was no soner out of his fathers house but his harte was vexed with greater tormentes then before beyng depriued frō the sight of faire Stratonica whose presence did better contente hym then all the pleasures and sportes of the worlde Neuerthelesse desirous to vanquishe his indurate affections he continued abrode for a certaine time duryng whiche space vnable to quenche the fire he ledde a more desolate and troublesome life then he did before In the ende victorious loue tooke hym prisoner and caried him home againe to his fathers house Who seyng the greate loue that his father bare to his wife and the ioyfull time that he spent with faire Stratonica trāsported into many carefull panges many tymes he complained to hymself in this wise Am I Antiochus the sonne of Seleucus Am I he that my father loueth so well honoreth so muche and estemeth better then all his realmes and dominions Alas If I be Antiochus in deede the sonne of so louyng a father where is the duetifull loue and bounden reuerence that I ought to beare vnto him Is this the duetie of a sonne towardes his father Ah wretche and caitife that I am Whether hath grosse affection vaine hope and blinde loue caried me Can loue be so blinde Shall I bee so voide of sense that I knowe not my mother in law from an other woman who loueth me no lesse entertaigneth me so well as if she were myne owne mother that laboured with painfull pangues to bryng me into light Whiche beyng true as it is moste true why then dooe I loue her naie rather more then loue her Why doe I séeke after her What meane I to hope for her Why dooe I precepitate my self so fōdlie into the snares of blind deceiptfull loue and into the trappe of deceiptfull hope Can I not perceiue that these desires these vnstaied appetites vnbridled affections doe procede frō that whiche is dishonest I se well inough that the waie I take leadeth me into greate inconuenience And what reproche should I sustaine if this vnreasonable loue were made common to the worlde Ought not I rather to suffer infamous death then to see my father depriued of suche a wife whom he so derely loueth I will giue ouer this vnsemely loue and reuerting my minde to some other wight I will accomplishe the duetie of a good and louyng sonne toward his father Reasonyng thus with hymself he determined whollie to giue ouer his enterprise And he had no soner purposed so to do but sodainlie the beautie of the Ladie appered as it were in a vision before the face of his minde and felt the flames to growe so hotte that he vpon his knees craued a thousande pardons of the louyng God for the abandoning of his gentle enterprise And therewithall contrarie imaginacions began to rise whiche so contended with mutuall resistaunce that thei forced hym thus to saie Shall not I loue this Ladie bicause she is my fathers wife Shall not I prosecute my suite for all that she is my mother in lawe Ah coward faintharted and worthie to be crouned a prince of follie if therfore I should giue ouer my former mynde Loue prescribeth no suche lawe to her suters as pollicie dooeth to manne Loue commaundeth the brother to loue the sister loue maketh the doughter so loue the father the brother his brothers wife and many tymes the mother her sonne in lawe whiche beyng lawfull to other is it not lawfull to me If my father beyng and old man whose nature wareth cold hath not forgottē the lawes of loue in louyng her whom I loue Shall I beyng a yonge man subiecte to loue and inflamed with his passions be blamed for louyng her And as I were not blame warthie if I loued one that were not my fathers wife so muste I accuse Fortune for that she gaue her not to wife to an other mā rather then to my father bicause I loue her would haue loued her whose wife so euer she had been Whose beautie to saie the trouth is suche whose grace and comelinesse so excellente that she is worthie to be receiued honoured and worshipped of al the worlde I thinke it then conuenient for me to pursue my determinaciō and to serue her aboue all other Thus this miserable louer trauersyng in seuerall myndes and deludyng his owne fancie chaunged his mynde a thousande tymes in an hower In th ende after infinite disputacions to hymself he gaue place to reason consideryng the greate disconnenience that would insue his disordinate loue And yet not able to giue it ouer And determinyng rather to die then to yelde to suche wicked loue or to discouer the same to any manne By litle and litle he consumed as fletyng Snowe againste the warme Sonne wherewith he came to suche feble state that he could neither slepe nor eate and was compelled to kepe his bedde in such wise that with superfluous paine he was brought to meruellous debilitie Whiche his father perceiuyng that loued hym verie tenderite conceiued greate grief and sorowe And sent for Erasistratus which was a verie excellent Phisicion and of greate estimacion whō verie instantlie he praied diligently to looke vnto his soonne and to prouide for hym suche remedie as was conueniente for the greatnesse of his disease Erasistratus viewyng and beholdyng all the partes of the yonge gentlemannes bodie and perceiuyng no signe of sicknes either in his vrine or other accidente wherby he could iudge his bodie to be diseased after many discourses gaue iudgemente that the same infirmitie proceded from some passion of the minde whiche shortlie would coste hym his life Whereof he aduertised Seleucus Who louyng his sonne after a fatherly maner and speciallie bicause he was indued with vertue and good condicions was afflicted with vnspeakable grief The yong gētleman was a merueilous trumne yongeman so actife and valiaunt as any that liued in his tyme and therewithall verie beautifull and comelie Whiche made hym to bee beloued of all men His father was continually in his chamber and the quene her self oftentymes visited hym with her owne handes serued hym with meates and drinkes whiche bicause I am no Phisteiō I knowe not whether the fame did the yonge man any pleasure or whether it did him hurt or good But I suppose that her sight was ioyfull vnto hym as of her in whom he had placed all his cōforte all his hope quietnesse delight But beholding before his eyes so many times the beautie of her whō so greatlie he desired to enioye hearyng her speake that was the occasion of his death and receiuyng seruice of meates and drinkes at her hādes whom he loued better then the balles of his eyes vnto whom he durste not make any requeste or praier whether his grief surmounted all other aud therefore continually pined and consumed I thinke if of reason to bée beleued And who doubteth but that he felyng hymself to bée touched with those her delicate handes and seyng her to sitte by hym and
confesseth the facte before the Magistrates and is put to death The .xlij. Nouell Folio 125. ¶ Wantonesse and pleasaunt lyfe being guides of Insolencie doth bring a miserable ende to a fayre Ladye of Thurm Whom a noble man aduaunced to high estate Wherin he executeth great crueltie vpon his sayd Ladie taken in adulterie The .xliij. Nouell Folio 135. ¶ The loue of Alerane of Saxon and of Adelasia the daughter of the Emperoure Otho the thirde of that name Theire flight and departure into Italie and howe they were knowen againe what noble houses of Italie descended of their race The .xliiij. Nouell Folio 201. ¶ The Duchesse of Sauoie being the King of Englandes sister was in the Duke her husbandes absence iniustlye accused of adulterie by a noble man his Lieutenant And shoulde haue bene put to death if by the prowesse and valiaunt combate of Don Iohn di Mendozza a Gentleman of Spaine she had not bene deliuered With a discourse of meruellous accidents touching the same to the singuler prayse and commendacion of chaste and honest Ladies The .xlv. Nouell Fol. 226. ¶ A King of Englande loued the daughter of one of his noble men which was Coūtesse of Salesburie who after great sute to achieue that he coulde not winne for the intire loue he bare vnto her and her great constācie made her his Quene wife The .xlvj. Nouell Folio 258. Ser Giouanni Fiorentino ¶ A Gentlemā called Galgano long time made sute to Madonna Minoccia her husbande not knowing the same diuerse times praysed and commended the same Gentlemā to his Ladie by reason wherof in the absence of her husbande she sent for him and yelded her selfe vnto him telling him what words her husbande had spoken of him for recompence wherof he refused to dishonest her The .xlvij. Nouell Fol. 279. ¶ Bindo a notable Archietect and his sonne Ricciardo with all his famlie from Florence came to dwel at Uenice where being made citizens for diuerse monuments by them made there through his inordinat expences is forced to rob the Treasure house Bindo being slayne by a pollicie deuised by the Duke the State Ricciardo by fine subtelties deliuereth himselfe from foure daungers Afterwardes the Duke by his owne confession vnderstanding the sleight giueth him his pardon and his daughter in mariage The .xlviij. Nouell Folio 282. Out of Straparole ¶ Philenio Sisterno a Scholer of Bologna being mocked of three faire Gentlewomen at a banket made of set purpose was reuenged vpon them all The .xlix. Nouel Fol. 289. Out of Heptameron of the Quene of Nauarre ¶ The pitious and chast death of one of the Muleters wiues of the Quene of Nauarre The D. Nouell Fol. 296. ¶ A king of Naples abusing a Gentlemans wife in the end did weare the hornes him selfe The Lj. Nouell Fol. 298. ¶ The rashe enterprise of a gentleman against a Princesse of Flaunders and of the damage aud shame which he receyued therof The Lij Nouell Fol. 302. ¶ The loue of Amadour and Florinda wherein be contayned many sleights and dissimulations together with the renowmed chastity of the sayde Florinda The Liij Nouell Fol. 306. ¶ The incontinencie of a Duke and of his impudencie The Liiij Nouell Fol 326. ¶ One of the French kings called Frauncis the first of the name declared his gentle nature to Counte Guillaume that woulde haue killed him The Lv. Nouell Fol. 330. ¶ A punishment more rigorous than death of a husbande towardes his wife that had committed adulterie The Lvj. Nouell Fol. 332. ¶ A President of Grenoble aduertised of the ill gouernement of his wife toke suche order that his honestie was not diminished and yet reuēged the fact The Lvij. Nouel Fol. 334. ¶ A Gentleman of Perche suspecting iniurie done vnto him by his friend prouoked him to execute and put in proofe the cause of his suspition The Lviij Nouell Fol. 336. ¶ The Simplicitie of an old woman that offered a burning candle to saint Iohn of Lyons The Lix Nouel Fol. 338. Out of a little French boke called Comptes du Monde ¶ A Doctor of the Lawes bought a cup and by the subtiltie of two false verlets lost both his money and the cup. The Lx. Nouell Fol. 339. To the Reader NOTHING in mine opinion cā be more acceptable vnto thee friendely Reader than ofte reading dailye perusing of varietie of Histories which as they be for diuersitie of matter pleasaunt and plausible euen so for example and imitacion right good and commendable The one doth reioyce the wearie and tedious minde many times inuolued with ordinarie cares the other prescribeth a direct path to tread the trace of this present lyfe VVherefore if in these newes or Nouelles here presented there doe appeare any thing worthy of regard giue thankes to the noble Gentleman to whome this boke is dedicated for whose sake onely that paine if any seme to be was wholie imployed Inioy therfore with him this present boke curteously with friendelie talke report the same for if otherwise thou doe abuse it the blame shall light on thee and not of me which only of good wil did meane it firste But yet if blaming tongues and vnstayed heades will nedes be busie they shall susteine the shame for that they haue not yet shewen forth any blamelesse dede to like effect as this is ment of me which whē they doe no blame but praise they can receyue For praise be they well worthie for to haue which in well doing do contend No vertuous dede or zelous worke can want due praise of the honest though faulting foles and youthly heades full ofte do chaūt the faultlesse checke that Momus mouth did once finde out in Venus Slipper And yet from faults I will not purge the same but whatsoeuer they seme to be they be in number ne yet in substance such but that thy curteous dealing may sone amend them or forget them VVherefore to giue thee full aduertisment of the whole collection of these Nouelles vnderstand that .vj. of them haue I selected out of Titus Liuius two out of Herodotus certayne out of Aelianus Xenophon Aulus Gellius Plutarche and other like approued authors Other Nouelles haue I adioyned chosen out of diuers Italian and French writers VVherin I confesse my selfe not to be so well trained peraduenture as the fine heades of such trauailers would desire And yet I trust sufficiently to expresse the sense of euery of the same Certayne haue I culled out of the Decamerone of Giouan Boccaccio wherein be contayned one hundred Nouelles amongs which there be some in my iudgement that be worthy to be condempned to perpetuall prison but of them suche haue I redemed to the liberty of our vulgar as may be best liked and better suffred Although the .vj. part of the same hundreth may full well be permitted And as I my selfe haue already done many other of the same worke yet for this present I haue thought good to publishe onely .x. in number the rest
there was a yonge man called Euathlus who beyng desirous to be an Orator and a pleadyng aduocate to the intent he might postulate accordyng to the accustomed maner of Athenes in those dates accorded vpon a price with a renewned Oratour named Protagoras that he should instructe hym that arte for a price agreed vpon betwene them vpon condicion that the Scholer should paie the one halfe of the money before hande vnto his Maister and the rest at suche tyme as he should proue to be an Aduocate so well instructed that at the first matter whiche he did pleade he should obteine sentence on his side and gaine for his labour and industrie But if sentēce were pronounced against him he should not be boūde to paie the same Uppon this conclusion the Maister taughte hym with greate diligence the vttermoste of his knowledge in that arte The Scholer againe learned and reteined his teachyng with greate prōptitude and redinesse of witte When Protagoras had taught hym the vttermoste of his knowledge The scholer Euathlus to defraude hym of the reste of his money determined neuer to be Aduocate whose craft Protagoras perceiuyng cited hym by write to appere before the Iudge to answere the rest of the bargaine When thei were bothe come in the Iudges presence Protagoras spake to his scholer in this wise Euathlus the bargain betwene vs thou canst not chose but confesse and acknowledge whiche in effecte is this It was agreed that I should teache thee the arte of pleadyng and in the first matter whiche thou diddest pronoūce and sentence giuen on thy parte thou shouldest paie me the other halfe of the money for the firste moitie I receiued before hande and now to auoide the satisfaction thereof although thou knowest that I haue full well deserued it thou to defraude me of my duetie refusest to bee an aduocate But I will tell thee this thy determinacion is but vaine frustrate for I haue intangled thee in suche nettes that thou canste not escape but by one meane or other thou shalte be forced to paie me For if the Iudge doe condempne thee then mangre thy head thou shalt be constrained and if contrarie wise sentēce be giuen on thy side thou shalte be likewise bounde to paie me by thy verie couenaunt sitheus thou art boūd therevnto when thou pleadest first and sentence giuen in thy behalf Doe now then what thou list for in fine thou shalt be forced to paie me in despite of thy teeth All the assistauntes helde with Protagoras affirming his suite to be verie reasonable Notwithstandyng Euathlus with a bolde spirite aunswered for hymself in this maner Sir Protagoras it semeth vnto you that I am conuicted but staie a while and giue me leaue to speake and then you shall perceiue in what whise I will cōfounde your argument Here you haue brought your action against me whereof I trust vpon my reasonable aunswere before the Iudges to be discharged For if by this your pleadyng by circumstaunces art of an Oratour whiche you haue vsed in all your discourse the matter shall fall so out as sentence be giuē on your side then the bargaine made betwene vs is voide and of none effecte bicause I losyng the profit of my first pleadyng wherein by our agrement sentence should be giuē on my behalfe the same bargaine is not accōplished For you should bee paied the moitie of the money behind with that cōmoditia which I did gaine by my first pleadyng For whiche cause there is no reason but I must be discharged of your demaunde After this debatyng of the matter the Iudges wated the argumentes of bothe partes whiche seemed so doubtfull vnto them that knowyng not how to giue sentence thei suspended the processe The same Aulus Gellius reciteth an other like question whiche he referreth to Plinie as the first aucthor thereof There was a lawe saieth he in a certain citie that what soeuer he were that committed any valiant facte of armes the thyng that he demaunded what soeuert were should be graunted vnto hym It chaunced that a certaine persone did this worthie act and required that a mannes wife whom he derelie loued should be giuen vnto hym whiche wife by force vertue of the lawe was accordingly deliuered But afterwardes the man from whom his wife was taken did the like facte and demaunding his wife to be redeliuered vnto hym againe saied vnto hym that had her if thou wilt obserue the lawe thou muste of force deliuer vnto me my wife but if thou do not like the law thou oughtest yet to rēder her vnto me as myne owne The other answered hym in like sorte If thou obserue the lawe this woman is myne for I haue first wonne her by the lawe but if thou doe not approue the lawe thou hast no right to demaunde her she now beyng myne ¶ Seleueus kyng of Asia gaue his wife to his owne soonne in mariage beyng his mother in lawe who so feruentlie did loue her that he was like to die Whiche by a discrete and wise muencion was discouered to Seleucus by a Phisician ¶ The .xxvij. Nouell ALthough the wise Philosopher Plutarche elegantly and brieslie describeth this historie in the life of Demetrius yet because Bandello aptly more at large doeth discourse the same I thought good to applie my yenne to his stile Who saieth that Seleucus kyng of Babylone a man verie victorious in battaill was emonges the successors of Alexander the greate the moste happie and fortunate He had a sōne called by his fathers name Antiochus After the deceasse of his wife his sonne increased and gaue great hope of valiaunce in future time to become a valiante gentleman worthie of suche a father And beyng arriued to .xxiiij. yeres of age It chaunced that his father fill in loue with a verie faire yonge gentlewoman discended a greate parentage called Stratonica whom he tooke to wife and made her Quene and by her had one sonne Antiochus seyng his mother in lawe to be besides her greate beautie a curteous and gentle Ladie begā to be verie amourous of her whose hart was so sette on fire without apparante shewe that incredible it is to expresse the loue that he bare her And yet he thought that loue to be vnnaturall bicause she was his fathers wife and therefore durfte not discouer it to any man And the more secrete he kepte it the more the heate began to boile and consume him But bicause he sawe that loue had fixed so deepe footyng that he was not wel able to retire he determined after long sorowe and great turmoile to seke some quiet hauē to rest his weather beaten barke that hadde been tossed with the waues of pensife and sorowful cogitacions His father had many Kyngdomes prouinces innumerable vnder his Empire At whose handes Antiochus craued license to visite some of them for his disporte and recreaciō of purpose to proue if he could auoide that vnseasonable loue wherewith his harte was surprised But he
