Knights that were present at this vnhappie mischance so great it was that the walles of the Monasterie ecchoed and their pittifull shrikes ascended to the heauens But none was more gréened in mind than the afflicted English Champion who like a man distraught of sense in great furie rushed amongst the people throwing them downe on euerie side till he ascended vpon the scaffold approaching the dead bodie of Lucina hee tooke her vp in his armes and with a sorrowfull and passionate voyce he said O my beloued ioy and late my only hearts delight is this the Sacrifice wherein through thy desperatenes thou hast deceiued me who loued thée more than my selfe is this the respite that thou requiredst for seauen dayes wherein thou hast concluded thy own death and my vtter confusion Oh noble Lucina and my beloued Ladie if this were thy intent why didst not thou first sacrifice mee thy Seruant and Loue wholly subiected vnto thy deuine beautie Woe be vnto mee and woe bee vnto my vnhappie enterprise for by it is she lost who was made souereigne Ladie of my heart Oh Diana accursed by this chaunce because thou hast consented to so bloodie a tragedie by the eternall powers of heauen that neuer more thou shalt be worshipped but in euerie Countrey where the English Champion commeth Lucina in thy stead shall be adored For euermore will he séek to diminish thy name and blot it from the golroll of heauen yea and vtterly extinguish it in eternitie so that there shall neuer more memorie remaine of thée for this thy bloodie Tyrannie in suffering so lamentable a Sacrifice No sooner had he deliuered these speaches but incensed with furie he drew out his sword and parted the image of Diana in two péeces protesting to ruinate the Monasterie within whose walls the deuice of this bloodie Sacrifice was concluded The sorrow and extreame gréefe of the Romane Emperour so excéeded for the murther of his Daughter that he fell to the câ—rth in a senselesse swâ—und and was carried halfe dead with gréefe by some of his knights home to his Pallace where he remained spéechles by the space of thirtie dayes The Emperour had a Sonne as valiant in armes as anie borne Italian except Saint Anthonie This young Prince whose name was Lucius seeing his sisters timeles death and by what meanes it was committed he presently intended with a traine of a hundred armed Knightes which continually attended vpon his person to assaile the discontented Champions and by force of armes to reuenge his sisters death This resolution so incouraged the Romaine Knyghtes but especially the Emperors sonne that betwixt these two companies began as terrible a battle as euer was fought by any knights the fearcenes of their blowes so excéeded the one side against the other that they did resounde ecchoes and they yeelded a terrible noyse in the great woods This battell did continue betwixt them both sharp and fierce for the space of two houres by which time the valor of the encensed Champions so preuailed that most of the Romaine knights were discomfited and slaine some had their handes pared from their shoulders some had their armes and legs lopped off and some lay breathles wâ—ltring in their owne blouds in which incounter many a Romaine Ladie lost her husband many a widowe was bereaud of her Sonne and many a childe was left fatherles to the great sorrow of the whole country But when the valiant young Prince of Roome sawe his knightes discomfited and hee lefte alone to withstand so many noble Champions he presently set spurs to his horse and fled from them like to a heape of oust forced by a whirlewinde After whom the Champions would not persue accountting it no glory to their names to triumph in the ouerthrow of a single knigâ—â— but remained still by the scaffolde where they buried the sacrificed Uirgin vnder a marble stone close by the monasterie wall The which being done to their contentments Saint George ingraued this Epitaph vppon the same stone with the point of his dagger which was in this wise following Vnder this marble stone interd doth lye Luckles Lucina of beautie bright Who to maintaine her spotles chastitie Against the assailment of an English Knight Vpon a blade her tender breast she cast A bloodie offering to Diana chast SO when hee had written this Epitaph the Christian Champions mounted vpon their swift foote stéedes bad adieu to the vnhappie Confines of Italy hoping to finde better fortune in other Countries In which trauell wee will leaue them for a time and speake of the Prince of Rome who after the discomfiture of the Romane knights fled in such hast from the furies of the warlike Champions After which hee like a starued Lion trauersed along by the Riuer of Tybris filling all places with his melancholy passions vntill such time as hee entred into a thicke groue wherein he purposed to rest hys wearie limbes and lament his misfortunes After he had in this solitarie place vnlaced his Helmet and huried it scornfully against the ground the infernal Furies began to visite him and to sting his breast with motions of fierie reuenge In the end he cast vp his wretched eyes vnto heauen and said Oh you fatall torches of the elements why are you not clad in mournâ—full abiliments to cloake my wandring steps in eternall darknes shall I be made a scorne in Rome for my cowardise or shall I return and accompanie my Romane frends in death whose bloodes me thinkes I sée sprinkled about the fields of Italy Mee thinks I heare their bléeding soules fill each corner of the earth with my base flight therefore will I not liue to bée tearmed a fearfull coward but dye couragiously by mine owne hands wherby those accursed Champions shall not obtaine the conquest of my death nor triumph in my fall This being said he drew out his dagger and ryued hys heart in sunder The newes of whose desperate death after it was bruted to his Fathers eares hée interred hys bodie with his Sister Lucinaes and erected ouer them a stately Chappell wherein the Nunnes and ceremonious Monkes during all their liues sung Dirges for his Childrens soules After this the Emperour made proclamation through all his Dominions that if anie Knight were so hardie as trauell in pursute after the English Champion by force of armes bring him backe and deliuer his head vnto the Emperour he should not onely be held in great estimation through the Land but receaue the gouernment of the Empire after his decease Which rich proffer so encouraged the mindes of diuers aduenterous Knightes that they went from sundry Prouinces in the pursute of Saint George but their attempts were all in vaine CHAP. XIIII Of the triumphs tilts and turnaments that were solemnly held in Constantinople by the Grecian Emperour and of the honorable aduentures that wer there atchiued by the christian champions with other strange accidents that happened IN the Easterne Parts of the world the fame
in sted of downie beds nightly to rest their wearie limmes vpon heapes of sun burnt messe and in sted of silken curtens and curious canopies they had the clowdes of heauen to couer them Now their naked legs and bare feet that had wont to stride the stately stéedes and to trample in fields of Pagans blood were forced to clyme the craggie mountaines and to endure the torments of pricking briers as they trauayled thorough the desert places and comfortlesse solitarie wildernesses Manie were the dangers that hapned to them in theyr Iourney before they arriued in Iudea and most princely their atchieuements and honourable their aduentures which for this time I passe ouer leauing the Champions for a time in their trauell towards the holy Sepulcher of Christ and speake what happened to Sa. Georges thrée Sonnes in visiting their Mothers Tombe in the Cittie of London CHAP. II. Of the strange giftes that S. Georges sonnes offered at their Mothers Toombe and vvhat hapned thereupon hovv her Ghost appeared to them and counselled them to the pursute of their Father also hovv the Ki. of England installed them with the honor of knighthood and furnished them vvith abiliments of vvarre THe swift foote stéedes of Titans fierie Carre had almost finished a yere since Sabraes Funerall was solemnized in which time Saint Georges thrée Sonnes had visited their Mothers Tomb oftner than there were dayes in the yeare and had shed as manie teares thereon in remembraunce of her loue as there were starres in the glistering veyle of Heauen but at last these thrée yong Princes fell at a ciuill discord and deadly strife which of them should beare the truest loue vnto their Mothers dead bodie and which of them should be held in greatest estéeme For before manie dayes were expired they concluded to offer vp thrée seuerall deuotions at her Tombe and he that deuised a gift of the rarest prize and of the straungest qualitie should bee held in the greatest honour and accompted the noblest of them all This determination was spéedily perfourmed and in so short a time accomplished that it is wonderfull to discourse The first thinking to excéed his brothers in the strangenes of his Gift made repaire vnto a cunning Inchauntresse which had her abiding in a secret caue adioyning to the Cittie whom he procured through manie rich giftes and large promises by arte to deuise a meane to get the honor from his Bretheren to haue a gift of that strange nature that all the world might wonder at the report thereof The Inchauntresse being won with his promises by her artes and magicke spells deuised a Garland contayning all the diuersitie of flowers that euer grew in earthly Gardens and though it were in the dead time of winter when as the siluer ysicles had disroabd both hearb and flower of their beauties and the Northerne snow lay fréezing on the mountaine tops yet was this Garland contriued after the fashion of a rich Imperial Crowne with as manie seuerall Flowers as euer Flora placed vppon the downes of rich Arcadia in diuersitie of colours lyke the glistering Raine-bow when as it shineth in her greatest pride and casting such an odoriferous sent and swéete sauour as though the Heauens had rained downe showers of Campheere Bisse or Amber-gréece This rare and excéeding Garland was no sooner framed by Inchauntment and deliuered into his hands but he left the Inchauntresse sitting in her Ebon chaire vpon a blocke of stéele practising her fatall artes with her hair hanging about her sholders like wreaths of snakes or inuenomed serpents and so retourned to his Mothers tombe where he hung it vppon a pillar of siluer that was placed in the middle of the Monument The second Brother likewise repaired to the Tombe and brought in his hand an yuorie Lute wheron he plaid such inspiring melodie that it séemed like the harmony of Angels or the celestiall musique of Apollo when hee descended heauen for the loue of Daphne whom hee turned into a Bay trée The musicke being finished he tied ys Lute in a damaske scarffe and with great humilitie hee hung it at the west ende of the Tombe vppon a knobbe of Iasper stone Lastly the third Brother likewise repaired with no outward deuotion or worldly gift but clad in a vesture of white silke bearing in his hand an instrument of death like an innocent Lambe going to sacrifice or one readie to be offered for the loue of his mothers soule This strange manner of repaire caused his other brothers to stand attentiuely and with vigilant eyes to behold the conclusion First after he had submissiuely and with great humilitie let fall a shower of siluer teares from the cesternes of his eyes in remembrance of his Mothers timeles tragedie he prickt his naked breast with a siluer bodkin the which he brought in his hand from which there trickeled downe some thirtie drops of blood which he after offered vp to his Mothers Tombe in a siluer bason as an euident signe that there can be nothing more dearer nor of more precious price than to offer vp his owne blood for her loue This ceremonious gift caused his two other Brothers to swell in hatred like two chased Lions and with furie to run vpon him intending to catch him by the haire of the head and to drag him round about their Mothers Tomb till his braines were dasht against the marble pauement and his blood sprinkled vppon her graue but this wicked enterprize so mooued the Maiestie of heauen that ere they could accomplish their intents or staine their hands in his blood they heard as it were y e noyse of dead mens bones ratling in the ground And thereupon looking fearfully about the Toombe seemed of it selfe to open and thereout to appeare a most terrible and ghastly shapâ— pale like vnto ashes in countenance resembling theyr Mother with her breast besmeard in blood and her bodie wounded with a hundred scarres and so with a dismall rufull looke she spake vnto her desperate Sonnes in thys manner Oh you degenerate from Natures kinde why doo you séeke to make a murther of your selâ—es can you indure to sée my bodie rent in twaine my heart split in sunder and my wombe dismembred Abate this furie staine not your hands with your owne bloods nor make my Tombe a spectacle of more death Unite your selues in concord that my discontented soule may sléepe in peace and neuer more be troubled with your vnbridled humours Make hast I say and arme your selues in stéeled corslets and follow your valiant Father to Ierusalem for he is there in danger and distresse of life Away I say or els my angry ghost shall neuer leaue this world but haunt you vp and downe with gastly visions This being said she vanished from their sight lyke to the brictlâ— ayre whereat for a time they stood amazed and almost distraught of their wits thorough the terrour of her words but at last recouering their former senses they all vowed by the
