ambiguous and doubtfull causes therefore I will neither consume tyme in accusyng hym before you frō whose crueltie ye haue by force defended your selues nor yet I will suffre hym to ioyne to his former wickednesse any impudente answere for his defence Wherefore Appius all those thinges whiche he wickedly and cruelly one vpon an other thou haste dooen these twoo yeres paste I dooe fréely forgiue thee But if thou canste not purge thy self of this one thing that against the order and forme of Lawe thou thy self beyng Iudge wouldest not suffer the freman to enioye the benefite of his freedome during the processe made of seruitude I will presently commaunde thee to prison Appius Claudius beyng now a prisoner and perceiuyng that the iuste complaintes of Virginius did vehemētty incite the people to rage and furie and that the peticions and praiers of his frēdes in nowise could mollifie their hartes he began to conceiue a desperacion And within a while after slewe hymself Spurius Oppius also an other of the Decemuiri was immediatly sent to prison who before the daie of his iudgemēte died The reste also of that order fled into exile Whose goodes were confiscate Marcus Claudius also the Assertor was condempned howbeit Virginius was contented he should be banished the citie and then he fled to Tybur Thus vpon the filthie affeccion of one nobleman issued parricide murder rebellion hatred depriuyng of magistrates and greate mischiefes succedyng one in an others necke Wherevpon the noble and victorious citie was like to be a praie to forren nacions A goodlie documente to men of like callyng to moderate themselues and their Magisterie with good and honeste life thereby to giue incouragemente of vertue to their vassalles and inferiours who for the moste parte doe imitate and followe the liues and cōuersacion of their superiours Canduales kyng of Lydia shewyng the secretes of his wiues beautie to Gyges one of his Guarde was by counsaile of his wife slaine by the said Gyges and depriued of his kyngdome ¶ The .vj. Nouell OF all follies wherwith vaine men be affected the follie of immoderate loue is most to be detested For that husband whiche is beautified with a comely and honeste wife whose rare excellēcie doeth surpasse other aswell in lineamentes proporcion and feature of bodie as with inwarde qualities of minde if he can not retaine in the secrecie and silence of his breast that excellyng gifte and benefite is worthie to be inaugured with a laurell croune of follie Beautie eche man knoweth is one of natures ornamentes by her wisedome ordeined not to enter in triumphe as victours vse vpon gaine of victorie with brauerie to ostentate their glorie by sounde of Shalme Dromme but thankfully for the same to proclaime the due praise to the aucthour of Nature For there is nothyng more fraile and fadyng then the luryng lookes of Dame beauties eyes altogether like the flaryng Marigolde floure whiche in the moste feruent heate of the Sommers daie doeth appere moste glorious and vpō retire of the nightes shadowe appereth as though it had neuer been the same And therefore he that conceiueth reioyse in her vncertaine state is like to hym that in his slombryng dreame doeth imagine he hath founde a perelesse iewell of price inestimable besette with the glistering Diamonde and perfectly awaked knoweth he hath none suche If God hath indued a man with a wife that is beautifull and honest he is furnished with double pleasure suche as rather thankes to hym then vaine ostentacion is to bee remembred Otherwise he doateth either in Ielosie or openeth proude vauntes thereof to suche as he thinketh to be his moste assured frendes What ioye the sequele thereof doeth bryng let the historie insuyng reporte Candaules kyng of Lydia had a merueilous beautifull gentlewoman to his Quene and wife whom he loued very dearly and for that greate loue whiche he bare her thought her the fairest creature of the world Beyng in this louing concept he extolled the praise of his wife to one of his guarde called Gyges the sonne of Dascylus whom he loued aboue all the reste of his housholde and vsed his counsaile in all his weightie causes with in a while after he saied vnto Gyges these woordes It seemeth vnto me Gyges that thou doest not greatly beleue the woordes whiche I speake vnto the of the beautie of my wife but because eyes be better witnesses of thynges then eares thou shalte see her naked With these wordes Gyges beyng amased cried out saiyng What wordes be these sir kyng me think you are not well aduised to require me to viewe and beholde the ladie my maistres in that sorte For a woman seen naked doeth with her clothes put of also her chastitie In olde tyme honest thinges were deuised for mannes instruction emonges whiche was vsed this one thing That euery man ought to behold the thinges that were his owne But sir I doe beleue assuredlie that she is the fairest woman in the worlde wherfore desire me not to thynges that bee vnlawfull In this sorte Gyges replied and yet feared lest some daūger might happen vnto hym Whom Candaules encouraged saiyng Be of good there and be not afraid that either I or my wife goe aboute to deceiue thee or that thou shalte incurre any daunger For I will take vpon me so to vse the matter as she by no meanes shal knowe that thou haste seen her I will place thee behinde the portall of our chamber When I goe to bed my wife commonlie dooeth followe And she beyng in the Chamber a chaire is sette redie vpon whiche she laieth her clothes as she putteth them of Which doen she sheweth her self a good tyme naked And when she riseth from her chaire to goe to bedde her backe beyng toward thee thou maiest easilie conueighe thy self out againe but in anywise take heede she doe not sée thee as thou goest out Wherevnto I praie thee to haue a speciall regarde Gyges seeyng that by no meanes he could auoide the vaine requeste of the kyng was redie at the tyme appoincted Candaules about the hower of bedde tyme went into the Chamber and conueighed Gyges into the same and after the Kyng the Quene followed whom Gyges behelde at her goyng in and at the puttyng of her clothes When her backe was towardes hym as he was goyng out she perceiued hym The Quene vnderstanding by her housbande the circumstance of the facte neither for shame did crie out ne yet made countenance as though she had séen Gyges but in her minde purposed to reuenge her husbandes follie For emōges the Lydiās as for the most parte with all other nacions it is coumpted a greate shame to sée a naked man The gentlewoman counterfaited her grief and kepte silence In the mornyng when she was redie by suche of her seruauntes whom she moste trusted she sent for Gyges who thought that she had knowen nothyng of that whiche chaūced For many times before he vsed to haue accesse to the quene when he was
depriued of his kingdome The .vj. Nouell Folio 19. ¶ King Craesus of Lydia reasoneth with the wyseman Solon of the happy life of man Who little esteming his good aduise vnderstode before his death that no man but by vertue can in his lyfe attaine felicitie The .vij. Nouell Folio 21. AElianus ¶ Of a Father that made sute to haue his owne sonne put to death The .viij. Nouell Folio 24. ¶ Water offered of good will to Artaxerxes the king of Persia and the liberall rewarde of the king to the giuer The .ix. Nouell Folio 24. ¶ The loue of Chariton and Menalippus The .x. Nouell Folio 25. Xenophon ¶ King Cyrus persuaded by Araspas to dispose himselfe to loue a Ladie called Panthea entreth into a pretie disputacion and talke of Loue and beauty Afterwardes Araspas himselfe falleth in loue with the sayde Ladie but she indued with great chastitie auoideth his earnest Loue. And when her husbande was slayne in the seruice of Cyrus she killed herself The .xj. Nouell Folio 27. Quintus Curtius ¶ Abdolominus is from poore estate aduauÌ„ced by Alexander the great through his honest lyfe to be king of Sydone The .xij. Nouell Folio 33. ¶ The Oracion of the Scythian Ambassadours to Alexander the great reprouing his ambicion and desire of Empire The .xiij. Nouell Folio 34. Aulus Gellius ¶ The wordes of Metellus of mariage and wyuing with the prayse and disprayse of the same The .xiiij. Nouell Folio 36. ¶ Of Lais and Demosthenes The .v. Nouell Fol. 38. ¶ C. Fabritius and Aemilius Consulls of Rome being promised that king Pyrrhus for a somme of money shoulde be slayne which was a notable enemie to the Romane state aduertised Pyrrhus thereof by letters and of other notable things done by the same Fabritius The .xvj. Nouell Folio 38. ¶ A Scholemaister trayterouslye rendring the noble mennes sonnes of Faleâ—â—a to the handes of Camillus was well acquited and rewarded for his paines and labor The .xvij. Nouell Folio 39. ¶ The Historie of Papyrius Pretextaetus The .xviij. Nouell Folio 41. ¶ How Plutarche did beate his man And of pretie talke touching signes of anger The .xix. Nouell Fol. 42. ¶ A pretie tale of Aesope of the Larke The .xx. Nouell Folio 42. ¶ A merye ieft vttered by Haniball to king Antiochus The .xxj. Nouell Folio 44. ¶ The meruelous knowledge of a Lyon being acquainted with a man called Androctus The .xxij. Nouell Fol. 44. ¶ A pretie disputacion of the Philosopher Phaeuorinus to persuade a woman not to put forthe her childe to nursse but to nourishe it her selfe with her owne milke The .xxiij. Nouell Folio 45. ¶ Of Sertorius a noble Romane Capitaine The .xxiiij. Nouell Folio 48. ¶ Of the bookes of Sybilla The .xxv. Nouel Fol. 49. ¶ A difference and controuersie betweene a Maister and a Scholer so subtill that the Iudges coulde not giue sentence The .xxvj. Nouell Folio 50. Plutarche ¶ Seleueus King of Asia gaue his wife to his owne sonne in mariage being his mother in lawe Who so feruentlye did loue her that he was like to dye Which by a discrete wyse inuencion was discouered to Seleueus by a Phisician The .xxvij. Nouell Folio 51. ¶ Of the straunge and beastlye nature of Timon of Athenes enemie to mankinde with his death buriall and Epitaphe The .xxviij. Nouell Folio 57. S. Hierome and Pietro Messia ¶ The mariage of a man and woman he being the husbande of xx wiues and she the wife of .xxii. husbandes The .xxix. Nouell Folio 59. Bocaccio ¶ How Melchisedech a Iewe by telling a pretie tale of three Kinges saued his lyfe The .xxx. Nouell Folio 60. ¶ One called Guglielmo Borsiere with certen wordes well placed taunted the couetous life of Ermino Grimaldi The .xxxj. Nouell Folio 61. ¶ Maister Alberto of Bologna by a pleasaunt aunswere made a Gentlewoman to blushe which had thought to haue put him out of countenance in telling him that he was in loue with her The .xxxij. Nouell Folio 63. ¶ Rinald. of Esti being robbed arriued at Castel Guglielmo was succoured of a widowe and restored to his losses retourning safe and sounde home to his owne house The .xxxiij. Nouell Fol. 64. ¶ Three yong men hauing fondlye consumed all that they had became verye poore whose nephewe as he retourned out of Englande into Italie by the waye fyll in acquaintaunce with an Abbot whome vpon further familiaritie he knew to be the king of Englandes daughter which tooke him to her husbande Afterwards she restored his vncles to all their losses and sent them home in good state and reputacion The .xxxiiij. Nouell Folio 68. ¶ Landâ—lfo Ruffolo being inpouerished became a Pirate and taken by the Geneuois was in daunger of drowning who sauing himselfe vpon a little Coafer full of riche Iewelles was receiued at Corsu and being cherished by a woman retorned home very riche The .xxxv. Nouell Folio 73. ¶ Andreuccio of Perugia being come to Naples to buy horsse was in one night surprised with three meruelous accidents All which hauing escaped with one Rubie he retorned home to his house The .xxxvj. Nouell Folio 76. ¶ The Earle of Angiers being falslie accused was banished out of Fraunce and left his two sonnes in sundrie places in Englande and retourning vnknowen by Scotlande founde them in great authoritie afterwardes he repayred in the habite of a seruant to the French kings armie and being knowen to be innocent was againe aduaunced to his first estate The .xxxvij. Nouell Folio 85. ¶ Gilettae a Phisitians daughter of Narbona healed the French king of a Fistula for rewarde whereof she demaunded Beleramo Counte of Rossigliont to husbande The Counte being maried against his will for despite fledde to Florence and loued an other Gâ—â—etta his wife by pollicie founde meanes to lye with her husbande in place of his Louer and was begotten with childe of two sonnes Which knowen to her husbande he receiued her againe and afterwardes she liued in great honor and felicitie The .xxxviij. Nouell Folio 95. ¶ â—ancredi prince of Salerne caused his daughters louer to be slayne and sent his heart vnto her in a cuppe of Golde which afterwardes she put into poysoned water and drinking therof dyed The .xxxix. Nouell Folio 100. Bandello ¶ Mahomet one of the Turkishe Emperors executeth cursed crueltie vpon a Greke mayden whome he tooke prisoner at the winning of Constantinople The .xl. Nouell Folio 107. ¶ A Ladie falsely accused of adulterie was condemned to be deuoured of Lions the maner of her deliuerie and how her innocencie being knowen her accuser felt the payne for her prepared The .xl. Nouell Folio 112. ¶ Didaco a Spaniarde is in Loue with a poore Mayden of Valentia and secretely maryeth her afterwards lothing his first mariage because she was of base parentage he maryeth another of noble birth His firste wife by secrete messinger prayeth his companie whose request he accomplisheth Being a bedde she and her mayde killeth him She throweth him into the streate She in desperate wise
