was authour of the enterprise or partaker of a treason so wicked Then the king incontinently caused the foure Gentlemen of his chamber 〈◊〉 be rewarded according to the worthinesse of their offense and wer put to death and Acharisto to be repriued in sharpe and cruell prison vntill with tormentes he should be forced to confesse that which he knew to be most certain and true by the euidēce of those that were done to death Euphimia for the imprisonment of Acharisto conceiued incredible sorrow and vneths coulde bée persuaded that he woulde imagine much lesse conspire that 〈◊〉 fact as well for the loue which Acharisto séemed to beare vnto hir as for the greate good will wherewith he was assured that shée bare vnto him and therfore the death of the 〈◊〉 to be no lesse griefe vnto him than the same would be to 〈◊〉 self the king being hir naturall and louyng father Acharisto thoughte on the other side that if he might speake with Euphimia a way woulde be founde eyther for his escape or else for his deliuerie Wherupon Acharisto being in this deliberation founde meanes to talke with the Iailors wife intreated hir to shewe him so much fauor as to procure Euphimia to come vnto him She accordingly broughte to passe that the yong gentlewoman in secret wise came to speake with this traiterous varlet who so sone as he sawe hir sheding from his eyes store of teares pitifully complaining sayde vnto hir I knowe Euphimia that the King your father doth not inclose me in this cruell prisō ne yet afflicteth me with these miserable tormēts for any suspicion hée conceiueth of me for any intended facte but onely for the loue which I beare you and for the like for which I rendre humble thankes that you do beare to me bicause that I am werie of this wretched state knowe that nothing else can 〈◊〉 me from this painful life but onely death I am determined wyth mine owne propre hands to cut the thréede of lyfe wherwith the destinies hitherto haue prolonged the same that this my brething ghost which breatheth forth 〈◊〉 dolefull plaintes maie flée into the Skies to rest it selfe amonges the restfull spirites aboue or wandre into 〈◊〉 pleasant hellish fieldes amongs the shadowes of Creusa Aeneas wife or else with the ghost of complaining Dido But ere I did the same I made myne humble prayer to the maiestie diuine that hée would vouchsafe to shewe me somuch grace as before I dye I might fulfyl my 〈◊〉 eyes with sight of you whose ymage still appereth before those gréedie Gates and 〈◊〉 representeth vnto my myndefull heart Which great desired thing sith God aboue hath graūted I yelde him infinit 〈◊〉 and sith my desteny is such that such must bée the end of loue I doe reioyce that I must dye for your sake which only is the cause that the King your father so laboureth for my death I néede not to molest you with the false euidence giuen against me vp those malicious vilaines that bée alreadie dead which onely hath thus incensed the Kyngs wrath and heauie rage against me whereof I am so frée as woorthily they bée executed for thesame For if it were so then true it is and as lightly you might beleue the I neuer knewe the loue you beare me and you likewise did neuer know what loue I bare to you and therfore you maye thinke that so impossible is the one as I did euer meane thinke or ymagine any harme or perill to your fathers person To bée short I humbly doe besech you to beleue that so faithfully as man is able to loue a womā so haue I loued you that it may please you to bée so myndfull of me in this fading life as I shal be of you in that life to com And in saying so with face all bathed in teares he clyped hir about the myddle and fast imbracing hir said Thus taking my last farewell of you myne onely life and ioye I commende you to the gouernment of the supernall God my selfe to death to be disposed as pleaseth him Euphimia which before was not persuaded the Acharisto was guiltie of that deuised treason now gaue ful beliefe and credite to his wordes and weping with him for company comforted him so wel as she coulde and bidding him to bée of good chere she sayde that she would seke such meanes as for hir sake and loue he should not dye And that before long time did passe she would help him out of prison Acharisto although hée vttered by ruful voice that 〈◊〉 talke for remedie to ridde him selfe from prison yet he didde but 〈◊〉 all that he spake addyng further Alas Euphimia doe not incurre your fathers wrath to please my minde suffer me quietly to take that death which sinister Fortune and cruell fate hath prouided to abridge my daies Euphimia vanquished with inspeakable griefe and burning passion of loue saide Ah Acharisto the onely ioye and comfort of my lyfe doe not perce my heart with such displeasant wordes For what should I doe in this wretched worlde yf you for my sake shold suffre death wherfore put awaie the cruel thought and be content to saue your life that hereafter in ioye myrth you may spend that same Trusting that yf meanes maye be founde for your dispatche from hence we shall liue the rest of our prolonged life together in swete and happie daies For my father is not made of stone of flint nor yet was nourced of Hircan Tigre he is not so malicious but that in tyme to come hée may 〈◊〉 made to know the true discourse of thyne innocent life and hope thou shalt atteyne his fauour more than euer thou 〈◊〉 before the care wherof onely leaue to me and take no thought thy self for I make promise vpon mine assured faith to bring the same to passe Wherefore giue ouer thy conceiued griefe and bende thy selfe to liue so merie a life as euer gentleman did trained vp in court as thou hast bene I am content sayd Acharisto thus to doe the Gods forbid that I should declyne my heart and mynde from thy behest who of thy wonted grace dost seke continuance of my life but rather swete Euphimia than thou shouldest suffre any daunger to performe thy promise I make request for the common loue betwene vs both to leaue me in this present dangerous state Rather wold I lose my life than 〈◊〉 shouldest hazard the least heare of thy heade for my reliefe We shal be both safe ynough answered Euphimia for my deuise proceding from a womans heade hath alreadie drawen the plotte of thy deliuerance and wyth those wordes they both did ende their talke whose trickling teares did rather finishe the same than willing myndes and eyther of them gyuing a kysse vnto the Tower walle wherein Acharisto was faste shutte Euphimia departed turmoiled with a thousand amorous prickes and ceased not but first of all to corrupte and wynne the Iaylers wife whose husband
who thinke my self of 〈◊〉 born and sustained in my first yong age to be the 〈◊〉 man and 〈◊〉 seruaunt of you my 〈◊〉 deare 〈◊〉 whome alone I yelde my heart 〈◊〉 as it is and the ioy of 〈◊〉 thoughts 〈◊〉 in my 〈◊〉 by the contemplation and remembraunce of your excellent and perfect grace wherof if I be not fauored I 〈◊〉 for death from which euen presently I 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 feare of that which she can doe or of the vgly 〈◊〉 which I conceiue to be in hir but rather to confirme my life this body for instrument to exercise the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for doing of your commaundements where I shall proue that vnworthy cruelty both of your gentle 〈◊〉 and of the body fraught ful of that which dame Nature can departe of hir aboundant graces 〈◊〉 sure madame that you shall shortly sée the end of him which attendeth yet to beare so much as in him 〈◊〉 lie the vehement loue into an other world which maketh me to pray you to haue pitie on him who attending the rest and final sentence of his death or life doth humbly kisse your white and delicate hands 〈◊〉 god to giue to you like 〈◊〉 as his is who 〈◊〉 to be Wholy yours or not to be at all Philiberto of Virle The letter written closed and sealed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 neighbour who promised him againe to 〈◊〉 him 〈◊〉 at night Thus thys 〈◊〉 went hir way leauing this poore languishing Gentleman hoping against his hope and faining by and by some ioy and pleasure wherin he 〈◊〉 himself with great contented minde Then sodainly he called againe vnto remembrance the crueltie 〈◊〉 of Zilia which shewed before his eyes so many kindes of deathe as times he thought vpon the same thinking that he saw the choler wherewith his little courteous mistresse furiously did intertaine the messanger who found Zilia comming forth of a gardein adioyning to hir house and hauing saluted hir and receiued like courteous salutation she would haue framed hir talke for honest excuse in that 〈◊〉 charge message for hir also vnto whome she was sent and for some ease to the pore getleman which aproched nearer death than life But Zilia brake of hir talke saying I maruell much gentle neighbor to sée you héere at this time of the day knowing your honest custome is to let passe no minute of the time except it be employed in some vertuous exercise Mistresse answered the messanger I thank you for the good opinion you haue of me and doe pray you to 〈◊〉 the same For I do assure you that nothing vaine of little effect hath made me slacke my businesse at this time which me think I do not 〈◊〉 when I inforce my self to take pitie and mercy vpon the afflicted sort and the cause therof I would disclose if I feared not to offend you and breake the loue which of long time betwene vs two hath bene frequented I know not sayd Zilia wherunto your words do tēd although my heart doth throbbe and minde doth moue to make me thinke your purposed talke to be of none other effecte than to say a 〈◊〉 which may redoūd to the preiudice of mine 〈◊〉 Wherfore I pray you doe not open any thing that 〈◊〉 be contrary be it neuer so little to the duetie of Dames of our degrée Mistresse sayd the neighboure I suppose that the little likelihoode which is in you with the thing for the helpe whereof I come to speake hath made you féele the passion contrary to the griefe of him that indures so much for your sake Unto whome not thinking therof I gaue my faith in pledge to beare this Letter In saying so she drew the same out of hir bosome and presenting them to cruell 〈◊〉 she sayde I beseeche you to thinke that I am not ignoraunt of the 〈◊〉 wherewith the Lorde of 〈◊〉 is affected who wrote these letters I promised him the duetie of a messanger towardes you and so constrained by promise I could doe no lesse than to deliuer you that which he doeth send with seruice such as shall 〈◊〉 for euer or if it shall please you to accept him for such a one as he desireth For my parte I pray you to reade the contents and accordingly to giue me answere for my faith is no further bound but faithfully to reporte to him the thing whereupon you shall be resolued Zilia which was not wont to receiue very ofte such embassades at the first was in minde to breake the letters and to returne the messanger to hir shame But in the end taking heart and chaunging hir affection she red the letters not without shewing some very great alteration outwardely which declared the meaning of hir thought that diuersly did striue within hir minde for sodainely the chaunged hir coloure twice or thrice now waring pale like the increasing 〈◊〉 Eclipsed by the Sunne when the féeleth a certaine darkening of hir borowed light then the Uermilion and coloured tainte came into hir face againe with no lesse hewe than the blomed Rose newly budded forth which encreased halfe so much againe the excellencie of that wherewith Nature 〈◊〉 indued hir And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 paused a while Notwithstanding after that shée had redde and redde againe hir louers letter not able to dissemble hir foolishe anger which vered hir hearte she sayd vnto the mistresse messanger I wold not haue thought that you being suche as eche man knoweth would by abusing your duetie haue bene the ambassador of a thing so vncomely for your estate and the house whereof you come and towardes me which neuer was such one ne yet pretend to be to whome sute should be made for doing of such follies And trust to it that it is the loue I beare you which shall make me dissemble that I thinke and holde my peace reseruing in silence that which had it come from an other than you I would haue published to the great dishonoure of hir which had made so little accompte of my chastitie Let it suffise therfore in time to come for you to thinke and beleue that I am chaste and honest and to aduertise the Lord of 〈◊〉 to procéede no further in his sute for rather will I die than agrée to the least point of that which he desires of me And that he may knowe the same be well assured that he shall take his leaue of that priuate talke which sometimes I vsed with him to my great dishonor as farre as I can sée Get you home therefore and if you loue your honoure so much as you sée me curious of my chastitie I beséeche you vse no further talke of him whome I hate so much as his 〈◊〉 is excessiue by louing hir which careth not for those amorous toyes and sained passions whereunto such louing fooles do suffer them selues to be caried headlong The messanger ashamed to heare hir selfe thus pinched to the quicke answered hir very quietly without mouing of hir pacience I pray to God mistresse that he
the fault to conceiue no sinister suspicion of thy running away crauing thyne acquaintaunce and is contented to sacrifice him self vnto thyne anger to appease and mitigate thy rage Nowe to speake no more hereof but to procede in that which I began to say I offer vnto thée then bothe death and loue choose whether thou liste For I sweare againe by hym that séeth and heareth al things that if thou play the foole thou shalt féele and proue me to be the cruellest enimie that euer thou hadst and such a one as shall not feare to imbrue 〈◊〉 handes with the bloode of hir that is the deathe of the chiefest of all my friendes Gineura hearing that resolute answere 〈◊〉 hir selfe to be nothing afraide nor declared any token of feare but rather 〈◊〉 to haue encouraged Roderico in braue and mannish sort farre diuers from the simplicitie of a yong and tender maidē as a man wold say such a one as had neuer felt the assault es and troubles of aduerse fortune Wherfore frouncing hir browes and grinning hir téeth with closed 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 very bolde she made hym aunswere Ah thou knight which once gauest assault to cōmit a villanie treason thinkest thou now without remorse of conseience to cōtinue thy mischief I speake it to thée villain which 〈◊〉 shed the blood of an honester mā thā thou art fearest not nowe to make mée a companion of his death Which thing spare not hardily to 〈◊〉 to the intent that I liuing may not be such a one as thou falsly iudgest me to be for neuer man hitherto 〈◊〉 and neuer shall that he hathe hadde the spoyle of my virginitie from the frute whereof lyke an arrant thiefe thou hast depriued my loyall spouse Nowe doe what thou list for I am farre better content to suffer death be it as cruel as thou art mischeuous borne for the 〈◊〉 vexation of honest maidēs not withstanding I humbly beséech almightie God to gyue 〈◊〉 so muche pleasure contentation and ioy in thy loue 〈◊〉 thou hast done to me by hastening the death of my dere husbande O God if thou be a iust God suche a one as from whome wée thy poore creatures do beleue all 〈◊〉 to procéede thou I say which art the rampire and refuge of all iustice poure downe thy vengeance and plague vpon these pestiferous thieues and murderers which haue prepared a worldely plague vpon me thine innocent damsell Ah wicked Roderico thinke not that death can be so fearefull vnto mée but that wyth good heart I am able to accept the same trusting verily that one daye it shall be the cause of thy ruine and ouerthrowe of hym for whom thou takest all these pains Dom Roderico maruellously rapte in sense imagined the woman to be fully bent against hym who then had puissaunce as he thought ouer hir owne hearte and thynkyng that he sawe hir moued with like rage against hym as she was against Dom Diego stode still so perplered and voyde of righte minde that hée was constrained to sitte downe so feeble he felt him self for the onely remembrance of hir euill demeanor And whilest this was a doing the handemayde of Gineura and hir Page inforced to persuade their mystresse to haue compassion vpon the knight that hadde suffered so muche for hir sake and that she would consente to the honest requestes and good counsell of Roderico But she which was stubbornly bente in hir foolishe persuasions sayd vnto them What fooles are you so much be witched either with that fained teares of this disloyal knight which colorably thus doth torment himself or els ar ye inchāted with the venomous honie tirānical brauerie of the thief which murdered my husband and your master Ah vnhappie caytife maiden is it my chaunce to endure the 〈◊〉 of suche Fortune when I thoughte to liue at my beste case and thus cruelly to tomble into the handes of hym whome I hate so much as he fayneth loue vnto me And morcouer my vnluckie fate is not herewith content but redoubleth my sorrowe euen by those that be of my frayn who ought rather to incourage me to die than consente to so vureasonable requests Ah loue loue how euil be they recompenced which faithfully do homage vnto thée why should not I forget al 〈◊〉 neuer hereafter to haue mind on mā to proue beginning of a pleasure which tasted and 〈◊〉 bringeth more displeasure than euer ioy engendred 〈◊〉 Alas I neuer knewe what was the frute of that which so straungely did attache me and thou O 〈◊〉 and thieuishe Loue haste ordeined a banket 〈◊〉 with such bitter dishes as forced I am perforce to taste of their egre swéetes Auaunt swéete foly auant I doe henceforth for euer let thée 〈◊〉 to imbrace the death wherein I hope to finde my greatest reste for in thée I fynde noughte else but heapes of straynyng 〈◊〉 Auoyde from me all my myssehap 〈◊〉 from me ye furious ghostes and 〈◊〉 most vnkynde whose gaudes and toyes dame loue hath wrought to kéepe occupied my louing minde and suffer me to take ende in thée that I may lyue in an other life without thée being now charged with cup of grief which I shal 〈◊〉 in venomous drink soaked in the soppes of 〈◊〉 Sharpen thou thy selfe O death vnkinde prepare thy darte to strike the corpse of hir that she may voyd the quarels shot against hir by hir aduersarie Ah pore hart strip thy self from hope and qualifie thy desires Cease henceforth to wishe thy lyfe séeing and féeling the appointed fight of loue and life combattyng within my minde elsewhere to séeke my peace in an other world with him to ioy which for my sake was sacrificed to the treason of varlets hands who for the persite 〈◊〉 of his desires nought else didde séeke but to soile his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the purest bloode of my loyall friend And I this abundance of teares do sheade to saciate his felonous moode which shall be the iuste shortenyng of my doleful dayes When she had thus complained she began horribly to torment hir selfe and in furious guise that the cruellest of the companie were moued wyth compassion séeing hir thus strangely straught of wits 〈◊〉 they did not discontinue by duetie to sollicite hir to haue regarde to that whiche poore fayntyng Dom Diego dyd endure Who so sone as with fresh 〈◊〉 water hée was reuiued 〈◊〉 stil the heauinesse of his Ladie and hir incresed disdain and choler against him vanished in diuers soundings which moued Roderico frō studie 〈◊〉 wherin he was to ryse wherevnto that rage of Gineura had cast him down bicause forgetting all imaginarie affection of his Ladie and proposing his dutie before his eyes which eche Gentleman oweth to gentle damsels and women kind stil beholdyng with honourable respect the griefe of the martyred wyldernesse Knight sighyng yet by reason of former thought he sayde vnto Gincura Alas is it possible that in the heart of so yong and delicate a maiden there
the same the matter most specially therin comprised treting of courtly fashions and maners and of the customes of loues galantise and the good or yll successe thereof bicause you be an auncient Courtier and one of the eldest Traine and suche as hath ben imployed by sundrie our Princes in their affaires of greatest weight and importance and for that your self in your lustiest time euer bred and brought vp in Court haue not bene vnacquainted with those occurrents If I should stande particularly to touch the originall of your noble Ancestrie the succession of that renoumed line their fidelitie for graue aduise and counsell your honourable education the mariage of a mighty King with one of your sisters the valiant exploites of your parentes against the French and Scots the worthie seruice of your self in field whereby you deseruedly wanne the order of Knighthode the trust which hir Maiestie reposeth in you by disposing vnder your charge the Store of hir Armure and your worthie preferment to be Maister of hir Armarie generall If I shoulde make recitall of your carefull industrie and painfull trauell sustained for answering hir Maiesties expectation your noble cherishing of the skilfull in that Science your good aduauncement of the best to supplie the vacant romes your refusall of the vnworthie and finally of your modest and curteous dealings in that office I feare lacke of abilitie and not of matter would want grace and order by further circumstaunce to adde sufficient praise Yea although my self do say nothing but reserue the same in silence to auoide suspect of adulation the very Armure and their furnitures do speake vniuersall testimonie doth wonder and the Readinesse of the same for tyme of seruice doth aduouche Which care of things continually resting in your breast hath atchieued suche a timely diligence and successe as when hir Maiesties aduersarie shall be ready to molest she shal be prest by Gods assistance to defend and marche But not to hold your worship long by length of preamble or to discourse what I might further say eyther in fauour of this Boke or commendation of your selfe I meane for this instant to leaue the one to general iudgement and the other to the particular sentence of eche of your acquaintaunce Humbly making this only sute that my good will may supplie the imperfection of mine abilitie And so with my heartie prayer for your preseruation to him that is the Author of life and health I take my leaue From my poore house besides the Toure of London the fourthe of Nouember 1567. Your moste bounden William Painter ¶ A Summarie of the Nouels ensuing ¶ The Hardinesse and conquestes of diuers stoute and aduenturous Women called Amazones the beginning continuance and end of their raigne and of the great iourney of one of their Quéenes called Thalestris to visit Alexander the great and the cause of hir trauaile Nouel j. Fol. 1. ¶ The great pietie and continencie of Alexander the great and his louing interteinement of Sisigambis the Wife of the great Monarch Darius after he was vanquished Nouel ij Fol. 5. ¶ Thimoclia a Gentlewoman of Thebes vnderstanding the couefous desire of a Thracian Knight that had abused hir and promysed hir mariage rather for hir goodes than Loue well acquited hirselfe from his falsehode Nouel iij. Fol. 9. ¶ Ariobarzanes great Stewarde to Artaxerxes King of Persia goeth about to excéede his soueraigne Lord maister in Curtesie wherein are conteyned many notable and pleasant chaunces besides the great pacience and loyaltie naturally planted in the sayd Ariobarzanes Nouel iiij Fol. 11. ¶ Lucius one of the Garde to Aristotimus the Tyranne of the Citie of Elis fell in loue with a faire Maiden called Micca the daughter of one Philodemus and his crueltie done vpon hir The stoutenesse also of a noble Matrone named Megistona in defense of hir husband and the Common wealth from the tyrannie of the sayd Aristotimus and of other acts done by the subiects vpon that tyrant Nouel v. Fol. 32. ¶ The maruelous courage ambition of a gentlewoman called Tanaquil that Quéene wife of Tarquinus Priscus the fift Romane King with hir persuasions and pollicie to hir husband for his aduauncement to the kingdome hir like encouragement of Seruius Tullius wherin also is described the ambitiō of one of the two daughters of Seruius Tullius the sixt Romane King and hir crueltie towardes hir owne naturall father with other accidents chaunced in the new erected Common wealth of Rome specially of the laste Romane King Tarquinus Superbus who with murder attained the kingdome with murder mainteined it and by the murder and insolent life of his sonne was with all his progenie banished Nouel vj. Fol. 40. ¶ The vnhappy ende and successe of the loue of King Massinissa and of Queene Sophonis ba his Wife Nouel vij Fol. 49. ¶ The crueltie of a King of Macedon who forced a Gentlewomā called Theoxena to persuade hir children to kil poison themselues after which fact she and hir husband Poris ended their life by drowning Nouel viij Fol. 59. ¶ A strange maruellous vse which in olde time was obserued in Hidrusa where it was lawfull with the licence of a Magistrate ordeyned for that purpose for euery man and woman that lyst to kyll them selues Nouel ix Fol. 62. ¶ The dishonest loue of Faustina the Empresse and with what remedie the same was remoued and taken away Nouel x. Fol. 65. ¶ Chera hidde a treasure Elisa going about to hang hir selfe and sying the halter about a 〈◊〉 found that treasure and in place therof lefte the halter Philene the daughter of Chera going for that treasure and busily searching for the same sounde the halter where with all for dispaire shae woulde haue hanged hir selfe but forbidden by Elisa who by chaunce espied hir she was restored to part of hir losse leading afterwards a happie and prosperous life Nouel xj Fol. 67. ¶ Letters of the Philosopher Plutarch to the noble and 〈◊〉 Emperour Traiane and from the sayde Emperour so Plutarch the like also from the sayde Emperour to the Senate of Rome In all whiche bée conteyned Godly rules for gouernement of Princes obedience of Subiects and their dueties to Cōmon wealth Nouel xij Fol. 76. ¶ A notable historie of thrée amorous Gentlewomen called Lamia Flora Lais cōteining the sutes of noble Princes and other greate personages made vnto them with their answeres to diuers demaunds and the maner of their death and funeralls Nouel xiij Fol. 123. ¶ The life and gestes of the most famous Quéene Zenobia with the Letters of the Emperoure Aurchanus to the sayde Quéene and hir stoute aunswere therevnto Nouel xiiij Fol. 89. ¶ Euphimia the King of Corinths daughter fell in loue with Acharisto the seruaunt of hir father and besides others which required hir to mariage she 〈◊〉 Philon the King of Pelponesus that loued hir very feruently Acharisto conspiring against the King was discouered tormented and put in prison and by meanes of
Euphimia deliuered The Kyng promysed his daughter and kingdome to hym that presented the head of Acharisto Euphimia so wrought as he was presented to the King The King gaue hym his daughter to Wife and when he died made him his heire Acharisto began to hate his wife and condemned hir to death as an adulteresse Philon deliuered hir and vpon the sute of hir Subiectes shée is contented to marie hym and thereby he is made Kyng of Corinth Nouel xv Fol. 101. ¶ The Marchionesse of Monferrato with a bankette of Hennes and certaine pleasant words repressed the fonde loue of Philip the Frenche King Nouel xvj Fol. 112. ¶ Mistresse Dianora demaunded of Master Ansaldo a Garden so faire in Januarie as in the Moneth of May. Maister Ansaldo by meanes of an obligation whiche he made to a Necromancer caused the same to bée done The husbande agréed wyth the Gentlewoman that she should do the plesure which master Ansaldo required who hearing the liberalitie of the husbande acquited hir of hir promise the Necromancer likewise discharged master Ansaldo Nouel xvij Fol. 114. ¶ Mithridanes enuious of the liberalitie of Nathan and going about to kill him spake vnto him vnknowne and being informed by himselfe by what meanes he might doe the same he founde him in a little woodde accordingly as he had tolde him who knowing hym was ashamed and became his friende Nouel xviij Fol. 118. ¶ Master Gentil of Carisendi being come from Modena tooke a woman oute of hir graue that was buryed for deade who after shée was come againe brought forth a sonne whiche Maister Gentil rendred afterwards with the mother to master Nicholas Chasenemie hir husbande Nouel xix Fol. 123. ¶ Saladine in the habite of a marchant was honorably receiued into the house of Master Thorello who went ouer the sea in companie of the Christians and assigned a terme to his wife when she shold marie againe He was taken and caried to the Souldan to be his falconer who knowing hym and suffering him selfe to be knowne did him great honor Master Thorello fell sicke and by Magike arte was caried in a night to Pauie where he founde his wife about to marie againe who knowing him returned home with him to his owne house Nouel xx Fol. 128. ¶ A Gentleman of meane calling and reputation both fall in loue with Anne the Quéene of Hungarie whō 〈◊〉 very royally and liberally requited Nouel xxj Fol. 140. ¶ The gentle and iust act of Alexander de Medices the first Duke of Florence vpon a Gentleman whome he fauored who hauyng rauished the daughter of a poore Miller caused him to marie hir for the greater honor and celebration wherof he apointed hir a rich and honourable dowrie Nouel xxij Fol. 155. ¶ The Infortunate mariage of a Gentleman called Antonie Bologna with the Duchesse of Malfi and the pitifull death of them both Nouel xxiij Fol. 169. ¶ The disordred life of the Countesse of Celant how she causing the Counte of Massino to be murdered was beheaded at Milan Nouel xxiiij Fol. 195. ¶ The goodly historie of the true and constant loue betwéene Rhomeo and Iulietta the one of whome died of poyson and the other of sorrowe and heauinesse wherein be comprised many aduentures of loue and other deuises touching the same Nouel xxv Fol. 218. ¶ Two Gentlemen of Venice were honorably decetued of their wiues whose notable practises and secrete conference for atchieuing their desire occasioned diuers accidents and ingendred double benefit wherin also is recited an eloquent oration made by one of them pronounced before the Duke and state of that Citie with other chaunces and actes concerning the same Nouel xxvj Fol. 247. ¶ The Lorde of Virle by the commaundement of a faire yong Widow called Zilia and for hir promyse made the better to attaine hir loue was contented to remaine dumbe the space of thrée yeares and by what meanes hée was reuenged and obteyned his sute Nouel xxvij Fol. 268. ¶ Two Barons of Hungarie assuring them selues to obtaine their sute made to a faire Ladie of Boeme receiued of hir a straunge and maruellous repulse to their shame and infamie curssing the time that euer they aduentured an enterprise so foolishe Nouel xxviij Fol. 292. ¶ Dom Diego a Gentleman of Spayne fel in loue with faire Gineura and she with 〈◊〉 their loue by meanes of one that enuied Dom Diego his happy choise was by the default of light credite on hir parte interrupted He constant of minde fell into dispaire and abandonyng all hys friendes and lyuing repayred to the Pyrene Mountaines where he ledde a sauage life for certaine Monethes 〈◊〉 afterwardes knowne by one of his friends was by maruellous circumstance reconciled to hys frowarde mistresse and maried Nouel xxx Fol. 309. ¶ A Gentleman of Siena called Anselmo Salimbene curteously and gently deliuereth his enimie from deathe The condempned partie seyng the kynde parte of Salimbene rendreth into his handes his syster Angelica with whome hée was in loue which gratitude and Eurtesie Salimbene well markyng moued in conscience woulde not abuse hir but for recompense toke hir to wife Nouel xxx Fol. 350. ¶ A Widow called Mistresse Helena wyth whome a Scholer was in Loue shée louyng an other made the same Scholer to stande a whole Wynters night in the Snowe to wayte for hir who afterwardes by a sleyghte and policie made hir in July to stand vpon a Toure stark naked amongs Flies and Gnattes and in the Sunne Nouel xxxj Fol. 376. ¶ A Gentlewoman and Wydowe called Camiola of hir owne mynde raunsomed Rolande the Kynges sonne of Sicilia of purpose to haue hym to hir husbande who when hée was redéemed vnkyndely denied hir againste whome verie eloquentely shée inueyed and although the lawe proued him to bée hir husbande yet for hys vnkindnesse shée vtterly refused hym Nouel xxxij Fol. 391. ¶ Great cruelties chaunced to the lordes of Nocera for adulterie by one of them committed with the Captains wife of the Fort of that Citie with an enterprise moued by the Captaine to the Citizens of the same for rebellion and the good and and duetiful answere of them with other pitifull euents rising of that notable and outragious vice of whooredome Nouel xxxiij Fol. 297. ¶ The greate Curtesie of the King of Marocco a Citie in Barbarie towarde a poore Fisherman one of hys subiects that had lodged the King being stolne from his companie in hunting Nouel xxxiiij Fol. 410. ¶ To the Reader AS shevved curtesie deserueth gratefull acquitall frendly fauor forceth mutual merit So for gentle acceptation of my other boke I render to thy delight and profit a Second Tome For which I craue but like report albeit neither worthy of any or other than the rude 〈◊〉 gayneth by trial of his arte Who hauing committed to his skill and workemanship some substance of golde or other precious mater fashioneth the same with such 〈◊〉 shape and order as besides dispraise it carieth the vnablenesse of
