridle They that attempt to séeke after vertue will not take the waye that you doe But this is sufficient if I haue lightlie beleued any honesty in you it is time for me nowe to know the truth that I may ridde my selfe from you And in saying so Florinda went out of the chamber and all the night long she neuer left wéeping who felt such great griefe in the alteracion that her heart had much to doe to sustaine the assaults of sorrowe the loue had made For although reason thought neuer to loue
so many tymes for his sake to fetche so many sighes and with suche sweete woordes to bidde hym bet of good there aud that if he wanted any thyng to tell her and praied hym with pleasaunt wordes to call for that he lacked and that for his sake she would gladlie accomplish his desire who doubteth I saie but he was merueilouslie tormented with a thousande cogitacions now conceiuyng hope and by and by dispaire and still concludyng with hymself rather to die then to manifest his loue And if it be a grief to all yonge men bee thei neuer of so meane and base cōdicion in their youthlie tyme to lose their life what shall we thinke of Antiochus that beyng a yongman of freshe and flourishyng age the sonne of a riche and mightie kyng that looked if he might escape after the death of his father to be heire of al did willingly craue death of that small disease I am assured that his sorowe was infinite Antiochus then beaten with pitie with loue with hope with desire with fatherly reuerence and with a thousande other thynges like a ship tossed in the depe seas by litle and litle begā to growe extremelie sicke Erasistratus that sawe his bodie hole and sounde but his minde greuouslie weakened and the same vanquished with sundrie passiōs After he had with hymself considered this straunge case he for cōclusiō foūde out that the yong man was sicke through loue for none other cause Moreouer he thought that many tymes wise and graue menne through Ire hatred disdaine malinconie and other affections could easilie faine and dissemble their passions but loue if it be kept secrete doeth by the close kepyng thereof greater hurte then if it be made manifeste And albeit that of Antiochus he could not learne the cause of his loue yet after that imaginacion was entred into his hedde he purposed to finde it out by continuall abode with hym and by greate diligence to obserue and marke all his actions and aboue all to take heede to the mutacion of his poulses and wherevpon their beatyng did alter This deliberacion purposed he sat downe by the bedde side and tooke Antiochus by the arme and helde him fast where the poulses ordinarily doe beate It chaunced at that instant that the quene Stratonica entred into the chamber whom so sone as the yonge man sawe cōmyng towarde him sodainlie the poulce whiche were weake féeble began to reuiue through mutacion of the blood Erasistratus féelyng the renforcyng of the poulce and to proue how longe it would continewe moued not at the commyng of the Quene but still helde his fingers vpō the beatyng of the poulces So long as the Quene contiuned in the chamber the beatyng was quicke and liuelie but when she departed it ceased the wonted weaknes of the poulces retourned Not long after the quene came againe into the chāber who was no soner espied by Antiochus but that his poulces receiued vigor and begā to leape and so still continued Whē she departed the force and vigor of the poulce departed also The noble Phisicion seyng this mutacion and that still it chaunced vpō the presence of the Quene he thought that he had founde out the occasion of Antiochus sickenesse But he determined better to marke the same the next daie to be more assured The morowe after Erasistratus sat doun againe by the yonge gentleman and toke hym again by the arme but his poulce made no mociō at all The king came to se his sonne and yet for all that his poulses were still And beholde the Quene came no soner in but sodainlie thei reuined and yelded suche liuelie mouyng as if you would haue said yonder is she that setteth my harte on fire Beholde where she is that is my life death Then Erasistratus was well assured and certaine that Antiochus was feruently inflamed with his mother in lawe but that shame constrained hym to conceale the hotte firebrandes that tormented hym and to keepe them close and secrete Certified of this opinion before he would open the matter he considered what waie were best to giue knowledge therof to kyng Seleucus And when he had well debated of this matter he deuised this waie He knewe that Seleucus loued his wife beyonde measure and also that Antiochus was so dere vnto hym as his owne life Wherevpon he thus saied vnto the kyng Noble Seleucus thy sonne is affected with a grieuous maladie and that whiche is worse I deme his sickenesse to bee incurable At whiche wordes the sorowfull father began to vtter pitifull lamētacion and bitterlie to complaine of Fortune To whom the Phisicion saied If it please yon my lorde to vnderstande the occasion of his disease This it is The maladie that affecteth and languisheth your soonne is Loue and the loue of suche a woman whiche excepte he enioye there is no remedie but death Alas quod the Kyng weepyng with bitter teares and what woman is she but that I maie procure her for hym whiche am kyng of all Asia and maie with intreatie money giftes or other pollicie whatsoeuer make her obediente and willyng to my soonnes requeste Tell me onelie the name of the woman that I maie prouide for my soonnes healthe yea though it cost me all my goods and realme to if other wise she can not bee gotten For if he die what shall I doe with my kyngdome Wherevnto Erasistratus answered If it like your grace your sōne is in loue with my wife but bicause that loue semeth vnto him discōuenient he dareth not to manifest the same for shame but rather wisheth to die then to opē his minde Howbeit I by certaine euident signes doe wei perceiue it When Seleucus heard these woordes he saied O Erasistratus thou beyng so worthie a man to whom fewe in goodnesse and humilitie be comparable so dere and welbeloued of me and beareth the bruite to be the verie hauen and harborough of wisedome wilt thou not saue my sonne whiche is a yonge man now vpon the floure of his youth and most worthie of life for whom the Empire of all Asia is worthelie reserued O Erasistratus the soonne of thy frende Seleucus is thy kyng who through loue and silence is at the poineted death thou seest that for modestie and honestie sake at this his laste and doubtfull passage he had rather chose to die then by speakyng to offende thee and wilte thou not helpe hym This his silence this discrecion that his reuerence whiche he sheweth ought to moue thee to cōpassion Thinke my welbeloued Erasistratus that if he loue ardently that he was forced to loue For vndoubtedlie if he could not loue he would do the best he could not to loue yea and all his endeuour to resist it But who is able to prescribe lawes to Loue Loue I knowe not onelie forceth men but also commaūdeth the immortall Goddes and when thei bee not able to resist him what can mannes pollicie preuaile Wherfore who knoweth not what
pitie mine own dere Antiochus dooeth deserue Who beyng constrained can none otherwise doe But to be silent in loue is a moste euident signe of a noble and rare vertue Dispose thy minde therefore to helpe my soonne For I assure thée that if thou dooe not loue the life of Antiochus Seleucus life muste needes bee hated of thee He can not bee hurte but I likewise must be hurted The wise Phisicion seyng that his aduise came to passe as he thought before and that Seleucus was so instant vpon hym for the healthe of his sonne the better to proue his minde and his intencion spake vnto hym in this wise It is a common saiyng my moste dradde soueraigne Lorde that a man when he is hole cā giue to hym that is sicke and weake verie good counsaile You perswade me to giue my welbeloued wife to another man and to forgo her whom I moste feruentlie doe loue and in lackyng her my life also must faile If you doe take from me my wife you take with her my life Doubtfull it is my lorde if Antiochus pour sonne were in loue with the Quene Stratonica your graces wife whether you would bée so liberall vnto hym of her as you would that I should bee of myne I would it were the pleasure of the Goddes sodainlie answered Seleucus that he were in loue with my best beloued Stratonica I sweare vnto thee by the reuerence that I haue alwaies borne to the honourable memorie of my father Antiochus and my graundfather Seleucus and I sweare by all the sacred Goddes that frelie and forthwith I would render my wife into his handes although she be the dearest beloued vnto me in suche wise as all the worlde should knowe what the duetie of a good and louyng father ought to bée to suche a sone as my intirely beloued Antiochus who if I bée not deceiued is moste worthie of all helpe and succour Alas this his greate vertue in concealing that notable passion as an earnest affection of loue is it not worthie to be consecrated to eternall memorie Is he not worthie of all helpe and comforte Dooeth he not deserue to be pitied and lamented of all the whole worlde Truly he is worsse then a cruell enemie naie he is rather more fierce and vnnaturall then a sauage beast that at suche moderate behauiour as my sonne vseth will not take compassion Many other woordes he spake manifestlie declaryng that he for the healthe of his soonne would not onelie sticke to bestowe his wife but also willinglie his life for his preseruacion Wherefore the Phisicion thought it not good any lōger to kepe secrete the thyng but tooke the king a side and saied vnto hym in this wise The healthe of your soonne my dere Lorde and soueraigne is not in my handes but the same resteth in you and in your wife Stratonica whom as I by certaine signes doe manifestlie knowe he ardētly doeth loue Your grace now doeth knowe from hencefor the what to doe if his life be dere vnto you And tellyng the kyng the maner of suche loue he ioyfully toke his leaue The kyng now doubted but of one thyng whiche was howe to perswade his sōne to take Stratonica to wife and how to exhorte his wife to take his sonne to husbande But it chaūced for diuerse causes that easelie inough he perswaded thē bothe And perchaunce Stratonica made a good exchaūge by takyng a yong man to forsake him that was old After Seleucus had made the accorde betwene his wife and his soonne he caused all his armie to assemble whiche was verie greate To whō he saed in this maner My dere and louyng souldious whiche sithe the death of Alexander the great haue with me achieued a thousande glorious enterprises I thincke it méete and conuenient that ye be partakers of that whiche I purpose to bryng to passe Ye do knowe that vnder myne Empire I haue .lxxij. kyngdomes that I beyng an old man am not able to attende so greate a charge wherfore louyng companions I purpose to deliuer and ridde you frō grief of idlenesse and my self frō trouble and toile reseruyng to me onelie so muche as lieth betwene the Sea and the riuer Euphrates All the rest of my dominions I giue to my soonne Antiochus vpon whom in mariage I haue bestowed my wife Stratonica whiche thing ought to contente you bicause my will and pleasure is suche And whē he had tolde them the loue sicknes of his sonne and the discrete deuise of the gentle Phisician in the presence of a his armie the mariage was celebrated betwene Stratonica Antiochus Afterwards he crouned thē bothe Kyng and Quene of Asia and with royall pompe and triumphe the desired mariage was consummate The armie hearyng and séeyng these thinges verie highlie cōmended the pietie of the father towardes his sonne Antiochus then continued with his welbeloued wife in ioye and quietnesse liuyng together in great felicitie This was not he that for matters of Aegipte did make warres with the Romanes But he that onelie inferred warres vpon the Galatians whiche out of Europa passed into Asia but of which countrie he chased them and ouercame thē Of this Antiochus came Seleucus whiche was father of Antiochus surnamed the greate that attēpted verie notable warres against the Romanes and not his greate graundfather that maried his mother in lawe Finallie this Seleucus of whom I recompte this historie by giuyng his wife to his sonne did accomplishe a miraculous acte and worthie in deede of sempiternall remēbraunce and greatlie to bee commended therefore who although he had achiued infinite victories ouer his enemies Yet there was none of them all so greate as the victorie of hym self and his passions For certainly Seleucus did vanquishe his owne appetites depriuyng hymself of his wife whom he loued and estemed aboue all thynges in the worlde Of the straūge beastlie nature of Timon of Athenes enemie to mankinde with his death buriall and Epitaphe ¶ The .xxviij. Nouell ALL the beastes of the worlde dooe applie themselfes to other beastes of their kinde Timon of Athenes onelie excepted of whose straūge nature Plutarche is astonied in the life of Marcus Antonius Plato and Aristophanes doe reporte his merueilous nature bicause he was a manne but by shape onelie in qualities he was the Capitall enemie of mankinde whiche he confessed francklie vtterlie to abhorre and hate He dwelte alone in a litle cabane in the fieldes not farre from Athenes separated from all neighbours and companie he neuer went to the citie or to any other habitable place excepte he were constrained He could not abide any mannes companie and conuersacion he was neuer seen to goe to any mannes house ne yet would suffer them to come to hym At the same tyme there was in Athenes an other of like qualitie called Apemantus of the verie same nature different from the naturall kinde of manne and lodged likewise in the middest of the fieldes On a daie thei twoo beyng alone together
steward not contentented with the mischief cōmitted against the honor of his maister seing that it was but lost time to cōtinue his pursute and that his gaine would bee no lesse then death if she accordyng to her promised threates did thereof aduertise her husbande beyng a cholerique manne and light of belefe and bicause the saied Stewarde for suche an enterprise had receiued a simple recompence although correspondent to his desert premeditated worsse mischiefes more noisome then the firste He was in doubt whether it were better for hym to tarry or to depart sithe twoo thinges in a maner were intollerable for hym to suffer For he could not forsake the house where from his cradle he had béen finelie broughte vp the Lorde whereof made muche of hym as of his owne persone On the other side he knewe that so longe as the Ladie was aliue he could haue no maner of ioye or contentacion For that cause conuerting extreme loue whiche once he bare to the Ladie into cruell hatred vnsemelie for a brutall beast and into an insaciable desire of reuenge he determined to addresse so strong an ambushe trained with suche subteltie that she was not able to escape without daunger of her life and honor whereof she declared her self to be so carefull Alas what blindnes is that whiche captiuateth the wittes and spirite of hym that feedeth hymself of nothyng els but vpon the rage of fantasticall despite and vpon the furie of despaire Doe we not se that after Reason giueth place to desired reuenge of wronge thought to be receiued man dispoyleth hymself of that whiche apperteineth to the kinde of man to put on the fierce nature of the moste brute and cruell beastes to runne hedlong without reason toward the place where the disordinate appetite of affections doeth conducte hym Whereof I will not aduouche any other example but of this Traitour who passionated not with Loue but rather with rage and furie ceaseth not to espie al the actions and behauiour of his Ladie to the intente he might bryng to ende his deuised treason against her that thought perchaunce no more of his folies but honestlie to passe the tyme with her deare and wel beloued husbande Truely if this Ladie had béen of the disposicion of some women that care not to moleste their husbandes for the firste Flie that buzzeth before their eyes conceiuyng a friuelous and sodaine opiniō of their chastitie not so muche asiailed or to sharpelie defended chauntyng glorious Hympnes and high praises of their victorie certainlie she had not tombled her self into the daunger wherevnto afterwardes she fill Not for that I will blame them that doe reueale to their husbande 's the assaultes whiche thei receiue of importunate suters that doe assaie to deflower their Chastite Yet I will saie that Mosdestie in the same as in euery other humaine actiō is greatly to be required sith that suche a one by thinkyng to extolle her honour and honestie and to make proofe of her chastite rendreth the same suspicious and giueth occasion of talke to the people that is more apt and redie to slaunder and infamie then by good reporte to praise them whiche by vertue doe deserue commēdacion bringyng the life and fame of her husbande to suche extremitie that it had béen better vertuouslie to haue resisted the force of Loue and the flatteryng sute of suche Louers then to manifest that whiche mighte haue been kept secrete without preiudice of either partes And truely that woman deserueth greater glorie which of her self defendeth her honestie and quencheth the flames liuely kindled in the hartes of other with the coldnesse of continencie by that meanes vanquishing twoo then she doeth whiche manifesting the vice of an other discloseth as it were a certain apparaunce of her frailtie and the litle reason wherewith she is indewed to vanquishe hym that confesseth to be her seruaunt and whose will dependeth at her commaundement And when the whole matter shal be rightly iudged she that reuealeth the imperfecciō of a Suter sheweth her opinion and minde to be more pliant to yelde to his requeste then indewed with reason to abandon pleasure and to reiecte the insolencie of the same sithe that Reasons force doeth easely vanquishe the lighte affeccions of the sensuall partie which ones ingrauen in their fantasie doe make the senses of those women so inconstant as thei perswade themselfes to bée puissaunt and mightie that all thinges be and rest at their will and pleasure Retournyng now then to our former discourse the Stewarde so laboured with might and maine till he had founde meanes to bee reuenged of the receiued refusall with suche subtiltie and Deuelishe inuencion as was possible for manne to deuise whiche was this Emong the seruauntes of this greate lorde there was one no lesse yonge of witte and vnderstandyng then of age And albeit that he was faier and comelie yet so simple and foolishe as he had muche a doe to tell the nomber of sixe This foole by reason of his folly and simplicitie was the onely sporte and passetyme of the Lorde and Ladie The Ladie many tymes tooke pleasure to talke with this maister foole to bring hym into a choler and chaufe thereby to prouoke laughter And therefore all the housholde vsed to call hym in mockerie My Ladies darelyng In whom the Lorde tooke singuler pleasure and delight estemyng hym so well as any of the other seruauntes The malicious Steward seyng the familiaritie of the Ladie with the fole like one that had alredie catched his praie within his snares began also to make muche of that yonge Cockescome in suche wise as he had broughte hym into suche fooles paradise that he might make hym doe and saie what he list Who seyng hym so diligent to his desire one daie tooke hym a side and after he hadde whittled hym well he saied vnto him Dicke I can tel thée a knacke that thou shalt make my Ladie laugh well but thou muste saie nothyng till she dooe perceiue it The poore Idiot glad to please his maistres was desirous to knowe what it was promised to dooe what so euer he would bidde hym Thou most said the Stewarde in the euenyng before she goe into her chamber hide thy self vnder her bedde and tary there till it bee an hower or twoo before daie and then I will tell thee what thou must doe This platte deuised the foole the same euenyng executed the deuise of his Deuelishe counsailour who seyng his desire to take effecte went to an olde gentleman that was of greate honestie and vertue for whiche he was of all men so well knowen that thei estemed his worde so true as the Gospell To that gentleman this craftie villaine full of poison and malice wholy bente to mischief tolde and reported the fact not as it was in déede but to the greate preiudice dishonour of the Ladie giuyng hym to vnderstande how muche she had forgottē her self that without the feare of God reuerence of her
it is to me shall thinke thei haue made a pretie conquest And that I maie haue no cause to repente to late I haue stopped myne eares for feare that I bée not a rested and staied with the violence of your charmes a thyng as you saie proper to Serpentes But I haue fortefied my harte armed my self in suche wise within that if God continue that grace in me whiche hitherto he hath doen I hope not to bee surprised Although that I must néedes confesse to my shame that I haue receiued merueilous assaultes of loue not onely for the common renowme of your vertues and through the curtesie and gentlenesse daiely imparted to me by your letters but speciallie by your presence whiche hath yelded vnto me experience and assurance of that whiche all the letters of the worlde could not doe nor all other messages were not able to conceiue And to the ende that I maie not bee vtterly ingrate and that you doe not departe from me altogether miscontent I doe promis you now that from henceforthe you shall inioye the firste place of my harte wherevnto an other shall neuer entre if so be you can bée contente with honest amitie wherin you shall finde me in tyme to come so liberall in al that whiche honestie shall permitte that I am contente to forgoe the name of a presumptuous or cruell Damosell for your sake But if you meane to abuse me or hope for any thyng of me contrary to myne honour you be merueilously deceiued Wherefore if you thinke your worthinesse to greate ta cary awaie a recompence so small you shall dooe very well bothe for me and your self in forgettyng that is past to cutte of all hope in tyme to come And she thinkyng to prolonge a further discourse the mother of Violenta whiche still stode at the windowe all the time that Senior Didaco was with her doughter came downe to the doore interruptyng their talke saied to Didaco Sir I suppose you take greate pleasure in the follie of my doughter bicause you cary and abide here rather to contriue your tyme then for any other contentacion you can receiue For she is so euill taught and of suche rude behauiour that her demeanour will rather trouble you then giue you cause of delight Maistresse saied Didaco although in the beginnyng I purposed not to tarie so long yet when I entred in more familier acquaintaunce and had well experienced her good graces I confesse that I haue staied here longer then I thought And were he neuer so greate a lorde that liueth at this daie I dare auouch that he might thinke his tyme well bestowed in hearyng suche sober and honest talke wherwith I thinke my self so well satisfied and instructed that all the dayes of my life I will witnesse that vertue curtesie and sober behauiour is to be founde aswell in meane degrées and houses and in them that bee right noble emonges whiche meane families although she be one it maie so be that one more illustre and noble cannot be more excellente and accomplished with better maners then she whiche is now well manifested to me in this litle discourse And after certaine other commō talke Didaco tooke his leaue and wente home to his house where he liued fourtene or fiftene monethes without any reste assaiyng by all meanes to mortifie his desires but it auaileth not For although he was riche a trimme courtiar and an eloquent gentleman and had opportunitie to speake vnto her many tymes and she gentle inough to heare him and to vnderstand his errantes and was assured by frendes that she for her parte was also in loue yet he was not able by humane arte and pollicie to conuerte her to his mynde Wherewithall he was longe tyme molested and at lengthe pressed with grief and anoiaunce he was aduised to sende sixe hūdred Ducates to the mother for a Relief to the mariage of her doughter promising besides that he would assigne her an honest dowrie when she founde a manne worthie to be her husbande vpon condicion that she would yelde to hym some comforte to ease his affection But she which could not be wōne with loue was not able to bée recouered with money and was offender that Senior Didaco had forgotten himself so muche as to thinke to gaine that for money whiche with so greate paine teares and sighes hadde been denied hym And to make hym vnderstande that she was offended she sent worde by hym that brought her the money that he should goe and proue hereafter to deceiue them that measured their honour with the price of profite and not to set trappes to deceiue other that would buye nothyng contrary to vertue And after Didaco was aduertised of her mynde and perceiued that he lost tyme in all his enterprises and was able no lōger to sustaine his extreme paine and sorowe whiche daily augmented and when he had debated in his minde all the successe of his loue he resolued in the ende vpon that whiche he thought moste profitable for the quiete of his mynde whiche was to marie her And although she was of no suche house and yet lesse indowed with substaunce as he deserued Yet her beautie and vertue and other giftes of grace wherewith she was inriched made her worthie of a great Lorde And resolued vpon this he repaired to Violenta to whom he saied Maistresse Violenta if the true Touchestone to knowe them that be perfect louers emonges other is mariage certainly you haue gotten a husbande of me if it please you to accept me for suche a one whom in tyme you shall make to vnderstande the difference betwene gooddes and vertue and betwene honestie and richesse Violenta then rauished with ioye and incredible contentacion somewhat abashed saied vnto hym Senior Didaco I knowe not whether you pretende by woordes to proue my constancie or els to bryng me into fooles paradise but of one thyng I can assure you that although I acknowledge myself inferiour to you in merites gooddes and vertue yet if that come to passe whiche you promis I will not giue place to you in loue trustyng if God sende vs life together you shall well vnderstande one daie that you would not exchaunge my persons for a great Ladie what so euer she be For confirmacion whereof Didaco plucked frō his finger an Emeralde of greate value which when he had kissed her he gaue vnto her in the waie of mariage praiyng her that she would not disclose it for a certaine tyme vntill he hymself had made all his frēdes priuie vnto it Notwithstandyng he willed her to impart the same to her twoo brethren and to her mother and he would gette some prieste of the Countrie to solempnize the Mariage within their house whiche was dooen in a chamber aboute fower of the clocke in mornyng beyng onely presente the mother the brethren the prieste and a sernuaunt of the house brought vp there from her youthe and his owne man without makyng any other preparacion or
lawes And besides that I shal not be alone amongst princesses that haue forsaken parents and countries to folow their loue into straunge Regions Faire Helena the Greke did not she abandon Menelaus her husband and the rych citie of Sparta to follow the faire Troian Alexander sayling to Troie Phedria and Ariadne despised the delicates of Creta lefte their Father a very olde man to go with the Cecropian Theseus None forced Medea the wise furious Lady but Loue to depart the Isle of Colchos her owne natiue country with the Argonaute Iason O good God who can resist the force of Loue to whome so many kinges so many Monarches so many wise men of all ages haue done their homage Surely the same is the only cause that compelleth me in making my self bold to forget my duety towards my parents and specially myne honor which I shall leaue to be reasoned vpon by the ignorant people that considereth nothing but that which is exteriourly offred to the view of the sight Ah how much I deceyue my selfe make a reckning of much without myne hoste And what knowe I if Alerane although he doe loue me wyll lose the good grace of the Emperour and forsake his goodes and so it may be to hazarde his life to take so pore and miserable a woman as I am Notwithstanding I will proue fortune death is the worst that can chaunce which I accelerate rather than my desire shall lose his effect Thus the faire and wise Princesse concluded her vnhappy state And all this time her best friend Alerane remayned in great affliction beyond measure and felte suche a feare as cannot be expressed with wordes only true louers know the force altogether like to that wherof the yong Prince had experience and durst not discouer hys euyll to her that was able to giue him her allegeance much lesse to disclose it to any deare friende of his into whose secrecie he was wont to commit the most part of his cares which was the cause that made him fele his harte to burne like a litle fier in the middes of a cleare riuer and sawe himself selfe ouerwhelmed within the waters hotter than those that be intermixed with sulphure do euaporat and send forth ardent smokes in an AEthna hill or Vesuue mountayne The Princesse impacient to endure so long could no longer kepe secrete the flames hydden within her without telling and vttering them to some whom her minde liked best and there to render them where she thought they toke their essense and being casting away all shame and feare which accustomably doth associat Ladies of hir estate and age One day she toke secretely asyde one that was her Gouernesse named Radegonde a Gentlewoman so vertuous wise and sober as any other that was in the Emperoures courte who for her approued manners and chaste life had the charge of the bringing vp and nourishing of Adelasia from her Infancie To this Gentlewoman then the amorous Princesse deliberated to communicate her secretes and to let her vnderstand her passion that she might finde some remedie And for that purpose they two retired alone within a closet the pore louer trembling like a leafe at the blast of the weasterne winde when the sunne beganne to spreade his beames syghing so strangely as if hir body and soule would haue departed sayde thus The trust which dayly I haue had in that naturall goodnesse which appeareth in you my mother and welbeloued Lady ioyned with discretion and fidelitie wherwith all your actes and affaires be recōmended do presently assure me and make me bolde in this my trouble to participate vnto you my secretes which be of greater importance without comparison than any that euer I tolde you persuading my selfe that the thing which I shall tell you whatsoeuer it be be it good or ill you will accepte it in suche wise as your wysedome requireth and to kepe it so close as the secrete of suche a Lady as I am doth deserue And that I may not holde you long in doubte what it is knowe ye that of late the valor prowesse beauty and curtesie of senior Alerane of Saxon hath founde suche place in my hearte that in despite of my selfe I am so in loue with him that my life is not deare vnto me but for his sake my hearte taketh no pleasure but in his glory and vertue hauing chosen him so vertuous a Prince for my friend and one day by Gods sufferaunce for my laweful spouse and husbande I haue assayed a thousand meanes so many wayes to cast him of to blot him out of my minde But alas vnhappy caytife Fortune is so frowarde and so vnmercyfull to my endeuour that the more I labour and goe about to extinguish in me the memorie of his name and commendable vertues so muche the more I do enlarge and augnient them the flames of which loue do take such increase that I do little or nothing estéeme my life without the enioying the effecte of my desire and the tast of such licor which nourishing my hope in pleasure may quench the fier that doth consume me Otherwise I sée no meanes possible but that I am constrayned eyther to lose my good wittes whereof already I felte some alienation or to ende my dayes with extreme anguishe and insupportable hearts sorrowe Alas I knowe well that I shal lose my time if I attempt to pray the Emperour my father to giue me Alerane to my husbande syth he doth already practise a mariage betwene the King of Hungarie and me And also that Alerane although he be a Prince of so noble bloud and so honorable house as the Saxon is yet is to base to be sonne in law to an Emperour In these my distresses it is of you alone of whome I loke for ayde I counsayle being certayne of your prudence and good iudgement and therfore I pray you to haue pity vpon me haue remorse vpon this immoderate passiō that doth torment me beyond measure Radegonde hearing Adelasia disclose this talke wherof she would neuer haue thought was so confounded and astoned that of long tyme she could not speake a word holding her hed downe reuoluing thousand diuers matters in her minde knew not wel what to answere the Princesse Finally gathering her spirits vnto her she answered her with teares in her eyes saying Alas Madame what is that you say Is it possible that the wisest vertuons and most courtcots Princesse of Europa could suffer her selfe in this sort through her onely aduise to be transported to her owne affections and sensual appetites Is it wel done that you seing in me a discretion and modestie doe not imitate the puritie therof be these the godly admonicions which heretofore I haue giuen you that you will so lightly defile your fathers house wyth the blot of infamie and your self with eternall reproche Would you Madame that vpon th ende of my yeares I should begin to betray my Lorde the Emperoure who hath committed to my