so many tymes for his sake to fetche so many sighes and with suche sweete woordes to bidde hym bet of good there aud that if he wanted any thyng to tell her and praied hym with pleasaunt wordes to call for that he lacked and that for his sake she would gladlie accomplish his desire who doubteth I saie but he was merueilouslie tormented with a thousande cogitacions now conceiuyng hope and by and by dispaire and still concludyng with hymself rather to die then to manifest his loue And if it be a grief to all yonge men bee thei neuer of so meane and base cōdicion in their youthlie tyme to lose their life what shall we thinke of Antiochus that beyng a yongman of freshe and flourishyng age the sonne of a riche and mightie kyng that looked if he might escape after the death of his father to be heire of al did willingly craue death of that small disease I am assured that his sorowe was infinite Antiochus then beaten with pitie with loue with hope with desire with fatherly reuerence and with a thousande other thynges like a ship tossed in the depe seas by litle and litle begā to growe extremelie sicke Erasistratus that sawe his bodie hole and sounde but his minde greuouslie weakened and the same vanquished with sundrie passiōs After he had with hymself considered this straunge case he for cōclusiō foūde out that the yong man was sicke through loue for none other cause Moreouer he thought that many tymes wise and graue menne through Ire hatred disdaine malinconie and other affections could easilie faine and dissemble their passions but loue if it be kept secrete doeth by the close kepyng thereof greater hurte then if it be made manifeste And albeit that of Antiochus he could not learne the cause of his loue yet after that imaginacion was entred into his hedde he purposed to finde it out by continuall abode with hym and by greate diligence to obserue and marke all his actions and aboue all to take heede to the mutacion of his poulses and wherevpon their beatyng did alter This deliberacion purposed he sat downe by the bedde side and tooke Antiochus by the arme and helde him fast where the poulses ordinarily doe beate It chaunced at that instant that the quene Stratonica entred into the chamber whom so sone as the yonge man sawe cōmyng towarde him sodainlie the poulce whiche were weake féeble began to reuiue through mutacion of the blood Erasistratus féelyng the renforcyng of the poulce and to proue how longe it would continewe moued not at the commyng of the Quene but still helde his fingers vpō the beatyng of the poulces So long as the Quene contiuned in the chamber the beatyng was quicke and liuelie but when she departed it ceased the wonted weaknes of the poulces retourned Not long after the quene came againe into the chāber who was no soner espied by Antiochus but that his poulces receiued vigor and begā to leape and so still continued Whē she departed the force and vigor of the poulce departed also The noble Phisicion seyng this mutacion and that still it chaunced vpō the presence of the Quene he thought that he had founde out the occasion of Antiochus sickenesse But he determined better to marke the same the next daie to be more assured The morowe after Erasistratus sat doun againe by the yonge gentleman and toke hym again by the arme but his poulce made no mociō at all The king came to se his sonne and yet for all that his poulses were still And beholde the Quene came no soner in but sodainlie thei reuined and yelded suche liuelie mouyng as if you would haue said yonder is she that setteth my harte on fire Beholde where she is that is my life death Then Erasistratus was well assured and certaine that Antiochus was feruently inflamed with his mother in lawe but that shame constrained hym to conceale the hotte firebrandes that tormented hym and to keepe them close and secrete Certified of this opinion before he would open the matter he considered what waie were best to giue knowledge therof to kyng Seleucus And when he had well debated of this matter he deuised this waie He knewe that Seleucus loued his wife beyonde measure and also that Antiochus was so dere vnto hym as his owne life Wherevpon he thus saied vnto the kyng Noble Seleucus thy sonne is affected with a grieuous maladie and that whiche is worse I deme his sickenesse to bee incurable At whiche wordes the sorowfull father began to vtter pitifull lamētacion and bitterlie to complaine of Fortune To whom the Phisicion saied If it please yon my lorde to vnderstande the occasion of his disease This it is The maladie that affecteth and languisheth your soonne is Loue and the loue of suche a woman whiche excepte he enioye there is no remedie but death Alas quod the Kyng weepyng with bitter teares and what woman is she but that I maie procure her for hym whiche am kyng of all Asia and maie with intreatie money giftes or other pollicie whatsoeuer make her obediente and willyng to my soonnes requeste Tell me onelie the name of the woman that I maie prouide for my soonnes healthe yea though it cost me all my goods and realme to if other wise she can not bee gotten For if he die what shall I doe with my kyngdome Wherevnto Erasistratus answered If it like your grace your sōne is in loue with my wife but bicause that loue semeth vnto him discōuenient he dareth not to manifest the same for shame but rather wisheth to die then to opē his minde Howbeit I by certaine euident signes doe wei perceiue it When Seleucus heard these woordes he saied O Erasistratus thou beyng so worthie a man to whom fewe in goodnesse and humilitie be comparable so dere and welbeloued of me and beareth the bruite to be the verie hauen and harborough of wisedome wilt thou not saue my sonne whiche is a yonge man now vpon the floure of his youth and most worthie of life for whom the Empire of all Asia is worthelie reserued O Erasistratus the soonne of thy frende Seleucus is thy kyng who through loue and silence is at the poineted death thou seest that for modestie and honestie sake at this his laste and doubtfull passage he had rather chose to die then by speakyng to offende thee and wilte thou not helpe hym This his silence this discrecion that his reuerence whiche he sheweth ought to moue thee to cōpassion Thinke my welbeloued Erasistratus that if he loue ardently that he was forced to loue For vndoubtedlie if he could not loue he would do the best he could not to loue yea and all his endeuour to resist it But who is able to prescribe lawes to Loue Loue I knowe not onelie forceth men but also commaūdeth the immortall Goddes and when thei bee not able to resist him what can mannes pollicie preuaile Wherfore who knoweth not what
And euery night the olde Gentlewoman brought conflictes to the Lady for her recreation vpon whome the Gentleman wayted who for that he was well beloued very familiar with her brother was not refused to be by her at her rising and going to bedde Whereby he daylie tooke occasion to increase his loue and affection In such sorte that one night after he had caused the Lady to sit vp late she being surprised with sléepe he was forced to depart the chamber and to repayre to his owne Where when he had put on the moste brauest perfumed shirt that he had his cap for the night so trimly dressed that there wāted nothing he thought in beholding himselfe that there was no Ladye in the worlde that could refuse his beautie and comelynesse Wherefore promising himselfe a happy successe in his enterprise he went to hys bed where he purposed not long to abide for the desire that he had to entre into an other which should be more honorable pleasant vnto him And after he had sent his mē away he rose to shut the dore after them hearkened a good while whether he could heare any noyse in the Ladyes chāber aboue And when he was sure that euery man was at rest he began to take his pleasant iorney and by little little opened the falling dore which was so well trymmed with cloth that it made no noyse at all and went vp to the Ladies bed side which then was in her first slepe and withoute respect of the bonde and promise that he made vnto her or the honorable house wherof she came without leaue or reuerence he layed him selfe downe besides her who felt him betwene her armes before she perceyued his cōming But she which was somewhat strong vnfolded her selfe out of his handes and in asking him what he was began to strike to bite and scratch In such wise as he was constrayned for feare least she shoulde cry out to stoppe her mouth with the couerlet which was impossible for him to doe For when she saw him to presse withal his force to despoile her of her honor she spared no part of her might to defende and kepe her selfe called so loude as she could her woman of honor that lay in her chamber which was a Gentlewoman right auncient and sober who euē in her smock ranne straight to her maistresse And when the gentleman perceiued that he was discouered was so fearefull to be knowen of the Lady that so sone as he could he shifted himselfe downe by his trap-dore And when before he had desire hope assurance to be welcome nowe he was brought in despayre for retourning in so vnhappy state When he was in his chamber he founde his glasse and candle vpon the table and beholding his face al bloudy with scratchings and bitings which she had bestowed vpon him the bloude whereof ranne downe his fayre shirte which was more bloudled than gylted he beganne to mone himselfe in this wise O beautie thou art now payed thy deserte for vpon thy vayne promise haue I aduentured a thing impossible And that which might haue bene the augmenting of my contentation is nowe the redoubling of my sorrow Being assured that if she knew howe contrarie to my promise I haue enterprised this folish fact I should vtterly forgoe the honest and common conuersation which I haue with her aboue all other That which my estimation beautie and good behauiour doe deserue I ought not to hide in darknesse To gaine her loue I ought not to assay her chaste body by force but rather by my seruice and humble pacience to waite and attende til loue did vanguish For without loue all the vertue and puissance of man is of no power and force Euen thus he passed the nighte in suche teares griefes and playntes as a man can not well reporte and vtter In the morning when he beheld his bloudy face al mangled and torne he fained himselfe to be very sicke and that he coulde abide no light til the company were gone from his house The Lady which thus remained victorious knowing that there was no man in all her brothers court that durst attempt a déede so wicked but onely he which was so bolde to declare his loue vnto her knewe well that it was her hoste And when she and her woman of honor had searched all the corners of the chamber to knowe what he was and sawe that she would not finde him she sayde vnto her woman in a great rage Assure your selfe it can be none other but the Gentleman of the house whose villanous order I will declare to my brother in the morning in such sort that his head shal be a witnesse and testimonie of my chastitie Her woman séeing her in that furie sayde vnto her Madame I am right glad to sée the loue affection which you haue to your honor for the increase whereof you will not spare the life of one which hath aduentured himself so much forced with the loue that he beareth vnto you But many times suche one thinketh by those meanes to increase his loue which altogether he doth diminishe Wherefore Madame I humblie beseche you to tell me the truth of this facte And when the Lady had recompted the same at length the woman of honor sayde vnto her Your grace doth say that he got no other thing of you but scratches and blowes with your fistes Do I assure you quod the Lady and I am certayne if he get him not a good surgeon the markes will be séene to morrowe Well Madame quod the Gentlewoman sithens it is so me thinketh you haue greater occasion to prayse God than to muse vpon reuengement For you may beleue that fithens he had the courage to enterprise suche a thing that despite hath made him to faile of his purpose you can deuise no greater death for him to suffer thā the same If you desire to be reuenged let Loue shaine alone to bring that to passe who know better which way to torment him than your selfe with greater honor to your person Take héede Madame from falling into such inconuenience as he is in For in place of great pleasure which he thought to haue gayned he hath receyued the most extreme anoyance that any Gentleman can suffer And you Madame by thinking to augment your honor you may decrease and diminishe the same And by making that complaint you shall cause that to be knowen which no man knoweth For of his part you may be assured there shall neuer be any thing reuealed And when my Lord your brother at your request shall execute that iustice which you desire and that the pore gentlemau shal be ready to dye yet the brute wil runne that he hath had his pleasure vpon you And the greatest parte will say that it is a difficult matter for a gentleman to do such an enterprise except the Lady minister some great occasion Your grace is fayre and yong frequenting your
to all thinges good and vertuous hoping therby to attayne the fame of a moste perfect Lady to be counted worthy the interteignement of such a seruant Amadour being arriued at Barsalone was banketted of the Ladyes after the olde maner but they finding him so altered and chaunged thought that Mariage coulde neuer haue had such power vpon man as it had ouer him For he séemed then to disdayne those things which sometime he greatly desired and specially the Coūtesse of Palamons whom he dearely loued coulde deuise no meanes to make him goe alone home to his lodging Amadour tarried at Barsalone so little while as he coulde bicause he might not come late to the place where he should winne and achieue honour And being arriued at Saulse great cruell warres was comenced betwene the two kings which I purpose not to recite ne yet the noble enterprises done by Amadour whose fame was bruted aboue the rest of his companions The Duke of Nagyeres arriuing at Parpignon had charge of two thousād men and prayed Amadour to be his Lieutenant who with that band serued so wel that no crie was hearde in all the skirmishes other than Nagyeres It chaūced that the king of Thunis which of long time had warre with the Spaniardes vnderstanding how the kings of Spaine and Fraunce were together by the eares at Parpignon and Narbone thought that in better time he could not anoy the king of Spaine Wherefore he sent a great number of Foysts and other vessels to robbe and destroy those frontiers which were yll guarded kept They of Barsalone séeing a number of Shippes passe before the Towne aduertised the king that was at Saulse who imediatly sent the Duke of Nagyeres to Palamons And when the Shippes perceyued that the place was well guarded they made as thoughe they woulde passe further But aboute midnight they retourned and landed so many men that the Duke of Nagyeres was taken prisoner Amadour which was very vigilant hearing al arme presently assembled so many men as he coulde and defended himselfe so well that the force of his enemies a long time coulde not hurt him But in th ende knowing that the Duke of Nagyeres was taken prisoner and that the Turkes were determined to burne the Citie of Palamons and then to fier the house which he strongly had forced against them he thought it better to render him selfe than to be cause of the losse of so many good souldiors as were in his bande and also by putting himselfe to raūsome he hoped in time to come to sée Florinda Thē he submitted himself to a Turke called Derlyn the gouernor of the king of Thunis who conueyed him home to his maister where he was well enterteigned and better kept For they thought that hauing him in their handes they had gotten the onely Achilles of Spaine In this sorte Amadour continued almost the space of two yeares in the seruice of the king of Thunis Newes came into Spaine of this ouerthrow wherof the friends of the Duke of Nagyeres were very sorrowfull But they that loued the honor of their countrie thought Amadour to be the greatest losse The brute whereof was noysed in the house of the Countesse of Arande where at that tyme the pore Gentlewoman Auenturade lay very sore sicke The Countesse suspecting very muche the affection that Amadour bare vnto her daughter which he suffered and dissembled for his vertues sake called her daughter aside and tolde her the pitious newes Florinda which could well dissemble sayde vnto her that it was a great losse for all their house but specially she pitied the state of his pore wife bicause at that time she was so sore sick But seing her mother wepe so bitterly she let fall some teares to kepe her companie least through to much dissimulation her loue might be discouered After that time the Countesse spake to her many tymes but she could neuer perceyue by her countenaunce any cause of certayne suspicion I will leaue to speake of the voyages the prayers the supplications and fastings whiche Florinda did ordinarily make for the safegard and prosperitie of Amadour who incontinently so sone as he was arriued at Thunis sente newes to his friendes and by a sure messanger aduertized Madame Florinda that he was in good health and hope to retourne Which newes was to the pore Lady the only meanes to releue and ease her sorrow And doubte ye not but the meanes of writing was vtterly debarred from Amadour whereof Florinda acquited her self so dilygently that by her letters and epistles he receyued gret consolation comfort The Countesse of Arande receyued cōmaundement from the King to repaire to Sarragosa where he that tyme was arriued And there she founde the yong Duke of Cardonne making sute to the King and Quéene for mariage of her daughter The Countesse vnwilling to disobey the king agréed thinking that her daughter being very yong had none other affection but that she had When the accord was concluded she sayde vnto her daughter that she had chosen her that match which she thought best worthy to ioyne with her person Her daughter séeing that in a thing already done it was to late to take counsell sayde vnto her that God was to be praysed in all things And séeing her mother so farre alienated from her intent she thought it better to shew her selfe obedient than to take pitie vpon her selfe And to comforte her in that sorow she vnderstode that the Infant Fortune was at the point of death But before her mother or any other person she shewed not so much as one signe or token thereof strayning her selfe so muche that the teares by force retiring to her heart did cause the bloud to issue forth at her nose in such abundance that her lyfe was in present daunger And to recouer her of that dysease she was maried vnto him for whose sake she had rather haue chaunged her lyfe for presente death After the mariage Florinda wente with her husbande into the Duchie of Cardonne and with her Auenturade to whome she secretly made her complaint aswell of her mothers rigor as also of the sorrowe she conceyued for the losse of the sonne of the Infant Fortune But of her griefe for Amadour she spake neuer a worde but by waye of comforting her This yong Lady then determined to haue God and respect of honor before her eyes and so well to dissemble her griefes that none should at any tyme perceyue that she misliked her husbande In this sorte Florinda passed a long tyme liuing a lyfe no lesse pleasant than death The report whereof she sent to her good seruant Amadour who vnderstanding her great loue and well disposed heart and the loue she bare to the Infant Fortune thought that it was impossible she could liue long lamented her state more than his owne This griefe augmented his paine of imprisonment wishing to haue remained a slaue all the dayes of his lyfe so that Florinda had had a
he neuer saw a better in his lyfe You haue reason sayde the king And I beleue that if a gentleman were determined to kill me and did knowe the force of myne armes and the goodnesse of my heart accompanied with this sword he would be twice well aduised before he attempted the enterprise Not withstanding I would accompte him but a cowarde we being alone without witnesses if he did not attempt that which he were disposed to doe The Counte Guillaume with bashfull and astonned countenaunce answered Sir the wickednesse of the enterpâ—ise were very great but the folly in the execucion were no lesse The King with those wordes fell in a laughter and put the sworde into the skaberd againe And hearing that the chase drew nere him he made to the same so fast as he could when he was come thether he sayde nothing of that which had passed betwéene him and the Counte verely thought that Counte Guillaume althoughe that he was so strong and stoute a gentleman as was in that tyme yet he was no man to doe so great an enterprise But the CouÌ„te Guillaume fearing to be bewraied or suspected of the facte next day morning repayred to Robertet the Secretarie of the Kings reuenewes and sayd that he had well wayed the giftes and annuities which the king woulde giue him to tarrie but he perceyued that they were not sufficient to interteigne him for halfe a yere that if it pleased not the king to double the same he should be forced to depart praying the sayd Robertet to knowe his graces pleasure so sone as he coulde who sayde vnto him that he himselfe coulde without further commission coulde disbirsse no more vnto him but gladlie whithout further delaie he would presentlye repayre to the king which he did more willingly bicause he had séene the aduertisements of the Gouernor aforesayde And so sone as the king was awake he declared the matter vnto him in the presence of MoÌ„sier Trimouille and Monsier Bouiuet Lord Admirall who were vtterly ignorant of that which the king had done To whom the king sayd Loe ye haue bene miscontented for that I woulde not put away the Counte Guillaume but now ye sée he putteth away himselfe Wherefore Robertet tell him that if he be not conteÌ„t with the state which he receyued at his first entrie into my seruice wherof many GeÌ„tlemen of good houses would think themselues happy it is mete that he seke his better fortune and tell him that I woulde be loth to hinder him but wil be very well contented that he seke where he may liue better accordingly as he deserueth Robertet was so diligent to beare this aunswere to the Counte as he was to present his sute to the king The Counte sayde that with his licence he woulde gladly goe forthwith And like one that feare forced to departe was not able to beare his abode .xxiiij. houres And as the King was sitting downe to dinner fayning to be sorye for his departure but that necessitie compelled him to lose his preseÌ„ce he toke his leaue He went likewise to take leaue of the kings mother which she gaue him with so great ioye as she did receyue him being her nere kinsman friende Then he went into his Countrie And the king séeing his mother and seruants astoned at that his sodayne departure declared vnto them the Al Arme which he had giuen him saying that although he was innoceÌ„t of the matter suspected so was his feare great ynough to depart from a maister with whose condicions hitherto he was not acquainted A straunge punishment A punishment more rigorous than death of a husband towarde his wyfe that had committed adultery The Lvj. Nouell KIng Charles of Fraunce the .viij. of that name sent into Germany a Gentleman called Bernage Lorde of Cyure besides Amboise Who to make spéede spared neyther day nor night for execution of his Princes commaundement In such wise that very late in an euening he arriued at the castle of a Gentleman to demaunde lodging which very hardly he obtayned Howbeit wheÌ„ the gentleman vnderstode that he was the seruaunt of such a king he prayed him not to take in ill part the rudenesse of his seruaunts bicause vpon occasion of certaine his wiues friendes that loued him not he was forced to kepe his house so straight At what tyme Bernage told him the cause of his iourney wherein the Gentleman offered to doe to the King his Maister al seruice possible Leading him into his house where he was feasted lodged very honorably When supper was ready the Gentleman conueyed him into a parler well hanged with fayre Tapistrie And when the meate was set vpon the table he perceyued a woman comming forth behinde the hanging which was so beautifull as might be sene sauing that her heade was all shauen and apparelled in Almaine blacke After both the Gentlemen had washed water was brought to the gentlewoman who when she had washed she sat downe at the table without speaking to any man or any word spokeÌ„ vnto her The Lord Bernage beholding her wel thought her to be one of the fayrest Ladies that euer he sawe if her face had not bene so pale her countenaunce so sad After she had eaten a little she called for drink which one of the seruants brought vnto her in a straunge cup. For it was the head of a dead man trimmed with siluer Whereof she drancke twice or thrice When she had supped and washed her handes making a reuerence to the Lorde of the house she retourned behinde the hangings without speaking any worde Bernage was so muche amazed at that strauÌ„ge sight that he waxed very heauie and sad The gentleman that marked him sayd vnto him I sée wel that you be astonned at that you saw at the table But seing your hnoest demeanor I wil not kepe the thing secret froÌ„ you bicause you shall not note that crueltie to be done without gret occasion This gentlewoman which you sée is my wife whome I loued bettter than any gentleman could loue his wife In such sort that to marry her I forgat all feare and brought her hither in dispite of her parents She likewise shewed vnto me such signes of loue that I attempted a thousand wayes to place her here for her ioy and myne where we liued a long tyme in suche rest and contentation that I thought my selfe the happiest Gentleman in Christendome But in a iourney which I made which to attempt mine honor forced me she forgot both her selfe her conscience and the loue which she bare towardes me and fell in loue with a Gentleman that I brought vp in this house which vpon my returne I perceyued to be true Notwithstanding the loue that I bare her was so great that I had no mistrust in her til such tyme as experience did open myne eyes and saw the thing that I feared more than death For which cause loue was tourned into furie and dispaire in suche wise that I
