Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	death_n	know_v	life_n	6,462	5	4.5019	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11488	The castell of loue, translated out of Spanishe into Englyshe, by Johan Bowrchier knyght, lorde Bernis, at the instance of lady Elizabeth Carew, late wyfe to Syr Nicholas Carew knyght. The which boke treateth of the loue betwene Leriano and Laureola doughter to the kynge of Masedonia; Cárcel de amor. English	San Pedro, Diego de, fl. 1500.; Berners, John Bourchier, Lord, 1466 or 7-1533.	1548 (1548)	STC 21739.5; ESTC S110641	74,182	217

this lyfe then to haue taryed on the yerth alyue so with sighes I went my way and depertyd wyth wepyng and with lamentacion I sore complaynyde and with suche thoughtes I wente to my lodgynge And when I saw that the consentynge and desirynge of my deth could not remedy hym that was passyd nor could be no comforte to my selfe thē I determyned to deperte and to go in to myne owne countrey and yet fyrst I purposed to go to the courte to here and se what was sayd for y e deth of Lereano and to se how Laureola toke the mater Thus I thought to go thyther what for this cause for other busynes that I had ther to do with some of my frēdes also I purposyd to speke with Laureola if I myght to know if I myght se in her any repentance and to se what true louers wolde say of her crueltye vsyde against hym that deseruyd hygh reward And also I was glad to deperte fro the place wher as Lereano dyed to put parte of my sorow out of my mynde So I came to the courte more accompanyed with sorow then with any desire to lyue remembryng how he that made me begynne this mater was in his sepulture At the palayce I was receyuyde with moche heuynes of many that knew the deth of Lereano then I resyted to suche as were his frende the secretenes of his deth Then I went in to y e hall where I was acustumed to speke with Laureola to se if I myght se what chere she made And I who by reasone of sore wepynge had nere lost my syght I lokyd all aboute● but I culde not se her yet when she saw me● lyke a dyscrete ladye suspectynge that I wolde haue spoken with her wenynge that I hadde not seen her she tur●ed towarde her chambre and as she came by me I spied well it was she who hadde brought Lereano fro his lyfe me almoste withoute knowledge then I with sore wepynge and payneful sighes began to speke to her in this maner ¶ The auctor to Laureola LAdy moche more it hadde bene better for me to haue lost my lyfe then to haue know●n your cruelnes and small pytie I say this bycause I had rather with reason ha●e praysed your gentlenes with ●einge you to haue satisfied the se●uyce that hath bene done to you by Lereano then to prayse your beautie great deseruynge gyuyuge dethe to hym that so often tymes with so good will to do you seruyce hath desyred to dye but syn your mynde was to gyue hym the deth ye haue not begyled hym nor me for ye haue payed hym ther with ye haue bleryd the clennes of your lynage Remembre that suche as be of so hygh blud as ye be are asmoch boūd to satisfy the lest seruyce that is done to them aswel as to kepe and defend theyr honour And certaynly I say that if ye had sene his deth all the dayes of your lyfe ye wolde wepe Remembre now what charge of conscience ye brought hym in for when he died where as he shulde haue had most memory vpon hys sowle and what shuld haue ben done with his body he then remembred more the letters that ye had sent hym the whiche he toke and tare in peces drank them in water because they shuld neuer be sene and bycause he wold cary with gym some thynge that had bene yours to the entent that ye shulde haue more compassiō of his deth then ye had of his lyfe I shew you for certayne thus I saw hym dye bycause ye shewyd hym no compassion Now ye shew your selfe to be sory that in the absence of your small loue was clene forgoten O how many now do wepe for his deth and yet they know not the cause But as to me fro whom the secretnes was not hiden then moche more it muste nedes greue me remembrynge how in your handes restyd his lyfe and seynge your crueltie and his small remedy ye caused hym to dye cause his mother to lyue in sorow bycause she can not dye and as for me lyuynge I ame alwayes dyeng and I beleue ye couytte not gretly your owne lyfe to remembre what ye haue done but that ye know well there be but few persons that know what ye haue done I thynke ye feare but litle the fame of your euyll name for ye se clerely how I ame lyke to dye therfore ye feare not y t I shuld publishe youe crueltie thynke not that I ame in feare to say thus to you for yf I trouble you with the qualitie content you then with the quantite syn I haue so greate reason to speake and not to ende properly and for this my boldenes● yf