furnished with siluer and precious Iewelles tellyng no man whither she wente and neuer rested till she came to Florence where arriuyng by Fortune at a poore widowes house she contented her self with the state of a poore pilgrime desirous to here newes of her lorde whom by fortune she sawe the next daie passing by the house where she lay on horsebacke with his companie And although she knewe him well enough yet she demauÌ„ded of the good wife of the house what he was who answered that he was a straunge gentleman called the Counte Beltramo of Rossiglione a curteous knighte and welbeloued in the Citie and that he was merueilously in loue with a neighbor of hers that was a gentlewoman verie poore and of small substaunce neuerthelesse of right honest life and report by reason of her pouertie was yet vnmaried and dwelte with her mother that was a wise and honest Ladie The Countesse well notyng these wordes and by litle and litle debatyng euery particular point thereof comprehendyng the effecte of those newes concluded what to doe and when she had well vnderstanded whiche was the house and the name of the Ladie and of her doughter that was beloued of the Counte vpon a daie repaired to the house secretlie in the habite of a pilgrime where finding the mother and doughter in poore estate emonges their familie after she hadde saluted them tolde the mother that she had to saie vnto her The gentlewoman risyng vp curteouslie interteigned her and beyng entred alone into a chamber thei satte doune and the Countesse began to saie vnto her in this wise Madame me thinke that ye be one vpon whom Fortune doeth frowne so well as vpon me but if you please you maie bothe comfort me and your self The ladie answered that there was nothyng in the worlde whereof she was more desirous then of honest comforte The Countesse procedyng in her talke saied vnto her I haue nede now of your fidelitie and trust wherevpon if I doe staie and you deceiue me you shall bothe vndoe me and your self Tel me then what it is hardelie saied the gentlewoman if it bée your pleasure for you shall neuer bée deceiued of me Then the Countesse beganne to recite her whole estate of Loue tellyng her what she was and what had chaunced â—â— that present daie in suche perfite order that the gentlewoman beleuyng her woordes bicause she had partlie heard report thereof before beganne to haue coÌ„passion vpon her and after that the Countesse had rehearsed all the whole circumstance she continued her purpose saiyng Now you haue heard emonges other my troubles what twoo thynges thei bée whiche behoueth me to haue if I doe recouer my husbande whiche I knowe none can helpe me to obtain but onely you If it bee true that I heare whiche is that the Counte my husbande is farre in loue with your doughter To whoÌ„ the gentlewoman saied Madame if the Counte loue my doughter I knowe not albeit the likelihoode is greate but what am I able to doe in that whiche you desire Madame answered the CouÌ„tesse I will tell you but first I will declare what I mean to doe for you if my determinacioÌ„ be brought to effect I see your faier doughter of good age redie to marie but as I vnderstaÌ„d the cause why she is vnmaried is the lacke of substaÌ„ce to bestowe vpoÌ„ her Wherfore I purpose for recompence of the pleasure whiche you shall dooe for me to giue so muche redie money to marie her honorably as you shall thinke sufficieÌ„t The CouÌ„tesse offer was very well liked of the ladie bicause she was but poore yet hauing a noble hart she said vnto her Madame tell me wherin I maie do you seruice and if it be a thing honest I will gladlie performe it the same being brought to passe do as it shal please you Then saied the countesse I thinke it requisite that by some one whom you truste that you giue knowledge to the Counte my husbande that your doughter is and shal be at his commaundement And to the intent she maie bée well assured that he loueth her in déede aboue any other that she praieth him to sende her a ring that he weareth vpoÌ„ his finger whiche ring she heard tell he loued verie derely And wheÌ„ he seÌ„deth the ryng you shall giue it vnto me and afterwardes sende hym woorde that your doughter is redie to accomplishe his pleasure and then you shall cause hym secretly to come hither and place me by hym in stéede of your doughter peraduenture God will giue me the grace that I maie bée with childe and so hauyng this ryng on my finger and the childe in myne armes begotten by him I shall recouer him and by your meanes coÌ„tinue with hym as a wife ought to doe with her husbande This thing semed difficulte vnto the GeÌ„tlewoman fearyng that there would folowe reproche vnto her doughter Notwithstandyng consideryng what an honest parte it were to be a meane that the good Ladie should recouer her husband and that she should doe it for a good purpose hauyng affiaunce in her honest affection not onely promised the Countesse to bryng this to passe but in fewe daies with greate subtiltie folowyng the order wherein she was instructed she had gotten the ryng although it was with the Countes ill will and toke order that the Countesse in stede of her doughter did lye with hym And at the first meetyng so affectuously desired by the CouÌ„te God so disposed the matter that the Countesse was begotten with childe of twoo goodly sonnes her deliuery chauÌ„ced at the due time Whervpon the gentlewoman not onely coÌ„tented the Countesse at that tyme with the companie of her husbande but at many other times so secretly that it was neuer knowen the Counte not thinkyng that he had lien with his wife but with her whom he loued To whom at his vprisyng in the mornyng he vsed many curteous and amiable woordes and gaue diuers faire and precious Iewelles whiche the Countesse kepte moste carefullie and when she perceiued her self with childe she determined no more to trouble the gentlewoman but saied vnto her Madame thankes bée to God and you I haue the thyng that I desire and euen so it is tyme to recompence your desert that afterwardes I maie departe The gentlewoman saied vnto her that if she had doen any pleasure agreable to her mind she was right glad thereof whiche she did not for hope of rewarde but bicause it apperteined to her by well doyng so to doe Whervnto the Countesse saied your saiyng pleaseth me well and likewise for my parte I dooe not purpose to giue vnto you the thing you shall demaunde of me in rewarde but for consideracion of your well doyng whiche ductie forceth me so to dooe The gentlewoman then constrained with necessitie demaunded of her with greate bashefulnesse and hundred poundes to marie her doughter The Countesse perceiuyng the shamefastnesse of the gentlewoman and hearyng her
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
some suspicious person in my company should conceiue that in me which al the dayes of my lyfe I neuer gaue occasion so muche as once to thinck To whom the Lorde of Mendozza obeyed more to content her than otherwise for he had the beauties and good behauiours of the Princesse so imprinted in the most pleasant place of his heart that he would haue desired neuer to haue departed her cōpanie But like as they determined iocundly to imploy and satisfie their desires at her retorne from her voyage euen so Fortune in the meane while did beset the same and so fully brake the threde of their enterprises that the issue had not so good successe as was their prefixed hope Nowe leaue we the Duchesse to perfourme her voyage and the Lorde of Mendozza to entertayne his amorous passions and let vs digresse to the Duke who about .x. or .xii. dayes after the Duchesse his wife was departed began to fele her absence which not being able to sustayne for the gret loue that he bare vnto her and specially knowing the great fault that he had committed being the sister of a King and wife of suche a Prince so to let her goe like an vnfeathered shafte in so long a voyage determined with himselfe for feare least if any misfortune should happen vnto her the same should touch his honor to call together his counsell and to prouide some remedie The counsell assembled and the cause proponed euerie of them told the Duke that he had ouer lightly consented to the will of the Duchesse and that if she should happen to fall into any inconuenience all men would impute it to his reproch whereof they would haue aduertised him at the beginning sauing for feare they had to displease him Adding for conclusion that it was most expedient the Duke should put himselfe on the sea to goe and séeke her in Galisia Which he did and imbarked himselfe with a great companie of gentlemen to whome the winde was so fauourable that he ariued at S. Iames before her And hauing made enquirie for her vnderstode she was not come Neuerthelesse he was aduertised by certayne pilgrimes that it could not be long before she would be there for that they had lefte her not past thrée or .iiii. dayes iourney from thence trauailing with her traine by smal iorneys whereof the Duke was exceding glad and sent certaine of his gentlemen to méete her vpon the way as she came who trauailed not farre before they met the Duchesse with her companie and did her to vnderstand of the Dukes arriuall and of the cause of his comming from Thurin Which tidings was not verie ioyful to her and by her wil would haue wished that he had not taken so much paines Neuerthelesse preferring honor before affection she made the more hast to sée him and at her arriuall séemed to be glad of his comming and to lament the payne that he had taken by committing himselfe in so many daungers for her sake Afterwardes they entred into the church with great deuotion where when the Duchesse had made certaine particuler prayers she began to perceyue that God had withstanded her lasciuious will and pitying the good Duke her husbande whould not permit him to be deceyued in such disloyall sort repentantly bewayling her forepassed fault And seling her selfe pressed euen at the very soule with a certaine remorse of conscience she was so victorious ouer her affections that she determined wholly to forget Mendozza and his beautie Praysing God neuerthelesse that it had pleased him to graunt her the grace so well to dispose her matters that her affections had not excéeded the bondes of honor Determining from thenceforth not onely to put Mendozza in vtter obliuion but also for euer clearely to cut of his amorous practise and therfore would not so much as did him once farewell nor yet to let him in any wise vnderstand those newes And so settled in this deliberatiō solicited her husband very instantly to depart which he did and all thinges prepared to the sea they tooke againe their course to Thurin and had the winde so prosperous that from thence in fewe daies they arriued at Marsellis And weary of the seas he caused horses to be prepared to ride from thence to Thurin by land where he and his wife liued together in right great ioy and amitie The Lorde of Mendozza greatly payned with the long absence of the Duchesse sent a gentleman of purpose to Galisia to know the occasion of her long tarying Who brought certaine newes that the Duke was comen in person to fetche his wise and that he had caried her awaye with him by sea Where withal he was maruellously out of pacience determining neuerthelesse one day when his affaires were in good order to goe visite her at Thurin During the tyme that these thinges remained in this estate aswell of the one side as of the other the Almaines prepared a great army and entred into Fraunce where they wasted burned all the countrie as they passed The King being aduertised hereof sent for the Duke of Sauoie to goe méete them with the men of armes of Fraunce But before his departure from Thurin he left for his Lieutenant general the Earle of Pancalier by the aduise and counsell of whome he intended that all the affaires of the Duchie should be ruled and gouerned in his absence and that he should in so ample wyse be honored and obeyed as his owne propre person This Earle of Pancalier being a noble man very prudent in his doings and knewe right well howe to gouerne the common wealth seing the he had the whole countrie at his commaundement and himselfe manye times in presence of the Duchesse and viewing her so faire and comelie could not so well rule hys affections but that by little and little he fell in loue with the Duchesse in suche wise as that he forgat him self making no conscience to offer his seruice vnto her But the Princesse who was resolued to liue a good womā abhorred al his lasciuious orations requiring him to be better aduised another time before he presumed to vtter such talke except to such as were his equals Telling him that a man ought not to be so vnshamefast to offer his seruice to anye greate Ladye or to make other sute vnto her before he had first knowen by her gesture or wordes some likelyhode of loue which he could not déeme in her forsomuch as she neyther to him or to any other had euer till the day in all her life shewed such fauour as other suspicion coulde be conceyued than that which was conuenable and méete for her honor Which when the Countie of Pancalier vnderslode he toke his leaue of her ashamed of that he had done But he following the custome of louers not thinking himselfe cast of for the first refuse eftsones renewed his requestes And framing a louing stile besought her to haue pitie vpon him and to respect the greatnesse of his
should be sent to the mount Auentine to perswade the people but thei vtterly refused the message vnlesse the Decemuiri wer first deposed The Decemuiri made answere that thei would not giue ouer their aucthoritie till suche tyme as those Lawes were ratified whiche were treated vpon before thei were elected to that office Of all these contencions the people was aduertised by M. Duillius their Tribune And when bothe the armies were ioyned at the moūt Auentine aforesaied All the multitude of the citie mē women and children repaired thither in sorte that Rome was like a forlorne and abandoned place The fathers seyng the citie thus relinquished Horatius and Valerius with diuers of the fathers exclamed in this wise What doe ye expecte and looke for ye fathers cōscripte Will ye suffer all thynges to run to extreame ruine and decaie Shall the Decemuiri still persiste in their stubberne and froward determinacions What maner of gouernmente is this O ye Decemuiri that ye thus laie holde vpon and enioye Will ye pronoūce and make lawes within your owne houses and the limites of the same Is it not a shame to sée in the Forum a greater nomber of your Catchpolles and Sergeantes then of other sober and wise Citizens But what will ye doe if the enemie vpon the sodaine doeth approche the walles What will ye doe if the people vnderstandyng that wee care not for their departure doe in armes assaile vs Will ye finishe your gouernment with the ouerthrowe of the citie But either we muste expell and abandon the people or els we must admitte the Tribunes Wee shall soner wante our fathers and Senatours then thei their plebeian officers Thei bereued and tooke awaie from vs the Fathers a newe kinde of aucthoritie whiche was neuer seen before who now feelyng the swetenesse thereof will neuer giue it ouer For wee can not so well tēper our aucthoritie and gouernemente as thei bee able to seke helpe and succour The Decemuiri perceiuing that thei wer hated so well of the Senate as of the people submitted themselues And thervpon Valerius and Horatius were sent to the campe to reuoke the people vpō suche condicions as thei thought moste meete Then the Decemuiri were commaunded to take heede of the peoples furie So sone as the Ambassadours were come to the campe thei were receiued with greate ioye and gladnesse of the people because thei wer the beginners of that sturre and supposed that thei would make an ende of the commocion for whiche cause thei rendred to them their humble thankes Then Icilius was appoincted to speake for the people who required to haue the aucthoritie of the Tribunes restored and their appeale renewed with restitucion of those lawes whiche before the erection of the Decemuiri were ratefied and confirmed Thei demaunded also an impunite and frée pardon to those that firste encouraged and incited the souldiours to that enterprise and the restoryng of their liberties Thei required to haue their enemies the Decemuiri to be deliuered into their handes Whom thei threatened to put to death by fire Whervnto the Ambassadours answered in this wise Your requestes bee so reasonable that thei ought willinglie to bee graunted All whiche ye desire to obtaine as a defence and comforte for your libertie and not to persecute and infest others Your furie and anger ought rather to bee pardoned then permitted or graunted Ye beare a face and séeme to detest and hate seueritie and ye your selues incurre and runne hedlong into all kinde of crueltie and