black coale or rather their memorie raked vp in the dust and cindres of the corpses vnpure But as all histories be full of lessons of vertue and vice as bokes sacred prophane describe the liues of good and bad for example sake 〈◊〉 yelde meanes to the posteritie to ensue the one 〈◊〉 the other so haue I thought to intermingle amongest these Nouels the seuerall sortes of either that eche sexe and kinde may pike out like the Bée of eche floure honie to store furnishe with delightes their well disposed minde I purpose then to vnlace the dissolute liues of thrée amorouse dames that with their graces 〈◊〉 the greatest princes that euer were enticed the noble men and sometimes procured the wisest and best learned to craue their acquaintance as by the sequele hereof shall well appere These thrée famous women as writers doe witnesse were furnished with many goodly graces and giftes of nature that is to say great beautie offace goodly proporcion of bodie large and high forheads their brestes placed in comly order small wasted fayre hands of passing cunning to play vpon Instruments a heauenlie voice to faine and sing 〈◊〉 their qualities and beautie were more famous than euer any the were borne within the coūtries of Asia and Europa They were neuer beloued of Prince which did forsake them nor yet they made request of any thing which was denied them They neuer mocked or flouted man a thing rare in women of their cōdition ne yet were mocked of any But their speciall propreties were to allure men to loue thē Lamia with hir pleasant looke and eye Flora with hir eloquent tongue and Lais with the grace swetenesse of hir singing voyce A straunge thing that he wich once was 〈◊〉 with the loue of any of those thrée eyther too late or neuer was deliuered of the same They were the richest Courtizans that euer liued in the worlde so long as their life did last after their decease great monumentes were erected for their remembraunce in place where they dyed The most auncient of these thrée amorous dames was Lamia who was in the tyme of king Antigonus that warfared in the seruice of Alexander the great a valiant gentleman although not fauored by Fortune This king Antigonus lefte behinde hym a sonne and heire called Deinetrius who was lesse valiant but more fortunate than his father and had bene a 〈◊〉 of greate estimation if in his youth 〈◊〉 had acquired frendes and kept the same and in his age had not bene giuen to so many vices This king Demetrius was in loue with Lamia and presented hir with riche giftes and rewardes and loued hir to affectionatly and in such sort as in the loue of his Lamia he semed rather a 〈◊〉 than a true louer for forgetting the grauitie and authoritie of his person he did not onelie gyue hir all such things as she demaunded but bysides that he vsed no more the companie of his wife Euxonia On a time king Demetrius asking Lamia what was the thing wherewith a woman was sonest wonne Ther is nothing answered she which sooner ouer commeth a woman than whē she séeth a man to loue hir with all his hart to susteine for hir sake great paines and passions with long continuance and entier affection for to loue men by collusion causeth afterwards that they be mocked againe Demetrius asked hir further tell me Lamia why doe diuerse women rather hate than loue men whervnto shée answered The greatest cause why a woman doth hate a man is when the man dothe vaunte boaste himselfe of that which he doth not and performeth not the thing which he promiseth Demetrius demaunded of hir Tell me Lamia what is the thing wherwith men doe content you best when we see him sayde she to be discrete in wordes secrete in his dedes Demetrius asked hir further Tell me Lamia how chanceth it the men be ill matched bicause answered Lamia It is impossible that they be well maried when the wife is in néede the husband vndiscrete Demetrius asked hir what was the cause that amity betwene two louers was 〈◊〉 Ther is nothing answered she that soner maketh colde the loue betwene two louers than when one of them doth straye in loue and the woman louer to importunate to craue He demaunded further Tell me Lamia what is the thing that most 〈◊〉 the louing man Not to attaine the thing which he desireth answered she and thinketh to lose the thing which he hopeth to enioy Demetrius yet once againe asked hir this question What is that Lamia which most troubleth a womans hart Ther is nothing answered Lamia wherwith a woman is more grieued and maketh hir more sad than to be called yll fauored or that she hath no good grace or to vnderstand that she is dissolute of life This ladie Lamia was of iudgement delicate and subtill although yll ymployed in hir therby made all the world in loue with hir and drew all men to hir through hir faire spéech Now before she lost the heart of king Demetrius she haunted of long time the Uniuersities of Athenes where she gained great store of money and brought to destruction many yong men Plutarch in the life of Demetrius saith that the Athenians hauing presented vnto him 〈◊〉 C. talents of money for a subsidie to pay his men of warre he gaue all that 〈◊〉 to his woman Lamia By meanes wherof the Athenians grudged were offended with the king not for the losse of their gift but for that it was so euill employed When the king Demetrius would assure any thing by oth he swore not by his Gods ne yet by his predecessors but in this sort As I may be still in the grace of my lady Lamia and as hir life mine may ende together so true is this which I say doe in this this sort One yere two monethes before the death of king Demetrius his frend Lamia died who sorowed so much hir death as for the absence death of hir he caused the Philosophers of Athenes to entre disputation Whether the teares and sorow which he shed and and toke were more to be estemed than the riches which he spent in hir obsequies funerall pompes This amorous gentlewoman Lamia was borne in Argos a citie of Peloponnesus by 〈◊〉 nes of base parentage who in hir first yeres haunted the countrie of Asia maior of very wild dissolute life in the end came into Phaenicia And when that king Demetrius had caused hir to be buried before a wyndow ioyning to his house his chiefest frendes asked him wherfore he had entombed hir in that place His answere was this I loued hir so well she likewise me so hartily as I knowe not which way to satisfie that loue which she bare me the duetie I haue to loue hir againe if not to put hir in such place as myne eyes may wepe euery daye mine hart still lament Truely
〈◊〉 loued and a newe borne childe bothe supposed to be dead by hir friendes and therefore intombed in graue The other chaunce a singular desire of a gentlewoman by hūble sute for conseruation of hir honour although long time pursued by a gentleman that reuiued hir almost frō 〈◊〉 and thought vtterly to 〈◊〉 voide of life To praise the one and to leaue the other not magnified it were a part of discurtesie but to extoll bothe with shoutes and acclamations of infinite praise no dout but very commēdable If comparisons may be made with Princes of elder yeres and not to note those of later truely Maister Gentil by that his fact 〈◊〉 not much inferior to Scipio Affricanus for sparing the wife of Indibilis ne yet to king Cyrus for Panthea the 〈◊〉 of Abradatas although both of them not in equal state of loue as wholy 〈◊〉 from that passion like to master Gentil who in dede for subduing that griefe and motion deserueth greater praise For sooner is that torment auoided at the first assault and pinche than when it is suffred long to flame raigne in that yelding portion of man the heart which once fed with the 〈◊〉 of loue is seldome or neuer loosed To do at large to vnderstand the proofe of those most 〈◊〉 persones thus beginneth the historie At Bologna a very notable Citie of Lombardie there was a Knight of very great respect for his vertue named maister Gentil Carissendi who in his youthe fell in loue with a gentlewoman called mistresse Katherine the wife of one maister Nicholas Chasennemie And bicause during that loue he receiued a very yll coūterchange for his affection that he bare vnto that gentlewoman he went away like one desperate to be the iudge potestate of Modena wherunto he was called About that time the husband being out of Bologna and the gentlewomā at 〈◊〉 Manor in the country about a mile a halfe from the Citie whither she went to remaine bicause she was with childe it chaunced 〈◊〉 she was 〈◊〉 surprised with a sicknesse which was such and of so great force as there was no token of life in hir but rather iudged by all Phisitians to be a dead woman And bicause that hir 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayd that they heard hir say that she could not be so long time with childe 〈◊〉 that the infant must be perfect and ready to be 〈◊〉 and therefore 〈◊〉 wyth some other disease and 〈◊〉 that would bring hir to hir end as a 〈◊〉 or other swelling rising of grosse humors they thought hir a dead woman and past recouerie wherfore vpō a time she falling into a 〈◊〉 was verily supposed and left for dead Who after they had mourned hir death bewailed the 〈◊〉 expiration of 〈◊〉 soul caused hir to be buried wtout 〈◊〉 of recouery euen as she was in that extasie in a graue of a church adioyning harde by the house where she dwelt Which thing 〈◊〉 was aduertised master Gentil by one of his frēds who although he was not likely as he thought to attaine hir fauor in vtter dispaire therof yet it grieued him very muche that no better héede was taken vnto hir thinking by diligence and time she would haue come to hir self againe saying thus in the end vnto him self How now 〈◊〉 Katherin that death hath wrought his will with you and I could neuer obtein during your life one simple looke frō those your glistering eies which lately I beheld to my great ouerthrow and decay wherfore now when you cānot defend your self I may be bold you being dead to steale from you some desired kisse When he had said so being already night and hauyng taken order that none should know of his departure he 〈◊〉 vpon his horse accompanied with one only seruaūt without tarying any where arriued at the place wher his Lady was buried and opening the graue forthwith he entred in and laying him self down bisides hir he approched 〈◊〉 hir face and many times kissed hir pouring forthe great abundance of teares But as we sée the appetite of man not to be content except it procéede further specially of such as be in loue being determined to tarye no longer there and to departe he sayd Ah God why should I goe no further why should I not touche hir why shold I not proue whither she be aliue or dead 〈◊〉 then with that motion he felt hir 〈◊〉 and holding his hand there for a certeine time perceiued hir heart as it were to pant thereby some life remaining in hir Wherefore so softly as he could with the helpe of his man he raised hir out of the graue and setting hir vpon his horsse before him secretely caried hir home to his house at Bologna The mother of maister Gentil dwelled there which was a graue and vertuous gentlewoman who vnderstanding by hir sonne the whole effect of that chaunce moued with compassion vnknowne to any man placing hir before a great fire and cōforting hir with bathe prepared for the purpose she recouered life in the gentlewoman that was supposed to be deade who so soone as she was come to hir selfe threwe forth a great sigh and said Alas where am I now To whom the good olde woman 〈◊〉 Be of good chéere swete hart ye be in a good place The gentlewoman hauing wholly recouered hir senses and looking roūd about hir not yet well knowing where she was and séeing 〈◊〉 Gentil before hir prayed his mother to tell hir howe she came 〈◊〉 To whome maister Gentil declared in order what he had done for hir and what meanes he vsed to bring hir thither Whereof making hir complaint and lamenting the little regard and negligence of hir frends she rendred vnto hym innumerable thankes Then she prayed him for the loue which at other times he bare hir and for his 〈◊〉 that she might not receiue in hys house any thing that should be dishonorable to hir person ne yet to hir husband but so soone as it was daye 〈◊〉 suffer hir to goe home to hir owne house wherunto 〈◊〉 Gentil answered Madame what so euer I haue desired in time 〈◊〉 nowe I purpose neuer to demaunde of you any thing or to do here in this place or in any other 〈◊〉 but that I would to mine 〈◊〉 sister sith it hath pleased God to doe me suche pleasure 〈◊〉 from death to life to render you to me in consideration 〈◊〉 the loue that I haue borne you heretofore But this good woorke which this nyght I haue done for you well deferueth some recompence Wherfore my desire is that you deny me not the pleasure which I shall demaund whome the gentlewoman curteously answered that she was very redy so the same were honest in bi r power to doe Then said maister Gentil Mystresse all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and all they of Bologna doe beleue for a trouthe that you be deade wherfore there is none that loketh for you at home and the pleasure then which I demaund is
purpose he was not able to remoue but rather the more difficult and daungerous his enterprise séemed to be the more grew desire to prosecute and obiect him selfe to all dangers If peraduenture the Quéenes for their disport and pastime were disposed to walke into the fieldes or gardens of the Citie of Hispurge he failed not in company of other Courtiers to make one of the troupe being no houre at rest and 〈◊〉 if he were not in the sight of Quéene Anne or néere that place where she was At that time there were many Gentlemen departed from Lombardie to Hispurge which for the most parte followed the Lord Francesco Sforza the second by whom they hoped when the Duchie of Milane was recouered to be restored to their Countrey There was also Chamberlain to the said Lord Francesco one master Girolamo Borgo of Verona betwene whome and master Philippo was very néere friendship familiaritie And bicause it chauncethvery seldome that seruent loue can be kept so secrete and couert but in some part it will discouer it selfe master Borgo easily did perceiue the passion wherwith master Philippo was inflamed And one master Philippo Baldo many times being in the company of master Borgo and Philippo did marke and perceiue his loue yet was ignorant of the truthe or voide of coniecture with what Gentlewoman he was inamored But séeing him contrary to wonted custome altered from vsual mirth transported fetching many sighes strainings from his stomake and marking how many times he wold steale from the cōpany he was in withdraw him self alone to muse vpon hys thoughts brought thereby into a melancholy and meane estate hauing lost his sléepe and 〈◊〉 of eating meat iudged that the amorous wormes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bitterly gnawe and teare his heart wyth the nebs of their forked heads They three then being vpon a time togither debating of diuers things amōgs them selues chaunced to fall in argument of loue and 〈◊〉 Baldo Borgo the other gentlemen said to master Philippo how they were well assured that he was straūgely attached with that passion by marking and considering the new life which lately he led contrary to former vse intreating him very earnestly that he would manifest his loue to them that were his déere and faithful frends telling him that as in weightie matters otherwise hée was alredy sure what they were euē so in this he might hardily repose his hope and confidence promising him all their helpe and fauoure if therein their indeuor and trauaile might minister ayde and comfort He then like one raised from a traunce or lately reuiued from an 〈◊〉 after he hadde composed his countenaunce and gesture with teares and multitude of sobbes began to say these woordes My welbeloued friendes and trusty companiens being right well assured that ye whose sidelitie I haue already proued whose secrete mouthes be recómmended amongs the wise and vertuous will kéepe close and couert the thing which you shall heare me vtter as of such importaunce that if the yong 〈◊〉 Gentleman Papyrius had bene héere for all hys silence of graue matters required by hys mother I would vnnethes haue disclosed the same vnto hym In déede I cannot deny but must néedes consesse that I am in loue and that very ardently which I cannot in suche wise conceale but that the blinde must néedes clearely and euidently perceiue And although my mouth would 〈◊〉 kéepe close in what plight my passions doe constraine my inwarde affections yet my face and straunge manner of life which for a certayne time and space I haue led doe witnesse that I am not the man I was 〈◊〉 to be So that if shortly I doe not amend I trust to arriue to that ende whereunto euery Creature is borne and that my bitter and paynefull life shall take ende if I may call it a life and not rather a liuyng death I was resolued and throughly determined neuer to discouer to any man the cause of my cruell torment being not able to manifest the same to hir whome I doe only loue thinking better by conceling it through loue to make humble sute to Lady Atropos that shée would cutte of the thréede of my dolorous lyfe Neuerthelesse to you from whome I ought to kéepe nothyng secrete I will disgarboile and 〈◊〉 the very secretes of my minde not for that I hope to finde comfort and reliefe or that my passions by declaration of them wil lessen and diminishe but that ye knowing the occasion of my death may make reporte thereof to hir that is the only mistresse of my life that she vnderstanding the extréeme panges of the truest louer that euer liued may mourne and waile his losse which thing if my séely ghost may know no doubt where so euer it doe wander shall receiue great ioy and comforte Be it knowne vnto you therefore the first daye that mine eyes beheld the diuine beautie and incomparable sauer of that superexcellent Lady Quéene Anne of Hungarie that I more than wisdom required did meditate and consider the singular behauior and notable 〈◊〉 and other innumerable gifts wherwith she is indued the same beyònde measure did so inflame my heart that impossible it was for me to quenche the feruent loue or extinguish the least parte of my conceiued torment I haue done what I can to macerate and mortifie my vnbridled desire but all in vayne My force and puissaunce is to weake to matche wyth so mightye an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I knowe what ye wyll obiecte against me ye will say that mine ignobilitie my birth and stocke be no méete matches for such a personage and that my loue is to highly placed to sucke relief And the same I do 〈◊〉 so well as you I doe acknowledge my condition state too base I confesse that my loue nay rather I may terme it folly doth presume beyond the bounds of order For the first time that I felt my selfe wrapped in those snares I knew hir to beare the port amōgs the chiefest Quéenes to be the 〈◊〉 princesse of Christendom Againe I knew my selfe the poorest Gentleman of the world and the most miserable exile I thought moreouer it to be very vnséemely for me to direct my minde vpon a wight so honorable and of so great estate But who can raine the bridle or prescribe lawes to loue What is he that in loue hath frée will and choyse Truely I beleue no man bicause loue the more it doth séeme to accord in pleasure and delight the further from the marke he shooteth his bolte hauing no respect to degrée or state Haue not many excellent and worthy personages yea Dukes Emperours and Kings bene inflamed wyth the loue of Ladies and women of base and vile degrée Haue not most honorable dames and women of greatest renoume despised the honor of their states abandoned the companie of their husbāds and neglected the loue of their children for the ardent loue that they haue borne to men of inferiour sort All Histories
of him which doth abuse it Thus much I haue thought good to tell you to the intent that neyther teares nor iron ne yet suspected houre are able to make me guiltie of the murder or make me otherwise than I am but onely the witnesse of mine owne conscience which alone if I were guilty should be the accuser the witnesse and the hangman which by reason of mine age and the reputation I haue had amongs you and the litle time that I haue to liue in this world should more torment me within than all the mortall paines that could be deuised But thankes be to mine eternall God I féele no worme that gnaweth nor any remorse that pricketh me touching that fact for which I sée you all troubled amazed And to set your hearts at rest and to remoue the doubts which hereafter may torment your consciences I sweare vnto you by al the heauenly parts wherein I hope to be that forth with I will disclose frō first to last the entire discourse of this pitifull tragedie which peraduenture shall driue you into no lesse wondre and amaze than those two pore passionate louers were strong and pacient to expone themselues to the mercy of death for the feruent and indissoluble loue betwene them Then the Fatherly Frier began to repeate the beginning of the loue betwene Iuhetta and Rhomeo which by certaine space of time confirmed was prosecuted by woordes at the first then by mutuall promise of mariage vnknowne to the world And as wythin fewe dayes after the two louers féeling themselues sharpned and incited with stronger onset repaired vnto him vnder colour of confession protesting by othe that they were both maried and that if he would not solempnize that mariage in the face of the Church they should be constrained to offend God to liue in disordred lust In consideration whereof and specially seeing their alliance to be good and conformable in dignitie richesse and Nobilitie on both sides hoping by that meanes perchance to reconcile the Montesches and Capcllets and that by doing such an acceptable worke to God he gaue them the Churches blessing in a certaine Chappell of the Friers Church whereof the night following they did consummate the mariage fruites in the Palace of the Capellets For testimony of which copulation the woman of Iuliettaes chamber was able to depose Adding moreouer the murder of Thibault which was cosin to Iulietta by reason whereof the banishment of Rhomeo did 〈◊〉 and how in the absence of the said Rhomeo the mariage being kept secrete betwene them a new Matrimonie was intreated wyth the Counte Paris which misliked by Iulietta she fell downe prostrate at his féete in a Chappell of S. Frauncis Church with full determination to haue killed hir selfe with hir owne hands if he gaue hir not councel how she should auoide the mariage agréed betwene hir father and the Counte Paris For conclusion he sayd that although he was resolued by reason of his age and nearenesse of death to 〈◊〉 all secrete Sciences wherein in his yonger yeares hée had delight notwithstanding pressed with importunitie and moued with pitie fearing least Iulietta should doe some crueltie against hir self he stained his conscience and chose rather with some little fault to grieue his minde than to suffer the yong Gentlewoman to destroy hir body and hazarde the daunger of hir soule And therefore he opened some part of his auncient cunning and gaue hir a certaine pouder to make hir sléepe by meanes wherof she was thought to be 〈◊〉 Then he tolde them how he had sent Frier Anselme to cary letters to Rhomeo of their enterprise whereof hitherto he had no answere Then briefly he concluded how hée founde Rhomeo deade within the graue who as it is most likely did impoison himselfe or was otherwise smothered or suffocated with 〈◊〉 by finding Iulietta in that state thinking she had bene dead Then he tolde them how Iulietta did kill hir selfe with the dagger of Rhomeo to beare him company after his death and howe it was impossible for them to saue hir for the noise of the watche which forced them to flée from thence And for more ample approbation of his saying he humbly besought the Lord of 〈◊〉 and the Magistrates to send to Mantua for Frier Anselme to know the cause of his 〈◊〉 returne that the content of the letter sent to Rhomeo might be séene To examine the woman of the chamber of Iulietta and and Pietro the seruaunt of Rhomeo who not attending for 〈◊〉 request sayd vnto them My Lordes when Rhomeo entred the graue he gaue me this 〈◊〉 written as I suppose with his owne hand who gaue me expresse commaundemēt to deliuer them to his father The pacquet opened they found the whole 〈◊〉 of this story specially the Apothecaries name which solde him the poyson the price and the cause wherfore he vsed it and all appeared to be so cleare and euident as there rested nothing for further verification of the same but their presence at the doing of the particulers therof for the whole was so wel declared in order as they were out of doubt that the same was true And then the Lord Bartholomew of 〈◊〉 after he had debated with that Magistrates of these euents decréed that the woman of Iulietta hir chamber should be 〈◊〉 bicause she did conceyle that priuie mariage from the father of Rhomeo which if it hadde bene knowne in time had bred to the whole Citie an vniuersal benefit Pietro bicause he obeyed his masters commaundemēt and kept close his lawful secrets according to the wel 〈◊〉 nature of a trusty 〈◊〉 was set at liberty The Poticarie taken rackt and founde guiltie was hanged The good olde man Frier Laurence as well for respect of his auncient seruice which he had done to the common wealth of Veronna as also for his 〈◊〉 lyfe for the which he was specially recōmended was let goe in peace withoute any note of infamie Notwithstandyng by reason of his age he voluntarily gaue ouer the worlde and closed him selfe in a hermitage two miles from Veronna where he liued v. or vj. yeares and spente his tyme in cōtinuall prayer vntil he was called out of this transitorie worlde into the blisfull state of euerlasting ioy And for the compassion of so straunge an infortune the Montesches and Capellettes poured forth such abundance of teares as with the same they did euacuate their auncient grudge and choler whereby they were then reconciled And they which coulde not bée broughte to attonement by any wisedome or humane councell were in the ende vanquished and made friendes by pitie And to immortalizate the memorie of so intier and perfect amitie the lorde of Veronna ordeined that the two bodies of those miraculous louers shold be 〈◊〉 intombed in the graue where they ended their 〈◊〉 where was erected a high marble 〈◊〉 honoured with an infinite numbre of excellent 〈◊〉 which 〈◊〉 this day be apparant with such noble memorie as amongs all