I deserue any punyshement cause me to be slain for ye shal better reward me with deth then to suffre me to lyue in this case ¶ The auctor Sore troubelyd stode Laureola yet for all that euery I sayd her face shewyd no alterasion of her hart howbeit lyke a discret lady refreynynge wepynge dissimuled her sorow and not blamyuge my boldenes with an heuy chere she aunswered me as foloweth ¶ Laureola to the auctor I wolde I had asmoche wisdome to satisfye the as I haue reasone to discharge my selfe and yf it were so thou shuldest fynd me aswel discharged as I repute the dylygent Thou sayest thou woldest thou haddest asmoche case to prayse my pytye as thou hast cause to blame my crueltie and on that condicion y ● desyryst no lenger to lyue thon blamyst me sayng how I thought to sle Lereano and that begylyde hym and weryde the. I wolde thou knewyste I neuer thought to gyue hym the deth for doyng as thou sayst what is it that I haue done I neuer brake any promise what do I owe the or hym that thou dyddest trawayll for or what dyde I to satisfye thyne entensiō I dyde put hym without doubte and the w toute charge if I had ben beleuyd then myne is but a small charge thou saist I ought to regarde the clennes of my lynage lokyng profoundly theron hath causyde me to do as I haue done thou knowyst well all women are more bounde to regarde theyr honors rather thē to accomplysh any amorous wyll or appetight Then syn all women are bounde to this how moche more then by reasone are those boūde that be dyscedyd of a blude roiall thynk not that I receyue any pleasure for the deth of Lereano nor beleue not that it cā somoch greue y ● as it sorowith me how be it the feare of my honour the feare of my father dyd more in me then the euyll wyll that I bare hym nor thynke not that the knowledge of his seruice was forgoten but that I gaue hym great thank and yf w t any reward I myght haue payed hym sauynge my honour it shuld haue ben done and cost hym nothyng then both he and thy selfe shulde asmoche haue praysede as now thou blamyste me for

vnkyndnes in his lyfe without the losse of lyfe I could not rewarde hym accordyng to his desire I wyll thou know that his deth causith me to lyue alwayes dyenge now shalte thou se how moche it sorowith me and how moche he pleasyde me now thou shalt iudge what loue I bare hym and know yf I dyd well to suffer hym to dye thou knowist well that with his lyfe he myght haue wonne that by his deth he dysparyd and lost it but syn I can not now paye nor rewarde hym I shall satisfye the make the bere witnes yf I rewarde not seruice as I ought to do ¶ The auctor SHe endyd her wordes with suche heuynes that she coulde scante make an ende for sorow then she went fro me subbyng and sore wepyng wherby her tonge was sore troubelyd chaunged colour and so went in to her chamber with sore inwarde lamen●aciō for feare she shuld haue ben hard Then I wēt to my lodgyng w t so great sorow that often tymes I was desperate of my lyfe with myne owne deth I wold haue ben reuengyd if I coulde not puttynge my selfe in dyspayre And thus beynge alone withoute pleasure aswell as with oute frendes to speke vnto for werynes I layd me downe and as though I had sene Lereano before me presente I sayd to hym as folowith ¶ The auctor to Lereano O Lereano enemye to thy aduēture and frende to thy myshape who can be cause of thy lyfe with this ambassade as I was cause of thy deth w t my message for now if thou knewyst the repentance of Laureola thou woldest change the glory celostyall for thy lyfe temporal for by thy deth thou hast lost thy desyre if thou haddest sauyd thy lyfe without doubte thou shuldest haue wonne that by thy deth thou hast lost Dyd I nat say to the when thou lay a dyenge that by thy deth thou shuldest lese all and by thy lyfe thou myghtest attayne to thy desyre O vnhappy y t I am y t I were not in y ● place where as I myght shew the all that Laureola hath sayd to me and of the thought that she tak●th for lesynge of thy lyfe though w t the deth thou hast wonne the desire of thy will by that she shewith now thou oughtest to thynke thy deth well bestowyd great ioy I shuld recene if I knew that thou dyddeste here me and beleue m● for thou maist se that alonely her repentance suffy seth to pay y ● thy reward yf thou haddeste lyuyde thou shuldeste haue had no cause to haue bē in trouble now thy payne shal be withoute hope of sufferance now thou nediste not to be troubly with thy lyfe nor take no ioy of thy deth O what welth shuld it be for me if god wold suffer me to lese my lyfe to recouer thyne why doth god leue me here without the. who can lese the and lyue after wold to god that the good will that I haue in thy lyfe that thou myghtest pay me with my deth y t which I hope thou shuldest do