required his Eunuches to take the present and to putte it into a Cuppe of golde The kyng when he was lodged in his pauilion sente to the man a Persian robe a Cuppe of golde and a thousande Darices which was a coigne emōges the Persians whervpon was the Image of Darius willyng the messenger to saie vnto hym these woordes It hath pleased the kyng that thou shouldest delight thy self and make merie with this golde because thou diddest exhilarate his minde in not suffryng hym to passe without the honour of a present but as necessitie did serue thee diddeste humblie salute hym with water His pleasure is also that thou shalte drinke of that water in this cuppe of golde of whiche thou madest hym partaker Artaxerxes hereby expressed the true Image of a princely mynde that would not disdaine cherefully to beholde the homelie gifte in our estimacion rude and nothyng worthe at the handes of his poore subiecte and liberally to reward that ductifull zeale with thinges of greate price and valour To the same Artaxerxes ridyng in progresse through Persia was presented by one called Mises a verie greate Pomegranate in a Siue The kyng merueilyng at the bignesse thereof demaunded of hym out of what garden he had gathered the same He answered out of his owne Whereat the kyng greatly reioysyng recompenced hym with princely rewardes saiyng By the Sōne for that was the common othe of the Persian kynges this manne is able with suche trauell and diligence in my iudgement to make of a litle citie one that shal be large and greate Whiche wordes seme to declare that all thynges by care sufficiente paine and continuall labour maie against nature be made more excellent better The loue of Chariton and Menalippes ¶ The .x. Nouell I Will rehearse a facte of the tyrant Phalaris farre discrepante from his condictons For it fauoureth of greate kindnes and humanitie and seemeth not to bee dooen by him Chariton was an Agrigentine borne and a greate louer of beautie who with ardente affection loued one Menalippus whiche was also borne in the Citie of honeste condicions and excellent beautie This Tyrant Phalaris hindred Menalippus in a certaine sute For when he contended in iudgement with one of Phalaris frendes the tyraunte commaunded hym to giue ouer his suite wherevnto bicause he was not obediente he threatned to put hym to death except he would yelde But Menalippus ouer came hym in lawe and the noble men whiche wer the frendes of Phalaris would giue no sentence brought the same to a Nonesuite Whiche the yong manne takyng in ill parte saied he had receiued wronge and confessed to his frende Chariton the wronge he had susteined requiryng his aide to reuenge the same vpon the Tirant He made other yong menne priuie to that conspiracie suche as he knewe would be redie and apt for that enterprise Chariton perceiuyng the rage and furie of his frende knowyng that no man would take his parte for feare of the tyraunte began to disswade hym saiyng that he hymself went about the like attempt a litle before to deliuer his countrie into libertie out of presente seruitude but he was not able to sorte the same to any purpose without greate daunger Wherefore he praied hym to committe the consideracion thereof vnto him and to suffre hym to espie a tyme apt and conuenient Menalippus was contente Then Chariton reuoluyng with hymself that deuise would not make his dere frende a partaker of that fact lest it should be perceiued but he alone toke vpon hym to doe the deede that onely hymself might susteine the smarte Wherefore takyng a sworde in his hande as he was sekyng the waie to giue the assaulte vpon the Tiraunte his enterprise was disclosed and Chariton apprehended by the Guarde whiche for the Tirantes defence diligentlie attended about hym From thence he was sent to the Iaole and examined vpon interrogatories to bewraie the reste of the conspiratours For whiche he suffered the racke and the violence of other tormētes Afterwardes Menalippus remembryng the constancie of his frende and the crueltie by him stoutly suffered wente to Phalaris and confessed vnto hym that not onely he was priuie to that treason but also was the aucthour thereof Phalaris demaundyng for what cause he did it told hym the consideracion before rehersed whiche was the reuokyng of sentence and other iniuries doen vnto him The Tirant merueiling at the constante frendship of these twaine acquited thē bothe But vpon condicion that bothe should departe out of the citie and countrie of Scicilia Neuerthelesse he gaue them leaue to receiue the fructes and commodities of their reuenues In recorde and remembraūce of whose amitie Apollo sange these verses The Raisers vp of heauenly loue emonges the humaine kinde VVere good Chariton and Menalippe whose like vnneths we finde This Phalaris was a moste cruell Tyrant of the citie of Agrigentine in Scicilia who besides other instrumētes of newe deuised tormentes had a Bulle made of brasse by the arte and inuencion of one Perillus. Into whiche Bulle all suche as were condempned to death were put and by reason of extreme heate of fire made vnder the same those that were executed yelled forthe terrible soundes and noyses like to the lowyng of a Bulle For whiche ingine and deuise Perillus thinkyng to obteine greate reward was for his labour by commaundemente of the Tyrante throwen into the Bulle beyng the firste that shewed the proofe of his deuise Within a while after also Phalaris hymself for that his greate crueltie could bee susteined no longer was by a generall assault made vpon hym by the people haled into the same Bull and burned And although this Tyrant farre excelled in beastlie crueltie yet there appered some sparke of humanitie in him by his mercie extended vpon Chariton and Menalippus the twoo true louers before remembred the same Phalaris wrote many proper and shorte Epistles full of vertuous instructions and holsome admonicions Kyng Cyrus perswaded by Araspas to dispose hymself to loue a ladie called Panthea entreth into a pretie disputacion and talke of loue and beautie Afterwardes Araspas hymself falleth in loue with the saied Ladie but she indued with greate chastitie auoydeth his earnest loue And when her husband was slaine in the seruice of Cyrus she killed her self ¶ The .xj. Nouell BEfore the beginnyng of this historic I haue thought good by waie of a Proeme to introduce the wordes of an excellent writer called Lodouicus Caelius Rhodoginus Saincte Hierome saieth he that moste holy and eloquent father affirmeth that vertues are not to bee pondered by the sexe or kynde by whom thei be doen but by the minde Wherewith if euer any woman was affected truly it was the faire ladie Panthea wherin I would no man should blame me of vngodlines or indiscrecion for that I doe remēber a woman mencioned in profane aucthours beyng not mynded at this presente to make a viewe of Christe his secretes whiche are his diuine scriptures wherein bee conteined the
there was a yonge man called Euathlus who beyng desirous to be an Orator and a pleadyng aduocate to the intent he might postulate accordyng to the accustomed maner of Athenes in those dates accorded vpon a price with a renewned Oratour named Protagoras that he should instructe hym that arte for a price agreed vpon betwene them vpon condicion that the Scholer should paie the one halfe of the money before hande vnto his Maister and the rest at suche tyme as he should proue to be an Aduocate so well instructed that at the first matter whiche he did pleade he should obteine sentence on his side and gaine for his labour and industrie But if sentēce were pronounced against him he should not be boūde to paie the same Uppon this conclusion the Maister taughte hym with greate diligence the vttermoste of his knowledge in that arte The Scholer againe learned and reteined his teachyng with greate prōptitude and redinesse of witte When Protagoras had taught hym the vttermoste of his knowledge The scholer Euathlus to defraude hym of the reste of his money determined neuer to be Aduocate whose craft Protagoras perceiuyng cited hym by write to appere before the Iudge to answere the rest of the bargaine When thei were bothe come in the Iudges presence Protagoras spake to his scholer in this wise Euathlus the bargain betwene vs thou canst not chose but confesse and acknowledge whiche in effecte is this It was agreed that I should teache thee the arte of pleadyng and in the first matter whiche thou diddest pronoūce and sentence giuen on thy parte thou shouldest paie me the other halfe of the money for the firste moitie I receiued before hande and now to auoide the satisfaction thereof although thou knowest that I haue full well deserued it thou to defraude me of my duetie refusest to bee an aduocate But I will tell thee this thy determinacion is but vaine frustrate for I haue intangled thee in suche nettes that thou canste not escape but by one meane or other thou shalte be forced to paie me For if the Iudge doe condempne thee then mangre thy head thou shalt be constrained and if contrarie wise sentēce be giuen on thy side thou shalte be likewise bounde to paie me by thy verie couenaunt sitheus thou art boūd therevnto when thou pleadest first and sentence giuen in thy behalf Doe now then what thou list for in fine thou shalt be forced to paie me in despite of thy teeth All the assistauntes helde with Protagoras affirming his suite to be verie reasonable Notwithstandyng Euathlus with a bolde spirite aunswered for hymself in this maner Sir Protagoras it semeth vnto you that I am conuicted but staie a while and giue me leaue to speake and then you shall perceiue in what whise I will cōfounde your argument Here you haue brought your action against me whereof I trust vpon my reasonable aunswere before the Iudges to be discharged For if by this your pleadyng by circumstaunces art of an Oratour whiche you haue vsed in all your discourse the matter shall fall so out as sentence be giuē on your side then the bargaine made betwene vs is voide and of none effecte bicause I losyng the profit of my first pleadyng wherein by our agrement sentence should be giuē on my behalfe the same bargaine is not accōplished For you should bee paied the moitie of the money behind with that cōmoditia which I did gaine by my first pleadyng For whiche cause there is no reason but I must be discharged of your demaunde After this debatyng of the matter the Iudges wated the argumentes of bothe partes whiche seemed so doubtfull vnto them that knowyng not how to giue sentence thei suspended the processe The same Aulus Gellius reciteth an other like question whiche he referreth to Plinie as the first aucthor thereof There was a lawe saieth he in a certain citie that what soeuer he were that committed any valiant facte of armes the thyng that he demaunded what soeuert were should be graunted vnto hym It chaunced that a certaine persone did this worthie act and required that a mannes wife whom he derelie loued should be giuen vnto hym whiche wife by force vertue of the lawe was accordingly deliuered But afterwardes the man from whom his wife was taken did the like facte and demaunding his wife to be redeliuered vnto hym againe saied vnto hym that had her if thou wilt obserue the lawe thou muste of force deliuer vnto me my wife but if thou do not like the law thou oughtest yet to rēder her vnto me as myne owne The other answered hym in like sorte If thou obserue the lawe this woman is myne for I haue first wonne her by the lawe but if thou doe not approue the lawe thou hast no right to demaunde her she now beyng myne ¶ Seleueus kyng of Asia gaue his wife to his owne soonne in mariage beyng his mother in lawe who so feruentlie did loue her that he was like to die Whiche by a discrete and wise muencion was discouered to Seleucus by a Phisician ¶ The .xxvij. Nouell ALthough the wise Philosopher Plutarche elegantly and brieslie describeth this historie in the life of Demetrius yet because Bandello aptly more at large doeth discourse the same I thought good to applie my yenne to his stile Who saieth that Seleucus kyng of Babylone a man verie victorious in battaill was emonges the successors of Alexander the greate the moste happie and fortunate He had a sōne called by his fathers name Antiochus After the deceasse of his wife his sonne increased and gaue great hope of valiaunce in future time to become a valiante gentleman worthie of suche a father And beyng arriued to .xxiiij. yeres of age It chaunced that his father fill in loue with a verie faire yonge gentlewoman discended a greate parentage called Stratonica whom he tooke to wife and made her Quene and by her had one sonne Antiochus seyng his mother in lawe to be besides her greate beautie a curteous and gentle Ladie begā to be verie amourous of her whose hart was so sette on fire without apparante shewe that incredible it is to expresse the loue that he bare her And yet he thought that loue to be vnnaturall bicause she was his fathers wife and therefore durfte not discouer it to any man And the more secrete he kepte it the more the heate began to boile and consume him But bicause he sawe that loue had fixed so deepe footyng that he was not wel able to retire he determined after long sorowe and great turmoile to seke some quiet hauē to rest his weather beaten barke that hadde been tossed with the waues of pensife and sorowful cogitacions His father had many Kyngdomes prouinces innumerable vnder his Empire At whose handes Antiochus craued license to visite some of them for his disporte and recreaciō of purpose to proue if he could auoide that vnseasonable loue wherewith his harte was surprised But he
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
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
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
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
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
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