depriued of his kingdome The .vj. Nouell Folio 19. ¶ King Craesus of Lydia reasoneth with the wyseman Solon of the happy life of man Who little esteming his good aduise vnderstode before his death that no man but by vertue can in his lyfe attaine felicitie The .vij. Nouell Folio 21. AElianus ¶ Of a Father that made sute to haue his owne sonne put to death The .viij. Nouell Folio 24. ¶ Water offered of good will to Artaxerxes the king of Persia and the liberall rewarde of the king to the giuer The .ix. Nouell Folio 24. ¶ The loue of Chariton and Menalippus The .x. Nouell Folio 25. Xenophon ¶ King Cyrus persuaded by Araspas to dispose himselfe to loue a Ladie called Panthea entreth into a pretie disputacion and talke of Loue and beauty Afterwardes Araspas himselfe falleth in loue with the sayde Ladie but she indued with great chastitie auoideth his earnest Loue. And when her husbande was slayne in the seruice of Cyrus she killed herself The .xj. Nouell Folio 27. Quintus Curtius ¶ Abdolominus is from poore estate aduauÌ„ced by Alexander the great through his honest lyfe to be king of Sydone The .xij. Nouell Folio 33. ¶ The Oracion of the Scythian Ambassadours to Alexander the great reprouing his ambicion and desire of Empire The .xiij. Nouell Folio 34. Aulus Gellius ¶ The wordes of Metellus of mariage and wyuing with the prayse and disprayse of the same The .xiiij. Nouell Folio 36. ¶ Of Lais and Demosthenes The .v. Nouell Fol. 38. ¶ C. Fabritius and Aemilius Consulls of Rome being promised that king Pyrrhus for a somme of money shoulde be slayne which was a notable enemie to the Romane state aduertised Pyrrhus thereof by letters and of other notable things done by the same Fabritius The .xvj. Nouell Folio 38. ¶ A Scholemaister trayterouslye rendring the noble mennes sonnes of Faleâ—â—a to the handes of Camillus was well acquited and rewarded for his paines and labor The .xvij. Nouell Folio 39. ¶ The Historie of Papyrius Pretextaetus The .xviij. Nouell Folio 41. ¶ How Plutarche did beate his man And of pretie talke touching signes of anger The .xix. Nouell Fol. 42. ¶ A pretie tale of Aesope of the Larke The .xx. Nouell Folio 42. ¶ A merye ieft vttered by Haniball to king Antiochus The .xxj. Nouell Folio 44. ¶ The meruelous knowledge of a Lyon being acquainted with a man called Androctus The .xxij. Nouell Fol. 44. ¶ A pretie disputacion of the Philosopher Phaeuorinus to persuade a woman not to put forthe her childe to nursse but to nourishe it her selfe with her owne milke The .xxiij. Nouell Folio 45. ¶ Of Sertorius a noble Romane Capitaine The .xxiiij. Nouell Folio 48. ¶ Of the bookes of Sybilla The .xxv. Nouel Fol. 49. ¶ A difference and controuersie betweene a Maister and a Scholer so subtill that the Iudges coulde not giue sentence The .xxvj. Nouell Folio 50. Plutarche ¶ Seleueus King of Asia gaue his wife to his owne sonne in mariage being his mother in lawe Who so feruentlye did loue her that he was like to dye Which by a discrete wyse inuencion was discouered to Seleueus by a Phisician The .xxvij. Nouell Folio 51. ¶ Of the straunge and beastlye nature of Timon of Athenes enemie to mankinde with his death buriall and Epitaphe The .xxviij. Nouell Folio 57. S. Hierome and Pietro Messia ¶ The mariage of a man and woman he being the husbande of xx wiues and she the wife of .xxii. husbandes The .xxix. Nouell Folio 59. Bocaccio ¶ How Melchisedech a Iewe by telling a pretie tale of three Kinges saued his lyfe The .xxx. Nouell Folio 60. ¶ One called Guglielmo Borsiere with certen wordes well placed taunted the couetous life of Ermino Grimaldi The .xxxj. Nouell Folio 61. ¶ Maister Alberto of Bologna by a pleasaunt aunswere made a Gentlewoman to blushe which had thought to haue put him out of countenance in telling him that he was in loue with her The .xxxij. Nouell Folio 63. ¶ Rinald. of Esti being robbed arriued at Castel Guglielmo was succoured of a widowe and restored to his losses retourning safe and sounde home to his owne house The .xxxiij. Nouell Fol. 64. ¶ Three yong men hauing fondlye consumed all that they had became verye poore whose nephewe as he retourned out of Englande into Italie by the waye fyll in acquaintaunce with an Abbot whome vpon further familiaritie he knew to be the king of Englandes daughter which tooke him to her husbande Afterwards she restored his vncles to all their losses and sent them home in good state and reputacion The .xxxiiij. Nouell Folio 68. ¶ Landâ—lfo Ruffolo being inpouerished became a Pirate and taken by the Geneuois was in daunger of drowning who sauing himselfe vpon a little Coafer full of riche Iewelles was receiued at Corsu and being cherished by a woman retorned home very riche The .xxxv. Nouell Folio 73. ¶ Andreuccio of Perugia being come to Naples to buy horsse was in one night surprised with three meruelous accidents All which hauing escaped with one Rubie he retorned home to his house The .xxxvj. Nouell Folio 76. ¶ The Earle of Angiers being falslie accused was banished out of Fraunce and left his two sonnes in sundrie places in Englande and retourning vnknowen by Scotlande founde them in great authoritie afterwardes he repayred in the habite of a seruant to the French kings armie and being knowen to be innocent was againe aduaunced to his first estate The .xxxvij. Nouell Folio 85. ¶ Gilettae a Phisitians daughter of Narbona healed the French king of a Fistula for rewarde whereof she demaunded Beleramo Counte of Rossigliont to husbande The Counte being maried against his will for despite fledde to Florence and loued an other Gâ—â—etta his wife by pollicie founde meanes to lye with her husbande in place of his Louer and was begotten with childe of two sonnes Which knowen to her husbande he receiued her againe and afterwardes she liued in great honor and felicitie The .xxxviij. Nouell Folio 95. ¶ â—ancredi prince of Salerne caused his daughters louer to be slayne and sent his heart vnto her in a cuppe of Golde which afterwardes she put into poysoned water and drinking therof dyed The .xxxix. Nouell Folio 100. Bandello ¶ Mahomet one of the Turkishe Emperors executeth cursed crueltie vpon a Greke mayden whome he tooke prisoner at the winning of Constantinople The .xl. Nouell Folio 107. ¶ A Ladie falsely accused of adulterie was condemned to be deuoured of Lions the maner of her deliuerie and how her innocencie being knowen her accuser felt the payne for her prepared The .xl. Nouell Folio 112. ¶ Didaco a Spaniarde is in Loue with a poore Mayden of Valentia and secretely maryeth her afterwards lothing his first mariage because she was of base parentage he maryeth another of noble birth His firste wife by secrete messinger prayeth his companie whose request he accomplisheth Being a bedde she and her mayde killeth him She throweth him into the streate She in desperate wise
bothe for in either campes there were three brethren of age and valiaunce semblable The brethren that were in the Romane campe were called Horatij the other Curiatij Wherevpon a cōbate was thought meete betwene these sixe persones After the Romanes had vsed their solempne maners of consecratyng the truces and other rites concerning the same either partes repaired to the combate Bothe the armies stoode in readines before their campes rather voide of presente perill then of care for the state of either of their Empires consisted in the valiautce and fortune of a fewe Wherefore their mindes were wonderfully bent and incensed vpon that vnpleasaunt sight The signe of the combate was giuen The thre yong men of either side dooe ioigne with furious and cruell onsette representing the corages of twoo battelles of puissaunt armies For the losse consisted in neither those thre but the publique gouernemente or common thraldome of bothe the cities and that was the future fortune which thei did trie and proue So sone as the clashyng armure did sounde at their firste incountrie and their glitteryng swordes did shine an incredible horror and feare perced the beholders and hope inclining to neither partes their voice and mindes were whist and silent But after thei were closed together not onely the mouyng of their bodies and doubtfull weldyng and handlyng of their weapons but blooddie woundes appered twoo of the Romanes fallyng doune starke deade one vpon an other but before the three Albanes were sore hurt Whereat the Albane hoste shouted for ioye The Romane Legions were voide of hope amazed to see but one remain against thrée It chaūced that he that liued whiche as he was but one alone an vnmeete matche for the rest euen so he was fierce and thought hymself good inough for them all Therefore to separate their fight he fleeth backe meanyng thereby to giue euery of them their welcome as thei followed Whē he was retired a good space from the place where thei fought lookyng backe he sawe them followe a good distance one from an other and one of them was hard by him vpon whō he let driue with greate violence And whiles the Albane hoste cried out vpon the Curatij to help their brother Horatius had killed his enemie and demaunded for the seconde battaill Then the Romanes incoraged their chāpion with acclamations and shoutes as fearfull men be wont to doe vpon the sodaine and he spedeth hymself to the sight And before the other could ouertake hym whiche was not farre of he had killed an other of the Curatij Now thei were equallie matched one to one but in hope and strengthe vnlike For the one was free of wounde or hurte cruell fierce by reason of double victorie the other fainct for losse of bloodde and wearie of runnyng with pantyng breath and discomfited with his brethrens slaughter slaine before hym is now obiected to fight with his victorious enemie whiche was no equall matche Horatius reioysing saied twoo of thy brethren I haue dispatched the thirde the cause of this battaill I will take in hande that the Romanes maie bée lordes of the Albanes Curiatius not able to sustaine his blowe fill doune and liyng vpon his backe he thruste hym into the throte with his sworde whiche dooen he dispoiled hym of his armure Then the Romanes in a great triumphe and reioyse interteigned Horatius and their ioye was the greater for that the feare of their ouerthrowe was the nerer This combate beyng ended the Albanes became subiecte to the Romanes and before Metius departed he asked Tullus if he would cōmaunde hym any further seruice Who willed hym to keepe the young souldiours still in interteignemente for that he would require their aide againste the Verētes The Armie dissolued Horatius like a Conquerour marched home to Rome the three spoiles of his enemies beyng borne before hym The saied Horatius had a sister whiche was espoused to one of the Curatij that were slaine who meetyng her brother in the triumphe at one of the gates called Capena and knowyng the Coate armure of her paramour borne vpō her brothers shulders which she wrought and made with her owne handes She tore and rente the heare of her hedde and moste pitiouslie bewailed the death of her beloued Her brother beyng in the pride of his victorie taking the lamētacion of his sister in disdainfull part drewe out his sworde and thruste her through saiyng these opprobrious woordes Auaunte with thy vnreasonable loue get thee to thy spouse Hast thou forgotten the death of thy twoo brethren that bee slaine the prosperous successe of thy victorious brother chieflie the happie deliueraunce of thy countrie Let that Romane woman what soeuer she bee take like rewarde that shall bewaile the death of the enemie Whiche horrible facte seemed moste cruell to the fathers and people For whiche offence he was brought before the king whom he deliuered to be iudged accordyng to the lawe The lawe condempned him Then he appealed to the people In which appeale P. Horatius his father spake these wordes My doughter is slain not without iust desert whiche if it were not so I would haue sued for condigne punishment to be executed vpō my sōne accordyng to the naturall pietie of a father Wherfore I beseche you dooe not suffer me whom you haue seen in time past beautified with a noble race and progenie of children now to bee vtterly destitute and voide of all together Then he embrased his sonne emonges them all and shewed the spoiles of the Curatiens saiyng Cā you abide to see this noble champion O ye Romanes whom lately ye behelde to goe in order of triumphe in victorious maner to lye now bounde vnder the gibet expecting for tormētes of death Whiche cruell and deformed sight the Albanes eyes can not well be able to beholde goe to then thou hangman and binde the hādes of hym who hath atchieued to the Romane people a glorious Empire Goe I saie couer the face of him that hath deliuered this citie out of thraldome and bōdage Hang him vpon some vnhappy trée and scourge hym in some place within the Citie either emonges these our triumphes where the spoiles of our enemies doe remaine or els without the walles emonges the graues of the vanquished Whether can ye dauise to carrie hym but that his honourable and worthie actes shall reuenge the villanie of his cruell death The people hearyng the lamentable talke of his father and seyng in hym an vnmoueable mynde able to sustaine all aduersitie acquited hym rather through the admiracion of his vertue and valiance then by Iustice and equitie of his cause Suche was the straicte order of iustice emonges the Romanes that although this yong gentilman had vindicated his countrie from seruitute and bondage a noble memorie of perfecte manhode yet by reason of the murdre committed vpon his owne sister thei were very straict and stacke of grauntyng hym pardon because thei would not incorage the posteritie to like inconuenience nor prouoke
well doers in their glorie and triumphe to perpetrate thynges vnlawfull Sextus Tarquinius rauisheth Lucrece who bewailyng the losse of her chastitie killeth her self ¶ The seconde Nouell GReate preparacion was made by the Romanes against a people called Rutuli who had a citie named Ardea excellyng in wealth and richesse whiche was the cause that the Romane kyng beyng exhausted and quite voide of money by reason of his sumptuous buildynges made warres vpon that countrie In the tyme of the siege of that citee the yong Romane gentlemen bāqueted one an other emonges whom there was one called Collatinus Tarquinius the sonne of Egerius And by chaunce thei entred in communicacion of their wiues euery one praisyng his seuerall spouse At length the talke began to growe hotte where vpon Collatinus said that wordes wer vaine For within fewe howers it might be tried how muche his wife Lucrecia did excell the rest wherfore q he if there be any liuelihod in you Let vs take our horse to proue whiche of our wiues doth furmoūt Wherevpō thei rode to Rome in poste At their coming thei found the kynges doughters sportyng themselfes with sundrie pastymes From thence thei went to the house of Collatinus where thei founde Lucrece not as the other before named spendyng the time in idlenes but late in the night occupied and busie emonges her maides in the middes of the house spinning of Wolle The victorie and praise wherof was giuen to Lucretia who when she sawe her husbande gently and louingly interteigned hym curteously biddyng the Tarquinians welcome Imediatlie Sextus Tarquinius the sonne of Tarquinius Superbus that tyme the Romane kyng was attached and incensed with a libidious desire to construprate and defloure Lucrece When the yong gentlemen had bestowed that night pleasantlie with their wiues thei retourned to the Campe. Not long after Sextus Tarquinius with one man returned to Collatia vnknowen to Collatinus and ignoraunte to Lucrece and the reste of her houshold for what purpose he came Who beyng right hartely interteigued after supper was conueighed to his chamber Tarquinius burnyng with the loue of Lucrece after he perceiued the housholde to bee at reste and all thynges in quiet he with his naked sworde in his hande goeth to Lucrece beyng a slepe and kepyng her doune with his lefte hande saied Holde thy peace Lucrece q he I am Sextus Tarquinius my sworde is in my hande if thou crie I will kill thee The gentlewoman beyng sore a fraied newlie awaked out of her slepe and seyng iminent death could not tell what to doe Then Tarquinius confessed his loue and began to intreate her and therewithall vsed sundrie menacyng woordes by all meanes attemptyng to make her quiet when he sawe her obstinate and that she would not yelde to his requeste notwithstandyng his cruell threates he added shamefull and villanous woordes saiyng That he would kill her and when she was slaine he would also kill his slaue and place hym by her that it might be reported she was slain beyng taken in adulterie She vāquished with his terrible and infamous threat His fleshly and licencious enterprise ouercame the puritie of her chast harte whiche doen he departed Then Lucrece sente a poste to Rome to her father and an other to Ardea to her housbande requiryng them that thei would make speede to come vnto her with certaine of their trustie frendes for that a cruell facte was chaunced Then Sp. Lucretius with P. Valerius the soonne of Volesius Collatinus with L. Iunius Brutus made haste to Lucrece Where thei founde her sittyng verie pensife and sadde in her chamber So sone as she sawe theim she began pitiouslie to weepe Then her housebande asked her whether all thynges were well vnto whom she saied these woordes No dere housebande for what can bee well or safe vnto a woman when she hath loste her chastitie Alas Collatine the steppes of an other man be now fixed in thy bedde But it is my bodie onely that is violated my minde God knoweth is gililes whereof my death shal be witnesse But if you be men giue me your hādes and trouthe that the adulterer maie not escape vnreuenged It is Sextus Tarquinius who beyng an enemie in stede of a frende the other night came vnto me armed with his sworde in his hand and by violence caried a waie from me and tooke to himself a pestiferous ioye Then euery of thē gaue her their faith and comforted the pensife and languishyng ladie imputing the offence to the aucthor and doer of the same affirmyng that her bodie was polluted and not her mynde and where consente was not there the crime was absent Wherevnto she added I praie you consider with your selues what punishment is due for the malefactour As for my parte though I clere my self of the offence my bodie shall feele the punishemente for no vnchast or ill woman shall hereafter take example of Lucrece Then she drew out a knife whiche she had hidden secretly vnder her kirtle and stabbed her self to the harte Whiche doen she fell doune grouelyng vpon her wounde and so died Wherevpon her father and housebande made greate lamentacion and as thes were bewailyng the death of Lucrece Brutus plucked the knife out of the wounde whiche gushed out with abundance of blood and holdyng it vp saied I swere by the chaste blood of this bodie here deade and I take you the immortall goddes to witnesse that I wil driue and extirpate out of this Citie bothe L. Tarquinius Superbus and his wicked wife with all the race of his children and progenie so that none of them ne yet any others shall raigne any longer in Rome Then he deliuered the knife to Collatinus Lucretius and Valerius merueilyng at the straungenesse of his woordes And from whence he should conceiue that determinacion Thes al swore that othe And folowed Brutus as their capitaine in his conceiued purpose The bodie of Lucrece was brought into the markette place where the people wondred at the vilenesse of that facte euery mā cōplainyng vpon the mischief of that facinorous rape committed by Tarquinius Wherevpon Brutus perswaded the Romanes that thei should cease from teares and other childishe lamentacions and take weapons in their handes and shewe themselues like men Then the lustiest and moste desperate persones within the citie made theimselues presse and readie to attempt any enterprise And after a guarrison was placed and bestowed at Collatia diligente watche and warde was kepte at the gates of the citie to the intent the kyng should haue no aduertismente of that slurre The reste of the souldiours followed Brutus to Rome Whē he was come to Rome the armed multitude did beate a meruellous feare throughout the whole citie but yet because thei sawe the chiefeste personages goe before that thought that the same enterprise was not taken in vaine Wherefore the people out of all places of the citie ran into the marketplace Where Brutus complained of the abhominable Rape of Lucrece committed by Sextus Tarquinius whervnto
