desired that she should haue passed further were it not for feare to offend her to put her in a choler And to thintent to turne her from that matter she cōmaunded the table to be couered for supper wher she caused her to be serued honorably of all the most delicate exquisite meates that were possible to be gotten Supper done the tables vncouered after they had a little talked together and that it was time to withdrawe thēselues the Duchesse more to honor her would that she should lodge in her owne chambre with her where the Pilgrime wearied with the waye toke very good rest But the Duchesse pricked with the straunge talk of the Lady Isabell hauing a hammer working in her head coulde not sléepe And had so well the beautie of the vnknowen Knight graued in the bottome of her heart that thinking to close her eyes she thought that he flewe continually before her like a certayne fansie or shadowe In sorte that to knowe further what he was she would gladly haue made greater inquirie Then sodaynly after a little shame and feare intremingled with a certayne womanhode long obserued by her therwithall the fidelity which she bare to the Duke her husband presenting it self before her she buried altogether her first coūsel which died toke ende euen so soue almost as it was borne And so tossed with an infinite number of diuers thoughtes passed the night vntill the day beginning to lighten the world with his burning lampe constrayned her to rise And then the Lady Isabell ready to depart went to take leaue of the Duchesse who willingly would haue wished that she had neuer séene her for the newe flame that she felt at her heart Neuerthelesse dissembling her euill not able to holde her any longer made her to promise by othe that at her retorne form her voyage she would repasse by Thurin and after she had made her a very liberall offer of her goodes taking her leaue she left her to the tuicion of God Certaine dayes after the departing of the spanish Lady the Duchesse thinking to quench this new fier the same began further to flame and the more that hope failed her the more did desire encrease in her And after an infinite number of sundry cogitations Loue got the victorie And she resolued with her selfe in the ende whatsoeuer might come therof to comunicate her cause to one of her beloued damsels called Emilia and to haue her aduise in whome she wonted to repose her trust in all her secrete affaires and causing her to be called for secretly she sayde vnto her Emilia I beleue that if thou hast taken any good héede to myne auncient maner of behauiour euer since my departure from England thou hast knowen me to be the very ramper and refuge of all afflicted persons But nowe my destenies be tourned contrarie I haue nowe more néede of counsell than any other liuing creature And hauing no person about me worthy to vnderstand my misfortune my first and last refuge is to thée alone Of whome I hope to receiue consolation in a matter which toucheth me no lesse than my lyfe and honour And then the Duchesse declared vnto her priuily that since the departing of the Lady Isabell she had had no reste in her minde and howe she was enamoured of a Knight whome she neuer saw whose beautie and good grace had touched her so néere that being altogether vnable any longer to resist her misfortune she knewe not to whome to haue recourse but to the fidelitie of her counsell Adding therevnto for conclusion that she loued him not dishonestly or for hope she had to satisfie any lasciuious appetite but onely to haue a sight of him Which as she thought should bring vnto her suche contentation as thereby her griefe shoulde take ende Emilia who euer loued her maystresse as she did her owne hearte had great compassion vpon her when she vnderstode the light foundation of her straunge loue Neuerthelesse desiring to please her euen to the last point of her lyfe sayde vnto her Madame if it will please you to recreate your self from these your sorrowes and to respite me onely two dayes I hope to prouide by some good meanes that you shal shortly sée him who vndeseruedly doth worke you all this euill The Duchesse nourished with this hope desired her effectually to thinke vpon it Promising vnto her that if her words came to good effect she would make her suche recompence as she her selfe should confesse she had not done pleasure to an ingrate or vnthankful womā Emilia which had the brute to be one of the most subtile and sharpe witted dames of all Thurin slept not during the tyme of her prescription But after she had searched an infinit number of meanes to come to that which she desired there was one that semed most expedient for that purpose and of least perill aboue other And her tune of delay expired she went to Madame the Duchesse and sayed Madame God knoweth howe many troubles my mynde hath sustayned and howe muche I haue striued with myne owne conscience to satisfie your commaundement neuerthelesse after I had debated things so substantially as was possible I could deuise nothing more worthie your contentacion than that which I will nowe declare vnto you if it will please you to heare me Which to be short is that for the execution of this our enterprise it behoueth you to fayne your selfe to be sicke and to suffer your self to be trayned into suche maladies as there shall rather appeare in you token of death than hope of lyfe And being brought into suche extremitie you shall make a vowe your health recouered to goe within a certayne time to Sainct Iames on pilgrimage which you may easely obtayne of the Duke your husband And then may you make your voiage liberally with the Lady Isabell who wil passe this way vpon her retourne without discouering your affection vnto her and will not fayle by reknowledging of the curtesie that you haue vsed towardes her in these partes to conduct you by her brothers house where you may sée him at your ease that maketh you to suffer great torment And I will aduertise you furthermore of one thing which euer till this time I haue kept close But for that we two togethers cannot without great difficulty accomplishe our businesse it hath séemed good vnto me to knowe of you if you woulde that a third person shall be called therevnto who is so much at my commaundement as I dare trust him like my self It is Maister Fraunces Appian the Millanor your Phisitian who to say the very truth vnto you hath bene so affectioned to me this yeare or two that he hath not ceassed by all meanes possible to wynne mée but to honeste loue for he pretendeth to marry me And bycause that hitherto I haue made smal accompt of him and haue not vsed any fauoure towardes him nor good entertaynment otherwise I assure my self seing the
passion so couerte as he possibly coulde But partly for his owne solace and comfort he feasted all the Lordes and Ladyes of Naples where the gentleman and his wyfe was not forgotten And bicause man willingly beleueth that he doth sée he thought that the lokes of that gentlewoman promised vnto him some grace in time to come if the presence of her husband were not let thervnto And to proue whether his coniecture were true he sent her husband in commission to Rome for .xv dayes or thrée wéekes And so sone as he was gone his wyfe which hitherto had not felte any long absence from her husband made great sorrow for the same wherof she was recomforted by the King many times by swéete persuasions by presentes and giftes in suche sorte that she was not onely comforted but contented with her husbandes absence And before the thrée wéekes were expired of his returne she was so amorous of the King that she was no lesse sorrowful of his comming home than she was for his departure And to the intent the Kings presence might not be lost they agréed together that when her husbande was gone to his possessions in the countrie she should send worde to the King that he might haue safe repaire vnto her and so secretly that his honour which he feared more than he did the fact might not be impaired Upon this hope this Ladies heart was set on a merie pinne And when her husband was come home she welcomed him so well that albeit he knewe howe the King made much of her in his absence yet he would not beleue it But by continuance of time this fier that could not be couered by little and little began to kindle in suche wise that the husband doubted muche of the truth and watched the matter so néere that he was almost out of doubt But for feare leaste he whiche did the wrong shoulde doe him greater hurts if he séemed to knowe it he determined to dissemble the matter For he thought it better to liue with some griefe than to hazarde his lyfe for a woman which loued him not Not withstanding for this displeasure he thought to be euen with the king if it were possible And knowing that many times despite maketh a woman to doe that which Loue can not doe specially those women that haue honorable hearts and stoute stomakes was so bolde without blushing vpon a day in speaking to the Queene to say vnto her that he had pitie vpon her for that she was no better beloued of the king her husband The Quéene which heard tell of the loue betwene the king and his wife I can not quod she both inioy honor and pleasure together I know well that honor I haue whereof one receyueth the pleasure and as she hath the pleasure so hath not she the honor that I haue He which knew wel by whome those wordes were spoken sayde vnto her Madame honor waited vpon you euen at your birth For you be of so good a house that to be a Quéene or Empresse you can not augment your nobilitie but your beautie grace honestie hath deserued so much pleasure as she that depriueth you of that which is incident to your degrée doth more wrong to her selfe than to your person For she for a glory that hath turned her to shame hath there withall lost so much pleasure as your grace or any Lady in the realme maye haue And I may say vnto you Madame that if the king were no king as he is I thinke that he could not excell me in pleasing of a woman Being sure that to satisfie such a vertuous personage as you be he might exchange his complexion with mine The Quéene smiling answered him Although the king be of more delicate and weaker complexion thā you be yet the loue that he beareth me doth so muche content me that I esteme the same aboue all thinges in the worlde The gentleman sayde vnto her Madame if it were so I woulde take no pitle vpon you for I knowe wel that the honest loue of your heart woulde yelde vnto you great contentation if the like were to be found in the king But God hath foresene and preuented the same leaste enioying your owne desire you woulde make him your God vpon earth I confesse vnto you sayde the Quéene that the loue I beare him is so great that the like place he could not finde in no womans heart as he doth in muse Pardon me Madame sayde the Gentleman vnto her if I speake more frankely your grace hath not sounded the depth of eche mans heart For I dare be bolde to saye vnto you that I knowe one that doth loue you in suche wise whose loue is so great that you loue in respect of his is nothing And for so muche as he séeth the Kings loue to fayle in you his doth grow and increase in suche sorte that if your loue were agreable vnto his you should be recompensed of all your losses The Quéene aswell by his words as by his countenaunce began to perceyue that the talke proceded from the bottom of his hart and called to her remembrance that long time he had endeuored him self to do her seruice with such affection as for loue he was growen to be melancolike which she thought before to come through his wiues occasion but nowe she assuredly beleued that it was for her sake And thus the force of Loue which is well perceyued when it is not fayned made her sure of that which was vnknowen to all the worlde And beholding the gentleman which was more amiable than her husband and séeing that he was forsaken of his wife as she of the king pressed with despite and ialousie of her husbande and prouoked with loue of the gentleman beganne to say with finger in eye and sighing sobbes O my god must vengeaunce get that at my hand which Loue can not do The gentleman well vnderstanding her meaning aunswered Madame vengeance is swéete vnto him which in place of killing his enemy giueth life to a perfect frende I thinke that it is time that trouth shoulde remoue from you the folish loue that you beare vnto him which loueth you not And that iust and reasonable loue shoulde expell frō you the feare which neuer can remayne in a noble vertuous heart But nowe Madame omitting to speake of the greatnesse of your estate let vs consider that we be both man woman the most deceyued of the worlde and betrayed of them which we haue most derely loued Let vs now reuēge our selues Madame not onely to render vnto them as they haue deserued but to satisfie the loue whiche for my parte I can no longer beate except I shoulde die And I thinke that if your heart be not harder than Flint or Diamont it is impossible but you must perceyue some sparke of fier which increaseth more than I am able to dissemble And if pitie of me which dyeth for your loue doth not moue you to loue me
the sparkes which flewe out of his eyes And to the intent that through long frequentation none might espie the same he interteigned a very fayre Lady called Paulina a woman in his time accompted so faire that few men which beheld her could escape her bonds This Lady Paulina vnderstanding how Amadour vsed his loue at Barselone Parpignon how he was beloued of the fayrest honest Ladyes of the coūtrie aboue all of the Countesse of Pallamons which in beautie was prised to be the fayrest in all Spaine of many other sayde vnto him That she had great pitie of him for that after so many good fortunes he had maried a wife so foule and deformed Amadour vnderstanding well by those wordes that she had desire to remedy her owne necessitie vsed the best maner that he coulde deuise thinking that in making her beleue a lie he should hyde from her the truth But the subtile and wel experimented in loue contented not her selfe with talke but perceyuing right well that his hearte was not satisfied with her loue doubted that he coulde not serue his Lady in secrete wise therefore marked him so nere that dayly she had a respect and watch vnto his eyes which he coulde so well dessemble that she was able to iudge nothing but by darke suspicion not without great payne and difficultie to the gentleman to whom Florinda ignorant of all their malice did resorte manye times in presence of Paulina whose demeaner then was so familiar that he with maruellous payne refrayned his lokes against his heart and desire And to auoide that no inconuenience should ensue one day speaking to Florinda as they were both leaning at a windowe sayde these wordes Madame I beseche you to tell me whether is it better to speake or to die Wherevnto Florinda answered readily saying I will still councell my friends to speake and not to die For there be fewe wordes spoken but that they may be amended but the life lost cannot be recouered Promise me then sayde Amadour that not onely ye will accept those words which I will saye but also not to be astonned or abashed till ye heare the ende of my tale To whom she answered Say what it please you for if you doe affraye me none other shall assure me Then he began to saye vnto her Madame I haue not yet bene desirous to disclose vnto you the greate affection which I beare you for two causes The one bicause I attende by my long seruice to shewe you the experience thereof The other for that I doubted you woulde thinke a great presumption in me which am but a poore gentleman to insinuate my selfe in place whereof I am not worthye And althoughe I were a prince as you be the loyalty yet of your heart wil not permit any other but him which hath already taken possession the sonne I meane of the Infant Fortune to vse any talke of loue with you But Madame like as necessity in time of great warre constrayneth men to make hauoke of their owne goodes and to consume the gréene corne that the enemy take no profit and reliefe therof euen so do I hazard to aduaunce the frute which in time I hope to gather that your enemies mine may inioye thereof none aduauntage Knowe ye Madame that from the time of your tender yeares I haue in such wise dedicated my selfe to your seruice that I ceasse not still to aspire the meanes to achieue your grace and fauour And for that occasion I did marry hir whō I thought you did loue best And knowing the loue you beare to the sonne of the Infant Fortune I haue indeuored my selfe to serue him as you haue sene And all wherein I thought you did delight I haue accomplished to the vttermoste of my power You doe sée that I haue gotten the good will of the Countesse your mother of the Earle you brother and of all those that doe beare you good will In such sort as in this house I am estemed not like a seruaunt but as a sonne And al the labour which I haue sustayned these fiue yeares past was for none other cause but to lyue all the dayes of my lyfe with you And vnderstande you well that I am none of those which by these meanes doe pretend to receyue of you any profite or pleasure other than that which is good and vertuous I doe knowe that I can neuer marry you and if I could I would not to withstand the loue that you beare vnto him whome I desire to be your husbande likewise to loue you in vicious sorte like them that hope to recompence their seruice with the dishonor of their Ladies I am so farre of from that affection that I had rather be dead than to sée you by desert worthy of lesse loue and that your vertue shoulde by any meanes be diminished for any pleasure that might happen vnto me I doe pretende and craue for the ende and recompence of my seruice but one thing Which is that you woulde continue my loyall and faithfull maystresse that you will neuer withdrawe from me your good grace and fauour and that you will maintayne me in that estate and degrée wherin I am Reposing your trust and fidelitie in me more than in any other making your selfe so assured of me that if for your honor or any cause touching your person you stand in néede of the lyfe of a Gentleman the same shall right willingly be employed in your seruice In like maner all things vertuous and honeste which euer I shall attempt I beseche you to thinke the same to be done onely for the loue of you And if I haue done for Ladyes of lesse reputation than you be any thing worthy of estimation be you assured that for suche a maystresse as you are my enterprises shall increase in suche sorte that the things which I found difficult and impossible shall be easelie for me to accomplishe But if you do not accept me to be wholly yours I determine to giue ouer armes and to renoūce valiance bicause it hath not succoured me in necessitie Wherefore Madame I humblie beseche you that my iust request may not be refused sith with your honour and conscience you cannot well denie the same The yong Lady hearing this vnaccustomed sute began to chāge her colour and to cast downe her eyes lyke an amased woman not withstanding as she that was wise and discrete sayde vnto him If Amadour your request vnto me be none other than it is wherefore haue you discoursed vnto me this long oration I am afrayde that vnder this honest pretence there lurketh some hidden malice to deceyue the ignoraunce of my youth in such wise that I am in great perplexitie how to make you aunswere for to refuse the honest amitie which you haue offered I shall doe contrarie to that I haue done hitherto which haue reposed in you more truste than in al the men of the world My conscience or mine honor can
of the chaire sayd vnto him Goe quickely and fetche me some good vineger Which the gentleman did Then Florinda began to saye vnto him Amadour what follie hath inchaunted your wisedome And what is that which you woulde haue done vnto me Amadour that through the force of loue had lost al reason sayd vnto her Doth my long seruice merite a recompence of such crueltie And where is the honesty then sayde Florinda which so many times you haue preached vnto me Ah Madame sayde Amadour I beleue it is impossible your selfe more faythfully to loue your owne honor than I doe For when you were vnmaryed I coulde so well subdue my heart and affection that you did neuer vnderstande my will and desire And nowe that you be maryed to the intent your honor may be in couert what wrong doe I to aske that which is mine owne For by force of loue I haue wonne you He that first inioyed your heart hath so yll followed the victorie of your body that he hath deserued to lose altogether He that possesseth your bodie is not worthy to haue your heart wherefore your bodye is none of his ne yet he hath no title in the same But I Madame these fiue or sixe yeares haue susteyned such paynes and trauel for your sake that you are not ignorant but to me appertayneth both your bodye and heart for whose sake I haue vtterly forgotten mine owne And if you can finde in your heart to defende me frō my right doubte ye not but they which haue proued the forces of Loue will laye the blame vpon you which hath in this sorte robbed me from my libertie and with your heauenlye graces hath obscured my senses that not knowing hereafter what to doe I am constrayned to goe withoute hope for euer yto sée you againe Notwithstanding warrant your selfe that in what place so euer I am you shall still possesse my heart which shall continue yours for euer be I vpon the lande or water or betwene the handes of my moste cruell enemies But if I had before my departure the suretie of you which the greatnesse of my loue deserueth I shall be strong ynough paciently to beare the griefes of long absence And if it please you not to graunt me my request you shall shortlye heare tell that your rigor hath rendred vnto me a most vnhappy and cruel death Florinda no lesse astonned than sorie to heare such words procéede from him of whome she neuer had any suche suspicion weping sayde vnto him Alas Amadour is this the meaning of those vertuous wordes which sithens the beginning of my youth ye haue vttered vnto me Is this the honor of the cōscience which you haue many times persuaded me rather to die than to lose the same Haue you forgotten the good examples recyted vnto me of vertuous dames that haue resisted foolish Loue And is this the contempt which ye daylie made of Ladyes that were foolish vaine I can not beleue Amadour that you are so madde that God your owne cōscience and mine honor shoulde be altogether oute of your minde and memorie But if it so be as you saye I doe prayse the goodnesse of God which hath preuented the mishap that now I am fallen into in shewing me by your wordes the heart which I did not know For hauing loste the sonne of the Infant Fortune who not onely is maryed into another place but also loued another and I nowe maryed to him which I cannot loue I thought and determined wholly with all mine heart and affection to loue you founding the same vpō that vertue which I knewe to be in you which loue by your meanes onely I haue conceyued and therfore did more esteme my honor and conscience than mine owne life Upon assurance of this stone of honestie I am come hither thinking to builde a moste sure foundacion But Amadour in one moment thou hast declared that in place of a pure foundacion thy building is reared vpon a light sande and vnconstant ground or else vpon a filthy and foule quamire And where I began to erect a good part of the lodgings of this building hoping to dwell there for euer sodainly thou hast ouerthrowen the whole Wherefore you must immediately breake in sunder the hope and credit that euermore you haue founde in me and determine that in what place soeuer I be not to séeke after me eyther by wordes or countenaunce And doe not thinke that I can or will at anye time hereafter chaunge mine opinion which wordes I speake with great sorrowe and griefe But if I had made an othe of this perfect amitie and loue I knowe mine heart would haue dyed vpon this breache although the astonishement in that I am deceyued is so great that I am well assured it will make my lyfe eyther short or sorrowfull And therefore I bidde you farewell and that for euer I purpose not to tell you of the sorrow which Amadour felt by hearing these wordes Bicause it is impossible not onely to write them but also to think them except it be of such as haue had experiēce of the lyke And seyng that vpon this cruell conclusion she woulde haue gone away he caught her by the arme knowing wel that if he did not remoue that yll opinion which by his owne occasion she had conceyued he should lose her for euer Wherefore he sayde vnto her with a verye faynt there Madame all the dayes of my lyfe I haue desired to loue a woman endued with honestie and vertue And bicause I haue founde so fewe I would fayne haue tryed whether your person had bene worthy of estimacion and loue whereof nowe I am well assured and humblie doe prayse God therfore bicause mine heart is addressed to suche perfection beseching you to pardon this fond and bolde enterprise sith you do see that the ende doth redounde to your owne honor and contentation Florinda which began to know the malice of men by him like as she was harde to beleue the euill where it was euen so she was more difficile to credit the good where it was not and sayde vnto him I praye to God your wordes be true Yet I am not so ignorant but that the state of mariage wherein I am hath made me euidentlie to perceyue that the strong passion of blinde loue hath forced you to this attempt For if God had losed my hande I am wel assured you would not haue pluckt backe the bridle They that attempt to séeke after vertue will not take the waye that you doe But this is sufficient if I haue lightlie beleued any honesty in you it is time for me nowe to know the truth that I may ridde my selfe from you And in saying so Florinda went out of the chamber and all the night long she neuer left wéeping who felt such great griefe in the alteracion that her heart had much to doe to sustaine the assaults of sorrowe the loue had made For although reason thought neuer to loue
him agayne yet the heart which is not subiect vnto vs would not accord to that crueltie For which consideracion she loued him no lesse than she was wont to doe and knowing that loue was the cause of that faulte she purposed for satisfaccion of Loue to loue him with all her hearte and yet throughe obedience and fealtie due to her honor she thought neuer to make other semblance In the morning Amadour departed in this sorte troubled as you haue heard neuerthelesse his coragious heart entred not in dispaire but renued a fresh hope once againe to sée Florinda and to winne her fauour Then he toke his iourney towards the court of Spaine which was at Tolledo taking his way by the Countesse of Arande where late in an euening he arriued and founde the Countesse very sicke for the absence of her daughter Florinda When she sawe Amadour she kissed and imbraced him as if he had bene her owne childe aswell for the loue she bare vnto him as for the lyke which she doubted that he bare to Florinda of whome very earnestly she inquired for newes who told her the best that he could deuise but not the whole truth and confessed vnto her the loue betwéene Florinda and him which Florinda had stil conceled kept secrete praying her ayde to bring him agayne into her fauour and the next morning he departed And after he had done his businesse with the Quéene he repaired to the warres so sadde and chaunged in all his conditions that the Ladyes Captaines and all they that were wonte to kepe him companie did not know him His apparel was all black mourning for the death of his wyfe whereby he couered the sorrowe which was hid in his heart In this wise Amadour passed thrée or foure yeares before he returned to the Court. And the Countesse of Arande which heard tell that Florinda was so sore chaunged that it would haue moued any mans heart to beholde her sente for her hoping that she would haue come but her expectatiō was frustrate for when Florinda vnderstode that Amadour had told her mother the good wil betwene them and that her mother being so wise vertuous giuing credit to Amadour did beleue his wordes she was in meruellous perplexitie bicause of the one side she saw that her mother did esteme him so wel that if she declared vnto her the truth Amadour might conceyue some displeasure Which thing she had rather dye than to doe wherefore she thought her selfe strong ynough to chastise him of his folly without helpe of her friends On the other side she perceyued that by dissembling the euill which she knew by him she shoulde be constrayned by her mother and her friendes to speake vnto him and to beare him good countenaunce whereby she feared his euill opinion would be the more encoraged But seing that he was far of she passed the lesse of the matter And when the Countesse her mother did commaund her she wrote letters vnto him but they were suche as he might wel gather that they were written rather vpon obedience than of good will the reading whereof bred sorrow vnto him in place of that ioye he was wont to cōceyue in her former letters Within the terme of two or thre yeares after he had done so many noble enterprises that all the paper of Spaine could not contayne them he deuised a newe inuention not to winne and recouer the hearte of Florinda for he déemed the same quite lost but to haue the victorie ouer his enemye sithens she had vsed him in that sort and reiecting all reason and speciallye feare of death into the hazarde whereof he hasted himselfe he concluded and determined his enterprise in suche sorte that by reason of his behauiour towardes the Gouernor he was deputed sent by him to treate with the king of certayn exploites to be done at Locates sparing not to impart his message to the Countesse of Arande before he tolde the same to the king to vse her good aduise therin And so came in poste strayght into the Countie of Arande where he had intelligence in what place Florinda remayned and secretly sent to the Countesse one of his frends to tel her of his comming to pray her to kepe it close and that he might speake with her that night in such secret wise as no man might haue knowledge thereof The Countesse very ioyful of his coming told it to Florinda sent her into her husbandes chamber to put of her clothes that she might be ready when she should sende for her after euery man was gone to bed Florinda which was not yet well boldened by reasō of her former feare making a good face of the matter to her mother withdrewe her selfe into an orato rieor chappel to recōmend her selfe to God praying him to defend her hart from all wicked affection considered howe often Amadour had praysed her beautie which was not impaired or diminished although she had bene sick of long time Wherfore thinking it better to doe iniurie to her beautie by defacing it than to suffer the heart of so honeste a personage by meanes thereof wickedly to be inflamed she toke vp a stone which was within the Chappell and gaue her selfe suche a great blow on the face that her mouth eyes and nose were altogether deformed And to the intent no man might suspect what she had done when the Countesse sent for her in going out of the Chappell she fell downe vpon her face vpon a great stone and there withall cried out so loud that the Countesse came in and found her in that pitious state who incontinently dressing her face and binding it vp with clothes conueyed her into her chamber and prayed her to goe into her closet to enterteigne Amadour til she were weary of his cōpanie Which she did thinking that there had bene some body with him But finding him alone and the dore shut vpon her Amadour was not so wel pleased as she was discontented Who nowe thought eyther with loue or force to get that which he had so long tyme desired And after he had spoken a fewe wordes vnto her and founde her in that minde he left her and that to die for it she woulde not chaunge her opinion desperately he sayde vnto her By God Madame the fruit of my labour shall not be thus taken from me for scruples and doubtes And sith that Loue pacience and humble desires can not preuaile I will not spare by force to get that which except I haue it will be the cause of my destruction When Florinda sawe his face and eyes so altered that the fayrest die and colour of the worlde was become so red as fyer and his most pleasaunt and amiable loke transformed horrible and furious that very hote burning fyer séemed to sparkle within his heart and face and in that furie with one of his strong fiftes he griped her delicate and tender handes On the other side she séeing all her defences
was no soner out of his fathers house but his harte was vexed with greater tormentes then before beyng depriued frō the sight of faire Stratonica whose presence did better contente hym then all the pleasures and sportes of the worlde Neuerthelesse desirous to vanquishe his indurate affections he continued abrode for a certaine time duryng whiche space vnable to quenche the fire he ledde a more desolate and troublesome life then he did before In the ende victorious loue tooke hym prisoner and caried him home againe to his fathers house Who seyng the greate loue that his father bare to his wife and the ioyfull time that he spent with faire Stratonica trāsported into many carefull panges many tymes he complained to hymself in this wise Am I Antiochus the sonne of Seleucus Am I he that my father loueth so well honoreth so muche and estemeth better then all his realmes and dominions Alas If I be Antiochus in deede the sonne of so louyng a father where is the duetifull loue and bounden reuerence that I ought to beare vnto him Is this the duetie of a sonne towardes his father Ah wretche and caitife that I am Whether hath grosse affection vaine hope and blinde loue caried me Can loue be so blinde Shall I bee so voide of sense that I knowe not my mother in law from an other woman who loueth me no lesse entertaigneth me so well as if she were myne owne mother that laboured with painfull pangues to bryng me into light Whiche beyng true as it is moste true why then dooe I loue her naie rather more then loue her Why doe I séeke after her What meane I to hope for her Why dooe I precepitate my self so fōdlie into the snares of blind deceiptfull loue and into the trappe of deceiptfull hope Can I not perceiue that these desires these vnstaied appetites vnbridled affections doe procede frō that whiche is dishonest I se well inough that the waie I take leadeth me into greate inconuenience And what reproche should I sustaine if this vnreasonable loue were made common to the worlde Ought not I rather to suffer infamous death then to see my father depriued of suche a wife whom he so derely loueth I will giue ouer this vnsemely loue and reuerting my minde to some other wight I will accomplishe the duetie of a good and louyng sonne toward his father Reasonyng thus with hymself he determined whollie to giue ouer his enterprise And he had no soner purposed so to do but sodainlie the beautie of the Ladie appered as it were in a vision before the face of his minde and felt the flames to growe so hotte that he vpon his knees craued a thousande pardons of the louyng God for the abandoning of his gentle enterprise And therewithall contrarie imaginacions began to rise whiche so contended with mutuall resistaunce that thei forced hym thus to saie Shall not I loue this Ladie bicause she is my fathers wife Shall not I prosecute my suite for all that she is my mother in lawe Ah coward faintharted and worthie to be crouned a prince of follie if therfore I should giue ouer my former mynde Loue prescribeth no suche lawe to her suters as pollicie dooeth to manne Loue commaundeth the brother to loue the sister loue maketh the doughter so loue the father the brother his brothers wife and many tymes the mother her sonne in lawe whiche beyng lawfull to other is it not lawfull to me If my father beyng and old man whose nature wareth cold hath not forgottē the lawes of loue in louyng her whom I loue Shall I beyng a yonge man subiecte to loue and inflamed with his passions be blamed for louyng her And as I were not blame warthie if I loued one that were not my fathers wife so muste I accuse Fortune for that she gaue her not to wife to an other mā rather then to my father bicause I loue her would haue loued her whose wife so euer she had been Whose beautie to saie the trouth is suche whose grace and comelinesse so excellente that she is worthie to be receiued honoured and worshipped of al the worlde I thinke it then conuenient for me to pursue my determinaciō and to serue her aboue all other Thus this miserable louer trauersyng in seuerall myndes and deludyng his owne fancie chaunged his mynde a thousande tymes in an hower In th ende after infinite disputacions to hymself he gaue place to reason consideryng the greate disconnenience that would insue his disordinate loue And yet not able to giue it ouer And determinyng rather to die then to yelde to suche wicked loue or to discouer the same to any manne By litle and litle he consumed as fletyng Snowe againste the warme Sonne wherewith he came to suche feble state that he could neither slepe nor eate and was compelled to kepe his bedde in such wise that with superfluous paine he was brought to meruellous debilitie Whiche his father perceiuyng that loued hym verie tenderite conceiued greate grief and sorowe And sent for Erasistratus which was a verie excellent Phisicion and of greate estimacion whō verie instantlie he praied diligently to looke vnto his soonne and to prouide for hym suche remedie as was conueniente for the greatnesse of his disease Erasistratus viewyng and beholdyng all the partes of the yonge gentlemannes bodie and perceiuyng no signe of sicknes either in his vrine or other accidente wherby he could iudge his bodie to be diseased after many discourses gaue iudgemente that the same infirmitie proceded from some passion of the minde whiche shortlie would coste hym his life Whereof he aduertised Seleucus Who louyng his sonne after a fatherly maner and speciallie bicause he was indued with vertue and good condicions was afflicted with vnspeakable grief The yong gētleman was a merueilous trumne yongeman so actife and valiaunt as any that liued in his tyme and therewithall verie beautifull and comelie Whiche made hym to bee beloued of all men His father was continually in his chamber and the quene her self oftentymes visited hym with her owne handes serued hym with meates and drinkes whiche bicause I am no Phisteiō I knowe not whether the fame did the yonge man any pleasure or whether it did him hurt or good But I suppose that her sight was ioyfull vnto hym as of her in whom he had placed all his cōforte all his hope quietnesse delight But beholding before his eyes so many times the beautie of her whō so greatlie he desired to enioye hearyng her speake that was the occasion of his death and receiuyng seruice of meates and drinkes at her hādes whom he loued better then the balles of his eyes vnto whom he durste not make any requeste or praier whether his grief surmounted all other aud therefore continually pined and consumed I thinke if of reason to bée beleued And who doubteth but that he felyng hymself to bée touched with those her delicate handes and seyng her to sitte by hym and