ghostlie liues of sacred dames wherein also abundauntly doeth shine and glitter the celestiall mercie of our heauenlie father Let the reader remember that we now be conuersaunte in the auncient monumentes of other prophane aucthours and out of theim doe selecte the pleasantest flowers to adorne this Palace whereby we maie be able to delite the weried beholders of the same This Panthea therfore as Xenephon writeth and partely as S. Hierome reporteth was the wife of Abradatas a noble personage and in warlike factes verie skilfull derely beloued of Cyrus kyng of Persia with whom this Ladie Panthea was captiue at the ouerthrowe of the Assirians Netherto the woordes of Calius Kyng Cyrus when his enemies wer vanquished hearyng tell of this gentlewoman called vnto hym one of his gentlemen named Araspas whiche was a Median borne the verie minion plaie felowe and companion of Cyrus from his youth To whom for the greate loue that he bare hym he gaue the Median robe of from his owne backe at his departure from Astiages into Persia. To this gentleman kyng Cyrus committed the custodie of the Ladie and of her tent Abradatas her housbande whē she was taken prisoner was before sent in Ambassage to the king of Bactria by the Assirian kyng to intreate of peace bicause he was his familiare frende When Araspas had receiued the kéepyng of the Ladie He asked Cyrus whether he had seen her No truely saied Cyrus Then haue I saied Araspas and haue chosen her speciallie for your owne persone And when wee came into her Pauilion none of vs could tell whiche was she for she set vpon the grounde with all her women aboute her and her apparell was like vnto her maides But wee desirous to knowe whiche was the maistres behelde them all and by and by she séemed to excell theim all although she satte with her face couered lookyng doune vpon the grounde And when wee hadde her to rise vp all the reste rose vp also She did farre surmounte her maides as well in makyng and lineamentes of bodie as in good behauiour and comelinesse although she was attired in simple apparell the teares manifestly ran doune her eyes falling vpon her garmentes and distillyng doune to her feete To whom he that was moste auncient emonges vs saied Be of good chere Ladie We here that you haue a verie valiant man to your housbande notwithstandyng wee haue chosen you for a gentleman that is not inferiour to hym either in beautie force wisedome or valiance But as we thinke if there bee any man in this worlde worthie of admiracion it is Cyrus our Prince and lorde whose paragon wee haue chosen you to bee When the ladie heard them saie so she tare the attiremente from her heade and bodie she cried out and all her maides skriched with her At what tyme the greatest parte of her face appered and so did her necke and handes And assure your self Cyrus that to vs whiche viewed her well it semed impossible that suche a creature could be borne of mortall parentes in Asia Therfore sir looke vpon her in any wise To whom Cyrus saied The more praise ye giue her the lesse mynde I haue to see her if she be suche a one as you haue saied And why so quod Araspas Bicause saied Cyrus if I should goe to see her hearyng you make this reporte of her beautie leasure not seruyng me therevnto I am a fraied lest she would sone allure me to goe many tymes to beholde her Whereby I might perchaunce growe negligēt in my matters of greatest importance The yonge manne smilyng saied Thinke you Cyrus that the beautie of a woman can force a man vnwillyng to attempt a thyng that should not be for the best If nature haue that force in her she would compell all men a like Doe you not see that fire burneth all men after one sorte bicause it is his nature Beautifull thynges bee not had in equall estimacion some bee of greate price some not so some dooe regarde this some that For loue is a voluntarie thyng and euery manne loueth what he liste The brother is not in loue with the sister but of an other she is loued The father is not in loue with the doughter and yet she is loued of an other For feare and lawe is sufficient to refraine loue But if there were a lawe made to commaunde men that thei whiche did not eate should not bee hungrie and thei that did not drinke should not be a thirst and that no manne should be colde in Winter and hotte in Sommer that lawe could not compell men to obeye those thynges For menne by nature bee subiecte vnto theim But to loue is a thyng free and voluntarie Euery man loueth those thynges that bee his owne as his apparell and other his necessaries Wherevnto Cyrus replied If loue bee voluntarie how can it bee that a man maie abandon the same when he liste But I haue seen men wepe for sorowe of loue I haue knowen them that haue been slaues to loue who before thei haue loued haue thought thraldome the greatest euill giuyng awaie many thinges whiche had been better for them to haue kepte and haue praied to God to be exonerated of loue aboue all other diseases and yet could not bee deliuered beeyng bounde with stronger imprisonment then if thei had béen tied with chaines yeldyng themselues to their louers seruyng them with all obedience And when thei be hampered with suche mischieues thei seeke not to auoide theim Thei doe so in deede as you saie answered the yonge man And therefore suche louers be miserable wherby thei wishe to dye still continuyng in their woe and calamitie And where there be a thousand waies to be ridde of life yet thei will not die Some of them fall to stealyng and robbyng of other menne And when thei haue robbed you with the firste thinkyng theft vnnecessarie doe condempne the theues whom you doe not pardon but punishe In like maner the beautifull doe not counsell menne to loue them or couet that is not lawfull But miserable men shewyng themselues inferiour to all lustes and desires dooe in the ende accuse Loue to be the aucthour of their miserie Good and honest men although thei desire golde beautifull horsses and faire women yet thei can abstaine from them all as not subiecte to them more then is meete For I my self haue beholden this woman whiche semeth to bee a surpassyng faire wight and yet I am now with you I ride and dooe other thynges accordyng to my duetie Paraduenture saied Cyrus you went soner awaie then loue could haue time to fasten vpon a man For fire touchyng a man doeth not straite burne him And woodde is not by and by in flame yet would I not willingly touche fire nor beholde beautifull persones And I would giue you counsaill Araspas to beware how you suffer your eyes to rolle and wander vpon faire women For the fire burneth thē that touche it And beautifull folke doe kindle them that
beholde them a farre of in suche wise that thei burne for loue I warraunte you Cyrus saied Araspas For if I dooe continually looke vpon them I will not so be drowned in loue that the same shall prouoke me to do any thing that doeth not become me You saie well saied Cyrus Therefore keepe this woman as I bidde you and see well vnto her For paraduenture she is taken in good tyme. And so thei departed The yonge gentleman markyng the singulare beautie of the Ladie and perceiuyng her greate honestie he hauyng the custodie of her thought he would dooe her pleasure and by gesture sawe that she was not ingrate and vnthākfull but verie diligent on her part to cause her seruauntes that all thinges at his comyng should be redie And if he were by chaunce sicke he lacked no kepyng vpon whiche occasiōs he fell in loue with her And no meruell For she was as before is saied a woman verie faire and amiable Afterwardes kyng Cyrus desirous to sende a spie into the countrie of Lydia to learne what the Assirians did Araspas whiche had the kepyng of the faire Ladie seemed moste meete for that purpose But Araspas chaūced to fall in loue with the Ladie in suche wise as he was forced to breake his mynde to her that he must needes satisfie his pleasure Whiche request like a faithfull and louing woman to her housbande in his absence she denied Howbeit she would not accuse Araspas to Cyrus beyng afraied to sette variaunce betwene twoo frendes Araspas thinkyng it a greate shame and reproche vnto hym not to obtaine his desire threatened the Ladie that if she would not yelde to his requeste he would haue it perforce Then the woman fearyng violence kepte the thyng no longer secrete but sente one of her Eunuches to Cyrus commaundyng hym to discouer the whole matter Whiche when he heard he laughed a good pace at him who saied that he was superiour to loue sendyng Artabasus with the Eunuche to commaunde hym not to force the woman but if he could by faire meanes allure her he would not be against it When Artabasus came to Araspas he rebuked hym bothe for his infidelitie in the thyng committed vnto his charge and also for his wickednesse iniurie and incontinēcie Wherewithall Araspas wepte for sorowe beyng oppressed with shame and confounded with feare for the displeasure of Cyrus Whiche thing Cyrus vnderstandyng called hym and priuelie saied thus vnto hym I see Araspas that you be afraied of me and muche ashamed But be contente for I knowe that the Goddes haue been vanquished with loue and dooe vnderstande what thinges the wiseste men haue suffred for the same And I haue accused my self bicause I could not cōteine being in companie with faire personages And hereof I my self am the occasion For I compelled you to that inuincible matter Araspas makyng aunswere saied You be in this thing O Cyrus euen like vnto your self as you be in all other You be mercifull and full of clemencie But other mennes reporte is that whiche maketh me moste pensite For so sone as the rumour of my calamitie is dispersed mine enemies will reioyce and my frendes will counsaill me to flee lest your maiestie doe hainously take reuenge for mine offence Well Araspas saied Cyrus By that opinion and brute you shall dooe me greate seruice emonges my confederates How can that be said Araspas How can I therein doe you any seruice If presently q Cyrus you doe make as though you fledde from me and by goyng vnto myne enemies you maie winne of thē greate credite Uerely saied Araspas I suppose that I and my frendes might raise a rumour in deede that I am fledde from you for feare So maie you saied Cyrus returne vnto vs again when you knowe our enemies secretes For I thinke thei will make you priuie to al their counsell and aduises bicause you shal be incredite with them nothyng shal be cōcealed from you that we desire to knowe I will euen now depart said Araspas for it is verie likely that this my departure maie seme to bee an argumente of trouthe bicause I fledde for feare of punishment Can you in that maner forsake faire Panthea q Cyrus Truely saied he it euidentlie now appereth that I am endewed with two mindes And with the one I haue plaied the Philosopher with loue that vntrue Sophistre For there is no one minde whiche is good and badde and at one tyme loueth good and euill thinges and can not at one instant perpetrate and doe one thing Wherefore it is manifest that there be twoo myndes When the good minde ruleth it dooeth thynges that be honest when the euill is superiour it woorketh ill And now the good mynde by makyng you his frende and confederate doeth puissauntlie gouerne Well saied Cyrus if you goe you must beware that your credite maie increase emonges them Tell them hardely the some of our indeuours but in suche wise as our doynges maie bee lettes to their enterprises And this shall let thē muche if you saie that we determine to inuade their countrie For hearyng this thei will not assemble their whole power euery man fearyng his priuate parte And see that you tary with them a good space And looke what partes thei meane nerest to approche the same be most conuenient for vs to knowe And bidde them to be redie when soeuer thei thinke time For when you shall be departed from them and thought that you knowe their order thei must needes keepe the same and bee a fraied to alter it whiche if thei doe thei will confounde them selues through the sodaine chaunge Thus Araspas departyng tellyng his moste trustie seruauntes what he would haue dooen in this matter went his waie But Panthea hearyng that Araspas was gone sent to Cyrus saiyng Be not sorie Cyrus for the departure of Araspas to your enemies For if you will suffer me to sende for my husbande I doe promise you that he shal be a farre more assured frende then Araspas was And I knowe he will come with so greate power for your aide as he is able to make For the father of the Assirian kyng whiche now raigneth was his frende But this king vpon a tyme went about to make a diuorcement betwene my husbande and me Therefore knowyng that this kyng dooeth disdaine his good fortune I am sure he would sone bee perswaded to serue so noble a Prince as you be Cyrus hearyng her saie so commaūded her to sende to her husband whiche she did Abradatas knowyng his wiues tokens and vnderstanding the effecte of her message spedely came to Cyrus with M M horsemen Thei that were the Persian spies sent to Cyrus declaryng what he was Cyrus commaunded that forthwith he shuld be brought vnto his wife Whē the wife and husbande sawe eche other thei imbrased like twoo that mette after suche troublesome aduenture Then Panthea declared the goodnes temperaunce and clemencie of Cyrus towarde her Abradatas hearyng of her interteignemente saied What