ambiguous and doubtfull causes therefore I will neither consume tyme in accusyng hym before you frō whose crueltie ye haue by force defended your selues nor yet I will suffre hym to ioyne to his former wickednesse any impudente answere for his defence Wherefore Appius all those thinges whiche he wickedly and cruelly one vpon an other thou haste dooen these twoo yeres paste I dooe fréely forgiue thee But if thou canste not purge thy self of this one thing that against the order and forme of Lawe thou thy self beyng Iudge wouldest not suffer the freman to enioye the benefite of his freedome during the processe made of seruitude I will presently commaunde thee to prison Appius Claudius beyng now a prisoner and perceiuyng that the iuste complaintes of Virginius did vehemētty incite the people to rage and furie and that the peticions and praiers of his frēdes in nowise could mollifie their hartes he began to conceiue a desperacion And within a while after slewe hymself Spurius Oppius also an other of the Decemuiri was immediatly sent to prison who before the daie of his iudgemēte died The reste also of that order fled into exile Whose goodes were confiscate Marcus Claudius also the Assertor was condempned howbeit Virginius was contented he should be banished the citie and then he fled to Tybur Thus vpon the filthie affeccion of one nobleman issued parricide murder rebellion hatred depriuyng of magistrates and greate mischiefes succedyng one in an others necke Wherevpon the noble and victorious citie was like to be a praie to forren nacions A goodlie documente to men of like callyng to moderate themselues and their Magisterie with good and honeste life thereby to giue incouragemente of vertue to their vassalles and inferiours who for the moste parte doe imitate and followe the liues and cōuersacion of their superiours Canduales kyng of Lydia shewyng the secretes of his wiues beautie to Gyges one of his Guarde was by counsaile of his wife slaine by the said Gyges and depriued of his kyngdome ¶ The .vj. Nouell OF all follies wherwith vaine men be affected the follie of immoderate loue is most to be detested For that husband whiche is beautified with a comely and honeste wife whose rare excellēcie doeth surpasse other aswell in lineamentes proporcion and feature of bodie as with inwarde qualities of minde if he can not retaine in the secrecie and silence of his breast that excellyng gifte and benefite is worthie to be inaugured with a laurell croune of follie Beautie eche man knoweth is one of natures ornamentes by her wisedome ordeined not to enter in triumphe as victours vse vpon gaine of victorie with brauerie to ostentate their glorie by sounde of Shalme Dromme but thankfully for the same to proclaime the due praise to the aucthour of Nature For there is nothyng more fraile and fadyng then the luryng lookes of Dame beauties eyes altogether like the flaryng Marigolde floure whiche in the moste feruent heate of the Sommers daie doeth appere moste glorious and vpō retire of the nightes shadowe appereth as though it had neuer been the same And therefore he that conceiueth reioyse in her vncertaine state is like to hym that in his slombryng dreame doeth imagine he hath founde a perelesse iewell of price inestimable besette with the glistering Diamonde and perfectly awaked knoweth he hath none suche If God hath indued a man with a wife that is beautifull and honest he is furnished with double pleasure suche as rather thankes to hym then vaine ostentacion is to bee remembred Otherwise he doateth either in Ielosie or openeth proude vauntes thereof to suche as he thinketh to be his moste assured frendes What ioye the sequele thereof doeth bryng let the historie insuyng reporte Candaules kyng of Lydia had a merueilous beautifull gentlewoman to his Quene and wife whom he loued very dearly and for that greate loue whiche he bare her thought her the fairest creature of the world Beyng in this louing concept he extolled the praise of his wife to one of his guarde called Gyges the sonne of Dascylus whom he loued aboue all the reste of his housholde and vsed his counsaile in all his weightie causes with in a while after he saied vnto Gyges these woordes It seemeth vnto me Gyges that thou doest not greatly beleue the woordes whiche I speake vnto the of the beautie of my wife but because eyes be better witnesses of thynges then eares thou shalte see her naked With these wordes Gyges beyng amased cried out saiyng What wordes be these sir kyng me think you are not well aduised to require me to viewe and beholde the ladie my maistres in that sorte For a woman seen naked doeth with her clothes put of also her chastitie In olde tyme honest thinges were deuised for mannes instruction emonges whiche was vsed this one thing That euery man ought to behold the thinges that were his owne But sir I doe beleue assuredlie that she is the fairest woman in the worlde wherfore desire me not to thynges that bee vnlawfull In this sorte Gyges replied and yet feared lest some daūger might happen vnto hym Whom Candaules encouraged saiyng Be of good there and be not afraid that either I or my wife goe aboute to deceiue thee or that thou shalte incurre any daunger For I will take vpon me so to vse the matter as she by no meanes shal knowe that thou haste seen her I will place thee behinde the portall of our chamber When I goe to bed my wife commonlie dooeth followe And she beyng in the Chamber a chaire is sette redie vpon whiche she laieth her clothes as she putteth them of Which doen she sheweth her self a good tyme naked And when she riseth from her chaire to goe to bedde her backe beyng toward thee thou maiest easilie conueighe thy self out againe but in anywise take heede she doe not sée thee as thou goest out Wherevnto I praie thee to haue a speciall regarde Gyges seeyng that by no meanes he could auoide the vaine requeste of the kyng was redie at the tyme appoincted Candaules about the hower of bedde tyme went into the Chamber and conueighed Gyges into the same and after the Kyng the Quene followed whom Gyges behelde at her goyng in and at the puttyng of her clothes When her backe was towardes hym as he was goyng out she perceiued hym The Quene vnderstanding by her housbande the circumstance of the facte neither for shame did crie out ne yet made countenance as though she had séen Gyges but in her minde purposed to reuenge her husbandes follie For emōges the Lydiās as for the most parte with all other nacions it is coumpted a greate shame to sée a naked man The gentlewoman counterfaited her grief and kepte silence In the mornyng when she was redie by suche of her seruauntes whom she moste trusted she sent for Gyges who thought that she had knowen nothyng of that whiche chaūced For many times before he vsed to haue accesse to the quene when he was
saied that her doughter might not bothe sustaine paine in the birthe and also trouble to nourishe it her self I praie thee mother saied Phauorinus to suffer thy doughter to be the hole intire mother of her owne sonne What kind of half and vnperperfect mothers be thei whiche so sone as thei bee deliuered doe against nature by and by thrust the childe a waie from them Can thei nourishe with their owne bloode the thyng whiche thei see not and will thei not vouchsaufe to bestowe their Milke vpon that whiche is now a liuyng creature criyng out before their faces for the mothers help and duetie O thou vnkinde woman dooest thou thinke that Nature hath giuen thee twoo breastes for nothyng els but to beautifie and adorne thy body and not to giue sucke to thy children In like sorte many prodigious and monstruous women haue dried vp and extinguished that moste sacred foūtaine of the bodie the educatour of mākinde not without perill of their persones as though the same were a disgracyng of their beautie and comelinesse The like also some doe attempt by deuises and subtile secrecies to extrude their concepcions that the swellyng of their body might not irrugate and wrinckle their faces and that their painfull labours and greate burdeins dooe not make them looke olde in their youthly daies And like as it is generally to bee abborred that man in his first beginnynges when he is fashioned and inspired with life and in the handes of the cunnyng and wise woman daine Nature should be killed and slaine euē so with not muche lesse detestacion it is to be had cōpted when he is perfect and borne and the child of thine owne blood to be depriued from his due sustenaunce But it is no matter will some saie with whose Milke he bee nourced so he receiue Milke and liue The like maie be saied to that man whiche is so dull in perceiuyng the prouidence of Nature that what matter had it been in whose bodie and with whose blood he hymself had been formed and brought into light Hath not she whiche nowe respireth and with beautie waxeth white and fake the same bloodde now in her breastes which was before remainyng in her wōbe Is not the wisedome of Nature manifest in this thyng that after the cunnyng woorkeman the bloodde hath framed in the inwarde partes euery bodie of man straight waie when the tyme of birthe approcheth the same bloodde infudeth hymself into the vpper partes and is redie to nourishe the rudimentes of life and light offryng acquaintaunce familier sustinance to the newe borne Wherefore in vaine is not that reporte and belief that like as the force and Nature of the generacion séede is able to shape the similitudes of the minde bodie euen so the qualities and properties of the Milke doe auaile to like effecte Whiche thing is not onely marked in men but also in brute beastes For if Kiddes bee sockled vp with Ewes Milke and Lambes with Goates the Wolle of th one will growe more rough and hard and the heare of the other more tēder and soft In trées also and fruictes there is for the moste parte a greater force and power in the nature of the soile and Water where thes growe either for the pruning and planting then there is if straunge impes and séede be grifted and sowen there And many tymes you sée that a fruictfull trée caried and set in an other place decaseth through the nature of the grounde more barren What reason is this then to corrupte the noble Nature of this borne childe whose bodie and minde is well begonne with naturall beginnynges and to infecte the same with the degenerate foode of straunge Milke Specially if she to whom you shalt put forthe this childe to giue sucke be either a bonde and serulte woman and as commonlie it chaunceth of a forrein and barbarous nacion bee she wicked ill fauoured whorishe or dronken For diuers times without difference children be put forth to suche Nursses whose honestitie and condicions in the tyme of the puttyng for the be vtterly vnknowen Shall we suffer therefore this our infaunt to bée corrupted with pestiferous Milke Shall we abide a newe nature and spirit to be renued in his minde and bodie deriued frō that whiche is most vile and wicked Muche like to the same whiche many tymes we see and wonder how diuers children borne of chaste and honest women haue bodies and qualities farre discrepant from their honest parentes Wherefore verie trimlie and cunnynglie Maro folowyng Homeres verses doeth safe speakyng of the cruell nature of Achilles Sir Peleus that gentle kinght was not thy father sure Nor yet thy dame faire Thetis was whose grace the Goddes did lure The raging Sea and stonie rockes did bryng thee forthe to light Thy nature is so bloudie bent so fierce in cruell fight He did not herein reprehende the birthe of Achilles but the nature of the cruel sauage beast that brought hym vp for he added this of his owne And the Hircan Tigres did giue hym sucke And truely the condicion of the Noursse and nature of the Milke disposeth almoste the greater parte of the childes condicion whiche notwithstādyng the fathers séede and creacion of the bodie and mynde within the mothers wombe dooeth now in the begiunyng of his nouriture configurate and frame a newe dispositiō in him Moreouer who can saie the cōtrary but that suche women as putte their children from them deliueryng thē to be nourced of other doe cutte of naie rather doe wipe a waie and extinguishe that bande and increase of minde and affection that doeth consociate and ioyne in nature the parentes toward their children For whē the childe is put forthe to an other place and remoued from the mothers sighte the vigor and tendernesse of her affection is by litle ant litle forgotten and out of memorie the derest care of her tender babe groweth to vtter silence The sendyng awaie of the childe to an other Nourice is not muche inferiour to the forgetfulnesse that chaunceth when death doeth take it awaie Againe the affection the loue and familiaritie of the childe is prone to her that giueth it sucke And so as it is enidently seen in them that be put forthe the childe taketh no knowledge or desire of the owne mother that brought it forthe Therefore when the elementes and beginnynges of naturall pletie and loue bee ones abandoned and defaced how soeuer suche children in that sort brought vp shall seeme to loue the parentes yet for the moste parte it is no pure and naturall affection but rather a supposed and Ciuile loue Thus this noble Philosopher giueth counsaill to euery good mother not to be ashamed or grieued to bryng vp her childe with her owne Milke after her greatest paine past whom before with her owne bloudde she disdained not to féede in her bodie Of Sertorius a noble Romane capitaine ¶ The .xxiiij. Nouell LIke as in a good Capitaine chosen out
pitie mine own dere Antiochus dooeth deserue Who beyng constrained can none otherwise doe But to be silent in loue is a moste euident signe of a noble and rare vertue Dispose thy minde therefore to helpe my soonne For I assure thée that if thou dooe not loue the life of Antiochus Seleucus life muste needes bee hated of thee He can not bee hurte but I likewise must be hurted The wise Phisicion seyng that his aduise came to passe as he thought before and that Seleucus was so instant vpon hym for the healthe of his sonne the better to proue his minde and his intencion spake vnto hym in this wise It is a common saiyng my moste dradde soueraigne Lorde that a man when he is hole cā giue to hym that is sicke and weake verie good counsaile You perswade me to giue my welbeloued wife to another man and to forgo her whom I moste feruentlie doe loue and in lackyng her my life also must faile If you doe take from me my wife you take with her my life Doubtfull it is my lorde if Antiochus pour sonne were in loue with the Quene Stratonica your graces wife whether you would bée so liberall vnto hym of her as you would that I should bee of myne I would it were the pleasure of the Goddes sodainlie answered Seleucus that he were in loue with my best beloued Stratonica I sweare vnto thee by the reuerence that I haue alwaies borne to the honourable memorie of my father Antiochus and my graundfather Seleucus and I sweare by all the sacred Goddes that frelie and forthwith I would render my wife into his handes although she be the dearest beloued vnto me in suche wise as all the worlde should knowe what the duetie of a good and louyng father ought to bée to suche a sone as my intirely beloued Antiochus who if I bée not deceiued is moste worthie of all helpe and succour Alas this his greate vertue in concealing that notable passion as an earnest affection of loue is it not worthie to be consecrated to eternall memorie Is he not worthie of all helpe and comforte Dooeth he not deserue to be pitied and lamented of all the whole worlde Truly he is worsse then a cruell enemie naie he is rather more fierce and vnnaturall then a sauage beast that at suche moderate behauiour as my sonne vseth will not take compassion Many other woordes he spake manifestlie declaryng that he for the healthe of his soonne would not onelie sticke to bestowe his wife but also willinglie his life for his preseruacion Wherefore the Phisicion thought it not good any lōger to kepe secrete the thyng but tooke the king a side and saied vnto hym in this wise The healthe of your soonne my dere Lorde and soueraigne is not in my handes but the same resteth in you and in your wife Stratonica whom as I by certaine signes doe manifestlie knowe he ardētly doeth loue Your grace now doeth knowe from hencefor the what to doe if his life be dere vnto you And tellyng the kyng the maner of suche loue he ioyfully toke his leaue The kyng now doubted but of one thyng whiche was howe to perswade his sōne to take Stratonica to wife and how to exhorte his wife to take his sonne to husbande But it chaūced for diuerse causes that easelie inough he perswaded thē bothe And perchaunce Stratonica made a good exchaūge by takyng a yong man to forsake him that was old After Seleucus had made the accorde betwene his wife and his soonne he caused all his armie to assemble whiche was verie greate To whō he saed in this maner My dere and louyng souldious whiche sithe the death of Alexander the great haue with me achieued a thousande glorious enterprises I thincke it méete and conuenient that ye be partakers of that whiche I purpose to bryng to passe Ye do knowe that vnder myne Empire I haue .lxxij. kyngdomes that I beyng an old man am not able to attende so greate a charge wherfore louyng companions I purpose to deliuer and ridde you frō grief of idlenesse and my self frō trouble and toile reseruyng to me onelie so muche as lieth betwene the Sea and the riuer Euphrates All the rest of my dominions I giue to my soonne Antiochus vpon whom in mariage I haue bestowed my wife Stratonica whiche thing ought to contente you bicause my will and pleasure is suche And whē he had tolde them the loue sicknes of his sonne and the discrete deuise of the gentle Phisician in the presence of a his armie the mariage was celebrated betwene Stratonica Antiochus Afterwards he crouned thē bothe Kyng and Quene of Asia and with royall pompe and triumphe the desired mariage was consummate The armie hearyng and séeyng these thinges verie highlie cōmended the pietie of the father towardes his sonne Antiochus then continued with his welbeloued wife in ioye and quietnesse liuyng together in great felicitie This was not he that for matters of Aegipte did make warres with the Romanes But he that onelie inferred warres vpon the Galatians whiche out of Europa passed into Asia but of which countrie he chased them and ouercame thē Of this Antiochus came Seleucus whiche was father of Antiochus surnamed the greate that attēpted verie notable warres against the Romanes and not his greate graundfather that maried his mother in lawe Finallie this Seleucus of whom I recompte this historie by giuyng his wife to his sonne did accomplishe a miraculous acte and worthie in deede of sempiternall remēbraunce and greatlie to bee commended therefore who although he had achiued infinite victories ouer his enemies Yet there was none of them all so greate as the victorie of hym self and his passions For certainly Seleucus did vanquishe his owne appetites depriuyng hymself of his wife whom he loued and estemed aboue all thynges in the worlde Of the straūge beastlie nature of Timon of Athenes enemie to mankinde with his death buriall and Epitaphe ¶ The .xxviij. Nouell ALL the beastes of the worlde dooe applie themselfes to other beastes of their kinde Timon of Athenes onelie excepted of whose straūge nature Plutarche is astonied in the life of Marcus Antonius Plato and Aristophanes doe reporte his merueilous nature bicause he was a manne but by shape onelie in qualities he was the Capitall enemie of mankinde whiche he confessed francklie vtterlie to abhorre and hate He dwelte alone in a litle cabane in the fieldes not farre from Athenes separated from all neighbours and companie he neuer went to the citie or to any other habitable place excepte he were constrained He could not abide any mannes companie and conuersacion he was neuer seen to goe to any mannes house ne yet would suffer them to come to hym At the same tyme there was in Athenes an other of like qualitie called Apemantus of the verie same nature different from the naturall kinde of manne and lodged likewise in the middest of the fieldes On a daie thei twoo beyng alone together
