stripe redound vppon mine owne head for who shall receiue greater smart by his absence then I shal What a wicked world is this wherein men of force must neglect other mens vertues and magnifie their own Nobilitie without desert were it not more reson to raise this man to the top of honour that in him his posteritie maye glorie then for lacke of auncestours famous for like qualities to suppresse his vertue and kéepe vnder the magnanimitie of his courage When beganne my Fathers and Grand-fathers to be Nobles but when with the winges of vertue they soared aboue the vulgar sort and if by their meanes onely I am aduaunced to be a Princesse what thanke is there to me of my highnesse And thou Rosicleer if by those rare and souereigne vertues which flowe and flourish in thée thou dost mount in credite not onelye aboue the baser sort from whom thou wast taken but also aboue Princes and Lords where-vnto thou arte to make thy assent Art not thou worthie of greater renown then we and others which climbing by vertue in like sort neuer yet came to the possibilitie of lyke worthinesse Is not this a forgerie of the world and a plaine iuglyng with Nobilitie when we must make more account of one which perhappes by disorder of lyfe defaceth the honour of his race then of one which reacheth vp the ignobilitie of his stocke wherein consisteth nobilitie in the opinion of men or in vertue in déede and doo men inherite vertue as the childe entereth vpon the fathers land béeing lawfull heyre No héere we receiue naught but what our selues sowe and he that reapeth not may be a loute for all his Lordshippe as in time appeareth which iudgeth fréely and without affection And for me if the eyes of my vnderstanding were not dimmed I shoulde soone confesse lesse merite in me to deserue Rosicleer then wanteth in him to be worthie of me I am a Princesse by my Father and my glory resteth in the reckoning vp of a bead-role of Princes some of them dead a thousande yeare agone which nothing pertaineth to this present age But he maye be a Prince by his owne vertue and his Nobilitie ariseth not by kéeping a Tally of names but by making iust proofe of manhoode in his defence of iustice euerie daye in such sort likewise that not any of mine Auncestoures vertues whereby they became noble dare approch to be tryed with his in an euen Ballaunce And is there not manie Gentlewomen in the worlde of as high a calling as I am And is there anye Prince or Knight of so high renowne for vertue knighthoode as Rosicleer is Haue not the best Knightes of both Christendome and Pagansie ioyned with him either at Tilte or Tourney and doth he not obscure them all as when the Sunne appeareth no Starres dare come in presence And I silly woman hauing not so much as the refuse in me of my predecessours vertue am notwithstanding by the iniurie of the times bonde to so great follie as that I must not thinke him worthie to equall mée which is much my better But sith of force I must yéeld to the time and rather dye then acknowledge the contrarye sith my Fortune is such that I must liue by the immagination of other men and sith my estate maye not bee yoaked with his basenesse haue at it I will for euer shut him from my presence for the sauegarde of mine honour But withall séeing without his presence I cannot find ease for this torment I will make him amends by giuing ouer my lyfe vnto the enduring of euerlasting sorrowe And if it be best so to doo tell me my Fidelia thy minde for I perhappes am beguyled by my passion neither in deede haue I either iudgement or séelyng of ought but of griefe and sorrowe Fidelia heard the woordes of the Princesse and taking part with the Princesse made vp this wofull lamenting with hir sorrowfull speach in this sort Alas Madame howe much better had it bene that neuer the Knightly déedes of Rosicleer had bene manifested in Britaine for then without the sight of him you had neuer receiued this wounde which nowe festering in you for lacke of looking too will be verie harde to be cured But the wisest saye that in such matters as are hard and difficult a man must especiallye employe his trauayle and that the succesie is not so vnlykelye but that labour maye reach vnto it as for this griefe which nowe distempereth you is not so great but that you maye bee soone whole your selfe béeing there-vnto willyng For in this neither Nature worketh neither Fortune nor the Starres nor the celestiall Signes nor anye supernaturall Influence as you suppose but onely the fancie and lyking of man the selfe same effect with that which in the sicke is to desire to be whole and in the thirstie to drinke And whosoeuer with the consent of his owne will attempteth the breaking of these snares which his fancie layeth to intrappe him in maye scape scot-frée and helpe others in like necessitie Otherwise if this loue wer naturall to all men as all men then shoulde loue by Nature so shoulde they not forbeare it either for shame or friendes displeasure and if it procéeded from Forture or by grace inspired whereof