my little great heart that cōtented and satisfied I can be with that which your abilitie can beare and pleasure commaund But to come to the point I say that debating with my selfe of our state as you ful wisely do I doe verily thinke that you being a yong Gentleman lusty and valiant no better remedy or deuise can be found than for you to aspire séeke the Kings fauor and seruice And it must néedes rise and redounde to your gaine and preferment for that I heare you say the Kings maiestie doeth alreadye knowe you Wherefore I doe suppose that his grace a skilfull Gentleman to way and estéeme the vertue valor of eche man cannot choose but 〈◊〉 recompense the wel doer to his singular cōtentation comfort Of this mine opinion I durst not before this time vtter word or signe for feare of your displeasure But now sith your self hath opened the way meanes I haue presumed to discouer the same do what shal séeme best vnto your good pleasure And I for my parte although that I am a womā accordingly as I said euē now tha thy nature am desirous of honor to shew my self abrode more rich and sumptuous than other yet in respect of our fortune I shal be cōtented so long as I liue to continue with you in this our Castle where by the grace of God I will not faile to serue loue and obey you and to kéepe your house in that moderate sorte as the reuenues shall be able to maintaine the same And no doubt but that poore liuing we haue orderly vsed shal be sufficient to finde vs two and. v. or 〈◊〉 seruants with a couple of horsse and so to liue a quiet and mery life If God doe send vs any children til they come to lawfull age we will with our poore liuing bring them vp so well as we can and then to prefer them to some Noble mennes seruices with whome by Gods grace they may acquire honoure and liuing to kéepe them in their aged dayes And I doe trust that we two shall vse such mutuall loue and reioyce that so long as our life doeth last in wealth and woe our contented mindes shal rest satisfied But I waying the stoutnesse of your minde doe know that you estéeme more an ounce of honor than all the golde that is in the world For as your birth is Noble so is your heart and stomacke And therefore many times séeing your great heauinesse and manifolde muses and studies I haue wondred with my selfe whereof they should procéede and amongs other my conceits I thought that either my behauior and order of dealing or my personage did not like you or else that your wonted gentle minde and disposition had bene altered and transformed into some other Nature many times also I was content to thinke that the cause of your disquiet minde did rise vpon the disuse of armes wherein you were wont daily to accustome your self amongs the troups of the honourable a company in déede moste worthy of your presence 〈◊〉 many times these and such like cogitations I haue sought meanes by such louing allurements as I could deuise to ease and mitigate your troubled minde and to withdrawe the great impietie and care where with I saw you to be affected Bicause I doe estéeme you aboue all the world déeming your onely griefe to be my double paine your aking finger a 〈◊〉 feuerfit and the least woe you can sustaine most bitter death to me that loueth you more dearely than my selfe And for that I doe perceiue you are determined to serue our Noble King the sorowe which without doubt will assaile me by reason of your absence I will swéeten and lenifie with contentation to sée your commendable desire appeased and quiet And the pleasant memorie of your valiant factes shall beguile my penfife thoughts hoping our next méeting shal be more ioyful thā this our disiunction departure heauy And where you doubt of that confluence repair of the dishonest which shal attempt the winning subduing of mine heart vnspotted body hitherto inuiolably kept from that touch of any person cast from you that feare expel frō your minde that fonde conceit for death shall sooner close these mortall eyes than my chastitie shall be defiled For pledge wherof I haue none other thing to giue but my true and simple faith which if you dare trust it shall héereafter appeare so firme inuiolable as no sparke of suspition shall enter your carefull minde which I may well terme to be carefull bicause some care before hand doth rise of my behauior in your absence The triall whereof shall yelde sure euidence and testimony by passing my careful life which I may with better cause so terme in your absence that God knoweth wil be right 〈◊〉 and carefull vnto me who ioyeth in nothing else but in your welfare Neuerthelesse all meanes and wayes shall be agreable vnto my minde for your assurance and shal breede in me a wonderfull contentation which lusteth after nothing but your satisfaction And if you list to close me vp in one of the Castell towers till your returne right glad I am there to cōtinue an Ankresse life so that the same may ease your desired minde The Knight with great delite gaue eare to the answer of his wife and when she had ended hir talke he began to say vnto hir My welbeloued I doe like wel and greatly commende the stoutnesse of your heart it pleaseth me greatly to sée the same agreable vnto mine You haue lightened the same frō inestimable woe by vnderstāding your conceiued purpose and determination to garde preserue your honor praying you therin to perseuere still remembring that when a woman hath lost hir honor she hath forgone the chiefest iewell she hath in this life and deserueth no lōger to be called woman And touching my talke proposed vnto you although it be of great importaunce yet I meane not to depart so soone But if it doe come to effect I assure thée wife I will leaue thée Lady and mistresse of all that I haue In the meane time I will consider better of my businesse and consult with my friends and kinsmen and thē determine what is best to be done Till which time let vs liue spend our time so merely as we can To be short there was nothing that so much molested the Knight as the doubt he had of his wife for that she was a very fine and faire yong Gentlewoman And therefore he still deuised and imagined what assurance be might finde of hir behauior in his absence And resting in this imagination not long after it came to passe that the Knight being in company of diuers Gentlemen and talking of sundry matters a tale was told what chaunced to a gentleman of the Countrey which had obtained the fauoure and good will of a woman by meanes of an olde man called Pollacco which had the name to be a famous enchaunter
pangs of death by remēbring the glory of my thought sith the recitall bringeth with it a tast of the trauails which you haue suffred for my ioy contentation It is therfore quod she that I think my self happy for by that meanes I haue knowne the perfect qualities that be in you haue proued two extremities of vertue One consisteth in your cōstancie and loyaltie wherby you may vaunt your self aboue him that sacrificed his life vpō the bloudy body of his Lady who for dying so finished his trauails Where you haue chosen a life worse than death no lesse painfull a hundred times a day than very death it self The other cōsisteth in the clemency wherwith you calme and appease the rage of your greatest aduersaries As my self which before hated you to death vanquished by your curtesie do confesse that I am double bound vnto you both for my life and honor and hearty thankes doe I render to the Lord Roderico for that violence he did vnto me by which meanes I was induced to acknowledge my wrong the right which you had to complaine of my folish resistance All is wel sayd Roderico sith without perill of honor we may returne home to our houses I intend therefore sayd he to send woord before to my Ladies your mothers of your returne for I know how so wel to couer and excuse this our enterprise and secrete iorneis as by Gods assistāce no blame or displeasure shal ensue therof And like as sayd he smiling I haue builded the fortresse which shot into your campe and made you flie euen so I hope Gentlewoman that I shall be the occasion of your victory when you combat in close cāpe with your swéete cruel enimy Thus they passed the iorney in pleasant talke recompēsing the. 〈◊〉 louers with al honest vertuous intertainmēt for their 〈◊〉 and troubles past In the meane while they sent one 〈◊〉 their seruants to the two widow ladies which were 〈◊〉 great care for their childrē to aduertise them that Gineura was gone to visite Dom Diego then being in one of the castles of Roderico where they were determined if it were their good pleasure to consūmate their mariage hauing giuen faith affiance one to the other The mother of Gineura could not here tel of more pleasant newes for she had vnderstāded of the folish flight escape of hir daughter with that steward of hir house wherof she was very sorowful for grief was like to die but assured recōforted with those news she 〈◊〉 not to mete the mother of Dom Diego at the apointed place whither the y. louers were arriued two days before There the mariage of that fair couple so long desired was 〈◊〉 with such magnificence as was requisite for the state of those two noble houses Thus the torment 〈◊〉 made the ioy to sauour of some other taste than they do feele which without pain in that exercise of loues pursute attain the top of their desires And truly their pleasure was altogether like to him that nourished in superfluous delicacie of meates can not aptely so well iudge of pleasure as he which sometimes lacketh that abundance And verily Loue without bitternesse is almost a cause without effectes for he that shall take away griefs and troubled fansies from louers depriueth them of the praise of their stedfastnesse and maketh baine the glorie of their perseuerance for he is vnworthie to beare away the price and garlande of triumph in the conflict that behaueth himself like a coward and doth not obserue the lawes of armes and manlike dueties in the combat This historie then is a mirrour for loyall louers and chaste suters and maketh them detest the vnshamefastnesse of those which vpon the first view do folowe with might and maine the Gentlewoman or Ladie that giueth them good face or countenāce wherof any gentle heart or mind noursed in the scholehouse of vertuous education will not bée squeymish to those that shal by chast salutation or other incountrie doe their curteous reuerence This historie also yeldeth contempt of them which in their affection forget them selues abasting the generositie of their courages to be reputed of fooles the true champions of Loue whose like they be that desire such regarde For the perfection of true Loue consisteth not in passions in sorowes griefes martirdomes or cares and much lesse arriueth he to his desire by sighes exclamations wepings and childish playnts for so much as vertue ought to be the bande of that indissoluble amitie which maketh the vnion of the two seuered bodies of that woman man which Plato describeth causeth man to trauell for his whole accomplishment in that true pursute of chast loueIn which labor truly fondly walked Dom Diego thinkyng to finde the same by his dispaire amidde the sharp solitarie deserts of those Pyrene mountains And truly the duetie of his perfect friende did more liuely disclose the same what fault so euer he dyd than all his countenances eloquent letters or amorous messages In like maner a man dothe not know what a treasure a true friend is vntil he hath proued his excellencie specially where necessitie maketh him to tast the swetnesse of such delicate meate For a friend being a second himself agréeth by a certaine natural 〈◊〉 attonement to the affections of him whō he loueth both to participate his ioyes and pleasures and to sorrowe his aduersitie where Fortune shall vse by some misaduentures to shewe hir accustomed moblitie Salimbene and Angelica ¶ A Gentleman of SISNA called ANSELMO SALIMBENE curteously and gently deliuereth his 〈◊〉 from death The condemned partie seing the kinde parte of SALIMBENE rendreth into his hands his sister ANGELICA with whome he was in loue which gratitude and curtesie SALIMBENE well marking moued in conscience woulde not abuse hir but for recompense toke hir to his wife The. xxx Nouel WE do not mean here to discouer the sumptuositie magnificence of Palaces stately won derfull to the viewe of mē ne yet to reduce to memorie that maruellous effects of mās industry to build and lay foúdations in the déepest chanel of the maine sea ne to describe their ingenious industrie in breking the craggy mountaines and hardest rocks to ease the crooked passages of wearie wayes for armies to marche through inaccessible places Onely now do we pretende to shewe the effects of loue whiche surmount all opinion of cōmon things and appere so miraculous as the founding and erecting of the Collisaei Colossaei Theatres Amphitheatres Pyramides and other workes wonderful to the world for that the hard indured path of hatred and displeasure long time begoon and obstinately pursued with straunge crueltie was conuerted into loue by theffect of loue and concorde suche as I know none but is so much astoonned as he may haue good cause to wonder consideryng the stately foundations vpon which kings and great monarches haue employed the chiefest reuenues of their prouinces Nowe like as Ingratitude is a vice of
Curtius that notable historiographer remembring the stoute facte of this Thebane gentlewoman amongs other the gestes and factes of Alexander the great I haue déemed it not altogether vnfit for this place to reueale the fine and notable pollicie deuised by hir to rid hir selfe from a couetous 〈◊〉 of the Thracian kinde who for lucre rather than loue for gaine than gratitude promised golden hilles to this distressed poore gentlewoman But she in the ende paying him his well deserued hire was liked and praised of Alexander for hir aduēturous fact being not one of the least vertues that shined in him before he grewe to excessiue abuse But bicause Plutarch in his treatise De claris mulieribus more at large recounteth this historie I haue thought good almost verbatim to follow him Theagenes a gentleman of Thebes 〈◊〉 himself with Epaminondas and Pelopidas and with other noble men for preseruation of their common wealth in the battaile sought at Cheronaea for deliuerie of their 〈◊〉 of Greece was slain in the chace of his enimies as he pursued one of the chiefe of his aduersaries that same crying out vnto him Whether 〈◊〉 thou pursue vs Theagenes euen to Macedonia answered he This gentleman thus slaine had a sister whose vertue néerenesse of kin by noble déedes she well witnessed although she was not well able to manifest hir vertue for the aduersitie of the time but by pacient sufferance of the cōmon calamities For after Alexander had wonne the citie of Thebes the souldiers gréedie of spoile running vp and down the citie euery of them chancing vpon such bootie as fortune offred them it chaunced that a captain of the Thracian horsmen a barbarous and wicked wretch happened vpon the house of Timoclia who somewhat néere the King both in name and kinne in maners and conditions was greatly different from him He neither regarding the noble house ne yet the chastitie of hir forepassed life vpon a time after supper glutted swelled with abundance of wine caused Timoclia forcibly to be haled to his dronken couch and not cōtented with the forced wrong as they were in talke together diligently demaunded of hir if she had in no place hidden any gold or siluer and partly by threates and partely by promise to kepe hir as his wife endeuoured to get that he desired But she being of redy witte taking that offred occasion of hir aduersarie I would to God sayd she that it had bene my luck to haue died before this night rather than to liue For hitherto haue I kept my 〈◊〉 pure and vntouched from all despite and villanie vntill vnluckie fate forced me to yeld to thy disordinate lust but 〈◊〉 my 〈◊〉 is such why should I conceale those thyngs that be 〈◊〉 owne thou being mine only tutor lorde and husband as thou sayst when the Gods shal please to bring the same to passe For by thy will and pleasure muste I vnhappie Thebane wench be ruled and gouerned Eche vanquished wight must subdue their will and minde to their lord 〈◊〉 I being thy slaue and prisoner must nedes by humble meanes yelde vp my selfe to the vnsaciate hest of thy puissant heart What shall let me to disclose the pray that thou desirest that we both if thy mind be such may rather ioy the same than the soilie filth of stinking earth shoulde deuoure such spoile which for feare and hope of future fortune I buried in the bowels of the same Then marke my wordes and beare them well in mynde sith lot hath wrought me this mishap I hauing plentie of coyned siluer and of fyned gold no litle store besides such Iewels as belong to the setting forth of the grace of womans beautie of valure and price 〈◊〉 when I saw this City brought to such distresse as vnpossible to be saued frō taking al the same I threw away or more truly to say I whelmed altogether in a dry ditch void of water which my fact fewe or none did knowe The pitte is couered with a litle couer aboue and thickly round about beset with bushes and thornes Those goodes will make thée a welthy personage none in all the campe to bée compared to thée the riches and value wherof will witnesse our former fortune and the state of our gorgeous and stately house All those doe I bequeath to thée as on whome I thinke them wel bestowed This gréedie Lecher laughing to him self for this sodaine praie and thinking that his Ladie faste holden within his barbarous armes had tolde him truth routed in his 〈◊〉 couch till the day had discouered that morning light then gaping for his 〈◊〉 gaine he rose prayed hir to tell the place that he might recouer the same She then brought him into hir garden the dore whereof she commaunded to be shutte that none might enter He in his hose and doublet went downe to the bottome of the pit When Timoclia perceiued him downe she beckned for certain of hir maids she rolled downe diuers great stones with hir own hāds which of purpose she had caused to be placed there and commaunded hir maides to tumble downe the like By which meanes she killed that lecherous and couetous vilaine that rather 〈◊〉 to satisfie his desire than coueted to obserue his promysed faith Which afterwardes being knowen to the Macedonians they haled his bodie out of the pit For Alexander had made proclamation that none should dare to kill any Thebane and therfore apprehēding Timoclia they brought hir to that king accusing hir for doing of that murder who by hir countenaunce and stature of bodie and by hir behauiour and grauitie of maners beheld in hir the verie Image of gentle kinde And first of al he asked hir what she was To whom boldly with constāt chéere she 〈◊〉 answered Theagenes was my brother sayd she who béeing a valiant captaine fighting against you for the common safegard of the Greekes was 〈◊〉 at Chaeronea that we might not 〈◊〉 and proue that miseries wherwith we be now oppressed But I rather than to suffer violence vnworthie of oure race stock am in your 〈◊〉 presence brought ready to refuse no death For better it were for me to die than féele such another night except thou commaūde the contrary These wordes were vttered in such 〈◊〉 plight as the standers by coulde not forbeare to wéepe But Alexander saying that he not onely pitied the woman endewed with so noble witte but much more wondred at hir vertue and wisedome commaūded the princes of his armie to foresée no wrong or violence to be done to the Gentlewoman He gaue order also that Timoclia all hir kinne should be garded and defended from slaughter or other wrōgs What say ye good Ladies to the heart of this noble Gentlewomā that durst be so bold to stone this 〈◊〉 wretch to death for wrong done to hir bodie till that time vntouched to wrong the corps of him that sauoured of no gentle kinde who rather for earthly 〈◊〉 than for loue
Prudent personage he dissembled his conceyued griefe expecting occasion for remedie of the same Now the time was come that Laelius and Massnissa wer 〈◊〉 for to the campe But to declare the teares lamentable talke the great 〈◊〉 and sighes vttered betwene this newe maried couple time would want and 〈◊〉 nesse wold ensue to the reader of the same He had skarce lyen with his beloued two or thrée nights but that Laelius to their great grief and sorow claimed hir to be his prisoner Wherfore very sorowful and pensiue he departed and retourned to the Campe. Scipio in honourable wise receiued him and openly before his Captaines and men of warre gaue thanks to Laelius him for their prowesse and notable exploites Afterwards sending for him into his Tent he said vnto him I do suppose my dere frend Massinissa that the vertue and beneuolence you saw in me did first of all prouoke you to transfrete the straites to visite me in Spaine wherin the goodwill of my valiant friend Syllanus did not a little anaile to sollicite and procure amitie betwéene vs both which afterwards induced your constant minde to retire into 〈◊〉 to commit both your self and all your goods into my hands and kéeping But I well pondering the qualitie of that vertue which moued you thervnto you being of 〈◊〉 and I of Europa you a Numidian borne and I a Latine and Romane of diuers customes language differēt thought that the temperance and abstinence from veneriall pleasures which you haue séene to be in me and experience therof well tried and proued for the which I render vnto the immortal Gods most hūble thanks wold or ought to haue moued you to follow mine example being these vertues which aboue al other I doe most esteme and cherish which vertues should haue allured you being a man of great prowesse and discretion to haue imitated and folowed the same For he that well marketh the rare giftes and excellent benefits wherwith dame nature hath 〈◊〉 you would thinke that there should be no lacke of diligence and trauell to subdue and ouercome the carnall appetites of temporal beautie which had it 〈◊〉 applied to the rare giftes of nature planted in you had made you a personage to the posteritie very famous and renoumed Consider wel my present time of youth full of courage youthly lust which contrary to that naturall race I stay and prohibite No delicate beautie no voluptuous delectation no seminine flatterie can intice the same to the perils and daungers wherevnto that héedelesse age is most prone and subiect by which prohibition of amorous passions temperatly raigned and gouerned the tamer and subduer of those passions closing his breast from lasciuious imaginations and stopping his eares from the Syrenes Marmaides of that sexe and kinde getteth greater glory and fame than that which we haue gotten by our victory had against Syphax Hannibal the greatest ennimie that euer we Romanes felt the stoutest gentleman captain without péere through the delites and imbracements of women effeminated is no more that mālike and notable Emperor which he was wont to be The great exploits enterprises which valiantly you haue done in Numidia when I was farre from you your care redinesse 〈◊〉 your strength and valor your expedition and bolde attepts with all the rest of your noble vertues worthy of immortall praise I might could perticulerly recite but to commend and extol them my heart and minde shal never be satisfied by renouaciō wherof I shuld rather giue occasion of blushing than my selfe could be contented to let them sléepe in silence Syphax as you know is taken prisoner by the valiaunce of our men of warre by reason wherof him self his wife his kingdom his campe lands cities and inhabitants and briefly all that which was king Syphax is the pray and spoile to the Romane people and the king and his wife albeit she was no Citizen of Carthage and hir father although no captaine of our ennimies yet we must send them to Rome there to leaue them at the pleasure and disposition of the Romane 〈◊〉 nate and people Doe you not know that Sophonisba with hir toyes flatteries did alienat and withdraw king Syphax from our amitie and friendship and made him to enter force of armes against vs Be you ignoraunt that she ful of rancor and malice against the Romane people endeuored to set al 〈◊〉 against vs now by hir faire inticements hath gained and wonne you not I say our 〈◊〉 but an ennimie so farre as she can with hir cruell inchauntmēts What damage and hurt haue lighted vpō diuers Monarches and Princes through sugred lips and venemous woords I will not spend time to recite With what prouocations and cōiured charmes she hath already bewitched your good nature I wil not now imagine but referre the same to the déepe consideration of your wisdome Wherefore Massinissa as you haue bene a Conquerer ouer great nations and prouinces be now a conquerer ouer your owne mind and appetites the victorie whereof deserueth greater praise than the conquest of the whole world Take héede I say that you blot not your good qualities and conditions with the spots of dishonor and pusillanimitie 〈◊〉 not that fame which hitherto is 〈◊〉 aboue the Region of the glittering starres Let not this vice of Feminine flatterie spoile the deserts of Noble chiualrie vtterly deface those 〈◊〉 with greater ignominie than the cause of that offence is worthie of dispraise Massinissa hearing these egre sharp rebukes not only blushed for shame but bitterly werping said that his poore prisoner and wife was at the commaundemēt of Scipio Noiwithstanding so instantly as teares woulde suffer him to speake he besought hym that if it were possible he would giue him leaue to obserue his faith foolishly assured bicause he had made an othe to Sophonisba that with life she should not be deliuered to the handes of the Romanes And after other talke betwene them Massinissa departed to his pauilion where alone with manifold sighes with most bitter teares and plaintes vttered with such houlings and outcries as they were heard by those which stode about the same he rested al the day bewailing his present state the most part of the night also he spent with like heauinesse and debating in his minde vpon diuers thoughts and deuises more confused and amased than before he could by no meanes take any rest sometimes he thought to flée and passe the straights commonly called the pillers of Hercules from thence to saile to the Fortunate Islandes with his wife then again he thought with hir to escape to Carthage in ayde of that Citie to serue against the Romans somtimes he purposed by sword poison halter or som such means to end his life and finish his dolorous days many times he was at point by prepared knife sworde to pierce his heart yet stayed the same not for feare of death but for preseruatiō of his fame
was driuen into great admiration and thought it very straunge that a woman which al the days of hir life had liued in greate honour and estimation shold vpon light cause or occasion poison hir self sith it was naturally giuen to eche breathyng wyght to prolong their liuing dayes with the longest thréede that Atropos could draw out of dame Natures webbe Wher vpon he commaunded the sayd matrone to be brought before hym whose death for hir vertue was generally lamented by the whole countrey When the Gentlewomā was before him and had vnderstāding that she was fully resolued and determined to die he began by greate 〈◊〉 to exhort hir that she should not wilfully 〈◊〉 hir selfe away vpon consideration that she was of lusty yeares riche and 〈◊〉 of the whole countrey how greate pitie it were but shée shoulde renue hir minde and giue hir selfe still to liue and remayne til naturall course did ende and finish hir life howbeit his 〈◊〉 and earnest persuasion could not diuert hir from hir intēded purpose But Pompeius 〈◊〉 to haue hir die ceassed not still to 〈◊〉 his former talke with newe reasons and stronger arguments All which she paciently heard with fired 〈◊〉 til at length with clere voice and 〈◊〉 cheare 〈◊〉 answered him in this maner You be greatly deceiued my lord Pompeius if you do beleue that I without very great prouidence and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 goe about to end my days for I do know and am 〈◊〉 persuaded that eche creature naturally craueth the prolongation and lengthning of life so much abhorreth to die as the desirous to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the poison whiche I haue prepared for consummation of my life Wher vpon I haue diuers times thought considered and discoursed with my selfe and amongs many considerations 〈◊〉 debated in my minde there came into the same the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 change of Fortune whose whir 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neuer 〈◊〉 ne yet remaineth 〈◊〉 It 〈◊〉 dayly séene how she doth exalt and aduance some man from the lowest and bottomlesse pitte euen to the 〈◊〉 of the hygh Heauens endowyng hym wyth so much substaunce as he can desire An other that was moste happie honoured in this worlde lyke a God vnto whom no goodes and welfare were wantyng who myghte well haue bene called in his lyfe a thrée tymes happie and blessed wyght sodaynly from his honoure and 〈◊〉 depriued and made a verie poore man and begger Some man also that is bothe riche and lustie accompanied wyth a faire wife and goodlye children lyuyng in greate myrth and ioylitie this wicked Ladie Fortune the deuourer of all oure contentacions depriueth from the inestimable treasure of health causeth the fayre wife to loue an other better than hir husbande and with 〈◊〉 venomous tooth biteth the children that in shorte space myserable deathe catcheth them all within hys dreadfull clouches whereby hée is defrauded of those chyldren whome after his deathe hée purposed to leaue 〈◊〉 his heires But what meane I to consume tyme and words in declaration of fortunes vnsteady staye which is more clere than the beames of the Sunne of whome dayly a thousande thousande examples bée manifest All histories be full of them The myghtie countrey of Graecia doeth render ample witnesse wherein so many excellent men were bredde and brought vp Who desirous with their fynger to touche the highest heauen were in a moment throwen downe And so many famous Cities whiche gouerned numbers of people nowe at this presente day wée sée to bée thrall and obedient to thy Citie of Rome Of these hurtefull and perillous mutations O noble Pompcius thy Romane Citie may bée a 〈◊〉 cleare glasse and Spectacle and a multitude of thy noble Citizens in tyme paste and present may gyue plentyfull witnesse But to come to the cause of this my death I say that fyndyng my selfe to haue lyued these many yeares by what chaunce I can not tell in verie greate prosperitie in all whiche tyme I neuer dyd suffer any one myssehappe but styll from good to better haue passed my time vntil thys daye Nowe fearyng the frownyng of Lady Fortunes face and that shée will repente hir long continued fauoure I feare I saye leaste the same Fortune shoulde chaunge hir stile and begynne in the middest of my pleasaunt life to sprinckle hir poysoned bitternesse and make mée the 〈◊〉 and Quiuer of hir sharpe and noysome arrowes Wherefore I am nowe determined by good aduyse to ridde my self from the captiuitie of hir force from all hir misfortunes and from the noysom and grieuous infirmities which miserably be incident to vs mortall Creatures And beleue me Pompcius that many in theyr aged dayes haue left their life with litle honour who had they ben gone in their youth had died famous for euer Wherefore my Lorde Pompeius that I may not be tedious vnto thée or hinder thyne affaires by long discourse I beséeche thée to gyue me leaue to follow my deliberate disposition that frankely and fréely I may bée 〈◊〉 of all daunger for the longer the life doth growe to the greater discommodities it is subiect When shée had so sayde to the greate admiration and compassion of all those whiche were present with tremblyng handes and fearefull cheare shée quaffed a greate cuppe of poysoned drynke the whyche shée broughte wyth hir for that purpose and within a while after dyed This was the strange vse and order obserued in 〈◊〉 Whiche good counsell of that dame had the noble and valiaunt captaine followed no doubt he would haue ben contented to haue ben brought to order And then he had not lost that bloudie battell atchieued against him by Iulius Cesar at Pharsalia in Egypt Then he had not sustained so many ouerthrowes as he did then had he not ben forsaken of his trendes and in the ende endured a death so miserable And for somuch as for the most part 〈◊〉 therto we haue intreated of many tragical and bloudie rhaunces respiring nowe from those lette vs a little touche some medicinable remedies for loue some lessons for gouernement and obediēce some treaties of amorous dames and hautie 〈◊〉 of Princes Quéenes and other persons to variate the chaungeable diet wherewith dyuers bée affected rellishyng their Stomackes wyth some more pleasant digestions than they haue tasted Faustina the Empresse ¶ The dishonest Loue of 〈◊〉 AVSTINA the Empresse and vvith vvhat remedie the same loue vvas remoued and taken avvay The tenth Nouell TRue and moste holie is the sentence that the ladie gentlewoman or other wighte of Female kinde of what degrée or condition soeuer she bée be she saire fowle or ylfauoured can not be endewed with a more precious Pearle or Jewell than is the 〈◊〉 pure vertue of honesty which is of such valour that it alone without other vertue is able to render hir that 〈◊〉 in hir attire moste famous and excellent Be she more beautifull than Helena be she mightier than the Amazon better learned than Sappho rycher than Flora more louing than Quéene Dido or more noble than
