The Emperour was verie sore troubled when he perceiued y t he was knowen the which this faire Ladie marking went forwardes in her talke and sayd Doe not vexe your selfe neither bée anye whit troubled most mightie Prince for that you are knowen considering that of such a one as thou art it is reason we doo estéeme according to thy desert neither can my captiue heart consent vnto anie other thing but the exalting of thy honour Alasse what shall I saie who hath receiued most wrong for their imprisonment it hath bene onely my christal breast and captiued heart they haue wronged thy bodie but for a time but me loue hath bereaued of my former libertie in wounding my hart so that it is almost vncurable In this my good Lord you may vnderstand that I a lone am shée which hath the greatest wrong Thou valiaunt Emperour hast taken awaie from the Earle of Modique his sonne but thou hast robbed me most infortunate of my heart Oh how much better had it bene for me to haue bene pertaker with him of death then now to liue not knowing what cruel loue will doo Oh immortall Gods how is it that you haue permitted that the tender hart of a poore damsell béeing alwaies willing to offer vnto you sacrifices and exercising of my self daily in your seruice and now in payment of all this you haue permitted it to be sacrificed vnto the cruell will of Cupide who hath forcibly pearced my feeble heart with his furious darts I beseech thée O Emperour doe not denie mée this my vnreasonable demaund although thou séest it so far to exceed the meane Oh virginitie thou maist well be compared vnto a rose which so long as the leaues are reserued w tin the bud it kéepeth the naturall coulour but when it once begins to blow then doth it quickly change euen so the flourishing beautie of virgins doth no sooner bloome but Cupide blotteth it with his despiteful blemish O foolish quéene what caused thée to depart out of the Pallaice whereas thou werâ— at libertie and without griefe didst thou it for to do honour vnto the Emperour yet not knowing him Well for what cause so euer it were see now what is become of it for that fréely thou hast yéelded thy selfe vnto him without reseruing anie thing in thy owne power All this the quéene deliuered with such sorrow and lamentation that it would haue caused a stonie heart to haue relented But the emperour who with a single heart did loue the Empresse Briana and moreouer béeing a verie good christian was not moued with one of these lamentable words neither made he anie shew of loue vnto the quéene but wishing rather to haue had battaile with one of the hardiest knightes in all the world then to haue found himselfe so sodainly assailed by this amorous woman wherfore when this faire Ladie had plainly declared all the whole secret of her heart the Emperour vsing his accustomed discreation did shew himselfe to be verie heauie and â—ad for that which the quéene had heard and taking her by the hand they sate downe together vpon the corner of the bed and beganne to answere vnto her amorous reasons although not so much vnto her purpose as she desired saying 〈…〉 Ladie and quéene I am fully certified that from so 〈…〉 and beautie there can procéed nothing without 〈◊〉 and therefore I did now loose the confidence of your â—â—uour when I was vnknowen much more nowe that you 〈◊〉 know me to be the Emperour of Greece the truth wherof I doo héere confesse And although I finde my selfe in the land where all the people be my mortall enimyes yet for all that I will not denie who I am because my heart wheresoeuer it becomes cannot but vse manifestly his noble courage Heere this Quéene did cut off his answere saying Oh Emperour I doo not aske of thée anie recompence neither doe I demaund of thée whether thou be our enimie or our friend but the thing which I alone desire of thée is this to giue a remedie vnto this my paine a plaister for my sore for that the viewe of thée hath béene the onely occasion therof Oh Emperour what trifling is this to talk of that which is not aunswerable vnto that which I demaunde Oh worthie Emperour haue compassion on me for that thou alone maist remedie this my euill for thou séest apparauntlye the néede I haue of thy helpe Oh that it had pleased the Gods that my remedie were as sure as thy libertie restore vnto me I beséech thée that wherof thou hast bereaued me by beholding thée yéeld vnto me O swéet Emperor séeing that I am alreadie yéelded vnto thée insomuch that there is no doubt but to put into thy handes the spoyle of my royall marryage The Emperour did leane his chéeke vpon his hande verie pensiue all the time that this Ladie was declaring her complaintes not for that he was without pittie but for that he was mooued with greate compassion and yet not with determination to satisfie her disordinate appetite but with faire words to put her in good hope of remedie And verye faine she woulde haue aunswered but that shée was cut off by a Damosell which called her The Quéene dissembling her heauinesse in the best wise she coulde went out of the chamber to sée what they would haue vnto whom the Damsell saide Ladie there is a messenger come from the king of Mauritania which dooth tarrie for you belowe in the pallaice wherat this faire quéene did féele her selfe troubled the occasion was for that this king was in loue with her who was verie valiaunt and of great force and began to gouerne his kingdome verie young with another brother of his who at that time was not knighted neuerthelesse to heare him named in all Africa it made the people to tremble with feare therefore manie times by reason of his greate pride his fame was much abated This king did determine with himselfe to marrie with the Quéene eyther by fayre meanes or else by force and for to put this his pretence in practise hée sent vnto her his messengers and for a more maiestie hée made his owne brother Lord Embassodour And séeing this historie will most intreate of this young man who was called Brufaldoro y e wise author wold discouer his customes and manners he saith y t he was in the stature of his bodie well néere a leauen foote high and all his members conformable vnto his height béeing indued with incredible strength he had his countenaunce verie graue and of great beautie without anie anger verie tractable and a gentleman of great curtesie hée detested to doo anie thing that was vnseemely he was verie readie to correct where it was néedfull and farre from anie vnhumane crueltie all which vertues were extinguished when he was angered for that then in all Africa and Asia there was no wild beast so fierce and cruell And many times it hath ben séene when his anger had ben
that thou hast brought vs vnto this estate that crueltie should gouern our wills without hauing power to doe any other thing The King when he saw that the Knights were very earnest began to sweare with great oaths that his cause was iust and that he had tolde vnto them the truth of the matter and if so be that the Emperour had tolde them any other thing it was onely to deceiue them and to tourne them that they should not make his defence and charged them againe with their oath which they had made and how that they had giuen their words to be his vpholder and defender This worthy Dacian tourning vnto his companions sayd Knightes what doo you thinke in this matter what is it best that we doo héerein For well you doo sée that we are so bewrapte bound one against another and cousin against cousin yet for all that we cannot by any meanes excuse the battaile So they did all determine to retourne vnto the Emperour and to desire him for to accept it in good part and to leaue off that battaile to make theÌ„ beléeue that he was falsly informed when they came vnto him they said Worthy Emperour and our onely Lord looke well vnto this false information wherewith they haue informed you and hauing well considered thereof we doo all request you for the loue which vnto your sonnes and cousins and vnto all your friendes you doo owe that it may moue you to take no occasion to put vs into this extremitie for that by anie meanes we cannot goe from our oath and word Unto the which the Emperour answered and sayd My louing friends if that you haue giuen your word and oath to procure to make defence of so false a King doo you likewise indeuour to performe the same for the like will I doe to accomplish that which I haue promised for that there is no more reason for the one then for the other But this one thing I doe tell you that it is very apparant that you will maintaine the treason of this false King as it appereth plainly by many reasons which I haue told vnto you and the principall cause wherin you maye sée plainely his treason and falshoode is the little hast that hée doeth make himselfe vnto the battaile and if he knew that he dooâ—h maintaine the truth let him come forth and make his owne defence At the which reasons they all helde theyr peace considering the great reason which the Emperour had declared and determined that the next daie they woulde conclude what were best to bée done so these sixe knights returned vnto the Citie and the Emperour vnto the campe Of all this that happened he that receiued the most contentment was the Prince Eleno for he desired verye much to retourne vnto the Citie for that at his departure he left his Lady very sicke so that he thought not to finde her aliue and comming to the Citie hée was no sooner alighted from his horse but hée went straight vnto her Chamber whereas hée found her with a mightie burning ague and séeing her in that case he was as one that was beside himselfe and the more that her ague increased the more furious she did shew her selfe and farther out of quiet So this gréeuous and sicke Ladie did aske paper and inke for to write a few lines vnto him which was the causer of all this her harme and making an ende of her writing without power to doo any other thing with the great féeblenesse shée felt she fell downe vpon her pillowe speaking vnto Eleno she sayd Ualiant knight behold héere thy Lidia at her last ende for that there doth not remaine in me strength for to giue thée thankes for so great benefits as I haue receiued at thy handes yet I carrie one great comfort with me which is y â— although I dye yet thy great loyaltie doeth not dye neyther my firme faith and although I was vnloued of an vnfaythfull Knight yet am I beloued of the most couragious knight in the worlde This sorrowfull and troubled Prince woulde not suffer her to goe forwards with her talke but with shedding of manie teares from his eyes he sayd Oh my swéete Mistresse doe not giue me to vnderstande that thou wilt dye if that thou meane I shall remaine aliue Oh my loue I would rather that my heart shoulde be parted in twaine by the greatest enimie that I haue then to remaine without thée Oh my louing Mistres let this thy youthfull yeres and great beautie which thou hast incourage thée die not in this order this feeble Lidia for to shew with more feruentnesse the good will which she did owe vnto the Pâ—â—â—ce for his great curtesie forced her selfe to holde vp her head and he lifted it vp with such quicknesse as though her weake members had felt no griefe as though the furie of that burning ague was not able to resist her but with the force of loue she sate vp in her beâ— and with her face of a fiery colour she sayd My Lord time doth not giue me anye place that with words I might gratifie the great courtesie that of thée I haue receiued for that I doo feele that the hower is come and that the three fatall sisters haue the thred of my life betwéene the edges of their shéeres so that it lacketh nothing but to put them together insomuch that I miserable creature doo féele my soule tremble in my flesh at this my last hower But one thing oh my swéete and true louer I will desire thée before that I doo dye which is that thou wouldest procure that this letter maye bée giuen vnto that cruell Knight who hath brought me vnto this estate giuing him to vnderstande of this my troublesome death the occasion whereof was his vnreasonable crueltie And making an end of saying this this miserable Lady fell downe without hauing any more strength to sit vp but let the letter fall out of her hande before her true louer who tooke it vp and sayd Oh all my ioye what a cruell knife is this to my heart to heare thy complayntes in giuing me to vnderstande the great crueltie that loue hath vsed against thée without anye desert or reason and verely I doo beléeue that these thy great thoughts and griefes but most of all thy absence wil be the occasion of my death And if y â— my enimies are not of power to giue it me héere I doo sweare vnto thee by the great and true loue which I beare vnto thée that I my selfe with my owne hands will procure to pull this heart out of his place for that it knew not how to giue thée contentment paying therwith y e dutie y t I ow vnto thée O happy Brenio that didst obtaine so much grace fauour at Venus handes for to be beloued of the flower of all beautie The Clime in the which thou wert borne was not so happie as to the contrarie my
Gods is it possible that your deitie doth consent that alonely one man is so hardie couragious to enter into the field with me Emperour take to thée one hundreth of y e best knights y u hast about thée come for altogether I wil cut you in peeces for y t my gods will not permit y t he in whoÌ„ al their power consisteth shuld haue battel w t one knight in saying these words he did shew the great pride y t rested in his heart Héere you may iudge in what perplexitie y e Empresse and all her Ladies were in to sée so ill fauoured a monster before them I promise you they were all in a manner without remembraunce and cleane beside themselues but Claridiana neuer moued hir countenaunce but was verye quiet In this meane time while the Emperour was arming him selfe with as greate hast as he might the fierce Gyaunt which burned in anger thought that the Emperour tarryed verie long and sayd What doest thou Emperour why doest thou not cause thy knightes to arme themselues as I haue willed thée for that both of thy selfe them I pretend â—o end the weake dayes and in saying these wordes he went vnto the place whereas the Emperour was arming himselfe there the Empresse Claridiana put her selfe before him and stroke the Gyant such a blow on the breast with both her hands w t so great anger that she made him to withdrawe backwards and in the end was forced to fall and she sayd Thou diuellish beast what thinkest thou in thy heart to doe and what is thy pretended purpose and séeing the gyant in so great furie she cried out and sayde Oh holie God deliuer these thy knightes from all euill for he arose vp with such ire from y e ground that a great mountaine had not ben able to make anie resistance against him if it had not happened that in the same extremitie there entred into the hall that gentle valiant giant y e king of Sardenia who vnderstaÌ„ding y e contempt of y e other gyant how much he had misused y e emperor with his proud spéeches in the hall he was very greatly incensed y t the emperour shuld vnderstand y e great loue y t he bare vnto his sonne y e knight of y e Sun like a furious lyon he attempted the battell before the Emperour could be ready to make y â— assault lifting vp a great club which he had in his hand hee said O thou foule dissignred monster far more proud theÌ„ apperteineth to y e order of knighthood first before thou approuest thy strength with anie other thou shalt féele the force of me The great disdaine that was in this gyant whose name was Bustâ—afo argâ—â—â— y t he lâ—tle estéemed y e other but w tout replying any answere they began to flourish with their great mightie Mases that the greate noise of the Emperour neyther the shrikes of the Empresse and her Ladies woulde suffice to make them withdrawe themselues y e one from the other but terribly they let fall their heauie and mightie blowes one vpon another that their strong helmes were brused they inclined their heads vnto their breasts So then there began a cruell and mortall battell one of the most terriblest in the world for the strength of their blowes were so outragious that with the least blowe they gaue it was thought that the great hall would haue fallen downe The Empresse and her Ladies what with the great griefe they had and againe with the excéeding heate that began in the hall withdrew themselues into their Closettes and Chambers and likewise the knights that were present departed and left them alone in y e hall sauing the Emperour onelye remained at the doore to keepe the entrie y t none shâ—uld either goe in or out who was very well armed And Brandimardo and Claueryndo were with the Empresse Claridiana beholding this cruell battell not knowing who this great Gyaunt was that trauailed so much for the honour of the Emperour and his sonnes In all this time these Gyaunts had no other care but in brusing mangling one anothers flesh with so greate strength y t whosoeuer beheld them meruailed at their fiercenesse and without doubt all the furious rage of Gyaunts consisted in those two as it did appeare by the terrible and outragious strokes that they bestowed betwéene them for w t the great strength and the sound thereof the whole pallace did not onely shake but also the whole Citie in this sort they continued a greate while without taking anie breath and all the floore of the hall was full of hoales with the heauie blowes that had scaped by Thus they long continued without knowledge of anie masterie betwéen them but still they procured the one to indamage the other and to be reuenged one of another with so greate rage and in such sort that they séemed rather to bée rash and vnreasonable Gyauntes then expert and valiaunt knightes and in this their great furie they both lifted vp theyr great and heauie clubs in such sort that their blowes met and discharged together with such surpassing strength that the club of the King of Sardenna was parted in twain but the mace of Bustrafo discharged vpon the other although almost in vaine for that it had lost the former furie by reason of the first encounter neuerthelesse it made his healme to sound as an anfielde when it is stroken on with a hammer Then this king séeing he had such an aduersary thought it not good to vse delay but with great hast he drewe his sword and at such time as Bustrafo turned the second blow he could by no meanes shun or apart himselfe from it but bare it off with his sword and the fall of the blowe was such that the mace was cut cleane a sunder and the great end rolled on the flower in the hall Bustrafo seeing himselfe dispossest of his heauie mace threw the tronchon which remained in his hand at the King of Sardenna who receiued it vppon his shielde but the strength of it was so vnmeasurable that it glaunced on his shield and flewe vpright to the top of the hall and the king retired back thrée or foure steps so that it was a wonder he fell not to the ground In this time Bustrafo had space to draw his sword and to shrowde himselfe vnder his shield Nowe there began a new a more cruell and rigorous combat betwéene them then at the first for Bustrafo at his first blow stroke the King vpon y e shield and parted it in two péeces and with an infernall furie it descended on his helme and hurt his head but y e wound was not very great yet the blow rested not but glauncing on the harnesse fell to the ground whereas it made a great hoale but in the meane time this newe conuerted King was not idle neither did his aduersarie escape his paiment for the blowe past but hauing his