soonne Perotto went into Wales not without greate labour and paine as one neuer accustomed to traueile on foote Where dwelte one other of the kyng of Englandes Marshalles that was of greate aucthoritie and kept a noble house To whose court the Erle and his sonne oftentymes repaired to practise begge their liuyng where one of the Marshalles sonnes and other gentlemennes children doyng certaine childishe sportes and pastymes as to runne and leape Perotto began to entermedle hymself emonges them who in those games did so excellently well as none was his better whiche thyng diuers tymes the Marshall perceiuing and well pleased with the order of the childe asked of whence he was It was told him that he was a poore mannes soonne whiche many tymes came thither to begge his almose The Marshall desiryng the childe the Erle whiche praied vnto God for nothyng els liberally gaue hym vnto hym although it gréeued hym to departe from hym The Erle then hauyng bestowed his sonne and his doughter determined no lōger to tarry in Englande but so well as he could he passed ouer into Irelande and when he was arriued at Stanford he placed hymself in the seruice of a man of armes belōging to an Erle of that countrie doing all thinges that did belong vnto a seruing man or page not knowen to any mā he cōtinued there a long time with great paine and toile Violenta named Gianetta that dwelte with the Ladie at London grewe so in yeres in beautie in personage and in suche grace and fauour of her lorde and Ladie and of all the rest of the house and so well beloued of all them that knewe her that it was meruailous to sée All men that sawe her maners and countenaunce iudged her to be worthy of greate honour and possessions by reason whereof the Ladie that receiued her of her father not knowyng what she was but by his reporte purposed to marrie her honourablie accordyng to her worthinesse But God the rewarder of all mennes desertes knowyng her to be a noble woman and to beare without cause the penaunce of an other mannes offence disposed her otherwise and to the intente that this noble gentlewoman might not come into the hādes of a man of ill condicion it must be supposed that that whiche came to passe was by Goddes owne will and pleasure suffred to be dooen The gentlewoman with whom Gianetta dwelt had but one onely sonne by her husbande whiche bothe she and the father loued verie dearly as well because he was a soonne as also that in vertue and good merites he greatly excelled For he surpassed all other in good condicions valiaunce goodnesse and beautie of personage beyng about sixe yeres elder then Gianetta who seeyng the maiden to bee bothe faire and comely became so farre in loue with her that he estemed her aboue all thinges of the worlde And bicause he thought her to be of base parentage he durste not demaunde her of his father and mother to wife But fearyng that he should lose their fauour he kepte his loue secrete whereby he was worse tormented then if it hadde been openly knowen And thereby it chaunced through Loues malice he fill sore sicke For whose preseruacion were many Phisians sente for and thei markyng in hym all signes and tokens of sickenes and not knowyng the disease were altogether doubtfull of his health whereof the father and mother tooke so greate sorowe and grief as was possible and many tymes with pitifull praiers thei damaunded of hym the occasion of his disease To whom he gaue for answere nothyng els but heauie sighes and that he was like to consume die for weakenesse It chaunced vpon a daie there was brought vnto hym a Phisicion that was verie younge but in his science profoundlie learned and as he was holdyng hym by the poulces Gianetta who for his mothers sake attended hym verie carefully entred vpon occasion into the chamber where he laie sicke and so sone as the yonge gentleman perceiued her and that she spake neuer a worde or made any signe or demonstracion towardes hym he felt in his harte to arise his moste amourous defire wherefore his poulces beganne to beate aboue their common custome whiche thyng the Phisicion immediatly perceiued and merualled stādyng still to se how long that fitte would continue Gianetta was no soner gone out of the chamber but the beatyng of the poulces ceased wherfore the Phisicion thought that he had founde out some parte of the gentlemannes disease and a litle while after seming to take occasiō to speake to Gianetta holdyng hym still by the armes he caused her to be called in and she incontinently came but she was no soner come but the poulces beganne to beate againe and when she departed the beatyng ceased Whervpon the Phisicion was throughly perswaded that he vnderstode the effecte of his sicknes and therewithall rose vp and takyng the father and mother aside saied vnto them The health of your sonne doeth not consist in the helpe of Phisicions but remaineth in the handes of Gianetta your maide as I haue perceiued by moste manifest signes whom the yonge man feruently dooeth loue And yet so farre as I perceiue the maiden doeth not knowe it you therefore vnderstande now what to doe if you loue his life The gentleman and his wife hearyng this was somewhat satisfied for so muche as remedie mighte bee founde to saue his life athough it greued them greatly if the thing wherof thei doubted should come to passe which was the marriage betwene Gianetta and their soonne The Phisicion departed thei repaired to their sicke soonne the mother saiyng vnto hym in this wise My soonne I would neuer haue thought that thou wouldest haue kept secrete from me any parte of thy desire specially seyng that without the same thou dooest remaine in daūger of death For thou art or ought to bée assured that there is nothyng that maie be gotten for thy contētacion what so euer it had been but it should haue been prouided for thée in as ample maner as for my self But sith thou haste thus doen it chaūceth that our Lorde God hath shewed more mercie vpon thée then thou hasle doen vpō thy self And to th ende thou shalt not die of this disease he hath declared vnto me the cause of the same whiche is none other but the great loue that thou bearest to a yonge maide wherso euer she bee And in deede thou oughtest not to bée ashamed to manifest thy loue bicause it is meete and requisite for thyne age For if I wist thou couldest not loue I would the lesse esteme thee Now then my good sonne be not afraied franckly to discouer all thyne affectiō Driue awaie the furie and thought whiche thou hast taken whereof this sickenes commeth And comfort thy self Beyng assured that thou shalt desire nothyng at my handes that maie be doen for thy contentacion but it shall bee accomplished of me that loueth thee better then myne owne life and
the honeste loue betwene the Lorde and the Ladie as for the vertue and clemēcie wherewith both the one and the other were accōpanied who in the beginnyng as honestie duetie did require was a louer of good maners and commendable demeanour of his Ladie and maistresse afterwardes forgettyng the fidelitie whiche he did owe vnto his Lorde the nobilitie of his predecessours and the perill of his owne life began to loue her and serue her in harte and to wishe for the fairest thyng whiche outwardlie did appere to bee in her where he ought not so muche as with the looke of his eye to giue any atteinte of likelihode for the reuerence of hym whiche was the right honor and iuste possessor of the same This maister foole then not measuryng his forces and lesse followyng the instincte of Reason became so amourous of his Madame that cōtinually he imagined by what meanes he might giue her to vnderstande the paines and languores wherein he liued for the loue of her But alas these deuises vanished like a litle dispersed cloude at the risyng of the Sonne For thinkyng vpon the vertue of his maistresse his desires were soner remoued from his harte then he was able to impresse them in the seate of his iudgemente thereby to take any certaine assuraunce Notwithstandyng his hedde ceased not to builde Castelles in the aire and made a promisse to hymself to inioye her whom he worshipped in his harte For he tooke suche paines by his humble seruice that in the ende he acquired some parte of his Ladies good grace and fauor And for that he durst not be so bolde to manifest vnto her the vehemencie of his grief he was cōtented a long tyme to shewe a counterfaicte ioye whiche raised vnto hym a liuely spring of sorowes and displeasures that did ordinarily frette boile his minde so muche that the force of his wepyng for vaine hope was able to suffocate the remnant of life that rested in his tormented harte whiche caused certaine litle brookes of teares to streame donne assailyng the myndeof this foolishe Louer This faier and chaste Ladie was so resolued in the loue of her husbande that she tooke no regarde to the countenaunces and foolishe fashions of this maister Louer Who seyng his mishappe to grow worsse and worsse and from thence forthe no remedie that whether by reioyse well hopyng of better lucke or for sodaine and miserable death he determined to proue Fortune and to sée if the water of his hope could finde any passage stedfastly determinyng that if he were throwē downe hedlong into the bottō of Refusall cōtēpned for his seruice not to retire againe but rather further to plondge for the acceleratyng of the ruine of hymself and his desires For he thought it impossible that his harte could indure more intollerable heate of that inuisible fier then it had felt alredie if he founde no meanes for the smoke to haue some vent and issue For whiche consideracion cleane besides hymself bewitched with foolishe Loue like a beast throughly transformed into a thing that had no sense of a reasonable manne suche as thei bee accustomably that be inrolled in the muster bookes of Venus sonne was purposed to open to the Ladie when occasion serued bothe the euil and also the grief that he susteined in bearyng toward her so greate and extreme affection Beholde here one of the effectes of humane follie this was the firste acte of the Tragedie wherein Loue maketh this brainlesse manne to plaie the firste and principall parte vpon the Stage This poore gentleman otherwise a good seruaunt and carefull for the profite and honour of his maister is nowe so voide of hymself and blinde in vnderstanding that he maketh no consciēce to assaile her to defraude her of her greatest vertue the simple name of whom ought to haue made hym tremble for feare and to blushe for shame rather then for her beautie sake and naturall curtesie to dispoile her of her honestie and to attempte a thyng vncertaine to winne also more daungerous to practise Now whiles he liued in the attempt of his hoped occasion it chaunced that the Ladie thinkyng no malice at all began to beholde the Stewarde with a better eye and loke more familier then any of the gentlemen and domesticall seruauntes of the house aswell for the painted honestie of this Galant as to sée hym so prompte and redie to obeie her And therefore vpon a daie as she walked in the Gallerie she called hym vnto her and verie familierly communicated vnto hym certaine affaires touchyng the profite of the house He that marched not but vpon one foote and burned with Loue and whose harte leapte for ioye and daunced for gladnesse thought that he had now obteined the toppe of his felicitie the whole effecte of his desire sodainly he cast awaie the dispaire of his former conceiptes obiectyng hymself to the daunger wherin he was like to be ouerwhelmed if the Ladie accepted not his request with good digestion In the ende recoueryng force he discoursed in his mynde this wicked opinion wherewith folishe and wilfull fleshely louers doe blason and displaie the honour and chastite of Ladies when thei make their vaunte that there is no woman be she neuer so chaste continente or honest but in the ende yeldeth if she be throughly pursued O the woerdes and opinion of a beast rather then of a man knowing vertue Is the nomber of chaste women so diminished that their renowme at this daie is like a Boate in the middes of some tempestious sea wherevnto the mariners dooe repaire to saue themselfes It is the onelie vertue of Laies whiche doeth constraine them to vomite forthe their poison when thei sée themselfes deceiued of their fonde and vncomely demaundes A man shall neuer heare those wordes procede but from the mouthes of the moste lasciuious whiche delight in nothyng els but to corrupt the good names of Ladies afterwarde to make them their laughyng stockes Retourne wée then to our purpose this valiaunt souldior of Loue willyng to giue the first onset vpon his swete enemie beganne to waxe pale and to tremble like the Réede blowen with the winde and knoweth not in what parte or by what meanes to bestowe the firste strokes of his assault At length with foltring tongue and tremblyng voice he speaketh to his Ladie in this wise Alas madame how happy were the course of our transitorie life if the common passions receiued no increase of their trouble by newe and diuers accidentes whiche seme to take roote in vs for the very greate diminucion of that libertie that euery manne doeth study so muche to cōserue But truely that studie is vain and the paine therof vnprofitablie bestowed For such a manne inforceth hymself to liue frée from passion whiche in the middes of his inforcemente feeleth hym self to be violently constarined and séeth the takyng awaie of his libertie to be a certaine impeachemente which therevnto he would giue Alacke I
haue proued that mischiefe and am yet in the greatest excesse and pangues of my disease I féele alas a diuersitie of anguishes a Sea of troubles whiche tormente my minde yet I dare not discouer the occasiō seing that the thing which is the cause of my grief to be of suche desert that my seruice past all that is to come is not able to giue the proofe if one speciall grace and fauor doe not inlarge the litle power that is in me to counteruaile the greatenesse and perfection of that cause whiche thus doeth variat and alter bothe my thoughtes and passions Pardon me madame if I doe speake obscurely for the confusion of my mynde maketh my wordes correspondent to the qualitie of the same Notwithstandyng I will not kepe silente from you that whiche I dooe suffre and muche lesse dissemble what passiō I indure beyng assured aswel for your vertue gentlenes that you moued with compassion will succour me so much as shal lie in you for preseruacion of the life of hym that is the best and moste obedient seruaunt emōges them all that doe you humble seruice The Ladie whiche neuer thought of the wickednesse whiche this insensate man began to imagine answered him very curteously I am sory truely for your mishappe and doe merueile what should be the effecte of that passion whiche as you saie you fele with suche dimunicion of that whiche is perfecte and accomplished in you For I doe sée no cause that ought to moue you to so straunge infirmitie whereof you tolde me wherwith I had alredie found fault although you had said nothyng I would to GOD I knewe whiche waie to helpe you aswel my lorde my husbandes sake who I am sure doeth beare you good will as for the honestie which hetherto I haue knowen to be in you which as I thinke all men resemblyng you for vertue and good condicions doe deserue that accōpt and consideracion He that thought her alredie to be taken in his nettes seyng so faire a waie open and cleare to disclose that whiche he had kept couert so long tyme in the depth of his harte answered Ah madame are ye ignoraunt of the forces of Loue how much his assaultes can debilitate the liuelihode of the bodies and spirites of men Knowe ye not that he is blinde and naked not caryng whether he goeth manifestyng hymself there where occasion is offred Alas madame if you haue not pitie vpon me and doe not regarde that whiche I doe suffer for the loue of you I knowe not how I am able to auoide Death whiche will approche so sone to cutte of and abridge my yeres as I shall vnderstande a refusal of that whiche the extreme Loue that I beare you madame forcethe me to require whche is to receiue a newe seruice of your aunciente and faithfull seruiture who inflamed by the bright beames of your diuine face knoweth not now how to chaunge the affeccion muche lesse to receiue helpe but of that place where he receiued the pricke Excuse madame I beseche you my rashenesse and pardon my follie accusyng rather either your celestiall beautie or els that tiraunt Loue who hath wounded me so luckelie that I esteme myne euill fortunate and my wounde happie sithe by his meane my thoughtes and cogitacions doe onely tende to doe you seruice and to loue you in myne harte whiche is the Phenix of the faireste and moste curteous ladies within al our Prouince Alas that excellencie whiche thus maketh me your seruasit shall one daie be my ruine if by your good grace speakyng it with wepyng teares you doe not fauor hym whiche liueth not but to obeie you and whiche lesing your good grace will attempte to depriue hymself of life whiche being depriued through your crueltie will goe to complaine himself of his bolde attempt and also of your rigor emonges the ghostes and shadowes of thē that be alredie dedde for like occasions The chaste Ladie was so rapt of wittes for the straungenes of the case and for the grief whiche she conceiued to sée the vnshamefast hardinesse of the varlette that she could not tell how to make hym answere But in the ende breakyng silence and fetchyng a great sighe from the bottome of hec harte her face slained with a fresh Uermilion rudde whiche beautified her colour by reason of disdaine conceiued against this impudent Orator she answered hym verie seuerely O God who would haue thought that from a hart nobly brought vp and deriued from an honourable race a villanie so greate could haue taken roote and spryng vp with suche detestable fruicte What maister Stewarde Haue ye forgotten the duetie of a seruaunt towarde his lorde and maister Haue ye forgotten I saie the duetie of a vertuous gentleman well nourished and trained vp towarde suche and so greate a Ladie as I am Ah These and Traitour that thou art Is this the venime whiche thou kepest so couert and secrete vnder the swetenesse of thy counterfaicte vertue A vaunte varlette a vaunte Goe vtter thy stuffe to them that be like thy self whose honour and honeslie is so farre spent as thy loialtie is lighte and vaine For if I heare thee speake any more of these follies bee assured that I will mortifie that ragyng flame whiche burneth thy light beleuyng harte and will make thée feele by effecte what maner of death that is wherein thou reposeste the rest of thy trauell As this deceued Oratour was framyng his excuse and aboute to moderate the iuste wrathe of his Ladie displeased vpon good occasion she not able to abide any more talke saied further And what signes of dishonestie haste thou séen in me that moue thée to perswade a thing so wicked and vncomely for myne estate yea and so preiudiciall to me to my frendes the house of thy maister my lorde and spouse I can not tell what it is that letteth me from causyng thée to bée caste for the emong the Lions cruell and capitall enemies of adulterie emonges thē selfes sithe thy pretence is by violatyng my chastite to dishonor the house wherevnto thou owest no lesse then all the aduauncemente thou haste from the taste whereof thou haste abandoned Uertue the best thyng wherewith thou were affected Auoide now therefore let me heare no more of this vpon paine of thy life otherwise thou shalt féele the rewarde of thy teinerite and vnderstande the bitternesse of the litle pleasure whiche I haue conceiued of thy follies So the good ladie helde her peace reseruyng in her harte that whiche should be her helpe in tyme and place howbeit she said nothyng hereof vnto her husbande aswell for raisyng offence or slaunder as for prouokyng her husbande against him whiche susteined the punishement himself sithe that this refuse did more straungely pinche hym more nere at the harte then euer the Egle of Caucasus whereof the Poetes haue talked so muche did tier the mawe of the subtil these Prometheus And yet the vnhappie
handes the most precious iewell of his house Shall I be so vnconstant in mine olde dayes to become an vnshamfast minister of your fonde and folish Loue a thing which I neuer dyd in the ardent time of my youth Alas Madame forget I besech you this folishe order cast vnder your feete this determination wickedly begon suche as to the blemishing of the honorable brightnes of your fame may cause the ruine of vs al. Follow the counsel of your deare nourice Radegond who loueth you better than her owne soule Quench these noysome parching flames which haue kindled throwen forth their sparks into your chast tēder hart Take hede I besech you that a vaine hope do not deceyue you a folish desire abuse you Alas think that it is the part of a sage and prudent minde to refrayne the first motions of euery passion to resist the rage that riseth in our willes the same very oft by succession of time bringeth to it self to late noysome repentance This your thought procedeth not of Loue for he that thinketh to sustaine himselfe with venim sugred with that drogue in the end he séeth himself so desperatly impoysoned that only death is the remedie for such disease A Louer truly may be called the slaue of a tirant most violent cruel bloudy that may be found whose yoke once put on can not be put of but with paynefull sorrow and vnspeakable displeasure Do you not knowe Madame that Loue and follie be two passions so like one another that they engendre like effectes in the mindes of those that doe possesse them in such wise as the affection of the pacient can not be concealed Alas what shall become of you and him that you loue so well if the Emperour do know and perecyue your light and folish determinations Shew Madame for Gods sake what you be Let the ripe fruites of your prudence so long time tilled appeare abrode to the world Expell from you this vnruled loue which if you suffer frankly to enter into your heart assure your self he wil take such holdfast of the place that whē you think to extrude the enemie oute it is he that will driue awaye that smal portion of force and reason that resteth in you And then all the comforte of your miseries will be the lamentation of your losses and repentance for that which cannot be by any meanes recouered Adelasia burning in Loue and fretting with anger not able to abide contrarie replie to her minde began to loke furiously vpon the Lady that gaue her such holsome admonition to whom she sayd with more than womanly stoutnesse these wordes And what are you good gentlewoman that dare so hardely prescribe lawes to Loue that is not subiecte or tied vnto the fantasie of men Who hath giuen you commission to take the matter so hote against that I haue determined to doe say you what you can No no I loue Alerane and will loue him whatsoeuer come of it And sith I can haue none other helpe at your handes or mete counsell for mine ease comfort Assure your self that I wil do mine endeuor to finde it in my self And likewise to prouide so well as I can for myne affaires that eschewing the alliaunce which the Emperour prepareth I will liue at heartes ease with hun whom in vaine you goe about to put out of my remembraunce And if so be I chaunce to sayle of my purpose I haue a medicine for my calamities which is death the last refuge of al my miseries Which wil be right pleasaunt vnto me ending my life in the contemplation and memorie of the sincere and perfect Loue that I beare to mine Alerane Radegonde no lesse abashed than surprised with feare hearing the resolution of the princesse could not at the first make any answere but to make her recourse to teares the most familiar weapons that women haue Then seing by the countenances of Adelasia that the passion had set in fote to déepe for any body to attempte to pluck out the rootes frō that time forth she wiped her eyes nor without euident demonstration for al that of her great grief conceyued with infinite sighes turning her face to the Lady she sayde to her with pleasaunter countenance than before Madame sithe your missehap is such that without Alerane you cannot be quiet or pacified in minde appease your playntes wipe away your teares shewe your contenaunce ioyfull aud setting aside all care put on good corage and repose in me all your anguish and trouble For I doe promise you and sweare by the fayth that I doe owe you Madame come whatsoeuer thing shall vnto me I will deuise in practising your rest to begin mine owne sorow And then you shall se how muche I am your frend that the wordes which I haue spoken do not procede els where but from the desire that I haue to doe you seruice seking al wayes possible your aduauncement Adelasia at these last wordes felt such a motion in her minde that much a doe she had for the exceding great ioy and pleasure she conceiued to stay her soule from leaping forth of that corporall prison like the spirite of that Romaine Lady which once left the body to descende into the Elisien feldes to vse the perfection of her ioye with the blessed soules there when she saw her sonne retorne safe and sounde from the battaile of Thrasimene besides the lake of Peruse where the Consul Flaminius was ouercome by Haniball but in the ende the hope to haue that which Radegonde had promised made her to receyue heart againe and to clepe her counseler saying God forbid deare mother that the thing you do for me should rebound to your mishap or discontentation sith the affection which you haue consisteth in the only pity and conseruation of a pore afflicted mayden And your desire tendeth to the deliuerance of the most passionate Princesse that euer was borne of mother And beleue that Fortune wyll be so fauorable that what mischief so euer should chaunce you remayning without paine I shall be she that alone shall beare the penance Wherfore once againe I besech you sayde she embracing Radegonde to bring that to passe wherof you giue such an assured hope Care not you Madame sayd Radegonde I trust within a while to make you proue the effecte of my promise And will cause you to speake vnto him whom you desire so muche Only be mery and forget these straunge fashions in tormenting your selfe so much before your maides to the intent that which hetherto hath bene kept secrete may not be reueled to your great shame and hinderance and to the vtter ruine ouerthrowe of me During all this time Alerane liued in despaire hardie cowardnesse for although he sawe the amorous gestes of Adelasia yet he durst fire no certayne iudgement of his owne satisfaction althoughe hys hearte tolde hym that he was her onely fauoured friende and promysed him that which almost he