if thou haddest as good wyll to se me as I haue desire to serue y e. Thus I wyll leue any further to trouble the. ¶ The auctors dreme THus I was so wery that I left my talkynge and as he that wyst not what he dyd I fell in a slombere and amonge other thynges I beganne to dreme wherby I had more payn then pleasure I drempt that I saw Lereano before me aparelled after this maner he had on his hedde a bonet of scarlet with a grene ryband of an euyll colour with a worde enbrowdered saieng thus hope is dead with his colour slayne by your vnkyndnes and when he came nere me I sawe he had on a shyrte wrought with blak sylke with a border of letters sayenge encreasyng my stedfastnes at the ende I found deth Also he had a doblet of yeolow saten enbrowdered with this worde my passion with my ioye satisfied in doynge that I haue done Also he had on a iaket of blake veluyt with a border of saten of the same colour and theron a wrytynge that sayd in my stedfastnes shewed is myne euyll and your trespace Also he had a gerdell of golde with letters reportynge more rather was my dethe then lyfe if ye wolde be seruyd therwith He had also a dager y ● knyues and pomell of asure w t letters sayeng ryght sore was the passion that ye gaue me and yet ye neuer repentyde it Also he had a sworde with the sheth gyrdell of sylke enbrowderyde w t this worde gyuyn to my lyfe such torment that diyng and lyuyng I was content Also his hosen one white a nother blew w t this word chastite ielus of my lyfe could not be sufferyd to serue And ouer all this he had a cappe of blacke enbrowderyd with darke tawny with a worde that sayd heuynes can not so trauayll me that it shulde chāge my stedfastnes His slippers were enbrowdered w t smal letters that sayde myne euyls are at an ende for my seruyce and denyed me is the benyfyte And on his gloues was writen thus begynnyth and endeth the name that most deseruyth So when I had at length regarded his aparell and the stedfaste thoughtes that by lykelyhod he enduryd I behelde his face and I saw his iesture so beautefull that it semed he had neuer taken thought and with an amorous semblant After he had curtesly salutyd me with the same voyce as he was wonte to speke me thought he began to say in this maner ¶ Lereano to the auctor O Thou my true frende thou hast thought that my presence hath bene longe fro the so that I could not tell what y u dyddest nor hard what thou hast spoken thynke not so for I shall neuer be so farre fro the but that I shall alwayes be ioyned with the for though by aduenture in my lyfe I deperted fro the neuer in the deth I shall deperte fro the I shall alwayes be ionyed with the. And all that thou hast sayd of Laureola and of me I was present and hard it god knowith if I myght I wold haue spoken to the but I could not nor feare wold not leue me for I certifie the that this that I do though my speche be short yet it tormenteth me and therfore acordynge to the trust that I haue in thy great vertue I wyll not put the to the payne with long wordes therfore I wyll goo to the effect of thy wordes and to my aunswere Thou sayest thou woldest gladly put me agayne in to life as thou puttedest me to deth beleue nat that thy message gaue me the deth nor I in the begynnynge can not be excused fro coming to this ende thou sayst thou woldest that I were in the dysposicion that I myght ioy me for the repentynge of Loureola I can not thanke the therfore bycause I can not make y ● a recompence for the gretest seriuce that

any sentence apon me And the better to execute on me his true iustyce demaundyd of eche of them yf they consentyd that I shuld be taken prisoner bicause if any of them wolde not haue consentyd he wolde haue asoyled me fro payne and blame to the whiche demaunde all .iiii. aunswerd in this maner First vnderstādynge said I consent to the euill of the payne for the welth of the cause wherfore my wyll is that he be taken Then sayd Reason I consent not allonely that he be in prison out I ordeyne that he there abyde and dye for it were better for hym the happy deth then to lyue in dispayre cōsidering for whom he shal suffre it Then sayd Memory syn that vnderstanding reason cōsentyth that without deth he can not be deliuered I then pinyse he shall neuer forget it but alwayes haue it in his remembraunce Then sayd wyll seyng it is thus I will then be the key of his prisone and determyne alwayes to be persecuter of wyll and desyre This seing the god of loue who ought to haue sauid m●e cōdemned me gaue this cruell sentence agaynst me As for y e .iii. images standing on y e walles of y e towre eche of them of a contrary colour as tawny blacke gray The one is heuynes the other anguish and the thirde trauaill The cheynes in theyr handes are their strengthes wher with