before ye be made free your selues ye desire to be lordes ouer your aduersaries Shall our citie neuer bée voide of tortures and oppressions sometyme of the fathers towardes the people some tyme of the people towardes the fathers You had more néede of a shilde to defende you then of a sworde to fight That manne is of a base state and courage we suppose that liueth in a Citie and beareth hymself so vprighte as neither he inferreth iniurie to others ne yet suffereth wronge hymself If ye shewe your selues so terrible then it is to bee supposed that after ye haue recouered your lawes and magistrates and be placed againe in your former aucthoritie and preeminence ye will also ordeine and appoincte Lawes ouer vs that shall concerne our liues and goodes and euery other lightmatter But for this present I would wishe you to be contented with your former fréedome After the Ambassadours had willed theim to consulte vpon some determinate answere thei retourned to Rome to make reporte to the Senate of the peoples requestes The Decemuiri perceiuyng that contrary to their expectacion no likelihode was of any persecucion to be doen vpon them condescended to those demaūdes Appius beyng a man of nature cruell and malicious measuryng the malice of others by his owne maligne disposicion spake these woordes I am not ignoraunte what fortune is now imminente For I dooe plainlie sée that whiles weapons bee deliuered to our aduersaries the combate is deferred againste vs. With bloodde enuie muste bee rewarded I will not any longer delaie the tyme but depriue my self of the Decemuirate When the Senate was aduertised by the Ambassadours Valerius and Horatius of the peoples aunswere thei decreed that the Decemuiri should bee deposed and that Q. Furius the chief bishoppe should create the plebeian Tribunes Wherein also was enacted that the departure of the people and mutine of the souldiours should bee pardoned When these lawes were renewed the Decemuiri wente foorthe and openly in the assemblie deposed themselues to the greate ioye and comforte of them all All whiche beyng reported the people bothe the souldiours and the reste of the multitude repaired before the Ambassadours vnto whom the Ambassadours spake these wordes We now beseche you all to retourne into your countrie to your domesticall Goddes your wiues and children whiche wée trust shal be right good happie and profitable vnto you and to the common wealth But your modeste and sober behauiour for that no mannes grounde is violated and destroied considering many thinges could not suffice the hugenesse of this multitude that parte of modestie I saie carie with you into the Citie to your immortall fame and glorie Gette ye therefore to the mounte Auentine from whence ye departed whereas in a place moste happie ye renued the foundacions of your auncient libertie and there ye shall create your Tribunes The chief bishoppe shal be presente to kepe the Comirialles Then the Romane people made Aulus Virginius Lucius Icilius and P. Numitorius the Tribunes who with their assistauntes first aduannced and confirmed the libertie of the people Afterwarde Virginius was appointed to bee the accuser and Appius chosen to be the defendant At the daie appointed Appius resorted to the Forum with a greate companie of yonge gentlemen of the patriciall order where Virginius began to renewe the cruell and abhominable facte whiche Appius committed in the tyme of his authoritie and saied Oracion was first deuised founde out for
pallaice wherein the ladie laie whiche was out of all mennes minde bicause it was not occupied many a daie before and shutte vp with a verie strong doore But Loue in the eyes whereof nothing is so secrete but it will come to knowledge had brought the same again into the remembraunce of the amourous Ladie The openyng of whiche doore that no manne might knowe it many daies did trouble her wittes afterward when she had found the waie she went doune a lone into the Caue and viewyng the vente wherevnto she had giuen order for Guiscardo to come she told him of what height it was from the grounde For the execucion whereof Guiscardo prepared a rope with knottes and degrées to goe vp and doune and puttyng vpon him a leather coate to kepe hym from the thornes and bushes went douns the next night at the saied vent vnknowen of any man and fastenyng one of the endes of the rope to the stocke of a trée that grewe at the mouthe of the vēt he slipte doune into the Caue and taried there for the Ladie who next daie fainyng her self to slepe after diner sente her maides out of her chamber and locked herself within a lone and then opened the doore and went doune into the Caue where findyng Guiscardo thei merueilously reioysed one with an other And frō thence went vp together into her chamber where thei remained togethers the moste parte of that daie to their greate contentacion And hauyng giuen good order for the affaires of their Loue and the secrete vse thereof Guiscardo retourned into the Caue and the ladie locked the dore and came out emonges her maides The next night after Guiscardo issued out of the vent vpon the rope wherewith he descended and conueied hymself into his chamber And hauyng learned the waie he resorted thither many tymes after But Fortune enuious of that pleasure so long and greate with dolorous successe tourned the ioye of those twoo louers into heauie and sorowfull ende The Prince accustomed sometimes to resort alone into his doughters chamber and there for a while to tarie and talke with her so to depart Who vpon a daie after diner when the Ladie whose name was Gismonda was in the garden withall her maidens repaired vnknowen or séen of any man into her chamber But beyng lothe to trouble his doughter of her pleasure and findyng the windowes of her chamber shutte and the curtens of the bedde drawen he satte doune vpon a stoole at the beddes feete and leanyng his hedde to the bedde the Curteine drawen ouer hym as he had béen hidden of purpose he fell a slepe And the Kyng beyng thus a slepe Gismonda that in euill tyme the same daie had appoincted Guiscardo to come left her maidens in the Gardein and entred verie softly into her chamber lockyng faste the doore after her And not knowyng any manne to bée there she opened the dore of the Caue to Guiscardo who was redie to waite for her commyng Then thei cast thē selues vpon the bedde as thei were wont to doe and thus solacing themselfes and passing the tyme together it chaunced that the Prince awaked who heard and sawe what Guiscardo and his doughter did Wherof beyng verie sorowfull he would vpō the firste sighte haue cried out but that he thoughte it better for that tyme to holde his peace and still to kepe hymself secrete to the intent that he might more priuilie and with lesse shame accomplishe that whiche he purposed to doe The twoo louers continued togethers a greate tyme as thei were wont to dooe without any knowledge of the Prince his beyng there when thei sawe tyme thei went doune from the bedde and Guiscardo retournyng to the Caue she went forthe of her chamber fro whence Tancredi as olde as he was conueied hymself into the Gardein out at a windowe of the same vnséen and not perceiued of any man Who like a pensife manne and carefull euen vnto death repaired to his owne chamber and the next night about one of the clocke he caused Guiscardo to bee apprehended by an order that he had prescribed at his comyng foorthe of the Caue euen clothed as he was with his leather coate and by twoo men was secretly conueied to the Prince Who so sone as he sawe hym saied vnto hym with teares standyng in his eyes Guiscardo my beneuolence and goodnes towardes thée haue not merited this outrage and shame that thou haste committed this daie in myne owne house whiche I sawe with myne owne eyes To whom Guiscardo gaue no other answere but that Loue was of greater force then either the Prince or hymself Then the Prince commaunded hym to be kept in a chamber adioinyng The nexte daie the Kyng Gismonda beeyng ignoraunte hereof reuolued in his minde diuers and sundrie matters and after diner as he was accustomed he wente into his doughters chamber and caused her to bée called vnto hym and shuttynge the Chamber doore in lamentable wise saied vnto her Gismonda I had so muche affiance and trust in thy vertue and honestie that it could neuer haue entred into my minde although it had béen tolde me if I had not séen it with myne owne proper eyes but that thou haddest not onely in déede but also in thought abandoned the companie of all men excepte it had béen thy husbande wherof I shal be right pensife and sorowfull so long as this litle remnaunte of life that myne olde age doeth preserue indureth in me And sith thou couldest not conteine thy self from suche dishonest loue I would it had pleased God that thou haddest taken a manne equall to thine estate But emonges so many that doe frequent my court thou hast chosen this yong manne Guiscardo whose birthe is verie vile and base and brought vp as it were for Gods sake from a child to this present daie in our courte For whiche consideracion I am verie sore disquieted not knowyng how to take this at thy handes For with hym whō I haue caused to be taken this night in going out of the caue and now kepte as prisoner I haue alredie concluded what to doe But with thee what I shall doe God knoweth Of the one side the loue that I still beare thee more then any father euer bare to his doughter doeth drawe me on the other side a iuste displeasure and indignacion taken for thy greate follie doeth moue me The one mocion would that I should pardon thee the other forceth me against my nature to bee cruell vnto thée Notwithstandyng before I dooe make any certaine resolucion I desire to heare what thou canst saie for thy self When he had spoken those wordes he kissed her face wepyng verie bitterly like a child that had béen beaten Gismonda hearyng her father and knowyng that not onely her secrete loue was discouered but also her louer Guiscardo to be in prison conceiued an inestimable sorowe vttering the same many tymes without cries and schreches accordyng to the maner of women how beit her greate courage
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
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
mortall body And if I should so farre forget my selfe as willingly to commit a thing so dishonest your grace ought for the loyall seruice of my father and husbande towarde you sharpely to rebuke me and to punishe me according to my deserte For this cause moste dradde soueraigne Lord you which are accustomed to vanquishe and subdue other be nowe a conquerour ouer your selfe and throughly bridle that concupiscence if there be any vnder the raines of Reason that being quenched and ouercome they may no more reuiue in you and hauing liuely resisted the first assaultes the victorie is but easie which shall be a thousand times more glorious and gainefull for you than if you had conquered a kingdome The Countesse had scarce made an ende of her tale but one came to tell them that the Tables were couered for dinner the King well fedde with Loue dyned for that tyme very soberlye and not able to eate but vpon amorous dishes did caste his lokes inconstantly here and there and still his eyes threwe the last loke vpon that part of the table where the Countesse satte meaning thereby to extinguishe the boyling flames which incessantly did burne him howbeit by thinking to coole them he further plondged himselfe therein And wandering thus in diuers cogitations the wise aunswere that the Countesse made like a vaunte curreur was continually in his remebrance and was well assured of her inuincible chastitie By reason wherof seing that so harde and enterprise required a longer abode and that a heart so chaste could not so quickly be remoued frō purpose careful on the other side to giue order to the waightie affaires of his realme disquieted also on euery side throughe the turmoile of warres determined to depart the next day in the morning reseruing till another tyme more conuenient the pursute of his Loue. Hauing taken order for his departure in the morning he went to seke the Countesse and taking his leaue of her he prayed her to thinke better of the talke made vnto her the day before but aboue all he besought her to haue pitie vpon hym Wherevnto the Countesse answered that not onelye she prayed God incessantly to giue him victorie ouer his outwarde enemies but also grace to tame that carnall passion which did so torment him Certaine dayes after that King Edward was arriued at London which was the place of his ordinarie abode the Countesse of Salesburie was aduertised that the Earle her husbande being out of prison consumed with griefe sicknesse died by the way homewardes And bicause they had no children the Earledome retorned to the King which first gaue the same vnto him And after she had lamented the death of her husbande the space of many dayes she retourned to her fathers house which was Earle of Warwicke And for so muche as he was one of the Kinges priuie Counsell and the most part of the affaires of the realme passed by his aduise and counsell he continued at London that he might be more nere vnto the Kinges person The King aduertized of the comming of the Countesse thought that fortune had opened a way to bring his enterprise to desired effecte specially for that the death of her husbande and the witnesse of his earnest good will would make her more tractable The king seing all thing as he thought to succede after his desire began to renewe his first affections séeking by all meanes to practise the good wil of the Countesse who then was of the age of .xxvi. yeares Afterwardes he ordayned many triumphes at the Tilte and Torney Maskes Momeries feastes banquets and other like pastimes wherat Ladies accustomably doe assemble who made much of them all and secretely talked with them Notwithstanding he could not so well disguise and counterfait his passions but that he still shewed himselfe to beare beste good will to the Countesse Thus the king coulde not vse suche discretion in loue but that from his secret fier some euident flames did issue out But the Countesse which was a wise and curteous Lady did easely perceyue how the king by chaunging the place had not altered his affection and that he still prosecuted his talke begon at Salesberic She despising all his amorous countenaunces continued her firme and chaste minde And if it chaunced that sometimes the king made more of her than discretion required sodainly might haue bene discried a certaine palenesse in her face which declared the little pleasure that she toke in his toyes with a certayne rigor appearing that yelded to the king an assured testimonie that he laboured in vaine Neuerthelesse she to cut of all meanes of the Kings pursute kept still her fathers house shewing her self in no place where the king might sée her The king offended seing himselfe depriued and banished her presence whome he estemed as the comfort of his lyfe made his secretarie priuie to the whole matter whose fidelitie he had wel proued in matters daungerous with minde to pursue her by other way if it chaunced that she persisted in her wonted rigor and refusall Howbeit before he proceded any further sith he could not secretely talke with her he purposed to sende her a letter the Tenor whereof insueth MAdame if you please by good aduise to consider the beginning of my Loue the continuance of the same then the last issue whervnto it is brought I am assured that laying your hand vpon your heart you will accuse your self not onely of your curst and froward stomacke hitherto appearing but also of that newe ingratitude which you shewe vnto me at this houre not contented to be bathed plondged by you in the missehap of my payne paste but yet by a newe onset you abandon your felfe from my presence as from the sight of your mortall enemie wherin I find that heauen and al his influences doe cry out for mine ouerthrow wherevnto I doe agrée since my lyfe taking no vigor and increase being onely sustained by the fauour of your diuine graces can not be maintained one onely minute of a day without the liberall helpe of your swéetenesse and vertue beseching you that if the heartie prayers of any mortall tormented man may euer haue force and power to moue you to pitie it may please you miraculously to deliuer from henceforth this my poore miserable afflicted mynde eyther from death or martirdome He that is more yours than his owne Edwarde the desolate King of Englande The letter written with his owne hand and sealed with his seale he commaunded the Secretarie to goe to the Countesse at her fathers house and secretly to deliuer the same which he did And the Countesse hauing read and perused it sayde to the Secretarie My frende you shal tell the king that I doe beseche him most humbly to send me no more letters or messages touching the matters wherof he hath written For I am in such wise resolued in the aunswere which I made him in my Castle that I will persist immutable to the ende