feared to thinke which was to haue her one day for friende if the name of spouse were refused Thus tormented wyth ioye and displeasure wandering betwene doubt and assurance of that he hoped The self same day that Adelasia practised with Radegonde for the obtayning of her ioy and secret ministerie of her Loue he entred alone into a garden into which the Princesse chambre had prospecte and after he had walked there a good space in an Alley viewing diligently the order of thé fruitfull trées of so diuers sortes as there be varietie of colours with in a faire meade during the vedure of the spring time and of so good and sauorous taste as the hearte of man coulde wyshe He repaired vnder a Laurel trée so well spredde and adorned with leaues about which trée you might hane sene an infinit number of Myrtle trées of smell odoriferous and swéete of Oringe trées laden wyth vnripe fruite of pliable Mastickes and tender Tameriskes And there he fetched his walkes along the thick grene herbs beholding the varietie of floures which decked beautified the place wyth their liuely and naturall colours He then rauished in this contemplation remembring her which was the pleasure and torment of his minde in sighing wise began to say O that the heauens be not propitious and fauourable to my indeuors Sith that in the middes of my iolities I fele a newe pleasaunt displeasure which doth adnihilate all other solace but that which I receyue throughe the Image paynted in my heart of that diuine beautie which is more variated in perfection of pleasures than this paradise and delicious place in varietie of enamell and paynting although that nature and arte of man haue workemanly trauailed to declare and set forth their knowledge and diligence Ah Adelasia the fairest Lady of all faire and most excellente Princesse of the earth Is it not possible for me to féede my self so well of the viewe and contemplation of thy heauenly and Angelicall face as I do of the sight of these faire and sundrie coloured floures May it not be broughte to passe that I may smell that swete breath which respireth through thy delicate mouthe béeing none other thing than Baulme Muske and Aumbre yea and that which is more precious which for the raritie and valor hath no name euen as I doe smell the Roses Pincks and Uiolets hanging ouer my head franckly offering themselues into my handes Ah infortunat Alerane there is no floure that ought to be so handeled nor sauor the swetenesse whereof ought not to be sented without desert merited before Ah Loue Loue that thou hast fixed my minde vpon so highe thinges Alas I feare an offence so daungerous which in the ende will bréede my death And yet I can not wythdrawe my heart from that smoke of Loue although I would force my selfe to expell it from me Alas I haue read of him so many times and haue heard talk of his force that I am afrayd to borde him and yet feare I shall not escape his gulfe Alas I knowe well it is he of whome is engendred a litle mirth and laughing after whiche doeth followe a thousande teares and weapings which for a pleasure that passeth away so sone as a whirle winde doth gyue vs ouer to greate repentance the sorrow wherof endureth a long time and sometimes his bitternesse accompanieth vs euen to the graue The pacients that be taynted with that amorous feuer althoughe continually they dye yet they can not wholy sée and perceiue for al that the defaut and lacke of their life albeit they doe wish and desire it still But alas what missehap is this that I do see the poyson that causeth my mischief and do know the way to remedie the same and yet neuerthelesse I can not or will not recouer the help Did euer man heare a thing so strange that a sick man seking help and finding recouery shoulde yet reiecte it Saying so he wepte and syghed so piteously as a little chylde threated by his mother the nourice Then roming vp and down vpon the grasse he séemed rather to be a man straught and bounde wyth chaynes than like one that had his wittes and vnderstanding Afterwardes being come againe to himselfe he retourned to his first talke saying But what am I more wise more constant and perfecte than so many Emperors Kinges Princes and greate Lordes who notwithstanding their force wisedome or richesse haue bene tributarie to loue The tamer and subduer of monsters and Tirants Hercules vanquished by the snares of loue did not he handle the distaffe in stead of his mighty mace The strong and inuincible Achilles was not he sacrificed to the shadowe of Hector vnder the color of loue to celebrate holy mariage wyth Polixena daughter to King Priamus The great Dictator Iulius Caesar the conqueror of so many people Armies Captaines and Kings was ouercome with the beautie and good grace of Cleopatra Quene of Egipt Augustus his successour attired like a woman by a yeoman of his chamber did he not take away Liuia from him that had first maried her And that cōmon enemie of man and of all curtesie Claudius Nero appeased yet some of his furie for the loue of his Lady What straunge things did the learned wise and vertuous Monarch Marcus Aurelius indure of his welbeloued Faustine And that great captaine Marcus Antonius the very terror of the Romaine people and the feare of strange and barbarous nations did homage to the childe Cupido for the beautie of Quéene Cleopatra which afterwardes was the cause of his whole ouerthrowe But what meane I to alledge remember the number of louers being so infinite as they be Wherfore haue the Poets in time past fayned in their learned and deuine bokes the loues of Iupiter Appollo Mars but that euery man may knowe the force of Loue to be so puissant that the Gods theselues haue felt his force to be inuincible ineuitable Ah if sometimes a gentleman be excused for abassing himselfe to Loue a woman of base birth and bloude why should I be accused or reprehended for loning the daughter of the chiefest Prince of Europe Is it for the greatnesse of her house and antiquitie of her race Why that is al one betwene vs two toke his originall of the place whereof at this day my Father is the chiefe and principall And admit that Adelasia be the daughter of an Emperoure Ah Loue hath no regarde to persons houses or riches rather is he of greater commendation whose enterpryses are moste famous and haute gestes extende their flyght farre of Nowe resteth then to deuise meanes howe to make her vnderstande my payne For I am assured that she loueth me sauing that her honoure and yong yeares doe let her to make it appeare more manifest But it is my propre duty to make request for the same considering her merites and my small desertes in respect of her perfections Ah Alerane thou must vnlose that tongue which
for a certayn time which dyspleased William nothing at all bycause he should remaine harde by his Parentes who were very carefull for his well doing vtterly ignorant where he was become And notwithstanding a hope what I know not made them expect of their sonne some good fortune in time to come who was now growen great and of goodly perfection one of the most valiant souldiours that were in the wages and seruice of his Maiestie Which very brauely he declared in a combate that he fought man to man with an Almaine souldior that was hardy big made feared of all men whom neuerthelesse he ouercame in the presence of the Emperor his graundfather Who I knowe not by what naturall inclamation dayely fixed his eye vpon that yong Champion began to beare him more good wil than any other in his courte which was an occasion that an auncient Gentleman seruing in the Princes court ftedfastly beholding the face behauiour countenance of William semed to sée a picture of the Emperor when he was of his age which was more exactly viewed by diuers other that were broughte vp in their youth with Otho Wherof being aduertised he caused the yong man to be called forth of whome he demaunded the names of his Parentes and the place where he was borne William that was no lesse curteous humble and wel manered than wise valiant and hardy kneled before the Emperor with a stout countenance resembling the nobilitie of his Auncestours answered Most sacred and renowmed Emperor I haue nothing whereof to render thankes to fortune but for the honour that your maiestie hath done vnto me to receiue me into your noble seruice For the fortune and condition of my parentes be so base that I blushe for shame to declare them vnto you Howebeit being your humble seruant and hauing receyued fauour of your Maiestie not commonly employed your commaundemente to tell you what I am I will accomplish aswel for my bounden duty wherwith I am tied to your maiestie as to sastisfie that which it pleaseth you to commaunde me Be it knowen therefore vnto your Maiestie that I am the sonne of two poore Almaines who flying their owne country withdrew themselues into the deserts of Sauonne where to beguile their hard fortune they make coales sel them to sustaine and relieue their miserable life In which exercise I spent al my childehode although it were to my great sorrowe For my heart thought Sir that a state so vile was vnworthy of my coragious minde which dayly aspired to greater thinges and leauing my father and mother I am come to your seruice to learne chiualry and vse of armes and mine obedience saued to your maiestie to finde a waye to illustrate the base and obscure education wherein my parents haue brought me vp The Emperor seing the curteous behauiour of the yong mā by this wise answere remembring the similitude of his face which almost resembled them both suspected that he was the sonne of Alerane and of his daughter Adelasia who for feare to be knowen made themselues Citizens of those deserts albeit that William had tolde him other names and not the proper appellations of his father and mother For which cause his heart began to trobbe and felt a desire to sée his daughter and to cherish her with like affection as though he had neuer conceyued offence and displeasure He caused then to be called vnto him a gentleman the nere kinsman of Alerane to whom he sayde with merie countenaunce and ioyful there You doe knowe as I thinke the wronge and displeasure that your cosin Alerane hath done me by the rape and robbery committed vpon the person of my daughter you are not ignoraunt also of the reproche wherewith he hath defiled al your house committed a felonie so abhominable in my court and against mine owne person which am his soueraigne Lorde Notwithstanding sith it is the force of Loue that made me forget him til this time rather than desire of displeasure I am very desirous to sée him and to accept him for my sonne in law and good kinsman very willing to aduaunce him to that estate in my house which his degrée and bloude doe deserue I tell you not this without speciall purpose For this yong souldiour which this day so valiantly and with such dexteritie vanquished his aduersary by the consent of al men which haue knowen me from my youth doth represent so well my figure and lineaments of face which I had whē I was of his age that I am persuaded and doe stedfastly beleue that he is my Neuew the sonne of your cosin Alerane and my daughter Adelasia And therfore I will haue you to goe with this yong man into the place where he shall bring you and to sée them that be his parents bycause I purpose to doe them good if they be other than those whom I take them But if they be those two that I so greatly desire to sée doe me so much pleasure as I may satisfie my heart with that contentation swearing vnto you by the crowne of my Empire that I will doe no worse to them nor otherwise vse them than mine owne proper person The gentleman hearing the louing and gentle tearmes of the Emperor sayde vnto him Ah Sir I render humble thanks vnto your Maiestie for the pitie that you haue vpon our dishonored race and ligneage of Saxone dedecorated and blemished through Aleranes trespasse against you I praye to God to recompence it we being vnable and to giue you the ioy that you desire and to me the grace that I may doe some agreable seruice both in this and in al other things I am readie Sir not onely to goe seke my cosin if it be he that you thinke it is to carry vnto him those beneficial newes which your Maiestie hath promised by worde but rather to render him into your handes that you may take reuengement vpon him for the iniurie that he hath done to the whole Empire No no sayde the Emperour the desired time of reuengement is past and my malice agaynst Alerane hath vomited his gal If in time past I haue thrifted to pursue the ruine and ouerthrowe of those two offenders nowe I goe about to foresée and séeke their aduauncement and quiet considering the long penaunce they haue taken for their faulte and the fruite that I see before mine eyes which is such that it may by the smell and fragrant odour thereof supporte the weakenesse and debilitie of my olde yeares and constraineth me by the vertue therof to haue pitie vpon his parentes which through their owne ouerthrow haue almost vtterly consumed me Those wordes ended the good Prince gaue euident testimony of desire to sée his only daughter by the liuely colour that rose in his face and by certaine teares rūning downe along his heard that began to ware graye Then he caused William to come before him and commaunded him to condude the gentleman to that part of the
forest where his father dwelled Wherevnto the yong man readily and with al his heart obeyed Thus the Lord Gunfort for so was Aleranes cosin called accompanied with his little cosin and many other gentlemen wente toward the place where the Colliar Princes remained And when they were néere the craggie caue the lodging of Alerane the whole company lighted of their horse and espied him busie about the lading of his coales to sende to Ast. For the arriuall of the Emperor to Sauonne stayed Alerane from going thither himself by reason his conscience stil grudged for his fault committed against him Alerane seing this goodly company was abashed as though hornes had sodenly growen out of his head and yet the sight of his sonne richely furnished and in the company of Gunfort his cosin did more astonne him For he suspected incontinently that he was dyscouered and that the Emperour had sent for him to be reuenged of the fault so long time committed And as he had imagined diuers things vpon his hard fortune wtin his fansy His sonne came to embrace him vpon his knées to kisse his hands with an honest and hūble reuerence saying to Gunfort Sir this is he of whom I told the Emperor of him I toke my being This is my father All this while the good father embraced his sonne very hard and wéeping for extreame ioy sayd vnto him Alas my sonne if thy comming be so happy vnto me as it is ioyfull yf thy newes be good prosperous which thou bringest thou doest reuiue thy father halfe dead and from lamentable dispaire thou doest replenish and fill him with such hope that one day shall be the staye of his age and the recouery of his greatest losses The sonne not able to abide the discourse of his parents affaires could not comprehend any thing at the pitiful meting but stode still so astonned as though he had bene fallen from the cloudes Now during this time that the father and the sonne thus welcomed one another Gunfort toke hede to all the countenaunce and gestures of Alerane There was no part of the Colliers body that he forgat to viewe and yet remembring the voyce of his cosin and séeing a wound that he had in his face was sure that it was he And then with hys armes stretched forthe he came to clepe Alerane about the necke whom he made to loke redde with his warme teares saying Ah Alerane the presente torment now but in time past the pleasaunt rest of our race What Eclipse hath so long obseured the shyning sunne of thy valiant prowesse Why hast thou cōcealed so long time thy place of retire frō him which desired so much thine aduaūcement Hast thou the heart to sée the teares of thy cosin Gunfort running downe from his eyes vpon thy necke his armes embracing thée with such loue and amitie that he cannot receyue the like except he be something moued by thée in séeing thy louing entertaynement Wilt thou deny that which I knowe by a certayne instincte and naturall agrement which is that thou art Alerane the sonne of the duke of Saxone and so renowmed through out al Germany Doest thou pretēd through thine owne misfortune so rooted in thy heart by liuing in these wildernesse to depriue thy sonne of the honor which the heauens and his good fortune haue prepared for him Ah cruell and pitilesse father to suffer thy progenie to be buried in the tombe of obliuion with eternall reproche O vnkinde kinsman toward thy kindred of whome thou makest so smal accompt that wilt not vouchsafe to speake to thy cosin Gunfort that is come hither for thy comfort and the aduaūcement of thy familie Alerane sore ashamed aswell for the remembrance of his auncient fault as to sée himself in so pore estate before the Emperours gallants answered Gunfort saying My Lorde and cosin I beseche you to beleue that want of desire to make my complaynt vnto you and lacke of curtesie to entertayne you haue not made me to forget my duety towardes you being aswel my nere kinsman as suche a one to whome I haue done wrong and very great iniury by offending the Emperour But you doe know of what puissance the prickes of conscience bé and with what worme she gnaweth the hearte of them which féele themselues culpable of crime I am as you sayde the present missehap of our house for the opinion that the Emperour hath conceiued of my folly and shal be the rest if you will doe me so much pleasure to ridde me of this miserable life both of you and of the minde of a father iustly displeased against hys daughter and the quiet of a Prince offended with his subiect For I sweare vnto you by my faith that I neuer so muche desired lyfe as I now doe couet death for that I am assured that I being dead my pore companion and welbeloued wife shall liue at her ease enioying the presence and good grace of her father What meane you so to say answered Gunfort The Emperour is so well pleased appeased that he hath sworne vnto me to receiue you as his sonne in lawe and my Lady your wife as hys deare beloued daughter whome I pray you to cause to come before vs or to signify vnto vs where she is that I may do reuerence vnto her as to my Princesse soueraigne Lady William was all amased and almost besides himselfe hearing this discourse and thought he was eyther in a dreame or else inchaunted till that Alerane called his wife by her proper name who was so appalled to heare the word of Adelasia that her hart was sodainly attached with terror and feare when she sawe so great a company about her husband And then her sonne came to do his duetie not as to his mother onely but as to the daughter of an Emperour the wife of a Prince of Saxone She agayne embraced and kyssed him although she was surprised with feare shame and so moued with that sodaine sight that she had much a doe to kepe her selfe from faynting and falling downe betwene the armes of her sonne and thought that she had passed the place where Gunfort was who going towarde her after his reuerence and dutie done made her vnderstand the charge he had the good will of the Emperor which determined to receyue her agayne with so good order and entertainment as might be deuised Which earneste wordes made them to resolue vpon the prouse of fortune and to credite the promises that Gunfort made them in the Emperours behalf Thus they forsoke the caue their coates and fornaces to reenter their former delightes and pleasures That night they lodged at a village not far frō the forrest where they carried certayne dayes to make apparell for these straunge Princes and so well as they coulde to adorne and furnish Adelasia who being of the age almost of .xxxiiij. or .xxxv. yeares yet manifested some parte of the perfection of that deuine beautie and modest