a great verie blacke clowde appeare in the skies which was broght by terrible and hastie windes in the which he tooke them vp both and brought them into this inchaunted Castle where euer since they haue remained in this Tombe cruelly tormented with vnquenchable fire and must eternally continue in the same extremitie except some curteous Knight will vouchsafe to giue but thrée blowes vpon the Tombe and breake the inchauntment Thus haue you heard you magnanimious Knights the true discourse of my vnhappie fortunes For the virgine which for the true loue she bore vnto her Ladie was committed to this torment is my selfe and this pale body lying vpon the Tombe is the vnhappie Babylonian King which vnnaturally murthered his owne Daughter and the Magitian which committed al these villanies is that accursed wretch which by his charmes and diuellish Enchauntments hath so strangely withstood your valiant incounters These words were no sooner finished but Sa. George drew out his sharpe cutting sword and gaue thrée blowes vpon the inchaunted Tombe whereat presentlye appeared the Babylonian King standing before him attyred in rich robes with an Emperiall Diadem vpon his head the Ladie standing by him with a countenance more beutifull than the damaske Rose When Saint George beheld them he was not able to speake for ioy nor to vtter his minde so excéeding was the pleasure that he tooke in their sights So without anie long circumstance he tooke them betwixt both his hands and led them into the chamber whereas hee found the other Knights newly risen from their beds To whom hée reuealed the true discourse of the passed Aduenture and by what meanes he redéemed the King and the Lady from their inchauntments which to them was as great ioye as before it was to Saint George So after they had for some sixe dayes refreshed themselues in the castle they generaly intended to accompany the Babilonian King into his Countrey and to place him againe in his Regiment In which trauel we wil leaue the Christian knights to the conduction of Fortune and returne againe vnto Rosana whom as you heard before departed from the Castle in the pursute of her disloyal father of whose strange accidents shall be spoken in this following Chapter CHAP. XII How the Knight of the Blacke Castle after the conquest of the same by the christian chaÌ„pions wandred vp and downe the vvorld in great terror of conscience and after hovv he was found in a wood by his own daughter in whose presence he desperately slew himselfe with other accidents that after hapned YOu doo well remember when that that the Christian champions had slaine the seuen Giants in the inchanted castle and had made conquest thereof disloyall Leoger being lord of the same secretly fled not for anie anger of the losse but for the preseruation of his life So in great gréefe and terror of conscience he wandred like a fugitiue vp and downe y e world sometimes remembring of his passed prosperitie other times thinking vpon the rapes he had committed how disloyally in former times he had left the Quéene of Armenia big with Childe bearing in her wombe the staine of her honour and the confusion of his reputation Sometime his guiltie minde imagined that the bléeding ghosts of the two Sisters whom he both rauished and murthered followed him vp and downe haunting his ghost with fearfull exclamations and filling each corner of the earth with clamours of reuengement Such feare and terrour raged in his soule that he thought all places where he trauelled were filled with multitudes of of Knightes and that the strength of Countries pursued him to heape vengeance vpon his guiltye head for those wronged Ladyes Whereby hee curssed the hower of his birth and blamed the cause of his creation wishing the Heauens to consume his bodye with a flashe of fire or that the earth would gape and swallowe him In this manner trauelled he vp and downe filling all places with Ecchoes of his sorrowes and griefe which brought him into such a perplexitie that many times hee would haue slaine himselfe and haue ridde his wretched soule from a worlde of mizeries But it happened that one morning very early by the first light of Titans golden toarch he entred into a narow and straight path which conducted him into a very thicke and solitarie Forrest wherein with much sorrowe he trauelled till suche time as glistring Phoebus had passed the halfe parte of his iorney And beeing wearye with the longe waye and the greate waighte of his Armour hee was forced to take some rest and ease vnder certaine freshe and gréene Myrtle trées whose leaues did bathe themselues in a faire and cleare Fountaine whose streame made a bubling murmure on the pebble Béeing set he began a newe to haue in remembrance his former coÌ„mitted cruelty and complaining of Fortune he published his great griefe and although he was weary of complaining and séeing hinselfe without all remidy he resolued like vnto the Swan to sing awhile before his dâ—ath and so thinking to giue some ease vnto his tormented heart he warbled forth these verses following Mournfull Melpomine approach with speed and shew thy sacred face with teares bespreÌ„t Let all thy sisters harts vvith sorrovv bleed To heare my plaints and rufull discontent And vvith your moanes svveet Muses all assist My vvailfull song that doth on vvoe consist And then I may at large paint out my paine Within these desert groues and vvildernesse And after I haue ended to complaine They may record my vvoes and deep distres Except these myrtle trees relentles bee They vvill vvith sobs assist the sighes of mee Time vveares out life it is reported so And so it may I vvill it not denie Yet haue I tride long time this do knovve Time giues no ende to this my miserie But rather fortune time and heauens agree To plague my hart vvith vvoe eternally ye siluan nimphs that in thes wods do shroud To you my mournfull sorrovves I declare You sauage satyrs let your eares be bound to heaare my woe your sacred selues prepare Trees herbs flowrs in rural fields that groe While thus I morne do you some silence sho Sweet Philomel cease thou thy songs a vvhile And vvill thy mate their melodies to leaue And all at once attend my mournfull stile vvhich vvil of mirth yor sugred notes bereaue If you desire the burthen of my Song I sigh and sob for Ladies I did vvrong You furious Beasts that feed on montains hye And restlesse run with rage your pray to find Dravve nere to him vvhose brutish crueltye Hath cropt the bud of Virgins chaste kind This onely thing yet rests to comfort mee Repentance comes a while before I dye Since heauens agree for to increase my care What hope haue I for to enioy delight Sith fates and fortune do themselues prepare To vvork against my soule their full despight I know no meanes to yeild my hart reliefe But only death which can desolue my
that after this it may be called a place of dead mens wandring ghosts But fond wretch why doo I thus lament in vaine and bathe her bléeding bodie with my teares when gréefe by no meanes will recall her life Yet this shall satisfie her soule for I will goe a Pilgrimage vnto Ierusalem offer vp my teares to Iesus Christ vpon his blessed Sepulcher by which my stained soule may be washt from this bloody guilt which was the causer of this sorrowfull dayes mishappe These sorrowfull words were no sooner ended but hée tooke her bléeding limmes betwéene his fainting armes and gaue a hundred kisses vpon her dying coloured lips retayning yet y e colour of Alablaster new washt in purple blood and in this extasie a while lying gaue waye to others to vnfold their woes But his Sonnes whose sorrowes wer as great as his protested neuer to neglect one day but duly wéepe a sea of teares vpon their Mothers graue till from the Earth did spring some mournfull flower to beare remembrance of her death as did the Uiolet that sprung from chast Adonis blood when Venus wept to sée him slaine Likewise the other sixe Champions that all the time of their lamentations stood like men drownd in the depth of sorrow began now a little to recouer themselues and after protested by the honour of true Knighthood and by the Spur and golden Garter of S. Georges leg to accompanie him vnto the holy Land bare footed without either hose or shoo onely clad in russet gaberdines like the vsuall Pilgrimes of the world and neuer to returne till they haue payd their vowes vpon that blessed Sepulcher Thus in this sorrowful manner wearied they the time away filling the woods with Echoes of their lamentations and recording their dolors to the whistling windes but at last when blacke Night began to approach and with her sable mantles to ouer-spred the christall firmament they retyred with her dead bodie backe to the Citie of London where the report of this tragicall accident drowned their friends in a sea of sorrow for the newes of her timelesse death was no sooner bruted abroad but the same caused both olde and young to lament the losse of so swéete a Ladie The siluer headed age that had wont in scarlet gownes to méete in Councell sat now at home in discontented griefes the gallant youths and comely virgins that had wont to beautefie the stréetes with costlye garments went drouping vp and downe in blacke and mournfull vestures and those remorcelesse hearts that sildome were opprest with sorrow now constrained their eyes like fountaines to distill a floud of brinish and pearly teares This generall griefe of the Citizens continued for the space of thirtie dayes at the ende whereof Saint George with his Sonnes and the other Champions interred her bodie verie honourably and erected ouer the same a â—ith and costly Monument in sumptuous state like the toomb of Mausolus which was called one of the Wonders of the World or like to the Pyramides of Greece which is a staine to all Architectures for thereon was portrayed the Quéene of Chastitie with her Maydens bathing themselues in a christall Fountaine as a witnesse of her wondrous Chastitie against the lustfull assailements of manie a Knight Thereon was also most liuely pictured a Turtle-doue sitting vpon a trée of gold in signe of the true loue that she bore to her betrothed husband Also a siluer coloured Swan swimming vpon a Christall riuer as a token of her beautie for as the Swan excelleth al other fowles in whitenes so she for beautie excelled all Ladies in the world I leaue to speake of the curious workmanship of the pinacles that were framed all of the purest â—eat the pummels of siluer and Iasper stones Also I omit the Pendants of gold the Scutchions of Princes the Armes of Countreyes that beautefied her Toombe the discourse whereof requires an Oratours eloquence or a penne of golde dipt in the dew of Hellicon or Pernassus Hill whereas the Muses doo inhabit Her Statue or Picture was carued cunningly in alablaster and layd as it were vppon a pillow of gréene silke like vnto Pigmalâ—ons yuorie Image and directly ouer the same hung a siluer Tablet whereon in letters of golde was this Epitaph written Here lies the vvonder of this vvorldly age For beautie vvit and princely maiestie Whom spitefull death in his imperious rage Procurde to fall through ruthlesse crueltie In leauie sports within a fragrant wood Vpon a thornie brake she spilt her blood Let Virgins pure and Princes of great might With siluer perled teares imbalme this tomb Accuse the fatall sisters of despight For blasting thus the pride of natures bloom For here she sleeps within this earthly graue whose worth deserues a golden tomb to haue Seauen yeares she kept her sweet Virginitie In absence of her true betrothed Knight When thousands did perceiue her chastitie Whilst he remaind in prison daye and night But yet we see that things of purest prize Forsakes the earth to dwell aboue the skies