ambiguous and doubtfull causes therefore I will neither consume tyme in accusyng hym before you frō whose crueltie ye haue by force defended your selues nor yet I will suffre hym to ioyne to his former wickednesse any impudente answere for his defence Wherefore Appius all those thinges whiche he wickedly and cruelly one vpon an other thou haste dooen these twoo yeres paste I dooe fréely forgiue thee But if thou canste not purge thy self of this one thing that against the order and forme of Lawe thou thy self beyng Iudge wouldest not suffer the freman to enioye the benefite of his freedome during the processe made of seruitude I will presently commaunde thee to prison Appius Claudius beyng now a prisoner and perceiuyng that the iuste complaintes of Virginius did vehemētty incite the people to rage and furie and that the peticions and praiers of his frēdes in nowise could mollifie their hartes he began to conceiue a desperacion And within a while after slewe hymself Spurius Oppius also an other of the Decemuiri was immediatly sent to prison who before the daie of his iudgemēte died The reste also of that order fled into exile Whose goodes were confiscate Marcus Claudius also the Assertor was condempned howbeit Virginius was contented he should be banished the citie and then he fled to Tybur Thus vpon the filthie affeccion of one nobleman issued parricide murder rebellion hatred depriuyng of magistrates and greate mischiefes succedyng one in an others necke Wherevpon the noble and victorious citie was like to be a praie to forren nacions A goodlie documente to men of like callyng to moderate themselues and their Magisterie with good and honeste life thereby to giue incouragemente of vertue to their vassalles and inferiours who for the moste parte doe imitate and followe the liues and cōuersacion of their superiours Canduales kyng of Lydia shewyng the secretes of his wiues beautie to Gyges one of his Guarde was by counsaile of his wife slaine by the said Gyges and depriued of his kyngdome ¶ The .vj. Nouell OF all follies wherwith vaine men be affected the follie of immoderate loue is most to be detested For that husband whiche is beautified with a comely and honeste wife whose rare excellēcie doeth surpasse other aswell in lineamentes proporcion and feature of bodie as with inwarde qualities of minde if he can not retaine in the secrecie and silence of his breast that excellyng gifte and benefite is worthie to be inaugured with a laurell croune of follie Beautie eche man knoweth is one of natures ornamentes by her wisedome ordeined not to enter in triumphe as victours vse vpon gaine of victorie with brauerie to ostentate their glorie by sounde of Shalme Dromme but thankfully for the same to proclaime the due praise to the aucthour of Nature For there is nothyng more fraile and fadyng then the luryng lookes of Dame beauties eyes altogether like the flaryng Marigolde floure whiche in the moste feruent heate of the Sommers daie doeth appere moste glorious and vpō retire of the nightes shadowe appereth as though it had neuer been the same And therefore he that conceiueth reioyse in her vncertaine state is like to hym that in his slombryng dreame doeth imagine he hath founde a perelesse iewell of price inestimable besette with the glistering Diamonde and perfectly awaked knoweth he hath none suche If God hath indued a man with a wife that is beautifull and honest he is furnished with double pleasure suche as rather thankes to hym then vaine ostentacion is to bee remembred Otherwise he doateth either in Ielosie or openeth proude vauntes thereof to suche as he thinketh to be his moste assured frendes What ioye the sequele thereof doeth bryng let the historie insuyng reporte Candaules kyng of Lydia had a merueilous beautifull gentlewoman to his Quene and wife whom he loued very dearly and for that greate loue whiche he bare her thought her the fairest creature of the world Beyng in this louing concept he extolled the praise of his wife to one of his guarde called Gyges the sonne of Dascylus whom he loued aboue all the reste of his housholde and vsed his counsaile in all his weightie causes with in a while after he saied vnto Gyges these woordes It seemeth vnto me Gyges that thou doest not greatly beleue the woordes whiche I speake vnto the of the beautie of my wife but because eyes be better witnesses of thynges then eares thou shalte see her naked With these wordes Gyges beyng amased cried out saiyng What wordes be these sir kyng me think you are not well aduised to require me to viewe and beholde the ladie my maistres in that sorte For a woman seen naked doeth with her clothes put of also her chastitie In olde tyme honest thinges were deuised for mannes instruction emonges whiche was vsed this one thing That euery man ought to behold the thinges that were his owne But sir I doe beleue assuredlie that she is the fairest woman in the worlde wherfore desire me not to thynges that bee vnlawfull In this sorte Gyges replied and yet feared lest some daūger might happen vnto hym Whom Candaules encouraged saiyng Be of good there and be not afraid that either I or my wife goe aboute to deceiue thee or that thou shalte incurre any daunger For I will take vpon me so to vse the matter as she by no meanes shal knowe that thou haste seen her I will place thee behinde the portall of our chamber When I goe to bed my wife commonlie dooeth followe And she beyng in the Chamber a chaire is sette redie vpon whiche she laieth her clothes as she putteth them of Which doen she sheweth her self a good tyme naked And when she riseth from her chaire to goe to bedde her backe beyng toward thee thou maiest easilie conueighe thy self out againe but in anywise take heede she doe not sée thee as thou goest out Wherevnto I praie thee to haue a speciall regarde Gyges seeyng that by no meanes he could auoide the vaine requeste of the kyng was redie at the tyme appoincted Candaules about the hower of bedde tyme went into the Chamber and conueighed Gyges into the same and after the Kyng the Quene followed whom Gyges behelde at her goyng in and at the puttyng of her clothes When her backe was towardes hym as he was goyng out she perceiued hym The Quene vnderstanding by her housbande the circumstance of the facte neither for shame did crie out ne yet made countenance as though she had séen Gyges but in her minde purposed to reuenge her husbandes follie For emōges the Lydiās as for the most parte with all other nacions it is coumpted a greate shame to sée a naked man The gentlewoman counterfaited her grief and kepte silence In the mornyng when she was redie by suche of her seruauntes whom she moste trusted she sent for Gyges who thought that she had knowen nothyng of that whiche chaūced For many times before he vsed to haue accesse to the quene when he was
monumente also accordyng to his worthinesse shal be erected vpon his graue Sacrifice shal be offred méete for a manne so valiaunt and puissaunt Thou likewise shalt not be left comfortles For in consideration of thy great chastitie and vertue I will honour thee and appoincte a garrison to conuey thee into what place thou art disposed to goe To whom Panthea saied Be of good chere Cyrus I will not hide from you the place wherin I am determined to bestowe my self Cyrus hearyng her saie so went awaie pitiyng the woman that was bereued of suche a housebande and lamentyng the manne that had lefte suche a wife behinde hym and was like no more to sée her againe But Panthea commaunded her Eunuches to goe out of the place till she had satisfied her self with teares and lamentacions for her housebande For the prepared to kill her self requiryng her Nursse to tarie by her cōmaundyng her that when she was deade she should shroude her and her husbande in one garment The Nursse perswaded the Ladie with humble wordes and supplicacions from her determinaciō But she could not preuaile and when she sawe that her maistres toke her wordes in ill parte she satte downe and wept But Panthea with a sworde which she had prepared a long tyme for that purpose killed her self and laiyng her heade vpon her husebandes breaste she yelded from her chaste bodie her innocente ghoste The Nursse seyng that cried out and couered them bothe as she was cōmaunded Cyrus vnderstandyng the womans facte was amazed and spedelie went to sée if she might be holpen The Eunuches beyng three in nomber seyng their maistres dead thei likewise drewe out their swordes killed themselues in the place where thei were cōmaunded to stand For memorie of which facte Cyrus created a noble monumēt to the perpetuall praise of chastitie honest loue Whiche as Xenophō reporteth remained to his daies with their names ingrauen in Syrian letters Abdolominus is from poore estate aduaunced by Alexander the greate through his honest life to be kyng of Sydone ¶ The .xij. Nouell ALexander the mightie and noble Emperour after he had subdued Darius the Persian kyng at length came to Sydone a famous citie by reason of the auncient fame of the first founders The same citie was vnder the gouernment of Strato and mainteined by the puissance of Darius who yelding more by force of the people then by free will was thought vnworthie to raigne and rule there Alexander at the request of his frende Ephestion willed him to appoinct one to be king whom the Citizens should thinke moste worthie of that state After profers of Ephestion to diuers of the yonge gentlemen of that citie and refusall made of their partes thei alledged that none ought to enioy the dignitie of their king but suche as were descended of the royall bloodde Thinking none to be more mete for that state then one Abdolominus who being of the roiall race for pouertie was inforced to inhabite a litle cotage without the citie His good life was the cause of his pouertie as it is to many other labouryng in his daiely trauell vnderstoode not the brute of the warre that troubled all Asia Ephestion and the yong gentlemen repaired to his garden with garmētes to garnish hym like a kyng and founde hym makyng cleane his garden whom thei saluted and saied You muste exchaunge your homelie clothes with these riche robes wherewith wée here presente you Washe your bodie that now is foule and vncleane take vpon yon the corage of a kyng and in this state whereof you be worthie expresse the same sobrietie and continencie you dooe presentlie vse And when you sitte in your regall seate vsyng the aucthoritie of life death of your subiectes Doe in no wise forgette the fortune wherin you were before you were made king ne yet for what purpose you did receiue it The matter semed to Abdolominus like a dreame and demaunded of theim if their wittes were founde that did deride hym in that sorte But when he sawe them binde by othe their doynges to be of trouth he washed himsef and takyng the garment whiche was purple and golde went with them into the palace The fame was diuerslie bruted of this facte Some fauoured the cause and some did froune against it But suche as were riche did reproue his pouertie and base estate to those that were nere about Alexander whiche made the kyng to sende for him And when he had long be holden his maner and order said Your personage doeth not degenerate from the fame of your progenitors But I would faine knowe how paciēt you were in the time of your pouertie I would to God q Abdolominus I could beare my prosperitie in like case now I am kyng These handes did get that I desired And hauyng nothing I lacked nothing Whiche wordes made Alexander conceiue a good opinion of hym To whom he restored the riches of the kyng before and diuers other thynges taken awaie by the Persians The oracion of the Scythian Ambassadours to Alexander the greate reprouyng his ambicion and desire of Empire ¶ The .xiij. Nouell TVllie in the first booke of his Offices saieth that verie miserable is ambicion and desire of honour and that moste men whiche be giuen to cupidite of gouernement honor and glorie be forgetfull of Iustice. The truthe of whiche graue woordes vttred by a Prince of eloquence the rude and barbarous Ambassadours of Scythia in plain and homelie talke boldlie did pronounce to kyng Alexander surnamed Magnus when he was aboute to inuade their countrie For when he hadde within three daies finished twelue thousande boates to transport his armie ouer the famous riuer of Tanais whiche deuideth Asia from Europa against the poore Scythians twentie Ambassadors of the Scythians came to Alexanders cāpe to speake with him to proue if thei could by wordes withdrawe his entended purpose Before whom when thei were placed the eldest of them spake these woordes If the goddes had giuen thee a bodie accordyng to the immoderate desire of thy minde the whole worlde could not be able to hold thée With one of thy handes thou wouldest touche the Oriente and with thy other hande the Occident And when thou haste gotten that thou wilte desire to knowe where the brightnesse of the Diuine Maiestie is placed Thus thou couetest after the thing thou art not able to receiue Out of Europa thou marchest into Asia and out of Asia thou passest into Europa Afterwardes if thou doest vanquishe all mankinde thou must make warre with wooddes and snowes with riuers and wilde beastes What Doest thou not knowe that greate trees growe long and yet be rooted out of the grounde in a moment He is a foole that looketh after the fruict and doeth not measure the height of the Tree whereon it groweth Take hede lest while thou doest contende to clim to the toppe thou fallest downe with the bowes whiche thou doest imbrace The Lion also somtyme is made the
by any Prince Monarche to serue in his warres and exploites manhode and valiance is to bée desired and wished euē so in the same a politique minde to forecast preuente aswell the saustie and good gouernement of his owne charge as the anoiauuce of the enemie is to bee desired Cicero in his oracion Prolege Manilia affirmeth fower thynges méete to be in a Generall or Lieutenaunte That is to saie Scientia rei militaris virtus authoritas foelicitas Knowledge of warfare Manhode Aucthoritie and good Fortune Kuowledge and experience in choice of his souldiors in trainyng the ignoraunte in lodgyng the campe in politique order how to dispose the scoutes and watche in making the approche and defence of the armie lodged with other necessarie orders incident to the same In manhode boldlie to aduenture warely to retire paciently to suffer misfortune hardlie to lie sparely to sare stoutlie to abide stormes and colde weather In aucthoritie wisely to gouerne gentlie to speake iustly to threaten deseruedlie to punishe mercifullie to forgiue liberallie to deuide and louingly to be obeied And in felicitie and good successe To honor God To be faithfull to the Prince to preuente the enemie not to triumph before the victorie To be constaunt in frowarde fortune and coragious in extremitie Al which and many other are verie meete and requisite in hym that shal be put in trust by his soueraine Lorde or Ladie to aduenture the painful charge of a Deputie Generall Lieutenaunt or Capitaine Whereof or in the chiefest of the same this noble gentleman Sertorius a capitaine of the Romane Citie in tyme of Marius and Sylla when the citie of Rome were at ciuile discensiō had greate skill and knowledge For besides his experience in the warres as Plutarche sateth in his life he was verie abstinent from pleasures and continente in other disorders arare thynge in menne of his callyng But bicause I purpose not to staie in the full discourse of his vertues and qualities I meane but to touche in this Nouell so muche as Aulus Gellius in whom I am now cōuersant doeth of hym make remembrance Referring the studious reader desirous to knowe the state of his life doinges to the plentifull recorders of suche memorable and worthie personages Plutarche de vitis illustrium and Appianus de ciuili Romanorū bello Whiche beyng Greke aucthours be verie eloquentlie translated into the Latine the one by Gulielmus Xilander 1561. and thother by Sigismundus Gelenius 1554. This Sertorius was of a pregnaunte witte and therewithall a noble capitaine verie skilfull in the vse and gouernmente of an armie In distresse and harde aduentures he practised for pollicie to make lies to his souldiours to proue if thei could preuaile He vsed coūterfaicte letters to imagine dreames and to conferre false religions to trie if those thynges could serue his tourne in comfortyng and incouraging his souldiors Emonges all the factes of Sertorius this in suyng was very notable and famous A white Stagge of exceding beautie and liuelie swiftnesse was giuen vnto hym by a Lusitanian He perswaded euery man that the same was deliuered vnto hym by the Goddes and howe the Goddesse