some suspicious person in my company should conceiue that in me which al the dayes of my lyfe I neuer gaue occasion so muche as once to thinck To whom the Lorde of Mendozza obeyed more to content her than otherwise for he had the beauties and good behauiours of the Princesse so imprinted in the most pleasant place of his heart that he would haue desired neuer to haue departed her cōpanie But like as they determined iocundly to imploy and satisfie their desires at her retorne from her voyage euen so Fortune in the meane while did beset the same and so fully brake the threde of their enterprises that the issue had not so good successe as was their prefixed hope Nowe leaue we the Duchesse to perfourme her voyage and the Lorde of Mendozza to entertayne his amorous passions and let vs digresse to the Duke who about .x. or .xii. dayes after the Duchesse his wife was departed began to fele her absence which not being able to sustayne for the gret loue that he bare vnto her and specially knowing the great fault that he had committed being the sister of a King and wife of suche a Prince so to let her goe like an vnfeathered shafte in so long a voyage determined with himselfe for feare least if any misfortune should happen vnto her the same should touch his honor to call together his counsell and to prouide some remedie The counsell assembled and the cause proponed euerie of them told the Duke that he had ouer lightly consented to the will of the Duchesse and that if she should happen to fall into any inconuenience all men would impute it to his reproch whereof they would haue aduertised him at the beginning sauing for feare they had to displease him Adding for conclusion that it was most expedient the Duke should put himselfe on the sea to goe and séeke her in Galisia Which he did and imbarked himselfe with a great companie of gentlemen to whome the winde was so fauourable that he ariued at S. Iames before her And hauing made enquirie for her vnderstode she was not come Neuerthelesse he was aduertised by certayne pilgrimes that it could not be long before she would be there for that they had lefte her not past thrée or .iiii. dayes iourney from thence trauailing with her traine by smal iorneys whereof the Duke was exceding glad and sent certaine of his gentlemen to méete her vpon the way as she came who trauailed not farre before they met the Duchesse with her companie and did her to vnderstand of the Dukes arriuall and of the cause of his comming from Thurin Which tidings was not verie ioyful to her and by her wil would haue wished that he had not taken so much paines Neuerthelesse preferring honor before affection she made the more hast to sée him and at her arriuall séemed to be glad of his comming and to lament the payne that he had taken by committing himselfe in so many daungers for her sake Afterwardes they entred into the church with great deuotion where when the Duchesse had made certaine particuler prayers she began to perceyue that God had withstanded her lasciuious will and pitying the good Duke her husbande whould not permit him to be deceyued in such disloyall sort repentantly bewayling her forepassed fault And seling her selfe pressed euen at the very soule with a certaine remorse of conscience she was so victorious ouer her affections that she determined wholly to forget Mendozza and his beautie Praysing God neuerthelesse that it had pleased him to graunt her the grace so well to dispose her matters that her affections had not excéeded the bondes of honor Determining from thenceforth not onely to put Mendozza in vtter obliuion but also for euer clearely to cut of his amorous practise and therfore would not so much as did him once farewell nor yet to let him in any wise vnderstand those newes And so settled in this deliberatiō solicited her husband very instantly to depart which he did and all thinges prepared to the sea they tooke againe their course to Thurin and had the winde so prosperous that from thence in fewe daies they arriued at Marsellis And weary of the seas he caused horses to be prepared to ride from thence to Thurin by land where he and his wife liued together in right great ioy and amitie The Lorde of Mendozza greatly payned with the long absence of the Duchesse sent a gentleman of purpose to Galisia to know the occasion of her long tarying Who brought certaine newes that the Duke was comen in person to fetche his wise and that he had caried her awaye with him by sea Where withal he was maruellously out of pacience determining neuerthelesse one day when his affaires were in good order to goe visite her at Thurin During the tyme that these thinges remained in this estate aswell of the one side as of the other the Almaines prepared a great army and entred into Fraunce where they wasted burned all the countrie as they passed The King being aduertised hereof sent for the Duke of Sauoie to goe méete them with the men of armes of Fraunce But before his departure from Thurin he left for his Lieutenant general the Earle of Pancalier by the aduise and counsell of whome he intended that all the affaires of the Duchie should be ruled and gouerned in his absence and that he should in so ample wyse be honored and obeyed as his owne propre person This Earle of Pancalier being a noble man very prudent in his doings and knewe right well howe to gouerne the common wealth seing the he had the whole countrie at his commaundement and himselfe manye times in presence of the Duchesse and viewing her so faire and comelie could not so well rule hys affections but that by little and little he fell in loue with the Duchesse in suche wise as that he forgat him self making no conscience to offer his seruice vnto her But the Princesse who was resolued to liue a good womā abhorred al his lasciuious orations requiring him to be better aduised another time before he presumed to vtter such talke except to such as were his equals Telling him that a man ought not to be so vnshamefast to offer his seruice to anye greate Ladye or to make other sute vnto her before he had first knowen by her gesture or wordes some likelyhode of loue which he could not déeme in her forsomuch as she neyther to him or to any other had euer till the day in all her life shewed such fauour as other suspicion coulde be conceyued than that which was conuenable and méete for her honor Which when the Countie of Pancalier vnderslode he toke his leaue of her ashamed of that he had done But he following the custome of louers not thinking himselfe cast of for the first refuse eftsones renewed his requestes And framing a louing stile besought her to haue pitie vpon him and to respect the greatnesse of his
if you had séene the numbre of shotte which by the space of .xij. houres were bestowed so thick as hayle vpon euery parte of the Forte you might haue iudged what good will the Scottes did beare vnto me and my people And for my selfe I am assured that if I had made proufe of that which you say and submitted my selfe to their mercie my bodie nowe had bene dissolued into dust The king astonned with so sage wise an aunswere chaunging his minde went towarde the Castle where after interteignement and accustomed welcome he began by little and little to féele himselfe attached with a newe fier Which the more he labored to resist the more it inflamed And feling this newe mutacion in himselfe there came into his minde an infinite nūbre of matters balancing betwene hope and feare sometimes determining to yelde vnto his passions sometimes thinking clerely to cut them of for feare least by committing himselfe to his affections the vrgent affayres of the warres wherwith he was inuolued should haue yll successe But in the end vanquished with Loue he purposed to proue the heart of the Countesse and the better to attayne the same he toke her by the hande and prayed her to shewe him the commodities of the Forteresse Which she did so well and with so good grace interteigning him all that while with infinite talke of diuers matters that the little griftes of Loue which were scarcely planted began to grow so farre as the rootes remayned engrauen in the depth of his heart And the King not able any longer to endure suche a charge in his minde pressed with griefe deuised by what meanes he might enioy her which was the cause of his disquiet But the Countesse seing him so pensife without any apparaunt occasion sayde vnto him Sir I doe not a little maruell to sée you reduced into these alterations For me thinke your grace is maruellously chaunged with in these two or thre houres that your highnesse vouchsaued to enter into this Castle for my succour and reliefe in so good time that al the dayes of my lyfe both I and mine be greatly bounde vnto you as to him which is not onely content eliberallie to haue bestowed vpon vs the goodes which we possesse but also by his generositie doth cōserue and defende vs from the incursions of the enemie Wherein your grace doth deserue double praise for a déede so charitable But I cannot tell nor yet deuise what should be the occasion that your highnesse is so pensife and sorrowfull sithe without great losse on your part your enemies vnderstanding of your stoute approch be retired which ought as I suppose to driue away the melancolie from your stomack and to reuoke your former ioy for so muche as victorie acquired without effusion of bloude is alwayes moste noble and acceptable before God The King hearing this Aungelles voyce so amiably pronouncing these wordes thinking that of her owne accorde she came to make him mery determined to let her vnderstand his griefe vpon so conuenient occasion offred Then with a trembling voyce he sayde vnto her Ah Madame howe farre be my thoughtes farre different from those which you doe thinke me to haue I féele my heart so opprest with care that it is impossible to tell you what it is howheit the same hath not bene of long continuance being attached there withall since my comming hither which troubleth me so sore that I cannot tell wherevpon well to determine The Countesse seing the King thus moued not knowing the cause why was vncertayne what aunswere to make Which the king perceiuing sayde vnto her fetching a déepe sigh from the bottome of his stomack And what saye you Madame therevnto can you giue me no remedie The Coūtesse which neuer thought that any such dishonestie coulde take place in the kings heart taking things in good part sayde vnto him Syr I know not what remedie to giue you if first you doe not discouer vnto me the griefe But if it trouble you that the Scottish king hath spoyled your countrie the losse is not so great as wherewith a prince so mighty as you be néede to be offended sithens by the grace of God the vengeance lyeth in your hand and you may in tyme chasten him as at other times you haue done Wherevnto the king seing her simplicitie answered Madame the beginning of my grief riseth not of that but my wounde resteth in the inwarde parte of my heart which pricketh me so sore that if I desire from henceforth to prolong my lyfe I must open the same vnto you reseruing the cause thereof so secrete that none but you and I must be partakers I muste nowe then confesse vnto you that in cōming to your Castle and casting downe my head to beholde your celestiall face and the rest of the graces wherwith the Heauens haue prodigally endewed you I haue felt vnhappie man as I am such a sodayne alteratiō in all the most sensible partes of my bodie that knowing my forces diminished I can not tell to whome to make my complaint of my libertie lost which of long time I haue so happyly preserued but only to you that like a faythfull keper and onely Treasorer of my heart you may by some shining beame of pitie bring againe to hys former mirth and ioye that which you desire in me and by the contrarie you maye procure to me a life more painefull and grieuous than a thousand deathes together When he had ended these wordes he helde his peace to let her to speake attending none other thing by her aunswere but the laste decrée eyther of death or lyfe But the Countesse with a grauitie conformable to her honestie honor without other mouing sayde vnto him If any other besides your grace had bene so forgetfull of himselfe to enter in these tearmes or to vse suche talke vnto me I knowe what shoulde be myne aunswere and so it might be that he shoulde haue occasion not to be well contented but knowing this your attempt to procéede rather from the pleasantnesse of your hearte than for other affection I will beleue from henceforth and persuade my selfe that a Prince so renowmed and gentle as you be doth not thinke and much lesse meane to attempt any thing against myne honour which is a thousand times dearer vnto me than lyfe And I am persuaded that you doe not so little estéeme my father and my husband who is for your seruice prisoner in the hands of the French men our mortall enemies as in their absence to procure vnto them suche defamation and slaunder And by making this request your grace doth swarue from the boundes of Honestie very farre and you doe greate iniurie to your fame if men shoulde know what tearmes you doe vse towards me In like manner I purpose not to violate the faith which I haue giuen to my husbande rather I intende to kepe the same vnspotted so long as my soule shall be caried in the Chariot of this
olde Earle which neuer thought that a request so vniust and dishonest would haue procéeded oute of the mouth of a King with frank and open hart offred that liberall graunt The king then thinking that he had sounded the depth of the Earles affection chaunging colour his eyes fixed on the ground sayde vnto him Your daughter the Countesse of Salesburie my Lorde is the onely medicine of my trauayles whome I doe loue better than my owne life and doe féele my selfe to inflamed with her Heauenly beauty that without her grace and fauour I am not able hereafter to lyue for thys consideration syth you desire to doe me seruice and to preserue my lyfe I praye you to deale so with her that she with compassion may looke vpon me Crauing this request at your handes not without extreme shame considering aswell your honorable state as your auncient merites imployed vpon me and my progenitoures But according to your modestie and accustomed goodnesse impute the faulte vpon amorous loue which in such wise hath alienated my libertie and confounded my heart that now ranging out of the boundes of honor reason I féele my selfe tormented vexed in minde Wherby I am prouoked to make this request and not able to expell the mortal poyson out of my heart which hath diminished my force intoxticated my sense and hath depriued my minde from all good counsell that I can not tell what to do but to séeke to you for helpe hauing no kinde of rest but when I sée her when I speake of her or think vpō her And I am at this present reduced into so pitifull state that being not able to winne her by intreaties offers presents sutes ambassages and letters my onely and last refuge and assured port of all my miseries resteth in you eyther by death to ende my lyfe or by force to obtayne my desire The Earle hearing the vneiuile and beastlye demaunde of his soueraigne Lorde blushing for shame and throughlie astonned filled also with a certayne honest and vertuous disdayne was not able to dissolue his tongue to render a worthy aunswere to the afflicted Prince Finally lyke one awaked from his deade sléepe he sayde vnto him Sir my wittes fayle my vertue reuolteth my tongue is mute at those words that procéede from your mouth wherby I fele my self brought into two so straunge and perillous poyntes that passing eyther by one or other I muste néedes fall into very great daunger But to resolue my selfe vpon that which is moste expedient hauing giuen vnto you my fayth in pledge to succour and helpe you euen to the abandoning of honor and lyfe I will not be contrarie to my wordes And touching my daughter for whom you haue made request I will reueale vnto her the effect of your demaunde yet of one thing I muste tell you sir power I haue to entreate her but none at all to force her Inoughe it is that she vnderstande of me what heart and affection you beare vnto her But I doe maruell yea and complayne of you pardon me most dradde soueraigne and suffer me without offence to discharge my griefe before your presence rather than to your shame and myne eternall infamie it should be manifested and published abrode by other I saye that I maruell sir what occasion moued you to commit such reproch in my stocke bloude and by an acte so shamefull and lasciuious to dishonor the same Which neuer disdayned to serue both you and yours to the vttermost of their powers Alas vnhappy father that I am is this the guerdon and recompence that I and my children shal expect for our trusty and faithfull seruices Oh sir for Gods sake if you liste not to be liberal of your owne seke not to dishonour vs and to inflict vpon our race suche notable infamie But who can loke for worse at the hands of his mortall and cruell enemie It is you euen you it is most noble Prince that doth rauishe my daughter of her honor dispoyle me of my contentation ye take from my children hardinesse to shewe their faces from all our whole house the auncient fame and glory It is you that hath obscured the clearenesse of my bloude with an attempt so dishonest and detestable that the memorie thereof shall neuer be forgotten It is you that doth constraine me to be the infamous minister of the totall destruction of my progenie and to be a shamelesse Pandarus of my daughters honor Thinke you sir that you meane to helpe and succoure me when others shal attempt to obiect before my face this slaunder and reproch but if your self doe hurte me where shall I hereafter seke reliefe and succour If the hand which ought to helpe me be the very same that doth giue me the wound where shall the hope be of my recouerie For this cause may it please your Maiesty whether iustlie I doe make my complaynt and whether you giue me occasion to aduaunce my cryes to the heauens your selfe shall be the Iudge For if like a Iudge in dede you doe giue ouer your disordinate affectiō I then appeale to the iudgement of your inuincible mynde accomplished with all curtesie and gentlenesse On the other side I doe lamente your Fortune when I thinke vpon the reasons which you haue alleaged and the greater cause I haue to complayne bicause I haue knowen you from your youth and haue alwayes déemed you at libertie and frée from suche passions not thrall or subiect to the flames of Loue but rather giuen to the exercise of armes And nowe seing you to become a prisoner of an affection vnworthy your estate I can not tell what to thinke the noueltie of this sodayne chaunce semeth to be so straunge Remember sir that for a little suspicion of adulterie you caused Roger Mortimer to be put to death And being skarce able to tell it without teares you caused your own mother miserably to die in prisō And God knoweth how small your accusacions were and vpon howe light ground your suspicion was conceyued Doe not you knowe how wonderfully you be molested with warres and that your enemies trauell daye and night to circumuent you both by sea lande Is it now time then to giue your selfe to delightes to captiuate your minde in the pleasures of Ladies Where is the auncient generositie nobilitie of your bloud Where is the magnanimitie valour wherewith you haue astonned your enemies shewed your selfe amiable to your friendes and wonderful to your subiects Touching the last point wherby you threaten that if my daughter doe not agrée to your desire you will forcibly enioy her I will neuer confesse that to be the fact of a valiaunt and true king but of a vile cowardly cruell and libidinous tyraunt I trust it be not the pleasure of God that nowe at the age you be of you will begin to force Gentlewomen that be your humble subiectes which if you do this Iland shal lose the name of a Realme and hereafter
lyfe and all the partes of her body to ware colde she quickly layde her downe and then with helpe and other things apte for sownings she made her come to her selfe againe and thinking wholy to recouer her she earnestly promised her to do what she would haue her and then sayd vnto her Doe away your teares Madame moderate your selfe a litle from your tormentes reuoke your former ioy and be of good chere for I am disposed to obey you God defende that I shoulde be the cause of the payne whiche I sée you to suffer Nowe I am readye to goe with you to the King where it shall please you we two without other companye will doe oure owne errande and attempte the beginning of our enterpryse The mother full of ioye lifting vp her handes to the heauens tenderly embraced her daughter and many times did kisse her and after she had commaunded her Coche to be made ready she went forth wyth her daughter accompanied onely with two Gentlewomen her Damoselles to the Kings Pallace When they were come thyther they sent worde to the Secretarye that broughte her the message who conducted them to the Kinges chamber and presenting them before the King sayde Syr beholde the company which you haue so long time desired They be come to doe your grace humble reuerence The King gretly astonnied came to mete them and with ioyfull countenāce sayde Welcome Ladie Countesse and your long desired companie But what good fortune conducted you hyther nowe The Countesse hauing made her obeysance yet alfryghted with feare aunswered him Beholde here my Lorde your fayre AElips so long tyme wished for who takyng repentaunce for her former crueltye and rigor is come to render her selfe at your commaundement Then the King beholding the yong Countesse trembling for feare lyke a leafe shaken with the winde with her eyes fixed on the ground approching nere her toke her by the hande and kissing her sayde Welcome my lyfe and soule But she no more moued than a fierce Lyon enuironed with cruell beastes stode still and helde her peace her heart so constrained for sorrowe and dispite that she was not able to aunswere a worde The King who thought that suche passion procéeded of shame commaunded that the gentlewomen that were come in her companie shaulde depart the chamber sauing the mother which brought her to the entrie of the kings chamber Then wythdrawing her selfe backe she left her to the mercy of loue and the King So sone as the King was entred the chamber he shut the dore after him Which AEllps perceyuing began to fele a furious combat betwéene her honor and lyfe fearing to be defloured and seing her abandoned of all humayne succour falling downe prostrate at his fete she sayde vnto him Gracious and redoubted Prince sithe that my heauy fortune hath brought me hither lyke an innocent lambe to the sacrifice and that my parents amazed through your furie as rauishers of me agaynst my will and contrarie to the duetie of their honor haue deliuered me into your handes I humblie beseche your maiestie yf there remayne in your noble personage any sparke of vertue and Princely affection before you passe any further to satisfie your desire to let me proue and vnderstand by effecte if your Loue be such as oftentymes by letters and mouth you haue declared vnto me The request which I will make vnto you shall be but easie and yet shall satisfie me more than al the contentation of the worlde Otherwise sir doe not thinke that so long as my lyfe doth continue I am able to doe any thing that can content your desire And if my sute shall seeme reasonable and grounded vpon equitie before I doe open and declare the same more at large assure the performaunce thereof vnto me by othe The King hearing her prayer to be so reasonable wherevnto rather than to refuse it he swore by his Scepter taking God to witnesse and al the heauenly powers for confirmation of that which he pretended to promise then he sayde vnto her Madame the onely maistresse keper of my louing heart sithe that of your grace and curtesie you haue vouchsafed to come to my Palace to make request of my only fauour and good will which now I irreuocably doe consent and graunt swearing vnto you by that honorable sacrament of Baptisme whereby I was incorporated to the Church of God and for the Loue that I beare you for greater assurance I can not giue I wil not refuse any thing that is in my power and abilitie to the intent you may not be in doubt whether I doe loue you intend hereafter to imploy my self to serue and pleasure you for otherwise I shoulde falsifie my fayth and more feruently I cannot bynd my selfe if I shoulde sweare by all the othes of the worlde The fayre Countesse sitting stil vpon her knées although the King many times prayed her to rise vp reuerently toke the King by the hande saying And I doe kisse this royall hande for loyall testimonie of the fauour which your grace doth shew vnto me Then plucking out a sharpe knife which she had vnder her kirtle all bathed and washed in teares reclining her pitiefull eyes towardes the King that was astonned and appalled with that sight she sayde vnto him Sir the gift that I require and wherfore your faith is bound is this I most humbly desire you that rather than to dispoyle me of myne honor with the sworde girded by your side you wil vouchsafe to ende my lyfe or to suffer me presently with this sharpe poynted knife in my hande to thrust my self to the heart that myne innocent bloude doing my funerall honor may beare witnesse before God of my vndefiled chastity being so resolued honorably to dye and that before I doe lose myne honor I may murder my selfe before you with this blade knife in my hande The king that burned with amorous heate beholding this pitifull spectacle and considering the inuincible constancy chastitie of the Countesse vanquished with remorse of cōscience ioyned with lyke pitie taking her by the hand sayde Rise vp Lady liue frō henceforth assured for I will not ne yet pretend all the dayes of my life to commit any thing in you agaynst your will And plucking the knife out of her hand exclamed This knife hereafter shal be the Pursiuant before God men of this thine expugnable chastitie the force wherof wanton Loue was not able to endure rather yelding place to Uertue which being alienated from me hath made me at one instante victorious ouer my selfe which by and by I will make you to vnderstande to your great contentacion and greater maruell For assuraunce whereof I desire none other thing of you but a chaste kisse Which receyued he opened the dore and caused the Countesse to come in with the Secretarie and the gentlewomen and the same time he caused the Courtiers and Pieres of the Realme which were then in the base Court of the
gentlewomans bedde and began to imbrace kisse her The mayden when she felte him sodaynelie dipped her finger in the colour stayned his face not perceyued of him when he had accomplished the thing he came for he retourned to his bedde And then began to imagine vpon the Dukes wordes and for what policie he spake them And lying a litle while stil musing vpon the same he went againe to the gētlewomans bed hauing disposed himselfe in the pleasures of this paradise lambe He perceyued her when she dipped her finger in the sawcer rubbed his face Ricciardo marking the fame toke away the sawcer from the beddes head and rounde about bestowed the colour vpon the faces of euery of his felowes who were to fast a slepe that they did not fele him Some he marked with two spottes some with six and some with .x. himself he painted but with foure besides those wherwith already he was berayed by the Gentlewoman Which done he set the saucer agayne vpon the beds head when he had bidden her farewel fayre softly he returned againe to his bed In the morning betimes the Damosels of the chāber came in to helpe the Lady to make her ready which done they waited vpō her to the Duke who asked her howe the matter stode She aunswered well for she had done his cōmaundement And tolde him how one came vnto her three times euery time she gaue him a taint in his face The Duke by and by sent for them that were of his counsell To whome he sayde Sirs I haue founde out this good fellowe and therefore I haue sent for you that we al together may goe to sée him They went all into the chāber and viewing them round about they perceyued all their faces coloured whereat they fell into a great laughter Then one of them sayde to a nother Suerlie this fellowe hath the subtilest head that euer was knowen and concluded the one of the company had set the colour in their faces The yong men beholding one another paynted in that sorte brake into a great sport and pastime Afterwardes the Duke examined euery of them séeing that he was not able by any meanes to vnderstande by whom it was done he determined to knowe the man before he departed and promised to him that shoulde confesse the truth to giue his daughter to him in mariage and with her a very great dowrie and a generall pardon Wherefore Ricciardo vnderstanding the Dukes minde toke hym asyde and tolde him the whole matter particularly from the beginning to the ende The Duke imbraced him and gaue him his pardon and with great ioy and triumph he solemnized the mariage betwene him his daughter Wherewithal Ricciardo encoraged proued a very stoute and valiaunt man in suche wise almost as the affaires of the whole state passed through his handes And liued a long time after with the loue good will of the whole cominaltie of Venice Philenio Sisterno Philenio Sisterno a Scholler of Bologna being mocked of three fayre Gentlewomen at a banket made of set purpose he was reuenged vpon them all ¶ The .xlix. Nouell AT Bologna which is the noblest citie of Lombardie the mother of studies and accomplished with all things requisite for such a florishing citie there was a yong scholler a gentleman of the cuntrie of Crete named Philenio Sisterno of very good grace and behauior It chaunced that in his tyme there was a great feast made in the citie wherevnto were bidden the fairest dames and best of reputation there There was likewise many gentlemen and schollers of Bologna amongs whome was this Philenio Who following the manner of yong men dallying sometime with one sometime with another and perceyuing them for his purpose determined to daūce with one of them And comming to one which was called Emerentiana the wyfe of sir Lamberto Bentiuoglia he prayed her to daunce Who being very gentle and of no lesse audacitie than beautifull refused not Then Philenio leading forth the daunce very softly sometimes wringing her by the hand spake somewhat secretely vnto her these words Madame your beautie is so great that without doubt it surmounteth all that euer I sawe and there is no woman in the worlde to whome I beare so great affection as to your person which if it were correspondent to me in loue I would think my self the best contented man in the worlde otherwise I shall in shorte time be depriued of lyfe and then you shall be the cause of my death And louing you Madame as I doe and as my duety requireth you ought to take me for your seruaunt vsing me and those litle goodes which I haue as your owne And I doe assure you that it is impossible for me to receyue greater fauour from heauen than to sée my self subiect to such a gentlewoman as you be which hath taken me in a net lyke a birde Nowe Emerentiana which earnestly had marked the swéete and pleasaunt wordes lyke a wise gentlewoman semed to giue no eare thervnto and made him no aunswere at all The daunce ended and Emerentiana being set downe in her place this yong scholler went to take another Gentlewoman by the hand and began to daunce with her which was not so sone begon but thus he sayde vnto her It néedeth not Madame that by wordes I doe expresse the feruent loue which I beare you and wil so doe so long as my poore spirite shall gouerne and rule my members and if I could obtaine you for my maistresse and singuler Lady I would thinke my selfe the happiest man on liue Then louing you as I doe and being wholly yours as you may easily vnderstand refuse me not I besech you for your humble seruaunt sith that my lyfe and al that I haue dependeth vpon you alone The yong gentlewoman whose name was Panthemia perceyuing his meaning did not aunswere him any thing at that tyme but honestlie procéeded in her daunce and the daunce ended smyling a little she sat downe with the other dames This done amorous Philenio rested not vntill he had taken the third by the hand who was the gentlest fayrest and trimmest dame in al Bologna and began to daunce with her roming abrode to shew his cunning before them that came to behold him And before the daunce was finished he sayd thus vnto her Madame it may so be as I shall séeme vnto you very malapert to manifest the secrete loue that I haue and doe beare you at this instant for which you ought not to blame me but your beautie which rendreth you excellent aboue al the rest and maketh me your slaue prisoner I speake not of your cōmendable behauior of your excellent maruellous vertues which be such of so great effect that it would make the Gods descend downe to contēplate the same If then your excellent beauty and shape so wel fauoured by nature and not by arte may séeme to contente the immortall Gods you ought not to be offēded