they holde falte tyed the harte in such wyse that it can recouer none ease nor rest The great clerenes shynyng that the Egle hath in his bek wynges as thou hast sene in the hyghest parte of the towre whiche is myne inwardes thoughtes whiche hath so great clevenes in it selfe that it suffiseth to enlumyne y e darknes of this clowdy prison and the force therof is so great that the strength of the thick walles can not le● it but that it wyll attaigne to the Egl● in suche wyse y t they wyll go together in cōpany bycause they are the thinges that mountyth and ascendyth hyghest for the which cause my pryson is in the hyghest place of the lande The .ii. watches that thou he●est so dilygently watchyng be Mishap Hate They be of that deuise y t no hope nor remedy shuld entre into me y e darke stayres to mount on is anguysh wheron I mountyd as thou seyst The fyrst porter was desyre who to all heuynes openyth the gate Therfore he sayd to the y t thou shuldest leue al thyne armure of pleasoure The other porter was tormēt who brought me hyther who is of the same cōdicyō The chayre of fier wherin thou seist me syt is my iuste affection whose flames alwayes brynneth in myne entrayles The .ii. women y t gaue me the crown of martyrdom are called payne passyon who satisfyeth my fayth with this present reward The olde man y t thou seyst syt in so great study representeth great thought pensyfenes w t greuous care soli●itude The which ioyned with y e other euyls manisheth my poore lyfe The blacke more ve●●uryd in yelowe who traueyleth to take awaye my lyfe is named dispayre the sheld that issueth out of my hed defending me fro his strokes is my wytte who seynge y e dispayre wold slee me cōmandeth me to defende my lyfe cōsyderyng the deserte of Laureola he cōmaundeth me to desyre long life w t sufferance rather then with deth to make an ende The black boord for me to eate on is ferme stedfastnesse wheron I eate Thynke slepe theron are the heuy meates of myne conteplatiōs The .iii. diligēt seruātes y t serueth me are named euyl payne and dolour One bereth the meat of doubtfulnesse wherof I eate a nother bereth dispayre wherin y e meat is brought another bereth y e cup of tribulatiō wherin I drink drawing water fro y e hart to the eyen from y ● eien to the mouth Now iudge thy self if I be wel serued if I haue nede of remedy y u seyst I requyre the syn y u arte here aryued that thou wylt serche for me some remedy sorow myne euyll I desyre of the none other good but that Laureola may be aduertysed● knowe by the state how thou seyst me and peraduenture thou wylt excuse the bycause thou seyst me fayle power to make the a recompence I requyre the let it not be vndone for that cause for more vertue it is to remedy them that be in tribulation then to susteyne them that be in prosperite let thy workes be suche that thou repente not thy selfe for lacke of doynge it when thou myghteste haue done it ¶ The aunswer of the auctour to Laureola THy wordes shewe well that loue hath taken and occupieth thy lybertie but not thy vertue the whiche I proue by that I se in the to be more redyer to dye then to speke how be it thou hast forcyd thy wyll to proue the werynes of my lyfe iudgynge what for trauels passyd for my solycitude present that I haue but small hope to lyue without doubt so it is for thou causest my perdicion desyrynge doughtes remedy and yet thou doest remedy the same as a perfight iudge And surely I haue hadde no lesse pleasour to heare the then I haue had sorowe to se the. For by thy persone is well sene thy payne by thy reasons knowen is thy bountie in gyuynge socour and ayde to the nedy●lyke as thou hast do●e now to me For I consyderynge the strange mysteries of this thy pryson I doubted of my saluacyon beleuynge all had ben but illusions done by arte diabolycke rather then by any cōdycyon amorous For this thou hast shewed me I thanke the and nowe I knowe what thou arte I thynke well enployed the trauayll that I haue enduryd for thy sake the knowledge of the moralite of these figures hath ryght well pleased me for though I well regardyd them yet for lacke of knowledge my harte was in captyuyte and prisone and now I ame out of doubt feare And where as thou hast cōmaundyd me that I shuld gyue knowlege to Laureola in what cas● I haue sene y ● the which to do I fynd gret perel for a man of a strange naciō what maner forme shuld he fynde to execute such a message I haue not alonely this doubt but dyuerce other The rudenes dulnes of my wytte the dyfference of oure speche tonge the noblenes of Laureola and the grauite of this be synes so that in this case I fynde but small remedy but alonely my good will whiche vanquyssith all other inconuenientes and daungers for to thy seruice I offre my selfe as moche as though I hadde bene thyne owne seruant all the dayes of my lyffe And I promyse the y t with good hart I shal accōplish to my power al thy cōmandemētes I pray to god I may be as happy as I ame desyrous to serue the so that thy deliuerance may bere witnes of my true dilygence