Campania issued of certein Romans knights very famous in facts of armes and of great industrie and gouernement in the common wealth When the father and mother of this Flora deceased she was of the age of xb. yeares indued with great riches and singular beautie and the very orphane of all hir kynne For she had neyther brother left with whom she might soiourne ne yet vncle to gyue hir good councell In such wise that like as this yong maistres Flora had youth riches liberty and beautie euen so ther wanted neither bauds nor Pandores to 〈◊〉 hir to fal and allure hir to follie Flora seing hir selfe beset in this wise she determined to goe into the Affrick warres where she hazarded both hir person and hir honor This dame florished and tryumphed in the tyme of the first Punique warres when the Consul Mamillus was sent to Carthage who dispended more money vpon the loue of Flora than hée did vpon the chase and pursute of his 〈◊〉 This amorous ladie Flora had a writing and tytle fixed vpon hir gate the effect wher of was thys King Prince Dictator Consul Censor high Bishop and Questor may knocke and come in In that writing Flora named neither Emperor nor Caesar bycause those two most noble names were long tyme after created by the Romanes This amorous Flora wold neuer abandon hir person but wyth gentlemen of great house or of great dignitie and riches For she was wont to say that a woman of passing beauty should bée so much estemed as she doth esteme and sette by hir selfe Lais and Flora were of contrary maners conditions For Lais would first bée paide before she yelded the vse of hir bodie but Flora without any semblance of desire eyther of golde or siluer was contented to bée ruled by those with whom she committed the facte Wherof vpon a day being demaunded the question she answered I gyue my body to Princes and noble Barons that they may deale with me like gentlemen For I sweare vnto you by the Goddesse Venus that neuer man gaue me so little but that I had more than I loked for and the double of that which I could demaund This amorous lady Flora was wont many tymes to saye that a wise woman or more aptlie to terme hir a subtill wench ought not to demaund reward of hir louer for the acceptable pleasure which she doth hym but rather for the loue which she beareth him bicause that all things in the world haue a certain price except loue which cannot bée paide or recompenced but with loue All the Ambassadors of the worlde which had accesse into Italie made so great report of the beauty and generositie of Flora as they dyd of the Romane common wealth bycause it semed to bée a monstrous thinge to sée the riches of hir house hir trayue hir beautie the princes great lordes by whom she was required and the presents and giftes that were gyuen vnto hir This amorous Flora had a continuall regard to the noble house wherof she came touching the magnificence and state of hir seruice For albeit that she was but a common woman yet she was serued honored like a great ladie That day wherin she rode about the citie of Rome she gaue occasion to bée spoken of a whole month after one inquiring of an other what gret Roman lords they were that kept hir company Whose men they were that waighted vpon hir And whose liuery they ware What ladies they were that rode in hir traine the brauery of hir apparell hir great beautie port and the wordes spoken by the amorous gentlemen in that troupe were not vnremembred When this maistres Flora wared olde a yong and beautifull gentleman of Corinth demaunded hir to 〈◊〉 to whome she aunswered I know well that thou wilt not marie the thrée score yeares which Flora hath but rather thou 〈◊〉 to haue the twelue hundred thousand Sestercias which she hath in hir house Content thy selfe therfore my frende and get thée home againe to Corinth from whence thou 〈◊〉 For to such as bée of myne age great honor is borne reuerence done for the riches and wealth they haue rather than for mariage There was neuer in the Romane Empire the like amorous woman that Flora was indued with so many graces and quéenelike qualities for she was of noble house of singuler beautie of comly personage discrete in hir affaires and besides all other comly qualities very liberall This maistres Flora spent the most part of hir youth in Africa Almaine and Gallia 〈◊〉 And albeit that she would not suffre any other but great lords to haue possession of hir body yet she applied hir selfe to the spoile of those that were in place and to the praie of those that came from the warrs This amorous Flora died when she was of the age of 〈◊〉 yeares She left for the principall heire of all hir goods and 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 people which was estemed sufficiēt able to make newe the walles of Rome and to 〈◊〉 and redeme the common welth of the same And bicause that she was a Romaine had made the state thereof hir heire the Romanes buylded in hir honor a sumptuous Temple which in memorie of Flora was called 〈◊〉 and euery yeare in the memorie of hir they celebrated hir feast vpon the daye of hir death Suctonuis Tranquillus saieth that the first feaste which the Emperour Galba the second celebrated within Rome was the feast of the amorous Flora vpon which day it was lawfull for men women to doe what kinde of dishonestie they could deuise And she was estemed to be the greater saint which that day shewed hir selfe most dissolute and wanton And bicause that the temple Florianum was dedicated to amorous Flora the Romās had an opinion that all women which vpon the same day repaired to the Temple in whorish apparell should haue the graces and gifts that Flora had These were the sond opinions and maners of the auncient which after their owne making deuises framed Gods and Goddesses and bycause the proued vnshamefast and rich a Temple must bée erected and Sacrifices ordeined for hir whorish triumphes But that noble men and Kings haue bene rapt and transported with the lurements of such notorious strumpets is and hath bene common in all ages And commonly such infamous women bée indewed with greatest giftes and graces the rather to noosell dandle their fauorers in the lappes of their fading pleasures But euery of them a most speciall grace aboue the rest As of a king not long agoe we reade that kept thrée one the holiest another the crastiest the third the 〈◊〉 Two of which properties méete for honest women although the third so incident to that kinde as heat to a liuing bodie Cease we then of this kinde and let vs steppe forth to be acquainted with a ladie a Quéene the Godliest stoutest that is remembred in any aun cient monument or historie Zenobia Queene of Palmyres
other I will carrie with me to Rome not as prisoner but as hostage pledge from thée The prisoners which thou haste of ours shal bée rendred in exchange for those which we haue of thyne without ransome of eyther parts And by théese meanes thou shalt remaine honored in Asia and I contented will retorne to Rome The Gods bée thy defense preserue our mother the citie of Rome from all vnhappie fortune The Quéene Zenobia hauing reade the letter of the Emperour Aurelianus without feare of the contentes incontinently made such answere as followeth Zenobia Quéene of Palmyres and Ladie of all Asia and the kingdomes thereof to thée Aurelianus the Emperour helth and consolation c. That thou doe intitle thy selfe with the Emperour of the Romanes I do agrée but to presume to name thy selfe lorde of the East kingdomes I saye therein thou doest offende For thou knowest well that I alone am Lady Regent of all the Orient the onely dame maistres of the same The one part wherof descended vnto me by lawfull inheritaunce from my predecessors and the other part I haue wonne by my prowesse and dedes of armes Thou sayest that if I rendre obedience vnto thée thou wilt doe me greate honor To that I answere that it were a dishonest part of me and a déede moste vniust that the Gods hauing created Zenobia to comaunde all Asia she should nowe begyn to be slaue thrall vnto the citie of Rome Semblablie thou sayest that thou wilt gyue and leaue me all the golde siluer and other riches which I haue Whervnto I answer that it is a wicked and fonde request to dispose the goodes of another as they were thine owne But thine eyes shall neuer sée it ne yet thy handes shal touch it but rather I hope in the Gods aboue to bestow and crye a larges of that which thou haste at Rome before thou finger that which I haue possesse in Asia Truely Aurelianus the warres which thou makest against me and thy quarell bée most vniust before the supernall Gods and verie vnreasonable before men and I for my part if I haue entred or doe take armes it is but to defend my selfe and myne Thy comming then into Asia is for none other purpose but to spoyle make hauocke of that which an other hath And thinke not that I am greatly afrayde of that name of Roman Prince nor yet of the power of thyne huge armie For if it bée in thy handes to gyue battell it belongeth onely to the gods to giue eyther to thée or me the victory That I remaine in field it is to me greate fame but thou to fight with a widdowe oughtest truely to bée ashamed Ther be come vnto myne ayde and Campe the Persians the Medes the Agamēnonians the Irenees the Syrians and with them all the Gods immortall who bée woont to chastice such proude princes as thou arte and to helpe poore widows as I am And if it so come to passe that the Gods doe permit suffre my lucke to bée such as thou doe bereue me of life and dispoile me of goods yet it wil be bruted at Rome and published in Asia that the wofull wight Zenobia was ouerthrowne and slaine in defense of hir patrimonie and for the conseruation of hir husbandes honor Labor no more then Aurelianus to flatter and pray me nor yet to threaten me require me no more to yelde and become thy prisoner nor yet to surrender that which I haue for by doing that I can I accomplish that I ought For it will be saide and noysed through the world may it so come to passe as Fortune doe not fauor me that if the Empresse Zenobia bée captiue she was not yet vanquished The sonne which thou 〈◊〉 to carie with thée to Rome truely that request I cannot abide and much lesse doe meane to 〈◊〉 the same knowing full well that thy house is stored full of manyfolde vices where myne is garnished with many notable Philosophers Wherby if I leaue vnto my children no great heapes of goodes yet they shal be well taught and instructed For the one halfe of the day they spende in Learnyng and the other halfe in exercise of Armes For conclusion of thy demaunde and finall answer thervnto I pray thée trauell no more by letters to write vnto me ne yet by ambassage to spende any 〈◊〉 talke but attend vntill our controuersie bée decided rather by force of armes than by vttered wordes The Gods preserue thée It is said that Aurelianus receiuing that answere did reioyce but when he had redde it hée was greatly offended which incontinently hée made to bée knowne by gathering together his Campe and besieging the Citie wherin Zenobia was And Aurelianus wroth and outraged with that answere although his armie was werie and halfe in dispaire by reason of the long warres yet hée vsed suche diligence and expedition in the siege of that place as the 〈◊〉 was taken and the citie rased which done the Emperour Aurelianus retourned to Rome carying wyth hym Zenobia not to doe hir to death but to tryumphe ouer hir At what tyme to sée that noble Ladie goe on foote and marche before the triumphing Chariot bare 〈◊〉 charged wyth that burden of heauie chaūce and hir two children by hir side truly it made the Roman Matrons to conceiue great pitie being well knowen to all the Romanes that neither in valo rous dedes nor yet in vertue or chastitie any mā or woman of hir time did 〈◊〉 hir The dayes of the triumph being done al the noble Ladies of Rome assembled and repaired to Zenobia and vsed vnto hir greate and honorable enterteinement giuing hir many goodly presents and rewardes And Zenobia liued in the companie of those noble matrones the space of x. yeares béefore she dyed in estimation like a Lucrecia and in honor lyke a Cornelia And if Fortune had accompanied hir personage so well as vertue and magnanimitie Rome had felt the egrenesse of hir displeasure and the whole world tasted the swetenesse of hir regiment Euphimia of Corinth ¶ EVPHIMIA the King of 〈◊〉 daughter fell in loue with ACHARISTO the seruant of hir father and besides others which required hir to mariage she disdained PHILON the king of PELOPONESVS that loued hir 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ACHARISTO conspiring against the king was discouered tormented and put in prison by meanes of 〈◊〉 deliuered The king promised his daughter and kingdome to him that presented the heade of ACHARISTO EVPHIMIA so wrought as he was presented to the King The King gaue him his daughter to wyfe and when he dyed made him his heyre ACHARISTO began to hate his wyfe and condemned hir to death as an adulteresse PHILON deliuered hir vpon the sute of hir subiects she is cōtented to marie him therby he is made king of Corinth The. xv Nouel COnstancie in Honeste loue beyng a perfect vertue and a precious ornament to the beloued indewing 〈◊〉 besides ioy and contentacion
was sent forth on businesse of the kings The conclusion of which practise was that when she caried meate to Acharisto according to the ordre appointed she should faine hir selfe to bée violentlie dispoyled of the prison-key by Acharisto who taking the same from hir should shut hir in the prison and escape and wheÌ„ hir husband did returne she should make compl 〈…〉 of the violence done vnto hir according to which deuise the practise was accomplished And when hir husbande returned home hearing his wife crie out within the Tower was meruellously amazed and vnderstanding that Acharisto was deade ignorant of the pollicie betwene his wyfe and Euphimia hée fell into great rage speâ—delie repaired to the king and tolde him what had chauÌ„ced The King thinking that the breache of prison was rather through the womans simplicitie than purposed malice did mitigate his displeasure 〈◊〉 forthwith he sent out Scoutes to spie and watche in to what place Acharisto was gone whose secrete flight made all their trauell to be in vaine Then the King when he saw that hée coulde not be found made proclamation throughout his realme that who so would bring vnto him the hed of Acharisto should haue to wife his onely daughter and after his decease should possesse his Kingdome for dowrie of that mariage Many knightes did put themselues in redinesse to themselues that enterprise aboue al Philon was the chiefe not for gredinesse of the kingdome but for loue which hée bare vnto the Gentlewoman Wherof Acharisto hauing intelligence and perceuing that in no place of Europa he coulde be safe and sure froÌ„ daunger for the multitude of them which pursued hym vnto deth caused Euphimia to vnderstand the miserable estate wherin he was Euphimia which bent hir mind employed hir studie for his safegarde imparted hir loue which she bare to Acharisto to an aged Gentlewoman which was hir nurse gouernesse besought hir that she wold intreat hir sonne called Sinapus one very wel beloued of the King so reach his help vnto hir desire that Acharisto might return to the court again The Nurse like a wise woman lefte no persuasion vnspoken nor counsell vnremembred which she thought was able to dissuade the yong gentlewoman froÌ„ hir conceiued loue but the wounde was so déepely made and hir heart so greuously wounded with the thrée forked arrows of the litle blinde archer Cupide that despising all the reasons of hir beloued nurse she sayde howe shée was firmely bente eyther to runne from hir father and to séeke out Acharisto to sustaine with hym one equall fortune or else with hir owne handes to procure death if some remedie were not founde to recouer the Kynges good grace for the returne of Acharisto The Nurse vanquished with pitie of the yong mayden fearyng bothe the one and the sorte daunger that myght ensue sent for Sinapus and vpon their talke together Euphimia and hée concluded that Acharisto shoulde bée brought agayne vnto the Courte and that shée hir selfe should present him to the Kyng wherin should want no kinde of diligence vntill the Kyng did enterteyne him againe for his faithfull seruaunt as hée was woont to doe Upon which resolution Acharisto was sente for and being come Sinapus and Euphimia together wyth the Nurse tolde hym in what 〈◊〉 they thrée had concluded touching his health and safegarde Which of him being well lyked did giue 〈◊〉 humble thankes And then Sinapus went vnto the Kyng and tolde him that there was one newely arriued at Corinth to make a present vnto his grace of the hed of Acharisto At which newes the King shewed him selfe so ioyful as if he had gotten an other Kingdome and being placed vnder his cloath of state with his Counsell and Princely trayne about him telling them the 〈◊〉 of that assemblie coÌ„maunded hym that brought those newes to bring the partie forth newely come vnto the Citie to presente the head of Acharisto Then Sinapus broughte Acharisto before the presence of the King who no sooner looked vpon hym but fell into such a rage as the fire séemed to flame out of his angrie eyes and commaunded hym presentlye to bée taken and put to death But Acharisto fallyng 〈◊〉 vpon his knées humbly besoughte his Maiestie to gyue hym leaue 〈◊〉 speake But the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufferyng hym to vtter one woorde 〈◊〉 him away Then the Counsellours and other Lordes of the Courte intreated his grace to heare him At whose requestes and supplications hée 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 contente Then Acharisto began to say Most sacred Prince and redoubted Soueraigne Lord the cause of thys my presumptuous repaire before your Maiestie is not to shew my selfe guiltie of the late beuised conspiracie ne yet to craue pardon for the same but to satisfie your Maiestie with that contented desire whiche by proclamation ye haue prondunced through your highnesse 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 whiche is to offer this heade for reuenge of the fault vniustly laid vnto my charge by those foure which woorthily haue tasted the deserued pame of their 〈◊〉 Whersore I am come hither of mine owne accorde to shewe the loue and greate desire whiche euer I had to serue and please your Maiestie And for that I would not coÌ„sume my lyfe in your displeasure I make offer of the same to your mercifull will and disposition chosing rather to die and leaue your maiestie satisfied contented than to lyue in happie state your princely minde displeased But desirous that hour maiestie shuld know myne innocencie I humbly besech your grace to heare what I can say that my fidelitie may bée throughly vnderstanded the wickednesse of the 〈◊〉 myne accusers wel wayed and considered Then hée began to rehearse all the things done by him for the seruice of his crowne and maiestie and finally into what daunger he did put himself when he killed the Lacedemonian king that went about by treason to murder him which enterprise might appere vnto him to be 〈◊〉 sure and euident testimonie that he ment nothing hurtfull or preindicial to his highnesse And that hée cstemed not his life when he aduentured for his seruice sauegarde to employ the same after these alleaged causes he added briefly that the loue which his maiestie knew to bée betwene him Euphimia his daughter ought to 〈◊〉 persuaded him that 〈◊〉 had rather haue suffered death himselfe than commit a thing displeasant to Euphimia And knowing that a more 〈◊〉 thing could not chauÌ„ce to hir than the 〈◊〉 death of hir father he might wel thinke that he wold haue deuised the death of a thousand other rather than that horrible 〈◊〉 déede such as his greatest enimie would neuer haue done much lesse 〈◊〉 which was bounde vnto him by so many receiued benefits for whose service preseruacion he had dedicated vowed his life and soule But if so be his maiesties rancor and displeasure could not bée mitigated but by doing hym to death hée desired that none of his alleaged reasons should bée accepted and
custodie and sodainly assailed the Palace of Acharisto And finding the Gates open he entred the citie crying out vpon the wickednesse and treason of Acharisto At which words the whole Citie began to rise to helpe Philon in his enterprise For there was no state or degrée but abhorred the vnkind order of that variet towards the noble woman their Quéene Philon aided with the people assaulted the Palace and in short space inuaded the same and the Uarlet béeing apprehended was put to death The Corinthians séeing the noble minde of Philon and the loue which he bare to Euphimia and knowing that their late Kyng was disposed to haue matched hir with Philon were very willing to haue him to be their king and that Euphimia shold be his wife supposing that vnder the gouernement of a Prince so gentle and valiant they might liue very happily and ioyefully Execution done vpon that moste 〈◊〉 varlet Philon caused the Ladie to be conueyed home into hir royall Pallace And the people with humble submission began to persuade hir to marie with that yong Prince Philon. But shée which had lodged hir thoughts and fixed hir minde vpon that caytife who vnnaturally had abused hir would by no meanes consent to take a new husband saying that the seconde mariage was not to bée allowed in any woman And albeit that she knew howe greately she was bounde to Philon as during life not able to recompence his louing kindnesse and baliant exployte performed for hir safegarde yet for all hir vnhappie fortune shée was minded still to remayne a widowe and well contented that Philon shoulde possesse hir whole domynion and kingdome and she pleased to liue his subiecte Whiche state she sayd did like hir best Philon that not for desire of the Kingdome but for loue of the ladie had attempted that worthie and honourable enterprise sayd vnto hir Euphimia it was onely for youre sake that I aduentured this dangerous indeuor to ridde you from the slander that might haue ensued youre innocent death and out of the cruell hands of him whome unworthily you did so dearely loue No desire of kingdome or worldely glorie induced me herevnto No care that I had to enlarge the boundes of my countrey soile pricked the courage of my minde that is altogether emptie of ambition but the passion of carelesse loue whiche this long time I haue borne you in your happie fathers dayes to whome I made incessant sute and to your selfe I was so long a suter vntil I receiued extreme repulse For which I vowed a perpetuall single life vntill this occasion was offred the brute wherof when I heard first so stirred the minde of your most louing knight that drousie sléepe or gréedie hunger could not force this restlesse bodie to tarrie at home vntill I reuenged my self vpon that vilaine borne which went about with roasting flames to consume the innocent flesh of hir whom I loued best And therfore mustred together my men of armes and in secret sort imbarked our selues and arriued here Where wée haue accomplished the thyng we came for and haue settled you in quiet raigne frée from perill of traiterous mindes crauing for this my fact nought else of you but willing minde to be my wife which 〈◊〉 you do refuse I passe not for rule of your kyngdome ne yet for abode in Corinth but meane to leaue you to youre choise For satisfied am I that I haue manifested to the world the greatnesse of my loue which was so ample as euer King could beare to vertuous Quéene And so fare well At which wordes he made a signe to his people that they should shippe them selues for returne to Poloponessus But the Senatours and al the people of Corinth seing the curtesie of Philon how greatly their Quéene was bound vnto him fel downe vpon their knées and with ioyned hands befought hir to take him to husband neuer ceasing from teares and supplication vntill shée had consented to their request Then the mariage was solemnised with great ioy and triumphe and the whole Citie after that time lyued in great felicitie quiet so long as nature lengthened the dayes of those two noble Princes The Marchionisse of Monferrato ¶ The Marchionisse of MONFERRATO with a banket of hennes and certaine pleasant wordes repressed the fonde loue of PHILIP the French King The. xvj Nouel GOod Euphimia as you haue heard did fondly applie hir loue vpon a seruile mā who though bred vp in Court wher trayuyng and vse doth cōmonly alter the rude condicions of suche as bée interteyned there yet voyde of all gentlenesse and frustrate of natures swéetenesse in that curteous kinde as not exchaungyng natiue 〈◊〉 for noble aduauncement returned to his hoggish soile and walowed in the durtie filthe of Inhumanitie whose nature myght well with Forke or Staffe bee expelled but home againe it would haue come as Horace pleadeth in his Epistles O noble Gentlewoman that mildly suffred the displeasure of the good King hir father who woulde faine haue dissuaded hir from that vnséemely matche to ioyne with a yong Prince a King a Gentleman of great perfection And O pestilent Carle being beloued of so honourable a pucell that for treason discharged thy head frō the block of a donghill slaue preferred thée to be a King wouldest for those deserts in the ende frame 〈◊〉 matter to consume hir With iust hatred then did the noble Emperor Claudius Caesar prosecute those of bonde seruile kinde that were matched with the frée and noble Right well knew he that some tast of egrenesse wold rest in such sauage frute therfore made a law that the issue of them shold not haue like libertie and preheminence as other had which agréeably did couple What harme such mariage hath inferred to dyuers states and persons to auoide other exāples the former Nouel teacheth Wherfore to ende the same with bewailing of Euphimia for hir vnluckie lot begin we now to glad our selues with the wise and stoute aunswere of a chaste Marquesse a Gentlewoman of singular beautie and discretion made to the fond demaunde of a mightie Monarch that fondly fell in loue with hir and made a reckenyng of that which was doubtfull to recouer This King by louing hir whome he neuer saw fared like the man that in his sléepe dreamed that hée had in holde the thing furthest from him For the King neuer saw hir before he heard hir praised and when he hearde hir praised for purpose to winne hir he trauailed out of his way so sure to enioy hir as if he had neuer séene hir This historie although briefe yet sheweth light to noble dames that be pursued by Princes teacheth them with what regard they ought to interteine such suters The Marquesse then of Monferrato a citie in Italie beyng a Gentlemā of great prowesse and valiance was appointed to transfrete the Seas in a generall passage made by the christians with an huge Armie and great furniture And as it chaunced vpon