with thy aunswere I woulde put in order that which I haue to doo concerning this my miserable life I doo well know my Lord and Emperour that this my bolde discouering of my selfe hath bene too much and beyond all reason but if at any time thou hast loued and doost know the great griefe that loue doth cause thou wilt not blame me nor put me in any fault I would y t I could show thée my woūded hart y t in séeing it so sore afflicted thou mightst take some compassion of me that which doth most torment me is that I haue yéelded my selfe vnto one y t hath so little pitie on me Who hath euer heard y t women shuld wooe require of men to loue them But I most vnfortunate Quéene haue broken that lawe and custome O immortal Gods what haue you conceiued against me Is not y e apparant which you vsed against my sister now wil you vse it also w t me I shuld be requested of Emperours Kings and now I come to request one that maketh no account of me neither dooth my present destruction mooue him to any pittie Go too Emperour make an ende and aunswere me that therewith I may receiue either life or death Héere may you which haue knowen what loue is iudge what the Emperour Trebatio might conceiue in himselfe in this cruell case One way he did consider the great loyaltie that he ought vnto the Empres his wife and this constrained him to deny her Another way the great desire that hée had to see himselfe at libertie and the great loue that he did know Garrofilea bare him caused his hart somewhat to yéeld Notwithstanding he did procure with faire and swéete wordes to sée if he could cause her to chaunge her thought and purpose saying Lady I doo sée very well that the force of loue is so cruell that whosoeuer he doth wound he leueth them in a manner without remedye except it come from them on whō they haue fixed their heart I doo not deny but that your amorous desire is such as he hath ordained it who spareth no creature But considering your highnesse and great estate the honour that all such as you are shoulde haue by your royall marriages I doo more reioyce that you suffer payne then you should take your ease with that vnto which sensuall loue doth constraine you Most souereigne Quéene héere I doo desire you to bridle your affection and restrayne your appetite that you fall not into that infamie which will bée the onely blemish of your estate séeing it appertaineth so much vnto your honour The quéene séeing y t his reasons did not incline vnto that which she desired shortened his talk said Emperour all that which thou hast sayde and all besides that thou canst tell me I doo already vnderstand and there is nothing that may be spoken héerein but I haue before this time considered of it Notwithstanding loue hath more force then any regard or consideration I should haue vnto my honour Therefore I am héere come fully determined to make a second sacrifice vnto my gods which afterwards shall be lamented by thée And in saying those words she tooke out the sworde which she brought in secret vnder her roabes and with great hast she set the pommell thereof vnto the ground and would haue throwen her self vpon the poynt thereof The worthy Trebatio seeing her in this desperate minde leapt quickly out of his bed and with a mightie courage caught holde of her and tooke the sword out of her hand saying Oh blinde quéene what diuelish determination is this The Lady answered Unlouing Lord◠〈◊〉 other thing but to ease my selfe by death for that I 〈◊〉 not longer liue as one dying And saying these words she fell in a sound in the armes of the Emperour Heere coulde not the stoutnesse of the Greeke heart make such resistance but that with great loue he tooke her and cast her vppon the bed shedding many teares with much compassion and considering the firmnesse of the loue that the Queene hadde showed him he was confoūded in his owne thought and inforced to haue done that which hee neuer thought to haue done and so purposed to giue her all her whole contentment and so ioyning his mouth to hers he remained kissing her till such time as this sorrowfull Lady came againe to her selfe But when she perceiued she was of him so louinglye imbraced being the thing she onely desired she straight-way recouered all the strength that she had lost and cast her armes about his necke with excéeding loue which grieued not the Emperour any thing at all in such sort they vsed themselues that the Queene was made Lady with great cōtentment vnto them both So with like sport they passed the rest of the night in great ioye and pleasure The Quéene Garrofilea when she saw that it was day returned vnto her chamber very pleasant merrie vntill such time as it was her accustomed houre of 〈◊〉 which was somewhat early y t day for that the two 〈◊〉 made very great hast that they might enter into the Citie the which was straight waye done And the Quéene brought with her the Emperour and made him to sweare to be her true prisoner and not to depart from thence without her will and leaue So the quéene tooke the Emperour by the hand in this order they went out of the Pallaice The Earle of Modique when he sawe this could not choose but receiue great griefe but he did dissemble it for that he considered that in such extremitie so valiant a Knight was néedfull and so altogether they entered into the Citie The Quéene was very gallant and pleasaunt whereat all her subiects receiued great delight and in the chiefe stréete of the Citie there was erected the Images of two Knights made all of stone of a maruelous good proportion and they had ouer them a couer like a Tabernacle very rich and well wrought because the water shoulde not fall vpon thē nor any other thing to hurt them As soone as the Emperour saw those figures he knew that the one was the Image of his sonne without reading of the supercription but when he came nigh vnto it he read the same which sayd This is the great Prince of Grecia called the Knight of the Sunne restorer of the auncient kingdome of Tinacria the abater and breaker of the strength of the most strongest Giants in all the world And going a little farther he sawe vpon the other Knight this title Prince Eleno of Dacia cousin vnto the most valiant sonnes of Trebatio the well-spring of all our quietnesse Upon this he looked with great affection and earnest desire to sée his perfect personage The Quéene did well vnderstand the great ioye that the Emperour receiued in beholding the figure of his sonne and of his brothers sonne for which cause she commanded that to be told publikely which was spoken in secret then entred into
she did ordayn and how that she commaunded a faithfull damsell of hers to carry a letter vnto the Emperour of Grecia who made so much hast that shée ariued at Constantinople at such time as the battel betwéen the Emperour and the king of the Garamantes began And when she saw the vnhappy ende of the King she receiued great griefe being informed of the occasion of all the battell and wherefore it was made So with this griefe for that night she went and tooke her lodging whereas she remained till y e next day in y e morning at such time as y e Emperour was with the Empresse and many other Knights in great ioy pastimes talking of the occasion of the battaile that was y e day before At that time entred the quéenes damsel with a seuere countenance and without making any reuerence she went vnto the Emperour said Emperour much more valiant and mightie than loyall and faithfull the vnhappy quéene of Tinacria doth send me vnto thée that thou maist read this letter and thereby vnderstand the great tyranny without all reason that thou didst vse against her The Emperour with an amorous smiling did receiue it sayd Thou art welcome and for the letter of the quéene the receipt thereof doth giue me great delight to know and vnderstand of her highnes And therewith he opened the letter and reading it found that that therein was contained that which followeth The vnhappy and vnfortunate Quéene of Tinacria vnto the disloyall Emperour of Grecia can send nor wish no saâ—utation for hauing no health my selfe I cannot send it vnto him that so much without loue by crueltie hath forgotten me I cannot but lament and complain me of thée vnto the Gods considering that without any refuge thou camst vnto my kingdome whereas thou hadst no other hope but of death and I procured to delyuer thée from it and sought it for my selfe what occasion hadst thou O Emperor that thou wouldest not retourne to sée me In me thou foundest so much fidelitie that I did furnish thée with armour and horse that with them thou shouldst delyuer me from those which did séeke to haue me against my will But I with my good will did yéeld my selfe I say my selfe vnto him which now doth séeke my death Ah Emperour remember that I sawe thée depriued of all helpe an vnhappy day for me for y t in making much of thée and giuing thée ioye I bereaued my selfe of all and lost the possession of my libertie and honour and although thou hadst not estéemed nor tooke any care of the sorrowfull Quéene of Tinacria yet thou shouldest not haue moued thy selfe to haue made a mocke of the perfecte loue which I did shew thée and the great desire that I had to serue thée Thou shouldest haue had some care and griefe séeing that I defended thée from all my Nobles Knights who sought thy death thou hauing depriued so manye of my knights of their liues thou shouldest haue had pitie of theÌ„ that had pitie on thée O loue that so quickly diddest make me blinde depriuedst me of the knowledge which I should haue had vnto my royall highnesse O Emperour of Grecia I being blinde with the loue of thée did deny my honestie which I ought to haue kepte If thou hadst pretended to mocke me thou shouldst haue put me out of all doubt and not haue suffered me to loose so much as I haue lost for thy sake but haue procured that I might haue eschewed all this harme whereof thou hast bene the occasion Tell me why didst thou not suffer me to execute my will y t I might haue opened my white breast with that sharpe sword it had ben better for me to haue dyed then than now for now liuing for thée I dayly dye Remember thy selfe Emperour and behold the harme that will come héerof and doo not vse so much crueltie with them that haue not deserued it at thy handes Haue thou a care vnto the pawn which thou didst leaue behinde thée let it be an occasion that thou dost retourne to sée me Do not giue an occasioÌ„ y t my children remain motherles in y e power of them for thou doest not knowe what my subiects will doo O Emperour of Grecia I doo still tarry looke for thée y t which hope doth cause me to suffer this cruell paine if thou dost send my trustie messenger without it I shall be driuen to do y t of which thou hadst ben better thou hadst not disturbed me at the first But now it shal be in this manner that if thou dost giue ease vnto me I will procure thine in such sort as possibly I may So that Emperour I doo tarie thy comming or els answere of my death And doo not iudge this which I doo to be of great boldenesse for that Loue doth commaund it By her which without all regard or any foresight did yeeld vnto thee her libertie When he had made an ende of reading y e letter he could not haue so much sufferance with himselfe but with y e teares which distilled from his eyes he must néedes shewe the paine which his hearte indured for the sorrowfull complaintes which that lamentable and complaining Letter did vtter The Damosell which brought the Letter all the time that the Emperour was reading of it she neuer withdrewe her eyes from looking on him and when she sawe that he had made an ende of reading it she sayde Wherefore wilt thou giue me to vnderstand O cruell Trebatio that thou doest receiue great sorrow of that which wheÌ„ thou mightest haue redressed thou wouldest not and doe not make me beléeue that these outward shewes do procéed from thy heart Dost thou thinke that it is sufficient to excuse thee from the paine that is pretended to be giuen thée Dost thou not sée that when thou couldest giue remedie thou wouldest not vnto them who now are without all hope and tarryeth for no other satisfaction but w t thy head O false Emperour diddest thou not sée that she was not a ladie to be thus mocked and deceiued Surely thou hast recouered to thy selfe a verie good name for the exalting of thy lygnage Thy sonne whom we honour there for a God may well praise himselfe for his descent in hauing thée for his father O false and cruell is this the inheritaunce which thou diddest inherit of thy most famous bloud Is this the great loyaltie which thou doest shew vnto thy sonnes O vile Greeke how doe the Gods consent that so disloyall a knight should liue in the world Is it not possible that these sorrowfull continuall complaints of Tinacria doe not open your eares and cause you to sende downe punishment for this greate offence O ingratefull Gods receiue the sacrifice of my chastitie in paiment of the reuengement which from your high heauens I hope shall bée done vpon this counterfait without all fayth and make that my bloud héere shed vpon this
perfect true loue which I bare to thée shuld bée accounted vaine and wouldest not performe the faith which without asking in a verie short time thou diddest grant vnto me oh cruell Brenio oh hard heart is this the firme loue that so fainedly thou diddest professe to me what is he that hath ben more vnmercifull then thou hast bene There is no furious beast Tiger nor Lyon vnto whom at theyr will thou diddest deliuer me that with theyr vnmercifull nailes they might cruellye intreat my flesh but would haue accompanied me with more pittie and haue holpen me to lament my cruell destinie Ah Brenio the great paine which I suffer will not consent to declare the vnreasonable torments troubles and sorrowes the which for thée I haue passed so that I néede not to referre it vnto them who doth know it very well but of one thing alone I will giue thée to vnderstand that in the ende when thou diddest leaue all alone and at my waking I could not finde thée my dolorous paine was so great y t I did not think to escape with my life But my mishap which hath bene alwaies vnto me contrarie and the more to increase my paine was such that my lamentation was heard by a knight who béeing moued with compassion did aske of me the occasion of all this my harme and griefe and when y t I had told him whether it was by motion of loue the which I had wholy giuen vnto thée or by the ouermuch compassion which he had of my paine he brought me out of that solitarie place wheras thou diddest leaue me and carried me wheras I made an end of all my great paines and passions Ah Brenio when I wrote these few lines my body was almost colde and without all strength redie to yéeld vp my soule which is I know to thée great contentment and for that thou shouldest bée satisfied of thy desire I did determine to aduertise thée in giuing thée to vnderstand of my desired death thou béeing the onely occasion thereof Oh Brenio now are the Faâ—es cutting of the thrid of my life asunder I can giue thee knowledge of no more But yet I doo desire thée by the true loue which I bare thée y t thou wilt read these fewe lines w t some sorrow héere of y e Gods I do desire y t they do make thée to passe the â—ame euill which thou hast ben the occasion of vnto me till such time as it bringeth thée to die the like death that for thée I now die And if thou doest desire to know any farther of this matter he which bringeth thee this can informe thée of the whole state thereof for that now I haue no more time neither my strength will consent vnto it The teares were in so great abundance which this sad heauy knight did shed in the time that he was a reading this dolorous letter that he all to wet the same y e messenger likewise did not let to beare him companie and to solempne his heauinesse with so many more teares distilling froÌ„ his eyes The great sorrow lamentation was such so much that in a great space the one could not speake vnto the other but afterward their paine being somewhat appeased Brenio began to speake say Oh messenger from her with the remeÌ„brance of whose wrong my soule is wounded being vndeseruedly of me euill rewarded Tell me for Gods loue if thou doest know where she is shew vnto me her abiding place that I may go thether giue a discharge of this my great fault in yéelding my selfe to death Oh cruell without all loue answered Don Eleno what discharge canst thou giue vnto her y t already through thy crueltie is dead buried thou shalt do much better to arise take vnto thée thy armor defend thy selfe from him that will procure thy death to make satisfaction of the debt y t she without anie dutie did pay Is it possible answered Brenio that Lidia is dead it is possible answered Eleno and she is dead by the occasion of such a forsworne knight as thou art This penitent pained knight when he vnderstood the certaintie of all this euill with a sodaine and hastie furie stroke himselfe on the breast a great stroke with his fist and lifting his eyes vnto the heauens in manner of exclamation against his Gods giuing déepe and sorrowfull sighes he threw himselfe to the ground and tumbled wallowed from the one part vnto the other without taking anie ease or hauing anie power or strength to declare his inwarde paine and griefe the which at that time he felte but with an inward lamentatioÌ„ which did torment his hart he called continually vpon Lidia and with that diuellish fury wherin he was he drew out his dagger and lifting vp the skirte of his shirt of mayle he thrust it into his body and giuing himself this vnhappy death with calling vpon Lidia he finished his life The Dacian knight remained in a great confusion to see this sodayne chaunce and that in such sort that he could put no remedy therein but with the great heauines and sorrow that he receiued he fell downe in a sounde without any remembraunce of himselfe The Page which Eleno brought with him did then procure all remedies that were possible for to bring him againe vnto his remembrance and laboured to doe it with great loue but yet for all y t he could do or procure ther was no possibilitie of his recouery til such time as Phoebus had made an end of his iourney that Diana had begun hir gouernment theÌ„ he began to come a litle to himselfe looking on the one side and sawe that Brenio lay dead by his side with a dolorous voice he said vnto his page Ah Fabio wherefore hast thou procured to put remedy vnto my bodye and consented that it shoulde indure so terrible paine and euill thou shouldest haue sufferd me to haue dyed and not to haue ben the occasion that now I liue dying and hauing no more power to speake he held his peace At this time he had great néede of the force and strength of his christian courage for to assist him that he did not that which should cause him to beare company with this dead Brenio His Page Fabio did very much comfort him and did procure by all meanes to giue him ease but all that euer he could doo did profit very little or giue any contentment vnto his paine till such time as he hearde a greate noyse of armed knights which was the occasion that he came vnto himselfe and for that he would not be discouered he put him selfe into the thickest of the bushes with the helpe of Fabio he carryed Brenio drawing him from the place wher he was and couered him with boughes and leaues till such time as they might haue opportunitie to burie him as héereafter you shall vnderstand So there he continued all that night