passion so couerte as he possibly coulde But partly for his owne solace and comfort he feasted all the Lordes and Ladyes of Naples where the gentleman and his wyfe was not forgotten And bicause man willingly beleueth that he doth sée he thought that the lokes of that gentlewoman promised vnto him some grace in time to come if the presence of her husband were not let thervnto And to proue whether his coniecture were true he sent her husband in commission to Rome for .xv dayes or thrée wéekes And so sone as he was gone his wyfe which hitherto had not felte any long absence from her husband made great sorrow for the same wherof she was recomforted by the King many times by swéete persuasions by presentes and giftes in suche sorte that she was not onely comforted but contented with her husbandes absence And before the thrée wéekes were expired of his returne she was so amorous of the King that she was no lesse sorrowful of his comming home than she was for his departure And to the intent the Kings presence might not be lost they agréed together that when her husbande was gone to his possessions in the countrie she should send worde to the King that he might haue safe repaire vnto her and so secretly that his honour which he feared more than he did the fact might not be impaired Upon this hope this Ladies heart was set on a merie pinne And when her husband was come home she welcomed him so well that albeit he knewe howe the King made much of her in his absence yet he would not beleue it But by continuance of time this fier that could not be couered by little and little began to kindle in suche wise that the husband doubted muche of the truth and watched the matter so néere that he was almost out of doubt But for feare leaste he whiche did the wrong shoulde doe him greater hurts if he séemed to knowe it he determined to dissemble the matter For he thought it better to liue with some griefe than to hazarde his lyfe for a woman which loued him not Not withstanding for this displeasure he thought to be euen with the king if it were possible And knowing that many times despite maketh a woman to doe that which Loue can not doe specially those women that haue honorable hearts and stoute stomakes was so bolde without blushing vpon a day in speaking to the Queene to say vnto her that he had pitie vpon her for that she was no better beloued of the king her husband The Quéene which heard tell of the loue betwene the king and his wife I can not quod she both inioy honor and pleasure together I know well that honor I haue whereof one receyueth the pleasure and as she hath the pleasure so hath not she the honor that I haue He which knew wel by whome those wordes were spoken sayde vnto her Madame honor waited vpon you euen at your birth For you be of so good a house that to be a Quéene or Empresse you can not augment your nobilitie but your beautie grace honestie hath deserued so much pleasure as she that depriueth you of that which is incident to your degrée doth more wrong to her selfe than to your person For she for a glory that hath turned her to shame hath there withall lost so much pleasure as your grace or any Lady in the realme maye haue And I may say vnto you Madame that if the king were no king as he is I thinke that he could not excell me in pleasing of a woman Being sure that to satisfie such a vertuous personage as you be he might exchange his complexion with mine The Quéene smiling answered him Although the king be of more delicate and weaker complexion thā you be yet the loue that he beareth me doth so muche content me that I esteme the same aboue all thinges in the worlde The gentleman sayde vnto her Madame if it were so I woulde take no pitle vpon you for I knowe wel that the honest loue of your heart woulde yelde vnto you great contentation if the like were to be found in the king But God hath foresene and preuented the same leaste enioying your owne desire you woulde make him your God vpon earth I confesse vnto you sayde the Quéene that the loue I beare him is so great that the like place he could not finde in no womans heart as he doth in muse Pardon me Madame sayde the Gentleman vnto her if I speake more frankely your grace hath not sounded the depth of eche mans heart For I dare be bolde to saye vnto you that I knowe one that doth loue you in suche wise whose loue is so great that you loue in respect of his is nothing And for so muche as he séeth the Kings loue to fayle in you his doth grow and increase in suche sorte that if your loue were agreable vnto his you should be recompensed of all your losses The Quéene aswell by his words as by his countenaunce began to perceyue that the talke proceded from the bottom of his hart and called to her remembrance that long time he had endeuored him self to do her seruice with such affection as for loue he was growen to be melancolike which she thought before to come through his wiues occasion but nowe she assuredly beleued that it was for her sake And thus the force of Loue which is well perceyued when it is not fayned made her sure of that which was vnknowen to all the worlde And beholding the gentleman which was more amiable than her husband and séeing that he was forsaken of his wife as she of the king pressed with despite and ialousie of her husbande and prouoked with loue of the gentleman beganne to say with finger in eye and sighing sobbes O my god must vengeaunce get that at my hand which Loue can not do The gentleman well vnderstanding her meaning aunswered Madame vengeance is swéete vnto him which in place of killing his enemy giueth life to a perfect frende I thinke that it is time that trouth shoulde remoue from you the folish loue that you beare vnto him which loueth you not And that iust and reasonable loue shoulde expell frō you the feare which neuer can remayne in a noble vertuous heart But nowe Madame omitting to speake of the greatnesse of your estate let vs consider that we be both man woman the most deceyued of the worlde and betrayed of them which we haue most derely loued Let vs now reuēge our selues Madame not onely to render vnto them as they haue deserued but to satisfie the loue whiche for my parte I can no longer beate except I shoulde die And I thinke that if your heart be not harder than Flint or Diamont it is impossible but you must perceyue some sparke of fier which increaseth more than I am able to dissemble And if pitie of me which dyeth for your loue doth not moue you to loue me
And euery night the olde Gentlewoman brought conflictes to the Lady for her recreation vpon whome the Gentleman wayted who for that he was well beloued very familiar with her brother was not refused to be by her at her rising and going to bedde Whereby he daylie tooke occasion to increase his loue and affection In such sorte that one night after he had caused the Lady to sit vp late she being surprised with sléepe he was forced to depart the chamber and to repayre to his owne Where when he had put on the moste brauest perfumed shirt that he had his cap for the night so trimly dressed that there wāted nothing he thought in beholding himselfe that there was no Ladye in the worlde that could refuse his beautie and comelynesse Wherefore promising himselfe a happy successe in his enterprise he went to hys bed where he purposed not long to abide for the desire that he had to entre into an other which should be more honorable pleasant vnto him And after he had sent his mē away he rose to shut the dore after them hearkened a good while whether he could heare any noyse in the Ladyes chāber aboue And when he was sure that euery man was at rest he began to take his pleasant iorney and by little little opened the falling dore which was so well trymmed with cloth that it made no noyse at all and went vp to the Ladies bed side which then was in her first slepe and withoute respect of the bonde and promise that he made vnto her or the honorable house wherof she came without leaue or reuerence he layed him selfe downe besides her who felt him betwene her armes before she perceyued his cōming But she which was somewhat strong vnfolded her selfe out of his handes and in asking him what he was began to strike to bite and scratch In such wise as he was constrayned for feare least she shoulde cry out to stoppe her mouth with the couerlet which was impossible for him to doe For when she saw him to presse withal his force to despoile her of her honor she spared no part of her might to defende and kepe her selfe called so loude as she could her woman of honor that lay in her chamber which was a Gentlewoman right auncient and sober who euē in her smock ranne straight to her maistresse And when the gentleman perceiued that he was discouered was so fearefull to be knowen of the Lady that so sone as he could he shifted himselfe downe by his trap-dore And when before he had desire hope assurance to be welcome nowe he was brought in despayre for retourning in so vnhappy state When he was in his chamber he founde his glasse and candle vpon the table and beholding his face al bloudy with scratchings and bitings which she had bestowed vpon him the bloude whereof ranne downe his fayre shirte which was more bloudled than gylted he beganne to mone himselfe in this wise O beautie thou art now payed thy deserte for vpon thy vayne promise haue I aduentured a thing impossible And that which might haue bene the augmenting of my contentation is nowe the redoubling of my sorrow Being assured that if she knew howe contrarie to my promise I haue enterprised this folish fact I should vtterly forgoe the honest and common conuersation which I haue with her aboue all other That which my estimation beautie and good behauiour doe deserue I ought not to hide in darknesse To gaine her loue I ought not to assay her chaste body by force but rather by my seruice and humble pacience to waite and attende til loue did vanguish For without loue all the vertue and puissance of man is of no power and force Euen thus he passed the nighte in suche teares griefes and playntes as a man can not well reporte and vtter In the morning when he beheld his bloudy face al mangled and torne he fained himselfe to be very sicke and that he coulde abide no light til the company were gone from his house The Lady which thus remained victorious knowing that there was no man in all her brothers court that durst attempt a déede so wicked but onely he which was so bolde to declare his loue vnto her knewe well that it was her hoste And when she and her woman of honor had searched all the corners of the chamber to knowe what he was and sawe that she would not finde him she sayde vnto her woman in a great rage Assure your selfe it can be none other but the Gentleman of the house whose villanous order I will declare to my brother in the morning in such sort that his head shal be a witnesse and testimonie of my chastitie Her woman séeing her in that furie sayde vnto her Madame I am right glad to sée the loue affection which you haue to your honor for the increase whereof you will not spare the life of one which hath aduentured himself so much forced with the loue that he beareth vnto you But many times suche one thinketh by those meanes to increase his loue which altogether he doth diminishe Wherefore Madame I humblie beseche you to tell me the truth of this facte And when the Lady had recompted the same at length the woman of honor sayde vnto her Your grace doth say that he got no other thing of you but scratches and blowes with your fistes Do I assure you quod the Lady and I am certayne if he get him not a good surgeon the markes will be séene to morrowe Well Madame quod the Gentlewoman sithens it is so me thinketh you haue greater occasion to prayse God than to muse vpon reuengement For you may beleue that fithens he had the courage to enterprise suche a thing that despite hath made him to faile of his purpose you can deuise no greater death for him to suffer thā the same If you desire to be reuenged let Loue shaine alone to bring that to passe who know better which way to torment him than your selfe with greater honor to your person Take héede Madame from falling into such inconuenience as he is in For in place of great pleasure which he thought to haue gayned he hath receyued the most extreme anoyance that any Gentleman can suffer And you Madame by thinking to augment your honor you may decrease and diminishe the same And by making that complaint you shall cause that to be knowen which no man knoweth For of his part you may be assured there shall neuer be any thing reuealed And when my Lord your brother at your request shall execute that iustice which you desire and that the pore gentlemau shal be ready to dye yet the brute wil runne that he hath had his pleasure vpon you And the greatest parte will say that it is a difficult matter for a gentleman to do such an enterprise except the Lady minister some great occasion Your grace is fayre and yong frequenting your
life in pleasant coÌ„pany there is none in al the Court but séeth and marketh the good countenaunce you beare to that gentleman whereof your selfe hath some suspicion Which wil make euery maÌ„ suppose that if he haue done this enterprise it was not done with out some consent on your part And your honor which hitherto hath borne your port a loft shall be disputed vpon in all places where this historie shall be remembred The Princesse vnderstanding and waying the good reasons of her Gentlewoman knew that she spake the truth and that by moste iust cause she should be blamed considering the familiaritie and good countenaunce which daylie she bare vnto the Gentleman Wherefore she inquired of her woman of honor what was best to be done Who aunswered her thus Madame sith it pleaseth you to receyue myne aduise by waying the affection whereof it procedeth me thinke you ought in your heart to reioyce that the goodliest and moste curteous Gentleman that liueth coulde neyther by loue nor force dispoyle you of your gret vertue and chastitie For which Madame you are bound to huÌ„ble your self before God acknowledging that it is not done by your vertue bicause many women walking in a more paynful and more vnpleasant trade than you doe haue bene humiliated and brought low by meÌ„ farre more vnworthy of loue thaÌ„ he which loueth you And ye ought now to feare more than euer you did to vse any semblance and talke of amitie bicause there haue bene many that haue fallen the secoÌ„d time into daungers and perils which they haue anoyded at the first Remember Madame that loue is blinde who darkeneth mens eyes in such sorte that where a man thinketh the way most sure there he is most ready to fall And I suppose Madame that you ought not to be knowen of this chaunce neyther to him no yet to any man else and when he remembreth any thing vnto you to make as though you did not vnderstande his meaning to auoyd two dauÌ„gers The one of vaine glory for the victory which you haue had the other to take pleasure in remeÌ„bring things that be so pleasant to the flesh which the most chaste haue had much a doe to defend them selues from feeling of some sparks although they do seke meanes to shunne auoyde them withall their possible power Moreouer Madame to th ende that he think not by such hazard and enterprise to haue done a thing agreable to your minde myne adusse is that by little and little you doe make your self straunge and vse no more your wonted grace vnto him that he may knowe how muche you despise his follie and consider how great your goodnesse is by coÌ„tenting your selfe with the victory which God hath giueÌ„ you without séeking any further vâ—tion or reuengement And God graunt you grace Madame to continue that honestie which he hath planted in your heart and by acknowledging that all goodnesse procedeth froÌ„ him you may loue him and serue him better than euer ye did The Princesse determined to credit the counsayle of her gentlewoman slept with so great ioy as the pore gentleman waked with sorrow On the morrow the noble man ready to depart asked for his hoste vnto whome aunswere was made that he was so sick that he coulde not abide the light nor endure to heare one speake Wherof the Prince was sore abashed and would haue visited him but that it was tolde him that he was a slepe and was very loth to wake him Wherfore without bidding him farewel he departed taking with him his wife and sister who hearing the excuse of the Gentleman that would not sée the Prince nor yet his companie at their departure was persuaded that it was he that had done her all that torment and durst not shew the markes which she had signed in his face And although his Maister did send oftentimes for him yet came he not to the Court vntill he was healed of all his wounds except that which Loue and despite had made in his hart When he came to the Court and appeared before his victorious enemie he blushed for shame of his ouerthrowe And he which was the stoutest of al the company was so astonned that many tymes being before her he coulde not tell which way to loke or tourne his face Wherefore she was assured that her suspicion was certayne and true by little and little estraunging her selfe from him but it was not done so sleightly or politikely but that he perceyued it wel ynough and yet he durst make no semblance thereof for feare of worse aduenture Notwithstanding he conserued both his loue in his heart also pacience of minde for the losse of his Ladies fauour which he had right wel deserued Amadour and Florinda The loue of Amadour and Florinda Wherein be contayned manye sleightes and dissimuletions together with the renowined chastitie of the sayde Florinda ¶ The Liij Nouell IN the Countie of Arande in Aragon there was a Lady which in the best time of her youth continued the widdowe of the Earle of Arande with one soÌ„ne and one daughter called Florinda The sayde Ladye brought vp her children in all vertue and honestie méete and conuenable for all Lordes and Gentlemen in such forte that her house was renowmed to be one of the most honorable houses in all the Region of Spayne Many times she repayred to Tolledo where the King of Spaine helde his Court and wheÌ„ she came to Sarragosa which was harde adioyning to the Court she coÌ„tinued long with the Quéene and in the Court where she was had in so good estimatioÌ„ as any Lady might be Upon a time going towardes the King according to her custome which was at Sarragosa in his Castle of Iasserie this Lady passed by a village that belonged to the Uiceroy of Cathalongne who still continued vpon the frontiers of Parpignon by reason of the great warres that were betwene the French King and him Howbeit at that time peace being concluded the Uiceroy withall his captaynes were come to do reuerence to the King The Uiceroy knowing that the Countesse of Arande dyd passe through his couÌ„trie went to mete her aswel for auncient amitie as also for the honor he bare vnto her being allied to the King Now this Uiceroy had in his companye diuers honest Gentlemen which through the frequeÌ„tation and continuance of the long warres had gotten suche honor aud fame that euery man that might sée them behold them did accompt themselues happie But amonges all the other there was one called Amadour who although he was but .xviij. or .xix. yeares of age yet he had suche an assured grace and a witte so excellent that he was demed amongs a thousande persons worthy to haue the gouernement of a common wealth which good wit was coupled with a maruellous naturall beautie that there was no eye but did content it self eftsones to beholde him And this beautie so exquisite was associated with wonderful eloquence that doubtful it was to
to all thinges good and vertuous hoping therby to attayne the fame of a moste perfect Lady to be counted worthy the interteignement of such a seruant Amadour being arriued at Barsalone was banketted of the Ladyes after the olde maner but they finding him so altered and chaunged thought that Mariage coulde neuer haue had such power vpon man as it had ouer him For he séemed then to disdayne those things which sometime he greatly desired and specially the Coūtesse of Palamons whom he dearely loued coulde deuise no meanes to make him goe alone home to his lodging Amadour tarried at Barsalone so little while as he coulde bicause he might not come late to the place where he should winne and achieue honour And being arriued at Saulse great cruell warres was comenced betwene the two kings which I purpose not to recite ne yet the noble enterprises done by Amadour whose fame was bruted aboue the rest of his companions The Duke of Nagyeres arriuing at Parpignon had charge of two thousād men and prayed Amadour to be his Lieutenant who with that band serued so wel that no crie was hearde in all the skirmishes other than Nagyeres It chaūced that the king of Thunis which of long time had warre with the Spaniardes vnderstanding how the kings of Spaine and Fraunce were together by the eares at Parpignon and Narbone thought that in better time he could not anoy the king of Spaine Wherefore he sent a great number of Foysts and other vessels to robbe and destroy those frontiers which were yll guarded kept They of Barsalone séeing a number of Shippes passe before the Towne aduertised the king that was at Saulse who imediatly sent the Duke of Nagyeres to Palamons And when the Shippes perceyued that the place was well guarded they made as thoughe they woulde passe further But aboute midnight they retourned and landed so many men that the Duke of Nagyeres was taken prisoner Amadour which was very vigilant hearing al arme presently assembled so many men as he coulde and defended himselfe so well that the force of his enemies a long time coulde not hurt him But in th ende knowing that the Duke of Nagyeres was taken prisoner and that the Turkes were determined to burne the Citie of Palamons and then to fier the house which he strongly had forced against them he thought it better to render him selfe than to be cause of the losse of so many good souldiors as were in his bande and also by putting himselfe to raūsome he hoped in time to come to sée Florinda Thē he submitted himself to a Turke called Derlyn the gouernor of the king of Thunis who conueyed him home to his maister where he was well enterteigned and better kept For they thought that hauing him in their handes they had gotten the onely Achilles of Spaine In this sorte Amadour continued almost the space of two yeares in the seruice of the king of Thunis Newes came into Spaine of this ouerthrow wherof the friends of the Duke of Nagyeres were very sorrowfull But they that loued the honor of their countrie thought Amadour to be the greatest losse The brute whereof was noysed in the house of the Countesse of Arande where at that tyme the pore Gentlewoman Auenturade lay very sore sicke The Countesse suspecting very muche the affection that Amadour bare vnto her daughter which he suffered and dissembled for his vertues sake called her daughter aside and tolde her the pitious newes Florinda which could well dissemble sayde vnto her that it was a great losse for all their house but specially she pitied the state of his pore wife bicause at that time she was so sore sick But seing her mother wepe so bitterly she let fall some teares to kepe her companie least through to much dissimulation her loue might be discouered After that time the Countesse spake to her many tymes but she could neuer perceyue by her countenaunce any cause of certayne suspicion I will leaue to speake of the voyages the prayers the supplications and fastings whiche Florinda did ordinarily make for the safegard and prosperitie of Amadour who incontinently so sone as he was arriued at Thunis sente newes to his friendes and by a sure messanger aduertized Madame Florinda that he was in good health and hope to retourne Which newes was to the pore Lady the only meanes to releue and ease her sorrow And doubte ye not but the meanes of writing was vtterly debarred from Amadour whereof Florinda acquited her self so dilygently that by her letters and epistles he receyued gret consolation comfort The Countesse of Arande receyued cōmaundement from the King to repaire to Sarragosa where he that tyme was arriued And there she founde the yong Duke of Cardonne making sute to the King and Quéene for mariage of her daughter The Countesse vnwilling to disobey the king agréed thinking that her daughter being very yong had none other affection but that she had When the accord was concluded she sayde vnto her daughter that she had chosen her that match which she thought best worthy to ioyne with her person Her daughter séeing that in a thing already done it was to late to take counsell sayde vnto her that God was to be praysed in all things And séeing her mother so farre alienated from her intent she thought it better to shew her selfe obedient than to take pitie vpon her selfe And to comforte her in that sorow she vnderstode that the Infant Fortune was at the point of death But before her mother or any other person she shewed not so much as one signe or token thereof strayning her selfe so muche that the teares by force retiring to her heart did cause the bloud to issue forth at her nose in such abundance that her lyfe was in present daunger And to recouer her of that dysease she was maried vnto him for whose sake she had rather haue chaunged her lyfe for presente death After the mariage Florinda wente with her husbande into the Duchie of Cardonne and with her Auenturade to whome she secretly made her complaint aswell of her mothers rigor as also of the sorrowe she conceyued for the losse of the sonne of the Infant Fortune But of her griefe for Amadour she spake neuer a worde but by waye of comforting her This yong Lady then determined to haue God and respect of honor before her eyes and so well to dissemble her griefes that none should at any tyme perceyue that she misliked her husbande In this sorte Florinda passed a long tyme liuing a lyfe no lesse pleasant than death The report whereof she sent to her good seruant Amadour who vnderstanding her great loue and well disposed heart and the loue she bare to the Infant Fortune thought that it was impossible she could liue long lamented her state more than his owne This griefe augmented his paine of imprisonment wishing to haue remained a slaue all the dayes of his lyfe so that Florinda had had a
no more affection to Amadour and thought assuredly that she was voyd of reason bicause she hated all those thinges which she loued And from that tyme forth there was suche warre betwéene the mother and the daughter that the mother for the space of .vij. yeares woulde not speake vnto her except it were in anger Which she did at the requeste of Amadour During which tyme Florinda conuerted the feare that she had to remayne with her husbande into mere loue to anoyde the rigor and checkes of her mother Howebeit seing that nothing coulde preuayle she purposed to begyle Amadour leauing for a day or two her ser straūge countenaunce she counselled Amadour to loue a woman which as she sayde did commonly talke of their loue This Lady dwelt with the Quéene of Spaine was called Lorette who was very ioyful and glad to get suche a seruaunt And Florinda found meanes to cause a brute of this newe loue to be spred in euery place and specially the Countesse of Arande being at the Court perceyued the same who afterwardes was not so displeased with Florinda as she was wont to be Florinda vpon a tyme heard tel that the Captaine the husband of Loret began to be ialous ouer his wife and determined by some meanes or other he cared not how to kill Amadour Florinda notwithstanding her dissembling countenaunce could not suffer any hurt to be done to Amadour and therefore incontinently gaue him aduertisement therof But he retourning againe to his former sollyes answered that if it would please her to interteigne him euery day thrée houres he would neuer speake agayne to Loret whervnto by no meanes she would consent Then Amadour sayde vnto her if you will not haue me to liue wherefore goe ye about to defend me from death except ye purpose to torment me alyue in such wise that a thousand deathes can not doe But for so much as death doth fly from me I wil neuer leaue to seke death til I haue founde him out at whose approch onely I shall haue rest Whilest they were in these tearmes newes came that the King of Granado was about to enter into great warres against the King of Spaine in such wise that the King sent against him the Prince his sonne and with him the Constable of Castille and the Duke of Albe two auncient and sage Lords The Duke of Cardonne and the Counte of Arande not willing to tarrie behinde besought the King to giue eyther of them a charge Which he did according to the dignitie of their houses appointing Amadour to be their guid Who during that warre did suche valiaunt factes that they semed rather to be desperately than hardyly enterprised And to come to the effect of this discourse his great valiaunce was tryed euen to the death For the Moores making a bragge as though they woulde giue battayle when they sawe the army of the Chistians counterfaited a retire whome the Spaniardes pursued but the olde Constable and the Duke of Albe doubting their policie stode still against the wil of the Prince of Spaine not suffering him to passe ouer the riuer but the Counte of Arande and the Duke of Cardonne although they were countremanded did followe the chase and when the Moores sawe that they were pursued with so small a number they retourned and at one recountrie killed the Duke of Cardōne and the Counte of Arande was so sore hurt that he was left for deade in the place Amadour arriuing vpon this ouerthrowe inuaded the battayle of the Moores with suche rage and furie that he rescued the two bodyes of the Duke and Countie and caused them to be conueyed to the Princes campe who so lamented their chaūce as if they had bene his owne brethren But in searching their wounds the Countie of Arande was found to be aliue and was sent home to his owne house in a horslitter wher of long time he was sick and lykewise was conueyed to Cardonne the deade body of the yong Duke Amadour in rescuing those two bodyes toke so little héede to him selfe that he was inclosed with a great number of the Moores bicause he would be no more taken aswell to verifie his faith towardes God as also his vowe made to his Lady and also considering that if he were prisoner to the King of Granado eyther he shoulde cruelly be put to death or else forced to renounce his fayth he determined not to make his death or taking glorious to his enemies Wherefore kissing the crosse of his sworde and rendring his body and soule to the handes of almightie God he stabbed himselfe into the body with such a blow that there neded no second wound to rid him of his lyfe In this sorte dyed pore Amadour so much lamēted as his vertues did deserue The newes hereof was bruted throughout Spaine and Florinda which then was at Barsalone where her husbande in his lyfe tyme ordeyned the place of his buriall after that she had done his honorable obsequies without making her owne mother or mother in lawe priuie thervnto surrendred herselfe into the Monasterie of Iesus there to liue a religious lyfe receyuing him for her husband and friend which had deliuered her from the vehement loue of Amadour from a displeasaunt lyfe so great and vnquiet as was the company of her husbande In this wise she conuerted all her affections to loue God so perfectly that after she had long time lyued a religious life she yelded vp her soule in suche ioy as the Bridgrome doth when he goeth to visite his spouse A Duke of Florence The incontinencie of a Duke and of his impudencie to attayne hys purpose with the iust punishement which he receyued for the same ¶ The Liiij Nouell IN the Citie of Florence there was a Duke that maryed the Ladye Margaret the bastarde daughter of the Emperour Charles the fift And bicause she was very yong it was not lawfull for him to lye with her but tarying til she was of better yeres he vsed her very gently Who to spare his wyfe was amorous of certayne other Gentlewomen of the citie Amongs whome he was in loue with a very fayre wise and honest Gentlewoman that was sister to a Gentleman whome the Duke loued so well as himselfe to whome he gaue so much aucthoritie in his house that his worde was so well obeyed and feared as the Dukes himselfe and there was no secrete thing in the Dukes minde but he declared the same vnto him that he might full well haue bene called a seconde himselfe The Duke seing his sister to be a woman of so great honestie had no wayes or meanes to vtter vnto her the loue that he bare her after he had inuented all occasions possible at length he came to this Gentleman which he loued so well and sayde vnto him My friende if there were any thing in all the worlde wherein I were able to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you and woulde not doe it at your request I shoulde be