discourse whiche setteth before your eyes what ende the fonde loue of them ordinarelie haue whiche without reason not measuryng their owne abilitie doe suffer themselfes to be guided and ledde into their sensuall lustes and appetites For ill successe faileth not in a beginnyng the grounde whereof abhorryng reason is planted and laied vpon the sandie foundacion of pleasure whiche is shaken and ouerthrowen by the least winde and tempest that Fortune can bluster against suche buildyng Didaco and Violenta Didaco a Spaniarde is in loue with a poore maiden of Valencia aud secretely marieth her afterwardes lothyng his firste mariage bicause she was of base parentage he marieth an other of noble birthe His first wife by secrete messenger praieth his companie whose request he accomplisheth Beeyng a bedde she and her maide killeth hym She throweth hym into the streate she in desperate wise cōfesseth the facte before the Magistrates and is put to death ¶ The .xlii. Nouell THere is no manne but doeth knowe that Valencia is at this daie the chief and onely Rampar of Spaine the true seate of Faithe Iustice and Humanitie And emōges all the rare and excellent-ornamentes that citie is wel furnished with so trimme Ladies and curteous gentlewomen as thei knowe how to baite and féede yonge men with foolishe daliaunce and idle passetyme So that if there be any beetle hedde or grosse persone the better to allure and prouoke him to those follies thei tell hym by a common Prouerbe that he must goe to Valencia In this citie there was in old tyme as it is at this daie a verie auncient stocke and familie called Ventimiglia out of whiche be descended a great nomber of riche and honorable knightes Emonges whom not longe tyme passe there was one named Didaco verie famous and renowmed to be the moste liberall and familer gentleman of the citie who for wante of better businesse walked vp and doune the citie and so consumed his youth in triūphes maskes and other expences common and apt for suche pilgrimes addressing his loue indifferently to all women without greater affection to one then to an other and continued that order till vpon an holy daie he espied a yong maide of smal yeres but of verie exquisite beautie whiche maiden sodainly castyng her eye vpon hym so pearced the knight Didaco with her looke that from that tyme forthe she entred more nere his harte then any other And after he had wel marked her dwellyng place he many tymes passed and repassed before the doore to espie if he might gette some looke or other fauour of her that began alredie to gouerne the bridle of his thoughtes and if it chaunced that the gentlemanne behelde her she shewed herself curteous and amiable indued with grace so good that he neuer departed ill contēted out of that streate The gentleman continuyng certaine tyme in those vanities was destrous to know a farre of what she was of what lineage and of what vocacion And after he had curiously serched out all her originall he vnderstoode by diuers reporte that she was a Goldsmithes doughter whose father was dedde certaine yeres before hauyng no more but her another aliue and twoo brethren bothe of their fathers occupacion Notwithstandyng of life she was chaste honeste defamed with none although she was pursued of many Her outwarde beautie did not so muche sette her forthe as her grace and order of talke who although brought vp in a citizens house yet no ladie or gentlewoman in the Citie was comparable to her in vertue and behauiour For from her tender yeres she was not onely giuen to her nedle a méete exercise for maides of her degrée but also was trained vp to write and reade wherin she tooke so great pleasure that ordinarilie she carried a boke in her hande whiche she neuer gaue ouer till she had gathered some fruicte thereof This knight hauing receiued that first impression of the valor and vertue of Violenta for that was her name was further in loue then before and that whiche added more oile to the matche was the continuall lookes wherwith she knewe how to delight him and with them she was so liberall that so oft as he passed through the streate she shotte them forthe so cruelly that his poore harte felyng it self so tormēted could not indure that newe onset By reason whereof thinkyng to quenche the fire that by litle and litle consumed hym he would attempt her chastite with giftes letters and messengers whiche he continued the space of halfe a yere or more Wherevnto Violenta giuyng no place in the ende he was constreined to assaile her with his own presence and one daie findying her alone at the doore after he had made a verie humble reuerence vnto her he saied Maistresse Violenta consideryng your order and the colde regarde that you haue to my letters and messages I doe remember the subtiltie that is attributed to the Serpente who with his taile stoppeth his eares bicause he will not heare the woordes whiche hath power to constraine hym to doe against his wil which hath made me to leaue to write vnto you to desire specially to speake vnto you that myne affectuous accentes my sorowfull wordes and feruente sighes might certefie you better then Paper the rest of my passion beleuyng verely that if the heauie sounde of my greuous complaintes maie come to your eares thei will make you to vnderstande a parte of that good and euill whiche I feele continually in my harte although the loue whiche I beare you be suche that I can not giue suche liuelie experience outwardly beyng but litle in comparison of them whiche maie be séen within And pronouncyng those wordes there followed so many teares sobbes and sighes that thei gaue sufficiēt testimonie that his tongue was the true and faithfull messenger of his harte Whereof Violenta somewhat ashamed with a constaunte grace said vnto hym Senior Didaco if you dooe yet remember your life past and mine honestie whiche peraduenture you haue thought either rude or cruell I doubte not that you haue any cause to maruaile of my presumpcion and to attribute that to vice whiche is familier with vertue For although that you haue sollicited me to loue you by an infinite nomber of letters and messages yet it is so that followyng the nature of maides of my degrée I haue neither allowed them nor yet cōdempned thē as where vnto accordinglie I haue made none answere not for despite or contempte but to lette you knowe more certainlie that by fauoryng your enterprises I should increase your grief whiche can receiue none ende by the waie you pretēde For although that I haue made the first proofe vpon my self and therfore of reason I ought to lamente them whiche bee in semblable paine yet I will not let slippe the bridle in suche wise to my passion that myne honestie shall remaine in an other mannes power and so it maie bée at the mercie and curtesie of them who not knowyng how dere
gret force of a Princes arme iustly displeased and to others what fauor a King coulde vse towardes them whome he knewe to be loyall and faythfull giuing cause of repentance to them which at other times had done him displeasure And to say the truth he might be placed in the ranke of the most happie Princes that euer were if the priuate affaires of his owne house had so happyly succeded as the renowme which he wanne in the science of warfare and in the administration of the common wealthe But nothing being stable in the lyfe of man This Emperour had in him that thing that diminished the glorye of his wisedome and resembling an Octauius Augustus the vnhappie successe of his owne house did somewhat obscure the fame of his noble factes and those insolent doings serued vnto him as a counterpoyse to prosperous Fortune which may be easily perceyued by the progresse and continuation of this Historie This good Prince had one daughter in whome Nature had distributed hir giftes in such wise that she alone might haue vaunted hir selfe to attaine the perfection of all them which euer had any thing worthy of admiration were it in the singularitie of beautie fauour and courtesie or in her disposition and good bringing vp The name of this fayre Princesse was Adelafia And when this Ladie was very yong one of the children of the Duke of Saxone came to the Emperours seruice whose kinsman he was This yong Prince besides that he was one of the fayrest and comlyest gentlemeÌ„ of Allemaigne had therewithal together with knowledge of armes a passing skill in good scieures which mitigated in him the ferocitie bath of his warlike knowledge and of the nature of his Countrey His name was Alerane who seing himselfe the yongest of his house and his inheritaunce verie small indeuoured to conciliate euery mannes fauoure and good will to remoue his owne fortune and to bring himselfe in estimation with the Emperour where in all thinges he imployed so well his indeuoure that through his worthinesse he wanne comendation and report to be the moste valiaunt and stoutest gentleman in all the Emperours court which prayse did greatly coÌ„mende the tendernesse of hys yong yeares and was therewithal so sober and of so gentle spirit that although he excelled his companioÌ„s in al things yet he auoided cause of offence shewing himselfe familiar amongs all the Courtyers Euery maÌ„ which is a great matter rather praysed him and loued him and he thought himself most happie that by any meanes coulde fashion himselfe to imitate the vertue the made Aleranes name so renowmed And that which made him fuller of admiracion and brought him in fauour with his Lorde and Maister was that vpon a daye the Emperor being in an assemble in the middes of a laund and in a desert place it chaunced that a Beare issuing out of her caue was assayled of hunters the fierce beast auoiding the toyles and flying the pursute of the dogges came with great vehemencie spéede from a mountayne and was vpon the Emperour â—or he was ware separated from his company and without his sworde But Alerane by good fortune was at hande who more carefull for the safety of his Prince than for his owne life encountred with the Beare and killed him in the presence of the Emperour and many other All which beholding to their great astonishment the dexteritie and hardinesse of Alerane at those small yeares for then he was not aboue the age of .xvij. the Emperour imbrasing him did highly comende him telling them that were by that hys lyfe was saued chiefly by Gods assistaunce and next by the prowesse of Alerane The newes hereof was so bruted abrode that there was no talke but of the valiaunce and stoutnesse of this yong man of warre which caused faire Adelasia moued by naturall instigation and with the opinion and report of the vertue towarde in that yong Prince to feele a certayne thing I can not tell what in hir minde which inflamed her senses heart And she had no soner cast her eyes vpon Alerane but Loue which had prepared the ambushe so pearced her delicate breast that he tooke full possession of her in such wyse that the Princesse was so strangely in loue with the yong Prince that she neuer founde pleasure and contentation but in that which was done or sayde by her louer whome she accompted the chiefe of all the men of his time In this burning heate she felt the passions of loue so vehement and his pricks so sharpe that she coulde not euaporate the cloudes which darkened her spirites and continually tormented her minde And albeit that the little occasion which she sawe for their comming together in time to come did dissuade her from pursuing the thing which she most desired yet the tirant Loue shewed himselfe very extreme in that diuersitie of thoughtes and varietie of troubles which vexed the spirite of the Princesse For she coulde not so well dissemble that which honor age commaunded her to kéepe secrete but that Alerane which was as we haue already fayde well expert and subtile perceiued the inwarde disease of Adelasia Moreouer there was betwene them a naturall conformitie and likelyhode of condicions which made them to agrée in equall desires to féede of lyke meates their passionate mindes were martired with equall sorrowe and payne departed aswell in the one as in the other For Alerane by taking carefull héede to the lookes which the Princesse continually did stealingly cast vpon him saw the often and sodayne chaunges of colour wherein sometimes appeared ioy which by and by did ende with infinite number of sighes and with a countenance agreable to that which the heart kept secrete and couert wherby he assured himselfe vnfaynedly to be beloued which caused him to do no lesse for satisfaction of such like merite and desert done by Adelasia but to beare vnto her like affectioÌ„ forcing her by all diligence and seruice to continue still that good will toward him yelding himself as a praie to the self same loue Who ruling thaffections of the Princesse as braue and pleasaunt as she was made hir sorowfull and pensife and altered hir in such wise that shée thought the company wherein she was did impeach her ioye which she iudged to conceyue like pleasure that she did when at libertie and alone she reuolued her troubles and fansted her contentation in her minde Alerane on the other syde slept not but as though he had receyued the first wounde by the hands of the blinde little archer Cupide ceassed not to think of her whose Image ordinaryly appeared before his eyes as engrauen more liuely in his minde than any forme may be insculped vpon metall or marble And yet neyther the one nor the other durste discouer the least passion of a great number which oppressed their besieged hearts and which suffered not to liue in any rest this faire couple of loyall louers that durste not manifest their loue The eyes alone
did thoffice of the handes and tongue as trusty secretaries and faythfull messangers of the effectes of the minde That which kindled she fler most was their frequent talke together which was but of common matters without vtterance of that which the hart knew wel ynough and whereof the eyes gaue true testimonie A passion truely almost intollerable for a yong Princesse aswel bycause she neuer had experience of like sorrow as for hir tender age and yet more for a naturall abashmēt and shame which with the vayle of honor doth serue or ought to serue for a bridle to euery Lady couetous of fame or like to be the ornament or beauty of her race Adelasia then floting in the tempestuous seas of her appetites guided by a master which delighteth in the shipwracke of them he carieth vanquished wyth an immoderate rage of loue tormēted with grief vnspeakable offended with hir owne desires being alone in hir chāber began to complayne her sorrowes and sayde Ah what passion is this that is vnknowen vnto me that ingendreth an obliuion of that which was wont to delight and content me From whence commeth this newe alteration and desire vnaccustomed that solitary being alone is the rest argument of my troubles What diuersities and alterations be these that in this sorte do poyse weygh my thought Ah Adelasia what happy miserie doest thou finde in this frée prison where pleasure hath no place tyll the Enemies haue dysquieted the lyfe with a Million of paynfull and dangerous trauayles What is this to say but that agaynst the nature of maydens of my yeares I will not or can not be quiet day nor night but to take my repaste and féeding vpon cares and thoughtes Alack I thought then to finishe my sorrowes griefes when being alone I began to frame the plot of my torments and paynes with so many formes deuises in my fansie as I doe make wishes and requests vpon the thing I loue and esteme aboue all vpon which all mine affections doe depende and take their beginning What is this to say but that my maydes do offend me when with discrete wordes they goe about to diuert me from my follies and pleasaunt noysom thoughtes Wherefore should not I take in good part that care which they haue of my helth and the paine which they take to remember me of my torment Alas they know not wherein consisteth the force of mine euil and muche lesse is it in their power to remedie the same Euen so I would haue none other playster but him that hath giuen me the wound nor none other meate but the hunger that drieth me vp I craue none other comforte but the fire which burneth me continually the force whereof pearceth the sucke and marie within my bones Ah Alerane Alerane the floure and mirror of all prowesse and beauty It is thou alone the liuest in me of whome my minde conceyueth his hope and the harte his nourishment Alas that thy worthinesse should be the ouerthrowe of mine honor and thy perfection the imperfection of my lyfe Ah Loue Loue howe diuersly thou dealest with me For seing mine Alerane I am attached with heate in the myddes of yce that is full colde In thinking of him I doe both rest and trauaile continually Nowe I flée from him and sodaynely agayne I desire him In hearing him speake the suger and hony that distilleth from his mouth is the contentmēt of my minde till suche time as his words appeare to be different from my desire For then ah Lord my rest is conuerted into extreme trauaile the hony into gall and wormewood more bitter than bytternesse it selfe the hope of my minde is become despaire so horrible that the same onely will bréede vnto me if God haue not pitie vpon me shorte occasion of my death After these wordes she rested a long time without speaking a worde with hir armes a crosse and hir eyes eleuate on high which ranne downe like a riuer of teares and semed to be so rauished that a man would haue iudged her rather a thing without life than a creature sensible and labouring for lyfe til recouering her spirites againe as comming from an Extasie and sounde she began hir plaintes againe in this sort What must such a Princesse as I am abase my selfe to loue her owne subiecte yea and her kinnesman and specially not knowing yet how his mynde is disposed Shall I be so vnshamefast and voide of reason to surrendre my self to any other but to him whome God and my fortune hath promised to be my espouse Rather death shall cut of the threde of my yeares than I will contaminate my chastity or that any other enioy the floure of my virginitie than he to whom I shal be tied in mariage Ah I say and promise muche but there is a tormenter in my minde which dealeth so rigorously with my reason that I cannot tell where vpon well to determine I dare not thinke which also I ought not to do that Alerane is so folish to despise the loue of one that is the chiefest of the daughters of the greatest Monarches of the worlde and much lesse that he should forget himself in such wise to forsake me hauing once enioyed the best dearest thing that is in me whereof I meane to make him the only and peaceable possessor Truly the vertue gētlenesse and good nuriture of Alerane doe not promise suche treason in him and that great beautie of his cannot tell how to hide such rigor that he will refuse one that is one of the most deformed and ill fauored creatures and which loueth him with suche sinceritie that where she shall lose the meanes to enioy him there shall feele euen forthwith the miserable end of her sorowful dayes And then againe she helde her peace tossed and turmoiled with diuers thoughtes fleting betwene hope and feare by and by she purposed to deface from her heart the memorie of Loue which already had taken to faste footing and would not be separated from the thing which heauen himself seemed to haue prepared for the perfectiō and glorie of his triumphe Loue then constrayned her to resolue vpon her last determination Then continuing her talk sighing wtout ceasing she sayd Chaunce what may to the vttermost I can but wander like a Uagabonde and figitiue with mine owne Alerane yf he will shewe me so muche pleasure to accepte me for his owne For sure I am the Emperour wil neuer abide the mariage which I haue promised and sooner wil I die than another shal possesse that which Alerane alone deserueth hauing a long time vowed and dedicated the same vnto him And afterwardes let them report what they lift of the bolde and folish enterprises of Adelasia when my heart is contented and desire satisfied Alerane enioieth her that loueth him more than her self Loue verily is not liable to the fansie of the parents nor yet to the will euen of them that subiugate themselues to his
lawes And besides that I shal not be alone amongst princesses that haue forsaken parents and countries to folow their loue into straunge Regions Faire Helena the Greke did not she abandon Menelaus her husband and the rych citie of Sparta to follow the faire Troian Alexander sayling to Troie Phedria and Ariadne despised the delicates of Creta lefte their Father a very olde man to go with the Cecropian Theseus None forced Medea the wise furious Lady but Loue to depart the Isle of Colchos her owne natiue country with the Argonaute Iason O good God who can resist the force of Loue to whome so many kinges so many Monarches so many wise men of all ages haue done their homage Surely the same is the only cause that compelleth me in making my self bold to forget my duety towards my parents and specially myne honor which I shall leaue to be reasoned vpon by the ignorant people that considereth nothing but that which is exteriourly offred to the view of the sight Ah how much I deceyue my selfe make a reckning of much without myne hoste And what knowe I if Alerane although he doe loue me wyll lose the good grace of the Emperour and forsake his goodes and so it may be to hazarde his life to take so pore and miserable a woman as I am Notwithstanding I will proue fortune death is the worst that can chaunce which I accelerate rather than my desire shall lose his effect Thus the faire and wise Princesse concluded her vnhappy state And all this time her best friend Alerane remayned in great affliction beyond measure and felte suche a feare as cannot be expressed with wordes only true louers know the force altogether like to that wherof the yong Prince had experience and durst not discouer hys euyll to her that was able to giue him her allegeance much lesse to disclose it to any deare friende of his into whose secrecie he was wont to commit the most part of his cares which was the cause that made him fele his harte to burne like a litle fier in the middes of a cleare riuer and sawe himself selfe ouerwhelmed within the waters hotter than those that be intermixed with sulphure do euaporat and send forth ardent smokes in an AEthna hill or Vesuue mountayne The Princesse impacient to endure so long could no longer kepe secrete the flames hydden within her without telling and vttering them to some whom her minde liked best and there to render them where she thought they toke their essense and being casting away all shame and feare which accustomably doth associat Ladies of hir estate and age One day she toke secretely asyde one that was her Gouernesse named Radegonde a Gentlewoman so vertuous wise and sober as any other that was in the Emperoures courte who for her approued manners and chaste life had the charge of the bringing vp and nourishing of Adelasia from her Infancie To this Gentlewoman then the amorous Princesse deliberated to communicate her secretes and to let her vnderstand her passion that she might finde some remedie And for that purpose they two retired alone within a closet the pore louer trembling like a leafe at the blast of the weasterne winde when the sunne beganne to spreade his beames syghing so strangely as if hir body and soule would haue departed sayde thus The trust which dayly I haue had in that naturall goodnesse which appeareth in you my mother and welbeloued Lady ioyned with discretion and fidelitie wherwith all your actes and affaires be recōmended do presently assure me and make me bolde in this my trouble to participate vnto you my secretes which be of greater importance without comparison than any that euer I tolde you persuading my selfe that the thing which I shall tell you whatsoeuer it be be it good or ill you will accepte it in suche wise as your wysedome requireth and to kepe it so close as the secrete of suche a Lady as I am doth deserue And that I may not holde you long in doubte what it is knowe ye that of late the valor prowesse beauty and curtesie of senior Alerane of Saxon hath founde suche place in my hearte that in despite of my selfe I am so in loue with him that my life is not deare vnto me but for his sake my hearte taketh no pleasure but in his glory and vertue hauing chosen him so vertuous a Prince for my friend and one day by Gods sufferaunce for my laweful spouse and husbande I haue assayed a thousand meanes so many wayes to cast him of to blot him out of my minde But alas vnhappy caytife Fortune is so frowarde and so vnmercyfull to my endeuour that the more I labour and goe about to extinguish in me the memorie of his name and commendable vertues so muche the more I do enlarge and augnient them the flames of which loue do take such increase that I do little or nothing estéeme my life without the enioying the effecte of my desire and the tast of such licor which nourishing my hope in pleasure may quench the fier that doth consume me Otherwise I sée no meanes possible but that I am constrayned eyther to lose my good wittes whereof already I felte some alienation or to ende my dayes with extreme anguishe and insupportable hearts sorrowe Alas I knowe well that I shal lose my time if I attempt to pray the Emperour my father to giue me Alerane to my husbande syth he doth already practise a mariage betwene the King of Hungarie and me And also that Alerane although he be a Prince of so noble bloud and so honorable house as the Saxon is yet is to base to be sonne in law to an Emperour In these my distresses it is of you alone of whome I loke for ayde I counsayle being certayne of your prudence and good iudgement and therfore I pray you to haue pity vpon me haue remorse vpon this immoderate passiō that doth torment me beyond measure Radegonde hearing Adelasia disclose this talke wherof she would neuer haue thought was so confounded and astoned that of long tyme she could not speake a word holding her hed downe reuoluing thousand diuers matters in her minde knew not wel what to answere the Princesse Finally gathering her spirits vnto her she answered her with teares in her eyes saying Alas Madame what is that you say Is it possible that the wisest vertuons and most courtcots Princesse of Europa could suffer her selfe in this sort through her onely aduise to be transported to her owne affections and sensual appetites Is it wel done that you seing in me a discretion and modestie doe not imitate the puritie therof be these the godly admonicions which heretofore I haue giuen you that you will so lightly defile your fathers house wyth the blot of infamie and your self with eternall reproche Would you Madame that vpon th ende of my yeares I should begin to betray my Lorde the Emperoure who hath committed to my
feared to thinke which was to haue her one day for friende if the name of spouse were refused Thus tormented wyth ioye and displeasure wandering betwene doubt and assurance of that he hoped The self same day that Adelasia practised with Radegonde for the obtayning of her ioy and secret ministerie of her Loue he entred alone into a garden into which the Princesse chambre had prospecte and after he had walked there a good space in an Alley viewing diligently the order of thé fruitfull trées of so diuers sortes as there be varietie of colours with in a faire meade during the vedure of the spring time and of so good and sauorous taste as the hearte of man coulde wyshe He repaired vnder a Laurel trée so well spredde and adorned with leaues about which trée you might hane sene an infinit number of Myrtle trées of smell odoriferous and swéete of Oringe trées laden wyth vnripe fruite of pliable Mastickes and tender Tameriskes And there he fetched his walkes along the thick grene herbs beholding the varietie of floures which decked beautified the place wyth their liuely and naturall colours He then rauished in this contemplation remembring her which was the pleasure and torment of his minde in sighing wise began to say O that the heauens be not propitious and fauourable to my indeuors Sith that in the middes of my iolities I fele a newe pleasaunt displeasure which doth adnihilate all other solace but that which I receyue throughe the Image paynted in my heart of that diuine beautie which is more variated in perfection of pleasures than this paradise and delicious place in varietie of enamell and paynting although that nature and arte of man haue workemanly trauailed to declare and set forth their knowledge and diligence Ah Adelasia the fairest Lady of all faire and most excellente Princesse of the earth Is it not possible for me to féede my self so well of the viewe and contemplation of thy heauenly and Angelicall face as I do of the sight of these faire and sundrie coloured floures May it not be broughte to passe that I may smell that swete breath which respireth through thy delicate mouthe béeing none other thing than Baulme Muske and Aumbre yea and that which is more precious which for the raritie and valor hath no name euen as I doe smell the Roses Pincks and Uiolets hanging ouer my head franckly offering themselues into my handes Ah infortunat Alerane there is no floure that ought to be so handeled nor sauor the swetenesse whereof ought not to be sented without desert merited before Ah Loue Loue that thou hast fixed my minde vpon so highe thinges Alas I feare an offence so daungerous which in the ende will bréede my death And yet I can not wythdrawe my heart from that smoke of Loue although I would force my selfe to expell it from me Alas I haue read of him so many times and haue heard talk of his force that I am afrayd to borde him and yet feare I shall not escape his gulfe Alas I knowe well it is he of whome is engendred a litle mirth and laughing after whiche doeth followe a thousande teares and weapings which for a pleasure that passeth away so sone as a whirle winde doth gyue vs ouer to greate repentance the sorrow wherof endureth a long time and sometimes his bitternesse accompanieth vs euen to the graue The pacients that be taynted with that amorous feuer althoughe continually they dye yet they can not wholy sée and perceiue for al that the defaut and lacke of their life albeit they doe wish and desire it still But alas what missehap is this that I do see the poyson that causeth my mischief and do know the way to remedie the same and yet neuerthelesse I can not or will not recouer the help Did euer man heare a thing so strange that a sick man seking help and finding recouery shoulde yet reiecte it Saying so he wepte and syghed so piteously as a little chylde threated by his mother the nourice Then roming vp and down vpon the grasse he séemed rather to be a man straught and bounde wyth chaynes than like one that had his wittes and vnderstanding Afterwardes being come againe to himselfe he retourned to his first talke saying But what am I more wise more constant and perfecte than so many Emperors Kinges Princes and greate Lordes who notwithstanding their force wisedome or richesse haue bene tributarie to loue The tamer and subduer of monsters and Tirants Hercules vanquished by the snares of loue did not he handle the distaffe in stead of his mighty mace The strong and inuincible Achilles was not he sacrificed to the shadowe of Hector vnder the color of loue to celebrate holy mariage wyth Polixena daughter to King Priamus The great Dictator Iulius Caesar the conqueror of so many people Armies Captaines and Kings was ouercome with the beautie and good grace of Cleopatra Quene of Egipt Augustus his successour attired like a woman by a yeoman of his chamber did he not take away Liuia from him that had first maried her And that cōmon enemie of man and of all curtesie Claudius Nero appeased yet some of his furie for the loue of his Lady What straunge things did the learned wise and vertuous Monarch Marcus Aurelius indure of his welbeloued Faustine And that great captaine Marcus Antonius the very terror of the Romaine people and the feare of strange and barbarous nations did homage to the childe Cupido for the beautie of Quéene Cleopatra which afterwardes was the cause of his whole ouerthrowe But what meane I to alledge remember the number of louers being so infinite as they be Wherfore haue the Poets in time past fayned in their learned and deuine bokes the loues of Iupiter Appollo Mars but that euery man may knowe the force of Loue to be so puissant that the Gods theselues haue felt his force to be inuincible ineuitable Ah if sometimes a gentleman be excused for abassing himselfe to Loue a woman of base birth and bloude why should I be accused or reprehended for loning the daughter of the chiefest Prince of Europe Is it for the greatnesse of her house and antiquitie of her race Why that is al one betwene vs two toke his originall of the place whereof at this day my Father is the chiefe and principall And admit that Adelasia be the daughter of an Emperoure Ah Loue hath no regarde to persons houses or riches rather is he of greater commendation whose enterpryses are moste famous and haute gestes extende their flyght farre of Nowe resteth then to deuise meanes howe to make her vnderstande my payne For I am assured that she loueth me sauing that her honoure and yong yeares doe let her to make it appeare more manifest But it is my propre duty to make request for the same considering her merites and my small desertes in respect of her perfections Ah Alerane thou must vnlose that tongue which
forest where his father dwelled Wherevnto the yong man readily and with al his heart obeyed Thus the Lord Gunfort for so was Aleranes cosin called accompanied with his little cosin and many other gentlemen wente toward the place where the Colliar Princes remained And when they were néere the craggie caue the lodging of Alerane the whole company lighted of their horse and espied him busie about the lading of his coales to sende to Ast. For the arriuall of the Emperor to Sauonne stayed Alerane from going thither himself by reason his conscience stil grudged for his fault committed against him Alerane seing this goodly company was abashed as though hornes had sodenly growen out of his head and yet the sight of his sonne richely furnished and in the company of Gunfort his cosin did more astonne him For he suspected incontinently that he was dyscouered and that the Emperour had sent for him to be reuenged of the fault so long time committed And as he had imagined diuers things vpon his hard fortune wtin his fansy His sonne came to embrace him vpon his knées to kisse his hands with an honest and hūble reuerence saying to Gunfort Sir this is he of whom I told the Emperor of him I toke my being This is my father All this while the good father embraced his sonne very hard and wéeping for extreame ioy sayd vnto him Alas my sonne if thy comming be so happy vnto me as it is ioyfull yf thy newes be good prosperous which thou bringest thou doest reuiue thy father halfe dead and from lamentable dispaire thou doest replenish and fill him with such hope that one day shall be the staye of his age and the recouery of his greatest losses The sonne not able to abide the discourse of his parents affaires could not comprehend any thing at the pitiful meting but stode still so astonned as though he had bene fallen from the cloudes Now during this time that the father and the sonne thus welcomed one another Gunfort toke hede to all the countenaunce and gestures of Alerane There was no part of the Colliers body that he forgat to viewe and yet remembring the voyce of his cosin and séeing a wound that he had in his face was sure that it was he And then with hys armes stretched forthe he came to clepe Alerane about the necke whom he made to loke redde with his warme teares saying Ah Alerane the presente torment now but in time past the pleasaunt rest of our race What Eclipse hath so long obseured the shyning sunne of thy valiant prowesse Why hast thou cōcealed so long time thy place of retire frō him which desired so much thine aduaūcement Hast thou the heart to sée the teares of thy cosin Gunfort running downe from his eyes vpon thy necke his armes embracing thée with such loue and amitie that he cannot receyue the like except he be something moued by thée in séeing thy louing entertaynement Wilt thou deny that which I knowe by a certayne instincte and naturall agrement which is that thou art Alerane the sonne of the duke of Saxone and so renowmed through out al Germany Doest thou pretēd through thine owne misfortune so rooted in thy heart by liuing in these wildernesse to depriue thy sonne of the honor which the heauens and his good fortune haue prepared for him Ah cruell and pitilesse father to suffer thy progenie to be buried in the tombe of obliuion with eternall reproche O vnkinde kinsman toward thy kindred of whome thou makest so smal accompt that wilt not vouchsafe to speake to thy cosin Gunfort that is come hither for thy comfort and the aduaūcement of thy familie Alerane sore ashamed aswell for the remembrance of his auncient fault as to sée himself in so pore estate before the Emperours gallants answered Gunfort saying My Lorde and cosin I beseche you to beleue that want of desire to make my complaynt vnto you and lacke of curtesie to entertayne you haue not made me to forget my duety towardes you being aswel my nere kinsman as suche a one to whome I haue done wrong and very great iniury by offending the Emperour But you doe know of what puissance the prickes of conscience bé and with what worme she gnaweth the hearte of them which féele themselues culpable of crime I am as you sayde the present missehap of our house for the opinion that the Emperour hath conceiued of my folly and shal be the rest if you will doe me so much pleasure to ridde me of this miserable life both of you and of the minde of a father iustly displeased against hys daughter and the quiet of a Prince offended with his subiect For I sweare vnto you by my faith that I neuer so muche desired lyfe as I now doe couet death for that I am assured that I being dead my pore companion and welbeloued wife shall liue at her ease enioying the presence and good grace of her father What meane you so to say answered Gunfort The Emperour is so well pleased appeased that he hath sworne vnto me to receiue you as his sonne in lawe and my Lady your wife as hys deare beloued daughter whome I pray you to cause to come before vs or to signify vnto vs where she is that I may do reuerence vnto her as to my Princesse soueraigne Lady William was all amased and almost besides himselfe hearing this discourse and thought he was eyther in a dreame or else inchaunted till that Alerane called his wife by her proper name who was so appalled to heare the word of Adelasia that her hart was sodainly attached with terror and feare when she sawe so great a company about her husband And then her sonne came to do his duetie not as to his mother onely but as to the daughter of an Emperour the wife of a Prince of Saxone She agayne embraced and kyssed him although she was surprised with feare shame and so moued with that sodaine sight that she had much a doe to kepe her selfe from faynting and falling downe betwene the armes of her sonne and thought that she had passed the place where Gunfort was who going towarde her after his reuerence and dutie done made her vnderstand the charge he had the good will of the Emperor which determined to receyue her agayne with so good order and entertainment as might be deuised Which earneste wordes made them to resolue vpon the prouse of fortune and to credite the promises that Gunfort made them in the Emperours behalf Thus they forsoke the caue their coates and fornaces to reenter their former delightes and pleasures That night they lodged at a village not far frō the forrest where they carried certayne dayes to make apparell for these straunge Princes and so well as they coulde to adorne and furnish Adelasia who being of the age almost of .xxxiiij. or .xxxv. yeares yet manifested some parte of the perfection of that deuine beautie and modest
sorrowe The nightes and dayes were all one to him for he coulde take no reste giuing ouer vse of armes administration of iustice hunting and hauking wherein before that time he had great delight And all his study was many tymes to passe and repasse before the gate of the Countesse to proue if he might attayne to haue some sight of her And things were brought to so pitifull state that within fewe dayes the Citizens and other gentlemen began to perceyue the raging loue of their Prince euery of them with common voice blaming the crueltie of the Countesse that was vnmaried who the more she proued the king inflamed with her loue the more squeymishe she was of her beautie The Peres and noble men seing their king reduced to such extremitie moued with pitie and compassion began secretely to practise for him some with threatnings some with flatteries persuasions some went to the mother declaring vnto her the eternall reste and quiet prepared for her al her friendes if she woulde persuade her daughter to encline to the kings minde and contrarywise the daunger iminent ouer her head But all these deuises were in vaine for the Countesse moued no more than a harde rocke beaten with diuers tempestes Notwithstanding at length seing that euery man spake diuersly as their affections did leade them she was so troubled and penfife in heart that fearing to be taken and that the king vanquished with his strong passion by successiō of time would vse his force and violently oppresse her founde meanes to gette a great sharpe knife which she caryed about her secretly vnder her gowns of purpose that if she sawe her self in peril to be defloured she might kill her selfe The Courtyers offended with the martirdome of their Maister and desirous to gratifie him and to seke meanes to do him pleasure conspired all in general against the Earles familie letting the king to vnderstand that it were most expedient sith that things were out of hope to cause AElips to be brought to his Palace to vse her by force Whervnto the king being dronke in his owne passion did willingly agrée Notwithstanding before he passed any further for that he faythfullye loued the Countesse he determined to aduertise the mother of the Countesse of that whiche he intended to doe and commaunded his Secretarie to goe séeke her with diligence and without concealing any thing from her knowledge to instructe her of the whole The Secretarie finding the mother of the Countesse sayd vnto her Madame the King hath willed me to say vnto you that he hath done what he can and more than his estate requireth to wynne the grace and Loue of your daughter but séeing that she hath despised his prayers disdained his presence and abhorred his griefes and complaintes knowing not what to doe any more his last refuge is in force letting you to vnderstande hereof to the intent that you she may consider what is to be done in this behalfe For he hath determined whether you will or no to fetch her out openly by force to the great dishonour slaunder and infamie of al your kinne And where in time past he hath loued fauored the Earle your husbande he trusteth shortly to make him vnderstande what is the effecte of the iuste Indignation of such a Prince as he is The good Lady hearing this sodaine and cruel message was astōned in such wise that she thought how she saw her daughter already trained by the heares of the head her garments haled and torne in pieces with a rufull and lamentable voyce crying out to him for mercy For this cause with blubbering teares trembling for feare she fell downe at the Secretaries féete straightly imbracing his knées sayd vnto him Maister Secretarie my deare and louing frende Beseche the King in my name to remember the paine and seruice done vnto him by mine Anncestors Intreate him not to dishonour my house in the absence of the Earle my husbande And if you be not able by your persuasion to molifie his harde heart desire him for a while to take pacience vntill I haue aduertised my daughter of his wil and pleasure whome I hope so to persuade that she shall satisfie the kings request When she had made this answere the Secretarie declared the same to the King who madde with anger Loue was contente and neuerthelesse commaunded his gentlemen to be in a readynesse to seke the Countesse In the meane time the mother of faire AElips went to her daughters chamber and after she had commaunded all her maydes which accompanied her to withdrawe themselues out of the chamber she began in fewe wordes to recite vnto her the message done vnto her by the Secretary Finally with sobbing sighes she sayde vnto her The dayes haue bene deare daughter that I haue séene thée to kéepe thy state amonges the chiefest of all the Ladyes of the Realme And I haue counted my selfe happie that euer I did beare thée in my wombe and thought by meanes of thy beautie vertue one day to sée thée to become the ioy and comfort of all thy frendes But now my cogitacions be tourned cleane contrarie thorowe thyne vnluckie fate Now I thinke thée to be borne not only for the vniuersall ruine of all our familie but also which grieueth me most to be an occasion and instrument of my death and the desolation of al thy frends But if thou wilt somewhat moderate thy rigor all this heauinesse shortly shall be tourned into ioy I or our King and soueraigne Lorde is not onely in Loue with thée but for the ardent affection and amitie that he beareth vnto thée is out of his wittes and nowe doth conspire againste vs as thoughe we were Traitors and murderers of our Prince In whose handes as thou knowest doth rest the lyfe honor and goodes both of thy selfe and vs all And what glory and tryumphe shall be reported of thée to our posteritie when they shall knowe that by thy obstinate crueltie thou hast procured the death of thyne olde father the death of thy hore headed mother and the destruction of thy valiant and coragious brethren and dispoyled the rest of thy bloude of their possessions and abilitie But what sorrowe and griefe will it be to sée them wander in the worlde like vagaboundes banished from their liuings and remaine in continuall pouertie without place and refuge in their miserie who in steade of blessing or praysing the houre of thy birth will cursse thée in their mynde a thousande times as the cause of all their ouerthrowe and yll fortune Thinke and consider vpon the same deare daughter for in thée alone consisteth the coseruation of our liues and hope of al our frendes This lamentable discourse ended the afflicted Coūtesse not able any longer to resist that pangue but that her heart began to waxe so faynt that with her armes a crosse she fel downe halfe dead vpon her daughter who seing her without mouing and without any apparaunce of
