murther poison violeÌ„ce subuersioÌ„ of kingdoms and infinit other impieties Aristotle being demanded what adulterie was made answer a curious inquiry after an other mans loue and being desired to penne downe the effects wrote these or such like wordes He that séeketh by a plausible shadow of flattery to seduce a minde from chastity to adulterie sinneth against the law of nature in defraâ—…ding a man of his due his honour and reputation spoiling him of a most pretious iewell which is the losse of his wiues loue and frendship for as the sethim trée being cut or pearced with brasse straight perisheth so the league of marriage violated by adultery extinguisheth loue and leaueth behindâ—… at the most nought but the painted vale of flatterie the peace of the house is changed into discorde dissention in steade of laurell presenteth a sword and content sléepeth not with Mercuries melodie but waketh with Alectos disquiet the face that in forme being honest resembleth the sunne in beautie stained with adulterie blusheth to sée the same as gultie of hir owne detormitie credit hath suffered shipwracke and fame as spotted with the foyle of dishonour all these hatefull discommodities insuing by the voluptuous desâ—…re of such young Gentlemen as wedded to vanitie glory in the title of this folly I maruel then quoth Peratio what woman these effects considered will listen vnto the melody of such Syrens whose allurementes perswades them to suche misfortunes or howe they can thinke that man to loue them which by fulfilling his momentary lust procureth their perpetuall discredit and subuersion both of soule and bodie Know you not quoth Benedetto the reason of that are not the thoughts of women like the inhabitants of Scyrum which knowing that the sauour of Dates is deadly vnto their complexion yet neuer cease till they dye with Dates in their mouthes You mistate it quoth the Lady Frances it is because men consume them selues into teares with the Crocodile till they haue gotten their pray and then they neither respect their honour nor honestie Howsoeuâ—…r it bee quoth Cosimo I haue not to deale with women but for our Florentines I knowe none more addicted vnto this folly which to conclude hath bene so odious amongst our ancestaurs that it hath beene chastned with seuere punishmentes Alexander greatly blamed Cassander because hee offered but to kisse a minstrels mayde Augustus Caesar made the lawe â—…ulia which permitted the father to kill the daughter for adulterie Cato banished a Senator for kissing his wife in his daughters presence Marcus Antonius Carcalla was banished his Empire for lust with infinite other whose miseries mishappes and misfortunes were innumerable onely by this folly as Tarquinus Superbus for Lucrece Appius Claudius for Virginia Iulius Caesar for Cleopatra Iohn Countie Armiake for his owne sister Anthonie Uenereus duke of Uenice for his Secretaries wife Abusahid king of Fez for the wife of Cosimo de Cheri as Leon in his description of Affrike setteth downe but amongest all these Gentles an historie at large for the confirmation of this my disscourse THE TALE OF Cosimo WHile Ninus the sonne of Belus raigned as Soueraigne ouer the dominions of Egypt and kept his Court Royall in Babylon there dwelled in the suburbes of the Citie a poore labouring man called Maenon who was more honest than wealthye and yet sufficiently rich for that hee liâ—…ed contente amongest his neighbours this poore man accounted his possessious large enough as longe as hee enioyed and possessed his grounde in quiet imitating Cyncynatus in his labours who founde health of bodie and quiet of mind the chiefest treasure by tilling his fielde with continual â—…oyle But as content had satisfied his thoghts in this so Maenon was as greatly fauoured of Fortune for he had a wife of the same degrée and parentage so beautifull as there was none so faire in Babylon so honest as there was none more vertuous so courteous that there was not one in the whole city who did did not both loue and like of Semyramis the wife of Maenon for so was hiâ—… name insomuch that Ninus desired to haue a sight of hir beauty and in disguised apparell went to the poore mans house where seeing such a heauenly saint about hir homely huswifery fitter as he thought to be a paramour for a prince than a wife for a scbiect sighed and sorrowed that she was not in his power to commande yet fauouring hir in that she was honest as fancying hir for that she was beautifull he departed with resolution to be maister of his owne affections and not to depriue the poore man of so great good After he was returned to the palace and was solitarie by him selfe the Idea of hir perfection representing a humane shape of a heauenly creature so assaulted his minde with sundry passions that giuing the raines of libertie to his wanton appetites he fell into these tearmes Unhappy