whiche is a great shame and selaundre to the world in these daies proofe whereof is euident enough for that the vertues past haue forsaken the present sorte whiche liue in the ordure and filth of all vices But to procede in that whiche I haue begonne although vpon lust occasion I haue a litle more digressed then I thought I saie that the foresaide Guglielmo Borsiere was honored visited of the gentelmen of Genoua who making his abode for a certen time in the Citie and hearinge tell of the misery and couetousnes of M. Ermino had great desire to sée him M. Ermino hearinge tell that this Guglielmo Borsiere was an excellent man hauinge in him although a couetouse man some sparke of gētilite he receiued him with frendlie woordes and good countenaunce entring into communication with him of diuers and sundrie matters and in talking brought him with certen other Citizens to one of his houses whiche was very faire and newe where after he had shewed him his house he saide vnto him Oh M. Guglielmo you that haue séene and hearde many thinges can you shewe vnto me any newe deuise neuer séene before that I may cause the same to be painted in my hall To whome M. Guglielmo hearinge his fonde talke answered Sir I cā shewe you nothing but that whiche hath béen knowen before excepte Nesinges or suche like But if it please you sir I will gladly teache you one whiche I thinke you neuer sawe M. Ermino gladde to here of that saied I praie you sir tell me what it is not thinckinge he would haue made that answere To whom maister Guglielmo redely saied Cause the figure of Liberalitie to be painted At which answere maister Ermino was so sodenly ashamed that he was forced to chaūge his minde in a maner cleane contrary to his accustomed vse and saied Maister Guglielmo I will cause the same to be painted in such wise as neither you nor any man elles shall haue occasion iustlie to obiecte the same againste me And from that time foorthe suche was the force of that taunte he was the moste liberall and bountifull Gentleman that dwelt in Genoua and one that honoured straungers and Citizens more then euer any did in his time Master Alberto of Bologna by pleasant answeare made a Gentlewoman to blushe which had thought to haue put him out of countenaunce in tellinge him that he was in loue with her ¶ The .xxxij. Nouell NOt many yéeres paste their was at Bologna a notable Phisician renoumed through out the whole worlde called Master Alberto who beinge olde almost lx yeeres of age had suche an excellent witte that although naturall heate was expired in his bodie yet he disdained not to conceiue some amorouse flames of loue Seinge at a banket a very faire gentlewoman a widowe called as some saie Madonna Margherita de Ghisiheri she pleased his fancie so well that he fixed her so fast in the siege of his remembrance as if he had béene a younge man of ripe and youthly yeeres In suche wise as that night he coulde take no reste if the daie before he had not seene the faire and beautifull face of this faire gentlewoman For whiche cause sometimes a foote and sometimes on horsebacke as he thought best he continually vsed to passe before her lodginge whiche was the cause that she and diuerse other gentlewomen did marke thoccasion of his ofte passinge to and fro that waie And many times they lested and dalied amongest them selfes to sée a man of suche yeeres and experience to be in loue thinckinge that the displeasant passion of loue coulde fallen no holde but in the fonde mindes of younge people and no where else Wherefore Master Alberto daylie passinge to and fro by the house of that gentlewoman it chaunced vpon holy daie that she sittinge with other dames before her dore and seinge Master Alberto a farre of cominge towardes them they all determined curteousely to receiue him and reuerently to salute him and afterwardes merely to talke and sport of his loue whiche accordingly they did The gentlewomen risinge vp they brought him into a Courte of aire freshe and pleasant where they caused to be brought foorth excellente wines and comfites and in the ende with many cheerefull nd pleasaunt woordes they asked him howe it was possible he coulde be in loue with that faier gentlewoman specially sithens many faire and trimme yongemen did loue her Master Alberto perceiuinge himselfe touched and gesled at very honestly answered with smilyng countenaunce Mastres No wise man what so euer he be ought to maruel why I am in loue chiefely with you bicause your beautie woorthines dothe well deserue the same And although that naturally the forces whiche be incident to exercises of Loue doe finde in olde men good will therefore is not in them depriued nor the iudgement in knowlege in that which ought to be beloued But bicause they haue more knowledge then yonge men therfore by nature thei better know the qualitie of Loue. The hope that moueth me an old man to loue you that is so well beloued of yonge mē is this I haue many times béene conuersant in places where I haue seene gentlewomen for there collation and pleasure after dinner oftentimes to eate lupines and lekes and albeit that in the leke there is nothing good yet the hedde thereof is less hurtefull and most pleasant to the mouthe whereof generally through a folish lust ye holde the hedde in your hande and chawe the leaues whiche not only be cuel and nought but also be of an ill fauored smell and fauour And what doe I know mistres if in the choise of your frendes ye doe the like Whiche if ye doe no doubt it is I whom you haue chosen and haue forsaken all other This gentlewoman sometime ashamed and blushing with the rest saide Master Alberto you haue full well and curteousely paied vs home and answered our presumptuouse obiection Notwithstanding I doe estéeme and accepte your amitie loue as I ought to regarde the loue of a wise and honest personage And so mine honestie and honour saued all that I haue to doe you pleasure assuredly is at your cōmaundement Therewith all Master Alberto rose vp thanckinge the gentlewoman and with muche sporte and pleasant talke takinge his leaue of the company departed In this maner the gentlewoman giuinge ouer her scoffes and tauntes whereby she thought to put Master Alberto out of concept was ouercome her selfe Where of I in the name of Panfilo Filostrato and Dioneo by way of intreatie doe beseech ye Ladies Pampinea Fiāmerta Philomena and other gentlewomen to beware howe ye doe contriue your hollie day talke by waste of wordes issuing forth your delicate mouthes in carpinge gaudinge and iestinge at yonge gentlemen and specially olde men and Master Alberto of Bologna that for loue like the grene stalkes or graie he dres of lekes doe desire to sauer your mouthes and by honest recreacion and pleasure to gratefie your comely
amount to so muche more then it was when he departed from his house And when he had founde the meanes to dispatche and sell his iewelles he sent to Corfu a good pece of money to the woman that tooke hym out of the sea to recompence the kindnesse that he had founde at her handes and the like to them of Tranj that had giuen hym apparell the rest he tooke to hymself and would be no more a marchaunt but liued at home in honeste estate to the ende of his life Andreuccio of Perugia being come to Naples to buy horsse was in one night surprised with three merueious accidētes All whiche hauyng escaped with with one Rubie he retourned home to his house ¶ The .xxxvi. Nouell THere was at Perugia ae yong man called Andreuccio di Pietro a Horssecorser who vnderstāding of a horse faire at Naples did put fiue hundred Crounes in his pursse and neuer traueiling before from his owne house wente thither with certaine other marchauntes arriuyng at Naples vpon a Sondaie at night The nexte mornyng accordyng to the instructions giuen him by his hosse he went to the faire where he viewed and sawe many horsse whereof diuers did verie well like hym and demaunded their prises but with none he could agrée of price And to shewe himself a right well able man to paie for that he bought many tymes like a dolle and foole as he was he drewe out his pursse stuffed with crounes in the presence of them that passed to and fro It chaunced that a yonge womā of Scicilia whiche was verie faire but at euery mannes commaundement and that for litle hire passed by as he was shewyng his pursse not marked or perceiued by Andreuccio who sodainlie saied to her selfe What is she in all this toune that should be like vnto me if al those crounes were mine And so passed forth There was with this yonge peate an olde woman a Scicilian also who so sone as she espied Andreuccio forsoke her cōpanion and ran affectuouslie to imbrace hym Whiche the yonge woman perceiuing not speakyng a woorde she gaue good heede to that thei saied Andreuccio tournyng himself to the olde woman immediatlie knewe her and reioysed muche that he had so happelie mette her whom after greate gratulacions and many welcomes she promised to visite at his lodgyng whiche doen she departed from Andreuccio and he retourned to buy his horsse howbeit that morning he bought none at all The yonge dame whiche hadde firste seen this pursse and marked the acquaintaunce betwene the olde woman and hym to assaie by what meanes she might gette that money or at least some parte thereof subtellie asked the olde woman what manne that was of whence what he did there and how he knewe her To whom the old woman particularlie recoumpted her whole acquaintaunce how she dwelt of long tyme in Scicilia with his father and afterwardes at Perugia And likewise she tolde her when he retourned and for what cause he was come to Naples This iollie wenche wholy informed of Andreuccio his parentes and of their names made a plat and foundacion by subtill and craftie meanes how to obtaine her purpose And when she was come home to her house she sent the olde woman about businesse for that daie bicause she might not retourne to Andreuccio She had dwellyng with her a pretie girle well noseled and broughte vp in doyng of arrantes whom about euenyng she sent to the lodgyng of Andreuccio to make inquirie for him where by fortune she chaunced to finde hym standyng alone at his bostes doore whō the girle did aske if he knewe not an honest mā of Perugia called Andreuccio di Pietro that hosted there Yes my girle quod he I am the same manne Then she tooke hym a side and saied vnto hym Sir there is a gentle woman of this Toune that would gladlie speake with you if it wer your pleasure Whiche when Andreuccio hearde by and by he called to mynde and semed to hymself that he was a goodlie yange manne of persone and that without doubte the same woman was in loue with him bicause in al Naples he thought there was none so proper a striplyng as hymself Whom incontinentlie he answered that he would waite vpon her demaunding whē he should come and to what place To whom she made answere Euen when it pleaseth your sir. For my maistresse attēdeth at home for you Andreuccio vpō that without any woorde spoken to his hoste whether he was gone saied to the wenche Goe thou before and I will followe And the girle did conducte hym to her maistres house whiche dwelt in a streate called Malpertugio a name shewyng the honestie of the streate where she dwelte But he knowyng and suspectyng nothyng thought the place to be right honest that he went vnto and the wife likewise honest and good and boldlie entred the house the wenche goyng before And moūting by the staiers This yonge gristle called her maistresse saiyng vnto her that maister Andreuccio was come Who redie at the vpper steppe seemed as though she attended for hym This Ladie was fine and had a good face well apparelled and trimmed after the best maner Who seing maister Andreuccio at hande descended twoo steppes of the staiers with her armes open to imbrace hym foldyng the same aboute his necke and paused a certaine space without speakyng and woorde as though greate loue and earnest affection enforced her so to doe Then wepyng she kissed his face and with a voice halfe vttered betwene howlyng and speakyng she saied vnto hym O Andreuccio myne owne dere harte moste hartelie well come Andreuccio merueilyng at those tender woordes all amased answered Gētlewoman and you also wel founde out Afterwardes she toke him by the hand and conueied hym vp into a parlour and from thence without further talke into a chamber whiche was al perfumed with Roses with flowers of Orenges and other swete smelles where he sawe a bedde wel furnished diuers sortes of apparell placed vpō presses accordyng to the maner of that countrie and many other faire and riche ornamentes By reason whereof Andreuccio whiche was but a freshewater Souldiour thoughte that she had been a greate Ladie And thei twoo sitting together vpon a chest at her beddes féete She began thus to saie vnto hym Andreuccio I am assured you dooe greatlie wonder at these faire woordes this curteous interteignement and at the teares whiche I lette falle And no meruaile althoughe you doe not knowe me and peraduenture neuer heard tell of me before But I will declare vnto you a thyng more strasige and merueilous then that is And to tell you plaine I am your owne sister and I saie vnto you that sith it hath pleased my Lorde God to shewe me so muche grace and fauour that I doe now se one of my brethren before I die although I desire to see them al I care not when he dooe call me from this wretched woride I am so in spirite comforted and releued And
Dowrie And bicause she maie not be destitute of her Dowrie I purpose that he and none other shal haue the reward whiche the king hath promised to be so greate Thou shalte manifest thy self Perotto to bée the soonne of the Erle of Angiers and Violenta the wife of Giacchetto to bée thy sister and me to be the Erle of Angiers thy father Perotto hearyng this and stedfastly beholdyng hym beganne to knowe hym and wepyng threwe himself doune at his féete and afterwardes imbracyng him saied My deare father you are right hartly welcome Giacchetto hearyng first what the Erle had said and after seing what Perotto did he was incontinently surprised with so greate meruaile and ioye that he knewe not what to doe notwithstandyng giuyng credite to his woordes as beyng ashamed of the opprobrious talke whiche he had vsed towardes the Erle as to a seruaunt weping fell doune at his féete and humblie asked pardon for all his rashe behauiours towardes hym whiche was curteouslie graunted vnto hym by the Erle who tooke hym vp And after euery of them had a while debated of their Fortune and had well bewailed the same and reioysed one with an other Perotto and Giacchetto would haue newlie apparrelled the Erle but he in any wise would not suffre them And beyng desirous the Giacchetto might haue assuraunce of the reward promised he would that he should firste presente hym to the kyng after that sorte in the habite of a seruaunt as he was that he might make hym the more ashamed TheÌ„ Giacchetto with the Erle and Perotto after came before the kyng and offred to present the Erle and his children if it should please him to rewarde hym accordyng to the Proclamacion The kyng incontinentlie caused to bée brought forthe a rewarde of merueilous value as Giacchetto thought and commaunded hym forth with to presente the Erle and his children accordyng to his promisse Giacchetto then tourned about and placed before hym the Erle his seruaunt and Perotto saiyng Sir beholde the father and the sonne the doughter whiche is my wife is not here But by Goddes helpe you shall sée her shortlie The kyng hearing this behelde the Erle and albeit he was so greatlie chaunged from his former fauour after he hadde well viewed hym a while he knewe hym and with teares standyng in his eyes he caused the Erle to rise vp that knéeled before hym kissyng and imbrasyng hym and verie graciouslie receiued Perotto and commaunded forthwith that the Erle should bée restored to apparell seruauntes horsses and furniture accordyng to his state and degée whiche incontinently was doen and moreouer the kyng greatly honoured Giacchetto and forthwith desired to knowe all their Fortunes passed And when Giacchetto had taken the greate rewarde for bringyng forthe the Erle and his children the Erle saied vnto hym Take these royall rewardes of the Kyng my soueraigne Lorde and remember to tell thy father that thy children his nephewes and myne be no