the cause is not knowen but the euent is euident then were our lybertie héerein irrecuparable and in that the principall sute was without vs it might excuse the infirmitie of the patient wheras as both experience prooueth that loue hath bene remooued by reason and we dayly chide their impotencie which are not able to resist the dartes of Cupide It is therefore requisite madame that your selfe put too your hand and frame your will to the obaying of that which may bring remedie not onely for the loue which you presently féele but for that which you feare will héerafter happen by your ill brooking of his absence And truly I am perswaded that séeing you haue with your selfe resolued to exclude him from your companie that the best is to put it in practise faithfully and effectually least by forbearing of this correction he take more courage to disturbe your rest and yet am I not against that which you haue confirmed with good reson that we ought to reuerence vertue rather than riches and in my iudgement that Gentlewoman which shal match with Rosicleer may thinke hir selfe happie for his rare and maruelous deedes of armes make him to glister more gloriously then all other Princes and Knights whosoeuer And in times past when all things went not so ouerthwart as they now doo he was the best of lignage whose prowesse was best knowen and he best esteemed which wanne his estimation by his manhood And to this purpose behold the buylder of Rome by name Romulus taken from his foster-father a shepheard and in a manner edified for that erection although ther were manie buylders in the world both before after but the difference of the buyldings lieth in the
wring his wiues inheritaunce to himselfe in such manner as you haue heard in Eliseas reporte The Iudges straight wayes declared it to the king who detesting their fact caused the Duke to be apprehended and both to be executed in that place For albeit many of his nobles intreated for their pardon yet the king so abhorred the villanie that naught auailed and at this time was the lawe first enacted in Hungarie that the lawe of punishment for whoordome shoulde stretch as wel to the man as to the woman and that equal penaltie shoulde bee assigned to lyke offendours whereas before the men escaped the women only were in daunger Now after this execution the Dutchesse Elisandra was set at large and the Quéene Augusta receiued her with great honour into her companie The Knight of the Sun was verie desirous to leaue the Citie but the king desired much to knowe him and to haue him abide for some time in his Court. In the time of his abode the Knight of the Sunne grew in more familiar acquaintaunce with the king and was much lyked of him because he séemed to resemble the Princesse Briana but one daie the king importuning the young Knight to knowe his kindred vsed such lyke wordes Sir Knight we thanke you heartely for the paines that you haue taken in the Dutchesse of Pannonias behalfe and for the maintaining of her honour wherby if she haue receiued commoditie of liuing and auoiding shame so haue I receiued some quietnesse in my Realme by the open detecting of such malefactours and their punishment will be occasion of feare in others for this cause I haue willed you to staie héere as thereto I praye you heartely but I praie you let me know your name and where you were borne for I knowe not how to call you The Knight of the Sunne well nurtured in the Souldans Court after his humble thankes for his Maiesties most gratious proffer and the promise of acceptaunce béeing a thing in déede verie conuenient for the certifieng of the Emperour began as followeth For your maiesties fauour I shall most willingly do your highnesse seruice and for the Dutchesse I am gladde that the equitie of her cause furthered my attempt and for my name and Countrie I can better tell you the storie of my life since I came to yeares then declare that Yet am I called the Knight of the Sunne by my deuice and my education hath bene in the Souldans Court at Babylon thether I being brought by the kings sonne in lawe the king of Persia when I was but a child and as it hath bene tolde me found in a little boate vpon the Sea for my life hetherto it hath bene in armes and that doe I meane to pursue The king and those which were with him were greatly amazed that hée had come from so farre a Countrie and had bene found vppon the Sea and that he knew no more of his estate but they thought that he was of some noble birth The king thanked him and in this order the Knight of the Sunne stayed with the king Tiberio for certeine dayes where he gained many friends one onely enimie by name Florinaldes which could not forget the shame receiued before his mistresse although it had done him no scath for in the ende Albamira preferred him before the Earle Orfeo So as I saye yet Florinaldes séeing the honour of the Knight of the Sunne daily to increase to the discredit of the borne Hungarian his stomacke rose against him and one day he set vppon the Knight of the