with his sword in his hand inuiting him to mortall battaile Zoylo who sawe his determination did procure to defend himselfe and offend his enimie Oh my Muse that nowe I had so much discreation and eloquence for to set out and declare the greate harme that this daie happened in this vnfortunate Forrest This valiant Tartarian when his enimie came vnto him stroke him so terrible a blowe vpon the visour of his helme that with the furie thereof he made sparkles of fire to issue out thereof with great abundaunce and to bowe downe his head vpon his breast The Pagan did returne vnto him his salutation and stroke him such a blowe vpon his helme that with the great noise therof it made a sound in all the mountaines Now began betweene them a meruailous and fearefull battaile at the great noise whereof Fortune willing to vse her extremitie for to amplifie a farther euill caused the Princesse Tigliafa in the companie of her Ladyes and Damsells to come vnto that place whereas these knightes were in â—attaile and straight waie she did knowe her welbeloued Tartarian and séeing him in so dangerous a battaile she was in great anguish with her selfe These Knights thought on no other thing but either of them procured to bring his aduersarie to his ende striking at eache other suche terrible blows and with so great fury that many times it made eyther of them to loose his féeling and both séeing the greate force of one another were meruailously incensed with anger This fierce Tartarian threw his shield at his backe that with more force he might strike and hurt his enemie and therewith gaue him so strong a blow vpon his helme that all astonied he forced him to fall vpon the crupper of his horse who carried him a great space round about the fielde without any féeling But when he came againe vnto himselfe this fierce Mauritanian setling himselfe in his saddle stroke at y e Tartarian so terrible a blow that if it had chanced on him it would haue turned him to much griefe but with great discretion he cléered himselfe therof in such sort that it was stroken in vaine and with great lightnesse hee retourned and stroke the Mauritanian so that he made him once againe to fall vpon the crouper of his horse all astonyed and there appeared by the visour of his helme the abundaunce of bloud that issued out of his mouth and his horse béeing gréuéd with that blow stooped with his forefeete to the ground and being amazed with great fury he rose vp with his great kicking and flinging backwards he did defend that the Tartarian could not come nigh to hurt y e Mauritanian which was the occasion that he could not haue any time for to giue him the second blowe although he neuer left to follow him to see if he could make an end of y e enterprise which would haue made much of his part not to haue giuen way that this fierce Mauritanian should haue retourned to himselfe so quickly which was in so short time and with so great anger that the smoake which came from his mouth seemed like a myst about his helme so that almost it could not be seene Then this furious diuell set spurres to his horse blaspheming against his Gods hauing his mortall sword very fast in his hande he ranne towards his enimie who without any feare of his fury went forth to receiue him and when they met together they discharged their blowes at once but it fortuned that the Mauritanians blow did first fasten with so great strength that for all the helme which Zoylo had was so good it was not sufficient to make defence but that with the diuellish furie wherwith it was discharged it bended in such sorte that it brake all to péeces the scalpe of that vnhappie Tartarian wherewith he gaue a terrible fall to the ground So when the Pagon sawe his enimie on the earth with a loude voyce he sayde Nowe shalt not thou bée he that shall disturbe mée that I carrie not this armour with mée This sadde and heauie Princesse when she sawe her swéete and welbeloued friende on the earth with great suspition what was happened beganne to wéepe bitterly And as a Lyon who séeing before her her young Lyon euill intreated of the hunter euen so she leapt from her Palfraie and ranne vnto her welbeloued Zoylo and with greate spéed shée pulled off the healme from that wounded head and with a fayre linnen cloth she wiped of the bloud from his mortall face and when she was certaine that it was hée that cost her so déere the séeking and that he was without lyfe with furious madnesse she tore her attire from her head and all to rent her golden haire tearing it in péeces and retourned againe and wiped that infernall face making such sorrowfull lamentation that whosoeuer had seene her woulde haue bene moued to haue had compassion Then shée tooke the head betwéene her handes and did procure without dooing it anie harme to lifte it vp and to put it vppon her lappe and séeing for all this that there was no moouing in him she ioyned her face vnto the face of that vnfortunate Zoylo and with sorowfull wordes shée sayd Oh my loue open thine eyes and beholde me open them I saie and looke vppon this thy Ladie most vnfortunate and while lyfe remaineth giue mée some contentment if fortune be so fauourable Oh my Lorde strengthen thy selfe to looke vpon me wherein I shall receiue such delight that willinglye I will beare thée companie Ah Zoylo and my onely loue séeing that in former time my teares were not sufficient to reclaime thée in anie parte make me satisfaction for the greate trauaile which I haue taken in séeking thée out come nowe in death and inioye this thy vnfortunate louer and dye not without séeing me open these eyes and beholde mée giue me I praie thée some comfort Ah my Lorde I know not whether in séeing me thou shalt receiue paine or no for that at anie time thou neuer delightedst in anie thing that was mine but now I will gratifie thée in dying with thée and séeing that in thy lyfe time I coulde not reioyce in thée nor haue anie companie with thée I will now in thy death séeke thée and peraduenture thou wilt nowe haue more pittie on mée The Princesse sorrowfull lamentations and greate weepings were such that she almost sounded But this discomforted Ladie comming to her selfe and sawe that her loue made no appearaunce of lyfe shée beganne againe to wipe his face for that it was againe all to bée bathed with bloud and with her white hande she felt his eyes and mouth and all his face and his head till such time as shée chaunced to put her hande on the mortall wounde and when shée knew that there was all the harme she held her hand still and looking on him whether he mooued or no with the greate feare which she had that he woulde die
without giuing her anye comfort to speake vnto her she made a meruailous and great lamentation and cryed out with terrible shrikes the which did augement much heauinesse and sorrowe in them which were in companye with the Princesse and she sayd Ah my loue how many troubles and great trauailes haue I passed in seeking thee by mountaines and hils by vallies wilde fields and high wayes watering them with my amorous teares alwayes demaunding for thee and alwayes in vaine calling thée yet was I neuer desolate of the true loue which I bare vnto thée Oh howe many times in calling for thée haue I bene answered by the ecko which was vnto me great dolor and griefe and nowe that fortune hath brought me into the same place whereas thou art for to recreate and reioyce my selfe with thy beutie the same fortune would that it should be for the more increasing of my dolour and griefe in finding thée in this sort as now thou art Oh cruell Fortune I haue not deserued to be thus ingratefully vsed at thy hands for when I thought to be cléere of all sorrow and trouble now I finde my selfe most afflicted therewith Ah my Lord séeing that in thy lyfe time thou gauest me so bitter and euill a life for that thou didst hate abhorre me now in thy death giue me some comfort Open these swéete eyes and behold me lift vp this wounded head and giue me some comfort before thou dyest Ah Zoylo my ioye if euer thou didst beare me any loue it is now time to giue me to vnderstand thereof before thy soule depart from thy body and in saying these lamentable words she was constrained to hold her peace for that she saw that this woūded Tartarian recouered some strength who opened his eyes and when he sawe himselfe in the armes of her who at that time he so much loued before by force of inchauntment he hated he sodainly arose vp and recouering strength he sate himselfe on the ground and cast his armes aboute the white necke of the Princesse and they ioyned theyr faces the one with the other distilling betwixt them manye salt and bitter teares in such sort that it would haue moued the wilde beasts vnto compassion and with a féeble weake voice this vnfortunate Prince sayde Ah my Ladie and mistres let me recreate and comfort my selfe in inioyeng this thy mouth the time that I shall remaine aliue and before that my soule doth depart the company of this my body giue me my Lady some comfort doe not make any excuse although without all reason I haue bene pitilesse vnto thée in making thee to trauaile with great sorow séeking him y t because he would not see thée fled alwaies in shunning thée now I come to desire thée Héere must you shew me in what estimation you had me in in giuing me succour before that I do leaue thée in this wildernesse alone with my dead bodie colde and wan Oh my loue giue me a thousand kisses let me onely haue this delight for the little time I haue to tary afterward I desire thée to giue my body his sepulchar This sad and discomforted Ladie answered Ah Zoilo what doest aske of me what wouldest that I shuld giue thée I alwayes was thine I haue nothing of mine owne I am all thine it were now a straunge thing to beginne a new to loue thée for all that euer I could giue thée I gaue it thee long ere this oh my loue why doest thou not vnderstand this alasse what shall I saie I that am without all good fortune for now I sée that thy time draweth on that my contentment ioy and comfort is verie short Ah my Lord dost thou request of me to giue thy bodie a Sepulchre well I see that it is requisite to séeke some to giue it vnto vs both And without strēgth to procéede anie farther in spéeches she kissed the face of her welbeloued so long desired Zoilo with great sobbing sighs making within her selfe a terrible conflict tarrying for the answere of her welbeloued friend who with no lesse paine anguish of death sayd Ah my Ladie and mistres I do know that thou wert alwaies mine I thine That which I will now desire of thée is for that I was beloued of thée in my life time that now in my death I may be fauoured of thée Oh cruell loue oh what a wish is this a case neuer the like heard of before that I shuld desire the death of her that so long time hath trauailed and taken paines and sorrowes with terrible wéepings and sighs for my sake Ah my mistres how happie shoulde I be that thus imbracing one in the others armes we might depart together Oh what a happie death would it be oh swéete Fortune I haue no other griefe with me but to leaue thée behinde me Oh vnhappie that I am I neuer determined to desire thy death but nowe and onely for that I woulde not leaue thy companie The Princesse béeing very much troubled with griefe and sorrowe aunswered him and sayde Oh my loue therein take thou neyther griefe nor care for héere I dooe promise thée by the greate loue that I doe beare vnto thee that if death doe shew himselfe any thing contrarie vnto mée that I will procure it with mine owne handes for that the Gods will not consent that I should liue and thou die therefore I saye that if hée doe contrarie mée I will giue thee this contentment for that without thée I shall finde héere no ioye nor comfort at all for me neyther yet any ease of this my great griefe so that I shall thinke it for the best to loose all my ioye and now I doe finde in my selfe that death will be my friend Ah my swéet loue and Lord ioyne thy face vnto mine let vs kisse together and let vs make our departure both together The Prince béeing troubled with the anguish of his hastie death sayd Héere I doo desire thée my Tigliafa by y e firme faithfull loue which thou doest beare me not to consent that I be the occasion that with a cruell death thou doest finish thy life but to sustaine maintaine it so long as the Gods doth permit the same and when that I am dead which shall be verie quickly let me receiue this fauour at thy handes that thou wouldest vouchsafe to giue a Sepulchre vnto this my bodie for with great ease and comfort shall I depart séeing that I die in the armes of my Ladie and mistres and a greate deale more comfort shall I receiue if I knew of a certaintie that thou woldest performe this that I doe craue and desire at thy hands Oh my loue doe not denie this my supplication and for that I am certified that thou wilt performe the same héere I take my leaue of thée farewell the Gods preserue thée and take me to theyr mercies And when he sayde these wordes he inclined his necke vpon
alone I am verye well content sayd the King the which he spake with a great deale more meekenesse than his greate pride did giue him license or could suffer and all to see him within the castle for that he was perswaded with himselfe that if he were once within there were not in all the world one Knight that could ouercome him neither make any resistaunce against his power So Rosicleer commaunded that the gate might be open whereat the Giaunt entred and also his great Elephant When the King was entred the Troyan had great care and diligence to shut the gate again whom when the King knew the more was his griefe but w t the great anger that he had he made no stay till such time as he came into the great Court and there he mounted vppon his furious and great beast and Argolio brought vnto his Lord his horse and without profiting himselfe of the stirrop he leped into the saddle So when he was on horse back he layd hand on his sword and the Gyant on his great cutting fauchon either of them assaulted the other w t mortal blowes Héere it is requisit necessary to leaue these two warriors in their battell till time shal serue and I will tell you of the Emperour of Trapisond the great and mightie Alfebo who as you haue heard when he vnderstood how y â— proud Brufaldoro without all feare of his Epitaph had armed himselfe w t the armor of Bramarant he was straight taken in two extremities y e one for to accomplish y t which he had promised and the other for y t he would not leaue his Emperiall Empire but calling to remembrance how y t the Empres had a great delight in hunting one morning betimes before that they did arise he sayd My Lady Empres it is not vnknowen vnto you the dutie we owe vnto our noble courages and howe much we are bounde by our high estates to maintaine our foregotten honor y t which with great losse of our bloud and sweatings of our bodies we haue obtained And this is of a certaintie that he is more to be commended y t doth sustaine that which he hath gotten then he which now doth win it although y e fortune doth fauor him for many times when a man is in y e top of his highnes he graÌ„teth things y t although he be in the best of his quietnes rest taking his case yet he is bound to accomplish performe his promise It is wel knowen that y e armor of Bramaâ—ant was put for a Tropheo or memorie vpon a high and mightie Pine trée with an Epitaph written in the which my brother did promise giue his word to make defence against whosoeuer woulde take them away and I likewise did make the same promise It is come now vnto my knowledge that a Moore with his bolde courage hath not only made little accompt of that which we haue promised but also with the force of his arme he hath slaine my verye great friende Zoylo the Prince of Tartaria for the which I am bound to séeke out this Moore for that I cannot say against the will of my brother this is my pretence my good Lady and Empres and I would be very glad that it might be with your good will The Empresse who was very attentiue vnto y e words which y e Emperour Alfebo had spoken she sayd My Lord and Emperour from the first time that I heard these newes which you now speake off I did imagine that which now I haue heard and I cannot denie that in séeing my selfe without you it will be welnéere my death for that the heart with the which I doo sustaine my life will be absent but for all that considering that it is a thing that doth concerne your honour I will rather suffer the death in your absence then disturbe you in that which you are so much bound to fulfill Therefore you may ordayne your departure when your pleasure is and I doo desire you that your returne may be with as much breuitie as maye be and carrye with you in your companye the King Bramidoro The Emperour finding the aunswere of the Empresse so much to his contentment he imbraced and kissed her with great loue and straight he arose and procured to put in order his departure And arming himselfe with the armour of Meridia and mounted vpon his great horse he commaunded to call the King for to make himselfe ready to beare him coÌ„pany at the which he receiued great delight and being in a readinesse there was brought vnto him an Elephant vppon the which he mounted And so taking his leaue of his vassailes and subiects the Emperour gaue them great charge to haue respect of obedience vnto their naturall Lady Then the Emperour and Bramidoro departed from the Citie tooke with them in their company but one young gentleman who was sonne vnto the Duke gf Alafonte whose name was called Victorando and he was of a very good disposition so they trauailed sixe dayes without finding anye aduenture worth the telling but the seuenth day they chaunced into a great Forrest full of meruailous mightie and thicke Trées and by reason that the way was very narrow and not much vsed they strayed and lost their right way vnawares they were so inclosed amongst y e trées and bushes that they could not by any meanes finde where they had lost their way So all the rest of the day they did no other thing but ride héere and there in the Forrest amongst the trées but it was greate ease vnto them for that the wildernes was very plain grouÌ„d although full of trees The night came so vpoÌ„ them that they were constrained to alight from their horses and amongest those trees did eat of such victuals as VictoraÌ„do had brought with him and the Emperour and the King did passe y e time in such communication as they thought best to their coÌ„tentment In this order they passed the time till sleepe came vppon them whereas they rested till next morning the which beeing come the Emperour mounted vpon his horse and the King vpon his Elephant and they returned to seeke the way and going this way and that way to see if they could happen on the way which shuld carie them out of that Forrest they haâ—â—â—ed to come vnto a little mountayne all of harde stone in the which was a great caue and thether they went and alighting from their horses they entred into the caue found that on the one part it was fall of â—aye and vpon the walls was haÌ„ged many quarters of veÌ„â—on of other wilde beasts found no other thing at all therewith they returned out againe went vnto the top of that rocke ouer the caue looked about them on euerie side to see if there were any person thereabouts but they could see no body Then the King Bramidoro sayd it shall be good seeing that we haue flesh