Ninus and therefore vnhappy because a king and subiect tâ—… sensuality shall the middle of thy yeares bee woorse than the prime of thy youth shall loue conquer that Fortune could neuer subdue shall the heate of affection searche that in the frute that it coulde neuer â—…urt in the budde shalt thou gouerne a kingdome and canst not subdue thine owne passions Peare Ninus name not so much as loue race out fancy with silence and let the continency of other kings be presidents for thee to direct thy course aright Alexander made a conquest of his thoughts when the beauty of Darius wife bad him battell Cyrus abstained from the â—…ight of Panthea because he would not be intemperate Pompey would not speak to the wife of Demetriâ—…s his frâ—… man for that shee was faire and what of this Ninus Yet had Alexander concubines Cyrus a lemman and Pompey was not so chast but he liked Phrinia and so maist thou make a choice of Semyramis shee is poore and vnfit for a king I but she is faire and fit for none but a king loue filleth not the hand with pelfe but the eie with pleasure shee is honest truth but thou art a monarch and the waight of a scepter is able to breake the strongest chastitie but that is more Nynus shee is another mans wife but her husbande is thy subiecte whom thou maiest command and hee dare not but obey haue not beggers their affectioÌ„s as wel as kings may not Semyramis nay doth she not loue poore Maenon better than euer shee will like Nynus yes for crownes are as farre from Cupid as cotâ—…ages princes haue no more priuiledge ouer fancie than peasants yet Nynus feare not loue and fortune fauoureth not cowards command Semyraâ—…is nay constraine Semyramis to loue thée and vppon this resolue for kings must haue power â—…oth ouer men and loue Nynus resting vpon this resolution determined to trie the mind of Semyramis how shee was affected towards her husband and therefore dispatâ—…h a Letter to her to this â—…ffect It may séeme strange Semyramis that the monarch of Egypt should
ouer other passions and Time had a medicine for other maladies onely pride and the gout hath his similitude in effects that they were incurable Wel madam quoth Bernardino Peratio hath done well but praie God he resemble not the rich Bishop of Cullen that preaching against couetousnes had a poore mans lease to pawne in his handes which hee vsed as an instrument to act against vsurie he is a scoller madam and therefore within the compasse of his owne conclusions for we see thâ—…se Uniuersitie men ouercome them selues deeply in this folly insomuch that not content to be proude at home they séeke by trauell to hunt after vanity As I cannot quotâ—… Peratio excuse my self so I will not accuse all generally because the premises are toâ—… peremptorie that inferre such censurers but no doubt schollers are men and therefore subiect to this fault And so be courtiers quoth Ladie Katherine for you may smell their pride by their perfumes â—…is well qd Benedetto that seignior Farneze hath made an exception of women otherwise Peratio had neuer made an eâ—…de of his discourse Peratio taking hold of Lady Katherines talke thought to crosse Benedetto ouer the thumbs and therefore made this reply Truth it is that â—…ully writ to Atticus that the conquest of Asia had brought siue notable follics into the Citiâ—… of Rome to make glorious sepulchres to weare rings of gold to vse spice in meats to alay wine with sugar and to carrie about swéet perfumes and smels These mâ—…ssieur Bdnedetto Tully countes follies and ye vse as â—…auours he thought them preiudiciall and ye courtiers count them as necessary and therfore argue how you list I will haue you within the compasse of my discourse I can smile quoth the Ladie Katherine to see how messieur Benedetto thinking to wring water on t of a stone hath stumbled on a â—…int which striking too hard hath brought fire Yet quoth Cosimo his lucke was good for hee burnt but his owne clothes Seignior Farneze hearing these drie blowes broke off their talke at this time by commanding one of his meÌ„ to couer for supper which done sitting down with his guests about him euerie one plied his téeth more than his tongue Benedetto excepted who was so chafed in conceit at the Lady Katherine that his thoughts onely were imploied after dinner how to be reuenged which indéed â—…e performed in this sorte The second discourse of Folly AFter Farneze the rest had satisâ—…d their â—…marks with meat their minds with mirth Cosimo séeing Benedetto so passionate began to whet him on to prattle in this maner Masse courtier qd he to drawe you out of your duÌ„ps with a demaÌ„d I pray you answer me to this questioÌ„ why do y â— painters in figuring forth the counterfet of loue draw her blind couered with a vale when as we see that in nothing there is a déeper insight than in loue Benedetto séeing Cosimo put forth this questioÌ„ only to moue talke told him that if he had spent but as many idle hours about y â— substance of affection as he had done daies about the quiddities of faÌ„cy he would willingly haue answered his demand but séeing t were folly for a souldier to teach Orpheus how to handle his harâ—…e hee woulde aunswere him as Zeuxes did king Persius who desiring him to shewâ—… how he coulde drawe the picture of enuie presently brought him a looking Glasse wherein Persius perceiuing his owne phisnomie blusht And yet for al this qd Bernardino seignior Cosimo doth not change countenance and yet we all know him to be a louer and therfore quoth the Ladie Frances within the compasse of folly for this I remember that an Acrion saieth Cupid was depriued of his sight not by nature but by iniurie for the Gods summoning a parliament whereat appeared all the heauenly deities Cupid by hap or rather by fatall presence of the destinies met with Folly who surcharged with ouerwéening passions began to dispute of their seuerall powers the bâ—…y not able to brooke comparisons bent his bow and was readie to discharge an arrowe against Folly but â—…hee being readier furnished with wepons neither regarding his youth beautie nor deitie scratched out his eies in requital whereof she was by the Gods appointed his guide Then by this quoth Peratio there is no loue without folly That I denie answered the Ladie Frances for true and perfect loue is beyondâ—… the deitie of Cupid and therefore without the compasse of follie But such loue as you yong Gentlemen vse that hath as great a confusion of passions as Ouids chaos had of simples is that which I meane in truth it is lust but shadowed with the name of loue which rightly Euripides calleth a furie I am gladde quoth Farneze that we are entered into the discourse of loue for I will inioyne this nights worke to bee about the discouerie of the verie substance of lust which drowned in voluptuous pleasures haleth on the mind to the soulâ—… deformed sinne of lecherie a faulte that we Italians greatly offend in and yet the custome of sinne hath so taken a waie the feeling of the offence as wee shame not oft times to glorie in the fault And for that seignior Cosimo I haue knowen you amongest all the rest to bee most amorous though I mnst needes confesse alwaies honestly yet for that you haue béene acquainted with such passions I commit the charge vnto your hands Cosimo séeing the company smile in that the Countie had tied him to such a taske willingly would haue surrendered vp his right into an other mans handes but fearing to displease Farneze and by shrincking to discouer where his shoe wroong him arming him selfe with patience séemed very content and therefore began to frame his spéech in this manner Although Gentlemen Hipaâ—…chon coulde play on his flute yet he was not to dispute of Musicke in that bee knewe more by the practise of his finger than by skill of the concordes Ephestion coulde handle Bucephalus but not ride Bucephalus Menecas the Macedonian was a very good simpler but knewe not how to conâ—…est a potion as one aiming at the vertue of the hearbe not at the qualitie of the disease so although I haue as a nouice gazed at the temple of Venus yet I am not able to discourse of the Deitie of Cupid t is no consequent that by féeling a fewe passions I should be able to set downe principles or that a sparke of fancy should kindle a whole flame of wanton affections yet that I be not accused to be more scrupulous than courteous I will say what I haue heard and read of this follie The Cyriniake Philosophers as Aristippus Metrodorus and Epicurus who founded their summum bonum in pleasure to shadow their brutishe principles with some shewe of reason drew as Phidias did ouer his deformed pictures courteines of silke that the outwarde vale might countenance the imperfection of his art placing the substance of pleasure vnder the simple superficiâ—…s
write to the wife of a poore labourer séeing the proportion of our degrees are so far vnequall but if it bee considered that kinges are but men and therfore subiect to passions sooner shalt thou haue cause to sorrow for my griefes than muse at my writings Did my desire aime at a kingnome I wold attempt to satisfie desire with my sword Did envie crie for content then coulde I â—…tep to reuenge were my thoughtrs as insatiate as Midas the worlde is a â—…orehouse â—…reasures these desires are to be satisfied with friends or fortune but the restlesse sorrowe that so pinâ—…th my minde with disquiet onely râ—…steth in thy power to appease It is Semyramis the deitie of beutie which is priuiledged farre about dignitie that Gods haue obeyed and men cannot resist the sight of thy perfection entered at the eie the report of thy vertues tickling the eare and both ioyntly assaulting the heart with sharp and furious alaruâ—…s haue so sâ—…ared my minde as