meruayll why the kyng delte so with hym Then they were conueyede oute of the feld with lyke seremonyes how be it they were not lyke in fame honour So they were brought to theyr lodgynges and there taryed all nyght The next day in the mornyng Lereano determynyd to go to y e palace to desyre the kyng in presence of all his courte to restore his honour to do vpon Persio ryghtwyse iustyce But Persyo who was malycyous of his condycion and sharpe wyttyd to th entent y t he myght by some meanes attayn to his purpose whyls y t Lereano spake w t the kyng he callyd to hym .iii. false men lyke to his own condycions toke theyr othe that they shuld shew them To y ● which they agreyd Then he gaue to them moche money so that they shuld say and swere to the kyng that they had sene Lereano spekyng w t Laureola in places suspect and in tyme dyshonest which they proferyd to afferme and to swere it to the lefyng of theyr lyues I leue to speke of the doloure that Laureola sufferyd by cause the passyon shuld not trouble so my wytte but that I myght make an ende of y t I haue begonne for I haue no lesse payne to remembre her sorowe beyng absent then as thought I were present and saw it with myne eyen but I wyll torne to Lereano who had more sorow for her prysonement then glory of his victory When he knew that the kyng was ryson he went to the palayce in the presence of the knyghtes of the courte he sayd to the kyng as folowith ¶ Lereano to the kyng SIr of suertie with better wyll● I wold haue sufferyd the chastisement of your iustice then y ● shame to haue come to your presence if I had not atteygned yesterday the better of the batayll The which yf ye had taken well I shulde haue bene clene quyte delyueryde fro the false accusacion of Persyo for in the syght of euery man I shuld haue gyuen hym the rewarde that he deseruyd It is great dyfference to haue power to do a thynge and to do it in deade Great auauntage ye shewyd hym y ● reason why I can nother thynke nor imagine● ye cōmaūdyde to deperte vs and specially syn our debate tochyd your selfe so nere as he that shuld desyre to be reuengyd for the loue of Laureola lyke a pytefull father and I beleue well that as now ye be well satysfied of her dycharge and ignorance And syr yf ye dyd it for compassion ye hadde of Persyo ye ought as iustely to haue regardyd myne honour aswell as his lyfe seyng I ame your naturall subget And yf ye dyd is by reasone of the inportunate● suet of some of his frendes ye ought aswell to haue remembryde the seruyce that I myne haue done you syn ye know w t what constaūce of hart many of them in dyuerce bateyls haue loste in your seruyce theyr lyues which none of them haue done the .iii. parte Therfore syr I requyre you that by uistice ye wyll satysfye the honour that I haue wonne w t my handes Syr kepe your lawes if ye thynke to conserue your naturall subiectes nor syr consent not that so false a man shuld lyue that kepith so euyll preemynence of his predecessours to the entent that his venyme do not corrupte them that be his parte takers Certaynly I ame culpable in no thyng but in that I haue bene so good a frende to my wrongfull accuser and if for this I haue deserued payne lette me haue it yet my clere innocency shall assoyll me I haue conseruyde his amyte beleuyng he had bene good and not iudgyng his euyll nor falsenes If ye suffre hym to serue you I say he shal be the beste seruaunt to make dyscorde and lyes that shal be in all your courte Syr remember in your selfe how ye be bounde to do ryght to eury man Wherfore determyne this cause with prudence and gyue sentence with your acustomed iustice Syr the thynges of honour ought to be clere and if ye perdone hym for any request though yt be by the pryncipall of your realme or for any other thyng at your pleasur I wyll not then abyde y e iudgement of dyuerce of your mē to be taken as clene dyscharged For thought some beleue the trouth by reasone yet some wylbe troubelyd and say the worste And though in all your realme the trouth be not knowen yet comenly the fame of the trouth by reasone of fouour of the partye wyll not be borne farre of so y t I can not be clene dyscharged out of all mennys fantasyes yf this man scape withoute open punyshemēt Syr for goddessake sette myne honour with oute any dysputacion as for my lyfe ordeyne at your pleysour ¶ The auctor TO the sayng of Lereano the kyng gaue good entent and aunswered that he wold take counsayll what was best to do and sayde that in suche a case