grauity which once made hir maruelous and singuler aboue all them that lyued in her dayes In the time that this ioly company had furnished and prepared themselues in readinesse Gunfort sent a gentleman of that troupe toward the Emperour to aduertise him of the successe of his iourney Wherof he was exceding ioyful and attended for the comming of his children with purpose to entertayne them in louing honorable wise When al things were in readynesse and the traine of Adelasia in good order according to the worthyuesse of the house whereof the came they rode towarde Sauonne which iourney séemed to them but a sport for the pleasure mixt with compassiō that eche man conceyued in the discourse the Alerane made vpon his misfortunes chaunces aswell in his iourneys as of his abode and continuance in the desertes Which William calling to remembraunce praysed God yelded him thankes for that it had pleased him to inspire into his minde the forsaking of his parentes considering that the same only fault was the cause of their restitution and of his aduauncement and glory being the sonne of such a father and the neuewe of so great a Monarche The fame of whose name made al men quake and tremble and who then had cōmaunded al the troupe of the gentlemen of his court to goe and seke the forlorne louers so long time lost and vnknowen To be short their entrie into Sauonne was so royal and triumphant as if the Emperour himself would haue receyued the honor of such estate pomp Which he commaunded to be done aswell for the ioy that he had recouered the thing which he accompted lost as to declare and acknowledge to euery wyght that vertue can not make her self better knowen than at that time when the actions and dedes of great personages be semblable in raritie excellence to their nobilitie For a Prince is of greater dignitie and admiration than he comonly sheweth himselfe which can neuer enter into the head of the popular sorte that déemeth the affections of other according to their owne rude and beastely fansies As the Gréeke Poet Euripides in his tragedie of Medea doth say Ill luck and chaūce thou must of force endure Fortunes fickle stay needes thou must sustaine To grudge thereat it booteth not at all Before it come the witty wise be sure By wisedomes lore and counsell not in vaine To shunne and eke auoyd The whirling ball Of fortunes threates the sage may wel reboūd By good foresight before it light on ground The Emperoure then hauing forgotten or wisely dissembling that which he coulde not amende met his daughter and sonne in law at the Pallace gate with so pleasant chéere and ioyfull countenance as the like long time before he did not vse Where Alerane and Adelasia being light of from their horse came to kisse his hands and both vpon their knées began to frame an oration for excuse of their fault and to pray pardon of his Maiestie The good Prince rauished with ioy satisfied with repentance stopped their mouthes with swete kisses and hard embracinges O happy ill time sayde he and sorowfull ioy which now bringeth to me a pleasure more great than euer was my heauy displeasure From whence commeth this my pleasant ioy O well deuised flight by the which I gaine that by preseruing my losse once made and committed which I neuer had yf I may so say considering the ornament of my house and quietnesse of my lyfe And saying so he kissed embraced his litle Neuewes and was lothe that Adelasia should make rehersal of other talke but of mirth and pleasure For sayde he it sufficeth me that I haue ouerpassed and spent the greatest parte of my lyfe in heauinesse vtterly vnwilling nowe to renewe olde sores and woundes Thus the mariage begon vnknowen against the Emperours wil was consummate celebrated with great pompe and magniffcence by his owne commaundement in the Citie of Sauonne where he made Sir William Knight with his owne hand Many goodly factes at the Tourney and Tilt were done and atchieued wherat William almost euery day bare away the prise victory to the great pleasure of his father contentation of his graundfather who then made him Marques of Monferrat To the second sonne of Alerane he gaue the Marquisat of Sauonne with al the appurtenances and iurisdictions adioyning of whome be descended the Marqueses of Caretto The thirde he made Marques of Saluce the race of whom is to this day of good fame and nobilitie Of the fourth sonne sprange out the originall of the house of Cera The fift was Marques of Incise whose name and progeny liueth to this day The sixt sōne did gouerne Pouzon The seuenth was established Senior of Bosco vnder the name and title of Marques And Alerane was made and constituted ouerséer of the goods and dominions of his children and the Emperours Lieutenaunt of his possessions which he had in Liguria Thus the Emperour by moderating his passion vanquished himselfe and gaue example to the posteritie to pursue the offence before it doe take roote but when the thing can not be corrected to vse modestie and mercy which maketh kings to liue in peace and their Empire in assurance Hauing taken order with all his affaires in Italie he toke leaue of his daughter and children and retired into Almaigne And Alerane liued honorable amōgs his people was beloued of his father in lawe and in good reputation and fame arriued to olde yeares still remembring that aduersitie ought not to bring vs to dispaire nor prosperity to insolencie or ill behauiour and contempt of things that seme small and base sith there is nothing vnder the heauens that is stable and sure For he that of late was great and made all men to stoupe before him is become altogether such a one as though he had neuer bene and the pore humble man aduaunced to that estate from whence the first did fal and was deposed making lawes sometimes for him vnder whom he liued a subiect And behold of what force the prouidence of God is and what poyse hys balance doth contayne and howe blame worthy they be that referre the effectes of that diuine counsell to the inconstant and mutable reuolucion of fortune that is blind and vncertaine The Duchesse of Sauoie The Duchesse of Sauoie being the King of Englandes sister was in the Duke her husbandes absence vniustlie accused of adultery by a noble man his Lieutenāt And shoulde haue bene put to death if by the prowesse and valiaunt to combate of Don Iohn di Mendozza a Gentleman of Spaine she had not bene deliuered With a discourse of maruellous accidents touching the same to the singuler prayse and commendation of chaste and honest Ladies ¶ The .xlv. Nouell LOue commonly is counted the greatest passion amongs all the most greuous that ordinarily do assault the spirites of men which after it hath once taken hold of any gentle subiecte followeth the nature of the
sorrowe The nightes and dayes were all one to him for he coulde take no reste giuing ouer vse of armes administration of iustice hunting and hauking wherein before that time he had great delight And all his study was many tymes to passe and repasse before the gate of the Countesse to proue if he might attayne to haue some sight of her And things were brought to so pitifull state that within fewe dayes the Citizens and other gentlemen began to perceyue the raging loue of their Prince euery of them with common voice blaming the crueltie of the Countesse that was vnmaried who the more she proued the king inflamed with her loue the more squeymishe she was of her beautie The Peres and noble men seing their king reduced to such extremitie moued with pitie and compassion began secretely to practise for him some with threatnings some with flatteries persuasions some went to the mother declaring vnto her the eternall reste and quiet prepared for her al her friendes if she woulde persuade her daughter to encline to the kings minde and contrarywise the daunger iminent ouer her head But all these deuises were in vaine for the Countesse moued no more than a harde rocke beaten with diuers tempestes Notwithstanding at length seing that euery man spake diuersly as their affections did leade them she was so troubled and penfife in heart that fearing to be taken and that the king vanquished with his strong passion by successiō of time would vse his force and violently oppresse her founde meanes to gette a great sharpe knife which she caryed about her secretly vnder her gowns of purpose that if she sawe her self in peril to be defloured she might kill her selfe The Courtyers offended with the martirdome of their Maister and desirous to gratifie him and to seke meanes to do him pleasure conspired all in general against the Earles familie letting the king to vnderstand that it were most expedient sith that things were out of hope to cause AElips to be brought to his Palace to vse her by force Whervnto the king being dronke in his owne passion did willingly agrée Notwithstanding before he passed any further for that he faythfullye loued the Countesse he determined to aduertise the mother of the Countesse of that whiche he intended to doe and commaunded his Secretarie to goe séeke her with diligence and without concealing any thing from her knowledge to instructe her of the whole The Secretarie finding the mother of the Countesse sayd vnto her Madame the King hath willed me to say vnto you that he hath done what he can and more than his estate requireth to wynne the grace and Loue of your daughter but séeing that she hath despised his prayers disdained his presence and abhorred his griefes and complaintes knowing not what to doe any more his last refuge is in force letting you to vnderstande hereof to the intent that you she may consider what is to be done in this behalfe For he hath determined whether you will or no to fetch her out openly by force to the great dishonour slaunder and infamie of al your kinne And where in time past he hath loued fauored the Earle your husbande he trusteth shortly to make him vnderstande what is the effecte of the iuste Indignation of such a Prince as he is The good Lady hearing this sodaine and cruel message was astōned in such wise that she thought how she saw her daughter already trained by the heares of the head her garments haled and torne in pieces with a rufull and lamentable voyce crying out to him for mercy For this cause with blubbering teares trembling for feare she fell downe at the Secretaries féete straightly imbracing his knées sayd vnto him Maister Secretarie my deare and louing frende Beseche the King in my name to remember the paine and seruice done vnto him by mine Anncestors Intreate him not to dishonour my house in the absence of the Earle my husbande And if you be not able by your persuasion to molifie his harde heart desire him for a while to take pacience vntill I haue aduertised my daughter of his wil and pleasure whome I hope so to persuade that she shall satisfie the kings request When she had made this answere the Secretarie declared the same to the King who madde with anger Loue was contente and neuerthelesse commaunded his gentlemen to be in a readynesse to seke the Countesse In the meane time the mother of faire AElips went to her daughters chamber and after she had commaunded all her maydes which accompanied her to withdrawe themselues out of the chamber she began in fewe wordes to recite vnto her the message done vnto her by the Secretary Finally with sobbing sighes she sayde vnto her The dayes haue bene deare daughter that I haue séene thée to kéepe thy state amonges the chiefest of all the Ladyes of the Realme And I haue counted my selfe happie that euer I did beare thée in my wombe and thought by meanes of thy beautie vertue one day to sée thée to become the ioy and comfort of all thy frendes But now my cogitacions be tourned cleane contrarie thorowe thyne vnluckie fate Now I thinke thée to be borne not only for the vniuersall ruine of all our familie but also which grieueth me most to be an occasion and instrument of my death and the desolation of al thy frends But if thou wilt somewhat moderate thy rigor all this heauinesse shortly shall be tourned into ioy I or our King and soueraigne Lorde is not onely in Loue with thée but for the ardent affection and amitie that he beareth vnto thée is out of his wittes and nowe doth conspire againste vs as thoughe we were Traitors and murderers of our Prince In whose handes as thou knowest doth rest the lyfe honor and goodes both of thy selfe and vs all And what glory and tryumphe shall be reported of thée to our posteritie when they shall knowe that by thy obstinate crueltie thou hast procured the death of thyne olde father the death of thy hore headed mother and the destruction of thy valiant and coragious brethren and dispoyled the rest of thy bloude of their possessions and abilitie But what sorrowe and griefe will it be to sée them wander in the worlde like vagaboundes banished from their liuings and remaine in continuall pouertie without place and refuge in their miserie who in steade of blessing or praysing the houre of thy birth will cursse thée in their mynde a thousande times as the cause of all their ouerthrowe and yll fortune Thinke and consider vpon the same deare daughter for in thée alone consisteth the coseruation of our liues and hope of al our frendes This lamentable discourse ended the afflicted Coūtesse not able any longer to resist that pangue but that her heart began to waxe so faynt that with her armes a crosse she fel downe halfe dead vpon her daughter who seing her without mouing and without any apparaunce of
say whether of them merited greatest honor eyther his grace his beauty or his excellente tong but that which brought him into best reputation was his great hardinesse whereof the common report and brute was nothing impeached or stayed for all his youth For in so many places he shewed his maruellous chiualcie that not onely Spaine but Fraunce and Italie did singularlie commend and set forth his vertue bicause in all the warres wherein he was presēt he neuer spared himself for any daūger And when his countrie was in peace and quiet he sought to serue in straunge places being loued and estemed both of his frends and enemies This Gentleman for the loue of his Captayne was come into that coūtrie where was arriued the Countesse of Arande and in beholding the beautie and good grace of her daughter which was not then past .xij. yeares of age he thought that she was the fayrest moste vertuous personage that euer be sawe and that if he coulde obtayne her good will he shoulde be so well satisfied as if he had gayned al the goods and pleasures of the world And after he had a good while viewed her for all the impossibilitie that reason could deuise to the contrary he determined to loue her although some occasion of that impossibilitie might rise through the greatnesse of the house whereof she came for want of age which was not able as yet to vnderstand the passiōs of loue But against the feare thereof he armed himselfe with good hope persuading with himselfe that time aud pacience woulde bring happy ende to his trauayle And from that time gentle Loue which without any other occasion than by his owne force was entred the hearte of Amadour promised him fauour helpe by all meanes possible to attayne the same And to prouide for the greatest difficultie which was the farre distance of the Countrie where he dwelt and the small occasion that he had thereby any more to sée Florinda he thought to marrie against his determinatiō made with the Ladies of Barlelone and Parpignon amongs whom he was so conuersant by reason of the warres that he séemed rather to be a Cathelan thā a Castillan although he were borne by Tolledo of a riche and honourable house but bicause he was a yonger brother he inioyed no great patrimonie or reuenue Not withstanding Loue and Fortune séeing him forsaken of his parents determined to accomplishe some notable exployte in him gaue him by meanes of his vertue that which the lawes of his coūtry refused to giue He had good experience in factes of warre and was so wel beloued of all Princes and Rulers that he refused many times their goodes as a man that wayed not the same The Countesse of whome I spake arriued thus at Sarragossa was very well interteigned of the king and of his whole Court The Gouernor of Cathalogne many times came thither to visite her whō Amadour neuer fayled to accōpany for the only pleasure he had to talk with Florinda And to make himselfe to be knowen in that company he went to Auenturade which was the daughter of an old Knight that dwelt hard by the house which from her youth was brought vp with Florinda in such familiar sorte that she knew all the secrets of her hart Amadour aswel for the honesty that he found in her as for the liuing of thrée thousand Ducats by the yere which she shoulde haue to her mariage determined to giue her such interteignemēt as one that was disposed to marry her Whervnto the Gentlewoman did willingly recline her eare And bicause that he was pore and the father of the damosel rich she thought that her father would neuer accorde to the mariage excepte it were by meanes of the Countesse of Arande Wherevpon she went to Madame Florinda and sayde vnto her Madame you sée this Castillan Gentleman which so oftentimes talketh with me I doe beleue that his pretence is to marry me You doe know what a father I haue who will neuer giue his consent if he be not persuaded therevnto by my Lady your mother you Florinda which loued the damosell as her selfe assured her that she would take vpon her to bring that matter to passe with so earneste trauayle as if the case were her owne Then Auenturade brought Amadour before Florinda who after he had saluted her was lyke to fall in a sowne for ioy and although he were compted the moste eloquent person of Spaine yet was he now become mute and dumb before Florinda wherat she maruelled much For albeit she was but. xv yeares of age yet she vnderstode that there was no man in Spaine that had a better tongue or a more conuenable grace than he And seing that he sayde nothing vnto her she spake vnto him in this wise The same which is bruted of you sir Amadour through out the whole countrie of Spaine is such that it maketh you knowen and estemed in this companie and giueth desire and occasion to those that know you to imploy themselues to doe you pleasure Wherefore if there be any thing wherin I may gratifie you vse me I beseche you Amadour that gased vpō the beautie of that Lady was rapt and surprised not wel able to render thankes vnto her And although Florinda maruelled to sée him without aunswere yet she imputed the same rather to bashfulnesse than to any force of loue and departed without any further talke Amadour knowing the vertue which in so tender yeares began to appeare in Florinda sayde vnto her whom he purposed to marry Doe not maruell though my talke doe fayle before Madame Florinda for the vertues and wise wordes hidden in that yong personage did so amase me that I wist not what to say But I pray you Auenturade quod he which knoweth all her secretes to tell me if it be otherwise possible but that she hath the heart of all the Lordes and Gentlemen of the Court for they which knowe her and doe not loue her be stones or beasts Auenturade which then loued Amadour more than all the men in the world and would conceale nothing from him sayde vnto him that Madame Florinda was beloued of the whole world but for the custome of the coūtrie few men did speake vnto her And quod she as yet I sée none that make any semblance vnto her but two yong Princes of Spaine which desired to marry her whereof the one is the sonne of the Infant Fortune and the other of the Duke of Cadouce I pray you thē quod Amadour to tel me which of them as you thinke doth loue her best She is so wise sayd Auenturade that she will confesse or graūt her loue to none but to suche as her mother pleaseth But so far as we can iudge she fauoreth much better the sonne of the Infant Fortune thā the Duke of Cadouce And for that I take you to be a man of good iudgemente this day you shall haue occasion to iudge the truth For the
sonne of the Infant Fortune is brought vp in the courte who is one of the goodliest and moste perfecte yong gentlemen in al christendome And if the mariage doe procede according to our opinion which be her maids he shall be assured to haue Madame Florinda And then shall be ioyned together the goodliest couple in the worlde And you must vnderstande that although they be both very yong she of .xij. yeares of age and he of .xv. yet it is thrée yeares past since their loue first began And if you be disposed aboue other to obtaine her fauour myne aduise is that ye become friende and seruaunt vnto him Amadour was very ioyful to heare tel that his Lady loued some man trusting that in tyme he shoulde wynne the place not of husbande but of seruaunt For he feared nothing of all her vertue but a lacke of disposition to loue And after this communication Amadour bent himself to haunt the society of the sonne of the Infant Fortune whose fauour he sone obtained For all the pastimes which the yong Prince loued Amadour could doe right well And aboue all other he was very cunning in ryding of horsses and in handling all kindes of armes and weapons and in all other pastimes and games méete for a yong Gentleman Warres began in Languedoc and Amadour must néedes retire with the Gouernour to his great sorrowe and griefe For he had there no meane to retourne to the place where he might sée Florinda For which cause he spake to his owne brother which was Stuarde of the King of Spaines householde and declared vnto him what courtesie he had founde in the house of the Countesse of Arande and of the Damosell Auenturade praying him that in his absence he woulde doe his indeuour that the maryage might procéede and that he woulde obtayne for him the credite and good opinion of the King and Quéene and of all his friendes The Gentleman which loued his brother aswell for Natures sake as for his great vertues promised him his trauaile and industrie to the vttermost Which he did in suche wyse that the olde man her father now forgetting other naturall respect began to mark and behold the vertues of Amadour which the Countesse of Arande and speciallye fayre Florinda paynted and set forth vnto him and likewise the yong Earle of Arande which began to growe to yeares and therewithall to loue those that were vertuous giuen to honest exercise And when the mariage was agréed betwéene the parents the sayd Stuarde sent for his brother whilest the truce endured betwéene the two Kings Aboute this tyme the King of Spaine retired to Madric to auoide the euill ayre that was in many places where by the aduise of diuers of his Counsell and and at the request of the Countesse of Arande he made a maryage betwene the yong Duchesse the heyre of Medina Celi and the yong Earle of Arande as well for the vnion of their house as also for the loue he bare to the sayde Countesse And this mariage was celebrated in the castell of Madric whervnto repayred Amadour who so well obtayned his suite that he maried her of whome he was muche better beloued than his small loue towarde her did deserue sauing that it was a couerture and meanes for him to frequent the place where his minde and delight incessantly remayned After he was maried he became so well acquainted and familiar in the house of the Countesse that he was so conuersant amongs the Ladyes as if he had bene a woman And although he was then but .xxij. yeares of age he was so wise and graue that the Countesse imparted vnto him all her affayres commaunding her sonne and daughter to intertayne him and to credite all things wherein he gaue counsell Hauing wonne this great estimation he behaued himselfe so wise and politike that euen she whome he loued knewe no part of his affectiō But by reason of the loue that Florinda bare to the wyfe of Amadour whome she loued more than any other she was so familiar with him that she dissembled no parte of her thought declaring vnto him all the loue that she bare towards the sonne of the Infant Fortune And he that desired nothing more thā throughly to winne her ceassed not from continuance of talke not waying wherof he spake so that he might holde her with long discourse Amadour had not after his maryage continued a moneth in that companye but was constrayned to retire to the warres where he remained more than two yeares without retourne to sée his wyfe who still abode in the place where she was brought vp During this time Amadour wrote many letters vnto his wyfe but the chiefest effect of the same were commendations to Florinda who for her parte fayled not to render like vnto him many tymes writing some preue poesie with her owne hand in the letter of Auenturade Which made her husbande diligent many times to write againe vnto her but in al this doing Florinda knew nothing but that she loued him as if he had bene her brother Many times Amadour went and came but in the space of fiue yeares he neuer saw Florinda two monethes together in the whole time Not withstāding Loue in despite of their distaunce and long absence ceassed not to increase And it chaunced that he made a voyage home to sée his wyfe and founde the Countesse farre from the Court bicause the king of Spaine was gone to Vandelousie and had taken with him the yong Earle of Arande which then began to beare armes The Countesse was retired to a house of pleasure which she had vpon the frontiers of Arragon and Nauarre and was right ioyful when she saw Amadour who almost thre yeres had bene absent He was very well receyued of euery man and the Countesse commaunded that he shoulde be vsed and intreated as her owne sonne During the time that he soiorned with her she communicated vnto him al the affayres of her house and committed the moste parte thereof to his discretion who wanne suche credite in the house that in all places where he list the dores were opened vnto hym Whose wisedome and good behauiour made him to be estemed as though he had bene a Saincte or Aungell Florinda for the loue and good will which she bare vnto his wife and him made much of him in al places wher she sawe him knowing nothing of his intent Wherfore she did not refrayne her selfe or take hede of anye countenaunce for that her hearte as yet felt no passiō but that she felt a great contentacion in her selfe whē she was in the presence of Amadour of any other thing she thought not Amadour to auoide the iudgement of them that haue proued the difference of Louers countenances was very ware and circumspect For when Florinda came to speake vnto him secretely like one that thought no hurt the fier hidden in his brest burned so sore that he coulde not staye the blushing colour of his face nor