was the best contented man of the world and durst not hope for greater recompence continuing his woonted life féeding him self still with that beloued sight in suche wise as many gentlemen enuied the fauor borne vnto him by the 〈◊〉 who for none other cause did vse that curtesy but for that she saw him to be a vertuous yong man and wel lerned continually estéemyng those that eyther wyth learnyng or other gyftes of the mynde were indewed and when occasion chaunced shée vouchesafed to bestowe vpon them courteous intertainement and liberall rewardes It fortuned about that time that the Emperor Maximilian died Charles his nephew which was the Emperor Charles the fifthe then being in Spayne by reason of whose death the Lorde Andrea Borgo purposed to 〈◊〉 one of his Gentlemen to kyng Charles for the confirmation of that liuing he enioyed giuen vnto him for his lōg and faithfull seruice by the sayd Maximilian Amongs all he chose this master Philippo for his wisedome and experience in such affaires Whiche done he went to the 〈◊〉 and gaue them to vnderstand that shortely hée would send his Secretarie iuto Spayne and told them the cause humbly praying them both that they would write their fauourable letters in his behalf The 〈◊〉 knowing what paine and trauell he had sustained in the seruice of Maximilian and what daungers hée had passed were very willyng thervnto Now 〈◊〉 Anne 〈◊〉 that she had conuenient time to recompence master Philippo for his long loue born vnto hir And bicause she was the most curteous Lady of the world and ther withall most bountifull and liberall and not only with comely talke and other gesture but also in effecte willing 〈◊〉 do them good whome she honoured in minde concluded what to do requiring the Lorde Andrea to sende his Secretarie vnto hir when he was readie to depart for that besides Letters she would by mouth cōmit certain businesse for hir to do in the Court of Spayne When the Lord Andrea was gone 〈◊〉 Anne began to deuise wyth the other 〈◊〉 what she might do for master Philippo who prayed 〈◊〉 Anne after she had commended him in letters to suffer hir to make the ende and conclusion of the same Wher vpon both the Quéenes wrote many letters into Spayne to king Charles and to the Lord Chācellour and other noble men whome they thought to bée apt and mete ministers to bring the effect of their letters to passe When the Lorde Andrea had put all things in ordre for that dispatch he sayd to master Philippo which was nowe furnished with all things necessarie and appertinent for that long voyage Philippo remembre this day that you go to 〈◊〉 Anne and tell hir that I willed you to come vnto hir to know if she would cōmaund you any seruice to the Catholike Kyng where you shall humbly offer your selfe in what it pleaseth hir to commaunde you shall also tell hir what thyngs I haue gyuen vnto you in charge by speciall commission Neuer coulde more pleasant talke sounde into the eares of Master Philippo than this who for that he should bothe sée and speake vnto his Ladie before his departure and for that she would 〈◊〉 vnto him the doing of hir affaires in Spayne was the gladdest and best contented man of the world The houre come when he thought good to repaire to the 〈◊〉 he went vnto hir gaue hir to vnderstād by one of the priuie Chamber that hée was attendant there to know hir pleasure The 〈◊〉 certified of his readinesse to depart by and by toke order that he should come into hir chābre who entring the same with tremblyng heart after he had done his humble reuerēce with great feare and bashfulnesse sayd Pleaseth your Maiestie that my lorde Borgo being about to addresse me his Secretarie into Spayne to the Catholike King there hath commaunded me to waite vpon your highnesse to know your pleasure for certain affaires to be done for your maiestie Wherfore may it please the same to employe mée youre humble seruaunt I shall thinke my selfe the happiest man of the worlde A thyng so blessed and ioyfull vnto me as no benefite or commoditie can render vnto mée greater felicitie Then he disclosed vnto hir the rest of his message which was cōmitted vnto him by his lord and master The 〈◊〉 beholding him with mery countenance gently sayd vnto him And we for the trust we haue in you to do our message other affaires in Spayne haue required you to come hither And bicause we know you to be a Gentleman and assured that you will gladly do your endeuour in any thing that may do vs pleasure haue chosen you aboue any other Our will and cōmandement is that fyrst you deliuer these letters conteining matters of great importance to the handes of the 〈◊〉 King and that you do our humble commendations to his maiestie Then all the rest accordingly as they be directed which principally aboue other things we praye you to dispatch vpon your arriuall And if we be able to do you any pleasure eyther for your 〈◊〉 or for other commoditie spare not to write vnto vs poure mynde and we do assure you the same shal be effectually accomplished to the 〈◊〉 of our indeuour which we do of our owne motion frankly offre vnto you in cōsideration of the 〈◊〉 worthinesse and 〈◊〉 behauiour always knowen to be in you Master Philippo hering these wordes was replenished with such ioy as he thought himself rapt into the heauens and his heart felt such pleasure as it séemed to flete in some depe sea of delites and after the best maner he coulde thanked hir for hir curtesie and albeit be sayd that he knew hym selfe vnworthie of that fauour yet he dedicated the same to hir commaundement surrendring himself as a slaue and faithfull seruant to hir maiestie Then vpon his knées to his great contentation he kissed hir hāds which of hir self she offred vnto him thē reuerētly he toke his leaue When he was gone out of the chamber he met with the 〈◊〉 coserer that 〈◊〉 for him who taking him aside did put into his hand a purse with 500. crownes the master of the horsse presented vnto him a very goodly and beautifull horsse wherwith master Philippo was so well pleased as he was like to 〈◊〉 out of his skin for ioy Then he toke his iorney arriued at the Courte in Spayne where at 〈◊〉 he deliuered his Letters to King Charles and accomplished other businesse and message prescribed vnto him by 〈◊〉 Anne And when he had dispatched the 〈◊〉 other letters he attended the businesse of his Lorde Andrea Borgo The King perused the contentes of the letters sent vnto him by his sister and kynswoman so did the Lord Chauncelour which at that time was the lord Mercurino Gattinara and other to whom the 〈◊〉 had written whereby the Kyng was solicited to stand good Lord to the Lord Andrea Borgo 〈◊〉 likewise exhorted to be beneficial to
vertuous for one whome I wold choose to daly with all My desire is not to make hir a Lucrece or some of those auncient Matrones which in elder yeres builded the temple of womans Fortune at Rome The companions of this louer séeing how he was bent promised him what they were able to doe for accomplishment of his will for the which hée thanked thē very heartily offring himself to like duety wher fortune should prepare the proofe of their affection néede of his 〈◊〉 seruice In the meane time conceiuing in his minde some new deuise which so sone as hée desired was not able to be brought to passe knowing that the duke seldōe wold haue him out of his sight begā to muse vpō lies doing him to vnderstand that he had necessary occasion for a certein time to remain be at his coūtry house The duke which loued him who thought that either he had some secrete sicknesse or else some wench which he was lothe to discouer before his cōpaniōs gaue him leaue for a month which so pleased the amorous Gentleman as he 〈◊〉 for ioy was not able to rest one houre before he had 〈◊〉 out his friends and companions to mount on horsbacke to visite hir that had vnder hir power and obeysance the best portion of him which was his heart and his most secrete thought When hée was come to his Countrey house hée began to stalke abrode and daunce a round about the Mill where his beloued did dwell who was not so foolish but by and by suspected wherunto those goings and commings of the Pilgrim tended and for what pray he led his Dogs in lease and caused so many nets cords to be displayed by hunters of all ages and eche sexe who to discouer the Countrey assayde to beate the bushes to take the beast at forme For which cause shée also for 〈◊〉 parte began to flie the snares of such Birders and raunging of the Dogs that vented after hir strayed not 〈◊〉 the house of the good man hir father whereof 〈◊〉 poore louer conceiued greate dispaire not knowing by what meanes he might rouse the praie after which hée hunted ne finde the meanes to do hir to vnderstand his plaints vnmeasured griefe of heart the firme loue and sincere minde wherwith he was so earnestly bent bothe to 〈◊〉 and loue hir aboue all other And that which most of all increased his pain was that of so great a troupe of messages which he had sent with gifts and promisses the better to atchieue his purpose no one was able to take placeor force neuer so little the chastite of that sober modest maide It chaunced one day as the Gentleman walking along a woode side newly felled hard adioyning to his house by which there was a cleare and goodly fountaine shadowed betwéene two thicke lofty Maple trées the Millers daughter went thither for water and as she had set downe hir pailes vpon the fountaines 〈◊〉 hir louer came vnto hir little thinking of such a ioyfull méeting which he well declared by these woords Praysed be God that when I hoped least of this good happe hée hath sent me hither to sée the only substance of my ioy Then tourning his face towards the maiden sayd vnto hir Is it true that thou art héere or do I dreame and so neare to him that most desireth to gratifie thée in any thing wherin it may please thée to commaunde him Wilt thou not haue pitie vpon the paines and griéfs which continually I indure for the extreme loue I beare thée And saying so he would haue imbraced hir But the mayd which cared no more for his flatteries than before she did for his presents and messages seing the same to tend to nothing else but to hir ruine and great dishonor with stout countenance and by hir liuely colour declaring the chast and vertuous motion of hir bloud sayd to this valiant Gentleman How now 〈◊〉 doe you thinke that the vilenesse of mine apparell holdeth hidden lesse vertue than the rich and sumptuous ornaments of the greatest Ladies Doe you suppose that my bringing vp hathe bred in me such grosse bloud as for your only pleasure I should corrupt the perfection of my minde blot the honor which hither to so carefully I haue kept and religiously preserued Be sure that soner death shall separate the soule from my body than willingly I would suffer the ouerthrowe violation of my virginitie It is not the part of a Gentleman as you be thus to espy and subtely pursue vs poore countrey maids to charme vs with your sleights and 〈◊〉 talke It is not the duety of a Gentleman to 〈◊〉 such vaunte currors to discouer and put in peril the honoure of maidens and honest wiues as heretofore you haue done to me It ought to suffice that you receyued shame by repulse of your messāgers and not to come your selfe to be partakers of their shame and confusion And that is it that ought to 〈◊〉 you swéete heart answered he to take pitie vpon my griefe so plainly séeing that vnfainedly I doe loue you and the my loue is so well planted as rather had I suffer death than occasion the 〈◊〉 offense that may displease you Only I beséeche you not to 〈◊〉 your self so cruel vnto him who 〈◊〉 all other hath made you so frank an offer both of him self of all that he hath to commaund The maid not greatly trusting his words feared that he prolōged the time to make 〈◊〉 stay til his seruāts came to steale hir away And therfore without further answer she taking vp hir pailes half running til she came néere the Mil escaped his 〈◊〉 telling hir father no part of that talk betwene them who began already to doubt the treason deuised by the gētle man against the pudicitie of his daughter vnto whom he neuer disclosed his suspition were it that he knew hir to be vertuous inough and constant to resist the luring assaults of loue or considered the imbecillitie of our flesh the malice of the same which daily aspireth to things thervnto defended by lawes limited and prescribed which lawes it ought not to excéede and yet thereof wisheth the abolishment And the goodman also did feare that she did not care for the words that he had sayd vnto hir as alredy resolued in opinion that she wished desired the loue and acquaintance of him whome she hated to death and that vanquished by despite for the litle regard had of hir chastitie she wold not giue ouer hir louer which neyed after none other prouender Who séeing that the maidē 〈◊〉 forsaken him and little estemed his amorous onset outraged for loue and 〈◊〉 with choler bothtogether 〈◊〉 with him self sayd Ah foolish dastard louer what 〈◊〉 thou meane when thou hadst hir so nere thée in a place so commodious and was not able ne durst gainesay thée And what knowest thou if she came to ease thy
sent for him vp into hir chamber as commonly she did for the affaires and matters of hir house and taking him a side vnto a 〈◊〉 hauing prospect into a garden she knew not how to begin hir talk for the heart being seased the minde troubled and the wittes out of course the tongue failed to doe his office in such wise as of long time she was vnable to 〈◊〉 one onely woord Hée surprised with like affection was more astōned by séeing the alteration of his Ladie So the two Louers stoode still like Images beholding one another without any meuing at all vntil the Ladie the hardiest of them bothe as féeling the most vehement and greatest grief tooke Bologna by the hād and dissembling what she thought vsed this or such like language If any other bisides your self Gentleman should vnderstand the secretes which now I purpose to disclose I doubt what spéeche were necessary to colour my woords But being assured of your discretion and wisdom and with what perfection nature hath indued you and Arte hauing accōplished that in you which nature did begin to work as one bred and brought vp in the royall Court of the second Alphonse of Ferdinando and Federick of Aragon my cousins I wil make no doubt at all to manifest to you the hidden secretes of my heart being well persuaded that when you shall both heare and 〈◊〉 my reasons and tast that light which I bring for the for me easily you may 〈◊〉 that mine 〈◊〉 cannot be other than iust and reasonable But if your conceits shall straye from that which I shal speak déeme not good of that which I determine I shall be forced to thinke say that they which estéeme you wise sage and to be a man of good and ready 〈◊〉 be maruelously deceiued Notwithstāding my heart foretelleth that it is impossible for maister Bologna to wandre so farre from equitie but that by and by he wil enter the lystes discerne the white from black and the wrong from that which is iust and right For so much as hitherto I neuer saw thing done by you which preposterated or peruerted the good iudgement that all the world estéemeth to shine in you the same well manifested declared by your tongue the right iudge of the mind you know and sée how I am a widow through the death of that noble Gentleman of good remembrance the Duke my Lord husband you be not ignoraunt also that I haue liued and gouerned my self in such wise in my widow state as there is no man so hard and seuere of iudgement that can blason reproche of me in that which appertaineth to the honesty reputation of such a Ladie as I am bearing my port so right as my conscience yeldeth no remorse supposing that no man hath where with to bite accuse me Louching the order of the goods of the Duke my sōne I haue vsed them with such diligence and discretion as bisides the dettes which I haue discharged sithens the death of my Lord I haue purchased a goodly Manor in Calabria and haue annexed the same to the Dukedom of his heire and at this day doe not owe one pennie to any creditor that lent mony to the Duke which he toke vp to furnish the charges in the warres which he sustained in the seruice of the Kings our soueraine Lords in the late warres for the kingdome of Naples I haue as I suppose by this meanes stopped the slaunderous mouth and giuen cause vnto my sonne during his life to accōpt himself bound vnto his mother Now hauing till this time liued for other and made my self subiect more than Nature could beare I am entended to chaunge both my life and condition I haue till thys time run trauailed remoued to the Castels Lordships of the Dukedome to Naples and other places being in mind to tary as I am a widow But what new affaires and new councel hath possest my mind I haue trauailed and pained my self inough I haue too long abidden a widowes life I am determined therefore to prouide a husband who by louing me shal honor cherish me according to the loue which I shal bear to him my desert For to loue a man without mariage God defend my heart should euer think shall rather die a hundred thousand deathes thā a desire so wicked shald soile my conscience knowing well that a woman which setteth hir honor to sale is lesse than nothing deserueth not that the cōmon aire shold breathe vpō hir for all the reuerence that men do beare or make them I accuse no person albeit that many noble women haue their forheds marked with the blame of dishonest life being honored of some be neuerthelesse the cōmon fable of the people To the intent then that such mishap happē not to me perceiuing my self vnable stil thus to liue being yong as I am God be thāked neither deformed nor yet painted I had rather be the louing wife of a simple féere than that Concubine of a king or great Prince And what is the mightie Monarche able to wash away the fault of his wife which hath abādoned him cōtrary to that duty honest which the vndefiled bed requireth no les thē Princesses that whilom trespassed with those which wer of baser stuffe than thēselues Messalina w e hir imperial robe could not so wel couer hir faults but that the Historiās do defame hir with that name title of a cōmon woman Faustina the wife of that sage Monarch Marcus Aurelius gained lyke report by rendring hir self to others pleasure bisides hir lawful spouse To mary my self to one that is mine equall it is impossible for so much as there is no Lord in all this Countrey méete for my degrée but is to olde of age that rest being dead in these later warres To mary a husband that yet is but a child is follie extréeme for the inconueniences which daily chaūce therby the euil intreatie that Ladies do receiue whē they come to age their nature waxe cold by reson wherof imbracements be not so fauorable their husbāds glutted with ordinary meat vse to rū in exchāge Wherefore I am resolued without respite or delay to choose some wel qualitied and renoumed Gentleman that hath more vertue than richesse of good Fame and brute to the intēt I may make him my Lord espouse and husband For I cannot imploy my loue vpon treasure which may be taken away where richesse of the minde do faile and shall be better content to sée an honest Gentleman with little reuenue to be praised and cōmended of euery man for his good déedes than a rich carle curssed and detested of all the world Thus much I say and it is the summe of all my secretes wherin I pray your Councell and aduise I know that some wil be offended wyth my choise the Lords my brothers specially the Cardinall will think it straunge and receiue
miserable Duchesse But hearken now the most sorowfull scene of all that tragedie The litle children which had séene all the furious game done vpon their mother and hir maide as nature prouoked thē or as some presage of their mishap led them therunto kneled vpon their knées before those tyrants and embracing their legs wailed in such wise as I think that any other except a pitilesse heart spoiled of all humanitie wold haue had cōpassion And impossible it was for them to vnfold the embracemēts of those innocent creatures which séemed to forethink their death by the wilde lokes and countenāce of those roisters Wherby I think that néedes it must be cōfessed that nature hath in hir self and vpon vs imprinted some signe of diuination and specially at the hour and time of death in such wise as that very beasts féele some cōceits although they sée neither sword nor staffe and indeuor to auoyde the cruell passage of a thing so fearful as the separation of two things so néerely vnited euen the body and soule which for the motion that chaūceth at the very instant she weth how nature is constrained in that monstruous separation more than horrible ouerthrow But who can appease a heart determined to do euil hath sworn the death of another forced the runto by some special cōmaundement The Aragon brethrē ment hereby nothing else but to roote out that whole name race of Bologna And therfore the two ministers of iniquitie did like murder slaughter vpon those two tender babes as they committed vpon their mother not without some motion of horror for doing of an act so detestable Behold here how far the crueltie of man extēdeth whē it coueteth nothing else but vengeance and marke what excessiue choler the minde of thē produceth which suffer themselues to be forced ouerwhelmed with furie Leaue we apart the crueltie of Euchrates the sonne of the king of Bactria of Phraates the sōne of the Persian Prince of Timon of Athens of an infinite nūbre of those which were rulers and gouerners of the Empire of Rome and let vs match with these Aragon brethrē one Vitoldus Duke of Litudnia the crueltie of whom constrained his own subiects to hang thēselues for fear least they shold fall into his furious bloudy hands We may confesse also these brutal brethrē to be more butcherly thā euer Otho erle of Monferrato prince of Vrbin was who caused a yeoman of his chamber to be wrapped in a shéete poudred with sulpher brimstō afterwards kindled with a candle was scalded cōsumed to death bicause only he waked not at an hour by him apointed Let vs not excuse them also frō some affinity with Maufredus the sonne of Henry that second Emperor who smoldered his own father being an old mā betwene y. couerleds These former furies might haue some excuse to couer their crueltie but these had no other cause but a certain beastly madnesse which moued thē to kil those litle childrē their neuews who by no meanes could preiudice or anoy the duke of Malfi or his title in the successiō of his Duchie the mother hauing wtdrawn hir goods was assigned hir dowry but a wicked hart must néedes bring forth semblable works according to his malice In the time of these murders the infortunate 〈◊〉 kept himself at Millan wyth his sonne Federick and vowed himself to that Lord Siluio Sauello who that time belieged the Castell of Millan in the behalf of Maximilian Sforcia which in the end he conquered and recouered by composition with the French within But that charge being archieued the generall Sauello marched from thence to Cremona with his campe whither Bologna durst not folow but repaired to the Marquize of Bitonte in which time that Aragon brethren so wrought as his goods were confiscate at Naples and he driuē to his shifts to vse the golden Duckates which the Duchesse gaue him to relieue him self at Millan whose Death althoughe it was aduertised by many yet hée coulde not be persuaded to beleue the same for that diuers which went about to betray him and feared he should flie from Millan kept his beake in the water as the Prouerbe is and assured him both of the life welfare of his spouse and that shortly his brethren in law wold be reconciled bicause that many Noble mē fauored him well and desired his returne home to his Countrey Fed and filled with that vaine hope he remained more than a yeare at Millan frequenting the companie and well entertained of the richest Marchants and Gentlemen of the Citie and aboue all other he had familiar accesse to the house of the Ladie Hippolita Bentiuoglia where vpon a day after dinner taking his Lute in hand wheron he could exceedingly wel play he began to sing a certain Sonnet which he had composed vpon the discourse of his misfortune the tenor whereof is this The song of Antonio Bologna the husband of the Duchesse of Malfi If loue the death or tract of time haue measured my distresse Or if my beating sorrowes may my languor well expresse Then loue come sone to visit me which most my heart desires And so my dolor findes some ease through flames of fansies fires The time runnes out his rolling course for to prolong mine ease To th end I shall enioy my loue and heart himself appease A cruell Darte brings happy death my soule then rest shall finde And sleping body vnder tombe shall dreame time out of minde And yet the Loue the time nor Death lokes not how I decrease Nor giueth eare to any thing of this my wofull peace Full farre I am from my good happe or halfe the ioy I craue wherby I 〈◊〉 my state with teares draw full nere my graue The courteous Gods that giues me life nowe moues the Planets all For to arrest my groning ghost and hence my sprite to call Yet from them still I am separd by things vnequall here Not mēt the Gods may be vniust that bredes my chāging chere For they prouide by their foresight that none shall doe me harme But she whose blasing beuty bright hath brought me in a charm My mistresse hath the powre alone to rid me from this woe whose thrall I am for whome I die to whome my sprite shall goe Away my soule go from the griefs that thee oppresseth still And let thy dolor witnesse beare how much I want my will For since that loue and death himself delights in guiltlesse bloud Let time trāsport my troubled sprite where destny semeth good His song ended the poore Gentleman could not forbeare frō pouring forth his luke warme teares which aboundantly ran downe his heauie face and his panting sighes truely discouered that alteration of his mind which moued eche wight of that assembly to pitie his mournefull state and one specially of small acquaintaunce and yet knew the deuises which the Aragon brethren had trained and conspired against him that vnacquainted Gentleman
be ne more faithful more affectionate or otherwise moued than the rest yet I am contēt for respect of your honor somewhat to beleue you and to accept you for mine owne sith your discretion is such I trust as so Noble a Gentleman as you be will himself declare in those affairs and whē I sée the effect of my hope I can not be so vnkinde but with all honesty shall assay to satisfie that your loue The Counte seing hir alone and receiuing the Ladies language for his aduauntage and that hir countenance by alteration of hir minde did adde a certaine beautie to hir face and perceiuing a desire in hir that hée shold not vse delay or be too squeimish she demaūding naught else but execution tooke the present offred time forgetting all ceremonies and reuerence he embraced hir and kissed hir a hundred thousand times And albeit she made a certain simple and prouoking resistance yet the louer séeing thē to be but preparatiues for the sport of loue he strayed from the bounds of honestie and threw hir vpon a fielde bed within the Chambre where he solaced himselfe with his long desired sute And finding hir worthy to be beloued and she him a curteous gentleman consulted together for continuance of their amitie in such wise as the Lord Ardizzino spake no more but by the mouth of Bianca Maria and did nothing but what she commaunded being so bewrapped with the heauie mantell of beastly Loue as hée still above night and day in the house of his beloued whereby the brute was noised throughout the Citie and the songs of their Loue more common in eche Citizens mouthe than the Stanze or Sonnets of Petrarch played and sained vpon the Gittorne Lute or Harpe of these of Noble house more fine wittie than those vnsauery 〈◊〉 that be tuned and chaunted in the mouthes of the foolish common sort Behold an Earle well serued and dressed by enioying so false a woman which had already falsified the faith betrouthed to hir husbād who was more honest milde and vertuous than she deserued Beholde ye Noble Gentlemen the simplicitie of this good Earle how it was deceiued by a false and filthy strumpet whose stincking life and common vse of body woulde haue withdrawen each simple creature from mixture of their owne with such a Carrion A lesson to learne all youth to refraine the whoorishe lookes and light conditioned Dames a number the more to be pitied shewing forthe them selues to the portsale of euery cheapener that list demaunde the price the grosenesse whereof before considered were worthy to be defied and loathed This Ladie séeing hir Louer noussed in hir lust dandled him with a thousande trumperies and made hym holde the Mule while other enioyed the secrete sporte which earst hée vsed himself This acquaintance was so daungerous to the Counte as she hir self was shamelesse to the Counte of Celant For the one bare the armes of Cornwall and became a second Acteon and the other wickedly led his life lost the chiefest of that he loked for in the seruice of great princes by the treason of an arrant common 〈◊〉 Whiles this Loue continued in all pleasure and like contentation of either parts Fortune that was ready to mounte the stage and shew in sight that hir mobilitie was no more stable than a womans will For vnder such habite and sere Painters and Poets describe hir made Ardizzino suspecte what desire she had of chaunge and within a while after sawe himself so farre misliked of his Ladie as though he had neuer bene acquainted The cause of that recoile was for that the Countesse was not contented with one kinde of fare and whose eyes were more gredie than hir stomake able to digest and aboue all desired chaunge not séeking meanes to finde him that was worthy to be beloued and intertained of so great a Ladie as she estéemed hir selfe to be and as such women of their owne opinion thinke themselues who counterfaicte more grauitie and reputation than they doe whome nature and vertue for their maiestie and holinesse of life make Noble and praise worthie That desire deceiued hir nothing at all for a certaine time after that Ardizzino possessed the forte of this faire Countesse there came to Pauia one Roberto Sanseuerino Earle of Gaiazzo a yong faire and valiant Gentleman whose Countrey lieth on this side the Mountaines and very familiar with the Earle of Massino This vnfaithful Alcina and cruell Medea had no sonet cast hir eye vpon Signor di Gaiazzo but was pierced with his loue in such wise as if forthwith shée had not attained hir desires she would haue run mad bicause that Gentleman bare a certaine stately representation in his face promised such dexteritie in his déedes as sodainly she thought him to be that man that was able to staunch hir filthy thirst And therfore so gentlely as she could gaue ouer hir Ardizzino with whome she vtterly refused to speake and shunned his cōpanie when she saw him and by shutting the gates against him the Noble man was not able to forbeare from throwing forth some words of choler wherby she tooke occasion both to expell him and also to beare him such displeasure as then she cōspired his death as afterwards you shall perceiue This great hatred was the cause that she being fallen in Loue as you haue heard with the Counte of Gaiazzo shewed vnto him all signe of amitie and séeing that hée made no great sute vnto hir she wrote vnto him in this manner The Letter of Bianca Maria to the Counte of Gaiazzo SIr I doubt not by knowing the state of my degrée but that ye be abashed to sée the violēce of my mind when passing the limites of modestie which ought to guard such a Ladie as I am I am forced uncertain of the cause to doe you vnderstand the griefe that doeth torment me which is of such constraint as if of curtesie ye doe not vouchsafe to visite me you shall commit two faultes the one leauing the thing worthy for you to loue and regard and which deserueth not to be cast off the other in causing the death of hir that for Loue of you is bereft of rest And so loue hath very little in me to sease vpon either of heart or libertie but that ease of grief procéedeth from your only grace which is able to vanquishe hir whose victorious hap hath conquered all other and who attēding your resolut answer shall rest vnder the mercifull refuge of hope which deceiuing hir shall sée by that very meanes the wretched end of hir that is all your owne Bianca Maria Countesse of Celant The yong Lorde much maruelled at this message were it for that already hée was in loue with hir and that for loue of his friend Ardizzino wold not be known thereof or for that he feared she would be straught of wits if she were despised he determined to goe vnto hir yet stayed thought it not to be the