delybercion wold be taken or any sentence shuld be gyuyn Of trouth the kynges aunswere was not so swete as it ought to haue ben for by that I saw yf the kyng hadde put Laureola at her lybertie Lereano hadde enduryde no trouble For he thought to serue her for all y t he was reputyd culpable though his entent were clere withoute faulte Thus the kyng to eschewe the rumour and besynes that was lykely to fall bytwene Lereanos frendes Persius cōmaundyd Lereano to go to a towne of his owne a .ii. leages fro y ● court cally● Susa and there to tary tyll he had set a dyrection in y e mater The which Lereano dyde with a ioyful hart thynkyng that ●aureola was clerely dy●chargyd whiche was y e thyng he mooste desiryd● But then Persyo who alwayes trauelyde to offend and to shame his honour and to defende it by malyce he sente for ii of his complyses or Laureola was delyuerede and sayde to them That eche of them a parte shulde go to the kyng and of them selfe to shew hym how that the accusacion of Persio was trew and to bere wytnes that they had ●een Lereano dyuerce tymes speke with Laureola aloone suspyciously The which wytnes and affyrmacion whe● the kyng hard it he was sore trowbelyd therwith and examynyd eche of them a parte by subtyle sharpe perswasions to se yf they any thyng swaruyd in ther sayenges But they were such persons that if a man shulde haue wastyde all his lyfe in falsenes coulde not be lyke them They were so sure of theyr wordes the more they were examynyde the surelyer they fortefyed theyr false lyes So that therby the kyng gaue to theyr false sayenges fayth and beleue And by reasone of theyr informaciō y e kyng reputyd Persyo for trew seruant and beleuyd that it was more by reasone of his fortune rather then by his vntrw quarell that he lost the batayll O Persyo better it hadde ben for the to haue sufferyd the deth

the ensāples that I could reherce therfore Tesio accordyng as thou haste harde thou and suche other as do blaspheme the nature femenyne are well worthy of iuste punysion the which I counsaill the not to abide to receyue it of a nother but rather punyshe thy selfe yf thou do it of malyce condemne the shame therof ¶ The auctor ALl suche as were present had great maruayll of his wordes seynge by his spekynge to be so nere the deth as he was for when he had ended his wordes his tonge began to fayll and his syght nere lost then his seruauntes began to crye and wayle and his frend begane to wepe and his subiectes cryynge oute in the streates so that all ioy was turned to sorow and the lady his mother beynge absente for his sekenes was kept fro her knowledge howbeit she gyuynge more credyte to her feare then to that was shewyd her with boldnes of maternall loue she deperted fro her owne howse and came to Susa and when she entered the gate euery persone that she saw gaue her euydence of dolour with wordes of extreme passyon rather then with wordes well ordered she herynge how her sone Lereano was in the extremyties of deth her strenght fayled her so that she fell downe to the erth in a trance so longe she laye that euery man thought that y ● mother and the sonne shulde take theyr sepulture at one tyme howbeit with harde remedy she came agayne to her selfe and then went to her sone and when she saw hym in that astate with greate wepynge and passyon of deth she sayd as folowith ¶ The complaynte of Lereanos mother O Lereano the myrth comforte rest and supporte of myne olde dayes O swete companyon to my wyll this day I ame lyke to leue callyng the any more sonne nor thou to call me mother of this I haue greate feare by the sygnes that I se of thy shorte dayes often tymes I hadde suche dremes where with I haue bene in greate feare all the nyght durynge other tymes when I haue ben in my oratory prayng for thy helth my harte hath faylede me and a colde sweat hath taken me in suche maner that of along tyme I wyst not what to do also y e bes●es haue cretified me of thyne euyll for on a day as I came out of my chamber ther came to me a dogge and made sodenly suche a howlyng that for feare ther of I lost the strength of my body and could not speke nor could not remoue oute of the place that I was in And therby I gaue more credence to my suspecte then to thy messengers and to satysfie my selfe I ame come to se the. O the lyght of my syghte and lyfe O blyndnes of the same if I se y ● dye I can se none occasiō of thy deth y u beyng in age to lyue y u hast alwayes ben fearefull of god louer of all vertues and enemye to all vyces frēde to frēdes and belouyde thynke for certane this day y ● force of thyne euyll fortune takith away the ryght of reasō syn thou dyest or thy tyme withoute any infyrmytie Happy be they that be of low and base cōdiciō and rude of wytte for they feale no thynge