Maidens come mourne with dolefull melody And make this monument your setled bower Here shed your brackish teares eternally Lament both yere month week day hower For here she rests whose like can nere be fouÌ„d Her beauties pride lyes buried in the ground Her wouÌ„ded hart that yet doth freshly bleed Hath causd seuen knights a iourny for to take To faire Ierusalem in Pilgrimes weed The furie of her angrie ghost to slake Because their siluane sports was chiefest guilt And onely cause her blood was timeles spilt Thus after the Toomb was erected and the Epitaph ingrauen in a siluer Tablet and al things performed according to Saint Georges direction he left his Sonnes in the Cittie of London vnder the gouernment of the English King and in companie of the other sixe Champions he tooke his iourney towards Ierusalem They were attired after the manner of Pilgrimes in russet gaberdines downe to their foote in their hands they bore staues of Ebon wood tipt at the endes with siluer the pikes whereof were of the strongest Lydian stéele of such a sharpnes that they were able to pierce a target of Tortoys shell vppon their breasts hung Crosses of crimson silke to signifie that they were Christian Pilgrimes trauelling to the Sepulcher of Christ. In this manner set they forward from England in the Spring time of the yeare when Flora had beautefied the earth with Natures tapestrie and made their passages as pleasant as the Gardens of Hesperides adorned with all kinde of odoriferous flowers When as they crossed the seas the siluer waues séemed to lye as smoothe as christal yce and the Dolphins to daunce aboue the waters as a signe of a prosperous iourney In trauelling by land the wayes séemed so short and easie and the chirping melody of birdes made them such musique as they passed that in a short season they arriued beyond the borders of Christendome and had entred the confines of Africa There were they forced
with mine owne blood the which my faintfull tongue is not able to reueale and thereupon hee pulled from his bossome a golden couered booke with siluer claspes and requested Saint George to read it to the rest of the kinghts to which he willingly condescended so sitting downe amongst the other Champions vpon the gréene springing grasse hee opened the bloudy written booke and read ouer the contents which contained these sorrowful wordes following CHAP. VI. What hapned to the Champions after they haâ— found an Image of fine Cristaâ—l in the forme of a murthered Mayden where Saint Gâ—orge had a golden Booke giuen him wherein was written in blood the true Tragedâ—es of two Sisters and likewise how the Champions intended a speedy reuenge vpon the Knight of the blacke Castle for the deaths of the two Ladies IN former times whilste Fortune smilde vpon me I was a welthye Shéepheard dwelling in this vnhappye Countrye not onely held in great estimation for my welth but also for two faire Daughters which nature had mad most excellent in beautie in whome I tooke such excéeding ioy delight that I accounted them my chiefest happinesse but yet in the end that which I thought should most content me was the occasion of this my endles sorrowes My two Daughters as I said before were endued with wonderfull beauty and accompanyed with no lesse honestie the fame of whose virtues was so blazed into many partes of the worlde by reason whereof there repayred to my Shéepheards Cottage diuers strange and worthye Knights with greate desire to marrie with my Daughters But aboue them all there was one named Leoger the knight of the blacke Castle wherein he now remayneth beeing in distance from this place some two hundreth leagues in an Island incompassed with the sea This Leoger I say being so entrapped with the beautye of my Daughters that he desired me to giue him one of them in mariage but â— little mistrusting his treason and crueltie that after followed but rather considering the greate honor that might râ—dounde thereof for that he was a woorthy knight and of much fortitude I quickly fulfilled his desire and graunted to him my eldest Daughter in mariage where after that Hâ—meus holy rites were solemnized in great pomp and state she was conducted in company of her new wedded Lord to the blacke Castle more liâ—â—r a Princâ—sse in estate then a shéepheards daughter of such degrée But yet still I retained in my company the youngest beeing of farre more beautie then her elder Sister of which this trayterous and vnnaturall knight was informed and her surpassing beauty so extolled that in a small time he forgot his new maried wife and swéet companion and wholly surrendred himselfe to her loue without consideration that he had maried her other sister So this disordinate and lustful loue kindled and increased in him euery day more and more and hee was so troubled with this new desire that he dayly deuised with himselfe by what meanes he might obtaine her and kéepe her in dispite of all the World in the end he vsed this policie and deceipt to get her home into his Castle for when the time grewe on that my eldest daughter his wife should bee deliuered hee came in great pompe with a stately traine of followers to my cottage and certified me that his wife was deliuered of a goodly â—oy and thereupon requestest me with very faire and louing wordes that I woulde let my daughter goe vnto her sister to giue her that contentment which she desired for shee did loue her more déer 〈◊〉 then her owne soule Thus his craftie and subtil perswations so much preuailed that I coulde not frame any excuse to the contrarie but muste néedes consent to his demaund so straight way when hee had in his power that which his soule so much desired hee presently departed giuing me to vnderstand that hee would carry her to hys wife for whose sight she had so much desired and at whose comming she would receiue great ioy and contentment her sodaine departure bred such sorrow in my heart â—eing the onely comfort and stay of my declyned age that the fountaines of my eyes rained downe a shewer of Salt teares vpon my aged brest so deare is the loue of a father vnto his child but to be short when this lustfull minded catiffe with his pompious traine came in sight of his Castle he commaunded his companie to ride forwards that with my daughter hee might secretly conferre of serious matters and so staide lingring behinde till hee sawe his company almost out of sight and they two alone together he found oportunitie to accomplish his lustful desires and so rode into a little groue which was hard at hande close by a riuers side where without any more tarying he caried her into the thickest part thereof where he thought it most conuenient to performe so wicked a déede When he behelde the branches of the thicke trées to withholde the light of heauen from them and that it séemed a place ouerspred with the sable mantles of night he alighted from his horse and willed my welbeloued daughter that shee should likewise alight shee in whose heart raigned no kinde of suspition presently alighted and sate her downe by the riuers side and washed her faire white handes in the streames and refreshed her mouth with the christall waters Then this dessembling Traitor coulde no longer refraine but with a countenance like the lustfull King of Thrace when hee intended the rauishment of Progne or like Tarquinius of Roame when he defloured Lucrecia he let her vnderstand by some outward shewes and darke sentences the kindled fire of loue that burned in his hart and in the end he did wholy declare his deuilish pretence and determined purpose So my louing daughter being troubled in minde with his lustfull assaylements beganne in manner to reprehend him will you said she defile my sisters bedde and staine the honor of your house with lust will you bereaue me of that precious Iewell the which I holde more déerer then my life and blot my true Uirginitie with your false desires brought you me from the comfortable sight of my Father to bee a ioy vnto my Sister and will you florish in the spoile of my true chastitie looke looke imoderate Knight I will not call thée brother looke I say how the heauens doe blush at thy attempts and see how chaste Diana sits vpon the winged firmaments and threatens vengeance for her Uirgins sake washe from thy heart these lustfull thoughts with shewers of thy repentant teares and séeke not thus to wrong thy mariage bed the which thou oughst not to violate for all the kingdomes in the World Then this accursed Knight séeing the chaste and vertuous maiden to stand so boldely in the defence of her Uirginitie with his rigorus hand hee tooke fast holde by her necke and with a wrathfull countenance hee deliuered these words do not think stubbern damsel to preserue thy honor from
the staine of my desires for I sweare by the christall Towers of Heauen either to accomplish my intent or put thée vnto the cruelâ—est death that euer was deuised for anye damsell or maide at which wordes the most sorrowfull and disstressed Uirgin with a shewer of Pearled teares trickling downe her seemely blushing cheekes replyed in this order Thinke not false Traytor quoth she that feare of death shall cause me to yéeld to thy filthy desires no no I will accompt that stroak ten times happy and more welcome to my soule then the ioyes of wedlocke then might I walke in the Elizian fields amongst those dames that dyed true virgins and liue to behold the budde of my maydens glory withered with the nypping frostes of thy vnnaturall desires These wordes being well vnderstoode by the lustfull knight who with a countenance more furious then the sauage Lyons in the Deserts of Libia tooke her by the slender waste and rigorously dasht her body against the ground and therewithall spake these words Understand sâ—id he and be well perswaded thou vnrelenting damsell that either liuing or dead I will performe my will and pretended purpose for in my hart there burnes a fire that all the water in the Seas can neuer quench nor all the driâ—â—ing clouds of heauen if they should drop eternal shewers of raine but it is the water of thy swéet Uirginity that must quench my furious burning loue and thereupon in a madnes he cut off a great part of the traine of her gowne and bound it very fast to the hayre of her head which glistered like to golden wyers and dragâ—d her vp and downe the groue till the gréene grasse turned to a purple color with the bloud that issued from her body by which crueltie he thought to inforce her to hys pleasure but she respecting not his wicked crueltie and the more he procured to torment her the more earnestly she defended her honor When this cruell and inhumaine monster saw that neither his flattering spéeches nor his cruell threates were of sufficiencie to preuaile hee beganne to forget all faith and loyaltie he ought vnto the honor of Knighthood and the respect he should beare vnto women kinde but blâ—sphemed against heauen and tearing her cloathes al to peeces hee stripped her starke naked and with the haynes of the bridle of his horse he cruelly whipped and scurged her white and tender bacâ—e that it was full of blewe spoâ—tes and horrible circles of blacke and settled bloud with such extreame crueltie that it was a very gréeuous and sorrowfull sight to behold And yet this did profite him nothing at all for she continued in her former râ—solution He seeing that she still perseuerd in the defence of her honor he straight waies like a bloudy monster heaped crueltie vpon câ—uâ—ltie then he tooke and bound her wel prâ—portioned legs and christeline armes gréeuously vnto a withered trée saying Oh cruel and more cruell then any woman in all the world hath euer béene why dost then suffer thy selfe to bee thus tormented and not gâ—ue consâ—nt to procure my ease Dost thou thinke it better to indure this marterdome then to liue a moste louing swéete and contented life and therewithall his anger so increased that he stood staring on her face with his accuâ—sed eyes fixed in such sort that he could not withdraw them backe The which being perceiued by this distressed Uirgin as one farre more desirous of death then of life with a furious voyce she said Oh thou traitor thou wicked monster thou vtter enemy to all humanitie thou shamelesse creature more cruell then the Lyons in the desertes of Hercania thou staine of Knighthood and the blondiest wretch that euer nature framed in the worlde wherein dost thou contemplate thus thy self thou fleshly butcher thou vâ—mercifull Tyger thou letcherous hogge and dishonorer of thy progenâ—e make an end I say of these my torments for it is now too late to repent thee gore my vnspotted brest with thy bloudy weapon and send my soule into the bossome of Diâ—na whome I behold sitting in