she not let to perseuer in her sorrowfull lamentation said Ah knight the defender of my corporall death wherby liuing I do passe a thousand deaths I say that my sorrow and euill was such y t with more reason I may bewaile the life which thou hast giuen me then the death which I am deliuered frō And in saying these wordes she all to tare rent her golden haire which she had This pittifull knight did procure to disturbe her from doing to her selfe such violence in offering vnto her all his power and strength for to remedie her euill if it were possible to be remedied This sorrowfull ladie said If thou wert such a knight that with they great valour and strength couldest set at libertie my hart from sorrow as thou hast deliuered my bodie from death I woulde declare vnto thée the greatest mishap that euer happened vnto woman thereby thou shuldest vnderstand whether I haue reason rather to desire the death then to liue therefore gentle knight I doe desire thée to sit downe and to hearken vnto me with attentiue eare for that my iustice will moue and constraine thee to take my defence as thine owne so they sat down vnder a great Pine trée which was harde by whereas she was bound and with great abundance of teares she sayd After the losse of the Princesse Graualesa they tooke out of the monestarie of Basilea the Princesse Dondelaria and amongst all them that were chosen to be at her seruice commandement I was takē for one for y t I was daughter vnto parents of whom they made great reckoning and againe for y t I was verie diligent in my seruice my father is y e Earle of Bura so it fell out y t it had ben better to y e contrarie Ther came to the court the daughter of y e Earle of Tirol who was of a meruailous and extreame beautie who was at her entrie accompanied with many worthy Knightes for that all did respect the Earle verye much because he was a very noble man At the great fame and reporte of this daughter of the Earle of Tirol for that she was of so excellent beautie came many young Knights out of diuers countreyes to sée her amongst whom came two bretheren iolly young gentlemen and sonnes vnto the Earle of Olanda and a cousin of theirs a valiant Knight sonne vnto the Duke of Brabant There was no great friendship betwixt these two brethren as it appeared because they were of different condition the one from the other likewise great difference in their persons for that the eldest had a very fierce countenaunce and ill fauoured and of great pride and the youngest of a seuere and gentle countenaunce and very humble of person and was well beloued of all them in the Court Both of them set their eyes vpon Clarentina daughter vnto the Earle of Tirol and for a farther euill that false Cupide would not but that she shuld likewise set her eyes on one of them bringing her heart into captiuitie with the loue of Pinorante the youngest of the two bretheren Firidefonte who was the eldest hauing vnderstanding thereof being gouerned by his great pride and seeing the small accompt that Clarentina made of him the diuell straight wayes put into his heade with the great ieelousie that he had for to kill his brother but many dayes after he went meruailously troubled with great alterations in his thought about the dooing of y e wicked déede sometimes ouercome by brotherly loue to leaue that enterprise and at other times counsailed by his owne cholar to the contrarie And in this sort he continued a long time till in the end Clarentina did vtter more at large her good wil vnto his brother and vpon a time he saw them talking together which was the occasion to confirm in him that damnable intent Wherfore vpon a night as Pinorante was walking on the backe side of the Court his euill brother did kill him with great crueltie leauing him vpon the ground he returned vnto his lodging and it was neuer knowen who was the murtherer of him and for that the fraternall bloud could not let but to wound verie much his heart considering the euill fact which he had done he straight way repented himselfe thereof which was afterward a farther euill and forsomuch as the diuell was lodged in his heart this his euill pretence did not rest with the death of his brother but gathered in his thought to do a fact farre worser and the occasion was for that Clarentina made so great lamentation for the death of that vnhappie Pinaronte and this was the presumption that he would vse ordeined by the diuell and it so fell out that I was wounded by that false Cupide with the loue of Firidefonte not hauing anie respect vnto the ill fauorednesse of his face and being constrained by the gréeuousnes of my wound I gaue him cléerly to vnderstand therof which was the occasion y t he was the bolder to doe that which hée did seeing me so captiue in loue of him he was in no doubt to discouer vnto me his whole heart all the which he tolde me being in place where boldly he might speake And he said Ah Clarentina my verie friend I haue had greate desire to haue had this opportunitie for to talke with thée and to discouer my whole heart Thou hast well séene this vnhappie and cruell death of my vnfortunate brother thou shalt vnderstand that Clarentina was the occasion of his death but and if thou wilt doe that which now I will desire thée I do héere sweare vnto thée by the high and mightie God y t there shall none be Ladie of my heart but alonely thy beautie then I vnhappie and without all good fortune being wholy yéelded and so ouercome with his loue did offer my selfe to doe all that which his pleasure was to commaunde mée Then this traitour with dissembling wordes sayde I alwayes had this good opinion in you my loue that you woulde accomplish my request Well thou shalt nowe vnderstande that I doe pretende to accuse Clarentina for the murther of my brother and the better to bring to passe my desire I will saye that thou art witnesse therevnto and doest knowe the certaintie thereof Then I thinking to obtaine that which so long time I had desired did promise him to doe it as by the proofe it shoulde plainely appeare And with this conclusion he departed from me and went and gaue his cousin Rodelando to vnderstand of it who is one of the strongest and valyauntest knightes in all this Countrie and Rodelando beléeuing that it should bée true did offer himselfe to be the seconde in the defence in helping of his cousin and so both of them went and made their accusation before the Emperour the Emperour commaunded mée to bée called before him for to declare what I did knowe therein and did accomplish and performe all that I had promised Then this
Pallaice and the Emperour Trebatio carryed the Pastora vnto her graundmother committing her vnto her custodie for to make much of her And hée tooke the king of Trapobana by the hande and rendered vnto him verie much courtesie and therewith entered into a fayre hall whereas they found the Tables couered and sate downe to supper whereas they were with great ioy and pleasure such as neuer was séene the like in the Court The Emperour the two Kings were set together then the Emperour Alphebo and the Empresses and by them Claridiano and the Pastora who was beheld of all them that were there present much meruailing at her great beautie Coridon did serue them at y e table very much delighted with that he had séene The Supper indured so long that Diana did extende her beames at this time they tooke vp the tables and Galtenor with a loude voyce sayd One of the high glories of my Esclarisido sonne Claridiano shall appeare in this great Citie before the day doo come He had no sooner made an ende of these words when that the heauens beganne to waxe darke with a very thicke clowde and it came with great thunderings and lightenings with so terrible a noyse as though the earth would haue sunke and the longer it indured the more was the fury thereof in such sorte that they all fell vpon their knées and with great humilitie they desired god to deliuer them from the fury of that great tempest So with this sodaine chaunce they passed away the night till y e morning and although the tempest in some part ceased yet the heauens remained all cloudie When the morning was come there appeared before the pallaice nigh vnto y e inchantment of Lindabrides a very strange aduenture which made them all to meruaile and straight way they gaue the Emperour to vnderstand thereof who went out of the Pallayce with all his Knightes with great desire to knowe what it was so likewise went foorth his sonnes and nephewes And when they came into the Courte they sawe that there was fiâ—ed foure pillers euery one of a very fine Rubie vppon the which was placed a Sepulchar of Christall and within the sepulchâ—r there séemed to be a verye faire Ladye her breast pearced thorough with a sword and vpon the Sâ—pulcher there â—aye a man all a long with his face looking vp to the heauens and apparailed with robes of estate with a Crowne of golde vpon his head And vnder the Sepulcher was there spread abroad a great Carpet a cloth of gold and vpon it two pillowes of the same and vpon them lay a knight armed with verie rich armour and his sword laie at his féete his eyes were shut and out of them distilled verie great teares at euerie piller there was a Gentlewoman which séemed to be without anie remembraunce although they wept verie bitterly and nigh vnto the Sepulcher there â—aie a terrible great beast of the verie same making of that which Claridiano slew for to set at libertye the king of Arabia Lapetra This was the spectacle y t Claridiano sawe comming in the aire The Sepulcher was coÌ„passed round about with a strong wall with foure gates for to enter in thereat the gates were after the manner and coulour of fine Diamonds néere vnto the gate which was ouer against the Pallaice was there a Marble piller at the which hung a Bugle horne and an Epitaph written with red Letters the which the Prince Rodolpho did reade with a high voice that all that were there might heare him and it said as followeth At such time as the crueltie of the king of Arabia Lepetra shall be at liberiie and the valour of that worthye Claridiano knowen then they which hath not ben wounded w t loue shall know both the reason the rage of loue for the which cause I doe aduise him that doth not know what loue is not to proue this aduenture if he will not fall into greate misfortune for that cause he must passe by pure force all the force that Claridiano made plaine And this shall indure till such time as the bastard Lyon sonne vnto the Emperiall lion be borne of the rauening Ounce Then he who hath loue in his brest and passed through that vnhappie Ladie daughter vnto the king of Arabia shall sée the great rage without reason of loue The Emperour when he heard that it were things which touched his nephew sayd Oh excellent aduenture of my Claridiano this daie is shewed vnto vs his great valour Galtenor told vnto those knights all that had passed in y e aduenture vntil that day which caused in them great admiration and more at the making of that strange beast who they did behold very atentiuely with this they passed away all that day the Pastora did chaunge her accustomed apparell into robes of silke cloth of gold shewing y e great estate beautie in all points which was in her All the whole court receiued great pleasure sauing onely the Princesse Oliuia who for the absence of her Rosicleer all things did séeme coÌ„trarie vnto her farre different from the iudgementeâ— of all other So the time drew on for to go to rest Then Galtenor tooke Claridiano by the hand and lead him a part on the one side of the hall and sayd vnto him I will carrie thée with me into a place whereas thy heart a new shall be wounded and shall forget the loue which before thou hast had and therwith he commaunded him to arme himselfe in great secret y e successe of the same shall be tolde you héereafter The next daie in the morning when they were all readie to go to heare seruice with the Emperour there entered into the hall a knight of a great stature and proportion of his members and was armed with verie rich armour his face and his handes were vnarmed and shewed by his demeanour a great maiestie and seuere countenance he was of his face somewhat browne of coulour but the proportion thereof was verie well fauoured his beard began to bud he brought after him thrée squires and Pages the one of them brought his Speare which was bigge and short and the other brought his healme the third brought his shéeld with an Emperiall deuice straight waie it was knowen wherefore his comming was and although conformable to reason we haue not spoken anie thing of the faire matrone the quéene of Lyra who with prosperous weather and great pleasure did nauigate by the sea holpen by the furie of Borias which with a fresh winde did continually fill those stiffe sailes and cutting the seas with that sharp steme leauing behinde them the token of their great swift way by the froth of the water and in short time discouering land they tooke port vpon the shore of Almaine wheras this faire Ladie went a land and with her two Nymphes tooke theyr iourney towardes the Court of Almaine So she trauailed two daies and nothing chaunced worth
those passions which the day before he had passed Also those conceites did call to account more sorrowes made him to be gréeued for his long absence from his best beloued Oliuia whose beautye hée intertained so déeply in his minde as neither time place nor any fortune whatsoeuer could seperate hir from his good opinion Nourishing his minde with this swéete passion he continually tossed too and fro and in the ende séeing the bright shining Moone fixing his eyes vpon it hée began to contemplate the diuine power of almightie God not wondering also a little how that y e heauens were beautified with golden stars and how the greate Architector of the world had setled euerie one in his due and conâ—enient place which ingendered a greate confusion in his minde These cogitations summoned him to sléepe wherein hée had not taken long rest but y t he heard on his leâ—â—â— hand a harmonious sound of some musical instrument therwith all so pleasant and Angelicall a voyce answerable to the same y t he supposed it to descend froÌ„ y e heauens The prince start vp and softly went through the darke thicketâ—es to the end he might approch the more néerer therby to be pertaker of that celestiall musicke but he was hindered of his iourney for that Dianas brightnesse was eclipsed with a Clowde wherefore then lifting vp his eyes hée might discrie vnder a broade Pine apple trée a certaine Lady sitting vppon a quishion of blacke veluet embrodered with diuerse pretie knots of golde whom he supposed to be that Ladie with which her diuine harmonie delighted his troubled spirits her faire yeolow haire vntied and hanging downe beneath her eares did rest vpon her comely shoulders in such séemly sort and so long that some part therof touched the black veluet cloath which did séeme with their golden colour to represent some golden embleme wouen in the same cloth She had before hir Christalline breast a goodly Lute whereon she played as you haue hearde this swéete musicke There waited vppon her person nine faire damosells arraied all alike with gownes of blacke veluet on her one side ther lay prostrate a lustie strong knight well proportioned in bodie and tall harnessed in a blacke Diamond armour without anye other deuice who was verie attentiue to the musicke which the faire Ladie did sing the tenor of the which is comprised in these vearses following STraine forth a voice conformed to my hart and let my fingers heauie stops applie Whilest that my tongue in words bewray such smart as who them heares maie knowe in life I die Foules beasts and wormes that neighbor neere this place All in your kindes assist my wofull case Yea euen the fish that in this riuer dwell whose cleere sweet streames my teares haue bitter made Will stay to heare the processe which I tell the Nymphs also that haunt this grouie shade And Ecko eke full glad of such a mate Will in my words bemone hir passed state I loue aye mee whereby my ioyes I lost and am not lou'd wherein fresh griefe I finde Prowd Tyrant thou with shame thy conquest bost thy faith my fame staind by thy cruell minde Who gotst with guile the guard of my good name And leau'st me now to ransacke of defame Cannot my face where nature prints her praies thy liking draw her A.b.c. there to know My haires excell bright Phoebus golden raies my eyes more cleare then starres in frost that show My cheekes likewise for perfect white and red resemble bloud that in the snowe is shed The rest vnnamde doth match all these likewise but lo my faith my forme too farre doth passe Yea forme and faith he shunnes and doth despise whom ceaslesse I pursue from place to place Whereby though ofte my tender lims I tire My will yet fresh through hope and sweete desire She made an ende of hir song with a pitifull sigh and letting hir lute fall out of hir hand with a trembling voice shée saide O Prince Zoylus if thou diddest or wouldest knowe the greate trauaile that this carefull Damoisell susteyneth for thy onely cause I doo verily thinke that albeit thou hadst tasted of the water of the inchanted well of Merlin yet could it neuer worke such effect in thée as to make thée carelesse of my torments sith they are so sharpe and I haue sustained them so long These words were no sooner vttered by this sorrowfull lady but presently the knight start vp who was laid downe close by the Lady and could not be quiet vntill he had answered hir thus What breath hath loue made in your breast most delicate damosell how hath he subdued you with his blinde force vnlesse the great disdaine and discontentment that the Tartarian Prince shâ—wed you doo oppresse you I know not why you should complaine why shuld not you quite his discurtesie with like disgrace why should you not make him tast of y e sower which séemes so bitter to you You sent for me you know to come into Greece onely to be reuenged of his crueltie and how often haue you wished his head as a Sacrifice in respect of his contempt And how comes it now to passe y t in your songs he is remembred with such affection thought vppon with such plainâ—s and called vpon as a diuine creature Beléeue mée and doubt not of it good madame if Fortune be so fauourable to assist mée in my purpose I will in such wise contriue these matters that you shall neuer haue anie occasion to lament his lyfe neyther yet to suspect that he doeth bestowe his good will and liking vpon some other Ladie The afflicted Dame notwithstanding all these his comfortable speaches could not strip her selfe of any part of these excéeding sorrowes which so déeply did sting her wherevppon shée aunswered him in this order saying Prince of Mesopotamia I sayle euen nowe betwéene two doubtes whereby I doo not onely doubt but am also perswaded my shipwracke is harde at hande For if I become so frowarde as to enuie him whome I wish to bée my friende or that I haue so cankered a minde as to séeke to destroie him whome I loue so well what might be sayd of me otherwise then of a fained louer and cruell homicide againe if on the other side I pardon his death whose life and disdaine bréeds me this sorrow might argue too much pitie without desart Alasse what lucke had I that loue should intrude himselfe so forcibly into my poore hart and gouerne there as chiefe Lorde and could he not haue battered the breast of Zoylo whose deâ—ence in resisting had bene more strong then mine but the weakest must to the wall and the least able must beare the heauiest burthen How gladsome would that daye be vnto me wherein I might sée my Knight abandon his straungenesse and extend more fauour vpon me or els alas how willing wold I be that my afflicted heart were drawen out of his place by his bloudie hande The poore