Sunne at vnawares but to his owne losse had not the knight of the Sunne bene more mercifull after they were made friends But let vs breake off this storie to dispatch the Prince of Lusitania out of England ¶ Don Siluerio demaunded the Princesse Oliuia for wife of the King Oliuerio Cap. 55. THe great sorrow which the losse of Rosicleer caused in the court of king Oliuerio hath ere this bene declared to you for all the good knightes his friendes went to séeke him leauing the Court bare and naked for noble men and aboue all the Princesse Oliuia was worst wringed albeit her griefe was not so manifest Nowe is there stayed in the Court the Prince Don Siluerio straungelye surprised with the loue of Oliuia and vsing the helpe of his sister Rodasylua to the perswading of Oliuia One day the last I take it he vnfolded his griefe vnto her telling her that vnlesse she found the meanes hée shoulde héere leaue his life in a farre Countrie The matter is mine olde sute that you wot off my desire is that at least I maye bée assured of her good will Sure I am if I moue the king in it I shall obteine it The Princesse Rodasylua mooued indéed with her brothers affliction promised the vttermost of her paines and within a while after she had some talke with the Princesse about that matter her wordes tending to like effect Madame you knowe right well the great loue which since I came to this Court I haue borne vnto you and how I haue done you seruice in all that I was able that which more is in what manner I haue absented my selfe from my parents onely to be in your companie which if you knowe and confesse to be true you must likewise beléeue that that which I shall saie nowe rather procéedeth of good zeale towardes your honour then of anie purpose to worke mine owne contentment though I cannot denie but that if I obtaine it will content me highly But I doe not besire the thing which standeth not with your honour and for my paines reward séeke I none but that I may be heard If I erre in ought wherein I shall counsaile you then may you blame mee and yet I doubt not but when you shall haue throughly examined the whole you shall rather impute the fault to lacke of skill than to anie lacke of good meaning and as I am certeine that you haue this same opinion of mée without anye farther suspect so will I tell you my minde flatly You knowe that you are the onely inheritrixe of this kingdome that your Father the king my Lorde must néeds marrie you with such a one as may equall your estate both for the naturall care which he hath ouer you in respect that you are his daughter and for the profit which shall thereby redounde to his subiectes which cannot be well gouerned the seate wanting aâ—rightfull heire you are withall at this time marriageable my suite therefore is that héerein you will haue a more regarde of the Prince Don Siluerio my brother a worthie knight of personage and valour of an high birth a kings sonne and heire besides louing you so entirely as he can nothing more long hath he endured this torment and neuer would bewraie it to anie but to me and I haue hetherto suppressed it not to molest you nowe for compassion towardes him whome I must loue and honour mine owne brother I
THE FIRST PART of the Mirrour of Princely deedes and Knighthood WHERIN IS SHEVVED THE WORTHINESSE OF the Knight of the Sunne and his brother Rosicleer sonnes to the great Emperour Trebatio with the straunge loue of the beautifull Princesse Briana the valiant actes of other noble Princes and Knights Now newly translated out of Spanish into our vulgar English tongue by M.T. Imprinted at London by Thomas East To the right Honourable the Lord Thomas Haward NOT beeing greatly forward of mine owne inclination right Honourable but forced by the importunitie of my friends to make some triall of my selfe in this exercise of translation I haue aduentured vpon a peece of work not indeed the most profitablest as intreating of armes nor yet altogether fruitlesse if example may serue as being historicall but the while either to be borne withall for the delight or not to be refused for the strangenesse farther I meane not to make boast of my trauaile for the matter was offred not made choice of as there appeared likewise little libertie in my first yeelding The earnestnesse of my friends perswaded me that it was conuenient to laie foorth my talent for increase or to set my candle on a candlesticke the consideration of my sufficiencie droue me to thinke it better for my ease either quite to burie my talent thereby to auoide the breaking of thriftlesse debtes or rather to put my candle cleane out then that it should bewraie euery vnswept corner in my house but the opinion of my friends iudgement preuailed aboue mine own reason So vpon hope to please them I first vndertooke this labour I haue gone through withall the rather to acquaint my selfe with mine olde reading whereto since the dispatch therof I haue made my friends priuie vpon good liking with request thereto I haue passed my graunt vnto them for