to fayle her and that her fete and handes were caught in suche captiuitie that she could neyther run away nor yet defend herselfe knew none other remedie but to proue if he had yet remayning in him any griftes of the former loue that for the honor therof he might forget his crueltie Wherfore she sayde vnto him Amadour if now you doe accompt me for an enemie I besech you for the honestie of the loue which at other times I haue found planted in your heart to giue me leaue to speake before you doe torment me And when she sawe him reclining his eare she pursued her talke in this wise Alas Amadour what cause haue you to seke after the the thing whereof you shall receyue no contentation inflicting vpon me suche displeasure as there can be no greater You haue many tymes proued my will and affection in the tyme of my youthfull dayes and of my beautie farre more excellent than it is nowe at what tyme your passion might better be borne with and excused than nowe In suche wise that I am amased to sée that you haue the heart to torment me at that age and greate debility wherwith I am now indued I am assured that you doubte not but that my will minde is such as it was wont to be Wherefore you cannot obtayne your demaunde but by force And if you sawe how my face is arraied you woulde forget the pleasure which once you receyued in me and by no meanes would forcibly approche nere vnto me And if there be left in you yet any remnantes of loue it is impossible but that pitie may vanguishe your furie And that to pitie and honestie whereof once I had experience in you I doe make my plainte and of the same I doe demaund grace and pardon to thintent that according to your persuasion and good aduise you maye suffer me to liue in peace honesty which I haue determined during my life And if the loue which you haue borne me be cōuerted into hatred that more for reuengement than affection you doe purpose to make me the most vnhappy wight of the worlde I assure you you shall not be able to bring your intent to passe besides that you shall constrayne me against my determination to vtter and reueale your villany disordinate appetite towards her which did repose in you an incredible affiance by discouering whereof thinke verely that your life cannot continue without perill Amadour breaking her talke sayde vnto her If I die for it I wil presentlie be acquieted of my torment But the deformitie of your face which I thinke was done by you of set purpose shall not let me to accomplishe my will For since I can get nothing of you but the bones carcasse I wil holde them so fast as I can And when Florinda sawe that prayers reason nor teares coulde not auaile but that with crueltie he woulde néedes followe his villanous desire which she had stil auoided by force of resistance she did helpe her selfe so long til she feared the losse of her breath and with a heauy and pitious voice she called her mother so loude as she coulde crye who hearing her daughter calling with such rufull voyce began gretly to feare the thing that was true Wherfore she ranne so fast as she could into the warderobe◠Amadour not being so nere death as he sayd he was left of his hold in such good time as the Lady opening her closet founde him at the dore and Florinda farre ynough from him The Countesse demaunded of him saying Amadour what is the matter Tell me the truth Who like one that was neuer vnprouided of excuse with his face pale and wanne and his breath almoste spente sayde vnto her Alas Madame in what plight is my Lady Florinda I was neuer in all my life in that amase wherein I am now For as I sayde vnto you I had thought that I had inioyed part of her good will but now I know right well that I haue nothing at all I thinke Madame that sith the time she was brought vp with you she was neuer lesse wise and vertuous than she is but she is very daungerous and squeimish in speaking and talking and euen now I woulde haue loked vpon her but she woulde not let me And when I sawe that countenaunce thinking that it had bene some dreame or vision I desired to kisse her hand according to the fashion of the countrie which she vtterly refused True it is Madame I haue offended her wherof I craue pardon of you but it chaūced only for that I toke her by the hande which I did in a maner by force kissed the same demaunding of her no other contentation But she like one as I suppose that hath sworne my death made an outery for you as you haue heard for what cause I know not except that she were affrayde that I woulde haue forced some other thing Notwithstanding Madame what so euer the matter be I protest vnto you the wrong is mine and albeit that she ought to loue all your honest seruants yet fortune so willeth that I alone the most affectioned of thē all is clearelye exempt out of her fauour And yet I purpose still to continue towardes you her the same man I came hither beseching your good grace and fauour sithens that without my desert I haue lost hers The Countesse which partelye beleued and partelye mistrusted his talke went vnto her daughter and demaunded of her wherefore she cried out so loude Florinda aunswered that she was affrayd And albeit the Countesse subtilly asked her of many things yet Florinda would neuer make other answere for that hauing escaped the hands of her enemie she thought it punishment ynough for him to lose his labor After that the Coūtesse had of long time cōmuned with Amadour she left him yet once againe to enter in talke with Florinda before her to sée what coūtenaūce she would make him To whō he spake few words except they were thanks for that she had not cōfessed the truth to her mother praying her at least wife that seing he was dispossessed out of her heart she would suffer none other to receiue his place But she answering his former talke sayd If I had had any other meanes wherwith to defend my self from you than by crying out she shoulde neuer haue heard me and of me you shall neuer heare worse except you doe constrayne me as you haue done and for louing any other man you shal not néede to feare For sith I haue not founde in your heart which I estemed the moste vertuous in all the worlde the good successe that I desired I will neuer beleue hereafter that vertue is planted in any man And this outrage shal make me frée from all passions that Loue can force and in saying so she toke her leaue The mother which behelde her countenaunce could suspect nothing and after that tyme she knew wel that her daughter bare
no more affection to Amadour and thought assuredly that she was voyd of reason bicause she hated all those thinges which she loued And from that tyme forth there was suche warre betwéene the mother and the daughter that the mother for the space of .vij. yeares woulde not speake vnto her except it were in anger Which she did at the requeste of Amadour During which tyme Florinda conuerted the feare that she had to remayne with her husbande into mere loue to anoyde the rigor and checkes of her mother Howebeit seing that nothing coulde preuayle she purposed to begyle Amadour leauing for a day or two her ser straūge countenaunce she counselled Amadour to loue a woman which as she sayde did commonly talke of their loue This Lady dwelt with the Quéene of Spaine was called Lorette who was very ioyful and glad to get suche a seruaunt And Florinda found meanes to cause a brute of this newe loue to be spred in euery place and specially the Countesse of Arande being at the Court perceyued the same who afterwardes was not so displeased with Florinda as she was wont to be Florinda vpon a tyme heard tel that the Captaine the husband of Loret began to be ialous ouer his wife and determined by some meanes or other he cared not how to kill Amadour Florinda notwithstanding her dissembling countenaunce could not suffer any hurt to be done to Amadour and therefore incontinently gaue him aduertisement therof But he retourning againe to his former sollyes answered that if it would please her to interteigne him euery day thrée houres he would neuer speake agayne to Loret whervnto by no meanes she would consent Then Amadour sayde vnto her if you will not haue me to liue wherefore goe ye about to defend me from death except ye purpose to torment me alyue in such wise that a thousand deathes can not doe But for so much as death doth fly from me I wil neuer leaue to seke death til I haue founde him out at whose approch onely I shall haue rest Whilest they were in these tearmes newes came that the King of Granado was about to enter into great warres against the King of Spaine in such wise that the King sent against him the Prince his sonne and with him the Constable of Castille and the Duke of Albe two auncient and sage Lords The Duke of Cardonne and the Counte of Arande not willing to tarrie behinde besought the King to giue eyther of them a charge Which he did according to the dignitie of their houses appointing Amadour to be their guid Who during that warre did suche valiaunt factes that they semed rather to be desperately than hardyly enterprised And to come to the effect of this discourse his great valiaunce was tryed euen to the death For the Moores making a bragge as though they woulde giue battayle when they sawe the army of the Chistians counterfaited a retire whome the Spaniardes pursued but the olde Constable and the Duke of Albe doubting their policie stode still against the wil of the Prince of Spaine not suffering him to passe ouer the riuer but the Counte of Arande and the Duke of Cardonne although they were countremanded did followe the chase and when the Moores sawe that they were pursued with so small a number they retourned and at one recountrie killed the Duke of Cardōne and the Counte of Arande was so sore hurt that he was left for deade in the place Amadour arriuing vpon this ouerthrowe inuaded the battayle of the Moores with suche rage and furie that he rescued the two bodyes of the Duke and Countie and caused them to be conueyed to the Princes campe who so lamented their chaūce as if they had bene his owne brethren But in searching their wounds the Countie of Arande was found to be aliue and was sent home to his owne house in a horslitter wher of long time he was sick and lykewise was conueyed to Cardonne the deade body of the yong Duke Amadour in rescuing those two bodyes toke so little héede to him selfe that he was inclosed with a great number of the Moores bicause he would be no more taken aswell to verifie his faith towardes God as also his vowe made to his Lady and also considering that if he were prisoner to the King of Granado eyther he shoulde cruelly be put to death or else forced to renounce his fayth he determined not to make his death or taking glorious to his enemies Wherefore kissing the crosse of his sworde and rendring his body and soule to the handes of almightie God he stabbed himselfe into the body with such a blow that there neded no second wound to rid him of his lyfe In this sorte dyed pore Amadour so much lamēted as his vertues did deserue The newes hereof was bruted throughout Spaine and Florinda which then was at Barsalone where her husbande in his lyfe tyme ordeyned the place of his buriall after that she had done his honorable obsequies without making her owne mother or mother in lawe priuie thervnto surrendred herselfe into the Monasterie of Iesus there to liue a religious lyfe receyuing him for her husband and friend which had deliuered her from the vehement loue of Amadour from a displeasaunt lyfe so great and vnquiet as was the company of her husbande In this wise she conuerted all her affections to loue God so perfectly that after she had long time lyued a religious life she yelded vp her soule in suche ioy as the Bridgrome doth when he goeth to visite his spouse A Duke of Florence The incontinencie of a Duke and of his impudencie to attayne hys purpose with the iust punishement which he receyued for the same ¶ The Liiij Nouell IN the Citie of Florence there was a Duke that maryed the Ladye Margaret the bastarde daughter of the Emperour Charles the fift And bicause she was very yong it was not lawfull for him to lye with her but tarying til she was of better yeres he vsed her very gently Who to spare his wyfe was amorous of certayne other Gentlewomen of the citie Amongs whome he was in loue with a very fayre wise and honest Gentlewoman that was sister to a Gentleman whome the Duke loued so well as himselfe to whome he gaue so much aucthoritie in his house that his worde was so well obeyed and feared as the Dukes himselfe and there was no secrete thing in the Dukes minde but he declared the same vnto him that he might full well haue bene called a seconde himselfe The Duke seing his sister to be a woman of so great honestie had no wayes or meanes to vtter vnto her the loue that he bare her after he had inuented all occasions possible at length he came to this Gentleman which he loued so well and sayde vnto him My friende if there were any thing in all the worlde wherein I were able to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you and woulde not doe it at your request I shoulde be
the Gentleman and hys man layde him againe into his bedde where they accomplished the effect of that murther Afterwards drawing the curteyne they departed and locked the deade body in the chamber And when he saw that he had gotten the victory of his enemy by whose death he thought to set at libertie the common welth he supposed his fact to be vnperfect if he did not the like to fiue or six of them which were nerest to the Duke and best beloued of him And to atteyne the perfection of that enterprise he bad his man to doe the like vnto them one after another that he had done to the Duke But the seruant being nothing hearde or coragious sayde vnto his maister Me thinke sir that for this time ye haue done ynough and that it were better for you now to deuise how to saue your own life than to séeke meanes to murder any more For if we do abide so long time to kil euery of thē as we haue done in murdering of the Duke the day light wil discouer our enterprise before we haue done although we find them naked and withoute defence The Gentleman whose euill conscience made him fearefull did beleue his seruant and taking him alone with him went to a bishop that had in charge the gates of the citie and the vse of the Posts to whom he sayde This euening my Lorde newes came vnto me that mine owne brother lieth at the pointe of death and crauing licence of the Duke to goe sée him he hath giuen me leaue Wherefore I beseche you commaunde the postes to deliuer me two good horse and send worde to the porter that the gates may be opened The bishop which estemed no lesse his request than the commaundemente of the Duke his maister incontinently gaue him a billet by vertue whereof both the gates were opened and the horse were made ready according to his demaūde And vnder colour and pretence of visiting his brother he rode to Venice where after he had cured himselfe of the Dukes bitings fastened in his flesh he trauayled into Turkey In the morning the Dukes seruantes séeing the time so late before their mayster retourned suspected that he was gone forth in visitation of some Lady but when they sawe he taried so long they begā to seke for him in euery place The pore Duchesse into whose hart the loue of her husband strōgly did inuade vnderstanding that he could not be founde was very pēsife sorowful But when the Gentleman which he so dearely loued was not likewise séene abrode search was made in his chamber where finding bloud at the chamber dore they entred in but no man was there to tell them any newes and following the tracte of the bloude the poore seruantes of the Duke went to the chamber dore where he was which dore they founde fast locked and incontinentely brake open the same Who seyng the place all bloudy drewe the curteyne found the wretched carcasse of the Duke lying in the bedde sléeping his endelesse sléepe The sorrowe and lamentacion made by the Dukes seruants carying the dead body into his pallace is easie to be coniectured Whereof when the Bishop was aduertized he repayred thether and tolde howe the Gentleman was gone away in the night in great hast vnder pretence to go to sée his brother Whervpon it was euidently knowen that it was he that had cōmitted the murder And it was proued that hys poore sister was neuer priuie to the facte who although she was astonned with the sodayne chaunce of that aduenture yet her loue towardes her brother was farre more increased bicause he had deliuered her from a Prince so cruell the enemie of her honestie For doing whereof he did not sticke to hazarde his owne life Wherevpon she perseuered more and more in vertue and althoughe she was poore by reason her house was confiscate yet both her sister and she matched with so honest and rich husbandes as were to be found in all Italie and afterwardes liued in good and great reputation Of Frauncis the French King One of the french Kinges called Frauncis the first of that name declared his gentle nature to Counte Guilaume that woulde haue killed him The Lv. Nouell IN Digeon a Towne of Burgundie there came to the seruice of King Frauncis which was father to Henry the second of that name that was killed by Moūsier Mongomebrie in a triumph at the Tilt and Graundfather to Charles the ix that now raigneth in Fraunce an Earle of Allemaigne called Guillaume of the house of Saxon whervnto the house of Sauoie is so greatly allied as in olde time they were but one The Counte forsomuch as he was estemed to be so comely and hardy a Gentleman as any was in Allemaigne was in such good fauour with the King that he toke him not onely into seruice but vsed him so nere his person as he made him of his priuie chamber Upon a day the Gouernor of Burgundie the Lorde Trimouille an auncient knight and loyall seruaunt of the King lyke one suspicious and fearefull of euill hurt of his Maister had daylie espies about his enemy to know what he did and vsed the matter so wisely that very fewe things were concealed from him Among other aduertisementes one of his friendes wrote vnto him that the Counte Guillaume had receyued certayne somes of money with promise of more if by any meanes he coulde deuise which way to kill the King The Lorde of Trimouille hearing of this fayled not to come to the King to giue him knowledge therof and disclosed it likewise to Madame Loyse of Sauoie his mother who forgetting her amitie alliance with the Almaigne Earle besought the king forthwith to put him away The king prayed his mother to speake no more thereof and sayde that it was impossible that so honest a gentleman woulde attempt to do a dede so wicked Within a while after there came other newes of that matter confirming the first Whereof the Gouernour for the intire loue he bare to his Maister craued licence eyther to expell him the cuntrie or to put him in warde But the king gaue speciall commaundement that he shoulde not make any semblance of displeasure for that he purposed by some other meanes to knowe the truth Upon a time when he went a hunting he girded about him the best sworde that he coulde finde to serue for all armes and assayes toke with him the Counte Guillaume whome he commaunded to wait vpon him the first and chiefest next his owne person But after he had followed the hart a certayne tyme the King séeing that his traine was farre from him no man neare him sauing the Counte he tourned himselfe round about And when he sawe that he was alone in the midde of the Forest drawing out his sworde he sayde to the Counte Howe say you Sir Counte is not this a fayre and good sworde The Connte feling it at the point well viewing the same sayde that
well doers in their glorie and triumphe to perpetrate thynges vnlawfull Sextus Tarquinius rauisheth Lucrece who bewailyng the losse of her chastitie killeth her self ¶ The seconde Nouell GReate preparacion was made by the Romanes against a people called Rutuli who had a citie named Ardea excellyng in wealth and richesse whiche was the cause that the Romane kyng beyng exhausted and quite voide of money by reason of his sumptuous buildynges made warres vpon that countrie In the tyme of the siege of that citee the yong Romane gentlemen bāqueted one an other emonges whom there was one called Collatinus Tarquinius the sonne of Egerius And by chaunce thei entred in communicacion of their wiues euery one praisyng his seuerall spouse At length the talke began to growe hotte where vpon Collatinus said that wordes wer vaine For within fewe howers it might be tried how muche his wife Lucrecia did excell the rest wherfore q he if there be any liuelihod in you Let vs take our horse to proue whiche of our wiues doth furmoūt Wherevpō thei rode to Rome in poste At their coming thei found the kynges doughters sportyng themselfes with sundrie pastymes From thence thei went to the house of Collatinus where thei founde Lucrece not as the other before named spendyng the time in idlenes but late in the night occupied and busie emonges her maides in the middes of the house spinning of Wolle The victorie and praise wherof was giuen to Lucretia who when she sawe her husbande gently and louingly interteigned hym curteously biddyng the Tarquinians welcome Imediatlie Sextus Tarquinius the sonne of Tarquinius Superbus that tyme the Romane kyng was attached and incensed with a libidious desire to construprate and defloure Lucrece When the yong gentlemen had bestowed that night pleasantlie with their wiues thei retourned to the Campe. Not long after Sextus Tarquinius with one man returned to Collatia vnknowen to Collatinus and ignoraunte to Lucrece and the reste of her houshold for what purpose he came Who beyng right hartely interteigued after supper was conueighed to his chamber Tarquinius burnyng with the loue of Lucrece after he perceiued the housholde to bee at reste and all thynges in quiet he with his naked sworde in his hande goeth to Lucrece beyng a slepe and kepyng her doune with his lefte hande saied Holde thy peace Lucrece q he I am Sextus Tarquinius my sworde is in my hande if thou crie I will kill thee The gentlewoman beyng sore a fraied newlie awaked out of her slepe and seyng iminent death could not tell what to doe Then Tarquinius confessed his loue and began to intreate her and therewithall vsed sundrie menacyng woordes by all meanes attemptyng to make her quiet when he sawe her obstinate and that she would not yelde to his requeste notwithstandyng his cruell threates he added shamefull and villanous woordes saiyng That he would kill her and when she was slaine he would also kill his slaue and place hym by her that it might be reported she was slain beyng taken in adulterie She vāquished with his terrible and infamous threat His fleshly and licencious enterprise ouercame the puritie of her chast harte whiche doen he departed Then Lucrece sente a poste to Rome to her father and an other to Ardea to her housbande requiryng them that thei would make speede to come vnto her with certaine of their trustie frendes for that a cruell facte was chaunced Then Sp. Lucretius with P. Valerius the soonne of Volesius Collatinus with L. Iunius Brutus made haste to Lucrece Where thei founde her sittyng verie pensife and sadde in her chamber So sone as she sawe theim she began pitiouslie to weepe Then her housebande asked her whether all thynges were well vnto whom she saied these woordes No dere housebande for what can bee well or safe vnto a woman when she hath loste her chastitie Alas Collatine the steppes of an other man be now fixed in thy bedde But it is my bodie onely that is violated my minde God knoweth is gililes whereof my death shal be witnesse But if you be men giue me your hādes and trouthe that the adulterer maie not escape vnreuenged It is Sextus Tarquinius who beyng an enemie in stede of a frende the other night came vnto me armed with his sworde in his hand and by violence caried a waie from me and tooke to himself a pestiferous ioye Then euery of thē gaue her their faith and comforted the pensife and languishyng ladie imputing the offence to the aucthor and doer of the same affirmyng that her bodie was polluted and not her mynde and where consente was not there the crime was absent Wherevnto she added I praie you consider with your selues what punishment is due for the malefactour As for my parte though I clere my self of the offence my bodie shall feele the punishemente for no vnchast or ill woman shall hereafter take example of Lucrece Then she drew out a knife whiche she had hidden secretly vnder her kirtle and stabbed her self to the harte Whiche doen she fell doune grouelyng vpon her wounde and so died Wherevpon her father and housebande made greate lamentacion and as thes were bewailyng the death of Lucrece Brutus plucked the knife out of the wounde whiche gushed out with abundance of blood and holdyng it vp saied I swere by the chaste blood of this bodie here deade and I take you the immortall goddes to witnesse that I wil driue and extirpate out of this Citie bothe L. Tarquinius Superbus and his wicked wife with all the race of his children and progenie so that none of them ne yet any others shall raigne any longer in Rome Then he deliuered the knife to Collatinus Lucretius and Valerius merueilyng at the straungenesse of his woordes And from whence he should conceiue that determinacion Thes al swore that othe And folowed Brutus as their capitaine in his conceiued purpose The bodie of Lucrece was brought into the markette place where the people wondred at the vilenesse of that facte euery mā cōplainyng vpon the mischief of that facinorous rape committed by Tarquinius Wherevpon Brutus perswaded the Romanes that thei should cease from teares and other childishe lamentacions and take weapons in their handes and shewe themselues like men Then the lustiest and moste desperate persones within the citie made theimselues presse and readie to attempt any enterprise And after a guarrison was placed and bestowed at Collatia diligente watche and warde was kepte at the gates of the citie to the intent the kyng should haue no aduertismente of that slurre The reste of the souldiours followed Brutus to Rome Whē he was come to Rome the armed multitude did beate a meruellous feare throughout the whole citie but yet because thei sawe the chiefeste personages goe before that thought that the same enterprise was not taken in vaine Wherefore the people out of all places of the citie ran into the marketplace Where Brutus complained of the abhominable Rape of Lucrece committed by Sextus Tarquinius whervnto
beholde them a farre of in suche wise that thei burne for loue I warraunte you Cyrus saied Araspas For if I dooe continually looke vpon them I will not so be drowned in loue that the same shall prouoke me to do any thing that doeth not become me You saie well saied Cyrus Therefore keepe this woman as I bidde you and see well vnto her For paraduenture she is taken in good tyme. And so thei departed The yonge gentleman markyng the singulare beautie of the Ladie and perceiuyng her greate honestie he hauyng the custodie of her thought he would dooe her pleasure and by gesture sawe that she was not ingrate and vnthākfull but verie diligent on her part to cause her seruauntes that all thinges at his comyng should be redie And if he were by chaunce sicke he lacked no kepyng vpon whiche occasiōs he fell in loue with her And no meruell For she was as before is saied a woman verie faire and amiable Afterwardes kyng Cyrus desirous to sende a spie into the countrie of Lydia to learne what the Assirians did Araspas whiche had the kepyng of the faire Ladie seemed moste meete for that purpose But Araspas chaūced to fall in loue with the Ladie in suche wise as he was forced to breake his mynde to her that he must needes satisfie his pleasure Whiche request like a faithfull and louing woman to her housbande in his absence she denied Howbeit she would not accuse Araspas to Cyrus beyng afraied to sette variaunce betwene twoo frendes Araspas thinkyng it a greate shame and reproche vnto hym not to obtaine his desire threatened the Ladie that if she would not yelde to his requeste he would haue it perforce Then the woman fearyng violence kepte the thyng no longer secrete but sente one of her Eunuches to Cyrus commaundyng hym to discouer the whole matter Whiche when he heard he laughed a good pace at him who saied that he was superiour to loue sendyng Artabasus with the Eunuche to commaunde hym not to force the woman but if he could by faire meanes allure her he would not be against it When Artabasus came to Araspas he rebuked hym bothe for his infidelitie in the thyng committed vnto his charge and also for his wickednesse iniurie and incontinēcie Wherewithall Araspas wepte for sorowe beyng oppressed with shame and confounded with feare for the displeasure of Cyrus Whiche thing Cyrus vnderstandyng called hym and priuelie saied thus vnto hym I see Araspas that you be afraied of me and muche ashamed But be contente for I knowe that the Goddes haue been vanquished with loue and dooe vnderstande what thinges the wiseste men haue suffred for the same And I haue accused my self bicause I could not cōteine being in companie with faire personages And hereof I my self am the occasion For I compelled you to that inuincible matter Araspas makyng aunswere saied You be in this thing O Cyrus euen like vnto your self as you be in all other You be mercifull and full of clemencie But other mennes reporte is that whiche maketh me moste pensite For so sone as the rumour of my calamitie is dispersed mine enemies will reioyce and my frendes will counsaill me to flee lest your maiestie doe hainously take reuenge for mine offence Well Araspas saied Cyrus By that opinion and brute you shall dooe me greate seruice emonges my confederates How can that be said Araspas How can I therein doe you any seruice If presently q Cyrus you doe make as though you fledde from me and by goyng vnto myne enemies you maie winne of thē greate credite Uerely saied Araspas I suppose that I and my frendes might raise a rumour in deede that I am fledde from you for feare So maie you saied Cyrus returne vnto vs again when you knowe our enemies secretes For I thinke thei will make you priuie to al their counsell and aduises bicause you shal be incredite with them nothyng shal be cōcealed from you that we desire to knowe I will euen now depart said Araspas for it is verie likely that this my departure maie seme to bee an argumente of trouthe bicause I fledde for feare of punishment Can you in that maner forsake faire Panthea q Cyrus Truely saied he it euidentlie now appereth that I am endewed with two mindes And with the one I haue plaied the Philosopher with loue that vntrue Sophistre For there is no one minde whiche is good and badde and at one tyme loueth good and euill thinges and can not at one instant perpetrate and doe one thing Wherefore it is manifest that there be twoo myndes When the good minde ruleth it dooeth thynges that be honest when the euill is superiour it woorketh ill And now the good mynde by makyng you his frende and confederate doeth puissauntlie gouerne Well saied Cyrus if you goe you must beware that your credite maie increase emonges them Tell them hardely the some of our indeuours but in suche wise as our doynges maie bee lettes to their enterprises And this shall let thē muche if you saie that we determine to inuade their countrie For hearyng this thei will not assemble their whole power euery man fearyng his priuate parte And see that you tary with them a good space And looke what partes thei meane nerest to approche the same be most conuenient for vs to knowe And bidde them to be redie when soeuer thei thinke time For when you shall be departed from them and thought that you knowe their order thei must needes keepe the same and bee a fraied to alter it whiche if thei doe thei will confounde them selues through the sodaine chaunge Thus Araspas departyng tellyng his moste trustie seruauntes what he would haue dooen in this matter went his waie But Panthea hearyng that Araspas was gone sent to Cyrus saiyng Be not sorie Cyrus for the departure of Araspas to your enemies For if you will suffer me to sende for my husbande I doe promise you that he shal be a farre more assured frende then Araspas was And I knowe he will come with so greate power for your aide as he is able to make For the father of the Assirian kyng whiche now raigneth was his frende But this king vpon a tyme went about to make a diuorcement betwene my husbande and me Therefore knowyng that this kyng dooeth disdaine his good fortune I am sure he would sone bee perswaded to serue so noble a Prince as you be Cyrus hearyng her saie so commaūded her to sende to her husband whiche she did Abradatas knowyng his wiues tokens and vnderstanding the effecte of her message spedely came to Cyrus with M M horsemen Thei that were the Persian spies sent to Cyrus declaryng what he was Cyrus commaunded that forthwith he shuld be brought vnto his wife Whē the wife and husbande sawe eche other thei imbrased like twoo that mette after suche troublesome aduenture Then Panthea declared the goodnes temperaunce and clemencie of Cyrus towarde her Abradatas hearyng of her interteignemente saied What
there was a yonge man called Euathlus who beyng desirous to be an Orator and a pleadyng aduocate to the intent he might postulate accordyng to the accustomed maner of Athenes in those dates accorded vpon a price with a renewned Oratour named Protagoras that he should instructe hym that arte for a price agreed vpon betwene them vpon condicion that the Scholer should paie the one halfe of the money before hande vnto his Maister and the rest at suche tyme as he should proue to be an Aduocate so well instructed that at the first matter whiche he did pleade he should obteine sentence on his side and gaine for his labour and industrie But if sentēce were pronounced against him he should not be boūde to paie the same Uppon this conclusion the Maister taughte hym with greate diligence the vttermoste of his knowledge in that arte The Scholer againe learned and reteined his teachyng with greate prōptitude and redinesse of witte When Protagoras had taught hym the vttermoste of his knowledge The scholer Euathlus to defraude hym of the reste of his money determined neuer to be Aduocate whose craft Protagoras perceiuyng cited hym by write to appere before the Iudge to answere the rest of the bargaine When thei were bothe come in the Iudges presence Protagoras spake to his scholer in this wise Euathlus the bargain betwene vs thou canst not chose but confesse and acknowledge whiche in effecte is this It was agreed that I should teache thee the arte of pleadyng and in the first matter whiche thou diddest pronoūce and sentence giuen on thy parte thou shouldest paie me the other halfe of the money for the firste moitie I receiued before hande and now to auoide the satisfaction thereof although thou knowest that I haue full well deserued it thou to defraude me of my duetie refusest to bee an aduocate But I will tell thee this thy determinacion is but vaine frustrate for I haue intangled thee in suche nettes that thou canste not escape but by one meane or other thou shalte be forced to paie me For if the Iudge doe condempne thee then mangre thy head thou shalt be constrained and if contrarie wise sentēce be giuen on thy side thou shalte be likewise bounde to paie me by thy verie couenaunt sitheus thou art boūd therevnto when thou pleadest first and sentence giuen in thy behalf Doe now then what thou list for in fine thou shalt be forced to paie me in despite of thy teeth All the assistauntes helde with Protagoras affirming his suite to be verie reasonable Notwithstandyng Euathlus with a bolde spirite aunswered for hymself in this maner Sir Protagoras it semeth vnto you that I am conuicted but staie a while and giue me leaue to speake and then you shall perceiue in what whise I will cōfounde your argument Here you haue brought your action against me whereof I trust vpon my reasonable aunswere before the Iudges to be discharged For if by this your pleadyng by circumstaunces art of an Oratour whiche you haue vsed in all your discourse the matter shall fall so out as sentence be giuē on your side then the bargaine made betwene vs is voide and of none effecte bicause I losyng the profit of my first pleadyng wherein by our agrement sentence should be giuē on my behalfe the same bargaine is not accōplished For you should bee paied the moitie of the money behind with that cōmoditia which I did gaine by my first pleadyng For whiche cause there is no reason but I must be discharged of your demaunde After this debatyng of the matter the Iudges wated the argumentes of bothe partes whiche seemed so doubtfull vnto them that knowyng not how to giue sentence thei suspended the processe The same Aulus Gellius reciteth an other like question whiche he referreth to Plinie as the first aucthor thereof There was a lawe saieth he in a certain citie that what soeuer he were that committed any valiant facte of armes the thyng that he demaunded what soeuert were should be graunted vnto hym It chaunced that a certaine persone did this worthie act and required that a mannes wife whom he derelie loued should be giuen vnto hym whiche wife by force vertue of the lawe was accordingly deliuered But afterwardes the man from whom his wife was taken did the like facte and demaunding his wife to be redeliuered vnto hym againe saied vnto hym that had her if thou wilt obserue the lawe thou muste of force deliuer vnto me my wife but if thou do not like the law thou oughtest yet to rēder her vnto me as myne owne The other answered hym in like sorte If thou obserue the lawe this woman is myne for I haue first wonne her by the lawe but if thou doe not approue the lawe thou hast no right to demaunde her she now beyng myne ¶ Seleueus kyng of Asia gaue his wife to his owne soonne in mariage beyng his mother in lawe who so feruentlie did loue her that he was like to die Whiche by a discrete and wise muencion was discouered to Seleucus by a Phisician ¶ The .xxvij. Nouell ALthough the wise Philosopher Plutarche elegantly and brieslie describeth this historie in the life of Demetrius yet because Bandello aptly more at large doeth discourse the same I thought good to applie my yenne to his stile Who saieth that Seleucus kyng of Babylone a man verie victorious in battaill was emonges the successors of Alexander the greate the moste happie and fortunate He had a sōne called by his fathers name Antiochus After the deceasse of his wife his sonne increased and gaue great hope of valiaunce in future time to become a valiante gentleman worthie of suche a father And beyng arriued to .xxiiij. yeres of age It chaunced that his father fill in loue with a verie faire yonge gentlewoman discended a greate parentage called Stratonica whom he tooke to wife and made her Quene and by her had one sonne Antiochus seyng his mother in lawe to be besides her greate beautie a curteous and gentle Ladie begā to be verie amourous of her whose hart was so sette on fire without apparante shewe that incredible it is to expresse the loue that he bare her And yet he thought that loue to be vnnaturall bicause she was his fathers wife and therefore durfte not discouer it to any man And the more secrete he kepte it the more the heate began to boile and consume him But bicause he sawe that loue had fixed so deepe footyng that he was not wel able to retire he determined after long sorowe and great turmoile to seke some quiet hauē to rest his weather beaten barke that hadde been tossed with the waues of pensife and sorowful cogitacions His father had many Kyngdomes prouinces innumerable vnder his Empire At whose handes Antiochus craued license to visite some of them for his disporte and recreaciō of purpose to proue if he could auoide that vnseasonable loue wherewith his harte was surprised But he