finished these speeches he began to slumber and immediatly with a sorrowing sigh he began to saie Alasse Fortune how manie things are there framed by thy hands swéete in all mens taste and sowre in my disgestion pleasant to many and bitter to me Afâ—er this he tooke againe his instrument with an harmonious stroke pittifull voice he sang these vearses O Heart more hard then Hircan Tiger fell and are more deafe then sencelesse troubled seas O causelesse foe whose rigor doth excell to thee I yeeld thy anger to appease Take tyrant wrathfull wreake of me thy fill That ending now my griefe remaine not still My heauie cheere and euill that is past my fainting voice my case so comfortlesse Thou moandst not once so mercilesse thou wast nor stirdst thy foote to ease me in distresse But time will come when sorrow hath me slaine That thy repentance will increase thy paine Ah cruell how canst thou the loue forget that each to other we in youth profest Which when I minde full many a sigh I â—et for that was it which first bred my vnrest And for the sweete which then by thee I felt I finde sharpe sowre O most vniustly dealt Tell me wherein I haue offended thee or when I slackt thy seruice anie waie Then how canst thou so much vnmindfull be when oft in secret thou to me wouldst saie That in my absence Lucifer so bright Nor gladsome Phoebus once should giue thee light I gone thou vowest the waters should not yeeld their wonted solace nor the pleasaunt Rose Or any flower of the fragrant feeld such loue thou saidst thou didst on me repose Which was but small as now the ende doth trye That thus distrest thou sufferst me to dye Oh Gods of loue if so there any be and you of loue that earst haue felt the paine Or thou thy selfe that thus afflictest me heare these my words which hidden griefe constraine Ere that my corps be quite bereaud of breath Let me declare the cause of this my death You mountaine Nymphes which in these desarts raigne cease off your chase of sauage beasts a while Prepare to see a heart opprest with paine addresse your eares to heare my dolefull stile No strength remorce no worke can worke my weale Loâ—e in my heart so tyrantlike doth deale O Driades of louers much adorde and gratious damsells which in euenings faire Your closets leaue with heauenly beautie stord and on your shoulders spred your golden haire Attend my plaints and thou that made'st me thrall If thou haue power giue speedie death withall Ye sauage Beares in caues and dennes that lye remaine in peace if you my reasons heare And be not mooued at my miserie though too extreame my passions doo appeare Ye Mounts farewell ye fragrant fields adieu And siluer streames high Ioue still prosper you He finished his song with manie a bitter sigh and hée was so windlesse with sobbing that he laye as it were in an extasie stretched vpon the ground The Knight of the Sun entring into this ruinous lodge finding the Gentleman in this wretched estate he began ne to behold the proportion of his face and with extreame dolour wepte as well in ballauncing his owne passed miserie with this young knights as also for that he verely reputed him to be his brother Rosicleer or els some néere kinsman of his for that in beautie and strongnesse of bodie he resembled him so much y t there was but small difference betwéene them sauing onely the beard While the Grecian Prince was beholding this sorrowfull sight the inthralled knight with a déepe sigh awaking and séeing the Knight of the sunne afore him he wondred what might drawe so comely a Knight vnto so solitarie a woode and therewithall he reared vp his bodie and sitting vpon y e gréene grasse with many a drerie teare hee beheld y e shape of the Knight of the sun inforcing himselfe to speake he said Sir Knight insomuch as fortune hath directed you hather to accompanie me in this desart place sit by me I pray you and pardon my folly in that you haue found me so disordered The Prince without making anye aunswere sate downe as the Knight intreated him beeing very desirous to knowe the ende of that aduenture what cause made him demeane so tragicall a life he being set he tolde the Knight that the desire he had to vnderstande the barke vearses that were in the trées and likewise to heare his swéete songs which so harmoniously he sang mooued him to forsake his waye and to repaire to this ruinous lodging therwithall made render of his seruice to the knight While the Prince deliuered these speaches the comfortlesse Knight was musing with himselfe what he might be who by his comelinesse appeared to be valiaunt and by his curtesie to be honourable and therewithall was verie desirous to knowe what he was and béeing somewhat stinged with the bitter passions which he had alreadie sustained he said Alasse sir Knight howe little is the bodie touched with the dolefull cares of the heauie heart and how slenderly nowe a dayes is the guerdon of a faithfull friend as mine owne experience can best relate it so shall your curtesie mooue me to impart the well spring of all my woe and then I beseech you iudge how vnworthily I am tormented I cannot otherwise thinke but you will pittie my mâ—shaps with some sorrowing sighs especially if at anie time you haue tasted the bitter pils of loue and I promise you I would be heartely gladde that it might stand with your pleasure to make me acquainted with your name to the end I might knowe to whome I might disclose my wretched estate The Prince made him aunswere and sayd I am sonne to the Emperour Trebatio of Greece and am called the Knight of the Sunne brother vnto the renowmed Rosicleer whom you greatly resemble and be thus perswaded that the sparkes of loue hath kindled as many glowing coales in me as in anie other and hath left as deepe impression of sorrowe in my poore heart as in anye other Knight Therefore Knight as I haue satisfied your request so I praie you vnfolde to mée the cause which makes you liue so pensiue In so dooing I will sweare by the almightie God I will hazard my life to purchase your desired quietnesse The Prince of Dacia which had alreadie heard of the prowesse of the Knight of the Sunne héerewithall began to shake off part of his martirdomes and knowing the worthinesse of the knight bowing downe his bodie somwhat low he said Although y t my mishap haue ben great in susteining such coÌ„tinual griefs yet doo I esteeme it sleÌ„der sith y t héerby I haue purchased acquaintance with y e flower of all chiualrie whose valiant hart doth bemone my oppressed estate whose only counsell wil determine my exceeding torments Sith theÌ„ renowmed prince y e loue hath already made a passion in thine hart wherby you may y e better be an
came to a little Temple that was very curiously wrought erected to the vse of the greatest crueltie that euer was heard off Néere vnto that Temple he sawe foure dead bodies whose heads were cut of and as it appeared by theyr apparell two of them were Knights and the other two Damosells then casting his eyes a side towards a faire gréene field which was harde by he behelde a great number of heades which were the heades of those that had ben slaine amongst which were the foure heads of the newe slaine bodies that hée before found dead for the fresh bloud did as yet runne out vppon the ground This lamentable spectacle this noble Greek beheld with such surpassing sorrow as almost no heart can comprehend but béeing rauished as it were with desire to be resolued of the effect of this so monstrous inhumanitie he procéeded farther till at length he approched the Temple where he discouered a posterne dore to be open and incontinent alighting from his horse with a heroycall courage being incensed with anger he rushed in hoping there to haue found the homicide which was the chiefe auctor of this tragicall crueltie Béeing entred the first thing that appeared to his view was a verie faire Altar curiously wrought and vpon it the dead figure of a verie faire Ladie through whose bodie was thrust a terrible two edged sworde likewise at the foote of the same Altar was another figure of a huge and mightie Giant being ten cubiâ—es in height all meruailous curiously wrought in Alabaster with straunge and subtil deuises who knéeled with both his knées on the earth This noble Knight was very much amazed at y e sight of so straÌ„ge a matter and yet not satisfied he went into a little Courtâ— there adioyning found that it was all hanged with blacke cloathes which represented great sadnesse and sorrowe and in those clothes was figured diuers dead men and women Hard at the foote of the foresaid Altar was made fast in the earth euen to the brimme thereof a sesterne of leade into which the bloud of those that were slaine and their heades cut off in sacrifice was poured and out of the same â—esterne it was conuayed vnder the earth by a gutter very secretely the which went vnto the Riuer whereof we spake before this was the same bloud which the valyant Prince did see in the channell of the riuer euen the bloud of the four headlesse bodies that he found newly slaine On the other side of the Altar he sawe an olde man with a faire white bearde sitting in a chaire who leaned his aged head vppon his lefte hand and his elbowe vppon the chaire side whose eyes wer shut and his countenaunce so sad that it appeared ther was in him no comfort but onely great sorow and mournings This valiant Greeke who greatlye desired to vnderstande the ende of this sorrowfull antecedent approched vnto the sléeping old man pulling him by his apparell for to awake him this carefull old man presently lifte vp his eyes with out any delay or farther demaund he said O gentle noble â—night what crooked fortune hath brought thée into this peruerse accursed place wherein is exercised so much sorrowfull impietie and wheras thou maist expect no other thing but death by the hands of the most cruell Giaunt that euer thou hast heard of take therefore my counsell returne the way thou camest that spéedely before thou be espied for otherwise it will be hard for thée to escape from death Then the worthie knight of the Sunne answered and said I giue thée great thankes for thy counsell good Father neuerthelesse I request thée to declare vnto me the cause for that as yet being ignoraÌ„t of farther peril thou séemest to perswade me to so great a feare To whom the olde man replied for y â— thou séemest vnto mee to be of an incomperable perfection exceeding force I will not let to declare vnto thée with as great breuitie as I may this tragicall matter whereby thou maist well perceiue the singular profit that thou shalt receiue in following this my counsell which I haue giuen thée and so with a sadde â—nd heauie countenaunce mixed with many salte and bitter teares distilling downe from his aged eyes he began in this wise and sayd This countrey wherein thou now art is that auncient and famous kingdome of Tinacria which not long since was gouerned by one of the most puissaunt Kings that euer raigned therein or in any Prouince héereabout but death by his accustomed furie depriued him of his life and all his loyall subiects of a vertuous and louing Lord leauing the guiding of the Kingdome in the power of two very fayre and Angelicall damosels his daughters who represented the former vertues of their noble late deceased father The eldest of theÌ„ was named Arcalanda the youngest Garasilea Not long after the death of the king their Father this fayre Arcalanda was requested of loue by the king of Sardenna whose name is Bramidoro a gyant of huge and mightie bignesse as by the stature which thou doest héere sée thou maist easily suppose but this vertuous quéene not onely denied her consent in marriage but also to heare the message of the embassadours and would in no wise sée them so that they returned without any answere Then this Giant séeing y e great disdaine and small account that the Quéene made of him and how little she estéemed of his loue béeing more inflamed with furie then any other reason and trusting in his incomperable strength with fiue hundred knightes he transported to Tinacria and landing in the Port of Saragosa he there beganne to make knowen his vnmercifull crueltie hoping that he shoulde obtaine that by force which by faire meanes he could not winne The Knights of Tinacria like true and faithfull subiectes obeied the commaundement of their noble Quéene and made diuerse and sundrie valiaunt skirmishes with the Knightes of the Gyant but by reason of his great force and surpassing strength they were alwaies constrained to retire to the Citie not without much losse for that this Gyant had in his companie to aide him a brothers sonne of his who in valiance force of armes equalled well néere his vnkle And in such sort they mainteined the wars y t in small time they put the citie in great perill to be lost and likewise the whole kingdome The knights subiects of this noble quéene Arcalanda not able long to resist y e Gyants forces seeling themselues meruailously oppressed in great distresse began to perswade with their quéene y t she should accept his demaund and graunt to marrie the aforesaid gyant Then this vnfortunate Ladie vnderstanding the feeblenesse of her subiects forces and the effect of that which they had declared vnto her and féeling in her selfe such impossibilitie to accomplish the demaund of the gyant that the accepting of it would be more gréeuous vnto her then to receiue y
chast Diana accept likewise that which with so much bloud I offer vnto thee And in finishing this sorrowfull speach she drewe out a faire and bright shining sword which she had hidden secretly vnder her gowne and putting the hilte vpon the scaffolde little looked for of all those that were present she sodaynly threwe hir selfe vppon the poynt of the sayd sword so that not all that were there could deliuer hir for y e poynt passed through hir body in such sort as thou dost see heere by this figure portratured rendring hir soule to hir tuition vnto whom she offered hir sacrifice What should I héere declare the lamentable sorowes and pitifull lamentation that was there made for this vnhappie mischaunce committed in the sight of all the people I say it was such that the woodes eccoed and their pitifull shrikes ascended to the heauens but none was more galled with griefe then the afflicted Giant who rose vp and like a man distraught fomed at the mouth and roaring with horrible cries lyke an infernall creature in great furie he rushed amongst the people throwing them downe on euerie side till he came vpon the scaffolde and approching to the dead body of the damosell he tooke hir in his armes and with a terrible and fearfull voyce he sayd Oh my beloued ioy and earst my onely hearts delight Is this the desired sacrifice wherein through thy desperatenes thou hast deceiued me who loued thée more then my selfe Is this y e truce thou requiredst for one day only therein to conclude both thy death mine also Oh noble Quéene and my beloued Lady if this were thy intent why didst thou not first sacrifice me thy seruant and loue wholly subiected vnto thy beautie Woe be vnto thee thou vnfortunate King of Sardenna that for thy fault lack of looking too thou hast lost hir whom thou madest Ladie of thy hart O ill graunted truce whereby my hart hath lost that yea without all hope of recouerie wherein onelye it had lately rest O Diana is it not sufficient that they doo worship and honour thée but that thou wilt haue all goodnes to consist in ielousie Tarrie therefore for I will make that thy determined purpose shall mitigate thy mallice and thy owne deuice shall be thy destruction for I vowe by the dâ—uine Iupiter because thou hast permitted this detestable act that so long as I liue thou shalt not be worshipped for the chast Diana but Arcalanda in thy stéed shall be adored I wil procure moreouer to diminish thy name yea vtterly to extinguish it so that there shal be no more memorie remaining of thée for that thy blondie tyrannie doth deserue no lesse What shall I more speake gentle and noble Knight of the anguish and deadly sorrowe that the King sustained for no sooner had he deliuered these speaches incensed with furie he set his hand to his sword ouerthrew the image of Diana that was there parted it in two parts and yet not content with this sacriligious fact he descended from the scaffolde exclaiming against the sorrowfull Tinacrian people and saieng O villaines and traitors it is not possible but that all you were consenting vnto this cruell fact and determined euil And vttering these and such like reasons in his diuelish furie he began to flourish with his sword cutting killing and wounding on euery side with such vnmercifull crueltie that in a small time there did not remaine one of all them that were there present but I alone and by reason that I was one of the Priests of Diana he saued my life although he little esteemed it Then when this fierce and bloudie diuell did sée that all were slaine and that we two onely remained he tooke the dead Quéene in his armes commaunded me to follow him with my praiers and orisons accustomed vnto Diana and bringing hir to this place he strayght wayes commaunded this Chappell to be buylded in this order as you now sée and promised by vowe vnto all the Gods to sacrifice euery wéeke sixe persons naturally borne in the lande of Tinacria thrée men and thrée women in satisfaction of the bloudie sacrifice that they consented to be offered by their deceased Quéene And it is now two months past since they haue vsed this tyrannie and it is not onely he that doth persecute the poore people of Tinacria but hée hath also to farther him in this his diuelish determination his brothers sonne being of like cruell disposition as himselfe And in this sorte doo these two hell-houndes exercise themselues in this detestable murder insomuch that the Citie is almost left desolate and there remaineth verye fewe which doth maintaine the warres And you shall vnderstand moreouer gentle Knight that the Citie is so strong that it is not possible to win the same neither by force of armes neither by hunger or any other ingen for that it is so well furnished with munition and vittailes yet in the citie there are but a small number of Knights which for their great fidelitie and loue vnto their Countrie haue not lefte it desolate but doo defend it to the vttermost of their powers Neuerthelesse to the iudgement of all men although for a time they doe neuer so politikely defend and make resistaunce against their enimies yet in the ende they shall be driuen to yéelde and to render themselues for that in two battayles which the people of the Iland haue had the diuelish Gyaunt hath had y e victorie so that now they remaine in great feare for that the strength of these two tyrants is incredible to be tolde Now héere gentle Knight I haue declared vnto thée that which thou so greatly didst desire to knowe requesting thée to returne backe againe he way that thou didst come to kéepe thy self from féeling the euent of this expressed euil The noble Prince which with strange attension gaue care vnto this sorowfull Priest béeing fullye determined to adventure his lyfe for to violate this cruell and wicked custome answered not according to the counsell the which he gaue him but according vnto his couragious determination saying Friend where is I beséech thée the abiding of this vnmercifull giant which is the way y t leadeth thether The old Priest replied His Castle is two leagues distaunt from this temple but what shall it auaile thée to know the same what profit wilt thou get by going thether but only death but if thou wilt néedes aduenture thy selfe the same which brought thée hether is y e direct way thether for other there is none Moreouer the valiant prince demanded of him if he could aduertise him how many knights what store of people the Gyant had about him and he aunswered that the most part of them that wer about him were seruants that all the rest of his knightes and men of warre were placed in other castles and fortes of the Iland And while they were occupied in this coÌ„munication they heard without the chappell