the publication referring for my selfe the order for the dedication so as I shuld thinke best either for the defence of my worke or for some perticular merit towards mee And heerein I tooke no long leasure to finde out a sufficient personage For the manifold benefites receiued from your honourable parents my good Lord and Ladie quickly eased me of that doubt and presented your honour vnto my view whome by good right I ought to loue and honour in especiall as being of them begotten at whose hands I haue reaped especiall benefit The which benefit if I should not so gladly professe openly as I willingly receiued being offered I might well be challenged of vnkindnesse but were I as able to make good my part as I am not ignorant what may bee required at my handes I would hope not to be found vngratefull In the meane time this my trauaile I commend vnto your Lordship beseeching the same so to accept thereof as a simple testimonie of that good will which I bare to your parents while they liued then being their seruant now doe owe vnto their ofspring after their decease for their demerits Vnder your honors protection I shall lesse feare the assault of the enuious of your honours good acceptation I haue some hope in the mildnesse of your Lordshippes nature not doubting but that as your Lordship hath giuen no small signification in this your noble youth of wisdome and courage to so many as know you it being the onely support of your auncestors line so the same likewise will maintaine your auncestours glorie and the hope of your owne vertues with affabilitie gentlenesse which was the proper commendation of your parents The almightie increase this hope with the other vertues before named to the good hope of your Countries peace your Princesse safetie and your owne honour with the ioy of your kindred friends whom not a few your parents good deseruing hath assured vnto you and of whose earnest praiers you shall not faile to further your well dooing Amongst them though last in worthinesse yet with the formost in well wishing and desire of well deseruing your honour shall finde me Your honours humblie most assured Margaret Tyler M.T. To the Reader THou hast béere gentle Reader the historie of Trebatio an Emperour in Greece The commendation of the storie whether a true historie of him in déed or a fained fable I wot not neither did I greatlye séeke after it in the translation but by me it is done into English for thy profit delight The chiefe matter therein contained is of exployts of warres and the parties therein named are especially renowmed for their magnanimitie courage The authors purpose appeareth to be this to animate thereby to set on fire the lustie courages of young Gentlemen to the aduauncement of their line by ensuing such like steps The first tongue wherein it was penned was the Spanish in which nation by common report the inheritaunce of all worldly commendation hath to this day rested The whole discourse in respect of the ende not vnnecessarie for the varietie continuall shifte of fresh matter verie delightfull in the speaches short and swéete wise in sentence and warie in the prouision of contrarie accidents For I take the grace thereof to be rather in the reporters deuice then in the truth of this report as I wold that I could so well impart with thée that delight which my selfe findeth in reading the Spanish but seldome is the tale carried cleane from anothers mouth Such deliuerie as I haue made I hope thou wilt friendly accept the rather for that it is a womans worke though in a storye prophane and a matter more manlike then becōmeth my sexe But as for the manlinesse of the matter That a woman may vvrite of vvarre thou knowest that it is not necessarie for euery trumpetter or drumslare in the warre to be a good fighter That a woman may vvrite of vvarre They take wages onely to incite others though themselues haue priuie maymes and are therby recurelesse So gentle Reader if my trauell in Englishing this Authour may bring thée to a liking of the vertues héerein commended and by example thereof in thy Princes Countries quarrell to hazard thy person purchase good name as for hope of well deseruing my selfe that way I neither bend my selfe thereto nor yet feare the speach of people if I be found backward I trust euery man holdes not the plough which would the ground were tilled and it is no sinne to talke of Robinhood though you neuer shot in his bowe Or be it that the attempt were bolde to intermeddle in armes so as the auncient Amazons did and in this storie Claridiana doth and in other stories not a few yet to report of armes is not so odious but that it may be borne withall not onely in you men which your selues are fighters but in vs women to whome the benefit in equall part apperteineth of your victories either for that the matter is so commendable that it carryeth no discredit from the homelynesse of the speaker or for that