Diana had inspired that beaste to admonishe and teache what was meete and profitable And when he went aboute to cause his souldiours to aduenture any harde and difficile exploit he affirmed that the Stagge had giuen hym warnyng thereof whiche thei vniuersallie beleued and willinglie obeied as though the same had been sent downe frō the goddes in deede The same Stagge vpon a tyme whē newes came that thene mie had made incursion into his campe amased with the haste and turmoile ranne awaie and hid hym self in a Marishe harde adioynyng Afterwardes beyng sought for he was supposed to bee deade Within fewe daies after tidynges was brought to Sertorius that the Stagge was found The messenger was commaunded by hym to holde his peace and threatened to be punished if he did disclose it The next daie the same messenger was appoincted sodainlie to brynge the Stagge into the place where he and his frendes did cōsulte together When thei were assembled he tolde thē how the daie after that he had lost his Stagge he dreamed that he was come againe and according to his custome tolde hym what was nedefull to be doen. Then Sertorius makyng a signe to haue the order fulfiilled whiche he had giuen the daie before by by the stagge brake into the Chaumber Wherewithall a greate shoute was made and an admiracion raised of that chaunce Whiche credulitie of the barbarous cositries serued Sertorius turne in his weightie affaires A worthie matter also is to bee remembred of hym that no souldiour that euer serued hym of those vnciuile countrees that tooke his parte did ueuer reuolte or forsake him although those kinde of people be moste inconstāt Of the bookes of Sybilla ¶ The .xxv. Nouell IN auncient Chronicles these thinges appere in memorie touchyng the bokes of Sybilla A strange and vnknowen old woman repaired to the Romane kyng Tarquinius Superbus bearyng in her armes nine bookes whiche she said were deuine Oracles and offred them to bee solde Tarquinius demaunded the price The woman asked a wonderfull some The kyng makyng semblaunce as though the olde woman toted began to laughe Then she got fire in a chasing dishe aud burned three bookes of the nine She asked the kyng againe if he would haue the sixe for that price whereat the kyng laughed in more ample sort saiyng that the olde woman no doubt did date in deede By and by the burned other thre humblie demasidyng the kyng the like question if he would buye the reste for that price Wherevpō the kyng more earnestlie gaue heede to her request thinkyng the constant demaundes of the woman not to be in vaine brought the three bookes that remained for no lesse price then was required for the whole Therewithall the woman departed from Tarquinius and was neuer seen after These bokes wer kept in the capitole at Rome whervnto the Romanes resorted whē thei purposed to aske counsalle of the Goddes A good example for wisemen to beware how thei despise or neglecte auncient bokes and monnmentes Many the like in this realme haue been defaced founde in Religious houses whiche no doubt would haue conduced greate vtilitie and profite bothe to the common wealth and countrie if thei had been reserued and kepte whiche bookes by the ignoraunte haue been torne and raised to the greate grief of those that be learned and of them that aspire to learnyng and vertue I difference and contronersie betwenes Master a scholer so subtill that the Iudges could not giue sentence ¶ The .xxvj. Nouell DIuers thynges bee writen whiche although thei seme of litle importaunce yet thei bée wittie and comfortable to recreate honest myndes and deserue to be had in remēbrance Emonges which Aulus Gellius who reporteth ten of the former Histories selected out of his booke De noctibus atticis remembreth this pretie contrauersie In Athenes
Alexandria and thought he had to serue his tourne whē he would but he was so coueteous that with his good will he would not doe it and to force hym he was verie lothe Howbeit compelled by necessitie he cast his willes about hym to finde a meanes howe the Iewe mighte serue his tourne and founde out a sleight and waie by a colourable force And causyng hym to bee called before hym interteignyng hym familierly he made him to sit doune by hym and saied to hym these woordes Sir I doe learne by reporte of diuers menne that you are verie wise and well learned in thynges touchyug God For whiche cause I would gladly knowe of you whiche of the three lawes you iudge to bee moste true The Iewishe lawe the Saracene lawe or the Christiā lawe The Iewe whiche in deede was verie wise perceiued well that Saladine went about to intrappe him in wordes to raise some quarrell against him thought that it was not good for hym to praise one of those lawes more then an other that Saladine might take no aduantage of hym Wherefore to make a wise and discrete answere that he might not bée taken he sharpened his wittes and sodainlie there came into his remēbraunce this answere My lorde the questiō which you haue proponed vnto me is excellēt and to declare vnto you that whiche I knowe I must tell you a tale which if it shall please you to heare is this I do remember if I be not deceiued that many tymes I haue heard tell how vpon a tyme there was a noble manne whiche was verie riche and had emōges his other treasure a verie beautifull rynge of greate price and estimacion which for the valor and beautie he was verie desirous perpetuallie to leaue vnto his successours who willed and ordeined that the same soonne whiche should haue that rynge by the gifte of his father after his decease should bee taken and reputed for his heire and should be honoured and magnified of the rest as the chiefest He to whom the same ringe was left obserued semblable order in his posteritie and did the like that his predecessor had doen before hym In short tyme this ring succeded frō hande to hande to many successours And last of all it came to the handes of one that had thrée goodly sonnes vertuouse and verie obedient to their father Who for that cause loued them al indifferentlie and in equall maner whiche knowinge the order for the disposicion of that Ringe curiouse to be beste estemed and beloued euery of them praied their Father so well as they coulde which then was aged that when he died he would giue him the Ringe The good man whiche loued one no better then another knewe not which of them to chose to whome be might dispose it and thought best to promisse the same to euerie of them to satisfie all thrée And secretlie he procured an excellent Goldesmith to make two other whiche were so like vnto the first that the owner himselfe vnethes knew one from the other And when he was vppon his deathe bedde he secretlie gaue to euerie of his sonnes a Ring Who after the death of their father desirouse to entre the Inheritance and honour one going about to displace another euery of them to declare what title he had to enioy the same brought forthe his Ringe And the Ringes were founde so like that the true ringe could not be knowen Therefore the processe for the title remained in doubte and yet continueth till this daie And so I saie vnto you my Lorde of the thrée lawes giuen by God the father to those thrée people whereof you haue made the question euerie of those nations thinketh to inioie the inheritance of God and to obserue the true lawe and his commaundementes but whiche of them hath the lawe that remaineth in doubte like the question of the Ringes Saladine perceiuyng that Melchisedech knewe right well how to auoide the snare whiche he hadde laied before his féete Determined therefore to open and disclose vnto him his necessitie to proue if he would doe him that pleasur And so he did tellinge him his intent meaning if he had not made him that wise answer The Iewe liberallie lente him the some of money that he demaunded Whiche Saladine holie repaied vnto him againe besides other verie greate rewardes that he gaue him vsinge him still for his frende and afterwardes mainteined him next his person in great and honorable state One celled Gugllelmo Borsiere with certen woordes well placed taunted the couetouse life of Ermino Crimaldi ¶ The .xxxj. Nouell LOnge sithens there was a gentle man at Genoua called M. Ermino Grimaldi who as all men iudged was the richest of possessions and redy money and therin farre excelled all other citizens whiche then were knowen in all Italie And as he did surpasse all other Italians in substances welth euen so in auarice and wretchednes he surmounted beyonde measure the most couetouse and miserable of the worlde For he kepte his purse so close that he did not onelie neglect to doe good to other but also to himselfe by sparinge in many thinges necessarie for his owne person he indured muche hardnes in meate and drinke bicause he would spende nothinge contrarie to the commen custome of the Geneuois Who be wont very nobly and honorablely to mainteine themselues in apparell and fare For whiche cause his surname Grimaldi deseruedlie was giuen vnto him and was called of euery man nothing elles but M. Ermino the Couetouse It chaunced in those daies that as he by spendinge nothinge multiplied his goodes There arriued at Genoua an honest gentleman and well spoken a Courtier of good interteigmente named Guglielmo Borsiere nothinge like the Courtiers in these daies that to there greate shame for there corrupt and rude manners would be called and reputed gentlemē whiche in déede maie be counted asses brought vp and noseled rather in the filthie condicions of the vilest men then in courtes In those daies Courtiers occupied themselfes in treatinge of peace and endinge of quarrels that bred strife and dissension amonges gentlemen or in makinge of Mariages amities and attonementes and with merie woordes and pleasant did recreate troubled mindes exhilarated with pastimes other Courtiers with sharpe reprehencions like fathers rebukinge the liues of the wicked and that for litle gaine or rewarde Where the Courtiers of our age doe imploy there time in ill reportes one of another and doe disseminate debate and strife vttering a thousande vnhappie and vile woordes yea and that whiche is woorst of all in common audience There maner is to reproue and checke one another of there iniuries shames and mischiefes true and vntrue and with false and deceiuable flatteries and inuentions to committe against Gentlemen villanouse and vngraciouse factes He is also the proprest man and best beloued of some great men of ill condicions and of them best rewarded that can vse the vilest and most abhominable talke or can doe semblable déedes
in this order but their substaunce lefte them by their father was verie muche consumed And their reuenues not able to maintaine their expences began to decrease wherevpon thei were faine to morgage and sell their inheritaunce in suche wise as in the ende thei grewe to extreme pouertie And then penurie did opē their eyes in like sort as before richesse had closed them vp For which cause Lamberto vpon a daie did call his other twoo brethren vnto hym and tolde them of what honour their father was to what value his richesse did amounte and now to what pouertie thei wer come through their disordinate expences giuyng them counsaill so well as he coulde that before miserie did growe any further vpō them by sellyng that whiche was left thei should goe their waie Whiche thei did And without leaue taken of any man or other solempnitie thei departed from Florence and taried in no place before thei were arriued in Englande Where takyng a litle house in the citie of London thei liued with litle expences and began to lende out their money to vsurie Fortune was so fauourable vnto them by that trade that in fewe yeres thei had gained a verie notable some of money whiche made them one after an other to retire againe to Florence with their substaunce where thei redemed a greate parte of their inheritaunce and bought other lande and so gaue themselues to mariage continewing neuerthelesse in England their money at interest Thei sente thither to be their factour a yonge manne their nephewe called Alexandro And thei three dwellyng still at Florence began againe to forget to what miserie their inordinate expences had broughte them before And albeit thei were charged with housholde yet thei spente out of order and without respecte And were of greate credite with euery Marchaunte whose expences the money that Alexandro many tymes did sende home did helpe to supporte for certaine yeres whiche was lente out to diuerse gentlemen and Barons of the countrie vpon their Castelles Manours and other reuenues whereof was receiued an incredible profite In the meane tyme the three brethren spent so largelie that thei borowed money of other fixyng all their hope from Englande It chaunced contrary to the opinion of al men that warres happened betwene the kyng of England and one of his sonnes whiche bredde muche diuision in that Countrie some holdyng of one part and some of an other By meanes whereof all the manours and morgaged landes were taken awaie from Alexandro hauyng nothing whervpō any profite did rise But daily trustyng that peace should be concluded betwene the father and the sonne And that all thynges should be surrendred aswell the principall as the interest he determined not to departe the countrie The three brethren whiche were at Florrence not limityng any order to their disordinate expences grewe daily worsse and worsse But in processe of tyme when all hope was past of their recouery thei lost not onely their credite but the creditors desirous to be paied were faine to sende thē to prison And bicause their inheritance was not sufficient to paie the whole debt thei remained in prison for the rest And their wiues and childrē were dispersed some into the countrie and some hether and thither out of order not knowing how to do but to abide a poore miserable life for euer Alexandro whiche of long tyme taried for a peace in Englande and seing that it would not come to passe considering with hymself that ouer and besides his vaine abode for recouery of his debtes that he was in daunger of his life he purposed to retourne into Italie And as he traueiled by the waie alone and departed from Bruges by fortune he perceiued an Abbot clothed in white in like maner about to take his iourney accompanied with many Monkes and a greate traine hauyng muche cariage and diuers baggages before After whom rode twoo olde knightes the kinsmenne of the kyng with whom Alexandro entred acquaintance by reason of former knowledge and was receiued into their companie Alexandro then ridyng with thē frendly demaunded what Monkes thei were that rode before with so greate a traine and whether thei wente To whom one of the knightes answered that he whiche rode before was a yonge gentle man their kinsman which was newlie chosen Abbot of one of the best Abbaies in Englande And bicause he was verie yonge and not lawfull by the decrees for suche a dignitie thei went with him to Rome to obteine of the holie father a dispensacion for his age and for a cōfirmacion of that dignitie But thei willed hym to disclose the same to no manne And so this newe Abbot riding sometymes before and sometymes after as we see ordinarilie that lordes doe when thei trauell in the countrie It chaunced that the Abbot perceiuyng Alexandro ridyng besides him whiche was a faire yonge manne honest curteous and familier who at the first meting did so merueilouslie delight him as any thing that euer he sawe in his life and callyng hym vnto hym he began familierlie to talke and asked what he was from whence he came and whether he went To whom Alexandro declared liberallie all his state and satisfied his demaūde offryng vnto hym although his power was little all the seruice he was able to dooe The Abbote hearyng his curteous offer and comelie talke placed in good order consideryng more particulerlie the state of his affaires and waiyng with hym self that albeit his traine was small yet neuerthelesse he semed to be a gentleman and then pitiyng his mishappes he recomforted hym familierlie and saied vnto him that he ought daily to liue in good hope For if he were an honeste manne God would aduaunce him again not onelie to that place frō whence Fortune had throwen hym doune but also to greater estimacion praiyng him that sithēs he was goyng into Thuscane whether he likewise went that it would please him to remaine in his compaine Alexandro thanked hym humblie of his comfort and said vnto him that he was redie to imploie hymself where it should please hym to cōmaunde The Abbot thus riding into whose minde newe thoughtes entred vpon the sight of Alexandro It chaūced after many daies iourneis thei arriued at a village that was but meanlie furnished with lodgyng The Abbot desirous to lodge there Alexandro intreated hym to lighte at the Inne of an hoste whiche was familiarly knowen vnto him and caused a chamber to be made redie for hymself in the worste place of the house And the Marshall of the Abbottes lodgynges beyng alredie come to the Toune whiche was a manne verie skilfull in those affaires he lodged all the traine in that village one here an other there so well as he could And by that time the Abbot had supped night was farre spente and euery man repaired to his bedde Alexandro demaūded the host where he should lie To whom the hoste made answere Of a trouthe Maister Alexandro I knowe not for you see that all my