monumente also accordyng to his worthinesse shal be erected vpon his graue Sacrifice shal be offred méete for a manne so valiaunt and puissaunt Thou likewise shalt not be left comfortles For in consideration of thy great chastitie and vertue I will honour thee and appoincte a garrison to conuey thee into what place thou art disposed to goe To whom Panthea saied Be of good chere Cyrus I will not hide from you the place wherin I am determined to bestowe my self Cyrus hearyng her saie so went awaie pitiyng the woman that was bereued of suche a housebande and lamentyng the manne that had lefte suche a wife behinde hym and was like no more to sée her againe But Panthea commaunded her Eunuches to goe out of the place till she had satisfied her self with teares and lamentacions for her housebande For the prepared to kill her self requiryng her Nursse to tarie by her cōmaundyng her that when she was deade she should shroude her and her husbande in one garment The Nursse perswaded the Ladie with humble wordes and supplicacions from her determinaciō But she could not preuaile and when she sawe that her maistres toke her wordes in ill parte she satte downe and wept But Panthea with a sworde which she had prepared a long tyme for that purpose killed her self and laiyng her heade vpon her husebandes breaste she yelded from her chaste bodie her innocente ghoste The Nursse seyng that cried out and couered them bothe as she was cōmaunded Cyrus vnderstandyng the womans facte was amazed and spedelie went to sée if she might be holpen The Eunuches beyng three in nomber seyng their maistres dead thei likewise drewe out their swordes killed themselues in the place where thei were cōmaunded to stand For memorie of which facte Cyrus created a noble monumēt to the perpetuall praise of chastitie honest loue Whiche as Xenophō reporteth remained to his daies with their names ingrauen in Syrian letters Abdolominus is from poore estate aduaunced by Alexander the greate through his honest life to be kyng of Sydone ¶ The .xij. Nouell ALexander the mightie and noble Emperour after he had subdued Darius the Persian kyng at length came to Sydone a famous citie by reason of the auncient fame of the first founders The same citie was vnder the gouernment of Strato and mainteined by the puissance of Darius who yelding more by force of the people then by free will was thought vnworthie to raigne and rule there Alexander at the request of his frende Ephestion willed him to appoinct one to be king whom the Citizens should thinke moste worthie of that state After profers of Ephestion to diuers of the yonge gentlemen of that citie and refusall made of their partes thei alledged that none ought to enioy the dignitie of their king but suche as were descended of the royall bloodde Thinking none to be more mete for that state then one Abdolominus who being of the roiall race for pouertie was inforced to inhabite a litle cotage without the citie His good life was the cause of his pouertie as it is to many other labouryng in his daiely trauell vnderstoode not the brute of the warre that troubled all Asia Ephestion and the yong gentlemen repaired to his garden with garmētes to garnish hym like a kyng and founde hym makyng cleane his garden whom thei saluted and saied You muste exchaunge your homelie clothes with these riche robes wherewith wée here presente you Washe your bodie that now is foule and vncleane take vpon yon the corage of a kyng and in this state whereof you be worthie expresse the same sobrietie and continencie you dooe presentlie vse And when you sitte in your regall seate vsyng the aucthoritie of life death of your subiectes Doe in no wise forgette the fortune wherin you were before you were made king ne yet for what purpose you did receiue it The matter semed to Abdolominus like a dreame and demaunded of theim if their wittes were founde that did deride hym in that sorte But when he sawe them binde by othe their doynges to be of trouth he washed himsef and takyng the garment whiche was purple and golde went with them into the palace The fame was diuerslie bruted of this facte Some fauoured the cause and some did froune against it But suche as were riche did reproue his pouertie and base estate to those that were nere about Alexander whiche made the kyng to sende for him And when he had long be holden his maner and order said Your personage doeth not degenerate from the fame of your progenitors But I would faine knowe how paciēt you were in the time of your pouertie I would to God q Abdolominus I could beare my prosperitie in like case now I am kyng These handes did get that I desired And hauyng nothing I lacked nothing Whiche wordes made Alexander conceiue a good opinion of hym To whom he restored the riches of the kyng before and diuers other thynges taken awaie by the Persians The oracion of the Scythian Ambassadours to Alexander the greate reprouyng his ambicion and desire of Empire ¶ The .xiij. Nouell TVllie in the first booke of his Offices saieth that verie miserable is ambicion and desire of honour and that moste men whiche be giuen to cupidite of gouernement honor and glorie be forgetfull of Iustice. The truthe of whiche graue woordes vttred by a Prince of eloquence the rude and barbarous Ambassadours of Scythia in plain and homelie talke boldlie did pronounce to kyng Alexander surnamed Magnus when he was aboute to inuade their countrie For when he hadde within three daies finished twelue thousande boates to transport his armie ouer the famous riuer of Tanais whiche deuideth Asia from Europa against the poore Scythians twentie Ambassadors of the Scythians came to Alexanders cāpe to speake with him to proue if thei could by wordes withdrawe his entended purpose Before whom when thei were placed the eldest of them spake these woordes If the goddes had giuen thee a bodie accordyng to the immoderate desire of thy minde the whole worlde could not be able to hold thée With one of thy handes thou wouldest touche the Oriente and with thy other hande the Occident And when thou haste gotten that thou wilte desire to knowe where the brightnesse of the Diuine Maiestie is placed Thus thou couetest after the thing thou art not able to receiue Out of Europa thou marchest into Asia and out of Asia thou passest into Europa Afterwardes if thou doest vanquishe all mankinde thou must make warre with wooddes and snowes with riuers and wilde beastes What Doest thou not knowe that greate trees growe long and yet be rooted out of the grounde in a moment He is a foole that looketh after the fruict and doeth not measure the height of the Tree whereon it groweth Take hede lest while thou doest contende to clim to the toppe thou fallest downe with the bowes whiche thou doest imbrace The Lion also somtyme is made the
saied that her doughter might not bothe sustaine paine in the birthe and also trouble to nourishe it her self I praie thee mother saied Phauorinus to suffer thy doughter to be the hole intire mother of her owne sonne What kind of half and vnperperfect mothers be thei whiche so sone as thei bee deliuered doe against nature by and by thrust the childe a waie from them Can thei nourishe with their owne bloode the thyng whiche thei see not and will thei not vouchsaufe to bestowe their Milke vpon that whiche is now a liuyng creature criyng out before their faces for the mothers help and duetie O thou vnkinde woman dooest thou thinke that Nature hath giuen thee twoo breastes for nothyng els but to beautifie and adorne thy body and not to giue sucke to thy children In like sorte many prodigious and monstruous women haue dried vp and extinguished that moste sacred foūtaine of the bodie the educatour of mākinde not without perill of their persones as though the same were a disgracyng of their beautie and comelinesse The like also some doe attempt by deuises and subtile secrecies to extrude their concepcions that the swellyng of their body might not irrugate and wrinckle their faces and that their painfull labours and greate burdeins dooe not make them looke olde in their youthly daies And like as it is generally to bee abborred that man in his first beginnynges when he is fashioned and inspired with life and in the handes of the cunnyng and wise woman daine Nature should be killed and slaine euē so with not muche lesse detestacion it is to be had cōpted when he is perfect and borne and the child of thine owne blood to be depriued from his due sustenaunce But it is no matter will some saie with whose Milke he bee nourced so he receiue Milke and liue The like maie be saied to that man whiche is so dull in perceiuyng the prouidence of Nature that what matter had it been in whose bodie and with whose blood he hymself had been formed and brought into light Hath not she whiche nowe respireth and with beautie waxeth white and fake the same bloodde now in her breastes which was before remainyng in her wōbe Is not the wisedome of Nature manifest in this thyng that after the cunnyng woorkeman the bloodde hath framed in the inwarde partes euery bodie of man straight waie when the tyme of birthe approcheth the same bloodde infudeth hymself into the vpper partes and is redie to nourishe the rudimentes of life and light offryng acquaintaunce familier sustinance to the newe borne Wherefore in vaine is not that reporte and belief that like as the force and Nature of the generacion séede is able to shape the similitudes of the minde bodie euen so the qualities and properties of the Milke doe auaile to like effecte Whiche thing is not onely marked in men but also in brute beastes For if Kiddes bee sockled vp with Ewes Milke and Lambes with Goates the Wolle of th one will growe more rough and hard and the heare of the other more tēder and soft In trées also and fruictes there is for the moste parte a greater force and power in the nature of the soile and Water where thes growe either for the pruning and planting then there is if straunge impes and séede be grifted and sowen there And many tymes you sée that a fruictfull trée caried and set in an other place decaseth through the nature of the grounde more barren What reason is this then to corrupte the noble Nature of this borne childe whose bodie and minde is well begonne with naturall beginnynges and to infecte the same with the degenerate foode of straunge Milke Specially if she to whom you shalt put forthe this childe to giue sucke be either a bonde and serulte woman and as commonlie it chaunceth of a forrein and barbarous nacion bee she wicked ill fauoured whorishe or dronken For diuers times without difference children be put forth to suche Nursses whose honestitie and condicions in the tyme of the puttyng for the be vtterly vnknowen Shall we suffer therefore this our infaunt to bée corrupted with pestiferous Milke Shall we abide a newe nature and spirit to be renued in his minde and bodie deriued frō that whiche is most vile and wicked Muche like to the same whiche many tymes we see and wonder how diuers children borne of chaste and honest women haue bodies and qualities farre discrepant from their honest parentes Wherefore verie trimlie and cunnynglie Maro folowyng Homeres verses doeth safe speakyng of the cruell nature of Achilles Sir Peleus that gentle kinght was not thy father sure Nor yet thy dame faire Thetis was whose grace the Goddes did lure The raging Sea and stonie rockes did bryng thee forthe to light Thy nature is so bloudie bent so fierce in cruell fight He did not herein reprehende the birthe of Achilles but the nature of the cruel sauage beast that brought hym vp for he added this of his owne And the Hircan Tigres did giue hym sucke And truely the condicion of the Noursse and nature of the Milke disposeth almoste the greater parte of the childes condicion whiche notwithstādyng the fathers séede and creacion of the bodie and mynde within the mothers wombe dooeth now in the begiunyng of his nouriture configurate and frame a newe dispositiō in him Moreouer who can saie the cōtrary but that suche women as putte their children from them deliueryng thē to be nourced of other doe cutte of naie rather doe wipe a waie and extinguishe that bande and increase of minde and affection that doeth consociate and ioyne in nature the parentes toward their children For whē the childe is put forthe to an other place and remoued from the mothers sighte the vigor and tendernesse of her affection is by litle ant litle forgotten and out of memorie the derest care of her tender babe groweth to vtter silence The sendyng awaie of the childe to an other Nourice is not muche inferiour to the forgetfulnesse that chaunceth when death doeth take it awaie Againe the affection the loue and familiaritie of the childe is prone to her that giueth it sucke And so as it is enidently seen in them that be put forthe the childe taketh no knowledge or desire of the owne mother that brought it forthe Therefore when the elementes and beginnynges of naturall pletie and loue bee ones abandoned and defaced how soeuer suche children in that sort brought vp shall seeme to loue the parentes yet for the moste parte it is no pure and naturall affection but rather a supposed and Ciuile loue Thus this noble Philosopher giueth counsaill to euery good mother not to be ashamed or grieued to bryng vp her childe with her owne Milke after her greatest paine past whom before with her owne bloudde she disdained not to féede in her bodie Of Sertorius a noble Romane capitaine ¶ The .xxiiij. Nouell LIke as in a good Capitaine chosen out
was no soner out of his fathers house but his harte was vexed with greater tormentes then before beyng depriued frō the sight of faire Stratonica whose presence did better contente hym then all the pleasures and sportes of the worlde Neuerthelesse desirous to vanquishe his indurate affections he continued abrode for a certaine time duryng whiche space vnable to quenche the fire he ledde a more desolate and troublesome life then he did before In the ende victorious loue tooke hym prisoner and caried him home againe to his fathers house Who seyng the greate loue that his father bare to his wife and the ioyfull time that he spent with faire Stratonica trāsported into many carefull panges many tymes he complained to hymself in this wise Am I Antiochus the sonne of Seleucus Am I he that my father loueth so well honoreth so muche and estemeth better then all his realmes and dominions Alas If I be Antiochus in deede the sonne of so louyng a father where is the duetifull loue and bounden reuerence that I ought to beare vnto him Is this the duetie of a sonne towardes his father Ah wretche and caitife that I am Whether hath grosse affection vaine hope and blinde loue caried me Can loue be so blinde Shall I bee so voide of sense that I knowe not my mother in law from an other woman who loueth me no lesse entertaigneth me so well as if she were myne owne mother that laboured with painfull pangues to bryng me into light Whiche beyng true as it is moste true why then dooe I loue her naie rather more then loue her Why doe I séeke after her What meane I to hope for her Why dooe I precepitate my self so fōdlie into the snares of blind deceiptfull loue and into the trappe of deceiptfull hope Can I not perceiue that these desires these vnstaied appetites vnbridled affections doe procede frō that whiche is dishonest I se well inough that the waie I take leadeth me into greate inconuenience And what reproche should I sustaine if this vnreasonable loue were made common to the worlde Ought not I rather to suffer infamous death then to see my father depriued of suche a wife whom he so derely loueth I will giue ouer this vnsemely loue and reuerting my minde to some other wight I will accomplishe the duetie of a good and louyng sonne toward his father Reasonyng thus with hymself he determined whollie to giue ouer his enterprise And he had no soner purposed so to do but sodainlie the beautie of the Ladie appered as it were in a vision before the face of his minde and felt the flames to growe so hotte that he vpon his knees craued a thousande pardons of the louyng God for the abandoning of his gentle enterprise And therewithall contrarie imaginacions began to rise whiche so contended with mutuall resistaunce that thei forced hym thus to saie Shall not I loue this Ladie bicause she is my fathers wife Shall not I prosecute my suite for all that she is my mother in lawe Ah coward faintharted and worthie to be crouned a prince of follie if therfore I should giue ouer my former mynde Loue prescribeth no suche lawe to her suters as pollicie dooeth to manne Loue commaundeth the brother to loue the sister loue maketh the doughter so loue the father the brother his brothers wife and many tymes the mother her sonne in lawe whiche beyng lawfull to other is it not lawfull to me If my father beyng and old man whose nature wareth cold hath not forgottē the lawes of loue in louyng her whom I loue Shall I beyng a yonge man subiecte to loue and inflamed with his passions be blamed for louyng her And as I were not blame warthie if I loued one that were not my fathers wife so muste I accuse Fortune for that she gaue her not to wife to an other mā rather then to my father bicause I loue her would haue loued her whose wife so euer she had been Whose beautie to saie the trouth is suche whose grace and comelinesse so excellente that she is worthie to be receiued honoured and worshipped of al the worlde I thinke it then conuenient for me to pursue my determinaciō and to serue her aboue all other Thus this miserable louer trauersyng in seuerall myndes and deludyng his owne fancie chaunged his mynde a thousande tymes in an hower In th ende after infinite disputacions to hymself he gaue place to reason consideryng the greate disconnenience that would insue his disordinate loue And yet not able to giue it ouer And determinyng rather to die then to yelde to suche wicked loue or to discouer the same to any manne By litle and litle he consumed as fletyng Snowe againste the warme Sonne wherewith he came to suche feble state that he could neither slepe nor eate and was compelled to kepe his bedde in such wise that with superfluous paine he was brought to meruellous debilitie Whiche his father perceiuyng that loued hym verie tenderite conceiued greate grief and sorowe And sent for Erasistratus which was a verie excellent Phisicion and of greate estimacion whō verie instantlie he praied diligently to looke vnto his soonne and to prouide for hym suche remedie as was conueniente for the greatnesse of his disease Erasistratus viewyng and beholdyng all the partes of the yonge gentlemannes bodie and perceiuyng no signe of sicknes either in his vrine or other accidente wherby he could iudge his bodie to be diseased after many discourses gaue iudgemente that the same infirmitie proceded from some passion of the minde whiche shortlie would coste hym his life Whereof he aduertised Seleucus Who louyng his sonne after a fatherly maner and speciallie bicause he was indued with vertue and good condicions was afflicted with vnspeakable grief The yong gētleman was a merueilous trumne yongeman so actife and valiaunt as any that liued in his tyme and therewithall verie beautifull and comelie Whiche made hym to bee beloued of all men His father was continually in his chamber and the quene her self oftentymes visited hym with her owne handes serued hym with meates and drinkes whiche bicause I am no Phisteiō I knowe not whether the fame did the yonge man any pleasure or whether it did him hurt or good But I suppose that her sight was ioyfull vnto hym as of her in whom he had placed all his cōforte all his hope quietnesse delight But beholding before his eyes so many times the beautie of her whō so greatlie he desired to enioye hearyng her speake that was the occasion of his death and receiuyng seruice of meates and drinkes at her hādes whom he loued better then the balles of his eyes vnto whom he durste not make any requeste or praier whether his grief surmounted all other aud therefore continually pined and consumed I thinke if of reason to bée beleued And who doubteth but that he felyng hymself to bée touched with those her delicate handes and seyng her to sitte by hym and
where it maie chaunce that you neuer vnderstoode so muche before this tyme I will tell you the whole discourse So it is that Pietro my father yours dwelte of long time wherof it is possible that you haue heard report at Palermo where through the goodnesse and frendlie behauior of hym there be yet some remaining that did beare hym singular good will and frendship But emonges other whiche loued him moffe my mother which was a gentlewoman and then a widowe without doubt did loue him best In such wise that she forgettyng the loue of her father and of her brethren and the loue of her owne honour and reputacion thei dealed so together that thei begatte me and am here as you see Afterwardes when your father and mine had occasion to departe from Palermo he retourned to Perugia leauing my mother behinde and me his yong doughter neuer after that so farre as I knowe caring either for my mother or me wherof if he were not my father I would blame him very muche cōsidering his ingratitude towardes my mother Albeit he ought to vse towardes me so muche affection fatherlie loue as to his owne doughter being come of no kitchin maide ne yet of any basewoman For my mother otherwise not knowyng what he was did commit into his handes moued of mere loue bothe her self and all that she had But what Thynges ill dooen and so long tyme paste are more easie to be reprehended then amended Thus the matter went he left me a litle infant at Palermo where when I was growen to yeres my mother whiche was riche gaue me to wife to one of the house of Gergenti a gentleman of greate honestie and reputacion who for the loue of my mother and me retourned to dwell at Palermo where greatlie sauoryng the faccion of the Guelphi he began to practise a certaine enterprise with our kyng Charles whiche being knowen to Kyng Federic before the same enterprise could take effecte we were forced to flie out of Scicilia At what tyme I had thought to haue been the chiefest Ladie that euer was in that Island wherefore taking with vs suche fewe thinges as we were able to carie fewe I maie well call them in respecte of thē we possessed and leauyng our houses and pallaces we came vnto this citie Where we founde kyng Charles so benigne towardes vs that he hath recompenced parte of our losses whiche wee susteined in his seruice For he hath giuen vs possessions and houses with good prouision of housholde to my husbande and your brother in lawe as you now sée and perceiue And in his maner I doe remaine here where swete brother I thāke God and not you that at this presente I sée you and therewithall she tooke hym aboute the necke wepyng tenderly and then kissed his face againe Andreuccio hearyng this tale spoken in order and digested from poinct to poinct with good vtterance wherof no worde stucke betwene her teeth or was impeached by default of tongue And remembryng how it was true that his father dwelte at Palermo knowyng also by hymself the maner of yonge menne whiche in their youthe be prompt and willyng to loue and seyng her tender teares her imbracynges and honest kisses thought al that she had spoken to bée moste certaine and true And after she hadde doe on her tale he answered in this wise Madame you maie not thinke vnkindnesse if I dooe meruaile at this for that in verie déede I haue no acquaintance of you no more then if you had neuer been borne But whether my father hath spoken of you or of your mother at any tyme truely I doe not now remēber but so muche the more I dooe reioyce that I haue founde a sister here as I trust bicause I am here alone And certainly I knowe none so honourable but you maie seme agreable vnto hym so well as to me which am but a poore marchaunte howbeit I doe beseche you to tell me how you did knowe that I was in the citie To whom she answered This mornyng a poore woman whiche oftentymes repaireth to my house gaue me knowledge thereof bicause of longe tyme as she tolde me she did dwell with your father at Palermo and at Perugia And bicause I thought it more conuenient and mete to bid you home to myne owne house then to seke you in an other mannes I thought good to sende for you After these woordes she began in order to inquire of the state of his parentes callyng them by their proper names wherevnto Andreuccio made answer that now he perceiued he had better cause to giue credite vnto her woordes then before Their discourse and talke of thynges beyng long and the weather hot she called for Greke wine and Comfittes and made Andreuccio to drincke Who after the banquette destrous to departe to his lodgyng for it was about supper time she by no meanes would suffer him but makyng as though she were angrie saied vnto hym Oh God I see now moste euidently that you doe make litle accompt of me beyng your owne sister whom you neuer sawe before and in her house where vnto you ought to resort when so euer you come to towne And will you now forsake the same to suppe in an Inne But of trouth you shall not chose but take part of my supper And although my husbande bee not at home whereof I am right sorie yet you shal knowe that his wife is able to make you some good there To whom Andreuccio not knowyng well what to saie els made this answere I do loue you as I ought to loue a sister But if I go not to mine Iune I knowe thei will tarie for me all this night before thei goe to supper to my greate reproche and shame Praised bee God quod she then I haue seruauntes to aduertise your hoste that you be here with me to the intent he shall not tarie for you But pleaseth you sir to dooe me this greate curtesie that I maie sende for your companions hither to beare you companie that afterwardes if you will néedes depart ye maie goe all together Andreuccio answered that he would sende for none of his companie that night but for so much as she was so importunate he hymself was right well contente to satisfie her requeste Then she made as though she had sente to his Inne to giue worde that thei should not tarie for him And after muche communication supper was placed vpon the table serued in with many deuises and sundrie delicates abundantlie and she with like sleightes continued the supper till it was darke night And whē thei rose from the table Andreuccio made hast to departe but she would not suffre hym tellyng hym that Naples was a Towne so straight of orders that none might walke abrode in the night and specially straūgers And that like as she had sente woorde howe thei should not tary for hym at supper euen so she had doen for his bedde All whiche Andreuccio beleuyng and
a litle longer he fained as though he had made a further searche The other so subtill and malicious as he badde hym to séeke still and when thei sawe tyme thei toke awaie the proppes that staied vp the Tōbe and ran awaie leauyng poore Andreuccio fast shutte in the Graue Whiche when Andreuccio perceiued what chaunced to hym then eche man maie consider Then he assaied sometymes with his shulders sometyme with his hedde to remoue the couer but all was in vaine Wherefore euen for verie sorowe he fill in a sownde vpon the deade bodie of the Bishoppe And if a man had seen them bothe at that instaunt it could not well haue béen discerned whether was the dead corps the Archebishoppe dedde or poore Andreuccio diyng But after he was come to hymsef he began piteouslie to complaine seeyng he was arriued to one of these twoo endes either in the Tombe to die for hunger and with the stenche of the dedde body putrifiyng with wormes if no manne came to open it or els to be hanged as a Thiefe if he were founde within And as he was in these consideracions tormented with sorowe he heard a noyse in the churche of diuerse menne who as he thoughte came to dooe the like facte that he and his fellowes had doen before wherewith his feare began muche more to augment But after thei had opened the graue and staied it vp it came in question emōges them who should goe in And when thei had contended a good space about the same A Priest that was in the companie saied Why are ye afraied Dooe ye thinke that he will eate you The dedde neuer eate men I will goe in my self And when he had saied so he laied hym downe upon his breaste at the drinke of the graue and thrustyng his feete in before he wente doune Andreuccio seyng that erected himself vpright and caught the Prieste by one of the legges makyng as though he would haue drawen hym in whiche when the Prieste perceiued he cried out a loude spéeding himself out so fast as he could Wherewithall the reste dismaied almoste out of their wittes leauyng the graue open tooke their legges and ranne as though a hundred thousande deuelles had béen at their tailes whiche seyng Andreuccio more ioyfull then he looked for lepte out of the graue and ranne as fast as he could out of the Churche at the place where he came in At what tyme daie light beganne to appere and he with the ryng on his finger wandred he wist not whether till he came to the sea side and at lengthe recouered his Inne where he founde his companie and his hoste all that night takyng greate care for hym To whom recomptyng that whiche chaunced his hoste gaue hym aduise incontinently to gette hym out of Naples whiche presently he did and retourned to Perugia hauyng bestowed his v. C. crounes vpon a Ryng whiche he thought to haue imploied vpon horsses For whiche cause he made that iorney The Erle of Angiers beyng falsly accused was banished out of Fraunce and lefte his twoo soonnes in sundrie places in Englande and retournyng vnknowen by Scotlande founde them in greate aucthoritie afterwardes he repaired in the habite of a seruaunte to the Frenche kynges armie And beyng knowen to be innocent was againe aduaunced to his firste estate ¶ The .xxxvii. Nouell THe Romane Empire beyng transferred frō the Frenche menne vnto the Almanes there rose a great discencion betwene bothe the nacions and in the ende a cruell and continual warre For which cause as well for the defence of his kingdome as to offede his enemies the Frenche king and one of his soonnes with all the power of their owne realme and of their frendes and allies assembled a greate hoste of menne to encountre with their enemies and before thei proceded bicause thei would not leaue their realme with out a gouernor knowyng Gualtieri Erle of Angiers to be a gentle and sage knight and their moste trustie frende and that he was a man moste expert in the arte of warfare semyng vnto thē notwithstandyng more apt to pleasure then paine lefte hym Lieutenaunt generall in their place for the gouernement of the whole kyngdome of Fraunce and proceded in their enterprise The Erle then began with greate knowledge and by good order to execute his office committed vnto hym dooyng nothyng without the consente of the Quene and her faire doughter in lawe although thei were lefte to be vnder his custodie and gouernement yet neuer tholesse he honoured them as his maistresses and superiours This Erle Gualtieri was a beautiful personage about the age of fourtie yeres so familier and well condicioned as any gentleman could be and besides that he was the moste excellent and trimmest knight that was knowen in those daies and one most comelie in his apparell It chaunced that the kyng and his soone beyng at the warres aforesaied the wife of the Erle died in the meane while leauyng hym onely twoo little yonge children a soonne and a doughter whiche he had by her He then frequentyng the courte of the aforesaied Ladies talkyng many tymes with them aboute the affaires of the realme the wife of the kynges sonne fixed her eyes vpon him and with great affection for his persone and vertues feruentlie imbraced hym with secrete loue And knowing herself to be yonge and freshe and hym to bee without a wife thought sodainly to bring to passe that whiche she desired and thinkyng that nothyng could lette the same but onely shame to discouer it she purposed vtterly to abandone the same And vpon a daie beyng a lone she sente one to seeke the Erle as though she would haue communicated with hym of other matters The Erle whose minde was farre different from the Ladies incontinently came vnto her who beyng sette doune together vpon a bedde which she desired alone in a chāber he asked her twise vpon what occasion she sent for hym and she hauyng nothyng to sate vnto him pressed in the ende and rapte with loue waxed verie shamfast and almoste wepyng quakyng for feare with fainte wordes began to saie as foloweth My derely beloued and louyng frende and Lorde you maie easelie knowe beyng a wise manne as you bee the frailtie of menne and women and by diuers consideracions the weakenesse to bee more in the one then in the other Wherefore before a iust iudge one fault of diuerse qualities ought not of reason to receiue one like punishemente Moreouer who is he that will saie that a poore man or woman whiche getteth their liuing with the labor of their bodie ought not more to bee reprehended if thei become amourous and subiect to their lustes then the riche Ladie whiche taketh no care for her liuyng or wanteth any thyng that she desireth Truely I beleue there is none suche that will saie so for whiche reason I suppose that the thinges before saied ought to serue the greatest part of the excuse to the aduauntage of her that doeth possesse thē If