commendable of it selfe to be a commender of vertue and neuer too much may I commend it The charge is that with mine owne handes I shoulde distribute these prises according as mine owne fancie leadeth mée to déeme of euerie mans trauaile and valiauncie The deliuerye of these Iewelles were nothing harde nor doubtfull but the disposing more then harde because it pertayneth to iudgement in déedes armes wherevnto my sexe is not sufficiently abled Neuerthelesse sir knight as your paines haue bene greatest thereto witnesseth this whole multitude so your prowesse in my iudgement so much assureth on your parte that without dooing wrong to anie of these Princes and knightes I maye with good reason conferre them vpon you For this if I know to doe right vnto whome I ought it is méete that you doe awaye your Helmet and sith your déedes discouer who you are it is no reason that you couer your selfe anie longer When the Princesse had thus sayde Rosicleer not hauing power to excuse himselfe vnlaced his Helmet which béeing put off his face séemed so beautifull by the heate and trauaile of the armour which raysed a fresh redde in his chéekes that it stroke them all in amaze and none of those which sawe him considering his fairenesse with his age but rather iudged him an Angell of heauen then a mortall knight When the Princesse Oliuia sawe him so fayre as already loue had made a wracke in the most secret parte of her heart by the viewe of his Knighthoode so nowe the same breach being made wider by the second assault in his beautifull lookes loue entered with banner displayed and finding no resistance tooke possession wholy of her heart and swore all that he found to be his true prisoners Thus lost she her libertie and yet with the best courage that a woman might she framed out a countenaunce of great fréedome in this manner You needed not by your fauour sir knight to haue ben ashamed shamed of your face and yet such as it is it is farre inferiour to your manhood but this is beyond the compasse of my commission nowe come you néere and receiue at my hands the glory of your worthinesse which your good fortune yéeldeth you Rosicleer approching very néere knéeled downe the Princesse put the choler about his necke and the crowne vpon his head When the Princesse had so done with a little stay betwéene Rosicleer tooke the crowne from his owne head and as he was on his knées sayde vnto the Princesse Most excellent Princesse for the souereigne grace you haue shewed me I will remaine yours hence foorth to serue you loyallye as a poore recompence for so rich a benefite And as I deo receiue this chollar as the price of Knighthood in your opinion so I beséech you to take of me this crowne as a testimonie of your surpassing beautie in my eye With this he set the rich crowne vppon the golden haires of the Princesse Oliuia she béeing glad of this gift although somwhat blushing at the words he spake The two Princes Bargandel and Liâ—iamandro standing by and knowing him to be Rosicleer whom they had lost in the maine sea when the ceremonies were finished went to him imbracing him as goodly as if he hadde bene their owne brother yet curteously challenging him for his vnkindnes in not making himself knowen vnto them The King Oliuerio abashed at so great bountie in a Knight of so young yeres began to thinke more aduisedly of that which the wise Artemidoro had sayde from that time he estéemed more highly of the newe Knight as you shall heare after this But now the noise was so great which the vyals made and other instruments that one might not heare an other speake at which time the faire Princesse Oliuia with the rich crowne vpon hir head and in hir company the Knight Rosicleer with the two Princes descended from the scaffold in great pompe went to the Kings Pallaice the Princesse leauing them ther to take hir owne lodging and they all entering the chamber of presence where the King stayed for them and after a generall welcome by name taking Rosicleer aside he said vnto him Sir Knight hether you are verie welcome for I haue had great desire to knowe you and I would to God by your stay I might as well be acquainted with you for by you the honour of my Courte hath bene well vpholden Mightie King answered Rosicleer I am rather to be borne withall if I desire to bée your seruant sith for the same cause and for to sée your court I am come hether The king kissed the knight vpon the chéeke as tenderly as if he had bene his owne sonne saieng Rosicleer I account more of these words then of the worth of my best Citie and aduise thée well of these speaches for I am to demaund them of thée if thou wilt not other-wise performe thy promise So Rosicleer was retayned for the Kings Knight and all the olde courtiers both Princes and Knights of great name ranne to imbrace Rosicleer with great plesure vnto them to haue his company except onely Don Siluerio Prince of Lusitania whom a ielous thought vexed as towards Rosicleer for that he had vnhorsed him in the presence of his Lady But after this order Rosicleer remained in the English Court where he rested himself till this sodaine aduenture called