naught pleaseth the cies that is not thy obiect and nothing contenteth the eare but Semyramis Séeing then the Egyptian monarch who hath triumphed ouer all the nations of the South and East climate with many bloudie conquestes is by them brought as a capâ—…iue seruile to thy beautie his owne passions boast that â—…oue hath lotted thée such a victory and be not ingrateful to the Gods by denying me that I deserue fauour But perhaps thou wilt obiect thou art married and therefore tyed to poore Maenon for loue hath taught me thy husbands name that honestie beareth blossoms as wel in a cottage as in the court that vertue harboreth as soone with beggers as princes that fame or insaâ—…ie can stoup as low as they can 〈◊〉 high that report and enuie sonner stingâ—…th want than plentie this Semyramis I confâ—…sse but yet the picture of the â—…agle placed ouer the temple of Venus feared the â—…aulcon for offending her offending Damaetas poâ—…niay pearched vnder a dragon of brasse to auoide the vultures tyrannies dishonour toucheth not the ve sture of a king and the concubines of princes purchase renowâ—…e not infamie Maenon is pâ—…ore and will ioy to haue such a riuall as Nynus the want of Semyramis darkens the glorie of her beautie which the loue of a king shall inrich with ornaâ—…entes Then â—…emyramis pittie his plaintes who is thy seueraigne and might command and yet desirous to be thy paramour séekes a conquest not by constraint but by intreaties in graunting which thou climbeâ—…t to dignitie and sleepest at the foote of a scepter honour and quiet entertaines thée with delight and to these thou addest thy friends preterment and thy husbands welfare if as thou art poore thou art proud and selfe conceit armes thée with disdaine consider that the counterfait of kings cannot bee drawen without the shadowes of duetie and that the pill that purgeth the cholar of a prince is reuenge This thinke and farewell Nynus Monarch of Egypt He committed this Letter to the charge of one of his Secretaries whom he made priuy to the contents who poasting in hast to the house of Semiramis founâ—… her bringing one of her baâ—…es aâ—…éepe with a song The Secretarie delighted with the pleasing harmonie of her voice stood a little listning to her melodie at last stepped into the house at whose presence the poore woman amazed for that her cottage was not accust omed to such guests she blusht which gaue such a glory to her former beautie and such a president of her inward vertue that the Secretarie enuied the happie placing of his soueraines passions yet after her homely fashioÌ„ the intertained him greatly fearing when he deliuered her the letters y â— they had bin some warrant to apprehend her husband for some fault but by the superscription â—…he perceiued they were directed to hir hauing set before y â— secretarie a messe of creame to bâ—…sie him she stept aside to read the contents which wheÌ„ she perceiued and wel noted the effects not onely allurinâ—… with promises but perswading with threats she burst into tâ—…ares cursing that daie where y â— king had a sight of her face as dismall and infortunate falling aâ—… last from teares into these feareful complaints Arâ—… the destinies poore Semyramis fore-pointers of good or ill so inequall allotters of mishappe that some they blesse with daily fauours and others they crosse with continuall hard fortunes Had the fates no proportiâ—…n in their censures coulde it not suffice thou wâ—…rt poore but thou must be miserable cannot enuiè paint the picture of content at 〈◊〉 cottage dore but she must grudge is there no shruâ—… so low but is subiâ—…ct to the winde no woman so poore if shee bee faire but some blasing her beautie aimeth at her chastitie Then Semyramis be patient but resolute rather choose despite and sorrow than disgrace and infamie Is labour an enemie to loue howe then shoulde affection touch mee who am neuer idle therefore fond foole doth loue enâ—…e thee because thou art not idle but by labour she west thy selfe a recreant to his law But yet Semyramis â—…onsider who it is that perswades thée to loue Nynus a king a monarch and thy soueraigne one whose maiestie may shadowe thy misse and whose verie name may warrant thée from the preiudice of enuie if thou offend dignitie counteruailes the fault and fame dare not but honour the concubines of kings For shame Semyramis sooth not thy selfe in such follies are not kings seates obiects for euerie eie to gase at Are not their actions censured by euerie base person As the pyramides are markes for the sea so their doings are notes for the world Doth not fame builde in the foreheads of princes yes Semyramis kings faults though they are passed ouer with feare yet they are iudged of with murmure the greater the dignitic the greater the offence shame followeth vice euerie where and adulterie if lawes wâ—…re not partiall desâ—…rueth