soonne Perotto went into Wales not without greate labour and paine as one neuer accustomed to traueile on foote Where dwelte one other of the kyng of Englandes Marshalles that was of greate aucthoritie and kept a noble house To whose court the Erle and his sonne oftentymes repaired to practise begge their liuyng where one of the Marshalles sonnes and other gentlemennes children doyng certaine childishe sportes and pastymes as to runne and leape Perotto began to entermedle hymself emonges them who in those games did so excellently well as none was his better whiche thyng diuers tymes the Marshall perceiuing and well pleased with the order of the childe asked of whence he was It was told him that he was a poore mannes soonne whiche many tymes came thither to begge his almose The Marshall desiryng the childe the Erle whiche praied vnto God for nothyng els liberally gaue hym vnto hym although it gréeued hym to departe from hym The Erle then hauyng bestowed his sonne and his doughter determined no lōger to tarry in Englande but so well as he could he passed ouer into Irelande and when he was arriued at Stanford he placed hymself in the seruice of a man of armes belōging to an Erle of that countrie doing all thinges that did belong vnto a seruing man or page not knowen to any mā he cōtinued there a long time with great paine and toile Violenta named Gianetta that dwelte with the Ladie at London grewe so in yeres in beautie in personage and in suche grace and fauour of her lorde and Ladie and of all the rest of the house and so well beloued of all them that knewe her that it was meruailous to sée All men that sawe her maners and countenaunce iudged her to be worthy of greate honour and possessions by reason whereof the Ladie that receiued her of her father not knowyng what she was but by his reporte purposed to marrie her honourablie accordyng to her worthinesse But God the rewarder of all mennes desertes knowyng her to be a noble woman and to beare without cause the penaunce of an other mannes offence disposed her otherwise and to the intente that this noble gentlewoman might not come into the hādes of a man of ill condicion it must be supposed that that whiche came to passe was by Goddes owne will and pleasure suffred to be dooen The gentlewoman with whom Gianetta dwelt had but one onely sonne by her husbande whiche bothe she and the father loued verie dearly as well because he was a soonne as also that in vertue and good merites he greatly excelled For he surpassed all other in good condicions valiaunce goodnesse and beautie of personage beyng about sixe yeres elder then Gianetta who seeyng the maiden to bee bothe faire and comely became so farre in loue with her that he estemed her aboue all thinges of the worlde And bicause he thought her to be of base parentage he durste not demaunde her of his father and mother to wife But fearyng that he should lose their fauour he kepte his loue secrete whereby he was worse tormented then if it hadde been openly knowen And thereby it chaunced through Loues malice he fill sore sicke For whose preseruacion were many Phisians sente for and thei markyng in hym all signes and tokens of sickenes and not knowyng the disease were altogether doubtfull of his health whereof the father and mother tooke so greate sorowe and grief as was possible and many tymes with pitifull praiers thei damaunded of hym the occasion of his disease To whom he gaue for answere nothyng els but heauie sighes and that he was like to consume die for weakenesse It chaunced vpon a daie there was brought vnto hym a Phisicion that was verie younge but in his science profoundlie learned and as he was holdyng hym by the poulces Gianetta who for his mothers sake attended hym verie carefully entred vpon occasion into the chamber where he laie sicke and so sone as the yonge gentleman perceiued her and that she spake neuer a worde or made any signe or demonstracion towardes hym he felt in his harte to arise his moste amourous defire wherefore his poulces beganne to beate aboue their common custome whiche thyng the Phisicion immediatly perceiued and merualled stādyng still to se how long that fitte would continue Gianetta was no soner gone out of the chamber but the beatyng of the poulces ceased wherfore the Phisicion thought that he had founde out some parte of the gentlemannes disease and a litle while after seming to take occasiō to speake to Gianetta holdyng hym still by the armes he caused her to be called in and she incontinently came but she was no soner come but the poulces beganne to beate againe and when she departed the beatyng ceased Whervpon the Phisicion was throughly perswaded that he vnderstode the effecte of his sicknes and therewithall rose vp and takyng the father and mother aside saied vnto them The health of your sonne doeth not consist in the helpe of Phisicions but remaineth in the handes of Gianetta your maide as I haue perceiued by moste manifest signes whom the yonge man feruently dooeth loue And yet so farre as I perceiue the maiden doeth not knowe it you therefore vnderstande now what to doe if you loue his life The gentleman and his wife hearyng this was somewhat satisfied for so muche as remedie mighte bee founde to saue his life athough it greued them greatly if the thing wherof thei doubted should come to passe which was the marriage betwene Gianetta and their soonne The Phisicion departed thei repaired to their sicke soonne the mother saiyng vnto hym in this wise My soonne I would neuer haue thought that thou wouldest haue kept secrete from me any parte of thy desire specially seyng that without the same thou dooest remaine in daūger of death For thou art or ought to bée assured that there is nothyng that maie be gotten for thy contētacion what so euer it had been but it should haue been prouided for thée in as ample maner as for my self But sith thou haste thus doen it chaūceth that our Lorde God hath shewed more mercie vpon thée then thou hasle doen vpō thy self And to th ende thou shalt not die of this disease he hath declared vnto me the cause of the same whiche is none other but the great loue that thou bearest to a yonge maide wherso euer she bee And in deede thou oughtest not to bée ashamed to manifest thy loue bicause it is meete and requisite for thyne age For if I wist thou couldest not loue I would the lesse esteme thee Now then my good sonne be not afraied franckly to discouer all thyne affectiō Driue awaie the furie and thought whiche thou hast taken whereof this sickenes commeth And comfort thy self Beyng assured that thou shalt desire nothyng at my handes that maie be doen for thy contentacion but it shall bee accomplished of me that loueth thee better then myne owne life and
therefore expell from thée this shame and feare And spare not to tell me if I be able to dooe any thyng in that whiche thou louest And if thou perceiue that I bee not carefull to bryng it to passe repute me for the cruellest mother that euer bare childe The yonge gentleman hearyng these wordes of his mother was first ashamed but after thinkyng with hymself that none was so well able to pleasure hym as she driuyng awaie all shame saied to her in this wise Madame there is none other thyng that hath made me to kepe my loue secrete but that whiche I see in many people who after thei bée growen to yeres of discrecion dooe neuer remember that thei haue béen yonge But for so muche as herein I dooe sée your Ladiship discrete and wise I will not onely affirme that to be true whiche you haue perceiued in me but also I will cōfesse what it is vpon suche condicion that the effect thereof shall folowe your promise so farre as lieth in you whereby you shalbée able to recouer my life Wherevnto the mother trusting to muche in that whiche she ought not to haue accomplished for certaine consideracions whiche afterwardes came into her minde Answered hym liberally that he might boldly discouer all his desire and that forthwith she would bryng the same to passe Madame saied the yong man then the greate beautie and commendable qualities of your maiden Gianetta whom as yet not onely I haue no power to intreate to take pitie vpon me but also I haue made no wight in the worlde priuie of this my loue The not disclosyng and secrecie wherof hath brought me in case as you sée And if so be the thing whiche you haue promised dooe not by one meane or other come to passe assure your self that my life is but short The ladie knowing that it was more tyme to comforte then to reprehende saied vnto hym smilyng Alas my soonne were you sicke for this Bée of good chere and when you are whole let me alone The yong gentleman being put in good hope shewed in litle tyme tokens and signes of greate amendemēt Wherof the mother was meruellous glad disposyng her self to proue how she might obserue that whiche she had promised And one daie callyng Gianetta vnto her demaunded in gentle wise by waie of merie talke if she had not gotten her a louer Gianetta with face all blushyng answered Madame I haue no nede thereof and muche more vnsemely for so poore a damosell as I am to meditate or thincke vpon louers whiche am banished from my frendes and kinsfolke remainyng in seruice as I dooe To whom the Ladie saied If you haue none we will bestowe one vpō you whiche shall content your mynde and make your life more delectable and pleasaunt For it is nul mete that so faire a maide as you bée should continue without a a louer Wherevnto Gianetta answered Madame waiyng with my self that you haue taken me from my poore father and brought me vp as your doughter It becometh me to do that which pleaseth you Notwithstandyng I intende neuer to make any complainte to you for lacke of suche a one bothe for vertue and honestie sake but if it please you to giue me a husbande I purpose to loue hym and none other For my progenitours haue left me none other inheritaunce but honestie whiche I meane to kéepe so long as my life indureth These woordes to the Ladie semed contrary to that whiche she desired to knowe to atchieue her promes made to her soonne although like a wise Ladie to her self she greatly praised the damoset and said vnto her But Gianetta what if my Lorde the Kyng whiche is a yonge Prince and you a faire maiden would take pleasure in your loue would you refuse hym Wherevnto the maide sodainly answered The Kyng maie well force me but by consent he shall neuer obtaine any thyng except it be honest The Ladie conceiuyng the courage and stoutnesse of the maiden in good parte saied no more vnto her but thinkyng to put the matter in proofe she tolde her sonne that when he was whole she would put them bothe in a chamber that he mighte haue his pleasure vpon her For she thought it dishonest to intreate her maide for her sōne bicause it was the office of a Roffiana The yong man was nothing contented therewith whereby he sodainly waxed worsse and worsse whiche the Ladie perceiuyng opened her whole intente to Gianetta but findyng her more constaunt the euer she was before she tolde her husbande all that she had dooen who agreed although against their willes to giue her to bée his wife thinking it better their sonne liuyng to haue a wife vnagreable to his estate then to suffer hym to die for her sake Whiche after greate consultaciō thei concluded where of Gianetta was merueilously well pleased and with deuoute harte gaue thankes to God for that he had not forgottē her And yet for all that she would neuer name her self otherwise then the doughter of a Picarde The yonge sonne waxed whole incōtinently was maried the best contented man a liue and began to dispose himself louingly to leade his life with her Perotto whiche did remain in Wales with the other Marshall of the kyng of Englāde semblably increased and was welbeloued of his maister and was a verie comely and valiaunt personage that the like of hym was not to be founde in all the Islande in suche wise that at Torneis Iustes and other factes of armes there was none in all the Countrie comparable vnto him wherfore by the name Perotto the Picarde he was knowen and renowmed And like as God had not forgotten his sister euen so he shewed his mercifull remembraunce of hym For a certaine plague and mortalitie happened in that Countrie whiche consumed the one haulfe of the people there besides that the moste part of them that liued were fledde for feare into their coūtries whereby the whole prouince seemed to bée abandoned and desolate Of whiche plague the Marshall his maister his wife and his sonne and many other brothers neuewes and kinsfolke died of whō remained no more but his onely doughter which was mariageable and some of his seruauntes together with Perotto whom after the plague was somewhat ceased the yong gentlewoman toke for her husbande through the counsaile and consente of certaine of the countrie people that were aliue bicause he was a valiaunt and honest personage and of all that inheritaunce whiche her father left she made hym Lorde Alitle while after the kyng of Englande vnderstoode that the Marshall was dedde and knowyng the valor and stoutnesse of Perotto the Picarde he made hym Marshall in steede of him that was dedde In this sort in short tyme it chaunced to the twoo innocent childrē of the Erle of Angiers which were left by hym as lost and quite forlorne It was then the .xviij. yere sithens the Erle fledde from Paris hauyng in miserable sorte suffred many
furnished with siluer and precious Iewelles tellyng no man whither she wente and neuer rested till she came to Florence where arriuyng by Fortune at a poore widowes house she contented her self with the state of a poore pilgrime desirous to here newes of her lorde whom by fortune she sawe the next daie passing by the house where she lay on horsebacke with his companie And although she knewe him well enough yet she demauÌ„ded of the good wife of the house what he was who answered that he was a straunge gentleman called the Counte Beltramo of Rossiglione a curteous knighte and welbeloued in the Citie and that he was merueilously in loue with a neighbor of hers that was a gentlewoman verie poore and of small substaunce neuerthelesse of right honest life and report by reason of her pouertie was yet vnmaried and dwelte with her mother that was a wise and honest Ladie The Countesse well notyng these wordes and by litle and litle debatyng euery particular point thereof comprehendyng the effecte of those newes concluded what to doe and when she had well vnderstanded whiche was the house and the name of the Ladie and of her doughter that was beloued of the Counte vpon a daie repaired to the house secretlie in the habite of a pilgrime where finding the mother and doughter in poore estate emonges their familie after she hadde saluted them tolde the mother that she had to saie vnto her The gentlewoman risyng vp curteouslie interteigned her and beyng entred alone into a chamber thei satte doune and the Countesse began to saie vnto her in this wise Madame me thinke that ye be one vpon whom Fortune doeth frowne so well as vpon me but if you please you maie bothe comfort me and your self The ladie answered that there was nothyng in the worlde whereof she was more desirous then of honest comforte The Countesse procedyng in her talke saied vnto her I haue nede now of your fidelitie and trust wherevpon if I doe staie and you deceiue me you shall bothe vndoe me and your self Tel me then what it is hardelie saied the gentlewoman if it bée your pleasure for you shall neuer bée deceiued of me Then the Countesse beganne to recite her whole estate of Loue tellyng her what she was and what had chaunced â—â— that present daie in suche perfite order that the gentlewoman beleuyng her woordes bicause she had partlie heard report thereof before beganne to haue coÌ„passion vpon her and after that the Countesse had rehearsed all the whole circumstance she continued her purpose saiyng Now you haue heard emonges other my troubles what twoo thynges thei bée whiche behoueth me to haue if I doe recouer my husbande whiche I knowe none can helpe me to obtain but onely you If it bee true that I heare whiche is that the Counte my husbande is farre in loue with your doughter To whoÌ„ the gentlewoman saied Madame if the Counte loue my doughter I knowe not albeit the likelihoode is greate but what am I able to doe in that whiche you desire Madame answered the CouÌ„tesse I will tell you but first I will declare what I mean to doe for you if my determinacioÌ„ be brought to effect I see your faier doughter of good age redie to marie but as I vnderstaÌ„d the cause why she is vnmaried is the lacke of substaÌ„ce to bestowe vpoÌ„ her Wherfore I purpose for recompence of the pleasure whiche you shall dooe for me to giue so muche redie money to marie her honorably as you shall thinke sufficieÌ„t The CouÌ„tesse offer was very well liked of the ladie bicause she was but poore yet hauing a noble hart she said vnto her Madame tell me wherin I maie do you seruice and if it be a thing honest I will gladlie performe it the same being brought to passe do as it shal please you Then saied the countesse I thinke it requisite that by some one whom you truste that you giue knowledge to the Counte my husbande that your doughter is and shal be at his commaundement And to the intent she maie bée well assured that he loueth her in déede aboue any other that she praieth him to sende her a ring that he weareth vpoÌ„ his finger whiche ring she heard tell he loued verie derely And wheÌ„ he seÌ„deth the ryng you shall giue it vnto me and afterwardes sende hym woorde that your doughter is redie to accomplishe his pleasure and then you shall cause hym secretly to come hither and place me by hym in stéede of your doughter peraduenture God will giue me the grace that I maie bée with childe and so hauyng this ryng on my finger and the childe in myne armes begotten by him I shall recouer him and by your meanes coÌ„tinue with hym as a wife ought to doe with her husbande This thing semed difficulte vnto the GeÌ„tlewoman fearyng that there would folowe reproche vnto her doughter Notwithstandyng consideryng what an honest parte it were to be a meane that the good Ladie should recouer her husband and that she should doe it for a good purpose hauyng affiaunce in her honest affection not onely promised the Countesse to bryng this to passe but in fewe daies with greate subtiltie folowyng the order wherein she was instructed she had gotten the ryng although it was with the Countes ill will and toke order that the Countesse in stede of her doughter did lye with hym And at the first meetyng so affectuously desired by the CouÌ„te God so disposed the matter that the Countesse was begotten with childe of twoo goodly sonnes her deliuery chauÌ„ced at the due time Whervpon the gentlewoman not onely coÌ„tented the Countesse at that tyme with the companie of her husbande but at many other times so secretly that it was neuer knowen the Counte not thinkyng that he had lien with his wife but with her whom he loued To whom at his vprisyng in the mornyng he vsed many curteous and amiable woordes and gaue diuers faire and precious Iewelles whiche the Countesse kepte moste carefullie and when she perceiued her self with childe she determined no more to trouble the gentlewoman but saied vnto her Madame thankes bée to God and you I haue the thyng that I desire and euen so it is tyme to recompence your desert that afterwardes I maie departe The gentlewoman saied vnto her that if she had doen any pleasure agreable to her mind she was right glad thereof whiche she did not for hope of rewarde but bicause it apperteined to her by well doyng so to doe Whervnto the Countesse saied your saiyng pleaseth me well and likewise for my parte I dooe not purpose to giue vnto you the thing you shall demaunde of me in rewarde but for consideracion of your well doyng whiche ductie forceth me so to dooe The gentlewoman then constrained with necessitie demaunded of her with greate bashefulnesse and hundred poundes to marie her doughter The Countesse perceiuyng the shamefastnesse of the gentlewoman and hearyng her
curteous demaunde gaue her .v. C. poundes and so many faire and costly Iewels whiche almoste amounted to like valer For whiche the gentlewoman more then contented gaue moste hartie thankes to the Countesse who departed from the gentlewoman and retourned to her lodging The gentlewoman to take occasion from the Counte of any farther repaire or sendyng to her house tooke her doughter with her and went into the coūtrie to her frendes The Counte Beltramo within fewe daies after beyng reuoked home to his owne house by his subiectes hearyng that the Countesse was departed frō thence retourned The Countesse knowynge that her housband was gone from Florence and retourned into his countrie was verie glad and contented and she continewed in Florence till the tyme of her child bedde was come and was brought a bedde of twoo soones whiche were verie like vnto their father and caused thē carefullie to be noursed and brought vp and whē she sawe tyme she toke her iourney vnknowen to any manne and arriued at Monpellier and restyng her self there for certaine daies hearyng newes of the Counte and where he was and that vpon the daie of all Sainctes he purposed to make a great feast and assemblie of ladies and knightes in her pilgrimes wéede she wente thither And knowyng that thei were all assembled at the pallace of the Counte redie to sitte doune at the table she passed through the people without chaunge of apparell with her twoo sonnes in her armes And whē she was come vp into the hall euen to the place where the Counte was fallyng doune prostrate at his feete wepyng saied vnto him My Lorde I am thy poore infortunate wife who to thintent thou mightest returne and dwel in thine owne house haue been a great while beggyng about the worlde Therefore I now beseche thée for the honour of God that thou wilt obserue the condicions whiche the twoo knightes that I sent vnto thée did commaunde me to doe for beholde here in myne armes not onelie one soonne begotten by thée but twaine and likewise thy Kynge It is now tyme then if thou kepe promis that I should be receiued as thy wife The Counte hearyng this was greatly astonned and knewe the Kynge and the children also thei were so like hym But tell me q he howe is this come to passe The Countesse to the great admiraciō of the Counte and of all those that were in presence rehearsed vnto them in order all that whiche had béen doen and the whole discourse therof For whiche cause the Counte knowyng the thynges she had spoken to be true and perceiuyng her constaunt minde and good witte and the twoo faier yonge boies to kepe his promisse made and to please his subiectes and the Ladies that made sute vnto him to accept her from that time forthe as his lawfull wife and to honour her abiected his obstinate rigour causyng her to rise vp and imbraced and kissed her acknowledgyng her againe for his lawfull wife And after he had apparelled her according to her estate to the great pleasure and contentacion of those that were there and of all his other frendes not onely that daie but many others he kepte greate chere and from that tyme forthe he loued and honoured her as his dere spouse and wife Tancredi Prince of Salerne caused his doughters louer to be slaine and sente his harte vnto her in a cuppe of golde whiche afterwardes she putte into poisoned water and drinkyng thereof died ¶ The .xxxix. Nouell TAncredi Prince of Salerne was a curteous Lorde and of a gētle nature had he not in his age imbrued his handes with his owne proper bloud It chaunced that this prince in al his life time had but one onely doughter but he had been more happie if she had neuer been borne That doughter he loued so well as a father could loue his childe and for the tender loue he bare her he was not able to suffer her to bee out of his sighte And could not finde in his harte to marie her although she had many yeres passed the tyme that she was mariage able notwithstandyng in the ende he gaue her to wife to one of the soonnes of the Duke of Capua with whom she continued no long tyme but was a widowe and then retourned vnto her fathers house againe This Ladie was verie faire and comely of bodie and face as any creature could be yonge lustie and more wise peraduenture then a woman ought to be And thus dwelling with her louing father she liued like a noble Ladie in greate pleasure And seing that her father for the loue he bare vnto her had no minde or care to marie her againe and also she thinking it skarce honest to require him therevnto deuised with her self secretly if it were possible to retain some valiaunt man to bée her louer And seyng many gentlemen and others frequentyng her fathers court as wée commonlie sée in the Courtes of Princes and markyng the behauiour and order of many emonges all there was a yonge man one of her fathers seruaūtes that liked her well whose name was Guiscardo of verie base birthe but in vertue and honeste condicions more noble then the reste and many tymes when she sawe him she wonderfully delited in him alwaies praisyng his dooynges aboue all others The yonge manne not hauyng good consideracion of hymself perceiuyng her feruente affeccion so fixed his minde that he disposed the same vppon nothyng elles but to loue her One louing an other secretly in this sort and the ladie verie studious to finde occasiō that she might talke with hym unwillyng to commit the secrecie of hre loue to any manne she imagined with her self a new deuise to giue him knowledge therof And wrote a letter signifiyng vnto hym what he should dooe the nexte daie and how he mighte vse hymself to come to talke with her then puttyng the letter into the Cane of a rede she gaue it vnto Guiscardo in sportyng wise and saied Thou shalt this night make a paire of Bellowes for thy seruaunt wherwith she maie kindle the fire Guiscardo tooke it thought that she did not giue it vnto him without some speciall purpose whervpon he went to his chamber and loking vpō the Cane perceiued it to be hollowe and openyng it founde the letter within whiche she had written And when he had well perused it vnderstandyng the tenour and effecte thereof he thought hymself the happiest manne in the worlde and began to put hymself in redinesse to mete with his Ladie by suche waies and meanes as she had to hym appoincted There was in a corner of the princes pallace a Caue longe tyme before made vnder the side of a hille whiche Caue receiued light by a certaine vente made by force within the saied mountaine and bicause the same was not frequented and vsed it was ouer growen with busshes and thornes Into whiche Caue was a discente by a secrete paire of staiers that was in one of the lowest chambers of the
the honeste loue betwene the Lorde and the Ladie as for the vertue and clemēcie wherewith both the one and the other were accōpanied who in the beginnyng as honestie duetie did require was a louer of good maners and commendable demeanour of his Ladie and maistresse afterwardes forgettyng the fidelitie whiche he did owe vnto his Lorde the nobilitie of his predecessours and the perill of his owne life began to loue her and serue her in harte and to wishe for the fairest thyng whiche outwardlie did appere to bee in her where he ought not so muche as with the looke of his eye to giue any atteinte of likelihode for the reuerence of hym whiche was the right honor and iuste possessor of the same This maister foole then not measuryng his forces and lesse followyng the instincte of Reason became so amourous of his Madame that cōtinually he imagined by what meanes he might giue her to vnderstande the paines and languores wherein he liued for the loue of her But alas these deuises vanished like a litle dispersed cloude at the risyng of the Sonne For thinkyng vpon the vertue of his maistresse his desires were soner remoued from his harte then he was able to impresse them in the seate of his iudgemente thereby to take any certaine assuraunce Notwithstandyng his hedde ceased not to builde Castelles in the aire and made a promisse to hymself to inioye her whom he worshipped in his harte For he tooke suche paines by his humble seruice that in the ende he acquired some parte of his Ladies good grace and fauor And for that he durst not be so bolde to manifest vnto her the vehemencie of his grief he was cōtented a long tyme to shewe a counterfaicte ioye whiche raised vnto hym a liuely spring of sorowes and displeasures that did ordinarily frette boile his minde so muche that the force of his wepyng for vaine hope was able to suffocate the remnant of life that rested in his tormented harte whiche caused certaine litle brookes of teares to streame donne assailyng the myndeof this foolishe Louer This faier and chaste Ladie was so resolued in the loue of her husbande that she tooke no regarde to the countenaunces and foolishe fashions of this maister Louer Who seyng his mishappe to grow worsse and worsse and from thence forthe no remedie that whether by reioyse well hopyng of better lucke or for sodaine and miserable death he determined to proue Fortune and to sée if the water of his hope could finde any passage stedfastly determinyng that if he were throwē downe hedlong into the bottō of Refusall cōtēpned for his seruice not to retire againe but rather further to plondge for the acceleratyng of the ruine of hymself and his desires For he thought it impossible that his harte could indure more intollerable heate of that inuisible fier then it had felt alredie if he founde no meanes for the smoke to haue some vent and issue For whiche consideracion cleane besides hymself bewitched with foolishe Loue like a beast throughly transformed into a thing that had no sense of a reasonable manne suche as thei bee accustomably that be inrolled in the muster bookes of Venus sonne was purposed to open to the Ladie when occasion serued bothe the euil and also the grief that he susteined in bearyng toward her so greate and extreme affection Beholde here one of the effectes of humane follie this was the firste acte of the Tragedie wherein Loue maketh this brainlesse manne to plaie the firste and principall parte vpon the Stage This poore gentleman otherwise a good seruaunt and carefull for the profite and honour of his maister is nowe so voide of hymself and blinde in vnderstanding that he maketh no consciēce to assaile her to defraude her of her greatest vertue the simple name of whom ought to haue made hym tremble for feare and to blushe for shame rather then for her beautie sake and naturall curtesie to dispoile her of her honestie and to attempte a thyng vncertaine to winne also more daungerous to practise Now whiles he liued in the attempt of his hoped occasion it chaunced that the Ladie thinkyng no malice at all began to beholde the Stewarde with a better eye and loke more familier then any of the gentlemen and domesticall seruauntes of the house aswell for the painted honestie of this Galant as to sée hym so prompte and redie to obeie her And therefore vpon a daie as she walked in the Gallerie she called hym vnto her and verie familierly communicated vnto hym certaine affaires touchyng the profite of the house He that marched not but vpon one foote and burned with Loue and whose harte leapte for ioye and daunced for gladnesse thought that he had now obteined the toppe of his felicitie the whole effecte of his desire sodainly he cast awaie the dispaire of his former conceiptes obiectyng hymself to the daunger wherin he was like to be ouerwhelmed if the Ladie accepted not his request with good digestion In the ende recoueryng force he discoursed in his mynde this wicked opinion wherewith folishe and wilfull fleshely louers doe blason and displaie the honour and chastite of Ladies when thei make their vaunte that there is no woman be she neuer so chaste continente or honest but in the ende yeldeth if she be throughly pursued O the woerdes and opinion of a beast rather then of a man knowing vertue Is the nomber of chaste women so diminished that their renowme at this daie is like a Boate in the middes of some tempestious sea wherevnto the mariners dooe repaire to saue themselfes It is the onelie vertue of Laies whiche doeth constraine them to vomite forthe their poison when thei sée themselfes deceiued of their fonde and vncomely demaundes A man shall neuer heare those wordes procede but from the mouthes of the moste lasciuious whiche delight in nothyng els but to corrupt the good names of Ladies afterwarde to make them their laughyng stockes Retourne wée then to our purpose this valiaunt souldior of Loue willyng to giue the first onset vpon his swete enemie beganne to waxe pale and to tremble like the Réede blowen with the winde and knoweth not in what parte or by what meanes to bestowe the firste strokes of his assault At length with foltring tongue and tremblyng voice he speaketh to his Ladie in this wise Alas madame how happy were the course of our transitorie life if the common passions receiued no increase of their trouble by newe and diuers accidentes whiche seme to take roote in vs for the very greate diminucion of that libertie that euery manne doeth study so muche to cōserue But truely that studie is vain and the paine therof vnprofitablie bestowed For such a manne inforceth hymself to liue frée from passion whiche in the middes of his inforcemente feeleth hym self to be violently constarined and séeth the takyng awaie of his libertie to be a certaine impeachemente which therevnto he would giue Alacke I