liuing God the author of all goodnesse The Gyaunt when he sawe his face discouered he much meruailed to sée the great beautie of that Prince and tooke him fast by the hande and departed towardes the Castell reasoning with him of diuerse matters by the waie And when hée came to the Castell he straight wayes commaunded that a shippe shoulde bée made in a readinesse with all kinde of furniture belonging to it for that without anie delaie he would prosecute his voyage and so curing himselfe of the small wounds which he hadde which did a little trouble him he commaunded straight that they should bring him somwhat to eate for that it was néedfull as well for the great trauaile he had in the former battaile as also for the losse of so much bloud which ranne out of his woundes And when he hadde eaten and dined according to his desire without anye more delaie or further resting himselfe he stayed not so much as to pull off his harnesse but departed out of the Castell and entered presently into the Shippe and without taking anie farther leaue he commaunded to hoise vp the sayles and caused the Marriners to direct theyr course towards Constantinople leauing greate charge with the knight of the Sunne for to burie the bodie of Arcalanda which he promised to perfourme with all his heart And straight waies he finished it for in y e same Chappell vnder the alter hée caused her to be buried and vppon her for a perpetuall memorie caused an Epitaph to bée written as in the storie héereafter shall appeare So this gyant béeing departed his iourney the knight of the Sunne without anie more tarryeng asked where he might finde this Tefereo and when he was informed of the place he tooke his iourney thetherwards and left order with the people that there remained that they shoulde not remoue nor departe till such time as he retourned againe So long he trauailed that daie that the night drew on and towards his left hande he heard a greate rumor and noise of harnesse whereat he tourned about that waie with Cornerino his horse where we will leaue them to tell you of all that which happened vnto the knight Don Eleno of Dacia ¶ How the knight Eleno had battaile with Tefereo the Gyants cousin and the successe that was therein and how the Prince Eleno by a straunge aduenture was separated from his cousin and Tefereo Chapter 7. AFter that this knight Don Eleno of Dacia was departed from the knight of the Sun all that daie he trauailed without méeting of anie bodie and when night approched it waxed so darke that he was constrained to withdrawe himselfe out of the high waie and to repose himselfe in a fayre gréene fielde where as hée let his horse féede of the grasse that did there growe and he layde himselfe downe vnder a faire and gréene Willow thinking ther to take his rest but y e place being solitarie was fitter to occupie his amorous mind w t his old thoughts and to call to remembrance things past then for anye ease neither was there any néere to giue comfort or to bemone him and calling to minde the aunswere which he had of the faire Florisdama in such sort it afflicted his minde that he remained a great while without anye memorie but as one halfe dead leaning against the body of a trée that whosoeuer had séene him at that time would rather haue iudged him dead than aliue In the end he came againe to himselfe and being somwhat eased with the teares that distilled from his eyes of the griefe he had he tooke his lute in his hand which he alwaies carried with him for his comforte and began to playe on it verie swéetely and with his swéete voyce mixed with agréeable musick he represented the dolor of his heart and sung the sorowe of his subiection by loue which song is contained in these verses following ACcord your sounds vnto my carefull songs ye siluer streames that passe this grouie shade Refrain your course a while to waile my wrongs whose former weale by loue is wofull made My blisse to bale my pleasure vnto paine Conuerted is and I in care remaine And sith I seeke in siluane shade to shrowd my selfe so ofte my sorrowes to declare Ye sauage Satyres let your eares be bowd to heare my plaints with speede your selues prepare Trees hearbes and flowers in woods and fields that grow While thus I mourne doo you some silence show Sweete Philomela cease thy songs a while and will thy mates their melodie to leaue And all at once attend my mournfull stile which will I know of mirth your notes bereaue If you desire the burden of my song It's sighes and sobbes that are constraind by wrong You furious beasts that feed on mountaines hie and restâ—esse rome with rage your pray to finde Drawe neere to him whom brutish crueltie hath cleane bereft of rest and ease of minde For quite deuoyd of reason loue or kinde Are these great plagues to my poore heart assignde But sith that Fortune is so much my foe that force perforce I was inforst to part From hir whose presence first procurde my woe and for whose absence now I feele this smart This onely one thing rests to comfort me I will be firme though still she froward be In that I loue and am not lou'de againe my life I loath and onely death require But since my prowesse is not proued plaine to shewe my loue I longer life desire And when in field my martiall force is tride Sweete Death from thrall my heauie hart deuide This dolorous Knight could not procéede forwards with this musicke begunne by reason of a Damzell which was in that place vnknowen vnto him and therefore vnlooked for who with a softe and milde voyce saluted him and this Knight retourned hir againe the courtesie she offered Then this Damosell right sorrowfully said It doth well appeare sir Knight that thou doest not knowe howe néere thou art vnto the perill of death considering that so without all care thou art publishing these thy passions of loue Unto whom he aunswered and said I doo knowe verye well faire Ladie that alwayes I beare about me a deadly perill But alas how can I helpe that although this occasion hath brought me into such extremitie considering that it is so ordained But to what end faire Damosell you haue vttered these wordes I am as yet altogether ignoraunt wherefore I would be very glad to knowe somewhat whereby I might haue occasion to forget these thoughts to bring my selfe in care of some new defence Then this Damosell drewe nigh to him and said Thou shalt vnderstand sir Knight that this Countrie in which thou art is the olde and auncient Kingdome of Tinacria whose happie dayes which in times past it had are now abated and the great felicitie thereof is turned to confusion Then this Damosell did relate vnto him all the whole storie that you haue heard which the olde
retourne to the storie that is past whereas if you doo remember that the Prince Eleno of Dacia entered into that barke wherein the Knight was which would haue forced a Ladye and how that vpon a sodaine their gallyes did seperate themselues so that he lost the sight of his Cousin the Knight of the Sunne and of Tefereo and béeing entered he woulde haue made resistaunce against his aduersarie for to disturbe him that he should not commit the vyolence that he had offered But vppon a sodaine they were all vanished so that he sawe neyther Knight nor Ladye nor Marriners nor yet anye other person but onely himselfe in the Barke with his inchaunted Horse neither could he sée who brought him thether and thinking to reâ—ourne again into the galley whereas his cousin was he could not finde him but looking about he discerned no other thing but the Element the water When the Prince Eleno sawe himselfe absent from his beloued cousin his sorow was very great that he receiued and began to curse all the wise inchaunters and all those that doo permit suffer them for that they were the occasion that in the world ther was so much euill done When this Prince Eleno sawe himselfe all alone and not one with whom he might passe away the time there came vnto his minde his Florisdama which was the occasion that he tourned to his accustomed sadnesse and imagining that he was in her presence he said Oh cruell Ladie which dost now reioyce thy selfe and art at ease in the Kingdome of Dacia art thou fully pleased with these my paines Art thou now pacified y t thou hast brought me into this extremitie and trouble wherein I am in the power of I know not whom and doo nauigate I cannot tell vpon what Thy cruell heart I am sure is now content séeing that without desert for thée I doo suffer so many troubles which as yet I am not certaine whether thou hast pretended or procured it shuld be so or no. Oh cursed inchaunters how many euills haue you wrought by the help of diuells so that by reason of your inchauntments many worthye Knights are brought into such like troubles as I am Héere you may sée into what extremitie this Magicall arte hath brought me so y t I can by no meanes profite my selfe of the strength of these my young armes but am héere in the power of a diuel who wil ouerthrow this barke but that which doth most gréeue me is y t I am brought into a place to dye where of my death shall be lefte no memorie but must die disdained of that cruell Lady So with great sorrowe and trouble he passed thrée dayes in the end of which he discouered a very small Iland which was in the middest of the sea The barke made thether with great switnesse so that in a small time he was fast a ground vpon the sande It was not long after that the Prince leapt a shore when he found himselfe out of the barke he looked rounde aboute him on euery side And towards his right hand amongst a company of greene trees he sawe a small tent armed Toward which the prince directed his way with an easie pace and entring into the Tent he sawe no bodye although hee remayned a while and hearkened if he coulde heere any sâ—irring but he could neither heare nor see any thing but onely he found the print of a lyttle foote vpon the sand and hée had a great desire to know whose footesteps they were for that they seemed to be of some Lady or Damsell and finding the trace he followed them and the more he went it seemed vnto him that the more hast they made whosoeuer it was that had lefte that signe which made him more earnest in his desire to see the ende thereof So long he followed that trace that in the ende he came vnto a little mountaine whereas he found scattered about yeolow haire which seemed to be threds of golde and stooping for to gather them vp he perceiued that some of them were wet with spots of bloud whereby he well vnderstoode the great anger where with they were pulled of from the head Likewise he saw in diuers places how the earth was spotted with drops of liuely bloud Then with a more desire then he had before hée went vp to the top of that little mountaine and hauing lost the footsteps he recouered it by gathering vp y â— golden haire he had not trauailed farre vp the mountaine when that towards the water side he heard a great complaint which séemed to be the voice of a woman and by the faint sound ther of he might well perceiue that they waxed wearie for that a while they would rest and be still and straight way wold returne vnto their accustomed sorrow and complaint And the words which the Prince did well vnderstande were these Oh loue now shalt thou no more reioyce neither haue any longer dominion ouer me for that gentle death wil shew me so much fauour as to finish these my sorrowfull passioÌ„s and therewith vnloose and frustrate this string of loue with the which thou hast bounde me hauing a desire to aske reuengement of him which hath bene the occasion of all this euill I haue asked the same reuengement but it hath not pleased the Gods to heare my request nay rather they haue stopped their eares agaynst these my continual complaynts and with this she helde her peace giuing a very sorrowfull and terrrible sigh The Prince Eleno tourning his eyes towards that place from whence he heard this comylaint discouered amongst certaine gréene trées a Lady who was indued with maruailous great beautie It was so excellent that it depriued him of his heart which he neuer thought againe to haue lost She was with her haire all about her eares and meruailously ill intreated by the violence that she vsed against her selfe and leaning her chéeke vpon her delicate and white hand which was all to be spotted w t bloud in many places which was constrained by the scratching of her nayles The spots was the occasion to dissolue the great passion which the Prince did féele for his Florisdama representing in his heart the figure of this heauie and sorrowful Lady who seeing her of so great beautie and in such affliction was ouertaken and wounded with the demeanour of her faire face and gréeued to sée her so euill intreated in such sort that in a sound he leaned to a gréene trée amongst many other which were vpon that mountaine cleane without any remembraunce Oh Cupide thou béeing but a boye why doost thou vse these cruell kinde of feates Who hath taught thée to vse such deceits which is the occasion of great and endlesse vnquietnes Thou dost show thy selfe to be blind and yet thou art more quicke of sight then a Hawke How is it possible that thou doost make vs beléeue that without séeing thou canst hit so right with thy arrowes and that with so
good an aime thou dost wound wheras thou wilt Thou subtill boy doo not so plainly showe thy selfe what thou art if thou dooest thinke to deceiue me with thy fained innocencie It is sufficient thou showest thy selfe naked for that thou art void of all pitie Oh ye Gods giue me vnderstanding that I may declare the subtilties and deceits of this false Cupide for that I care not for him neither haue I any feare of him Héere this noble Dacian did feele himselfe cleare of the loue of Florisdama and his heart was new set on fire with the sight of the faire Lidia vnto whom he had subiected himselfe and remained more without hope of helpe for his last wounâ—e then he was of the first And when he came vnto himseâ—â—e and â—elt that he was freshly wounded he did delight himâ—â—lf with the yeolow haire the which hee had in his hande and considering with what yre it was pulled of and also calling to remembrance her complaint he did plainly perceâ—â—e that the occasion of all this her sorrow was loue So with these considerations he lifted vp his eyes and did behold the great beautie of Lidia gazed on her faire face which was disfâ—gured with the wounds y t she had made with her naâ—les in scratching it and it was all to be spotted with the bloud that procéeded from the same wounds likewise he did meditate in the great and thicke teares that distilled from her sorrowfull eyes All these was the occasion wholly to confirme his new griefe and with a sorrowfull sigh looking on the yeolow haire he sayd Oh haire if with the great â—urye of loue thou wert torne off with how much more force is thy owner graffed in my heart It hadde bene farre better haire that thou hadst still remained to haue garnished that gallant face which as it doth appeare at other times didde much esteeme of thee then héere to be scattered abroad vpon this mountaine and hauing lost a mistresse of so great valor thou doost giue occasion of death vnto him which neuer offended thee But in recoÌ„pence of this euill which thou hast caused vnto me héere I doo promise to make much of thee to put thée within my bosome lament with teares thy desolatenes And héerwith he went towards y e place where she was at which noyse y e Lady did lift vp her eyes séeing the Prince with a soft voyce she sayd A my friend is my Brenio come back again doth he take anie griefe for his dâ—stressed Lidia This new louer whose hart yerned to sée her pain replied w t weeping eyes Faire Lady I cannot answere vnto this which you doo aske me for that I am a strange knight brought by fortune to beare thée coÌ„pany to be partaker of thy sorrowe and paine and to wound my selfe in beholding 〈◊〉 This faire Ladye gaue eare vnto the wordes of this Knight beléeuing that he woulde haue giuen her some good newes for the mitigating of her sadnesse but she perceiued that he was a straunge Knight she lifted vp her head and with wéeping eyes she said Gentle Knight if my loue haue bene the occasion of this thy sorrow which thou dost show I doo desire thee to depart for in me thou shalt find no other thing but that which only I desire that is death For what loue can they haue that so cruelly are forgotten what possibilitie is there of helpe in them that are without all hope Wiâ—h so great griefe Lidia deliuered these and such like reasons that the ouer much anger she had caused her to retain her words so that she could not speake but gaue a maruailous and sorrowfull shrike that the stoniest heart that euer was would haue bene mooued with compassion This good Dacian séeing that at that time there was no remedy for his euill by reason of the great paine and griefe that the fayre Damosell séemed to sustaine coÌ„strained himselfe by discretion to suffer a while considering y e time did giue ease vnto all things so hoping in time to haue helpe of his disease and turning to talke vnto Lidia he requested her that shée would shew him so much fauour as to declare vnto him the cause of all this her sorrow and paine So this Ladye did declare it vnto him in so sorrowful a sort and with such pitifull sighes that the tempestuous sea being mooued with coÌ„passion contrarie vnto his accustomed noyse made a newe straunge rumour in the caues néere vnto the shore The Prince with no lesse paine attended vnto her sorrowfull â—ale so that it was euen a tragedie to beholde the heauie lamentable prospects of either of them Then in the end of relating this heauie historie the faire Lidia held her peace and remained silent with wonderfull sadnesse This troubled Dacian wholly yeelded vnto his new griefe replyed What furie what cruell and what a hardened and stonye heart had he that a beautie so farre surpassing coulde not mooue him to yéelde Then the faire Lidia who well vnderstoode from whence these gréeuous and sorrowfull spéeches which the knight had spoken procéeded yet not giuing him to vnderstand that she had anie knowledge thereof sayd Sir knight I render you great thankes for the sorrowe which you séeme to receiue at my griefe but if you be a knight of estimation as by your personage it doth appeare you should be héere I doo desire you by the honour you owe vnto the order of knighthoode to performe two requests which I shall desire thée The valiaunt Eleno aunswered I doo not onely Ladie graunt vnto this which you doo demaund but I am wholy subiect to your seruice and will not refuse to doo anie thing that you will commaund me Well séeing it is so sayde this faire Ladie I first request thée to carrie me from this solitarie land wherin I haue receiued so much wrong and therewith shee arose vp and beganne to descend from that little mountaine towards the waters side at such time as Phoebus finished his accustomed course ¶ Of all that happened vnto this faire Lidia and to the Prince Eleno after they departed from the little mountaine whereas they met Chap. 19. BY reason of the great darknesse of the night and againe for that they woulde take somâ— rest they woulde not enter into the Barke at that present The Damosell Lidia that night entered into the Tent somewhat to rest her wearie limmes but the Prince remained without whereas he walked vp and downe all the night And as the solitarie night is an enimie vnto quietnesse so béeing alone there came to his remembraunce manie thinges past which caused him to sustaine sundrie passions wherefore to comfort himselfe hée went vnto his Galley for his Lute and retourning a lande he sate him downe behinde the Tent and beganne to put his Lute in consort although the force of loue bée more full of discord then concorde So when his Lute was in right tune hâ—â— beganne foorthwith to play vpon it