punishment as well in a king as in a begger Maenon is poore but thy husband in louing him thou pleasest the Gods Nynus is rich and a monarch in contenting him thou dishonourest thy selfe and discontentest the heauens hath Babylon counted thée faire so thou art stil by reseruing thy beautie hath Babylon counted thee honest so remaine still by preseruing thy chastitie be not more charie ouer thy beautie than ouer thine honestie for many knowe thée by fame that neuer sawâ—… thy face Then Semyramis aunswere the kings passions with denial but alas he threatneth reuenge swéeter it is to die with credit thaÌ„ liue with infamy Then why staiest thou thus fondly debating with thy selfe reply as one that preferreth fame before life and with that she slept to a standish and taking paper wrote a Letter to this effect Kings are Gods not that they are immortall but for they are vertuous Princes haue no priuiledge to do ill Fame is not partial in her trumpe the chiefest treasure is not golde but honour to conquere a kingdome is a
fauour of fortune to subdue affection is a gift from the Gods loue in kings is princely but lust is pernitious kinges therefore weare crownes because they should be iust iustice giue euerie one his due Semiramis is Maenons wife and therfore his inheritance the Gods threaten Princes as well as poore men hot loue is soone colde she eie is variable inconstant and insatiate Adulterie is odious though graced with a scepter beautie is a slipperie good Princes concubines prise honour too deare in selling the precious iewell of honestie for golde death is a farre more swéete than discredite fame to bee preserred before friendes Nynus is a king whose seate is sure sancturie for the oppressed Sâ—…miramis is poore yet honest loue of Maenon in her youth and loyall tâ—… him in hir age resolued rather to dye than be proued 〈◊〉 subiects pray for their soueraignes wishing they may liue princely and dye vertuous Semyramis the faithfull wife of poore Maenon This confused chaos of principles being written and sealed vp she deliuered it to the Secretarie who courteously taking his leaue hied in hast to the Court where the king carefully expecting his comming receiuing the letter vnript the seales where in stead of an amoroâ—…s reply he found nothing but a heape of philosophicall axiâ—…mes and yet his 〈◊〉 answered to the full the â—…ithie sentences of Semyramis whome by hir pâ—…nne he found to be poore honest beautifull and wise did not take 〈◊〉 which poore soule she aimed at for in â—…tead of cooling his mind with good counsayle she inflamed his mind with a deeper affection for where before he onely was allured with hir beautie nowâ—… he was entised with hir wisedome Pallas gaue him a déeper wounde than Venus and the inwarde vertues were more forcible than the outwarde shadowes sâ—… that he persisted in his passions and began to consider with himselfe that the meanes to procure his content was onely the simplicitie of Maenon with whome he woulde make an exchange rather than be frustrate of his desire an exchange I meane for Ninus being a widower had one oâ—…ely childe which was a daughter about the age of sixtéene yeares hir he determined to giue in marriage vnto Maenon rather than he would not enioy Semyramis thinking that the feare of hiâ—… displeasure the burthen of his owne pouertie the hope of preferrement the tickling conceit of dignity woulde force the poore â—…assall to looke twise on his faire wife before he refused suche a proffer thinking this pretence to bee his best pollicie hee resolued presentlye to put it in execution and therefore foorthwith 〈◊〉 a Pursuiuant to fetche Maenon vnto the Court who comming with commission vnto the poore mans house founde him and his wife at dinner to whome after he had declared the summe of his â—…essage he departed willing him with as much spéede as might be to repaire vnto the Court Maenon although amazed with this newes yet for that his conscience was cléere feared not but with as much hast as was possible made him selfe readie to goe Semyramis dissembled the matter 〈◊〉 hir husbande foorth his newe hose and his best iackâ—…t thinking to spunge him vp after the 〈◊〉 fashion that Ninus might sée she had cause to loâ—…e and like so proper a man setting hir husbande therefore foorth in print he tooke his waye vnto the Câ—…urt where at the gate the Secretarie awayted to bring him into presence whither no sooner hee was entered but the â—…ing takinge the poore man aside beganne to common with him in this manner Maenon for the Soueraigne to make a long disscourse vnto the subiect were friuolous séeing as the one for his maiestie is priuiledged to commandâ—… and constrayne so the other by obedience is tyed to obeye therefore omitting all néeâ—…elsse preambles thus to the purpose Maenon thou art poore and yet a Lorde ouer Fortune for that I hearâ—… thou