haue proued that mischiefe and am yet in the greatest excesse and pangues of my disease I féele alas a diuersitie of anguishes a Sea of troubles whiche tormente my minde yet I dare not discouer the occasiō seing that the thing which is the cause of my grief to be of suche desert that my seruice past all that is to come is not able to giue the proofe if one speciall grace and fauor doe not inlarge the litle power that is in me to counteruaile the greatenesse and perfection of that cause whiche thus doeth variat and alter bothe my thoughtes and passions Pardon me madame if I doe speake obscurely for the confusion of my mynde maketh my wordes correspondent to the qualitie of the same Notwithstandyng I will not kepe silente from you that whiche I dooe suffre and muche lesse dissemble what passiō I indure beyng assured aswel for your vertue gentlenes that you moued with compassion will succour me so much as shal lie in you for preseruacion of the life of hym that is the best and moste obedient seruaunt emōges them all that doe you humble seruice The Ladie whiche neuer thought of the wickednesse whiche this insensate man began to imagine answered him very curteously I am sory truely for your mishappe and doe merueile what should be the effecte of that passion whiche as you saie you fele with suche dimunicion of that whiche is perfecte and accomplished in you For I doe sée no cause that ought to moue you to so straunge infirmitie whereof you tolde me wherwith I had alredie found fault although you had said nothyng I would to GOD I knewe whiche waie to helpe you aswel my lorde my husbandes sake who I am sure doeth beare you good will as for the honestie which hetherto I haue knowen to be in you which as I thinke all men resemblyng you for vertue and good condicions doe deserue that accōpt and consideracion He that thought her alredie to be taken in his nettes seyng so faire a waie open and cleare to disclose that whiche he had kept couert so long tyme in the depth of his harte answered Ah madame are ye ignoraunt of the forces of Loue how much his assaultes can debilitate the liuelihode of the bodies and spirites of men Knowe ye not that he is blinde and naked not caryng whether he goeth manifestyng hymself there where occasion is offred Alas madame if you haue not pitie vpon me and doe not regarde that whiche I doe suffer for the loue of you I knowe not how I am able to auoide Death whiche will approche so sone to cutte of and abridge my yeres as I shall vnderstande a refusal of that whiche the extreme Loue that I beare you madame forcethe me to require whche is to receiue a newe seruice of your aunciente and faithfull seruiture who inflamed by the bright beames of your diuine face knoweth not now how to chaunge the affeccion muche lesse to receiue helpe but of that place where he receiued the pricke Excuse madame I beseche you my rashenesse and pardon my follie accusyng rather either your celestiall beautie or els that tiraunt Loue who hath wounded me so luckelie that I esteme myne euill fortunate and my wounde happie sithe by his meane my thoughtes and cogitacions doe onely tende to doe you seruice and to loue you in myne harte whiche is the Phenix of the faireste and moste curteous ladies within al our Prouince Alas that excellencie whiche thus maketh me your seruasit shall one daie be my ruine if by your good grace speakyng it with wepyng teares you doe not fauor hym whiche liueth not but to obeie you and whiche lesing your good grace will attempte to depriue hymself of life whiche being depriued through your crueltie will goe to complaine himself of his bolde attempt and also of your rigor emonges the ghostes and shadowes of thē that be alredie dedde for like occasions The chaste Ladie was so rapt of wittes for the straungenes of the case and for the grief whiche she conceiued to sée the vnshamefast hardinesse of the varlette that she could not tell how to make hym answere But in the ende breakyng silence and fetchyng a great sighe from the bottome of hec harte her face slained with a fresh Uermilion rudde whiche beautified her colour by reason of disdaine conceiued against this impudent Orator she answered hym verie seuerely O God who would haue thought that from a hart nobly brought vp and deriued from an honourable race a villanie so greate could haue taken roote and spryng vp with suche detestable fruicte What maister Stewarde Haue ye forgotten the duetie of a seruaunt towarde his lorde and maister Haue ye forgotten I saie the duetie of a vertuous gentleman well nourished and trained vp towarde suche and so greate a Ladie as I am Ah These and Traitour that thou art Is this the venime whiche thou kepest so couert and secrete vnder the swetenesse of thy counterfaicte vertue A vaunte varlette a vaunte Goe vtter thy stuffe to them that be like thy self whose honour and honeslie is so farre spent as thy loialtie is lighte and vaine For if I heare thee speake any more of these follies bee assured that I will mortifie that ragyng flame whiche burneth thy light beleuyng harte and will make thée feele by effecte what maner of death that is wherein thou reposeste the rest of thy trauell As this deceued Oratour was framyng his excuse and aboute to moderate the iuste wrathe of his Ladie displeased vpon good occasion she not able to abide any more talke saied further And what signes of dishonestie haste thou séen in me that moue thée to perswade a thing so wicked and vncomely for myne estate yea and so preiudiciall to me to my frendes the house of thy maister my lorde and spouse I can not tell what it is that letteth me from causyng thée to bée caste for the emong the Lions cruell and capitall enemies of adulterie emonges thē selfes sithe thy pretence is by violatyng my chastite to dishonor the house wherevnto thou owest no lesse then all the aduauncemente thou haste from the taste whereof thou haste abandoned Uertue the best thyng wherewith thou were affected Auoide now therefore let me heare no more of this vpon paine of thy life otherwise thou shalt féele the rewarde of thy teinerite and vnderstande the bitternesse of the litle pleasure whiche I haue conceiued of thy follies So the good ladie helde her peace reseruyng in her harte that whiche should be her helpe in tyme and place howbeit she said nothyng hereof vnto her husbande aswell for raisyng offence or slaunder as for prouokyng her husbande against him whiche susteined the punishement himself sithe that this refuse did more straungely pinche hym more nere at the harte then euer the Egle of Caucasus whereof the Poetes haue talked so muche did tier the mawe of the subtil these Prometheus And yet the vnhappie
vpon her makyng so muche of her as if thei had familiarly been nourished with her owne breastes A thing no lesse pleasaunt to the Ladie then meruellous to al the people standyng round about who seyng a chaunce so miraculous cried out incontinently for the deliuerie of the Ladie for vengeaunce to be taken of hym whiche so wickedly had protruded her into that daunger whiche for her vertue ought to be extolled and praised of the whole worlde When the noble man was certified of this straunge aduenture he caused his Stewarde to be apprehended and imprisoned whose conscience forced suche remorse yet not knowyng the ende of the tragedie condempned hymself by his countenaunce Duryng his imprisonmente the deposiciō of the beloued foole was taken who said that by the suggestion of the malicious Steward many tymes ignoraunt to the Ladie he conueied himself into her chamber not knowyng wherevnto the intent of hym that caused hym so to do did extende The other gentleman made excuse although he was blame worthie that he was deceiued by the same false practise that the Lorde hymself was The Stewarde openlie confessed the treason whiche he had deuised againste the Ladie and the whole occasion thereof and thinckyng to be reuenged of the refusall of loue by her denied he framed this slaunder to make her lose her life Whiche the Lorde hearyng could not abide that his death should any longer bee respected but without other forme of Lawe he was thruste out to the Lions and was out of hande seased vpon and torne in péeces by those beastes whiche by Goddes iuste iudgemente did absteine from the good Ladie for the punishement of the detestable synne of this varlette In the meane tyme the chaste and innocente Ladie beyng broughte before her husbande after he had kissed and imbrased her with humble reuerence she saied vnto hym My Lorde I render my humble thankes to God for that through his holie grace inscrutable Iustice he hath let you to vnderstande twoo diuers affeccions in twoo seuerall persones of this worlde whiche you loue so well In one the treasō so pernicious which prouoked you to soile and imbrue your hādes not without cause till this daie proued contrarie in the bloodde of your faithfull and dere beloued wise In thother a will and minde so good to obeye you and to persist in continuacion of that effecte whiche maketh her generally to bée praised worthie of your earnest loue for so muche as she is your very affectionat spouse Notwithstanding iustlie maie I make my cōplaint of you for that withon excuse for my discharge or hearyng any thing that might serue for my purgacion you condempned her for whose honour and defence you ought to haue imploied bothe gooddes and life But God shal bée iudge betwene your litle discrecion and my righteousnesse betwene myne obedience and your crueltie wherewith you haue abused the nobilitie of the race whereof I came The husbande hearyng this wise and iust cōplaint on the one side transported with ioye leapt and reioysed to sée his deare companion in libertie and declared to be innocent on the other parte he blushed for shame that he had so lightlie and without better proofe and triall condempned her whom God by his grace had preserued from the Lions throates and durste not lifte vp his hedde by reason his harte freated at the remembraunce of his light credite and furie imoderate Finallie imbrasyng his wife and kissyng her louyngly saied vnto her Madame and deare beloued wife I can not deny but foolishely I haue attempted to blemishe the honor of her that whilome made me to shine and glister emongest the best and chief of all this countrie but he that doeth well marke and behold the galle and disdaine of a husbande louyng his wife and then vnderstanding her litle care and great forgetfulnesse whiche she hath bothe of his honour and glorie of his comfort will easely excuse and pardon my fault whiche I will not by any meanes colour and cloke but rather craue pardon at your handes assuryng you that I will amende and requite the same so well in suche wise as you and yours shall haue no cause but to bee content and satisfied It suffiseth me sir quod she that my giltlesse offence is knowen vnto you and that I haue recouered place in your fauourable acceptacion For I dooe accompte myne aduersitie well imploied sithe thereby you and your frendes maie glorie of the seuere Iustice ministred against malefacters and I reioyse in resistaūce of the assaultes of loue and of death to guarde and kepe my chastitie pure and inuiolable And maie serue for example to euery honourable Ladie beyng assailed with suche strong and mightie aduersaries to kepe themselfes honest For the croune is not due but to her that shall lawfully combate to the ende After this the Lorde by perswasion of his wife commaunded that the foole should be auoided the house that his presence might neither grieue or torment her ne yet might remoue the memorie of a thyng that neuer was thought or dooen And not without cause for the Lorde whiche reclinde his eare to euery triflyng reporte and credited the woordes of euery whistlyng pikethanke had muche a dooe to escape from dooyng thinges vnworthie his estate and calling Of so great force truely is the venime of suche Serpentes that seasyng it self by litle and litle vpon the harte of hym disposed to receiue it in furie maketh it to be in effecte like the nature of poison and drogues corrupt whereof menne ought to bée no lesse but rather more diligēt and carefull then of meates emonges persones whom thei suspecte and feare sithens that malidies and infecciōs of minde be farre more daūgerous then outward passions whiche torment the bodie Wherevnto if the saied noble manne was not hedefull he felt the dammage for penaunce of his inconsideracion Howbeit as ioynges bothe good and ill emonges menne bee not still durable and perpetuall Certaine daies after he beganne to solace hymself with his wife and rode an huntyng abroade visited his neighbours and at home made greate feastes and bankettes wherevnto his kindred and frendes were inuited to cōgratulate this newe alliaunce indeuouryng thereby to satisfie the faulte committed and the better to gratifie and pleasure his wife to make her knowe how muche he estemed and regarded her then before he caused the successe of this presente historie to bee ingrauen with greate industrie and merueilous cunnyng in Marble whiche he placed ouer the gate of the firste entrie into his Castle aswell to immortalizate the greate chastitie of his faire and vertuous wife as to sette forthe a Mirrour and example to euery housholde seruaunte and to all other what soeuer thei bee to beware how thei attempt any thyng against the honour of Ladies For many times it chaunceth that he whiche diggeth a ditche and setteth vp a Gallowes is the firste that doeth fall or is stretched therevpon As you maie se by this present
to bee simple and voide of guile would haue framed a platte for suche treason saied to the olde woman Receiue the letter at the doore but in any wise let hym not come in and I will accomplishe the contentes The olde woman whiche thoughte onely but to receiue the letter betwene the doore was astoned when the keper who giuyng her a blowe with his foote vpon the stomacke threwe her backewarde where she laie more then a quarter of an houre without speking or mouing And then thei thre entryng the chaumber in greate rage with their Pistolettes in their handes founde the twoo miserable louers starke naked who seyng themselfes surprised in that state were so sore a shamed as Eue and Adam were when their synne was manifested before God And not knowyng what to dooe reposed their refuge in waimentyng and teares but at the verie same instaunt thei bounde the armes and legges together of the poore gentleman with the choller 's of there horfse whiche thei broughte with them of purpose And then the Lorde commaunded that the twoo maides whiche were in the Castell and the reste of the seruauntes should bee called to assiste them to take example of that faire fighte And all the meane people beyng gathered in this sorte together the Lorde tournyng hym self vnto his wife saied vnto her Come hither thou vnshamefaste vile and detestable whore like as thou hast had a harte so traiterous and vnfaithfull to bring this infamous Ruffian in the nighte into my Castell not onely to robbe and dispoile me of myne honoure whiche I preferre and esteme more then life but also whiche is more to be abhorred to infringe and breake for euer the holie and precious bande of Mariage wherewithall we be vnited and knitte together Euen so I will euen forthwith that with these thyne owne handes with whiche thou gauest me the firste testimomonie of thy faithe that he presently shal bee hanged and strangled in the presence of all menne not knowyng how to deuise any other greater punishemente to satisfie thyne offence then to force thée to murder him whom thou haste preferred before thy reputacion aboue mine honour and estemed more then thine owne life And hauyng pronounced this fatall Iudgemente he sent one to seke for a greate naile of a Carts which he caused to bee fastened to the beame of the chamber and a ladder to bee fetched and then made her to tye a Coller of the order belongyng to Theues and male-factours aboute the necks of her sorowfull louer And bicause she alone was not able to do that grieuous and waightie charge he ordained that like as the olde woman had been a faithfull minister of his wiues loue so she should putte her hande in performyng the vttermoste of that woorke And so these twoo wretched women were by that meanes forced to suche extremitie that with their owne handes thei strangled the infortunate Gentleman with whose death the Lorde not yet satisfied caused the bedde the clothes and other furnitures wherevpon thei had taken their pleasures past to be burned He commaunded the other vtensiles of the chāber to be taken awaie not suffryng so muche strawe as would serue to couche of twoo Dogges to be lefte vnconsumed Then he saied to his wife Thou wicked woman emonges all other moste wicked For so muche as thou hast had no respecte to that honourable state where vnto Fortune hath aduanced thée beyng made by my meanes of a simple damosell a great Ladie and bicause thou haste preferred the lasciuious acquaintaunce of one of my subiectes aboue the chaste loue that thou oughtest to haue borne to me my determinacion is that from henceforthe thou shall kepe continuall companie with hym to the vttermoste daie of thy life bicause his putrified carcase hath giuen occasion to ends thy wretched bodie And then he caused all the windowes and doores to be mured and closed vp in suche wise that it was impossible for her to goe out leauyng onelie a litle hole open to giue her breade and water appoinctyng his Stewarde to the charge thereof And so this poore miserable woman remained in the mercie of that obscure and darcke prison without any other companie then the deade bodie of her louer And when she had continued a certaine tyme in that stinckyng Dongeon without aire or comfort ouercome with sorrowe and extreme paine she yelded her soule to GOD. The loue of Alerane of Saxone and of Adelasia the Daugther of the Emperour Otho the thirde of that name Their flight and departure into Italie and how they were knowen agayne and what noble houses of Italie descended of their race ¶ The .xliiij. Nouell THe auncient Histories of Princes aswell vnder the name of King as of the title of Duke which in time past dyd gouerne the Countrey of Saxone doe reporte that Otho the seconde of that name which was the first Emperour that lawfullye raigned after the Empire ceassed in the stock of Charles the great had of his wife Matilde daughter of the King of Saxone one sonne which succeded him in that Imperial crowne called Otho the thirde who for his vertuous education and gentle disposition acquired of all men the surname of The loue of the Worlde The same Emperour was curteous and mercifull and neuer to any mans knowledge gaue occasion of grief to any person he did good to euery man and hurt no man likewise he thought that that kingdome was well gotten and gotten was better kept if the King Prince or Ruler thereof did studie and séeke meanes to be beloued rather than feared sith loue ingendreth in it selfe a desire of obedience in the people And contrarywise that Prince which by tyrannie maketh himselfe to be feared liueth not one houre at rest hauing his conscience tormented indifferently both wyth suspition feare thinking still that a thousād swords be hanging ouer his head to kill and destroy him Otho then vnder his name of Emperor couered his clemencie with a certayne swéete grauitie and Princely behauiour Who notwithstanding declared an outwarde shewe of his courtesie to make swéete the egrenesse of displeasure which they féele and taste that be subiect to the obeysaunce of some new Monarchie Man being of his owne nature so louing of himselfe that an immoderate libertie semeth vnto him swéeter more iust and indurable than auctorities rightlie ordayned the establishment wherof semeth to represent the onely gouernement of that first King which from his highe throne giueth being and mouing to all things That good Emperour then knowing very well the malice of men who although he was a good man of warre hardie of his handes and desirous of glory yet moderated so well the happie successe of hys enterprises that his grace and gentlenesse principally appeared when he had the vpperhande for that he cherished and well vsed those whome he had subdued vnder his obedience his force and felicitie was declared when he corrected and chastised rebels and obstinate persons which wilfully would proue the
gret force of a Princes arme iustly displeased and to others what fauor a King coulde vse towardes them whome he knewe to be loyall and faythfull giuing cause of repentance to them which at other times had done him displeasure And to say the truth he might be placed in the ranke of the most happie Princes that euer were if the priuate affaires of his owne house had so happyly succeded as the renowme which he wanne in the science of warfare and in the administration of the common wealthe But nothing being stable in the lyfe of man This Emperour had in him that thing that diminished the glorye of his wisedome and resembling an Octauius Augustus the vnhappie successe of his owne house did somewhat obscure the fame of his noble factes and those insolent doings serued vnto him as a counterpoyse to prosperous Fortune which may be easily perceyued by the progresse and continuation of this Historie This good Prince had one daughter in whome Nature had distributed hir giftes in such wise that she alone might haue vaunted hir selfe to attaine the perfection of all them which euer had any thing worthy of admiration were it in the singularitie of beautie fauour and courtesie or in her disposition and good bringing vp The name of this fayre Princesse was Adelafia And when this Ladie was very yong one of the children of the Duke of Saxone came to the Emperours seruice whose kinsman he was This yong Prince besides that he was one of the fayrest and comlyest gentlemeÌ„ of Allemaigne had therewithal together with knowledge of armes a passing skill in good scieures which mitigated in him the ferocitie bath of his warlike knowledge and of the nature of his Countrey His name was Alerane who seing himselfe the yongest of his house and his inheritaunce verie small indeuoured to conciliate euery mannes fauoure and good will to remoue his owne fortune and to bring himselfe in estimation with the Emperour where in all thinges he imployed so well his indeuoure that through his worthinesse he wanne comendation and report to be the moste valiaunt and stoutest gentleman in all the Emperours court which prayse did greatly coÌ„mende the tendernesse of hys yong yeares and was therewithal so sober and of so gentle spirit that although he excelled his companioÌ„s in al things yet he auoided cause of offence shewing himselfe familiar amongs all the Courtyers Euery maÌ„ which is a great matter rather praysed him and loued him and he thought himself most happie that by any meanes coulde fashion himselfe to imitate the vertue the made Aleranes name so renowmed And that which made him fuller of admiracion and brought him in fauour with his Lorde and Maister was that vpon a daye the Emperor being in an assemble in the middes of a laund and in a desert place it chaunced that a Beare issuing out of her caue was assayled of hunters the fierce beast auoiding the toyles and flying the pursute of the dogges came with great vehemencie spéede from a mountayne and was vpon the Emperour â—or he was ware separated from his company and without his sworde But Alerane by good fortune was at hande who more carefull for the safety of his Prince than for his owne life encountred with the Beare and killed him in the presence of the Emperour and many other All which beholding to their great astonishment the dexteritie and hardinesse of Alerane at those small yeares for then he was not aboue the age of .xvij. the Emperour imbrasing him did highly comende him telling them that were by that hys lyfe was saued chiefly by Gods assistaunce and next by the prowesse of Alerane The newes hereof was so bruted abrode that there was no talke but of the valiaunce and stoutnesse of this yong man of warre which caused faire Adelasia moued by naturall instigation and with the opinion and report of the vertue towarde in that yong Prince to feele a certayne thing I can not tell what in hir minde which inflamed her senses heart And she had no soner cast her eyes vpon Alerane but Loue which had prepared the ambushe so pearced her delicate breast that he tooke full possession of her in such wyse that the Princesse was so strangely in loue with the yong Prince that she neuer founde pleasure and contentation but in that which was done or sayde by her louer whome she accompted the chiefe of all the men of his time In this burning heate she felt the passions of loue so vehement and his pricks so sharpe that she coulde not euaporate the cloudes which darkened her spirites and continually tormented her minde And albeit that the little occasion which she sawe for their comming together in time to come did dissuade her from pursuing the thing which she most desired yet the tirant Loue shewed himselfe very extreme in that diuersitie of thoughtes and varietie of troubles which vexed the spirite of the Princesse For she coulde not so well dissemble that which honor age commaunded her to kéepe secrete but that Alerane which was as we haue already fayde well expert and subtile perceiued the inwarde disease of Adelasia Moreouer there was betwene them a naturall conformitie and likelyhode of condicions which made them to agrée in equall desires to féede of lyke meates their passionate mindes were martired with equall sorrowe and payne departed aswell in the one as in the other For Alerane by taking carefull héede to the lookes which the Princesse continually did stealingly cast vpon him saw the often and sodayne chaunges of colour wherein sometimes appeared ioy which by and by did ende with infinite number of sighes and with a countenance agreable to that which the heart kept secrete and couert wherby he assured himselfe vnfaynedly to be beloued which caused him to do no lesse for satisfaction of such like merite and desert done by Adelasia but to beare vnto her like affectioÌ„ forcing her by all diligence and seruice to continue still that good will toward him yelding himself as a praie to the self same loue Who ruling thaffections of the Princesse as braue and pleasaunt as she was made hir sorowfull and pensife and altered hir in such wise that shée thought the company wherein she was did impeach her ioye which she iudged to conceyue like pleasure that she did when at libertie and alone she reuolued her troubles and fansted her contentation in her minde Alerane on the other syde slept not but as though he had receyued the first wounde by the hands of the blinde little archer Cupide ceassed not to think of her whose Image ordinaryly appeared before his eyes as engrauen more liuely in his minde than any forme may be insculped vpon metall or marble And yet neyther the one nor the other durste discouer the least passion of a great number which oppressed their besieged hearts and which suffered not to liue in any rest this faire couple of loyall louers that durste not manifest their loue The eyes alone
desired that she should haue passed further were it not for feare to offend her to put her in a choler And to thintent to turne her from that matter she cōmaunded the table to be couered for supper wher she caused her to be serued honorably of all the most delicate exquisite meates that were possible to be gotten Supper done the tables vncouered after they had a little talked together and that it was time to withdrawe thēselues the Duchesse more to honor her would that she should lodge in her owne chambre with her where the Pilgrime wearied with the waye toke very good rest But the Duchesse pricked with the straunge talk of the Lady Isabell hauing a hammer working in her head coulde not sléepe And had so well the beautie of the vnknowen Knight graued in the bottome of her heart that thinking to close her eyes she thought that he flewe continually before her like a certayne fansie or shadowe In sorte that to knowe further what he was she would gladly haue made greater inquirie Then sodaynly after a little shame and feare intremingled with a certayne womanhode long obserued by her therwithall the fidelity which she bare to the Duke her husband presenting it self before her she buried altogether her first coūsel which died toke ende euen so soue almost as it was borne And so tossed with an infinite number of diuers thoughtes passed the night vntill the day beginning to lighten the world with his burning lampe constrayned her to rise And then the Lady Isabell ready to depart went to take leaue of the Duchesse who willingly would haue wished that she had neuer séene her for the newe flame that she felt at her heart Neuerthelesse dissembling her euill not able to holde her any longer made her to promise by othe that at her retorne form her voyage she would repasse by Thurin and after she had made her a very liberall offer of her goodes taking her leaue she left her to the tuicion of God Certaine dayes after the departing of the spanish Lady the Duchesse thinking to quench this new fier the same began further to flame and the more that hope failed her the more did desire encrease in her And after an infinite number of sundry cogitations Loue got the victorie And she resolued with her selfe in the ende whatsoeuer might come therof to comunicate her cause to one of her beloued damsels called Emilia and to haue her aduise in whome she wonted to repose her trust in all her secrete affaires and causing her to be called for secretly she sayde vnto her Emilia I beleue that if thou hast taken any good héede to myne auncient maner of behauiour euer since my departure from England thou hast knowen me to be the very ramper and refuge of all afflicted persons But nowe my destenies be tourned contrarie I haue nowe more néede of counsell than any other liuing creature And hauing no person about me worthy to vnderstand my misfortune my first and last refuge is to thée alone Of whome I hope to receiue consolation in a matter which toucheth me no lesse than my lyfe and honour And then the Duchesse declared vnto her priuily that since the departing of the Lady Isabell she had had no reste in her minde and howe she was enamoured of a Knight whome she neuer saw whose beautie and good grace had touched her so néere that being altogether vnable any longer to resist her misfortune she knewe not to whome to haue recourse but to the fidelitie of her counsell Adding therevnto for conclusion that she loued him not dishonestly or for hope she had to satisfie any lasciuious appetite but onely to haue a sight of him Which as she thought should bring vnto her suche contentation as thereby her griefe shoulde take ende Emilia who euer loued her maystresse as she did her owne hearte had great compassion vpon her when she vnderstode the light foundation of her straunge loue Neuerthelesse desiring to please her euen to the last point of her lyfe sayde vnto her Madame if it will please you to recreate your self from these your sorrowes and to respite me onely two dayes I hope to prouide by some good meanes that you shal shortly sée him who vndeseruedly doth worke you all this euill The Duchesse nourished with this hope desired her effectually to thinke vpon it Promising vnto her that if her words came to good effect she would make her suche recompence as she her selfe should confesse she had not done pleasure to an ingrate or vnthankful womā Emilia which had the brute to be one of the most subtile and sharpe witted dames of all Thurin slept not during the tyme of her prescription But after she had searched an infinit number of meanes to come to that which she desired there was one that semed most expedient for that purpose and of least perill aboue other And her tune of delay expired she went to Madame the Duchesse and sayed Madame God knoweth howe many troubles my mynde hath sustayned and howe muche I haue striued with myne owne conscience to satisfie your commaundement neuerthelesse after I had debated things so substantially as was possible I could deuise nothing more worthie your contentacion than that which I will nowe declare vnto you if it will please you to heare me Which to be short is that for the execution of this our enterprise it behoueth you to fayne your selfe to be sicke and to suffer your self to be trayned into suche maladies as there shall rather appeare in you token of death than hope of lyfe And being brought into suche extremitie you shall make a vowe your health recouered to goe within a certayne time to Sainct Iames on pilgrimage which you may easely obtayne of the Duke your husband And then may you make your voiage liberally with the Lady Isabell who wil passe this way vpon her retourne without discouering your affection vnto her and will not fayle by reknowledging of the curtesie that you haue vsed towardes her in these partes to conduct you by her brothers house where you may sée him at your ease that maketh you to suffer great torment And I will aduertise you furthermore of one thing which euer till this time I haue kept close But for that we two togethers cannot without great difficulty accomplishe our businesse it hath séemed good vnto me to knowe of you if you woulde that a third person shall be called therevnto who is so much at my commaundement as I dare trust him like my self It is Maister Fraunces Appian the Millanor your Phisitian who to say the very truth vnto you hath bene so affectioned to me this yeare or two that he hath not ceassed by all meanes possible to wynne mée but to honeste loue for he pretendeth to marry me And bycause that hitherto I haue made smal accompt of him and haue not vsed any fauoure towardes him nor good entertaynment otherwise I assure my self seing the