the celestiall pallace of heauen accompanied with numberles troops of vestal Uirgins ready to entertaine my bleeding goast into her glorious Mansion This vnpitifull knight séeing the stedfastnesse that she had in the defence of her honor with a cruell and infernall heart he tooke a silken scarfe which the Damsell had girded at her waste and with a brutall anger doubled it about her necke and pinched it so straight that her soule departed from her teresticall body O you valiant Knights that by your Prowes comes to the reading of this dismal Tragidy and comes to the hearing of these bloudy lines contained in this golden booke consider the great constancie and chastitie of this vnfortunate maiden and let the griefe thereof mooue you to take vengeance of this crueltie shewed without any desert So when this infernall minded Knight sawe that shée was dead he tooke his horse and rode after his company and in a short time he ouer tooke them and looked with so furious and Irefull a countenance that there was none durst be so hardy to aske him where my daughter was but one of his Squiers that bore me great affection for the kindnes and curtesie I ostended to him at his Ladyes and my daughters nuptials hauing a suspition by the great alteration that appeared in his Master and being very desirous to know what was become of the damsell for that he came alone without bringing the Damsell with him neyther could he haue any sight of her he then presently withdraw himselfe backe and followed the footings of the horse hee ceased not vntill hee came to the place where this crueltie was wrought whereas he found the maiden dead at the vewe whereof he remained almost beside himselfe in such sorte that hee had almost fallen to the ground The sorrowfull Squire remained a good while before he could speake but at last when he came againe to himselfe he began with a dolorous complaint crying out against the gods and fortune because they had suffered so great a crueltie to be committed vpon this damsell And making this sorrowfull lamentation he vnloosed her from the trée and layd her naked body vppon part of her apparell the which hee found lying by all besmear'd in blood and afterwarde complained in this pitifull sort O cruell Knight quoth he what an infernall hart remained in thy brest or what hellish furie did beare thee company that thy hands hath committed this inhumane sacrifice was it not sufficient that this her surmounted beauty might haue moued thée to pitty when it is of power to moue the bloody Camibal to remorse and constraine the sauage monsters to relent so with these and other like sorrowfull words that the wofull Squire spake vnto the dead corpes he cut downe branches from the trées and gathered grasse from the ground for to couer the body and left it lying so that it séemed to be a mountaine
the ioyful bankes of Elizian fields but wander vp and downe the worlde filling each corner of the earth with fearefull clamors of murder and reuenge nor neuer shall the furies of my angry soule bee pacified vntill my eyes beholde a streame of purple gore run trickling from the detestable brest of that accursed rauisher and that the bloud may issue from his guiltie heart like a fountaine with a hundred springes whereby the pauements of his Castle may be sprinckled with the fame and the wals of his Turrettes colored with a crimson hew like to the stréetes of Troy when as her chanels ran with bloudâ— at the end of this sorrowfull lamentation what for griefe and what for want of natural rest my eyes closed together and my sences fell into a heauy sléepe But as I say slumbring in the gréene meadowes I dreamed that there was a great and fierce wilde man which stood before me with a sharp faushion in his hand making as though he would kill me wherat me thought I was so frighted that I gaue in my troublesome dreams many terrible shréekes calling for succour to the emptie ayre Then me thought there apperred before my face a company of curteous Knightes which saide vnto mee feare not old man for we be come from the soules of thy daughters to aide and succour thée but yet for all this the wilde man vanished not away but stroke with his faushion vppon my brest whereat it sâ—â—med to open and howe that the wilde centaure put his hande into the wounde and pulled out my heart so straight at the same instant mee thought that one of the Knightes lykewise layde hold vpon my hart and stroue together with much contention who should pull it from the others handes but in the end each of them remained with a péece in his hand and my heart parted in two Then the péece which remained in the wilde mans power turned into a hard stone and the péece which remained in the power of the Knight conuerted into redde bloud and so they vanished away Then straight after this there appeared before my eyes the Image of my murthered daughter in the selfe same manner and forme as you behold her héere portrayed who with a naked bodie all besmear'd in bloud reported vnto mee the true discourse of her vnhappie fortunes and tolde me in what place and where her body lay in the woods dishonored for want of buriall Also desiring me not of my selfe to attempt the reuengement for it was impossible but to intombe her corpes by her mother and cause the picture of her body to bee moste liuely portraied and wrought of fine christall in the same manner that I found it in the woods and after errect it néere vnto a common passage where aduenterous Knights do vsually trauaile Also assuring mee that thether shoulde come certaine christian Champions that should reuenge my iniuries and inhumane murther Which words being finished me thought she vanished away with a gréeuous and heauie grone leauing behinde her certaine droppes of bloud sprinkled vpon the grasse Whereat with great perplexitie and more sorrow I awaked out of my dreame bearing it in my greeuous minde not reuealing it not so much as to the brittle ayre but with all expedition performing her bléeding soules request Where euer since most curteous and noble Knights I haue héere lamented her vntimely death and my vnhappie fortune spending the time in writing her doleful Tragidy in bloud red lines the which I knowe to your great griefe you haue read in this book of gold Therfore most curteous Knights if euer honor incouraged you to fight in Noble aduentures I now most earnestly intreate you with your magnanimious fortitudes to assist me to take reuengement for the greate crueltie that hath béene vsed against my vnfortunate daughter At the reading of this sorrowfull historie Saint George with the other Champions did shed many teares wherewith there did increase in theÌ„ a further desire of reuengement and being moued with great compassion they protested by their promisses made to the honor of Knighthood to perseuer spéedily on their vowed reuenge and determined purpose also calling heauen to be witnesse to their plighted oathes protesting that sooner shoulde the liues of all the famous Romaines bee raised from death from the time of Romulus to Caeser and all the rest vnto this time then to be perswaded to returne from their promisses and neuer to trauell backe into Christendome till they had performed their vowes and thus burning with desire to sée the end of this sorrowfull aduenture Saint George clapped vp the bloudy written booke and gaue it againe to the Shepheard and so they procéeded forwards towards the Iland where the Knight of the black Castle had his residence guided onely by the direction of the old man whose aged limbes séemed so lusty in traueling that it prognosticated a luckie euent In which iorney wee will leaue the Champions for a time with the wonderfull prouision that the Knight of the blacke Castle made in his defence the successe whereof will be the strangest that euer was reported and returne and speake of Saint Georges thrée Sonnes in the persute of their Father where we left them as you heard before traueling from the Confines of Barbarie where they redéemed the Normaine Lady from the Tawny Moores CHAP. VI. A wonderfull and strange aduenture that hapned to Saint George his Sonnes in the persute of their Father by finding certaine droppes of bloud with Virgins hayre scattered in the fieldes and how they were certified of the iniurious dealing of the Knight of the blacke Castle against the Queene of Armenia MAny and dangerous were the aduentures of the thrée valiant Princes in the persute of their father Saint George and many were the Countries Ilands and Princes Courts that they searched to obtaine a wished sight of his martiall countenance but all to small purpose for fortune neither cast them happilie vpon that coast where he with his famous Champions had their residence nor luckily sounded in their eares the places of their arriuals In which persute I omit and passe ouer many Noble aduentures that these thrée Princes atchiued as well vpon the raging ocians as vpon the firme Land and wholie discourse vppon an accident that hapned to them in an Iland bordering vpon the confines of Armenia néere vnto the Iland where the Knight of the blacke Castle remained as you heard in the last Chapter vpon which coast after they were arriued they trauelled in a broad and straight path vntill such time as they came to a verie faire and delectable forrest where as sundry chirping birdes had gathered themselues together to refreshe and shrowd themselues from the parching heat of the golden Sunne filling the ayre with the pleasures of their siluer tuned notes In this Forrest they trauelled almost two howers and then they went vp to a small mountaine which was at hand from the which they discouered very faire and wel towered townes
haue my heart parted in twaine by the handes of him that is my greatest enemie then to remaine without your companie swéete mother let these my youthfull yéeres and this my gréene budding beauty incourage you still to reuiue and not to leaue me comfortles like an exile in the world but if the gloomy fates doe triumph in your death and abridge your breathing ayre of life and that your soule must néedes goe wander in the Elizian shades with Trufas shaddowe and with Didoes ghost héere doe I protest by the greate and tender loue I beare you and by the due obedience that I owe vnto your age either to deliuer this your letter into the hands of my vnkinde father or with these my ruthful fingers rent my heart in sunder and before I will forget my vow the siluer streamed Tygris shall forsake her course the sea her tides and the glistering Quéene of night her vsuall changes neither shal any forgetfulnes be an occasion to withdraw my minde from performing your dying requestes Then this weak Quéene whose power and strength was wholie decaied and that her houre of death drew néere at hand with a féeble voice she said O you sacred immortal Gods and all you bright celestiall powers of heauen iâ—to your deuine bosomes now do I commend my dying soule asking no other reuengmeÌ„t against y e causer of my death but that he may die like mée for want of loue After this the dead Quéene neuer spake word more for at that instant the cruell destinies gaue end vnto her life but when Rosana perceiued her to be dead and she left to the world deuoide of comfort shée began to teare the golden tramels from her head and most furiouslye to beat her white and yuorie brest filling the emptie ayre with clamors of her mones and making the skies like an eccho to resound her lamentations and at last taking her mothers letter in her hands washing it with flouds of teares and putting it next vnto her naked brest she said héer lye thou neare adioining to my bléeding heart neuer to be remoued vntil I haue performd my mothers dying testiment O work and the last worke of those her white and yuorie hands heere doe I sweare by the honor of true Uirgins not to part it from my bléeding bosom vntil such time as loue hath rent the disloyall heart of my vnkinde father and in speaking this shée kissed it a thousand times breathing forth millions of sighes and straight with a blushing countenance as radient as Auroras glistring beames she arose said what is this Rosana dost thou thinke to recall thy mothers life with ceremonious complaints and not performe that which by her was commanded thée arise arise I say gather vnto thy selfe strength and courage and wander vp and downe the world till thou hast found thy disloyal Father as thy true heart hath promised to doe These words being no sooner finished but Saint Georges Sonnes like men whose hearts were almost ouercome with griefe came from the pine trees and discouered themselues to the Damsell and curteously requested her to discourse the storie of all her passed mizeries and as they were true