so many tymes for his sake to fetche so many sighes and with suche sweete woordes to bidde hym bet of good there aud that if he wanted any thyng to tell her and praied hym with pleasaunt wordes to call for that he lacked and that for his sake she would gladlie accomplish his desire who doubteth I saie but he was merueilouslie tormented with a thousande cogitacions now conceiuyng hope and by and by dispaire and still concludyng with hymself rather to die then to manifest his loue And if it be a grief to all yonge men bee thei neuer of so meane and base cōdicion in their youthlie tyme to lose their life what shall we thinke of Antiochus that beyng a yongman of freshe and flourishyng age the sonne of a riche and mightie kyng that looked if he might escape after the death of his father to be heire of al did willingly craue death of that small disease I am assured that his sorowe was infinite Antiochus then beaten with pitie with loue with hope with desire with fatherly reuerence and with a thousande other thynges like a ship tossed in the depe seas by litle and litle begā to growe extremelie sicke Erasistratus that sawe his bodie hole and sounde but his minde greuouslie weakened and the same vanquished with sundrie passiōs After he had with hymself considered this straunge case he for cōclusiō foūde out that the yong man was sicke through loue for none other cause Moreouer he thought that many tymes wise and graue menne through Ire hatred disdaine malinconie and other affections could easilie faine and dissemble their passions but loue if it be kept secrete doeth by the close kepyng thereof greater hurte then if it be made manifeste And albeit that of Antiochus he could not learne the cause of his loue yet after that imaginacion was entred into his hedde he purposed to finde it out by continuall abode with hym and by greate diligence to obserue and marke all his actions and aboue all to take heede to the mutacion of his poulses and wherevpon their beatyng did alter This deliberacion purposed he sat downe by the bedde side and tooke Antiochus by the arme and helde him fast where the poulses ordinarily doe beate It chaunced at that instant that the quene Stratonica entred into the chamber whom so sone as the yonge man sawe cōmyng towarde him sodainlie the poulce whiche were weake féeble began to reuiue through mutacion of the blood Erasistratus féelyng the renforcyng of the poulce and to proue how longe it would continewe moued not at the commyng of the Quene but still helde his fingers vpō the beatyng of the poulces So long as the Quene contiuned in the chamber the beatyng was quicke and liuelie but when she departed it ceased the wonted weaknes of the poulces retourned Not long after the quene came againe into the chāber who was no soner espied by Antiochus but that his poulces receiued vigor and begā to leape and so still continued Whē she departed the force and vigor of the poulce departed also The noble Phisicion seyng this mutacion and that still it chaunced vpō the presence of the Quene he thought that he had founde out the occasion of Antiochus sickenesse But he determined better to marke the same the next daie to be more assured The morowe after Erasistratus sat doun againe by the yonge gentleman and toke hym again by the arme but his poulce made no mociō at all The king came to se his sonne and yet for all that his poulses were still And beholde the Quene came no soner in but sodainlie thei reuined and yelded suche liuelie mouyng as if you would haue said yonder is she that setteth my harte on fire Beholde where she is that is my life death Then Erasistratus was well assured and certaine that Antiochus was feruently inflamed with his mother in lawe but that shame constrained hym to conceale the hotte firebrandes that tormented hym and to keepe them close and secrete Certified of this opinion before he would open the matter he considered what waie were best to giue knowledge therof to kyng Seleucus And when he had well debated of this matter he deuised this waie He knewe that Seleucus loued his wife beyonde measure and also that Antiochus was so dere vnto hym as his owne life Wherevpon he thus saied vnto the kyng Noble Seleucus thy sonne is affected with a grieuous maladie and that whiche is worse I deme his sickenesse to bee incurable At whiche wordes the sorowfull father began to vtter pitifull lamētacion and bitterlie to complaine of Fortune To whom the Phisicion saied If it please yon my lorde to vnderstande the occasion of his disease This it is The maladie that affecteth and languisheth your soonne is Loue and the loue of suche a woman whiche excepte he enioye there is no remedie but death Alas quod the Kyng weepyng with bitter teares and what woman is she but that I maie procure her for hym whiche am kyng of all Asia and maie with intreatie money giftes or other pollicie whatsoeuer make her obediente and willyng to my soonnes requeste Tell me onelie the name of the woman that I maie prouide for my soonnes healthe yea though it cost me all my goods and realme to if other wise she can not bee gotten For if he die what shall I doe with my kyngdome Wherevnto Erasistratus answered If it like your grace your sōne is in loue with my wife but bicause that loue semeth vnto him discōuenient he dareth not to manifest the same for shame but rather wisheth to die then to opē his minde Howbeit I by certaine euident signes doe wei perceiue it When Seleucus heard these woordes he saied O Erasistratus thou beyng so worthie a man to whom fewe in goodnesse and humilitie be comparable so dere and welbeloued of me and beareth the bruite to be the verie hauen and harborough of wisedome wilt thou not saue my sonne whiche is a yonge man now vpon the floure of his youth and most worthie of life for whom the Empire of all Asia is worthelie reserued O Erasistratus the soonne of thy frende Seleucus is thy kyng who through loue and silence is at the poineted death thou seest that for modestie and honestie sake at this his laste and doubtfull passage he had rather chose to die then by speakyng to offende thee and wilte thou not helpe hym This his silence this discrecion that his reuerence whiche he sheweth ought to moue thee to cōpassion Thinke my welbeloued Erasistratus that if he loue ardently that he was forced to loue For vndoubtedlie if he could not loue he would do the best he could not to loue yea and all his endeuour to resist it But who is able to prescribe lawes to Loue Loue I knowe not onelie forceth men but also commaūdeth the immortall Goddes and when thei bee not able to resist him what can mannes pollicie preuaile Wherfore who knoweth not what
where it maie chaunce that you neuer vnderstoode so muche before this tyme I will tell you the whole discourse So it is that Pietro my father yours dwelte of long time wherof it is possible that you haue heard report at Palermo where through the goodnesse and frendlie behauior of hym there be yet some remaining that did beare hym singular good will and frendship But emonges other whiche loued him moffe my mother which was a gentlewoman and then a widowe without doubt did loue him best In such wise that she forgettyng the loue of her father and of her brethren and the loue of her owne honour and reputacion thei dealed so together that thei begatte me and am here as you see Afterwardes when your father and mine had occasion to departe from Palermo he retourned to Perugia leauing my mother behinde and me his yong doughter neuer after that so farre as I knowe caring either for my mother or me wherof if he were not my father I would blame him very muche cōsidering his ingratitude towardes my mother Albeit he ought to vse towardes me so muche affection fatherlie loue as to his owne doughter being come of no kitchin maide ne yet of any basewoman For my mother otherwise not knowyng what he was did commit into his handes moued of mere loue bothe her self and all that she had But what Thynges ill dooen and so long tyme paste are more easie to be reprehended then amended Thus the matter went he left me a litle infant at Palermo where when I was growen to yeres my mother whiche was riche gaue me to wife to one of the house of Gergenti a gentleman of greate honestie and reputacion who for the loue of my mother and me retourned to dwell at Palermo where greatlie sauoryng the faccion of the Guelphi he began to practise a certaine enterprise with our kyng Charles whiche being knowen to Kyng Federic before the same enterprise could take effecte we were forced to flie out of Scicilia At what tyme I had thought to haue been the chiefest Ladie that euer was in that Island wherefore taking with vs suche fewe thinges as we were able to carie fewe I maie well call them in respecte of thē we possessed and leauyng our houses and pallaces we came vnto this citie Where we founde kyng Charles so benigne towardes vs that he hath recompenced parte of our losses whiche wee susteined in his seruice For he hath giuen vs possessions and houses with good prouision of housholde to my husbande and your brother in lawe as you now sée and perceiue And in his maner I doe remaine here where swete brother I thāke God and not you that at this presente I sée you and therewithall she tooke hym aboute the necke wepyng tenderly and then kissed his face againe Andreuccio hearyng this tale spoken in order and digested from poinct to poinct with good vtterance wherof no worde stucke betwene her teeth or was impeached by default of tongue And remembryng how it was true that his father dwelte at Palermo knowyng also by hymself the maner of yonge menne whiche in their youthe be prompt and willyng to loue and seyng her tender teares her imbracynges and honest kisses thought al that she had spoken to bée moste certaine and true And after she hadde doe on her tale he answered in this wise Madame you maie not thinke vnkindnesse if I dooe meruaile at this for that in verie déede I haue no acquaintance of you no more then if you had neuer been borne But whether my father hath spoken of you or of your mother at any tyme truely I doe not now remēber but so muche the more I dooe reioyce that I haue founde a sister here as I trust bicause I am here alone And certainly I knowe none so honourable but you maie seme agreable vnto hym so well as to me which am but a poore marchaunte howbeit I doe beseche you to tell me how you did knowe that I was in the citie To whom she answered This mornyng a poore woman whiche oftentymes repaireth to my house gaue me knowledge thereof bicause of longe tyme as she tolde me she did dwell with your father at Palermo and at Perugia And bicause I thought it more conuenient and mete to bid you home to myne owne house then to seke you in an other mannes I thought good to sende for you After these woordes she began in order to inquire of the state of his parentes callyng them by their proper names wherevnto Andreuccio made answer that now he perceiued he had better cause to giue credite vnto her woordes then before Their discourse and talke of thynges beyng long and the weather hot she called for Greke wine and Comfittes and made Andreuccio to drincke Who after the banquette destrous to departe to his lodgyng for it was about supper time she by no meanes would suffer him but makyng as though she were angrie saied vnto hym Oh God I see now moste euidently that you doe make litle accompt of me beyng your owne sister whom you neuer sawe before and in her house where vnto you ought to resort when so euer you come to towne And will you now forsake the same to suppe in an Inne But of trouth you shall not chose but take part of my supper And although my husbande bee not at home whereof I am right sorie yet you shal knowe that his wife is able to make you some good there To whom Andreuccio not knowyng well what to saie els made this answere I do loue you as I ought to loue a sister But if I go not to mine Iune I knowe thei will tarie for me all this night before thei goe to supper to my greate reproche and shame Praised bee God quod she then I haue seruauntes to aduertise your hoste that you be here with me to the intent he shall not tarie for you But pleaseth you sir to dooe me this greate curtesie that I maie sende for your companions hither to beare you companie that afterwardes if you will néedes depart ye maie goe all together Andreuccio answered that he would sende for none of his companie that night but for so much as she was so importunate he hymself was right well contente to satisfie her requeste Then she made as though she had sente to his Inne to giue worde that thei should not tarie for him And after muche communication supper was placed vpon the table serued in with many deuises and sundrie delicates abundantlie and she with like sleightes continued the supper till it was darke night And whē thei rose from the table Andreuccio made hast to departe but she would not suffre hym tellyng hym that Naples was a Towne so straight of orders that none might walke abrode in the night and specially straūgers And that like as she had sente woorde howe thei should not tary for hym at supper euen so she had doen for his bedde All whiche Andreuccio beleuyng and
it happē that she giue her self fully to the conductiōs of loue and the superplusage of her said excuse ought to consist in that she hath chosen her a sage and vertuous frende if she that loueth hath doen so in deede Whiche twoo thinges as thei should be I suppose are in me and many other also whiche ought to induce me to loue accordynglie as my youth requireth and the great space that is betwene my husbande and me It behoueth now then that thei should aduaunce themselfes in your presence for the defence of my burnyng loue and if the same doe raigne in you whiche haue power in the wise then I beseche you to giue me counsaile and aide in the thing whiche I shall demaunde True it is that for the long absence of my husbande not able to resist the prickes of the fleshe and the force of loue whiche be of suche greate effecte that thei haue many times past and yet daily doe vāquishe and ouercome not onely feble and weake women but also the strongest men I liuyng in ease and idlenes as you sée and forced to folowe the pleasures of loue and to become amourous as I doe knowe well that such thynges if thei were knowen should not bee reputes honest Neuerthelesse the same beyng kepte secrete I thinke shall not be muche dishonest Notwithstanding dame Loue is so fauourable vnto me that not onelie she hath giuen me true iudgement in choise of a frende but hath reueiled vnto me that it is you which is worthie to be beloued of suche a ladie as I am For if I bée not greatlie deceiued I do make accompt that you be the fairest personage the semeliest the most curteous and wisest gentleman in all the Realme of Fraunce And as I maie saie by reason of his absence that I am without a husbande so maie you affirme that you bee without a wife wherfore I beseche you for the loue that I beare vnto you that you wil not denie me your loue and frendship that you wil haue pitie vpon my yong yeres whiche doubtles dooe consume for you as Ice against the fierie flames At whiche worde the teares ran doune in suche abundance that where she thought to make further supplicacion and praiers she had no more power to speake But holdyng doune her heade like one that was ouercome she threwe her self doune into the Erles lappe who like a faithfull knighte began to blame with sharpe rebukes her fonde and foolishe loue pushyng her from hym as she was about to clepe hym aboute the necke and swore greate othes that rather he would bee drawen in fower peces then consent to suche a thyng to be doen by hym or any other against the honor of his lorde maister Whiche wordes the Ladie hearyng sodainly forgatte her loue and in greate rage saied vnto hym Shall I then bee frustrate thou arrant villaine in this wise of my desired ioye But sithens thou goest about to seke my distruction I will cause thee to be put to death or els to be banished the worlde When she had saied so by and by she caught her self by the heare of the head and almoste tare it of cleane and then laied handes vpon her garmentes rentyng the same in peces and afterwardes cried out aloude Helpe helpe The Erle of Angiers wil rauishe me by force The Erle seyng that and farre more doubtyng of the enuie and malice of the Courte then his owne conscience for any committed facte fearyng also that more credite would bee giuen to the wickednesse of the Ladie then to his innocencie conueied hymself from that place and so sone as he could he went out of the palace and fledde home to his owne house where without any further aduise he placed his children on horsebacke and so well as he could caried them to Callice At the brute and noyse of the Ladie many people assembled Who seyng and hearyng thoccasion of her crie not onely beleued her wordes but also affirmed that the pompouse state of the Erle was vsed by hym to bryng to passe the effecte of his desire Then thei ranne to the houses of the Erle in greate furie to arreste his persone but not findyng him there thei first sacked his houses and afterwardes ouerthrewe them to the grounde The newes hereof so wicked as might bee deuised arriued at the Kyng and Dolphins Campe whereat thei were so troubled and offended that thei condempned the Erle and all his progenie to perpetuall exile promisyng greate giftes and rewardes to them that would presente them quicke or deade The Erle beyng offended in his conscience for that he was fledde innocente of the facte made hymself culpable thereof and arriued at Callice with his children dissemblyng what he was and sodainly passed ouer into Englande and in poore apparell traueiled vp to London And before he entred the citie he gaue his children diuers admonicions but specially of two thinges First that thei should beare paciently the pouertie whervnto Fortune without their offence had brought them Afterwardes that wisely thei should take héede at no time to manifest declare to any man from whence thei came and whose childrē thei were as thei loued the price of their owne liues The soonne was named Lewes almoste of the age of ix yeres and the doughter called Violēta was about the age of .vij. bothe whiche childrē as their age could suffer them did well obserue their fathers lesson as afterwardes it did right well appere And bicause that this might the better be brought to passe it semed good vnto hym to alter their names namyng the soonne Perotto and the doughter Gianetta And when thei were arriued at Lōdon in maner of beggers thei craued their almose and beyng by Fortune for that purpose one mornyng at a churche doore it came to passe that a greate ladie whiche was one of the Marshalles of Englandes wiues in goyng out of the Churche sawe the Erle and his two litle childrē beggyng their almose of whom she demaunded what countrie man he was and whether those children were his owne or not To whom the Erle answered that he was a Picarde and by reason of a wicked facte dooen by his eldest soonne that was an vnhappie boie he was forced to departe his countrie with those his twoo children The Ladie whiche was pitifull fixed her eyes vpō the girle who pleased her verie muche bicause she was beautifull gentill and pleasaunt saiyng Good man if thou be contēt to leaue vnto me this thy litle doughter whiche hath a good face I will willingly take her and if she become a duetifull maiden when she is mariageable I will marie her in honeste wise This demaunde greatly pleased the Erle who redely answered that he was contented and with teares trickeling doune his eyes he deliuered and commended his pretie doughter vnto her And whē he had thus wel bestowed her he determined to tarrie no lōger there but in beggyng his almose traueiled through the countrie with his
therefore expell from thée this shame and feare And spare not to tell me if I be able to dooe any thyng in that whiche thou louest And if thou perceiue that I bee not carefull to bryng it to passe repute me for the cruellest mother that euer bare childe The yonge gentleman hearyng these wordes of his mother was first ashamed but after thinkyng with hymself that none was so well able to pleasure hym as she driuyng awaie all shame saied to her in this wise Madame there is none other thyng that hath made me to kepe my loue secrete but that whiche I see in many people who after thei bée growen to yeres of discrecion dooe neuer remember that thei haue béen yonge But for so muche as herein I dooe sée your Ladiship discrete and wise I will not onely affirme that to be true whiche you haue perceiued in me but also I will cōfesse what it is vpon suche condicion that the effect thereof shall folowe your promise so farre as lieth in you whereby you shalbée able to recouer my life Wherevnto the mother trusting to muche in that whiche she ought not to haue accomplished for certaine consideracions whiche afterwardes came into her minde Answered hym liberally that he might boldly discouer all his desire and that forthwith she would bryng the same to passe Madame saied the yong man then the greate beautie and commendable qualities of your maiden Gianetta whom as yet not onely I haue no power to intreate to take pitie vpon me but also I haue made no wight in the worlde priuie of this my loue The not disclosyng and secrecie wherof hath brought me in case as you sée And if so be the thing whiche you haue promised dooe not by one meane or other come to passe assure your self that my life is but short The ladie knowing that it was more tyme to comforte then to reprehende saied vnto hym smilyng Alas my soonne were you sicke for this Bée of good chere and when you are whole let me alone The yong gentleman being put in good hope shewed in litle tyme tokens and signes of greate amendemēt Wherof the mother was meruellous glad disposyng her self to proue how she might obserue that whiche she had promised And one daie callyng Gianetta vnto her demaunded in gentle wise by waie of merie talke if she had not gotten her a louer Gianetta with face all blushyng answered Madame I haue no nede thereof and muche more vnsemely for so poore a damosell as I am to meditate or thincke vpon louers whiche am banished from my frendes and kinsfolke remainyng in seruice as I dooe To whom the Ladie saied If you haue none we will bestowe one vpō you whiche shall content your mynde and make your life more delectable and pleasaunt For it is nul mete that so faire a maide as you bée should continue without a a louer Wherevnto Gianetta answered Madame waiyng with my self that you haue taken me from my poore father and brought me vp as your doughter It becometh me to do that which pleaseth you Notwithstandyng I intende neuer to make any complainte to you for lacke of suche a one bothe for vertue and honestie sake but if it please you to giue me a husbande I purpose to loue hym and none other For my progenitours haue left me none other inheritaunce but honestie whiche I meane to kéepe so long as my life indureth These woordes to the Ladie semed contrary to that whiche she desired to knowe to atchieue her promes made to her soonne although like a wise Ladie to her self she greatly praised the damoset and said vnto her But Gianetta what if my Lorde the Kyng whiche is a yonge Prince and you a faire maiden would take pleasure in your loue would you refuse hym Wherevnto the maide sodainly answered The Kyng maie well force me but by consent he shall neuer obtaine any thyng except it be honest The Ladie conceiuyng the courage and stoutnesse of the maiden in good parte saied no more vnto her but thinkyng to put the matter in proofe she tolde her sonne that when he was whole she would put them bothe in a chamber that he mighte haue his pleasure vpon her For she thought it dishonest to intreate her maide for her sōne bicause it was the office of a Roffiana The yong man was nothing contented therewith whereby he sodainly waxed worsse and worsse whiche the Ladie perceiuyng opened her whole intente to Gianetta but findyng her more constaunt the euer she was before she tolde her husbande all that she had dooen who agreed although against their willes to giue her to bée his wife thinking it better their sonne liuyng to haue a wife vnagreable to his estate then to suffer hym to die for her sake Whiche after greate consultaciō thei concluded where of Gianetta was merueilously well pleased and with deuoute harte gaue thankes to God for that he had not forgottē her And yet for all that she would neuer name her self otherwise then the doughter of a Picarde The yonge sonne waxed whole incōtinently was maried the best contented man a liue and began to dispose himself louingly to leade his life with her Perotto whiche did remain in Wales with the other Marshall of the kyng of Englāde semblably increased and was welbeloued of his maister and was a verie comely and valiaunt personage that the like of hym was not to be founde in all the Islande in suche wise that at Torneis Iustes and other factes of armes there was none in all the Countrie comparable vnto him wherfore by the name Perotto the Picarde he was knowen and renowmed And like as God had not forgotten his sister euen so he shewed his mercifull remembraunce of hym For a certaine plague and mortalitie happened in that Countrie whiche consumed the one haulfe of the people there besides that the moste part of them that liued were fledde for feare into their coūtries whereby the whole prouince seemed to bée abandoned and desolate Of whiche plague the Marshall his maister his wife and his sonne and many other brothers neuewes and kinsfolke died of whō remained no more but his onely doughter which was mariageable and some of his seruauntes together with Perotto whom after the plague was somewhat ceased the yong gentlewoman toke for her husbande through the counsaile and consente of certaine of the countrie people that were aliue bicause he was a valiaunt and honest personage and of all that inheritaunce whiche her father left she made hym Lorde Alitle while after the kyng of Englande vnderstoode that the Marshall was dedde and knowyng the valor and stoutnesse of Perotto the Picarde he made hym Marshall in steede of him that was dedde In this sort in short tyme it chaunced to the twoo innocent childrē of the Erle of Angiers which were left by hym as lost and quite forlorne It was then the .xviij. yere sithens the Erle fledde from Paris hauyng in miserable sorte suffred many
crueltie towardes her he thought by the destruction and slaughter of Guiscardo to coole her burnyng loue And therefore commaunded twoo of his seruauntes that had Guiscardo in kepyng without any noise to strangle hym the next night and afterwardes pluckyng his harte out of his bodie to bryng it vnto him who did as thei were commaunded And the nexte daie the kyng caused a faier Cuppe of golde to bee brought vnto hym wherein he laied the harte of Guiscardo whiche he sente by one of his familer seruauntes vnto his doughter and commaunded hym when he presented the same vnto her to saie these woordes Thy father hath sent thee this present to comforte thy self with the thyng whiche thou doest chieflie loue as thou hast comforted hym of that whiche he loued moste Gismonda not amoued frō her cruell determinaciō caused to be brought vnto her after her father was gone venemous herbes and rootes whiche she distilled together and made water thereof to drincke sodainly if that came to passe whiche she doubted And when the kynges seruaunt was come vnto her and had deliuered his presente he saied as he was commaunded Gismonda tooke the cuppe with a stoute countenaunce coueryng it so sone as she sawe the harte and vnderstoode the wordes she thought verely that it was the harte of Guiscardo wherefore beholdyng the seruaunt she said vnto him Truely it behoueth that suche a harte as this is should bée intombed in no worsse graue then in gold whiche my father hath moste wisely doen. Afterwardes liftyng the cuppe to her mouthe she kissed it saiyng I haue in all thynges euen vnto this time being the last ende of my life alwaies founde the tender loue of my father towardes me but now I knowe it to bée greater then euer I did before And therefore in my behalfe you shall render vnto hym the last thankes that euer I shall giue hym for so greate a presente After those woordes tourning her self towardes the cuppe whiche she helde fast beholdyng the harte she saied thus Oh sweete harborough of my pleasures cursed be the crueltie of hym that hath caused me at this tyme to looke vpon thée with the eyes of my face it was pleasure enoughe to sée thée euery hower emonges people of knowledge and vnderstanding Thou hast finished thy course and by that ende whiche Fortune vouchsaufed to giue thée thou art dispatched and arriued to the ende wherevnto all men haue recourse thou hast forsaked the miseries and traueiles of this worlde and hast had by the enemie hymself suche a sepulture as thy worthinesse deserueth There néedeth nothyng els to accomplishe thy funeralle but onely the teares of her whom thou diddest hartely loue al the daies of thy life For hauing whereof our Lorde did putte into the heade of my vnmercifull father to sende thée vnto me and truely I will bestowe some teares vpon thée although I was determined to die without sheadyng any teares at all stoutlie not fearfull of any thyng And when I haue powred them out for thée I will cause my soule whiche thou hast heretofore so carefully kept to be ioyned with thine For in what companie can I trauell more contented or in better saufgarde in places vnknowen then with thy soule Truely I am well assured that it is yet here within that hath respecte to the place aswell of his owne pleasures as of myne beyng assured as she who is certaine that yet he loueth me that he attenddeth for my soule of whom she is so greatly beloued When she had thus saied she began to let fall as though there had béen a fountaine in her hedde so many teares that it was a miracle to beholde her oftētymes kissyng the dedde harte Her maidens that stode aboute her vnderstoode not what harte that was nor wherevnto these wordes did tende but beyng moued with compassion thei all wept pitifullie demaunding although in vaine the occasion of her sorowfull plaintes and comforted her so well as thei could Who after she had powred for the sufficient teares lifted vp her hedde and when she had wiped hereyes she saied Oh louyng harte all my duetie is fulfilled towardes thée hauyng now nothyng to doe but onely to yelde forthe my ghoste to accōpanie thine And this saied she caused the glasse of water whiche she had made the daie before to bee brought vnto her and poured it out into the cuppe where the harte laie all bained with a multitude of teares whiche she puttyng to her mouthe without feare dronke vp all And that dooen went into her bedde with the Cuppe in her hande tossyng her bodie as decently as she could vpon the same holdyng the harte of her dedde frende so nere as she could vnto her owne hart Her maidens seyng this although thei knewe not what water it was that she dranke sente woorde to the kyng who fearyng that whiche happened incontinently wente doune into his doughters chamber where he arriued euen at that instaunte that she had cast her self vpon the bedde and beyng come to late to succour her with swete wordes be began seing her in those pangues to wepe bitterlie To whom his dougther saied Father kepe in those vndesired teares and bestowe them not vpon me for I desire them not who euer sawe manne besides you to bewaile the wilfulnesse of his owne facte Howbeeit if there dooe yet reste in you any sparke of that loue whiche you haue alwaies borne towardes me graunte me this last requeste that although you were not contented that I should liue secretly and couertly with Guiscardo yet at lest cause our bodies to be openly buried togethers where it pleaseth you to bestowe them The anguishe and sorowe would not suffer the prince to answere one worde for weping And then the Ladie perceiuyng her ende approche cleped and strained the dead harte hard to her stomacke saiyng Farewell swete harte in God for I am goyng to hym And there withall she closed her eyes and lost her senses departyng out of this dolorous life In this manner sorowfullie ended the loue of Gismonda and Guiscardo as you haue heard whom the Prince after he had wept his fill and taken to late repentaunce for his crueltie caused honorablie to be buried and intombed bothe in one graue not without greate sorowe of all the people of Salerne Mahomet one of the Turkishe Emperours executeth curssed crueltie vpon a Greke maiden whō he toke prisoner at the winning of Constantinople ¶ The .xl. Nouell IF you dooe euer make any proofe or triall to knowe of what trampe the arrowes of Loue bee and what fruicte thei bryng to them that doe vse and practice the same I am assured you shal bee touched with some pitie when ye vnderstande the beastlie crueltie of an Infidell louer towardes his Ladie He of whom I will declare the historie is Mahomet not the false Prophete but the greate graundfather of Solimā Ottoman Emperour of the Turkes whiche raigned at that time He it is that to the shame and eternall infamie
the honeste loue betwene the Lorde and the Ladie as for the vertue and clemēcie wherewith both the one and the other were accōpanied who in the beginnyng as honestie duetie did require was a louer of good maners and commendable demeanour of his Ladie and maistresse afterwardes forgettyng the fidelitie whiche he did owe vnto his Lorde the nobilitie of his predecessours and the perill of his owne life began to loue her and serue her in harte and to wishe for the fairest thyng whiche outwardlie did appere to bee in her where he ought not so muche as with the looke of his eye to giue any atteinte of likelihode for the reuerence of hym whiche was the right honor and iuste possessor of the same This maister foole then not measuryng his forces and lesse followyng the instincte of Reason became so amourous of his Madame that cōtinually he imagined by what meanes he might giue her to vnderstande the paines and languores wherein he liued for the loue of her But alas these deuises vanished like a litle dispersed cloude at the risyng of the Sonne For thinkyng vpon the vertue of his maistresse his desires were soner remoued from his harte then he was able to impresse them in the seate of his iudgemente thereby to take any certaine assuraunce Notwithstandyng his hedde ceased not to builde Castelles in the aire and made a promisse to hymself to inioye her whom he worshipped in his harte For he tooke suche paines by his humble seruice that in the ende he acquired some parte of his Ladies good grace and fauor And for that he durst not be so bolde to manifest vnto her the vehemencie of his grief he was cōtented a long tyme to shewe a counterfaicte ioye whiche raised vnto hym a liuely spring of sorowes and displeasures that did ordinarily frette boile his minde so muche that the force of his wepyng for vaine hope was able to suffocate the remnant of life that rested in his tormented harte whiche caused certaine litle brookes of teares to streame donne assailyng the myndeof this foolishe Louer This faier and chaste Ladie was so resolued in the loue of her husbande that she tooke no regarde to the countenaunces and foolishe fashions of this maister Louer Who seyng his mishappe to grow worsse and worsse and from thence forthe no remedie that whether by reioyse well hopyng of better lucke or for sodaine and miserable death he determined to proue Fortune and to sée if the water of his hope could finde any passage stedfastly determinyng that if he were throwē downe hedlong into the bottō of Refusall cōtēpned for his seruice not to retire againe but rather further to plondge for the acceleratyng of the ruine of hymself and his desires For he thought it impossible that his harte could indure more intollerable heate of that inuisible fier then it had felt alredie if he founde no meanes for the smoke to haue some vent and issue For whiche consideracion cleane besides hymself bewitched with foolishe Loue like a beast throughly transformed into a thing that had no sense of a reasonable manne suche as thei bee accustomably that be inrolled in the muster bookes of Venus sonne was purposed to open to the Ladie when occasion serued bothe the euil and also the grief that he susteined in bearyng toward her so greate and extreme affection Beholde here one of the effectes of humane follie this was the firste acte of the Tragedie wherein Loue maketh this brainlesse manne to plaie the firste and principall parte vpon the Stage This poore gentleman otherwise a good seruaunt and carefull for the profite and honour of his maister is nowe so voide of hymself and blinde in vnderstanding that he maketh no consciēce to assaile her to defraude her of her greatest vertue the simple name of whom ought to haue made hym tremble for feare and to blushe for shame rather then for her beautie sake and naturall curtesie to dispoile her of her honestie and to attempte a thyng vncertaine to winne also more daungerous to practise Now whiles he liued in the attempt of his hoped occasion it chaunced that the Ladie thinkyng no malice at all began to beholde the Stewarde with a better eye and loke more familier then any of the gentlemen and domesticall seruauntes of the house aswell for the painted honestie of this Galant as to sée hym so prompte and redie to obeie her And therefore vpon a daie as she walked in the Gallerie she called hym vnto her and verie familierly communicated vnto hym certaine affaires touchyng the profite of the house He that marched not but vpon one foote and burned with Loue and whose harte leapte for ioye and daunced for gladnesse thought that he had now obteined the toppe of his felicitie the whole effecte of his desire sodainly he cast awaie the dispaire of his former conceiptes obiectyng hymself to the daunger wherin he was like to be ouerwhelmed if the Ladie accepted not his request with good digestion In the ende recoueryng force he discoursed in his mynde this wicked opinion wherewith folishe and wilfull fleshely louers doe blason and displaie the honour and chastite of Ladies when thei make their vaunte that there is no woman be she neuer so chaste continente or honest but in the ende yeldeth if she be throughly pursued O the woerdes and opinion of a beast rather then of a man knowing vertue Is the nomber of chaste women so diminished that their renowme at this daie is like a Boate in the middes of some tempestious sea wherevnto the mariners dooe repaire to saue themselfes It is the onelie vertue of Laies whiche doeth constraine them to vomite forthe their poison when thei sée themselfes deceiued of their fonde and vncomely demaundes A man shall neuer heare those wordes procede but from the mouthes of the moste lasciuious whiche delight in nothyng els but to corrupt the good names of Ladies afterwarde to make them their laughyng stockes Retourne wée then to our purpose this valiaunt souldior of Loue willyng to giue the first onset vpon his swete enemie beganne to waxe pale and to tremble like the Réede blowen with the winde and knoweth not in what parte or by what meanes to bestowe the firste strokes of his assault At length with foltring tongue and tremblyng voice he speaketh to his Ladie in this wise Alas madame how happy were the course of our transitorie life if the common passions receiued no increase of their trouble by newe and diuers accidentes whiche seme to take roote in vs for the very greate diminucion of that libertie that euery manne doeth study so muche to cōserue But truely that studie is vain and the paine therof vnprofitablie bestowed For such a manne inforceth hymself to liue frée from passion whiche in the middes of his inforcemente feeleth hym self to be violently constarined and séeth the takyng awaie of his libertie to be a certaine impeachemente which therevnto he would giue Alacke I