but take euery thynge as it comyth And vnhappy be they that by subtyll wytte and sharpe vnderstādyng know euery thynge wolde to god thou werte one of the rude and dull for I had rather to be callyd mother to a rude persone hauynge thy lyfe then to haue thy deth beyng neuer so wyse O cruell deth enemy to all mortal creatures thou wilt perdone no synners nor a●soyll the innocentes thou arte suche a traytour that no man can make defence agaynst the thou thretenyst age and takest awaye yough the one thou sleyste by malyce and y e other for enuy though thou tary longe yet thou wylte not forget to come at laste thou gouernyst thy selfe with oute law or reasone it had ben better for the to haue cōseruyd my sonne beyng of xx yeres rather then to leue me his mother of .lxx. yeres of age why doste thou turne y e ryght vpse down I haue lyued longe inough and he is yong yet for to lyue perdon me y t I thus say to the for thou by thy cruell warkes causyste dolours yet agayne thou gyuist comforte takyng away them shortely that thou leuist behynde them that thou takest away for the which yf thou wylte so do with me I were moche boūd to the that I myght go with my sonne Lereano but yf he myght lyue and I to dye it shulde be my comeforte O sone what shall become of my age remēbryng the ende of thy yough yf I lyue it shal be rather to wepe and bewayll my synnes then by reasone to haue any wyll or desyre to lyue with what thyng coulde I receyue more cruell payne then to lyue long thyne euyll is very great that ther canne be found no remedye what auay lyth now the strength of thy body or the vertue of thyne harte or the hardynes of thy corage all these thynges that shulde auayll y e faylythe yf for the price of loue thy lyfe myght be bought I wolde desyre deth to do his offyce vpon me and to delyuer the quyte fro hym but thy fortune wyll not suffer it nor I cā not therfore sorow shal be my drynke and my mete and my thought my slepe vntyll the tyme that the force of dethe and my desyre shall brynge me to my sepulture ¶ The auctor THe wepyng that Lereanos mother made encreasyde the payne of all them that were presente and all wayes Lereano had Laureola in his remembrance of that was past he had but small memory and cōsyderyng that he shulde ioy but a shorte space with the syght of the .ii. letters that Laureola hadde sente hym he wiste not how to order them when he thought to breke them he thought he shuld offende ther by Laureola in castynge away suche wordes of so worthy price as was wrytē in them and when he thought to put in to any of his seruaūtes hādes he fearyd leste they shulde be se●e wherby perell myght folow then in all these doubtes he toke the sureste way he callyd for a cup of water and then brake the lettres in to small peces and so sette vp in his bed and dranke vp the water with the peces of the letters and so he satisfyde therby his wyll and then drawynge to his ende warde he cast his syght vpon me sayde frēde now all myne euylles be endyd● and therwith gaue vp his lyfe in witnes of his true fayth Then what sorow I felte and what I dyd is lyghtly iudged the wepynges that was there made of his deth are of suche esteme that me thynke it cruelty to wryte it thē his obsequyes and buryals were done most honourably accordyng to the deserdes of his vertues as for my selfe with a better wyll I wolde haue depertyd

I could make is not so greate but the lest deseruynge that I huae receyued of the is moche gretter As for her rewardes I desyre them not for I can haue as now no ioye of them though I desyre them neuer somoche and though now with her repentynge she thynk to satysfie me yet her cruelnes was so trobelous that though she dyd more yet I can not be rewardyd Thou sayst I shuld thynke my dethe well enployede syn I haue wonne by her that without her I lost now wold I do it if lyfe were lefte with me for though I myght ioy therwith what profyt shuld it be to me to beleue this without I myght se what she doth and I beleue if she myght se me agayne to lyue she wolde gyue me more payne and lesse hope but the best to be delyueryd fro hope is deth for it is better to suffer a good deth then to endure with an euyll lyfe beleue not but and I had beleuyd that I shuld haue seruyd her better lyuyng then to dye I wold not haue dyed yet but syn that with my lyfe I could not preuayll I thought then with deth to remedy me thynke not that I was so farre withoute wytte that I knew not that it was good to lyue to serue her though I coulde haue no ioy of her but I could neuer know by her aūswere that she was cōtēt w t my seruyce as y u knowist ryght well but she dyd let me dye for I desiryd lyfe to leue me also y u seist that y u desirest to recouer me to lese thy lyfe I beleue y ● and I thāke y ● therof