beggers borne of their mothers side Giacchetto tooke the reward and caused his wife and his mother in Lawe to come to Paris likewise thither came the wife of Perotto where with greate ioye and triumphe thei taried a certaine space with the Erle to whom the kyng had rendred all his gooddes and had placed hym in greater aucthoritie then euer he was before Then euerie of them tooke their leaue and retourned home to their owne houses and from that tyme forthe the said Erle to th ende of his life liued in Paris in greater honour and aucthoritie then euer he did before Giletta a Phisicians doughter of Narbonâ—â— healed the Frenche Kyng of a Fistula for reward wherof she demaunded Beltramo Counte of Rossiglione to husbande The Counte beyng maried againste his will for despite fled to Florence and loued an other Giletta his wife by pollicie founde meanes to lye with her husbande in place of his louer and was begotten with child of twoo soonnes whiche knowen to her husbande he receiued her againe and afterwardes she liued in greate honor and felicitie ¶ The .xxxviij. Nouell IN Fraunce there was a geÌ„tleman called Isnardo the Counte of Rossiglione who bicause he was sickly and diseased kepte alwaies in his house a PhisicioÌ„ named maister Gerardo of Narbona This Counte had one onely sonne called Beltramo a verie yonge childe pleasaunt and faire With whoÌ„ there was nourished and broughte vp many other children of his age emonges whom one of the doughters of the saied Phisicion named Giletta who feruentlie fill in loue with Beltramo more then was meete for a maiden of her age This Beltramo when his father was dedde and lefte vnder the roiall custodie of the kyng was sente to Paris for whose departure the maiden was verie pensife Alitle while after her father beyng likewise dedde she was desirous to goe to Paris onely to sée the yong Counte if for that purpose she could gette any good occasion But beyng diligently looked vnto by her kinsfolke bicause she was riche and fatherlesse she could sée no conueniente waie for her intended iourney and being now mariageable the loue she bare to the Counte was neuer out of her remembrauÌ„ce and refused many husbandes with whom her kinsfolke would haue placed her without making theÌ„ priuie to the occasion of her refusall Now it chaunced that she burned more in loue with Beltramo theÌ„ euer she did before bicause she heard tell that he was growen to the state of a goodly yonge gentlemanne She heard by reporte that the Frenche Kyng had a swellyng vpon his breast whiche by reason of ill cure was growen to a Fistula and did putte him to meruellous paine and grief and that there was no Phisicion to be founde although many were proued that could heale it but rather did impaire the grief made it worsse worsse Wherefore the kyng like one that was in dispaire would take no more counsaill or helpe Wherof the yonge maiden was wonderfull glad thought to haue by this meanes not onelie a lawfull occasion to goe to Paris but if the disease were suche as she supposed easely to bryng to passe that she might haue the Counte Beltramo to her husbande Wherevpon with suche knowledge as she had learned at her fathers handes before time she made a pouder of certain herbes whiche she thought meete for that disease and rode to Paris And the first thing she went about wheÌ„ she came thither was to sée the Counte Beltramo And then she repaired to the kyng praiyng his grace to vouchsaufe to shewe her his disease The kyng perceiuyng her to bee a faire yonge maiden and a comelie would not hide it but opened the same vnto her So sone as she sawe it she putte hym in comforte that she was able to heale hym saiyng Sire if it shall please your grace I trust in God without any paine or grief vnto your highnesse within eighte daies I will make you whole of this disease The kyng hearyng her saie so began to mocke her
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
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
handes the most precious iewell of his house Shall I be so vnconstant in mine olde dayes to become an vnshamfast minister of your fonde and folish Loue a thing which I neuer dyd in the ardent time of my youth Alas Madame forget I besech you this folishe order cast vnder your feete this determination wickedly begon suche as to the blemishing of the honorable brightnes of your fame may cause the ruine of vs al. Follow the counsel of your deare nourice Radegond who loueth you better than her owne soule Quench these noysome parching flames which haue kindled throwen forth their sparks into your chast tēder hart Take hede I besech you that a vaine hope do not deceyue you a folish desire abuse you Alas think that it is the part of a sage and prudent minde to refrayne the first motions of euery passion to resist the rage that riseth in our willes the same very oft by succession of time bringeth to it self to late noysome repentance This your thought procedeth not of Loue for he that thinketh to sustaine himselfe with venim sugred with that drogue in the end he séeth himself so desperatly impoysoned that only death is the remedie for such disease A Louer truly may be called the slaue of a tirant most violent cruel bloudy that may be found whose yoke once put on can not be put of but with paynefull sorrow and vnspeakable displeasure Do you not knowe Madame that Loue and follie be two passions so like one another that they engendre like effectes in the mindes of those that doe possesse them in such wise as the affection of the pacient can not be concealed Alas what shall become of you and him that you loue so well if the Emperour do know and perecyue your light and folish determinations Shew Madame for Gods sake what you be Let the ripe fruites of your prudence so long time tilled appeare abrode to the world Expell from you this vnruled loue which if you suffer frankly to enter into your heart assure your self he wil take such holdfast of the place that whē you think to extrude the enemie oute it is he that will driue awaye that smal portion of force and reason that resteth in you And then all the comforte of your miseries will be the lamentation of your losses and repentance for that which cannot be by any meanes recouered Adelasia burning in Loue and fretting with anger not able to abide contrarie replie to her minde began to loke furiously vpon the Lady that gaue her such holsome admonition to whom she sayd with more than womanly stoutnesse these wordes And what are you good gentlewoman that dare so hardely prescribe lawes to Loue that is not subiecte or tied vnto the fantasie of men Who hath giuen you commission to take the matter so hote against that I haue determined to doe say you what you can No no I loue Alerane and will loue him whatsoeuer come of it And sith I can haue none other helpe at your handes or mete counsell for mine ease comfort Assure your self that I wil do mine endeuor to finde it in my self And likewise to prouide so well as I can for myne affaires that eschewing the alliaunce which the Emperour prepareth I will liue at heartes ease with hun whom in vaine you goe about to put out of my remembraunce And if so be I chaunce to sayle of my purpose I haue a medicine for my calamities which is death the last refuge of al my miseries Which wil be right pleasaunt vnto me ending my life in the contemplation and memorie of the sincere and perfect Loue that I beare to mine Alerane Radegonde no lesse abashed than surprised with feare hearing the resolution of the princesse could not at the first make any answere but to make her recourse to teares the most familiar weapons that women haue Then seing by the countenances of Adelasia that the passion had set in fote to déepe for any body to attempte to pluck out the rootes frō that time forth she wiped her eyes nor without euident demonstration for al that of her great grief conceyued with infinite sighes turning her face to the Lady she sayde to her with pleasaunter countenance than before Madame sithe your missehap is such that without Alerane you cannot be quiet or pacified in minde appease your playntes wipe away your teares shewe your contenaunce ioyfull aud setting aside all care put on good corage and repose in me all your anguish and trouble For I doe promise you and sweare by the fayth that I doe owe you Madame come whatsoeuer thing shall vnto me I will deuise in practising your rest to begin mine owne sorow And then you shall se how muche I am your frend that the wordes which I haue spoken do not procede els where but from the desire that I haue to doe you seruice seking al wayes possible your aduauncement Adelasia at these last wordes felt such a motion in her minde that much a doe she had for the exceding great ioy and pleasure she conceiued to stay her soule from leaping forth of that corporall prison like the spirite of that Romaine Lady which once left the body to descende into the Elisien feldes to vse the perfection of her ioye with the blessed soules there when she saw her sonne retorne safe and sounde from the battaile of Thrasimene besides the lake of Peruse where the Consul Flaminius was ouercome by Haniball but in the ende the hope to haue that which Radegonde had promised made her to receyue heart againe and to clepe her counseler saying God forbid deare mother that the thing you do for me should rebound to your mishap or discontentation sith the affection which you haue consisteth in the only pity and conseruation of a pore afflicted mayden And your desire tendeth to the deliuerance of the most passionate Princesse that euer was borne of mother And beleue that Fortune wyll be so fauorable that what mischief so euer should chaunce you remayning without paine I shall be she that alone shall beare the penance Wherfore once againe I besech you sayde she embracing Radegonde to bring that to passe wherof you giue such an assured hope Care not you Madame sayd Radegonde I trust within a while to make you proue the effecte of my promise And will cause you to speake vnto him whom you desire so muche Only be mery and forget these straunge fashions in tormenting your selfe so much before your maides to the intent that which hetherto hath bene kept secrete may not be reueled to your great shame and hinderance and to the vtter ruine ouerthrowe of me During all this time Alerane liued in despaire hardie cowardnesse for although he sawe the amorous gestes of Adelasia yet he durst fire no certayne iudgement of his owne satisfaction althoughe hys hearte tolde hym that he was her onely fauoured friende and promysed him that which almost he
to withdrawe themselues into their chamber and then she went in to the garden where Alerane first made his plaintes as you haue heard before in which place her husband taried for her God knoweth whether they renewed their pastime begonne the day of their mariage but fearing to be taken they beganne to playe the comedie the actes whereof were very long and the scrolle of their miseries to prolixe to cary before they came to the Catastrope and ende of their Comicall action For leauing their sumptuous and riche apparell they clothed themselues wyth Pilgrimes attire taking the Skallop shell and staffe like to them that make their Pilgrimage to S. Iames in Gallisia The Princesse toke the personage of a yong Wench ruffing her heare which she had in time passe so carefully kempt curled and trimmed wyth golde and iewels of inestimable value wherin consisteth the chiefest grace touching the beauty ornament of the woman Who is able to deny but that this naturall humour and passion borne so sone as we which they call Loue is not a certayne essence and being the force vigor wherof is not able to abide cōparison Is it no small matter that by the only instinction of Loues force the daughter of so great a Prince as the Emperour of the Romaines was should wander like a vagabonde in dissembled apparell and poorely clothed to experiment and proue the long trauayle of iorneys the intemperature of the ayre the hazarde to méete wyth so many théeues and murderers which lay in wayte in all places for pore passengers and moreouer to féele the bitternesse of trauayle neuer tasted before the rage of hunger the intollerable alteration of thirst the heate of hote sommer the coldenesse of winters yee subiect to raines stormy blasts doth it not plainly demonstrate that Loue hath either a greater perfection than other passions or else that they which fele that alteration be out of the number of reasonable men endued with the brightnesse of that noble quality This faire Lady recouering the fieldes wyth her husbande with determination to take their flyght into Italie was more ioyefull freshe and lustye than when she lyued at ease amongs the delicates and pleasures that she tasted in her fathers court Sée howe fortune and loue were contented to be blinde closing vp the eyes of them that follow their trace subdue themselues to their edictes and vnstable disposition And truely this rage of Loue was the only meane to dulcorate and make swete the bytter galle of griefe which those two louers felte defatigated almost with tedious trauaile iudging theire wearinesse a pastime and pleasure being guided by that vnconstante captayne which maketh dolts and foles wise men emboldeneth the weak hearted and cowardes fortifieth the séeble and to be shorte vntieth the pursses and bagges of couetous Carles and miserable Misers Now whiles our faire pilgrimes without any vowed deuocion were abrode at their pleasures being wery with the way they had trauayled all nighte the morrowe after theire departure all the Emperoures house was in a greate hurlye burlye and stirre for the absence of Adelasia The wayting maydes cryed out and raged wythout measure with suche shrichinges that the Emperour moued wyth pytie althoughe his griefe and anger was greate yet he caused euery place there aboutes to be searched and sought but all that laboure was in vayne In the ende perceyuing the absence of Alerane suspected that it was be which had stolen away his faire Daughter and brought him into suche a passion and frensie that he was like to runne out of his wittes and transgresse the boundes of Reason Ah traytour sayde the good Prince Is this the guerdon of good turnes bestowed vpon thée and of the honour thou hast receiued in my company Do not thinke to