goe and séeke thée to giue thée to vnderstand that my furie is more then thy power And when he had concluded with this he went foorth of the chamber and with a terrible noise he called for his armour the which was straight waie brought vnto him and without tarrying to bée made knight he commaunded to arme him with armour that was all white made by art Magick thē he commanded a ship to be made readie furnished entred into it with intent to go to Grecia and there to aske the order of knighthoode of the Emperour when he had receiued it to defie him to mortall battaile but it chaunced not vnto him as he thought it would for y e the sea with some of his accustomed torments carried him vnto the coast of France by reason of his small patience once béeing a land he would not retourne to imbarke himselfe in his ship but remained with onely two lackeyes and commaunded the vessell to returne backe againe and so went traueling whether his fortune would carrie him two dayes The third day very early in the morning he heard a great rushing of armour amongst a company of trées going towards the same noise he saw a Knight of a very good proportion agaynst a great◠number of other Knights in a very fierce and vnreasonable battaile And for to tell you who it was it is requisite that we begin another chapter in the which I will declare the whole matter vnto you ¶ How that the Knight of the Sunne would haue tarried for Tefereo in the place whereas he appointed him and how he lost himselfe in a thick mountaine and of all that happened vnto him after that Cap. 24. THe knight of the Sunne who was purposed to tarrie for Tefereo whereas he appointed him put himselfe into the wildernes of Ardenia with a reasonable quicke pace but because of the great thicknesse of trées bushes being amongst them and againe troubled with thoughts wherewith his minde was occupied hée lost his way and in such sorte that although he tourned his horse euery way from one place to another yet could he not finde any way but rather did so intangle himself that when the night came he found himselfe so far from the place wher as he thought to haue remained that he was in doubt to recouer his waye and his company he knewe not when for the which he receiued great griefe which was the occasion that he died very euill words against himselfe So beeing in this cholar the night drew on which constrayned him to alight from his horse and sate him downe vnder a greene tree hauing set his horse to feede in the gréene grasse of the which there was abundaunce at hande and so in the best wise he could he laid him downe vpon the ground to take some rest for a while and towards his right hand he hard a great noyse of the running of water and being very drye he was constrayned to arise againe And so he went féeling following that pittering sound of water vntill such time as he found a little fountaine of very faire and cléere water and by reason of the great drought that he had without any more tarrying he knéeled downe to drinke thereof till such time as he had mitigated his great thirst and remayned there a while to refresh himselfe for that the place was very pleasaunt so after a while he returned vnto the place whereas he was before and layd himselfe downe to rest He had not remained there long but he felt the water to begin to worke in him For you shall vnderstand that this was one of the fountaines of Marlin which he made in that wildernesse and brought the water from the high mountayne of Olympo But this fountaine whereof the Knight of the Sunne did drinke was that of Disamore or without loue In such sort it did worke in him that he did not onely loose and forget the loue which he had to Lindabrides but also if it had not bene for the great force of matrimonye and for the pawne that he receiued of Claridiana he hadde likewise forgot her and had brought her as far out of remembrance as he did the Lady of Tartaria And this water did not onely cause forgetfulnesse but also it forced him to reprehende himselfe saieng Oh foole without any vnderstanding that so long hast had thy heart subiected vnto a Ladye that is a straunger vnto thy Religion intreating thée not as a man that dooth procéede from a high and noble generation but lyke the most basest and vilest wretch in al the world Tel me thou lost man who hath bene affectioned vnto a Moore without faith but onely thy selfe Who would haue left his naturall wife for to loue a stranger Barbarian but thou Who would giue so many sighes in vaine but I most miserable giuing occasion of euerlasting death and damnation vnto my soule Oh base and grose vnderstanding in what didst thou set thy loue What beautie didst thou see in her that thou wouldst follow her as one lost for her loue What blindnesse hath constrained thée considering the great valour of the royall Empresse and with what liberalitie she hath surrendred all her Kingdomes and her owne person into thy hands These and other like complaints he made against himselfe without taking any sleepe or rest but was sore troubled with this thought till such time as the morning came and that Phoebus with his golden beames couered all the earth then hée tooke his horse with a more lighter heart and cléerer of all thoughts then at the time he came thether for that he had as cleane forgot Lindabrides as though he had neuer séene her So all that daye he trauelled in that wildernesse not knowing which way to take and had eaten nothing neither had he any thing to eate the which did trouble him very much So when night drewe on he discouered a heard of cattell which were there féeding in the wildernesse and determined to goe towards that place whereas the heard men were who receiued him very well This Knight did aske of them if they had any thing to giue him to eate for that hée was very hungrie the heard men bad him that he should alight and that they would giue him of such as they had for themselues So he alighted did eate with a very good will and so good a stomacke as one which had not his heart nor minde occupied with the cares of loue and there with those heard men he passed all that night till it was morning So when it was daye one of the heard men did bring him into a very great occupied way to whom he gaue great thanks Then the Knight tooke that waye forwards which led him towards Prouince intending to sée if he could méet with his friend and did determine to trauaile thereabouts to sée if Fortune would bring him that waye he had not trauailed farre when that he discouered
to goe foorth with the rest So in this order as I haue told you they went foorth of the Citie all sixe together and he which gaue the first onset was that valiant and amorous Eleno of Dacia brothers son vnto the Emperour who with a gentle behauiour when hée came nigh the Emperour sayd in the Saracen tongue It is not the part of good Knights to speake any villany especially against Kings whom they are bound to haue in reuerence honour To whom the Emperour aunswered in the same language Art thou Noraldino King of Numidia Don Eleno replyed No but I am a Knight and a very stranger in this countrey but yet by firme oath I determine to dye in the defence of his right The Emperor aunswered He hath neither iustice nor right on his side but it is most apparant wrong which he doth maintaine and there is no reason that such a traytor as he is shoulde be by anye other defended neither is it séemely that anie Knight of price should charge himselfe in his behalfe for that he is a traytor And likewise he that doth defend him and take his part in this that hee will sustaine and maintaine so great vniustice is pertaker of his treason and meriteth a traytors name And for that thou art his defender héere I giue thée to vnderstand that I care not for thée and lesse I doo estéeme thée for that hée which doth take vpon him to defend a traytor may well be accounted a traytor This valiaunt Eleno when hée sawe himselfe to be so ill intreated aunswered Thou lyest in so saying for that I was neuer traytor neither doo I procéede of the lynage where traytors euer were notwithstanding thou shalt pay me with thy head the great vncurtesie which thou hast vsed vnto me Therefore it doth stande thée in hand to looke vnto thy selfe and take that part of the fielde which thou thinkest best for thy purpose and leaue off these blazing words to ioyne with me in battaile that I maye sée if thou canst as well defend thy quarrell as thou canst handle thy tongue At which words there drew nigh them the Prince Clauerindo and as the Emperour woulde haue departed to put himselfe in battel he did behold him straight waye knew him And casting his eyes on the one side likewise knew the other thrée but he could not knowe who the Prince Eleno should be and for the great desire which hée had to know what he was he sayd Knight I doo desire thée for courtesies sake to tell me what thou art if thou wilt not grant me this then I pray thée to lift vp y ◠visor of thy helme y ◠I may sée thy face for héere I giue thée to vnderstād thy foure companions I dooe knowe which is the occasion that I haue no desire to enter into battaile with thée Then Don Eleno aunswered and sayd Pagan of the two things which thou doest aske of mée although there is no compulsion yet will I pleasure thée in fulfilling one of them and in saying these wordes he lift vp the visour of his healme and when the Emperour sawe him he beléeued that it had béene his sonne Rosicleer and with a loud voice he said Oh mightie God how can this be true that vnto knights of my lignage should chaunce so vile a spot who hetherto in all their dooings haue got great honour and praise and now are come to defend such apparaunt wickednesse and treason Thou shalt vnderstand knight that I am the Emperour Trebatio and would not willingly now be called thy Father for that thou art come to defend so apparaunt and knowen an euill for I knowing the vnreasonable naughtinesse that this king hath committed am come to take this conquest in hande for in all my life time I neuer tooke a more iuster cause in hand neither was there euer in all the worlde a thing more worthier of punishment then this and séeing that my fortune hath béen such that my first enimie that shuld come against me séemeth my sonne put thy selfe héere now before thy high progenitour from whence thou doest descend and for Gods loue doe not blot thy stock in defending traitours treason therwith in few words he told vnto them all the whole history as before I haue tolde you Then this excellent Dacian answered High mightie Emperour although by my name thou hast not knowen me yet in calling me sonne thou diddest happen on the truth For thou shalt vnderstand that I am called Eleno of Dacia sonne vnto the king of Dacia thy brother and in that which thou hast sayde that we doe maintaine treasons we are to the contrarie informed neuertheles I beséech your highnesse to tarrie héere a while and therewith he and the Prince in a great confusion returned to the place whereas the rest of his companions were and turning his talke vnto the king he sayd King of Numidia thou shalt vnderstand that yonder knight is the Emperour of Grecia my vnckle who in that small time which we haue ben with him hath told vnto vs all the effect of this thy matter cleane contrary vnto that which thou hast declared vnto vs. Therfore King there is no reason that Knights of so high bloud and name as we are should be set to defend lyes and treasons but if it be to the contrary of that which he hath told vnto me haue no doubt but tell vs the truth For héere I sweare by the loue that I beare vnto that vnlouing Lidia that I will trauayle so with my vnckle that greatly with thy honour thou shalt goe thorough with this conquest Then this false King aunswered O Knights which doo confesse your selues to be Christians and by the God whome you doo worship haue made a solemne oath to helpe and defend me by the strength of your armes how happeneth it now y ◠without any care of your oth which you haue sworn you will leaue me desolate and goe from your words béeing doubtfull of the very truth The couragious French man aunswered Doo thou not thinke King that our oathes and words shall be abrogated rather first we will léese our liues both I the prince all our companions but consider king that God will not that we shall imagine amisse of Trebatio who is a prince of great veritie and truth and agayne our verie nigh kinsman Therefore this and that which hée hath tolde vs hath moued vs to come and tell thée and doe saye that none of vs will goe from his word and oath if thy cause be iust Then the valyaunt Eleno did cut off his reasons and tourning vnto the King he sayd King of Numidia héere I do most humblye desire thée that with false illusions thou putte not vs vnto so great trauaile for that then it can not be but either wée must dye in the hands of him whome we doe desire to serue or els though farre vnlikely to kill him Is it possible king
thy kingdome and for that effect thou hast had mée hetherto in thy kéeping Why doest thou now consent that my fame perish and decaie I remaining in this Ilande O immortall Mars to thée I do inuocate that being by thée holpen and with thy fauour I may stretch forth the bright beame which with thy partiall hande thou gauest me So vttering these and such like complaints he passed a few dayes till that vpon a certaine daye following his accustomed exercise hée saw comming towards the shore a Foyst which was gouerned with foure marriners and beholding who was therein he saw come from vnder the hatches a very faire Damosell who was all apparailed with mourning apparaile and with her two auncient Squires who led her by the armes apparailed in the same manner and guise This Ladies face was all to bedewed with teares and her countenaunce did declare and showe that she suffered great sorrow and anguish This valyaunt and worthy young knight very desirous to know the occasion of her greate lamentation mooued himselfe towards her and hauing saluted her he desired her if it were her plesure to declare vnto him the occasion of hir complaint The Lady turning vnto him who had demaunded the occasion of her sorrow and being greatly amazed in viewing his comely grace and gentle disposition she sayd Gentle knight if thou doest desire to knowe the occasion of all my harme bring me before that worthie young knight who slew Geredion Bendambul and ther thou shalt vnderstand the greatest wrong without all reason that euer was done to so noble a Damsell as I am The Prince taking pittie of her great sorrow aunswered I doe not not knowe for what effect purpose you doe aske after this knight but be it what it will be you shall vnderstand gentle Ladie that he whō you doe aske for is before you and séeing that it is so you may be bolde to declare your pleasure and héere I doe saie vnto you that if it be requisite and necessarie in your seruice I will venture my life without putting anie excuse for to remedie this your great sorrow and griefe which you do◠shew to haue And you shal vnderstand that I will do it without taking anie leaue of my Lord the king Delfo and there is nothing that dooth so much gréeue mee as that I am not armed This sorrowfull Ladie séeing her good fortune would not loose the occasion but with a new lamentation and complaint shée knéeled downe before him and kissed his handes for the great offers which he made vnto her the Prince did take her vp from the ground with great reuerence then the Ladie with amorous wordes sayde If that by the occasion of king Delfo gentle knight we shall receiue anie disturbaunce héere I doe desire thée by the honour which thou dost owe vnto all vertue that we make no farther delaie nor detainment for héere I doe giue you to vnderstande that there remaineth but a small time for the remedying of my sorrowe and griefe Well let it bée out of hand answered this valiant Gréeke and at our comming a land the first knight that we do méet either with his good will or ill will shall lend me his armour and therewith taking that faire Ladie by the hand they put thēselues into the Foist commaunding straight waye that they should retourne theyr voyage vnto the Sea so finding the time and winde fauourable in a verye short space they were passed on their waie so farre that they cleane lost the sight of anye land What shall I saie of the king Delfo and the Princes nurse when they could not heare of the Prince what was become of him but onely that he was departed awaie But if I did not put before me the great duetie which I do owe and consider the grauitie of a Prince I might saie that he did things more lyker a mad man then a Prince surely he had great reason for he had lost the companie of the best knight in all the world so this warlyke Gréeke did saile vppon the Sea with an indifferent thought béeing in companie with y e faire Ladie who likewise went verie well content for that with so great ease she had found and obtained him that she sought for But this I can certifie you of Claridiano that he had not forgot y e words which the dwarfe had tolde him but alwaies remembring the same it put him in great confusion in such sort y t he did not remember to demand of the Damsel the occasion of her griefe who with such dilligence went to seeke him At such time as Diana did spred abroad her golden haire ouer all those troublesome waters he discouered that there came towards them a barke in such hast that in a smal time they were come vnto them the which barke came without anie gouernment and he sawe sitting on the poope of y e barke a gyant who had his head and beard verie white and apparelled with roabes of estate who was straight wayes knowen by Claridiano to be Galtenor for the which he receiued great ioy When the barkes were ioyned together Galtenor went and imbraced the Prince saying Sonne do not thinke to depart awaie in such sort but that first I will reioyce my selfe with the presence for it shal be more profitable vnto thée then thou doest thinke for as well for the remedie and ease of thy thought as for the adorning and sauegard of thy bodie To whom the Prince aunswered and sayd I do verie well know my Lord that from you can procéede nothing but that which is good as alwaies hath bene the vse and custome hetherto Then the Gyant sayd vnto him This thou maist perfectly beléeue that so long as my soule is ioyned and knit with my bodie that it shall not exercise it selfe in anie other thing but in thy seruice And now for that thou stand est in néede of armor héere I doo bring it vnto thée for that before many daies come to an ende thou shalt haue néede thereof Also I doo bring thée a meruailous precious sword forged and made by my great skill such a one as in all the worlde there is not a better And this shall continue indure with thée till such time as thou shalt be in battaile with the Bastard Lyon then shall it loose his vertue and valor for that thou shalt recouer another of no lesse price and of a greater fame ioyntly with thy honor in the acknowledging of thy vnknowen parents and in that time thou shalt loose all thy seruice that euer thou hast done in the honour of Cupide béeing in company with the disguised Hinde all though altogether thou shalt not loose thy great loue till such time as by the Goddesse Venus shal be throwen at thée the African launce which shall pearce thy heart cleane through Then did he declare vnto him how he was stoln out from his mothers lap certefieng him that he was sonne vnto the mightiest