her so counterfayted himselfe in the day that he could not in any manner of wise be knowen And good old father Frier taried in a corner of the chamber a farre of that he might heare none of their talke And as the Lord of Mendozza leaned him vpon her bedside he sayde vnto her in the Italian tongue whiche was so familiar to him as the Spanish Madame the peace of our Lorde be with you Whervnto the Lady aunswered Father why speake you of peace sithe I am in continuall warre depriued of all contentation and doe but attende the laste ende of all my calamitie which is a most cruell and shamefull death without desert And then the Lorde of Mendozza who had consumed the most part of his youth in good letters sayde vnto her I beleue Madame you be not ignorant that miseries and tribulations which come vpon people fall not by accident or fortune but by the prouidence or dispensacion of God before whome one little sparrow onely is not forgotten as the prophet Amos doth manifest vnto vs when he sayth There is none euill in the Citie that I haue not sent thither Which is also apparant in Iob whome the deuill coulde not afflict before he had first obtayned licence of GOD. And it is necessarie for you to knowe that tribulation and affliction be tokens of the fore chosen and elected people of God and the true markes of our saluation So that if you consider the order of al the Scriptures since the beginning of the world vntil our time you shall finde that those whome God hath alwayes best loued and cherished he hath commaunded to drinke of the cup of his passion and to be more afflicted than others examples whereof be common in the Scriptures As when Abell was afflicted by Caine his brother Isaak by his brother Ismaell Ioseph by his brethren Dauide by Absolon his sonne the children of Israell the elect people of God by Pharao Which things being profoundly considered by S. Paule he sayde If we had not another hope in Iesus Christ than in the lyfe present we might well saye that we were the moste miserable of all others And yet moreouer sayth he it is little or nothing that we endure in respecte of that which Iesus Christ hath suffred Who although he he framed the whole worke of the worlde was called the Carpenters sonne for preaching he was sclaundered he was caryed vp to a moūtaine to be throwne downe he was called Glotton Dronkarde louer of Publicanes and sinners Samaritane Seducer Diuell saying that in the name of Belzebub he did caste out Diuells But let vs consider Madame a little further what things were done vnto him he was naked to clothe vs prisoner and bounde to vnbinde vs from the chayne of the Diuell made a sacrifice to cleanse vs of all our inwarde filth we doe sée that he suffred hys syde to be opened to close vp Hell from vs we sée his handes which in so comely order made both Heauen and Earth for the loue of vs pearced with pricking nayles his head crowned with thrée sharped thornes to crowne vs with Heauēly glory Let vs waygh that by his dolor came our ioye our health grewe of hys infirmitie of his death was deriued our lyfe and shoulde we be ashamed to haue our head touched with a fewe thornes of trouble Strengthen your selfe then Madame in the name of God and make you ready to receyue death in the name of him that was not ashamed to indure it for you Is his strong hande any thing weakened Is it not in him to ouerthrowe the furie of your enemie and so to humble your aduersarie that he shall neuer be able to be relieued Howe many poore afflicted persons haue there bene séene to be abandoned of all succour whome he hath behelde with his pitifull eye and restored to greater ease and contentacion than euer they were in before Learne then from henceforth to comfort your selfe in God and saye as the great Doctor holy Ignatius sayd in his Epistle to the Romanes I desire that the fyer the gallowes the beastes and all the torments of the Diuell might exercise their crueltie vppon me so as I may haue fruition of my Lorde God And after that the Knight had made an ende of his consolation the Duchesse was so rapt in contentation that it séemed her soule had already tasted of the celestial delightes and would flie euen vp into heauen And then féeling her selfe lightened lyke one that had escaped some furious tempest of the seas she began to confesse her self vnto him from poynt to poynt without omitting any thing of that which she thought might grieue her conscience And when she came to the accusation of the Earle she prayed God not to pardon her sinnes if she had committed in déede or thought any thing contrarie to the duetie of mariage except it were one dishonest affection that she had borne to a knight of Spaine whome vnder pretence of a fayned deuotion she had visited in Spaine not committing any thing sauing good wil which she bare vnto him Which maketh me thinke quod she that God being moued against mine hipocrisie hath permitted this false accusation to be raised against me by the Earle of Pancalier which I wil paciently suffer sith his will is so Her confession finished she plucked of a rich Diamond which she had vpon her finger saying Good father albeith I haue heretofore bene a riche Princesse as you knowe yet they haue now taken away al my goods from me this Diamond except which my brother the King of Englande gaue me when I was married to the Duke of Sauoie And bicause I cannot otherwise doe you good I giue it vnto you praying you to remember me in your prayers to kepe it For it is of a greater price than you thinke and may serue one day to supply the necessitie of your conuent The confession ended and the Diamond receiued the two Friers retorned home to their conuēt And so sone as they were arriued ther the Lorde of Mendozza sayd vnto him Father now doe I knowe certainly that this pore woman is innocent wherfore I am resolued to defend her so long as lyfe doth last And I féele my selfe so touched and pressed in minde that I thinke it long till I be at the combat Wherefore I pray you if it chaunce that fortune be contrarie vnto me after my death make it to be openly knowen what I am and chiefly that the Duchesse may vnderstand it for speciall purpose And if it chaunce that I escape with lyfe which can not be but by the death of the Earle be secrete vnto me in these things which I haue declared vnder the vayle of confession The good father promised so to doe And hauing passed all that day and night in prayers and supplicacions he armed himselfe and made readye his courser And whē the dawning of the day began to appeare he went in his armour to the gates of
long time make any aunswere When his passiō was moderated he sayd to his sister But be you well assured that he will receiue you for his wyfe Yea my Lorde quod she I ought well to be assured of it since he himself hath made the request And truely qoud the king God forbidde that I should be the cause to breake so holye an accorde For if the Lord of Mendozza were inferior in qualitie nobility and goodes than he is yet hath he so much done both for you me as we may not honestly refuse him How much more then be we bounde to him being a great Lorde as he is issued of noble and famous families of Spaine riche in goodes and hauing hazarded his lyfe for the conseruation of your honour and there withall seketh mine alliaunce Go your wayes dere sister and friende goe your wayes make muche of him and entreate him as you think best And when I haue walked two or thrée tornes here I will come vnto him to cōmunicate more amplie of these matters Scarce had the Duchesse leysure to aduertise the Lord of Mendozza of that which was concluded betwene the king and her but he came downe into the Hall where the most part of the Spanishe Gentlemen walked and with a very ioyfull countenance went to the knight To whome he sayde My Lorde Mendozza I praye you to embrace mée For so farre as I sée I haue a better interest in you than I thought And the Lorde of Mendozza thinking to embrace him his knée vpon the grounde was immediately desired to stande vp Whome the king cleping about the necke sayde vnto him so loud that euery man might heare Sir knight by the God of heauen since that I might commaund in the realme of England I haue not entertained gentleman nor Prince to whome I haue bene more endebted than to you nor neuer was there any dearer vnto me than you for the great gratitude and kindenesse wherewith you haue bound me whereby I shal not from henceforth be satisfied vntill I haue in some thing acknowledged the bonde wherein I am bounde vnto you When he had spoken those wordes he began to declare from poynt to poynt in the presence of all the assembly the contentes of the whole before declared historie Wherat ther was none in all the companie but that was greatly astonned at the prudence of Mendozza by so wel dissembling and accomplishing so great enterprises without making them manifest And the King of England commaunded that the mariage of him and his sister shoulde be published through out his realme that all his nobilitie might be assembled And for his greater honour the King did from thenceforth constitute him his highe Cunstable of England and reposed himselfe in him as vpon a firme piller for the administration of the wayghtiest affaires of his realme And the mariage solempnized consummate with the Duchesse he retourned into Spaine to accompanie the Prince into Englande whose mariage was celebrated at London in the King of Englandes daughter with suche pompe and solempnitie as semblable Princes be commonly accustomed to doe in lyke cases The Countesse of Salesburie A King of Englande loued the daughter of one of his noble men which was Countesse of Salesburie who after great sute to achieue that he coulde not winne for the entire loue he bare vnto her and her great constancie made her his Queene and wyfe ¶ The .xlvj. Nouell THys Historie ensuing describing the perfect figure of womāhode the naturall quality of Loue incensing the harts indifferently of all Natures children the liuely ymage of a good condicioned Prince the zealous loue of parents and the glorious reward that chastitie cōduceth to her imbracers I déeme worthy to be annexed to the former Nouell wherin as you haue heard be contained the straūge aduentures of a fayre innocent Duchesse Whose lyfe tryed lyke gold in the furnace glittereth at this day like a bright starry planet shining in the firmament with most splēdent brightnesse aboue all the rest to the eternall prayse of feminine kinde And as a noble Duke of Sauoie by heate of Loues rage pursued the louing trace of a King of Englandes syster married into Spaine euen so a renowmed and moste victorious Prince as the Aucthor of them both affirmeth thorowe the furie of that passion which as Apuleus sayth in the fyrst heate is but smal but abounding by increase doth set all men on fier maketh earnest sute by discourse of wordes to a Ladie her selfe a Countesse and Earles daughter a beautifull and faire wight a creature incomparable the wyfe of a noble man hys owne subiect who seing her constant forte to be impregnable after pleasaunt sute and milde request attempteth by vndermining to inuade and when wyth siege prolixe he perceiueth no ingenious deuise can achieue that long and paynefull worke he threateth might and mayne dire and cruell assaultes to winne and get the same and laste of all surrendred into his handes and the prisoner crying for mercye he mercifully is contented to mitigate his conceyued rigor and pitifully to release the Ladie whom for her womanly stoutnesse and coragious constancie he imbraceth and entertaigneth for his owne This great and worthy king by the first viewe of a delicate Ladie thorow the sappe of Loue soaked into his noble heart was transported into many passions and rapt into infinite pangues which afterwardes bredde him great disquietnesse This worthie Prince I saye who before that time lyke an Alexandre was able to conquere and gayne whole kingdomes made all Fraunce to quake for feare at whose approche the gates of euery Citie did flye open and fame of him prouoked eche Frenchmans knée to bowe whose helmet was made of manhodes trampe and mace well stéeled with stoute attemptes was by the weakest staye of dame Natures frame a woman shaped wyth no visage sterne or vglie looke affrighted and appalled whose heart was armed with no lethall sworde or deadly launce but with a Curat of honour weapon of womanhode and for al his glorious conquests she durst by singuler cōbat to giue refusall to his face Which singuler perseueration in defence of her chastitie inexpugnable esclarisheth to the whole flocke of womankynde the bright beames of wisdome vertue and honestie No prayers intreatie suplication teares sobbes sighes or other lyke humaine actions poured forth of a Princesse heart could withdraw her from the bounds of honestie No promise present practise deuise sute friende parent letter or counsellor could make her to straye out of the limits of vertue No threate menace rigor feare punishment exile terror or other crueltie coulde diuert her from the siedge of constancie In her youthly tyme till her mariage day she delighted in virginitie From her mariage day during her wydow state she reioyced in chastitie The one she conserued like a hardie Cloelia the other she kept like a constant Panthea This notable historie therefore I haue purposed to make common aswell for encouragement of
sorrowe The nightes and dayes were all one to him for he coulde take no reste giuing ouer vse of armes administration of iustice hunting and hauking wherein before that time he had great delight And all his study was many tymes to passe and repasse before the gate of the Countesse to proue if he might attayne to haue some sight of her And things were brought to so pitifull state that within fewe dayes the Citizens and other gentlemen began to perceyue the raging loue of their Prince euery of them with common voice blaming the crueltie of the Countesse that was vnmaried who the more she proued the king inflamed with her loue the more squeymishe she was of her beautie The Peres and noble men seing their king reduced to such extremitie moued with pitie and compassion began secretely to practise for him some with threatnings some with flatteries persuasions some went to the mother declaring vnto her the eternall reste and quiet prepared for her al her friendes if she woulde persuade her daughter to encline to the kings minde and contrarywise the daunger iminent ouer her head But all these deuises were in vaine for the Countesse moued no more than a harde rocke beaten with diuers tempestes Notwithstanding at length seing that euery man spake diuersly as their affections did leade them she was so troubled and penfife in heart that fearing to be taken and that the king vanquished with his strong passion by successiō of time would vse his force and violently oppresse her founde meanes to gette a great sharpe knife which she caryed about her secretly vnder her gowns of purpose that if she sawe her self in peril to be defloured she might kill her selfe The Courtyers offended with the martirdome of their Maister and desirous to gratifie him and to seke meanes to do him pleasure conspired all in general against the Earles familie letting the king to vnderstand that it were most expedient sith that things were out of hope to cause AElips to be brought to his Palace to vse her by force Whervnto the king being dronke in his owne passion did willingly agrée Notwithstanding before he passed any further for that he faythfullye loued the Countesse he determined to aduertise the mother of the Countesse of that whiche he intended to doe and commaunded his Secretarie to goe séeke her with diligence and without concealing any thing from her knowledge to instructe her of the whole The Secretarie finding the mother of the Countesse sayd vnto her Madame the King hath willed me to say vnto you that he hath done what he can and more than his estate requireth to wynne the grace and Loue of your daughter but séeing that she hath despised his prayers disdained his presence and abhorred his griefes and complaintes knowing not what to doe any more his last refuge is in force letting you to vnderstande hereof to the intent that you she may consider what is to be done in this behalfe For he hath determined whether you will or no to fetch her out openly by force to the great dishonour slaunder and infamie of al your kinne And where in time past he hath loued fauored the Earle your husbande he trusteth shortly to make him vnderstande what is the effecte of the iuste Indignation of such a Prince as he is The good Lady hearing this sodaine and cruel message was astōned in such wise that she thought how she saw her daughter already trained by the heares of the head her garments haled and torne in pieces with a rufull and lamentable voyce crying out to him for mercy For this cause with blubbering teares trembling for feare she fell downe at the Secretaries féete straightly imbracing his knées sayd vnto him Maister Secretarie my deare and louing frende Beseche the King in my name to remember the paine and seruice done vnto him by mine Anncestors Intreate him not to dishonour my house in the absence of the Earle my husbande And if you be not able by your persuasion to molifie his harde heart desire him for a while to take pacience vntill I haue aduertised my daughter of his wil and pleasure whome I hope so to persuade that she shall satisfie the kings request When she had made this answere the Secretarie declared the same to the King who madde with anger Loue was contente and neuerthelesse commaunded his gentlemen to be in a readynesse to seke the Countesse In the meane time the mother of faire AElips went to her daughters chamber and after she had commaunded all her maydes which accompanied her to withdrawe themselues out of the chamber she began in fewe wordes to recite vnto her the message done vnto her by the Secretary Finally with sobbing sighes she sayde vnto her The dayes haue bene deare daughter that I haue séene thée to kéepe thy state amonges the chiefest of all the Ladyes of the Realme And I haue counted my selfe happie that euer I did beare thée in my wombe and thought by meanes of thy beautie vertue one day to sée thée to become the ioy and comfort of all thy frendes But now my cogitacions be tourned cleane contrarie thorowe thyne vnluckie fate Now I thinke thée to be borne not only for the vniuersall ruine of all our familie but also which grieueth me most to be an occasion and instrument of my death and the desolation of al thy frends But if thou wilt somewhat moderate thy rigor all this heauinesse shortly shall be tourned into ioy I or our King and soueraigne Lorde is not onely in Loue with thée but for the ardent affection and amitie that he beareth vnto thée is out of his wittes and nowe doth conspire againste vs as thoughe we were Traitors and murderers of our Prince In whose handes as thou knowest doth rest the lyfe honor and goodes both of thy selfe and vs all And what glory and tryumphe shall be reported of thée to our posteritie when they shall knowe that by thy obstinate crueltie thou hast procured the death of thyne olde father the death of thy hore headed mother and the destruction of thy valiant and coragious brethren and dispoyled the rest of thy bloude of their possessions and abilitie But what sorrowe and griefe will it be to sée them wander in the worlde like vagaboundes banished from their liuings and remaine in continuall pouertie without place and refuge in their miserie who in steade of blessing or praysing the houre of thy birth will cursse thée in their mynde a thousande times as the cause of all their ouerthrowe and yll fortune Thinke and consider vpon the same deare daughter for in thée alone consisteth the coseruation of our liues and hope of al our frendes This lamentable discourse ended the afflicted Coūtesse not able any longer to resist that pangue but that her heart began to waxe so faynt that with her armes a crosse she fel downe halfe dead vpon her daughter who seing her without mouing and without any apparaunce of
bicause I am going about certayne affaires very requisite and necessary to be done Then sayde sir Stricca At least wise drincke with me before you depart but giuing him thankes he bad him fare wel Maister Stricca seing that he could not cause him to tarry toke hys leaue and retourned into his house Galgano gone from Maister Stricca sayd to himselfe Ah beast that I am why did not I accept his offer Why should shamefastnesse let me from the sight of her whome I loue better than all the worlde besides And as he was thus pensife in complaints his spaniells sprong a Partrich whereat he let goe his Hauke and the Partrich flying into sir Stricca his garden his Hauke pursued and seassed vpon the same Maister Stricca and his Lady hearing that pastime ran to the garden window to sée the killing of the Partrich And beholding the valiant skirmish betwéene the foule and the Hauke the Lady asked whose Hauke it was Her husband made aunswere that he knewe well ynough the owner by the goodnesse and hardinesse of the same For the owner of this hanke quod he is the trimmest and most valiant gentleman in all Siena and one indued with best qualities The Lady demaunded what he was Maister Galgano sayde her husbande who euen nowe passed by the gate and I prayed him very earnestly to supper but he woulde not be intreated And truely wyse he is the comeliest gentleman and most vertuous personage that euer I knewe in my lyfe With those words they went from the window to supper And Galgano when he had lured his Hauke departed away The Lady marked those words fixed them in minde It fortuned within a while after that sir Stricca was by the state of Siena sent in ambassage to Perugia by reason whereof his Lady at home alone so sone as her husband had taken his iourney sent her most secret and trusty maide to intreat Maister Galgano to come and speake with her When the message was done to Galgano if his heart were on a merie pinne or whether his spirites dulled with continuall sorrow were againe reuiued they knowe that moste haue felt the paynefull pangues of Loue and they also whose fleshe haue bene pearced with the amorous arrowes of the little boy Cupide He made aunswere that he woulde willingly come rendring thanks both to the maystresse and maid the one for her paine the other for her good remembrance Galgano vnderstanding that sir Stricca was gone to Perugia in the euening at conuenient time repaired to the house of her whose sight he loued better than his owne eyes And being come before his Lady with great submission reuerence he saluted her like those whose hearts doe throbbe as foretelling the possessiō of good tournes and benefits after which with long sute and trauaile they haue aspired wherewith the Lady delighted very pleasauntlie toke him by the hand and imbracing him sayde Welcome myne owne swéete Galgano a hundred tymes I say welcome And for the tyme with kisses making truce with their affections the Lady called for confictes and wine And whē they had dronk and refreshed themselues the Lady toke him by the hand and sayde My swéete Galgano night beginneth to passe away and the tyme of sléepe is come therfore let vs yelde our selues to the seruice and commaundement of our very good Lady Madame Cytherea for whose sake I intreated you to come hither Galgano aunswered that he was very well contented when it were her pleasure Being within the chamber after much pleasant talk louing discourse betwene them the Lady did put of her clothes and went to bed Galgano being somewhat bashfull was perceyued of the Lady vnto whom she said Me think Galgano that you be fearefull and shamefast What do you lacke Do I not please you Doth not my personage content you Haue you not the thing whiche you desire Yes Madame sayde Galgano God himselfe could not do me a greater pleasure than to suffer me to be cleped within your armes And reasoning in this sorte he put of his clothes also layde him selfe by her whom he had coueted and desired of long tyme. Being in the bed he sayde Madame I beséech you graunt me one request What is that Galgano quod she It is this Madame sayd Galgano I do much maruell why this night aboue all other you haue sent for me considering how long I haue loued you and although I haue prosecuted my sute by great expence trauaile yet you wold neuer yelde before this time What hath moued you now thus to doe The Lady answered I will tel you sir. True it is that not many dayes a go passing by this house with your Hauke on your fiste my husbande tolde me that so sone as he sawe you he wente out to méete you of purpose to intreat you to supper but you would not tarrie Then your Hauke pursued a Partrich euen into my garden and I seing the Hauke so egrely seassing vpon the same demaunded of my husbande whose Hauke it was He tolde me that the Hauke did belong to the most excellent yong man of all Siena and that he neuer in all his lyfe knewe a gentleman better accomplished with all vertues and good qualities and there withall gaue vnto you singuler praise and commendacion Whervpon hearing him in such wise to praise you and knowing right wel your affectionat minde and disposicion towardes me my heart attached with loue forced me to send for you that I mighte hereafter auoyde disdaine and other skornefull demeaner to impeach or hindre your loue And this briefly is the cause Is this true sayde Galgano Most certayne and true answered the Lady Was there no other occasion No verely sayde the Lady God defend quod Galgano that I should recompence the curtesie and good will of so noble a gentleman as your husband is with reproch villanie Is it méete that good tournes shuld be requited with vnkindnesse If euer man had cause to defende the honor of his vnknowen frende cause haue I right good and apt For now knowing such a frende that would by vertuous reportes haue aduaunced me to higher matters than whereof I am in possession shoulde I rewarde with pollucion of his stocke and wife No no Lady My raging sute by Loue is by vertue quenched Uertue onely hath staunched the flames of vile affections Séeke another frende to giut thy lecherous mynde Finde out some other companion to coole thy disordinate loue Shall I be disloyall to him that hath bene faythfull vnto me Shall I be Traytor to him that friendly hath commended me What can be more required of humane hearts or more desired of manlike minde but will full bente and fixed to doe him good that neuer erst by iust desert deserued the same With which wordes sodainely he lept out of the bed And when he had furnished him selfe agayne with his apparell he also put vpon him vertuous frendship and toke his leaue of the Lady neuer after
loue with her sent him a letter by an olde woman whereby she aduertized him that his beautie and good behauior so puissantlie did gouerne her affections that she coulde take no rest by night nor daye for the earnest loue that she bare him Wherefore she prayed him if it were his pleasure to come and speake with her Philenio receyuing that letter and perusing the contents thereof not considering the deceite prepared for him ne yet any longer remembring the iniuries past was more ioyfull and glad than euer he was before Who taking penne and paper answered her againe that he for his parte suffred no lesse tormentes for her sake yea and in respect of Loue that he loued her farre better than she did him and at al times when she pleased he woulde be at her commaundement to do her seruice The aunswere readde and oportunitie founde Simphorosia caused him to come home to her house and after many false sighes she sayde vnto him My deare frende Philenio I knowe none other in all the worlde that hath brought me into this state and plight wherein presently I am but you bicause your beautie good grace and pleasant talke haue so set my heart on fier that I féele it to kindle and burne lyke drie woode Which talke mayster Scholler hearing thought assuredly that she consumed for loue of him This pore Nodgecock contriuing the time with swéete and pleasant wordes with his dareling Simphorosia the tyme approched that he should goe to bed with his faire Lady who sayd vnto him My swete frend Philenio abide a while and let vs make some banket and collation and taking him by the hande she caried him into her closet adioyning where was a table ready furnished with exquisit conficts and wines of the best This Gentlewoman had made a composition in the wine to cause this yong Gallant to slepe for a certayn time Phileneo thinking no hurt toke the cup and filled it with the wine and dranke it vp at one draught His spirites reuiued with this refreshing after he had bene very wel perfumed and washed in swete waters he went to bed and within a while after this drink began to worke and the minion slepte so soundely that Canon shot or the greatest gonnes of the world were not able to wake him Then Simphorosia perceyuing the drinke beginne to worke called one of her sturdy maides that wel vnderstode the game of this pageant Both whiche carying this pore sléepy Scholler by the féete and armes and opening the dore very softly they faire well bestowed him in the middest of the streate a good stones cast of from the house where he lay all night But when the dawning of the day did appeare or an houre before the drinke lost his vertue and the pore Sot began to wake thinking that he had bene a bed with the Gentlewoman he perceyued himselfe brechlesse and in his shirte more deade than alyue through the colde that he had endured by lying starke naked vpon the earth The pore wretch was not able to helpe him self so much as with his armes legges and could not stand vpō his féete without great paine notwithstanding through creping and sprawling he got home to his house vnsene of any man and prouided so well as he could for recouery of his health And had it not bene for his youth which did helpe him at that instant his sinewes had bene benommed for euer In the ende hauing attained his former health and the state wherin he was before he stil remembred the iniuries past and without shewing any signe of anger or ill will made as though he loued them all thrée better than euer he did before and sometime semed to be in loue with the one and sometime with the other They againe for their parte nothing mistrusting the malice of Philenio set a good face on the matter vsing amorous chere and countenaunce towardes him but when his back was tourned with mockes and floutes they toke their pleasure He bearing in his brest secret despite was stil desirous with his hand to marke them in the face but he like a wise man wayed the natures of women and thought it woulde redound to great shame and reproche if he did them any hurt And therfore restraining the heate of his choler did let them alone And yet by deuising and practising how he might be euen with them and reuenged he was in great perplexitie Uery shortly after it chaunced that the scholler had deuised a meane easely to satisfie his desire so sone as he had determined vpon the same Fortune also therevnto was fauorable Who hired in the citie of Bologna a very faire house which had a large hall and commodious chambers and purposed to make a great and sumptuous feast and to inuite many Ladyes and gentlewomen to the same Amongs whome these thrée were the first that should be bidden which accordingly was done And when the feast day was come the thrée Gentlewomen that were not very wise at that instant repaired thither suspecting nothing In the ende a little to recreate the gentlewomen and to get them a stomake attending for supper time the scholler toke these his thrée louers by the hande and led them friendelie into a chamber somewhat to refreshe them When these thrée innocent women were come into the schollers chamber he shut fast the dore and going towardes them he sayde Beholde the time is come for me to be reuenged vpon you wicked and curssed creatures and to make you suffer the penaunce of the torment wherwith ye punished me for my great loue The gentlewomen hearing those cruell wordes rather dead than aliue began to repent that euer they had offended him and besides that they curssed themselues for giuing credit vnto him whome they ought to haue abhorred The scholler with a fierce and angry countenaunce commaunded them vppon paine of their lyues to strippe themselues naked Which sentence when these thrée Goddesses hearde they beganne to looke one vppon another wéeping and praying him although he woulde not doe it for their sakes yet in respect of his owne curtesie and naturall humanitie that he woulde saue their honor aboue all things This Gallant reioysing at their humble pitifull requestes was thus courteous vnto them that he would not suffer them to stande with their garments on in his presence The women casting themselues downe at the Schollers féete wept bitterly beseching him that he woulde haue pitie vpon them and not to be the occasion of a slaunder so great and infamous But he whose heart was hardened as the Diamond sayde vnto them that this fact was not worthy of blame but rather of reuengement The women dispoyled of their apparell and standing before him so frée from couering as euer was Eue before Adam appeared as beautifull in this their innocent state of nakednesse as they did in their brauerie in somuch that the yong Scholler viewing from top to toe those fayre and tender creatures whose