vpon the Lute desired him to giue awake vnto his Ladie that then for iealousie was harkening at hir window both the sound of the instrument and the words of hir amorous Knight wher the gētleman soong this song THe death with trenchāt dart doth brede in brest such il As I cannot forget the smart that therby riseth stil. Yet ne erthelesse I am the ill it self in dede That death with daily dolours depe within my breast doth brede I am my mistresse thrall and yet I doe not kno If she beare me good will at all or if she loue or no. My wound is made so large with bitter wo in brest That still my heart prepares a place to lodge a careful guest O Dame that bath my life and death at thy desire Come 〈◊〉 my mind wher facies flames doth burn like Ethna fire For wanting thee my life is death and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And finding fauor in thy sight my dayes are happy heere Then he began to sighe so terribly as if already she had gyuen sentence and definitiue Judgement of his farewel disputed with his felow in such sort with opinion so assured of his contempt as if hée had bene in loue with some one of the infants of Sp 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which cause he begā again very pitifully to sing these verses THat God that made my soule knowes what I haue felt Who causeth sighes and sorowes oft the sely soule to swelt Doth see my torments now and what I suffer still And vnderstands I tast mo griefs than I can shew by skill He doth consent I wot to my ill hap and woe And hath accorded with the dame that is my pleasant foe To make my boyling brest abound in bitter blisse And so bereue me of my rest when heart his hope shall misse O what are not the songs and sighs that louers haue When night and day with swete desires they draw vnto their graue 〈◊〉 grief by friendship growes where ruth nor 〈◊〉 raines And so like snow against the sunne thei melt away with pains My dayes must finish so my destnie hath it set And as the candle out I goe before hir grace I get Before my sute be heard my seruice throughly knowne I shal be laid in tombe full lowe so colde as Marble stone To thee faire Dame I cry that makes my senses arre And plātest peace 〈◊〉 my brest then makes sodain war Yet at thy pleasure still thou must my sowre make sweete In graunting me the fauor due for faithfull louers meete Which fauor giue me now and to thy Noble minde I doe 〈◊〉 Galley slaue as thou by proofe shall finde And so thou shalt release my heart from cruell bandes And haue his fredome at thy wil that yelds into thy handes So rendring all to thee the Gods may ioyne vs both Within one lawe and league of loue through force of constant troth Then shalt thou mistresse be of life of limme and all My goodes my golde and honour loe shall so be at thy call This gentle order of loue greately pleased the Lady and therefore opened hir gate to let in the 〈◊〉 Lorde who séeyng himself fauoured beyond all hope of his Ladie and cherefully intertained and welcommed wyth greate curtesie stoode so stil astonnied as if he had bene fallen from the cloudes But shée whyche coulde teache hym good maner to make him the minister of hir mischiefe takyng him by the hande made him sitte downe vpon a gréene bedde besydes hir and séeing that he was not yet imboldened for all he was a souldier she she wed hir selfe more hardie than he and first assayled him wyth talke saying Syr I praye you thinke it not strange if at this houre of the night I am bolde to cause you enter my house béeyng of no greate acquaintaunce with you but by hearyng your curteous salutations And we of this countrey be somwhat more at libertie than they in those partes from whence you come Besides it liketh me well as I am able to honor strange gentlemen and to retaine them with right good willing heart sith it pleaseth them to honor me with repaire vnto my house so shall you be welcome stil when you please to knocke at my gate which at all times I will to be opened for you wyth no lesse good will than if ye were my natural brother the same with all the thinges therein it maye please you to dispose as if they were your owne Dom Pictro of Cardonne well satisfied and contented with this vnlooked for kyndnesse thanked hir very curteously humbly praying hir besides to dayne it in good parte if he were so bolde to make request of loue and that it was the onely thyng which hée aboue all other desyred moste so that if shée woulde receyue hym for hir friende and seruaunt shée shoulde vnderstand him to be a Gentleman whiche lyghtly woulde promise nothing excepte the accomplishment did followe she that sawe a greater onset than shée looked for answered hym smilyng with a very good grace Syr I haue knowne very many that haue vouched slipperie promyses and proffered lordly seruices vnto Ladies the effecte wherof if I myght once sée I would not thinke that they coulde vanishe so soone and consume lyke smoake Madame sayde the Scicilian yf I fayle in any thyng whichs you commaunde mée I praye to God neuer to receyue any fauour or grace of those Curtesies whyche I craue If then quod shée you wyll promyse to employe youre selfe aboute a businesse that I haue to doe when I make requeste I wyll also to accepte you for a friende and graunt such secrecie as a faythfull louer can desyre of hys Ladye Dom Pietro whyche woulde haue offered hym selfe in Sacrifice for hir not knowyng hir demaunde toke an othe and promysed hir so lightly as madly afterwardes he did put the same in proofe Beholde the preparatiues of the obsequies of their first loue the guages of a bloodie bedde the one was prodigal of hir honoure the other the tormenter of his reputation and neglected the duetie and honor of his state which the 〈◊〉 wherof he came commaunded hym to kepe Thus all the night he remained with Bianca Maria who made him so wel to like 〈◊〉 good entertainement and imbracementes as he neuer was out of hir companie And the warie Circes fained hir selfe so farre in loue with him and vsed so many toyes gametricks of hir filthie science as he not onely esteemed him selfe the happiest Gentleman of Scicilia but the most fortunate wight of al the world and by biubing of hir wine was so straungely charmed with the pleasures of his faire mistresse as for hir sake he wold haue taken vpon him the whole ouerthrow of Milan so well as 〈◊〉 of Cumes to set the Citie of Rome on fire if Tyberius Gracchus the sedicious woulde haue gyuen hir leaue Such is the maner of wilde and foolish youth as which suffreth it self to be caried beyond the boundes of
Rhomeo but began to breake the fountaine pipes of gushing teares which ran forth in such aboundance as not able to support the furor of hir grief she breathed without ceasing vpō his mouth and then throwing hir self vpon his body 〈◊〉 it very hard séemed that by force of sighs and sobs she wold haue reuiued and brought him againe to life and after she had kissed and rekissed him a million of times she cried out Ah the swete rest of my cares the only porte of all my pleasures and pastymes hadst thou 〈◊〉 sure a heart to choose thy Churchyarde in this place betwene the armes of thy perfect louer and to ende the course of thy life for my sake in the floure of thy youth whē life to thée shold haue bene most dear delectable how had this tender body power to resist the furious cōbat of death very death it self being here present How could thy fēder delicate youth willingly permit that thou shouldest approch into this filthy infected place where frō henceforth thou shalt be the pasture of worms vnworthy of thée Alas alas by what meanes shall I now renew my plaints which time and long pacience ought to haue buried and clearly quenched Ah I miserable and caitife wretch thinking to finde remedie for my griefs I haue sharpned the knife that hath 〈◊〉 me this cruel blow whereof I receiue the cause of mortall wound Ah happy and fortunate graue which shalt serue in world to come for witnesse of the most perfect aliāce that euer was betwene two most fortunate louers receiue now the last sobbing sighes intertainment of the most cruel of all the cruell subiects of ire death And as she thought to cōtinue hir cōplaints Pietro aduertised Frier Laurence the he heard a noise bisides the citadel wherwith being afraid they 〈◊〉 departed fearing to be taken And then Iulietta seing hir self alone in full libertie toke againe Rhomeo betwene hir armes kissing him with such affection as she semed to be more attainted with loue thā death and drawing out the dagger which Rhomeo ware by his side she pricked hir self with many blowes against the hart saying with feble pitiful voyce Ah death the end of sorow and beginning of felicity thou art most heartily welcome feare not at this time to sharpen thy dart giue no longer delay of life for fear that my sprite trauaile not to finde Rhomeos ghost amonges such numbre of carion corpses And thou my deare Lord and loyall husbande Rhomeo if there rest in thée any knowledge receiue hir whome thou hast so faithfully loued the only cause of thy violent death which frankely offreth vp hir soule that none but thou shalt ioy the loue wherof thou hast made so lawfull conquest And that our soules passing from this light may eternally liue together in the place of euerlasting ioy and when she had ended those words she yelded vp hir gost While these things thus were done the garde watch of the Citie by chāce passed by séeing light wtin the graue suspected straight the they were Necromācers which had opened the 〈◊〉 to abuse the dead bodies for aide of their arte desirous to know what it mēt wēt downe into the vaut where they 〈◊〉 Rhomeo Iulietta with their armes imbracing 〈◊〉 others neck as though there had ben some tokē of life And after they had well viewed them at leisure they knew in what case they were And thē all amazed they sought for the theues which as they thought had done the murder and in the end found the good father Frier Laurence and Pietro the seruaunt of dead Rhomeo which had hid themselues vnder a stall whome they caried to prison and aduertised the Lord of Escala and the Magistrates of Verona of that horrible murder which by and by was published throughout the Citie Then flocked together all the Citezens women children leauing their houses to looke vpon that pitifull sight and to the ende that in presence of the whole Citie the murder should be knowne the Magistrates ordained that the two deade bodies should be erected vpon a stage to the view and sight of the whole world in such sort and maner as they were found within the graue and that Pietro and Frier Laurence should publikely be examined that afterwardes there might be no murmure or other pretended cause of ignorance And this good olde Frier being vpon the scaffold hauing a white beard all wet bathed with teares the iudges cōmaūded to declare vnto them who were the authors of that murder sith at vntimely houre he was apprehended with certaine irons bisides the graue Frier Laurence a rounde and franke man of talke nothing moued with that accusation sayd vnto them with stoute and bolde voyce My masters there is none of you all if you haue respect vnto my forepassed life and to my aged yeres and therewithall haue cōsideration of this heauy spectacle whervnto vnhappy fortune hath presently brought me but doeth greatly maruell of so sodaine mutation change vnlooked for for so much as these thrée score and ten or twelue yeares sithens I came into this world and began to proue the vanities thereof I was neuer suspected touched or found gilty of any crime which was able to make me blush or hide my face although before God I doe confesse my self to be the greatest and most abhominable sinner of al the redéemed flock of Christ. So it is notwithstanding that sith I am prest ready to render mine accompt and that death the graue and wormes do daily summō this wretched corps of mine 〈◊〉 appeare before the iustice seate of God still waighting and 〈◊〉 to be caried to my hoped graue this is the houre I say as you likewise may thinke wherin I am fallen to the greatest damage preiudice of my life and honest port and that which hath ingēdred this sinister opinion of me may peraduēture be these great teares which in abundance trickle downe my face as though the holy scriptures do not witnesse that Iesus Christ moued with humane pitie and compassion did wepe and pour forth teares that many times teares be the faithfull messengers of a mans innocency Or else the most likely euidence and presumption is the suspected houre which as the magistrate doth say doe make me culpable of the murder as though all houres were not indifferently made equall by God their creattor who in his owne person declareth vnto vs the there be twelue houres in the day shewing therby that there is no exception of houres nor of minutes but that one may doe either good or yll at all times indifferently as the partie is guided or forsaken by the sprite of God touching the yrons which were found about me néedefull it is not now to let you vnderstand for what vse Iron was first made and that of it self it is not able to increase in man either good or euill if not by the mischeuous minde
easie for them to bryng to passe yea if it wer to expel the Saracēs out of 〈◊〉 or to depriue the great Turke of his kingdome of Constantinople Their ioy was such as they coulde not tell where they were thinking euery houre a whole day before night came At length the tyme was come so long desired and the husbandes accordingly gaue diligent attendance and let their wiues to vnderstand or at lest wise beleued they had that they coulde not come home that night for matters of great importāce The women that were very wise séeing their shippe saile with so prosperous winde fained them selues to credite all that they offered These yong men toke either of them his Gondola or as we term it their barge to disport themselues hauing supped abrode rowed in the Canali which is that water that passeth through diuers stretes of the citie expecting their apointed hour The womē redy at iij. of the clocke repaired into their gardens after they had talked laughed together a pretie while wēt one into an others house wer by that maids brought vp to that chābres There either of them that candle being light began diligently to view that order situation of the place by litle litle marked the chiefest things they loked for cōmitting that same to memorie Afterwards they put out that candle both in trembling maner expected the cōming of their husbands And 〈◊〉 at iiij of that clock the maiden of Madōna Lucia stode at the dore to wait for that cōming of master Anselmo who win a while after came gladly was let in by that maid by hir cōducted vp to the chāber euē to the bed side The place there was so dark as hell impossible for hym to know his wife The. ij wiues wer so like of bignesse spech as by dark without great difficultie they coulde be knowne When Anselmo had put of his clothes he was of his wife amorously intertained thynking the wife of 〈◊〉 had receiued him betwene hir armes who aboue 〈◊〉 M. times kissed hir very swetely and she for hir parte swéetely rendred againe to hym so many What folowed it wer folie to describe Girolamo lykewise at v. of the clock appered and was by the mayde conueyd vp to the chambre where he lay with his own wife to their great contentations Now these 〈◊〉 husbands thinking they had bē imbraced by their beloued ladies to séeme braue and valiant men of warre made greater proofe of their manhod than they wer wont to do At what time their wiues as it pleased God to manifest by their deliuerie wer begoten with child of 〈◊〉 faire 〈◊〉 they the best contented women of that worlde This practise cōtinued betwene thē many times fewe wekes passing but in this sort they lay together Neyther of them for al this perceiued themselues to be deluded or cōceiued any suspitiō of collusion by reason that chāber was stil without light in the day the womē cōmonly failed not to be togither The time was not lōg but their bellies began to swel wherat their husbands were exceding ioiful beleuing verily that one of them had fixed hornes vpon an others head Nowbeit the pore mē for al their false belief had bestowed their labor vp on their own soil watred only with the course of their propre foūtain These 〈◊〉 ioly wēches seing thēselfs by this amorous practise to be with childe beganne to deuise how they might breake of the same doubting lest some slaunder and ill talke shoulde rise and thereby the hatrede and malice betwene their husbandes increase to greater furie And as they wer about this deuise an occasion chaunced vtterly to dissolue their 〈◊〉 méetings but not in that sort as they wold haue had it For the women determined as merily they had begon so iocundly to ende but Fortune the guide of humane life disposeth all enterprises after hir owne pleasure who like a puissant Ladie carieth with hir the successe of eche attempt The beginnyng she offereth fréely to him that list the end she calleth for as a ransom or tribute payable vnto hir In the same streate or as they cal it Rio Canale not farre from their houses there dwelled a yong woman very faire and comely not fully xx yeares of age which then was a widow and a little before the wife of M. Niccolo Delphino and the daughter of M. Giouanni Moro called Gismonda She besides hir fathers dowrie which was more thā a thousand 〈◊〉 had left hir by hir husband a greate porcion of money iewels plate and houshold furnitures With hir fell in loue Aloisio Foscari the nephew of the Duke who making great sute to haue hir to wyfe consumed the time in beholding his Ladie and at length had brought the matter to so good passe as one nighte she was contented at one of the windowes of hir house directly ouer againste a little lane to heare him speake Aloisio maruellous glad of those desired newes 〈◊〉 appointed night about v. or vj. of the clock with a ladder made of roapes bicause the window was very high wente thither alone Beyng at the place making a signe concluded vpon betwene them attended when the gentle woman should throwe downe a litle corde to draw vp the ladder accordingly as was appointed which not long after was done Gismonda when she had receiued the ende of the ladder tied it fast to the iawme of the window and gaue a token to hir louer to mount he by force of loue being very venturous liuely and lustely scaled the window And when he was vpon the top of the same desirous to cast himself in to embrace his Ladie and she not ready to receiue him or else vpon other occasion he fel downe backward thinking as he fell to haue saued himself twice or thrice by catching hold vpō the ladder but it wold not be Notwithstāding as God wold haue it the poise of his body fel not vpō the pauement of the streate fully but was stayed by some lets in the fal which had it not bene so no doubt he had ben slaine out of hand but yet his bones were sore brused and his head déepely wounded The infortunate Louer séeing himself sore hurt with that pitifull fall albeit he thought that he had receiued his deaths woūde and impossible to liue any longer yet the loue that he bare to the widow did so far surmoūt the paine by him sustained and the grief of his body sore crushed and broken that so well as he could he raised himself vp and with his hands stayed the bloud that ranne from his head to the intent it might not raise some slaunder vpon the widow that he loued so wel and 〈◊〉 alongs the streat towarde the houses of Girolamo and Anselmo aforsaid Being come thither with great difficultie not able to goe any further for very paine and griefe he fainted and fell downe as deade where the bloud issued in such aboundance
may remedy the different disease almost incurable in either of you twaine the same béeing so vehement as altered into a 〈◊〉 maketh you in this wise incapable of reasō Finishing these words she toke hir leaue of Zilia and arriued to the louers house she founde him lying vpon his bedde rather dead than aliue who séeing his neighbor returned backe againe with face so sadde not tarying for the answer which she was about to make he began to say Ah infortunate Gentleman thou payest well the vsurie of thy pleasures past when thou diddest liue at libertie frée from those trauails which now do put thée to death with out suffring thée to die Oh happie and more than right happie had I bene if inconstant Fortune had not deuised this treason wherein I am surprised and caught and yet no raunsom can redeme me from prison but the most miserable deth that euer poore louer suffred Ah mistresse I know well that Zilia estemeth not my letters ne yet regardeth my loue I confesse that I haue done you wrong by thus abusing your honest amitie for the solace of my pain Ah fickle loue what foole is he which doth commit himself to the rage and furie of the waues of thy foming and tempestuous seas Alas I am entred in with great gladsom chéere through the glistering shew before mine eyes of the faint sunne beames wherunto so soone as I made saile the same denied me light to thrust me forth into a thousande windes tempests and raging stormes of raine By meanes wherof I sée no meane at all to hope for end of my mishaps and much lesse the shipwracke which sodainely may rid me from this daunger more intollerable than if I were ouerwhelmed wythin the bottomlesse depth of the maine Ocean Ah deceiuer wily souldier why hast thou made me enterprise the voyage farre of from thy solitudes and wildernesse to giue me ouer in the middest of my necessitie Is this thy maner towardes them which franckly follow thée by trace and pleasantly subdue themselues to thy traiterous folies At lest wise if I saw some hope of helth I would indure without complaint therof yea and it were a more daungerous tempest But O good God what is he of whom I speake Of whom do I attende for solace and reliefe of him truely which is borne for the ouerthrow of men Of whom hope I for healthe Of the moste noysom poyson that euer was myngled with the most subtile druggs that euer were Whome shall I take to be my defender He which is in ambush traitrously to catch me that he may martir me worsse than 〈◊〉 hath done before Ah cruell wenche that thou shouldest measure so euill the good will of him that neuer purposed to trespasse the least of thy commaundementes Ah that thy beautie should finde a subiecte so stubborn in thée to torment them that loue and praise thée O maigre and vnkinde recompense to expel good seruantes that be affectionate to a seruice so iust and good Ah Basiliske coloured ouer with pleasure and swéetenesse howe hath thy sighte dispersed his poyson throughout mine heart At least wise if I hadde some drugge to repell thy force I should liue at ease that without this sute and trouble But I féele and proue that this sentence is more than true No physike herbes the griefe of loue can cure Ne yet no drugge that paine can well assure Alas the seare clothe will not serue to tense the wounde the time shall be but loste to cut the same is but increase of paine to salue the same bredeth matter to cause mine ouerthrow To be short any dressing can not auaile except the hand of hir alone which gaue the wounde I would to God the sawe the bottome of my heart and viewed the closet of any minde that she might iudge my firme saith and know the wrong she doth me by hir rigor and froward wil. But O vnhappie man I féele that she is so resolued in obstinate mynde as hir rest semeth only to depend vpon my paine hir ease vpon my grief and hir ioy vpon my sadnesse And saying so began strangely to wepe and sighing betwene lamented in so much as that mistresse messanger not able to abide the grief and painful trauaile wherin she saw the pore gentleman wrapped went home to hir house not withstanding she told afterward the whole successe of his loue to a Gentleman the friende of Philiberto Nowe this Gentleman was a companion in armes to the lorde of Virle and a very familiar friend of his for which cause he went about by all meanes to put away those foolish and frantike conceits out of his fansie but he profited as much by his endeuour as the passionate gained by his heuinesse who determining to die yelded so much to care and grief as he fel into a greuous sicknesse which both hindred him from slepe and also of his appetite to eate and drinke giuing himself to muse vpon his folies and fansied dreames without hearing or admitting any man to speake vnto him And if he dyd heare them his words tended to the complainte of the crueltie of one whom he named not and sounded of desire he had to end his life vpon that cōplaynt The physitians round about wer sought for who could giue no iudgement of that disease neither for al the signes thei saw or any inspection of the vrine or touching of the pulse but saide that it was a melancholie humor distilling from the braine which caused the alteration of his sense howbeit their arte and knowledge were void of skil to euacuate the grosse blood that was congeled of 〈◊〉 melancholie And therfore dispairing of his helth with handes full of money they gaue him ouer Whiche his friend and companion perceiuing maruellous sory for the affliction of his friend ceased not to practise al that 〈◊〉 could by letters gifts promises and complaintes to procure Zilia to visite the pacient For he was assured that the only presence of hir was able to recouer hys friend But the cruell woman excused hir self through hir widdowhed that it should be vnséemely for one of hir degrée of intent to visite a Gentleman whose parentage and aliance she knew not The soliciter of the Lord of Virle his health séeing how litle his prayers auailed with his implacable furie knewe no longer to what 〈◊〉 he might vow himself for counsell in the ende resolued to sollicite hir which hadde done the first message that she might deuise some meanes to bring them to speake together And fyndyng hir for his purpose thus he sayd vnto hir Mistresse I maruel much that you make so litle accompt of the pore lord of Virle who lieth in his bedde attending for death Alas if euer pitie hadde place in womans hearte I beséech you to gyue your ayde to helpe hym the meane whereof in whome it lyeth is not ignorant vnto you God is my witnesse quod she what trauaile I could take to help him but in thyngs
It chaunced in this time that a knight of 〈◊〉 the vassall of King Mathie for that he was likewise king of that countrey borne of a noble house very valiant and well exercised in armes fel in loue with a passing faire Gentlewoman of like nobilitie and reputed to be the 〈◊〉 of all the countrey and had a brother that was but a poore Gentleman not luckie to the goods of fortune This Boemian knight was also not very rich hauing onely a castle with certaine reuenues 〈◊〉 which wer 〈◊〉 able to yeld vnto him any gret maintenance of liuing Fallyng in loue then with this faire Gentlewoman he demaūded hir in mariage of hir brother with hir had but a very litle dowrie And thys knight not wel forseeing his poore estate broughte his wife home to his house there at more leisure cōsidering that same begā to fele his lack penurie how hardly scant his reuenues wer able to maintein his port He was a very honest gentle person one that delited not by any meanes to burden fine his tenants cōtenting himself with the reuenue whiche his auncesters left him the same amounting to no great yerely rent Whē this gentlemā perceiued that he stode in nede of extraordinarie reliefe after many diuers cōsiderations with himself he purposed to folow the court to serue king Mathie his souerain lord master there by his diligence experience to seke meanes for abilitie to sustain his wife him self But so great feruent was that loue that he bare vnto his lady as he thought it impossible for him to liue one houre 〈◊〉 hir yet iudged it not best to haue hir with him to the court for auoiding of further charges 〈◊〉 to courting ladies whose delite 〈◊〉 plesure resteth in the toys tricks of the same that cānot he wel auoided in poore gētlemē without their names in the Mercers or Drapers Iornals a heauy thing for them to consider if for their disport they like to walk that stretes The daily thinking thervpon brought that poore Gentlemā to great sorow heauinesse The lady that was yong wise discrete marking the maner of hir husband feared that he had some 〈◊〉 of hir Wherfore vpon a day she thus said vnto him Dere husband willingly wold I wish desire a good turne at your hand if I wist I should not displease you Demaund what you will said the knight if I can I wil gladly performe it bicause I doe estéeme your satisfaction as I doe mine owne lyfe Then the Ladie very sobrely prayde hym that he wold open vnto hir the cause of that discontenment whiche he shewed outwardly to haue for that hys mynde and behauiour séemed to be contrary to ordinarie custome contriued day and night in fighes auoidyng the companie of them that were wont specially to delight him The Knight hearing his ladies request paused a while and then sayd vnto hir My welbeloued wyfe for so much as you desire to vnderstand my thoughte and mynde and whereof it commeth that I am so sad and pensife I will tell you All the heauynesse wherwith you sée me to be affected dothe tend to this ende Fayne would I deuise that you and I may in honour lyue together according to our calling For in respect of our parentage our liuelode is very poore the occasion whereof were our parentes who morgaged their lands consumed a great part of their goods that our auncesters left them I daily thinkyng herevpon and conceiuing in my head diuers imaginations can deuise no meanes but one that in my 〈◊〉 séemeth best which is that I go to the Court of our souerain lord Mathie who at this present is inferring warrs vpon the Turk at whose hāds I do not mistrust to receiue good 〈◊〉 being a most liberal prince and one that estemeth al such as be valiant and actiue And I for my parte will so gouerne my selfe by Gods grace that by deserte I will procure suche lyuyng and 〈◊〉 as hereafter we may liue in our olde dayes a quiet life to our great stay and comfort For although Fortune hitherto hath not fauored that state of parētage wherof we be I doubt not with noble courage to win that in despite of Fortunes teeth whiche obstinately hytherto shée hath denied And the more assured am I of thys determination bycause at other tymes I haue serued vnder the Lorde Vaiuoda in Transsyluania against the Turk where many times I haue bene required to serue also in the Courte by that honorable Gentleman the Counte of Cilia But when I dyd consider the beloued companie of you dere wife the swéetest companion that euer wyght didde 〈◊〉 I thought it vnpossible for mée to forbeare your presence whych if I should do I were worthy to sustayne that dishonour which a great number of carelesse Gentlemen doe who followyng their priuate gayne and will abandon their yong and faire wyues neglecting the fyre whyche Nature hath instilled to the delicate bodyes of suche tender creatures Fearing therwithall that so soone as I shoulde depart the lustie yong Barons and Gentlemen of the countrey woulde pursue the gayne of that loue the price wherof I doe esteme aboue the crowne of the greatest emperour in all the worlde and woulde not forgoe for all the riches and precious Iewels in the fertile soilt of Arabie who no doubte woulde 〈◊〉 together in greater heapes than euer dydde the wowers of Penelope wythin the famouse graunge of Ithaca the house of wanderynge Vlisses Whyche pursuite yf they dydde attayne I shoulde for euer hereafter bée ashamed to shew my face before those that be of valour and regarde And this is the whole effect of the scruple 〈◊〉 wife that hindreth me to séeke for our better estate and fortune When he had spoken those woords 〈◊〉 held his peace The Gentlewoman which was wise and stout perceiuing the great loue that hir husbande bare hir when he had stayed himselfe from talke with good and mery countenaunce answered hym in thys wise Sir Vlrico which was the name of the Gentleman I in like manner as you haue done haue deuised and thought vpon the Nobilitie and birth of our auncestors from whose state and port and that without our fault and crime we be farre wide and deuided Notwithstanding I determined to set a good face vpon the matter and to make so much of our painted sheath as I could In déede I confesse my self to be a woman and you men do say that womens hearts be faint I féeble but to be plaine with you the contrary is in me my heart is so stoute and ambitious as paraduenture not méete and consonāt to power and abilitie although we women will finde no lacke if our hearts haue pith and strength inough to beare it out And faine wold I support the state wherin my mother maintained me Now be it for mine owne part to God I yeld the thanks I can so moderate and stay