haue proued that mischiefe and am yet in the greatest excesse and pangues of my disease I féele alas a diuersitie of anguishes a Sea of troubles whiche tormente my minde yet I dare not discouer the occasiō seing that the thing which is the cause of my grief to be of suche desert that my seruice past all that is to come is not able to giue the proofe if one speciall grace and fauor doe not inlarge the litle power that is in me to counteruaile the greatenesse and perfection of that cause whiche thus doeth variat and alter bothe my thoughtes and passions Pardon me madame if I doe speake obscurely for the confusion of my mynde maketh my wordes correspondent to the qualitie of the same Notwithstandyng I will not kepe silente from you that whiche I dooe suffre and muche lesse dissemble what passiō I indure beyng assured aswel for your vertue gentlenes that you moued with compassion will succour me so much as shal lie in you for preseruacion of the life of hym that is the best and moste obedient seruaunt emōges them all that doe you humble seruice The Ladie whiche neuer thought of the wickednesse whiche this insensate man began to imagine answered him very curteously I am sory truely for your mishappe and doe merueile what should be the effecte of that passion whiche as you saie you fele with suche dimunicion of that whiche is perfecte and accomplished in you For I doe sée no cause that ought to moue you to so straunge infirmitie whereof you tolde me wherwith I had alredie found fault although you had said nothyng I would to GOD I knewe whiche waie to helpe you aswel my lorde my husbandes sake who I am sure doeth beare you good will as for the honestie which hetherto I haue knowen to be in you which as I thinke all men resemblyng you for vertue and good condicions doe deserue that accōpt and consideracion He that thought her alredie to be taken in his nettes seyng so faire a waie open and cleare to disclose that whiche he had kept couert so long tyme in the depth of his harte answered Ah madame are ye ignoraunt of the forces of Loue how much his assaultes can debilitate the liuelihode of the bodies and spirites of men Knowe ye not that he is blinde and naked not caryng whether he goeth manifestyng hymself there where occasion is offred Alas madame if you haue not pitie vpon me and doe not regarde that whiche I doe suffer for the loue of you I knowe not how I am able to auoide Death whiche will approche so sone to cutte of and abridge my yeres as I shall vnderstande a refusal of that whiche the extreme Loue that I beare you madame forcethe me to require whche is to receiue a newe seruice of your aunciente and faithfull seruiture who inflamed by the bright beames of your diuine face knoweth not now how to chaunge the affeccion muche lesse to receiue helpe but of that place where he receiued the pricke Excuse madame I beseche you my rashenesse and pardon my follie accusyng rather either your celestiall beautie or els that tiraunt Loue who hath wounded me so luckelie that I esteme myne euill fortunate and my wounde happie sithe by his meane my thoughtes and cogitacions doe onely tende to doe you seruice and to loue you in myne harte whiche is the Phenix of the faireste and moste curteous ladies within al our Prouince Alas that excellencie whiche thus maketh me your seruasit shall one daie be my ruine if by your good grace speakyng it with wepyng teares you doe not fauor hym whiche liueth not but to obeie you and whiche lesing your good grace will attempte to depriue hymself of life whiche being depriued through your crueltie will goe to complaine himself of his bolde attempt and also of your rigor emonges the ghostes and shadowes of thē that be alredie dedde for like occasions The chaste Ladie was so rapt of wittes for the straungenes of the case and for the grief whiche she conceiued to sée the vnshamefast hardinesse of the varlette that she could not tell how to make hym answere But in the ende breakyng silence and fetchyng a great sighe from the bottome of hec harte her face slained with a fresh Uermilion rudde whiche beautified her colour by reason of disdaine conceiued against this impudent Orator she answered hym verie seuerely O God who would haue thought that from a hart nobly brought vp and deriued from an honourable race a villanie so greate could haue taken roote and spryng vp with suche detestable fruicte What maister Stewarde Haue ye forgotten the duetie of a seruaunt towarde his lorde and maister Haue ye forgotten I saie the duetie of a vertuous gentleman well nourished and trained vp towarde suche and so greate a Ladie as I am Ah These and Traitour that thou art Is this the venime whiche thou kepest so couert and secrete vnder the swetenesse of thy counterfaicte vertue A vaunte varlette a vaunte Goe vtter thy stuffe to them that be like thy self whose honour and honeslie is so farre spent as thy loialtie is lighte and vaine For if I heare thee speake any more of these follies bee assured that I will mortifie that ragyng flame whiche burneth thy light beleuyng harte and will make thée feele by effecte what maner of death that is wherein thou reposeste the rest of thy trauell As this deceued Oratour was framyng his excuse and aboute to moderate the iuste wrathe of his Ladie displeased vpon good occasion she not able to abide any more talke saied further And what signes of dishonestie haste thou séen in me that moue thée to perswade a thing so wicked and vncomely for myne estate yea and so preiudiciall to me to my frendes the house of thy maister my lorde and spouse I can not tell what it is that letteth me from causyng thée to bée caste for the emong the Lions cruell and capitall enemies of adulterie emonges thē selfes sithe thy pretence is by violatyng my chastite to dishonor the house wherevnto thou owest no lesse then all the aduauncemente thou haste from the taste whereof thou haste abandoned Uertue the best thyng wherewith thou were affected Auoide now therefore let me heare no more of this vpon paine of thy life otherwise thou shalt féele the rewarde of thy teinerite and vnderstande the bitternesse of the litle pleasure whiche I haue conceiued of thy follies So the good ladie helde her peace reseruyng in her harte that whiche should be her helpe in tyme and place howbeit she said nothyng hereof vnto her husbande aswell for raisyng offence or slaunder as for prouokyng her husbande against him whiche susteined the punishement himself sithe that this refuse did more straungely pinche hym more nere at the harte then euer the Egle of Caucasus whereof the Poetes haue talked so muche did tier the mawe of the subtil these Prometheus And yet the vnhappie
it is to me shall thinke thei haue made a pretie conquest And that I maie haue no cause to repente to late I haue stopped myne eares for feare that I bée not a rested and staied with the violence of your charmes a thyng as you saie proper to Serpentes But I haue fortefied my harte armed my self in suche wise within that if God continue that grace in me whiche hitherto he hath doen I hope not to bee surprised Although that I must néedes confesse to my shame that I haue receiued merueilous assaultes of loue not onely for the common renowme of your vertues and through the curtesie and gentlenesse daiely imparted to me by your letters but speciallie by your presence whiche hath yelded vnto me experience and assurance of that whiche all the letters of the worlde could not doe nor all other messages were not able to conceiue And to the ende that I maie not bee vtterly ingrate and that you doe not departe from me altogether miscontent I doe promis you now that from henceforthe you shall inioye the firste place of my harte wherevnto an other shall neuer entre if so be you can bée contente with honest amitie wherin you shall finde me in tyme to come so liberall in al that whiche honestie shall permitte that I am contente to forgoe the name of a presumptuous or cruell Damosell for your sake But if you meane to abuse me or hope for any thyng of me contrary to myne honour you be merueilously deceiued Wherefore if you thinke your worthinesse to greate ta cary awaie a recompence so small you shall dooe very well bothe for me and your self in forgettyng that is past to cutte of all hope in tyme to come And she thinkyng to prolonge a further discourse the mother of Violenta whiche still stode at the windowe all the time that Senior Didaco was with her doughter came downe to the doore interruptyng their talke saied to Didaco Sir I suppose you take greate pleasure in the follie of my doughter bicause you cary and abide here rather to contriue your tyme then for any other contentacion you can receiue For she is so euill taught and of suche rude behauiour that her demeanour will rather trouble you then giue you cause of delight Maistresse saied Didaco although in the beginnyng I purposed not to tarie so long yet when I entred in more familier acquaintaunce and had well experienced her good graces I confesse that I haue staied here longer then I thought And were he neuer so greate a lorde that liueth at this daie I dare auouch that he might thinke his tyme well bestowed in hearyng suche sober and honest talke wherwith I thinke my self so well satisfied and instructed that all the dayes of my life I will witnesse that vertue curtesie and sober behauiour is to be founde aswell in meane degrées and houses and in them that bee right noble emonges whiche meane families although she be one it maie so be that one more illustre and noble cannot be more excellente and accomplished with better maners then she whiche is now well manifested to me in this litle discourse And after certaine other commō talke Didaco tooke his leaue and wente home to his house where he liued fourtene or fiftene monethes without any reste assaiyng by all meanes to mortifie his desires but it auaileth not For although he was riche a trimme courtiar and an eloquent gentleman and had opportunitie to speake vnto her many tymes and she gentle inough to heare him and to vnderstand his errantes and was assured by frendes that she for her parte was also in loue yet he was not able by humane arte and pollicie to conuerte her to his mynde Wherewithall he was longe tyme molested and at lengthe pressed with grief and anoiaunce he was aduised to sende sixe hūdred Ducates to the mother for a Relief to the mariage of her doughter promising besides that he would assigne her an honest dowrie when she founde a manne worthie to be her husbande vpon condicion that she would yelde to hym some comforte to ease his affection But she which could not be wōne with loue was not able to bée recouered with money and was offender that Senior Didaco had forgotten himself so muche as to thinke to gaine that for money whiche with so greate paine teares and sighes hadde been denied hym And to make hym vnderstande that she was offended she sent worde by hym that brought her the money that he should goe and proue hereafter to deceiue them that measured their honour with the price of profite and not to set trappes to deceiue other that would buye nothyng contrary to vertue And after Didaco was aduertised of her mynde and perceiued that he lost tyme in all his enterprises and was able no lōger to sustaine his extreme paine and sorowe whiche daily augmented and when he had debated in his minde all the successe of his loue he resolued in the ende vpon that whiche he thought moste profitable for the quiete of his mynde whiche was to marie her And although she was of no suche house and yet lesse indowed with substaunce as he deserued Yet her beautie and vertue and other giftes of grace wherewith she was inriched made her worthie of a great Lorde And resolued vpon this he repaired to Violenta to whom he saied Maistresse Violenta if the true Touchestone to knowe them that be perfect louers emonges other is mariage certainly you haue gotten a husbande of me if it please you to accept me for suche a one whom in tyme you shall make to vnderstande the difference betwene gooddes and vertue and betwene honestie and richesse Violenta then rauished with ioye and incredible contentacion somewhat abashed saied vnto hym Senior Didaco I knowe not whether you pretende by woordes to proue my constancie or els to bryng me into fooles paradise but of one thyng I can assure you that although I acknowledge myself inferiour to you in merites gooddes and vertue yet if that come to passe whiche you promis I will not giue place to you in loue trustyng if God sende vs life together you shall well vnderstande one daie that you would not exchaunge my persons for a great Ladie what so euer she be For confirmacion whereof Didaco plucked frō his finger an Emeralde of greate value which when he had kissed her he gaue vnto her in the waie of mariage praiyng her that she would not disclose it for a certaine tyme vntill he hymself had made all his frēdes priuie vnto it Notwithstandyng he willed her to impart the same to her twoo brethren and to her mother and he would gette some prieste of the Countrie to solempnize the Mariage within their house whiche was dooen in a chamber aboute fower of the clocke in mornyng beyng onely presente the mother the brethren the prieste and a sernuaunt of the house brought vp there from her youthe and his owne man without makyng any other preparacion or
coste requisite for suche a matter In this sort thei spent the daie in great ioye and mirthe whiche thei can conceiue that bee of base birthe and exalted to some high degree of honor till night was come and then euery man withdrewe themselfes leauyng the bride and her husbande to the mercie of Loue and order of the night Who beyng alone receiued equall ioye and like contentacion which thei fele that beyng pressed with ardent and greuous thirst doe in th ende afterwardes with liuely ioye and all kinde of libertie quenche that cruell discommodite and continued in those pleasures till mornyng that daie began to appere to whom Violenta saied My honourable Lorde and dere husbande sithe that you bee now in possession of that whiche you haue so greatlie desired I humbly beseche you to consider for the tyme to come howe and what wise your pleasure is that I shall vse my self For if God graunte me the grace to be so discrete in pleasyng you as I shal be redie and desirous to obeye you in all that you shall commaunde me there was neuer gentle mannes seruaunte that did more willingly please his maister then I hope to do you Wherevnto Didaco answered My sweete and welbeloued wife Let vs leaue this humblenesse and seruice for this tyme to them whiche delight in those thynges For I promis you of my faithe that I haue you in no lesse reuerence estimacion then if you had come of the greateste house in Cathalongne as I will make you vnderstande some other tyme at more leasure But till I haue giuen order to certaine of myne affaires I praie you to kepe our Mariage secrete and bee not offended if many tymes I doe resorte home to myne owne house although there shall no daie passe by my will but at nighte I will keepe you companie In the meane tyme to buie you necessaries I will sende you a thousande or twelue hundred Ducates to imploie not vpon apparell or other thynges requisite to your degrée for I will prouide the same my self at an other tyme but vpon small trifles suche as be apt and conuenient for housholde And so departed Senior Didaco from his wiues house who did so louyngly interteigne hym that by the space of a yere there was no daie wherein he was content without the viewe and sight of his wife And vpon his oft resort to their house the neighbours began to suspect that he kept the maiden and rebuked her mother and brethren but specially Violenta for sufferyng Didaco to vse their house in suche secrete wise And aboue all thei lamented the ill happe of Violenta who beyng so well brought vp till she was twētie yeres of age and a maiden of suche beautie that there was none in all the citie of Valencia but greatly did esteme her to bee of singuler honestie and reputacion Notwithstandyng degeneratyng from her accustomed vertue thei iudged her to be light of behauiour giuen to lasciuious loue And albeit that very many times suche checkes and tauntes were obiected and that she vnderstode that murmur and talke yet she made small accompt of them knowing that her consciēce by any meanes was not charged with suche reproche hoping therewithall that one daie she would make them to giue ouer that false opinion when her Mariage should be published and knowē But certain tymes féelyng her self touched and her honestie appaired could not conteine but when she sawe tyme with her husbande she praied hym very earnestly to haue her home to his owne house to auoide slaūder and defamacion of neighbors But sir Didaco knewe so well how to vse his wife by delaies and promises that she agreed vnto hym in all thynges had rather displease the whole worlde together then offende hym alone Beyng now so attached with the loue of the knighte that she cared for nothyng els but to please and contēt hym in all thinges wherevnto she sawe hym disposed and like as in the beginnyng she was harde and verie slacke in loue now she became so seruent earnest in her affections that she receiued no pleasure but in the sight of Didaco or in that whiche might contente and please him best Whiche the knight did easely perceiue and seyng himself in full possession of her harte began by litle and litle to waxe cold and to be grieued at that which before he compted deare and precious perswadyng himself that he should doe wrong to his reputacion if that Mariage vnworthie of his estate were discouered and knowē in the citie And to prouide for the same he more seldome tymes repaired to visite his wife Violenta yea and whē so euer he resorted to her it was more to satisfie his carnall pleasure then for any loue he bare her And thus forgettyng bothe God and his owne consience he frequēted other companies in diuerse places to winne the good will of some other gentlewoman In the ende by sundrie sutes dissimulacions and hipocrisies he so behaued hymself that he recouered the good will of the doughter of Senior Ramyrio Vigliaracuta one of the chiefest knightes and of moste auncient house of Valencia And as we haue declared before bicause he was riche and wealthie and issued of a noble race her parentes did easely agrée to the Mariage And the father hauyng assigned an honourable dowrie to his doughter The Nuptials were celebrated publikely with greate pompe and solempnitie to the greate contentacion of all men The Mariage doen and ended sir Didaco and his newe wife continued at the house of his father in lawe where he liued a certaine tyme in suche pleasure and delectaciō as thei dooe that be newly maried Whereof the mother and brethren of Violenta beyng aduertised conceiued like sorowe as accustomablie thei dooe that sée the honour of them that be issued of their owne bloodde vniustly and without cause to bée dispoiled And these poore miserable creatures not knowyng to whom to make their complainte liued in straunge perplexitie bicause thei knewe not the Prieste whiche did solempnise their Mariage On the other side thei had no sufficient proofe of the same And albeit thei were able to verifie in some poinctes the first Mariage of Didaco yet thei burste not prosecute the lawe against twoo of the greateste Lordes of their Citie And knowyng the stoute harie of Violenta thei thoughte to conceale the same from her for a time but it was in vaine For not longe after she was certified thereof not onely by the nexte neighbours but by the common brute of the citie whiche reported that in tēne yeres space there was not seen in Valencia a Mariage more honourable or roiall nor better frequented with a noble companie of gentlemen and Ladies then the same was of the yong knight Didaco with the doughter of Senior Ramyrio Wherwithall Violenta vexed beyonde measure pressed with yre and surie withdrewe her self into her chāber alone and there beganne to scratche and teare her face and heare like one that was madde and
handes the most precious iewell of his house Shall I be so vnconstant in mine olde dayes to become an vnshamfast minister of your fonde and folish Loue a thing which I neuer dyd in the ardent time of my youth Alas Madame forget I besech you this folishe order cast vnder your feete this determination wickedly begon suche as to the blemishing of the honorable brightnes of your fame may cause the ruine of vs al. Follow the counsel of your deare nourice Radegond who loueth you better than her owne soule Quench these noysome parching flames which haue kindled throwen forth their sparks into your chast tēder hart Take hede I besech you that a vaine hope do not deceyue you a folish desire abuse you Alas think that it is the part of a sage and prudent minde to refrayne the first motions of euery passion to resist the rage that riseth in our willes the same very oft by succession of time bringeth to it self to late noysome repentance This your thought procedeth not of Loue for he that thinketh to sustaine himselfe with venim sugred with that drogue in the end he séeth himself so desperatly impoysoned that only death is the remedie for such disease A Louer truly may be called the slaue of a tirant most violent cruel bloudy that may be found whose yoke once put on can not be put of but with paynefull sorrow and vnspeakable displeasure Do you not knowe Madame that Loue and follie be two passions so like one another that they engendre like effectes in the mindes of those that doe possesse them in such wise as the affection of the pacient can not be concealed Alas what shall become of you and him that you loue so well if the Emperour do know and perecyue your light and folish determinations Shew Madame for Gods sake what you be Let the ripe fruites of your prudence so long time tilled appeare abrode to the world Expell from you this vnruled loue which if you suffer frankly to enter into your heart assure your self he wil take such holdfast of the place that whē you think to extrude the enemie oute it is he that will driue awaye that smal portion of force and reason that resteth in you And then all the comforte of your miseries will be the lamentation of your losses and repentance for that which cannot be by any meanes recouered Adelasia burning in Loue and fretting with anger not able to abide contrarie replie to her minde began to loke furiously vpon the Lady that gaue her such holsome admonition to whom she sayd with more than womanly stoutnesse these wordes And what are you good gentlewoman that dare so hardely prescribe lawes to Loue that is not subiecte or tied vnto the fantasie of men Who hath giuen you commission to take the matter so hote against that I haue determined to doe say you what you can No no I loue Alerane and will loue him whatsoeuer come of it And sith I can haue none other helpe at your handes or mete counsell for mine ease comfort Assure your self that I wil do mine endeuor to finde it in my self And likewise to prouide so well as I can for myne affaires that eschewing the alliaunce which the Emperour prepareth I will liue at heartes ease with hun whom in vaine you goe about to put out of my remembraunce And if so be I chaunce to sayle of my purpose I haue a medicine for my calamities which is death the last refuge of al my miseries Which wil be right pleasaunt vnto me ending my life in the contemplation and memorie of the sincere and perfect Loue that I beare to mine Alerane Radegonde no lesse abashed than surprised with feare hearing the resolution of the princesse could not at the first make any answere but to make her recourse to teares the most familiar weapons that women haue Then seing by the countenances of Adelasia that the passion had set in fote to déepe for any body to attempte to pluck out the rootes frō that time forth she wiped her eyes nor without euident demonstration for al that of her great grief conceyued with infinite sighes turning her face to the Lady she sayde to her with pleasaunter countenance than before Madame sithe your missehap is such that without Alerane you cannot be quiet or pacified in minde appease your playntes wipe away your teares shewe your contenaunce ioyfull aud setting aside all care put on good corage and repose in me all your anguish and trouble For I doe promise you and sweare by the fayth that I doe owe you Madame come whatsoeuer thing shall vnto me I will deuise in practising your rest to begin mine owne sorow And then you shall se how muche I am your frend that the wordes which I haue spoken do not procede els where but from the desire that I haue to doe you seruice seking al wayes possible your aduauncement Adelasia at these last wordes felt such a motion in her minde that much a doe she had for the exceding great ioy and pleasure she conceiued to stay her soule from leaping forth of that corporall prison like the spirite of that Romaine Lady which once left the body to descende into the Elisien feldes to vse the perfection of her ioye with the blessed soules there when she saw her sonne retorne safe and sounde from the battaile of Thrasimene besides the lake of Peruse where the Consul Flaminius was ouercome by Haniball but in the ende the hope to haue that which Radegonde had promised made her to receyue heart againe and to clepe her counseler saying God forbid deare mother that the thing you do for me should rebound to your mishap or discontentation sith the affection which you haue consisteth in the only pity and conseruation of a pore afflicted mayden And your desire tendeth to the deliuerance of the most passionate Princesse that euer was borne of mother And beleue that Fortune wyll be so fauorable that what mischief so euer should chaunce you remayning without paine I shall be she that alone shall beare the penance Wherfore once againe I besech you sayde she embracing Radegonde to bring that to passe wherof you giue such an assured hope Care not you Madame sayd Radegonde I trust within a while to make you proue the effecte of my promise And will cause you to speake vnto him whom you desire so muche Only be mery and forget these straunge fashions in tormenting your selfe so much before your maides to the intent that which hetherto hath bene kept secrete may not be reueled to your great shame and hinderance and to the vtter ruine ouerthrowe of me During all this time Alerane liued in despaire hardie cowardnesse for although he sawe the amorous gestes of Adelasia yet he durst fire no certayne iudgement of his owne satisfaction althoughe hys hearte tolde hym that he was her onely fauoured friende and promysed him that which almost he
so long time hath ben tied vp through to much folish and feareful shame Set aside the feare of perill whatsoeuer it be for thou canst not imploy thy self more gloriously than vpon the pursuit of such a treasure that séemeth to be reserued for the fame of thy minde so highly placed which can not attayne greater perfections except the heauens do frame in their impressions a seconde Adelasia of whom I think dame nature her self hath broken the moulde who can not shake of Alerane from the chiefest place in whom he hath layd the foundation of his ioy that he hopeth to finde in loue During these complaynts Radegonde that saw him rauished in that extasy coniecturing the occasiō of his being alone caused him to be called by a Page who hearing that was surprised with a newe feare intermixt with a secret pleasure knowing very wel that she being the gouernesse of his Lady vnderstode the greatest priuities of her hart hoping also that she brought him gladsome newes and setting a good chere vpon his face all mated and confused for troubles past he repayred to the Lady the messanger who was no lesse ashamed for the tale that she must tell than he was afeard and dombe by sight of her whom he thought to bring the arreste and determination eyther of ioye or displeasure After curtesie and welcoms made betwene them the Lady preambled a certayne short discourse touching the matter to doe the Saxon prince to vnderstand the good wil harty loue of Adelasia towarde him praying him that the same might not be discouered syth the honor of his Lady did consist in the secrecie therof assuring him that he was so in fauour with the Princesse as any true and faythful louer could desire to be for his contētation I leaue to your consideration in what sodaine ioy Alerane was hearing such gladsome newes which he loked not for thought he was notable to render sufficient thankes to the messanger and much lesse to extolle the beauty and curtesie of his Lady who wythout any of his merites done before as he thought had him in so good remembraunce Beséeching moreouer Redegonde that she would in his name doe humble commendations to his Lady and therewyth to confirme her in the assurance of his perfect good wil and immutable desire euerlastingly at her commaundement onely praying her that he might say vnto Adelasia thrée words in secret that she might perceyue his heart and sée the affection wherewith he desired to obey her all the dayes of his life The messanger assured him of all that he required and instructed hym what he had to doe for the accomplishment of that he loked for which was that the nexte day at night she would cause him to come into her Warderobe which was adioyning to the Chamber of his Ladye to the ende that when her maydes were abrode he might repaire to the place where he might easly visite his maystresse and say vnto her what he thought good The compact thus made the Lady retourned to the Princesse that wayted with good deuotion for the newes of her beloued And hearing the report of Radegonde she was not contented that she should make repeticion of the same twice or thrice but a million of times and euen till night that she slepte vpon that thought with the greatest rest that she had receyued in a long time before The morrowe at the houre that Alerane should come Adelasia fayning her selfe to be yll at ease caused her maydes to goe to bed making her alone to tarry with her that was the messanger of her loue who a little while after went to séeke Alerane which was a building of Castels in the ayre fantasying a thousand deuises in his minde what might befall of that enterprise he went about notwithstanding he was so blinded in folly that without measuring the fault which he cōmitted he thought vpon nothing but vpon the presente pleasure which semed to him so great that the chamber wherein he was was not sufficient to comprehende the glory of his good houre But the Princesse on the other parte felte a maruellous trouble in her minde and almost repented that she had so hardely made Alerane to come into a place vndecent for her honor and at a time so inconuenient Howebeit seing that the stone was throwen she purposed not to pretermitte the occasion whiche being balde can not easely be gotten agayne if she be once let slip And whiles she trauailed in these meditations and discoursed vpon that she had to doe Radegonde came in leading Alerane by the hande whom she presented to the Princesse saying to her with a very good grace Madame I deliuer you this prisoner whome euen now I found here betwene your chambre and that wherin your maydes do lye now consider what you haue to do Alerane in the meane time was fallen downe vpon his knees before his sainct wholly bente to contemplate her excellent beauty and good grace which made him as dumbe as an Image She likewise beholding him that made her thus to erre in her honestie forced throughe shame and loue coulde not for beare to beholde him the power of her minde wholly transferred into her eyes that then yelded contentation of her heart which she so long time desired In the ende Alerane taking the hands of Adelasia many times did kisse them then receyuing corage he brake of that long silence and beganne to say thus I neuer thought Madame that the sight of a thing so long desired had bene of such effect that it would haue ranished both the mind and body of their propre duties and naturall actions if nowe I had not proued it in beholding the diuinitie of your beauty most excellent And truely Madame Radegonde did rightly terme this place here my prison considering that of long time I haue partly lost this my liberty of the which I féele now an intire alienatiō Of one thing sure I am that being your prisoner as I am in dede I may make my vaunt and boaste that I am lodged in the fairest and pleasauntest prison that a man can wishe and desire For which cause Madame be well aduised howe you doe vse and entreat your captiue and slaue that humbly maketh peticion vnto you to haue pitie vpon hys weakenesse which he wyll accepte a grace vnspeakeable if of your accustomed goodnesse it may please you to receyue him for yours for that from henceforth he voweth and consecrateth his life goods and honour to your commaundemente and seruice And saying so his stomake panted with continuall sighes and from his eyes distilled a riuer of teares the better to expresse and declare the secret force that made him to vtter these wordes Which was the cause that Adelasia embracing him very louingly sayde vnto him I know not Lord Alerane what prison that is where the prisoner is in better case than the prison of whom he termeth himselfe to be the slaue considering that I fele in me such a losse
for a certayn time which dyspleased William nothing at all bycause he should remaine harde by his Parentes who were very carefull for his well doing vtterly ignorant where he was become And notwithstanding a hope what I know not made them expect of their sonne some good fortune in time to come who was now growen great and of goodly perfection one of the most valiant souldiours that were in the wages and seruice of his Maiestie Which very brauely he declared in a combate that he fought man to man with an Almaine souldior that was hardy big made feared of all men whom neuerthelesse he ouercame in the presence of the Emperor his graundfather Who I knowe not by what naturall inclamation dayely fixed his eye vpon that yong Champion began to beare him more good wil than any other in his courte which was an occasion that an auncient Gentleman seruing in the Princes court ftedfastly beholding the face behauiour countenance of William semed to sée a picture of the Emperor when he was of his age which was more exactly viewed by diuers other that were broughte vp in their youth with Otho Wherof being aduertised he caused the yong man to be called forth of whome he demaunded the names of his Parentes and the place where he was borne William that was no lesse curteous humble and wel manered than wise valiant and hardy kneled before the Emperor with a stout countenance resembling the nobilitie of his Auncestours answered Most sacred and renowmed Emperor I haue nothing whereof to render thankes to fortune but for the honour that your maiestie hath done vnto me to receiue me into your noble seruice For the fortune and condition of my parentes be so base that I blushe for shame to declare them vnto you Howebeit being your humble seruant and hauing receyued fauour of your Maiestie not commonly employed your commaundemente to tell you what I am I will accomplish aswel for my bounden duty wherwith I am tied to your maiestie as to sastisfie that which it pleaseth you to commaunde me Be it knowen therefore vnto your Maiestie that I am the sonne of two poore Almaines who flying their owne country withdrew themselues into the deserts of Sauonne where to beguile their hard fortune they make coales sel them to sustaine and relieue their miserable life In which exercise I spent al my childehode although it were to my great sorrowe For my heart thought Sir that a state so vile was vnworthy of my coragious minde which dayly aspired to greater thinges and leauing my father and mother I am come to your seruice to learne chiualry and vse of armes and mine obedience saued to your maiestie to finde a waye to illustrate the base and obscure education wherein my parents haue brought me vp The Emperor seing the curteous behauiour of the yong mā by this wise answere remembring the similitude of his face which almost resembled them both suspected that he was the sonne of Alerane and of his daughter Adelasia who for feare to be knowen made themselues Citizens of those deserts albeit that William had tolde him other names and not the proper appellations of his father and mother For which cause his heart began to trobbe and felt a desire to sée his daughter and to cherish her with like affection as though he had neuer conceyued offence and displeasure He caused then to be called vnto him a gentleman the nere kinsman of Alerane to whom he sayde with merie countenaunce and ioyful there You doe knowe as I thinke the wronge and displeasure that your cosin Alerane hath done me by the rape and robbery committed vpon the person of my daughter you are not ignoraunt also of the reproche wherewith he hath defiled al your house committed a felonie so abhominable in my court and against mine owne person which am his soueraigne Lorde Notwithstanding sith it is the force of Loue that made me forget him til this time rather than desire of displeasure I am very desirous to sée him and to accept him for my sonne in law and good kinsman very willing to aduaunce him to that estate in my house which his degrée and bloude doe deserue I tell you not this without speciall purpose For this yong souldiour which this day so valiantly and with such dexteritie vanquished his aduersary by the consent of al men which haue knowen me from my youth doth represent so well my figure and lineaments of face which I had whē I was of his age that I am persuaded and doe stedfastly beleue that he is my Neuew the sonne of your cosin Alerane and my daughter Adelasia And therfore I will haue you to goe with this yong man into the place where he shall bring you and to sée them that be his parents bycause I purpose to doe them good if they be other than those whom I take them But if they be those two that I so greatly desire to sée doe me so much pleasure as I may satisfie my heart with that contentation swearing vnto you by the crowne of my Empire that I will doe no worse to them nor otherwise vse them than mine owne proper person The gentleman hearing the louing and gentle tearmes of the Emperor sayde vnto him Ah Sir I render humble thanks vnto your Maiestie for the pitie that you haue vpon our dishonored race and ligneage of Saxone dedecorated and blemished through Aleranes trespasse against you I praye to God to recompence it we being vnable and to giue you the ioy that you desire and to me the grace that I may doe some agreable seruice both in this and in al other things I am readie Sir not onely to goe seke my cosin if it be he that you thinke it is to carry vnto him those beneficial newes which your Maiestie hath promised by worde but rather to render him into your handes that you may take reuengement vpon him for the iniurie that he hath done to the whole Empire No no sayde the Emperour the desired time of reuengement is past and my malice agaynst Alerane hath vomited his gal If in time past I haue thrifted to pursue the ruine and ouerthrowe of those two offenders nowe I goe about to foresée and séeke their aduauncement and quiet considering the long penaunce they haue taken for their faulte and the fruite that I see before mine eyes which is such that it may by the smell and fragrant odour thereof supporte the weakenesse and debilitie of my olde yeares and constraineth me by the vertue therof to haue pitie vpon his parentes which through their owne ouerthrow haue almost vtterly consumed me Those wordes ended the good Prince gaue euident testimony of desire to sée his only daughter by the liuely colour that rose in his face and by certaine teares rūning downe along his heard that began to ware graye Then he caused William to come before him and commaunded him to condude the gentleman to that part of the
withall he thrust the rapier into him vp to the hard hiltes and doubling the blow to make him faile of his spéech he gaue him another ouerthwart the throte so fiercely that the pore innocent after he had a litle réeled to and fro fell downe stark dead to the ground When he had put vp his rapier he turned towards the Counsellers and sayde vnto them My friendes this is not the first time that I haue espied the lasciuious and dishonest loue betwene this my locherous Nephewe and the Duchesse whome I haue caused to die to honourably in respect of his desert For by the very rigor of the lawe he deserued to haue bene burnt quicke or else to be torne in pieces with .iiij. horses But my Lady the Duchesse I meane not to punishe or to prouide chastisement for her For you be not ignoraunt that the ancient custome of Lombardie and Sauoie requireth that euery woman taken in adultery shall be burned aliue yf with in a yeare a day she finde not a Champion to fighte the combase for her innocencie But for the bounden duery that I deare to my Lorde the Duke and for respect of the estate which he hath committed to my charge I will to morrowe dyspatche a Poaste to make hym vnderstande the whole accident as it is come to passe And the Duchesse shal remaine in this Chambre with certayue of her maides vnder sure keping and safegard All this time the Duchesse who had both iudgement and spirite so good as any Princesse that raygned in her time suspected straightwayes the treason of the Earle And with a pitiful eye beholding the dead body of her Page fetching a déepe sighe cryed out Oh innocent soule which sometyme gauest lyfe to this bodye that nowe is but earth thou art now in place where thou séest clearely the iniquitie of the murderer that lately did put thée to death And hauing made an end of this exlamation with her armes a crosse she remained as in a sowne without mouing eyther hande or foote And after she had continued a while in that estate she desired the Counsellers to cause the body to be buried and to restore it to the earth whereof it had the first creation For quoth she it hath not deserued to be tied to the gibet and to be fode for birdes of the ayre Which they graunted not without a certaine greuous suspicion betwéene her and the Page For so much as she excused not her self but the innocencie of him without speaking any worde of her owne particular iustification This pitiefull aduenture was out of hande published through all the citie with so great sorrow and murmure of the people that it semed as though the enemies had sacked the towne For there was not one from the very least to the greatest of all but did both loue and reuerence the Duchesse in suche sort that it séemed vnto them that this misfortune was fallen vpon euery one of their children The Earle of Pancalier did nothing al that day but dispatch the Poastes And hauing caused all the whole matter to be registred as it was séene to be done he commaunded the Counsellers and them of the Gard to subscribe his letters And al the matter being put in order he sent away two Currors with diligence the one into Englande to aduertise the King her brother and the other to the Duke Who being arriued eche man in his place presented their charges Wherevnto both the brother and the husband gaue full credite without any maner of difficultie persuaded principally therevnto by the death of the Nephewe Who as it was very likely had not bene put to death by his owne vncle and of whome he was also the very heire without his most grieuous faulte praysing greatly the fidelitie of the Earle that had not pardoned his owne propre bloud to conserue his duetie and honor so his soueraigne Lorde And it was concluded betwene them by deliberate aduise counsayle aswell of those of the King of England as by a gret nūber of lerned men of Fraūce whom the french king made to assemble for that respect in fauour of the Duke that the custome should be inuiolably kepte as if it were for the most simple damsell of all the country to the end that in time to come great Lords and Ladies which be as it were lampes to giue light to others might take example And that from thenceforth they should not suffer their vertues to be obscured by the cloudes of such execrable vices The King of Englande to gratifie the Earle of Pancalier who in his iudgement had shewed himselfe right noble in this acte sent him an excellent harnesse with a sworde of the selfe same trampe by the Currour with letters of aunswere written with his owne hande howe he vnderstode the manner of his procedings And the messanger vsed such diligence that wythin fewe dayes he arriued at Thurin Shortly after that the King of England had sent backe the Currour the Duke of Sauoie retorned his whome he stayed so much the longer bycause the matter touched him more nere And he would that it should be debated by most graue and deliberate counsell And when he had resolued he wrote to the counsellers and other Magistrates of Thurin aboue all things to haue respect that the custome should be inuiolablie kept and that they should not in any case fauour the adultery of his wife vpon payne of death Then in particuler he wrote his letters to the Earle wherby he did greatly allow his fidelity for the which he hoped to make him such recompence as both he and his should taste thereof during their liues The Currour of the Duke arriued and the matter proponed in counsell it was iudged that following the auncient custome a piller of Marble should be placed in the fieldes neere Thurin which is betwene the bridge of the riuer Poo and the citie wherevpon should be written the accusation of the Earle of Pancalier against the Duchesse Which the Duchesse vnderstanding hauing none other companie but Emilia and a yong damsell dispoiled her self of her silken garmēts and did put on mourning wede martired with an infinite numbre of sundrie tormentes seing her selfe abandoned of al worldly succour made her complaints to God beseching him with teares to be protector of her innocencie Emilia who vnderstode by her that she was vniustly accused and seing the iminent perill that was prepared for her determined by her accustomed prudence to prouide therfore And after she had a little comforted her she sayde vnto her Madame the case so requireth nowe that you shoulde not consume tyme in teares and other womanish plaintes which can nothing diminishe your euill It séemes most expedient vnto me that you fortefie your selfe agaynst your enemie and to find some meáne to send Maister Appian in poast to the Duke of Mendozza one of the best renowned in prowesse of al the Knights in Spaine who being aduertised of your misfortune wil