christian knights they promised her if it lay in their powers to release her sorrows and to giue end vnto her mizeries This Rosana when shée behelde these curteous and well dâ—meanur'd knights which in her conceit caried relenting mindes and how kindly they desired to be partners in her griefes she stood not vpon curious tearmes nor vpon vaine â—xceptions but most willingly condescended to their requests so when they had prepared their eares to entertaine her sad and sorrowfull discourse with a sober countenance shee began in this manner Lately I was quoth she whilst fortune smild vpon me the onely childe and daughter of this liueles Quéene that you beholde héer lying dead and she before my birth whilst heauen graunted her prosperitie was the maiden Quéene of a Countrie called Armenia adioyning neare vnto this vnhappie Iland whome in her yong yéeres when her beautie began to florish and her high renowne to mount vpon the wings of fame she was intrapped with the golden baite of blind Cupid so intangled with the loue of a disloyall knight cal'd the Knight of the black Castle who after he had florisht in the spoyle of her Uirginitie and had left his fruitful seede springing in her womb grew wearie of his loue and most discurteously left her as a shame vnto her Countrie and a staine vnto her kindred and after gaue himself to such lustfull and lasciuious manner of life that hee vnlawfullie maried a shepheards daughter in a forraine land and likewise rauished her own sister and after committed her most in humane slaughter in a solitarie woode this being done he fortified himselfe in his blacke Castle onely consorted with a cunning Nigromancer whose skill in magick is so excellent that al the knights in the world can neuer conquere the Castle where euer since hee hath remained in despight of the whole earth But now speake I of the tragical storie of my vnhappy mother when as I her vnfortunate babe beganne first to strugle in her womb wherin I wold I had bene strangled she heard newes of her knights ill demeanure and how he had wholly giuen himself to the spoile of virginitie and had for euer left her loue neuer intending to returne again the grief wherof so troubled her mind that she could not in any wise desemble it for vpoÌ„ a time being amongst her Ladies calling to remembrance her spotted Uirginitie and the séede of dishonor planted in her wombe she felt into a wonderfull and strange traunce as though she had béen oppressed with sodain death which when her Ladies and damsels beheld they presently determined to vnbrace her rich ornaments and to carrie her vnto her bed but she made signes with her handes that they should depart and leaue her alone whose commaundement they strait way obayed not without great sorrow of them all their loues were so déere This afflicted Quéen when she saw that she was alone began to exclaime against her fortune reuealing the fates with bitter exclamations O vnconstant Quéene of chance said shee thou that hast warped such strange webs in my kingdom thou that gauest my honor to that tirants lust which without al remorse hath left me comfortles t is thou that didst constraine me to set my life to sale to sel my honor as it were with the crier compelling me to do that which hath spotted my Princely estate and stain'd my bright honor with blacke infamie woe is me for my virginity y t which my parents gaue me charge to haue respect vnto but I haue carelessely kept it smally regarded iâ— I will therefore so chastice my body for thus forgetting of my selfe and be so reuenged for the little regarde that I haue made of my honour that it shall be an example to all noble Ladyes and Princes of high estate
armor and to search about the Castle to sée if hee might finde the place that harbored the Knight that made such sorrowfull lamentation So going vp and downe she by corners of the Castle all the latter part of the night without finding the aduenture of this strange voice or disturbance by any other meanes but that he was hindred from his naturall and quiet sléepes but by the breake of day when the darke night bâ—gan to withdraw her sable curtaines and to giue Aurora libertie to explayne her purple brightnesse he entred into a foure square parlor hunge rounde about with blacke cloth and other mournfull habiliments where on the one side of the same he sawe a tombe all couered likewise with blacke and vppon it there lay a man with a pale colour who at certaine times gaue moste meruelous and gréeuous sighes caused by the burning flames that procéeded from vnder the tombe being such that it séemed that his body therewith should bee conuerted into coales the flame thereof was so stincking that it made Saint George somewhat to retyre himselfe from the place where hee sawe that horrible and fearefull spectacle He which lay vpon the tombe casting his eyes aside espied Saint George and knowing him to be a humane creature with an inflicted voyce he said Who art thou Sir Knight that art come into this place of sorrow where nothing is heard but clamors of feare and terror But tell me said Saint George who art thou that with so much griefe dast demaund of me that which I stand in doubt to reueale to thée I am the King of Babilon answered hee which without all consideration with my cruell hand did pearce through the white and dilicate brest of my beloued daughter woe be to me and woe vnto my soule therefore for shee at once did pay her offence by death but I a most mizerable wretch with many tormentes doe dye lyuing When this worthy Champion Saint George was about to answere him he saw come foorth from vnder the tombe a damsell who had her hayre of a yellow and wan colour hanging downe about her shoulders and by her face she séemed that she should be verie strangely afflicted with tormentes and with a sorrowfull voyce shee said Oh vnfortunate Knight what doest thou séeke in this infernall lodging where cannot be giuen thée any other pleasure but mortall torment and there is but one thing that can cleare thée from them and this cannot be tolde thée by any other but by me yet I will not expresse it except thou wilt graunt mee one thing that I will aske of thée The English Champion that with a sad countenaunce stood beholding of the sorrowful damsel and being greatly amazed at the sight which he had séene answered and said The Gods which are gouernours of my liberty wil doe their pleasures but touching the graunt of thy request I neuer denied any lawfull thing to either Lady or Gentle woman but with all my power and strength I was ready to fulfill the same therefore demaunde what thy pleasure is for I am readie in all thinges that toucheth thy remedie And with that the damsell threw her selfe into that sepulcher and with a gréeuous voice she said Nowe moste curteous Knight performe thy promise strike but thrée stroakes vpon this fatall tombe and thou shalt deliuer vs from a world of mizeries and likewise make an ende of our continuall torments Then the inuincible knight replyed in this order whether you be humane creatures said he plaâ—st in this sepulcher by inchauntment or furies raisd from fiery Acheron to worke my confusion or no I know not and there is so little truth in this infernall Castle that I stand in doubt whether I may beléeue thy words or not but yet discourse vnto me the truth of all your passed fortunes and by what â—â—anes you were brought into this place and as I am a true Christian Knight and one that fights in the quarrell of Christ I vow to accomplish whatsoeuer lyeth in my power Then the Damsel began with a gréeuous and sorrowfull lamentation to declare as strange a tragedie as euer was told And lying in the fatall Sepulcher vnséene of Saint George that stood leaning his backe agaynst the wall to heare her discourse and lamentable Storie with a hollow voice like a murthered Ladie whose bléeding soule as yet did féele the terrible stroke at her death shée repeated this pittifull tale following CHAP. XI Of a tragicall Discourse pronounced by a Ladie in a Toombe and hovv her Inchauntment vvas finished by saint George vvith other straunge accidents that hapned to the other Christian Knights IN famous Babylon somtimes reigned a King although a Heathen yet adorned with noble and vertuous customes and had onely one Daughter that was verie faire whose name was Angelica humble wise and chast who was beloued of a mightie Duke a man man wonderfull cunning in the Blacke arte This Magitian had a seuere graue countenance and one that for wisedome better deserued y e gouernment than anie other in the kingdome and was verie well estéemed throughout all Babylon almost equally with the king for the which there ingendred in the kings heart a secret rancour and hatred towards him Thys Magitian cast his loue vppon the yong Princesse Angelica and it was the Gods will that shee should repaye him wyth the same affection so that both theyr hearts beeing wounded with loue the one to the other in such sorte that the fire kindled dayly more and more and neither of them had any other imagination but onelye to loue and not knowing how to manifest their griefes they indured sundry great passions Then loue which continually séeketh occasions did on a time set before this Magician a wayting maid of Angelicaes named Fidela the which thing séemed to be wrought by the immortall power of the Goddesse Venus oh what feare this Magitian was in to discouer vnto her all his heart and to bewray the secrets of his louesicke soule but in the end by the great industrie and diligence of the waighting Maid whose name was answerable vnto her minde there was order giuen that these two louers shuld méete together This faire Angelica for that she could not at her ease enioy her true Louer she did determine to leaue her own naturall Countrey and Father and with this intention being one night with her Loue she cast her armes about his necke and said Oh my swéete and welbeloued Frend séeing that the soueraigne Gods haue béen so kinde to me as to haue my heart linked in thy breast let me not finde in thée ingratitude for that I cannot passe my time except continually I enioye thy sight and doo not muse my Lord at these my words for the entyre loue that I beare to you dooth constraine me to make it manifest And this beléeue of a certaintie that if thy sight be absent from mée it will bée an occasion that my heart will lacke his vitall recreation
and fearing the harme that should happen vnto her Ladie she put her selfe ouer her bodie and gaue most terrible lowd and lamentable shrikes The King as one kindled in wrath and forgetting the naturall loue of a Father towards his Childe hee laid hand vppon his sword and said It dooth not profite thee Angelica to flie from thy death for thy desert is such that thou canst not escape from it for heere mine owne arme shall be the killer of mine owne flesh and I vnnaturally hate that which Nature it selfe commaundeth me especily to loue Then Angelica with a countenaunce more red than scarlet answered and said Ah my Lord and Father wil you be now as cruell vnto me as you had wont to be kind and pittifull appease your wrath and withdraw your vnmercifull sword and hearken vnto this which I saye in discharging my selfe in that you charge mee wthall you shall vnderstand my Lord and father that I was ouercome and constrained by loue for to loue forgetting all fatherly loue and my dutie towardes your Maiestie yet for all that hauing power to accomplish the same it was not to your dishonour in that I liue honorablie with my husband then the King with a visage fraught with terrible ire more liker a dragon in the woods of Hercania then a man of méeke nature answered and said Thou viperous brat degenerate from natures kinde thou wicked Traitor to thy generation what reason hast thou to make this false excuse when as thou hast committed a crime that deserues more punishment then humaine nature can inflicte and in saying these wordes he lift vp his sword intending to strike her vnto the harte and to bathe his weapon in his owne daughters blood whereat Fidela being present gaue a terrible shrike and threw her selfâ— vpon the body of vnhappy Angeâ—lica offring her tender brest to the furie of his sharpe cutting sword onely to set at libertie her déere Lady and Mistresse But when the furious King sawe her in this sorte make her defence he pulled her off â—y the haire of the hed offring to trample her delicate body vnder his féete thereby to make a way that he might execute his denermined purpose without resistance of any Fidela when she sawe the King determined to kill his daughter like vnto a Lyonesse she hung about his necke and said thou monstrous murtherer more crueller then mad dogs in Egipt why dost thou