for that she was the cause of the losse of so notable and perfecte a Knyght as Dom Diego was Then she redde the Letter vnto hir and as all hir cloquence was not able to moue that cruel damsell more venomous than a serpent against the knight who as she thought had not indured the one halfe of that which his inconstancie and lightnesse well deserued whose obstinate mind the mother perceiuing said vnto hir I pray to God deare daughter that for youre 〈◊〉 you be not blinded in your beautie for the refusal of so great a benefit as is the alliāce of Dom Diego you be not abused with such a one as shal dimme the light of your renoume glory whiche hitherto you haue gained amongs the sobrest and modest maidens Hauing said so the wise and sage widow went toward the seruant of Dom Diego of whō she demaūded what 〈◊〉 his master departed which she knowing not igno rant of the occasion was more wroth than before notwithstānding she dissembled what she thought sending back his seruant she required him to do hir hartie commendations to the lady his mistresse which he did The good lady was ioyful therof for not knowing that cōtents of hir sonnes letters she loked that he had sent word vnto his lady of the iust houre of his returne But when she saw that in xx dayes nor yet within a moneth he came not she could not tell what to thinke so dolorous was she for the absence of hir son The time passing without hering any newes frō him she began to tormēt hir self and be so pensiue as if she had heard certaine newes of his death Alas quod she and wherfore haue the heuēs giuē me the possession of such an exquisite fruite to depriue me thereof before I doe partake the goodnesse and swéetenesse therof and enioy the grifts proceding from so goodly a stocke Ah God I feare that my immoderate loue is the occasion of the losse of my 〈◊〉 and the whole ruine of the mother with the demolition and wast of all our goodes And I woulde that it had pleased God my sonne that hunters game had neuer ben so dere for thinkyng to catche the praie thou thy selfe was taken and thou wandring for thy better disport missing the right way so strangely didst 〈◊〉 that hard it is to reduce thée into the right track again At least wise if I knew the place whervnto thou arte repaired to fynde againe thy losse I woulde trauaile thither to beare 〈◊〉 companie rather than to lyne here voide of a husbande betrayed by them whome I best trusted and 〈◊〉 from the presence of thée my sonne the staffe and onely comforte of myne olde age and the certaine hope of al our house and familie Now if the mother vered hir selfe the sonne was eased with no great reioyse being now a frée citizen with the beastes foules of the forestes dennes and caues leauing not the profunditie of the wooddes the craggednesse of the rocks or beautie of the valey without some signe or token of his grief Sometime with a puncheon well sharpned seruing him in stéede of a penknife he graued the successe of his loue vpon on hard stone Other times the soft barke of some tender and new growen spraye serued him in place of paper or parchement For there he carued in 〈◊〉 proprely combined with a knotte not easily to be knowne the name of his Ladie interlaced so proprely with his owne that the finest 〈◊〉 might be deceiued to disciphre the right interpretatiō Upon a day then as he passed his time according to his custome to muse vpon his myssehaps and to frame his successe of loue in the ayre he ingraued these verses on a stone by a fountaine side adioyning to his sauage and rusticall house If any forrest Pan doth haunt here in this place Or Wandring Nymphe hath heard my wofull plaint The one may well behold and view what drop of grace I haue deseru'de and eke what griefes my heart doth taint The other lend to me some broke or shoure of raine To moist mine heart and eyes the gutters of my braine Somewhat further of many times at the rising of the Sunne he mounted the toppe of an highe and gréene Mountaine to solace himselfe vpon the freshe and gréene grasse where four pillers were erected either naturally done by dame Nature hir self or wrought by the industry of mā which bore a stone in forme foure square wel hewed made and trimmed in maner of an Altare vpon which Altare he dedicated these verses to the posteritie Vpon this holy squared stone which Altare men doe call To some one of the Gods aboue that consecrated is This dolefull verse I consecrate in token of my thrall And deadly griefes that do my silly hearte oppresse And vexe with endlesse paines which neuer quiet is This wofull verse I say as surest gage of my distresse I graue on Altare stone for euer to remaine To shew the heart of truest wight that euer liued in paine And vpon the brims of that table he carued these words This Mason worke erected here shall not so long abide As shall the common name of two that now vncoupled be Who after froward fortune past knit eche in one degre Shall render for right earnest loue reward on either side And before his lodging in that wilde and stony 〈◊〉 vpon the barke of a goodly lofty Béeche trée féeling in himself an vnaccustomed lustinesse thus he wrote Th' increasing beautie of thy shape extending far thy name By like increase I hope to see so stretched forth my fame His man séeing him to begin to be merily disposed one day said vnto him And wherfore sir serueth that lute which I brought amongs our males if you do not assay therby to recreate your self sing thereupon that praises of hir whome you loue so well yea and if I may so say by worshipping hir you doe commit Idolatry in your mind Is it not your pleasure that I fetch the same vnto you that by imitation of Orpheus you may moue the trées rockes and wilde beasts to bewaile your misfortune and witnesse the penaūce that you do for hir sake without cause of so heinous punishmēt I sée wel 〈◊〉 the Knight that thou woldest I should be mery but mirth is so far from me as I am estraunged frō hir that holdeth me in this misery Notwithstāding I wil perform thy request and will awake that instrument in this desert place wherwith sometime I witnessed that greatest part of my passions Then the Knight receiuing the Lute sounded therupon this song ensuing The waues and troubled 〈◊〉 that moues the seas aloft Which runs roares against the rocks threatneth dāgers oft Resembleth loe the fits of loue That daily doe my fansie moue My heart it is the ship that driues on salt sea 〈◊〉 And reason sailes with senselesse wit and neuer loketh home For loue is guide and leades the daunce That
thée so long as I shal haue life within this body Is it to thée false théefe and murderer that I ought to render accompte of that which I meant to do who hath appointed thée to be arbitrator or who gaue thée commission to capitulate the articles of my mariage Is it by force then that thou woldest I shold loue that vnfaithful Knight for whome thou hast committed done this acte that so long as thou liuest shall blot and blemish thy renoume and shall be so wel fixed in my minde and the wounds shal cleaue so neare my heart vntill at my pleasure I be reuenged of this wrong No no I assure thée that any force done vnto me shal neuer make me otherwise disposed thā a mortall enimy both to thée which art a Théefe rauisher of an other mans wife also to thy desperate friend Dom Diego which is the cause of this my losse And now not satisfied with the former wrong done vnto me thou goest about to deceiue me vnder the colour of good and pure amitie But sith wicked Fortune hath made me thy prisoner doe with me what thou wilt and yet before I suffer and endure that that traytor Dom Diego doe enioy my virginitie I will offer vp my life to the shadowes and ghosts of my faithful frend and husband whom thou hast so traiterously murdred And therfore if honestly I may or ought entreate mine enimie I pray thée that by doing thy duetie thou suffer vs in peace and giue licence to me this Page and my two pore maidens to departe whether we list God 〈◊〉 quod Roderico that I should doe a trespasse so shamefull as to depriue my dearest friend of his ioy and contentation and by falsifiing my faith be an occasiō of his death and of your losse by leauing you without companie wādring amids this wildernesse And he cōtinued thus his former discourse and talke to reclaime this cruell Damsell to haue pitie vpon hir pore penitent but he gained as much by his talke as if he had gone about to number the sandes alongs the sea coastes of the maine Ocean Thus deuising from one talke to an other they arriued neare the Caue which was the stately house of Dom Diego where Gineura lighted and saw the pore amorous Knight humbly falling downe at hir féete all forworne pale and disfigured wéeping with warme teares he sayde vnto hir Alas my deare Ladie the alone and only mistresse of my heart do you not thinke that my penaunce is long inoughe for the sinne which ignorauntly I haue committed if euer I haue done any fault at all Beholde I beséeche you good Ladie deare what ioy I haue conceiued in your absence what pleasures haue nursed mine hope and what consolation hath entertained my life which truely had it not bene for the continuall remembraunce of your diuine beautie I had of long time abreuiated to shorten the paines which doe renewe in me so many times the pangs of death as oftentimes I thinke vpon the vnkindenesse shewed vnto me by making so little accompte of my fealtie which can nor shall receiue the same in good parte were it so perfect as any assuraunce were able to make it Gineura swelling with sorow and full of feminine rage blushing with fury hir eyes sparckling forth hir cholerike conceiptes vouchsafed not so much as to giue him one woord for answere and bicause she would not looke vpon him she turned hir face on the other side The pore and afflicted louer séeing the great crueltie of his felonious mistresse still knéeling vpon his knées redoubling his armes fetching his sighes with a voyce that semed to be drawne by force from the bottome of his heart sayd vnto hir Sith the sinceritie of 〈◊〉 faith my long seruice 〈◊〉 Gineura cannot persuade you that I haue bene a most obedient faithful very loyal seruaunt towards you as 〈◊〉 any man that hath serued Ladie or 〈◊〉 and that without your fauour grace it is 〈◊〉 possible for me any longer to liue yet I doe very hūbly beséeche you for that all other comfort is denied me if there be any gētlenesse and curtesie in you that I may receiue this onely grace at your hands for the last that euer I hope to craue which is that you being thus greuously offended with me would doe iustice to that vnfortunate man which vpon his knées doeth instantly craue the same Graunt cruell mistresse this my request doe vengeance at your pleasure vpon him which willingly yeldeth him self to death with the effusion of his pore innocent bloud to satisfie you and verily farre more expedient it is for him thus to die by appeasing your wil than to rest on liue to your discontentment or anoyance Alas shall I be so vnfortunate that both life and death should be denied me by one person of the world whom I hope to content and please by any sort or meanes what so euer resting in mine humble obedience Alas Gentlewoman rid me from this torment and dispatch your selfe from the griefe which you haue to sée this vnhappy Knight who would say and estéeme himself to be happy his life being lothsome vnto you if he may content you by death done by your owne hands sith other fauor he cannot expect or hope for The maiden hardned in hir opinion stoode stil immoueable much like vnto a rocke in the midst of the sea 〈◊〉 with a tēpest of billowes and fomie 〈◊〉 in such wise as one word could not be procured frō hir mouth Which vnlucky Dom Diego perceiuing attached with the feare of present death and failing his natural force fell downe to the ground and fainting sayd Ah what a recompense doe I receiue for this so faithfull Loue Roderico beholding that hideous 〈◊〉 whilest the others wēt about to 〈◊〉 Dom Diego repaired to Gineura and full of heauinesse mingled with 〈◊〉 sayde vnto hir By God false 〈◊〉 woman if so be that I do change my minde I will make thée féele the smarte no lesse than thou shewest thy selfe dishonourable to them that doe thée honour Arte thou so carelesse of so great a Lorde as this is that humbleth hymselfe so low to such a strumpet as thou art who without regard either to his renoume or the honour of his house is content to be abandoned from his noble state to become a fugitiue and straunger What crueltie is this for thée to misprise the greatest humilitie that mā can imagin What greater amendes 〈◊〉 thou wish to haue although the 〈◊〉 which thou presupposest had ben true Now if thou be wise change this opinion except thou wouldest haue mée doe into so many pieces thy cruell 〈◊〉 and vnfaithfull heart as once this poore knight did in parts the vnhappie hauke which through thy follie did bréede vnto him this distresse and to thy selfe the name of the most cruell and disloyall woman that euer liued But what greater benefite can happen vnto thée than to sée this Gentleman vtterly to forget
maye bée harbored so straunge furie and vnreasonable rage O God the effecte of the crueltie resting in this woman paintyng it selfe in the imaginatiue force of my minde hath made me feare the like missehappe to come to the cruell state of this disauenturous gentlemā Notwithstanding O thou cruell beast thinke not that thys thy furie shall stay me from doyng thée to death to ryd thée from follie and disdaine this vnfortunate louer from dispaire and trouble verily beleuing that in time it shall be knowne what profite the worlde shal gaine by purging the same of such an infected plague as is an vnkinde and arrogant heart and it shall féele what vtilitie ryseth by thyne ouerthrow And I do hope besydes that in time to come men shal praise this dede of mins who for preseruing the honour of one house haue chosen rather to doe to death two offenders than to leaue one of them aliue to obscure the glorie and brightnesse of the other And therefore sayd he tourning his face to those of his traine Cut the throte of this 〈◊〉 and froward beast doe the like to them that be come with hir shewe no more fauor vnto them all than that curssed strumpet doeth mercy to the life of that miserable Gentleman who dieth there for loue of hir The maiden hearing the cruel sentence of hir death cried out so loude as she could thinking reskue would haue come but the pore wenche was deceiued for the desert knewe none other but those that were abiding in that troupe The Page and the woman seruaunt exclamed vpon Roderico for mercie but he made as though he heard them not and rather made signe to his men to do what he commaunded When Gineura sawe that their deathe was purposed in déede confirmed in opinion rather to die thā to obey she said vnto the executioners My friends I beséeche you let not these innocentes abide the penaunce of that which they neuer committed And you Dom Roderico be 〈◊〉 on me by whome the fault if a womans faith to hir husband may be termed a faulte is done And let these 〈◊〉 depart that be God knoweth innocent of any crime And thou my frend which liuest amongs the shadowes of faithfull louers if thou haue any féeling as in déede thou prouest being in another world beholde that purenesse of mine heart sidelitie of my loue who to kepe the same inuiolable doe offer my self voluntarily to the death which this cruell tyrant prepareth for me And thou hangman the executioner of my ioyes and murderer of the immortall pleasures of my loue sayd she to Roderico glut thy gluttonous desire of bloud make dronke thy minde with murder 〈◊〉 of thy little triūphe which for all thy threats or persuasible words thou 〈◊〉 not get frō the heart of a simple maiden ne cary away the victory for all the battred breach made into the rāpare of hir honoure When she had so sayd a man would haue thought that the memory of death had cooled hir heate but that same serued hir as an assured solace of hir paines Dom Diego come to himself seeing the discourse of that tragedie being now addressed to the last 〈◊〉 end of that life and stage of faire golden locked Gincura making a vertue of necessitie recouered a little corage to saue if it were possible the life of hir that had put his owne in hazard miserably to end Hauing stayed them that held the maidē he repaired to Dom Roderico to whom he spake in this wise I sée wel my good Lord and great friend that the good will you beare me causeth you to vse this honest order for my behalf wherof I doubt if I should liue a whole hundred yeares I shall not be able to satisfie the least of the bondes wherein I am bound the same surpassing all mine abilitie and power Yet for all that deare friend sith you 〈◊〉 the fault of this missehap to arise of my predestinate ill lucke and that man cannot auoide things once ordained I beseech you do me yet this good pleasure for all the benefits that euer I haue receiued to send back again this gentlewoman with hir traine to the place frō whence you toke hir with like assuraūce 〈◊〉 as if she were your sister For I am pleased with your endeuor cōtented with my misfortune assuring you sir besides that the trouble which she endureth doth far more grieue my hart than al that paine which for hir sake I suffer That hir sorowe then may decrease and mine may renue again that she may line in peace and I in warre for hir cruel beautie sake I will wait vpon Clotho the spinner of the threden life of mā vntill shée breake the twisted lace that holdeth the fatal course of my doleful yeares And you Gentlewomā liue in rest as your pore suppliāt wretched Dom Diego shal be citizen of these wild places vaunt you 〈◊〉 that you were that best beloued maiden that euer liued Maruellous truely bée the forces of Loue when they discouer their perfection for by their meanes things otherwise impossible be reduced to such facilitie as a mā woulde iudge that they had neuer bene so harde to obtaine and so painefull to pursue As appeared by thys damsell in whome the wrathe of fortune the pinche of iealosie the intollerable rage of hir friendes losse 〈◊〉 ingendred a contempt of Dom Diego an extreme desire to be reuenged on Dom Roderico and a 〈◊〉 of longer life And now putting of the 〈◊〉 of blinde appetite for the esclarishyng of hir vnderstanding eyes and breaking the Adamant rock planted in the middes of hir breast she beheld in open 〈◊〉 the stedfastnesse pacience and perseueration of hir greate friende For that supplication of the Knight had greater force in Gineura than all his former seruices And full well 〈◊〉 shewed the same when throwing hir selfe vpon that neck of the desperate Gentleman and imbracing hym very louingly she sayd vnto him Ah syr that youre felicitie is the beginning of my great ioy of minde which 〈◊〉 now of swéetenesse in the very same in whome I imagined to be the welspring of bitternesse The diminution of one griefe is and shall bée the increase of 〈◊〉 bonde such as for euer I wil cal my self the most humble slaue of your worshyp lowly beséeching you neuerthelesse to pardon my follies wherewith full fondely I haue abused your pacience Consider a while sir I beseech you the nature and secrecie of loue For those that be blinded in that passion thinke them selues to be perfecte séers and yet be the first that commit most 〈◊〉 faultes I doe not denie any committed wrong trespasse and doe not refuse therfore the honest and gentle correction that you shall appointe mée for expiation of mine offense Ah my noble Ladie aunswered the knight all rapt with pleasure and half way out of his wits for ioy I humbly beséeche you inflicte vpon my pore wretched body no further
where he had remained for a certaine time and passing before the house of his Ladie according to his custome heard the voice of women maidens which mourned for Montanine therwithal stayd the chiefest cause of his stay was for that he saw go forth out of the palace of his Angelica diuers women making mone lamentation wherfore he demaūded of that neighbors what noise that was whether any in those quarters were dead or no. To whom they declared at length all that which ye haue heard before Salimbene hearing this story went home to his house being secretly entred into his chāber begā to discourse with himself vpon that accident and 〈◊〉 a thousand things in his head in the ende thought that Charles shold not so be cast away wer he iustly or innocently condemned and for the only respect of his sister that she might not be left destitute of all the goodes and inheritance Thus discoursing diuers things at length he sayd I were a very simple person now to rest in dout sith Fortune is more curious of my felicitie than I could wish and séeketh the effecte of my desires when lest of all I thought vpon them For behold Montanine alone is left of al the mortal enimies of our house which to morow openly shall lose his head like a rebell seditious person vpon whose auncesters in him shall I bée reuenged and the quarell betwene our two families shall take ende hauing no more cause to feare renuing of discorde by any that can descend from him And who shall let me then from inioying hir whom I do loue hir 〈◊〉 being dead and his goodes confiscate to the segniorie and she without all maintenance and relief except the aide of hir onely beautie and curtesie What maintenance shall she haue if not by the loue of some honest Gentleman that for his pleasure may support hir and haue pitie vpon the losse of so excellent beautie Ah Salimbene what hast thou sayd Hast thou alreadie forgotten that a Gentleman for that only cause is estemed aboue all other whose glorious factes oughte to shine before the brightnesse of those that force themselues to folow vertue Art not thou a Gentleman borne and bredde in noble house ssued from the loines of gentle and noble parents Is it ignorant vnto thée that it pertaineth vnto a noble and gentle hearte to reuenge receiued iniuries himself without séeking aide of other or else to pardon them by vsing clemencie and princely curtesie burying all desire of vengeaunce vnder the tombe of eternall obliuion And what greater glorie can man acquire than by vanquishing himself and chastising his affections and rage to bynde him whiche neuer thought to receiue pleasure or benefite at his hand It is a thing which excedeth the cōmon order of nature and so it is mete and requisite that the most excellent do make the effects of their excellencie appeare and séeke means for the immortalitie of their remembrāce The great Dictator Caesar was more praised for pardoning his 〈◊〉 and for shewing him selfe curteous and easie to be spoken to than for subduing the braue and valiant Galles and Britons or vanquishing the mightie Pompee Dom Roderico Viuario the Spaniard although he might haue ben reuenged vpon Dom Pietro king of Aragon for his infidelitie bicause he went about to hinder his voyange against the Saracens at Grenado yet wold not punishe or raunsom him but taking him prisoner in the warres suffered him to go without any tribute or any exaction of him and his 〈◊〉 The more I folowe the example of mightie personages in things that be good the more notorious and wonderful shal I make my self in their rare and noble déedes And not willing to forget a wrong done vnto me whereof may I cōplain of Montanine what thing hath hée euer done against me or mine And albeit his predecessors were enimies to our familie they haue therfore borne the penance more hard than the sin deserued And truly I shold be afrayd that God wold suffer me to 〈◊〉 into some mishap if séeing one afflicted I shold reioyse in his affliction take by his decay an argument of ioy plesure No no Salimbene is not of minde that such fond imagination should bereue good will to make himselfe a friend to gaine by liberalitie curtesie hir which for hir only vertue deserueth a greater lord than I. Being asiured that there is no man except he were 〈◊〉 of al good nature humanitie specially bering the loue to Angelica that I do but he woulde be sory to see hir in such heauinesse and dispaire wold attempt to deliuer hir from such dolorous grief For if I loue hir as I do in dede must not I likewise loue al that which she earnest ly loueth as him that is now in daunger of death for a simple fine of a thousand Florens That my heart doe make appere what the loue is which maketh me tributarie and subiect to faire Angelica that eche man may know that furious loue hath vanquisht kings greate monarches it behoueth not me to be abashed if I which am a man subiect tapassiōs so wel as other do submit my self to the seruice of hir who I am assured is so vertuous as euē very necessitie cannot force hir to forget the house wherof she toke hir original Uaunt thy self then 〈◊〉 Angclica to haue forced a heart of it selfe impregnable giuen him a wound which the stoutest lads might sooner haue depriued of life than put him out of the way of his gentle kind And 〈◊〉 Montanine thinke that if thou wilte thy selfe thou wynnest to day so heartie a friende as onely death shall separate the vnion of vs twaine and of all our posteritie It is I nay it is I my selfe that shall excell thée in duetie poynting the way for the wysest to get honor and violently compell the moued myndes of those that be oure aduersaries desiring rather vainly to forgo mine own life than to giue ouer the vertuous conceipts whiche be alreadie grifted in my minde After this long discourse séeing that the tyme required diligence he tooke a thousande Ducates and went to the Treasurer of the fines deputed by the state whom he fonnd in his office and said vnto him I haue brought you sir the Thousand Ducates which Charles Montanine is bounde to pay for his deliuerance Tell them and giue hym an acquittance that presently he may come forth The Treasorer woulde haue giuen him the rest that excéeded the summe of a Thousand Florens but Salimbene refused the same and receiuing a letter for his discharge he sent one of his seruants therwithall to the chiefe Gailer who séeing that the summe of his condemnation was payd immediatly deliuered Montanine out of the prison where he was fast shutte and fettred with great and weighty giues Charles thinkyng that some Frier had ben come to confesse hym and that they had shewed hym 〈◊〉 mercy to do him to