escape scot frée thus wythoute the rigorous iustice of a father deserued by disobedience and of a Prince against whome his subiect hath committed villany Ye God giue me life I wil take such order that the posteritie shal take example by that iust vengeance which I hope to take of thée arrant theefe despoyler of my honor and consolation And thou vnkinde daughter shalt smartely féele the wrong done to thy kinde and welbeloued father who thinketh to prouide for thée more honorably than thy disloyaltie and incontinencie so farre as I sée doe merite and deserue sith that without my leaue and thy vocation thou hast gotten thée a husband worthy of thy folly with whom I hope to make thée vnderstande thy fault my displeasure which I receiue through thy shameful act so reprochfull specially in her which is the daughter of suche a father as I am and descendeth of the most royall race in al Europe Many other things the Emperor sayde in great rage and furie And in the ende commaunded that one should goe into Saxon to knowe if Alerane had conueied his stolen daughter thither but he could bring no newes at al from thence He assayed then if he could learne any tidings of them by other meanes causing by sound of Trumpet to be cryed in all the Townes confining that if any person coulde bring him worde or doe him to vnderstande certayne and sure newes of those two fugitiues he would giue them that wherewith they should be contented all the dayes of their lyfe But he wanne so muche by this third serche as he did by the first two Which thing the Maiestie of God semed to permit and suffer aswel for the happy successe that chaunced afterwardes as for the punishing of the rashe enterprise of two Louers which liued not very long in prosperitie and ioy but that they felte the hand of God who sometime suffereth the faithfull to fall to make him acknowledge his imbecillitye to the ende he maye confesse that al health sustenance rest and comfort is to be attended and loked for at the handes of God When Alerane and his Lady were gone out of a city within the Emperours lande called Hispourg being come into certain wilde and desert places they fel into the lapse of certaine theues which stripped Alerane into his shirt and had done asmuch to the poore Princesse if certaine Marchauntes had not come betwene which caused the théeues to retourne Alerane was succoured with some clothes to couer his body and releued with a little sume of money which being spēt those two Kings children were constrained to begge and aske for gods sake reliefe to sustayne their infortunate life Which distresse was so difficulte for Alerane to disgest that he was like standing vpon his féete to die for sorrowe and want not so muche for the aduersitie wherevnto he was brought through his owne fault as for the pitie that he had vpon his deare beloued Lady whome he sawe in so lamentable state and knewe that she might attayne to her auncient dignitie and honour againe if she listed to prefer reward or prise before his lyfe for which she spared not the very laste droppe of her
for a certayn time which dyspleased William nothing at all bycause he should remaine harde by his Parentes who were very carefull for his well doing vtterly ignorant where he was become And notwithstanding a hope what I know not made them expect of their sonne some good fortune in time to come who was now growen great and of goodly perfection one of the most valiant souldiours that were in the wages and seruice of his Maiestie Which very brauely he declared in a combate that he fought man to man with an Almaine souldior that was hardy big made feared of all men whom neuerthelesse he ouercame in the presence of the Emperor his graundfather Who I knowe not by what naturall inclamation dayely fixed his eye vpon that yong Champion began to beare him more good wil than any other in his courte which was an occasion that an auncient Gentleman seruing in the Princes court ftedfastly beholding the face behauiour countenance of William semed to sée a picture of the Emperor when he was of his age which was more exactly viewed by diuers other that were broughte vp in their youth with Otho Wherof being aduertised he caused the yong man to be called forth of whome he demaunded the names of his Parentes and the place where he was borne William that was no lesse curteous humble and wel manered than wise valiant and hardy kneled before the Emperor with a stout countenance resembling the nobilitie of his Auncestours answered Most sacred and renowmed Emperor I haue nothing whereof to render thankes to fortune but for the honour that your maiestie hath done vnto me to receiue me into your noble seruice For the fortune and condition of my parentes be so base that I blushe for shame to declare them vnto you Howebeit being your humble seruant and hauing receyued fauour of your Maiestie not commonly employed your commaundemente to tell you what I am I will accomplish aswel for my bounden duty wherwith I am tied to your maiestie as to sastisfie that which it pleaseth you to commaunde me Be it knowen therefore vnto your Maiestie that I am the sonne of two poore Almaines who flying their owne country withdrew themselues into the deserts of Sauonne where to beguile their hard fortune they make coales sel them to sustaine and relieue their miserable life In which exercise I spent al my childehode although it were to my great sorrowe For my heart thought Sir that a state so vile was vnworthy of my coragious minde which dayly aspired to greater thinges and leauing my father and mother I am come to your seruice to learne chiualry and vse of armes and mine obedience saued to your maiestie to finde a waye to illustrate the base and obscure education wherein my parents haue brought me vp The Emperor seing the curteous behauiour of the yong mā by this wise answere remembring the similitude of his face which almost resembled them both suspected that he was the sonne of Alerane and of his daughter Adelasia who for feare to be knowen made themselues Citizens of those deserts albeit that William had tolde him other names and not the proper appellations of his father and mother For which cause his heart began to trobbe and felt a desire to sée his daughter and to cherish her with like affection as though he had neuer conceyued offence and displeasure He caused then to be called vnto him a gentleman the nere kinsman of Alerane to whom he sayde with merie countenaunce and ioyful there You doe knowe as I thinke the wronge and displeasure that your cosin Alerane hath done me by the rape and robbery committed vpon the person of my daughter you are not ignoraunt also of the reproche wherewith he hath defiled al your house committed a felonie so abhominable in my court and against mine owne person which am his soueraigne Lorde Notwithstanding sith it is the force of Loue that made me forget him til this time rather than desire of displeasure I am very desirous to sée him and to accept him for my sonne in law and good kinsman very willing to aduaunce him to that estate in my house which his degrée and bloude doe deserue I tell you not this without speciall purpose For this yong souldiour which this day so valiantly and with such dexteritie vanquished his aduersary by the consent of al men which haue knowen me from my youth doth represent so well my figure and lineaments of face which I had whē I was of his age that I am persuaded and doe stedfastly beleue that he is my Neuew the sonne of your cosin Alerane and my daughter Adelasia And therfore I will haue you to goe with this yong man into the place where he shall bring you and to sée them that be his parents bycause I purpose to doe them good if they be other than those whom I take them But if they be those two that I so greatly desire to sée doe me so much pleasure as I may satisfie my heart with that contentation swearing vnto you by the crowne of my Empire that I will doe no worse to them nor otherwise vse them than mine owne proper person The gentleman hearing the louing and gentle tearmes of the Emperor sayde vnto him Ah Sir I render humble thanks vnto your Maiestie for the pitie that you haue vpon our dishonored race and ligneage of Saxone dedecorated and blemished through Aleranes trespasse against you I praye to God to recompence it we being vnable and to giue you the ioy that you desire and to me the grace that I may doe some agreable seruice both in this and in al other things I am readie Sir not onely to goe seke my cosin if it be he that you thinke it is to carry vnto him those beneficial newes which your Maiestie hath promised by worde but rather to render him into your handes that you may take reuengement vpon him for the iniurie that he hath done to the whole Empire No no sayde the Emperour the desired time of reuengement is past and my malice agaynst Alerane hath vomited his gal If in time past I haue thrifted to pursue the ruine and ouerthrowe of those two offenders nowe I goe about to foresée and séeke their aduauncement and quiet considering the long penaunce they haue taken for their faulte and the fruite that I see before mine eyes which is such that it may by the smell and fragrant odour thereof supporte the weakenesse and debilitie of my olde yeares and constraineth me by the vertue therof to haue pitie vpon his parentes which through their owne ouerthrow haue almost vtterly consumed me Those wordes ended the good Prince gaue euident testimony of desire to sée his only daughter by the liuely colour that rose in his face and by certaine teares rūning downe along his heard that began to ware graye Then he caused William to come before him and commaunded him to condude the gentleman to that part of the
forest where his father dwelled Wherevnto the yong man readily and with al his heart obeyed Thus the Lord Gunfort for so was Aleranes cosin called accompanied with his little cosin and many other gentlemen wente toward the place where the Colliar Princes remained And when they were néere the craggie caue the lodging of Alerane the whole company lighted of their horse and espied him busie about the lading of his coales to sende to Ast. For the arriuall of the Emperor to Sauonne stayed Alerane from going thither himself by reason his conscience stil grudged for his fault committed against him Alerane seing this goodly company was abashed as though hornes had sodenly growen out of his head and yet the sight of his sonne richely furnished and in the company of Gunfort his cosin did more astonne him For he suspected incontinently that he was dyscouered and that the Emperour had sent for him to be reuenged of the fault so long time committed And as he had imagined diuers things vpon his hard fortune wtin his fansy His sonne came to embrace him vpon his knées to kisse his hands with an honest and hūble reuerence saying to Gunfort Sir this is he of whom I told the Emperor of him I toke my being This is my father All this while the good father embraced his sonne very hard and wéeping for extreame ioy sayd vnto him Alas my sonne if thy comming be so happy vnto me as it is ioyfull yf thy newes be good prosperous which thou bringest thou doest reuiue thy father halfe dead and from lamentable dispaire thou doest replenish and fill him with such hope that one day shall be the staye of his age and the recouery of his greatest losses The sonne not able to abide the discourse of his parents affaires could not comprehend any thing at the pitiful meting but stode still so astonned as though he had bene fallen from the cloudes Now during this time that the father and the sonne thus welcomed one another Gunfort toke hede to all the countenaunce and gestures of Alerane There was no part of the Colliers body that he forgat to viewe and yet remembring the voyce of his cosin and séeing a wound that he had in his face was sure that it was he And then with hys armes stretched forthe he came to clepe Alerane about the necke whom he made to loke redde with his warme teares saying Ah Alerane the presente torment now but in time past the pleasaunt rest of our race What Eclipse hath so long obseured the shyning sunne of thy valiant prowesse Why hast thou cōcealed so long time thy place of retire frō him which desired so much thine aduaūcement Hast thou the heart to sée the teares of thy cosin Gunfort running downe from his eyes vpon thy necke his armes embracing thée with such loue and amitie that he cannot receyue the like except he be something moued by thée in séeing thy louing entertaynement Wilt thou deny that which I knowe by a certayne instincte and naturall agrement which is that thou art Alerane the sonne of the duke of Saxone and so renowmed through out al Germany Doest thou pretēd through thine owne misfortune so rooted in thy heart by liuing in these wildernesse to depriue thy sonne of the honor which the heauens and his good fortune haue prepared for him Ah cruell and pitilesse father to suffer thy progenie to be buried in the tombe of obliuion with eternall reproche O vnkinde kinsman toward thy kindred of whome thou makest so smal accompt that wilt not vouchsafe to speake to thy cosin Gunfort that is come hither for thy comfort and the aduaūcement of thy familie Alerane sore ashamed aswell for the remembrance of his auncient fault as to sée himself in so pore estate before the Emperours gallants answered Gunfort saying My Lorde and cosin I beseche you to beleue that want of desire to make my complaynt vnto you and lacke of curtesie to entertayne you haue not made me to forget my duety towardes you being aswel my nere kinsman as suche a one to whome I haue done wrong and very great iniury by offending the Emperour But you doe know of what puissance the prickes of conscience bé and with what worme she gnaweth the hearte of them which féele themselues culpable of crime I am as you sayde the present missehap of our house for the opinion that the Emperour hath conceiued of my folly and shal be the rest if you will doe me so much pleasure to ridde me of this miserable life both of you and of the minde of a father iustly displeased against hys daughter and the quiet of a Prince offended with his subiect For I sweare vnto you by my faith that I neuer so muche desired lyfe as I now doe couet death for that I am assured that I being dead my pore companion and welbeloued wife shall liue at her ease enioying the presence and good grace of her father What meane you so to say answered Gunfort The Emperour is so well pleased appeased that he hath sworne vnto me to receiue you as his sonne in lawe and my Lady your wife as hys deare beloued daughter whome I pray you to cause to come before vs or to signify vnto vs where she is that I may do reuerence vnto her as to my Princesse soueraigne Lady William was all amased and almost besides himselfe hearing this discourse and thought he was eyther in a dreame or else inchaunted till that Alerane called his wife by her proper name who was so appalled to heare the word of Adelasia that her hart was sodainly attached with terror and feare when she sawe so great a company about her husband And then her sonne came to do his duetie not as to his mother onely but as to the daughter of an Emperour the wife of a Prince of Saxone She agayne embraced and kyssed him although she was surprised with feare shame and so moued with that sodaine sight that she had much a doe to kepe her selfe from faynting and falling downe betwene the armes of her sonne and thought that she had passed the place where Gunfort was who going towarde her after his reuerence and dutie done made her vnderstand the charge he had the good will of the Emperor which determined to receyue her agayne with so good order and entertainment as might be deuised Which earneste wordes made them to resolue vpon the prouse of fortune and to credite the promises that Gunfort made them in the Emperours behalf Thus they forsoke the caue their coates and fornaces to reenter their former delightes and pleasures That night they lodged at a village not far frō the forrest where they carried certayne dayes to make apparell for these straunge Princes and so well as they coulde to adorne and furnish Adelasia who being of the age almost of .xxxiiij. or .xxxv. yeares yet manifested some parte of the perfection of that deuine beautie and modest