at least wyse let loue of your selfe constrayne you which being so perfect a creature as you be doth deserue to enioye the heartes of all the honest men of the worlde And let I say the contempt forsaking of him moue you for whom you haue disdayned all other persons The Quéene hearing those wordes was so rauished that for feare to declare by her countenaunce the trouble of her spirite leaning vpon the Gentlemās arme went into a garden harde by her chamber where she walked a long time not able to speake a worde But the Gentleman seing her halfe wonne when he was at the ende of the Alley where non̄e coulde sée them he certified her by effect the loue which so long tyme he kept secrete from her And both with one consent reioyced in reuenge wherof the passion was importable And there determined that so oft as he went into the countrey and the King from his Castle to the Citie he shoulde retourne to the Castle to sée the Quéene Thus deceyuing the deceyuers all foure were partakers of the pleasure which two alone thought to enioy The accorde made they departed the Ladye to her chamber and the Gentleman to his house with suche contentacion as they had quite forgotten all their troubles past And the fears that eyther of them had of the assembly of the King and of the Gentlewoman was tourned to desire which made the Gentleman to go more ofte than he was wont to doe into the Countrey beyng not past halfe a myle of And so sone as the king knewe thereof he fayled not to visite his Ladie and the Gentleman the night folowing went to the Castle to salute the Quéene to doe the offyce of the Kings Lieutenant so secretly as neuer any man did perceyue it This voyage endured of long tyme but the King bicause he was a publike person coulde not so well dissemble his loue but all the worlde did perceyue it and al men pityed the gentlemans state For diuers light persons behinde his backe woulde make hornes vnto him in signe of mockerie which he right well perceyued But this mockerie pleased him so wel that he estemed his hornes better than the Kings Crowne who and the Gentlemans wyfe one daye could not refrayne beholding a Stagges heade set vp in the Gentlemās house frō breaking into a laughter before his face saying how that head became the house very well The Gentleman that had so good a heart as he wrote ouer that heade these wordes These hornes I weare and beare for euerye man to viewe But I weare and beare them not in token they be trewe The King retourning agayne to thys Gentlemans house finding this superscription newely written demaunded of the Gentleman the signification of them Who sayde vnto him If Princes secrete things be from the horned Hart concealed VVhy should lyke things of horned beastes to Princes be reuealed But content your selfe All they that weare hornes be pardoned to weare their cappes vpon their heades For they be so swéete and pleasaunt that they vncappe no man and they weare them so light that they think they haue none at all The king perceyued well by his wordes that he knewe something of his doings but he neuer suspected the Loue betwéene the Quéene and him For the Quéene was better contented with her husbandes lyfe and with greater ease dissembled her griefe Wherefore eyther partes liued long time in this loue till age had taken order for dissolueiō therof Beholde Ladyes q Saffredante thys Historie which for example I haue willingly recyted vnto you that when your husbandes doe make you hornes as big as a Goate beareth you may render vnto him the monstruous heade of a Stagge peace q Emarsnite smyling no more wordes A Princesse of Flaundres The rashe enterprise of a Gentleman against a Princesse of Flaundres and of the damage and shame which he receyued thereof ¶ The. Lij Nouell THere was in Flaundres a Lady of an honorable house which had two husbandes by whome she had no children that were liuing During the time of her widowhode she dwelt within one of her brothers that loued her very wel which was a noble man and had maryed a Kings daughter This yong Prince was muche giuen to pleasure louing hunting pastime and the company of fayre Ladyes according as youth doth require He had a wyfe that was curst and troublesome whome the delectations of her husbande in no wise did content and please Wherefore this noble man caused his sister daylie to kéepe companye with his wyfe This Gentlewoman his sister was of pleasaunt conuersation and therewithall very honest and wyse There was in the house of this noble man a Gentleman whose worship beautie and grace did surpasse all the rest of hys companions This Gentleman perceyuing the sister of his Lorde and Maister to be pleasaunt of ioyfull countenance thought to proue if the attempt of an honest friende would be vouchsaued at her handes but he founde her aunswere to be contrarie to her countenance And albe if that her aunswere was suche as was méete for a Princesse and right honest Gentlewomā yet bicause she perceyued him to be a goodly personage and curteous she easily pardoned his bolde attempt and séemed that she toke it not in yll parte when he spake vnto her Neuerthelesse she warned him after that time to moue no such matter which he promised bicause he would not lose his pleasure and honor that he conceyued to entertayne her Notwithstanding by processe of tyme his affection increased so much that he forgot the promise which he had made vnto her not hazarding his enterprise by wordes for he had to long against his will experimented her wyse discrete aunsweres But he thought if he coulde finde her in some conuenient place bicause she was a widowe yong of lusty yeares good complexion it were possible she would take pitie vpon him of her selfe And that he might bring his purpose to effect he sayde to his Maister that he had besides his owne house very goodly game that if it pleased him to kill three or foure Stagges in the moneth of Maye he coulde neuer sée better pastime The Lorde aswell for the loue he bare to the Gentleman as for the pleasure he had in hunting graunted his request And went to his house which was so fayre and well furnished as the best Gentleman in all the Countrey had not a better and did lodge his Lorde and Ladie in one side of the house and in the other directly against it her whome he loued better than himselfe The Chamber was so well hanged with Tapistrie and furnished and so trimly matted as it was impossible to perceyue a falling dore which was by the beddes side descending to the chamber where hys Mother laye which was an olde Ladie that was troubled with the Catarre or Rume And bicause she had a Coughe fearing to disease the Princesse which lay aboue her she chaunged chambres with her sonne
sonne of the Infant Fortune is brought vp in the courte who is one of the goodliest and moste perfecte yong gentlemen in al christendome And if the mariage doe procede according to our opinion which be her maids he shall be assured to haue Madame Florinda And then shall be ioyned together the goodliest couple in the worlde And you must vnderstande that although they be both very yong she of .xij. yeares of age and he of .xv. yet it is thrée yeares past since their loue first began And if you be disposed aboue other to obtaine her fauour myne aduise is that ye become friende and seruaunt vnto him Amadour was very ioyful to heare tel that his Lady loued some man trusting that in tyme he shoulde wynne the place not of husbande but of seruaunt For he feared nothing of all her vertue but a lacke of disposition to loue And after this communication Amadour bent himself to haunt the society of the sonne of the Infant Fortune whose fauour he sone obtained For all the pastimes which the yong Prince loued Amadour could doe right well And aboue all other he was very cunning in ryding of horsses and in handling all kindes of armes and weapons and in all other pastimes and games méete for a yong Gentleman Warres began in Languedoc and Amadour must néedes retire with the Gouernour to his great sorrowe and griefe For he had there no meane to retourne to the place where he might sée Florinda For which cause he spake to his owne brother which was Stuarde of the King of Spaines householde and declared vnto him what courtesie he had founde in the house of the Countesse of Arande and of the Damosell Auenturade praying him that in his absence he woulde doe his indeuour that the maryage might procéede and that he woulde obtayne for him the credite and good opinion of the King and Quéene and of all his friendes The Gentleman which loued his brother aswell for Natures sake as for his great vertues promised him his trauaile and industrie to the vttermost Which he did in suche wyse that the olde man her father now forgetting other naturall respect began to mark and behold the vertues of Amadour which the Countesse of Arande and speciallye fayre Florinda paynted and set forth vnto him and likewise the yong Earle of Arande which began to growe to yeares and therewithall to loue those that were vertuous giuen to honest exercise And when the mariage was agréed betwéene the parents the sayd Stuarde sent for his brother whilest the truce endured betwéene the two Kings Aboute this tyme the King of Spaine retired to Madric to auoide the euill ayre that was in many places where by the aduise of diuers of his Counsell and and at the request of the Countesse of Arande he made a maryage betwene the yong Duchesse the heyre of Medina Celi and the yong Earle of Arande as well for the vnion of their house as also for the loue he bare to the sayde Countesse And this mariage was celebrated in the castell of Madric whervnto repayred Amadour who so well obtayned his suite that he maried her of whome he was muche better beloued than his small loue towarde her did deserue sauing that it was a couerture and meanes for him to frequent the place where his minde and delight incessantly remayned After he was maried he became so well acquainted and familiar in the house of the Countesse that he was so conuersant amongs the Ladyes as if he had bene a woman And although he was then but .xxij. yeares of age he was so wise and graue that the Countesse imparted vnto him all her affayres commaunding her sonne and daughter to intertayne him and to credite all things wherein he gaue counsell Hauing wonne this great estimation he behaued himselfe so wise and politike that euen she whome he loued knewe no part of his affectiō But by reason of the loue that Florinda bare to the wyfe of Amadour whome she loued more than any other she was so familiar with him that she dissembled no parte of her thought declaring vnto him all the loue that she bare towards the sonne of the Infant Fortune And he that desired nothing more thā throughly to winne her ceassed not from continuance of talke not waying wherof he spake so that he might holde her with long discourse Amadour had not after his maryage continued a moneth in that companye but was constrayned to retire to the warres where he remained more than two yeares without retourne to sée his wyfe who still abode in the place where she was brought vp During this time Amadour wrote many letters vnto his wyfe but the chiefest effect of the same were commendations to Florinda who for her parte fayled not to render like vnto him many tymes writing some preue poesie with her owne hand in the letter of Auenturade Which made her husbande diligent many times to write againe vnto her but in al this doing Florinda knew nothing but that she loued him as if he had bene her brother Many times Amadour went and came but in the space of fiue yeares he neuer saw Florinda two monethes together in the whole time Not withstāding Loue in despite of their distaunce and long absence ceassed not to increase And it chaunced that he made a voyage home to sée his wyfe and founde the Countesse farre from the Court bicause the king of Spaine was gone to Vandelousie and had taken with him the yong Earle of Arande which then began to beare armes The Countesse was retired to a house of pleasure which she had vpon the frontiers of Arragon and Nauarre and was right ioyful when she saw Amadour who almost thre yeres had bene absent He was very well receyued of euery man and the Countesse commaunded that he shoulde be vsed and intreated as her owne sonne During the time that he soiorned with her she communicated vnto him al the affayres of her house and committed the moste parte thereof to his discretion who wanne suche credite in the house that in all places where he list the dores were opened vnto hym Whose wisedome and good behauiour made him to be estemed as though he had bene a Saincte or Aungell Florinda for the loue and good will which she bare vnto his wife and him made much of him in al places wher she sawe him knowing nothing of his intent Wherfore she did not refrayne her selfe or take hede of anye countenaunce for that her hearte as yet felt no passiō but that she felt a great contentacion in her selfe whē she was in the presence of Amadour of any other thing she thought not Amadour to auoide the iudgement of them that haue proued the difference of Louers countenances was very ware and circumspect For when Florinda came to speake vnto him secretely like one that thought no hurt the fier hidden in his brest burned so sore that he coulde not staye the blushing colour of his face nor
the sparkes which flewe out of his eyes And to the intent that through long frequentation none might espie the same he interteigned a very fayre Lady called Paulina a woman in his time accompted so faire that few men which beheld her could escape her bonds This Lady Paulina vnderstanding how Amadour vsed his loue at Barselone Parpignon how he was beloued of the fayrest honest Ladyes of the coūtrie aboue all of the Countesse of Pallamons which in beautie was prised to be the fayrest in all Spaine of many other sayde vnto him That she had great pitie of him for that after so many good fortunes he had maried a wife so foule and deformed Amadour vnderstanding well by those wordes that she had desire to remedy her owne necessitie vsed the best maner that he coulde deuise thinking that in making her beleue a lie he should hyde from her the truth But the subtile and wel experimented in loue contented not her selfe with talke but perceyuing right well that his hearte was not satisfied with her loue doubted that he coulde not serue his Lady in secrete wise therefore marked him so nere that dayly she had a respect and watch vnto his eyes which he coulde so well dessemble that she was able to iudge nothing but by darke suspicion not without great payne and difficultie to the gentleman to whom Florinda ignorant of all their malice did resorte manye times in presence of Paulina whose demeaner then was so familiar that he with maruellous payne refrayned his lokes against his heart and desire And to auoide that no inconuenience should ensue one day speaking to Florinda as they were both leaning at a windowe sayde these wordes Madame I beseche you to tell me whether is it better to speake or to die Wherevnto Florinda answered readily saying I will still councell my friends to speake and not to die For there be fewe wordes spoken but that they may be amended but the life lost cannot be recouered Promise me then sayde Amadour that not onely ye will accept those words which I will saye but also not to be astonned or abashed till ye heare the ende of my tale To whom she answered Say what it please you for if you doe affraye me none other shall assure me Then he began to saye vnto her Madame I haue not yet bene desirous to disclose vnto you the greate affection which I beare you for two causes The one bicause I attende by my long seruice to shewe you the experience thereof The other for that I doubted you woulde thinke a great presumption in me which am but a poore gentleman to insinuate my selfe in place whereof I am not worthye And althoughe I were a prince as you be the loyalty yet of your heart wil not permit any other but him which hath already taken possession the sonne I meane of the Infant Fortune to vse any talke of loue with you But Madame like as necessity in time of great warre constrayneth men to make hauoke of their owne goodes and to consume the gréene corne that the enemy take no profit and reliefe therof euen so do I hazard to aduaunce the frute which in time I hope to gather that your enemies mine may inioye thereof none aduauntage Knowe ye Madame that from the time of your tender yeares I haue in such wise dedicated my selfe to your seruice that I ceasse not still to aspire the meanes to achieue your grace and fauour And for that occasion I did marry hir whō I thought you did loue best And knowing the loue you beare to the sonne of the Infant Fortune I haue indeuored my selfe to serue him as you haue sene And all wherein I thought you did delight I haue accomplished to the vttermoste of my power You doe sée that I haue gotten the good will of the Countesse your mother of the Earle you brother and of all those that doe beare you good will In such sort as in this house I am estemed not like a seruaunt but as a sonne And al the labour which I haue sustayned these fiue yeares past was for none other cause but to lyue all the dayes of my lyfe with you And vnderstande you well that I am none of those which by these meanes doe pretend to receyue of you any profite or pleasure other than that which is good and vertuous I doe knowe that I can neuer marry you and if I could I would not to withstand the loue that you beare vnto him whome I desire to be your husbande likewise to loue you in vicious sorte like them that hope to recompence their seruice with the dishonor of their Ladies I am so farre of from that affection that I had rather be dead than to sée you by desert worthy of lesse loue and that your vertue shoulde by any meanes be diminished for any pleasure that might happen vnto me I doe pretende and craue for the ende and recompence of my seruice but one thing Which is that you woulde continue my loyall and faithfull maystresse that you will neuer withdrawe from me your good grace and fauour and that you will maintayne me in that estate and degrée wherin I am Reposing your trust and fidelitie in me more than in any other making your selfe so assured of me that if for your honor or any cause touching your person you stand in néede of the lyfe of a Gentleman the same shall right willingly be employed in your seruice In like maner all things vertuous and honeste which euer I shall attempt I beseche you to thinke the same to be done onely for the loue of you And if I haue done for Ladyes of lesse reputation than you be any thing worthy of estimation be you assured that for suche a maystresse as you are my enterprises shall increase in suche sorte that the things which I found difficult and impossible shall be easelie for me to accomplishe But if you do not accept me to be wholly yours I determine to giue ouer armes and to renoūce valiance bicause it hath not succoured me in necessitie Wherefore Madame I humblie beseche you that my iust request may not be refused sith with your honour and conscience you cannot well denie the same The yong Lady hearing this vnaccustomed sute began to chāge her colour and to cast downe her eyes lyke an amased woman not withstanding as she that was wise and discrete sayde vnto him If Amadour your request vnto me be none other than it is wherefore haue you discoursed vnto me this long oration I am afrayde that vnder this honest pretence there lurketh some hidden malice to deceyue the ignoraunce of my youth in such wise that I am in great perplexitie how to make you aunswere for to refuse the honest amitie which you haue offered I shall doe contrarie to that I haue done hitherto which haue reposed in you more truste than in al the men of the world My conscience or mine honor can
afrayde to declare vnto you my fantasie and much ashamed to craue your helpe and assistance But the loue is such that I beare you that if I had a wife mother or daughter which were able to saue your lyfe I woulde rather imploye them than to suffer you to die in torment And if you doe beare vnto me the affection which am your Maister thinke verely that I doe beare vnto you the lyke Wherefore I will disclose vnto you such a secrete and priuie matter that the silence thereof hath brought me into that plight which you sée wherof I doe loke for none amendemēt but by death or by the seruice which you may doe me in a certayne matter which I purpose to tell you The Gentleman hearing the reasons of his maister and seing his face not fayned but all be sprent with teares toke great compassion vpon him and sayd My Lord I am your humble seruaunt Al the goodes and worship that I haue doth come from you You may say vnto me as to your friende Assure your selfe that all which resteth in my power and abilitie is alreadie at your commaundement Then the Duke began to tell him of the loue that he bare vnto his sister which was of such force that if by his meanes he did not enioy her his lyfe coulde not long continue For he sayde that he knewe right well that intreatie and presents were with her of no reputacion Wherefore he prayed him that if he loued his lyfe so well as he did his to finde meanes for him to receyue that benefite which without him he was in despayre neuer to recouer The brother which loued his sister and honor of his kindred more than the Dukes pleasure made a certayne reuerence vnto him humbly beseching him to vse his trauayle and payne in all other causes sauing in that bicause it woulde be a sute so slaunderous and infamous as it woulde purchase dishonour to his whole familie adding further that neyther his heart and honor would not serue him to consent to do that seruice The Duke inflamed with an vnspeakable furie put his finger betwéene his téeth and biting of the nayle sayde vnto him in a great rage Well then sithe I fynde in the no friendeship I knowe what I haue to doe The Gentleman knowing the crueltie of his Maister being sore afrayde sayde vnto him My Lorde for so muche as your desire and pleasure is vehement and earneste I will speake vnto her and bring you aunswere thereof And as he was departing the Duke sayd vnto him Sée that thou tender my life as thou wilt that I shall loue thyne The Gentleman vnderstanding well what that worde did meane absēted himselfe a daye or twaine to aduise with him selfe what were best to be done And amongs diuers his cogitations there came to his remembraunce the bounden duetie which he did owe to his maister and the goodes and honors which he had receyued at his hands on the other side he considered the honor of his house the good life and chastity of his sister who he knewe well woulde neuer consent to that wickednesse if by subtiltie she were not surprised or otherwise forced that it were a thing very straunge and rare that he shoulde go about to defame himselfe and the whole stock of his progenie Wherefore he concluded the better it were for him to die than to commit such a mischiefe vnto his sister which was one of the honestest women in al Italie But rather he considered how he might deliuer his countrie from such a Tirant which by force woulde blemish and spotte the whole race of his house For he knewe right well that except the Duke were taken away the life of him and his affinitie coulde not be in securitie and safegarde Wherefore without mocion made to his sister of that matter he deuised a waye to saue his life and the reproch that should follow therof At the two dayes ende he came vnto the Duke and tolde him in what sorte he had practized with his sister and although the same in the beginning was harde difficult yet in the ende he made her to consent vpon condicion that he woulde kepe the same so secrete as none but himself he might know it The Duke desirous glad of those newes did sone beleue him imbracing the messanger promised to giue him whatsoeuer he woulde demaunde praying him with al spede that he might inioye his desired purpose Wherevpon they appointed a time And to demaunde whether the Duke were glad and ioyful of the same it were superfluous And when that desired night did approche wherin he hoped to haue the victorie of her whom he thought inuincible he and the Gentleman alone withdrewe themselues together not forgetting his perfumed coif and swete shirte wrought and trimmed after the best maner And when euery man was gone both they repaired to the appoynted lodging of his Lady where being arriued they founde a chamber in decent and comely order The Gentleman taking of the Dukes night gowne placed him in the bed saying vnto him My Lorde I will now goe seke her which can not enter into this chamber without blushing howebeit I truste before to morrowe morning she will be verye glad of you Which done he left the Duke and went into his owne chamber where he found one of his seruaunts alone to whom he sayd Hast thou the hart to follow me into a place where I shal be reuenged vpon the greatest enemie that I haue in the world Yea sir answered his man Whervpon the gentleman toke him with him so sodaynly that he had no leasure to arme him selfe with other weapon but with his onely dagger And when the Duke heard him come againe thinking he had brought her with him that he loued so greatly he drewe the curteyne and opened his eyes to beholde receyue that ioye which he had so long loked for but in place of séeing her which he hoped should be the conseruation of his life he saw the acceleration of his death which was a naked sword that the Gentleman had drawen and there withall did strike the Duke which was in his shirte voide of weapon althoughe well armed with courage and setting vp in his bedde grasped the Gentleman aboute the bodye and sayde Is this thy promise which thou hast kept and séeing that he had no other weapon but his téeth and his nayles he bitte the Gentleman in the arme and by force of his owne strength he so defended himselfe that they both fell downe into the flower The Gentleman fearing the matche called for his man Who finding the Duke and his Maister fast together that he wyst not whether to take he drewe them both by the féete into the middest of the place and with his dagger assayde to cut the Dukes throte Who defended himselfe till such time as the losse of his bloud made him so weake and féeble that he was not able to contende any longer Then
the Gentleman and hys man layde him againe into his bedde where they accomplished the effect of that murther Afterwards drawing the curteyne they departed and locked the deade body in the chamber And when he saw that he had gotten the victory of his enemy by whose death he thought to set at libertie the common welth he supposed his fact to be vnperfect if he did not the like to fiue or six of them which were nerest to the Duke and best beloued of him And to atteyne the perfection of that enterprise he bad his man to doe the like vnto them one after another that he had done to the Duke But the seruant being nothing hearde or coragious sayde vnto his maister Me thinke sir that for this time ye haue done ynough and that it were better for you now to deuise how to saue your own life than to séeke meanes to murder any more For if we do abide so long time to kil euery of thē as we haue done in murdering of the Duke the day light wil discouer our enterprise before we haue done although we find them naked and withoute defence The Gentleman whose euill conscience made him fearefull did beleue his seruant and taking him alone with him went to a bishop that had in charge the gates of the citie and the vse of the Posts to whom he sayde This euening my Lorde newes came vnto me that mine owne brother lieth at the pointe of death and crauing licence of the Duke to goe sée him he hath giuen me leaue Wherefore I beseche you commaunde the postes to deliuer me two good horse and send worde to the porter that the gates may be opened The bishop which estemed no lesse his request than the commaundemente of the Duke his maister incontinently gaue him a billet by vertue whereof both the gates were opened and the horse were made ready according to his demaūde And vnder colour and pretence of visiting his brother he rode to Venice where after he had cured himselfe of the Dukes bitings fastened in his flesh he trauayled into Turkey In the morning the Dukes seruantes séeing the time so late before their mayster retourned suspected that he was gone forth in visitation of some Lady but when they sawe he taried so long they begā to seke for him in euery place The pore Duchesse into whose hart the loue of her husband strōgly did inuade vnderstanding that he could not be founde was very pēsife sorowful But when the Gentleman which he so dearely loued was not likewise séene abrode search was made in his chamber where finding bloud at the chamber dore they entred in but no man was there to tell them any newes and following the tracte of the bloude the poore seruantes of the Duke went to the chamber dore where he was which dore they founde fast locked and incontinentely brake open the same Who seyng the place all bloudy drewe the curteyne found the wretched carcasse of the Duke lying in the bedde sléeping his endelesse sléepe The sorrowe and lamentacion made by the Dukes seruants carying the dead body into his pallace is easie to be coniectured Whereof when the Bishop was aduertized he repayred thether and tolde howe the Gentleman was gone away in the night in great hast vnder pretence to go to sée his brother Whervpon it was euidently knowen that it was he that had cōmitted the murder And it was proued that hys poore sister was neuer priuie to the facte who although she was astonned with the sodayne chaunce of that aduenture yet her loue towardes her brother was farre more increased bicause he had deliuered her from a Prince so cruell the enemie of her honestie For doing whereof he did not sticke to hazarde his owne life Wherevpon she perseuered more and more in vertue and althoughe she was poore by reason her house was confiscate yet both her sister and she matched with so honest and rich husbandes as were to be found in all Italie and afterwardes liued in good and great reputation Of Frauncis the French King One of the french Kinges called Frauncis the first of that name declared his gentle nature to Counte Guilaume that woulde haue killed him The Lv. Nouell IN Digeon a Towne of Burgundie there came to the seruice of King Frauncis which was father to Henry the second of that name that was killed by Moūsier Mongomebrie in a triumph at the Tilt and Graundfather to Charles the ix that now raigneth in Fraunce an Earle of Allemaigne called Guillaume of the house of Saxon whervnto the house of Sauoie is so greatly allied as in olde time they were but one The Counte forsomuch as he was estemed to be so comely and hardy a Gentleman as any was in Allemaigne was in such good fauour with the King that he toke him not onely into seruice but vsed him so nere his person as he made him of his priuie chamber Upon a day the Gouernor of Burgundie the Lorde Trimouille an auncient knight and loyall seruaunt of the King lyke one suspicious and fearefull of euill hurt of his Maister had daylie espies about his enemy to know what he did and vsed the matter so wisely that very fewe things were concealed from him Among other aduertisementes one of his friendes wrote vnto him that the Counte Guillaume had receyued certayne somes of money with promise of more if by any meanes he coulde deuise which way to kill the King The Lorde of Trimouille hearing of this fayled not to come to the King to giue him knowledge therof and disclosed it likewise to Madame Loyse of Sauoie his mother who forgetting her amitie alliance with the Almaigne Earle besought the king forthwith to put him away The king prayed his mother to speake no more thereof and sayde that it was impossible that so honest a gentleman woulde attempt to do a dede so wicked Within a while after there came other newes of that matter confirming the first Whereof the Gouernour for the intire loue he bare to his Maister craued licence eyther to expell him the cuntrie or to put him in warde But the king gaue speciall commaundement that he shoulde not make any semblance of displeasure for that he purposed by some other meanes to knowe the truth Upon a time when he went a hunting he girded about him the best sworde that he coulde finde to serue for all armes and assayes toke with him the Counte Guillaume whome he commaunded to wait vpon him the first and chiefest next his owne person But after he had followed the hart a certayne tyme the King séeing that his traine was farre from him no man neare him sauing the Counte he tourned himselfe round about And when he sawe that he was alone in the midde of the Forest drawing out his sworde he sayde to the Counte Howe say you Sir Counte is not this a fayre and good sworde The Connte feling it at the point well viewing the same sayde that