shift besturred him in Erra Pater for matching of two contrary elements For colde in Christmasse holy dayes and frost at Twelftide shewed no more force in this poore lerned scholer thā the Suns heat in the Feries of Iuly gnats flies waspes at noone dayes in Sōmer vpon the naked tender corpse of this fair Widow The Scholer stode belowe in a Court benoommed for cold the widowe preached a lofte in the top of a Tower and 〈◊〉 woulde haue had water to coole hir extreme heat The scholler in his shirt bedecked with his demissaries The widow so naked as hir graundmother Eue without vesture to shroud hir The widow by magike Arte what so euer it cost wold faine haue recouered hir lost louer The Scholler well espying his aduaūtage when he was asked councel so incharmed hir with his Sillogismes as he made hir to mount a tower to cursse the time that euer she knew him or hir louer So that widow not well beatē in causes of schole was whipt with the rod wherwith she scourged other Alas good woman had she knowne that olde malice had not bene forgotten she would not haue trusted lesse committed hir self to the circle of his enchauntments If women wist what dealings are with men of great reading they wold amongs one hundred other not deale with one of the meanest of those that be bookish One Girolamo Ruscelli alearned Italian making pretie notes for that better elucidation of the Italian Decamerone of Boccaccio iudgeth Boccaccio himself to be this scholler whom by another name he termeth to be Rinieri But whatsoeuer that Scholler was he was truly too extréeme in reuenge therein could vse no meane For he neuer left the pore féeble soule for all hir curteous woords and gentle supplication vntil the skin of hir flesh was parched with the scalding sunne beames And not contented with that delt his almose also to hir maide by sending hir to help hir mistresse where also she brake hir legge Yet Philenio was more pitifull ouer the thrée Nimphes faire Goddesses of Bologna whose History you may read in the xlix Nouell of my former Tome He fared not so roughly with those as Rinieri did with this that sought but to gain what she had lost Wel how so euer it was and what differencie betwene either of them this Hystorie ensuing more amply shall giue to vnderstand Not long sithens there was in Florence a yong gentlewoman of worshipfull parentage faire and comely of personage of courage stout and abounding in goods of fortune called Helena who being a Widow determined not to mary again bicause she was in loue with a yong man that was not voide of natures goodly gifts whom for hir owne toothe aboue other she had specially chosen In whome setting aside all other care many times by meanes of one of hir maids which she trusted best she had great pleasure and delite It chaūced about the same time that a yong Gentleman of that Citie called Rinieri hauing a great time studied at Paris retourned to Florence not to sell his Science by retaile as many doe but to know the reasons of things and the causes of the same which is a maruellous good exercise for a Gentleman And being there honoured greatly estemed of all men aswell for his curteous behauioure as also for his knowledge he liued like a good Citizen But as it is commonly séene they which haue best vnderstanding and knowledge in things are soonest tangled in Loue euen so it happened to this Rinieri who repairing one day for his passetime to a feast this Madame Helena clothed all in blacke after the manner of widowes was there also and séemed in his eyes so beautiful and wel fauored as any woman that euer he sawe and thought that he might be accompted happy to whome God did she we so much fauoure as to suffer him to be cleped betwene hir armes beholding hir diuers times and knowing that the greatest and dearest things can not be gotten without laboure he determined to vse all his endeuoure and care in pleasing of hir that thereby he might obtaine hir loue and so enioy hir The yong Gentlewoman not very bashfull conceiuing greater opinion of hir selfe than was néedefull not casting hir eyes towards the ground but rolling them artificially on euery side and by and by perceiuing much gazing to be vpon hir espied Rinieri earnestly beholding hir and sayd smiling to hir selfe I thinke that I haue not this day lost my time in comming hither for if I be not deceiued I shall catch a Pigeon by the nose And beginning certaine times stedfastly to loke vpon him she forced hir selfe so much as she could to séeme effectuously to beholde him and on the other parte thinking that the more pleasant and amorous she shewed hir self to be the more hir beautie should be estéemed chiefly of him whome specially she was disposed to loue The wise Scholler giuing ouer his Philosophie bent all his endeuor hereunto thinking to be hir seruaunt learned where she dwelt and began to passe before hir house vnder pretense of some other occasion wherat the Gentlewoman reioysed for the causes beforesaide faining an earnest desire to beholde him Wherfore the Scholler hauing found a certaine meane to be acquainted with hir maide discouered his loue praying hir to deale so with hir mistresse as he might haue hir fauor The maide promised him very willingly and incontinently reported the same to hir mistresse who with the greatest scoffes in the world gaue eare therunto sayd Séest thou not frō whence this goodfellow is come to lose al his knowledge doctrine that he hath brought vs from Paris Now let vs deuise therefore how he may be handled for going about to séeke that which he is not like to obtain Thou shalt say vnto him when he speaketh to thée againe that I loue him better than he loueth me but that it behoueth me to saue mine honoure and to kéepe my good name and estimation amongs other women Which thing if he be so wise as he séemeth he ought to esteme regarde Ah poore Wench she knoweth not well what it is to mingle huswiuery with learning or to intermeddle distaues with bokes Now the maid when she had found the Scholler told him as hir mistresse had commaūded wherof the Scholler was so glad as he with greater endeuor procéeded in his enterprise and began to write letters to the Gentlewoman which were not refused although he could receiue no answeres that pleased him but such as were done opēly And in this sort the Gentle woman long time fed him with delayes In the end she discouered all this newe loue vnto hir friend who was attached with such an aking disease in his head as the same was fraught with the reume of ialosie wherfore she to she we hir selfe to be suspected without cause very careful for the Scholler sēt hir maid to tel him that she had no conuenient time to doe
the thing that shold please him sithēs he was first assured of hir loue but hoped the next Christmasse hollydayes to be at his commaundement wherefore if he would vouchsafe to rome the night following the first holyday into the court of hir house she wold wait there for his comming The Scholler the best contēted mā in the world failed not at the time appointed to goe to the Gentlewomans house where being placed by the maid in a base court and shut fast within the 〈◊〉 he attended for hir comming who supping with hir friend that night very pleasantly recited vnto him al that she had determined then to do saying Thou maist see what loue I do bear vnto him of whome thou hast foolishely conceiued this iealousie To which wordes hir friend gaue 〈◊〉 with great delectation desiring to see the effect of that wherof she gaue him to vnderstand by woordes New as it chaunced the day before the snowe fel downe so thicke from aboue as it couered all that earth by which meanes 〈◊〉 Scholler within a very litle space after his arriual began to be very colde howbeit hoping to receiue recompense he suffred it paciently The Gentlewoman a little while after sayd vnto hir friend I pray thee let vs goe into my chamber where at a little window we may loke out and see what he doth that maketh thee so iealous and hearken what answer he will make to my maide whome of purpose I wil send to speake vnto him When she had so sayd they went to that window where they séeing the Scholler they not seene of him 〈◊〉 the maide speake these woordes Rinieri my mistresse is the angriest woman in the world for that as yet she can not come vnto thée But the cause is that one of hir brethren is come to visite hir this Euening and hath made a long discourse of talke vnto hir and afterwardes bad himself to supper and as yet is not departed but I thinke he wil not tary long and then immediately she will come In the meane time she prayeth thée to take a litle paine The scholler beléeuing this to be true sayd vnto hir Require your Mistresse to take no care for me till hir leasure may serue howbeit entreat hir to make so much hast as she can The maid retourned and wēt to bed and the dame of the house sayd then vnto hir frend Now sir what say you to this Do you thinke that if I loued him as you mistrust that I would suffer him to tarry beneath in the colde to coole himselfe And hauing sayd so she went to bed with hir friend who then was partly satisfied and all the night they continued in great pleasure and solace laughing mocking the miserable Scholler that walked vp and downe the court to chafe himself not knowing where to sit or which way to auoide the colde and curssed the long tarying of his mistresse brother hoping at euery noise he heard that she had come to open the dore to let him in but his hope was in vain Now she hauing sported hir selfe almost till midnight sayd vnto hir friend How think you sir by our Scholer whether iudge you is greater his wisdome or the loue that I beare 〈◊〉 him The cold that I make him to suffer wil extinguish the heat of suspition which ye conceiued of my woordes the other day Ye say true sayd hir friend and I 〈◊〉 assure you that like as you are my delite my rest my comfort and all my hope euen so I am youres during life For the cōfirmation of which renewed amity they spared no delites which the louing Goddesse doeth vse to serue and imploy vpon hir seruaūts and suters And after they had talked a certain time she said vnto him For Gods sake sir let vs rise a litle to sée if the glowing fier which this my new louer bath daily written vnto me to burn in him be quēched or not And rising out of their beds they wēt to a little window loking down into the courte they sawe the Scholer daunsing vpon the snow whereunto his 〈◊〉 téeth were so good instrumentes as he séemed the 〈◊〉 dauncer that euer trode a Cinquepace after such Musike being forced therunto through the great colde which be suffred And then she sayde vnto him what say you to this my friend doe you not sée how cunning I am to make men daunce without Laber or Pipe Yes in déede said hir louer ye be an excellent musitian Then quod she let vs go downe to the dore and I will speake vnto him but in any wise speake you nothing and we shal heare what reasons and 〈◊〉 he wil frame to moue me to compassion and perchaunce shall haue no little pastime to behold him wherupon they went downe softly to the dore and there without open ing the same she with a soft voice out at a little bole called the Scholer vnto hir Which he hearing began to praise God and thanke him a thousande times beleuing verily that he shold then be let in and approching the dore said I am héere mine owne swéete heart open the dore for Gods sake for I am like to dic for colde Whome in mocking wise she answered can you make me beleue M. Scholer that you are so tender or that the colde is so great as you affirme for a little Snow that lieth without There be at Paris farre greater snowes than these be but to tel you the trothe you cā not come in yet for my brother the diuell take him came yesternight to supper and is not yet departed but by by he wil be gon and then you shal obtaine the effect of your desire assuring you that with much adoe I haue stoln away from him to come hither for your comfort praying you not to thinke it long Madame said the Scholer I beséeche you for Gods sake to open the dore that I may stand in couert from the snow which within this hour hath fallen in great aboundaunce and doth yet continue there I will attend your pleasure Alas swéete friend said she the dore maketh such a noise when it is opened that it wil easily be heard of my brother but I will pray him to depart that I may quickely returne againe to open the same Go your way then said the Scholer I pray you cause a great fire to be made that I may warme me when I come in for I can scarse féele my selfe for colde Why it is not possible sayd the woman if it be true that you wholly burne in loue for me as by your sundry letters written it appeareth but nowe I perceiue that you mocke me and therefore tary there still on Gods name Hir friend which heard all this tooke pleasure in those words wēt againe to bed with hir into whose eyes no slepe that night could enter for the pleasure sport they had with the pore Scholer The vnhappy wretched Scholer whose téeth clacked for colde saring like
while vnder a bush awaked one espied the other to whom the Scoler sayd Good morow Lady be the damsels yet come The woman séeing and hearing him begā again bitterly to wéepe and prayed him to come vp to the Toure that she might speake with hym The Scholer was therunto very agreable and she lying on hir belly vpō the terrasse of the Toure discouering nothing but hir head ouer that side of the same said vnto him wéeping Rinieri truly if euer I caused thée to endure an il night thou art now well reuenged on me for although it be the moneth of 〈◊〉 I thought because I was naked that I shold haue frosen to death this night for cold besides my great and continual teares for the offense which I haue done thée and of my folly for beleuing thée that maruel it is mine eyes do remaine 〈◊〉 my head therfore I pray thee not for the loue of me whom thou oughtest not to loue but for thine own 〈◊〉 which art a gentleman that the shame paine which I haue sustained may satisfy the offense wrong I haue cōmitted against 〈◊〉 cause mine aparel to 〈◊〉 brought vnto me that I may go towne frō hēce take not that frō me which 〈◊〉 thou art not able to restore which is mine honor for if I haue depriued thée of being with me that night I cā at all times when it shall please thée render many for that 〈◊〉 Let 〈◊〉 suffise thée then with this and like an honest mā content thy self by being a little reuēged on me in making me to know what it is to hurt another Do not I pray thée practise thy power against a woman for the Egle hath no fame for conquering of the Doue Then for the loue of God and for thine honor sake haue pitie and remorse vpon me The Scholer with a cruel heart remembring the iniury that he had receiued and seing hir so to weepe and pray conceiued at one instant both pleasure griefe in his minde pleasure of the reuenge which he aboue all things desired and grief moued his manhode to haue compassion vpon the miserable woman Notwithstanding pitie not able to ouercome the fury of his desire he answered Mistresse Helena if my prayers which in 〈◊〉 I could not moisten 〈◊〉 teares ne yet swéeten them with sugred woordes as you doe yours now might haue obtained that night wherein I thought I should haue died for colde in the Court ful of snowe to haue bene conueyed by you into some couert place an easie matter it had bene for me at this instant to heare your sute But if now more than in times past your honor doe ware warme and be so greuous for you to stande starke naked make your prayers to him betwene whose armes it grieued you not at all to be naked that night wherein you heard me trot vp downe the court my téeth chattering for colde and marching vpon the snow and at his hands séeke reliefe and pray him to bring your clothes and fetche a ladder that you may come downe force your self to set your honoures care on him for whome bothe then and nowe besides many other times you haue not feared to put the same in perill why doe you not cal for him to come and help you and to whome doth your helpe better appertaine than vnto him You are his owne what things will he not prouide in this distresse of yours or else what person will hée séeke to succour if not to helpe and succour you Cal him foolish woman and proue if the loue which thou 〈◊〉 him and thy wit together with his be able to deliuer thée from my folie wherat whē both you were togethers you toke your pleasure And now thou hast experiēce whether my folly or the loue which thou diddest beare vnto him is the greatest And be not now so liberall and curteous of that which I go not about to séeke 〈◊〉 thy good nightes to thy 〈◊〉 friend if thou chaunce to escape from hence aliue for from my selfe I cléerely discharge you both And truely I haue had to much of one and sufficient it is for me to be mocked once Moreouer by thy craftie talke vttered by subtill speache and by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praise thou thinkest to force the getting of my good will and thou callest me Gentleman valiant man thinking thereby to withdrawe my valiant minde from punishing of thy wretched body but thy flateries shal not yet blear mine vnderstanding eyes as once with thy vnfaithfull promises thou diddest beguile my ouerwening wit I now too well do know and thereof 〈◊〉 thée well assure that all the time I was a scholer in Paris I neuer learned so much as thou in one night diddest me to vnderstande But put the case that I wer a valiāt man yet thou art none of them vpon whom valiance ought to shewe his effectes for the ende of repentance in such cruel beasts as thou art and the like reuenge oughte to be death alone where amongs men thy pitifull plaintes whiche so lamētably thou speakest ought to suffise But yet as I am no Eagle 〈◊〉 no Doue but a most venomous serpent I intende so well as I am able so persecute thée mine auncient enimie with the greatest malice I can deuise which I can not so proprely call reuenge as I may terme it correction for that the reuēge of a matter ought to surmount the offense yet I wil bestow no reuenge on thée for if I wer disposed to applie my mynde thervnto for respect of thy displeasure done to me thy life shoulde not suffise nor one hundred more like vnto thine which if I tooke away I shold but rid a vile mischeuous wicked woman out of the world And to say the 〈◊〉 what other deuill art thou to 〈◊〉 passe a litle beautie 〈◊〉 thy face which within few yeares will be so riueled as the oldest cribbe of the world but the most vnhappie and wicked woman the dame of the diuell himselfe for thou tookest no care to kill and destroy an honest man as thou euen now diddst terme me whose life may in time to come bée more profitable to the worlde than an hundred thousande suche as thyne so long as the worlde indureth I wil teach thée then by the pain thou suffrest what it is to mock such men as be of skil and what maner of thyng it is to delude and scorne poore Scholers giuyng thée warning hereby that thou neuer fall into such like follie if thou escapest thys But if thou haue so great a wil to come downe as thou sayest thou haste why doest thou not leape and throwe downe thy selfe that by breaking of thy necke if it so please God at one instant thou ridde thy selfe of the payne wherin thou sayest thou art and make me the beste contented man of the worlde For this time I will saye no more to thée but that I haue done inough for thée by making thée
foloweth The Captaine then hauing sente his message and being sure of his intent no lesse than if he already had the brethren within his hold vpon the point to couple them together with hys wife to sende them all in pilgrimage to visite the faithfull sorte that blason their loues in an other worlde with Dido Phyllis and suche like that more for dispaire than loue bée passed the straictes of death caused to be called before him in a secrete place all the souldiers of the Fort and such as with whome he was sure to preuaile to whom not without sheading forth some teares and she wyng heauie countenance he spake in this maner My Companions friends I doubt not but ye be abashed to sée me wrapt in so heauie plight and appeare in this forme before you that is to say bewept heuy panting with sighes and al contrary to my custome in other state and maner than my courage and degrée require But when ye shall vnderstande the cause I am assured that the case which séemeth strange to you shall be thought iust and right and so wil performe the thing wherein I shall employe you Ye knowe that the first point that a Gentleman ought to regarde consisteth not onely in repelling the 〈◊〉 done vnto the bodie but rather it behoueth that the fight begyn for the defense of his honor which is a thing that procedeth from the mind and resorteth to the bodie as the instrument to worke that which the spirite appointeth Now it is honour for conseruation whereof an honest man and one of good courage feareth not to put himself in al perill and daunger of death and losse of goodes referryng himselfe also to the guarde of that which toucheth as it were oure owne reputation In suche wyse as if a good Captaine doe suffer hys souldier to be a wicked man a robber a murderer and 〈◊〉 exacter he beareth the note of dishonor albeit in all his doings he gouerneth hys estate after the rule of honestie dothe nothing that is vnworthy his vocatiō But what he being a head vnited to such mēbres if the partes of that vnited thing be corrupt and naught the head must needes beare that blot of the faulte before referred to the whole bodie 〈◊〉 sayd he sighing what parte is more nere and dearer to man than that which is giuen vnto him for a pledge and comfort during his life and which is conioyned to be bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh to breath forth one minde and thinke with one heart and equall will It is of the Wife that I speake who being the moytie of hir husbande ye ought not to muse if I say that the honour of the one is the rest of the other and the one infamous and wicked the other féeleth the troubles of such mischief and the wife being carelesse of hir honor the husbands reputation is defiled and is not worthie of praise if he suffer such shame vnreuenged I must Companions good friends here discouer that which my heart would faine kepe secrete if it were possible and must reherse a thing vnto you which so sone as my mouth woulde faine kepe close the minde assayeth to force the ouerture And loth I am to do it were it not that I make so good accompt of you as ye being 〈◊〉 to me with an vnseparable amitie will yeld me your cōfort and aide against him that hath done me this villanie such as if I be not reuenged vpon him nedes must I be the executioner of that vengeance vpon my self that am loth to liue in this dishonor which all the days of my life without due vltion like a worme wil torment and gnaw my conscience Wherfore before I go any further I would knowe whether I might so well trust your aide and succour in this my businesse as in all others I am assured you wold not leaue me so long as any breath of life remained in you For without such assurance I do not purpose to let you know that pricking naile that pierceth my hearte nor the griefe that greueth me so nere as by vttering it without hope of help I shall open the gate to death and dye withont reliefe of my desire by punishyng him of whome I haue receyued an iniurie more bloodie than any man can doe The Souldiers whyche loued the Captaine as theyr owne lyfe were sorie to sée him in suche estate and greater was their dolour to heare woordes that tended to nothyng else but to furie vengeance and murder of himselfe Wherefore all with one accorde promised their healpe and maine force towardes and agaynst all men for the bringyng to passe of that which he dyd meane to require The Lieutenant assured of his men conceyued hearte and courage and continuing hys Oration and purpose determined the slaughter and ouerthrowe of the thrée Trinicien brethren for that was the surname of the Lordes of Foligno who pursued hys Oration in this manner Know ye then my companions and good frendes that it is my wife by whom I haue indured the hurt losse of mine honour and she is the partie touched and I am he that am moste offended And to the ende that I doe not holde you longer in suspence and the partie be concealed from you which hath done me this outrage Ye shal vnderstande that Nicholas Trinicio the elder of the thrée lordes of Foligno and Nocera is he that against al right and equitie hath suborned the wife of his Lieutenant and soiled the bed of him wherof he ought to haue ben the defēder the very bulwarke of his reputation It is of him my good frendes and of his that I meane to take suche vengeaunce as eternall memorie shall displaye the same to all posteritie and neuer lords shall dare to doe a like wrong to myne withoute remembrance what his duetie is which shall teache him how to abuse the honest seruice of a Gentleman that is one of hys owne traine It resteth in you bothe to holde vp your hande and kéepe your promise to the end that the Lorde Nicholas deceiuyng and mockyng me may not trust put affiance in your force vnto which I heartily do recommende my self The Souldiers moued and incited with the wickednesse of their Lord and with the wrong done to him of whome they receyued wages swore againe to serue his turne in any exploit he went about and required him to be assured that the Trinicien brethren shoulde be ouerthrowne and suffer deserued penance if they might lay hands vpon them and therfore willed him to séeke means to allure them thither that they might be dispatched The Lieutenāt at these words renuing a chéerefull countenaunce and she wing himselfe very ioyful for such successe after he had thanked his souldiers and very louingly imbraced the chiefest of them reuealed his deuised pollicie hoped shortly to haue them at his comaundement within the Fort alleaging that he had dispatched two messangers vnto them and
honor Thus this wretched miserable 〈◊〉 burned consumed with loue tossing and tumbling him selfe vpon his bedde not able to find comfort to ease his paine thus began to say O Sophonisba my deare beloued wife O the life and comforte of my life O the deyntie repast of my ioy and quiet more amiable than the balles of myne vnhappie eyes what shall become of vs Alas out alas I crie that I shall sée no more that incōparable beautie of thine that thy surpassyng comely face those golden lockes those glistering eyes which a thousande times haue darkned and obscured the rayes beames of the Sunne it selfe Alas I say that I can no longer be suffred to heare the plesant harmonie of thy voice whose swéetnesse is able to force Iupiter himselfe to mitigate his rage when with lightning thunderboltes and 〈◊〉 claps in his greatest furie he 〈◊〉 to plague 〈◊〉 earth Ah that it is not lawfull any more for me to throw these vnhappie armes about thy swéet neck whose 〈◊〉 of face entermingled with séemely rudds 〈◊〉 the morning roses which by the swéete nightly dewes do sproute and budde The Gods graunt that I do not long remaine on liue without thy swéete haunt and company which can no longer draw forth this breathing ghoste of mine than can a bodie liue without like breathe in it Graunt O mightie Iupiter that one graue may close vs twaine to liue among the ghostes and shadowes that be alreadie past this worlde for like right louing fittes 〈◊〉 intent of life be ment to mée without thy fellowship delectable presēce And who O good God shal be more blisfull amongs the Elysian fields wandryng amids the spirites and ghostes of departed soules than I if there we two may iette and stalke among the shadowed friths and forrests huge besette with Mirtle trées odoriferous and swéete that there we may at large recount and sing the swéete sower pangs of those oure passed loues without any stay or let at all that there I say we may remembre things alreadie done reioycing for delightes and sighing for the paines There shall no harde hearted Scipio bée founde there shall no marble minded captain rest which haue not had regarde of Loues toyes ne yet haue pitied my bitter pains by hauing no experiece what is the force of Loue. He then with ouer cruell wordes shall not goe about to persuade me to forsake thée or to deliuer thée into the Romanes handes to incurre miserable and 〈◊〉 cruell bondage he shal there neuer checke me for the seruent loue I beare thée we shall there abide without suspition of him or any other they can not separate vs they be not able to diuide our swéetest companie I would the Gods aboue had graunted me the benefite that hée had neuer arriued into Affrica but had still remained in Sicilia in Italie or Spayne But what stand I vpon these termes O I foole and beast what meanes my drousie head to dreme such fansies if he had not passed ouer into Affrica made warre against king Syphax howe shold I haue euer séene my faire Sophonisba whose beautie farre surmounteth eche other wight whose comlinesse is without péere whose grace inspeakeable whose maners rare and incomparable and whose other qualities generally disparcled throughout dame Natures mould by speche of mā can not be described If Scipio had not transfraited the seas to arriue in Affrike soyle howe should I O onely hope and last refuge of my desires haue knowen thée neither should I haue bene thy féere ne yet my wife thou sholdest haue ben but great had ben thy gaine and losse not much neuer sholdest thou haue felt the present painfull state wherin thou art thy life wherof most worthie no doubt thou art shold not haue lien in ballāce poize or rested in doubtful plight which now in choice of enimies thrall thou maist prolong or else in Romanes hands a praie or spoil by captiue state But I beséech the Gods to preuent the choice to be a Romane prisoner And who can thinke that Scipio euer ment to graunt me the life of one goeth about to spoil me of the same Did not he giue me the pardon of one when he sent me to besiege the Citie of Cirta where I found fair Sophonisba which is my life A straūge kind of pardō by giuing me a pardon to dispossesse me of that same Who euer hard tel of such a pardon So much as if he said to me thus Massinissa go take the paine to cause that Citie yeld or ransack the same by force I wil pardon thée thy life not with that only benefit but with Craesus goods wil inrich thée make shée owner of the happy soile of Arrabia when I haue so done rased the walles by mine indeuor wherin mine only life and ioy did rest at my retourne for guerdone of my noble fact in stéede of life he choppeth of my head and for faire promise of golden mountes he strips me naked and makes me a Romane slaue According to which case and state he deales with me For what auailes my life if in grief and sorrowes 〈◊〉 I drown the pleasures of the same Doth not he berieue my life and bréedes my death by diuiding me from my faire Sophonisba Ah Caitife wretch what lucke haue I that neither storm nor whirle winde could send him home to Italian shore or set him packing to Sicile land What ment cruell Scipio when so sone as Syphax was takē he did not streight way dispatche him to Rome to present the glorious sight of the Numidian king to that Romane people If Scipio had not bene here thou Sophonisba frankly hadst bene mine for at Laelius hāds I could haue found some grace But surely if Scipio did once sée Sophonisba reclined his eies to view hir perelesse beautie I doubt not but he wold be moued to haue compassion vpon hir and me and would haue iudged hir worthy not only to be Quéene of Numidia but of all the prouince besides But what do I make this good accompt The common prouerbe saith that he which counteth without his hoste must recken twice and so perhaps may be my lot For what know I if Scipio did wel view hir whether he himselfe would be inamored of hir or not so vtterly depriue me of that Iewel He is a man no doubt as others be and it is impossible me think but that the hardnesse of his heart must bowe to the view of such a noble beautie But beast as I am what mean these woords What follies doe I vaunt by singing to the deafe and teaching of the blinde O wretch wretch nay more than miserable wretch Marke the woords of Scipio he demaundeth Sophonisba as a thing belōging vnto him for which cause he sayeth that she is the pray parte of the Romane spoile But what shall I 〈◊〉 shall I giue hir vnto him He 〈◊〉 haue hir he 〈◊〉 me he exhortes me he prayes