house is so full that I and my housholde be faine to lie vpon the benches how beit I haue certaine garrettes harde adioynyng to my lorde Abbottes chamber where I maie place you verie well and I will cause my folkes to beare thither a pallet and there if you please you maie lodge this night To whom Alexandro saied How shall I goe throughe the Abbottes chamber where for the streighte rome in the same not one of his Monkes is able to lie But if I had knowen it before the curteins had been drawen I would haue caused his Monkes to haue lien in the garrette and I my selfe would haue lodged where thei dooe Wherevnto the hoste saied it is dooen now but me thinke you maie if you liste lie there so well as in any place of the house The Abbot beyng a slepe and the curteins drawen before hym I will softlie and without noise conueie a pallett thithere Alexandro perceiuyng that the same might be doen without any anoyaunce to the Abbot agreed and conueied himself so secretlie as he could through the chamber The Abbot which was not a slepe but gaue himself to thinke and imagine vpon his newe desires hearde the woordes that were spoken betwene the hoste and Alexandro and likewise vnderstanding where Alexandro laie was verie well contente in himself and began to saie The Lorde hath sente me a time fauourable to satisfie my desires whiche if I do not now receiue peraduenture the like will neuer bee offred againe Wherefore perswading with himself to take that present occasiō and supposing likewise that euery mā was a slepe he called Alexādro so softlie as he could and willed him to come and lie beside him who after many excuses when his clothes were of came vnto hym The Abbot laiyng his arme ouer him began to attempte suche amorous toies as be accustomed betwene twoo louers whereof Alexandro merueiled muche and doubted that the Abbotte beyng surprised with dishonest loue had called hym to his bedde of purpose to proue hym Whiche doubte the Abbot either by presumption or some other acte dooen by Alexandro vnderstandyng in continentlie beganne to smile and to putte of his shurte whiche he ware and tooke Alexandros hande and laied it ouer his stomacke saiyng vnto hym Alexandro cast out of thy minde thy vnhonest thoughte and fele here the thing whiche I haue secrete Alexandro laiyng his hande ouer the Abbottes stomack perceiued that he had twoo breastes rounde and harde the skinne whereof was verie fine and neshe whereby he perceiued that he was a woman whom incontinentlie he embraced and without looking for any other inuitaciō he would haue kissed her that she saied vnto him Before thou approche any nerer marke what I shall saie vnto thee I am a woman and not a man as thou maiest perceiue but beyng departed a maide from my house I am goyng to the Pope to praie him to place me in mariage But whē I first viewed thee the other daie whether it was through thy good fortune or my mishappe loue attached me in suche wise as neuer woman loued manne as I dooe thee And therefore I dooe purpose to take thee for my husbande before all others But if thou wilte not take me to wife get thee hence and retourne to thine owne bedde Alexandro although he knewe her not yet hauyng regarde vnto the companie and traine that followed her iudged her to be some noble and riche Ladie On the other parte he sawe that she was a personage right beautifull and faire therefore without any further consideracion he answered That for somuche as her pleasure was such he was verie well contēted She then sitting vp in her bedde hauing a litle table wherin the picture of Christ was painted indowed him with a ringe doing the order of espousalles and afterwardes embracing one an other to their greate contentacion and pleasure thei ioyfullie continued together that night And after thei had deuised and concluded thorder and meanes to accomplishe their affaires from that time forthe Alexādro so sone as it was daie rose and went out of the chāber that waie he came in without knowledge to any man where he laie that night Then right ioifull and glad he proceded in his iourney with the Abbotte and his cōpanie and within fewe daies arriued at Rome And when thei had remained there a certaine tyme The Abbot taking with him but the twoo knightes and Alexandro wente to the Pope where doyng to him their due reuerence the Abbot began to speake in this wise Holie father as your holinesse dooeth better knowe then any other euery manne that purposeth to liue an honeste life ought to auoide so muche as lieth in him all occasiōs that maie drawe him to the cōtrary Whiche to thintent I that am desirous to leade an honeste life maie fullie performe am secretlie fledde and arriued here in the habite wherein you see with a good porcion of the kyng of Englandes treasure who is my father that your holinesse maie bestowe me in Mariage for so muche as my father would giue me to wife whiche am a yonge gentlewoman as you see to the Scottishe king a verie riche and wealthie Prince And his olde age was not so muche the occasion of my departure as the feare which I conceiued through the frailtie of my youth to be maried vnto him to commit a thing that should be cōtrary to the lawe of God and the honour of the bloud roiall of my father And in comyng hitherwardes beyng in this déepe deliberacion with my self almightie God who onelie knoweth assuredlie what is nedefull and necessarie for vs all did place before mine eyes through his gracious mercie as I truste him that he thinketh meete to bee my husbande whiche is this yonge gentleman poinetyng to Alexandro whom you see standing besides me The honestie worthinesse of whom is well able to match with any greate ladie how honourable so euer she bee although peraduenture the nobilitie of his bloudde is not so excellent as that which procedeth from the roiall and princelie stocke Him then haue I chosen to be my husbande him I will haue and none other whatsoeuer my father shall faie or any other to the cōtrarie Wherefore the principall occasion that moued me to come hither is now dispatched But I will accōplishe and performe the rest of my voiage aswel to visite the holie and reuerent places whereof this citie is ful and your holinesse as also that the contracte of mariage hitherto onely made in the presēce of God betwene Alexandro and me shal be consummate openly in the presence of you and consequentlie in the sight of all men Wherefore I humblie beseche your fatherhode to bée agreable vnto that which it hath pleased God and me to bring to passe and that you would giue vs your benediction to the intent wee maie liue together in the honour of God to the perfection and ende of our life Alexandro greatlie merueiled when he vnderstoode that his wife
soonne Perotto went into Wales not without greate labour and paine as one neuer accustomed to traueile on foote Where dwelte one other of the kyng of Englandes Marshalles that was of greate aucthoritie and kept a noble house To whose court the Erle and his sonne oftentymes repaired to practise begge their liuyng where one of the Marshalles sonnes and other gentlemennes children doyng certaine childishe sportes and pastymes as to runne and leape Perotto began to entermedle hymself emonges them who in those games did so excellently well as none was his better whiche thyng diuers tymes the Marshall perceiuing and well pleased with the order of the childe asked of whence he was It was told him that he was a poore mannes soonne whiche many tymes came thither to begge his almose The Marshall desiryng the childe the Erle whiche praied vnto God for nothyng els liberally gaue hym vnto hym although it gréeued hym to departe from hym The Erle then hauyng bestowed his sonne and his doughter determined no lōger to tarry in Englande but so well as he could he passed ouer into Irelande and when he was arriued at Stanford he placed hymself in the seruice of a man of armes belōging to an Erle of that countrie doing all thinges that did belong vnto a seruing man or page not knowen to any mā he cōtinued there a long time with great paine and toile Violenta named Gianetta that dwelte with the Ladie at London grewe so in yeres in beautie in personage and in suche grace and fauour of her lorde and Ladie and of all the rest of the house and so well beloued of all them that knewe her that it was meruailous to sée All men that sawe her maners and countenaunce iudged her to be worthy of greate honour and possessions by reason whereof the Ladie that receiued her of her father not knowyng what she was but by his reporte purposed to marrie her honourablie accordyng to her worthinesse But God the rewarder of all mennes desertes knowyng her to be a noble woman and to beare without cause the penaunce of an other mannes offence disposed her otherwise and to the intente that this noble gentlewoman might not come into the hādes of a man of ill condicion it must be supposed that that whiche came to passe was by Goddes owne will and pleasure suffred to be dooen The gentlewoman with whom Gianetta dwelt had but one onely sonne by her husbande whiche bothe she and the father loued verie dearly as well because he was a soonne as also that in vertue and good merites he greatly excelled For he surpassed all other in good condicions valiaunce goodnesse and beautie of personage beyng about sixe yeres elder then Gianetta who seeyng the maiden to bee bothe faire and comely became so farre in loue with her that he estemed her aboue all thinges of the worlde And bicause he thought her to be of base parentage he durste not demaunde her of his father and mother to wife But fearyng that he should lose their fauour he kepte his loue secrete whereby he was worse tormented then if it hadde been openly knowen And thereby it chaunced through Loues malice he fill sore sicke For whose preseruacion were many Phisians sente for and thei markyng in hym all signes and tokens of sickenes and not knowyng the disease were altogether doubtfull of his health whereof the father and mother tooke so greate sorowe and grief as was possible and many tymes with pitifull praiers thei damaunded of hym the occasion of his disease To whom he gaue for answere nothyng els but heauie sighes and that he was like to consume die for weakenesse It chaunced vpon a daie there was brought vnto hym a Phisicion that was verie younge but in his science profoundlie learned and as he was holdyng hym by the poulces Gianetta who for his mothers sake attended hym verie carefully entred vpon occasion into the chamber where he laie sicke and so sone as the yonge gentleman perceiued her and that she spake neuer a worde or made any signe or demonstracion towardes hym he felt in his harte to arise his moste amourous defire wherefore his poulces beganne to beate aboue their common custome whiche thyng the Phisicion immediatly perceiued and merualled stādyng still to se how long that fitte would continue Gianetta was no soner gone out of the chamber but the beatyng of the poulces ceased wherfore the Phisicion thought that he had founde out some parte of the gentlemannes disease and a litle while after seming to take occasiō to speake to Gianetta holdyng hym still by the armes he caused her to be called in and she incontinently came but she was no soner come but the poulces beganne to beate againe and when she departed the beatyng ceased Whervpon the Phisicion was throughly perswaded that he vnderstode the effecte of his sicknes and therewithall rose vp and takyng the father and mother aside saied vnto them The health of your sonne doeth not consist in the helpe of Phisicions but remaineth in the handes of Gianetta your maide as I haue perceiued by moste manifest signes whom the yonge man feruently dooeth loue And yet so farre as I perceiue the maiden doeth not knowe it you therefore vnderstande now what to doe if you loue his life The gentleman and his wife hearyng this was somewhat satisfied for so muche as remedie mighte bee founde to saue his life athough it greued them greatly if the thing wherof thei doubted should come to passe which was the marriage betwene Gianetta and their soonne The Phisicion departed thei repaired to their sicke soonne the mother saiyng vnto hym in this wise My soonne I would neuer haue thought that thou wouldest haue kept secrete from me any parte of thy desire specially seyng that without the same thou dooest remaine in daūger of death For thou art or ought to bée assured that there is nothyng that maie be gotten for thy contētacion what so euer it had been but it should haue been prouided for thée in as ample maner as for my self But sith thou haste thus doen it chaūceth that our Lorde God hath shewed more mercie vpon thée then thou hasle doen vpō thy self And to th ende thou shalt not die of this disease he hath declared vnto me the cause of the same whiche is none other but the great loue that thou bearest to a yonge maide wherso euer she bee And in deede thou oughtest not to bée ashamed to manifest thy loue bicause it is meete and requisite for thyne age For if I wist thou couldest not loue I would the lesse esteme thee Now then my good sonne be not afraied franckly to discouer all thyne affectiō Driue awaie the furie and thought whiche thou hast taken whereof this sickenes commeth And comfort thy self Beyng assured that thou shalt desire nothyng at my handes that maie be doen for thy contentacion but it shall bee accomplished of me that loueth thee better then myne owne life and
curteous demaunde gaue her .v. C. poundes and so many faire and costly Iewels whiche almoste amounted to like valer For whiche the gentlewoman more then contented gaue moste hartie thankes to the Countesse who departed from the gentlewoman and retourned to her lodging The gentlewoman to take occasion from the Counte of any farther repaire or sendyng to her house tooke her doughter with her and went into the coūtrie to her frendes The Counte Beltramo within fewe daies after beyng reuoked home to his owne house by his subiectes hearyng that the Countesse was departed frō thence retourned The Countesse knowynge that her housband was gone from Florence and retourned into his countrie was verie glad and contented and she continewed in Florence till the tyme of her child bedde was come and was brought a bedde of twoo soones whiche were verie like vnto their father and caused thē carefullie to be noursed and brought vp and whē she sawe tyme she toke her iourney vnknowen to any manne and arriued at Monpellier and restyng her self there for certaine daies hearyng newes of the Counte and where he was and that vpon the daie of all Sainctes he purposed to make a great feast and assemblie of ladies and knightes in her pilgrimes wéede she wente thither And knowyng that thei were all assembled at the pallace of the Counte redie to sitte doune at the table she passed through the people without chaunge of apparell with her twoo sonnes in her armes And whē she was come vp into the hall euen to the place where the Counte was fallyng doune prostrate at his feete wepyng saied vnto him My Lorde I am thy poore infortunate wife who to thintent thou mightest returne and dwel in thine owne house haue been a great while beggyng about the worlde Therefore I now beseche thée for the honour of God that thou wilt obserue the condicions whiche the twoo knightes that I sent vnto thée did commaunde me to doe for beholde here in myne armes not onelie one soonne begotten by thée but twaine and likewise thy Kynge It is now tyme then if thou kepe promis that I should be receiued as thy wife The Counte hearyng this was greatly astonned and knewe the Kynge and the children also thei were so like hym But tell me q he howe is this come to passe The Countesse to the great admiraciō of the Counte and of all those that were in presence rehearsed vnto them in order all that whiche had béen doen and the whole discourse therof For whiche cause the Counte knowyng the thynges she had spoken to be true and perceiuyng her constaunt minde and good witte and the twoo faier yonge boies to kepe his promisse made and to please his subiectes and the Ladies that made sute vnto him to accept her from that time forthe as his lawfull wife and to honour her abiected his obstinate rigour causyng her to rise vp and imbraced and kissed her acknowledgyng her againe for his lawfull wife And after he had apparelled her according to her estate to the great pleasure and contentacion