passion and that he coulde not long prolong his lyfe without the fauoure of her good grace who onely was the very remedy of his euill The Duchesse pestred with suche like talke sayde vnto him Sir Countie me think you ought to haue satisfied your self with my first refusall wythout further continuance in the pursuing of your rash enterprise Haue you forgotten the place that you kepe and the honor whervnto my Lorde the Duke my husband hath exalted you Is this now the loyall reward that you rendre vnto him for creating you his Lieutenant ouer all his landes and seigniories to demaunde the preheminence of his bed Assure your selfe for finall warning that if euer hereafter you shal againe fal into lyke error I sweare vnto you by the fayth of a Princesse that I will make you to be chastised in suche sorte as all semblable Traytors and disloyall seruaunts shall take example The Earle seing him selfe refused and thus rebuked and in doubt that the Princesse would make her husband to vnderstand his enterprise vpon his retourne chaunging this great loue into an hate more than mortall determined whatsoeuer should come thereof to inuent all meanes possible vtterly to destroy the Duchesse And after that he had fansied diners things in his minde he deuised by the instinct of the diuell to cause one of his Nephewes being of the age onely of xviij or .xx. yeares which was his heire apparant for that he had no children one of the fayrest and best condicioned Gentlemen of all Thurin to sort that deuilish attempt to purpose m And finding opportunity one day he sayde to the yong man that depended wholly vpon him these wordes Nephewe thou knowest that all the hope thou hast in this worlde lyeth in me alone making accompt of thée as of my childe And for that it pleased God to giue me no children I haue constituted and ordeined thée my sole and onely heire with ful hope that from henceforth thou wilt accompt thy self most bounde vnto me and therefore obedient in all thinges which I shall commaunde thée specially in that which may be moste for thine aduauncement The Duke as thou knowest is absent old and croked and at al houres in the mercy of death through daungers of the warres Nowe if he should chaunce to dye my desire is to mary thée with some great Lady Yea and if it were possible with the Duchesse her selfe which God knoweth what profit it would bring both to thée and thine in my iudgement an easie matter to compasse yf thou wilt despose thy self after my counsell or at least wyse if thou canst not come to the title of husband thou mayst not fayle to be receiued as her friend Thou art a comely Gentleman in good fauor with the Duchesse as I haue oftentimes perceyued by her communication albeit that holding fast the bridle of her honor she hath bene afrayd hitherto to open her selfe vnto thée Spare not my goods make thy selfe braue from henceforth whatsoeuer it cost and be diligent to please her in al that thou mayst and time shall make thée know that which thy tender yeares hath hitherto hidden from thée The poore yong man giuing sayth to the vnfaythfull inuentions of his vncle whom he counted as his Father began ofte to frequent the presence of the Duchesse and shamefastlye to solicite her by lookes and other offices of humanitie as nature had taught him continuing that order by the space of a moneth Which perceyued by the Duchesse she was diligent for her part to accept the honest affectionate seruice that the yong man daylie did vnto her and shewed vnto him likewise a certaine courteous fauor alwayes more than to the reste of the Pages aswell for the birthe and beautie where withall nature had enriched him as for that she fawe him enclined to doe her seruice more than the rest not thinking of anye dishonest appetite in the yong man nor of the malice of his vncle who hauing none other felicitie in the world but in reuenge of the Duchesse his enimie not able to beare the cruel vengeaunce rooted in his heart determined to play double or quitte And calling hys Nephewe before him he sayde vnto him My childe I doe perceiue and sée that thou art one of the most happiest gentlemen of all Europe if thou knewest how to followe thine owne good luck For the Duchesse not onely is amorous of thée but also consumeth for earnest loue which she beareth to thée But as thou knowest women be shamefast and would be sued vnto in secrete and doe delight to be deceyued of men to th ende it might séeme howe with deceit or force they were constrayned to graunt that vnto them which of their owne mindes they woulde willingly offer were it not for a little shame fastnesse that withdraweth thē And thereof assure thy selfe for I haue oftentimes experimented the same to my great contentaciō Wherfore cre dit my Councell and folow mine aduise And thou thy self shalt confesse vnto me before to morrow at this time that thou arte the happyest man of the worlde I will then that this night when thou séest conuenient time thou shalt conuey thy selfe secretely into the chamber of the Duchesse and to hide thy selfe a good way vnder the bedde for feare of being perceyued by any creature where thou shalt remaine vntill an houre after midnight when all men be in the depth of their sléepe And when thou perceiuest euery man at rest thou shalt closely rise and approching the Duchesse bedde thou shalt tell what thou arte and I am sure for the earnest loue which she beareth thée and for the long absence of her husbande she will courteously receyue thée betwene her armes feast thée with such delicate pleasures as amorous folke doe their louers The simple yong man giuing fayth to the wordes of his vncle that was honored as a King thinking perhaps that it procéeded by the persuasion of the Duchesse followed his commaundement and obeyed wholly his trayterous and abhominable request And oportunitie founde accomplished from point to point that which his cruell vncle had commaunded who a little before midnight fearing least his treason should be discouered tooke with him thrée Counsellors and certayne other of the Guarde of the Castle Whervnto as Lieutenant to the Duke he might both enter issue forth at all times when he lift and without declaring hys enterprise went straight to the portal of the Duchesse chambre knocking at the dore sayd that the Duke was come Which being opened he entred in with a number of lightes accompanied with the Guarde hauing a rapier ready drawen in his hande like a furious man besides himselfe began to loke round about and vnder the bed of the Duchesse from whence he caused his owne propre Nephewe to be drawen To whom without giuing him leasure to speake one word for feare lest his mischief should be discouered he sayd O detestable villaine thou shalt dye and there
if the same do constrayne me to loue you and to inclose you in the priuie cabane of my hearte I beseche you then gentle Madame the onely comforte of my life to haue pity vpon him that dieth a thousand times a day for you In so doing my life shal be prolonged by you commending me humbly vnto your good grace This faire gentlewoman called Simphorosia vnderstanding the swete and pleasaunt wordes vttered from the very heart of Philenio could not dissemble her sighes but waying her honor bicause she was maried gaue him no aunswere at al. And the daunce ended she retourned to her place Nowe it chaunced as these thre Ladies did sit together in compasse socundly disposed to debate of sundry mery talk beholde Emerentiana the wife of Seignior Lamberto not for any euyll but in sporting wise sayde vnto her companions Gentlewomen I haue to tell you a pleasaunt matter which happened to me this daye What is that sayde the cōpanions I haue gotten this night sayde she in dauncing a curteous Louer a very fayre Gentleman and of so good behauiour as any in the worlde who sayde that he was so inflamed with my beautie that he toke no rest day nor night frō point to pointe rehearsed vnto them all that he had sayde Which Panthemia and Simphorosia vnderstanding aunswered that the like had chaunced vnto them and they departed not from the feaste before eche of them knewe him that was their Louer Whereby they perceyued that his wordes proceded not of faithfull loue but rather of follie and dissimulatiō in such wise that they gaue so light credit therevnto as of custome men vse to do to the wordes of them that be sicke And they departed not from thence vntil al thrée with one accord had conspired euerye one for her parte to giue him a mocke Philenio continuing thus in loue somtime with one sometime with another perceyuing that euery of them séemed to loue him he determined with himselfe if it were possible to gather of them the last frute of his loue But he was greatly deceyued in his desire for that all his enterprise was broken And that done Emerentiana which coulde not anye longer dissemble the loue of the folish scholler called one of her maides which was a fayre and iolly wenche charging her that she shoulde deuise meanes to speake with Philenio and to giue him to vnderstand the loue which her maystresse bare vnto him and when it were his pleasure she willinglie woulde one night haue him at home at her house Which newes when Philenio heard he gretly reioyced and sayde to the mayde Returne to your maistresse fayre maide and commende me vnto her telling her in my behalfe that I doe praye her to loke for me this euening if her husbande be not at home During which time Emerentiana caused a certayne number of fagote of sharpe thornes to be made and layde vnder the bedde where she laye still waiting for her minion When night was come Philenio toke his sworde and went to the house of his enemy calling at the dore with the watchworde the same incontinently was opened And after that they had talked a little while together and banketted after the best maner they withdrewe themselues into the chamber to take their rest Philenio had no soner put of his clothes to goe to bedde but Seignior Lamberto her husbande came home Which the maistresse of the house perceyuing made as though she had bene at her wits ende and coulde not tel whether to conueye her minion but prayed him to hide himselfe vnder the bedde Philenio seing the daunger wherin both he and the wife were not taking with him any other garments but onely his shirte exept vnder the bedde where he was so cruelly prickt and scratched with the thornes that there was no parte of his body from the toppe of the heade to the sole of the fore frée from bloude and the more he sought to defend himselfe in that darke place the more sharply piteously he was tormented and durst not crie for feare least seignior Lamberto woulde kill him I will leaue to your consideration in what plight this poore wretche was in who by reason of his miserable being as he was brechlesse in that terrible purgatorie euē so was he speachlesse and durst not speake for his life In the morning when segnior Lamberto was gone forth the poore scholler put on his clothes so well as he could and al bloudy as he was returning to his lodging was like to die But being diligently cured by physiciās in short time he recouered his former health Shortly after Philenio began to pursue againe his loue towards the other two that is to say Panthemia Simphorosia found cōuenient time one euening to speake to Panthemia to whom he rehearsed his griefes and cōtinual torments praying her to haue pitie vpon him The subtile and wise wench Panthemia fayning to haue compassion vpon him excused her self by lacke of meanes to content his desire but in the end vanquished with fayre supplications and maruellous sighes she made him to come home to her house being vnready dispoyled of his apparell to goe to bed with his Lady she required him to goe with her into a litle closet where all her swete smelles and perfumes were to the intent he might wel perfume him before he wēt to bed The yong dolt not doubting the subtilty of this wicked woman entred the closet and setting his fote vpon a borde vnnayled from the ioyst fell so depe into a store house where marchauntes vse to laye there cotton and wol that he thought he had brokē his neck and his legges notwithstanding as fortune woulde he had no hurt This pore scholler being in that darke place beganne to seke for some dore or ladder to goe out and finding nothing for his purpose he cursed the houre time that euer he knewe Panthemia When the dauning of the day began to appeare the simple Sot perceyued in one place of the storehouse certayne vents in the wal which gaue some light bicause they were olde and couered ouer with mosse in such wise that he began with maruellous force to pluck out the stones in the most decayed place of the wal and made so great a hole that he went out And being in a lane harde by the great streate barefote barelegged and in his shirte he went home to his lodging vnknowen of any man A litle while after Simphorosia vnderstāding of the deceits that the other two had done to Philenio attempted to giue him the thirde which was not inferior to the other twayne And for that purpose she began a farre of to cast her amorous lokes vpō him letting him to knowe that she was in great distresse for his Loue. This poore soule hauing already forgotten his fortune past began to walke vp and downe before her house like a man altogether tormented any payned with Loue. Then Simphorosia séeing him to be farre in