though I cā do none other thyng y u desirist me to pray for thy deth bycause we myght lyke frendes ioy to gether syn we could not in our lyfe be not of y ● beleue for I had rather her spekynge of thy lyfe withoute syght of the then to know thou shuldest be with me dede howbeit by thy deth thou shuldest but change thy lyfe for thy fame shuld neuer dye but euer lyue thus I wyll leue the not bicause I wyll go farre fro the. wherfore I requyre the take it for none euyll that I speke no more to the for though I wolde I can not ¶ The auctor WHen Lereano had made an ende of his wordes I thought to haue aunswerd hym but then in my dreme me thought I saw Laureola entre into my chambre as vysyble as though I had bene wakyng me thought she was in a strange aparel and with a new companyon and in y e regardynge of so new a vision I left aunswerynge Lereano and began to marke the maner of her aparell● and I so regarded her● that I left lokyng vpon Lereano She hadde vpō her hed a fresh atyer frete enbrowdered with letters sayeng my cruel condicion gyueth no deth to seruyce nor yet rewarde Her smocke wrought with whyte sylke tyed with letters sayeng thy deth is so fastened to my lyfe that I can not scape without deth Her kertell of blacke saten with a folyage of tawny w t letters sayeng thy stedfastnes myght haue gyuen me suche payne that at the ende it myght haue wonne me Her gyrdell was wrought with thredes of gold reportynge More rather shulde haue bene my glory with thy lyfe then with thy deth Her mantel was of .ii. colours the one parte red the other blew with a wrytynge that sayde now ioye can not enioye me without great thought She had a tabard of blew russet with letters sayeng with thy deth my memory is certayne so that lyuynge my glory is dede Also on her gloues was wryten thus with that I began I make an ende though I deserue no deth her slyppers were enbrowdered with this word I haue more payne for thy payne then for myne own yet more deserueth my shame So when I had well regarded her aparell and marked well the sygnificacions of the wrytynges I saw how w t moche sorow and smal pleasure by semblant more lykely to dye then to lyue she turned her face towardes Lereano wher as he stode and began to say in this maner ¶ Laureola to Lereano FRende Lereano neuer thynke that the force of thy strenght for so litle an incōuenience that I shuld consent to lose for as thou hast sayd to be desyrous to serue me more honour y u shuldest haue done me in lyuynge then I to gyue y ● deth for surely thy wekenes nor thy payne nor yet thy loue coulde not make me beleue that thou shuldest haue died therfore thou maist clerely se what euyll thou hast done yf y u thynk that I dyd was to mocke the or to proue the what errour then I haue done to thy purpose yf true louers cane not suffre how shall they come to theyr desyrs he that can not suffre can not ioy nor but seldome attayne to his glory there is no vertue but in sufferynge of payne therby to haue ioye of theyr good aduenture thou oughtest more to be blamed beynge discrete for that thou hast done then to be praysed for a trew louer And beleue surely that yf I had not ben surer of thy fayth I wolde haue gyuen no credence to thy stedfastnes nor yet haue gyuen the none occasion at the begynnynge to haue come to this ende and more to shew the the trouth● then to rewarde the of thy payne I make the sure yf I had beleued that y u shuldest haue died I wold rather haue taken the deth my selfe ● then to haue consented to thy deth for it shuld haue bene greate conscience to me to haue sffuered the to dye for the trust that I had in that thou dydest for my seruyce caused me in maner to beleue thy wrytynge but then agayne the suretie y t I thought had ben in thy wysdome and dyscrecion caused me to doubte it and in this maner I gaue more credence to thy discrecion then to thy determyned deth Lereano it ought to haue suffysid the to remēber in what case myne honour stode in and perell of my lyfe and to haue ben cōtent to know that I ought the my fauour for thy euyll greuyd me worse thē myne owne though I shewyd it not to the if thou wylte denye this remember what I was and how small necessite I had of thy seruice ones writyng to the shuld haue sufficyd though I dyd not put the in no suretie for thou knewist well that my wrytyng procedyd of no feare but of myne owne good wyll thou canste not denye whan of my message thou dyddeste dispaire and dyed dyd I not put the in hope when I sayde that if I lyuyd lenger then my father then shuldest se how I wold rewarde thy deseruyng so that thou shuldeste not blame me for any vnkindnes I will speke no more syn I shall no more se the and by cause I can receyue no more passiō then I do for thy deth therfore I make short my wordes