of those that were there and of all his other frendes not onely that daie but many others he kepte greate chere and from that tyme forthe he loued and honoured her as his dere spouse and wife Tancredi Prince of Salerne caused his doughters louer to be slaine and sente his harte vnto her in a cuppe of golde whiche afterwardes she putte into poisoned water and drinkyng thereof died ¶ The .xxxix. Nouell TAncredi Prince of Salerne was a curteous Lorde and of a gētle nature had he not in his age imbrued his handes with his owne proper bloud It chaunced that this prince in al his life time had but one onely doughter but he had been more happie if she had neuer been borne That doughter he loued so well as a father could loue his childe and for the tender loue he bare her he was not able to suffer her to bee out of his sighte And could not finde in his harte to marie her although she had many yeres passed the tyme that she was mariage able notwithstandyng in the ende he gaue her to wife to one of the soonnes of the Duke of Capua with whom she continued no long tyme but was a widowe and then retourned vnto her fathers house againe This Ladie was verie faire and comely of bodie and face as any creature could be yonge lustie and more wise peraduenture then a woman ought to be And thus dwelling with her louing father she liued like a noble Ladie in greate pleasure And seing that her father for the loue he bare vnto her had no minde or care to marie her againe and also she thinking it skarce honest to require him therevnto deuised with her self secretly if it were possible to retain some valiaunt man to bée her louer And seyng many gentlemen and others frequentyng her fathers court as wée commonlie sée in the Courtes of Princes and markyng the behauiour and order of many emonges all there was a yonge man one of her fathers seruaūtes that liked her well whose name was Guiscardo of verie base birthe but in vertue and honeste condicions more noble then the reste and many tymes when she sawe him she wonderfully delited in him alwaies praisyng his dooynges aboue all others The yonge manne not hauyng good consideracion of hymself perceiuyng her feruente affeccion so fixed his minde that he disposed the same vppon nothyng elles but to loue her One louing an other secretly in this sort and the ladie verie studious to finde occasiō that she might talke with hym unwillyng to commit the secrecie of hre loue to any manne she imagined with her self a new deuise to giue him knowledge therof And wrote a letter signifiyng vnto hym what he should dooe the nexte daie and how he mighte vse hymself to come to talke with her then puttyng the letter into the Cane of a rede she gaue it vnto Guiscardo in sportyng wise and saied Thou shalt this night make a paire of Bellowes for thy seruaunt wherwith she maie kindle the fire Guiscardo tooke it thought that she did not giue it vnto him without some speciall purpose whervpon he went to his chamber and loking vpō the Cane perceiued it to be hollowe and openyng it founde the letter within whiche she had written And when he had well perused it vnderstandyng the tenour and effecte thereof he thought hymself the happiest manne in the worlde and began to put hymself in redinesse to mete with his Ladie by suche waies and meanes as she had to hym appoincted There was in a corner of the princes pallace a Caue longe tyme before made vnder the side of a hille whiche Caue receiued light by a certaine vente made by force within the saied mountaine and bicause the same was not frequented and vsed it was ouer growen with busshes and thornes Into whiche Caue was a discente by a secrete paire of staiers that was in one of the lowest chambers of the
Take order in the mean time that all my noble menne the Baschats and the principall of my menne of warre bee assembled together to morowe in the middes of the greate halle of my pallace This determinacion finished the Emperor went into the Greke and reioysyng hymself all that daie and mighte with her he made more of her then euer he did before And the more to flatter her he dined with her and commaunded that after diner she should adorne her self with the moste precious Iewelles and decke her with more sumptuous apparel then euer she did weare before Whervnto the poore wenche obeied not knowyng that it was her Funerall apparell On the other side Mustapha vncertaine of the Emperors mynde at the hower appoincted caused all the nobilitie to bee assembled in the hall euery of them merueilyng what moued the Emperour so to doe sithens he had so long tyme shutte vp hymself without shewing his persone abrode Beyng thus assembled and euery manne talkyng diuersly of this matter accordyng as their affection serued beholde the Emperor entred into the pallace leadyng the Greke by the hande who beyng adorned otherwise then she was wonte to bee was accompanied and garnished with beautie so rare and excellente that she resembled rather an heauenlie Goddesse then a humaine creature The Turke came into the hall after that the lordes had made their reuerence accordyng to their wonted maner holdyng still the faier Greke by the left hāde he stode stil in the middest of the holle then lokyng furiously rounde aboute hym he saied vnto them So farre as I vnderstande all ye dooe mutine and grudge bicause I beyng vanquished with Loue can not separate and withdrawe my self daie nor nighte from the presence of this Greke But I dooe knowe none of you all so continente and chaste in Loue that if he had in his possession a thyng so rare and precious so amiable and beautie so excellente but before he could forgette her and giue her ouer he would three tymes be well aduised What say ye to the matter Euery of you shall haue frée libertie secretly to tell me your mynde But thei rapt with an incredible admiracion to see so faier a thyng saied that he had with greate reason passed his tyme with her Wherevnto the barbarous cruell Prince answered Well now then I will make you to vnderstande that there is no earthlie thyng that can binde vp or captiuate my sences so muche but that from hence forthe I will followe myne anncestours hauyng the glorie and valiaunce of the Ottomans so fixed in my breast that nothyng els but death is able to blot it out of my remembraunce Those wordes finished incontinently with one of his handes he catched the Greke by the heare of the heade and with his other hande he drewe out his falchion from his side and foldyng his handes aboute the golden lockes of her heare at one blowe he strake of her bedde to the great terrour of them all When he had so dooen he saied vnto them Now ye knowe whether your Emperor is able to represse and bridle his affectiōs or not Within a while after meanyng to discharge the rest of his cholere he addressed a Campe of fower score or an hundred thousande men with whom percyng Boussine he besieged Belgrade where Fortune was so cōtrary vnto hym that he was put to flight and loste there a notable battaile against the Christians vnder the conducte of Ihon Huniades surnamed le Blanc who was father of the worthie and glorious kyng Mathie Coruin A Ladie falsely accused of adulterie was condemyned to be deuoured of Lions the maner of her deliuerie and howe her innocencie beyng knowen her accuser felt the paines for her prepared ¶ The .xlj. Nouell IN the countrie of Aquitane there was sometime a lorde whose landes and lorshippes laie betwene Limosine and Poictou and for the antiquitie of his house was renowmed bothe for bloodde and wealthe emonges the chief of all the Countrie Beyng allied in kinred with the beste and had full accesse and fauour aswell in the houses of the auncient Dukes of Guienne and Countes of Poictou as in the royall Courtes of the Frenche Kynges This Lorde whom Bindello the aucthour of this historie affirmeth to be Signor de la Rocca Soarda but the translator and augmentator of the same in Frenche called Francois de Belle Forest leaueth out his name for good respecte as he allegeth kepte a greate Courte and liberall householde and singularlie delighted after the maner of the Frenche nobilitie in huntyng specially in hawkyng His house also was had in greater admiracion the rudenesse and ignoraūce of that tyme was suche bicause he had gotten beastes of straunge Countries chieflie Lions wherein he had greate pleasure aswell for the rarenesse of that beast in Fraunce as for a certaine generositie that he knewe to bee in the same whiche resembled the magnanimitie and courage of noble men whose mindes and spirites dooe not esteme thynges that be vaine and cannot be affraied in doyng of thinges wherevnto honour is offred for rewarde This Lorde maried a Ladie the doughter of one his neighbours a woman worthie for suche a husbande whose beautie was suche as there was none comparable vnto her whiche the more increased for that she was indued with perfite vertue and furnished with so good behauiour that right good mindes and wittes should bee occupied naie rather put to their shiftes to decide whether gift were greatest either the exquisite workemanship of her excellyng beautie or whether Nature had imploied all her cunnyng to frame a bodie to appere before menne miraculous or els her honest port her good grace curtesie and graue mildnesse accompanied with vertue not vulgare or common to many mē whiche made his ladie to shine like the glistering Planet of Mars emonges other the wanderyng starres In suche wise as the verie sauage and brute were formed with splendent fame to praise her to be suche a woman whose equall thei neuer knewe to bee in all their Countrie who made the house of her husbande glorious and hym a contented manne to beholde suche a Starre to lie by his side whiche suffised to illustrate and beautifie a whole countrie by her onely presence and to nobilitate a race although the bloodde of auncestours did faile for the accomplishement of their perfection Suche is the great force of Uertue whiche not onely did aduaunce her aboue them that dooe her imbrase but rather did cōstraine the enuious to haue her in admiracion But these admiratours and praisers of Uertue dooe not vse suche indeuour for the merites whiche thei attribute to the thyng rather thei imploie their onely industrie to gather some profite of her and then followyng the nature of the dogge doe retourne to their vomite and bestowe their venime hidden in their Serpentes breaste As it came to passe and was euidente in a certaine manne that was Stewarde of this noble mannes house truely a verie happie house aswell for
out of her wittes saiyng Alas alas what paine and trouble what vnmeasurable tormentes suffreth now my poore afflicted minde without comfort or consolacion of any creature liuyng What dure and cruell penaunce doe I susteine for none offence at all Ah fortune fortune the enemie of my felicite and blisse thou haste so depriued me of all remedie that I dare not so muche as to make any manne knowe or vnderstande my mishappe that the same might be reuenged whiche beyng dooen would render suche contentacion to my mynde that I should departe out of this worlde the best contented and satisfied maiden that euer died Alas that the goddes did not graunte me the benefite that I might haue come of noble kinde to thintent I might haue caused that traiterous ruffien to féele the grieuous paine and bitter tormentes whiche my poore harte susteineth Ah wretched caitife that I am abādoned and forlorne of all good fortune now I doe sée that with the eyes of my mynde whiche with those of my bodie daseled and deceiued I could not sée or perceiue Ah cruell enemie of all pitie doest thou not knowe féele in thy minde the heauie and sorowful sounde of my bitter plaintes Understandest not thou my voice that crieth vengeaunce vpon thée for thy misdeede Can not thy crueltie in nothyng be diminished seyng me dismembred with the terrour of a thousande furious martirdomes Ah ingrate wretche is this now the rewarde of my loue of my faithfull seruice and myne obediēce And as she thus bitterly tormented her self her mother and brethren and her maide whiche was brought vp with her from her tēder yeres went vp to the chamber to Violenta where thei foūde her then so deformed with rage and furie that almost she was out of their knowledge And when thei went about to reduce her by all meanes possible from those furious panges and saw that it nothing auailed thei left her in the keping of the old maiden whō she loued aboue any other And after the maiden had vttered vnto her particularly many reasons for the appeasyng of her grief she tolde her that if she would be quiet a little while she would goe and speake to the knight Didaco and make hym to vnderstande his fault And would with discret order so deale with him that he should come home to her house therfore she praied her to arme her self againste this wickednes to dissemble the matter for a time that hereafter she might vse vpon hym iust reuenge No no Ianique answered Violenta the offēce is very small and light where counsaill is receiued and albeit that I cānot chose but confesse thy counsaill to be very méete yet there wanteth in me a mynde to followe it that if I did féele any parte in me disposed to obeye the same I would euen before thy face separate that mynde frō my wretched bodie For I am so resolued in the malice and hatred of Didaco that he can not satisfie me without life alone And I beleue the Goddes did cause me to be borne with myne owne handes to execute vengeaunce of their wrathe and the losse of myne honour Wherefore Ianique if frō my youth thou diddest euer loue me shewe now the same to me by effect in a matter whervnto thy helpe is moste necessary for I am so outraged in my mischief that I doe enuie the miserablest creatures of the worlde remainyng no more in me to continue my life in wailyng and continuall sighes but the title of a vile and abhominable whore Thou art a straunger and liuest here a beastly life ioyned with continuall labour I haue twelue hundred crounes with certaine Iewelles whiche that false traitour gaue me whiche bée predestinated by the heauens for none other purpose but to paie them their hire whiche shall doe the vengeaunce vpon his disloyall persone I dooe put the same money now into thy handes if thou wilt helpe me to make sacrifice with the bodie of poore Didaco But if thou dooest deny me thy helpe I will execute the same alone and in case he doe not die as I doe intende he shal be murdred as I maie For the first tyme that I shall sée hym with myne eyes come of it what will his life shal bee dispatched with these twoo trembling handes whiche thou seest Ianique seyng her maistresse in these termes and knowing her stoute nature indued with a manly and inuincible stomacke after she had debated many thynges in her mynde she determined wholie to impose her self for her maistres in that she was able to doe Moued partly with pitie to sée her maistresse dishonored with a defamed mariage and partely prouoked with couetousnesse to gaine so greate a somme of money whiche her maistresse did offer if she would condiscende to her enterprise thinking after the facte committed to flee into some other countrie And when she was throughly resolued vpon the same she imbraced Violenta and saied vnto her Maistresse if you will bee ruled by me and giue ouer the vehemence of your wrathe and displeasure I haue founde a waie for you to bee reuenged vpon Didaco who hath so wickedly deceiued you And albeeit thesame can not bée doen secretly but in the ende it must be knowen yet I doubt not but the cause declared before the Iudges and thei vnderstandyng the wronge he hath doen you thei will haue compassion vpon your miserie who knowe right well that alwaies you haue been knowen an estemed for a very honest and vertuous maiden And to the ende that you be informed how this matter maie bée brought to passe firste you muste learne to dissemble your grief opēly and to faine your self in any wise not to be offended with the newe Mariage of the knight Then you shall write vnto hym a letter with your owne hande lestyng hym thereby to vnderstande the paine that you suffer for the greate loue you beare hym and then ye shall humbly beseche hym sometimes to come and visite you And sithe that froward fortune will not sufixe you to bee his wife yet that it would please hym to vse you as his louer that you maie possesse the seconde place of his loue sithe by reason of his newe wife you can not inioye the firste Thus that deceiuour shal bee begiled by thinkyng to haue you at his commaundement as he was wont to doe And beyng come hither to lie with you wée will handle hym in suche wise as I haue inuented that in one night he shall lose his life his wife and her whom he thincketh to haue for his louer For when he is a bedde with you and fallen into his first sléepe wée will sende hym into an other place where in a more sounder slepe he shall euerlastynglie continue Violenta al this tyme whiche fedde her blooddie and cruell harte with none other repasie but with rage and disdaine began to bee appeased and founde the counsaill of Ianique so good that she wholie purposed to followe thesame And to begin her