prouide so well for your affaires that your honor being recouered your lyfe shall remayne assured Wherefore if you will followe myne aduise you shall write him an earnest letter as you knowe right wel howe to indite which Appian shall present on your behalfe For if you follow not this counsel I know none other as the worlde goeth now that will hazard his lyfe vnder the condicion of so straunge a lot as yours is specially hauing respect to the renowme and magnanimity of the Earle who as you know is in reputation to be one of the moste valiant men and most happy in armes that is in all Sauoie or Lombardie My deare friend quod the Duchesse doe what thou wilt For I am so resolued and confirmed in my sorrow that I haue no care eyther of death or lyfe no more than if I had neuer bene borne For neyther in the one nor in the other can I foresée any remedy for myne honor already lost Madame quod Emilia let vs for this time leaue the care of honor in the hands of God who knoweth both how to kepe it and restore it as shall seme good vnto him And let vs giue order for our parte that there be no want of diligence for feare of being ouertaken And hauing made an ende of her tale she gaue her yncke and paper saying vnto her Nowe Madame I shall sée at this pinch if your heart will serue you at a néede or no. The Duchesse withdrew her selfe a part and after she had long discoursed in her minde of that which was past betwene the knight and her she wrote vnto him as followeth My Lorde Mendozza I doe not write these letters vnto you vpon any hope to be deliuered by your meane from the poinaunt pricke of fierce death which dothe besiedge me knowing death alwayes to be the true porte sure refuge of all afflicted persons in my case For since that God willeth it nature permitteth it and my heauie Fortune consenteth to it I will receiue it with a right good wil knowing that the Graue is none other but a strong rampier and impregnable castle wherin we close our selues against the assaults of lyfe and the furious stormes of fortune It is farre better as appeareth manifestlye by me with eyes shut to waite in the Graue than longer to experiment lyfe the eyes being open liuing with so many troubles vpon earth But gladly would I bring to remembraunce and set before your eyes how sometyme I abandoned the place which was no lesse deare vnto me than mine owne country where I was borne and delicately nourished in honor and delightes to extende my selfe into an infinite number of perilles contrarie to the duetie of those that be of mine estate losing the name of a princesse to take the title of a caytise pilgrim for the onely feruent and vnmeasured loue which I bare you before I did euer sée you or by any meanes bound thervnto by any your proceding benefits The remembraunce whereof as I thinke ought nowe to deliuer suche an harde enterprise to the porte of your cōscience that breaking the vaile of your tender hart you should therefore take pitie and compassion of my straunge and cruell Fortune Which is not onely reduced to the mercy of a most dolorous prison and resteth in the power of a bloudie and mercilesse Tirant But which is worse in the continuall hazard of a shameful death Which I do not much lament hauing long desired to accelerate the same wyth mine owne handes to finde rest in an other world were it not that by death I should leaue an eternall blotte to my good name and a perpetuall heritage of infamie to my house and kindred Wherfore if it so be that frendship loketh for no reward and that she cānot be paid but by the tribute of another friendship make me now to tast the auncient fruite of my friendship And if pitie be the sole and onely key of Paradise display it nowe on the behalfe of her who forsaken of all humaine succor attendeth but the fatal houre to he throwen into the fier as a pore innocent lambe in sacrifice And for that the bearer shall make you vnderstande the rest by mouth whom it may please you to credite as mine owne selfe I wil make an ende of my heauie letter Beseching God to giue a good lyfe vnto you and to me an honorable death The letter closed and seated vp with the seale of the Duchesse she commaunded Emilia to deliuer it to Appian and to require him to vse diligence not ceassing to ryde day and night vntill he come to the place where they left the knight Mendozza giuing charge to make him vnderstande at length her innocencie and false accusation Appian being dispatched was so affected to please his maistresse and so desirous to sée her deliuered of her imprisonment that he ceassed not to trauaile day and night till he came within the Frontiers of Spaine And after that he had ridden yet two or thrée dayes iourney approching nere the place where he thought to fynde the Knight Mendozza he began to inquire of the host of the Inne where he lay that night aswell of his good health as of his other affaires who made him answere that it went euen so euill with him at that present as with the most porest gentleman of al Spaine Although that he were in dede a very great Lorde For qudo he with in these fewe monethes past his enemies of Tolledo whom he hath diuers tymes vanquished haue so well allied themselues together out of all partes of Spaine that they haue brought a great armie to the fielde And Fortune of the warre hath bene so fauorable vnto them that they discomfited Mendozza and all his armie Who hath retired himself with those fewe of his people that he could saue alyue into a little towne of his where yet to this present he is besiedged And so it is as euery man saith that he doth his endeuor meruellously well in such sort that his enemies can not enter the towne Maister Appian then demaunded of him if the towne besiedged were farre of And he answered that it was about .vij. or .viij. poastes Then without making any longer inquirie he toke a guide that accompained him euen almost to the campe And whē he sawe the towne a farre of he sent the guide backe agayne and went the same day to offer his seruice to a certayne Captaine of light horsemen who receyued him into wages and then he bought armour to serue the purpose And Master Appian besides his learning was a wise pollitike man and determined so sone as any skirmish did beginne to be formost and in dede he vsed the matter so wel that he suffred himself to be taken prisoner and to be caried into the towne And being within he desired those that had taken him to conduct him to the Lord of Mendozza their Chieftaine Who knew him by and by for that in the voyage which
the Duchesse made into Spaine he sawe him euer more nere her than any other of her gentlemen And after that the Lorde of Mendozza had demaunded of him by what meanes he entred the towne Upon his aunswere he perceyued that he was a man of good experience and well affected to the seruice of his Maistresse that durst hazard his lyfe in such wise to obey her desire Incontinently Maister Appian deliuered vnto him the Duchesse letter Which when he had readde he retired into his chambre with Maister Appian hauing his face all bedewed with teares And bycause that the letter did importe credite he prayed Maister Appian to declare his charge Who sayde vnto him My Lady the Duchesse which is at this day the most afflicted Princesse vnder the coape of Heauen commendeth her selfe vnto your honour and doth humbly beseche you not to be offended for that at her last being in Galisia she departed without accomplishing her promise made vnto you Praying you to impute the fault vpon the importunitie of the Duke her husband Whō being constrayned to obey she could not satisfie the good will that she bare vnto you Then he began to declare in order howe the Earle of Pancalier was enamoured of her and not being able to obtaine his desire caused his Nephewe to hide him vnder her bed and how he had slaine him with his owne handes Finally the imprisonment of the Duchesse and the iudgement giuen against her Whereof the Lorde of Mendozza was greatly astonned And when he had heard the whole dyscourse he began to conceyue some euill opinion of the Duchesse Thinking it to be incredible that the Earle of Pancalier woulde so forget himselfe as to murder his owne propre Nephew and adopted sonne to be reuenged of a selie woman Neuerthelesse he dissembled that which he thought in the presence of Maister Appian and sayde vnto him Appian my friende if mine aduerse Fortune did not speake sufficiently for me I could tell thée here a long tale of my miseries But the séest into what extremitie I am presently reduced in sort that I am vtterly vnable to succor thy maistresse I my self still attending the houre of death And all that which presētly I am able to doe for thée is to set thée at libertie from the perill prepared for vs. And without longer talke he caused a hote skirmish to be giuē to his enemies to set Appian at large who being issued forth made certayne of his men to conduct him to place of suretie Appian seing no way for Mendozza to abandon his city for peril of death prepared for him and his thought his excuse reasonable And to attempt some other Fortune he vsed suche diligence that he in short time was retourned to Thurin where hauing cōmunicated the whole matter to Emilia she went strayght to the Duchesse to whome she sayde Madame God giue you the grace to be so constant in your aduersities as you haue occasion to be miscontented with the heauie newes that Appian hath brought you And then she began to recount vnto her the mysfortune of Mendozza the thraldome wherevnto his enemies had brought him and for conclusion that there was no hope of helpe to be expected at his handes Which when the Duchesse vnderstoode she cryed out Oh poore vnhappy woman amongst all the moste desolate and sorrowfull Thou mayst well now say that the light of thy life from henceforth beginneth to extinguish and growe to an ende séeing the succour of him vpon whome depended thine assuraunce is denyed thée Ah ingrate Knight Now knowe I right well but it is to late that of the extreme loue that I haue borne thée sprong the first roote of all mine euill which came not by any accident of Fortune but from celestiall dispensacion and diuine prouidence of my God Who nowe doth permit that mine Hipocrisie and counterfayt deuotion shall receyue condigne chastisement for my sinne And then Emilia seing her so confounded in teares sayde vnto her Madame it doth euill become a great and wise Princesse as you hitherto haue euer bene reputed for to torment her selfe sith that you know howe all the afflictions which we receiue from heauē be but proues of our fidelitie or as your selfe confesseth by your complayntes to be iust punishment for our sinnes Nowe then be it the one or the other you ought to fortifie your self against the hard assault of your sorrow And to remitte the whole to the mercy of God who of his aboundant grace will deliuer you of your trouble as he hath done manye others who when they thought themselues forsaken of al help and caused certayne drops of his pitie to raine downe vpon them Alas deare heart quod the Duchesse how easie a matter it is for one that is hole to comfort her that is sick But if thou feltest my griefe thou wouldest helpe me to complaine So grieuous a matter it is vnto mée with lyfe to lose myne honour And I muste confesse vnto thée that I sustayne a very cruell assault both against death and lyfe and I cannot eyther with the one or with the other haue peace or truce in my selfe Ne yet doe knowe howe to dissemble my sorrow but that in the ende the same wil be discouered by the fumes of mine ardent sighes which thinking to constrayne or retaine I doe nothing else but burie my selfe wtin mine owne body Assuring thée that greater is one drop of bloud that swelleth the heart within than all the teares that may be wept in the whole life without Wherfore I pray thée leaue me a litle to complaine my dolor before I goe to the place from whence I shal neuer retorne Emilia that willingly would haue sacrificed her selfe to redeme the Princesse from perill not being able any longer to endure the harde attempte where with pitie constrayned her heart was forced to goe forth and to withdraw her self into another chamber where she began to lamēt after so straunge manner that it semed it had bene she that was destened to death Whiles that these Ladies cōtinued thus in their sorowes the Knight Mendozza take no rest by day or night ne ceassed continually to think vpon the misfortune of the Duchesse And after that he had well considered the same he accused himself for fayling her at that her gret néede saying Now do I wel know that I am for euer hereafter vtterly vnworthy to beare armes or to haue the honorable title of a Knight sith the same order was giuen vnto me with charge to succour afflicted persons specially Ladyes whose force onely consisteth in teares And yet neuerthelesse I like a caitise haue so shamefully neglected my duety towardes the chiefe person of the worlde to whome I am greatly bounden that I dye a thousand times that day wherin I thinke vpon the same It behoveth me then from henceforth to establish new lawes to my deliberation and that I breake the gate of myne auncient rigor louing much better to die in honor pore
long time make any aunswere When his passiō was moderated he sayd to his sister But be you well assured that he will receiue you for his wyfe Yea my Lorde quod she I ought well to be assured of it since he himself hath made the request And truely qoud the king God forbidde that I should be the cause to breake so holye an accorde For if the Lord of Mendozza were inferior in qualitie nobility and goodes than he is yet hath he so much done both for you me as we may not honestly refuse him How much more then be we bounde to him being a great Lorde as he is issued of noble and famous families of Spaine riche in goodes and hauing hazarded his lyfe for the conseruation of your honour and there withall seketh mine alliaunce Go your wayes dere sister and friende goe your wayes make muche of him and entreate him as you think best And when I haue walked two or thrée tornes here I will come vnto him to cōmunicate more amplie of these matters Scarce had the Duchesse leysure to aduertise the Lord of Mendozza of that which was concluded betwene the king and her but he came downe into the Hall where the most part of the Spanishe Gentlemen walked and with a very ioyfull countenance went to the knight To whome he sayde My Lorde Mendozza I praye you to embrace mée For so farre as I sée I haue a better interest in you than I thought And the Lorde of Mendozza thinking to embrace him his knée vpon the grounde was immediately desired to stande vp Whome the king cleping about the necke sayde vnto him so loud that euery man might heare Sir knight by the God of heauen since that I might commaund in the realme of England I haue not entertained gentleman nor Prince to whome I haue bene more endebted than to you nor neuer was there any dearer vnto me than you for the great gratitude and kindenesse wherewith you haue bound me whereby I shal not from henceforth be satisfied vntill I haue in some thing acknowledged the bonde wherein I am bounde vnto you When he had spoken those wordes he began to declare from poynt to poynt in the presence of all the assembly the contentes of the whole before declared historie Wherat ther was none in all the companie but that was greatly astonned at the prudence of Mendozza by so wel dissembling and accomplishing so great enterprises without making them manifest And the King of England commaunded that the mariage of him and his sister shoulde be published through out his realme that all his nobilitie might be assembled And for his greater honour the King did from thenceforth constitute him his highe Cunstable of England and reposed himselfe in him as vpon a firme piller for the administration of the wayghtiest affaires of his realme And the mariage solempnized consummate with the Duchesse he retourned into Spaine to accompanie the Prince into Englande whose mariage was celebrated at London in the King of Englandes daughter with suche pompe and solempnitie as semblable Princes be commonly accustomed to doe in lyke cases The Countesse of Salesburie A King of Englande loued the daughter of one of his noble men which was Countesse of Salesburie who after great sute to achieue that he coulde not winne for the entire loue he bare vnto her and her great constancie made her his Queene and wyfe ¶ The .xlvj. Nouell THys Historie ensuing describing the perfect figure of womāhode the naturall quality of Loue incensing the harts indifferently of all Natures children the liuely ymage of a good condicioned Prince the zealous loue of parents and the glorious reward that chastitie cōduceth to her imbracers I déeme worthy to be annexed to the former Nouell wherin as you haue heard be contained the straūge aduentures of a fayre innocent Duchesse Whose lyfe tryed lyke gold in the furnace glittereth at this day like a bright starry planet shining in the firmament with most splēdent brightnesse aboue all the rest to the eternall prayse of feminine kinde And as a noble Duke of Sauoie by heate of Loues rage pursued the louing trace of a King of Englandes syster married into Spaine euen so a renowmed and moste victorious Prince as the Aucthor of them both affirmeth thorowe the furie of that passion which as Apuleus sayth in the fyrst heate is but smal but abounding by increase doth set all men on fier maketh earnest sute by discourse of wordes to a Ladie her selfe a Countesse and Earles daughter a beautifull and faire wight a creature incomparable the wyfe of a noble man hys owne subiect who seing her constant forte to be impregnable after pleasaunt sute and milde request attempteth by vndermining to inuade and when wyth siege prolixe he perceiueth no ingenious deuise can achieue that long and paynefull worke he threateth might and mayne dire and cruell assaultes to winne and get the same and laste of all surrendred into his handes and the prisoner crying for mercye he mercifully is contented to mitigate his conceyued rigor and pitifully to release the Ladie whom for her womanly stoutnesse and coragious constancie he imbraceth and entertaigneth for his owne This great and worthy king by the first viewe of a delicate Ladie thorow the sappe of Loue soaked into his noble heart was transported into many passions and rapt into infinite pangues which afterwardes bredde him great disquietnesse This worthie Prince I saye who before that time lyke an Alexandre was able to conquere and gayne whole kingdomes made all Fraunce to quake for feare at whose approche the gates of euery Citie did flye open and fame of him prouoked eche Frenchmans knée to bowe whose helmet was made of manhodes trampe and mace well stéeled with stoute attemptes was by the weakest staye of dame Natures frame a woman shaped wyth no visage sterne or vglie looke affrighted and appalled whose heart was armed with no lethall sworde or deadly launce but with a Curat of honour weapon of womanhode and for al his glorious conquests she durst by singuler cōbat to giue refusall to his face Which singuler perseueration in defence of her chastitie inexpugnable esclarisheth to the whole flocke of womankynde the bright beames of wisdome vertue and honestie No prayers intreatie suplication teares sobbes sighes or other lyke humaine actions poured forth of a Princesse heart could withdraw her from the bounds of honestie No promise present practise deuise sute friende parent letter or counsellor could make her to straye out of the limits of vertue No threate menace rigor feare punishment exile terror or other crueltie coulde diuert her from the siedge of constancie In her youthly tyme till her mariage day she delighted in virginitie From her mariage day during her wydow state she reioyced in chastitie The one she conserued like a hardie Cloelia the other she kept like a constant Panthea This notable historie therefore I haue purposed to make common aswell for encouragement of
olde Earle which neuer thought that a request so vniust and dishonest would haue procéeded oute of the mouth of a King with frank and open hart offred that liberall graunt The king then thinking that he had sounded the depth of the Earles affection chaunging colour his eyes fixed on the ground sayde vnto him Your daughter the Countesse of Salesburie my Lorde is the onely medicine of my trauayles whome I doe loue better than my owne life and doe féele my selfe to inflamed with her Heauenly beauty that without her grace and fauour I am not able hereafter to lyue for thys consideration syth you desire to doe me seruice and to preserue my lyfe I praye you to deale so with her that she with compassion may looke vpon me Crauing this request at your handes not without extreme shame considering aswell your honorable state as your auncient merites imployed vpon me and my progenitoures But according to your modestie and accustomed goodnesse impute the faulte vpon amorous loue which in such wise hath alienated my libertie and confounded my heart that now ranging out of the boundes of honor reason I féele my selfe tormented vexed in minde Wherby I am prouoked to make this request and not able to expell the mortal poyson out of my heart which hath diminished my force intoxticated my sense and hath depriued my minde from all good counsell that I can not tell what to do but to séeke to you for helpe hauing no kinde of rest but when I sée her when I speake of her or think vpō her And I am at this present reduced into so pitifull state that being not able to winne her by intreaties offers presents sutes ambassages and letters my onely and last refuge and assured port of all my miseries resteth in you eyther by death to ende my lyfe or by force to obtayne my desire The Earle hearing the vneiuile and beastlye demaunde of his soueraigne Lorde blushing for shame and throughlie astonned filled also with a certayne honest and vertuous disdayne was not able to dissolue his tongue to render a worthy aunswere to the afflicted Prince Finally lyke one awaked from his deade sléepe he sayde vnto him Sir my wittes fayle my vertue reuolteth my tongue is mute at those words that procéede from your mouth wherby I fele my self brought into two so straunge and perillous poyntes that passing eyther by one or other I muste néedes fall into very great daunger But to resolue my selfe vpon that which is moste expedient hauing giuen vnto you my fayth in pledge to succour and helpe you euen to the abandoning of honor and lyfe I will not be contrarie to my wordes And touching my daughter for whom you haue made request I will reueale vnto her the effect of your demaunde yet of one thing I muste tell you sir power I haue to entreate her but none at all to force her Inoughe it is that she vnderstande of me what heart and affection you beare vnto her But I doe maruell yea and complayne of you pardon me most dradde soueraigne and suffer me without offence to discharge my griefe before your presence rather than to your shame and myne eternall infamie it should be manifested and published abrode by other I saye that I maruell sir what occasion moued you to commit such reproch in my stocke bloude and by an acte so shamefull and lasciuious to dishonor the same Which neuer disdayned to serue both you and yours to the vttermost of their powers Alas vnhappy father that I am is this the guerdon and recompence that I and my children shal expect for our trusty and faithfull seruices Oh sir for Gods sake if you liste not to be liberal of your owne seke not to dishonour vs and to inflict vpon our race suche notable infamie But who can loke for worse at the hands of his mortall and cruell enemie It is you euen you it is most noble Prince that doth rauishe my daughter of her honor dispoyle me of my contentation ye take from my children hardinesse to shewe their faces from all our whole house the auncient fame and glory It is you that hath obscured the clearenesse of my bloude with an attempt so dishonest and detestable that the memorie thereof shall neuer be forgotten It is you that doth constraine me to be the infamous minister of the totall destruction of my progenie and to be a shamelesse Pandarus of my daughters honor Thinke you sir that you meane to helpe and succoure me when others shal attempt to obiect before my face this slaunder and reproch but if your self doe hurte me where shall I hereafter seke reliefe and succour If the hand which ought to helpe me be the very same that doth giue me the wound where shall the hope be of my recouerie For this cause may it please your Maiesty whether iustlie I doe make my complaynt and whether you giue me occasion to aduaunce my cryes to the heauens your selfe shall be the Iudge For if like a Iudge in dede you doe giue ouer your disordinate affectiō I then appeale to the iudgement of your inuincible mynde accomplished with all curtesie and gentlenesse On the other side I doe lamente your Fortune when I thinke vpon the reasons which you haue alleaged and the greater cause I haue to complayne bicause I haue knowen you from your youth and haue alwayes déemed you at libertie and frée from suche passions not thrall or subiect to the flames of Loue but rather giuen to the exercise of armes And nowe seing you to become a prisoner of an affection vnworthy your estate I can not tell what to thinke the noueltie of this sodayne chaunce semeth to be so straunge Remember sir that for a little suspicion of adulterie you caused Roger Mortimer to be put to death And being skarce able to tell it without teares you caused your own mother miserably to die in prisō And God knoweth how small your accusacions were and vpon howe light ground your suspicion was conceyued Doe not you knowe how wonderfully you be molested with warres and that your enemies trauell daye and night to circumuent you both by sea lande Is it now time then to giue your selfe to delightes to captiuate your minde in the pleasures of Ladies Where is the auncient generositie nobilitie of your bloud Where is the magnanimitie valour wherewith you haue astonned your enemies shewed your selfe amiable to your friendes and wonderful to your subiects Touching the last point wherby you threaten that if my daughter doe not agrée to your desire you will forcibly enioy her I will neuer confesse that to be the fact of a valiaunt and true king but of a vile cowardly cruell and libidinous tyraunt I trust it be not the pleasure of God that nowe at the age you be of you will begin to force Gentlewomen that be your humble subiectes which if you do this Iland shal lose the name of a Realme and hereafter
shall be déemed none other but the receptacle of Theues and murderers If then to conclude this my sorrowfull and heauie complaint you may or can by your flatteries promisses and presents persuade my daughter to obey your vnbrideled appetites I shall haue occasion to bewaile her dishonestie and to déeme her as an incontinent daughter degenerated from the vertues of her progenitors But touching your owne person I haue nothing to say but that herein you do follow the common sorte of men that be suters to Ladyes willing to please their fansies There resteth only now for me to aunswere the fauour which in tyme to come you promisse to me and my children I couet not after any thing reprochfull to me or my children or to any of our posteritie that may make vs ashamed knowing in what contempt and reputation they be which being borne of base parentage be arriued to goods and honour by gratifiyng and obeying Princes and Kings in their dishonest lusts and appetites Remember sir that within these fewe dayes being in campe against the Scottes you vpbraided a certaine man which shal be namelesse for being a minister of your fathers Loue who was from the state of a Barber aduaūced to the degree of an Earle and how you sayd that if in time to come he amended not his maners you woulde send him to the shoppe againe And for my part I am of opinion that honest pouertie hath euer bene the auncient and greatest inheritance amongs the noble Romanes which if it be condempned by the ignorant multitude and if we therefore doe giue place to the same making greater accompt and estimation of richesse and treasures than of vertue I will say for myne owne parte by the grace of God that I am so abundantly prouided for the maintenance of me and myne not like an ambicions man or couetous but as one satisfied with the good wil of Fortune I doe most humblie then beséeche you sir for conclusion to take in good part that which my duetie and honor doe constraine me to speake And so by your graces leaue I will departe towarde my daughter to let her vnderstande from poynt to poynt your Maiesties pleasure And without tarying for other replie of the King he went his way discoursing diuers things in his minde vpon that which had passed betwéene the King and him The reasons which the Earle had made so pearced the affections of the passionate king that vncertayne what to say he condempned himselfe knowing verie well that the Earle not onely vpon right and iust cause had pronounced those wordes but also that he had done the office of a faithfull seruaunt and trustie counseller in such sort that feling his conscience touched at the quick he coulde not excuse himselfe from committing a dishonest charge to a father so commendable vertuous in the behalfe of his daughter Thus he determined to chaunge his opinion Afterwardes when he had throwen forth many sighes he spake these wordes to himself O miserable man cut of this amorous practise how art thou defrauded of thy right sēse to cast thy minde vpon her whome thou oughtest to vse with suche reuerence as thou wouldest doe thyne owne proper sister for the seruice which thou and thy progenitors haue receyued of the good Earle her father Open the eyes of thyne vnderstanding and knowe thy selfe giue place to Reason and reforme thy vnshamefull and disordinate appetites Resist withall thy power this wanton will which doth enuiron thée Suffer not this tiraunt Loue to bewitch or deceyue thée Sodaynely after he had spoken those wordes the beautie of the Countesse representing it selfe before his eyes made him to alter his mynde agayne to the contrarie and to reiect that which he before allowed saying thus I fele in my minde the cause of mine offence and thereby do acknowledge the wrong but what shall I doe sithe I am not able any longer to withstand Beautie that cruel murderer which doth force and maister me so muche let Fortune then and Loue doe what they liste the fayre Countesse shall be mine chaunce what chaunce may Is it a notable vice in a King to loue his subiects daughter Am I the firste vpon whome such inconuenience hath come This talke ended he deluded himself thinking vpon the contrarie he accused himself agayne and then frō this he altered againe to the other And being in this perplexity he passed day and night with such anguish and dolor as euery man doubted his health And floting thus betwéene hope and dispaire he resolued in the ende to attende the fathers aunswere The Earle then being gone out of the Kings chambre aggrauated with sorrowfull thoughtes ful of rage and discontentation thought good to delate the matter to the next day before he spake to his daughter and then calling her vnto him and causing her to sit againste him he reasoned the matter in this wise I am assured deare daughter that yon will no lesse maruell than be astonned to heare that which I shall say vnto you and so muche the more when you doe perceyue how farre my tale shall excéede the order of Reason But for so much as of two euills the least is to be chosen I doubt not but like a sage and wise woman which I haue alwayes knowen you to be you will staye vpon that which I haue determined Touching my selfe sith it hath pleased God to giue me knowledge of good and yll hitherto I haue still preferred honour before lyfe bicause after myne opinion it is a lesse matter to dye innocently than to liue in the dishonour and shame of the whole world But you know what libertie he hath which is vnder the power of another being sometimes constrained to make faire weather of things not onelye cleane contrarie to his minde but also which is worsse against his owne conscience being oftētimes forced according to the qualitie of the time and pleasure of the state to chaunge his maners and to put on newe affections Wherof I haue thought good to put you in remembrance bicause it toucheth the matter which I purpose to tell you Thus it is deare daughter that yesterday after dinner the King sent for me and being come before him with a very instante and pitifull prayer he required me his eyes ful of teares to doe a thing for him that touched hys lyfe I which besides that I am his subiecte and seruaunt haue alwayes borne a particuler affection to his father and him without deliberation what the matter should be betroched to him my faith to obey his request if it cost me the price of myne honor and lyfe He seing himself assured of my liberall promisse after many wordes ioyned with an infinite number of sighes discouering vnto me the secrete of his heart he tolde me that the torment which he indured procéeded no where else but of the feruent Loue that he bare vnto you But O immortall God what man of any discretion woulde haue thought that a
lyfe and all the partes of her body to ware colde she quickly layde her downe and then with helpe and other things apte for sownings she made her come to her selfe againe and thinking wholy to recouer her she earnestly promised her to do what she would haue her and then sayd vnto her Doe away your teares Madame moderate your selfe a litle from your tormentes reuoke your former ioy and be of good chere for I am disposed to obey you God defende that I shoulde be the cause of the payne whiche I sée you to suffer Nowe I am readye to goe with you to the King where it shall please you we two without other companye will doe oure owne errande and attempte the beginning of our enterpryse The mother full of ioye lifting vp her handes to the heauens tenderly embraced her daughter and many times did kisse her and after she had commaunded her Coche to be made ready she went forth wyth her daughter accompanied onely with two Gentlewomen her Damoselles to the Kings Pallace When they were come thyther they sent worde to the Secretarye that broughte her the message who conducted them to the Kinges chamber and presenting them before the King sayde Syr beholde the company which you haue so long time desired They be come to doe your grace humble reuerence The King gretly astonnied came to mete them and with ioyfull countenāce sayde Welcome Ladie Countesse and your long desired companie But what good fortune conducted you hyther nowe The Countesse hauing made her obeysance yet alfryghted with feare aunswered him Beholde here my Lorde your fayre AElips so long tyme wished for who takyng repentaunce for her former crueltye and rigor is come to render her selfe at your commaundement Then the King beholding the yong Countesse trembling for feare lyke a leafe shaken with the winde with her eyes fixed on the ground approching nere her toke her by the hande and kissing her sayde Welcome my lyfe and soule But she no more moued than a fierce Lyon enuironed with cruell beastes stode still and helde her peace her heart so constrained for sorrowe and dispite that she was not able to aunswere a worde The King who thought that suche passion procéeded of shame commaunded that the gentlewomen that were come in her companie shaulde depart the chamber sauing the mother which brought her to the entrie of the kings chamber Then wythdrawing her selfe backe she left her to the mercy of loue and the King So sone as the King was entred the chamber he shut the dore after him Which AEllps perceyuing began to fele a furious combat betwéene her honor and lyfe fearing to be defloured and seing her abandoned of all humayne succour falling downe prostrate at his fete she sayde vnto him Gracious and redoubted Prince sithe that my heauy fortune hath brought me hither lyke an innocent lambe to the sacrifice and that my parents amazed through your furie as rauishers of me agaynst my will and contrarie to the duetie of their honor haue deliuered me into your handes I humblie beseche your maiestie yf there remayne in your noble personage any sparke of vertue and Princely affection before you passe any further to satisfie your desire to let me proue and vnderstand by effecte if your Loue be such as oftentymes by letters and mouth you haue declared vnto me The request which I will make vnto you shall be but easie and yet shall satisfie me more than al the contentation of the worlde Otherwise sir doe not thinke that so long as my lyfe doth continue I am able to doe any thing that can content your desire And if my sute shall seeme reasonable and grounded vpon equitie before I doe open and declare the same more at large assure the performaunce thereof vnto me by othe The King hearing her prayer to be so reasonable wherevnto rather than to refuse it he swore by his Scepter taking God to witnesse and al the heauenly powers for confirmation of that which he pretended to promise then he sayde vnto her Madame the onely maistresse keper of my louing heart sithe that of your grace and curtesie you haue vouchsafed to come to my Palace to make request of my only fauour and good will which now I irreuocably doe consent and graunt swearing vnto you by that honorable sacrament of Baptisme whereby I was incorporated to the Church of God and for the Loue that I beare you for greater assurance I can not giue I wil not refuse any thing that is in my power and abilitie to the intent you may not be in doubt whether I doe loue you intend hereafter to imploy my self to serue and pleasure you for otherwise I shoulde falsifie my fayth and more feruently I cannot bynd my selfe if I shoulde sweare by all the othes of the worlde The fayre Countesse sitting stil vpon her knées although the King many times prayed her to rise vp reuerently toke the King by the hande saying And I doe kisse this royall hande for loyall testimonie of the fauour which your grace doth shew vnto me Then plucking out a sharpe knife which she had vnder her kirtle all bathed and washed in teares reclining her pitiefull eyes towardes the King that was astonned and appalled with that sight she sayde vnto him Sir the gift that I require and wherfore your faith is bound is this I most humbly desire you that rather than to dispoyle me of myne honor with the sworde girded by your side you wil vouchsafe to ende my lyfe or to suffer me presently with this sharpe poynted knife in my hande to thrust my self to the heart that myne innocent bloude doing my funerall honor may beare witnesse before God of my vndefiled chastity being so resolued honorably to dye and that before I doe lose myne honor I may murder my selfe before you with this blade knife in my hande The king that burned with amorous heate beholding this pitifull spectacle and considering the inuincible constancy chastitie of the Countesse vanquished with remorse of cōscience ioyned with lyke pitie taking her by the hand sayde Rise vp Lady liue frō henceforth assured for I will not ne yet pretend all the dayes of my life to commit any thing in you agaynst your will And plucking the knife out of her hand exclamed This knife hereafter shal be the Pursiuant before God men of this thine expugnable chastitie the force wherof wanton Loue was not able to endure rather yelding place to Uertue which being alienated from me hath made me at one instante victorious ouer my selfe which by and by I will make you to vnderstande to your great contentacion and greater maruell For assuraunce whereof I desire none other thing of you but a chaste kisse Which receyued he opened the dore and caused the Countesse to come in with the Secretarie and the gentlewomen and the same time he caused the Courtiers and Pieres of the Realme which were then in the base Court of the