determine to slaughter the moste chaste and loyallest Ladye in the worlde euen she within whose lappe vntamed Lyons will come and sléepe Thou arte thy seâ—fe I say the occasion of all this euill and thyne onely is the faulte for that thy selfe wert so malicious and so full of mischiefe that shee durst not let thée vnderstand of her sodaine loue These wordes and teares of Fidela did little profite to mollifie the Kings heart but rather like a wylde Boare in the Wildernes beeing compassed about with a companie of Dogges doth shake his members euen so did thys King shake himselfe and threw Fidela from him in such sort that he had almost dasht her braines against the chaÌ„ber walls and with double wrath hee did procure to execute his furie Yet for all this Fidela with terrible shrikes sought to hinder him till such time as with his cruel hand he thrust the poynt of his sword in at her breast so that it appeared foorth at her backe whereby her soule was forced to leaue her terrestriall habitation and flye into Paradice to those blessed soules which dyed for true loues sake Thus this vnhappie Angelica when shee was most at quiet and content with her prosperous life then Fortune turned her vnconstant Whéele and cast her from a glorious delight to a sodaine death The yrefull King when he beheld his daughters blood sprinkled about the chamber and that by his own hands it was committed he repented himselfe of the déede and accursed the hower wherein y e first motion of such a crime entered into his minde wishing the hand that did it euer after might be lame and the heart that did contriue it to be plagued with more extremities than was miserable Oedipus or to be terrified with her ghastly spirit as was the Macedonian Alexander with Clitus shadow whom he causeles murthered In this manner the vnfortunate King repented hys Daughters bloodie Tragedie with this determination not to stay till the Magitian returned from his Hunters exercise but to exclude himselfe from the companie of all men to spend the remnant of his loathsome life among vntamed beasts in some wilde wildernes Upon this resolution he departed the chamber and withall said Farwell thou liuelesse bodie of my Angelica and may thy blood which I haue spilt craue vengeance of the Gods against my guiltie soule for my earthly bodie shall indure a miserable punishment Likewise at his departure he writ vppon y e chamber wals these verses following in his daughters blood For now to hills to dales to rockes to caues I goe To spend my dayes in shameful sorrow griefe woe Fidela after the departure of the King vsed such violent fury against her selfe both by rending the golden tramelles of her hayre and tearing her Rosie coloured face with her furious nayles that shee rather seemed an infernall Furie subiect to wrath than an earthly creature furnished with clemencie She sat ouer Angelicaes bodie wiping her bléeding bosome with a damaske scarffe which shee pulled from her waste and bathing her dead bodie in luke-warme tears which forcibly ranne downe from her eyes like an ouerflowing Fountaine In this wofull manner spent y e sorrowfull Fidela that vnhappie day till bright Phoebus went into the westerne seas at which time the Magitian retourned from his accustomed hunting and finding the doore open he entered into Angelicaes chamber where when he found her bodie weltring in congealed blood and beheld how Fidela sate wéeping ouer her bléeding wounds he cursed himselfe for that he accompted his negligence y e occasion of her death in that he had not left her in more safetie But when Fidela had certefied him how that by the hands of her owne Father she was slaughtered he began like a franticke tyrant to rage against heauen and earth and to fill the ayre with terrible exclamations Oh cruell murtherer said he crept from the womb of some vntamed Tyger I wil be so reuenged vpon thée O vnnaturall king that all ages shal wonder at thy misery And likewise thou vnhappie Uirgin shalt indure like punishment in that thy accursed tung hath bruted this fatall déed vnto my eares the one for committing the crime and the other for reporting it For I will cast such deserued vengeance vpon your heads and place your bodies in such continuall torments that you shall lament my Ladies death leauing aliue the fame of her with your lamentations And in saying these words he drew a Booke out of his bosome and in reading certaine charmes and inchauntments that was therein contained he made
dissolue his soule from his bodie and therewithal putting forth his hand somewhat trembling he tooke the Letter set him verie sorrowfully downe vpon the gréene grasse without anie power to the contrarie his gréefe so abounded the bounds of reason No sooner did he open the letter but he presently knew it to be written by the hands of his wronged Ladie y e Armenian Quéene who with great alteration both of hart minde he read the sorrowfull lines the which contayned these words following The Queene of Armenia her Letter TO thée thou disloyall Knight of the Blacke Castle the vnfortunate Quéene of Armenia can neither send nor wish salutations for hauing no health my selfe I cannot send it vnto him whose cruel mind hath quite forgotten my true loue I cannot but lament continuallye and complain vnto the Gods incessantly considering that my fortune is conuerted from a crowned Quéene to a miserable and banished caytiue where the sauage beasts are my chiefe companions the mournfull biâ—ds my best solliciters Oh Leoger Leoger why didst thou leaue me comfortlesse without all cause as did Aeneas his vnfortunate Dido what second loue hath bereaued me of thy sight and made thée forget her that euer shall remember thée Oh Leoger remember the day when first I saw thy face which day bee fatall euermore and counted for a dismal day in time to come both heauy blacke and full of foule mischances for it was vnhappie vnto me for in giuing thée ioy I bereaued my selfe of all and lost the possession of my libertie and honour althogh thou hast not estéemed nor tooke care of my sorrowfull fortunes yet thou shouldst not haue mockt my perfect loue and disdained the feruent affâ—ction that I haue borne thée in that I haue yéelded to thée that precious iewell y e which hath béen denied to manie a noble King Oh Loue cruel and spitefull Loue that so quickly didst make mee blinde and depriuedst mee of the knowledge that belonged vnto my royall Highnesse Oh vncurteous Knight beeing blinded with thy loue the Quéene of Armenia denied her honestie which shee ought to haue kept and preserued it from the biting canker of disloyall lâ—ue Hadst thou pretended to mocke me thou shouldst not haue suffred me to haue lost so much as is forgone for thy sake Tell me why didst not thou suffer mee to execute my will that I might haue opened my white brest with a pearcing swoord and sent my soule to the shady banke of swéete Elizium Then had it béene better for me to haue died than to liue still and dayly die Remember thy selfe Leoger and behold the harm that will come héereof haue thou a care vnto the pawn which thou leftst sealed in my wombe and let it bee an occasion that thou doost after all thy violent wronges retourne to sée me sléeping in my tombe that my childe may not remaine fatherlesse in the power of wilde beastes whose hearts be fraughted with nothing but with crueltie Doe not consent that this perfecte loue which I beare thée should be counted vaine but rather performe the promise the which thou hast denied me O vnkinde Leoger O cruell and heard heart is alshoode the firme loue that so faindedly thou didst professe to me what is he that hath béene more vnmercifull then thou hast béene There is no furious beast nor lurking Lion in the deserts of Libia whose vnmercifull pawes are all besmearde in bloud that is so cruell harted as thy self els wouldst thou not leaue me comfortles spending my dayes in solitarie woods where as the Tigers mourne at my distresses and chirping birdes in their kindes grieue at my lamentations the vnreasonable torments and sorrowes of my soule are so many that if my penne were made of Lidian stéele and my Inke the purple Ocean yet could not I write the number of woes But nowe I determine to aduertise thée of my desired death for in writing this my latest testament the fates are cutting a sunder my thrid of life and I can giue thée knowledge of no more but yet I desire thée by the true loue which I beare thée that thou wilt read with some sorrow these fewe lines and héere of the powers of heauen I do desire that thou maist dye the like death that for thée I now dye And so I ende By her vvhich did yeeld vnto thee her life Loue Honor Fame and Liberty WHen this sad and heauie knight had made an end of reading this dolorous letter hee could not restraine his eyes from distilling salte teares so great was the griefe that his hart sustaned Rosana did likewise beare him company to solemnize his heauines with as manye teares trickling from the Conduite of her eyes The greate sorrowe and lamentation was such and so much in both their hartes that in a great space the one coulde not speake vnto the other but afterwardes their griefes being somewhat appeased Leoger began to say Oh Messenger from her with the remembrance of whose wronge my soule is wounded being vndeseruedly of me euill rewarded tell me euen by the nature of true loue if thou dost knowe where she is showe vnto me her abiding place that I may goe thither and giue a discharge of this my great fault by yeilding vnto death Oh cruell and without loue answered Rosana what discharge canst thou giue vnto her that alreadye thorow thy crueltie is dead and buryed onely by the occasion of such a forsworne knight This penitent and payned knight when he vnderstood the certaintie of her death with a sodaine and hastie fury he strooke him selfe on the 〈◊〉 with his fist and lifting his eyes vnto the heauens in manner of exclamation against the Gods giuing déepe and sorrowfull sighes he threwe him selfe to the ground tumbling and wallowing from the one part vnto the other without taking any ease or hauing anye power or strength to declare his inward griefe which at that time he felt but with lamentations which did torment his hart he called continually on the Armenian Quéen and in that deuilish furye wherein he was dreâ— out his dagger and lifting vp the skirt of his shirt of 〈◊〉 he thrust it into his body and giuing himself this vnhappy death with calling vpon his wroÌ„ged Lady he finished his life and fell to the ground This sad and heauie Ladie when she beheld him so desperately to gorge his martiall breast and to fall liuelesse to the earth she greatly repented her selfe that she had not discouered her name and reuealed to him how that shee was his vnfortunate Daughâ—er whose face before that time he neuer had beheld and as a Lion though all too late who seeing before her eyes her yong Lionâ—sse euil intreated of the Huâ—ter euen so she ran vnto her welâ—eloued Father and with great spéed pulled off his helme froÌ„ his wounded head and vnbraced his armour the which was in colour according to his passion but as strong as anie Diamond made by Magicke arte Also she tooke away his