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
say whether of them merited greatest honor eyther his grace his beauty or his excellente tong but that which brought him into best reputation was his great hardinesse whereof the common report and brute was nothing impeached or stayed for all his youth For in so many places he shewed his maruellous chiualcie that not onely Spaine but Fraunce and Italie did singularlie commend and set forth his vertue bicause in all the warres wherein he was presēt he neuer spared himself for any daūger And when his countrie was in peace and quiet he sought to serue in straunge places being loued and estemed both of his frends and enemies This Gentleman for the loue of his Captayne was come into that coūtrie where was arriued the Countesse of Arande and in beholding the beautie and good grace of her daughter which was not then past .xij. yeares of age he thought that she was the fayrest moste vertuous personage that euer be sawe and that if he coulde obtayne her good will he shoulde be so well satisfied as if he had gayned al the goods and pleasures of the world And after he had a good while viewed her for all the impossibilitie that reason could deuise to the contrary he determined to loue her although some occasion of that impossibilitie might rise through the greatnesse of the house whereof she came for want of age which was not able as yet to vnderstand the passiōs of loue But against the feare thereof he armed himselfe with good hope persuading with himselfe that time aud pacience woulde bring happy ende to his trauayle And from that time gentle Loue which without any other occasion than by his owne force was entred the hearte of Amadour promised him fauour helpe by all meanes possible to attayne the same And to prouide for the greatest difficultie which was the farre distance of the Countrie where he dwelt and the small occasion that he had thereby any more to sée Florinda he thought to marrie against his determinatiō made with the Ladies of Barlelone and Parpignon amongs whom he was so conuersant by reason of the warres that he séemed rather to be a Cathelan thā a Castillan although he were borne by Tolledo of a riche and honourable house but bicause he was a yonger brother he inioyed no great patrimonie or reuenue Not withstanding Loue and Fortune séeing him forsaken of his parents determined to accomplishe some notable exployte in him gaue him by meanes of his vertue that which the lawes of his coūtry refused to giue He had good experience in factes of warre and was so wel beloued of all Princes and Rulers that he refused many times their goodes as a man that wayed not the same The Countesse of whome I spake arriued thus at Sarragossa was very well interteigned of the king and of his whole Court The Gouernor of Cathalogne many times came thither to visite her whō Amadour neuer fayled to accōpany for the only pleasure he had to talk with Florinda And to make himselfe to be knowen in that company he went to Auenturade which was the daughter of an old Knight that dwelt hard by the house which from her youth was brought vp with Florinda in such familiar sorte that she knew all the secrets of her hart Amadour aswel for the honesty that he found in her as for the liuing of thrée thousand Ducats by the yere which she shoulde haue to her mariage determined to giue her such interteignemēt as one that was disposed to marry her Whervnto the Gentlewoman did willingly recline her eare And bicause that he was pore and the father of the damosel rich she thought that her father would neuer accorde to the mariage excepte it were by meanes of the Countesse of Arande Wherevpon she went to Madame Florinda and sayde vnto her Madame you sée this Castillan Gentleman which so oftentimes talketh with me I doe beleue that his pretence is to marry me You doe know what a father I haue who will neuer giue his consent if he be not persuaded therevnto by my Lady your mother you Florinda which loued the damosell as her selfe assured her that she would take vpon her to bring that matter to passe with so earneste trauayle as if the case were her owne Then Auenturade brought Amadour before Florinda who after he had saluted her was lyke to fall in a sowne for ioy and although he were compted the moste eloquent person of Spaine yet was he now become mute and dumb before Florinda wherat she maruelled much For albeit she was but. xv yeares of age yet she vnderstode that there was no man in Spaine that had a better tongue or a more conuenable grace than he And seing that he sayde nothing vnto her she spake vnto him in this wise The same which is bruted of you sir Amadour through out the whole countrie of Spaine is such that it maketh you knowen and estemed in this companie and giueth desire and occasion to those that know you to imploy themselues to doe you pleasure Wherefore if there be any thing wherin I may gratifie you vse me I beseche you Amadour that gased vpō the beautie of that Lady was rapt and surprised not wel able to render thankes vnto her And although Florinda maruelled to sée him without aunswere yet she imputed the same rather to bashfulnesse than to any force of loue and departed without any further talke Amadour knowing the vertue which in so tender yeares began to appeare in Florinda sayde vnto her whom he purposed to marry Doe not maruell though my talke doe fayle before Madame Florinda for the vertues and wise wordes hidden in that yong personage did so amase me that I wist not what to say But I pray you Auenturade quod he which knoweth all her secretes to tell me if it be otherwise possible but that she hath the heart of all the Lordes and Gentlemen of the Court for they which knowe her and doe not loue her be stones or beasts Auenturade which then loued Amadour more than all the men in the world and would conceale nothing from him sayde vnto him that Madame Florinda was beloued of the whole world but for the custome of the coūtrie few men did speake vnto her And quod she as yet I sée none that make any semblance vnto her but two yong Princes of Spaine which desired to marry her whereof the one is the sonne of the Infant Fortune and the other of the Duke of Cadouce I pray you thē quod Amadour to tel me which of them as you thinke doth loue her best She is so wise sayd Auenturade that she will confesse or graūt her loue to none but to suche as her mother pleaseth But so far as we can iudge she fauoreth much better the sonne of the Infant Fortune thā the Duke of Cadouce And for that I take you to be a man of good iudgemente this day you shall haue occasion to iudge the truth For the
not gainesay your demaunde nor the loue that I beare to the sonne of the Infant Fortune which is grounded vpon mariage Where you pretend nothing I can not tell what thing should let me to make you aunswere according to your requeste but a feare that I haue in my heart founded vpon the small occasion that you haue to vse that talke for if you haue that already which you demaunde what doth constraine you to speake so affectuously Amadour that was not with out an answere sayd vnto her Madame you speake very wisely and you do to me so much honor for the confidence and trust which according to your saying you doe repose in me that if I doe not content my self with such a benefite I were the vnworthiest creature liuing But vnderstand Madame that he which goeth about to builde a perpetuall mansion ought to haue regarde to a sure and firme foundation Wherfore I which desire perpetually to remaine in your seruice doe seke not onely the meanes to kepe my selfe nere about you but also to foresée that none do vnderstand the great affection which I doe beare you For although my minde be so vertuous honest that the same may disclose it selfe before the whole worlde yet there be some so ignorant and vnskilfull of louers hearts that many times will iudge contrary to the truth whereof procedeth so ill brute and reporte as if the effectes were wicked The cause which hath made me so bolde to say and declare vnto you thus much is the suspiciō that Paulina hath conceyued in her minde for that I can not loue her Who doth nothing else but marke and espie my countenance in euery place and when you vse your familiar talke with me before her I am so afrayed to shew any signe wherby she may grounde or verifie her iudgement that I fall into that inconuenience which I woulde willingly auoyde Wherefore I haue thought good to besech you before her and those which you doe knowe to be so malicious to abstayne from talking with me so sodainly for I had rather dye than any liuing creature shoulde haue knowledge therof And had it not bene for the loue which I beare vnto your honor I had not yet declared the same vnto you for I doe hold my self sufficient happie and content of the loue and affiance that you do beare me crauing nothing else but the continuance of the same Florinda so well satisfied with this answere began to fele in her heart a further thing to grow than euer she did before And hearing the honest reasons alleadged by him sayd that her honestie and vertue should make aunswere for her and there withall assented to his demaunde Whereof whether Amadour were ioyfull Louers néede not doubt But Florinda credited more his counsell than he would haue had her For she being fearefull and timerous not onely before Paulina but in all other places vsed farre other countenaunce than she was wont to doe And in this altenation of her former familiaritie she misliked the conuersation that Amadour had with Paulina whose beautie was suche that she could not otherwise beleue but that he loued her And Florinda to passe ouer he heauinesse daylie vsed the companie of Auenturade that began meruellously to be ialous betwéene her husbande and Paulina whereof she made complaint many times to Florinda who comforted her so well as she could like one attached with the same disease Amadour coniecturing by the countenaunce of Florinda that not onely she was estraunged from him through his former aduertisement but also that there was some other displeasure conceyued comming vpon a tyme from euensong out of the Monasterie he sayd vnto her Madame what countenaunce doe you make me Suche as I thinke doth please you best answered Florinda Then Amadour suspecting a matter to know whether it were true began to say Madame I haue so vsed the matter that Paulina beginneth to giue ouer her opinion of you She answered him Ye can not doe a better thing either for your self or for me For in doing your self a pleasure you doe honor vnto me Amadour iudged by these wordes that she thought he toke pleasure to talk of Paulina wherewith he became so desperat that he coulde not forbeare to saye vnto her in anger Madame you begin very sone to torment your seruaunt There was neuer payne more greuous vnto me than to be forced to speake to her whome I loue not And sithens all that which I doe for your seruice is taken in ill parte I wil neuer speake againe vnto her whatsoeuer happen And to dissemble mine anger and contentacion I will addresse my selfe to some place hereby till your fansie be past But I hope I shal receyue newes from my Captayne to retourne to the warres where I will so long continue that you shall knowe and vnderstande that none other thing but you alone doth force me to carry here And in saying so without attending for her aunswere he incontinently departed and she remayned so sadde and pensife as any woman coulde be And Loue beganne to shewe his great force in such wyse as she knowing her wrong incessantly wrote to Amadour praying him to retourne home which he did within fewe dayes after that hys choler was past And to tell you what businesse there was to interrupt and breake the ialousie conceyued it were superfluous But in the ende he wanne the fielde so that she promised him not onely to beleue that he loued not Paulina but also helde her selfe assured that it shoulde be to him a martirdome intollerable to speake vnto her or anye other excepte it were to doe her seruice After that Loue had vanquished this present suspicion and that the two Louers began to take more pleasure in their mutuall talke than euer they did before newes came that the King of Spaine was aboute to addresse his Armie to Saulse wherefore he that was wont to be there with the first was not lyke nowe to fayle to augment his honour But true it is that his griefe was nowe more great than at other tymes before aswell for losing the pleasure whiche he enioyed as for feare to fynde some mutation and chaunge at his retourne bicause he saw Florinda pursued by great Princes Lordes and already come to the age of .xv. yeares thinking that if she were maried in his absence he should neuer haue occasion to sée her againe except the Countesse of Arande woulde appoint his wife to wait vpon her For accomplishment whereof he made suche friendes that the Countesse and Florinda promised him that into what so euer place she were maried his wife Auenturade should attende vpon her And although it was in question that Florinda should be maried into Portugal yet it was determined that his wife shoulde neuer forsake her And vpon the assurance not without vnspeakeable sorow Amadour departed left his wife with the Countesse When Florinda was alone after the departure of her seruant she gaue her selfe