bicause I am going about certayne affaires very requisite and necessary to be done Then sayde sir Stricca At least wise drincke with me before you depart but giuing him thankes he bad him fare wel Maister Stricca seing that he could not cause him to tarry toke hys leaue and retourned into his house Galgano gone from Maister Stricca sayd to himselfe Ah beast that I am why did not I accept his offer Why should shamefastnesse let me from the sight of her whome I loue better than all the worlde besides And as he was thus pensife in complaints his spaniells sprong a Partrich whereat he let goe his Hauke and the Partrich flying into sir Stricca his garden his Hauke pursued and seassed vpon the same Maister Stricca and his Lady hearing that pastime ran to the garden window to sée the killing of the Partrich And beholding the valiant skirmish betwéene the foule and the Hauke the Lady asked whose Hauke it was Her husband made aunswere that he knewe well ynough the owner by the goodnesse and hardinesse of the same For the owner of this hanke quod he is the trimmest and most valiant gentleman in all Siena and one indued with best qualities The Lady demaunded what he was Maister Galgano sayde her husbande who euen nowe passed by the gate and I prayed him very earnestly to supper but he woulde not be intreated And truely wyse he is the comeliest gentleman and most vertuous personage that euer I knewe in my lyfe With those words they went from the window to supper And Galgano when he had lured his Hauke departed away The Lady marked those words fixed them in minde It fortuned within a while after that sir Stricca was by the state of Siena sent in ambassage to Perugia by reason whereof his Lady at home alone so sone as her husband had taken his iourney sent her most secret and trusty maide to intreat Maister Galgano to come and speake with her When the message was done to Galgano if his heart were on a merie pinne or whether his spirites dulled with continuall sorrow were againe reuiued they knowe that moste haue felt the paynefull pangues of Loue and they also whose fleshe haue bene pearced with the amorous arrowes of the little boy Cupide He made aunswere that he woulde willingly come rendring thanks both to the maystresse and maid the one for her paine the other for her good remembrance Galgano vnderstanding that sir Stricca was gone to Perugia in the euening at conuenient time repaired to the house of her whose sight he loued better than his owne eyes And being come before his Lady with great submission reuerence he saluted her like those whose hearts doe throbbe as foretelling the possessiō of good tournes and benefits after which with long sute and trauaile they haue aspired wherewith the Lady delighted very pleasauntlie toke him by the hand and imbracing him sayde Welcome myne owne swéete Galgano a hundred tymes I say welcome And for the tyme with kisses making truce with their affections the Lady called for confictes and wine And whē they had dronk and refreshed themselues the Lady toke him by the hand and sayde My swéete Galgano night beginneth to passe away and the tyme of sléepe is come therfore let vs yelde our selues to the seruice and commaundement of our very good Lady Madame Cytherea for whose sake I intreated you to come hither Galgano aunswered that he was very well contented when it were her pleasure Being within the chamber after much pleasant talk louing discourse betwene them the Lady did put of her clothes and went to bed Galgano being somewhat bashfull was perceyued of the Lady vnto whom she said Me think Galgano that you be fearefull and shamefast What do you lacke Do I not please you Doth not my personage content you Haue you not the thing whiche you desire Yes Madame sayde Galgano God himselfe could not do me a greater pleasure than to suffer me to be cleped within your armes And reasoning in this sorte he put of his clothes also layde him selfe by her whom he had coueted and desired of long tyme. Being in the bed he sayde Madame I beséech you graunt me one request What is that Galgano quod she It is this Madame sayd Galgano I do much maruell why this night aboue all other you haue sent for me considering how long I haue loued you and although I haue prosecuted my sute by great expence trauaile yet you wold neuer yelde before this time What hath moued you now thus to doe The Lady answered I will tel you sir. True it is that not many dayes a go passing by this house with your Hauke on your fiste my husbande tolde me that so sone as he sawe you he wente out to méete you of purpose to intreat you to supper but you would not tarrie Then your Hauke pursued a Partrich euen into my garden and I seing the Hauke so egrely seassing vpon the same demaunded of my husbande whose Hauke it was He tolde me that the Hauke did belong to the most excellent yong man of all Siena and that he neuer in all his lyfe knewe a gentleman better accomplished with all vertues and good qualities and there withall gaue vnto you singuler praise and commendacion Whervpon hearing him in such wise to praise you and knowing right wel your affectionat minde and disposicion towardes me my heart attached with loue forced me to send for you that I mighte hereafter auoyde disdaine and other skornefull demeaner to impeach or hindre your loue And this briefly is the cause Is this true sayde Galgano Most certayne and true answered the Lady Was there no other occasion No verely sayde the Lady God defend quod Galgano that I should recompence the curtesie and good will of so noble a gentleman as your husband is with reproch villanie Is it méete that good tournes shuld be requited with vnkindnesse If euer man had cause to defende the honor of his vnknowen frende cause haue I right good and apt For now knowing such a frende that would by vertuous reportes haue aduaunced me to higher matters than whereof I am in possession shoulde I rewarde with pollucion of his stocke and wife No no Lady My raging sute by Loue is by vertue quenched Uertue onely hath staunched the flames of vile affections Séeke another frende to giut thy lecherous mynde Finde out some other companion to coole thy disordinate loue Shall I be disloyall to him that hath bene faythfull vnto me Shall I be Traytor to him that friendly hath commended me What can be more required of humane hearts or more desired of manlike minde but will full bente and fixed to doe him good that neuer erst by iust desert deserued the same With which wordes sodainely he lept out of the bed And when he had furnished him selfe agayne with his apparell he also put vpon him vertuous frendship and toke his leaue of the Lady neuer after
loue with her sent him a letter by an olde woman whereby she aduertized him that his beautie and good behauior so puissantlie did gouerne her affections that she coulde take no rest by night nor daye for the earnest loue that she bare him Wherefore she prayed him if it were his pleasure to come and speake with her Philenio receyuing that letter and perusing the contents thereof not considering the deceite prepared for him ne yet any longer remembring the iniuries past was more ioyfull and glad than euer he was before Who taking penne and paper answered her againe that he for his parte suffred no lesse tormentes for her sake yea and in respect of Loue that he loued her farre better than she did him and at al times when she pleased he woulde be at her commaundement to do her seruice The aunswere readde and oportunitie founde Simphorosia caused him to come home to her house and after many false sighes she sayde vnto him My deare frende Philenio I knowe none other in all the worlde that hath brought me into this state and plight wherein presently I am but you bicause your beautie good grace and pleasant talke haue so set my heart on fier that I féele it to kindle and burne lyke drie woode Which talke mayster Scholler hearing thought assuredly that she consumed for loue of him This pore Nodgecock contriuing the time with swéete and pleasant wordes with his dareling Simphorosia the tyme approched that he should goe to bed with his faire Lady who sayd vnto him My swete frend Philenio abide a while and let vs make some banket and collation and taking him by the hande she caried him into her closet adioyning where was a table ready furnished with exquisit conficts and wines of the best This Gentlewoman had made a composition in the wine to cause this yong Gallant to slepe for a certayn time Phileneo thinking no hurt toke the cup and filled it with the wine and dranke it vp at one draught His spirites reuiued with this refreshing after he had bene very wel perfumed and washed in swete waters he went to bed and within a while after this drink began to worke and the minion slepte so soundely that Canon shot or the greatest gonnes of the world were not able to wake him Then Simphorosia perceyuing the drinke beginne to worke called one of her sturdy maides that wel vnderstode the game of this pageant Both whiche carying this pore sléepy Scholler by the féete and armes and opening the dore very softly they faire well bestowed him in the middest of the streate a good stones cast of from the house where he lay all night But when the dawning of the day did appeare or an houre before the drinke lost his vertue and the pore Sot began to wake thinking that he had bene a bed with the Gentlewoman he perceyued himselfe brechlesse and in his shirte more deade than alyue through the colde that he had endured by lying starke naked vpon the earth The pore wretch was not able to helpe him self so much as with his armes legges and could not stand vpō his féete without great paine notwithstanding through creping and sprawling he got home to his house vnsene of any man and prouided so well as he could for recouery of his health And had it not bene for his youth which did helpe him at that instant his sinewes had bene benommed for euer In the ende hauing attained his former health and the state wherin he was before he stil remembred the iniuries past and without shewing any signe of anger or ill will made as though he loued them all thrée better than euer he did before and sometime semed to be in loue with the one and sometime with the other They againe for their parte nothing mistrusting the malice of Philenio set a good face on the matter vsing amorous chere and countenaunce towardes him but when his back was tourned with mockes and floutes they toke their pleasure He bearing in his brest secret despite was stil desirous with his hand to marke them in the face but he like a wise man wayed the natures of women and thought it woulde redound to great shame and reproche if he did them any hurt And therfore restraining the heate of his choler did let them alone And yet by deuising and practising how he might be euen with them and reuenged he was in great perplexitie Uery shortly after it chaunced that the scholler had deuised a meane easely to satisfie his desire so sone as he had determined vpon the same Fortune also therevnto was fauorable Who hired in the citie of Bologna a very faire house which had a large hall and commodious chambers and purposed to make a great and sumptuous feast and to inuite many Ladyes and gentlewomen to the same Amongs whome these thrée were the first that should be bidden which accordingly was done And when the feast day was come the thrée Gentlewomen that were not very wise at that instant repaired thither suspecting nothing In the ende a little to recreate the gentlewomen and to get them a stomake attending for supper time the scholler toke these his thrée louers by the hande and led them friendelie into a chamber somewhat to refreshe them When these thrée innocent women were come into the schollers chamber he shut fast the dore and going towardes them he sayde Beholde the time is come for me to be reuenged vpon you wicked and curssed creatures and to make you suffer the penaunce of the torment wherwith ye punished me for my great loue The gentlewomen hearing those cruell wordes rather dead than aliue began to repent that euer they had offended him and besides that they curssed themselues for giuing credit vnto him whome they ought to haue abhorred The scholler with a fierce and angry countenaunce commaunded them vppon paine of their lyues to strippe themselues naked Which sentence when these thrée Goddesses hearde they beganne to looke one vppon another wéeping and praying him although he woulde not doe it for their sakes yet in respect of his owne curtesie and naturall humanitie that he woulde saue their honor aboue all things This Gallant reioysing at their humble pitifull requestes was thus courteous vnto them that he would not suffer them to stande with their garments on in his presence The women casting themselues downe at the Schollers féete wept bitterly beseching him that he woulde haue pitie vpon them and not to be the occasion of a slaunder so great and infamous But he whose heart was hardened as the Diamond sayde vnto them that this fact was not worthy of blame but rather of reuengement The women dispoyled of their apparell and standing before him so frée from couering as euer was Eue before Adam appeared as beautifull in this their innocent state of nakednesse as they did in their brauerie in somuch that the yong Scholler viewing from top to toe those fayre and tender creatures whose
make any signe or semblance And kept that fier couered within his brest vntill his Master was ridden out of the towne and that his maistresse was at euensong at Sainct Florentines a church of the castle farre from her house Who now being alone in the house began to ymagine how he might attempt that thing by force which before by no supplication or seruice he was able to attaine For which purpose he brake vp a borde betwene his maystresse chamber and his But bicause the curteyns of his maister and maystresse bed and of the seruauntes of the other side couered and hid the walles betwene it could not be perceyued nor yet his malice discried vntill suche time as his maistresse was gone to bed with a little wenche of .xij. yeares of age And so sone as the pore woman was fallen into her first sléepe this varlet entred in at a hole which he had broken and so conueyed himselfe into her bed in his shirte with a naked sworde in his hand But so sone as she felt him layed downe by her she lept out of the bed going about to persuade him by such possible meanes as was mete for an honest woman to doe And he indued with beastly Loue rather acquainted with the language of his Mulets than with her honest reasons shewed himself more beastly than the beasts with whom he had of long time bene comiersant For séeing her so ofte to runne aboute the table that he coulde not catche her and also that she was so strong that twise she ouercame him in despaire that he shoulde neuer inioy her a liue he gaue her a great blowe with his sworde ouer she raynes of the backe thinking that if feare and force coulde not make her to yelde her selfe yet payne and smarte should cause her Howbeit it chaunced cleane contrarye For like as a good man of armes when he séeth his owne bloude is more chafed to reuenge himselfe vpon his enemies to acquire honor euen so the chaste hearte of this woman did reenforce and fortefie her courage in double wise to auoyde and escape the hands of this wicked varlet deuising by al meanes possible by fayre wordes to make the varlet to acknowledge his fault But he was so inflamed with fury that there was no place in him to receyue good coūcel And eftsones with his sword gashed her tender body with diuers and sundry strokes for the auoyding whereof so fast as her legges could beare her she ranne vp and downe the chamber And when through want of bloud she perceyued death approche lifting vp her eyes vnto heauē and ioyning her handes together gaue thanks vnto God whom she termed to be her force her vertue her pacience and chastitie humbly beseching him to take in good parte the bloude which by his commaundement was sheadde in honor of that precious bloud which from his owne sonne did issue vpon the Crosse wherby she did beleue firmely stedfastly that all her sinnes were wiped away defaced frō the memorie of his wrath and anger and in saying Lorde receyue my soule which was derely bought and redemed with thy bounty and goodnesse she fel downe to the ground vpon her face where the wicked villayne inflicted her body with manifolde blowes And after she had lost her speache and the force of her body this moste wicked and abhominable varlet toke her by force which had no more strength and power to defende her selfe And when he had satisfied his cursed desire he fledde awaye in suche hast as afterwardes for all the pursute made after him he could not be founde The yong wenche which lay with her for feare hid her self vnder the bed But when she perceyued the villayne departed she came vnto her maistresse and finding her speachelesse and without mouing she cried out of the window vnto the nexte neighboures to come to succour her And they which loued her and estéemed her so well as any woman in the Towne came presently vnto her and brought diuers Surgeons with them who finding vpon her body .xxv. mortall woundes they did so muche as in them laye to helpe her But it was impossible Howbeit she lay one houre without speache making signes with her eyes and handes declaring that she had not lost her vnderstanding being demaunded by the priest of the fayth wherein she died and of her saluation she aunswered by such euident signes that her speache and communicacion coulde not declare it better howe that her trust and confidence was in the death of Iesus Christ whom she hoped to sée in the celestiall city and so with a ioyful countenaunce her eyes erected vp to the heauēs she rendred her chast body to the earth and her soule to her creator And when she was shrowded ready to the buriall as her neighbours were attending to follow her to the church her pore husbād came home and the first sight he saw was the body of his deade wife before his dore whereof before that instante he had no newes And when he vnderstode the order of her death he then doubled his sorrow in such wise that he was also like to die In this sorte was this martir of Chastitie buried in the Church of S. Florentine where all the honest dames and wiues of the city endeuored themselues to accompany her to honour her with such reuerence as they were able to do accompting themselues most happye to dwell in that Towne where a woman of such vertuous behauiour did dwel The folish and wanton persons séeing the honour done to the dead body determined from that time forth to renew their former life and to chaunge the same into a better A King of Naples A King of Naples abusing a Gentlemans wyfe in the ende did were the hornes himselfe ¶ The Lj. Nouell IN the citie of Naples in the time of King Alphonsus in whose raigne wantonnesse bare chiefest sway there was a gentleman so honest beautifull and comely as for his good conditions an olde Gentleman gaue to him his daughter in mariage which in beautie and good grace was comparable to her husbande The loue was great betwéene them till it chaunced vpon a shoruetide that the King went a masking into the citie where euery man endeuoured himself to interteigne him the best he coulde And when he came to this gentlemans house he was best receyued of any place in all the towne aswel for banketting as for musical songs and the gentlewoman the fairest that the King sawe in al the citie to his contentation And vpon the ende of the banket she sang a song with her husband with a grace so good that it greatly augmented her beautie The King séeing so many perfections in one body conceyued not so great pleasure in the swéete accordes of her husband and her as he did howe to deuise to interrupt breake them And the difficultie for bringing that to passe was the great amitie that he saw betwéene them Wherfore he bare in his heart that
at least wyse let loue of your selfe constrayne you which being so perfect a creature as you be doth deserue to enioye the heartes of all the honest men of the worlde And let I say the contempt forsaking of him moue you for whom you haue disdayned all other persons The Quéene hearing those wordes was so rauished that for feare to declare by her countenaunce the trouble of her spirite leaning vpon the Gentlemās arme went into a garden harde by her chamber where she walked a long time not able to speake a worde But the Gentleman seing her halfe wonne when he was at the ende of the Alley where non̄e coulde sée them he certified her by effect the loue which so long tyme he kept secrete from her And both with one consent reioyced in reuenge wherof the passion was importable And there determined that so oft as he went into the countrey and the King from his Castle to the Citie he shoulde retourne to the Castle to sée the Quéene Thus deceyuing the deceyuers all foure were partakers of the pleasure which two alone thought to enioy The accorde made they departed the Ladye to her chamber and the Gentleman to his house with suche contentacion as they had quite forgotten all their troubles past And the fears that eyther of them had of the assembly of the King and of the Gentlewoman was tourned to desire which made the Gentleman to go more ofte than he was wont to doe into the Countrey beyng not past halfe a myle of And so sone as the king knewe thereof he fayled not to visite his Ladie and the Gentleman the night folowing went to the Castle to salute the Quéene to doe the offyce of the Kings Lieutenant so secretly as neuer any man did perceyue it This voyage endured of long tyme but the King bicause he was a publike person coulde not so well dissemble his loue but all the worlde did perceyue it and al men pityed the gentlemans state For diuers light persons behinde his backe woulde make hornes vnto him in signe of mockerie which he right well perceyued But this mockerie pleased him so wel that he estemed his hornes better than the Kings Crowne who and the Gentlemans wyfe one daye could not refrayne beholding a Stagges heade set vp in the Gentlemās house frō breaking into a laughter before his face saying how that head became the house very well The Gentleman that had so good a heart as he wrote ouer that heade these wordes These hornes I weare and beare for euerye man to viewe But I weare and beare them not in token they be trewe The King retourning agayne to thys Gentlemans house finding this superscription newely written demaunded of the Gentleman the signification of them Who sayde vnto him If Princes secrete things be from the horned Hart concealed VVhy should lyke things of horned beastes to Princes be reuealed But content your selfe All they that weare hornes be pardoned to weare their cappes vpon their heades For they be so swéete and pleasaunt that they vncappe no man and they weare them so light that they think they haue none at all The king perceyued well by his wordes that he knewe something of his doings but he neuer suspected the Loue betwéene the Quéene and him For the Quéene was better contented with her husbandes lyfe and with greater ease dissembled her griefe Wherefore eyther partes liued long time in this loue till age had taken order for dissolueiō therof Beholde Ladyes q Saffredante thys Historie which for example I haue willingly recyted vnto you that when your husbandes doe make you hornes as big as a Goate beareth you may render vnto him the monstruous heade of a Stagge peace q Emarsnite smyling no more wordes A Princesse of Flaundres The rashe enterprise of a Gentleman against a Princesse of Flaundres and of the damage and shame which he receyued thereof ¶ The. Lij Nouell THere was in Flaundres a Lady of an honorable house which had two husbandes by whome she had no children that were liuing During the time of her widowhode she dwelt within one of her brothers that loued her very wel which was a noble man and had maryed a Kings daughter This yong Prince was muche giuen to pleasure louing hunting pastime and the company of fayre Ladyes according as youth doth require He had a wyfe that was curst and troublesome whome the delectations of her husbande in no wise did content and please Wherefore this noble man caused his sister daylie to kéepe companye with his wyfe This Gentlewoman his sister was of pleasaunt conuersation and therewithall very honest and wyse There was in the house of this noble man a Gentleman whose worship beautie and grace did surpasse all the rest of hys companions This Gentleman perceyuing the sister of his Lorde and Maister to be pleasaunt of ioyfull countenance thought to proue if the attempt of an honest friende would be vouchsaued at her handes but he founde her aunswere to be contrarie to her countenance And albe if that her aunswere was suche as was méete for a Princesse and right honest Gentlewomā yet bicause she perceyued him to be a goodly personage and curteous she easily pardoned his bolde attempt and séemed that she toke it not in yll parte when he spake vnto her Neuerthelesse she warned him after that time to moue no such matter which he promised bicause he would not lose his pleasure and honor that he conceyued to entertayne her Notwithstanding by processe of tyme his affection increased so much that he forgot the promise which he had made vnto her not hazarding his enterprise by wordes for he had to long against his will experimented her wyse discrete aunsweres But he thought if he coulde finde her in some conuenient place bicause she was a widowe yong of lusty yeares good complexion it were possible she would take pitie vpon him of her selfe And that he might bring his purpose to effect he sayde to his Maister that he had besides his owne house very goodly game that if it pleased him to kill three or foure Stagges in the moneth of Maye he coulde neuer sée better pastime The Lorde aswell for the loue he bare to the Gentleman as for the pleasure he had in hunting graunted his request And went to his house which was so fayre and well furnished as the best Gentleman in all the Countrey had not a better and did lodge his Lorde and Ladie in one side of the house and in the other directly against it her whome he loued better than himselfe The Chamber was so well hanged with Tapistrie and furnished and so trimly matted as it was impossible to perceyue a falling dore which was by the beddes side descending to the chamber where hys Mother laye which was an olde Ladie that was troubled with the Catarre or Rume And bicause she had a Coughe fearing to disease the Princesse which lay aboue her she chaunged chambres with her sonne
And euery night the olde Gentlewoman brought conflictes to the Lady for her recreation vpon whome the Gentleman wayted who for that he was well beloued very familiar with her brother was not refused to be by her at her rising and going to bedde Whereby he daylie tooke occasion to increase his loue and affection In such sorte that one night after he had caused the Lady to sit vp late she being surprised with sléepe he was forced to depart the chamber and to repayre to his owne Where when he had put on the moste brauest perfumed shirt that he had his cap for the night so trimly dressed that there wāted nothing he thought in beholding himselfe that there was no Ladye in the worlde that could refuse his beautie and comelynesse Wherefore promising himselfe a happy successe in his enterprise he went to hys bed where he purposed not long to abide for the desire that he had to entre into an other which should be more honorable pleasant vnto him And after he had sent his mē away he rose to shut the dore after them hearkened a good while whether he could heare any noyse in the Ladyes chāber aboue And when he was sure that euery man was at rest he began to take his pleasant iorney and by little little opened the falling dore which was so well trymmed with cloth that it made no noyse at all and went vp to the Ladies bed side which then was in her first slepe and withoute respect of the bonde and promise that he made vnto her or the honorable house wherof she came without leaue or reuerence he layed him selfe downe besides her who felt him betwene her armes before she perceyued his cōming But she which was somewhat strong vnfolded her selfe out of his handes and in asking him what he was began to strike to bite and scratch In such wise as he was constrayned for feare least she shoulde cry out to stoppe her mouth with the couerlet which was impossible for him to doe For when she saw him to presse withal his force to despoile her of her honor she spared no part of her might to defende and kepe her selfe called so loude as she could her woman of honor that lay in her chamber which was a Gentlewoman right auncient and sober who euē in her smock ranne straight to her maistresse And when the gentleman perceiued that he was discouered was so fearefull to be knowen of the Lady that so sone as he could he shifted himselfe downe by his trap-dore And when before he had desire hope assurance to be welcome nowe he was brought in despayre for retourning in so vnhappy state When he was in his chamber he founde his glasse and candle vpon the table and beholding his face al bloudy with scratchings and bitings which she had bestowed vpon him the bloude whereof ranne downe his fayre shirte which was more bloudled than gylted he beganne to mone himselfe in this wise O beautie thou art now payed thy deserte for vpon thy vayne promise haue I aduentured a thing impossible And that which might haue bene the augmenting of my contentation is nowe the redoubling of my sorrow Being assured that if she knew howe contrarie to my promise I haue enterprised this folish fact I should vtterly forgoe the honest and common conuersation which I haue with her aboue all other That which my estimation beautie and good behauiour doe deserue I ought not to hide in darknesse To gaine her loue I ought not to assay her chaste body by force but rather by my seruice and humble pacience to waite and attende til loue did vanguish For without loue all the vertue and puissance of man is of no power and force Euen thus he passed the nighte in suche teares griefes and playntes as a man can not well reporte and vtter In the morning when he beheld his bloudy face al mangled and torne he fained himselfe to be very sicke and that he coulde abide no light til the company were gone from his house The Lady which thus remained victorious knowing that there was no man in all her brothers court that durst attempt a déede so wicked but onely he which was so bolde to declare his loue vnto her knewe well that it was her hoste And when she and her woman of honor had searched all the corners of the chamber to knowe what he was and sawe that she would not finde him she sayde vnto her woman in a great rage Assure your selfe it can be none other but the Gentleman of the house whose villanous order I will declare to my brother in the morning in such sort that his head shal be a witnesse and testimonie of my chastitie Her woman séeing her in that furie sayde vnto her Madame I am right glad to sée the loue affection which you haue to your honor for the increase whereof you will not spare the life of one which hath aduentured himself so much forced with the loue that he beareth vnto you But many times suche one thinketh by those meanes to increase his loue which altogether he doth diminishe Wherefore Madame I humblie beseche you to tell me the truth of this facte And when the Lady had recompted the same at length the woman of honor sayde vnto her Your grace doth say that he got no other thing of you but scratches and blowes with your fistes Do I assure you quod the Lady and I am certayne if he get him not a good surgeon the markes will be séene to morrowe Well Madame quod the Gentlewoman sithens it is so me thinketh you haue greater occasion to prayse God than to muse vpon reuengement For you may beleue that fithens he had the courage to enterprise suche a thing that despite hath made him to faile of his purpose you can deuise no greater death for him to suffer thā the same If you desire to be reuenged let Loue shaine alone to bring that to passe who know better which way to torment him than your selfe with greater honor to your person Take héede Madame from falling into such inconuenience as he is in For in place of great pleasure which he thought to haue gayned he hath receyued the most extreme anoyance that any Gentleman can suffer And you Madame by thinking to augment your honor you may decrease and diminishe the same And by making that complaint you shall cause that to be knowen which no man knoweth For of his part you may be assured there shall neuer be any thing reuealed And when my Lord your brother at your request shall execute that iustice which you desire and that the pore gentlemau shal be ready to dye yet the brute wil runne that he hath had his pleasure vpon you And the greatest parte will say that it is a difficult matter for a gentleman to do such an enterprise except the Lady minister some great occasion Your grace is fayre and yong frequenting your
life in pleasant coÌ„pany there is none in al the Court but séeth and marketh the good countenaunce you beare to that gentleman whereof your selfe hath some suspicion Which wil make euery maÌ„ suppose that if he haue done this enterprise it was not done with out some consent on your part And your honor which hitherto hath borne your port a loft shall be disputed vpon in all places where this historie shall be remembred The Princesse vnderstanding and waying the good reasons of her Gentlewoman knew that she spake the truth and that by moste iust cause she should be blamed considering the familiaritie and good countenaunce which daylie she bare vnto the Gentleman Wherefore she inquired of her woman of honor what was best to be done Who aunswered her thus Madame sith it pleaseth you to receyue myne aduise by waying the affection whereof it procedeth me thinke you ought in your heart to reioyce that the goodliest and moste curteous Gentleman that liueth coulde neyther by loue nor force dispoyle you of your gret vertue and chastitie For which Madame you are bound to huÌ„ble your self before God acknowledging that it is not done by your vertue bicause many women walking in a more paynful and more vnpleasant trade than you doe haue bene humiliated and brought low by meÌ„ farre more vnworthy of loue thaÌ„ he which loueth you And ye ought now to feare more than euer you did to vse any semblance and talke of amitie bicause there haue bene many that haue fallen the secoÌ„d time into daungers and perils which they haue anoyded at the first Remember Madame that loue is blinde who darkeneth mens eyes in such sorte that where a man thinketh the way most sure there he is most ready to fall And I suppose Madame that you ought not to be knowen of this chaunce neyther to him no yet to any man else and when he remembreth any thing vnto you to make as though you did not vnderstande his meaning to auoyd two dauÌ„gers The one of vaine glory for the victory which you haue had the other to take pleasure in remeÌ„bring things that be so pleasant to the flesh which the most chaste haue had much a doe to defend them selues from feeling of some sparks although they do seke meanes to shunne auoyde them withall their possible power Moreouer Madame to th ende that he think not by such hazard and enterprise to haue done a thing agreable to your minde myne adusse is that by little and little you doe make your self straunge and vse no more your wonted grace vnto him that he may knowe how muche you despise his follie and consider how great your goodnesse is by coÌ„tenting your selfe with the victory which God hath giueÌ„ you without séeking any further vâ—tion or reuengement And God graunt you grace Madame to continue that honestie which he hath planted in your heart and by acknowledging that all goodnesse procedeth froÌ„ him you may loue him and serue him better than euer ye did The Princesse determined to credit the counsayle of her gentlewoman slept with so great ioy as the pore gentleman waked with sorrow On the morrow the noble man ready to depart asked for his hoste vnto whome aunswere was made that he was so sick that he coulde not abide the light nor endure to heare one speake Wherof the Prince was sore abashed and would haue visited him but that it was tolde him that he was a slepe and was very loth to wake him Wherfore without bidding him farewel he departed taking with him his wife and sister who hearing the excuse of the Gentleman that would not sée the Prince nor yet his companie at their departure was persuaded that it was he that had done her all that torment and durst not shew the markes which she had signed in his face And although his Maister did send oftentimes for him yet came he not to the Court vntill he was healed of all his wounds except that which Loue and despite had made in his hart When he came to the Court and appeared before his victorious enemie he blushed for shame of his ouerthrowe And he which was the stoutest of al the company was so astonned that many tymes being before her he coulde not tell which way to loke or tourne his face Wherefore she was assured that her suspicion was certayne and true by little and little estraunging her selfe from him but it was not done so sleightly or politikely but that he perceyued it wel ynough and yet he durst make no semblance thereof for feare of worse aduenture Notwithstanding he conserued both his loue in his heart also pacience of minde for the losse of his Ladies fauour which he had right wel deserued Amadour and Florinda The loue of Amadour and Florinda Wherein be contayned manye sleightes and dissimuletions together with the renowined chastitie of the sayde Florinda ¶ The Liij Nouell IN the Countie of Arande in Aragon there was a Lady which in the best time of her youth continued the widdowe of the Earle of Arande with one soÌ„ne and one daughter called Florinda The sayde Ladye brought vp her children in all vertue and honestie méete and conuenable for all Lordes and Gentlemen in such forte that her house was renowmed to be one of the most honorable houses in all the Region of Spayne Many times she repayred to Tolledo where the King of Spaine helde his Court and wheÌ„ she came to Sarragosa which was harde adioyning to the Court she coÌ„tinued long with the Quéene and in the Court where she was had in so good estimatioÌ„ as any Lady might be Upon a time going towardes the King according to her custome which was at Sarragosa in his Castle of Iasserie this Lady passed by a village that belonged to the Uiceroy of Cathalongne who still continued vpon the frontiers of Parpignon by reason of the great warres that were betwene the French King and him Howbeit at that time peace being concluded the Uiceroy withall his captaynes were come to do reuerence to the King The Uiceroy knowing that the Countesse of Arande dyd passe through his couÌ„trie went to mete her aswel for auncient amitie as also for the honor he bare vnto her being allied to the King Now this Uiceroy had in his companye diuers honest Gentlemen which through the frequeÌ„tation and continuance of the long warres had gotten suche honor aud fame that euery man that might sée them behold them did accompt themselues happie But amonges all the other there was one called Amadour who although he was but .xviij. or .xix. yeares of age yet he had suche an assured grace and a witte so excellent that he was demed amongs a thousande persons worthy to haue the gouernement of a common wealth which good wit was coupled with a maruellous naturall beautie that there was no eye but did content it self eftsones to beholde him And this beautie so exquisite was associated with wonderful eloquence that doubtful it was to
say whether of them merited greatest honor eyther his grace his beauty or his excellente tong but that which brought him into best reputation was his great hardinesse whereof the common report and brute was nothing impeached or stayed for all his youth For in so many places he shewed his maruellous chiualcie that not onely Spaine but Fraunce and Italie did singularlie commend and set forth his vertue bicause in all the warres wherein he was presēt he neuer spared himself for any daūger And when his countrie was in peace and quiet he sought to serue in straunge places being loued and estemed both of his frends and enemies This Gentleman for the loue of his Captayne was come into that coūtrie where was arriued the Countesse of Arande and in beholding the beautie and good grace of her daughter which was not then past .xij. yeares of age he thought that she was the fayrest moste vertuous personage that euer be sawe and that if he coulde obtayne her good will he shoulde be so well satisfied as if he had gayned al the goods and pleasures of the world And after he had a good while viewed her for all the impossibilitie that reason could deuise to the contrary he determined to loue her although some occasion of that impossibilitie might rise through the greatnesse of the house whereof she came for want of age which was not able as yet to vnderstand the passiōs of loue But against the feare thereof he armed himselfe with good hope persuading with himselfe that time aud pacience woulde bring happy ende to his trauayle And from that time gentle Loue which without any other occasion than by his owne force was entred the hearte of Amadour promised him fauour helpe by all meanes possible to attayne the same And to prouide for the greatest difficultie which was the farre distance of the Countrie where he dwelt and the small occasion that he had thereby any more to sée Florinda he thought to marrie against his determinatiō made with the Ladies of Barlelone and Parpignon amongs whom he was so conuersant by reason of the warres that he séemed rather to be a Cathelan thā a Castillan although he were borne by Tolledo of a riche and honourable house but bicause he was a yonger brother he inioyed no great patrimonie or reuenue Not withstanding Loue and Fortune séeing him forsaken of his parents determined to accomplishe some notable exployte in him gaue him by meanes of his vertue that which the lawes of his coūtry refused to giue He had good experience in factes of warre and was so wel beloued of all Princes and Rulers that he refused many times their goodes as a man that wayed not the same The Countesse of whome I spake arriued thus at Sarragossa was very well interteigned of the king and of his whole Court The Gouernor of Cathalogne many times came thither to visite her whō Amadour neuer fayled to accōpany for the only pleasure he had to talk with Florinda And to make himselfe to be knowen in that company he went to Auenturade which was the daughter of an old Knight that dwelt hard by the house which from her youth was brought vp with Florinda in such familiar sorte that she knew all the secrets of her hart Amadour aswel for the honesty that he found in her as for the liuing of thrée thousand Ducats by the yere which she shoulde haue to her mariage determined to giue her such interteignemēt as one that was disposed to marry her Whervnto the Gentlewoman did willingly recline her eare And bicause that he was pore and the father of the damosel rich she thought that her father would neuer accorde to the mariage excepte it were by meanes of the Countesse of Arande Wherevpon she went to Madame Florinda and sayde vnto her Madame you sée this Castillan Gentleman which so oftentimes talketh with me I doe beleue that his pretence is to marry me You doe know what a father I haue who will neuer giue his consent if he be not persuaded therevnto by my Lady your mother you Florinda which loued the damosell as her selfe assured her that she would take vpon her to bring that matter to passe with so earneste trauayle as if the case were her owne Then Auenturade brought Amadour before Florinda who after he had saluted her was lyke to fall in a sowne for ioy and although he were compted the moste eloquent person of Spaine yet was he now become mute and dumb before Florinda wherat she maruelled much For albeit she was but. xv yeares of age yet she vnderstode that there was no man in Spaine that had a better tongue or a more conuenable grace than he And seing that he sayde nothing vnto her she spake vnto him in this wise The same which is bruted of you sir Amadour through out the whole countrie of Spaine is such that it maketh you knowen and estemed in this companie and giueth desire and occasion to those that know you to imploy themselues to doe you pleasure Wherefore if there be any thing wherin I may gratifie you vse me I beseche you Amadour that gased vpō the beautie of that Lady was rapt and surprised not wel able to render thankes vnto her And although Florinda maruelled to sée him without aunswere yet she imputed the same rather to bashfulnesse than to any force of loue and departed without any further talke Amadour knowing the vertue which in so tender yeares began to appeare in Florinda sayde vnto her whom he purposed to marry Doe not maruell though my talke doe fayle before Madame Florinda for the vertues and wise wordes hidden in that yong personage did so amase me that I wist not what to say But I pray you Auenturade quod he which knoweth all her secretes to tell me if it be otherwise possible but that she hath the heart of all the Lordes and Gentlemen of the Court for they which knowe her and doe not loue her be stones or beasts Auenturade which then loued Amadour more than all the men in the world and would conceale nothing from him sayde vnto him that Madame Florinda was beloued of the whole world but for the custome of the coūtrie few men did speake vnto her And quod she as yet I sée none that make any semblance vnto her but two yong Princes of Spaine which desired to marry her whereof the one is the sonne of the Infant Fortune and the other of the Duke of Cadouce I pray you thē quod Amadour to tel me which of them as you thinke doth loue her best She is so wise sayd Auenturade that she will confesse or graūt her loue to none but to suche as her mother pleaseth But so far as we can iudge she fauoreth much better the sonne of the Infant Fortune thā the Duke of Cadouce And for that I take you to be a man of good iudgemente this day you shall haue occasion to iudge the truth For the