him foorth as shall be tolde you ¶ A Gentlewoman came to the Court from the Princesse Briana which made him followe Brandagedeon Cap. 35. THe storie recounteth that Rosicleer abode many daies in King Oliuerios Court well liked and loued of both King and nobles In which time Rosicleer gaue the King the rich Tent which the wise Artemidoro had wrought for him wherin the King tooke great delight For although he had many other both curious for making and costly for matter yet had he not seene in his life any either so rich or of so cunning work-manship so that the Kings good will towards Rosicleer encreased by Rosicleers presence and in that also for his company manie other great Princes and straunge Knights remained with the King so long time after that these iusts wer ended which beginning of friendshâ—p betw xt Rosicleer and some of these Knightes grewe in the ende to such perfection by his gracious and familiar behauiour that neither fauour of friendes nor dread of daunger might with their willes sunder them from this amitie And if Rosicleer had such power ouer Knightes straungers what had he ouer the Princesse Oliuia béeing surprised with his loue and hauing engrauen his Image so déepely in hir imagination that he neuer departed from hir thought but euermore there renewed in hir rememberaunce his Knightly déedes and great valour whereby she made an euident demonstration of his linage as if naught els had bene enemie to hir purpose But this faire Princesse now so languished with the torment of this amorous thought and pleasant liking of hir loue Rosicleer that now the conuersation of
his deathes wound then that letter Ere he opened it his coulour chaunged and all his bodie shooke for feare but after hée had read the superscription his eyes were filled with teares and neuer man was so woe begonne as he yet he read it out and as I remember with the last wordes he gaue a great groane and sanke to the earth Whether hée euer recouered or no I wot not for I durst not staye with him therein to fulfill your graces charge which was not to receiue aunswere from him This vnderstanding the Princesse and that Fidelia had obeyed euerie iot of her will so well although shée would that her seruaunt had fayled in some small point of diligence in this matter yet thinking to learne more at her hands shée demaunded what thing hée did when she parted from him and what words shée spake moreouer what she thought the euent would bée To all which questions Fidelia aunswered at once that shée lefte him for dead vpon the ground and to deuine was not in her skill With this the Princesse waxed angrie and blamed her verye sore in not abiding the time of his recouerie whervnto Fidelia excused her selfe by her commandement but yet because the Princesse would haue it so néeds must Fidelia be thought in a great fault or crime for not dooing so Now may you gesse that Fidelias trustinesse was lyke a cuppe of colde wate to her burning ague the more to enrage it or lyke drinke to a Dropsie man whereby his maladie the rather increaseth For in lyke manner as Rosicleers heauinesse came by reading the letter so hers grew by Fidelias report of his heauinesse And albeit that we heare seldome time of man or woman dead for loue yet is it naturall for ouermuch griefe to abbridge mans dayes as now it was not loue which so much afflicted the Princesse but the iniurie which she had offered Rosicleer and the griefe which she conceiued by the dispaire of euer séeing him and his griefe had almost wrought hir vtter bane ¶ Rosicleers departure is published in the Court of King Oliuerio Oliuia after knowledge whose sonne he was reuerseth iudgement passed by a countermaunde in another Letter whereof Fidelia lykewise is the bearer Cap. 41. THe Princes Bargandel and Liriamandro in the quest of Rosicleer rode far and néere could not vnderstand anie thing as touching him till that hauing trauailed ouer a great part of that Countrie they met with people strangers which certified that themselues had séene a Knight in that sure of armour imbarking himselfe with a Gentlewoman and after that a Squire sore wéeping entering into a ship to followe them for the which newes Bargandel and Liriamandro were verie sorrowfull and for nowe they were sure that he had forsaken the kingdome wherevpon they agréed to returne vnto the Court and one day as the King Oliuerio with the Prince Zoylo and other worthie Princes and knights were gone out of the Citie to solace themselues in the fields these two Princes came toward the place where the king abode which had behelde them before verie héedfully for they séemed vnto him to be two comely and noble knights and therefore he desired to haue a more perfect view But valyaunt Zoylo knew them by their deuices vppon theyr armour and sayde to the king and to the other then in presence that he greatly meruailed why Rosicleer came not with them for saith he when I parted from them they were all thrée together when the king knewe them to be the two Princes hée caused his traine to