art content for it is not richesse to haue much but to dâ—…sire little yet to thy want thou hast sucâ—… a fauour graunted thâ—…e by the Destinies as â—…uerie waie may counterâ—…ayle thy pouâ—…rtie I meane the possession of thy wife Semyramis whome mine eye can witnesse to be passing faire and beautiâ—…ull enuie that grudged at thy happinesse and loue that frowned at my libertie ioyning their forces together haue so disquieted my mindâ—… with sundrie passions as onely it lies in thy power to mittigate the cause of my 〈◊〉 for know Maenon I am in loue with thy wife a censure I knowe which will bee hard for thee to digest and yet to be borne with more patience for that thou hast a king and thy soueraigne to bee thy riuall ber Maenon I craue of thée to bee my concubine which if thou grant not thinke as nowe thou hast pouertie with quiet so then thou shalt haue both conâ—…ent dignitie The pooreman who thought by the kings speeches that his wife had bene consenting to this pretence framed the king this answere I knowe right mightie soueraigne that Princes may command where poore men cannot intreate that the title of a king is a writ of priuiledge in the court of Loue that chastitie is of small force to resist where wealth and dignitie ioyned in league are armed to assault kings are warranted to command and subiects to obey therefore if Semiramis be content to grant the interest of her affections into your maiesties hands I am resolued to redâ—…liuer vp my fee simple with patience No Maenon qd Ninus as thy wife is faire so she is honest and therefore where I cannot command I wil them constraine I meane that thou force her to louâ—… me Maenon grieuing at the wordes of the king made this replie If my wife mightie Ninus bee contented to preferre a cottage before a crowne and the person of a poore labourer before the loue of a Prince let me not good my Lord be so vnnaturall as to resolue vppon such a villanie as the very beasts abhorre to commit the lion killeth the lyonesse beeing taken in adulterie the swanne killeth her make sor suspition of the saâ—…e fault and shall I whom reason willeth to be charie of my choise force my wife persorce to such a folly pardon my liege neuer shall the loyaltie of my wife be reuenged with such treachery rather had I suffer death than be appeached of suche discourteâ—…ie Ninus hearing the poore man so resolute thought there was no adder so 〈◊〉 but had his charme no bird so fickle but had hir call no man so obstinat but by some meanes might be reclaimed therfore he made him this answer Maennon be not so fonde as to preferre fanciâ—… before life nor so insolent as to refuse the fauour of a king for the affection of an inconstant woman though I meane to depriâ—…e thee of a present ioy so I means to counteruaile it with a greater blisse for the exchange of Semyramis I meane to giue thée my daughter Sarencida in marriage so of a subiect to make thée a
yet shall this deede make thée a table talke amongest beggers honour shall not priuiledge thee from the hate of them which are honest neither shall the glorie of a crowne shrowd thée from discredit Then Semyramis seeing thou séekest after fame séeke not to liue vse the knife thou hast in hand as a meanes to requite thy husbands loue and to warrant thy former honestie Panthea the wife of Abradatus séeing hir husbande slaine in the campe of Cyrus sacrificed hir selfe on his dead corps when Iulia the wife of Pompey saw but a gowne of hir husbands bloudy suspecting some mishap sell into a trance neuer reuiued Portia tâ—…e wife of Brutus hearing of hir husbaÌ„ds death choked hir self with hot burning coales Aria the wiâ—… of Caecinna died with her condemned husband before the rapitoll Let the resolute loue of these noble dames incourage thée to the like constancy consider Semyramis thy husbande is deade and déedes done can not be reuoked Ninus meanes to make thée his wife his wife cowardly wretch as thou art answer to this foolish obiection which Pisca the wife of Pandoerus did who being slaine by the king of Persia after the slaughter of hir husbande he profered hir marriage but holding as thou doest the instrument of death in hir hand â—…he vttered these wordes The Gods forbid that to be a quéene I shoulde euer wed him that hath béene the murtherer of my deare husband And with this shee was readie to stab her selfe to the heart but staying her selfe and pansing a while she beganne as women are prone to conceit reuenge to thinke with her selfe how in time bettâ—…r to quite the iniury proffered by Nynus to her pore husbande This Gentlemen I coniecture was her imagination for she sodainly let fall her knife leapt into her bed past the rest of the night in a sound sléepe And in déede had not the sequele 〈◊〉 the contrarie it might haue ben coniectured that the hope oâ—… a crowne had bene a great peswasâ—…on from her desperate