the sparkes which flewe out of his eyes And to the intent that through long frequentation none might espie the same he interteigned a very fayre Lady called Paulina a woman in his time accompted so faire that few men which beheld her could escape her bonds This Lady Paulina vnderstanding how Amadour vsed his loue at Barselone Parpignon how he was beloued of the fayrest honest Ladyes of the coūtrie aboue all of the Countesse of Pallamons which in beautie was prised to be the fayrest in all Spaine of many other sayde vnto him That she had great pitie of him for that after so many good fortunes he had maried a wife so foule and deformed Amadour vnderstanding well by those wordes that she had desire to remedy her owne necessitie vsed the best maner that he coulde deuise thinking that in making her beleue a lie he should hyde from her the truth But the subtile and wel experimented in loue contented not her selfe with talke but perceyuing right well that his hearte was not satisfied with her loue doubted that he coulde not serue his Lady in secrete wise therefore marked him so nere that dayly she had a respect and watch vnto his eyes which he coulde so well dessemble that she was able to iudge nothing but by darke suspicion not without great payne and difficultie to the gentleman to whom Florinda ignorant of all their malice did resorte manye times in presence of Paulina whose demeaner then was so familiar that he with maruellous payne refrayned his lokes against his heart and desire And to auoide that no inconuenience should ensue one day speaking to Florinda as they were both leaning at a windowe sayde these wordes Madame I beseche you to tell me whether is it better to speake or to die Wherevnto Florinda answered readily saying I will still councell my friends to speake and not to die For there be fewe wordes spoken but that they may be amended but the life lost cannot be recouered Promise me then sayde Amadour that not onely ye will accept those words which I will saye but also not to be astonned or abashed till ye heare the ende of my tale To whom she answered Say what it please you for if you doe affraye me none other shall assure me Then he began to saye vnto her Madame I haue not yet bene desirous to disclose vnto you the greate affection which I beare you for two causes The one bicause I attende by my long seruice to shewe you the experience thereof The other for that I doubted you woulde thinke a great presumption in me which am but a poore gentleman to insinuate my selfe in place whereof I am not worthye And althoughe I were a prince as you be the loyalty yet of your heart wil not permit any other but him which hath already taken possession the sonne I meane of the Infant Fortune to vse any talke of loue with you But Madame like as necessity in time of great warre constrayneth men to make hauoke of their owne goodes and to consume the gréene corne that the enemy take no profit and reliefe therof euen so do I hazard to aduaunce the frute which in time I hope to gather that your enemies mine may inioye thereof none aduauntage Knowe ye Madame that from the time of your tender yeares I haue in such wise dedicated my selfe to your seruice that I ceasse not still to aspire the meanes to achieue your grace and fauour And for that occasion I did marry hir whō I thought you did loue best And knowing the loue you beare to the sonne of the Infant Fortune I haue indeuored my selfe to serue him as you haue sene And all wherein I thought you did delight I haue accomplished to the vttermoste of my power You doe sée that I haue gotten the good will of the Countesse your mother of the Earle you brother and of all those that doe beare you good will In such sort as in this house I am estemed not like a seruaunt but as a sonne And al the labour which I haue sustayned these fiue yeares past was for none other cause but to lyue all the dayes of my lyfe with you And vnderstande you well that I am none of those which by these meanes doe pretend to receyue of you any profite or pleasure other than that which is good and vertuous I doe knowe that I can neuer marry you and if I could I would not to withstand the loue that you beare vnto him whome I desire to be your husbande likewise to loue you in vicious sorte like them that hope to recompence their seruice with the dishonor of their Ladies I am so farre of from that affection that I had rather be dead than to sée you by desert worthy of lesse loue and that your vertue shoulde by any meanes be diminished for any pleasure that might happen vnto me I doe pretende and craue for the ende and recompence of my seruice but one thing Which is that you woulde continue my loyall and faithfull maystresse that you will neuer withdrawe from me your good grace and fauour and that you will maintayne me in that estate and degrée wherin I am Reposing your trust and fidelitie in me more than in any other making your selfe so assured of me that if for your honor or any cause touching your person you stand in néede of the lyfe of a Gentleman the same shall right willingly be employed in your seruice In like maner all things vertuous and honeste which euer I shall attempt I beseche you to thinke the same to be done onely for the loue of you And if I haue done for Ladyes of lesse reputation than you be any thing worthy of estimation be you assured that for suche a maystresse as you are my enterprises shall increase in suche sorte that the things which I found difficult and impossible shall be easelie for me to accomplishe But if you do not accept me to be wholly yours I determine to giue ouer armes and to renoūce valiance bicause it hath not succoured me in necessitie Wherefore Madame I humblie beseche you that my iust request may not be refused sith with your honour and conscience you cannot well denie the same The yong Lady hearing this vnaccustomed sute began to chāge her colour and to cast downe her eyes lyke an amased woman not withstanding as she that was wise and discrete sayde vnto him If Amadour your request vnto me be none other than it is wherefore haue you discoursed vnto me this long oration I am afrayde that vnder this honest pretence there lurketh some hidden malice to deceyue the ignoraunce of my youth in such wise that I am in great perplexitie how to make you aunswere for to refuse the honest amitie which you haue offered I shall doe contrarie to that I haue done hitherto which haue reposed in you more truste than in al the men of the world My conscience or mine honor can
not gainesay your demaunde nor the loue that I beare to the sonne of the Infant Fortune which is grounded vpon mariage Where you pretend nothing I can not tell what thing should let me to make you aunswere according to your requeste but a feare that I haue in my heart founded vpon the small occasion that you haue to vse that talke for if you haue that already which you demaunde what doth constraine you to speake so affectuously Amadour that was not with out an answere sayd vnto her Madame you speake very wisely and you do to me so much honor for the confidence and trust which according to your saying you doe repose in me that if I doe not content my self with such a benefite I were the vnworthiest creature liuing But vnderstand Madame that he which goeth about to builde a perpetuall mansion ought to haue regarde to a sure and firme foundation Wherfore I which desire perpetually to remaine in your seruice doe seke not onely the meanes to kepe my selfe nere about you but also to foresée that none do vnderstand the great affection which I doe beare you For although my minde be so vertuous honest that the same may disclose it selfe before the whole worlde yet there be some so ignorant and vnskilfull of louers hearts that many times will iudge contrary to the truth whereof procedeth so ill brute and reporte as if the effectes were wicked The cause which hath made me so bolde to say and declare vnto you thus much is the suspiciō that Paulina hath conceyued in her minde for that I can not loue her Who doth nothing else but marke and espie my countenance in euery place and when you vse your familiar talke with me before her I am so afrayed to shew any signe wherby she may grounde or verifie her iudgement that I fall into that inconuenience which I woulde willingly auoyde Wherefore I haue thought good to besech you before her and those which you doe knowe to be so malicious to abstayne from talking with me so sodainly for I had rather dye than any liuing creature shoulde haue knowledge therof And had it not bene for the loue which I beare vnto your honor I had not yet declared the same vnto you for I doe hold my self sufficient happie and content of the loue and affiance that you do beare me crauing nothing else but the continuance of the same Florinda so well satisfied with this answere began to fele in her heart a further thing to grow than euer she did before And hearing the honest reasons alleadged by him sayd that her honestie and vertue should make aunswere for her and there withall assented to his demaunde Whereof whether Amadour were ioyfull Louers néede not doubt But Florinda credited more his counsell than he would haue had her For she being fearefull and timerous not onely before Paulina but in all other places vsed farre other countenaunce than she was wont to doe And in this altenation of her former familiaritie she misliked the conuersation that Amadour had with Paulina whose beautie was suche that she could not otherwise beleue but that he loued her And Florinda to passe ouer he heauinesse daylie vsed the companie of Auenturade that began meruellously to be ialous betwéene her husbande and Paulina whereof she made complaint many times to Florinda who comforted her so well as she could like one attached with the same disease Amadour coniecturing by the countenaunce of Florinda that not onely she was estraunged from him through his former aduertisement but also that there was some other displeasure conceyued comming vpon a tyme from euensong out of the Monasterie he sayd vnto her Madame what countenaunce doe you make me Suche as I thinke doth please you best answered Florinda Then Amadour suspecting a matter to know whether it were true began to say Madame I haue so vsed the matter that Paulina beginneth to giue ouer her opinion of you She answered him Ye can not doe a better thing either for your self or for me For in doing your self a pleasure you doe honor vnto me Amadour iudged by these wordes that she thought he toke pleasure to talk of Paulina wherewith he became so desperat that he coulde not forbeare to saye vnto her in anger Madame you begin very sone to torment your seruaunt There was neuer payne more greuous vnto me than to be forced to speake to her whome I loue not And sithens all that which I doe for your seruice is taken in ill parte I wil neuer speake againe vnto her whatsoeuer happen And to dissemble mine anger and contentacion I will addresse my selfe to some place hereby till your fansie be past But I hope I shal receyue newes from my Captayne to retourne to the warres where I will so long continue that you shall knowe and vnderstande that none other thing but you alone doth force me to carry here And in saying so without attending for her aunswere he incontinently departed and she remayned so sadde and pensife as any woman coulde be And Loue beganne to shewe his great force in such wyse as she knowing her wrong incessantly wrote to Amadour praying him to retourne home which he did within fewe dayes after that hys choler was past And to tell you what businesse there was to interrupt and breake the ialousie conceyued it were superfluous But in the ende he wanne the fielde so that she promised him not onely to beleue that he loued not Paulina but also helde her selfe assured that it shoulde be to him a martirdome intollerable to speake vnto her or anye other excepte it were to doe her seruice After that Loue had vanquished this present suspicion and that the two Louers began to take more pleasure in their mutuall talke than euer they did before newes came that the King of Spaine was aboute to addresse his Armie to Saulse wherefore he that was wont to be there with the first was not lyke nowe to fayle to augment his honour But true it is that his griefe was nowe more great than at other tymes before aswell for losing the pleasure whiche he enioyed as for feare to fynde some mutation and chaunge at his retourne bicause he saw Florinda pursued by great Princes Lordes and already come to the age of .xv. yeares thinking that if she were maried in his absence he should neuer haue occasion to sée her againe except the Countesse of Arande woulde appoint his wife to wait vpon her For accomplishment whereof he made suche friendes that the Countesse and Florinda promised him that into what so euer place she were maried his wife Auenturade should attende vpon her And although it was in question that Florinda should be maried into Portugal yet it was determined that his wife shoulde neuer forsake her And vpon the assurance not without vnspeakeable sorow Amadour departed left his wife with the Countesse When Florinda was alone after the departure of her seruant she gaue her selfe
husband according to her desire forgetting his owne griefe by féeling that his friende did suffer And bicause he vnderstode by a friende which he had gotten in the courte of the King of Thunis that the King was mynded to offer him the gibbet or else to make him renounce his faith for the desire he had to retayne him still and to make him a good Turke howbeit he behaued himself so wel with him that toke him prisoner that he gaue him leaue to depart vpon his faith taxing him at so great raunsome that he thought a man of so small substaunce was neuer able to pay And so without speaking to the king his Maister he let him goe vpon his faith After he had shewed himselfe at the court of the King of Spaine he departed incontinently to his friends to get his raunsome and went straight to Barsalone whether the yong Duke of Cardonne his mother Florinda was gone about certayne affaires Auenturade so sone as she heard tell that her husband was come declared the same to Florinda who semed for her sake greatly to reioyce thereat But fearing that the desire she had to sée him woulde make her chaunge countenaunce and that they which knewe not the cause thereof woulde conceyue some ill opinion she stode still at a window to sée him come a far of And so sone as she espied him she went downe a paire of staires which were so darke that none coulde perceyue if she chaunged colour When she had imbraced Amadour she led him into her chamber and from thence to her mother in lawe which had neuer sene him before He had not continued there two dayes but he was so well beloued as he was before in the house of the Countesse of Arande I will omit the words and talke betwéene Florinda and Amadour and the complaints which he made vnto her of his ill aduenture that he had sustained in his absence And after many teares vttered by her for the heauinesse she had taken aswell for the mariage against her will as for the losse of him that she loued so dearely whome she thought neuer so sée agayne she determined to take her consolation in the loue and fidelitie that she bare to Amadour which not withstanding she durst not open and declare But he that muche doubted thereof lost no occasion and tyme to let her knowe and vnderstande the great loue he bare her And euen vpon the point that she was ready to receyue him not as a seruant but for her assured and perfect friende there chaunced a maruellous fortune For the king for certayne matters of importance incōtinently sent forth Amadour whereof his wife conceyued suche sorrowe that hearing those newes she sounded fell from the stayres where she stode where with she hurt her selfe so sore that neuer after she reuiued Florinda that by the death of her had lost al cōforte made suche sorrowe as one that was destitute of good friendes kinssolke but Amadour toke the same in worste parte For he had not onely lost one of the moste honest women that euer was but also the meanes that he shoulde neuer after that time haue occasion to visit Florinda For which cause he fell into such a sicknesse that he was like to haue died sodaynly The olde Duchesse of Cardonne incessantlie did visit him and alledged many philosophicall reasons to make him paciently to receyue death but it auayled nothing For if Death of th one side did torment him Loue of the other side did augmēt his martirdome Amadour séeing that his wife was buried that the king had sent for him hauing no occasion of longer abode there he entred into suche dispaire that he séemed to be out of his wittes Florinda which in comforting him was almost desolate remained by him one whole afternone vsing the moste honest and discrete talke that was possible thinking therby to diminishe the greatnesse of his sorrowe assuring him that she woulde deuise wayes that he might visit her more ofte than he did thinke for And bicause he must depart the next morning and was so feble and weake that he coulde not rise from his bedde he intreated her to come sée him at night after euery man was gone Which she promised to do not knowing that Loues extremity was voyd of reason And he that saw no hope euer after that time to sée her againe whom so long time he had serued and of whom he had neuer receyued other interteignement than that you haue hearde was so beaten and ouercome with Loue long dessembled and of the despaire he conceyued that all meanes to vse her companye taken awaye he purposed to playe double or quitte eyther to lose her or to winne her fauour and to paye himselfe at one instant the thing which he thought he had right wel deserued Wherfore he caused the Curtaynes of his bedde to be drawen that they which came into the chamber might not sée him complaining of sickenesse more than he was wont to doe whereby they of the house thought he woulde not haue liued .xxiiij. houres After euery one of the house had visited him at night Florinda at the speciall request of her husband came to sée him thinking for his comforte to vtter vnto him her affection and howe aboue all other she woulde loue him so farre as her honor did permit And sitting down in a chaire at the beddes heade she beganne to comfort him and therewithall poured out many teares Amadour seing her sorrowful pensife thought that in her great torment he might easelie atteyne the effect of his intent And lifted himselfe vp in his bed which Florinda perceyuing she woulde haue stayed him thinking that through weakenes he was not able to moue And kneling vpon his knées he sayde vnto her Must I for euermore forgoe your sight mine owne deare Ladye And in saying so he fell downe betwene her armes like one that fainted for lacke of strength Then poore Florinda imbraced him and of long time helde him vp doing al that was possible for his comfort But the medecine she gaue him to case his sorrowe did rather increase the same more strong For in fayning himself half deade without speaking anye worde he attempted the which that honor of womanhode doth defend Whē Florinda perceyued his ill intent she coulde scarce beleue the same considering his honest requestes made before time and therefore asked him what it was that he desired But Amadour fearing to heare her aunswere which he knewe well coulde be none other but chaste and vertuous without further talke pursued his purpose so earnestly as he coulde wherewith Florinda being astōned did suspect he had bene out of his wittes rather than beleue that he went aboute her dishonor Wherefore with loude voyce she called a Gentleman which she knew well to be in the chamber Which Amadour hearing vtterly in dispaire threwe himself so sodaynely into his bed that the Gentleman thought he had bene deade Florinda rising out