stay till the two Princes came against him those hée embraced with great loue and thankes for their returne demanding withal for Rosicleer They which I dare not say knew the ryght cause but coniectured some likely cause by the straungenesse it wrought in him with great griefe made a narration of each perticular as farre as they knew both what befell him within the Realme and in what manner he auoided the Realme as they had heard of others onely in the companie of a Gentlewoman and they added moreouer perhappes of their owne heads perhappes as I sayde before vppon some farther knowledge that it could not otherwise bée but that he had some great wrong offered vnto him by some person within the Realme The King excusing himselfe to the Princes for his owne dealing towardes Rosicleer became verye sad and heauie for him as also those which were néere with him not béeing able to gesse of his returne and indéede if they had béene certeine of his long absence it would much more haue béene gréeuous vnto them so rare was the loue they all bare to him But with some little hope of Rosicleers spéedie retourne the King with those Princes his friends tarried some dayes in the Pallaice till that because he was from them so long the thrée Princes Bargandel Liriamandro and the Lartarian Zoylo together tooke vpon them to séeke him in which time they aduentured many strange exploits as shall be specified héereafter in this Historie But in the ende as the greatest parte of these nobles and Princes stayed in England for the loue of Rosicleer so his presence wanting in that court diminished so fast that in short time there was not behinde remaining in the Court anie Knight of great account but the Prince Don Syluerio vnto whom the losse absence of Rosicleer bread no small contentation as it wrought in the king Oliuerio to the contrarie no lesser displeasure and disquiet as if the losse of Prince Edward had agayne renued For there was no one in his kingdome which could and would aduaunce his priuate credit and the honour of his Countrie by worthy prowesse and by valiant déeds of armes But when all the kingdome beganne to bewayle the losse of Rosicleer what did that fayre Oliuia which had abandoned him the Countrie and loued him more then anye one in the worlde might shée forget him one instant No but when she wayed well that for the accomplishing of her charge he had forsaken the lande her good will increased towardes him and in stéede of the daylye viewe of his personage in his absence shée gazed at will vppon the counterfayte and portraiture which she had imprinted in her fancie This did she the oftener because shée founde not in her solitarie contemplation anie other thing to present it selfe For amorous thoughtes are euer enimies to companie and béeing alone as commonly shée was by reason of sicknesse what was there to remooue this solitarie thought and conuersaunt companion from her This companion she still enterteined which by vse and continuance of time grew to a setteled sentence and her loue waxed greater then it was before and then increased the flame which burnt more earnestly then euer before it had bene But as it chaunced tossing of these things in her remembraunce withall shée remembred that Arinda had tolde her how that Rosicleer had written vnto the Princesse Briana and as the amorous are accustomed to builde
best knights of all those whom the Gyant had left giuing them liuerie and season in that lande and making others to sweare obedience Short time after hée would néeds depart with full purpose to kéepe in the Sea and not to depart till that he should haue sailed so farre that no words might be heard of him in those quarters Therefore he tooke his armour wherein was drawen the God of lous in such sort as our auncestours were wont to paint him with his eyes out his bowe and arrowes in his hand The picture béeing so liuely drawen that Rosicleer kuewe it was done by the wise Artemidoro and therevppon he sooke his name of that deuice from which time hée neuer called himselfe other then the Knight of Cupide vnder which name he atchieued many enterprises and Rosicleers name came neuer more to the eares of Oliuia Hauing put on his armour he tooke his leaue of Candriana for so was called the Daughter of Candramarte and for remembraunce onely the shippe wherein hée first sayled when hée lest great Britaine with two marriners to conduct it whome he charged not to call by other name then the Knight of Cupide and to guide the shippe Eastwarde When hée had so sailed fistéene daies without chancing to him anie thing worthie of recitall It was so that one morning by Sunne rising he sawe a little boate passe by him out of which he heard many cries as if it had bene the labour of some woman and thinking that there might be néede of some helpe he was desiraus to know what was in the shippe and therevpon he commaunded to ioyne with them Presently there ftept vppon the hatches a sadde auncient man with a white beard all armed saue the head which demaunded what