the order of knighthood to be giuen him the which the Quéene did refuse verye much to doe as one which thought that if he were once made knight that he woulde absent himselfe séeking whereas he might exercise his strength for to get him fame This young Prince did continually importunate the Quéene and euerie daye his desire did increase more and more the occasion was for that hée did sée so greate knighthoode at that time vsed in Tinacria and all for the loue and sight of the fayre Princesse his sister so that the knights did not occupie themselues in anie other exercise but in iustes and tourneyes The Quéene did continually perswade her sonne with gentle and louing wordes to tarrie and not to take the order vppon him till such time as hée came to more yeares laying before him the greate inconueniences which myght happen for lacke of his full growth and strength but this delaying of the Quéene did cause the Prince to be very sadde and pensiue and also caused that all the feastes and sportes that the knights did dayly vse waxed altogether colde in séeing the Prince to be in that heauie case and vpon a daie as hée was imagining with himselfe séeing the small comfort and good will which hée receiued in his mother for the fulfilling of his desire he determined in greate secret as soone as was possible to depart the court the which hée straight waies put in vre and tooke out of the armourie verie secretly an excéeding good armour the which was all russet and enameled with blacke and imbroudered round about with grauen worke all guilt also hée tooke out a shéelde of the same making sauing that it was not graued as his armour was and commaunded a young Gentleman that was sonne vnto Rubio of a good disposition and hardie that he shoulde kéepe themselues gaue him to vnderstand of all his determined pretence and although it did grieue this young man verye much yet for all that séeing the great friendshippe which he vsed with him in vttering his secrete vnto him before anie other without replying to the contrarie he verie diligently tooke the armour and hidde it till hée found conuenient time to put it into a ship◠verie secretly So likewise he put into the sayde Ship two of the best horses which the Prince had and forthwith hée gaue his Lorde vnderstanding howe that all thinges were then in a readinesse and in good order The Prince dissembling with the accustomed heauinesse hée vsed withdrew himselfe into his chamber till such time as the night came which when it was come he made himselfe readie with his apparaile and when that all the people of the Court were at their rest and a sléep he alone with his page who was named Macedonio went out of the pallaice and went vnto the sea side His page did call the marriners of the ship who straight way brought vnto them their boat in the which they entered and went straight a boord the ship and being therin for that the winde was very faire he commaunded to waye their ankers and to spread their sayles and to take their way towards Grecia and as he commaunded all was done and in a short time they found themselues ingulfed into the sea farre from the lande This excellent Prince went very much to his contentment but when the Quéene vnderstood of his departure the lamentation which she made was very much and commaunded to go vnto the sea side to know if there were any shippe that departed that night and it was tolde them that there was a ship of Grecia which that night haled vp their ankers hoised saile and went to sea so straight waye they vnderstood that the Prince was gone in her I cannot héere declare the greate griefe and sorrow which the Quéene felt in her sorrowfull heart for the absence of the Prince which she alwayes suspected feared But whē y e absence of Poliphebo was knowwen in Tinacria all feasts sports ceased for that you shall vnderstand of all his vassailes he was very well beloued The Quéene did procure to dissemble all her griefe for the great sorrow which her vassailes had shewing her self more ioyful in her face more then anie contentment she had in her heart giuing them to vnderstand that he had done it for that which he did owe vnto his high linage and the great allygation he had to procure his honour and fame and that hée had done that which she and all them should haue desired that they should not be sorrowfull for that which héereafter would be the occasion of great ioye and plesure With these and such lyke resons she did quiet all her vassailes and kingdome and caused them to returne vnto their accustomed pastime and sports So Poliphebo sayled forwardes on his iourney through the déepe sea with great delight to sée howe he had fulfilled his desire And he sayled thrée dayes with a very faire and prosperous winde and the fourth daye in the euening it was very calme and no winde at all so that the Marriners went to take their rest some on the poope some in the foreships for to ease their wearied bodyes The prince who sate vpō y e poope of y e ship asked for his lute of his page the which straight way was giuen him and when he had it in his hands he played and sung so swéetly that it séemed to be a heauenly melodie And being in this swéete musicke hée heard a very lamentable crye as it were of a woman and leauing his musicke he gaue attentiue eare to hearken what she sayd and he heard the voyce saye It will little profitte thée thou cruell tyrant this thy bolde hardinesse for thou doest well know that I am of a lignage that will reuenge it of thée to thy cost Then he heard another voyce which said Now I haue thée in my power there is no humane power able to deliuer thée from me Poliphebo could heare no more by reason that the barke wherein they were passed by in so great hast This heroycall Prince by the words he hearde vnderstood that she was carryed by force awaye and putting the lute away he began to fall into a great thought and was very heauie and sorrowfull for that he had not receiued the order of Knighthoode for to giue the enterprise of this aduenture but yet his stout stomacke could not suffer that such compulsion and vyolence should passe without being punished And returning vnto his Page Masedonio which was a sléepe he strake him with his foote and awaked him saying What didst not thou heare the great lamentation and sorrowfull complaint which a Ladye made as it seemed in a small bark that is passed by and is gone forwards along the sea to the which Masedonio aunswered nothing for that he was still a sléepe what counsayle dost thou giue me that I may doe in so great outrage which is done before mine eyes that I may receiue no
same héere I do deny al your powers I do determine to honor y e God my father doth who wil not reward me so ill as you do and I doe acknowledge and confesse him to be the true God and you all full of mockings liberall in promising and slow in giuing from this daie forwards be assured y t I will not aske you of anie thing neither wil I accept any thing from your vile hands These and such like wordes sayd this new knight was in such anger that neither Page nor Marriners durst speake vnto him but to giue him contentment they rowed a pace towards y e bark whereas that dolorous woman went So in this â—ort they trauailed all the rest of the night that remained till such time as the daie began to be cléere and straight waie they discried land to which place with great hast they rowed till such time as the barke was a ground so this angrie young knight presently leapt a shore Masedonio carried his healme but hée tooke neither speare nor shéeld with him the Marriners folfowed him carried such victualls as they had they found no vsed way but one narow path the which they kept and it brought them vnto a mightie greate déepe riuer wheras he sate downe did refresh himselfe washed his hands face called for to eate of that which they had brought when he had eaten without anie more tarrying he begaÌ„ to trauaile alongst the riuer side he had not trauailed long when y â— they met with a poore countrie man with a great hatchet in his hand he was going to cut fire woode from those high mightie trées of whom they asked what countrie land it was he told them y t it was the land of Almania but yet sir knight thou must pardon me for y t I doe request thée to returne againe procéed no farther this way if thou dost estéeme thy life for in going on this way there is nothing to be had but death for y t the Lord of this riuer is a furious giant is called Marmoraton the riuers name is Ospriz this giant is y e most furious in all the world is of such might y t our Emperour doth feare him he hath also two sons who are no lesse furious then he is although they are now very sad for certaine news which were brought them how y t a brother of his who was Lord of an Iland in Spaine called Corsa was destroied and all his people slaine by sword none left aliue by force of cruell warre and in part of reuengement of all this harme done no longer then yesterdaye he brought hether a Ladie prisoner and they say that she was the occasion of the death of them all as I haue tolde you and straight way wheÌ„ he came a shore with a diuelish crueltie he did all to bewhip and beate her that it was very pitifull to beholde swearing that euery day he would so torment her till such time as her life and body did make their seperation and he hath all his Castle compassed round about with mightie strong and armed Knights and with them his two sonnes who doth kéep watch and ward for to defend the Castle for that they saye that the King of Mauritania doth followe and pursue them in a galley for to cléere and set at libertie this Lady This new Knight was very attentiue vnto the words which the countriman told him and although he spake in the Tuscan tongue yet he did vnderstand him for that he was broughte vp to vnderstand and speake all languages and thought verely that he with whom he had battaile in the galley was the King of Mruritania and thinking thereon it caused him to be more furious in his heart for that as you haue hearde he had the experience of his force and strength and thought by him he was ouercome and without saying anye word he followed on his way and did determine that if fortune did so fauour him to rescue and set at libertie this Ladie not for to let her passe till such time as the King did come in her demaund and if it were he with whom he had the battaile he would not deliuer her but with mortall battaile So trauailing with this thought the night came on it was so darke that he was constrained to seâ—ke some place to take his rest and laying himselfe downe vnder a mightie Pine trée he passed that night speaking a thousande blasphemies against the Gods Artemidoro declaring the acts and déeds of this Knight saith that he was the most furious in all the world and a very friend to aide and succour all those that could doo little for themselues and if he chaunced at any time to begin an enterprise that he could not wel compasse with double force he would prosecute it In such sort that many times he made resistaunce against inchantments for y t he had more strength and force than euer Knight or Giant had at any time before and did surmount very much his bretheren and Cousins He made no reckoning of loue in his youth by which he was iudged to be the Emperours sonne as in the third parte of this booke shall be tolde you So when y e morning was come this young Mars was not slothfull but arose vp and followed his iourney and his Page followed him with his helme he had not trauailed scarce halfe a mile when that he heard a pitifull lamentation of a woman who by reason of her great wéeping her voyce was very hoarce So he stayed to heare from whence that lamentable noyse should come and went towards that place whereas it was and saw a far off a high piller of stone out of the which there came foorthe a spoute of very faire and cléere water and thereat was bound a woman all naked her backe fastened to the piller and her armes backward imbracing the piller and there her handes fast bound Her skin was so faire and white that if it had not bene that he heard her lamentation he would haue iudged her to haue bene an image made artificially of Alabaster ioyned vnto the piller This warlike young Knight laced on his helme and came vnto the place whereas she was and when he saw her he thought verely that it was the Quéene of Mauritania of whom the countrey man told him and by reason of the coldnesse of the darke night and with her great lamentation and wéepings she was so full of sorow and affliction that she could scarce speake Likewise the Knightes heart so yerned at the sight of that vnhappie Lady that almost he could not looke on her for wéeping but with a sorrowfull sigh he sayd O cruell hands is it possible that there should remaine in you so much mischiefe that whereas there is â—o great beautie and fairenesse you should vse such basenes and villanie she doth more deserue to be beloued and serued then to
eie witnes of my wretchednesse or to saie the truth of my cruell death Understand you then that I am Don Eleno Prince of Dacia sonne to Cadislao brother to the high and mightie Emperour Trebatio your Father and to the beautifull Florisena Daughter to the king of Cypres and Nygroponte vnder whose winges I was nourished till I was eight yéeres of age and was trayned vp in y e regall sort as was incident to my parents estate Béeing of this age spightfull Fortune who is slipperie to all men and leuells commonly at the contented minde spun mée so course a thrid as I feare me in the weauing it will proue my vtter destruction This blinde Fortune I saie conuayed to the king my Father his court the beautifull Princesse Florisdama daughter to the king of Nygroponte brother to my Father she was equall to me in age and so indued with beutie that she séemed Angelicall While I was thus young the burning flames began to scorch me which now doo singe me and we were so allied that without anie suspition we walked where we would and most commonly we spent our time in a banquetting house which was halfe a mile from the Citie which was right faire compassed about with christalline streames and gréene meddowes furnished with swéete flowers we lead so pleasant princely a life y t wée bestowed all our care in catching chirping Birdes and young â—eauerets Our mutuall good wills was so greate as seldome did we forbeare each others companie mine procéeding of an inward desire to haue hir to my wiâ—e hers in regard of the affinitie which was betwéene vs. This â—ugured life continued vntill we were fouretéene yeares of age the which time we bestowed in hunting to the great comfort of my heart though in the ende not to the harts ease of my mind my Florisdama hauing a crossebowe in hir hand and a bugle horne about hir necke little mindfull of that sorrowe which galled me so much While she continued this vaine in hunting it begate a singular good will in me to sée hyr shoote hauing hir golden lockes somewhat layde forth and vpon hir head was knit a garlaÌ„d of all swéet smelling flowers she had a gowne of white Satten all laid ouer with gold lace which made her séeme so celestiall that she had bene able to haue quailed the heart of Cupid Beléeue me and doubt not of it valiant Prince that Venus in hir most brauerie did neuer excell hir Neither coulde the inchaunted Circâ—s with all her cunning frame so much beautie in her face to beguilde those whome she thought to entice My desire still increased to beholde so much beautie and the beautifull Ladie setled all her care in chasing the little Fawne which when she had gotten at anie aduauntage shée would surely shoot and spéed wherevpon I would speake softly vnto my selfe and say Alasse that arrowe weâ—e better bestowed in my heart for being once dead I should auoide an hourely death which pearceth me euerie daie Therfore be assured of this Knight that I sustained not so much ioy by her companie in the â—aie time but I endured as great torment in the night by her absence Béeing thus wasted in woe Florisdama hadde a narrow scantling at the cause of my passions and yet was she not fully resolued that it was for her sake and therefore with making shewes of loue she demaunded what wringed me in such sort either whether it was an imperfection in my selfe or a want of boldnesse to discouer it hauing as I haue alreadie declared attained to the age of fouretéene yeares I was dubbed Knight by my father God knowes how gréeuous it was to me to be separated from the thing wherin I ioyed so much The imagination whereof I referre to your discréete iudgement most worthie Grecian Prince sith that alreadie you haue tasted the same sauce of cruell loue and alas howe gréeuous were those thoughtes vnto me which brought vnto my minde the enter-course of spéech the kinde familiaritie the pleasant walks and the comely graces of my diuine Florisdama your passed miserie maye easily haue an ame at y e same my present estate may best discouer it what shall I say more right worthie knight but my passions were so bitter and my helpe so slender that I lost my coulour forbare my meate and grewe to be so weake that an inkling therof came vnto my ladyes eares who perceiuing in what poore and lowe estate I remained entreated mée most earnestly to disclose vnto her the cause which pinched mée so greatly promising mée that if my sorrowes might bée reléeued through the fauour of anie Gentlewoman shée woulde straine her selfe to release them if it were possible and would hazarde her selfe to procure her fauour which had so much enthralled me wherat with watrie eyes I thus answered her Alasse Florisdama loue hath layde such a corsiue to my heart such a flame vnto my lightes and such a sting vnto my breast as it hath reduced mée to this state wherein you sée mée Oh souereigne Ladie how much better had it bene for me that rather in my gréene yeares and in the middest of my hunting Atrapos had shredde in sunder the twist of my lyfe then nowe to continue in sorrowe without anye hope of release or delart of releefe The Angelicall Ladie seeing me wéep so heauily could not but distill some few teares from her christallin eies albeit she did not throughly féele the bottomâ— of my inwarde griefe and therevppon she sayde thus Ah my louing brother let me obtaine that fauour as to manifest vnto me the cause why you faile in sorrowe and as it séemes remodilesse graunting my request I promise you to procure with all diligence that there may be some salue that may cure that festering wound which seemes to cancur your hart impaire your ioyes for if you giue me credit I am perswaded there is no Ladie so vngratefull as to denie you her loue béeing so valiant a Knight as you séeme to bée and againe knowing the worthinesse of your progenie the disposition of your minde and those incomperable vertues which shine in you Alasse why shoulde not the courage of your minde suffice to kindle the affection of all the Ladyes in the worlde And for that it hath béene your course Fortune to yéeld and surrender the interest of your good will to the subiection of one Ladie relinquishing all other ioyes and pastimes I meane not as now to shrinke from you but with all my endeauour to reléeue and succour thine estate vntill such time as my care and practise maye haue light of her that hath brought so worthie a Knight into such a Laborinth and hath cleane bereaued him of his libertie and dispossest him of his former ioyes spare not therefore to imparte vnto mée what it is that wringes you thereby then shall you perceiue the willingnesse I haue to doe you good And the great care that I will execute to stay the ranckâ—ur of