shéeld which was of a russet field and in y e middest thereof was portrayed the God of Loue with two faces the one was verie faire and bound about with a cloth his eyes and the other was made meruailous fierce and furious This being done with a faire linnen cloth shee wyped off the blood from his mortal face And when she was certaine that it was him after whom she had traueled so manie wearie steps and that he was without life with a furious madnes she tore her attyre from her head and all so rent her golden haire tearing it in péeces and then returned again and wyped that infernall face making such sorrowfull lamentation that whosoeuer had séene her would haue been mooued to compassion Then shee tooke his head betwixt her hands procuring to lift it vp and to lay it vpon her lap and seeing for al this that there was no moouing in him she ioyned her face vnto his pale and dead chéeâ—es and with sorrowfull words she said Deare Father open thine eyes and behold me open them swéete Father and looke vppon mee thy sorrowfull Daughter if fortune be so fauourable let me receiue some contentment whilest life remaineth 〈…〉 thy selfe to looke vpon me wherein such delight may come to me that we may either accoÌ„pany other Oh my Lord and onely Father sâ—â—ing that in former times my vnfortunatâ— Mothers tears were not sufficienâ— to reclaime thée make me satisfaction for the great trauell which hath béen taken in séeking thee out Come now in death and ioye in the sight of thy vnhappie Daughter and dye not without séeing her open thine eyes that she may gratefie thée in dying with thée This being said Rosana began again to wipe his face for that iâ— was agâ—â—n all to be bathed in blood and with her white hands she felt his eyes and mouth and all hys face and head till such time as she touched his breast and put her hand on the mortall wound where she held it still and looked vpon him whether he mooued or no. But when she felt him withoâ—â— sense or féeling she began anew to complayne and crying out with most terrible exclamations she said Oh my haplesse Father how manie troubles great trauells hath thy Daughter passed in séeking thée watering the earth with her teares and alwayes in vaine calling for thée Oh how manie times in naming thy name hath she béen answered with an Eccho which was vnto her great dolour and griefe and now that Fortune hath brought her where thou art to reioice her selfe in thy presence the same Fortune hath conuerted her wishes into greefe and doâ—or Oh cruell and vnconstant Quéene of Chaunce hath Rosana deserued this to bee most afflicted when she expected most ioy Oh Leoger if euer thou wilt open thine eyes now open them or let the glasses of my eyes be cloased eternally Herewith she perceiued his dim eyes to open and hys senses now a little gathered together aâ—d when hee saw himselfe in her armes and vnderstood by her words that she was his Daughter whom hee had by the vnfortunate Quéene of Armenia he sodainly stroue against weaknes and at last recouering some strength he cast hys yéelding armes about the milke white necke of the faire Rosana and they ioyned their faces the one with the other distilling betwixt them many salte and bitter teares in such sort that it would haue moued the wilde beasts vnto compassion and with a féeble and weake voice the wounded knight said Ah my daughter vnfortunate by my disloyaltie let me recreate and comforte my selfe in enioying this thy mouth the time that I shall remaine aliue and before my sillie soule doth departe the company of my dying bodie I do confesse that I haue béene pittilesse vnto thy mother and vnkinde to thée in making thée to trauell with great sorrow in séeking me and now thou hast found me I must leaue thée alone in this sorrowfull place with my dead body pale and wanne yet before my death swéet girle giue me a thousand kisses this onely delighte I craue for the little time I haue to tarrie and afterward I desire thée to intombe my body in thy mothers graue though it be far in distance from this vnluckie Country O my déere Lord answered she dost thou request of me to giue thy body a Sepulcher well I sée that it is requisit to séeke some to giue it vnto vs both for I knowe my life can not continue longe if the angry fates depriue me of your liuing companye and without strength to procéed any further in speaches she kissed his face with great sobbing and sighes making within her selfe a terrible conflicte tarying for the answere of her dying Father who with no lesse paine and anguish of death said Oh my Childe how happy should I be that thus imbracing one in the others armes we might depart togeather then should I be ioyfull in thy company and account my selfe happy in my death and here vppon I leaue thée vnto the worlde daughter farwell the Gods preserue thée and take me to their mercies And when he had said these wordes hee enclyned his necke vppon the face of Rosana and dyed When this sorrowfull Ladye sawe that the soule had got the victorie and departed from the body she kissed his pale lippes and giuing â—éepe and doloâ—ous sighes shee beganne a merualous and heauy lamentation calling her selfe vnhappie and vnfortunate and layde her selfe vpon the dead body cursing her destinies so that it was lamentable to heare O my déere father sayd she what small benefite haue I receiued for all my trauell and paine the which I haue suffered in séeking of thée and nowe in the finding of thée the more is my griefe for that I came to sée thée dye Oh most vnhappie that I am where was my minde when I saw that fatall dagger pearce thy tender brest whereon was my thought wherefore did I stand still and did not with great lightnes make resistance against that terrible blow If my strength would not haue serued me yet at the least I shoulde haue borne thée companie you furious beastes that are hid in your dens and déepe caues where are you now why doe you not come and take pittie vpon my griefe in taking away my life in doing so you shewe your selues pittifull for that I doe abhorre this dolorous life yet she did not forget the promise that shee made him which was to giue his body burial in her mothers tombe This was the occasion that she did somewhat cease her lamentation and taking vnto her selfe more courage then her sorrowfull griefe would consent vnto she put the dead bodie vnder a mightie pine Apple trée and couered it with leaues of gréene grasse and like wise hung his armor vpon the bowes in hope that the sight thereof would cause some aduenturous knight to approach her presence that in kindenes would asist her to intombe him heere we will leaue Rosana wéeping ouer her fathers body
to me to climbe vppe to the highest toppe of heauen as to perswade my minde to yeeld to the fulfilling of your requests The pure and chast Goddesse Diana that sittes nowe crownde amongst the golden starres in heauen will reuenge my periured promise if I yéeld to your desires for I haue long since deepely vowed to spende my daies in this religious house in the honour of her diety and not to yéelde the flower of my virginity to any one which vow I will not infringe for all the Maiesty of Roome you know braue champions that in time the watery droppes will mollify the hardest Diamond and time may weede out this deepe roote and impression from my heart Therfore I request of you by the honour of true knighthood and by the loues you beare vnto your natiue countreyes to graunt me the liberty of seauen daies that I may at full consider with my heart before I giue an answere to your demaunds and to the intent that I may make some publike sacrifice as well to appease the wrath which the chast Goddesse Diana may conceaue against me as to satisfie mine owne soule for not fulfilling my vowe These wordes being no sooner ended but the champions incontinently without any more delay ioyfully consented and moreouer profered themselues to bee all present at the same sacrifice and so departed from the Monastery with excéeding great comfort The champions being gone Lucina called togither all the rest of the Nuns and declared to them the whole discourse of her assailment where after amongst this religious company with the help of some other of their approued friends they deuised a most strange sacrifice which hath since been the occasion that so many inhumaine and bloudy sacrifices hath bin committed The next morning after sixe daies were finished no sooner did bright Phoebus shew his goldeÌ„ beames abroad but the Nunnes began to prepare all thinges in readines for the sacrifice for directly before the doore of the Monestary they hyred cunning workmen to erect a scaffold all very richly couered with cloth of golde and vpon the scaffold about the middle therof was placed a faire table couered also with a Carpet of cloth of golde and vppon it a chafingdish of coales burning all this beeing set in good order the Emperor with the Christian Champions and many other Roman knights being present to beholde the cerimonious sacrifice who little mistrusting the dolefull tragedie that after hapned The assemblie béeing silent there was straightwayes heard a swéete and hermonious sound of Clarions and Trumpets and sundrie other kind of Instrumentes these entred first vppon the scaffolde and next vnto them were brought seauen Rammes all adorned with fine white woole more softe in féeling then Arabian silke with huge and mightie cragged hornes bound about with garlands of flowers after them followed a certaine number of Nunnes attyred in blacke vestures singing their accustomed songes in the honor of Diana after them followed an auncient Matrone drawne in a Chariot by foure comly virgins bringing in her handes the Image of Diana and on either side of her two auncient Nunnes of great estimation each of them bearing in their handes rich vessels of golde full of most precious and swéete wines then after all this came the beautifull Lucina apparelled with a rich Roabe of estate beeing of a great and inestimable value Thus cerimoniously they ascended the scaffold where the Matrone placed the Image of Diana behinde the chafingdish of coales that was there burning the rest of the Nunnes continued still singing their songs and drinking of the precious wines that was brought in the golden vessell this being done they all at once brought lowe the necks of the Rams by cutting their throates whose bloods they sprinckled round about the scaffold and opened their bowelles and burned their inward partes in the chafingdish of coales Thus with this slaughter they made sacifice vnto the Quéene of Chastitie at the sight whereof was present the surfetting Louer Saint George with the other sixe Christian Knightes armed all in bright armor and were all verye attentiue to this that I â—éere haue tolde you The sacrifice ended this Lucina commaunded silence to be made and when all the company were still she raysed vp her selfe vpon her féete and with a heauie voyce distilling many salte teares she said O most excellent and chaste Diana in whose blessed bosome we vndefiled Uirgins doe recreate our selues vnto thy deuine excellency doe I now commende this my last sacrifice crauing record of all the Gods that I haue done my best to continue a spotles maiden of thy most beautiful traine Oh heauens shall I consent to deliuer my Uirginitie willingly to him whose soule desires to haue the vse of it or shall I my selfe commit my vtter ruine and sorrowfull destruction the which procéedeth onely by the meanes of my flouring beautie the which woulde it had beene as blacke as the nightly rauens or like to the tawny tanned Moores in the furthest mountaines of India O sacred Diana thou blessed Quéene of chastitie is it possible that thou doest consent that a Uirgin descended from so royall a race as I am should procure to spotte the worthines of her predecessors by yéelding her Uirgins honor to the conquest of loue without respecting my beauty or regarding my chaste vowe I haue made vnto thy diety Well séeing it is so that I must néedes violate my selfe against all humane nature I beséech thée to receiue the solempnitie of this my death which I offer vp in sacrifice to thy deuine excellencie for I am héere constrained with mine own trembling hand to cut off the flourishing branches of these my dayes for this I sweare before the Maiestie of heauen that I had rather offer vp my soule into the sâ—cietie and sacred bosome of Diana than to yéeld the casâ—le of my chastitie to the conquest of anie Knight in the world And now to thée I speake thou valiant Knight of England behold héere I yéeld vnto thy hands my liuelesse bodie to vse according to thy will and pleasure requesting onely this thing at thy hand that as thou louedst mee lyuing thou wilt loue me dead and like a mercifull Champion suffer me to receaue a princely Funerall And last of all to thée diuine Diana doo I speake accept of this my bléeding soule that with so much blood is offered vnto thée So in finishing this sorrowfull speach she drew out a faire and bright shining sword which shee had hidden secretly vnder her gowne and setting the hylt agaynst the Scaffold little looked for of her Father and those y t were present shee sodainly threw her selfe vppon the poynt of that Sword in such a furious manner that it ryued her bloodie heart in sunder and so rendred her soule to the tuition of her vnto whom she offered her bloodie and ruthfull sacrifice What shall I héere declare the lamentable sorrowes and pittifull lamentation that was there made by her father and other Roman