liue that he had founde so louyng a wife This woman beyng serued and reuerēced with greate honour waxed werie of to muche rest and quiet and begā to bée inamoured of a Gentlemanne her neighbour whom in a litle time she knewe so well to vse by lookes and other wanton toies that he did easely perceiue it notwithstandyng for the honour of her husbande he would not some to knowe it but a farre of Now this warme loue by litle and litle afterwardes began to growe hotte for the yonge woman wearie of suche long delaie not able to contēt her self with lookes vpon a daie findyng this yonge gentleman in conueniente place as he was walkyng harde by her house beganne to reason with hym of termes and matters of loue tellyng hym that he liued to solitarie in respect of his yonge yeres and how she had alwaies béen broughte vp in Townes and places of greate companie and resorte in suche wise that now beyng in the Countrie she could not easely digeste the incommoditie of beyng a lone speciallie for the continuall absence of her husbande who scarse thrée monethes in a yere remained at home in his owne house And so fallyng from one matter to an other loue pricked them so sore that in fine thei opened a waie to that that troubled them so muche specially the woman who forgettyng her honour whiche ordinarily dooeth accompanie greate Ladies priuely she tolde hym the loue that she hadde borne hym of longe tyme whiche notwithstandyng she had dissembled waityng when he should haue giuen the firste onsette for that gentlemenne ought rather to demaunde then to be required of Ladies This gentleman vnderstandyng by halfe a woorde her disease tolde her that although his loue was extreme neuerthelesse demyng hymself vnworthie of so high degrée he still concealed his grief which bicause he thought it could not come to passe feare forced hym to keepe it secrete But sithe it pleased her so muche to abasse her self and was disposed to doe hym so muche honour to accepte hym for her seruaunte he would imploie his indeuour to recompence that with humilitie and humble seruice whiche Fortune had denied hym in other thynges And hauyng framed this foundacion to their loue for this tyme thei vsed no other contentacion one of an other but onely deuise But thei so prouided for their affaires to come that thei neded not to vse longer oracion For being neighbours and the husbande many tymes absent the high waie was open to bryng their enterprises to desired effecte Whiche thei full well acquieted and yet vnable wisely to maister and gouerne their passions or to moderate theim selues by good discrecion the seruauntes of the house by reason of the frequented communicacion of the gentleman with the gētlewoman began to suspecte them and to conceiue simster opiniō of their maistresse although none of them durst speake of it or make other semblaunce of knowledge Loue holdyng in full possession the hartes of these twoo louers blinded them so muche that leauyng the bridle to large for their honour thei vsed themselues priuely and apertly at all tymes one with an other without any respecte And when vpon a time the Lorde retourned home to his owne house from a certaine voiage wherin he had béen in the Dukes seruice he found his wife to bée more fine and gorgeous then she was wōt to be which in the beginnyng did wōderfully astonne hym And perceiuyng her sometymes to vtter wanton woordes and to applie her minde vpon other thinges when he spake vnto her he beganne diligently to obserue her countenaunce and order and being a man broughte vp in courtly trade and of good experience he easely was perswaded that there was some ele vnder the stone and to come to the trouthe of the matter he made a better countenaunce then he was wonte to doe whiche she knewe full wel how to requite and recompēce And liuyng in this simulacion either of them attempted to begile the other that the simplest and lest craftie of thē both could not be discouered The yong gentleman neighbour of the Lorde grieued beyonde measure for that he was come home passed and repassed many tymes before his Castell gate thinkyng to gette some looke of his Ladies eye but by any meanes she could not for feare of her husbande who was not so foolishe that after he sawe him goe before his gate so many tymes without some occasion but that he easely iudged there was a secret amitie betwene thē Certaine daies after the gentleman of insinuate hymself into the lordes fauour and to haue accesse to his house sent hym a verie excellente Tercelet of a Faucon and at other tymes he presented hym with Ueneson and vmbles of Dere whiche he had killed in hūtyng But the Lorde whiche well knewe that flatterie many tymes serued the torne of diuerse menne to begile foolishe husbandes of their faire wiues that he might not seme vngratefull sente hym also certaine straunge thynges And these curtesies cōtinued so long that the lorde desirous to laie abaite sent to praie hym to come to diner to whiche request the other accorded liberally for the deuotion he had to the sainct of the Castell And when the Table was taken vp thei went together to walke abrode in the fildes And the more frēdly to welcome hym he praied his wife to goe with them wherevnto she made no greate deniall And when thei hadde debated of many thynges the Lorde saied vnto hym Neighbour and frende I am an olde manne and Melancholie as you knowe wherefore I had neede from henceforthe to reioise my self I praie you hartely therfore to come hither many tymes to take parte of our diner and suche fare as God dooeth sende And vse the thynges of my house as thei were your owne Which the other gratefullie accepted humblie praiyng that his Lordship would commaunde hym and that he had when it were his pleasure to vse him as his very hūble and obedient seruaunte This Pantere laied the yong gentleman ordinarily came ones a daie to visite the Lorde and his wife So long this order continued that the Lorde vpō a daie fainyng hymself to be sicke commaunded that no man should come into his chamber bicause al the night before he was il at ease could take no rest Whereof the gentleman was incontinently aduertised by an olde woman hired of purpose for a common messanger of whom a none we purpose to make menciō Being come to the Castle he demaūded how the Lorde did and whether be might goe se hym to whom answer was made that he could not for that he was fallen into a slomber Madame nowe was in the gardein alone comyng vp and doune for her pleasure was aduertised that the gentleman was come Who beyng broughte into the gardeine and certified of the Lordes indisposicion began to renewe his olde daliaunce with the Ladie and to kisse her many tymes eftsons puttyng his hande into her bosome and vsyng other pretie
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
bloude She knowing the dolor and anguish that her husband endured comforted him very wisely with ioyful countenance saying How now deare husband think you that fortune is or ought to be still fauourable to Princes and great Lordes Do you not know that greate hulkes and shyppes doe souer perishe and drown in maine seas and riuers amiddes the raging waues and surges than in narrow flouds and brokes where the water is still and calme Doe you not sée greate trées whose toppes doe rise alofte aboue the highe hilles and stepe mountaines soner shaken and tossed with blustering windie blastes than those that be planted in fertile dales and lowe valleys Haue you forgotten so many histories by you perused and read with so great delight when you were in the Emperours court Doe not they describe the chaunge of Monarches the ruine of houses the destruction of one Realme acquited by the establishing and raygne of another What Prince Monarche or Captaine was euer so happie that hath not felt some griefe and misfortune Alas swéete heart thinke that God doth chastise vs with his roddes of tribulation to make vs to knowe him but in the meane tyme he kepeth for vs a better fortune that we loke not for Moreouer he neuer forsaketh them which with a good heart doe goe vnto him hauing their affiance in his great goodnesse and infinite mercy Alerane hearing the wise talke of his wife could not forbeare wéeping and sighing answered her in this maner Ah Lady in beauty and wisedome incōparable it is not my fortune that causeth my minde to wander and stray from the siege of constancie knowing well the qualities and number of Fortunes snares and howe ielous she is of humaine ioy and felicitie I am not ignorant that she layeth her ambushes and doth beset the endeuors soner of personages that be noble and of highe parentage than of those whose heartes be base and vnable and their victories not able to attayne to any iote of honour and fame But good God sayde he embracing his deare beloued spouse it is for you Maame that I endure tormente hauing made you to abandon the pompe of your estate and bereued from you a King to be your husbande causing you thus to féele an horrible and newe kinde of punnishment hunger famine I meane in the middes of these deserts and wilde places and therewithall haue ioyned you in company with an infortunate companiō who for comforte and solace ministreth teares and sighes O God most high and puissant howe profounde and darke are thy iudgements and how righteous is thy iustice I acknowledge mine offence to be the cause of thine anger and originall of our trespasse and that this payne chaunceth to vs for our sinnes which haue so wickedly betrayed the best Prince of the worlde and forsaken the company of him at whose bountifull handes I haue receyued better intertaynment and greater honor than I deserued Ah Emperor Otho that thou art so well reuenged nowe with cowardly fraude and deceipt committed against thée by Alerane of Saxone taking away her from thée which was the staffe future staye of thy reuerende age And as he was perseuering in this talke Adelasia seing him in that contemplation plucked him by the arme saying Sir it is time to consider our owne affaires we haue trauayled I cannot tell howe farre without rest me thinke our fortune being no better that we ought to remaine in some place attending for the grace and mercy of God who I hope will not fosake vs. They were then in Liguria in the deserts betwene Ast and Sauonne a coūtrey in the time wel peopled furnished with huge and darke forests garnished with many trées great high By the aduise then of Adelasia the Saxon Prince forced by necessity the maystresse of all artes retiered into those forestes where he practised the occupation of a Collier and some sayde that nature taught him the order how to cut his woodde to make ready his pittes and to knowe the season and time when his coales were burned ynough Great paines he susteyned about his businesse and went himselfe to sell his coales which he bare vpō his shoulders to the next market Townes till he had gayned so much as bought him an asse where with he dayly trauailed to vtter his coales and other deuises which néede had forced him to learne In this time Adelasia was deliuered of a goodly childe whome they named William And afterwardes by succession of time she bare vj. sonnes more For they dwelt almost .xviij. or .xx. yeares in that pore and miserable life and had dressed vp a little lodging within a caue that was faire and brode wherin very trimly and well they had bestowed themselues When the eldest of their sonnes was growen to the stature of a pretie stripling the father sent him sometime to Sauonne and sometime to Ast to sell their litle marchandise for reliefe of their houshold But the boy whose bloude coulde not conceale and hide the nobilitie of his birth hauing one day solde certaine burdens loades of woode and coale bought with that money a faire yong hauke which he caried vnto his father The good man gently rebuked his sonne and sayd that such game belonged not to men of their degrée and that they had much a doe to liue without employing their money vpon suche trifles Long time after William being arriued to the age of xvi yeares went to Sauonne to sell certaine ware by his fathers commaundement and with the money he bought a very sayre sworde which when his father fawe with teares in his eyes he went aside and sayde to himself Ah vnfortunate ladde that thy harde luck should do thée this great wrong truely neyther the pouertie of thy parents nor the place of thy bringing vp can deface in thée the secret shyning brightnesse of thine Auncestors vertue nor the prediction of thy corage and manhode in tune to come if God giue thée grace to aduaunce thée to the seruice of some noble prince Notwithstanding for that time he ceassed not sharply to rebuke and threaten his sonne in suche wise that the yong man hauing a heart greater than his force determined secretely to depart from his parents Now fortune chaunced so well and apt for his purpose that then at the very same time the Hongarians were entred Italy to spoile and rob the country against whom the Emperor marched with great expedition wyth an huge and goodly army of purpose to force them to leaue his land in peace William hauing knowledge hereof proceded towarde the Emperours campe where he shewed in déede great hope being of so small yeares of his future valiance and prowesse by the dedes of armes that he did during that warre Which ended and the enemy put to flight the Emperor went into Prouance to put in order his affaires in his realme of Arles which then was subiect to the Empire Afterwards he retired into Italy with deliberation to seiorne at Sauonne
great amitie that he beareth me that if I did but fauorably behold him fyue or sixe times with plesaunt lokes adding thervnto a few kisses he would hazard a thousand lyues for my sake if he had them to content me And forasmuch as I know him to be a diligent man learned and of great reputation and one that may stande vs to great steade in this businesse I thought good not to cōceale or kepe from your knowledge my aduise herein The Duchesse vnderstanding all this pretie discourse so apte for her affections rauished with great ioy embraced hard Emilia and sayd vnto her Emilia my deare friende if thou diddest know in what wise I doe esteme thée and what I meane in tyme to come to bestow vpon thée I am wel assured albeit thou hast hitherto sufficiently shewed thy good will yet thou wilt hereafter doe me great pleasure promising thée by the fayth of a Princesse that if our enterprise doe wel succéede I wil not vse thée as a seruant but as my kinswoman and the best beloued friend I haue For I hold my self so satisfied wyth that thou hast sayd vnto me that if Fortune be on our side I sée no maner of impediment that may let our enterprise Goe thy way entertaine thy Phisitian as thou thinkest best for it is very expedient that he be a party and for the rest let me alone For neuer was ther any Lazar that better could dissemble his impotency thā I know howe to counterfayt to be sicke The Duchesse being departed from Emilia began to plaine her selfe bitterly fayning sometime to fele a certayne payne in her stomacke sometyme to haue a disease in her head in such sort that after diuers womanly playntes propre to those that fele themselues sicke she was in the ende constrayned to lay her selfe downe and knewe so wel how to dissemble her sickenesse that after she had certaine dayes kept her bed there was much doubt of her health And during this time Emilia had layed so many amorous baytes to féede her Phisitian that he which knewe very wel the most happy remedies for the body coulde not nowe finde any to heale the malady of his owne minde Emilia hauing noseled Maister Appian with amorous toyes began to make him vnderstand the originall of the Duchesse sickenesse the effectes of her passion the order that she had vsed during the furious course of the same Adding thervnto for conclusion that if he would kéepe the matter secrete and ayde them with his counsell she would by and by promise him mariage by wordes for the present tyme and that from thence forth she would neuer denie him any fauour or priuitie That onely reserued which no man can honestly demaund til the mariage be solempnized in the face of the Church In witnesse wherof she kissed him with great affection The Physitian more eased there withall than if he had sene his Hippocrates or Galen raysed agayne fro death promised rather to lose his life thā she should want his help And for the better beginning of this enterprise they went presently to visite the Duchesse In whom they found her pulse so to beate the tongue so charged the stomake so weakned by a continual suffocation of the matrice that the pacient was in very great