hée woulde Rosicleer sayde I woulde knowe who is in your Shippe for me thinkes I haue heard some woman complaine and if it bée so I will venture my person to doe her good The auncient Knight behelde Rosicleer taking him to be some knight of great bountis especially in that he had offered himselfe so fréely When hée had throughly behelde he opened the matter on this sorte Assuredly good Knight I thanke you for your great good will and as it is not mis beséeming your outward beautie to haue some inwarde vertue lyke thereto But know you that in this shippe there abideth a Gentlewoman making towards the great Britaine there to complaine her to the King Oliuerio and his knightes of the outrage which is done vnto her Nowe because our staie is daungerous I may not tell you farther of this matter our enimies followe vs and so rest you with GOD. When the olde man had saide this Rosicleer hauing desire to know more staied him and besought him to discourse more at large for himselfe was a Knight of that Court and could tell him what remedie was to bée hoped for there The olde man was loth to staie longer yet hearing him say that he was of the same Court hée tolde him in fewe wordes that this Gentlewoman was the Princesse Arguirosa one of the fairest Ladies in the worlde and a Princesse of Thessalie onely heire to that kingdome That her mother béeing dead the King Arguidoro her father fell in loue with a Gentlewoman of Thessalie not so honest nor of so high estate as wanton and of base birth and louing her affectionately after marryed her to the dispossessing of his owne childe Then in the time of her Fathers life there was in the court a knight called Rolando besides his great liuing one of the strongest knightes in all those partes but proude and little respecting the whole worlde That this Knight during the lyfe of the King was lyked of Ipesca and so soone as the King Arguidoro dyed of a sodeyne disease was promoted to the Kinges bedde by matching with the Quéene and béeing of great reuenewes that he nowe inioyed the kingdome by force and excluding the right heyre none of the kingdome daring to gaine-saie him for the most able are his night kinsmen the other learne patience perforce But that which worst of all was that to vndoe her rightfull claime hée mindeth to marrie her with a kinsman of his and to giue onely some little Towne to dwell in reseruing the title of the Kingdome after his owne dayes to a sonne the which hée hath begotten on his Quéene Ipesca I am kinsman sayth he to the Princesse béeing her mothers brother and therefore I haue aduentured to rescewe my néece but not knowing any remedie at home because my power is not equall with Rolandos I haue brought her out from thence and I determine to goe to the great Britaine where as I haue heard there are many valyaunt knightes especially a new Knight of whom I haue heard especially since the great feasts there holden If this Knight helpe me not I know not who may with-stand Rolando Thrée nightes and dayes haue we bene vppon the Sea onely I the Lady two Gentlewomen and our Marriners and I beléeue that there come after vs Rolandos knightes Nowe haue I tolde you the whole of your desire and I beséech you tell vs what newes you knowe of that good knight Rosicleer nowe hauing heard the whole state of the Princesse Arguirosas matter was much treubled and desirous to helpe her hée aunswered the auncient man that for his staie he thanked him and as touching your demaund saith he of the new knight Truth it is that in Britaine none can tell you newes of him wherfore your labour should be lost if you sought him there But the Princesses affliction so much moueth me that albeit I was purposed other where yet would I gladly fight with Rolando in the Princesse behalfe The auncient knight was verie sad to heare that the newe Knight was not in Britaine but well eyeng this knight which had so tolde him and made profer of helpe he stoode in doubt whether to take or refuse by and by he discouered two shippes vnder sayle and by theyr toppes to be of Thessalie whereat striking himselfe on the breast hée cryed out O most vnhappie that wée are héere commeth Rolandos Knightes which will take vs and béeing brought againe to Thessalie we shal there receiue most cruel death and he wept cursing the houre of his departure the Princesse Arguirosa hearing the complaintes which her vnckle made his greate sorrowe which he susteyned the extreame daunger they were in and the cause why hée did it tooke it as heauie and wofully bewailed their miserie When Rosicleer sawe them in this plight hée much pittyed them especially Arguirosa which the Princesse Oliuia not remembred might haue well contented him Therefore he willed them to get vnder the hatches againe and to let him shifte for theyr safetie the olde man thinking that Rosicleer woulde defend them by saieng that they were his people did so not ceasing yet to feare the worst and to pray earnestly for their escape Rosicleer leapt into the Princesse shippe and sate vpon the