their horses and made their encounters so valiant that at the first race they made their launces shiuer in the aire and the pieces thereof to scatter abroade like aspen leaues in a whirlewinde At the second course the young Prince of Fesse was caried ouer his horse buttockea and the saddle with him betwixt his legs which was a great griefe vnto the Emperour and all the company that did see him for that he was wel beloued of them al and held for a knight of great estimation The Silician king grewe proude at the Prince of Fesses ouerthrow and was so incouraged and so furious that in a small time he lâ—ft not a knight remaining on horsebacke in their saddles that durste attempt to iust with him but euerie one of what Countrey and Nation soere auoyded the attempt so that there was no question among eyther Nobles or the multitude but that vnto hym the vndoubted honour of the victory in triumph would bée attributed And being in this arrogant pride hee heard a great noise in the maner of a tumult drawing néere which was the occasion that he stoode still and to expect some strange accident and looking about what it should bee he beheld Saint George entering the listes who was armed with his rich and strong armour all of purple full of golden starres and before him roade the champions of France Italy Spaine and Scotland al on stately coursers bearing in their handes foure silken streamers of fouâ—e seuerall colours And the champion of Wales followed him carrying his shield whereon was portraied a golden Lyon in a sable field and the champion of Ireland likewise carried his speare being of knotty ash strongly bound about with plates of steele all which shewed the highnesse of his discent in that so many braue Knightes attended vppon him So when Saint George had passed by the royall seate whereon the Emperour sate inuested in whose company was many knights of great authority he rode along by the other side whereas Alcida the Emperours faire Daughter sate amongst many gallant Ladies and faire damsels richly apparelled with vestures of gold to whom he valed his bonnet shewing theÌ„ the courtesie of a knight and so passed by Alcida at the fight of this noble champion could not refraine her selfe but that with a high and bold voice she said vnto the Emperour Most mighty Emperour and my royall father saide she this is the Knight in whose power and strength all christendome doth put their fortunes and this is he whom the whole world admires for chiualrie Saint George although he heard very well what the louely Princesse had said passed on and dissembled as though he had heard nothing and so when he came before the face of his curious aduersary hee tooke his shield and his speare and prepared himseife in readinesse to iust and so being both prouided the trumpets beganne to sounde whereat with great fury these two warlike knights met togither and neither of them missed their blowes at their encounter but yet by reason that Saint George had a desire to extoll his fame and to make his name resounde thorough the worlde hee stroke the giant such a mighty blowe vpon his brest that he presently ouerthrewe him to the ground and so with great state and maiesty he passed along without any shew of disdaine whereat the people gaue a great shoute that it resounded like an eccho in the ayre and in this maner said The great and mighty boaster is ouerthrown and his furious strength hath little auailed him After this many Princesse proued their aduentures against this English champion and euery knight that were of any estimation iusted with him But with great ease he ouercame them al in lesse then the space of two houres so at such time as bright Phoebus began to make an end of his long iourney and the day to draw to an ende there appeared to enter into the listes the braue and mighty giant being brother to the Scilician king with a mighty great speare in his hande whose glimmering point of steele glistered through al the court he brought with him but onely one squire attired in siluer male bringing in his hand another launce So this furious giant without any care of curtesie due vnto the Emperour or any of his knights there present entered the place the which being done the squire that brought his other speare went vnto the English champion and saide Sir Knight quoth he yonder braue and valiant giant my Lord and Maister doth send vnto thée this warlike speare and therewithall he willeth thée to defend thy self to the vttermost of thy power strength for he hath vowed before sun set to be either Lord of thy fortunes or a vassell to thy prowesse and likewise saith that he doth not only defie thée in the turniment but also challenge thée to mortall battaile This brauing message caused Saint George to smile and bre â— in his brest a new desire of honour and so returned him this answere friend go thy waies and tell the giant that sent thée that I doe accept his demaunde although it doth grieue my very soule to heare his arrogant defiance to the great disturbance of this royall company and in the presence of so mighty an Emperour but séeing his stomacke is gorged with so much pride tell him that George of EnglaÌ„d is ready to make his defence and also that shortly he shall repent him by my pledge of Knighthood In saying these words he tooke the speare froÌ„ the squire and deliuâ—red him his gauntlet from his hand to carry to his master and so put himselfe to the standing awaighting for the encounter At that time he was very nie the place where the Emperour sate who heard the answere which the English knight made vnto the squire and was much displeased that the giant in such sort should defie S. George without any occasion But it was no time as then to speake but to kéepe sâ—lence and to pray vnto his Gods to take away his great pride and arrogancie All this time the two warriours mounted vpon their stéedes tarried the signe to bee made by the trumpets which being giuen they set forward their coursers with their speares in their restes with so great fury and desire the one to vnhorse the other that they both fayled in their encounter The giant who was very strong and proude when he sawe that he had missed his intent he returned against Saint George carrying his speare vppon his shoulder and comming nie vnto him vpon a sodaine before he could cleare himsâ—lfe hâ— stroke him such a mighty blowe vpon his corslet that his staffe broke in pieces by reason of the finenesse of his armour and mado the English Knight to double his body backewardes vppon his horse crupper But when he sawe the great villany that the giant vsed against him his anger increased very much and so taking his speare in the same sort he went towards the giant and saide
with Princely pallaces very sumptuous to behold likewise they discouered from the Hill a fayre fountaine wrought all of marble like vnto a Pillâ—r out of which did proceede foure spoutes running with water which fell into a great Cesterne and comming to it they washed their handes and refâ—eshed their faces and so departed After they looked round about them on euery side and toward their right handes they espied amongst a company of gréene trées a small Tent of blacke cloth towards which these yong Princes directed their courses with an easie pace but when they had entred the Tent and sawe no bodie therin they remained silent a while harkning if they could heare any sturing but they could neither see nor heare any thing but onely they found the print of certain little féete vpon the same which caused them more earnestly to desire to know whose foote steps they were for that they séemed to be of some Ladies or Damsels so finding the trace they followed theÌ„ and the more the knights followed the more the Ladies séemed to hast so long they persued after the trace that at the end they approached a little mountain wheras they found scattered about certaine lockes of yellow haire which séemed to be thrids of golde and stooping to gather them vp they perceiued that some of them were wet with spots of blood whereby they wel vnderstood that in great anger they were pulled from some Ladies head lik wise they saw in diuers places how the earth was spotted with droppes of crimson blood then with a more desire then they had before they went vp to the top of that litle mountaine and hauing lost the footesteps they recouered it againe by gathering vp the hayre where they had not traueled far vp the mountaine but towards the waters side they heard a gréeuous complaint which séemed to be the voice of a woman in great distresse and the woordes which the knights did vnderstand were these O loue now shalt thou no more reioyce nor haue any longer dominion ouer me for death I sée is ready to cut my thrid of life and finish these my sorowful lamentations how often haue I askt reuengement at the powers of heauen against that wicked wretch that hath bene the causer of my banishment but yet they will not hear my request how ofte haue I made my sad complaints to hell yet hath the fatall furies stopt their eares against my woful cryes And with this she held her peace giuing a sorowful sighe which being done the thrée christian knights turned their eyes to the place from whence they heard this complaint and discouered amongst certaine gréene trées a Lady who was endued with singuler beautie being so excellent that it almost depriued them of their harts captiuated their sences in the snares of loue which libertie as yet they neuer lost she had her haire about her eares which hung defusedly downe her comely sholders through the violence she vsed against her selfe and leaning her chéeke vpon her delicate white hand that was all to be spotted with blood which was constraind by the scratching of her nailes vpon her Rosie colored face by her stood another damsel which they coniectured to be her daughter for she was clad in virgin colored silk mor whiter then the Lillyes of the fields and as pleasante to beholde as the glistring Moone in a cleare winters fréezing night yet for all this delectable sight the thrée princly knights wold not discouer theÌ„selues but stood closely behinde the thrée pine trées which grew néere vnto the mountaine to heare the euent of this accident but as they stoode cloaked in silence they heard her thus to confer with her beautiful daughter Oh my Rosana quoth she the vnhappie figure of him that without pitty hath wounded my heart and left me comfortles with the greatest cruelty that euer knight or gentleman left Lady how hath it béen possible that I haue had the force to bring vp the child of such a father which hath bereaud me of my libertie O you soueraigne gods of heauen grant y t I may establish in my minde the remembrance of the loue of thy adulterous father oh girle borne to a further griefe héere doe I desire the guider of thy fortunes that thy glistring beautie may haue such force and power whereby the shining beames thereof may take reuengement of the dishonor of thy mother giue eare deare childe I say vnto thy dying mother thou that art born in the dishonor of thy generation by the losse of my virginity héere doe I charge thée vpon my blessing euen at my houre of death swear thée by the omnipotent God of heauen neuer to suffer thy beauty to be enioyd by any one vntill thy disloyal fathers head bee offered vp in a sacrifice vnto my graue thereby somewhat to appease the furie of my discontented soule and recouer part of my former glorie These and such like words spake this afflicted quéene to the wonderfull amazement of the thrée yong Knightes which as yet intended not to discouer themselues but to marke the euent for they coniectured that her woful complaintes were the induction of some strange accedent Thus as they stoode obscurely behinde the trées they sawe the young and beautifull Damsell giue vnto her dying mother paper penne and Inke the which shée pulled from her Iuorie bosome wherewith the gréeued quéene subscribed certain sorrowful lines vnto him y t was the causer of her banishment and making an end of her writing they heard her with a dying breath speake vnto her daughter these sorrowfull words following Come daughter quoth shee beholde thy Mother at her latest gaspe and imprint my dying request in thy heart as a table of brasse that it neuer may be forgotten time will not giue me longer respit that with wordes I might shewe vnto thée my déepe affâ—ctions for that I féele my death approaching and the fatall sisters ready to cut my thrid of life a sunder betwéene the edges of their shieres insomuch that I moste miserable creature do féele my soule trembling in my flesh and my heart quiuering at this my last and fatal houre but one thing my swéet and tender child doe I desire of thée before I dye which is that thou wouldest procure that this letter may bee giuen to that cruell knight thy disloyall father giuing him to vnderstand of this my troublesome death the occasion whereof was his vnreasonable crueltie and making an end of saying this the miserable Quéene fell downe not hauing any more strength to sit vp but let the letter fall out of her hand the which her sorrowfull daughter presently tooke vp and falling vpon her mothers brest she replyed in this sorrowfull manner O my swéete mother tell me not that you will dye for it ads a torment more gréeuous vnto my soule then the punishments which Danaus daughters féele in hell I would rather be torne in péeces by the fury of some merciles monster or to