perill of death Whervnto euery man did easly giue credite for the reputation and great experience of the Phisician And master Appian hauing cōmaunded al the chābre to be voyded made the Duchesse to vnderstand in few words how it behoued her to gouerne her self And the better to cloke her cause he brought her at that instant a little perfume by receyuing the sauour wherof she shoulde often tymes fall into certayne lyttle Soundings and by often vsing the perfume it would eate away her colour for a time that it shoulde séeme as though she had not gone out of her bed in half a yeare Neuerthelesse it should doe her no other displeasure that in thrée or foure dayes with certayne other drugges he would restore her colour as liuely as it was before Which the Duchesse lyked best of any thing in the world And they thre togither played their parts so wel the the common brute throughout at the citie was that the Duchesse would dye The Duke being aduertised of these things caused al the Phisitians of Thurin to assemble to prouide for the health of the Duchesse Who being come togither with the Duke into her bedchāber a little after she had receyued Master Appians perfumes and seing her to sowne diuers times before them were in great dispayre of her health And after they had somwhat debated the matter with Master Appian not knowing whervpon to resolue they sayd vnto the Duke that it behoued him to prouide for her soule for that they saw in her the ordinarie tokens and messangers of death The poore Duke being sorrowfull beyonde measure for that he loued the Duchesse entierlie sent for the Suffragane of the Byshop of Thurin a mā of very holy life to thintent he might giue her good councel To whom she confessed her selfe with a voyce so féeble that it séemed to be more than halfe dead Her talk was not long but yet she made him beleue that nature failed her and that by little and little she drewe towardes her ende Desiring him to haue her in remēbraunce and her poore soule in his orisons and prayers The Suffragane being gone the Duke and others with a great number of Gentlemen and Ladies went into the chambre But she began then to enter into so greate rauing that euerye bodye was afeard of her And after that she had tossed her self in her bed lyke a senselesse creature her speache fayled her Wherat those present striken with no small wonder thinking the soule would strayght wayes haue departed the body some of them cryed vpon her Madame remember Iesus some other sainct Barbara But wylie Emilia more priuy of her counsel than the rest taking her tenderly by the arme cried vpon her with a loud voice Madame call vpō sainct Iames who hath so often succoured you in your aduersities And with that the Duchesse awaked as it were out of a heauy sléepe and rowling her eyes to and fro wyth a straunge trembling of al her members began to pronounce with an interrupted voyce O glorious Apostle in whome from my tender youth I haue euer had my stedfast trust and hope be now mine intercessor in this cruell assault of death to Iesus Christ. And I make a vowe nowe to thée that if I may recouer my health I will my selfe in person goe honour thy sacred body in the proper place where it reposeth And hauing ended her fayned Prayer she coūterfayted a sléepe and so continued the space of .ij. or .iii. houres which caused all the companye to withdrawe themselues except the poore Duke who would not depart from her vntill she waked and in the meane time ceassed not to pray to God for the health of his loyall
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
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
her so counterfayted himselfe in the day that he could not in any manner of wise be knowen And good old father Frier taried in a corner of the chamber a farre of that he might heare none of their talke And as the Lord of Mendozza leaned him vpon her bedside he sayde vnto her in the Italian tongue whiche was so familiar to him as the Spanish Madame the peace of our Lorde be with you Whervnto the Lady aunswered Father why speake you of peace sithe I am in continuall warre depriued of all contentation and doe but attende the laste ende of all my calamitie which is a most cruell and shamefull death without desert And then the Lorde of Mendozza who had consumed the most part of his youth in good letters sayde vnto her I beleue Madame you be not ignorant that miseries and tribulations which come vpon people fall not by accident or fortune but by the prouidence or dispensacion of God before whome one little sparrow onely is not forgotten as the prophet Amos doth manifest vnto vs when he sayth There is none euill in the Citie that I haue not sent thither Which is also apparant in Iob whome the deuill coulde not afflict before he had first obtayned licence of GOD. And it is necessarie for you to knowe that tribulation and affliction be tokens of the fore chosen and elected people of God and the true markes of our saluation So that if you consider the order of al the Scriptures since the beginning of the world vntil our time you shall finde that those whome God hath alwayes best loued and cherished he hath commaunded to drinke of the cup of his passion and to be more afflicted than others examples whereof be common in the Scriptures As when Abell was afflicted by Caine his brother Isaak by his brother Ismaell Ioseph by his brethren Dauide by Absolon his sonne the children of Israell the elect people of God by Pharao Which things being profoundly considered by S. Paule he sayde If we had not another hope in Iesus Christ than in the lyfe present we might well saye that we were the moste miserable of all others And yet moreouer sayth he it is little or nothing that we endure in respecte of that which Iesus Christ hath suffred Who although he he framed the whole worke of the worlde was called the Carpenters sonne for preaching he was sclaundered he was caryed vp to a moūtaine to be throwne downe he was called Glotton Dronkarde louer of Publicanes and sinners Samaritane Seducer Diuell saying that in the name of Belzebub he did caste out Diuells But let vs consider Madame a little further what things were done vnto him he was naked to clothe vs prisoner and bounde to vnbinde vs from the chayne of the Diuell made a sacrifice to cleanse vs of all our inwarde filth we doe sée that he suffred hys syde to be opened to close vp Hell from vs we sée his handes which in so comely order made both Heauen and Earth for the loue of vs pearced with pricking nayles his head crowned with thrée sharped thornes to crowne vs with Heauēly glory Let vs waygh that by his dolor came our ioye our health grewe of hys infirmitie of his death was deriued our lyfe and shoulde we be ashamed to haue our head touched with a fewe thornes of trouble Strengthen your selfe then Madame in the name of God and make you ready to receyue death in the name of him that was not ashamed to indure it for you Is his strong hande any thing weakened Is it not in him to ouerthrowe the furie of your enemie and so to humble your aduersarie that he shall neuer be able to be relieued Howe many poore afflicted persons haue there bene séene to be abandoned of all succour whome he hath behelde with his pitifull eye and restored to greater ease and contentacion than euer they were in before Learne then from henceforth to comfort your selfe in God and saye as the great Doctor holy Ignatius sayd in his Epistle to the Romanes I desire that the fyer the gallowes the beastes and all the torments of the Diuell might exercise their crueltie vppon me so as I may haue fruition of my Lorde God And after that the Knight had made an ende of his consolation the Duchesse was so rapt in contentation that it séemed her soule had already tasted of the celestial delightes and would flie euen vp into heauen And then féeling her selfe lightened lyke one that had escaped some furious tempest of the seas she began to confesse her self vnto him from poynt to poynt without omitting any thing of that which she thought might grieue her conscience And when she came to the accusation of the Earle she prayed God not to pardon her sinnes if she had committed in déede or thought any thing contrarie to the duetie of mariage except it were one dishonest affection that she had borne to a knight of Spaine whome vnder pretence of a fayned deuotion she had visited in Spaine not committing any thing sauing good wil which she bare vnto him Which maketh me thinke quod she that God being moued against mine hipocrisie hath permitted this false accusation to be raised against me by the Earle of Pancalier which I wil paciently suffer sith his will is so Her confession finished she plucked of a rich Diamond which she had vpon her finger saying Good father albeith I haue heretofore bene a riche Princesse as you knowe yet they haue now taken away al my goods from me this Diamond except which my brother the King of Englande gaue me when I was married to the Duke of Sauoie And bicause I cannot otherwise doe you good I giue it vnto you praying you to remember me in your prayers to kepe it For it is of a greater price than you thinke and may serue one day to supply the necessitie of your conuent The confession ended and the Diamond receiued the two Friers retorned home to their conuēt And so sone as they were arriued ther the Lorde of Mendozza sayd vnto him Father now doe I knowe certainly that this pore woman is innocent wherfore I am resolued to defend her so long as lyfe doth last And I féele my selfe so touched and pressed in minde that I thinke it long till I be at the combat Wherefore I pray you if it chaunce that fortune be contrarie vnto me after my death make it to be openly knowen what I am and chiefly that the Duchesse may vnderstand it for speciall purpose And if it chaunce that I escape with lyfe which can not be but by the death of the Earle be secrete vnto me in these things which I haue declared vnder the vayle of confession The good father promised so to doe And hauing passed all that day and night in prayers and supplicacions he armed himselfe and made readye his courser And whē the dawning of the day began to appeare he went in his armour to the gates of
of my life The Secretarie retorning and hauing recited the answere of the Countesse the King rapte with an impacient and extreme choler woulde againe attempt an other newe way and consuming by little little in this amorous fier began to sort out of the limits of Reason And almost out of his wittes demaunded of his Secretarie Doe you thinke it expedient that I make request to her father bicause I want counsell in other thinges To whome the Secretarie boldly sayde that he thought it vnreasonable to seke ayde at a fathers hands to corrupt his daughter faithfully telling to the King the reproch and infamie that would followe thereof aswell for the old seruice that her father had done to his auncestors as for his great prowesse in armes for which he was so greatly commended But Loue the mortal enemie of all good councell so blinded the eyes of the king that without any further deliberation he commaunded the Secretarie to goe seke the father to demaund help of him for matters of importance which the Earle vnderstanding obeyed incontinently where the King alone in a chamber lying vpon a bed after he had commaunded him to shut the dore and to sitte downe by him sayde these wordes My Lorde I haue caused you to come hither for a certayne occasion which toucheth me so nighe as the losse or preseruation of my lyfe For neuer through any assault of Fortune the sharpnesse whereof I haue often felte haue I bene vanquished with so great enuie and malice as nowe For I am so vexed with my passions that being ouercome by them I haue none other refuge but a moste vnhappy death that euer man can suffer if presentely I be not holpen Knowe ye therefore that I déeme him onely to be happy that by Reason can rule his wittes not suffring himself to be caried into vaine desires In which point we do differ from beasts who being lead onely by naturall order doe indiffenretly runne head long whether their appetie doth guide them But we with the measure of Reason ought to moderate our doings with suche prouidence as with out straying we may choose the right way of equitie and iustice And if at any tyme the weake fleshe doth faint and giue ouer we haue none to blame but our selues Who deceyued by the fading shadow and false apparance of things fall into the ditch by our selues prepared And that which I doe alleage is proued not without manifest reason wherof I nowe doe fele experience hauing let slip the raines of the bridle to far ouer my disordinate affections being drawen from the right hand traiterously deceyued And neuerthelesse I cannot tel how to retire to take the right way or how to tourne my backe from that which doth me hurt Wherefore now vnfortunate miserable that I am I acknowledge my selfe to be like vnto him that followeth his game in the thicket of a woodde rushing through thick and thinne at all aduentures not knowing howe to finde the way he entred in but rather the more he desireth to followe the trace the more in the ende he is wrapped in the bushes So it is my Lord that I cannot and may not for all my foresayde allegacions so colour my fault or purge myne error but that I must confesse and acknowledge it to be in me But I speake to this ende that séeking a farre of the originall of my griefe you woulde helpe me to complayne and to take pitie vpon me For to tell you the truth I am so intricated in the Labarinthe of my vnbrideled will that the more I doe aspire to the better alas the worsse I am Haue not I good cause to complayne my Lorde that after so many famous victories achieued by sea and lande wherewith I haue renowmed the memorie of my name in all places am nowe bounde and vanquished with an appetite so outragious that I can not helpe my self whereby mine owne lyfe or rather death is consumed in such anguishe and mortall payne that I am become the very mansion of all mischiefes and onely receptacle of all miseries What sufficient excuse for my fault may I henceforth alleage that in the ende will not display it to be both vnprofitable and voyd of Reason But what shall be the buckler of my shame if not my youthly age which pricketh me forwarde to leue lyke a sharpe needle the force whereof I haue so oft repelled that nowe being vanquished I haue no place for reste but in thy mercie who in my fathers dayes diddest liberally spende thy bloud in many notable enterprises in his seruice which afterwardes thou hast so well continued that in many daungerous affayres I haue diuers tymes proued the fidelitie of thy Counsell whereby I haue brought to passe things of great importaunce and therein hitherto neuer founde thée slack and vnfaythfull Which when I remember doe prouoke me to be bolde to declare vnto you mine entent which by your onely worde you may procure the fruite wherof being gotten you shall winne the heart of a King whome you may vse as you list all the dayes of your lyfe And the more the thing shal séeme harde difficult or paynefull the greater your merite shall be and the more firmely shal he be bounde which doth receyue it Consider then my Lorde how profitable it is to haue a king at your commaundement You haue also foure sonnes whom you cannot honorably aduaunce without my fauour swearing vnto you by my regall Scepter that if you comfort me in my troubles I wil endue the thrée yongest with so large possessions that they shall haue no cause to be offended with their eldest brother Remember likewyse what rewardes I haue bestowed vpon them that serue me And if you haue knowen howe liberall I haue bene towardes other thinke then I pray you how bountifully you binde me towardes you vpon whome my life and death dependeth The king ending his sorowfull complaynt stopped by sobbes and sighes helde his peace And the Earle who tenderly loued his prince hearing this pitiful discourse the faythfull witnesse of his inwarde passion and not able to coniecture the occasion was maruellously troubled in himself and without longer aduise ouercome with pitie he made a liberall and very sodayne offer to the king of his lyfe his children and of all that he was able to doe Cōmaunde my soueraigne Lord quod he with wéeping teares what it shall please you to haue me to doe if it be euen to bestowe mine owne lyfe for your sake For by the fayth and foaltie that I doe owe to God and to your grace I sweare that many dayes and yeares paste I haue bounde my selfe inuiolably and all mine abilitie without exception so long as my tongue is able to sturre and my breath shall remayne within this body faythfully and truely to serue your Maiestie not onely for that my dutie bindeth me but if it were for your sake to transgresse and excéede the boundes of mine honor But the good
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