resolution but letting these supposes paâ—…se to Nynus who made it his mornings worke as soone as he was vp to visite Semyramis and finding her in a better tune than he left her conceiued such ioy in the appeasing of her passions that presently he sommonâ—…d all his Lordes to a Parliament where hée vnfolded vnto them the intent hee had to make Semyraâ—…is quéene and therefore craued their consents The nobilitie whatsoeuer they thought durst not gainsaie the will of their Prince but assented to his demand so that all things were prepared for the coronation but when the brute of Maenons death was noised abroade in Babylon euerie one after their sundrie and seuerall imaginations began to conferre of the action all generally â—…eruailing that so honest a wife shuld commit so hainous a fact for euerie one thought her an actor in the tragedie yet they considered that ambitious hâ—…nour was a mortall enemie to honestie and that few women were so chast but dignitie could draw to follie Well murmure what they lisâ—… the kings purpose tooke effect The daie came and the coronation was most solemynely and sumpâ—…ie perfourmedâ—… the king conceiuing such felicitie in his newe wifeâ—… that hée continued the feast for tenne dayes which tearme ended euerie one departed to their home and the late married couple liued so contentedly to eueriâ—… mans coniectured that Scmyramis won her same halfe lost by her obedience and especially shee gained the loue of the commons for preferment had not pufte her vp with pride nor dignitie made her disdainfull of the glorie of a crowne nor the title of a quéene had made no metamorphosis of her minde but in this that as she grew in honour so she increased in courtesie bountifull to all that were poore and enuious to none that were noble preferring the sutes of them were wronged and seeming as neere as shée coulde to cause the king doe iustice to all This her vertuous disposition not onely stole the heartes of the commons but also the loue of her husband who to increase affection more had a sonne by her called Nynus Passing thus three or foure yeeres in great pleasure the king surcharged with content commaunded his wife to aske whatsoeuer she woulde that was within the compasse of his Babylonish monarch and it should bee graunted her Semyramis refused such a proffer but the king â—…eeing vrgent semmoned all his Lordes to the Court and there made them pâ—…uie what a frée graunt he made to his wife The noble men although smiling at the fondnesse of the king that so wilfully woulde put a naked swoorde into a madde mans hande yet outwardly seemed to allowe of his wilt so that Semyramis demanded that she might absolutely without checke or controlement rule the Babylonian Empire as sole quéene for thrée daies The king who no whit mistrusted that reuenge could so long harbour in the heart of a woman graunted her request and therefore presently with all conuenient spéede caused a sumptuous seaffolde in forme of a Theatre to be erected in the middest of Babylon whither calling his nobles and commons by the sound of a trumpet vpon the next festiuall which was â—…olden in honour of their God Iphis he there in presence of all his subiectes resigned vp his crowne and scepter into the handes of Semyramis placing hir in the Imperiall throne as sole quéene monarch and gouernesse of Egypt Semyramis being thus inuested with the Diadeame and regall power first publikely declared the effect of the kings grant how she was for the tearme and space of thrée dayes to reigne as soueraigne ouer the land to haue as great authoritie to do iustice and to execute martiall law as hir husbande to confirme which Ninus as a subiect did hir reuerence and iointly with the rest of the nobility swore to performe whatsoeuer she shoulde commande and to obey â—…ir as their sole and soueraigne princes After the king had solemnely taken his oath Semyramis vttered these or such like spéeches to the people It is not vnknowne worthy péeres of Egypt and inhabitantes of Babylon that I liued in my youth the wife of poore Maenon with credit fit for my degrée and with fame equall to the honesty of my life Occasion neuer aâ—…med report to staine me with disgrace neither was the wife of Maenon accounted to be prodigall of hir affections although perhaps a little proud of hir beautie the pouertie of my husbande neuer touched me with mislike nor the proâ—…ers of preferrement coulde perswade me to inconstancie but Fortune that is euer â—…ckle in hir â—…auours and enuie that grudgeth at quiet seeing we liued securely in loue and content set king Ninus to be the meanes of my ouerthrow for he inâ—…amed with the sight of my beautie yelded presently to the allaromes of lust and sought with the golden baite of dignitie to hale me on to the wracke of my honestie which by no meanes he could bring to passe ioyning murther with the