sonne of the Infant Fortune is brought vp in the courte who is one of the goodliest and moste perfecte yong gentlemen in al christendome And if the mariage doe procede according to our opinion which be her maids he shall be assured to haue Madame Florinda And then shall be ioyned together the goodliest couple in the worlde And you must vnderstande that although they be both very yong she of .xij. yeares of age and he of .xv. yet it is thrée yeares past since their loue first began And if you be disposed aboue other to obtaine her fauour myne aduise is that ye become friende and seruaunt vnto him Amadour was very ioyful to heare tel that his Lady loued some man trusting that in tyme he shoulde wynne the place not of husbande but of seruaunt For he feared nothing of all her vertue but a lacke of disposition to loue And after this communication Amadour bent himself to haunt the society of the sonne of the Infant Fortune whose fauour he sone obtained For all the pastimes which the yong Prince loued Amadour could doe right well And aboue all other he was very cunning in ryding of horsses and in handling all kindes of armes and weapons and in all other pastimes and games méete for a yong Gentleman Warres began in Languedoc and Amadour must néedes retire with the Gouernour to his great sorrowe and griefe For he had there no meane to retourne to the place where he might sée Florinda For which cause he spake to his owne brother which was Stuarde of the King of Spaines householde and declared vnto him what courtesie he had founde in the house of the Countesse of Arande and of the Damosell Auenturade praying him that in his absence he woulde doe his indeuour that the maryage might procéede and that he woulde obtayne for him the credite and good opinion of the King and Quéene and of all his friendes The Gentleman which loued his brother aswell for Natures sake as for his great vertues promised him his trauaile and industrie to the vttermost Which he did in suche wyse that the olde man her father now forgetting other naturall respect began to mark and behold the vertues of Amadour which the Countesse of Arande and speciallye fayre Florinda paynted and set forth vnto him and likewise the yong Earle of Arande which began to growe to yeares and therewithall to loue those that were vertuous giuen to honest exercise And when the mariage was agréed betwéene the parents the sayd Stuarde sent for his brother whilest the truce endured betwéene the two Kings Aboute this tyme the King of Spaine retired to Madric to auoide the euill ayre that was in many places where by the aduise of diuers of his Counsell and and at the request of the Countesse of Arande he made a maryage betwene the yong Duchesse the heyre of Medina Celi and the yong Earle of Arande as well for the vnion of their house as also for the loue he bare to the sayde Countesse And this mariage was celebrated in the castell of Madric whervnto repayred Amadour who so well obtayned his suite that he maried her of whome he was muche better beloued than his small loue towarde her did deserue sauing that it was a couerture and meanes for him to frequent the place where his minde and delight incessantly remayned After he was maried he became so well acquainted and familiar in the house of the Countesse that he was so conuersant amongs the Ladyes as if he had bene a woman And although he was then but .xxij. yeares of age he was so wise and graue that the Countesse imparted vnto him all her affayres commaunding her sonne and daughter to intertayne him and to credite all things wherein he gaue counsell Hauing wonne this great estimation he behaued himselfe so wise and politike that euen she whome he loued knewe no part of his affectiō But by reason of the loue that Florinda bare to the wyfe of Amadour whome she loued more than any other she was so familiar with him that she dissembled no parte of her thought declaring vnto him all the loue that she bare towards the sonne of the Infant Fortune And he that desired nothing more thā throughly to winne her ceassed not from continuance of talke not waying wherof he spake so that he might holde her with long discourse Amadour had not after his maryage continued a moneth in that companye but was constrayned to retire to the warres where he remained more than two yeares without retourne to sée his wyfe who still abode in the place where she was brought vp During this time Amadour wrote many letters vnto his wyfe but the chiefest effect of the same were commendations to Florinda who for her parte fayled not to render like vnto him many tymes writing some preue poesie with her owne hand in the letter of Auenturade Which made her husbande diligent many times to write againe vnto her but in al this doing Florinda knew nothing but that she loued him as if he had bene her brother Many times Amadour went and came but in the space of fiue yeares he neuer saw Florinda two monethes together in the whole time Not withstāding Loue in despite of their distaunce and long absence ceassed not to increase And it chaunced that he made a voyage home to sée his wyfe and founde the Countesse farre from the Court bicause the king of Spaine was gone to Vandelousie and had taken with him the yong Earle of Arande which then began to beare armes The Countesse was retired to a house of pleasure which she had vpon the frontiers of Arragon and Nauarre and was right ioyful when she saw Amadour who almost thre yeres had bene absent He was very well receyued of euery man and the Countesse commaunded that he shoulde be vsed and intreated as her owne sonne During the time that he soiorned with her she communicated vnto him al the affayres of her house and committed the moste parte thereof to his discretion who wanne suche credite in the house that in all places where he list the dores were opened vnto hym Whose wisedome and good behauiour made him to be estemed as though he had bene a Saincte or Aungell Florinda for the loue and good will which she bare vnto his wife and him made much of him in al places wher she sawe him knowing nothing of his intent Wherfore she did not refrayne her selfe or take hede of anye countenaunce for that her hearte as yet felt no passiō but that she felt a great contentacion in her selfe whē she was in the presence of Amadour of any other thing she thought not Amadour to auoide the iudgement of them that haue proued the difference of Louers countenances was very ware and circumspect For when Florinda came to speake vnto him secretely like one that thought no hurt the fier hidden in his brest burned so sore that he coulde not staye the blushing colour of his face nor
to all thinges good and vertuous hoping therby to attayne the fame of a moste perfect Lady to be counted worthy the interteignement of such a seruant Amadour being arriued at Barsalone was banketted of the Ladyes after the olde maner but they finding him so altered and chaunged thought that Mariage coulde neuer haue had such power vpon man as it had ouer him For he séemed then to disdayne those things which sometime he greatly desired and specially the Coūtesse of Palamons whom he dearely loued coulde deuise no meanes to make him goe alone home to his lodging Amadour tarried at Barsalone so little while as he coulde bicause he might not come late to the place where he should winne and achieue honour And being arriued at Saulse great cruell warres was comenced betwene the two kings which I purpose not to recite ne yet the noble enterprises done by Amadour whose fame was bruted aboue the rest of his companions The Duke of Nagyeres arriuing at Parpignon had charge of two thousād men and prayed Amadour to be his Lieutenant who with that band serued so wel that no crie was hearde in all the skirmishes other than Nagyeres It chaūced that the king of Thunis which of long time had warre with the Spaniardes vnderstanding how the kings of Spaine and Fraunce were together by the eares at Parpignon and Narbone thought that in better time he could not anoy the king of Spaine Wherefore he sent a great number of Foysts and other vessels to robbe and destroy those frontiers which were yll guarded kept They of Barsalone séeing a number of Shippes passe before the Towne aduertised the king that was at Saulse who imediatly sent the Duke of Nagyeres to Palamons And when the Shippes perceyued that the place was well guarded they made as thoughe they woulde passe further But aboute midnight they retourned and landed so many men that the Duke of Nagyeres was taken prisoner Amadour which was very vigilant hearing al arme presently assembled so many men as he coulde and defended himselfe so well that the force of his enemies a long time coulde not hurt him But in th ende knowing that the Duke of Nagyeres was taken prisoner and that the Turkes were determined to burne the Citie of Palamons and then to fier the house which he strongly had forced against them he thought it better to render him selfe than to be cause of the losse of so many good souldiors as were in his bande and also by putting himselfe to raūsome he hoped in time to come to sée Florinda Thē he submitted himself to a Turke called Derlyn the gouernor of the king of Thunis who conueyed him home to his maister where he was well enterteigned and better kept For they thought that hauing him in their handes they had gotten the onely Achilles of Spaine In this sorte Amadour continued almost the space of two yeares in the seruice of the king of Thunis Newes came into Spaine of this ouerthrow wherof the friends of the Duke of Nagyeres were very sorrowfull But they that loued the honor of their countrie thought Amadour to be the greatest losse The brute whereof was noysed in the house of the Countesse of Arande where at that tyme the pore Gentlewoman Auenturade lay very sore sicke The Countesse suspecting very muche the affection that Amadour bare vnto her daughter which he suffered and dissembled for his vertues sake called her daughter aside and tolde her the pitious newes Florinda which could well dissemble sayde vnto her that it was a great losse for all their house but specially she pitied the state of his pore wife bicause at that time she was so sore sick But seing her mother wepe so bitterly she let fall some teares to kepe her companie least through to much dissimulation her loue might be discouered After that time the Countesse spake to her many tymes but she could neuer perceyue by her countenaunce any cause of certayne suspicion I will leaue to speake of the voyages the prayers the supplications and fastings whiche Florinda did ordinarily make for the safegard and prosperitie of Amadour who incontinently so sone as he was arriued at Thunis sente newes to his friendes and by a sure messanger aduertized Madame Florinda that he was in good health and hope to retourne Which newes was to the pore Lady the only meanes to releue and ease her sorrow And doubte ye not but the meanes of writing was vtterly debarred from Amadour whereof Florinda acquited her self so dilygently that by her letters and epistles he receyued gret consolation comfort The Countesse of Arande receyued cōmaundement from the King to repaire to Sarragosa where he that tyme was arriued And there she founde the yong Duke of Cardonne making sute to the King and Quéene for mariage of her daughter The Countesse vnwilling to disobey the king agréed thinking that her daughter being very yong had none other affection but that she had When the accord was concluded she sayde vnto her daughter that she had chosen her that match which she thought best worthy to ioyne with her person Her daughter séeing that in a thing already done it was to late to take counsell sayde vnto her that God was to be praysed in all things And séeing her mother so farre alienated from her intent she thought it better to shew her selfe obedient than to take pitie vpon her selfe And to comforte her in that sorow she vnderstode that the Infant Fortune was at the point of death But before her mother or any other person she shewed not so much as one signe or token thereof strayning her selfe so muche that the teares by force retiring to her heart did cause the bloud to issue forth at her nose in such abundance that her lyfe was in present daunger And to recouer her of that dysease she was maried vnto him for whose sake she had rather haue chaunged her lyfe for presente death After the mariage Florinda wente with her husbande into the Duchie of Cardonne and with her Auenturade to whome she secretly made her complaint aswell of her mothers rigor as also of the sorrowe she conceyued for the losse of the sonne of the Infant Fortune But of her griefe for Amadour she spake neuer a worde but by waye of comforting her This yong Lady then determined to haue God and respect of honor before her eyes and so well to dissemble her griefes that none should at any tyme perceyue that she misliked her husbande In this sorte Florinda passed a long tyme liuing a lyfe no lesse pleasant than death The report whereof she sent to her good seruant Amadour who vnderstanding her great loue and well disposed heart and the loue she bare to the Infant Fortune thought that it was impossible she could liue long lamented her state more than his owne This griefe augmented his paine of imprisonment wishing to haue remained a slaue all the dayes of his lyfe so that Florinda had had a
husband according to her desire forgetting his owne griefe by féeling that his friende did suffer And bicause he vnderstode by a friende which he had gotten in the courte of the King of Thunis that the King was mynded to offer him the gibbet or else to make him renounce his faith for the desire he had to retayne him still and to make him a good Turke howbeit he behaued himself so wel with him that toke him prisoner that he gaue him leaue to depart vpon his faith taxing him at so great raunsome that he thought a man of so small substaunce was neuer able to pay And so without speaking to the king his Maister he let him goe vpon his faith After he had shewed himselfe at the court of the King of Spaine he departed incontinently to his friends to get his raunsome and went straight to Barsalone whether the yong Duke of Cardonne his mother Florinda was gone about certayne affaires Auenturade so sone as she heard tell that her husband was come declared the same to Florinda who semed for her sake greatly to reioyce thereat But fearing that the desire she had to sée him woulde make her chaunge countenaunce and that they which knewe not the cause thereof woulde conceyue some ill opinion she stode still at a window to sée him come a far of And so sone as she espied him she went downe a paire of staires which were so darke that none coulde perceyue if she chaunged colour When she had imbraced Amadour she led him into her chamber and from thence to her mother in lawe which had neuer sene him before He had not continued there two dayes but he was so well beloued as he was before in the house of the Countesse of Arande I will omit the words and talke betwéene Florinda and Amadour and the complaints which he made vnto her of his ill aduenture that he had sustained in his absence And after many teares vttered by her for the heauinesse she had taken aswell for the mariage against her will as for the losse of him that she loued so dearely whome she thought neuer so sée agayne she determined to take her consolation in the loue and fidelitie that she bare to Amadour which not withstanding she durst not open and declare But he that muche doubted thereof lost no occasion and tyme to let her knowe and vnderstande the great loue he bare her And euen vpon the point that she was ready to receyue him not as a seruant but for her assured and perfect friende there chaunced a maruellous fortune For the king for certayne matters of importance incōtinently sent forth Amadour whereof his wife conceyued suche sorrowe that hearing those newes she sounded fell from the stayres where she stode where with she hurt her selfe so sore that neuer after she reuiued Florinda that by the death of her had lost al cōforte made suche sorrowe as one that was destitute of good friendes kinssolke but Amadour toke the same in worste parte For he had not onely lost one of the moste honest women that euer was but also the meanes that he shoulde neuer after that time haue occasion to visit Florinda For which cause he fell into such a sicknesse that he was like to haue died sodaynly The olde Duchesse of Cardonne incessantlie did visit him and alledged many philosophicall reasons to make him paciently to receyue death but it auayled nothing For if Death of th one side did torment him Loue of the other side did augmēt his martirdome Amadour séeing that his wife was buried that the king had sent for him hauing no occasion of longer abode there he entred into suche dispaire that he séemed to be out of his wittes Florinda which in comforting him was almost desolate remained by him one whole afternone vsing the moste honest and discrete talke that was possible thinking therby to diminishe the greatnesse of his sorrowe assuring him that she woulde deuise wayes that he might visit her more ofte than he did thinke for And bicause he must depart the next morning and was so feble and weake that he coulde not rise from his bedde he intreated her to come sée him at night after euery man was gone Which she promised to do not knowing that Loues extremity was voyd of reason And he that saw no hope euer after that time to sée her againe whom so long time he had serued and of whom he had neuer receyued other interteignement than that you haue hearde was so beaten and ouercome with Loue long dessembled and of the despaire he conceyued that all meanes to vse her companye taken awaye he purposed to playe double or quitte eyther to lose her or to winne her fauour and to paye himselfe at one instant the thing which he thought he had right wel deserued Wherfore he caused the Curtaynes of his bedde to be drawen that they which came into the chamber might not sée him complaining of sickenesse more than he was wont to doe whereby they of the house thought he woulde not haue liued .xxiiij. houres After euery one of the house had visited him at night Florinda at the speciall request of her husband came to sée him thinking for his comforte to vtter vnto him her affection and howe aboue all other she woulde loue him so farre as her honor did permit And sitting down in a chaire at the beddes heade she beganne to comfort him and therewithall poured out many teares Amadour seing her sorrowful pensife thought that in her great torment he might easelie atteyne the effect of his intent And lifted himselfe vp in his bed which Florinda perceyuing she woulde haue stayed him thinking that through weakenes he was not able to moue And kneling vpon his knées he sayde vnto her Must I for euermore forgoe your sight mine owne deare Ladye And in saying so he fell downe betwene her armes like one that fainted for lacke of strength Then poore Florinda imbraced him and of long time helde him vp doing al that was possible for his comfort But the medecine she gaue him to case his sorrowe did rather increase the same more strong For in fayning himself half deade without speaking anye worde he attempted the which that honor of womanhode doth defend Whē Florinda perceyued his ill intent she coulde scarce beleue the same considering his honest requestes made before time and therefore asked him what it was that he desired But Amadour fearing to heare her aunswere which he knewe well coulde be none other but chaste and vertuous without further talke pursued his purpose so earnestly as he coulde wherewith Florinda being astōned did suspect he had bene out of his wittes rather than beleue that he went aboute her dishonor Wherefore with loude voyce she called a Gentleman which she knew well to be in the chamber Which Amadour hearing vtterly in dispaire threwe himself so sodaynely into his bed that the Gentleman thought he had bene deade Florinda rising out
he neuer saw a better in his lyfe You haue reason sayde the king And I beleue that if a gentleman were determined to kill me and did knowe the force of myne armes and the goodnesse of my heart accompanied with this sword he would be twice well aduised before he attempted the enterprise Not withstanding I would accompte him but a cowarde we being alone without witnesses if he did not attempt that which he were disposed to doe The Counte Guillaume with bashfull and astonned countenaunce answered Sir the wickednesse of the enterpâ—ise were very great but the folly in the execucion were no lesse The King with those wordes fell in a laughter and put the sworde into the skaberd againe And hearing that the chase drew nere him he made to the same so fast as he could when he was come thether he sayde nothing of that which had passed betwéene him and the Counte verely thought that Counte Guillaume althoughe that he was so strong and stoute a gentleman as was in that tyme yet he was no man to doe so great an enterprise But the CouÌ„te Guillaume fearing to be bewraied or suspected of the facte next day morning repayred to Robertet the Secretarie of the Kings reuenewes and sayd that he had well wayed the giftes and annuities which the king woulde giue him to tarrie but he perceyued that they were not sufficient to interteigne him for halfe a yere that if it pleased not the king to double the same he should be forced to depart praying the sayd Robertet to knowe his graces pleasure so sone as he coulde who sayde vnto him that he himselfe coulde without further commission coulde disbirsse no more vnto him but gladlie whithout further delaie he would presentlye repayre to the king which he did more willingly bicause he had séene the aduertisements of the Gouernor aforesayde And so sone as the king was awake he declared the matter vnto him in the presence of MoÌ„sier Trimouille and Monsier Bouiuet Lord Admirall who were vtterly ignorant of that which the king had done To whom the king sayd Loe ye haue bene miscontented for that I woulde not put away the Counte Guillaume but now ye sée he putteth away himselfe Wherefore Robertet tell him that if he be not conteÌ„t with the state which he receyued at his first entrie into my seruice wherof many GeÌ„tlemen of good houses would think themselues happy it is mete that he seke his better fortune and tell him that I woulde be loth to hinder him but wil be very well contented that he seke where he may liue better accordingly as he deserueth Robertet was so diligent to beare this aunswere to the Counte as he was to present his sute to the king The Counte sayde that with his licence he woulde gladly goe forthwith And like one that feare forced to departe was not able to beare his abode .xxiiij. houres And as the King was sitting downe to dinner fayning to be sorye for his departure but that necessitie compelled him to lose his preseÌ„ce he toke his leaue He went likewise to take leaue of the kings mother which she gaue him with so great ioye as she did receyue him being her nere kinsman friende Then he went into his Countrie And the king séeing his mother and seruants astoned at that his sodayne departure declared vnto them the Al Arme which he had giuen him saying that although he was innoceÌ„t of the matter suspected so was his feare great ynough to depart from a maister with whose condicions hitherto he was not acquainted A straunge punishment A punishment more rigorous than death of a husband towarde his wyfe that had committed adultery The Lvj. Nouell KIng Charles of Fraunce the .viij. of that name sent into Germany a Gentleman called Bernage Lorde of Cyure besides Amboise Who to make spéede spared neyther day nor night for execution of his Princes commaundement In such wise that very late in an euening he arriued at the castle of a Gentleman to demaunde lodging which very hardly he obtayned Howbeit wheÌ„ the gentleman vnderstode that he was the seruaunt of such a king he prayed him not to take in ill part the rudenesse of his seruaunts bicause vpon occasion of certaine his wiues friendes that loued him not he was forced to kepe his house so straight At what tyme Bernage told him the cause of his iourney wherein the Gentleman offered to doe to the King his Maister al seruice possible Leading him into his house where he was feasted lodged very honorably When supper was ready the Gentleman conueyed him into a parler well hanged with fayre Tapistrie And when the meate was set vpon the table he perceyued a woman comming forth behinde the hanging which was so beautifull as might be sene sauing that her heade was all shauen and apparelled in Almaine blacke After both the Gentlemen had washed water was brought to the gentlewoman who when she had washed she sat downe at the table without speaking to any man or any word spokeÌ„ vnto her The Lord Bernage beholding her wel thought her to be one of the fayrest Ladies that euer he sawe if her face had not bene so pale her countenaunce so sad After she had eaten a little she called for drink which one of the seruants brought vnto her in a straunge cup. For it was the head of a dead man trimmed with siluer Whereof she drancke twice or thrice When she had supped and washed her handes making a reuerence to the Lorde of the house she retourned behinde the hangings without speaking any worde Bernage was so muche amazed at that strauÌ„ge sight that he waxed very heauie and sad The gentleman that marked him sayd vnto him I sée wel that you be astonned at that you saw at the table But seing your hnoest demeanor I wil not kepe the thing secret froÌ„ you bicause you shall not note that crueltie to be done without gret occasion This gentlewoman which you sée is my wife whome I loued bettter than any gentleman could loue his wife In such sort that to marry her I forgat all feare and brought her hither in dispite of her parents She likewise shewed vnto me such signes of loue that I attempted a thousand wayes to place her here for her ioy and myne where we liued a long tyme in suche rest and contentation that I thought my selfe the happiest Gentleman in Christendome But in a iourney which I made which to attempt mine honor forced me she forgot both her selfe her conscience and the loue which she bare towardes me and fell in loue with a Gentleman that I brought vp in this house which vpon my returne I perceyued to be true Notwithstanding the loue that I bare her was so great that I had no mistrust in her til such tyme as experience did open myne eyes and saw the thing that I feared more than death For which cause loue was tourned into furie and dispaire in suche wise that I
watched her so nere that vpon a day fayning my selfe to goe abrod I hidde my selfe in the chamber where nowe she remaineth Into the which sone after my departure she repaired and caused the gentleman to come thether Whome I did beholde to doe that thing which was altogether vnméete for any man to doe to her but my selfe But when I sawe him get vp vppon the bed after her I stepped forth and toke him betwene her armes and with my dagger immediatly did kil him And bicause the offence of my wife semed to be so great that like death was not sufficient to punish her I deuised a torment which in myne opinion is worsse vnto her than death I do lock her vp in the chamber wherein she accustomed to vse her delightes and in the companie of him that she loued far better than me In which chamber I haue placed the anatomie of her friend reseruing the same in a little closet as a precious Iewell And to the ende she may not forget him at meales at the table before my face she vseth the heade of that verlet in stead of a cup to drink to the intent she may behold him aliue in the presence of him whome through her owne faulte she hath made her mortall enemie him dead slaine for her sake whose loue she preferred before mine And so beholdeth those two things at dinner supper which ought to displease her most her enemie liuing and her friend dead al through her owne wickednesse howbeit I do vse her no worse than my self although she goeth thus shauen for the ornament of the heare doth not appertayne to an adultresse nor the vaile or other furniture of the heade to an vnchast woman Wherefore she goeth so shauen in token she hath loste her houestie If it please you sir to take the payne to sée her I will bring you to her Wherevnto Bernage willingly assented And descending into her chamber which was very richely furnished they found her sitting alone before the fier And the Gentleman drawing a Curteyne which was before the Closet he saw the anatomie of the deade man hanging Bernage had a gret desire to speake vnto the Lady but for feare of her husband he durst not The Gentleman perceyuing the same sayde vnto him If it please you to say any thing vnto her you shall vnderstand her order of talke Therewithall Bernage sayde vnto her Madame if your pacience be correspondent to this torment I deme you to be he happiest woman of the worlde The Lady with teares trickling downe her eyes with a grace so good and humble as was possible spake thus vnto him Sir I doe confesse my fault to be so greate that al the affliction and torment that the Lorde of this place for I am not worthy to call him husbande can doe vnto me be nothing comparable to the sorrowe I haue conceyued of mine offence And in saying so she began pitifully to wéepe Therewithall the Gentleman toke Bernage by the hand and ledde him forth The next day morning he departed aboute the businesse which the king had sent him Notwithstanding in bidding the gentleman farewel he said vnto him Sir the loue which I beare vnto you the honor and secrets wherewith you haue made me priuie doth force me to saye vnto you howe I doe thinke good séeing the great repentance of the poore Gentlewoman your wife that you doe shewe her mercye And bicause you be yong and haue no children it were a very gret losse and detriment to lose such a house and ligneage as yours is And it may so come to passe that your enimies therby in time to come maye be your heires and inioye the goodes and patrimony which you do leaue behind you The Gentleman which neuer thought to speake vnto his wife with those wordes paused a great while and in th ende confessed his wordes to be true promising him that if she would continue in that humilitie he woulde in time shewe pitie vpon her with which promise Bernage departed And when he was retourned towards the king his maister he recompted vnto him the successe of his iourneyes And amongs other things he tolde him of the beautie of this Lady who sent his Painter called Iohn of Paris to bring him her counterfaicte which with the consent of her husband he did Who after that long penance for a desire he had to haue children for the pitie he bare to his wife which with great humblenesse receyued that affliction toke her vnto him againe and afterwardes begat of her many children A President of Grenoble A President of Grenoble aduertised of the yll ouernement of his wife toke suche order that his honestie was not diminished and yet reuenged the facte ¶ The Lvij. Nouell IN Grenoble the chiefe citie of a Country in Fraunce called Daulphine which citie otherwise is named Gratianopolis there was a Presidēt that had a very fayre wyfe with whome quietly and very louingly he led his lyfe She perceyuing her husband to begin to waxe olde began to loue a yong man that was his Clarke a very faire and comely personage Upō a time when her husband in a morning was gone to the pallace the Clarke entred his chamber and toke his Maisters place which thing one of the Presidents seruaunts that faithfully had serued him the space of .xxx. yeares lyke a trustie seruaunt perceyuing could not kepe it secret but told his Maister The President which was a wise man would not beleue it vpon light report but sayde that he did it of purpose to set discord betwéene him and his wyfe not withstanding if the thing were true as he sayde he might let him sée the thing it selfe which if he did not he had good cause to thinke that he had deuised a lye to breake and dissolue the loue betwéene him and his wyfe The seruaunt did assure him that he would cause him to sée the thing whereof he had tolde him And one morning so sone as the the President was gone to the Court and the Clarke entred into his chamber the seruaunt sent one of his companions to tell his Maister that he might come in good time to sée the thing that he declared vnto him he himself standing still at the dore to watche that the Clarke might not goe out The President so sone as he sawe the signe that one of his made vnto him fayning that he was not well at ease left the audience and spéedely went home to his house where he found his old seruaunt watching at the chamber dore assuring him for truth that the Clarke was within and that he should make no more a doe but presently to goe in The President sayde to his seruant Doe not tarrie at the dore for the knowest there is no other going out or comming in but this except it be a little closet whereof I alone beare the key The President entred the chamber and found his wife the Clarke a bed together who
Gentleman assured him that he neuer thought it and howe they which had sowen that rumor had wickedly belied him Wherevnto his companion aunswered I knowe well ynough that Ialosie is a passion so intollerable as loue it selfe And when you shall conceyue that opinion of Ialousie yea it were of my selfe I shoulde doe you no wrong for you your selfe shoulde not be able to kepe it But of one thing which is in your power I haue occasion to complayn and that is bicause you would concele from me your maladye sith there was no passion or opinion which you conceyued that before this time you kept secrete frō me Likewise for my own part if I were amorous of your wife you ought not to impute it as a fault vnto me bicause it is a fier which I beare not in my handes to vse at my pleasure But if I kepe it to my selfe from you indeuour to make your wife knowe it by demōstracion of my loue I might then be accōpted the wicked frend that euer liued And for me I assure most you that she is an honest a good woman and one that my fansie dothe lest fauor although she were not your wife of all them that euer I sawe But now sithens there is no occasion I doe require you that if you perceyue any suspiciō be it neuer so little to tell me of it bicause I woulde so vse my selfe as our friendeship which hath indured so long might not be broken for a woman And if I did loue her aboue any thing in the world yet surely I woulde neuer speake worde vnto her bicause I doe esteme our friendship aboue any other thing His companion swore vnto him very great othes that he neuer thought it praying him to vse his house as he had done before Whervnto he answered Sith you will haue me so to doe I am content But I pray you if hereafter you doe conceyue any simstre opinion of me not to dessemble the same which if you doe I will neuer continue longer in your companye In processe of time liuing togither according to their custome the maried gentleman entred agayne into more suspicion than euer he did commaunding his wife to beare no more that countenance towardes him that she was wont to do Which commaundement she tolde to her husbands companion praying him after that time to forbeare to speake vnto her for that she was commaunded to doe the like vnto him The Gentleman vnderstanding by wordes and by certayne counternaunces that his companion had not kept promise he sayde vnto him in a great choler To be ialous my companion is a thing naturall But bicause thou diddest sweare vnto me by othes not to dissemble with me I can by no meanes forbeare any longer For I did euer think that betwéene thy heart mine there could be no let interrupcion but to my great griefe and without any fault on my part I doe sée the contrarie For as muche as thou art not onely verye ialous betwéene thy wife and me but also thou wouldest dissimulate and couer the same so that in the ende thy maladie and diease hath continued so long that it is altered into a mere malyce and like as our loue hath bene the greatest that hath bene séene in our time euen so our displeasure hatred is now most mortall I haue done so muche as lieth in me to auoide this inconuenience but sith thou hast inspected me to be an ill man and I haue still shewed my selfe to be the contrarie I doe sweare and therewithal assure thée by my fayth that I am the same thou thinkest me to be and therefore from hence forth take hede of me For since suspiciō hath separated thée from my loue and amitie dispite shall deuide me from thine And albeit that his companion woulde haue made him beleue the contrarie and that he mistrusted him nothing at all yet he withdrewe his part of his moueables and goodes that before were commō betwéene them so that nowe both their hearts and goodes were so farre separated as before they were vnited and ioyned together In suche wise as the vnmaried Gentleman neuer ceassed till he had made his companion Cockold according to his promise A Miracle at Lyons The simplicitie of an olde woman that offered a burning candle to Saint Iohn of Lyons The. Lix Nouell IN the Church of sainct Iohn at Lyons there was a very darke chappell and within the same a Tombe made of stone erected for great personages with pictures liuely wrought and about the same tombe there doe lie many worthy gknihts of great valiance Upon a hot esommers day a souldior walking vp and downe the Church had great delight to slepe and beholding that darke chappel which was colde and fresh of ayre thought to goe slepe vpon the Tombe as other did besides whome he layed him downe to slepe It chaunced that a good old woman very deuout came thether when the souldior was in the depth of his slepe And after she had sayde her deuotions with a waxe candle in her hande she would haue sticked the same vpon the Tombe and repairing nere the place where the souldior lay desirous to sicke it vpon his forhead thinking it had bene of stone the waxe would not cleaue The olde woman which thought the cause that her candle woulde not sticke was the coldnesse of the Image went about to warme the forhead with the flame of the candle to make it cleaue But the Image which was not insensible began to cry out whereat the pore woman was so afrayd that lyke one straught of her wittes she brake into exclamation crying A miracle A miracle They within the Church hearing an outcry of a miracle ranne in heapes as thoughe they had bene mad some to ring the belles and some to sée the miracle And the good wife brought them to sée the Image which was remoued Whereat many began to laughe But diuers priestes could not so content themselues but determined greatly to estéeme that Tombe therof to get money Of a Doctor of the Lawes A Doctor of the lawes bought a cup who by the subtiltie of two false verlets lost both his money and the cup. ¶ The. Lx. Nouell TO conclude our number of Nouels I haue thought good gentle reader to bring in place a Doctor and his wife to giue thée a mery farewell bicause thou hast hitherto so friendly and paciently suffred thy self to be stayed in reading of the rest Wherfore with a pleasant Valete et Plaudite in a short merie tale which discloseth the subtiltie of two false knaues to begile a pore Doctor and his wife I meane to end And therfore do say that in the citie of Bologna in Italie there was a worshipfull Doctor of the Law called Maister Florien which in other thinges sauing his profession was but filthie beastlie and of so ill behauiour as none of his facultie the like Who by sauing of many crustes had layed vp